ATP World Tour Finals 2011: indoor game at London's O2 Arena suits Andy Murray just fine

This is the third year of five in London's hosting agreement for the World Tour Finals, which were previously held in Shanghai between 2005 and 2008, but have moved around like a military family since their inception in 1970.

The only time they settled down for long was in the 1980s, at Madison Square Gardens in New York.

Could the O2 Arena become the modern equivalent, and secure another five-year deal up to 2018 when discussions begin next summer? They do seem to have found a natural home on the banks of the Thames, in Richard Rogers's giant marquee.

When Tony Blair launched the Millennium Dome, a misconceived jumble of half-baked ideas, his ambition of showcasing British culture fell horribly flat.

But the building itself has proved to be a triumph, and through events like this one, the Arena has contributed more to national culture than the original project ever did.

"This is the most democratic tennis tournament in the UK," said the tournament's managing director Chris Kermode last week. "The three-set structure is family friendly and the hard-court style of play is very dynamic and physical. It's a great way of speaking to a new group of fans."

British tennis spends so much time preaching to the converted that it is terrific to see an event like this catching light. Perhaps one of those wide-eyed kids in the stands ? the same kids who paid just ?10 for their tickets ? will end up playing here one day.

Source: http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568303/s/1a3a2df4/l/0L0Stelegraph0O0Csport0Ctennis0Candymurray0C890A14120CATP0EWorld0ETour0EFinals0E20A110Eindoor0Egame0Eat0ELondons0EO20EArena0Esuits0EAndy0EMurray0Ejust0Efine0Bhtml/story01.htm

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