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USTA National Campus

We Found Out More Details On USA vs. Belgium Billie Jean King Cup Match At USTA National Campus

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By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

The United States Tennis Association announced on December 12, 2023 that the USTA National Tennis Campus in Lake Nona, Florida will be the host venue for the USA vs. Belgium Billie Jean King Cup matches April 12-13.

The press release on the event formerly known as Fed Cup and Federation Cup did lack details as to what the specific surface the match will be played on (the USTA National Campus features hard, green clay and red clay) and where specifically on the campus will the match be played as there are multiple areas on the grounds for these surfaces. However, USTA representative Pat Mitsch did confirm via email that the match will be played on a hard court and will be played on the mini-hard court stadium on the campus that is located just to the west of the main building on the campus. The capacity will be approximately 1,500 with temporary bleachers being built around the court, according to Mitsch. .

It is significant in that it will be the biggest pro tennis event to be played on the campus and will mark the debut of U.S. tennis legend Lindsay Davenport as the U.S .captain.

The USTA National Campus hosts, seemingly, some sort of tournament every week, whether it be USTA Florida junior, adult or league matches, USTA national championships, college tennis matches featuring the University of Central Florida as the home team or special  “College Match Day” matches or USTA Pro Circuit Futures or Challenger tournaments.

The specific mini-hard court stadium has previously hosted other special event pro matches, namely the Orlando World Team Tennis franchise the Orlando Storm in 2019 and also the PowerShares Series “senior” tennis event in 2018 won by Mardy Fish over James Blake in the final.

The Billie Jean King Cup matches will provide for added exposure to the USTA National Campus and will be held, we were told, at the same time the USTA will hold its Annual Meeting there, although we could not find via numerous google searches as to details of the 2024 USTA Annual Meeting. This would, theoretically, also provide a built-in enthusiastic audience of passionate USTA and tennis promoters made up of USTA national and sectional staff and volunteers from around the country.

The decision to host the matches at the USTA National Campus is also a fiscally responsible one as, with very little promotional lead team, these ties can be susceptible to being financial losers, but the USTA will obviously get the facility rent-free, will get all the vending profits and will not have to pay for most of the travel and lodging for many staff members.

The USTA press release is seen below…

USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla., to Host U.S. vs. Belgium Billie Jean King Cup Qualifying Event April 12-13

World Cup of Women’s Tennis Comes to Orlando for the First Time as Top American and Belgian Players Compete for 2024 Finals Qualification  

ORLANDO, Fla., December 12, 2023 – The USTA today announced that the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla., will host the U.S. vs. Belgium Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Qualifying competition April 12-13, 2024, a best-of-five match series with the top pro women’s players from the U.S. and Belgium competing to advance to the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup Finals.  

Billie Jean King Cup is the ‘World Cup of Tennis,’ with more than 100 nations competing every year in women’s tennis’ premier national team competition. This is the highest level of professional tennis to be hosted at the USTA National Campus and the first time Orlando has hosted a Billie Jean King Cup event.  

The Qualifying event is one of eight being held around the world in April, with the winners of each advancing to the Finals next November in Seville, Spain, to compete for the title. The United States leads all nations in all-time titles, with 18.   The Qualifier is a best-of-five match series that begins Friday, April 12, at 6 p.m., with two singles matches featuring each country’s top two singles players. Two reverse singles matches and a doubles match will follow on Saturday, April 13, at 2 p.m., with an amended Saturday schedule possible if one nation clinches victory in the third or fourth singles match.  

The Qualifying event will mark the first for Tennis Hall of Famer Lindsay Davenport as team captain, and she’ll nominate a team of five players to compete against the Belgians. The U.S. currently has eight players ranked in the singles Top 50, and both reigning US Open champion and world No. 3 Coco Gauff and world No. 5 Jessica Pegula played in last year’s Qualifying, held in Delray Beach. The final team nominations will be made in March.  

