Semifinal Pairings Set for BNP Paribas Showdown March 1

February 3, 2010 · No Comments

The pairings for the two semifinal matches of the upcoming “BNP Paribas Showdown for the Billie Jean King Cup” have been set for the March 1 event at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Serena Williams, the 2010 Australian Open champion, inaugural BNP Paribas Showdown defending champion and the current World No. 1, will face Kim Clijsters, who captivated the tennis world after winning the 2009 US Open title only two years after retiring from the sport. The matchup will mark the first time the two players will face each other since the semifinals of the 2009 US Open.

The other semifinal will feature 2009 French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova and seven-time Grand Slam singles champ Venus Williams.

In the fast-paced no-ad scoring format, each participant will compete in a one-set semi, with the winners advancing to a best of three-set final for the Billie Jean King Cup.

Limited VIP tickets and additional tickets for $250, $125, $75, $50 and $25 are currently on sale and can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden box office, all Ticketmaster outlets and online at www.thegarden.com. The event will be broadcast on MSG Network and ESPN2 (check for times) and online at ESPN360.

The BNP Paribas Showdown is the featured element of the Tennis Night in America promotion, which aims to grow youth participation in tennis through youth registration events, where youngsters around the country can begin signing up for spring and summer tennis programs.

Also, during the BNP Paribas Showdown, the winner of the industry’s “Racket Up, America!” promotion, Christine Smith of Hurst, Texas, will serve to try to win $1 million.

The “BNP Paribas Showdown for the Billie Jean King Cup” is produced by StarGames in association with Madison Square Garden.