Daniil Medvedev Irked With US Open Organizers for Removing 2 Players From Western & Southern Open

Many of the leading male players at the Western and Southern Open and US Open are irked with the organizers’ decision of excluding Guido Pella and Hugo Dellien from the draw.

Daniil Medvedev recently jumped on this bandwagon of players expressing their disappointment. Just a few days ago, Pella and Dellien’s common fitness trainer Juan Manuel Galvan tested positive for Coronavirus. The two players did not test positive but were withdrawn from the draw as they trained with Galvan on a regular basis.

“If most of these players are negative, which is the case, and I think they had three negative tests after already the physio of them was positive, I think they should play. And that’s what the majority of players think, I think, 99%,” Medvedev expressed in an interview, on the eve of the event.

Trainer should have been tested again, feels Daniil Medvedev

Daniil Medvedev feels the decision was wrong, especially because the players tested negative on multiple occasions following their trainer’s result. Given the possibility of a false positive, Medvedev feels that Galvan should have undergone a second test.

“I can only say kind of my opinion in this case. You know, we hear a lot of opinions. But what I should agree on is that we do think that the physio of Pella and Dellien, and everybody thinks this way, should have been tested second time.

“Which was not the case. Because they say there is still a possibility that there is a false positive test. Like I don’t know if it’s true, but if it is, then why not to do a second test. And if it’s negative, to think about it,” said Medvedev.

Medvedev raises larger concerns

Medvedev feels that if a similar situation arrives in the later stages of the tournament, the authorities would not take such a decision. He also expressed that the USTA’s claim that Pella and Dellien were in close contact with Galvan and were hence withdrawn, could not be proved.

“Of course if Dellien and Pella really had zero symptoms, that’s a question to ask. Because imagine there is a quarterfinal of US Open. I doubt that New York Health Department or USTA will make the same disqualification for somebody who was in,” Medvedev said, raising concerns. “Because they say he was in close contact, but they cannot even know this for sure. Because I don’t think they have cameras shown.”

Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray were also critical of the decision to remove Pella and Dellien.

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