TENNIS
Top Women May Come to Town
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Andre Agassi 's early swan song in Washington's Legg Mason Tennis Classic last week resulted in the first appearance of scalpers at the tournament's gates. But it's the support spectators have shown for the women's event held in conjunction with the Legg Mason since 2005 that has tournament founder Donald Dell thinking big.
Dell's hope is to elevate the women's event in the next few years from a USTA Pro Circuit stop (akin to minor league tennis) to a full-blown Women's Tennis Association event capable of attracting marquee names such as Maria Sharapova and Venus and Serena Williams . Dell said he's already exploring adding four more hard courts to the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center and constructing more locker rooms. Both projects would require National Park Service approval.
The D.C. men's event, now in its 38th year, boasts a 48-player draw and $600,000 in prize money. The 32-player women's Pro Circuit event offers $75,000.
-- Liz Clarke
