Neil Harman's interpretation in today's Times:

Artois bows out of Queen's Club as LTA goes in new direction

Goodbye, once and for all, to Stella. A word that became synonymous with tennis in an English summer will be no more as the LTA yesterday drank to a move that - if the association can persuade enough people with deep pockets that the sport is worth investing in - will drive the fulfilment of the blueprint for the future that it has staked its reputation on. After this summer's 30th Artois Championships - to give it its new name, which, ultimately, will have been a two-year wonder - the LTA takes control of the event. Now comes the hardest part, searching for the sponsor (or sponsors) who feel that British tennis has a future worth sharing in. At the moment, that future is in the shape of one man, the Scot playing tennis in a wind tunnel at the Pacific Life Open yesterday.

Andy Murray, who overcame his first hurdle with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Jürgen Melzer, spent some time yesterday talking into a camera about his memories of the Artois, an event he first played in 2005, when he collapsed with cramp on Centre Court against Thomas Johansson, from Sweden, and almost got back up to win. Now he will be used by the LTA to endorse its charms and those of the sport in Britain. Roger Draper, the chief executive of the LTA, said: "We are looking to market the sport as a complete package, rather than as a series of events and programmes. Once we explained this new approach, ourselves and InBev [the producers of Stella Artois] both agreed now is an appropriate time for a change."

Of the tournaments outside tennis' mainstream, few have had as marked an impact on the sport as that staged at the Queen's Club, southwest London, two weeks before Wimbledon. Its strategic importance, global reach, full stands and instantly recognisable red backdrops have made it one of the hottest tickets in town. Draper may have scorned its attendees as "City gents and posh totty", but he will be more than grateful if they keep coming back in numbers to an event that he will become sole proprietor of after this summer. It is a bold move by the LTA and one can only hope it does not come back and slap it in the face. Draper and his team have to come good on their promise to deliver for the British game and indications that a significant sponsor would be delighted to become involved with the Eastbourne women's tournament the week after Queen's, but is reluctant to work with the present regime, suggests more smoothing of the LTA's rough edges needs to be done.

* Interesting reference to Eastbourne sponsors...

** For the record, like Madeline, I've always tended to refer to the tournament as "Queen's"!

Madeline wrote:

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Count, you have pinched and twisted my signature!

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