Istanbul Cup draws praises from players, fails to pull crowds

Although players at the 2010 Istanbul Tennis Cup are happy the tournament provides great preparation for the U.S. Open at the end of August, fans are complaining about the low level of interest the event has attracted.

Finding the level of competition strong, several players believe the tournament has been very well organized in terms of the opportunities provided. 

The Istanbul location is appealing since many have found a chance to engage in tourist activities and socialize at the Players’ Party, which was celebrated at the Enka Sports Club on Wednesday.

“Everything has been set up professionally beginning from the draw of the matches, to the club and the location of the hotel. I can’t see a single thing to complain about. I’m having a fantastic time,” said Andrea Petkovic, a professional German tennis player.

She also found Istanbul a personally convenient location for the tournament as she received an invitation to a Turkish friend’s wedding. Specifically comparing the Istanbul Cup to other international tournaments abroad, she said, “Compared to last year’s tournament, the competition is very fierce this year.”

Nevertheless, not all the players are excited as Petkovic. Experiencing a huge disappointment after losing to Australian Anastasia Rodionova, Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova said she could not carry out the performance she had expected.

“Unfortunately, I lost today, but it’s still good preparation for the U.S. Open approaching soon,” said Pironkova, who has been enjoying spending time in Istanbul’s shopping malls to relax.

On the other hand, some dedicated players prefer to spend their leisure time practicing, rather than welcoming the choices that Istanbul offers. “During the times that I do not compete, I spend time practicing before moving onto the next match. Therefore, it’s quite difficult for me to have a look around,” said Elena Baltacha, regaining her energy with the live music and delicious food at the party.

Hoping to win the tournament, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who is in Istanbul for the first time, said that one of the reasons why she took part in the Istanbul Tennis Cup was because she wanted to stay close to Europe and did not want to go to the U.S. Cup early.

“I really would like to win the tournament. I hope I’ll continue this way and show a good result,” said Pavlyuchenkova seeing the tournament as a splendid experience.

Spectators less content

Spectators, however, who are generally satisfied with the organization of the tournament, complained about the Turkish people’s neglect of tennis. The tournament could have gained more notoriety with extensive promotion, many said.

Enlivening the atmosphere by briefly playing the piano along with Regina Kulukova, a popular Russian tennis player, the chief of the ENBE Orchestra, Behzat Gerçeker said the 2010 Istanbul Cup has been the best organized so far.

“Seeing the world’s top 50 tennis players here in Istanbul is a noteworthy event,” Gerçeker said. “But, as we do not have a long tennis tradition like other countries abroad, we unfortunately lack an audience. Tennis should be endeared to our society.”

Gerçeker said playing tennis helped him get rid of the toxins in his body and motivated him mentally for his music performances.

Haldun Altuna, father of national tennis player Tuna Altuna, touched upon the same issue as Gerçeker.

“World stars are participating in this tournament, but most of the seats are empty,” he said. “People watch the matches live on TV, but they don’t bother coming within spitting distance. A formula needs to be found and Turkish people should be drawn here. Maybe the tourism companies should be involved and a joint project should be created.”

Anticipating that attendance would be higher in semi-final and final matches, Altuna said his favorite was Francesca Schiavone.

“You never know who will win. The Wimbledon semi-finalist Tsvetana Pironkova has just lost. This means anything can happen in tennis,” said Altuna, a devoted follower of the Istanbul Cup.

The chairman of PriceWaterhouseCooper, said he was having an excellent time during the trip but added that even people who played tennis were not attending the tournament, something he found interesting.

“I have so many friends playing tennis, but when I mention to them the Istanbul Cup, most of them are not aware that the tournament has been going on,” said Nas, feeling sorry for the lack of interest.

“In my opinion, a person engaged with tennis should follow such tournaments, but regrettably, we do not have a tennis culture,” said Nas.

People’s interest in tennis could be raised with education in the long-term, said Nas, underlying that the government should devote more funds to tennis federations so that educational programs could be established.

Watching the tournament in excitement, Okay Işık bought a combined ticket and said the promotion could have been done better, which would be beneficial for Turkey.

“The bigger the audience, the more colorful the tournament turns out to be.” said Işık, adding that weather conditions, such as unexpected rain, might have been influencing the performances of the players.

“If Serena Williams had participated, the tribunes would have been fuller,” said Zafer Natan, indicating that top personalities are always effective in drawing more interest and bigger crowds.