MELBOURNE, Australia — Novak Djokovic now knows he’ll face fellow Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic in the first round of his Australian Open title defense, if he’s allowed to play.
Djokovic’s visa status dominated attention until the moment the draw was conducted Thursday, after a postponement of 75 minutes, to determine the brackets for the men’s and women’s singles draws at the first major tennis tournament of 2022.
He was still in limbo after it.
The Australian immigration minister was still considering whether to deport the nine-time and defending Australian Open champion, who is not vaccinated against COVID-19.
Top-ranked Djokovic had his visa canceled on arrival in Melbourne last week when his vaccination exemption was rejected, but he won a legal battle on procedural grounds that allowed him to stay in the country.
Immigration Minister Alex Hawke has been considering the matter since a judge reinstated Djokovic’s visa on Monday. The tournament starts next Monday.
Expectations of a pending decision were raised Thursday when Prime Minister Scott Morrison called an afternoon news conference after a national Cabinet meeting. Speculation heightened when the tournament draw was postponed until after Morrison’s news conference.
But the wait continued after both events concluded, with Morrison referring questions on Djokovic to his immigration minister.
“These are personal ministerial powers able to be exercised by Minister Hawke, and I don’t propose to make any further comment at this time,” Morrison said.
Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley also declined comment after the draw ceremony.
If he’s allowed to stay, Djokovic’s bid for a men’s-record 21st major title will begin against 78th-ranked Kecmanovic, and could mean a quarterfinal against No. 7-ranked Matteo Berrettini and possibly a semifinal against Rafael Nadal or third-seeded Alexander Zverev.
Djokovic is tied with Nadal and Roger Federer at 20 Grand Slam titles, missing a chance for the record when…
Source : espn
