NO TENNIS IN THE DARK AT SAA OPEN

The power crisis in South Africa will in no way affect the forthcoming SAA Tennis Open to be played in East London from 11-17 February. In fact the tournament organisers have decided to heed the call by Eskom and the Government to cut down on electricity usage by not scheduling night matches.

Tournament Director and CEO of the South African Tennis Association (SATA), Ian Smith said that if every household, business and sporting event in the country worked together and cut down on their electricity usage, we may well be able to go a long way in lessening the current crisis that has hit the country.

“Night sessions at tournaments are always exciting and allow the working public a chance to see their stars in action. But large volumes of power are required to illuminate courts to international specifications and in the interests of the crisis that has hit our country we have decided on day sessions for the tournament” said Smith.

However Smith did admit that the Association had taken the extra precautions against possible power cuts during the tournament by installing generators that would give limited power if required to the important tournament office, player and medical areas and media centre so that the tournament would continue to be run smoothly and professionally. “We have a host international players and administrators visiting the tournament and we don’t want power cuts to disrupt proceedings in any way and create a negative perception for major sporting events hosted by South Africa.”

The tournaments first round will be played on Monday 11^th, Tuesday 12^th and Wednesday 13^th of February. The reason for three days being allocated to the first round is due to the fact that some international players are committed to playing Davis Cup for their respective countries the weekend prior to the tournament. “Davis Cup is played from a Friday to Sunday so some of our top players may only be able to jet into the country late Monday or Tuesday” said Smith.

The second round is scheduled for Thursday 14^th, the quarter finals for Friday 15^th, the semi finals for Saturday 16^th with the tournament finals on Sunday 17^th.

Tickets for each day are R20 for adults and R5 for scholars and are available at Selborne Park Stadium daily. There is also an option of a season ticket at R60. Tickets can also be purchased at the following outlets in East London; Sportslife (Devereux Centre – Vincent), Sportsmans Warehouse (Retail Park – Beacon Bay) and Classic Eyes (Vincent Park Centre).

Corporate hospitality packages are available at very affordable prices. Interested parties need to contact Bob Norris of the Border Tennis Association on 082 554 4016 for booking arrangements and enquiries.