Richest Tennis Match Set in Munich for December

The first Grand Slam Cup, the world’s richest and most controversial tennis tournament, will be held Dec. 11-16 in Munich.

International Tennis Federation chief Philippe Chatrier said at a news conference today that it will be held in Munich for the first three years and in other West German cities in the next two years.

The tournament is worth $6 million, of which $2 million will go to the winner and $1 million to the losing finalist in the 16-man field.

The timing of the tournament has angered the Assn. of Tennis Professionals, which took the scheduling and marketing of the grand prix circuit away from the ITF this year.

The ATP accused the ITF of spoiling tactics in organizing a year-ending event, also in West Germany, three weeks after its own finals, which offer only one-third of the prize money.

Several players, angry that such a large purse should be shared by so few, have suggested that they might boycott it. But none has actually refused to take part.

Chatrier said West Germany was chosen as host country because “West German tennis is the best in the world at the moment.”

The Grand Slam Cup will be for the 16 players with the best records in the four grand slam championships of 1990--the Australian, French and U.S. Opens and Wimbledon--plus two reserves, who automatically win $50,000.

Each first-round loser will get $100,000, losing quarter-finalists $300,000 and losing semifinalists $450,000.

World No. 1 Ivan Lendl of Czechoslovakia leads the qualifying list with 600 points from his win in January’s Australian Open.