Maria Sharapova will face Madison Keys in today’s featured event of the “Maria Sharapova & Friends” two-day exhibition at the UCLA Tennis Center.
Sharapova is fourth on the Women’s Tennis Association singles rankings, 14 spots ahead of the 20-year-old Keys. The two have played officially once, with Sharapova winning 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, in a round of 32 match at the 2014 Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati.
Today’s play is set to begin at 1 p.m. with a mixed doubles match pitting Andy Roddick, a former men’s No. 1 ranked singles player, and Laura Robson, a silver medalist in mixed doubles in the 2012 Summer Olympics, against Mardy Fish, the men’s singles silver medal winner in the 2004 Olympics, and Keys.
Fish and Roddick will then play a singles match.
Play will conclude today with Sharapova, Roddick and comedian Chelsea Handler playing in a celebrity doubles match.
Sunday’s play will begin at 1 p.m. with Sharapova and Kei Nishikori, eighth on the Association of Tennis Professionals men’s singles rankings, facing Robson and Jack Sock, 26th on the ATP singles rankings, second among Americans.
Keys will face Sloane Stephens, 30th on the WTA singles rankings, in the second match. Nishikori will face Sock in the third match.
Play will conclude with Sharapova, Sock and Handler playing in a celebrity doubles match.
All singles matches are best two of three sets, with a Champions tiebreaker in lieu of a third set. The mixed doubles matches will be one set with a 12-point tiebreaker at six games all. The celebrity matches are best of two games, with a tiebreaker at one-all or two-all.
A portion of the proceeds will go toward the Maria Sharapova Foundation which raises money for underprivileged children around the world.
Both days of “Maria Sharapova & Friends” will be televised live by the Tennis Channel.
More information is available at mariasharapova.com or by calling (844) 556-2742.
