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World’s Best “Wild Card” Event Set For Sea Oaks Club In Vero Beach, Florida

February 9, 2020 by Randy Walker Leave a Comment

The Sea Oaks Tennis Club in Vero Beach, Florida will once again host a main draw singles wild card tournament for the The Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships $15,000 ITF World Tennis Tour event, Wednesday February 26 to Friday, February 28.

Players from around the world will compete in the event where the winner will receive a direct entry into the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships, the $15,000 ITF World Tennis Tour event to be held April 26-May 3 at The Boulevard tennis club. This marks the third straight year that Sea Oaks has hosted this special wild card tournament. The last two years, Matthew Segura, the teenage great nephew of Hall of Fame tennis legend Pancho Segura, has won the event. Christian Vinck, a former standout ATP player from Germany who reached the third round at Wimbledon in 2000 and who defeated Andre Agassi in the final of the 1997 USTA Las Vegas Challenger, has already committed to play in the 2020 event. With crowds of hundreds of fans daily, the event has been dubbed “The Greatest Wild Card Tournament In The World” – at least on the ITF World Tennis Tour and U.S. Tennis Association Pro Circuit.

Players can enter the event on the UTR platform here: https://myutr.com/events/15462?_ref=randywal270 (Deadline to enter is February 20) Matches will be best-of-three set matches with a 10-point Match Tiebreaker played in lieu of a third set. Admission to this event is free.

The Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships is the USTA’s $15,000 ITF World Tennis Tour tournament played in Vero Beach since 1995 and is regarded as one of the best entry-level professional tennis tournaments in the world. Proceeds from the event benefit the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation, the non-profit tennis foundation benefiting at-risk children, named for Vero Beach native son Mardy Fish, the former top 10 tennis star and the current U.S. Davis Cup captain.

Tournament tickets and sponsorships for the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships are now on sale and can be purchased at www.MardyFishChildrensFoundation.org Tickets for the April 26-May 3 are $20, with “night session” tickets starting at 5 pm from April 27 – May 2 costing $10. Season tickets for every session of the event are $100. Admission for children 18 and under is free. Fans can follow news and developments on the tournament on Facebook and on Twitter at @VeroFutures. Detailed sponsorship information can be obtained by emailing Tom Fish at Ttfish10s@aol.com, Randy Walker at RWalker@NewChapterMedia.com or Lynn Southerly at LSouth1072@aol.com. Approximately 3,000 fans annually attend the event, which is seen as one of the best-attended entry-level professional events in the world.

Founded in 2007, the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation (www.MardyFishChildrensFoundation.com) currently supports over 2,400 children in conjunction with several other nonprofit organization as well as 15 elementary schools and six middle schools in Indian River County, Florida by funding after-school exercise, nutritional and enrichment programs in a safe environment to prepare them for healthy, productive and successful lives. The Foundation introduced the “Six Healthy Habits” in 2012 which are Get Sleep; Drink Water; Exercise Daily, Eat Healthy; Brush and Floss; Make Friends. The Foundation’s story can also be seen in a video here: https://www.mardyfishchildrensfoundation.org/a-message-from-mardy/

Some of the past competitors at the USTA Vero Beach Futures have gone on to succeed at the highest levels of professional tennis, winning major singles and doubles titles, Olympic medals and Davis Cup championships and earning No. 1 world rankings. Andy Roddick, the 2003 U.S. Open champion who attained the world No. 1 ranking and helped the United States win the Davis Cup in 2007, competed in Vero Beach in 1999. Thomas Johansson of Sweden, who reached the second round of the Vero Beach Futures in 1995, won the Australian Open seven years later in 2002. Nicolas Massu, the 1998 singles runner-up in Vero Beach, won the singles and doubles gold medals at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, beating Fish in the gold medal singles match. Kyle Edmund, the 2013 champion in Vero Beach, helped Great Britain to the Davis Cup title in 2015. Other notable former competitors in Vero Beach include former world No. 2 Magnus Norman, former world No. 4 Tim Henman, 2016 Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic and most recently world No. 50 player and teen sensation Denis Shapovalov, who played in Vero Beach in 2016. Former Vero Beach competitors have combined to win 19 titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles at Grand Slam tournaments. Seven former Vero Beach players have gone on to play Davis Cup for the United States – Roddick, Fish, Taylor Dent, Jared Palmer, Donald Young, Ryan Harrison and Frances Tiafoe.

Sea Oaks Tennis Club in Vero Beach, Florida

Aussie Open Star Kenin Joins Serena Williams, Coco Gauff on U.S. Fed Cup Team

January 28, 2020 by Randy Walker Leave a Comment

The USTA and United States Fed Cup Captain Kathy Rinaldi today announced that 23-time Grand Slam champion and world No. 9 Serena Williams, No. 15 Sofia Kenin, No. 19 Alison Riske, No. 67 Coco Gauff and former doubles No. 1 Bethanie Mattek-Sands will represent the U.S. in its Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Qualifying tie vs. Latvia February 7-8 at Angel Of The Winds Arena in Everett, Wash.

