Signed US Open Balls

By: katypolansky | Category: SGA

Even hurricane Irene couldn’t stop the US Open of Tennis from starting this week in Flushing Meadows New York. One of my favorite, albeit, newer traditions at The Open is the hitting of autographed balls into the crowd. At the conclusion of each match the winner is given three match balls to sign and then he or she hits them into the grandstands. The athletes genuinely seem to enjoy the ritual nearly as much as the fans who clamor for the balls. An additional benefit of this tradition for the tournament host is that it gives fans an added reason to stay to the end of matches when the game on the court is slightly less than entertaining. This is good for per caps, playing atmosphere for the competitors and the venue appearance on television.

                                                                                                                                  SOURCE: ESPN2