An avenue to the 2010 US Open Tennis Tournament went through Salinas, California this year, and Capital Insurance Group, CIG, was among the sponsors to help local amateurs compete.

For the very first time, the USTA held National Playoffs around the nation to allow one amateur man and woman earn a wildcard spot in the US Open. USTA Northern California Section selected Chamisal Tennis & Fitness Club to host a Playoff on May 17-23. Their theme for the event: Dream Big. CIG did not hesitate when the call came for sponsors.

“This was a great opportunity for our local high school tennis players,” said Jeff Craig of Monterey Insurance Agencies. “To actually compete for a spot at the US Open really got them to ‘dream big.’”

Eighty hopefuls entered the National Playoffs at Chamisal. Among them, CIG’s sponsorship helped defray the fees for four high school players: Taryn Andrews, Anna Romeka, Kyle Miller, and Russell Poole.

Chris Wettengel and Romana Tedjakusuma came out on top and are on their way to the Men’s and Women’s Championships held during the 2010 Olympus US Open Series in late July. The men’s championships will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, while the women will compete at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. From there, the winners will advance to the US Open Qualifying Tournament, August 24-27, in Flushing, NY. The US Open is August 30-September 12.

This US Open Qualifier tournament was organized by Chamisal Tennis Club Tennis Director Scott Krueger. “This is making the Open really open,” said Krueger. “It allows young players to really feel what it’s like to compete at the professional level. They not only gain valuable experience, but it is very motivating to play against the best players in our area.”

Chamisal is no stranger to hosting Open-level tournaments as it is the location for the prestigious Stahl Elite 16 Invitational and the Sam Linder $5k Open, the Women’s National Hardcourt Championships, and the Adult League Section Championship.

Likewise, CIG is no stranger to helping people. For more than 110 years, CIG has been helping people reach their goals by protecting whom they love and what they have. This is yet another example of how CIG Delivers More. Continuously.™

Video capture from KSBW-TV8 report filed by Stephanie Chuang. To view the entire clip, Click Here.