Pictures from the 2012 USTA U.S. Open National Playoffs - Southern

With temperatures well over 100 degrees for most of the play, the winners this week really deserve any of the credit they will get.  They should also be ready for just about anything once the play shifts to New Haven in August.

Winners were Natalie Pluskota in the women's singles, Adam Lee in the men's singles and the mixed doubles team of Marcus Hurtig and Lindsay Lee-Waters.

I've put some of my shots up on Pinterest at:

http://pinterest.com/ricklimpert/usta-u-s-open-national-playoffs-atlanta/

Feel free to check them out.

U.S. Open National Playoffs Also Will Feature Mixed Doubles

In addition to mens and womens singles play, mixed doubles has been added to the popular U.S. Open National Playoffs this summer.

Unlike the singles competition where the winners get spots in the qualifying draws, the winning team in this year’s mixed doubles playoffs, will get a wild card into the main draw of the U.S. Open mixed doubles tournament.

The US Open National Playoffs operate as a series of sectional qualifying tournaments, held in 16 sections throughout the country. The 16 men’s, 16 women’s and 16 mixed doubles champions from each sectional qualifying tournament will advance to the US Open National Playoffs – Men’s, Women’s and Mixed Doubles Championships, held in conjunction with the 2011 Olympus US Open Series.

The sectional qualifying tournaments will be played throughout the spring and summer, are open to all players 14 and over—regardless of playing ability of prior experience—provided the competing player is a USTA member. The draw for the sectional qualifying tournament will be capped at 256 players for singles and 128 teams for mixed doubles. A USTA member may play in any sectional qualifying tournament—competitors are not required to play in their section exclusively—but can only compete in one sectional qualifier.

The US Open National Playoffs – Men’s and Women’s Championships will be held August 18-21 in conjunction with the New Haven Open at Yale in New Haven, Conn., the final Olympus US Open Series event of the year.  The mixed will also be held at the New Haven Open at Yale, played from August 24-27.