Tennis/tour news

[davis]

tennisworld.typepad.com/travelblogue/2007/06/following-the-g.html

Following the Green: 2009 WTA calendar
Posted 06/29/2007 @ 10 :08 PM

In the meeting room of a small country hotel on Wimbledon Common, a beaming Larry Scott broke the news.
“We’ve awarded the next six years of the [WTA season-ending] Championships – to Doha, Qatar 2008-2010, and Istanbul, Turkey 2011-2013,” he said.

Money from the Doha organizers would allow the purse to become the same as the $4.45 million the men get in Shanghai, he continued, and overall increases will see the tour’s prize money go up by $10 million after next year.

“So there’s some nice positive indicators out there about the future of women’s tennis.”

The off-season will be expanded to seven weeks – which got a beam from Amelie Mauresmo, who was sitting a few seats down.

That concludes the happy part of our broadcast. While all is clearly well on the money front, the extra cash doesn’t come without its own costs.

The ATP’s no-ad, match-tiebreak doubles scoring will be adopted for WTA doubles after Wimbledon – this was a forgone conclusion, and was been used in trial format for a while. As for on-court coaching, it’ll continue in ‘experiment’ mode for a while and a final decision will be made in Madrid.

“We’re taking leadership from our broadcast partners,” said WTA President Stacey Allaster, which caused a couple of sideways glances. Who fell asleep on the couch and left them in charge? Given the antipathy ESPN generates among those who watch the sport, that’s the road to madness. Or ‘Age of Love.’

Afterwards, Allaster said ESPN had been central in “instituting” the experiment and remained in favour of it, while main European broadcaster Eurosport was also on board. That means the only reason it hasn’t been officially signed off on is because the players are firmly against it.

Mauresmo, Henin, Serena Williams, Sharapova and a group of lower-profile players have all given the idea a thumbs down, though some have taken advantage of the rule during the matches.

It’s a good bet TV networks haven’t asked viewers, so major rule chances are being introduced based simply on what TV executives think will produce snazzy clips. Before abdicating that kind of responsibility, how about a fans’ poll on the following:

Which would you prefer?
A. On-court coaching
B. A better camera angle than the current nosebleed view we get from most tournaments

Let’s see how the priorities line up.

But the most forceful line of questioning at both Miami and here has been the geographic shift the calendar changes entail. In Miami, the big theme was the push into China – the announcement of a big event in Beijing in conjuction with a men’s event in Shanghai. On Friday, it was a push into the Middle East, with the aforementioned awarding of the season-ending championships to Doha.

Both times, the response has been that the tournaments can be used to push forward on human rights and women’s rights issues. As an idea, but it’s not illegitimate in itself. The back-and-forth of tennis players through the Iron Curtain did no harm for the West during the Cold War. The arrival of a diverse group of female athletes, playing sports and earning their own livings, won’t do any harm in the Middle East.

But so far there’s little to suggest that this is any more than lip service to justify moving tournaments to areas where the title sponsor wants a presence and where the organizers have pockets so deep that the event itself doesn’t have to be economically viable.

When asked about grassroots programs in China during Miami, Scott have a vague answer and deferred to the Sony Ericsson head of marketing sitting at the table. “Yes, there’s a huge investment going on. Dee [Dutta] may know more than I do actually,” he said. So even if there is a push, the WTA isn’t heavily involved.

In Miami, Dutta said, “China is an important market for our business and for businesses around the world, and it's great news that Sony Ericsson WTA Tour will be making a positive move towards improving its footprint in China.”

On Friday at the announcement, a Sony Ericsson executive made this observation about the Gulf region: “We’re the number three brand in that area.”

Allaster, talking about the doubles and coaching changes, remarked that Sony Ericsson was an “innovative title sponsor who’s pushing us always to the outskirts of our comfort zone.”

Who pays the piper calls the tune. But who knew they were allowed to compose the music as well?

