 Roddick, Sampras and Kournikova Join Sir Elton John and Billie Jean King at 14th Annual Advanta World TeamTennis Smash Hits in Irvine Tickets Go OnSale This Monday, July 31 |
Newport Beach, Calif. (July 28, 2006) --- Tennis superstars Andy Roddick, Pete Sampras and Anna Kournikova will join Sir Elton John and Billie Jean King to raise money for the fight against HIV and AIDS when the 14th annual Advanta World TeamTennis Smash Hits returns to Orange County for one night only at 7 p.m. on Thursday, September 14 at the Bren Center on the University of California Irvine campus.
Tickets for the special night of tennis will go on sale this Monday, July 31 at 10 a.m. (Pacific) at all Ticketmaster ticket centers and at the Bren Center Box Office. A limited number of priority seating tickets will be sold in advance at the World TeamTennis Finals, July 29 and 30 at the Palisades Tennis Club in Newport Beach. Proceeds from Advanta WTT Smash Hits will benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation and the AIDS Services Foundation Orange County. The event, which was last held in California in 2004, is expected to raise more than $500,000 for the fight against HIV and AIDS.
“We are thrilled to bring Smash Hits back to Orange County,” said Ilana Kloss, CEO and Commissioner of World TeamTennis. “Pete was a big part of Smash Hits in the early years and to have him back again along with Andy and Anna gives us the makings of a very entertaining and thrilling night of tennis. Most importantly, we will be able to raise a significant amount of money for a very deserving cause.”
Five sets of tennis, using the World TeamTennis (WTT) format, will be played. In addition to the Roddick/Sampras feature match in men’s singles, several other top players on the men’s and women’s professional tennis tours are expected to compete in men’s doubles, women’s singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles. The players will form two teams, with one team captained by John and the other by King. John and King also plan to participate in a celebrity doubles event to open the evening. Kournikova is expected to play both women’s doubles and mixed doubles.
Roddick has consistently been ranked in the top 10 players in the world since turning professional in 2000. He won the 2002 US Open and has reached the finals of Wimbledon twice (2004 and 2005). This year he has reached the quarterfinals or better at seven events, including a runner-up finish earlier this month at Indianapolis.
Sampras, considered by many to be the greatest tennis player of all time, holds the all- time record for Grand Slam singles titles at 14 and won a total of 64 career singles titles. He retired in 2002 after winning his last ATP event at the US Open defeating Andre Agassi and made his return to professional tennis this season, playing World TeamTennis for the Newport Beach Breakers.
Kournikova is a two-time Australian Open doubles champion and a former No. 1 in doubles and No. 8 in singles in the world rankings. She became the second woman in the Open era to reach the semifinals of Wimbledon in her debut. Holder of 16 doubles titles; this native Russian is one of the world's most popular female athletes. Kournikova was a member of the Sacramento Capitals this summer.
Reserved seat tickets for the 14th annual Advanta WTT Smash Hits range from $45 to $110 and are available at all Ticketmaster ticket centers and the Bren Center box office. Discounts are available for UCI students with a valid student ID. For more information, please call Ticketmaster at 714/740-2000 or the Bren Center box office at 949/824-5000.
Special VIP ticket packages, which also include premiere seating and admission to the Smash Hits VIP Reception, are available through the AIDS Services Foundation for $250. The VIP Reception, which begins at 5:30 p.m., includes a silent and live auction and will be attended by John, King and all players. VIP tickets are available by calling Michelle Burton at 949.809.5720 or mburton@ocasf.org.
Since its establishment in 1992 by Founder and Chairman Sir Elton John, the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) has raised over $100 million to support HIV/AIDS prevention and service programs in 55 countries around the globe. Today, EJAF is one of the world's leading nonprofit HIV/AIDS organizations. EJAF focuses on supporting community-based prevention education programs, harm reduction programs, and direct services to persons living with HIV/AIDS, especially populations with special needs. These efforts include HIV/AIDS-related physical and mental health services, HIV testing and counseling, street outreach and education, food distribution, assisted living services, social service coordination, and community volunteer recruitment and support.
For additional information, please visit the Elton John AIDS Foundation at www.ejaf.org and World TeamTennis at www.wtt.com.
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