Juan Carlos Ferrero
"I understand that the Beijing Tennis Centre, where we will be playing the China Open, will be a major venue with a 10,000-seat Centre Court and significant seating on Courts 1 and 2. I am sure the atmosphere will be electrifying and I look forward to playing my best tennis for the people of China."
Ma Guoli President of CCTV Sport
"We are delighted to become the Official Host Broadcaster of the China Open. CCTV is the national broadcaster of the People's Republic of China and it is very appropriate that we would have the role of Host Broadcaster of China's national Open championship, the China Open."
"CCTV takes great pride in delivering the great tennis that will be played at the China Open to the people of China. We will be producing the coverage from multiple courts and airing over 150 hours of China Open throughout the Nation. Without question, September will be a 'Tennis Month' and a 'China Open Month' for CCTV and China."
"We look forward to making a significant contribution in developing the China Open into one of the world's top tennis tournaments and into a premier sports event for Asia. We are proud to take a role in connection with China Open similar to the roles the BBC and CBS have taken with Wimbledon and the US Open respectively."
Brad Drewett, Managing Director of ATP International
"As the governing body for men's professional tennis worldwide, we at the ATP are very pleased that China's national broadcaster CCTV is joining the China Open as Official Host Broadcaster. China is a very fast growing market for our sport and the China Open will be a very important tournament. We fully support CCTV's efforts in making the images of the China Open accessible to the entire Chinese nation. We are also very pleased to deliver great ATP stars such as Marat Safin, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Paradorn Srichaphan, Rainer Schuettler, Taylor Dent, David Nalbandian, Rafael Nadal, Jan-Michael Gambill, Younes El Aynaoui and Carlos Moya to the China Open."
Lincoln Venancio, Tournament Director
"This is truly a landmark agreement for the China Open, for tennis in China and for the sport globally. China is one of the most important markets in the world for many sports and many businesses. This agreement between China's national Open championship and CCTV is expected to deliver one of the largest television audiences in the history of the sport. This is as a very major and very positive step on the road of China Open becoming one of the most significant tennis tournaments in the world. This is as historic of a deal as the first Wimbledon/BBC agreement."
"CCTV will bring not less than 150 hours of the China Open into the homes of people throughout China. Furthermore, CCTV will promote the China Open and its broadcast of the China Open in a very powerful manner. The multiple court broadcast is without question the largest production of any annual sports event in China."
(www.chinaopen.cn September 10, 2004)
