(December 3, 2012) – In a hotly contested race, Jim Courier held on to finish the 2012 PowerShares Series season in the top spot and claim the first place winner’s share of $500,000. Andre Agassi finished strong to win three of the final four events, vaulting past John McEnroe to take second place and capture $350,000, but wasn't able to get past Courier, who edged Agassi by 100 points. John McEnroe finished in third place and took home $150,000.
“To finish number one on tour with the array of top players we have on the PowerShares Series is extremely satisfying,” said Courier. “Andre really stepped it up at the end of the season and I was a bit lucky to get out to a good lead before he got hot. It's time to take a breather now, but I've already got my eye on the 2013 season and how I will need to prepare to defend the crown.”
Courier moved into the #1 position in early November with back-to-back victories in Tampa and Atlanta, defeating McEnroe in the finals of both events. This was after he had gotten off to the early lead in the Series with a victory in the first event of the season in Surprise, Arizona. Although both Courier and Agassi each won three times, the difference in points came from Courier’s additional runner-up finish in Las Vegas.
Agassi claimed victories in San Jose, Las Vegas and Anaheim and had semifinal losses in his other two PowerShares Series appearances. Agassi and McEnroe finished the season tied with 1400 points each, but Agassi won the tiebreaker with a 2-1 head-to-head record against McEnroe this season, which was decided in the last event in Anaheim where Agassi defeated McEnroe in the semifinals, 6-2.
McEnroe -- the only player to appear in all 12 PowerShares Series events this season -- was exceptionally consistent all season, reaching nine finals and lifting the crown in Chicago and Denver. Pete Sampras -- the #1 ranked player on the 2011 Champions Series -- ended up in fourth place this season. Pat Rafter, who won a pair of titles in Philadelphia and New York in his only two appearances of the season – was fifth.
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The PowerShares Series rankings are determined by totaling the points earned from the best five tournament results of each player.
FINAL 2012 PowerShares Series Standings / Points / Bonus Pool Prize Money
1. Courier / 1500 / $500,000
2. *Agassi / 1400 / $350,000
3. McEnroe / 1400 / $150,000
4. Sampras / 1100
5. Rafter / 800
6. Chang / 700
7. Lendl / 400
8. Martin / 200
Wilander / 200
* Agassi wins tiebreaker on head-to-head record
2012 PowerShares Series Tour Results
October 13 / Surprise, AZ / Surprise Tennis Stadium
Championship match: Courier def. McEnroe, 8-7 (1)
Semifinals: Courier def. Martin 7-6 (5); McEnroe def. Chang 6-2
October 17 / Chicago, IL / United Center
Championship match: McEnroe def. Sampras, 8-7 (4)
Semifinals: McEnroe def. Lendl, 6-3; Sampras def. Courier, 7-6 (5)
October 18 / Detroit, MI / Palace of Auburn Hills
Championship match: Sampras def. Lendl, 8-4
Semifinals: Lendl def. McEnroe 7-6 (6); Sampras def. Courier, 6-4
October 19 / Boston, MA / TD Garden
Championship match: Sampras def. McEnroe, 6-1
Semifinals: McEnroe def. Lendl, 6-2; Sampras def. Courier, 6-3
November 2 / Philadelphia, PA / Wells Fargo Center
Championship match: Rafter def. McEnroe, 8-4
Semifinals: McEnroe def. Courier, 6-4; Rafter def. Chang, 6-2
November 5 / New York, NY / Madison Square Garden
Championship match: Rafter def. McEnroe, 8-3
Semifinals: Rafter def. Sampras, 6-3; McEnroe def. Agassi, 6-4
November 9 / Tampa, FL / Tampa Bay Times Forum
Championship match: Courier def. McEnroe, 8-7 (2)
Semifinals: Courier def. Wilander, 6-3; McEnroe def. Chang, 7-6 (3)
November 10 / Atlanta, GA / Gwinnett Center
Championship match: Courier def. McEnroe, 8-6
Semifinals: Courier def. Chang, 6-3; McEnroe def. Wilander, 6-3
November 16 / San Jose, CA / HP Pavilion
Championship match: Agassi def. McEnroe, 8-3
Semifinals: McEnroe def. Martin, 6-3; Agassi def. Courier, 6-3
November 17 / Las Vegas, NV / Mandalay Bay Hotel
Championship match: Agassi def. Courier, 8-3
Semifinals: Courier def. McEnroe, 7-5; Agassi def. Chang, 7-5
November 29 / Denver, CO / Pepsi Center
Championship match: McEnroe def. Chang, 8-6
Semifinals: McEnroe def. Courier, 6-4; Chang def. Agassi, 7-6 (9-7)
November 30 / Anaheim, CA / Honda Center
Championship match: Agassi def. Chang, 8-4
Semifinals: Chang def. Courier, 6-4; Agassi def. McEnroe, 6-2