Tennis/tour news

[annie]

Women’s tour CEO Larry Scott reacts to Richard Williams’ remarks on racism
Mar 20, 10:49 pm EDT

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP)—WTA head Larry Scott said Thursday that he strongly disagrees with comments made by Richard Williams, father of Serena and Venus, regarding racism on the women’s tour.

Saying he was disappointed by Williams’ recent remarks during an interview in India, Scott said in a statement: “The Tour has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to racism, and I have previously let Mr. Williams know that he should let me know if he ever had evidence of racist comments or acts in women’s professional tennis.”

While his daughters were playing earlier this month in Bangladore, India, where Venus reached the quarterfinals and Serena won the title, Williams told the Deccan Herald, “Well, I’m black and I’m prejudiced, very prejudiced. People are prejudiced in tennis. I don’t think Venus or Serena was ever accepted by tennis. They never will be.”

He said the media treated his daughters unfairly, that it was “the worst media job that they have done on any human being in the world,” and that if he were Serena and Venus, he would have quit playing.

“But if you get some little white no-good trasher in America like Tracy Austin or Chris Evert, who cannot hit the ball, they (the media) will claim this is great,” he said.

Scott said, “Champions like Chris Evert and Tracy Austin have done so much to help build women’s tennis to where it is today, and it is regrettable that anyone would criticize them in this manner.”

The Williams sisters haven’t played at Indian Wells since 2001. They were booed after Venus pulled out of a semifinal match against her sister, citing knee tendinitis. Serena went on to win the title, but was booed during and after the championship match.

[davis]

New WTA regulations

At Indian Wells, WTA CEO Larry Scott said the Tour is now planning to rename its tournament designations next year as follows:

- Premier mandatory (Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, Beijing),
- Premier Five (Dubai, Rome, Cincinnati, Canada, Tokyo)
- Premier (Sydney, Paris, TBA, Charleston, Stuttgart, Berlin, Eastbourne, Stanford, Los Angeles, New Haven, Moscow).

There will also be 35 lower-level events designated 'International' tournaments.

The WTA has in the past used other names, such as "crown jewels" and "A" events, to refer to the new top layer of events being created. Currently, tournaments are designated Tier I, Tier II, etc., with Tier V the lowest level.

Suspensions are to be introduced next year for players skipping mandatory events, but Scott said the exact details of the rules have not yet been decided:

"We are still in discussions at the board level about the details of how that works. For example, [currently] if a player can't play but they appear at a tournament and they come in front of the media and do other things, traditionally players are fine. And they probably wouldn't be suspended if a player shows up at a tournament, because in our world, it seems like there's an acceptance that an injury or illness is pretty credible if the player is actually there. Players don't turn up to places and not play if they can play.

"What we haven't decided yet is whether, like you can mitigate your way out of a financial penalty, the suspension would be mitigated if the player does certain things in lieu of playing.

"The timing of suspensions kicking in is still a big topic being discussed.

"There's not going to be any exceptions to the rule for any players. There's not going to be a Williams rule [for Indian Wells].

"Players are playing events all the time where they're injured. They're nursing their way through tournaments, they're toughing it out, they
win titles, and sometimes they really can't play. So I'm trying to get us out of the business of making that judgment call and leaving it on the
player, but just making it clear to the player what you have to do to be relieved of the financial penalty."

[Alya10]

Pressure increases to get de Villiers out of the ATP
blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_tennisblog/2008/03/pressure-increa.html

> Posted by Charles Bricker at 6:04:21 PM

KEY BISCAYNE -- With fewer than nine months to go on his three-year contract, ATP CEO Etienne de Villiers is facing intensified heat from some of the tour's top players, who want him terminated.

According to one of my best sources, and someone very well connected to ATP politics, several top-20 players have organized a petition that demands that the six-man board of directors not begin negotiations to extend de Villiers' contract past December until they've examined other candidates for the CEO's job.

Obviously, you don't examine other candidates if you're happy with the man who's doing the job and, while the board of directors appears to be solidly behind de Villiers, there are players who are not.

I'm not ready to take this petition at face value because it very likely is a negotiations ploy to get some concessions from the CEO by threatening to raise a united front against his continued employment.

