Kerre Woodham Mornings Podcast Karl Budge: ASB Classic director on Australian Open players facing strict quarantine
Jan 19, 2021
08:18
Sympathy from a New Zealand tennis tournament director, for the Australian Open tennis players facing quarantine across the ditch.
Seventy-two players are now in hard quarantine and unable to train outside their hotel rooms for 14 days, after positive Covid-19 tests on tournament charter flights.
Authorities have ruled out giving them an exemption from the strict isolation rules.
But Karl Budge, the director of Auckland's ASB Tennis Tournament, told Kerre McIvor they're in a different situation from other incoming travellers.
"Players are right to be concerned about going from two weeks confined in their hotel room, to playing a five-hour match in 40-plus temperatures."
This year's ASB Classic in Auckland was cancelled, due to the uncertainty around Covid 19.
Budge says he doesn't regret cancelling the tournament.
"The volume of uncertainty, with the new strains would have made lot extremely challenging, along with not having the revenue of a Grand Slam tournament."
LISTEN ABOVE
Seventy-two players are now in hard quarantine and unable to train outside their hotel rooms for 14 days, after positive Covid-19 tests on tournament charter flights.
Authorities have ruled out giving them an exemption from the strict isolation rules.
But Karl Budge, the director of Auckland's ASB Tennis Tournament, told Kerre McIvor they're in a different situation from other incoming travellers.
"Players are right to be concerned about going from two weeks confined in their hotel room, to playing a five-hour match in 40-plus temperatures."
This year's ASB Classic in Auckland was cancelled, due to the uncertainty around Covid 19.
Budge says he doesn't regret cancelling the tournament.
"The volume of uncertainty, with the new strains would have made lot extremely challenging, along with not having the revenue of a Grand Slam tournament."
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.