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OKX Takes Centre Stage as Naming Rights Sponsor of the Australian Crypto Convention

Melbourne, Australia, February 09, 2023 - (SEAPRWire) - Get ready for the biggest gathering of the crypto community, as OKX, one of the world's leading crypto exchanges, announces its partnership as the naming rights sponsor for the Australian Crypto Convention in Melbourne, Australia, on November 11th and 12th, 2023. The two-day event will bring together industry leaders, investors, and enthusiasts to explore the latest developments, trends, and innovations in the crypto and blockchain space.The Australian Crypto Convention is poised to ignite the world of cryptocurrency, with a bold ambition to become one of the most highly-anticipated crypto events, rivaling the likes of Bitcoin Miami and Token 2049! With seven stages, dozens of industry discussion topics, and an industry day, the Australian Crypto Convention is set to be the most exciting and impactful event of the year. This year's event will showcase some of the biggest names in the crypto space, including keynote speakers, panel discussions, and presentations.In addition to the industry day, the convention will also feature the highly anticipated "Whale Lab" pitch fest, providing start-ups and entrepreneurs with an opportunity to showcase their projects and ideas to a panel of industry experts and potential investors. And, as the day comes to a close, attendees will have the opportunity to unwind and network at one of the many after-parties, providing an excellent opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals.Lennix Lai, Managing Director of Financial Markets at OKX, said: "Australia's crypto community is thriving, resilient, and industrious. We're proud to become the premier sponsor of the Australia Crypto Convention, which has emerged as a mainstay on the event calendar and a hub of Web3 networking and knowledge sharing."David Haslop, Managing Director at Australian Crypto Convention, said: "OKX is one of the most reputable and respected exchanges in the world and we are thrilled to partner with such a well-established player in the global crypto market as our naming rights sponsor." About Australian Crypto ConventionThe Australian Crypto Convention is an event not to be missed, providing attendees with valuable insights, opportunities, and connections. Whether you're a seasoned trader, an enthusiast, or an industry professional, the event promises to provide an unforgettable experience.Media Contact: David Haslop, E-mail: hello@auscryptocon.comWebsite: https://www.auscryptocon.com About OKXOKX is one of the world's leading technology companies building the future of Web3. Known as the fastest and most reliable crypto trading platform for investors and professional traders everywhere, OKX's crypto exchange is the second largest globally by trading volume.OKX's leading self-custody solutions include the Web3-compatible OKX Wallet, which allows users greater control of their assets while expanding access to DEXs, NFT marketplaces, DeFi, GameFi and thousands of dApps.OKX partners with a number of the world's top brands and athletes, including English Premier League champions Manchester City F.C., McLaren Formula 1, the Tribeca Festival, golfer Ian Poulter, Olympian Scotty James and F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo.OKX is committed to transparency and security and publishes its Proof of Reserves on a monthly basis.To learn more about OKX, download our app or visit: OKX.comMedia Contact: Anthony Karakai                  Website: https://www.okx.com/ SOURCE: OKX The article is provided by a third-party content provider. SEAPRWire ( https://www.seaprwire.com/ ) makes no warranties or representations in connection therewith. Any questions, please contact cs/at/SEAPRWire.comSectors: Top Story, Daily NewsSEA PRWire: PR distribution in Southeast Asia (Hong Kong: AsiaExcite, EastMud; AsiaEase; Singapore: SEAChronicle, VOASG; NetDace; Thailand: SEAsiabiz, AccessTH; Indonesia: SEATribune, DailyBerita; Philippines: SEATickers, PHNotes; Malaysia: SEANewswire, KULPR; Vietnam: SEANewsDesk, PostVN)

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Tennis: Ram and Salisbury pick up US Open men’s doubles title

NEW YORK (REUTERS) - American Rajeev Ram and Briton Joe Salisbury overcame a slow start to beat Bruno Soares and Jamie Murray 3-6 6-2 6-2 in the US Open men’s doubles final on Friday (Sept 10). Ram and Salisbury struggled with their serve in the opening set, with a collective four double faults as they got in slightly more than half of their first serves, as Murray and Soares took advantage with only one unforced error. However, the fourth seeds improved virtually every aspect of their game as the contest wore on, winning all but two first-serve points in the second set after immediately breaking Murray’s serve. Murray and Soares, who triumphed at Flushing Meadows and the Australian Open in 2016, saved three break points in the opening game of the third set before Ram and Salisbury converted at the fourth attempt before breaking again in the seventh game. The 2020 Australian Open champions fired down five aces and 22 winners in the third set as they wrapped up the victory. “To have won this with Rajeev is amazing – it’s a dream come true,” said Salisbury, playing on Arthur Ashe Stadium for the first time in his career. “He’s been, the last three years, an incredible partner.” It was the third time that the pair have reached the final of a Grand Slam together. “I can’t ask for a better partner,” said Ram, who also has two Grand Slam mixed doubles titles to his name. “It’s been just the most unbelievable ride... and we’re not going to stop now.” The match wrapped up minutes before drama unfolded in the women’s competition, as Luisa Stefani and Gabriela Dabrowski were forced to retire from their semi-final against Americans Coco Gauff and Caty McNally after Stefani left the court with an apparent knee injury. More on this topic   Related Story Tennis: Qualifier Emma Raducanu to face Leylah Fernandez in all-teen US Open women's final   Related Story Tennis: Who are US Open teen sensations Emma Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez?

