The front end of a two-part tennis tradition that dates back nearly a century in Colorado, the Denver City Open has long drawn in some of the best players in the Rocky Mountain region.
The 93rd edition of what may be the state’s proudest tournament, the City Open begins today at the Denver Tennis Club with a field full of familiar names.
Between the City Open and the Colorado Open — which will celebrate its 115th year later this summer — the area tennis community has no trouble producing an argument for who can be called the state’s best player.
Some 520 competitors will form the field for the City Open, with many playing in multiple tournaments. The men’s and women’s top-tier open singles brackets feature 96 players. Both draws feature returning champions and runners-up.
In the men’s division, returning champ Luke Shields, a former Grand Junction High School standout who played at Boise State, enters as the No. 1 seed. He’ll look to defend his title with a familiar No. 2 seed right behind. His brother Clancy Shields, who just graduated from Boise State and was ranked as high as No. 15 collegiately last season, is on the opposite side of the 64-player bracket.
“The men’s field is stacked,” tournament director Zachary Smith said. “It’s loaded. Even the men’s doubles will be high-quality tennis. It’s a very impressive field.”
And it’s a field with some intriguing potential matchups. Cory Ross, a 27-year-old fixture on the state tennis scene the past decade and a former City Open champ, is seeded No. 3. The former state prep champion from Kent Denver could face fifth-seeded Peter Richman, who played with Ross in college at LSU.
Chris Lam, the No. 4 seed, is assistant coach for the University of Denver men’s team. He could face the Pioneers’ head coach, Danny Westerman, who is seeded seventh.
In the women’s open singles division, former DU standout Mallory Voelker enters as the defending champion and No. 1 seed. Voelker is coming off an impressive senior season for the Pioneers — she qualified for the second round of the NCAA singles tournament after an upset win in the first round in May.
“This is a fun tournament for me to play,” Voelker said. “They always have some good competition. There are a handful of players who have experience. Hopefully I can still hang in there.”
To repeat as champion, Voelker will have to get past No. 2 seed Lauren Strasburger, the former top singles player at Colorado State. Voelker beat Strasburger last year in the City Open final.
“Me and Mallory, I wouldn’t say I have revenge on my mind, but she’s a good player,” Strasburger said. “There are a lot more good players this year. It’ll be tougher. Which is good. I’d rather it be hard than easy.”
93rd Denver City Open tennis tournament
Saturday through June 21
At Denver Tennis Club, 400 Forest St.
June 20: Men’s and women’s open singles semifinals
June 21: Men’s and women’s finals
AROUND TOWN
Eagles on the outs.
Eddie O’Sullivan has had a rough go in his return to the top coaching post at USA Rugby. The former Ireland chief, right, is 0-3 with the Eagles after a 35-14 loss to the Argentina Jaguars in their Churchill Cup match Wednesday.
But his toughest test is still to come. O’Sullivan coached the U.S. team in the late 1990s, then returned home to coach Ireland, where he took that team as high as the No. 3 world ranking. But after a falling-out in Ireland, and after former Eagles coach Scott Johnson retired, O’Sullivan returned stateside in March.
He leads his team into its greatest challenge of the Churchill Cup on Sunday. The Eagles host the England Saxons, a favorite to win a third consecutive Churchill title. The game, at Infinity Park in Glendale, starts at 1 p.m.
In the late game, starting at 3:30 p.m., O’Sullivan’s former charge, Ireland, goes against Georgia.
STAY ON THE COUCH
Tune in or drop out?
Some of the biggest news this week coming out of the NHL’s Stanley Cup Finals and the NBA Finals has centered on which games are getting what kind of ratings on TV.
Too much talk among sports fans is about which games get what ratings. It’s as if the 10.1 rating the NBA saw for Game 3 — which was down 6 percent from the year before — was more important than the final score. Oh, by the way, the Magic won Game 3.
The NHL, too, sometimes can’t get out from the ratings shadow. The Red Wings-Penguins Game 6 on Tuesday earned a 4.1 rating. But who cares, when a Stanley Cup seventh game is scheduled for tonight?
Detroit and Pittsburgh play their deciding game at 6 p.m. (KUSA-9).
L.A. and Orlando’s tipoff for Game 5 is Sunday at 6 p.m. (KMGH-7).
GET OFF THE COUCH
Larimer Square launch pad.
The Rocky Mountain Half Marathon will celebrate its fifth running Sunday with a new look. The halfie used to start and finish in the Platte River Valley. This year, it moves to Larimer Square.
The 13.1-mile course will start in Larimer Square, wind through the Platte River Valley, past Invesco Field at Mile High, loop around Sloan’s Lake, and return to Larimer Square. A tough but fun route for the in-shape crowd.
There is no shortage of top-notch competitors. Last year, two-time Olympian Alan Culpepper won the men’s race in 1 hour, 7 minutes, 57 seconds, beating a field of 977 men’s and women’s runners.
Check for more information.
WHAT WE’D LIKE TO SEE
Prep athletes in spotlight.
With the Churchill Cup drawing some of the world’s best ruggers to Glendale, the Rocky Mountain Challenge rugby tournament this weekend will bring in some of the best prep-level players in the United States.
The tournament, in its ninth year, will be held at Aurora Sports Park and includes a Colorado team looking to impress enough for entry into the national rugby development program.
Some of the best high school rugby players in Colorado will be in action Saturday and Sunday. For information, go to .
Also this weekend, the Colorado High School Coaches Association will hold its annual series of prep all-star games. All-star teams in volleyball, boys and girls basketball, wrestling and football will compete at the Northern Colorado campus in Greeley. Check . for info.