On the womens’ rights front – Doha is a long away from being, say, Iran, but the WTA isn’t in a position to determine whether it can have an impact on social issues the region. The government of Qatar is funding the season-ending championships, and the tour won’t risk doing anything to make them pull the plug.

Calendar Changes

It was almost like doing a puzzle - going through and guessing what the calendar for 2009 would look like after the WTA’s ‘Roadmap’ presentation in Miami. Today was the equivalent of turning to the back page and seeing the answers (click link above for the schedule).

The original guesses weren’t too bad. The big question was where Stuttgart would go – on clay during the spring or indoors during the fall. It’s in the spring four weeks before the French Open (brr!).

In some ways, the new calendar isn’t radically different from what exists now – about six or seven small events will be gone, plus a couple of big ones (San Diego, Zurich). The key difference is in the distribution. The biggest tournaments will get an even better quality of field, while the smaller ones are likely to get worse.

If the original plans still hold, this is the breakdown:

The Grand Slams remain the way they are but become mandatory for the players to enter. Four other combined men's and women's events – Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid and Beijing – will be asked to put up $4-3 million and will be mandatory for the players to enter. Another five or so – probably Dubai, Rome, Canada, Cincinnati, Moscow – will put up $2 million in prize money and can expect 7 of the top 10.

The rest in the left-hand column will have 2 of the Top 6 at best, unless they’re held the week before a Slam. The events in the right-hand column will have 1 of the Top 20.

It’s nowhere near as drastic as the changes the WTA originally wanted to make, but some U.S. tournaments like Charleston and Amelia Island do lose out, and WTA discussions with the USTA on exactly what the summer schedule means for the US Open series will continue next week. No final decision has apparently been taken on player suspensions, which might, e.g., see the Williams sisters banned from playing Miami if they continue to refuse to play Indian Wells.

Now let's wait for the final ATP call...

[Annie]

London Awarded 2009 ATP World Tour Final

Wimbledon, London – The ATP, governing body of the men’s professional tennis circuit, announced today that the Tennis Masters Cup will move from Shanghai to London in 2009 and be renamed as the ATP World Tour Final. The world’s best singles and doubles teams will compete in London’s O2 Arena for over $4.5 million of prize money.

“The world’s best tennis players coming together in the unique and iconic setting of London’s O2 Arena to decide who will be crowned ATP World Tour Final champion, is simply an irresistible and potent mix," said Etienne de Villiers, Executive Chairman of the ATP.

“London is the world’s most cosmopolitan city with a vibrancy and energy that makes it ideally suited to hosting this event. The ATP visits over 30 countries, so having our end of season finale in such a diverse city could not be more appropriate. With our joint promoters AEG’s expertise and the All England Club’s experience of running the Wimbledon Championships, I believe we have the perfect team in place to deliver a stunning event. ”

The event, which will be held at The O2 Arena, a designated London 2012 venue owned by AEG will see a hard court sit in the centre of the 20,000 seat state of the art arena. The venue will also create a kids zone, hosted by the LTA.

Philip Beard, Chief Executive of The O2, welcomed their role as joint promoter: “The O2 Arena is a world class venue designed to host world class music and sports events and we’re thrilled it’s the new home for the ATP’s end of season finale. Having the world’s best players battling it out in our state of the art arena is an exciting prospect and one that I know will capture the imagination of tennis fans throughout the UK and beyond.”

Roger Federer world number one, said: “I love coming to London for The Championships each summer, so I am delighted that the end of season championships will be moving to one of my favourite cities in the world. I’m sure it will be a spectacular event in what looks like a fantastic venue.”

Ian Ritchie, Chief Executive of the All England Club, said: “The reputation of The Championships as the world’s premier tennis event combined with the success of the British grass court season has consistently created a demand for more top quality international tennis in the UK. To be able to satisfy some of that demand by bringing to London another world class event such as the ATP World Tour Final is as rewarding for us as I hope it will be exciting and entertaining for all tennis fans across the country.”

