Long Island Tennis Magazine November / December 2018 by United Sports Publications

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Long Island Tennis Magazine 1220 Wantagh Avenue • Wantagh, NY 11793-2202 Phone: (516) 409-4444 • Fax: (516) 409-4600 Web site: www.litennismag.com

Staff David Sickmen Publisher (516) 409-4444, ext. 309 • david@usptennis.com Joel M. Berman President (516) 409-4444, ext. 310 • joel@usptennis.com Eric C. Peck Editor-in-Chief (516) 409-4444, ext. 312 • eric@usptennis.com Brian Coleman Senior Editor (516) 409-4444, ext. 326 • brianc@usptennis.com Joey Arendt Managing Art Director Francine Miller Advertising Coordinator (516) 409-4444, ext. 301 • francinem@usptennis.com Emilie Katz Assistant Marketing Coordinator Scott Koondel VP of Operations (516) 409-4444, ext. 324 Sidney Beal III Staff Photographer

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NOV/DEC 2018 • Vol 10, No 6

Table Of Contents

A Star Is Born By Brian Coleman

After a breakout season, Naomi Osaka is ready for 2019 after stealing the spotlight in Flushing Meadows and upsetting Serena Williams for the 2018 U.S. Open title. See page 18

Highlights 8 26 42 48 62

Article Submissions/Press Releases To submit any material, including articles and press releases, please call (516) 409-4444 or e-mail info@usptennis.com. The deadline for submissions is the first of the month preceding the target issue. Subscriptions To receive subscription information, contact (516) 409-4444 or e-mail info@usptennis.com or check out our Web site: www.litennismag.com. Fax subscription changes to (516) 409-1600. Statements of fact and opinion in Long Island Tennis Magazine are the responsibility of the authors alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of United Sports Publications Ltd. Long Island Tennis Magazine reserves the right to edit, reject and/or postpone the publication of any articles, information or data.

Free, Family-Fun Returns to NYCB LIVE with 2019 New York Tennis Expo Long Island Tennis Magazine’s 2018 Guide to Holiday Gifts 2018 Long Island Girls High School Recap By Brian Coleman 2018 Long Island Tennis Magazine’s Coaches Roundtable Discussion Long Island Tennis Magazine’s 2018 Tennis Travel Destination Guide

Features 3 4 6 14 16 23 24

Advertising To receive any information regarding advertising rates, deadlines, and requirements, call (516) 409-4444 or e-mail info@usptennis.com.

Photo credit: USTA/Darren Carroll

31 32 35 36 38 56 59 60 61 66 68 71 72 74 75 76 77 79

USTA Honors Top Juniors With Awards Gala ‘Little Mo’ Internationals Comes to New York Across Long Island … News and Notes From Across the L.I. Tennis Community Adult League Wrap-Up By Kathy Miller Steps to the Perfect Two-Handed Backhand By John Evert Beyond the Baseline: Neil Thakur, Tennis Service Representative, USTA Eastern LI Region By Brian Coleman Why You Should Look Beyond the Hype When Selecting a Tennis Coach: A Two-Part Guide (Part 1: Credentials and Qualifications) By Steven Kaplan The Importance of Goal Setting in Tennis By Jonathan Raude Hitting a Tennis Ball or Playing Tennis? By Lonnie Mitchel Successful Doubles … Choosing My Partner’s Partner By Mike Puc The Jensen Zone: Keeping Sharp in the Winter Months By Luke Jensen USTA Eastern Long Island Region Update Takeaways From the 2018 U.S. Open By Brian Coleman Are Tennis Officials Human? By Barbara Wyatt “I’m So Tight! How Can I Loosen Up?” By Rob Polishook Losing Won’t Kill You: A Coaching Tip Regarding Match Preparation By Tonny van de Pieterman The Lefty Side of Things By Michael Smookler Ready Position? Who Cares? By Lisa Dodson Taste of Tennis Kicks Off 2018 U.S. Open in Style Setting a Culture in Junior Players By Zeki Tukel What Tennis Players Can Learn From Football Players By Dr. Tom Ferraro Long Island Tennis Charitable Initiatives: Port Washington Tennis Team Holds Annual Clinic Court Six: Long Island Tennis Magazine’s Gossip Column By Emilie Katz USTA/Long Island Region 2018 Tournament Schedule Long Island Rankings

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • LITennisMag.com Long Island Tennis Magazine is published bi-monthly by United Sports Publications Ltd. • Copyright © 2018 United Sports Publications Ltd.

USTA Honors Top Juniors With Awards Gala

Top junior players from the USTA Eastern Section were honored for their achievements this past year at the USTA Eastern Junior Awards Gala. The top three ranked players in each age group were recognized for their success, as USTA Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President Katrina Adams, as well as former Eastern standout and ATP Professional Justin Gimbelstob, spoke to the players and parents during the ceremony. Below are the players who were honored: Boys 10s 1. Ilija Palavestra 2. Sebastian Bielen 3. Ronit Karki

Boys 12s 1. Maxim Michaels 2. Rohan Belday 3. Jordan Reznik

Boys 14s 1. Samir Banerjee 2. John-Thomas Bilski 3. Evan Wen

Boys 16s 1. Ryan Fishback 2. Kabir Rajpal 3. Samir Banerjee

Boys 18s 1. Cannon Kingsley 2. Ethan Leon 3. Patrick Maloney

Girls 10s 1. Ligaya Murray 2. Aria Nina Abalos 3. Sophia Holod

Girls 12s 1. Stephanie Yakoff 2. Linda Ziets-Segura 3. Victoria McEnroe

Girls 14s 1. Stephanie Yakoff 2. Lan Mi 3. Elise Wagle

Girls 16s 1. Valencia Xu 2. Nadejda Maslova 3. Lina Mohamed

Girls 18s 1. Andrea Cerdan 2. Rachel Lim 3. Amber O’Dell

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LITennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

‘Little Mo’ Internationals Comes to New York Celebrates MCBTF 50th Anniversary

Photo credit: Brian Coleman

he Seventh Annual ‘Little Mo’ Internationals descended on The West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, N.Y. as some of the best young junior players in the world battled in the second leg of the ‘Little Mo’ Slam. This year’s edition of the ‘Little Mo’ Internationals was special, as it was a part of the 50th anniversary of the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation (MCBTF), the organization that runs and operates the ‘Little Mo’ circuit. During festivities commemorating the 50th anniversary, a ceremony was held where a plaque inside Forest Hills Stadium was revealed. “We salute with tremendous thanks, the multitude of individuals who have helped propel MCBTF into the globally respected junior tennis foundation we have become in the last 50 years,” said Nancy Jeffett, daughter of Maureen Connolly Brinker and MCBTF President. Below are the winners from the Seventh Annual ‘Little Mo’ Internationals this year:

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Boys 8 Singles (Green): Izyan Ahmad Boys 8 Singles (Yellow): Aryan Ponugoti Girls 8 Singles (Green): Lauren Tadoum Boys 9 Singles (Yellow): Tadevos Mirijanyan Girls 9 Singles (Yellow): Zaire Clarke Boys 10 Singles (Yellow): Sebastian Bielen Girls 10 Singles (Yellow): Natalie Oliver Boys 11 Singles: Julius Aleksandrovas Girls 11 Singles: Sofia Olaru

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Boys 12 Singles: Neel Krishnaswamy Girls 12 Singles: Emma Dvorackova Boys 8 Doubles (Green): Coy Gray & Patrick Mactaggart Girls 8 Doubles (Green): Stephanie Semenov & Joyce Xinle Geng Boys 9 Doubles (Yellow): Rohan Bala & Robert McAdoo Boys 10 Doubles (Yellow): Sean Grosman & Sebastian Bielen Boys 12 Doubles: Albert Hu & Neel Krishnaswamy Girls 12 Doubles: Alba Martinez & Yontha Tadoum

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • LITennisMag.com

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Across Long Isla Noah Rubin Hits With Bellmore JFK Girls Team

Long Island’s Noah Rubin paid a visit to Bellmore JFK High School recently to check out the new tennis courts at the school and to meet the members of the Girls Tennis Team. Rubin, currently ranked 129th in the ATP Men’s Singles Rankings, got a hitting session in with the team as he prepares for the final stretch of the 2018 season.

Cold Spring Harbor’s Bolton Impresses at ITA/Oracle Nationals Cold Spring Harbor native and UCLA freshman Elysia Bolton kicked off her collegiate career with an impressive showing at the Oracle ITA Masters at the Malibu Racquet Club at Pepperdine University. Bolton, who was seeded fifth, knocked off 28th seed Margita Sunjic of Northern Kentucky and 12th seed Sara Daavettila of North Carolina before falling in the quarterfinals to the fourth-seed, Estela Perez-Somarriba of Miami.

