World Tennis Magazine

Unique Tennis Perspectives

Charleston

Red Hot Danielle Collins Ready To Take On The Red Clay

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BY JAMES BECK

Just how good is Danielle Collins?

Right now, she may be as good as anyone on the WTA Tour.

Just think about it. Who’s better?

Winning a seven-round near-major one week on hard courts, then putting together six straight victories the next week on green clay is fairly significant.

Collins didn’t go against a lame duck field in either tournament, especially at the Credit One Charleston Open where she defeated three of the best clay-courters on the tour in Ons Jabeur, Maria Sakkari and Daria Kasatkina as well as the likes of Sloane Stephens and Paula Badosa. She defeated a Wimbledon champion, Elena Rybakina, on hard courts in the Miami final.

ONLY TWO LOSING SETS IN 28

Collins lost only two of the 28 sets she played in Miami and Charleston.

Of course, second-ranked Aryna Sabalenka and third-ranked Coco Gauff are power players on any surface. But after those two, Collins looks capable of winning anything in sight. It would be interesting to see Collins take on either of those two on Europe’s red clay.

Collins now has played about as brilliantly in these two tournaments as Sabalenka, Gauff or top-ranked Iga Swiatek have played within the last year.

Collins has the type game no one wants to play against right now. She has jumped all the way to 15th in the world after her success at Miami and Charleston.

COLLINS DOMINANT IN FINAL

Against 2017 Charleston winner Kasatkina in Sunday’s final, Collins was dominant in a 6-2, 6-1 victory. The Russian didn’t have the game to match up with Collins’ power. Collins played to win, and wasted few opportunities.

No one on the WTA Tour attacks more aggressively than the 30-year-old Collins. Short balls end up being a “done deal” when Collins moves in on them and smashes forehands, backhands and lobs away. She nails high back-handed returns of lobs to the corners with the same type of precision she connects with high forehand put-aways inside the court. Few players can hit that type of backhand high volley with such power and precision.

 She also plays the baseline as aggressively as anywhere else, and her serve is solid enough to keep her out of early trouble. Few double-faults find her racket.

LOCKED INTO PROCESS

“I think one of my biggest areas of improvement over the course of the last few weeks has been my concentration and focus and really being locked into my process,” Collins said after winning Charleston.

“These women that I’m playing against, they’re the best in the world, and it’s — sometimes things go your way and then sometimes things don’t go your way, and you have to be open to that when those times do happen.

“I’m really looking forward to getting home (Bradenton, Fla.) and getting some time to spend where I don’t think about tennis, and then hopefully when Madrid comes around I am back in ‘Danimal’ mode. Then it’s back to reality. So it’s like spring break for me. I feel like a kid at spring break.”

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James Beck was the 2003 winner of the USTA National Media Award  for print media. A 1995 MBA graduate of The Citadel, he can be reached at Jamesbecktennis@gmail.com.

Danielle Collins

Danielle Collins Wastes Few Shots, Is A Master of Shot Placements

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Collins Extends Winning Streak To 12 Matches

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BY JAMES BECK

Danielle Collins just goes out and wins.

She wastes few shots and is a master of shot placements.

The court surface doesn’t seem to matter. She did it a week ago on hard courts to win the Miami Open. And she is doing it again at the Credit One Charleston Open on clay courts.

Collins has won 12 straight matches and is one win away from a coveted second straight title on the WTA Tour.

She’s unseeded, but keeps winning. She is the last American standing.

In Saturday’s Charleston semifinals, Collins scored a relatively easy 6-3, 6-3 win over third-seeded Maria Sakkari of Greece.

KASATKINA STANDS IN COLLINS’ WAY

Just 2017 Charleston champion Daria Kasatkina is standing in the 30-year-old Collins’ way of a second straight tour title.

Oh, yes, Collins is playing her final year on the WTA Tour. She wants to go out a winner badly.

Kasatkina is the fourth seed, and she may already have played a key role in Collins’ drive to another title. Top seed Jessica Pegula appeared to be unbeatable in this Charleston Open until running  into Kasatkina in Saturday’s first semifinal and simply couldn’t close out the Russian when their  match was on the line.

PEGULA’S LOSS BIG SURPRISE

Pegula’s 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (5) loss to Kasatkina was the biggest surprise of this tournament. Pegula had won the last 12 games of a 6-1, 6-0 win over Kasatkina in 2023 in Tokyo’s Pan Pacific Open.

“Very tough match,” the ultra-conservative playing Kasatkina said about Saturday’s long match that ended in a third-set tiebreaker.

“Really happy with my win, with the way how I did it. And, yeah, really happy to be in the finals here again.”

Kasatkina has been impressed by Collins’ outstanding recent play.

“Danielle is, I think, playing the best tennis of her career right now. She’s fearless. When she feels her game, she’s one of the most dangerous players on tour, and she definitely

feels it right now,” Kasatkina said.

“So, yeah, it’s going to be very tough battle. And it’s finals. I mean, it’s so nice. I’m so happy to be in the finals, and I think it’s going to be a good one. I think the atmosphere is going to be great because playing an American in the United States, it always brings some extra electricity on court. So, I’m really looking forward to it.”

COLLINS IMPRESSED BY KASATKINA’S PLAY

Collins also has respect for Kasatkina’s style of play.

“We’ve played so many matches against each other over the years and battles. She’s one of my

favorite players to watch because she makes these matches so interesting,” Collins said about Kasatkina.

“The way that she plays and her tennis IQ, how creative she is on court is phenomenal. I think against Daria I have to be very flexible. She has just about every tool in her toolbox. She can hit big. She can hit with shape. She can hit slices. She can come into the net. She does everything very, very well. She serves and returns well. She mixes up her pace. She’s just solid all over. And so, it’s going to be a battle, and I have to be ready to play a long, tough match, if that’s what’s

needed.