World No. 33 Anasasija Sevastova, No. 45 and 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, No. 263 Diana Marcinkevica and No. 492 Daniela Vismane will represent Latvia for Captain Adrians Zguns in the best-of-five match series, which will be played on a hard court inside Angel Of The Winds Arena.

Play will begin at 7:30 p.m. local time (10:30 p.m. ET) on Friday and 3:30 p.m. (6:30 p.m. ET) on Saturday. Friday’s two singles matches will pit each country’s No. 1 player against the other’s No. 2. Saturday will feature the two reverse singles matches – No. 1 vs. No. 1; No. 2 vs. No. 2 – followed by a possible fifth-and-decisive doubles match. A revised schedule for Saturday may take place if a team clinches in the third or fourth match.

The matchups and order of play for the weekend’s matches will be determined at the official draw ceremony, which will be held at noon local time on Thursday, February 6, at Angel Of The Winds Arena. Team captains may substitute up to two of their nominated players prior to Thursday’s draw.

Tickets are available at USTA.com/fedcup. Tennis Channel will present live daily coverage nationally in the U.S.

The winner of this matchup advances to the 2020 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Finals April 14-19 in Budapest, Hungary – a new format for the Finals similar to the World Cup in which 12 nations converge on one venue to compete for the title.

The USTA has partnered with local sponsors Amazon Prime Video, Funko and Avis. Fed Cup events have had demonstrative effects on the local communities they’ve visited in recent years. The U.S. hosted Fed Cup in Asheville, N.C., in 2018, an event that generated nearly $5 million in economic impact for the region and prompted Asheville to host Fed Cup again in 2019. San Antonio hosted a Fed Cup tie in April 2019, with an estimated economic impact of $3.5 million.

Williams, 38, last played Fed Cup in February 2018 in her competitive return to tennis following the birth of her daughter. She’s 13-0 in singles and 3-2 in doubles over 10 Fed Cup ties played since 1999, when she and sister Venus were a part of the Americans’ Fed Cup title-winning team. Williams won her 73rd career WTA singles title recently in Auckland, New Zealand.

Kenin, 21, is ranked No. 15 and has reached the Australian Open semifinals in Melbourne this week. She reached a career-high ranking of No. 12 in 2019, a breakout year in which she won three WTA titles and led the WTA in hard-court match wins (38).

Riske, 29, is ranked No. 19 and reached the 2019 Wimbledon quarterfinals, defeating world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty in the process. Riske finished 2019 ranked No. 18 in the world after beginning it ranked 63rd.

Gauff, 15, is ranked 67th but is projected to rise into the Top 50 after her run to the fourth round of the Australian Open, where she defeated defending champion Naomi Osaka. The youngest player in the Top 100 by nearly three years, Gauff made her splash debut on tour in 2019, becoming the youngest player to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon since Jennifer Capriati in 1991. She would be the second-youngest American Fed Cup representative ever, after Capriati.

Mattek-Sands, 34, is a five-time women’s doubles and four-time mixed doubles Grand Slam champion. She’s currently ranked No. 23 in the world in doubles and won her 27th career WTA doubles title in with Kenin in Beijing last year. Mattek-Sands is 7-1 in Fed Cup doubles over 10 ties played for the U.S. since making her debut in 2009.

Fed Cup is the world’s largest annual international team competition in women’s sport, with approximately 100 nations taking part each year. The U.S. holds an overall 152-38 record in Fed Cup competition with a 42-7 record in home ties. For more information, including access to player and historical Fed Cup records, please go to www.usta.com/fedcup or www.fedcup.com.

Keep up with Team USA using hashtag #TeamUSATennis on Facebook (@USTA), on Twitter (@USTA), and on Instagram (@USTA). Wilson is the official ball of the U.S. Fed Cup team. Deloitte is the official team sponsor of the U.S. Fed Cup Team.

World’s Best ITF World Tennis Tour Event In Vero Beach, Florida Gets Long-Term Home

December 23, 2019 by Randy Walker Leave a Comment

The Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships, Vero Beach’s long-time annual U.S. Tennis Association Pro Circuit tennis tournament, will be held at The Boulevard Tennis Club through 2022, the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation announced today.

The Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation and Vero Beach’s premier tennis club signed a three-year agreement last week where The Boulevard will host the men’s professional event in 2020, 2021 and 2022. The 2020 event will be held April 26 – May 3 and will be a $15,000-level event on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Tennis Tour. The event benefits the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation, the non-profit organization the benefits at-risk children in Indian River County founded by Vero Beach native son Mardy Fish, the former top 10 tennis star and the current U.S. Davis Cup captain. As part of the agreement, The Boulevard will house and showcase the event’s perpetual trophy, the Rahaley Cup, named for the event founder Mike Rahaley, who passed away earlier this year. The Boulevard will also include the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation in its promotions, including television commercials seen throughout Indian River County.

“We are excited to enter into a multi-year agreement with The Boulevard, which is the epicenter for tennis in Vero Beach,” said Tom Fish, President-emeritus of the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation and the father of Mardy Fish. “We are grateful to The Boulevard and its staff for their support of this Vero Beach sporting tradition that serves as our major fundraiser for the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation, which benefits at-risk children in Indian River County.”

