Baton Rouge Tennis Classic moves up to Challenger Circuit

• By JOE MACALUSO
• Advocate Outdoors writer
• Published: Feb 29, 2008 - Page: 7C

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The Capital City area took a giant step in the tennis world Thursday with the announcement the fourth-annual Baton Rouge Pro Tennis Classic is stepping up into the Challenger Circuit on the U.S. Tennis Association schedule.

The move means the Classic will draw a level of players never seen in Baton Rouge for a competitive tournament.

“This is the highest level of developmental tennis, a very important level of professional tennis in the U.S. and we’re thrilled to be in Baton Rouge,” USTA Men’s Pro Circuit director Brian Earley said at the gathering outside the Lamar Tennis Center at the Paula G. Manship YMCA, the site of the April 19-27 tournament.

Besides attracting men’s players ranked as high as 50th in the world, the Classic also will feature wheelchair tennis competition.

Top local wheelchair player Shane Theriot said because this in an Olympic qualifying year, he expects the top wheelchair players in the world in the pro and amateur division to enter the field.

Early and local sponsor Mike Bethea from the American Cancer Society pointed to this year’s Australian Open to best illustrate the Classic’s increased level of play.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga won the Challenger Tournament in Tallahassee, Fla., last year when he had a ranking between 50 and 100 in the world. Tsonga used the Challenger events to improve his ranking. This year he reached the Australian Open final and lost in a four-set match to Novak Djokovic.

Previous Baton Rouge Classic tournaments were held in the USTA’s Futures Level, which is open for players generally ranked at 300 and above. The Challenger level begins at the No. 51 ranking.

“This is the level of players we will have in this event,” Lamar Center director Johnny Wahlberg said.

Early said the field will be set in late March. Qualifying rounds are set for April 19-21 with the main draw matches beginning April 22. The semifinals are scheduled for April 26 with the finals set for April 27 at the Lamar Center.

The Classic is one of 24 Challenger Tournaments on the USTA’s 2008 calendar. Like 19 others, the Classic is a $50,000 event. Two others are $75,000 tournaments and one is a $100,000 event. The opening tournament is a $35,000 event.

The Paula Manship YMCA will erect stands around the Lamar Center courts.

Bethea said daily admission will be $5 for adults with no fee for youngsters 17 and younger. He said fans will be able to buy a $15 all-match pass.