Tokyo -- (JCN Newswire) --

NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701) is sponsoring the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters, the International Tennis Federation's (ITF) year-end singles championship, where 20 of the world's top ranked wheelchair tennis players compete from 26-30 November 2014 at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London.

The prestigious tournament, to be hosted by the Tennis Foundation in London from 2014-2016, sees players compete in three divisions - men, women and quads - over a period of five days, with the quad singles final on Saturday, 29 November and the men's and women's singles finals on Sunday, 30 November.

The ITF has invited eight men, eight women and four quad players based on the ITF Wheelchair Tennis Ranking of 6 October, after the completion of the Open de la Baie de Somme, the penultimate ITF 1 Series event of the season. The Wheelchair Tennis Masters was originally established in 1994 and has been sponsored by NEC since its inception.

Alongside the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters, each day of the tournament will also feature opportunities for schools and community groups to take part in a variety of tennis activities and to meet some of the players taking part in the tournament, as well as watching them in action.

Mark Bullock, ITF Wheelchair Tennis Manager, said, "To earn the prestigious title of NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters champion, a player must defeat several of their strongest rivals in arguably the most competitive tournament of the year. After the great success of the London 2012 Paralympics, we are very excited to have 20 of the world's top players returning to play at the venue of the London 2012 Paralympic Tennis event and to continue the legacy of the Games. We look forward to another exciting tournament in London."

Wheelchair tennis traces its beginnings to California, USA, in 1976 and has since spread across the globe. In 1992, the ITF created a tour for players, the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour, and ran 21 tournaments in 13 countries. In 1994, the ITF launched the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters as the most prestigious event on the Tour. Today, NEC remains an Official Partner of the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour, which included 167 tournaments in 46 countries this year, as well as title sponsor of the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters.

The daily schedule for the 2014 NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters is as follows:

Tuesday 25th November:
Evening reception and tournament draw 6pm, The Orbit, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

Wednesday 26th November:
11am Play starts

10am - 3.45pm Schools, Colleges and Further Education group tennis sessions
4-7pm Community/disability group sessions

Thursday 27th November:
11am Play starts

10am - 3.45pm Schools, Colleges and Further Education group tennis sessions
4-7pm Community/disability group sessions

Friday 28th November:
11am Play starts

10am - 3.45pm Schools, Colleges and Further Education group tennis sessions
4-7pm Community/disability group sessions

Saturday 29th November:
11am Play starts
Men's and Women's Semi-Finals
Quad Final
Men's and Women's 5th/6th and 7th/8th place playoffs

11am onwards Community/disability group sessions

Sunday 30th November:
Play starts at 11am
Men's and Women's Final
Men's and Women's 3rd/4th place playoff.
Visually Impaired tennis exhibition

11am onwards Community/disability group sessions

Play start times are variable but will be no earlier than 11am on any court Wednesday to Sunday. These times are subject to change at the tournament's discretion.

About NEC Corporation

<BR /><BR />NEC Corporation (TSE: 6701) is a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies that benefit businesses and people around the world. By providing a combination of products and solutions that cross utilize the company's experience and global resources, NEC's advanced technologies meet the complex and ever-changing needs of its customers. NEC brings more than 100 years of expertise in technological innovation to empower people, businesses and society. For more information, visit NEC at http://www.nec.com.

Contact:

Seiichiro Toda         
s-toda@cj.jp.nec.com 
+81-3-3798-6511

Joseph Jasper         
j-jasper@ax.jp.nec.com 
+81-3-3798-6511