“Bringing the ‘World Cup of Tennis’ to Orlando and the USTA National Campus for the first time is an incredible opportunity,” said Lew Sherr, CEO and Executive Director, USTA. “Our goal is to deliver an unforgettable and inspiring experience for both the players and the fans, as the uniqueness and excitement of this competition set at our world-class facility makes for an unprecedented platform to elevate and grow the game.”  

Ticketing information will be announced at a later date. Local sponsorship opportunities are available, and interested parties should contact the USTA’s Megan Rose (megan.rose@usta.com). Wilson is the official ball of the U.S. Billie Jean King Cup team.   # # #  

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 summer WTA and ATP 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 (X) and TikTok.     

Georgia’s Ethan Quinn, Down Quadruple Match Point, Wins All-Time Classic NCAA Singles Final

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By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

They say a cat has nine lives.

How many lives does a dog have? Or a Georgia Bulldog tennis player playing in the NCAA Championships?

In the case of Georgia Bulldog Ethan Quinn, the answer is five….as in match points saved en route to winning the 2023 NCAA singles championship at the USTA National Campus in Lake Nona, Florida.

Quinn pulled off one of the most incredible comebacks in the history of this event that started in 1883 when he fought his way back from being quadruple match down to dig out a 6-7(2), 7-6(5), 6-2 victory over University of Michigan’s Ondrej Styler in the NCAA singles final.

Quinn was one point from losing the final four times when Styler served at 5-4, 40-0, meaning Styler had four straight match points including the sudden-death deuce point that is used in college tennis. Quinn fought through each opportunity, capped with a forehand mishit from Styler. Quinn, from Fresno, Calif., was able to fight to win the second-set tiebreaker and play aggressive tennis in the third set to prevail and win Georgia’s fifth NCAA singles championship.

“I was as close as I could possibly have been to winning this match,” said Styler, a senior from the Czech Republic.

The No. 2-seeded Quinn was an escape artist for his entire six-day run to the championship, saving a match point in his first round 6-7(7), 6-2, 7-5 win over Luc Fomba of TCU (at 4-5, deuce in the third set), while also winning close matches in the round of 16 against Nishesh Basvareddy of Stanford (6-3, 4-6, 7-5) and the semifinals against Chris Rodesch of Virginia (2-6, 6-2, 6-4.)

“I guess I’d already been in that situation before, so definitely … It was something I was used to, I guess,” said Quinn trying to explain how he was able to escape defeat against Styler. ” I wouldn’t say used to, but I had already seen it before. Knowing that I’ve been in that position before, I could just continue playing the way I’ve been playing. I’d been in a lot of return games early in the match, throughout the entire match.”

Quinn actually jumped to an early double-break lead at 5-2 but was unable to serve out the first set on two occasions, then lost the first set tiebreaker. Styler performed one of the great acts of sportsmanship when he gave Quinn the point for a double-break lead when facing break point down 2-4 on a call that was called out, but was clearly in.

Quinn, a 19-year-old redshirt freshman, is the fifth college freshman to win the NCAA men’s singles title, joining Jimmy Connors of UCLA (1971), John McEnroe of Stanford (1978), Cecil Mamiit of Southern Cal (1996) and Devin Britton of Ole Miss (2009).

His journey from arriving to Athens so his impressive showing at the U.S. qualifying tournament in 2022 can be read here: https://www.worldtennismagazine.com/archives/21195?fbclid=IwAR33rK2F5g_O_xhe8bc43JCfOsjjhJfxXwdwpLRHgHEXV7MhjVDv-z3EU5k

Quinn joins two Georgia Bulldog greats, Mikael Pernfors and Matias Boeker, as NCAA men’s singles champions, Pernfors winning back-to-back titles in 1984 and 1985 and Boeker winning in 2001 and 2002.

Ethan Quinn, NCAA men’s singles champion from University of Georgia

Here’s A Better NCAA Tennis Schedule – And How About A Tennis Final Four?

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By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

There has been a fair amount of chatter about NCAA tennis scheduling. Frankly, it has been the subject for many years.

