Black Tennis Pros

The Washington Kastles's home schedule this season will feature uncommon star wattage, including a match between former world No. 1 players Venus Williams and Martina Hingis, who faced off for the 1997 U.S. Open title, clashing for the first time since 2006.

Venus was added to the roster of the defending World TeamTennis champion Kastles in the offseason, joining sister Serena, who has played for Washington's franchise its first two years.

As the Kastles' designated "marquee players," the Williams sisters make just one home appearance, each on different nights.

Venus will lead the Kastles against Hingis and the New York Buzz in a home match on July 7 and play for the squad the next night in Philadelphia.

Serena will join the Kastles at home for a July 14 match against the Kansas City Explorers and play three matches on the road.

Anchored by the strong doubles play of Leander Paes and Rennae Stubbs, the Kastles won the World TeamTennis championship in their second season last year.

Team owner Mark Ein re-signed Paes, ranked sixth in the world in doubles, and Stubbs, ranked 7th in doubles, along with current world No. 1 Serena Williams. To round out the roster, Ein traded for the No. 1 pick in Tuesday's draft. The Kastles used that pick to select Bobby Reynolds, who ranked as high as 63rd in the world in 2009, to shoulder the men's singles duties. Ein also acquired the rights to Angela Haynes from Sacramento.

All told, Kastles players have won 61 Grand Slam event titles among them.

The Kastles will play seven away matches and seven at home from July 5 through July 22, with John McEnroe and Anna Kournikova as the headliners scheduled to visit Washington.

I must say that I am truly sorry not to see American Asia Muhammad progress in singles at the U.S. Open. Earlier today Asia became one of the first round casualties, falling to Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai 2-6, 4-6. It wasn't a total beat down, so I take solace in the fact that she put forth an effort. Asia is playing doubles, perhaps she can make a few inroads there.

I became very fond of watching her play at the end of 2007 and was hoping that she could parlay her upswing into something major this year. Fortunately Asia is very young and has plenty of time to improve her game.

Keep your head up Asia!

Shenay Perry of the United States was impressive throughout the qualifying tournament. The 24-year-old from Coral Springs, Fla., did not drop a set in her three matches and moved on to her fifth US Open with a 6-4, 7-6 (4) victory over No. 17 Olga Savchuk of Ukraine.

1. 40 years, 40 champions: It is the 40th Anniversary of the Open Era.

2. Thirty-nine former US Open champions will be at Opening Night.

3. Watching some of the best tennis in the world!

4. Going Green: Help the USTA protect the environment.

5. A potential Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal battle for the crown.

6. Another potential Venus Williams-Serena Williams showdown.

7. More Instant Replay: Players now get three challenges instead of two per set.

8. Fourteen-time Grand Slam champion Pete Sampras and eight-time U.S. championships winner Molla B. Mallory will be inducted into the Court of Champions.

9. More ways to snag tickets with the official ticket exchange on TicketsNow.

10. Record prize money

11. Flavored mojitos at the Mojito Restaurant and Bar

12. Relaxing next to the fountain in front of Arthur Ashe Stadium

13. The Fashion! What are all the players wearing this year?

14. Have a facial consultation and meet two-time US Open champion Tracy Austin at the Juvederm booth.

15. Grabbing a Heineken at the Red Star Café

16. Watching some of your favorite players up close while they hit on the practice courts.

17. Seeing some of your favorite celebrities in the stands.

18. Shopping at the Polo Ralph Lauren and Lacoste stores.

19. Wondering from match to match on the outer courts.

20. Buying the latest 2008 US Open gear.

21. Catch one of three autographed balls hit into the stands after each match on the show courts.

22. The great selections in the food court.

23. The ‘7’ train drops you off right in front of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

24. Live entertainment around the grounds.

25. Jumbo television screens outside the stadiums showing all the action inside.

The 2008 US Open will commemorate the 40th anniversary of the founding of tennis’ Open Era. The US Open’s Opening Night on August 25 will launch the celebration with an on-court ceremony highlighting the 40 US Open singles champions in the 40 years since 1968. Throughout the tournament, the US Open will feature additional celebrations and special tributes to past champions. To mark this historic anniversary, the USTA has also produced a commemorative coffee table book, collectible coins, a vintage clothing line, and a dedicated 40^th Anniversary website.

