Controversial ATP event in Naples wants to host event again despite being almost cancelled

| by Tom Grant

The head of the Italian tennis association has told how the recent ATP Napoli event was almost CANCELLED - with a move to Florence amongst the suggested new venues.

Angelo Binaghi, president of Federazione Italiana Tennis (FIT) was speaking after a trouble-struck ATP event in Naples last week, with multiple players making repeated complaints about the courts.

The tournament, being played for the first time and organized in only a few months as a substitute for cancelled events on the schedule, also had problems with a player hotel and complaints about transport and organization.

And Mr Binaghi told the press after the men's governing body had tried to take the tournament away from the southern Italian city.

He said: "The tournament is no longer played in Naples, ask the mayor of Florence to keep the structure to play for another week.

"I replied that it would not be possible, we spoke with the federal manager Giorgio Di Palermo, we did what a good family man must do when a child has some need: we rushed to his aid and we saved the tournament."

"Among other things, Tc Napoli is one of the sons we are most fond off."

The Naples event is now facing a fine after problems began before the tournament had even started. Heavy rain damaged the hard courts and qualifying for the tournament week proper needed to be moved to another location 40 minutes away.

In addition, doubles player Nicholas Barrientos wrote on social media that his luggage had been removed and left in front of his hotel room, also saying that he had already had to change hotels and getting to the courts was difficult.

Tournament organizer, Riccardo Villari apologised for the problems, but insisted that the tournament had been a success as a whole, with crowds getting an all-Italian final on Sunday as Lorenzo Musetti downed Matteo Berrettini.

He said: "We will be a candidate to have the ATP event again, unless we are prevented from doing so."

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