(Reuters) - A handful of prominent late withdrawals may have taken some of the sheen off the Palermo Ladies Open but the importance of the claycourt event is not lost on the sport as it marks the return of professional tennis on Monday after the COVID-19 shutdown. Plenty of exhibition events have taken place across the world since the sport was abruptly halted in early March but the women's tournament in the Sicilian capital will be the first across both the elite WTA and ATP tours in five months. WTA chief Steve Simon recently told Reuters that he hoped Palermo would provide a blueprint for tournament operations for the rest of 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The WTA International-level event would usually attract only a modest field but its initial entry list boasted a host of players in the top 20, including twice Grand Slam champion Simona Halep of Romania.

Source: International New York Times August 01, 2020 07:52 UTC