Australia's largest casino operator is grappling with a series of challenges, ranging from virus-led lockdowns to regulatory scrutiny that has cost its Sydney casino its licence and threatened the ones at Melbourne and Perth
Authorities are pinning their hopes on a fresh vaccination drive, suggesting some restrictions could be eased if enough people get vaccinated in the coming weeks
Meanwhile, there are signs that Australians are tiring of on-again-off-again restrictions that have marked pandemic life, although compliance with lockdown rules is still widespread
Daily cases have remained in single digits for the last nine days in Victoria while other states and territories have effectively eliminated the virus.
Crowds at Melbourne Park were capped at 30,000 per day at the start of the tournament -- around 50% of the usual attendance -- but only 21,000 came through the gates on Thursday.
The volatile Australian rarely sticks around for the second week of his home major but his early round matches on his favourite court are guaranteed entertainment.
Despite the restricted crowds and disappointing turnout over the first three days of a Grand Slam defined by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bitcoin fell as far as $33,447, its lowest since Jan. 6. Ethereum which often moves in tandem with bitcoin, fell as much as 20% to a one-week low of $1,007.51.