India’s Fed Cup Play-off tie against Latvia postponed
The ITF has announced the postponement of both the Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Finals 2020 and Fed Cup Play-offs in response to COVID-19 health concerns. India was scheduled to meet Latvia on 17-18 April in their maiden Fed Cup Play-off match but now the Indian side will have to wait for the new dates.
The ITF COVID-19 Advisory Group has been monitoring the global spread and impact of COVID-19 since early February 2020, in continuous consultation with independent medical and travel advisers as well as international and national authorities.
After careful consideration and close discussion with the ITF Board, the Local Organising Committee and in light of today’s announcement by the Hungarian government regarding indoor events, it is with regret that the ITF has announced the postponement of the Fed Cup Finals, originally scheduled to take place 14-19 April at the Laszlo Papp Sport Arena in Budapest.
Event organisers will contact all ticket holders in the next 48 hours to advise them of their options.
The ITF is committed to delivering the Fed Cup Finals in 2020 and is in consultation with key stakeholders, including the Hungarian Government, the Hungarian Tennis Association (HTA) and the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) to find a suitable alternative date for the tournament.
The Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Finals is an Olympic Qualification event and the ITF is working closely with the IOC to address any impact this may have on athlete eligibility for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
In addition to the Fed Cup Finals, the Fed Cup Play-offs due to take place on 17-18 April in eight locations around the world have also been postponed and alternative dates in 2020 will be announced at a later date.
ITF president, David Haggerty said, “We are extremely disappointed to have to make this decision, but we will not risk the safety and welfare of players, captains, event staff or spectators. This decision has not been made lightly; the threat posed by the COVID-19 is a serious one and calls for us to act responsibly as a federation and as human beings. This situation goes beyond sport.
“New dates for the Finals and for the Play-offs will be announced in due course and will primarily be guided by the length of time that tennis as a whole is affected by COVID-19. We will continue to collaborate with our colleagues across the sport to ensure that the impact on players, tournaments, rights holders and fans is as minimal as possible.
“In the meantime, the ITF COVID-19 Advisory Group will continue to monitor the situation closely and further decisions will be based on the facts, official data and expert advice.”
Source: Fedcup.com
