Who is being U, Australia or Novak Djokovic?

[inheritancetrack]

Me, I'm in the you can't have your cake and eat it Novak, camp!

I can imagine Dubai for example being keen to take on a grand slam and I can imagine players being equally keen to play there if Australia treats players like this.
If players knock the AO off their list ( and they could quite easily) and go to Dubai instead the AO quickly becomes a non event which would be terrible for Australia.
Be careful what you wish for springs to mind!
Nothing is guaranteed forever and things can change.

This is not a man who will withdraw just because he didn’t follow a particular country’s Covid guidelines! He is seen as a god in Serbia. I reckon most Serbians wouldn’t care anyway - look at their vaccination rates….

Will be interesting how this plays out for his sponsors…. Guess they are waiting to see if he wins first

Blimey, some sensitive souls.

Does Andy Murray think Serbia is in Eastern Europe? lol

One of several corkers on this thread.

His brother here admits Novak knew he was positive on the 16th December. He's broken rules that ordinary people have to obey and he's laughing at them.

twitter.com/diekarasu/status/1480543612047740930

As I explained in my deleted comment, Serbia is definitely Southern before it's Eastern. Hence the Yugo in Yugoslavia.

His brother is smirking. Yes he knows. The whole family are probably anti-vaxxers.

NoVax is a super spreader.

I don't agree with anti-vaxxers, but that's their choice. But choices have consequences.

What I absolutely despise is the playing around with rules to get the result he wanted - that's cheating in my book. Not honourable behaviour.

@PlanktonsComputerWife

As I explained in my deleted comment, Serbia is definitely Southern before it's Eastern. Hence the Yugo in Yugoslavia.

But, so what? Andy Murray's comment is still valid

How, though? Does Murray think Serbia is in the EU?

Farage disgusts me, but facts matter, too.

Here is a transcript of his interview with the Border Authorities.

Yes he has had Covid twice (last time tested positive on 16th December) and no, he hasn't been vaccinated

It is Eastern Europe, or South Eastern Europe if you want to split hairs.

The point is... Farage has worked very hard keeping anyone who isn't 'British' out of this country and is now over there in Serbia to support a Serbian. His point is very valid

I once worked with someone from Slovakia, who was keen to point out Slovakia, Poland, Czechia etc. are not in Eastern Europe, they are in fact in Central Europe, this is there words not mine, and a Polish guy agreed with the person.

I think to them Eastern Europe is European Russia and Ukraine.

It is Eastern Europe, or South Eastern Europe if you want to split hairs.

The point is... Farage has worked very hard keeping anyone who isn't 'British' out of this country and is now over there in Serbia to support a Serbian. His point is very valid

Quite. And rest assured @PlanktonsComputerWife Serbia falls under Farage's umbrella of countries whose citizens should also be booted out. The odious cretin makes no distinction.

I don't see it as splitting hairs at all. I see Murray's comment as a typical British lumping of all foreign parts into one umnuanced lump. Anyway, I encourage everyone here to visit the wonderful Balkans-- doing so is probably the only thing I can't fault Farage for.

How, though? Does Murray think Serbia is in the EU?

Farage disgusts me, but facts matter, too.

Murray didn't reference the EU though so that's irrelevant to his point. Unless you're arguing that Farage only had/has an issue with EU migrants, which would be idiotic considering he is married to one. His issue was with any of those he classed as "undesirable" which, given his views on other Eastern European nationals, Serbians would most certainly have been classed as.

And speaking of facts do you care to make a comment on the fact that Djokovic has "either cheated the system by saying he had Covid when he didn't, or he played fast and loose with the health of others, by mixing - unmasked - with people after a positive test", or just keep skipping over that bit?

I don't see it as splitting hairs at all. I see Murray's comment as a typical British lumping of all foreign parts into one umnuanced lump.

Better get on the blower to the UN then as they've only gone and lumped Serbia into the Eastern European Group too .

@PlanktonsComputerWife

I don't see it as splitting hairs at all. I see Murray's comment as a typical British lumping of all foreign parts into one umnuanced lump. Anyway, I encourage everyone here to visit the wonderful Balkans-- doing so is probably the only thing I can't fault Farage for.

Farage didn’t think the possibility of Serbia joining the EU was a good thing though.

@ajandjjmum

I don't agree with anti-vaxxers, but that's their choice. But choices have consequences.

What I absolutely despise is the playing around with rules to get the result he wanted - that's cheating in my book. Not honourable behaviour.

Yes. It's an appalling message of course - a boost to anti vaxxers - because they'll say the decision to allow him in says vaccines aren't so important afterall (they're wrong).

But separately something's fishy whatever side of the vaccine debate you're on.

I'll tell you who has a right to feel hard done by. It's the Russian player who was denied entry to Australia despite being vaccinated. It's not her fault that the Russian vaccine, Sputnik (which is reportedly similar efficacy to AZ and Johnson & Johnson) hasn't been approved by Australia.

She must be looking at the Djokovic case and feeling rather unfairly kept out.

@Chulainn

From what I've read, the judge ruled on a procedural issue.

I think he should withdraw. This circus will continue during the tournament if he plays. I also think his parents should back off. Apparently they are going to do a press conference. I get they are his biggest supporters but I think they are making it worse. Talk about ND being like Jesus and crucifixion - it's all too much. I doubt they'll mention him breaking Serbian covid laws (but you never know, they might) but I'd love to see them try justify that.

The judge didn't actually "rule" on anything. It was agreed between the government and ND that the decision to cancel the visa was unreasonable because procedural fairness had not be given (saying he had time to speak with his advisers and then not giving that time).

The unreasonableness was due to the Notice. The exemption did not meet the requirements for the Australian border force for the purposes of being an “eligible visa holder” as this only includes those fully vaccinated or when vaccination is contraindicated.

Exemption was only valid for entry to Vic and playing, not for entry to Australia. However, merits of exemption etc were not considered as the decision was unreasonable on procedural fairness grounds.

The Minister can now exercise personal cancellation powers and time will tell if he gets to play.

Well anyway, Vamos Rafa!

@sashagabadon

So you think the players (most of whom support vaccination and what's more seem to personally dislike Novak) will boycott Australia based on Australia's poor treatment of foreigners and its shady migration practices .... only to go to (checks notes)... Dubai.

No problems with Dubai or the UAE. Ok then.

The way Australia treats asylum seekers is an absolute disgrace. Rich white people have historically fared very well.

Well I've just been having a look on twitter and frankly it's ugly. Djokovic fans seem to be trolling Nadal and there's a lot of spite being aimed at him.
I really admire NADAL, I've always been a fan, he is always polite and compassionate. He made an excellent, measured statement, no blame, no lectures, pointing out how much people around the world and in Australia have suffered and supporting vaccinations, without any condemnation.
I hope he wins.

What Rafa said.