Thursday, March 29, 2012

Charleston qualifying starts Saturday

Charleston qualifying takes place this weekend, and with an expanded qualifying draw, it should be a very busy two days. There are many players to watch in this qualifying draw, including Iveta Benesova, Heather Watson, Caroline Garcia, and Grace Min.

Main draw play begins on Monday, April 2. It's going to be a bit strange this year because Patty Schnyder won't be there, and she has been such an intergral part of the tournament's culture for so many years. But there will plenty of great players to watch, and some really special guests who will be there to celebrate Charleston's 40th anniversary. Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Virginia Wade, Billie Jean King, Rosie Casals, and Martina Hingis will all be on hand.

As always, Women Who Serve will cover the Charleston tournament from qualifying straight through the finals, so please visit this blog for daily reporting and updates. Six former champions are scheduled to play, and there will be an almost too-good-to-be-true exhibition night. If you have questions, feel free to post them here or email me. The Family Circle Cup is a major part of women's pro tennis history, and the atmosphere on Daniel Island is very exciting and very relaxing at the same time. The Family Circle Cup is the only green clay tournament played, the people in the stands know their tennis very, very well, and a lot of respect is given to doubles.

You can still buy tickets to the tournament, too. I've attended it for many years, and I recommend it as a first-rate sporting event in a lovely setting.

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