Professional Tennis is back in Knoxville as the 2008 Knoxville Challenger is now underway and runs through Saturday, November 22nd. The Knoxville Challenger is a USTA Pro Circuit event worth $50,000 and is hosted by the Univerisity of Tennessee with all matches being played at the Goodfriend Indoor Tennis Center. Admission is only $5 for an all day pass. A day after upsetting #1 seed Vince Spadea, Michael Russell was ousted in the quarterfinals Thursday by Frank Dancevic (CAN) 6-2, 3-6, 7-5. Bobby Reynolds (2) advanced to the semis with a three set win over friend and doubles partner, Rajeev Ram.
Three Knoxville teams travel to Orlando, Florida this weekend to play for the National Eastern Mixed Doubles Championship. The 8.0 Adult team captained by Tony Collins, 6.0 Adult team captained by Scott Thompson, and 6.0 Senior team captained by Tom Runyan all won Knoxville City, Tennessee State, and Southern Section titles to earn a right to play for the National Championship. Collin's squad is looking to make it back to back titles, as they won the National Championship a year ago. Championship information, including links to the schedule of play and team standings are found on the next page. The GKTA wishes our local teams the very best of luck this weekend!
The first annual Tournament of Wishes, benefiting the Make a Wish Foundation was held Saturday, November 15, 2008. Cedar Bluff Racquet Club hosted the tournament which was presented by Panera Bread. The tournament was played in a team mixed doubles format, in which 90% of the proceeds went to the Make A Wish Foundation and the remaining 10% going to the GKTA's West Hills Tennis Center Rescue. While the tournament was played all in one day, a player's party kicked things off on Friday, and included a silent auction which also helped raise money for these wonderful causes.
The West Hills Tennis Center officially reopened Monday, November 17th at 3pm, during a ceremonial ribbon cutting held at the facility. Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam, GKTA President Karen Kelly, City Director of Parks & Recreation Joe Walsh, City Tennis Director Deidra Dunn, and City Council Respresentative Barbara Pelot were among the dignitaries present at the ribbon cutting. A crowd of about 50 to 75 people braved high winds and temperatures in the mid 40s to celebrate the event, which marked the completion of Phase One of the West Hills Tennis Center Rescue.
Tennis greats Andy Roddick and Serena Williams will team up for an exhibition match at 2 p.m. Dec. 14 at Thompson-Boling Arena, according to an announcement Wednesday from Blue Entertainment Sports Television. The event is called Rock-n-Racquets presented by BB&T. Williams and Roddick will play young pros John Isner and Caroline Woziacki. The event benefits the Andy Roddick Foundation, and also has a musical component. “From the start, I wanted an event that showcased my passion for tennis, music and The Andy Roddick Foundation so we created Rock-n-Racquets,” Roddick said in the release. Tickets go on sale Friday at 10AM at Tickets Unlimited and KnoxvilleTickets.com
The GKTA is pleased to announce that it has helped raise nearly $500,000 in an effort to reconstruct the West Hills Tennis Center. However, with an estimated cost of 1.4 million dollars for the project, there is still much to do in making this dream a reality. Monies raised so far have come from a wide range of sources, including private donations, the City of Knoxville, The Baptist Foundation, Jack Murphy Tournament, West Hills Community Association, Never Ever Tennis Program, and the GKTA itself. A breakdown of funds raised to date and more information how you can continue to help are listed on the following pages.