The Boulevard has hosted the event eight times since 2010 and has seen such current ATP Tour standout players such as Frances Tiafoe, Denis Shapovalov and Kyle Edmund compete in the event there. A 48-player qualifying tournament will start Sunday, April 26 with main-draw play starting Tuesday, April 28 concluding with the singles final on Sunday, May 3.

Founded in 2007, the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation currently supports over 2,400 children in conjunction with several other nonprofit organization as well as 15 elementary schools and six middle schools in Indian River County, Florida by funding after-school exercise, nutritional and enrichment programs in a safe environment to prepare them for healthy, productive and successful lives. The Foundation introduced the “Six Healthy Habits” in 2012 which are Get Sleep; Drink Water; Exercise Daily, Eat Healthy; Brush and Floss; Make Friends.

The Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships has been played in Vero Beach since 1995 and regarded as one of the best entry-level professional tennis tournaments in the world. Some of the past competitors have gone on to succeed at the highest levels of professional tennis, winning major singles and doubles titles, Olympic medals and Davis Cup championships and earning No. 1 world rankings. Andy Roddick, the 2003 U.S. Open champion who attained the world No. 1 ranking and helped the United States win the Davis Cup in 2007, competed in Vero Beach in 1999. Thomas Johansson of Sweden, who reached the second round of the Vero Beach Futures in 1995, won the Australian Open seven years later in 2002. Nicolas Massu, the 1998 singles runner-up in Vero Beach, won the singles and doubles gold medals at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, beating Fish in the gold medal singles match. Kyle Edmund, the 2013 champion in Vero Beach, helped Great Britain to the Davis Cup title in 2015. Other notable former competitors in Vero Beach include former world No. 2 Magnus Norman, former world No. 4 Tim Henman, 2016 Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic and most recently world No. 50 player and teen sensation Denis Shapovalov, who played in Vero Beach in 2016. Former Vero Beach competitors have combined to win 19 titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles at Grand Slam tournaments. Seven former Vero Beach players have gone on to play Davis Cup for the United States – Roddick, Fish, Taylor Dent, Jared Palmer, Donald Young, Ryan Harrison and Frances Tiafoe.

For more information on the event, including ticket and sponsor information, go to www.MardyFishChildrensFoundation.org. Admission for children 18 and under is free. Sponsorships are available by contacting Treasurer/Executive Director Lynn Southerly at LSouth1072@gmail.com or co-tournament directors Tom Fish (Tfish@aol.com) and Randy Walker at (Rwalker@NewChapterMedia.com). Fans can follow news and developments on the tournament on Facebook and on Twitter at @VeroFutures.

The Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships have an annual economic impact of approximately $500,000 per year on the Vero Beach local economy. Approximately 3,000 fans annually attend the event, which is seen as one of the best-attended events entry-level events in the world.

Dmitry Popko of Kazakhstan and the Kazakhstan Davis Cup team won the 2019 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships at the Boulevard beating Sekou Bangoura of the United States in the final. Sixteen-year-old Zach Svajda of San Diego, who advanced into the main draw of the 2019 event at The Boulevard via the qualifying rounds, jump-started an incredible summer of tennis in Vero Beach in 2019, winning the USTA National Boy’s 18s Championships in Kalamazoo, Michigan and earned a main draw spot at the U.S. Open, becoming one of the youngest men ever to compete in the U.S. Championships. He lost in the first-round to Paolo Lorenzi of Italy in five sets after leading two sets to love.

The Boulevard Tennis Club, located in Central Vero Beach on Indian River Boulevard, is the fastest-growing tennis club in Vero Beach, featuring 13 clay tennis courts and world-class tennis instruction and programming for all levels of players. The club is also the home of the highly-regarded restaurant and bar Counter Culture, which is open to the public six days a week. For more information, go to www.BlvdTennisClub.com

The Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships in Vero Beach will be played at The Boulevard Tennis Club Through At Least 2022

United States Wins Junior Fed Cup Title In Orlando, American Boys Finish Second To Japan

September 30, 2019 by TennisGrandstand

The U.S. won its third consecutive Junior Fed Cup title on Sunday at the USTA National Campus, defeating the Czech Republic 2-1, while the American boys fell in the final of the Junior Davis Cup, finishing second.

Connie Ma (16, Dublin, Calif.) got the U.S. on the board early with a 6-3, 6-1 singles victory but after Katrina Scott (15, Woodland Hills, Calif.) lost a tough three-set match, the title came down to the decisive doubles rubber. Ma and Robin Montgomery (15, Washington, D.C.) teamed up for a 6-2, 7-5 win to clinch the three-peat for the Americans.

In the Junior Davis Cup final, Toby Kodat (16, Bradenton, Fla.) put the Americans up 1-0 over Japan with a straight-sets singles win. But, after Martin Damm (15, Bradenton, Fla.) fell in his singles match, the title once again came down to doubles. Kodat and Damm teamed up for doubles but came up short as Japan would clinch the 2-1 win and the Junior Davis Cup title. The third member of the second place American team was Dali Blanch (16, Orlando, Fla.).