What concessions? For starters, they want someone on the board who is an active player. In short, someone whom they claim will represent the players rather than the corporate heads.

That demand in itself suggests very strongly that there is a major disconnect between the ATP executives and the players and, if that's true, a lot of it is because de Villiers has forced through a number of issues that have not satisfied everyone.

Like moving the Hamburg tournament to a different spot on the calendar and stripping it of its Masters Series status, which has led to a lawsuit that has now cost the ATP an estimated $5-6 million.

There is also the threat of a lawsuit by Nikolay Davydenko, whose name was revealed by the wagering company Betfair and plastered all over every sports section in the world last year because of a suspicious betting pattern in one of his matches. That cloud has been hanging over his head for six months while his attorneys have resisted handing over phone records that they say would invade his privacy. No one has found a smoking gun, but neither has the ATP cleared his name. I'm not saying Davydenko is innocent or guilty, but this is far too long to leave this guy twirling in the wind.,

de Villiers hasn't endeared hmself to some tournament officials, either, including Sony Ericsson tournament chairman Butch Buchholz, who Monday expressed clear unhappiness with de Villiers' decision last year to reduce Masters Series finals from best-of-5 to best-of-3 sets.

de Villiers deserves a defense here. He was hired to replace Mark Miles two and a half years ago and jump-start a tour that was having serious but not lethal problems. He wasn't hired to maintain the status quo. He was hired to make changes and he's moved aggressively ahead with those changes, making enemies in the process. That's too bad but that's what classically happens when you give someone the charge of making changes.

More than once de Villiers has told me, "If the time comes when they don't want me here, I'll resign. But I believe in what I'm doing and the board of directors has backed me unanimously on every major issue."

Some of his decisions have been clear mistakes, like the screwy round robin system that ended up in a terrrible controversy at the Tennis Channel Open in Las Vegas last year. de Villiers initially ignored the ATP's own clear rules to allow James Blake and not Evgeny Korolev moved to the quarterfinals of that tournament. He later admitted his mistake, but it wasn't easily forgotten by some players.

He has had major successes. There is about 30 percent more prize money in the game today than when he took over. He's worked to simplify the calendar. He's gotten more publicity for doubles players than they've ever had.

But the Hamburg controversy, coupled with an attempt to demote the status of Monte Carlo, was a turning point in his relationship with a number of European and South American players who depend on clay court events for points and money.

He found a creative compromise for Monte Carlo, but it hasn't closed all the wounds.

I spoke with Nikolay Davydenko this afternoon and he kept hammering home the lack of communication between the ATP and the players. I said, "Wait a minute. The ATP is the players." His response was that, yes, that's the way it's supposed to be, but that's not the way he perceives it.

The board of directors has three player representatives -- former doubles player Jacco Eltingh, Iggy Jovanovic, who was not a touring pro, and Perry Rogers, who is Andre Agassi's agent.

The top 20 players leading this drive to oust de Villiers say none of those three represents the players but are more interested in representing the tour's financial interests and backing de Villiers' decisions.

But the fact is in an election last June, Rogers was elected over Justin Gimelstob, who would have been an active voice for the players.

No one in his right mind wants de Villiers out right now. There's no one to step in on an interim basis and if he quit it would leave the tour in chaos.

My best guess is he's going to weather this storm, but he's going to have to find some way to make peace with the top-20 players.

[Dina]

Mantilla said stop
The Spaniard Felix Mantilla, 33 years old, suffering from skin cancer, announced that he was putting an end to his career. 10th World in 1998 after his semi-final at Roland Garros, he won ten titles including the Masters Series in Rome in 2003. He no longer played since July 2005.

oh Lord!!! this too sad!!!!!!
get better soon Felix! the treatements are showing great results lately!

[jenhatter06]

Olympics dilemma looming for top stars

To some it is the pinnacle of their whole sporting career, the chance to fulfil the dreams they had as youngsters. To others it is simply another unwanted tournament in an already overcrowded calendar.

Few things polarize opinion more than highly-paid sports stars being asked to put their talent on the line for nothing. This year’s Olympic tennis tournament in Beijing is certainly no exception.

