STARS
Wimbledon
Men’s Singles: Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer 6-4 6-4 6-7 (5) 6-7 (8) 9-7
Women’s Singles: Venus Williams beat Serena Williams 7-5 6-4
Men’s Doubles: Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic beat Jonas Bjorkman and Kevin Ullyett 7-6 (12) 6-7 (3) 6-3 6-3
Women’s Doubles: Venus and Serena Williams beat Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur 6-2 6-2
Mixed Doubles: Bob Bryan and Samantha Stosur beat Mike Bryan and Katarina Srebotnik 7-5 6-4
Boys Singles: Grigor Dimitrov beat Henri Kontinen 7-5 6-3
Girls Singles: Laura Robson beat Noppawan Lertcheewakarn 6-3 3-6 6-1
Boys Doubles: Hsieh Cheng-Peng and Yang Tsung-Hua beat Matt Reid and Bernard Tomic 6-4 2-6 12-10
Girls Doubles: Polona Hercoq and Jessica Moore beat Isabella Holland and Sally Peers 6-3 1-6 6-2
Ladies Invitational Doubles: Jana Novotna and Kathy Rinaldi beat Martina Navratilova and Helena Sukova 7-5 3-6 10-5 (match tiebreak)
Gentlemen’s Invitational Doubles: Donald Johnson and Jared Palmer beat Jacco Eltingh and Paul Haarhuis, walkover
Senior Gentlemen’s Doubles: Ken Flach and Robert Seguso beat Jeremy Bates and Anders Jarryd 7-6 (1) 6-7 (5) 10-7 (match tiebreak)
Wheelchair Masters: Robin Ammerlaan and Ronald Vink beat Stephane Houdet and Nicolas Peifer 6-7 (6) 6-1 6-3
Other Tournaments
Ivan Navarro defeated Dick Norman 6-7 (4) 6-3 7-6 (10) to capture the 2008 Open Diputacion in Pozoblanco, Spain
Luis Horna won the BSI Challenger Lugano, defeating Nicolas Devilder 7-6 (1) 6-1 in Lugano, Switzerland
Fabio Fognini beat Diego Junqueira 6-3 6-1 to win the Sporting Challenger 08 in Turin, Italy
Tathiana Garbin won the Cuneo 2008 ITF event in Cuneo, Italy, beating Sorana-Mihaela Cristea 6-3 6-1
SAYINGS
“I am very, very happy. For me it is a dream to play on this court. I had a lot of chances to win, but he always fight unbelievable.” – Rafael Nadal, after beating five-time champion Roger Federer to win the men’s singles.
“It’s tough, it’s tough, it hurts. Rafa really served well at the end. I missed so many opportunities. I paid the price in the end.” – Roger Federer.
“My first job is big sister. I take that job very seriously.” – Venus Williams, talking about family ties after beating sister Serena in the Wimbledon final.
“I’m so happy that at least one of us was able to win.” – Serena Williams, noting she and her sister Venus have won seven of the last nine Wimbledon women’s singles titles.
“I’m definitely more in tune with my sister’s feelings because one of us has to win and one has to lose. Of course the celebration isn’t as exciting because my sister has just lost.” – Venus Williams.
“They’re serving bombs.” – Svetlana Kuznetsova, referring to the big-serving games of both Williams sisters.
“His forehand was ridiculous. He hits the ball so close to the line, so hard, that it was difficult to get any rhythm. I felt rushed on every point.” – Andy Murray, after losing to Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals.
“To beat Federer you need to be Nadal and run around like a rabbit and hit winners from all over the place.” – Marat Safin.
“His forehand is incredible. The speed and spin is incredible, and the pop in his serve, there’s a life to it.” – John McEnroe, admitting he was stunned by the power of Rafael Nadal after he practiced with the Spaniard.
“It’s not over ’til the blonde lady screams.” – Mary Carillo on Elena Dementieva’s shrieking during her semifinal loss to Venus Williams.
“I was almost playing in the parking lot. I almost need a helicopter to go to my court.” – Jelena Jankovic, complaining about having to play on Court 18, where she lost.
“My husband warms up with me every time. He’s a good hitting partner, but maybe he needs to practice the serve more and serve like Serena. Then next time I will return much better.” – Zheng Jie, after Serena Williams fired 14 aces in her semifinal victory over the Chinese player.
“We have always aimed for singles gold, but Zheng Jie’s results have further bolstered our confidence in the Chinese tennis team.” – Xie Miqing, spokeswoman for the Chinese Tennis Federation, after Zheng reached the Wimbledon semifinals.
“I thought I was going to be sick when I walked onto court because there were so many people watching. In the second set I went a bit mad but got it back together and managed to win.” – Laura Robson, who became the first British player since 1984 to win the Wimbledon junior girls’ singles.
“It was my goal to make the Olympics this year, which is my last as a professional player. It will be my third participation after Atlanta and Athens and it’s my dream to end my career with an Olympic medal for Sweden.” – Jonas Bjorkman, after receiving an ITF Place in the Beijing Olympics tennis event.
“He is a wonderful role model for our young Canadiens, and I am so proud of his remarkable accomplishment today. His victory is an exclamation point on a Hall of a Fame career.” – Michael S. Downey, president and chief executive of Tennis Canada, talking about Daniel Nestor.
SPANISH KING
When Rafael Nadal unleashed a final ferocious forehand to end an epic battle, he became the first person since Bjorn Borg in 1980 to sweep both Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year. His 6-4 6-4 6-7 (5) 6-7 (8) 9-7 victory also stopped Roger Federer’s bid for a record sixth straight Wimbledon men’s singles title. The defeat snapped Federer’s 40 straight match streak at the All England Club and a record 65-match streak on grass. Nadal became the first Spaniard to win Wimbledon since Manolo Santana in 1966, two years before the Open Era began. And at 4 hours, 48 minutes, it was the longest men’s final in Wimbledon’s history.
SONG FOR ZHENG
The biggest surprise at this year’s Wimbledon was China’s Zheng Jie. She became the first female wild-card entrant to reach the semifinals at the All England Club and joined Monica Seles as the second at any Grand Slam tournament. Zheng beat three ranked players, including top-seeded Ana Ivanovic, the reigning French Open champion. Nicole Vaidisova in the quarterfinals was the only player to take a set off Zheng, and the Chinese righthander retaliated by winning the third set 6-1. Zheng wasn’t a complete surprise as she was ranked number 27 in the world in singles before she injured her ankle in 2007 and underwent surgery, ending her season. She won the gold at the Asian Games in 2006, beating Sania Mirza, and teamed with Yan Zi to win the doubles at the Austalian Open and Wimbledon the same year, her doubles ranking being as high as number three in the world.