USTA National Coach Jamea Jackson captained the Junior Fed Cup team and USTA National Coach Philippe Oudshoorn captained the Junior Davis Cup team.

This year marked the first time since 1994 that the Junior Davis Cup and Junior Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Finals were held in the United States and the first time the USTA National Campus has hosted the prestigious event. The event will return to the USTA National Campus in 2020 and 2021.

September 29, 2019 – US Junior Fed Cup team poses with 1st place trophy and medals. L-R: Captain Jamea Jackson, Robin Montgomery, Katrina Scott, Connie Ma

USTA Announces Tennis Team For 2019 Pan American Games In Peru

July 12, 2019 by TennisGrandstand

The USTA announced that Usue Arconada, Caroline Dolehide, Alexa Graham, Kevin King, Michael Redlicki and Sam Riffice will represent the U.S. in the 2019 Pan American Games July 29-August 4 in Lima, Peru, while Casey Ratzlaff, Chris Herman, Dana Mathewson, Emmy Kaiser, David Wagner and Bryan Barten will play for the U.S. in the Parapan American Games August 24-30 in Lima.

The Pan American Games are a summer sports competition for countries in North, South and Central America held every four years in the year prior to the Olympic Games. The Games will feature men’s and women’s singles and doubles and mixed doubles competition on the red clay courts of Lima’s Lawn Tennis Club. More than 6,000 athletes from 41 countries are expected to compete across 36 sports in this year’s Games. The Parapan American Games will feature 1,850 athletes, with wheelchair tennis, featuring men’s and women’s singles and doubles and quad singles and doubles, as one of its 17 sports.

All Pan American and Parapan American Games roster nominations are pending final approval of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee.

USTA National Coaches Adam Peterson (women) and Eric Nunez (men) will coach the U.S. Pan American team. Jason Harnett and Paul Walker will coach the Parapan team.

Tennis has been contested at the Pan Am Games since 1951. Americans who have won the gold medal at the Pan Am Games include Althea Gibson (1959, singles), Arthur Ashe (1967, mixed doubles), Patrick McEnroe (1987, men’s doubles), Pam Shriver (1991, singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles), Paul Goldstein (1999, singles), and Irina Falconi (2011, singles).

The Pan American men’s entry list also includes current ATP Top 100 players Nicolas Jarry, of Chile, and Hugo Dellien, of Bolivia. The women’s field includes former Top-100 players Beatriz Haddad Maia, of Brazil, Rebeca Marino, of Canada, and Veronica Cepede Royg, of Paraguay.

Arconada, 20, is ranked No. 214 in singles and No. 171 in doubles and currently lives in Naples, Fla. She’s won three ITF World Tennis Tour-level doubles titles and two singles titles in 2019, and was ranked in the Top 5 in the world in junior (18-and-under) competition. A product of the renowned JTCC in College Park, Md., Arconada was born in Buenos Aires and has also lived in Puerto Rico, where her father was Puerto Rico’s national volleyball coach. Her brother, Jordi, played tennis at Texas A&M.

Dolehide, 20, is ranked No. 269 in singles and No. 106 in doubles and currently lives in Orlando, Fla., training out of the USTA National Campus. She nearly broke into the WTA Top 100 last summer after reaching the second round at the French Open and has won three ITF World Tennis Tour-level doubles titles in 2019. A native of Hinsdale, Ill., Dolehide turned pro instead of attending UCLA, where her older sister, Courtney – now the head men’s and women’s tennis coach at Georgetown University – was the captain of the Bruins’ 2014 NCAA championship team.

Graham, 20, is ranked No. 728 in singles and recently completed an All-American junior season at the University of North Carolina. From Garden City, N.Y., Graham went 37-7 in singles for the Tar Heels this season, was ranked as high as No. 3 in the nation in collegiate singles and earned singles and doubles All-America honors. In three seasons at North Carolina, Graham has a 106-22 record in singles and a 55-17 record in doubles.

King, 28, is ranked No. 397 in singles and No. 527 in doubles. A collegiate star at Georgia Tech from 2008-12, King reached a career-high No. 162 world ranking in May 2018 and has served as a practice partner for the U.S. Davis Cup Team. He was a doubles All-American as a junior in 2011 and has won six singles and 11 doubles titles at the ATP Challenger and ITF World Tennis Tour level.

Redlicki, 25, is ranked No. 327 in singles and was an All-American at Arkansas in 2016-17. A Chicago native, Redlicki was an All-SEC First Team selection in his junior and senior seasons as a Razorback and finished his senior year as the No. 12-ranked collegiate singles player in the country. Redlicki and his younger brother, Martin, who went on to star at UCLA, trained at the former USTA Player Development headquarters in Boca Raton, Fla., as teenagers.

Riffice, 20, is ranked No. 496 in singles and recently completed a standout freshman season at the University of Florida, earning All-America honors after reaching the NCAA singles quarterfinals. A native of Roseville, Calif., who currently lives in Orlando, Fla., and trains out of the USTA National Campus, Riffice was ranked in the Top 20 in the world in junior (18-and-under) competition and won his first ITF World Tennis Tour-level singles title at the M25 event in Wichita, Kan., in June.