Andy Roddick is currently the highest-profile definite absentee.

“It just comes to the point where the schedule is too long without the biggest sporting event in the world shoved right in the middle of its busiest part of the season,” Roddick said.

Yes, the same Roddick who relished the opportunity to play both singles and doubles in Athens four years ago, insisting then, “I’m super-excited. Yes, it’s a packed summer, but it’s once every four years it’s the Olympic Games.”

Mardy Fish, who won the singles silver medal in Athens, will join Roddick by staying at home.

Justine Henin looks set to become the highest-profile women’s casualty after revealing her worries about possible pollution problems.

Others are intent on making the most of the opportunity. In the five Olympic Games since the sport was fully reintroduced for the first time in 64 years, 10 proud singles champions have been rewarded with something money can’t buy.

World No. 1 Roger Federer and Andy Murray definitely want some of it.

“For me it is a very big tournament,” Federer said. “I’ve won three of the four majors and the Masters Cup. The Olympics definitely rank on a Grand Slam level.”

“It’s something not all athletes get the chance to do. It’s an honor,” Murray said.

American Andre Agassi went to the 1996 Games on home soil in Atlanta desperate for a gold medal.

After beating Sergi Bruguera in the final, Agassi gushed, “To win a Grand Slam in the sport of tennis is the biggest thing you can accomplish in your sport. But the Olympics is the biggest thing you can do in all sports.

“To win a gold medal is what it’s all about. I’ll keep this over all of them. This is the greatest accomplishment I’ve ever had in sport.’

Agassi could not defend his title in Sydney for personal reasons. Russia’s Yevgeny Kafelnikov backed off an earlier decision not to take part, heading to Australia and claiming a gold of his own.

And even the notoriously taciturn Kafelnikov was moved by the size of his accomplishment and the gold medal hanging around his neck.

“To lose would have been a tragedy,” he said. “I would have traded all my other titles for this.”

Recent women’s winners have gone strictly by the formbook, with triumphs for respective number ones Steffi Graf, Jennifer Capriati, Lindsay Davenport, Venus Williams and Henin.

Agassi apart, the men’s event has thrown up a mixed bag of unlikely winners, from clever Czech Miroslav Mecir in 1988 to Marc Rosset in 1992 and Chile’s unheralded Nicolas Massu, who won both singles and doubles titles in 2004.

Massu, seeded 10th, teamed up with compatriot Fernando Gonzalez to clinch his nation’s first ever gold medal, and promptly overcame fatigue to beat Fish in the singles final the following day.

“These are the best two days of my life,” Massu said. “I just can’t believe it. It’s just too much to win two gold medals in two days. It’s unbelievable for my country.”

sports.yahoo.com/ten/news;_ylt=Agvh1V9oCOSJuj7lDdnxffw4v7YF?slug=txolympicstennis&prov=st&type=lgns

[Annie]

Hmmmm yeah would be interesting who would go

[justsafin]

No. 1 Justine Henin retires from tennis immediately
By RAF CASERT
Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Top-ranked Justine Henin is retiring from tennis, effective immediately.

The 25-year-old Belgian, who has won seven Grand Slam titles, is making the surprising announcement at a news conference Wednesday.

Henin's decision comes less than two weeks before the start of the French Open. She has won that clay court tournament four times, including the past three years.

Henin won 10 tournaments last year, but has been in one of the worst slumps of her career this season. She lost last week in the third round of the German Open and pulled out of this week's Italian Open, citing fatigue.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) _ Top-ranked Justine Henin, a winner of seven Grand Slam titles, plans to make a major announcement amid reports she will quit the sport.

The 25-year-old Belgian, who has been in a slump this spring, called a news conference for Wednesday. Belgian newspapers have reported she will retire.

Her announcement could range from dropping off the tour for a limited amount of time, to retiring at the end of the season or immediately quitting tennis.

WTA Tour officials in Rome said they'd not received any official communication from Henin.

Henin, who has battled through injuries and a divorce, had a standout season in 2007, winning two Grand Slam championships, eight other tour titles and more than $5 million.

