tennis-x.com euro series

[christina]

for those of you who dont hav the joy of the tennis-x newsletter, i'll try and find the thing where they explain the euro series ;D

Safin Vaults to Top of Tennis-X Euro Series Standings

Russian Marat Safin vaulted to the top of the Tennis-X Euro Series standings Sunday with his Masters Series title at Madrid, beating Argentina's David Nalbandian who rose to the No. 2 spot.

"It's great," said Safin after the Madrid win, probably thinking about taking home the year-end prize for topping the Euro Series. "It's great for me to be able to get back to the Masters, find my game so I can be pretty confident for the next two weeks." And by "Masters" he probably meant "Euro Series events."

Safin is hoping to open a lead on the Euro Series Standings by playing this week in St. Petersburg, with Nalbandian looking to gain points in Basel.

After rising to the No. 2 spot, Nalbandian says he will fight to the end to try and wrestle the top spot from Safin.

"I'll still fight for it because I know I'm playing well again," said Nalbandian, here talking about the Masters Cup but obviously preoccupied with his Euro Series standing. "I don't know how the match is now, but I think I have to win the two next tournaments."

That's the spirit.

Spaniard Feliciano "F-Lo" Lopez, who formerly held the top spot, comes in at No. 3, a mere four points ahead of No. 4 Swede Robin Soderling.

A grand prize of $25.00 (USD) awaits the Euro Series winner after the completion of regular-season play, along with 50 percent of the fan-supported Euro Series Prize Fund, which currently stands at an impressive $28.00, topping even the first place bounty.

"The cooperation from the tennis community with the Euro Series has been unprecedented," said Tennis-X CEO Luke Johnson. "Last week an X-fan mailed us a bowling trophy with a tennis racquet substituted for the bowling ball, that is the kind of innovation that drives a sport forward. That's a keeper. An artistic use of Super Glue."

The nine European indoor events between the US Open and the Masters Cup comprise the Tennis-X Euro Series, with four remaining in the Davidoff Swiss Indoors (Basel, Switzerland), the if...Stockholm Open (Sweden), the St. Petersburg Open (Russia), and the Masters Series-Paris (France), all leading to the season-ending Masters Cup in Houston.

[christina]

an explanation from tennis-x.com

What is the Euro Series?
The 2004 Tennis-X Euro Series is a historic achievement in men's tennis that links the nine men's European indoor tournaments after the US Open leading to the year-ending Masters Cup, creating a cohesive, five-week European indoor season. Players will be competing for bonus prize money to be awarded at the end of the Euro Series and more importantly, the honor that goes with being crowned the Euro Series champion.
The nine events comprising the Tennis-X Euro Series are the Grand Prix de Tennis de Lyon (France), the BA-CA Tennis Trophy (Vienna, Austria), the Open de Maselle (Metz, France), the Kremlin Cup (Moscow, Russia), the Masters Series-Madrid (Spain), the Davidoff Swiss Indoors (Basel, Switzerland), the if...Stockholm Open (Sweden), the St. Petersburg Open (Russia), and the Masters Series-Paris (France), all leading to the season-ending Masters Cup in Houston. The series runs from October 4 and concludes with the Paris final on November 7.

How it works?
After starting at zero, players accumulate Euro Series points in accordance with the ATP Race table for the nine European indoor tournaments, with winners determined at the end of the regular season (Paris). The top three finishers will qualify for the bonus money. Updated standings will be posted every Monday on the main tennis-x.com page.

What does the winner get?
Cash money baby, with USD $25.00 + 50% of the Euro Series Prize Fund going to the winner, $10.00 + 30% of the Fund going to second place, and $5.50 + 20% of the fund going to the third place finisher. Prize money checks will be sent to the players at the conclusion of the series.
Why it will work?
Because we said so. Who needs their own mini-series more than Europe? Love to the Euros. Love to the players. Lots of love for everyone.

Why should I care?
Because we said so.
Why is tennis-x.com doing this?
Why not. Plus, with the $40 of profit tennis-x.com has earned thus far in 2004, what better way to spend the money than by joining the many fans and giving back to the game.
So are you really going to mail Roger Federer a check for $25 or so if he wins the Euro Series?
Absolutely. As proof we'll even post a scan of all three checks/letters that we send out once the competition is complete. But the bigger question is does Roger have the talent, the skill and the determination necessary to win the series? We shall see!
I'm a fan, how can I be part of this groundbreaking series?
To get involved and join the "coalition of the willing," click below and make a donation via PayPal to the Euro Series Prize Fund and help your favorite player(s) pay his bills. Fund totals will be posted on the front page of the site each day. All money donated will be distributed per the allocation given above. Names of all contributors will be kept confidential.

