More than 300 delegates, representing 96 countries elected the new Board of Directors of the ITF for 2009 - 2011.

The meeting also approved important changes to Davis Cup and Fed Cup regulations, an increase in shares for a number of national federations bestowed 12 awards for Services to the Game to people who have made outstanding contributions to the game.

Effective and fruitful work of the Uzbekistan Tennis Federation is widely known, it was noted by Francesco Richi-Bittie, the President of the ITF, who visited Uzbekistan on a number of occasions. The country hosts a number of international youth series tournaments, adult future and challenger competitions, WTA Tashkent Open. Both men and women national teams successfully participate in the unofficial world team tournaments.

Likewise Uzbekistan national team, which qualified to compete in the World group playoffs this season, is ranked 23rd in the Davis Cup rankings among 131 countries, leaving behind such tennis ’giants’ as Italy (29th) and the Great Britain (30th), while Uzbekistan is ranked 3rd in Asia after India (19th) and Korea (20th). In the Federations Cup, Uzbek girls are ranked 21st among 94 countries.

Undeniable successes of Denis Istomin and Akgul Amanmuradova, the leaders of our team are reinforced by achievements of younger players: national teams of 13 - 14 year old boys’ and 10 - 11 year old girls’ are among top tens in the world.

Uzbekistan has contributed greatly to the development of tennis in Asia - a number of continental tournaments have been held in Uzbekistan in the last six years, while Tashkent hosted the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) General Annual Meetings twice. The children tennis camps have also been organized for the Central Asian region states in Uzbekistan.

During the last ATF General Annual Meeting, which was held in Tashkent, Annil Hannah (India), the President of ATF, who also reserved his vice-presidential seat in the ITF in Madrid, noted: "Uzbekistan is one of the most respected ATF member states, an unquestionable tennis leader in the Central Asian region. A lot is being done for the support of tennis by Islam Karimov, the President of Uzbekistan. The Uzbekistan Tennis Federation is very well organized and hosts a number of different tournaments on a high level, while its players take part in all major tournaments. The establishment of the Republican tennis school for Olympic reserves puts Uzbekistan among the leading tennis countries of the continent. I am convinced that tennis players of Uzbekistan will demonstrate their strengths on the world arena repeatedly."

Juan Margets (Spain), the Vice president of ITF, highly marked the work of the Federation as well at the ATF Annual General Meeting.

And it is no surprise that the delegates of the Madrid General Meeting had voted almost unanimously for the increase of the shares of Uzbekistan from 3 to 5. It was an unprecedented decision for the CIS countries: only Russia has 9 shares, other countries have from 1 to 3.

And the fact that Uzbekistan Tennis Federation was honored with an “Award for Services to the Game” significantly proves its role in the world tennis family as a young and independent state.