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Net Notes - A Tennis Now Blog

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Second Serve - A Tennis Now Blog

Second Serve

 

By Nick Georgandis

Laura Robson and Andy Murray saw their lights shine as brightly as any British tennis stars in living memory in 2012.
Now they're so famous that the pair is the center of a bidding war for their services.
Murray, the 2012 US Open champion and gold medal singles champion, and Robson, who at age 19 leapt into the Top 50 and combined with Murray to win the silver medal in mixed doubles in London, have gotten a ton of media attention lately as they are courted by various firms seeking to represent them.
The biggest player involved is XIX Entertainment, owned by entertainment mogul Simon Fuller, creator of the "Pop Idol" and "American Idol" franchises, as well as being the driving force behind the Spice Girls.
XIX Entertainment previously represented Murray, who racked up more than $16 million in prize money and endorsements in 2012, but that contract ended at the end of last year. The firm has continued to informally represent the No. 3 player in the world without a contract. 
However, mega-firm IMG has come calling for Murray's services of late, a particularly interesting note given that the firm lost Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, along with golf rock star Tiger Woods in the two years.
Robson is near the end of a deal with Octagon, which has represented her for the past eight years. She is already the fourth-richest female athlete in the UK after making 285,000 pounds (about $431,000) in 2012. Murray could not crack the top 5 of male athletes in the UK in terms of earning, currently dominated by football and Formula One stars.
Murray is the first British man to win a Grand Slam title in 76 years when he defeated Novak Djokovic at the US Open last fall. 
Robson, who only turned 19 in January, made the fourth round at both Wimbledon and the US Open.
 

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