World No. 1 Wozniacki pays nearly $9 million for pair of New York City apartments
World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, who calls Monte Carlo, Monaco home when she is not traveling the globe winning WTA Tour tennis tournaments, has just purchased a pair of two-bedroom apartments at the glitzy 15 Union Square West building in New York City for just under $9 million. The purchases were made through two limited-liability companies, but the sales documents were signed by the 20-year-old Dane’s mother, Anna, who is a former Polish Women’s National Volleyball Team member. The closing took place in May, though Brown Harris Stevens Broker, Shlomi Reuveni, who is marketing the building. He declined to comment on the transactions. If she wants to play tennis while in town, she will have to trek to Flushing Meadows to the site of the US Open, since the property only features a 50-foot lap pool and spa with saunas, treatment and massage rooms, a gym and a yoga room that doubles as a boxing training room. One of Wozniacki’s apartments faces Union Square Park and overlooks a farmers market that is open four days a week. The other faces north on East 15th Street.
US Open tickets on sale now for American Express cardholders
If you are an American Express cardholder, purchase your tickets now before the public can during an exclusive pre-sale through June 11 by visiting www.USOpen.org or by calling 1-866-OPEN-TIX. If you are not an American Express cardholder, the USTA will be hosting a special 2011 US Open Experience for fans in Times Square between 46th and 47th Street in New York City on Monday, June 13 from 9am-1pm. While enjoying live entertainment and contests that could win you free tickets, fans can purchase tickets that are not available anywhere else, as well as take pictures with the US Open trophy. This year’s US Open will be played from August 29-September 11.
Federer-Nadal French Open final earns best TV ratings since 1999
NBC Sports reported on Monday that the French Open Men’s Championship match between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal earned a 2.6 rating and 7 shares. It was the best overnight rating for a final since Andre Agassi rallied to beat Andrei Medvedev in 1999 to win his only French Open crown, which recorded a 4.0 rating and 12 shares. NBC Sports also reported that the Women’s Championship between Li Na and Francesca Schiavone drew in a 1.7 rating and 5 shares, which tied last year’s numbers. Ratings represent the percentage of all homes with televisions tuned into a program. Overnight ratings measure the country’s largest markets.
Evert joins ESPN as Grand Slam analyst for Wimbledon and U.S. Open coverage
Former world No. 1 and 18-Grand Slam singles champion Chris Evert will join ESPN for Wimbledon and U.S. Open, working as both a studio analyst and calling matches. The Boca Raton, Fla. resident will debut on June 20 at Wimbledon. “I am really excited about working again in tennis as an analyst,” said Evert in a statement. “I’ve been away from TV for 10 years because my priority was raising my three boys, and now that they are older it is the right time to join the exceptional tennis team at ESPN. I have many friends there and enjoy watching their coverage, so I look forward to getting back behind the microphone.” Evert retired from the WTA Tour in 1989 with 157 titles and was a unanimous selection into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1995. “Chris Evert is an iconic figure, and with more than 100 hours on our plate at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, fans will benefit from Chris’ insights, experience and passion for the game,” said Norby Williamson, ESPN Executive Vice President in a statement. “ESPN is proud to welcome Chris to the most experienced and credible tennis team on television.”
TEB-BNP Paribas new title sponsor of year-end WTA Championships
BNP Paribas, one of the most prominent banks in the world and the European leader in global banking and financial services, and its Turkish partner Turk Ekonomi Bankasy (TEB), will become the joint title sponsors of the prestigious year-end WTA Championships. The TEB-BNP Paribas WTA Championships will be held in Istanbul, Turkey from 2011-2013. Under the new agreement, TEB-BNP Paribas will become the official bank of the WTA Championships, while receiving global exposure through on-court branding, broadcast and digital brand exposure; as well as international marketing and promotion across all WTA Tour platforms, including digital and social media channels. “We are very excited and extremely proud to name TEB-BNP Paribas as the title sponsor of our year-end Championships, the apex of our season, for the next three years,” said Stacey Allaster, Chairman and CEO of the WTA Tour. “Our partnership with TEB-BNP Paribas is yet another example of how attractive women’s tennis is to sponsors.” Top WTA Tour players Vera Zvonareva, Victoria Azarenka and Jelena Jankovic were all on hand to help launch the TEB-BNP Paribas WTA Championships in Istanbul.
