The European Community Tennis championships, due to be held in Antwerp in October, have been cancelled.
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Your support makes all the difference.The European Community championships, due to be held in Antwerp in October, have been cancelled. The ATP Tour chief executive officer, Mark Miles, said the decision was made after organisers could not guarantee the construction of two new courts at the Antwerp Sportpaleis. The tournament, famous for its diamond-studded golden racket trophy, was this year promoted to "Super-Nine" status, one of the nine biggest one-week events in the ATP calendar.
The South African Open gained a temporary reprieve yesterday when an anonymous Cape Town businessman put up the 1.2m rand (£210,000) bridging finance needed to keep the event in the country. The Tennis South Africa Marketing manager, Francois Baird, said: "We now have time to find a sponsor or, failing which, to sell the event for its true market value. The ATP is assisting us in devising an attractive sponsorship package."
The first WTA clay court tournament to be staged in Britain will take place at the West Hants club in Bournemouth from 16 to 20 May.
JAPAN OPEN (Tokyo) Men's first round: W Masur (Aus) bt P McEnroe (US) 6-2 6-4; S Lareau (Can) bt R Smith (Bahamas) 6-3 6-3; J Hlasek (Swit) bt M Petchey (GB) 7-5 2-6 6-1; L Roux (Fr) bt T Suzuki (Japan) 6-4 6-4; D Poliakov (Ukr) bt G Raoux (Fr) 6-2 6-3; L Nemecek (Cz Rep) bt P Wekesa (Ken) 6-3 7-5; K Carlsen (Den) bt T Nydahl (Swe) 6-4 6-2; M Joyce (US) bt D Norman (Bel) 7-6 6-3; N Pereira (Ven) bt Sule Ladipo (Nigeria) 4- 6 6-4 6-1; D Prinosil (Ger) bt P Baur (Ger) 6-1 6-2; A Jarryd (Swe) bt L Herrera (Mex) 6-2 5-7 6-1; S Campbell (US) bt L Tieleman (It) 6-1 6- 4; J Kroslak (Slovak) bt A Mronz (Ger) 7-6 6-2; L Barthez (Fr) bt L Rehmann (Ger) 7-6 (7-3) 6-3. Second round: T Enqvist (Swe) bt G Motomura (Japan) 6- 2 6-3. Women's first round: P Fendick (US) bt A Ellwood (Aus) 6-3 6-3; A Frazier (US) bt R Hiraki (Japan) 6-1 6-2; K Nagatsuka (Japan) bt K Kroupova (Cz Rep) 6-1 6-1; Chen Li (Ch) bt M Miyauchi (Japan) 6-4 6-0; N Kijimuta (Japan) bt K Radford (Aus) 6- 0 6-4; R Grande (It) bt R McQuillan (Aus) 1-6 6-3 6-3; N Miyagi (Japan) bt Yi Jingquian (Ch) 7-6 6-3; J Watanabe (US) bt A Kerek (Ger) 5-7 6-1 6-0; L Poruri (US) bt M Saeki (Japan) 6- 2 7-5; T Min (HK) bt T Snyder (US) 6-4 7-5; M Endo (Japan) bt M Drake (Can) 4-6 7-6 7-6. Second round: K Date (Japan) bt R Stubbs (Aus) 6-4 6-1.
HOUSTON WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP (Texas) First round: J Kruger (SA) bt S Stafford (US) 6-3 6-2; A Carlsson (Swe) bt B Fulco-Villela (Arg) 6-1 6-3; T Whitlinger- Jones (US) bt K Nowak (Pol) 7-5 6-3.
SPANISH MEN'S OPEN (Barcelona) First round: E Sanchez (Sp) bt J Eltingh (Neth) 6-4 6-4; T Champion (Fr) bt A Corretja (Sp) 6-4 5-7 6-3; O Gross (Ger) bt D Wheaton (US) 6-2 4-6 6-2; F Santoro (Fr) bt S Noszaly (Hun) 5-7 6-1 6-2; J Yzaga (Peru) bt A Costa (Sp) 6-2 6-3; T Muster (Aut) bt J Burillo (Sp) 4-6 7-6 6-2; J Arrese (Sp) bt F Claver (Sp) 6-2 4-6 7-6; J Golmard (Fr) bt M Goellner (Ger) 6-2 3-6 7-6; G Forget (Fr) bt A Boetsch (Fr) 7-6 6-3; A Chesnokov (Rus) bt A Olhovsky (Rus) 7-6 7-5. Second round: J Sanchez (Sp) bt A Medvedev (Ukr) 6-1 1-6 6-0; Y Kafelnikov (Rus) bt R Fromberg (Aus) 6-2 6-7 6-2; R Carretero (Sp) bt R Krajicek (Neth) 7- 5 6-2 6-2.
LEADING MEN'S RANKINGS: 1 A Agassi (US) 4,403pts; 2 P Sampras (US) 4,216; 3 B Becker (Ger) 3,274; 4 S Bruguera (Sp) 2,556; 5 Y Kafelnikov (Rus) 2,538; 6 M Chang (US) 2,519; 7 A Berasategui (Sp) 2,479; 8 M Stich (Ger) 2,467; 9 G Ivanisevic (Croa) 2,394; 10 W Ferreira (SA) 2,030. GB: 55 J Bates 700pts; 113 M Petchey 420; 153 C Wilkinson 284; 226 D Sapsford 164; 241 T Henman 155; 264 R Matheson 140; 276 N Gould 130; 283 G Henderson 121; 290 M Maclagan 118; 300 A Foster 114.
LEADING WOMEN'S RANKINGS: 1 S Graf (Ger); 2 A Sanchez Vicario (Sp); 3 M Pierce (Fr); 4 C Martinez (Sp); 5 J Novotna (Cz Rep); 6 L Davenport (US); 7 G Sabatini (Arg); 8 K Date (Japan); 9 M Maleeva (Bul); 10 N Zvereva (Bela).
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