WASHINGTON, D.C. – New Chapter Press has announced the publication of its latest book – On This Day In Tennis History -a calendar-like compilation of historical and unique anniversaries, events and happenings from the world of tennis through the years – written by Randy Walker, the sports marketing and media specialist, tennis historian and former U.S. Tennis Association press officer.
On This Day In Tennis History ($19.95, 528 pages), is a fun and fact-filled, this compilation offers anniversaries, summaries, and anecdotes of events from the world of tennis for every day in the calendar year. Presented in a day-by-day format, the entries into this mini-encyclopedia include major tournament victory dates, summaries of the greatest matches ever played, trivia, and statistics as well as little-known and quirky happenings. Easy-to-use and packed with fascinating details, the book is the perfect companion for tennis and general sports fans alike and is an excellent gift idea for the holiday season. The book features fascinating and unique stories of players such as John McEnroe, Don Budge, Bill Tilden, Chris Evert, Billie Jean King, Jimmy Connors, Martina Navratilova, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Anna Kournikova among many others. On This Day In Tennis History is available for purchase via on-line book retailers and in bookstores in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. More information on the book can be found at www.tennishistorybook.com
Said Hall of Famer Jim Courier of the book, “On This Day In Tennis History is a fun read that chronicles some of the most important-and unusual-moments in the annals of tennis. Randy Walker is an excellent narrator of tennis history and has done an incredible job of researching and compiling this entertaining volume.” Said tennis historian Joel Drucker, author of Jimmy Connors Saved My Life, “An addictive feast that you can enjoy every possible way-dipping in for various morsels, devouring it day-by-day, or selectively finding essential ingredients. As a tennis writer, I will always keep this book at the head of my table.” Said Bill Mountford, former Director of Tennis of the USTA National Tennis Center, “On This Day In Tennis History is an easy and unique way to absorb the greatest-and most quirky-moments in tennis history. It’s best read a page a day!”
Walker is a writer, tennis historian and freelance publicist and sports marketer. A 12-year veteran of the U.S. Tennis Association’s Marketing and Communications Division, he served as the press officer for the U.S. Davis Cup team from 1997 to 2005 and for the U.S. Olympic tennis teams in 1996, 2000 and 2004. He also served as the long-time editor of the U.S. Open Record Book during his tenure at the USTA from 1993 to 2005.
More information on the book can be found at www.tennistomes.com as well as on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1627089030&ref=name and on myspace at http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=428100548
People mentioned in the book include, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt, Goran Ivanisevic, Andre Agassi, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Lindsay Davenport, Monica Seles, Jelena Jankovic, Ana Ivanovic, Maria Sharapova, Justine Henin, Kim Clijsters, Amelie Mauresmo, Anna Kounikova, Jennifer Capriati, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Martina Hingis, Gustavo Kuerten, Svetlana Kuznetsova, James Blake, Wilmer Allison, Mal Anderson, Arthur Ashe, Juliette Atkinson, Henry “Bunny” Austin, Tracy Austin, Boris Becker, Kark Behr, Pauline Betz, Bjorn Borg, Jean Borotra, John Bromwich, Norman Brookes, Louise Brough, Jacques Brugnon, Butch Buchholz, Don Budge, Maria Bueno, Rosie Casals, Michael Chang, Philippe Chatrier, Dodo Cheney, Henri Cochet, Maureen Connolly, Jimmy Connors, Jim Courier, Ashley Cooper, Margaret Court, Jack Crawford, Allison Danzig, Dwight Davis, Lottie Dod, John Doeg, Laurence Doherty, Reggie Doherty, Dorothea Douglass Lambert Chambers, Jaroslav Drobny, Margaret duPont, Francoise Durr, James Dwight, Stefan Edberg, Roy Emerson, Chis Evert, Bob Falkenburg, Neale Fraser, Shirley Fry, Althea Gibson, Pancho Gonzalez, Evonne Goolagong, Arthur Gore, Steffi Graf, Bitsy Grant, Darlene Hard, Doris Hart, Anne Jones, Gladys Heldman, Slew Hester, Bob Hewitt, Lew Hoad, Harry Hopman, Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman, Joe Hunt, Frank Hunter, Helen Jacobs, Bill Johnston, Perry Jones, Bob Kelleher, Billie Jean King, Jan Kodes, Karel Kozeluh, Jack Kramer, Rene Lacoste, Bill Larned, Art Larsen, Rod Laver, Ivan Lendl, Suzanne Lenglen, George Lott, Gene Mako, Molla Mallory, Hana Mandlikova, Alice Marble, Dan Maskell, Simone Mathieu, Mark McCormack, John McEnroe, Ken McGregor, Kitty Godfree, Chuck McKinley, Maurice McLoughlin, Frew McMillian, Don McNeill, Elisabeth Moore, Angela Mortimer, Gardnar Mulloy, Ilie Nastase, Martina Navratilova, John Newcombe, Yannick Noah, Jana Novotna, Betty Nuthall, Alex Olmedo, Rafael Osuna, Frank Parker, Gerald Patterson, Budge Patty, Fred Perry, Nicola Pietrangeli, Adrian Quist, Patrick Rafter, Dennis Ralson, Vinnie Richards, Nancy Richey, Cliff Richey, Bobby Riggs, Tony Roche, Mervyn Rose, Ken Rosewall, Elizbeth Ryan, Gabriela Sabatini, Pete Sampras, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Manuel Santana, Dick Savitt, Ted Schroeder, Gene Scott, Richard Sears, Frank Sedgman, Pancho Segura, Vic Seixas, Frank Shields, Pam Shriver, Stan Smith, Fred Stolle, Bill Talbert, Bill Tilden, Tony Trabert, Lesley Turner, Jimmy Van Alen, John Van Ryn, Guillermo Vilas, Ellsworth Vines, Brian Gottfried, Virginia Wade, Holcombe Ward, Watson Washburn, Mal Whitman, Mats Wilander, Tony Wilding, Helen Wills Moody, Sidney Wood, Robert Wrenn, Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan, Todd Woodbridge, Marat Safin, Leslie Allen, Sue Barker, Jonas Bjorkman, Mahesh Bhupathi, Donald Dell, Albert Costa, Mark Cox, Owen Davidson, Pat Cash, Mary Carillo, John Isner, Roscoe Tanner, Vijay Amritraj, Mark Woodforde, Tim Henman, Richard Krajicek, Conchita Martinez, Mary Joe Fernandez, Cliff Drysdale, Mark Edmondson, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Zina Garrson, Roland Garros, Wojtek Fibak, Tom Gullikson, Andres Gimeno, Vitas Gerulaitis, Fernando Gonzalez, Tim Henman, Goran Ivanisevic, Andrea Jaeger, Ivo Karlovic, Richard Krajicek, Petr Korda, Luke Jensen, Murphy Jensen, Rick Leach, Iva Majoil, Barry MacKay, Ivan Ljubicic, Cecil Mamiit, David Caldwell, Alex Metreveli, Nicolas Massu, Todd Martin, Gene Mayer, Thomas Muster, Tom Okker, Charlie Pasarell, Mary Pierce, Whitney Reed, Leander Paes, Renee Richards, Helen Sukova, Michael Stich, Betty Stove, Ion Tiriac, Brian Teacher, Wendy Turnbull, Richards, Fabrice Santoro, Ai Sugiyama, Patrick McEnroe, Camille Pin, Phil Dent, Jelena Dokic, Mark Edmondson, Gael Monfils, Xavier Malisse, Dinara Safina, Barry Lorge, Stefano Pescosolido, Fabrice Santoro, Roscoe Tanner, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Roger Smith, Erik van Dillen, Gene Mayer, Tamara Pasek, Stefan Koubek, Jie Zheng, Gisela Dulko, Kristian Pless, Chuck McKinley, Marty Riessen, Brad Gilbert, Tim Mayotte, Andrea Petkovic, Klara Koukalova, Bobby Reynolds, Dominik Hrbaty, Andreas Seppi, Christopher Clarey, Casey Dellacqua, Anders Jarryd, Janko Tipsarevic, Nadia Petrova, Christian Bergstrom, Ramesh Krishnan, Emily Sanchez, Marcos Baghdatis, Mark Philippousssis, Wally Masur, Paul McNamee, Daniela Hantuchova, Gerry Armstrong, Younes El Aynaoui, Thomas Johansson, Pat Cash, Lisa Raymond, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Chanda Rubin, Tony Roche, Alex O’Brien, Petr Korda, Karol Kucera, Amelie Mauresmo, Juan Gisbert, Pablo Cuevas, Jim Pugh, Rick Leach, Julien Boutter, Larry Stefanki, Chris Woodruff, Jill Craybas, Sania Mirza, Mike Leach, Maggie Maleeva, Guillermo Canas, Guillermo Coria, Donald Young, Dick Stockton, Johan Kriek, Milan Srejber, Zina Garrison, Slyvia Hanika, Karin Knapp, Laura Granville, Kei Nishikori, Scott Davis, Paul Goldstein, Alberto Martin, Nicolas Kiefer, Joachim Johansson, Jonathan Stark, Jakob Hlasek, Jeff Tarango, Amanda Coetzer, Andres Gomez, Richey Reneberg, Francisco Clavet, Radek Stepanek, Miloslav Mecir, Jose-Luis Clerc, Colin Dibley, Mikael Pernfors, Martin Mulligan, Robbie Weiss, Hugo Chapacu, Victor Pecci, Charlie Bricker, Greg Rusedski, Robin Finn, Kimiko Date, David Nalbandian, Goran Ivanisevic, Mikhail Youzhny, Nicole Pratt, Bryanne Stewart, Novak Djokovic, Rennae Stubbs, Corina Morariu, Marc Rosset, Kenneth Carlsen, Kimiko Date, Ryan Harrison, Richard Gasquet, Jimmy Arias, Jim Leohr, Felix Mantilla, Cedric Pioline, Annabel Croft, Brooke Shields, Jaime Yzaga, Slobodan Zivojinovic, Alberto Mancini, Peter McNamara, Andrei Chesnokov, Fabrice Santoro, Bud Collins, Mardy Fish, Sebastien Grosjean, Donald Dell, Petr Kuczak, Magnus Norman, Hicham Arazi, Nduka Odizor, Lori McNeil, Horst Skoff, Karolina Sprem, Ros Fairbank, Linda Siegel, Chris Lewis, Kevin Curren, Thierry Tulasne, Guy Forget, Fred Tupper, Jaime Fillol, Belus Prajoux, Ricardo Cano, Georges Goven, Ray Moore, Charlie Pasarell, Paul Annacone, Tomas Smid, Dmitry Tursunov, Elena Dementieva, Arnaud DiPasquale, Carl Uwe Steeb, Bill Scanlon, Jose Higueras, Jay Berger, Jana Novotna, Bill Dwyre, Lisa Dillman, Sean Sorensen, Paul McNamee, Jiri Novak, Benjamin Becker, Ion Tiriac, Neil Amdur, Tim Gullikson, Jan-Michael Gambill, Taylor Dent, Bryan Shelton, Vijay Amritraj, Martin Verkerk, Brian Gottfried, Carlos Moya, Jacco Eltingh, Adriano Panatta, John Feinstein, Aaron Krickstein, Wilhelm Bungert, Derrick Rostagno, Torben Ulrich, Daniel Nestor, Ray Ruffels, Cliff Drysdale, James Reilly, Andy Murray, Leander Paes, Alicia Molik, Barry MacKay among others.