Courier receives the Longines Prize for Elegance in Paris from Agassi
After an exhibition match over the weekend at Roland Garros featuring two legends and two future tennis aces, Longines gave a charity dinner in Paris in aid of the foundations run by their two ambassadors, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf. During the dinner, Agassi presented Jim Courier with the Longines Prize for Elegance as a tribute to his work with disadvantaged children, notably through his foundation, Courier’s Kids.
Venus and Serena to return at Eastbourne next week
A representative for Venus Williams told Tennis.com that Williams will return to action at the AEGON International in Eastbourne next week. The five-time Wimbledon singles champion has not played since injuring her hip at the Australian Open in Melbourne in January. On Tuesday, Serena’s management company said that she had accepted a wild card into the main draw at Eastbourne. This marks Serena’s first tournament since winning her 13th Grand Slam singles title last year at the All England Club. Accepting a wild card into the final grass-court warm up event signals that Serena will be fit enough to defend her Wimbledon title.
Querrey returning to Los Angeles to defend title
Two-time defending champion Sam Querrey will return to his Southern California roots this summer to compete again at the Farmers Classic presented by Mercedes-Benz, which will be played from July 25-31 at the Los Angeles Tennis Center on the campus of UCLA in Westwood. The Thousand Oaks native joins 2008 champion Juan Martin del Potro who recently committed to the event. This year, Querrey is looking to join Hall of Famers Fred Perry and Don Budge as the only players to win the Los Angeles title three consecutive years. “To have the champions from our last three years is great for tennis and the Farmers Classic,” said Bob Kramer, Tournament Director. “With Sam’s local ties and vocal fan base here, he always brings a lot of energy to the tournament. Sam and Juan Martin are great champions, and we are eager for them both to return to UCLA.” Season tickets and mini-plan tickets for the 85th annual Farmers Classics presented by Mercedes-Benz are on sale now. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.FarmersClassic.com/Tickets or call (310) 824-1010 ext. 251.
Blake to play in Legg Mason Tennis Classic this summer regardless of ranking status
James Blake, the 2002 champion and 2005 runner-up, will compete at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic presented by GEICO, according to Tournament Director Jeff Newman, who said that if Blake is not ranked high enough for direct entry, he will receive a wild card berth into the main draw. The Legg Mason Tennis Classic will be played from July 30-August 7 at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center in Washington, D.C. Players already signed up to compete in this year’s tournament include Mardy Fish, Andy Roddick, Sam Querrey, John Isner, Lleyton Hewitt, Marcos Baghdatis, Milos Raonic and Viktor Troicki. Ticket packages and single session tickets for the Legg Mason Tennis Classic are now sale now. To purchase tickets visit www.leggmasontennisclassic.com or call (202) 721-9500.
Haas accepts wild card into Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in Newport
Former world No. 2 Tommy Haas has been awarded a wild card into the main draw at the Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in Newport, R.I., which will be played at the historic site of the International Tennis Hall of Fame from July 4-10. This will be the German’s first appearance in Newport. Haas, who made his return to the ATP World Tour in April after a 14-month layoff due to surgery, has won 12 singles titles throughout his 16-year career. “We look forward to welcoming Tommy to Newport,” said Mark L. Stenning, Tournament Director for the Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships. “He’s been one of the most exciting, consistent players on Tour for many years, and we know our fans will enjoy seeing him compete with the other top players in our field, such as Sam Querrey and Ivo Karlovic.” Haas joins an already competitive field which includes Querrey, Karlovic, Ryan Sweeting, Ryan Harrison, Richard Berankis and Grigor Dimitrov.
Defending champion Azarenka joins Ivanovic, Bartoli as recent commits to Bank of the West Classic
Defending champion Victoria Azarenka has committed to the 2011 Bank of the West Classic, joining former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic and 2009 champion Marion Bartoli who agreed to participate last week. This year’s tournament will be held from July 25-31 at the Taube Family Tennis Center on the campus of Stanford University in Northern California. Both players join an already impressive player field that includes Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Samantha Stosur. The Bank of the West Classic, a WTA Premier event, is now in its 41st year and features a 28-player singles draw as well as a 16-team doubles draw. The event is owned and operated by IMG and serves as the opening women’s event of the Olympus US Open Series. Tickets can be purchased by calling the tournament box office at (866) 982-8497 or by visiting www.BankoftheWestClassic.com.