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Capital.com Grows its Global Regulatory Footprint with Expansion into Australia

UK’s leading leverage trading platform known for its high client satisfaction levels is granted regulatory approval to extend mobile and web-based trading services to Australian investors MELBOURNE, Sept 9, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Capital.com, the high-growth global fintech innovator leading the UK leveraged trading industry in overall client satisfaction, has today announced it has received a license to operate in Australia and opened an office in Melbourne. The platform will operate with an Australian Financial Services (AFS) license, granted by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). Recognised as one of the fastest growing fintechs in Europe, this is the latest expansion initiative by Capital.com to enable more people to seamlessly trade and invest in financial markets. The approval of the AFS license marks Capital.com’s latest commitment to expand across the globe offering clients a highly regulated and secure trading experience. Capital.com currently has entities that are regulated by either the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) in Europe or the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK. “ASIC applies enhanced levels of regulation to the Australian securities market, making it one of the most comprehensive and well-respected regulators in the world. The AFS license affirms our commitment to meet the highest compliance standards worldwide, marking yet another important milestone in the strategic development of Capital.com as a fast-growing, regulated investment trading platform. Known in the UK for our excellent customer satisfaction levels, we are excited to bring our services to the tech-savvy Australian investor base and to support more people in their trading and investing journeys,” said Jonathan Squires, Group Chief Executive Officer at Capital.com. Capital.com has an established a strong track record in Europe. In the first half of 2021, the platform reported a 400 per cent lift in new clients compared to H2 2020. Over the same period, it saw a global pick-up in trading activity, with total client trading volumes across all markets growing by more than 184 per cent. These results reflect Capital.com’s growing reputation as a platform of choice among retail traders globally. Peter Richards, who has extensive experience in the Australian online trading and investment space, has been appointed Director of Capital Com Australia Limited. He will help drive the company’s growth as well as oversee recruitment. “Capital.com is one of the fastest growing fintech companies operating in the retail trading space. The platform has a tremendous opportunity to grow in this region and to help more Australians access financial markets securely and responsibly. Underpinned by Capital.com’s comprehensive education resources, we aim to bring the platform’s cutting-edge technology and intuitive UX to as many Australians as possible supported by our on-the-ground teams and local expertise,” said Peter Richards, Director of Capital Com Australia Limited. As an AFS-licensed entity, Australian clients can trade derivatives on more than 3,000 of the world’s most popular indices, commodities, cryptocurrencies, shares and currency pairs through Capital.com’s web and mobile platforms. Australian clients will be able to access financial lessons, videos, quizzes and other trading support tools via the platforms’ free education app, Investmate app. Clients will also receive regular news feeds, financial market content and analysis through the platform’s extensive education resources available on the Capital.com website and the Youtube trading channel, Capital.com TV. To begin using the platform, please visit www.capital.com. About Capital.com Capital.com is a high-growth investment trading fintech group of companies empowering people to participate in financial markets through secure, low-friction, innovative platforms that take the complexity out of investing. Its intuitive, award-winning platform, available on web and app, offers investors a seamless trading experience to over 3400 world-renowned markets. To help investors trade with confidence, the platform is enabled with robust risk management controls and transparent pricing while its all-in-one Investmate app delivers extensive financial lessons and educational content to support clients in their investment journey. Capital.com has clients in over 180 countries with offices located in the UK, Gibraltar, Australia, Cyprus and Belarus. In 2020, the platform reported a 700 per cent growth in its client base, making it one of Europe’s fastest growing investment trading platforms with more than 2 million clients. Capital Com (UK) Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Capital Com SV Investments Limited is authorised and regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), under license number 319/17. Capital Com Australia Limited is authorised and regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) under AFSL Number 513393. To find out more, please visit: www.capital.com. Trading on margin is high risk and is not suitable for everyone. Refer to our Product Disclosure Statement. This press release is for media use only. It’s not intended for individual investors, and doesn’t include personal advice or recommendations. If you don’t want to receive our press releases, please let us know by responding to this email and we’ll remove you from our distribution list. For media enquiries, please contact:shamillia.sivathambu@capital.com+44 (0)7900016469 SOURCE: Capital.com

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Celebrating National Day: How overseas S’poreans are carving out their own slice of home