Carefree Juniors Take to the U.S. Open Courts

The U.S. Open is always an exciting time of year for the local tennis community. Junior players from Carefree Racquet Club had a unique opportunity to step onto the courts of the National Tennis Center this year, putting on a Net Generation Clinic in front of the fans before the main draw matches began.

Golod Captures RWTTC September Championships Ross School Tennis Academy’s Vitalina Golod played an excellent tournament at the L1A RWTTC September Championships, earning her top-seed designation by taking home the title. She outlasted Daniela Hernandez 6-2, 0-6, 11-9 in the semifinals before defeating Amy Delman 6-3, 6-4 in the finals.

Lillen Wins Eighth Straight Sportime Amagansett Women’s Title

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • LITennisMag.com

For the eighth year in a row, Julie Lilien was crowned winner of the Sportime Amagansett Women’s A Singles tournament. She beat Caroline Davis 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in a thrilling final as Davis was the first one to win a set off of Lilien.

land

… News and notes from across the L.I. tennis community

Sportime Brings Tennis to the Schools

tournament for 3.0-4.0 NTRP Divisions. In all, 21 players participated and chose between playing on courts in Murray Hill, N.J.; Queens or Long Island. The initial rounds were played in round-robin format, with players advancing from there into the knockout rounds. The winners included Arjun Reddy (NTRP 3.0), James Avallone (NTRP 3.5), Laura Cassella (NTRP 3.5) and Harold Kaufman (NTRP 4.0). In addition to the tournament, Sports Made Easy hosted a two-hour, non-stop clinic with kids ages seven through 12. The clinic introduced the sport of tennis in a casual setting where they learned basic techniques and point play.

It was a dual effort as pros and instructors from both Sportime Kings Park and Sportime Lynbrook brought tennis to William S. Covert Elementary School in South Hempstead. The pros instructed the children on the basics of tennis and encouraged them to be active as they continued their push for “Tennis for All.”

Sports Made Easy Hosts NTRP Tournament on Long Island Spread over three locations, Sports Made Easy ran a NTRP USTA tournament, using a unique format to run its first flexible

NYIT’s Quagliardi Wins Singles and Doubles Title at ITA East Regionals New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) freshman Barbie Quagliardi kicked her collegiate career off with a fantastic start, including a dominant run at the ITA East Regionals at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Quagliardi would take home titles in both singles and doubles, partnering with Diana Baumgartnere to win the Doubles Championship, and then defeated Nathabi Mogopodi of Robert Wesleyan in dominant fashion 6-0, 6-1 in the singles final.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Free, Family-Fun Returns to NYCB LIVE with 2019 New York Tennis Expo

arlier this year, nearly 4,000 people came out and attended the 2018 New York Tennis Expo. The event kicked off the inaugural New York Open, professional tennis’ return to Long Island. We are pleased to announce that the Expo will return on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019 at NYCB LIVE, Home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The 2019 New York Tennis Expo will once again be a free event for all attendees and will have something for the whole family. The Exhibitor Hall will be filled with top tennis programs, clubs, academies, camps, product lines, sports medicine, travel destinations and much, much more, plus tons of fun activities throughout the day. “We are proud to be kicking off year two of the New York Open. Nearly 4,000 people came out to enjoy the 2018 New York Tennis Expo back in February, and Long Island and New York Tennis Magazines are excited to announce the return of this one-of-a-kind event,” said Publisher David Sickmen. “This event provides unparalleled exposure and branding opportunities for companies who want to

promote their programs, products, services, etc. to a diverse audience in a fun environment. For local families, it is a perfect way to spend the day as there is fun for everyone both on and off the court, and it’s completely free!” As the opening day for the New York Open, the New York Tennis Expo will have professional players on-site signing autographs, practicing on NYCB LIVE’s black courts and taking part in the tournament’s draw ceremony. “We are excited over presenting the New York Tennis Expo and New York Open 2.0 so to speak,” said GF Sports EVP and Tournament Director Josh Ripple. “When we reflect on the 2018 New York Open, it was clear that the New York Tennis Expo successfully seeded the week which afforded kids, adults and sports and recreational companies locally and regionally a chance to be exposed to the new NYCB LIVE, our signature black courts and plain old fun and value that United Sports Publications brought to the party. Working with David Sickmen and his team has been incredibly effective and rewarding, and we look to build the Expo each and every year.”

There will be a Kids’ Zone featuring a bouncy house, face-painting, music and other games, and an Activity Zone which will host two Net Generation courts, where kids, can pick up a racket and play. Tennis teams from local colleges will be giving clinics and running drills all-day long on the courts used by the professionals during the New York Open. You can also see how your serve compares with the professionals at the Speed Serve Booth. The popular Beach Tennis court will be back as attendees and guests can get a little taste of summer in the winter by kicking off their shoes and hopping onto the sand. A New York Beach Tennis professional will be on-site to help teach this exciting new sport. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn from some of the top tennis minds in the two different Speaker Sessions that will take place in NYCB LIVE’s Grant Thornton VIP Lounge, and the latest in tennis apparel will be on display in the Tennis Fashion Show. This is the largest free tennis expo in the country and will once again have something for everyone.

For FREE tickets and parking, pre-register online at 2019NYTennisExpo.eventbrite.com. To learn more about the Expo, please contact info@usptennis.com or call (516) 409-4444. 8

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • LITennisMag.com

LITennisMag.com â&#x20AC;˘ November/December 2018 â&#x20AC;˘ Long Island Tennis Magazine

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What’s New for the 2019 New York Open? ong Island Tennis Magazine recently sat down with New York Open Tournament Director and GF Sports Executive Vice President Josh Ripple for the latest developments with the upcoming ATP Tour event. Here is the latest …

Aside from your previous announcements of Kevin Anderson, the Bryan Brothers and Sam Querrey, have any new players committed to the 2019 New York Open? Josh Ripple: Yes, and we are excited to have the U.S. number one and world number 10-ranked John Isner signed. John is arguably coming off his 10

greatest year as a pro. He had two amazing Grand Slam results at Wimbledon (semis losing to Kevin Anderson) and the U.S. Open (quarters losing to Juan Martin del Potro) combined with his Tour wins at the Masters 1000 in Miami (where he beat Del Potro and Sasha Zverev) and the BB&T Atlanta Open. We are excited over his coming to NYCB LIVE to compete. Adding him to the entry list provides New Yorkers the opportunity to see two of the world’s top 10 players up close and personal. In addition, we have signed Hall of Famer and Grand Slam Champion Andy Roddick to participate during our Opening Weekend. While we haven’t fully baked all the details about the

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • LITennisMag.com

format and event for Opening Night, the chance for us to have Andy engaged and play is phenomenal. We are looking to announce more details about Opening Night later this month, but fans should place the evening of Feb. 9, 2019 on their calendars. We think by scheduling Opening Night on Saturday, instead of Sunday this year, we will be able to provide a greater chance for fans from across the New York Metropolitan area to attend on a non-school and working night. Are you expecting to make additional player announcements before the January entry deadline? Ripple: Yes. In addition to the complete information around Andy’s

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opponent(s) for Opening Night, we are confident that we will be able to announce at least two more ATP players for the New York Open. We will keep a few of our wild cards open so that we can take advantage of any last minute requests from top players coming off their Australian Open results. More to come soon. There was talk about how the New York Open was looking to expand the programming activities beyond just tennis so that fans may experience more than just on-thecourt play. Anything to share? Ripple: You are correct that a critical component to building a great entertainment event is to have more than just world-class tennis. We will be working with our GF Capital sister company, Wolfpack Ninja, to integrate a full week’s worth of demonstrations, clinics, meet-and-greets and autograph sessions with nationallyknown Ninjas. Ninja, as a sport, has exploded over the last few years, and it has now become one of the largest participatory activities for kids and adults. Fans will now have the chance to see what Wolfpack Ninja is all about, and we are looking to create fun, competitive events for the local community. Some of the programming will be free to fans that purchase a tennis ticket, and there will be enhanced experiential offerings that will be affordably priced. By including Ninja, the New York Open expands its ability to engage non-tennis seekers of great entertainment. You mentioned that you’re keeping wild cards available for a few top players, but we also heard that the New York Open is providing top college players a chance to get direct entry. Is that true? Ripple: We started last year by providing competitive local talent with the chance to gain a wildcard into the qualifying tournament and we will do so again in 2019. But, we are expanding the opportunity to provide a significant number of colleges and universities the chance to enter their

