NEXT month's Panasonic Super Challenge, pitting the Chang brothers against the McEnroe brothers, will go ahead at the Hong Kong Stadium despite the poor condition of the pitch.
With Stadium managers Wembley International and the Urban Council deciding against an expensive programme of repairs, which would have put the stadium out of action for several months, the event can go ahead as scheduled on December 16.
But Lincoln Venancio, group general manager of organisers Spectrum, said the one-day exhibition would not have been affected by any plans to improve the much-maligned surface.
'Wembley told us that we will not be affected because we do not really need the pitch to be in good condition,' said Venancio.
'As far as we were concerned, there were no real fears. We only knew what we were hearing.' A 'Supreme' playing surface will be laid out on the south side of the stadium, underneath the Diamond Vision screen, with seating for 15,000 spectators - the largest capacity for a local tennis event.
Organisers are billing the event as the 'battle of the brothers'. Hong Kong favourite Michael Chang takes on former world number one and three-time Wimbledon champion John McEnroe in the feature match.
The programme opens with Patrick McEnroe, younger brother of John, playing Michael Chang's elder brother and coach Carl.