By Richard Polen
Globe Sports Writer
JOPLIN, Mo. —
Like a fan in the stands, Cindy Baine sits in the bleachers and watches a match during singles qualifying at the USTA Pro Circuit $10,000 Men’s Futures tournament at Millennium Tennis & Fitness Club.
Once the match is over, she helps the players clear the court, then moves on to a nearby court to monitor another match.
Baine works as an official for the USTA and works other matches including college and juniors tournaments. She is the chief umpire for the tournament in Joplin, which continues through July 25.
“It will be good tennis,” she said. “It will test them because it’s so hot and humid. It will be hard on everybody, officials, too.”
Next month, she’ll be working at the U.S. Open for the eighth time, sitting in the umpire’s chair and making calls along the lines.
“If I had only gone once, it would have been worth it,” Baine said. “The level of play, the personalities, the crowd, the fans make it what it is.
“You can’t beat watching the Bryan brothers,” she said of identical twins Bob and Mike Bryan, who won the doubles championship at the Open in 2005 and 2008. “They’ve done a lot for doubles.”
Bob Bryan also won a Challenger Tournament at the Millennium in 2003.
Another highlight was seeing Melody Oudin, who turned pro in 2008 and received a wild card into her first U.S. Open last year.
“To me, it was thrilling to watch Melody Oudin at the Open,” Baine said. “I used to do junior tournaments she played in. It was neat to watch her. Every player has to start somewhere.”
In the meantime, Baine, who lives in Joplin with her husband, Jim, will work at the World Team Tennis finals in Kansas City, then on to St. Joseph for another tournament.
“We have four Pro Circuit events in the Missouri Valley,” she said. “Missouri has a women’s challenger in October in Kansas City at the plaza. As chief, I hire the officials who do the lines and set up rotations on and off the court.”
The other events are in Tulsa, Okla., St. Joseph and Joplin, and she finds plenty of other work close to home, including as a volunteer assistant coach for Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School.
“There’s always a push for tennis, a lot of advertising from USTA,” she said. “I can stay busy with junior events. I know Millennium has quite a few.”
In April, Baine officiated an exhibition match between tennis Hall of Famers John McEnroe and Jim Courier, each of whom has been ranked No. 1 in the world, at The Family Arena in St. Charles. Tickets for the event were priced up to $155.50, but Baine had her own courtside seat — in the umpire’s chair.
“It was exciting to do that,” she said. “They’re passionate.”
