We can actually group some tennis-centric releases for you.
Tennis Channel airs the Federation Cup final this weekend involving the US vs. Italy.
UNITED STATES CAN CAPTURE 18TH FED CUP CHAMPIONSHIP, LIVE ON TENNIS CHANNEL THIS WEEKEND
Young US Open Star Melanie Oudin Leads Americans into the Final Against Italy
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 5, 2009 – Tennis Channel will provide complete coverage of the U.S. Fed Cup team’s championship competition against Italy in Reggio Calabria this weekend, with live telecasts Saturday and Sunday. The year-ending final will consist of two singles matches on Saturday, Nov. 7, and two reverse singles matches and the doubles match Sunday, Nov. 8. Tennis Channel will carry all matches live, beginning at 5 a.m. ET each day, followed by encore replays each evening.
Coverage from Circolo del Tennis “Rocco Polimeni” is as follows (subject to change):
Saturday, Nov. 7:
5 a.m. – Live Singles #1
7 a.m. – Live Singles #2
{9 p.m. – “Instant Encore” Singles #1}
{11 p.m. – “Instant Encore” Singles #2}
Sunday, Nov. 8:
5 a.m. – Live Singles #3
7 a.m. – Live Singles #4
9 a.m. – Live Doubles
{5 p.m. – “Instant Encore” Singles #3}
{7 p.m. – “Instant Encore” Singles #4}
{9 p.m. – “Instant Encore” Doubles}
The United States and Italy have never faced each other in the championship round of Fed Cup play and the U.S. team hopes to uphold its all-time unbeaten record of 9-0 against Italy. The most recent competition between the two countries took place in the 2003 Fed Cup quarterfinal, when the United States defeated Italy 5-0 in Washington, D.C. The United States enters this weekend’s matchup after reaching the 2009 Fed Cup final for the first time since 2003, when it defeated the Czech Republic 3-2 in Brno, Czech Republic, in April. The United States, which already has won the most Fed Cup titles of any country, is attempting to win its 18th in Italy this weekend. The United States won its most recent Fed Cup in 2000, defeating Russia 5-0 in Las Ve
gas.
The 2009 U.S. Fed Cup team is captained by retired American tennis star Mary Joe Fernandez, who won the Fed Cup championship as a player in 1996. Rising star Melanie Oudin, comes into this weekend’s championship on the momentum of the best summer of her young career. She defeated former World No. 1 Jelena Jankovi? at Wimbledon before upsetting 2008 Olympic gold medalist Elena Dementieva and former World No. 1 Maria Sharapova to become the youngest American to reach the US Open quarterfinals since 1999.
Alexa Glatch is building on a career year that saw her win her fifth singles title at the USTA Pro Circuit in Laguna Niguel, Calif., in January and match her best Grand Slam performance by upsetting Italy’s Flavia Pennetta in the first round of the French Open. On the doubles front, Liezel Huber, currently ranked No. 1, is a four-time Grand Slam champion, recently winning the US Open with doubles partner Cara Black. Vania King currently holds seven doubles titles and comes into this weekend’s match after an impressive quarterfinal run at Wimbledon with doubles partner Anna-Lena Groenefeld, before losing to eventual champions Venus and Serena Williams.
Italy has reached the Fed Cup final for the third time in four years and is biding to win its second title after defeating Belgium 3-2 in the 2006 Fed Cup final. The Italians enter this weekend’s match after disappointing France 5-0 in the first round and three-year defending Fed Cup champion Russia 4-1 in the semifinal. The team is captained by Corrado Barazzutti and features Italian tennis stars Flavia Pennetta, Francesca Schiavone, Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci.
This Sunday, Andre Agassi discusses his new controversial new book in which he has admitted to taking Crystal Meth and throwing matches. He’ll talk with Katie Couric on 60 Minutes following the NFL on CBS.
HAVE SOME COMPASSION – “I NEEDED HELP” SAYS ANDRE AGASSI, RESPONDING TO CRITICISM OVER HIS DRUG USE IN HIS FIRST INTERVIEW ABOUT HIS BOOK – “60 MINUTES” SUNDAY
He’s Not Sure if His Drug Use Will Affect his Hall of Fame Consideration
Andre Agassi responds to critics of his drug use with a plea for compassion, telling Katie Couric that he “needed help” when he used methamphetamine while feeling depressed in 1997. The former tennis great discusses his drug use, that depression and other aspects of his personal life and tennis career and talks for the first time about his upcoming book in an interview to be broadcast on 60 MINUTES, Sunday Nov. 8 (7:00-8:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.
