Vivid Memories: Fans & Staff share their Vivid Memories from the Family Circle Cup Tournament Carol Noble: “I remember last year, when it poured down rain and when the tournament continued we all got to sit in the box seats. That was fun, so personal. It’s not too often we get to sit in box seats.” Bob Moran (VCO Tournament Director): “The Sharapova and Serena Williams match [in 2008] because the stadium was packed. It was as close to sold out as I ever saw it!” Mike Saia (tennis fan and former Director of Media Relations at the FCC): “In 2006, while setting up All Access Hour for the media, Justine Henin, the tournament’s top seed, showed up an hour early by mistake. Instead of leaving, she filled coolers with ice and water, unboxed items for all the players to autograph and helped us put the finishing touches on the room. Class act.” Lynn Cobb (Daniel Island resident): “I remember in the early years of the tournament on Daniel Island I would get two tickets and invite a different friend to go with me every day.” Pamela Marsh with her husband Bill: “We host players every year and having dinner with these international player is always memorable... A player we once hosted from Poland just emailed us that she and her boyfriend are engaged…” Added Bill, “We get excited, proud, and possessive when our players win…it makes it more personal.” Jo Cooper (VCO Director of Volunteers): “Sam Stosur and her strong muscles! When she won in 2010, I was very impressed with how forcefully she hit the ball.” Terry Steyer (VCO volunteer physician and Daniel Island resident): “One year I was working in the training room and talking with Martina Navratilova and Serena Williams at the same time and I realized that both of them had better muscular definition than I did! Both of them were really down to earth.” Brandon Dermody: “I remember following Bencic, watching her grow. She came out of the qualifying round and [made it] into the quarters or semis, I think. The other one was Eugenie Bouchard. Same thing, this was a breakout tournament for her. That’s the best part of this tournament, you see players start in qualifiers and start to grow.” Chris Jones and her daughter Sami: “It was the qualifying rounds and we walked into the stadium and Venus was practicing with her coach. It was early enough [in the tournament] that she was just having fun. I remember she put the racquet in her left hand and probably could have beaten any of us playing that way! We were sitting in the front row, and she was really having fun, laughing and smiling, hitting shots between her legs. It was fun to watch.” Cheri Keenan and her daughter Kylee (Daniel Island residents): “We were sitting behind Venus with her little dog in her Louis Vuitton bag. We were sitting right behind her, and Serena’s coach was sitting there as well.” Daughter Kylee added: “I remember seeing Serena play . . . and eating the cotton candy!” Dewey Caulder (VCO staff): “[What stands out for me is] the friendliness of the players and how they interact freely with the fans.” Photo from Debbie Johnstone’s scrapbook. Photo from Debbie Johnstone’s scrapbook: Jordan, Yuliana Fedak, Andrew. Jordanis now 17 and Andrew is now 20. Nancy Heinz (FCC and VCO volunteer): “[My most vivid memory] was when the tornado came around. The metal panel is still in the oak tree, down by the stadium, it’s still up there. I remember the hail and ran to the ball crew kids to make sure they got out safely. It’s imbedded in my brain forever.”