“I’ll have to kind of take a little bit more of a look statistically at some things and some different patterns, but I think the biggest thing is just fighting until the end and being adaptable out there.”

About her win over the usually solid Sakkari, Collins said, “I think my aggressive game style helped me. I had to stick with it. And she was throwing a lot at me and doing a lot of different things.

“So, I had to try to counter that and use my aggressive game style as much as I could.”

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James Beck was the 2003 winner of the USTA National Media Award  for print media. A 1995 MBA graduate of The Citadel, he can be reached at Jamesbecktennis@gmail.com.

Danielle Collins Keeps Winning Streak Going

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BY JAMES BECK

Unseeded Danielle Collins just keeps winning. She made it 11 straight wins with another relatively easy straight-set win in Friday’s quarterfinals of the Credit One Charleston Open.

This time, it was veteran Elise Mertens that suffered a 6-3, 6-4 loss at the hands of Collins, who continues on her retirement party year.

But the real excitement on Daniel Island was the “won’t quit” pair of Jessica Pegula and former Grand Slam winner Victoria Azarenka. Things got so intriguing at one point late in their marathon that Pegula actually looked back at Azarenka and grinned about one of the points.

PEGULA AND AZARENKA WOULDN’T GIVE IN

This one wasn’t about money. The Pegula family is rolling in the $6.8 billion wealth of multi-major sports team owner dad Terry Pegula, the owner of the Buffalo Bills and more.

So, Jessie would not give up, and neither would early-to-late bloomer Azarenka at 34 years of age. They just kept playing, one trying to out-do the other in a 16-point tiebreaker.

 Pegula saved four match points before she reached into her bag of tricks to save a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7) victory in the quarterfinals.

So, now that sends the top-seeded Pegula against 2017 Charleston champion Daria Kasatkina in the semifinals, while Miami Open winner Collins faces Greek ball of fire third seed Maria Sakkari in the bottom half.

COLLINS: GO OUT WITH A BANG

“Like I said earlier in the week, this is my last year, and I want to go out with a bang and just play my best tennis and do the best that I can,” Collins said.

Pegula has never lost to Kasatkina, and their match should be just a stepping stone to Sunday’s final.

“I expect the same thing I always expect from Daria. She’s just kind of a wall,” Pegula said.

But it will be difficult to top the match Pegula and Azarenka played.

“That was obviously a really crazy match, really, really crazy. But I am excited that I was able to get through, kind of hold my nerve, barely at the end there. But I was able to do it, and hopefully I can use this math as a big confidence, kind of, builder and for momentum going forward and even for tomorrow.

“To be honest, I wasn’t feeling that great. It was really windy. I was like, ugh, I’m tight.”

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James Beck was the 2003 winner of the USTA National Media Award  for print media. A 1995 MBA graduate of The Citadel, he can be reached at Jamesbecktennis@gmail.com.

Will Danielle Collins Copy Mary Pierce?

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BY JAMES BECK

Danielle Collins will be difficult for any opponent to defeat in the Credit One Charleston Open.

Her 10-match winning streak and march though Miami before heading north to Charleston brings back memories of Mary Pierce nearly a quarter century ago.

This tournament was then known as the Family Circle Cup and it was located at Hilton Head Island.

Pierce hit the island ready to play. And play, she did.

PIERCE WAS READY IN 2000

Pierce dropped only 12 games in the entire 2000 Family Circle Cup. She defeated the great Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, 6-1, 6-0, in that final, which turned out to be the last one played on Hilton Head Island.

Pierce literally knocked the cover off the tennis balls that week at Hilton Head Island. Opponents simply couldn’t touch her mighty forehands. 

That week set the stage for what was to happen a few weeks later in Paris when she won the French Open.

COLLINS DOESN’T WASTE MANY SHOTS

Like Pierce, Collins is relatively tall as women’s tennis players go at 5-10. She is a strong hitter, and doesn’t waste many strokes sitting up her winners.

Collins generally controls the court with her placement and power. Collins breezed past talented Paula Badosa in her first match in the Charleston Open, dropping only five games, and then eliminated former Charleston champions Ons Jabeur and Sloane Stephens the next two rounds.

Only defending champion Jabeur has given Collins a test, taking Collins to a third set.

But Collins is on a roll, having won the big Miami tournament last weekend for her biggest accomplishment on the tour, climbing to No. 22 in the world in the process.

GOING OUT A WINNER IS IMPORTANT

Collins is preparing to retire after this season, and she wants to go out as a winner.

And, yes, she appears to be a little stronger than her possible opponents in the bottom half of the Charleston draw.

So, watch out. A copy of Mary Pierce may to lurking near another title on another island near the ocean.

“Obviously (it’s) not easy coming out and playing two matches back to back, but very rewarding thing to be able to accomplish against two incredibly high-level players, a top six player (Jabeur) and a Grand Slam champion (Stephens),” Collins said after her round of 16 blitzing of Stephens.

“So I should be able to take this and use it as confidence moving forward. Especially with the

previous health and physical challenges that I’ve had, it’s a really rewarding day for me.

“I always have felt that clay does suit my game well.”

Just like Mary Pierce.

COLLINS SOLID ON CLAY COURTS

“Unfortunately, with some previous health issues and surgeries and injuries, I’ve not always been able to play during the clay court season, and so I haven’t played as many tournaments

on clay that I previously would have liked to, because I do think when I play on clay and get kind of into a good rhythm, I have some great results,” Collins said.

