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The William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center is a public tennis center located in Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C.. The center is the home of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, an annual ATP World Tour event. It houses 10 hard courts and 15 clay courts. The main stadium seats 7,500 spectators. - Source: Wikipedia
On the morning of her own tournament final match, Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova read about Serena Williams' domination over Maria Sharapova in the gold medal match of the Olympic Games.
In what would prove to be a back-and-forth battle, the United States' Sam Querrey eked out a Citi Open quarterfinal victory Friday against South Africa's Kevin Anderson (6-4, 6-4). As soon as the match point was decided, the crowd at the William H.G. Fitzgerald Tennis Center cheered for its home country favorite, and the pair of competitors met to shake hands.
All the winners of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, which began in 1969, are enshrined on the stadium wall at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center, their names in a place of honor for all to see.
At one end of the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center on Wednesday night, American Coco Vandeweghe served Aravane Rezai of France into submission. At the other, countrywoman Vania King experienced similar success. Their victories give the United States three quarterfinalists entering Thursday's action at the Citi Open.
As James Blake warmed up for a match Monday at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center stadium, all he had to do was look over his left shoulder to get a glimpse of the player he used to be.
His life has returned to a pro tennis player's normalcy, airport-to-airport, tournament-to-tournament, his concerns again about the person across the net instead of his health issue.
When public address announcer Charlie Brotman asked who was ready for the championship final Sunday at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, there was at best polite applause.
It's unlikely that any but the most ardent tennis fans in Rock Creek Park this week even knew who Radek Stepanek was. The 32-year-old from the Czech Republic wasn't on any Legg Mason Tennis Classic posters or bus ads like former champ Andy Roddick, who withdrew before even playing a match.
Late Wednesday night after he advanced past fourth-seeded Jurgen Melzer to move into the round of 16, Donald Young walked around the grounds at Rock Creek Park unnoticed. By the time his semifinal match Saturday ended, it was assured that Young wouldn't get his name added to the promenade at William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center as Legg Masson Tennis Classic champion.
On the eve of his rematch with Michael Russell, Donald Young could only hope it wasn't like the last time the two squared off — when Russell mopped the hardcourt with him in a 6-0, 6-3 victory in the Atlanta Tennis Championships.
Much of James Blake’s postmatch news conference Monday night was dedicated to Donald Young, the 22-year-old American whose development Blake has aided. But Tuesday night after yet another victory, the spotlight belonged to the 31-year-old veteran, who isn’t ready to step off the stage.
The Legg Mason Tennis Classic's status as a U.S. Open tuneup - a hard-court showcase on the East Coast a few weeks before the national championship tournament - attracts some of the world's best players to the District.
Denis Kudla's birth certificate is from the Ukraine, but the 18-year-old tennis player is a Washingtonian at heart. His parents moved to Fairfax when he was 1, and he has called Arlington home for the past five years.
Andy Roddick made sure he wouldn't become another victim.
It's always subtle. Preceded by a glance, it has the understated, almost cool resemblance to a reluctant greeting.
