The Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex Arena in Birmingham, Ala., has been selected as the site for the 2009 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas first round match between the United States and Switzerland, March 6-8. The indoor arena is expected to seat more than 17,000. Tickets will go on sale in mid-January.
The United States and Switzerland are two of the 16 nations competing for the 2009 Davis Cup title as part of the Davis Cup World Group. The U.S. leads all nations with 32 Davis Cup titles.
“The tennis fans in Alabama are in for something special. There is nothing in tennis, or sport, like a Davis Cup match,” said U.S. Davis Cup Captain Patrick McEnroe. “It’s a tough assignment at home, so crowd support will certainly be an advantage for us. It should be one of the most star-studded Davis Cup matches this year.”
The United States has used the same line-up – world No. 8 Andy Roddick, No. 10 James Blake, and the world’s second-ranked doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan – for 10 of the last 11 Davis Cup matches, including all four wins during its 2007 title run. World No. 2 and five-time reigning US Open champion Roger Federer has announced his intention to play in the first round of Davis Cup for the first time since 2004 and is expected to be joined by No. 13 Stanislas Wawrinka, with whom he won the Olympic gold medal in men’s doubles this past summer in Beijing.
The best-of-five match series begins Friday, with two singles matches, featuring each country’s No. 1 player against the other country’s No. 2 player. Saturday’s schedule features the pivotal doubles match. The final day of play on Sunday will feature two “reverse singles” matches, when the No. 1 players square off followed by the No. 2 players meeting each other in the final match.
“We are excited that the USTA has chosen Birmingham to host the Davis Cup,” said Gene Hallman, Executive Director of the Alabama Sports Foundation. “We look forward to showcasing our fine state in front of a global audience and expanding on Birmingham’s strong tennis tradition.”
This will be the first Davis Cup tie ever played in Alabama, making it the 33rd state to host the prestigious competition. It also will be the first major professional tennis event in Birmingham since the city hosted the 1994 U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships. The city also hosted a USTA Pro Circuit men’s challenger from 1991-93 and 1995-2003 as well as a women’s $10,000 event from 1983-88. Blake won the doubles titles and was the singles runner-up at the Challenger in 2001 and the Bryan brothers won the doubles title in 1999.
The United States and Switzerland have split their two previous meetings in Davis Cup. Switzerland won the last meeting in the 2001 first round in McEnroe’s debut as U.S. Davis Cup Captain and Roddick’s Davis Cup debut. The Swiss were led by relative unknown Federer who won both his singles matches and the doubles point.
The two nations first met in the 1992 Davis Cup Final in Ft. Worth, Texas, as Andre Agassi and Jim Courier each won a singles match and Pete Sampras and John McEnroe teamed for a doubles victory to give the U.S. the title. A 10-year-old Roddick was among the capacity crowds. He said the experience “changed my life. It changed the way I viewed tennis, especially the way I viewed Davis Cup.”
Founded in 1900, Davis Cup is the world’s largest annual international team competition. The USTA organizes, stages and promotes all Davis Cup events in the U.S.
Wilson is the official ball of the U.S. Davis Cup team.
Sampras, McEnroe – and Anna Kournikova – Highlight Champions Cup Boston
BOSTON, December 16, 2008 – InsideOut Sports & Entertainment today announced that Pete Sampras, John McEnroe, Mats Wilander, Jim Courier and Anna Kournikova will headline a new-look $150,000 Champions Cup Boston tennis championships February 13-15, 2009 at Boston University’s Agganis Arena.
Sampras, the seven-time Wimbledon champion and the winner of more major singles titles (14) than any other man, headlines a six-player field that also includes seven-time major singles champions John McEnroe and Mats Wilander, four-time major singles champion Jim Courier, two-time major singles finalist Todd Martin and 1986 French Open runner-up Mikael Pernfors. Kournikova, a former world No. 1 doubles player and one of the most popular female athletes of all-time, will compete in special mixed doubles exhibition matches during both the day and night sessions on Valentine’s Day, Saturday, February 14, with a to-be-announced female player as well as players chosen from the field of six men’s competitors in the tournament field.
Tickets for Champions Cup Boston are available now by logging onto www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com or by calling Ticketmaster at (617) 931-2000.
Courier made the announcement today at Harvard University’s Murr Center along with Ned Eames, president and founder of Tenacity, the benefiting charity of the Boston event. At the announcement, Courier stepped onto the court to give pointers to Tenacity tennis students.
“I’m thrilled to be included in this top-notch field featuring some of the greatest names in tennis,” said Courier, Co-Founder of InsideOut Sports & Entertainment and the Outback Champions Series. “You will be hard pressed to find a better line up than this one, with 32 major singles titles held among the competing players. The addition of mixed doubles will surely be an exciting new aspect of the event for the fans.”
Boston will be the first tournament on the 2009 Outback Champions Series, a collection of men’s tennis events in the United States and abroad featuring some of the greatest names in the sport over the age of 30. McEnroe will defend his Champions Cup title where, one year ago, he defeated Aaron Krickstein for his first-ever win in an Outback Champions Series event. The final was a hotly-contested match with both McEnroe and Krickstein winning a set before McEnroe dominated the Champions tiebreak 10-5.
“Boston has some of the most passionate fans on the tour and that’s why we are excited to be back at Agganis Arena for the fourth Champions Cup,” said Jon Venison, Co-Founder of InsideOut Sports & Entertainment and the Outback Champions Series. “Last year’s event was a huge success with large, enthusiastic crowds throughout the tournament. With the addition of Anna Kournikova to this year’s star-studded field, we are expecting even more interest and enthusiasm from tennis fans throughout the region.”
