Top American Pros To Compete In California Championships

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Tennis (www.myutr.com) is pleased to announce the first-ever California Championships Presented by UTR Powered by Oracle, an innovative new tennis tournament which uses a staggered entry format based on UTR rating to promote challenging level-based competition for players of all ages and skills. The men's California Championships will be held at the historic Jack Kramer Club in Rolling Hills Estates, CA from December 15 - 22, 2018, and will have up to a 512 person draw based on player UTRs.

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Steve Johnson (UTR 15.49), Sam Querrey (UTR 15.40), Taylor Fritz (UTR 15.21), Mardy Fish, and Tommy Haas are amongst some of the world's best players committed to the tournament.

Tracy Austin is serving as the Honorary Tournament Chair. "The California Championships is a groundbreaking tennis event and I am honored to help bring it to life," said Tracy Austin, World #1 and 2 time Grand Slam Champion. "This event offers juniors, adults and college players an amazing chance to develop and improve their UTR against players of all levels, including today's top pros."

The California Championships is leveraging UTR's innovative tournament and event management system, which eliminates the restrictive barriers between junior, college, adult and professional tennis players. Players will be seeded in the staggered entry draw based on their UTR rating and all players will have the opportunity to compete for a piece of the $30,000 prize money. Select players who demonstrate the UTR values of fair play and respectful competition will be eligible to receive the Tracy Austin Sportsmanship Award. 

"I wish I had the chance to play in a format like this when I was younger and been able to test my skills against players of all ages, levels and game styles. It would have been fantastic for my development and given me a better understanding of my game. I'm happy that everyone gets this opportunity now," said Sam Querrey, UTR 15.40 and 2017 Wimbledon Semifinalist.

"Most of us live in California and train together, so to crown someone the Champion of California definitely increases the bragging rights for the year," said Steve Johnson, Former USC Standout and ATP World No. 21.

"The California Championships is an amazing opportunity to bring the California tennis community together in a unique, fun format," said Mardy Fish, former ATP World No.7. 

"UTR is providing the tools and technology to support local organizers and make it easier to run more creative and engaging tennis events," said Stephen Amritraj, Universal Tennis Chief Tennis Officer. "We're excited to work with Tracy Austin and the Jack Kramer Club to enable the California Championships. We believe this model of level-based play can be replicated worldwide to provide more opportunities for player development, better competition and increased revenue for local clubs."

California Championships Presented By UTR Powered by Oracle:

• December 15 - 16: Open UTR Level-Based Play In
• December 17  - 18: Qualifying Rounds
• December 19 - 22: Main Draw
• $30,000 total purse prize, $12,000 to the winner

To register for the event, please visit www.MyUTR.com/californiachampionships. Registration is open all players November 1, 2018 through December 6, 2018.

About Universal Tennis:
Universal Tennis is a technology company committed to bringing innovative tools and technology to make tennis better for all players and businesses. The Company's tools and technology, including the UTR Powered by Oracle global tennis rating system and fully integrated tournament/event management system, are used by players, clubs, coaches, organizers, academies and tournaments worldwide. To learn more, visit www.MyUTR.com and watch the What is UTR Powered by Oracle video.

SOURCE Universal Tennis

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