COLUMBIA, S.C. -- A South Carolina teaching pro has sued
organizers of the recently concluded half-grass, half-clay tennis
match between stars Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Renata Marcinkowska, a former WTA tour player who now lives in
Rock Hill, took action against management and marketing giant, IMG,
and two advertising firms involved in Wednesday's exhibition in
Palma De Mallorca, Spain.
The suit, which does not specify damages, claims Marcinkowska
invented the idea of a tennis court of differing surfaces on either
side of the net, received a patent from the U.S. Patent and
Trademark Office in November 2004 and pitched the idea to IMG soon
after she got the patent.
"IMG did not express interest in the Patent at the time,"
according to Marcinkowska's suit, filed Tuesday in federal court in
Columbia.
Marcinkowska says in her suit she met with IMG in February
"with the idea of having Roger Federer play Rafael Nadal on a
hybrid court." Again, the suit said, IMG expressed no interest in
going forward.
She learned of plans for the Federer-Nadal exhibition last month
and made several calls to IMG and sent e-mails to the company to
try and stop it, according to the suit
"I'm very disappointed," Marcinkowska said by phone. "I don't
want to say too much because I feel like they're a Goliath and I'm
just a little David."
Nadal beat Federer 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (10).
Marcinkowska's suit claims patent infringement, civil conspiracy
and unfair business practices and asks for a jury trial.
IMG spokesman Brian Weiss said the company hadn't seen the
lawsuit and would not comment
Marcinkowska, 42, said she came up with the idea to help players
train on different surfaces. As a naturalized citizen, she also
wanted to see her idea used first in the United States.
"I feel like I've been cheated," she said. "And I feel like I
am not sure what will happen next."
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Associated Press Writer Jim Davenport contributed to this
report.