Players switch back to COVID-mode as fans exit Australian Open

FILE PHOTO: Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, February 12, 2021 Fan in the stands. It was announced the tournament will proceed without crowds over the next five days after the state of Victoria was placed under a snap lockdown from Friday to contain a fresh outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) REUTERS/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake

(Reuters) - As boisterous crowds made way for deafening silence at the Australian Open on Saturday, players did not have to do too much adjusting as they abruptly switched back to the "new normal" of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Victoria, of which Melbourne is the capital, entered a five-day lockdown on Saturday to contain a COVID-19 outbreak. Authorities allowed the Australian Open to continue but without the presence of fans.