2013/05/22

Querrey Captures Third Los Angeles Title

Sam Querrey has joined the ranks of Andre Agassi, Arthur Ashe and Jimmy Connors in winning his third title at the Farmers Classic in Los Angeles. On Sunday Querrey stopped first-time finalist Ricardas Berankis 6-0, 6-2 to extend his win streak in Los Angeles to 13.

“I feel like I always play well here,” said Querrey. “I grew up kind of playing around this area and I’m really comfortable out there on the courts. It’s fun to play in front of my friends and family. It all came together this week, and especially today.”

“I was nervous in the first set, that’s for sure. I didn’t play as I would like to play,” said Berankis. “In the second set, a couple of games, here and there, I loosened up a little bit. The crowd helped me. The crowd was great and I really enjoyed it. I was trying to stay focused and trying to do my best.”

Berankis had a career week as the first Lithuanian-born player to reach an ATP World Tour final.

Querrey’s win puts him in a first place tie in the Emirates US Open Series with Andy Roddick.

“I’m hoping I can just keep this up and play well the entire summer and keep going,” Querrey  said. “I’ve got Washington D.C. next week, so I’m just trying to continue to ride the train and hopefully play well all the way through the US Open.

“I’d love to be seeded at the Open, that’s one of my goals. I’m going to be pretty close after this week so hopefully with a few more good weeks I can make it into the Top 32 and be seeded there. And I’d love to get back into the Top 20, where I was a year-and-a-half ago, so that’s my big goal right now.”

The 24 year old is projected to move into the top 40 when the next rankings come out.

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Podcasts – John McEnroe and Andre Agassi Face-off in World TeamTennis

RANDALL’S ISLAND, NEW YORK CITY – (July 19, 2012) -  NY Sportimes John McEnroe lost to Andre Agassi representing the Boston Lobsters in the men’s singles in World TeamTennis on Thursday night.

Agassi edged McEnroe in a 5-4 tiebreak. In the mixed doubles, McEnroe and Hingis teamed to stop Agassi and Gullickson-Eagle 5-3.

The NY Sportimes defeated the Lobsters 22-18 World TeamTennis.

Proceeds from the match benefited the Johnny Mac Tennis Project, McEnroe’s not-for-profit foundation to provide scholarships, coaching, transportation and other financial assistance to qualified young tennis players in the greater New York area.

Listen to the post-match on-court interviews where both men talk about competing and other tennis topics:

John McEnroe of NYSportimes- Post-Match on-court interview 7192012 World Team Tennis at Randall’s Island

 

Andre Agassi of Boston Lobsters-Post-Match On-Court interview 719201 World TeamTennis at Randall’s Island

 

 

Pre-Match News Conf with John McEnroe NYSportimes vs Andre Agassi Boston Lobsters [ 14:33 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
John McEnroe Post-Match WTT on court interview on 7-19-2012 [ 1:39 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Andre Agassi Post-Match WTT on court interview on 7-19-2012 [ 2:34 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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NY Sportimes Bounce Boston Lobsters, 22-18, In World TeamTennis

Martina Hingis photo by Fred Mullane

NEW YORK – On a night full of Marquee players, Martina Hingis stood tallest, winning her singles, doubles and mixed doubles matches to lead the NY Sportimes to a 22-18 World TeamTennis victory over the Boston Lobsters Thursday at Sportime Randall’s Island.

Boston’s doubles team of Jan-Michael Gambill and Eric Butorac topped Robert Kendrick and Jesse Witten, 5-3, to give the Lobsters the early lead. Hingis and Ashley Harkleroad moved the Sportimes ahead with a 5-1 victory over Irina Falconi and Carly Gullickson-Eagle for an 8-6 N.Y. edge.

In the singles matchup of Marquee Players, Andre Agassi of the Lobsters (3-5) edged John McEnroe in a 5-4 tiebreak. Then in mixed doubles, McEnroe and Hingis teamed to upend Agassi and Gullickson-Eagle, 5-3, for a 17-14 New York advantage.

