PARIS (France): The German tennis federation vice-president said that the Wimbledon will be cancelled on Wednesday.
But Dirk Hordorff slammed the French Tennis Federation for moving the French Open to the autumn.
Hordorff told French sports daily L’Equipe that he expects Wimbledon, scheduled for June 29-July 12, to be scrapped due to the coronavirus pandemic. “This is not a rumour, they will announce that they are cancelling Wimbledon,” he said.
The June 29-July 12 event will not be played behind closed doors and postponing the only Grand Slam grass court event until later in the year “is not without significant risk and difficulty”, the AELTC said in a statement last Thursday.
In a move that surprised the tennis world, French Open organisers have already postponed their tournament and moved it to start on September 20, instead of May 24.
“You could reorganise Roland Garros for September or October, but not Wimbledon, the grass would be too damp,” Hordorff said.
Hordorff hit out at FFT president Bernard Giudicelli for his handling of the rescheduling of Roland Garros, the claycourt Grand Slam.
“What president Bernard Giudicelli did is a disgrace, for tennis and for France,” Hordorff said.
Following the government’s advice, the AELTC’s sites at the All England Club, Wimbledon Park Golf Club and Raynes Park are currently closed with physical operations reduced to the practical minimum to maintain the grass courts and the security of the sites.
