Nearly 300 of the best senior tennis players in the nation plan to cause a racket in La Jolla next week. La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club will host the United States Tennis Association (USTA) National Senior Women’s Hard Court Tennis Championships from May 10 to 16. “A lot of the ladies that play in this tournament have played in the professional tour,” said Conan Lorenzo, the club’s director of tennis. “Then you have your local tennis players here in Southern California who have national rankings and they’re trying to hit against the bigwigs.” Next week’s tournament is one of four grand slams on the USTA senior circuit, which includes clay, grass and indoor tournaments for players 50 and older. Lorenzo said matches typically feature less power — but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. “As players get older, they use a lot more of the angles and spins to their advantage,” Lorenzo said. “That’s what makes it fascinating — you see more of a point being developed over the time of each point as opposed to maybe a three- or four-ball point.” According to local participant Sally Huss, senior tennis tournaments are one of the few areas in life where people relish getting older. This year, Huss is eligible for the 70s Division for the first year, playing in the doubles with friend Sheila Palmer. “The fun thing is that people get very excited when they get older because in their first year when they’re in a new division, they’re the youngster in that division,” Huss said. Huss is a former Wimbledon semifinalist and junior champion who plays between three and four times a week. The La Jolla resident admittedly expects to be unseeded headed into the tournament. “We go into it to give it our all but we don’t expect anything. We’re always dark horses in this,” Huss said. “We don’t go and play any other tournament but we play this big tournament because it is local.” The women’s tournament is one of three senior events the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club will host next week. The club will also hold its 38th annual men’s Spring Senior Championships from May 10-16 and the LURIE World Cup on May 15-16, featuring men’s international matches for players 90 and older. “There’s a great camaraderie amongst the players; it’s a pretty cool thing,” Huss said. “They all have a purpose when they come here and there’s an emphasis on being in good shape for an older person.” La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club is located at 2000 Spindrift Drive in La Jolla and admission to each of the tournaments is free, with free parking available in surrounding neighborhoods and additionally at the club for $5. For more information, visit www.jbtc.com.