SUN RISING IN EAST
Could the tennis power axis be shifting to the East – the Far East, that is? China’s Zheng Jie shocked the tennis world by knocking off top-seeded Ana Ivanovic, No. 15 Agnes Szavay and No. 18 Nicole Vaidisova on her way to the semifinals. Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand eliminated the number two seed, Jelena Jankovic. Another Thai, Noppawan Lertcheewakarn, reached the Girls’ singles final, while Taiwan’s Hsieh Cheng-Peng and Yang Tsung-Hua captured the boys’ doubles title, winning the decisive third set 12-10. Japan’s Ai Sugiyama was a quarterfinalist in the mixed doubles. Earlier this year 18-year-old Kei Nishikori became the first Japanese man to win an ATP event in almost 16 years when he upset James Black in the final of Delray Beach, Florida. And the center of the tennis world next month will be the Beijing Olympics.
SET FOR BEIJING
Nicolas Massu of Chile will be able to defend his gold medals in singles and doubles now that he has been added to the field of the Beijing Olympics tennis event. The ITF awarded places in the field to 12 players – six men and six women – who did not meet the direct acceptance requirements. Massu won both the singles and doubles at the Athens Games four years ago. Other ITF Places in the men’s singles went to Kevin Anderson, South Africa; Jonas Bjorkman, Sweden; Kei Nishikori, Japan; Max Mirnyi, Belarus; and Sun Peng, China. Given ITF Places in the women’s singles were Maria Koryttseva, Ukraine; Chan Yung-Jan, Taiwan; Ayumi Morita, Japan; Nuria Llagostera-Vives, Spain; Alicia Molik, Australia; and Selima Sfar, Tunisia.
SEE YOU IN BEIJING
Eighteen of the top 20 men and seven of the top ten women are scheduled to play in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. For both men and women, this is the strongest field to compete in the Olympics since tennis returned as a full medal sport in Seoul, South Korea, in 1988. Out of the top players, the only ones deciding to stay home are Andy Roddick, Richard Gasquet and Anna Chakvetadze. Fernando Verdasco and Marion Bartoli are both ineligible to compete. The Olympic tennis event will be played from Sunday, August 10, through Sunday, August 17, at the new Olympic Tennis Center in Beijing.
SUMMERTIME READING
More than 40 of the top tennis players took part in the ITF’s official tennis Olympic book, “Journey to Beijing – Tennis.” The 140-page publication features a series of photographs of the game’s top names dressed as athletes from other summer or winter Olympic sports. The pictures are accompanied by interviews with the players. The pictures were taken in Barcelona, Beijing, Dubai, Indian Wells, Los Angeles, Miami, Melbourne, Moscow, the Netherlands, Palm Beach, Santiago, Shanghai and Tel Aviv. Check out Serena Williams as an ice skater.
SURE ABOUT RETIRING?
Justine Henin hasn’t completely ruled out returning to tennis. The 26-year-old Belgian announced her retirement 10 days before the start of the French Open in May. At the time, she was ranked number one in the world. Henin, who is establishing a tennis academy in Belgium, said, “I can never say for sure that I’ll never be back because I hate to say never. But for me, and the people who know me, they know that when I do something, I do it 200 percent, and when I decide it’s over, it’s over and I go to the next step.”
SANDRA’S BACK
Austrian doubles player Sandra Klemenschits will return to the WTA Tour this month following her battle with abdominal cancer, the same illness that caused the death in April of her twin sister Daniela. Organizers of the Gastein Ladies awarded Klemenschits a wild card for their July 14-20 tournament in Bad Gastein, Austria. She will team up with Germany’s Marlene Weingaertner, who is making her comeback after a two-year retirement from competitive tennis. Sandra and Daniela Klemenschits played doubles on Austria’s Fed Cup team and won 23 titles on the ITF women’s circuit before both were diagnosed with a rare form of abdominal cancer.
STRONG PARTNERS
Jonas Bjorkman was on the losing side in his final Wimbledon’s men’s doubles championship match. He and Kevin Ullyett lost to Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic in the Swede’s last appearance at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club before he retires at the end f the season. Bjorkman’s partners in his winning 51 doubles titles – including eight at Grand Slam events – include Todd Woodbridge, John McEnroe, Pat Rafter and Roger Federer.
SETS RECORDS
When Daniel Nestor teamed up with Nenad Zimonjic to win the Wimbledon men’s doubles championship, he became the first Canadian to win a title at the All England Club. Nestor also completed a career doubles Grand Slam, adding to championships he won with Mark Knowles at the Australian Open in 2002, the U.S. Open in 2004 and the French Open in 2007. And he became just the fourth men’s player in the Open Era to win all four Grand Slams and an Olympic gold medal, joining Andre Agassi, Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde.
SISTERLY SUCCESS
After facing each other in the women’s singles final, sisters Venus and Serena Williams teamed up to win their third Wimbledon women’s doubles championship and seventh Grand Slam doubles title, beating Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur 6-2 6-2. The sisters last won the doubles at Wimbledon in 2002, the first of two straight years in which Serena beat Venus in the singles final. This year, Venus beat Serena for her fifth Wimbledon singles crown.
SINGLES WINNER
When Laura Robson beat third-seeded Noppawan Lertcheewakarn 6-3 3-6 6-1, she became the first British player to win the Wimbledon girls singles since Annabel Croft in 1984. Because of the interest in the 14-year-old’s match, the girls’ singles final was played in the 11,000-seat No. 1 court. She is the youngest girls’ champion at Wimbledon since Martina Hingis won in 1994 at the age of 13. When she was handed the trophy by Ann Jones, one of the British women to have won the Wimbledon ladies’ singles, Robson said she hopes she will be granted a wild card into the main draw of next year’s Championships.
STAYING HOME
Marcos Baghdatis has decided not play Davis Cup for Cyprus against Portugal later this month. Baghdatis, the 2006 Australian Open finalist, said he is pulling out of the upcoming Davis Cup tie because of other commitments, but said he was not be quitting the team indefinitely.
SAY WHAT?
The top-seeded brother team of Bob and Mike Bryan never lost serve during this year’s Wimbledon, yet they didn’t win the title. The American twins lost in the men’s doubles semifinals to the team of Jonas Bjorkman of Sweden and Kevin Ullyett of Zimbabwe 7-6 (3) 5-7 7-6 (5) 7-6 (9). Bob Bryan did win a Wimbledon title, teaming with Samantha Stosur to capture the mixed doubles. Mike Bryan was on the losing side of the net with Katarina Srebotnik.
