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An Australian judge has agreed to delay any effort to deport tennis star Novak Djokovic to late Monday, as his court case continues in Melbourne. With minutes to go before a previous court order expired, Djokovic won another temporary reprieve from Judge Anthony Kelly, this time until 8pm local time (0900 GMT) on Monday.
The Federal Court overturned the Australian Government's decision to cancel the visa of the Serbian tennis star. Government lawyers had earlier indicated they would be willing to delay the deportation order, which is hanging over the 34-year-old Serbian as he seeks to remain in Australia.
Granting the Serbian ace some breathing space, the judge also agreed to postpone any effort to deport Djokovic until 8 pm (0900 GMT), acting minutes before a previous order was due to expire. Kelly also confirmed that if Djokovic had been deported, he would not have been allowed back for the next 3 years.
All the roadblocks leading to Novak's competitive event are still causing him hindrance to defend the title. Now that the tennis star has taken to court after the Australian authorities denied him visa for being medically exempted against COVID-19 vaccination, there seems to be more trouble. The waiting game has taken a toll on the Tennis player and he also mentioned that he did not know what more he could have done for his participation. Notably, he has chosen not to inform anyone whether he took the vaccination against COVID-19.
Technical glitches had been hampering the court judgement. Notably, the Australian Open will take place from 17th January, 2022.