Whether you realize it or not, a very special event takes place right in your own backyard every August: a prized jewel many other communities would love to have. The $50,000 Binghamton Professional Tennis Tournament (a Challenger event) draws spectators from across the region and entries from nearly every country around the world that produces tennis players

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Jeff Salzenstein, a Binghamton favorite, entertaining the crowd

If you are into name dropping, Lleyton Hewitt, Tim Henman, Karol Kucera and James Blake are just a few of the marquee players who can list a Binghamton appearance in their resume. None of them came home with hardware… 3 of the 4 lost in the 1st round! Tough tournament. Sampras, Agassi Courier adn Roddick are all players who competed in Challenger level tournaments.

The point I make here is this: You will see up-and-coming great players compete in Binghamton. Future champions begin at the Challenger level. So do players on the comeback trail.

More importantly, you will be able to view an extremely high level of tennis in an up close and personal environment. There is no other tennis circuit in the world that combines such a high level of play with such a fan-friendly enviroment. And make no mistake, our tournament is as friendly as they come.

This tournament’s greatest feature may be the players themselves - not just their level of play but their accessibility. You may often see a player kicking a soccer ball with a ball kid, meeting a spectator under the food tent or simply making small talk with the wonderful staff at the tournament desk. Unlike at major events, players get to show their personalities on the Challenger level. The community gets to know who they are, and they get to know us. So many different cultures and ways of life are welcomed into our community. Friendships are forged. Binghamton becomes more than just another stop on the tour. We are beginning to house an increasing number of players, which not only adds to our reputation as an event the players really look forward to, but further strenghtens our bonds of friendship.

Being a tournament junkie, I can’t get enough. Besides great tennis, there are clinics, special events, Lupos food and the BTC pro shop tent. You can always run into someone you know as you leisurely saunter the grounds. And there is never a shortage of tennis conversation. This event brings our tennis community together like no other.

The tennis community needs this event, and the tournament needs your support. We have discounted patron sponsor ticket packages for next years event available at the desk. Next month I will post an article outlining these packages. See you on the courts!

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Once again, the greatest tennis show on earth, the US Open, lived up to its billing. Being a New Yorker, I admit to being partial. That being said, the US Open is the most important Grand Slam event. Flushing Meadows has the best crowds, an incredible atmosphere and the fairest surface for determining the best player in the world. Every player gears up for the US Open.

Tennis aside, the fluff and glitter that accompanied the Open needs its moment on the stage:

Two thumbs up to the new Court of Champions, and the ceremony preceding the finals honoring, among others, Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors. It has been too long since Jimmy showed his face at the US Open, which was basically his house during his career. Now that Pete Sampras has retired, let’s hope Pete does not do the same disappearing act. A brief respite is one thing, but an extended hiatus is another. The game still needs Pete, and Pete needs the game. Well put by Johnny Mac and Jim Courier.

Speaking of Pistol Pete, how about that opening night ceremony? Wow! So moving, so appropriate, and so special. To hear Boris, Jim, John, Paul and Andre (his screen cameo was great) publicly honor Pete, and to see Pete’s response, was tremendous. Raw emotion. I will not get involved in the debate over who is the greatest of all time, and who liked Pete, etc…. I’ll just say to Arlen Kantaraian, the USTA, and most importantly to Pete: well done and thank you.

While I am on the subject of entertainment, The USTA (Arlen) has done a great job of adding entertainment value and attractions to the US Open. Starting with Arthur Ashe Kids Day, the opening night acts, the continuing evolution of the grounds (better seating, tasteful music, vendor booths, giveaways etc.), all the way to the presentation of the finals, they are showcasing their event and making this not just a tournament, but a happening, a place to be. Kudos to presenting a women’s Saturday night final. How about a Monday night men’s final? Prime time, baby. Monday night football move over. You can start the following week. Or how about scheduling the men’s final at 6 p.m. on the first night of Monday football? Worth a try, I say.

On to the tennis. There was simply too much good tennis to cover, so I will focus on just a few. The Capriati-Henin match goes down in history as one of the greatest matches ever - some of the highest quality women’s tennis I have witnessed. The shotmaking was incredible, the physical exertion excrutiating, the nerves steely. And one more thing: the hearts of champions were displayed. If anyone wondered what these two players were made of, doubt no more.

Justine Henin Hardin period. All heart, all grit, and strokes to die for. Oh would I love to have that backhand. Several of our members agree, and have come into the club after the Open with their versions of Justine’s backhand…. not quite the same, but they made valiant efforts nonetheless. Members, please keep up the good work. Within inner tennis circles, there was much talk and debate about how the women’s field - and the tournament - might have been weakened by the absence of the Williams sisters. The US Open proved otherwise, once again showing that the game is bigger than its players. Justine Henin, a true champion. A backhand for the ages.

Jonas Bjorkman & Todd Woodbridge in 1st round action en route to another Grand Slam title
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On the men’s side, allow me to say this was the Andy Roddick show! So much talk, so much pressure, so many questions about whether Andy was really the next great American. But at the end of the day, he showed the world he is the real deal: an incredible tennis player who can handle the pressure and answer the bell. Perhaps he’s the best player in the world at this moment. I think a changing of the guard has taken place. Gracefully, almost quietly, and with great respect, Andy has surpassed Andre. It had to happen sooner or later. Needless to say, I am a big Andy Roddick fan, especially since he began to wear his hat forewards. He is no longer a star in the making. He is a star, bright and fresh. Stay around for awhile Andy. All in all, another great Open. This tournament never fails to deliver.

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In case you haven’t noticed, there is no longer a tree in our parking lot. It is one of those things that is easy to not notice, even though this tree was such an annoyance for so many years.

Actually this was a pignut hickory tree, which is an indigenous species of the hickory family. I have been told they grow wild in these parts. It had been a fixture in our parking lot as long as I can remember. I’m sure it was there long before that, carving out its turf in a very unique space. How it survived this many years is a bit puzzling; but this was one tough tree destined for a long life.

Many a fender did this hickory rearrange, and many a door did it dent, including my own. The lower bark began to take on a color or its own, collecting every color of the rainbow that was ever found in a body paint shop. This tree showed no prejudice, Ford Escort or SUV, old pick-up truck or BMW, it got them all. As you parked in the “danger zone”, you reminded yourself of the impending danger and made a mental note on the way into the club to remember on the way out to miss the tree! Of course, a few sets of tennis and few Heinekens later, the not-so-subtle thud brought on a string of expletives, and the memory bank kicked in, albeit a bit too late. You did not have to look up, you knew what you hit…and you were not happy. Mr. Pignut strikes again! This tree was no PR statement for BTC.

Not all found our hickory their foe. Many a bird has sung its heart out and rested its wings in this tree’s inviting branches. The tree’s hickory nuts provided nourishment and a winter cache for our neighboring squirrels. Its leaves in fall turned a beautiful golden yellow, putting on a one-man show. Life breathed out of our parking lot.

All in all, the tree seemed to do more harm than good, depending on your perspective. If I had a dollar for every time I swore I was going to remove the tree, I would be rich. I can’t say exactly why I never acted. Perhaps it was because I am a tree lover. Perhaps I just thought that side-swiping Mr. Pignut was a right of passage others besides myself must endure, a reminder of how times were tough in the old days. Maybe I just grew fond of the tree and considered it protected by a grandfather clause that gave it a right to that space. But now it is gone and will make good firewood. As autumn leaves turn, I bid our tree a farewell. It certainly has carved its place into BTC lore.

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