ITHF Announces Fed Cup Award of Excellence
Miguel Margets of Spain to be honored with the 2008 Fed Cup Award of ExcellenceFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kat Anderson
194 Bellevue Ave.
Newport,
401-849-3990
kat@tennisfame.com
09/14/08 - Newport, RI--The International Tennis Hall of Fame and the International Tennis Federation (ITF) have announced that Miguel Margets, Captain of the Spanish Fed Cup Team, is the recipient of the 2008 Fed Cup Award of Excellence. Presentation of the Fed Cup Award of Excellence will be made on Sunday, September 14 in Madrid, during the Fed Cup World Group Final presented by BNP Paribas and contested between Spain and Russia.
Presenting the award to Margets will be ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti and 1984 International Tennis Hall of Famer Manolo Santana.
“Spain has a long, successful history in Fed Cup competition,” said ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti. “Miguel has captained four Spanish teams to victory and is vying for a record fifth. We are honored today to present him with the 2008 Fed Cup Award of Excellence.”
The Fed Cup Award of Excellence was inaugurated by the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the International Tennis Federation in 2001. The Fed Cup Award of Excellence is presented to a person who represents the ideals and spirit of the Fed Cup competition and must be a member of a past or present Fed Cup team.
Miguel Margets, born in Barcelona, has been Fed Cup Captain for Spain since 1993 and has captained his team to eight finals including 2008, winning four titles (1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996). He has captained Spain through 47 ties, winning 36 and losing 11. Spain has never been out of the World Group during his captaincy. A win over Russia would make Margets the most successful captain in Fed Cup history. Currently Margets is tied with Americans Billie Jean King (4-3 record in Fed Cup Finals) and Vicki Berner, holding a 4-0 record.
Margets, now 47, was the Spanish National Champion in singles and doubles (under 18s) and was Spanish National Champion Finalist in the 12 and under age group. He began to work with the Spanish Tennis Federation in 1988 and has been the Spanish Women’s Team Captain through four Olympics (Beijing 2008, Athens 2004, Sydney 2000, and Atlanta in 1996. He has also coached pro players including Tommy Robredo (1997-2003).
Past recipients of the Fed Cup Award of Excellence are Spain’s Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario and Conchita Martinez in 2001; Great Britain’s Virginia Wade in 2002; Larisa Savchenko of Latvia in 2003; Olga Morozova of Russia in 2004; Françoise “Frankie” Dürr of France in 2005; Sabine Appelmans of Belgium in 2006; and Lea Pericoli of Italy in 2007.
The 2008 World Group Fed Cup Final presented by BNP Paribas will be contested in Madrid between Spain and reigning Fed Cup Champion Russia on September 13 and 14 at the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid. This is the 46th Fed Cup Final and the first time that these two nations have met at the last stage. Russia has a 4-1 lead in the head-to-head record, with the most recent meeting being in 2007 at the Small Sports Arena ‘Luzhniki’ in Moscow, where the Russians prevailed.
Fed Cup is the largest annual international team competition for women in any sport. For further information on Fed Cup, including live scoring coverage of the Fed Cup final, visit the ITF’s official Fed Cup website, www.fedcup.com.
The International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum was established in 1954 and is a non-profit institution dedicated to preserving the history of tennis, inspiring and encouraging junior tennis development, enshrining tennis heroes and heroines, and providing a landmark for tennis enthusiasts worldwide. For more information on the International Tennis Hall of Fame and its programs, please call 401-849-3990 or visit the International Tennis Hall of Fame official website at www.tennisfame.com.
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