Murray will continue working with Cahill through grass-court season
World No. 4 and 2011 French Open semifinalist Andy Murray said he is committed to working with ESPN analyst Darren Cahill through at least the grass-court season. For the last two months, Murray has been working with Cahill and Sven Groenefeld through the Adidas Player Development Program. “I’ve improved a lot since Indian Wells and Miami,” said Murray. “We’ll get the chance to work with him over the grass-court period and see how it goes. He will be there the week before at Wimbledon, and it’ll work probably similar to how it was here: he does TV during the tournament, but Sven will be there. They’ll be around from probably the finals weekend of Queen’s through till Wimbledon. I have enjoyed working with them and I feel like I’m playing well again. So until I don’t feel that way or I don’t feel like they can help…It’s been very short term thing, so I’m sure I can still learn a lot more from those guys, and I look forward to it.”
Patty Schnyder retires after 17 years on WTA Tour
After 17 years on the WTA Tour, 32-year-old Patty Schnyder officially announced her retirement from tennis during a press conference at the French Open last week. The Swiss, who reached a career high ranking of No. 7 in November 2005, earned wins over many No. 1 players including Steffi Graf, Serena Williams, Justine Henin, Kim Clijsters, Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Jennifer Capriati, Caroline Wozniacki, Amelie Mauresmo, Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic. During her career which started in 1994, she reached six Grand Slam singles quarterfinals and one Grand Slam singles semifinal. Schnyder, who was ranked in the Top 10 for a total of 94 weeks, finished her career with a win-loss record of 552-361. One of the most consistent players over the last decade, Schnyder was ranked in the year-end Top 50 for the last 14 years. “It’s time to close this amazing chapter of my life,” said Schnyder. “This is very emotional decision makes me thankful and proud of all the moments I have been able to share on and off the court with fans from all over the world and with the champions and legends from many decades.”
Tennis Channel and ESPN extend Grand Slam media alliance
According to a recent press release, Tennis Channel and ESPN have extended the French Open and Australian Open multimedia programming alliance they began in Roland Garros in 2007. Both networks will continue to offer matches virtually round the clock from both events, two of the sport’s four major “Grand Slam” tournaments, with complementary coverage and cross-promoted schedules. However, viewers will see the networks tweak the French Open broadcast schedule, with ESPN moving to cover the early morning matches, and Tennis Channel’s window running contiguously from 10 a.m. ET, throughout the night and up to the next day’s play. Additionally, Tennis Channel offer 10 consecutive nights of prime-time match play during its Australian Open window, without any intermittent days off. The four-year agreement will begin with the French Open in 2012 and 2013 Australian Open. Tennis Channel will cover close to 60 hours of live French Open matches in Paris; an additional 30-plus same-day delay hours; and more than 140 hours of prime-time news, feature, interview, highlight, show French Open Tonight, hosted by Bill Macatee. Beginning with the 2013 Australian Open in Melbourne, however, the network’s 13 days of live coverage will now include 10 consecutive nights of prime-time matches, first Monday through Wednesday of the second week, without any intermittent days off. Also a first, Tennis Channel will be able to stay with men’s matches that run longer than its two-hour programming windows, which it was previously only able to do during women’s matches. “Not only is there more championship-caliber tennis on television week-after-week than ever before, but consistent, daily schedules allow fans to follow and enjoy this sport in a way that was impossible even just a few years ago,” said Ken Solomon, Chairman and CEO, Tennis Channel. “With this arrangement there will be no more guesswork during the Australian Open: just turn your TV on when you get home at 7 o’clock and we’ll be there live, night after night. Tennis fans are the big winners here, as has been the case ever since Tennis Channel and ESPN started working together.” Beginning at the French Open in 2012, a typical televised day in Paris will begin with ESPN2 from 5 a.m. ET to 10 a.m. ET, followed immediately by coverage on Tennis Channel for the remainder of play. French Open Tonight will appear on Tennis Channel in prime time for three-and-a-half hours and, as is the case now, re-air throughout the night, right up to the next morning’s play on ESPN2. Tennis Channel will also produce and distribute many additional hours of coverage via multi-match interactive telecasts. ESPN2 will continue to show close to 50 live hours of play at the French Open and more than 120 live hours at the Australian Open, via its daily marathon late-night telecasts. Both networks will continue to cross-promote each other’s schedules, and each will present live broadband action during both networks’ telecast windows at the tournaments.
