“Play is continuous” Mexican events go on amid violence

A pair of Tour events are defiantly continuing this week in Mexico as parts of the country are reduced to chaos after the killing of a top cartel boss at the weekend.

The ATP tournament in Acapulco and the WTA event in Merida are going ahead as usual despite violent retaliations form gang members in the wake of the killing by government troops of Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes “El Mencho,” the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

The criminal organisation has a reported 19,000 members spread throughout the country and are wreaking havoc through car burnings and roadblocks which have resulted in flight cancellations at several airports.

With a state of emergency looming, it’s business as usual at the tennis.

“The Abierto Mexicano Telcel reports that the rumors circling in the press and on social media about the tournament’s supposed cancelling due to the security issues in Jalisco are false,” ATP organisers in Acapulco on he western Pacific coast said.

“The tournament has not issued any cancellation notice. The event will go on as scheduled and tournament operations will proceed as normal.

“We remain in coordination and in constant communication with federal, state and municipal authorities, following the established security protocols.”

Alexander Zverev is top seed at the event while second seed Alex de Minaur was knocked out in his opening match on Monday by outsider Patrick Kypson.

The WTA in Merida 1,500 kilometers away in the Yucatan peninsula are also carrying on. Briton Katie Boulter is in the field with the draw headed by Emma Navarro and Jasmine Paolini.

Several Mexican football matches were cancelled on Sunday due to the spreading violence and airline flights were cancelled.

Main photo:- Violence in popular tourist resort of Puerto Vallarta by @morelifediares via Instagram