World Tennis Magazine

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steve simon

Wuhan: The Future of Tennis in China

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Ever since Steven Simon became WTA CEO, ten events have been staged not only in Taiwan and Hong Kong but across Mainland China. The Elite Trophy Zhuhai is the eighth tournament on the women’s circuit to take place in Mainland China. The sportsbetting tennis odds of Mainland China hosting such events were never high, to begin with.

As such, events like the Elite Trophy Zhuhai have silenced a lot of naysayers. With other premier 5 events typically hosted in cities like Dubai and Rime, some fans have wondered how Wuhan ever came to host the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open.

One would probably point to Wuhan’s determination to elevate its status in China and the world over. Home to 10 million people, the fact that Li Na, Asia’s only grand slam champion, came from Wuhan probably acted as a driving force.

Octagon, the sports agency that owns the Premier 5 tournament, began talking to Wuhan’s municipal government in 2012 about the possibility of leasing the tour shortly after Li Na won her first slam and became the second-highest-paid female athlete in the world.

Li Na’s retirement in 2014 disappointed fans but didn’t derail talks, especially when $225 million was availed to build a state of the art tennis facility in Wuhan. Some pundits hoped that Li Na would get to play on home soil, but that won’t happen.

None the less, the investment paid off; Tennis has become the vehicle through which Wuhan’s name has gained recognition, mentioned alongside the likes of Cincinnati and Toronto. If properly executed, the massively expensive branding exercises could soon put Wuhan on the same level as Beijing, Shanghai, and other significant Chinese cities.

Of course, seeing as the tournament is still new and the stadium is situated in a developing area, it is only natural for Wuhan to struggle to attract a big live audience. Rarely do they come close to filling the 15,000 seats of the stadium in any given session.

According to Steve Simon, Wuhan must change the tournament from a typical competition to an event. It isn’t enough to simply mimic the goings-on of tournaments in bigger cities.

Fans must be educated about Tennis until they gain a sense of familiarity. The empty seats often seen on TV do not help the WTA; unfortunately, the attendance issue won’t be resolved anytime soon.

Even if the attendance were to rise, though, Wuhan would still struggle to attract new international partners.

The tour is such a massive investment that it will be several years before those involved can begin breaking even or profiting; more international partners would help Wuhan contend with the financial aspects of the tournament, especially taking into account the new infrastructure rising in the city. The investment is simply too massive.

Attracting interest would probably be easier if Li Na was still playing tennis. She sparked a tennis revolution in China during the peak of her popularity. Right now, Wuhan is depending on initiatives like the Amateur City League Club (which engages 3,000 players in nearly two dozen Chinese Cities) to spread the Tennis Culture.

If Wuhan continues pushing tennis in China, and with the WTA establishing a position in the Chinese marketplace, the tour could continue to expand in the region. The key is to host enough tennis events in China to make Tennis commonplace, but without over saturating the market.

There must be a balance of sorts, especially if Wuhan is to recoup its investment in the long run.

Wuhan, China
Wuhan, China

Rafael Nadal To Return To Familiar British Territory Again in 2011: This Week in Tennis Business

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By Justin Cohen

  • Rafael Nadal, who became the first man to win consecutive French Open, Wimbledon and US Open titles since Rod Laver did so in 1969, has announced that he will play in the AEGON Championships at Queen’s Club in London in 2011. “I love playing at The Queen’s Club because it is a traditional club,” said Nadal. “Every time I have played there I have felt very welcome because of the British people and their support, and because of the tournament organizers who are so good at their job.” The AEGON Championships will take place from June 6-12, 2011.
  • On Tuesday, it was announced by BNP Paribas Open Tournament Director Steve Simon that a site improvement project has begun at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, which is the site of the BNP Paribas Open, an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 and Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Premier tennis tournament, to be held March 7-20, 2011. Among the improvements at the tournament site will be, the addition of four lighted practice tennis courts, new and upgraded sport lighting on match courts, and viewing platforms adjacent to the main practice courts. In addition, court lighting will be added to Courts 7 and 8, which means all tournament match courts will include lighting, and lighting is being upgraded on Stadium 2 and 3. This will give the tournament site eight lighted match courts for the BNP Paribas Open, and 10 lighted courts for the year-round members.  “Our goal is to continually seek ways to improve the Indian Wells Tennis Garden,” said Steve Simon, BNP Paribas Open Tournament Director. “Adding courts, lighting and additional upgrades will offer players and fans a better experience at the BNP Paribas Open and make it a more attractive destination for future events.

