South African Open may return in 2012
Ian Smith, who holds the post of tennis chief of South Africa, has expressed hopes that the South African Open will continue to be held in the country in 2012.
This insistence continues despite the fact that the Association of Tennis Professionals, or the ATP, have announced their intention to do away with the tournament over this weekend.
The South African Open is scheduled to be cancelled from the ATP Tour schedule next year. It was re-launched as an ATP International event three years ago in 2008, and has been held in Monte Casino, Johannesburg.
Ian Smith, who currently holds the position of chief executive and tournament director of the South African Tennis Association (also known as SATA) did not imply that the continuation of the tournament would be easy.
Smith declared, "We’ve got about eight months to persuade the Association of Tennis Professionals to find an alternative date. They are sympathetic, but we will have to see”.
The tournament returned to the ATP Tour in 2009, after being cancelled for almost thirteen years. However, it was only renewed for three years and the deal will end this weekend.
However, it seems as if Smith is still hopeful. He has announced that the end of the three year long contract does not necessarily mean the cancellation of the 2012 South African Open.
He said, “I will be holding discussions with the ATP within the next couple of months and hopefully we can come to an arrangement to keep the tournament alive”.
If all else fails, the tennis chief has made it very clear that he intends to make sure that the South African Open returns to the Association of Tennis Professionals tour within the near future.
He has confirmed that the SATA plans to continue a campaign to regain their status as an ATP event.
He said, “It won't be the end of the world if we don't have a South African Open in 2012 with ATP international status. We can always come back the following year, restructure and provide a better tournament than before”.
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