New Chapter Press is also the publisher of The Bud Colins History of Tennis by Bud Collins, The Roger Federer Story, Quest for Perfection by Rene Stauffer and Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games by Tom Caraccioli and Jerry Caraccioli and the soon to be released title The Lennon Prophecy by Joe Niezgoda. Founded in 1987, New Chapter Press is an independent publisher of books and part of the Independent Publishers Group. More information can be found at www.newchapterpressmedia.com
Aaron Krickstein
Krickstein and Courier Win Stanford Openers In Dallas
DALLAS, October 22 – Aaron Krickstein and Jim Courier both registered opening night round-robin wins Wednesday at the 2008 Stanford Championships in Dallas at the Turpin Tennis Center on the campus of Southern Methodist University. Krickstein kicked off play with a 7-6 (4), 6-4 win over Todd Martin, while Courier defeated Karel Novacek of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-1. The Stanford Championships are the sixth of eight events on the 2008 Outback Champions Series, the global tennis circuit for champion tennis players age 30 and over.
Krickstein’s win marked his second straight win over Martin in Outback Champions Series play, having beaten the 1994 Australian Open and 1999 US Open finalist earlier in the year in Naples, Fla. The two have played five times in all on the Outback Champions Series, Martin winning the first three meetings in 2006 and 2007 to lead the series 3-2. The two played three times during their ATP careers, Martin winning two of the three matches.
“I was taking what the match was giving,” said Krickstein of his win Wednesday. “Todd hits a bigger ball. I play a little steadier than Todd. He’s going to hit more winners. He’s gonna make more errors. That’s the way we’ve both always played. I felt like I had to serve well tonight to at least hold my serve and hang in there with his serve. I thought I did that.”
Martin struggled with his consistency during the match and said the cold and blustery conditions affected him more than usual after being low on match practice after suffering from a nagging back injury for most of the year.
“Aaron is really smart,” said Martin. “He’s a tighter player in the first place. He does a real good job of playing within himself — maybe too much at times, playing within himself. I can only last so long to play a well-constructed point. I got worse. I felt all right at the beginning – first time on hard court in a few weeks. It felt like 50 degrees, windy. I haven’t been on the court a whole lot lately because of my health. I just didn’t feel great. I made a concerted effort to play a couple of longer points, to see if I can’t get him to give me something. But he’s a stingy guy. He just doesn’t give many free points away.”
Krickstein, the former U.S. Davis Cup standout best known as the youngest man to win an ATP singles title at age 16 in Tel Aviv, Israel in 1983, continued his steady results of late on the Outback Champions Series. He reached his first Outback Champion Series final in Naples, Fla., in 2007, losing to Wayne Ferreira, while he reached his second career final earlier this year in Boston, losing to John McEnroe. He also finished in fourth place last month in Charlotte. His results so far this year as earned him a No. 5 ranking in the Stanford Champions Rankings that determine the year-end champion on the Outback Champions Series and the winner of a $100,000 bonus courtesy of Stanford Financial. Courier leads the rankings after five events with 3000 points, followed by John McEnroe with 1800 points, Wayne Ferreira with 1450 points, Martin with 1400 points and Krickstein with 1250 points.
Courier, a two-time French and Australian Open champion, had little difficulty with Novacek Wednesday, dictating play for most of the evening. Courier was the runner-up in Dallas last year, losing to Ferreira in the championship match.
Founded in 2005, the Outback Champions Series features some of the biggest names in tennis over the last 25 years, including Pete Sampras, John McEnroe, Courier and many 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. Each event also has the right to choose a “wild card” entrant.
The Outback Champions Series features eight events on its 2008 schedule, with each event featuring an eight-man round-robin match format. The winner of each four-player division meets in the title match while second place finishers in each division play in the third-place match. Each event features $150,000 in prize money with an undefeated winner taking home $54,000 as well as Champions Series ranking points that will determine the year-end Stanford Champions Rankings No. 1. Beginning in 2008, the year-end champion will receive a $100,000 bonus courtesy of Stanford Financial Group, the official rankings sponsor of the Outback Champions Series.
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 Ferreira in the final, while McEnroe won his first career Outback Champions Series even in Boston April 30- May 4, defeating 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 event of the season in September in Charlotte, defeating Martin in the final. The next three events on the 2008 Outback Champions Series calendar are Dallas, Surprise, Ariz., and Dubai, U.A.E. More information can be obtained by visiting www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com.
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
The remaining schedule for The Stanford Championships is as follows;
Thursday, October 23
6:30pm
Thomas Enqvist vs. Jimmy Arias
Wayne Ferreira vs. Justin Gimelstob
Friday, October 24
1:30pm
Wayne Ferreira vs. Karel Novacek
Todd Martin vs. Jimmy Arias
6:30pm
Thomas Enqvist vs. Aaron Krickstein
Jim Courier vs. Justin Gimelstob
Saturday, October 25
1:30pm
Aaron Krickstein vs. Jimmy Arias
Mixed doubles featuring Anna Kournikova
Jim Courier vs. Wayne Ferreira
6:30pm
Thomas Enqvist vs. Todd Martin
Mixed doubles featuring Anna Kournikova
Justin Gimelstob vs. Karel Novacek
Sunday, October 26
1:30 pm
3rd place match
Championship match
Round-Robin Results from Wednesday, October 22
Aaron Krickstein, United States, def. Todd Martin, United States, 7-6 (4), 6-4
Jim Courier, United States, def. Karel Novacek, Czech Republic, 6-3, 6-1
Round-Robin Group Standings
Group A
Jim Courier 1-0
Wayne Ferreira 0-0
Justin Gimelstob 0-0
Karel Novacek 0-1
Group B
Aaron Krickstein 1-0
Thomas Enqvist 0-0
Jimmy Arias 0-0
Todd Martin 0-1
Courier and Ferreira Remain Undefeated In Charlotte
CHARLOTTE, N.C. September 26 – Jim Courier and Wayne Ferreira each registered victories Friday at the $150,000 Citadel Group Championships at The Palisades to post 2-0 round-robin records, leaving both players one match victory from advancing into the event’s championship match. In the first match played in the afternoon, Ferreira defeated Karel Novacek of the Czech Republic 6-2, 6-1, while Courier, in the final match of the day, defeated fellow American Aaron Krickstein 6-2, 6-3. The continuous rains in Charlotte led to the cancellation of the Friday afternoon and evening sessions at The Palisades. In order to keep the tournament on track for a Sunday finish, all of Friday’s matches were played indoors. The other two matches played Friday where both decided in Champions Tie-Breakers – 10-point tie-breakers played in lieu of a third set. Thomas Enqvist of Sweden defeated Todd Martin 6-4, 5-7, 10-8 (Champions Tie-Breaker), while Goran Ivanisevic of Croatia defeated Jimmy
Arias 3-6, 6-3, 10-7 (Champions Tie-Breaker). The Citadel Group Championships at The Palisades is the fifth of eight events on the 2008 Outback Champions Series, the global tennis circuit for champion tennis players age 30 and over.
Courier, the two-time French and Australian Open champion, played near flawless tennis against Krickstein, committing very few unforced errors and dominating play with his forehand and a high percentage of first serves.
“I felt good serving,” said Courier, who won the inaugural title in Charlotte in 2006. “I don’t think I missed many serves, and when my serve is “on”, then I’m good to go. I think I had about 16 aces.”
“I didn’t play as well as I should have against Jim,” said Krickstein. “Jim is really tough to beat. I had a couple of opportunities being up an Ad, but I ended up losing them, and that hurt me – especially being down 4-1. Jim just served better than me today, I was out-served. Jim took the ball early and hit with a lot of power today.”
Courier, the No. 1 ranked player on the ATP Tour for the 1992 season, is currently the No. 1 player in the Stanford Champions Rankings, the official rankings for the Outback Champions Series. His best results on the season came when he won the title in Grand Cayman in April, and was the runner-up in Newport, R.I. in August. If he is able to defeat Ivanisevic on Saturday night and finish with a 3-0 record in round robin group A, he will advance into his eighth career Outback Champions Series final.
Said Courier of playing Ivanisevic, “I need to serve well again because Goran has one of the biggest serves in the tournament. Goran is extremely talented but he plays up and down, hot and cold, so I need to stay level against him.”
Ferreira, the South African whom Courier beat to win the title in Grand Cayman earlier this year, had little trouble with Novacek, taking advantage of the fast indoor conditions.
“I’m very pleased with how I played,” said Ferreira. “I had a good serve, especially my first serve. I had quite a few doubles (double faults) though.”
Said Novacek, “Wayne was much more aggressive and more precise with his shots than I was.”
