Today in Palermo the start of the main matches Palermo Ladies Open tournament the Women’s tennis Association (WTA) with a prize Fund of €163 thousand In the first official tennis match in a pandemic coronavirus run-in special rules, which are aimed at reducing the risk to the health of athletes and will be applied in the coming months. Among the participants of the tournament — Russians Ekaterina Aleksandrova and Daria Kasatkina.Very average composition women’s clay-court tournament in Palermo is to be considered one of the most trivial of sporting events this year. Yes, I think it can already be regarded as a small victory, even though reduced to a quarter of the prize pool. Thanks to Palermo Ladies Open today resumed the global tennis calendar. In this situation, according to the WTA supervisor Steve Simon, only this fact alone is a big step forward.Moreover, the holding of the Palermo Ladies Open was in question just three weeks ago, because of limitations in international traffic to Sicily was not able to get about half of the athletes falling in the main draw.As a result of several strong players in Palermo still unaccounted for, although the causes of failures, each of them different. The most resonant was the story with the ex-first racket of the world Simona Halep, who is now in second place in the WTA rankings. The fact that coming to Italy from Romania and Bulgaria, are obliged to go on a two-week quarantine. The organizers of the tournament were able to achieve that for players like professional athletes, an exception was made, but the current champion of Wimbledon, which is in 2018 and won in Roland Garros, decided to Palermo not to come.Will not play this week Johanna konta (14th in the world). The British decided to focus on preparing for the Open championship of the USA which, as recently confirmed by the U.S. tennis Association, will begin August 31. Was not in the grid, and three Russians — Svetlana Kuznetsova, Veronica Kudermetova and Anna Blinkova.However, for the tournament low by graduation WTA International category of the list of the participants in Palermo is quite solid. It is headed by the Croat Petra Martic (15-I). Next come two more tennis players from the top 20 — the Czech Market Vondrusova (18th) and the Greek Maria Zaccari (20th). Closes the eight “seeded” the first racket of Russia Ekaterina Aleksandrova (27th), and then there is Darya Kasatkina (66-I), which their first match will be held tonight. After a five-month hiatus to evaluate their prospects is difficult, although in the list of previous Champions Palermo Ladies Open there are Russian tennis players. It was there in 1999, his first title in his career has won Anastasia Myskina, and in 2003-m have different Dinara Safina.However, for mi��ovogo of tennis, the greatest value will be not athletic, and an organizational component of the Palermo Ladies Open. After all, there are now tested a special medical Protocol that in the coming months should be adhered to in all official tennis competitions and provides increased security measures. After a series of exhibition tournaments Adria Tour was an outbreak of the coronavirus fell ill himself, Novak Djokovic, attention to this document is even more increased. Recall that it excludes the participation of athletes in public events, including with participation of mass media.The disease in Tomboy are asymptomatic, it is isolated, therefore, according to the organizers, the risk to the health of other participants of the tournament is minimized. In this case a 5-seat tennis stadium in Palermo will be open limited access of the public, which will have to constantly keep a mask mode and social distance, ranking in the stands is strictly the places specified in the ticket.Eugene Fedyakov
