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Sunday, July 16, 2000 By Phil Axelrod, Post-Gazette Sports Writer
Don Mercer has seen the Futures and wants it to become the cornerstone for the future of tennis in the area.
He envisions a two-week tennis bonanza next July at the Mt. Lebanon Courts, with a $20,000 Futures event for men and women following the annual West Penn and National Collegiate Clay Court Championships.
Mercer, who has been director of the clay court tournament the past six years, also would be the director of the Futures with assistance from the USTA.
"I'll have more help," Mercer said. "The USTA will administrate it and take care of a lot of the paper work and stuff like that. We won't need as many volunteers for the Futures as we do for the amateur event."
The Futures here would be unique because it would be the only one on the year-long national circuit to include men and women. The prize money will be split evenly, with champions crowned in men's and women's singles and doubles and mixed doubles.
The winners in the clay court tournament will receive a wild card to the Futures.
"That should help us get better players for the amateur tournament," Mercer said. "The clay court field next year will be up a level from this year. We probably won't get the top 15 college players, but we should get our share of numbers 15 through 70."
Sarah Riske, this year's women's singles champion who will be a sophomore in the fall at Vanderbilt, was the highest-ranked college player in the field at No. 77 in the country.
"I've been trying to get the Futures the past two years," Mercer said. "We're waiting for USTA sanction. There's no way they can keep this from coming here. I've been sending USTA officials tapes and articles so they can see what we're all about.
"They don't know what we've been doing with our tournament."
Mercer is hoping that sponsorship for the Futures will come from the local corporations that have supported the clay court tournament.
If sponsors provide enough money to operate the tournament, there will be no admission to the Futures.
"I want to promote tennis," he said. "I think tennis is back on the upswing and this is the right time to bring a Futures to Pittsburgh. I'd like to bring the Futures in on a continuing basis, always back-to-back with the amateur tournament."
The Futures will use only the lower courts and will have matches from morning until night. The seven upper courts will remain open to the public during the week. All the courts will continue to be closed during the week of the amateur event.
"The Pittsburgh Futures," Mercer said, "should set the standard for Futures events."
Riske's future bright
It's been more than a decade since Mt. Lebanon's Gretchen Rush carried the banner for women's tennis in the district. She set the standard as an amateur and went on to have a successful pro career in singles and doubles.
The next Rush could be Sarah Riske, a lithe 6-footer who recently became the first female since 1990 to win the singles title at the West Penn and National Collegiate Clay Court Championships. She won two PIAA singles titles at Peters Township High School.
"She can be a pro," said Bill Eastburn, who has been her private coach since she was 13. "But right now I don't think she's recognized even half of her potential. She's got a serve that could evolve into a real serious weapon. She won't be anywhere near ready for a couple years.
"She still needs to mature mentally and to get stronger, much stronger. I think she'll eventually have a shot to reach the tour."
Riske and her regular doubles partner, Marlene Majia, have had a lot of success in pro satellite tournaments.
"Doubles will come before singles for Riske because of her serve and good knowledge of doubles," Eastburn said. "Riske still needs to toughen her game on all surfaces and to compete at a high level all the time, not just some of the time."
What's happening
The West Virginia Senior Open is Aug. 9-13 in Wheeling, W.Va. Call 304-242-8123.
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The Fox Chapel Junior Open is Aug. 14-18. Call 412-967-9869.