Wrong in allenamento a Sydney
We are on December 28, the new season has already started with the ATP Cup, starting on January 1. The first pictures of the champions in training were published on the event’s official website: from Daniil Medvedev, who will try to defend the title won in 2020 against Italy, to Azzurri Berrettini and Sinner, regularly landed “under” and ready to try again this year. Casper Rudd also trained today in Sydney.
Medvedev trained at the Ken Rosewall Arena with Alex de Minaur “Kangaroo”. The Russian hit a record 8-1 in the event, and last year lost just one set in the entire tournament, beating three top-10 players like Berrettini, Zverev and Schwartzman.
The 2022 tournament will see 16 teams split into four groups and will be hosted at two Sydney venues – Ken Rosewall Arena and Qudos Bank Arena – both in the Sydney Olympic Park. The four group winners will compete in the knockout stage, which will take place exclusively at the Ken Rosewall Arena, starting January 7.
Big doubt about Novak Djokovic, the big question mark for the start of the new season. In fact, he is still number 1 in the world regularly registered in the Serbian team of the ATP Cup. Tennis Australia, the organizer of the event as well as the Australian Open, says there has been no reported withdrawal from Team Serbia, so at the moment Djokovic should be regularly at the start of the tournament leading up to the first Grand Slam of the season. Djokovic has so far refused to refuse or confirm his vaccination against Covid-19, which remains the necessary condition for any player on the field in both Sydney and Melbourne.
Without going into the merits of the matter, it is singular to say at least that 4 days into the tournament and season, and with a trip too “heavy” for the European arrivals to take in, Djokovic has yet to get to grips with dissolving his reserve and clearly informing him if he is going to Australia or not. However, it seems complicated that #1 arrives at the last minute and appears on the field a few hours later…
to update: According to Serbian journalist Sasa Ozmo, who is well acquainted with the facts of Djokovic, the world number one should play at the Australian Open. The news is being circulated in the national media in Serbia, but we are still at the level of rumors, and there is no official confirmation from Novak or his administration. All that remains is to wait…
Marco Mazzoni
“Devoted bacon guru. Award-winning explorer. Internet junkie. Web lover.”