    Rafael Nadal
  • The USTA announced on Tuesday that eight of the nation’s top junior players will play against some of the top collegiate players in a unique round-robin tournament in the Land Rover Napa Valley Tennis Classic at the Meadowood Napa Valley in St. Helena, Calif., from Setpember 24-26. 2010 US Open Boys’ Champion Jack Sock leads the junior entry list, while four players will be represented from six NCAA Division I schools including the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Florida, the University of Illinois, the University of Kentucky, the University of Texas and the University of Southern California. Each school will send four players to compete alongside the eight juniors, and the 32-man field will be split into eight pools featuring three collegiate players and a junior.  Following three matches in pool play, the eight pool winners will compete in a single-elimination, 10-point tiebreak tournament.  The winner of the tournament will receive a USTA-sponsored wild card into a USTA Pro Circuit event that is yet to be determined. The event, which was founded 10 years ago by Cal-Berkeley coach Peter Wright and Meadowood Tennis Director Doug King, will feature junior players for the first time after being held exclusively for college players the first nine. “I’m very pleased that juniors are now being incorporated into this event and will be competing against some of the country’s top collegians,” said Patrick McEnroe, General Manager of USTA Player Development.  “Collegiate competition is a key component of the pathway from junior tennis to professional tennis, and letting our juniors compete with college veterans will help with their physical and mental development.” This will be the tenth consecutive year the event has been held at Meadowood, and the third year Land Rover has served as the title sponsor.
  • The exclusive presale ticket offer for the BNP Paribas Showdown at Madison Square Garden in New York City featuring exhibition matches between Andre Agassi vs. Pete Sampras and John McEnroe vs. Ivan Lendl, went on sale on Tuesday, September 21 at 12pm and will last until Sunday, September 26 at 11:59pm. Tickets can be ordered by calling 866-858-0008 or by going on the Ticket Master website at:  http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1D0044BC946346DF. Be sure to use the code STAR11. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Monday, September 27.
  • The ATP Champions Tour has added an event in Sydney at the Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre and John McEnroe and Australian tennis legend Patrick Rafter will participate in the tournament. The tournament, which will take place from November 11-14, will also feature former World No. 1 Mats Wilander, 2001 Wimbledon Champion Goran Ivanisevic, and Pat Cash.
  • The International Tennis Federation announced over the weekend that BNP Paribas will continue its sponsorship with Davis Cup and Fed Cup for an additional five years through 2016. The new agreement also includes sponsorship of Junior Davis Cup by BNP Paribas, Junior Fed Cup by BNP Paribas, ITF wheelchair tennis activities, and the biennial Worldwide Coaches Conference and regional coaches workshops. The recent announcement was made at the Davis Cup semifinal match between France and Argentina in Lyon. “BNP Paribas is an outstanding partner for the ITF’s international team competitions,” said Francesco Ricci Bitti, ITF President. “As one of the world’s largest banks, with a network in over 80 countries, it is a perfect fit for both Davis Cup and Fed Cup with its global reach. Added to this is BNP Paribas’s love of and commitment to tennis around the world, which is a responsibility that we at the ITF are proud to share with them. We look forward to a long and successful relationship with BNP Paribas, now through at least 2016.”
  • Bob and Mike Bryan will host the “All Star Tennis Fest & Wine Tasting benefiting the Bryan Brothers Foundation” on Saturday, September 25 at the Spanish Hills Country Club in Camarillo, Calif. The event will feature nine-time Grand Slam doubles champions Bob and Mike Bryan, Mardy Fish and Sam Querrey. The event will run from 1:00pm -5:00pm. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the official website: http://www.bbtennisfest.com.
  • Sir Elton John and Billie Jean King will bring their annual WTT Smash Hits charity night of tennis to Washington, D.C., for the first time in the events 18-year history on Monday, November 15 at the Bender Arena on the campus of American University. Tennis legends Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, Anna Kournikova and James Blake will join other top players for the WTT Smash Hits presented by GEICO. “We are so thrilled to bring Smash Hits to our nation’s capital this year,” said Billie Jean King, WTT co-founder. “This is the perfect venue for us to raise the awareness of HIV and AIDS and we are excited to build upon the growing support in the community for WTT.”
