USTA Hosting National Open Hard Court Event at Balboa

The United States Tennis Association National Open Hard Court Championships will feature some of the top Open Division players in the country and is scheduled for June 2-8, 2014 at the Balboa Tennis Club, 2221 Morley Field Drive, San Diego, CA 92104.

Players will be competing in Men’s Singles and Doubles, Women’s Singles and Doubles as well as Mixed Doubles. The entry fee is $65 for singles and $43 per player for doubles.

“Unlike other national tennis tournaments, which are limited to certain age groups, this event is open to everyone,” said tournament director Colleen Clery Ferrell. “We had more than 160 entries last year with players ranging from an 11-year-old junior to a 70-year-old senior competitor.”

Clery Ferrell encourages all players interested in playing in the national championship to register as soon as possible before the deadline. For registration information, players can go to the following link:

http://tennislink.usta.com/Tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=138230

The winners of each division will be awarded a USTA gold ball, while the runner-up will be awarded a USTA silver ball. There will also be a 3rd/4th place playoff for the USTA bronze ball. All draws will have consolation events.

First-round matches are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. (PDT) on Monday, June 2. Admission for spectators is free and open to the public. On-site parking is free.

Former tournament champions include current American stars Jack Sock and Coco Vandeweghe and former touring tennis professionals Gretchen Magers, Rosalyn Nideffer and Allison Bradshaw.

The USTA National Open Hard Court Championships was voted, “2011 Tournament of the Year” by the San Diego District Tennis Association.

About The Balboa Tennis Club: In addition to the USTA National Open Hard Court Championships, the Balboa Tennis Club is the site for many prestigious tournaments throughout the year, such as the Maureen Connolly Balboa Open, the San Diego District Championships, the San Diego Metropolitan Tournament. The club, which is also the home of the San Diego Tennis Hall of Fame, boasts over 1,400 members, and is visited by approximately 6,000 day pass visitors each year. As a nonprofit organization, Balboa Tennis Club is dedicated to offering the finest facilities at an affordable price to help foster and develop the great game of tennis in San Diego.

The history of the Balboa Tennis Club dates back to 1922 when a small group of tennis enthusiasts raised $5,000 among themselves, and with the cooperation from the City Recreation Department, constructed six tennis courts adjacent to the present War Memorial Building.

On April 24, 1924, the San Diego Tennis Association received a lease to operate the courts for the public. The following year, a small clubhouse with locker rooms was built, but it was not until June 1939 that Articles of Incorporation were drawn up, and the Balboa Tennis Club actually was formed as a public, nonprofit corporation to foster and develop the game of tennis in San Diego....and to encourage competitive play with other clubs of this and other communities.

The club flourished many years at its original location and aided many young players in developing their games. In June 1966, the club moved to its present location and in July, 1983, assumed all the operational responsibilities of the Morley Field Tennis Complex. In 1989 Balboa Tennis Club was rated as America's Best Public Tennis Facility by the USTA. In 2000, the San Diego District Tennis Association named BTC as Club of the Year. In 2003, it received the Outstanding Tennis Facility award from the USTA for large facilities in the United States.