Borg’s Tennis Dream
Given his surname and Nordic roots, it’s no surprise that Anders Borg was drawn to the world of tennis.
But it was more a happy accident than a desire to follow in the footsteps of the great Bjorn Borg that drew Anders to set up a tennis tournament in a city best known for its world-famous footballing heritage.
A native of Oslo, Anders had a high-flying job as a derivatives broker when he accepted an invitation from a friend to come and watch a game at Goodison Park in 1985
“I am an Arsenal supporter and Everton trashed us6-1, recalls Anders on his first experience of the city.”
Despite the inauspicious start, Anders gradually fell in love with Liverpool and began to formulate the idea of setting up a tennis tournament there.
“I wanted to take tennis out of London and bring it to people who wouldn’t normally go to Wimbledon or Queen’s” he recalls. ‘ I wanted to show what a fantastic day out it is.” The first Liverpool International Tournament was held in 2002 but it almost did not happen
We had signed up the then Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic but he had to pull out of our tournament and Wimbledon that year with a shoulder injury-it was a costly experience…
