The tennis world scrutinizes the Palermo tournament

A discreet, but scrutinized competition: after a five-month hiatus due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, professional tennis resumes under close surveillance with the WTA tournament in Palermo from Monday, a few weeks away from a delicate US Open sequence /Roland Garros. March 8: this is the date of the last official matches on the professional circuits, in this case two women's finals, in Lyon, France, and Monterrey, Mexico.

Since then, more sound and more image, exhibitions of all kinds aside, because of the global health crisis which completely shakes up the 2020 season. If we now know that no tournament will take place in China from here At the end of the year, the light reappeared in mid-June, when the US Open recorded its maintenance on its initial dates, from August 31, but behind closed doors and cut off from its qualifications, and that WTA and ATP have set a date of resumption in the same month of August, from the 3 ladies side. The players must wait until the 22.

Main draw tennis is back tomorrow in Palermo. Some tasty matches! pic.twitter.com/0V4JlqGlcJ

"See if it is viable to organize the tournament under these conditions"

This is how the modest Palermo tournament, nestled behind a hedge of fuschia bougainvillea and surrounded by mountains irradiated by the scorching Sicilian sun, inherits the heavy task of inaugurating the cohabitation between tennis and Covid-19. In such a context, it is clearly a real test.

"The WTA warned us that these first two weeks (in Palermo from Monday, and in Prague and Lexington, in the United States the following week, editor's note), these are test tournaments," confirms the player to AFP French Chloé Paquet (174th), stopped in the first round of qualifying for the Sicilian tournament on Saturday.

The stake: "to see if it is viable to organize tournaments under these conditions", summarizes another French player, Fiona Ferro (53rd), engaged her in the main draw. “We know that if things go well, there could be others,” Paquet continues. If things go wrong, the schedule could perhaps be revised… We are aware of this. "

At #Palermo gli internazionali femminili di #tennis #PalermoLadiesOpen, he primo torneo ufficiale della stagione post-Covid. Excluded la tennista bulgara #Tomova risultata positiva. Severe control.

I dettagli al tg delle 14. #ioseguotgr @TgrRai pic.twitter.com/eG7b46P5Al

Immediate tests on arrival, then renewed every four days, compulsory masks apart for playing and eating, entourage limited to one person, instructions passed, without formally prohibiting them, to limit contact between players and with the outside as much as possible …: We try to give ourselves every chance of success. “Of course it has nothing to do with it before, compares Paquet. Before, we could go out (from the hotel), meet at the restaurant after the games… There, it makes you dream a little less. "

Simona Halel deprived of access, another positive player

"But we are really happy to be able to play again and resume our profession, it encourages us to respect all these health rules", she emphasizes. Illustration of the puzzle of international travel restrictions for world tennis, both largely globalized and itinerant, the field of the main draw is 100% European.

The desire to play is not lacking: the Italian tournament, even among the most modest on the main circuit and which will welcome 350 spectators per day at most (for a capacity of 1,500), attracted three top 20 players. the Croatian Petra Martic (15th), "happy to see that it is really possible to resume because I did not believe it a week or two ago".

Simona Halep opts out of Palermo. And the tournament is very not happy about it. pic.twitter.com/Du2z5dowEW

Simona Halep is deprived of this recovery. Expected as headliner, the former world No. 1 and double Grand Slam winner (Roland Garros 2018 and Wimbledon 2019) was caught up by the fortnight most recently imposed by the Italian authorities on people who have recently stayed in Romania or in Bulgaria, and gave up making the trip, despite the assurances provided by the organization of the tournament

Another pre-tournament twist: the WTA reported on Saturday afternoon, a few minutes before the start of qualifying, that a player had tested positive for Covid-19 and placed in isolation, without revealing her identity. As a reminder that the building remains fragile.

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