The Champions Cup Boston schedule will kick-off with two quarterfinal singles matches on Friday evening, Feb. 13. Both day and night sessions on Saturday, Feb. 14 will feature a singles semifinal match and a mixed doubles match, while the Sunday, Feb. 15 session will feature the third-place play-off and the championship match.
Founded in 2005, the Outback Champions Series features some of the biggest names in tennis over the last 25 years, including Sampras, McEnroe, Courier and others. To be eligible to compete on the Outback Champions Series, players must have reached at least a major singles final, been ranked in the top five in the world or played singles on a championship Davis Cup team.
The Outback Champions Series features eight events on its 2009 schedule. Each event features $150,000 in prize money as well as Champions Series ranking points that will determine the year-end Stanford Champions Rankings No. 1. The year-end champion will receive a $100,000 bonus courtesy of Stanford Financial Group, the official rankings sponsor of the Outback Champions Series.
Tenacity is one of the premier youth development programs in the City of Boston offering both after-school and summer programming that combines tennis, literacy and life skills to help youth develop the skills and self-confidence they need to succeed in life. Tenacity’s After-School Excellence Program currently partners with eight middle schools in Boston to provide intensive after-school services for 180 students. The Summer Tennis & Reading Program operates at 28 neighborhood sites throughout the city and more than 3,600 Boston youth participate.
“We are excited at the opportunity to once again work with Jim Courier and all of the players during Champions Cup Boston,” said Ned Eames, President and Founder of Tenacity. “In today’s current economic climate, it is essential for us to have people like Jim who want to help our cause. We look forward to watching this amazing group of tennis stars compete in the tournament and exhibition matches.”
Champions Cup Boston is sponsored by Outback Steakhouse, Stanford Financial Group, Staples, ASG, Talon Air, Kraft, Coca-Cola, Taj Hotel, NESN and Greater Media.
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.
U.S. TENNIS PARTICIPATION CONTINUES TO INCREASE DRAMATICALLY
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., December 11, 2008 – The USTA and TIA announced today that tennis participation throughout the United States continued its growth on every measurable level in 2008, with more players (nearly 26.9 million) taking to the court this year than at any time in the past 15 years, according to the annual research survey conducted for the Tennis Industry Association (TIA) and the USTA by the Taylor Research Group.
The TIA/USTA study showed total player participation in 2008 grew by more than 7% from the previous year (25.1 million), continuing a trend that has shown a nearly 12% increase over the five-year period beginning in 2003 (24 million).
In addition, total play occasions increased by more than 13% to 603 million over the past year, up from 533 million in 2007 and a jump of close to 33% from five years ago (454 million).
“Tennis is stronger and healthier than it has been in decades,” said Jane Brown Grimes, USTA President and Chairman of the Board. “It’s great to see that the collective efforts of the USTA and our industry partners over the past five years are producing such great results.”
“We’ve tried to make tennis as accessible as possible at the grassroots levels, which we’ll continue to do, by promoting initiatives to grow youth and adult participation in order to keep this momentum going,” said Kurt Kamperman, Chief Executive, Community Tennis, USTA.
“By almost every key metric and based on the trends the sport remains poised for growth in the coming years,” said Dave Haggerty, President of the Tennis Industry Association.
The TIA/USTA study also determined:
- The percentage of frequent players (i.e. those who played 21 times or more during the year) rose to 5.62 million, up 7% from 2007 (5.25 million) and an increase of more than 23% from 2003 (4.56 million).
- The sport is retaining the players it has, as the number of continuing players is up 9% to 15.1 million from 13.9 million last year. A continuing player is defined as one who has played for more than a year.
- The percentage of new players rose 3%, to 5.91 million.
Additionally tennis ball unit sales, another important barometer of play frequency, have increased more than 15% since 2003 and are up again by almost 3% through the third quarter of 2008.
The TIA/USTA results compare favorably to other recent research released from industry organizations over the past 12 months. In the 2008 Sports and Fitness Participation Report conducted by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA), results showed tennis had achieved growth of 30.6% in total participants from 2000 through 2007, making it the fastest-growing traditional sport in the country over that time period.
# # #
About the USTA
The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level — from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. It owns and operates the US Open, the highest attended annual sporting event in the world, and launched the Olympus US Open Series linking 10 summer tournaments to the US Open. A not-for-profit organization with more than 725,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds in growing the game. In addition, it owns the 94 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S., and selects the teams for the Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games.
For more information on the USTA, log on to usta.com.
About the TIA
The Tennis Industry Association, the not-for-profit trade association for tennis, is THE unifying force in the tennis industry bringing together competitive companies to work collectively to promote and grow the sport. The TIA works closely with the USTA and industry partners to develop and implement initiatives to increase tennis participation. Core TIA activities include Participation Research, Consumer and Trade Research and the Growing Tennis System. For more information, please visit TennisIndustry.org or GrowingTennis.com.
USTA Player Development’s Programming Throughout the Country
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., December 11, 2008 – The USTA announced today the latest step in its expanded efforts to develop future American tennis champions when it named the first two USTA Certified Regional Training Centers — The Junior Tennis Champions Center in Washington, D.C., and The Racquet Club of the South in Atlanta.
The USTA Certified Regional Training Centers will expand the USTA Player Development program’s reach throughout the country by partnering with academies, clubs and tennis centers that have a proven record of identifying and developing tennis players.
