Appeals court upholds decision against German Tennis Federation in lawsuit against ATP
By Randall Chase, APFriday, June 25, 2010
Court rejects ATP appeal by German Tennis group
DOVER, Del. — A federal appeals court has rejected a challenge from the German Tennis Federation of a decision that cleared the way for the ATP Tour’s tournament restructuring.
A three-judge panel in Philadelphia on Friday affirmed a 2008 verdict by a federal jury in Delaware rejecting the federation’s antitrust claims against the Association of Tennis Professionals.
The panel also upheld the lower court’s dismissal of claims that ATP director Charles Pasarell breached his duty of loyalty and was self-interested in supporting the ATP’s Brave New World restructuring plan.
An attorney for the German federation says it is weighing its options for a further appeal.
The federation had argued that the restructuring unfairly demoted its Hamburg clay court tournament to second-tier status.
