After a tough showing at the Davis Cup, it is any wonder what the future holds for American players. Sam Querrey, Donald Young, and John Isner are the young Americans carrying a lot of weight for the feature, but what about those youngsters competing to become one of them?

The USTA Elite Player Development team has been created to identify and develop the next generation of American champions by surrounding the top junior players and young pros with the resources, facilities and coaching they need to reach their maximum potential.

Joining Patrick McEnroe is Jose Higueras, who recently has been working with Robby Ginepri and Roger Federer. He will work with McEnroe to develop future American champions.  He will provide on-court guidance and coaching to both coaches and players, with a mission to build and maintain an Elite Player Development coaching staff at a world class level.  

I can’t wait to see the next up and coming players for America! Between McEnroe and Higueras, you can only expect to see some great youngsters join the tour for America!

Querrey is having a breakthrough season in just his second full year as a pro.  He won his first ATP title in March and defeated then No. 9 Richard Gasquet and former French Open champion Carlos Moya on red clay en route to the quarterfinals in Monte Carlo.  This summer, Querrey made his Olympic debut in Beijing and had his best finish at a major, reaching the Round of 16 at the US Open. 

Querrey will be  the first rookie on the U.S. team since Robby Ginepri made his debut in the 2004 First Round.  Congrats Sam!

Sorry for the delay in the updating, I am just recovering from my very first visit to the US Open! After playing tennis for 10 years, it was a dream come true to see the greatest event in tennis! It will be a memory I will never forget, stepping foot on the grounds that have shaped tennis to what is today and seeing the future of tennis firsthand. It is a priviledge to be part of the Olympus US Open Series, and to see history made...40 years of US Open Era!

Sidenote from last night's match: I am glad to see Djokovic stand up for himself. I don't think it was intentional to toast the crowd, but rather he was caught up in the press and trying to balance the pressure! I vote him to win the whole tournament regardless of what poeple are staying!

Congrats Bryan Brothers on another great victory!

I feel for James Blake today after watching the replay of his lost to Gonzalez.

The incident that upset Blake occurred with Gonzalez serving at 8-9 in the final set. On the first point, Blake hit a backhand passing shot long but contended the ball ticked Gonzalez's racket before landing, as TV replays confirmed. After trying to appeal to the chair umpire, Blake went on to lose the game and the rest of the match.

Maybe tennis should not only allow line challenges, but also foot fault challenges, lets, or in this case, unintended contact with the ball!

I wanted to give you all an update on an exciting event coming up this fall! In our efforts to promote healthy active lifestyles in the Hoosier state, we will be visiting two schools and a tennis club this fall to educate our citizens on living healthier, active lifestyles. We are in the process of securing a player from the ATP to join us on this exciting venture through the state of Indiana. Stay tuned for the location we are visiting, it may be you!!!

Did you know...

After working our tournament, I felt it was time to watch a little tennis from some of the world’s best tennis players, so I went to the Western & Southern Financial Men's Tournament in Cincinnati. My goal was to actually watch tennis and not work, but to no surprise I couldn’t keep myself from working as soon as I arrived on-site. I started in the press box working on the player vignets for the videoboards on stadium court for Nadal, Djokovic, and Murray. The vignets are part of the new “Feel It” campaign from the ATP and feature awesome graphics and player highlights. 

On a side note, you can only imagine what the press box was like as everyone was about to witness “the changing of the guard” as one of my friends said, Nadal was soon to be #1 in the world!! In case you need to be caught up, this is how it works:

The timing of Nadal’s rise to No. 1 depended on his results in Cincinnati:

-If Nadal won the title, he would have become No.1 this Monday
-If Nadal lost in the final, he would have become No.1 on August 11

Since Nadal lost in the semifinals, he will become No.1 on August 18

It was truly amazing to be part of the excitement Saturday, watching Djokovic and Nadal battle it out. I might say I was a bit disappointed in the match, but I can feel for Nadal, as he had a tough run to get to the semi’s and the pressure to be No.1 isn’t the easiest position to be in! It will be interesting to see what happens at the US Open…any predictions??? Stay tuned!

As the Special Events and Hospitality Manager, I wanted to be sure to fill you in on all the exciting events taking place at the Indianapolis Tennis Championships Presented by Lilly! Be sure to come check them out!


KIDS DAY, July 14: The morning session takes place from 8:30am–10:30am for youth ages 6–12. The afternoon session takes place from 3:00–4:30pm for youth ages 13–18. Tickets start at $8 and participants need to bring their own racquet.

INDY HUB NIGHT, July 15: Join Indy Hub for an entertaining evening of hospitality, networking and socializing. The pre-match Happy Hour will be in the Outdoor Hospitality Tent from 5:30-7:00pm. Call 632.4100 ext. 116 for details.

USTA MEMBER APPRECIATION DAY, July 15: USTA members mark your calendars to attend USTA Member Appreciation Day from 11:00am-2:00pm in the Indoor Hospitality Pavilion. Free with the purchase of a afternoon session ticket.
   
VALSPAR PAINT PERFORMANCE CHALLENGE, July 16: The 2nd Annual Valspar Paint Performance Challenge will be held from 1:00pm-5:00pm and will encourage fans to test their accuracy skills for a chance to win a trip to Arthur Ashe Kids' Day at the US Open. Visit valspartennis.com for detailed information, a complete schedule and to play the online version of the Performance Challenge game.

RACQUET DAY, July 16th
Individuals donating a new or gently used racquet at the tournament entrance will receive a free ticket to the afternoon matches that day.  The racquets will go to the National Junior Tennis League of Indianapolis which serves more than 1,500 children in Marion County every year by offering low-cost tennis and life skills instruction at more than 20 locations.

COLLEGE NIGHT, July 17: Unwind in the International Plaza for a night of live entertainment and drink specials. Try a game of Cornhole or relax with your friends before enjoying a night of world class tennis. Free with purchase of evening session ticket (food & beverage not included).

LADIES DAY, July 18: Get your body moving by starting the day with instructional clinics and cardio tennis led by local USPTA tennis pros or kick-off the morning by participating in a round-robin tournament on the courts of the Indianapolis Tennis Center. Tickets are $50 and include a ticket for the Friday afternoon tennis session, a commemorative t-shirt, gift bag, and name recognition in the daily program.