The Dallas Tennis Classic is returning March 11-17, once again taking place at the Four Seasons Resort and Club in Las Colinas. After the big crowds that attended the inaugural men's tennis tournament, there is little doubt that this week has already been penciled in on the DFW social calendar.
The Dallas Tennis Classic is slotted on the ATP tournament schedule between the BNP Paribas Open and the Sony Ericsson Open, both of which are mandatory events for the top 50 ranked players. This position on the schedule last year saw big names such as former world No. 2 Tommy Haas and top-seeded Marin Cilic.
Haas had lost early during the Indian Wells tournament and dropped by DFW's newest sports event on his way to South Florida. In between hard-fought victories over world No. 46 Andreas Seppi and Nicholas Mahut, Haas made time to hang out with his good friend and fellow countryman, Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki. Haas attended two Mavs games at American Airlines Center and had Nowitzki out to Las Colinas to play tennis on one of the resort's outer courts. Nowitzki also hung out to watch Haas' match on center court and made time to take pictures with fans.
"The tournament is in a perfect spot for the players, and we are expecting to attract a good draw again this year," said Tournament Chairman Vince Menard. "Typically the top 50 players are not allowed to enter in challenger events, especially top 10 players, but our exception encourages players to enter or receive a Wild Card into the tournament. It is our dream to have a top 10 player come to compete in our Dallas Tennis Classic."
The Dallas Tennis Classic is sanctioned by the ATP and has the highest level of prize money on the ATP Challenger Tour ($125,000). The tournament has an exception from other challenger events (due to its spot on the calendar), in that players positioned 11-50 in the ATP rankings are allowed to enter and those ranked top 10 in the world are allowed to receive a Wild Card.
Tickets ranging from $10-$150 are available by visiting here.
FOUR SEASONS RESORT AND CLUB 4150 N MACARTHUR BLVD. IRVING, TX 75038
FOLLOW JAY BETSILL ON TWITTER @THEFAMOUSJAY