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Novak Djokovic has won his appeal against the cancellation of his Australian visa, clearing him to defend his Australian Open title when the tournament gets underway on January 17th. World number one Djokovic is to be released from immigration detention immediately, after he was detained by the Australian border force last week on arrival in Melbourne. The 20-time Grand Slam winner had originally been granted a medical exemption against the Covid-19 vaccination by claiming he had contracted the virus in December, however this was later revoked, leaving the Serbian facing deportation. However on Monday morning (Irish time), Judge Anthony Kelly quashed the visa cancellation and ordered the Australian Government to pay legal costs and release Djokovic from detention within half an hour. Djokovic could still have his visa cancelled by Australia’s minister for immigration, but as it stands he is cleared to try and land his fourth-consecutive Australian Open title and his ninth overall. Ahead of the decision, in Monday morning’s Tipping Point column Mary Hannigan had voiced an uneasiness at the treatment of Djokovic. She writes: “Now, those laughing the loudest at his predicament, the ones with #BeKind in their bios, would argue that he’s brought it all on himself, and they’d be partly right. Only partly, mind, because - as we now know - he was given the green light to travel to Australia. It’s not like he broke into the place and hoped no one would notice him playing in the Rod Laver Arena.”
In his column this morning Ken Early has looked at the impending departure of Manchester United chief executive Ed Woodward, and the mess he will leave behind after presiding over the worst period in the club’s modern history since his appointment at Old Trafford in 2013. He writes: “What about commercial revenue - the specific area in which the impact of Woodward’s exceptional business nous might be expected to show up? United still have the biggest commercial income in English football - but when you look at the trends, it’s the same story of relative decline.” On the pitch, United take on Aston Villa in the third round of the FA Cup at Old Trafford tonight (kick-off 7.55pm), with the winners to play Middlesbrough at home in the next round. Yesterday Arsenal were a big name casualty as they were beaten 1-0 by Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, Liverpool came from behind to beat Shrewsbury Town 4-1 and West Ham were comfortable 2-0 winners over Leeds.
Kilmacud Crokes are set to be without Dublin’s Paul Mannion for their All-Ireland club semi-final after he underwent knee surgery last Friday. Crokes were crowned Leinster champions on Saturday after they beat Naas 0-14 to 0-7 at Croke Park and they will now face Roscommon and Connacht champions Padraig Pearses in the All-Ireland last four. Pearses claimed a maiden provincial title yesterday thanks to a 1-13 to 1-11 win over Knockmore in Ballina. Elsewhere Henry Shefflin’s Galway tenure is off to a winning start after they beat Offaly 2-19 to 0-19 in the Walsh Cup. Shefflin revealed afterwards however he has failed in his bid to persuade Joe Canning to change his mind about retirement from inter-county hurling.
And Cameron Smith has won the Sentry Tournament of Champions after registering a record 72-hole PGA Tour score of 34-under par. Jon Rahm finished a stroke back on 33-under after a low-scoring week in Hawaii, while Séamus Power closed his week out with a 67 to share 15th place.