As the fourth and final competition of the Grand Slam tournament, the U.S. Open gets a lot of play, with top players such as Roger Federer and Dinara Safina in town to promote sponsors like Nike and Heineken. Yesterday, to publicize their televised coverage of the forthcoming tennis matches, DirecTV and ESPN trotted out former champions John McEnroe, Serena and Venus Williams, and James Blake for exhibition games in Bryant Park. For the daylong publicity stunt, which also included three hours for the public to hit balls with U.S.T.A. pros, the organizers built two regulation-size courts behind the New York Public Library.
Unlike the HSBC stunt for Wimbledon earlier this summer, the promotion from DirecTV and ESPN was fairly simple, with synthetic surface courts and basic spectator seating on all sides. Numerous towers—topped with oversize inflatable tennis balls—held speakers to broadcast the audio commentary from sportscaster Bud Collins as well as large video screens to display the matches. At the southern end of the setup, DirecTV and ESPN assembled a V.I.P. lounge of sorts, comprised of linen-covered tables, umbrellas, and sandwiches and other light fare catered by the neighboring Bryant Park Grill.
Later that day McEnroe, Federer, Serena Willams, and Maria Sharapova hit another temporary court—built on Broadway, just below 23rd Street—for Nike's unveiling of its U.S. Open apparel and footwear. The first rounds of the U.S. Open are scheduled for Monday, August 31, at the U.S.T.A. National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, Queens.
