China Open Rating Tour to give sport shot in arm

In a bid to further develop tennis at a grassroots level, the China Open Rating Tour (CRT), will be launched next month.

The tournament, equivalent to an amateur league, will take place in six regions with seven cities acting as hosts: Beijing, Shenyang, Shanghai, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Kunming.

The CRT will be divided into three levels of proficiency to sharpen its competitive edge, similar to a boxing competition with different weight classes. It will feature singles, doubles and mixed doubles play. Winners of each competition level will battle for the national trophy during the newly promoted China Open tournament that runs from Oct 1-11.