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Hall of Famers slated for Gibson Guitar Champions Cup

NEWPORT, RI — The International Tennis Hall of Fame today announced that five of the eight players are set for the 2007 Gibson Guitar Champions Cup that will be held in Newport, Rhode Island August 22-26. Pat Cash and Wayne Ferreira will join Hall of Famers John McEnroe, Jim Courier and Mats Wilander for the five day event played on the Hall of Fame’s legendary grass courts.

The Gibson Guitar Champions Cup is one of six tournaments in the Outback Champions Series, a pro tour of former champions age 30 and above. These tennis legends compete in a highly competitive, fan friendly, round-robin format with a champion crowned on the last day of each event. Eligible players competing in the Series have either held a top 5 singles ranking, been a Grand Slam singles finalist, or a singles player on a Championship Davis Cup team during their ATP Tour playing careers.

Pat Cash earned a career high world ranking of No. 4 in 1988 and captured the Wimbledon Singles Championship in 1987. He won 19 career titles; seven in singles and 12 in doubles. He reached two consecutive Australian Open singles finals, both grueling five-set championship matches. He was an eight year member of Australia’s Davis Cup Team, winning the Cup twice.

Wayne Ferreira is currently ranked No. 1 in the Champions Cup Series. Hailing from South Africa, he holds the record for the most consecutive Grand Slam appearances in men’s tennis, playing in 56 Slams between 1991 and 2004. A 15-year veteran of the South African Davis Cup Team, Ferreira achieved a career high singles world ranking of No. 6 and captured 26 career titles.

John McEnroe was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1999. As one of the most intense competitors ever in the sport of tennis, he captured 17 titles in Grand Slam events including three Wimbledon singles crowns and four US Opens. A former World No. 1 ranked player, McEnroe complied 155 career titles, 77 in singles and 78 in doubles. He was also a mainstay on the U.S. Davis Cup team for 12 years, winning the Cup five times.

Jim Courier was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2005. A former World No. 1 ranked player, he captured four Grand Slam Singles Championships - two at Roland Garros and two in Australia. In a career spanning 13 years, he captured 29 career titles, 23 in singles and six in doubles. Courier played on two winning Davis Cup teams. In the entire history of the Davis Cup, no other American has ever taken his team into a fifth set of a deciding match and won. Courier did it twice.

Mats Wilander was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2002 under the flag of Sweden. He captured eight Grand Slam Championship titles, seven in singles and one in doubles. In 1988 he was the most dominate player on the men’s pro tour, winning the Australian, French and US Open singles titles and attaining the World No. 1 ranking. He captured 40 career titles, 33 in singles and seven in doubles. He played Davis Cup for 11 years, lifting Sweden to four successive Cup wins.

Tickets for the Gibson Guitar Champions Cup are on sale now at www.tennisfame.com or by calling (866) 914-FAME. Tickets for Wednesday and Thursday are priced at $15, $25 and $30; Friday, $15, $25 and $35 and for Saturday and Sunday, $30, $40 and $50. Three matches will be played daily Wednesday through Saturday on Bill Talbert Center Court with two matches played on Sunday, consisting of the Championship Final and third place match. For more information visit tennisfame.com or call (866) 914-FAME.

About Gibson Guitar:

Gibson is known worldwide for producing classic models in every major style of fretted instrument, including acoustic and electric guitars, mandolins, and banjos. Gibson’s HD.6X-PRO Digital Guitar represents the biggest advance in electric guitar design in over 70 years. Founded in 1894 in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and headquartered in Nashville since 1984, Gibson Guitar Corp.’s family of brands now includes Epiphone, Dobro, Maestro, Kramer, Steinberger, Tobias, Echoplex, Electar, Flatiron, Gibson Baldwin Music Education, Slingerland, Valley Arts, Maestro, Oberheim, Sunshine Piano, Take Anywhere Technology, Baldwin, J&C Fischer, Chickering, Hamilton, and Wurlitzer. Visit Gibson’s website at gibson.com or gibson.com/press.

About the International Tennis Hall of Fame:

The International Tennis Hall of Fame, established in 1954, 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. It was recognized as the sport’s official Hall of Fame in 1986 by the International Tennis Federation, the governing body of tennis. The International Tennis Hall of Fame’s legendary grass courts remain the only competition grass courts available for professional events and exhibitions, while also available for public play. For more information about the International Tennis Hall of Fame, its museum, events and programs, please call (401) 849-3990 or log on to tennisfame.com.

About the Outback Champions Series:

The Outback Champions Series consists of tournaments played in select markets are played over a minimum of 4 days featuring 8 Champion players in each event. The first 3 rounds of each tournament are played in round robin format with the eight Champions drawn into two groups of four and each player playing against the other 3 players in his group. The top players from each group advance to a Sunday final, while the second place finishers in each group play in Sunday’s 3rd place match.

Matches are played in the best of three set format, with the 3rd set consisting of a Champions tie-break. The Champions tie-break is defined as the 1st player to reach 10 points with a margin of 2 points.

Outback Champions Series tournaments are allowed one wildcard player of their choice. All players must be over 30 years of age. This criteria assures fans that there will be a legend competing in every match of every session of every event.

Posted on April 26, 2007
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