2002 Choice Hotels 7th U.S. OPEN Racquetball Championships

The Racquet Club of Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee: November 20-24

But the dejected and emotional Canadian commented afterwards that the officiating had been one-sided and affected the outcome of the match. In my opinion this was not the case. However (... once more, with feeling ...) professional racquetball cannot be refereed effectively by one official! I look for IRT Commissioner Dave Negrete to take a stance and implement change immediately. The two-linesmen/one referee system for all professional matches — including qualifying — is a simple solution to an escalating problem. Enough talk ... end the injustice!

Also, it might behoove the U.S. Open administrators to consider putting the official at the back of the court for the final. The vantage point is better for all shots and might provide a small bandaid to this gaping wound.

Sudsy Monchik dictated the second semifinal against Jack Huczek, who doesn't really have a serve that can put Monchik under duress. While the younster covers the court well and has excellent racquet skills, his downfall in this match was not beating Monchik to the punch often enough. Huczek did not go quietly, but after capturing game two, he just couldn't put any kind of dent in the Monchik psyche. Monchik has looked very good all tournament and this match was no exception.

Predictions were 1-1 on the day, so while I'm still way up on the house, I need to make the right call on the final or all of you will forget the 14-2 record I've posted to date.

One More Time ... A Swain vs. Monchik U.S. Open final. Between them, they already own five of the existing six titles. The names sound great, but the results have grown all too predictable. A young Monchik looked up to Swain when he burst on to the tour but the respect has been reversed for the last six years. Up to last year's injury, Monchik has had a stranglehold in this so-called rivalry and I see no reason for this trend to change. Wait a minute ... I just had a flashback ... same situation, same players in the finals, and Monchik never found the front wall. In the '97 final Swain pummeled Monchik in a match that was over before before director Doug Ganim stopped sweating from his familiar, screaming introductions. Could Monchik fold in this encounter, too?

Let’s examine some recent evidence. They played in Riverside two weeks ago and Monchik hung an ugly beating on the old man. Swain had no reply to anything Monchik did and, on a more ominous note, Cliff looked like he did not believe he could compete and/or win. I know Swain-iacs do not want to hear this but it's a reality. The Monchik strategy will be simple: hammer returns harder at Cliff than he serves them, lob nick the Swain backhand and go bottom board, baby, on the next ball. My prediction is a truly harrowing experience, as Monchik takes it in three. However, if the high-hipped and long-armed legend wins this match I will send him a hand written apology, e-mails for a year proclaiming that he is the Sultan of Racquetball Swat and refer to him as "Mr. Swain" instead of Uncle Cliff for a period of one full year.

In closing out this last installment, it's been a high energy U.S. Open in all divisions and the positive feeling about racquetball is still infectious. And these attitudes should always prevail ... racquetball is a great sport!

Next, Windy city native Gudinas looked for revenge for last year’s upset against Cincinnati's Kerri Wachtel. Kerri’s large Ohio fan contingent couldn’t change the tide of the inevitable. Cheryl looks like she brought her A-game this week, and won an efficiently played match on the show court in straight games of 10,6,9.

"I'd like to win it, just so people would stop talking about it (the fact that it's the ony title that she hasn't claimed, to date), she stated in a post-game interview. "I had no idea I was the talk of the tournament ..."

Finals Prediction ... Well, after this seer fell victim to the Fisher PR Bandwagon (and taking requisite heat from half the LPRA tour yesterday afternoon…), I promise I’ll never, ever predict against Jackie Rice again. Especially after some of the San Diego contingent gave me grief as well. Sheesh! I still can’t believe you’ve read this far.

Luckily, a prediction I made back in the September/October issue of RACQUETBALL has now coming to fruition. Of course, it’s not exactly difficult to predict a #1 vs #2 seed matchup, but after I heard that Jackie’s twin sister was on the lookout for me to discuss my lack of love for Rice ... I’m back to where I started. Rice in four.

Either way, the final will be great, so come out and support the LPRA tour. The women’s playoff is nestled between the finals of the ... er ... umm ... Legends Tour, and the IRT finals — not to start not before 12:30pm. I'll still be running the scoreboard between points, so you’ve only got one more full tournament day to be a critic.

Frankly, the championship court is difficult to ref. The official has to lean over to see the whole court during the entire match, and from the height and angle, many skips and double bounces calls are hard to see. Especially when the ball is traveling over 200 miles per hour.

