The Star Online: Sports
The Star Online: Sports |
- Mission Hills boss backs Tiger, Rory duel
- Federer hails Djokovic as 'real' number one
- Petrova wins Sofia Tournament of Champions
| Mission Hills boss backs Tiger, Rory duel Posted: 04 Nov 2012 07:00 PM PST DONGGUAN (China): The head of China's Mission Hills has backed glamorous exhibitions and pro-celebrity events as a great way to promote golf as he seeks to popularise the sport and expand his chain of resorts. Despite outlandish scenes at last week's "Duel at Jinsha Lake" between Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, group chairman and CEO Ken Chu told AFP that such events were "fine" as they helped raise the profile of golf in China. Chu also played down the need for more domestic tournaments after China's two best golfers - and its only representatives in the world's top 800 - voiced concerns over a lack of playing opportunities. Last week's "Duel" in Zhengzhou was met with bemusement and guffaws by golf aficionados after fans invaded the practice range and fairways, helicopters were parked next to greens and models in evening wear posed at the tees. McIlroy and Woods, ranked one and two in the world, who reportedly picked up millions of dollars for the one-day event, then drew fire for skipping the WGC-HSBC Champions, at Chu's Mission Hills resort, just three days later. But Chu refused to criticise the "Duel", which is following a path laid out by Mission Hills when it hosted Tiger Woods at an exhibition in 2001, his first appearance in China. "I think it's fine, because the world schedule is very tight," Chu said in an interview at the $7 million WGC-HSBC Champions in Dongguan, won by England's Ian Poulter on Sunday. "I think exhibition matches go well with the international programme because the international calendar's too tight already," said Chu. "Players don't necessarily play in all the tournaments on a weekly basis, they do want some time off - and they do want to make some side money." Chu's sprawling resorts in Guangdong and Hainan, with a combined 22 courses, are the world's two largest golf clubs, and Mission Hills has more on the way in Chongqing, Shanghai and Beijing. The sharp-suited 38-year-old runs the burgeoning empire with his younger brother, Tenniel, after their father David Chu, who founded Mission Hills, died last year. "Unfortunately we can't have the overseas superstars in and out of China so frequently, as much as we would like to," he said, lounging on a gold cushion at the lavish Dongguan clubhouse. "But it is a way to grow Chinese golf and that's what we've been doing in the past as well." Chu said it was not his job to invite players to the WGC-HSBC Champions - but he insisted it was no problem that Woods and McIlroy had opted out. "It's not a problem definitely because it is still televised not just internationally but also nationally, live coverage," he said. "It is still a good channel to promote golf to the public." Chu also said holding big international events was the best way to give opportunities to players in China, adding that domestic tournaments made little sense financially. He was speaking after China's top two, Wu Ashun and Liang Wenchong, ranked 188 and 246, called for a better platform for the country's golfers. "It all comes down to television broadcasts. Chinese players are not ranked that high in the international golf arena, therefore the tournaments that laymen like to watch are the US Tour," he said. "If the US players are not playing, there's less interest, fewer sponsors, less prize money. "The biggest benefit to Chinese golf today is to permit Chinese players to play frequently by hosting more international tournaments, US and European-sanctioned tournaments, in China. "Or OneAsia tournaments co-sanctioned with the Chinese tour. Therefore there's wildcards for the Chinese players to play to compete with these overseas players to generate viewership." Chu said Mission Hills would also follow the strategy of using glitzy pro-celebrity golf tournaments to promote its product, which includes expensive club memberships and luxury villas at its resorts. Last month Michael Phelps, Yao Ming, Ronaldo and Andy Garcia were among the A-list guests at a golf-cum-red-carpet event at Mission Hills Haikou in Hainan. "Only golf-lovers will watch golf on TV. Laymen will not tune into the Golf Channel, and laymen will not go to a golf club to watch a tournament," Chu explained. "But the general public will go to see superstars and movie stars. That is a huge way of promoting golf, reaching out to another sector of the crowd." - AFP |
