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This Week in Tennis Business: Mercedes-Benz USA signs $35 million deal with US Open

October 28, 2009 by WTM

By: Justin Cohen

The USTA announced on Monday that Mercedes-Benz USA has signed a four-year deal to become the “Official Vehicle of the US Open” starting in 2010. SportsBusinessJournal reports that the deal is worth $35 million. More than 250 players participating in the tournament will receive transportation services from Mercedes-Benz. The partnership includes major media commitments on CBS, ESPN2 and Tennis Channel, as well as significant presence on USOpen.org. “Mercedes-Benz has a world-renowned reputation for excellence and innovation, which make them an ideal fit for the US Open,” said Pierce O’Neil, the Chief Business Officer of the USTA. “As with all of our partners, Mercedes-Benz will play an integral role in the presentation and operation of the 2010 US Open and well into the future.”
The New York Daily News has confirmed that Andre Agassi’s soon to be released autobiography reveals that he used Crystal Meth when he was playing on the ATP World Tour in 1997.
The USTA announced on Tuesday that United States Fed Cup captain Mary Joe Fernandez has named Serena Williams, Melanie Oudin, Liezel Huber and Alexa Glatch to the roster for the finals. The United States will look to win their first title since 2000 when they take on host Italy on November 7-8.
Fabrice Santoro, who played his first Grand Slam singles event in 1989 at the French Open, has confirmed that he is strongly considering playing the 2010 Australian Open so he can become the first player to play in Grand Slams in four decades. “Since a Canadian reporter told me I would be the first to achieve such a feat, I keep on saying to myself that it would be nice, it would be an unusual record,” Santoro said at the ATP tournament in Lyon. “But if I want to be able to play five-set matches in Melbourne, I must not go skiing in December. I won’t make that decision thoughtlessly.”
According to The Observer, more than 500 major health experts have sent a letter to Roger Federer asking him to not participate in the upcoming ATP event in his hometown of Basel because it is sponsored by a tobacco brand. While the EU has banned tobacco advertising at sporting events, Switzerland still allows it at events.
David Nalbandian will return to the ATP World Tour at the Auckland event in January. The former Top 5 player has been out most of the 2009 season following hip surgery.
Pete Sampras defeated Andre Agassi, 3-6, 6-3, 10-8, in an exhibition match in the southern Chinese gambling city of Macau.
Thomas Enqvist has been named captain of the Swedish Davis Cup team.
On Saturday, October 31, Justine Henin will hold her comeback celebration at the Florida-based 6^th Sense Tennis Academy at Mission Inn Resort & Club in Howey-in-the-Hills. Henin and Coach Carlos Rodriguez will hold an open one-hour practice at 9:30 a.m., followed by a 30-minute autograph session and press conference. Following the press conference, there will be tennis demonstrations with Henin and Rodriguez, as well as games and on-court activities with prizes sponsored by Tecnifibre.
Tommy Robredo and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez have been confirmed as the sixth team that will participate at the Hopman Cup in Perth, Australia from January 2 to 9 at the Burswood Dome.
21-year-old Thiemo De Bakker, the highest ranked Dutch player, has signed a representation deal with Lagardere Unlimited. De Bakker is a former ITF junior World No. 1 and Wimbledon junior champion. De Bakker is currently ranked No. 111 in the South African Airways ATP rankings.
Martina Navratilova has signed on to participate in the Chris Evert/Raymond James Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic in Delray Beach, Fla. The event will take place from November 7 to 8 at the Delray Beach Tennis Center. Along with Navratilova and Evert, Lindsay Davenport, Monica Seles, Justin Gimelstob and Vince Spadea are expected to participate in the event. Tennis Hall of Famer Bud Collins will emcee the weekend’s events.
An anti-doping prosecutor, who is investigating US Open semifinalist Yanina Wickmayer’s case, has asked for her to only receive a warning. It is unlikely that Wickmayer will receive a suspension since she allegedly failed to fulfill her whereabouts on three occasions.
Caroline Wozniacki admitted that she retired from her match against Anne Kremer in Luxembourg after leading 7-5, 5-0, because she knew she wouldn’t be able to compete in her next match. Wozniacki has been under a lot of pressure after her sportsmanship move turned into a possible betting scandal. About $2.5 million was wagered on the Wozniacki/Kremer match on Betfair. Sources indicate that Wozniacki’s conversation with her coach/father during a changeover telling her to stop playing before the match ended was quickly posted online and may have prompted lots of money being placed on Kremer to win the match. “I could possibly have finished the match, but felt there was no way I could get ready for the second round on Thursday, so I chose the sporting way and let her go through. She’s also (playing) at home,” Wozniacki told Danish newspaper, Ekstra Bladet.
Tennis Channel has announced that Mayleen Ramey will be the new host of the original tennis-travel series, Destination Tennis. The first episode took place in San Diego and appeared on Tennis Channel on Monday. Other episodes will see Ramey visit Scottsdale, Newport, Vancouver and Buenos Aires.
Brian Woods, the Asheville tennis promoter who brought Ashley Harkleroad to play in the Grand Slam of Asheville, was recently charged with a felony for writing a worthless check to Harkleroad. The $3,500 check to Harkleroad was returned because of insufficient funds. Woods did not mention how much money he lost in the exhibition, but he hopes to work out a deal with the prosecutors.
According to reports from the Charlotte Observer, the company InsideOut Sports & Entertainment, which runs the Outback Champions Series senior tour, is suing the Palisades complex in South Carolina for more than $350,000 in unpaid sponsorship fees and other contract obligations.
The USPTA raised roughly $8,000 in a silent auction during the USPTA’s Tennis Buying Show during the World Conference on Tennis in late September in Marco Island, Fla. Signed racquets by Andre Agassi and Roger Federer were two of the hot items during the auction.
Geoff Pollard has been re-elected as the President of Tennis Australia. He said that he will only serve one more year to help finalize plans for the revamping of Melbourne Park.
Shamil Tarpishchev has been re-elected for another four-year term as the head of the Russian Tennis Federation. Tarpishchev earned 140 of the 143 votes from delegates.

