Ljubicic Gets Taste for Shanghai
With the countdown to the Tennis Masters Cup underway, Ivan Ljubicic got a first-hand taste of the building excitement as he visited Shanghai this week. The Croat, currently No. 4 in the INDESIT ATP 2006 Race, met with Chinese government officials, players, sponsors, media and fans during his three-day stay as he joined the festivities held in anticipation of the prestigious tennis circuit finale.
“Last year at the Tennis Masters Cup, the organization was fantastic and the crowd was great, and there has been the same really nice atmosphere on this visit,” said Ljubicic, who is pursuing his second consecutive berth. “The people of Shanghai are so welcoming, and it is great to see how excited and eager they already are about seeing the world’s best players at the Tennis Masters Cup. I am really looking forward to qualify as soon as I can so that I will be able to return in November.”
On Tuesday, Ljubicic served as an honorary judge for the nationally televised Tennis Masters Cup ball kids contest (Read more), reminiscent of the hit TV show “American Idol,” with Tennis Masters Cup sponsor China Mobile conducting an SMS text message contest in which the public voted for their favorites. The children got up on stage at Qi Zhong Stadium and spoke in English and Chinese about why they wanted to become a Tennis Masters Cup ball kid. Ljubicic was interviewed on stage and played mini tennis while the successful six Tennis Masters Cup ball kids – chosen from 1,300 applicants – were given a chance to practice their skills.
Ljubicic also conducted a clinic on Thursday with five of China's national medal-winning tennis athletes, members of the Special Olympics Shanghai, which provides a year-round sports training and competition program for persons with intellectual disabilities. Ljubicic has been involved with Special Olympics Monaco for the past four years, and also met with the athletes in Monte-Carlo earlier this month. Shanghai will host the 12th Special Olympics World Summer Games in 2007.
In between media commitments during his visit, including interview sessions with 10 of China’s top lifestyle media, Ljubicic joined China’s No. 2 junior player Yin Xiao Long for practice sessions. Ljubicic also visited the shopping district and autographed memorabilia for fans at the Tennis Masters Cup ticketing outlet, before concluding his visit with a sponsor and government function Thursday evening.
Ljubicic will be the top seed at next week’s Thailand Open, and could overtake Andy Roddick for the third position in the INDESIT ATP 2006 Race with the title win. Less than 100 points separate Roddick (434 points) from No. 10 Mario Ancic (339) in the wide-open Race, with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal the only singles players to have confirmed their berths in the in the elite eight-man, eight-team circuit finale. The Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai will be held at Shanghai’s Qi Zhong Stadium from November 12-19.
|
