It has emerged that a top seed in the men’s Australian Open qualifying tournament went on to win his opening match despite officials discovering that he had tested positive for COVID-19 during the very end of his match.
American veteran Denis Kudla, who was the fourth seed in Doha, looked to be in good form during his first round encounter as he disposed of Morocco’s Elliot Benchetrit 6-4, 6-3. Watching the match everything appeared to be normal but behind the scenes there was a rather unusual situation unfolding.
Taking to social media, 22-year-old Benchetrit says he has received a ‘double whammy.’ The positive test was first reported when Kudla was leading 6-4, 5-3. Benchetrit says if he had won another game to make it 5-4, his rival would have been removed from the tournament and he would have moved into the next round. Instead, he lost and now has to go into quarantine himself.
“At 5-3, they got the result (of his test). So if I’d won that game at 5-3 to make it 5-4, I’d have qualified for the second round,” Benchetrit said in a video posted on Instagram.
“Now we’re waiting to see if I’m considered a close contact or not. And if I am it’s a double whammy. Because I lost the match, played against a (COVID-19) positive guy and they didn’t get the result before the match.
“And on top of that, I’d have to stay a week in the room (under quarantine).”
It is unclear as to why Kudla’s positive test wasn’t published before he played his match. He would have already taken a test upon arrival at the tournament and another test upon arrival. Benchetrit says he is concerned that players could be exposed to the virus by those working at the facilities.
“We use the service lifts for the staff, so as not to cross the clients. And quite a few players suspect the hotel staff, who are not tested as regularly as we are, of being the cause of the contamination of some players. That’s why more and more players are testing positive,” he said.
“Before arriving in Doha, each player had to do a test in his country and we also did a second test when we arrived there. For Kudla and the others, it was the third test so it is almost certain that he was not positive before arriving here and that he was contaminated in Doha.”
Those fears have been elevated after it was confirmed that a second player have also tested positive. World No.139 Francisco Cerúndolo confirmed on his Twitter account that he has the virus and has subsequently been removed from the draw. The Argentine played his opening match on Sunday when he defeated Guillermo García López 6-2, 6-4.
“Unfortunately today I tested positive for COVID. I am in good health, but I will not be able to continue competing in the tournament,” the 19th seed wrote.
“I will comply with the days of isolation that they tell me and I will come out with more strength than before. The Australian open is over, but everything continues.”
There are also questions being raised about the testing process. Germany’s Dustin Brown, who is also playing in the tournament, have said that some players have been waiting for more than a day to hear back from their tests. He says the ‘expected turnaround’ was meant to be between 8-14 hours.
“It was the second test, that all players did yesterday,” Brown commented on Kudla’s test.
“Even though it was said that „the expected turnaround time is approximately 8-14 hours“, this hasn’t been true for most cases… a lot of players were waiting on their first test results (in their rooms) for over 24h..”
“I did my 2nd test yesterday around 9am, my match was around 4pm & I received the email with the result around 11:00am today… not 8-14 hours,” he later added.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the qualifying tournament is being held outside of Australia for the first time in history.