SEEING IT ON TV
The battle between sisters Venus and Serena Williams drew the highest preliminary United States television ratings in three years for a Wimbledon women’s final. NBC said viewership was up 21 percent from last years’ meeting between Venus and Marion Bartoli and the best rating since 2005 when Venus beat Lindsay Davenport.
SPONSORSHIP
Ricoh, a global leader in digital office solutions, has extended its role as the Official Office Solutions Provider of the ATP for three additional years. The company will also sponsor the official ATP MatchFacts, distributed after every ATP Tour match and sponsorship of Hawkeye graphics at a number of ATP Masters Series events in Europe.
SHARED PERFORMANCES
Cordoba: Johan Brunstrom and Jean-Julien Rojer beat James Cerretani and Dick Norman 6-4 6-3
Lugano: Ramirez Junaid and Philipp Marx beat Mariano Hood and Eduardo Schwank 7-6 (7) 4-6 10-7 (match tiebreak)
Turin: Carlos Berlocq and Frederico Gil beat Tomas Cibulec and Jaroslav Levinsky 6-4 6-3
Cuneo: Maret Ani and Renata Voracova beat Olga Savchuk and Marina Shamayko 6-1 6-2
SITES TO SURF
Newport: www.tennisfame.com
Gstaad: www.swissopengstaad.com
Palermo: www.countrytimeclub.it
Budapest: www.gazdefrancegrandprix.com
Stuttgart: www.mercedescup.de
Bastad: www.tennisfame.com
Istanbul: www.tedclub.org.tr
Stanford: www.bankofthewestclassic.com
Bad Gastein: www.generali-ladies.at
Scheveningen: www.siemens-open.nl
TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK
(All money in USD)
ATP
$860,000 Mercedes Cup, Stuttgart, Germany, clay
$580,000 Allianz Suisse Open, Gstaad, Switzerland, clay
$566,000 Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, Newport, Rhode Island, grass
$480,000 Catella Swedish Open, Bastad, Sweden, clay
$125,000 Bogota Challenger, Bogota, Colombia, clay
$100,000 Siemens Open, Scheveningen, Netherlands, clay
WTA TOUR
$175,000 Gaz de France Grand Prix, Budapest, Hungary, clay
$145,000 Internazionali Femminili di Tennis di Palermo, Palermo, Italy, clay
SENIORS
Hall of Fame Champions Cup, Newport, Rhode Island, grass
TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK
ATP
$890,000 Austrian Open, Kitzbuhel, Austria, clay
$525,000 Indianapolis Tennis Championships, Indianapolis, Indiana, hard
$525,000 Dutch Open Tennis, Amersfoort, The Netherlands, clay
$525,000 ATP Studena Croatia Open, Umag, Croatia, clay
WTA
$600,000 Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, California, hard
$175,000 Gastein Ladies, Bad Gastein, Austria, clay
SENIORS
Turkcell Legends Cup, Istanbul, Turkey, hard
DAVIS CUP
(July 18-20)
Americas Zone
Group III: Aruba, Barbados, Cuba, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Panama, Puerto Rico at Tegucigalpa, Honduras, hard
Group IV: Bermuda, Costa Rica, Haiti, US Virgin Island at Honduras
Europe/Africa Zone
Group II Playoffs: Luxembourg vs. Finland at Hanko, Finland, clay; Hungary vs. Greece at Thessaloniki, Greece, clay
Group II Second Round: Denmark vs. South Africa at Johannesburg, South Africa, hard; Algeria vs. Monaco at Monte Carlo, Monaco, clay
Paul Haarhuis
McEnroe Finally Wins First Outback Champions Series Title
BOSTON, Mass., May 4 – John McEnroe won his first ever title on the Outback Champions Series at the $150,000 Champions Cup Boston Sunday, rallying from a set down to defeat fellow American Aaron Krickstein 5-7, 6-3, 10-5 (Champions Tie Break) in the championship match at the Agganis Arena. Playing in his 13th career event on the Outback Champions Series, the four-year-old global tennis circuit for champion tennis players age 30 and over, McEnroe earned $54,000 and 800 Champions Series points that enabled him to tie Jim Courier for the No. 1 spot in the Stanford Champions Rankings.
Courier won Sunday’s third-place match, defeating Wayne Ferreira of South Africa 6-4 6-2.
The 49-year-old McEnroe, who earlier this year said he would start to scale back his competitive tournament appearances, enjoyed an incredibly successful week in Boston, beating Courier 6-4, 6-4 on Thursday and handing seven-time Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras his first ever loss on the Outback Champions Series in a 2-6, 7-5, 10-4 (Champions Tie-Break) victory Friday night. His match with Krickstein Sunday was highlighted by many long rallies and strong play from the baseline. In the first set, Krickstein broke McEnroe at 5-5 and hit three aces on his serve to take the opening set. McEnroe took the second set with his aggressive net play and rode the momentum to victory in the Champions Tie Break.
“For my favorite fan base – 75-year old women – this proves to you that you can still be young at an advanced age,” said McEnroe, who previously lost Outback Champions Series singles finals in Boston in 2006, Newport, R.I., in 2007 and Naples, Fla., in 2008. “I’ve been playing for a couple of years with frustration and wondering if I was ever going to win again. If you had told me I would have to play Courier and Sampras, I thought I was screwed. Aaron was playing really well, but I found another gear in the tiebreaker. I knew I could win if I played the way I was capable of.”
Krickstein, 40, said that he wasn’t able to utilize his opportunities in the match.
“I didn’t take advantage of second serves,” said Krickstein, who was also seeking his first-ever Outback Champions Series tournament victory. “I thought John served extremely well in the second set. He got first serves when he needed it. I didn’t really have a lot of chances to break.”
In the third place match, Courier effectively used his serve and trademark flat forehand to dominate Ferreira throughout the match.
:”I really needed to play well to take Wayne out today,” said Courier. “We just played in the finals in Cayman Islands a few weeks ago, so I knew it would be a tough one. I played my best match of the week by a long shot. I was aggressive, I served well, and I felt good on the court. I couldn’t be happier with the way I played.”
Ferreira had high praise for Courier’s performance in the match.
“I thought Jim played very, very well,” said Ferreira. “I didn’t serve as well as I would have liked, but he came out firing. He was just better than me today.”
