FAMILY DAY BOOK READING FEATURING APPEARANCE BY FORMER WORLD NO. 1 ANA IVANOVIC

Written by: Staff on 20th July 2011

FAMILY DAY BOOK READING FEATURING APPEARANCE BY FORMER WORLD NO. 1 ANA IVANOVIC

Ana Ivanovic of Serbia returns to Petra Cetkovska of the Czech Republic during their third round match for the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 25 June 2011. EPA/FELIPE TRUEBA |

The 2011 Bank of the West Classic has partnered with Kepler’s Books to host a book reading of “Inch and Miles: The Journey to Success” featuring an appearance by former World No. 1 Ana Ivanovic on Sunday, July 24 at 3 pm.

The book reading will include a shortened version of the story read by retired WTA player Peanut Harper, followed by a Q&A session with Ivanovic where she will share her own personal definition of success.

“Inch and Miles: The Journey to Success” is an award winning children’s book written by legendary Coach John Wooden. The story follows two young characters, Inch and Miles, who embark on a journey to discover the Pyramid of Success and learn how to achieve their personal best along the way. Through the characters’ experiences, Wooden illustrates important personal values and wisdom that all children can relate to.

Kepler’s Books is located at 1010 El Camino Real in downtown Menlo Park, with an expansive layout of books and an extensive children’s department.

The book’s themes are the foundation for the Bank of the West Classic’s Family Day, where children can learn and put into practice these important life skills via interactive tennis games and drills at the “Inch and Miles Sportsmanship Festival.”

Family Day will return this year on Saturday, July 30 through the support of the Harper for Kids foundation. Each Family Day participant will receive his or her very own copy of “Inch and Miles: The Journey to Success,” a poster of Coach Wooden’s Pyramid of Success, a T-shirt and snacks.

Children ages 6 to 11 years old can participate in Family Day for just $25 with a choice of attending an earlier session beginning at 11 am or a later session beginning at 5 pm.

Tickets to Family Day do not include admission to the Saturday tennis matches.

All Family Day proceeds go directly to the Harper for Kids foundation. To purchase a ticket and for more information, please visit the Family Day page under the Event Info section at www.BankoftheWestClassic.com. You may also contact Whitney Collins at whitney.collins@imgworld.com or 415 227 8027.

Family Day is hosted by the Harper for Kids foundation – a nonprofit San Francisco based organization founded by Tim and Peanut Harper in 2008. The foundation empowers children with life skills and valuable characteristics through enrichment programs and tennis camps. For more information on the Harper for Kids foundation, visit www.HarperforKids.org.

The 2011 Bank of the West Classic will be held from July 25th – 31st. Individual tickets for all sessions are available now and can be purchases by calling the box office at 866-WTA-TIXS (866-982-8497) or by logging on to www.BankoftheWestClassic.com.

The Bank of the West Classic, a WTA Premier event, is now in its 41st year and features a 28-player singles draw as well as a 16-team doubles draw. The event is owned and operated by IMG and serves as the opening women’s event of the Olympus US Open Series.

This year’s player field is highlighted by some of the top players on the WTA tour including 13-time Grand Slam Champion Serena Williams, three-time Grand Slam Champion Maria Sharapova, 2011 Wimbledon semi-finalist Victoria Azarenka, 2011 French Open semi-finalist Marion Bartoli, former World No. 1 Ana Ivanovic and World No. 10 Samantha Stosur.