POTCHEFSTROOM, March 12, 2020
The ATP and ITF have announced a six-week suspension of the men’s and women’s professional tennis tour due to escalating health and safety issues arising from the global outbreak of COVID-19.
The suspension means all ATP Tour, ATP Challenger Tour, all ITF-owned and sanctioned events, across the men’s and women’s ITF World Tennis Tour, the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors, the Uniqlo Wheelchair Tennis Tour, ITF Beach Tennis World Tour, and ITF Seniors Tour scheduled up to and inclusive of the week of April 20 will not take place.
The suspension of ATP and ITF events takes place with immediate effect, meaning the inaugural South African tournaments – Potch Open ATP Challenger 50 tournament and Illana Kloss International Women’s $25,000 ITF Tour currently underway in Potchefstroom will not to be completed. All players will receive ranking points and prize money for matches completed during the week.
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On Thursday, fourth-seeded German-Jamaican Dustin Brown overcame a second set blip to beat Austrian David Pichler 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in the second round.
The 35-year-old struck 15 aces and won 78 per cent of his first-service points to secure victory in one hour and 26 minutes.
😂🤣😅🤦🏾♂️ pic.twitter.com/1xf8WcWkBp
— Dustin Brown (@DreddyTennis) March 12, 2020
Top seed Benjamin Bonzi of France continued his winning streak in South Africa by beating Indian Sidharth Rawat 6-3, 7-5.
Second seed Hugo Grenier, also from France, had to battle hard to knock out unseeded Austrian Lucas Miedler 7-6(7) 6-3, ending a tense encounter with a superb forehand pass after saving two set points in the second set.
Earlier in day, Benjamin Lock of Zimbabwe saw off Italian eighth-seed Lorenzo Musetti 7-5, 7-5 in one hour and 40 minutes.
The ATP Challenger Tour has been suspended for six weeks, effective immediately.
This week’s tournaments in Nur-Sultan and Potchefstroom will not be completed. https://t.co/1kAsxeKEdx
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) March 12, 2020
Second Round Results
Singles
Potch Open – ATP Challenger 50
[1] Benjamin Bonzi (FRA) bt Sadhardth Rawat (IND) 6-3 7-5
[2] Hugo Grenier (FRA) bt Lucas Miedler (AUT) 7-6(7) 6-3
[Q] Fabien Reboul (FRA) bt [Q] Mehluli Sibanda (ZIM) 6-4 6-2
[4] Dustin Brown bt David Pichler (AUT) 6-3 3-6 6-3
Sadio Doumbia (FRA) bt [5] Evgeny Karlovskiy (RUS) 6-4 2-6 7-6(1)
[6] Daniel Masur (GER) bt Edan Leshem (ISR) 3-6 1-1 (RET)
Benjamin Lock (ZIM) bt [8] Lorenzo Musetti (ITA) 7-5 7-5
