SB Nation DC - Mardy Fish To Play in Citi Open, Formerly The Legg Mason Classic, In Late Julyhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48897/dc-fave.png2012-04-24T18:03:16-04:00http://dc.sbnation.com/rss/stream/27362622012-04-24T18:03:16-04:002012-04-24T18:03:16-04:00Mardy Fish To Play in Citi Open in Washington D.C.
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<p>The Legg Mason Classic recently got a new title sponsor and a new name: the Citi Open. It got another new addition on Tuesday: Mardy Fish, the highest-ranked American tennis player. According to <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/HowardFendrich/status/194904800788365312">Howard Fendrich of the Associated Press</a>, Fish will bypass the Oympics in London this summer and partake in the Washington D.C. tournament.</p>
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<p>More Tennis … and Olympics: @MardyFish says he’ll skip London Games, enter D.C. tournament. Won silver at Athens in ’04.</p>
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<p>Fish, who has a 7-6 record in 2012, did not participate in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.</p>
<p>“I definitely thought about going — the prospect of playing the Olympics at Wimbledon on a grass court, a surface that suits me very well. I have some great memories from the Olympics. … I also have some tough memories from it as well, where I was so close to winning a gold medal,” Fish <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jEkwv4iUVIqswWD_IYubiQ7h-PCw?docId=ca46738826694197a95ed71bf52bf686">told the AP</a>. “That loss hurt as much or more than any loss I’ve ever had in my career. So I stayed away in 2008 for Beijing and I’m going to stay away this time.”</p>
<p>The Citi Open takes place in late July and early August.</p>
<p><em>For everything related to sports in the nation’s capital, stay tuned here at SB Nation DC.</em></p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/2012/4/24/2972656/mardy-fish-citi-open-tennis-washingtonJoey Kaufman2012-04-24T15:29:16-04:002012-04-24T15:29:16-04:00Legg Mason Tennis Classic Now Called Citi Open; Women's Event Added
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<p>The Legg Mason Tennis Classic, which the professional tennis tournament in D.C. has been called since 1994, has been officially rebranded the Citi Open, and plans were unveiled Thursday for a new 2,500 seat show court at the tournament's Rock Creek Park site. </p>
<p>But that's not the only change that was made. Beginning in 2012, the Legg Mason Classic will include a WTA tournament. </p>
<p>From the <a href="http://www.leggmasontennisclassic.com/display.aspx?page_id=1">Citi Open's website</a>:</p>
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<p>This WTA tournament (which was called the Citi Open and held the week before the then-Legg Mason Tennis Classic at the Tennis Center of College Park, Md., in 2011) will be played simultaneously with the ATP World Tour 500 event at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center in Rock Creek Park and collectively named the Citi Open.</p>
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<p>As Liz Clarke pointed out in the <i><a href="http://ht.ly/aun4c">Washington Post</a> </i>Tuesday morning, the event may suffer slightly since its schedule (July 28-August 5) coincides with the Summer Olympics in London. But any move that increases the talent pool coming to play tennis in Washington D.C. each summer is a very good thing. </p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/2012/4/24/2972227/legg-mason-tennis-classic-citi-open-womens-eventSamuel Chamberlain2012-04-24T11:49:46-04:002012-04-24T11:49:46-04:00New Sponsor Brings Venue Upgrades For Legg Mason Classic, According To Report
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<p>The Legg Mason Classic is getting a major facelift, including a new title sponsor, Citigroup. </p> <p>The Legg Mason is a staple event in the D.C. Summer sports schedule, but it will be getting some major facelifts, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/othersports/legg-mason-tennis-classic-getting-new-sponsor-venue-upgrades/2012/04/24/gIQAfYFHeT_story.html">according to Liz Clarke of the Washington Post</a>. The first and perhaps most prominent, is that the tournament will have a different title sponsor this year.</p>
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<p>The key development driving the changes is a new title sponsor in Citigroup, which will replace Baltimore-based Legg Mason after an 18-year association with the hard-court classic.</p>
<p>The tournament will remain at Washington’s William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center in Rock Creek Park. But the venue will be expanded to include a new 2,500-seat show court and five new practice courts, with both projects targeted for completion by the start of this summer’s tournament July 28.</p>
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<p>The tournament is one of the best sporting events in D.C. every year, and if the new sponsor group can bring some more excitement and notoriety to the event, it could be an exciting change.</p>
<p><i>For more on this tournament and all things related to professional tennis, please head over to <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/tennis">SB Nation's tennis</a> hub page. </i></p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/2012/4/24/2971601/legg-mason-classic-venue-upgrades-sponsorJordan Ruby