Thursday, March 26, 2009

BUSINESS NEWS

WTA’s Scott Explains his Actions

Larry Scott has admitted that his decision to turn his back on tennis and begin a new career as Commissioner of the NCAA’s PAC-10 Conference was prompted by his failure to convince the ATP board that the time was right to combine men’s and women’s tennis in one supremely marketable entity.
Scott revealed he yearned to link the roles of chief executive of both the ATP World Tour and the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. Indeed when Etienne de Villiers announced he was standing down from the men’s tour last year, Scott was interviewed for the post and made a presentation outlining the benefits of joining the two roles.
He was unsuccessful with the ATP board instead deciding to appoint former Nike executive Adam Helfant. But Scott said: “I really had a deep belief and vision that the men's and women's tours should merge to really fully unlock the value of professional tennis and really allow tennis to compete at a higher level.
“Having been an executive at the ATP for eleven years, and now six years at the helm of the WTA, there is no question in my mind that both the men's tour and the women's tour would be stronger, and tennis would be stronger and compete better with other sports, if the tours merged for a variety of reasons.
“So I advocated for that and I campaigned for that.  I had a chance to meet with the ATP board in December where I proposed it formally to them, and for a variety of reasons it wasn't accepted.  It's clear that tennis, for whatever reasons, isn't ready for that vision to be realized.”
Scott sees clear benefits of an amalgamation of the men’s and women’s tours.  Speaking at the outset of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, he said: “I'm out there every day in the television markets, sponsorship market, competing for media space.  We would present the sport in a less fragmented way if it was together.
“An example is this tournament. If you're a fan in Europe, you watch the men's matches on one channel, the women's matches on a different channel.  That can't be the smartest way to present the sport.
“There are slightly different rules and regulations, branding and sponsors.  It's a very long list of things that are different.  I think I've got a very simple notion that the easier we make it for fans to follow tennis and understand, the more following there will be and the stronger we'll be commercially.  In terms of our limited resources for marketing and promotion and media, it would just be much more powerful. “
Having his recommendations ignored, Scott decided the time was right for a period of introspection over Christmas and the New Year. He did not travel to the Australian Open and came to the conclusion that he wanted to spend less time traveling the world and more in the company of his wife and three young children who are all under the age of ten.
“That was also an awakening for me,” he said, insisting he did not go looking for the Pac10 post but the offer arrived at a very timely moment. “I realized how much I was missing, sort of being home and how much not traveling constantly and being on the treadmill.  It was time to put the passport away for a while.
“So it was very much a personal decision and desire to travel less and be with my family, twinned with this realization that if tennis is not ready to come together and realize a bigger potential, maybe I've done all I can really do.
Scott is eager to put a gloss on the current economic situation as he leaves the WTA Tour, claiming it is in good financial shape by saying "We haven't lost any tournaments or title sponsors." But that ignores the reality that some tournaments have lost all or some of their secondary sponsors, and that the ground-breaking contract that he signed with Sony Ericsson is unlikely to be renewed.
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Financial Picture of Miami Looks Bright

Early projections on the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami show that the worldwide economic downturn will not have a significant financial effect on the success of the long standing event.
''Ticket sales are consistent with last year, which is great, considering,'' said tournament director Adam Barrett. ``Our men's final is already sold out, and only grounds passes are left for the first Saturday. Travel packages are up, too, because the hotel rates are down, so we were able to accommodate more people.''
But Barrett, who last year logged a record crowd of 297,011 in 12 days and expects much the same this time around, is also being prudently sensible. Rather than spend out on new banners and signage, he has ordered that two-thirds of previous years’ adornments will be reused.
And he is spreading around the off-site events. Instead of one massive screen for a viewing party at Lincoln Road there will be smaller fan events at CocoWalk, the University of Miami and Mary Brickell Village.
''We made a concerted effort to strategically manage our budget without slighting the fan in any way,'' Barrett said. ``Smart spending.''
There have been some effects. Mercedes Benz, whose deal as tour sponsors with the ATP came to a close at the end of last year, agreed to re-sign on a vastly reduced package.  “There has been a tightening of the belts in every department but it’s all taken place back of house and so the fans will not notice any change.”
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Federer Says He Knows What to do to Beat Nadal

