En route to the season-ending Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai with his partner Jela, ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti passed through town earlier this week and took the opportunity to meet up with HKTA representatives to update the territory on new developments of the game while, at the same time, the Association's Executive Council members discussed with him current programmes and future plans of the HKTA. For good measure, overall views about tennis on a global scale, in the Asian region as a whole, and in Hong Kong were liberally exchanged.

The ITF President also paid a visit to the Chinese Recreation Club last Sunday for a get together with Dr. Stanley Ho, who was a recipient of the ITF Awards for Services to the Game several years back. Just so happened, this year's CRC Open mixed doubles final was held that very same day, and Mr. Ricci Bitti presided over both the pre-match coin-toss and the prize giving ceremony where he handed the winners' trophy to No. 2 seeds Wayne Wong and Lam Po Kuen.

In a rare combination between the two, the second seeds defeated top-seeded defending champions, Giovanni Muratore and Cindy Lee, 6-2, 6-3, to win the title.

The evening then culminated with a dinner reception held at Clearwater Bay Golf and Country Club after a very pleasant junk trip to the Club with members of the HKTA Council. Mr. Ricci Bitti is seen here receiving a souvenir from HKTA President, Mr. Kenneth Tsui (top picture).

The ITF President then left the territory on Tuesday and headed for the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai where defending champion and world number one, Roger Federer, remained as the only top star attraction following the withdrawals of Rafael Nadal and Andre Agassi earlier this week.