Tennis under the microscope: Liga MAPFRE starts in Vall d'Hebron

Tennis, beyond an exhibition without an audience in an urbanization of Benitatxell (Alicante), starts from this Friday in Spain with the MAPFRE League (17:00, TDP and LaLigaSports). A tour with three male and three female stops that will be the national experiment after the drone of the Adria Tour by Novak Djokovic, which ended with four positive tennis players, including the number one.

The CMT Vall d'Hebron in Barcelona took over from Lleida last week, isolated by a COVID-19 outbreak. And the eyes of the sport will be on the tracks where the 1992 Barcelona Games were held. “The Adria Tour did not comply with the protocols at all, and that has hurt, because right now they are looking at us with a magnifying glass,” admits Miguel Díaz, president of the Spanish Tennis Federation, organizer of the League. “We want tennis to be an example for all sports of how to organize a great competition,” he explains.

All eight players and their coaches have undergone PCR testing. Between games, handrails, referee chairs and benches will be disinfected. And after the day, the same will be done with the entire installation in a deep way.

As for the public, the capacity has been reduced from 3,000 to 1,000 people with nominal entries to follow traceability. Differentiated access and exit routes have been marked. The taking of temperature is mandatory, as well as the use of masks. Always there will be a separation seat in the stands, even if they are families and disinfectant gels are available throughout the premises.

Participation was touched by the late drop of Roberto Bautista (12th), who preferred to continue in the Dominic Thiem exhibition in Austria, where he is in the semifinals. Alejandro Davidovich also fell due to injury. So, Pablo Carreño (25th) chose the members of his team (red): Roberto Carballés, Pedro Martínez Portero and Mario Vilella. At white will be Albert Ramos (41º), Pablo Andújar, Jaume Munar and Carlos Taberner. Every day three singles will be played (Munar-Carballés opens at 17:00) and one doubles. The first day the victory is worth one point, two on Saturday and three on Sunday.

THE TOURNAMENTS

MEN'S MAPFRE LEAGUE
Vall d'Hebron July 10-12
CT Valencia 17-19 July
RCT Avilés July 24-26

LIGA MAPFRE FEMENINA
Platja d'Aro July 15-19
CT Castellón July 22-26
Les Franqueses Jul 29-Aug 2.