Berlin (AFP)
Dominic Thiem (N.3 ATP), Alexander Zverev (N.7), Elina Svitolina (N.5 WTA) and Kiki Bertens (N.7) should be among the tennis stars to meet in Berlin in July on grass and hard surface, for an exhibition tournament of post-coronavirus recovery, in camera.
Six players, including Australian Nick Kyrgios (N.40), and six players are slated for the event, the organizers announced Friday: the grass game will be played on the Steffi Graf stadium from 13 to 15 July, and the hard part from 17 to 19 in a hangar at the former Tempelhof airport, famous for hosting the Allied airlift during the Soviet blockade of Berlin in 1948-49.
The Wimbledon tournament having been canceled, for the first time since the Second World War, the match on grass will be the first of 2020. The official circuits ATP and WTA are for the moment suspended, at least until July 31.
"I am curious to know what my level is," said German Alexander Zverev, "I have trained a lot, but it will be the first time I have competed in a very long time."
The matches will be played in two winning sets, without line judges, with only electronic technology to judge balls on the lines. They will be televised and each of the two male and female tournaments will be endowed with 100,000 euros.
© 2020 AFP