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Bob Bryan, Leylah Fernandez Win Champions Series Mixed Team Event at The Greenbrier

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Bob Bryan and Leylah Fernandez each won singles matches and paired for a mixed doubles victory to claim a 3-0 team victory over Sam Querrey and Ashley Harkleroad Saturday to win the Greenbrier Champions Tennis Classic at The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

Bryan, fresh off subbing for Mardy Fish as U.S. Davis Cup captain last week in Glasgow, Scotland, posted a 7-6 (3) win over Sam Querrey in the event’s opening one-set men’s singles match. Fernandez, the 2021 U.S. Open runner-up, then registered a 6-3 win over former star Ashley Harkleroad, a last-minute replacement for Danielle Collins, who was unable to play due to illness.

Bryan and Fermandez then defeated Querrey and Harkleroad 6-3 to close out the event.

Bryan and Querrey, former U.S. Davis Cup teammates, both did not lose serve in their set, but Bryan was able to nudge ahead in the tiebreaker. In his post-match on-court interview, Bryan credited a live arm, a high percentage of first serves and, jokingly, the support he received from some rowdy fans sitting courtside and coaching from a group of ladies in the stands for his win.

“It’s great to be playing singles,” said Bryan who won 16 majors doubles titles with twin brother Mike. “It’s great to be back here at The Greenbrier. It’s such a beautiful place. This is my third time here.”

Bryan actually ended his pro career at The Greenbrier in 2020, participating in the World Team Tennis season which was played entirely at the West Virginia resort during the COVID pandemic. While Bryan’s pro career ended at The Greenbrier, it marked a new beginning for Querrey, the 2017 Wimbledon semifinalist who ended his 16-year pro career at the 2022 U.S. Open.

“Sam just retired a couple weeks ago so hats off to him on a great career,” said Bryan. “We were Davis Cup teammates. I saw him win titles all over the world and I was always proud to be on the team with him.”

With the victory, Bryan and Fernandez split the first prize of $50,000 while Querrey and Harkleroad split the runner-up payout of 25,000.

For more information on Champions Series Tennis, go to www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com

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.

Bob Bryan, Leylah Fernandez, Ashley Harkleroad and Sam Querrey

Tommy Haas Continues Champions Series Tennis Dominance At The Greenbrier

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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 14th 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.

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.

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.

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.

ABOUT HORIZON MEDIA

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.