38 Friday Sports Friday, May 29, 2020 planning for fans, not empty seats For players, ‘the prize money is very important’

PARIS: Roland Garros chiefs insisted on “It will be an exceptional tournament any- Wednesday the , delayed until Sep- way,” he said, adding the organisation was tember due to the coronavirus pandemic, will working on holding a “postponed tournament” have fans attending even if they still have to and not a “downgraded” version. abide by social distancing rules. In other words, juniors, singles, doubles and The claycourt , which should now wheelchair events will still be staged. In- have been into its first week under its traditional ternational tennis has been suspended globally schedule, was pushed back by four months be- since mid-March while Wimbledon was can- cause of the outbreak. celled for the first time since World War II. However, tickets bought for the event in its The US Open in New York, due to start on May-June slot were reimbursed rather than August 24, is still under a cloud with organisers transferred, prompting fears the tournament, due to decide its fate in mid-June. now due to start on September 20, would be Officials in have played down hosting a played behind closed doors. Grand Slam outdoors in a European autumn. “In the autumn, we will play Roland Garros They point to Roland Garros having eight flood- with an optimum spectator capacity which al- lit courts, including all three showpiece arenas lows fans to respect social distancing,” Jean- — , and Si- Francois Vilotte, the director-general of the monne Mathieu. French Tennis Federation (FFT), told AFP. “The point is not to schedule matches late at A working group has already been created night but to finish the matches started,” said consisting of the ministries of sports and foreign Vilotte, pointing out that night sessions will not affairs as well as Roland Garros officials and start until the 2021 edition when the tournament health bodies. slips back into its usual May-June home. PARIS: French Tennis Federation (FFT) general director Jean-Francois Vilotte, wears a protective face- “The aim is that there will be spectators but The risk of rain is greater in the autumn in mask as he answers questions of a journalist during a visit to show the newly built roof of the Philippe we will have the capacity to organise Roland Paris. However, the Philippe Chatrier court at Chatrier central tennis court at the Roland Garros stadium, in Paris. — AFP Garros whatever the option decided, including Roland Garros now has a roof, bringing the tour- behind closed doors.” For the players, “the prize nament into line with the other three majors. money is very important” as is the eco-system “From the start, the objective was to respect canvas sections, weighing 350 tons each for a few weeks ago. of tennis in for which Roland Garros ac- the outdoor nature of the tournament,” said total area of 10,000 square metres. “It was baptised,” said Vilotte. “The roof was counts for 80% of revenue. Vilotte. “It is not a closed court, contrary to what It can cover the sport’s most famous clay absolutely not affected by these rains and the If fans are to be welcome at the rescheduled exists at Wimbledon, at the Australian Open and court in 15 minutes, while allowing air to pass water drainage channels worked without any of tournament, then tickets would have to go on re- even at the US Open where the roofs hermeti- through the sides. The efficiency of the roof, them overflowing.” The Suzanne Lenglen court sale. “We have set ourselves a deadline (for re- cally seal the stadiums to air condition them.” which cost 55 million euros ($60.45 million), was will also have a roof installed in time for the 2024 sale) ... but you will not know it,” added Vilotte. The new roof on Chatrier has 11 metal and tested during torrential rains that lashed Paris a Olympic Games. — AFP

The Oval reopening with a capacity reduced from Surrey learning from 25,000 to 6,000 to meet social distancing guidelines. US women’s soccer league Surrey chief executive Richard Gould, asked Wednes- day about the origins of the scheme, told a conference Dolphins, hope for call: “To be honest, we were copying the homework of plans first team sport return the Miami Dolphins. Oval matches in 2020 “You see a lot of businesses doing this sort of war- NEW YORK: The National Women’s Soccer League is set to become the first gaming now.” Earlier this month, the Dolphins revealed US team sport league to return from the coronavirus pandemic, announcing plans details of a plan to play games before a reduced numbers Wednesday for a tournament starting June 27. LONDON: Surrey are “copying the homework” of of spectators and still meet social distancing guidelines, The nine-team circuit will stage the NWSL Challenge Cup at Utah’s Zions Bank American football’s Miami Dolphins as they draw up including timed entrances and exits per sections, cutting Stadium, home of the NWSL Utah Royals, with the semi-finals and final at Rio plans to stage county cricket at their Oval headquarters capacity at their stadium from 80,000 to 15,000, face Tinto Stadium, home of Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake. this season despite the coronavirus. masks for all spectators and food being ordered from and The suburban Salt Lake City venues will host a 25-game tournament without Next week should have seen the south London delivered to seats. spectators, each team playing four preliminary round games to determine seedings. ground hosting the first Test between England and the Although no decisions have yet been announced by Eight advance to the quarter-finals for a knockout event with a champion to be West Indies. But the COVID-19 outbreak has seen that the England and Wales Cricket Board, there are fears this decided in a July 26 final. series, and the start of the English season, delayed until could be the first season since the Second World War “As our country begins to safely reopen and adjust to our collective new reality July at the earliest. Surrey have several England players without any county cricket at all. — and with the enthusiastic support of our players, owners as well as our new and on their books, including batsmen Rory Burns and Ollie Surrey are well-placed financially, at least initially,to current commercial partners — the NWSL is thrilled to bring professional soccer Pope, sibling all-rounders Sam and Tom Curran and wick- survive such a campaign afer declaring a pre-tax profit back to the United States,” NWSL commissioner Lisa Baird said. etkeeper Ben Foakes. of £6.3million for the 2019/20 financial year, with Lan- NBA, MLS, Major League Baseball and National Hockey League seasons have But it now looks as if The Oval will miss out on any in- cashire the only other county not to have to put its play- also been shut down by the deadly disease outbreak, but have not finalized come- ternational cricket this season, with all those fixtures ers on the British government’s ‘furlough’ job retention back strategies. None are expected back before July. played at ‘bio-secure’ venues such as Lancashire’s Old scheme. And just as Miami owner Stephen Ross declared National governing body US Soccer backed the NWSL plan. “US Soccer is Trafford and Hampshire’s Ageas Bowl that, unlike Surrey’s Tuesday the NFL will definitely stage a season, Gould supportive of the NWSL’s decision to bring professional women’s soccer back to headquarters, have on-site hotels. said: “We’re optimistic there will be a season. Not just an the field,” it said in a statement, saying it worked with the league and players union This week, however, plans emerged that would see international season, but a county season.”—AFP to “focus on the health and safety of the players.”—AFP