Without Venus, tennis center desolate as Pluto

COURTESY PILOT PEN INCORPORATED Venus Williams defeated Lindsay Daveport, 6-2, 7-5, in the finals of the Pilot Pen Tournament.

Thousands of tennis fans filled the food court and sponsor tents, eliminated players watched from the stands, and television personalities broadcasted from the press booths as a perfect day of tennis unfolded at the Pilot Pen tennis tournament. But after the grueling final between Venus Williams and Lindsay Davenport was over and Williams was crowned champion, when all the big names and satellite trucks were gone, the stadium stood empty, just as it does for 51 weeks out of the year.

This year's draw boasted some of the biggest names in women's tennis, including Davenport, Williams, Monica Seles and Steffi Graf. Williams dominated, cruising through the week without losing a single set. The presence star players in the tournament had an impact in many areas, as evidenced by recent increased attendance and the comprehensive national television coverage provided by ESPN, ESPN2 and CBS Sports.

The extra attention paid by the national media to Pilot Pen highlighted one of the problems of the Tennis Center. Among many of the spectators who came out to support one of New Haven's biggest professional sporting events, there was a sense of confusion. The organizers of the Pilot Pen did manage to wring the maximum potential out of the facilities at the Tennis Center, showing that the multimillion dollar facility was fully capable of hosting international sporting events. However, once the final prize check was awarded and the last speech was made, the Tennis Center reverted back to its day job: a very pretty stadium to look at, but one that is rarely touched. With the exception of the weeklong Pilot Pen, the Tennis Center lies fallow all year with not a single match played within its confines.

The Center has the second largest seating capacity of any tennis stadium in the U.S., and the third largest in the world, behind only Flushing Meadows and Roland Garros, the sites of the U.S.Open and French Open, respectively. Yale does not have control of the stadium court and must ask permission from the Tennis Foundation of Connecticut if it wants to use the stadium. According to Duke Diaz, the director of Tennis and Track and Field Operations and assistant men's tennis coach, however, this is not a problem for the Yale program.

"Our dealing with the tournament and the Foundation has been pretty open and pretty friendly," Diaz said. Nevertheless, many Yale players feel that the stadium court is not player-friendly. Most of the amenities present on the stadium court during the Pilot Pen disappear soon after, leaving the court barren and inhospitable.

Yalies are no strangers to the Tennis Center, despite the fact that Yale has not held a tournament on its stadium court. Jonathan Beardsley, DC '99, has played in the qualifying rounds of the Pilot Pen for the past three years, though he never managed to qualify for the tournament's main draw. Yale also makes use of the many courts surrounding the stadium for most of its tennis season, with the exception of the Pilot Pen week. Control of the outer courts reverts to Yale after the conclusion of the tournament. "Yale sports one of the best facilities in the East Coast, if not the nation," assistant women's tennis coach Travis Tucker, GRD '05, said.

Many groups would like to take better advantage of the empty stadium. Proposals have been put before the New Haven community that would permit concerts to be held in the Tennis Center. However, opposition to these ideas has been strong from the community surrounding the Center. Opponents allege that the noise generated y these concerts would exceed the noise level allowed by zoning regulations and contractual agreements. Concerns have also been raised about the potential for dangerous riots, such as those that arose during two recent Dave Matthews Band concerts at Hartford's Meadows Music Theater.

Whatever the future uses of the Connecticut Tennis Center, the Pilot Pen will be a presence in New Haven for at least the next five years. The tournament directors recently signed a new contract ensuring a five-year extension for the tournament in the Elm City. But the New Haven community ultimately must determine whether the Center should be used for other events. Organizers are optimistic, citing the huge fan response to this year's Pilot Pen tournament.

"The reaction from the fans was overwhelming and we all felt confident that we had hit upon something big," President and CEO of Pilot Pen Ron Shaw said in a letter to Pilot Pen spectators. The Tennis Center appears destined to serve an increasingly expanded role in the future.

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