By Pete Borello

A month ago, Glenn Louie wasn’t sure there was going to be a 33rd Mountain View Open.

Lacking a major sponsor, Louie and the other organizers were relying on player registration fees to subsidize the annual Memorial Day weekend tennis tournament.

The only problem: not many players were registering.

“Before the early registration deadline closed, it was touch and go,” said Louie, co-director of this year’s event. “I thought we might not get enough players to participate. Then a flood of people entered.”

More than 150 players have signed up for the tournament, set for Saturday through Monday at the Cuesta Park Tennis Center.

The men’s singles division features 107 players, a 30 percent increase over last year.

“We’re very pleased with the numbers,” Louie said. “Players are responding to the tournament.”

Sanctioned by the United States Tennis Association, the tourney features four open divisions: men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles and mixed doubles.

Qualifying rounds were held last weekend.

Players from all over the Bay Area - plus a few from out of state - are taking part in the competition, many with hopes of collecting some of the $2,300 in total prize money up for grabs.

Minh Le of Rancho Cordova has been seeded atop the crowded men’s singles draw. Le has been featured in Inside Tennis magazine, according to Louie, and is one of the best players in Northern California.

Jan Tiilikainen of Reno is the No. 2 seed and San Jose’s Tomas Penicka is at No. 3. Penicka is the teaching pro at Cuesta and “did well at the Sybase Open qualifier” in February, Louie said.

The highest-seeded local player in the field is No. 9 David Frederick of Mountain View.

Frederick is also playing men’s doubles, teaming with Mark Nielson of Palo Alto. The duo won the doubles title at the 2000 open and are the top seed this year.

Brian Cory (Salinas) and Mark Fairchilds (Aptos) make up the No. 2 team. Penicka and Sunnyvale’s Casey Louie, half of last year’s mixed doubles champion, are seeded fourth.

The women’s singles division includes only 14 players, with Christine Limbers of Cave Creek, Ariz., seeded No. 1. Lodi’s Carolyn Nichols, who won the singles title in 1994, is seeded second.

Admission to the Mountain View Open is free, but there will be a donation box at the gate. Organizers also hope to offset costs with a silent auction and food booths.

“We’re hoping for large crowds,” Glenn Louie said. “This is a great holiday community event for families with kids. They can see some great tennis and watch players and ball kids in action.”

Matches begin at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, and 10 a.m., Sunday and Monday. The quarterfinals are on Saturday, the semifinals Sunday and the finals Monday.

Cuesta Park is located at 685 Cuesta Drive.

For more information, logon to the tournament Web site at www.mvopen.com.