(Paris) The closed session in which the Davis Cup matches will take place will be played behind closed doors in Innsbruck from Thursday is “regrettable”, said France captain Sébastien Grosjean on Friday, a few hours later the announcement of the Austrian authorities of a containment of the country.
Austria announced Friday a containment of its entire population from Monday, a few days after taking a similar measure for unvaccinated people, becoming the first country in the European Union to take such a step in the face of to the resurgence of COVID-19 cases.
“We had (yet) positive information at the beginning of the week concerning the public,” said Grosjean in the preamble, explaining that he had only learned a few hours earlier that Austria was going to be confined from Monday because of of a resurgence of COVID-19 cases.
“It’s unfortunate not to have an audience. But the situation has worsened in Austria. We will have to deal with it, to seek mental resources, like the recovery a year and a half ago when the players resumed in empty stadiums, ”added the captain of the Blues.
Auger-Aliassime and Shapovalov packages
Canada is not present in Innsbruck. His Davis Cup group (pitting him against Kazakhstan and Sweden) is due to play in Madrid.
In addition, Canada will not be represented by its two best players, Félix Auger-Aliassime, 11th in the world, and Denis Shapovalov, 18th, having withdrawn on Sunday.
Auger-Aliassime justifies his decision by knee pain that he has “struggled to soothe for a few months,” he explained on his Twitter account. For his part, Shapovalov, who has just lost in the final of the Stockholm tournament, explained “he needed a rest”.
In response to these forfeits, the captain of the Canadian Davis Cup team Frank Dancevic summoned Steven Diez (259th) who will complete a team including Vasek Pospisil (114th), Brayden Schnur (235th) and Peter Polansky (280th).
Innsbruck matches moved?
Turin and Madrid also hosting matches, the question could arise whether to relocate the six teams initially scheduled to play in Innsbruck (France, Great Britain, Czech Republic in Group C, Serbia, Germany and Austria in Group F).
“I do not know what will happen (and in particular) if there is a request from the six nations (to play in Austria) to go and play elsewhere,” Grosjean simply commented.