BEHIND THE BANNER
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inaugural dallas open surpasses expectations By Sam Weiger
Dallas made it clear that it is determined to keep world-class tennis around indefinitely. Dallas Open and SMU staff worked diligently to deliver an extraordinary fan experience, while major partner John Isner spearheaded philanthropic efforts and helped develop a high-quality player field. The joint action helped attract approximately 20,000 fans and a handful of famous celebrities to the event. The Dallas Open enhanced the traditional tennis tournament atmosphere by treating ticket holders to an interactive experience. The tournament organized many special events, including a session
for fans to demo tennis rackets on-site with a member of the SMU men’s tennis team as their hitting partner. Another special event, College Night, gave several of SMU’s players an invaluable opportunity to compete on the ATP Tour for the first time ever. The Dallas Open is the newest tournament to the ATP Tour, a circuit that presents the highest level of tennis in the world. Throughout the week, the Dallas Open made history by becoming the first ATP Tour event to provide waiter and waitress service to front row spectators. The event also offered a collection of amenities