Enqvist, playing in his first Outback Champions Series event, avenged his loss to Martin in the match-clinching rubber of the USA vs. Sweden Davis Cup semifinal in Las Vegas and may have prevented Martin from advancing to the Charlotte final for a third year in a row. Martin lost the 2006 Charlotte final to Courier, while last year, he fell in the championship match to Pete Sampras. Martin, who beat Novacek in his opening round-robin match, will have to beat Ferreira Saturday in order to advance into the championship match at The Palisades for a third straight year.
“I know I have to win tomorrow to make it to the finals,” said Martin. “I played well (against Enqvist), but I hit some tough patches, and tried to work through them, but just couldn’t.”
Said Enqvist, “We played a very close match, and I served very well. I was very pleased with my serve. At one point, I think I had four aces in a row. I was lucky to get through this one. It feels good have a win.”
The Outback Champions Series features eight events on its 2008 schedule, with each event featuring an eight-man round-robin match format. The winner of each four-player division meets in the title match while second place finishers in each division play in the third-place match. Each event features $150,000 in prize money with an undefeated winner taking home $54,000 as well as Champions Series ranking points that will determine the year-end Stanford Champions Rankings No. 1. Beginning in 2008, the year-end champion will receive a $100,000 bonus courtesy of Stanford Financial Group, the official rankings sponsor of the Outback Champions Series. Through the first four events in 2008, Courier holds the No. 1 ranking with 2200 points. John McEnroe holds the No. 2 ranking with 1800 points while Ferreira is in third position with 1050 points.
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 Ferreira in the final, while McEnroe won his first career Outback Champions Series even in Boston April 30- May 4, defeating Krickstein in the final. Pat Cash won his first Outback Champions Series title in Newport, R.I., in August, defeating Courier in the final. After Charlotte, the next three events on the 2008 Outback Champions Series calendar are stops in Dallas, Texas, Surprise, Ariz., and Dubai, U.A.E. More information can be obtained by visiting www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com.
Founded in 2005, the Outback Champions Series features some of the biggest names in tennis over the last 25 years, including Pete Sampras, John 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. . Each event also has the right to choose a “wild card” entrant.
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
The remaining schedule for The Citadel Group Championships at The Palisades is as follows;
Saturday, September 27
Beginning at 1:30 pm
Thomas Enqvist vs. Karel Novacek
Followed by
Anna Kournikova and Tim Wilkison vs. Chanda Rubin and Jimmy Arias
Followed by
Todd Martin vs. Wayne Ferreira
Beginning at 6:30 pm
Jimmy Arias vs. Aaron Krickstein
Followed by
Anna Kournikova and Karel Novacek vs. Chanda Rubin and Tim Wilkison
Followed by
Jim Courier vs. Goran Ivanisevic
Sunday, September 28
Beginning at 2:30 pm
Third-Place Match
Followed by
Championship Match
Round-Robin Results from Wednesday, September 24
Todd Martin, United States, def. Karel Novacek, Czech Republic, 6-4, 6-2
Aaron Krickstein, United States, def. Goran Ivanisevic, Croatia, 7-5, 6-7 (5), 10-7 (Champions Tie-Break)
Round-Robin Results from Thursday, September 25
Jim Courier, United States, def. Jimmy Arias, United States, 6-2, 6-1
Wayne Ferreira, South Africa, def. Thomas Enqvist, Sweden, 6-4, 6-3
Round-Robin Results from Friday, September 26
Jim Courier, United States, def. Aaron Krickstein, United States, 6-2, 6-3
Thomas Enqvist, Sweden, def. Todd Martin, United States, 6-4, 5-7, 10-8 (Champions Tie-Breaker)
Goran Ivanisevic, Croatia, def. Jimmy Arias, United States, 3-6, 6-3, 10-7 (Champions Tie-Breaker)
Wayne Ferreira, South Africa, def. Karel Novacek, Czech Republic, 6-2, 6-1
Round-Robin Group Standings
Group A
Wayne Ferreira 2-0
Thomas Enqvist 1-1
Todd Martin 1-1
Karel Novacek 0-2
Group B
Jim Courier 2-0
Aaron Krickstein 1-1
Goran Ivanisevic 1-1
Jimmy Arias 0-2
Courier Wastes No Time In Beating Arias In Charlotte
CHARLOTTE, N.C. September 25 – Jim Courier wasted no time in winning his opening round-robin match at the $150,000 Citadel Group Championships at The Palisades Thursday night, needing less than an hour – after a 30-minute rain delay – in defeating fellow American Jimmy Arias 6-2, 6-1. In Thursday’s other match, Wayne Ferreira of South Africa defeated Thomas Enqvist of Sweden 6-4, 6-3. The Citadel Group Championships at The Palisades is the fifth of eight events on the 2008 Outback Champions Series, the global tennis circuit for champion tennis players age 30 and over.
Courier, the 2006 champion in Charlotte, used his famed inside-out forehand to dictate play against Arias in the heavy, sometimes misty, conditions on the hard court at the Tim Wilkison Signature Tennis and Sports Complex.
“It became tricky once the mist started,” said Courier. “It was ok for me because I have more power behind me. The number one rule is safety and luckily neither of us got hurt on the wet court.”
Said Arias, “This was a bad combo of wind and rain. It made it very difficult for me to hit aggressively but for some reason Jim didn’t seem bothered by it at all. If anything, it may have even helped him. I didn’t have my speed or my footing and he had so much power. I just couldn’t run and he was controlling the point the whole time.”
In the second match of the evening, Ferreira spoiled the Outback Champions Series debut of Enqvist, the 1999 Australian Open finalist and a late replacement for the injured Mark Philippoussis in the Charlotte field. Enqvist opened the match by breaking Ferreira’s serve, but the South African pieced together back-to-back breaks in the eighth and 10th games to win the opening set. Both players exchanged crushing ground strokes in the windy, heavy conditions in the second set before Ferreira registered the only service break of the set in the eighth game before serving out the match.
“For me, playing against Wayne, I needed to not make a lot of unforced errors,” said Enqvist. “He was just too good for me tonight and he moved really well.”
Said Ferreira, “I feel really good and I’m playing really, really good tennis. I’ve been practicing hard because I haven’t played well in the last few tournaments so I’m pleased with how I played.”
Ferreira, who won 15 ATP singles titles during his career, has enjoyed considerable success on the Outback Champions Series in the last three years, reaching five career finals and winning titles in Houston in 2006 and in Naples, Fla., and Dallas in 2007. However, it hasn’t been all work and no play for Ferreira as the 1992 Olympic silver medalist has found time to enjoy some off-court activities while in Charlotte..
“It’s nice being back in Charlotte,” he said. “I enjoy it here. We have a nice hotel and nice tennis facility and both are sort of isolated which I enjoy. We got to play some golf today and I liked that (since) I played well. We also went out to Lowe’s Motor Speedway and ride in a helicopter and it was really fun. I got to meet Jimmie Johnson, Landon Cassill and Jeff Gordon which was very cool.”
Friday’s schedule of play is highlighted by Courier taking on Aaron Krickstein, a surprise winner Thursday over Goran Ivanisevic, in Friday night’s second scheduled match. Ferreira opens the day session at 1:30 pm, playing Karel Novacek of the Czech Republic. Tickets for the event can be purchased by calling 877-332-TIXX (8499) or visiting www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com.
The Outback Champions Series features eight events on its 2008 schedule, with each event featuring an eight-man round-robin match format. The winner of each four-player division meets in the title match while second place finishers in each division play in the third-place match. Each event features $150,000 in prize money with an undefeated winner taking home $54,000 as well as Champions Series ranking points that will determine the year-end Stanford Champions Rankings No. 1. Beginning in 2008, the year-end champion will receive a $100,000 bonus courtesy of Stanford Financial Group, the official rankings sponsor of the Outback Champions Series. Through the first four events in 2008, Courier holds the No. 1 ranking with 2200 points. John McEnroe holds the No. 2 ranking with 1800 points while Ferreira is in third position with 1050 points.
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 Ferreira in the final, while McEnroe won his first career Outback Champions Series even in Boston April 30- May 4, defeating Krickstein in the final. Pat Cash won his first Outback Champions Series title in Newport, R.I., in August, defeating Courier in the final. After Charlotte, the next three events on the 2008 Outback Champions Series calendar are stops in Dallas, Texas, Surprise, Ariz., and Dubai, U.A.E. More information can be obtained by visiting www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com.
Founded in 2005, the Outback Champions Series features some of the biggest names in tennis over the last 25 years, including Pete Sampras, John 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. . Each event also has the right to choose a “wild card” entrant.
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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
The remaining schedule for The Citadel Group Championships at The Palisades is as follows;
Friday, September 26
Beginning at 1:30 pm
Wayne Ferreira vs. Karel Novacek
Followed by
Goran Ivanisevic vs. Jimmy Arias
Beginning at 6:30 pm
Todd Martin vs. Thomas Enqvist
Followed by
Jim Courier vs. Aaron Krickstein
Saturday, September 27
Beginning at 1:30 pm
Thomas Enqvist vs. Karel Novacek
Followed by
Anna Kournikova and Tim Wilkison vs. Chanda Rubin and Jimmy Arias
Followed by
Todd Martin vs. Wayne Ferreira
Beginning at 6:30 pm
Jimmy Arias vs. Aaron Krickstein
Followed by
Anna Kournikova and Karel Novacek vs. Chanda Rubin and Tim Wilkison
Followed by
Jim Courier vs. Goran Ivanisevic
Sunday, September 28
Beginning at 2:30 pm
Third-Place Match
Followed by
Championship Match
Round-Robin Results from Wednesday, September 24
Todd Martin, United States, def. Karel Novacek, Czech Republic, 6-4, 6-2
Aaron Krickstein, United States, def. Goran Ivanisevic, Croatia, 7-5, 6-7 (5), 10-7 (Champions Tie-Break)
Round-Robin Results from Thursday, September 25
Jim Courier, United States, def. Jimmy Arias, United States, 6-2, 6-1
Wayne Ferreira, South Africa, def. Thomas Enqvist, Sweden, 6-4, 6-3
Round-Robin Group Standings
Group A
Todd Martin 1-0
Wayne Ferreira 1-0
Karel Novacek 0-1
Thomas Enqvist 0-1
Group B
Jim Courier 1-0
Aaron Krickstein 1-0
Goran Ivanisevic 0-1
Jimmy Arias 0-1
Krickstein and Martin Get Hard Court Surprises In Charlotte Openers
CHARLOTTE, N.C. September 24 – Krickstein surprised 2001 Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic of Croatia 7-5, 6-7 (5), 10-7 (Champions Tie-Breaker), while Martin defeated Karel Novacek of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-2 in opening round-robin matches. The Citadel Group Championships at The Palisades is the fifth of eight events on the 2008 Outback Champions Series, the global tennis circuit for champion tennis players age 30 and over.
