FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LINDSAY DAVENPORT vs. MONICA SELES
TO HEADLINE SHRIVER’S CHARITY TENNIS CHALLENGE

Baltimore, October 17 – Tournament Chairman and Founder, Pam Shriver, announced today that American tennis superstars Lindsay Davenport and Monica Seles will be facing off in the Feature Singles Match of her annual charity tennis fundraiser, Tuesday, December 10 at 7PM, at the Baltimore Arena.

The 2002 Chevy Chase Bank Tennis Challenge presented by the Baltimore Sun, one of the region’s premier charitable sporting events, will celebrate its 17 anniversary thanks to the continued support of Chevy Chase Bank, The Baltimore Sun and many other loyal sponsors, supporters and contributors.

It’s an evening of Grand Slam champions, as Davenport and Seles, two of the best and most popular players in the game, take to the court to showcase power serving, fast-paced action and a lot of excitement. The two stars will be joined by Shriver, host of the evening’s events, who will also serve as special guest Chair Umpire of the Orioles Challenge Match featuring 7-time defending champion, Brady Anderson. Current U.S. Davis coach and former ATP Tour star, Patrick McEnroe, will also join the action as one of the featured players in the Legends of Tennis preliminary match.

"It’s exciting to have Lindsay and Monica back to my hometown of Baltimore. It also shows how special they are as people, and how committed they are to helping use their fame and talent to give something back to the community," said Shriver. "Both have been ranked No. 1 in the world and with 15 Grand Slam titles between them, I know the fans of Baltimore fans are in for an exciting and special night of tennis."

Lindsay Davenport has earned numerous titles, awards, and accomplishments that make her worthy of superstar status. Since turning pro in 1993 and claiming her first Tour title at the age of sixteen, she has risen to lofty heights with sixty-eight WTA Tour titles and six Grand Slam titles – three in singles and three in doubles. In 1998, Lindsay became only the third American-born player to reach a No. 1 world ranking. No stranger to adversity, Davenport has had to battle back from injuries the last two years. After a two and one-half month layoff in 2001, she fought all the way back and finished the year as the No. 1 ranked player in the world. After missing almost half of the 2002 tennis season, she has again battled her way back to the top of the game, with semi-final or final appearances in six of the seven tournaments she has played, also winning both her matches to help the United States team cruise to victory over Israel in Fed Cup competition. She’s truly a great and gifted champion player who shows that adversity will not stand in the way when it comes to achieving her goals.

Monica Seles defines the true meaning of the word champion. Since turning pro in 1989, she has consistently dominated the game, capturing 53 WTA Tour victories, 9 Grand Slam singles titles, and in 1991, made it all the way to No. 1 in the world, the youngest ever to reach that status at only the age of seventeen. Her powerful dominance has reigned supreme year after year amassing seventy-four match wins and ten Tour titles in 1991 and seventy match wins and 10 titles in 1992, in which she reached the finals of all four Grand Slam tournaments on her way to finishing the year ranked No. 1 in the world. Like Davenport, Seles has had to battle back from adversity and after a tragic attack in 1993, she made it all the way back to the top of the sport, finishing 1995 as the No.1 ranked player in the world after a two-year layoff. Since then, she has never finished the year outside the Top Ten and continues to be a threat every time she steps onto the court. Power, intelligence, gritty and sheer determination make Monica Seles truly one of the greatest tennis champions of all time.

The Chevy Chase Bank Tennis Challenge presented by the Baltimore Sun is played to benefit the Baltimore Community Foundation, a publicly endowed non-profit organization that donates proceeds to area children’s charities. Since the event’s inception in 1986, over $3 million has been distributed to child-related causes.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow morning at 10 AM (October 18) and range in price from $15-$90. Tickets can be purchased at the Baltimore Arena Box Office 410/347-2010 and all TICKETMASTER locations. To charge by phone, call 410/481-SEAT. Additional sponsorship or ticket information can be obtained by calling the Tournament Office at 410/296-2929 or via the website at www.tennischallenge.org.

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