The USTA plans to name approximately a dozen Certified Regional Training Centers during the next five years.
“This is the start of the USTA’s new philosophy regarding player development,” said Gordon Smith, Executive Director, USTA. “We will continue to reach out to new partners throughout the country that share a similar vision – all with the goal of creating future American tennis champions.”
In addition to continuing their already existing programs, the USTA Certified Regional Training Centers will now also host USTA training camps for players in their region ages 10-14. These players will be selected in conjunction with the USTA national coaching staff and their respective USTA Section Coaches Commission. The Centers also will help identify talent in players as young as 6-years-old, run QuickStart* tennis programs and host QuickStart tournaments for players 8-and-under and 10-and-under.
The camps will be staffed by the top coaches at the USTA Certified Regional Training Centers with assistance from the USTA national coaching staff. The coaches at the USTA Certified Regional Training Centers also will serve as an extension of the USTA Coaching Education program by working with and training the top coaches in their region and respective USTA Section. Additionally, the coaches will attend training sessions at the USTA National Training Center in Boca Raton, Fla.
“We have built a coaching philosophy among our national coaching staff that we are eager to share with the coaches working in the private sector,” said Patrick McEnroe, General Manager, USTA Player Development. “At the same time, through our partnerships with these facilities, we can learn from the personal coaches in the field who are developing our best young talent. We feel strongly that together we can work towards our common goal – developing American champions.”
The Junior Tennis Champions Center is located on 11 acres of parkland in College Park, Md. The facility features 27 courts, 12 indoor/climate controlled, 8 har-tru clay courts (4 indoor/4 outdoor) and the only two Roland Garros-style red clay courts in the Mid-Atlantic. Ray Benton is the CEO. Frank Salazar, Vesa Ponkka and Misha Kousznetsov are the coaches.
The Racquet Club of the South is one of the largest tennis facilities in the Southeast. The facility has 28 courts, with 26 lit, 8 indoor/climate controlled, 4 har-tru clay courts and 16 hard courts, and is the home of the RCA Tennis Academy. Steve Gareleck, Brian DeVilliers and Grant Stafford comprise the management team at the facility.
The new USTA Player Development unit has been created to identify and develop the next generation of American champions by surrounding the top junior players and young pros with the resources, facilities and coaching they need to reach their maximum potential.
* QuickStart Tennis is a new play format that has been developed to help kids ten and under play the game of tennis. To make the game more accessible to children, several elements have been modified including the court size, the racquet size, the balls, the scoring system, and even the net height.
# # #
The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level — from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. It owns and operates the US Open, the highest attended annual sporting event in the world, and launched the Olympus US Open Series linking 10 summer tournaments to the US Open. In addition, it owns the 94 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S., and selects the teams for the Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games. A not-for-profit organization with 725,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds in growing the game. For more information on the USTA, log on to usta.com.
New Events In Brazil And Mexico Highlight 2009 Outback Champions Series
NEW YORK, N.Y., December 11, 2008 – InsideOut Sports & Entertainment today announced the full slate of tournaments for the 2009 Outback Champions Series, highlighted by two new events in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, new single-knockout tournament formats and increased prize money for tournament champions.
The fourth full season of the Outback Champions Series will feature eight total events – each offering $150,000 in prize money – with six events as single-knockout, six-player events, while two events (Rio de Janeiro and Newport, R.I.) will be eight-player, round-robin format events. Tournament champions will also receive first-prize paychecks of $60,000 in each single-knockout event, while undefeated tournament champions in the eight-player round-robin events will continue to earn $54,000. As in 2008, the player who finishes the year ranked No. 1 in the Stanford Champions Rankings will earn a $100,000 bonus, courtesy of the Stanford Financial Group. The final Stanford Champions Rankings in 2009 will be comprised of each player’s best-of-five tournament results.
Founded in 2005, the Outback Champions Series is a collection of global tennis events featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30, including former world No. 1 players Pete Sampras, John McEnroe, Jim Courier and Stefan Edberg. To be eligible to compete on the Outback Champions Series, players must have reached a major singles final, been ranked in the top five in the world in singles or played singles on a championship Davis Cup team.
The full 2009 Outback Champions Series schedule is as follows;
* Champions Cup Boston – Boston, Mass., Feb. 13-15
* Rio Champions Cup – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, March 12-15
* The Del Mar Development Champions Cup – Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, March 18-22
* The Residences at The Ritz Carlton, Grand Cayman Legends Championships – Grand Cayman, April 23-26
* International Tennis Hall of Fame Champions Cup – Newport, R.I., August 19-23
* The Citadel Group Championships at The Palisades – Charlotte, N.C. September 25-27
* Cancer Treatment Centers of America Championships at Surprise – Surprise, Ariz., November 6-8
* Emirates NBD The Legends “Rock” Dubai – Dubai, U.A.E., Nov. 19-21
Each six-player event will also feature special doubles exhibition matches with some of the greatest men and women players of all-time. In 2008, mixed doubles exhibition matches featuring Anna Kournikova were held at events in Charlotte and Dallas.
“We are very pleased with the growth and evolution of the Outback Champions Series since inception in 2005 and we look forward to what will be our most exciting season yet in 2009,” said Jon Venison, co-founding partner of InsideOut Sports & Entertainment and the Outback Champions Series. “Our events take place in many of the world’s most interesting and beautiful locations and feature the greatest champion tennis players in the world. With new fan friendly elements such as doubles joining the event schedules alongside current favorites such as kids’ day, player clinics and pro-ams at each event, we eagerly await the beginning of our season with our first event in Boston.”
