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Tennis

Eight legendary players have arrived at the Sichuan International Tennis Center to contest the inaugural Chengdu Open.

It's a new ATP Champions Tour Event that will be held from November 5-8.

Senior Vice President of IMG Tennis in Asia and Tournament Director, Nick Freyer said, "We are extremely fortunate to have one of the strongest - if not the strongest - field of stars of any tournament outside of the London ATP Champions Tour Finals."

Both American John McEnroe and Swede Bjorn Borg will compete in the event, reigniting one of most celebrated sports rivalries of all time. Fellow Swede Thomas Enqvist, the current No.1 on the ATP Champions Tour confessed, "Every time I see an old match between McEnroe and Borg I cannot stop watching. It's so much fun."

Meanwhile, McEnroe is focused on proving to Chengdu fans that "the old guys still have something left in them. This is our first Champions tour event in China so we're very excited about playing in this great stadium. "

Borg said, "It's always a big thrill to be back, I've been here quite a few times but never in Chengdu. Looking forward to this week. My mission is to bring a giant panda back to Stockholm."

World-renowned players Goran Ivanisevic, Pat Cash, Thomas Enqvist, Sergi Bruguera, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, and Michael Chang will also compete at the outdoor hard court event. Altogether, the all-star lineup holds 25 Grand Slam singles championships, as well as Olympic gold, silver, and bronze medals.

Chang, a Chinese-American who enjoyed particular success on Asian soil during his ATP World Tour career, won 12 of the 17 Asian finals he reached. He is the only male player to play a final in every Asian city that hosted a tournament during his time on the tour.

Despite being a fan favorite, by no means does Chang anticipate an easy tournament. "Obviously, there's a lot of talent, a lot of passion and a lot of great tennis play," said Chang. "This is a very special event for all of us, but I can say that for me personally I'm very proud to be up here with such great champions. I hope the people in Chengdu will realize the accomplishments of all of these players. This is going to be a great week of tennis."

The Sichuan International Tennis Center seats 6,700 and includes Center Court, the qualifying match courts, the largest covered practice court in mainland China, outdoor practice courts, a comprehensive gymnasium and a luxurious reception center. Located in Shuangliu District, just 16km from downtown Chengdu and 10 minutes from the Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, the 250,000 square-meter center also features the official tournament hotel, the Sichuan International Tennis Hotel, as well as a multi-purpose entertainment complex.

"Here in Chengdu, this facility is quite impressive," said Chang. "I've had opportunities to play in different parts of China, and this is probably one of the best facilities I've ever been at as far as tennis goes."

Former ATP World Tour No. 1, Russian Yevgeny Kafelnikov added, "We all know how passionate Chinese people are for the sport and we are quite thankful that they are doing so much for tennis."

On-site entertainment programs are designed to give back to the fans. The world-class Sichuan International Tennis Center features a food court that will satiate the appetite of any hungry sports fan. Before each match, a panda mascot will kick two giant tennis balls into the stands to test spectators' agility.

While watching the mouth-watering matchups, spectators will also enjoy music played by DJs both during changeovers and after matches. After each match, the winner will autograph six balls used during the match and hit them into the crowd. Lucky spectators who win the "Catch the Ball Challenge" not only get to keep a ball autographed by one of the game's greats, but will also win one of 84 prizes. The prizes include Sichuan International Tennis Hotel vouchers, rackets, autographed souvenir programs, competition quality tennis balls, giant tennis balls, and tickets for the final day of competition.

Fans will also be able to meet the players, who will hold daily autograph sessions throughout the tournament, with a double autograph session scheduled for Saturday.

"It was about a year ago that Chengdu was devastated by the earthquake and we at the tournament hope that these great athletes can add a bit happiness to many people in the area," said Jan Felgate, CEO of the ATP Champions Tour.

Thursday the 5th through Saturday the 7th will feature four matches a day, staggered so that fans won't miss a moment. The first match begins at 4pm, while the second match will follow, though not before 5:30pm, the third match not before 7:30pm, and the fourth match not before 9pm. This schedule allows fans to see every match if they want, or to attend certain matches.

On Sunday November 8th, the playoff for third and fourth place will start at 2:30pm, with the final to follow. Regardless of what time the first match finishes, the final will not start before 4pm.

Staged in the Chinese province famous for its eye-watering, mouth-burning spices, the tantalizing matchups featured in the Chengdu Open promise to be just as exciting and flavorful.