You may have seen top-ranked Jen Saunders in that cat-bird seat, but what you may not know is that she has also earned the highest possible referee certifications: a Canadian Level III, and the International Racquetball Federation’s (IRF) International Certification. She acted as Referee Chief at the Canadian Junior Nationals, and definitely knows her stuff. She's often asked by other players or the Tour Commissioner to call key pro matches.

“I just try to make the right calls,” said Thoerner. “I don’t listen to what the players are saying, or what the crowd is saying. I just do the best job that I can.”

From the quarterfinals on, Thoerner referees all men’s pro matches. Often an alternate is used to relieve him, but not this year; he's reffed each and every major IRT match since Friday.

Why does he put himself in such a position? Besides the fact that it helps offset some of his tournament expenses, Thoerner “honestly feels that there is nobody else that can do the job.” He then added, “Besides, there's nobody else who wants to do it.”

Thoerner himself is a fast rising star on the IRT and a member of the U.S. National Team. He placed second at the IRF World Championships in singles this past August, after playing Jack Huczek in that event final.

LPRA Saturday ... [drawsheet]
9:00 am -- #2 Jackie Rice vs. #10 Adrienne Fisher
9:00 am -- #3 Rhonda Rajsich vs. #11 Laura Fenton 
10:30 am -- #1 Cheryl Gudinas vs. #8 Kim Russell
10:30 am -- #4 Kerri Wachtel vs. #5 Kersten Hallander

Clockwise from top left: Carson (2), Waselenchuk, post-game interview with Doug Ganim, Waselenchuk.

The first stand-out was between the ageless Ruben Gonzalez and an aging Cliff Swain We shouldn’t consider what Ruben does is amazing ... should we? Every time he plays, it's with heart, guts and an inner joy we can all learn from. But the real point is that he forced Swain to play his best or face elimination at the hands of a 50-year-old man. Well, how good can Swain be, if this is the case? Answer: very good. Ruben, your secret is safe with all of us ... your body is still in its mid 30’s ... and we won’t tell anybody.

The all-southpaw Mitch Williams vs. Kane Waselenchuk hook up was on the same half of the draw, where Kane faced a high-strung, free-swinging Williams. He was ripping balls from everywhere and serving rocket launchers while taking a 2-1 game lead. Waselenchuk, reacted like a true veteran and pummeled away mercilessly in the last two, but this scare propelled him to a systematic dismantling of an out-of-sorts Moreno in he following round. This match was over before you could spell Waselenchuk.

Back to the aggravating-for-fans theme ... for the life of me, I can't understand why the tour doesn't enforce their time restrictions. During the Ellis-Dennison match, I had a shower, lunch and two business meetings before Ellis served after a long four-shot rally. I caught myself thinking "this is too long."

Also, how many calls were missed by struggling officials? Can you say gazillion? Let’s all hope this situation is rectified for the quarters, where the action will really heat up.

The Huczek-Ellis match will be a war of attrition. Ellis will play with heart and desire but in the end youth and conditioning will be served. I fully expect a battle, but Huczek will live to see another day with a semi-final berth. Huczek in 4.

On the same half, the premier match will be between Mannino and Monchik. The best thing here is that they are both playing well and there should be no excuses either way. Mannino is getting ornery, which is fun for everyone in the stands. Sudsy is going bottom board with the ‘I don’t care if you are covering my shots’ approach that urges us to call Vegas now with the hot release — Monchik in 5.

Clifford Swain vs. Alvaro Beltran will feature totally different gamestyles and personalities. Beltran often looks half-asleep on the court, while Swain looks like he just drank some sour milk. Swain needs this one. He's trying to remain a top gun but he's under siege (and has risen to the occasion many times). Beltran has won their last two meetings but I can’t go with the threepeat. One more semi for Swain is the prediction here; he'll take it in 4, with his serve dictating the match.

Waselenchuk vs. Carson is an easy one on paper. Carson is playing well and registered a solid victory over Mike Green yesterday. Carson is a true stallion, an athlete that looks and moves like we all want to. Why isn’t he mentioned with the top guns? His racquet skills and grip hold him back. One summer working on his grips and he would be a true contender. On the other hand, Waselenchuk routinely hits shots from behind his body on both sides and plays a fan-friendly explosive game that is combined with a touch that would make super soft Downy seem coarse. But this rivalry has not been close in the last two years. It will be Waselenchuk in 3.

Yesterday's bold predictions went 4 for 5, with an explosive and dynamic Mike Dennison turning the tables and disposing of Chris Crowther.

