The ATP Tour tournament scheduled to take place at Ramat Hasharon, Israel next month "was canceled on Monday due to the security situation," according to Allon Sinai of the JERUSALEM POST. After 18 years without a top-tier tournament in Israel, Ramat Hasharon "was meant to host an ATP World Tour 250 event between September 15 and 21." Next month's tournament was set to offer $1M in prize money and the organizers "were hoping to attract several big names." However, with the rocket fire toward central Israel continuing in recent days, the ATP Board of Directors "notified the Israel Tennis Association on Monday that the tournament is canceled." ITA Chair Asi Tuchmayer said, "We really regret the ATP's decision. We did everything we could so that the tournament would take place in Israel. We had effectively finished the preparations. Ultimately, we hope that peace and quiet will return to our region, which is more important than any tournament" (JERUSALEM POST, 8/4). In a separate piece, Sinai wrote the Israel Swimming Association "breathed a huge sigh of relief on Sunday after LEN, the governing body of European swimming, kept the 2015 European Short Course Swimming Championships at the Wingate Institute in Netanya" (JERUSALEM POST, 8/3).
