Kings of Tennis is OFFICIALLY cancelled

Thanks to Johan P. the press officer at Kings of Tennis for forwarding the official media statement to me issued by Ming, KH & Associated Sdn Bhd on behalf of Kings of Tennis.

Here's the content of the release. To download the file, click here and "save file to your PC".

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

KINGS OF TENNIS EVENT CANCELLED

11 November 2008: As the producers of the Kings of Tennis concept, we wish to inform and confirm that we have with regret, removed the players from participating in the Kings of Tennis event scheduled to take place in Georgetown, Penang on 14-16 November 2008. Consequently, the event has been cancelled as we notified the local promoter/organiser last week.

We express our sincere apologies to the public and all those parties concerned but we simply could not provide the players without payment of promised funds that did not materialise despite a number of ultimatums given to the local promoter/organiser by our organisation.

Kings of Tennis

I believe we will see the official news in papers tomorrow and on how you can get your refund back.

Updates:
Official news of event cancellation is available at The Star today.

Jurgen Melzer and Dominika Cibulkova's P.D.A in Maldives

Down the Line! thinks Jurgen Melzer and Dominika Cibulkova still aren't hot enough compare to Ana Ivanovic and Fernando Verdasco?

Aww, c'mon!

Melzer and Cibulkova fell in love at the US Open this year, where they played mixed doubles together.

The new couple have started their off season holiday vacationing in Maldives.

I'll pick them as my favourite sizzling hot couple for now... unless Anando start camwhoring and display their affection in public too!

Fans are waiting....

(First three images via downthelinetennis.com)

Rafael Nadal out of Davis Cup final

This is not the kind of news I want to hear from Rafael Nadal. The world no.1 player will miss Spain’s Davis Cup final against Argentina because of a knee injury.

The top-ranked Nadal said Monday he was still struggling with tendinitis in his right knee following a week of treatment.

“The knee said no,” the 22-year-old said.

Spain team doctor Angel Ruiz-Cotorro said Nadal would need three to six weeks to recover.

“These are very difficult moments, but I have done all that I could to be ready for the final,” he said.

“It was a huge objective, and I’m used to playing with pain, but this is a distinct, new pain that I couldn’t control.”

Nadal’s absence deals a big blow to Spain’s bid for a third Davis Cup title since 2000. Spain captain Emilio Sanchez Vicario has until Tuesday to name his team.

Spain plays Argentina on indoor hard court at Mar del Plata from Nov. 21-23.

“We’re sorry for him, but it’s good news. Spain is one thing with Nadal, and another thing without him,” Argentine captain Alberto Mancini told Buenos Aires-based radio station Continental.

Nadal was a key player when Spain beat the United States 4-1 in the semifinals, winning both his singles matches.

Sanchez Vicario most likely will replace Nadal with Tommy Robredo, clay-court specialist Nicolas Almagro or Marcel Granollers. David Ferrer, Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco are expected to be back on the team.

Nadal withdrew from the Paris Masters last month with an injury to the same knee after losing the first set of his quarterfinal against Nikolai Davydenko.

He then pulled out of this week’s season-ending Masters Cup in Shanghai, China.

“I don’t know if the injury (resulted) from my fight to be No. 1 because in reality, I didn’t play in any extra tournaments, I only played what I had to for the ranking and I don’t think you can reproach me for that,” Nadal said.

“I didn’t do anything crazy to be No. 1.”

Ruiz-Cotorro said the injury was not career threatening, but that it was “totally impossible” for Nadal to be ready in time for the final.

“Rafa comes in off a very tough year and his body has been warning him for weeks. It’s an acute injury that needs time to recuperate,” Ruiz-Cotorro said.

“If he played in Argentina, it could become worse.”

Robredo helped Spain to a 5-0 rout of Peru in a first-round match in February, but has reached the quarterfinals of only one of nine tournaments since winning at Bastad in July. The 21st-ranked Robredo has been a Spain regular since 2004.

The 19th-ranked Almagro made his debut against Peru, winning both singles matches, while 56th-ranked Granollers has never been selected.

“Spain has top-level players capable of achieving victory,” said Nadal, who didn’t rule out traveling to South America to support his teammates.

Agustin Calleri and Jose Acasuso will join David Nalbandian and Juan Martin Del Potro for the Argentine team.

(Via AP, Image via Yahoo! Sport)

Asian Hopman Cup in Astana starts tomorrow

Danai Udomchoke has posted some photos from Astana, Kazakhstan. He is there to represent Thailand in the Asian Hopman Cup.


Thanks to Esther for getting in touch with the media team in Kazakhstan for the latest press release regarding the tournament. Here you go:

A unique team superiority on tennis will be held in November 12 -15 in Astana.

For the first time the Asian qualifying stage of the Hopman Cup where the teams of China, India, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, Korea and Kazakhstan will participate, takes place in the capital of Kazakhstan.

The tournament winners will get a chance to play in a draw of the Australian Hopman Cup among 8 best world teams.

Hopman Cup - is a yearly international tennis team tournament, which was found in 1989 and is held in Perth of the Western Australia in the beginning of January (sometimes at the end of December).

The competitions were named in honour of Harry Hopman (12.08.1906-27.12.1985) - one of the greatest tennis players and a famous Australian coach.

For 30 years he guided young talented players to victories on 15 Davis Cups and 21 Challengers rounds.

What the difference of Hopman Cup from other team tennis competitions?
Unlike other major international team tennis tournaments like the Davis Cup and the Fed Cup, which are strictly for men or women only, the Hopman Cup is a mixed competition where male and female players team up together on combined teams.

Each team consists of one male player and one female player. Each match-up between two teams at the championships consists of:

• one women's singles match
• one men's singles match
• one mixed doubles match

In the Asian qualifying stage 6 competing teams will be divided into 2 groups. The winner of each subgroup will play for the pass to Australia.

The honour of their countries will be defended by: Udomchoke Danai and Tamarine Tanasugarn (Thailand), Lu Yen-Hsun and Hsieh Su-Wei(Chinese Taipei), Jun Woong Sun and Chae Kyung Yee (Korea), Li Zhe and Zhou Yimiao (China), Vishnu Vardhan and Shikha Uberoi (India).

The Kazakhstan banner will be carried by our first rackets –Andrey Golubev and Yaroslava Shvedova, who recently has gotten into best hundred tennis players in the WTA ranking.

The Tournament Director: Daniel Chambon
Referee: Andrey Kornilov (Uzbekistan)

(Images via Danai's official website)