Players still needed for Bally's Holiday Classic

There are still a few more days to register for the Bally's Holiday Classic scheduled for Thursday through Dec. 10 at the Bally's Tennis Club, 3645 S. Las Vegas Blvd.

Singles/Mixed matches will be played Thursday through Dec. 3, and the deadline for entry is Tuesday. Doubles matches will be played Dec. 7-10, and the deadline for entry is Dec. 3. Registration is $25 for singles and $35 for doubles, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Center for Independent Living. For more information, contact David Pate at 967-4598.

You may not be aware of the many wonderful local tennis facilities available throughout the Las Vegas Valley. For help on your game, or for a change in courts, you can contact and the following facilities: Anthem Country Club, 914-3046; Bally's Hotel and Tennis Club, 967-4598; Caesars Palace, 731-7110; Canyon Gate Country Club, 228-0737; Desert Palm Tennis Club, 368-2800; Flamingo Hilton Tennis Club, 733-3444; Monte Carlo Resort & Casino, 730-7411; Las Vegas Country Club, 732-1861; Lorenzi Racquet Club, 229-4867; Painted Desert Tennis Club, 646-4725; Red Rock Country Club, 360-1144; Spanish Oaks Tennis Club, 876-5836; Spanish Trail Tennis Club, 367-2711; Sports Club Las Vegas, 454-6000; Summerlin Tennis Club, 233-5831; Sunset Park, 260-9803; Tournament Players Club, 256-4444; UNLV Tennis Club, 895-0844; and YMCA, 822-4570. You can also contact the Nevada Tennis Association at 792-8384 for information.

TIP OF THE WEEK -- If you've never noticed when buying tennis balls, many cans are designated for different surfaces -- such as indoor courts, hard courts and soft or clay courts.

This is not just a marketing ploy. The balls do have different characteristics that improve their performance on the various surfaces: to wear longer on hard courts, or not pick up too much surface and moisture on clay courts.

For the best performance out of the balls you play with, you should match the ball type to the surface you plan on playing with them on.

USPTA Professional Tom Sullivan has been the director of tennis for Canyon Gate Country Club since 1995. Sullivan can be reached at 363-0303.