Stuart Smith, President of the LTA agreed, he said: “This is great news for British tennis. Having more world class tennis being played in this country can only inspire more people, especially youngsters to take up the sport. Getting more juniors competing regularly will help us develop the game and lead to more, quality players coming through to the top level and hopefully going on to become champions of the future. The LTA is delighted to play a part in this great event.”

Now in its 8th year, the event currently brings together the eight best singles and doubles teams, based on their ATP ranking. In recognition of the importance of the Grand Slam tournaments, any current Grand Slam champion, not ranked in the top eight, is also invited to participate.

The World Tour Final will replace the Tennis Masters Cup, currently held in Shanghai’s Qi Zhong Tennis Centre, as the men’s tour’s season finale. Television coverage of the 2005 Cup was distributed to 146 countries and was watched by a cumulative world wide audience of 150 million tennis fans. The event, as in previous years, is expected to attract thousands of tennis fans from across the world.

--------------------

www.masters-cup.com/1/news/st...ondon_2009.asp

[Dina]

Oh damn! why oh why London?! is it gonna be on grass?! at least it will be covered by a roof!!!!!!!!!
FRUSTRATIONNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jenhatter06]

this sounds fun ... from the atp site ....

Interactive Tennis Community Arrives with 30Love.net

London, England – With the support of the ATP and leading men's professional tennis players, 30Love.net (www.30love.net) launches as the world's first online interactive multimedia community for tennis, this week during The Championships at Wimbledon.

30Love.net, accessible directly or via a link on ATPtennis.com, allows tennis players and fans alike to share their passion for the game. Through technology provided by 10Duke, members of the community can utilize online and mobile multimedia to show off footage of their best shots, gain the latest behind the scenes view from the professional tennis tour, view exclusive video commentary from players, and share photos, videos and personal profiles.

World No. 12 and ATP Player Council President Ivan Ljubicic voiced his support of the vertical community: "There is so much interesting and funny stuff that goes on behind the scenes on the circuit and having a website where we can share that with the fans is a cool idea."

American Mardy Fish agreed: "Most people have a MySpace page, so I think a tennis version where we as players can upload unseen video and photos from tournaments is great."

Today, visitors to 30Love.net can browse videos including those featuring Rafael Nadal falling over a tennis net during practice, a wide-eyed Andy Roddick in the passenger seat of a Mercedes-Benz slipping around a wet track at 200 mph, Carlos Moya surfing at Bondi Beach, and joker Dmitry Tursunov on the cat walk with sponsor friendly spring colors.

Tennis fans can join 30Love.net year-round, free of charge. Experience the world's first online interactive multimedia tennis community today!

[Dina]

just a little "thank you" to our national Moroccan DC team for their amazing tennis this week-end against Slovenia!
btw: so proud of my dear friend Reda el Amrani my boy and our promising youngster for his incredible effort on the doubles saturday!!!!!!!!!Ya rock Reda!!!! a lot of kisses from me and all the crazy guys!(i know you visit the TGFR from time to time!)

[davis]

www.tennis.com/news/ticker.aspx

Monte Carlo and the ATP have settled their legal dispute, the two parties announced on Wednesday.

"The Monte Carlo tournament will continue in its traditional date in mid-April as part of ATP's top series of events, with the same ranking and prize money levels as those events," said a joint press release.

However, the event will no longer be a mandatory stop on the calendar. Currently, all players eligible for direct entry into the tournament are automatically entered in the draw – if they withdraw, they get zero points for the event in their rankings total.

The ATP has talked about strengthing the penalties for not playing events that are (still) mandatory, including the possiblity of suspensions.

"From 2009, Monte Carlo will receive a different player commitment and a specific entry system will be adopted which will allow players wishing to enter the Monte Carlo tournament to satisfy some of their playing obligations under the ATP's new calendar," said the release.

The Monte Carlo and Hamburg Masters Series events sued the ATP in March, saying they believed the ATP's planned restructuring of the tennis calendar would lead to the downgrading of their tournaments.

So what about Hamburg?

[davis]

So tennis goes dirty? Hopefully just a sad coincidence...

