WTA Future stars attracts largest field of junior tennis players from Asia-Pacific

In its fourth edition, the 2017 WTA Future Stars initiative hits a new high with 48 qualifiers representing 21 countries across the Asia-Pacific, all gathering in Singapore to play against each other from October 17-22. Each country sends two representatives, one each in the U14 and U16 categories, with host city Singapore represented by nine participants this year.

Held in conjunction with the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, the WTA Future Stars features the best of the U14 and U16 junior players from the region who will compete in Singapore at the Kallang Tennis Center. The champion matches will be played under the bright lights of the WTA Finals Center Court at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. If you're exploring tennis betting for WTA Finals, do follow up on the performances of the women players in Singapore during this period.

The WTA Future Stars platform was developed to showcase the best of Asia-Pacific’s next stars, and began with just 12 countries and 24 players in its first year. Since its inception in 2014, Singapore has welcomed more than 150 WTA Future Stars participants to compete against each other and alongside activities to breed friendship and encourage sportsmanship.

Singapore U14 and U16 Future Stars with WTA Future Stars Tournament Director, Donna Kelso and Singapore Tennis Association's President, Mr Nicholas Lim Han Kong (Source: WTA)

Participation has continued to grow year-on-year, with new countries signing up, and more players from the region continuing to build on the quality of the competition. Kazakhstan will be represented for the first time while Cambodia and Laos return after a one-year absence.

To build on the momentum, a new partnership was also formed with Eleven Sports, which delivers world-class international and domestic sports and lifestyle entertainment. Tennis fans will be able to watch the progress of the WTA Future Stars through exclusive content from behind-the-scenes access with these junior players to match highlights on the Eleven Sports platforms both in Singapore and in Chinese-Taipei.

This year, the WTA Future Stars will also be participating in the inaugural WTA Charities Community Day held on Saturday, October 21. In a clinic led by former British Fed Cup Captain Judy Murray, the WTA Future Stars will be joined by children from SportCares and the Tennis For Every Child program by SC Global, as well as members of the wheelchair tennis club in Singapore.

Winners of the WTA Future Stars tournament will receive their trophies from WTA Legends Yayuk Basuki from Indonesia and Tamarine Tanasugarn from Thailand, who have been involved in the initiative since 2016. They will be joined this year by newly-appointed WTA Finals Legend Ambassador Lindsay Davenport, who will be in Singapore and meeting with the WTA Future Stars for the first time, through a Q&A session with the young girls.

In addition, WTA Legend Martina Navratilova will be presenting the Li Na Inspiration Award to two WTA Future Stars who embody the spirit of the game both on and off the court, as well as qualities that made Li Na well-loved with fans, players and sponsors throughout her career. (Refer to Appendix A for more details)

Tanasugarn, WTA Legend and former World No.19, who hosted a tennis clinic in Bangkok as part of the WTA Future Stars regional grassroots outreach, “The WTA Future Stars is an amazing initiative by the WTA to not just introduce the sport to more young children in the region, but also to encourage those who are already playing to continue on their journey. I am very pleased to be involved in the program again and I hope we can continue to see more great talent emerge from this region.”

Singapore gears up for the tennis and lifestyle event of the year

Press Release

With just 10 days to go before the start of the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, the tennis fever has hit the city with a slew of entertainment and lifestyle activities happening alongside the on-court action at the crown jewel event of the WTA calendar.

The Porsche Race to Singapore is set to culminate in a world-class display of tennis action by the world’s greatest singles players and doubles teams at 2017 WTA Finals. With the recent addition of Caroline Garcia, who displayed her dominance at the Asian Swing, fans can get ready for a real treat with the line-up filled with formidable young players like Grand Slam champions Jelena Ostapenko and Garbiñe Muguruza, newly crowned WTA World No. 1 Simona Halep and veteran superstars like Venus Williams and Caroline Wozniacki who have rallied through a resurgent season.

“The Porsche Race to Singapore has been a showcase of unbelievable performances throughout the year, with thrilling twists and turns. We are excited for the arrival of the world’s greatest in women’s tennis again in Singapore, and are looking forward to the grand finale of what has been a highly competitive season,” shared Melissa Pine, Vice-President of WTA Asia-Pacific and Tournament Director of the WTA Finals.

Whilst the world’s greatest women tennis players battle it out at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, tennis fever will extend across the island and public can look forward to meet some of women’s tennis greatest legends like Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Kim Clijsters and more in various community activities.