However, after winning her home tournament in Antwerp in February, she has been on one of the worst skids of her career, failing to go beyond the quarterfinals at any event.

Henin's year began with a 6-4, 6-0 loss to Maria Sharapova in the Australian Open quarterfinals in January, followed by a 6-2, 6-0 drubbing by Serena Williams at the Sony Ericsson Open in April, the worst loss for a top-ranked player in nine years.

At last week's German Open, Henin was upset 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 by Dinara Safina in the third round, and then pulled out of this week's Italian Open, citing fatigue.

"She finds it tough, losing matches she normally would not lose," Belgian Fed Cup captain Sabine Appelmans said. "But I don't think her career is over. She has to get through this and then end her career at the top of her game."

Last year, Belgium's Kim Clijsters _ a former No. 1 player _ retired at 23. She has since married and become a mother.

The news conference comes less than two weeks before the start of Henin's favorite tournament, the French Open. She is the three-time defending champion and won in 2003. She also won the Australian Open in 2004, and the U.S. Open in 2003 and 2007.

The only Grand Slam title to elude Henin is Wimbledon, where she was runner-up in 2001 and 2006.

Henin has been ranked No. 1 since Nov. 13, 2006, except for a seven-week period last year when Sharapova held the top spot. Henin has won nearly $20 million in career prize money.

Throughout her career, Henin has had to beat the odds.

With her slight, 5-foot-5 frame, she had to battle the giants in the game. With a superb one-handed backhand, amazing speed and endless determination, she rose to the top of the sport.

Henin lost her mother to cancer when she was 12 and only reunited with her father and family last year after almost a decade of separation. During her difficult youth, tennis gave her a sense of mission and the sport became all-encompassing.

In early 2007, she divorced from Pierre-Yves Hardenne after four years of marriage.

Throughout last season, Henin said she had finally found a balance in her life between personal self-fulfillment and doggedly pursuing tennis titles.

[jenhatter06]

can't believe that


.... found her thread, posted another article there

[davis]

www.tennis.com:
"Michael Chang, Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Malivai Washington will join the Blackrock seniors' circuit in October. Pete Sampras and Stefan Edberg have also recently commited to play some events on the circuit."

I can picture Chang, Washington, Edberg ;D and Sampras playing on the Senior Tour - but Kafelnikov? Man, he really has to start a serious workout! Interesting development, though. Black Rock seems to be very attractive.

[Annie]

Oooooooooooh fun fun fun!!!!! I have to go see those guys somewhere ;D

[davis]

www.usatoday.com/sports/tenni...-council_N.htm

World's top men's players aiming for more say
By Douglas Robson

PARIS — The Big Three of men's tennis aren't just asserting themselves in the ATP Tour's rankings. They are attempting to ensure their voice is heard in the upper echelons of the game by angling for slots on the tour's Players' Council.

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, the world's top three players and French Open favorites, have put themselves forward as candidates on the 10-man council, the ATP confirmed. The council serves as a conduit to the ATP board for the players, and elects three board members.

Federer, Nadal and Djokovic have been increasingly vocal critics of ATP leadership, in particular ATP Chairman and President Etienne de Villiers. The ATP is 50% owned by the players and the tournaments. It runs and governs ATP events, but not the Grand Slams or Davis Cup.

Discontent started to brew last year when the ATP announced its new 2009 calendar, which downgraded clay-court events at Monte Carlo and Hamburg from Masters Series status and moved Hamburg to a later slot in the year.

Federer, Nadal and No. 4 Nikolay Davydenko called a news conference in Monte Carlo at that time to express dissatisfaction. Monte Carlo's status was restored; Hamburg's was not, and it is suing the ATP. The trial is set to begin in July.

At the Sony Ericsson Open in March, nearly every top-20 player, including the top three, sent a letter to the ATP asking that other candidates be considered before de Villiers' contract as chairman and president is renegotiated. His three-year term ends in December.

Two weeks ago, the Players' Council voted to oust Perry Rogers, one of three player representatives on the six-man ATP board that is chaired by de Villiers. Rogers is Andre Agassi's childhood friend and longtime agent. His other clients include NBA star Shaquille O'Neal and Agassi's wife, Steffi Graf.

