35th Anniversary Gala

During the tournament, tennis action is not the ONLY thing I photograph. Part of my responsibilities include all the VIP Events that happen off-site. There's a party of some sort almost every night of the week! But tonight's was THE BIGGIE! :-)

Virginia Wade, the last British lady to win Wimbledon, with the always kind and gracious Martina Navratilova, at an earlier party at the Charleston Maritime Center

Chrissie Evert (who won 8 titles at FCC - the most ever) with her fiance (Greg "The Shark" Norman) on the left, and Arantxa Sanches Vicario (former champion who made the most appearances at the FCC - a total of 18) and her fiance on the right during cocktails at the Market Street Circle outside Charleston Place Hotel.

Jelena Jankovic (last year's champion who won the hearts of many fans here...including THIS one...because of her sportsmanship, positive attitude, down-to earth personality, and beaming smile) posing with her mother during dinner at The Riviera.

Pam Shriver (the evening's co-MC with Bud Collins) and Chris Evert share a laugh about the "good old days" of women's tennis (something about home-made brownies that I can't repeat) during a panel discussion that included a who's-who list of former FCC champions: Rosie "Rosebud" Casals (who won the very first tournament 35 years ago!), Arantxa "The Bumblebee" Sanches Vicario, Conchita Martinez, Chris Evert, and Jelena Jankovic.

Arantxa recounts a funny story about a Ferris wheel (and that's all I have to say about that!) with her fellow spaniard, Conchita.

Bud Collins, Jelena Jankovic, Chris Evert, Conchita Martinez, Rosie Casals, Pam Shriver, and Virginia Wade.