Krickstein, known for much of his career as a strong clay court player, entered his match with Ivanisevic hoping to take advantage of the clay-court surface that graced the center court at The Palisades the last two years and steal a win from the hard-serving Croatian. However, to Krickstein’s surprise, he arrived in Charlotte only to find the court surface had been switched from a clay court to a hard court.
“I was caught off guard by the new court,” said Krickstein. “I guess it was my bad for not looking all the way through the player packet but I was hoping to beat him on clay. I’ve beaten him three out of four times, but Goran hits big. He always has, but you never know what you’re going to get with him. Sometimes he’ll hit me with four aces in a row, and then the next game he’ll go through with three double faults. You have to always stay prepared with him”
Said Ivanisevic of his match with Krickstein, “I played horrible tennis. I just couldn’t play out there. I didn’t expect to play well because my timing was bad.”
Martin, an Australian Open finalist in 1994 and a US Open runner-up in 1999, is seeking his third straight trip to the tournament final in Charlotte. He lost to Jim Courier in the tournament final in 2006 and was defeated by Pete Sampras in last year’s final. Martin, however, hopes the new hard court surface will make his third trip to Charlotte a charm – and lead to a tournament title.
“The new court was a surprise for me,” said Martin. “I just found out about the hard court out here but it was a nice surprise. My tennis is much better on this court than clay and I played really well on it tonight”
Martin’s runner-up showing last year to Sampras was one of his four Outback Champions Series tournament final-round appearances of the 2007 season and helped him beat out Courier to finish the year as the year-end No. 1 player for the Series. Martin opened the 2008 Outback Champions Series in March by winning the title in Naples, Fla., to take the early lead in the circuit’s Stanford Champions Rankings. Martin, however, struggled in his next tournament appearance in Grand Cayman – failing to finish among the top four finishers and, after not competing in subsequent Outback Champions Series tournaments in Boston, Mass., and Newport, R.I., relinquished his No. 1 Stanford Champions Ranking to Courier. Beginning in 2008, the year-end No. 1 ranked player on the Stanford Champions Rankings will receive a $100,000 payout.
“I like this tour,” said Martin. “It’s nice to have a collection of tournaments to choose from. When you have nine or ten to choose from like we do on this tour – it’s great. It lets us get out and play and rekindle friendships.”
Courier, the champion in Charlotte in 2006, headlines Thursday’s schedule taking on fellow American Jimmy Arias at 6:30 pm, followed by 1999 Australian Open runner-up Thomas Enqvist of Sweden making his Outback Champions Series debut against 1992 Olympic silver medalist Wayne Ferreira of South Africa. Tickets for the event can be purchased by calling 877-332-TIXX (8499) or visiting www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com.
The Outback Champions Series features eight events on its 2008 schedule, with each event featuring an eight-man round-robin match format. The winner of each four-player division meets in the title match while second place finishers in each division play in the third-place match. Each event features $150,000 in prize money with an undefeated winner taking home $54,000 as well as Champions Series ranking points that will determine the year-end Stanford Champions Rankings No. 1. Beginning in 2008, the year-end champion will receive a $100,000 bonus courtesy of Stanford Financial Group, the official rankings sponsor of the Outback Champions Series. Through the first four events in 2008, Courier holds the No. 1 ranking with 2200 points. John McEnroe holds the No. 2 ranking with 1800 points while Ferreira is in third position with 1050 points.
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 Ferreira in the final, while McEnroe won his first career Outback Champions Series even in Boston April 30- May 4, defeating Krickstein in the final. Pat Cash won his first Outback Champions Series title in Newport, R.I., in August, defeating Courier in the final. The next four events on the 2008 Outback Champions Series calendar are stops in Charlotte, N.C., Dallas, Texas, Surprise, Ariz., and Dubai, U.A.E. More information can be obtained by visiting www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com.
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Founded in 2005, the Outback Champions Series features some of the biggest names in tennis over the last 25 years, including Pete Sampras, John 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. . Each event also has the right to choose a “wild card” entrant.
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
The remaining schedule for The Citadel Group Championships at The Palisades is as follows;
SCHEDULE FOR 2008 THE CITADEL GROUP CHAMPIONSHIPS AT THE PALISADES
Thursday, September 25
Beginning at 6:30 pm
Jim Courier vs. Jimmy Arias
Followed by
Thomas Enqvist vs. Wayne Ferreira
Friday, September 26
Beginning at 1:30 pm
Wayne Ferreira vs. Karel Novacek
Followed by
Goran Ivanisevic vs. Jimmy Arias
Beginning at 6:30 pm
Todd Martin vs. Thomas Enqvist
Followed by
Jim Courier vs. Aaron Krickstein
Saturday, September 27
Beginning at 1:30 pm
Thomas Enqvist vs. Karel Novacek
Followed by
Anna Kournikova and Tim Wilkison vs. Chanda Rubin and Jimmy Arias
Followed by
Todd Martin vs. Wayne Ferreira
Beginning at 6:30 pm
Jimmy Arias vs. Aaron Krickstein
Followed by
Anna Kournikova and Karel Novacek vs. Chanda Rubin and Tim Wilkison
Followed by
Jim Courier vs. Goran Ivanisevic
Sunday, September 28
Beginning at 2:30 pm
Third-Place Match
Followed by
Championship Match
Round-Robin Results from Wednesday, September 24
Todd Martin, United States, def. Karel Novacek, Czech Republic, 6-4, 6-2
Aaron Krickstein, United States, def. Goran Ivanisevic, Croatia, 7-5, 6-7 (5), 10-7 (Champions Tie-Break)
Round-Robin Group Standings
Group A
Todd Martin 1-0
Aaron Krickstein 1-0
Goran Ivanisevic 0-1
Karel Novacek 0-1
Group B
Jim Courier 0-0
Wayne Ferreira 0-0
Jimmy Arias 0-0
Thomas Enqvist 0-0
Boris Becker To Make Outback Champions Series Debut In Dallas
NEW YORK, N.Y., September 24, 2008 – InsideOut Sports & Entertainment today announced that three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker will make his debut on the Outback Champions Series tennis circuit at The Stanford Championships, to be played October 22-26 on the campus of SMU in Dallas, Texas. Becker will be competing in his first tournament in the United States since he played in the Lipton Championships in Key Biscayne, Fla., in 1999.
Becker will play fellow former No. 1 player in the world Jim Courier, defending Stanford Championships winner Wayne Ferreira and former French Open finalist Mikael Pernfors in group A of the round robin portion of the event. Mark Philippoussis, the Wimbledon finalist in 2003, and 1999 US Open finalist Todd Martin will be joined by Americans Aaron Krickstein and Jimmy Arias in group B. Anna Kournikova, the former top 10 star of the WTA Tour and former No. 1 doubles player in the world, will also compete in mixed doubles exhibition matches during the tournament.
Tickets for the event are available now and can be purchased by calling 877-332-TIXX (8499). Ticket prices start at $12. Full ticket and event information can be found at www.ChampionSeriesTennis.com.
“I am very excited to play on the Outback Champions Series in Dallas and again play tournament tennis in the United States,” said Becker. “I am looking forward to renewing some great rivalries, particularly with Jim Courier, and getting my competitive juices flowing again at The Stanford Championships.”
Becker, 40, burst on the scene as a 17-year-old at Wimbledon in 1985, where he beat Kevin Curren in the men’s singles final to become the event’s youngest men’s singles champion. Becker also won Wimbledon in 1986 and 1989, while he was a runner-up at the All England Club in 1988, 1990, 1991 and 1995. In all, Becker won six major singles titles, also winning two Australian Open titles in 1991 and 1996 and the 1989 U.S. Open. A Hall of Famer and the world’s No. 1 player for 12 weeks, Becker also guided his nation to victories in Davis Cup in 1988 and 1989 and, in 1992, he and countryman Michael Stich paired to win the Olympic gold medal in men’s doubles. He won 49 career tour singles titles, including the 1988 WCT Finals in Dallas.
“Boris is an icon,” said Courier. “I am thrilled to be able to play him in Dallas and know it will be a very tough test. He always forces me to up my intensity level to match his so I can’t wait for Friday night.”
Founded in 2005, the Outback Champions Series features some of the biggest names in tennis over the last 25 years, including Pete Sampras, John McEnroe, Courier and many 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 2008 schedule, with each event featuring an eight-man round-robin match format. The winner of each four-player division meets in the title match while second place finishers in each division play in the third-place match. Each event features $150,000 in prize money with an undefeated winner taking home $54,000 as well as Champions Series ranking points that will determine the year-end Stanford Champions Rankings No. 1. Beginning in 2008, the year-end champion will receive a $100,000 bonus courtesy of Stanford Financial Group, the official rankings sponsor of the Outback Champions Series. Through the first four events in 2008, Courier holds the No. 1 ranking with 2200 points. McEnroe holds the No. 2 ranking with 1800 points while Ferreira is in third position with 1050 points.
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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 Ferreira in the final, while McEnroe won his first career Outback Champions Series even in Boston April 30- May 4, defeating Krickstein in the final. Pat Cash won his first Outback Champions Series title in Newport, R.I., in August, defeating Courier in the final. The next four events on the 2008 Outback Champions Series calendar are stops in Charlotte, N.C., Dallas, Texas, Surprise, Ariz., and Dubai, U.A.E. More information can be obtained by visiting www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com.