The match came down to the women’s singles event, and Hingis was again up to the task, defeating Falconi, 5-4, for the final margin.

Proceeds from tonight’s match benefit the Johnny Mac Tennis Project, McEnroe’s not-for-profit foundation to provide scholarships, coaching, transportation and other financial assistance to qualified young tennis players in the greater New York area.

The Sportimes (5-2) next visit the Philadelphia Freedoms on Friday. Boston is off until Sunday, when they host the Sportimes at Ferncroft Country Club.

World TeamTennis
NY Sportimes 22, Boston Lobsters 18
Men’s Doubles – Jan-Michael Gambill/Eric Butorac (Lobsters) def. Robert Kendrick/Jesse Witten, 5-3
Women’s Doubles – Ashley Harkleroad/Martina Hingis (Sportimes) def. Irina Falconi/Carly Gullickson-Eagle, 5-1
Men’s Singles – Andre Agassi (Lobsters) def. John McEnroe, 5-4
Mixed Doubles – Hingis/McEnroe (Sportimes) def. Agassi/Gullickson-Eagle, 5-3
Women’s Singles – Hingis (Sportimes) def. Falconi, 5-4

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Champions Series Tennis Circuit renamed PowerShares Series

InsideOut Sports + Entertainment announced on Friday that the Champions Series tennis circuit has been renamed the PowerShares Series. As the marketing agent for PowerShares QQQ Trust, an ETF based on the NASDAQ 100 index, Invesco PowerShares signed a multi-year agreement in 2011 to become the title sponsor of the InsideOut owned tennis tour.

 

The PowerShares Series will feature Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Jim Courier and other Grand Slam winners competing in twelve one-night tournaments across the United States this fall. Each PowerShares Series tournament will showcase four of the legendary players playing in two, 1-set semifinals followed by a 1-set championship match.

 

The champions will compete for a prize pool totaling $1 million to be shared by the top three finishers at the conclusion of the season. Pete Sampras finished the 2011 season as the #1 ranked player, followed by Jim Courier and Andre Agassi.

 

Event details, including ticket information, player fields, dates and venues, will be announced this summer.

 

“We look forward to a fantastic season of PowerShares Series tennis,” said Jon Venison, founding partner of InsideOut Sports + Entertainment. “With legendary players competing across the United States this fall, PowerShares Series events will bring top flight tournament tennis and star power to the greatest sporting arenas in the country.”

 

“The name change to PowerShares Series tennis reflects our ongoing support for this highly successful tour which has garnered valuable exposure for PowerShares QQQ,” said Jason Schoepke, Chief Marketing Officer at Invesco PowerShares. “We are confident the 2012 PowerShares Series tennis circuit will continue to advance the PowerShares brand with our core audiences and look forward to this year’s events.”

 

The PowerShares Series is a tennis circuit for champion tennis players over the age of 30, created in 2005 by InsideOut Sports + Entertainment, the New York based firm which is co-owned and operated by former SFX executive Jon Venison and former world No. 1 Jim Courier.

 

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Agassi, Graf, Roddick to Headline WTT Smash Hits on October 16

 

Pittsburgh, Pa. (June 25, 2012) — Longtime friends Sir Elton John and Billie Jean King are bringing their annual charity night of tennis, Mylan World TeamTennis (WTT) Smash Hits presented by GEICO, to Pittsburgh for the first time in the event’s 20-year history. Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl joined WTT CEO/Commissioner Ilana Kloss and Mylan CEO Heather Bresch at Pittsburgh City Hall this afternoon to announce the event, which will raise funds for the fight against HIV and AIDS.

Tennis greats Andre Agassi, Stefanie Graf, and Andy Roddick will join other top players for Mylan WTT Smash Hits on Tuesday, Oct. 16, at the Petersen Events Center. Tickets for the one-night event go on sale Monday, July 16, at 10 a.m. Eastern.

