LTA plan to merge events for south coast showpiece

By MALCOLM FOLLEY

Last updated at 21:13 29 March 2008

Maria Sharapova and Andy Murray could play at the same pre-Wimbledon

grasscourt tournament in Eastbourne — if the Lawn Tennis Association

successfully conclude negotiations to reshape the British tennis summer.

From next summer, the

LTA would like to combine

the existing women's

tournament in Eastbourne

with the men's event in

Nottingham to provide a

showpiece competition on

the south coast in the week

before Wimbledon begins.

Historically, the

Eastbourne tournament has

attracted stars like Martina

Navratilova, Chris Evert,

Jana Novotna, Amelie

Mauresmo and Justine

Henin, and for most of the

past 25 years it has been

broadcast on television.

Usually, the field has at

least five of the world's top

10 women.

In contrast, Nottingham, a

low-tier event on the ATP

calendar, relies heavily on

boosting box office appeal

from 'wildcard' invitations

to top players who have lost

in an early round the

previous week at Queen's

Club.

Last summer Lleyton

Hewitt and Tim Henman

signed up to play in

Nottingham only after

being beaten in London.

It is understood the LTA

explored the possibility of

having women players join

men at Queen's Club next

summer after the Artois

beer company announced

that its 30-year sponsorship

would end in June.

But this

was ruled out due to the

size of the venue and the

difficulty of organising a

date with the ATP and

WTA, the governing bodies

for men's and women's

tennis.

Instead, the LTA have

proposed this new event

with Devonshire Park, near

the sea front, the preferred

location. The plan would be

to have a 32-draw for men

and women.

The LTA are seeking one

major sponsor for the

grass court season but

neither Eastbourne nor

Nottingham have a sponsor

for this year.

Sharapova, who won

Wimbledon in 2004, has yet

to appear at Eastbourne but

has told LTA organisers

that she has not ruled out

the possibility of playing on

the south coast.

Murray is always likely to

target Queen's Club as his

first-choice preparatory

tournament for Wimbledon.

Yet, if he was to be an early

casualty in London, or had

to miss the event through

injury, it is feasible that the

21-year-old British No 1

could turn to Eastbourne.

An ATP spokesman said:

"The blueprint build for the

tour, for the fans, is to have

top players, men and

women, at top events so

this proposal (of combining

Nottingham and

Eastbourne) fits our

strategy."