Kingfisher Airlines Tennis Open

The Kingfisher Airlines Tennis Open (known as the Kingfisher Airlines Tennis Open for sponsorship reasons) was a professional men's tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was part of the International Series of the ATP Tour and was held annually in Asia.

Kingfisher Airlines Tennis Open
Defunct tennis tournament
Founded1996
Abolished2007
Editions11
LocationShanghai
China
VenueKSLTA Signature Kingfisher Tennis Stadium
CategoryATP International Series
SurfaceCarpet / Indoors (1996–98)
Hard / Outdoors (1999–01, 2003–04, 2006–07)
Hard / Indoors (2005)
Draw32S/32Q/16D
Prize money$416,000
Websitekingfisherairlinesopen.com

History

The tournament was first created in 1996 in Shanghai, China, on indoor carpet courts and as part of the ATP World Series. The second new tournament started by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) in Asia in three years, after the Beijing Open, created in 1993, the Shanghai event ran as a men's only tournament during four years, seeing the likes of Michael Chang, Goran Ivanišević, Marcelo Ríos and Magnus Norman reaching the finals. In 2000, the Tier IV Women's Tennis Association (WTA) tournaments of Beijing was moved to Shanghai, allowing the city to hold both the ATP event, now part of the International Series, and the WTA event.

In 2004, as the ATP was increasing its presence in Asia,[1] having brought the Tennis Masters Cup to Shanghai in 2002, working on moving several events to different new locations, the ATP and WTA Shanghai tournaments were both relocated, with the women's, now a Tier II tournament, returning to Beijing, and the men's moving to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.[2] After the 2005 edition, the tournament moved once more to a new country, in India,[3] taking place in the city of Mumbai first, in 2006 and 2007, and then moving again to Bangalore for the 2008 edition.[4] The first event to be held in the new location, though, was cancelled due to security fears, and the first Bangalore Open consequently postponed to the next season.[5] In 2009 a new tournament in Asia was created to replace it, the Malaysian Open, located on Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[6]

Past finals

The 2007 Men's doubles finals in action at CCI Tennis courts in Mumbai

Singles

Location Year Champions Runners-up Score
Bangalore 2008–09Not held
Mumbai 2007France Richard GasquetBelgium Olivier Rochus6–3, 6–4
2006Russia Dmitry TursunovCzech Republic Tomáš Berdych6–3, 4–6, 7–6(7–5)
Ho Chi Minh City 2005Sweden Jonas BjörkmanCzech Republic Radek Štěpánek6–3, 7–6(7–4)
Shanghai 2004Argentina Guillermo CañasGermany Lars Burgsmüller6–1, 6–0
2003Australia Mark PhilippoussisCzech Republic Jiří Novák6–2, 6–1
2002Not held
2001Germany Rainer SchüttlerSwitzerland Michel Kratochvil6–3, 6–4
2000Sweden Magnus NormanNetherlands Sjeng Schalken6–4, 4–6, 6–3
1999Sweden Magnus NormanChile Marcelo Ríos2–6, 6–3, 7–5
1998United States Michael ChangCroatia Goran Ivanišević4–6, 6–1, 6–2
1997Slovakia Ján KrošlákRussia Alexander Volkov6–2, 7–6(7–2)
1996Russia Andrei OlhovskiyThe Bahamas Mark Knowles7–6(7–5), 6–2

Doubles

Location Year Champions Runners-up Score
Bangalore 2008–09Not held
Mumbai 2007Sweden Robert Lindstedt
Finland Jarkko Nieminen
India Rohan Bopanna
Pakistan Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi
7–6(7–3), 7–6(7–5)
2006Croatia Mario Ančić
India Mahesh Bhupathi
India Rohan Bopanna
India Mustafa Ghouse
6–4, 6–7(6–8), 10–8
Ho Chi Minh City 2005Germany Lars Burgsmüller
Germany Philipp Kohlschreiber
Australia Ashley Fisher
Sweden Robert Lindstedt
5–6(3–7), 6–4, 6–2 [lower-alpha 1]
Shanghai 2004United States Jared Palmer
Czech Republic Pavel Vízner
United States Rick Leach
United States Brian MacPhie
4–6, 7–6(7–4), 7–6(13–11)
2003Australia Wayne Arthurs
Australia Paul Hanley
China Zeng Shaoxuan
China Zhu Benqiang
6–2, 6–4
2002Not held
2001Zimbabwe Byron Black
Japan Thomas Shimada
South Africa John-Laffnie de Jager
South Africa Robbie Koenig
6–2, 3–6, 7–5
2000Netherlands Paul Haarhuis
Netherlands Sjeng Schalken
Czech Republic Petr Pála
Czech Republic Pavel Vízner
6–2, 3–6, 6–4
1999Canada Sébastien Lareau
Canada Daniel Nestor
Australia Todd Woodbridge
Australia Mark Woodforde
7–5, 6–3
1998India Mahesh Bhupathi
India Leander Paes
Australia Todd Woodbridge
Australia Mark Woodforde
6–4, 6–7, 7–6
1997Belarus Max Mirnyi
Zimbabwe Kevin Ullyett
Sweden Tomas Nydahl
Italy Stefano Pescosolido
7–6, 6–7, 7–5
1996The Bahamas Mark Knowles
The Bahamas Roger Smith
United States Jim Grabb
Australia Michael Tebbutt
4–6, 6–2, 7–6

Notes

  1. Tie-breaks were held at 5–5 and not 6–6 in this tournament.

References

  1. atptennis.com (30 August 2004). "ATP CEO Courts Asian Booming Tennis Market" (PDF). Retrieved 25 August 2008.
  2. atptennis.com (27 April 2005). "ATP Announces Historic ATP-Level Event in Vietnam" (PDF). Retrieved 25 August 2008.
  3. atptennis.com (10 April 2006). "ATP Announces Second ATP Tournament in India" (PDF). Retrieved 25 August 2008.
  4. sportsline.com (20 May 2008). "Bangalore replaces Mumbai on ATP Tour circuit". Archived from the original on 18 September 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2008.
  5. atptennis.com (25 August 2008). "Bangalore Suspended Due to Security Fears". Archived from the original on 31 August 2008. Retrieved 25 August 2008.
  6. atpworldtour.com (26 June 2009). "Kuala Lumpur Confirmed As Newest Stop On ATP World Tour". Retrieved 26 June 2009.
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