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It was Game, Set and Match at Grand Harbor Golf & Beach Club during the week-long Vero Beach International Tennis Open, one of 10 national tournaments.
The United States Tennis Association Women’s Pro Circuit tournament featured more than 100 top female tennis professionals from over 36 countries. The stakes were high as the top-level players competed for the tournament title and a $60,000 prize, and earned points toward their WTA ranking.
Adding to the excitement, Grand Harbor hosted various social events throughout the week, beginning with an Opening Night Ceremony.
Tennis fans were also invited to attend a Fashion Show and Dinner that featured styles for both on and off the court from the Lazy Daisy, the Gazebo and Southern Tide. They were modeled by volunteers from the event’s featured nonprofit, Coastal Connections, whose mission is to “protect coastal habitats for sea turtle survival by educating and connecting people to the environment.”
Mid-week, an Art Show & Wine Social featured 14 Grand Harbor artists and more than 70 works of art, from photography to fine art and sculpture. The show was curated by M.L. Norton, Debbie Lindsey and Molly Mugler.
Next up was the Pro-Am, where advanced and beginner tennis players could play with the pros, and Kids Day, where children participated in a tournament, and learned about how they can participate in Coastal Connections initiatives.
A Porsche Car Show and Dinner Dance closed out the week with cocktails, an Around the World buffet, the music of Riptide, and a special visit from Tennis Hall of Famer Ivan Lendl.
Now in its third year, the genesis for the tournament was as a way for Grand Harbor to engage its members while also promoting tennis, said Marco Osorio, Grand Harbor Golf and Beach Club director of sports.
As a result of the $60,000 purse, the tournament has grown, attracting a high caliber of professional tennis players. Osorio also noted that 60 amateur players played with the professionals during the event’s Pro-Am.
Osorio acknowledged that they couldn’t have held the event, which drew 4,660 attendees, without the support of sponsors and some 125 volunteers from the club.
“About 1.4 million people from around the world followed the tournament,” said Osorio, referencing that the tournament was live streamed.
The final matches on Sunday saw María Lourdes Carlé (ARG), who is 122nd in the world, win the singles championship, and Allura Zamarripa (USA) and Maribella Zamarripa (USA) win the doubles championship.
- Aubrie Dunham PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS
- Aubrie and Missi Dunham. PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS
- Quintin Bergman, Kendra Bergman, and Jen Volanski. PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS
- Michael Gibson and Jodi Vogt. PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS
- Michael Gobson, Marco Osorio, and Dick Tompkins. PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS
- Jan Williams and Mayor John Cotugno. PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS
- Rick Hatcher and Kevin Greene. PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS
- Susanne and Doug Sweeny. PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS
- Rasheeda McAdoo PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS
- Maria Konova PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS
- John Lindsey and Arnold Bell PHOTO BY STEPHANIE LABAFF
- Barbara Reis and Molly Mugler PHOTO BY STEPHANIE LABAFF
- Wendy Rochester with Mary Ellen and Mike Skehar PHOTO BY STEPHANIE LABAFF
- Tom Kirkenmeier, Rosemary Bell, Connie Kirkenmeier and Doug Germer PHOTO BY STEPHANIE LABAFF
- Liz Germer PHOTO BY STEPHANIE LABAFF
- Kelechi Nwosu, Christy Northfield and Chiaka Nwosu. PHOTO BY STEPHANIE LABAFF
- Doug and Susanne Sweeny PHOTO BY STEPHANIE LABAFF
- Cynthia Hovda and Renee Pryor PHOTO BY STEPHANIE LABAFF
- Ken and Sandy Janes PHOTO BY STEPHANIE LABAFF
- Michelle Brenner and Pat Clapham PHOTO BY STEPHANIE LABAFF
- Douglas Gallagher and Princess Thi-Nga of Vietnam. PHOTO BY STEPHANIE LABAFF
- Jayne Ingram and June Fitzgerald PHOTO BY STEPHANIE LABAFF
- Linda and Rich Bradley PHOTO BY STEPHANIE LABAFF
- Bonnie Spear and Peggy Anderson PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS
- Hilary Allinson, Wendy Rochester and Barbara Schwin PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS
- Beth and Gary Talmadge PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS
- Floranne Kelley with Candace and Bill Young PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS
- Carol Halchak and Sherry Henderson PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS
- Susan Johnson and Laura Reynolds PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS
- Maureen Kahrmann and Betsy Warnock PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS
- Carol Halchak and Sherry Henderson PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS
- Jacqui Mason, Charlene Friedman and Christine Carrier PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS
- Liz Crowther and Diane DeFrancisci PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS
- Letitia Vaughn, Heather Blone and Sharon Gahan PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS
- Joan Wright and Lisa Garrity PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS
- Kendra Cope Bergman, Jen Volanski and Julie Knight PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS
- Katherine Swick and Sharon Gahan PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS
- PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS
- PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS