Photos: Team Elton defeats Team Billie Jean 19-14 in WTT Smash Hits at Caesars Palace
The celebrity tennis matches at Caesars Palace could only have been played closer to the Strip if the traffic lanes had been shut down and the games played on Las Vegas Boulevard. Yes, that close!
But there was no dispute over the $600,000 raised for Elton John AIDS Foundation, bringing the 24-year total from annual charity tennis games to more than $15 million. To add to the impact, Sir Elton’s team scored a 19-14 victory over Billie Jean King’s in the four-set showdown.
It was a night of star athletes and stars, but charity became the biggest winner at World Team Tennis Smash Hits games at the forecourt of Caesars on Monday night. Our thanks to Richard Corey for his video covering the press conference, auction and court action posted on YouTube.
A capacity crowd watched Maria Sharapova’s highly anticipated return as she opened the night pairing up with Andy Roddick for celebrity doubles against Elton John and Martina Navratilova. Maria and Andy won 3-1 in an entertaining quick set.
Team Elton took the lead in the first set and never looked back en route to their second consecutive victory and 13-11 series lead. Maria and 16-year-old junior Taylor Johnson teamed up in Maria’s return to the court. Maria is serving a ban after a steroid violation.
But it was veteran doubles experience of Martina and Liezel Huber who took the first set for Team Elton 5-2. Former Davis Cup teammates Andy and Mardy Fish were too strong for Team Billie Jean’s John McEnroe and Mark Philippoussis in doubles, winning 5-3 for Team Elton.
John was relaxed and refined. No screaming or shouting at the umpires. But he did mock throw his racquet at Mark over one particular shot that they messed up badly. Andy and Mark faced off in a battle of big serves in singles, and the former won 5-3 to build Team Elton’s lead to 15-8.
John and Maria rallied in doubles, winning the first set of the night for Team Billie Jean 5-3 over Andy and Martina and sending the match into extended play. Team Billie Jean won the first game, but Andy and Martin closed out the set and match, winning the next game for Team Elton.
The evening started with the players participating in a live auction that raised more than $150,000. The players were bidders in the auction, with Maria winning a ticket package for the Broadway hit “Hamilton” and John buying an autographed Elton piano bench for $8,000.
Elton sold another one to a disappointed fan for the same amount. Billie Jean’s box seats at Wimbledon for one match next summer sold for $25,000, and she sold a second pair for another $25,000. Elton’s signed photograph of himself sold to a fan for $18,000.
Tennis fans and residents Gladys Knight and Mike Tyson watched the action, and The Tenors opened the night with the national anthem. Elton, who resumes his residency at The Colosseum tonight, used the court for private morning matches after arriving here Sunday.
“Great warmup,” he told me, pointing out that he still wears a knee brace after surgery a year ago. At the press conference after he mocked Donald Trump with a funny, off-color “locker room banter” joke about a hair stuck in his teeth, Elton told us:
“It’s always exciting playing with these tennis superstars. It never loses its luster. Las Vegas is a great city for charity. I love this town. It’s been very good to me, so it’s nice to give something back.
“Everyone said when you’re dead, you go to play Las Vegas, but I always thought that was nonsense because the greatest stars came and performed here. Elvis, Sinatra in their prime, and the same with me.
“So many great venues in this city with wonderful shows you can see night after night. You can go three weeks without duplicating a show. I don’t do my Colosseum show anywhere else. You have to step up to play Las Vegas. You can’t do rubbish. I’m steeped in the history of this town.”
John and Elton said hello to me, with John adding: “Thirty years just flashed by a split-second since I last saw you in New York” He and I were pals on the New York nightclub circuit back in the day. Our thanks to Erik Kabik for this photo gallery.
