ATLANTIC CITY – Harrah’s Entertainment, Caesars Atlantic City and StarGames are proud to announce that 14-time Grand Slam men’s singles champion Pete Sampras and current U.S. Davis Cup tennis star James Blake have been added to compete in the inaugural “Caesars Tennis Classic” at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City on April 10, 2010. Sampras and Blake join an all-star lineup including former U.S. Open champions Andy Roddick, Ivan Lendl, Mats Wilander and Marat Safin who will participate in this exhibition tournament hosted by Venus Williams. Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. are on-sale now at Ticketmaster.com and the Boardwalk Hall box office with additional information about this unique event available at CaesarsTennisClassic.com.
“Caesars is ecstatic to add Pete Sampras and James Blake to our already impressive lineup for the Caesars Tennis Classic,” said Joe Domenico, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Caesars Atlantic City. “This will be the first time these six past and present tennis stars will compete in the same event and we are honored to bring them together in Atlantic City.”
“Adding Pete and James to the Caesars Tennis Classic makes it a “must see” event for Delaware Valley fans,” said Jerry Solomon, President of StarGames. “Among these six players they have won 32 Grand Slam singles titles and ten Davis Cup Championships. Not only are they great players but they are great ambassadors for the sport as well. And fans will have a chance to meet them in the Tennis Village at Caesars. It should be a great weekend of tennis activity.”
The Caesars Tennis Classic will be hosted by two-time US Open and five-time Wimbledon Champion Venus Williams. The Classic will feature three matches in a team format. The first match will feature 1985, 1986 and 1987 US Open Champion Ivan Lendl going up against former nemesis and 1988 US Open Champion Mats Wilander in a one-set no ad scoring match. Lendl and Wilander, who together have won a combined 15 Grand Slam singles titles, have met in the finals of the US Open, French Open, Australian Open and the Masters a combined six times. This match will be Lendl’s first since his 1994 retirement. The second match will showcase 2003 US Open Champion and current top-ranked US men’s tennis player Andy Roddick going up against 2000 US Open Champion Marat Safin in a best-of-three-set match. This match will also be no ad scoring and will be decided by a super tie-breaker (first to 10 must win by 2) if necessary. The third match will feature 14-time Grand Slam men’s singles champion Pete Sampras going up against current U.S. Davis Cup star James Blake in a best-of-three-set match. This match will also be no ad scoring and will be decided by a super tie-breaker (first to 10 must win by 2) if necessary.
Harrah’s Entertainment/Caesars has been supporting world class tennis events since 1972. One of the best stops on the Men’s Professional Tennis tour, the “Alan King Classic,” which was played at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, hosted the like of Rod Laver, Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg, Ivan Lendl and Arthur Ashe. Through the 80’s and 90’s, Harrah’s continued to support world class tennis, bringing unique events to the Mid-Atlantic region most specifically the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. The historic venue has hosted champions such as Monica Seles, Lindsay Davenport, Martina Navratilova, Vitas Gerulaitis, Bobby Riggs, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and Pam Shriver.
Now in 2010 with the support of Harrah’s and Caesars Atlantic City, StarGames will bring back tennis to the Mid-Atlantic region and to a newly renovated 10,000 seat Boardwalk Hall Arena. Tickets are available for $25, $50, $75, $125, $175, as well as a VIP Hospitality Package for $250 and a Caesars Tennis Classic Insider Experience Package. Additional information on this event can be found at www.CaesarsTennisClassic.com.
About Harrah’s Entertainment
Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. is the world's largest provider of branded casino entertainment through operating subsidiaries. Since its beginning in Reno, Nevada 70 years ago, Harrah's has grown through development of new properties, expansions and acquisitions, and now owns or manages casino resorts on four continents The company's properties operate primarily under the Harrah's, Caesars and Horseshoe brand names; Harrah's also owns the London Clubs International family of casinos and the World Series of Poker. On January 28, 2008, Harrah’s Entertainment was acquired by affiliates of private-equity firms TPG Capital and Apollo Global Management.
About Caesars Atlantic City
Caesars Atlantic City sets the standard for excitement and luxury. Reigning at the center of the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Caesars features more than 1,100 hotel guest rooms and suites, eight diverse restaurants and cafes including Mia by George Perrier and Chris Scarduzio and Morton’s Steakhouse, Qua Baths & Spa, and a lavish 140,000 square foot casino. The 1,600 seat Circus Maximus Theater spotlights leading entertainers such as Jerry Seinfeld, Sheryl Crow and Tony Bennett. The Pier Shops at Caesars deliver the pinnacle of designer boutiques, chic eateries and abundant entertainment in a $175 million oceanfront complex. Caesars is located at 2100 Pacific Avenue in Atlantic City, New Jersey. For more information, call 1-800-223-7277 or visit www.caesarsac.com
About StarGames
StarGames, LLC (www.stargamesinc.com) is a fully integrated sports marketing, management and entertainment company based outside of Boston, MA. Now in its 16th year, StarGames represents current and former professional athletes, produces original content for mass media distribution, operates its own broadband television channels and produces live and made for television events. In recent years, StarGames orchestrated the return of tennis to Madison Square Garden with the 2008 NetJets Showdown and 2009 BNP Paribas Showdown for the Billie Jean King Cup and launched Ivan Lendl’s Champions Academy in Sarasota, Florida.
For more information contact:
Christopher Jonic
Public Relations – Harrah’s Entertainment
609.343.2463
###
|
