Tuesday, March 24, 2009

BUSINESS NEWS

Giant Bank BNP Paribas Likes Sponsoring Indian Wells

Friendly rivalry rather than out and out competition used to be the order of the day between Charlie Pasarell and Butch Buchholz, the respective guiding lights of the high profile back to back tournaments in Indian Wells and Key Biscayne.
Now sponsors have entered into the equation and it seems that BNP Paribas, the French bank that has long backed the Davis Cup, Fed Cup and events in Europe including Roland Garros, believe they have upper hand over Sony Ericsson who of course don’t just underwrite this week’s top flight tournament but sponsor the WTA Tour and boast Maria Sharapova as their global ambassador.
Speaking proudly of the Indian Wells event and carefully choosing to ignore the fact Venus and Serena Williams still refuse to play the event, Michelle Sicard, BNP Paribas’ Head of Corporate Communications in North America, chose to say: “It is the fifth-largest tournament after the Grand Slams. This also makes our involvement in tennis unique. No other company is involved in one sport like this.”
This was the first year of BNP Paribas involvement that initially stretches five years with another five year option. Ms Sicard continued: “We are not a company that spends millions and millions of dollars in advertising. We think tennis is a good way to balance, and there's good name recognition. We think it's a win-win.
It's also good for the players. They are so committed, and they've been so faithful for 35 years. It brings credibility to the event in Indian Wells because I think BNP Paribas has credibility in the world of tennis, more brand awareness.”
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Scottrade Announces Sponsorship of 2009 Sony Ericsson Open

Scottrade announces it is the Official Online Broker of the 2009 Sony Ericsson Open, to be held March 25 through April 5 at Tennis Center at Crandon Park in Miami, Fla.
As part of its sponsorship, Scottrade will be featured prominently throughout the 2009 Sony Ericsson Open. Tennis fans will see the company’s signage in the stadium, on the grandstand sidewalls and on the scoreboard. In addition, Scottrade advertising will appear online and on CBS during the men’s and women’s finals on April 4 and 5.
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Czech Republic to Host Argentina in Ostrava for Davis Cup

Ostrava will always have its place in tennis history as the birthplace of former world no.1 Ivan Lendl and the Czech Republic’s current day players Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek clearly views the city as a Davis Cup stronghold.
Successive home victories on the indoor carpet of the CEZ Arena against  Belgium in last year’s World Group first round and then a repeat performance earlier this month against the much favored French means that Berdych, Stepanek and fellow team members Jan Hernych and Lukas Dlouhy have stressed to captain Jarsolav Navratil that Ostrava is now their fortress.
So the Argentina team led by new captain Modesto Vasquez know they will be in for a tough time in the quarterfinal tie to be staged immediately after Wimbledon this summer on 10-12 July. Despite the absence of their top two players Juan Martin del Potro and David Nalbandian, Argentina won their World Group opener 5-0 against the Netherlands but that was on home territory in Buenos Aires. The team’s last two excursions away, to Gothenburg for the 2007 quarter final against Sweden, and Moscow for the 2006 final with Russia, both ended in defeat.
The Czechs, under the banner of Czechoslovakia, won the Davis Cup for the only time in 1980, taking the final 4-1 against Italy in Prague with Lendl spearheading the team.  Five years earlier they were defeated by a Bjorn Borg led Sweden in Stockholm. Now the nation is looking to reach the  Davis Cup semifinals for the first time since 1996
Croatia is set to announce the venue for its quarterfinal against USA on April 1, while Israel and Spain have been given extensions until April 6 before making announcements about their respective clashes with Russia and Germany.
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Clijsters to Announce Return to Tour This Week

We thought it was only a matter of time, and now we know. Kim Clijsters is planning a comeback and she intends to play at the U.S. Open where she claimed her only Grand Slam title in 2005.
According to UK newspaper The Independent, the 25-year old who married basketball player Brian Lynch in July 2007 and then gave birth to a daughter in February last year, is expected to announce her schedule later this week. Clijsters has apparently been seeking advice from Lindsay Davenport, who also returned to the tour with modest success after giving birth, and her management have already made an approach to U.S. Open organizers regarding a wild card.
Clijsters has already signed up to play at Wimbledon alongside Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf and Tim Henman in a special exhibition match on May 17 when the new roof over Centre Court will be tested, and she will play two World Team Tennis matches for the St. Louis Aces in July. She has also announced that she will play an exhibition match against Michaella Krajicek at s’Hertogenbosch on June 14 during the Ordina Open there.

