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ATP Tour Final is postponed for TWO HOURS to prevent ‘millions’ of fans from being lost at the opening game of the World Cup in Qatar…
- The ATP has announced that the last game of the 2022 has been rescheduled
- The singles final on November 20 would clash with the World Cup opener
- In an effort not to lose ‘millions’ of attunements, the match has been set back two hours
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The ATP has postponed the final singles match of 2022 by two hours to avoid a clash with the opening game of the World Cup in Qatar.
Determined to reach “the largest possible global audience” for the season-closing Tour final, the ATP has made the decision to move the match to a later date, avoiding playing concurrently with Qatar’s opening match in Group A with Ecuador.
The change to a later slot for the Tour Finals in Turin has made some who had anticipated the early finish uneasy, but the ATP is adamant that no refunds will be made for those affected.
The ATP Tour final has been postponed for two hours to avoid a clash with the FIFA World Cup
Qatar (pictured) takes on Ecuador in the opening match of the World Cup on November 20
“We want to ensure that as many fans as possible around the world can tune in for the final game of the ATP Tour season,” the ATP says said in a statement.
“By avoiding a clash with the opening of the FIFA World Cup, one of the biggest sporting events in the world, we aim to reach the largest possible global audience for the Nitto ATP Finals.
“The opening game of the World Cup is a truly global event that attracts a lot of attention from fans. This includes members of our global fan base tuning in to the Nitto ATP Finals each season from around the world.
The ATP stands firm and will not offer refunds to fans affected by the reshuffle
“The decision to change the timing of the final was not taken lightly, and our extensive consultation with tournament stakeholders took into account the potential disruption to fans who attended in person.
“On balance, we believe this is the right decision for the tournament, with millions of fans around the world participating.”
It took the ATP two months to approve this change, but the Tour has claimed they have “come to a decision as soon as possible”.
FIFA itself made a change to the World Cup schedule when it brought both the opening ceremony and the opening match, involving host Qatar, 24 hours early.
One of the biggest criticisms is that affected fans cannot claim a refund.
“No, refunds are not offered,” the ATP statement added.
The Tour said they had made the call to reach “the largest global audience possible” – and not compete simultaneously with Group A’s opening match of the World Cup.
“Events of this nature occasionally require schedule adjustments for operational reasons, and the purchasing terms clearly contain a specific clause for such situations.
“In the case of the Nitto ATP Finals, this clause is in Article. 6, stating that “for technical and organizational reasons, the customer is in no way entitled to a refund of the cost of the Ticket (or to its replacement) in the event that the events for which the ticket was purchased take place, at other times than originally planned”.’
The doubles final will now start first, at 3pm UK time, and the singles final will not start until 7pm UK time.
Qatar against Ecuador will take place at 4 p.m. Dutch time.