British Tennis To Rally For Bally @The Queens Club

Written by: Staff on 21st April 2014

British Tennis To Rally For Bally @The Queens Club

epa03202743 British player Elena Baltacha in action against Russia's Maria Kirilenko during their first round match of the Estoril Open 2012 tennis tournament at Jamor complex in Oeiras, Portugal, 01 May 2012. Kirilenko won 7-6(6) and 6-1. EPA/JOSE SENA GOULAO |

British Tennis To Rally For Bally

Andy Murray, Martina Navratilova and Tim Henman will lead an all-star line up at exhibition matches in three of the country’s biggest tournaments as British Tennis stages a second Rally Against Cancer charity event – ‘Rally For Bally’ – on Sunday 15th June.

The ‘Rally For Bally’ will feature three mixed doubles matches – one each on finals day at the Aegon Championships at The Queen’s Club and the Aegon Classic in Birmingham, and another ahead of the Aegon International in Eastbourne – with proceeds being split equally between the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and the Elena Baltacha Academy of Tennis. Baltacha, or ‘Bally’ as she is known, revealed recently that she had been diagnosed with liver cancer.

Murray and Aegon Championships Tournament Director Ross Hutchins will play on opposing mixed doubles teams at The Queen’s Club, 18-time Grand Slam champion Martina Navratilova, Anne Keothavong, Tim Henman and Jamie Murray will play in Birmingham, and Greg Rusedski and Jonny Marray will be on opposite teams in Eastbourne. Britain’s three highest ranked women, Laura Robson, Jo Konta and Heather Watson, will also take part, with the specific line-up of teams to be announced at a later date.

Judy Murray, the Great Britain Fed Cup captain, said: “Everyone in tennis knows and loves Bally and wants to help her, and sadly everyone’s life is touched by cancer at some stage, whether personally or through friends and family. The Royal Marsden helps so many people in that situation. Bally set up her charity to help kids from disadvantaged backgrounds learn to play tennis, which says a lot about her. It will mean the world to her to know that it is being supported as well.”

Hutchins, who underwent treatment for Hodgkins lymphoma last year at The Royal Marsden and worked on the first Rally Against Cancer event at The Queen’s Club in 2013, said: “We are determined to do everything we can to raise as much money as possible for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity to fight against cancer and for the Elena Baltacha Academy of Tennis, which means so much to Bally. As soon as the news of Bally’s diagnosis came out, everyone in British Tennis, and indeed around the world, wanted to help, and that is shown by how quickly all the British players and players from around the world, including one of the all-time greats in Martina, wanted to be part of it. We will have all three of our recent Wimbledon champions – Andy and Jamie Murray, and Jonny Marray, one at each venue, and I hope everyone will get behind this cause in just the same way as last year.”

Navratilova, who battled and overcame breast cancer in 2010, said: “Cancer is an opponent that we all must fight against. My thoughts are with Elena and what she must be going through at this time. It is great that the tennis world is coming together to support her, and to rally against cancer.”

Cally Palmer, Chief Executive of The Royal Marsden, said: “I am delighted that British Tennis and The Queen’s Club is once again coming together to support The Royal Marsden. Their support enables us to continue to provide world-class cancer care for our patients, and cancer patients across the UK.”

In 2013, in the first Rally Against Cancer fundraiser, Murray and Henman played in a doubles match against Ivan Lendl and Tomas Berdych on finals day at the Aegon Championships, with the London Mayor Boris Johnson, Jonathan Ross, Michael McIntyre, Jimmy Carr, Sir Richard Branson and Eddie Redmayne joining them to raise money for the Royal Marsden hospital, which treated Hutchins. The Royal Marsden is now the official charity of the Aegon Championships at The Queen’s Club.

A Rally For Bally JustGiving page has been set up, and donations can be made quickly and easily here: www.justgiving.com/RallyForBally.

Or within the U.K. text “EBAL60 £10″ to 70070, to make, for example, a £10 donation via your mobile phone.

We would be very grateful if you are able to tweet the link above, using the hashtag #Rally4Bally

Any finals day tickets purchased for the Aegon Championships between now and the event will see an additional £10 charged and donated to the fund. Tickets for the Aegon Championships will go on general sale today at 10am at www.aegonchampionships.com.

About The Royal Marsden

The Royal Marsden is a world-leading cancer centre specialising in diagnosis, treatment, care, education and research. The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity raises money to help The Royal Marsden provide world-class care for cancer patients, to support the hospital’s pioneering work in cancer research. The charity enables the hospital to continue its groundbreaking work for the benefit of cancer patients worldwide.

About the Elena Baltacha Academy of Tennis

The Elena Baltacha Academy of Tennis is a charity set up in 2012 by Elena Baltacha and her husband Nino Severino to help children from disadvantaged backgrounds and deprived areas to learn to play tennis. The charity funds free and subsidised coaching and also supports free tennis taster sessions in schools in all sections of the community. The charity is based in Ipswich, UK.

Editors Note : The team here @ 10sballs is 100 percent behind this fundraiser. We too love Bally. She was our first WTA player to wear our patch. We have admired her since she was a teenager. She is a great friend of tennis, she is a kind, caring, giving person. The world is a better place because of people like Bally and Nino.

Topics: AEGON Championships, Andy Murray, British Tennis, Elena Baltacha, Ivan Lendl, Judy Murray, Martina Navratilova, Queen's Club, Rally For Bally, Tennis News, Tim Henman, Tomas Berdych

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10sBalls_com says:

April 16, 2014 at 11:12 am

British Tennis To Rally For Bally @ The Queens Club – http://t.co/H9Res7769W @ElenaBaltacha #British #Tennis #Rally4Bally
AMS_Tennis1 says:

April 16, 2014 at 11:13 am

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TiSportsMktg says:

April 16, 2014 at 11:18 am

RT @10sBalls_com: British Tennis To Rally For Bally @ The Queens Club – http://t.co/H9Res7769W @ElenaBaltacha #British #Tennis #Rally4Bally
jillmctag says:

April 17, 2014 at 5:59 pm

RT @10sBalls_com: British Tennis To Rally For Bally @ The Queens Club – http://t.co/H9Res7769W @ElenaBaltacha #British #Tennis #Rally4Bally