About the ComplexThe National Racquet Centre is the premier tennis and racquet sports complex within Ceni, located in the capital Cenial, although there are many others (two of which, the Lake Cenial Tennis Centre and the Volatus Millenium Tennis Grounds, held tennis tournaments within Ceni, the Cenial Masters and Volatus Open respectively), as tennis is one of the most popular, if not the most popular, sport in Ceni. The NRC, in addition to tennis, also has facilities for recreational and professional play for squash, racquetball, table tennis, and badminton. There are twenty tennis courts at the facility: two stadium courts, Judi Valemartin Stadium and Adio Zevael Stadium, which seat 25,000 and 20,000 respectively, both fitted with retractable roofs; two Grandstand Courts, Grandstand 1 and Grandstand 2, with capacity of 6,000 each; and 16 other courts, with capacities ranging from 500 to 2,000. When the Cenian Open or other tournaments are not in session, the courts are open to the general public. Practice courts for the event will be available at the Lake Cenial Tennis Centre if contestants so desire. In addition to the tennis facilities, the NRC has ten squash courts, ten racquetball courts, four stadium squash courts, four stadium racquetball courts, ten table-tennis facilities, the Summit Arena with capacity of 10,000 for table tennis matches, and the Palladium Arena with a capacity of 12,500 for badminton matches.
TransportationCeni has a good transportation network and it is very easy to get to and from the NRC. The NRC has its own subway station, which is connected to one of the most efficient subway networks in the world, serving most of City Centre and Cenial. Ceni's subway system has links to most major attractions and hotels within City Centre and Cenial. Ferries are also available to cross Lake Cenial. The downtown areas of both Cenial and City Centre are very walkable and there are multiple areas to rent bicycles for a bit easier transportation. To visit other cities within Ceni, a light rail service is available, with links north, south, and west to Santiago de Ceni, Nova Ascea, New Oxford, Whitehaven, and other points beyond Cenial. Overall, it is easy to get around in Ceni.
Most options for getting to Ceni revolve around flight; Air Terranea has a large route network out of Cenial International Airport (CEX), including to the sporting regions. CEX is located north of the NRC and has its own subway and light rail stations for ease of access. Most international flights operate out of CEX, as well as most general aviation, although there are some budget flights out of New Oxford Airport, and Santiago de Ceni Airport in the north has general aviation facilities. Since Ceni is so small, flight is not practical to get around the country. However, besides some ferry services to nearby nations in Rushmore, flight is the only option for actually getting to Ceni, mainly due to its island status.
CenialCenial is Ceni’s capital city; as such, the Cenian executive, legislative, and judicial branches are all located in Cenial. The President has his home and offices here; office buildings for executive departments are also located in Cenial. The capitol building of Ceni, the meeting place for the Cenian Assembly, was recently redesigned and sits at the head of a park stretching to the President’s home. Judicially, the highest court in Ceni, the Supreme Court, meets here, as well as one of Ceni’s eight appellate courts. In elections, Cenial’s citizens are very active, with more than 85% turnout in national elections and 75% turnout in local elections.
Cenial attracts people from all over the region and the world with its world-class universities—the University of Ceni and the University of Cenial its two most prominent. The University of Ceni is renowned for its instruction in architecture, business, the humanities and history, politics, and law, while the University of Cenial focuses its academic investments in the science section. In fact, the University of Cenial is a leading research university in the fields of biotechnology and engineering.
A large part of Cenial consists of parks and greenery. One of the largest parks in the nation, Lake Cenial Park, stretches along the coast of Lake Cenial and provides opportunities for hiking, biking, canoeing and kayaking, Frisbee golf, and just plain old fun with friends and family. In the spring, when the cherry blossoms are in bloom, Lake Cenial Park is a very pretty sight, and its beautiful fountains are available year-round for all to enjoy. Another major park in Cenial is the Capitol Mall, a park stretching from the Capitol to the President’s House, with its memorial reflecting pool. Other green attractions in Cenial include the Japanese garden, in that section of the city, with its beautiful ponds, pagoda, and rock garden section for peaceful meditation, and the National Botanical Garden, with specimens from all over the world and exhibits of most major climates in the region. Not only is Cenial renowned for its green spaces, it is also renowned for its green attitude. Cenial is among the world’s leading cities in the proliferation of green technology, with a large number of buildings with energy saving measures. Many homes have solar panels, and the government has invested money into increasing the amount of renewable energy in the city; around 35% of the city’s electricity comes from renewable sources.
