Courtesy of Chengdu Open
Eight legendary players have arrived at the Sichuan International Tennis Center to contest the inaugural Chengdu Open, an ATP Champions Tour Event, from November 5-8, 2009. Senior Vice President of IMG Tennis in Asia and Tournament Director, Nick Freyer said, "We are extremely fortunate to have one of the strongest – if not the strongest – field of stars of any tournament outside of the London ATP Champions Tour Finals."
Both American John McEnroe and Swede Bjorn Borg will compete in the event, reigniting one of most celebrated sports rivalries of all time. Fellow Swede Thomas Enqvist, the current No.1 on the ATP Champions Tour confessed, “Every time I see an old match between McEnroe and Borg I cannot stop watching. It’s so much fun.”
Meanwhile, McEnroe is focused on proving to Chengdu fans that "the old guys still have something left in them. This is our first Champions tour event in China so we’re very excited about playing in this great stadium." Borg said, "It’s always a big thrill to be back, I’ve been here quite a few times but never in Chengdu. Looking forward to this week, my mission is to bring a giant panda back to Stockholm."
World-renowned players Goran Ivanisevic, Pat Cash, Thomas Enqvist, Sergi Bruguera, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, and Michael Chang will also compete at the outdoor hard court event. Altogether, the all-star lineup holds 25 Grand Slam singles championships, as well as Olympic gold, silver, and bronze medals.
Chang, a Chinese-American who enjoyed particular success on Asian soil during his ATP World Tour career, won 12 of the 17 Asian finals he reached. He is the only male player to play a final in every Asian city that hosted a tournament during his time on the tour.
Despite being a fan favorite, by no means does Chang anticipate an easy tournament. "Obviously, there’s a lot of talent, a lot of passion and a lot of great tennis play," said Chang. "This is a very special event for all of us, but I can say that for me personally I’m very proud to be up here with such great champions. I hope the people in Chengdu will realize the accomplishments of all of these players. This is going to be a great week of tennis.”
