McEnroe and Edberg to clash at new ATP Champions Tour tournament in Stockholm in March
Tennis Hall of Famers John McEnroe and Stefan Edberg will have the opportunity to clash in Sweden in March 2012 after it was recently announced that the city of Stockholm will host an ATP Champions Tour tournament for the very first time. McEnroe and Edberg will be part of a magnificent eight-man playing field, which will take place from March 13-16. “It is fantastic news that the ATP Champions Tour is coming to Stockholm,” said Per Hjertquist, Tournament Director. “Players like John McEnroe and Stefan Edberg are global stars and I am sure that the people of Sweden will be happy to see them in March.” The event will feature an eight-man line-up of players which will divide into two groups of four. Players will face off against their group rivals over a round-robin format. All players will feature in at least three matches, and the top player in each group will advance to the final on Friday, March 16. “To have an event in Stockholm is great news for the ATP Champions Tour,” said Jan Felgate, Tour CEO. “The players on our Tour are popular wherever they go and I know that they will enjoy playing in Sweden, which has such a rich tennis tradition.” Tickets for the tournament in Stockholm will go on sale later this month. For more information, go to www.ATPChampionsTour.com.
Atlantis Resort to host 10th Annual Mark Knowles Celebrity Tennis Invitational from December 1-4
For the 10th consecutive year, four-time Grand Slam doubles champion Mark Knowles will host the Mark Knowles Celebrity Tennis Invitational at the distinguished Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas from December 1-4. Players joining Knowles at the Atlantis Resort include Andy Roddick, Xavier Malisse and Sabine Lisicki. These players can be joined for a special reception, charity auction and a thrilling tennis tournament. The exhibition matches will be at the epicenter of the world’s largest open-air marine habitat complete with lavish guest accommodations, restaurants, bars, spa, lounges, waterslides and the largest casino in the Bahamas.The Mark Knowles Celebrity Tennis Invitational is a charity event hosted by Knowles, which was started in 2001. The purpose of the event is to raise money for various charities, such as The Sassoon Pediatric Heart Foundation, The Cancer Society, The Association of the Physically Disabled, The Children’s Emergency Hospital, The Boy Scouts of Bahamas, The Special Olympics and scholarships for promising junior tennis players. For more information and reservations, please call 1-800-Atlantis or visit www.Atlantis.com.
Baghdatis commits to 2012 Apia International Sydney in January
World No. 55 Marcos Baghdatis has committed to play in the Apia International Sydney, which will be played at the Sydney Olympics Park Tennis Centre from January 8-14, 2012. Baghdatis won the Sydney title in 2010, which serves as a traditional warm-up tournament for the Australian Open. The Cypriot will join former world No. 1 and two-time Grand Slam champion Lleyton Hewitt in the field, who is serving as an Apia International Sydney Ambassador. “I won the event two years ago so I am just excited to go back there and feel the heat, get in some good matches and have some fun with the crowd,” said Baghdatis. “Sydney is definitely one of my favorite cities in the world and the fans there just love the sport and they are so relaxed and respectful. They always give me a lot of positive energy.” On the WTA Tour side, Tournament Director Craig Watson announced that 2011 French Open champion Li Na and US Open champion Samantha Stosur have announced they will compete in the upcoming tournament. Watson said that more ATP and WTA Tour players will be added to the field soon, as they are trying to secure commitments for several Top 20 players. “We have a number of Top 20 players on our radar and we expect to be able to make some more exciting announcements very soon,” said Watson.
Djokovic, Federer commit to Basel Open in Switzerland
World No. 1 and four-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic and 16-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer will both take part in the Swiss Indoors Basel in Switzerland from October 29-November 6, marking their first competitive ATP-level tournament since competing in the US Open in September. Djokovic and Federer both most recently withdrew from the China Open and Shanghai Rolex Masters. The Serbian has been suffering from back pain since playing Serbia’s Davis Cup semifinal tie against Argentina last month, while Federer has been resting in Switzerland with family as he prepares for the homestretch of the 2011 season.
Bethel China Foundation and China Open presented with grant through ATP ACES For Charity program
Before the start of last weekend’s semifinal match between Tomas Berdych and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Beijing, the Bethel China Foundation and China Open were presented with a check as a part of the inaugural ATP ACES For Charity program. Brad Drewett, the ATP Executive Officer for ATP International, presented the grant to Bethel China Foundation founder Guillaume Gauvain and 11 visually impaired orphans, as well as the China Open Tournament Directors Charles Hsiung and Alfred Zhang. The Bethel China Foundation provides education and care programs for blind orphans in the Beijing area. So far, they have secured foster homes and schooling for more than 70 children in the Beijing area. The foundation runs a very successful program for orphanages all over the country of China to assist with the needs of visually impaired youth. “The ATP Aces for Charity Program is about giving donations to special charities around the world,” said Drewett. “It was an honor to be able to present a donation during the China Open to a wonderful group of young, underprivileged children from the Bethel China Foundation. It was also very touching for everyone to hear them sing a beautiful song for the centre court audience.”
HBO to produce a show around allegations of former South African tennis star Bob Hewitt
The Independent is reporting that HBO will produce a show that centers its attention on the allegations of sexual harassment and abuse against Bob Hewitt, a former South African doubles standout who was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1992. The International Tennis Hall of Fame recently formed a special committee to investigate allegations from five women that Hewitt abused them when they were teenagers while he served as their coach in Boston. The Boston Globe launched their own investigation this past summer and uncovered nine women who made similar claims. Hewitt is currently living in South Africa. His son has denied all allegations being made against his father.
Former WTA Top 10 player Patty Schnyder’s book not expected to hit bookshelves anytime soon
Don’t expect to read former WTA No. 7 Patty Schnyder’s book, “The White Mile,” anytime soon, according to reports by Blick. The Swiss newspaper is reporting that the book may not be published anytime soon, amid reports by Schnyder’s husband Rainer Hofmann that it would be launched at the Frankfurt Book Fair this week. Representatives for the Fair said they didn’t know anything about the book being released at their event. Hofmann insists the book will now be released in a few weeks, although the newspaper has been unable to find any publisher that is planning on releasing it.
USPTA silent auction raises $6,587 during World Conference on Tennis
During its annual World Conference on Tennis at the Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel, Fla., the United States Professional Tennis Association raised $6,587 from its silent auction at the USPTA’s Tennis Buying Show. Some of the items that were bid on during the silent auction included an Andy Murray-autographed tennis racquet, two tickets to the 2012 US Open in New York, and a two-night stay in a deluxe view room at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress. The auction benefited the USPTA Foundation, which through grants supports various programs in the community that help to grow tennis and bring the game to those who might not otherwise have the opportunity to play the sport.