O.C. Courts to Host Wilander Tennis Event

The deadline for entering Mats Wilander’s “Battle of the Beaches” tennis tournament is Friday. The entry fee is $55 for the event open to junior- and open-level males. The tournament will run Sept. 6-14 and will be played at various private tennis clubs in Orange County. The quarterfinals through the finals will be played at Palisades Tennis Club in Newport Beach.

Professional players competing include Wilander, the former No. 1-player in the world and a seven-time Grand Slam champion, Mikael Pernfors, Karol Novacek, Jim Grabb, Jim Pugh, Jeff Tarango and Piet Aldrich. First-place prize money is $5,000, second place $2,500, third place $1,500 and fourth place is $1,000. Those interested in entering can call Parry ( O’Keefe or Mark Kaplan at (714) 553-8192.

Wilander’s tournament is a division of the Pacific Southwest Tennis Championships, which has more than 70 divisions. Age brackets begin at 25 and over and go up by five-year increments through age 90 and over. Categories included men’s and women’s singles and doubles and mixed doubles.

The Pacific Southwest, which is the largest senior tennis event in the world, is one of two tournaments required for USTA members who wish to receive an official Southern California ranking. Entry deadline for every division but the “Battle of the Beaches” is Aug. 21. The entry fee is $38. Tournament information is available by calling the Palisades Tennis Club at (714) 644-6900. Proceeds from the tournament benefit the Environmental Nature Center of Orange County.