Jan-Lennard Struff - "A different start than usual"
The pandemic will also have a major impact on the tennis tour in the new season. Despite all the restrictions and imponderables, Jan-Lennard Struff is optimistic about the start.
by SID
last edit:
Jan 06, 2021, 01:29 pm
Before the start of the next tennis season full of uncertainties, Jan-Lennard Struff is at least prepared for anything. The Warsteiner took three books against boredom with him to Antalya at the start of the year - after all, it may well be that the father of the family does not return home until mid-February after a trip around the world from one isolated bubble to the next. But despite all the restrictions caused by the pandemic, Struff is optimistic about the start of the season.
After the "strange" preseason, it is now "a different start than usual," said Germany's second best tennis professional in an interview with the Sport-Informations-Dienst (SID). Usually his season starts Down Under, but everything is different in Corona times. "But I think it's great," said the 30-year-old, "that the tournament calendar is structured so that you can play with many opportunities."
Struff did a lot in the fitness area
The year for Struff, who "did a lot in the fitness area" and "did not play quite as much tennis" in preparation, begins with the ATP tournament in Turkey that starts on Thursday - and depending on the outcome, it will go next week straight to Australia, where a mandatory 14-day quarantine awaits. The Australian Open, the first highlight of the year, will only start three weeks late on February 8th due to the strict entry requirements.
While the men are fighting for the first points of the year in Antalya and Delray Beach / Florida this week, the women are serving in Abu Dhabi. Numerous top players such as Novak Djokovic , Rafael Nadal , but also Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber , on the other hand, still take their time and will only enter the competition at the preparatory tournaments in Melbourne (from January 31).
Andy Murray does without Delray Beach
For some professionals, risk minimization also plays a role in their considerations. After all, a corona infection and subsequent quarantine could mean the end of Australia before the plane down under has even taken off. The two-time Wimbledon winner Andy Murray waived the planned trip to Delray Beach precisely because of this, it was just one of many short-term cancellations.
Struff is also cautious in Antalya. "I wear my mask, you don't want to get it and you also want to protect other people," he said: "I was tested negative before the flight and here."
Craig Tiley - "Logistic Puzzle"
How difficult it is to maintain tennis during a pandemic is evident in Australia. Ten days before the arrival of the first players, the quarantine accommodation had to be reorganized as the hotel originally planned was no longer available due to the resentment of local residents. The final details about the charter flights from all over the world have also still not been clarified.
Tournament director Craig Tiley therefore spoke of a "logistical puzzle" with "many pieces". What is certain is the meager daily program for the professionals during the quarantine: they are allowed to leave their hotel room for a maximum of five hours a day for training and treatment. It's good that Struff has enough reading material with him.