|
Post by jimm on Jun 11, 2008 18:20:42 GMT
O'Brien & Cavaday suffer defeats
O'Brien could not make the most of her chances in the third set
Britain's Katie O'Brien and Naomi Cavaday both lost in the second round of the DFS Classic in Birmingham.
British number two O'Brien fought hard but ended up losing 7-5 1-6 7-5 to Russian qualifier Yaroslava Shvedova.
"I might have frozen on big points. I was a bit pensive and wasn't swinging the way I'm capable of," she said.
Cavaday, who like O'Brien has a wildcard for Wimbledon, won the first set but faded badly in a 4-6 6-3 6-1 loss to Indian qualifier Sunitha Rao.
O'Brien and Cavaday's defeats leave Mel South as the only Briton left in the event.
O'Brien lost the first set despite her opponent needing treatment for a back problem, but hit back in style to send the match into a final set. 606: DEBATE Will Mel South keep British interest going?
However, Shvedova was always ahead in the decider and came through to win a match which lasted a gruelling two hours.
"Obviously, I'm bitterly disappointed because I didn't play a bad match," added O'Brien.
"I did a lot of things well. I created quite a few opportunities but wasn't quite able to take them."
Top seed Marion Bartoli of France crashed out to Czech player Petra Cetkovska 5-7 6-4 6-0 and sixth seed Sania Mirza lost to New Zealand's Marina Erakovic 6-3 6-0.
Bartoli's exit leaves world number 19 Nicole Vaidisova as the clear favourite to lift the Birmingham title.
She booked a place in the third round with a 6-1 6-3 win over Nathalie Dechy.
|
|
|
Post by jimm on Jun 12, 2008 10:49:53 GMT
Wimbledon - No title defence for Jamie and Jelena
Eurosport - Thu, 12 Jun 10:40:00 2008
British doubles specialist Jamie Murray will not get the chance to defend his Wimbledon mixed doubles title with Jelena Jankovic after the world number three opted to focus fully on her singles campaign instead. TENNIS 2007 Wimbledon Jamie Murray and Jelena Jankovic (Reuters) - 0 More Stories
* British ladies crash at Birmingham * Ivanovic withdraws from Eastbourne
Murray and Jankovic combined last year to win a surprising mixed doubles crown and claim Briton's first Wimbledon title since 1987.
But the Serbian has been struggling with an arm injury and will forego the doubles event.
"Jelena's having problems with her arm. She will just concentrate on the singles at Wimbledon," the 22-year-old Murray told the Sun.
"It would have been good to defend the title but it is not the end of the world.
"When she told me, I didn't have that feeling of shock as I half-expected it. But I am still looking to play in the mixed, although I have not yet got a partner."
Murray, the older brother of British number one Andy Murray, has regularly partnered with American Liezel Huber at Grand Slam events including the French Open.
|
|
|
Post by jimm on Jun 29, 2008 5:51:55 GMT
Keep off the grass Saturday, 28 June 2008 Written by Sally Easton
It would not be Wimbledon if, every year, people did not complain that the courts are getting slower, and more like clay. But there is no evidence to suggest these claims are accurate.
First, the balls have not changed since 1995, except for a 2 per cent change in pressure in 1996.
In 2001 experts advised the Wimbledon groundsmen to change the court surfaces to 100 per cent perennial ryegrass, which is stronger and more hard-wearing than the previous mix. But this does not affect the bounce - if anything it is the soil that influences the bounce. Also the grass has even been cut to the same 8m height for the past 13 years.
There has also been consistency in terms of the head groundsman, Eddie Seaward, who has been here since 1991. He says: “The courts at Wimbledon are prepared in the same way each year to produce the highest quality playing surfaces. There has been no intention either this year or in previous years to produce slower courts or ones suited to a particular type of game.”
