RECORD CROWDS WATCH DEL POTRO DOMINATE & PHILIPPOUSSIS WIN 1ST ATP CHAMPIONS TOUR TITLE

While John McEnroe, Mark Philippoussis, Mats Wilander, Todd Martin, Pat Cash and other ATP Champions Tour legends played in front of early-week record crowds, a star-studded ATP World Tour cast including Juan Martin del Potro, Mardy Fish, John Isner and Sam Querrey were warming up to provide its own fireworks during the 10-day Delray Beach ITC extravaganza held in February. The Delray Beach ITC is the only  event in the world to host a combined ATP World Tour and ATP Champions Tour event at the same time.

ATP CHAMPIONS TOUR EVENT After losing his opening round-robin match to Pat Cash, former Delray Beach resident Mark Philippoussis captured his 1^st ATP Champions Tour Title. The former top 10 world-ranked ATP pro won 21 of 23 points on his first serve (91 percent) to ease past Boca Raton resident Aaron Krickstein 6-3, 6-2. It was a bittersweet end to the event for Krickstein, who resides in nearby Boca Raton and defeated John McEnroe one night earlier in front of a raucous crowd that witnessed McEnroe receive a number of warnings from the umpire for his on-court antics. “It’s not every day that you get to play an event in your backyard,” said Krickstein. “It was nice this week to be able to stay at home and play in the ATP Champions Tour event. This is the only one in the States so for me to be able to come out, entertain and play a few matches in front of a crowd was a lot of fun.” Philippoussis actually lost his first match of the round robin on Friday to fellow Aussie Pat Cash. But when Cash fell in straight sets to Mats Wilander, Philippoussis played his way into the final. “Everything came together for me tonight,” said Philippoussis. “I actually used to live in Delray Beach a few years ago. I’ve missed it and it’s been nice to be back.”

McEnroe, Philippoussis, Cash, Wilander and Krickstein were joined in the 8-player round robin ATP tournament by Todd Martin, Mikael Pernfors, Jimmy Arias (withdrew after 1^st round match), and Jay Berger. Philippoussis and Krickstein won their respective round-robin groups to earn their trip to the final while Wilander received a walkover from McEnroe in the playoff for third place.

ATP WORLD TOUR EVENT. Eighteen months is like a lifetime for a professional tennis player. Just ask Juan Martin del Potro, who took the tennis world by storm a year-and-a-half ago by beating Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in  consecutive matches to win the 2009 US Open. But right wrist surgery limited the 6’6” Argentine to just three tournaments in 2010 – his ranking plummeting to No. 484 on February 7th.

Fast-forward to Championship Sunday at the 2011 Delray Beach ITC...Fighting back from right wrist surgery that threatened the biggest shots in his arsenal – his serve and his forehand – del Potro didn’t drop a set all week, defeating Janko Tipsarevic 6-4, 6-4 in Sunday’s singles final. 

After Tipsarevic’s final forehand flew wide, the 2009 US open champion tossed his Wilson racquet into the wind, kissed his right wrist, and then threw shirts and wristbands toward his many countrymen in the crowd. “I feel completely tired,” del Potro said on court before addressing his adoring Argentinean fans en español. “It’s amazing for me to make this comeback. I’m trying to improve my game day by day, and today Janko played better than me. But I got a little lucky in the important moments. It was a very close match.”.

After this title, the Argentine is expected to rise to around No. 85 in the world just three weeks after he was No. 484. Del Potro has posted an 11-2 record since then, also reaching semifinals in San Jose and Memphis. He earned 250 ranking points, $76,500 and a Porsche Carrera 911 for winning the event.

In the doubles final, Americans Rajeev Ram and Scott Lipsky captured their second title of the season and third in the last seven months by defeating Christopher Kas of Germany and Alexander Peya of Austria 4-6, 6-4, 10-3.  In addition to reaching the Johannesburg final, Ram and Lipsky also won indoors in San Jose earlier this month and outdoors in the Atlanta heat last July. “We haven’t set many goals past now,” said Lipsky. “We just want to take every week as it comes and we’ve been playing pretty well the last few weeks.

The Delray Beach ITC set an attendance record for the week with 63,251 fans going through the turnstiles over the 10-day tournament.


HOSPITALITY, SPECIAL EVENTS & MORE.
The 2011 Delray Beach ITC drew over 63,000 fans, making it the highest attendance in the tournament's 19 year history.  During the ten days of the combined ATP Champions Tour and ATP World Tour matches, many  attendees also took pleasure in Special Events...

