Dalibor Svrcina, the 18-year-old Czech tennis player who has been competing in the $15,000 ITF men’s event in New Delhi this week, has tested positive for Covid-19.
Svrcina was scheduled to play in the singles semifinals and doubles final but was forced to give a walkover in both.
“We came to know about the positive result late evening yesterday. He has been quarantined,” tournament director Richa Bakshi said.
“He has not shown any symptoms. His coach, with whom he has been sharing a room, as well as his doubles partner have tested negative,” she added.
As a consequence, Svrcina’s opponent in the singles semifinal, Nikki Poonacha, advanced to the final where he will face American Oliver Crawford, the winner in Pune last week.
In the doubles final, Arjun Kadhe and Saketh Myneni were the beneficiaries while Hungarian Zsombor Velcz, Svrcina’s partner, settled for the runner-up finish.
Svrcina, ranked 863rd, was part of the Junior Davis Cup-winning Czech team in 2017. He had competed in Pune where he lost in the second round in singles and semifinals in doubles.
Karman falls in semis
Karman Kaur Thandi fell in the semifinals for the second week in a row as she made her exit in the $15,000 ITF women’s tennis event in Monastir, Tunisia, on Saturday.
Karman, who had lost in the last-four stage at the same venue last week, went down 6-7 (3), 3-6 to 20-year-old Belarussian Anna Kubareva.
