2 мин.

Революция в испанском женском теннисе

546

Spanish women break with federation

Matt Cronin

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

 

The majority of Spain’s women players have decided to break relations with the president of the Spanish Tennis Federation, José Luis Escañuela, saying that he has failed to live up to a two-year-old agreement that would ensure the future of women’s tennis in that country.

Players Carla Suarez Navarro, Garbine Muruguruza Blanco, Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, Silvia Soler Espinosa, Estrella Cabeza Candela, Nuria Llagostera Vives, Arantxa Parrana Santonja, Lourdes Dominguez Lino, and Laura Pous Tio, as well as ex-players Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and Conchita Martinez, held a press conference in Barcelona on Wednesday, where they expressed their “profound disappointment and disillusionment” with Escañuela.

The only notable Spanish players that did not sign the letter were Anabel Medina Garrigues, Lara Arruabarrena-Vecino, and María-Teresa Torró-Flor.

“Two years ago, we held meetings with the president to express our concern about the situation of women’s tennis that ended with an agreement signed at the National Sports Council. But that has not been fulfilled at all,” said Llagostera Vives.

The Federation was said to have agreed to promote a national women’s tennis plan with an annual budget of at least $250,000. The players say that an advisory council met twice in 2011, but did not meet again.

Players cited the shutdown of the WTA tournament in Marbella in 2012, the sale of the WTA Barcelona tournament to Austria, the disappearance of 16 ITF tournaments, as well as the cancellation of the last two editions of their national women’s tournament as reason for concern. Elections for the Spanish Tennis Federation will be held on January 19, and the women players are hoping that Escañuela is not re-elected.

Испанские теннисистки Carla Suarez Navarro, Garbine Muruguruza Blanco, Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, Silvia Soler Espinosa, Estrella Cabeza Candela, Nuria Llagostera Vives, Arantxa Parrana Santonja, Lourdes Dominguez Lino, and Laura Pous Tio вместе с тренерами Аранча Санчес-Викарио и Кончита Мартинес прекратили связи с президентом испанской теннисной федерации José Luis Escañuela. Оно объявили свое решение и остро критиковали Escañuela на пресс-конференции в Барселоне.

logoWTA