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Player Bios John Isner Born: Greensboro, N.C. Birth Date: April 26, 1985 Current ATP World Tour Ranking: No. 10 Career Singles Titles: 14 Career Highlights: Reached U.S. Open Quarterfinals in 2011 and 2018, Wimbledon Semifinals in 2018

Photo credit: USTA/Mike Lawrence

Andy Roddick Born: Omaha, Neb. Birth Date: August 30, 1982 Highest ATP World Tour Ranking: No. 1 Career Singles Titles: 32 Career Highlights: U.S. Open Champion in 2003; Reached Wimbledon Finals in 2004, 2005, 2009; Reached Australian Open Semifinals in 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009 Photo credit: Sidney Beal III

tennis team athletes in a tournament to be held in December with the winner being granted a main draw wild card. We will then create a College Night during the New York Open that will hopefully feature that winner against his main draw opponent. Hopefully, the draw will work out so that the schedule allows for the match to be played that evening. In any case, here’s an amazing chance for a local college player to play in the “show” at the New York Open. We are producing and promoting the tournament with USTA Eastern. Anything else that would be interesting for our readers to know? Ripple: Last year, we were pleased

with the engagement of the community and listened to attendees about what they did and didn’t like. One recurring comment was that there was no “box seat” ticket offering. And frankly, we agree. So, we will build a minimum of 40 boxes that should offer fans and the corporate community a package that should meet their desires and objectives to entertain friends and customers. The boxes will all be four seats and include free food and beverage to be served in the VIP Grant Thornton Lounge at NYCB LIVE. The price points will be $7,500 for front row boxes and $5,000 for all others. We are excited over this offering and we are happy to meet our customer’s wants and needs.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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During Breaks in the Action at New York Open, Ninja Athletes to Offer Even More Excitement As if top-notch professional tennis wasn’t enough excitement, the New York Open this year is going above and beyond for spectators. Throughout the week, during breaks in the on-court action or any other time spectators just want to stretch their legs, they can participate in Ninja sport activities courtesy of a unique partnership between the New York Open and Wolfpack Ninjas. Wolfpack Ninjas is a health, wellness and entertainment brand consisting of a group of athletes famed for their exploits and excellence on the American Ninja Warrior TV show. Co-Founders Dr. Noah Kaufman (The “NinjaDoc”) and Ian Dory will lead a team that may include such Wolfpack Ninjas Pro Team stars as Jessie Graff, Joe “The Weatherman” Moravsky, Meagan Martin, Flip Rodriguez, Jeri D’Aurelio, Nicholas “Modern Tarzan” Coolridge, and Travis Brewer. Wolfpack Ninjas produces events globally aimed at galvanizing today’s youth to get active and develop healthy habits that will last a lifetime. New York Open ticket-holders at NYCB LIVE gain free admission to the expansive Exhibition Hall located adja-

cent to the main arena, where they can try their hand at a Wolfpack Ninjas’ obstacle course with help from the Pro Team. As part of the Wolfpack’s mission to “make the world healthier one kid at a time” kids of all ages will enjoy this family-friendly component of their New York Open experience. On the tournament’s closing weekend,

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • LITennisMag.com

Feb. 16-17, Wolfpack Ninjas will offer even more can’t-miss experiences, including interactive training tutorials with the Wolfpack Ninjas Pro Team, youth competitions, and many more fun activities. The Wolfpack will take special care to address the interests of tennis fans, including tennisthemed obstacles and strength and footwork challenges that translate to tennis skills. Please check NewYorkOpen.com for more information as well as to purchase tickets. Finally, New York Open attendees will have access to information and inspiration the Wolfpack brings to life through podcasts, social media, and videos on such topics as nutrition, keeping your athletic training fresh and interesting, pushing yourself beyond perceived limits and becoming your best self. “Wolfpack Ninjas have made tremendous impact in thousands of lives by working and playing with their fans,” Kaufman said. “Our most recent events in Colorado and Hong Kong awed the crowd, who just loved the chance for individual attention from many of the world’s top Ninjas. That’s exactly what we have in mind for our new friends who attend the New York Open.”

COMING IN JANUARY

Distribution scheduled for 01/01/19

This edition will feature: • Guide to the Top Tennis Clubs/Programs • 2019 New York Open Preview • The New York Tennis Expo Returns • Girls High School State Championships Recap • Australian Open Preview • LI Tennis Magazine 11th Anniversary

Distributionacross Long Island at 300+ locations: • Indoor tennis clubs • Country clubs • Tennis camps • Retail stores • Gyms • Restaurants and health food stores • Supermarkets and • Many more!

Don’t miss the advertising opportunities in the next edition of Long Island Tennis Magazine January/February 2019! Facebook-www.Facebook.com/LongIslandTennis Instagram-@NYTennisMag • Twitter-@LITennisMag BONUS DISTRIBUTION AT THE 2019 NY TENNIS EXPO & NY OPEN Submissions for both advertising and editorial are due by December 1, 2018 LITennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • Long Island Tennis Magazine 13 For more information, please call 516-409-4444 or e-mail Advertise@LITennisMag.com

B Y K AT H Y M I L L E R

The year 2018 was a great year for USTA League players! Teams advancing to Nationals include: 18 & Over 4.5, 4.0, 3.5 Tri-Level League l Women–Sportime Lynbrook, captained by Suzanne Markowitz l Men–Sportime Syosset, captained by Ian Shapiro

40 & Over League l 3.0 Men from World Gym Setauket, captained by Mike Sloan l 4.5 Men from Point Set, captained by Lionel Goldberg

18 & Over Mixed Doubles League l 7.0 from Deer Park Tennis, captained by Suresh Patel l 10.0 from Sportime Lynbrook, captained by Danny Casesa & Shanon Blue

55 & Over League l 8.0 Men from Garden City Rec Center, captained by Rich Pashayan l 9.0 Men from Carefree Racquet, captained by Adam Kolenberg & Don Wall

40 & Over Mixed Doubles League l 7.0 from Sportime Syosset, captained by Dawn Schosberg l 9.0 from Deer Park Tennis, captained by Roslyn Chua

65 & Over League l 8.0 Men from Bethpage State Park, captained by Bob Nathan & Robert Morgillo

18 & Over League l 5.0 Women from Sportime Lynbrook, captained by Tina Buschi & Hali Katz The 2019 League has begun with the 4.5, 4.0, 3.5 Tri-Level League, which will run until the end of the year. The winning men’s and women’s teams will advance to a Sectional Playoff in January. We have also started a 4.0, 3.5, 3.0 Tri-Level League for women for the first time. Some interest was shown for a 40 & Over or a 55 & Over Tri-Level League. I heard back from a few people, but not enough to get two teams formed. If there is interest, please let me know. The 18 & Over Mixed Doubles League will begin mid-December. I must be notified no later than Nov. 9, 2018 of all teams to be put on the schedule. Matches will be three courts of mixed doubles at the 6.0 (two 3.0 players or a 2.5 & 3.5 player), 7.0 (two 3.5 players or a 3.0 & 4.0 player), 8.0 (two 4.0 players or a 3.5 & 4.5), 9.0 (two 4.5 players or a 4.0 & 5.0) and 10.0 Levels (two 5.0 players or a 4.5 & 5.5). Matches will be played on the weekends. 14

The 40 & Over Mixed Doubles League will begin in February following the same format as the 18 & Over League. If you are interested in captaining a team, I must know about it by Jan. 1, 2019 so your team is put on the schedule. The 40 & Over Mixed Doubles League has teams at the 6.0, 7.0, 8.0 and 9.0 Levels. There have been inquiries about a 55 & Over Mixed Doubles League. If anyone is interested, please let me know. We will see how many teams we can get at each level and then we will see when the best time would be to schedule matches. This would be local play only, as there is not a Sectional or National event for this. For players looking for a little more competition, we have the New York Open League Player Tournament. Four Suffolk County clubs and four Nassau County clubs will be holding round-robin doubles tournaments for men and for women at the

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • LITennisMag.com

7.0 combined rating and the 8.0 combined rating. Each club will send their men’s 7.0 and 8.0 winner, and their women’s 7.0 and 8.0 winner, to play in the quarterfinals on the black New York Open practice courts at Carefree Racquet Club in February. The teams who advance to the semifinals and finals will play these matches on the black courts at NYCB LIVE, Home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, during the 2019 New York Open. Please contact Zane Smith at ZSmith@GFSportsHoldings.com or call (212) 433-1236 for more information on the tournament and how to sign-up! I wish everyone a great fall and a wonderful holiday season! Kathy Miller is Manager of Carefree Racquet Club and is also the Adult League Coordinator for USTA/Long Island. She may be reached by e-mail at KathyM65@aol.com.

