Rescheduled Australian Open set for Feb start

MELBOURNE • The Australian Open will start on Feb 8, three weeks later than scheduled, the ATP Tour yesterday confirmed in a release of its updated calendar for next year.

The start of the main draw of the tournament was originally slated for Jan 18 and Tennis Australia has been locked in drawn-out negotiations with the local government over Covid-19 health measures.

The state of Victoria yesterday recorded a 48th straight day without a case of community transmitted Covid-19 but many health restrictions remain in place in Melbourne, and the Australian border remains all but shut to international visitors.

Men's qualifying for the year's first Grand Slam would take place in Doha from Jan 10-13 before players move to Melbourne to quarantine for two weeks.

Players, including reigning Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic, had warned organisers against expecting competitors to go straight from a lengthy period of quarantine into Grand Slam matches.

The ATP tournament scheduled to take place in Adelaide has been moved to Melbourne to be played in the week commencing Jan 31 alongside another men's warm-up tournament in the city.

A shortened version of the ATP Cup men's team tournament, which made its debut earlier this year in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney, will take place in Melbourne from Feb 1-5 before the hard-court Grand Slam begins the following Monday.

The ATP season will now open with tournaments in Delray Beach, Florida and Antalya in Turkey from Jan 5-13 before preparations for the trip to Melbourne Park begin.

The Auckland Classic and New York Open will not take place next year, the ATP announced, while the Maharashtra Open in India and Rio Open in Brazil will be rescheduled.

"The reconfigured calendar for the start of the 2021 season represents a huge collaborative effort across tennis, under challenging circumstances," said ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi.

"Health and safety will continue to be paramount as we navigate the challenges ahead."

Delray Beach Open

Antalya Open

Australian Open qualifying

Melbourne warm-up 1

Melbourne warm-up 2

ATP Cup

Australian Open

This will be the first time in 34 years that the Australian Open will be staged outside of January. Fans are expected to be allowed at Melbourne Park.

REUTERS