LONDON -- The prestigious season-ending championships for men's tennis will take place in Houston in 2003 and 2004, Masters Cup organizers said at Wimbledon.

The Masters Cup is contested each November by the world's top eight players and is co-owned by the ATP, the Grand Slams and the International Tennis Federation (ITF).

This year's event will take place in Shanghai, China.

In 2003, the year-ending doubles championship will be reunited with the singles for the first time since 1986, when the two events were separated.

"We'll be putting the doubles championship together with the singles and are delighted to be back in the United States for the event," ATP chief executive officer Mark Miles said.

The year-ender first took place in 1970 in Tokyo and was hosted by different cities up until 1976 when it visited Houston for the first time.

In 1977, it moved to Madison Square Garden in New York, where it remained for 13 years.

In 1986, the doubles moved to London for a four-year spell before hitting the road again.

Frankfurt hosted the singles from 1990 to 1995 before another German city, Hanover, took over until 1999 when the decision was made to share the event around the globe once more.

In 2000, it was renamed the Masters Cup and Brazil's Gustavo Kuerten won it in Lisbon, while Lleyton Hewitt blasted through the draw to win the 2001 event staged in Sydney.

The Westside Tennis Club will host Houston's event. An 8,500-seater stadium will be built around a hard-court surface and the stadium will be lit for night play.

The last time the event was held at an outdoor arena was in Melbourne in 1974.

"We felt hard court was the most balanced surface and that outdoors it will be even slower to make it more fair," Miles said.

"I am very pleased this great event will be once again staged in Houston.

"The Tennis Masters Cup has been a dramatic conclusion to the season with the world No. 1 decided in both Lisbon and Sydney," Miles said.

President of the ITF Francesco Ricci Bitti said: "The Masters Cup has been a great success in the major cities in which it has been held. With the growing enthusiasm for tennis around the world, we feel the combination of a great venue, top players and experienced promoters will make the Masters Cup in Houston a great success."