Greater Portland to Host First USTA Pro Circuit Event

The Greater Portland Tennis Council is pleased to announce that it will be putting on its first annual USTA Pro Circuit $50,000 Women’s Challenger, which will be held from July 14-21 at the Tualatin Hills Tennis Center in Beaverton, Oregon. The challenger is the only pro tennis tournament in Oregon and will feature several of the world’s top 100 players, in addition to being part of a three-tournament circuit that will determine the winner of a wild card into this year’s US Open.

More information about the tournament can be found at www.theoregonchallenger.com. 

The Tualatin Hills Tennis Center will hold several free events throughout the tournament. The biggest of these is a Community Day on Friday, July 19, which will feature free 10-and-under clinics, a wheelchair tennis clinic and wheelchair exhibition match featuring former wheelchair world No. 1 and Portland native David Wagner. Cardio Tennis clinics for adults will be held on Monday, July 15, while the tournament party on Wednesday, July 17 will double as a fundraiser for the Alex Rovello Fund, in memory of the University of Oregon tennis player who lost his life in a tragic diving accident last month. 

“We’re excited about this opportunity to bring women’s pro tennis to Portland,” said Brian Loomis, tournament director and President of the GPTC. “We’re expecting some excellent talent. The USTA thinks Tualatin Hills is a premium site to host the event and we’re hoping to use it as a fundraiser.”

 Formed in 1988, the GPTC is a chartered, non-profit organization that has become one of the largest Community Tennis Associations in the state. All proceeds from the event will go directly towards GPTC’s mission of putting on quality tennis programs for kids and special population groups in the area.

Through their “T” is for Tennis program, the GPTC has brought in-school tennis classes to 550 children in Head Start programs throughout the community, in addition to supporting 10-and-under tennis, wheelchair tennis and Special Olympic tennis programs.

With approximately 90 tournaments hosted annually nationwide, the USTA Pro Circuit is the largest developmental tennis circuit in the country, offering nearly $3 million in prize money. Maria Sharapova, Andy Roddick, Andy Murray and Caroline Wozniacki are just some of the players who began their careers on the USTA Pro Circuit. 

 Further information may be obtained from McCarton Ackerman, mccartonjournalism@gmail.com