“One of the tournaments that I’ve won on tour was on clay, and I played a lot on clay as a junior. So, it is a surface that I enjoy and that I’m comfortable on.  I think just being pretty versatile and being able to move around the court and then playing my powerful

baseline game, it suits me well.

“I love playing in tournaments in the U.S. I wish we had more tournaments in the U.S., and I think a lot of players feel that way. When we get to have these tournaments, we want to take it all in and really get to be here as long as we can.”

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James Beck was the 2003 winner of the USTA National Media Award  for print media. A 1995 MBA graduate of The Citadel, he can be reached at Jamesbecktennis@gmail.com.

Danielle Collins

Emma Navarro Keeps Winning, Taylor Townsend Surprises On A Rain-Soaked Day In Charleston

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BY JAMES BECK

Emma Navarro played her usual highly concentrated, spectacular game to advance to the round of 16,  and Shelby Rogers played her heart out only to lose.

But what about Taylor Townsend!

Townsend upended former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in the first round, then on Wednesday night she upset 15th-ranked Ekaterina Alexandrova, 7-5, 6-2, to earn a berth in the round of 16 of the Credit One Charleston Open.

VETERAN TOWNSEND HAS AZARENKA NEXT

Although now just 27 years old, Townsend has been around for awhile, even making the round of 16 of the 2019 U.S. Open and round of 32 of the 2014 French Open.

And she’s had her share of success in the ITF tournaments held over the years at LTP Tennis in Mount Pleasant.

She has used her powerful left-handed strokes well enough to spend much of her time ranked  in the top 100 over the last decade.

But Townsend could run into serious opposition against two-time former Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka in the round of 16. The 34-year-old Azarenka is talented enough to maybe even win this Credit One Charleston Open.

NAVARRO WINS ON HOME COURT

Navarro, currently ranked 20th in the world and seeded 10th, was near-perfect in a 6-1, 6-1 victory over qualifier Katie Volynets on Wednesday.

Volynets must have been quite surprised by the dominance of Navarro all over the court and in almost every situation in the round of 32 match. Back in the final of the 2019 USTA Billie Jean King girls 18 national championships at the Barnes Tennis Center in San Diego, Navarro was no match for the then 17-year-old Volynets. Navarro spent most of that match trying to chase  down Volynets’ shots to the corners.

A COOL WIN OVER OLD RIVAL

How things have changed in the last five years for these two players. Volynets it now ranked 110th in the world, while Navarro looks like the new star of the WTA Tour. She certainly had that look in Wednesday night’s green-clay bout at the Charleston Open.

It was a knockout from the start for the 22-year-old Navarro, a former NCAA national collegiate  champion and the daughter of  Credit One Charleston Open owner Ben Navarro.

“I thought I had played her twice, but apparently I was 0 and 3 against her. So definitely (it was) good to get the win tonight,” Navarro said.

“It was cool to be able to get the win on that (stadium) court, my first win on center court here at Credit One.”

KUDERMETOVA ELIMINATES ROGERS

Rogers, Charleston’s other WTA Tour standout, wasn’t so fortunate against 19th-ranked Veronika Kudermetova of Russia, the 2021 winner of this event.

Kudermetova used a big serve and solid ground strokes to stay ahead of Rogers most of the match. Rogers rallied to force a first-set tiebreaker and also rallied late in the second set to keep pressure on Kudermetova, but couldn’t overtake her in a 7-6 (5), 6-4 win by Kudermetova.

“I had a lot of chances tonight . . . very untimely double fault is frustrating,” Rogers said.

““I thought I did some good stuff out there. It’s just you gotta win the right points at the right time, I guess.”

RAINY DAY CREATES TOUGH SCHEDULE

Having to play her first two matches at night probably didn’t help Rogers’ cause, especially after having to wait around all day Wednesday for an all-day rain to pass.

“Today was a long day, for sure, but everybody is dealing with it. We’re used to adapting to different things every week,” Rogers said.

“Tennis is hard. The scheduling is hard. It’s hard to prepare and know when to eat, you know, all those little things. When you’re away from the game, you gotta like figure out how to do all that again. And it can be tricky.”

Prior to her 6-1, 6-1 win over Claire Liu on Monday night, the 31-year-old Rogers had scored only one other victory since undergoing a second knee surgery last July.

“The knee, you know, there’s still good days, bad days,”  Rogers said. “I gotta do a little work there still. But overall it’s all right.”

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James Beck was the 2003 winner of the USTA National Media Award  for print media. A 1995 MBA graduate of The Citadel, he can be reached at Jamesbecktennis@gmail.com.

Newyear Photos

Ons Jabeur Hits “Shot of the Year” To Help Win Charleston WTA Title

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BY JAMES BECK

CHARLESTON, S.C. — What can you do when your opponent has the kind of day that Ons Jabeur had in Sunday’s final of the WTA Tour’s Charleston Open?

“You know, like even the point she played like between her legs. Like what can I do?,”

Belinda Bencic said about her 7-6 (6) 6-4 loss to Jabeur and the shot by Jabeur that was perhaps the “shot of the year” in women’s tennis.

That shot played a significant role in Jabeur’s victory that helped the Tunisian climb to No. 4 in the world in the new WTA Tour rankings and gain revenge from her loss to Bencic in last year’s Charleston Open championship match.

A POINT THE CROWD WILL REMEMBER

The scene was almost like watching something in Fantasy Land. It was that surreal.

Jabeur had a break point against Bencic’s serve that if executed could deadlock the first set at 5-5, and Bencic was set up for a shot near the net that looked like it would be a sure winner.

But then Bencic hit a shot right in the middle of the baseline. Jabeur looked helpless.

 “I honestly thought I was going to lose the point,” Jabeur said. “I saw her coming with her backhand  . . . and I’m like I’m done . . . I think she chose like the safer side. I reacted very fast. I saw the ball coming at me.”

