Richard Gasquet will be able to compete in the Rome tournament.

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Seth Wenig / AP / SIPA

The seven French and Belgian players, in quarantine for having been in close contact with Benoît Paire excluded from the US Open after his positive coronavirus test, will return to Europe on Thursday evening and Friday, the American Tennis Federation told AFP .

Adrian Mannarino, Kristina Mladenovic, Richard Gasquet, Grégoire Barrère, Édouard Roger-Vasselin and Belgians Kirsten Flipkens and Ysaline Bonaventure were all forced to remain in isolation in their hotel rooms by the Nassau County health authorities, although than having all tested negative.

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Twelve players have not been able to leave their rooms for a week

A total of 12 people will see their fortnight lifted in the next few hours since five members of the entourage of these players will also leave the United States.

“Six will take their flight this Thursday evening, six others Friday,” said the USTA without specifying which ones will leave before the others, nor their respective destinations, since some are notably registered for the Rome tournament which begins on Monday.

Benoît Paire, who observed forty until Tuesday, returned to France in the wake.

Arrived Wednesday in Paris, he then took the direction of Rome.

This departure from New York had ended the first big episode of an unprecedented health crisis that almost imploded the Flushing Meadows bubble, the conduct of the US Open being subject to a series of very strict protocols to avoid the risk of an epidemic.

A card game with Pair involved

After the announcement of his positive Covid-19 test on August 30, the seven players who had been in contact with him - especially during a game of cards - were forced to agree to comply with a even more restrictive protocol to be able to play, on condition of remaining negative.

But Adrian Mannarino was almost prevented from playing his third round, when health authorities in Nassau County, where the players reside, decided to override their agreement with New York City.

After hours of talking, he was finally able to play, but lost.

As for Kristina Mladenovic, who had been very virulent with regard to the new sanitary measures imposed, she was for good prevented from leaving her room when she had to play in doubles.

And the pair she formed with Timea Babos was excluded from the tournament.

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