| Federer hails Djokovic as 'real' number one Posted: 04 Nov 2012 05:57 PM PST LONDON: Tennis great Roger Federer is in no doubt that Novak Djokovic deserves to finish 2012 as the world's top-ranked player. Federer replaced Djokovic at the top of the standings after winning Wimbledon in July but will cede the number one position to the Serb on Monday. And with the Swiss star unable to improve on last year's perfect performance in winning the 2011 season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London, not even an unblemished victory in this year's edition at the O2 Arena will see him regain top spot before 2012 is out. "We know who the real number one is," said Federer. It is going to be Novak. I do not think there should be any debate around about that. "You do not get to number one by chance. The rankings are something that shows how you have played over a 365-day period. It might all change again in two months at the Australian Open but right now it is clear." Federer all but conceded the number one ranking this year when opting out of defending his Paris Masters title last week on the grounds he could not do himself justice by playing successive tournaments in Basle, Paris and London. "I obviously gave it everything I had," said Federer. "I've played so much tennis the last one and a half, two years and I'm happy I got back to world number one. "It's obviously a time where you need to win at least a slam, if not more slams, or at least five to 10 titles, so we're not talking about just a quick jump to number one and then you lose it again. "This is a full-on process. That obviously takes a lot of sacrifice. For the time being I'm willing to do all of that. So I'm putting my schedule into place for next year and there are no extraordinary changes." Although Djokovic has, unsurprisingly, failed to hit the same heights as in 2011, when he won three out of the four Grand Slam singles titles, this year has seen him retain his Australia Open crown and reach the finals of both the French and US Opens, losing the latter to Britain's Andy Murray. Fatigue caught up with Djokovic in London last year and he suffered a shock loss to Sam Querrey of the United States in Paris. And the 25-year-old Djokovic, who begins his London campaign against France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga said it was tough to be in peak shape at this stage of a long season. "It is expected not to be always in your top form at this time of year," he said. "The effects of the long season can influence you physically and mentally but this is an important tournament and I definitely want to do well. "I am sure I will find the strength to perform my best and we will see if that best is good enough." Meanwhile, Federer backed Murray's calls for more drug testing in tennis, particularly blood tests. "I feel I am being less tested than I was six or seven years ago so I do not know the exact reasons why we are being tested less," said Federer. "At this moment, I agree with Andy, we do not do a lot of blood-testing during the year. "It is vital that the sport stays clean, it has got to. We have had a good history in terms of that and we want to ensure it stays that way." - AFP |
| Petrova wins Sofia Tournament of Champions Posted: 04 Nov 2012 07:07 PM PST SOFIA: Russia's Nadia Petrova routed top-seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 6-2, 6-1 to clinch the season-ending Tournament of Champions in emphatic style here on Sunday in one hour and 27 minutes of play. "It's been a really big pleasure playing here," Petrova said, thanking her coach Ricardo Sanchez. "We've been through ups and downs this season. But what a great finish!" she said. Petrova arrived in Sofia from the WTA Championship in Istanbul, where she won the doubles title together with fellow Russian Maria Kirilenko. "It's a great way to finish the season with a title in doubles and today in singles so now I'm just looking forward to a rest and getting strong and healthy for next year," Petrova said. "Today didn't go the way that I'd hoped for, obviously. But Nadia played a very good match," Wozniacki shrugged. Petrova soon found her game, breaking Wozniacki's first serve and winning her own service game, despite two double faults before the Dane recovered to hold to love. The Russian however kept calm to take her next service and broke Wozniacki's serve again in the fifth with extremely powerful cross-court drives to the sides that denied the Dane time and room to set the pace. Petrova then managed to prevent Wozniacki from converting a break point in the sixth game. Wozniacki won her next service game but failed to disrupt the Russian's very solid play, allowing her to take the set in 50min. Despite massive support for her from the crowd in Sofia's Arena Armeec Hall, Wozniacki allowed Petrova to break her serve again at the start of the second set and win her own service game, Wozniacki only stopping the rot in the fifth game and then conceding serve again as she conceded the encounter. Petrova won $270,000 for her win and clinched 12th spot in the end of year WTA ranking by pushing down Serbia's Ana Ivanovic. In reaching the final, Wozniacki also grabbed a year-end top ten ranking, moving up from 11th spot above Marion Bartoli of France, who was not competing here. The Tournament of Champions featured the six highest-ranked players who have won a title during the season but did not qualify for the WTA Championships, along with two wild cards. It closed out the WTA calendar. - AFP |
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