Legends Ball To Honor King With Scott Award

Hall of Famer Billie Jean King and the late Tennis Week founder Eugene L. Scott were long-time friends, tennis visionaries, New York City residents, occasional sparring partners and opponents in one of the first inter-gender matches.
 
The old friends will be reconnected again when King receives the third annual Eugene L. Scott Award when the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s Legends Ball returns to Cipriani 42nd Street, in New York City on Friday, September 5th at 6:30 p.m. — the last Friday of the U.S. Open.
 
"It is an honor to receive this award from the International Tennis Hall of Fame," said King, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987. "It also is rewarding to be honored with an award named after Gene Scott. Gene brought all of himself to tennis —  as a player, a writer, a promoter and as an influencer of the sport.  He asked the tough questions and made us stop and think about what tennis means to all of us. Gene only wanted what was best for tennis and we need to keep his legacy alive."
 
This special night of celebration honors King and the Hall of Fame's the Class of 2008 — 1989 French Open champion Michael Chang, IMG founder Mark McCormack and Scott, the former Tennis Week founder and publisher who passed away on March 20, 2006.
 
The event, held annually since 1980, brings the tennis world together to celebrate the history of the game and honor some of the sport’s great contributors all while raising money for the International Tennis Hall of Fame.  A legendary line-up of tennis greats will be in attendance, including more than a dozen Hall of Famers, tennis dignitaries, the event’s Player Co-Chairs Jim Courier, Monica Seles and Owen Davidson plus Co-Chairs, Phil de Picciotto, President of Octagon Athletes & Personalities, Alexander M. Seaver, Managing Director of Stadium Capital Management LLC,  and Peter Palandjian, Chairman and CEO of Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation and a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame Board of Directors.
 
"Last year, we injected a new look, feel and energy into this event that has been a part of the tennis scene for more than 25 years," said Mark Stenning, CEO of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. "Attendees can once again expect to mingle with tennis royalty, honor the greats of the game, bid on unique memorabilia and experiences in our silent and live auction and enjoy the electric atmosphere and great food that Cipriani is famous for."
A highlight of the evening will be the presentation of the third annual Eugene L. Scott Award to Billie Jean King.  The award honors an individual who embodies Scott’s commitment to communicating honestly and critically about the game, and who has had a significant impact on the tennis world.Scott founded Tennis Week magazine and wrote the most widely read and well-respected column about the sport, "Vantage Point."  Andre Agassi was honored last year with the Eugene L. Scott award while John McEnroe, Scott's friend and former doubles partner, received the inaugural award in 2006.
 
Both McEnroe and King spoke at the memorial service celebrating Scott's life before an estimated crowd of 1,200 people at the Church Of The Heavenly Rest in New York City on April 1, 2006.
 
King followed McEnroe to the lectern, pointing out: "John and I have something in common — we both lost to Gene Scott," an allusion to the first inter-gender match in which Scott spotted King 11 points and still prevailed, 23-21, in a charity exhibition staged in New Year years ago.
King recalled relishing the long conversations she and Scott shared during their playing days on trips to the Catskills. Despite occasional skirmishes, their mutual love affair with tennis created a bond that was evident in their long discourses on their felt friend and their common belief that promoting public parks tennis and putting a racquet in the hands of everyone interested in tennis were vital to the growth of the game in the United States.
 
"I loved the conversations with Gene; we'd sit and talk about a tennis ball for two hours: is it the right weight? Does it bounce high enough?" King said. Years later, Scott served as commentator when King played Bobby Riggs in the famed "Battle of the Sexes" match — a memory that remains imbedded in King's mind.
 
"Gene bet on Bobby, but I've forgiven him since," King said with a smile.
 
Guests attending the Hall of Fame's Legends Ball will also have the opportunity to bid upon once-in-a-lifetime experiences and unique items in a silent and live auction.  In the past, auction items have included hit sessions with tennis luminaries Pete Sampras, Jim Courier and Pam Shriver; ticket and travel packages to Grand Slam events; a meet and greet with Tiger Woods; golf at legendary courses like Winged Foot; and autographed tennis memorabilia from Roger Federer, James Blake and Andre Agassi.  
 
For tickets, sponsorship opportunities, or to learn more about the event, please call (212) 843-1740 or e-mail legendsball@hgnyc.com.  The mission of the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum, based in Newport, RI, is to preserve the history of tennis, inspire and encourage junior tennis development, enshrine tennis heroes and heroines and provide a landmark for tennis enthusiasts worldwide. 

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