Top Olympians + men’s legends + opening ceremony + much more = Connecticut Open 2016

Don’t be surprised if you detect a glimmer of gold, silver, or bronze during the procession of athletes that will be part of the opening night ceremony for the Connecticut Open women’s tennis tournament on Monday, Aug. 22.
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Don’t be surprised if you detect a glimmer of gold, silver, or bronze during the procession of athletes that will be part of the opening night ceremony for the Connecticut Open women’s tennis tournament on Monday, Aug. 22.

Five of the athletes competing in the tournament this year are 2016 Olympic medalists. In fact, the majority of the players in the field are fresh from participating in The Games in Rio, where they represented more than 10 different countries.

Four of the players shared the winners’ platform in Rio. Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina took the Women’s Doubles Gold for Russia; Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland won a Women’s Doubles Silver medal; and Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic took home a Women’s Doubles Bronze.

In addition, three-time Connecticut Open Champion Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic earned a Bronze in the Women’s Singles competition.

Timea Bacinzsky of Switzerland won a silver medal in women’s doubles. (Photo © Getty Images)

The Connecticut Open presented by United Technologies will be held Aug. 19–27 in the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale on Derby Ave. Here are some more things you can do at the tournament.

Yale-hosted opening night ceremony

Undergraduate Emma Hathaway ’17 will sing the U.S. national anthem at the opening night ceremony being hosted by Yale at 6:45 p.m. on Aug. 22. The event will also include the aforementioned procession of players, as well as remarks by Yale and local officials, and a ceremonial coin toss. All Yale alumni, faculty, staff, and students who attend the tournament’s opening night session are invited to join a courtside party in the “Bulldog Club” overlooking stadium court. Yale community members can take advantage of a buy one/get one free offer for the Aug. 22 ceremony and matches. Tickets are $32. Click here for more information.

Discounts for Yale community

Yale staff, faculty, and students will also receive a 25% discount on adult individual session tickets throughout the entire tournament, including both of the Men’s Legends matches (sessions 9 and 11) and the finals on Saturday, August 27. To purchase tickets online, visit www.ctopen.org/tickets and enter promotional code CO16YALE. To purchase by phone, call 855-464-8366 and reference Yale University offer.

Two new faces for Men’s Legends

Former World No. 1 and Grand Slam champion Andy Roddick and former Wimbledon and U.S. Open finalist Mark Philippoussis will face off in the first round of the PowerShares Men’s Legends event on Friday, Aug. 26. The two replace the injured Andre Agassi and Mardy Fish. John McEnroe and James Blake will compete on Thursday, Aug. 25. The winners of each match will play immediately following the Philippoussis and Roddick match on Friday evening. Click here for further information.

Barbora Strycova earned a bronze medal in women’s doubles for the Czech Republic, (Photo © Getty Images)

U.S. Open playoffs

There are even more opportunities to watch top players compete during the U.S. Open National Playoffs Championships, the culmination of 14 men’s and women’s singles, doubles, and mixed doubles sectional events across the United States. The men’s and women’s singles matches will take place Friday-Monday, Aug. 21-24; the men’s and women’s doubles will be held Tuesday-Friday, Aug. 25- 28; and the mixed doubles championship will be Wednesday-Saturday, Aug. 26-29.

Tickets to the U.S. Open National Playoffs Championships are included with your Connecticut Open ticket. Click here for more information.

Kids Day and other special programs

One of the most popular events in previous years, ShopRite Kids Day, will kick off at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 21. The day will feature clinics, giveaways, and WTA player appearances. Tickets start at $13. The first 1,000 kids will receive a goody bag.

Other special programs during the tournament include AARP Connecticut Day on Monday, Aug. 22; Girls Day and Night Out, on Tuesday, Aug. 26; Autism Awareness Day on Wednesday, Aug. 24; and United Technologies Military Appreciation Day. Click here for more information.

Food, fitness, and more

Top local food trucks will dish up wood-fired pizza, gourmet grilled cheese, salads, seafood, and much more in the tournament’s food court. The nearby Connecticut Stage will feature performances by local bands and exhibitions from the state’s most popular tourist attractions.

Fans can burn off calories and win prizes in the Aetna Fitzone, which features tennis and basketball activities, arts & crafts, inflatables, and interactive stations.

The bronze medal in women’s single competition went to Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic. (Photo © Getty Images)

Show community spirit

Fans can combine their love of tennis and their community spirit in the following ways:

  • Donate a pair of shoes to Soles4Souls, an initiative that recycles and redistributes shoes to people in need throughout the United States and the world.
  • Bring a non-perishable food item for — or make a donation to — the ShopRite Partners in Caring Food Drive. Collected items will benefit the Connecticut Food Bank.
  • Log some miles on a stationary bike at the Closer to Free Spin Bike Challenge to raise money for breast cancer research at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven. Fans can also make a donation at the Yale New Haven Health booth or give in advance via credit card by calling 203-781-5812.
  • Share a message, photo, or video with military service members via social media as part of the #TROOPTHANKS campaign. In conjunction with the campaign, Bank of America will donate to military charities.

More about the Connecticut Open

The Connecticut Open presented by United Technologies is a WTA event that is part of the Emirates Airline U.S. Open Series. The tournament is owned by the State of Connecticut and is a not-for-profit 501c3 charitable organization.

The Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale on Derby Avenue, where the tournament is held, recently unveiled a renovated Player Center, which features a permanent player gym, training and massage space with an ice bath, new player and coach’s locker rooms and restrooms, as well as a newly furnished player lounge and dining area. This is the first major investment in stadium infrastructure in the facility’s 25-year history, and the first of several planned upgrades.

ESPN will provide 40 hours of coverage of the event throughout the week via WatchESPN and ESPN2.

For more information, visit the Connecticut Open website.

Yale senior and Yale women's tennis team player Caroline Lynch gives a tour of the Yale campus to Genie Bouchard, former World No. 5, one of the athletes competing in the Connecticut Open Aug. 19–27.
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