ATP Tour relieved at winning antitrust case

0 Comments | AFP, August, 2008

LONDON (AFP) — The ATP Tour on Wednesday expressed relief as a US court threw out a multimillion dollar antitrust case brought by the German Tennis Federation (DTB) against the dropping of Hamburg's Masters Series status.

The downgrading from 2009 of the event, which had previously served as a big-ticket claycourt preparation for the French Open, is part of the Association of Tennis Professionals' (ATP) attempts to reform a packed calendar and reduce injuries while ensuring top stars compete in prestigious events.

Claiming some 77 million dollars in damages the DTB brought an antitrust lawsuit in protest but the jury at a US district court in Delaware unanimously rejected their plea following a two-week trial in finding the move did not violate monopoly laws....