Agassi To Face Martin In Outback Champions Series Final In Surprise

October 11, 2009 by WTM

SURPRISE, Ariz., Oct. 10, 2009 – Andre Agassi advanced into the final of the $150,000 Cancer Treatment Centers of America Tennis Championships at Surprise Saturday with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Wayne Ferreira of South Africa. Agassi, playing in his debut event on the Outback Champions Series tennis circuit, will face Todd Martin in Sunday’s final at the Surprise Tennis & Racquet Complex. Martin advanced to the final with a 7-6 (3), 6-3 win over fellow American Aaron Krickstein in Saturday evening’s second semifinal.

The Cancer Treatment Centers of America Tennis Championships at Surprise is the seventh and final event on the 2009 Outback Champions Series, the global tennis circuit for champion tennis players age 30 and over.

Agassi jumped on Ferreira early and opened the match by breaking serve with a series of well-struck backhand returns. Agassi hit two aces in each of his next three service games and broke Ferreira again to close out the first set 6-3. Ferreira was able to break Agassi’s serve twice in the second set, but was unable to solidify his breaks with service holds and succumbed in straight sets.

“I was able to find my swing early which was really the key to the whole match,” said Agassi. “I served well and really was able to run away with the first set. I knew which shot I was going to hit and that’s such a huge difference to be able to do that. I played a few really good games to hold serve and things just got very comfortable.”

During their ATP careers, Agassi held an 11-0 career record against Ferreira, while losing only one set in their 11 meetings. Agassi’s final-round match with Martin will be a re-match of their five-set U.S. Open final 10 years ago in 1999.

Said Agassi of his 1999 U.S. Open win over Martin, “I think about that match a lot. It was a really good time in my life and that was a beautiful match.”

Martin needed only one service break to defeat Krickstein and advance into his 11th career Outback Champions Series final and his first of the 2009 season. After taking the first set in a tie-breaker, Martin registered the only service break of the match to take a 3-1 lead and held on to advance into the final.

“I served great tonight, especially in the tiebreaker,” said Martin. “He knows where I am vulnerable so serving well is important.”

Said Krickstein, “It was a one break match. Todd served extremely well and there’s not much you can do when that happens. He had 15 or 20 aces and was hitting a lot of corners. This match was all about the serve.”

Sunday’s order of play is as follows;
12pm
Wayne Ferreira vs. Aaron Krickstein – Third Place Match
Followed by
Andre Agassi vs. Todd Martin – Championship Match

John McEnroe won the inaugural event in 2008 in Surprise defeating Martin in the final. Ticket, travel and tournament information can be found by visiting www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com.

Pete Sampras won the opening event on the 2009 Outback Champions Series, defeating McEnroe in the final of the Champions Cup Boston in February. McEnroe won the second event of the year in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, defeating Jim Courier in the final. Sampras won his second title of the year at the Del Mar Development Champions Cup in Los Cabos, Mexico, defeating Patrick Rafter in the final. Courier won his first title of the 2009 season in April at the Cayman Islands, defeating Arias in the final. Pat Cash successfully defended his title on the grass courts at the Hall of Fame Champions Cup in Newport, R.I. in August, defeating Courier in the final. Courier won his second title of the season in Charlotte in September, defeating Sampras in the final.

