CHENNAI: Around the last week of December, when a new tennis season begins, the organisers of the Internazionali Femminili di Palermo (Palermo Ladies Open), start planning. There is still a good seven months to go — the 2020 edition begins on Monday, with the qualifiers on Saturday and Sunday — but they begin the process of laying the groundwork for hosting the event.
Tournament director Oliviera Palma had just about started planning the 28th edition of the meet when the coronavirus pandemic raged through Italy. Even though Sicily wasn't as badly affected as other regions of Italy, the wider society was thrown into turmoil as the country entered into lockdown. Flights were stopped, people were forced into their homes and the streets resembled scenes from an apocalyptic world.
During these moments in February and March, Palma had doubts about the conduct of the tournament. "We always knew that the tournament may have been cancelled anytime," he says in an email interview with the help of a translator, Nino Randazzo. In fact, he says the virus is still there. "The enemy is still there and things keep being uncertain." That reflects what Palma & Co. have had to do since Italy reopened in a scaled manner. "We had been fighting with time, most of all. There was very little of it to organise an event that normally requires 8 months of work. We, instead, are doing everything in a month, but we are convinced we can do well."
Because the WTA Palermo Open signals the restart of sanctioned tennis events for the first time since March, the field is loaded. In normal times, the WTA International event, the lowest class on the WTA Tour, doesn't see participation from the elite. In 2019 for example, only two, Kiki Bertens (then World No 5) and Alize Cornet (then World No 48) from the world's top 50 took part. This year? Four players from the top 20 feature in the main draw.
World No 2 Simona Halep also registered to play but has since withdrawn. "It was a pity to lose her," Palma says. The Palermo Open organisers even got a letter from the local health authorities to convince Halep that it was safe but the Romanian backed out. "The letter sent (to) her from local health authorities should have helped to convince her, but it was not meant to be. In any case, our draw keeps being very good and our tournament keeps being a historic one."
It's also historic because the tournament will also see limited fans back to a sanctioned sporting meet in the country for the first time. How does Palma plan to pull it off? "The public will never be in the same area as the players. There are differentiated zone and paths for both. Hence, they will not need to be tested. We will check their temperature, they will be present in a number small
enough to allow strict social distancing. Furthermore, the courts and the stands will be sanitised before and after every match."
The players won't be in a bio-bubble like setting but their movements will be monitored and all of them will be subject to Covid-19 tests every four days. "I don't know if I'd call it a bubble, but they'll be in a constantly controlled environment along with their staff, the tournament's and the WTA's. Of course, they will constantly be tested: PCR and serologic tests are repeated every four days." That's not all, there will also be a reduced no of ball boys and lines officials to try and keep the virus at bay. "It's all about the anti-covid protocols: face masks, distancing, gel, constant testing... ball kids (three) and linesmen (five) will be reduced in number and will have virtually no contacts with players."
In an interview to Reuters earlier this month, Palma spoke about taking an economic hit. He is okay with that as there is great pride in 'organising the first tournament back'. "Plus, it is a duty for me to show that my land is almost Covid-free. In any case, we will make an economic evaluation over this and the next year."
Over the last seven days, Sicily reported 80 new cases of the virus, far fewer than in the dog days of February and March. "To be fair, we had a modest amount of cases here. Indeed, it is true that Italy was strongly hit by the pandemic in its first stages. But we Sicilians behaved very well and with great commitment were able to contain the virus. Today, it feels fantastic to be able to pay back this beautiful land, full of history and natural wonders, with the return of tennis and normality," Palma adds.
Normality may be some time away but the return of sanctioned tennis is just a day away.