Beach Tennis USA Returns to Miami Beach

Beach Tennis USA Returns to Miami Beach

"Sunshine State Slam" is First Major Televised Event of 2008 National Tour

NEW YORK, March 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Beach Tennis USA(R), the organization responsible for launching the sport of beach tennis in North America, today announced its return to Miami Beach, Florida for the first major event of its 2008 National Tour. The "Sunshine State Slam" will take place Saturday and Sunday, May 3-4, on the beach at Ocean Drive between 8th and 9th Street, in Miami Beach. The tournament, featuring top-ranked pro beach tennis teams from around the world, will be taped for broadcast on Tennis Channel, Comcast SportsNet and SportsNet New York (SNY).

On Saturday, the Men's and Women's Pro tournament will kick off at 10:00 a.m., with the Women's Pro division finals taking place at 7:00 p.m. and the Men's Pro division finals taking place at 8:00 p.m., under the lights. There will be open play and an amateur tournament on Sunday, with free instructional play all weekend. Equipment will be provided free of charge, courtesy of HEAD and Penn, official equipment suppliers of Beach Tennis USA.

Pro beach tennis players from countries including Italy, Brazil and Aruba will square off against their U.S. counterparts and compete for the $3,000 first-place prize. Furthermore, players will earn points based on their results in each tour event of the 2008 season, which gives them an opportunity to qualify for a spot in Beach Tennis USA's 2008 National Championship, to be held in Long Beach, NY, August 30-September 1.

Returning players from last year's Sunshine State Slam include 2007 Men's National Champions Matteo Marighella and Alex Mingozzi (Italy), 2005-6 National Champs Phil Whitesell and Chris Henderson (Charleston, SC) and three- time Women's National Championship winner, Nadia Johnston (Long Beach, NY).

Over the past three seasons, Beach Tennis USA tournaments have drawn many former tennis tour veterans back into competition, including Gretchen Magers (Wimbledon), Jay Berger (Davis Cup) and Pablo Arraya (1992 Olympics). Murphy Jensen, 1993 French Open Doubles champ, is the play-by-play announcer for BTUSA's televised events. Last year, over 75 Men's and Women's Pro division teams from 12 countries competed for the $15,000 in cash prizes at the National Championship event.

Players wishing to compete in the Sunshine State Slam can register online at www.beachtennisusa.net.

About Beach Tennis USA

Beach tennis, which was launched in the U.S. as a pro and recreational sport in 2005 by real estate developer Marc Altheim, combines tennis and beach volleyball into one exciting and fast-paced game. Now in its fourth season, Beach Tennis USA has garnered increased attention while hosting tournaments in South Florida, Southern California and New York. BTUSA has also gained recognition in the tennis world, attracting many former top-rated tennis players and having televised competitions featured on Tennis Channel, Comcast SportsNet, and SportsNet New York (SNY). The company continues to grow by adding licensees in various U.S. cities and promoting league play throughout the country. For more information, please visit www.beachtennisusa.net.

Source: Beach Tennis USA

CONTACT: John Rarrick for Beach Tennis USA, +1-212-671-1080 X103,
jr@bullseyepublicrelations.com

Web site:

http://www.beachtennisusa.net/

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