Wimbledon faces harsh reality tournament may be canceled
This year’s Wimbledon Championships have so far survived the cull of the world’s most prestigious sporting events due to the coronavirus pandemic, but it seems only a matter of time before they are postponed or canceled.
With London in its first week of lockdown, All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) officials are weighing their limited options.
The build for the June 29-July 12 championships is supposed to start in little over a month, but it seems increasingly likely Wimbledon will be forced to miss a year for the first time since 1945.
“The AELTC has been contingency planning since January, working closely with the UK government and public health authorities to follow their advice and understand the likely impact of COVID-19 and the government’s emergency measures on The Championships,” the club said in a statement on Wednesday.
“The very short window available to us to stage The Championships due to the nature of our surface suggests that postponement is not without significant risk and difficulty,” it added.
The AELTC said playing behind closed doors was not an option.
While the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday potentially opened a two-week slot in the calendar in July/August, it would appear unlikely Wimbledon would use it.
Switching to a later time in the year is even less likely as Wimbledon has only two covered courts and elite outdoor grasscourt tennis is not feasible past late summer.
NBA
TIMBERWOLVES’ TOWNS SAYS MOTHER HOSPITALIZED WITH COVID-19 >> Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns says his mother is hospitalized and in a medically-induced coma after contracting the coronavirus.
Towns talked about the condition of his mother, Jacqueline Cruz, on his Instagram page. He urged his followers to take COVID-19 seriously and practice social distancing.
Towns said both his parents went to the hospital recently and were tested for the disease. While his father was released and told to quarantine at home, his mother’s condition deteriorated to the point where she was put on a ventilator and placed in a coma.
High school sports
LARGEST LEAGUE IN SANTA CLARA
COUNTY CANCELS SPRING SPORTS >> Santa Clara County’s largest high school sports league canceled its spring season, becoming the first of what inevitably might be all to make that call as administrators deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
The 24-school Blossom Valley Athletic League, which stretches from Morgan Hill to San Jose, Campbell and part of Saratoga, has decided it will not wait any longer, pulling the plug on sports such as baseball, softball, track and field and swimming that have been on hiatus for nearly two weeks.
College basketball
PLAYERS DECLARE FOR NBA DRAFT >> Dayton forward Obi Toppin, said to be high on the Warriors’ wish list, said he’s entering the 2020 NBA Draft, a day after he was named AP National Player of the Year. Also declaring for the draft was USC forward Onyeka Okongwu.
The 6-foot-9 sophomore Toppin led the Flyers, who finished No. 3 in the final AP Top 25 poll, with 20.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
Okongwu, from Chino Hills, He averaged 16.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocks in his one season with the Trojans.
Kenyon Martin Jr., the son of the former NBA player, also said he is putting his name in the draft. The 6-foot-7 Martin played for IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, this season. He initially committed to Vanderbilt before deciding to play at the prep school.
Women’s college basketball
OREGON’S IONESCU EARNS ANOTHER PLAYER OF YEAR HONOR >> Oregon’s Sabrina Ionescu earned the Ann Meyers Drysdale Player of the Year award from the United States Basketball Writers Association. Ionescu, from Walnut Creek, was also named a finalist for the Sullivan Award, presented to the nation’s most outstanding amateur athlete.
College football
WASHINGTON STATE DB BEEKMAN DIES >> Washington State redshirt senior safety Bryce Beekman died Tuesday night in Pullman, Washington. He was 22. The cause of death and other details were not immediately available.
According to reports, police responded to a call about “breathing problems” at Beekman’s apartment and found him dead. There were no signs of foul play, Pullman Police Commander Jake Opgenorth told The Spokesman Review.
Beekman started 13 games for the Cougars in 2019. He had one year of eligibility remaining.
Horse racing
TIZ THE LAW SET AS FAVORITE FOR SATURDAY’S FLORIDA DERBY >> The Florida Derby is set to have a full field and empty stands. A field of 12 has been entered for Saturday’s Florida Derby, typically one of the biggest Kentucky Derby prep races and serves as the crown jewel of the Championship Meet at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. That won’t be the case this year, of course, with the coronavirus pandemic keeping virtually everyone — bettors, fans and even owners — away from the track.
Tiz the Law was installed as the 6-5 favorite.
NHL
LEAGUE POSTPONES DRAFT, POSTSEASON AWARDS >> The NHL, which remains in a shutdown, announced additional postponements to its calendar. The NHL draft, scheduled for June 26-27 in Montreal, will be held at a later date. The league also postponed the scouting combine, slated for June 1-6 in Buffalo, New York, and the season-ending awards ceremony, scheduled for June 18 in Las Vegas.