体坛英语新闻：ATP to extend off-season to seven weeks from 2012

LONDON, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) has approved the extension of its off-season to seven weeks in the 2012 and 2013 season, announced ATP Executive Chairman and President Adam Helfant here on Sunday.

The changes were achieved by removing the free week between the BNP Paris Masters and the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals and rescheduling four late-season events to dates earlier in the year.

Players will benefit from an additional two weeks off without the elimination of any tournaments on the ATP World Tour.

"The health and wellbeing of our players is paramount. Preserving and extending their playing careers is critical for the long-term good of the sport," said Helfant.

Several top players had been complaining ATP's long schedule in recent years as American ace Andy Roddick claimed that a long season was contributing to player injuries as early as in 2008.