 |
| James Blake returns a shot to Nicolas Mahut in the quarterfinals of the RCA Championships© Matthew Stockman/Getty Images |
The final leg of the 2006 US Open Series road trip takes place this week in New Haven, Conn., where the top players from both the ATP and WTA Tours are competing at Pilot Pen Tennis.
ESPN2 will provide live coverage from New Haven beginning Wednesday, from 4-6 p.m. EST, and continuing daily until the men’s final, which airs Saturday, from 7-9 p.m. EST. CBS will also show live action from the Pilot Pen, televising the women’s final Saturday afternoon, from 12-2 p.m. EST. See below for a complete TV schedule from the tournament.
An incredible lineup of tennis’ biggest stars will take center stage at the Pilot Pen. On the men’s side, defending champion and fifth-ranked James Blake headlines a strong field, which also includes top-10 players Nikolay Davydenko and Marcos Baghdatis.
Amelie Mauresmo, the reigning Australian Open and Wimbledon champion and currently the top-ranked player in the world, leads the women’s draw. Joining Mauresmo in the field are French Open champion Justine Henin-Hardenne, last year’s winner Lindsay Davenport and world No. 5 Elena Dementieva.
The US Open Series is the six-week summer tennis season linking 10 major ATP and Sony Ericsson WTA Tour tournaments to the US Open. Since its inception in 2004, the six-week US Open Series has doubled television viewership and increased attendance, while generating new corporate partnerships for the sport.
Andy Roddick and Kim Clijsters were the winners of the 2005 US Open Series, with Clijsters doubling her prize money at the US Open to earn $2.2 million, the largest purse in women’s sports history. US Open Series sponsors include American Express, Lever 2000, MassMutual Financial Group and Olympus.