11 Aug 2010

Swiss tennis event forced to drop tobacco sponsor

8:15 am on 11 August 2010

One of world sport's last tobacco sponsorships is ending.

The Swiss Indoor tennis championship coming up in November in Roger Federer's hometown Basel will be the last of a 17-year partnership with tobacco brand Davidoff.

The ATP World Tour told the Swiss in June the existing sponsorship could not be extended because of worldwide restrictions on tobacco advertising on television.

The tournament was promoted last year to an ATP 500 event, and broadcast to an expanded 150 countries which gave it a six-fold increase in ratings, although the sponsor's name was dropped during transmissions.