Ratzlaff, 21, from Wichita, Kan., is currently ranked No. 25 in singles and No. 34 in doubles in the ITF world wheelchair rankings, and is 23-9 on the year in singles play. He competed for the U.S. in the recent BNP Paribas World Team Cup in Israel and has won three ITF Futures Series wheelchair singles titles in 2019.

Herman, 21, from St. Petersburg, Fla., is ranked No. 56 in singles and No. 70 in the world wheelchair rankings and competed in men’s doubles at the BNP Paribas World Team Cup in May. He won the singles title at the Wheelchair Tennis Collegiate National Championships each of the last two years as a junior and senior at the University of Florida.

Mathewson, 29, from San Diego, is ranked No. 18 in singles and No. 7 in doubles in the world wheelchair rankings and competed in the 2016 Rio Paralympics. She’s won two ITF wheelchair doubles titles in 2019 and is a multiple-time BNP Paribas World Team Cup competitor.

Kaiser, 29, is ranked No. 29 in singles and No. 34 in doubles in the world wheelchair rankings and is a two-time Paralympian (Rio 2016, London 2012). Kaiser also competed in the 2015 and 2011 Parapan American games, winning doubles gold and singles silver at Guadalajara 2011.

Wagner, 45, from Portland, Ore., is the No. 2-ranked Quad singles and No. 1-ranked Quad doubles player in the ITF world rankings. He’s competed in four Paralympic Games, winning eight medals in total: three gold, three silver and three bronze, and has won 19 Grand Slam titles in wheelchair tennis. He’s been ranked among the Top 3 in the world since 2002.

Barten, 45, from Hart, Mich., is ranked No. 10 and No. 6 in the world in Quad singles and doubles, respectively, and is a two-time Paralympian. He has helped with the U.S. five BNP Paribas World Team Cup titles in 12 appearances and is a former French Open wheelchair doubles champion.

International Tennis Federation and National Associations Announce World Tennis Number (WTN) Project

July 8, 2019 by TennisGrandstand

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) and leading National Tennis Associations announced a strategic project to develop and implement a global, level-based tennis rating, designed to enable more matches to be played between players of similar levels, from beginners to professionals.

The new rating, called the World Tennis Number (WTN), will aim to break down one of sport’s key barriers to participation – uneven match-ups – allowing players of all abilities to determine their individual level. This will help players identify opponents and competitions of an appropriate standard and access to more competitive and enjoyable playing opportunities.

ITF President, David Haggerty, said: “Our vision is simple, to create local online communities of tennis players sharing meaningful and enjoyable tennis experiences through level-based play. With this new platform, we have the means to connect a worldwide community of 87 million tennis players and fans.”

The WTN project, approved by the ITF Board of Directors in March 2018, is led by a steering committee composed of executives from the ITF, French Tennis Federation (FFT), LTA and United States Tennis Association (USTA), and supported by a project team and an advisory group of nations that also includes experts from the National Associations of Canada, China, Ireland, Netherlands and Switzerland.

Sports technology experts, ClubSpark, have been selected to build the World Tennis Number digital platform. This platform will create a global online tennis community, enabling players to access their WTN from anywhere in the world, record and measure their progress, and interact with other tennis players. The digital platform will also assist tournament organisers in the staging of competitions based on ability levels.

The scale and algorithm for the World Tennis Number is currently being modelled and refined using a database of millions of match records, and through worldwide player consultation. The project has already received significant input from nations representing the majority of the world’s tennis players.

“The goal is more people playing more tennis more often,” explained Luca Santilli, ITF Executive Director of Tennis Development. “Creating a rating system for players of all levels that is commercially independent has been a very positive step; but what is really exciting is the potential for the World Tennis Number to become a giant leap forward for the sport. With the correct algorithm and adoption on a worldwide basis, it could be game changing.”

The World Tennis Number is planned to be in operation towards the end of 2019, with National Associations launching officially within each country from 2020.

FFT President, Bernard Giudicelli, said: “France will always be supportive of initiatives enabling tennis to grow worldwide and will share its experience with other nations to build their own grassroots development plan. Competition is the best leverage to achieve that aim. The World Tennis Number platform is a ten-year dream come true. This is Tennis 4.0, using technology to provide easier access to tennis and deepen the connection between local players and worldwide tennis.”

LTA CEO, Scott Lloyd, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with the ITF and leading tennis nations to create the new World Tennis Number. The LTA is working hard to open tennis up to anyone who wants to play, and we believe that a new rating system will support our plans to offer players appropriate and enjoyable matches at every level of the sport.”

USTA CEO Gordon Smith, said: “One of the USTA’s top priorities is to elevate all aspects of the tennis player’s experience, regardless of their age, background or skill level. As a nation with one of the largest tennis player communities on the planet, the USTA constantly strives to utilise best-in-class technology to improve products for the needs of players and fans. We believe the new World Tennis Number platform will foster relationships, increase opportunities to play and connect US players with the global community.”

The ITF and steering committee nations believe that the World Tennis Number will be a powerful enabler in fulfilling the fundamental objectives of increasing participation, and recruiting and retaining players of any age, gender and ability.