Jabeur jumped in the air and put the racket behind her. She made contact with the ball between her legs, sending it back toward Bencic at the net. Totally surprised, Bencic put together a weak forehand volley that sailed too high toward Jabeur’s backhand near the sideline. Jabeur hit a backhand that crossed the net past Bencic’s backhand side at the net for a winner.

You can see the shot here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLjPYS6st6E

THE GAME HAD CHANGERD IN SECONDS

Suddenly, the match was deadlocked at 5-5. And the fans went wild.

“I was surprised that she didn’t anticipate on the cross, because that’s where I usually play my shots. But I think I was lucky and creative with that shot, which was amazing, and it changed up the game a bit, I think, for the first set, for sure,” Jabeur said.

The point pretty much set the stage for the rest of the match, as Bencic didn’t appear to be the same after that. She appeared to be more defensive with her shots, and her serves lost some of their zest.

The two players split the remaining two games, although Bencic had to save five set points in game 12 to push the set into a tiebreaker. Bencic even held a 6-4 lead in the tiebreaker, but Jabeur won four consecutive points, the last two with sizzling forehands cross-court to Bencic’s forehand corner that hit the sideline to close out the first set.

Bencic couldn’t believe it, even though the chair umpire got down and looked at both marks on the green clay. She was given a code warning for the first one for throwing her racket down on the line.

BENCIC HAD ONLY MINUTES TO PREPARE

Bencic also was a little unhappy about having only a short time to prepare for Jabeur’s tricky  game after having to complete her semifinal match from Saturday night against Jessica Pegula at midday Sunday.

“I had like 15 minutes to think about what’s I’m going to do (against Jabeur), and I still had the stress from Jess’ match,” said Bencic, a 5-9, 26-year-old whose game was modeled by Hingis’ mother/coach Melanie Molitor.

Bencic lost a little of her fight in the second set and quickly fell behind, 4-1. The feisty Swiss star got back to 5-4 and earned one break point in the decisive game while rallying from a 5-40 deficit. But then Bencic sent a backhand down the line that didn’t find the playing court.

ONS LIKES HER NEW TROPHY

What about the trophy? “I’m sleeping with it. I’m kicking my husband out of the bed and sleeping with the trophy tonight,” Jabeur said.

“I’ve wanted  to win this tournament for a long time. This is a pretty good start to the clay season. I don’t want to stop here. I want to continue to do more. Definitely I’m happy, and probably will celebrate for one day and then get back to training and get back to hopefully winning more matches.”

LONG HISTORY WINNING IN S.C. AND THEN FIRST MAJOR

This tournament has been one of the best for a long time, going all of the way back to the 1970s on Hilton Head Island to Sea Pines Plantation when it was known as the Family Circle Cup. It was known as a tournament that produced many champions who almost immediately captured their first Grand Slam title when they traveled to Europe.

Some of those stars who won this tournament and then almost immediately won Grand Slam  events included Steffi Graf, who went from winning back-to-back Family Circles in 1986 and 1987 to winning the 1987 French Open and completed the Grand Slam itself in 1988.

Or Justine Henin-Hardenne who won this tournament in 2003 on Daniel Island and then went to France to win her first Grand Slam event.

Mary Pierce won the last tournament at Hilton Head Island in 2000, then took off for Europe where she won her only major at the French Open.

Conchita Martinez took the Hilton Head title in 1994, then won Wimbledon the same year.

Even Chris Evert won one of her many Hilton Head titles in 1974, and turned around and won her first of many majors a couple months later at the French Open.

Tracy Austin did much the same in 1979 by winning at Hilton Head and then getting her first major title at the U.S. Open.

JABEUR READY TO WIN FIRST MAJOR

Of course, all of the great ones played in and won in the earlier version of the tournament, including the likes of Monica Seles and Martina Navratilova as well as Martina Hingis, and Venus and Serena Williams and others.

With all of that in mind, Ons Jabeur is capable of capturing her initial Grand Slam title in just a couple of months in Paris. The Tunisian is definitely talented enough to make that happen.

Barring a red-hot return by Iga Swiatek, Jabeur may indeed be the player to beat in Paris.

Getting over the hump on Sunday in Charleston should make Ons even a better player.

DID BENCIC RUN OUT OF GAS

Bencic was finishing her second match of the day. It took just six points on Sunday in a tiebreaker for Bencic to complete a 7-5, 7-6 (5) win over top seed Jessica Pegula. That was to complete a semifinal match that started on Saturday afternoon, and ended up in a late night storm that turned the stadium court surface into a muddy clay field.

The rainstorm really did a job on Pegula. She wasn’t herself. The net got in the way of her backhand too often.

“She (Pegula) is the most consistent player on tour,” Bencic said. “She is playing every tournament. She has an incredible baseline game.

“Maybe the conditions were so heavy we had a lot of weird rallies. “I’m really happy I played a good match and that I kinda adapted to the conditions.”

JABEUR DEFEATS KASATKINA IN SEMIS

On the slow wet court, Daria Kasatkina was almost helpless in the semifinals. She couldn’t put the ball away. Ons Jabeur was patient, knowing that Kasatkina couldn’t hit the ball past her. She played around with Kasatkina until she saw a clear opening on the other side of the court.

Jabeur then turned on the power to hit forehards and backhands to the open court.

Jabeur was just too powerful off the ground for former champion Kasatkina of Russia in a 7-5, 7-5 semifinal win at midday Saturday.

The match had major turns in each set. Kasatkina used her heavy top-spin and movement to jump out to a 5-2 lead in the first set, but didn’t win another game in the set.