[christina]

the press release...

Tennis-X.com Euro Series Launches New Era in Tennis

By Tennis-X Staff


Tennis-X has announced the launch of the Euro Series, a historic breakthrough for men's tennis that links the nine men's European indoor tournaments after the US Open leading to the year-ending Masters Cup, creating a cohesive, five-week European indoor season.

"It takes a great amount of time and effort to bring together this number of people to offer such a sum of prize money," said Tennis-X CEO Luke Johnson. "We think the players will respond, and we're looking forward to unprecedented, exciting, groundbreaking tennis action over the course of the next five weeks."

Like the US Open Series, players will be competing for bonus prize money to be awarded at the end of the Euro Series, with a minimum $25.00 (USD) awarded to the first place finisher, $10.00 to second place and $5.50 to third. And the prize fund figures only go up as Tennis-X has posted a Euro Series Prize Fund Donation on the site where fans and deep-pocketed industry movers-and-shakers can contribute to the excitement and truly become part of the game.

Player will earn points each week in accordance with the current ATP Race points allocation table.

The nine events comprising the Tennis-X Euro Series are the Grand Prix de Tennis de Lyon (France), the BA-CA Tennis Trophy (Vienna, Austria), the Open de Maselle (Metz, France), the Kremlin Cup (Moscow, Russia), the Masters Series-Madrid (Spain), the Davidoff Swiss Indoors (Basel, Switzerland), the if...Stockholm Open (Sweden), the St. Petersburg Open (Russia), and the Masters Series-Paris (France), all leading to the season-ending Masters Cup in Houston.

"This unprecedented partnership within the sport has resulted in a huge step forward for professional tennis in Europe," said Johnson, who has never been to any of those events in Europe. "Even U.S. fans, most of whom think the tennis season ends after the US Open, can track Andy Roddick, Andre Agassi, Mardy Fish and company as they slog through Europe hoping to become the first player to hold up the yet-to-be-designed Tennis-X Euro Series trophy. We're thinking maybe a nice pewter, or a bronze, maybe something shiny in plastic."

The Euro Series will begin on Oct .4 with the ATP stop in Lyon and conclude with the Paris final on November 7. For more information or to check the updated standings, rules or to be part of the "Coalition of the Willing" prize fund, visit www.tennis-x.com/euroseries.php.

[Damita]

LMAO!
thanks for the explanation Chris. As i told you on msn i didn't pay attention at this when they came up with the idea, so i was totally lost today when they said Marat was on top position

He has to win! i want to see a pic of him with the trophy! ("artistic use of Super Glue"!!! ;D). And then Ruth could add this "historical" win in the special awards section of TGFR ;D
Gooooooooo Marat! ;D

[sirius]

erm... right...mwahahahahahhahahahahahhaa...... marat shd just give me the money. i'm short of cash...

[Vassily]

LOL!

[Damita]

Safin, Nalbandian Top Euro Series Heading Into Final Week


Though both failed to win titles last week at St. Petersburg and Basel respectively, their late-round efforts have put Marat Safin and David Nalbandian in a tie for first place in the inaugural Tennis-X Euro Series Standings with one week of regular-season play remaining.

With no one player dominating during the European indoor season and 100 points to the winner at this week's Masters Series-Paris, roughly 20 players have outside shots at unseeded Safin and Nalbandian to take home the Euro Series prize-money bonanza.

"This is just how we pictured the exciting finish to the Euro Series -- complete anarchy," said Tennis-X CEO Luke Johnson. "We'll be watching Paris closely to see who grabs their throat during the last week of play, which is normally a choke-fest between Masters Cup qualification and now the even-more-important Euro Series finish."

Within closest striking distance to Safin and Nalbandian are last week's St. Petersburg winner Mikhail Youzhny, 33 points behind, and Stockholm runner-up Andre Agassi, 44 points behind in fourth place.

Among the Top 10 on the Euro Series Standings but eliminated from a top-three finish are No. 7 Joachim "Pim-Pim" Johansson, who withdrew from the MS-Paris with illness, and No. 8 "Grinning" Greg Rusedski, whose ranking was not high enough for direct entry into the MS-Paris draw.

The Euro Series will be completed and the lucrative checks distributed after the MS-Paris, with the top finisher receiving $25.00 (USD), and a share of the fan-supported Euro Series Prize Fund, which as of Sunday stood at an impressive $28.00 (USD).

The 2004 Tennis-X Euro Series is a historic achievement in men's tennis that links the nine men's European indoor tournaments after the US Open leading to the year-ending Masters Cup, creating a cohesive, five-week European indoor season.

