Choose Your Team

Two-time Delray Beach finalist James Blake will play in his first ATP Champions Tour event at the Delray Beach Open® Las Vegas next February, leading a trio of Americans against an international group in the sixth annual ATP Champions Tour event. Blake will be joined on the US team by former French Open champion Michael Chang and current Tennis Channel commentator Justin Gimelstob.

The Delray Beach Open announced last month that former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic would head the international group. Also on the international team are former Grand Slam finalists Mark Philippoussis and Greg Rusedski.Before retiring from the ATP World Tour in 2012, Blake was the Delray Beach singles finalist in 2007 and 2008. He reached the 2005 US Open semifinal, and the year-end Tennis Master’s Cup final in 2006 after reaching a world No. 4 ranking.Chang, the 1989 French Open champion, was a finalist at three other Grand Slams and is a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. This is his second appearance in the ATP Champions Tour event in Delray Beach.Gimelstob’s career spanned from 1996-2007 and included a pair of Grand Slam mixed doubles titles with Venus Williams in 1998 at the Australian Open and French Open. That same year, he reached the singles semifinals in Delray Beach.

The big-serving Philippoussis reached a pair of Grand Slam finals at the 1998 US Open and at Wimbledon in 2003. He won the 2011 Delray Beach ATP Champions Tour event before it became a team competition.Rusedski played on the ATP World Tour from 1993 to 2005, reaching world No. 4 and the 1997 US Open final. During that time he was the No. 1 Brit for a 98-week stretch, and was a Delray Beach finalist in 1995.

In addition to heading up the ATP Champions Tour’s international team, Ivanisevic will coach US Open champion and defending Delray Beach champion Marin Cilic. Cilic, who like Ivanisevic is from Croatia, is headlining the  2015 ATP World Tour singles draw in Delray Beach.

The ATP Champions Tour’s “USA vs International” format was introduced last year in Delray Beach, with the Andy Roddick-led US team emerging as the winner.Under the format, players compete against all three players from the other team and earn a point for each win. Because all ATP Champions Tour matches are scheduled, fans can pick which matchups and players they want to watch.

The 2015 ATP Champions Tour’s three-day competition falls on President’s Day weekend with Saturday matches on Valentine’s Day. Special Valentine’s Day offers (2-for-1 tickets and Valentine’s Dinner Party) and travel packages are both available for the holiday weekend.

The ATP Champions Tour team competition outcome could come down to  Sunday’s feature matches that begin at 12:00 noon pitting Chang vs Philippoussis, and the finale at 2:00 pm where Blake and Ivanisevic will slug it out.

A variety of discounted series packages for all 17 sessions are also available. Box series are $1,500 for two seats, or $2,500 for four, while the on-court Best Seats in the House package is up to 60 percent off regular prices, discounted to $3,000 for two seats, or $4,500 for four.The popular Weekender Series that includes the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals (sessions 13-17) is discounted to $200.Tickets can be  purchased online at www.YellowTennisBall.com, by calling 561-330-6000 ext.1 or at the on-site box office at 30 NW 1st Avenue in Delray Beach.

Here is the 2015 ATP Champions Tour schedule:

Friday, February 13, 6:00 pm, James Blake vs Mark Philippoussis
Friday, February 13, 8:00 pm, Michael Chang vs Goran Ivanisevic
Saturday, February 14, 12:00 noon, Justin Gimbelstob vs Mark Philippoussis
Saturday, February 14, NB 2:00 pm, Michael Chang vs Greg Rusedski
Saturday, February 14, 6:00 pm, Justin Gimbelstob vs Goran Ivanisevic
Saturday, February 14, NB 8:00 pm, James Blake vs Greg Rusedski
Sunday, February 15, 12:00 noon, Michael Chang vs Mark Philippoussis
Sunday, February 15, 12:30 pm, Justin Gimelstob vs Greg Rusedski (Ct 1)
Sunday, February 15, NB 2:00 pm, James Blake vs Goran Ivanisevic