Liberty Tennis is hosting the inaugural Liberty Indoor Open this weekend. The non-profit professional tournament is being hosted in the new Liberty Indoor Tennis Center. This $8 million 48,000 square-foot facility opened in 2021, and includes six tennis courts, locker rooms, a team lounge, a laundry facility, a concessions area, and can host a max capacity of 100 spectators.
The Liberty Indoor Open includes a variety of tennis players at all levels. This event provides an opportunity for ATP professional players, ITA college players, and USTA juniors to compete on Liberty’s campus. Current Liberty players and potential recruits will participate. The tournament began on Thursday and will finish Monday. All tennis players in the men’s and women’s open tournaments will be competing for prize money at grabs. In the men’s tournament, the winner will win $3,500 while the finalist will receive $2,500, and semifinalists and quarterfinalists will receive $1,000 and $500 respectively. The women’s tournament winner will win $1,750, the finalist will receive $1,250 and the semifinalists and quarterfinalists will receive $500 and $250.
The Flames will use this preseason tournament as means to prepare for the Spring 2023 season. Six Flames total advanced to the Round of 16 singles for the men and women that are taking place today. Tiffany Nguyen, Esther Lovato, and Maria Juliana Parra Romero advanced to the Round of 16 in the women’s tournament. Josh Wilson, Rafael Marques Da Silva, and Beau Pelletier were among the final 16 for the Liberty men. So far, Da Silva and Wilson are the only Flames to punch their tickets to the quarterfinals. Josh Wilson and Christiaan Worst along with Zion Heaven and Thando Longwe-Smit will also participate in the men’s doubles tournament later this afternoon.
Liberty men’s tennis is looking for their third consecutive ASUN Championship in 2022, while the women (last year’s runner-up), are looking to build off of their run to last year’s ASUN title as the #4 seed. The Flames will face a tough non-conference slate, including hosting the men’s defending national champion UVA on January 19th, in what is sure to be an electric atmosphere. Make sure to follow A Sea of Red on Twitter and Instagram for updates from the tournament!
