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Dubai tennis bowls over ATP chief |
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2/28/2006 8:30:37 AM |
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DUBAI — Etinne de Villiers, executive chairman and president of ATP, has been very impressed with the DDF Men's Tennis Championships which enter its 14th year.
"It is a wonderful tournament and it has exceeded my expectation," the chairman said during the draw for the men's event at the Aviation Club here yesterday. He said Dubai Duty Free had created the tournament more as an entertainment to ensure that people come to have a great day. "The championship has shown enterprise and flair. I am very grateful to you for providing the players with the best facilities and great rewards," he said.
Speaking later on about drugs, Villiers, said the ATP is being strict with the issue. "We are doing our best to minimise drugs in the sport."
And on the promotion of tennis, he said the ATP was working to get more people to appreciate the game. "We want the fans to care about the sport as we have great tournaments. We are also working on ways how to make television a visual attraction to the fans."
On the question of complaints by some players for a congested calendar, Villiers said: "To have few tournaments for the top 16 is less relevant. We want to bring other players to participate in our organised tournaments in order to promote the sport."
He explained that some of the players are smart as they select tournaments they want to participate in during the season. The ATP president made special mention of Andre Agassi who selects tournaments to compete in every season. Agassi, according to him, plays in not more than 19 tournaments a season. But Villiers, however, warned that the players cannot compete only in big money tournaments. "The ATP is still in control and we would like to see the players participate in most championships," he added.
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