As a grand finale, the major celebrity impression courtside has been the Executive Director of the USRA doing Bob Barker. Thank you, Bob (er ... Hiser), for bringing some personality to this position!

Krystal Csuk prepares to receive serve from Adrienne Fisher. Photo: Mike Lawrence.

After quick wins in the opening rounds for most top seeds (including some exceptional play by a line-up of Canadian qualifiers) the marquee match was played betweeen Idahoan Tammy Brown and Canadian phenom Jennifer Saunders. Brown came out shooting, breezing through the first game 11-0, thanks to Saunders skipping a lot of forehands and handing Tammy lots of easy service winners. And it was more of the same in the second, with another Brown win, 11-3. Jen needed a new strategy and came out much more aggressive to triumph in the third. Was it a remarkable comeback? Yes. Jen breezed through the fourth 11-6 as Brown showed signs of fatigue. In the fifth, back and forth action settled into a 6-6 tie score before the tide turned on an avoidable call against Brown. Saunders went on to power her way to an 11-6 fifth game victory.

Later, Saunders said she'd had “an unbelievably slow start. It couldn’t have gone worse in the first two games.” Recently signed with Ektelon, Saunders is only in her second tournament playing with her new equipment, and became the first Canadian female to be sponsored by the company.

Elsewhere in the round, Kersten Hallander came out firing, and breezed to an 11-3 first game win over Canadian Genevieve Brodeur, who has nice strokes but really can't handle lob serves to her backhand. In the second, Brodeur showed some good shots, a solid stroke when setup, but had trouble hitting shots on the run. Kersten's pace of play was brutally efficient; the first two games took seven minutes each, and the match closed in straight games for Kersten. Unlike the men (with a large group of top-ranking southpaws) Susie Acosta is a rarity in her left-handed play. Against veteran Janet Myers, she opened by hitting lob and half lob serves and generally playing conservatively. Janet jumped out ahead and forced Susy to make some quality shots just to keep in the match. Becoming more aggressive as the match continued, Susie's scores (not coincidentally) grew progressively more one-sided as she advanced with a straight game win.

Afterward, Susie commented that “Janet is always tough, the matches are always close. Janet is our ‘Rubes’, ya know.” (Myers is a top-notch age competitor, too ...)

In a battle of power players; Rachel Gellman came out just pounding forehands, and looked unstoppable. But Brenda kept in rallies, always forcing one extra shot … and eeked out an 11-9 first game victory. Gellman came back strong, to win game two 11-4 before Brenda started taking advantage of some mobility limitations in Gellman, to win the third 11-3. In the fourth, Rachel went to a hard Z serve with some success, but Brenda kept in the match to earn the heartbreaker, 14-12, in the fourth.

After the match, Rachel recalled, “At 8-2 I became too relaxed. I started thinking about the fifth game. She came back with some great shots.”

International Spotlight Kim Russell came out firing against 16-year-old newcomer Carola Loma of Bolivia, to earn a decisive 11-1 win in the first. But Loma fought back, taking game two, before Russell regained control, to finish it out in four.

Doreen Fowler lost in 4 games to Mexico’s National Team member Rosy Torres. Torres hosts a women’s pro stop at Rosarito Beach, a tour favorite. Fowler won the first 12-10 before Rosy pinched her way through the next three.

Hardcore fan Curt Rettke, of Arlington, Virginia, traveled to Memphis just to watch some racquetball (he’s nursing lingering knee injuries), and yesterday volunteered to help run the scoreboard on the stadium court.

The scoreboard you see on the rear-projection screen is actually a specially designed Microsoft Powerpoint presentation, which is hand-modified after each point. The image is then sent to the screen by a special projection machine that “freezes” the image on the computer screen. Between games and during timeouts, other specially designed presentations display graphics and sponsor logos.

Curt got the hang of the system in short order, and then went on to train some special “helpers” in the technology: Andy McGuffey, Matt Hunter and his brother Geoff Hunter. The curious youngsters checked out the system, and before you could stop them, the three were running it like experts! You just can’t have too many precocious kids around these days ...

It's a tough job, but the scorekeeper gets the best seat in the house!

The women’s pro draws are, typically, a little misleading, since there are a large number of top quality female players in the U.S. (and increasingly worldwide) who do not play the tour full time. So it's not unusual for local phenoms to hand the touring pros early round “upsets” ... at least on paper. However, with a draw like the one featured here in Memphis, these types of round of 32 upsets might be hard to find.

