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The WTT Advanta Smash Hits
The WTT Advanta Smash Hits
Monday, 13 October 2008 00:00
The WTT Advanta Smash Hits
Written by Christina Ward
The 16th annual Advanta WTT Smash Hits was held at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, GA, back in the Atlanta area for the first time since 2000. Elton John and Billie Jean King were back as co-hosts of the charity event, with Martina Navratilova and Jesse Levine playing as “Team Billie Jean,” and Andy Roddick, Anna Kournikova, and Melanie Oudin playing as “Team Elton.” All of the participants participated in a pre-match interview. John said that all of the money raised during the event would go to the Elton John AIDS Foundation and the Atlanta AIDS Partnership Fund for HIV/AIDS programs in the South. During a pre-match reception, $171,000 was raised as a part of live and silent auctions. The event raised a grand total of $400,000.
The afternoon started off with a battle of the sexes match featuring Elton John and Andy Roddick against Martina Navratilova and Anna Kournikova. John held his own against the professionals and helped lift the men to a 3-1 victory over the women.
The first official WTT match was a mixed doubles clash featuring Roddick and Kournikova against Levine and Navratilova. With the score tied at 4 games all, they went to a super tiebreak, which Kournikova and Roddick won 5-3.
Roddick’s serve proved to be too much for Levine and increased the lead of Team Elton with a 5-2, 5-1 victory over Levine in the men’s singles match.
In the second mixed doubles match, local support was not enough for the hometown girl, Oudin, and Roddick. With many entertaining rallies at the net, Levine and Navratilova scored the first win for Team Billie Jean with a 5-3 victory over Roddick and Oudin.
The final match of the day featured Navratilova against Oudin. Youth won over experience in this match, with Oudin winning 5-4 and sealing the victory for Team Elton with a final score of 23-16 over Team Billie Jean.
Photos from the WTT Advanta Smash Hits Tennis Exhibition.
Photos: Christina Ward
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