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Djokovic's event a hit despite hitch,

BELGRADE • Novak Djokovic's charity tennis tournament suffered an embarrassing setback on Saturday when the planned Montenegro leg of a four-nation tour of the Balkans was cancelled over coronavirus protocols enacted to stem its spread.

However, the unforeseen blow did not deter fans from praising the 17-time Grand Slam winner's brainchild to turn Belgrade into the temporary "capital" of the sport.

The Adria Tour, which features world No. 1 Djokovic, as well as third-ranked Dominic Thiem, world No. 7 Alexander Zverev and 19th-ranked Grigor Dimitrov got under way on Saturday.

The Montenegro leg was due to be the penultimate stop on June 27 and 28 after Croatia, with the event concluding in Bosnia.

However, a spokesman for the organisers said the visit to neighbouring Montenegro was called off when it became apparent the country had not lifted its border restrictions against Serbia.

"The fact that citizens of Serbia are not on the list of the Montenegrin public health institute, and cannot travel to Montenegro, is an insurmountable obstacle," an official statement read.

Podgorica reopened its borders on June 1 for countries with fewer than 25 people infected for every 100,000 inhabitants but Serbia, which reported over 12,200 cases and 253 deaths until yesterday, is not included.

However, Djokovic insisted his country had done well in containing the Covid-19 disease, although he admitted it was at the discretion of Montenegrin authorities to determine the level of success.

"Of course you can criticise, you can also say this is dangerous or not, but it's not up to me to make the calls what is health-wise right or wrong," he told, stressing he was acting in line with recommendations of the Serbian government.

The event, however, was a raging success with local fans despite the limited seating with social distancing measures in place.

Organisers initially put 1,000 tickets on sale, but the demand meant an additional 1,000 tickets had to be put up, with all 2,000 sold out in a matter of minutes. Another 2,000 were given to sponsors.

While spectators were each given a mask to wear inside the Novak Tennis Centre, they appeared to have little regard for safety regulations as few were seen wearing them and many were observed taking selfies with players.

Even Zverev appeared surprised at the turnout, saying: "To tell you the truth I didn't see that many people in one room in quite a while."

But the crowd were seemingly less concerned about keeping a safe distance and more with enjoying the top-level tennis on show, with former women's No. 1 Jelena Jankovic coming out of retirement after more than two years to play mixed doubles with Djokovic.

The tournament now shifts to the Croatian coastal city of Zadar on Saturday and Sunday, where the field will be bolstered by more big names - 2014 US Open winner Marin Cilic and Borna Coric.

It will close on July 5 with an exhibition match in Sarajevo between Djokovic and Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia. The money raised will be donated to various regional charities.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE