Lack of sponsors puts Thailand Open on the brink

Tournament director Geoffrey Rowe said long-running support from Pattaya City and Chon Buri province had been terminated for 2015 as local authorities are no longer allowed to back international sporting events.

“At the same time funding from other key sponsors has also been cut which means the financial viability of the tournament is at risk. We have no option but to go ahead with the tournament in 2015 but we need to seriously consider the situation beyond next year. It is a great pity as the tournament is Thailand’s longest-running professional sporting event and we were looking forward to celebrating our 25th anniversary in 2016,” Geoffrey said. 

The 2015 edition will go ahead as planned from February 8 to 15 at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Pattaya and retain its original name – the PTT Thailand Open – to reflect the status of the event as the only remaining world tour tennis tournament in Thailand, following the demise of the ATP Thailand Open two years ago. 

The PTT Thailand Open will take place over eight days in 2015, with the qualifying rounds on February 8-9 and the main draw commencing from February 9 and running through to the finals on February 15.

Day tickets are Bt300 for February 8 (qualifying), and Bt300, Bt500, Bt800 and Bt1,200 for February 9-15. Special rates are available for groups. Call (02) 3113 414/5 or visit www.pentanglepromotions.com. 

 

Federer lukewarm on IPTL rules 

Swiss great Roger Federer gave a lukewarm response to the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) after making his debut for the Indian Aces on Sunday.

“My mind was definitely scrambling trying to remember all the rules,” a smiling Federer, a late replacement for the injured Rafa Nadal in the Indian team, told reporters.

With its emphasis on speed, fun and noise, an IPTL tie comprises five one-set shoot-outs in men’s and women’s singles, men’s and mixed doubles and a past champions match with the team that wins the most games, not sets, declared the winner.

Additional features include a 20-second serve clock, a ‘Happiness Power Point’ in which a point is worth double once per set, no advantages, no lets, coaching timeouts and a five-minute shootout if a match is tied at 5-5.

Federer won his men’s singles, doubles and mixed doubles against Singapore Slammers at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium but the 17-times grand slam champion said he found some of the rules “strange” and others unnecessary.

“The one I think is most unnecessary here is like when you start the motion and let’s say you miss the ball toss, that counts as mistake,” he said.

“I think that’s probably most unnecessary.”