“The Final Four” is something that is very much part of the college sports vernacular, most notably in the college basketball as the semifinalists in the NCAA Basketball Championship event descend on one location to conclude the event and crown a champion. In hockey, they call it the “Frozen Four.”

For tennis, rather than having the final EIGHT teams descend on the NCAA Tennis Championships “Finals” site, which is how it is now, why not pair it down to four so it is consistent with other big NCAA team championship sports like basketball, hockey and lacrosse?

As the NCAA team tournament works now, it is made up of 64 teams and the first two rounds are played (usually) on the home courts of the top 16 seeded teams. The teams that emerge from those rounds then advance into a “Super Regional” – which is the round of 16 that is played (usually) on the home courts of the top eight seeded players the weekend after the first two rounds. Rather than just play one match over that “Super Regional” weekend, why not play two and have the Super Regional feature two rounds? This also will help teams with their travel budgets and be less of a travel strain for players, coaches, fans and parents. It also creates more of a “mini-NCAA tournament” atmosphere at each site with four teams competing at one location over a weekend. These first and second rounds and “Super Regionals” provided for excellent college tennis atmospheres in many venues in 2023, including the University of Georgia which drew about 3,000 fans for each of its matches on their homes courts in Athens, Georgia.

Sending only four teams to a “Tennis Final Four” also allows for better rest for players and easier to schedule in case of rain, which has been the case in the past and was the case at the 2023 event in Orlando at the USTA National Campus. Here’s how the schedule will work out:

The women’s tennis “Final Four” can be held on a Thursday with two matches, followed by the two men’s semifinals the next day on Friday. If the women’s semifinals are rained out or if only one gets played, it can always be played the following day – a rest day on Friday – on the day when the men’s semifinals are scheduled. The women’s team final would be played on Saturday and the men’s team final would be played on Sunday. I personally like the men’s and women’s team finals to be played on separate days so it gives each respective winning team their spotlight alone in the collegiate and tennis space so they get the headlines alone. Again, if the women’s final on Saturday is rained out, it can be played on Sunday. If the men’s final is affected by rain, it can played on… Monday as it would not conflict with first round matches as the first day of the individual event would only feature women’s matches.

Since there has always been the issue of players who play in the NCAA Team Tournament Final not being 100 percent physically, mentally and emotionally ready to immediately turn around the next day and play the individual tournament, what I suggest is that each respective gender tournament have a day off after their gender’s team final. So if the men’s team final is played on the Sunday, the next day, on Monday, should only have the 32 first round women’s singles matches. Then the next day, on Tuesday, the 32 men’s first round matches would be played and women would have a day off (or perhaps the women’s doubles event can start that day.)

As it stands now, the opening day of the individual event features 64 matches (32 men and 32 women) which is a long and drawn out day. Therefore you have each of the 12 match courts having five straight matches in the least being played on them. That doesn’t leave much wiggle room in case of rain or extra-long matches which would bring the matches late into the evening, which is not ideal. If it rains on this opening day with 64 matches to play and have limited (six?) indoor courts, you are in real trouble. This was the case in the opening day of the 2023 NCAA singles tournament at the USTA National Campus where early afternoon rain caused for backups and for play to move to the six indoor courts on the campus.

The men’s and women’s second round matches would then both be played on Wednesday, the round of 16 on Thursday, the quarterfinals on Friday, the semifinals on Saturday and the finals on Sunday. This is one day later that the NCAA tennis schedule for 2023 and from other years (but it is also starting one day later), but having NCAA tennis – and team finals and individual semifinals and finals on both weekend days of the entire duration of NCAA tennis at a location – will be a lot more attractive to fans who can watch NCAA tennis when off for the weekend. Fans will also be more willing to actually travel to a destination to watch if they can watch NCAA Championship tennis over two days of a weekend. As it stands now in the current 2023 NCAA schedule, there was no Division I tennis on the first Sunday and the schedule has the event ending on Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, with no play on that Sunday or even Monday.

