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FEDERER, CLIJSTERS NAMED
ITWA AMBASSADORS OF THE YEAR

Roger Federer receives his award as ITWA's 2009 Ambassador of the Year from Paul Newman, of the International Tennis Writers Association, at the Australian Open in Melbourne. Kim Clijsters was also honored.	International Tennis Photographers Association
Roger Parker

Roger Federer and Kim Clijsters have won the International Tennis Writers Association’s top awards for 2009. The Swiss and the Belgian were voted ITWA’s Ambassadors of the Year and were presented with their awards at the Australian Open in Melbourne. Both received engraved silver clocks.

The awards recognise a combination of achievements on the court, conduct that shows tennis in the best possible light and co-operation with the media.

In 2009 Federer broke Pete Sampras’ all-time record of 14 Grand Slam titles, while Clijsters crowned a remarkable comeback after a two-year break to win the US Open.

Sebastian Fest, co-president of ITWA, said: "We have to recognise that our award winners can't grant every interview request or they would have no time for tennis, but both Roger Federer and Kim Clijsters have done at least as much as can be expected of them and are always very helpful and generous when dealing with the media. They are not only sporting icons but also wonderful ambassadors for their sport, which is what we like to recognise in our awards."

Both winners were streets ahead of the field in the voting. They succeed Rafael Nadal and Ana Ivanovic, who won the ITWA Ambassador awards for 2008.  Federer and Clijsters were both ITWA Ambassadors for 2005 and it is Federer's fifth time as Ambassador.

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Photos courtesy of the International Tennis Photographers Association.