Mylan, a global pharmaceutical company based in the Pittsburgh area, has signed on as the title sponsor of this special 20th anniversary celebration of one of tennis’ longest-running and most successful charity events. Mylan will also be an official sponsor of the WTT Pro League, the innovative coed professional tennis league co-founded by Billie Jean King.

Smash Hits has raised more than $10.5 million for the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) and various local AIDS charities since 1993. This year’s event will benefit EJAF and the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force. The funds raised at the pre-match VIP Reception and Auction hosted by Allegheny Sports Medicine will be specifically targeted for local programs.

“As we celebrate our 20th anniversary of Smash Hits, we couldn’t ask for a better partner than Mylan, whose leadership work in the AIDS arena has continued to make such a positive difference on a global basis,” said WTT co-founder Billie Jean King. “Together, we will continue to use all our assets to expand awareness and ensure as many people as possible have access to affordable drugs to treat HIV/AIDS.”

“Mylan is honored to be sponsoring the 20th Annual Smash Hits event in Pittsburgh, as well as the WTT Pro League,” said Heather Bresch, CEO of Mylan Inc. “Mylan’s mission is to provide the world’s 7 billion people with access to high quality medicine. As one of the world’s leading providers of affordable antiretroviral medicines used to treat HIV/AIDS, Mylan has a long history of taking an active role in the fight against this disease. In fact, one in three people in the developing world being treated for HIV/AIDS depends on a Mylan product. We strongly support the missions of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force and World TeamTennis and share in their passionate commitment to reducing the incidence of HIV/AIDS in the U.S. and around the world.”

“We’re really excited to host this world-renowned event in Pittsburgh and bring light to such an important issue,” Ravenstahl said. “The generous support of companies such as Mylan and Highmark takes our City’s history of neighbors-helping-neighbors to a global level, enabling us to have a greater impact while still helping local residents in need.”

“It is always such a great pleasure to co-host this wonderful event with my dear friend Billie Jean King,” said Sir Elton John. “I’m so pleased that we will be teaming up with the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force to raise awareness about the continuing challenges of the HIV/AIDS epidemic both locally and nationally and to raise urgently needed dollars for community-based HIV prevention, education, treatment, and care services. I urge all of the tennis fans and concerned citizens in the Greater Pittsburgh area to support this event and bring their families for a wonderful evening of tennis for a great cause.”

Captained by King and John, the players will form two teams and play five sets of World TeamTennis (WTT) – one set each of men’s and women’s singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. The music legend is expected to participate in a celebrity doubles match to open the event. Additional participants will be announced in the upcoming weeks.

Pittsburgh also served as home to one of the WTT Pro League’s first teams, the 1975 WTT Champion Pittsburgh Triangles, a storied franchise led by tennis greats Vitas Gerulaitis and Evonne Goolagong.

Tickets for Mylan WTT Smash Hits go on sale at 10 a.m. Eastern on Monday, July 16. Corner reserved seats are $40; premium reserved seats are $75; and courtside seats are $125. Order tickets through www.wttsmashhits.com or ticketmaster.com. For group sales of 10 or more tickets, call 412-924-8270.

Special VIP ticket packages, including VIP courtside seating and admission to the VIP Reception and Auction, will also be available for $500. John, King and all players will participate in the pre-match live auction, which will include an Elton John signed piano bench and King’s Wimbledon tickets among other items. To buy VIP ticket packages or for more information, call 412-924-8270.

This will be 12th Smash Hits appearance for Agassi. The 8-time Grand Slam singles champion and former world No. 1 is well-known for his philanthropy, which includes starting the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy in Las Vegas. Agassi was inducted into The International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2011.

This is the second Smash Hits appearance for Graf, a fellow Hall of Famer. Graf has long been considered one of the greatest players in tennis history, winning 107 singles titles, 22 Grand Slam singles championships, and an Olympic gold medal before retiring in 1999. Graf and her husband Andre Agassi have two children, daughter Jaz and son Jaden.

