World class tennis landed in Dallas with The Stanford Championships kicking off on Wednesday October 22nd at the Turpin Tennis Stadium on the campus of Southern Methodist University. Tournament play began with Aaron Krickstein defeating Todd Martin 7-6 (4), 6-4 in the first match, and Jim Courier knocking off Karel Novacek 6-3, 6-1 in the late match as the five-day Outback Champions Series event kicked off. Thursday, Thomas Enqvist and Wayne Ferreira each posted opening round-robin match victories. Enqvist, from Sweden, defeated American Jimmy Arias 6-3, 6-2, while Ferreira, the defending champion from South Africa, defeated Justin Gimelstob of the United States 6-2, 7-6 (4), a late replacement for an injured Boris Becker.

Heading into Friday, defending champion Wayne Ferreira defeated Karel Novacek 7-5, 6-2 in round-robin play to set up a Saturday clash with top rival Jim Courier for the right to advance to the event’s championship match. Courier defeated Justin Gimelstob in a hard fought match that saw both players taking a set before Courier pulled out a 6-2, 4-6, 11-9 (Champions Tie-Breaker) victory Friday evening to join Ferreira with a perfect 2-0 round-robin record in the tournament’s Group A. Todd Martin recovered from his Wednesday loss to Aaron Krickstein to defeat Jimmy Arias 6-4, 6-2 to even his round-robin record at 1-1 in Group B. Thomas Enqvist improved his record to 2-0 in Group B with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Aaron Krickstein.

On Saturday, fans were able to see their favorite female tennis competitors in a special mixed doubles exhibition. Tennis enthusiasts came out in full force for Anna Kournikova and enjoyed autographs after her mixed doubles win. She and Thomas Enqvist beat local favorites Luis Herrera and SMU graduate student Tara Snyder, 6-3, as they entertained between the men’s tournament matches. Later, Kournikova and Courier beat Snyder and Ferreira in the night match, 8-7 (5), drawing on the support of the crowd and interacting with the fans throughout the match.

Moving into the finals, Jim Courier and Thomas Enqvist both completed perfect 3-0 round-robin records Saturday to advance into the championship. Courier advanced after avenging a loss in a re-match of the 2007 final of the Stanford Championships, defeating defending champion Wayne Ferreira 6-4, 6-3, while Enqvist edged Todd Martin 4-6, 6-4, 11-9 (Champions Tie-Breaker).

On Sunday, Jim Courier won his sixth career Outback Champions Series event – and his third title in 2008 – with a dramatic 3-6, 6-4, 10-8 (Champions Tie-Breaker) victory over Thomas Enqvist, Sunday, in the final of the Stanford Championships. Courier won the last four points of the decisive Champions tie-breaker, played in lieu of a third set, and won the match when Enqvist missed a sitter overhead on match point. Courier called the missed overhead, “one of the nuttiest match points I’ve ever been a part of.”

Courier, 38, appeared in his ninth career Outback Champions Series final and his fourth final of the 2008 season. Courier won events earlier this year in Grand Cayman in April and Charlotte in September while he lost to Pat Cash in the final in Newport in August.