LITennisMag.com â&#x20AC;˘ November/December 2018 â&#x20AC;˘ Long Island Tennis Magazine

Steps to the Perfect Two-Handed Backhand By John Evert The two-handed backhand is one of the most reliable and powerful shots you can learn. Master it in these six easy-to-follow steps! 1. A great two-handed backhand starts with the perfect set-up. First, the 16

grip. The most commonly used grips are the Continental Grip for your dominant hand and an Eastern Forehand Grip for your nondominant hand. As the ball arrives, split-step and then execute your unit turn, shown here. Your shoulders and your racket will turn together. The leg closest to the incoming ball should step out a lit-

Long Island Tennis Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ November/December 2018 â&#x20AC;˘ LITennisMag.com

tle as you turn, so you do not close yourself off to the ball. You will need space to step into the shot. 2. How much shoulder turn is ideal? Enough so that you have to look over your dominant shoulder at the incoming ball. As you prepare to hit this shot, all of your weight should be on your back foot, ready to

transfer to your front foot. Take your racket back above the level of the ball (10 o’clock or 2 o’clock, whichever is easier for you to visualize, is an ideal height). Your shoulders should be level and your knees slightly bent.

The most effective for a club player is to have both elbows slightly bent. At contact, all of your energy from your legs, shoulder and arms should be driving forward and through the ball, toward your target.

3. Relax your hand and let your racket head drop below the height of the ball just before transferring weight to your front foot, and step into the shot. Do not strangle your racket handle. This looping motion needs to be fluid in order to generate racket-head speed so that you can create both power and spin by brushing up the back of the ball. The butt cap of your racket should be aimed at the ball. Your forward swing will begin as you transfer your weight.

5. You have heard coaches say, “Stay with the shot.” Even after the ball has left the racket, your momentum should be forward and your arms should be extended out toward the ball. Your stroke should have length. If you pull off the shot too soon, a lot of your energy will be wasted and you will hit a much weaker and less accurate shot.

4. Uncoil your shoulders and make contact out in front. You will notice that professional players have different arm positions at contact.

6. On the follow-through, your elbows should finish high. Your non-dominant hand pulls your rear hip through the finish and you will face the net. Notice that at the start of this shot, you were looking over your dominant shoulder at the ball. Now you are

looking over your non-dominant shoulder—that’s how much shoulder turn is required. When you plant your outside foot, you will push off of it and recover with a shuffle or a crossover step, depending where you are on court and the trajectory of your opponent’s next shot. John Evert is the Founder and Managing Partner of the Evert Tennis Academy. John has developed and managed top junior, collegiate and professional players for over 35 years. Prior to establishing the Evert Tennis Academy, John was the Vice President of IMG’s Tennis Division where he served as an agent for recruiting and developing tennis talent. John has been a consultant for the USTA, Chinese Tennis Association and works closely with coaches and Federations located in Central America and the Bahamas. John also advises Lacoste, Wilson and Nike on their junior sponsorship programs.

Practice

Makes Perfect Owning The Wall Makes it Possible THE WALL ADVANTAGE: Get a practice in on your court anytime, your partner is always waiting for you Perfect your accuracy and fine tune your game by creating routines you enjoy Easy to use, just set your program and play

631.249.8558 or competitivesportstechnologies@gmail.com

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

A Star Is Born After breakout season, Naomi Osaka is ready for 2019 By Brian Coleman

tanding at the makeshift podium inside Arthur Ashe Stadium as the 2018 U.S. Open trophy ceremony was set to begin, Naomi Osaka pulled her black Adidas visor over her face as tears began to stream down. The 20-year-old had just reached the peak of professional tennis, winning the U.S. Open for her maiden Grand Slam, toppling her idol Serena Williams, 6-2, 6-4, in the finals. “I know that everyone was cheering for Serena and I’m sorry to it had had to to end end like like this,” this,” said said Osaka, equal parts overwhelmed by the moment and dejected about beating one of her heroes. “I just want to say thank you for watching the match.” She would further explain her sadness and uneasiness in her press conference. “Because I know that she really wanted to have the 24th Grand Slam. Everyone knows this. It’s on commercials … it’s everywhere,” said Osaka. “But when I step onto the court, I feel like a different person. I’m not a Serena fan. I’m just a tennis player playing another tennis player. But when I hugged her at the net, I felt like a little kid again.” It was not the most pleasant way to end what should have been the happiest moment of the young woman’s life. Serena was given a game penalty by chair umpire Carlos Ramos at 4-3 in the second set after receiving her third code violation, which led to the 23-time Grand Slam champion having a meltdown on court. The pro-Serena New York crowd was complicit in creating the negative atmosphere that followed, reigning down boos even as the trophy ceremony began. But this isn’t a story about Serena, the game penalty, underlying double-standards or even sexism issues that reside in tennis. It’s about Naomi Osaka, and more specifically, the birth of a star on one of the grandest of stages. While everyone’s background is unique, the shy yet charming Osaka’s upbringing is especially her own. Born in Japan to a Haitian father and Japanese mother, the family, which also included older sister Mari, moved to Long Island when Osaka was just three-years-old to be closer to her father’s Haitian relatives.

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LITennisMag.com LITennisMag.com LITennisMag.com LITennisMag.com • •November/December September/October • July/August • May/June 2018 2018 •• Long Long Island Island Tennis Tennis Magazine Magazine

Photo credit: USTA/Garett Ellwood

A Star Is Born? continued continued from from page page 18 18 Photo credit: USTA/Pete Staples

The family lived in Elmont for about six years, and Osaka has memories of attending the U.S. Open and even playing at a local Sportime facility. “I played at Sportime … I don’t remember the location, but I played in a few of their locations,” Osaka recalled during a U.S. Open press conference. “I would play on public courts, but don’t really remem-

ber their specific location. But, I grew up playing in New York for a bit. I don’t really remember playing sets with anyone else except my sister.” To further her tennis game, Osaka moved to Boca Raton, Fla. to train after her time on Long Island. But her tennis career has now come full circle with her triumph at Flushing Meadows, a place where she used

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • LITennisMag.com

to come watch the professionals play, dreaming one day she would be on that stage. “It definitely means a lot to me, and I always thought if I were to win a Grand Slam, the first one I’d want to win is the U.S. Open,” Osaka said. “Because I have grown up here and then my grandparents can come and watch … I think it would be really cool.” Still just 20-years-old, Osaka has already experience both the ups and downs of being a professional, the sort of on-court adversity that paved way to her two-week domination at the 2018 U.S. Open. The match that keeps coming to mind is the third-round clash between her and Madison Keys at the U.S. Open in 2016. Osaka was still a teenager at the time and had Keys on the ropes with a spot in the Round of 16 in her grasp. Osaka opened up a 5-1 lead in the slugfest’s deciding third set, only to collapse and see Keys rally back to win the match in a third-set tiebreak. “I feel like I learned a lot in the match I played here two years ago, which people keep bringing up,” said Osaka. “I’m grateful that I had that experience.”

