What does the US Open USTA Wheelchair Championships event mean to wheelchair tennis and the future of the sport going forward?
From its inception in California, by Brad Parks and Jeff Minnenbraker, wheelchair tennis has been on the rise and has offered adaptive tennis to new generations of the players from all over the world. Creating the “two bounce” rule and incorporating chair skills and chair design into their efforts through the late 1970’s, these visionary’s pioneered adaptive tennis. Too, they acted as “Johnny Appleseed,” introducing the game to the world under the auspices of the National Foundation for Wheelchair Tennis.
The inclusive ease with which the USTA incorporated wheelchair tennis into their main stream is a hallmark of the organizations gateway grassroots welcoming, to all who would swing a racquet. Comprehensive to specified extremes, the rules of tennis, rather than excluding a particular group or minority, embraces all and has as it’s offering the game for a lifetime.
For 30 years men and women of the National Foundation for Wheelchair Tennis, the United States Tennis Association and the International Tennis Federation have labored to develop the beloved sport and elevate it onto the world stage.
The US Open USTA Wheelchair Championships was the first, is the best, and remains a true stalwart of the world of tennis. It is much loved; much revered, and has become a hallmark of wheelchair tennis.
The clarion call has been sent forth, come one, come all, Meet US in St. Louis!
St. Louis has a rich history of hosting historical events, including the 1904 World’s Fair. It’s our understanding that the tournament is being held at the Dwight Davis Tennis Center. What does it mean to have an event like this for the city of St. Louis today?
“Meet Us in St. Louis” has been the familiar and welcoming phrase, with which we have reached out to the world, as part of our invitation to participate in Confluence hosted tournaments. Borrowed from the song and movie of the same name chronicling a St. Louis family and their excitement and interaction as the 1904 Worlds Fair was being constructed.
It was a heady time with the 1904 Worlds Fair and the 1904 Olympics both being held simultaneously in St. Louis. Construction was everywhere with improvement and preservation of Forest Park, which was officially opened to the public on June 24, 1876. At 1,293 acres, it is one of the largest urban parks in the United States, approximately 500 acres larger than Central Park in New York.
The Dwight Davis Tennis Center is a public tennis facility in Forest Park, St. Louis, Mo. The center has 19 lighted tennis courts, including a Stadium Court that seats 1,100 spectators. The home court of the World Team Tennis, St. Louis Aces, the facility was renovated and the courts resurfaced as part of the Forest Park Master Plan. The facility is named for prominent St. Louis politician and namesake of the Davis Cup, Dwight Filley Davis, who served as the city's public parks commissioner. During his tenure, he expanded athletic facilities and created the first municipal tennis courts in the United States.
St. Louis is a tennis city! Our sport is much beloved and much played in over the entire region. The St. Louis District and the Missouri Valley Section of the USTA have partnered with the tournament to help in every conceivable way to make it an event to be remembered. The USTA provides prize money of $26,000, guaranteeing that ITF Super Series standards are secured.
What can participants expect at this year's event?
For nearly two decades, Confluence principals have been about the business of wheelchair tennis development and have incrementally elevated the St. Louis wheelchair tennis tournament to a world-class affair. The tournament labored diligently at becoming the most player friendly, player supportive W.T.T. anywhere in the world, always with an eye to development. Over the last several seasons, the St. Louis tournament was offered as a “no fee” event. This truly player-supportive innovation allowed U.S. and international players alike to add one more high-profile event to their season gratis.
The ITF has had, as a precept for many years, the prescription for tournament organizers that they offer players an all-inclusive fee, to assist them with budgets and monetary exchange, etc. The idea being to allow preplanning that would give the visiting player a more comfortable expectation. The Confluence has embraced the all-inclusive fee as a principle and directed all its efforts to be so accommodating. We have tasked our sponsors and supporters to do all they can to help us construct an event that allows players to concentrate on their tennis.
