WILL Kevin Anderson be the last to lift the SA Tennis Open title?
Following the monumental success of South Africa's premier tennis tournament, which has been hosted by Montecasino for three consecutive years, the ATP does not have the SA Tennis Open on its 2012 calendar.
The South African Tennis Association has known since November last year that the Open has been removed from the 2012 ATP calendar and they have kept mum about the issue.
"We are not on the 2012 calendar and it will be a sad day if we don't put the tournament back on, but I don't think it will be the end of tennis in this country. We did not have it for a while and tennis continued," said Sata chief executive and tournament director Ian Smith.
"We had a contract with South African Airways and the ATP for three years and that expired at the end of this year's tournament.
"There are other tournaments that have been moved around the calendar and I am in discussions with the ATP to keep us on the calendar."
The ATP had to reduce the number of weeks of competition after the players felt the calendar was too long. It has taken the decision to reduce the 2012 calendar by a few weeks.
"We have other initiatives going on, like Soweto Open and development programmes around the country," Smith said in his parting shot.
SA Open no longer on ATP calendar
WILL Kevin Anderson be the last to lift the SA Tennis Open title?
Following the monumental success of South Africa's premier tennis tournament, which has been hosted by Montecasino for three consecutive years, the ATP does not have the SA Tennis Open on its 2012 calendar.
The South African Tennis Association has known since November last year that the Open has been removed from the 2012 ATP calendar and they have kept mum about the issue.
"We are not on the 2012 calendar and it will be a sad day if we don't put the tournament back on, but I don't think it will be the end of tennis in this country. We did not have it for a while and tennis continued," said Sata chief executive and tournament director Ian Smith.
"We had a contract with South African Airways and the ATP for three years and that expired at the end of this year's tournament.
"There are other tournaments that have been moved around the calendar and I am in discussions with the ATP to keep us on the calendar."
The ATP had to reduce the number of weeks of competition after the players felt the calendar was too long. It has taken the decision to reduce the 2012 calendar by a few weeks.
"We have other initiatives going on, like Soweto Open and development programmes around the country," Smith said in his parting shot.
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