Post by Erika on Mar 29, 2006 18:52:57 GMT -5
**FOR THOSE WHO LIVE IN CALIFORNIA**
www.the-signal.com/News/ViewStory.asp?storyID=9317
Professional Tennis Coming to SCV
3/29/2006
Cary Osborne Signal Sports Editor
Professional tennis will make its debut in Santa Clarita at the Paseo Club in April.
The private tennis center has secured the $50,000 Pro Challenger of Santa Clarita, presented by the city of Santa Clarita.
The men’s event will take place April 10-16, with the tournament running April 14-16.
Players in the tournament are ranked from 80 to 200th in the world.
Brad Sceney, director of tennis for the Paseo Club, describes the kind of player who participates in these tournaments as being “on the brink.”
“You can call it the minor leagues if you need equivalency, but it also serves (for) players who’ve had their rankings drop as well,” Sceney said.
So it’s not exactly minor leagues.
Sceney said all the big names have played tennis on this level, which is a notch below the players that play in grand slams and international series events.
But it also serves as a springboard back onto the international series.
Sceney used Andre Agassi as an example of the kind of player who has participated in these challenger tournaments.
In 1995, Agassi was the No. 1 player in the world.
In 1997, he was playing at a challenger tournament in Burbank as the No. 141 player in the world, according to Sceney.
Some of the bigger names scheduled to appear at the Challenger of Santa Clarita are Justin Gimelstob, Jeff Morrison, Kevin Kim and Brian Vahaly.
Gimelstob is currently ranked 94th by the ATP.
Younger players attempting to make a name for themselves will also be playing in the event.
Sam Querrey, an 18-year-old from Thousand Oaks is scheduled to play.
Querrey’s ATP ranking shot up from 443 to 386 after taking a set from ninth-ranked James Blake at the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, earlier this month.
Qualifying for the Paseo Club event begins April 9.
The facility has been open since Nov. 2003.
Sceney said it has been the Paseo Club’s goal to attract an event like this since it opened.
He expects 4-6,000 people to attend the week-long festivities at the challenger.
Included in those festivities are a pro-am event, a kids day and a celebrity/pro exhibition with actor Mark-Paul Gosselaar and KIIS-FM DJ Sean Valentine.
Tournament play begins April 14 at 11 a.m. with a feature match at the stadium court at 7 p.m.
Sceney believes up to 500 people can be seated at the stadium court.
www.the-signal.com/News/ViewStory.asp?storyID=9317
Professional Tennis Coming to SCV
3/29/2006
Cary Osborne Signal Sports Editor
Professional tennis will make its debut in Santa Clarita at the Paseo Club in April.
The private tennis center has secured the $50,000 Pro Challenger of Santa Clarita, presented by the city of Santa Clarita.
The men’s event will take place April 10-16, with the tournament running April 14-16.
Players in the tournament are ranked from 80 to 200th in the world.
Brad Sceney, director of tennis for the Paseo Club, describes the kind of player who participates in these tournaments as being “on the brink.”
“You can call it the minor leagues if you need equivalency, but it also serves (for) players who’ve had their rankings drop as well,” Sceney said.
So it’s not exactly minor leagues.
Sceney said all the big names have played tennis on this level, which is a notch below the players that play in grand slams and international series events.
But it also serves as a springboard back onto the international series.
Sceney used Andre Agassi as an example of the kind of player who has participated in these challenger tournaments.
In 1995, Agassi was the No. 1 player in the world.
In 1997, he was playing at a challenger tournament in Burbank as the No. 141 player in the world, according to Sceney.
Some of the bigger names scheduled to appear at the Challenger of Santa Clarita are Justin Gimelstob, Jeff Morrison, Kevin Kim and Brian Vahaly.
Gimelstob is currently ranked 94th by the ATP.
Younger players attempting to make a name for themselves will also be playing in the event.
Sam Querrey, an 18-year-old from Thousand Oaks is scheduled to play.
Querrey’s ATP ranking shot up from 443 to 386 after taking a set from ninth-ranked James Blake at the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, earlier this month.
Qualifying for the Paseo Club event begins April 9.
The facility has been open since Nov. 2003.
Sceney said it has been the Paseo Club’s goal to attract an event like this since it opened.
He expects 4-6,000 people to attend the week-long festivities at the challenger.
Included in those festivities are a pro-am event, a kids day and a celebrity/pro exhibition with actor Mark-Paul Gosselaar and KIIS-FM DJ Sean Valentine.
Tournament play begins April 14 at 11 a.m. with a feature match at the stadium court at 7 p.m.
Sceney believes up to 500 people can be seated at the stadium court.
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*KATIE* 
