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(April 4, 2002)
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Tennis Legend Martina
Navratilova To Play Doubles
At 2002 Family Circle Cup
CHARLESTON, SC (April 4, 2002) Four-time
Family Circle Cup champion Martina Navratilova will be returning to the Cup this
year to compete in the doubles competition. One of the greatest players in the
history of
professional tennis, Navratilova first played the Family Circle Cup in 1975 and,
over the years, established numerous tournament records that still stand today.
The Family Circle Cup, one of the premier events on the Sanex WTA Tour, is
scheduled for April 13-21 and will be played at the Family Circle Tennis Center
on Daniel Island in Charleston, South Carolina. Navratilova will be joining six
of the Top 10 players in the world, which
will include top stars like Jennifer Capriati, Monica Seles, Serena Williams and
Amelie Mauresmo.
"We are always proud to have a former
champion return to the tournament, but to have someone like Martina who
symbolizes what a true champion is all about really elevates this year's event
to a new level," said Frankie
Whelan, Executive Director of the Family Circle Cup. "She has not played
the Family Circle Cup since 1994 so we look forward to having her back and
showing off this great facility here on Daniel Island."
In a singles career that spanned 22 years,
Navratilova amassed records and titles that will forever solidify her place as
one of the greats in professional tennis. She leads all players, both male and
female, with 167
singles titles. She won at least one tour event every year for 21 consecutive
years. In Grand Slam competition her record speaks for itself, winning 56 Grand
Slam championships (18 singles, 31 doubles and 7 mixed).
In 1990 Navratilova won a record-breaking ninth Wimbledon smashing Helen Wills
Moody's record of eight. When she retired in November of 1994 she had won 1,438
singles matches, a record that still stands today and is one of the most
remarkable records in all of professional sports.
Her history at the Family Circle Cup is just as
impressive. In her debut in 1975 she reached the final before losing to Chris
Evert, becoming one of ten players in the 29-year history of the event to reach
the final in their
debut. She won her first Cup title in 1982 and would add three more Family
Circle Cup titles to her list. Navratilova's last Cup title came in 1990 over a
young, rising star named Jennifer Capriati. She holds numerous
tournament records including oldest champion (33 years, 5 months) and most
doubles titles (7).
The tournament, owned and operated by Family
Circle magazine, will be held April 13-21 at the Family Circle Tennis Center in
Charleston, South Carolina. The Family Circle Cup, one of the longest running
women's
professional tennis events in the United States, is celebrating 30 years in
women's professional tennis. Ticket packages are now on sale and a variety of
packages are available. For more information on the Family Circle Cup
and the Family Circle Tennis Center, please call (800) 677.2293 or (843)
856.7900. To check out the latest news on the Family Circle Cup contact our
tournament's official website at www.familycirclecup.com.
[Source: Robin Reynolds, rreynolds@gjusa.com,
Jeff Cataffa, jcataffa@gjusa.com
PH: (407) 282.8976, Fax: (407) 282.0188 PH: (843) 856.7900 x. 124]
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