The University of Illinois and the nationally-ranked Illinois men's tennis team are set to host the 2007 United States Tennis Association/Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Men's Team Indoor Championship. This year's tournament will run Friday-Monday, Feb. 16-19, at the MidTown Tennis Club in Chicago. The Illini once again bring arguably the biggest tennis tournament to the Windy City, as they also hosted the 2005 event at MidTown.
The USTA/ITA National Men's Team Indoor Championship is the premier indoor collegiate team event and is the ITA's longest running tournament.
This is the second time the Orange and Blue will host the event in the tournament's 39-year history. Tournament seedings will be finalized by the end of the day on Friday, Feb. 9, when the ITA releases its first national team and individual rankings.
The field currently consists of host Illinois, Baylor, Boise State, Duke, Georgia, Miami, Mississippi, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Pennsylvania, Pepperdine, Stanford, Texas, UCLA and Virginia.
In 2006, No. 2-seeded Georgia pulled out an incredibly close match against No. 3-seeded Illinois, earning their place in the final with a 4-3 edge to knock out the Fighting Illini. The Bulldogs went on to defeat No. 4-seeded Pepperdine for their first National Team Indoors title, handing Pepperdine its first loss of the season.
This year, the National Indoor Championship Tournament will return to the award-winning MidTown Tennis Club in the heart of downtown Chicago. MidTown, established in 1969, is the world's largest indoor tennis facility and the first tennis club built from the ground up in any major U.S. city.
Tennis Magazine has recognized MidTown as one of the premier tennis clubs in the country, while the USTA named it the "Facility of the Year" in 2002 and 2003. The facility features 18 cushion tennis turf courts; three platform tennis courts; tennis practice facilities; tennis instructional classes; tennis leagues, teams and tournaments; a state-of-the-art fitness center; an adjacent clubhouse; an in-house Café and a full service pro shop. (www.midtowntennisclub.com)
The USTA/ITA Men's National Indoor Team Championship has featured a number of today's top professional players, including James Blake, Bob and Mike Bryan, Jeff Morrison and Amer Delic. Each year the National Team Indoors showcases some of the top young tennis players hoping to make their mark on the professional circuit. Furthermore, the event exposes large communities to the excitement and intensity of collegiate tennis.
TOURNAMENT PARTICULARS
TOURNAMENT DATES
Friday-Monday, Feb. 16-19, 2007
TOURNAMENT SITE
MidTown Tennis Club
2020 W. Fullerton Ave.
Chicago, IL 60647
Phone: (773) 235-2300
Fax: (773) 235-3830
TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR
Holly Stalcup
Office Phone: (217) 244-6518
E-mail: stalcup@uiuc.edu
MEDIA COORDINATOR
Kevin Martinez
Office Phone: (217) 265-0170
E-mail: kmart@uiuc.edu
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets for the 2007 USTA/ITA National Men's Team Indoor Championship are currently on sale through the Illinois Athletic Ticket Office at 1-866-ILLINI-1. Ticket prices for the USTA/ITA National Men's Team Indoor Championship are as follows:
Individual
Public - $5.00
Students -$3.00
Group (20+) - $3.00
All Session
Public - $15.00
Student - $10.00
PARKING AT THE MIDTOWN TENNIS CENTER
Parking is available in the Mid-Town Tennis Club's parking lot.
There will be no charge for spectator parking.
DIRECTIONS PARKING AT THE CHICAGO CITY CENTRE
The Chicago City Centre is located 9 miles from Midway Airport (approximately 30-45 minutes) and 18 miles from O'Hare Airport (approximately 45-60 minutes).
| From O'Hare to Holiday Inn: Take I-90 East towards Downtown Chicago. Exit Ohio St. East. Drive 11 blocks East on local Ohio St. to Fairbanks Court. Hotel is on the left side. | |
| From Midway to Holiday Inn: Take I-55 East to 1-90/94 West towards Downtown Chicago. Exit Ohio St. East. Drive 11 blocks East on local Ohio St. to Fairbanks Court. Hotel is on the left side. |
Parking is available at the Chicago City Centre for $28.00/day which does include in and out privileges. The parking facility's height clearance is 6'6". The Holiday Inn Hotel does not offer bus parking. The nearest convenient parking for buses is located at the Grey Hound Station, 901 N. Halsted, (312) 408-5956. Advance reservations are required.
SHUTTLE SERVICE ARRANGEMENTS
NO on-site shuttle transportation will be provided at the 2007 USTA/ITA National Men's Team Indoor Championship.
HOTEL INFORMATION
Chicago City Centre
CHICAGO INFORMATION
Convention and Tourism Bureau