Agassi got emotional when responding to the criticism from Martina Navratilova that Couric read to him, including that the former women’s tennis star compared him with Roger Clemens. “Yeah…it’s what you don’t want to hear…I would hope…along with that would come some compassion that maybe this person doesn’t need condemnation,” Agassi tells Couric. “Maybe this person could stand a little help. Because that was at a time in my life when I needed help.
“I had a problem and there might be many other athletes out there that test positive for recreational drugs that have a problem. So I would ask for some compassion,” says Agassi.
The former number-one tennis player in the world has no regrets about disclosing his methamphetamine use in his new book, “Open,” which comes out Monday. He’s not sure what impact it will have on his consideration for the Tennis Hall of Fame. “I don’t know what the ramifications are….I had way more to lose by telling this story in its full transparency than I had to gain,” he tells Couric. The price that that comes with is the cost that I’ve assumed and I’m okay because the part that I worry and think more about is who this may help.”
Among the many revelations in “Open” is his confession th
at for much of his career, he hated the sport he was so good at. He eventually overcame his hatred and now loves tennis, mostly because of what it gave him. “I was tortured by it. Hated it. Took ownership of it. Started to have a relationship with it. Started to embrace it. Started to extract from it and grew to love everything it had to give me, which was the relationships in my life, the people, the fans. It was a gift,” says Agassi. “I go out with my wife now and I hit balls. And I can enjoy it,” he says.
And American tennis sensation Melanie Oudin, who made a splash during the US Open, will be hosting a chat at Tennis Channel’s website on Veterans Day.
MELANIE OUDIN TO OPEN TENNISCHANNEL.COM “PLAYERS LOUNGE” WITH LIVE WEB CHAT NEXT WEEK
US Open Phenom to Answer Fan Questions in Web Site’s New Players Section Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 4 p.m. ET
Tennis Channel’s Online “Players Lounge” Gives Visitors the Chance to Purchase Players’ Favorite Songs
LOS ANGELES, November 4, 2009 – Tennis Channel, the only 24-hour, television-based multimedia destination dedicated to both the professional sport and tennis lifestyle, is hosting a live chat with American US Open tennis sensation Melanie Oudin, who will christen the network’s new Web site players section on Wednesday. The rising, young star will answer questions submitted by fans on www.tennischannel.com/oudin_chat.
The live chat marks the launch of Tennis Channel’s new Players Lounge, an online destination where tennis’ top players answer personal questions about their off-court lives, revealing an untapped side of these athletes’ personalities. Viewers also have the ability to download players’ favorite songs directly from the Lounge through iTunes.
“I’m excited to be part of Tennis Channel’s new Players Lounge, and it will be a lot of fun to answer questions and talk with tennis fans on its first day,” said Oudin.
Oudin, who will headline the U.S. Fed Cup team finals this week in Italy, is the third-highest ranked American player behind sisters Serena and Venus Williams. She exploded onto the scene in 2009 when, in only her second US Open, Oudin upset three seeded players, Elena Dementieva (4), Maria Sharapova (29), and Nadia Petrova (13), consecutively before being defeated in the quarterfinals by eventual finalist Caroline Wozniacki. Oudin also played number two singles for the U.S. Fed Cup team in its first-round competition against Argentina in 2009, and in that contest secured a must-win victory against Betina Jozami in three sets that kept the United States alive. Had she lost that match the United States would not have advanced to the semifinals to eventually win. Her current world ranking is 49.
Oudin is one of the five players currently featured in the Players Lounge along with Rafael Nadal, six-time Grand Slam champion, Americans Sam Querrey and John Isner, and the up-and-coming Victoria Azarenka. More players will be added at a later time.
“We work with tennis players every day and Players Lounge is just another way to share as much of their personalities as possible with our viewers,” said Robyn Miller, senior vice president, marketing, Tennis Channel. “This is also a unique manner in which to work with partners like Apple – where viewers connect with the players through products and services they can link in the Players Lounge, such as iTunes.”
And I have some Golf Channel releases coming up.
