'Golden Age' inspired by the Cup

The last seven years have been "The Golden Age of Tennis" for the Charleston area. It isn't a coincidence that these years coincide with the Family Circle Cup's time on Daniel Island.

This incredible women's tournament is the real reason this decade has been so golden for Charleston tennis. It's even why Fritz Nau left Florida and renowned junior academies such as Nick Bollettieri's seven years ago to become the tennis director at Family Circle Tennis Center. Somewhere in the overall scheme of things, Nau helped Mount Pleasant's Players Club to also evolve into a great training facility for juniors.

But now that Nau has left the Players Club and is heading back to Florida, this doesn't mean the "Golden Age" won't continue. If the Family Circle Cup were to leave, that would be a different story. The Family Circle Cup and its world-class host site form the centerpiece of Charleston tennis.

When the Family Circle Cup arrived here in 2001, Charleston was an active, but somewhat sleepy tennis community. This tournament gave area tennis a new vitality.

It's all about cause and effect. As a result of the impact the Family Circle Cup has had locally, league tennis has exploded. There seems to be a talented young teaching pro at almost every club. You might even conclude that the popular Charleston Pro Tennis League is a spinoff of the Family Circle Cup, and the large number of superb teaching pros is a direct result of the CPTL.

Local juniors and adults are exposed to a larger number of excellent tennis instructors than in the past.

Although the area may or may not have more highly ranked juniors than past eras, overall more juniors are playing the game and more adults are participating in leagues. And isn't this what tennis is all about, having fun and enjoying a game that can make a difference in your life, a game you can play for a lifetime?

Martin sparkles

As Players Club pro Bryan Minton e-mails, "The Golden Age has only just begun."

Minton reports that Mount Pleasant's Alex Martin was a girls' 16 finalist in the recent USTA National Open in Marietta, Ga. The Players Club player defeated Nos. 9, 5, 2 and 4 seeds before losing in the final to the top seed.

Fellow Players Clubber Jamie Harrell was also a quarterfinalist in Marietta.

Seeking a tennis plate

USTA/SC president Ron Charron of Mount Pleasant has responded to last Sunday's column appealing for a tennis license plate for S.C. automobiles. Charron points out that an application for a tennis license plate is in the planning stages and will be submitted to the state by the S.C. Tennis Patrons Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the state tennis association.

"As you mentioned, these types of specialty license plates generate revenue for the sponsoring body, which must qualify as a charitable organization," Charron said. "In order for the plate to become reality in S.C., the sponsor must have at least 400 prepaid applications up front. We think this is quite do-able given our USTA/SC membership of 24,000."

C of C's rocking fans

College of Charleston women's tennis coach Angelo Anastopoulo thinks there is something about the rocking-chair atmosphere at the Cougars' Patriots Point complex that makes fans come out and support his team. That, and the free cost of admission.

And the Cougars' 23-4 success this season. The Cougars attracted 1,313 fans for 14 home matches, a total attendance that was the fifth largest in the nation.

Reach James Beck at 937-5540 jdbeck@postandcourier.com.