2013 Family Circle Cup begins

Daniel Island native Shelby Rogers on 3/30

The excitement of professional tennis competition returns to Daniel Island for another year. The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) event draws some of the best women's tennis players in the world to the Charleston area consistently and 2013 is no different. Serena Williams is back to defend her 2012 FCC title, and is the reigning WTA winner after her victory in Miami last weekend! Sister Venus Williams is also in town to play tennis and hopes to advance further in the FCC draw in 2013. The Family Circle Cup means a lot to the ladies of the Lowcountry who mark this on their calendar as the perfect time to visit the FCC stadium with friends and share their love for tennis. It's not unusual to see women giving high fives all around the facility as they get caught up in the fun and emotion of the event. Qualifying matches began on Saturday March 30 and saw Shelby Rogers of Daniel Island compete before being eliminated by fellow American Grace Min. Family fun events were part of the weekend at the FCC including an Easter egg hunt and tennis serve and volley clinics. Many vendors display their sporting offerings at the FCC and the Grand Lawn welcomes anyone who wants to sit on the grass for a rest or to enjoy lunch from the Racquet Club. A complete listing of the match forecast can be found at Family Circle Cup, and each day that the tournament progresses the competition become more fierce and the pace of play becomes more advanced. The top players begin their tournament play on Tuesday April 2, and the first of several night matches begins on the same day. Make plans to visit the FCC this week while the sun is shining, and after running the Cooper River Bridge on Saturday return to the stadium court for the scintillating seminal matches.

To view past blog entries from the Family Circle Cup click here: 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009

American Grace Min on the attack at the net

2013 FCC flower bed welcomes patrons