New Additions to BNP Paribas Showdown at Madison Square Garden
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MONICA SELES vs. GABRIELA SABATINI
IN 25TH ANNIVERSARY REMATCH
ADDED TO BNP PARIBAS SHOWDOWN AT
MADISON SQUARE GARDEN ON MARCH 10
New York, NY (December 8, 2014) – Tennis legends Monica Seles and Gabriela Sabatini will face each other in a 25th anniversary rematch of their famed 1990 five-set WTA Championship final in the 2015 BNP Paribas Showdown, it was announced today. Roger Federer, who last month led Switzerland to their first-ever Davis Cup championship, will face Grigor Dimitrov and headline the annual tennis showcase on Tuesday, March 10 at Madison Square Garden.
It was November 19, 1990 and the two legendary women’s players were paired against each other in the finals of the season-ending Virginia Slims Championships at Madison Square Garden. After nearly four hours of tennis, the second-seeded Seles, a then 16-year-old from Yugoslavia, outlasted the No. 3 seed Sabatini 6-4, 5-7, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 in front of 17,290 fans. Seles became the youngest player to ever win the tournament and it was the first time two women played a five-set professional match since the 1901 U.S. Nationals in Philadelphia, where Elizabeth Moore defeated Myrtle McAteer, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5, 2-6, 6-2.
"It will be great to be back on the court at Madison Square Garden, where I have so many fun memories from playing the WTA Championships,” said Seles. “The Showdown on World Tennis Day has become another event at The Garden that all of the players want to play so I look forward to an exciting night of tennis with Gaby, Roger and Grigor. It should be a great event."
Sabatini added, “New York has a very special place in my heart and to be back at Madison Square Garden will be such a special moment. I am very excited that I will see and play Monica again. Throughout my career I loved every time I travelled to New York. I am excited and I will look forward to be part of the World Tennis Day on March 10.”
Sabatini turned that historic 1990 match around by breaking Seles when Seles was serving for the second set at 5-4. Sabatini then held serve and broke Seles again to win the second set.
Sabatini won the third set breaking Seles for 5-3 and serving out that set with an ace. In the fourth set and after saving two set points to break Seles and pull to 4-5, Sabatini was broken herself forcing the fifth set.
In the final set both were still hitting big serves and ground-stroke winners from deep behind the baseline, but Sabatini had to save triple break point to hold her serve for 1-1. Seles' powerful forehands kept passing Sabatini at the net and, ultimately, kept her pinned to the baseline allowing Seles to capture the championship.
Seles is a former world No. 1-ranked player and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2009. She won nine Grand Slam singles titles, eight before turning 20 years old, and became the youngest-ever French Open champion at the age of 16. She was the year-end world No. 1 in 1991 and 1992 and played her last professional match at the 2003 French Open, but did not officially retire until February 2008.
Gabriela Sabatini was one of the leading players on the women's circuit in the late-1980s and early-1990s. The Argentine won the women's singles title at the US Open in 1990, the women's doubles title at Wimbledon in 1988, two WTA Year-End Championships in 1988 and 1994, and a silver medal at the 1988 Olympic Games.
Seles competed in the WTA Championships at Madison Square Garden in 1988-1992, 1995-1998 and 2000, making the upcoming BNP Paribas Showdown her eleventh appearance at The Garden. Sabatini will be making her ninth appearance while playing in the season-ending tournament from 1987-1992, and in 1994 and 1995.
The BNP Paribas Showdown is produced by MSG Sports and StarGames. Tickets start at $50.00 and are currently on-sale. They can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden box office, online at www.thegarden.com and at all Ticketmaster outlets. Special VIP Experience packages are also available.
The 8th annual BNP Paribas Showdown, which consistently attracts the biggest names in tennis, will follow the likes of Pete Sampras, Rafael Nadal, Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, Ivan Lendl, Juan Martin del Potro, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Mike and Bob Bryan, John and Patrick McEnroe, Serena and Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova, Kim Clijsters, Victoria Azarenka, Caroline Wozniacki, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic, who all took part in previous Showdowns providing unforgettable memories for New York tennis fans.
As in years past, the BNP Paribas Showdown at Madison Square Garden will once again headline a full day of international activities as part of “World Tennis Day,” a global tennis participation effort. All events celebrate the game, the players and the fans to promote more play and a healthy lifestyle.
