For the first time in at least 10 years, an Adult USTA Adult Southern Section championship return to metro Chattanooga.
The 2015 USTA Southern Mixed Doubles Sectional Championships are scheduled to be played at three facilities Oct.
9-11. Matches will be played at the Champions Club Tennis Complex at Rivermont Park (tournament headquarters), along with Baylor School and The McCallie School.
There are 92 teams with 668 players expected to compete for the right to represent USTA Southern at the USTA National Mixed Doubles Championships. Ten teams will advance in the following levels: 18 & Over – 2.5, 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0 and 10.0, and 40 & Over – 6.0, 7.0, 8.0 and 9.0.
Teams begin play in a round-robin format. The winner of each flight will meet on Sunday afternoon in the finals. The champions will compete in Arizona at the USTA championships, scheduled for mid-November.
USTA Southern represents nearly 25 percent of the USTA national membership. Top teams from throughout the section’s nine states – Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee – are set to fill local hotels and enjoy the local tourist attractions.
The teams, which represent various clubs, parks, recreational departments and organizations, have won or finished near the top of their state tournaments or leagues.
“We are very pleased to bring one of our largest sectional competitions back to Chattanooga after many years,” USTA Southern Managing Director of Adult Events Dene Owen said. “Chattanooga has been a fantastic host for our national championships and sectional invitational tournaments in the interim.”
All players in the 2.5 level must have a National Tennis Rating Program (NTRP) rating of 2.5. In the other levels, the two players on court – one man and one woman – must have a combined NTRP rating that does not exceed the level.
The 2015 tournament is presented by the USTA Southern in cooperation with strong local volunteer support. Penn Racquet Sports is in its 27th year as official ball of USTA League Tennis. The tournament web site is www.SouthernMixed.com. For more information about USTA League program or the USTA as a whole, visit www.usta.com.