Red Rock Country Club charity event featuring Williams sisters is sold out

Victoria Sun

Wednesday, July 12, 2000 | 10:04 a.m.

The newly crowned queen of Wimbledon, Venus Williams, will be at Red Rock Country Club July 22 -- as advertised -- playing in a charity event to benefit the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition.

So will her younger sister and doubles partner, Serena, with whom she teamed to win the Wimbledon women's doubles title on Monday, two days after Williams won her first Grand Slam singles title.

About 13 other Sanex/WTA players, including second-ranked Lindsay Davenport and French Open champion Mary Pierce, are scheduled to appear at the first Players for the Cure, a round-robin event pairing the pros with 30 amateurs followed by a pros-only exhibition.

But where will you be when some of the heaviest hitters in women's tennis come to town?

Well, if you haven't already purchased your tickets to be a spectator or participant, you're out of luck.

"We're already sold out," said Nevada Tennis Association spokesman Rob Merriman. "There are no plans to offer more tickets."

The sellout didn't take long.

By design, there were only 300 tickets available at $25 each. Sandy Foley, executive director of the NTA, said event organizer Puma North America wanted to limit the number of spectators so they would get a better view of the players.

Thirty participants who paid $1,000 each will get to play with the pros from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on July 22 in a round-robin format. From 10:45 to 11:30 a.m. the pros will compete in an exhibition followed by a silent auction and luncheon.

Victoria Sun

is a Las Vegas Sun sportswriter. Reach her at 259-4078 or victoria@lasvegassun.com