Tennis: Recognition after almost 40 years

Richard Dunn

The greatest tennis tradition in Newport Beach, the Adoption Guild

Tennis Tournament, finally has the blessing of the United States Tennis

Association ... after nearly four decades.

For the first time, the venerable charity event, which started on a

single court at the Balboa Bay Club in 1962, will be sanctioned by the

USTA and count toward individual sectional and national rankings.

Further, tennis legend Roy Emerson, the winner of 12 Grand Slam singles

championships, has lent his name in support of the 39th annual Adoption

Guild, which has made numerous changes this year and is one of the oldest

sporting events in Orange County.

The Newport Beach Tennis Club, long the Adoption Guild headquarters and

host of the finals, will also host the players’ party this year for the

first time. For several years, the players’ party was held at the Balboa

Bay Club Racquet Club.

Last year, the Adoption Guild raised over $60,000 for Holy Family

Services with the tournament and patroness tea. This year’s tea

fund-raiser is April 6 (by invitation only).

“We’re real excited about having Roy Emerson on our board,” said

tournament chair Linda Winston, who added that the field will probably

increase this year with all of the open divisions sanctioned by the USTA,

along with the men’s 35s and men’s open singles.

“It’s something we’ve been trying to do for a long time to encourage

better players to play,” Winston said of the sanctioning.

Entries for the tournament will be available in about two weeks. The

Adoption Guild is May 27-29 and June 3-4. The Palisades Tennis Club, BBC

Racquet Club, NBTC and the Racquet Club of Irvine are hosting early

rounds. Paramount Sports in Costa Mesa is giving away $200 gift

certificates to each winning team from 5.0 to 3.5, Winston said.

The Adoption Guild was founded in 1962 to support Holy Family Services, a

nonprofit organization providing counseling, adoption and foster care

services. For tournament details: (949) 760-8394.

While still recovering from the Corona del Mar/Pavilions National High

School Boys Team Invitational last week, there is no doubt it’s a solid

event with great competition and a bright future.

But, off the court, the tournament needs to improve on gathering scores

and information at all four sites and channeling it to one location (or

headquarters).

In addition, a system of providing coaches, players and members of the

media easy access to the day’s results will need to be implemented if the

event is to achieve the success executive director Tim Mang has in mind.

Fed Cup chatter: Palisades Club owner/operator Ken Stuart, whose facility

hosted the Davis Cup and The Challenge in back-to-back years, said an

announcement is expected soon from the USTA regarding the host site of

the 2000 World Fed Cup Final.

If the U.S. (with Palisades member Lindsay Davenport) is in the final,

Stuart said he would love to open his doors as the host site.

“Everything’s going well from our point of view,” said Stuart, who added

that Davenport could have a “significant influence” on the USTA, which

operates the Fed Cup, and its decision.

“After the Davis Cup (in April 1997), they told us, ‘We’re coming back

for sure to Newport Beach,”’ Stuart said. “I think it would be great to

have a World Fed Cup Final here and Lindsay has said she would love to

have it here.”