ERSA Pro Stringer Magazine 4 - 2019 prostringer 4 -2019 web | Page 14

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NEWS SHORTS
The 2019 ITF Beach Tennis World Championships will be held in
Terracina, Italy, from 10-16 June.
The fi rst round of renovations is due to be complete in time for this year’s Roland Garros ,
with the rebuilding of the main Court Philippe Chatrier due to be fi nished in April. A retractable roof
is set to be complete in timefor the 2020 tournament.
A change of venue for the Miami Open paid immediate dividends, with this year’s event
smashing attendance records to welcome almost 400,000 fans.
Russian young gun Karen Khachanov is the latest top player to sign an endorsement
deal with Swiss watchmaker Rolex. Rolex also recently reaffi rmed its commitment to the role of Of-
fi cial Timekeeper of the Davis Cup.
BNP Paribas and the ITF have announced the next phase of their long-standing as-
sociation, focusing on women and junior tennis while ending the ‘Davis Cup by BNP Paribas’ title
sponsorship.
Ian Hewitt has been named by the All England Club as the successor to current Chairman
Philip Brook, and will take over at the end of the year.
Indian technology company Infosys has agreed a strategic
partnership with Roland Garros, adding to its portfolio of grand slam tennis tournaments.
ATP Media has extended its partnership with Live-Wire Sport for a further two years to
continue delivering the strategy for Tennis TV’s social media channels.
It follows the success of a collaboration that began in 2017 and has helped achieve signifi cant
growth for the offi cial live streaming service of the ATP Tour.
12th Annual TIA Forum Set for Aug. 26 in NYC
The 12th Annual TIA Tennis Forum will be Monday, Aug. 26, at the Grand Hyatt New York, start-
ing at 8:30 a.m. The Tennis Forum will include the latest news and research about the state of
the tennis industry, business insights, updates on grow-the-game initiatives, and recognition of
the 2019 Tennis Industry Hall of Fame inductees. This year’s Forum also will include an interac-
tive “Discovery Challenge,” drawing out creative ideas to help address the issues of engagement
and in tennis.
Stay tuned for more information and registration at TennisIndustry.org/forum.
US Open Qualifying Extended to Five Days
The 2019 US Open Qualifying Tournament will begin on Monday, Aug. 19, and run through Friday, Aug. 23,
marking the fi rst time the tournament will begin on a Monday, rather than Tuesday. It also extends the event to fi ve
days, from four days in previous years. The move to a fi ve-day event will allow for greater scheduling
fl exibility for the US Open Qualifying Tournament, providing a
greater window in case of weather issues. The US Open Qualifying Tournament features 128 men and 128 women at-
tempting to win three matches to earn berths into the main draw; in total, 16 men and 16 women will earn a spot in the
2019 US Open main draw. The US Open Qualifying event, which is free to thepublic, is the fi fth biggest tournament in
the U.S. Last year’s tournament awardedmore than $3 million in prize money.
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ERSA PRO STRINGER // ISSUE 4-2019