Fans banned as Israel comes to Canada

Controversial tennis minnow Israel will face Canada in this weekend’s Davis Cup tie with fans banned from the facility.

Tennis Canada announced the crackdown on Tuesday only hours after Israel bombed a building in Qatar in an escalation of the two-year crisis in Gaza.

The sanctioning body cited “intelligence” and other non-specific factors for the decision due to expected protests in Halifax, Nova Scotia due to the continuing Israeli destruction of Gaza.

““We were forced to conclude that playing behind closed doors was the only way to both safeguard those involved and preserve the event itself.

While this outcome is very disappointing, it allows the tie to proceed in Halifax and ensures that our athletes can continue to compete at the highest international level,” a Canadian official said.

“Intelligence received from local authorities and national security agencies, combined with disruptions witnessed at other recent events both in Canada and internationally, indicated a risk of significant disruption to this event.

Ensuring the safety of everyone involved, including athletes, fans, staff, volunteers, and minors, such as ball kids, remains our top priority.

Canada will head into the World group tie without US Open semi-finalist Felix Auger-Aliassime, who withdrew with fatigue after his Friday semi-final loss to Jannik Sinner.