The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : French Open to remain at Roland Garros

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Monday, Feb 14, 2011
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French Open to remain at Roland Garros

PARIS: The French Open will remain at Roland Garros on the outskirts of Paris, officials said on Sunday after rejecting proposals to move the Grand Slam to a new premises outside the city.

After a general assembly this weekend at which French Tennis Federation (FFT) officials voted on the issue, Roland Garros was backed unanimously, winning two-thirds of the vote in a final round at the expense of Marne-La-Vallee.

It means the venue at Roland Garros is expected to be modernised and extended from 8.5 to 13.5 hectares.

A statement from the FFT said: “The elected representatives of the French Tennis Federation have voted to back the project proposed by the Paris City Council which aims to create a new Roland Garros venue through extending and modernising the historic venue at Porte d'Auteuil.”

A total of 195 delegates took part in the vote. They rejected moving to Versailles, Marne-la-Vallee and Gonesse as of 2016. Gonesse was rejected in a first round of voting while Versailles exited at the second round.

Paris, which had gained the widespread backing of the FFT prior to the vote, then obtained the necessary 66.6 per cent of votes in a ‘final' with Marne-la-Vallee, the eastern suburb which also hosts Disneyland Paris. — AFP

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