The US Open and the city of New York share a special relationship that dates back to 1915, when the West Side Tennis Club first hosted the men’s singles U.S. National Championships, a precursor to the modern-day US Open. Until 1968, the U.S. National Championships was strictly limited to amateurs but forty years ago, the tournament became “open” to both professionals and amateurs and the name changed from the U.S. Championships to the US Open.

The size and scope of the US Open continues to expand and develop each year. A total of $100,000 was offered by the USTA to the field of 96 men and 64 women who entered the men’s and women’s singles and doubles events at the 1968 US Open. In 1973, the US Open became the first Grand Slam to offer equal prize money to men and women. Today, US Open prize money exceeds $20 million and features more than 600 men and women, including qualifying.

“The 2008 US Open will pay tribute to one of the most significant milestones in the history of tennis -- the birth of the Open Era,” said Jane Brown Grimes, President and Chairman of the Board, USTA. “By allowing both professionals and amateurs to compete together, the Open Era transformed the sport, creating a platform to elevate the sport’s popularity and grow the game on every level.”

“We will be launching a two-week celebration of this historic occasion with what is sure to be an unforgettable Opening Night,” said Arlen Kantarian, Chief Executive Officer, Pro Tennis, USTA. “The 40th anniversary gives us the opportunity to honor the tournament’s rich history and the game’s greatest champions -- past and present -- all of whom have played a substantial role in making the US Open one of the world’s most celebrated sporting events.”

Special Celebrations and Programs

· An Opening Night ceremony honoring the Open Era’s 40 US Open champions.

· Vignettes highlighting the Open Era’s 40 US Open champions will be displayed on the video boards on the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

· A micro-site on USOpen.org will serve as a retrospective of the US Open and Open Era champions featuring a historical overview of the event and exclusive photo and video highlights of the US Open’s most memorable moments.

· The Open Book: Celebrating 40 Years of America’s Grand Slam -- a hardcover, coffee table book published by Triumph Books -- will be sold in bookstores and major retail outlets.

· The US Open program and US Open draw sheets will include special 40^th Anniversary features and historic tributes.

· A vintage clothing line -- part of the US Open Collection -- captures the spirit of the 40th Anniversary.

· Limited edition silver commemorative coins minted by The Highland Mint and featuring the 40th Anniversary US Open logo will be sold on-site.

US Open Historical Highlights from the Open Era

· Arthur Ashe became the first African-American male to win a Grand Slam in 1968; in 1997, the USTA opened Arthur Ashe Stadium in his honor.

· Billie Jean King needed just 13 games to win the first-ever US Open stadium-court match in 1968; the National Tennis Center was renamed in her honor in 2006.

· Three individual players have completed the Grand Slam at the US Open during the Open Era -- Rod Laver in 1969, Margaret Court in 1970 and Steffi Graf in 1988.

· Jimmy Connors is the only player to win the US Open singles championship on three different surfaces -- on grass in 1974, on clay in 1976 and on hard court in 1978.

· The men’s and women’s champions at the 1973 US Open each received equal prize money for the first time in Grand Slam history.

· Night tennis was instituted at the US Open in 1975 -- the first Grand Slam to feature night tennis.

· The US Open moved from Forest Hills to its current home, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, in 1978.

· Chris Evert captured her sixth US Open title in 1982, the most of any man or woman during the Open Era.

· The first Grand Slam prime-time women’s singles final was played in 2001 -- Venus Williams’ defeat of sister Serena was viewed by an estimated 22.7 million viewers.

· The Olympus US Open Series was introduced in 2004, creating a summer tennis season that culminates with the US Open and offers bonus prize money to its participants.

· Instant replay with a player challenge system made its Grand Slam debut at the 2006 US Open. 32% of the challenged calls are reversed.

· US Open attendance topped 700,000 for the first time (715,587), at the 2007 US Open. Total attendance at the US Open has increased by more than 150,000 since the opening of Arthur Ashe Stadium.

40 Champions in 40 Years

Below are the US Open champions in alphabetical order with their Open Era championship year(s):

The USTA, ESPN and Tennis Channel today announced a groundbreaking television and multi-platform partnership creating a summer-long “Open Season” for tennis featuring more than 400 national television hours for the US Open and the Olympus US Open Series -- an increase of nearly 100 hours. Commencing in 2009, ESPN and Tennis Channel will join CBS and become the US Open cable television broadcasters for the first time.

