Cricket is expected to emerge with a few bruises from ITC's decision to pull out of sports sponsorship, but Indian tennis is likely to bleed heavily. Two of the biggest events to be ever held in the country - the $400,000 ATP tournament in Chennai and the $700,000 World Doubles Championship in Bangalore - had Gold Flake, an ITC brand, as its title sponsors. The five-year contract for the Chennai tournament ended this January and the ITC was toying with the idea of discontinuing its association so that it could concentrate on the Bangalore meet. But no announcement had been made as the International Management Group (IMG) - owners and promoters of the Chennai tournament - was desperate to work out a deal which would extend the ITC contract. IMG's desperation stems from the fact that unlike in cricket or golf, tennis involves a far bigger expenditure to draw the top names. For instance, Boris Becker or Carlos Moya wouldn't have played in Chennai had they not been offered fat appearance fees. In dollars, that is a real pinch in the pocket and without the support of a sponsor as big as ITC, managing a successful event like the Gold Flake Open would have remained a dream for IMG. The Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA), which organised the world championship in Bangalore last December, should be more worried than the IMG because the doubles tourney is yet to establish itself as a regular event in the country. According to KSLTA secretary Sundar Raju, the Gold Flake sponsorship for this year's championship was to have been reviewed this month. Bangalore being an ITC stronghold, it was taken for granted that the world doubles would continue to receive patronage from the tobacco giant. 'Right now I am in no position to say who will sponsor the next championship. We are on the lookout for a new partner,' said Raju. 'ITC is a very sports-oriented concern in the sense that they think and plan long-term, and don't look for returns from the very first year,' he added. But Navroz Dhondy, CEO of Percept Advertising, one of the top agencies in the country, felt there was no point reaching for the panic button. According to Dhondy, there would hardly be any jolt to cricket. 'Even before this ban, lots of big companies have been keen to sponsor cricket,' he said. Golf won't be severely affected because only six of the 28 tournaments held in India have ITC (or its brands) as title sponsors, though the PGAI (Professional Golfers' Association of India) Tour is known as the Wills Tour. 'It's an umbrella sponsorship Wills is involved in, but there shouldn't be a problem finding a replacement,' according to Brandon D'Souza.