Celebrating National Day: Community in California pulls together amid crisis In April last year, with the coronavirus outbreak worsening in the United States, the Singaporean community in California came together to address their concerns about school and workplace closures, access to healthcare, and the rising level of anti-Asian sentiment. This was accomplished through initiatives by SingaporeConnect, a social club for Singaporeans in the Silicon Valley region. An official support group was set up with the help of the Singapore Consul-General in San Francisco and Singapore Global Network, a branch of the Economic Development Board that seeks to connect Singaporeans living overseas. READ MORE HERE Celebrating National Day: Battling homesickness in Perth with food, friendship Mr Fozzil Jaffar, who is a regional manager at Murdoch University in Perth, Australia, used to return to Singapore four to five times a year for work. With travel restrictions brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, the 46-year-old Singaporean, his Malaysian wife and 19-month-old son have not been home for almost two years, and he has been hit with a strong bout of homesickness. "I miss Singapore badly, especially my family. The food my mum prepares is my favourite thing. And it is good to just be with my family in our living room in Singapore or go out for a meal with them," he said. READ MORE HERE Celebrating National Day: Tucking into chicken rice in London for a taste of home This National Day, Ms Trishna Goklani, who has lived in the United Kingdom for the last five years, will be having a celebratory meal of chicken rice. "If I don't manage to cook it from scratch, I'll head straight down to Mei Mei London, one of my favourite places to have a taste of home," said the 27-year-old, who works as a digital and social lead at an online independent marketplace, referring to a restaurant serving Singaporean cuisine. She first arrived in London in 2016 to pursue a degree in fashion journalism at the University of the Arts London. READ MORE HERE Celebrating National Day: Festivities to add cheer in Canberra University student Grace Lim has been living in Canberra for the past five years, and still holds on tightly to her identity as a Singaporean. Due to restrictions on international travel, the 19-year-old international security undergraduate will celebrate National Day in the Australian capital with about 50 of her Singaporean and non-Singaporean friends on Aug 21 - when the Republic's postponed National Day Parade will be held. Ms Lim heads the Australian National University Singapore Students' Association, which will organise the festivities. The organisation has also arranged sports and cultural events for their members during the Covid-19 pandemic. READ MORE HERE

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Tennis: Zhang Zhizhen becomes first Chinese man to play at Wimbledon

LONDON (AFP) - Zhang Zhizhen qualified for Wimbledon on Thursday (June 24) to become the first Chinese man in the Open era to play in the Grand Slam tournament. The 24-year-old defeated Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo 6-0, 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (8/6) in the final round of qualifying to make the main draw. Ranked 178 in the world, Shanghai native Zhang is the only Chinese man in the world top 250. He is also only the fourth Chinese man to play singles in the main draw of a Grand Slam since 1968 after Wu Di at the Australian Open in 2013, 2014 and 2016, Zhang Ze at the Australian Open in 2014 and 2015, and Li Zhe at the 2019 Australian Open. Until Thursday, Zhang had tried and failed to qualify for this year's Australian Open and French Open. "My full name is too hard for people to say, so I just tell them to say whatever they want to call me and I will respond," he said recently when explaining his nickname of 'ZZZ'. "Then it became 'ZZZ' because there are three Zs in my name. It is much easier for people outside of China to say. And it sounds cool. Triple-Z. I also like to sleep, so 'ZZZ' is perfect." Unlike China's men, the country's women have shone at the Slams with Li Na winning the French Open in 2011 and Australian Open three years later. Li made the quarter-finals at the All England Club in 2006, 2010 and 2013 while Zheng Jie reached the 2008 semi-finals. More on this topic   Related Story Tennis: US Open champion Thiem out of Wimbledon with wrist injury   Related Story Tennis: Wimbledon welcomes back the crowds after Covid-19 shutdown

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Avance Clinical’s USA Biotech Survey Finds 21% Not Aware Australian Clinical Data is Accepted by the FDA and Other Major Regulatory Authorities

ADELAIDE, AUS, Jun 4, 2021 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - The leading Australian CRO for biotechs and Frost & Sullivan Asia-Pacific CRO Market Leadership Award recipient Avance Clinical announced the results of their Australian Clinical Trials Knowledge Survey with Endpoints News as part of their presence at BIO Digital 2021.Results from the survey found:- 21% were not aware Australian data is accepted by the FDA and other major regulatory authorities- less than half of respondents were aware of Australia's 43.5% rebate on clinical research spend- only 52% knew that studies could achieve regulatory approval in under 5 weeks in AustraliaThe survey was sent to Endpoints News subscribers in biotech hubs on the USA east and west coasts.The Avance Clinical team is attending BIO Digital 2021 virtually and is available on the BIO One-on-One Partnering(TM) platform to discuss the benefits of conducting trials in Australia.Avance Clinical CEO Yvonne Lungershausen, said the survey was designed to determine awareness levels among biotech companies around the key benefits of conducting clinical trials in Australia. "Sponsors are well aware of the quality of research from Australia however it seems from the survey that some key benefits including data acceptance, the rebate, and accelerated regulatory approval are still not widely known," said Yvonne Lungershausen. "The clinical trial environment in Australia supports rapid regulatory approval and includes one of the most attractive rebates on clinical costs as part of the Australian Government's clinical trial attraction incentive program."Avance Clinical has recently won the BDO Excellence in Business Award 2021 for rapid managed growth and attracting and nurturing experienced staff in a competitive global environment. The mid-sized CRO has a reputation for going beyond the industry standard time and support for Sponsors and providing staff the training and resources needed to deliver excellence in clinical research management.About Avance ClinicalAvance Clinical, Australia's CRO for biotechs, has more than 20-years of experience providing excellence in clinical research services for biotech companies from around the globe. Avance Clinical facilitates quality drug development by aligning people, skills, and expertise in the pursuit of drug development for a healthier world. The collective pool of knowledge and experience at Avance Clinical continually grows through the careful selection of experts who also demonstrate passion in their chosen field. Avance Clinical offers high-quality services in an established clinical trial ecosystem, that includes world-class investigators and sites able to access specific patient groups. Visit http://www.avancecro.com for more information.Recent Awards:Excellence in Business Award 2021Frost & Sullivan Asia-Pacific CRO Market Leadership Award 2020Other benefits of working with Avance Clinical include:1. The Government R&D grant offers up to 43.5% rebate on clinical trial spend2. COVID-19 clinical continuity3. Site Initiation Visit (SIV) and Study Start achieved in 5 - 6 weeks4. No IND required for clinical trials5. Full GMP material is not mandated for Phase I clinical trials6. Established clinical trial environment with world-class investigators and sites7. Access to sites/Phase I facilities with established healthy subject databases and specific patient populations8. Major hospitals with world-class infrastructures and dedicated Clinical Trial Units with a long track-record in FDA compliant research9. Seasonal studies: Northern hemisphere sponsors can conduct their studies year-round by taking advantage of Australia's counter-flu and allergy seasons10. Avance Clinical is accredited as a gene technology CRO under the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) so it can manage gene technology trials in Australia.Media Contact: media@avancecro.com Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)