Sponsorships, Tickets, Tournament Kickoff Party Opportunities For Sale For Mardy Fish Tennis

March 21, 2019 by TennisGrandstand

Sponsorships, advance tournament tickets, and “Tournament Kickoff Party” opportunities for the 2019 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships are available and selling fast as the annual USTA Pro Circuit event approaches April 29-May 5 at The Boulevard Tennis Club in Vero Beach, Florida.

All opportunities are available for sale at www.MardyFishChildrensFoundation.org Proceeds for the event benefit the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation, the non-profit tennis foundation benefiting children, named for Vero Beach native son Mardy Fish, a former top 10 tennis star, silver medalist at the 2004 Olympic Games and the newly named U.S. Davis Cup captain.

The popular Vero Beach band “Riptide” will perform for patrons at the official Tournament Kickoff Party Sunday, April 28 from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm. A special “shoot-out” mini tennis event, featuring world-ranked tournament players, also will highlight the party. Tickets, which includes two cocktails and food, are available for $60.

Sponsorships are available for as low as $250 and include signage and reserved seating, depending on the level of sponsorship. All sponsorship level details are available at www.MardyFishChildrensFoundation.org or by emailing co-tournament directors Tom Fish at Ttfish10s@aol.com or Randy Walker at RWalker@NewChapterMedia.com. Sponsorships that include on-court signage are due by April 8.

Tournament tickets for all sessions of the event are on sale for $100 with daily tickets costing $20 and tickets purchased after 5 pm on Monday, April 29 through Saturday, May 4 for sale for $10. Admission for children 18 and under is free. Matches will start each day at Noon, except for the singles final at 1 pm on Sunday, May 5. The full tournament schedule is found below.

Wednesday April 24 – Saturday, April 27
Pre-Qualifying singles event
Main draw doubles “wild card” event
Times TBD, (Free to public)

Monday, April 29
Qualifying singles
Noon start with at least one match starting at 5 pm and one at 6:45 pm

Tuesday, April 30
Qualifying singles finals
Main draw doubles
Main draw singles
Noon start at least one match starting at 5 pm and one at 6:45 pm

Wednesday, May 1
Main draw singles
Main draw doubles
Noon start at least one match starting at 5 pm and one at 6:45 pm

Thursday, May 2
Main draw singles
Main draw doubles
Noon start at least one match starting at 5 pm and one at 6:45 pm

Friday, May 3
Main draw singles – quarterfinals
Main draw doubles
Noon start at least one match starting at 5 pm and one at 6:45 pm

Saturday, May 4
Main draw singles – semifinals
Main draw doubles – final
Noon start with first singles semifinal followed by second singles semifinal, followed by the doubles final

Sunday, May 5
Main draw singles – final
1 pm start

The Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships is the USTA’s $25,000 ITF World Tennis Tour tournament played in Vero Beach since 1995 and is regarded as one of the best entry-level professional tennis tournaments in the world. Fans can follow news and developments on the tournament on Facebook and on Twitter at @VeroFutures. Approximately 3,000 fans annually attend the event, which is seen as one of the best-attended entry-level professional events in the world.

Founded in 2007, the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation (www.MardyFishFoundation.com and @MardyFishFound on Twitter) currently supports over 2,200 children in 15 elementary schools, six middle schools and two after school centers in Indian River County, Florida by funding after-school exercise, nutritional and enrichment programs in a safe environment to prepare them for healthy, productive and successful lives. The Foundation introduced the “Six Healthy Habits” in 2012 which are Get Sleep; Drink Water; Exercise Daily, Eat Healthy; Brush and Floss; Make Friends.

Pancho Segura’s Great Nephew Matthew Segura Once Again Wins Mardy Fish Wild Card Tournament

March 5, 2019 by TennisGrandstand

Matthew Segura of Apopka, Florida, the great nephew of Tennis Hall of Fame tennis legend Pancho Segura, defeated fellow 18-year-old American Perry Gregg of Chicago 7-6 (0), 6-4 in the final of the “Wild Card” tournament for the 2019 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships ITF World Tennis Tour event on Friday, March 1 at the Sea Oaks tennis club.

It marked the second straight year that Segura won this specially-created tournament where the winner is awarded a main draw wild card entry into the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships, Vero Beach’s $25,000 ITF World Tennis Tour professional tennis tournament that has been held since 1995. Segura will be among 32 players from around the world who will compete in the main draw of the event April 29 – May 5 at The Boulevard tennis club. Last year, Segura defeated Jack Vance of Henderson, Nevada 6-3, 6-4 in the championship match at Sea Oaks to earn a wild card into the 2018 event, where he lost in the first round to Nico Mejia of Colombia. One of the top junior players in the nation, Segura plays ambidextrously, hitting right-handed and left-handed and also using two-handed forehands and backhands just as his great uncle Pancho did during his Hall of Fame career.

En route to the title at Sea Oaks, Segura beat 39-year-old Brian Battistone in the round of 16 in what is believed to be the first ever pro tennis match played between two ambidextrous players. In the semifinals, he beat Jack Vance by the exact 6-3, 6-4 scoreline from their 2018 Sea Oaks final. In his two tournament appearances at Sea Oaks, Segura has won all nine matches in straight sets.

