JrTennis.org

As the grass season concludes in Europe, grass court play shifts to Newport, Rhode Island to kick off the ATP world summer tour.   The Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in Newport, Rhode Island at the International Tennis Hall of Fame is the only professional tournament played on grass in North America and an important stop on the tour.  The Hall of Fame opened its doors in 1880 and is a National Historic Landmark.

We attended the 2011 Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships on Tuesday, July 5^th.  Arriving at the International Tennis Hall of fame is like stepping back in time.  The first thing I noticed upon arrival was the beautiful Victorian shingle-style architecture.  The next was a mixed doubles match being played with wooden racquets and costumes typical of tennis players at the turn of the century.   Long dresses, long sleeves, a bustle and hats were part of their ensemble for the women.  Full-length flannel trousers, skimmer hats, and v-neck sweaters were typically worn by the men in the early 1900’s.  Tennis whites were worn because colors revealed sweat stains.  A man playing an accordion completed the old-fashioned ambiance.

Some of the players in attendance were No. 4 American John Isner, the youngest player in the world top-100, Grigor Dimitrov, and 2010 Newport quarter-finalist Ryan Harrison.  All visitors to the grounds can watch matches from an up-close view.  Our seats at the Center Court stadium were in the first row and were very reasonable.  We saw several terrific matches, and one thing we noticed was the players using more slices as the ball stayed closer to the ground, also the points were generally shorter.  Grass courts definitely favor the big servers; although we saw an 18-year-old American named Denis Kudla score a win over Ivo Karlovic, a player that Kudla was a foot shorter than.  The match of the day was watching Frenchman Arnaud Clement defeat Ryan Harrison.  Clement played with real flair, and the fans enjoyed him too.

Definitely do not miss the Hall of Fame Museum.  While it is not a place to spend an entire day, as it took us almost 2 hours to see it all, the museum will be a highlight of your trip.  Whether you attend the professional tournaments or explore the tennis chronicles in the museum, The International Tennis Hall of Fame is one of the few places one can play on grass courts here in the US and is a must stop for your vacation tour.