Australian Open rocked by positive COVID-19 result on a third tournament flight

The number of Australian Open players in hard lockdown has grown to 72.

It comes as a passenger, believed to be a broadcaster, on a third charter flight for the tournament tested positive to COVID-19. A total of five people on-board tournament charter flights have now tested positive to the virus.

The passenger arrived on Qatar Airways flight QR7485 from Doha, which landed at 5.30am on Saturday.

The 57 other passengers on the flight have all been put into 14-day lockdown.

It takes the total number of players in hard quarantine and unable to leave their hotel rooms to practice to 72.

Australian Open director Craig Tiley says the tournament will still go ahead as planned on February 8.

Australian tennis legend Pat Cash, who is in hotel quarantine because of his role as coach to Qiang Wang, says the measures put in place are the toughest of any grand slam.

“We were lucky enough not to be on the plane there was some positive cases… So luckily I’m able to get out with my player,” he told Ross and Russ on 3AW Breakfast.

“The protocols have certainly been the most extreme that we’ve had at any of the grand slams… by a long, long way.”

Click PLAY to hear the interview below

Image: Asanka Ratnayake / Getty