Information on each individual event – including ticket information – can be obtained by visiting www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com.
The Rio Champions Cup in Rio de Janeiro and the Del Mar Development Champions Cup in Mexico are the two new events in 2009 announced last summer, marking the tour’s expansion into South America and Mexico. The Rio Champions Cup will be held March 12-15 at the HSBC Arena in Rio, while The Del Mar Development Champions Cup will be held March 18-22 at the Palmilla Tennis Club in Cabo San Lucas. The 2009 Outback Champions Series will begin in Boston Feb. 13 at the Champions Cup Boston at the Agganis Arena at Boston University.
Courier finished the 2008 season as the No. 1 ranked player in the Stanford Champions Rankings, earning him a $100,000 bonus by virtue of winning events in Grand Cayman, Charlotte, Dallas and Dubai. Todd Martin finished the 2007 season as the champion of the Series, while Courier also ended 2006 with the top ranking.
The 2008 Outback Champions Series kicked off March 12-16 in Naples, Fla., at The Oliver Group Champions Cup where Martin defeated McEnroe in the final. Courier won the second event of the season at The Residences at The Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman Legends Championships April 16-20, defeating Wayne Ferreira in the final, while McEnroe won his first career Outback Champions Series event in Boston April 30- May 4, defeating Aaron Krickstein in the final. Pat Cash won his first Outback Champions Series title in Newport, R.I., in August, defeating Courier in the final, while Courier won his second and third titles of the season in September in Charlotte and in October in Dallas, defeating Martin and Thomas Enqvist in the final, respectively. In November, McEnroe won his second title of the 2008 season in Surprise, Ariz., defeating Martin in the final. In the final event of 2008 in Dubai, Courier defeated Outback Champions Series debutant Edberg to win his fourth title of the year.
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 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
Pioline topples Sampras at last and meets Rusedski in final
Cedric Pioline recorded an historic win against Pete Sampras on Saturday afternoon to reach the final of the BlackRock Masters Tennis. The Frenchman had never previously beaten Sampras in nine attempts, but he produced some explosive tennis to topple the American 7-6(7), 7-6(5).
“This is a great feeling,” said Pioline. “I tried to hold my serve and today I was reading his serve pretty good as well. It was a close match in the end and it’s so great to finally shake Pete’s hand as a winner.”
After the match Sampras paid tribute to his opponent.
“It was a dog fight today,” he said. “I was really impressed with Cedric and he was returning better today than he used to way back when. I had my chance there in the first but I took my foot off the pedal serving for the set and he produced some great shots.” It was competitive and I wanted to win so I’m disappointed I didn’t make the final, but at least the crowd enjoyed it.”
Despite his defeat today, Sampras has enjoyed his long-awaited return to London, a place that holds so many special memories for the seven time Wimbledon Champion.
“I had a great time this week and I’ve been really impressed with the tournament,” he said. “It’s nice to be back in London and seeing the British people was fun for me. I’ve got some good memories coming here and just driving around the streets makes me think about my titles and my wins. It’s a shame I couldn’t win another one here at the Albert Hall.”
Pioline will now take on Greg Rusedski in Sunday’s final, and the Frenchman is expecting another tough battle.
“I think it’s going to be a difficult match again because he’s in good shape,” he said. “He has a big serve so I will need to return well again. To win the tournament would be something special and I’d love to leave London as a winner with the cup in my hand.”
In the final match of the day at the Royal Albert Hall Jeremy Bates put in a sensational performance to beat John McEnroe 6-4, 6-7(4), 11-9 (Champions’ Tie Break).
SAMPRAS TO RETURN TO WIMBLEDON WHEN TIME IS RIGHT
For Pete Sampras the All England Lawn Tennis Club is a special place, and one he has not revisited since his retirement from professional tennis more than six years ago. He had been considering a return to SW19 during his stay in London this week for the BlackRock Masters Tennis but the seven-time Wimbledon Champion decided to leave it a little longer before taking a trip down the most emotional of memory lanes.
“I decided not to go,” he said. “I hear there’s a lot of construction going on and I wanted to go at a time when all the courts are up. That way I’ll have a chance to properly reminisce and maybe even walk on to Centre Court again.”
Despite almost a decade of glittering success at the All England Club, Sampras’ most recent memory of SW19 came back in 2002 when the American suffered a painful second round loss at the hands of the unseeded swiss George Bastl on Court Two. He retired later that year after winning the US Open and has not returned to the UK since.
“I decided that it’s probably better to go while the event is going on, and also I’d like to take my kids over to check it out as well and they’re not here this week. I’m going to go back one day. It’s just a matter of when.”
The event is being covered by ITV4 in the UK, and matches are also being streamed live on the ITV website, ITV.com. Click here to access the live stream http://www.itv.com/sport/tennis/default.html.
ITV4 TRANSMISSION TIMES
Sunday 13.00 – 17:00
RESULTS – Saturday 6th December
Cedric Pioline d. Pete Sampras 7-6(7), 7-6(5)
Jeremy Bates d. John McEnroe 6-4, 6-7(4), 11-9 (Champions’ Tie Break)
FINAL GROUP STANDINGS
GROUP A
Matches won/lost (sets)
Cedric Pioline 3-0 (6-0)
Pete Sampras 2-1 (4-2)
Jeremy Bates 1-2 (2-5)
John McEnroe 0-3 (1-6).
