Andre Agassi Joins Elite Field At 2006 SAP Open
January 5, 2006
The SAP Open announced today that five-time SAP Open singles champion and Bay Area favorite Andre Agassi will return to San Jose in February to compete for the 2006 SAP Open title. Joining Agassi in the singles field of players will be defending SAP Open Champion and top-ranked American player Andy Roddick, 2002 SAP Open champion Lleyton Hewitt and
For information regarding 2006 SAP Open ticket packages call (408) ACE-2121. Individual session tickets will go on sale Monday, January 9 and can be purchased at any Ticketmaster ticket center located in Wherehouse Music stores, Tower Records and Ritmo Latino throughout the Bay Area, online at ticketmaster.com, charge by phone at (408) 998-TIXS, (415) 421-TIXS or (510) 625-TIXS.
"We are very excited about Andre Agassi's commitment to start the 2006 season right here in
Andre Agassi will be seeking his record-breaking sixth SAP Open Title in 2006. Agassi previously captured titles at the SAP Open in 1990, '93, '95, '98 and 2003 to tie him for first on the SAP Open career titles list with John McEnroe with five. Currently ranked #7 in the INDESIT ATP Entry Rankings, Agassi is the winner of eight Grand Slam titles and is one of only five men ever to win each of the four Grand Slam titles at least once (1992 Wimbledon; 1995, 2000, 2001 and 2003 Australian Open; 1994 and 1999 U.S. Open and 1999 French Open). In 2005, Agassi captured the Mercedes-Benz Cup championship in
Andy Roddick returns to the 2006 SAP Open as the tournament’s two-time defending champion. In last year’s final, Roddick used his dominating forehand and an overpowering serve to defeat Frenchman Cyril Saulnier 6-0, 6-4 and become the tournament’s first back-to-back champion since Mark Philippoussis in 1999-2000. In addition to his victory at the 2005 SAP Open, this year Roddick has also captured titles at the U.S. Men’s Claycourt Championships in
A native of
American James Blake returns to the SAP Open singles player field in 2006 for the fifth consecutive year. Blake enters the 2006 SAP Open playing perhaps the best tennis in his career. An All-American at
Blake captured the attention of tennis fans around the world by making an impressive run at the 2005 U.S. Open. Blake cruised through to his first career Grand Slam quarterfinal - convincingly beating world’s #2 Rafael Nadal in the third round - before he lost a grueling five-set quarterfinal match to fellow American Agassi. The Blake-Agassi match drew one of the highest cable television ratings in US Open history – and is considered by many to be “a match for the ages.” Blake is one of four African-American players to win a title in the Open era (since 1968), joining Arthur Ashe (33 titles), MaliVai Washington (4) and Bryan Shelton (2). A member of the 2004 SAP Open championship doubles team (with Mardy Fish), Blake is an attacking baseline player who possesses a huge forehand and an excellent return of serve. Blake, who resides in
Considered one of the greatest doubles players in the history of the game, John McEnroe will attempt to win his 14th Bay Area title in the 2006 SAP Open doubles field of players. McEnroe, who played at Stanford University and won the NCAA singles title as a Freshman there, has captured five singles titles (1978, ’79, ’82, ’84 and ’86) and eight doubles titles (1978, ’79, ’80, ’81, ’83, ’84, ’86 and ’88) in the Bay Area. He earned his first seven Bay Area doubles titles with longtime partner Peter Fleming and his eighth with Mark Woodforde. The 2006 SAP Open will be McEnroe’s first doubles competition on the ATP circuit since February of 1994 in
Since turning pro in 1977, John McEnroe has amassed a career singles record of 867-192. He has captured 77 singles titles including seven Grand Slam singles titles and 77 doubles titles including nine Grand Slam doubles titles and has earned more than $12.5 million in prize money. In 1980, he became the top-ranked singles player on the ATP circuit and held the top spot for four consecutive years from 1981-1984 in 1983 was ranked. No. 1 in doubles play. McEnroe was born in
TV Coverage
The 2006 SAP Open will be televised locally by Fox Sports Net (FSN) Bay Area and nationally by other (TBD) regional Fox Sports Net affiliates throughout the Unites States. The first singles semifinal will be televised live on FSN Bay Area at
About SAP
SAP is the world's leading provider of business software solutions. Today, more than 28,200 customers in over 120 countries run more than 96,400 installations of SAP(r) software-from distinct solutions addressing the needs of small and midsize enterprises to suite solutions for global organizations. Powered by the SAP NetWeaver(r) platform to drive innovation and enable business change, mySAP(tm) Business Suite solutions are helping enterprises around the world improve customer relationships, enhance partner collaboration and create efficiencies across their supply chains and business operations. SAP industry solutions support the unique business processes of more than 25 industry segments, including high tech, retail, public sector and financial services. With subsidiaries in more than 50 countries, the company is listed on several exchanges, including the
About the SAP Open
The SAP Open, formerly known as the Siebel Open, is the second oldest men’s professional tennis tournament in the
The SAP Open is owned and operated by Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E). SVS&E is the parent company that manages business operations for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL), HP Pavilion at
|
