NEW YORK (AP) - Mobile phone maker Sony Ericsson will become the global title sponsor of the WTA Tour, paying $88 million (Euro66.5 million) over the next six years to the women's pro tennis circuit in a deal announced yesterday.

It's a sign of resurgence for the tour, which had been without a global sponsor for the past two seasons, relying instead on regional deals. In the past, Virginia Slims cigarettes, Kraft General Foods, software maker Corel and, most recently, health and beauty products manufacturer Sanex have had their company names attached to the women's tour.

"Women's tennis is on the cutting edge between sport and entertainment, sport and fashion, sport and design, and this deal will allow us to promote that," tour CEO Larry Scott said.
"They want to look at tennis as a platform to showcase how technology can bring fans closer to sports as entertainment," he said.

Sony Ericsson - a joint venture between Sweden's LM Ericsson and Japan's Sony Corp - will get to put its logos on the nets at tour events starting Monday at the Sydney International, and its name will appear on the net posts and net judge's chair.

The deal will also bring the company's technology into the sport, including handsets that chair umpires will use, allowing scores to go live to the Internet.

Under the new deal, the season-ending event will be called the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Championships, and the sponsor presumably would have a say in where it's played in future years. The tournament has been in Los Angeles since 2002.

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