Bush fires force Canberra Challenger tournament to move
The bushfires in Australia continue to cause unrest. Now even a Challenger tournament had to be moved.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit: Jan 03, 2020, 12:07 pm
The bushfires still hold the whole of Australia in suspense. At the weekend, a new heat wave threatens to intensify the fires even more. Temperatures beyond the 40-degree mark and strong winds are expected on Saturday.
Even the tennis tour is not spared the effects of this natural disaster. While donations for the victims of the bush fires were collected as part of the ATP Cup , the Challenger tournament in Canberra even had to be postponed due to the poor air quality and the continuing bush fires.
Health is a top priority
The new venue is now Bendigo, a city in the state of Victoria. "Over the next few days, it would have been very unlikely that games would take place. Because the conditions are too unpredictable, we decided to reschedule the event as early as possible," said the Australian Tennis Association.
In addition to the men's Challenger tournament, an ITF futures event for women should have taken place in Canberra next week - but nothing will come of it either. The health of everyone involved is simply a priority, according to the Australian Tennis Association.