The soil does compact a little over the fortnight, so the courts will become slightly harder over the course of the tournament. Soil compaction makes the ball bounce higher so it appears that the players have more time. And it gives a truer bounce, so the ball does not skid through, which also creates the perception that things are slower. However, they are not. It is just a bit more bounce.
Probably the biggest difference is the players themselves. Each year the players get fitter, faster and stronger, which gives them more room to move and wait for the ball. And racquet technology is improving constantly.
The weather, of course, is different each year - this is England. Last year was a bit damp, but it has been beautifully dry so far this tournament, despite a bit of drizzle on Friday, and the groundsmen have had to water the courts to prevent the grass drying out too much.
Even Roger Federer, the five-time Wimbledon champion, does not think the surface is playing slower, attributing perceived changes to other causes. “Ninety-five per cent of the guys play from the baseline today, whereas before it was maybe 50/50. That is a big change, I think, and that's happened in the last, let's say, 10, 15 years,” he said.
So it is time to give the grass a break. Just because it is natural, does not mean it is inconsistent. Keep off the grass.
|
|
|
Post by jimm on Jul 6, 2008 23:10:00 GMT
Stevenson tries to shoulder burden of tour By Barbara Matson Globe Staff / July 5, 2008
Alexandra Stevenson's opponent yesterday was 18 years old and full of energy, and the 27-year-old Stevenson, frankly, was hurting.
Anna Tatishvili, a native of the Republic of Georgia but a resident of Florida, took advantage of the older player's left thigh "tweak" in the second set to knock out a 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 victory in the quarterfinals of the USTA Pro Circuit Women's 50K Challenger at Sportsmen's Tennis Club in Roxbury. Tatishvili is ranked 212th in the world and rising. Stevenson, once ranked as high as 18th but now lodged at 234th, is trying to regain her elite status.
Did Stevenson look across the net at Tatishvili's quick, fluid movements, and remember how easy it was when she was 18? "You have to play the ball, not the person," Stevenson said. "And I wasn't able to play my game in the last two sets, so then I lost. She's younger than me but that doesn't mean anything. I've been off for 3 1/2 years anyway, so in tennis years, I'm really 23."
It was nine years ago when Stevenson became the first female qualifier in Wimbledon history to reach the semifinals. It was her first tournament as a professional, just weeks after her high school graduation in San Diego, and it was also the week the world found out her father is Julius Erving, one of basketball's biggest stars. Not an introduction easily forgotten.
Stevenson is still charged with the bravado of the 18-year-old phenom, pushed, pulled, and nurtured by her mother, Samantha Stevenson.
Alexandra Stevenson is tall and rangy, with large limbs that pull and twist as she steps into powerful serves and ground strokes. After her initial splash, she reached No. 18 in the rankings in 2002-03, but then she injured her right shoulder. She had surgery in September 2004 to repair a labral tear. While she rehabbed for the next 3 1/2 years, she also continued her studies and recently graduated from the University of Colorado with a degree in sociology.
This year, she said, at last she is healthy and strong and she's back on tour, the very minor league tour, trying to regain her top-20 form. It's not easy. Yesterday, after cruising through the first set, she tweaked her thigh and thereafter couldn't push off to serve.
Stevenson, who jumped 200 points in the rankings in April, the same month she reached the main draw at the Family Circle Cup, calls this her second career and she's working hard at it.
Yesterday, when she relaxed into a chair and unzipped her sweat shirt, pulling her arms out of the sleeves, bags of ice fell to the floor. When she adjusted her position in the chair, there was a rustling noise from another bag of ice, this one jammed into her sweat pants to soothe the left thigh.
She is determined to move forward. "I mean, I was very angry," Stevenson said. "I was by myself, with trainers, for eight hours a day, so you do a lot of thinking. Then in the last year, when I had to go out and get my shoulder stronger, and I had to retire so much, and then to come out to these tournaments, it's not fun. I mean, I'll just say it: These tournaments [stink]. They're horrible. It's like the dregs of tennis."
