Japan aid effort continues at Miami tourney
Tennis stars led by Kim Clijsters and Robin Soderling helped raise some $300,000 Friday for stricken Japan as players collected donations from fans at the $9 million WTA and ATP Masters event.
Tennis stars led by Kim Clijsters and Robin Soderling helped raise some $300,000 Friday for stricken Japan as players collected donations from fans at the $9 million WTA and ATP Masters event.
Telephone and online pledges helped make up the total collected Friday in the "Tennis for Japan" initiative, which was also attended by women's world No. 3 Vera Zvonareva and all of the Japanese players at the tournament: Kei Nishikori, Kimiko Date-Krumm and Ayumi Morita.
The money raised, which included contributions from the WTA women's tour, the ATP World Tour men's circuit, the International Tennis Federation and the four Grand Slam tournaments, will be donated to the Red Cross and other relief organizations to aid victims of the earthquake-tsunami-nuclear disaster in Japan.
"Tennis is a global sport and when a tragedy strikes, the entire tennis community comes together and responds," said tournament director Adam Barrett.
Sony Ericsson, corporate sponsor of the tournament, was another donor, along with management group IMG, SAP software, Itau, FILA, adidas and Lagardere (management).