After three events on the eight-event schedule on the 2008 Outback Champions Series, Courier and McEnroe each have 1600 points, followed by Ferreria with 950 points in third place and Aaron Krickstein and Todd Martin with 900 points and Jimmy Arias with 700 points. Complete Stanford Champions Rankings can be found at www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com. The Stanford Champions Rankings determine the year-end champion on the Outback Champions Series and the winner of a $100,000 year-end bonus.
Founded in 2005, the Outback Champions Series features eight events where champion tennis players continue to exercise their competitive instincts in tournament formats. 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
RESULTS FOR THE 2008 CHAMPIONS CUP BOSTON
Wednesday, April 30
Wayne Ferreira, South Africa, def. Mikael Pernfors, Sweden, 6-2, 6-2
Aaron Krickstein, United States, def. MaliVai Washington, United States, 6-2, 6-2
Thursday, May 1
Pete Sampras, United States, def. Jimmy Arias, United States, 4-5, ret.
John McEnroe, United States, def. Jim Courier, United States, 6-4, 6-4
Friday, May 2
Aaron Krickstein, United States, def. Wayne Ferreira, South Africa, 5-7, 7-5, 10-8 (Champions Tie Break)
Mikael Pernfors, Sweden, def. Malivai Washington, United States, 6-3, 6-1
Jim Courier, United States, def. Jimmy Arias, United States, walkover.
John McEnroe, United States, def. Pete Sampras, United States, 2-6, 7-5, 10-4 (Champions Tie Break)
Saturday, May 3
Wayne Ferreira, South Africa, def. MaliVai Washington, United States, 6-3, 3-6, 11-9 (Champions Tie Break)
John McEnroe, United States, def. Jimmy Arias, United States, walkover.
Aaron Krickstein, United States, def. Mikael Pernfors, Sweden, 6-2, 6-3.
Jim Courier, United States, def. Pete Sampras, United States, walkover.
Sunday, May 4
Beginning at 2:30 pm
Jim Courier, United States, def. Wayne Ferreira, South Africa, 6-4, 6-2
John McEnroe, United States, def. Aaron Krickstein, United States, 5-7, 6-3, 10-5 (Champions Tie Break)
McEnroe and Krickstein Advance to Finals of the Champions Cup Boston
BOSTON, Mass., May 3 – John McEnroe will play Aaron Krickstein in Sunday’s final of the Champions Cup Boston – the third of eight events on the Outback Champions Series, the global tennis circuit for champion tennis players. Both McEnroe and Krickstein will be seeking their first career title on the four-year-old Outback Champion Series circuit at the Agganis Arena.
Krickstein advanced into the championship match with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Mikael Pernfors. Krickstein posted a 3-0 record in Group B of the tournament with wins over Pernfors, Wayne Ferreira and MaliVai Washington
McEnroe advanced into the championship match with round-robin match victories over both Jim Courier and Pete Sampras. McEnroe’s third and final round-robin match with Jimmy Arias scheduled for Saturday, was won by McEnroe in a walk-over – Arias unable to play due to a hamstring injury. McEnroe’s win over Sampras marked the first-ever loss for Sampras in four total Outback Champions Series tournament appearances. Sampras, however, was unable to continue play in the event following the loss to McEnroe, withdrawing from the event with a back injury before his final round-robin match with Jim Courier. Courier was awarded a walk-over win over Sampras on Saturday that advanced him into Sunday’s third-place match with Ferreira
Said Sampras, “I initially felt a twinge of pain in my opening match (Thursday night) versus Jimmy Arias and it worsened near the end of my match against John McEnroe (Friday night). I will be going for an MRI to get to the root of the problem and will begin rehabilitating the injury as soon as possible to ensure that I will be ready to play again in the near future. I look forward to coming back to Boston again next year to try to win the title.”
McEnroe said he felt confident going into Sunday’s final against Krickstein.
“This is the best I’ve played in a long time,” said McEnroe. “I haven’t won a tournament in a while. I feel like I have as good a chance as I’ve had in quite a while. If I play the way I’m capable of playing, I’m going to win.”
In Saturday night’s feature match, Krickstein used his big serve and forehand to overwhelm Pernfors throughout the match.
“I thought I played really well,” said Krickstein. “Mike is a tough competitor; he gets to a lot of balls. I felt like if I served well in the first set and got a jump on him, I’d be in good shape.”
Krickstein said that he was looking forward to the finals against McEnroe.
“John is a tough competitor,” said Krickstein. “I beat him a few times on the dirt, but never on hard court or indoors, so I’ve got my work cut out for me. He’s going to come in playing aggressive, so the keys for me are my first serve and returning well.”
Despite the loss, Pernfors was satisfied with his performance.
“I felt really good with how I was playing,” said Pernfors. “Every time I hit something good, he hit something better. I had to get closer to the line to get him out of position and I started missing.”
In the opening match of the day, Ferreira dominated the opening set against Washington before becoming unglued by Washington’s chip and charge strategy in the second set. In the Champions tie break, Ferreira effectively utilized heavy topspin forehands to take the match.
“I played pretty solid and didn’t miss as many balls as I did yesterday,” said Ferreira. “I was a little bit more consistent. Mal served so well in the second set, but he got a little bit tight on the first serve during the tiebreaker.”
Washington said that his tennis had improved with each match in the tournament.
“That was my third match of the year, my third match in four days,” said Washington. “My goal was to get a little better my second match and a little better in the third match. That was the way it progressed.”
Sunday’s order of play will kick off with the third place match between Courier and Ferreira, immediately followed by the championship match between McEnroe and Krickstein.
The Champions Cup Boston features $150,000 in prize money with an undefeated tournament 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.
Founded in 2005, the Outback Champions Series features eight events where champion tennis players continue to exercise their competitive instincts in tournament formats. 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
RESULTS AND SCHEDULE FOR 2008 CHAMPIONS CUP BOSTON
Wednesday, April 30
Wayne Ferreira, South Africa, def. Mikael Pernfors, Sweden, 6-2, 6-2
Aaron Krickstein, United States, def. MaliVai Washington, United States, 6-2, 6-2
Thursday, May 1
Pete Sampras, United States, def. Jimmy Arias, United States, 4-5, ret.
John McEnroe, United States, def. Jim Courier, United States, 6-4, 6-4
Friday, May 2
Aaron Krickstein, United States, def. Wayne Ferreira, South Africa, 5-7, 7-5, 10-8 (Champions Tie Break)
Mikael Pernfors, Sweden, def. Malivai Washington, United States, 6-3, 6-1
Jim Courier, United States, def. Jimmy Arias, United States, walkover.
