March 27, 2008
Sampras to face McEnroe and Courier as Champions Cup Boston
schedule is announced
Agganis Arena at Boston University to host Outback Champions Series event
April 30 --- May 4
InsideOut Sports & Entertainment today announced the match schedule for the 2008 Champions Cup Boston to be played April 30 --- May 4 at the Agganis Arena in Boston. Fourteen-time major champion Pete Sampras will be back to defend his Champions Cup Boston title and is grouped with John McEnroe, Jim Courier and Jimmy Arias in group A. McEnroe will play Courier on Thursday, May 1 following Sampras' opening match versus Arias. Sampras will then play McEnroe on Friday evening, May 2 and Courier on Saturday evening, May 3. Todd Martin, the event's 2006 winner, is grouped with Wayne Ferreira, Aaron Krickstein and Mikael Pernfors in group B and will open play against Krickstein on Wednesday, April 30.
The Champions Cup Boston is the third of eight events on the 2008 Outback Champions Series, a collection of tennis events played around the world featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30. The event features $150,000 in prize money with an undefeated winner taking home $54,000. Players also compete for Champions Series points that will determine the Stanford Champions Rankings year-end No. 1 and the winner of a $100,000 year-end bonus. All Champions Series events feature eight-man round-robin match formats 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. Tickets begin at just $15 and can be purchased by calling 617-931-2000 or at www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com.
"We have some block-buster match-ups leading up to the Sunday finale for this year's Champions Cup Boston that will once again provide for great buzz in the Boston community along with excellent competition and entertainment," said Jon Venison, co-founding partner of InsideOut Sport & Entertainment and the Outback Champions Series. "Each match-up features some of the most prolific tennis players over the last 25 years. In the case of Sampras, McEnroe and Courier, you have rematches of some of the greatest and most significant matches in tennis history."
The full schedule of play is as follows;
SCHEDULE FOR 2008 CHAMPIONS CUP BOSTON
Wednesday, April 30
Beginning at 7:30 pm
Wayne Ferreira vs. Mikael Pernfors
Followed by
Todd Martin vs. Aaron Krickstein
Thursday, May 1
Beginning at 7:30 pm
Pete Sampras vs. Jimmy Arias
Followed by
John McEnroe vs. Jim Courier
Friday, May 2
Beginning at 2:30 pm
Wayne Ferreira vs. Aaron Krickstein
Followed by
Todd Martin vs. Mikael Pernfors
Beginning at 7:30 pm
Jim Courier vs. Jimmy Arias
Followed by
John McEnroe vs. Pete Sampras
Saturday, May 3
Beginning at 2:30 pm
Todd Martin vs. Wayne Ferreira
Followed by
John McEnroe vs. Jimmy Arias
Beginning at 7:30 pm
Mikael Pernfors vs. Aaron Krickstein
Followed by
Pete Sampras vs. Jim Courier
Sunday, May 4
Beginning at 2:30 pm
Third-place Match
Followed by
Championship Match
Sampras is returning to the site where last year he played his first competitive tournament since he won the 2002 US Open. In 2007, Sampras went 3-0 in round robin play in Boston and staved off three match points from Martin to win the championship match 6-3, 5-7, 11-9 (Champions Tie-Break). The seven-time Wimbledon champion also played a much-anticipated sold-out Saturday night match with McEnroe, defeating his former Davis Cup doubles partner 6-3, 6-4 in an electric atmosphere at the Agganis Arena. McEnroe, 49, said during the first event on the 2008 Outback Champions Series in Naples, Fla., earlier this month that this will be his final year of playing competitive tournament tennis. Thus, the 2008 Champions Cup Boston will be his final tournament in the Boston area.
Founded in 2005, the Outback Champions Series features eight 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 on the Stanford Champions Rankings. To be eligible to compete on the Outback Champions Series, players must have either; 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.
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 one-night "Legendary Night" exhibitions as well as corporate outings, charity events and tennis fantasy camps, including the annual Ultimate Fantasy Camp. For more information, please log on to www.InsideOutSE.com or www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com