Also, one frustrating thing with NCAA tennis through the years is scheduling the men’s and women’s singles and doubles finals AT THE SAME TIME. College tennis has a passionate fan base and many want to watch BOTH FINALS. Can anyone name to me a tennis tournament of any significance that plays the men’s and women’s singles finals at the same time??

A proposed final-day schedule would be an 11 am start with a men’s or women’s doubles final – provided one of the players in the singles final is not also in the doubles final, whereas the singles final would be played before the doubles final. So you could have one doubles final at 11 am, followed by another at 1:00 and then the first singles final at about 3 pm and the final singles final at 5:00 pm. That is a great card of top quality tennis that is bound to be attractive to ticket buyers! And great value if it is all on one ticket!

This all makes common sense. When will it be implemented?

NCAA Division II and III Team Champs Crowned At Historic NCAA Tennis Championship at USTA National Campus

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Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Claremont, Calif.) won the 2023 NCAA DIII women’s tennis national championship at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, securing the program’s second consecutive national title by defeating the University of Chicago in a rematch of the 2022 final. 

The match concluded the DII and DIII team event portion of the 2023 NCAA Tennis Championships as four national team champions were crowned over the past three days in Orlando. 

The celebrations began Monday night as the Barry University men (Miami-Dade County, Florida) won their fourth consecutive DII national title, coming from behind to defeat Columbus State (Columbus, Georgia) in the championship match. The Barry women completed the school’s sweep of the DII titles, defeating Nova Southeastern (Davie, Florida) Tuesday night to secure the program’s sixth consecutive national title while winning their 90th consecutive match dating back to 2019. 

Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, Ohio) also prevailed on Tuesday night over Tufts (Somerville, Mass.), winning the university’s first national title in any sport as they claimed the DIII men’s crown. CWRU had reached the national championship match in each of the past two seasons, coming up short in their previous two attempts. 

This is the first time in NCAA history that all three divisions will compete for men’s and women’s season-ending trophies—in any sport—at a single site. The 17-day event began last week and concludes on May 27. For more information on the 2023 NCAA Tennis Championships, click here. 

NCAA Tennis Now Wedged Perfectly Before Roland Garros

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By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

 

College Football has its post-season presence with its National Championship game. College basketball has its March Madness. College golf is featured prominently on Golf Channel. Now, college tennis and its NCAA Championships has its proper platform.

Starting with this year’s NCAA tennis championships at the U.S. Tennis Association National Campus, Tennis Channel, the USTA and the NCAA entered a three-year partnership for Tennis Channel to televise more than 50 hours of live matches over each day of the 10-day singles, doubles and team competition for men and women. In all, the network will provide the most hours of NCAA Tennis Championships coverage in television history.

With this important partnership, the tournament has now been perfectly wedged into this week before the French Open window of attention. While the pros are quietly waiting for Roland Garros to start, with the exception of minor prep events in Lyon, Geneva, Nurnberg and Strasbourg and French Open qualifying, the NCAAs receive a grander stage of exposure. The scheduling of the matches have worked perfectly – on purpose – where in the morning in the United States, Tennis Channel airs ATP and WTA tournament play and then at 4 pm, it airs the pinnacle of college tennis into the night. With the matches starting later in the day in Lake Nona, it provides not only for prime time TV viewing, but also an easier environment for fan attendance on site as patrons can enjoy an evening of tennis after work. Cooler evening temperatures later in the day in Orlando are also player and fan friendly.

The scheduling of match days was also changed in 2019 to provide for better viewing on television and for fans on site. In the past, the team tournament started on a Wednesday/Thursday and was played through the weekend and into the next week with the team finals being played on a Tuesday. A Tuesday afternoon team final  was not the best day to showcase your exciting dramatic team finals, but a Sunday final again provides for more eyeballs on TV and in person as fans can make it a weekend to watch the men’s and women’s team finals (and semifinals the day before). All of these matches were again played in the afternoon and early evening, after the morning tennis from Europe was completed on television.

