The "power struggle" to fill Corel WTA Tour CEO Anne
Worcester's position and "control the future direction of
the women's tour could well set back a game just now surging
ahead," according to Andrea Leand of TENNIS. Leand: "Each
of the various parties involved wants a CEO who will support
their side of the myriad issues facing the women's game --
including five combined women's and men's events." In her
term, Leand notes Worcester "utilized every possible
resource, most notably" IMG, to secure sponsors Corel and
Chase, and to establish an int'l TV package. But these
"very entities with whom she worked, who now give her only
marginal credit for polishing the fledgling image the tour
had three years ago, may undermine her hope for, as she put
it, 'a smooth transition of leadership.'" Leand: "The most
common sense move would be to hire a CEO who understands the
benefits of the combined-events idea. ... The WTA Tour
finally has a wealth of talent on the court. It's time to
put aside the power struggles and court real talent for its
top spot" (TENNIS, 6/97 issue).