Kvitova, Pliskova set for May event

PRAGUE • The men's ATP and the women's WTA Tours will not resume until July 13 at the earliest so some players have resorted to playing in exhibition events to maintain their fitness.

World No. 39 Reilly Opelka won the UTR Men's Pro Match Series, a four-man tournament in Florida, on Sunday.

A week earlier, 143rd-ranked Yannick Hanfmann lifted the eight-man Tennis Point Exhibition Series in Germany.

The Czech Tennis Association (CTS) will, however, be organising the biggest exhibition event since the tennis calendar was shut down in March owing to the coronavirus pandemic.

Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, the Pliskova twins, Karolina and Kristyna, and others will clash in a tournament in Prague that will be open to only domestic players from May 26-28, organisers confirmed on Sunday night.

"This is the first event the CTS has prepared for players at a time when they can not travel because of the pandemic," said spokesman Karel Tejkal.

The women's event is expected to feature world No. 3 Karolina, Kvitova (12th), Karolina Muchova (26th), Barbora Strycova (31st) and Kristyna (69th).

"I'm looking forward to playing a tournament after a long time," said Kvitova. "I'm really curious about the shape we'll be in without playing any tournaments."

CTS president Ivo Kaderka said revenue generated from the tournament would be used to help soften the blow of the Covid-19 disease in the Czech Republic, which has seen over 8,100 cases and 280 deaths as of yesterday.

The men's event will feature world No. 65 Jiri Vesely, the winner of this year's ATP tournament in Pune, India.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE