| the
scoop: SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 21
Federer, Sharapova honoured in ITWA's year-end
awards
Mauresmo, Davenport share women's
ambassador award
Art Seitz |
Lumfoto |
ITWA's 2004 players of the year:
Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova. |
No. 1 Roger Federer's remarkable
achievements this year have been doubly recognised by the International
Tennis Writers Association (ITWA) in their 2004 awards.
Federer was unanimously voted Player of the Year award by tennis
writers and was also honoured with ITWA's Ambassador for Tennis
award for his efforts to promote the sport.
Maria Sharapova won the women's Player of the Year award while,
in an echo of their tight duel for the No. 1 ranking, Lindsay
Davenport and Amelie Mauresmo were neck and neck in the voting
for the women's Ambassador for Tennis award. The pair will share
the honour after voting ended in a dead heat.
Federer won three Grand Slams titles this year: the Australian
Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. The 23-year-old Swiss is the
first male player to accomplish the feat since Sweden's Mats Wilander
in 1988.
"Roger's an extraordinary talent and what he's achieved this
year has been amazing, but he also works extremely hard with media
and sponsors and that's what makes him such a blessing to the
game," said Eleanor Preston, co-president of ITWA. "Few
No. 1s in the history of tennis have done such a good job off
the court as well as on it. He's truly a pleasure to write about."
While she ended the year ranked No. 4, the 17-year-old Sharapova
took the WTA Tour by storm this year, winning her first Grand
Slam title at Wimbledon and grabbing the season-ending WTA Championships,
considered by many players to be the "fifth major."
The Russian was the first player to accomplish the feat since
former No. 1 Lindsay Davenport did it in 1999.
"Maria's rise to prominence has been nothing short of remarkable,"
said Matthew Cronin, co-president of ITWA. "She began the
year ranked No. 32 with still a lot of holes in her game and ended
the year as a gutsy, mature all-court player with enough weapons
and determination to hang around the Top-5 for years to come."
Mauresmo, Davenport share
women's ambassador award
Davenport and Mauresmo, who ended the year ranked No. 1 and No.
2 respectively, are both noted for their professionalism with
the media and their willingness to go out of their way to ensure
the growth of their sport.
"It's hard to think of two more conscientious and giving
players than Lindsay and Amelie," said Cronin. "They
understand how important it is to give back to their sport and
do so in a cheerful and thoughtful way."
In 2003, Federer and Belgium's Justine Henin-Hardenne won ITWA's
player of the year awards, while Belgium's Kim Clijsters and Morocco's
Younes El Aynaoui won the Ambassador for Tennis awards. ITWA presented
the winners with Monteblanc pens.
For further information or quotes, contact Eleanor Preston, ITWA
co-president, +44 (0) 7967 562040 Europe (UK), and Matthew Cronin,
ITWA co-president, +1 510 381-2472 USA (California).
|