The individual tournament started on a Monday and perfectly ending on Saturday, May 25, the day before the entire tennis world focuses on the start of Roland Garros, broadcast on Tennis Channel. In the past, prior to Tennis Channel’s involvement this year in the NCAAs, the tournament stretched all the way through the Memorial Day weekend with the last two days overlapping the start of the French Open and the NCAAs receiving very little attention in the tennis world once the tennis started at Roland Garros.

After this year at the USTA National Campus, the NCAA tennis tournament will return to an actual college campus at Oklahoma State in 2020 and then back to the USTA National Campus again in 2021. In 2022, the event will be held at the University of Illinois. Many college tennis fans and observers are hoping that after 2022, the tournament will return to its spiritual home, the University of Georgia, where the event became one of the great spectacles in the sport when it majestically staged the event every year from 1977 to 1989 and for many alternating years after that.

 

2019 NCAAs at the USTA National Campus
2019 NCAAs at the USTA National Campus

Mardy Fish Wins 2018 Invesco Series QQQ Finale At USTA National Campus In Orlando

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Mardy Fish defeated good friend and former U.S. Davis Cup teammate James Blake 6-3 in the one-set championship match Thursday to win the Champions Challenge at the USTA National Campus, his fourth career title on the Invesco Series QQQ tennis circuit.

The tournament, played in front of a sold-out crowd at the hard court stadium at the USTA’s new state-of-the-art training center, concluded the 10-event North American tennis circuit for champion tennis players over the age of 30. The win marked the second straight tournament where Fish defeated Blake in the final after beating him in Los Angeles at the Socal Honda Dealers Helpful Cup at the Sherwood Country Club in October.

“I’m tired, my back hurts, and it’s really cold,” joked Fish of how he felt after the win over Blake on the 55-degree evening in Central Florida.

Fish also won Invesco Series QQQ titles in 2017 in Newport, R.I. and in New Haven, Connecticut. The former world No. 7 and the silver medalist at the 2004 Olympic Games, Fish grew up just 90 minutes down the road from the USTA National Campus in Vero Beach, Florida but now resides in Los Angeles. His parents Tom and Sally were in attendance Thursday to once again see their 36-year-old son win a tennis tournament.

“It’s great that I get to come down here and spend some time with them. It worked out great,” said Fish of spending time with his parents earlier in the week in Vero Beach. “It’s obviously nice to sleep in your own childhood home’s bed a couple of times without anyone but them in the house. It’s interesting. You’re never really home with just them. You always have family and friends around. So It was nice to be home.”

Despite the loss, Blake concludes the 2018 Invesco Series QQQ as the year-long points champion for the first time. Blake, the former world No. 4, won titles this year in Winston-Salem, New Haven and Houston, while also finishing as runner-up in Los Angeles and Orlando.

Blake advanced into the championship match by beating former world No. 1 and two-time French and Australian Open champion and Orlando resident Jim Courier 6-3. Fish beat former U.S. Open semifinalist Robby Ginepri 6-4 in the other semifinal. Ginepri was a late replacement for 2003 U.S. Open champion Andy Roddick, who was forced to withdraw from the event with a right shoulder injury sustained in training.

The full slate of events on the 2018 Invesco Series QQQ can be found below. The 2019 schedule of events will be announced soon.

 

2018 Invesco Series QQQ Results

April 7:  Charleston, SC (Family Circle Tennis Center)  F: Tommy Haas def. Andy Roddick 6-1; SF: Tommy Haas def. Michael Chang 6-2; Andy Roddick def. Mark Philippoussis 6-3

May 5, 6: Kohala Coast, HI (Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows) F: Tommy  Haas def. John McEnroe 7-5 SF: Tommy Haas def. Mardy Fish 6-3, John McEnroe def.Jim Courier 6-3

May 17: Toronto, ON (Ryerson’s Mattamy Athletic Centre) F: Mark Philippoussis d. John McEnroe 7-5,  SF: Mark Philippoussis d. James Blake 7-6 (5); John McEnroe d. Jim Courier 6-2.

