CARSON, Calif., May 7, 2007 - The United States Tennis Association (USTA) today announced that The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., will host the Countrywide Classic USTA Men's $50,000 Challenger and The Home Depot Center USTA Women's $50,000 Challenger Monday, May 28 through Sunday, June 3.  This is one of four combined tournaments on the USTA Pro Circuit scheduled for 2007.  This year's event marks the second time Carson has hosted a men's challenger and is the inaugural event for the women.

The Challenger tournament offers an opportunity for players to gain professional ranking points needed to compete on major tours.  Players ranked as high as No. 50 in the world typically compete in challenger-level events.  In 2005, Justin Gimelstob, a winner of nine professional titles, won the inaugural men's event.  Gimelstob has captured 13 ATP Tour doubles championships.

Both fields will feature 32 singles players and 16 doubles teams, drawing from the Top 200 tennis world rankings.   The prize purse for the tournament is $50,000 for each male and female winner.  Men's singles qualifying will take place on Saturday, May 26, while the women's is slated for Sunday, May 27. 

The event is free to the public Monday, May 28 - Saturday, June 2.  On Sunday, June 3, tickets to the finals are $5.00.  For more information, please visit www.usta.com/carsonchallenger.

The event will also offer a free Kids Day on Saturday, June 2 at The Home Depot Center from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.  The morning will include activities and lessons for kids interested in the game of tennis.  Contests and prizes will be offered, as well as \"Rapid Rally,\" an official USOC Junior Olympic Skills Competition Event.

The USTA West Coast High Performance Training Center is based at The Home Depot Center.  Nearly 250 of tennis' rising stars train annually with USTA tennis coaches in Carson at the facility's 18 tennis courts.  The Challenger tournament is one of several tournaments held at The Home Depot Center, including the USTA International Spring Championships and the annual US Open Series Ultimate Tennis Celebration, a Tier II stop on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. 

The 2007 Men's and Women's Challenger event is a partnership between the Southern California Tennis Association (SCTA), USTA, Countrywide Classic and AEG, owners and operators of The Home Depot Center.  This event marks the first time the SCTA, USTA and AEG have jointly promoted a co-ed Pro Circuit tournament.

ABOUT THE HOME DEPOT CENTER
The Home Depot Center is southern California's home of world-class competition and training facilities for amateur, Olympic, collegiate and professional athletes.  The $150 million, privately financed facility was developed and is operated by AEG on a 125-acre site on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) in Carson, California.  The Home Depot Center features an 8,000-seat tennis stadium, a 27,000-seat stadium for soccer, rugby and other athletic competitions and outdoor concerts, a 10,000-seat facility for track & field and lacrosse, the ADT Event Center (a 2,450-seat indoor velodrome for cycling) and other facilities for softball, baseball, beach volleyball, basketball and other sports. The Home Depot Center is home to three professional sports teams - Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy and Chivas USA, and Major League Lacrosse's (MLL) Los Angeles Riptide.  Named an Official U.S. Olympic Training Site, The Home Depot Center is also home of the United States Tennis Association's (USTA) High Performance Training Center and is the national team training headquarters for the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF).  The David Beckham Academy for youth soccer, Andre Agassi's Safe Passage All-Stars at-risk youth tennis program and Athletes' Performance's training center for elite and professional athletes are all based at The Home Depot Center.  The Home Depot Center has additionally been designated official training sites for USA Cycling and USA Track & Field.  For more information, please visit www.homedepotcenter.com. 

ABOUT THE USTA PRO CIRCUIT
With 95 tournaments throughout the country and prize money ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, the USTA Pro Circuit is the pathway to the US Open and tour-level competition for aspiring tennis players and a frequent battleground for established professionals.   Last year, 1,089 men and women from 74 countries competed on the USTA Pro Circuit for approximately $3.2 million in prize money and valuable ATP and WTA Tour ranking points.   Maria Sharapova, Andy Roddick, James Blake, Justine Henin, Nicole Vaidisova, Andy Murray and David Nalbandian are among today's top stars who began their careers on the USTA Pro Circuit.    The USTA Pro Circuit is world-class tennis administered on the local level and played on local tennis courts as part of the fabric of communities nationwide -- an opportunity for current and new fans to experience the excitement and intensity of the professional game in their neighborhood.

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For more information contact:
Tim Curry, Senior Manager, Publicity, Professional Tennis, USTA
(914) 696-7077, curry@usta.com

Chennelle Miller, Manager, Public Relations, Professional Tennis, USTA
(914) 696-7260 or cmiller@usta.com

Adrian Hamblin, Publicity Assistant, Professional Tennis, USTA
(914) 697-2291

Alison Groendal, The Home Depot Center
(310) 630-2032