  • Former World No. 1 and four-time Grand Slam singles champion Jim Courier, as well as former World No. 10 Mikael Pernfors will headline the Third Annual Magarino Ford, Lincoln, Mercury Pro Tennis Classic Presented by Merrill Lynch on September 26 at the Lake Mohawk Tennis Club in Sparta, N.J., benefiting the Newton Memorial Hospital Foundation for improvements and upgrades to its Maternity Unit and Women’s Health Initiative.
  • The International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum has announced the election of eleven new members to the Board of Directors. The new directors were recently elected at the Hall of Fame’s Annual Meeting in New York City. The new directors are John P. Arnhold of New York; Mark D. Ein of Washington, D.C.; Renée A.R. Evangelista of Lincoln, R.I.; James (Jim) L. Farley of Cincinnati, Ohio; Philip H. Geier, Jr. of New York; Madam Sun Jinfang of China; Katherine Burton Jones of Newton, Mass.; Geoff Pollard AM of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Will Prest of Minneapolis, Minn.; Michelle Sicard of New York; and Ken Solomon of New York. Additionally, George Gowen, who served as General Counsel for the Hall of Fame for the past 30 years, has been recognized as a Hall of Fame Life Trustee. Gowen is a partner at the firm of Dunnington, Bartholow & Miller in New York.
  • Billie Jean King was inducted into the Tennis Industry Hall of Fame during a ceremony that took place in New York City during the 2010 US Open. “It’s an honor to be a part of the Tennis Industry Hall of Fame, and to follow in the footsteps of Dennis Van der Meer, Howard Head and Alan Schwartz,” said King.
  • Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) CEO Dan Santorum received the ITF Service to the Game Award at the International Tennis Federation’s (ITF) Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., and at the USTA Annual Meeting in New York City. The award is given to an individual who has rendered long and distinguished service to the game of tennis.
  • Miles Maclagan, Andy Murray’s former coach, will take over as Philipp Kohlschreiber’s new coach. Maclagan started coaching Murray in 2007 and helped him reach two Grand Slam singles finals before losing his job this past July. Maclagan is a former Great Britain Davis Cup player and reached a career high No. 172 in the ATP Rankings in 1995.
  • According to the Daily Mail, Laura Robson has split with her coach Martin Bok, though the two may continue to work together until the end of the season. The paper indicated that Bok did not want to increase his traveling as Robson plays more tournaments starting next year.
  • Richard Gasquet has stopped working with coach Gabriel Markus. “I’ve been happy to work with Richard and we’ve had success,” Markus told L’Equipe. “He has improved his ranking and his tennis. I tried to show him my way of seeing things and I did a little, but I think it’ll be more confortable to continue as before, with Eric Deblicker. They have a very good relationship, and I wish them the best.”
  • According to Nielsen, Rafael Nadal’s four-set win over Novak Djokovic in the championship match of the US Open averaged 2.17 million viewers between CBS and ESPN2. That’s down 36 percent from 3.39 million from last year’s five-set final between Roger Federer and Juan Martin del Potro, all shown on CBS. This year’s final was pushed from Sunday to Monday because of the rain and was then rain-delayed for two hours forcing CBS to push their coverage to ESPN2.
  • The top six Spanish WTA Tour players announced that they will boycott the opening round of Fed Cup next year because of dissatisfaction with the Spanish Federation’s “total lack of support and interest towards Spanish women’s tennis.” The letter was sent to the Federation by players Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, Anabel Medina Garrigues, Arantxa Parra Santonja, Carla Suarez Navarro, Nuria Llagostera Vives and Lourdes Dominguez Lino. Among the complaints was the lack of funding and the decision to hold the Spanish national championships on clay during the hardcourt season. More recently, the Spanish Federation released a statement saying they are committed to putting more money into the women’s game. Parra Santonja has told the EFE that the top Spanish women players are sticking to their plans to boycott their first round Fed Cup match next year despite the Spanish Federation trying to counter their concerns.
  • Lleyton Hewitt may be sidelined for up to three weeks with a right hand injury that forced him to pull out of Australia’s Davis Cup World Group playoff against Belgium last weekend.
  • Zheng Jie of China will likely miss the rest of the year due to left wrist surgery.
  • According to Russian press, 2004 French Open champion Anastasia Myskina gave birth to her second child, a boy, two weeks ago. Myskina already has a 2 ½ year old son, Zhenya.
  • Bob Bryan announced on his Twitter page that he got engaged to girlfriend, Michelle Alvarez, an Attorney, at Pfeifer Falls in Big Sur, Calif.
  • Mahesh Bhupathi and former Miss Universe Lara Dutta are officially engaged according to his Twitter page and India press. However, a publicist for Dutta said that “there are no plans for a wedding for the next couple of years.” Bhupathi divorced his former wife earlier this year after six years of marriage.

