Mount Pleasant Magazine March/April 2013

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Going Out
It’sTime For Some
SeriousTennis
– And Some Serious Fun
The Women’s Tennis Asso-
ciation Tour roars onto Daniel Island
March 30 to April 7, when the Family
Circle Cup, presented by Dove, will be
contested for the 41st time. Launched in
1973 in Hilton Head, the tournament
moved to its present site in 2001, and
this promises to be another thrilling year for the thousands
of fans who will attend the weeklong
display of forehands and drop volleys
at the Family Circle Tennis Center.
Defending champ Serena Williams will highlight a star-
studded cast.
“Having Serena back to
defend is certainly our biggest
asset,” Tournament Director
Bob Moran commented.
Williams will be happy
to be back in the friendly
confines of Daniel Island,
where her powerful game has
thrived amid the palmettos.
How good has she been?
She’s10-0 in match play at
the Family Circle Cup.
“Serena and Venus love
the city of Charleston and
love being here,” Moran said.
Older sister Venus, the 2004 champion, committed to
the tournament early, as did Samantha Stosur, who won in
2010, when she was ranked ninth in the world.
Reporting brisk ticket sales, Moran said the tournament
would continue its upsurge in overall attendance.
“Last year we had some of our biggest crowds the first three
sessions but we lost one session to rain. We were averaging
between 6,000 and 7,000 fans. We are slightly ahead of last year
in regards to pre-event ticket sales,” he pointed out.
There’s more to the Family Circle Cup than world-
class tennis. Special nights of the tournament will honor
the Susan G. Komen Foundation and the military, and
every night match will be preceded by a happy hour at the
Racquet Club Bar on the Grand Lawn, where attendees can
bend an elbow from 4 to 7 p.m. and kick back and enjoy
live music. New this year is an after-hours ticket package
that allows fans to purchase tickets for every night session at
a discount rate. The popular Winning In Doubles Luncheon
has been expanded to two days – April 1 and April 2 –
featuring a behind-the-scenes meal, a question-and-answer
session with a top doubles team and some autograph time.
Charity is at least as important as 120-mile-an-hour
serves. Family Circle supports
Charleston’s Courting Kids
Program and Tennis in the
City. The tournament’s
opening weekend has activities
aimed at youngsters, such
as an interactive zone that
features demo courts with ball
machines and a fast-serve cage.
The viability of the Family
Circle Cup in Charleston
appears as secure as the
Williams sisters’ place in
tennis history.
“We have a long-term
lease with city, the economy is
coming back, we have a permanent facility and the future
seems bright,” said Moran.
The list of those who have taken the top prize at the
Family Circle Cup includes luminaries such as the Williams
sisters, Stosur, Caroline Wozniacki, Justine Henin, Martina
Hingis, Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert –
eight times.
For tickets and further information, visit
.
By JOHN TORSIELLO
Defending champion Serena Williams, bottom right, will highlight
a star-studded cast at this year’s Family Circle Cup.