Wimbledon Hospitality 2010

While National Puppy champion Fatboyz Tyson is currently chasing further glory in the Joe Dunne Memorial at Shelbourne, the dog that chased him home in the major final will be having his first outing of the year at Wimbledon this evening.

Tullymurry Act was the hot favourite for the National Puppy and he went into the winter break as one of the top fancies for all classic honours this year. Trainer Pat Buckley travelled over to England overnight with three dogs headed by Tullymurry Act and destined for Wimbledon this evening.

"I am going to give three dogs sprint trials at Wimbledon 2010 Hospitality before racing, Tullymurry Act, November Weather and Newlawn Class. I will probably bring them back again on Saturday week and all three might run on Juvenile Championship night," Buckley said.

Newlawn Act is already a confirmed entry for the Juvenile while all three have the English Derby as a target.

Two other Irish-trained dogs will also be trialling tonight in London. Paul Hennessy is sending over his two top stayers Group Skater and Hello Hippy to contest the Golden Jacket which commences at Crayford on Friday. Both are among the top stayers in Ireland and would be expected to go a long way in this competition.

Meanwhile, the semi-finals of the Joe Dunne Memorial on Saturday at Shelbourne should yield two exceptional contests. Incredibly, for the second round in a row, Paul Hennessy's trio of Barefoot Bullet, Budgie Burglar and Priceless Chef have been drawn in the same race. It will be quite a task for them all to qualify this time.

The other heat sees Fatboyz Tyson well housed in six while Jester Can Run is fancied to better Saturday's display. Pablo Supreme and Boher Master are two other very interesting runners.

For the three remaining Wednesdays in February there will be free admission to Shelbourne for all ladies and tomorrow includes a healthy Pick 7 carry-over.

Wimbledon Hospitality

Andy Roddick, Martina Hingis and Lindsay Davenport were selected today as the top three overall picks in the Wimbledon 2010 Hospitality World TeamTennis Pro League Marquee Player Draft.

The Philadelphia Freedoms picked Roddick with the overall number one selection while the New York Buzz chose Hingis with the second pick and the St. Louis Aces took Lindsay Davenport with the third pick.

The WTT Pro League, co-founded by Billie Jean King, is a professional co-ed sports league featuring three generations of tennis stars playing in a team format in 10 U.S. markets. The 2010 WTT Pro League begins July 5, concluding with the WTT Championship Finals on July 25.

Prior to today's Marquee Draft, two teams made big moves with last-minute trades. The 2009 WTT Champion Washington Kastles acquired the rights from Philadelphia for Venus Williams, who now joins her sister Serena on the Kastles lineup. The New York Sportimes picked up the rights for 2009 US Open Champion Kim Clijsters in a deal with the St. Louis Aces.

With more than 575 professional tour singles and doubles titles among them, including 87 Grand Slam championships, the marquee player field for WTT's 35thseason is an all-star lineup.

Roddick will play one home match for the Freedoms. Roddick, the top ranked American player, finished in the top 10 in 2009 for the eighth consecutive year. This will be the sixth WTT season for Roddick and his first since 2005.

Although the Williams sisters aren't expected to play the same matches, the new addition gives the Kastles a formidable lineup. Serena Williams will play one match at home in the nation's capital and road matches against the New York Sportimes, New York Buzz and Philadelphia Freedoms. Five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams, who teamed with Serena to win the 2010 Australian Open doubles title, will play one match at home in DC and road matches in Philadelphia and St. Louis.

Two fan favorites will play for the New York Sportimes this summer. The Sportimes picked up the rights for Kim Clijsters from the St. Louis Aces. Clijsters, who thrilled New York crowds with her run to the 2009 US Open title, will play one home match at Sportime Stadium at Randall's Island. The former world No. 1 in both singles and doubles started her remarkable comeback in 2009 playing World TeamTennis.

Joining Davenport on the Aces' lineup is WTT veteran Anna Kournikova who returns for her eighth consecutive WTT season, her third in St. Louis. Kournikova won 16 doubles titles including two Grand Slam titles during her career and is a former No. 1 ranked doubles player. She was ranked as high as No. 8 in singles. Kournikova will play one home match in St. Louis and road matches in Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, DC.

James Blake, a former Harvard All-American, returns to the Boston Lobsters for the first time since 2005. Blake, one of the top American players on the ATP Tour, is a former Top 10 and has 10 singles titles on the ATP Tour. Blake will also play one road match against the New York Sportimes.

Wimbledon Hospitality

In today's World TeamTennis Marquee Draft, the Kastles pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Philadelphia Freedoms to acquire 20-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams for financial considerations. The trade should significantly enhance the Kastles chances of returning to the WTT Finals by bringing together Kastles headliner Serena Williams and sister Venus as teammates.

"The historic opportunity to have both Serena and Venus on our team is a thrill, both for the success of our team and for our fans," said Kastles owner Mark Ein. "They are the epitome of what is great about the sport of tennis and will lead an unprecedented collection of talent for us on the court in 2010."

With the addition of Venus, the Kastles roster now has a total of 61 Grand Slam titles including 19 women's singles, 26 women's doubles, six men's doubles and 10 mixed doubles championships.

Kastles Coach Murphy Jensen is ecstatic about having the Williams sisters to lead the Kastles' title defense. "It takes world-class talent to win championships and there are no more accomplished athletes than Serena and Venus," Murphy noted, "Last summer was truly a dream season for us, and come July 5, the dream continues in DC."

