Roddick commits to 2011 Legg Mason Tennis Classic
World No. 12 Andy Roddick will be returning to the Legg Mason Tennis Classic presented by GEICO for the 10th time in his professional career after committing to the event on Monday, looking to win his fourth career singles title in the nation’s capital. The ATP World Tour 500 event will take place in Washington, D.C. at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center at Rock Creek Park from July 30-August 7. “The Legg Mason Tennis Classic is very excited to announce that Andy Roddick, one of the most sought-after players by tournaments around the world, has committed to play,” said Jeff Newman, Tournament Director and Senior Vice President with Lagardère Unlimited. “Andy typically plays only 13 ATP World Tour Tournaments per year out of the 62 held in 32 countries worldwide. Similar to Andre Agassi during his career, we feel fortunate that Andy continues to choose to play in Washington each year.” Roddick has won singles titles at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in 2001, 2005 and 2007, while owning a career singles record of 30-6 in Washington.
Smyczek signs with Dunlop
Milwaukee native Tim Smyczek, who trains at the Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa and is ranked No. 177, has signed with Dunlop. The 23-year-old will play with the Biomimetic 300 Tour racquet while trying to continue his climb up the ATP rankings. Smyczek will make his second appearance in a Grand Slam singles main draw later this month at Roland Garros after winning the USTA French Open Wild Card Playoffs in Boca Raton, Fla. “My game has really taken off this year, and switching to the Biomimetic 300 Tour has played a key role,” said Smyczek. “Whenever I step onto the court, no matter what the surface or conditions, I’m confident with this racket. I’m looking forward to continuing my partnership with Dunlop.” Smyczek, who turned pro in 2006, reached the quarterfinals in San Jose and the second round at Indian Wells earlier this year. “Tim is a great signing for Dunlop,” said Kai Nitche, Vice President and General Manager of Dunlop Racket Sports. “He possesses the key characteristics we look for in our Tour Team members; he works extremely hard both on and off-court, he’s dedicated, and he pulls through in clutch situations. It’s been a pleasure to work with him thus far, and we wish him well as he continues his climb up the ATP World Tour rankings.”
Gasquet to endorse Tourna Grip
Unique Sports announced that world No. 18 Richard Gasquet of France will endorse Tourna Grip in a multi-year deal. Gasquet, who has used Tourna Grip his entire career, joins the Bryan Brothers, Sam Querrey, David Ferrer, Victoria Azarenka, Vera Zvonareva and Juan Carlos Ferrero as some of the top players who endorse Tourna Grip.
TicketCity becomes local sponsor of Davis Cup tie between United States and Spain in Austin
On Monday, the USTA announced that TicketCity, a leader in secondary ticketing, has become a local sponsor of the 2011 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas quarterfinal between the United States and Spain at the Frank Erwin Center on the campus of the University of Texas in Austin from July 8-10. The Austin-based company is the official secondary ticket provider of the Davis Cup quarterfinal between the United States and Spain. TicketCity plans to engage with tennis fans attending or watching the event through a variety of marketing and promotional elements implemented in the arena as well as during the broadcast of the matches throughout the weekend on Tennis Channel. “We’re excited to see Davis Cup competition come to our hometown and proud to be a part of it through this sponsorship with the USTA,” says Amy Carpenter, Vice President of Marketing at TicketCity. “We look forward to connecting with tennis fans in Austin and across the country through this partnership and increasing awareness of the breadth of events we offer, as well as our passionate commitment to customer service in the ticketing industry.”
Tennis Warehouse Europe to process all online orders for 2011 French Open
Tennis Warehouse Europe, the European division of Tennis Warehouse, has announced the new partnership with the French Open starting in 2011. The company has agreed to process all online orders for Roland Garros. The French Tennis Federation recognizes Tennis Warehouse Europe as the fulfillment provider of this prestigious tennis tournament. All Roland Garros items sold through the official French Open website will be filled by Tennis Warehouse Europe and starting this week the complete line of official Roland Garros products will be offered through the Tennis Warehouse Europe website. “We are very excited that the French Tennis Federation selected Tennis Warehouse Europe to handle the fulfillment of the exclusive Roland-Garros products for Spring 2011,” said Rick Kerpsack, Managing Director of Tennis Warehouse Europe.
