A highly competitive field took to the courts to contest the title at this 2nd year event. Kicking off the action on Wednesday night, Wayne Ferreira secured a win over Swede Anders Jarryd , 6-2, 6-4, while Pete Sampras, who came into the tournament undefeated in 2007 Outback Champions Series (OCS) match play, proved too strong for Mikael Pernfors, posting an impressive 6-0, 6-2 win. Thursday’s action opened with Todd Martin earning a tough victory over Aaron Krickstein, 6-4, 7-5, who had reached the finals earlier in the year at The Oliver Group Champions Cup in Naples. Jim Courier capped off the evening with a win over Jimmy Arias in a crowd-pleasing match, 6-2, 6-2.

Friday afternoon, the Swedes faced off, with Jarryd crediting his consistent ground game and strong returns for his victory over Pernfors 6-4, 6-3. Martin, hot off the heels of his Gibson Guitars Champions Cup title in Newport, kept his winning streak alive by defeating Arias, 6-2, 6-4. As the sun set, Courier utilized a consistent serve and fierce ground-strokes to secure the victory over Krickstein 6-4, 6-3. The Charlotte crowds were then treated to a gritty match between Outback Champions Series standouts Sampras and Ferreira. In classic Sampras form, with his powerful serves and all-around excellence on display, Pistol Pete eventually topped the hard-hitting Ferreira in a hard fought battle, 6-3, 6-4.

In Saturday’s Group A action, Sampras secured his spot in the finals with a convincing win over Jarryd, 6-1, 6-2, while Ferreira earned a victory over Pernfors, 6-3, 6-2, and subsequently, a trip to Sunday’s 3rd place match. Group B’s undefeated twosome, Courier and Martin, took to the court to decide who would advance to meet Sampras in the finals. Their match didn’t disappoint as the two former Davis Cup teammates slugged it out to a sudden death Champions tie-break with Martin clinching the victory, 6-4, 7-6(4), 10-5(TB).

As a terrific climax to an outstanding week of tennis, Charlotte would see two of America’s greatest players in the final with Outback Champions Series rivals Martin and Sampras taking center stage in front of another sold out audience. Sampras and Martin first met in Boston in May where Martin held match points in the finals against Sampras before Sampras stormed back to win 5 consecutive points and his first OCS title. Next, the two took the rivalry overseas and once again they would meet in the finals of the Champions Cup-Athens where Sampras came from behind again in the sudden death Champions Breaker to secure the title. Martin, who’s only losses on the OCS to date this year have been to Sampras, hoped to reverse the trend and take his second title of the 2007 campaign in Charlotte. Sampras had other plans and was too tough to handle, thrilling the crowd with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Martin. In Sunday’s 3rd place match, Courier and Ferreira proved to be well matched, with the South African eventually pulling away to claim victory by the score of 3-6, 7-6(2), 10-5.

Thanks again to all of the tennis fans in the Carolinas for continued support of The Championships at The Palisades. Be sure to check back at www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com for 2008 event information, updates, ticket and hospitality packages and player perspectives.

See you in 2008.