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Australian Beef Companies Become Victims of Australian Government’s Political Crisis

SYDNEY, Mar 27, 2021 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - In the past two years, Australian beef exporters have become victims of the trade war due to the acute worsening of trade relations between China and Australia. China stopped importing beef products from five Australian beef companies, four of which produced and exported 35% of the market from Australia to China. In August 2020, prohibited antibiotics were detected in imported beef, leading Chinese Customs to take action against the fifth beef company to be suspended.The Chinese market has always been an important market for Australian beef products. Statistics show that in 2019, the exports of Australian beef products to China valued AUD2.87 billion (approximately RMB 13.9 billion), accounting for 24% of total export of Australian beef products. In 2019, China's beef products import amount surpassed the United States by 17.04% of the world's total beef imports and became the world's largest beef importing country. In other words, Australian beef exporters will suffer heavy losses if putting the Chinese market aside, which is however seemingly inevitable in current situation.Before June 2015, Australia had been China's largest beef products exporting country. In recent years, its market share in China has been declining, to be surpassed by Brazil and Argentina. In 2019, China retained its position as the largest importing country of Brazilian beef products. Uruguay in the meantime is also expanding its market share and has now surpassed Australia to become the fourth largest beef exporting country. Australian media reported the share of Australian beef products imported by China had slumped to 15.8% during the first 6 months of 2020.According to the AMIC, the decline of beef products exports to China in 2020 was underestimated by Australia at the beginning; instead, Australia once expected to rely on other countries including Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and India to reduce its dependency on the Chinese market. However, according to a scholar of the University of Technology Sydney, these countries are not all among Australia's top ten trading partners, many of which have not even concluded a free trade agreement, and there is no other option to be selected to have the trade value closer to that of with China. The fact makes Australian beef exporters worried very much as Australian beef is likely to be ruled out from the Chinese market permanently and completely. It is not difficult to see that the timing between Australia's beef exports to China encountering a series of problems and the Australian government's launching a new coronavirus traceability investigation against China directly coincide with each other. The Australian government's inappropriate remarks on China and the COVID-19 global public health crisis lend reason to the tensions between China and Australia, while the Australian beef exporters have become the latest casualties in this ongoing political crisis.Author: Scott AlbertEmail: tigercbj@163.comScott Albert has been working as an editor of Expert feature news. His work covers economic, social, political and legal affairs. He has been recognized for his professionalism and awarded several times. More recently as an independent or working together with researchers he has delivered a number of public and internal reference reports, known as a representative and senior specialist in internet communications. Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)

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A Challenge for Australia: Can the deep-rooted racial discrimination be eradicated?

SYDNEY, Mar 26, 2021 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - On November 19, 2020, the Australian Department of Defense issued a report that officially recognized the killing of 39 civilians by Australian elite forces in Afghanistan. The 300-page report caused an uproar in the international arena. Killing civilians was named "blooding" by Australian military by word, but under the disguise of such words, killing innocent people has become a soldier's "coming-of-age ceremony" or a "sacrifice" to a certain ritual. However, the "macho" culture under the catalytic action of war is constantly moving towards the extinction of humanity. Such atrocity and brutality against the unarmed and weak also reflect the vulnerability and ignorance of the Australian special forces in the pursuit of their "boyhood".Regardless the "blooding" or "warrior culture", it is a process of sugaring up the killing culture, of which the logic behind needs to be uncovered from the Australian culture and history. Australia has always advertised itself as a multicultural country, but undeniably its society operates with its inherent "biological chain". Those who stand at the top of the biological chain are naturally the British immigrants with Anglo-Saxon culture, while lying at the bottom are the Middle Eastern ethnicity labeled "Muslims" and "terrorists." Racial discrimination has always been an unavoidable social phenomenon in Australia.During the COVID-19 pandemic, repeat undisguised discrimination against ethnic Chinese has also put the multiculturalism of Australia to the test. The ultra-right wing has been occupying a place in Australian political landscape since the 1990s. For example, the One Nation Party represented by Pauline Hanson, who as a member of parliament made public speeches against Asian immigrants in the mid-1990s. She established the One Nation Party after being expelled from the Liberal Party. The One Nation is now a representative of populist political parties in Australia. This party believes that multiculturalism will impair the cultural foundation of Australia and now it exaggerates the difficulty of integrating Muslims into mainstream culture. Pauline Hanson once clearly called for banning the burqa throughout Australia (Editor's note: refers to the robes worn by Muslim women), believing that Muslim women should not wear headscarves as well.Reflecting on racism requires Australia to face up to its own history. In the mid to late 19th century, the "White Australia Policy" came into being. Such policy was to restrict colored races from ports to Australia. The "White Australia Policy" had been implemented in Australia for 100 years and was not abolished until the 1970s, of the 20th century.Here again, after the Department of Defence's report was made public, the local Australian media focused their attention on the impact that the report might have on the morale of the Australian army, but the pains to the victims of the Afghan civilians were selectively ignored. Especially the feelings of the Afghans living in Australia; it is impossible not to say that this is another replay of Australian racial crisis. Such a solution is regrettable to many parties.About the author:Scott Albert, male, has been working as the editor of Expert feature news. His work reports cover economic, social, political and legal affairs. He has been well recognized and awarded many times in terms of professionalism. In recent years, being independently or in cooperation with partners, he has delivered a certain amount of public and internal reference reports, known as a senior specialist in Internet communication.Author: Scott AlbertEmail: tigercbj@163.com Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)

