24 February 2009
AGASSI, GRAF, CLIJSTERS AND HENMAN SET
FOR A CENTRE COURT CELEBRATION
The All England Club, Wimbledon, have announced that a star line-up of Andre Agassi, Stefanie Graf, Kim Clijsters and Tim Henman will become the first to play tennis under the new Centre Court roof as part of its A Centre Court Celebration event on Sunday 17 May 2009.
The event is designed to test the new roof and air management system with live tennis in front of a capacity crowd of 15,000.
The programme will feature a men’s singles, a ladies’ singles and a mixed doubles match all played to the pro set format – the first to 8 games, with a tie-break at 8-8. The exact order of play will be confirmed nearer the time.
Tickets priced at £35.00 each will go on general sale via Ticketmaster www.ticketmaster.co.uk and 0844 847 2481 at 10.00am on Thursday 12 March 2009. There will be no on-day sales at the turnstiles.
Ian Ritchie, Chief Executive of the All England Club, said: “We set out to make Wimbledon the world’s premier tennis event. The new retractable Centre Court roof, and air management system, is another important part of The Championships’ progression and will guarantee the play that today’s audiences expect.
“Though this project has been a sophisticated engineering feat, we always wanted to capture the essence of Wimbledon’s history and tradition in a new, modern Centre Court which itself would still be celebrated as the stage of some of the most memorable moments in tennis.
“With players of the calibre of Agassi, Graf, Clijsters and Henman this test event promises to be hugely entertaining. Brilliant players, great tennis, an iconic venue and the chance to be part of Wimbledon history – what more could one want?”
Andre Agassi said: “I am honoured to be invited by the All England Club to take part in this landmark occasion. I have great memories of playing at Wimbledon and to be amongst the first to play under the new Centre Court roof is really exciting.”
Stefanie Graf commented: "There is no tennis venue more special to me than Centre Court at Wimbledon. It just doesn't get any better. I couldn't be more honoured to play there again with my husband Andre, and tennis greats Kim and Tim. It will mean so much to return to Wimbledon and see so many familiar places, relive so many wonderful memories."
Tim Henman said: “Wimbledon’s Centre Court was always a special place for me and it’s just great to have the chance to play there again with the likes of Andre, Steffi and Kim. I think it will be a really fun day for everyone and the new roof is going to make it a fascinating experience.”
Kim Clijsters said: “To be asked to be part of this unique event with Andre and Steffi and Tim is very exciting and a real privilege. It has been ten years since I played Steffi at Wimbledon. My first and only match against her in my career. It was quite an experience. I was very nervous to play against my idol and because of the rain the match took two days to finish. The new roof will prevent that this time around.”
The outline arrangements are:
- Gates scheduled to open at 12:00 noon.
- Programme scheduled to start at 2:30pm. Event scheduled to finish around 6:00pm.
- Only one small hand bag (15”x 12” x 6”) per person will be allowed into the grounds, subject to search, to speed up entry. No picnic hampers or hard sided cases allowed.
- Limited left luggage facilities outside the grounds only.
- Use public transport where possible. No public Park and Ride service.
- Limited public car parking and catering available.
Player biographies are below. Media Accreditation forms will be issued in due course.
PLAYER BIOGRAPHIES
Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi began his professional tennis career in 1986 at the age of 16. His performance on the court earned him 60 career men’s singles titles, including eight Grand Slam singles championships. Agassi is the only male player in the world to win all four Grand Slam titles and an Olympic gold medal. Agassi retired from his tennis career following the U.S. Open in the summer of 2006. In 1994, Agassi founded the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation which is dedicated to transforming U.S. public education for underserved youth. Agassi is married to former tennis superstar Stefanie Graf, and the couple have two children.
Stefanie Graf
Stefanie Graf graced the tennis courts, and built a career that spanned 17 years and 902 victories. She announced her retirement from tennis in 1999. Graf won 22 Grand Slam singles titles (seven at Wimbledon, six at the French Open, five at the US Open and four at the Australian Open). In 1988, Graf won all four Grand Slam singles titles, the Olympic gold medal and 96 percent of her matches. Graf was ranked No.1 for a WTA-record 377 weeks, including 186 in a row. Stefanie Graf is the founder of Children for Tomorrow, a non-profit organization focused on helping children and their families who are victims of war, persecution or organized crime. Graf is married to Andre Agassi, and the couple have two children.
Kim Clijsters
Kim Clijsters was born on 8 June 1983 in Bilzen, Belgium. She turned professional in August 1997 and during her professional career, won 34 WTA singles titles and 11 WTA doubles titles. She won the WTA Tour Championships singles title in 2002 and 2003 and the US Open singles title in 2005. Clijsters was twice a singles runner-up at the French Open and a one-time runner-up at the Australian Open. She also reached two Wimbledon singles semifinals. In doubles, she won the French Open and Wimbledon titles in 2003. Clijsters retired in May 2007 and is now married to American basketball player Brian Lynch who is based in Clijsters' hometown of Bree. They have one daughter who was born on 27 February 2008.
Tim Henman
Tim Henman was born on the 6th September, 1974, in Oxford, England. Tim joined the Tour in 1993 rising to the Top 30 in 1996. In the same year he became British No 1 and won the Doubles Silver Medal at the Atlanta Olympics. By the time he reached a career high of No.4 in 2002, the combination of his Davis Cup exploits and four Wimbledon singles semi-finals meant he was firmly established as the home supporters’ favourite. In total he won 11 ATP singles titles. Keen to see tennis as part of a wider social fabric, Tim was Chairman of the ATP Charities Programme in 2000 and founded his own charity, Kids At Heart, also in 2000. Off court, Tim is a fine golfer and supports Oxford United Football Club. He married Lucy Heald in December 1999 and they have three daughters. Henman was created an OBE in the UK New Year’s Honours List 2003.
|
