Published:
Beach Tennis USA Kicks Off 2008 Tour at Sony Ericsson Open
NEW YORK, Feb. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Beach Tennis USA(R), the organization
responsible for launching the sport of beach tennis inNorth America, will
kick off its 2008 National Tour at The Crandon Park Tennis Center, site of the
Sony Ericsson Open, inMiami, Florida, March 26-April 6. The weeklong event
will feature both men's and women's pro tournaments and will showcase the
top-ranked teams from around the country. Free instructional play and a
celebrity pro-am tournament also are part of the Fila Family Zone, an
interactive area for fans at the Tennis Center.
Since its inaugural tour in 2005, BTUSA tournaments have drawn many former
tennis tour veterans back into competition, including Gretchen Magers
(Wimbledon), Jay Berger (Davis Cup) and Pablo Arraya (1992 Olympics). Murphy
Jensen, 1993 French Open Doubles champ, is the play-by-play announcer for
Beach Tennis USA's televised events. Last year, 75 Men's and Women's Pro
division teams from 12 countries competed for the $15,000 in cash prizes at
BTUSA's National Championship.
South Florida has caught the beach tennis bug and spawned many notable
players along the pro tour circuit, including Rick Simeon and Niclas Paalzow
of Ft. Lauderdale. The pair has competed in BTUSA events since 2006 and are
currently ranked 8th in the nation. Simeon and Paalzow, who will be competing
at the Crandon Tennis Center event, recently became BTUSA licensees and will
be producing their own beach tennis events in the Ft. Lauderdale area.
This year, Beach Tennis USA events will be televised to over 40 million
homes on Tennis Channel, Comcast SportsNet and SportsNet New York (SNY). The
first major, televised event of the 2008 National Tour will be the Sunshine
State Slam, May 3, inMiami Beach, Florida. For the upcoming event at the
Crandon Park Tennis Center, admission to the BTUSA activities is free of
charge to all Sony Ericsson ticket holders. A full schedule of events is
available at www.beachtennisusa.net.
About Beach Tennis USA
Beach tennis, which was launched in the U.S. as a pro and recreational
sport in 2005 by real estate developer Marc Altheim, combines tennis and beach
volleyball into one exciting and fast-paced game. Now in its fourth season,
Beach Tennis USA has garnered increased attention while hosting events in
South Florida, Southern California and New York. Beach Tennis USA has also
gained recognition in the tennis world, attracting many former top-rated
tennis players and having televised competitions featured on Tennis Channel,
Comcast SportsNet, and SportsNet New York (SNY). The company continues to grow
by adding new licensees in various U.S. cities and establishing "Team Beach
Tennis," which promotes year-round league play. To learn more about this fast-
growing sport, or to become a licensee, please visit www.beachtennisusa.net.
About The Sony Ericsson Open
The 2008 Sony Ericsson Open will be played March 26- April 6 at the Tennis
Center at Crandon Park inMiami. The 12-day combined event, founded by Butch
Buchholz in 1985, is owned by IMG. The Sony Ericsson Open is one of nine ATP
Masters Series events on the ATP calendar, a top tier event on the Sony
Ericsson WTA TOUR calendar, and features the top men's and women's tennis
players in the world. In 2007, Novak Djokovic defeated Guillermo Canas for
his first Sony Ericsson Open title, while Serena Williams defeated Justine
Henin to win her fourth title inMiami. For ticket information, call (305)
442-3367 or visit the website at http://www.SonyEricssonOpen.com.
SOURCE Beach Tennis USA
Copyright © 2008, PRNewswire
Copyright © 2008, NewsBlaze,
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