VIENNA (AP) Bank Austria has pulled out as main sponsor of the annual Tennis Trophy tournament, but organizers say their ATP Tour event is not in danger.
Tournament director Herwig Straka said Friday that the bank's decision ``has emerged over the past couple of weeks and has not come as a surprise to us. We have started talks with other potential sponsors immediately.''
Straka hopes to present a new sponsor ``within a few weeks'' for the 37th edition of the indoor hard-court event scheduled from Oct. 23-31.
In national newspaper Kurier, Bank Austria chief executive Willi Cernko said his company pulled out after tournament venue Wiener Stadthalle announced a sponsorship deal with one the bank's main business rivals, Erste Bank.