SHOWDOWN FOR THE BILLIE JEAN KING CUP
Madison Square Garden
31st to 33rd Sts. between Seventh & Eighth Aves.
Monday, March 1, $25-$1,000, 7:00
www.thegarden.com
www.tennisnight.com
As part of Tennis Night in America, four Grand Slam champions — 2009 U.S. Open victor Kim Clijsters, 2009 French Open winner Svetlana Kuznetsova, 2008 French Open champ Ana Ivanovic, and seven-time champion Venus Williams — will participate in a one-set elimination tournament March 1, leading to a best-of-three finals for the Billie Jean Cup and a check for $1.2 million. (Serena Williams pulled out because of an injury and was replaced by Ivanovic.) Last year, in the inaugural event, Serena triumphed over Venus in the finals, after, Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic had been eliminated. Tennis Night in America celebrates the sport with programs across the country encouraging youth recruitment.