"We as council members want to have a voice, and we want to be heard, we want to be involved in all of the decisions made," said current Players' Council member James Blake when asked about the vote following his first-round win vs. Rainer Schuettler of Germany on Sunday. "That's all we're asking, is having a fair say, because we don't have (a) union leader like a lot of other sports that have collective bargaining agreements."

Nadal, the three-time defending French Open champion from Spain, has been a persistent adversary this spring regarding the compressed clay-court schedule, which includes three Masters Series tournaments in four weeks.

"I always said that the calendar was wrong and that the ATP was doing a very poor job with it," Nadal said via e-mail earlier this month. "Something needs to be done since it is unfair for us."

The new council will be voted on at Wimbledon, which begins June 23. All 10 positions are at stake. Four positions come from players ranked 1-50; two by those ranked 50-100; two from the top 100-ranked doubles players; and two at-large. Terms last two years.

The other two player reps on the ATP board, former pro Jacco Eltingh and ex-ATP official Iggy Jovanovic, also could come under attack.

Jovanovich, whose term expires this year, said this week that since more of the tour's rules are "triggered" by players with higher rankings, such as mandatory participation at Masters events, it's understandable they sometimes feel their voice goes unheeded. "At times, I feel they are right," he said.

Blake noted the difficulty of satisfying the tour's various constituents, whose needs vary widely. "There's different sections where there's clay courters, top players, there's doubles players," the American No. 9 said. "And so we want to make sure the council is what represents all of those players."

[davis]

Bah, Hamburg!
Posted 06/14/2008 @ 3 :00 PM
www.tennis.com

Things are going to be pretty hectic around here in early and mid-July, so I'm going to post a few thoughts on an issue of critical importance to tennis that will come to a head in a courtroom starting on July 21. That's when representatives of the Hamburg Masters Series event will get their day in court, in with a full front assault on the the ATP's right to strip them of Masters status - and move their tournament dates to the post Wimbledon period of European clay-court play.

The towering issue here is the ATP's right - or lack thereof - to adjust its calendar and events in order to change the game, something that the ATP presumably does to provide a better, more coherent, fan and player friendly schedule. To put it more starkly, the ATP has wanted to usher Hamburg out of the Masters line-up, and thereby also make room for a combined clay-court event in Madrid. Promoter Ion Tiriac has put together a potential Madrid package so appealing that it would immediately leap-frog into the sub-Grand Slam category of events alongside Indian Wells and Miami. Should Hamburg win its anti-trust case, the repercussions could be nasty, because it's impossible to envision that Tiriac and Madrid will just go away. The Madrid plan has already been green-lighted by the WTA, with CEO Larry Scott having cleared all the hurdles that might have stood in the way.

Say what you will about Scott; he's an expert at covering all his bases and proceeding with one eye on his back.

And this, folks, is where it gets tricky. And this is where the Hamburg decision may go down as a make-it or break-it moment for the ATP - most particularly, for the move to oust Hamburg, ATP CEO Etienne de Villiers. I talked with numerous tennis insiders at the French Open about this case, and the general feeling is that the case is viewed within the game as a test of de Villiers' leadership and his ability to govern. This is not very good news for de Villiers, because almost everyone I spoke with felt that the ATP's chance of winning this case is slim - one insider pegged it at "about ten per cent."

Oddly enough, all this might not have had to happen. One of my trusted sources told me that Hamburg at one point was willing to sell its promotional rights to Tiriac outright, but that the ATP blocked the move. Why should Tiriac benefit from an enormous windfall ($15 million was the figure I heard) in addition to winning a coveted slot on the calendar for Madrid? Eventually, Hamburg withdrew the offer and dug in its heels. It's gotten to the point where it's all about the lawyers; offers to help negotiate a settlement behind closed doors have been rebuffed. Hamburg appears to want - and relish - it's day in court.