NEWS FLASH: Marat Safin and David Nalbandian have withdrawn from the MS-Paris as of Monday morning with injury. [I had a big shock when reading this but of course they made a mistake, it's Agassi who withdrew.... pheww ]

"With the Monday withdrawal of Nalbandian from the MS-Paris, now the Euro Series title looks to be the cranky Russian Safin's for the taking," said Johnson in a live Monday morning press conference from his office hot tub at the Tennis-X headquarters. "He's a good kid. Now he can keep the Safinettes living the lifestyle they're accustomed to. He was dead in the water a couple months back, now he's on top of the world...This press conference is over, get out." ;D ;D

For more info or to see the current Euro Series standings, point your browser toward to: www.tennis-x.com.

Go Marat, it's for you!! ;D

[christina]

wooohoooo go maratik, grab it u can get that nice shiny bowling trophy with artistic use of super glue

[Teresa]

Damita said:

"With the Monday withdrawal of Nalbandian from the MS-Paris, now the Euro Series title looks to be the cranky Russian Safin's for the taking," said Johnson in a live Monday morning press conference from his office hot tub at the Tennis-X headquarters. "He's a good kid. Now he can keep the Safinettes living the lifestyle they're accustomed to. He was dead in the water a couple months back, now he's on top of the world...This press conference is over, get out." ;D ;D

LMAO..............I am sure habibi would love that quote ;D

[sirius]

come on marat!!! u have to win the erm.... $40 prize?

[christina]

sirius said:

come on marat!!! u have to win the erm.... $40 prize?

don't knock it it could b more if u go contribute

[sirius]

christina said:

don't knock it it could b more if u go contribute

can't. don't have a credit/debit card. and ...erm..no paypal either.

[Damita]

He did it!!! ;D

from tennis-x.com:

Safin Runs Away With Inaugural Euro Series Title

With David Nalbandian's injury pull-out from the Masters Series-Paris this week, Marat Safin was assured the Euro Series title, with even first-round losing points enough to overtake the Argentine.

Instead, Safin responded by winning the MS-Paris, and becoming the first champion of the Euro Series, joining Lleyton Hewitt who won the inaugural US Open Series leading to the US Open.

For his effort Safin receives the $25.00 (USD) grand prize, and 50 percent of the Euro Series fan-funded prize fund, which results in a substantial $39.00 added to the Russian's 2004 prize total. The second-place finisher Nalbandian receives $10.00 plus 30 percent of the prize fund for a total of $18.40.

Another Russian took third place in Mikhail Youzhny, who put in a quarterfinal effort at the MS-Paris to edge finalist Radek Stepanek, who for his fourth place Euro Series finish receives absolutely nothing but a handshake. Youzny for his third place effort receives $5.50 plus 20 percent of the prize fund, equaling a nice take-home sum of $11.10.

The remainder of the Top 10 final Euro Series Standings were No. 5 Feliciano "F-Lo" Lopez, No. 6 Guillermo Canas, No. 7 Robin Soderling, No. 8 Ivan Ljubicic, No. 9 Andre Agassi, and No. 10 Tommy Haas.

"The whole Euro Series went pretty much as envisioned, with our strategy to stay under the media radar, but at the same time to reward the players, and the fans," said Tennis-X CEO Luke Johnson. "The spotlight shone brightly on these European indoor events. For next year we are already planning a greatly increased number of model ball-girls, this time clothes optional. You could never get away with that in the U.S., another plus for the Euro Series." ;D

The nine events that comprised the Tennis-X Euro Series in 2004 were the Grand Prix de Tennis de Lyon (France), the BA-CA Tennis Trophy (Vienna, Austria), the Open de Maselle (Metz, France), the Kremlin Cup (Moscow, Russia), the Masters Series-Madrid (Spain), the Davidoff Swiss Indoors (Basel, Switzerland), the if...Stockholm Open (Sweden), the St. Petersburg Open (Russia), and the Masters Series-Paris (France), all leading to the season-ending Masters Cup in Houston.

The checks, as they say, are in the mail.

"We'd like to thank everyone for their support of the Euro Series," said Johnson, who will preside at the award ceremony at the Masters Cup. "We figure, with the center court security guards changing shifts at 2:30 p.m. every day at the Masters Cup, we have a five-minute window to get Marat quickly out for the trophy presentation. You're going to see one big cardboard check and one happy Russian."

Good job Marat, good job ;D ;D

[christina]

this is the icing and the lil cherry on the cake for the end of the season.....heres hoping they do attempt to give him the "Lovely" trophy and BIG cheque at the Masters Cup ;D ;D

[sirius]

CONGRATULATIONS MARAT!!! what a nice prize to win!!!!! woohoo!!! i'm sooo proud of him ;D