Nonetheless, there will be some interesting matchups to keep an eye on in today's opening round. I'll try to be a bit less direct than my IRT reporting counterpart, however, (lest I ruffle any feathers and preclude myself from getting any good quotes later on…). Three matches have the potential of shaping up into barn burners this afternoon.

No. 14 seed Jennifer Saunders drew a very difficult opening round match-up against Tammy [Brockbank] Brown. A former intercollegiate national champion, Brown only recently returned to the tour with a vengeance. A hard hitter with a lot of talent, she's currently ranked No.18. Saunders and Brown are as evenly matched as their rankings, and this could be a great five-game match. Catch it at 4:30pm.

In their 5:30 match, Rachel Gellman will bring her Arizona heat against South Carolina veteran Brenda Kyzer, for a close match-up that promises to feature some heavy-hitting.

Finally, two of the younger players on the tour go head-to-head, in a junior re-match between Adrienne Fisher and Krystal Csuk. Both players put a lot of power into the ball and have big-time titles on their respective resumes (Csuk is the reigning Intercollegiate champion; Fisher is the three-time defending National High School champ). This match could very well be a preview of next April’s Intercollegiate title playoff. Both players are midwest-based and are very familiar with each other’s games. Look for a possible upset here.

Round of 32 action starts up at 1:45pm Thursday, with two-time U.S. Open champ Jackie Rice playing qualifier Vivian Gomez. The bulk of the ladies action will take place in the latter half of session #2, between 1:00 and 5:00. Enjoy! 

All opinions expressed herein (particularly by Mike Ceresia) ... are those of the author(s) or editor, and do not reflect the official position of the USRA, or event management ... emphasized TD Doug Ganim after reading the Wednesday newsletter. Mike Ceresia's (ahem) "pointed" comments about the current state of officiating on the men's tour may have been on the mark, but readers should know that he's definitely not going to pull any punches. This year's official IRT reporter is opinionated and outspoken ... it's why we pay him the big bucks!

With the 32’s and 16’s today, this can shape up into the best day for the true fan of the game. All the top dogs are in action twice and the 16’s will offer some serious tests, with many players blowing gaskets as the pressure mounts along with expectations. Intensity is what this game is all about and today will bring in plenty of it.

By the way, the top guns look sharp, but Monchik looked especially geeked in a three-game drubbing of solid ball-striker Chris Wright. A Monchik vs. Mannino quarterfinal — if seeding runs true to form — will be a critical match in the race for number one. Mannino can set Monchik back substantially with a win; Monchik can put himself squarely in the hunt with a victory against his long-time friend and rival.

Doyle vs. Thoerner @ 1:45 pm The earlier round offers five potential scuffles and eleven routine matches for the top seeds. One with potential will be the Tim Doyle vs. Jason Thoerner match. Doyle, a former number one who — for all intents and purposes — retired this year, is playing this week for the love of the game. Will his competitive instinct kick in? Will his drive serve have enough pop to threaten an improving and ultra-competitive Thoerner? Thoerner covers some serious terrain with his long strides and will lob his way to a four-game victory.

Green vs. Karp @ 12:30 pm Mike Green against Adam Karp is also promising. Green has a very solid pro game with aspirations of moving into the top five. Many of the tools he'll need are in place, but a string of victories against the top five is badly needed for him to make the headway he desperately craves. Karp was a top-8 player with speed that made him a nightmare to play. However, his attitude waned as he grew more frustrated with a lack of progress, which brought on a premature retirement. The likable Karp will need to establish his junk serves in this one while Green will lob nick to test Karp’s consistency. Green in three.

Dennison vs. Crowther @ 10:00 am Powerful Ohio native Mike Dennison — more than any player in the game today —enjoys smashing the daylights out of the little green sphere. But refinement and a dash of nastiness are needed for him to be a true threat. Chris Crowther, no stranger to power himself, possesses a solid all court style, and is a giant in a game that is being infiltrated with players that can’t scare 5-feet-8 (see Mannino, Monchik, Ellis and Gonzalez for examples). Crowther has never lost to Dennison and we will not see him buck the trend. I see it going to Crowther in four.

Moreno vs. Llacera @ 12:30 pm Mexico's Javier Moreno, the happy hispanic, against Dan Llacera is the kind of match that Llacera loves. Moreno, with an above average forehand and good court coverage, is favored but Llacera has a way of finding a way to win these types of matchups. As aggravating as a bad hangover, Llacera's grips (which defy any expert in biomechanics — or physics for that matter), have held his game back and will continue to do so. Look for some controversy and many contested calls in this one. Moreno will take it in a tough four.

