Keeler: Women's pro tennis returning to D.C.
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Recommend ThisStarting next week, tennis fans will have an extra week of professional tennis to watch in the Washington area.
The Citi Open will make its debut on Saturday, and will continue until July 31 at the University of Maryland's Tennis Center in College Park, Md.
Washington hasn't hosted a WTA tournament since 1991. Since it is the first year of the tournament, it is an International level tournament, drawing less notable names.
However, there are still plenty of talented players who will be in the tournament. The field consists of 19 top 100 players, including four former top 10 players.
One of the most notable names is American Melanie Oudin.
Oudin rose to fame after making a run to the U.S. Open quarterfinals in 2009. Along the way, she upset Russians Elena Dementieva and Maria Sharapova. In early 2010, she reached a career-high ranking of 31.
Since then Oudin has struggled. She is only 8-22 this year, and is currently ranked No. 100 in the world. However, Oudin is feeling confident that she's ready to turn things around and make another big run towards the top this summer.
"I've hadn't luck on my side lately," Oudin said in a recent teleconference promoting the Citi Open. "I've tried to stay positive, keep working hard.
"I have a lot to learn, and hopefully, I still have a long career ahead of me. My goals right now is just to start playing better again. Start to get some more matches under my belt."
Oudin will face plenty of tough competition in the Citi Open.
Shahar Peer, ranked No. 24 in the world, is the top-ranked player in the field. Peer, of Israel, was in the top 10 earlier this year. Top-ranked American Bethanie Mattek-Sands will also be in the field. She is currently ranked No. 30. Jelena Dokic, who has been ranked as high as No. 4 in the world, is also in the field. The Australian is currently 53rd in the world. Dokic was out of the game for a few years, but is playing some of her best tennis during her comeback.
Russian Nadia Petrova, former No. 3 in the world, took a wild card into the tournament. She is currently ranked No. 32 in the world, and will certainly be among the favorites.
Austria's Tamira Paszek, currently No. 42 in the world, will also be playing in the tournament. Paszek's ranking rose recently after advancing to the Wimbledon quarterfinals.
Former top 5 player Anna Chakvetadze, of Russia, is also in the field.
The tournament is the week before the men's Legg Mason Classic, held at the William H.G. Fitzgerald Tennis Center in Rock Creek Park, Md., which is part of the U.S. Open Series. The field for the Legg Mason has four top 10 players, including Americans Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish.
Donald Dell is the chairman for both the Legg Mason and the Citi Open. Dell, a Pro Tennis Hall of Fame member, is from Bethesda, Md., and said he hopes the Citi Open will grow over the next few years into something bigger.
Dell wants to eventually make the Legg Mason and the Citi Open into a combined men's and women's event, which would bring in some of the biggest names in women's tennis like it does for the men.
"We have to show that the area has an interest in women's tennis and the Citi Open," Dell said in an interview a few weeks ago. "The Legg Mason is already one of the top 15 men's tournaments in the world."
Dell said he'd like to make the two tournaments similar to the ones currently held in Indian Wells, Calif., and Miami during the spring. Those tournaments are considered two of the biggest tournaments outside of the majors.
The D.C. community is a great area for tennis, as evidenced by the large crowds the Legg Mason brings in every year. Now with the addition of the Citi Open, the tennis community has a chance to show once again just how much the area loves tennis.
In 2003, the U.S. hosted Italy in a Fed Cup quarterfinal held in D.C. There was a great crowd on hand for that event, won by the U.S., but there hasn't been a Davis Cup or a Fed Cup event there since. It is my hope that with the new women's tennis tournament more events like this will be brought to D.C., and the area can show that it has a strong tennis community.
The more events like this are held here, the more the sport will continue to grow in the area, and as a tennis fan nothing makes me happier.
So I would advise anyone who loves tennis and wants to see some quality players to check out the action the next two weeks. Some of the best players in the world will be in the area, and if the tournaments continue to grow things will only get better.
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