News

Carlsbad, Calif. — Tennis fans attending the 2011 Mercury Insurance Open Presented by Tri-City Medical Center will be treated to a full schedule of special events during the July 30 – Aug. 7 women’s professional tennis tournament at the La Costa Resort and Spa, tournament officials announced.

The special events schedule features Kids Day, Celebrate Our Heroes Night, Group Day, Ladies and Leagues Day, Latin Night, USTA Member’s Day and an auction and reception to benefit Tri-City Medical Center’s Fight Against Breast Cancer. Player autograph sessions, giveaways and contests will also take place during the tournament; and Mercury customers will receive exclusive benefits like 2-for-1 ticket offers, discounted VIP packages, half-price parking and a special gift, courtesy of Mercury Insurance.

“In addition to the great action on the court with the best female tennis professionals in the world, we have an incredible schedule of special events planned for this year’s Mercury Insurance Open,” said Raquel Giscafre, Mercury Insurance Open tournament director. “The tournament is going to honor some very special people this year and it’s going to be a great fan experience for spectators coming to the La Costa Resort and Spa.”

Individual tickets for the 2011 Mercury Insurance Open are now on sale. 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 now and begin at $70.

“I strongly encourage fans to purchase their tickets early so they don’t miss any of these special events as well as the great action on the court,” said Giscafre. “This year’s tournament is going to be a spectacular event and one you won’t want to miss.”

The 2011 Mercury Insurance Open special events schedule is as follows:

Kids Day

The annual Mercury Insurance Open Kids Day begins at 9 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 1. Admission is free for all kids under age 16 when an adult ticket is purchased (max. six children per adult). Tickets must be purchased on Monday, Aug. 1 at the tournament box office with both adults and children present. In addition to viewing matches featuring the top WTA players, kids can participate in a variety of activities throughout the day including a tennis clinic on Stadium Court, prize giveaways, and a demonstration from top pros. For more information or to reserve group tickets, please call the box office at (760) 930-7032.

Celebrate Our Heroes Night

Pay tribute to the heroes who serve our community at 7 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 1. Admission is free to all members of the military, police and fire department who show valid ID at the box office. Admission is also free for all kids under age 16 when an adult ticket is purchased (maximum six children per adult) on Monday at the box office window with both adults and children present. Celebrate our Heroes Night will also feature a special on-court presentation from Naval Lieutenant Commander and media personality, Dr. Andy Baldwin of the Got Your Back Network: A local non-profit foundation that provides services to the families of fallen soldiers. Dr. Baldwin, a family medicine resident at the Naval Hospital at Camp Pendleton, is well known nationally from his appearance on ABC’s The Bachelor: An Officer and a Gentleman.

Group Day

Tuesday, August 2 is Group Day/Night. All groups of ten or more will receive a 50% discount on reserved grandstand or East Loge Box seating. Please contact the ticket office at (760) 930-7032 for further details.

Ladies and Leagues Day

Enjoy a VIP Box seat, box lunch, and fashion show presented by the Shops at La Costa, Pinkalicious and Lilly Pulitzer at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 3. Tournament players will be modeling these fashion-forward outfits. Then there’s the action on Stadium Court where the top players in the world will compete. Tickets are $49 – Contact the Mercury Insurance Open Box Office to order your tickets today!

Latin Night

Latin Night begins at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 3 as the Mercury Insurance Open honors Angel Lopez, director of tennis at the San Diego Tennis & Racquet Club. For 31 years, Lopez has served the San Diego County tennis community, and in particular, the Latino community by promoting love and appreciation for the sport of tennis by donating lessons and equipment. Visit mercuryinsuranceopen.com for special discounts and promotions for Latin Day.

USTA Member’s Day

Members-only access, is provided to the private United States Tennis Association hospitality area during USTA Member Appreciation Day from 1 to 2:30 p.m. – Thursday, Aug. 4. Show your valid USTA Membership ID to enter the reception and a valid ticket is required for entry into the tournament grounds.

Auction and Reception to Benefit Tri-City Medical Center’s Fight Against Breast Cancer

A cocktail reception benefiting Tri-City Medical Center’s Edgar and Jo Anne Jones Women’s Diagnostic Center will be held in conjunction with the Mercury Insurance Open at La Costa Resort and Spa. The reception will take place at 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 4. Celebrity guests and players will attend and there will be silent and live auctions. The invitation also includes admission to the evening matches. For more information call (760) 930-7032 or go to tricitymed.org/tennis

To support Tri-City Medical Center’s Benefit, fans wearing pink to Thursday night’s matches will receive 40% off reserved grandstand tickets. Tickets must be purchased at the box office before Thursday’s night session to qualify for the discount. For more info go to: tricitymed.org/tennis

Player Autograph Sessions & Contests

Autograph sessions will be held during the day sessions from Monday, Aug. 1 through Friday, Aug. 5 along with giveaways and contests with prizes from tournament sponsors.

The Mercury Insurance Open Presented by Tri-City Medical Center, 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 Presented by Tri-City Medical Center 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 mercuryinsuranceopen.com/, join us on Facebook (facebook.com/SDTennis) or follow frequent updates on Twitter (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.