Tennis for everyone
Of the 176,000 visitors to the Western & Southern Openlast year, all 50 states were represented and so were 20 countries. Organizers say the tournament goes out of its way to make international visitors feel welcome with special greeters at CVG and information booths staffed by multilingual volunteers.
This is the second year Fusian has served tennis fans its blend of upscale, fast and casual sushi. Zach Weprin is co-owner. "Serving sushi like this in a fast way has never really been done successfully but we have made it a little more accessible, kind of educate, not only the international people but the American people as well on what sushi really means."
Dr. Rosa Robles has lived in Cincinnati for the past 23 years, but she's a native of Barcelona. Robles and her friend Dr. Silvania Ng of Brazil were celebrating at the Western and Southern Open. "We're having champagne. I like everything about it. We are rooting for Nadal."
But Ng, who has also lived in Cincinnati for more than 20 years, has a soft spot in her heart for Guga or Gustavo Kuerten, a Brazilian who won the Open in 2001. "That was the year that I really had an international experience because we had so many people who came from Brazil to just watch him. I had families in my house that came from Brazil just to see him."
Shop Big
One of the largest retail tents in the country is at the Western & Southern Open. Midwest Sportsis 14,000 sq. feet, about the size of six and a half tennis courts. Shoppers spot and snag the exact same clothing as their favorite players.
Spokeswoman Jackie Reau says, "So Rafa Nadal will wear the florescent yellow for the U.S. Open and Roger will wear this beautiful pastel. Fans from around the world are shopping here to buy their favorite gear from their favorite players."
Midwest does have accessories... But you'll probably have to go someplace else to buy Nadal's $690,000 watch.
The Western and Southern Open finals are on Sunday.