With regret, the ITF, in consultation with Tennis New Zealand and Canterbury Tennis, has decided to cancel the 2011 ITF Seniors World Individual Championships scheduled to be played in Christchurch, New Zealand next week. The ITF Seniors World Team Championships currently being played in Timaru and Ashburton will continue as planned.
The organisers will now make every effort to ensure the safe return home for all participants. The ITF thanks Tennis New Zealand and the organisers from Canterbury Tennis for all their efforts on behalf of the Seniors World Team and Individual Championships.
“We send our sincere sympathies to the people of Christchurch who have suffered so much due to the earthquake that hit their city on Tuesday,” said ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti. “While we are, of course, relieved that all the players, captains and officials who were in Christchurch this week are safe, we are mindful of the loss of life and the large number of injuries that have occurred in Christchurch. We thank Tennis New Zealand and Canterbury Tennis for their outstanding efforts on behalf of the Seniors World Team and Individual Championships. We also thank the players for their support of both events and their willingness to play on in these difficult conditions.”
This tragedy comes just on the heels of the Australian flood. To help out Christchurch and aid the recovery effort please donate to the Red Cross of New Zealand: www.redcross.org.nz/donate