SENIOR TENNIS MATCHES IN CHICAGO FRIDAY “POWERSHARES” SERIES STARTS MINUS JIM COURIER BUT PLUS MARDY FISH, JOHN MCENROE, JAMES BLAKE-GREAT SEATS STILL AVAILABLE PLUS FULL SCHEDULE

Written by: Staff on 6th April 2016

SENIOR TENNIS MATCHES IN CHICAGO FRIDAY "POWERSHARES" SERIES STARTS MINUS JIM COURIER BUT PLUS MARDY FISH, JOHN MCENROE, JAMES BLAKE-GREAT SEATS STILL AVAILABLE PLUS FULL SCHEDULE |

Photo by @powersharestennis via Instagram.

Injured Jim Courier Replaced By Mardy Fish In Opening Event

The PowerShares Series, the tennis circuit for champion players over the age of 30, will kick off its 10th anniversary season for 2016 Friday, April 8 at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago. The kick-off event for the 12-city tour will be highlighted by 57-year-old John McEnroe, the 2014 PowerShares Series points champion, returning to the venue where he won his 77th and final ATP singles title with a famous final-round win 25-years-ago over younger brother Patrick McEnroe in 1991. McEnroe will be joined in Chicago by rival and former Davis Cup teammate Andre Agassi, the 2012 PowerShares Series points runner-up, as well as James Blake, the 2015 points runner-up, and PowerShares Series rookie Mardy Fish, a late replacement for Jim Courier, who was forced to withdraw from the event with a lower-back injury.

Each PowerShares Series event features two one-set semifinal matches and a one-set championship match. For the second straight year, players will make their own line calls, with assistance of electronic line-calling.

Ticket and VIP experiences information – including play-with-the pros opportunities – can be found at www.PowerSharesSeries.com. The full 2016 schedule with player fields are listed below;

April 8 Chicago (UIC Pavilion) – Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, James Blake, Mardy Fish

April 9

Charleston (Family Circle Tennis Center) – Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, James Blake, Mardy Fish

April 14 St. Louis (Chaifetz Arena) – John McEnroe, Andy Roddick, Jim Courier, James Blake

April 22 Memphis (Landers Center) – John McEnroe, Andy Roddick, Jim Courier, Mark Philippoussis

April 23 Tulsa (BOK Center) – John McEnroe, Andy Roddick, Jim Courier, Mark Philippoussis

July 17 Newport, R.I. (International Tennis Hall of Fame) – Andy Roddick, James Blake + 2 Players TBA

August 21 Winston-Salem, N.C. (Wake Forest University) – Andy Roddick, Jim Courier, James Blake, Mardy Fish

August 25, 26 New Haven (Yale University) – Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, James Blake, Mardy Fish

November 4 Portland, Oregon (Moda Center) – Andy Roddick, Jim Courier, Mardy Fish and TBA

November 5 Denver (1stBank Center) – Andy Roddick, Jim Courier, James Blake and TBA

December 1 Orlando (Amway Arena) – Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, Jim Courier, James Blake

December 3 New York (Barclays Center) – Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, Jim Courier, James Blake

In 2015, Roddick won the PowerShares Series points title in his second year of competing on the series with 1,600 points. Roddick won a record eight events Los Angeles, Lincoln, Chicago, Austin, Little Rock, Dallas, Richmond and Minneapolis. Blake finished second in the points rankings with 1,200 points, winning events in Boston and Cincinnati. Philippoussis finished in third with 1,100 points, winning titles in Salt Lake City and Vancouver. The year before in 2014, McEnroe won the points title for the first time in the nine-year history of Champions Series tennis by winning events in Kansas City, Indianapolis, Nashville and Charlotte.