The PowerShares Series, the tennis circuit for champion legends over the age of 30, has just announced that former World #1 Andy Roddick and former World Top 10 James Blake will play at the International Tennis Hall of Fame on July 17, 2016.
Two other players will be announced soon.
Andy Roddick was the top American tennis player for nearly a decade. He finished nine consecutive seasons in the Top 10 in the ATP rankings and reached No.1 in the rankings in 2003. Roddick, best known for his powerful serve, won the 2003 U.S. Open and reached 4 other Grand Slam Finals.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
+In 2000, Roddick won two Junior Grand Slam Titles, the Junior Australian Open and the Junior U.S. Open.
+He won the 2003 U.S. Open, defeating Juan Carlos Ferrero in straight sets.
+In the 2009 Wimbledon final, one of his most memorable matches, Roddick held serve 37 consecutive games before falling to Rodger Federer in 5 sets.
+He achieved World No.1 ranking in November 2003. Andy held the No.1 spot for 13 weeks.
+During the 2004 Davis Cup Semifinals, Roddick hit the fastest recorded serve in history (at the time), 155 miles per hour.
+36 Career Titles – 32 in singles; 4 in doubles
James Blake began playing tennis as a member of the Harlem Junior Tennis Program at age 5. As a child, he had to overcome severe scoliosis which forced him to wear a back brace 18 hours a day. Blake, best known for his speed and powerful forehand, reached 3 Grand Slam quarterfinals and, in 2006, became the first African-American player since Arthur Ashe to reach the Top 10 in the ATP Rankings.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
+In 2002, he won his first ATP title in singles (Washington) and doubles (Cincinnati, with Todd Martin).
+Blake reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinals at the 2005 U.S. Open. He also reached the quarterfinals at the 2006 U.S. Open and the 2008 Australian Open.
+He finished the 2006 season at No. 4 in the ATP Rankings and as the No. 1 American for the first time in his career.
+In 2007, Blake’s 5-2 singles record helped the U.S. win the Davis Cup title.
+Blake finished 4th at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
+17 Career Titles – 10 in singles; 7 in doubles
Each PowerShares Series event features two one-set semifinal matches and a one-set championship match. For the second straight year, players will make their own line calls, with assistance of electronic line-calling.
In 2015, Roddick won the PowerShares Series points title in his second year of competing on the series with 1,600 points. Roddick won a record eight events Los Angeles, Lincoln, Chicago, Austin, Little Rock, Dallas, Richmond and Minneapolis. Blake finished second in the points rankings with 1,200 points, winning events in Boston and Cincinnati. Philippoussis finished in third with 1,100 points, winning titles in Salt Lake City and Vancouver. The year before in 2014, McEnroe won the points title for the first time in the nine-year history of Champions Series tennis by winning events in Kansas City, Indianapolis, Nashville and Charlotte.
