Glenview Among Host Sites For Nat'l Platform Tennis Championship

From Glenview Park District: Just five years after opening one of the first paddle tennis courts at a public facility on the north shore, the Glenview Prairie Club Golf & Paddle is one of the host sites for a highly esteemed tournament. Up to 500 players are expected to compete in the 2018 American Platform Tennis Association’s Men’s & Women’s National Championships Friday, March 9 and Saturday, March 10

starting at 8 a.m. There is also an APTA Men’s and Women’s Viking President’s Cup taking place at the Glenview Prairie Cub Golf & Paddle Thursday, March 8, starting at 8 a.m., which will host the top players in the country.

Play is divided among eight sites in the Chicago area. One of the biggest match-ups will be between the paddle tennis dynamic duo of Marek Czerwinski of Northfield and Chris Gambino of Chicago and the three-time national champs Drew Broderick and Jared Palmer. Czerwinski and Gambino narrowly defeated Broderick/Palmer last year, and plan to return to try to intercept what could be a four-peat.

In the 2018 APTA Women’s National Championships, the ones to watch are Florentina Hanisch and Annica van Starrenburg who claimed their first National Championship last year and will be back this year to defend the title. Several members of the Glenview community participate in this event, including a few from Glenview Prairie Club Golf & Paddle. “Platform tennis is a trending sport on the North Shore, especially for women,” said Michele Fiore, Glenview Park District spokesperson.

Glenview Prairie Club is a six court platform tennis complex complemented by a state-of-the-art clubhouse serving paddle tennis players and golfers. Paddle instruction, classes and travel leagues are offered to men, women, and juniors of all levels and ages throughout the year. Paddle tennis, also called platform tennis, is likened to a cross between racquetball and tennis. It can be played outdoors year-round because heaters underneath the court melt ice and snow.

“Chicago probably has more six paddle courts than any other place in the country. The sport used to be a north shore league, but now it’s building in the western suburbs. Places like Hinsdale, Glen Ellyn and River Forest are adding courts,” said APTA Executive Director Ann Sheedy.

Sheedy said over the last 20 years, the Chicago-area has hosted the APTA Nationals six times.

The APTA will be live streaming the tournament and you can watch it through YouTube or Facebook.

Image Via Glenview Park District