Gibson Guitar Champions Cup TV Coverage to Extend to Europe

NESN, Cox Sports and The Tennis Channel to provide U.S. Coverage

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kat Anderson
194 Bellevue Ave.
Newport,
401-849-3990
kat@tennisfame.com

08/10/07 - Newport, RI--The International Tennis Hall of Fame today announced that television coverage of the Gibson Guitar Champions Cup, to be played August 22-26 at the Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, will include both the United States and Europe as the New England Sports Network (NESN) and Europe’s ESPN Classic will provide live coverage of Saturday’s final day of round-robin play as well as Sunday’s third-place and Championship matches. Europe’s ESPN Classic coverage marks the first international TV coverage for a U.S.-based Outback Champions Series event. In addition, The Tennis Channel and regional Cox Sports TV outlets will also provide tape-delayed coverage. For complete TV listings, go to www.tennisfame.com or www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com.



New England Sports Network (NESN) will telecast the final two days of the event to an audience of nearly 4.7 million homes in eight New England (DMAs) markets while Cox Sports will broadcast the event throughout Rhode Island. The Tennis Channel’s coverage will be available to over 10 million homes in the U.S. In Europe, ESPN Classic’s coverage will reach more than 22 million households including local channels in the UK, France and Italy and a European channel now available in 40 countries.



Television coverage on Saturday, August 25 features a rematch of the 1996 Wimbledon final between Richard Krajicek and MaliVai Washington at noon, followed by a battle of former U.S. Davis Cup teammates Jim Courier against Todd Martin. On the 25th anniversary of their epic six-hour-and-twenty-two-minute Davis Cup match from St. Louis, Mo., Hall of Famers John McEnroe and Mats Wilander will close out Saturday’s schedule. The winner of each four-player round robin group will play in Sunday’s championship match that will follow the noon third-place match, featuring the second-place finishers of each round-robin group.



The Gibson Guitar Champions Cup is the fourth of seven events on the Outback Champions Series, a collection of tennis events featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30. The Gibson Guitar Champions Cup is a new event on the 2007 Outback Champions Series and is the only series event played on grass.



The Gibson Guitar Champions Cup schedule of play will consist of two round robin groups for the five day event. Headlining Group A will be three-time Wimbledon champion John McEnroe, 1987 Wimbledon champion Pat Cash, three-time Australian Open champion Mats Wilander and 1992 Olympic silver medalist Wayne Ferreira. Jim Courier, a Wimbledon finalist in 1993, headlines Group B that also features 1996 Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek, two-time Wimbledon semifinalist Todd Martin and 1996 Wimbledon finalist Mal Washington.



The complete player schedule for the 2007 Gibson Guitar Champions Cup is as follows:

Wednesday, August 22

Beginning at Noon on Bill Talbert Center Court

Wayne Ferreira vs. Pat Cash

Followed by

Todd Martin vs. Richard Krajicek

Followed by

Mal Washington vs. Jim Courier



Thursday, August 23

Beginning at Noon on Bill Talbert Center Court

Wayne Ferreira vs. Mats Wilander

Followed by

John McEnroe vs. Pat Cash

Followed by

Todd Martin vs. Mal Washington



Saturday, August 25

Beginning at Noon on Bill Talbert Center Court

Richard Krajicek vs. Mal Washington

Followed by

Jim Courier vs. Todd Martin

Followed by

John McEnroe vs. Mats Wilander



Sunday, August 26

Beginning at Noon on Bill Talbert Center Court

Third Place Match

Followed by Championship Match

Tickets for the five tennis sessions of the Gibson Guitar Champions Cup at the International Tennis Hall of Fame are now on sale and can be purchased by calling 866-914-FAME or ordered online through www.tennisfame.com. VIP packages and sponsorship opportunities are still available by calling 866-914-FAME. Additional information is available by visiting www.tennisfame.com and www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com.



About the Gibson Guitar Champions Cup in Newport, RI

The Gibson Guitar Champions Cup will feature an eight-man round-robin match format with the winner of each four-player division meeting in the title match while second place finishers in each division meet in the third-place match. The event features $142,000 in prize money with an undefeated winner taking home $50,000 as well as Outback Champions Series ranking points that will determine the year-end champion.



About the Outback Champions Series

Founded in 2005, the Outback Champions Series features seven events where champion tennis players continue to exercise their competitive instincts in tournament formats that feature prize money and Champions Series ranking points that determine a year-end No. 1 player. To be eligible to compete on the Outback Champions Series, players must have reached a Grand Slam singles final, been ranked in the top five in the world or played singles on a championship Davis Cup team. Each event also has the right to choose a “wild card” entrant.

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