Kasatkina was ahead 5-3 (15-15) when rain forced a lengthy delay in the first set.

Kasatkina actually had a double set point in the ninth game of the first set, but Jabeur won four straight points to close to 5-4. The Tunisian lost only two points in the next three games to close out the first set.

The second set was nearly a reversal of the first set as Jabeur took a 5-3 lead, only to see Kasatkina win the next two games before Jabeur recovered to take the last two games to advance to the final for the second straight year.

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James Beck was the 2003 winner of the USTA National Media Award as the tennis columnist for the Charleston (S.C.) Post and Courier newspapers. A 1995 MBA graduate of The Citadel, he can be reached at Jamesbecktennis@gmail.com.

Ons Jabeur

Ons Jabeur, Jessica Pegula Lead Top 4 Seeds Into Charleston Semifinals

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BY JAMES BECK

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Top seed Jessica Pegula has done it again to make the “final four” of the Charleston Open.

But so did No. 2 seed Ons Jabeur, No. 3 Daria Kasatkina and No. 4 Belinda Bencic. That’s right. The top four seeds in the WTA Tour event all advanced on Friday to Saturday’s semifinals on Daniel Island.

The only one that didn’t wrap up the berths in straight set was former champion Kasatkina, a 25-year-old Russian who has climbed back to No. 8 in the world. She wore down another former champion, Madison Keys, 5-7 (5), 6-4, 6-2, with a variety of shots that kept Keys out of synch with her awesome power at times.

PEGULA CAME CLOSE TO THREE AGAIN

Pegula, the world’s No. 3 player who had rallied back from a 4-0 third-set deficit a day earlier to win six straight games against Irina-Camelia Begu, came close to a another third set this time.

But talented Spaniard Paula Badosa helped Pegula out with a pair of mistakes on the last two points of Friday night’s match to allow Pegula to escape with a 6-3, 7-6 (6) victory.

The always patient and under control Pegula was cruising with a 5-3 lead in the second set when Badosa suddenly discovered her game to win three straight games to force Pegula to hold service in the 12th game to force a tiebreaker.

BADOSA ERRED ON THE LAST TWO POINTS

With the score at 6-6 in the 12-point tiebreaker, Badosa went for too much with a forehand and then netted a backhand to end the match.

Pegula had been all business all the way, showing no emotion while committing few errors, playing great defense and stepping inside the court to hit winners. She had won five straight games at 3-3 to finish off the first set and take a 2-0 lead in the second set.

But Badosa was too talented to let Pegula off the hook that easily. The 5-11, 25-year-old was going to lose, but she didn’t want to without a fight.

“She made me earn it in the end,” Pegula said. “The conditions started getting really tricky. I know there’s some rain coming, so I’m glad I was able to get through that, especially in straight sets.”

MATCH ALMOST BLEW AWAY

“I was serving at 1-0 in the second set, and all of a sudden the wind just shifted going this way, and it dropped like 10 degrees,” Pegula said.

“It was crazy. You could just feel it kind of in the air, so I kind of looked at my coach, like okay, I need to hold, because you never know what’s going to happen in the conditions. I was playing really well and it got tricky there.”

Pegula next goes against Bencic, the 26-year-old defending champion who made quick work of Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova for a 6-3, 6-3 victory in the quarterfinals.

Bencic is a solid player who doesn’t waste many strokes or much time, but has all of the shots and seems to control the court with her instincts and excellent movement.

BENCIC TOUGH MATCHUP FOR PEGULA

“Belinda is really tough,” Pegula said. “She’s a really tough matchup for me. I haven’t played her in awhile, but I think I’ve improved a lot since the last time I played her.

“We play kind of similar, hit kind of low flat, take it early, and she tends to kind of feed off my pace and like how I play. She’s obviously very confident right now, defending champ, and it’s going to be really tough.”

Bencic, a 5-9, 26-year-old Swiss player, also has great respect for Pegula’s game.

“I feel like Jess is very consistent. I feel like she does anything with the ball,” Bencic said. “She redirects very well, and you always feel like she’s not even moving, but still she makes it very effortless.”

JABEUR HAD THE EASIEST DAY

Perhaps, the fifth-ranked Jabeur, the 2022 runner-up here as well as a Wimbledon and U.S. Open runner-up, had the easiest time on Friday. Anna Kalinskaya won only one game before taking a 6-0, 4-1 retirement against Jabeur.

Tunisia’s Jabeur will oppose Kasatkina in Saturday’s semifinals. “We’ve (Kasatkina) had a lot of three-setters together. It’s going to be definitely a physical match,” Jabeur said.

“She’s someone that loves clay. She’s someone that her game suits clay a lot. I think the key tomorrow probably will be patience.”

Looking ahead to possibly rainy weather, Jabeur said, “It’s definitely going to be tricky. It depends how it’s going to rain, if it’s the whole day, if you go in and out the whole time. For me, the most important thing, I will try to use the conditions to my benefit.”

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James Beck was the 2003 winner of the USTA National Media Award as the tennis columnist for the Charleston (S.C.) Post and Courier newspapers. A 1995 MBA graduate of The Citadel, he can be reached at Jamesbecktennis@gmail.com.

Ons Jabeur

Jessica Pegula Pulls Out Amazing Victory In Charleston

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BY JAMES BECK

CHARLESTON, S.C. – How did Jessie Pegula do it?

Win six straight games after losing 10 consecutive games, that’s all.

That’s what No. 1 seeds do, right?

Not too often.

PEGULA PULLED A MIRACLE

But that’s what the top-seeded Pegula did Friday afternoon to hand Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania a 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 setback in the Charleston Open.

