Six of the biggest names in world tennis – Boris Becker, Ivan Lendl, Pat Cash, Goran Ivanisevic, Martina Hingis and Anna Kournikova – will descend upon Malaysia for the Showdown of Champions 2010, billed A Night of Aces.
Complementing action on the court at the Malawati Stadium will be the special appearance by British rapper Jay Sean in a concert to complete a one-night spectacle combining sports and sheer entertainment.
Six-time Grand Slam winner Becker, the once all-conquering Lendl, Aussie hero Cash, former Wimbledon champ Ivanisevic and Hingis are looking forward to their maiden trip to Kuala Lumpur, whereas Kournikova is keen to compete after a brief appearance as event ambassador for the launch of the Showdown of Champions, Asia versus Russia – the Glam Slam last year.
The annual spectacle is organised by LD Sports Sdn Bhd and supported by Ministry of Tourism Malaysia
The event is scheduled to start at 6.00pm on Oct 8, with Ivanisevic taking on Cash in a best of three tie, followed by Becker versus Lendl. The doubles will see Ivanisevic and Kournikova playing Cash and Hingis (one regular set), followed by Becker/Kournikova versus Lendl/Hingis (one regular set).
Boris Becker, who was known for his serve-and-volley style, became the first unseeded player and first German to bag the Wimbledon singles title in 1985 at the age of 17 and seven months.
The former World No 1 also took home the gold medal in the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992.
Considered one of the all-time greats thanks to his machine-like consistency, Czech-born Ivan Lendl captured eight Grand Slam titles and held the No 1 spot for a total of 270 weeks from 1983 to 1990. His baseline topspin helped usher in the modern era of power tennis.
Australia’s Pat Cash shot into the limelight as a talented junior, winning both the Wimbledon and US Open junior titles in 1982 but it was only in 1987 that he scooped the Wimbledon senior title, beating Lendl in the final.
Goran Ivanisevic of Croatia is best remembered as the only wildcard entry to go on to win the Wimbledon title in 2001, after having finished as a runners-up on three previous occasions, in 1992, 1994 and 1998.
Born of Hungarian-Czech parentage but represented Switzerland, Martina Hingis spent a total 209 weeks as the women’s top-ranked player in the WTA circuit, winning five Grand Slam titles.
Anna Kournikova, the world No 1 junior at 14, remains an icon despite having hung up her racket in 2003. Her appeal and popularity are illustrated by her stature as United States No 9 favourite female sports stars in a poll last year. She was ranked as high as No 8 in 2000 and won 16 doubles titles, earning the No 1 ranking at the end of 1999.
Jay Sean is a British Indian singer-songwriter, rapper, beatboxer and record producer with UK Top 10 hits “Eyes On You” at No 6 and “Stolen” at No 4. They were included in his critically-acclaimed debut album Me Against Myself which sold more than two million copies across Asia.
In 2009, his American debut single “Down” topped the Billboard Hot 100, making him the first solo artist of South Asian origin and first UK urban act to top the Hot 100.
It was the seventh-best selling song of 2009, having sold more than three million digital copies in the United States and six million copies worldwide, making him the most successful British/European male urban artist in US chart history.
Time : Friday, October 8 – 6 pm till 6.30 pm
Location: Malawati Stadium Shah Alam
Ticket prices ranged from RM288 to RM28. Baseline seats are priced at RM288 for level 1.
Tickets for students below 18 years of age are priced at RM28. For ticketing information, visit www.fatdeal.com.my.
More info at : http://showdownkl.com/v2
CJMY
C. Khor
