I exactly remember the day when I have played tennis for the last time before the lockdown: 17th March 2020. It was the day when I was on the court with my brother and we had a lot of fun. Today, after 54 days without tennis, I am longing for tomorrow, the 11th of May, because this is when the tennis clubs in Switzerland are opening their doors again. However, there will be many restrictions, and tennis will not be the same for a long time: Every tennis court reservation has to be announced in the system and the players are only allowed to use the court for 50 minutes instead of 60, to avoid groupings of people. Moreover, the tennis restaurants, the fitting rooms and the showers will remain closed. And of course, the clubs will disinfect the doors, benches and the brooms constantly. Concerning the interclub (swiss league), changes in the schedule and cancellations occurred. The highest league in Switzerland is still expected to take place in the beginning of August. However, the second highest league (where I play), has been moved from May and June to September. I am very happy with that change, so I can fully focus on my studies right now. On the downside, some teams had to pull out their participation, because they have to little players available in September for their teams. All the other leagues, such as the Juniors, Seniors and Amateurs have also been moved to September. In addition, there will be no descendants and ascendants in any league this year. Many clubs might be content with the change, others might be less, since the month of September might be cold and rainy, and they expect the atmosphere to be less enthusiastic. A drastic change also appeared in the general tournament table. All the tournaments in Switzerland in May and June have been cancelled. This because too many players, parents and friends would be at the tennis courts. I must admit that the closure of the tennis clubs has been painful but the right decision. During spring time many players take advantage of the good weather here in Switzerland and want to play outside, and this would have not been beneficial to combat against the Virus, since gatherings at the Clubs are the logical consequence. However, the situation in Switzerland is much more optimistic now, and restaurants, stores and sports facilities are ready to open on in less than 24 hours.
Now, with having played once to twice a week against a wall during the Corona times, I am more than ready to play the game again tomorrow! Best regards and enjoy the rest of the tennis season,
Chiara
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