Covid crisis creates French Open delay for second straight season

Roland Garros has been delayed by a week in the hope the COVID crisis will improve enough in Paris to allow fans in 2021.

The French Open will now be played in the first two weeks of June

For the second year in succession, the coronavirus crisis has forced tennis officials to postpone the French Open.

But unlike the 2020 clay court championship, which was shifted to October, the delay this year will only be for one week, with the country hopeful it will be over the worst of what is effectively a third wave of the virus.

The shift in the calendar will again disrupt other lower-tier events being held as warm-ups to Wimbledon, with the gap between the French Open and the All England Club Championships now only two weeks.

A unilateral decision by French officials to postpone last year’s tournament was greeted with acrimony, but there is a broader consensus backing the move in 2021. Qualifying will run from May 24 and the main draw through the opening two weeks of June.

French tennis federation president Gilles Moretton said a recent announcement by the nation’s president Emmanuel Macron about reopening sporting and cultural events from mid-May sparked the shift.

“It will give the health situation more time to improve and should optimise our chances of welcoming spectators at Roland Garros into our newly-transformed stadium that now covers more than 30 acres,” he said.

Tennis Australia president Jayne Hrdlicka is on the Grand Slam Board which gave its approval due to “the exceptional circumstances”.

The Lawn Tennis Association in England noted the shift would have an impact on preparatory events for Wimbledon and said they are now considering the implications.

Tournaments in Germany and The Netherlands will also be potentially compromised by the decision.

But both the WTA and ATP Tours released a joint statement backing the shift.

“Tennis has required an agile approach to the calendar over the past 12 months in order to manage the challenges of the pandemic, and this continues to be the case,” the tour bodies said.

“The decision to delay the start of Roland Garros by one week has been made in the context of recently heightened COVID restrictions in France, with the additional time improving the likelihood of enhanced conditions and ability to welcome fans at the event.”

Meanwhile world No 1 Ash Barty, who will return to Roland Garros, was successful in her first clay court match since her triumph in Paris in 2019 when playing in a tournament in Charleston.

The 24-year-old, who defended her Miami Open title last week, was far too good when defeating Japan’s Misaki Doi 6-2 6-1.

She will face talented American Shelby Rogers, who she defeated twice in Melbourne in February, on Friday for a spot in the quarterfinals.

“I used it as an opportunity to build some confidence, only having a couple of days between Miami and playing this first match,” she said.

“It was a very quick turnaround (from Miami) but I felt great out there. The conditions here are very quick, so it is not your traditional European red clay, but it is a nice middle ground, so I am really pleased to get the win.”