Tennis player manager IMG makes bold strokes to reassert its marketing magic

New York

THERE are many ways to break down this year's Wimbledon draw: by nationality, by seeding, by top half, by bottom half or - if you are in a commercial frame of mind - by management company.

Tracking which superstar, or perhaps more important, which rising star, is represented by which organisation continues to be a tournament within a Grand Slam tournament. It is as meaningful to the agents and the players as the forehands and backhands are to the fans, most of whom remain oblivious to the fact that Roger Federer is now with a management company called Team8 instead of his former agency IMG.