ITF want to change tour structure

Tennis

Tennis

Geoff Pollard, a top International Federation official, said today that the ITF want to change the existing ATP Tour structure rather than create a rival professional men's circuit. Pollard was responding to Wednesday's ITF statement saying that they were looking to set up the new tour in competition with the ATP with Rupert Murdoch reported as being a possible partner. Organisers of the men's world tennis circuit have reacted angrily to proposals by the game's governing body to set up a streamlined version of their own tour. Mark Miles, the ATP chief executive, said a Murdoch- backed circuit would be bad for the sport and the ITF would be better served by working more closely with the ATP to help the game grow.

DUTCH OPEN (Amsterdam) Men's singles, Quarter-final: C Costa (Sp) bt M Fillipini (Uru) 7-6 6-2, M Rios (Chile) bt B Karbacher (Ger) 4-6 7-6 7-5.

CANADIAN OPEN (Montreal) Men's singles; second round: A Agassi (US) bt J Tarango (US) 6-3 6-4; P Sampras (US) bt J Stark (US) 6-3 4-6 6-4; M Chang (US) bt P Korda (Cz Rep) 7-5 6-1; Y Kafelnikov (Rus) bt M Philippoussis (Aus) 6-4 6-7 7-6; G Ivanisevic (Croa) bt M Joyce (US) 6-4 3-6 6-3; W Ferreira (SA) bt S Draper (Aus) 7-5 6-1; M Stich (Ger) bt P Rafter (Aus) 7-6 7-5; M Washington (US) bt (8) M Rosset (Swi) 6-3 7-6; S Bruguera (Sp) bt A Krickstein (US) 6-2 7-6; M Wilander (Swe) bt S Edberg (Swe) 3-6 6- 3 6-4; T Enqvist (Swe) bt J Morgan (Aus) 6-4 6-4; M Hadad (Col) bt J Stoltenberg (Aus) 4-6 7-6 7-5; T Martin (US) bt B Black (Zim) 6-3 6-1; D Vacek (Cz Rep) bt A Boetsch (Fr) 6-2 6-4; B Steven (NZ) bt R Krajicek (Neth) 7-6 3-1 (retired); J Courier (US) bt S Lareau (Can) 6-4 6-3.

NORTHERN ELECTRIC OPEN (Newcastle) Men's singles; second round: O Camporese (It) bt P Pech (Fr) 4-6 7-5 6-2; D Norman (Bel) bt C Saceanu (Ger) 4-6 6-3 7-6 (7-4); M Petchey (GB) bt P Tramacchi (Aus) 6-4 6-2; T Henman (GB) bt C Haggard (SA) 6-3 6-4.