Beach Tennis International Championship Set to Invade Long Beach, N.Y. on Labor Day Weekend

Beach Tennis USA (BTUSA), the organization responsible for the sport of beach tennis in North America, will host the first-ever ITF sanctioned International Beach Tennis Championship in Long Beach, N.Y. over Labor Day weekend, Sept. 4-6. The event site is located on the beach at Riverside Boulevard near the Boardwalk in Long Beach, N.Y. and is free to the public.

This year, the Men’s and Women’s Pro division teams will include teams from over 12 countries competing for ITF ranking points. Defending champions, Matteo Marighella and Alex Mingozzi (Ravenna, Italy), and other top-ranked players on the ITF circuit will compete for a purse of $10,000. On the women’s side three-time national championship star, Nadia Johnston of Long Beach, N.Y. will seek to recapture her crown. This year’s event will have a new infusion of talent from the platform tennis world as this year’s competition will be played with official beach tennis paddle rackets. Over three thousand people are expected to be in attendance over the weekend to watch the great international play. The event will also feature fierce amateur competition and a youth event. The deadline for signing up for the amateur competition is Thursday, Sept. 2, 2010. (Please go to beachtennisusa.net to register and for tournament details.)

The youth competition is of special import as the AAU made beach tennis a demonstration event at the Junior Olympics this summer. Beach Tennis USA also donated two beach tennis courts to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center that were used all summer long by its elite players and the general public. Beach Tennis USA also sponsored exhibitions at two major tennis tournaments this year: The SEO in Miami and the Pen/Pilot Championships in New Haven.

“This year’s competition will be intense. With the ITF imprimatur on this event the players and fans will enjoy a high-level of play," said Jim Lorenzo, president of Beach Tennis USA. "The City of Long Beach is a great host and we expect to exceed last year’s attendance levels."

For more information, visit www.beachtennisusa.net.