Novak Djokovic to play his first-round Australian Open match, pending appeal

|HT|

Novak Djokovic was scheduled to play his first-round Australian Open match on Monday night on a Day 1 program announced while he was still in legal limbo. A court hearing for the defending and nine-time Australian Open champion's appeal against deportation ended Sunday afternoon. Tournament organizers released the match schedule for the first day of competition more than an hour later, when a verdict was still pending.

The Australian government cancelled Djokovic's visa on Friday due to issues surrounding his stance against COVID-19 vaccination.

Federal Court Chief Justice James Allsop said he and two fellow judges hoped to reach a verdict later Sunday.

If he wins the appeal, Djokovic will get to open his title defense against fellow Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic on the last match on the schedule on the tournament's main show court.

Defending women's champion Naomi Osaka will play the second match on the main court, Rod Laver Arena, against Camila Osorio. Rafael Nadal will play in the afternoon and women's No. 1 Ash Barty has the first of the night matches on Rod Laver Arena.

(Except for the headline and the pictorial description, this story has not been edited by THE DEN staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)