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Tennis Legends, Capturing 184 Grand Slam Titles to Attend 'Legends Ball' to Benefit the International Tennis Hall of Fame on September 5 at Cipriani in New York City

NEW YORK, NY - More than one dozen tennis Hall of Famers with a combined 184 Grand Slam titles (singles/doubles/mixed) will be on hand for the 28th annual “Legends Ball” to benefit the International Tennis Hall of Fame on September 5 beginning at 6:30 pm at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City.

Lead by Martina Navratilova’s 59 Grand Slam titles, the Hall of Fame guest list also includes Billie Jean King (39), Pam Shriver (22), Vic Seixas (15), Tony Trabert (10), Mats Wilander (8), Stan Smith (7), Virginia Wade (7), Boris Becker (6), Jim Courier (4), Guillermo Vilas (4), Richard “Dick” Savitt (2), and Michael Chang (1). These legends have also combined to capture more than 500 singles titles and 500 doubles championships.

In addition to dining with Hall of Fame players, the more than 600 tennis aficionados in attendance will be entertained by EMI/ERG recording artist Wendy Moten. The native of Memphis, Tenn., has performed with the likes of Michael Bolton, Debbie Gibson, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. She has recorded four albums, including Wendy Moten, Time for Change, Christmas Time and Life’s What You Make It. She has also had three singles Steb by Step, Come in Out of the Rain and So Close to Love on the charts in the U.S and U.K.

The Legends Ball, emceed by ESPN’s Cliff Drysdale and held annually since 1980, brings the tennis world together to celebrate the history of the game and honor some of the sport’s great contributors all while raising money for the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum. A legendary line-up of tennis greats will be in attendance, including more than a dozen Hall of Famers, tennis dignitaries, the event’s Player Co-Chairs Jim Courier, Monica Seles and Owen Davidson plus Co-Chairs, Phil de Picciotto, President of Octagon Athletes & Personalities, Alexander M. Seaver, Managing Director of Stadium Capital Management LLC, and Peter Palandjian, Chairman and CEO of Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation and a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame Board of Directors.

In addition to honoring the “Class of 2008” - Michael Chang, Mark McCormack and Eugene L. Scott — the event will also feature Barbara Walters presenting the third annual Eugene L. Scott Award to Billie Jean King. Previous honorees have included Andre Agassi (2007) and John McEnroe (2006). Sony Ericsson will be recognized for their ongoing contribution to tennis with the Joseph F. Cullman 3rd Award. Last year, Rolex was recognized with the Cullman Award and in 2006, the French company BNP Paribas received the inaugural award.

Guests will also have the opportunity to bid upon once-in-a-lifetime experiences and unique items in a silent and live auction with all proceeds benefiting the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Some of the nearly 50 items up for bids include: hit sessions with Andre Agassi, Monica Seles and Jim Courier; tennis lessons from Mats Wilander and Tracy Austin; tickets to a host of Grand Slam events including the 2009 French Open, Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open; exotic vacation packages to the Bahamas, Cabo San Lucas, Doha, Karma Bay Jamaica and Knysna South Africa; golf outings at top are courses such as Winged Foot Golf Club, the Stanwich Club, Plainfield Country Club and Trump National.

For tickets, sponsorship opportunities, or to learn more about the event, call 212-843-1740 or e-mail legendsball@hgnyc.com. The mission of the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum, based in Newport, RI, is to preserve the history of tennis, inspire and encourage junior tennis development, enshrine tennis heroes and heroines and provide a landmark for tennis enthusiasts worldwide.

Posted on September 2, 2008
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