Event To Take Place Thursday, July 27, at 80th Countrywide Classic at UCLA
Record-Setting Twins from Camarillo have won three of last four Grand Slams
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| Bob and Mike Bryan in action at Wimbledon© CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images |
LOS ANGELES – Heisman Trophy winner and NFL Hall of Famer Marcus Allen will join record-setting twins Bob and Mike Bryan from Camarillo, winners of Wimbledon and three of the last four Grand Slams, at First Republic Bank’s Kids Day Thursday, July 27 at 10 a.m. at the 80th Countrywide Classic at the Los Angeles Tennis Center-UCLA.
Children 16 and under are admitted free to Kids Day, where they will have the opportunity to receive tennis instruction, free ice cream and watch the afternoon session of the Countrywide Classic. Parents and chaperones can purchase tickets for $5. Reservations are needed only for groups of more than 20 children. For information, please call 310-824-1010, ext. 250.
Allen, who is participating as a special guest via a partnership between First Republic Bank and All Stars Helping Kids, won the 1981 Heisman Trophy after a brilliant career at USC. He enjoyed a 16-year professional career with the Los Angeles Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2003.
The Bryans, the world’s No. 1 ranked doubles team, have appeared in a record seven consecutive Grand Slam doubles finals. In addition to Wimbledon, they won last year’s U.S. Open and this year’s Australian Open. They also won Roland Garros in 2003. They own 29 career doubles titles as a team, including Los Angeles in 2001 and 2004
Heading the draw for the Countrywide Classic are defending and four-time tournament champion and eight-time Grand Slam winner Andre Agassi, former world No. 1 and two-time Grand Slam champion Lleyton Hewitt of Australia, two-time Grand Slam champion Marat Safin of Russia, 2004 Countrywide Classic champion Tommy Haas of Germany, Robby Ginepri, Mardy Fish, Wimbledon quarterfinalist Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic, Slovakia’s Dominik Hrbaty, Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand, and Chilean Davis Cup star Fernando Gonzalez. The doubles draw is headed by the Bryans.
Agassi, the Bryans and tennis great Pam Shriver (joining in as chair umpire) are scheduled to be part of the high-profile, star-studded fifth annual “Gibson Baldwin Night at the Net,” Monday, July 24. Celebrity participants include actor/comedian Jon Lovitz, Entourage star Jeremy Piven and Jack and Stench from “the Jamie, Jack and Stench Show” on STAR 98.7 FM as ball boys for the event. The evening’s musical performer will be GRAMMY® Award winner Brian McKnight, and Verve Recording artist Mindi Abair will sing the National Anthem.
Dennis Ralston, a Bakersfield native and USC alum whose career included winning the 1965 Los Angeles title over Arthur Ashe and the rare double of winning the Davis Cup as both a player and captain, will be the tournament honoree.
The Countrywide Classic features a 32-player singles draw and a 16-team doubles competition. The landmark Southern California ATP tournament is the longest running annual professional sporting event in Los Angeles, and offers total player compensation in excess of $1 million.
With 64 tournaments in 31 countries, the ATP showcases the finest athletes competing in the world’s most exciting venues.
For the third consecutive year, the Countrywide Classic will also be a part of the U.S. Open Series, the eight-week summer tennis season linking 10 major ATP and WTA Tour tournaments to the U.S. Open. Television viewership for the 2005 U.S. Open Series generated significant increases, attracting more than 40 million viewers.
Previous winners of the Countrywide Classic, whose history dates to 1927, include Agassi, Michael Chang, Pete Sampras, Jim Courier, Michael Stich, Boris Becker, Richard Krajicek, Stefan Edberg, John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Stan Smith, Arthur Ashe, Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall, Pancho Gonzalez, Jack Kramer, Bobby Riggs, Don Budge, Ellsworth Vines, Fred Perry and Bill Tilden. Agassi became a four-time winner of the event last year.
Proceeds from the Countrywide Classic, held in conjunction with UCLA, benefit the grassroots programs of the non-profit Southern California Tennis Association (SCTA) and UCLA. The SCTA offers programs, leagues, and tournaments involving 300,000 juniors and 50,000 adults and seniors. Inquiries regarding tickets and information may be directed to the Countrywide Classic tournament office on the UCLA campus. For information, please call 310-824-1010 or visit www.countrywideclassic.com.
About Countrywide Financial Corporation
Founded in 1969, Countrywide Financial Corporation (NYSE: CFC) – America’s #1 home loan lender as ranked for 2005 by Inside Mortgage Finance (Jan. 27, 2006), Copyright 2006 – is a member of the S&P 500 and Fortune 500. Countrywide, through its subsidiaries, provides mortgage banking and diversified financial services in domestic and international markets. Mortgage banking businesses include loan production and servicing principally through Countrywide Home Loans, Inc., which originates, purchases, securitizes, sells, and services residential loans. The company is headquartered in Calabasas, California and has a workforce of more than 55,000 individuals and over 800 offices worldwide. For more information about the company, visit Countrywide’s Web site at www.countrywide.com.