Authorities present the Estadio Nacional’s renovated center court alongside Nicolás Massú
The court has been reconditioned for the contest between Chile and Peru.
The center court in the Estadio Nacional Park has been given a makeover for the Davis Cup match between Chile and Peru, which will get under way on February 2.
The court has been re-laid with a faster surface at the request of team captain Nicolás Massú, who officially took receipt of it from Sports Minister Jaime Pizarro and the director of the National Sports Institute (IND), Israel Castro.
According to Minister Pizarro, the Tennis Federation is one of many whose athletes are already using the Estadio Nacional Park facilities. These include the Field Hockey Center, the Aquatics Center, the Skating Rink, the Sports Center, the High-Performance Center and the Paralympic Center.
The IND accepted the request of captain Nicolás Massú, made via the Tennis Federation, to modify the surface of the center court for the benefit of our athletes and their goals.
"We made changes to the surface for technical reasons, addressing the requirements that the Tennis Federation made us aware of,” Jaime Pizarro, Sports Minister.
Minister Pizarro stressed that “we are going to have much more activity; there are already several venues in operation. There is a swimming championship this weekend, a volleyball championship, we will have the Davis Cup, the Super Cup final. So, as you can see, the venues are in operation, they are under development, and changes and adjustments have been made to enhance the events.”
The captain of the Davis Cup team, Nicolás Massú, thanked the authorities for their efforts to provide the center court with the technical specifications he requested, in addition to one of the side courts. “First of all, I want to thank the minister, the undersecretary’s office, the director of the IND, who all supported the federation’s request to play on a fast court. We’ve already seen everything that the stadium has to offer during the Pan American Games. It’s spectacular; all the facilities are first class. I think it will really help the athletes to be able to train and develop,” he stated.
On the challenge of the Davis Cup, Nicolás Massú said, “we are very excited; we want to be back in the World Group. Last year we were in Europe, playing against the best teams in the world, with Italy, who finally won the event.”
Once the match between Chile and Peru is over, the court will be returned to its original clay surface, so that it can continue to be used by our country’s tennis players.