Vandeweghe to Lead U.S. Fed Cup Against Germany

The U.S. Fed Cup team in Hawaii last year

New U.S. Fed Cup captain Kathy Rinaldi announced that Australian Open singles semifinalist CoCo Vandeweghe, Australian Open doubles champion Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Alison Riske and Shelby Rodgers will back the American flag when the U.S. hosts Germany in the first round of the 2017 Fed Cup on Feb. 11-12 in Maui, Hawaii.

“I can’t be happier to have CoCo, Shelby, Ali and Bethanie on my team for my first Fed Cup,” Rinaldi said. “CoCo has entered the Top 20 for the first time and had a fantastic Australian Open. Shelby recently upset world No. 4 Simona Halep in Australia and Ali had a Top 10 win over Agnieszka Radwanska earlier this year, so both ladies are playing great tennis. It is also a huge advantage to have the top-ranked doubles player in the world with Bethanie.”

The German team will be comprised of Laura Siegemund, Andrea Petkovic, Julia Goerges and Carina Witthoeft.

The teams combined contain the No. 1 and No. 2 players in the world, but Serena Williams and Angelique Kerber, in addition to Venus Williams for the Americans, will miss the tie.

“I had a long talk with (German Fed Cup captain) Barbara Rittner and the decision was very, very tough for me,” Kerber told the German media before the Australian Open of her decision to skip the tie. “It is too difficult with the schedule, because I’m playing Doha and Dubai after Melbourne. So I think the Americans made a smart decision by choosing Hawaii as their venue. Because, therefore, I’m not able to come.”

The winner of the tie will advance to the semifinals against either the Czech Republic or Spain in April.

Kerber says she plans on playing for Germany in April, whether Germany is in the semifinals or the World Group Playoffs to try and stay in the World Group for 2018.

“I love the Fed Cup and it’s breaking my heart that I have to skip this one,” she said. “I always played for the past years, no matter where or when. Even last year right after my win in Melbourne. But this time I had to make a different decision.”

American Top 10er Madison Keys remains sidelined, recovering from wrist surgery. Rogers will be making her Fed Cup debut for the U.S.

The U.S., which leads all nations with 17 Fed Cup titles, holds an 8-5 head-to-head record over Germany in Fed Cup. Tickets are available and may be purchased by visiting www.usta.com/fedcup. Prices for single-day tickets for Saturday or Sunday range from $30-$100 per day.

New Sessions, Speakers Added for March Tennis Owners & Managers (TOM) Conference in Orlando

The 2017 Tennis Owners & Managers (TOM) Conference, March 27-29 at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando, Fla., will offer a look into the future of tennis, the business trend toward health and wellness, cutting-edge conference sessions, and much more.

Tennis facility and club management experts, along with sports and fitness industry executives, will share their knowledge, experience and expertise at the Future of Tennis Forum, on the Tennis Health and Wellness Panel, and in TOM Conference Sessions with Disney Institute executives, former touring pros, and sessions on technology, critical industry issues, best practices, and new revenue, marketing and sales approaches.

The conference also will include the inaugural “Tennis Innovation Challenge” competition and a field trip to, and evening activities at, the new 100-court USTA National Campus. TOM Conference sessions and specialty courses are eligible for continuing education credits for PTR and USPTA members.

Presented by the Tennis Industry Association (TIA), the fourth annual TOM Conference will provide vital information that will address the needs of all types of tennis facilities — public, commercial, private, country clubs, resorts — as well as a glimpse into the coming years in the tennis industry. 

For the full slate of activities or to register for the TOM Conference, which immediately follows the nearby USTA Annual Meeting, visit www.TheTOMConference.com.

Qualifier Dellien Wins Weston USTA Pro Circuit Men’s Tennis Title

Hugo Dellien

Bolivia’s Hugo Dellien became the second qualifier to win the Midtown Athletic Club Weston $15,000 Futures men’s tennis tournament, a USTA Pro Circuit event, on Monday in the final defeating Dominik Koepfer of Germany 6-2, 7-5 in Weston, Fla.

It was the first career USTA Pro Circuit title in the U.S. for Dellien after winning eight ITF titles in 2013-16.

The Bolivian Davis Cup player won nine matches through qualifying and the main draw, and entered the event ranked No. 540 on the ATP World Tour Rankings. He did not face a seeded player throughout his main draw journey.

The unseeded Koepfer upset No. 8 seed Bastian Malla in the first round, No. 2 seed Juan Ignacio Londero in the quarterfinals, and in the semifinals No. 5 seed Christian Lindell. The Tampa resident and former Tulane University player is now 1-1 in USTA Pro Circuit finals. He was seeking a first title since winning the USA F32 Futures stop in Harlingen, Texas last October.

“Dellien’s experience proved to be the difference,” said the tournament’s Laurent Leclerc. “It took a couple of breaks of serves in the first set, and one more in the second set for him to sign off a 6-2 7-5 victory. There was a smaller crowd on hand this Monday due to yesterday’s all-day rain. One hundred tennis enthusiasts got to see a very entertaining match, a righty-lefty dual that reminded us of the previous day’s Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal encounter [in the Australian Open final]!”

Dellien was the second consecutive tournament winner from the qualifying rounds after last year Canadian Denis Shapovalov won through the qualifying and main draw without dropping a set.

The doubles title was won by No. 2 seeds Facundo Arguello and Londero of Argentina, who in the final upset the top-seeded team of Gonzalo Escobar of Ecuador and Luis David Martinez of Venezuela 6-4, 6-7(1), 14-12.

ABOUT THE USTA PRO CIRCUIT
With approximately 90 tournaments hosted annually throughout the country and prize money ranging from $15,000-$100,000, the USTA Pro Circuit is the pathway to the US Open and tour-level competition for aspiring tennis players and a frequent battleground for established professionals. The USTA launched its Pro Circuit 38 years ago to provide players with the opportunity to gain professional ranking points, and it has since grown to become the largest developmental tennis circuit in the world, offering nearly $3 million in prize money. Last year more than 1,000 men and women from more than 70 countries competed in cities nationwide. John Isner, Angelina Kerber, Sam Querrey, Sloane Stephens, Kei Nishikori, Victoria Azarenka and Andy Murray are among today’s top stars who began their careers on the USTA Pro Circuit.

For more info go to www.usta.com/Pro-Tennis/Pro-Circuit.