Tennis Topics
Published: July 13, 2009, Richmond Tennis Association website
U.S. Open ‘fantasy’ can be yours for as little as $25 raffle ticket
by John Packett, RTA Staff Writer
Ifyou love tennis -- or even if you aren’t a huge fan -- the Richmond Tennis Association has just the right cure for the summer time blues.
Imagine sitting courtside at the U.S. Open, drink in hand, watching Roger Federer or Serena Williams showcase their considerable skills.
Or how about dining on a gourmet lunch in the private dining room of the U.S. Tennis Association?
Then there’s a guided tour of Arthur Ashe Stadium and a private, behind the scenes look at all the activity there.
And cap it all off with a Saturday night dinner for two at Tavern on the Green restaurant in Central Park.
Sound good? It should, and this U.S. Open Fantasy Trip to New York can be yours for as little as a $25 raffle ticket.
Hugh Waters, president of the RTA, and his wife, Paddi Valentine, are frequent visitors to the U.S. Open.
"Last year, Paddi and I were having lunch in the dining room," said Waters, "and [former star Ilie] Nastase was at our table. We didn’t have much communication with him, but anybody that enjoys being around some of the greats, they’re usually there."
A limited number of raffle tickets remain at $25 each or 5 for $100, and are being sold by RTA members to benefit the organization’s work. Tickets are also available this week at the McDonald’s Mid-Atlantic Open Clay Court Tennis Championships at Salisbury Country Club.
The lucky winner will be drawn between the men’s and women’s singles finals on Saturday, which begin at 4 p.m.
Charles Mack and his wife, Kathy, made the trip to the Big Apple two years ago.
"The package was a wonderful experience for my wife and I," said Mack. "All the arrangements were made for us. The dining room was really unbelieveable. They had anything you wanted to eat. Fantastic food. We could almost reach out and touch the players in the President’s Box."
The trip includes two lower-level tickets for the evening session on Sept. 4 and two tickets in the President’s Box for the day session on Sept. 5.
"It was truly wonderful," said Mack’s wife, Kathy. "It’s hard for me to get Charlie to go to New York, so this was just a great opportunity. He absolutely loved it and so did I. It’s wonderful that he loved it because he’s not as big a tennis player as I am.
"They treated us first-rate and it just couldn’t have been nicer. It was a real neat experience. Even if somebody doesn’t care that much about tennis, as my husband doesn’t, it’s still a wonderful experience because they treat you so well."
The Macks saw Venus Williams on Friday night and watched Maria Sharapova (who was upset), Andy Roddick an Federer on Saturday.
In addition to the tickets for the matches, the trip includes roundtrip airfare for two and two nights’ accommodations at the plush Hyatt Regency Hotel in midtown Manhattan, where members of the USTA stay. Shuttle bus service from the hotel to the National Tennis Center and back is available.
Cris Robinson, director of tennis at Willow Oaks Country Club, and his wife, Melissa, were the winners last year
"It was a great trip, a great opportunity," said Cris Robinson. "There were so many neat parts to it.
"We were sitting second row up from courtside in the box seats, and Ilie Nastase was right in front of us. Walking all through the back rooms and tunnel areas [of Ashe Stadium] where all the players are, and their player lounge area. I think Marat Safin was getting a haircut at one point.
"We had a great dinner Saturday night. It’s a great taste of both New York and the tournament."
Having spent 25 years covering the U.S. Open, I can personally attest to the unique experience at Flushing Meadow and spending time in New York, the city that never sleeps, as Frank Sinatra once sang. The night matches alone are worth the trip.
There is so much electricity in the air at Ashe Stadium in the evenings, and there are usually men’s and women’s matches to savor.
Says Waters, who knows whereof he speaks, "It’s a ticket that you can’t buy." Unless you purchase a raffle ticket that is.
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