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
Schedule of play:
Stanford Championships
October 22 – October 26, 2008
Group A:
Jim Courier
Boris Becker
Wayne Ferreira
Mikael Pernfors
Group B:
Todd Martin
Mark Philippoussis
Aaron Krickstein
Jimmy Arias
Wednesday, October 22
6:30pm
Martin v. Krickstein
Courier v. Pernfors
Thursday, October 23
6:30pm
Philippoussis v. Arias
Becker v. Ferreira
Friday, October 24
1:30pm
Ferreira v. Pernfors
Martin v. Arias
6:30pm
Philippoussis v. Krickstein
Courier v. Becker
Saturday, October 25
1:30pm
Krickstein v. Arias
Mixed doubles featuring Anna Kournikova
6:30pm
Philippoussis v. Martin
Mixed doubles featuring Anna Kournikova
Becker v. Pernfors
Sunday, October 26
1:30 pm
3rd place match
Championship match
On This Day In Tennis History
This week is a big week in tennis with week No. 2 of the U.S. Open Series and Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal’s return to the court in Canada following their epic Wimbledon final. This week has also been a one of epic matches and unusual circumstances in the history of the sport, as documented in the soon-to-be released book ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY ($19.95, New Chapter Press). The following is an excerpt from the ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY compilation that features entertaining anecdotes and match summaries featuring John McEnroe, Boris Becker, Andre Agassi, Monica Seles, Martina Navratilova among others.
July 22
1989 – In what Boris Becker calls “an exhausting day at the office,” the three-time Wimbledon champion from Germany wins the fifth-set of a lateness-suspended match with Andre Agassi, then pairs with Eric Jelen to win four-set doubles match against Ken Flach and Robert Seguso to give West Germany a 2-1 lead over the United States in the Davis Cup semifinals in Munich. Becker and Agassi’s singles match is suspended the previous night after midnight with the score knotted at two sets, Becker trailing two-sets-to-love and Agassi failing to serve out the match at 6-5 in the third set. Becker is the sharper player on the resumption of play and wins the fifth set to close out his 4 hour, 26 minute 6-7 (4), 6-7 (5), 7-6 (4), 6-3, 6-4, win that evens the best-of-five-match series at 1-1. After only 45 minutes of rest, Becker returns to the court in doubles with Jelen and hands Flach and Seguso their first loss as a Davis Cup doubles team in their 12 pairings for the United States in a 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4, 7-6 (3) decision. Says Jelen of the Agassi-Becker epic, “That was one of the greatest matches I ever saw.” Says Agassi of his loss, ”I think, considering the circumstances and the court, I did the best I could do. I don’t feel I lost. He beat me. There are times when you pour all your heart and guts into the match. Then you’ve just got to shake hands with the winner.” The following day, Agassi loses to Carl-Uwe Steeb in four sets to give West Germany the semifinal victory. West Germany goes on to beat Sweden 3-2 in the Davis Cup Final.
1979 – Guillermo Vilas wins the singles title at the Washington Star International singles when Victor Pecci collapses, overcome by leg cramps, as the two play a second set tie-breaker, with Vilas leading 7-6, 6-6 and 4-3 in the tie-break. Said Vilas, “This is a sad way to win.”
1992 – World No. 1 Jim Courier loses to No. 157-ranked Diego Perez of Uruguay 7-6 (5), 6-2 in the second round of the Philips Head Cup clay court championships in Kitzbuehel, Austria.
2007 – Belgian qualifier Steve Darcis, ranked No. 297 on the ATP computer, defeats Austria’s Werner Eschauer 6-1, 7-6 (1) in the final of the Dutch Open in Amersfoort, Netherlands. Darcis, playing in the main draw of only his second ATP event, is the lowest ranked player to win a title since Tommy Haas, who due to injury, was ranked No. 349 when he won the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships in Houston in 2004. In 1998, Lleyton Hewitt was ranked No. 550 when he won the title in Adelaide, Australia.
July 23
1992 – In their 36th and final meeting as professionals, Ivan Lendl routs rival John McEnroe 6-2, 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the Canadian Open in Toronto. Says Lendl of McEnroe, “If you have him on the ground on his back, you have to step on his throat.”You can’t put out your hand and say come on over here and hit me. You have to concentrate all the time and not give him any chances.” When he was asked what kind of technique he used on McEnroe’s throat, Lendl smiles and replies, “I have spikes in my shoes and I try to twist them as much as I can. That’s the killer instinct.” Lendl wins the all-time series with McEnroe 21-15, including winning the last six meetings and 10 of the last 11.
1984 – Sixteen-year-old Aaron Krickstein becomes the youngest player to win the U.S. Pro Championships, defeating Jose-Luis Clerc 7-6, 3-6, 6-4 in the men’s singles final at the Longwood Cricket Club in Brookline, Mass. Clerc leads 3-0 in the final set, before Krickstein rallies for victory.
2000 – The United States is shut out for the first time ever in a Davis Cup series other than a Challenge Round or Final as Juan Carlos Ferrero and Juan Balcells complete a 5-0 shutout of the United States in the Davis Cup semifinal in Santander, Spain. In the final days’ dead-rubber matches, Ferrero defeats Vince Spadea 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, while Balcells defeats Jan-Michael Gambill 1-6, 7-6, 6-4. The shutout loss marks the end of John McEnroe’s short tenure as U.S. Davis Cup captain. In November, McEnroe announces his resignation as U.S. captain after only one year in the position. Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, the top two U.S. players, beg off the match with Spain with injuries. McEnroe, distraught with the loss, skips out on the post-match press conference, but says to Lisa Dillman of the Los Angeles Times in a pool phone interview from his car hours later driving to Bilboa airport, “I’m totally spent. I’m deflated. It was tough and it was tough for everybody. I feel like I’m going to throw up. I’m not sure if it’s emotional or what, but I’m about to heave.”
2006 – Third-seeded Novak Djokovic of Serbia captures his first ATP title in his first final at the Dutch Open Tennis in Amersfoort. The 19-year-old does not lose a set at the championship and beats No. 4 seed Nicolas Massu of Chile 7-6(5), 6-4 in 2 hours, 41 minutes in the final.
2006 – A rookie into the top 10 rankings, James Blake defeats fellow American top tenner Andy Roddick 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) in the final at the RCA Championships at Indianapolis. Says Blake, “This was extremely exciting for me, to play really my best tennis. It’s a little more gratifying to do it when your opponent is playing well. I feel like I’ve earned the No. 5 ranking. It’s crazy what confidence will do. Every break goes against you when you don’t have confidence. And every break goes your way when you do have confidence. I have confidence now and they all seem to be going my way.”
1996 – The Olympic tennis competition opens in Atlanta with defending men’s singles gold medalist Marc Rosset of Switzerland winning the opening match on Stadium court, defeating Hicham Arazi of Morocco 6-2, 6-3.
1991 – Michael Chang and Pete Sampras are unceremoniously dumped in the second round of the Canadian Open in Montreal – Chang falling 7-6 (6), 3-6, 6-3 to Italy’s Stefano Pescosoliso, while Sampras losing to Japan’s Shuzo Matsuoka 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (10-8)
2006 – David Ferrer of Spain saves a match point and stages an incredible comeback to defeat Jose Acasuso of Argentina 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5, 6-4 to win his second career ATP title at the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart, Germany. Ferrer trails 1-5 in the fourth set and saves a match point with Acasuso leading 5-4 in the fourth set.
July 24
1987 – John McEnroe and Boris Becker play one of the greatest Davis Cup matches of all time as Becker outlasts McEnroe 4-6, 15-13, 8-10, 6-2, 6-2 in 6 hours, 21 minutes in the Davis Cup Qualifying Round in Hartford, Conn. The match is one minute shy of the 6-hour, 22-minute Davis Cup epic between McEnroe and Mats Wilander in the 1982 Davis Cup quarterfinal, the longest men’s singles match in tennis history at the time. The 28-year-old McEnroe, playing in his first competitive match since losing in the first round of the French Open in May, fights to keep the United States out of an 0-2 hole against West Germany on the first day of play as Becker’s teammate Eric Jelen opens the series with a 6-8, 6-2, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 win over Tim Mayotte. Says McEnroe, ”I just didn’t have much left. I gave it what I had. It was nice to be a part of a great match. I just wish the result had been different.” Says the 19-year-old Becker, “It was a war.” West Germany goes on to win the series 3-2 – relegating the United States to zonal competition for the first time ever for the 1988 Davis Cup campaign – making 28-time Davis Cup champions ineligible to win the 1988 Davis Cup title.
1996 – No. 2 seed Goran Ivanisevic of Croatia is upset in the first round of the Olympic tennis competition in Atlanta, as the defending bronze medalist hits 42 unforced errors in a 6-4, 6-2 loss to No. 104 ranked Marcos Ondruska of South Africa. Richey Reneberg, who replaces the injured No. 1-ranked Pete Sampras in the U.S. singles line-up, is defeated by India’s Leander Paes in the first round as Reneberg is forced to retire due to a groin pull and a heat illness after 2 hours, 16 minutes in the oppressive Georgia heat, Paes leading 6-7 (2), 7-6 (7), 1-0. Mal Washington of the United States becomes the first African-American man to compete in the Olympics, defeating Slovakia’s Jan Kroslak 6-3, 7-6 (3),
2004 – Nicolas Massu of Chile plays two matches on the final day of the Generali Open in Kitzbuhel, Austria – defeating the No. 1 seed Rainer Schuettler of Germany 6-3, 6-3 in the semifinals and the No. 2 seed and French Open champion Gaston Gaudio of Argentina 7-6, 6-4 in the final. Says Massu, “I played very well, as I always do in Kitzbuhel. I feel good at this altitude. I beat the Paris champion, and that is a big victory for me.”
1932 – Despite suffering from an upset stomach from a pre-match meal of roast pork and cucumbers, Ellsworth Vines defeats Gottfried von Cramm 3-6, 6-3, 9-7, 6-3 to clinch a 3-2 U.S. victory over Germany in the Davis Cup Inter-Zone Final at Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France.
