TOP TENNIS, ATHLETICS
SHANGHAI: All top-level tennis and the Diamond League athletics were wiped off China’s 2020 sporting calendar on Friday, following a government edict aimed at controlling the coronavirus which could also spell doom for F1’s Chinese Grand Prix and the country’s biggest golf tournament. The WTA Finals in Shenzhen and the Shanghai Masters were prime among the tennis tournaments to fall as the sport, which is struggling to restart in the face of the pandemic, suffered another major blow. Shanghai’s Diamond League athletics and Masters snooker have also gone, promoters said, just over two weeks after China’s General Administration of Sport said most international events this year would be cancelled to prevent a resurgence of COVID-19. The cancellations come despite the return of domestic sports in China, with football’s Chinese Super League starting on Saturday and fans allowed to attend China Basketball Association games from this weekend. Women’s Tennis Association chief Steve Simon said he was “extremely disappointed” that the women’s tennis tour, which has bet heavily on the China market, has had to scrap seven tournaments including the showpiece WTA Finals. “We are extremely disappointed that our world-class events in China will not take place this year,” Simon said. “We do however respect the decision that has been made (by Chinese authorities) and are eager to return to China as soon as possible next season.” Also among the cancelled WTA tournaments is October’s Wuhan Open, which promised to be hugely symbolic as the city was at the centre of the coronavirus outbreak when it emerged late last year. The men’s Association of Tennis Professionals said it too was cancelling its 2020 China swing, including the prestigious Shanghai Masters and China Open - a men’s and women’s event - in Beijing. “We respect the Chinese government’s decision to do what’s best for the country in response to the unprecedented global situation,” said Andrea Gaudenzi, ATP Chairman. “It’s with a heavy heart that we announce ATP tournaments will not be played in China this year.”
— AFP