Irregular betting on ATP match in Sopot investigated

LONDON (AP) -As the NBA grapples with a betting scandal, tennis must now confront a potential gambling scam of its own.

Officials on Friday were investigating suspicious betting patterns on a match involving top-seeded Nikolay Davydenko of Russia, who retired with an injury against a low-ranked opponent at an ATP tournament in Poland.

In an unprecedented move, British online gambling company Betfair voided all bets Friday placed on Thursday's second-round match at the Prokom Open in Sopot between the defending champion and No. 4-ranked Davydenko and No. 87-ranked Martin Vassallo Arguello of Argentina.

Betfair said it received about $7 million in bets on the match - 10 times the usual amount - and most of the money was on Arguello to win, even after Davydenko won the first set 6-2.

The tennis probe comes in the wake of the scandal involving former NBA referee Tim Donaghy. He is the target of an FBI investigation for allegedly betting on games, including some he officiated, during the last two seasons. He resigned July 9.

Arguello won the second set 6-3 and was leading 2-1 in the third when the Russian retired. Davydenko said he aggravated a left foot injury in the second set. He received medical attention from a tournament trainer before deciding to quit.

``I don't think that he (Davydenko) has something to do with this,'' Arguello said Friday. ``I was playing against him, but he was playing also with an injury, and that's all that I know about the match, and that's also what I felt in the match. I felt nothing else.''

Betfair, which has had an agreement with the ATP since 2003 to share information on any irregular betting activity, said it was concerned with the volume of wagers coming in on Arguello from the start.

``We think the market quite clearly wasn't fair,'' Betfair managing director Mark Davies said. ``The prices seemed very odd. As a result, in the interest of fairness and integrity and in consultation with the ATP, we have decided to void the market and return all stakes to (bettors).''

It's the first time the company has taken such a step in any sport. Davies said Betfair would turn over its betting records for the ATP to investigate.

``The ATP takes issues surrounding gambling extremely seriously,'' the men's tour said in a statement. ``We are committed to ensuring our sport remains corruption free and have strict rules in place governing this area.

``In addition we have memorandums of understanding with U.K. and European betting companies that ensures information pertaining to any ATP Tour match that may look suspicious, based upon gambling patterns, is shared with us immediately.''

ATP officials said Friday that Davydenko had left Poland.

``Normally I try to fight to the end but it was very painful and I may have done even more damage by trying to finish the match,'' Davydenko said Thursday after the match. ``Since the beginning of Monday I've had a problem with my left toes. Today that became a problem with my foot.''

Since losing in the fourth round at Wimbledon to Marcos Baghdatis, Davydenko lost three straight first-round matches - to Gael Monfils at the Swiss Open, Florent Serra at the Dutch Open and Gilles Simon at the Croatia Open - before beating Andrei Pavel, 6-3, 6-4 in the opening round in Poland.

Arguello lost 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 on Friday in the quarterfinals to another Argentine player, Jose Acasuso.

``I saw Davydenko playing very well the first set, and I saw also that he had problems with his feet, and that was true, he was not inventing that, so it's difficult to suspect him,'' Arguello told The Associated Press by telephone from his hotel room in Sopot.

At Wimbledon in 2006, Betfair reported irregular patterns surrounding a first-round match between British wild card Richard Bloomfield and Carlos Berlocq of Argentina.

Berlocq, who was ranked 170 places higher than Bloomfield, lost 6-1, 6-2, 6-2. Most of the bets placed were on Berlocq to lose. However, no wrongdoing was detected.

Allegations of match-fixing in tennis have cropped up in the past.

In 2003, bookmakers reportedly suspended betting six hours before Russian player Yevgeny Kafelnikov's match in Lyon, France, against Fernando Vicente after a big wager was place on the Spaniard. Vicente, who had been winless for several months, won in straight sets. There was no suggestion either player was involved in wrongdoing, and no investigation was made by the ATP.

