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Coco Vandeweghe is interviewed at the Dow Corning Tennis Classic by an ESPN Radio reporter.
(Photo for MyBayCity by Jerry Jopke)

Dow Corning Women's Tennis Features Hotshot Coco Vandeweghe's 115 MPH Serve

Midland Tourney Remains Only $100,000 Event in U.S. Women's Tennis

February 12, 2011       Leave a Comment
By: Dave Rogers

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Mike Woody, executive director of the Midland Community Tennis Center, was on a plane recently when the guy sitting next to him mentioned his daughter played tennis.

Mike was polite, but answered "yeah, yeah," and thought there are so many young girls trying to make it in tennis that I'll probably never hear of her again.

He found how wrong he was when the guy's daughter turned out to be 19-year-old Coco Vandeweghe who sports a fireball serve clocked at 200 plus kilometers per hour (over 115 miles per hour).

And, wonder of wonders, Coco, ranked 103 in the world, is one of the contestants at the 23rd annual Dow Corning Tennis Classic going on all this week at the tennis complex in Midland.

If the name is familiar, it should be. Her uncle is former NBA star Kiki Vandeweghe and her mom, Tauna, was an Olympian in both swimming and volleyball.

The event is the longest consecutive running women's event on the USTA Pro Circuit. The event is considered the marquee women's tournament on the USTA Pro Circuit and attracts more than 15,000 fans each year.

Coco is a story in own right, having qualified for the recent Australian Open. She defeated five top 100 players and reached the quarterfinals of a $2 million event in Tokyo.

She was named to the U.S. Fed Cup team for the finals against Italy after playing in the U.S. Open. As a junior in 2008, Vandeweghe won the U.S. Open girls' singles, becoming the first American titlist in 13 years.


News conference at Dow Corning tennis tournament features, from left, Irina Falconi, Sabine Lisicki, Lucie Hradecka, Coco Vandeweghe and Tom Gullickson, coach of the U.S. women's team.
(Photo for MyBayCity by Jerry Jopke)


Main draw play starts Tuesday, Feb. 8, with Ms. Vandeweghe pitted against a qualifier in the opening round. Other favorites include such rising pros as Lucie Hradecka, 24, of the Czech Republic, Dow Corning singles champ in 2009, and Irina Falconi, 20, Georgia Tech star, one of a handful of qualifying wild cards ever to reach the U.S. Open main draw.

Sabine Lisicki, 21, of Germany is another Midland competitor seen with a good chance to compete for the title. She has been ranked as high as 22nd in the world after reaching the quarterfinals of Wimbledon. She has a win over world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki but has been hampered lately by injuries.

The 2009 "USA Best Tennis Town" of Midland is welcoming three former Top 25 players, players from 12 countries including 11 Americans and 18 players under the age of 21 this week.

Mike Woody, executive director of the tennis center, said the economic impact of the tournament on the region is about $500,000. He said the tourney brings in travelers on 60 flights to the MBS International Airport and results in rental of about 300 hotel rooms.

The USTA Pro Circuit is the gateway to tennis stardom and the Dow Corning Tennis Classic is truly emblematic of that. Four Grand Slam tournament singles champions played in the event early in their careers, along with 13 Grand Slam tournament doubles/mixed doubles champions.

The most notable Midland alumni include Justine Henin, a seven-time Grand Slam tournament champion and Olympic gold medal winner; Maria Sharapova and Mary Pierce, each of whom has won multiple major singles titles; 2010 French Open singles champion Francesca Schiavone; Anna Kournikova, a two-time Grand Slam tournament women's doubles champion and mixed doubles finalist; and Li Na, who just advanced to the 2011 Australian Open singles final, where she lost to Kim Clijsters in three sets.

The Dow Corning Tennis Classic began in 1989 at the $25,000 level and, seven years later, became one of five USTA Pro Circuit tournaments to increase its prize money as part of the Women's $50,000 Challenger Series in 1996. In 1999, prize money was increased to $75,000. Midland last year made its debut as the first-ever $100,000 women's event on the USTA Pro Circuit and remains the only $100,000 event on the calendar. ###

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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.
(Contact Dave Via Email at carraroe@aol.com)

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