Australia's 'never seen before' $23m tournament

2 years ago 94

Tennis Australia has announced a caller $23 cardinal lead-in tourney to the Australian Open, with the United Cup to beryllium held for the archetypal clip this summer.

The event, held successful conjunction with some the ATP and WTA, volition spot mixed teams from 18 countries vie successful Brisbane, Perth and Sydney implicit 11 days.

Each squad volition beryllium made up of 4 men and up to 4 women, with some ATP and WTA rankings points up for grabs. The mixed lawsuit is simply a throwback to the fashionable Hopman Cup, which ran for 30 years earlier being discontinued successful 2020.

From December 29 to January 4, Brisbane, Perth and Sydney volition each big 2 groups of 3 countries competing successful circular robin format. Each necktie volition beryllium made up of 2 men's and 2 women's singles matches, arsenic good arsenic 1 mixed doubles match.

The winners of each radical volition past look off, with the 3 metropolis winners, positive the adjacent champion squad from the radical stages, advancing to the last 4 successful Sydney from January 6-8.

"The United Cup presents a unsocial accidental to unite some the men's and women's circuit successful a marque caller mode that has ne'er been seen before," said TA brag Craig Tiley.

"We person the accidental present successful Australia to leverage tennis' unsocial presumption to let the world's apical men and women to vie broadside by broadside and correspond their state astatine the highest level.

"We couldn't beryllium much delighted to spot however this lawsuit unfolds successful January crossed Brisbane, Perth and Sydney."

Chairman of the ATP, Andrea Gaudenzi, said: "The United Cup marks a large measurement guardant for the crippled of tennis. Most importantly, it volition make unthinkable caller experiences for our fans. We're excited to spot the champion men's and women's players competing together, with ranking points connected the line, to motorboat the play similar ne'er before."

The brag of the WTA, Steve Simon, added: "The United Cup is an important and strategical collaboration betwixt the WTA, the ATP and Tennis Australia that reflects a continued committedness successful elevating our sport.

"This breathtaking singles and mixed doubles squad lawsuit volition bring unneurotic emerging stars and established athletes from some tours to vie connected the aforesaid stage, giving players and fans a unsocial acquisition successful which the last result whitethorn beryllium determined with women and men competing together."

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