The full completed draw and schedule can be seen on TennisLink here:
https://tennislink.usta.com/Tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=235635#&&s=7Draws3 Thirty-two players from 11 states and three different countries were represented in the event. The event featured daily crowds of several hundred fans.

The Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation will also host a qualifying wild card tournament – or a pre-qualifying event – and a main draw doubles wild card event at The Boulevard Tennis Club April 24-27. To enter and for more information, go here on the UTR website: https://www.myutr.com/events/3744 Entries for these events are open to anyone, but players must have an ITF Ipin number in order to play in the official qualifying or main draw events, if they win these two tournaments.

Proceeds from these events benefit the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation, the non-profit tennis foundation benefiting children, named for Vero Beach native son Mardy Fish, the former top 10 tennis star and the newly-named U.S. Davis Cup captain.

Tournament tickets and sponsorships for the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships are now on sale and can be purchased at www.MardyFishChildrensFoundation.org Daily tickets cost $20 with daily “night” tickets purchased after 5 pm cost $10. Season tickets for all sessions cost $100. Admission for children 18 and under is free. Fans can follow news and developments on the tournament on Facebook and on Twitter at @VeroFutures. Detailed sponsorship information can be obtained by emailing Tom Fish at Ttfish10s@aol.com or Randy Walker at RWalker@NewChapterMedia.com

Founded in 2007, the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation (www.MardyFishFoundation.com and @MardyFishFound on Twitter) currently supports over 2,100 children in 15 elementary schools and six middle schools in Indian River County, Florida by providing after-school exercise, nutritional and enrichment programs in a safe environment to prepare them for healthy, productive and successful lives. The Foundation introduced the “Six Healthy Habits” in 2012 which are Get Sleep; Drink Water; Exercise Daily, Eat Healthy; Brush and Floss; Make Friends.

Matthew Segura and tournament director Randy Walker

Las Vegas, Orlando Are New World TeamTennis Franchises

March 5, 2019 by TennisGrandstand

World TeamTennis is growing to a league of eight teams for its upcoming 44th season after the league announced expansion franchises in Las Vegas and Orlando will begin play in July.

WTT jointly announced its 59-match regular season – seven home matches and seven away matches for each team – in 2019 will run from July 14-31. The 2019 WTT playoffs, to be hosted by Orleans Arena (at the Orleans Hotel and Casino) in Las Vegas, begin with the league’s semifinals on Aug. 2 and conclude with the WTT Finals on Aug. 3. To view the entire 2019 day-by-day schedule, click HERE.

“The addition of two new franchises in Las Vegas and Orlando signifies the continued growth of World TeamTennis and the embracement of the league’s exciting fan-friendly team format,” WTT CEO Carlos Silva said. “We look forward to many of the top players in the world creating new rivalries, and renewing old ones, as they compete for the King Trophy during the 2019 season.”

Orlando’s team name will be the Orlando Storm and it will play its home matches at the United States Tennis Association (USTA) National Campus in Lake Nona, Fla. The Orlando Storm will be coached by Scott Lipsky – a 2011 French Open mixed doubles champion and winner of 16 ATP doubles titles – with Jocelyn Davie serving as the General Manager.

Las Vegas’ team will be known as the Vegas Rollers, and it has secured the Orleans Arena as its home venue. The Vegas Rollers will be coached by Tim Blenkiron – a 1997 NCAA Division I Doubles national champion at UNLV and coach for WTA player Asia Muhammad – with Sally Dewhurst serving as the General Manager.

Orlando and Vegas will begin to fill out their squads at the WTT Draft on March 12 in Indian Wells, Calif.

“The addition of two new teams in two strong markets is a positive move for WTT for 2019 and for the future,” WTT co-founder Billie Jean King said. “This expansion is not only good for the league, it also is another indication of the importance of bringing our brand of tennis to new audiences and our commitment to growing the sport at all levels.”

WTT introduced professional team tennis to the world in 1974, with Billie Jean King famously serving as its co-founder. The new teams in Orlando and Las Vegas join the league’s existing franchises – New York Empire, Orange County Breakers, Philadelphia Freedoms, San Diego Aviators, Springfield Lasers and Washington Kastles – for play in July 2019.

Among the notable 2019 WTT season-opening matches on July 14, Springfield will open up defense of its 2018 WTT title at home against Philadelphia in a rematch of the 2018 WTT Finals, while Orlando and Vegas play each other in Lake Nona, Fla.

Among the schedule highlights in the 2019 WTT season are the following marquee and rival matchups:

 Springfield Lasers and Philadelphia Freedoms play each other at Springfield (Missouri) July 14 and at Philadelphia later in the month in a pair of 2018 WTT Finals rematches.
 Expansion teams Orlando Storm and Vegas Rollers square off at Orlando on July 14 and at Vegas on July 30.
 New York Empire and Washington Kastles play a home-and-home series on the consecutive nights – at New York July 19 and at Washington on July 20.
 2017 WTT Finals foes Orange County Breakers and San Diego Aviators continue their Southern California rivalry in Newport Beach, Calif. on July 20 and in Carlsbad, Calif. on July 26.
 Orange County Breakers and Springfield Lasers – WTT’s last two champions – face off in Newport Beach on July 22 and at Springfield July 30.

