The men's international tennis circuit will end with a prestigious final in London from 2009 under a four-year contract announced on Wednesday. The Masters Cup, staged in Shanghai for the last two years, is being renamed the ATP World Tour Final and is being switched to London's O2 Arena, formerly known as the Millennium Dome.

Announcing the tour deal, ATP chairman Etienne de Villiers joked: "The players may not like the weather here but this place (O2) has a roof and they love London. Having our end of season finale in such a diverse city could not be more appropriate." The final will be staged in November from 2009 to 2012, when London is also the venue for the Summer Olympics.The tournament will be played on a hard court in the newly renovated 20,000-seat arena, which is scheduled to stage concerts by the Rolling Stones and Elton John this year.

No television contracts have yet been finalised but de Villiers, with an eye on the lucrative American market, said the event would be staged in afternoon and evening sessions."We don't want Americans to wake up at six a.m. It is too unhealthy," he said.

From: Masters Cup to move to London, TVNZ, Jul 4, 2007

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