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Wimbledon Champion to Go for Fourth Title at La Costa
SAN DIEGO, CA, July 11, 2007 – Promotion Sports, Inc. today announced that Venus Williams has entered the 2007 Acura Classic, to be held July 28 - August 5 at the La Costa Resort & Spa. The 3-time San Diego champion and 6-time Grand Slam winner will make her 9th appearance at the tournament.
Williams, who made headlines last week when she captured her fourth Wimbledon crown, won the Acura Classic three years in a row (’00, ’01, ’02). Because of her long history and commitment to the San Diego event (she first played here in 1995), she was presented with the Acura Classic Loyalty Award in 2002. Her defeat of Marion Bartoli to win this year’s Wimbledon championship moved her back into the top 20 rankings on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour for the first time in a year. Currently #17 in the world, the former #1 ranked star has 35 career Tour singles tiles to her credit and is an Olympic Gold Medal holder in both singles and doubles.
When asked about entering the Acura Classic, Williams recalled: “It’s been a few years since I’ve played in San Diego, and I am proud to have won the tournament each of the last three times I played it. In some ways I feel like I’m returning as defending champion. I know this will be the last year for the Acura Classic, and I’d love to win for the fourth time and go down in the books as the tournament’s final champion.”
Promotion Sports’ Raquel Giscafré noted: “Venus is a huge San Diego favorite, both for our fans and for everyone who’s been involved with the tournament over the years. We’ve felt extremely privileged to watch her grow from an up-and-coming teenager into a #1 player and outstanding role model for the sport of women’s tennis. She’s been a great supporter of our tournament – from her early years playing through the qualifying rounds to her last three appearances taking home the title. For her to be returning after such an amazing performance at Wimbledon makes it all the more exciting. Venus is playing strong, she’s definitely on a roll, and we’re looking forward to seeing her continue her drive here at the Acura Classic.”
Over the years, Venus Williams has provided Acura Classic fans with some of the tournament’s most exciting tennis, including her two finals victories over Monica Seles (’00, ’01) and her defeat of Jelena Dokic for the 2002 crown. She has also notched key victories here over top players including Lindsay Davenport (3 times), Kim Clijsters, and Conchita Martinez.
Now in its 24th year, the Acura Classic is one of the premier events on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour and one of the largest women’s tennis tournaments in the world. (See below list of current entries).
Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Players Scheduled to Compete at the 2007 Acura Classic
Justine Henin (BEL) #1
Maria Sharapova (RUS) #2
Jelena Jankovic (SRB) #3
Ana Ivanovic (SRB) #5
Serena Williams (USA) #7
Anna Chakvetadze (RUS) #8
Nadia Petrova (RUS) #9
Nicole Vaidisova (CZE) #10
Marion Bartoli (FRA) #11
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) #12
Martina Hingis (SUI) #13
Dinara Safina (RUS) #14
Elena Dementieva (RUS) #15
Patty Schnyder (SUI) #16
Venus Williams (USA) #17
Shahar Peer (ISR) #18
Tatiana Golovin (FRA) #19
Li Na (CHN) #20
Michaella Krajicek (NED) #32
Sania Mirza (IND) #38
For more information and to purchase tickets for the Acura Classic, fans can call the Tournament Box Office at 760-438-5683, or visit www.acuraclassic.com. Free parking for attendees will be available for opening weekend on Saturday and Sunday, July 28th and 29th.
Promotion Sports, Inc., which owns the Acura Classic and promotes a variety of professional tennis events, is a private corporation headquartered in Carlsbad, California. Founded in 1982 by Raquel Giscafré and Jane Stratton, former professional tennis players, the company is dedicated to promoting sports and women’s tennis worldwide.
The Acura Classic is sponsored by American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
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