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The city is the home of the United States Open, but also 595 public tennis courts that daily attract players of all ages and skills. Some favorites: FORT GREENE PARK, BROOKLYN Not only is it the prettiest park in New York City, but the courts are also on top of a hill; you can see a beautiful sunrise. In fact, early morning is the best time to play because you get more court time. Actors and celebrities have been sighted playing. I shed a lot of blood and tears on these courts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United States Open starts on Monday, beginning two weeks of elite tennis, expensive eating and celebrity sightings. The rest of the year, though, another kind of tennis tournament unspools in New York's public parks -- a less structured, less moneyed daily draw that pulls people of all ages and skills onto all or some of the 595 public courts in the five boroughs. Earl Wilson has hit on many of those courts for more than 35 years, refining his ground strokes, running down drop shots and taking his lumps, all the while cataloging his finest moments and the most dubious of court characters. What appears below is some reminiscing, a mix of romance and regret. FINDING A GAME [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]