US Open 2020: Amidst pandemic, legal contracts, Fedal’s absence and new men’s organization, USO is here


US Open 2020: Amidst pandemic, legal contracts, Fedal’s absence and new men’s organization, USO is here

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The USTA decided to go ahead with their slam despite a high number of COVID-19 cases in the country. The US Open is here all set, to begin with, an empty Arthur Ash, the US Open bubble, and legal contracts.

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A peep into the “USO bubble”

It is a colossal task to have over one thousand people at a location and safe from the COVID-19 to run the tournament smoothly. The USTA has thus created a “bubble” like ambience. The players are allotted a certain number of rooms for them and their team. They are not supposed to leave the hotel premises for any purpose other than practice at the Billie Jean King Stadium.

Moreover, they are monitored regulatory and policed through mobile apps. They cannot board a bus to the stadium unless they fill out a form and also give a temperature below 38 degrees. The USTA has a meticulous plan at bay as an exceptional situation at hand demands.

Turning on my phone every day is a little daunting,” admits the US Open’s new tournament director Stacey Allaster as quoted by BBC. “That’s because the test results come in the morning,” he added.

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Legal contract that alarmed players

The US Open has taken necessary precautions for the players. But since that is not always enough, the organizers decided to release a contract for all the participating players. The agreement states that any harm caused to the players would be their own responsibility. Moreover, it stated the rules that were to be followed by the participants in this situation of the pandemic.

Major missing at USO, Nadal and Federer

Many players have rejoiced the absence of potential champions at the US Open. On the other hand, there are those who think the tournament will not hold the same significance. There have been players who have avoided the slam due to the concerns over the pandemic.

There have been an unusual number of withdrawals. Apart from Fedal, the long list has names like Simona Halep, Ashleigh Barty, Nick Kyrgios, Stan Wawrinka, Kiki Bertens, Elina Svitolina, Gael Monfils amongst others.

On the other hand, only yesterday Novak Djokovic led a new organization for fellow tennis players called the Professional Tennis Players’ Association. It shall be a prominent question asked to the players during press conferences.

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Hawkeye live enables fewer people on the court

The US Open will not allow fans to witness their idols in action. Moreover, hawkeye technology will be used for line calls. As seen at the Cincinnati Open, the manual calls done by the linemen/women were done mechanically. The technology of hawkeye has come forth with Hawkeye’s live.

This has also increased in the number of foot faults that were seen at the recently concluded Cincinnati Open. With a better angle and a closer look, the calls of foot fault were much easier to make.

The US Open starts on Monday, 31st August 2020. The 140th US Open shall be a historic event amidst these circumstances.

Also Read: US Open 2020: Men’s Singles Draw Preview & Prediction

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Also Read: US Open 2020: Women’s Singles Draw Preview and Prediction