“World Tennis with Harry Cicma Presented by Infiniti of Norwood” Returns for Third Season on NESN
“World Tennis with Harry Cicma” will return for a third season on New England Sports Network (NESN) with an expanded number of shows in high definition and a new presenting sponsor with Infiniti of Norwood. “World Tennis with Harry Cicma Presented by Infiniti of Norwood” will have 12 shows this summer airing twice per week from June 6 through August 29 – up from last season’s total of five shows. “World Tennis Presented by Infiniti of Norwood” will have exclusive one-on-one interviews with legends such as Billie Jean King, John McEnroe, John Isner, Anna Kournikova, Kim Clijsters and more hosted by veteran tennis analyst Harry Cicma. In addition, the show will be available globally on the internet at www.WorldTennisMagazine.com and on the World Tennis Magazine YouTube channel following its airing on NESN. In addition to Infiniti of Norwood (www.InfinitiofNorwood.com), other sponsors for 2011 include Cruise Control Gear (www.CruiseControlGear.com), the Boston Lobsters World Team Tennis franchise, (www.BostonLobsters.net), the Upper Dublin Sports Center, (www.UpperDublinSportsCenter.com) and “The Bud Collins History of Tennis” book, published by New Chapter Media, (www.NewChapterMedia.com). The New England Sports Network (NESN) is the flagship station for both the Boston Red Sox and Boston Bruins and is available on New England cable systems and nationally = in both standard definition and high definition through satellite TV providers DirectTV (Channel 628) and Dish Network (Channel 434). The Red Sox are a co-founder and majority owner (80 percent) of NESN with the Bruins owning the remaining 20 percent. NESN is delivered to over four million homes throughout New England and consistently receives higher ratings of any other national or regional sports channels in the region combined. Cicma is an on-air correspondent for NBC Sports, the former sports producer and anchor at NBC in Providence, R.I. and CBS in Springfield, Mass., and ABC in Sioux City, Iowa. He is the co-founder and host of “World Tennis with Harry Cicma” and also served as a commentator for other networks including Fox Sports Net and Tennis Channel and the U.S. Open tennis championship’s world feed. He is the TV voice of World Team Tennis, also host & producer of FOX Sports’ Ping Pong coverage, along with other productions on SNY, FOX, NESN and Comcast SportsNet. A former world-ranked doubles player, he is a graduate of Rutgers University.
US Open SmashZone going on a road trip
The USTA recently announced that SmashZone, the premiere fan interactive attraction at the annual US Open, will be hitting the road for a 15-city mobile tour. SmashZone Mobile includes a 53-foot trailer, which anchors four kid-sized tennis courts for youth play and is a complement to the USTA’s ongoing youth participation initiative, 10 and Under Tennis. Since it is targeting a family audience, the tour will stop at fairs and festivals, along with some retail environments and downtown locations in markets across the country, including some of the Olympus US Open Series markets. “Taking one of the premiere attractions of the US Open on the road to showcase our 10 and Under Tennis initiative allows us to reach audiences that might not have ever experienced tennis before,” said Jon Vegosen, USTA Chairman of the Board and President. “To be able to get more racquets in kid’s hands at a young age, and to share with them the idea that tennis can be played anywhere from schools yards, to parks, to clubs, and even at home, underscores the fact that tennis is the sport of opportunity.” To find out more information on SmashZone and to find out if it will be stopping in a city near you, visit 10andundertennis.com.
Rich Neighbor named Dunlop Sports Western Regional Sales Manager
Dunlop Sports recently announced the addition of Rich Neighbor as Western Regional Sales Manager. Neighbor, who has over 30 years experience in the tennis industry, will be responsible for managing sales operations and the Territory Managers in Dunlop’s Western Region. “I’ve known Rich for some time, and I can personally speak to the level of dedication and knowledge he has of our industry,” said Kai Nitsche, Vice President and General Manager of Dunlop Racket Sports. “Having someone of Rich’s caliber servicing the key Western region helps us as we continue to build on the successes of the Dunlop Biomimetic launch.”
GAMMA adds Facebook contests
Gamma Sports (GAMMA) just announced that launching of the GAMMA Contests section on their Facebook Fan Page. The GAMMA Contest area will feature regular contests where players and fans can submit pictures, quotes and other information that will be voted on by fellow Facebook users to select a winner. The initial contest for June is a photo contest titled “Worst Basket Wins.” Players are asked to upload an image of their oldest, most beat up, worn out, worst looking Ballhopper® basket. The finalists will be selected by GAMMA, and then Facebook member voting will determine the winner who will receive a new Ballhopper® EZ Basket™ 150.