obile phone company Sony Ericsson has spent �47 million to become the title sponsor of the women�s professional tennis tour. The six-year deal is the largest in the history of tennis and women�s sport. The company is hoping to cash in on the publicity pulling-power of glamorous stars such as Venus and Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Justine Henin-Hardenne. Sony Ericsson intends to use the sponsorship to test marketing techniques that go way beyond the traditional tactic of splashing logos around the court - it may even enable spectators to communicate with players and match officials. Among ideas being mooted are erecting digital billboards that flash up messages from mobile phones at matches.

The WTA Tour is the governing body for women�s tennis. It stages 63 tournaments across 33 countries throughout the year, including the globally televised WTA Tour championships held every November, which features the world�s top eight singles players and top doubles teams.... more