It is the historic home of the giant panda and this week Chengdu, China will host tennis legends in the first senior tournament to be staged on Chinese soil.
Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe, Michael Chang, Sergi Bruguera, Pat Cash, Thomas Enqvist, Goran Ivanisevic and Yevgeny Kafelnikov have arrived in the 2,000-year-old city to contest the inaugural Chengdu Open, an ATP Champions Tour Event, from November 5-8, at the Sichuan International Tennis Center.
It marks a first for Borg and McEnroe, who have met in the Wimbledon and US Open finals and will take their rivalry to China for the first time.
"I am extremely excited to be making my first trip to China in a very long time; this is a country that is fast becoming a major player in world tennis," McEnroe said. "I know that Chengdu and Sichuan Province is already famous as the home to the giant panda. It is a great honor for the city to host an ATP Champions Tour event. I understand the field of players is very strong and I am of course happy that my good friend Bjorn Borg will be returning to China. We always have such great matches; which are part of tennis history."
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."
Beating McEnroe is Borg's top priority, but he's also aiming to complete a recon mission.
"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," Borg said. "My mission is to bring a giant panda back to Stockholm."
Collectively, the all-star lineup for the outdoor hard-court event holds 25 Grand Slam singles championships, as well as Olympic gold, silver, and bronze medals.
"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," Tournament Director, Nick Freyer, Senior Vice President of IMG Tennis in Asia, said.
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."
The Sichuan International Tennis Center seats 6,700 and includes Center Court, the qualifying match courts, the largest covered practice court in mainland China, outdoor practice courts, a comprehensive gymnasium and a luxurious reception center. Located in Shuangliu District, just 16km from downtown Chengdu and 10 minutes from the Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, the 250,000 square-meter center also features the official tournament hotel, the Sichuan International Tennis Hotel, as well as a multi-purpose entertainment complex.
"Here in Chengdu, this facility is quite impressive," said Chang. "I’ve had opportunities to play in different parts of China, and this is probably one of the best facilities I’ve ever been at as far as tennis goes."
Former World No. 1, Russian Yevgeny Kafelnikov added, "We all know how passionate Chinese people are for the sport and we are quite thankful that they are doing so much for tennis."
On-site entertainment programs are designed to give back to the fans. The world-class Sichuan International Tennis Center features a food court that will satiate the appetite of any hungry sports fan. Before each match, a panda mascot will kick two giant tennis balls into the stands to test spectators’ agility.
While watching the mouth-watering matchups, spectators will also enjoy music played by DJs both during changeovers and after matches. After each match, the winner will autograph six balls used during the match and hit them into the crowd. Lucky spectators who win the Catch the Ball Challenge not only get to keep a ball autographed by one of the game’s greats, but will also win one of 84 prizes. The prizes include Sichuan International Tennis Hotel vouchers, rackets, autographed souvenir programs, competition quality tennis balls, giant tennis balls, and tickets for the final day of competition.
Fans will also be able to meet the players, who will hold daily autograph sessions throughout the tournament, with a double autograph session scheduled for Saturday.
"It was about a year ago that Chengdu was devastated by the earthquake and we at the tournament hope that these great athletes can add a bit happiness to many people in the area," said Jan Felgate, CEO of the ATP Champions Tour.
The Thursday through Saturday schedule will feature four matches a day, staggered so that fans won’t miss a moment. The first match begins at 4 p.m., while the second match will follow, though not before 5:30 p.m., the third match not before 7:30 p.m., and the fourth match not before 9 p.m. This schedule allows fans to see every match if they want, or to attend certain matches.
On Sunday November 8th, the playoff for third and fourth place will start at 2:30 p.m., with the final to follow. Regardless of what time the first match finishes, the final will not start before 4 p.m.
The tournament website is www.chengduchampions.com.
