The smoke linked to the gigantic forest fires ravaging the country should not lead to a postponement of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, announced on Tuesday the organizers of the tennis tournament. Who assure to have taken all the measures to protect the players.
The Australian Open is set to take place from January 20 to February 2 in Melbourne, a city that has been surrounded for several days by a cloud of toxic smoke linked to the fires that are ravaging the east.
Serb Novak Djokovic, chairman of the ATP Players Council and number two in the world, asked organizers to consider postponing the tournament on Sunday if the fires that killed 25 people and the smoke threatened the players' health. The boss of the Australian Federation (Tennis Australia) Craig Tiley said Tuesday not to consider such a measure.
Experts to analyze air quality
"Based on the information we have at the moment - with the qualifications taking place next week - the forecast is good. We do not anticipate any delays and we have put in place additional measures to ensure that the Australian Open can proceed as planned. ”
Craig Tiley acknowledged that even if the images of the fires were overwhelming, there was no danger to the people of Melbourne. "The nearest fires are several hundred kilometers from the city," he said, stressing that the health and safety of players, staff and supporters was a priority.
"We have devoted considerable additional resources to analysis, monitoring and logistics [...] throughout the tournament," he added. "On site, there will be weather and air quality experts who will analyze all the data available live and assess the air quality in Melbourne Park in real time," he said.
The presence of any toxic smoke will be treated in the same way as exceptional heat or rain, the referees may interrupt the match if atmospheric monitoring indicates that it is too dangerous to continue.
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With Melbourne Park having three indoor stadiums and eight indoor courts, the risk of a schedule delay seems minimal.
