[Pa33anger]

PRESS INFORMATION



ALL ENGLAND CLUB CONFIRMS WIMBLEDON DATE CHANGE

London, UK, Thursday 19 July 2012. The All England Club today confirmed that, following extensive consultation across the tennis and wider sporting world, The Championships’ dates will be moved back by one week with effect from 2015.

The change of dates will benefit the sport as a whole by creating a three week gap between the French Open and Wimbledon, a move which will allow the players a longer grass court season in the build-up to The Championships, and precious additional time to recover from the demands of playing Roland Garros and to prepare for Wimbledon.

Announcing the decision, Philip Brook, Chairman of the All England Club, said: “The best interests of tennis will be served by allowing the players more time to recuperate and to adjust from the clay of Roland Garros to the grass at Wimbledon. All our research indicates that there is widespread support within the game for extending the gap between the French Open and Wimbledon and, importantly, we think most players will welcome the prospect of a longer grass court season and spending more time on the softer surface of grass.

“In making this change from 2015 we recognise that there will be some important consequences for the overall tennis calendar and enough time needs to be given to allow us all to plan accordingly. In anticipation of the work required, I would like to thank our colleagues throughout the game for their enthusiasm and support for the vision of a tennis calendar that will better suit the needs of the modern day sport.”

Wimbledon 2015 will run from Monday 29 June to Sunday 12 July.



ENDS

[ViagraFeller]

Shut up shut up shut up! How exciting! CLAPCLAPCLAPCLAPCLAP.

[botagozzz]

A change LOOOOOONNNNNNNNGGGGG overdue. Good for them.

[jagxj12]

Well done! Now I'm hoping to hear about grass Masters somewhere. Maybe Halle would like to upgrade?

[sandracuk]

Wooo, more grass courts!

[Goalseexere]

Well done! Now I'm hoping to hear about grass Masters somewhere. Maybe Halle would like to upgrade?

I predict a Queens Club vs Halle battle, but maybe only for 500 status?

[robinthesearchmasterh]

A very welcome change and it would be great to see a change in the tournaments leading up to Wimbledon but I don't think they will add a 1000 level event - I don't think the players want another mandatory event - so a 500 level event would be the best.

[enencephoth]

They could always add another event on the level of Monte Carlo: 1000 but not mandatory.

[addyta.org]

Think we will have 2 500 events in the second week at Queens and Halle.

[CialisBestPrice]

Will they add any new greass-court events, or just spread out the current four events over three weeks?

[zzbust]

Will they move Newport up to before Wimby.... that's my guess

[addyta.org]

Will they move Newport up to before Wimby.... that's my guess

Think the ATP will do the following:

Week 1 - Nottingham and Newport
Week 2 - London and Halle
Week 3 - Eastbourne and s'-Hertogenbosch

WTA should do the following:

Week 1 - Nottingham and add an event (Cairo was talked about in the past)
Week 2 - Birmingham and s'-Hertogenbosch
Week 3 - Eastbourne