tennis

New tennis stadium opens in Rome

Published Mar. 31, 2010 11:03 a.m. ET

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A new 10,500-seat tennis stadium for the Italian Open has been opened, less then a month before the tournament.

Built and operated by the Italian Olympic Committee, the $38.4 million facility is the centerpiece of plans to host a combined men's and women's event next year.

The first matches in the new stadium will be played in the Rome Masters, with the official inauguration scheduled for the third day of the tournament on April 27.

Built on the same site as the former stadium at the Foro Italico, the still unnamed facility has an intimate feel. Tournament director Sergio Palmieri described it Wednesday as ``the premier tennis stadium in the world in terms of visibility for fans.''

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