USTA Southern announces second Pro Circuit event in Huntsville

FIRST EVENT RECOGNIZED BY ITF FOR EXEMPLARY PLAYER SATISFACTION

The second USTA Southern Pro Circuit Combined $15K Tournament will be played at the Athletic Club Alabama, in Huntsville, Ala., Aug. 11-17, USTA Southern announced today.

Last year’s tournament was recognized by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) as “achieving exemplary player satisfaction and tournament delivery.” For this year’s competition, the ITF will add a Recognition Star to the ITF calendar, the tournament’s ITF homepage and listed in the Roll of Honour.

George Donnelly, ITF Head, World Tennis Tour, Operations, said, “I am delighted to announce that the W/M15 Huntsville, AL was received extremely well by the players and adhered to all the administration and operational requirements. In light of this the W/M15 Huntsville, AL has been included on the Tournament Recognition Programme and has been recognised as one of our leading events with respect to tournament standards of delivery.”

USTA Southern will be the main sponsor for the men’s and women’s event. Club Co-owner/Tennis Director Eddie Jacques will serve as tournament director.

USTA President & CEO Brett Schwartz praised the tournament. “We are very proud of the ITF recognition. The event was a resounding success due to the work of the USTA Southern, Athletic Club Alabama in Huntsville, and USTA national staffs. We look forward to the opportunity to give junior and college players a pathway into professional tennis.”

The tournament will offer wild cards to the boys’ and girls’ singles winners of two junior Southern Level 3 Closed tournaments in Florence, S.C., (Feb. 17-20) and Mobile, Ala., (June 6-12). Closed tournaments are for residents of the Section’s nine states.

Additionally, a Pro Circuit Playoffs tournament will be played at the Clayton County Tennis Center in Jonesboro, Ga., (June 15-17). This event is designed to attract adult, college and HBCU players. Singles and doubles winners will earn a wild card into the singles and doubles main draw events of the Pro Circuit tournament. Singles finalists will earn a wild card into qualifying. The Athletic Club Alabama will also choose 12 wild cards.

The following community events are slated during the Pro Circuit event:

• Kids Day & High School Clinic               
• Wheelchair and Adaptive Activation/Exhibition
• USTA Coaches Level 1 Workshop
• NJTL Clinic 

Residency criteria: 

• All players must be eligible to represent the United States per ITF and Olympic rules and regulations.
• All players must have a residency declaration for any of the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
• Players need to be 14 years and older to be eligible to register.
• Players must be an official tennis team members of any collegiate institution in the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.