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Mice plague Kazak player Putintseva in Australian Open hotel quarantine

Yulia Putintseva practises rallies in her hotel room
Yulia Putintseva practises rallies in her hotel room

A mice infestation at one of the Australian Open's quarantine hotels continues to plague Kazak player Yulia Putintseva, who complained she could not sleep for the rodents scurrying around her room.

The world number 28 changed rooms earlier this week after complaining of mice but said on social media she had found another in her new room.

"It's actually a lot of them! Not even 1 in my room now," she wrote on Twitter, posting a video of a mouse jumping out from behind a closet.

"Different room same story - wanted to go to sleep but noooope."

She added that reception had told her the hotel was full and that they couldn't help her.

"Its a joke," she said.

Victoria state police minister Lisa Neville said on Wednesday authorities would take care of pest control but suggested there might be more to the story.

"As I understand there may have been some feeding going on," she told reporters, without revealing the source of her information.

"I'd just encourage them to minimise interaction with the mice, we will keep doing pest control if we need to, but hopefully that pest control work that was done this week will have fixed the problem."

On Instagram, Putintseva also complained her room's windows would not open and held up a sign saying: "We need fresh air to breathe."

More than 70 players and their entourage are confined to their hotel rooms for 14 days and unable to train for the Feb. 8-21 Australian Open after passengers on three charter flights returned positive tests for the novel coronavirus.

A number of players have complained about the conditions, drawing a fierce backlash from Australians.

However, Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley on Tuesday said "the vast majority" of players were supportive of the strict protocols.