WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (AP) Want to play your way right into tennis' U.S. Open? Now you can in mixed doubles.
The U.S. Tennis Association is adding a mixed doubles category to the men's and women's singles for the 2011 U.S. Open National Playoffs, a format that began last year and awarded wild cards into qualifying for the year's last Grand Slam tournament.
The winning team in this year's mixed doubles playoffs, though, will get a wild card into the main draw of the U.S. Open mixed doubles tournament.
Registration begins March 15 at www.usta.com/tennislink for the playoffs, which begin with a series of 16 sectional qualifying tournaments.
The U.S. Open starts Aug. 29.