Champions Series Tennis

Clijsters, Fernandez, Sock and Baghdatis To Compete In Latest Champions Series Tennis Mixed Team Event In St. Louis

June 6, 2022 by Randy Walker Leave a Comment

LOS ANGELES – Hall of Famer Kim Clijsters and 2021 U.S. Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez will join four-time major doubles champ Jack Sock and 2006 Australian Open runner-up Marcos Baghdatis at the St. Louis Champions Classic, July 21 at Chaifetz Arena.

The event will be the second ever mixed team format event on the Champions Series tennis circuit featuring men’s and women’s legends competing throughout the year for prize money and the season-long points championship.

Clijsters and Sock will play as a team against Fernandez and Baghdatis, each playing a set of singles and then pairing for a deciding mixed doubles match.

The event will feature $75,000 in prize money with $50,000 going to the winning team and $25,000 to the runner-up. The winning team members will each be awarded 200 ranking points while the runner-up team members will be awarded 100 ranking points towards the season-long championship. Each player will also be awarded 100 ranking points for every singles match they participate in and an additional 100 ranking points for each victory.

“This is going to be a very special and exciting night of tennis, featuring two legend players competing against two current touring pros which will make for a fascinating dynamic,” said Jon Venison, Co-President of InsideOut Sports & Entertainment, the organization that founded and runs Champions Series Tennis.

Tickets are for sale starting Thursday, June 2 at www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com and www.ticketmaster.com.

Earlier this year, Genie Bouchard and Tommy Haas were victorious in the first-ever Champions Series mixed team event at the Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, Calif., defeating Sofia Kenin and Sam Querrey two matches to one. Champions Series Tennis will also stage events in 2022 in Dallas, The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, Orlando and other sites to be announced. Full player fields and event dates will be announced in the near future.

For the St. Louis Champions Classic, the event will start with “Play with the Pros” fan experiences from 3 pm to 5 pm, followed by a “Player Party Experience” and a “Backstage Experience” starting at 5:30 pm. Sock and Baghdatis will kick off match play at 7 pm, followed by Clijsters and Fernandez and concluding with the mixed doubles match. Champions Series Tennis began in 2005 and over the last 16 years has featured some of the greatest names in men’s tennis, including Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg, Jim Courier, Michael Chang among others. Courier won the first Champions Series Tennis event held in 2005 in Houston at the Westside Tennis Club.

ABOUT INSIDEOUT SPORTS + ENTERTAINMENT

InsideOut Sports + Entertainment is a Los Angeles based 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 Champions Series, a collection of tournaments featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30. In addition, InsideOut produces many other successful events including “Legendary Night” exhibitions, The World Series of Beach Volleyball and numerous corporate outings. Since inception, InsideOut Sports + Entertainment has raised over $5 million for charity. In 2014, InsideOut Sports + Entertainment merged with Horizon Media, the largest privately held media services agency in the world. For more information, please log on to www.InsideOutSE.com or InvescoSeries.com or follow on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Genie Bouchard Stars In Winning Debut Champions Series Tennis Mixed Team Event Title With Tommy Haas

March 6, 2022 by TennisGrandstand Leave a Comment

Genie Bouchard registered wins in singles and mixed doubles to lead her and partner Tommy Haas to victory at the SoCal Honda Dealers Helpful Cup at the Sherwood Country Club, the first new mixed team event on the Champions Series Tennis tour.

The 28-year-old Bouchard, the Wimbledon runner-up in 2014, was competing in her first organized event in a year after undergoing right shoulder surgery, Bouchard surprised 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin 6-1 in singles before pairing with Haas to beat Kenin and Sam Querrey 6-3 in the decisive mixed doubles match.

“I feel like I’ve just been smiling all afternoon, like my cheeks hurt,” said Bouchard. “I’m just so happy to be back out here. It was so fun today.”

Bouchard last competed on the WTA Tour in March of 2021 at the WTA event in Monterrey, Mexico and underwent right shoulder surgery shortly thereafter. Playing with gusty winds and temperatures in the low 50s, Bouchard showed many of the same elements that allowed her to reach a career high ranking of No. 5 in her dominant victory.