Vanderson vs. Beltran @ 11:15 am The Shane Vanderson vs. Alvaro Beltran match will get interesting if Vanderson gets himself fired up and committed to winning. Beltran hit the ball solid in the first round but seemed to succumb to a case of apathy. Expect his intensity to pick up. Vanderson, who moves well but is vulnerable to lob serves will fall in four in this one.

Our fearless reporter was five-for-five in predictions, no great feat considering there were very few tough matches in the first round. However, four of those five matches were called in the proper number of games ... which is somewhat impressive. If I say so myself.

The knowledgeable fan will get comfortable in the round of 16, as tour regulars face off against more familiar foes. Which prompts another observation: I think I should mention that there is a powerful need for more random matchups on the IRT. The word "draw" implies random. Doing the seeding directly from the rankings sets up too many of the same matches in the 16’s and quarterfinals.

For example, Carson/Green and Guidry/Beltran have played each other so many times this year that they're kicking around the idea of playing one match and having it count for two — just to save the loser the travel expense for the odd tournament.

On a more positive note, Dave Negrete and the IRT players have seen the tour’s prize money grow dramatically in recent years. With this growth has come an increased fan base. These are positive signs, but victory will only be declared when we see pro racquetball on television on a regular basis (tell ESPN how much you love seeing this event each year) and the tour is able to survive on pro-only events ... like every other truly big-time sport. 

The Contenders The real contenders here in Memphis are a revitalized Sudsy Monchik, a ridiculously talented Kane Waselenchuk, a calm and confident Jason Mannino, hard-working Jack Huczek, the great-but-aging Cliff Swain, a first-time stop winner earlier this fall in Alvaro Beltran, and John Ellis, who needs a kickstart to a season-long struggle. More on the second tier and the remaining field tomorrow.

For the record, the pro game is at its highest level in history and you will see some of the planet’s best athletes do battle on its most professional stage. The winner will need a sustained mental effort with a healthy portion of desire.

It will be a wild ride to the title, made wilder by the IRT’s ineffective and antiquated one-referee/no-linesmen system. Tennis has an ump, net judge and service line judge that are electronic and a bushel basket of linesmen. Our game is 33 % faster and played at floor level, like boxing, but with racquets. Can one person keep up with all that action? Of course not. This week, let’s keep an unofficial count of the player glares at referees ... glares that would get you tossed in baseball or issued technicals in basketball. Somehow this boorish habit is tolerated by the players, but not by the fans of our great game. At the same time, let’s keep a running total of the brutal game- or match-turning calls that could have been prevented with more officials.

Round One The real excitement today will begin in the 64’s, where I think you'll find some intriguing first round matches. Like Ruben ‘the real Legend’ Gonzalez when he takes on Polo Gutierrez after he advances into the Q3 spot. Gutierrez is hungry, fast and unorthodox. But even at 50, Gonzalez is Gonzalez. Gutierrez showed that he was not intimidated by the Legend (at least in doubles) at the World Racquetball Championships in Puerto Rico last August, where he and partner Gil Meija easily disposed of Mike Guidry and Ruben in a crucial match. However, this is singles. It says here: "Gonzalez in a war!"

Oh, and by the way, why isn't Gonzalez playing in the so-called Legends event this week? The Legends Tour is separate from the U.S. Open and is by invitation only. Can you say "controversy"? Our crack staff is working on the real story ... stay tuned.

Another interesting matchup, at least on paper, will be Beltran vs. Ganim. Beltran is relaxed, talented and ultra smooth; his downside has been a mercurial nature at certain events. Another legends-candidate, Ganim remains a solid competitor with above average racquet skills and below average speed, who will lob everything and attempt to hypnotize his opponent into becoming ... "very sleepy"... But Beltran will do his impression of a fat test and pinch everything. Can Ganim cover the pinch? Not enough. It will go to Beltran in a solid four.

Adam Karp and Tim Hansen will also be a unique set. Karp has been in self-imposed exile from the tour, while Hansen is a racquetball junkie with a game built around a great forehand. Hansen doesn't move like he used to, but the real question is, will Karp? He'll need wheels to advance, but I see him taking a tough four, with his play improving in each game.

Another good tussle should be the Hawthorne-Pointelin match. Hawthorne is steady with solid strokes on both sides; Pointelin is a veteran who needs a win. But youth will be served as Hawthorne marches relentlessly through this one with only a mild glitch in game two.

