TOURNAMENT THIS WEEKEND TO USHER OUT SEMO TENNIS COURTS

Donna Ryan, who has been running the annual Cape Girardeau Outdoor Tennis Classic for the past 10 years -- and has been involved with area tennis a lot longer than that -- said she will feel plenty of nostalgia and perhaps even a touch of sadness when the event is held this weekend.

That's because the tournament, scheduled for today and Sunday, will mark the final action for the existing tennis courts at Southeast Missouri State University.

The current courts, located on Henderson Street, will be torn down. The university is building new tennis courts near the intersection of Sprigg and Bertling.

"This will be the last event at the courts," said Ryan, also the women's tennis coach at Southeast. "They're supposed to start the process of tearing down the courts Monday."

Ryan is hoping the Cape Outdoor Tennis Classic -- which has been going on for more than 30 years on the Southeast campus -- will give the old courts a fitting sendoff.

"It's always been a really good tournament, attracting some very good players," she said. "We have a pretty good field, but it's not as big as I'd like for the last time. We'll probably have about 25 players, with a women's division and two or three men's divisions.

"We'll start bright and early, probably about 8 a.m. both days, if people want to come out and watch. And the weather is supposed to be really nice."

The Southeast squad and the general public will soon be playing on brand-new courts that Ryan said will be extremely impressive.

"It's a little sad, because the old courts have been here so long," she said. "But we're getting eight new courts that will be excellent."