1905 – The United States is shutout in a Davis Cup match for the first time ever as Britain completes a 5-0 victory over the United States. Britain’s Sidney Smith defeats William Clothier 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 and Britain’s Laurie Doherty defeats William Larned 6-4, 2-6, 6-8, 6-4, 6-2.
1960 – Roy Emerson wins the singles title at the Swiss Open in Gstaad, Switzerland for the first time in his career, defeating Mike Davies of Britain 6-4, 9-7, 6-2. Maria Bueno needs only 38 minutes to win the women’s title, defeating Sandra Reynolds 6-2, 6-3 in a rematch of the Wimbledon final, also won by Bueno.
July 25
1970 – In a decision called by Neil Amdur of The New York Times as ” the most revolutionary step in tournament tennis scoring since ‘love’ became synonymous with losers,” the United States Tennis Associated announces that a sudden-death nine-point tiebreak will be instituted for all matches at the 1970 U.S. Open tennis championships. Says Bill Talbert, the tournament director for the U.S. Open, “We consider this to be a major step forward for the game of tennis. It provides tennis with a finish line, such as we have in racing, basketball, football and other major sports. No longer will a tennis match drag on for hours. It will be played within a sensible, predictable amount of time, enabling spectators to estimate the length of a match and make their plans accordingly.”
1988 – Thirty-five-year-old Jimmy Connors wins his first singles title in four years – and the 106th of his career – defeating Andres Gomez 6-1, 6-4 in the final of the D.C. Tennis Classic in Washington. The win is the first for Connors since October of 1984 when he wins the ATP singles title in Tokyo, losing in 11 singles finals before breaking through and winning in Washington, D.C. Says the No. 8-ranked Connors, “I go through a career and win 105 tournaments and it’s never enough. Now I guess I’m stuck on 106 until I win 107, right? It doesn’t feel as bad not having won a tournament in about 25 minutes than it has in 3 1/2 years. I wanted to win a tournament, no doubt; I just haven’t done it. But mostly, I’m just out there to have some fun.”
1987 – Bjorn Borg is inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I. in absentia, but is defended for his no-show status by fellow inductee Alex Olmedo. “We all have different problems,” says Olmedo. “We’re all egomaniacs in a way. Whatever his hang-up was, I don’t blame him for not coming. Maybe he was too busy making money or maybe he was afraid to make the flight. Whatever, it doesn’t take anything from the presentation…I also think it’s a bit of publicity shock for him after all these years. Most of the movie stars I work with sometimes don’t like to be in the public eye. I think Borg is in the same category. He’s probably publicity shy now.” Olmedo is inducted with fellow pros Stan Smith, Dennis Ralston and Billie Jean King.
1996 – Andre Agassi defeats Slovakia’s Karol Kucera 6-4, 6-4 in the second round of the Olympic tennis competition and, in his post-match press conference, announces that he will compete in the Olympic doubles competition with Mal Washington, replacing the injured Richey Reneberg. Says Agassi, “The team took a hit. You’ve got to adjust to it. As far as I’m concerned, if it calls for you to give more, you’ve got to give more. It’s as simple as that. Even if it costs me a medal, it is still something that you’ve got to do.”
1982 – Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert Lloyd pair to lead the United States to the title at the Federation Cup in Santa Clara, Calif., with a 3-0 win over West Germany. Navratilova defeated Bettina Bunge 6-4, 6-4, while Evert Lloyd defeats Claudia Kohde Kilsch 2-6, 6-1, 6-3. Navratilova, who also won the Federation Cup for Czechoslovakia in 1975, becomes the first women to win the Cup for two nations.
July 26
1999 – Patrick Rafter of Australia begins his one – and only – week as the world’s No. 1 ranked player, replacing Andre Agassi in the top spot on the ATP computer. Rafter’s curious one-week reign as the No. 1 ranked player is the briefest stint in the top spot of any man or woman. Carlos Moya of Spain ranks No. 1 for only two weeks in March of 1999, while Evonne Goolagong ranks as the No. 1 woman on the WTA Tour for a two-week period in April of 1976 (although not uncovered and announced by the WTA Tour until December of 2007).
1987 – The United States is relegated to zonal competition for the first time in Davis Cup history as Boris Becker defeats Tim Mayotte 6-2, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 6-2 in the fifth and decisive match as West Germany defeats the United States 3-2 in the Davis Cup qualifying round in Hartford, Conn. The Becker-Mayotte match is called by John Feinstein of the Washington Post as, “the match of their lives,” as Mayotte, who grew up in Springfield, Mass., a 25 miles from the Hartford Civic Center, plays inspired tennis in front of furiously vocal crowd. Says Becker after the epic match, “It was the most difficult match of my life. The circumstances made it hard, the crowd cheering every time I missed a serve made it hard and him playing for two sets like I have never seen him play in his life, it was all very tough. I just had to stay calm — stay calm, be patient and not go mad. If I go mad, I lose the match.” Writes Feinstein, “For Mayotte, this was sweet agony. He miraculously came from two sets down to force a fifth set. He was playing in an emotional daze, carried by the fans, by his teammates, by the circumstances.”
1969 – Nancy Richey is upset in the semifinals of the U.S. Clay Court Championships by Gail Sherriff Chanfreau, 6-3, 6-4 – ending her tournament record winning streak at 33 straight matches over seven years. Chanfreau goes on to win the title, beating Linda Tuero, 6-2, 6-2 in the final.
1953 – Gardnar Mulloy, at the age of 39 years, 8 months and four days, becomes the oldest man to win a singles match for the U.S. in Davis Cup play as he defeats Ian McDonald of the British West Indies 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 in Kingston, Jamaica.
1996 – The unlikely pairing of Andre Agassi and Mal Washington share the doubles court at the Olympics, defeating Mexico’s Alejandro Hernandez and Oscar Ortiz 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 in the first round. Said Agassi, “Hey, a couple of good singles players can click well and compete hard; don’t be surprised if we end up in a medal round.”
July 27
1986 – Martina Navratilova returns to her native Czechoslovakia and her hometown of Prague in triumph as a member of the U.S. Federation Cup team, clinching the U.S. 3-0 final-round victory over the Czechs with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Hana Mandlikova. “We all did it for Martina,” says Chris Evert Lloyd, whose 7-5, 7-6 victory over Helena Sukova began the U.S. sweep of Czechoslovakia in the final series. “We dedicate this Federation Cup to her.” Says Navratilova of the crowd support she received all week that results in a tearful closing ceremony for the Wimbledon champion and her U.S. teammates. “I wanted to tell them how special it was for me to be here. It exceeded my wildest expectations.”
1946 – In the final of the first French Championship since the conclusion of World War II, Frenchmen Marcel Bernard dramatically defeats fellow left-hander Jaroslav Drobny of Czechoslovakia 3-6, 2-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 in the men’s singles final. The French have to wait another 37 years before they celebrate another native men’s singles champion when Yannick Noah wins the men’s singles title in 1983. It will be another 59 years before another all left-handed men’s singles final is played at Roland Garros when Rafael Nadal defeats Mariano Puerta in the 2005 final. In the women’s singles final, Margaret Osbourne defeats fellow American Pauline Betz 1-6, 8-6, 7-5.
2007 – Sam Querrey slams an incredible 10 aces in a row – believed to be a record – in his 7-6(6), 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4) upset win over fellow American James Blake in the quarterfinals of the Indianapolis Tennis Championships. Querrey, a six-foot-six, 19-year-old from Southern California, begins his incredible serving streak with a 113 mph serve out wide at 6-6 in the first-set tie-break. Querrey hits four straight aces in his first two service games of the second set and after a 109 mph ace out wide in the first point of the sixth game of the second set, Querrey’s streak ends with a double fault. Querrey, ranked No. 90 in the world, serves a total of 34 aces in the match. Says Blake, “That’s the most consistent I’ve seen him serve. I practice with him quite a bit. I’ve seen him improve over the last year-and-a-half at an incredible rate. I think it’s still going….I don’t think I’ve ever been aced 10 times in a row, until today…The way Sam was locked in, it was tough to deal with. It made me focus on my serve and I needed to hold every time.” Says Querrey in his post-match TV interview, “It was just one of those days when I was in the zone serving and it definitely paid off in the end.”
1928 – Play opens in the 1928 Davis Cup Challenge Round in Paris as Bill Tilden and Rene Lacoste christen Stade Roland Garros, built to honor the French Four Musketeers’ victory in the previous year’s Davis Cup. Tilden gives the United States an early 1-0 lead by defeating Lacoste 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-3. Henri Cochet ties the score at 1-1 as he defeats John Hennessey 5-7, 9-7, 6-3, 6-0.
1988 – Roger Smith of the Bahamas, ranked No. 150 in the world, registers a stunning upset of world No. 1 Ivan Lendl, defeating the reigning three-time U.S. Open champion 6-2, 6-3 in the first round of the Volvo International at Stratton Mountain, Vermont. Says Lendl, “He was serving very well and the ball was going very quick, and I couldn’t get into the match. It was not a letdown. It was practice for the U.S. Open. This was not the highlight of my year.”
1930 – Bill Tilden plays his final Davis Cup match, losing to Henri Cochet 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, 7-5 as France completes a 4-1 victory over the United States in the Davis Cup Challenge Round at Stade Roland Garros in Paris. Tilden concludes his Davis Cup career with a 34-7 record and the distinction of leading the U.S. to five Davis Cup titles.
1996 – The morning after a bomb kills one person in Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta, Monica Seles advances into the quarterfinals of the Olympic tennis competition with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Argentina’s Gabriela Sabatini. Says Seles, the subject of security at sporting events since her on-court stabbing in 1993, “I’m still going to the track and field (Saturday night) and to other events and go on with my life. That is pretty much all I can do. That is what I did after the stabbing. You just have to go on.” Says Sabatini of Seles, “I would think it would be even harder for her because of what happened to her. It’s upsetting and it affects you quite a lot because nobody feels secure anywhere.” Andre Agassi rallies from a 6-2, 3-0 deficit to defeat Andrea Gaudenzi of Italy 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 to advance into the quarterfinals of the men’s singles competition.
