ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA: Former World No.1 and seven-time Grand Slam winner Mats Wilander will join the legendary French Open Champion Yannick Noahto headline the legend’s field for the 2013 World Tennis Challenge held 8 January 2013 to 10 January 2013 at Memorial Drive, Adelaide.
In a coup for event organisers, current ATP stars Stan Wawrinka [World Ranked #17] and Alex Dolgopolov [#21] have also signed to play in Adelaide as they prepare for the 2013 Australian Open main draw.
Crowds will be delighted to hear Australia’s Wimbledon Champion Pat Cash, crowd favorite Henri Leconte and ‘the World’s greatest tennis entertainer’ Mansour Bahrami will again join the strong lineup ensuring the spectators and Fox Sport viewers at home will be kept highly entertained with their astonishing skill and unmatched hilarity.
The World Tennis Challenge, celebrating its fifth anniversary in January, features four current ATP players and four legends who participate in an exhibition team event over three nights at the iconic Memorial Drive, Adelaide. Whilst, the participation arm of the event, the Be Active Challenge, continues to be Australia’s largest tennis participation event with over 2,000 people participating over ten days across 11 events.
Co-Tournament Director Mark Woodforde is particularly elated with the addition of the popular Noah to the 2013 line-up.
“We’re delighted to bring this festival of tennis to Adelaide each year and who better to celebrate our fifth anniversary with us, than a euro rock star such as Yannick Noah who will be making his WTC debut with us in January”.
“It was Wilander who Noah defeated in the 83’ French Open final – so we’re anticipating sensational tennis between these great legends” said Woodforde.
Yannick Noah, former No.3 career highlight involved winning the French Open in 1983 and memories will be rekindled with Leconte, his champion doubles partner at the 84’ French Open. Noah’s music career began in 1991 with his release of Black of What album which lead him to perform throughout Europe. Noah is father of Joakim Noah, a two-time NCAA basketball champion (Chicago Bulls).
Mats Wilander seven-time Grand Slam singles titles is one of only five men (along with Jimmy Connors, Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer) to have won Grand Slam singles titles on grass courts, hard courts, and clay courts having won the Australian Open when played on grass courts. Furthermore, Wilander joins Nadal as the only men in tennis history to have won at least two Grand Slam singles titles on each of the three surfaces.
Co-Tournament Director Roger Rasheed added “The Tournament continues to attract a strong current player line up which is evident by Wawrinka and Dolgopolov returning to Adelaide for their preparation for the Australian Open.”
“We are looking forward to announcing the final two current player positions in the coming weeks.”
The 2013 World Tennis Challenge will take place at Memorial Drive Tennis Centre, Adelaide, from 8 January to 10 January 2013.
World Tennis Challenge 2013 tickets went on sale at 9:00 am (AEST) on Monday 3 September 2012.
Tickets for the event start from $5.00 for children and $20.00 for adults and can be purchased online at www.ticketek.com.au or call 13 28 49.
For further tournament information please visit www.worldtennischallenge.com or call Tennis SA on (08) 7224 8100.
World Tennis Challenge is proudly sponsored by the South Australian Government, through Events South Australia.
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