NEW YORK, N.Y., August 7, 2008 – InsideOut Sports & Entertainment today announced that Anna Kournikova and Chanda Rubin will compete in special mixed doubles exhibition matches at The Championships at The Palisades, the fifth of eight events on the Outback Champions Series tennis circuit to be played September 24-28 in Charlotte, N.C.
Kournikova and Rubin, both former top 10 players on the WTA Tour, will compete in mixed doubles exhibitions during both the day and night sessions on Saturday, September 27 with two players chosen from the field of eight men’s players competing in the tournament field. Confirmed players for the event include former world No. 1 and 2006 tournament champion Jim Courier, two-time Charlotte finalist Todd Martin, 2003 Wimbledon finalist Mark Philippoussis and 1992 Olympic silver medalist Wayne Ferreira. The final four players in the field, as well as the schedule of play in the round-robin event, will be announced in the near future.
Tickets for the event are available now and can be purchased by calling 877-332-TIXX. Ticket prices start at $12. Full ticket information can be found at www.championsseriestennis.com.
“We are excited to add Anna and Chanda to the roster of players in Charlotte as we continue to expand the entertainment options on the Outback Champions Series,” said Jon Venison, co-founding partner of InsideOut Sports & Entertainment and the Outback Champions Series. “One of the most frequent comments we hear from our fans is the desire to see their favorite female players play at our events. We are delighted to be able to provide this for our fans with the addition of these mixed doubles matches in Charlotte featuring Anna, Chanda and some of our Outback Champions Series players.”
Kournikova, from Russia, was ranked as high as No. 8 in the world in singles in 2000 and ranked No. 1 in the world in doubles in 1999. She won 16 career WTA Tour doubles titles, including two Australian doubles titles with Martina Hingis in 1999 and 2002. Known as one of the most popular tennis players in the world, Kournikova reached the singles semifinals at Wimbledon in 1997.
Rubin, from Lafayette, La., was ranked as high as No. 6 in the world in singles and won seven career WTA Tour singles titles and 10 career doubles titles, including the 1996 Australian Open with Arantxa Sanchez Vicario. Her best singles showing at a major tournament was also at the 1996 Australian Open, where she reached the semifinals, losing to eventual champion Monica Seles.
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, Jim Courier and others. To be eligible to compete on the Outback Champions Series, players must have reached at least a major singles final, been ranked in the top five in the world or played singles on a championship Davis Cup team.
The Outback Champions Series features eight events on its 2008 schedule, with its next event being the International Tennis Hall of Fame Champions Cup in Newport, R.I., August 13-17. Each event features an eight-man round-robin match format with the winner of each four-player division meeting in the title match while second place finishers in each division meet in the third-place match. Each event features $150,000 in prize money with an undefeated winner taking home $54,000 as well as Champions Series 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 three events in 2008, McEnroe and Courier are tied for the No. 1 position with 1600 points each. Wayne Ferreira is in third position with 950 points, followed by Aaron Krickstein and Todd Martin in fourth place with 900 points each.
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. The next five events on the 2008 Outback Champions Series calendar are stops in Newport, R.I., Charlotte, N.C., Dallas, Texas, Surprise, Ariz., and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 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