The major tennis event, that could see the likes of John McEnroe, Pete Sampras and Jim Courier playing in Glasgow, may now be cancelled due to the decision of a major sponsor to pull out.

The first ever Scottish Masters is planned for March 2009 and would run over four days at Glasgow’s SECC and would be the only European date in the Outback Champions Series which is currently played in the USA and select international locations.

Scott Thorburn, managing director of event organisers Double Meridian, said: “Tennis is on a high in Scotland at the moment with the wonderful performances of Andy Murray and the appearance of some of the greatest names in tennis history would keep that excitement going.  We know from the success of the recent Champions League Final, Uefa Cup Final and the forthcoming Commonwealth Games that the population of Glasgow and across Scotland have a growing desire to see the best sporting events and we are hopeful still that The Scottish Masters Tennis will be added to that list.

“Because this is an event never seen before in Scotland, and rarely in the UK, we strongly believe that it presents sponsors with a fantastic opportunity to be involved in a high profile event starring some of the biggest names not just in tennis but in world sport. We acknowledge that sponsorship decisions are being made with more scrutiny at the moment but we are confident that there are sponsors out there that want to be involved in not just a high profile event but also as the main supporter of grass roots tennis in Scotland at a time when tennis is at its highest position ever.

“We are at an advanced stage of planning for the event which includes working closely with InsideOut Sports & Entertainment who own and operate the Outback Champions Series to become the only European fixture on the tour next year.  Naturally we are disappointed at losing our main sponsor but it does open the door for another ambitious company with an interest in community investment to take over and benefit from what will be one of the best sporting events of 2009.

“However this isn’t just about Glasgow or Scotland.  Any sponsor will also benefit from international broadcast rights and association with an international tennis series that achieves global attention.”

An important part of the main sponsorship package will be the sponsorship of Tennis Scotland, the organisation set up to develop Scottish tennis through grass roots and coaching programmes.  Tennis Scotland has a membership of over 30,000 people, young and old, in 215 tennis clubs across the country and also hosts the Scottish Open and the Glasgow Tennis International events.