COMPAQ GRAND SLAM CUP

December 13, 1992

Bill Dennis

Werner Goehner

Gerald Pfeifer

Brian Tobin

MR. HARTUNG: Ladies and gentlemen, could I welcome you most cordially for this final press conference, and introduce the participants and those who are going to speak to you during this press conference. Mr. Brian Tobin, president of the ITF, Mr. Pfeiffer, president and chief executive officer of Compaq Computer Company, Dr. Meyer-Woelden, league advisor the TAVARI Company and tournament director, Bill Dennis, and last but not least, Mr. Werner Goehner who is managing director of Olympia Park.

DR. MEYER-WOELDEN: Ladies and gentlemen, may I most cordially welcome you to this final press briefing. Some of you may have found my face somewhat tightened and very concentrated during these days and I hope I am going to give a more relaxed impression during this final press conference after the course of this Grand Slam Cup 1992. I am very glad and extremely happy to be able to say that this Grand Slam Cup '92 in a way lays the foundation of what you might call in the future, the true tradition. There has been a lot of tension with the press, with the media and with the public at large and I think I can say that we have seen some great tennis during this week. I am very glad that it is-- especially that John McEnroe chose the Grand Slam Cup 1992 as the one where he would have appeared for the last time at this level of world tennis, and I think this really proves relevant, what the Grand Slam Cup has reached by 1992. I am extremely happy that we have two finalists this year, Michael Stich and Michael Chang, who are true Grand Slam tournament winners and furthermore, I think that during this third Grand Slam Cup, we have made some more headway in several areas. There are now 151 countries to which this event is being shown world-wide. We have a new record of spectators. That is a question on which Mr. Goehner will speak in somewhat more detail in a couple of more minutes. There has been increased attention for this tournament world-wide. The Grand Slam Cup, I think, as the cup after the four Grand Slam tournaments, has reached a very sound basis for the future now. I should like to take the opportunity to thank you, the journalists, who have been with us for three years now, and I think in a way you too laid the foundation of this cup, and I should be extremely glad if you decide to stay with us in the future with our Grand Slam Cup. I would like to wish to all of you a very Merry Christmas. Thank you very much.

DR. MEYER-WOELDEN: The record of--

MR. GOEHNER: The record figure is 61,500 as opposed to 58,800 last year. And the most interesting fact is that although the tickets are not truly expensive, a lot of tickets have been bought for single matches during this week. And a lot of tickets have been taken by advanced booking for next year as by now. This is also very positive economic side of the tournament for Munich--

MR. GOEHNER: Well, I should have the exact figures only after the final has begun, that is the attendance. We hope to be sold out. That is in the 61,500. Of course, Saturday is always the best day of the tournament; Sunday suffering a bit, there being only one match but after all, it is the final.

MR. GOEHNER: Exactly 11,000 per day. 66,000 would be the total.

DR. MEYER-WOELDEN: As far as your question is concerned, of course I am not a specialist in terms of surfaces. I am not the one to provide you with the right answer. Personally, I believe that what really makes a great player is the faculty to adapt to any surface, and since this is the Masters of the Grand Slam tournaments being played on grass, hardcourt and clay, I think the true winner wants to be somebody who really knows how to adapt to any surface. If you will take a look at today's final, there is a baseliner, Michael Chang, and true serve and volley player, Michael Stich. And I think this shows that, after all, this surface problem is not too extreme a problem. On the other side, after three years, we shall have to adapt or change or weigh our surface in order to respond to what the players ask for and some of the people. I hope the surface we are going to stay with, supreme, is going to be applied in a somewhat slower version next year.

MR. TOBIN: Yes, I think that the Grand Slams, the Grand Slam chairman, the ITF and I am sure Mr. Meyer-Woelden are very keen to develop a women's Grand Slam Cup, and we have had quite a lot of discussions at the women's counsel which runs the tour. It hasn't been possible to get everybody to accept or agree to the event during the sponsorship period, and so in '93 and '94 appear to be impossible. We are together at the moment with the WTA and the tournaments putting together the new tour for 1995. At this stage, a Grand Slam Cup for women certainly is on the agenda for inclusion on the calendar from 1995 on. And I think it is certainly supported by the WTA and the players who would love to have one.

MR. TOBIN: Well, we are looking at both possibilities. I think, Axel, is it fair to say at the moment, it is more likely to be a separate event than a combined event? It takes a lot of money to produce that sort of prize money for men and women, the same week. I think the probability is that it would be a separate event.

MR. TOBIN: Well, a short answer to that is yes, we would love to have points for the Grand Slam Cup. But as yet, we have been unable to get the ATP Tour to provide them. We say continually -- we continue to ask them from time to time to include it in the ATP rankings but so far we have been unsuccessful.

MR. PFEIFFER: It is not our policy to publish any figures about the investment into this tournament. But then again, figures don't say everything because there is a lot of additional expenditure which you have to take in order to get everything smooth during this tournament. The success has got to be measured by the events of our company. Although this might be something hard to define, we think that the tournament being covered in 151 countries world-wide, where we are present with our representatives, should increase the revenues of our company considerably.

MR. TOBIN: Well, I think that what we are trying to do quite frankly, Compaq Grand Slam Cup, the Grand Slams, the ITF are trying to work as cooperatively with the ATP as we can, and initially the ATP did not want the event to be run before their finals, before their championships. I think our promoter here and we would all agree that we would prefer to run the event sometime in October, perhaps when the Grand Slams are decided, after the U.S. Open, but we have tried, I think, to avoid every possibility of upsetting the ATP Tour and to have a Grand Slam Masters in the middle of their tour apparently isn't too acceptable to them, and so we have tried to accommodate them, I think as best we can, by running it at the end of the year. That is our attempt to being cooperative. May I add that as a result of that cooperation, we would also love to see some more reciprocity from the ATP Tour by giving us points for the Grand Slam Cup.

