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The Australian Open men\u2019s tournament will be delayed by three weeks due to coronavirus and will run from February 8 to 21, the ATP has said.<\/p>\nThe Australian Open men\u2019s tournament will be delayed by three weeks due to coronavirus and will run from February 8 to 21, the ATP has said.<\/p>\n
The association announced an update for the first seven weeks of the season \u201cas tennis continues to navigate its return during the Covid-19 pandemic\u201d.<\/p>\n
Qualification for the first Grand Slam of the year has been moved to Doha, Qatar, from January 10 to 13, which will allow time for travel and a 14-day quarantine period for all players and support staff travelling to Melbourne, the ATP said in its statement.<\/p>\n
Auckland\u2019s ASB Classic and the New York Open will not place due to the pandemic, while the ATP said it was attempting to secure new dates for the Rio Open, which was scheduled to start on February 17 but now conflicts with the Australian Open.<\/p>\n
It comes after Australian Open organizer Tennis Australia said on December 1 it was confident details would soon be finalized for the 2021 tournament.<\/p>\n
The grand slam was due to start on January 18 but strict quarantine rules in the country had left Tennis Australia locked in negotiations with the Victorian Government to try to come up with workable arrangements.<\/p>\n
It is unclear if the women\u2019s and wheelchair sides of the draw will commence when scheduled.<\/p>\n
The ATP Challenger Tour season will start on January 18, after qualification for Melbourne concludes.<\/p>\n