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Tennis Channel’s French Open Tonight Gives Fans Insights

June 4, 2008

LOS ANGELES & PARIS — Tennis Channel, the only 24-hour, television-based multimedia destination dedicated to tennis and the surrounding lifestyle, has been providing fans with extensive coverage of the French Open including daily matches, expert commentary, and insight from some of the most powerful names in tennis on its nightly recap show, French Open Tonight.

Hosted by Bill Macatee and broadcast from Roland Garros, the show has already featured some of the brightest stars and biggest names in the tennis world. In its first week, French Open Tonight’s all-star guest line-up has included: top ranked tennis stars Roger Federer, James Blake, Maria Sharapova, Andy Murray, Sam Querrey, Mary Pierce, and Novak Djokovic; legendary tennis journalists Bud Collins, Cliff Drysdale, Chris Clarey and Richard Evans; plus tennis icons John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova and more.

Some of the interviews and daily highlights are available at http://www.tennischannel.com/roland_garros/video.aspx

Sounds from the Grounds at Roland Garros:

Here’s some of the insight guests have offered Macatee and Tennis Channel viewers.

John McEnroe: “To me Nadal is almost unbeatable on this surface. It’s going to take this Herculean effort of either Roger (Federer) or Novak (Djokovic) to beat the guy, barring some type of injury.”

Roger Federer (on friendship with Nadal): “It wasn’t always like this. It’s not like we didn’t like each other, but we had some issues with the coaching situation. I thought he was getting coached from the sidelines at one stage and it sort of upset me a little bit and his team sort of thought I was maybe a little bit of a bad guy. But I think as time went by and we had such great matches against each other the respect grew and he’s always been very respectful towards me and the same as well for me for Rafa… I think the other players actually enjoy it as well that we actually like each other and don’t hate each other. We talk a lot about the sport and I even took him on my private plane once.”

Bethanie Mattek (on her unique fashion sense): “I was at the Australian Open a few years ago, and I actually got cut from the adidas team. I had all adidas stuff but I said, ‘Well I’m not going to wear it, they just cut me from the team.’ I basically just wore out there what I went to dinner with or went out dancing in… It’s part of my personality. I dress kind of funky off the court too.”

Andy Murray (on Wimbledon pressure in his native Britain): “It’s tough. It’s more the build up to the matches that are difficult. You do a lot of press and there are a lot of expectations for you… But once you get on court it’s not so bad. In London it’s more the build up… Going into the matches you do (feel pressure) but once you get out there you feel comfortable.”

Tennis Channel (www.tennischannel.com) is the only 24-hour, television-based multimedia destination dedicated to both the professional sport and passionate lifestyle of tennis. A hybrid of comprehensive sports, health, fitness, pop culture, entertainment, lifestyle and travel programming, the network is home to every aspect of the wide-ranging, worldwide tennis community. It also has the most concentrated single-sport coverage in television, with telecast rights to the US Open, Wimbledon, Roland Garros (French Open), Australian Open, Olympus US Open Series, ATP Masters Series, top-tier Sony Ericsson WTA Tour championship competitions, Davis Cup and Fed Cup by BNP Paribas, and Hyundai Hopman Cup. Tennis Channel is carried by eight of the top 10 MSOs and has national footprint via DIRECTV and DISH Network.