OPTA Blog

By Mike Holder: Imagine hosting a tournament in which players who accounted for 18 career singles grand slam titles competed for the championship. In the modern era, that type of draw would typically only be seen at a major or perhaps a Masters 1000 tournament.  However, from April 17–22, 1973, that is exactly what occurred at Olde Providence Racquet Club. It was the third edition of the North Carolina National Bank Tennis Classic (also known as the Charlotte or Carolinas Tennis Classic), and greats such as Arthur Ashe, Ken Rosewall, Tony Roche, Fred Stolle, Roscoe Tanner, Tom Okker, and Jan Kodes competed in the 32-man draw. The tournament was part of the World Championship Tennis circuit which was divided into two groups of players who competed in eleven tournaments each, from January through May. The top four players would go on to compete in the season-ending Finals. The remainder of the year, players would migrate to the Grand Prix Circuit, which was managed by the Internation...

By Mike Holder: Tim Wilkison had a long and successful career on the tour which included 6 career singles titles and 10 doubles. He had wins against all-time greats such as Arthur Ashe, Boris Becker, Jim Courier, John McEnroe, Andre Agassi, and Pete Sampras to name a few.   The Shelby, NC native competed in tournaments around the world including all four grand slams. He was once the number one ranked junior in the United States and would reach a career-high singles ranking of 23 in 1986 as a pro. Wilkison earned the nickname “Dr. Dirt” due to his aggressive, never give up on a point mentality. He is often remembered for his diving volleys on the iconic grass courts of Wimbledon. Since retiring from the tour, Wilkison has coached players of all skill levels for more than 25 years. What was the most memorable match or event of your playing career?    I would say that the matches held at Grand Slam events are the most memorable.  Regular tour events are fairly generic,...

By Mike Holder: Keith Richardson was born, raised, and still resides in Rock Hill, S.C. He played number one at Appalachian State University (1971-1975) and won the Southern Conference Tournament 3 times (‘73, ‘74, ‘75) at that position. He met his wife, Marilyn, at ASU and the couple recently celebrated their 46th anniversary. They have two children and two grandchildren. After college, Keith played four years on the ATP and USTA Pro Tour (1976-1979). He would become Head Pro at Benvenue Country Club in Rocky Mount and in 1983  joined Wilkinson Bulluck & Co. in the same city. In 1993, he became part of BB&T Insurance Services, retiring in 2009 before returning to Rock Hill where he joined Peoples First Insurance, specializing in Commercial Insurance and Risk Management. After 32 years in the insurance industry, he retired for good. As a retirement gift to himself, Richardson joined Olde Providence so he could play every day against the best players in the country and becam...