[ti:Wimbledon Tennis Tounament Canceled] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]The COVID-19 crisis has led tennis officials to cancel the yearly Wimbledon competition, [00:09.36]the oldest of the Grand Slam events. [00:13.48]It is the first Wimbledon to be canceled since 1945, when World War II interfered. [00:24.24]Britain ordered a nationwide lockdown just over a week ago. [00:29.56]On Wednesday, the All England Club, which operates Wimbledon, [00:34.84] announced the cancellation and expressed its "great regret." [00:40.44]Wimbledon was to take place at its site near London from June 29 to July 12. [00:48.52]Instead, officials say the 134th tournament will be held from June 28 to July 11, 2021. [01:00.68]Eight-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer spoke for many [01:05.92]with a one-word message on Twitter: "Devastated," he wrote. [01:12.20]Also on Wednesday, officials of the Association of Tennis Professionals [01:17.84]and the Women's Tennis Association announced they were suspending play until at least July 13. [01:27.16]As of now, the COVID-19 crisis has interfered with plans for more than 30 top tennis competitions. [01:36.56]Many lower-level events also have been suspended until the middle of July. [01:43.52]The first Wimbledon took place in 1877. [01:47.44]It has been held every year since, with the exception of two periods: [01:53.52]World War I and II prevented play from 1915 to 1918 and from 1940 to 1945. [02:04.60]All England Club chairman Ian Hewitt said in a news release [02:09.36]that the decision was made "after thorough and extensive consideration...." [02:15.08]He added that the club now will plan how it can "use the breadth of Wimbledon's resources [02:22.76]to help those in our local communities and beyond." [02:27.52]Wimbledon joins the growing list of sports events canceled in 2020 because of COVID-19. [02:35.60]That includes the Tokyo Olympics, which have been pushed back 12 months. [02:42.40]Wimbledon is the first Grand Slam event to be canceled this year. [02:47.44]The start of another, the French Open, has been postponed from late May to late September. [02:55.84]Shortly after the news came from Wimbledon, the U.S. Tennis Association issued a statement saying [03:03.40]it "still plans to host the U.S. Open" as planned from August 31 to September 13 in New York City. [03:13.88]Wednesday's decision means Novak Djokovic and Simona Halep [03:18.60]will not get a chance to defend their Wimbledon wins from 2019. [03:24.32]"We are going through something bigger than tennis and Wimbledon will be back!" Halep wrote on social media. [03:31.64]"And it means I have even longer to look forward to defending my title." [03:38.08]Serena Williams retweeted the club's message about the cancellation and wrote: "I'm Shooked." [03:46.80]The All England Club said it would work to help with COVID-19 emergency operations, [03:54.00]including providing medical equipment and food. [03:58.52]Usual day-to-day life has come to a halt in many ways [04:02.52]in many parts of the world -- and the sports world is no exception. [04:07.68]The National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League and Major League Baseball are suspended; [04:16.20]the Kentucky Derby and Indianapolis 500 were pushed back several months to September; [04:23.76]England's Premier League and other club soccer competitions are suspended; [04:29.84]and the European soccer championship was postponed from 2020 to 2021. [04:37.04]I'm Ashley Thompson. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM