By Erica Solvig
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Sandy Casteel, a Dayton, Ohio volunteer, placed mums at the base of a water fountain in the food court. (Michael E. Keating photo) | ZOOM |

MASON - Just hours before the first crowds arrive Thursday for the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters, hundreds of people race to put the finishing touches on the Lindner Family Tennis Center.

Montgomery Inn chefs start preparing the 1,100 pounds of beef tenderloin, 700 pounds of lobster pieces and 1,500 pounds of shrimp cocktail they expect to dish out during the 11-day event.

Elsewhere, event volunteers set out cases of cookies, pretzels and bottled water. Others sweep the sidewalks, finish the landscaping and put together the scoreboard. All the while, music blares to test the speaker system.

The bustling scene culminates months of preparation to make sure the international tennis event that draws more than 170,000 fans and another 35 million television viewers goes off without a hitch. The main draw sessions begin today.

"All this has to be done before the fans see it," says tournament director Bruce Flory."We work all year. This is the reward: to see people come in and enjoy it."

One of only nine masters-level ATP Tour tournaments worldwide, it will use more than 1,100 volunteers working at least 30 hours each. Additional volunteers from local organizations run the dozen food-court stands.

Preparations really kick into gear about three months before the tournament, when the plumbers arrive, said Dick Clark, director of facilities and volunteers.

In early July, signs start going up around the tennis center and city. Electricians come in for checks and the painting crew touches up the blue and white facade.

"Right after the July Fourth weekend - that's when all the activity starts," says Clark, one of eight staffers who work year-round.

That activity includes setting up 11 trailers and miles of cable to support the television compound. Another eight trailers serve as temporary office space.

Vendors will use 90 white tents that took about three weeks to put up. The tents should be cleared out about one week later.

"They fall down faster then they go up," quips Dan Robben, event specialist with Alleen Co. of Sharonville.

Elsewhere, volunteers like Brian Vass - who took a week-and-a-half off from his job at The Sant Corp. in Cincinnati - will make sure the world's top tennis players have what they need.

Vass expects to go through 1,000 boxes of cookies, hundreds of cases of fruit, plus plenty of pretzels, doughnuts and other snack foods - just for the players, media and volunteers.

"Just between the players, they go through about 400 or 500 cases of bottled water and Gatorade," says Vass, a second-year volunteer. "(The players) eat the healthy food, like bagels. The volunteers and the media, they eat these cookies."

The Warsteiner Beer Garden expects to go through 300 kegs and 400 cases of cans.

Montgomery Inn also expects to sell thousands of pulled pork sandwiches and ribs, in addition to the half-ton of beef tenderloin it will use in its first year catering the tournament, says Vickie Gregory Siegel, a company vice president.About 350 people are working extra shifts, she says.

Other food vending booths are fund raisers by various non-profits, including the Southern Ohio Wheelchair Tennis Club.

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E-mail esolvig@enquirer.com