John McEnroe, United States, def. Pete Sampras, United States, 2-6, 7-5, 10-4 (Champions Tie Break)
Saturday, May 3
Wayne Ferreira, South Africa, def. MaliVai Washington, United States, 6-3, 3-6, 11-9 (Champions tie break)
John McEnroe, United States, def. Jimmy Arias, United States, walkover.
Aaron Krickstein, United States, def. Mikael Pernfors, Sweden, 6-2, 6-3.
Jim Courier, United States, def. Pete Sampras, United States, walkover.
Sunday, May 4
Beginning at 2:30 pm
Jim Courier vs. Wayne Ferreira
Followed by
John McEnroe vs. Aaron Krickstein
McEnroe Holds off Sampras at the 2008 Champions Cup Boston
BOSTON, Mass., May 2, 2008 – John McEnroe of the United States continued to surprise fans at the $150,000 Champions Cup Boston with a 2-6, 7-5, 10-4 (Champions Tie Break) win over fellow American Pete Sampras at the Agganis Arena. In Friday afternoon’s opening match, Aaron Krickstein of the United States prevailed 5-7 7-5 10-8 (Champions Tie Break) over Wayne Ferreira of South Africa. Mikael Pernfors of Sweden defeated MaliVai Washington of the United States 6-3 6-1. Jim Courier of the United States also advanced when fellow American Jimmy Arias withdrew from the event due to a hamstring injury. The Champions Cup Boston, which runs through May 4, is the third of eight events on the 2008 Outback Champions Series, the global tennis circuit for champion tennis players age 30 and over.
McEnroe used his trademark fighting spirit to stay in the long rallies throughout the match, ultimately handing Sampras his first loss on the Outback Champions Series. The win also guarantees McEnroe a place in Sunday’s championship final.
“Pete gets you unnerved with you rhythm,” McEnroe said. “I played great yesterday and today I felt I was hanging on for dear life.”
Sampras had high praise for McEnroe’s performance during the match.
“All the credit to John,” Sampras said. “He really played great and hung in the second set. He hit some great shots and his serve was very tough to return.”
In the opening match of Friday’s day session, Ferreira served for the match against Krickstein at 6-5 in the second set, but Krickstein broke his serve and rode the momentum to victory in the Champions Tie Break.
“When it gets to the tiebreaker, it’s anyone’s game and I had some momentum heading into it,” Krickstein said. “Moving forward, I am going to need serve well on a more consistent basis.”
Ferreira was unavailable to reporters after the match.
In the second match of the day, Pernfors consistently hit winners off his forehand side and had a high percentage of points won at the net as he overwhelmed Washington throughout the match.
“I knew I had to win to have any chance to move on,” Pernfors said. “I felt the way I have been playing, if I could get on top of him it would give me a chance to win. I felt as good as I have in the last five months.”
Despite the loss, Washington felt he had made progress from his last match.
“I felt more comfortable than I did two days ago, although the score doesn’t indicate it,” Washngton said. “Mikael makes you work hard. You have to be able to overpower him and hit a few winners. If you don’t and he gets his racket on it, he can jerk the ball around the court. Right now I am at a disadvantage when I get long baseline rallies and have to try to defend.”
Arias withdrew from the tournament this afternoon due to a hamstring injury suffered in Thursday night’s match against Sampras, giving Courier a win by walkover. Justin Gimelstob of the United States stepped in to play an exhibition match against Courier before Sampras and McEnroe took the court. Gimelstob prevailed with a 6-7 7-6 10-8 (Champions Tie Break) win.
Saturday’s schedule is highlighted by fellow Americans Pete Sampras and Jim Courier facing off in the last match of the evening session. The winner of this match will also advance to the match for third place on Sunday. In the opening match of the evening session, Mikael Pernfors will play Aaron Krickstein. Krickstein is guaranteed a place in the championship match if he wins against Pernfors. The day session kicks off with Malivai Washington taking on Wayne Ferreira.
The Champions Cup Boston features $150,000 in prize money with an undefeated tournament 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.
Founded in 2005, the Outback Champions Series features eight events where champion tennis players continue to exercise their competitive instincts in tournament formats. 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
RESULTS AND SCHEDULE FOR 2008 CHAMPIONS CUP BOSTON
Wednesday, April 30
Wayne Ferreira, South Africa, def. Mikael Pernfors, Sweden, 6-2, 6-2
Aaron Krickstein, United States, def. MaliVai Washington, United States, 6-2, 6-2
Thursday, May 1
Beginning at 7:30 pm
Pete Sampras, United States, def. Jimmy Arias, United States, 4-5, ret.
John McEnroe, United States, def. Jim Courier, United States, 6-4, 6-4
Friday, May 2
Beginning at 2:30 pm
Aaron Krickstein, United States, def. Wayne Ferreira, South Africa, 5-7, 7-5, 10-8 (Champions Tie Break)
Followed by
Mikael Pernfors, Sweden, def. Malivai Washington, United States, 6-3, 6-1
Beginning at 7:30 pm
Jim Courier, United States, def. Jimmy Arias, United States, walkover.
Followed by
John McEnroe, United States, def. Pete Sampras, United States, 2-6, 7-5, 10-4 (Champions Tie Break)
Saturday, May 3
Beginning at 2:30 pm
MaliVai Washington 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
Courier Beats Ferreira For Grand Cayman Title
GRAND CAYMAN, April 20 – Jim Courier defeated Wayne Ferreira 7-6, (3), 7-6 (1) to win the singles title at the $150,000 The Residences at The Ritz Carlton, Grand Cayman Legends Championships, the second event on the 2008 Outback Champions Series tennis circuit. Courier’s victory, his first on the Outback Champions Series since 2006, earned him $54,000 and 800 Stanford Champions Rankings points that vaulted him to the No. 1 ranking on the global circuit for champion tennis player over the age of 30. Ferreira earned $32,000 for his runner-up showing and 600 Stanford Champions Rankings points.
In the third-place match Sunday, Jimmy Arias defeated Paul Haarhuis 7-6 (3), 2-6, 10-8 (Champions Tie Break). Arias entered the tournament having won only one career match on the Outback Champions Series, but won three matches for the week, including a round-robin win Thursday against John McEnroe, his first career victory over the three-time Wimbledon champion.
The title was Courier’s fourth Outback Champions Series tournament victory – to go with titles in Houston in 2005 and in Naples, Fla., and Charlotte, N.C. in 2006. His win over Ferreira avenged his loss to the South African in the final of the Stanford Championships in Dallas last October.