“I played better than I expected,” Bouchard said after her win over Kenin. “We had really tough conditions. We’re both very cold out here and it’s hard to serve sometimes with the wind. But I just tried to hit the shots I’ve been doing in practice since I’ve been training for my comeback.”

Bouchard’s singles win came after Querrey defeated Haas 7-5 to give he and partner Kenin the early 1-0 lead.

“Genie carried me today in this new format, which was a lot of fun, I must say,” said Haas. “I tried to gain a point in the singles, came up short against Sam, but then Genie just played lights out today.”

With the victory, Bouchard and Haas split the first prize of $50,000 while Querrey and Kenin split the runner-up payout of $25,000.

Champions Series Tennis will also stage events in 2022 in Dallas, St. Louis, The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, Orlando and other sites to be announced. Full player fields and event dates will be announced in the near future.

ABOUT INSIDEOUT SPORTS + ENTERTAINMENT

InsideOut Sports + Entertainment is a Los Angeles based 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 Champions Series, a collection of tournaments featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30. In addition, InsideOut produces many other successful events including “Legendary Night” exhibitions, The World Series of Beach Volleyball and numerous corporate outings. Since inception, InsideOut Sports + Entertainment has raised over $5 million for charity. In 2014, InsideOut Sports + Entertainment merged with Horizon Media, the largest privately held media services agency in the world. For more information, please log on to www.InsideOutSE.com or ChampionsSeriesTennis.com or follow on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

New Look Mixed Format Set For Champions Series Tennis

February 14, 2022 by Randy Walker Leave a Comment

The 2022 Champions Series Tennis circuit will kick off Saturday, March 5 with a new look mixed format featuring men’s and women’s legends competing throughout the year for prize money and the season-long points championship.

Sofia Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion, and Eugenie Bouchard, the 2014 Wimbledon runner-up, will join former world No. 11 Sam Querrey and 2000 Olympic silver medalist and former world No. 2 Tommy Haas in the year’s opening event Saturday, March 5 at the Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California. Querrey and Kenin will play as a team against Haas and Bouchard, each playing a set of singles and then pairing for a deciding mixed doubles match.

Each event will feature $75,000 in prize money with $50,000 going to the winning team and $25,000 to the runner-up. The winning team members will each be awarded 100 ranking points towards the season-long championship. Each player will also be awarded 100 ranking points for participating in the event and an additional 100 ranking points for each match victory.

“Through the years, the most frequent feedback we have received from our fans and sponsors is that they would love to see doubles and they also would love to see women play, so that led us to creating this new exciting format showcasing both,” said Jon Venison, Co-President of InsideOut Sports & Entertainment, the organization that founded and runs Champions Series Tennis.

For the Sherwood Country Club event, the event will start with “Play with the Pros” fan experiences from 10am to 12pm, followed by a “Player Party Experience” and a “Backstage Experience.” Querrey and Haas will kick off match play at 2 pm, followed by Kenin and Bouchard and concluding with the mixed doubles match. Champions Series Tennis began in 2005 and over the last 16 years has featured some of the greatest names in men’s tennis, including Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg, Jim Courier, Michael Chang among others. Courier won the first Champions Series Tennis event held in 2005 in Houston at the Westside Tennis Club.

ABOUT INSIDEOUT SPORTS + ENTERTAINMENT InsideOut Sports + Entertainment is a Los Angeles based 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 Champions Series, a collection of tournaments featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30. In addition, InsideOut produces many other successful events including “Legendary Night” exhibitions, The World Series of Beach Volleyball and numerous corporate outings. Since inception, InsideOut Sports + Entertainment has raised over $5 million for charity. In 2014, InsideOut Sports + Entertainment merged with Horizon Media, the largest privately held media services agency in the world. For more information, please log on to www.InsideOutSE.com or ChampionsSeriesTennis.com or follow on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Sam Querrey Makes Champions Series Tennis Debut And Immediately Wins Two Titles

December 6, 2021 by Randy Walker Leave a Comment

ORLANDO – Sam Querrey defeated Marcos Baghdatis 6-4 in the one-set final to win the Sunday edition of the Bea For Kids Champions Challenge presented by Raymond James at the Heathrow Country Club. The title marked the second title in two days on the North American tennis circuit for champion tennis players over the age of 30 for Querrey, the former world No. 11 who was making his circuit debut.

