January 15, 2021

Five Point Friday

Here’s your roundup of the five most interesting things I’m enjoying or thinking about this week.

1.) Francesca Jones Inspires

Born with Ectrodactyly Ectodermal Dysplasia, a rare congenital condition where she only has four fingers on each hand, three toes on her right foot, and four on her left, Francesca was told by doctors she’d never play professional tennis. For years she’s proved them wrong, but through her qualification for the Australian Open this week, her first major tournament, she reinforces the notion that her condition does not define her.

(Click the image below to play the video)

N E V E R G I V E U P 💪

Francesca Jones proves that Ectrodactyly Ectodermal Dysplasia does not define her as she move one step closer to the @AustralianOpen main draw 👇

— ITF (@ITFTennis) January 12, 2021

2.) Tennys Sandgren Cleared

Earlier this week, world #50 Tennys Sandgren tested positive for COVID-19, but despite that, he was allowed to board a flight for the Australian Open, which is operating under strict health protocols. According to Lisa Neville, Victorian Police and Emergency Services Minister, his “positive result was reviewed by health experts and determined to be viral shedding from a previous infection, so he was given the all-clear to fly.”

More information on #AusOpen COVID-19 protocols.

cc @TennysSandgren pic.twitter.com/frI9CohXn1

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 14, 2021

3.) Murray & Keys Test Positive

As players begin to make their way to the Australian Open, which is set to begin February 8, we’ve learned that wildcard Andy Murray and world #16 Madison Keys have tested positive for COVID-19, so they’ll be unable to compete. Madison shared a message with fans on social media, but Andy has yet to make a statement as of writing.

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A post shared by Madison Keys (@madisonkeys)

4.) Rebecca Marino’s Comeback

30-year-old Canadian Rebecca Marino reached a career-high ranking of 38 back in 2011 but would leave the tour in 2013 at age 22, citing burnout and fatigue while later revealing her struggles with depression. Determined to make a comeback, she pursued tennis once again in 2018, but a foot injury and the pandemic kept her off the court from the summer of 2019 through 2020. Now, in her first few matches since July of 2019, she defeated three players in straight sets to qualify for the Australian Open. An exciting story, which will be fun to track over the next few weeks.

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A post shared by Rebecca Marino (@beccamarino)

5.) Christian Harrison Fined $3k

Qualifier and world #789, Christian Harrison, had an excellent week at the Delray Beach Open, reaching the finals before falling to world #35 Hubert Hurkacz in straight sets. Unfortunately, his performance was overshadowed when he chose not to do his round of 16 post-match interview with a mask. He was fined $3,000 by the ATP, which they said they’d rescind if he appealed and promised to follow the tournament rules even if he disagreed with them.

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A post shared by Christian Harrison (@charrison94)

If you have a moment, I’d love to hear your feedback. Which topic is your favorite? What would you like to see more or less of each week?

Share your thoughts in the comments below and have a great weekend.