CHARLESTON, SC, USA - The USTA announced Wednesday that Charleston has been selected as a Top 3 finalist in their second annual Best Tennis Town in America contest. Representatives from the Lowcountry tennis community were notified and will be present at the public unveiling of the winner at the US Open. In addition to the title of Best Tennis Town in America, the grand prize winner will receive a $100,000 grant, second place will receive $50,000 and third place will receive $25,000, with each grant mandated for tennis development.
The contest began in late May when a collaborative tennis committee from the Lowcountry area submitted a video describing the tennis attributes of their respective areas. In total, 82 cities entered the contest, and Charleston was notified by the USTA of its Top 10 status on July 15, and then began to aggressively market itself and solicit votes from around the world.
"The USTA is excited to see the passion and commitment to tennis that these towns have showcased through the Best Tennis Town competition," said Kurt Kamperman, Chief Executive, Community Tennis, USTA. "All three finalists are great ambassadors for the sport and would be a worthy recipient of the title."
"Congratulations to Charleston for advancing to the Top 3," said Samantha Stosur, 2010 Family Circle Cup champion. "Charleston certainly felt like the Best Tennis Town in America when I won the title in April, and it's definitely one of my favorite events on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour because the city is so beautiful, and the fans are very knowledgeable and supportive of the sport."
The Charleston committee made strong use of social media, e-newsletters, tennis and resort industry contacts, local and regional media outlets, as well as word-of-mouth marketing. Since Charleston was the only city in the Top 10 with a professional women's tennis event, the Family Circle Cup and Sony Ericsson WTA Tour were also instrumental in promoting Charleston during the voting process. Votes were cast throughout a 10day window spanning July 16-26 at BestTennisTown.com. Voting tallies will remain undisclosed by the USTA.
Atlanta, GA and Richmond, VA were also selected as Top 3 finalists.
"The Charleston community put 100% of its support behind this initiative," noted Bob Moran, General Manager, Family Circle Tennis Center. "Our Top 3 status is a direct result of a complete and comprehensive effort by countless entities who truly believe that Charleston is the Best Tennis Town in America. The Family Circle Cup is proud to be located here, and our fans and players alike attend this event because of what this city has to offer."
For more on Charleston and more, visit www.familycirclecup.com.
