ARTICLE Top stars sign up for China Open
Mon, 10 May 2004
Some of the world's top tennis stars will make a beeline for Beijing in September to contest the inaugural China Open, which organisers on Monday vowed to make the premier tennis event in Asia.
Top-10 ranked players like Spain's Carlos Moya and Juan Carlos Ferrero will be joined by German Rainer Schuettler and Argentinian David Nalbandian for the September 10-26 event, tournament director Lincoln Venancio said.
"The clear objectives of the China Open are to develop it into one of the world's top five tennis tournaments, to make it Asia's premier annual sports event and to ensure it is a great asset to China's preparations for the 2008 Olympic Games," Venancio told journalists.
Also committed to play are former number one Marat Safin and Thai star Paradorn Srichaphan.
And in a coup for organisers, Venancio said China Central Television (CCTV) would broadcast seven hours a day of live tennis throughout the tournament on its exclusive sports channel to up to 700 million potential Chinese viewers.
Details of the deal were not announced, but CCTV said it expected it to be the largest domestic television audience for any tennis event in history.
Venancio said that sales of television advertisments would be jointly handled by the tournament's marketing wing and the Chinese broadcaster.
Eurosport will also broadcast tournament matches to Europe.
"I'm very excited about coming to play at the China Open," said Ferrero, the French Open champion. "I'm sure it will become a very significant tournament and I would like very much to be the first person in history to win it.
"I'm sure the atmosphere will be electrifying and I look forward to playing my best tennis for the people of China."
The women's draw will be announced in coming weeks.
The China Open, part of the ATP tour, will be played on hardcourt at the Beijing Tennis Centre, which is still under construction.
AFP
Mon, 10 May 2004
Some of the world's top tennis stars will make a beeline for Beijing in September to contest the inaugural China Open, which organisers on Monday vowed to make the premier tennis event in Asia.
Top-10 ranked players like Spain's Carlos Moya and Juan Carlos Ferrero will be joined by German Rainer Schuettler and Argentinian David Nalbandian for the September 10-26 event, tournament director Lincoln Venancio said.
"The clear objectives of the China Open are to develop it into one of the world's top five tennis tournaments, to make it Asia's premier annual sports event and to ensure it is a great asset to China's preparations for the 2008 Olympic Games," Venancio told journalists.
Also committed to play are former number one Marat Safin and Thai star Paradorn Srichaphan.
And in a coup for organisers, Venancio said China Central Television (CCTV) would broadcast seven hours a day of live tennis throughout the tournament on its exclusive sports channel to up to 700 million potential Chinese viewers.
Details of the deal were not announced, but CCTV said it expected it to be the largest domestic television audience for any tennis event in history.
Venancio said that sales of television advertisments would be jointly handled by the tournament's marketing wing and the Chinese broadcaster.
Eurosport will also broadcast tournament matches to Europe.
"I'm very excited about coming to play at the China Open," said Ferrero, the French Open champion. "I'm sure it will become a very significant tournament and I would like very much to be the first person in history to win it.
"I'm sure the atmosphere will be electrifying and I look forward to playing my best tennis for the people of China."
The women's draw will be announced in coming weeks.
The China Open, part of the ATP tour, will be played on hardcourt at the Beijing Tennis Centre, which is still under construction.
AFP