Roddick, who is playing in his 8th Smash Hits event, is a former world No. 1 and continues to be one of the most popular and successful players on the ATP Tour. The 29-year-old American has won 30 singles titles, including the 2003 US Open and has been ranked in the top 10 for nine consecutive years. In 2001, Roddick started the Andy Roddick Foundation (ARF), a charity dedicated to improving the quality of life and enhancing educational and economic opportunities for all children based on the principles of respect for family, education and morality.

Official event sponsors include Mylan, GEICO, Highmark, Allegheny Sports Medicine, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Pittsburgh Magazine.

For more information on WTT Smash Hits, visit www.wttsmashhits.com.

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Open Tryouts at John McEnroe Tennis Academy July 21

New York, June 11, 2012 – Days after its top junior player, Noah Rubin, reached the quarterfinals of the 2012 French Open junior event, the John McEnroe Tennis Academy announced that it will hold its second-ever open tryout day for young tennis players interested in joining the program, with participants eligible to earn full and partial scholarships. Now expanding, with annexes on Long Island and in Westchester to open in September 2012, the JMTA continues to draw a wide range of talented young people from all walks of life who are interested in learning tennis from its Hall of Fame namesake and from the elite team of JMTA coaches that have been assembled. The third annual session of the Academy will begin this September.

“The Academy is all about giving young people, some of whom may not have had a chance to excel at tennis, an opportunity to do so, in an environment that encourages a balanced lifestyle, and we are proud to be able to offer talented players the chance to join us,” McEnroe said. “The New York area has some of the greatest young people in the world playing a whole myriad of sports, and we aim to give some of those young athletes the chance to embrace tennis and to help us grow the game. It is very exciting to be able to provide the opportunity. I look forward to being there and helping in the process.”

The day-long tryout will be held at the JMTA Flagship location, Sportime Randall’s Island, on Saturday, July 21. Young players between the ages of 8 and 14 will get a chance to work out for JMTA coaches.  McEnroe will be on hand that day to observe and evaluate the players, and winners will be offered an opportunity to receive scholarships for a year of training at the JMTA. The tryout day will begin with registration at 8 a.m., and is scheduled to conclude by 3 p.m.

All scholarship recipients will formally be recognized at halftime of the July 25 World TeamTennis match at Sportime Stadium on Randall’s Island between the NY Sportimes, featuring McEnroe and fellow Hall of Famer Martina Hingis, and the defending WTT champions Washington Kastles.

This is the second opportunity for young players to participate in open tryouts for spots in the JMTA. In July 2010, over 300 young people participated in try-outs, with five boys and seven girls awarded full or partial scholarships to the JMTA.

Founded in 2010 at Sportime Randall’s Island, the John McEnroe Tennis Academy provides tennis training to many of NY’s best and highest ranked junior players.  Full and partial scholarships are available for qualified and promising young players who could not otherwise afford JMTA participation. JMTA corporate partners Nike and Dunlop provide JMTA students with equipment and apparel for their use, both at the Academy and in tournament play. Lawrence Kleger supervises a team of over 30 instructors, including Associate Academy Director and former ATP player player, Fritz Buehning, former top 100 WTA players Hana Sromova and Martina Sucha, and Assistant Academy Directors Karim Balagh and Bruce Haddad. John McEnroe is routinely involved in the daily program at Randall’s Island, personally supervising and training staff and coaching and inspiring young players. The Academy’s first two years of operation at Randall’s Island exceeded expectations, with over 400 aspiring future champions enrolled.

All interested players will need to pre-register in order to attend the tryout day on July 21. For more information and to get a registration application, email the Academy at Tryout@SportimeNY.com or call 212-427-6150 and ask for Tennis Central. For furtherthe details on the Academy and on the July 21st tryout day, visit www.sportimeny.com/JohnMcEnroeTennisAcademy.com.

