SAN DIEGO, June 20, 2003 – The 18th annual San Diego Open returns to town this weekend with play starting on Friday, July 4, and continuing through Sunday, July 6. The annual Fourth of July weekend tournament includes divisions in Open, A, B, C, D and over 45 Singles and Doubles, and will be played at three sites: Balboa Tennis Club (Morley Field), as well as Barnes Tennis Center and the Peninsula Tennis Club — both in the Point Loma Area — all of which are open to members of the public who want to come out and see some great tennis and do something different than hitting the crowded beaches for the holiday weekend.

The San Diego Open is one of the largest national tournaments on the Gay and Lesbian Tennis Association (GLTA) circuit. The San Diego Tennis Federation (SDTF), a member of the GLTA and the United States Tennis Association, will host the event with one of the largest draws in recent history, 265 players of all levels from all over the U.S. and Canada. SDTF has also secured Delta Air Lines as a major sponsor for this year’s tournament. Delta’s contributions will support fundraising efforts for local San Diego charities designated by the club’s board.

“With nearly full draws in all divisions, we are expecting this year’s San Diego Open to be the most successful in its eighteen-year history,” said Scott Williford, San Diego Open tournament director. “The Open has long been one of the most popular GLTA tournaments each year. We’re proud to be one of the pioneers of the GLTA, which is a circuit of 35 annual gay tennis tournaments in cities all over the world. We welcome the community to come by and support our hometown players and see some great athletic competition.”

Other events during the weekend that are open to the public include evening parties on the night of July 3 at Bacchus House (6:00-10:00 p.m.) and July 4 (7:00-11:00 p.m.) at Moby Dick’s. A players’ banquet will also be held at Balboa Park’s Aerospace Museum on the evening of July 5, and will feature museum tours, special raffles and a multi-media presentation covering the 20-year history of the SDTF. More information about San Diego Open 18, as well as maps to all sites, is available at the SDTF website under San Diego Open Registration, www.sdtf.org.