ATP Champions tour to bring tennis greats to Chengdu
This weekend Chengdu will take a big step closer to being a major sports city by hosting the inaugural Chengdu Open the only Asian stop on the 12-leg ATP Champions Tour.
The tournament will be held November 5-8 at the 6,700-seat Sichuan Tennis Centre.
Former top world tennis players competing in the Chengdu Open include John McEnroe, Björn Borg, Michael Chang, Pat Cash (added after Mats Wilander pulled out due to injury), Goran Ivanisevic, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Sergi Bruguera and Thomas Enqvist.
The round-robin tournament will feature eight players divided into two groups, with the winners of each group meeting in the final.
A revival of the McEnroe-Borg rivalry is undoubtedly the most anticipated match prior to the final – the two have played each other in some of the greatest Grand Slam finals ever. The two will play each other once again on Saturday night.
In addition to the competition, the visiting tennis legends will run clinics with local children, with the goal of encouraging China's youth to take up the sport.
For ticket information (plus online ordering) and a match schedule, visit the tournament's official website.
This article was posted by Chris and published November 3, 2009
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