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John McEnroe Tennis Academy Announces Expansion and New Director of Tennis

John McEnroe

The John McEnroe Tennis Academy named New York native Lawrence Kleger as its new Director of Tennis. Kleger, a 25 year coaching veteran, has been the Executive Director of Tennis at Sportime Clubs since 1998, and an Assistant Academy Director at JMTA since September 2011. He was hand-picked by McEnroe for the position. Additionally, JMTA is also announcing its expansion to Long Island and Westchester, with new annexes of the Academy to be housed at Sportime Bethpage in central Long Island, a six court indoor facility that has long been Sportime’s high performance training home, and at Sportime Lake Isle, a brand new eight court facility in the Town of Eastchester in southern Westchester. The Bethpage and Lake Isle annexes will make training opportunities for Long Island, Westchester and Connecticut residents easier and closer to home, while, at the same time, giving those students pathways to training at the original Academy at Sportime Randall’s Island. These moves are the latest in a series that are designed to expand the McEnroe Academy’s impact on the growth of tennis and the lives of young athletes in the New York area.

“There are few if any people who understand my philosophy and are as well respected in coaching as Lawrence Kleger,” said McEnroe. “Lawrence‘s track record in developing well-rounded young tennis players speaks for itself, and we are very excited to have him in this position as we expand our reach to help those interested in playing competitive tennis in the tri-state area.”

“I am a big believer in John’s philosophy, which is multi-faceted, but starts with a non-residential academy setting, offering a world-class coaching staff and training methods. I know that we are going to produce some great young tennis players, and I am excited to take this new position,” Kleger said. “The Academy is off to a great start in its first two years and I am looking forward to helping grow it even further in my new role.”

Kleger has coached more ranked junior tennis players than any other tennis coach in the history of the USTA Eastern Section, and is most proud that his students have won 18 USTA Eastern Year-End Sportsmanship Awards. In addition to running high level programs at JMTA, and at Sportime Clubs in Syosset and Bethpage on Long Island, he is also the personal coach of Noah Rubin, who now trains at JMTA and who has been Lawrence’s student since the age of 7. Rubin is a top American prospect and achieved a career-best #18 ITF junior world ranking for boys 18 and under this January (despite having just turned 16 in February) and is top ranked in U.S. 16 and under standings.

Details on The Academy and the facility are available at http://www.johnmcenroetennisacademy.com/

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Agassi to Play McEnroe in WTT Match To Benefit Johnny Mac Tennis Project

NEW YORK, April 30, 2012 – Tennis Hall of Famers Andre Agassi and John McEnroe and  Martina Hingis will compete as part of the World TeamTennis matchup between the New York Sportimes and Boston Lobsters, the team announced today.  In a special benefit night on July 19, proceeds will go towards the Johnny Mac Tennis Project (JMTP), to provide scholarships, coaching, transportation and other financial assistance to qualified young tennis players in the greater New York area.  The evening begins at 7 p.m. at Sportime Stadium on Randall’s Island.

Last year, McEnroe faced Bjorn Borg in the first JMTP benefit evening in front of a sold-out Sportimes Stadium crowd.

Johnny Mac Tennis Project recipients will attend the John McEnroe Tennis Academy, which is completing its second year at Sportime Randall’s Island.  Tickets for the Benefit night on July 19, and for additional NY Sportimes home matches on July 10, 13, 18 and 25, can be purchased by calling 1-888-WTT-NYC1 or by visiting www.nysportimes.com.

“This year’s Johnny Mac Tennis Project Night will highlight three of the most popular and exciting players ever to play the sport,” said Sportime Clubs and NY Sportimes CEO Claude Okin.  “Andre Agassi has become a notable humanitarian and ambassador for tennis as a life changing opportunity.  We are thrilled that he will be part of this great night to benefit our efforts to improve the lives of young people and young players here in New York City.”

“I’m committed to giving opportunities to youngsters in the New York area to help them reach their full potential as tennis players and as people through the Johnny Mac Tennis Project,” said McEnroe.  “This night is critical in making the JMTP a success, and getting to face Andre in a WTT match will make it even more special.”

