Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Announces 2007 Annual Player Awards
Henin and Black/Huber clinch Player of Year and Doubles Team of Year; Davenport, Ivanovic and Szavay also earn top honorsFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Andrew Walker
One Progress Plaza, Suite 1500
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(727) 871-5666
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03/27/08 - Miami – The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour announced the 2007 annual Player Awards Thursday night during a ceremony at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, Florida. Six players were honored for their achievements both on and off the court with each award winner receiving a Waterford Crystal amethyst trophy. The annual player awards are voted on by the global tennis media.
Justine Henin earned the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour’s 2007 Player of the Year Award for the second time in her career, first earning the accolade in 2003. The Belgian finished the 2007 season ranked No.1 after winning 10 of the 14 events she entered; she was also the first player in Tour history to win over $5 million in prize money in a single year. Her 10 titles in 2007 included her sixth and seventh career Grand Slams at Roland Garros and the US Open, along with the season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships in Madrid. At Roland Garros, she became only the second woman to claim three straight titles there in the Open Era after Monica Seles. Henin is now one of only nine women to claim seven or more Grand Slams in the Open Era and second among active players, trailing only Serena Williams, who has eight. Previous recipients of the Player of the Year award include eight-time winner Steffi Graf, seven-time winner Martina Navratilova and 2006 winner Amélie Mauresmo.
“Winning Player of the Year is a great honor for me,” Henin said. “This award is really special because last year was one of my most exciting years. I felt great about my game and really enjoyed playing.”
The World No.1 doubles team of Cara Black and Liezel Huber earned their first award for Doubles Team of the Year. While the competition in doubles was fierce on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour last year, one team outshone all others. The duo of Cara Black and Liezel Huber enjoyed a dream season, lifting nine titles, including the Australian Open, Wimbledon and Sony Ericsson Championship crowns.
“We are very excited to be nominated for Doubles Team of the Year,” Black said. “We had an excellent year and we are really pleased and honored to be receiving this award.”
“Cara and I are very honored about receiving this award,” Huber added. “We had a fantastic year and so much fun last year, so this is just icing on the cake for us.”
Huber was also honored for winning the Player Service of the Year award, which recognizes off-court contributions and charitable endeavors. This award is voted on by Tour players.
Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic won Most Improved Player after a remarkable season that culminated in her first Top 10 finish. The 20-year-old won her third, fourth and fifth career Tour singles titles and appeared in her first Grand Slam final at Roland Garros. She was the first Serbian player, male or female, to reach a Grand Slam singles final. Ivanovic was also honored with the Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award, which is also voted on by Tour players. Ivanovic was recognized for her conduct, attitude and sense of fair play.
Comeback Player of the Year honors went to Lindsay Davenport, who made a scintillating return to the Tour following an 11-month absence while having her first child, Jagger, born last June. Lindsay compiled a 13-1 record in three singles events played, winning the Commonwealth Bank Tennis Classic in Bali and the Bell Challenge in Québec City and reaching the semifinals at the China Open in Beijing. Going into Bali, she had not played a singles match in 51 weeks and was the second mother to win a Tour singles title in 2007 after Sybille Bammer, who won Pattaya City. It was the first season in history in which two different mothers won Tour singles titles. Davenport bounced back into the Top 100 on November 5, 2007, rising from No.126 to No.73, and finished the season in the Top 100 for the 15th straight year.
Hungary’s Agnes Szavay picked up the Tour’s Newcomer of the Year Award. This was Szavay’s first Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Player Award. The 19-year-old’s breakthrough season was highlighted by two career-first Tour singles titles, her first Grand Slam quarterfinal and three Top 10 wins. The first half of the season saw her rise from No.185 to No.53; in a remarkable second half of the season, she moved from No.53 to No.20, winning her first Tour singles title at Palermo, reaching her first Tier II final at the Pilot Pen Tennis presented by Schick in New Haven and her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the US Open. She won her second Tour singles title at the China Open in Beijing and finished 2007 ranked No.20.
"These awards honor excellence both on and off the court, and this year’s awards winners stood out as stars of the 2007 season,” said Larry Scott, CEO of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. "Last season was another remarkable and historical year for the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, and I congratulate these players for their efforts and contributions in making women’s tennis even more exciting.”
Tennis Week was the official media partner of the 2007 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Player Awards, and highlights of the awards ceremony can be found at www.sonyericssonwtatour.com and www.TennisWeek.com.
2007 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Player Awards
Player of the Year – Justine Henin
Doubles Team of the Year – Cara Black and Liezel Huber
Most Improved Player – Ana Ivanovic
Comeback Player of the Year – Lindsay Davenport
Newcomer of the Year – Agnes Szavay
Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award – Ana Ivanovic
Player Service Award – Liezel Huber
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Gina Clement, Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, +1.727.667.2467, gclement@wtatour.com
Andrew Walker, Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, +1.727.871.5666, awalker@wtatour.com
Links:
www.sonyericssonwtatour.com
