Matches on the first day of the main draw of the WTA $125K Mumbai Open had to be cancelled due to the India vs West Indies men’s ODI match being held at the same venue Monday.
After two days of qualifying, the main draw was to begin on Monday at the Cricket Club of India courts. However, after the fourth ODI was shifted to the Brabourne Stadium from Wankhede Stadium because of Mumbai Cricket Association’s financial constraints, a clash was one inevitable.
“Keeping in mind the large gathering which will be coming for the India v/s West Indies match and to avoid any untoward incident, the organisers and WTA officials have jointly decided to start the main draw matches on Tuesday,” Tournament Directors Prashant Sutar and Sunder Iyer said in a statement.
At the launch of the L&T Mumbai Open, Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association Secretary had said that some of the first-round matches would have to be rescheduled to accommodate the cricket match.
He has added that the organisers had discussed with the Women’s Tennis Association.
However, it has now been decided to cancel all matches on Monday to avoid any unsavory situation.
The tennis matches were initially to be played in the morning session, with the bulk of the first-round matches shifted to Tuesday and Wednesday. The ODI match starts at 1.30 PM with fans coming in earlier and the few stand entries share a common gate with the tennis with the stands overlooking the courts.
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