Memphis Tournament.

http://krogerstjude.com/CELLULAR SOUTH EXTENDS CONTRACT THROUGH 2009

- CELLULAR SOUTH CHARITY CHALLENGE
- U.S. DAVIS CUP TEAM HEADS TO MEMPHIS
- NICOLE VAIDISOVA AND LISA RAYMOND HEADLINE WOMEN'S EVENT



The Regions Morgan Keegan Championships and the Cellular South Cup announced today that Cellular South inked an agreement to be the women's singles title sponsor through 2009 with an option to renew for an additional 3 years. Simultaneously, Cellular South announced that they will be the title sponsor of the Cellular South Charity Challenge, a special event on Monday, February 20 th , at 5:30 p.m. Current Suiteholders, Boxholders, Grand Slam, Slam and season ticket holders will have first option to purchase tickets for this special challenge. Anyone purchasing a ticket will have the option to make their check payable to the Katrina Relief Fund, LeBonheur Children's Hospital, or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the benefiting charities of this event. The Challenge will feature Bob and Mike Bryan, the No. 1 doubles team in the world and two-time defending champions in Memphis, as well as Anna Kournikova who will be making her first appearance in Memphis as a player. Kournikova was a guest of the Tournament for 2002 and 2003, where she donated a total of $55,000 to St. Jude over the two-year period.

The Tournament also announced that the stellar U.S. Davis Cup team consisting of Andy Roddick, James Blake, and Robby Ginepri will play in the 2006 tournament in Memphis in February.

Roddick, ranked No. 3 in the world and the top-ranked American, will make his 6 th straight appearance in Memphis. Roddick is only 1 of 10 players to have finished in the top 3 at year-end for the ATP Tour. Ironically, six of the other distinguished players to accomplish this feat are Memphis champions, namely, Borg, Connors, Edberg, Lendl, McEnroe and Sampras. Robby Ginepri, ranked No. 16 in the world, reached the quarter-finals of the 2005 Regions Morgan Keegan Championships tournament, and ended his year with a climb to the top 20 for the first time in his career. James Blake, who was featured on 60 Minutes on Sunday, November 27 th for his remarkable comeback from a very serious broken neck injury and the death of his father, will also play. Blake turned his skills on the court into a No. 24 ranking by defeating No. 2 Nadal before eventually losing to Andrew Agassi in a fifth set tie-break at the U.S. Open. All 3 players have earned a following from the fans in Memphis with their spirited personalities and reckless abandon on the court.

The Cellular South Cup announced that 16-year old Nicole Vaidisova, the world's top rising young star, will make her second appearance in Memphis in February. Vaidisova is currently ranked No. 15 in the world and is the only player on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour to win three consecutive titles in 2005.

Also making a return appearance to Memphis is two-time former champion, Lisa Raymond.
Raymond is back on the tour after recovering from a muscle tear and recently captured her second career Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Championships doubles title with Stosur by defeating top seeds Black/Stubbs. Raymond/Stosur are currently ranked No. 3 in the world in doubles. Raymond and Mike Bryan also won mixed doubles at the U.S. Open in 2002 and Roland Garros in 2003.

Purchase your tickets to the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships and the Cellular South Cup Tennis Championships and the Cellular South Charity Challenge online at www.rmkchampionships.com (http://www.rmkchampionships.com/), or call the Ticket Office at 901.685.ACES.

Maybe this means Anna might actually play this year. :shrug:.

It is big for Memphis to have Nicole, since she is in the top 15.

Cool, thanks for posting! Jamea did well at this tournament last year!

Does anyone think Anna will really play? :scratch:

so anna is acxtually gonna be in the tourney??!! one tourny is good enough for me

Does anyone think Anna will really play? :scratch:

They probably mean just for the exho. She came twice and made donations. She also went to St. Jude both times, its a big cancer treatment center for kids in the USA. She is so nice to the kids.

as well as Anna Kournikova who will be making her first appearance in Memphis as a player. Kournikova was a guest of the Tournament for 2002 and 2003, where she donated a total of $55,000 to St. Jude over the two-year period.

They probably mean just for the exho. She came twice and made donations. She also went to St. Jude both times, its a big cancer treatment center for kids in the USA. She is so nice to the kids.

oh right. Pity. We already have Capriati coming back, and Hingis and Dokic... ;) Having Anna K too would have been nice! :lol:

that says shell be competing as a player for the first time so i guess shes playing martina hingis did it last year to support tsunami relief

:woohoo: Amy and the us ITF girls always play here! :bounce:

that says shell be competing as a player for the first time so i guess shes playing martina hingis did it last year to support tsunami relief
Umm, no. It says she's playing the exhibition.

Umm, no. It says she's playing the exhibition.

Actually, no it doesn't in the bit that is highlighted. it just that she'll be appearing for the first time as a player. Maybe if he highlighted the whole paragraph, people would read all of it! ;)

Go Anna (even if it's just an exhibition)! :D