Novak Djokovic[/B] will spend at least the next 72 hours in a Melbourne hotel before the next hearing in his appeal to overturn his ban on entering Australia takes place on Monday.
The Serb is being held in a hotel room 5km north of Melbourne Park after authorities cancelled his visa when he arrived in Australia late on Wednesday.
At a hearing today, representatives for the Serbian champion and the Immigration Minister agreed that no action would be taken to deport the 20-time Grand Slam winner ahead of Monday's hearing in federal court.
The hearing will take place a week before the start of the 2022 Australian Open, a tournament in which Djokovic has won nine times, a record.
The judge, Anthony Kelly, asked Djokovic's lawyers when the Australian Open would start and when he was scheduled to play his first match, saying he was open to Djokovic giving evidence from a distance, but also warned he would not be swayed by a preference by the Australian Tennis Federation to resolve the matter by Tuesday.
Nick Wood, who represents Djokovic, said he was available to discuss his client's situation with authorities, noting that resolving the visa issue was critical.
"As I sit here, the lack of a visa, if the cancellation decision is valid, is an insurmountable obstacle for Mr. Djokovic to play in the tournament," Wood said."
[/P]Last February, Djokovic was quarantined in a luxury hotel in Adelaide and was able to train at the famous Memorial Drive tennis club during his solitary confinement.
In contrast, the hotel where the 34-year-old is now being held, just north of Melbourne's central business district, has few luxury items and "accommodates" people in custody.
Djokovic's supporters, Serbs who are in Melbourne, were outside the hotel today and joined refugee supporters in protesting the prolonged detention of others held there, calling for the Serbian champion's release.
Source: CNA
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