When the Barths were introduced as the “Tennis Family of the Year,” honoring them in Tucson, Ariz., were Franklin Johnson, the outgoing USTA president, and Kathy Chabot Willette, like Johnson once a leading San Diego player.

Said Pat Barth, the family's matriarch, according to her son, Roy:

“It's great to see how Franklin and Kathy grew up to be such fine young people.”

“Young,” that is, as Pat Barth would regard them. She is 86.

“It was really her day,” Roy said of his mother, who at 65 joined the San Diego City College women's team and competed with players less than half her age. She continues to play two or three times a week and has a silver ball and a bronze ball as rewards for her play in national age-group events.

To the Barths went the Ralph W. Westcott Award, named for a one-time president of the Western Tennis Association and USTA secretary and founded in 1965 by the late Martin Tressel, then USTA president, to underscore that “tennis is a family game.”

It certainly has been for the Barths. Six family members were represented at the USTA awards function in Tucson. In addition to Pat Barth, they were Roy, an ATP Tour player for seven years and director of tennis at the Kiawah Island Resort in Charleston, S.C., for 31 years; wife Colleen; sons Jonathan, 31, and Sandon, 29; and Jonathan's wife, Meredith.

Choose a phase of tennis and the Barths have been prominent in it. Sandon played for Clemson, Jonathan for the College of Charleston. With his wife, a Southern Conference champion while representing Clemson, Jonathan has won two national husband/wife championships. Jonathan and his father also hold a No. 5 national ranking in father/son competition. Sandon has been ranked as high as No. 3 in men's amateur singles.

The “Family of the Year” award also recognizes volunteering in tennis matters. Roy's wife for a decade has joined Jonathan in supervising a junior event on Kiawah Island.

Roy Barth, 60, was introduced to tennis by his late father. At UCLA, Roy was a two-time All-American and Pacific Coast doubles champion in 1969. As a professional, he broke into the top 40, but after appearing at Wimbledon five times and in the U.S. Open nine times, in 1976 he was looking to turn to the teaching phase of tennis.

He said he was contacted by Roscoe Tanner, a contemporary, who advised him that a resort was opening in Charleston. It turned out to be the one on Kiawah Island, now ranked as the nation's No. 2 tennis resort by Tennis Magazine.

Federer on own

Roger Federer will compete in the French Open and Wimbledon without a coach.

The top-ranked player, who split from Tony Roche after four straight tournaments without a title, said he wouldn't be hiring another coach in the near future.

“I'm definitely not going to take a coach for the French Open and Wimbledon because I know what it takes and I don't want anybody interfering with my preparation and with my tournaments,” Federer said at the Hamburg Masters, where he has a first-round bye.

“Maybe down the road I'm going to look again for someone who's going to be able to help me out for practicing,” he said.

Federer's worst slump since he became the top-ranked player in 2004 culminated with a straight-set loss to Italian wild card Filippo Volandri in the third round of the Rome Masters last week. But Federer insisted the defeat was not the reason for his split from Roche.

“It's something that's been inside myself for a few months,” Federer said. “It was a decision that wasn't easy, of course, because we're good friends and get along very well and he's helped me a lot over the last couple of years.”

Hingis joins field

Martina Hingis, winner of the event in 1997 and 1999, has entered the Acura Classic, scheduled July 28-Aug. 5 at the La Costa Resort and Spa. This will be Hingis' seventh appearance at La Costa.

Individual tickets for the tournament went on sale Monday. To purchase tickets, call (760) 438-5683 or visit www.acuraclassic.com.

Coco goes unbeaten

Coco Vandeweghe of Rancho Santa Fe registered an overall record of 4-0 (and 2-0 in singles) while representing her country in a Junior Fed Cup competition in Montreal.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.