Farmers Classic tournament at UCLA discontinued

[November 21, 2012]  LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Farmers Classic men's tennis tournament at UCLA has been discontinued, and its ATP sanction has been sold to a group in Bogota, Colombia.

The Southern California Tennis Association announced the decision Tuesday after extensive attempts to find new sponsors.

The tournament traces its roots to 1927 at the Los Angeles Tennis Club, with former champions including Rod Laver, Arthur Ashe, Pancho Gonzales, John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi.

But the event struggled economically in recent years with revolving sponsorships and a dearth of American men's stars, tournament director Bob Kramer says. Its two principal sponsors, Farmers Insurance and Mercedes-Benz, both failed to renew their sponsorships.

The quality of the field also declined in recent years. Sam Querrey has won three of the past four tournaments.

[Associated Press]

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