Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, known as “the land of abundance” becomes the newest stop on the international tennis circuit as five marquee players are announced for the inaugural Chengdu Open, an ATP World Tour 250 Series event.
The new event to be staged at the impressive Sichuan International Tennis Centre, which has a 6,000 seat centre court and has previously hosted an ATP Challenger, an ATP Champions Tour and the ITF Junior Masters tournaments. The Chengdu Open will offer a total prize purse of US$947,735 and will be played September 24 to October 2, 2016. The tournament will also carry important ATP World Tour Ranking Points, with 250 of those going to the new singles champion.
The Chengdu Open will feature a singles main draw of 28 and the doubles main draw with 16 teams. The qualifying tournament for 16 players who miss the main draw entry cut-off, will be played on 24th and 25th September. The new tournament also allows the chance for Chinese players to gain wild cards into the singles and doubles events.
“On behalf of the entire tournament team and all our valuable partners with special emphasis on the Chengdu city leadership, the CTA and ATP World Tour, we take this early opportunity to thank the many parties who joined forces with total positivity, to create the inaugural Chengdu Open in such a short period of time,” Tournament Director Nick Freyer, of IMG said.
The Chengdu Open family are very pleased to announce five marquee name players that will spearhead the field. These players include Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Nick Kyrgios, Feliciano Lopez, Kevin Anderson and Grigor Dimitrov.
Tsonga, ranked eleven has been as high as five in the world and has won twelve career titles and scored wins over some of the biggest names in the sport; he is one of only three players to beat the “Big Four” at the majors – Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal. This year he played in the recent Olympic Games, and so far has made the semis in Monte Carlo and Auckland and the quarters at Wimbledon, Indian Wells and Buenos Aires.
Kyrgios is enjoying the best year of his young career. In 2016 the 21 year old reached a career high ranking of 16 and has already won two titles, Marseilles and Atlanta. His breakthrough year was 2014 when he made the quarters of Wimbledon and reset several records when he beat Rafa Nadal including being the first teenager in nine years to beat a world No.1. In 2015 he was a quarterfinalist at the Australian Open and was the first teen to achieve that in 25 years.
34 year old Feli Lopez has had a renaissance with his career; he is currently ranked 18 but has been as high as twelve. He has five career titles with the most recent one coming in July in Gstaad, Switzerland, and has reached nine other career finals including Kuala Lumpur in 2015. Besides his title in Gstaad, this year he made the final in Los Cabos, Mexico, the semis in Houston and Dubai, where he beat Novak Djokovic, and the quarters in Quito.
In late 2015 Anderson became the first South African to crack the top-ten in almost a decade. He has reached the business end and second week of all four majors including a quarterfinal showing at the US Open where he beat Andy Murray. This year the 30 year old has been troubled by shoulder, knee and ankle injuries but has still managed to reach the quarters in Toronto, Nottingham, Nice and Auckland and has career wins over Novak Djokovic, Kei Nishikori and Stan Wawrinka.
Dimitrov remains one of the most fluid players to watch. The 25 year old Bulgarian has been ranked as high as eight in the world and has been a semi-finalist at Wimbledon. He owns four career titles and has made another four finals and has wins against Wawrinka, Murray, Djokovic, Tomas Berdych and Milos Raonic. In 2016 he made the finals in Sydney and Istanbul, the semis in Delray Beach and the recent Cincinnati Masters, the quarters in Toronto, Acapulco and Brisbane and competed at the Olympics.
The city of Chengdu with a population of 13 million has been named one of the most liveable cities in China. Situated on the Min River, it is a significant economic, transportation and commercial hub for the country. The region is also home to China’s most beloved symbol, the Giant Panda, with Chengdu being the breeding research base for this adorable but endangered species.
“On behalf of the people of Chengdu, the city very much supports and welcomes the Chengdu Open, an official ATP World Tour event which we hope will remain as a signature event for the city for many years to come,” Tan Xuejun, Head of Chengdu Sports Bureau said.
“We are proud of the team spirit which has so quickly developed to organise this tournament to the highest international standards and would like to express our appreciation to all parties who have come together so wonderfully to showcase world-class tennis and a world-class city to China and the world.”
The new Chengdu Open becomes only the fifth men’s tournament to be staged on the ATP World Tour’s “Asian Swing”.
“The Chinese Tennis Association very much welcomes the addition of the Chengdu Open and fully supports all aspects of the tournament,” Long Wei, Vice Director of Tennis Administration Center of the General Administration of Sport of China said. “The “win win” model which has been used to bring this tournament to Chengdu, should be seen as a template that can be the future basis for all tournament development in China.
“The event will provide playing opportunities for Chinese players and will be a powerful platform to showcase world-class tennis to Chengdu and South-West China, an area which is a hotbed for tennis popularity and socio economic development in China. The CTA appreciate the vote of confidence the ATP World Tour and players have placed in the Chengdu Open.”
Tickets for the Chengdu Open will be available from today and through www.damai.cn and www.piao.com.cn
The tournament is owned by IMG and is organized by the Chinese Tennis Association and Chengdu Municipal Government, is co-organized by Chengdu Sports Bureau, Shuangliu District Government and Chengdu Culture Tourism Group and is promoted by Sichuan Investment International Tennis Centre Development Co., Ltd., CCTV IMG (Beijing) Sports Management Co. Ltd. and IMG Sports Development (Shanghai) Limited.
The tournament is proud to have the distinguished support from ATP World Tour’s Premier Partner Emirates, St. Regis Chengdu, Erke, Sichuan Tennis International Hotel, Shouqi Limousine & Chauffeur, Srixon, West China Metropolis, Chengdu Radio and TV Station and Shenzhen Hundred-Meter Life Shares Co., Ltd.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact Ms. Robecta Yeung, ph: +852-28940204 or +86-13760373443 or by email Robecta.Yeung@img.com.
About the 2016 Chengdu Open
Please visit: www.ChengduOpenTennis.com
About Chinese Tennis Association
Please visit: www.tennis.org.cn
About Chengdu City
Please visit: www.chengdu.gov.cn
About Chengdu Sports Bureau
Please visit: www.cdsport.gov.cn
About Shuangliu District
Please visit: www.shuangliu.gov.cn
About Chengdu Culture Tourism Group
Please visit: www.cdctg.com
About Sichuan Investment International Tennis Centre Development Co., Ltd.
Please visit: sichuantennisinternationalhotel.com
About CCTV-IMG Sports Management Company
Please visit: www.cctv-img.com
About IMG
Please visit: www.img.com
About the ATP World Tour
Please visit: www.atpworldtour.com
