Photography by Erica M. Cardenas

The Annual James E. Cryan Memorial Tournament took place July 29 through August 5, 2017 at the Mercer County Tennis Center, located at 1638 Old Trenton Road in West Windsor. Established in 1965, the Tournament honors Mr. Cryan for his contributions to the sport of tennis in Trenton, NJ prior to his death from Hodgkins Disease in 1964 at age 42.

The total prize money given out in 2016 was $4,800, divided equally between men and women. The entrants in the Men’s Open division typically include professional players from the satellite tour, collegiate players, and local teaching pros. The B division allows players with a USTA rating of 4.5 or below to participate. There are ten divisions, consisting of Open and B divisions for Men’s and Women’s singles and doubles as well as Mixed doubles. The 2016 tournament had approximately 362 participants; since several participants entered multiple events, there were approximately 532 tournament entrants.

There is a sponsor’s day on the last day of the tournament, in which local pros run drills on multiple courts. This usually has a few hundred attendees, including approximately 125 participants in the clinic. There is a charge of two dollars per person, with the proceeds going to charity. The winners and finalists of the open divisions receive prize money, with the singles winners receiving $1,000.

The directors of the tournament are Jim Cryan, son of James E. Cryan, and Virginia Armstrong-Whyte. All proceeds of the tournament go to charity.

To learn more, visit http://cryantennis.com.