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The January ASB Classic tennis tournament in Auckland has been canceled due to complications during the event amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Tournament director Karl Budge said plans were well under way for the tournament, but with too much uncertainty amid the Covid-19 environment, it was canceled.
Serena Williams, winner of the 2020 Women’s ASB Classic.
Photo: Photosport
“Yeah, obviously, it was an incredibly sad day for us,” Budge said.
“We thought we had a solid plan, but unfortunately there is no path to a decision that we could make in the timeframe we needed and unfortunately that has led us into the rather difficult environment that we find ourselves in today.”
The quarantine restrictions were just one of the obstacles that the organizers could not overcome.
“It is an incredibly complex situation. There is no kind of single area that we are or are not in. There are a myriad of factors that we have to resolve.
“Unfortunately, there was no way to get to a point where any of us could be confident that we could deliver what you need to deliver a
tournament of our position in a time frame that would allow us to do so. “
Budge has refused to blame the government for the cancellation.
“We have had the support of a number of stakeholders throughout this process, unfortunately despite a lot of effort we have not been able to come to a position where we can make the decision we needed.
“Whether we like it or not, we have to get down to business and move on.”
Karl Budge, ASB Classic Tournament Director
Photo: Photosport
Karl Budge says the cancellation does not mean the end of the Auckland tournament.
“We are going to be steadfast in our determination to take the ASB Classic to new levels.
“We have been here for 60 years and no virus is going to stop the ASB Classic from becoming the annual masterpiece that it has become and what we have known for several years.
“We have to make sure we come back stronger.
“We have had incredible support from our sponsors (and) the team that we have here working tirelessly to try to make a tennis summer happen and I think we must do everything we can to make sure we come back in 2022 and come back with a statement. real “.
