Juan Carlos Ferrero
"I understand that the Beijing Tennis Centre, where we will be
playing the China Open, will be a major venue with a 10,000-seat
Centre Court and significant seating on Courts 1 and 2. I am sure
the atmosphere will be electrifying and I look forward to playing
my best tennis for the people of China."
Ma Guoli President of CCTV Sport
"We are delighted to become the Official Host Broadcaster of the
China Open. CCTV is the national broadcaster of the People's
Republic of China and it is very appropriate that we would have the
role of Host Broadcaster of China's national Open championship, the
China Open."
"CCTV takes great pride in delivering the great tennis that will
be played at the China Open to the people of China. We will be
producing the coverage from multiple courts and airing over 150
hours of China Open throughout the Nation. Without question,
September will be a 'Tennis Month' and a 'China Open Month' for
CCTV and China."
"We look forward to making a significant contribution in
developing the China Open into one of the world's top tennis
tournaments and into a premier sports event for Asia. We are proud
to take a role in connection with China Open similar to the roles
the BBC and CBS have taken with Wimbledon and the US Open
respectively."
Brad Drewett, Managing Director of ATP
International
"As the governing body for men's professional tennis worldwide,
we at the ATP are very pleased that China's national broadcaster
CCTV is joining the China Open as Official Host Broadcaster. China
is a very fast growing market for our sport and the China Open will
be a very important tournament. We fully support CCTV's efforts in
making the images of the China Open accessible to the entire
Chinese nation. We are also very pleased to deliver great ATP stars
such as Marat Safin, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Paradorn Srichaphan,
Rainer Schuettler, Taylor Dent, David Nalbandian, Rafael Nadal,
Jan-Michael Gambill, Younes El Aynaoui and Carlos Moya to the China
Open."
Lincoln Venancio, Tournament Director
"This is truly a landmark agreement for the China Open, for
tennis in China and for the sport globally. China is one of the
most important markets in the world for many sports and many
businesses. This agreement between China's national Open
championship and CCTV is expected to deliver one of the largest
television audiences in the history of the sport. This is as a very
major and very positive step on the road of China Open becoming one
of the most significant tennis tournaments in the world. This is as
historic of a deal as the first Wimbledon/BBC agreement."
"CCTV will bring not less than 150 hours of the China Open into
the homes of people throughout China. Furthermore, CCTV will
promote the China Open and its broadcast of the China Open in a
very powerful manner. The multiple court broadcast is without
question the largest production of any annual sports event in
China."
(www.chinaopen.cn
September 10, 2004)
