Tennis Update: Cincinnati Masters gets a makeover
The oldest event in the history of professional tennis, the Cincinnati Masters is set to get a makeover come 2011. Previously called the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters & Women's Open, the event will now be called the Western and Southern Open.
The new name of the event is just the beginning of its 2011 rebranding.
Started in 1899, Cincinnati Masters is the oldest event still played at its original location. Having gone through many name changes such as the Cincinnati Open, the Tri-State Tournament and the ATP Championship; the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters
& Women's Open was until today its most recent name. Being the main event sponsors, the Western and Southern Financial Group continue to have their name associated with the event despite the new name.
In an attempt to rebrand the event, the tournament will go through a change in format with major investments in new facilities. A new logo has also been designed for the event. In one of the format changes, it was decided that both men and women will compete
at the event in the same week. This new change in the tournament makes the event one of those five where a Masters 1000 event of ATP and a Premier level event of WTA occur simultaneously.
Played at the Lindner Family Tennis Centre in Ohio, the event is one of the last events before the prestigious United States Open, followed only by the New Haven event.
The Tennis Centre is undergoing extensive renovation to accommodate the new format. Six new courts are being built along with an increase in the seating capacity. The increase in the number of courts will result in eight simultaneous matches as opposed to
the four in previous years. The total expansion project looking at 5.4 acres is estimated at 7.5 million U.S. dollars. The centre will also look at a new 4000 seat television court after the expansion is done. The new prize money for the event will now exceed
15 million U.S. dollars.
The administration is really looking forward to making this the biggest event in American, humbled only by the United States Open. Talking about the rebranding, tournament Chairman Paul Flory said, “The combined tournament coming in August 2011 will be the
best product we’ve ever put on the courts in our 110-year history. The new logo and tournament name are necessary to represent the formation of this new event.”
The importance of the event in the season can be seen from the fact that nine of its ten winners in the past few years have gone on to hold the number one ranking in the ATP Rankings. Former world number one, Roger Federer has held the title at the event
for the past two years in the men’s singles while 2010 United States Open champion Kim Clijsters won the 2010 WTA event.
Though coming with a new name and a new look in 2011, the event will still be held at the same date in mid August.
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