July 22: Newport, RI (International Tennis Hall of Fame) F: Lleyton Hewitt d. Tommy Haas 7-6(2)  SF: Lleyton Hewitt d. James Blake 6-3; Tommy Haas d. Jim Courier 6-3

August 19: Winston-Salem, NC (Wake Forest University) F: James Blake d. Andy Roddick 6-1 SF: Andy Roddick d. Robby Ginepri 7-6 (4); James Blake d. Michael Chang 6-3

August 23/24: New Haven, CT (Yale University) F: James Blake d. John McEnroe 6-4 SF: John McEnroe d. Todd Martin 6-3, James Blake d. Tommy Haas 6-4

October 4: St. Louis, MO (Chaifetz Arena) F: Mark Philippoussis d. Jim Courier 6-1; SF: Jim Courier d. John McEnroe 7-6(3), Mark Philippoussis d. Andy Roddick 6-3

October 5: Houston, TX (Tudor Fieldhouse) F: James Blake d. John McEnroe 7-6(3) SF: John McEnroe d. Jim Courier 6-3, James Blake d. Andy Roddick 7-6 (4)

October 21: Los Angeles, CA (Sherwood Country Club) F: Mardy Fish d. James Blake 6-3; SF: Mardy Fish d. Tommy Haas 7-6(3), James Blake d. Andy Roddick 6-2

December 6: Orlando (USTA National Campus) F: Mardy Fish d. James Blake 6-3,  SF: James Blake d. Jim Courier 6-3, Mardy Fish  d. Robby Ginepri 6-4.

 

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 $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 InvescoSeries.comor 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 visithorizonmedia.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.

 

Mardy Fish and James Blake
Mardy Fish and James Blake

USTA National Campus In Orlando, Florida To Host Invesco Series QQQ Tennis Event

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The USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla. will become the new host of the 10th and final event on the 2018 Invesco Series QQQ tennis circuit on December 6, featuring a celebration of American tennis legends.

The one-night tournament will feature four American champion players – former world No. 1 and two –time French and Australian Open champion Jim Courier, 2003 U.S. Open champion and former world No. 1 Andy Roddick, former U.S. Davis Cup star and former world No. 4 James Blake and former U.S. Davis Cup star and 2004 Olympic silver medalist Mardy Fish.

The event will be played on the hard court stadium at the USTA National Campus and will start at 7 pm. Tickets will be available at InvescoSeries.com starting September 15. The event will feature two one-set semifinal matches followed by a one-set championship match in one session. The Orlando event takes the place of the previously announced Denver event.

“We are excited to partner with the USTA to showcase icons of American tennis at this incredible facility.  The USTA has supported Champions Tennis since we started the tour 14 years ago. We appreciate their continued support and look forward to many years of world class tennis in Orlando”, said Jim Courier, co-founding partner of InsideOut Sports and Entertainment.

“The USTA National Campus has allowed Orlando to become the home of American tennis, welcoming athletes and their families to our community year round. We’re thrilled that this incredible facility will host an event on the 2018 Invesco Series QQQ circuit and look forward to celebrating American tennis and some of its legends here in December,” said Buddy Dyer, Orlando Mayor.

“The USTA National Campus is thrilled to serve as the host of the 2018 Invesco Series QQQ culminating event,” said Kurt Kamperman, Chief Executive, USTA National Campus. “It will be a truly unique experience for the Central Florida community to watch this historic group of American tennis legends play underneath the lights of our world-class facility.”

The Invesco Series QQQ is the North American tennis circuit for champion tennis players over the age of 30 and features other tennis legends including John McEnroe, Tommy Haas, Lleyton Hewitt and Mark Philippoussis.

So far in 2018, Haas, playing his first year on the circuit, has won titles in Charleston, S.C. and at Kohala Coast, Hawaii, while Philippoussis has won the only other event played so far in Toronto, Canada.