2011 Legg Mason Tennis Classic tickets go on sale
On Monday, ticket packages and single session tickets went on sale to the public for the 2011 Legg Mason Tennis Classic presented by GEICO, which will be held at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center at Rock Creek Park in Washington D.C. from July 30-August 7. Ticket packages for all ten sessions start at $200 ($20 per session) for Weeklong Reserved to $550 for Premium Box Seats. Single session seats range from $10 to $75, depending on session and seat location. In addition to the tournament’s Weeklong Box Seat and Reserved Seat packages, other flexible ticket packages include Box Seat Mini-Breaks (box seat tickets for three sessions), Weekender Packages (reserved seat for the first weekend and all Quarterfinal, Semifinal and Final matches Friday through Sunday) and the Day Tripper (both sessions of Saturday semifinals at one low price). Group discounts, Special Event Packages and Courtside Suites are also available. Tickets are available to be purchased through the official tournament ticket hotline at (202) 721-9500.
WTA New Haven Open at Yale tickets on sale now for USTA members
Tickets are on sale now for USTA members for the 2011 WTA New Haven Open at Yale in New Haven, Conn., which will be played from August 18-27. Ticket can be ordered by calling the New Haven Open at Yale box office at 1-855-4-NHTENNIS or by visiting newhaventennis.com. Be sure to mention that you are a USTA Member and have your valid USTA Member ID available when calling. If you wish to purchase your tickets online, please use code “2011USTA” to receive the USTA Member discount. USTA Members receive $15 off multi-day Box Seat Packages, $30 off select Travel Packages, and 25% off Adult Middle Tier tickets for Sunday, August 21 through Wednesday August 24 (Sessions 1-7). USTA Members can enjoy members-only access to the USTA private hospitality area on Tuesday, August 23 from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. and can also receive 25% off Adult Middle Tier tickets (Sessions 4 and 5). Be sure to have your valid USTA Member ID card available for entry into the hospitality area. Valid ticket required to enter tournament grounds. General public tickets go on sale on Wednesday, June 1.
Tomic and Dellacqua get French Open main draw wild cards from Tennis Australia
Bernard Tomic and Casey Dellacqua were awarded French Open main draw wild cards by Tennis Australia on Monday, which are part of a reciprocal agreement between the French Tennis Federation and Tennis Australia. Since reaching the third-round at the Australian Open in Melbourne in January, Tomic has had mediocre results, but is currently ranked No. 176 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings. Dellacqua, a Perth native, returned to the WTA Tour at an Australian Challenger event in February after a year off due to injuries. In April, Dellacqua won a $25,000 Challenger tournament in Bundaberg, Australia.
Four WTA Tour players nominated for Fed Cup Heart Award
Andrea Petkovic, Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, Olga Savchuk and Polona Hercog were recently announced by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) as possible winners for the upcoming Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Heart Award. In April, all four players played for their nation in Fed Cup. The players were selected by ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti, a mixture of former professional players and members of the international media. From May 3-24, a public vote will take place on FedCup.com and FedCup.com/es to decide the winner. The winner will receive a $3,000 check to be donated to a charity of her choice. The Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Heart Award is a joint initiative between BNP Paribas and the ITF. It aims to recognize players who have represented their country with distinction, shown exceptional courage on court and demonstrated outstanding commitment to their team. A total of six Heart Awards are being presented in 2011. Earlier in the year, Bojana Jovanovski, Bianca Botto, Ayumi Morita and Victoria Azarenka were recognized, and a player will also be honored at the Fed Cup Final in November. “The level of passion and excitement for Fed Cup by BNP Paribas has grown considerably during the last year, helped significantly by the outstanding commitment shown by the players,” said Ricci Bitti. “I would like to congratulate Andrea, Maria Jose, Olga and Polona for being shortlisted for a Heart Award. I would also like to encourage all fans to go online and vote, as it provides a fantastic opportunity to reward the skill, effort and character of the players.”