2003 LIVERPOOL INTERNATIONAL TENNIS TOURNAMENT CANCELLED
By Mike Doran.
NORTHERN Vision Limited announced earlier this week the cancellation of the Liverpool International Tennis Tournament for 2003.
Promoter Anders Borg said he had 'little choice' in making the decision after the ATP consulted with the LTA, who refused to waive a rule that prevents ATP top 50 players competing in a tournament within 100 miles of an ATP event.
The ATP rule centred on that fact Liverpool lies within 100 miles of Nottingham 'as the crow flies', despite the fact the venue - Liverpool's Calderstones Park is 106 miles by road from the Nottingham Tennis Centre.
After successfully hosting the event last year, won by former US open champion Marat Safin, Borg slammed the ruling bodies in tennis for using petty rules to stop the sport growing,
“This is a sad day not only for me, for the event and for Liverpool but for tennis as well. Last year was a fantastic start for a new event and the players and the city saw that it could grow into something special. This year we had 5,000 children signed up to see players and be coached."
”Tennis fans will be asking the ATP and LTA where can I go now? Or are the ATP and LTA happy that tennis fans are being deprived of tennis? And given the ruling we had no option but to inform Liverpool city council that we had to cancel the event due to this absurd ruling''
The Office of Fair Trading is now investigating the conduct of the ATP/LTA in this matter.
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