Stevenson was quick to add that the Sportsmen's Club is an exception, with gracious hosts and trained ballkids having a great time.
"Once you're in the WTA Tour, and you have ballkids all the time that are professionally trained and you have good linesmen that cover every line and you have physical therapy - it's just different," she said.
"They run it different. It's like minor leagues in baseball, except in minor league baseball, at least you have a team to support you. Out here, I have my mom."
|
|
|
Post by jimm on Jul 6, 2008 23:28:10 GMT
Former World. No. 1 and five time Grand Slam winner Martina Hingis returned to grass court tennis at the Tradition-ICAP Liverpool International Tennis Tournament, playing two exhibition matches against Jana Novotna. The matches were a re-run of the 1997 Wimbledon final which Hingis won at the tender age of 15 to become the youngest ever Wimbledon champion. Back on grass for the first time since retiring after a 3rd round exit at Wimbledon last year, the Swiss star proved she still had the edge over Czech Republic’s Jana Novotna, winning both matches. The Calderstones crowd were throughely entertained by the pair’s first meeting on Friday as Hingis won 6-3, 6-4. Her final shot to win the match was a magnificent double-handed back-hand shot which wrong-footed Novotna. Martina was so delighted with the victory she sank to her knees, arms held aloft, just as she did when she won the Championship 11 years go. The two legends faced each other again in a mixed doubles match on ‘Super Saturday’. Again Hingis emerged victorious, partnering Mikael Pernfors to overcome Novotna and Pat Cash 8-5 in a Pro-Set. Sunday’s final match was another Pro-Set, which Martina won 8-6. “It was great to be out there playing again,” said Martina. “I’ve head a great time in Liverpool and I hope I can come back next year and do it all again! Jana and I played two very tight matches and the court here played really well.” Novotna was also impressed with the Liverpool International; “This is a great event. It’s been a wonderful few days, the weather has been great, the crowd was fantastic and I’ve enjoyed being in the city.” Martina played every point with a huge smile on her face and both ladies throughly entertained the crowd over the three days.
|
|
|
Post by jimm on Jul 7, 2008 15:37:15 GMT
Robson must be protected - Wade Girls' champion Laura Robson is all over Sunday's newspapers Britain's last Wimbledon champion Virginia Wade has warned the media not to ruin the career of Laura Robson.
Briton Robson, 14, won the girls' title on Saturday and has been on the front and back pages of Sunday's newspapers.
But 1977 women's champion Wade told BBC Radio 5 Live's Sportsweek: "It drives me crazy to see all the attention, they are so desperate to find a new star.
"The expectation is so premature, but Laura has made a fantastic start and she has got so much potential."
Robson is the first Briton to win the girls' title at Wimbledon since Annabel Croft won it at the age of 18 in 1984, but she retired from tennis just three years later.
Jamie Delgado was a world junior number one before he turned professional in 1998, with the Birmingham-born right-hander proclaimed as the bright new hope of British tennis.
But his career never took off and he never got beyond the second round of Wimbledon, reaching a high of number 121 in the world.
To win a Wimbledon title at 14 is pretty remarkable and we need to protect her
LTA women's chief Carl Maes Wade says much of Robson's progress in the future depends on how she deals with the already intense media coverage that surrounds her.
"The media want to latch on to someone who shows great promise but this whole thing is what upsets the applecart with the British players," she said.
"She's only 14 and has won junior Wimbledon but I can see people thinking that if she gets into the main draw next year she's going to win it!
"The key for her is to get priorities right. Remember to do what you should be doing to improve, to play good matches and then you try to keep a buffer between yourself and the media.
"It can get quite sensitive - you'll get criticism and you can feel they're against you when it might not be so.
"I'd like there to be a filter between her and the media. You have to find a way of it not affecting you emotionally directly."
606: DEBATE If the LTA takes care of her, we could see Laura at the top of the women's game in years to come
kuzfan But Wade admits Robson has made a stunning start to her career and says there is no reason why she cannot be challenging for honours in the future.
