India tennis champ Yuki Bhambri says uncertain vaccination status made Novak’s Oz Open participation doubtful, but insists authorities should have offered more clarity before visa row
Novak Djokovic
India tennis ace Yuki Bhambri has come out in support of Serbian World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who may be deported back home from Australia over a visa issue. Djokovic got a medical exemption to defend his title at the Australian Open (beginning on January 17), but on landing in Melbourne recently, his visa was cancelled amidst reports that he is not fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
Visa saga
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“It was always going to be a risk for Djokovic to come and play the Australian Open, the doubt being [him] getting vaccinated. So, it was a bit of a surprise for everybody when he announced that he’s coming and then this whole saga of his visa getting canceled and not being allowed to play,” Bhambri replied to mid-day’s question on the Djokovic issue during a virtual media interaction organised by Sony Sports on Sunday.
Yuki Bhambri
“But I think we could have had more clarity beforehand. There was no reason for him [Djokovic] to be able to, if he did get an exemption, come here [to Australia] and then stop him. The situation could have been avoided if there had been more clarity from the Australian border controls or the government,” added Bhambri, 29, who became the first Indian to win the Australian Open Junior title in 2009. For injury-plagued Bhambri, who has overcome Tendonitis in both knees, this will be his first Grand Slam since 2018. He also recovered from Covid-19 last April.
Tough times
Bhambri is excited ahead of his qualifier against (248th-ranked) Portuguese J Domingues on Tuesday. “It’s one of the hardest times that I have been through. I have never been off the tennis court for this long. I did comeback last February [at the Singapore Open], but then missed out again for the next six-seven months which was difficult. There’s no question that there were doubts about stopping and not playing, but one of the goals was to try and comeback, play the Slams and compete,” added Bhambri, a former Youth Olympics silver medallist. On the current unimpressive state of Indian tennis given there are few who can take over from the likes of Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna, Bhambri said it’s the system that is to blame. “Everybody knows that there is no Indian tennis system and that’s how they are trying to churn out a Grand Slam champion. This question has been asked to probably every Indian player, but I don’t think it’s asked enough to the administrators of our sport. The players are doing their bit, but we will always have once-in-a-decade players because everyone here goes about it the individual way as that’s the only way to go about,” Bhambri concluded.
Judge rejects bid to delay Djoko’s visa appeal
The Australian government has failed in a bid to delay Novak Djokovic’s visa hearing until after the Australian Open draw is finalised. Judge Anthony Kelly rejected, in an order published on Sunday, the submission by home affairs minister Karen Andrews on Saturday to push Monday’s hearing to Wednesday. But the judge left the government with the option of making another application to delay on Monday. He has been detained at an immigration facility in Melbourne since Thursday morning.
Watch Australian Open from January 17 on Sony Six, Sony Ten 3 & HD
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