CRI听力: Early Retirements Frustrate Shanghai Tennis Fans
2009-10-17来源:和谐英语
From hosting the one and only season-defining ATP Masters Cup to the current deal of one of nine ATP Masters 1000 events in a year, it is hard to tell whether Shanghai has traded up or down.
On the bright side, the city now has a permanent contract to host a highly profitable tournament, in contrast to the short-term relationship it used to have with the ATP, which needed to be renewed every a few years.
On the other hand, the new deal means Shanghai is now only able to offer the 8th of 9 ATP 1000 events, meaning players are often already drained.
In short, the Masters 1000 is a more difficult sell than the previous competition.(www.hXen.com)
Attendance at the Qizhong complex looked low, except for a few matches that saw the participation of favorites such as Marat Safin and Andy Roddick.
Yang Yibin, deputy general manager of one of the event co-organizers, New Sports and Entertainment, explains.
"There are two reasons behind the low attendance. To begin with, last year we promoted the Masters Cup as the last such event here in Shanghai, and now we think that might have misled some spectators into believing that there was no more tennis to be held in the city. Secondly, many fans did not book tickets for weekends in advance, as they were not sure whether their favorites would make it that far."
Another apparent reason for the slow sale is the absence of a strong home team for whom the audience can cheer.
Zeng Shao-xuan, who became the only Chinese player to survive the first round of an ATP 1000-point event Monday here, was tamed Wednesday by World No. 7 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France in two sets.
The World No. 393 said he did not see a wide gap between him and Tsonga in terms of skill level.
"I don't think there is a big difference in terms of skills. What separates me from the likes of Tsonga is physical ability, like strength and speed. I think the future looks bright, now that I can see clearly what makes a top tennis pro."
But the prospect of Shanghai as the host city of a tennis tournament just one level below a Grand Slam looks decidedly less clear.
Actually, Shanghai is one of only two ATP Masters 1000 host cities whose country does not have a homemade Top 50 ATP player.
But it is hard to imagine Shanghai could copy the success story of the likes of Monte Carlo, a Mecca for the world's wealthiest.
Ultimately China's biggest city will have to find its own way to get its tennis industry rolling.
Back on the court, the two top seeded players, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, have both advanced to the last 8, thus becoming the only star powers remaining at the Qizhong complex.
Damin, CRI News, Shanghai.
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