Emirates NBD’s the Legends "Rock" Dubai as Part of the Outback Champions Series Jim Courier is the Best Bet for the Title

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, November 12, 2007 --(PR.com)-- The overall prize money for the event amounts to 180 000 US Dollars: $ 50 000 for the winner, $ 40 000 for second place, $ 30 000 for third place, $ 20 000 for fourth place and $ 10 000 each for fifth to eight place.

The tournament features the best in Champions tennis: four-time Grand Slam champion Jim Courier, French Open champion Thomas Muster, Wimbledon champions Pat Cash and Michael Stich, six-time Grand Slam doubles champion Paul Haarhuis, French Open finalist Mikael Pernfors, U.S Open and French Open finalist Cedric Pioline and French Open doubles finalist Mansour Bahrami are confirmed for this year’s event.

In the latest tournament of the Outback Champions Series, the Stanford Championships in Dallas/ Texas, Hall of Famer Jim Courier and Olympic Silver Medalist Wayne Ferreira battled down to the wire until Ferreira finally closed out the match winning 2-6, 6-3, 11-9 (TB). In the overall Outback Champions Series Jim Courier now marks fourth place with 2100 points. He is 700 points short of the current leader Todd Martin. So Courier will not be able to beat Martin, but is still a good bet for the title and for second place in the championship at the next stop of the tour: Emirates NBD’s The Legends “Rock” Dubai – the final round of the Outback Champions Series. But Courier who won the 2006 Champions Series keeps expectations low: “I’m going to try, I make no guarantees – I don’t play on paper, I play on the court.” In the overall rankings Pat Cash scored 1100 points in sixth place, Mikael Pernfors 400 points in ninth place and Cedric Pioline 200 points in place 14. Thomas Muster, Michael Stich, Paul Haarhuis and Mansour Bahrami are having their first appearance in the Outback Champions Series at Emirates NBD’s The Legends “Rock” Dubai this year.

The eight participating players are looking forward to the final stage of the Outback Champions Series in the U.A.E. At Emirates NBD’s The Legends “Rock” Dubai they will prove that if you’ve been a champion once, you will be one for a lifetime. Among the others Pat Cash is looking forward to the tournament with mixed emotions: “It’s an honour to be playing with great players and it’s a nightmare playing against such great players. These guys are serious legends, for me it’s a pleasure-pain thing.” But anyhow, all of them are pleased to be part of an event like this and happy, that Delwood made it possible for them to play a tournament in Dubai.

The five-day program begins 20 November with the official press conference featuring all players and is followed by the popular Kids Day, the PRO-AM and the charity gala dinner on 21 November. From 22-24 November it is all tennis: spectators will be invited to watch four singles matches on Thursday, two singles matches and one doubles exhibitions on Friday and Saturday in a Knock-Out format of eight players, the losing players still competing in the doubles exhibitions. Gate opens Thursday and Friday at 4 pm and Saturday at 3 pm.

The schedule:
Thursday, 22 November, 5 pm
- Paul Haarhuis vs. Cedric Pioline
followed by
- Michael Stich vs. Pat Cash
followed by
- Jim Courier vs. Mikael Pernfors
followed by
- Mansour Bahrami vs. Thomas Muster

Friday, 23 November, 5 pm
- singles Semifinals
- doubles exhibition
- singles Semifinals

Saturday, 24 November, 4 pm
- 3rd place Play-Off
- doubles exhibition
- singles Finals

Great developments have been made to enhance Delwood’s leading role in staging the best champions’ tennis competition in the region through its partnerships with InsideOut Sports & Entertainment, a New York-based independent producer of proprietary events and promotions and Dubai Sports City who will host the Outback Champions Series event after completion of their tennis facilities in 2009.

Other sponsors of this year’s event include: Emirates Bank, an Emirates NBD company (title sponsor), Rolex, Lacoste, Cadillac, Cacharel, Dubai Sports City, Emirates Today, Christies, InterContinental Hotel at Dubai Festival City, Pocari Sweat, Dubai Eye, Easy Property Group, Dubai Sports Channel, What’s On, Boutique 1, Dubai Sports Council and the Aviation Club. Outback Champions Series tennis is presented by Outback Steakhouse, Stanford Financial Group, ASG Software Solutions, Talon Air and Coca Cola.

This year’s action will have a new home at the Dubai Tennis Stadium at The Aviation Club. It will be the host venue for the next two years and provides all the services and facilities needed to stage an international competition such as the Outback Champions Series.

Tickets are available from regular ticket outlets such as Box Office Middle East, Virgin Mega Store, ITP Ticketsonline.com, Lacoste Boutiques (MoE and Burjuman), The Aviation Club reception and Dubai Tennis Stadium Box Office at AED 50.00 for regular seating and AED 100.00 for premium seats on Thursday and AED 60.00 and AED 125.00 for Friday and Saturday. Corporate VIP seat packages are available upon request at the Delwood office.

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