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Monday, January 30, 2006

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Twenty-one Countries Represented in Dow Corning Tennis at Midland Feb. 5-12 Players to Give Clinics for 4,000 Youngsters and Adults January 29, 2006 By Dave Rogers Laura Granville is coming back! And, she has some major competition for the $11,400 top singles prize at Michigan's only professional tennis tournament now in its 18th year. Miss Granville, ranked No. 57 in world women's pro tennis,will return to Midland next week to defend her Dow Corning Tennis Classic championship. A strong showing in the recent Australian Open where she reached the third round is expected to give Miss Granville a head of steam for defending her Midland title. She reached the third round of the U.S. Open and second round at Wimbledon last year. The $75,000 event is the first of seven on the U.S. Tennis Association pro circuit, a pathway to the U.S. Open and tour level competition. Challengers for the title include Meghann Shaughnessy, who has been ranked as high as No. 11 in the world, last year's U.S. Open girls singles champ Viktoria Azarenka of Belarus, and several top 100 players. Players from 21 countries are entered.

Last year's champion Laura Granville of Chicago hammers a shot in Dow Corning tourney action. ~ Advertisement ~

Celebrity interest will be provided from among the 75 competing players by six foot one inch Alexandra Stevenson who has made headlines in People Magazine and was Tennis Magazine's Rookie of the Year in 1999. The real stars will be all the players who fan out in the community to give clinics to involve about 4,000 youngsters and adults. "This dimension of the tournament is growing rapidly and making more people aware of the event and the benefits of tennis as well as introducing hundreds of newcomers to the game," said Erin Mazurek, associate tournament director. "Schools to Matches" and "Pros to Schools" are two of the 12 outreach activities sponsored by local businesses including Dow Chemical Co., MidMichiganMedical Center, Holiday Inn of Midland, S.C. Johnson, Northwood University, Horizons Conference Center, Midland Cogeneration Venture, Garber Chevrolet and Meijer. Educational activities kick off Saturday, Feb. 4 with a high school play day sponsored by MidMichigan Medical Center and a Dow Chemical kids fun day, both free events. Tourney climax is Championship Sunday, Feb. 12, featuring singles and doubles final matches with the awards ceremony followed by entertainment, music and dining catered by Zehnder's of Frankenmuth. Club seats are $40 per person for each two match event and general admission is $12 per adult, $8 per junior and $110 for a weeklong family pass. Ticket information is available at the MCTC Welcome Center, 989-631-6151. Mike Woody, director of the Midland Community Tennis Center, charms a youthful tournament crowd with educational tennis tidbits.

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Dave Rogers
Dave Rogers is a former editorial writer for the Bay City Times and a widely read, respected journalist/writer in and around Bay City. [ More from Dave ]

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