MARTINA HINGIS TO PLAY DOUBLES AT 2013 NEW HAVEN OPEN

Written by: Staff on 20th July 2013

MARTINA HINGIS TO PLAY DOUBLES AT 2013 NEW HAVEN OPEN

epa03787064 Swiss tennis champion Martina Hingis displays her certificate during her enshrinement ceremony at the International Tennis Hall of Fame for the Class of 2013 in Newport, Rhode Island, USA 13 July 2013. EPA/DOMINICK REUTER |

Former Singles and Doubles World No. 1 Will Make Her New Haven Doubles Debut in August

NEW HAVEN, Conn., July 18, 2013 – Martina Hingis, a multiple-Grand Slam Champion and former WTA World No. 1 in singles and doubles, will compete in the doubles event at the 2013 New Haven Open at Yale presented by First Niagara, a WTA event that is part of the Emirates Airline US Open Series to be held August 16-24, 2013 at the Connecticut Tennis Center, it was announced today by Tournament Director Anne Worcester.

Hingis, who was enshrined in the International Tennis Hall of Fame last weekend, will begin her doubles comeback in Carlsbad next week. In August, the 32-year-old “Swiss Miss” will make her second career appearance at the New Haven Open, where she was a singles quarterfinalist in 2002. This year will mark her doubles debut in New Haven, where she will be featured alongside a strong singles lineup including five of the WTA top 10 and two Wimbledon Champions in Marion Bartoli and Petra Kvitova.

“I am looking forward to coming back to the New Haven Open to compete in doubles,” said Hingis. “I feel in good shape at the moment after playing World Team Tennis. My competitive spirit is still very much alive and I love being out on court.”

Hingis’ many accolades include five Grand Slam singles titles, nine Grand Slam doubles titles, 209 weeks atop the WTA singles rankings, 35 weeks atop the WTA doubles rankings and the honor of becoming the youngest Grand Slam Champion in the 20th century at the 1997 Australian Open when she was just 16 years old.

“Adding newly minted Tennis Hall of Famer Martina Hingis to the New Haven Open at Yale doubles field is fantastic news, and will complement a very strong singles field featuring five of the top 10 players in the world,” said Worcester. “I can remember when Lindsay Davenport returned to play doubles in New Haven after she’d stepped away from the tour when her first child was born. Our fans came out in droves to support her, and I know they will do the same for Martina.”

This year, fans will be closer to the action than ever before, as the New Haven Open consolidates all seating into the Box Ring of the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale. This enhanced proximity to the players and on-court action as well as increased in-stadium entertainment is available starting at just $24. Tickets for the 2013 tournament are on sale now, so fans will want to buy early to secure their seats.

For more information on the 2013 tournament, volunteer opportunities and to secure tickets, log on to www.newhavenopen.com or call the New Haven Open Box Office at 855-464-8366. Also, make sure to join the New Haven Open on Facebook & Twitter for tournament updates, contests and more.

About New Haven Open at Yale presented by First Niagara

New Haven Open at Yale presented by First Niagara has always been much more than a tennis tournament; it is a leading example of leveraging a large-scale international sporting event to generate $26 million in regional economic impact and to build community pride, spirit and engagement, especially among youth. The women’s-only WTA event is part of the Emirates Airline US Open Series and will be held August 16-24, 2013 at the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale. The New Haven Open is prominently featured domestically on ESPN2 and Tennis Channel and also broadcast around the world. For more information about the tournament and tickets, visit www.newhavenopen.com or call 1-855-464-8366.

About First Niagara

First Niagara, through its wholly owned subsidiary, First Niagara Bank, N.A., is a multi-state community-oriented bank with approximately 430 branches, approximately $37 billion in assets, $28 billion in deposits, and approximately 6,000 employees providing financial services to individuals, families and businesses across Upstate New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.firstniagara.com.

About Emirates Airline US Open Series

Now in its 10th season, the Emirates Airline US Open Series continues to serve as a true regular season of hardcourt tennis, linking nine summer tournaments to the US Open. Novak Djokovic and Petra Kvitova won the 2012 Emirates Airline US Open Series men’s and women’s titles. In 2007, Roger Federer collected the biggest paycheck in tennis history – $2.4 million – for winning the US Open and the Emirates Airline US Open Series titles. In 2005, Kim Clijsters also captured both the US Open and the Series, winning $2.2 million – the largest purse in women’s sports history – and equaled that amount in 2010, winning the US Open and finishing the Emirates Airline US Open Series in second place.

Topics: Marion Bartoli, Martina Hingis, Petra Kvitova, Sports, Tennis, Tennis Hall Of Fame, Tennis News, US Open, Wimbledon, Wta