Dick Norman on the Adria Tour: They went over the line.This is really not justifiable

Dick Norman, the Tournament Director of the Antwerp Open, says that the tennis players went over the line at the Adria Tour following which several players, including World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, tested positive for the coronavirus.

Dick Norman on Novak Djokovic's Adria Tour

According to the Sporza website, Norman, a former ATP player himself, says, "There was not much social distancing during the Adria Tour and the protocol also ignored the tennis players. It is a bit outrageous how it all went in the Adria Tour. While the whole world is suffering and keeping distance, the tennis players just went about giving 'high fives' and then went to discos and parties. They went over the line.This is really not justifiable."

Norman, who was speaking before Djokovic announced he had also tested positive said, "He is the No. 1 in the world and serves as an example. Djokovic has a social responsibility and must ensure that social distancing is respected. He must do his part to get that corona virus out of the world as soon as possible. In addition, Djokovic was very critical of the US Open, because the measures of the grand slam tournament are so strict."

Speaking about the resumption of the tennis circuit, scheduled for early August, Norman says, "The first tournament is in early August, in six weeks. The ATP has strict protocols in place for the upcoming tournaments. They are books of 40 pages. There will be a lot of testing. Everyone will have to stay in their bubble during the tournament. There will also be a log of who goes where."

Speaking about the Antwerp Open, of which he is the Tournament Director, Norman says, "In any case there will be no autograph sessions or players party, all that is not allowed. The stands will have room for 1,400 instead of 5,000 fans. Our tournament is scheduled for one week after Roland Garros. We will be one of the first indoor events, in Belgium and even in Europe." 

Dick Norman is a former Top 100 player in singles and a former Top 10 player in doubles. He retired from the game in 2013. World No. 1 Novak Djokovic had announced on Tuesday that he tested positive for the coronavirus and in a statement acknowledged that it was too soon to hold an event and apologised to all those who contracted the virus and advised everyone who were a part of the tournament to get tested and then practice social distancing.

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