World Tennis Challenge
Encyclopedia
The World Tennis Challenge is a three night exhibition tournament held in the week before the Australian Open
in Adelaide, South Australia. The tournament was created by a consortium of past players including Jim Courier
, Darren Cahill
, Mark Woodforde
and Roger Rasheed
. It has four teams of two players, a 'legend' and a current player and are paired into areas e.g. Americas or represent their countries. The current players play each other in a best of 3 match with a match tiebreaker for a 3rd set. The legends play a pro set, and the doubles if needed is a normal set with no a rules before a super tie break if needed..
The event was first held in 2009 for an initial period of 3 years. 2011 dates are 11–13 January.
Wednesday Night: Australia v International and Europe v Americas
Thursday Night: Australia v Europe and International v Americas
Men's Singles (Current)
Stepanek def. Simon 7-6 (4), 6-0
Tomic def. Ginepri 7-6 (4) 6-4
Men's Singles (Legends)
Leconte def. Bahrami 8-5
Cash def. McEnroe 8-6
Men's doubles
Stepanek/Bahrami (International) def. Simon/Leconte (Europe) 7-5
Ginepri & McEnroe (Americas) def. Tomic & Cash (Australia) 6-7 (5)
Results – Thursday 14 January
CURRENT PLAYERS
Bernard Tomic (291) def. Gilles Simon (15) 6-0, 6-7 (4-7), (10-6)
Radek Štěpánek (13) def. Robby Ginepri (96) 6-4, 6-0
PAST PLAYERS
Pat Rafter def. John McEnroe 8-6
Pat Cash def. Henri Leconte 8-4
DOUBLES
Tomic/Cash def. Simon/ Leconte 7-6 (7-5)
McEnroe/Ginepri def. Stepanek/Rafter 6-3
11th Jan
Australasia v Americas
Internationals v Europe
12th Jan
Austrilasia v Internationals
Americas v Europe
13 Jan
Austrilasia v Europe
Americas v Internationals
Australian Open
The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court...
in Adelaide, South Australia. The tournament was created by a consortium of past players including Jim Courier
Jim Courier
James Spencer "Jim" Courier, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won four Grand Slam singles titles, two at the French Open and two at the Australian Open...
, Darren Cahill
Darren Cahill
Darren Cahill is a tennis coach and former professional tennis player from Australia.Nicknamed "Killer", Cahill turned professional in 1984...
, Mark Woodforde
Mark Woodforde
Mark Woodforde is a former professional tennis player from Australia. He is best known as one half of "The Woodies", a doubles partnership with Todd Woodbridge....
and Roger Rasheed
Roger Rasheed
Roger Rasheed is a former Australian rules football player, tennis player, tennis coach, and tennis commentator. He is Australian of Lebanese descent. Rasheed is perhaps best known as the coach of tennis player Lleyton Hewitt from June 2003 until January 2007...
. It has four teams of two players, a 'legend' and a current player and are paired into areas e.g. Americas or represent their countries. The current players play each other in a best of 3 match with a match tiebreaker for a 3rd set. The legends play a pro set, and the doubles if needed is a normal set with no a rules before a super tie break if needed..
The event was first held in 2009 for an initial period of 3 years. 2011 dates are 11–13 January.
Players and teams
| Team | Pro Player | Legend |
|---|---|---|
| Mark Philippoussis Mark Philippoussis Mark Anthony Philippoussis is an Australian tennis player. He turned professional in 1994. His father is Greek, while his mother is of Italian ancestry.... /Mark Verryth |
Pat Cash Pat Cash Patrick Hart "Pat" Cash is a retired Australian professional tennis player who won the men's singles title at Wimbledon in 1987.-Early career:... |
|
| Gaël Monfils Gaël Monfils Gaël Sébastien Monfils is a French professional tennis player. he was the highest-ranked French tennis player, ranked no. 7 in the world ATP rankings. He was the runner-up at the Paris Masters in 2009 and 2010 and a semifinalist at the 2008 French Open.-2002:In 2002, Monfils finished 24th at the... /Fabrice Santoro Fabrice Santoro Fabrice Vetea Santoro is a retired French professional male tennis player from Tahiti. Though not counted among the top ranked players, he had an unusually long professional career – with many of his accomplishments coming toward the end of his career – and he is popular among spectators and other... |
Henri Leconte Henri Leconte Henri Leconte is a former French professional tennis player. He reached the men's singles final at the French Open in 1988, won the French Open men's doubles title in 1984, and helped France win the Davis Cup in 1991.-Biography and career:... |
|
| Joachim Johansson Joachim Johansson Joachim Johansson is a former professional male tennis player from Sweden.-Background:Johansson was born in Lund and currently lives in Södertälje, Sweden. His father, Leif Johansson, was also a tennis player and represented Sweden in the Davis Cup in the 1970s. He goes by the nickname "Pim Pim",... |
Mats Wilander Mats Wilander Mats Wilander is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Sweden. From 1982 through 1988, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , and one Grand Slam men's doubles title... /Mansour Bahrami Mansour Bahrami Mansour Bahrami is a professional tennis player. He has held dual French and Iranian nationality since 1989.-Early life:... |
|
