VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: Senior open is Holmes’ court

Friday, July 16, 2004 | 4:08 a.m.

VegasBeat appears Sunday through Friday in the Las Vegas Sun. Timothy McDarrah can be reached at tim@lasvegassun.com or at (702) 259-4096.

WEEKEND EDITION

July 17 - 18, 2004

If he hadn't gone the entertainer route, Harrah's headliner Clint Holmes is probably a good enough tennis player to have made a living on the pro tour.

But now the tour is coming to him. This year brings the first edition of the Clint Holmes Las Vegas Senior Open. The tourney will take place from Oct. 20 to Oct. 24 on the well-maintained clay courts of the Stirling Club at Turnberry Place.

As part of the event, there will be some exhibition matches featuring net legends Fred Stolle, John Newcombe, Rod Case, Ken Rosewall and Roy Emerson.

Also slated to participate are James Caan, George Hamilton and Gladys Knight, "with many more to come," tourney director Bob Randolph told us.

The main event is sanctioned by the United States Tennis Association, which means that the match officials are licensed, and competitors can use the results to qualify for official USTA events, including major tournaments. The event will have singles, doubles and mixed doubles for players in their 30s through their 80s. For entry and ticket information, call (702) 897-6028.

"We're pretty excited about all this," Holmes told us. Proceeds from the event will go to a new charitable foundation that he is creating.

David Carradine ("Kung Fu," "Kill Bill 2") and his wife, Annie, were cruising the shops at Mandalay Place on Thursday.

They stopped for a late lunch at Giorgio Caffe and Ristorante and then David went off window shopping by his lonesome while the missus was having her hair done at the Robert Cromeans Salon.

NBA lottery pick Luke Jackson -- the Oregon star was taken with the 10th pick overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers -- is already spending his new salary. He signed a three-year, $6.37-million contract just after the draft last month.

Jackson, who has been compared to former Dream Teamer Chris Mullin, spent several hours playing in the poker area at Mandalay Bay on Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

Monday's episode of "The Casino" features the host hotel's newest headliner, the talented comic impressionist Gordie Brown.

During his Golden Nugget performances, Brown channels a diverse collection of personalities, including Alanis Morrissette, Vanilla Ice, Elton John, Mike Tyson and Clint Eastwood. And, this being Las Vegas, the show includes takes on Frank, Sammy, Dean and Elvis.

"The Casino" has been getting lukewarm ratings and often critical reviews. But as long as Monday's episode features lots of Brown, it'll be a good one. The guy has a real knack for capturing someone's aura onstage.

It airs at 9 p.m. on KVVU Channel 5.

Thursday night at Green Valley Ranch Station Casino, White Sox slugger Frank Thomas went to the movies.

His leg is in a cast and he is on the disabled list because of tendinitis and bone debris in his left ankle -- which is why he wasn't in Oakland with the other White Sox.

Thomas had his three children in tow, and they bought tickets to see "Dodgeball."

Party frequenter Tara Reid was on her best behavior while prowling around some Bellagio hot spots Thursday night.

She first had a quiet dinner with friends, including Mordecai Yerushalmi and his son Lior, who own The Jewelers Inc. on Western Avenue, and Hard Rock Hotel headliner Jeff Beacher.

Then Reid and party had a refreshing beverage at Caramel and ended up at Light.

No fear. No loathing.

Just Social Security checks.

Gonzo journalist and "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" author Hunter S. Thompson turns 65 today.

Ben Morgan, the creator and producer of the interactive "Ba Da Bing" dinner theater show at Desert Passage (Aladdin), is branching out.

On Monday he opens "Dinner with Mama" at Cosmo's Ristorante at the Royal Resort Hotel on Convention Center Way.

Morgan says it is a "fun-filled evening of good food, family foibles and in-law rivalries."

"If you think your family is crazy, wait until you see this," Morgan said, adding that the show features a "plethora of peculiar personalities."

Ah. We ought to feel right at home.