BENGALURU: The Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association has reportedly decided to postpone the Bengaluru Open, an ATP challenger event, originally scheduled for February next year.
The KSLTA will be contacting the ATP “soon” to seek a slot for the tournament in the second half of the season, New Indian Express reports.
“We want to push it (Bengaluru Open) to the second half of the year,” KSLTA joint-secretary Sunil Yajaman told the daily on Wednesday.
“However, we will have to discuss that with the ATP, and they will be the ones finalising it. For the first half, I guess, the calendar is getting ready now and they might work for the second half of the calendar around January. I hope they will give us some optional dates or weeks, and then we will be able to select one of them,” he added.
It is only after the organisers hear back from the ATP about dates and the rest that they will start approaching players for the challengers.
Sunil said that due to the coronavirus, the situation is also difficult for the state government, which used to provide 40-50% of the funds to conduct the event. Additionally, the pandemic has made the task of tapping corporates sponsorships that much more difficult for KSLTA.
