STARNBERG, January 2, 2020
Due to the toxic smoke conditions in Canberra, the ATP has officially announced that the Apis Canberra International, scheduled from 6 to 12 January 2020, has been relocated to Bendigo.
Tennis ACT CEO Kim Kachel explained the decision was made after much consideration and consultation with the local authorities.
“The health of players, fans, volunteers, staff and stakeholders is our biggest priority at all times,” Kachel said.
“Unfortunately, the best advice from the weather and fire experts is that the conditions over the next few days mean it is unlikely there would be any play. With conditions too unpredictable the decision was made to relocate at the earliest available opportunity.
“We want to thank the team at the Bendigo Tennis Association for helping us stage this event.”
Buses are being organised to help transport players already in Canberra to Bendigo.
Due to the toxic smoke conditions in Canberra, the ATP has officially announced that the Canberra International scheduled from 6-12 January 2020 has been relocated to Bendigo.
I’ve never seen an ATP event relocated for air quality.
This is a necessary decision.
HT @sventennis pic.twitter.com/KxxYQpUbxJ
— Richard Ings (@ringsau) January 2, 2020
For the past 10 years, Bendigo has hosted Pro Tour events at the Fosterville Gold Tennis Centre, including most recently the women’s US$60,000 Pro Tour event. The regular Bendigo Challenger offering a prize money of US$55,000, is scheduled to start on 12 January.
Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley said the unprecedented decision to relocate the tournament was a result of acting on the most up-to-date and accurate information available.
“We have been closely monitoring the bushfire situation in the region and particularly NSW, SA and Victoria and are receiving daily updates from the local experts and authorities,” Tiley said.
“We know how important the tournament is for players preparing to play at the Australian Open and the decision to move the tournament from Canberra to Bendigo has been made to ensure they can still compete.
“We will continue to monitor the situation across the country and ensure we have the most accurate information to make any decisions about play.
“Our thoughts are with all those communities affected by the devastation caused by bushfires across Australia and further announcements regarding fundraising opportunities will be made shortly.”