Greg Rusedski 3-0 (6-2)
Stefan Edberg 2-1 (5-2)
Guy Forget 1-2 (3-5)
Pat Cash 0-3 (2-6).
ORDER OF PLAY (subject to change)
Sunday
1 Singles Final Cedric Pioline vs. Greg Rusedski
2 Doubles Final Bahrami/Fleming vs. McNamara/Woodforde
3 Doubles Bates/Murray vs. Black/Jarryd
About BlackRock
BlackRock is one of the world’s largest publicly traded investment management firms. At September 30, 2008, BlackRock’s AUM was $1.259 trillion. The firm manages assets on behalf of institutions and individuals worldwide through a variety of equity, fixed income, cash management and alternative investment products. In addition, a growing number of institutional investors use BlackRock Solutions investment system, risk management and financial advisory services. Headquartered in New York City, as of September 30, 2008, the firm has approximately 5,800 employees in 22 countries and a major presence in key global markets, including the U.S., Europe, Asia, Australia and the Middle East. For additional information, please visit the Company’s website at www.blackrock.com.
The BlackRock Masters Tennis: http://www.theblackrockmasters.com
BlackRock Tour of Champions: http://www.blackrocktourofchampions.com
Sampras beats Bates to set up winner-take-all Pioline showdown
Pete Sampras set up a mouth watering winner-take-all clash with Cedric Pioline on Saturday after battling to victory over former British number one Jeremy Bates at the BlackRock Masters Tennis at the Royal Albert Hall on Friday.
In a match that lasted just over an hour, Sampras was pushed to a second set tie break before eventually triumphing 6-3, 7-6(3) against an opponent nine years his senior. After the match, Sampras admitted he hadn’t been expecting to be pushed as hard as he was.
“The match was much tougher than I thought it would be,” he said. “I think on this court Jeremy’s pretty effective and he was serving and volleying well, particularly in the second set. I felt like I played pretty well, a little spotty at times but I’ve got to give him credit because he played really well.”
Sampras will now play Cedric Pioline on Saturday afternoon in a match that will decide which of the two men is to progress to Sunday’s final. Pioline has lost all nine of his previous meetings with Sampras, including the two most painful losses of his career in the 1993 US Open and 1997 Wimbledon finals.
“We’ve played in two Major finals before. He’s a talented guy and he’s going to be very tough to break out there because the court’s playing really quick,” said Sampras. “He’s got a good serve and he’s pretty eager to beat me so we’ll see what happens.”
The winner will take on Greg Rusedski in the final. The British player defeated Pat Cash 4-6, 7-5, 10-3 (Champions’ Tie-Break).
The event is being covered by ITV4 in the UK, and matches are also being streamed live on the ITV website, ITV.com. Click here to access the live stream http://www.itv.com/sport/tennis/default.html.
ITV4 TRANSMISSION TIMES
Saturday 12.30 – 17.00 (19.30 Match on Red Button and also on the ITV.com website) Sunday 13.00 – 17:00
For tickets to the BlackRock Masters Tennis, or for further information, please call the box office on: +44 (0) 208 233 5882, or visit the official website.
Corporate Hospitality packages are also available. For more information, please call: +44 (0) 208 233 5854.
RESULTS – Friday 5th December
Stefan Edberg d. Guy Forget 1-6, 7-6(1), 10-6 (Champions’ Tie Break) Pete Sampras d. Jeremy Bates 6-3, 7-6(3)
LATEST GROUP STANDINGS
GROUP A
Matches won/lost (sets) Cedric Pioline 2-0 (4-0) Pete Sampras 2-0 (4-0) Jeremy Bates 0-2 (0-4) John McEnroe 0-2 (0-4).
Greg Rusedski 3-0 (6-2) Stefan Edberg 2-1 (5-2) Guy Forget 1-2 (3-5) Pat Cash 0-3 (2-6).
ORDER OF PLAY (subject to change)
Saturday afternoon
Starting at 1pm
1 Singles RR Pioline v Sampras LIVE ITV4 2 Doubles Forget and Leconte v Black and Murray LIVE ITV4 3 Doubles Bahrami and Bates v Gullikson and McNamara LIVE ITV4
Saturday evening
Starting at 7.30pm
1 Singles RR Bates v McEnroe 2 Doubles TBC 3 Doubles TBC
Sunday
1 Singles Final LIVE TBC 2 Doubles Final
LIVE TBC 3 Doubles LIVE TBC
About BlackRock
BlackRock is one of the world’s largest publicly traded investment management firms. At September 30, 2008, BlackRock’s AUM was $1.259 trillion. The firm manages assets on behalf of institutions and individuals worldwide through a variety of equity, fixed income, cash management and alternative investment products. In addition, a growing number of institutional investors use BlackRock Solutions investment system, risk management and financial advisory services. Headquartered in New York City, as of September 30, 2008, the firm has approximately 5,800 employees in 22 countries and a major presence in key global markets, including the U.S., Europe, Asia, Australia and the Middle East. For additional information, please visit the Company’s website at www.blackrock.com.
The BlackRock Masters Tennis: http://www.theblackrockmasters.com BlackRock Tour of Champions: http://www.blackrocktourofchampions.com
Win over McEnroe gives Pioline chance for Sampras revenge
Cedric Pioline will have the chance for revenge against Pete Sampras after ending John McEnroe’s hopes of a fifth BlackRock Masters Tennis title at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
Pioline, 39, put in an impressive display of serving to record a 6-3, 6-4 victory over McEnroe in front of a packed crowd of nearly 4000 fans. The Frenchman took just one hour and 15 minutes to beat his American opponent 6-3, 6-4 and now moves into first position in Group B. On Saturday, he will face Sampras, the man he lost to in the 1993 US Open final and the 1997 Wimbledon final. If Pioline wins, Sampras will be going home empty-handed.