"I'm really proud of her for what she did on Saturday and I do think she's got what it takes," said Wade.
"She's got a very instinctive natural game, she moves well, she serves well and above all her concentration and her head seem to be excellent.
"You don't know whether a great player is going to pop up at the same time, but it'd be nice for us if we had someone in contention some of the time.
"Her start is great and all things being equal, I don't see why she isn't going to go all the way."
Carl Maes, head of women's tennis at the LTA, says the coverage of Robson has been "scary".
"This media expectation is going to be pretty daunting and her entourage I think are going to protect her," Maes told Sportweek.
"On Sunday, for example, I don't think she will be doing any of the media and we might not hear from Laura for a couple of months now so she doesn't get sidetracked.
"We do need to manage the expectations and although we are desperate for a new star and this player is exceptional, there are no guarantees that is two years' time she will still be exceptional.
"But to win a Wimbledon title at 14 is pretty remarkable."
|
|
|
Post by jimm on Jul 10, 2008 17:18:01 GMT
Is the LTA ignoring the grass roots?
By Alistair Magowan
Robson's success has proven that the LTA system can work, but is it enough? Laura Robson's success in winning the girls' Wimbledon title gave British tennis a smooth exit route from a tournament which showed real promise.
Andy Murray reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final, top British woman Anne Keothavong qualified outright for the Championships, and 14-year-old Robson left the press pining for more.
A sound platform on which to inspire players at grass roots level, you would think.
But the Lawn Tennis Association has decided not to use these relative achievements to run a big campaign to get youngsters playing this year.
The governing body's reasoning is that rather than launch a scheme along the lines of recent examples such as Play Tennis or Raw Tennis, spending more money on access to courts and coaching offers better value for money.
It is all part of plan called a "Blueprint for British Tennis" launched last year, which was the brainchild of LTA chief executive Roger Draper. 606: DEBATE Can the LTA be trusted to get as many people playing as possible by making tennis affordable?
Alistair M - BBC Sport
The document aims to "get British tennis winning" by getting the best coaches and facilities to the best players while establishing a structure where juniors can flourish.
Yet there are some who question whether a number of decisions taken to boost tennis-playing numbers are actually achieving anything.
Tony Hawks, the comedian and co-founder of the Tennis for Free charity, has long campaigned for free tennis courts in parks and has discussed how to take his proposal forward with the LTA. But he is worried that Draper has spent too much money at the elite end at the expense of making tennis more affordable.
And with figures published last week showing that only 5% of 11-19 year olds play tennis on a weekly basis, down from 12% in 1998, he has questioned what Draper can show as evidence for his two-and-a-half years in charge.
"I think that getting people playing tennis in parks is the most important issue for British tennis," Hawks told BBC Sport.
GREAT BRITAIN v FRANCE 2---------Top 100 players------24 2,600----Affiliated Clubs----9,000 1m------People playing*-----2.5m 10,000----Public courts-----7,000 3,300-------Coaches--------5,000 *regularly or occasionally
"I think it's way more important than hiring a coach [Brad Gilbert] for Andy Murray. You don't need to spend any time with him. He's a motivated young man who's proven that by his very behaviour. He sacked the coach they hired for him.
"Most of the money the LTA gets its hands on comes from Wimbledon (£25m last year), based on the fact that the British public adores watching it on TV and they like going there.
"It's TV which generates all the money. The British public don't see any of it really - it goes to a really small bunch of people."
Hawks' frustration comes at a time when the number of public courts in Britain has been on a similar slide to the numbers playing.
Three years ago there were 33,000 but that figure has now dropped to an estimated 10,000 thanks to councils deciding either a car park or a basketball court, for example, gets more use.
Of these, about 2,700 are free but Hawks claims the LTA has dragged its feet in putting pressure on more councils to do the same.