“Both sides, both of us . . . for me to be up 4-0 (in the second set) and (her) win it. And then me  coming back (from 4-0 down in the third set). That’s tennis,” Pegula said.

 “She’s a great player. I know she likes clay. I was prepared for a tough match. I didn’t think it was going to be swinging back and forth like that.”

‘IT’S NOT OVER UNTIL IT’S OVER’

Pegula’s collapse in the second set after charging out to a set and a 4-0 advantage came after “we switched balls. I was off a little bit. I played two sloppy games, and she was swinging because she was down 4-0. Like ‘What does it matter to me?’ That happens a lot,” Pegula said.

“I’ve had some crazy matches this year. It’s not over until it’s over. But it (the match) just swings back and forth. It was definitely insane.

“It seems like every tournament I’m playing one crazy match. So far, I’m coming out on the winning side.”

That’s obvious from her world’s No. 3 ranking.

“I told myself, (when she was behind 4-0 in the third set), ‘All I need is one game, maybe a double fault.’ And she did. I got up to 4-1, then I said, ‘I’ve got to hold’ . . . and I did. Then I actually started playing pretty well.”

PEGULA LOOKING LIKE A STAR

The 29-year-old Pegula is looking more and more like she belongs at or near the top of the WTA Tour. She’s usually incredibly consistent, although she also can play an aggressive style of tennis with her solid athletic ability.

The daughter of Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula trained in Charleston for a couple of years in her early years as a pro. She also spent much of her younger years training at Hilton Head Island.

ROGERS’ GOOD LUCK ENDS

 Pegula’s rally against Begu was similar to Charleston’s Shelby Rogers rally from a set and a 5-3 deficit in the second set to even nearly a three-hour second-round match against Caty McNally on Wednesday night. Rogers then extended her streak to six games with a 2-0 start in the third set to set the stage for a 6-7, 7-5, 6-1 victory before a late-night crowd of Rogers fans.

Rogers had the tables turned Thursday night after taking the first set from defending champion Belinda Bencic, only to struggle in the third set probably due to Rogers’ long, late-night finish against McNally. Playing her third straight three-set match, Rogers suffered a 6-7, 7-5, 6-1 loss to Bencic, who advanced to Friday’s quarterfinals.

Bencic displayed a crafty, smooth game on the green clay, mixing in a serve that hit most of the spots. Switzerland’s latest Swiss Miss (remember Martina Hingis?)  played smart and  almost flawless tennis after losing the first set.

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James Beck was the 2003 winner of the USTA National Media Award as the tennis columnist for the Charleston (S.C.) Post and Courier newspapers. A 1995 MBA graduate of The Citadel, he can be reached at Jamesbecktennis@gmail.com.

Is Sofia Kenin Really Back?

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BY JAMES BECK

Sofia Kenin is a true veteran of professional tennis.

She’s just 24 years old, but she has been playing the pros for a decade.

Kenin was so great in 2020 when you won the Australian Open after celebrating her 21st birthday three months earlier. Then she moved up to No. 4 in the world and was runner-up in the French Open.

The world must have looked simple back then to the Moscow native, who came to America as a baby.

INJURIES STEAL 2021 AND 2022

Then the injuries hit, and 2021 and 2022 weren’t as much fun.

But Kenin is back in Charleston for the Charleston Open ranked No. 142 in the world. She struggled at times Monday night before the rains pushed the finish back to Tuesday, and she prevailed with a 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-1 win over Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus.

Kenin had played late into the night on Monday and was lucky to be winning when the match was finally called. She could sleep easy.

“I needed to get some sleep if I wanted to win,” she said during her Tennis Channel interview Tuesday after winning her first-round match in Charleston.

SPEECHES NO PROBLEM FOR KENIN

The home-schooled young woman was as articulate as ever.

After winning the 2020 Australian Open, Kenin started her acceptance speech by saying, “Okay, this is my first speech, but I’m going to try my best.”

Her speech was so well articulated that day that tennis hall of famer Todd Woodbridge, who was serving as master of ceremonies for the Australian Open’s awards presentation, said, “I think we’ll all agree it was a pretty special first Grand Slam speech.”

A DIFFERENT PLAYER ON TUESDAY

Kenin looked like a different player, her old self, when the match resumed Tuesday as she quickly expanded a 3-0 lead from the previous night to 5-0. Her strong, precisely placed cross-court backhands became more than Sasnovich could handle.

The match ended quickly.

Six years earlier out on the Althea Gibson Club Court, she was wrapping up things by autographing everything her young fans could come up with. She had qualified for the main draw of what was then named Volvo Car Open.

FROM NOWHERE TO SUPERSTAR

From a nearby seat in the stands, her coach/dad Alex watched every move that day in 2017, just as he did Monday and Tuesday in Credit One Stadium on Daniel Island.  Veteran coach Michael Joyce also is helping out her dad these days.

But in 2017, Kenin was on her way from “nowhere to superstar” as the 210th-ranked player in the world.

It happened in 2020 when she won the Australian Open and then was runner-up in the French Open. She quickly became the highest ranked American in professional tennis and the youngest American to win a Grand Slam since Serena Williams in the 2002 U.S. Open.

INJURIES TAKE OVER IN 2021 AND 2022

The world seemed to belong to the then 21-year-old. She was young and a great talent apparently capable of winning many Grand Slam tournaments.

Then the injury season hit her in 2021. A serious ankle injury sidelined her for five months in 2022. She missed the Olympics. She also came down with Covid.

Everything seemed to go wrong.

It had been a bumpy ride for a player who started playing the ITF Circuit in 2013 in Gainesville, Fla., as a 14-year-old. The young woman from Pembroke Pines, Fla., may finally be back on her game with a healthy body.

