Well, the tourney starts today and nobody else has claimed thread starting rights, so here goes.
Remember back in the day, last Grand Slam event, when the only distraction was choking clouds of wildfire smoke billowing over Melbourne and damaging the health and the performance of the competitors? Those were the days. Now, the wildfires are mainly on the other side of the continent from the tourney, and all the organisers have to worry about is a global pandemic.
No spectators, no qualifying rounds.... all very far from business as usual. And whilst there aren't that many no-shows over the tour-level professional ranks as a whole, there are by strange co-incidence six of the top ten women (by current ranking) missing. The most depleted women's singles slam field since Sue Barker won in Paris amidst some kind of prize money related boycott?
And of course neither defending singles champion is participating.
Paire has already had to drop out with COVID-19.
Any thoughts?
Remember back in the day, last Grand Slam event, when the only distraction was choking clouds of wildfire smoke billowing over Melbourne and damaging the health and the performance of the competitors? Those were the days. Now, the wildfires are mainly on the other side of the continent from the tourney, and all the organisers have to worry about is a global pandemic.
No spectators, no qualifying rounds.... all very far from business as usual. And whilst there aren't that many no-shows over the tour-level professional ranks as a whole, there are by strange co-incidence six of the top ten women (by current ranking) missing. The most depleted women's singles slam field since Sue Barker won in Paris amidst some kind of prize money related boycott?
And of course neither defending singles champion is participating.
Paire has already had to drop out with COVID-19.
Any thoughts?
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