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DUNLOP has been named official sponsor of the
International Tennis Federation Juniors until 2010.
As sponsor, Dunlop will provide
the rackets, strings and grips during the World Juniors (14 and
under) and the Junior Davis Cup and Junior Cup (16 and under) by BNP
Paribas, respectively.
The two competitions have
consistently attracted the world’s leading juniors, with Roger
Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Roddick, Lindsay Davenport and Amelie
Mauresmo all having competed for the titles. Tommy Robredo is also
among the impressive list of former participants.
This year’s events will feature
over 300 teams from 84 countries. Sixteen boys and girls teams will
contest next week’s World Junior Tennis Finals in Prostejov, Czech
Republic, slated August 6 to 11 while the finals of the Junior Davis
Cup by BNP Paribas/Junior Fed Cup will be held in Reggio Emilia,
Italy, on September 25 to 30.
“This sponsorship makes perfect
sense for Dunlop. The Junior team competitions are played by the
world’s best junior players and it makes for a fantastic
opportunity for Dunlop to create some brand loyalty with the top
players at a young age,” said Robin Gibson, Dunlop head of
marketing.
The provision of a stringing
service by Dunlop at the finals of both competitions gives us the
perfect chance to interact with the players and offer them the
chance to use Dunlop strings in their rackets.
“We are delighted to see Dunlop
partner with our Junior team competitions. When you look at the
previous players of these competitions, it makes sense for a racket
company like Dunlop to have some standout at these events and offer
services to the players that help create a feel good factor with the
brand,” added Jan Menneken, ITF executive director for commercial.
Dunlop has four senior players in
the Association of Tennis Professionals Top 11—more than any other
brand. Current Dunlop players using the exciting new Dunlop Aerogel
technology include Tommy Robredo (7th), Tommy Haas (9th), James
Blake (10th) and Tomas Berdych (11th) and Alicia Molik. John McEnroe
also signed with Dunlop in 1981, and still currently uses Dunlop as
his racket of choice.
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