Westside Tennis Club
Encyclopedia
The Westside Tennis Club is a private tennis
club located in Houston, Texas
. It was the former home (2001-2007) to the ATP Tour
U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships
. Gallery Furniture Stadium, located on the club's premises, is the home of the Houston Wranglers
of World TeamTennis
. The stadium also hosted the Tennis Masters Cup in 2003
and 2004
.
surfaces: Rebound Ace
(Australian Open
), red clay
(French Open), grass (Wimbledon
), and DecoTurf
(US Open
). The clay courts are the only courts in the United States that are identical to those at Roland Garros
. The grass courts were designed and installed under the supervision of David Kimpton of the Queen's Club
. There are 46 courts in total, including 10 indoors. Gallery Furniture Stadium has a capacity of 5,240 spectators.
In December 2006, the club management decided to change the fundamentals and become an all-around sports and family club instead of a strictly tennis club.
Although it had the finest facilities in the Houston area
, it has converted its grass courts into a first-class soccer field and the red clay into swimming pools and more hard courts. The 5 blue indoor courts were turned into the "zone" where families can have fun and added 2 teaching courts and a teaching lane with a ball machine.
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
club located in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. It was the former home (2001-2007) to the ATP Tour
Association of Tennis Professionals
The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the...
U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships
U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships
The U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship is an annual ATP Tour tennis tournament that started in 1910. It is the last remaining ATP Tour-level tournament in the United States to be played on clay courts....
. Gallery Furniture Stadium, located on the club's premises, is the home of the Houston Wranglers
Houston Wranglers
The Houston Wranglers was a tennis team based in Houston, Texas, United States, in the World TeamTennis League.After many years of supporting and sponsoring local sports teams in Houston, Jim and Linda McIngvale, owners of Gallery Furniture and Westside Tennis Club, purchased the franchise rights...
of World TeamTennis
World TeamTennis
World TeamTennis is a coed professional tennis league played with a unique team format in the United States. Each match consists of five sets. Each set features a different configuration . Coaches, before the match, decide the order in which the sets will be played...
. The stadium also hosted the Tennis Masters Cup in 2003
2003 Tennis Masters Cup
The 2003 Tennis Masters Cup was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 34th edition of the year-end singles championships and the 29th edition of the year-end doubles championships, and was part of the 2003 ATP Tour...
and 2004
2004 Tennis Masters Cup
The 2004 Tennis Masters Cup was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 35th edition of the year-end singles championships, the 30th edition of the year-end doubles championships, and was part of the 2004 ATP Tour...
.
Controversy
The club is unique in that it offers courts of all the Grand SlamGrand Slam (tennis)
The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...
surfaces: Rebound Ace
Rebound Ace
Rebound Ace is a cushioned tennis hardcourt composed of polyurethane rubber, fiberglass, and other materials on top of an asphalt or reinforced concrete base...
(Australian Open
Australian Open
The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court...
), red clay
Clay court
A clay court is one of the four different types of tennis court. Clay courts are made of crushed shale, stone or brick. The red clay is slower than the green, or Har-Tru "American" clay. The French Open uses clay courts, making it unique among the Grand Slam tournaments.Clay courts are more common...
(French Open), grass (Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
), and DecoTurf
DecoTurf
DecoTurf is a tennis hardcourt comprising layers of acrylic, rubber, silica, and other materials on top of an asphalt or concrete base. It is manufactured by Decosystems, which is a division of California Products Corporation which also manufactures Plexipave, based in Andover, Massachusetts.The...
(US Open
U.S. Open (tennis)
The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881...
). The clay courts are the only courts in the United States that are identical to those at Roland Garros
Stade Roland Garros
Le Stade de Roland Garros is a tennis venue located in Paris, France. It hosts the French Open tennis tournament , a Grand Slam event played annually in May and June. The facility was constructed in 1928 to host France's first defense of the Davis Cup...
. The grass courts were designed and installed under the supervision of David Kimpton of the Queen's Club
Queen's Club
The Queen's Club is a private sporting club in West Kensington, London, England. Founded in 1886, the Queen's Club was the world's first multipurpose sports complex and named after Queen Victoria, its first patron...
. There are 46 courts in total, including 10 indoors. Gallery Furniture Stadium has a capacity of 5,240 spectators.
In December 2006, the club management decided to change the fundamentals and become an all-around sports and family club instead of a strictly tennis club.
Although it had the finest facilities in the Houston area
Greater Houston
Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown is a 10-county metropolitan area defined by the Office of Management and Budget. It is located along the Gulf Coast region in the U.S. state of Texas...
, it has converted its grass courts into a first-class soccer field and the red clay into swimming pools and more hard courts. The 5 blue indoor courts were turned into the "zone" where families can have fun and added 2 teaching courts and a teaching lane with a ball machine.