Some of the insiders - all of them are men and women who work in the financial and organizational trenches of the game - believe that de Villier's cardinal error is that he doesn't appear to have a Plan B, never mind a Plan C. So if Hamburg wins its case, a lot of people might find themselves looking at Tiriac, de Villiers, Scott and others, asking, "Now what?" The ATP's seeming confidence, if this is an accurate representation of the situation (and if "confidence" is the right word), can only be rooted in one of two options (or both): confidence that that ATP will prevail and show that it has the right to pursue the same (arguably) monopolistic practices as most pro sports organization are accused of following, or a conviction within the ATP - or, de Villier's office - that Hamburg is more or less bluffing, trying to jack up the price the ATP and its allies might be willing to pay in order to make the case go away - and get the calendar they want. In this scenario, the parties reach a "courthouse steps" settlement.

One thing that should not be discounted here is human and institutional pride. From Hamburg's point of view, the ATP is running roughshod over a historically significant event (Hamburg is, after all, the German Open, which means that it theoretically has the same gravitas as the Italian, French, U.S. or British (Wimbledon) Opens. On paper, the event has more institutional legitimacy than either Monte Carlo or Barcelona, if not Rome.

Thus, removing Hamburg from the French Open Series line-up without due cause (say, gross mismanagement, or a failure to live up to the terms of its sanction as an ATP event) can be viewed as a capricious and deeply unfair move taken simply because the ATP sees a better "deal" on the horizon in Madrid. It's legitimate to ask, why not demote Rome instead and move everything up by one week? Or give the Rome week to Madrid? One thing seems painfully obvious to me: the ATP should never have let it come to this. Unless you believe the ATP can and should throw its partners under the bus in order to (ostensibly) improve the game, it's hard to see how this action can be described as fair. Sensible? Perhaps. Welcome? Maybe. Economically attractive? Ja!

But fair? No.

What I don't really understand, and hope to find out in the coming days, is just what happens if Hamburg wins - and the scuttlebutt is that Hamburg will win. Does that mean Hamburg - or any other tournament, is perpetually grandfathered into the calendar so long as it meets its contractual agreement with the ATP? Can minor stakeholders (for every tournament is in some ways just that) in the ATP tour block the organization from altering its own calendar and seeking "the good of the game"?

And where does all this leave Madrid, a project so massive, with support from so many segments of the overall community, that the French Open itself is said to be casting nervous glances over its shoulder, fearful that Madrid will eventually eclipse it - bringing to fruition Tiriac's stated desire to create a de facto Grand Slam event. The Grand Slam Committee can't exactly love that idea, since the unofficial position there is that the pre-eminence of the four current majors must be maintained. Some of the powerful constituents in this era of shifting power bases would welcome the ATP winning. But to say that this isolated action against Hamburg is somehow tied in with a massive restructuring is a reach. Nobody is going to blow up anything and start over, which makes it that much harder to defend the Hamburg intervention on the grounds that it's good for a game badly in need of fundamental change.

Of course, these same issues (overcrowded calendar, player fatigue, equitable distribution of power among the stakeholders) were asked when the the ATP originally broke with the Pro Council (via the "Parking Lot Press Conference" of 1988) and nominally took a much greater leadership role in the game. The palace revolt was intended to empower the players, increasing their involvement in, and responsibility for, the quality and integrity of the game. It rested on the idea that the ideal way to move tennis forward was through a partnership between players and the tournament promoters, theoretically cutting out or greatly diminishing the role of other stakeholders (like the ITF). Only it was impossible to cut those de facto partners out effectively, partly because they already owned some of the the great franchises in the game (the Grand Slams).

The truth is that the "new" organism that emerged very quickly began to look no different from the organism it had destroyed, and the way the promoters and players now share power hasn't led to many changes at all. The only action I can see breaking this deadlock is a reinvigorated player union that is not in cahoots with the tournaments, but willing and ready to use its leverage (control of and solidarity among the players) against the tournaments. Or look at it this way, as long as Hamburg is a sanctioned ATP event, it implicitly has the stamp of the players' approval. A player boycott of Hamburg tomorrow would be in effect a self-boycott, because of the intrinsic partnership of the ATP and the tournaments.

