Can't keep virus out of it

Novak Djokovic sailed into the Last 16 of the US Open on Friday as offcourt intrigue forced the delay of a mens singles match over issues linked to Coronavirus Djokovic outclassed Germanys JanLennard Struff 63 63 61 in a routine victory for the World No 1 who is chasing an 18th Grand Slam singles title Far from routine fifth seed Alexander Zverev won a mysteryladen US Open match that was delayed by three hours Friday after New York state apparently staged a lastminute intervention to try to prevent opponent Adrian Mannarino from playingFrances Mannarino said he was about to go on court for his 230 pm start when tournament organisers told him the states health department had contacted them to say he should be quarantining in his hotel roomI was readyThat was big news for me I mean I was ready to go on court Mannarino told reporters after Zverev defeated him 67 47 64 62 62 to progress to the Last 16 at Flushing Meadows Mannarino was one of several players put under enhanced safety protocols earlier this week after compatriot Benoit Paire was withdrawn from the US Open on Sunday following a positive test for Coronavirus Up to 11 players who had been in contact with Paire signed an agreement with New York City authorities placing them under tighter restrictions in exchange form them being allowed to remain in the tournamentThey were to be tested every day rather than every four days and were only allowed to leave their hotel room to travel to the US National Tennis CenterAlexander Zverev reacts during his match against Adrian Mannarino in the US Open on Friday PicAFPPreviously they had been allowed in communal areas Mannarino said tournament organisers told him that New York state authorities had intervened in the case and ruled that he was now not allowed to playTennis officials explained to him that they were making some calls to try to get the decision changed It was a weird situation for me I was just laying on the sofa still trying to be focused just in case I would go on court he said Mannarino found out at 440 pm that he was permitted to play after all he explained The players started their match inside Louis Armstrong Stadium 40 minutes later with Mannarino taking the first setBut the Frenchman quickly flagged and blamed a groin injury rather than the disrupted buildup for his loss I was just kind of happy in my situation to be able to play he said Two hours after the match was supposed to start with no sign of either player intrigue over whether it would take place deepened inside the US National Tennis Center Then an update said the contest would commence not before 500 pm Soon afterwards the United States Tennis Association put out a statement The ZverevMannarino match was delayed while a collaborative dialogue with health officials was conducted today the body saidCommunication with the players was ongoing during the afternoon to keep them updated at all times Given the sensitivity of the medical issues involved the USTA is not able to provide further details the body addedDjoko calls NY governorThe intrigue deepened further when Djokovic later said he had spent much of the afternoon working contacts and even tried to reach the governor of New York to get the decision overturned In the end to be honest I dont know what exactly happened They just told me that finally Adrian was allowed to play the World No 1 said after his straightsets victory Zverev said he had been told there was very little chance the match was going to go aheadKeep scrolling to read more newsCatch up on all the latest sports news and updates hereAlso download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest newsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever