Mats Moraing joins the Italian masked ball
The caravan has moved on and a feeling of traveling tennis circus arises. After the restart of the ATP Challenger Tour last week in Todi, Italy, as well as in the Czech capital Prague, a new tournament is on. Most of the players from the Umbrian "bubble" have overcome the almost 600 kilometers north-east to the upper Adriatic in order to take part in the Citta di Trieste, which is endowed with 88,520 euros.
by Florian Heer from Trieste
last edit: Aug 25, 2020, 08:35 am
Mats Moraing, on the other hand, is a kind of lateral entrant on the Italian clay court swing. Not that the 28-year-old German has never played a tournament on his boot, but Moraing made his comeback after the forced Corona break last week at the I. CLTK Prague Open. After an opening success against Alexey Vatutin, however, it was the end of the line against Philipp Kohlschreiber.
New conditions are not a problem
The changeover to windy conditions at the Triestino Tennis Club, quietly located on a hill high above the Gulf of Trieste, was an excellent success for Moraing in his first-round encounter against the Argentinian Facundo Mena. After only 59 minutes he left the field as the winner with 6-0, 6-1. The current number 257 in the ATP world rankings was able to make out differences to the event in Prague.
"The viewers in the Czech Republic are all walking around without a mask," revealed Moraing on Monday in Italy. “They are also relatively close to the players, who in turn all wear their mouth and nose protection. In the Czech Republic there is no obligation to wear a mask, which is understandable as there are fewer cases of corona sufferers in the country. "
Mouth and nose covering in Italy
As with the event in Todi, in Trieste the clear instruction to wear a mask applies to all officials, helpers, visitors and players on the entire tournament area, which is equipped with many shady trees. Tennis cracks are only allowed to get rid of their piece of cloth on their faces at matches or during training.
"That's better. After all, we all want to protect ourselves, "says Moraing, who has already got used to the regular tests for Covid-19. “Some people find it uncomfortable to get the stick up their nose. I don't think it's bad, however. In the end it serves a good cause and that's the only way the tournaments can take place. Annoying or not. It is simply necessary. "
Yannick Hanfmann, winner of the ATP Challenger tournament in Todi, also highlighted last Sunday that international tennis events during the pandemic will only be possible if strict hygiene protocols are adhered to. "We can count ourselves lucky to be back on the pitch," commented Hanfmann during his successful performance in the province of Perugia.
Moraing hit a similar note in Trieste. “I'm just happy to be able to compete in competitive tennis again.” With the Argentinian qualifier Tomas Martin Etcheverry, the man from North Rhine-Westphalia will have his next task on Wednesday.