An independent player's union, with none of the conflicts inherent in a partnership with tournament promoters, could potentially transform the tennis landscape - and calendar. But such a union is unlikely to emerge unless the ATP itself goes under - or a leadership class of players imposes its will and ambitions on the organization. Perhaps a player's union ought to be one component of the ATP, and if that were to happen it would be a return to a structure nearly identical to the one the ATP rejected in 1988.

[jenhatter06]

Barclays to Sponsor ATP World Tour Finals From 2009
www.atptennis.com/1/en/2008news/atpworldtourfinals.asp



ATP’s end of year finale to become Barclays ATP World Tour Finals from 2009 in a 5 year deal

London, United Kingdom – The ATP, governing body for the men's professional ATP tennis circuit, today announced that Barclays will be the title sponsor of the ATP World Tour Finals from 2009.

As part of the 2009 restructuring of men’s tennis, the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals will replace the Tennis Masters Cup, currently held in Shanghai’s Qi Zhong Tennis Center, as the ATP Tour’s season finale. The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals will be held in London’s O2 Arena in November 2009 and will feature the world’s best 8 singles players and 8 doubles teams competing to become the number one player of the year.

The 5 year deal includes the option to extend to eight years and is worth around ₤3.5 ($7) million a year.

Going here: www.atptennis.com/finals/index.html ... you can reserve a seat now, with the chance to win a VIP trip and meet the final 8 -- how cool would that be?? ;D

[jenhatter06]

Federer, Nadal, Djokovic voted onto ATP Player Council
6/21/2008 7:03:00 PM


WIMBLEDON, England (AP) -Tennis' three top-ranked men, including No. 1 Roger Federer, were elected Saturday to two-year terms on the ATP Player Council.

In voting two days before Wimbledon begins, No. 2 Rafael Nadal and No. 3 Novak Djokovic were also elected to terms that begin Sunday.

In the past, top players have been reluctant to run for such positions, but Djokovic said the top three players jointly decided to become candidates.

``I think it's fantastic for the sport,'' Djokovic said shortly before the vote. ``We're changing the face, changing the picture of everything in general.

``We decided together that this is the best thing for sport - to join the player council and to try to be united in the future to make good decisions for us, for everybody. To be involved in all these major decisions and all the specifics, the details, is very important for us, because in the end we are the most important part of the sport. People are coming because of us. We have to defend our interests.''

Federer, Nadal and Djokovic are among the players who have been unhappy with decisions by ATP chairman Etienne de Villiers, whose contract expires this year. There's also discontent about the extent of communication between players and the ATP board of directors, which has the lead role in making decisions about the tour.

One subject of debate has been the tour's attempts to restructure the spring clay-court schedule. The decision to downgrade the Hamburg tournament in 2009 from a top-tier event led to an antitrust lawsuit that's pending against the ATP.

Earlier this week, U.S. Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe said the involvement of the top players in such issues could have a major impact on the game for the next decade or more.

``The structure of the tour and how the ATP is configured could change,'' McEnroe said. ``Maybe the players form their own union. There are a lot of ways this could go that would reshape professional tennis.''

www.thetennischannel.com/news/NewsDetails.aspx?newsid=4188

[davis]

The complete Player'S Council:

Federer, Nadal, Djokovic Elected to ATP Player Council

LONDON -- The elections for the ATP Player Council ended Saturday. The following players have been voted onto the new ATP Player Council which begins its two-year term Sunday:

No. 1-50 Ranking
Roger Federer (SUI)
Rafael Nadal (ESP)
Novak Djokovic (SRB)
TBD (Council will appoint in due course)

No. 51-100 Ranking
Peter Luczak (AUS)
Michael Berrer (GER)

Doubles
Yves Allegro (SUI)
Eric Butorac (USA)

At-Large
David Martin (USA)
Martin Garcia (ARG)

The outgoing Player Council on Saturday also voted for the new ATP Board Player Representatives. Justin Gimelstob (pictured) was elected to become Americas Player Board Representative and will fulfill the existing term that ends in December 2010. David Egdes was elected to become International Player Board Representative and will begin his three-year term on January 1, 2009. The vacant Europe Player Board Representative position will be voted on by the new Player Council at the US Open. In the meantime, Ivan Ljubicic will temporarily fulfill the role.