Top American Pros Meet in Bay Area To Compete in the Kunal Patel San Francisco Championships Presented By UTR Powered by Oracle

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Tennis (www.MyUTR.com) and the KPSF organization are pleased to announce the 2019 Kunal Patel San Francisco Championships presented by UTR Powered by Oracle, a level-based community play-in tournament in memory of Kunal Patel. The multi-week Bay Area men's event will feature American professionals Sam Querrey, Steve Johnson and Bradley Klahn. The Championships will offer players of all ages and abilities the chance to compete for $120,000 in total prize money. Dunlop will be the official ball of the tournament.

The Kunal Patel San Francisco Championships honors Kunal Patel, an avid San Francisco tennis player whose life was cut short in 2014 at the young age of 27. Since 2016, the Patel family has organized an annual tennis tournament drawing top tennis professionals to the Bay Area to celebrate Kunal's life and love of the game.

The tournament will utilize the Universal Tennis platform, leveraging the Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) Powered by Oracle to create a staggered entry format and set draws. Matches will be organized purely based on player skill level and provide greater opportunity for a truly open tournament with community participation. The qualifying round (August 31-September 2) will be held at the Fremont Tennis Center, with the top two finishers moving on to take on the pros (September 12-15) at the Berkeley Tennis Club.

"I'm really excited to be playing in the Kunal Patel San Francisco Championships and can't wait to take on the top players in the Bay Area," said Sam Querrey, 2019 Wimbledon quarter-finalist and 2018 California Championships winner. "This innovative, open format is such a great way for both professionals and community players to play side-by-side in the same event, while celebrating Kunal's life and passion for the sport. I'm looking forward to following up my victory in last year's UTR California Championships with a strong run at this event."

Prize money will be awarded for the highest-finishing players in multiple categories:

• Kunal Patel San Francisco Championships Title: $50,000 to winner, $20,000 to finalist
• Top Collegiate: $3,000 to expenses for winner, $1,000 to expenses for finalist
• Top 18 & Under: $3,000 to winner, $1,000 to finalist
• Top 40 & over: $2,000 to winner, $1,000 to finalist
• Top 14 & Under: $500 to winner, $250 to finalist

"We started the Kunal Patel SF Open in 2016 to honor the memory of my son, Kunal Patel, an avid tennis player and sports fan whose enthusiasm and zest for life was tragically cut short," said Mukesh Patel, Founder of the Kunal Patel SF organization. "This year's Kunal Patel San Francisco Championships is a wonderful way to bring greater tennis community together to celebrate Kunal's life and love of the game."

"We are thrilled to partner with the Kunal Patel SF organization to bring the Kunal Patel San Francisco Championships to life in an exciting and inclusive format," said Mark Leschly, Universal Tennis Chairman & CEO. "Universal Tennis is on a mission to make it easier than ever before for people of all ages and abilities to find fun and competitive matches, while running a first-class event."

Players can find more information and register for the event at MyUTR.com/KPSF. Registration ends on August 25, 2019.

About Universal Tennis
The mission of Universal Tennis is to make tennis more affordable, accessible and fun for all players, regardless of age, gender, and socioeconomic status. At the core is the Universal Tennis Rating (UTR Powered by Oracle), the global gold standard for all tennis players which reflects their current skill level based on actual performance. The company's UTR Engagement Platform is built on the rating and provides tools and technology for tennis organizers to run engaging, open level-based events and offers players the ability to connect and discover events, players, coaches, clubs and tournaments worldwide. Download the free UTR app for iPhone in the App Store and visit MyUTR.com to learn more.

About The KPSF organization & Kunal Patel SF Open
The KPSF organization and the Kunal Patel San Francisco Open (KPSF) were conceived by Mukesh Patel, Harsha Patel, Monique Patel, Derrik Hirschfeld and Vikram Viswanathan, family and friends of Kunal, in honor of his love for life and passion for tennis. Kunal's exuberant life was tragically cut short on October 23, 2014 at the age of 27. Only a week later, Kunal was to depart for London with his friends to watch the ATP World Tour Finals. It is in memory of his love for the game, and passion for the sport as a fan, that his family has established the Kunal Patel SF Open, the first ever tournament of its kind in San Francisco. For more information, visit KPSFOpen.com.

Media Contacts:
MVT PR / Sara Romano / [email protected]
Universal Tennis / Erica Annon / [email protected]

SOURCE Universal Tennis

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