New Delhi: The Organisers of Palermo Ladies Open were left 'profoundly disappointed' after Romanian Tennis player Simona Halep on Sunday withdrew from the event.
The world number two announced her decision on Twitter.
"Given the recent rise in Covid19 cases in Romania and my anxieties around international air travel at this time, I have made the tough decision to withdraw from Palermo. I want to thank the tournament director and the Italian ministry of health for all efforts on my behalf," she tweeted.
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Given the recent rise in Covid19 cases in Romania and my anxieties around international air travel at this time, I have made the tough decision to withdraw from Palermo. I want to thank the tournament director and the Italian ministry of health for all efforts on my behalf 🙏
— Simona Halep (@Simona_Halep) July 26, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">Given the recent rise in Covid19 cases in Romania and my anxieties around international air travel at this time, I have made the tough decision to withdraw from Palermo. I want to thank the tournament director and the Italian ministry of health for all efforts on my behalf 🙏
— Simona Halep (@Simona_Halep) July 26, 2020Given the recent rise in Covid19 cases in Romania and my anxieties around international air travel at this time, I have made the tough decision to withdraw from Palermo. I want to thank the tournament director and the Italian ministry of health for all efforts on my behalf 🙏
— Simona Halep (@Simona_Halep) July 26, 2020
The tournament's official website also confirmed that Halep has pulled out of the tournament.
"It has been communicated by the Romanian player's manager, Virginia Ruzici, who explained that the decision is due to the anti-COVID provisions that impose a quarantine to all the people coming from Romania or Bulgaria," the tournament's official website said.
The tournament's director Oliviero Palma said they are 'embittered and profoundly disappointed'.
"We found out with great bitterness the decision of world number 2 to cancel her participation to the 31st Palermo Ladies Open. Yesterday we were optimistic, and we had informed Halep's staff about the fact that professional players are not obliged to quarantine," the tournament's official website quoted Palma as saying.
"Regional assessor of Health Ruggero Razza, who we thank for his promptness and clarity, had directly sent to Halep an official communication explaining how the Ordinance of the Ministry of Health was not to be applied to workers, therefore neither to professional tennis players. Nevertheless, Halep's staff only communicated us the final decision, frustrating all our efforts. We are embittered and profoundly disappointed," Palma added.
Halep was due to resume her season in Italy from August 3, having not played competitively since beating Elena Rybakina in March's Dubai final.