“Those two Grand Slam finals belong to the past but of course I wish I could have won at least one of them,” said Pioline. “It’s going to be fun because I haven’t played against Pete for eight or ten years and if I win it will be revenge for me.
“The way Pete’s serving and the way he’s hitting the ball, he probably could be in the top 20 or top 30 in the world today. But I’m playing good and I’m serving good so I think I have a good chance too and if I win I’ll be in Sunday’s final which would be special for me.”
McEnroe, who is ten year’s Pioline’s senior, showed clear signs of frustration throughout a match in which his opponent dominated with his thunderous serve, hitting 12 aces in total. Pioline went ahead early in the first set, breaking early on to lead 4-1 and serving out the set in impressive fashion. The second set was a tighter affair, with McEnroe managing to stay level until 3-3 when his opponent produced a scorching backhand winner to take a 4-3 lead. The break of serve proved to be decisive and from that point the Frenchman never looked back. He fittingly clinched the match with an ace down the centre line, at which point McEnroe held up his hands in surrender.
“It was one of those days when you hit the ball and everything goes in so that’s a great feeling for me,” said Pioline.
“I served very well and I felt good moving side to side. John’s always in good shape and I think he was playing very good tennis but today I was just a little bit better.”
Pioline will now play Pete Sampras on Saturday afternoon in a match that will decide who will top Group A and progress to Sunday’s final. The two men met nine times during their ATP Tour careers and Pioline is yet to notch up a victory against the 14 time Grand Slam champion Sampras. The Frenchman will have more than a place in the final to play for on Saturday as he will also be seeking revenge against the man who denied him his two best chances of Grand Slam success, beating him in both the 1993 US Open and 1997 Wimbledon finals.
In the first match of Thursday’s afternoon session last year’s BlackRock Masters runner up Guy Forget toppled Pat Cash 6-4, 4-6, 10-2 (Champions’ Tie Break) to move to second place in Group B.
The event is being covered by ITV4 in the UK, and matches are also being streamed live on the ITV website, ITV.com. Click here to access the live stream http://www.itv.com/sport/tennis/default.html.
ITV4 TRANSMISSION TIMES
Friday 18:00 – 21:30 Saturday 12.30 – 17.00 (19.30 Match on Red Button) Sunday 13.00 – 17:00
For tickets to the BlackRock Masters Tennis, or for further information, please call the box office on: +44 (0) 208 233 5882, or visit the official website.
Corporate Hospitality packages are also available. For more information, please call: +44 (0) 208 233 5854.
RESULTS – Thursday 4th December
Guy Forget d. Pat Cash 6-4, 4-6, 10-2 (Champions’ Tie Break) Cedric Pioline d. John McEnroe 6-3, 6-4
LATEST GROUP STANDINGS
GROUP A
Matches won/lost (sets) Cedric Pioline 2-0 (4-0) Pete Sampras 1-0 (2-0) Jeremy Bates 0-1 (0-2 John McEnroe 0-2 (0-4).
Greg Rusedski 2-0 (4-1) Guy Forget 1-1 (2-3) Stefan Edberg 0-1 (1-2) Pat Cash 0-2 (1-4).
ORDER OF PLAY (subject to change)
Friday afternoon
1 Singles RR Edberg v Forget 2 Single Bates v Sampras 3 Doubles Bahrami/Pioline v McNamara/Murray
Friday evening
1 Singles RR Cash v Rusedski 2 Doubles Jarryd/Wilkinson v Black/Murray 3 Doubles Gullikson/Leconte v Fleming/Woodforde
Saturday afternoon
1 Singles RR Pioline v Sampras 2 Doubles TBC 3 Doubles TBC
Saturday evening
1 Singles RR Bates v McEnroe 2 Doubles TBC 3 Doubles TBC
Sunday
1 Singles Final LIVE TBC 2 Doubles Final
LIVE TBC 3 Doubles LIVE TBC
About BlackRock
BlackRock is one of the world’s largest publicly traded investment management firms. At September 30, 2008, BlackRock’s AUM was $1.259 trillion. The firm manages assets on behalf of institutions and individuals worldwide through a variety of equity, fixed income, cash management and alternative investment products. In addition, a growing number of institutional investors use BlackRock Solutions investment system, risk management and financial advisory services. Headquartered in New York City, as of September 30, 2008, the firm has approximately 5,800 employees in 22 countries and a major presence in key global markets, including the U.S., Europe, Asia, Australia and the Middle East. For additional information, please visit the Company’s website at www.blackrock.com.
The BlackRock Masters Tennis: http://www.theblackrockmasters.com
BlackRock Tour of Champions:
http://www.blackrocktourofchampions.com
Sampras beats 'best ever' McEnroe on London return
Pete Sampras received a rapturous, hero’s welcome in his first appearance on English soil in six years as he defeated John McEnroe 6-3, 6-4 at the BlackRock Masters Tennis in London.
In the opinion of Sampras, McEnroe played the best tennis he has ever produced against the seven-time Wimbledon champion, but it still wasn’t enough to slay the younger of the two Americans at the Royal Albert Hall.
McEnroe forced 0-40 on Sampras’s opening service game, but he couldn’t quite convert his only real opportunity on the Sampras serve.
