STANFORD, Calif. (www.mubadalasvc.com) – The 2013 Bank of the West Classic in partnership with Harper’s for Kids will host a book reading at Kepler’s Books in Palo Alto on Sunday, July 21st at 1 pm. Former Stanford Star Mallory Burdette will be reading the story Inch and Miles.

 

Inch and Miles is a story that follows two young characters, Inch and Miles who embark on a journey to discover the Pyramid of Success and learn how to achieve their personal best. The book was written by legendary Coach John Wooden, who illustrates valuable character traits and wisdom through this story. 

 

An autograph session and Q&A will follow the book reading. 

 

Burdette will be making her second straight appearance at the Bank of the West Classic. She returns to her alma mater where she posted a 104-22 overall record (60-8 in dual play) in her three seasons at Stanford and helped lead the Cardinal to the 2010 National Title. 

 

Burdette captured her first career ITF title at Evansville in 2012, and quickly followed up that victory with a win at Vancouver just a month later. 

 

The former Stanford competitor is currently ranked at No. 78 in the world. She cracked the top-100 in April after reaching the third round of Indian Wells in March. Burdette reached the third round of the Family Circle Cup this year before losing to the eventual champion Serena Williams. 

 

Tickets for the 2013 Bank of the West Classic, which will be held July 22-28 at the Taube Family Tennis Stadium on the campus of Stanford University, can be purchased by calling the box office at 866-WTA-TIXS (866-982-8497) or by logging on to www.mubadalasvc.com.

 

In addition to individual-session tickets, the Bank of the West Classic is also offering several weekend packages starting at just $255.

 

Full-week packages start at just $595 and include tickets to all 13 sessions, a pass to the exclusive Plaza Club and an invitation to the Meet the Players Party. Those who purchase a pair of seats will also receive a weeklong VIP parking pass.

 

The Bank of the West Classic, a Premier WTA event, features a 28-player singles draw as well as a 16-team doubles draw. The event is owned and operated by IMG and serves as the opening women's event of the Emirates Airline US Open Series.

 

The list of past champions of the event reads like a Who's Who of women's tennis including Serena Williams, Lindsay Davenport, Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Andrea Jaeger, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis, Venus Williams and Kim Clijsters.

 

The Bank of the West Classic offers several different seat options with prices to fit everyone's budget so reserve your seats today. Qualifying will be held July 20-21 and is free to the public.

 

Log on to www.mubadalasvc.com for more information.

 

ABOUT THE BANK OF THE WEST CLASSIC: The Bank of the West Classic is the longest-running women-only professional tennis tournament in the world and is the first stop of the Emirates Airline US Open Series. Owned and operated by IMG, the WTA Premier event features a 28-player singles draw and a 16-team doubles draw with total prize money of $795,000. Held on Stanford University’s campus at Taube Family Tennis Stadium since 1997, former champions include: Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Andrea Jaeger, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport, Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Kim Clijsters.

 

ABOUT BANK OF THE WEST:  Founded in 1874, $62 billion-asset Bank of the West (www.bankofthewest.com), member FDIC and equal housing lender, offers a full range of personal, commercial, wealth management and international banking services. The bank operates more than 600 retail and commercial banking locations in 19 Western and Midwestern states. Bank of the West is a subsidiary of BNP Paribas, which has a presence in 80 countries with nearly 200,000 employees.

 

ABOUT IMG: IMG Worldwide is a global sports, entertainment and media business, with nearly 3,000 employees operating in 30 countries around the globe. IMG’s areas of expertise are diverse and wide ranging: IMG College; IMG’s Joint Ventures in China, Brazil and India; IMG Media; IMG Events and Federations; IMG Fashion; IMG Models; IMG Art+Commerce; IMG Clients; IMG Academies; IMG Consulting and IMG Licensing. More information is available at www.imgworld.com