Dubai: The UAE and Tennis Emirates were recognised for their efforts and investment in supporting the International Tennis Federation (ITF) AGM by it’s President Francesco Ricci Bitti.

“The highlight of this AGM is really to be here for the first time,” Bitti told Gulf News. “To be in the Emirates after 100 years of life of the ITF is quite special.

“This is the first AGM of the second century so it’s very significant for the region and I think it’s a tribute to the efforts and investment of this area of the world.”

Bitti also summed up the three-day conference which was by attended by representatives of the 210 member countries as being ‘very positive.’

“It was very fruitful and very interesting because our AGM is a different experience. We had the countries of the Grand Slams and countries that are struggling to develop tennis. They both had different views so we had to combine them to try to accommodate both.

“But on the whole there were many positives, the role of the Davis Cup and Fed Cup, and there were suggestion for change, not important changes but a lot of maintenance, to help us be in line with the evolution of the sport.

“We also had some governance discussions that went well, but the meeting showed that we are still a little bit conservative. So not everything was passed, 60 per cent. We also covered everything from seniors and juniors to wheelchair tennis and technical department, anti-doping, anti-corruption... everything,” he added.

Bitti also downplayed a suggestion by the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) who called upon the ITF to show more financial muscle and introduce it’s own Grand Slam-style tournament as a ‘cash-cow.’

“It is easy to say but the ITF is an association of many countries, the financial muscle will be strong if the countries are strong,” he said. “It is easy to say but we can only be strong when the countries are strong.”

Bitti also revealed that the pitch to increase the Grand Slam votes from 12 to 15 did not pass.

“I was one of the supporters of this proposal but the importance of the Grand Slams is not dependent on two or three votes,” he pointed out. “The influence is totally independent from that. I think the AGM was not ready, in this atmosphere, to make the step, but its a matter of time.”