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Tennis: Serena Williams pulls out of Miami Open following oral surgery

LOS ANGELES (REUTERS) - Serena Williams will not compete at this week's Miami Open as the 23-times Grand Slam singles champion recovers from oral surgery, the Associated Press reported on Sunday (March 21). The 39-year-old Florida resident has won the Miami Open a record eight times and joins big names including Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in missing the event. "Miami is a special tournament for me because it's my home," she said in a statement, cited by the Associated Press. "I am sad I won't be able to see the incredible fans this year, but I look forward to coming back soon." Williams fell to eventual champion Naomi Osaka in the semi-finals of the Australian Open last month. More on this topic   Related Story Tennis: Osaka shatters Williams' record bid to make Australian Open final   Related Story Tennis: Djokovic praises Williams as 'one of greatest athletes'

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Tennis: Back injury thwarts Nadal’s planned Acapulco ATP return

PARIS (AFP) - Rafael Nadal said Friday (Feb 26) he will not play in the Acapulco ATP tournament in March because of a back injury which also caused his withdrawal from next week's Rotterdam event. The world number two is therefore unlikely to play again until the season's first Masters event in Miami from March 24. "I am very sorry not to participate in Acapulco 2021," the 34-year-old Nadal, champion in Acapulco in 2005, 2013 and 2020 wrote on Twitter. "It is a difficult year for everyone and in my current state of health, with a bad back, it is impossible to make such a long trip. "I love Acapulco, I have played the last four years, but this year it is not possible. Hopefully in 2022!" Nadal, a 20-time Grand Slam title winner, was bothered by the back injury in Melbourne where he was knocked out of the Australian Open in the quarter-finals by Stefanos Tsitsipas from two sets up. The Spanish star could lose his number two world ranking next week to Russia's Daniil Medvedev if the Australian Open runner-up makes the final in Rotterdam. More on this topic   Related Story Tennis: Nadal pulls out of Rotterdam Open with back issue   Related Story Tennis: Tsitsipas stuns Nadal in five sets at Australian Open

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All clear for Aussie Open, fans to return

MELBOURNE • An Australian Open testing blitz has revealed no new coronavirus cases, organisers said yesterday, putting preparations for the year's first Grand Slam back on track after a Covid-19 scare. The hard-court event was thrown into disarray when a worker at one of the designated quarantine hotels became infected with the virus on Wednesday. Some 507 players and officials were ordered to take tests and isolate, with six warm-up tournaments suspended on Thursday. But they were all cleared yesterday as the action resumed at Melbourne Park. "All tests conducted on AO (Australian Open) quarantine participants yesterday have returned negative results," a tweet from the organisers read. As such, Australian Open boss Craig Tiley is confident fans will be able to attend matches at the Slam, which starts on Monday. "Spectators will continue to be allowed in the site, and we are still selling tickets," he said yesterday. "The site will be an extremely safe place. There's health checks, contact tracing set up, divided into zones, physical distancing. At this point, there's no change to our position on crowds." Daily crowds of between 25,000 and 30,000 will be allowed at the Open, about half the attendance of last year. The draw was made yesterday, with Novak Djokovic set to begin his men's singles title defence against Jeremy Chardy in the first round, while women's champion Sofia Kenin meets wild card Maddison Inglis. The third-ranked Dominic Thiem is in the same half of the draw as world No. 1 Djokovic, with the US Open champion to face Mikhail Kukushkin in his opener. World No. 2 Rafael Nadal, seeking a first title in Melbourne since 2009, is in the other half and will take on Laslo Djere in his opener. CHEER FOR FANS Spectators will continue to be allowed in the site, and we are still selling tickets. The site will be an extremely safe place. CRAIG TILEY,  Australian Open chief, on allowing a daily crowd of between 25,000 and 30,000 for the Grand Slam tournament. The 20-time Slam winner has a slightly easier route as his path to the final will be blocked by Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev and Stefanos Tsitsipas, while Djokovic has to also contend with Alexander Zverev and Stan Wawrinka. In the women's draw, the top-ranked Ashleigh Barty resumes her quest to become the first homegrown singles winner at the Open since 1978. She faces Danka Kovinic, while Serena Williams, bidding to win a record-equalling 24th Major, will meet Laura Siegemund. But US Open winner Naomi Osaka, the 2019 champion here, has a series of tricky matches, starting with a clash with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, a quarter-finalist last year. The world No. 3 could face Caroline Garcia and Ons Jabeur in her next two rounds before a likely match-up with either Garbine Muguruza or Angelique Kerber in the fourth round. In yesterday's ATP Cup, Zverev brushed off a tight singles defeat by Djokovic to end Serbia's reign with victory in the doubles as Germany advanced to the semi-finals of the 12-team event. Zverev partnered Jan-Lennard Struff to defeat the 17-time Slam champion, playing with Nikola Cacic, 7-6 (7-4), 5-7, 10-7. The Germans will face Russia while Spain, missing an unfit Nadal for a second straight round, take on Italy today. Elsewhere, Williams pulled out of her Yarra Valley Classic semi-final meeting with Barty today, citing a shoulder injury that will spark concern over her fitness. There are also worries for Simona Halep after the world No. 2, sporting a back brace, appeared hampered as she exited the Gippsland Trophy in a 6-2, 6-1 quarter-final loss to Ekaterina Alexandrova. AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS ATP CUP Singtel TV Ch115 & StarHub Ch209, 2pm