Cenial has a tolerant attitude and welcomes people from all over the world. As a result, Cenial has an incredibly diverse population. People from all over the world—from Asia, Africa, the Social Liberal Union, and all other regions of the world—have chosen to make Cenial their home. Because Cenial is very welcoming to all people, including refugees, Cenial supports a large population from Ciqi and Coconutstan, two countries ravaged by war. Because of its ethnic diversity, Cenial also has religious and language diversity. Hundreds of languages are spoken in different parts of Cenial, although English is mainly used in day-to-day communication. Religiously, no single religion makes up a majority of the population of Cenial. Atheism is the major religion in Cenial, with around 30% of people, although Christianity (almost equally split between Catholics and Protestants) (25%) and Islam (15%) both make up significant fractions of the population. Cenial has one of the world’s largest and most significant Chinatowns, while Little Saigon and Little Lyndainium are also significant ethnic enclaves. Ethnically, Cenians, Avaerilonians, Eurans, Electrumites, and Spanish make up a total of 75% of Cenial’s population, and there is a large diversity in the remaining 25%.
Cenial, as the cultural center of Ceni, is Ceni’s hub for performing arts. Cenial has the largest number of theatres, concert halls, and exhibition centers in all of Ceni. Cenial’s Royal Shakespearian Theatre Company is well renowned for its performances of Shakespeare’s plays, as well as other plays of Victorian English authors. Because of its diversity, Cenial has a large variety of ethnic restaurants of all kinds—from Westerheimian and Avaerilonian to Persian and Vietnamese, which are found mostly in ethnic sections of the city. Homemade Chinese noodles can be found in Chinatown, while Vietnamese culture is prevalent in Little Saigon. There are a number of excellent Avaerilonian restaurants in Little Lyndainium. Popular street foods in Cenial include Middle Eastern and Indian dishes. In the city centre, there are a large number of upscale restaurants catering to legislators, lobbyists, and richer tourists, while small cafes serving Cenian cuisine dot corner sides. Because of Ceni’s proximity to, and reliance on, the sea, Cenian cuisine places a large emphasis on fish and seafood. Popular Cenian dishes include Cenial Clam Chowder, widely regarded as one of the world’s best, various fish stews, and fish & chips. Other significant Cenian dishes contain crab, lobster, sea scallop, and cod. Alcoholic beverages are fairly common in Ceni, and there are a fair number of pubs, including some chain and local pubs. Cavalier Brewpubs and Machu Picchu Pubs, two famous chains, both originated out of Cenial. At night, a fair number of nightclubs serve alcoholic drinks and provide the citizen or tourist with the opportunity to party.
Food and LodgingThe Orion, a 5-star luxury hotel owned by the Orion International Group, is the official hotel of the Cenian Open. All players from foreign nations have been given rooms free of charge at the hotel. For coaches and fans, The Orion is available, as are several other three and four star hotels in the downtown business district, which cater mostly to businessmen, as well as some tourists. There are some more affordable hotels closer to Lake Cenial as well as in other cities in Ceni. For food, the 5-star, modern restaurant Momentum located at the Orion is available. The hotel's breakfast lounge, Eos, has generously offered free breakfast to players. Also located within the Orion is the nightclub Eleuthium. For perhaps less expensive fare, the city is full of dining options, from classic Cenian food to Indian, Chinese, Avaerilonian, Arabic, and other types of cuisine located throughout the city. Each ethnicity has its own section of the city, and most ethnic restaurants are located in their own section. Since Ceni is located in the ocean, seafood is also available, and is generally quite good. Cenial is renowned for its many types and varieties of soup, including its specialty, Cenial Clam Chowder.
Other AttractionsThere are multitudes of attractions in Cenial besides tennis, including the National Cenian Museum, which contains artifacts from Cenian and world history (Museum of History), paintings from all time periods (Museum of Classical Art, Museum of Modern Art, and the Lerrisor Sculpture Garden), and paper money, coins, and stamps (Museum of Numismatics, Currency, and Philately). Those interested in animals can visit the Cenial City Zoo; other museums focus on the diversity of Ceni and further collections of art and sculpture. The National Library contains an enormous volume of literature, poetry, and books. Those more culturally minded can visit the numerous opera houses, orchestra and choir buildings, and theatres, where there are performances almost every day. The Capital building and home of the President also attract numerous visitors every year. Break days in the schedule are good days for spectators (and players, if they feel up to it) to go sightseeing.
DrawsSingles (Main Draw)Singles (Qualifying)Doubles (Main Draw)Doubles (Qualifying)ScheduleAll cutoffs to be 2200-0000 UTC on the given day (4-6pm Central Time on the given day).
January 25: Singles and doubles qualifying
January 26: Singles round 1, top half
January 27: Singles round 1, bottom half
January 28: Singles round 2, doubles round 1
January 29: Singles round 3, doubles round 2
January 30: Singles round 4, doubles round 3
January 31: Singes and doubles quarterfinals
February 1: Singles and doubles semifinals
February 2: Singles and doubles finals