Tennis Briefs: Isner at Tampa Charity Event; ‘Little Mo’ Preview

Tampa Tennis Charity Fundraiser to Feature John Isner

The Ace for a Cure Tennis Exhibition featuring John Isner will be held on Sunday, Dec. 6, 2015 from 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Avila Golf & Country Club in Tampa, Fla.

Events will be held Dec. 3, 5 and 6 including a Meet and Greet cocktail reception, Tennis Teach-a-Thon, Tennis Round Robin, and a tennis exhibition featuring John Isner and a chance to return the No. 1 American’s serve.

The event benefits the Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA), a national, public, 501(c)(3), non-profit, tax-exempt organization dedicated to the pursuit of scientific research leading to treatments and a cure for Friedreich’s Ataxia.

For full information or to purchase tickets go to https://secure2.convio.net/fara/site/Ticketing?view=Tickets&id=100121.

Boca Raton’s Swope Gunning for ‘Little Mo’ Slam

Carter Swope

The 9th annual “Little Mo” Internationals will be held on Dec. 4-9, 2015, at the PGA National Resort & Spa and BallenIsles Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., where Boca Raton’s Carter Swope will try and put his name in the “Little Mo” history books.

Swope is the only player still eligible in 2015 to complete the “Little Mo” Slam after capturing the first- and second-leg titles in the Boys’ 10s division in San Diego, Calif., and Forest Hills, N.Y. The “Little Mo” Internationals will be the third and final leg of the “Little Mo” Slam.

This year for the first time the event will also feature “Big Mo” divisions of ages 13 and 14.

A green-dot ball division option will be held for ages 8-10, and yellow ball divisions for ages 8-14 on the BallenIsles clay courts.

“It is a great opportunity for junior players to gauge their skills against players their same age from around the world,” says Matthew Cody, tournament operations and marketing manager. “Last year, we had approximately 350 players from 40 countries worldwide compete and this year looks to be even more successful. This tournament is open to all players worldwide.”

The “Little Mo” is one of the many programs sponsored by the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation in memory of tennis legend Maureen Connolly. Known by her nickname “Little Mo,” she was the first woman to win the Grand Slam in 1953 — winning all four Grand Slam tournaments in the same calendar year. She is the only American woman  and the youngest at age 18 to have accomplished the feat.

For more info or to register go to www.littlemoflorida.com.