Courier and Martin Win Openers As 2008 Outback Champions Series Kicks Off In Naples, Fla.

NAPLES, Fla., March 12, 2008 – Jim Courier and Todd Martin both registered round-robin match victories Wednesday in the opening session of the $150,000 The Oliver Group Champions Cup at the Players Club & Spa at Lely Resort as the Outback Champions Series officially kicked off its 2008 season. Martin won the night’s opening match, defeating Sweden’s Anders Jarryd 7-6 (5), 6-3, while Courier defeated Aaron Krickstein 6-1, 3-6, 10-6 (Champions Tie-Break). The Outback Champions Series, a collection of tennis events around the world featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30, features eight events in 2008, its third full season.

Martin finished the 2007 Outback Champions Series season as the year-end No. 1 ranked player based on a tournament title in Newport, R.I. and runner-up showings at three other events. Playing for the first time at The Oliver Group Champions Cup, Martin struggled finding his footing on the clay surface after having played recent exhibition matches on faster surfaces.
“I had to deal with less then my best game tonight and the lack of comfort on the courts,” said Martin, who beat Pete Sampras in an exhibition match last week in Jacksonville, Fla. “I was lucky to win the first set and win the tie-break. I served well when I needed to.”
Said Jarryd, “It was a very competitive match. The first set could have gone either way. The second set was close, but Todd just had more chances.”
Courier won the 2006 singles title in Naples en route to clinching the year-end No. 1 ranking in the Outback Champions Series inaugural year in
2006. He needed a Champions Tie-Break – played in lieu of a third-set – in his match Wednesday night to defeat Krickstein, who lost last year’s Naples final to Wayne Ferreira.
Round-robin play continues Thursday evening as Magnus Larsson takes on fellow Swede Mikael Pernfors at 7 pm, followed by John McEnroe taking on fellow American Jimmy Arias.
The Oliver Group Champions Cup features an eight-man round-robin match format with the winner of each four-player division meeting in the title match while second place finishers in each division meet in the third-place match. The event features $150,000 in prize money with an undefeated winner taking home $54,000 as well as Stanford Champions ranking points that will determine the year-end champion and the winner of a $100,000 bonus. More information – including ticket information – is available by visiting http://www.championsseriestennis.com/
About The Outback Champions Series
Founded in 2005, the Outback Champions Series features eight events where champion tennis players continue to exercise their competitive instincts in tournament formats that feature prize money and Champions Series ranking points that determine a year-end No. 1 player on the Stanford Champions Rankings. To be eligible to compete on the Outback Champions Series, players must have either; reached a Grand Slam singles final, been ranked in the top five in the world or played singles on a championship Davis Cup team. Each event also has the right to choose a “wild card” entrant.
About InsideOut Sports & Entertainment
InsideOut Sports & Entertainment is a New York City-based independent producer of proprietary events and promotions founded in 2004 by former world No. 1 and Hall of Fame tennis player Jim Courier and former SFX and Clear Channel executive Jon Venison. In 2005, InsideOut launched its signature property, the Outback Champions Series, a collection of tennis events featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30. In addition, InsideOut produces many other successful events including one-night “Legendary Night” exhibitions as well as corporate outings, charity events and tennis fantasy camps, including the annual Ultimate Fantasy Camp. For more information, please log on to www.InsideOutSE.com or www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com