RICHMOND, VA – September 25, 2012 – – Some things just get better with age. Such is the case with the Anthem Club Challenge. Now in its twentieth consecutive year, the Richmond Tennis Association (RTA) tournament is a unique weekend filled with tough competition and strong camaraderie among players from 12 area tennis clubs. Sponsored once again by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, the wildly popular event will take place this Thursday through Sunday at the Westwood Club.
The largest tennis event of its kind in Virginia, the tournament has become one of the RTA’s signature events and continues to be an annual highlight of the Richmond tennis community. The tournament draws over 500 players representing the top 12 tennis clubs in the area to compete over a 3-day period for the prestigious Anthem Cup. Defending champion acac will try to repeat against strong competition from host club Westwood and perennially strong squads from CCV, Raintree, and Salisbury (among others).
The event format includes two men’s doubles, two women’s doubles, and one mixed doubles at various NTRP rating levels from 3.0 up to 5.0 and above (the “Open” division), with a club earning two points for every match victory and one point for every loss. The format creates an interesting dynamic because teams’ lower rated players are just as important as higher rated ones, so there is an element of team spirit and camaraderie across the different levels.
New this year is the scheduling of the 5.0 men’s matches during the Thursday night players’ “kick-off” party. Historically, those matches were among the last to be played during the tournament. The Thursday night kick-off will also include a silent auction, with proceeds supporting the RTA’s charitable efforts in the community. The matches, party and auction are open to the public and tickets can be purchased in advance. For more information, please visit www.richmondtennis.org.
