FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 27th, 2008
Contact: Steve Tompkins
(617) 288-9092
FRESH FROM WIMBLEDON, DITTY
SETS SIGHTS ON BOSTON TOURNAMENT
Top 100 Player To Challenge For
Empire $50k Title
Ashland, Kentucky native and former
Boston Lobster Julie Ditty will
make her return to the Hub this
week as a competitor in the second
annual United States Tennis Association
(USTA) Women’s $50k Pro Challenger
tournament.
Returning stateside from England
after her recent play at Wimbledon
– one of tennis’ prestigious
grand–slam events –
Ditty is now focused on capturing
the Empire $50k Challenger title
and the chance to play at another
major slam event – the U.S.
Open.
A professional on both the World
Tennis Association (WTA) and USTA
circuit since 2001, the 29–year–old
veteran has earned the unlikely
designation among members of the
tennis community as an up–and–comer
with her steady climb through the
rankings over the past two years.
Currently ranked 99th in the world
and the proud possessor of the record
for most USTA titles in both men’s
and women’s competition, Ditty
will bring her left double–backhand
to the hard courts of Dorchester’s
venerable institution, the Sportsmen’s
Tennis Club, to do battle with a
fiercely competitive field of 32
globally–ranked challengers.
Included in that draw will be last
year’s winner of the Women’s
$50k Pro Challenger, the 149th ranked
Varvara Lepchenko, and former Wimbledon
semifinalist Alexandra Stevenson
– daughter of NBA great Julius
“Dr. J” Erving –
who will be continuing her attempt
to climb from her 229th ranking
back into the upper–echelon
of tennis following rehabilitation
from a previous shoulder injury.
Match play begins on Monday, June
30th at Sportsmen’s Tennis
Club and continues through July
6th, with evening feature matches
on Tuesday, July 1st and Wednesday,
July 2nd. Admission is free until
the semi–finals and finals,
at which time the entrance fee for
adults will be a low $10, and admission
will remain free for kids throughout
the tournament.
For more information, please consult
the Sportsmen’s Tennis Club website
at: www.sportsmenstennisclub.org
or call Sportsmen’s at 617.828.5134.
Empire Loan
Empire Loan is committed to providing
short–term collateralized
loans in a safe, friendly, and professional
environment. We will endeavor to
dispel long held misrepresentations
of the pawn broking industry by
treating every customer with the
utmost respect. Empire Loan will
be a shining example of good corporate
citizenship by participating in
and partnering with community based
non-profit organizations. We are
dedicated to serving our customers
best interests, and to earning their
trust and confidence by operating
in an ethical and fair manner. Empire
Loan is also committed to paying
a living wage with full healthcare
benefits to our valued employees.
Sportsmen’s Tennis
Club
Sportsmen’s Tennis Club is
a 501(c) 3, non–profit corporation
organized in the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts. Founded over forty
years ago with a mission of providing
low–cost tennis to urban youth,
Sportsmen's has distinguished itself
as a unique, community–based
organization providing a nurturing
and supportive environment for children
of all races. Sportsmen’s
is recognized nationally as a pioneer
in using the sport of tennis to
enhance the lives of urban youth.
Sportsmen’s is successful
because of its inter–disciplinary
nature and the unifying methodology
that is consistently applied across
all program components – academic,
athletic, health and social. Today
Sportsmen’s remains committed
to providing low cost tennis training
and academic support for minority
youth who would not otherwise have
an opportunity to participate or
excel in the sport.
USTA Pro Circuit
With 96 tournaments throughout the
country and prize money ranging
from $10,000 to $100,000, the USTA
Pro Circuit is the pathway to the
US Open and tour–level competition
for aspiring tennis players and
a frequent battleground for established
professionals. More than 1,100 men
and women from 79 countries competed
on the USTA Pro Circuit in 2004
for nearly $3 million in prize money
and valuable ATP and WTA Tour ranking
points. Jelena Jankovic, Anastasia
Myskina, Maria Sharapova, and Nicole
Vaidisova are among the top stars
that began their careers on the
USTA Pro Circuit. For more information,
log on to http://procircuit.usta.com.
