Smoke threat recedes as Australian
Open approaches
Send a link to a friend
[January 18, 2020]
By Nick Mulvenney
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Fears of
disruption to the Australian Open from bushfire smoke receded on
Saturday but some players were clearly concerned about the
conditions their colleagues were forced to play in earlier in the
week.
Victoria's Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) rated the air
quality in central Melbourne as "good" on Saturday morning and
"moderate" in the afternoon, and the final round of qualifying was
completed on schedule.
That was in stark contrast to earlier rounds of the qualifying
tournament on Tuesday and Wednesday when players complained of
breathing problems and Slovenia's Dalila Jakupovic was forced to
retire after a coughing fit.
Canada's Denis Shapovalov said he would flat out refuse to go on
court if forced to compete in poor air quality and believed other
leading players at the tournament will similarly decline to risk
their health.
"I don’t want to risk my life, risk my health being out there
playing in this condition when I can (play) for the next 10-15
years," the 13th seed told reporters.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2020/Jan/18/images/ads/current/debbiesfloral_lda_010920.png)
"I think everyone's kind of on the same page in terms of how it is.
I don’t think anyone’s happy with the way things are being dealt
with."
More than 100 bushfires were still burning in eastern Australia on
Saturday despite storms now lashing many of the areas destroyed by
the conflagrations that have killed 29 people and millions of
animals since September.
Roger Federer, the 20-times Grand Slam champion who sits on the
players' council, said the main problem earlier in the week had been
a lack of communication between organizers and players.
"I went to them the first day when it was bad on Tuesday, the next
day on Wednesday when it was still bad," he said.
"I said, 'I think we're all confused. Is it super unsafe or is it
totally safe to play? ... Everybody is told to be inside, and we're
having court calls. How far are we from that threshold of playing,
not playing?'"
AIR QUALITY POLICY
Tournament chief Craig Tiley has staunchly defended the decision to
continue play through the smog-filled days with only minor delays,
and expressed full confidence in the systems in place to ensure the
health of the players.
[to top of second column] |
![](../images/011820pics/sports81.jpg)
2020 General view of flags infront of the Melbourne Skyline.REUTERS/Ciro
De Luca/File Photo
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2016/Mar/14/images/ads/current/tires250x300.gif)
The Air Quality Policy for the tournament was made public on Friday
with its thresholds for suspending play, although the referee still
maintains the ultimate discretion to keep the players on court.
Tiley explained the measures organizers were taking and the Air
Quality Policy at an ATP meeting on Friday and most players appeared
to be reassured.
"The only thing they can do is have the right people here, the right
people who can analyze everything what's going on," said Rafa Nadal,
a winner of 19 majors.
"The only thing the tournament can do is listen to the specialists,
listen to the doctors, and then make the decision.
"If the doctor says it's not a problem, why would we not play? If
the doctor says it's a problem, of course, there is an issue ..."
Under the policy, a discussion over play being suspended will be
held when fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is measured between 97 and
200 micrograms per cubic metre and stopped if that rating exceeds
the 200 mark.
"From what we were told yesterday in the player meeting, the Olympic
Games and other competitions have the numbers set at 300," Federer
added.
"Ours is set at 200. From that standpoint, I think we're moving in a
very safe range ... I think we're going to get through it, and it
should be fine."
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2020/Jan/18/images/ads/current/eaton_lda_WORSHIP_2019.png)
The EPA forecast for Melbourne on Sunday is "moderate" air quality,
improving to "good" on Monday when thunderstorms and rain might be a
bigger concern for organizers on the opening day of the tournament.
(Editing by Peter Rutherford)
[© 2020 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2020 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |