Attending my first ever pro tournament: Western & Southern Open, Mason, Ohio

[djosbun]

Hello all,
Luckily I live only 20 minutes from the tennis center in Mason, Ohio. I am new to tennis and looking forward to attending. I purchased a ticket for myself and my 5 year old son, who plays tennis with me and we watch on television. We'll be going to the opening day of the tournament: Saturday morning, since the tickets were only $10 and $5. I will also probably go one additional evening that week. Suffice it to say that i'm excited to see live, professional tennis in person!

I'm sure the atmosphere will be fun, but what else can I expect? Are there vendors that set up tents to show their merchandise? For example, when you attend a sports car racing event there is a large vendor area where you can buy memorabilia, view new cars, etc. Does this happen at a tennis event like the Western & Southern Open?

Thanks in advance, for those that chime in!
Dave

 

[sureshs]

Cincy right? Yeah it is a huge event. Should have all the stalls and courts where you can watch pros practice. Check out the relevant threads in the Tennis Travel section.

 

[sureshs]

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=465320

 

[batz]

Hello all,
Luckily I live only 20 minutes from the tennis center in Mason, Ohio. I am new to tennis and looking forward to attending. I purchased a ticket for myself and my 5 year old son, who plays tennis with me and we watch on television. We'll be going to the opening day of the tournament: Saturday morning, since the tickets were only $10 and $5. I will also probably go one additional evening that week. Suffice it to say that i'm excited to see live, professional tennis in person!

I'm sure the atmosphere will be fun, but what else can I expect? Are there vendors that set up tents to show their merchandise? For example, when you attend a sports car racing event there is a large vendor area where you can buy memorabilia, view new cars, etc. Does this happen at a tennis event like the Western & Southern Open?

Thanks in advance, for those that chime in!
Dave

Not sure what to expect in the way of merchandising, but if it's anything like the tournaments I've attended (WTF and wimbledon) - you won't be short of things to buy.

The thing that will blow you away is how hard these guys hit the ball and how much spin they impart on the ball - you don't get the full feel of that on TV. Also, they are all giants - I mean big, athletic dudes - even the guys who you think are skinny.

 

[djosbun]

I apologize for placing this in the incorrect section. I forgot about the travel section. Just recently joined the board.

Dave

 

[Roger2003Wimbledon]

Enjoy the event. Everytime i have seen RNadal play he has lost (even if the opponent is outside the top 100) while everytime i have seen RFederer he has won.

 

[svijk]

Best event to attend in the US in my opinion.

OP: if i lived 20 min away, I'll be attending every single day

 

[m2nk2]

Try to get seats as close to the court as possible. When I go to Wimby and RG etc I always go to the smaller outside courts.

Seeing top players from just a few meters is amazing and completely different from watching from afar/tv.