Over the past two weekends, an excellent economic opportunity has presented itself as the USTA Adult and Senior State Team Championships have come to Chattanooga.
This is the first time both weeks were held in the Scenic City.
"The Nashville area had hosted the tournament for a couple of years, but with the fact that it takes a lot of organization, planning and manpower, they were ready for a break," said Daneen C. Newkirk, the USTA state league coordinator.
Matches are being played at the Champions Club, Rivermont Park, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Baylor School. Chattanooga has become a popular location for the tournament because of the accessibility of indoor courts at Baylor, GPS, McCallie, Manker Patten and the Racquet Club.
"It's been fortunate that the weather has been nice, but that's not always the case," Newkirk said. "If you do not have adequate indoor facilities to continue play, you have tennis championships that lose an entire day."
All state championships must be completed by July 1.
The tournament has included 1,200 participants.
"It definitely has a great economic impact on the host city," Newkirk said. "If you factor in the hotel accommodations, shopping, as well as what all the players participate in off the court, that's a lot of money coming into the city over these weekends."
Local teams fared pretty well the first day of this weekend's play, which runs through Sunday afternoon. The local setting also has been impressive.
"We are bringing in some additional tournaments later in the year, and this is quickly becoming the USTA's favorite place to be," Newkirk said. "It's a perfect location."
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