If Ceresia qualifies he will face John Ellis, who has everything it takes to be number one ... but ... an ongoing battle to attain peak physical condition has affected his psyche. Ceresia, who borders on delusional about his current level of play, believes that — because he beat Ellis in their last meeting (a mere seven years ago) — he has a chance now. He doesn’t, but if it gets close, look for the intensity to jump and a shower of fireworks. The winner will capture bragging rights for eternity, as there is zero chance for another meeting.

Tomorrow, look for another preview the men’s 32’s, 16’s and the LPRA opener. And while you're in the stands, keep the long-standing, in-vogue tradition: pick a favorite and cheer loud!

L-R: Rice, Brandyberry, Curren, Mannino. Photo: Vicki Hughes.

The fundraiser pairs 32 professional players with amateurs (who donate $250.00 per entrant to take part) in a single elimination format. In addition to sharing court time with the best players in the world, each amateur received an autographed racquet from their pro partner.

Winners of the event were Cincinnati's Tom Curren and IRT No.1 Jason Mannino, who looks forward to playing in the benefit every year. “St. Jude is a wonderful charity to come out to support,” said Mannino. “It’s nice to be able to have so much fun and do something worthwhile at the same time.”

Through the drawn-out evening, the pair pulled out of the top half of a full draw of 32 with wins over Will Gumer/Tim Doyle, Steve Kowlabany/Mike Guidry, Twayne Howard/Jack Huczek, Cesar Carrillo/Brian Pointelin and Jake Brandyberry and current world doubles champion Jackie Rice in the final.

The win this year makes it two in a row for Curren, who was partnered with Kane Waselenchuk last year. “I have been playing in this for six years now and have won the last two,” said Curren. “It (playing with a pro) forces an amateur player to play at a higher level. That and the fact that I have had two very good partners has helped me.”

Even though they were runner-ups, Jackie Rice (San Diego, Calif.) and Jake Brandyberry (Cleveland, Ohio) still enjoyed the event. “I had a great time playing with Jake,” said Rice, currently ranked No. 2 on the Ladies Professional Racquetball Association [LPRA] tour. “It’s not only fun but for a good cause.”

Before the event begins, a kick-off press conference is held to introduce the players to the media, plus recognize sponsors and long-time supporters of the U.S. OPEN, now in its seventh year at the Racquet Club of Memphis.

• 2002 IRT Lineup & Odds
• 2002 LPRA Lineup & Odds
• Meet Racquetball's Guardian Angel ... Ray Schultz
• Meet Magic-Maker ... Jerry McKinnis
• 2002 Tipsheet
• Last Year: 2001 Coverage
• 2001 Results & Releases
• Interview: 2001 Champ Kerri Wachtel
• I want my Racquetball on TV!

Effective immediately, the annual marquee event will be known as the CHOICE HOTELS U.S. OPEN Racquetball Championships.

Founded by the USRA in 1996, the U.S. OPEN has become the largest and most prestigious racquetball tournament in the world. Held each November at the Racquet Club of Memphis in Tennessee, the U.S. OPEN is the sports' only "Grand Slam" -- featuring all the finest male and female professional players vying for the largest prize money purse of the season, over 700 top-level skill and age-group athletes, the world's only made-for-TV portable stadium racquetball court, and a tape-delayed broadcast on ESPN2.

"We are thrilled to form this new partnership with the sport of racquetball and to become the title sponsor of the CHOICE HOTELS U.S. OPEN," said Wayne W. Wielgus, Senior Vice President, Marketing for Choice. "We are equally excited to join the effort to raise money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the U.S. OPEN's designated charity."

Doug Ganim, Director of the U.S. OPEN since its inception, said, "Choice Hotels International is a worldwide leader in the travel industry and an ideal partner for the sport of racquetball. The CHOICE HOTELS U.S. OPEN will continue to be the biggest event of the year and I urge all racquetball players to support the CHOICE brands on a year round basis."

Choice franchises more than 5,000 hotels open or under development in 43 countries, under the Clarion, Quality, Comfort Suites, Comfort Inn, Sleep Inn, MainStay Suites, Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn brand names.

The 2002 CHOICE HOTELS U.S. OPEN is scheduled for November 20-24 in Memphis, Tennessee. An Entry Form/Ticket Application will be available in the July/August issue of RACQUETBALL. For more information on the event, contact the USRA at (719) 635-5396. For more information on Choice, contact Anne Curtis of Choice at (301) 592-5155.