Under the new deal, the US Open will receive 200 hours of total coverage, an increase of over 50 hours -- the most in US Open history. This marks the first time that the Series and the US Open will be carried by the same cable broadcast partner -- creating a more consistent TV package for the sport. For 2008, USA Network will remain the US Open’s exclusive cable broadcaster.

For 2009 and beyond, ESPN2 will become the lead cable broadcaster for the US Open and the Olympus US Open Series, broadcasting nearly 200 hours of tennis coverage during the eight-week North American summer tennis season. Tennis Channel, which continues as a Series broadcaster with nearly 150 hours of Series coverage, will now also broadcast more than 60 hours of live US Open coverage. For the first time, Tennis Channel also will broadcast daily US Open preview and highlight shows. CBS Sports will continue to broadcast nearly 40 hours of live US Open coverage, bringing the overall national coverage of tennis during the summer season to more than 400 hours.

The six-year deal will also deliver the US Open across multiple platforms including ESPN, ESPN2, Tennis Channel, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, ESPN International, ESPN360 broadband programming, ESPN.com, TennisChannel.com and ESPN Mobile Properties. In addition, USOpen.org retains all rights to live streaming of US Open matches.

“This completes a five-year process of reinventing the television and digital landscape for the sport of tennis in North America,” said Arlen Kantarian, CEO Pro Tennis, USTA. “Tennis will now be prominently featured for eight straight weeks on ESPN -- the premiere destination in sports; Tennis Channel -- our sport’s namesake network; and CBS -- our longtime network partner. This new partnership will provide more tennis, to more people, in more ways than ever before.”

"Tennis has provided many memorable moments in ESPN history, and to finally acquire the excitement and drama of the US Open is a crowning achievement," said John Skipper, ESPN Executive Vice President, Content. "The sport is a perfect fit for our growing digital businesses, and fans will know to find the best tennis action all year on ESPN2 and on ESPN360.com."

“Tennis Channel is proud to now become a long-term partner in one of the greatest spectacles in all of sports,” said Ken Solomon, Chairman and CEO, Tennis Channel. “For us, the US Open and the Olympus US Open Series that leads up to it each summer go far beyond sports, as collectively the ‘Open Season’ represents an unprecedented eight weeks of the best mass-appeal content in the world. Our multi-platform broadcast and marketing partnership with the USTA and ESPN, coupled with CBS’ world-class coverage will create significantly greater awareness of professional tennis in the years to come.”

In the summer of 2005 Angela Haynes played Serena Williams in the third round of the Wimbledon Championships and came within a point of defeating her. It appeared that then 21-year old Angela would be one of the next big things to happen to women's tennis. Unfortunately, just a few months later, tragedy struck the Haynes family and took it's toll on Angela.

In late September, just a few days before Angela's birthday, her older brother Dontia died in a San Diego hospital from head injuries sustained when his motorcycle struck a car that had pulled out in front of him.

Angela was very close to her brother, who also played tennis. "We were like twins,'' Haynes said at the time. "If you saw me, you saw my brother. He was graduating this year and he was going to come out and be my hitter. … We talked about playing mixed doubles."

Angela dropped out of competition for a while thereafter, and is now working hard to return to the WTA Tour. She is currently ranked at 201, but was once ranked as high as 90.

In Arizona Republic, Arizona, at the the Coca-Cola Future Stars Tournament being held at the Surprise Tennis and Racquet Complex, Angela, now 23, reached the final where she played Sesil Karatantcheva of Bulgaria and was defeated 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.

"On this tour, it's all about points," she said. "You earn points on finishes, and points relate to world rankings. Tennis works on points, and right now, I need about 150 points to move to where I want to be."

Last year on this circuit, Haynes finished fifth among money winners, and earned $31,193, including winning four doubles titles.

"It gets very expensive to remain on tour," she added. "If you lose in the opening round of a major, you get $25,000, so that's the aim. We're all shooting to play in a major."

Haynes now splits her time between Los Angeles, where she lives, and Phoenix, where she practices with her coaches James Jack and Anne Smith. From Surprise, she said, she's off to Hawaii. By the end of the summer, she hopes to be in New York and the U. S. Open.

"You might say the road to the U.S. Open starts in Surprise," Williams said. "This tour is the starting point, the launching pad for future players. We want people in Surprise and the community to come to this event and say, 'I saw that player when she first started. Now, she's the winner of a Grand Slam event."