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Twelve nations were set to contest the
showpiece team event in Budapest in April but it was postponed
after the COVID-19 pandemic closed down the tennis season.
It will now take place from April 13-18 next year on indoor clay
at the Laszlo Papp Arena in the Hungarian capital.
The women's WTA Tour is scheduled to resume in Palermo, Italy on
Aug. 3 but the ITF said the ongoing challenges caused by the
pandemic have forced them to delay for a year.
"In addition to the Laszlo Papp Arena being unavailable over the
latter part of the year, there remain significant logistical and
regulatory challenges that mean hosting an indoor mass gathering
while guaranteeing the health and safety of all involved will
not be feasible," a statement said.
The same nations will contest the event next year while the
playoffs that should have taken place in April will now be
staged in February 2021.
ITF President David Haggerty said that while it was
"regrettable" he was confident that Budapest would hold a
"superb" event in 2021.
While 10 of the 12 qualifiers were European nations -- the U.S.
and Australia completed the field -- the logistics of such a
large event would prove challenging, especially with nations at
different stages in the pandemic.
Around 60 players, plus support staff, would have assembled in
Budapest for the Finals. The ITF said hosting the event without
fans had not been considered a desirable option.
"We believe the best way forward in order both to protect the
health and safety of all involved and to best respect the
integrity of the competition is to extend this year's Fed Cup
into 2021, with the event returning to an annual basis the
following year," Haggerty said.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Toby Davis)
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