Black Tennis Pros

Landmark multi-million dollar "Looking for a Hero?" campaign to be rolled out across 75 countries over next 18 months and feature over 30 players

LONDON, UK - The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour has unveiled the television and print creative for its landmark global advertising campaign to the international media at an exclusive screening at the Charlotte Street Hotel in London.

The 60- and 30-second television advertisements are the pinnacle of the Tour's multi-million dollar, pioneering global marketing campaign which will also include print and digital advertising, along with viral and community generated elements. In all, the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour expects to invest $15 million in the campaign over the course of the next three years. Over thirty players took part in the film and photographic shoot for the campaign which took place at various locations in Rome, Italy, at the start of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia tournament in May 2008.

In this single largest commitment to promote the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour players in the history of the Tour, a world-class creative team was assembled and led by WPP Group (Grey, Schematic, GCI Group) and renowned commercial director Matthieu Mantovani. The advertisements ask the question 'Looking for a Hero?' and bills the Tour's players as superheroes both on and off the court. The focus of the first round of the creative is to both elevate the star power of the Tour's athletes and to drive awareness of the Tour's end of season Sony Ericsson Championships, in Doha, Qatar, where the top eight singles players and top four doubles teams in the world compete for one of the most prized crowns in the sport.

Larry Scott, CEO of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour said: "This is a thrilling moment in the history of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. Never before have we planned, created and invested in a marketing campaign of this magnitude. The multi-platform campaign in many ways crystallizes how far we have come as a sport over the past five years, and everything we mean when we speak about the star power of our athletes and the excitement of women's professional tennis. I'm delighted and proud of the way the players have bought into the campaign. It's a huge testament to their professionalism and commitment to the growth of the game."

Serena Williams, one of 10 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour stars who appears in the television commercial said: 'Women's tennis is a premier sport for all women athletes, and I think it was a great opportunity to have the best athletes, female athletes, get together and be a part of such a wonderful advertisement. I was really happy to have an opportunity to be in it. I was more than excited to do it."

Commercial Director, Mantovani said: "Once I first received the brief my inspiration was to demonstrate the energy and high-intensity lives of these modern, successful, professional women. They possess amazing physical gifts on the court, but equally so off the court in lives that are provocative, glamorous and aspirational in so many ways. It is perhaps simple to point to features from the film world which helped shape and grow that vision but, for me, stylistically, elements of 'Charlie's Angels', 'Ocean's 11" and ' Mission Impossible' are reflected in this campaign."

Aldo Liguori, Sony Ericsson Corporate VP and Head of Global Communications & PR, said: "The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour has made considerable developments since we partnered with the Tour in 2005 and this is one of the most ambitious and dynamic. We at Sony Ericsson have supported the campaign since its conception and are delighted to see the vision and hard work finally come together in such a creative manner."

The first phase of the campaign, including TV, print and digital elements, will begin to run globally beginning at the end of August 2008 through the season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships - Doha 2008 in November. The campaign's second phase will launch at the start of 2009 and continue throughout the season.

Gael Monfils will hope to replicate his 2008 ATP Masters Series Monte-Carlo win over Ivo Karlovic in the semifinals, after the eighth-seeded Frenchman overcame American qualifier Vince Spadea 7-6(4), 6-2 in 77 minutes on Centre Court.

The 21-year-old Roland Garros semifinalist improved to 11-8 lifetime on grass-courts and 13-8 on the season. The 33-year-old Spadea, who is working with Italian Davide Sanguinetti during the grass-court season, also reached the Nottingham quarterfinals on his debut in 1996 (l. to Woodbridge).

