HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
Hope all of you had a wonderful Holidays and are full-filling your New Year’s Resolutions and if not there is always next year!!
!
!AUSTRALIAN OPEN
I along with the Original “9” are off to the Australian Open January 20 for the tennis festivities they have planned for us, thanks to Billie Jean & Ilana. Needless to say this is exciting and special to us and I know it will be fun to be together with the girls and also back in Melbourne for the Open. Last time I was there was 2016 and I was coaching junior player Taylor Johnson. I was also invited to celebrate Margaret Court’s Grand Slam victory in 2010. I lost to her in the finals of the U.S. Open in 1970, which gave Margaret her 2nd Grand Slam. This was the first time I saw the new site (Melbourne Park) which moved from Kooyong Stadium I think in 1988. I did get to hit some balls at Kooyong and the grounds and clubhouse have changed drastically from the 60’s & 70’s when the Australian Open was played there and Australia was the Mecca of tennis. I’m filled with a lot of good memories of my youth and playing on those grounds and hope to do so again!
ANNALEE THURSTON AWARD RECEPTION SATURDAY, MARCH 11, 2023 BENEFITTING LOVE & LOVE TENNIS FOUNDATION
There’s about a month and a little left before The Thurston Reception Awards Dinner where we hope to honor 59 Grand Slam winner, (most Grand Slams for male or female) Martina Navratilova. As most of you know she publicly announced earlier this year that she had been diagnosed with breast & throat cancer Stage 1, and that she will be getting treatment immediately. She has just shared with me that she is doing fine and feeling very confident that she will defeat this opponent and that she’s looking forward to attending our March 11 Awards. I know we all send our best wishes and prayers on her difficult journey ahead.
Please remember that you can use your invitations (2 people per invitation) to enter the grounds at IWTG for the BNP Paribas Open on both Saturday, March 11 and Sunday, March 12. We will not have the suite this year but hope to next year. This is a change from being on the grounds during the BNP but Palm Valley Country Club is a short 10 minutes away with plenty of parking and perfect for the event.
I look forward to seeing new-comers and “regulars” March 11, 2023. Bring your friends, enjoy the weather and tennis but most importantly help us raise funds for The Love & Love Tennis Foundation to continue reaching out to kids and providing free tennis clinics throughout the Coachella Valley. The LLTF also helps with financial aide, rackets, balls and other equipment to assist other Junior Programs in the valley.
“NEW” ROSIE CUP TENNIS DOUBLES ROUND ROBIN
This year we will have The Rosie Cup Tennis Doubles Round Robin at Woodhaven Country Club. This is scheduled for Sunday, March 12, from 8:00am -10:00am, with Continental Breakfast starting at 7:00am along with Check-in. It will be a fun event and all levels are welcome! If you don’t have a partner we will find you one….who knows I may be available! It is only 5 minutes away from IWTG.
AUCTION – LIVE & SILENT
We have a Live & Silent Auction with lots of items for everybody, so bring your pocket books! I will attach a list of the items we will have in both the Live & Silent Auction in our next newsletter.
WTA 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
The Women’s Tennis Association is celebrating it’s 50th Anniversary! In June of 1973 just before the Wimbledon Championships, WTA became a reality! Women from all over the world were locked in the Gloucester Hotel’s conference room wanting to know what lay before them. They came to listen to what Billie Jean King had to say about the future of women’s tennis and how important it was to be organized under one body and to have one voice. This was the moment of truth and many did recognize it but others feared their Federation’s power and had to be convinced that if they were united they too would have power.
Betty Stove probably played the next most important role to that of Billie Jean’s that evening. Standing 6’3″ she positioned herself in front of the only doors that you could enter or exit. Billie Jean warned fellow players that Betty will not allow anyone to leave until we’ve formed our association and Board of Directors. Billie Jean knew we could not fail and that if we were going to survive it was now or never. We were a diverse group but at the hour of need when the clock chimed 5pm, we became an organized body ready to conquer the world of tennis, and The Women’s Tennis Association came to be. Thanks also to the Original 9, Virginia Slims and a lot of good people who helped establish women’s tennis.
This is our biggest fundraiser and also a way in which to acknowledge your contributions first hand and to share with you what the foundation has been doing. I along with the Foundation appreciates your support and thank you for your donations.
Keep playing tennis not Pickleball!!
See you soon!
Rosie & Tory
President & V.P.
Rosie Casals
Sportswoman, Inc
Love & Love Tennis Foundation
20221207_195354
20221207_195440
Screenshot_20221207-195737_Dropbox
