CONNECTICUT OPEN ANNOUNCES NEW CORNERSTONE PARTNERSHIPS WITH AVANGRID AND CONNECTICUT MAGAZINE TO KICK OFF 2018 MEDIA DAY

 

World No.13 Julia Goerges and defending champion Daria Gavrilova join Kvitova in player field; Individual tickets for all sessions on sale now; addition of solar panels and Avangrid Power Zone

 

NEW HAVEN, Conn.-  The Connecticut Open, a WTA Premier event that is part of the US Open Series, has secured two new Cornerstone partnerships with energy company Avangrid and Connecticut Magazine, a publication of Hearst Connecticut Media Group, it was announced at a press launch today by Tournament Director Anne Worcester as tickets for the 2018 tournament officially went on sale.

 

In two exciting additions to the player field, which already includes world No.8 and two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, Worcester announced the return of defending champion Daria Gavrilova, the Australian who captured the hearts of New Haven tennis fans with her maiden title run last year, and World No.13 Julia Goerges.

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Avangrid will become the Official Energy Partner for the tournament, staged from August 17-25, while Hearst comes on board as Official Media Partner, both joining long-time Cornerstone Sponsors Yale New Haven Health and Yale University as well as host sponsors in the City of New Haven and State of Connecticut.
 
“We are thrilled to announce world-class corporate partners in Avangrid and Hearst, joining Yale New Haven Health and Yale University as Cornerstone sponsors for the 2018 Connecticut Open,” said Worcester. “We look forward to working with them to achieve their objectives and to take the tournament to even greater heights as we continue our mission to leverage world-class women’s tennis to benefit the local community. Julia has been a long-term recruiting target so we are delighted to have her confirmed and to have our Dasha returning as defending champion will be exciting for everyone.”
 
“We’re delighted to announce that Avangrid is supporting the 2018 Connecticut Open, a world-class women’s tennis event taking place just a few miles away from our corporate headquarters in Orange, Connecticut,” said Robert Kump, president and CEO of Avangrid Networks. “This partnership will give Avangrid increased global exposure, while highlighting an exciting women’s sporting event and helping to advance our commitment to the well-being of the communities in which our companies operate.”
 
“Hearst prides itself on supporting organizations that benefit the communities served by its news-gathering operations,” said Paul Barbetta, president and group publisher of the Hearst Connecticut Media Group. “We’re honored by the affiliation with the Connecticut Open and pleased we’ll be able to showcase tournament coverage in Connecticut Magazine, and through our newspapers and websites.”

In other exciting sponsorship news, Worcester announced Sofibella as a new Platinum sponsor and Official Active wear partner, outfitting the ball kids and officiating teams. New Gold sponsors include PepsiCo, the official soft drink, water, isotonic and tea beverages provider and Cheeses of Europe, the official cheese of the tournament (and the US Open Series as a whole), which along with local fromagerie

Caseus, provided lunch for guests at the Connecticut Tennis Center today. RISE Brewery joins as official cold brew coffee and a silver-level sponsor, while Ketel One Botanical, the official vodka, and The Singleton, official scotch whisky, join as new bronze-level sponsors.

Current World No.25 Gavrilova has made two semi-final appearances in the 2018 season so far and scored a huge upset over World No.3 Garbine Muguruza in Rome last month. “I cannot wait to return to New Haven to defend my title,” said Gavrilova. “This tournament will always have a special place in my heart because of last year’s great run, and I’m also looking forward to hitting those fantastic New Haven restaurants!”

In a significant coup, German Julia Goerges has also confirmed her entry into the 2018 field. Goerges is an ambassador for Porsche, the official automotive sponsor of the Connecticut Open for the second year in a row, whose latest models were on display to media this morning. Goerges is making a main draw appearance in New Haven for only the second time in her illustrious career that includes five WTA titles. “It has been five years since I have played in New Haven and I’m excited to return and play some great tennis,” said Goerges. “I know if offers me a great chance to prepare for the US Open and I’m excited to play in front of the fans there again.”

In off-court developments, this year’s Connecticut Open will feature the new Avangrid Power Zone, an interactive space where fans can take a break from the tennis to recharge their devices and bodies and share their experience on social media. Avangrid, parent company of CT based United Illuminating, Southern Connecticut Gas and Connecticut Natural Gas Company, will provide photo opportunities, competitions and player selfie sessions.

Fans can expect to experience a variety of off-court entertainment and activities throughout tournament week. The weeklong events for 2018 include:
• ShopRite Kids Day powered by Net Generation – Sunday, August 19

• Opening Night Ceremony presented by Yale University – Monday, August 20

• Women’s Day featuring Courtgirls & Cocktails – Tuesday, August 21

• Autism Awareness Day– Wednesday, August 22

• Invesco Series QQQ Men’s Legends event – Thursday August 23 and Friday August 24

• Family Day featuring Super Hero & Princess costume contest and High School Tennis Clinic – Friday, August 24
• Military Appreciation Day – Saturday, August 25 

• Beer Fest at the Connecticut Open – Saturday, August 25

Also new for 2018, solar panels have been installed in the south-facing upper bleachers of stadium court in a bid to generate 132,000 kilowatt-hours annually, the energy equivalent of keeping 150 bright incandescent light bulbs lit year-round. The installation is being funded by Star Power Energy, LLC, a Branford company, and will be gifted to the Connecticut Tennis Center after 20 years.

 

Tickets for the 2018 Connecticut Open are available at CTOpen.org/Tickets or by calling the box office at 1-855-464-8366.  Individual session tickets were made available to the general public starting today at 9am.  Multi-session packages including AFTER HOURS (all evening sessions and Saturday’s final), PICK 4 (four sessions of your choice from Sunday through Thursday) and FINAL 4 (the last four sessions including Thursday night’s quarterfinal and men’s legends, Friday’s semifinals and men’s legends and Saturday’s final) are available online or through the box office and offer up to 24% savings. Weeklong box seats, which offer more than 45% savings versus individual session prices, may be purchased through the box office only.

Tickets to the inaugural Beer Fest at the Connecticut Open are $40 and available at bit.ly/BeerFestatCTO The Beer Fest ticket includes access to the beer festival from 12 noon to 4 p.m. and general admission, middle-tier seating to the Connecticut Open singles (3 p.m.) and doubles (12:30 p.m.) finals.  Beer Fest at the Connecticut Open will feature sampling of craft beers from 30 members of the Connecticut Brewers Guild.

For more information about the 2018 Connecticut Open, including, sponsorship packages, hospitality and becoming a volunteer, visit www.ctopen.org or call 203-776-7331.

 

About Connecticut Open
The Connecticut Open is a WTA tournament held at the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale featuring a 30-player singles main draw, a 48-player qualifying draw and a 16-team doubles draw with total prize money of $799,000. The 2017 title was won by Australia’s Daria Gavrilova, who collected her maiden WTA trophy as the tournament celebrated 20 years of women’s tennis in New Haven. Past champions include Steffi Graf, Lindsay Davenport (2 titles), Jennifer Capriati, Venus Williams (4), Justine Henin, Caroline Wozniacki (4) and Petra Kvitova (3). As a not-for-profit 501c3 charitable organization, the Connecticut Open’s mission is to leverage the excitement of world-class women’s tennis to benefit the local community and maximize support for women’s, youth and other causes. The tournament also generates $10+ million in regional economic impact. The Connecticut Open is prominently featured domestically through 50+ hours on ESPN2 and ESPN3 and is also broadcast internationally by WTA Media in 158 countries. In 2017, the global audience reached nearly 12 million viewers. For more details and tickets, visit www.ctopen.org.