(Palo Alto, CA) - Universal Tennis and the Royal Spanish Tennis Federation (RFET) today announced the Liga MAPFRE de Tenis UTR Pro Tennis Series - Spain, a three-week men’s professional tournament featuring top Spanish players.
The Liga MAPFRE de Tenis UTR Pro Tennis Series - Spain kicks off July 10 and runs through July 26, featuring events in the Spanish cities Barcelona, Valencia and Aviles, over the course of three weekends. The tournament will be organized based on a Laver Cup format with two teams of four players, featuring four matches per day (three singles, one doubles) for a total of twelve matches per weekend. All matches use regulation scoring and are best of three sets with a ten-point “super tiebreak” for the third set. Matches will be held Friday through Sunday beginning nightly at 5 PM CET.
The ten-person lineup features top Spanish men’s ATP players, including:
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Roberto Bautista Agut (UTR 15.63, #16; ATP #12)
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Pablo Carreño Busta (UTR 15.44, #28; ATP #25)
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Albert Ramos-Viñolas (UTR 15.17, #77; ATP #41)
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Fernando Verdasco (UTR 15.41, #37; ATP #52)
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Feliciano López (UTR 15.28, #57; ATP #56)
The schedule is as follows:
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July 10th - July 12th: Barcelona, Centre Municipal de Tennis Vall d’Hebron
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July 17th - July 19th: Valencia, Club de Tenis Valencia
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July 24th- July 26th: Avilés, Real Club de Tenis Avilés
Miguel Díaz Román, President of the RFET, “It has been a great challenge for the RFET to organize the Liga MAPFRE de Tenis. Spain is a leading country in our sport, we are the current Davis Cup champions and also qualified for the Fed Cup Finals. We are committed to helping our players stay active during this break time on the tour, but the COVID-19 pandemic has not passed and we are taking all the necessary measures to ensure players and fans in a safe environment. Our agreement with UTR is truly important to bring the competition to everyone around the world.”
The Liga MAPFRE de Tenis UTR Pro Match Series will adhere to strict health and safety guidelines. All locations are required to follow health and safety protocols set by the local municipalities. Health and safety guidelines will be posted throughout the venues reminding players, spectators and staff to practice social distancing and wear masks.
Results from the event count towards UTR, giving players an opportunity to compete locally and count globally via the Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) system.
"We are excited to work with the Royal Spanish Tennis Federation and Liga MAPFRE de Tenis to bring the UTR Pro Tennis Series to Spain and provide a safe, innovative way for professionals to compete within their home country and have their results count on a global scale," said Mark Leschly, Universal Tennis Chairman and CEO. "Every tennis player in the world, from recreational and league players to pros, can use Universal Tennis to measure their competitive ability. Many tennis players already have a UTR and can view their rating and find local events on MyUTR.com for free.”
The Liga MAPFRE de Tenis UTR Pro Tennis Series- Spain will be broadcast in Spain on Teledeporte and on Tennis Channel in the United States. The matches will also be live-streamed with details to be announced shortly.
The Liga MAPFRE de Tenis UTR Pro Tennis Series - Spain is a continuation of the UTR Pro Tennis Series which launched in partnership with Tennis Australia in June. Universal Tennis has launched the UTR Pro Tennis Series in an effort to globally support emerging and pro players with the opportunity for high-quality competition in their home countries.
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About Universal Tennis
The mission of Universal Tennis is to make tennis more affordable, accessible and fun for all players, regardless of age, gender, level and socioeconomic status. The UTR Engagement Platform is anchored by the Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) Powered by Oracle, the world’s most accurate singles and doubles tennis rating system; and provides the tools and solutions to make the Universal Tennis Rating relevant and valuable to players, coaches and organizers in their local domain. Universal Tennis is creating opportunities and pathways for players from all over the world, in all stages of life, to find better matches and unlock a more fun and flexible tennis experience. Go to MyUTR.com to sign up, activate your player profile and join the global tennis community. Watch our video and visit us on social @MyUTR.
About the RFET
Founded in 1909, the Royal Tennis Federation (RFET) is the highest regulatory organisation for tennis in Spain. It is composed of regional federations, sports clubs, athletes, coaches and referees. It holds the representation of Spain at the official international tennis events, including the most prominent ones such as the Davis Cup, Fed Cup and Olympics. Learn more at https://www.rfet.es.