Federer Opens Qi Zhong Stadium
© Getty Images - Qi Zhong Stadium will
host the
top eight superstars in November ATP World No. 1 Roger Federer joined Tennis Masters Cup organizers and high-ranking Shanghai government officials on Monday to unveil the spectacular new Qi Zhong Centre Court Stadium, site of the Tennis Masters Cup from 2005-2007.
"It truly is an amazing stadium, " said Federer, the two-time defending Tennis Masters Cup champion who flew directly to Shanghai after winning his 24 th consecutive final at the Thailand Open in Bangkok. "I am very honored to be here today to see it opened to the world and I am very much looking forward to playing here in November. I know there will be some great tennis matches played here during the Tennis Masters Cup. "
More than 450 fans also attended the ceremony in the 15,000-seat stadium. Throughout the day Federer met with Shanghai government and sponsor representatives, media and fans.
Joining Federer for the official opening were 14 tennis and government officials including Tennis Masters Cup Tournament Director, Mr. Brad Drewett, ITF Vice-President and Tennis Australia Chairman, Mr. Geoff Pollard, Shanghai Vice-Mayor Mr. Yang Xiou Du, Vice-President of the China Tennis Association, Miss Sun Jin Feng, Director of the Minhuang District, Mr. Chen Jin, President of the Shanghai Sports Commission Mr Jin Guoxiang and President of Ba-shi Industrial, Mr. Wang Liqun.
Drewett said: "There is no doubt that this stadium will be regarded as one of the great sporting arenas in the world and will be an incredible location to stage the Tennis Masters Cup for the next three years."
Sun Jin Feng said: "I believe that one day the Yao Ming of tennis will play here in this stadium which will be one of history's great arenas."
The stadium features a unique eight-piece roof that resembles a magnolia flower blooming when opening. The roof takes eight minutes to open or close, but the team responsible for building it-the Shanghai Institute of Architectural Design & Research (SIADR)-spent more than a year researching whether it could be built at all. Said SIADR architect Zhao Chen: "There was no other project like this which could act as a reference point."
More information - including free, downloadable photographs - about Qi Zhong Stadium can be found at http://www.masters-cup.com/ .
With just over one month remaining before the start of the Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai, which will be held Nov. 13-20, only Federer, Rafael Nadal and Australian Open champion Marat Safin have qualified for the year-end finale. The Race for the five remaining places will be hotly contested over the coming weeks, with Andy Roddick (3 rd in the INDESIT ATP 2005 Race) and two-time Tennis Masters Cup champion Lleyton Hewitt (4 th ) leading the challenge.
Three doubles teams have qualified for the Tennis Masters Cup Doubles: Two-time defending champions Bob & Mike Bryan, Roland Garros champions Jonas Bjorkman and Max Mirnyi and the Zimbabwean duo of Wayne Black and Kevin Ullyett. These three teams currently have separated themselves from the pack of other contenders looking for a berth in Shanghai.
Below is a look at the Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai contenders (at 3 October):
INDESIT ATP 2005 Race:
*1st Federer,Roger/SUI 1245
Two-time defending champion has a 13-1 record at finale
*2nd Nadal,Rafael/ESP 853
Spanish teen with 10 titles in 2005 will make his TMC debut
3rd Roddick,Andy/USA 548
The 2003 year-end No. 1 is highest-ranked player yet to qualify
4th Hewitt,Lleyton/AUS 498
2002 Shanghai champion is closing on fifth TMC berth
5th Agassi,Andre/USA 455
TMC Houston 2003 runner-up won finale in 1990
6th Coria,Guillermo/ARG 422
Argentine qualified in Houston in 2003-2004
7th Davydenko,Nikolay/RUS 378
Hoping to make TMC debut and become 2 nd Russian qualifier
*8th Safin,Marat/RUS 346
Aus. Open winner certain to qualify as 2005 Grand Slam winner
9th Gaudio,Gaston/ARG 344
Argentine trying to qualify for second straight year
10th Puerta,Mariano/ARG 322
Roland Garros finalist seeks to make TMC debut
* = Qualified for Tennis Masters Cup
ATP DOUBLES RACE
*1st Bryan/Bryan 1045
US Open winners are two-time defending TMC champs
*2nd Bjorkmanrnyi 1009
Have won Roland Garros and 3 Masters Series shields in '05
*3rd Black/Ullyett 707
TMC Houston 2004 runners-up won Aussie Open in 2005
4th Knowles/Nestor 482
Year-end No. 1s in 2002 and 2004 were runners-up in 1998
5th Paes/Zimonjic 400
First-year team has won titles in Monte-Carlo and Barcelona
6th Aspelin/Perry 390
Remain in contention after early titles in Memphis and Delray
7th Erlich/Ram 375
Boosted qualifying hopes by reaching Bangkok final
8th Arthurs/Hanley 366
Bangkok champ Hanley is back with Arthurs this week in Tokyo
9th Llodra/Santoro 362
French 'odd couple' and 2003 runners-up are top seeds in Metz
10th Cermak/Friedl 330
Second seeds in Metz suffered costly first-round Palermo loss
* = Qualified for Tennis Masters Cup Doubles
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