Damir Dzumhur among six players out of French Open qualifying due to Covid-19
ByReuters
Updated 21/09/2020 at 19:19 GMT
Damir Dzumhur is among the six players to have withdrawn from the French Open because his coach Petar Popovic had returned a positive test. He says his coach "didn’t get a chance to do a second test and we’re sure he was false positive because my coach has antibodies".
Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia and Herzegovina returns the ball to Dominic Thiem of Austria during the Adria Tour charity exhibition hosted by Novak Djokovic on June 13, 2020
Image credit: Getty Images
Six players in the men's and women's qualifying draw for the French Open have been withdrawn due to Covid-19 concerns.
Initially, two players and a coach tested positive for Covid-19 and three others with confirmed close contact with the coach were withdrawn.
Organisers said later on Monday that a player in the women's draw had also tested positive and had been withdrawn. The qualifiers began on Monday, with the main draw set to start on September 27.
"The Roland Garros tournament directors can confirm that two players competing in the qualifying tournament have tested positive for Covid-19 and three others have confirmed close contact with a coach who has tested positive for Covid-19," the French Tennis Federation (FFT) said in a statement.
"In line with tournament health protocols, the five players will not compete in the qualifying tournament and will self isolate for a period of seven days. In total, some 900 tests have been carried out since September 17."
Organisers did not reveal the names of those who had been pulled out but Damir Dzumhur said he had been withdrawn because his coach Petar Popović had returned a positive test.
"That's why I can't play at Roland Garros and I don't have a chance to compete," he wrote on his Instagram account.
"He didn’t get a chance to do a second test and we’re sure he was false positive because my coach has antibodies," added the Bosnian, who reached the third round in Paris in 2015 and 2018.
The French Open will be held from September 27-October 11 after being moved from its usual late May-June slot.
The FFT is planning to allow 5,000 spectators per day following a recent spike in Covid-19 cases in the country. It had previously said the claycourt major would permit a maximum of 11,500 fans per day.
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