Roger Federer knows what he needs to do to beat Rafael Nadal. It’s just that he hasn’t done it recently. In fact, the Spaniard has come out on top in all but six of their 19 meetings, and he’s won the last five, including Roland Garros, Wimbledon and Australian Open finals. Federer’s last victory against him came at the Tennis Masters Cup at the end of 2007.
"I've tried many different things against Rafa," said Federer, who has yet to win a tournament this season. Nadal has won two, the Australian Open and Indian Wells. "Usually it is the aggressive playing style that makes me beat Rafa, especially on the hard courts. I haven't had many chances on hard courts against him, I've had so many more on clay. On hard court I have to play aggressively against him. There is no way around that. I know how I have to play him. I've beaten him enough to know."
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Buchholz to be Honored by Hall of Fame Tonight

Tonight, March 26, the International Tennis Hall of Fame and First Serve will host a special evening honoring 2005 Hall of Famer Butch Buchholz while also celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Sony Ericsson Open. The event will take place in Miami, Florida at the Four Seasons Hotel.
Slated to appear is eight-time Grand Slam singles champion (and six-time Miami Masters Series Champion) Andre Agassi, along with Hall of Famers Gabriela Sabatini, Bud Collins and Fred Stolle. Honorary Chairs for the event are Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, The Honorable Jeb Bush and Hall of Fame President Tony Trabert. Tennis analyst and commentator Cliff Drysdale will serve as the evening’s Master of Ceremonies.  A cocktail reception and silent auction will take place 7:00pm to 8:00pm, with dinner and event program starting at 8:00pm
Inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2005 as a Contributor to the sport, Butch Buchholz has played key roles in the evolution of both professional and amateur tennis. He has been a pioneer in developing both men’s and women’s tennis, using his expertise in fundraising, sponsorship and marketing to help create a wider audience for numerous events throughout the world. He has served tennis in many professional and administrative capacities, including Commissioner of World Team Tennis (1977-78), ATP Executive Director (1981-82) and member of the men’s pro council (1981-83). He has also worked as Tournament Director for numerous events, including the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami (he is currently Chairman and Co-Founder), which got its start in 1985. 
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Men’s Tour Dynamics is Changing

It's no longer just Roger and Rafa at the top of tennis. With Novak Djokovic starting to fade and Andy Murray on the rise, the dynamics among the elite seem to be shifting.
Nadal and Murray have become the newest hot rivalry after Nadal beat the Scot decisively for the Indian Wells title. Meanwhile, Murray now owns Federer after four consecutive victories over the Swiss world No. 2. On the other hand, Nadal remains dominant against Murray with a 6-2 career record.
"Rafa's doing everything better," said Murray. "He moves so well, has improved his backhand and is coming to the net better too,"
Murray and Nadal have the most consistent success on the ATP this season, with Murray standing 20-2 while Nadal is 19-2.
Murray's loss followed two victories over Nadal, in the US Open and the Rotterdam final last month. "I think the difference between Andy this year and last is that he is much more focused," said Nadal. "He would play a good match, or maybe a good couple of sets, but did not always sustain it. Now he is playing at a very high level pretty much all of the time."
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Serena Williams is Very Busy These Days

Serena Williams doesn’t ‘just’ play tennis. Like sister Venus, she is involved in all kinds of off-court activities. So many, in fact, that she claims that she uses tournaments such as the Sony Ericsson Open to relax.
"For me to play a tournament is the easiest thing in the world. It's like my relaxing time," she said before beginning the defense of her title. "If not, I'm busy doing a photo shoot, usually two a day. I have to practice really, really early, because I have to fit the other stuff in. Then I'm on the phone doing interviews - this is all in one day. I somehow have to go to the gym, and I don't know how I do it. It's really stressful and so much easier for me to play the tournaments."
Meanwhile off-court, as well as attending a player council meeting, she has been readying the launch of a line of accessories and clothing for HSN (HomeShopping Network), called Signature Statement.
"Off the court my passion is fashion. Signature Statement is my own line of accessories and fashion, complete from jewelry to dresses," Serena told Women’s Wear Daily.
The collection, which will launch on April 30, ranges in price from $29.95 to $100 and includes a range of Jewelry, handbags and knits.

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We Hear---
--that Anne Pankhurt, the highly competent Bristish junior development expert, is leaving the USTA’s Boca Raton operation and returning to Great Britain. Her future plans are unknown at this time.
--that Jelena Jankovic, who has struggled this year with her movement and game after embarking on a close-season training program, has fired her fitness coach, Pat Etcheberry.
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THIS WEEK
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Miami
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Miami
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