La Costa Tennis Event Joins U.S. Open Series

Instead of scattered pieces, the summer professional tennis schedule in North America will now be presented in a coherent package.

The final piece of the puzzle was the $1.3-million Acura Classic at La Costa, one of the most prestigious stops on the women’s tour. On Monday, the U.S. Tennis Assn. will announce that the Acura has reached an agreement to join the other 10 tournaments in the U.S. Open Series.

The series, which debuted last year, provides a financial link to the U.S. Open and a more consistent television package. TV viewership was up 50% last year from 2003, officials said. And in 2005, a player winning both the series and the U.S. Open would earn $2 million.

That’s why series membership helps ensure the long-term success and future of the La Costa event. It has historically had strong fields, and now won’t be faced with the possibility of losing top players to other events in the series because of the bonuses.

Raquel Giscafre of Promotion Sports Inc., which owns the Acura event, was pleased at the resolution, which comes as the WTA tournament (Aug. 1-7) has been making improvements on the site. For instance, capacity at the second show court will double to 2,000 and new lighting is being put on center court.

“It feels good to be included,” Giscafre said. “We’re excited about it.... We just didn’t have enough time [last year] to fulfill the obligation with Acura, contractual obligations.”

The USTA would have gone ahead with the series last year even if it had secured only eight of the 11 tournaments, officials said. Ten of the 11 signed on with the series in the first year, including the men’s event at UCLA, the Mercedes-Benz Cup, and the women’s event at Carson, the JPMorgan Chase Open.

La Costa represented the last link.

“It gives tennis, for the first time, a truly consistent season, all linked to the Open, uninterrupted with no gaps,” said Arlen Kantarian, the USTA’s chief executive. “The simpler, more logical and more consistent it is, it’s easier for the players and public to understand.”