Agassi and McEnroe met four times while active on the ATP World Tour, each winning two matches.  McEnroe won in 1986 in Stratton Mountain, Vt., and in 1989 in Dallas, while Agassi was victorious in 1988 in Los Angeles and 1992 in the semifinals at Wimbledon.

“Youth tennis and education have always been extremely important to me,” said Agassi, who won 60 career singles titles.  Among those were eight Grand Slam crowns, including wins at all four major venues.  “I am proud to support John’s program and look forward to competing against him in an exciting match on July 19.”

This will be the fifth appearance in WTT for Agassi, who previously competed for the Sacramento Capitals from 2002-2004 and the Philadelphia Freedoms in 2009.

Bahar Uttam, Owner of the Boston Lobsters, explained, “It is the Lobsters’ pleasure and honor to be supporting what Sportime and John McEnroe are doing in New York, and, of course, we are thrilled to have all-time-great, Hall-of-Famer Andre Agassi joining our team for this 2012 season WTT match.  What a great night it will be.”

The July 19 WTT match will feature Agassi and McEnroe competing against each other in both men’s singles and in doubles in the five set WTT format.  Martina Hingis will also play for the New York Sportimes that evening as McEnroe’s team member; they will be joined by veteran New York Sportimes players Robert Kendrick, Jesse Witten and Ashley Harkleroad, three of the standouts who helped the squad reach the World TeamTennis finals in 2010.

The 2012 WTT regular season runs from July 9-28, with the top two teams from both the Western and Eastern Conference advancing to the WTT Finals Weekend presented by GEICO, September 14-16, at the Family Circle Tennis Center in Charleston, S.C.

2012 SPORTIMES Home Schedule
July 10    Springfield Lasers, 7 p.m., at Sportime/Randall’s Island
(Sportimes – Martina Hingis)

July 13    Philadelphia Freedoms, 7 p.m., at Sportime/Randall’s Island
(Sportimes – Martina Hingis; Philadelphia – Ryan Harrison)

July 18    Philadelphia Freedoms, 7 p.m., at Sportime/Randall’s Island
(Sportimes – Martina Hingis)

July 19    Boston Lobsters, 7 p.m., at Sportime/Randall’s Island
(Sportimes – Hingis, McEnroe; Boston – Andre Agassi)

July 23    Washington Kastles, 7:30 p.m., at Albany/SEFCU Arena
(Sportimes – Hingis; Washington – Venus Williams)

July 24    Boston Lobsters, 7:30 p.m., at Albany/SEFCU Arena
(Sportimes – Hingis; Boston – John Isner)

July 25    Washington Kastles, 7 p.m., at Sportime/Randall’s Island
(Sportimes – Hingis, McEnroe)

Tickets for Sportimes matches are available by calling 888-WTT-NYC1 or by visiting www.nysportimes.com.  For more information on matches in Albany, visit www.NYSportimes.com/Albany or call 518-393-0440.

2012 Sportimes’ partners include USTA Eastern Section, GEICO, USTA, Wilson, DecoTurf, Principal Funds, SPORTIME Clubs, Tennis.com, Arizon Tennis Domes, NY Orthopedics, and Randall’s Island Park Alliance.

About the Johnny Mac Tennis Project
The Johnny Mac Tennis Project, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation whose purpose is to expose young athletes in the greater New York metropolitan area to high level, competitive tennis by raising public and private funds in order to provide scholarships to attend a non-residential tennis academy/training facility, to obtain lessons and to fund the costs and expenses associated with travel to regional, national and international tournaments and on-site coaching at such tournaments.

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Federer Joins 1000 Match Club with Straight Set Win Over Del Potro to Advance to Semis

MELBOURNE PARK, Australia – Roger Federer joined the exclusive 1000 matches played club with his 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 win over Juan Martin Del Potro in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.  This will mark the ninth consecutive year that Federer has advanced to the Australian Open semifinals. The Swiss joins the ranks of Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, Guillermo Vilas, Andre Agassi, Stephan Edberg, Illie Nastase and John McEnroe who have played in 1000 matches or more.

