Ballperson tryouts for Mercury Insurance Open
June 17, 2011
Carlsbad, Calif. — The Mercury Insurance Open Presented by Tri-City Medical Center is looking for individuals to serve as ballpersons during the July 30 – Aug. 7 women’s professional tennis event, at the La Costa Resort and Spa.
The Mercury Insurance Open will conduct an on-court tryout for prospective ballpersons at 1 p.m. Sunday, June 26 at the resort. Attendees are asked to sign in at the registration table located in the parking lot just west of the tennis courts.
“It is a very unique and positive experience to be a ballperson at a Premier Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) event like the Mercury Insurance Open,” said Raquel Giscafre, Mercury Insurance Open tournament director. “No one else on the court has a better view of the action than the ballpersons. You really get to experience and enjoy a different perspective of women’s professional tennis.”
According to Giscafre, a strong group of ballpersons is vital for a successful tournament as they help matches to flow smoothly by working as a team on the court. The ballpersons are directed by long-time tournament volunteers Ron Marquez and Saundra Cima.
“The ballpersons play an important role during all of the matches and their dedication certainly doesn’t go unnoticed,” said Giscafre. “When Lindsay Davenport won this tournament in 1998, she thanked and shook hands with each and every ballperson during the award ceremony. It left a lasting impression on everybody… especially the ballpersons.”
The session is open to experienced tennis players ten years old and above. Those selected to serve as ballpersons will be asked to work qualifying matches scheduled for Saturday, July 30 and Sunday, July 31, plus two additional days during the main draw, Aug. 1-7. For more information regarding the ballperson tryout, please contact Marquez at [email protected]
The field for the 2011 Mercury Insurance Open will be highlighted by two-time defending US Open champion and reigning Australian Open champion Kim Clijsters, former world No.1 Ana Ivanovic and other WTA stars including Daniela Hantuchova, Maria Kirilenko, Flavia Pennetta, Melanie Oudin, Coco Vandeweghe, Julia Goerges, Anna Chakvetadze and Yanina Wickmayer.
Individual tickets are now on sale for the 2011 Mercury Insurance Open, July 30 to Aug. 7 at the La Costa Resort and Spa. Reserved grandstand and box seat tickets, which range from $10-$125, are now available online at mercuryinsuranceopen.com or through Ticketmaster at ticketmaster.com. Tournament ticket packages are also on sale and begin at $70.
The Mercury Insurance Open, a Premier 700 Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) event offering $721,000 in prize money, will feature a 56-player singles draw and a 16-team doubles draw in 2011. The women’s professional tennis event returned to the La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad in 2010 after a two-year hiatus. Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova won the singles title last summer when she defeated Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland in the final. The tournament will be televised on the Tennis Channel and ESPN 2.
The Mercury Insurance Open is a participating tournament in the Olympus US Open Series. The US Open Series, now in its eighth year, is a six-week summer tennis season that links 10 ATP World Tour and WTA tournaments together. The series leads into the US Open. The Mercury Insurance Open is the second women’s event within the series. For additional information about the Mercury Insurance Open Presented by Tri-City Medical Center, log onto http://mercuryinsuranceopen.com/, join us on Facebook (http://facebook.com/SDTennis) or follow frequent updates on Twitter (http://twitter.com/MercuryInsOpen).
About Mercury Insurance
Mercury Insurance (MCY) is a multiple-line insurance organization predominantly offering personal automobile and homeowners insurance through a network of independent agents and brokers in California, Florida, New Jersey, Texas, Arizona, New York, Georgia, Oklahoma, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, Virginia and Pennsylvania. Founded in 1962, Mercury specializes in providing quality insurance at affordable prices – core values that distinguish Mercury in the marketplace. For more information about Mercury Insurance, visit mercuryinsurance.com.
About Tri-City Medical Center
Tri-City Medical Center is a Joint Commission gold seal accredited, full-service, acute care hospital with three advanced clinical institutes and physicians practicing in 60 specialties. Administered by the Tri-City Healthcare District which includes Oceanside, Vista and most of Carlsbad, Tri-City is celebrating 50 years caring for the community. For more information about Tri-City Medical Center, please visit tricitymed.org.
About Octagon Tennis
Octagon’s history and tradition in tennis dates back nearly 40 years. Octagon has played an important role in the globalization of professional tennis. Our long-standing reputation for integrity is the foundation of our leadership position in the industry. Our mission is to serve as the pre-eminent management and marketing agency worldwide for the representation of tennis players. For more information, visit octagontennis.com.