Icon: enlarge
Benoît Paire: "what happened is shameful"
Photo: Schreyer / imago images / Schreyer
Former world number one Victoria Azarenka was eliminated from the Australian Open after breathing problems.
In the second set, the 31-year-old from Belarus had to be treated for minutes and finally lost 5: 7, 4: 6 to Jessica Pegula from the USA.
With the tournament winner from 2012 and 2013, the first co-favorite was eliminated from the Grand Slam.
Azarenka had spent 14 days in strict quarantine in preparation for the tournament due to a corona infection on her flight.
She did not want to talk about her health problems after losing the match on Tuesday, but saw the quarantine as a decisive factor.
“Was that the best preparation for me?
No, "she said," not being able to get fresh air had the biggest impact on me.
That took its toll. «During the quarantine before the tournament, the Kazakh player Julia Putinseva publicly criticized the fact that the windows in her hotel room could not be opened.
She wouldn't get any fresh air.
Icon: enlarge
Victoria Azarenka: »Was that the best preparation for me?
No"
Photo:
DAVE HUNT / EPA-EFE / Shutterstock
The Spaniard Paula Badosa also declared her departure with the previous quarantine.
Badosa lost 6: 7, 7: 6, 7: 5 against the Russian qualifier Lyudmila Samsonova.
A few weeks before the start of the tournament, Badosa had tested positive for Corona and had to isolate herself in her hotel room.
“After 21 days in quarantine and a month without a game, I fought until the last minute.
But it wasn't enough.
I think my level wasn't at my best, ”Badosa said.
She is only at 70 percent of her capabilities.
"I'm a little sad and disappointed," she said.
Paire criticizes different quarantine rules
The French Benoît Paire had already criticized the organizers of the Australian Open on Monday after his departure.
"I think it sucks and what happened is shameful," said Paire, "L'Equipe".
»I am very satisfied with my level.
But this tournament is really crap. "
Paire complained that not all players were treated equally.
He could not train because he had also been on a flight with a corona infection.
Other professionals who had not been on the flight, such as Novak Djokovic, on the other hand, were in a more relaxed quarantine and were allowed to train outside for a few hours a day.
Paire was disappointed that the same rules had not applied to everyone.
"I don't see why it's not fair for everyone," he said.
He could have won his game against Jahor Herassimau with more training, Paire said.
However, he lost 2: 6, 6: 2, 6: 7, 5: 7.
On Tuesday, the German professionals Jan-Lennard Struff and Yannick Hanfmann were eliminated in the first round in Melbourne.
Hanfmann lost to the Russian Andrei Rublev 3: 6, 3: 6, 4: 6 and was largely without a chance.
Struff was surprisingly defeated by the Australian Christopher O'Connell, who is only in the main draw thanks to a wildcard, 6: 7 (2: 7), 6: 7 (5: 7), 1: 6.
This means that there are only two Germans among the men with Alexander Zverev and Dominik Koepfer.
Tennis star
Rafael Nadal
reached the second round with an undisputed three-set win.
The world number two, who had not played at the ATP Cup last week due to stubborn back problems, won on Tuesday in Melbourne against the Serbian tennis professional Laslo Djere 6: 3, 6: 4, 6: 1.
Icon: The mirror
ptz / Reuters / dpa / sid