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Ladies first in slam warm-ups

MELBOURNE • With quarantine over for the 1,200 participants, both players and staff, who have travelled to Melbourne for the Australian Open, the preparations begin when a packed week of warm-up events gets under way today. World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty and 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams headline two WTA tournaments - the Yarra Valley Classic and the Gippsland Trophy - which start on the Melbourne Park courts normally reserved for the first Grand Slam of the year. Tennis Australia has arranged six events before the Australian Open, to allow players some match action after two weeks of being confined to their hotel rooms. Most of the players were able to train for up to five hours a day during their isolation, but 72 of them were placed under a strict quarantine after fellow passengers on their charter flights to Australia tested positive for Covid-19. Tennis Australia chief Craig Tiley said those players would be given priority treatment the next few days and he was confident they would be ready for the start of the Australian Open on Feb 8. "We've given nine days between them coming out of quarantine to when they really need to play at the Australian Open," he told reporters at Melbourne Park yesterday. "While in an athlete's mind, that might not be perfectly ideal, it is enough time to be as ready as you possibly can." Fans of men's tennis will have to wait until tomorrow to get their first fix of the action when the Murray River Open and Great Ocean Road Open ATP warm-ups get under way, also at the same venue. Australia's 47th-ranked Nick Kyrgios leads the field at the Murray River but the men's draws at those lead-up events are weaker. That is because the biggest stars like the top-ranked Novak Djokovic, 20-time Slam winner Rafa Nadal and US Open champion Dominic Thiem will be representing their countries in the ATP Cup. The truncated 12-team tournament was pushed back until Tuesday to allow the players more time to prepare. Serbia, featuring Djokovic, will take on Canada, powered by Milos Raonic and Denis Shapovalov, in the opening contest. World No. 7 Alexander Zverev will spearhead Germany - also in the same Group A - and the US Open finalist is confident he can challenge for a maiden Major despite a mounting personal toll off the court. 30,000 Fans allowed into Melbourne Park each day. Since falling agonisingly short in New York to Thiem, he has endured a tumultuous period, including allegations of domestic abuse by a former girlfriend and a recent split with coach David Ferrer. But Zverev remains buoyed by his strong showings in the Majors last year, including a semi-final finish at the Australian Open. "I worked extremely hard in the off-season," he said. "I'd like to think that I did everything I could to be as well -prepared as I can be. "We'll know exactly where I'm at, my level and what I need to improve (after the ATP Cup)." The ATP Cup will be open to fans and so will the Australian Open. Organisers yesterday confirmed that up to 30,000 fans a day will be allowed into Melbourne Park. The limit will be reduced to 25,000 over the last five days as there are fewer matches, but this will be the biggest crowd at a tennis event since the ATP and WTA Tours were shut down last March. Victoria state sports minister Martin Pakula yesterday said that it was a testament to how well authorities have contained Covid-19, adding: "It'll mean that over the 14 days, we will have up to 390,000 people here at Melbourne Park and that's about 50 per cent of the average over the last three years. "It will not be the same as the last few years, but it will be the most significant international event with crowds that the world has seen in many, many months." AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS

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Virus disrupts players’ plans for season start