“It was a very physical match,” said Courier of the final, played in windy conditions on a clay court in the island paradise. “Yesterday (against John McEnroe) was difficult because John is a cutting player, but today against Wayne was more difficult physically and the emotions of the finals also weight on you.”
Both Courier and Ferreira said they relished the competitive nature of the Outback Champions Series, where prize money and ranking points are on the line in every match. Ferreira theorized that he is even more competitive than during his days on the ATP Tour.
“We are naturally not in the same shape that we once were so we have to try much harder,” said Ferreira. “We have all known each other’s careers and are honored to be on this tour and the bottom line is that we know we have to work harder for the win and we want the win.”
Said Courier, the French Open champion in 1991 and 1992, “It does become more competitive when there is money and a title on the line. We are competitors through and through. To be able to play at this level and in front of these fantastic crowds makes it beyond rewarding.”
The title moved Courier past Todd Martin into the No. 1 position on the Stanford Champions Rankings, that determine the year-end No. 1 player – and the winner of a $100,000 year-end bonus – on the Outback Champions Series. Courier now leads the rankings with 1200 points, followed by Martin, who won the season’s opening event last month in Naples, Fla., with 900 points. John McEnroe dropped from No. 2 to No. 3 in the rankings with 800 total points, while Ferreira and Arias are tied for fourth place with 600 points.
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. More information can be found at www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com.
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
ROUND ROBIN GROUP A
Jim Courier 3-0
Jimmy Arias 2-1
John McEnroe 1-2
Mats Wilander 0-3
ROUND ROBIN GROUP B
Wayne Ferreira 3-0
Paul Haarhuis 2-1
Todd Martin 1-2
Mikael Pernfors 0-3
WEDNESDAY RESULTS
Todd Martin, United States, def. Mikael Pernfors, Sweden, 7-6, (5), 6-7 (1), 10-7 (Champions Tie Break)
Wayne Ferreira, South Africa, def. Paul Haarhuis, Netherlands, 6-7 (3), 7-5, 10-3 (Champions Tie Break)
Jim Courier, United States, def. Mats Wilander, Sweden, 6-2, 6-0
THURSDAY RESULTS
Paul Haarhuis, Netherlands, def. Mikael Pernfors, Sweden, 6-3, 6-2
Wayne Ferreira, South Africa, def. Todd Martin, United States, 6-4, 7-6 (2)
Jimmy Arias, United States, def. John McEnroe, United States, 7-5, 6-2
FRIDAY RESULTS
Wayne Ferreira, South Africa, def. Mikael Pernfors, Sweden, 6-4, 6-3
Jim Courier, United States, def. Jimmy Arias, United States, 7-6 (5), 6-4
John McEnroe, United States, def. Mats Wilander, Sweden, 6-4, 6-2
SATURDAY RESULTS
Jimmy Arias, United States, def. Mats Wilander, Sweden, 6-1, ret.
Jim Courier, United States, def. John McEnroe, United States, 6-4, 3-6, 10-4 (Champions Tie-Break)
Paul Haarhuis, Netherlands, def. Todd Martin, United States (walk-over, Martin back injury)
SUNDAY RESULTS
Championship Match
Jim Courier, United States, def. Wayne Ferreira, South Africa, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (1)
Third Place Match
Jimmy Arias, United States, def. Paul Haarhuis, Netherlands, 7-6 (3), 2-6, 10-8 (Champions Tie-Break)
2008 STANFORD CHAMPIONS RANKINGS
(Through Two Events)
1. Jim Courier (USA) 1200 points
2. Todd Martin (USA) 900 points
3. John McEnroe (USA) 800 points
4. Jimmy Arias (USA) 600 points
Wayne Ferreira (RSA)
6. Mikael Pernfors (SWE) 350 points
Paul Haarhuis (NED)
8. Aaron Krickstein (USA) 300 points
9. Magnus Larsson (SWE) 200 points
10 .Anders Jarryd (SWE) 100 points
Mats Wilander (SWE)
Courier Beats McEnroe To Reach Grand Cayman Final
GRAND CAYMAN, April 19 – Jim Courier defeated John McEnroe 6-4, 3-6, 10-4 (Champions Tie-Break) Saturday to advance into the final of $150,000 The Residences at The Ritz Carlton, Grand Cayman Legends Championships, the second event on the 2008 Outback Champions Series tennis circuit. Courier will face South Africa’s Wayne Ferreira in the final with the winner earning $54,000 and 800 Stanford Champions Rankings points that determine the year-end No. 1 player – and the winner of a $100,000 year-end bonus – on the Outback Champions Series.
Courier and Ferreira advanced to the final by virtue of undefeated 3-0 records in their respective round-robin groups. Ferreira clinched his berth in the final Friday, finishing his round-robin play with a win over Mikael Pernfors – after beating Paul Haarhuis and Todd Martin in his first two matches. In addition to his win over McEnroe, Courier defeated Mats Wilander on Wednesday and Jimmy Arias on Friday to win his round-robin grouping.
Ferreira will be seeking his fourth Outback Champions Series title of his career Sunday in his fifth career Outback final. He previously won titles in Houston in 2006, and Naples and Dallas in 2007 – his win in Dallas coming at the expense of Courier, who he beat in the final. Courier’s win over McEnroe advanced him into his sixth career Outback Champions Series final. He will be seeking his fourth title to go with wins in Houston in 2005, and Naples and Charlotte in 2006.
“I’m going to need to play well tomorrow,” said Courier. “I’m playing against one of our tour’s best players.I expect the match to be very difficult but hopefully I’ll come out on top because I really don’t get tired of winning.”
Against the 49-year-old McEnroe, Courier encountered his most difficult match of the tournament as McEnroe’s deft touch and volleying prowess enabled him to force Courier into a Champions Tie-break (played in lieu of a third set) on a surface where Courier won two French Open titles in 1991 and 1992.
“John really pushed me out there,” said Courier. “It was a lot of fun. I like being tested. I like being pushed.I feel like I raised my game at the end when I needed it most. I played a really good Champions tie-break to get in there.”
Said McEnroe, “It would have been better if I’d won, but I think I played well. That’s half the battle.If I play well and a guy outplays me, I can live with that a lot easier than if I beat myself. So I felt like he beat me. And I picked up my game in the second. It comes down to a bit of a roll of the dice, but out of those 10 points, he must have hit eight or nine winners so, I mean, it’s not like I gave it to him, but he’s too good.”