Those types of losses can either make or break a player, and the experience clearly helped foster Osaka’s growth. Her focus, which fell apart in that defeat to Keys, was unrelenting at the 2018 U.S. Open, the aspect of her run she says she is proud of. “I’ve played really great players like Madison Keys, Aryna Sabalenka, and even players in the early rounds. It was really hard for me to remain focused every match, but I think, somehow, I managed to pull through,” Osaka said after her semifinal win over Keys. “I’m really proud of myself for focusing.” That focus was on display once again in the finals, persevering through her near 75minute match with a 23-time Grand Slam champion amid controversy. “She played an amazing match. She deserved credit, she deserved to win. At the end of the day, that’s what it was,” said Serena. “She made a lot of shots. She was so focused. Whenever I had a break point, she came up with some great serves. Hon-

Photo credit: USTA/Darren Carroll

estly, there’s a lot I can learn from her from this match.” Her U.S. Open success was a product of some soul-searching she did throughout the 2018 season. In Indian Wells, Calif., Osaka bulldozed through the competition

to win the BNP Paribas Open, a major breakthrough win for her, defeating Daria Kasatkina, 6-3, 6-2 in the finals. The win naturally increased expectations for Osaka, something she admitted that she struggled with. “I haven’t been feeling the ball right and it’s thrown me off a lot to the point where I started getting really frustrated and depressed during my practices,” Osaka said in a post on social media. “I had a lot of pressure entering the hard court swing because I felt a lot of expectation on me from Indian Wells and I didn’t feel like the underdog anymore (which is a totally new feeling for me).” Having already secured a title at one of the WTA Tour’s major tournaments and dealing with the pressures that come along with such a win, Osaka was more prepared to handle expectations during the U.S. Open. And the more she dominated her competition in Flushing, the better she continued to play. continued on page 22

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

a star is born?

continued from page 21

She is now a global superstar and has been treated as one in the weeks and months following 2018’s final Grand Slam. She earned $3.8 million in prize money for her win, a record, and has only further padded her bank account with a number of different endorsements. Entering the U.S. Open, Osaka already had deals with Yonex, Adidas, Nissin Foods, Citizen Watch and Wowow, and following her win, automaker Nissan announced a three-year agreement with Osaka with a huge ceremony. “Winning the U.S. Open in such a highprofile final has definitely accelerated the ascent of Naomi’s profile,” said Stuart Duguid, Osaka’s Manager. “However, her game and personality were always there, so it was only a matter of time before it reached a larger audience.” It has been a whirlwind couple of months for Osaka, and the spotlight on

her will only continue to burn brighter. She is now ranked comfortably inside the top 10 and will enter 2019 as the reigning Grand Slam champion. With a powerful game that resembles her idol and championship experience, we saw both the present and future of the WTA Tour on display for two weeks in Flushing Meadows, and Naomi Osaka is starting to embrace the attention. “I am not an attention-seeker, but whenever I play tennis, I feel like it’s something that I am really good at and it’s something that I know—not that it’s a talent, but that I have worked on it for so long. I want people to watch.” She certainly has our attention. Brian Coleman is Senior Editor for Long Island Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by phone at (516) 409-4444, ext. 326 or email BrianC@USPTennis.com.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • LITennisMag.com

Photo credit: USTA/Darren Carroll

Beyond the Baseline: Neil Thakur, Tennis Service Representative, USTA Eastern LI Region By Brian Coleman

ver the last couple of years, USTA Eastern has been making a strong push to bring tennis into local schools, an important initiative that will usher in a new crop of young players. At the heart of this initiative is Neil Thakur, the organization’s Tennis Service Representative for the Long Island Region. “The main objective of the USTA is to grow the game of tennis, and the best way to do that is to expose kids to tennis from a young age,” said Thakur. “To achieve this, we have created a robust school program which I want to get into every school district on Long Island. At no cost to them, we offer teacher training, equipment, curriculum developed with SHAPE America and most importantly, a school partner who has been background checked and gone through a safe play training to help them succeed in introducing tennis to their students. No tennis courts are required, it is done within their gym classes. All we want in return is for them to give an opportunity for their students to experience tennis. Many people and the schools in particular may not know about this program, so it’s important to get the word out and have them take advantage of all that we offer.” Thakur has been integral in spreading and promoting Net Generation here on Long Island since he joined USTA Eastern at the beginning of last year, around the same time that the Net Generation initiative was launched by the USTA. “A couple of years ago, my nephew came across a job listing for the Long Island Tennis Service Representative opening, and he sent it to me because he knew that I know a lot of people involved with tennis, and that I like to network and connect people,” said Thakur. “But when I read the description I said, ‘Why don’t I just apply?’ I didn’t even forward it on to anybody, and just applied myself.” Thakur came to the tennis industry after

working in healthcare and sports medicine for two decades. While he had never worked in tennis, he had been an avid recreational tennis player and always loved the sport. “I’ve been playing for a long time,” he said. “I love competing in the USTA leagues. Having a team sport where you are all playing for one another is a lot of fun and creates camaraderie.” Born in London, England, Thakur, whose father was an Indian diplomat, lived in many countries around the world growing up, including India. He moved to the United States when he was 19 to attend college, and after graduation, he began working at the United Nations. “I moved into the healthcare field after that, primarily working in a pain management and sports medicine practice,” said Thakur. “I helped expand the practice into multiple locations on Long Island and Queens. I did that for about 15 years, and really had no intention of doing anything else. That was going to be my career.” Despite never having worked in the tennis industry, the idea of bringing people closer together is something that has always been a part of Thakur. Connecting people from all walks of life is a natural instinct for him. “The thing I think I’m good at is bringing people together,” said Thakur. “One of the

first things I did when hired was to go out in the community, meet the tennis providers and learn about their programs and their needs. I wanted to introduce myself and just let them know that I was here. It took a while but I’ve built some great relationships.” Developing those types of relationships is vital to Thakur’s role, as many schools, programs and other entities are sometimes unaware of just what USTA Eastern and Net Generation offers. It’s not just a matter of providing rackets and balls and dumping them onto the floor of a gymnasium. “Although schools are a major focus, there are many other things that we offer,” said Thakur. “I am working with providers and clubs to create a Junior Team Tennis league. The USTA also offers support for community programs for beginners and advanced players alike. We also have a program for college players who want to continue to play recreationally called ‘Tennis on Campus.’ We provide opportunities for younger players to experience the U.S. Open, as well as the New York Open on Long Island. Anyone involved with youth tennis should also explore Net Generation. Anything to do with tennis, I can help.” One of the great things about the Long Island tennis community is that we all share a common goal of growing the sport, because the more it succeeds, the more everyone benefits. And that is precisely Thakur’s goal. “I love what I do. I’ve been able to learn quite a bit in a short time, and hopefully I’m helping people, and that they trust that what I am doing is for their benefit,” said Thakur. “I am here and the USTA is here to help and work with them in whatever manner they may need us. I would encourage players, parents and coaches to reach out to me to see how we can work together to grow this lifelong game.” Brian Coleman is Senior Editor for Long Island Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by phone at (516) 409-4444, ext. 326 or email BrianC@USPTennis.com.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Why You Should Look Beyond the Hype When Selecting a Tennis Coach: A Two-Part Guide Part 1: Credentials and Qualifications By Steven Kaplan hile I don’t follow social media often, even a quick check reveals the vast forum of exaggerated ego and business-directed self-promotion. Some tennis coaches participate in this and other methods of hype and it’s so bad that I sometimes feel like I live in a “Look at Me” world of hyperbole that bor-

ders on the propaganda technique of the “Big Lie.” How do you really know that your coach has the proper credentials or could it be he snapped a picture of himself with the player who won the tournament and posted “congratulations” so that it’s inferred that he’s the coach? Many coaches refer to the quality of the players that they have instructed, and superficially, this seems to be a reliable indication of success. But look further and

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • LITennisMag.com

consider: If I told you that I had been the longtime coach of the 98th, 99th and 100th ranked players in the world without a context to evaluate this achievement, it’s impressive. But let’s say I told you their names are Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. With the omniscience of history, we know that these are the three best players in the world and perhaps of all-time, but under my guidance, I descended these players from greatness to mediocrity. A little less impressive?

How about looking at the numbers of top students someone has coached? Perhaps of value or maybe not? A “great” developer of talent may be “great” at marketing to top players and not developing top players. Maybe they use the term “coached” more generously than others. For some, “coached” may mean provided regular instruction and guidance for many years, but for others, “coached” refers to “I drilled you in a two-hour group one day.” Some coaches may advertise that they have coached the most players in history, but maybe the most players in history also left them to go elsewhere. I have yet to see that promoted so: Caveat Emptor. Over 35 years ago, I remember the first time I heard a fellow tennis coach refer to a lesson as a “client.” I found this to be a startling choice of words because I had viewed lessons as “students.” In reflection, it’s clear that while some instructors see themselves as “service providers executing a business transaction,” I advise to look first and foremost for someone who identifies themselves as a teacher, coach and a mentor. In particular, the role of a mentor is vital because it serves as an opportunity to provide a lasting impression on a young person at a time in their lives when they are most receptive to positive role models.

to long-term value. Junior tennis is a short-lived experience, but the skills and relationships that you build last a lifetime. One parting thought here … ask former students who have moved past their junior playing days about the experience they had with a particular coach. I have and I’m glad I did. I always valued my technical expertise, tactical insight and my ability to ascend a player to a higher level. Almost every former player however, including many ranked number ones in the country, recall how much I cared about them as the quality in me they valued the most.

