Tennis Briefs(4): ATP Delray Qualifying; More

Bollettieri, Navratilova Named as Dignitaries for Jr. Orange Bowl Tennis

Former world No. 1 Martina Navratilova has been named Honorary Chair for the 53rd Junior Orange Bowl International Tennis Championship, as South Florida again prepares to showcase a wealth of the junior circuit’s top talent.

Tournament officials also announced teaching legend Nick Bollettieri as guest speaker for its Main Draw Reception to be held Dec. 16, 2014 at the University of Miami Field House. Bollettieri, 83, has helped 10 players achieve No. 1 in the world rankings, largely through his pioneering academy in Bradenton, Fla.

The event, which has received more than 1,500 applications this year, begins Dec. 14 with qualifying rounds. The main draw gets underway three days later at five South Florida sites, with new champions to be crowned Dec. 23.

The Junior Orange Bowl International has a rich history of bringing the world’s most promising tennis players to Coral Gables. Andy Murray captured the Boys 12s crown in 1999 on his first visit to the United States. Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro, the Boys 14s winner in 2002, won the US Open seven years later. Other notable participants have included Andre Agassi, Monica Seles, Jim Courier, Chris Evert, Roger Federer, Mary Joe Fernandez, Andy Roddick, Caroline Wozniacki and reigning US Open champion Marin Cilic.

For more information visit www.JuniorOrangeBowl.org/Tennis.

Florida High School Coaches Workshop Dec. 13

The Florida High School Tennis Coaches Association (FHSTCA) will host a Regional Tennis Team Coach Training Workshop on Dec. 13, 2014 at Saint Andrew’s School in Boca Raton, Fla.

Sessions will include Inclusive Team Practice, The Physics of Tennis, State Championship Level Tennis, The Pathways (On Court), and more.

The first 25 coaches registering will receive complementary reserved seating for February’s 2015 ATP Delray Beach Open.

For the full schedule or to register go to www.fhstca.org/trainingcertification/fhstca-training.

Del Potro, More Added to 2015 ATP Delray Beach Field

Former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro leads a group of four newly-committed players who have signed with the Delray Beach Open by The Venetian Las Vegas to play in its ATP World Tour event on Feb. 13-22, 2015, marking its best pre-tournament singles field in its history.

Also announcing their participation in Delray Beach are top American John Isner, 2012 Delray Beach champion Kevin Anderson, and rising world Top 25 Alexandr Dolgopolov.

Del Potro will be returning from his second wrist surgery when the 2015 season opens. After the two-time Top 5 player (2009, 2013) returned from his first surgery in 2011, he won the Delray Beach title, returned to the Top 20 and ended that season as the ATP’s Comeback Player of the Year.

The latest group of players, with the earlier signing of 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic, gives the tournament four Top 25 players to lead its 2015 field. Cilic (No. 9), Anderson (No. 16) and Isner (No. 18) also all finished in the 2014 year-end Top 20 rankings.

In addition to the ATP World Tour tournament, the Delray Beach Open by the Venetian also features an ATP Champions Tour competition that leads off the 10-day event starting on Friday of President’s Weekend and wrapping up on Sunday (Feb. 13-15, 2015).

For tickets or more info go to www.YellowTennisBall.com.

Pre-qualifying for ATP Delray Beach in December

The Delray Beach Open by The Venetian is making its annual shout-out to tennis players in the community to play in the first of two “Survivor Series” singles qualifying wildcard tournaments.

For the first time in its history, the ATP event is also holding a “Survivor Series” doubles main draw wildcard tournament during the same “Survivor Series I” weekend. Both “Survivor I” tournaments are scheduled for Dec. 6-9, 2014 at the Delray Swim & Tennis Club.

“Survivor Series I and II” singles winners (“Survivor Series II is scheduled for Jan. 24-26, 2015) receive wildcards into the 32-player singles qualifying tournament of the 2015 Delray Beach Open by The Venetian. That qualifying tournament is scheduled for Feb. 14-16 at the Delray Beach Stadium & Tennis Center, where the top four finishers move on to the main draw of the $540,000 ATP World Tour event.

The winning team of the “Survivor Series I” doubles tournament (minimum of 32 teams) receives a wild card directly into the 16-team doubles main draw of the Delray Beach Open by the Venetian.

The deadline to enter both “Survivor I” competitions — singles and doubles — is Wednesday, Dec. 3, by 11:59 p.m. EST. For more information go to www.YellowTennisBall.com.