Australian Open beats the odds to lay out a blueprint

FILE PHOTO: Tennis - Australian Open - Men's Singles Final - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, February 21, 2021 Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates with the trophy after winning his final match against Russia's Daniil Medvedev REUTERS/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Naomi Osaka and Novak Djokovic were rightly hailed as deserved Australian Open champions at the weekend but the ashen-faced former tennis coach standing behind them on the podium might be considered the real hero of the year's first Grand Slam.

Tournament director Craig Tiley and his Tennis Australia team faced down sizeable odds to get the tournament up and running, albeit by the skin of their teeth at times, while much of the world was still dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.