Roberto Bautista Agut apologizes for his careless words, saying they were taken..

In the last couple of days, many players have expressed their complaints about the Melbourne quarantine ahead of the season's first Major. The second-best Spanish player Roberto Bautista Agut was among those who didn't choose their words to describe the bubble, calling it a prison with the Wi-Fi! Speaking to Israeli media, Roberto said that the quarantine organizers know nothing about tennis and how players must practice to stay in shape. As was expected, those comments didn't get a warm welcome in the country that has been battling with the virus for months and has kept almost 40,000 Aussies abroad. A couple of hours later, Roberto released an official apology, saying his words were taken out of context and released without his knowledge.

The Spaniard assured that his coach and himself follow all the health protocols, expressing gratitude towards everyone who has made the Australian Open possible. Bautista Agut made the Australian Open debut in 2012 as a qualifier, still ranked outside the top-150. He won the first match a year later against Fabio Fognini in a five-setter and reached the fourth round in 2014 following that thrilling triumph over Juan Martin del Potro in just under four hours. Bautista Agut was in the last 16 in 2016 and 2017 before reaching the quarters two years ago, losing to Stefanos Tsitsipas in four tight sets. A year ago, Roberto lost to Marin Cilic in five sets in the third round.

Roberto Bautista Agut had to apologize for his words about the quarantine.

"It's the same, with Wi-Fi. The Melbourne hotel quarantine looked like a prison. These people have no idea about anything. It's a complete disaster because of that, because of the control of everything. You can work in the room, but it is not the same. I cannot imagine staying for two weeks like this. I will have to work a lot mentally. The control of everything isn't Tennis Australia. It's with the government", Roberto Bautista Agut said in his initial interview. 

"I want to apologize to everyone who has been offended by the video posted about me recently. It is a private conversation taken out of context that has unfortunately been released to the media without my knowledge or consent. My coach and I follow the Australian government's protocols and Tennis Australia to avoid any risk and guarantee to compete again safely. These are hard times for athletes and society in general. I thank all the people who are making playing tennis possible again. As well as all those who fight against Covid-19 every day. The management that has been made in Australia to prevent the spread of the virus is admirable," Roberto Bautista Agut stated.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3o1nqE6