MEN'S SINGLES
Round 1

Donald Young, USA defeated by Gilles Simon, FRA
1-6, 4-6

Round 2

Gael Monfils, FRA defeated Julien Benneteau, FRA
3-6, 6-4, 6-2

Quarterfinal Round

Gael Monfils, FRA defeated Vincent Spadea, USA
7-6(4), 6-2


MEN'S DOUBLES
Round 1

Jeff Coetzee, RSA and Jamie Murray, GBR
defeated
Eric Butorac, USA and Bobby Reynolds, USA
7-6(6), 4-6, 10/8


SINGLES
Round 1

Marcus Fugate, USA defeated Daniel Danilovic, MNE
6-3, 6-2

Phillip Simmonds, USA defeated Luigi D'Agord, ITA
6-3, 6-2


DOUBLES
Round 1

Marcus Fugate, USA and Joel Kielbowicz, USA
defeated
Adam El Mihdawy, USA and Sunil-Kumar Sipaeya, USA
6-4, 4-6, 10/6

Phillip Simmonds, USA and Travis Rettenmaier, USA
defeated
Ricky Flach, USA and Hyung-Kwon Kim, KOR
6-4, 5-7, 10/8


SINGLES
Round 1

Ellah Nze, USA defeated Mami Inoue, USA
6-2, 6-1

DOUBLES
Round 1

Tiya Rolle, USA and Nathalia Rossi, BRA
defeated
Lauren Herring, USA and Whitney Jones, USA
1-6, 6-2, 10/5

Rodney Harmon and Zina Garrison will lead the American men’s and women’s tennis teams in Beijing.

Harmon has been the director of men's tennis for the USTA's player development program since 2002. "It's a tremendous honour and a great opportunity to work with some of the best players in the world at one of the greatest events in the world," said Harmon. “We have the nucleus of a very competitive international men’s team who will all be medal contenders in Beijing. I know the American men will relish the opportunity to compete on one of the biggest stages in sport.” Jay Berger has been chosen as Harmon's assistant.

Davis Cup regulars James Blake and twins Bob and Mike Bryan figure to be top choices for Harmon's Olympic roster. The U.S. tennis teams for Beijing will be based on the rankings of June 9, the day after the French Open ends.

In 2004, the American contingent came away with one medal, Mardy Fish's silver in men's singles.

The USTA has also announced that Fed Cup captain Zina Garrison will be the women's Olympic tennis coach and Lori McNeil her assistant. Garrison won a gold medal and a bronze medal as a player at the 1988 Olympics, and coached the US women in 2004.

“I’m honoured to be selected again as the Olympic coach,” said Garrison. “Some of my fondest tennis memories are from the Olympics and the incomparable thrill of winning a gold medal. The goal is to share in that Olympic experience with our team this summer.”

The 2008 US Olympic tennis team will consist of up to six men and six women, with a maximum of four men and four women competing in the singles competition and a maximum of two men’s and two women’s teams competing in doubles. Olympic team selections will made by June 23.

Top seed Olivia Sanchez fell at the first hurdle in ladies' qualifying in a day of extraordinary results. Sanchez lost in straight sets 7-6 (5), 6-1 to Kathrin Woerle from Germany.

Wimbledon doubles semi-finalist and number seven seed Alicia Molik was another shock loser as Tatiana Poutchek, from Belarus, held her nerve 7-6 (5), 1-6, 6-3.

Michelle Larcher de Brito, the 15-year-old prodigee from the Nick Bollettieri Academy, lost a three set arm wrestle to Stephanie Foretz 6-0, 2-6, 6-4.

Mashona Washington, the younger sister of 1996 Men’s Singles' finalist Malivai, was defeated in a three set tussle by Poland’s Anna Korzeniak this afternoon. Korzeniak won the closely fought contest 7-5, 3-6, 6-4.

While two British wild cards - Amanda Eilliot and Anna Smith - will fly the flag for local tennis after winning their first round matches.

They will be joined in the second round by 1999 Wimbledon semi-finalist Alexandra Stevenson, three-time Junior Grand Slam winner Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Wimbledon 2006 quarter-finalist Severine Bremond.

The second round will begin on Wednesday.