Vow to maintain Hopman Cup as a 'world-class' event

Tennis Australia President Steve Healy has promised the Hopman Cup will retain its world-class status when it takes over management of the event after 2014.

Healy's pledge came after the weekend announcement by the International Tennis Federation that it would retain management of the event until 2014 after which it would hand management of the event to Tennis Australia.

The decision ended a lenghty period of lobbying by Paul McNamee's Paul McNamee Enterprises and Western Australian Government to manage the event.

Healy blamed the ITF's decision not to hand them management of the Cup before 2014 on logistical difficulties over sponsorship.

On Friday, Western Australia Tourism Minister Kim Hames said the WA Government, through Eventscorp, would continue to sponsor the Hopman Cup for as long as it retained its status as a world-class tennis tournament.

The ITF said the same day that the long-term success of the event required it to return to be part of the Australian Open season and the involvement of Tennis Australia.

Healy said he believed that meant the tournament would be managed by Tennis Australia after 2014 but he guaranteed it would retain its world-class status under his watch, stating "we will contractually agree with the ITF to ensure the quality of the field.

"I don't accept what others have said about the conflict of interest.

"The fact that we run Brisbane (International tennis tournament) at the same time - there are plenty of players to go around - I just don't see any reason why we can't maintain or even improve the quality of the field."

The ITF also announced the end of tournament co-founder and Director Paul McNamee's 24-year reign.

Hopman Cup Director and Liberal MP Andrea Mitchell said the ITF had made the right decision and the Perth event would remain world-class.

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