Issue link: http://itf.uberflip.com/i/315708
ITFWORLD SPRING 2014 35 www.itftennis.com Todd Martin joined the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum as CEO-designate in April. He will succeed Mark L. Stenning, who is stepping down in September after 35 years with the organisation and 14 years as CEO. ITF JUNIORS MASTERS LAUNCHED STIG ERICSON RECEIvES BRAD PARkS AWARD MARTIN JOINS HALL OF FAME The ITF announced in April the launch of the ITF Junior Masters, a new international event featuring the top eight ranked boys and girls on the 18-and-under ITF Junior World ranking at the end of the year. The inaugural event will take place on 3-5 April 2015 at the Sichuan International Tennis Centre in Chengdu, China following a three-year agreement with the Chinese Tennis Association and the Chengdu Sport Bureau. The ITF Junior Masters will showcase the next generation of players and also help them make a transition from junior tennis to the professional game through various opportunities including travel grants. The top eight boys and girls on the ITF Junior World Ranking at the end of 2014 will be invited to participate in the ITF Junior Masters, which will consist of two knock-out singles events, with each player guaranteed three matches to determine their final finishing position. The Sichuan International Tennis Centre was built in 2008 and consists of 12 match courts and 20 practice courts. The ITF Junior Masters will be staged on three match courts, including a 6000-capacity stadium court, with matches broadcast and streamed live over the three days of the event. The ITF Junior Masters joins the ITF junior team competitions, the 14-and-under ITF World Junior Tennis competition, and 16-and-under Junior Davis Cup and Junior Fed Cup by BNP Paribas, as the premier junior events on the 2015 ITF calendar. high performance centre opens during ajc Sweden's Stig Ericson received the 2014 Brad Parks Award at the Swedish Tennis Association's AGM in Bastad in April. The presentation was made by ITF Wheelchair Tennis Committee member Christo Kok on behalf of ITF President Francesco ricci Bitti. The Brad Parks Award is presented annually by the ITF to an individual or organisation that has made a significant international contribution to wheelchair tennis. Ericson has played a major role in the development of wheelchair tennis in Sweden as an administrator, coach and ambassador. He was involved in the early years of the sport internationally and his tennis background and experience provided considerable insight to help the development of wheelchair tennis around the world. Ericson was a member of the International Wheelchair Tennis Federation (IWTF) and International Wheelchair Tennis Association (IWTA) committees from 1991, serving as Vice President of IWTA and as a member of the ITF Wheelchair Tennis Committee from 1998 to 2009 after wheelchair tennis was fully integrated into the ITF in 1998. The new ITF/CAT/FrMT High Performance Training Centre at the OCP in Casablanca, Morocco was officially opened in February during the ITF/CAT African Junior 18 & under Championships. On hand to mark the occasion were ITF President Francesco ricci Bitti, CAT President Tarak Cherif, FFT President Jean Gachassin and Jacques Dupre, Tennis Europe President. Twenty-four players aged 13-19 and representing 14 countries are currently based at the High Performance Centre. These include Tunisia's Aziz Dougaz, who won the African Junior Championships boys' title. The girls' event was won by Egypt's Sandra Samir. The African Junior Championships for the 16- and 14-and-under age groups was held in Nairobi, Kenya in March, with another resident of the Casablanca centre, Sada Nahimana, becoming the first-ever Burundian singles champion at the event. She won the 14&U girls' title, while Ismael Saadi of Morocco won the 14&U boys' title. Tunisia's Chiraz Bechri and Egypt's Youssed Hossam won the girls' and boys' 16&U events respectively. The overall team trophy went to Egypt. FRIEMEL SUCCEEDS MOLInA AS HEAD OF OFFICIATInG SPRING 2014 NEWS ROuND-uP Martin reached a career-high singles ranking of No. 4 in 1999 and was twice a Grand Slam runner-up. He was president of the ATP Players Council for eight of the 14 years he played, and since his retirement has twice served on the USTA Board of Directors. He has also been involved in junior tennis development and various coaching projects. In addition to his role as CEO, Martin will serve as Tournament Director of the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships from 2015 onwards. Stenning will transition to working on special projects for the Hall of Fame including the completion of significant expansion and renovation projects.