The remaining 2018 Invesco Series QQQ schedule is as follows:

  • July 22: Newport, R.I. (International Tennis Hall of Fame) – Lleyton Hewitt, Jim Courier, Tommy Haas and James Blake
  • August 19: Winston-Salem, N.C. (Wake Forest University) – Andy Roddick, James Blake, Michael Chang, and Mark Philippoussis
  • August 23, 24: New Haven, CT (Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale) – John McEnroe, Tommy Haas, James Blake and Todd Martin
  • October 4: St. Louis, MO (Chaifetz Arena) – John McEnroe, Andy Roddick, Jim Courier, and Mark Philippoussis
  • October 6: Houston, TX (Tudor Fieldhouse) – John McEnroe, Andy Roddick, James Blake, and Jim Courier
  • October 21: Los Angeles, CA (Sherwood Country Club) – Andy Roddick, James Blake, Tommy Haas, and Mardy Fish
  • December 6: Orlando, FL (USTA National Campus) – Jim Courier, Andy Roddick, James Blake and Mardy Fish

Each Invesco Series QQQ 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.InvescoSeries.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 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.

Results so far on the 2018 Invesco Series QQQ are as follows:

  • April 7:  Charleston, SC (Family Circle Tennis Center)  F: Tommy Haas def. Andy Roddick 6-1; SF: Tommy Haas def. Michael Chang 6-2; Andy Roddick def. Mark Philippoussis 6-3
  • May 5, 6: Kohala Coast, HI (Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows) F: Tommy  Haas def. John McEnroe 7-5 SF: Tommy Haas def. Mardy Fish 6-3, John McEnroe def. Jim Courier 6-3
  • May 17: Toronto, ON (Ryerson’s Mattamy Athletic Centre) F: Mark Philippoussis d. John McEnroe 7-5,  SF: Mark Philippoussis d. James Blake 7-6 (5); John McEnroe d. Jim Courier 6-2.

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 InvescoSeries.comor 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.

Jim Courier
Jim Courier

 

PowerShares Series Part Of Exciting January of Tennis In Orlando

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For the first time ever, PowerShares Series brings tennis to Orlando’s Amway Center on January 5, 2017, featuring tennis greats including John McEnroe, Jim Courier, Andy Roddick and James Blake. Tickets are on sale now.

On January 2, 2017, Orlando will celebrate another first when the United States Tennis Association (USTA) officially opens its USTA National Campus in the Lake Nona Community of Orlando. The New Home of American Tennis is a state-of-the-art facility with 100 courts, housing the USTA’s Community Tennis and Player Development divisions as well as the University of Central Florida’s tennis teams. The campus is divided into dedicated areas that focus on the pathway from the youngest players to recreational players, to collegians, to future professional players and professional tour-level players.

“January will be the most exciting month for tennis that Orlando has ever experienced,” said Jim Courier, the U.S. Davis Cup captain, co-founder of the PowerShares Series and a part-time Orlando resident. “The USTA’s home of American tennis will open to the public and begin full operations shortly after the new year and then professional tennis will be played at the Amway Center for the first time when the PowerShares Series hits town. It’s going to be an amazing start to 2017.”

“Orlando is an internationally recognized destination because of our top notch tourism industry, and with our world-class venues, including the USTA Tennis Center and Amway Center, we continue to attract events like the PowerShares Series tennis tour. Orlando is now also the leading destination for major sporting events in America,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer.

“We are excited to host a first-time, high-caliber tennis event featuring some of the world’s greatest champions,” said Orlando Venues Executive Director Allen Johnson. “With the opening of the USTA facility in January, it was a perfect opportunity to schedule the series.”

The PowerShares Series is the first major, professional tennis event in Orlando in almost 20 years. McEnroe, the four-time U.S. Open and three-time Wimbledon champion, headlines the field of four world class players at the Champions Showdown Orlando that also features 2003 U.S. Open champion Roddick, former world number four Blake, and Courier, the two-time French and Australian Open champion. The event begins with McEnroe taking on Courier, followed by Blake against Roddick. Each PowerShares Series event features two, one-set semifinal matches and a one-set championship match and, for the second straight year, players make their own line calls with the assistance of electronic line-calling. Tickets, as well as hit-with-the-pros opportunities and VIP backstage access, are for sale now at PowerSharesSeries.com.

