With a new 51-court tennis center opening in Rome, Ga., next summer, Rome Sports has been selected as the host of the 2016 and 2017 USTA Southern Junior Team Tennis Section Championships, Tournament Director Jessica Harrell announced on Thursday.
The championships are scheduled to be the first major tournament played at the Rome Tennis Center at Berry College, which is on track to open next June. The facility will be the largest public tennis center in the state and among the largest in the country. The facility will be located at the Armuchee Connector in Rome.
“The city of Rome is honored to host the 2016-2017 USTA Southern Junior Team Tennis Section Championships. Rome has a rich history steeped in tennis, and we are so excited to be able to show off what makes Rome one of America’s great tennis towns,” Rome City Manager Sammy Rich said. “The Rome Tennis Center at Berry College is currently under construction and will come alive next summer as we begin a new chapter in tennis history. I can think of no better way to inaugurate our brand new center than hosting the tournament.”
“We are so excited to be playing at a new facility that is geographically centered in our nine Southern states,” said Ms. Harrell, who also serves as USTA Southern Junior Team Tennis and TennisLink Coordinator. “We look forward to working with David Araiza, of Rome Sports & Rome Tennis Academy, and Pam Peal, president of the Coosa Valley Tennis Association, which runs USTA local programs and coordinates local volunteers.”
The dates of the tournaments are Aug. 12-14, 2016, and Aug. 11-13, 2017.
“As the economic hub of northwest Georgia, Rome is a city rich in history and loved by all who have been touched by her charm, warmth, and friendliness,” said Rome Mayor Jamie Doss. “It is an honor and privilege for the city of Rome to be awarded the 2016-2017 USTA Southern Junior Team Tennis Section Championships and an even bigger honor to know we will be the first city in Georgia to host such an auspicious event.”
The annual championships usually draws about 60 coed teams from throughout Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. A team match consists of boys’ and girls’ singles, boys’ and girls’ doubles, and mixed doubles. There are eight levels played: 10 and under, 12 and under, 14 and under, and 18 and under, with advanced and intermediate teams in each age bracket. Champion teams in the 14s and 18s qualify to play at the USTA national championships.