Tennis complex construction to start this summer

By Andrew Ta     5/14/13 7:00pm

Tennis at Rice, for recreational, club and varsity players, will soon have a new home. Construction will begin this summer for the George R. Brown Tennis Complex, which held its groundbreaking ceremony on May 7, according to Director of Athletics and Recreation Rick Greenspan. 

"We're very appreciative of the generosity of the principal donors, Ralph and Becky O'Connor, and many others who've made this project a dream come true," Greenspan said. "The tennis facility that we currently play on, the Jake Hess [Tennis Stadium], is many years old and doesn't have most of the amenities required in today's sports."

According to men's head tennis coach Efe Ustundag, the best thing about the new facility is the arrangement of the courts.

---

---

"Currently, [at Jake Hess], we have one center court, three courts to the side and two in the back," Ustundag said. "It really breaks up the team play. You need three coaches in three different places. There's no unity. Spectators can have a great time watching the center court, but no one can watch fourth or fifth singles."

Greenspan said the new design would allow spectators to go down a spine between the courts, see all the matches and move along with the competition. 

"When we're playing on the road, the players can look [to] the right and left and get support," Ustundag said. "Now we can produce that at home."

Rice tennis player Stephanie Nguyen said that although the courts at Jake Hess were in good condition, the amenities available did not reflect the strength of Rice's teams.

"The changing room facilities are also below par in the current facility," Nguyen, a Martel College sophomore, said. "There is limited space in our team room, and when visiting teams come to play, we cannot provide them with a visitors' changing room. The new facility will resolve these issues. Now, we'll be able to post a bid to host large events such as the Conference USA tournament and NCAA regionals."

Greenspan said the new $8 million facility has 14 courts and will be located on campus in West Lot No. 3.

"The number of courts will enable us to have men's and women's teams practice at the same time," Greenspan said. "Currently, the two teams have to split between Jake Hess and the recreation courts [behind Tudor Fieldhouse] or practice at different times.

Greenspan said the new courts will also have state-of-the-art lighting, an electronic scoreboard, individual scoreboards and a sound system, among numerous other benefits.

The new facility will reserve six courts for professional collegiate play and will have eight courts open for Rice students and faculty and paying members of the community, Ustundag said.

"Students can't get on the recreational courts today because they don't know who's on there," Ustundag said. "With the new facility, they won't have to mess with non-Rice people. It will make life great for students, athletes and the tennis community, who can access the courts at far better prices than at any other private clubs in the area."

Greenspan said the location of the current recreational courts and Jake Hess will be returned to the university and that the courts might be demolished after the completion of the new facility, which has its own endowment for repairs and to remain current.

"Although the new facility is among the best in the nation, its focus is on the students," Greenspan said. "It's not the most expensive, nor the biggest, but it's the building that best meets Rice athletes' needs."

Ustundag said the new facility is due for completion around St. Patrick's Day but that the date is up to weather and other factors.

---