WTA CEO Steve Simon visited Manchester to "discuss the city's interest in hosting the WTA Finals" from '19, according to Stuart Fraser of the LONDON TIMES. Simon was "impressed by what the Manchester Arena and the city as a whole had to offer" as he searches for a new home for the WTA's "season-ending showpiece." Manchester City Council will make its bid official in the next week by submitting an "expression of interest" letter, with support from the Lawn Tennis Association. The All England Lawn Tennis Club reportedly also "offered its backing." An LTA spokesperson said, "We can confirm the submission is led by MCC, supported by the LTA and other key partners. It is very early in the process to divulge further detail but what we can say categorically is that the U.K., and Manchester specifically, has a long and established pedigree for staging world-class sporting events on a global scale and provides the ideal time zone, transport links and progressive marketplace to optimize the profile of the WTA and women's tennis." After five years in Singapore, it is "likely that the finals will move to a European venue." Manchester "will face strong competition" from Prague and St. Petersburg. Simon's vision is to "build a home for the event," in much the same way that the ATP World Tour Finals has done by remaining at the O2 Arena in London since '09. The WTA board will discuss the various bids in December, with an announcement expected in April (LONDON TIMES, 10/27).
