Australian Open tennis 2021 - Denis Kudla 'told he has Covid mid-match', plays on and wins qualifier

ByAlexander Netherton

Updated 12/01/2021 at 10:28 GMT

American tennis player Denis Kudla was given the news of a positive coronavirus test in the middle of a match against Elliot Benchetrit of Morocco. The pair were playing in an Australian Open qualifying match in Doha, with neither player able to go through to the next round after Kudla won the match.

Denis Kudla has entered quarantine at an Australian Open qualifying event in Doha after reportedly receiving the results of a positive coronavirus test during a match.

American player Kudla beat Morroco's Elliot Benchetrit 6-4 6-3, but his opponent claimed the test result came through at 5-3 in the second set.

Benchetrit claims the game in progress had to be completed, which coincided with Kudla winning the match. Had Benchetrit won the game, he would have been handed a walkover.

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Kudla has now withdrawn from the tournament.

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“At 5-3, they got the result. So to sum up: if I’d won that game at 5-3 to make it 5-4, I’d have qualified for the second round,” Benchetrit claimed on Instagram.

Argentine Francisco Cerundolo is also in quarantine in his hotel due to a positive test result, and had been due to play Spanish player Mario Vilella Martinez.

Australian teenager Dane Sweeny will be given a bye instead of facing Kudla and will go into the last round of qualifying.

Tennis Australia announced the positive tests in a statement.

“Two players have returned a positive Covid-19 test at AO men’s qualifying in Doha, Qatar. Both players have been withdrawn from the tournament and transferred to a quarantine hotel,” it read.

“Local health authorities, the tournament physician and medical team are monitoring each individual. Contact tracing is currently under way to notify close contacts.”

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