Tracy Austin Joins Anna Kournikova In Mixed Doubles Matches At Champions Cup Boston This Saturday
InsideOut Sports & Entertainment | February 9, 2009
Tracy Austin Joins Anna Kournikova In Mixed Doubles Matches At Champions Cup Boston This Saturday
Outback Champions Series Kicks Off Fourth Full Season At The Agganis Arena February 13-15
Pete Sampras, John McEnroe and Jim Courier Highlight Field of Champions
BOSTON, February 9, 2009 - InsideOut Sports & Entertainment today announced that two-time U.S. Open Champion Tracy Austin will join Anna Kournikova for special mixed doubles matches during the $150,000 Champions Cup Boston tennis championships February 13-15, 2009 at Boston University's Agganis Arena. Austin and Kournikova will play in two mixed doubles matches with two of the men’s players during both the 2 pm day session and 7 pm night session on Valentine’s Day, Saturday, February 14. Headlining the men’s field for the event is 14-time major singles champion Pete Sampras, who is joined in the field by four-time U.S. Open champion John McEnroe, two-time French and Australian Open champion Jim Courier, three-time French Open champion Mats Wilander, 1994 Australian and 1999 US Open finalist Todd Martin and 1986 French Open finalist Mikael Pernfors.
Austin won the first of her two U.S. Open titles in 1979 at the age of 16 years, 9 months, becoming the youngest player to win a U.S. Open singles title. She won the title again in 1981, defeating Martina Navratilova in the championship match in a third-set tie-break. She won 30 career singles titles and ranked No. 1 in the world for 21 weeks.
Sampras, the seven-time Wimbledon champion and the winner of more major singles titles (14) than any other man, will open play on Saturday evening at 7 pm against the winner of Friday night’s quarterfinal match between Todd Martin and Mikael Pernfors. McEnroe will open play against Wilander during the Friday night’s session – the winner taking on Courier in a Saturday semifinal at 2 pm.
Tickets and tournament schedule for Champions Cup Boston are available now by logging onto www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com or by calling Ticketmaster at (617) 931-2000.
Boston will be the first tournament on the 2009 Outback Champions Series, a collection of men's tennis events in the United States and abroad featuring some of the greatest names in the sport over the age of 30. McEnroe will defend his Champions Cup title where, one year ago, he defeated Aaron Krickstein in the final to earn his first-ever tournament victory at an Outback Champions Series event.
Founded in 2005, the Outback Champions Series features some of the biggest names in tennis over the last 25 years, including 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 eight events on its 2009 schedule with each event featuring $150,000 in prize money as well as Champions Series ranking points that will determine the year-end Stanford Champions Rankings No. 1. The year-end champion will receive a $100,000 bonus courtesy of Stanford Financial Group, the official rankings sponsor of the Outback Champions Series.
Champions Cup Boston is sponsored by Outback Steakhouse, Stanford Financial Group, Staples, ASG, Providea, Talon Air, Coca-Cola, Taj Hotel, NESN and Greater Media.
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 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.