• Australian Open.Nadal will debut against Dellien and could only cross Djokovic or Federer in the final

Rafael Nadal has asked for "honesty" not to blame the fires that plague Australia of everything that happens in the Tennis Open that begins Monday in Melbourne .

"We will all be honest, and I want to be understood well, both those you write and those we are playing. We will analyze each situation , the specialists will determine if we are in a situation of some risk or no risk" said the Mallorcan during a press conference before the start of the first Grand Slam of the season.

The Australian Open has been supporting criticism and pressure in recent days, especially since the Serbian Novak Djokovic raised the possibility of suspending, postponing or moving the tournament to the poor air quality derived from the devastating fires that affect large areas from the east of the country.

On Tuesday, at the start of the qualifying round for the tournament, Slovenian Dalila Jakupovic left her party due to breathing difficulties, as smoke had taken over the city. The situation triggered criticism from several players. This weekend, with a change in wind direction and rain forecasts for Sunday and Monday, the situation changed.

Both Nadal and Swiss Roger Federer have been cautious when referring to the issue and defended the decision of the tournament management to move forward with the contest . The fires that plague eastern Australia have already cost 25 lives and burned an area the size of Aragon, in addition to decimating local wildlife. There are scientific estimates that speak of the death of between 500 and one billion animals .

"The answer of the tournament has convinced me. I respect and trust that the tournament is doing things thinking about the tournament , obviously, and also the players," Nadal said. "I don't think we're going to have poor air quality throughout the tournament, I think we're going to be fine," the Swiss agreed.

Nadal , who will debut on Tuesday facing the Bolivian Hugo Dellien , distanced himself from Djokovic's position, which did not fall well among those responsible for the Australian federation, responsible for organizing the tournament, as he questioned the opportunity to celebrate the contest.

"In the end, what I don't like is talking about things I don't know. I don't know what I'm trying to talk about as little as possible . I'd rather listen to the experts. I can't position myself in favor of suspending the tournament. Based on what? On the basis of smoke? How long is smoke, how long are negative or not so negative conditions, how long are they harmful or not? These are issues that I, like Rafa Nadal , have no choice to answer because I don't know. I have to be cautious for the simple reason that I don't know. "

"I have to inform myself, the situation has been explained to me, I have been convinced, I have been training every day. I wish we had no fire , without any doubt, that is the greatest degsracia. What we do not have to do is that before anything what happens during the tournament we will blame the smoke. No. In the tournaments there are retreats, it is a place where it is very hot, there are people who give it a heat stroke, as it gave me Sydney a few days ago "added the twelve-time Roland Garros champion before closing bluntly: " We play with a worse air in other cities of the world . "

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  • Rafael Nadal
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