Mondays with Bob Greene – Rafael Nadal Wins 4th Consecutive Barcelona Title
STARS
Rafael Nadal won his fourth straight Barcelona, Spain, title, the Open Sabadell Atlanatico, defeating David Ferrer 6-1, 4-6, 6-1
Fernando Gonzalez beat Simone Bolelli 7-6 (4) 6-7 (4) 6-3 to win the BMW Open in Munich, Germany
Vera Zvonareva won the ECM Prague Open, beating Victoria Azarenka 7-6 (2) 6-2 in Prague, Czech Republic
Gisela Dulko beat Anabel Medina Garrigues 7-6 (2) 7-6 (5) to win the Grand Prix de SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem in Fez, Morocco
John McEnroe won the Champions Cup Boston, beating Aaron Krickstein 5-7 6-3 10-5 (Tiebreak) in Boston, Massachusetts
Viktoria Kutuzova beat Maret Ani 6-1 7-5 in Cagnes-Sur-Mer, France, to win a $100,000 ITF women’s tournament.
Tamarine Tanasugarn beat Kimiko Date-Krumm 4-6 7-5 6-2 to win an ITF women’s tournament in Gifu, Japan.
SAYINGS
“When I did make mistakes, in the second set, David was unstoppable, but I kept very focused throughout and I am very happy to be the first man to win four years in a row.” – Rafael Nadal, after winning his fourth consecutive Barcelona Open.
“I think I played a good match, but what can you do? That’s Rafa.” – David Ferrer, following his 6-1 4-6 6-1 loss to fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal for the Barcelona title.
“It’s a great relief for me.” – Vera Zvonareva, who won the ECM Prague Open, her first in 2008 after finishing second in three other finals this year.
“If someone had told me beforehand that I could reach the semifinals, I would have jumped at it.” – Younes El Aynaoui, who, at age 36, reached the semifinals of the BMW Open in Munich, Germany, before being edged by eventual champion Fernando Gonzalez 3-6 6-4 6-3.
“I felt I was regaining the feeling of playing tennis every day.” – Kimiko Date-Krumm, who ended a 12-year retirement by reaching the singles title match, which she lost, and winning the doubles in an ITF women’s tournament in Gifu, Japan.
“I took my opportunities and went for my shots. That probably made the difference today.” – Gisela Dulko, after winning the title in Fes, Morocco.
“A 13-day schedule, we feel, is about the right amount of time to get value of matches. … We see no need for change in 2008.” – Ian Ritchie, chief executive of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, explaining why there will be no play at Wimbledon on the middle Sunday this year.
“I’m thrilled with this. This is exactly right: an international city, different cultures.” – WTT co-founder Billie Jean King on the Washington Kapitals joining World TeamTennis and playing its matches in the center of the city.
“My shoulder is not up to it. I have been having pain with it again and again.” – Tommy Haas, after pulling out of this BMW Open in Munich, Germany, with a persistent shoulder injury.
STREAKING ALONG
Rafael Nadal is on a roll. Nadal defeated fellow Spaniard David Ferrer 6-1 4-6 6-1 to become the first man to win the Barcelona Open four straight years. Nadal has now won his last two tournaments and increased his clay-court winning streak to 20 consecutive matches. The lefthander is 117-3 on clay since the start of the 2005 season and has won 103 of his last 104 matches on the surface.
STREAK SNAPPED
Fernando Gonzalez of Chile won his second tournament of the year, edging Italy’s Simone Bolelli 7-6 (4) 6-7 (4) 6-3 for the BMW Open title in Munich, Germany. This year was the first time in 19 years that no German player reached the quarterfinals.
SURFACING AGAIN
When Kimiko Date-Krumm decided to end a 12-year retirement, she felt she should start at the bottom. Gaining a wild card into qualifying of a $50,000 ITF event in Giru, Japan, Date, once ranked as high as number four in the world, won six straight matches before falling in the final to Tamarine Tanasugarn 4-6 7-5 6-2. Date didn’t come away empty-handed, however. She teamed with Kurumi Nara to win the doubles.
SAYS BETTING IS OK
A French court says it’s OK to bet on matches at Roland Garros. The court ruled that betting companies like bwin did not violate the rights of the French Tennis Federation by offering bets on Roland Garros matches. The federation had filed a lawsuit, saying online betting stained the reputation of the clay court championship, especially in the wake of Internet gambling scandals. But the European Gaming & Betting Association said the court had concluded “these operations had behaved in a prudent and diligent matter.” It is not known if the French federation will take further legal action against the betting companies.
SHOOTING FROM THE LIP
Maria Sharapova is upset because the WTA Tour demands that she participate in a publicity shoot on the eve of the Italian Open. According to Sharapova, the women’s tour wants several top players, including the Australian Open champion, to take part in a four-hour commercial shoot for WTA Tour marketing materials. If she refuses to participate in the photo shoot, Sharapova could be fined $300,000, Sharapova said. A WTA Tour spokesperson said: “Players have many obligations both on and off the court, and what is being asked of players in Rome is in the rules.”
SACRED SUNDAY
The middle Sunday will remain sancrosant at Wimbledon – at least for now. While admitting there are strong arguments in favor of making “People’s Sunday” a permanent fixutre, the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club says it felt no need for change this year. The wettest Wimbledon in 25 years played havoc with the schedule last year, and Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, among others, criticized the club for not scheduling play on the middle Sunday.
SPOT IN PARIS
Wayne Odesnik has a spot in this year’s French Open after winning a wild card in Boca Raton, Florida, by defeating Jesse Levine 6-2 7-5. The U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) and French Tennis Federation have a reciprocal agreement in which wild card entries into the main draw at the 2008 French Open and the 2008 U.S. Open are exchanged.
STACKING POUNDS
Roger Federer isn’t really looking at the money, but if he should win his sixth straight Wimbledon title in July he will take 750,000 pounds ($1.49 million) to the bank. That’s an increase of 7.1 percent over what he collected last year as singles champion. The women’s winner will receive the same amount as Wimbledon continues its equal prize money payout. The total prize money will rise by 4.7 percent, to 11,812,000 pounds. The doubles champions will each earn more than one million pounds for the first time, with the winning pairs receiving 230,000 pounds.
SLEEPLESS NIGHTS
Anastasia Myskina, who won Roland Garros in 2004, gave birth to a son, Zhenya, on April 28 in Moscow. Myskina missed most of last year with a left foot injury before announcing she was pregnant. She has not said whether she will return to the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. The righthander was the first Russian to win a Grand Slam title and the first to break into the Top 10 in the rankings, reaching as high as number two in the world.
SOCIAL EVENT
Billie Jean King and the Class of 2008 – Michael Chang, Mark McCormack and Eugene Scott – will be honored at the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s Legends Ball, which will be held in New York City on September 5, the last Friday of the U.S. Open. More than a dozen Hall of Famers and other tennis dignitaries will be on hand when the third annual Eugene L. Scott Award will be presented to Billie Jean King. The award honors an individual who embodies Scott’s commitment to communicating honestly and critically about the game, and who has had a significant impact on the tennis world.
SPANISH BATTLE
Ten cities are bidding for the right to stage the Davis Cup semifinal September 19-21 when Spain takes on the defending champion United States. The cities are: Barcelona, Benidom, Gijon, Jerez de la Frontera, Madrid, Malaga, Marbella, Murcia, Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Santander. A decision is expected on May 9. The highest attendance for a Davis Cup tie was set in Seville, Spain, in 2004 when an average of 27,200 watched Spain win the fabled Cup by defeating the United States in the final 3-2
SERENA TO D.C.
Serena Williams is off to Washington this year to play World TeamTennis. While the eight-time Grand Slam singles champion is scheduled to play four of the Washington Kastles’ 14 regular-season matches, she will join the team for only one contest in Washington – that coming on July 8 against the Boston Lobsters. Also on the Kapitals’ roster are Justin Gimelstob, Mashona Washington, Scott Oudsema and Sacha Jones.
STARS ON PARADE
How trendy are tennis players? Well, Tommy Robredo, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Nicolas Almagro, Fernando Verdasco and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez have been featured in an eight-page magazine spread titled “Spanish Tennis Is Trendy.” The magazine is a weekly supplement of Diario AS, a daily sports newspaper in Spain.
SHOULDER STOPPER
Not only did Tommy Haas pull out of the BMW Open in Hamburg, Germany, with a persistent shoulder injury, he says he may not be able to play at Roland Garros later this month. Haas, once ranked as high as number two in the world, has suffered first-round losses in four of the seven tournaments he has played this year. In only one event, an ATP Masters in Indian Wells, California, did Haas reach the quarterfinals, losing to Roger Federer. He retired in his first-round match at Monte Carlo to Olivier Rochus while trailing 6-1 3-0.
SHARAPOVA OUT
Maria Sharapova and Daniela Hantuchova have withdrawn from this week’s Germany Open. The Australian Open champion, Sharapova has not played since losing to Serena Williams in the quarterfinals of the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, South Carolina, on April 19. She has not revealed her injury. Hantuchova, ranked number ten in the world, withdrew because of a stress fracture in her right foot.
SUCCESS STILL DENIED
Jelena Dokic is having a hard time getting her career restarted. Once ranked as high as number five in the world, Dokic was a first-round loser at the Grand Prix de SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem in Fez, Morocco, falling to Greta Arn of Hungary 6-4 6-2. Dokic successfully qualified for the main draw at Fez, just as she had at Hobart, Australia, in January. At Hobart, Dokic trailed Italy’s Flavia Pennetta 5-0 in the second round when she retired.
