Qualifying began Wednesday for the Bristol Open. The event is shining a spotlight on the Tri-Cities. “How big of a deal is it to have this here?” News 5’s Caleb Perhne asked Bristol Sportsplex owner Matt Lavinder.
“It's the biggest of deals for pickleball,” Lavinder said.
It's one of just ten stops in the rest of 2024. Lavinder said players said this is one of the best places to play.
“Combining resources with the city and the Bristol Sportsplex, we've created something world class here that people are pretty excited about,” he said.
It's an even more special event for Tennessee High grad David Bieger. Now he's back with his girlfriend, Lauralei Singsank, qualifying together as pros for the first time.
“Now that we've both graduated, we're looking to try our hand at some professional tournaments,” Bieger said. “That brought us down to Bristol. Now we get to step the level up one more time, even from what it was in college.”
He practiced tennis on these courts as a teen before switching to pickleball at UVA. Coming back, he said feels like having a home court advantage.
“It's something special to come back here and see what a great job he's done with this facility, having the best players in the world down to Bristol at my little old tennis club, which is not so little anymore,” Bieger said.
For other players, this is their first time in the Tri-Cities. They got a tour of Bristol Motor Speedway.
Source: https://wcyb.com/news/local/tennessee-high-grad-returns-to-bristol-for-pro-pickleball-tournament