The eyes of the tennis world turn to Basel
In the ephemeral world of sport, monumental events like the Davidoff Swiss Indoors Basel are a rarity and an expression of quality. One year on from its inclusion in the premium class of the ATP World Tour 500 events, the world’s third largest indoor tournament is celebrating its 40th jubilee with an outstanding show, which will have tennis fans all over the world looking forward to Basel with great anticipation. This year’s field will be headed by the sublime Roger Federer (ATP 1), the Serbian title holder Novak Djokovic (ATP 2) and America’s great comeback-king Andy Roddick (ATP 7), three absolute superstars.
Federer seeking yet another record in Basel
One notable feature of the 40 years of world class tennis played in Basel (1970 to 2010) is the fact that every Number 1 in the world has written a page in tennis history in Basel. ‘Basel - the Name of the Game’ is an expression commonly heard on the tennis circuit. The 16-time Grand-Slam winner Roger Federer continues to make a considerable contribution towards holding the tournament’s leading position in its competition against the world’s great cities. The Swiss sportsman of the century is aiming for yet another record, as he attempts to become the first professional in the Open era to win in Basel for the fourth time.
Djokovic – a Joker in a class of his own
Novak Djokovic, also known as the ‘Joker’, has been occupying the second place, for the first time, in the ranking since the beginning of February. As a result we may this autumn have a rerun of last year’s dream final between the world’s numbers 1 and 2. This year the Serbian player has already won the title in Dubai on a hard court surface. A significant exploit in one of the majors would allow the right-hander to muscle into the battle for the top spot at any time as the season progresses. His coup of last year in beating Federer in front of his home crowd greatly boosted Djokovic’s self-confidence as he put the brakes on the Federer Express over three sets.
Roddick – back again after a seven-year break
After a break of seven years, the public will be treated to another chance to see America’s mature comeback-king Andy Roddick. The ace-machine with his cannonball service will be making his appearance under his new coach, Larry Stefanki, eight kilos lighter and correspondingly more successful, after treating himself to a physical course of fresh cell therapy. In Indian Wells Roddick stormed his way into the final, and then went on to take the title two weeks later in Miami at the Players Championships in Florida. The American has fond memories of Basel where he lost to a certain Roger Federer at the quarter-final stage in both 2001 and 2002. In 2003 the Texas star progressed to the semi finals, before being eliminated by the Argentinian David Nalbandian.
Super Monday with Roger Federer and opera star Paul Potts
The main tournament’s opening day will be heralded with trumpets and drums. Super Monday in the St. Jakobshalle has become something of a tradition, with sporting skills and musical artistry coming together to create an exclusive mix in the course of the festive opening ceremony. On 1 November 2010 (All Saints’ Day), top seed Roger Federer will be missing out on his day off and begin his stint at 6.30 p.m. Before that, at 5.30 p.m., the arena will resound to opera music. The new Welsh Pavarotti is coming over from Britain; the public will be entranced by the magical voice of Paul Potts with his world-famous Puccini arias, amongst other things. The special guest will be accompanied by more than 100 participants from the operatic choir of Theater Basel, the city’s municipal theatre, and the Basel Festival Orchestra.
Switzerland’s first tennis cinema
In their role as a national sporting and social highlight, the Davidoff Swiss Indoors Basel makes every effort to offer its public the best possible services, for example in the Experience World Foyer with its 70 stands, and a varied range of culinary offerings. An extra element of entertainment and emotion is provided by the Manor Cinema in the entrance area of the foyer. Thanks to SF / Schweizer Fernsehen (Swiss Television) there will be an upbeat review in picture and sound recalling the highlights and milestones of the 40 years of Basel’s tennis history. This journey back through time lasts 11 minutes and is free of charge for all visitors.
Davidoff Swiss Indoors Basel breaks the TV sound barrier
In terms of TV coverage, the first year with ATP World Tour 500 status represented a historic event. International television marketing in association with the ATP made it possible for Basel to break the sound barrier of over 1,000 hours of TV broadcasting for the very first time. On over five continents the tournament reached 150 countries and more than 75 million viewers, an audience which no other Swiss sporting event can match. The core markets here are Asia, America and Europe, where there was a five-fold increase in the range of broadcasting compared to the 2008 figure. A significant player in successfully boosting this global TV presence is SF Schweizer Fernsehen which has been processing the TV signal in Basel from the outset, and in 2009 produced images in the HDTV digital, high-resolution, broadband format for the first time.
New, powerful advertising partners take to the Center Court
It is only thanks to its solid foundations at both national and international levels that Davidoff Swiss Indoors Basel is able to identify and come to grips with the current trends in global competition. A fresh breeze is blowing through our Center Court advertising. The Mexican beer brand Corona, the new global sponsor of the ATP World Tour, has signed a six-year contract with Davidoff Swiss Indoors Basel, and for the next three years the Ricoh logo will be emblazoned on the umpire’s chair and the speed meter.
Internet makes it possible
Bring the Center Court and all of the other information you need into your home! Tennis fans can click on the revamped home page in German, French and English at www.davidoffswissindoors.ch to download the virtual stadium into their living room.
Advance ticket sales now available
Thanks to the collaboration between SBB/RailAway and Davidoff Swiss Indoors Basel, spectators booking their tickets in advance can once again enjoy a reduced combination offer, a scheme designed to support the travel arrangements of the 70,000 visitors through the use of public transport. The 9,000-seat capacity of the Center Court remains unchanged. All seats are guaranteed to offer optimum viewing positions. We recommend contacting the following advance ticket sales points:
Ticket hotline Tel. +41 (0)900 55 22 25 (CHF 1/min.)
Tickets online, Internet www.davidoffswissindoors.ch
Boxes, Member Cards, VIP Tickets Tel. +41 (0)61 485 95 88
