This Friday at the Australian Open there was a scene that no one would have imagined ever seeing on a tennis court. During the match between Novak Djokovic and Taylor Fritz at the Rod Laver Arena, the tournament organization had to vacate the court due to confinement decreed by the Government of Victoria for some local positive COVID cases detected in the last hours, which came into effect at 23:59 local time. So that people could be home in time to comply with regulations, it was announced over the public address system that spectators were to leave the premises at 11:30 p.m.
Some fans left even earlier, but others delayed their departure and even booed the announcement at first and refused. The chair umpire of the match, the Australian John Blom, asked the players to go to the dressing room to facilitate the eviction of the public And the strategy paid off, because everyone except the authorized people left the stadium.
The game was moving through the fourth set, 3-2 for Fritz, when he stopped to carry out the eviction. It was resumed in a short time, after a little more than five minutes and without encouragement or shouting from the stands, as will happen the next five days, which is how long the confinement will last. At least until next Thursday, when the semifinals of the tournament begin. The atmosphere before the emptying of the enclosure was hot against Djokovic, who had faced several times with some fans.