Ivanovic to Replace Injured Williams at BNP Paribas Showdown March 1

February 22, 2010 · No Comments

Serena Williams, the Billie Jean King Cup’s defending champion, has withdrawn from the upcoming BNP Paribas Showdown, scheduled for Monday, March 1, at Madison Square Garden.

Williams, who qualified for the Showdown based on her 2009 victories at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon, has withdrawn due to a leg injury sustained during her recent run to the Australian Open Championships. This injury has also forced Williams out of WTA events in Paris and Dubai.

Former French Open Champion Ana Ivanovic has been added to round out the field. Only current and former Grand Slam champions or year ending World No. 1 ranked players are eligible for the one-night event.

"I'm very disappointed I won't be able to compete in the Billie Jean King Cup this year,” said Williams. “I loved playing in this event last year and was really looking forward to returning. Unfortunately I am still recovering from my leg injury in Australia and am not quite ready to compete at the highest level."

Williams was to face Kim Clijsters in a semifinal matchup. The match would have marked the first time the two players will have faced each other since the semifinals of the 2009 US Open.

Ivanovic, who competed in last year’s BNP Paribas Showdown for the Billie Jean King Cup, is a former World No. 1 player and captured the 2008 French Open Championship. A UNICEF Ambassador in her native Serbia, Ivanovic is a former recipient of the WTA Humanitarian of the Year Award.

Earlier this month, Ivanovic was one of the featured athletes in Sports Illustrated’s annual swimsuit issue. She was voted No. 11 in the 2009 FHM Sexiest Women in the World Poll, and is nominated for that same list in 2010.

Ivanovic will replace Williams in the draw and will play the first semifinal against Clijsters. Svetlana Kuznetsova and Venus Williams will meet in the second semi.

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.tinyurl.com/tennistia. 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.