RADIO TV REPORTS, INC.

41 EAST 42ND STREET, NEW YORK, N.Y. 10017, 697-5100

FOR CBS

REF: 992

PROGRAM U.S. TENNIS OPEN

STATION WCBS TV & THE CBS
TELEVISION NETWORK

DATE SEPTEMBER 10, 1978 5:15 P.M.

CITY NEW YORK

BROADCAST EXCERPT

REPORTER: Well, you just saw a sensational final. As far as the women are concerned, Chris Evert, the winner, 7-5, 6-4; and for the fourth consecutive year, the champion, and coming up next, U.S. Open Tennis Championship, the men's final. Bjorn Borg against Jimmy Connors. And coming up next, another men's champion: Jack Whittaker. Listen.

JACK WHITTAKER: A few years ago Joe Repozo wrote a wonderful song called, "There Used To Be A Ball Park Right Here". The song recalls, as we tear down our old ball parks, and put up apartment houses, or other things in their places.

Well, the place we're sitting today, right here in this tennis center, used to be a dump; and it's now a sporting facility that bids to be one of the finest in the world. Flushing Meadow.

Flushing Meadow has been many things in its long and checkered career, and it was no one less than F. Scott Fitzgerald that gave its other life a certain immortality in "The Great Gatsby".

Flushing Meadow is what he wrote, a certain desolate area, a valley of ashes, wehre ashes grow like wheat.

Well, in the years since Gatsby passed through here on his way to West Egg, the dump has been filled in. It was filled in by a gentleman named Fishhooks McCarthy from Brooklyn; and you might surmise that Fishhooks ran an ash removal company.

Robert Moses then made the Meadow into a park. It has been the campus for two Worlds Fairs, and now is the home of the National Championship of the United States Tennis Association.

It is in this last role that Flushing Meadow may get its lasting reputation.

2

This tennis center sits right across the Long Island Railroad tracks from Shea's Stadium; and the juxtaposition is almost heroic. You see, Shea's Stadium was built with taxpayers' money, and then practically given to one of the richest families in America, which ran it as their very own.

This tennis facility sits on land owned by the city. But the construction was paid for by the United States Tennis Association. It's an example of intelligent cooperation between city government and the private sector. That's the first thing in its favor.

The second thing in its favor is space and room--space and room for players, space and room for spectators.

Yes. It's noisy. The Long Island Railroad does not exactly run on rubber wheels, and the planes coming in and out of LaGuardia on certain days are very low, and very loud. But those are the sounds of the 70s.

The place has a certain new look about it, an erector set look about it. But that will change as the trees grow and the ivy climbs.

Tradition? They already have it here. This tennis this week has been superb.

Flushing Meadow. There used to be a dump right here, but not anymore.

US
OPEN

1987

MAY - 7 1987

[Y]

The Honorable Henry Kissinger
350 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10022

May 7, 1987

Dear Mr. Kissinger:

The U.S. Open Tennis Championships are about to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the USTA National Tennis Center by the publication this summer of a high quality commemorative book. These Championships have been often honored by the presence of you and your wife.

Our mutual friend, Lew Rudin, suggested that we write to you to extend the invitation, and to ask the favor, that you compose a few short introductory paragraphs for the book. Your love of New York City, your unique international background, your attendance at the matches, and your command of the language would result in an introduction that would honor the City and the most international and democratic sporting event held here.

Enclosed as background information are comments made by Mayor Koch, The New York Times, Daily News, Philippe Chatrier (President of the International Tennis Federation), Jack Whittaker of CBS/TV, and Arthur Ashe. Needless to say, we would be happy to provide your staff with any other information or help you may suggest.

With highest regards, I am

Enclosures
cc: Lewis Rudin

UNITED STATES OPEN TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

1212 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036 (212) 302-3322. Cable Address: US Tennis New York. Telex 424499