Tennis Briefs(5): Orlando, Daytona, Delray Upcoming Tourneys; More

Orlando Women’s USTA Pro Circuit Event to Hold Wild Card Tournament

The Orlando stop of the USTA Women’s Pro Circuit will hold a Wild Card Tournament on Feb. 28-March 2, 2015, open to any female 14 years or older. The event will be hosted on the 11 clay courts at the Orlando Tennis Centre.

“We have expanded the singles to include a consolation, with the winner of that event also getting a wild card,” says Tournament Director and Orlando Tennis Centre Manager Tom Sweitzer. “We have also expanded to host a wild card doubles event. We want local players to get involved and take a shot at getting into the main events.”

Singles play will begin on Saturday, Feb. 28, while doubles will start on Sunday, March 1.

The winner of the singles will advance directly into the Pro Circuit event main draw, which will begin play on Tuesday, March 17. The runner-up will advance into the Pro Circuit qualifying tournament, which will begin play on Sunday, March 15. All first-round losers in the singles wild card will advance into a consolation tournament, with the winner advancing into the Pro Circuit qualifying tournament.

The entry fee for doubles is $40, singles is $50, or both for only $60.

The winners of the wild card doubles tournament will advance directly into the Pro Circuit doubles main draw, which will begin play on Wednesday, March 18. The wild card doubles runner-up will advance into the Pro Circuit doubles qualifying event, with play starting on Tuesday, March 17.

All proceeds benefit the Orlando Community & Youth Trust Inc., a 501-C3 charity.

For more information or to sign up contact Tom Sweitzer at tsmasterpro@aol.com or (717) 421-2209.

One-on-One Doubles Tournament Coming to Daytona Beach

The Florida Tennis Center in Daytona Beach will host a One-on-One Doubles Round Robin Tournament on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015 from 6:30-9:30 p.m., open to both men and women.

Quickly becoming known as the “third game of tennis,” One-On-One Doubles is the half-court, serve-and-volley singles game played on the doubles court. Players must serve-and-volley on both serves or lose the point, and the returner can stay back or come in. The doubles alley is in play, and there is a divisible line through the middle of the court. All points are played crosscourt only.

The tournament format of play is round-robin with short, no-ad sets played up to the quarterfinals.

One-On-One Doubles completed its 2014 USTA Florida Grand Prix Circuit with its national tournament held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in early November. Since the game’s inception in 2004, various ATP former champions have competed in One-On-One Doubles Tournaments, including Roscoe Tanner, Jared Palmer, Ernests Gulbis and Mikael Pernfors.

“I got hooked playing One-On-One Doubles after trying it once,” said Pernfors, the former NCAA Division I singles champion and 1986 French Open singles finalist. “I think it is an excellent game for any player trying to become a better doubles player. I also feel that it is a wonderful way for juniors to develop a solid serve-and-volley game to be added to their baseline game.”

The entry fee is $50 which includes a player party with beer, soft drinks, snacks and music. There is free admission for guests, and the USTA Tournament ID number for entry through TennisLink is 150083415.

For more information about the tournament, call Tournament Director John Hudson at (386) 671-8900 or e-mail ukseasiders66@yahoo.com. For more about One-On-One Doubles visit www.oneononedoubles.com.

Florida’s Anisimova, Black, Osuigwe Named to USTA 14-U International Squad

Boca Raton’s “Hurricane” Tyra Black

The players were announced that will represent the U.S. in two Tennis Europe 14-under events in Great Britain and France, and Florida will fill out three of four girls’ spots.

“Hurricane” Tyra Black (Boca Raton), Amanda Anisimova (Boca Raton), and Whitney Osuigwe (Bradenton) will compete at the Nike Junior International Teen Tennis tournament in Britain, and the Les Petits As tournament in France from Jan. 18-Feb. 1, 2015.

The Florida trio will be joined on the team by Caty McNally of Cincinnati. Osuigwe was recently the only American to reach a final at the 2014 Junior Orange Bowl where she was unseeded, ousted No. 1 seed Himari Sato of Japan 6-4, 6-4 in the final for the 12s division title.

Last year’s U.S. success at the events included Claire Liu of the U.S. losing in the Les Petits As final to Bianca Andreescu of Canada, and the U.S.’s Andrew Fenty losing to Spain’s Nicola Kuhn in the Nike Junior International Teen Tennis final.

For more info go to:
Nike Junior International Teen Tennis
Les Petits As

Daytona Beach USTA Pro Circuit Kid’s Day on Sunday

This Sunday, Jan. 18 will be Kid’s Fun Day at the Florida Tennis Center in Daytona Beach, part of the festivities of the $25,000 Daytona Women’s Pro Tennis Championships, a USTA Pro Circuit event which will be held Jan. 19-15, 2015.

The event is free to the public from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

“The first 100 kids will receive a goodie bag and sandwiches from Jersey Mike’s,” says Daytona USTA Pro Circuit Tournament Director Tom Kelly. “There will be fun games and a chance to see professional tennis players competing. Ten rackets will be given away, and you can register for free after-school tennis programs that will be starting in February.”

The 12-week program of free lessons and play is designed for children at the beginner or intermediate levels, and starts on Tuesday, Feb. 3 in two time slots: 4-5 p.m. or 6-7 p.m.

“Class sizes are limited so sign up early,” Kelly says. “Classes will continue to meet every Tuesday and Thursday, and this program is for children ages 8-12.”

The $25,000 Daytona Women’s Pro Tennis Championships will feature future stars of the WTA tour and world-stage players such as former WTA No. 7-ranked Nicole Vaidisova who is making a comeback from injury. The closing ceremonies of the event will feature prizes including two lower bowl seats at the Miami Open, a $500 value.

For additional info contact Tom Kelly at kellyt@codb.us or go to the tournament website at www.protennisdaytona.com.

ATP Delray Beach Pre-qualifying in Jan. at ‘Survivor Series II’

The second and final “Survivor Series” pre-qualifying tournament will be played on the Delray Beach Swim and Tennis Center’s clay courts from Jan. 24-26, 2015, and as tournament organizers say, “is open to anyone with a pulse…and a racquet.”

The pre-qualifying events allow any player a chance to earn a spot in the qualifying rounds of the ATP Delray Beach Open by The Venetian Las Vegas.

“Survivor II” is a USTA Florida-sanctioned Men’s Open Event which is expected to draw a field of more than 64 players. Players may register for the “Survivor II” event through Wednesday, Jan. 21 at 11:59 p.m.

The “Survivor II” winner receives a wild card into the Delray Beach Open by The Venetian Las Vegas qualifying tournament, scheduled for Feb. 14-16. The qualifying tournament and the main ATP event will be held over 10 days (Feb. 13-22) at the Delray Beach Stadium & Tennis Center.

The Delray Beach Open by The Venetian is one of 11 ATP World Tour events held in the United States each year.

Last November Lance Cohen, a 26-year-old tennis pro from South Africa, won the “Survivor I” tournament, and earned the first of the two wild cards into the qualifying tournament.

For more info go to www.yellowtennisball.com/pre-qualifying-survivor-series.