WTT completed its 2018 season on Aug. 5 as the Springfield Lasers, WTT’s longest-running franchise, defeated the Philadelphia Freedoms in the WTT Finals at Drexel University in Philadelphia to capture the King Trophy and its first WTT championship in its 23-year history.

In 2018, each of WTT’s teams incorporated select tennis stars from the ATP and WTA tours – including seven-time Grand Slam singles champion and 13-year WTT veteran Venus Williams, 2019 Australian Open and 2018 U.S. Open women’s singles champion Naomi Osaka, 2017 U.S. Open women’s champion Sloane Stephens, and twins Bob and Mike Bryan, the most decorated doubles team in tennis history.

WTT is one of five active U.S. pro sports leagues which has been in operation for over 40 years, along with the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB. For more information on World TeamTennis, please visit www.wtt.com.

About “World TeamTennis” (WTT)
World TeamTennis showcases the best in professional tennis with the innovative team format co-founded by Billie Jean King in the 1970s. Recognized as the leader in professional team tennis competition, WTT features many of the world’s best players competing annually for the King Trophy, the League’s championship trophy named after King. Since the League’s debut, virtually every major champion of the Open era has played WTT, including Andre Agassi, Venus and Serena Williams, Pete Sampras, Stefanie Graf, Andy Roddick, Kim Clijsters, Bob and Mike Bryan, Martina Hingis, Maria Sharapova, Lindsay Davenport, John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert and Naomi Osaka. Owned by innovator Fred Luddy, entrepreneur Eric Davidson and tennis icon Billie Jean King, WTT’s 44th season plays from July 14 to July 31, with the league semifinals set for Aug. 2 and the finals Aug. 3. Learn more about the history and league champions of World TeamTennis on the history page.

Mardy Fish Named New U.S. Davis Cup Captain

January 9, 2019 by TennisGrandstand

The USTA today announced that former world No. 7 and Davis Cup veteran Mardy Fish has been named the new captain of the U.S. Davis Cup Team. He succeeds Jim Courier to become the 41st captain in the team’s 120-year history and will make his debut at the newly transformed Davis Cup by BNP Paribas Finals November 18-24 in Madrid, Spain.

“Ever since I started playing professionally and started understanding what the Davis Cup was and how special it was, even as a player, I wanted to be the Davis Cup Captain,” Fish said. “I just thought that position was so special – leading the guys and leading the team, building relationships and the team aspect around it. I’m a team-sport athlete stuck in an individual sport, and I love the team aspect of Davis Cup. To even be considered, let alone named the Captain, is incredibly humbling.”

In this new era of Davis Cup, the role of Captain will be expanded, with the position working more closely with USTA Player Development throughout the year, as well as traveling to multiple tournaments and camps to support American players, serving as a mentor for American pros and juniors. He will also ensure the U.S. Davis Cup team remains a strong platform to grow the game through the USTA’s Net Generation youth initiative.

“Mardy Fish embodies all of the qualities of a successful Davis Cup Captain and will be an invaluable asset to Team USA,” said USTA Chairman of the Board and President Patrick Galbraith. “His achievements as a player both on tour and in Davis Cup are renowned, and his acumen for the game is as strong as his relationships with our American players. There are few people in tennis as qualified to lead the U.S. Davis Cup Team into the next decade, and we cannot wait to see what that future has in store under Mardy’s leadership.”

Fish, 37, reached the singles quarterfinals at three of the four Grand Slams and won a combined 14 ATP titles (six singles, eight doubles) before retiring from playing at the 2015 US Open. He also produced a number of signature performances while representing his country, earning the singles silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics and writing his name in the U.S. Davis Cup record book.

Fish played in 11 Davis Cup ties for the U.S. from 2002-12 and is still the last U.S. Davis Cup player to win three live matches in a single tie, in a 3-1 World Group Playoff win in Colombia in 2010 that kept alive the U.S.’s now-record uninterrupted streak in the World Group. Fish’s two singles victories in that tie were five-setters, and he and Courier are the only U.S. Davis Cup players to win two five-set matches in the same tie. In his last Davis Cup playing appearance, Fish beat Stan Wawrinka in five sets and teamed with Mike Bryan to beat Wawrinka and Roger Federer in a 5-0 sweep of Switzerland in the 2012 First Round.

After retiring in 2015, Fish worked part-time as a coach with USTA Player Development, helping to guide young Americans on tour, including Taylor Fritz and Jared Donaldson, through 2017.

Founded in 1900, Davis Cup by BNP Paribas is the World Cup of Tennis and is the largest annual international team competition in sport, with approximately 135 nations competing each year. The U.S. leads all nations with 32 Davis Cup titles. The U.S. holds a 219-72 all-time Davis Cup record, and owns the longest uninterrupted run in the World Group, dating back to 1989. For more information, including access to player and historical Davis Cup records, please go to www.usta.com/daviscup or www.daviscup.com.