Galleryfurniture.com has signed a deal to title sponsor
this year's ATP Tour stop in Atlanta, formerly called the
AT&T Tennis Challenge, to be held April 8-16.
Galleryfurniture.com receives on-site signage and
promotional opportunities, as well as ad units during FSN's
broadcast of the event's semifinals and finals April 15 and
16. SFX Sports Group handled the deal (THE DAILY).
BYE-BYE? Richard Williams said yesterday that he is
"encouraging" his daughter Venus to retire from tennis.
Richard Williams: "[Venus is] in the process of making some
major-league decisions" (MIAMI HERALD, 3/29). He added,
"Venus is one of the greatest entrepreneurs in the world,
next to me. She'd do so much better if she retired right
now and went to build her business the way I've built mine"
(SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, 4/3 issue). Richard also said that his
daughter Serena "might retire when her endorsement deal with
Puma expires in three years" (CBS SportsLine, 3/28).
HE LIKES NIKE: In Miami, Juan Rodriguez reports that
Yevgeny Kafelnikov, currently ranked No. 1 in the ATP
Champions Race, "wears Nike gear during matches and doesn't
receive a penny for doing so," which is "unheard of for a
player of Kafelnikov's stature." Kafelnikov: "I found Nike
a very comfortable outfit, so that's why I'm wearing it.
I'm not a businessman. I don't know how things are going in
that respect" (MIAMI HERALD, 3/29).