Tennis at the heart of the city

From 20 to 29 October, Courtside@CHIJMES, a family-friendly carnival will serve up a variety of activities including tennis-themed games, a health and sustainability fair, guilt-free food market, mass Zumba work-out, watercolour and brush calligraphy, as well as gardening and leather crafting workshops. Visitors can also enjoy art and light installations including an APP-commissioned interactive art piece titled “Glimpse” by local multi-disciplinary artist Yang, which dispenses DIY planting kits made from recycled tennis balls when activated. On 24 October, tennis fans can get up-close to their favourite doubles players as they determine their match-up’s at the Doubles Draw Ceremony.

Throughout the week, WTA Finals 2017 ticket-holders can enjoy special F&B perks of up to 50% when they dine at CHIJMES and travel conveniently between the Singapore Sports Hub and CHIJMES with complimentary shuttle services, during the tournament.

Aside from CHIJMES, Adrift at Marina Bay Sands - the Official Bar of the WTA Finals - will be serving up a specially-curated menu of eight tennis-themed cocktails such as the Gin Spin, Lawn Dart, Garden Margarita and different variations of Pimm’s. WTA Finals ticket-holders looking to catch a pre- or post-match drink can enjoy 1:1 promotions and discounts on the bespoke drinks menu. Tennis fans can also watch an exclusive screening of the Singles Draw Ceremony while sipping their drinks at the bar on 20 October.

Sports and tennis professionals will also benefit from the stellar line up at the Tennis Coaches Conference on 23 October at the Conrad Centennial Hotel. Headlining the conference are former WTA World No. 1 Lindsay Davenport and Judy Murray, a trailblazer in grassroots tennis development and mother of Grand-Slam winning sons, Jamie and Andy Murray.

The best of sport, lifestyle and entertainment at the hub

The Singapore Sports Hub, epicentre of the tennis action, will also be abuzz with a mix of sport, lifestyle and entertainment activities suitable for all.

Kickstarting the week on a high is a one-stop, Asia-exclusive performance by the best-selling boyband of all time, the Backstreet Boys, on 21 October at the National Stadium. Fans can rock to their favourite tunes at the highly-anticipated concert, held in conjunction with the WTA Finals.

At the Fan Village located at OCBC Square, visitors can strengthen their skills with a virtual game of tennis, strike a pose for tennis-themed photographs and win exclusive prizes across the multiple activities. A custom lettering service starting from just S$2 is also available for those looking to customise their tennis memorabilia. Beyond the tennis, visitors can also take part in perfumery, henna design and ceramic potmaking classes.

Fans will also have opportunities to rub shoulders with their favourite tennis stars and legends as they make their appearances at various parts of the tennis hub. Budding tennis stars can develop their A game, picking up tips as they watch the greats practise at the free-to-enter Player Practice Sessions taking place 21, 22 and 28 October at the OCBC Arena.

For a holistic tennis experience, fans can join the Singapore Tennis Festival Experience Tour by ActiveSG, taking place at the Sports Hub from 22-29 October. Beyond watching the stars in action, fans will take part in in a wide variety of tennis games, challenges, try-outs and workouts, and play tennis with Team Singapore athletes. Participants will also get a limited edition tour pack and a lucky draw chance to win a trip to a Grand Slam next year.

At the Racquet Club, the premium hospitality experience, guests will catch their favourite tennis stars and legends up close and personal at meet-and-greet sessions at dedicated suites, all while enjoying access to the best seats in the house, a premium dining experience and free flow of wine, beer and non-alcoholic beverages for a definitive tournament experience.

“Our focus for the WTA Finals has always been to provide a quality, world-class sporting and lifestyle event that not only caters to tennis fans, but also people with different interests,” shared Sarah Clements, VicePresident of Tennis – Asia at Lagardère Sports.

“This year, through an expanded programme that extends beyond the court and into to the heart of the city, we hope to create meaningful touchpoints to engage and excite our audiences. With a solid tournament lineup, a curated and complementary catalogue of lifestyle and entertainment activities at Courtside@CHIJMES and Fan Village, and an effort to drive an elevated experience through the Racquet Club and other event-goer perks, there is something for everyone to create an unforgettable time at this year’s event”.

The WTAFinals.com website is a one-stop centre for fans to get tickets, win opportunities to enhance your event experience and learn about all things tournament-related, from the rules of the game, to inside scoops, as well as the latest from leading players as they journey on the qualification route to Singapore.