SHARED PERFORMANES
Barcelona: Bob and Mike Bryan beat Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski 6-3 6-2
Munich: Rainer Schuettler and Michael Berrer beat Scott Lipsky and David Martin 7-5 3-6 10-8
Prague: Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka beat Jill Craybus and Michaella Krajicek 1-6 6-3 10-6
Fes: Sorana Cirstea and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova beat Alisa Kleybanova and Ekaterina Makarova 6-2 6-2
Cagnes-Sur-Mer: Monica Niculescu and Renata Voracova beat Julie Coin and Marie-Eve Pelletier 6-7 (2) 6-1 10-5
Gifu: Kimiko Date-Krumm and Kurumi Nara beat Melanie South and Nicole Thyssen 6-1 6-7 (8) 10-7
SITES TO SURF
Rome: www.internazionalibnlditalia.it
Berlin: www.german-open.org
Hamburg: www.dtb-tennis.de/AmRothenbaum/
Outback Champions: www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com
BlackRock Champions: www.blackrocktourofchampions.com
TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK
ATP
$2,270,000 Internazionali BNL d’Italia, Rome, Italy, clay
WTA TOUR
$1,340,000 Qatar Telecom German Open, Berlin, Germany, clay
SENIORS
BlackRock Tour of Champions, Rome, Italy, clay
TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK
ATP
$2,270,000 Hamburg Masters, Hamburg, Germany, clay
WTA Tour
$1,340,000 Internazionali BNL d’Italia, Rome, Italy, clay
SENIORS
BlackRock Tour of Champions Hamburg, Germany, clay
Sampras To Face McEnroe And Courier As Champions Cup Boston Schedule Is Announced
NEW YORK, N.Y., March 27, 2008 – InsideOut Sports & Entertainment today announced the match schedule for the 2008 Champions Cup Boston to be played April 30 – May 4 at the Agganis Arena in Boston. Fourteen-time major champion Pete Sampras will be back to defend his Champions Cup Boston title and is grouped with John McEnroe, Jim Courier and Jimmy Arias in group A. McEnroe will play Courier on Thursday, May 1 following Sampras’ opening match versus Arias. Sampras will then play McEnroe on Friday evening, May 2 and Courier on Saturday evening, May 3. Todd Martin, the event’s 2006 winner, is grouped with Wayne Ferreira, Aaron Krickstein and Mikael Pernfors
in group B and will open play against Krickstein on Wednesday, April 30.
The Champions Cup Boston is the third of eight events on the 2008 Outback Champions Series, a collection of tennis events played around the world featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30. The event features $150,000 in prize money with an undefeated winner taking home $54,000. Players also compete for Champions Series points that will determine the Stanford Champions Rankings year-end No. 1 and the winner of a $100,000 year-end bonus. All Champions Series events feature eight-man round-robin match formats 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. Tickets begin at just $15 and can be purchased by calling 617-931-2000 or at www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com.
“We have some block-buster match-ups leading up to the Sunday finale for this year’s Champions Cup Boston that will once again provide for great buzz in the Boston community along with excellent competition and entertainment,” said Jon Venison, co-founding partner of InsideOut Sport & Entertainment and the Outback Champions Series. “Each match-up features some of the most prolific tennis players over the last 25 years. In the case of Sampras, McEnroe and Courier, you have rematches of some of the greatest and most significant matches in tennis history.”
The full schedule of play is as follows;
SCHEDULE FOR 2008 CHAMPIONS CUP BOSTON
Wednesday, April 30
Beginning at 7:30 pm
Wayne Ferreira vs. Mikael Pernfors
Followed by
Todd Martin vs. Aaron Krickstein
Thursday, May 1
Beginning at 7:30 pm
Pete Sampras vs. Jimmy Arias
Followed by
John McEnroe vs. Jim Courier
Friday, May 2
Beginning at 2:30 pm
Wayne Ferreira vs. Aaron Krickstein
Followed by
Todd Martin vs. Mikael Pernfors
Beginning at 7:30 pm
John McEnroe vs. Pete Sampras
Followed by
Jim Courier vs. Jimmy Arias
Saturday, May 3
Beginning at 2:30 pm
Todd Martin vs. Wayne Ferreira
Followed by
John McEnroe vs. Jimmy Arias
Beginning at 7:30 pm
Mikael Pernfors vs. Aaron Krickstein
Followed by
Pete Sampras vs. Jim Courier
Sunday, May 4
Beginning at 2:30 pm
Third-place Match
Followed by
Championship Match
Sampras is returning to the site where last year he played his first competitive tournament since he won the 2002 US Open. In 2007, Sampras went 3-0 in round robin play in Boston and staved off three match points from Martin to win the championship match 6-3, 5-7, 11-9 (Champions Tie-Break). The seven-time Wimbledon champion also played a much-anticipated sold-out Saturday night match with McEnroe, defeating his former Davis Cup doubles partner 6-3, 6-4 in an electric atmosphere at the Agganis Arena. McEnroe, 49, said during the first event on the 2008 Outback Champions Series in Naples, Fla., earlier this month that this will be his final year of playing competitive tournament tennis. Thus, the 2008 Champions Cup Boston will be his final tournament in the Boston area.
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.
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
Martin Tops McEnroe To Win 2008 Outback Champions Series Opener in Naples
NAPLES, Fla., March 16, 2008 – Todd Martin defeated John McEnroe 6-3, 6-1 Sunday to win the singles title at the $150,000 The Oliver Group Champions Cup – the opening event on the 2008 Outback Champions Series tennis circuit. Martin, who finished 2007 as the No. 1 ranked player on the Outback Champions Series, earned $50,000 for the victory and also gained 700 ranking points to make him the early leader in the 2008 Stanford Champions Rankings. McEnroe earned $32,000 and 600 ranking points with the runner-up showing.
The Naples title was Martin’s third Outback Champions Series tournament victory – all coming at the expense of McEnroe. Martin beat McEnroe in the final of the 2006 Champions Cup Boston as well as in the final of the 2007 International Tennis Hall of Fame Champions Cup in Newport, R.I.
“I felt I had an honorable first set and a half,” said McEnroe, 49, of the final. “I thought I was hitting the ball well but missed my chances. I also didn’t get a good handle on break points in the first set. When I miss a point that I feel I should get and don’t – that is frustrating. I had a few break points and missed them.”
McEnroe, playing in his final year of competitive tournament tennis, fell one match shy of his goal of winning his first Outback Champions Series event. Earlier this week, McEnroe said that 2008 would be his final year of competitive tournament tennis. “Definitely,” said McEnroe when asked if this was his final year. “I can’t keep on going just winning half of my matches.”
Said Martin of McEnroe and his contributions to tennis since he turned professional 30 years ago in 1978, “John has been very much the face of our sport. John is such an amazing talent. It is the difference between the type of talent of Michael Jordan had and Charles Barkley. Though Barkley was a great player, Jordan was so graceful and made everything happen. The way John played the game is so artistic and gifted. It is a joy to watch.”
Martin, 37, only advanced into the championship match by virtue of his straight-set win over Jim Courier on Saturday that enabled him to win a three-way tie breaker between himself, Courier and Aaron Krickstein – all three players finishing with 2-1 round robin records. Martin won the three-way tie-breaker by virtue of losing the least amount of sets between the three players in round-robin play. McEnroe finished round-robin play with a 3-0 record, beating Jimmy Arias, Mikael Pernfors and Magnus Larsson.
With his 700 ranking points earned during his week in Naples, Martin already has a leg up on defending his year-end No. 1 ranking that he earned last year on the Outback Champions Series. This year, however, the year-end No. 1 on the Stanford Champions Rankings will earn a $100,000 bonus. Martin said he liked the added element to the year-long competition.
“(The $100,000 bonus) is good incentive for the Outback Champions Series,” said Martin. “Last year I played five tournaments, which was more than I thought I was going to play, and this year I am planning on playing six tournaments.”
In Sunday’s third-place match, Courier defeated Pernfors 6-2, 6-2.
The Outback Champions Series is a collection of tennis events around the world featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30. All Outback Champions Series events feature eight-man round-robin match formats 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. Each 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 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.
About C & H Events
C & H Events, Inc. is a full-service event management and marketing company based in Boca Raton, Fla. Among the tennis events C & H Events manages in addition to The Oliver Group Champions Cup is Swingtime Benefiting the Tim & Tom Gullikson Foundation, Mardy’s Tennis and Jake’s Music Fest to benefit the Mardy Fish Foundation, the Bank of the West Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic and Couples Resorts Tennis Fantasy Camp. Please visit www.chevents.com for further details about C & H Events.
ROUND ROBIN GROUP A
John McEnroe 3-0
Mikael Pernfors 1-2
Magnus Larsson 1-2
Jimmy Arias 1-2
ROUND ROBIN GROUP B
Todd Martin 2-1
Jim Courier 2-1
Aaron Krickstein 2-1
Anders Jarryd 0-3
Wednesday Results
Todd Martin, United States, def. Anders Jarryd, Sweden, 7-6 (5), 6-3
Jim Courier, United States, def. Aaron Krickstein, United States, 6-1, 3-6, 10-6 (Champions Tie-Break)
Thursday Results
Mikael Pernfors, Sweden, def. Magnus Larsson, Sweden, 7-6 (8), 7-6 (5)
John McEnroe, United States, def. Jimmy Arias, United States, 7-6(4), 2-6, 10-6 (Champions Tie Break)
Friday Results
Magnus Larsson, Sweden, def. Jimmy Arias, United States, 6-4, 6-4
Aaron Krickstein, United States, def. Todd Martin, United States, 6-3, 6-7 (1), 10-3 (Champions Tie Break)
Jim Courier, United States, def. Anders Jarryd, Sweden, 6-2, 7-5
John McEnroe, United States, def. Mikael Pernfors, Sweden, 4-6, 6-3, 10-6 (Champions Tie Break)
Saturday Results
Aaron Krickstein, United States, def. Anders Jarryd, Sweden, 6-3, 6-4
Todd Martin, United States, def. Jim Courier, United States, 6-4, 6-4
Jimmy Arias, United States, def. Mikael Pernfors, Sweden, 2-6, 6-4, 13-11 (Champions Tie Break)
John McEnroe, United States, def. Magnus Larsson, Sweden, 6-3, 6-2
Sunday Results
Championship Match
Todd Martin, United States, def. John McEnroe, United States, 6-3, 6-1
Third Place Match
Jim Courier, United States, def. Mikael Pernfors, Sweden, 6-2, 6-2