The first exhibition event in tennis’s new world is to be staged in Germany from May 1, with dreadlocked serve-volleyer Dustin Brown as its main attraction, and British No9 Jan Choinski among the supporting cast.

The relaxation of Germany’s Covid-19 lockdown has allowed tennis to resume in three of Germany’s 16 states from Monday. One of these is Rhineland-Palatinate, where the Tennis Point Exhibition Series has been arranged.

The concept involves 32 matches over four days, all played behind closed doors, with the content broadcast by the Tennis Channel and the scores streamed for betting through Sportradar. Crucially, the organisers have earned the approval of the Tennis Integrity Unit, who agree that the necessary safeguards against match-fixing are in place.

This is a first glimpse of what might become the norm over the rest of the 2020 season. Travel restrictions have limited the event to local players, so there are no members of the top 100, even if Brown – who is best known for beating Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon in 2015 – has previously stood as high as No64.

The other members of the eight-man field include Yannick Hanfmann – a former ATP finalist now ranked No142 – as well as Choinski, a 22-year-old Challenger player who switched allegiance from Germany to Great Britain at the end of 2018 through his mother, who hails from Southampton.