“It was just really one or two points,” said Querrey of what separated him from Baghdatis, the 2006 Australian Open finalist from Cyprus. “Not only the returns, but he hit a lot of good backhands, a lot of good forehands. He still moves well. And he is only a couple years removed from the tour, but if he really wanted to he probably still has the game to be back out there.”

On Saturday, Querrey beat Tommy Haas 6-4 in his debut Champions Series Tennis event, handing Haas his first defeat on the tour this year. For his two days of play in Orlando, Querrey earned two $25,000 first-prize paychecks. To reach the final on Sunday, Querrey defeated former world No. 1 doubles player Bob Bryan 7-6 (xx) while Baghdatis defeated James Blake 6-4 earlier in the day.

Following the final Sunday, Querrey told Brett Haber in his post-match on-court interview that he would like to continue to play Champions Series Tennis events in 2022, while also still competing on the ATP Tour.

“These last two days have been a blast,” said the 34-year-old Querrey, currently ranked No. 109 in the ATP rankings. “Not only playing here and meeting a lot of great people at the clinics but James and Bob Bryan are two of my friends that I’ve known forever. Marcos has always been one of the most well liked guys on tour, so it’s fun to come back and play with guys that I’ve truly been friends with for 15, 20 years.”

Baghdatis, who made his Champions Series Tennis debut in September at The Greenbrier Classic in West Virginia, earned $15,000 for his runner-up finish on Sunday. Both Blake and Bryan earned $10,000 each.

In addition winning the season-long Champions Series Tennis points title with three titles during the year, Haas earned $90,000 in total prize money for the year.

The matches will be televised on Fox Sports Net affiliates and Tennis Channel in future weeks. All Champions Series events feature two one-set semifinal matches followed by a one-set championship match.

Earlier this year, Haas swept both titles at the Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California, losing only five games combined in both events while beating Blake and Bob Bryan both by 6-1 margins in each respective final. Haas also won the title at The Greenbrier Classic in West Virginia defeating Andy Roddick in the final.

In 2020, Haas won the season-long points title for a second straight season, winning four titles – two at the Sherwood Country Club and two titles in Orlando – and finished with a 10-2 series match record.

In 2019, Haas finished with a perfect 10-0 record to win the year-long points championship for the first time. He won titles in Newport Beach, Calif., Maui, Hawaii, New Haven, Connecticut, Los Angeles and Houston to become the first player in the 15-year history of the Champions Series to be an undefeated year-end points champion.

In 2018, Blake won his first Champions Series year-long points championship by winning titles in Winston-Salem, New Haven and Houston, while also finishing as runner-up in Los Angeles and Orlando.

In 2017, the year-long points championship was decided in the final match of the season when Andy Roddick defeated James Blake in the Los Angeles final at the Sherwood Country Club. Roddick, the 2003 U.S. Open champion and world No. 1, won four Champions Series titles in all in 2017, winning in Birmingham, Ala., Chicago, Lincoln, Neb., and Los Angeles. Blake, the former world No. 4 and former U.S. Davis Cup star, won series titles in Charleston, S.C., Winston-Salem, N.C. and in Lynchburg, Va.

In 2016, Mark Philippoussis won the Series points title with 1,600 points and tournament titles in Memphis, Tulsa, Newport, Winston-Salem and New Haven. Roddick finished in second place, also earning 1600 points but losing the head-to-head tiebreaker with Philippoussis 5-2, while winning titles in Charleston, St. Louis, Los Angeles and Orlando.

Champions Series Tennis began in 2005 and over the last 16 years has featured some of the greatest names in men’s tennis, including Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg, Jim Courier, Michael Chang among others. Courier won the first Champions Series Tennis event held in 2005 in Houston at the Westside Tennis Club.

