South Carolina businessman Ben Navarro has "taken over" the WTA Volvo Car Open, acquiring the event "along with the operations of Family Circle Tennis Center and Volvo Car Stadium" in Charleston, according to a front-page piece by James Beck of the Charleston POST & COURIER. The deal was completed yesterday with Navarro's purchase of 100% of Charleston Tennis LLC, converting it to a "locally owned and operated organization." California-based investment firm Moorad Sports Partners "had owned" 70% of Charleston Tennis, with Meredith Corp. owning the other 30%. Navarro "declined to divulge the cost of the deal." He said longtime Volvo Car Open Tournament Dir Bob Moran "will still run the tournament." Beck notes Beemok Sports is the "entity taking over Charleston Tennis." A spokesperson for the acquisition said that the transaction "will not change any day-to-day operations at the world-class Daniel Island complex." Navarro, who is the Founder & CEO of Sherman Financial Group, was a "finalist in the bidding" to purchase the NFL Panthers earlier this year (Charleston POST & COURIER, 9/20).
STRONG SHOWING: In Hartford, Kelli Stacy notes over 50,000 fans attended the WTA Connecticut Open last month, making the tournament the "third-best attended WTA-only tournament in the world." The tournament "landed a handful of the world's top-10 players, which likely helped bring the record number of fans for the fourth consecutive year." The official attendance was "recorded as 50,255" (HARTFORD COURANT, 9/20).
