The fourth edition of the New York Open should take place in February 2021. Due to the coronavirus pandemic and the updated ATP calendar around the Australian Open, New York will lose its place on the calendar next season and will not look for any more positions later in the season.
After four decades, the Memphis Open 2017 disappeared from the ATP calendar, had problems winning the sponsors and selling the license. The event moved to Long Island, New York, and found its new home at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on black hard courts, making it a unique stop among ATP tournaments.
Kevin Anderson became the first ever champions in 2018 after beating Sam Querrey in the final. His successor was home star Reilly Opelka, who scored exciting victories against John Isner and Brayden Schnur on the way to his first ATP title last year.
In 2020 Kyle Edmund joined the Champions List, won his second ATP trophy and got the best result of the season. The Briton toppled Yasutaka Uchiyama and Dominik Koepfer to advance to the quarterfinals and fought hard to beat Soonwoo Kwon in the third set tiebreak.
Kyle defeated Miomir Kecmanovic in the semifinals after losing just five games and gained momentum ahead of the title bout against Italian veteran Andreas Seppi. Kyle defeated Andreas 7-5, 6-1 in an hour and 21 minutes, took command in the closing stages of the first set and never looked back.
The Briton lost eight points in ten service games and had no problems in his games. He waited patiently for the chance to return. Kyle took 45% of the return points, scored three breaks, and won eight of the last nine games to seal the deal in style.
Edmund had a massive advantage in midfield and in most extended rallies, taming his punches well and doing everything right on the court, especially in the second set as he left Andreas far behind to celebrate the title.
The New York Open will not take place in 2021
“The health and safety of our participants, employees and fans is always a top priority at the New York Open. This focus is currently being reinforced by the devastating global COVID-19 pandemic.
In cooperation with the ATP, we went through a comprehensive process to assess the feasibility of hosting the New York Open in February 2021. Ultimately, given the well-being of our community and our obligation to strictly adhere to current New York State guidelines for professional sporting events and out-of-state travel, we have found that the logistical and financial implications of the event are insurmountable.
The changing professional tennis calendar due to the pandemic also had a significant impact on the availability of players. While we are very disappointed in making this decision, we know that the most important issue today is the health and safety of our community.
Our thoughts stay with those affected by COVID-19 and we are forever grateful to the medical professionals who continue to support their communities every day, “said New York Open Tournament Director Peter Lebedevs.
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