Toronto could lose prestigious Canadian Masters
( 2001-08-17 09:52 ) (7 )

Toronto could lose the US$2.95 million Canadian Masters Series men's tournament to Montreal unless it secures a 15 million Canadian dollar (US$9.82 million) grant to help build a new tennis centre.

The Masters event - one of the top 13 men's tournaments - currently alternates between Toronto and Montreal.

But there is a very real threat the event could shift permanently to Montreal, where the Stade du Maurier underwent a 28 million Canadian dollar ($18.32 million) renovation in 1996.

The women's tour (WTA) has been less critical of the Toronto venue - where the Canadian Open is being played this week - but it is below the standard of other international venues.

Tennis Canada wants the investment - from provincial and federal coffers - by the autumn to help build a new centre.

Canadian tennis's governing body say a new facility cannot be built without the money. The government's share would represent 38 percent of the total cost of the new venue.

The new centre is planned to open in 2003. The permanent stadium court would hold 12,000 spectators.

Twelve outdoor courts and an indoor facility consisting of six to eight courts for year-round community use would also be built.

The government will make a firm decision by autumn said Ontario Tourism, Culture and Recreation Minister Tim Hudak.

"We're confident we'll make the best decision which will have the biggest impact on the city and the province," he told the Toronto Star during a visit to the women's Canadian Open.

The recent bankruptcy of Swiss-based marketing giant ISL, who had assumed blanket sponsorship of the premier ATP events, has undermined the tournament's financial stability and Tennis Canada must now find a title sponsor for the Masters Series tournament.