Bikini models help promote China Open

Organisers of the China tennis Open in Beijing are hoping the use of bikini clad models will help draw a larger and younger audience to their event.

Fifteen "Miss Bikini International" contestants gathered at the Olympic Tennis Centre on Monday as part of a promotion stunt by the tournament, which takes place in September.

"We hope that the China Open becomes more entertaining and more stylish, therefore we invited the Miss Bikini contestants to our tennis courts to promote the idea of a fashionable China Open tournament," said marketing director Chi Peng.

"We believe that this kind of activity will will attract more young people who like fashion to come to the tennis court and watch the China Open."

The Miss Bikini contestants spent the morning inside the stadium which was built for the 2008 Olympics. They joined some local models in a few games of tennis before the waiting media got they really came to see, the girls parading in their bikinis and posing for photos.