Dutch Open Sold to Djokovic Family After Setback With Sponsor 14/10/2008 |
|
| |
| |
The Dutch Open tennis tournament will be sold to the family of Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic after failing to attract a sponsor, its director said.
``It's a shame,'' Hans Felius said in a phone interview today. ``After our main sponsor dropped out at the beginning of the year, our backs were against the wall.'' The agreement is subject to approval by the ATP Tour, Felius said.
The 50-year-old event, originally held in Amsterdam, ran into financial trouble after Krijco, a Dutch casino, ended its sponsorship because a change in Dutch law meant it would pay higher taxes. The credit crisis had also made it more difficult to find a new sponsor, he said. Ticket sales in recent years had been slow because of a lack of top Dutch players.
Dutch Open champions include Rod Laver, Cliff Drysdale and Guillermo Vilas. Third-ranked Djokovic won his first ATP Tour title at the Dutch Open in 2006 as a 19-year-old.
The event, which was won by Spaniard Albert Montanes last year, is moving to the first week of May from July to be a tune- up match for the French Open. Djokovic, his father Srdjan and uncle Goran Djokovic are planning to move the tournament to Belgrade, Felius said.
Felius on Oct. 2 said his costs may increase 20 percent to about 3 million euros ($4.1 million) next year, meaning the competition needed about 1 million euros from sponsors to keep it running.
(Source: Bloomberg)
|
| Back |
| |
| |
|
|
 |
Advertisement
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