Several Russian tennis players were photographed a few years ago with Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov, a suspected mobster from the former Soviet republic of Uzbekistan who was accused of fixing the pairs and ice dancing events at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.

Photographs of Tokhtakhounov with Kafelnikov, Marat Safin and Andrei Medvedev were taken off Medvedev's Web site in 2002 after the man's arrest. Tokhtakhounov spent nearly a year in a Venice, Italy, prison but escaped extradition to the United States in 2003 on the Olympic rigging charges.

[jenhatter06]

changes are a'coming .....
from the atp's site
www.atptennis.com/1/en/news/news1.asp

ATP Unveils New Top Tier Of Events For 2009

New York, U.S.A. - The ATP, governing body of the men’s professional tennis circuit, announced today eight additional venues that have been awarded “1000” status for the new-look 2009 ATP Tour. The eight are Indian Wells, Miami, Rome, Madrid, Cincinnati, Canada, Shanghai and Paris. The “1000” tournaments will replace the existing Masters Series, and these eight tournaments will join the ninth “1000” event, Monte Carlo, to make up the top tier of the new ATP Tour structure.

The eight tournaments named will attract a mandatory player field, ensuring guaranteed top player participation at all events. The commitment will be backed by new rules and sanctions that include suspension for missed mandatory tournaments.

Launching in 2009, the ATP Tour will undergo its largest set of changes since its creation in 1990. As well as new tournaments and a record breaking level of prize money, the ATP will also introduce a new brand look and identity based on extensive consumer research and designed to make the Tour more fan friendly by linking tournaments to their winners ranking point levels of either “1000”, “500” or “250”.

The new look 2009 calendar will also ensure increased investment into men’s tennis. Between them the “1000” tournaments alone will bring over $500m of facility investment into new stadia builds or existing facility upgrade. The new builds include the spectacular Caja Magica in Madrid, the proposed new indoor arena in Paris and the recently completed Qi Zhong stadium in Shanghai.

“The 2009 ATP Tour is about the world’s best tennis players performing in the world’s very best stadiums at the right times of the season and we have now created a top tier that will showcase our sport, deliver substantially increased investment into our facilities and will attract more broadcast and sponsor support,” said Etienne de Villiers, Executive Chairman of the ATP. “Additionally, by creating more combined events we are taking the sport to a new level. I believe we now have a standard of top tier event that the sport, its players, its sponsors and above all its fans truly deserve.”

The ATP also announced that by 2011 six of the nine “1000” level tournaments will be combined events. Cincinnati and Rome will become combined ATP and WTA tournaments and in addition Canada will have the ATP and WTA tournaments running simultaneously in Toronto and Montreal.

The ATP Tour has continued to work closely on its plans with all branches of the sport. Larry Scott, Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Chairman said: "I applaud Etienne and the ATP Board for taking bold steps that are great for tennis. There is a shared vision for the future of our sport, including a focus on combined events at the top of both Tours."

In addition to the “1000s”, the ATP Board this week also announced that 22 applications have been received from tournaments wishing to become one of ten proposed events that will make up the second tier of the 2009 calendar – the “500s”. The successful applicants will be announced after further review.

Offering 500 points for each champion, the “500” level tournaments will attract increased prize money levels of $1m, will spark increased facility investment around the world and will attract more broadcasting partner opportunities globally.

The new look calendar, with revised scheduling and mini swings running into each Grand Slam and the ATP Tour Finals, will ensure the season is more understandable for fans and media, more appealing for sponsors and healthier for players. The 2009 calendar will be backed by a record multi million dollar global marketing and promotional spend. The final calendar will be announced in Shanghai at the Tennis Masters Cup.

The Tour will conclude in November 2009 at the new look ATP Tour Finals, to be held at the iconic O2 Arena in London.

[jenhatter06]

more info on withdrawal penalties ....

ATP announces withdrawal penalties
Posted: Friday August 31, 2007 4:50PM
sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/tennis/08/31/bc.ten.atpchanges.ap/index.html

NEW YORK (AP) -- Already dealing with a gambling investigation, the men's tennis tour is confronting another issue facing the sport by instituting fines and suspensions for players who fail to show up at top tournaments without a good excuse.

