Prague (AFP)

The mini-tournament gathering eight players and eight players of the Czech elite, disputed from Tuesday to Thursday in Prague, took place under "really bizarre" conditions, according to Petra Kvitova, winner of the ladies' tournament, which nevertheless hopes there see the beginning of a "return to normal" in tennis.

"The gloves, the masks, no one to bring us our towels, the lack of handshakes, it was all really weird", said the world N.12 about this first authorized competition in this sport in the Czech Republic since the start of the coronavirus epidemic.

"Besides, the atmosphere, without an audience, is not exactly what we are used to," said the double Wimbledon winner, who beat Karolina Muchova (26th world) 6-3, 6-3 in a final which is more interrupted by rain.

The tournament was organized almost behind closed doors, only a handful of spectators were able to attend the matches behind barriers, respecting the rules of social distancing.

On the court, the line judges were all masked, as were the ball pickers, who wore gloves.

The players themselves wore masks when entering the court.

"The strangest thing was to wear a mask and not be able to shake hands with either my opponent or the referee," said Barbora Strycova (31st in the world), who was eliminated in the semi-finals.

The traditional handshakes at the end of a match have been replaced by racket touches. "This was my first racket grip," joked Muchova.

Despite everything, the protagonists expressed a certain satisfaction to have returned to a form of competition.

"Given the circumstances and the pandemic, it was a wonderful tournament," said Kvitova. "It is great that something will happen again. I hope it will mark the start of a return to normal for the world of tennis," she added.

"It looked like a tournament," said Michael Vrbensky, 20, 405th in the world, who won a men's tournament marked by elimination in the first round of Jiri Vesely, the highest-ranked player (65th).

The Covid-19 pandemic killed 318 people in the Czech Republic.

Gatherings of up to 300 people, including sporting events, have been allowed in the country since May 25.

© 2020 AFP