For the latest Porsche Race to Singapore Leaderboard, refer to http://www.wtafinals.com/

Team Europe reunited for a dinner together in Shanghai

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal together with their Laver Cup Team Europe mates and captain were pictured together having dinner in Shanghai this week. The picture was shared by Marin Cilic in his Instagram account.

Amazing time with great guys. #TeamEurope gathering in Shanghai. #Tomasgetwellsoon @rogerfederer @rafaelnadal @domithiem @alexzverev123 #bjornborg

A post shared by Marin Čilić (@marincilic_official) on Oct 9, 2017 at 10:40am PDT

Federer and Nadal who share one of the most intense rivalries in tennis history are obviously became teammates for the first time and they were even paired up as doubles partners at the inaugural Laver Cup.

Team Europe which was also featuring Dominic Thiem, Marin Cilic, Tomas Berdych, Alexander Zverev and captain Bjorn Borg took the championship after thrashing Team World 15-9 in Prague.

The victorious team, unfortunately without Berdych, was reunited on Monday as the dined together ahead of the Shanghai Masters.

If you're a big fan of online betting for ATP tennis matches, do follow up on the performances of the players in the Shanghai Masters during this period.

Source: Laver Cup website

Zverev who sat next to Nadal, also posted a similar group photo on Instagram with the caption: "Awesome dinner back with my #teameurope teammates".

Federer reposted the picture, alongside the words: "We all missed the Laver Cup so much that we had to have a reunion in Shanghai... Tomas Berdych we saved you a seat!"

Berdych exited the China Open in the last 16 courtesy of a shock defeat at the hands of Andrey Rublev. Nadal has better luck, beating Nick Kyrgios on last Sunday's final in Beijing.

Federer, meanwhile, did not enter the ATP 500 tournament, instead opting to save himself for this week's ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament.

What makes Nadal the favourite among fans and in tennis betting?

Source: Lintao Zhang/Getty Images AsiaPac)

In every sport, those involved purely as fans and those who spend hours studying form to bet professionally spend plenty of time discussing the topic of “greatest ever.” For the former group, it is often a mixture of head and heart that informs the argument, while those falling into the latter category are likely to have figures and statistics to support their view.

Yet while those who are into motor racing discuss Schumacher and Fangio, or cricket followers try to decide between Tendulkar and Bradman, for the tennis connoisseur, this is a golden era. Not only are the two greatest players contemporaries of one another, they are both playing right now. While F1 fans can only theorise about whether Fangio would have been faster than Schumacher, we have the honour of seeing Federer and Nadal duke it out time and again. In fact, they have played each other professionally almost 40 times. No wonder Fedal is one of the most hotly disputed sporting rivalries ever.

Who’s the greatest?

Some point to Federer’s greater number of grand slam wins as evidence that he is the greatest until such time as Nadal can prove otherwise. There are two flaws with this argument. The first is that at 36, does Federer really have any more grand slams in him? Nadal, on the other hand, is five years Federer’s junior, and needs just three more wins to draw level.

The other factor to consider is that Nadal has won 23 of their 37 encounters, which makes it difficult for anyone to argue that Federer is the greater of the two.

Where to place your bet

Whether Federer’s star finally on the wane, or he can still prove himself against Nadal is the burning question, and one that can be explored by examining the bookmakers’ view on the numerous online sports betting sites. In recent years, tennis betting has become increasingly popular, thanks mostly to the rise of smartphone apps and online services. As well as providing an opportunity to win some money, a look at the odds also gives a great form guide for tennis fans.

With the Shanghai Masters getting underway, there is little surprise that the bookmakers see it as a two horse race between the two giants, and they have it too close to call. Both are around the 2/1 mark, with some offering Federer as favourite and others Nadal.

Many happy returns

If the betting odds cannot choose between them, is there other data we can call upon to differentiate between the game’s two top players? One statistic that stands out is the return of serve. There can be few tougher challenges in sport – statistically, you will miss more first serves than you return.

Most professionals in the men’s game have a return rate of around 33 percent – Federer’s is slightly below average at 32.5 percent. Nadal, however, stands head and shoulders above the rest with a return rate of 35.2 percent.

In the average match, a player will face around 150 first serves. According to those statistics, Nadal will successfully return four more than Federer per game. And it is small edges like this that can ultimately contribute to him being recognised as the best of all time.