Three top 20 players from the ATP Tour, led by Nº 12 Feliciano Lopez, are coming to the Estoril Tennis Club this week to compete in the Millennium Estoril Open Tennis Tournament.
Workmen are busy putting the finishing touches to the stadium on the centre court of the Estoril Tennis Club which will seat 3,590 people. The whole club has been totally refurbished so that it will look its best for the event.
The two main courts are in perfect condition with new lines and tons of clay mixed with salt to give a shiny look, especially on the TV for the evening matches.
The promoters of the Open are a new grouping comprising Dutchman Benno van Veggel, who has lived in Portugal since the 1980s and founded the Country Clube de Cascais, Clube Sétimo and the Lisbon Racket Center in Alvalade, his partner Armindo Mirante, plus UCOM (the German advertising media company represented in Portugal by João Zilhão) and Polaris (owned by Jorge Mendes), which specialises in sponsors and marketing.
“We want to create a boutique-like tournament in which people will have the chance to see the best tennis in Portugal and we also want to give business people networking opportunities, all in a tennis environment,” says Benno van Veggel.
“We have introduced evening sessions on three days and we are very happy to move the tournament back to Estoril where it began. It has been crucial to know that we have the full backing of the Cascais town hall and that of the main sponsor, Millennium BCP.”
The qualifying rounds will be played on April 25 and 26 and the tournament will run from April 27 to May 3, with afternoon sessions every day and evening sessions on April 29, 30 and May 1.
For information about the tournament and tickets, visit millenniumestorilopen.com or call 214 821 499.
By David Sampson
