Dylan Bettencourt
I-imeyili eputshuziwe ethunyelwe kubadlali be-Women’s Tennis Association (i-WTA) ithe abadlali abangagonyiwe basengaqhudelana ku-Australian Open ngemuva kokuziqhelelanisa nomphakathi izinsuku eziyi-14.
Lokhu kuvezwe yize izikhulu zikahulumeni ziphakamise okuhlukile.
UNgqongqoshe Wezokufika u-Alex Hawke umemezele ngesonto eledlule ukuthi abadlali abanqabe umjovo we-Covid-19 noma abangadalulanga isimo sabo sokugoma ngeke bavunyelwe ukungena kuleli kwi-Grand Slam yokuqala ngonyaka ozayo.
Kodwa-ke, kubonakala sengathi bonke abadlali bazovunyelwa ukuncintisana nabadlali abangagonyiwe abavunyelwe ukudlala ngemuva kokuthi baziqhelelanise nomphakathi amasonto amabili.
Umdlali ovelele emhlabeni uNovak Djokovic usenqabe kaningi ukudalula ukuthi usegomile yini noma cha. Ubebonakala esengozini yokulahlekelwa enye yama-Grand Slam akhe ayintandokazi.
UNdunankulu wase-Victoria uDaniel Andrews uthe akekho umuntu ozothola impatho ekhethekile, kungakhathalekile ukuthi usezingeni elinjani.
“Angicabangi ukuthi umdlali wethenisi ongagonyiwe uzothola i-visa yokuza kuleli futhi uma ethole i-visa, kuzodingeka ahlaliswe yedwa amasonto ambalwa,” esho esitatimendeni sabezindaba.
Ukuhlala kwabadlali e-Australia kuzohluka kakhulu kuya ngesimo sabo sokugoma. Abadlali abathole umgomo bangangena ezweni noma nini kusukela ngomhla wokuqala kuZibandlela futhi ngeke kudingeke bavalelwe bodwa.
UDjokovic, ongase aphuthelwe yilo mqhudelwano, ujaha irekhodi lezicoco ezingama-21 ze-Grand Slam. Njengamanje ulingana noRoger Federer kanye noRafael Nadal abanezicoco ezingama-20 umuntu ngamunye.
UDjokovic usenqobe izicoco ezintathu zokugcina ze-Australian Open futhi usenqobe imiqhudelwano eyisishiyagalolunye ezweni okumenza intandokazi enkulu ukuphinde athole umklomelo omkhulu futhi aqinise ifa lakhe kwezemidlalo.
I-Grand Slam yokuqala yonyaka yowezi-2022 kulindeleke ukuthi iqale ngomhla ziyi-17 kuMasingana.
Umthombo wesithombe: @Reuters