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James Beck was the 2003 winner of the USTA National Media Award  for print media. A 1995 MBA graduate of The Citadel, he can be reached at Jamesbecktennis@gmail.com.

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Sofia Kenin in Charleston

Ben Navarro’s Purchase of Western & Southern Financial Open Confirmed In Press Release

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Beemok Capital, the family office of businessman and philanthropist Benjamin Navarro, today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Cincinnati’s Western and Southern Open tournament from the United States Tennis Association (“USTA”). Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Mr. Navarro and Beemok Capital have demonstrated a years-long commitment to the advancement of tennis in the United States with substantial investments in programs and infrastructure to support all levels of tennis development. Beemok also brings extensive operational and hospitality expertise to the Western and Southern Open, having recently completed a major renovation that transformed Charleston’s Credit One Stadium into a world-class tennis and concert venue. Credit One Stadium plays host to North America’s largest women’s only professional tennis tournament, the Credit One Charleston Open, acquired by Beemok in 2018. Beemok also operates two tennis complexes in the Charleston area that serve as host sites for USTA Pro Circuit events, the USTA Girls’ 18s National Clay Court Championship and a high performance tennis academy serving players aspiring to compete at the college and pro levels.

“It is an honor to partner with the USTA, ATP and WTA to help write the next chapter for the Western and Southern Open, one of the world’s premier tennis events,” said Navarro. “We welcome the opportunity to become a steward of this important tournament, as well as an ambassador of the USTA’s mission of promoting the development and growth of tennis. We are committed to providing the best resources to the world’s best players and look forward to elevating the Western and Southern Open experience for players and fans.”

“Going into this sales process, the USTA had clear goals. We wanted to locate a potential steward who would invest in the event and invest in our sport to ensure more kids and more communities have access to our sport. We wanted to create a structure that was right for American tennis, and finally, we wanted to elevate one of the premier events on the tennis calendar to even greater heights,” said Lew Sherr, Chief Executive officer of the USTA. “With this sale to Ben Navarro and Beemok Capital, we have surpassed these goals. Ben’s proven track record in Charleston, his commitment to tennis, and more importantly to communities, make him the ideal new owner in Cincinnati.”

Completion of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in Q3 2022.

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is serving as legal counsel to Beemok Capital. BofA Securities is acting as exclusive financial advisor to USTA, and Covington & Burling, LLP is serving as USTA’s legal counsel.

About Beemok Capital

Beemok Capital is the family office of Charleston, South Carolina-based businessman and philanthropist Benjamin W. Navarro. Beemok is committed to serving the communities in which it operates and believes its people, culture and values are its core differentiator.

About the United States Tennis Association

The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level — from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. A not-for-profit organization, it invests 100% of its proceeds in growing the game. It owns and operates the US Open, one of the highest-attended annual sporting events in the world, and launched the US Open Series, linking seven summer WTA and ATP World Tour tournaments to the US Open. In addition, it owns approximately 120 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S. and selects the teams for the Davis Cup, Billie Jean King Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games. The USTA’s philanthropic entity, the USTA Foundation, provides grants and scholarships in addition to supporting tennis and education programs nationwide to benefit under-resourced youth through the National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network. For more information about the USTA, go to USTA.com or follow the official accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.

About the Western and Southern Open

The Western & Southern Open is the nation’s oldest professional tennis tournament played in its city of origin since 1899. The Tournament is a hard court combined event for Men and Women played during the month of August. The Open is part of the ATP and WTA Tours as a Master 1000 (the highest category after the Grand Slams). Previous champions include Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and Serena Williams.

Rafael Nadal is a former champion in Cincinnati

Two Events, Two Victories For Lleyton Hewitt On The Invesco Series QQQ Circuit

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It’s been two events and two victories for Lleyton Hewitt in his Invesco Series QQQ career. The former world No. 1, Wimbledon and U.S. Open champion and still part-time doubles specialist on the ATP Tour won his second career title on the North American tennis circuit for champion tennis players over the age of 30 Saturday night defeating Andy Roddick 6-2 in the one-set title match to win the Invesco Legends Charleston, played in conjunction with the WTA Tour’s Volvo Car Open.

Hewitt, 38, made his Invesco Series QQQ debut last July in Newport, R.I. on the grass courts at the International Tennis Hall of Fame defeating James Blake in the semifinals and Tommy Haas in the final. Saturday night on clay in Charleston, Hewitt remained undefeated on the Series by dominating with his grinding baseline game that earned him 30 career ATP singles titles.

Hewitt and Roddick played 14 times during their ATP Tour career, each player winning seven matches and Hewitt was able to move ahead in the bragging rights department with his victory in their first Invesco Series meeting. Roddick joked that he was not looking forward to playing Hewitt in the final saying “I know Lleyton plays like 40 weeks a year” and remembering their hard-fought slug-fest matches from their ATP days, including a memorable five-set quarterfinal night match in 2001, won by Hewitt en route to winning his first major title. Hewitt played his last career ATP singles match at the 2016 Australian Open, losing in the second round to David Ferrer. He played nine doubles events in 2018, along with his one Invesco Series appearance, and so far in 2019 he has played four events. While serving as Australia’s Davis Cup captain, he has managed to earn an ATP doubles ranking of No. 228.

Roddick is playing his sixth season on the Invesco Series after retiring from the ATP Tour in 2012 and was seeking his 18th career title on Series and his first since beating James Blake in the title match in Los Angeles in October of 2017. Saturday marked the second straight year that Roddick lost in the Charleston final. In 2018, he was defeated by Tommy Haas 6-1 in the title match.