The Delray Beach ITC kicked off Friday night with the Celsius Tennis on the Ave presented by the Delray Beach CRA, a free exhibition right on Atlantic Avenue.  John McEnroe played old rival Mats Wilander on a makeshift court while thousands of spectators hoped to catch a glimpse of the two legends.  Delray Beach Mayor Woodie McDuffie was in the umpire’s chair, while McEnroe was in his element for the street theater that followed. Read More

Just down the street, the VIP Sponsors Party presented by Bauman Medical Group was getting underway.  ATP Champions Tour players and celebrities mingled with Sponsors and VIPs in the on-site Hospitality Pavilion. The 'Black & White' themed party featured gourmet cuisine, musical performances, and a "speech" by Johnny Mac that could only be described as stand-up comedy.  Party-goers enjoyed the event just before heading over to the night's marquee match between Mark Philippoussis and Pat Cash. Read More

Additional hospitality and fundraising events took place throughout the Delray Beach ITC... The Box Holders' Reception presented by Unique Travel of Palm Beach / Regent Seven Seas Cruises kicked off Monday night and was exclusive to all week-long Box Series Ticket Holders.  Attendees enjoyed drinks and dinner in the Hospitality Pavilion while ATP Pros and VolleyGirls mingled in the crowd.   Two Ladies Day Luncheons presented by Altier Jewelers sold out in 2011.  Over 300 women came to enjoy lunch, drinks, fine jewelry displays, raffles and ATP player appearances (Read More). The Chambers of Commerce from Delray Beach, Boca Raton, and Boynton Beach enjoyed a special night at the Chamber Bash presented by IBERIA Bank; the Boys and Girls Clubs of Palm Beach took pleasure in their annual charity fundraiser; and ITC attendees were present for an exceptional evening at the VIP Dinner Party. All  these special events included a delectable dinner, drinks and ATP player appearances in the Hospitality Pavilion along with Stadium Court seats for the  evening's  matches.   USTA members were happy when they were treated to lunch and gifts at the USTA Appreciation Reception.  With so many activities, it's no wonder that Kidz Day saw it's largest attendance to date.  Children enjoyed USTA tennis games, a bounce house, sand-art,  Italian ices, mascots, mini golf by Putt N'Around, and obstacle courses by Gym 111.

You don't have to be on the ATP Tour to play tennis in Delray.  Multiple amateur events which included men, women, boys and girls, were held on  the tournament grounds during the Delray Beach ITC... One popular event was the Doubles Club Championships presented by New Balance, where Doubles teams from South Florida country clubs, came to compete against each other for a chance to win the 'ITC Cup' (Read More).  There was also the Ultimate Experience Pro-Am, a charity round-robin event which paired ATP Professionals, like Todd Martin and Dustin Brown, with amateur participants (Read More).  The USPTA hosted three events on-site, the 3rd annual USPTA Grand-Prix tournament of local tennis pros, a free Adult Clinic for ITC attendees, and a free clinic for over 100 children from the Kids and Police Tennis Association and the Boys and Girls Club of Palm Beach County.  Area celebrities including Jim Sackett (NBC Anchor) and Evan Cohen (ESPN Radio host / NBC Sports Anchor) played an entertaining  mixed-doubles match on Stadium Court in the Celebrity Battle at the Baseline (Read More).  Mats Wilander fans who participated in the Wilander On Wheels (WOW) tennis clinic were thrilled to spend one-on-one time with a tennis legend (Read More).  Budding tennis stars played as well, such as the collegiate athletes in the Lynn University vs.Palm Beach Atlantic and the Broward College vs. Bates College matches and the boys and girls who played in the USTA Jr Team Tennis Super Invitational.

While on-site, many attendees also enjoyed some of the area’s hottest musical acts, who performed on the ‘Making A Racket’ Main Stage, located in the on-site courtyard Plaza. Performances were enjoyed day and night, before and after all featured matches.  While the stage was heating up, some guests were cooling down in the Box Series Lounge.  This exclusive area, upstairs in the Clubhouse, featured snacks, complimentary wine, a full bar, and an escape for all Box Series holders. 

2011 special ticket promotions included Senior Days (buy 1, get 1 free Stadium Court ticket), Food Drive (donate eight non-perishable items and receive a complimentary ticket), Raise A Racket (donate one racket and receive a complimentary ticket).