On achieving the milestome, Federer said, “Well, 1000 matches, not 1000 wins.  Big difference.

“I wish it was 1000 wins, but I’m happy with 1000 matches in total, too.  It’s nice to win this one.  I mean, eventually I will forget which was one was my 1000th match and someone will remind me again.

I do not remember my 500, and that was the US Open final against Agassi.  No bigger matches than those ones.

“It’s a big milestone, I agree.  It’s a lot of matches and a lot tennis.  Either I have been around for a long time or I’m extremely fit.  You decide which way you want to describe it.  I don’t know.  But I’m happy.”

“We have played some big matches against each other,” Federer said of his match with Del Potro.  “So just knowing how well he’s been playing as of late, I was just hoping that I would get off a good start.  But I was able to mix it up well and control the ball, and right away sort of felt confident, which then sort of helped me to use all aspects of my game.

“Then it got tough with the shadow creeping in, and I knew that was going to happen rather sooner than later just because the matches before me took some time.  I knew it was going to happen eventually.  That’s why the second set, serving out the second set was key for me.  You know, get through that tough patch, and then in the third it was a bit more free swinging for me.

The almost two hour match saw Federer hit 38 winners with an 89% first serve percentage.

For the first time since 2005, Federer is on the same side of the draw at a major as Rafael Nadal. Federer will face the winner of the Nadal-Tomas Berdych quarterfinal on Tuesday night  in the semis for a spot in the Australian Open final.

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The Montreal Rendezvous to Feature Agassi, Connors, Lendl and Chang

MSG Sports and StarGames Inc. announced on Thursday that the companies will join forces with evenko to  present The Montreal Rendezvous on March 2, 2012 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.

 

The Montreal Rendezvous, a collaboration between the Bell Centre’s production arm evenko, MSG Sports and StarGames Inc. is a new tennis event saluting the great past and current champions of the game which will make its debut in Montreal, Canada March 2, 2012 and showcase tennis icons Andre Agassi, Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl and Michael Chang competing in the inaugural winter tennis event.

The Montreal Rendezvous adds to MSG Sports and StarGames Inc.’s tennis platform which includes the annual BNP Paribas Showdown, the world’s most unique one-night tennis exhibition which debuted in 2008. The 2012 event is scheduled for March 5 at Madison Square Garden featuring matches between Caroline Wozniacki and Maria Sharapova as well as Andy Roddick against Roger Federer.  Past participants have included Federer, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Lendl, John McEnroe, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Kim Clijsters and Svetlana Kuznetsova.

“Expanding MSG Sports to include partnerships and events outside of our venues is a key part of the growth strategy for our business,” said Scott O’Neil, president, MSG Sports. “We have produced and promoted tennis events for more than 80 years at The World’s Most Famous Arena, and most recently had great success with the annual BNP Paribas Showdown produced in partnership with StarGames. We are excited to partner once again with StarGames, and new partner evenko, to expand our presence in the tennis world with The Montreal Rendezvous, which is sure to be another must-see night of tennis.”

 

“The growth of our partnership with MSG Sports opens up exciting new opportunities for us in tennis and other sports,” said StarGames President and Rendezvous Executive Producer Jerry Solomon. “Having MSG as part of the Rendezvous will help us establish it as an important annual event and a “must-have” ticket.”

 

The Montreal Rendezvous will feature matches that highlight two of the game’s great rivalries.  The evening will open with Jimmy Connors taking on Ivan Lendl in an 8 game pro-set.  Connors and Lendl faced each other 35 times in their careers with Lendl having bested Connors 22 times. Andre Agassi and Michael Chang will follow in a best of three set match.

For More information: http://www.stargamesinc.com/rendezvouspr.html

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