Lockdown means absolute lockdown for two of our leading tennis players stuck in quarantine in Melbourne.
Artem Sitak and Marcus Daniell were on board a flight to the Australian Open, which has returned two positive tests for covid-19.
The doubles specialists now can't leave their room for a fortnight, throwing their build-up plans out the window.
The positive tests didn't come from the players, but from cabin crew and a passenger, meaning that everybody present on that specific flight are locked in a hotel room for two weeks.
Daniell says the hotel staff are taking the strict lockdown protocols seriously.
“We're not allowed out of the rooms, there's a very hard line on that,” he said.
“If we stick our head outside the door for too long to pick up breakfast or whatever, then the officer patrolling the floor comes along and gives us the evil eye,” he added.
With no fresh air or proper exercise for nearly 50 players there is concern for the player's mental and physical conditioning in the hard lockdown.
Daniell says the players stuck in quarantine will be at a serious disadvantage when the tournament kicks off especially for those who deal with mental health issues.
“You can't just step out of quarantine and jump on to a match court, it's impossible. Huge injury risk,” he said.
“It's going to be extremely difficult for everyone, even more difficult for people who're prone to anxiety or depression,”
Despite the grim forecast for the next two weeks, the US based Daniell can still see the light at the end of the tunnel saying he plans to sit at a cafe in Melbourne and have a coffee, something he hasn't done in public for six months.
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