Dylan Bettencourt
Abaningi bebezitshela ukuthi uNovak Djokovic uzophuthelwa i-Australian Open ngenxa yomthetho womqhudelwano wokugoma, kodwa lo mdlali wethenisi wase-Serbia unikezwe imvume yokusivikela isicoco sakhe se-Australian Open.
Abahleli bagcizelela ukuthi akazange athole impatho ekhethekile ukuze adlale. Phambilini abaphathi be-Australian Open bathi akekho umdlali ozovumeleka kulo mqhudelwano engagomile.
Lo mdlali ekanye nobaba wakhe baveze umbono wabo ngomuthi wokugoma kanye nentukuthelo yabo ngokuthi umjovo uyisibopho sokuqhudelana emiqhudelwaneni yethenisi.
Kodwa-ke, uDjokovic unikezwe imvume yezokwelashwa ukuze angenele umqhudelwano wase-Melbourne asewunqobe amahlandla ayisishiyagalolunye.
NgoLwesibili ubhale ku-Twitter ukuthi ulibangise e-Australia ukuyobamba iqhaza kwi-Grand Slam yokuqala yalo nyaka.
Lo mdlali wethenisi ohamba phambili emhlabeni kusele kancane ukuthi aqophe umlando ngezicoco ze-Grand Slam ezingu-21 egameni lakhe, kanti ukunqoba kwakhe isicoco sesi-22 kuzomenza umpetha wabo bonke abanye abadlali, noma nje besicabanga ukuthi ukwenqaba kwakhe ukuthatha umjovo we-Covid-19 kuzombambezela.
I-Australia idlule esikhathini esinzima sokutheleleka nge-Covid-19 ngenyanga edlule yingakho ukukhululwa kukaDjokovic yize isimo sakhe sokugoma singaziwa kubange izinkulumo ezweni lonke.
UNdunankulu wase-Australia, uScott Morrison, uthe uDjokovic “uzobe esendizeni ebuyela ekhaya” uma ukukhululwa kwakhe kungenaso isizathu esiphathekayo.
“Akumele nakancane kube nemithetho ekhethekile evuna uNovak Djokovic,” kusho uMorrison.
Isikhulu esiphezulu se-Tennis Australia, uCraig Tiley uthe lesi sinqumo singaphezu kwamandla, egcizelela ukuthi uhlelo lokukhulula uDjokovic lusemthethweni. Ukhululwe nguhulumeni wezwe.
“Noma yimuphi umuntu ohlangabezane naleyo mibandela uvunyelwe ukuthi angene. Ayikho impatho ekhethekile esimunike yona. Akuzange kube khona ithuba elikhethekile elinikezwe uNovak,” kusho uTiley etshela i-Channel Nine TV.
Umdlali waseBrithani uJamie Murray uzwakalise ukukhathazeka kwakhe ngokuthi uDjokovic avunyelwe ukungenela umqhudelwano e-Melbourne kule nyanga.
“Angazi ukuthi ngithini ngalokho ngempela. Ngicabanga ukuthi ukube bekuyimina obengazange agome, bengingeke ngivunyelwe ukuyodlala,” esho ku-ATP Cup e-Sydney.
I-Australian Open izoqala ngomhlaka-17 kuMasingana iphele ngomhlaka-30 kuMasingana.
Umthombo wesithombe: @TennisWorldUSA