Germany and Austria announce round-robin events; Thiem set to play

The pro tours are on hold during the coronavirus pandemic, but the schedule is filling up with other competitions. Two more national events have been announced in Germany and Austria over the next few weeks.

Government restrictions have been lifted in the two countries, allowing events to be held with local players if safety protocols are followed. The first is the Generali Pro Series in Austria, in two-and-a-half weeks, a round-robin competition featuring 16 men and 8 women.

The men's field includes world No. 3 Dominic Thiem along with Dennis Novak, Sebastian Ofner and Jurgen Melzer, while the women's field includes Barbara Haas and Tamira Paszek. There will be no spectators, ballkids, or linespeople. It offers more than 150,000 Euros.

The German tennis federation (DTB) has announced a seven-week series that will start on June 8, with a men's field that will include Peter Gojowczyk, Dominik Koepfer, Cedrik-Marcel Stebe and Jan-Lennard Struff, and a women's field with Laura Siegemund, Anna-Lena Friedsam, and others. A fuller announcement is scheduled for next week.

These join other fill-in events that have been planned or announced in Europe, including a Jamie Murray-organized British men's competition during one of the weeks of Wimbledon, and a Spanish national championship organized by the Spanish federation.

There was previously a men's exhibition in Germany, the UTR Pro Match Series in Florida, and a women's exhibition in Belarus.

An exhibition series organized by the Moratoglou academy could begin next week, and other tournaments in the South of France are under consideration. The usual ATP and WTA prohibitions on exhibition play are not in effect during the suspension.