Serena is coming off of a tremendous year of tennis which has catapulted her back to the #1 ranking in the world after capturing the past two Australian Open singles championships and the 2009 Wimbledon singles crown. Serena now has 25 career Grand Slam titles, 12 in singles, 11 in women's doubles and two in mixed doubles. She holds more Grand Slam titles than any other active female player and has won more prize money than any woman in the history of professional sports.

Venus has won five Wimbledon singles titles, is the reigning Australian Open, Wimbledon 2010 championships with Serena and has a total of seven Grand Slam titles in singles, 11 in women's doubles and two in mixed doubles. She also has won three Olympic gold medals including one in singles.

The rest of the Kastles roster will be determined during the March 16 WTT Roster Draft.

Additionally, another star-studded lineup will be coming to Kastles Stadium in 2010 including John McEnroe (New York Sportimes) and Anna Kournikova (St. Louis Aces).

Fourteen-time Grand Slam champion Martina Hingis and former world #1 Lindsay Davenport (St. Louis Aces) have also joined the World TeamTennis 2010 lineup. The Kastles will find out whether Hingis and Davenport will be visiting Kastles this summer when the WTT schedule is released in late February early March.

Wimbledon Hospitality

It has been 74 years of hurt since Fred Perry became the last British man to win a grand-slam singles title, in the days of long trousers and wooden rackets. On Sunday, Andy Murray has his best chance yet of succeeding where Bunny Austin, John Lloyd and Tim Henman failed. Here we trace the ups and (mainly) downs of British men’s tennis over the past 7½ decades.

1936 Fred Perry wins the Wimbledon title for the third successive year and follows that up with his third US Championship title in four years. Great Britain, the Davis Cup holders, rule the tennis world.

1937 Henry “Bunny” Austin loses the final of the French Championships 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 to Henner Henkel, of Germany.

1938 Austin loses the Wimbledon final 6-1, 6-0, 6-3 to Donald Budge, of the United States. Austin, the last British Wimbledon men’s singles finalist, retires from tennis to join the Oxford Group, a Christian movement.

1993 James Baily becomes Australian junior champion, but turns his back on the game after one men’s match.

1997 Greg Rusedski reaches the US Open final, but loses to Pat Rafter 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5. Surely the smiley Canadian — sorry, Briton — will now win Wimbledon.

2001 Surely this time? Henman leads Goran Ivanisevic by two sets to one in his third semi-final but loses to the Croat and the weather in five rollercoaster sets over three days, 7-5, 6-7, 0-6, 7-6, 6-3.

2002 A fourth Wimbledon semi-final for Henman is an anticlimax as Lleyton Hewitt, of Australia, wins 7-5, 6-1, 7-5.

2004 Two losing semi-finals in a year for Henman. In France he takes the first set against Guillermo Coria, of Argentina, but loses 3-6, 6-4, 6-0, 7-5, and in New York it is Roger Federer in three sets, 6-3 6-4, 6-4. Someone called Andy Murray becomes US Open junior champion.

2007 Jamie Murray takes that traditional British consolation prize, the Wimbledon mixed doubles title, with Jelena Jankovic, of Serbia.

2008 Andy Murray reaches the US Open final but, playing for the third day in a row, loses to Federer, 6-2, 7-5, 6-2.

2009 Murray follows in Henman’s footsteps, reaching — and losing — in the Wimbledon semi-finals to Andy Roddick, of the US, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6, 7-6.
Wimbledon 2010 Hospitality It’s Murray against Federer in the Australian Open final. A nation holds its breath.

Wimbledon Hospitality

2010 is an amazing year for sport but for those that want to hide away from the FIFA World Cup and take in the world’s oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament, Sportsworld is offering hospitality packages to Wimbledon 2010.

Enjoy the ‘magic’ of the championships with all the traditions strawberries and cream, crisp white clothing, lush green courts and world-class tennis.

As the official hospitality agent at Wimbledon since 1992, Sportsworld offers memorable experiences and a variety of packages to the world famous event.

Andy Murray is keen to use the Monte Carlo Masters to get him back into form before he takes to the courts in front of fans with Wimbledon Hospitality.

The world number four has had a tough time of things since losing to Roger Federer in the final of the Australian Open in January and admitted he has not been enjoying his tennis of late.

His lowest ebb of recent times came in his second-round defeat by Mardy Fish at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami last month.

But heading into the Monaco event, Murray said he is feeling better and is eager to raise his game in preparation for this summer's bigger tournaments, namely the French Open and his appearance in front of fans with Wimbledon Hospitality.

He was quoted by the Telegraph as saying: "I want to be playing good tennis again, to be feeling confident and to be ready to go for it at the French Open and at Wimbledon."

Wimbledon hospitality holders may get to see Lleyton Hewitt in action now that the Australian has made a successful return to the courts.

The former world number one's summer preparations were thrown into disarray after he suffered an injury to his right hip during practice for the Hopman Cup in Perth at the end of last year.

But the resilient 29-year-old is now competing in Houston's US Clay Court Championships after recovering from the knock.

He faces a second-round clash with Indian Somdev Dewarman after receiving a first-round bye.

A strong showing in the US event could set Hewitt up for a successful 2010 season, including appearances at the French Open and in front of fans with Wimbledon hospitality.

Dewarman himself is lucky to be in the tournament having lost in his opening match, only to be readmitted following the withdrawal of Mardy Fish.

The likes of John Isner, Sam Querry and Fernando Gonzalez, the top seed, are also competing in the championships.

Wimbledon Championship Hospitality

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