The American Platform Tennis Association’s (APTA) first Grand Prix tournament of 2016-17 season will kick off in Fairfield, Conn. at the Patterson Club’s Men’s and Women’s Open, October 8 and 9, 2016, at 1118 Cross Highway. The event will draw 64 men’s doubles teams and 32 women’s doubles teams from the local region and across the country. Similar to the Grand Slams of tennis and golf’s majors, the APTA Grand Prix series of five high level tournaments was introduced last year and gives top and mid-level players the chance to compete for valuable national ranking points and qualify for the end-of-season Viking President’s Cup. Spectators are welcome at no charge. Live streaming will be available at www.platformtennis.org.
Top competitors include Norwalk’s Mark Parsons, director of racquets at the Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville, N.Y., three-time men’s national champion and 2016 men’s national finalist, and partner Johan du Randt of Wayland, Mass., also a three-time men’s national champion and 2016 finalist with Parsons. Making his APTA debut is recently retired tennis professional Eric Butorac, who has won 18 ATP World Tour doubles titles and reached a career high world doubles ranking of 17. Honored at this past U.S. Open for his successful 13-year career, Butorac, a new resident of Cos Cob, will take his tennis talents to the platform tennis court with partner Trevor Spracklin of Alexandria, Va., No. 47 in APTA national men’s rankings.
“We’re very excited about hosting the first APTA Grand Prix of the season,” said Scott Slobin, head racquets professional at the Patterson Club.” Spectators will definitely be in for a treat with the outstanding competition on tap throughout the weekend.” Patterson Club pro and home court favorite Mirian Cruz will also compete in the tournament.
The men’s team with the most Grand Prix points at the end of the series will win the Men’s Blanchard Cup, named for one of the sport’s founders, Fessenden Blanchard, and the women’s team point leaders will win the Women’s Childress Cup, named for the Childress family, a tennis and platform tennis dynasty. The four remaining Grand Prix tournaments will take place in Chicago, IL, Cincinnati, OH, Boston, Mass. and Short Hills, N.J. Sponsors of the Patterson Club Open are Harrow and Wilson and Viking is the official sponsor of the APTA.