Instructors teach tennis; teachers teach students; and coaches and mentors teach, guide and reinforce skills, philosophies and values. They integrate the on-court and off-court worlds to find synergies and frame winning and losing to promote learning. In the next part of this article, I will talk about the value of these roles so that students can find a coach who fits their needs, goals and learning style. Often, junior players move from coach to coach throughout their playing days in search of the “Best Deal” and the path to easy gains and not much thought is given

Steve Kaplan is the Owner and Managing Director of Bethpage Park Tennis Center, as well as the Director of Lacoste Academy for New York City Parks Foundation and Executive Director and Founder of Serve & Return Inc. Steve has coached more than 1,000 nationally-ranked junior players, 16 state high school champions, two NCAA Division 1 Singles Champions, and numerous highly-ranked touring professionals, many of whom have become prominent tennis coaches themselves. In 2017, Steve was awarded the Hy Zausner Lifetime Achievement Award by the USTA. He may be reached by e-mail at StevenJKaplan@aol.com.

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Lisa Dodson lisa@thetotalserve.com LITennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

30Fifteen

AceSpace

30Fifteen.co.uk Hello@30Fifteen.com

AceSpaceCourts.com Chris@AceSpaceCourts.com Facebook.Com/AceSpaceCourts At AceSpace, we know that time is of the essence. Whether you’re scheduling tennis lessons a month in advance, or organizing an impromptu doubles match, you want the process to be quick. After all, if you can book a restaurant, a car, a hotel with just a few clicks–why not a tennis court? Founded in 2017, AceSpace is the premier court-booking platform in New York. The app easily locates available tennis courts in your area, eliminating the hassle of Web searches and phone calls. Whatever price, surface or time slot you prefer, AceSpace ensures you get the court you want, every time. Thanks to its staff of tennis enthusiasts, AceSpace was designed with both players and facilities in mind. We help tennis centers manage their bookings automatically, working as a stand-alone system or in tandem with older technology. We work directly with facility managers, bridging the gap between manual bookings and digitally-oriented players. Starting this October, our gift to you is a stress-free tennis schedule. Like the best tennis players, AceSpace is fast and reliable, and no matter how busy your life gets, AceSpace is ready to steer you towards the nearest clay, grass or hard surface. If you’re ready to #ClaimYourCourt, visit AceSpaceCourts.com to create your account now. Follow AceSpace on Facebook for updates, and we’ll see you on the court!

Introducing 30Fifteen, a women’s tennis wear brand originally from the UK 30Fifteen provides stylish, affordable tennis, fitness and lifestyle clothes, encouraging women to be active and feel confident. 30Fifteen’s collections are designed to offer a style to suit any body type, with attention paid to design, fit and quality of fabric, using technically finished fabrics for ultimate comfort. When you step onto the court you want to be focusing on nothing but your game, and that’s when you want to turn to 30Fifteen. 30Fifteen is motivated by the idea that “If you’re feeling good, you’re playing great.” 30Fifteen knows that this cannot come from clothing alone, so the whole brand is dedicated to offering tools that help women feel good allowing them to step onto the court with confidence. 30Fifteen’s latest collection hit pro shops and its online store in early September, get your hands on some of the pieces today! Take advantage of the season (of giving) and scroll through 30Fifteen.co.uk to purchase a look you’ll love.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • LITennisMag.com

ElSo Athletics

inPhorm

ElSoCompany.com Connect@ElsoAthletics.com

(214) 749-0300 inPhormNYC.com

ElSo is an authentic active lifestyle brand that engages in the design, development, and marketing of athletic socks, apparel and accessory products worldwide. Established in 2012 as a high-performance sock company, ElSo has built a strong reputation among its consumers as one of the highest quality sock makers in the industry. In January 2019, ElSo will be launching its inaugural men’s athletic line. ElSo’s sock collections use cutting-edge designs paired with solution based features that are supportive, comfortable, and functional for the wearer. ElSo works closely with sock technicians and high level athletes to ensure the continual development of products that work. By eliminating cotton from the socks and replacing it with synthetic yarns and a practical layout, ElSo constructed products that are better able to wick sweat away from the feet, protect feet against blisters, provide secure padding and support where needed, and keep feet cool and dry. In 2018, ElSo began sponsoring junior and professional men’s and women’s tennis players, and plans on increasing the number of sponsored players in 2019. ElSo proudly represents stylish, confident athletes who display and exemplify the term BOLD. Please visit ElSo’s Web site at ElSoCompany.com. Follow ElSo on Instagram @elsoathletics. This is only the beginning. As ElSo continues to grow and develop new, sophisticated, and practical, active lifestyle products, the company aims to be a household name in the sporting apparel market.

inPhorm is a distinctive collection of tennis, golf and active wear that has gained an avid following, not only amongst tennis retailers, but also among tennis players and a growing lineup of touring pros, as well as other celebrities. Creating environmentallyfriendly international designer active and casual wear has been inPhorm’s mission since it was launched in 2008. Luxurious tennis, golf, active, and lifestyle outfits are made predominantly of recycled fibers and offer sun protection of a 50 UV. inPhorm is constantly devising new processes and technology to reduce the environmental impact of apparel manufacturing. Based in Dallas, Texas, inPhorm crafts every fabric and stitch of clothing in their own textile mills and sewing factories to ensure high quality from start to finish. inPhorm’s Creative Director, Saad Hajidin, resides in NYC. inPhorm recently announced its increase of sponsorships of young professionals on the circuit, three of whom played at Wimbledon this year, added to their inner-city fundraising to help young adults expand in their tennis goals, expanded their “Pay It Forward” Campaign, as well as added to their international sales force. inPhorm is now represented in the USA, Canada, UK, Switzerland, Germany and South East Asia. On the courts at Wimbledon, Indian Wells, the U.S. Open, Davis Cup or World Team Tennis, inPhorm-sponsored athletes and ambassadors define athleticism and beauty with an ecoconscious pedigree! You can visit the inPhorm Web site at inPhormNYC.com or call (214) 749-0300. Follow inPhorm on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest!

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Ode to Tennis by Barbara Wyatt The Gift of Humor For the holiday stockings, give the gift of humor with the book, Ode to Tennis by Barbara Wyatt, featuring the delightful rhyming poem of a player in a tennis lesson. It’s the perfect little gift book for tennis players. The illustrated poem highlights a player’s joy and frustrations during a tennis lesson, capturing the euphoria and struggles of players who take up the game of tennis later in life. “I chase the ball in tournaments, “I compete in the USTA “Yet my strokes leave players laughing, “I’m more comical than Tina Fey! Reviews: n “A great work to be ready by anyone who likes the sport of tennis!” n “It is a feel good book, well-written and illustrated. Made me smile the whole time I was reading it.” n “A great gift! So much truth in a fun wonderfully illustrated book. Enjoy.” Ode to Tennis is available on Amazon for $9.95 (paperback) and $2.99 (Kindle).

Servemaster: Give the gift of a Killer Serve! (925)-570-1326 TheTotalServe.com Lisa@thetotalserve.com Are you looking to find a unique gift for that special tennis player this holiday season? We can guarantee that everyone on your list wants a better serve, right? So, give them Servemaster, a serve training aid that can be easily used by anyone, anywhere! Servemaster teaches by letting players experience what a real serve FEELS like. Then players can learn, change and improve through repetition on the court or at home. It comes in three lengths and weights so there is a Servemaster for every tennis player. And, it can be used to practice and improve ground strokes. You don’t understand what Servemaster is or what it can do for you? Go to TheTotalServe.com and watch instructional videos or sign up for FREE videos on that site. It will be worth your time! We also have wholesale pricing for pro shops, teaching professionals, academies and schools. All you need to do is e-mail Lisa Dodson for more information.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • LITennisMag.com

Silent Partner Tennis

Sports Made Easy (866) 532-0881 SportsMadeEz.com Info@SportsMadeEz.com

(800) 662-1809 SPTennis.com SPTennis@on.aibn.com Give the gift of a Silent Partner Tennis Ball Machine this holiday season! Independently owned and operated since 1989, Silent Partner Tennis is celebrating its 30th anniversary! The machines make a great holiday gift for tennis buffs. Throw the machine in the car and take it anywhere. We have a range of portable machines with great features for beginners and experts alike. Plus, we pride ourselves on our customer service, so if you have any questions before or after buying your machine, feel free to give us a call! Check Silent Partner Tennis out online at SPTennis.com. Here is to another great year of tennis. Silent Partner Tennis hopes that it can help you make 2019 the best one yet. Happy holidays!