Arias and Haarhuis advanced into the third place match without breaking much of a sweat on Saturday. Arias benefited from Wilander’s bad back not allowing him to continue playing after Arias won the first set 6-1.Martin’s ailing back prevented him from even taking the court Saturday against Haarhuis, with the Dutchman being awarded a walk-over victory.
The Residences at the Ritz Carlton, Grand Cayman Legends Championships, features an eight-man round-robin match format with the winner of each four-player division meeting in the title match while second place finishers in each division meet in the third-place match. The event features $150,000 in prize money with an undefeated winner taking home $54,000 as well as Stanford Champions ranking points that will determine the year-end champion and the winner of a $100,000 bonus. More information – including ticket information – is available by visiting http://www.championsseriestennis.com
About The Outback Champions Series
Founded in 2005, the Outback Champions Series features eight events where champion tennis players continue to exercise their competitive instincts in tournament formats that feature prize money and Champions Series ranking points that determine a year-end No. 1 player on the Stanford Champions Rankings. To be eligible to compete on the Outback Champions Series, players must have either; reached a Grand Slam singles final, been ranked in the top five in the world or played singles on a championship Davis Cup team. Each event also has the right to choose a “wild card” entrant.
About InsideOut Sports & Entertainment
InsideOut Sports & Entertainment is a New York City-based independent producer of proprietary events and promotions founded in 2004 by former world No. 1 and Hall of Fame tennis player Jim Courier and former SFX and Clear Channel executive Jon Venison. In 2005, InsideOut launched its signature property, the Outback Champions Series, a collection of tennis events featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30. In addition, InsideOut produces many other successful events including one-night “Legendary Night” exhibitions as well as corporate outings, charity events and tennis fantasy camps, including the annual Ultimate Fantasy Camp.For more information, please log on to www.InsideOutSE.com or www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com
ROUND ROBIN GROUP A
Jim Courier 3-0
Jimmy Arias 2-1
John McEnroe 1-2
Mats Wilander 0-3
ROUND ROBIN GROUP B
Wayne Ferreira 3-0
Paul Haarhuis 2-1
Todd Martin 1-2
Mikael Pernfors 0-3
WEDNESDAY RESULTS
Todd Martin, United States, def. Mikael Pernfors, Sweden, 7-6, (5), 6-7 (1), 10-7 (Champions Tie Break)
Wayne Ferreira, South Africa, def. Paul Haarhuis, Netherlands, 6-7 (3), 7-5, 10-3 (Champions Tie Break)
Jim Courier, United States, def. Mats Wilander, Sweden, 6-2, 6-0
THURSDAY RESULTS
Paul Haarhuis, Netherlands, def. Mikael Pernfors, Sweden, 6-3, 6-2
Wayne Ferreira, South Africa, def. Todd Martin, United States, 6-4, 7-6 (2)
Jimmy Arias, United States, def. John McEnroe, United States, 7-5, 6-2
FRIDAY RESULTS
Wayne Ferreira, South Africa, def. Mikael Pernfors, Sweden, 6-4, 6-3
Jim Courier, United States, def. Jimmy Arias, United States, 7-6 (5), 6-4
John McEnroe, United States, def. Mats Wilander, Sweden, 6-4, 6-2
SATURDAY RESULTS
Jimmy Arias, United States, def. Mats Wilander, Sweden, 6-1, ret.
Jim Courier, United States, def. John McEnroe, United States, 6-4, 3-6, 10-4 (Champions Tie-Break)
Paul Haarhuis, Netherlands, def. Todd Martin, United States (walk-over, Martin back injury)
SUNDAY SCHEDULE
Jimmy Arias vs. Paul Haarhuis (Third-Place)
Jim Courier vs. Wayne Ferreira (Championship Match)
Ferreira Clinches Final Round Berth In Grand Cayman
GRAND CAYMAN, April 18 – Wayne Ferreira defeated Mikael Pernfors 6-4, 6-3 Friday at The Residences at The Ritz Carlton, Grand Cayman Legends Championships to clinch a final-round berth in the year’s second tournament on the Outback Champions Series, a collection of tennis events around the world featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30. Ferreira finished with a 3-0 record in round-robin play and will face either Jim Courier, John McEnroe or Jimmy Arias in Sunday’s final.
Courier improved to a 2-0 record in Group A with a 7-6 (5), 6-4 win over Jimmy Arias on Friday. McEnroe also remained in contention for the title Friday, beating Mats Wilander 6-4, 6-2 to even his record at 1-1. Courier controls his own destiny in his grouping as he will need to beat McEnroe on Saturday to finish with a 3-0 round-robin record to advance into the final to play Ferreira.
Ferreira successfully battled in the windy conditions against Pernfors at the Caribbean island paradise to advance into his fifth career singles final on the Outback Champions Series.
“I kind of feel like I’m getting a little used to the wind, but it’s very, very difficult,” said Ferreira. “The conditions are tough. You can only
prepare as well as you can.”
Ferreira will be seeking his fourth Outback Champions Series title of his career on Sunday. His last Outback Champions Series title came last October in Dallas at The Stanford Championships, where he defeated Courier in the championship match. Courier is eagerly anticipating his Saturday match-up with McEnroe, where a win would advance him into his sixth career Outback Champions Series final.
“I just relish that opportunity to play John,” said Courier. “He’s such a great champion and a great challenge. He presents a different look than
almost any player out there. He’s left-handed. He plays a very different style of game with his serve-and-volley and his slices and touch and feel. So I think it will be a very interesting match-up. We’re very much an oil-and-water match-up. I’m a right-handed power player. He’s a left-handed finesse player so I think those matches tend to be pretty interesting to the spectators.”
One day after his stunning upset of McEnroe, Arias said his level of play did not change much against Courier. However, not being able to win the key points and a slight lapse in his conditioning were the reasons he gave for his loss.
“It’s still the same tough conditions,” said Arias. “It’s just a matter of a few points in both matches. I could have lost to McEnroe and I actually
could have won today, which is pretty good for me to be able to play (Courier) that close, to tell you the truth, because he’s stronger, younger
and pretty talented. I actually felt like I had a lot of chances, but I still have to get in better shape because after the first set, I started fading physically. I think he sensed that and sort of stepped it up a little.”
