The Biggest Hardcourt Tournament ?The Mercedes Benz and Dr. Allen Fox

Joachim Johannson. Will his huge serve lead to a breakthrough? It’s a summer hardcourt tournament that brings out the celebrities in force. The history reaches back to the beginnings of the modern game. Past champions include virtually every legendary player of the last century: Bill Tilden, Ellsworth Vines, Fred Perry, Don Budge, Jack Kramer, Pancho Gonzales, Rod Laver, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Stefan Edberg, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi–to name a few. Is it the U.S. Open? No, it’s the Mercedes-Benz Cup, at the opposite end of the country, at UCLA in Los Angeles, starting July 25th. The tournament dates back to 1927. It used to be called the Pacific Southwest. It was the biggest tournament in the west, going back to the day when we didn’t live in a global village, and that meant something. It’s steeped in tennis history, and this year the Mercedes has one of the stronger fields in awhile with Agassi, Roddick, and Lleyton Hewitt. To me, it’s also a great place to see some of the less known and also younger players at close range. That’s why I’ve gone over the past few years. Indian Wells is awesome, but there is so much going on…