America's Top-Ranked Pro Players to Compete in Weeklong Event in Miami
NEW YORK, /PRNewswire/ -- Beach Tennis USA(R), the organization responsible for launching the sport of beach tennis in North America, will kick off its 2008 National Tour at The Crandon Park Tennis Center, site of the Sony Ericsson Open, in Miami, 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, in Miami 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 http://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 http://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 in Miami. 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 in Miami. For ticket
information, call (305) 442-3367 or visit the website at http://www.SonyEricssonOpen.com.
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