Hong Kong Tennis Association battling with StarGames

Written by: Staff on 1st May 2013

Hong Kong Tennis Association battling with StarGames

epa03679962 China's Li Na in action during the final match against Russia's Maria Scharapova at the WTA Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany, 28 April 2013. EPA/BERND WEISSBROD |

Hong Kong Tennis Association (HKTA) officials say they have formally asked the owners of the BNP Paribas Showdown for a substantial sanction fee if they are going to help with next year’s event in March.

Li Na is scheduled to play Victoria Azarenka, while Juan Martin del Potro is set to face Lleyton Hewitt, but the association is in a dispute what the US –based StarGames, which is run by long time tennis promoter Jerry Solomon.

“If they are going to march in and ask us to help them and co-ordinate everything as we did this year, and in return only give us $1,420 US dollars which was a percentage of gate receipts, there is no way we can justify helping them out again,” Herbert Chow Siu-lung, HKTA executive council member told the South China Morning Post.

“We have asked for a sanction fee of between $130,000 and $190,00 which will help Hong Kong professional tennis. If they are happy to donate that, then we can strike some sort of a working relationship.”

March’s BNP Showdown in Hong Kong between Caroline Wozniacki and Agnieszka Radwanska, as well as John McEnroe against Ivan Lendl drew 4,869 fans to the Asia World-Expo. The event is played alongside another BNP Showdown in New York.

Apparently, the Asia World-Expo, is unavailable on March 2-3 next year. The only other venue available is Victoria Park and those courts are run by the HKTA.

Solomon said he is working with the HKTA “on a number of things which are intended to support and enhance tennis in Hong Kong. Included in this is the site for the 2014 BNP Paribas Showdown. We are also working on the expansion of World Tennis Day after a successful first year. We do, however, plan that once again World Tennis Day will kick off in Hong Kong with world-class tennis coming back for the second year.”

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Topics: Caroline Wozniacki, China Tennis news, Chinese tennis news, Hong Kong Tennis Association, Juan Martin Del Potro, Li Na, Stargames, Victoria Azarenka