STANFORD, Calif. (www.BankOfTheWestClassic.com) – Opening day at the Bank of the West Classic kicked off with the Fifth Annual Grand Slam Tennis Jam which featured over 300 youngsters 12 & under participating in a variety of tennis games, prizes and other activities Monday morning at the Taube Family Tennis Stadium on the campus of Stanford University.
The kids from 30 youth and outreach programs had an opportunity to meet and greet their favorite Sony Ericsson WTA Tour professionals, the Bank of the West Classic Bear and other Bay Area mascots.
Tour player Anastasia Rodionova and the doubles team of Eva Hrdinova and Vladimira Uhlirova took time to participate in the event’s activities, including an autograph session and photo opportunity with the kids.
The Bear, one of the most lovable and recognizable icons in the Bay Area, participated in a variety of interactive tennis games with the youngsters. Also on hand for the festivities included San Jose Earthquake’s Q, San Jose Giants’ Gigante, Santa Clara’s Bucky the Bronco, Cal’s Oski the Bear and Kidsville Magazine’s Truman the Dragon.
The free event featured a variety of games, contests, prizes and exhibitions, after which every kid was treated to lunch and a match on Stadium Court.
Tickets for the tournament’s opening rounds start at just $23. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call the box office at 866-WTA-TIXS (866-982-8497) or log on to www.BankoftheWestClassic.com
The Bank of the West Classic, a Sony Ericsson WTA Tour event, will be played July 14-20 at the Taube Family Tennis Stadium at Stanford University and features a 28-player singles draw as well as a 16-team doubles draw. The event is owned and operated by IMG and serves as the opening women’s event of the Olympus US Open Series.
ABOUT THE BANK OF THE WEST CLASSIC: The Bank of the West Classic is the longest-running women-only professional tennis tournament in the world and is the first stop of the US Open Series. A Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Tier II event, the Bank of the West Classic features a 28-player singles draw and a 16-team doubles draw with total prize money of $600,000. Held on Stanford University’s campus at the Taube Family Tennis Stadium since 1997, former champions include: Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Andrea Jaeger, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport and Venus Williams. The Bank of the West Classic is owned and operated by IMG.
ABOUT BANK OF THE WEST: Founded in 1874 and headquartered in San Francisco, $62 billion-asset Bank of the West is the second-largest commercial bank based in California. Bank of the West offers a full range of business, trust, international and personal banking services. The bank currently operates more than 700 commercial and retail banking locations in 19 Western and Midwestern states. In 2008, Bank of the West ranked “Highest in Customer Satisfaction among Retail Banks in the West” by J.D. Power and Associates. Bank of the West's holding company, BancWest Corporation, is owned by BNP Paribas, a leading global financial services institution ranked by Standard & Poor's as one of the world's four strongest banks. More information is available at www.bankofthewest.com.