Black & Ullyett Qualify for Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai
2004 Doubles Finalists Black & Ullyett Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, U.S.A. – Zimbabweans Wayne Black and Kevin Ullyett, who have reached the semifinals of the US Open Men’s Doubles competition, have become the third team to qualify for the Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai, the circuit finale to be held November 13-20.
The Zimbabwe duo join American twins Bob and Mike Bryan and first-year partners Jonas Bjorkman and Max Mirnyi in the circuit finale, which will be held at the spectacular new Qi Zhong Stadium.
"It is really nice to know, that with a third of the year to go, that we are headed to Shanghai,” said Ullyett. “We are having one of the best seasons of our career and we want it to end up well. I am eager to play in the new tennis center in Shanghai. I have seen the pictures and am amazed at what they were able to accomplish."
Black and Ullyett currently are looking to claim their second US Open title at Flushing Meadows. The 2001 champions, seeded No. 4 in New York, will meet top seeds Bjorkman and Mirnyi in the semifinals (11a.m. EST Thursday, USA Network). The men’s doubles final will be shown live in the United States on CBS on Friday at 11:00 a.m. EST.
Black and Ullyett, the reigning Australian Open doubles champions, will be making their third consecutive appearance in the Tennis Masters Cup Doubles, having finished runners-up to the Bryan brothers last year in Houston and serving as alternates in Houston in 2004. Both players also qualified in 1999 with separate partners: Black reaching the semifinals with Sandon Stolle while Ullyett went out after the round robin group stage with Piet Norval.
Since beginning their partnership back in 1996, Black and Ullyett have won 14 titles together on the ATP circuit. Having claimed their second Grand Slam title in Melbourne in January, Black and Ullyett have compiled a 32-12 record in 2005 heading into their US Open semifinal.
They came into Flushing Meadows having reached three consecutive finals, losing to the Bryan brothers at the Legg Mason Tennis Championships in Washington, defeating Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram at the Rogers Masters in Montreal, and losing to Bjorkman and Mirnyi at the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati. They are in third position in the ATP Doubles Race.
Black and Ullyett also will be featured in the next issue of DEUCE, the official magazine of the ATP. DEUCE is available via subscription by logging onto ATPtennis.com.
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