NEW YORK • Figuring out where and how to start the tennis season is usually pretty easy for the world's top players. They catch a flight to Australia around Christmas, spend a few days getting over the jet lag, then compete for two weeks in warm-up tournaments ahead of the Australian Open. But with the sport's calendar upended by the coronavirus pandemic, which prompted a three-week delay of the Australian Open, players have had to make difficult calculations about the value of travelling to compete now, as infection rates are still soaring in many parts of the world. As the 2021 season began last week, several top players opted not to attend the only opening tournaments before they have to quarantine for two weeks in Australia. This year, they cannot simply show up in Australia and compete right away. World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and second-ranked Rafael Nadal remained on their practice courts rather than venturing to Turkey or Florida for the first events on their ATP Tour. Andy Murray, a three-time Grand Slam winner, was supposed to play in Florida, then grew skittish about travelling during the pandemic and pulled out. On the women's side, Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka skipped the ongoing event in Abu Dhabi. The plans for those three tournaments were announced only late last month, as the organisers of the Australian Open decided that the start of their Grand Slam event would be delayed until Feb 8 and that all participants would be required to heavily restrict their movements for two weeks ahead of the hard-court Major. "For a lot of players, since it was sprung on them a bit last minute, they were not ready and didn't want to compete," said Britain's Cameron Norrie, who opted to play in Florida at the Delray Beach Open. The schedule follows an off-season that, for most players, was longer than the usual six-week break. The pandemic forced the WTA Tour to cancel its fall Asia swing. On the men's side, for all but the top players, there has not been a tournament since early November. TOO RUSHED For a lot of players, since it was sprung on them a bit last minute, they were not ready and didn't want to compete. CAMERON NORRIE,  British tennis player, on why many were not playing in warm-up tournaments. Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka, who is through to the quarter-finals in Abu Dhabi, believes she needs to play more matches in order to get into a rhythm and prepare herself for the rigours of the Australian Open. PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE For most top players, the decision to play or not to play in the warm-up events ultimately came down to whether they thought playing real matches now would help them get mentally and physically prepared for the Slam. "I need some time to get back into rhythm and play more matches," said Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, who reached the last eight in Abu Dhabi after beating Tunisian Ons Jabeur 6-2, 6-4 yesterday. The open question for her and other players is how their individual choices during the first weeks of the season might play into the unusual routines for this Australian Open. During the quarantine, players will be allowed to practise for only two hours each day, initially with just one practice partner and then with two more in the second week. They will also get to spend about two hours in the gym, and one other hour at the tennis centre in Melbourne, but must spend the 19 other hours in their hotel rooms. After the quarantine, the men's and women's tours will hold three competitive events in Melbourne in the week before the Open. Craig Morris, a former coach for Australian Samantha Stosur, said that given how little tennis took place last year, extra competition this month could be valuable. "Anything they can get under the belt is going to help," he said. NYTIMES

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Top women split up for warm-up events

MELBOURNE • World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty and 23-time Grand Slam singles champion Serena Williams will spearhead the two WTA tournaments in Melbourne ahead of the Australian Open, with the top 32-ranked women split evenly across the simultaneous events, the organisers said yesterday. The onslaught of the Covid-19 pandemic has forced a radical change to how the early 2021 tennis season will look, with the Australian Open pushed back three weeks to Feb 8. Players will arrive in Australia from Jan 15 and undergo a mandatory two-week quarantine before two WTA 500 and two ATP 250 events are held alongside the ATP Cup, all at Melbourne Park. Organisers have branded it the Melbourne Summer Series and named each tournament after areas of Victoria state. That will see the women play the Gippsland Trophy and Yarra Valley Classic from Jan 31-Feb 6, marking 24-year-old Barty's first appearance in 11 months after the Australian opted out of the US and European swing last year over coronavirus fears. American Serena Williams, 39, will also return to competitive action after exiting the French Open with an injury and would hope to get some matches under her belt before embarking on another bid for a record-equalling 24th Major singles title. As well as Williams, the likes of world No. 2 Simona Halep, defending Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin and previous Australian Open winners Naomi Osaka, Victoria Azarenka and Angelique Kerber will take part. The leading men's stars, including Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, will compete in the 12-team ATP Cup, which will be run at the same time and at the same venue. Those who did not qualify will play in two ATP 250 tournaments - the Great Ocean Road Open and Murray River Open, featuring top names including David Goffin, Stan Wawrinka, Grigor Dimitrov and Nick Kyrgios. "There's no doubt this will be an historic week of tennis, and is the biggest-ever Australian Open lead-in week we have seen," said Tennis Australia's major events chief Cameron Pearson. "While we know the circumstances are unique this year, it is a huge coup to secure such strong playing fields." At the ongoing WTA 500 event in Abu Dhabi yesterday, American top seed Kenin overcame Chinese Yang Zhaoxuan 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, while two-time Grand Slam winner and fifth seed Garbine Muguruza beat France's Kristina Mladenovic 6-2, 6-4. Third-seeded Czech Karolina Pliskova beat Greece's Despina Papamichail 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) but Chinese Taipei's Hsieh Su-wei upset eighth-seeded Czech Marketa Vondrousova 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3). Belgian Elise Mertens withdrew yesterday with a right shoulder injury hours before her opening match. The world No. 20 was drawn to meet Alize Cornet and her replacement, Greek lucky loser Valentini Grammatikopoulou, lost 6-2, 6-2 to the Frenchwoman. AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS

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Hotel switch for tennis quarantine

MELBOURNE • The Australian Open organisers have been forced to tear up a quarantine accommodation plan for international players a month before the first Grand Slam of the year starts, after apartment owners at a luxury hotel in Melbourne threatened legal action. Tennis Australia and government authorities had arranged for players to serve a 14-day mandatory quarantine at the Westin Melbourne ahead of the Feb 8-21 hard-court Major. But the plan was yesterday scrapped after apartment owners at the hybrid condo-hotel complained a day earlier they had not been properly consulted and would seek an injunction against it. "Following consultation between the owners of The Westin Melbourne, the hotel's existing residents and Covid-19 Quarantine Victoria, the decision has been made to accommodate players and their support teams arriving in Melbourne for the upcoming ATP (events) at an alternate hotel location," the Westin said in a statement. Graeme Efron, a lawyer representing the owners, told Reuters the quarantine plan was "never going to get through". "It was the epitome of hubris that they thought people would go along with it without being consulted," he said. International players at the Australian Open are expected to arrive in Melbourne from the middle of this month and Victoria Police Minister Lisa Neville told reporters yesterday that an alternative quarantine hotel had been secured for the players, which would be "stood up today or tomorrow". Many of the world's top players are planning to compete at tournaments at Melbourne Park in the week before the Slam. Melbourne was the epicentre of Australia's largest second-wave outbreak of Covid-19, which started at two quarantine hotels for international arrivals. More than 18,000 infections were recorded in the state during the outbreak, leading to nearly 800 deaths. Victoria recorded four new cases in Melbourne yesterday, including one in hotel quarantine. Australia has reported just over 28,500 coronavirus cases and 909 deaths in total. REUTERS

