Worcester delivers state of the tournament address

NEW HAVEN >> Connecticut Open tournament director Anne Worcester is always putting her positive spin on things, always looking at the glass as half full. That’s her job.

She talked Saturday morning about the tournament’s increase in attendance, a strong playing field and ideal weather at her state of the tournament press conference with local media.

“I’m pleased with a lot of things,” she said. “The tournament is on its most stable and viable ground since Pilot Pen stepped away.” She seems to be right. Backed by the state for the second year, the tournament appears to have taken another step in the right direction in getting back to solid footing.

The total attendance of 51,946 for the tournament is an increase for the second straight year. Last year’s total was 47,140. Despite a few high-level withdrawals, the player field still featured four of the world’s top 10 players (No. 5 Petra Kvitova and No. 6 Lucie Safarova reached the final) and was one of the strongest it’s been in some time. And mostly sunny skies and comfortable temperatures provided the tournament with ideal weather.

After the final numbers are crunched next month, the tournament will likely profit for the second straight year. The revenue will go to rebuilding reserves, Worcester said.

The tournament revised its budget to take pressure off of sponsorship projections and increased ticket projections, Worcester also said.

The number of total sponsors jumped from 60 to 75, including 35 new sponsors (some previous sponsors dropped). State sponsors rose from 30 to 49. United Technologies, the Connecticut Open’s presenting sponsor, along with cornerstone sponsors Yale University and Yale-New Haven Hospital, are locked in through 2017.

The tournament’s advertising budget tripled, which Worcester said played a role in the increase in attendance. Specific numbers of the budget were not given.

“We promoted the tournament as a festival of week-long events,” Worcester said. “Not just tennis. You don’t have to know tennis to come here and have a great time.”

The men’s legends exhibition event proved once again to be a success. James Blake beat Andy Roddick 7-5, 6-4 on Thursday, drawing over 4,000 (including 419 walk-up tickets). Then John McEnroe beat Jim Courier 6-4, 4-6, 10-8 in front of 4,800 (446 walk-up tickets).

Friday’s night-session attendance was the highest since the tournament, a combined men’s and women’s event at the time, drew 5,841 in 2010.

PowerShares, an investment management firm based near Chicago, jumped aboard as the tournament’s presenting men’s legends event sponsor this year. PowerShares is also the title sponsor for InsideOut Sports and Entertainment’s competitive tennis circuit known as the PowerShares Series, which features men’s legends.

Worcester has a meeting next week during the U.S. Open to discuss potential growth for the event at New Haven. PowerShares would like the Connecticut Open to adopt its tournament format, which would mean two semifinals and a final during one session. Another possibility is adding men’s matches.