Djokovic vs. Rublev Adria Tour final canceled after Dimitrov news

Following Grigor Dimitrov’s positive test for COVID-19, Sunday night’s final of the Adria Tour stop in Zadar, Croatia between Novak Djokovic and Andrey Rublev was cancelled.

“We have just been informed that Grigor Dimitrov has tested positive for Coronavirus and we will have to call off the final of the tournament in Zadar,” Goran Ivanisevic, Djokovic’s coach and the Tournament Director for the Adria Tour stop in Zadar, said in an on-court announcement.

Djordje Djokovic, Novak’s younger brother and the Director of the Adria Tour, spoke about the decision afterwards.

“We are very sorry and we tried to comply with all prescribed epidemiological measures,” he said. “At this time, we are in contact with all health services so that as many people as possible who have been in close contact with Grigor will be tested immediately tonight. None of the people involved in the organization and who have been in contact with Grigor have symptoms. We do not want to put anyone in danger and the final match has been cancelled.

“We are taking all steps prescribed by the relevant services and we will act as we are told. The first step of testing is all of us who have been in contact with Grigor. We are in contact with him and all the players, as well as everyone in the organization.”

“This is the only correct decision by the organization for security reasons,” Ivanisevic added. “We will all do the tests. This is a big shock for everyone, but health comes first.”

The next scheduled stop in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina in two weeks has not yet been officially cancelled.

Djokovic had qualified for the final after winning his first two matches in straight sets on Saturday, beating Pedja Krstin, 4-3 (3), 4-1, and Croatian No. 1 Borna Coric, 4-1, 4-3 (1). He improved to 3-0 in his round-robin group on Sunday with another straight-set win over Nino Serdarusic, 4-1, 4-3 (3).

Rublev also won his first two matches on Saturday, beating Croatian No. 2 Marin Cilic, 4-3 (5), 2-4, 4-1, and Danilo Petrovic, 4-2, 4-1, but he clinched the top spot in his round-robin group - and thus a spot in the final - after a comprehensive 4-2, 4-1 victory against Alexander Zverev on Sunday.

Zadar was the second stop of Djokovic’s Adria Tour exhibition series, with the first coming in Belgrade last week, where World No. 3 Dominic Thiem lifted the trophy after beating Filip Krajinovic in the final.