"I had assurances from Draper that during the second week of Wimbledon we were going to run a big campaign about free tennis in parks," he said.
"I had assurances from him way back earlier in the year when we met with the sports minister and these assurances have not been followed through."
The LTA has done away with recruitment campaigns like Raw Tennis
Draper was unavailable to discuss the matter.
Hawks also claims the issue is not helped by the LTA's decision to devolve responsibility for what it calls "community tennis" to the Tennis Foundation, which now oversees all tennis charities including his venture.
Sue Mappin, the executive director of the Tennis Foundation, told BBC Sport: "I can understand Tony's frustration but the area of parks tennis is one part of a four-prong strand.
"Tony is passionate about tennis and we want to use him, but in order for us to get into more councils and get them to offer more free courts we have to have a planned strategy that is ongoing."
Mappin claims that over three million people play tennis in parks during Wimbledon "but two million of them do not play again for the rest of the year.
"I think we can make all 10,000 courts free but it will take everybody very much working together," she added. "We hope that next year we will have 30% more free courts, 60% the following year and 100% free in three years' time.
"People talk about the LTA producing players but they don't produce players - they are the governing body. The US Tennis Association have never produced players, the French Tennis Federation as well, but they both have the structure for that to happen."
That statement may contradict Draper's recruitment of some of the best tennis coaches in the world, but Mappin's plan to set up an infrastructure similar to that of France is a huge ask.
She aims to coordinate tennis in parks, schools, universities and colleges for youngsters, adults and those with disabilities.
TENNIS FOUNDATION TARGETS (BY 2011) 1.5m pupils playing tennis All 10,000 public courts free Rules on 1350 public courts 225 Beacon Sites in Local Authorities 20 Hot Spots
As well as free access Mappin wants courts to carry signs giving players tips to help improve their knowledge of the game, and she also wants every primary school child to have tried tennis.
There are also plans to have "beacon sites" in every one of the 442 local authorities with 225 targeted in the next three years. Add to that 20 "hot spots" across the country acting as a central delivery point for tennis coaching and it is a mammoth task.
Yet among all these targets, the story of 10-year-old Alex Juniper highlights the more immediate issues that Mappin and Draper have to tackle.
Alex started playing when he saw a Tennis for Free site about three years ago when his mum, Sally, took him to a session in Kent. He has since gone on to play for his county but Sally says that the cost makes it tough for her to support him.
"There's no doubt about it, tennis can be quite expensive so the fact that it was free was definitely an incentive to start," she said.
"It's more expensive to play than other sports certainly, if you want an indoor court you're talking about £15-20 pounds an hour for a coaching session.
"We worked it out that it has cost us about £4,000 in the last year. We're not fortunate enough to be in a position to find the money easily but we do it because we want to give him the opportunity but I know there are a lot of parents out there who can't afford it. That's where I think the game lets itself down." Alex Juniper, 10, took up tennis through access to a free court
The Tennis Foundation will look to finally address an issue which rears its head after Wimbledon each year.
But Hawks, who is aiming to add one million signatures to his stop taxing tennis online petition, thinks there is no time to waste in widening the pool of players that the LTA can send on its route to potential stardom.
"In Bishops Park in Fulham, west London, there are about 14 or 15 courts but they cost £7.80 an hour," he said. "They are packed during Wimbledon fortnight and everybody is someone who works in the city because they phone up and book.
"There are council flats all around those courts and none of the kids around there can get on them at the very time when you could be building their enthusiasm for the sport.
"In this country we allow councils to see tennis courts as a way of generating revenue. I've already paid my council tax so you cannot call that anything other than a tax on tennis. The government wants us to exercise more so they don't want that, nobody wants that.
"The only reason this has not been overturned a year and a half ago is because Roger Draper has concentrated all his time and skills at the top end, and not in coordinating the bottom rung of British tennis where he is most needed right now.
