 |
Knowles (l), Nestor Open To Conducting
Post-Match Clinics For Fans |
ATP CMO Phil Anderton said that the tour has “mapped out a more aggressive, in-your-face
agenda” to promote doubles this season, which “could include a giveaway of autographed
rackets, on-court clinics after matches and vouchers to doubles parties, where
fans can meet the players,” according to Charles Bricker of the South Florida
SUN-SENTINEL. The “strongest opposition” to eliminating doubles play on the tour
in ’05, came from incoming ATP Chair & CEO Etienne de Villiers. He “shortened
doubles matches to just over an hour by using no-ad scoring and a super-tiebreak
in lieu of a third set.” The ATP then signed Stanford Financial to a three-year,
$1M deal to sponsor doubles and “chipped in another $50,000 of its own.” ATP tournaments
were “ordered to improve publicity of doubles play, including placement of key
doubles matches on show courts.” But still “tour stars aren’t playing more doubles,
and attendance isn’t better.” Anderton said, “There are a whole group of people
who play the game as leisure activity. We want them to come along and see how
the top players play the game. I was talking last week with [doubles players Mark
Knowles and Daniel Nestor], asking if they would be willing to do the additional
work of giving an on-court clinic after one of their matches. They were absolutely
willing to do that” (
South
Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 3/4).