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Horizon Media, Inc. is the largest and fastest growing privately held media services agency in the world. The company was founded in 1989, is headquartered in New York and has offices in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Chicago. Horizon Media was chosen as 2011 Independent Media Agency of the Year by Mediapost, 2010 U.S. Media Agency of the Year by Adweek, Brandweek, and Mediaweek as well as by Ad Age and as one of the world’s ten most innovative marketing and advertising companies by Fast Company in 2011. In 2012, Bill Koenigsberg, President, CEO and Founder, was honored by Advertising Age as Industry Executive of the Year. Most recently, in 2014, Bill Koenigsberg was named 4As Chair of the Board and is the first person from a media agency to hold this prestigious position in the 100 year history of the 4As, the marketing industry’s leading trade association. The company’s mission is “To create the most meaningful brand connections within the lives of people everywhere.” By delivering on this mission through a holistic approach to brand marketing, Horizon Media has become one of the largest and fastest-growing media agencies in the industry, with estimated billings of over $5.3 billion and over 1,200 employees. The company is also a founding member of Columbus Media International, a multi-national partnership of independent media agencies. For more information, please visit horizonmedia.com.

Tommy Haas Continues Champions Series Tennis Dominance At The Greenbrier

September 14, 2021 by TennisGrandstand Leave a Comment

Tommy Haas defeated Andy Roddick 6-2 in the one-set championship match Monday to win the Greenbrier Classic in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia for his 14^th career title on the Champions Series Tennis circuit.

Haas, 43, continued his dominant play on the North American tennis tour for champion tennis players over the age of 30, now winning 24 of his last 26 matches, including all six so far this year. He has won all but five of the Champions Series Tennis he has played in since he joined the Champions Series Tennis circuit in 2018 shortly after retiring from the ATP Tour.

In his post-match interview with commentator Brett Haber after the final, Haas was asked why his game has seemingly not dropped since he retired from the ATP Tour.

“I just like to play tennis overall,” said Haas, the 2000 Olympic silver medalist and former world No. 2. “It’s something I have been doing my whole life. I hope to continue for many, many years to come basically until the later stages of my life. I like coming out here and competing. That always makes me feel good. Playing against legends of the game, colleagues and friends, it’s as good as it gets.”

The Greenbrier Classic marked the conclusion to resort’s Salute to Heroes Weekend that commemorated the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the United States and benefitted the First Responders Children’s Foundation. The tennis tournament marked the return of pro tennis to The Greenbrier resort after the intimate Creekside Stadium successfully hosting the entire World TeamTennis season in 2020.

“Hopefully we will be back here next year, also for some more days to really enjoy this place,” said Haas of The Greenbrier. “It’s a special place here.”

The Greenbrier Classic also marked the Champions Series Tennis debut of 2006 Australian Open runner-up Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus, who was defeated by Roddick 6-2 in the semifinals. Haas beat James Blake 6-3 in the first semifinal of the afternoon. Haas collected the first prize paycheck of $25,000 to increase his 2021 prize money earnings to $75,000. Roddick earned $15,000 for his runner-up showing while Baghdatis and Blake pocketed $10,000 each. The matches will be televised on Fox Sports Net affiliates and Tennis Channel on tape delay in future weeks. All Champions Series events feature two one-set semifinal matches followed by a one-set championship match.

In 2018, Blake won his first Champions Series year-long points championship by winning titles in Winston-Salem, New Haven and Houston, while also finishing as runner-up in Los Angeles and Orlando.

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Greenbrier Resort In West Virginia To Host Champions Series Tennis

June 15, 2021 by Randy Walker Leave a Comment

From wire reports

The Greenbrier Champions Tennis Classic will celebrate its ninth anniversary this September with a bit of a twist. This year’s event, planned for Monday, September 13, 2021, will be part of the Champions Series Tennis Tour, with participants playing for a $25,000 first-prize paycheck.

The annual celebration of The Greenbrier’s rich tennis tradition will include four men’s superstars, with a pair of semifinals and a final all taking place in the intimate and picturesque setting of Center Court at Creekside Stadium.

The Greenbrier Champions Tennis Classic will be the finale of a grand Salute to Heroes Weekend at The Greenbrier, commemorating the 20^th anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the United States. More details on the weekend will be released at a later date.

