TNN/Agencies
Doha/Melbourne
The Qatar Tennis Federation (QTF) will host the 2021 Australian Open Grand Slam qualifying for the first time at the Khalifa Tennis and Squash Complex from January 10-13, the QTF announced on Thursday.
The qualifying will feature the participation of 128 with only 16 players to qualify to the main draw.
The tournament has been rescheduled to be held in Melbourne from February 8-21.
The QTF Board Member, Karim Alami, said, "It’s our pleasure to welcome all the players who will participate in Australian Open qualifying to be staged in Doha and we promise them an exceptional experience which will live up to the Doha reputation as a major destination for world sports.
"Selecting Doha to host the Australian Open qualifying due to coronavirus pandemic reflects the global trust in Qatar’s abilities,” he added.
Alami also stressed that the federation will do whatever it takes to ensure the safety of the players and to organise a risk-free event.
The world’s best players will compete for a record $71 million prize money at the Australian Open 2021.
The Australian Open was pushed back to February 8 on Thursday after weeks of negotiations as coronavirus disruption hits a second Grand Slam tennis season.
Men’s qualifiers will be held in Doha but Australia will host a series of build-up events including the flagship ATP Cup, the men’s ATP Tour said, announcing its early 2021 schedule.
The three-week delay to the season’s opening Grand Slam comes after this year’s Wimbledon was cancelled – for the first time since World War II – the French Open was postponed and the US Open was played behind closed doors.
Fans are expected to be allowed at Melbourne Park, the tournament’s venue, as the coronavirus is under control in Australia, but players will need to undergo 14 days of quarantine.
Confirmation of the February 8-21 dates follows protracted talks between Tennis Australia and state authorities in Melbourne, which emerged from a months-long lockdown in October following a second wave of COVID-19.
Originally due to start on January 18, players will now arrive in Australia from January 15 to serve two weeks in a bio-secure bubble.
Earlier reports said they would stay at designated hotels but would be allowed to practise and exercise for up to five hours a day, shuttled between their accommodation and Melbourne Park.
There was no immediate confirmation of the arrangements from Tennis Australia.
The ATP said men’s qualifiers for the Grand Slam would be held from January 10-13 in Doha, before players and limited support staff travel to Australia.
A slimmed-down, 12-team ATP Cup, the relocated Adelaide International, and an ATP 250 tournament will all be held in Melbourne ahead of the Slam which is now scheduled from February 8-21.
There was no word on where the women will play their qualifiers, with the WTA yet to announce its early-season schedule. But WTA tournaments are also expected to be played in Melbourne before the Open.
‘Health and safety
paramount’
"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, and I want to thank everyone involved for their commitment to finding solutions to launch our 2021 season,” he added.
World number one Novak Djokovic is expected to be back and aiming for a ninth Australian Open title after overcoming Austria’s Dominic Thiem in a five-set final earlier this year.
But there is doubt over Swiss great Roger Federer, 39, who revealed this week he was in a "race against time” to be fit as his recovery from two rounds of knee surgery takes longer than expected.
American Sofia Kenin is expected to defend her maiden Grand Slam crown after defeating Spaniard Garbine Muguruza in three sets in this year’s women’s final.
Australian Open boss Craig Tiley had been hoping that Melbourne Park crowds would be between 25 and 50 percent of normal capacity. But with coronavirus now under control in Australia there are hopes that number could be raised.
Doha/Melbourne
The Qatar Tennis Federation (QTF) will host the 2021 Australian Open Grand Slam qualifying for the first time at the Khalifa Tennis and Squash Complex from January 10-13, the QTF announced on Thursday.
The qualifying will feature the participation of 128 with only 16 players to qualify to the main draw.
The tournament has been rescheduled to be held in Melbourne from February 8-21.
The QTF Board Member, Karim Alami, said, "It’s our pleasure to welcome all the players who will participate in Australian Open qualifying to be staged in Doha and we promise them an exceptional experience which will live up to the Doha reputation as a major destination for world sports.
"Selecting Doha to host the Australian Open qualifying due to coronavirus pandemic reflects the global trust in Qatar’s abilities,” he added.
Alami also stressed that the federation will do whatever it takes to ensure the safety of the players and to organise a risk-free event.
The world’s best players will compete for a record $71 million prize money at the Australian Open 2021.
The Australian Open was pushed back to February 8 on Thursday after weeks of negotiations as coronavirus disruption hits a second Grand Slam tennis season.
Men’s qualifiers will be held in Doha but Australia will host a series of build-up events including the flagship ATP Cup, the men’s ATP Tour said, announcing its early 2021 schedule.
The three-week delay to the season’s opening Grand Slam comes after this year’s Wimbledon was cancelled – for the first time since World War II – the French Open was postponed and the US Open was played behind closed doors.
Fans are expected to be allowed at Melbourne Park, the tournament’s venue, as the coronavirus is under control in Australia, but players will need to undergo 14 days of quarantine.
Confirmation of the February 8-21 dates follows protracted talks between Tennis Australia and state authorities in Melbourne, which emerged from a months-long lockdown in October following a second wave of COVID-19.
Originally due to start on January 18, players will now arrive in Australia from January 15 to serve two weeks in a bio-secure bubble.
Earlier reports said they would stay at designated hotels but would be allowed to practise and exercise for up to five hours a day, shuttled between their accommodation and Melbourne Park.
There was no immediate confirmation of the arrangements from Tennis Australia.
The ATP said men’s qualifiers for the Grand Slam would be held from January 10-13 in Doha, before players and limited support staff travel to Australia.
A slimmed-down, 12-team ATP Cup, the relocated Adelaide International, and an ATP 250 tournament will all be held in Melbourne ahead of the Slam which is now scheduled from February 8-21.
There was no word on where the women will play their qualifiers, with the WTA yet to announce its early-season schedule. But WTA tournaments are also expected to be played in Melbourne before the Open.
‘Health and safety
paramount’
"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, and I want to thank everyone involved for their commitment to finding solutions to launch our 2021 season,” he added.
World number one Novak Djokovic is expected to be back and aiming for a ninth Australian Open title after overcoming Austria’s Dominic Thiem in a five-set final earlier this year.
But there is doubt over Swiss great Roger Federer, 39, who revealed this week he was in a "race against time” to be fit as his recovery from two rounds of knee surgery takes longer than expected.
American Sofia Kenin is expected to defend her maiden Grand Slam crown after defeating Spaniard Garbine Muguruza in three sets in this year’s women’s final.
Australian Open boss Craig Tiley had been hoping that Melbourne Park crowds would be between 25 and 50 percent of normal capacity. But with coronavirus now under control in Australia there are hopes that number could be raised.