Australian Open bans all Russian flags while play stopped for hours

The heat was on at the Australian Open today with play suspended because of extreme heat on the outside courts.

Andy Murray’s showdown with former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini is being played in the cool under the roof of the Rod Laver Arena.

But Dan Evans’ tie with Argentine Facundo Bagnis was suspended on Court Seven after two hours and 49 minutes with the British No.25 two sets to one up.

A year after Novak Djokovic was deported from Australia, world No.70 Camila Giorgi has broken her silence after she was caught up in a probe back home in Italy into fake Covid passes.

Organisers have acted after a Russian flag was displayed during a first round match between a Ukrainian and a Russian.

And there was a rare home win after Australian TV viewing figures showed a huge drop from last year.

Hot, hot, hot

The Australian Open “extreme heat” rules were implemented for the first time with temperature in the mid 30s and the “heat stress scale” – which also takes into account humidity – up to a maximum five.

Play was suspended at about 2pm local time but action continued under the roofs on the Rod Laver, Margaret Court and John Cain arenas. The decision came just before Murray started his first-round match and the roof was shut.

The extreme heat rule was introduced after play continued in 2014 despite temperatures reaching 42.2 degrees.

Stopping play for three hours is set to see late finishes on the outside courts later. And it has delayed the release of tomorrow’s schedule so we are still waiting to know when and where Emma Raducanu will face Coco Gauff.

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Giorgi needled in vaccine inquisition

Camilia Giorgi has claimed she is vaccinated and only her dodgy doctor is “in trouble” after the Italian star was caught up in an investigation into fake Covid passes. “I’m not in danger,” she insisted. “I did everything that they asked, the Australian government.”

Novak Djokovic, who has publicly refused a vaccination, was sensationally deported from Melbourne last January after trying to enter on an exemption.

And world No.70 Giorgi is now among hundreds of people – including rap singer Madame – caught up in a probe by Italian prosecutor’s into a scam to provide false paperwork to obtain the Green Pass which allowed Italians to travel abroad.

Giorgi’s personal doctor Daniela Griffone was charged by Italian police in Vicenza last February for providing false paperwork to claim people had been vaccinated. And Grillone told Italian newspaper Corriere del Veneto: “I can confirm with absolute certainty that none of the vaccines against the Giorgi family have actually been administered.I am deeply upset and sorry for my actions.”

But after her 6-0 6-1 first round win over Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Giorgi stated she had only one vaccination with Grillone and had followed the rules.
“I just did all my vaccination in different places,” she said. “I did just once vaccination with her, and the other ones I did with other doctors. So the trouble is hers. Not me. So with that, I’m very calm.

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Beaten by Home and Away

Last year Ash Barty won the women’s singles at the Australian Open and Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis took the men’s doubles.

But the former world No.1 retired in March while Kyrgios followed women’s Aussie No.1 Ajla Tomljanovic in pulling out of their home Grand Slam with injury. For the first time ever, all the Aussie women in the singles are playing on wildcards.

The impact on viewing figures were shown when TV viewing figures for the first night session showed a 44% drop – from 635,000 to 357,000 in the five main cities – from last year when Barty opened the tournament. Channel 9, who signed a new TV deal worth A$500m after the ratings success last year, was beaten by quiz show The Chase Australia (477,000) and Home and Away (463,000) on other channels.

There was a rare bit of good news for Aussie tennis when wildcard Kimberly Birrell shocked No.31 seed Kaia Kanepi 3-6 7-6 6-1 in the first match in the Kia Arena.

The Queenslander, 24, has suffered from a series of injuries and won her first Grand Slam match since reaching the third round here in 2019 – 1,462 days ago.

Birrell, who only got a wildcard after Venus Williams pulled out injured, said: “I would say even without this win today it has been worthwhile. Not many people get to wake up each day and live their dream. I was not expecting the wildcard at all. I cried like a baby, and it was such a nice moment.”