Underground Racquets,
Ltd. boasts two underground courts below Carthage, Mo., where wind,
rain and sun can't be blamed for bad shots.
Let's start at the bottom. (More to the point, the
underground.) This, from the USTA Missouri Valley's Jeff Sikes in
celebration of May as USA Tennis Month.
"Tennis is a sport that is played in a myriad of locations across
the globe, and many of those locations are known to grab hold of and
shake the senses.
"The scenic Monte Carlo Country Club with its so close to the Mediterranean
Ocean view where you can almost feel the sand between your toes springs to mind.
Another sensory tennis experience not soon forgotten is at the US Open,
when the unmistakable smell of hamburgers trails across the food court
to the nostrils of those fans watching a match at the nearby Grandstand
Court. Even the near 1,000-foot high helipad at the Burj Al Arab Hotel
in Dubai – the one Roger Federer and Andre Agassi helped make
famous - bedazzled all but the acrophobics, and made us each feel a
little more snug on our own baselines.
"But a jaw-dropping view of a beautiful tennis court or delightful
tennis experience can be had or found in even the most unsuspecting
of locales.
"Take the Underground Racquets, Ltd. facility in Carthage, Mo.,
for example. The two US Open-blue courts are located inside a blasted-out
cave of the AmeriCold Logistics storage facility. The symmetry of the
two courts and the unique locale they're set in immediately evoke a
feeling of wonder to all who have had privilege to see it, much less
trade a few forehands on it. This members-only haunt in this sleepy
town of 13,000 in Middle America - better known for being the home to
the world's largest Precious Moments Chapel – is a total feast for the
eyes, and a place for perfect conditions tennis ... except to the claustrophobic.
"Just don't try to make excuses about the wind or contending with
the sun on high lobs, and certainly don't say that cell phone blaring
on changeovers is distracting to your service toss (since there is no
service down in the caves!). Underground is Zen Tennis at its finest,
a magnificent mˇlange of the natural and man-made with it's 60-foot
high ceiling and vast expanse of rock that surrounds. The place also
serves as a reminder that the 78' x 27' dimensions of a tennis court
can be laid down anywhere ... as long as the court is made with a little
'love' in
mind."
Mike Agassi and Tony Bennett
Agassi, Bennett charity; top
resorts
Tony Bennett and Mike Agassi (Andre's dad) will join forces to raise
funds for VegasTennis.com's Marty Hennessy Jr. Tennis Foundation at "Mothers
Day Weekend with Bennett, Agassi, Rita Rudner and friends" at
The Stirling Club inside Turnberry Place, May 12-14 in Las Vegas.
The Mike Agassi Clinic will take place Saturday, May 13, at 9 a.m. Immediately
following the clinic, The Celebrity Pro/Am will be held from 11 a.m.-1
p.m., followed by an Oscar de la Renta Lunch and Fashion Show at 1 p.m.
Later, a fundraising and tribute dinner for Bennett in honor of the
singer's forthcoming 80th birthday will be held. The evening will include
a live auction with items including a chance to be a Tennis Channel
Open broadcaster for a day, auctioned off by Tennis Channel founder
and President Steve Bellamy.
"I have met kings and queens, presidents and dignitaries all over
the world, but my favorite guy in the whole world is Marty Hennessy," said
Bennett.
Hennessy and Ryan Wolfington founded VegasTennis.com and the Junior
Tennis Foundation to help kids with drive and talent who lacked the
finances to pursue the sport. For info, call Wolfington at 702-822-1081.
BTW on The Tennis Channel: One of its founders,
the congenial and bright Bruce Rider, has left. The relatively new CEO,
Ken Solomon, appears firmly in charge now, lining up six VPs to work
under him. For those of you who get TTC, programming should be just fine,
as the competent Larry Myers is heading up the ship. For those of you
who get Comcast cable in Northern California, there is no firm date set
for when the monopoly will put it in its lineup. We've heard sometime
this summer, but we've heard that song and dance before. Thank god for
my new favorite series on HBO, "Big Love."
Tennis Resorts Online has just released its annual list of
the Top 100 Tennis Resorts & Camps worldwide. The rankings are based
on the evaluations submitted over the last year by vacationing tennis
players. This year's No. 1 resort is Kiawah Island Golf Resort on Kiawah
Island near Charleston, S.C. The No. 1 camp, for the fifth year in a
row, is New England Tennis Holidays in North Conway, N.H. Roger Cox
does a nice job wit the site. ... Our friend Joel Drucker's new column
for CBS Sportsline will begin next week. ... Maria Sharapova has begun
hitting again and is next scheduled for Rome. The American boys (sans
Andre Agassi) should be out in full force in Rome, too.
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