"We're going to be fair here. Players have expressed concerns about this. This is not the best news they've ever had," ATP chairman Etienne de Villiers said Friday at the U.S. Open. "No turkeys vote for Thanksgiving."

De Villiers also addressed the specter of gambling, which arose in early August when an online betting company suspended more than $7 million in wagers on a match involving No. 4-ranked Nikolay Davydenko.

Asked why Davydenko hasn't been questioned yet by the two former Scotland Yard investigators leading the probe, de Villiers said: "These are very experienced investigators who feel they need to have as much information as they need before they go and interview somebody."

Tour rules in place since 2003 bar players or members of their entourages from betting on tennis or providing inside information to others, with penalties of $100,000 fines and lifetime bans.

Now the tour's board will consider a new rule that would punish anyone who fails to report any information about someone else's possible gambling activity.

"Trust me, if we find anyone -- be it a player, entourage, anyone -- they will have the maximum ban imposed. There's going to be zero tolerance here," de Villiers said.

He said the tour investigates "every single rumor," but he was "not prepared to discuss" how many inquiries are in progress.

Since the Davydenko match, some players have come forward to say they have been offered money to influence the outcome of a match. Others have said they have heard of such offers to others.

When Davydenko played No. 87-ranked Martin Vassallo Arguello, most of the money backed Arguello -- even after Davydenko won the first set. In the third set, Davydenko stopped playing, citing a foot injury.

Players who drop out of tournaments altogether has become a concern for fans and promoters. So starting in 2009, if an independent medical panel decides someone was not too injured to compete at one of eight mandatory tournaments, a top-20 player would lose part of his share from the tour's $7.5 million bonus pool.

In addition, such an "unexcused absence" would draw a suspension from the mandatory tournament where that player had the most success the previous year.

De Villiers also announced that, as of 2009, the ATP is dropping its Masters Series title and logo, instead calling the elite events "1,000" tournaments because that's the number of ranking points the champion gets. Those eight events will be in Indian Wells, Calif.; Miami; Rome; Madrid, Spain; Cincinnati; Toronto/Montreal; Shanghai, China; and Paris.

The Monte Carlo tournament also will be considered a "1,000" tournament, but unlike the other eight will not be mandatory.

"Simply put, from 2009, our fans both on-site and at home will be guaranteed to see the best players in all our best tournaments in the best places, in the best markets," de Villiers said.

By 2011, six of the top events -- in Indian Wells, Miami, Rome, Cincinnati and Toronto/Montreal -- will be joint ATP-WTA events.



addition -- press conference with Etienne de Villiers at the US Open, with the announcment of the changes:
www.asapsports.com/show_conference.php?id=45246

[jenhatter06]

World's Top Eight Tennis Players to be Cast as Chinese Terracotta Warriors

Shanghai, China - The ATP, governing body of the men's professional tennis circuit, has commissioned a sculptor to create Terracotta Warriors of the best eight tennis players in the world to mark the Tennis Masters Cup, the prestigious circuit ending championship held in Shanghai, China.

The life-size warrior statues will be created by French sculptor Laury Dizengremel in China and will be unveiled all together as a group at the event in Shanghai, which begins on November 11. Players in contention to qualify for the tournament met with the artist at the ATP Masters Series event in Montreal, Canada, where they were measured and photographed ahead of their casting.

The Terracotta Warriors are symbolic of China's history and internationally recognised around the world. The Terracotta Army were originally created to be buried with the Emperor of Qin in 210-209 BC and it is believed to have taken some 700,000 workers and craftsmen 38 years to complete. The Army was only rediscovered in 1974 and 8,099 figures have since been unearthed around the Emperor's tomb. The site in China has become a major tourist attraction with nearly two million people visiting annually.

