TORONTO, August 9, 2005 -- The stars of women’s tennis will attract at least 155,000 enthusiasts to the campus of York University beginning Saturday. A highlight of the week’s activities will include a kid’s clinic by legend Monica Seles for a lucky group of young tennis fans.

Eight of the top 10 ranked players in the Sony Ericsson Women’s Tennis Association Tour – and 17 of the top 20 – will compete in the 2005 Rogers Cup to be held Aug. 13-21 at the Rexall Centre at York University, presented by American Express.

Maria Sharapova, defending champion Amélie Mauresmo, Serena Williams and 2005 Wimbledon champion Venus Williams will be battling it out in the nine-day tournament. In addition to Sharapova, the top of the field for the $1.3 USD purse includes three Russian players from the Sony Ericsson Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour – Svetlana Kuznetsova, Nadia Petrova and Anastasis Myskina.

Monica Seles, the Guest of Honour at the women’s 2005 Rogers Cup, will thrill a group of 10 to 13-year-olds from York University’s Tennis Camp and other area camps with a special tennis clinic on Tuesday, August 16. The four-time Canadian and nine-time Grand Slam Champion will give the kids tips on strokes and serving at 10:00 a.m. on Court 6 of the Rexall Centre, and will pose for a photo with them. The American Express ACES program, which is sponsoring the clinic, will also donate $150 to Tennis Canada programs for every ace served throughout the tournament on the Stadium and Grandstand courts.

Michael Mitchell, head tennis coach at York University, is delighted Tennis Canada will give 70 kids attending York’s Tennis Camp the opportunity to see the competition on Monday.

“All of the top seeds will be in action that day. It’s a great chance for kids who love tennis to see world-class tennis played,” says Mitchell. “We hope they’ll enjoy tennis for the rest of their lives.”

A rock concert sponsored by Rogers Communications Inc., title sponsor of the tournament, and Sony Ericsson, global sponsor of the Women’s Tennis Association, will start the tournament excitement on Friday, August 12. The Rogers Rocks Tennis concert, exclusive to Rogers customers and friends, features Finger Eleven, Sloan, David Usher and special guests Mobile.

York University is taking measures to make sure traffic moves smoothly and to get people out of their cars as fast as possible, says Mike Markicevic, executive director of security, parking and transportation services, but the best advice is to come early.

“A lot of people are coming here to York for the first time. We have to make sure they don’t miss that first serve.”
 

York University is the leading interdisciplinary research and teaching university in Canada. York offers a modern, academic experience at the undergraduate and graduate level in Toronto, Canada’s most international city.  The third largest university in the country, York is host to a dynamic academic community of 50,000 students and 7,000 faculty and staff, as well as 180,000 alumni worldwide. York’s 10 faculties and 21 research centres conduct ambitious, groundbreaking research that is interdisciplinary, cutting across traditional academic boundaries.  This distinctive and collaborative approach is preparing students for the future and bringing fresh insights and solutions to real-world challenges. York University is an autonomous, not-for-profit corporation.

 

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For more information, contact:

Janice Walls, Media Relations Coordinator, York University, 416-736-2100x22101, wallsj@yorku.ca