11 Jul 2008
Game, Set and Match for Octagon’s Laura Robson and Grigor Dimitrov
London 11th July 2008; Octagon athletes Laura Robson and Grigor Dimitrov picked up their first Wimbledon trophies over the weekend by claiming the girls and boys’ singles titles respectively.
Octagon, the sports marketing and athlete management expert that looks after the commercial and day-to-day management of both rising stars, has a long history and tradition of guiding players from wins at junior level to Grand Slam Titles. Amélie Mauresmo the 2006 Wimbledon Champion being a recent example.
Robson’s three-set win in Saturday’s final catapulted her from 57th in the junior world rankings to 5th. Octagon has been part of ‘Team Robson’ for the past six years and will be charged with ensuring that tennis and results remain the focus following the teenager’s spectacular win.
The challenge is similar for Dimitrov, the young Bulgarian who made history by becoming the first player from his country to win at Wimbledon. His win places him in esteemed company alongside former boys' singles champions Roger Federer, Stefan Edberg and Pat Cash. Known for his speed around the court, the talented seventeen year-old will now focus on making his mark on the men’s event at SW19 next year.
Looking at the clean sweep of junior singles titles for Octagon athletes, Nick Massey, CEO Octagon Europe & Middle East commented “Both athletes showed a maturity beyond their years, and are confident the wins at Wimbledon are the early steps towards long, successful careers both on and off the court. Octagon’s Passion Drivers™ research illustrates that one of the key drivers of fan engagement with tennis is ‘player affinity’, and the way these young stars enthralled tennis fans during the tournament suggests they have this in abundance, as evidenced by the 4.5 million viewers who watched Laura win the title*.”
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Notes to Editors:
*More than watched the Williams sisters play in the Women’s Singles final.
Laura Robson – Fast Facts:
This was Laura’s first Wimbledon Championship and she was unseeded
She is the first British winner of the girls' title since Annabel Croft in 1984
She is now one of the favourites to receive a wildcard entry for the Women’s draw at next year’s tournament at Wimbledon.
Grigor Dimitrov – Fast Facts:
First Bulgarian to win a Wimbledon title
Enjoys playing on any surface, but prefers hard courts or grass
Names his favourite tennis player as Roger Federer – "He can play from anywhere on the court. He's just perfect"
For further information on the athletes please contact Louisa Cheetham on + 44 207 862 0058 or by email at louisa.cheetham@octagon.com.
Octagon is a world leader in sport, music and entertainment with global expertise in marketing, sponsorship, consulting, athletes and personalities, event management, rights representation, marketing solutions, licensing and merchandising, talent procurement, television rights and production.
As part of The Interpublic Group (NYSE:IPG), one of the world’s leading organisations comprised of advertising and marketing services agencies, Octagon employs marketing specialists based in major markets on six continents.