En route to the final, Hewitt beat 54-year-old Mats Wilander 6-3 while Roddick beat 48-year-old Jim Courier 6-4. Hewitt said he grew up idolizing Wilander, who won his first major title at the French Open at 17 years old in 1982 when Hewitt was one year old. “This was the first time we ever hit balls together so it was a lot of fun,” said Hewitt. Roddick’s win over Courier moved him to a perfect 7-0 against the two-time French and Australian Open champion on the Invesco Series. Quipped Roddick of the win, “I got a little lucky. I’m just not that good anymore.”

The Invesco Series QQQ circuit continues Sunday, May 5 in Maui at the Royal Lahaina Resort at the Hawaii Champions Cup with John McEnroe, Mardy Fish, Tommy Haas and Michael Chang in the field  Earlier this season, Tommy Haas kicked off the 2019 Invesco Series QQQ circuit in January by defeating Roddick 7-6 (2) in the title match at the Oracle Champions Cup in Newport Beach, California. James Blake won the second event of the season on Thursday at the Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Fla., defeating Courier 6-3 in the final. Through three events so far in 2019, there is a four-way tie for the top spot in the year-long Invesco Series QQQ points rankings with Haas, Blake, Hewitt and Roddick all having 400 points.

The remaining 2019 Invesco Series QQQ schedule is as follows:

 

Maui, HI – May 5 (Royal Lahaina Resort): John McEnroe, Mardy Fish, Tommy Haas, Michael Chang

Newport, RI – July 21 (International Tennis Hall of Fame): Todd Martin, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Jim Courier, Mats Wilander

Boston, MA – September 7 (Venue and Players TBA)

Toronto, ON – September 26 (Mattamy Athletic Centre): Players TBA

Orlando, FL – Date and Venue TBA: Players TBA

Los Angeles, CA – Date and Venue TBA: Players TBA

Austin, TX – November 15: Venue and Players TBA

 

In 2018, Blake won his first Invesco Series QQQ 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 Invesco Series QQQ 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 1600 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. Blake finished in third place with 1100 points and tournament titles in Chicago, Portland and Brooklyn.

In 2015, Roddick won the Series points title in his second year of competing on the series with 1,600 points. Roddick won a record eight events Los Angeles, Lincoln, Chicago, Austin, Little Rock, Dallas, Richmond and Minneapolis. Blake finished second in the points rankings with 1,200 points, winning events in Boston and Cincinnati. Philippoussis finished in third with 1,100 points, winning titles in Salt Lake City and Vancouver. The year before in 2014, McEnroe won the points title for the first time in the nine-year history of Invesco Series QQQ tennis by winning events in Kansas City, Indianapolis, Nashville and Charlotte.

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, pleasevisithorizonmedia.com.

ABOUT INVESCO

Invesco Ltd. is an independent investment management firm dedicated to delivering an investment experience that helps people get more out of life. NYSE: IVZ; Invesco.com, Invesco Distributors, Inc. is the US distributor for Invesco Ltd. and is a wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Invesco Ltd.”

 

Lleyton Hewitt
Lleyton Hewitt

Tommy Haas Makes Invesco Series Debut In Charleston…And Dominates

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Tommy Haas began his career on the Invesco Series circuit in rousing fashion Sunday morning, winning the QQQ Legends Charleston title defeating Andy Roddick 6-1 in the championship match at the Volvo Car Stadium,

The event was delayed until Sunday morning due to rain Saturday in Charleston and was played in cold and windy conditions with tournament play starting at 8 am with temperatures in the 40s.

“I grew up in Hamburg, Germany. These were like regular conditions for us to play outside on clay, cold and windy,” said Haas. “But it’s never that easy.”

Haas, who turned 40 on April 3, ended his career on the ATP World Tour last year. The former world No. 2 and silver medalist at the 2000 Olympic Games won his last career ATP match in Stuttgart, Germany last June on grass when he upset Roger Federer in the second round. Roddick, the winner of the year-long Invesco Series points title in 2015 and 2017, joked his displeasure of Haas joining the North American circuit for champion tennis players over the age of 30 by saying there should be a rule that players should not be eligible to play on the series if they had beaten Federer within the last year.

Haas advanced into the final by beating Michael Chang 6-2 in the opening 8 am semifinal Sunday, winning the first five games of his Invesco Series career. Roddick defeated last year’s Charleston runner-up Mark Philippoussis 6-3 in the other semifinal, avenging his loss to the Australian the previous year on the same court in the semifinals.

The Invesco Series continues next month at Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows at Kohala Coast, Hawaii for the first-ever Invesco Series event in Hawaii.

Each QQQ Champions Series by Invesco event features special VIP experiences, including hit-with-the-pros opportunities and special back-stage access. All ticket, experience and event information can be found at www.PowerSharesSeries.com.

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 PowerShares 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 1600 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. Blake finished in third place with 1100 points and tournament titles in Chicago, Portland and Brooklyn.

In 2015, Roddick won the Series points title in his second year of competing on the series with 1,600 points. Roddick won a record eight events Los Angeles, Lincoln, Chicago, Austin, Little Rock, Dallas, Richmond and Minneapolis. Blake finished second in the points rankings with 1,200 points, winning events in Boston and Cincinnati. Philippoussis finished in third with 1,100 points, winning titles in Salt Lake City and Vancouver. The year before in 2014, McEnroe won the points title for the first time in the nine-year history of Champions Series tennis by winning events in Kansas City, Indianapolis, Nashville and Charlotte.

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 $4 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 PowerSharesSeries.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.

ABOUT INVESCO
Invesco Ltd. is an independent investment management firm dedicated to delivering an investment experience that helps people get more out of life. NYSE: IVZ; invesco.com. Invesco Distributors, Inc. is the US distributor for Invesco Ltd. and is a wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Invesco Ltd.

Tommy Haas
Tommy Haas