“We are very excited that the PowerShares Series will bring world-class tennis to Orlando,” said Chief Executive, Community Tennis and USTA National Campus Kurt Kamperman. “Along with the opening of the USTA National Campus, Orlando has become an ultimate destination for tennis fans and players of all ages and abilities.”

The USTA National Campus’ mission is to deliver the world’s finest tennis experience for all who visit, use, and work at the facility. It is the essence of collaboration and innovation for the sport of tennis, as well as for training and developing the next generation of tennis players, officials and industry professionals. The USTA National Campus will feature 100 tennis courts, is open to the public, and will be able to accommodate every type of tennis competition and program, from youth tennis events to age-based national championships.

In 2015, Roddick won the PowerShares Series points title in his second year of competing with 1,600 points and a record eight wins. Blake finished second in the points rankings with 1,200 points. Mark Philippoussis finished in third with 1,100 points. 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.

Tickets, schedules and this season’s remaining PowerShares Series schedule with player fields can be found at PowerSharesSeries.com.

TICKETS: $30, $55, $80, $115 & $195 – Buy tickets at AmwayCenter.com, Amway Center box office, Ticketmaster retail locations, charge-by-phone at 800.745.3000 or at Ticketmaster.com.  All dates, act(s) and ticket prices are subject to change without notice.  All tickets are subject to applicable taxes, service, handling and facility fee charges. For Amway Center box office and ticket information, visit AmwayCenter.com (phone purchases are not available through the Amway Center box office).  The Amway Center is located at 400 West Church Street and the box office is located on the north side of the Amway Center, near the intersection of Church Street and Hughey Avenue. 

ABOUT INSIDEOUT SPORTS + ENTERTAINMENT

InsideOut Sports + Entertainment is a Los Angeles based producer of proprietary events and promotions founded in 2004 by former world number one 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 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 10 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 is one of the leading agencies 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 POWERSHARES

Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC is leading the Intelligent ETF Revolution® through its lineup of more than 140 domestic and international exchange-traded funds, which seek to outperform traditional benchmark indexes while providing advisors and investors access to an innovative array of focused investment opportunities. With franchise assets of nearly $100 billion as of October 2, 2015, PowerShares ETFs trade on both US stock exchanges. For more information, please visit us at invescopowershares.com or follow us on Twitter @PowerShares.

ABOUT POWERSHARES QQQ

PowerShares QQQ™, an exchange-traded fund (ETF) based on the NASDAQ-100 Index®, is one of the largest and most traded ETFs in the world. Under most circumstances, QQQ will consist of all of the stocks in the index which includes 100 of the largest domestic and international nonfinancial companies listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market based on market capitalization.

ABOUT AMWAY CENTER

The Orlando Magic served as the developer of the Amway Center, which hosts major national events, concerts and family shows.  Opened in the fall of 2010, the facility is owned and operated by the City of Orlando on behalf of the Central Florida community. The Amway Center was designed to reflect the character of the community, meet the goals of the users and build on the legacy of sports and entertainment in Orlando. The building’s exterior features a modern blend of glass and metal materials, along with ever-changing graphics via a monumental wall along one facade. A 180-foot tall tower serves as a beacon amid the downtown skyline. The 875,000 square foot, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certified building features a sustainable, environmentally-friendly design and unmatched technology, including 1,100 digital monitors, the tallest high-definition video board in an NBA venue and multiple premium amenities available to all patrons in the building. Amway Center was recently honored with TheStadiumBusiness Awards’ 2013 Customer Experience Award and named SportsBusiness Journal’s 2012 Sports Facility of the Year. For more information about the Amway Center, visit www.amwaycenter.com.

 

Andy Roddick
Andy Roddick