Collegians to Compete on Clay Courts in South Carolina

The nation’s top college tennis players are expected to compete Dec. 2-4 at Hilton Head Island in the first clay court tennis championships.

The National Intercollegiate Men’s and Women’s Clay Court Tennis Championships will be one of five national collegiate championships held each year. Organizers say it is the first to be played on soft courts.

The tournament will be played at the Palmetto Dunes Rod Laver Tennis Center. Thirty-two players will compete in the men’s and women’s divisions.

“The whole thrust of the event is to get collegiate players set to play in the pro ranks,” said Bruce Bibbero, tennis director at Rod Laver. About 90% of professional tournaments are played on clay courts, he said.

The United States Tennis Assn. has said junior tennis players need to learn to play on a variety of tennis courts. It emphasized clay court training in a player development program announced recently.

Du Pont has agreed to sponsor the tournament for three years. Company officials would not disclose the financial amount.

The clay court championships will be the fourth leg of the new Collegiate Grand Slam. Bibbero said he hopes to conduct clay court clinics for top junior players, both from the island and outside, in conjunction with the tournament.