"There's nowhere near enough resources going into this. I can't believe that an argument that was won two-and-half years ago is still going on. Clearly there must be some benefit from getting more people from all sorts of backgrounds playing and enjoying the game."
But Mappin added: "Roger Draper is very committed, very passionate and very ambitious for the sport and I think he has got people thinking in a much more positive way. I think now that the timing is right."
|
|
|
Post by SuperMarion on Jul 14, 2008 21:53:25 GMT
lol you got there before me Jim. I just seen this >>>>> GREAT BRITAIN v FRANCE 2---------Top 100 players------24 2,600----Affiliated Clubs----9,000 1m------People playing*-----2.5m 10,000----Public courts----17,000 3,300-------Coaches--------5,000 *regularly or occasionally what an eye opener! It's like tennis is a way of life in France, as with lots of sports including cycling. No one does any sport here full stop.
|
|
|
Post by jimm on Jul 14, 2008 22:35:06 GMT
"No one does any sport here full stop. " Just soccer Alice. Thats all. If I was too start a 60;s and over football team Id get all the support needed. But tennis!!! No way
|
|
|
Post by SuperMarion on Jul 14, 2008 23:05:32 GMT
Yes that's the only sport they play here, a few gadgies-boys wearing hi-vis bibs, shouting and kickin a ball about under floodlights on a cold dank winters night at Victoria Park home of Brora Rangers no less......
Oh and dont foeget the old biddys from the sheltered housing project on the bowling green on the odd midsummers evening...........
Thats it.
|
|
|
Post by jimm on Jul 26, 2008 7:42:27 GMT
Stanford might give up hosting WTA tournament After a stay of more than a decade on the university campus at Stanford, there may be only one more year of the established Sony Ericsson WTA Tour event at the tennis-rich seat of Northern Californian learning.
The Bank of the West Classic's contract with the university runs out after the 2009 event, and organizers are looking into the possibility of making a venue change.
With attendances of a downward curve over the past few years, Stanford Athletic Director Bob Bowlsby admitted discussions had taken place regarding the future of the tournament on campus. WTA Tour chief executive Larry Scott attended the event for the first time at the end of last week and agreed that after Bank of the West had signed to remain the title sponsor for the next five years, it was important to maintain an event in the Bay Area.
Scott admitted: "This is an important media market and an important corporate market, and there's an inherent interest in tennis here. We've had some challenges with the facility because of its size (a capacity of 4,200). We are raising the standards for our Tier I and Tier II tournaments, and we have to look at that because this is one of our smaller venues."
Tournament director Adam Barrett has clearly been mandated to look into other alternatives. "There is no directive to move the tournament," he said. "We are just making sure we explore all the options. "This isn't the old days when we had Jennifer, Monica and Lindsey, as well as Serena and Venus. We will talk to Stanford about whether this is working for them. And on our end, can we meet our goals to grow this tournament here?"
|
|
|
Post by jimm on Jul 26, 2008 7:44:44 GMT
Ruthless Jankovic maintains course for top ranking Fri Jul 25, 2008 7:36am BST
By Matthew Cronin
LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) - Top seed Jelena Jankovic remained on course to become the world's top ranked player when she eased to a 6-3 6-2 triumph over Melinda Czink in the third round of the Los Angeles Classic on Thursday.
Victory at this event will allow the 23-year-old Serb to leapfrog her compatriot Ana Ivanovic in the world rankings and her task was made easier when third seeded Anna Chakvetadze was beaten by Sybille Bammer in three tough sets.
Russia's Vera Zvonareva also lost, the fifth seed falling 6-4 7-5 to countrywoman Nadia Petrova, who lined up a quarter-final showdown against Jankovic with the victory.
Playing her first tournament since injuring her knee at Wimbledon last month, Jankovic dominated her left-handed Hungarian opponent, controlling the rallies and sending down seven aces in a powerful display of serving.
"If I could hit this serve every day like that, my life would be so much easier," Jankovic told reporters.