After that, some of the rallies and reflexes were breathtaking for men supposedly past their peak.
Both players served and volleyed throughout, and a packed crowd in the Royal Albert Hall savoured every moment. So did the players.
“Talking to a few of the guys about playing here they told me there were great crowds and that the arena was phenomenal and it really was,” said Sampras.
“To be retired for six years and still be able to play in front of good crowds like this is an honour. It was a fun night of tennis, it really was.”
And he had some generous words for McEnroe.
“To be 49 and to be able to serve and volley and be effective and still have the hands and the movement is incredible. Forty nine is not young in tennis so more credit to him for keeping himself fit. I know he does a lot of off court training and it’s paid off. I’m really impressed.”
So was McEnroe.
“This is the twelfth year I’ve played and I don’t know if there’s a lot of matches I’ve played better than this and I lost,” said McEnroe. “I was a little unlucky in some of the games, like the two service games and when I had 0-40 in the first game. It’s sort of like being thrown out to the wolves to play Pete in my first match but it’s just good to be part of it even though I lost.”
Sampras said he might use his day off on Thursday to visit Wimbledon. He hasn’t been back to the scene of his greatest triumphs since he lost to George Bastl in 2002.
Elsewhere, Greg Rusedski scraped past Stefan Edberg 7-6(7) 5-7,10-6 (Champions’ Tie Break), and Cedric Pioline defeated Jeremy Bates 6-3, 6-4.
MURRAY DREAM COMES TRUE
Growing up, Jamie Murray dreamt of trading groundstrokes with the great Pete Sampras. On Wednesday in London, his dream came true.
Needing a practice partner with a swinging, left-handed delivery ahead of his clash with John McEnroe, Sampras asked Murray, who is here to play in the doubles event.
The pair laughed and joked together, and for Murray, it was a special experience.
“It was a lot of fun,” said Murray. “I don’t think I’ve ever concentrated as hard in my life on a tennis court but it’s got to be done against Pete. The first ball he fed in was about 120 mph. It was a lot of fun and he still hits the ball as sweet as a nut and he was caning it from the back of the court right the way through. But I enjoyed it and I never thought or expected that I’d get the chance to do it in my life.”
The event is being covered by ITV4 in the UK, and matches are also being streamed live on the ITV website, ITV.com. Click here to access the live stream http://www.itv.com/sport/tennis/default.html.
ITV4 TRANSMISSION TIMES
Thursday 18:00 – 22:00
Friday 18:00 – 21:30
Saturday 12.30 – 17.00 (19.30 Match on Red Button)
Sunday 13.00 – 17:00
For tickets to the BlackRock Masters Tennis, or for further information, please call the box office on: +44 (0) 208 233 5882, or visit the official website.
Corporate Hospitality packages are also available. For more information, please call: +44 (0) 208 233 5854 , e-mail:blackrockmasters@imgworld.com or click here.
RESULTS – Wednesday 3rd December
Cedric Pioline d. Jeremy Bates 6-3, 6-4
Greg Rusedski d. Stefan Edberg 7-6(7) 5-7,10-6 (Champions’ Tie Break)
Pete Sampras d. John McEnroe 6-3, 6-4
ORDER OF PLAY (subject to change)
Thursday afternoon
1 Singles RR Cash v Forget
2 Doubles Bahrami/Bates v McNamara/Wilkinson
3 Doubles Fleming/Woodforde v Jarryd/Leconte
Thursday evening
1 Singles RR McEnroe v Pioline
2 Doubles Rusedski/Wilkinson v McNamara/Woodforde
3 Doubles Black/Leconte v Bahrami/Gullikso
Friday afternoon
1 Singles RR Edberg v Forget
2 Single Bates v Sampras
3 Doubles Bahrami/Pioline v McNamara/Murray
Friday evening
1 Singles RR Cash v Rusedski
2 Doubles Jarryd/Wilkinson v Black/Murray
3 Doubles Gullikson/Leconte v Fleming/Woodforde
Saturday afternoon
1 Singles RR Pioline v Sampras
2 Doubles TBC
3 Doubles TBC
Saturday evening
1 Singles RR Bates v McEnroe
2 Doubles TBC
3 Doubles TBC
Sunday
1 Singles Final LIVE TBC
2 Doubles Final LIVE TBC
3 Doubles LIVE TBC
About BlackRock
BlackRock is one of the world’s largest publicly traded investment management firms. At September 30, 2008, BlackRock’s AUM was $1.259 trillion. The firm manages assets on behalf of institutions and individuals worldwide through a variety of equity, fixed income, cash management and alternative investment products. In addition, a growing number of institutional investors use BlackRock Solutions investment system, risk management and financial advisory services. Headquartered in New York City, as of September 30, 2008, the firm has approximately 5,800 employees in 22 countries and a major presence in key global markets, including the U.S., Europe, Asia, Australia and the Middle East. For additional information, please visit the Company’s website at www.blackrock.com.
The BlackRock Masters Tennis: http://www.theblackrockmasters.com
BlackRock Tour of Champions: http://www.blackrocktourofchampions.com
Sampras back in London at last
Pete Sampras arrived in London for the BlackRock Masters Tennis today and caught up with old friends, adversaries and members of the media.
The seven-time Wimbledon champion will take on John McEnroe in a mouth-watering debut match at the event on Wednesday, and he can’t wait to get started.
“I still want to win,” said Sampras.
