Memphis Open Tournament Dir Erin Mazurek said ticket prices for the recently rebranded ATP event will be reduced by 15-20% "across the board" for '15, according to Phil Stukenborg of the Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL. The tourney yesterday also "unveiled its guitar pick-shaped logo." The USTA "partnered with The Racquet Club to purchase the tournament from San Jose-based Sharks Sports & Entertainment two months ago" and "is expected to use its name and reputation to enhance the Memphis field." As the Memphis Open's new "majority owner, the USTA has affected change." It will "reconfigure the grandstand area from two courts (facing east and west) to one court (facing north and south)." The new court "will be more fan friendly and accommodate 1,000 and, for the players, should more closely resemble the playing conditions afforded the 3,000-seat Stadium Court." USTA Exec Dir & COO Gordon Smith said, "We are absolutely committed to this event. And we want to build on the legacy of this event and make it better and better. We expect to bring our experience and our knowledge and our expertise from the U.S. Open here" (Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL, 10/30).
