Copyright © 2015. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.

The McLeod for Health Florence Open will be held at the Dr. Eddie Floyd Florence Tennis Center October 18 through 25.  The week-long USTA Pro Circuit women’s event, now in its fourth year, draws some of the best young professional players from around the world to compete for $25,000 in prize money and higher rankings.

US sensation Catherine “CiCi” Bellis will be back this year to defend her Florence Open title.  The hard hitting and highly personable Bellis, now 16, was a huge fan sensation at last year’s tournament as she cut her way through the opposition to win the singles championship.  Bellis, who is having another good year on the Pro Circuit, won the $25,000 Rancho Santa Fe tournament in her home state of California in February.  Other top tier stars coming to Florence include 26 year old Romana Oprandi, who has played for both Italy and Switzerland and has been ranked as high as 32 in the world in singles, 25 year old Romanian born Israeli Julia Glushko, who has ranked as high as 79, and 20 year old American Sachia Vickery, who has ranked as high as 108 and is considered one of this country’s best hopes for the future.  Miami native Vickery has an unusual history for a tennis player.  Her Guyanan born mother Paula Liverpool has worked two jobs, including bartending in a notoriously dangerous strip club, to fund her training and travel.

Others to watch this year include Russian teen Sofia Zhuk, who just a few months ago won the Juniors singles crown at Wimbledon without dropping a set, and Canadian Sharon Fichman, who has won 9 Pro Circuit titles in singles and 17 in doubles, as well as Slovenians Petra Rampre and Nastja Kolar and American Bernada Pena.  All three did well in last’s year’s Florence event, with Kolar reaching the quarterfinals and Rampre and Pena the semis.

Again this year the tournament’s primary sponsor will be McLeod Health and its net profits will go to Komen Lowcountry to help in the fight against breast cancer.  Komen Lowcountry serves a 17 county region that includes Florence and the rest of the Pee Dee counties and provides generous annual grants to McLeod Health to support mammograms, follow-up diagnostic procedures, patient navigation services, and survivor support services, including transportation and child care.    McLeod Health spokesperson Jumana Swindler noted that the partnership between McLeod, the Florence Open, and Komen is a perfect arrangement. “McLeod Health is deeply committed to the early identification and treatment of cancer in all its forms, and Komen Lowcountry provides very generous grant funding to help us with breast cancer awareness.  Our support for this event will also help us stress the important health benefits that come from regular physical activity.  We see this as another opportunity to contribute directly to the health of the people we serve.”

With approximately 90 tournaments held annually throughout the country, the United States Tennis Association Pro Circuit is the pathway to the US Open and tour-level competition for aspiring tennis players and a frequent battleground for established professionals.  The largest developmental tennis circuit in the world, it draws more than 1,000 men and women each year from more than 70 countries to compete in cities nationwide.  Established pros like Maria Sharapova and Caroline Wozniacki began their careers on the USTA Pro Circuit, and so did some of the sport’s top new players like Americans Sloane Stephens and Christina McHale.  Florence, one of the smallest cities on the circuit, was selected to host an event because of its world-class courts, its strong volunteer base, and the generosity of its sponsors.  This nine day tournament puts us on the world tennis map and generates significant tourism revenues for our community.

The Florence Open will feature a 64-draw qualifying round, a 32-draw main round and a pro-am event. There will be a feature match every evening Tuesday through Friday.  The singles semifinals are scheduled for Saturday the 24th and the doubles and singles finals will be held on Sunday the 25th.    The week will also feature opening and closing ceremonies, a pro-am tournament, and an evening set aside to honor sponsors and cancer survivors.  Admission will be free, but attendees will be offered the opportunity to donate directly to Komen Lowcountry.

Current plans also call for a Community Day on Saturday the 24th, which will feature live music, a cookout, introductory tennis lessons for adults and children, a Junior Team Tennis match, a Special Olympics demonstration, a Fireball tennis round robin and a “Hit and Get” for players of all skill levels with prizes provided by Wilson Sporting Goods.  The singles semifinal matches will begin at noon and the other events will begin as soon as they are completed.  Florence Tennis Association President Ernie James noted that this professional tournament gives the people of our area an opportunity to watch world class tennis up close and personal and have a lot of fun at the same time.”  James urged players, fans, and the general public to come out and help make this event a great success.   Tournament Director Rob Hill added that the goal is “to create a genuine community event that emphasizes health, fitness, and breast cancer awareness, and to raise funds that will enable us to make a significant donation to an excellent cause.  This will be great tennis for a great cause.”

Copyright © 2015. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.