Sixth annual all-star tennis event returns to the ALLTEL Pavilion at the VCU Stuart C. Siegel Center Sept. 12 at 7 p.m.

RICHMOND, Va. - June 16, 2008 - As part of their ongoing commitment to support cancer research, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia and James Blake are pleased to present the sixth annual AnthemLIVE! Joining Blake this year will be former Grand Slam singles champion Andy Roddick and the world's No. 1 men's doubles team, Bob and Mike Bryan. All four players are members of the 2007 winning men's Davis Cup team. Last year marked the first U.S. men's Davis Cup title in 12 years. AnthemLIVE! will take place at 7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 12, 2008 at the ALLTEL Pavilion at the VCU Stuart C. Siegel Center.

"We are excited to bring AnthemLIVE! back to Richmond and look forward to a great night of tennis," said Burke King, president, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia. "Finding a cure for this dreaded disease that has affected all of us at one time or another is one of the things most passionate to Anthem and our members. The success we've enjoyed partnering with James Blake on this event has exceeded our expectations and once again, we're happy to have James and his friends join us to help raise funds for cancer research."

Since its inception, AnthemLIVE! has raised more than $2.5 million for cancer research. This year's event will again benefit groundbreaking cancer research at Eastern Virginia Medical School, Virginia Commonwealth University's Massey Cance r Center and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

"Sponsoring a world-class tennis event to support world-class cancer research is a noble endeavor on the part of Anthem," said Gordon D. Ginder, M.D., director of VCU Massey Cancer Center. "Cancer research ideas and potential discoveries are in the pipeline waiting to get out, and we are grateful Anthem recognizes that through research, we can extend and save lives."

Supporting the fight against cancer is a top priority for Blake, whose father, Thomas Blake, died of cancer in 2004. To honor his father, Blake plays AnthemLIVE! each year and has established The Thomas Blake Sr. Research Fund at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

"I've enjoyed a great partnership with Anthem and look forward to another successful event. I'm close to my Davis Cup teammates and a m happy they've agreed to join me this year to help raise funds to find a cure for cancer," said Blake. "It is especially rewarding to be returning to Arthur Ashe's hometown during the 40th Anniversary of his historic achievements in 1968 when he became world No. 1 and led the United States to a Davis Cup championship. Arthur Ashe inspired my father to begin playing tennis and I can't think of a more appropriate location for this event or lineup of players to partner with during such an historic time."

Ticket Information

Tickets for AnthemLIVE! go on sale Monday, June 16, and will be available at the VCU Box Office, 804-828-7267, or by visiting www.siegelcenter.com. Ticket prices will range from $15 to $125. Courtside tables for six people will be available for $3,000 each.

Player Information

James Blake
A New York native, Blake learned to play tennis at the Harlem Junior Tennis League. In 1997, he was the No. 1 junior tennis player in the country. Two years later at Harvard University, Blake was the No. 1 collegiate player.

In 2007, Blake compiled another consistent season winning two ATP titles in five finals. He also helped the U.S. men's Davis Cup team defeat Russia to win the Davis Cup for the first time in 12 years.

James Blake compiled a career-best season in 2006 with five ATP titles on four continents in eight finals. His titles won trailed only Federer (12), and he was tied for second with Nikolay Davydenko and Rafael Nadal on ATP circuit. He finished in the top 5 and as the No. 1 American for first time.

Blake is currently ranked No. 8 in the world. His 2007 autobiography, Breaking Back, was a New York Times bestseller.

Andy Roddick
A former World No. 1, Andy Roddick finished 2007 as the top-ranked American player and sixth-ranked player in the world. He is a Grand Slam singles champion winning the 2003 U.S. Open. Since that victory, he has reached three other Grand Slam finals including Wimbledon twice and the U.S. Open, each time losing to Roger Federer.

Currently ranked No. 6 in the world, Roddick was a member of the victorious U. S. Davis Cup Team in 2007 with Blake and Bob and Mike Bryan, Roddick is best known for his powerful serve and holds the fastest serve on record in professional tennis, clocked at 155 mph.

Bob and Mike Bryan
In 2007, the Bob and Mike Bryan team won an amazing 11 titles in 15 finals. They clinched the Stanford ATP Doubles Race for the third consecutive year and became the first team to finish No. 1 four times in five years. In addition, they helped the United States win the Davis Cup title by posting a 4-0 record together and clinched the final versus Russia with a straight-set victory. Known for their chest-bumping celebrations, the duo has added their names to the record books by becoming only the second team in 50 years to reach the finals of all four Grand Slam tournaments in one season (2005).

Bob and Mike are identical twins. Bob is the left-handed twin and Mike is the right-handed one.

More information about all the participating players can be found at www.atptennis.com. Download the flyer. (218k PDF document)