“It’s still competitive. We all have a lot of pride in playing well and winning. It’s not like I need to come here and ‘have’ to win the event like when I was in my mid-20s when it was a question of ‘all or nothing’. But that said, people want to see me play well and all the guys play well so we all do take a lot of pride in doing what we used to do. For me, I still want to win and I still want to play good tennis.”
It completes the circle for Sampras, who has not set foot in England since his last Wimbledon in 2002.
“I said during my career that I would never play senior’s tennis,” he admitted.
“But you should never say never and I didn’t know how retirement was going to be. It’s tricky. Every athlete will tell you that when they stop at a pretty young age, trying to find different ways to keep yourself fulfilled is difficult and some people have to come out of retirement to do that. The schedule provided by playing here keeps me in shape and makes me a better father and husband. When you’re not doing much throughout your day I can lose my patience and start to think ‘what am I doing with my life’. But I’ve got years to figure it out and retirement is still a work in progress for me. There’s no book on it. But I’m still enjoying playing a little tennis.”
He is looking forward to the prospect of taking on McEnroe, Cedric Pioline and Jeremy Bates in Group A this week, and possibly Stefan Edberg or Greg Rusedski in the final, but Sampras has no regrets about calling it a day when he did. After winning the US Open in 2002 he took his time to make his decision, before ultimately declaring his 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 victory over Andre Agassi in the final as his last match.
“I was done, I really was,” said Sampras.
“Those last couple of years took a lot out of me. Not winning an event and then winning that last US Open, that was the last fuel I had in my tank. I gave it some time, I gave it six to eight months to really make sure I was done. Then, once Wimbledon came and went the year after I won the Open I knew it was time for me to move on. And I wasn’t going to play for the money or the limelight or to wave goodbye. I play to win. Once that day came where I was 100% done and I wasn’t willing to do the work, it was time for me to call it a career. Watching Wimbledon the year after made me realise that I didn’t have it in my heart to be there, and that’s when I knew that it was for real and I was feeling the emotion of not wanting to play anymore. So that was sort of my epiphany. I was waiting for that something to happen and once it didn’t happen it was time for me to move. I will say in the last couple of years I’ve missed it more than I did when I first retired. I definitely miss that Centre Court. But it’s a brutal sport and it took a lot out of me so I needed a few years to decompress and take a deep breath. To get to the point where I’d like to play again and play in a few of these events is pretty fun for me.”
The event is being covered by ITV4 in the UK, and matches are also being streamed live on the ITV website, ITV.com. Click here to access the live stream http://www.itv.com/sport/tennis/default.html.
On Tuesday, Greg Rusedski got off to a winning start with 6-3, 7-6 win over Guy Forget.
ITV4 TRANSMISSION TIMES
Wednesday 18:00 – 19:00 (19.30 Match on Red button)
Thursday 18:00 – 22:00
Friday 18:00 – 21:30
Saturday 12.30 – 17.00 (19.30 Match on Red Button)
Sunday 13.00 – 17:00
For tickets to the BlackRock Masters Tennis, or for further information, please call the box office on: +44 (0) 208 233 5882, or visit the official website.
Corporate Hospitality packages are also available. For more information, please call: +44 (0) 208 233 5854.
RESULTS – Tuesday 2nd December
Greg Rusedski d. Guy Forget 6-3, 7-6
Stefan Edberg d. Pat Cash 6-4, 6-3
ORDER OF PLAY (subject to change)
Wednesday afternoon
1 Singles RR Bates v Pioline
2 Singles RR Edberg v Rusedski
3 Doubles Bahrami/Wilkinson v Gullikson/McNamara
Wednesday evening
1 Singles RR McEnroe v Sampras
2 Doubles Leconte/Woodforde v Jarryd/Murray
3 Doubles Gullikson/McNamara v Black/Fleming
Thursday afternoon
1 Singles RR Cash v Forget
2 Doubles Bahrami/Bates v McNamara/Wilkinson
3 Doubles Fleming/Woodforde v Jarryd/Leconte
Thursday evening
1 Singles RR McEnroe v Pioline
2 Doubles Rusedski/Wilkinson v McNamara/Woodforde
3 Doubles Black/Leconte v Bahrami/Gullikso
Friday afternoon
1 Singles RR Edberg v Forget
2 Single Bates v Sampras
3 Doubles Bahrami/Pioline v McNamara/Murray
Friday evening
1 Singles RR Cash v Rusedski
2 Doubles Jarryd/Wilkinson v Black/Murray
3 Doubles Gullikson/Leconte v Fleming/Woodforde
Saturday afternoon
1 Singles RR Pioline v Sampras
2 Doubles TBC
3 Doubles TBC
Saturday evening
1 Singles RR Bates v McEnroe
2 Doubles TBC
3 Doubles TBC
Sunday
1 Singles Final LIVE TBC
2 Doubles Final LIVE TBC
3 Doubles LIVE TBC
About BlackRock
BlackRock is one of the world’s largest publicly traded investment management firms. At September 30, 2008, BlackRock’s AUM was $1.259 trillion. The firm manages assets on behalf of institutions and individuals worldwide through a variety of equity, fixed income, cash management and alternative investment products. In addition, a growing number of institutional investors use BlackRock Solutions investment system, risk management and financial advisory services. Headquartered in New York City, as of September 30, 2008, the firm has approximately 5,800 employees in 22 countries and a major presence in key global markets, including the U.S., Europe, Asia, Australia and the Middle East. For additional information, please visit the Company’s website at www.blackrock.com.
The BlackRock Masters Tennis: http://www.theblackrockmasters.com
BlackRock Tour of Champions: http://www.blackrocktourofchampions.com