Sports Made Easy has grown significantly in terms of size and the number of sports we serve in 2018. All of this is possible because of you, the residents of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. As a special thank you, we would like to offer all Tri-State residents discount coupons to various local restaurants in your area. Take advantage of this free offer and download the Sports Made Easy app and set up an account to join our sports community, if you’re not already a member. Once you join, you will have access to various deals and offers from our partners such as Head, Joma and numerous local restaurants, as well as access to our sports venue booking service. We hope these features brings you and your family members joy and big savings this holiday season!

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

The Wall Advantage (631) 249-8558 TheWallAdvantage.com CSTLLCUSA@gmail.com Competitive Sports Technologies (CST) has designed and manufactured “The Wall Advantage” a first-of-its-kind programmable device created to give you a tennis workout comparable to the best game you could imagine. We’ve handpicked the finest machinists and programmers to develop a rock-solid machine that is mobile, sturdy and allows players to practice in the venue they actually play in—not off to the side of a court. Players can customize their routines to intensify workouts—enabling them to fine tune their games. You can create your own programs, save it onto a flash drive and used on the machine for the perfect practice session. Not only can top tennis players use this; all levels of expertise can benefit. Since The Wall can be set up almost anywhere, we see great advantages for disabled tennis players as well as senior citizens and retired veterans. There are no limits to using “The Wall”, it is easy to use: Just set your program and play! Sports and technology go hand-in-hand, and “The Wall” is just the latest example of that. Find out more by visiting TheWallAdvantage.com, or contact cstllcusa@gmail.com.

Up or Down, LLC (631) 882-3442 UpOrDownSpin.com UpOrDownSpin@gmail.com Up or Down is a new tennis apparel company. The company originated with one vision in mind: “To Unite the Tennis Order.” The idea for the company stems from the spinning the racquet before each match and saying; “Up or Down.” Regardless of what brand of racquet you play with, Up or Down applies to all tennis players. At Up or Down, we hope to capture the tennis enthusiasts who prefer to wear clothing that identifies them with the sport they enjoy so much. Our company was specifically formed for the tennis fans and players. Our performance t-shirts, tanks, and collared shirts are moisture-wicking for extreme lightweight comfort and breathability while playing on the courts. We also supply more leisurely clothing with our Up or Down lightweight hoodies for cool summer nights and moisture-wicking hooded sweatshirts for colder weather. Whether you are a tennis enthusiast or just enjoy a weekend game, show off apparel that defines you. Visit UpOrDownSpin.com for more information.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • LITennisMag.com

The Importance of By Jonathan Raude Having goals is an essential part of success, both in tennis and in life. There are many reasons why goals are important, but to put it simply, goals drive us forward. They provide us with focus, direction, motivation, a measure of progress and accountability. When it comes to tennis, players must set their goals based on the vision of self and game. What is it that you currently want to achieve by playing the game? The answer to that question is one that is necessary and will lead to answers that will serve as your roadmap for playing, enjoying and succeeding at tennis. Don’t be afraid to think big either. As Bo Jackson, one of the greatest athletes of all-time once said, “Set your goals high, and don’t stop till you get there.” When you dream big, you achieve more. For some, the goals may be to learn the game, or to maintain a healthy lifestyle. For others, goals may include making a high school team, winning a league, achieving a certain ranking, playing college tennis, or for a select few, playing professionally. Ultimately, you need to know what your purpose is in playing the game because you will be dedicating a lot of valuable time and energy into it. With that said, setting goals is not the be-all and end-all. Goals need to be accompanied with a clearly defined set of steps to be taken in order to reach the desired outcome. What steps will be taken, how they will be accomplished, and when they will be completed, are all things to consider. While I strongly believe goals and steps should initially be set by the player, I also believe the coach and either parent (if junior), or significant other (if adult), should play an important part in this process as well. The coach serves as an incredibly useful source here. He or she has the experience, expertise and skill-set required to help you further define your goals, benchmarks and the optimal plan to achieve the goals. Sitting down with players and goal-

Goal Setting in Tennis

setting is the first thing I do when I work with new players, and something I do on a more customized basis with existing players I train. This allows me to not only better understand my player, but also how I can best help them. Parents or significant others also play a vital role. They are the ones who know you best and spend the most time with you. Due to this, they can provide another essential guiding voice when taking into account schedules, resources and all else going on in your life off the court. By having the player, coach, parent or significant other all aligned from the beginning on the goal at hand and what steps are needed to reach it, the road to achieving becomes straighter, quicker and easier. It may be an individual sport, but you need a cohesive team around you to succeed. Once goals and steps are laid out, they should not be forgotten. Instead, they should be looked at frequently and serve as a reminder of what you’re striving for. As importantly, stay laser-focused strictly on what you initially set out to do and don’t let distractions or negativity get in your way. Tennis can be a very tough, mean, and at times lonely sport. As with life, there are bound to be difficult times, however you should always remember that it doesn’t matter how many

times you fall, what matters is how many times you get back up. So, when a step is completed, no matter how small or large it is, or how quick or long it took to achieve, check it off your list, and be proud of yourself for moving the ball forward. Take a moment to cherish it and taste how sweet it is, but don’t have too large of a celebration, save the larger celebration for larger wins. With hard work, dedication and perseverance, there will come a time when your tennis goals are achieved. Reward yourself and have that big celebration you deserve for all you sacrificed to reach the desired outcome. Once you’re done celebrating, stay away from complacency, and begin setting new goals that build on what you just achieved. Evolve, stay humble, work even harder, have fun while doing so, and remember to always begin with the end in mind. Jonathan Raude was recently named the Managing Director and Head of High Performance/U10 Tennis for New York Tennis at Great Neck. Raised in Queens, N.Y., Jonathan was a highly-ranked junior player who went on to play at Boston College, where he played as high as number one singles and doubles, and served as a two-time captain.

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Hitting a Tennis Ball or Playing Tennis? By Lonnie Mitchel n the seventh year into my career coaching at the State University of New York/Oneonta, I have critically observed the trends of younger people between the ages of 1722, both as a coach and classroom lecturer. This age (17-22) is classified as “Generation Z,” a generation that is digitally proficient, wants instant gratification, and from what I see as an educator, having instantaneous satisfaction is almost a need. The headphones are connected to their iPhones for hours at a time while staring at their phone’s screen for just as long. For some, the only exercise they get is the fingers typing on their cellular device. When I grew up, color televisions were a relatively new invention and touch tone phones were phenomena. As young peo-

ple in the prior generation, we were often outside entertaining ourselves in other ways, most notably, playing ball in the street. I am now a generation removed from these folks, but what a difference in mentality we have. I really have to coach myself and adapt so I can better understand and relate to the Generation Z’ers. Tennis, though, has also benefited in so many ways from this generation and its new technology. We can now micro-examine shots and stroke production down to the most infinitesimal detail, and analyze stroke production right on the practice court within seconds The pros can challenge a line call and get an instant answer for the world to see with digital perfection and can determine if the linesperson was right or wrong on the spot. Over the last two-plus decades, running concurrently to the technology advancement the game of tennis evolved from Eastern forehands hitting a relatively

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • LITennisMag.com

flat ball to the Semi-Western/Full-Western Grips and the heavy topspin craze we live in now. To supplement this, racket manufacturers sell equipment with space age materials, helping to augment the heavy topspin era. Academies in New York and all over the country teach players to emulate the professionals and work the point until a short ball comes … run around your backhand and rip winners. As a coach in college, I have been forced to overcome some other challenges that have also arisen. There is an overwhelming percentage of young players who do not turn pro, but youngsters are taught to rip winners from just about anywhere on the court, believing this is the way to turn professional and become successful. However, only six percent of high school varsity tennis players compete in college, and less than one percent play Division I and

even less turn pro. From that micro percentage of playing professionals, the chance of winning a Grand Slam title is like finding a needle in a haystack, with that stack being the size of the Pacific Ocean. To that point, this fall I welcomed 15 male and female freshmen to pre-season training camp, ready to compete for starting spots on a high level collegiate tennis team. Most of the incoming freshmen were trained in academies throughout the state with many also having had a plethora of private lessons. The commonality amongst them is they seem to want to hit winners at inopportune times, while not willing to work a point, attempting to satisfy their zest for instant gratification and success. Members of Generation Z crave that instant gratification, or in tennis terms, win the point “NOW.” My comment is always, “Why do you want to hit that winner at such an inopportune time?” The response is generally, “My coaches back home told me that to be great, that is what you should be doing.” I am now left to coach players who only