The Residences at the Ritz Carlton, Grand Cayman Legends Championships, features an eight-man round-robin match format with the winner of each four-player division meeting in the title match while second place finishers in each division meet in the third-place match. The event features $150,000 in prize money with an undefeated winner taking home $54,000 as well as Stanford Champions ranking points that will determine the year-end champion and the winner of a $100,000 bonus. More information – including ticket information – is available by visiting http://www.championsseriestennis.com/
About The Outback Champions Series
Founded in 2005, the Outback Champions Series features eight events where champion tennis players continue to exercise their competitive instincts in tournament formats that feature prize money and Champions Series ranking points that determine a year-end No. 1 player on the Stanford Champions Rankings. To be eligible to compete on the Outback Champions Series, players must have either; reached a Grand Slam singles final, been ranked in the top five in the world or played singles on a championship Davis Cup team. Each event also has the right to choose a “wild card” entrant.
About InsideOut Sports & Entertainment
InsideOut Sports & Entertainment is a New York City-based independent producer of proprietary events and promotions founded in 2004 by former world No. 1 and Hall of Fame tennis player Jim Courier and former SFX and Clear Channel executive Jon Venison. In 2005, InsideOut launched its signature property, the Outback Champions Series, a collection of tennis events featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30. In addition, InsideOut produces many other successful events including one-night “Legendary Night” exhibitions as well as corporate outings, charity events and tennis fantasy camps, including the annual Ultimate Fantasy Camp. For more information, please log on to www.InsideOutSE.com or www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com
ROUND ROBIN GROUP A
Jim Courier 2-0
Jimmy Arias 1-1
John McEnroe 1-1
Mats Wilander 0-2
ROUND ROBIN GROUP B
Wayne Ferreira 3-0
Todd Martin 1-1
Paul Haarhuis 1-1
Mikael Pernfors 0-3
WEDNESDAY RESULTS
Todd Martin, United States, def. Mikael Pernfors, Sweden, 7-6, (5), 6-7 (1), 10-7 (Champions Tie Break)
Wayne Ferreira, South Africa, def. Paul Haarhuis, Netherlands, 6-7 (3), 7-5, 10-3 (Champions Tie Break)
Jim Courier, United States, def. Mats Wilander, Sweden, 6-2, 6-0
THURSDAY RESULTS
Paul Haarhuis, Netherlands, def. Mikael Pernfors, Sweden, 6-3, 6-2
Wayne Ferreira, South Africa, def. Todd Martin, United States, 6-4, 7-6 (2)
Jimmy Arias, United States, def. John McEnroe, United States, 7-5, 6-2
FRIDAY RESULTS
Wayne Ferreira, South Africa, def. Mikael Pernfors, Sweden, 6-4, 6-3
Jim Courier, United States, def. Jimmy Arias, United States, 7-6 (5), 6-4
John McEnroe, United States, def. Mats Wilander, Sweden, 6-4, 6-2
SATURDAY SCHEDULE
Jimmy Arias vs. Mats Wilander
Jim Courier vs. John McEnroe
Todd Martin vs. Paul Haarhuis
Wilander, Pernfors and Haarhuis Complete Field for the Residence at the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman Legends Championships
NEW YORK, N.Y., March 25, 2008 – InsideOut Sports & Entertainment today announced that Mats Wilander, Mikael Pernfors and Paul Haarhuis will complete the eight-player field at The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman Legends Championships to be played April 16-20. InsideOut also announced the match schedule for the clay-court event, one of the two new events on the 2008 Outback Champions Series tennis circuit. Wilander joins fellow world No. 1 players John McEnroe and Jim Courier as well as former U.S. Davis Cup standout Jimmy Arias in Group A, while Haarhuis and Pernfors are in Group B along with Todd Martin, the year-end No. 1 in the 2007 Stanford Champions Rankings, and Olympic silver medalist Wayne Ferreira.
The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman Legends Championships is the second of eight events on the 2008 Outback Champions Series, a collection of tennis events 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 877-322-TIXX (8499) or 954-241-7936 or at www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com. VIP hotel and ticket packages are also available, including access to clinics with the players.
“When you combine the high level competitive tennis from the legends of the sport with the paradise and luxury of The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman, you have all the ingredients necessary for a gem of a sporting event,” said Jon Venison, co-founding partner of InsideOut Sport & Entertainment and the Outback Champions Series. “We are all greatly anticipating bringing the Outback Champions Series to the Caribbean and staging what will be one of the most prestigious tennis events ever in the region.”
The full schedule of play is as follows;
SCHEDULE FOR 2008 THE RESIDENCES AT THE RITZ-CARLTON, GRAND CAYMAN LEGENDS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Wednesday, April 16
Beginning at 12:30 pm
Todd Martin vs. Mikael Pernfors
Followed by
Wayne Ferreira vs. Paul Haarhuis
Followed by
Jim Courier vs. Mats Wilander
Thursday, April 17
Beginning at 12:30 pm
Paul Haarhuis vs. Mikael Pernfors
Followed by
Todd Martin vs. Wayne Ferreira
Followed by
John McEnroe vs. Jimmy Arias
Friday, April 18
Beginning at 12:30 pm
Wayne Ferreira vs. Mikael Pernfors
Followed by
Jim Courier vs. Jimmy Arias
Followed by
Mats Wilander vs. John McEnroe
Saturday, April 19
Beginning at 12:30 pm
Jimmy Arias vs. Mats Wilander
Followed by
Jim Courier vs. John McEnroe
Followed by
Todd Martin vs. Paul Haarhuis
Sunday, April 20
Beginning at 12:30 pm
Third-place Match
Followed by
Championship Match
Wilander won seven career major singles titles, including three French Open titles (1982, 1985, 1988) and thee Australian Open titles (1983, 1984, 1988). In 1988, he completed one of the greatest years in the history of tennis at the US Open, where he defeated Ivan Lendl in a five-set final for his third of four Grand Slam tournament titles for the year and the No. 1 ranking for the first time in his career. Wilander won 33 career singles titles during his career and helped Sweden to the Davis Cup title in 1984, 1985 and 1987.
Pernfors, who finished in fourth place in the first event on the 2008 Outback Champions Series in Naples, Fla., is best known for his run to the singles final at the 1986 French Open, where he defeated Stefan Edberg and Boris Becker before losing to Ivan Lendl in the final. He won three ATP singles titles including the Canadian Open in 1993 where he came from 2-5 down in the third set to defeat Martin in the final. Pernfors helped Sweden to the Davis Cup final in 1986 and won back-to-back NCAA singles titles for the University of Georgia in 1984 and 1985.
Haarhuis, a former world No. 1 doubles player and a wild-card entry into the event, will be appearing in his second Outback Champions Series event after winning the title in Dubai last year, defeating Courier in the final. A quarterfinalist at the 1991 US Open, Haarhuis won a career Grand Slam in doubles (six total Grand Slam men’s doubles titles) including Wimbledon in 1998 and the US Open in 1994.
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