Tennis-Belgrade tournament replaces Amersfoort on ATP calendar

LONDON, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic has succeeded in his bid to stage an ATP tournament in his home town of Belgrade from 2009.

"I am very excited that we are able to create an opportunity in Serbia to be a part of the ATP World Tour," the world number three, who backed the bid in conjunction with his management group, said in a statement on Wednesday.

"Tennis is a very popular sport in my country and we are happy that having (an) ATP ... event will help us show the world the beauty of my home town Belgrade and of Serbia." Belgrade earned the right to host a claycourt tournament from May 4-10 next season after the ATP board approved the sale of the Dutch event in Amersfoort to the Serbian city.

(Reporting by Pritha Sarkar, editing by Miles Evans)