TA planning events for top talent

Some of the brightest talent in Australian tennis will resume competitive matches this month.

Ash Barty may get a chance to defend her French Open title later this year Picture Mickey Edwards

Some of the brightest talent in Australian tennis will resume competitive matches this month in preparation for a possible return to the international circuit later this year.

Tennis Australia is in the final stages of arranging a series of singles events to be held in capitals along the eastern seaboardas early as late June or July.

Singles events for men and women featuring up to eight players would be held in different cities over four days.

The Australian understands participants would earn a four-figure sum for competing in the events. Matches would be played under a format of two sets with a super tie-breaker.

Depending on the circumstances surrounding professional tennis, a city versus city concept could also be held.

TA’s chief operating officer Tom Larner also held open the prospect of an Australian Championships being held later in the year if the global circuit remains shutdown.

“We have been working on plans to make sure we have opportunities for our players to actually stay fit, compete, match opportunities, until we get greater clarity around what the tour looks like later in the year,” he said.

“There is a lot of opportunities in this period to make the most of and also to provide those opportunities for our players.”

A decision is expected within a month, possibly June 15, on whether tour events in Toronto and Cincinnati, plus the US Open, will proceed.

Australians including world No 1 Ash Barty are preparing to play out of hubs should the green light be given for professional tennis to resume later this year.

The USTA’s head of professional tennis Stacey Allaster said on the weekend players will fly from a series of hubs around the world on chartered flights should the circuit restart.

Australian players would most likely travel to Dubai before taking chartered flights to North America to enter COVID-19 safe villages at tournaments.

Nick Kyrgios, who is among six men and six women who will feature in two exhibitions in Berlin in mid-July, and the Spanish-based Alex de Minaur would depart from a European base.

Following an abridged US circuit, should it proceed, players would then head to Europe for a small clay court circuit culminating in the rescheduled French Open.

Tournament directors for ATP and WTA events scheduled later in the year are awaiting the decision by US tennis officials in order to make calls on their own tournaments through Asia and Europe.

The US government opened the door for American tournaments not already cancelled to proceed late last month when issuing a travel exemption for professional players.

The local round-robin events will provide Australian players with an opportunity to build match fitness and cover some expenses after the circuit was suspended in March.

Should the coronavirus closure continue, Larner said it is possible professional players could be based in Australia for a longer stint than usual in 2021.

Tennis Australia is working on several contingency plans for the Australian Open and other events including the ATP Cup.

“I think everything is on the table and what that may look like … if the rest of the season doesn’t go ahead, there is a real opportunity to have the players here and provide them an opportunity in advance of Christmas with different match opportunities, whatever that may look like,” he told The First Serve.

“The players go to South America in February. Some go to Europe. What does that look like at that point? Absolutely there are discussions with the ATP, certainly, around what December looks like, what January looks like and what they are going to do post the Australian Open.”