A Preview to the 2009 US OPEN Racquetball Championships

Posted by Doug Ganim in Press Releases on 08 12th, 2009 | no comments

 Well it’s hard to believe it has been fourteen years but the 2009 US OPEN Racquetball Championships has arrived!  This year’s event promises to be the best ever with a record turnout expected of both players and spectators.  The purpose of this special Preview is to give you an idea of what to expect at this year’s tourney. 

Amateur Draws:   The amateur matches will be played primarily at WellWorx Sportsplex (formerly Six50), Ridgeway Baptist Rec. Center,  and The University of Memphis.  No consolation divisions will be offered due to the huge draw and lack of available court time.  The competition is excellent in all of the divisions offered as we have competitors from all over the world entered into the tournament.  The top four finishers in each division will receive oversized US OPEN medals, that weigh about 1 lb. each! 

Pro Match Tickets:  There is no better place in the world to watch pro racquetball than at the US OPEN Racquetball Championships.  First of all, every top player in the world on the IRT , WPRO, CPRT will be in Memphis.  For the true racquetball enthusiast this means incredible matches to watch right from the round of 64.  Second, ALL pro match courts are professionally wired for sound so spectators can hear every grunt, groan, and under -the –breath comment throughout every match of the tournament.  The ball sounds like a missile being shot off so be sure to wear your earplugs if you have sensitive “flappers”.  Third, all the feature matches take place on the NEW breathtaking made-for-TV portable stadium racquetball court.  This engineering marvel has four walls made of crystal clear Lucite acrylic that is not only optically correct (no tinting, blurring, or bending of light) but is beautiful to behold.  All the Lucite material is butted up against each other with Lucite “fins” providing the support.  Even the “L” brackets are made of Lucite so the result is a seamless visual experience that makes you feel like you right in the court with the players.  The stadium seats about 1,100 fans and ticket sales are always brisk.  Your best bet is to purchase the Ticket Package which includes all sessions.  This is by far the best value.  New this year—-if you like to view the pro’s from the backwall purchase the upgraded Preferred Ticket Package for a guaranteed backwall seat. 

Parties, Parties, and More Parties!:  One of the things the US OPEN is best known  for is the evening social functions.  For those planning to attend you can expect more of the same this year starting with the “free admission” Pro-Am Doubles for St. Jude on Tuesday evening,  the fun “Players Gathering” at the Fox and Hound on Thursday evening, the Players Dance Party in the Pub on Friday evening and the largest bash of the year—the Saturday evening Grand Gala –THE PARTY WITH THE PRO’s.  Other activities include a special Wednesday evening Internationals Reception for all our “out of the country” guests and a weeklong Industry Trade Show in the Player’s Hospitality Village featuring all the top racquetball manufactures displaying the latest and greatest gear available in the sport.  Look for returning special events this year including the IRT Champions Clinic and the IRT/WPRO Play the Pro for St. Jude Challenge.

No way to attend the event this year!:  If you absolutely can’t make it to this year’s tournament then the last resort is to follow the action from home.  To help make this easier we will transform our website  –www.usopenracquetball.com— into a computer “window” to look in on the action at the tournament.  Plans include offering live amateur division results posting, up to the minute pro match results, digital photography from throughout the event, streaming video of select pro matches, and web-radio voice interviews with top pro’s as well as play-by-play voice streaming of the quarters, semi’s, and finals (pay per view package required—signup online at www.usopenracquetball.com).  Special thanks to our computer guru and webmaster Steve Kowalski for spearheading this ambitious project for the US OPEN. 

THE PRO’s!:  As always, the focal point of the US OPEN are the pro players and the incredible entertainment they provide as each player quests for the coveted US OPEN title.  Anyone on tour will tell you that at the U.S. OPEN intensity is at its’ highest so every match yields both players at 120% effort.  Check out the IRT, CPRT, and WPRO preview article in this newsletter for more info!

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