McEnroe takes tennis tour to Belfast

Belfast has been added to the world tour by top tennis stars of yesteryear, it was announced today.

Former Wimbledon champions John McEnroe, Pat Cash and Henri Leconte have signed up for Tennis Legends 2007 which will be held in the Odyssey Arena in February.

The four-day events will be part of tennis’s Merrill Lynch Tour of Champions which stops off in Rome, Paris, Barcelona and eight other venues worldwide.

Other past champions playing on the tour include Mats Wilander, Goran Ivanisevic, Marcelo Rios and Richard Krajicek.

McEnroe said: “I’m very much looking forward to my first tournament in Belfast. Merrill Lynch Tour of Champions events are always fiercely contested, but the players also enjoy visiting new cities, having fun with the crowds and meeting local people.”

Tennis is the latest international sport adding Belfast to its tour schedule. In recent weeks it has been announced international snooker is on its way to Belfast in late summer and international showjumping in the autumn.

Nicky Dunn, the Odyssey Area’s chief executive successfully negotiated to bring the event to Northern Ireland.

Ms Dunn said: “We were very keen to bring a major tennis event to Odyssey Arena and have been talking with the Tour for several months.

“We think the opportunity to see past starts, including Wimbledon champions, world number ones and Davis Cup winners will prove hugely popular with the public and we aim to make the tournament an annual event.”