Founded in 2005, the Outback Champions Series features some of the biggest names in tennis over the last 25 years, including Agassi, Sampras, McEnroe, Courier and others. To be eligible to compete on the Outback Champions Series, players must have reached at least a major singles final, been ranked in the top five in the world or played singles on a championship Davis Cup team. The Outback Champions Series features seven events on its 2009 schedule with each event featuring $150,000 in prize money as well as Champions Series points that will determine the year-end Champions Rankings No. 1.

InsideOut Sports + Entertainment is a New York City-based independent 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 Outback Champions Series, a collection of tennis events featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30. In addition, InsideOut produces many other successful events including “Legendary Night” exhibitions, charity events, corporate outings and tennis fantasy camps such as the annual “Ultimate Fantasy Camp”. Through 2008, InsideOut Sports + Entertainment events have raised over $4 million for charity. For more information, please log on to www.InsideOutSE.com or www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com.

Courier Tops Sampras To Win Breezeplay Title In Charlotte

September 28, 2009 by WTM

CHARLOTTE, N.C., September 27, 2009 – Jim Courier defeated Pete Sampras 2-6, 6-4, 10-8 (Champions Tie-breaker) Sunday to win the singles title at the $150,000 Breezeplay Championships at The Palisades at The Palisades Country Club in Charlotte, N.C. The victory was Courier’s first over Sampras since the first round of the 1997 Italian Open in Rome and his first on a hard court over the 14-time major singles champion since the quarterfinals of the 1991 US Open.

Courier earned $60,000 by winning the title in Charlotte, his ninth career title on the Outback Champions Series, the global tennis circuit for champion tennis players age 30 and over. Courier also earned 800 ranking points to extend his lead as the No. 1 player on the Outback Champions Series.

After splitting the first two sets, the two Hall of Famers played the customary first-to-10 point “Champions” tie-breaker, played in lieu of a third set. Courier clinched victory when Sampras double-faulted at 8-9 in the tie-breaker.

“That last double fault was hard on match point,” said Sampras. “I was serving right into the sun on that one and it hurt a little bit.”

Said Courier, “I wasn’t expecting that match point to end on a double fault. He was going for 110 mph second serves and sometimes he’s good enough to get away with that serve.”

During their ATP careers, Sampras and Courier played a total of 20 times, Sampras winning on 16 occasions, including the Wimbledon final in 1993. Sampras won their only previous meeting on the Outback Champions Series, a 6-2, 6-4 win in round-robin play during the 2007 event in Athens, Greece.

“I think he was having a hard time picking up my serve at the beginning,” said Sampras, who earned $30,000 for the runner-up showing. “Eventually he got there and started predicting it. Jim’s a guy who’s always going to compete and I knew that once we started the second set. I knew he was going to compete for that second set. I had a few chances in that tiebreaker and just couldn’t get it. It was disappointing.”

Due to weekend rains in Charlotte, Courier was forced to play his semifinal match against Todd Martin at 10 am on Sunday, postponed from Saturday evening. Following his 7-5, 6-2 semifinal win over Martin, Courier was able rest until the final with Sampras started at 4 pm, following Martin’s 7-5, 6-2 win over Pat Cash in the event’s third-place match.

“I was pretty relieved when his match point serve went out,” said Courier of the final point of the singles final. “I felt flat in the first set. I thought I’d be loose, but my legs felt tight and lethargic. I definitely got more boost in my legs and my serve really started to click. If my serve clicks I can hang in the match.”

The loss marked only the second time that Sampras has been defeated on the Outback Champions Series since joining the circuit in 2007. In 2008, he lost to John McEnroe 2-6, 7-5 10-4 (Champions Tie-breaker) in round-robin play in Boston.

Sampras won the opening event on the 2009 Outback Champions Series, defeating McEnroe in the final of the Champions Cup Boston in February.

McEnroe won the second event of the year in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, defeating Courier in the final. Sampras won his second title of the year at the Del Mar Development Champions Cup in Los Cabos, Mexico, defeating Rafter in the final. Courier won his first title of the 2009 season in April at the Cayman Islands, defeating Arias in the final. Cash successfully defended his title on the grass courts at the Hall of Fame Champions Cup in Newport, R.I. in August, defeating Courier in the final. Following Charlotte, the next event on the Outback Champions Series will be held in Surprise, Ariz., where Andre Agassi will make his debut Oct. 8-11.

Founded in 2005, the Outback Champions Series features some of the biggest names in tennis over the last 25 years, including Andre Agassi, Sampras, McEnroe, Courier and others. To be eligible to compete on the Outback Champions Series, players must have reached at least a major singles final, been ranked in the top five in the world or played singles on a championship Davis Cup team. The Outback Champions Series features seven events on its 2009 schedule with each event featuring $150,000 in prize money as well as Champions Series points that will determine the year-end Champions Rankings No. 1.