HEAD TO HEAD (Seles leads 11-3)
YEAR TOURNAMENT ROUND WINNER
1988 MIAMI R64 SABATINI
7-6 (1), 6-3
1990 VIRGINIA SLIMS F SELES
6-4, 5-7, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2
1991 MIAMI F SELES
6-3, 7-5
1991 ROME F SABATINI
6-3, 6-2
1991 FRENCH OPEN S SELES
6-4, 6-1
1991 VIRGINIA SLIMS S SELES
6-1, 6-1
1992 ROME F SABATINI
7-5, 6-4
1992 FRENCH OPEN S SELES
6-3, 4-6, 6-4
1992 TOKYO (NICHIREI) S SELES
6-2, 6-0
1992 VIRGINIA SLIMS S SELES
7-6 (6), 6-1
1993 AUSTRALIAN OPEN S SELES
6-1, 6-2
1995 TORONTO S SELES
6-1, 6-0
1996 OLYMPICS R16 SELES
6-3, 6-3
1996 MONTREAL R16 SELES
7-6 (4), 6-1
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About BNP Paribas
BNP Paribas (www.bnpparibas.com) is the Eurozone’s leading bank in terms of deposits, and one of the 10 most important banks in the world in terms of net banking income, equity capital and market value. Furthermore, it is one of the 6 strongest banks in the world according to Standard & Poor's. With a presence in 85 countries and more than 205,000 employees, 165,200 of which in Europe and 15,000 in the United States, BNP Paribas is a global-scale European leader in financial services. It holds key positions in its three activities: Retail banking, Investment Solutions and Corporate & Investment Banking. BNP Paribas also has a significant presence in the United States and strong positions in Asia and the emerging markets. This year, BNP Paribas celebrates its 37th anniversary of its partnership with tennis. Since 1973, BNP Paribas has been actively involved with the sport and has consistently strengthened its commitment since then to support it both locally and worldwide. BNP Paribas has historically been a privileged partner in all aspects of tennis: as an Official Sponsor of the French Open for 37 years, and a sponsor of the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas since 2001, of the Fed Cup by BNP Paribas since 2005, and of the BNP Paribas Masters since 1986, as well as other major international tournaments including the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, WTA Bank of the West Classic in California, Master Series Monte Carlo, BNP Paribas Women’s Open in Strasbourg and Grand Prix de Lyon.
About the Madison Square Garden Company
The Madison Square Garden Company is a fully-integrated sports, media and entertainment business. The Company is comprised of three business segments: MSG Sports, MSG Media and MSG Entertainment, which are strategically aligned to work together to drive the Company's overall business, which is built on a foundation of iconic venues and compelling content that the company creates, produces, presents and/or distributes through its programming networks and other media assets. MSG Sports owns and operates the following sports franchises: the New York Knicks (NBA), the New York Rangers (NHL), the New York Liberty (WNBA), the Westchester Knicks (NBADL) and the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL). MSG Sports also features the presentation of a wide variety of live sporting events including professional boxing, college basketball, bull riding and tennis. MSG Media is a leader in production and content development for multiple distribution platforms, including content originating from the Company’s venues. MSG Media’s television networks consist of regional sports networks, MSG Network and MSG+, collectively referred to as MSG Networks. MSG Entertainment is one of the country's leaders in live entertainment. MSG Entertainment creates, produces and/or presents a variety of live productions, including the Radio City Christmas Spectacular featuring the Rockettes. MSG Entertainment also presents or hosts other live entertainment events such as concerts, family shows and special events in the Company’s diverse collection of venues. These venues consist of Madison Square Garden, The Theater at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, the Beacon Theatre, the Forum in Inglewood, CA, The Chicago Theatre, and the Wang Theatre in Boston, MA. More information is available at www.themadisonsquaregardencompany.com.
StarGames, LLC (www.stargamesinc.com) is a fully integrated sports marketing, management and entertainment company based outside of Boston, MA. Now in its 20th year, StarGames represents current and former professional athletes, produces original content for mass media distribution, operates its own broadband television channels and produces live and made for television events. In 2008, StarGames orchestrated the return of tennis to Madison Square Garden with the NetJets Showdown and has turned that into an annual celebration for the sport including two competitions for the Billie Jean King Cup. More recently, StarGames has launched the Ivan Lendl International Junior Tennis Academy in Hilton Head Island, in conjunction with Junior Sports Corporation, for elite junior athletes, produced the fourth season of World of Tennis presented by BNP Paribas and turned the Caesars Tribute figure skating show into an annual salute to the world’s most popular winter sport. StarGames created and introduced World Tennis Day in 2012 and saw over 90 countries participate in World Tennis Day activities in 2014.