The 2021 Greenbrier Champions Tennis Classic will feature 2003 U.S. Open champion and former world No. 1 Andy Roddick, former world No. 2 Tommy Haas, former world No. 4 James Blake and 2006 Australian Open runner-up Champions Series Tennis debutant Marcos Baghdatis. Champions Series Tennis is the North American tennis circuit for champion tennis players over the age of 30. Each event features two one-set semifinal matches followed by a one-set championship match. The winner will earn the $25,000 paycheck. (Perhaps spent on at one of the best online casinos. Tickets start at $30 and are now on sale at store.greenbrier.com. VIP packages, including play-with-the-pros and backstage opportunities are available at ChampionsSeriesTennis.com. Proceeds for the event will benefit the First Responders Children’s Foundation.

The schedule for The Greenbrier Champions Tennis Classic on September 13 will run as follows (subject to change):

11:00am — Clinic featuring Tommy Haas and Marcos Baghdatis
12:00pm — Clinic featuring Andy Roddick and James Blake
1:00pm — Player Party Brunch Q&A (All Players)
2:00pm — Backstage Experience (Meet & Greet with all players)
2:30pm — Semifinal (Haas vs. Blake)
3:30pm — Semifinal (Roddick vs. Baghdatis)
4:30pm — Final (Winners of semifinals)

Roddick was the top American tennis player for nearly a decade. He finished nine consecutive seasons in the Top 10 in the ATP rankings and reached No.1 in the rankings in 2003. Roddick, best known for his powerful serve, won the 2003 U.S. Open and reached four other Grand Slam Finals.

Blake began playing tennis as a member of the Harlem Junior Tennis Program at age 5. As a child, he had to overcome severe scoliosis which forced him to wear a back brace 18 hours a day. Blake, best known for his speed and powerful forehand, reached three Grand Slam quarterfinals and, in 2006, became the first African-American player since Arthur Ashe to reach the Top 10 in the ATP Rankings.

Baghdatis is a former World No. 8 singles player best known for his powerful serve and forehand. He achieved his best Grand Slam result as a 20-year-old at the 2006 Australian Open, beating Andy Roddick and Ivan Ljubicic, before falling to Rodger Federer in the final. That same year he reached the semifinals at Wimbledon.

Haas began playing tennis in Hamburg, Germany at age 4 before moving to Florida at age 11 to attend Nick Bollettieri Academy. Known for his powerful baseline game, Haas turned professional in 1996 and had immediate success. He reached the quarter-finals in his first ATP Tour event, falling to Pete Sampras, and achieved the World No. 2 Ranking in 2002. Haas went on to reach the quarter-finals at each of the Grand Slams and reached the semis at Wimbledon (2009) and three times in Australia (1999, 2002, 2007).

The Greenbrier Champions Tennis Classic began in 2012 and has brought legends of the game such as Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, the Bryan Brothers, Martina Hingis, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and many others to The Greenbrier, celebrating a rich tennis history that dates back more than a century.

Champions Series Tennis began in 2005 and over the last 16 years has featured some of the greatest names in men’s tennis, including Sampras, Agassi, McEnroe, Courier Bjorn Borg, Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg, Michael Chang and others. Courier won the first Champions Series Tennis event held in 2005.

About The Greenbrier

The Greenbrier is a distinct and spectacular luxury mountain resort situated in the Allegheny Mountains in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. It is best known as “America’s Resort.” With a history dating back to 1778, the 710 perfectly appointed Signature Resort Rooms, Classic and Historic Suites, Legacy Cottages and Estate Homes are situated on The Greenbrier’s breathtaking 11,000-acre playground. Play championship golf courses or experience more than 55 activities, including professional indoor and outdoor tennis, Off-Road Driving and Falconry. America’s only private casino (not an aussie casino) features table games, slot machines and the FanDuel Sportsbook. The Greenbrier’s full-service, 40,000-square-foot world-renowned spa is widely recognized as one of the most luxurious mineral spas in the world, and the Retail Collection is comprised of 36 boutiques, shops and hand crafted works of art. The Greenbrier Restaurant Collection is comprised of 20 restaurants, cafés and lounges. The Greenbrier Clinic has been practicing diagnostic medicine since 1948, and The Greenbrier Sporting Club is the pinnacle of luxury real estate, offering exclusive home sites within distinctive neighborhoods across The Greenbrier estate. Follow The Greenbrier on Facebook at The Greenbrier, on Twitter at @the_greenbrier or on Instagram at the_greenbrier.