"See you next year!". Awarding ceremony of the North Palmyra Trophies
"Lions" received the rotating cup and their championship trophies, while the "Sphinxes" collected second place awards.
«If we played by the rules of today's media football, we should have played the last match with red balls, and the victory in it would count for two points. Then it would have been a draw – 6-6!» – said Alexander Ivanovich Medvedev, the general director of the North Palmyra Trophies.
«Our captains Janko Tipsarevic, Sveta Kuznetsova, Anastasia Myskina, Dima Tursunov, and Nikolay Davydenko brilliantly did their job. It's not easy to handle teams with such stars in the lineup. Well done!» – he added.
The Vice-Governor of Saint Petersburg Boris Piotrovsky emphasized that with the organization of the North Palmyra Trophies tournament, Saint Petersburg once again proved its status as the world's sports capital.
«Dear citizens of Saint Petersburg, dear tennis enthusiasts, dear friends, with immense joy, on behalf of our city's governor, Alexander Dmitrievich Beglov, and personally, I want to congratulate you on witnessing a brilliant sports celebration which took place in our city for the second time», said Piotrovsky. «I express my gratitude to you, dear Alexander Ivanovich, and your entire team, who year after year creates this amazing sports festival for us. I also want to thank all the players who gave us wonderful matches to watch. Saint Petersburg proved its title as the world's sports capital yet again. Thank you! See you next year!»
After awarding the "Sphinxes," team captains took to the floor.
«I would like to congratulate the 'lionesses' and 'lions' on such a victory!», said Anastasia Myskina. «We fought as best as we could. Thanks to the guys from the team for what they did. But it's okay; next time we'll take our revenge».
«I want to thank all the spectators for being with us and supporting us throughout these three days. It means a lot to us», added Nikolay Davydenko. «Also, a big thank you to the organizers and sponsors; it was very pleasant to be with you for two years in a row. I hope you will invite me again next year».
A native of Saint Petersburg and now a two-time winner of the North Palmyra Trophies tournament as captain, Svetlana Kuznetsova thanked her team for their fighting spirit and her opponents for the resistance they offered.
«Alexander Ivanovich, thank you so much for creating such an atmosphere and bringing world-class tennis to Saint Petersburg with the help of Natalia Alexandrovna and the entire team. When I was little, we had only a few tournaments here. And now you are creating something special, please, keep expounding tennis in Saint Petersburg».
«I want to thank the entire team for the way guys fought. Thanks to all the participants. I hope that next year we will all be here again», she said.
«For the second year, I am participating in this amazing tournament. And now I want to say that sport is a thing that is meant to unite people, not divide them. I want to thank my team, opponents, and all the organizers – Alexander, Natalia – for such a wonderful tournament», added the second captain of the "Lions," Janko Tipsarevic.
«Of course, I would like to thank those who organized such a beautiful tournament with a warm atmosphere and wonderful players. And also, congratulations to all the guys who participated in this tournament, even those who did not win. Indeed, sports should unite people, not divide them», said the special guest of the award ceremony, Olympic champion, two-time world champion, and three-time European champion in figure skating, Roman Kostomarov.
The audience's favorite, Alexander Bublik, summed up the tournament:
«Dear residents of Saint Petersburg and guests of our beautiful city, I would like to thank you once again for coming to support us. It was an honor and a great pleasure for me to be here in front of you again», he said. «I would like to thank Alexander Ivanovich and Natalia Alexandrovna for organizing such a tournament. Unfortunately, last year I couldn't come. This year everything worked out at the last moment, and I even managed to take the cup. Being here is very special to me because I grew up in this city, and I would like to come back here every year».
«And I would like to personally address Roman (Kostomarov). You are an embodiment of the athletic spirit and will, you were an exceptional example to our nation and all the athletes».
«If we played by the rules of today's media football, we should have played the last match with red balls, and the victory in it would count for two points. Then it would have been a draw – 6-6!» – said Alexander Ivanovich Medvedev, the general director of the North Palmyra Trophies.
«Our captains Janko Tipsarevic, Sveta Kuznetsova, Anastasia Myskina, Dima Tursunov, and Nikolay Davydenko brilliantly did their job. It's not easy to handle teams with such stars in the lineup. Well done!» – he added.
The Vice-Governor of Saint Petersburg Boris Piotrovsky emphasized that with the organization of the North Palmyra Trophies tournament, Saint Petersburg once again proved its status as the world's sports capital.
«Dear citizens of Saint Petersburg, dear tennis enthusiasts, dear friends, with immense joy, on behalf of our city's governor, Alexander Dmitrievich Beglov, and personally, I want to congratulate you on witnessing a brilliant sports celebration which took place in our city for the second time», said Piotrovsky. «I express my gratitude to you, dear Alexander Ivanovich, and your entire team, who year after year creates this amazing sports festival for us. I also want to thank all the players who gave us wonderful matches to watch. Saint Petersburg proved its title as the world's sports capital yet again. Thank you! See you next year!»
After awarding the "Sphinxes," team captains took to the floor.
«I would like to congratulate the 'lionesses' and 'lions' on such a victory!», said Anastasia Myskina. «We fought as best as we could. Thanks to the guys from the team for what they did. But it's okay; next time we'll take our revenge».
«I want to thank all the spectators for being with us and supporting us throughout these three days. It means a lot to us», added Nikolay Davydenko. «Also, a big thank you to the organizers and sponsors; it was very pleasant to be with you for two years in a row. I hope you will invite me again next year».
A native of Saint Petersburg and now a two-time winner of the North Palmyra Trophies tournament as captain, Svetlana Kuznetsova thanked her team for their fighting spirit and her opponents for the resistance they offered.
«Alexander Ivanovich, thank you so much for creating such an atmosphere and bringing world-class tennis to Saint Petersburg with the help of Natalia Alexandrovna and the entire team. When I was little, we had only a few tournaments here. And now you are creating something special, please, keep expounding tennis in Saint Petersburg».
«I want to thank the entire team for the way guys fought. Thanks to all the participants. I hope that next year we will all be here again», she said.
«For the second year, I am participating in this amazing tournament. And now I want to say that sport is a thing that is meant to unite people, not divide them. I want to thank my team, opponents, and all the organizers – Alexander, Natalia – for such a wonderful tournament», added the second captain of the "Lions," Janko Tipsarevic.
«Of course, I would like to thank those who organized such a beautiful tournament with a warm atmosphere and wonderful players. And also, congratulations to all the guys who participated in this tournament, even those who did not win. Indeed, sports should unite people, not divide them», said the special guest of the award ceremony, Olympic champion, two-time world champion, and three-time European champion in figure skating, Roman Kostomarov.
The audience's favorite, Alexander Bublik, summed up the tournament:
«Dear residents of Saint Petersburg and guests of our beautiful city, I would like to thank you once again for coming to support us. It was an honor and a great pleasure for me to be here in front of you again», he said. «I would like to thank Alexander Ivanovich and Natalia Alexandrovna for organizing such a tournament. Unfortunately, last year I couldn't come. This year everything worked out at the last moment, and I even managed to take the cup. Being here is very special to me because I grew up in this city, and I would like to come back here every year».
«And I would like to personally address Roman (Kostomarov). You are an embodiment of the athletic spirit and will, you were an exceptional example to our nation and all the athletes».