The tournament hotel is the finest in the region, with luxury and support services everywhere. Forest Park sits on its western doorstep, and to its east is the Central West End. Another St. Louis landmark, this strolling area is filled with sidewalk cafés, watering holes, jazz, shopping and the like. Forest Park is home to the region’s major cultural institutions—the Zoo, Art Museum, History Museum, Science Center and the Muny Opera. It also serves as a sports center for golf, tennis, baseball, bicycling, boating, fishing, handball, ice-skating, rollerblading, jogging, rugby and more. Pushing distance from the courts, all attractions are world class, accessible and a must while at the Open.
Our all-inclusive fee breaks down to $100 per day per player. Players are housed two a luxury room and will receive a hotel credit for $50 a day that they can use as they so desire. There are multiple restaurants in the Chase Park Plaza, plus room service that will fulfill requirements of every diet, every taste and every training table.
Without fear of contradiction, tournaments held in St. Louis have had the finest tournament transportation anywhere in the world. Players have been overwhelmingly positive in their reviews. No queue, no waiting, no being stranded, no too late or too late. New ramp vans allow instant entry and exit with no waiting for the machinery to be sorted out. Players may travel back and forth between hotel and courts as often as is needed to maintain their comfort and keep them sharp for matches.
Why should fans come out to see this event? If they do decide to come out, what is the cost?
Forest Park is the center for tennis in the St. Louis Region. The Dwight Davis Tennis Center offers the community at large a very welcoming opportunity to observe the finest wheelchair tennis players in the world as they vie for the US Open USTA Wheelchair Championship titles. Plans are still being hammered out to have at least one, center court Open matches every evening (hopefully two or three such matches). These premiere events will coincide with meet-and-greet tennis celebrity functions and entertainment.
St. Louis is a sports town – we like to play, and we like to act as spectators as the professionals contest their particular sports, big games. Four professional sports teams call St. Louis home: the St. Louis Cardinals of MLB, the St. Louis Rams of the NFL, the St. Louis Blues of the NHL, and the St. Louis Aces of World Team Tennis. Folks from the St Louis region love sports, love to be spectators and love to be supportive of those who have dedicated themselves to excellence. We anticipate St. Louis will be at Dwight Davis rooting for good shots and game play.
Where can people find out more about the tournament?
Please go to www.confluencesports.org and click on: 2009 US Open Wheelchair Championships.
Please take time to read and understand the tournament offering, and then we invite you to commit to being part of the Thirtieth Annual US Open USTA Wheelchair Championships. If we can assist with any additional information or clarification, please contact us.
The Chase Park Plaza has been selected as the host hotel for the 2009 US Open Wheelchair Championships. Its website is: www.chaseparkplaza.com. Our tournament transportation will move players from courts to the Chase within 3 minutes, and truly one could roll the route in quick time.
One reason for the tournament committee choosing the Chase Park Plaza was its Central West End location. Please visit http://www.thecwe.com/ to take a tour of the immediate surrounding neighborhood waiting as you leave the Chase Park Plaza. A few pushes will deliver you to the Central West End -- an urban, hip and trendy one-stop-shopping and dining Mecca for many. Be it an afternoon strolling down the historic Central West End streets, admiring both shop windows and beautifully landscaped front yards, or simply taking in a movie at the Chase Park Plaza's comfortable movie house, the Central West End (CWE) seems to have it all.
One reason for the tournament committee choosing the Dwight Davis Tennis Center was its Forest Park location. Please visit http://www.forestparkforever.org/HTML/index.html and navigate some of the finest big-city amenities, all within pushing distance from courts and hotel. World class, the St. Louis Art Museum http://www.stlouis.art.museum/ and the Saint Louis Zoo http://www.stlzoo.org/, which was recently named "best zoo in the country" by Zagat's Guide, the Saint Louis Zoo is home to more than 3,600 animals, many of them endangered species are there for you should you find the time. There are plenty of interesting and entertaining things to do. Please do your homework and make plans as time will allow.