USTA National Women's 50 Clay Court Championships set for spectacular tennis October 24 -27 at BallenIsles Country Club

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla., Oct. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- BallenIsles Country Club's state-of-the-art Sports Complex will be the scene of spectacular tennis action this week as top ranked players compete in the USTA National Women's 50 Clay Court Championships.

The Club will host the Championships from October 24 – 27, 2012 with opening matches beginning at 11 a.m. and continuing each day, with weekend semifinals and finals.

"This year's field is even stronger with all top ranked 50 and over women participating in both singles and doubles," said Tournament Director and BallenIsles Tennis Director, Trish Faulkner.

With 13 National titles to her credit, Fran Chandler from Jackson, Tennessee is the number one seed and a favorite to take the title.

"Fran is returning to BallenIsles for the third year for this prestigious Championship. She'll also be playing doubles with her long time doubles partner, Myke Loomis-Landauer from Naples, Florida and the pair are seeded # 6 in doubles," Faulkner said.

Jackson's possible opponents in the way of her quest for the Gold Ball will be #3 seed Kathy Vick from Lubbock, TX and #5 seed Sue Bartlett of Chattanooga, TN. Rounding out the very competitive singles draw will be #2 seed Vicki Buholz from Dallas, TX who has had a good tournament year with a possible semi-final match up against either #4 seed Judy Newman of Scotts Valley, CA or Marianne Caplan the #6 seed from Harrisburg, PA.

Also vying for the coveted national title will be Florida players - Eileen Reynolds (Naples), Suzanne Lippe-Siegler (Boca Raton), Steffani Lomax (Ft Lauderdale), Karen Olson (Oldsmar), Marie-Jose Pachl (Delray Beach), Myke Loomis-Landauer #7 seed in singles and # 6 in doubles (Naples), Shula Feuer (West Palm Beach), Michele Maharaj (Fernandina Beach), Katherine Foulk Macra (Geneva), and Rosie Fortna, BallenIsles Club Member and resident (Palm Beach Gardens).

In the doubles, two well-known local professionals from Valencia Shores - Judi Stiff and Frances O'Sullivan will be trying to better their quarter-final finish last year, while newcomers, Tish Wissel and partner Katherine Zanon from Vero Beach will be playing in the doubles for the first time at BallenIsles. BallenIsles club member Michelle Cassanetti is also paired up with Diane Durante from NJ.

Interested spectators can call the BallenIsles Tennis Shop at 561-625-5707 to gain access to the tournament which offers free admission.

About BallenIsles Country Club
BallenIsles Country Club www.BallenIsles.org is highly regarded as a unique, private residential community with a distinguished history. Home to some of the world's top professional athletes and business leaders, the prestigious country club boasts 3 championship courses with 54 holes of golf, 22 world class tennis courts and a state-of-the-art Sports Complex that is testimony to the Club's extraordinary commitment to a healthy member lifestyle.

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SOURCE BallenIsles Country Club