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By Anonymous July 29, 2004 -- Tickets for the first ever China Open tennis tournament – which will feature world class players such as Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, Marat Safin and Juan Carlos Ferrero – will go on sale from July 28, 2004.
“We are pleased to announce that tickets for the China Open are now available to the public. This is another very significant moment in the preparations for this historic tournament,” said Zhang Xiaoning, vice-chairman and secretary general of the Chinese Tennis Association and vice-chairman and secretary general of China Open organising committee.
Tournament director Lincoln Venancio added: “We have already held a number of major events leading into the China Open, including the official China Open launch in November last year with the attendance of former US Open champion Marat Safin and Asian number one Paradorn Srichaphan. Last weekend we enjoyed ‘Whitney Houston Live in Celebration of the China Open’. Our next significant step is the launch of tickets for the public.”
The China Open will feature two types of public tickets. Centre Court tickets will provide access to all courts, including the Centre Court at the Beijing Tennis Centre, while ground passes will allow the holder to access all courts except the Centre Court.
Ground passes will range from RMB 40 (US$4.83) for the weekdays to RMB 50 for weekends and are valid for both day and evening matches, providing fans with up to 10 hours of great tennis. Centre Court tickets range from RMB 80 for the tournament’s early sessions to RMB 1,280 for the men’s and women’s finals.
“We have already seen tremendous demand and interest in tickets for the China Open,” said Jonathan Krane, president of ticketing agent Emma Ticket. “We estimate that the best seats on Centre Court will sell quite quickly. The China Open will feature the best in tennis and it is a great opportunity for tennis fans to experience a truly world-class event right here in Beijing.”
Tickets are available at outlets throughout Beijing, at the Beijing Tennis Centre box office, over the phone through Emma Ticket’s Call Centre (10) 87781377 or (10) 67756666-2 and via the Internet (www.emmaticket.com.cn).
Emma Ticket, a co-operation between XiaoHongMao, a subsidiary of the Beijing Youth Daily, and Emma Entertainment, a global entertainment company, was appointed as the official and exclusive long-term ticketing agent of the China Open earlier this year.
“As a well known brand providing high quality service in Beijing, XiaoHongMao has gained great experience in the ticket selling field. We also boast an optimal distribution system as well as a good customer service system. We believe that Emma Ticket will operate the ticket sales very well,” said Liu Han, vice-publisher of the Beijing Youth Daily and board chairman of the XiaoHongMao Corporation
China Open organisers also announced today that six-time ATP title winner Dominik Hrbaty had been added to the men’s field. “I feel very comfortable on hard courts and I like my chances at the China Open,” said the Slovak, currently 11th in the ATP Champions Race. “I am very excited about playing at the newly-built Beijing Tennis Centre.
“I am one of the players with a realistic chance of closing the year within the ATP Race top 10. I very much want to achieve that and hope my result at the China Open will be very good and enhance my chances. I know the China Open has a lot of top players like Marat Safin, Carlos Moya, Juan Carlos Ferrero and David Nalbandian, but I feel very positive about my game and I think I can do well.”
Sanctioned by the Association of Tennis Professionals and the Women’s Tennis Association, the China Open will be held from September 10-26 at the state-of-the-art Beijing Tennis Centre. It is organised under the leadership of China's Ministry of Sport and the Beijing Municipal Government. The organising committee is headed by Yuan Weimin, Minister of General Administration of Sport of China and Wang Qishan, Mayor of the Beijing Municipal Government.
The China Open aims to become one of the world's top five tennis tournaments, Asia's premier sports event and the leading event in China’s preparations for the 2008 Olympics.
l The China Open is organised by China's National Ministry of Sport and Beijing Municipal Government in co-operation with the Beijing Youth Daily Group and the TOM Group.
l Currency conversion rate (correct as of July 27, 2004): US$ 1 = RMB 8.27
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