ATP scrap China tournaments, including the Shanghai Masters, from 2022 calendar due to Covid-19 restrictions
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ByEurosport
Published 21/07/2022 at 12:52 GMT
For the third year in a row, there will be no ATP tennis tournaments held in China. The tournaments this year, including the Shanghai Masters, have been removed from the calendar as Covid-19 restrictions continue in the country. The four China-based tournaments are set to be replaced by six ATP 250 events in other countries.
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The ATP have confirmed the cancellation of tournaments in China this season due to the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions in the country.
Four events, including the Shanghai Masters, were scheduled for September and October but the country’s Covid-19 situation means the tournaments have been scrapped.
As well as the Shanghai Masters which was due to run from October 9-16, China was scheduled to host the Chengdu Open and Zhuhai Championships – which were due to start on September 26 - and the China Open from October 3-9 in Beijing.
"This marks the third year of cancellation for the ATP's China swing, typically hosted in September and October and last staged in 2019, prior to the pandemic," the men's governing body said in a statement.
As of July 20, mainland China had confirmed 228,180 cases of Covid-19 with symptoms since the pandemic first struck in December 2019.
China hosted the Winter Olympics under strict health protocols in February, but almost every other international sporting event in the country this year has been cancelled or postponed.
Six ATP 250 tournaments will replace the China swing on the tour.
San Diego (Sept 19-25), Seoul (Sept 26-Oct 2), Tel Aviv (Sept 26-Oct 2), Florence (Oct 10-16), Gijon (Oct 10-16) and Naples (Oct 17-23) will all host tournaments instead.
"As a global sport we continue to manage the impacts of the pandemic," ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said.
"Event cancellations are an unfortunate reality, and we wish our affected tournament members and fans well.
"At the same time, it's incredibly encouraging to have many great cities step up to host ATP Tour tennis this season."
The women’s tour has no events scheduled in 2022. The WTA is in conflict with China after the wellbeing of former doubles world No. 1 Peng Shuai became a concern.
The Chinese player posted a message on social media last November accusing China's former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault.
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