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Federer not ready for Aussie Open

MELBOURNE • Six-time champion Roger Federer will miss the Australian Open for the first time in his career but he is expected to make his comeback in late February. The record 20-time Grand Slam winner has not played since losing to eventual champion and world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals at Melbourne Park in January. Two knee operations put paid to his season and although the Australian Open has been delayed by three weeks to Feb 8 due to the country's strict border rules to curb the spread of the coronavirus, the hard-court Major has still come too soon as he continues to work his way back to fitness. Federer, who is training at his off-season base in Dubai, had told the organisers earlier this month that the delayed start could benefit him, with tournament organiser Craig Tiley saying he had "made a commitment to travel to Melbourne to play". However, his agent Tony Godsick yesterday said the Swiss was not quite ready to return. "Roger has decided not to play the 2021 Australian Open," he said in a statement. "He has made strong progress in the last couple of months with his knee and his fitness. "However, after consultation with his team, he decided that the best decision for him in the long run is to return to competitive tennis after the Australian Open." Godsick added that he was looking to build a playing calendar for Federer and "start discussions this coming week for tournaments that begin in late February". But it remains unclear what may be the first event in over a year for Federer, as the ATP Tour has only released the calendar for the first seven weeks of the 2021 season owing to the unpredictability of the Covid-19 pandemic. The 39-year-old will hope to be fully fit by then as he will have only five months to prepare for the delayed Tokyo 2020 Games. Federer told reporters earlier this month an Olympic singles gold medal - the only prize missing from his trophy cabinet - was the "big one" and his "big plan" was to confirm his attendance in Japan. JUST MISSING OUT In the end Roger ran out of time to get himself ready for the rigours of a Grand Slam and he's very disappointed he won't be coming to Melbourne in 2021. CRAIG TILEY,  Australian Open tournament director, who hopes Roger Federer, 39, will return in 2022. On the absence of one of the sport's biggest draws and a perennial crowd favourite, Tiley said the organisers understood the reasoning behind his withdrawal and hoped he could return to Melbourne in 2022. "In the end Roger ran out of time to get himself ready for the rigours of a Grand Slam and he's very disappointed he won't be coming to Melbourne in 2021," he added. "We wish him all the best as he prepares for his comeback later in the year and look forward to seeing him in Melbourne in 2022." Federer has been an ever-present at the Australian Open since his first appearance when he lost in qualifying in 1999. He has made 15 trips to the semi-finals and won the last of his six Melbourne titles in 2018. The year's first Slam will be played in front of at least 50 per cent of normal crowds, though the attendance will be largely local. All players must undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine on arrival, during which they will constantly be tested for Covid-19 but allowed to train for five hours a day in a bio-secure bubble. AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS

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‘Close call’ for Federer even if Australian Open is delayed

GENEVA • The Australian Open next year may be missing one of tennis' biggest names, after Swiss great Roger Federer admitted he was in a "race against time" to be fit for the Grand Slam as his recovery from two rounds of knee surgery takes longer than expected. The 39-year-old has been out of action since February, when he underwent keyhole surgery on his right knee. In June, he revealed he had a follow-up operation and called off his 2020 season. But despite months of rehabilitation, the 20-time Grand Slam champion said he was still not "100 per cent" for the Australian Open, which looks likely to be delayed from Jan 18-31 to Feb 8-21 over coronavirus restrictions. "It's a race against time. Of course it would help if I had a little bit more time. But it's going to be close," Federer said at an awards ceremony in Switzerland, according to the Swiss media. "I would have hoped that I'd be at a 100 per cent already in October. But I'm not at this level even today. It will be a close call for the Australian Open." Federer, who has won the Australian Open six times, even set off speculation about his future when he added: "I hope there is still something to see of me in the new year. We will see." The Swiss has contested a record 21 consecutive Australian Opens since losing in the first round of qualifying in 1999. It has been a frustrating year for Federer, who had to watch from afar as his frequent nemesis, Rafael Nadal, matched his record 20 Grand Slam titles with a 13th victory at the French Open. He has given few updates on his progress, but early last month he tweeted, "Back to work" with a picture of him practising on court. On Sunday, he posted an ATP promotional video with the message, "Excited for what's to come." Federer said that while "we're taking our time", the next two to three months were "immensely important" as he contemplates a busy 2021 including the Tokyo Olympics, where he is targeting a first singles gold medal. "I wish I'd made more progress, but I'm nevertheless satisfied with where I am," he said. "My second knee surgery was a huge setback, but in the past months things have gone steadily forward." Federer, known for his elegant style of play, has avoided major injuries during a career in which he has won 103 singles titles, including all four Grand Slam events. He previously had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee - the first operation of his career - in early 2016, after suffering a freak injury while running a bath for his daughters. AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS

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