The prestigious end-of-season Masters Cup will switch from Shanghai to London from 2009, the ATP men's tennis tour announced on Tuesday.
The tournament will also be renamed the ATP World Tour Final. The leading singles and doubles players from the tour will compete at the London O2 Arena -- formerly the Millennium Dome -- for $4.5 million overall prize money.
"London is the world's most cosmopolitan city with a vibrancy and energy that makes it ideally suited to hosting this event," said executive chairman of the ATP, Etienne de Villiers, in a statement issued by the tour.
"The ATP visits over 30 countries (during the season), so having our end-of-season finale in such a diverse city could not be more appropriate."
The matches will be played on a hard court at the centre of a 20,000-seat arena.
The move received the approval of the men's tour's leading player, Roger Federer, who has won the last four Wimbledon Championships and is gunning for a record-equalling fifth this week.
"I love coming to London for the (Wimbledon) Championships each summer so I am delighted that the end-of-season championships will be moving to one of my favourite cities in the world," he said in the statement.
The tournament is usually played in November and contested by an elite field which qualifies through tour results during the year.
{{/usCountry}}The tournament is usually played in November and contested by an elite field which qualifies through tour results during the year.
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