At the presentation of the second tournament in Palma, Moya said that the tournament provides him with the "extremely rare opportunity of being able to play on home soil in front of friends and family". But there is also the unfinished business. "I remember some of the great clashes I had with Tim Henman, an excellent player. I remember some long tie breaks at Wimbledon 11-9, something like that, so it is going to be great to be playing the likes of Tim again. All of the players competing this year - we’ve either got history between us or have the chance to play with some of our own idols.
"For me it’s an honour to be playing at this club. This is where I began playing when I was a kid and to be able to come back here now and see what a fantastic job Mikael* (Landström Director of the tournament, the sports club, the Hotel Portixol and the Hotel Esplendido) has done in bringing this centre back to life.
"I couldn’t play last year because I was injured but I know all of those who did loved playing here and were very impressed with the installations and the set-up, hence why many are returning. What is also great about these ATP tournaments is that the public get to enjoy the kind of tennis we don’t see on TV any more. Today’s it’s all fast and furious. The legends bring the classic, technical game. Players like Henman, who is famous for his serve and volley game, it’s fun for us to play and exciting for the public because we’re all here to also have some fun and interact with the crowds It would be nice to win on home ground."
The mayor of Palma, José Hila, and the vice-president of the Balearic Tennis Federation, Tolo Camps, were also deeply grateful to Mikael for the time, effort and funding he has invested in the sport and tennis club which opened a year ago.
"This is the perfect example of the high quality international sporting events we want to host in Palma, and it shows just how well the public and private sectors can work well together," Hila said.
Tolo Camps thanked Mikael again for taking the initiative to organise the Legends Cup. He emphasised that it is a nostalgic tournament and a sports event where the players are in a more relaxed atmosphere. This "big tennis week" in Palma should not be missed. He also announced that during this week the Palma Tennis Cup will be held, bringing together the best under-16 players from across Spain, both female and male.
As a surprise, Tolo Camps confirmed that the finalists of the U16 Palma Sport & Tennis Cup will play a doubles match together with Carlos Moya and Mats Wilander on the Thursday. Mikael thanked all the authorities, the press, FTIB and Carlos for all the support received for the event last year, which was a great success and is convinced this year will be even better.
* Mikael Landström, director of the tournament, the sports club, the Hotel Portixol and the Hotel Esplendido.
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