$1.2bn tennis deal in doubt

Top stars assured that the Master Series will be safe

A $1.2bn (£820m) marketing deal for the Tennis Masters Series is in the balance following news that the sports marketing giant ISL is to re-negotiate its contract with the ATP

The tennis contract is one of several which the company is reviewing after rapid expansion left it over-stretched.

The company also owns the rights to Fifa's football World Cup and the American CART motor racing series, also known as Champ Cars.

ISL head of corporate communications Roland Haefeli said the football rights would not be altered but that negations were underway with both the ATP and the CART organisation.

Disappointed

"We are reviewing our whole sports rights portfolio," said Haefeli.

"We are in discussions with the ATP over the deal we signed in 1999. We are disappointed with the progress from a commercial point of view."

"We had expected a slow start on the commercial side of things, but our losses are higher than expected.

"There has been no agreement reached yet, and no announcement will be made until there is an agreement."

CARTdeal also under threat

ATP chief of staff Larry Scott confirmed that talks had started between the two parties but made assurances that the Masters Series would not be affected by the the dicussions.

"Through significant pre-payments and various guarantees with ISL's banks, the ATP and the Tennis Masters Series tournaments are both financially and structurally secure, " he said.

Meanwhile, CART, which has a nine-year deal with ISL, saw its shares fall 13.9% after questions were raised about the relationship between the two companies.

But the organisation has also warned that there was no point speculating about the possible outcome while discussions with ISL are still ongoing.