World No.1 Roger Federer and No.2 Rafael Nadal qualified for the tournament following Wimbledon this year, while rising star Novak Djokovic sealed his place during his recent run to the US Open final. The remaining five places will be determined as the ATP Race comes to a climax following the US Open, with the likes of Andy Roddick, James Blake and Nikolay Davydenko all in the running.

Recent US Open champion, Roger Federer said, "It's always one of the goals you set at beginning of the year, trying to be there with the other top seven or eight players, to battle it out. I've had some great Tennis Masters Cups in my career, it's always been one of the highlights of the year, and Shanghai is a terrific venue. I think that being sculpted as a Terracotta Warrior is an honour, I think the idea is fun, bringing together culture and sport, and I'm looking forward to seeing the final result."

Meanwhile, reigning Roland Garros champion Nadal said, "Anything that promotes tennis in a very important market like China is good. The Tennis Masters Cup is the last tournament of the season, and is special because you play against the best, so I'm very happy to have qualified for Shanghai."

Coincidentally, from mid-September the original Terracotta Warriors will be on show to the public at the British Museum in London, England, in an exhibition comprising the largest collection of the Terracotta Army ever shown outside China.

photos: www.masters-cup.com/1/photogallery/
Fed, Rafa, Novak's faces done, followed by the several players in contention getting their faces measured ;D

[davis]

Just read about the terracotta business - funny ;D ;D ;D

I feel sorry for the guys whose busts won't be displayed because they fail to qualify, though. It can't be fun to sit still for hours, being measured and smeared with gue and whatnot - for nothing...

Roger and Rafa look pretty good; I wouldn't have recognized Nole

[lena]

davis said:

Just read about the terracotta business - funny ;D ;D ;D

I feel sorry for the guys whose busts won't be displayed because they fail to qualify, though. It can't be fun to sit still for hours, being measured and smeared with gue and whatnot - for nothing...

Roger and Rafa look pretty good; I wouldn't have recognized Nole

Nole is looking strange, but it must really funny and weird to look in your own face, and it is not at a photo but 3D....

[davis]

Good analysis about the Shanghai contenders and who can possibly make it to the Masters:

www.tennis.com/features/general/features.aspx?id=105988

[davis]

Now THAT'S important news... ;D Color matters after all (they are all girls...) ;D

Australian Open - New court colour for 2008

Tournament Director Craig Tiley said the move was part of a major push to create the best possible playing conditions for players and fans alike.

"The blue court looks better, it will be easier for everyone to see the ball and the vibrancy of the colour just lifts the entire venue," Tiley explained. "It is fresh and contemporary."

The official colour has been trademarked by Tennis Australia as "Australian Open True Blue".

The decision on the colour followed months of testing. Several options were trialled, with tennis officials eventually settling on two tones of blue, a darker tone for the court itself, surrounded by a lighter tone.

"The two tones allow the players to hone their range and get a feel for the baseline at the opposite end of the court. The general consensus from players is that they prefer two tones. Their depth perception can be confused by a single tone," Tiley said.

"The initial reaction from the players, from Roger Federer down, has been nothing but positive," Tiley said, pointing out that player consultation had been a crucial aspect of the development of the new courts.

As announced earlier this year, the Australian Open will also be played on a new surface for the first time in two decades. Plexicushion replaces Rebound Ace.

"Again, this is about what is best for players and fans. Plexicushion is a cushioned acrylic surface that retains less heat and guarantees us a consistent, medium to medium-fast pace across all courts at Melbourne Park and around Australia," Tiley said.

"We certainly didn't take the decision lightly. We had an extensive review and after much research we decided it was time for a change. We went out into the market place and looked for the best match to our list of requirements. That company is Australian-owned WM Loud.

"The good news is we are on track to complete all courts at Melbourne Park with plexicushion in November," he said.

