Delray Beach hoping to land Davis Cup Finals in November
According to an article written by Maria Herrerra in the Sun Sentinel, the city of Delray Beach in South Florida will try to land the Davis Cup Finals, which will be held from November 16-18. Delray Beach last hosted the Davis Cup competition in 2004, when Sweden came to town. In order for the competition to take place at the fan-friendly Atlantic Avenue stadium at the Delray Beach Tennis Center, the city must come up with $400,000. Assistant City Manager Bob Barcincki said the $400,000 will likely come from sponsors, grants from agencies such as the Palm Beach County Sports Commission or the Tourism Development Council. However, the City Commission must first grant approval. If the commission decides to move forward with trying to win the Davis Cup Finals bid, the city must commit to paying $400,000 to the United States Tennis Association, provide police and emergency-services personnel and be able to secure nearly 400 hotel rooms for the event. Officials in Delray Beach see hosting the event as an opportunity to welcome thousands of visitors and recover from some of the money spent sponsoring events during the last 11 years. The United States Davis Cup team announced last month it was looking for cities to host the event and is requesting proposals. The bid deadline is August 6. In the meantime, the United States must beat Spain and hope the Czech Republic defeats Argentina in order for the United States to be able to host the finals. If the commission approves moving forward with the bid, the city will find out between September 14 and 16 if it won.
Nesquik becomes Title Sponsor of “Little Mo” Internationals
The Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation just announced that Nesquik will become the title sponsor for the upcoming “Little Mo” Internationals, which is an international tennis tournament for juniors ages 8 to 12. This year’s tournament will be played at the historic West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, N.Y., from August 20-24, which marks the 60th anniversary of Maureen “Little Mo” Connolly’s title at the U.S. Championships in 1952. “NESQUIK is the perfect partner for our tournament,” said Carol Weyman, Executive Vice-president, Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation. “As a beloved brand that has been a part of childhood and beyond for years, it is the perfect product to be paired with Little Mo.” Nesquik sponsored tennis superstars Bob and Mike Bryan will take part in a clinic and exhibition match for players during the tournament. Additionally, players will have the opportunity to attend the US Open qualifying rounds and the Arthur Ashe Kids Day on Saturday, August 25. The tournament is open to any player from around the world ages 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. Players must wear all white in keeping with the tradition of Forest Hills, and matches will be played on full 78-foot clay courts with yellow balls. For online registration, please visit www.mcbtennis.org and click on Tournaments.
First Entry Deadline is Today for US Open National Playoffs Sectional Qualifying Tournament
The United States Tennis Association announced last week that registration will close this week for the first US Open National Playoffs Sectional Qualifying Tournament of 2012, held in the USTA Southwest section. Today is the entry deadline for the tournament to be held in Scottsdale from May19-21. Players age 14 and older can register for singles competition and/or mixed doubles. Registration deadlines for the sectional qualifying events vary by tournament. Registration for each of the 13 sectional qualifying tournaments is available at www.USOpen.org/NationalPlayoffs. The US Open National Playoffs presented by playtennis.com returns for a third year as a series of 13 sectional qualifying tournaments. The men’s singles, women’s singles and mixed doubles champions from each sectional qualifying tournament will advance to the US Open National Playoffs Championship, which will be held in conjunction with the New Haven Open at Yale presented by First Niagara, an Emirates Airline US Open Series event. The US Open National Playoffs – Men’s Singles and Women’s Singles Championship will be held August 17-20. The US Open National Playoffs – Mixed Doubles Championship will be held August 22-25. The US Open National Playoffs men’s and women’s singles champions earn a wild card into the US Open Qualifying Tournament, held the week prior to the US Open. The US Open National Playoffs mixed doubles champions receive a main draw wild card into the 2012 US Open. One of the players expected to compete this summer is former University of Illinois standout, Ryler DeHeart, who was ranked as high as No. 174 while competing on the ATP World Tour. Some may recall DeHeart winning three matches in the 2008 US Open qualifying tournament before facing off against then world No. 1 Rafael Nadal on Arthur Ashe Stadium in the opening round of the main draw. The Tampa native has since retired from the ATP and runs the RD Tennis Academy at the Seminole Lake Country Club in Largo, Fla. He will compete in the Florida section playoffs, which will be held from May 26-30 at the Henry L. McMullen Tennis Complex in Clearwater. Not only will DeHeart play singles, he will also team with wife Megan in the mixed doubles tournament. She is a former standout on the Illinois women’s team. Other players expected to compete include two-time Grand Slam doubles champion Ellis Ferreira, 2009 Orange Bowl quarterfinalist Junior Ore, Bobby Riggs’ teenage grandson, Danny, who plays for Cornell, and New York City television personality Francesca Maxime.
USTA to host Casting Call at Harlem’s Apollo Theater for Children to Perform at 2012 US Open
The USTA announced on Monday that it will host their sixth annual open casting call on Tuesday, June 19 at the world renowned Harlem Apollo Theater in New York City to select children to perform at the 2012 US Open, which will be held from August 27-September 9. Winners will perform, “America the Beautiful” live at Arthur Ashe Stadium during night sessions of this year’s tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows. The auditions are free of charge and will be held from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. ET. Children 12 years of age and younger as of September 9, 2012, will be asked to sing “America the Beautiful” a cappella in front of a panel of judges from the music and entertainment industries. “The young singers performing at the US Open always captivate the crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium,” said Gordon Smith, USTA Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer. “The casting call that we conduct to identify these singers is one of the first events that signals the US Open season is underway.” Final singer selections will be announced by the USTA in mid-July. The winners will receive a US Open gift bag and tickets to their performance session—in addition to exposure in front of as many as 24,000 fans in Arthur Ashe Stadium. For more information on the open casting call, including official rules, visit www.USOpen.org.
Oudin earns USTA French Open main draw wild card
Atlanta native and 2012 US Open Mixed Doubles Champion Melanie Oudin has earned a main draw wild card into the 2012 French Open. This year, the USTA awarded one women’s singles main draw wild card into the French Open to the American player who earned the most WTA Tour Ranking points at two of three $50,000 USTA Pro Circuit clay-court tournaments. The 20-year-old earned a combined 80 points with her two best results, winning the title in Charlottesville, Va., and reaching the second round in Indian Harbour Beach, Fla., and Dothan, Ala. The USTA and the French Tennis Federation have a reciprocal agreement in which wild cards into the 2012 French and US Opens are exchanged. After dropping to a No. 370 in the world, her lowest ranking since February 2008, Oudin has climbed up to No. 270 following impressive results in her last three USTA Pro Circuit events. Comeback-kid Brian Baker of Nashville earned the men’s USTA French Open wild card last week.
Report: Former Indian Wells Tournament Owner looking to buy San Diego WTA event
According to a twitter post by Daniel Kaplan of SportsBusiness Journal, former ATP World Tour player Charlie Pasarell is looking to buy the San Diego WTA Tour tournament, currently known as the Mercury Insurance Open. Pasarell, who was voted this year into the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame, previously owned the ATP/WTA Tour tennis tournaments in Indian Wells, Calif.
Street in Halle, Germany named after Roger Federer
The town of Halle, Germany, which annually hosts the Gerry Weber Open, a Wimbledon grass-court tune-up tournament, has named a street after 16-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer. Starting in May, the street leading to the stadium will now be known as “Roger-Federer-Allee”. The street was previously known as Weststrasse. The 30-year-old Federer, a former top-ranked player on the ATP World Tour and owner of five-singles titles in Halle, has a lifetime contract to play in the tournament until he retires.