Australia’s participation at next month’s Fed Cup finals has been put on ice after world tennis chiefs postponed the event in Hungary over coronavirus fears.
Alicia Molik’s team were a seeded country as a result of being last year’s beaten finalists and were drawn in group B against Belgium and Belarus in the group stage for this year’s competition.
The event was due to be played at Budapest’s Laszlo Papp Sport Arena from April 14-19.
However, a Hungarian government ruling against banned public gatherings of more than 100 people indoors and 500 people outdoors left the ruling body the International Tennis Federation (ITF) with little choice, it said in a statement.
“After careful consideration and close discussion with the ITF Board, the Local Organising Committee… it is with regret that the ITF has announced the postponement of the Fed Cup Finals,” the ITF said in a statement.
The ITF said it was committed to holding the finals at some point in 2020. The finals were also a scheduled Tokyo Olympic qualification event.
In addition to the Fed Cup finals, the Fed Cup play-offs due to take place on April 17-18 in eight locations around the world have also been postponed and alternative dates in 2020 will be announced at a later date, the statement added.
