Women's UTR Pro Match Series Washed Out; 16-Player Women's Event Set for Charleston in June; Midwest NCAA Webinar Set for Friday; USTA Pro Circuit Records

It's been a quiet news day on this middle Sunday of a holiday weekend. In an alternate universe, the French Open would have begun today, but the only televised live tennis actually being played never began, with the final day of the women's UTR Pro Match Series rained out in West Palm Beach Florida.  After rain moved in prior to the third set between Danielle Collins and Ajla Tomljanovic yesterday, that match was to be completed this morning, with the winner facing Alison Riske in the final. Heavy rain kept any tennis from being played, and the event was canceled in mid-afternoon, without a winner being declared.

Another women's event, the Credit One Bank Invitational, has been announced for next month, in Charleston South Carolina. The 16-player field will feature some of the biggest names in women's tennis, particularly from North America, with Sofia Kenin, Bianca Andreescu, Madison Keys, Sloane Stephens and Viktoria Azarenka scheduled to compete in the two-team event. Others scheduled to play include all four of the UTR Match Series participants Riske, Collins and Tomljanovic and Amanda Anisimova, as well as Jennifer Brady, Virginia recruit Emma Navarro, Shelby Rogers, Eugenie Bouchard, Monica Puig, Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Leylah Fernandez.

The format of the tournament, which is set to run June 23-28, is not currently known, but I would not be surprised if it is Fast 4, as the Pro Match Series was. This local TV channel article, which features quotes from both Ben Navarro and Bob Moran, says that players will call their own lines, there will be one official and each player will have a ball person to assist them. Tennis Channel will be providing 40 hours of live broadcasting.

There is still time to register for the USTA Midwest webinar featuring former Division III tennis player Lorne McManile, Coordinator of Academic Review, NCAA Eligibility Center, which is scheduled for 5 p.m. Friday May 29th. Registration for that webinar, the last in the Midwest section's series of college information webinars this month, is available through this link.

The graphic below appeared in the program that was distributed at the Dow Tennis Classic this winter, and I'm sure the same page was part of the programs of all the USTA Pro Circuit events this year. Recognition for those who often spend years at this level is important, and for me, it's always fun to see the names and accomplishments of those players I've gotten to know while covering the junior and college game.