Starting tonight with the WTA’s Bank of the West tournament, Tennis Channel will cover just about all of the tournaments of the U.S. Open Series leading up to the U.S. Open in late August.
The coverage includes five ATP Tour events and three WTA tournaments plus one combined event. That means nine of the 10 events in the U.S. Open Series will be seen on Tennis Channel.
Calling the tournaments will be Ted Robinson, Leif Shiras, Ian Eagle and Brett Haber. The analysts include Lindsay Davenport, Justin Gimestob and Jimmy Arias. Sideline reporters will be Corina Morariu and Ashley Fisher.
Tennis Channel will do mostly the weekday coverage before handing off to ESPN2 or CBS for the weekend action.
Here is the Tennis Channel announcement.
TENNIS CHANNEL’S US OPEN SERIES COVERAGE TO INCLUDE MORE THAN 100 HOURS OF LIVE AND SAME-DAY MATCHES
Weekly Tournament Schedule Features Nine Events During Summer Hard-Court Season before US Open
LOS ANGELES, July 11, 2012 – Tennis Channel will cover nine US Open Series events during the seven weeks between now and the US Open, offering more than 100 match hours from the annual North American summer hard-court season. The network’s lineup includes five men’s ATP and three women’s WTA tournaments, along with a combined event with both men’s and women’s draws at the same venue. Featuring singles semifinal, quarterfinal, and early round action – in addition to select doubles play – series coverage will first air Thursday, July 12, and run through Friday, August 24.
In all, Tennis Channel will cover nine of the 10 US Open Series tournaments, with the women’s New Haven Open at Yale as the lone exception. The network’s lineup: ATP – Atlanta Open (Atlanta), Farmers Classic (Los Angeles), Citi Open (Washington, D.C.), Rogers Cup (Toronto) and Winston-Salem Open (Winston-Salem, N.C.); WTA – Bank of the West Classic (Stanford, Calif.), Mercury Insurance Open (Carlsbad, Calif.) and Rogers Cup (Montreal). Tennis Channel will also showcase the men’s and women’s Western & Southern Open (Cincinnati).
This summer marks the ninth consecutive year that Tennis Channel has covered the US Open Series, continuing a streak that began when the USTA created the circuit in 2004. As it has done since 2008, the network will produce all coverage for itself and fellow series broadcasters ESPN and CBS Sports, other than the Cincinnati and Canada-based events.
On-Air Talent
Tennis Channel’s US Open Series play-by-play team features network regulars Ted Robinson, Ian Eagle, Brett Haber and Leif Shiras. The analyst roster includes Lindsay Davenport, Justin Gimelstob and Jimmy Arias, with Ashley Fisher and Corina Morariu handling sideline reporting duties. Former player, sports agent, promoter, broadcaster and all-around tennis go-to guy Donald Dell also will make a special booth appearance during Tennis Channel’s coverage of Washington’s Citi Open, a tournament he co-founded in 1969.Tennis Channel’s 2012 US Open Series live and same-day telecast schedule (all times ET) and on-air talent follows: For encore replays, visit www.tennischannel.com/schedule.
July 12-13 — Bank of the West Classic (WTA)
Thursday, July 12 – 5 p.m.-9 p.m.; 11 p.m.-1 a.m. (singles round of 16)
Friday, July 13 – 5 p.m.-9 p.m.; 10 p.m.-12 a.m. (singles quarterfinals)
Talent: Play-by-Play – Robinson, Analyst – Davenport, Sideline Reporter – Morariu
July 20-21 — Atlanta Open (ATP)
Friday, July 20 – 9 p.m.-11 p.m. (singles quarterfinal)
Saturday, July 21 – 1 p.m.-3 p.m. (singles semifinal)
Talent: Play-by-Play – Haber, Analyst – Arias, Sideline Reporter – Fisher
July 21 — Mercury Insurance Open (WTA)
Saturday, July 21 – 1 a.m.-3 a.m.; 5 p.m.-7 p.m. (singles quarterfinal; singles semifinal)
Talent: Play-by-Play – Robinson, Analyst – Davenport, Sideline Reporter – MorariuJuly 26-29 — Farmers Classic (ATP)
Thursday, July 26 – 5 p.m.-9 p.m.; 10:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. (singles round of 16)
Friday, July 27 – 5 p.m.-9 p.m.; 10:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. (singles quarterfinals)
Saturday, July 28 – 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. (doubles semifinal)
Sunday, July 29 – 10 p.m.-11:30 p.m. (doubles final)
Talent: Play-by-Play – Shiras, Analyst – Arias, Sideline Reporter – Fisher
Aug. 2-4 — Citi Open (ATP)
Thursday, Aug. 2 – 4 p.m.-8 p.m. (singles round of 16)
Friday, Aug 3 – 2 p.m.-4 p.m.; 9 p.m.-11 p.m. (singles quarterfinals)
Saturday, Aug. 4 – 7 p.m.-9 p.m. (singles semifinal)
Talent: Play-by-Play – Shiras, Analysts – Arias and Dell, Sideline Reporter – FisherAug. 6-9 — Rogers Cup (ATP/WTA)
Monday, Aug. 6 – 1 p.m.-9 p.m. (ATP singles early round action)
Tuesday, Aug. 7 – 1 p.m.-9 p.m. (ATP/WTA singles early round action)
Wednesday, Aug. 8 – 1 p.m.-9 p.m. (ATP/WTA singles early round action)
Thursday, Aug. 9 – 6 p.m.-10 p.m. (WTA singles early round action)
Talent: ATP: Host – Shiras, Play-by-Play and Analyst – TPL World Feed Commentators
WTA: Play-by-Play – Haber, Analyst – DavenportAug. 13-15 — Western & Southern Open (ATP/WTA)
Monday, Aug. 13 -11 a.m.-10 p.m. (ATP/WTA early round action)
Tuesday, Aug. 14 – 11 a.m.-11 p.m. (ATP/WTA early round action)
Wednesday, Aug. 15 – 11 a.m.-11 p.m. (ATP/WTA early round action)
Talent: Play-by-Play – Eagle and Haber, Analyst – Davenport and GimelstobAug. 23-24 — Winston-Salem Open (ATP)
Thursday, Aug. 23 – 5 p.m.-7 p.m. (singles quarterfinal)
Friday, Aug. 24 – 9 p.m.-11 p.m. (singles semifinal)
Talent: Play-by-Play – Shiras, Analyst – Arias, Sideline Reporter – Fisher
And that does it.