| Taylor Dent Taylor Dent Taylor Phillip Dent is a retired professional tennis player from the United States.-Early career and back injury:He won 4 ATP singles titles during his career: Newport , Bangkok , Memphis , and Moscow , and reached the finals of three other events on tour... |
Jim Courier Jim Courier James Spencer "Jim" Courier, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won four Grand Slam singles titles, two at the French Open and two at the Australian Open... |
Players and teams
| Team | Pro Player | Legend |
|---|---|---|
| Bernard Tomic Bernard Tomic Bernard Tomic is an Australian professional tennis player. As of 24 October 2011, Tomic is ranked the World No. 41, making him the highest ranked Australian male tennis player and the youngest player in the top 100... |
Pat Cash Pat Cash Patrick Hart "Pat" Cash is a retired Australian professional tennis player who won the men's singles title at Wimbledon in 1987.-Early career:... |
|
 Europe |
Gilles Simon Gilles Simon Gilles Simon is a French professional tennis player and former world no. 6. He is a nine-time winner on the ATP World Tour... |
Henri Leconte Henri Leconte Henri Leconte is a former French professional tennis player. He reached the men's singles final at the French Open in 1988, won the French Open men's doubles title in 1984, and helped France win the Davis Cup in 1991.-Biography and career:... |
 Internationals |
Radek Štěpánek Radek Štepánek Radek Štěpánek is a professional tennis player from the Czech Republic.-Career:Štěpánek turned professional in 1997. He started on tour as a doubles specialist, winning 12 ATP titles. Since 2002, Štěpánek has focused on being a better singles player while still playing top-level doubles... |
Pat Rafter/Mansour Bahrami Mansour Bahrami Mansour Bahrami is a professional tennis player. He has held dual French and Iranian nationality since 1989.-Early life:... |
 Americas |
Robbie Ginepri | John McEnroe John McEnroe John Patrick McEnroe, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , nine Grand Slam men's doubles titles, and one Grand Slam mixed doubles title... |
Schedule
Tuesday Night: Australia v Americas and International v EuropeWednesday Night: Australia v International and Europe v Americas
Thursday Night: Australia v Europe and International v Americas
Results
Results - Tuesday 12 JanMen's Singles (Current)
Stepanek def. Simon 7-6 (4), 6-0
Tomic def. Ginepri 7-6 (4) 6-4
Men's Singles (Legends)
Leconte def. Bahrami 8-5
Cash def. McEnroe 8-6
Men's doubles
Stepanek/Bahrami (International) def. Simon/Leconte (Europe) 7-5
Ginepri & McEnroe (Americas) def. Tomic & Cash (Australia) 6-7 (5)
Results – Thursday 14 January
CURRENT PLAYERS
Bernard Tomic (291) def. Gilles Simon (15) 6-0, 6-7 (4-7), (10-6)
Radek Štěpánek (13) def. Robby Ginepri (96) 6-4, 6-0
PAST PLAYERS
Pat Rafter def. John McEnroe 8-6
Pat Cash def. Henri Leconte 8-4
DOUBLES
Tomic/Cash def. Simon/ Leconte 7-6 (7-5)
McEnroe/Ginepri def. Stepanek/Rafter 6-3
Players and teams
| Team | Pro Player | Legend |
|---|---|---|
| Kei Nishikori Kei Nishikori is a Japanese tennis player, currently ranked 25th in the world, as of 10 October 2011. He began playing tennis at the age of five, and on 17 July 2007 he qualified for his first ATP main draw event at the Countrywide Classic in Los Angeles, California at the age of 17.-Junior career:Nishikori won... |
Pat Cash Pat Cash Patrick Hart "Pat" Cash is a retired Australian professional tennis player who won the men's singles title at Wimbledon in 1987.-Early career:... |
|
| Europe |
Michaël Llodra Michaël Llodra Michaël Llodra is a French professional tennis player. He is a prolific doubles player with three Grand Slam championships, and has also had success in singles.-Life and career:... |
Henri Leconte Henri Leconte Henri Leconte is a former French professional tennis player. He reached the men's singles final at the French Open in 1988, won the French Open men's doubles title in 1984, and helped France win the Davis Cup in 1991.-Biography and career:... |
| Internationals |
Ivan Ljubičić Ivan Ljubicic ----Ivan Ljubičić is a Croatian tennis player born in Bosnia and Herzegovina . His career-high ATP ranking to date has been no. 3, and he stands at no. 37.... |
Ivan Lendl Ivan Lendl Ivan Lendl is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player. Originally from Czechoslovakia, Lendl became a United States citizen. He was one of the game's most dominant players in the 1980s and remained a top competitor into the early 1990s. He is considered to be one of the greatest tennis... |
| Americas |
James Blake James Blake James Riley Blake is an American professional tennis player. Blake is known for his speed and powerful, flat forehand. As of August 2011, Blake is ranked no. 63 among active male players with 24 career finals appearances... (replaced by Ryan Harrison) |
John McEnroe John McEnroe John Patrick McEnroe, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , nine Grand Slam men's doubles titles, and one Grand Slam mixed doubles title... |
11th Jan
Australasia v Americas
Internationals v Europe
12th Jan
Austrilasia v Internationals
Americas v Europe
13 Jan
Austrilasia v Europe
Americas v Internationals
Champions
| Year | Team |
|---|---|
| 2009 | |
| 2010 | |
| 2011 |