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Diasabra 15 Januari 2022

Djokovic faces deportation as Australia revokes visa again

ic’s pending deportation, say- ic to move freely around Melbourne-based immigra-
ing Australia had achieved Australia and he has been tion lawyer Kian Bone said
one of the lowest pandemic practicing at Melbourne Park Djokovic’s lawyers face an
death rates, strongest econo- to prepare to play in a tourna- “extremely difficult” task
mies and highest vaccination ment he has won each of the to get court orders over the
rates in the world. past three years. weekend to allow their client
to play next week.
“This pandemic has been Djokovic has held practice
incredibly difficult for every sessions every day since he Djokovic’s lawyers would
Australian but we have stuck was released from detention, need to go before a duty
together and saved lives and posting a photo on social me- judge of the Federal Circuit
livelihoods. ... Australians dia late Monday of himself and Family Court, or a high-
have made many sacrifices with his team on Rod Laver er judge of the Federal Court,
during this pandemic, and Arena. to get two urgent orders. One
they rightly expect the result order would be an injunc-
of those sacrifices to be pro- He had a scheduled mid- tion preventing his deporta-
tected,” Morrison said in a afternoon practice booked tion, such as what he won in
statement. “This is what the for Friday on the tourna- court last week. The second
Minister is doing in taking ment’s main show court, but would force Hawke to grant
this action today.” switched his times to start Djokovic a visa to play.
(AP) — Novak Djokovic first canceled when he landed and finish early.
faces deportation again at a Melbourne airport. Everyone at the Australian “Very rarely do the courts or-
after the Australian gov- Open — including play- With his legal situation still in der a member of the execu-
ernment revoked his visa Deportation from Austra- ers, their support teams and limbo, Djokovic was placed tive government to grant a
for a second time, the lat- lia usually leads to a three- spectators — is required to in the tournament bracket visa,” Bone said.
est twist in the ongoing year ban on returning to the be vaccinated for the illness in Thursday’s draw, slated to
saga over whether the No. country. That would make caused by the coronavirus. face Miomir Kecmanovic in Jacqui Lambie, an influen-
1-ranked tennis player will Djokovic 37 the next time he Djokovic is not inoculated an all-Serbian matchup in the tial independent senator, ar-
be allowed to compete in would be allowed to compete and had sought a medical ex- first round. gued that Djokovic should be
the Australian Open de- at the Australian Open. emption on the grounds that sent packing if he had broken
spite being unvaccinated he said he had COVID-19 in Djokovic’s supporters in Ser- Australia’s vaccine rules. But
for COVID-19. Hawke said he canceled the December. bia were dismayed Friday af- hours before the visa cancel-
visa on “health and good or- ter waking up to the news. lation was announced, she
Immigration Minister Alex der grounds, on the basis that That exemption was ap- complained about how long
Hawke said Friday he can- it was in the public interest to proved by the Victoria state Serbian President Aleksandar Hawke was taking to reach a
celed the 34-year-old Serb’s do so.” His statement added government and Tennis Aus- Vucic accused the Australian decision.
visa on public interest that Prime Minister Scott tralia, apparently allowing government of “harassing”
grounds — just three days Morrison’s government “is him to obtain a visa to travel. and “maltreating” Djokovic “Why does this keep dripping
before play begins at the Aus- firmly committed to pro- But the Australian Border and asked whether it is just out of the tap? Alex Hawke,
tralian Open, where Djokov- tecting Australia’s borders, Force rejected the exemption trying to score political points where are you? Missing in
ic has won a record nine of particularly in relation to the and canceled his visa when ahead of upcoming elections. action?” Lambie asked.
his 20 Grand Slam titles. COVID-19 pandemic.” he landed in Melbourne on
Jan. 5. If deported, Djokovic is likely “If you can’t make a decision
Djokovic’s lawyers were ex- Morrison and Hawke are part to return to Serbia, where his on Novak Djokovic, good-
pected to appeal at the Feder- of a conservative government Djokovic spent four nights saga has captivated the public ness me, how are you guys
al Circuit and Family Court, which prides itself on being in an immigration detention and where he has an almost running the country? This
which they successfully did tough on border control. hotel before a judge on Mon- iconic status and overwhelm- is an absolute shambles,” she
last week on procedural day overturned that decision. ing support. added.
grounds after his visa was Morrison welcomed Djokov- That ruling allowed Djokov-

MLB talks resume after 42-day gap, little progress evident

(AP) — Baseball labor After MLB made its propos- two seasons but less than lation by allowing a team to
talks to end the lockout al, the sides caucused. The MLB’s proposal contained three, with additional spend- gain an additional draft pick
resumed Thursday for the players’ association then told no movement on free-agent ing for the entire two-plus for an accomplishment by a
first time in 1 1/2 months MLB it will respond but did eligibility or luxury tax class based on performance. player not yet eligible for ar-
with little evident prog- not commit to a specific date. thresholds, two people famil- bitration, such as a high fin-
ress during a bargaining iar with the negotiations told Teams proposed to address ish in award voting.
session that lasted about While the sides were back The Associated Press. The the union’s concern over
an hour, jeopardizing to bargaining, they met just people spoke on condition of club service-time manipu-
a timely start to spring five weeks before the sched- anonymity because no public
training, uled start of spring training comment was authorized.
workouts on Feb. 16. Given
Major League Baseball im- the time needed for players Management did offer to
posed the lockout on Dec. 2 to travel to Florida and Ari- keep salary arbitration for
as soon as the five-year col- zona, and then to go through players with at least three
lective bargaining contract COVID-19 protocols before but less than six years of ma-
expired, a few hours after taking the field, the prospects jor league service. It also has
talks broke off. of a timely start are diminish- offered a new system that
ing. would switch to a pool based
The discussions Thursday on WAR, but the union has
were the first on core eco- A deal would need to be shown no interest in such a
nomic issues following a 42- reached by late February change.
day gap, and MLB made pro- or early March to allow the
posals it hoped would at least minimum time for training MLB proposed to replace the
start to generate momentum. ahead of the current opening “super twos,” the top 22% by
day, set for March 31. service of those with at least