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The 75th Annual City of Asheville Open Tennis Championships are in full swing, and continue through July 23 at the Aston Park Tennis Center in Asheville highlighted by both the Junior and Adult Tournaments, a special day with a tennis star and dedication of the new tennis clubhouse.
The Junior Tournament was scheduled through Saturday with a feed-in consolation format. The entry fee was $25 for singles, and $15 per person for doubles. The Adult Tournament is being held July 14-23, highlighted by the Men's and Women's Open Singles Finals on July 23. National Tennis Rating Program divisions is July 14-16, and the adult and senior divisions (60-90) will begin on July 17. Entry fee is $30 for singles, and $20 per person for doubles. Entry deadline is July 10 at 5 p.m. Luke Jensen, tennis pro and ESPN tennis analyst will make a special guest appearance during the City Open with Luke Jensen Day on July 17. The day with "Dual Hand Luke" kicks off at noon with the Lunch with Luke when guest will be treated to lunch and tennis talk with Jensen, followed by an afternoon of tennis clinics led by Jensen. Lunch with Luke is $30 per person, youth tennis clinic $10, and adult tennis clinic $15. Special packages for Lunch with Luke and tennis clinics available. As part of Luke Jensen Day, the long awaited Covington Clubhouse will be dedicated at 1:00 p.m. Named for Asheville tennis great Dick Covington, the new clubhouse features a pro shop, player's lounge, concession area, shower/locker rooms, and a museum displaying WNC tennis history featuring Dick Covington's tennis memorabilia. The City Open is designated as an official 200-Point Tournament of the Southern Tennis Association, assuring Asheville a strong field with high finishers receiving additional points toward their United States Tennis Association rankings. This year's City Open features the Men's 90 Age Division on July 17 led by Asheville's own Dave Carey. With a field of 10-12 players, the Men's 90 Age Division proves tennis is truly the sport of a lifetime. The total cash purse of $10,000 is sponsored by sponsored by the Western North Carolina Tennis Association, Pepsi Cola Bottling Company of Asheville, Arby's -The Winning Team and Deal Motor Cars. In addition to a cash prize, the names of the winners of the Men's and Women's Open will be engraved on the Silver Challenge Bowls. Junior tournament winners will receive engraved silver bowls. The winner and runner up of the Junior Boys 18 Singles will have his name engraved on the Mabel Knight Morgan Challenge Bowl, which must be won twice to retire. The winner and runner up of the Junior Girls 18 Singles will have her name engraved on the Larry Vaughn Memorial Challenge Bowl. Tournament entry forms are available at all area tennis clubs and the Asheville locations listed below. Aston Park Tennis Center, 336 Hilliard Ave. 828-251-4074 Recreation Office, 72 Gashes Creek Rd. in Recreation Park Asheville Parks and Recreation, 4th floor of City Hall, 828-259-5800 For additional information about the tournament and to register for the Luke Jenson Day, contact tournament director Laura Loftis at 828-251-4074, [email protected], or visit www.ashevilleparks.org. (Image provided by Asheville Parks and Recreation.)
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