Sept. 30, 2008

 

Columbia, MO - On the heels of solid performances at the UNLV Invitational in Las Vegas, Nev., the Mizzou Women's Tennis Team will have a short turnaround as they get ready for their second home tournament of the fall season. And this one will have special meaning to several members of Mizzou's team. Mizzou's first "Ace for a Cure" Tennis Tournament will be held Friday (Oct. 3) through Sunday (Oct. 5) at the Green Tennis Center.

Competing in the three-day event will be the host Missouri Tigers, the Illini of the University of Illinois, the Cardinals of the University of Louisville, and the Mustangs of Southern Methodist University. The visiting schools will provide stiff competition as last season, Illinois finished 37th nationally, Louisville finished 39th. and SMU finished 75th.

"The competition will be a great test for all of the teams, and we're looking forward to that," said head coach Blake Starkey. "On a broader level, this is a cause a number of our players feel strongly about and have wanted to get involved in for a while. Over time, we really hope to grow this particular event, and feel a lot of programs may find this a great tournament to be a part of. Many families in our tennis community are opening their homes and we are able to provide free housing to all the girls of the visiting teams. That is a nice touch as a lot of players will enjoy going into a real home as opposed to the regular hotel. We're also providing a free lunch for all the participants on Saturday. This is an event we will definitely continue in the future."

Play will begin daily at 10:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and will begin with a round of doubles followed immediately by singles matches. Play should conclude daily around 3:00 p.m. as long as the weather is nice. On Sunday, there will be one round of singles only, which will begin at 10:00 a.m.

On Saturday, all participants will be encouraged to wear pink in support of breast cancer awareness. Also on Saturday, the tournament balls the players play with will be pink. If motivated, fans may purchase a $10 "Ace for the Cure" tournament shirt, knowing that the purchase will go towards a worthy cause. There will also be a donation box at the front desk with all proceeds going towards breast cancer awareness. Aso, during the entire weekend, there will be printed materials regarding breast cancer awareness available at the Green Tennis Center.

"We've obviously done a lot of different events over the years," said Starkey. "But if you've ever come out for one of our tournaments or matches, or even if you haven't, we're asking all of our fans and club members to drop in sometime Saturday, or sometime during the weekend. It would mean a lot to all of the players. The football game is in the evening, so we are hoping for a solid turnout to watch great Division I tennis action.

Player draws will be determined later this week.

Schedule of Play:

Friday:
10:30 a.m. - Semifinal doubles "A", "B", and "C" draws
11:30 a.m. - Quarterfinal round of singles - "A" and "B" draw on 8 courts
"C" draw will begin as soon as courts open.

Saturday:
10:30 a.m. - Doubles main draw and back draw final - "A", "B", and "C" draws
11:45 a.m. - Lunch/presentation for the players in the football pressbox
1:00 a.m. - Singles main draw and back draw semifinals - "A" and "B" draw on 8 courts
"C" draw will begin as soon as courts open

Sunday:
10:00 a.m. - Singles main draw and back draw semifinals - "A" and "B" draw on 8 courts
"C" draw will begin as soon as courts open