Coronavirus postpones Fed Cup Finals in Hungary

Due to a coronavirus, the ITF has decided to postpone the first edition of the Fed Cup Finals that was scheduled for the Laszlo Papp Sport Arena in Budapest between April 14-19. Health concerns have also delayed eight Fed Cup Play-off ties that were supposed to take place in Europe, Mexico, Japan and Argentina. After careful consideration and close consultation between the ITF Board, the Local Organising Committee and in light of today's announcement by the Hungarian government regarding indoor events, the ITF had to react and postpone the most prestigious women's tennis team event that brings 12 countries in the battle for the trophy. There are four groups with three squads, with the top-ranked teams after the round-robin stage moving into the semi-final stage. France, Australia, the USA and the Czech Republic are the top seeds, with eight other countries trying to spoil their party and reach the elimination phase. 

"We are incredibly 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 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."

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3aI2Pyk