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Azarenka is Moving Up

Victoria Azarenka made history this week when she became only the second Belarusian player to crack the Top 10 on the Tour, after Natasha Zvereva in the 1980s. After reaching the semifinals at Indian Wells, Azarenka is the only teenage player ranked in the Top 10. She also simultaneously made her Top 10 doubles debut, after gaining her second doubles title of year at Indian Wells with partner Vera Zvonareva. She also has two singles titles, earned in Brisbane and Memphis.

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Ivanovic is Designing T-Shirts for Charity

Ana Ivanovic, in co-operation with the United Nations Children's Fund, is launching her own limited edition adidas t-shirts, with a portion of every sale to be donated to UNICEF charities.
A special website, www.anastyle.com, has been created, where fans are invited to cast their votes for their favorite designs in order to determine which ones are produced. There are three types of t-shirt - women's, girls' and unisex - and the two most popular designs in each category will be made. The deadline for voting is April 5, and everyone who votes will be entered into a draw for one of five t-shirts signed by the popular Serb.
All t-shirts will feature the UNICEF logo and will be sold beginning in May in adidas stores in Serbia and on Ivanovic's official website.
Ivanovic, who takes time out regularly from her schedule on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour for charitable activities, was named a UNICEF National Ambassador to Serbia in September 2007. Her work with the organization specializes in child safety in schools.
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Gottfried to Guest Coach at Bollettieri Academy

Nick Bollettieri has enlisted another former pupil from his star studded alumni to join the coaching staff IMG Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida in the shape of Brian Gottfried.
The 57 year-old former world no.3 and 1977 French Open finalist will join Brad Gilbert as one of the academy’s guest coaches. He will spend one week per month at Bradenton working across the board with students and players of every level within the tennis program.
Bollettieri enthused: “"It is fantastic to have Brian back at the Academy. He was one of my first students, and his in-depth expertise of tennis will have a tremendous effect on every single one of our students. I can’t wait to work with Brian once again."
In addition the high respected trio of Pat Dougherty, Bob Davis and Ricardo Icaza will also bolster the NBTA coaching strength. Icaza, a former top 50 player who captained Ecuador's Davis Cup team for seven years, will oversee tournament scheduling and travel and will travel with NBTA students. Dougherty, respected for his skills in teaching and coaching the serve, will work with students on site in Bradenton. Davis will oversee the Academy's adult program.
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Ancic Speaks to Students at Harvard Law School

Newly graduated Croatian attorney Mario Ancic made a detour as he traveled between Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami, speaking briefly to students at the prestigious Harvard Law School.
The 29th-ranked Croatian ranked received his own law degree back homo in Split last spring and has the skills in reserve for when he ends his career on court. He spoke on the business side of tennis, engaging mainly in Q&A with students.
"It was like playing on Centre Court at Wimbledon," Ancic told American media. "It's even more than I imagined it would be. I felt very privileged to walk the grounds and visit places like the Harvard Law School and the Harvard Business School."
Ancic began his legal studies on a part-time basis in 2002 and wrote a 63-page thesis on the legal side of the ATP.
"There were a lot of questions about tennis contracts, how the ATP operates, what benefits there are of being an ATP member, such as health insurance and a pension plan. I also talked about how I like to work closely with my agents when doing contracts," he said at the Harvard session.
Ancic was able to bear down on his degree during 2007 when he was sidelined with glandular fever and was able to study almost full-time at home as he recovered.

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We Hear---
--that Nick Bollettieri will introduce one more guest coach for the academy this Spring.
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THIS WEEK
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NEXT WEEK
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Miami
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