Midwest Sports Tennis Blog

We’ll see you at the Tournament!

Are you planning on attending the upcoming Western & Southern Financial Group Masters and Women’s Open Tennis Tournament here in Cincinnati, Ohio? 

Then you should check out our Retail Tent while you’re there!

We are the official on-site tournament retailer of the ATP Tennis Masters Cincinnati and the WTA Western and Southern Financial Women's Open tournaments each summer. 

We bring you the latest and greatest tennis equipment… including apparel, racquets, shoes, strings, and accessories.

There's no better place to watch the best tennis and buy the best tennis gear!

See you at the tournament!

Nick Lachey Performing at Cincinnati Tennis Tournament

Local superstar, Nick Lachey, will be the feature performer on Opening Night as the two week tennis tournament kicks off.  Lachey will sing the national anthem prior to the first match, which is scheduled to include former world number 1 player Kim Clijsters. 

For added entertainment, The Kings Firecrackers, a jumping-rope team who travels the country will also perform.

Cincinnati’s Two Weeks of Top-Level Pro Tennis

With headline-grabbing players to play in 2009’s Western & Southern Financial Group Masters, Cincinnati is going to see the best two weeks of pro tennis ever! The Women’s Open is a premier event on the international Sony Ericsson WTA Tour where at least 7 of the world’s top 10 are expected to enter to compete for the prestigious title. The Western & Southern Group Master’s is one of the largest, oldest, and most prestigious events in the world of tennis. It is one of nine elite ATP Masters 1000 events, the strongest and most important players on the ATP Tour are automatically entered.

Western & Southern Group combines these two tournaments and they are making it the best tennis event of the year.  The Women’ tournament will be held August 8-16, 2009, and the Men’s tournament will be August 15-23, 2009.

Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day

The United States Tennis Association will hold Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day as the U.S. Open’s pre-tournament celebration on August 29^th this year. Many of the events are free, and a few special celebrities and players will be there including: Will Ferrell, Andy Roddick , Justin Bieber, Usher, Jordin Sparks and more. The activities and tennis clinics are free to kids, and families will love it. Later in the day, the concert and performances inside the Arthur Ashe Stadium require paid tickets.             

Arthur Ashe was the first African American man to win a Grand slam title and to be ranked the number one tennis player in the world. Ashe was also an outspoken advocate of social justice and the National Junior Tennis league he co-founded is the beneficiary from Arthur Ashe Kids Day.

Schedule for Arthur Ashe Kids Day at the US Open:

9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. – free activities for all

1 p.m. – Arthur Ashe Stadium opens for pre-event show

2 – 4p.m. – Stadium Events/Show (tickets required, $10-$20)

Well-known Wimbledon Net Raffled for Charity

GOAL  UK, an aid organization created in 1977 by former sports reporter John O’Shea, has acquired a part of tennis history. The net used on Wimbledon’s Centre Court on May 17, will be raffled by the charity to help raise funds to aid the world’s poorest countries.  The net was used during Steffi Graf, Kim Clijsters, and Andre Agassi and Tim Henman trial of the court under the new retractable roof for the first time.

John O’Shea and Pat Cash, the 1987 Wimbledon Champion and president of GOAL UK, are going to host a raffle in which Tennis fans and clubs can submit a check for £100 to have their name entered in the running. The famous net’s new owner will be chosen on August 28.  There is no limit in the number of people from each club that can apply.

ATP Masters Series Cincinnati 2009

Looks like 2009 is shaping up to be the strongest event in the 100+ year history of this tournament, running August 8-26. The field is as strong as ever, with a renewed Roger Federer (who will likely be a father by tournament time), Andy Roddick-a perrenial crowd favorite, and Rafa Nadal (as long as the knees hold up on the hardcourts.) Fans can take in near-US Open caliber tennis, without the exorbitant prices and impersonality of a Grand Slam. L. Jon Wertheim wrote a piece in Sports Illustrated a few years ago calling the Cincinnati event the "true" US Open, based on its accessibility and fan friendly atmosphere. If you really want to see some great tennis, this event is hard to beat!