Matteo Berrettini on not being allowed to visit Ajla Tomljanovic in AO quarantine
Italy's Matteo Berrettini and Ajla Tomljanovic are staying in the same hotel at the Australian Open but due to the strict coronavirus restrictions they aren't allowed to visit each other.
72 players were put in strict quarantine upon arriving to Australia and the Australian Government made it clear tennis players won't be receiving any special privileges.
"The only complicated thing for me is that Ajla (Tomljanovic – his girlfriend) is six floors below me but despite the negative tests and everything, we’re not allowed to see each other," Berrettini told Eurosport. "The good thing is that once we’ve passed this process, you are in fact free. On Sunday, my 14 days will end and then it’s normal life; the restaurants are open, you can go for walks.
"Now we can go out but only when we are authorised to do so. That is either for when we’re training on court or in the gym. If I open the door to my room now, the security will tell me to go back inside. But in the end, it’s okay; it could be worse."
Berrettini happy to have fans at the Australian OpenAustralia has been dealing well with the pandemic and as a result there will be fans at the upcoming Australian Open.
"The roar is just something I missed," Berrettini admitted.
"At the US Open it was very strange, especially for a tournament that is usually very loud. To me personally, the fans are something that charges me. Even in Rome, when I lost pretty badly against Fabio Fognini, hearing the crowds roaring on the central court, seeing all the people there waiting and cheering for you, is something unique, something that for me makes all the difference at the end of the day. The thoughts of experiencing a normal tournament, with spectators, helps you. In short, I faced it thinking, now I'll hold on because then it'll be better."
Surprisingly, world No. 10 Berrettini has never made it past the second round at the Australian Open.
from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/36mS1G7
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