Tennis Match Prize Too Rich, W. Germans Say
West German tennis authorities have refused to sanction a proposed $6-million season-ending men’s tournament, saying the massive prize money being offered is bad for the game.
In a statement issued today, the West German Tennis Federation’s board of directors and regional committees said they had decided “neither to approve nor sanction” the so-called Grand Slam Cup, which the International Tennis Federation wants to stage in that country in December, 1990.
International federation spokesman Ian Barnes said that without approval from the local German authorities, “it would be very difficult” to stage the event there.
In a statement, directors of six West German tournaments on the 1990 ATP Tour calendar said they are joining the national governing body in denouncing the eight-man Grand Slam Cup.
“The winner’s first prize of $2 million endangers the long-term stability and above all the general image of tennis as a sport,” the statement said.
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