For a look at this "special" blue:
www.tennis.com.au/pages/News.aspx?id=4&pageId=11478&HandlerId=2&archive=false&newsid=3437

[davis]

ATP Unveils New Tier of "500" Events For 2009 & $1 Billion Investment into ATP Tour

The ATP, governing body of the men's professional tennis circuit, announced today 10 cities that have been awarded "500" status for the new-look 2009 ATP Tour. The 10 are:

Rotterdam
Dubai
Acapulco
Memphis
Barcelona
Washington DC
Beijing
Tokyo
Basel
Valencia

In addition, Hamburg has been reserved a "500" level week. Between them, the 10 announced today will make a financial commitment to the Tour of $20.7 million from 2009, an increase in prize money of 118% over 2008 for these events.

Offering 500 points for each champion, the "500" tournaments will create a global standard tier of premium tournaments and ensure a stronger broadcast and sponsor proposition from 2009. Designed to complement the nine "1000" events and World Tour Finals in London, the "500s" will be backed by a top player commitment to play four a year, including one "500" event post-US Open.

From 2009, the calendar changes to the ATP Tour will showcase the sport, ensure a healthier player schedule and offer a far more attractive proposition to broadcast and sponsor partners. The 2009 calendar will also ensure increased facility investment for men's tennis. Between them the "500" tournaments alone will bring over $200 million of facility investment into new stadia builds at Acapulco, Beijing and Valencia; as well as existing facility upgrades in Barcelona, Rotterdam, Dubai and Memphis. This follows the $600 million investment into upgrades and new facilities via the "1000" tournaments. With $200 million of committed marketing support, prize money and other investment, the "1000" and "500" tournaments will see $1 billion invested into men's tennis from 2009.

"The changes we are undertaking represent the biggest shake up of the ATP Tour since its inception but reflect a true appetite for the sport in emerging and key markets; as well as an expression of ambition and confidence in the future. In total more than $1 billion of added capital and increases in tournament 'on site financial' commitments will be made," said Etienne de Villiers, Executive Chairman of the ATP. "Our objective has been to provide a Tour structure that tells the best story of our global circuit. We need to have the best players playing in the best stadia, in the best markets at the right time. Our players, fans, tournaments and sponsors deserve a world class Tour and that is what we will be giving them in 2009."

World No. 1 Roger Federer welcomed the announcement: "This is fantastic news for the ATP Tour and I am delighted in particular that my hometown Basel has been awarded "500" status for 2009. The ATP is making some exciting changes to ensure the sport continues to grow on a global level."

The "1000" and "500" events will be strategically placed in the new calendar to ensure 'swings' of events leading into the sport's five 'pillars' - the four Grand Slams and the ATP World Tour Finals. In addition, post US Open, the calendar will be strengthened by an Asian swing of three weeks that will showcase the world's best players at new tournaments - "Shanghai 1000", and the Tokyo and Beijing "500's". This will be followed by an enhanced European indoor swing comprising of two new "500" events in Valencia and Basel as well as the Paris "1000". The swing, and season, will conclude at the new look ATP World Tour Finals in London's iconic O2 Arena.

"We are delighted that Tokyo has been awarded "500" status for 2009," said Tokyo Tournament Director Sanji Arisawa. "These are exciting times for the ATP Tour and particularly for men's tennis in Asia. An Asian swing of tournaments that will see the world's best players in some of the most spectacular venues is wonderful news for the millions of tennis fans in our region. This is a bold and exciting move by the ATP Tour and one that all the tournaments in our region fully support."

Tennis fans will be able to follow these 'swings' both live and on TV via new Premium Tour packages. Comprising of 20 premier events that will include "1000's", "500's" , the ATP World Tour Finals and other key regional events, the packages will offer a far more attractive proposition and will be sold by ATP Media to all major global broadcasters.

Launching in 2009, the ATP Tour will undergo its largest set of changes since its creation in 1990. As well as new tournaments and a record breaking level of prize money, the ATP will also introduce a new brand look and identity based on extensive consumer research and designed to make the Tour more fan friendly by linking tournaments to their winners ranking point levels of either "1000", "500" or "250".

The new look calendar, with its revised scheduling will be published in its entirety at the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai.