The Tennis Channel Offers ``Sneak Preview'' Beginning April 26 With U.S. Fed Cup and ATP Tour's Masters Series Events.Entertainment Editors/Sports Editors LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 15, 2003 Serena and Venus Williams Venus Ebone Starr Williams (born June 17, 1980 in Lynwood, California) is an American professional tennis player. She has been ranked the world's No. 1 female tennis player. As of July 2007, she is the reigning Wimbledon ladies' singles champion. Represent USA in First Matches Ever on The Tennis Channel The Tennis Channel will present a special "sneak preview sneak preview n. A single public showing of a movie before its general release. Noun 1. sneak preview - a preview to test audience reactions " beginning Saturday, April 26, with exclusive live U.S. coverage of the International Tennis Federation's prestigious Fed Cup and the ATP ATP: see adenosine triphosphate. ATP in full adenosine triphosphate Organic compound, substrate in many enzyme-catalyzed reactions (see catalysis) in the cells of animals, plants, and microorganisms. Tour's elite Tennis Master Series. The network will formally launch on May 15th following this 19-day showcase. Cable and satellite distributors may offer this programming to their subscribers during this period, without obligation. The network's first telecast features the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. versus Czech Republic Czech Republic, Czech Česká Republika (2005 est. pop. 10,241,000), republic, 29,677 sq mi (78,864 sq km), central Europe. It is bordered by Slovakia on the east, Austria on the south, Germany on the west, and Poland on the north. , a two-day Fed Cup event, scheduled for Saturday, April 26, and Sunday, April 27, each beginning at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT. The first two matches will feature American sisters Serena and Venus Williams, ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the world, respectively. The U.S. team, led by captain Billie Jean King Noun 1. Billie Jean King - United States woman tennis player (born in 1943) Billie Jean Moffitt King, King and also featuring No. 19 ranked Meghann Shaughnessy Meghann Shaughnessy (April 13 1979) is an American professional tennis player. She was born in Richmond, Virginia, and currently resides in Scottsdale, Arizona. She achieved a career-high singles ranking of #11 in 2001, and has won six WTA Tour singles titles. and No. 27 rated Alexandra Stevenson Alexandra Stevenson (born December 15, 1980 in La Jolla, California) is a professional tennis player from the United States. In 1999, Stevenson, in her first appearance at Wimbledon, became the first woman qualifier in the Open Era to reach the semi-finals. , will be playing for its record 18th Fed Cup crown and first since 2000. The Czech Republic, captained by Petra Langrova, will be represented by Iveta Benesova, Klara Koukalova, Petra Cetkovska and Barbara Strycova. The two-and-a-half-week "sneak preview" showcase then continues with exclusive live coverage of the ATP Tour's elite Tennis Masters Series events from Rome, Italy (Telecom Italia Telecom Italia is formerly a partially state-owned Italian telco. It was once known as SIP, and it has the largest user base in Italy. Telecom Italia also owns shares in Telecom Argentina and Telecom Personal, fixed and cellular networks in Argentina. Masters, May 5-11) and Hamburg, Germany (Tennis Masters Hamburg, May 12-14), featuring the world's top men. A variety of classic matches and documentary coverage from the extensive Fed Cup archives and Masters Series library will round out The Tennis Channel's 19-day "preview" schedule. "The Tennis Channel promises to bring more of the world's blockbuster tennis championships to living rooms across America," says The Tennis Channel President and Founder Steve Bellamy. "It's a real dream come true to begin broadcasting with the two top players in the world representing our country in the Fed Cup." "Even before The Tennis Channel's official May 15 launch, we will be giving tennis fans the opportunity to see three of the world's biggest tournaments, in their entirety, from opening match to championship point," adds The Tennis Channel Chairman and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. David Meister. "This is our gift to America's tennis fans." Says USA Captain King: "We are watching history unfold with some of the greatest athletes in the history of women's sports being the first players to be broadcast on a network that will revolutionize one of the greatest sports and activities in the world. There are very few activities that are as inclusive as tennis." In addition to this Fed Cup production April 26-27, The Tennis Channel agreement with the ITF ITF International Transport Workers' Federation ITF International Tennis Federation ITF In the Future ITF International Trust Fund (demining NGO based in Slovenia) ITF International Transport Forum , the worldwide governing body of tennis, gives exclusive U.S. telecast rights for all Fed Cup matches from around the world, all non-U.S. matches in the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas, plus all matches in the Hyundai Hopman Cup, the ITF's Official Mixed Team championships. Calling the play-by-play from sold-out Paul E. Tsongas Arena will be veteran sportscaster Barry Tompkins, while former touring professional Katrina Adams will provide analysis. Following The Tennis Channel's Fed Cup coverage, the network's Telecom Italia Masters (formerly Italian Open) telecast brings the ATP Tour's prestigious Masters Series Rome event in its entirety to a U.S. television audience for the first time in American tennis history. From the red clay courts of Foro Italico, coverage is scheduled to begin with eight hours of live action on Monday, May 5, at 7 a.m. ET/4 a.m. PT. The live championship final is scheduled to be telecast on Sunday, May 11, at 8:30 a.m. ET/5:30 a.m. PT. The Tennis Channel's pre-launch preview concludes May 12-14 with eight hours of daily live, early-round coverage of Tennis Masters Hamburg from the Rothenbaum clay courts. The network's official debut on takes place on May 15th when the rest of the tournament will be concluded. Handling the play-by-play duties for the Rome and Hamburg telecasts will be veteran announcer John Barrett. The Tennis Channel is a 24-hour cable television network devoted to tennis and other racquet sports that provides unparalleled coverage of the game, its elite championships and superstar athletes. The network features around-the-clock coverage of major tournaments including ATP Tour, WTA WTA Washington Trails Association WTA Women's Tennis Association WTA World Transhumanist Association WTA Willingness to Accept WTA Winner-Take-All WTA Winner Takes All WTA World Toilet Association (Singapore) Tour, Fed Cup, Davis Cup by DNP DNP n. Deoxyribonucleoprotein; a complex of DNA and protein that usually yields DNA upon cell disruption and isolation. DNP 2,4-dinitrophenol. Paribas and Hyundai Hopman Cup competition and the European element of the Tennis Masters Series. The network also showcases instruction from the finest teachers, legendary matches, in-depth profiles of the greatest players, analysis and news, the latest on equipment and tennis getaways. The Tennis Channel's investment group includes media and tennis industry leaders, blue chip Wall Street investors, and tennis greats Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. The Tennis Channel's Web site is located at www.thetennischannel.com. |
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