Fabio Fognini: Staging Rome Masters outside Foro Italico just wouldn't be it

Italian tennis star Fabio Fognini hopes the Rome Masters won't be held in a city outside Rome as he insists staging the Italian Open anywhere else other than at Foro Italico just wouldn't be it.

The Rome Masters -- which was initially scheduled to take place from May 10-17 -- was postponed after the ATP suspended the Tour because of the coronavirus but the Italian Open target to stage the tournament at a later date this year.

"I hope that this will not happen because Rome is Rome. It is irreplaceable. There is a wonderful atmosphere at Foro Italico. With everything going on, I understand that the federation is looking for all the solutions to organize the tournament. But I hope it will not be the case. Playing in Turin or elsewhere would change a lot," Fognini told Sky Sport 24, as revealed on We Love Tennis France.

Angelo Binaghi, the president of the Italian Tennis Federation, confirmed last week that they were looking at all possibilities as the main goal is to avoid the Rome Masters cancellation.

"I think there is a good chance that the Rome tournament will be re-scheduled in 2020. We would like to organize Rome between September and October, before or after Roland Garros, as is logical. The season on clay-courts and then that on fast surfaces will be re-scheduled in a uniform way," Binaghi said, as revealed on the Italian Tennis Federation website.

"We, in order to do so, are also willing to evaluate a hypothesis November-December at the end of the season, perhaps indoor on fast surfaces. But our priority is September-October. 

"Changing cities too? Where necessary, to do the Italian Open. It has happened before in history: Nicola Pietrangeli won the tournament in an edition that took place in Turin. But I repeat: our priority is Rome, September-October, on clay-courts."

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3aqRJx7