The recent wild bush fires in Australia are threatening to disrupt the first Grand Slam of the season. The fires, which started earlier this month, have claimed over 20 human lives while hundreds of millions of wild animals have died. They have also caused a decline in the quality of air in the country ahead of the Australian Open. There are also doubts over the participation of Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer in the first Grand Slam of the year due to Melbourne’s air quality.
Air quality concerns
Qualifying for the first round started this week, and there were several incidents during the matches. In the women’s qualifying rounds, Slovenian Dalila Jakupovic withdrew from her match after she suffered coughing fits. The player, ranked 210th, was leading in the match when the incident occurred. The match went ahead despite a warning from the Environment Protection Agency for Victoria which had urged residents to stay indoors due to the poor quality of the air. Tournament organizers have faced criticism from players for their insistence that the competition will continue as planned.
Shapovalov could withdraw if air quality doesn’t improve
One player who has voiced his concerns over the poor air conditions is Denis Shapovalov. The Canadian player has said that he will pull out of his first-round match if the quality of air does not improve. Shapovalov was scheduled to face Marton Fucsovics on Monday. Speaking about the current situation in Australia, the 20-year-old stated that he would prioritize his health over winning the tournament. He pointed out that, at his young age, he would not risk playing under stressful conditions since he should be around for the next 10-15 years. The current world number 13 also added that many players are not happy with how tournament organizers have handled the situation.
Shapovalov expressed confidence that experienced players such as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic will not play at the tournament if the air conditions do not improve. He does not expect players at the tournament to put their health at risk. While the players have expressed their feelings about the situation, tournament organizers insist that the tournament will proceed as planned. Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley has revealed that they are monitoring the air situation and could move the tournament indoors. He has insisted that the health of the players and fans is the top priority. “The safety, the wellbeing and the health of the players is the priority for us, as with our staff and our fans.”
Roger Federer’s ranking and performance in 2020
Currently the world no.3, the Swiss played his last match on the 16th of November when he was defeated by Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3 6-4 in the semifinal in the Nitto ATP Finals.
Rafael Nadal’s ranking and performance in 2020
Now the world no.1, the Spaniard played his last match on the 12th of January when he was overcome by Novak Djokovic 6-2 7-64 in the final in the ATP Cup.
Rafael Nadal’s best performance of the current season was reaching the final in Brisbane, Perth, Sydney.
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal played each other 42 times. The head to head is 26-16 for Nadal.
The last time that they played each other, Roger Federer won 7-63 1-6 6-3 6-4 in the semifinal in London (Wimbledon) in July 2019.
Here the video highlights.
Novak Djokovic’s ranking and performance in 2020
Currently ranked no.2, Novak played his last match on the 12th of January when he defeated Rafael Nadal 6-2 7-64 in the final in the ATP Cup to win his 78th career title.
Currently, this season Djokovic has a 6-0 win-loss record. Novak conquered 1 title in Brisbane, Perth, Sydney.
