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The Queens court At press time, it was still unknown who would be battling on the fabled grass at Wimbledon's Centre Court this weekend, but one thing was certain: The closest most of us will get to the tony tournament's strawberries and cream is sucking on a Frozfruit in front of the tube. Unless you head out to Queens. The West Side Tennis Club, which sits smack in the middle of Queens, boasts a stately Tudor clubhouse, a storied past and the only grass courts in the city. This weekend, it's hosting the finals of the Forest Hills Grass Court Classic, a pro-circuit tournament that draws the top seeds of tomorrow for a $50,000 purse.
Admission is free for the qualifying and semifinal matches, through Saturday 2, and Sunday's finals are a steal at $10. Just a few blocks from both the subway at 71st Avenue and the Forest Hills station on the LIRR, the serene setting is perfect for pretending you're on the other side of the pond. Tennis anyone?—David Gerlach The Forest Hills Grass Court Classic runs through Sunday 3 at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, Queens. For more info go to www.foresthillstennis.com | ||
© 2009 david gerlach | contact: davidgerlach at yahoo dot com | ||
Time Out New York
"It reeks of tradition," says
defending champion Justin Gimelstob, speaking from the All England Tennis Club just before his
third-round loss to Lleyton Hewitt. "All the ghosts of past champions are there." Since the club
hosted the U.S. Open from 1915 to 1978, when the tourney moved to larger though less refined
facilities in Flushing Meadows, those ghosts answer to names like McEnroe, Connors and Evert.
(Other ghosts include Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles and the Who—all of who played the 15,000-seat
stadium when it wasn't showcasing tennis.)