THE WILD WORLD OF WILD CARDS

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By Charles Bricker

It was all done by the ATP rule book, which states clearly that wild cards — for both the main draw and qualifying — are at the complete discretion of the tournament.

Vince Spadea
Vince Spadea

But that didn’t make it any less confounding after executives of this week’s BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., chose to dole out three of their five qualifying tournament cards to aging, unknown players and a fourth to 35-year-old Vince Spadea, who has played only one match this year, who has lost six straight dating back to 2009 and who is probably near retirement after winning only two of his last 16 matches.

As is sometimes the case on the ATP and WTA tours, wild cards go not to promising juniors or older former champions, but as favors to players who are known to tournament officials.

None of the five who received qualifying wild cards at Indian Wells, predictably, made it through the required two rounds into the main draw, though 18-year-old Serbian Filip Krajinovic, the only one of the five for whom a strong wild card argument could be made, did win a round before going out to American Tim Smyczek on Wednesday.

You might feel that wild cards should be disbursed purely on the basis of performance — past performance in the case of older former stars. But the people who control the cards aren’t required to make their case to anyone. It’s at their discretion, which is why No. 772-ranked Roman Borvanov received a card into the qualifying.

Borvanov’s ranking wouldn’t be an issue if he was a 17-year-old junior who had just turned pro and who looked as if he had a strong future in tennis. But Borvanov, who played for the University of Portland, will be 28 years old on March 31. He’s so obscure that the official ATP website has virtually no personal information on him, including whether he plays righthanded or left.

“He’s got a real following around here,” tournament director Steve Simon explained. That local connection was Borvanov’s ticket to a free ride into the quallies, ahead of several promising U.S. teenagers who could have used the card.

Borvanov lost to Lu Yen-Hsun 6-3, 6-4 in the opening round, winning only six of Lu’s 43 service points. But Borvanov, born in Moldava and now a U.S. citizen, wasn’t the only anonymous tennis pro to get a wild card into Indian Wells qualifying. Here are the others:

* Brian Battistone, 30, of Las Vegas. He was No. 853 last November, but has since lost all his points, which means he no longer has a singles ranking. He is, however, No. 245 in doubles. Despite his years as a pro, he’s never played a regular, main draw ATP singles match. Lost to American Jesse Witten 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 in the first round.

* Jose de Armas of Venezuela, 28, and No. 416. He was once as high as No. 236. This season he’s reached the semis and quarters of two Futures events, which are the third and final level of tournament quality on the men’s tour. He’s never played an Indian Wells main draw. Lost to Bjorn Phau 6-2, 7-6 (4) in the opening round.

* Spadea of Boca Raton, Fla., 35, and ranked No. 410. He has played only one match this year, losing at Delray Beach, Fl., where he got a wild card into the main draw because of the tournament’s proximity to his home. Spadea was an Indian Wells semifinalist in 2003, but, overall, has only a 9-12 record at the tournament. Lost to Thiago Alves 6-1, 6-7 (4), 6-0 in the first round.

* Krajinovic of Serbia, 18, and ranked No. 351. He reached No. 6 as a junior and has had a couple of wins this season over players ranked in the 100s. He’s a significant prospect who justifies a wild card based on his ability. Defeated former French Open winner Gaston Gaudio 6-7 (2), 7-5, 7-5 in the opening round, then lost to Smyczek 6-1, 6-0.

The Indian Wells 1000 is followed in two weeks by the Sony Ericsson Open 1000 on Key Biscayne, Fl., where they appear to have a different philosophy about giving out wild cards.

In 2009, Key Biscayne executives similarly had five wild cards to give in qualifying. They went to former Grand Slam winners Gaudio and Thomas Johansson, both of whom had seen their rankings plummet because of injuries; to young U.S. prospects Alex Domijan of Tampa and Michael McClune of Irvine, Calif.; and to another American, Taylor Dent, a former No. 21 player who had fought back from two back surgeries and two and a half years of inactivity to get back into pro tennis.

The Sony Ericsson Open adheres to the same philosophy as most tournaments, which give wild cards to (a) strong junior prospects of any nationality and (b) former champions with high name recognition.

But when a tournament has complete discretion, a wild card can be given for any reason.

In 1999, Jan-Michael Gambill had the greatest tournament of his career, beating No. 1 Pete Sampras, then Andre Agassi in the semis and Lleyton Hewitt in the final to win Scottsdale, Ariz. A year later, beset by injury, his declining ranking of 86 was too low to get directly into the tournament, so he asked for a wild card. The defending champion was denied and the three main draw cards given to clients of IMG, which owned the tournament. Gambill was represented by a different firm.

It’s like the rule book says. Complete discretion.

Charles Bricker can be reached at nflwriterr@aol.com