2022 In Between Grand Slam Thread

I always said that it was likely that Djokovic was going to be sent out in the end.

The Australians are no-doubt taking this long to try to ensure that their list of bungling isn't added to by screwing up again and giving Djokovic some legal redress (injunction).

They will have to provide a reason tomorrow why they are booting him.

The 14-day travel thing gives them some technical reason if they want to use it but made little difference in reality as he had only travelled from Serbia to Spain.

Don't think that they can use anything about Djokovic going to a photo-shoot in Belgrade.

They can't really argue that he's a health risk with recent immunity to the Omicron wave raging in Australia but they might try to stick in something about a vaccine somewhere - how I don't know.

Whatever about the stuff that has come out on the Djokovic movements the Australians effectively created this situation

The really big point about this is that Djokovic was never going to go near Australia save for the fact that the Australians had told him that he was good to get in on the exemption (TA, Federal Gov, State Gov)

Another player and official had already got in on the exemption and the same reason

The Australian Prime Minister actually fully endorsed the whole exemption process while Djokovic was in the air on his last leg to Australia

But then they changed their mind, tried to fook over Djokovic at 4am in the airport and kicked all this off because Djokovic had the balls to say "hang on here, you're shafting me" and when State Government said "No" when the feds rang them to see if they would sponsor Djokovic (even though they provided the exemptions!, Feds denying this now)

Then they put out all the misinformation about him

+ "It was a visa error by Djokovic" (might have proved true with the tick-box but not at that point)

+ Barnaby Joyce -> "if he lied etc"

+ "He doesn't have evidence for his exemption"

Then the story was that exemption reason wasn't valid and they stuck to that but that meant ->

"Quick we have to round up that auld Czech doubles bird off the streets as if she's some big criminal"

Then the judge rules in his favour etc.

There might be a little more pepper-spraying tomorrow - no doubt they are strategising how to possibly avoid that by not giving a crowd any location to assemble at.

They will be looking out for any flags in the crowd at the tournament itself also I would say.

The tournament itself will be highly unlikely to avoid some positive player tests in the midst of it going on how infectious Omicron is. (why did the guy in charge of keeping Covid infections out of the tournament hang up his boots...?)

What a cock-up

yes - it's not exactly very well worded as you point out.

will see what reason(s) they give I suppose.

Will the name of the competition be changing this year then?!

And just in case, here's Spartacus's possible route to pearl-clutcher-brain-explodation

R1: Kecmanovic

R2: Tommy Paul

R3: Sonego/Querrey

R4: Garin/Monfils

QF: Berrettini / Norrie

SF: Zverev/Nadal/Hurkacz/Shapovalov

F: Medvedev/Tsitsipas

Are the Australians really trying to make djokovic sweat like an asylum seeker or just massive morons?

Answers on a postcard please or a post will do.

Having his name in there and if/when they boot him out having to rejig it is adding yet another bungle to the list.

They deliberately delayed the draw I believe but then had to go ahead eventually lol

Apparently due to the way the rules are, Rublev would go to Djokovic's position in the draw and have the number one seed position.

Either way now Medvedev will have and remain with the number 2 etc

Some crowd of muppets.

The ausomillions lottery draw WTA draw also took place.

Osaka vs Barty in round 4 looks like a possible tournament decider

Would be nice to have a seed in the final anyway

Raducanu vs Sloane Stephens R1

Possibly has a chance there as Stephens has been on a slide for years and has played little in the last months

There's even an investigation into that

The Australians love an auld investigation

There are still noises about the "decision" coming tomorrow so I wouldn't count it out at all - probably still more likely than unlikely

But as said - another mistake imo by the bunglers over there to let it drag yet again if they are doing it - being in the draw and going out again just another one

Also if he makes the court do not discount/ underestimate all the mental energy (and disruption uncertainty) this has saga has taken

He would also encounter some crowd issues I'm sure but I also don't think that it would be as bad as people think

Djokovic has said that "Pressure is a privilege" but this is maybe taking it too far

At the US Open he was mentally drained (calendar slam expectation) as well as physically shot by the final

Lastly according to the draw would be the same run in from the 1/4's (if gets that far) as the US Open which took it out of him and Zverev has gone up a level again since then (when on form)

Even if Djokovic is there Medvedev is favourite imo (but I'd be up for Djokovic to sock it to the politicians)

Indeed -> fair number of FAKE NEWS stories going around last couple of days -> at least a couple of which posted on this thread indeed

Basically some low-quality media outlets are just feeding that side of the frenzy and the unverified basically "clickbait" is snapped up by that audience dying to believe it : ->

QR code from COVID test result was actually negative - False

Time and dates didn't match up from positive and negative tests - False (in the end was different labs and system uses live unix)

Djokovic will be deported on the 13th - False (source was "very respected journalist" so it's defo true)

Djokovic knowingly misinformed government about entry into Spain - False

Djokovic being investigated by Spanish government - False