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-- Defending Champion and 2003 San Diego Winner
Return to Compete --
SAN DIEGO, CA, April 23, 2007 – The 2007 Acura Classic today announced that international tennis stars Justine Henin and Maria Sharapova have entered this year’s tournament, to be held July 28 - August 5 at the La Costa Resort & Spa. Currently ranked #1 and #2 on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, respectively, Henin and Sharapova are both former winners of the San Diego tournament.
Sharapova, who just turned 20 on April 19th, is the reigning San Diego champion. She defeated top-seeded Kim Clijsters last year in a hard-fought 7-5, 7-5 victory. Since bursting on the scene as the 2004 Wimbledon champion, she has become one of the world’s most popular and recognizable female athletes, and in 2005 she became the first Russian woman to attain the #1 ranking in the world. Sharapova made her San Diego debut in 2004, reaching the quarterfinals before losing to eventual runner-up Anastasia Myskina. Sharapova won her second Grand Slam title at last year’s U.S. Open.
Justine Henin is scheduled to return for her second appearance at La Costa. She currently holds the #1 ranking and has held it for a total of 62 non-consecutive weeks, making her #7 on the all-time list. The 2006 French Open champion, who reached the finals in all four Grand Slam tournaments last year, won the Acura Classic in her 2003 debut, defeating Kim Clijsters in the tournament’s first-ever all-Belgian final. Henin has won a total of five Grand Slam titles, including three of the last four French Opens, the 2003 U.S. Open and the 2004 Australian Open.
Noted Promotion Sports’ Raquel Giscafré: “We’re really looking forward to the excitement both Maria and Justine are sure to bring to La Costa this summer. Both players have become superstars in every sense of the word, and their competitive spirit will undoubtedly raise the level of play among the entire field.”
Now in its 24th year, the Acura Classic is one of the premier events on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour and one of the largest women’s tennis tournaments in the world.
For more information and to purchase tickets for the Acura Classic, fans can call the Tournament Box Office at 760-438-5683, or visit www.acuraclassic.com. Advance ticket packages currently available for purchase include Platinum, Gold and Classic VIP Packages, Reserved Seat Silver Packages, as well as Weekend and Weekday/Weeknight Packages. Free parking for attendees will be available for opening weekend on Saturday, July 28th and Sunday, July 29th.
Promotion Sports, Inc., which owns the Acura Classic and promotes a variety of professional tennis events, is a private corporation headquartered in Carlsbad, California. Founded in 1982 by Raquel Giscafré and Jane Stratton, former professional tennis players, the company is dedicated to promoting sports and women’s tennis worldwide.
The Acura Classic is sponsored by American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
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