DR. MEYER-WOELDEN: You see, Richard, although it is always something very positive and pleasant to have sort of a local hero being in the final, winning the tournament, I must clearly state that the tournament does not depend on this. It is a sort of icing on the cake as it were, and I am personally -- we all are very happy.

DR. MEYER-WOELDEN: Well, I am known as somebody who willingly doesn't interfere with any tennis policy. Why should I have any second thoughts about this?

DR. MEYER-WOELDEN: That is a tough one. I am somebody who really loves facing a challenge and bringing it to a good end. Then again, I don't know whether I would be the ideal administrator of the project once established. Since I have got two years to think about it, I do not want to make a decision or give a comment right now.

MR. TOBIN: I think the answer to that is yes, obviously. Axel has built this event from the very beginning in three years to, I think we all agree, with a very successful event. And the simple answer is yes, we would be delighted.

DR. MEYER-WOELDEN: Well, it may not really be what you referred to, my being very serious and worried during the tournament. I was more, last year. This year, given the entries of players like McEnroe, Agassi, Stich and Sampras, I had to be satisfied. But such a tournament involves so many details to attend to, so many things to think about and not to forget that sometimes, if you pick the wrong moment, I might be pale or worried at that point, but that is not really true after all.

MR. TOBIN: Well, the -- I personally have fairly regular contact with Mark Miles of the ATP. I had a personal meeting with him about three weeks ago. This particular matter wasn't discussed. There hasn't been any further discussions that I can recall in the last twelve months about the merging of the two events. We did discuss somewhat at the time, but we may have even talked about it here last year. The events have two different philosophies. This is the culmination of the Grand Slams and ATP Tour finals is the culmination of their year. There are two different philosophies. I think there are many contractual difficulties in a merger that at the time, it didn't appear practical. And I would have thought that both events are pretty successful and I think they are running very well, side by side. It hasn't come up again. The last time we discussed formally getting points for the Compaq Grand Slam Cup, my memory tells me, was at Wimbledon, but I could be wrong. I think it was at Wimbledon June, July this year.

DR. MEYER-WOELDEN: Could I personally say about this question of ATP points, yes or no, I personally do not believe that any tennis policy might be successful in the short run, and give quick results in terms of computer ranking points, but I personally believe in those who make the success of the tournament and they are the players. And I think the players are going to ask for points with a lot more chance of success because they are going to ask for points if they continue to attend Munich as they do right now, and they are going to put certain pressure on the ATP.

MR. DENNIS: That is my understanding. I have talked to some players individually. I know that at least one of the French players, Guy Forget, who was here, had several conversations along that particular issue. I had a very brief conversation but yet a very positive conversation on it with Pete Sampras. I think the position that I have taken and I believe the position that TIVARI has taken is that we could not make policy but that we do have an open ear. We suggest that the players take their particular position back to the ATP board, to their representatives. One thing that did happen this week, again you can verify through your colleagues, it is my understanding that ESPN did a rather thorough, 15 to 20 minute piece on whether or not points should be awarded, and gave reasons, both pros and cons. My understanding is that the piece ended in a very positive manner. I think you have to go back to Drysdale and Stolle and find out their background and how they came up with that particular information because it came as a surprise to me.

MR. PFEIFFER: As long as you do not have all the details we can't give a definite answer, but we are very extremely satisfied with this tournament and we have noticed that our representation is going to be increased at future tournaments and once the name of the tournament is closely linked, of course you want to think about the future and you have to and we shall see after five years whether we are going to go on and this depends on a number of things. Does this tournament remain what it is already or an extension? These are questions we have to weigh before we can give a definite answer.

DR. MEYER-WOELDEN: Well, he didn't indicate that to me. He may have mentioned this during a press conference. I don't know. But even if this was obscene, those who think it is, have stayed away, to channel it to charity and make it less obscene, I suppose.

MR. DENNIS: Well, I think that in this particular tennis tournament as in any other part of life, anything is subject to change and also anything that is subject to ongoing critique and ongoing conversation with respect to each and every part of it. There is discussion and probably will continue to be discussion because the Grand Slam committee does not move exactly what I would call rapidly. I think Brian will say that Phillippe Chartrier said it years ago: "Establishment in the game of tennis is sort of like an elephant, it does not move rapidly, but when it moves, you can hear it." I think I am quoting correctly. All the things that you just mentioned again are in discussion stages; many factions agree with you, many factions have questions of what happens when we get the players to play on Friday, they would possibly have to play three out of five sets three days in a row, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, be it the last quarter, the semis then the final. But certainly, what you said bears great merit and is being looked at very, very seriously.

DR. MEYER-WOELDEN: Well, could I say again that I do not know whether John McEnroe has really made this remark and then if he had, he would be one of the 18, one would have said something, 17 would not. And what John McEnroe does with his prize money or does not, this is not our business and we do not intend to check on this.

MR. GOEHNER: Ladies and gentlemen, could I add, on behalf of the house and Munich Olympic Park two very important points. Several visitors said that the identity of Olympiahalle, that stands out and everything being arranged, it seems to be very positive and something which was felt very positive too is that there was no difference to be felt between the VIP and normal visitors and one of the journalists told me that the Olympiahalle seems to be the best indoor venue of all four Grand Slam tournaments. This is something we are extremely glad about.

DR. MEYER-WOELDEN: Can I, before ending thank you most cordially for your attendance; enjoy the finals and very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

THE INTERPRETER: Also on behalf of Mr. Goehner for the Olympia Park.