"You don't have to break a sweat and you're winning games. There's no pain in my knee and I'm really happy about that."
Russia's Chakvetadze, however, suffered the pain of defeat and was clearly frustrated by her performance against the Austrian 14th seed following her 6-4 5-7 6-2 loss.
"She (Bammer) didn't do anything special," Chakvetadze said.
"She was just putting ball in the court and I was either making mistakes or hitting winners.
"It was like I was playing myself. I'm disappointed. I had an open draw in this tournament and I didn't take my opportunity."
The diminutive Russian spent much of the deciding set yelling at herself and cracking her racket on the ground.
Bammer advances to face 10th seed Flavia Pennetta in the quarter-finals after the Italian overcame Ai Sugiyama of Japan 7-6 6-3.
Another leading player given a hard time was Dinara Safina, the Russian fourth seed was forced to call upon all of her reserves to edge out Alla Kudryavtseva 7-6 0-6 7-6.
The French Open finalist staved off a match point in the 10th game of the third set with a booming service winner, before closing out the tiebreaker 7-3 with a similar blast after her opponent had committed two forehand errors.
"I just went for it," Safina said. "I stayed tough and pushed her."
Safina moves on to face eighth seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, who beat Samantha Stosur of Australia 6-4 7-6.
In other matches, China's Yuan Meng defeated lucky loser Melanie South of Britain 6-2 6-3 and will play American Bethanie Mattek, a 7-5 6-2 winner over Olga Govortsova of Belarus.
|
|
|
Post by jimm on Aug 7, 2008 18:16:38 GMT
Pacific Life No Longer Sponsor of Indian Wells Tennis Tournament
Posted: Aug 6, 2008 10:55 PM
Updated: Aug 7, 2008 07:25 AM
By Scott Hennessee
The Indian Wells ATP Masters Series and WTA Tour Premier Tennis Tournament is without a title sponsor. The event has been known as the Pacific Life Open since 2002, but the insurance company will no longer sponsor the event.
Tournament Director Steve Simon tells KPSP that it was the tournament's decision to part ways with Pacific Life following a successful seven year partnership. A spokesman from the insurance company tells KPSP that they had a great relationship with the tournament and they are parting on very good terms.
Simon hopes to have a new title sponsor lined up by the end of August who will help to make the tournament an even bigger event. The tournament broke attendance records in 2007 and 2008, with over 330 thousand going through the gates this year. Simon sees a day when up to 600 thousand fans come to Indian Wells to watch the world's best tennis players.
Simon declined to say how much a title sponsor might pay, but did say "There are a lot of zeroes involved."
The Indian Wells tournament was last without a title sponsor in 2001 when it was known as the Masters Series Indian Wells Presented by Newsweek. From 1988-1999, the tournament was known as the Newsweek Champions Cup.
This year's tournament is scheduled to be played March 9-22 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. The tournament is the fifth largest tennis event in the world, behind only the four grand slam events.
|
|
|
Post by jimm on Aug 8, 2008 10:12:35 GMT
Great Britain reach final in Prostejov Great Britain has battled through to the girls' final of the World Junior Tennis Finals in the Czech Republic, defeating Russia 2-1. Jessica Ren was the first player to take to the court, facing Yulia Putinseva. The Russian proved a formidable opponent, winning the match to hand the Russian team, seeded second in the competition, the early advantage. Current Junior Wimbledon champion Laura Robson took to the court and having won the first set and had chances to win the match in the second, held her nerve to win in three sets to level the match. Robson returned to the courts, teaming up with Joanna Henderson for the crucial doubles rubber. Again, the rubber went to three sets with the British team proving too strong for the Russians. The team will face the United States who are seeded fifth, in the final. In the boys' event, Great Britain was defeated by Australia in the 5th-8th place play-off.
|
|
|
Post by SuperMarion on Aug 8, 2008 10:23:48 GMT
Go Girls
|
|