Málaga, Spain

The start of the Billie Jean King Cup finals on Wednesday in Malaga was postponed after a weather warning in the wake of recent devastating floods in Spain. Hosts Spain were due to face world number two Iga Swiatek's Poland in the afternoon but organisers pushed the tie back to Friday morning "due to a severe weather alert issued by local and regional authorities".

Advertisment

"This decision has been made based on guidance from the relevant authorities to ensure the health and safety of all participants and attendees," said the International Tennis Federation in a statement.

Spain is braced for new storms after terrible flooding in the Valencia region at the end of October. The country's meteorological agency AEMET has placed parts of the Andalucia, Valencia and Catalonia regions on orange alert -- the second highest level -- until Thursday.

Also read: Stephen Curry dazzles on Klay Thompson's return as Golden State Warriors beat Dallas Mavericks

Advertisment

The Billie Jean King and Davis Cups, billed as the World Cup of women's and men's tennis respectively, are both being held in Malaga this month, with Spanish superstar Rafa Nadal playing in his last competition before he retires.

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.