City Parks Foundation Plays in the Shadow of the U.S. Open
August 17, 2012 | By Adam Wolfthal
Photo credit: Adam Wolfthal
On Aug. 16, City Parks Foundation held the Chase Aces all-day tournament, an inter-borough intermediate level tennis tournament was held in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. in the shadow of Arthur Ashe Stadium. Though the tournament was held in the public park across the road from the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, due to the proximity to the U.S. Open site, the tennis had an epic feel and drew crowds of onlookers as the media surge began for next week’s start of the 2012 U.S. Open.
Players from all five boroughs were represented, as more than 100 players took to the courts for the event. Young tennis players who had the opportunity to learn the game all summer and blossom from beginners working on their strokes to more advanced and competitive players, were taking part in matches for a chance to win prizes. Each court had a linesperson whose job it was to only step in and overrule when asked by the players.
Utilizing a large grant from JP Morgan Chase, the City Parks Foundation hosts the event annually and it gives the young players the opportunity to participate in one of their first-ever competitive tournaments, exposing them and their parents to the difficulties and excitement of competitive play. There were also drills and games for prizes as consolation to those who did not reach the later rounds.
In between matches, the players and their families passed the time by practicing their strokes, discussing strategy and mostly, picnicking together. The event was a huge success and much fun was had by all who attended.