want instant indulgence and try to open up their minds to a whole new aspect of their game. My response is often, “Patience is a virtue, while shrinking the court and not going for the lines is the strategy. Let’s postpone winning the point by several shots.” Collegiate tennis is a world where you need intelligence, must develop a better tennis IQ, be coach-able and play consistently. Those low percentage winner attempts that a player was hitting in high school or at USTA tournaments is now not working, and balls are being returned with consistency and quality from more experienced collegians. The new freshmen players, in particular, now wonder why they did not win the point outright and how dare their opponent hit the ball back like there is a sense of entitlement. A “Deer in the Headlight” look for many of these rookies and the need for instant gratification is now rearing its ugly head. I tell them this, “You hit tennis balls very well, but now let’s learn now how to play tennis!” The humble player listens, but the ones who know more than their

coach develops a new habit … the habit of losing! Into the film room we go and I show them video of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. With our female players, I show them videos of Maria Sharapova, Venus and Serena William, and others to break down their shot selection. The academies that, at times, turn their noses up at the notion of playing Division III tennis, are in for a reality check. Those who are successful playing collegiate tennis are those who are humble, listen, learn consistency, display great poise and body language and learn to win the little moments. You cannot be self-absorbed while playing on a team and now have to practice attaining high levels of focus. They learn patience and shot selection, going for winners at only the most opportune times and gaining an advantage by having a greater margin of error, not flirting with the sidelines. An incremental byproduct is that this strategy can be used in the lecture hall. Working harder, continued on page 34

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hitting a tennis ball or playing tennis continued from page 33 studying longer and preparing for exams taps into a similar skill set for academic achievement and greatness. The lost art of doubles is disproportionately not given the time needed in academies to develop the art of teamwork. In collegiate tennis, teamwork is synonymous to attainment as you are often asked to play both doubles and singles while attentively supporting your teammates who are also on the court competing. It is almost as if I have to start from scratch teaching students how to play TENNIS/doubles and implement the notion of playing on a team is not just about yourself. NO! The right shot is not going for the doubles alley while standing three yards behind the baseline. The choreographing and development of a doubles point is an art form that most academies spend little time on it. Just the cerebral nature of the doubles

game will later help singles players become better critical thinkers. Teamwork will help the player become better human beings and more valuable when they hit the workforce because playing at Wimbledon will not be an option. I am pleading with coaches and academies to stop teaching students to just hit tennis balls … teach them to play tennis. Most collegiate coaches who attend conventions, recruiting showcases and meetings, discuss this trend. I thought this was just what I was observing, but it’s a more common trend amongst the collegiate tennis community than you would possibly think. It’s very entertaining and exciting to hit winners when it works … but only at the right times, in the right situations, against the right opponent. We play tennis in college at a high level … we just do not hit tennis balls as there are many other skills that you need to be

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • LITennisMag.com

successful with teamwork probably leading the way. Please, leave the power at home and bring consistency to the court, don’t just hit tennis balls and let’s start playing some tennis and have an open mind. I like your chances of success a lot sooner. Lonnie Mitchel is Head Men’s and Women’s Tennis Coach at SUNY Oneonta. Lonnie was named an Assistant Coach to Team USA for the 2013 Maccabiah Games in Israel for the Grand Master Tennis Division. Also coached for Team USA in Berlin and Chile in 2015 and Team USA Maccabiah for the Open Division working with Division I players and professionally ranked in the Israel Games in 2017. Was also named Coach of the Year in 2015 for State University of NY Athletic Conference. Lonnie may be reached by phone at (516) 4147202 or e-mail LonnieMitchel@yahoo.com.

Successful Doubles …

Choosing My Partner’s Partner By Mike Puc eam tennis is a huge piece of the success of a tennis program offering a competitive platform for completion and camaraderie. At Gleneagles Country Club in Delray Beach, Fla., there are 25 teams in nine leagues, including Pickleball. While the selection of the roster for the team is best left to the professional staff, the Team Captain is greatly involved with the doubles pairings with input from team members. Like any successful team, the chemistry of the partnership will determine team success and enjoyment of the game. Too often, partnerships are guided by personal agendas with weaker players choosing stronger players without regard to the best lineup for the entire team. Captains are also scrutinized rightfully or not for securing the best partner for themselves first and the welfare of the team second. So what is the best course of action to choose a partner while insuring team success? Team Captains should be appointed by the Tennis Professional or by the vote of the team. If you have not volunteered to be a Captain or lost a team vote, respect the Captain’s lineup decision. While team members should have input as to who is their partner, the Captain’s decision is final and should be embraced. When choosing a partner, think about your own appeal as a partner to your teammates. Would you be the first decision for a partner for someone you are asking to be your partner? Would they want to be your partner’s partner? Here are some guidelines to consider when choosing a partner:

l Select a partner who you consider would want to be your partner. l Select a partner you like who will discuss strategy and have a great

attitude regardless of the score. l Approach the Captain as a couple to request playing together. Do not announce your partner would like to play with you without their presence. l Consider a partner who is within two or three position of your ability on the team depth chart. Choosing a partner that is obviously above your own skill set is selfish. l Consider deuce and ad court skillsets, but do not label yourself as only being able to play one court. You may have to change courts if the match does not go well. Have fun! Everyone wants to win league matches, so while this is the goal, the process before and after the match should be enjoyable. Consider these post-match tips: l Do not wear your emotions on your sleeve, win or lose. l Limit your discussion of the match to 10 minutes.

l Critique the match from your play. Evaluating your partner is off limits. l Do not blame your Tennis Pro, Captain or partner for a loss. l Do not look for a new partner after a loss. Set a reasonable expectation of success before considering a change. One of the great benefits of team tennis as in all sports in general is to instill confidence in individuals while spending your valuable time participating in a sport you love. Consider this benefit and forge a proper path to achieve this goal by choosing a partner you will enjoy and respect while building team character. Mike Puc has been the Director of Tennis at Gleneagles Country Club in Delray Beach, Fla. since 1998. A winner of 15 national titles and an ATP world ranking, Mike directs 25 teams with 350 players in nine leagues, while offering the most extensive Calendar of Events in South Florida that includes tournaments, lectures and social round-robins.

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Keeping Sharp in the Winter Months

ennis stars … the cold months are upon us and it is time to make sure our tennis skills don’t go into a deep freeze. I always found cold conditions to be an advantage for me when I walked onto the court. I grew up in a small town in Michigan. With no indoor tennis opportunities near me, most of the calendar year was spent playing tennis outdoors in the cold. It was an advantage against the indoor players that had it nice and cozy. Just a few things made a big difference. Warming up with a jump rope, or a short jog just to warm up the body parts was an advantage. The players used to walking straight onto the court to play usually took a full set to warm up. I had a

practice swing routine, from groundstrokes, volleys, overheads and serves. Before I even stepped on the court, I had performed every shot that I was going to do in the match. I would visualize hitting perfect shots and committing to the swing. Have you ever evaluated your warm-up routine? Have you looked at other ways to improve your approach and prepare your body to match your game’s demands? These days I spend a large part of my player development process, at all levels, using a smarter approach towards the player looking to get more performance out of their talent. I have found that the mental and physical warm-up is sometimes non-existent! So when you get a chance, evaluate your process and a new approach may be just what helps

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • LITennisMag.com

you get off to a quicker start in your matches! Now I must address the 2018 U.S Open Women’s Final. I don’t recall the last time such a massive tennis moment turned upside down since John McEnroe played Ilie Nastase in the 1979 U.S. Open. YouTube that match to see it … things did get crazy, and Mac had nothing to do with it! I had one of the best seats in Arthur Ashe Stadium for this memorable final between Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka. I was covering the title match courtside just beneath Serena’s coaching box. My assignment was to provide a sideline perspective to the USTA World Feed that is broadcast to 186 countries that do not have a broadcast crew of their own on-site.

I was in the very same position for the two men’s semifinals matches. My perspective was underneath the boxes of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. As many of you know, the women’s singles final match started to unravel when chair umpire Carlos Ramos gave Serena a warning for her box coaching. At the two men’s semifinals matches I was at, all four players were being coached. I was at the U.S. Open for the entire three weeks, including qualifying matches, and I saw coaching at every match. What I didn’t see was even one warning for coaching from any chair umpire until Serena got her warning. As a former player, there are things that the umpire shouldn’t do. For example, the umpire should not call or overrule the far sideline. The umpire should also not insert themselves into the outcome of a match! The coaching rule is never enforced and why Mr. Ramos decided it was time to pull Serena over and give her a ticket is still confusing to me. Mr. Ramos is a very good umpire. He

has always gone by the rulebook, but every umpire should always know the players they are umpiring. You treat all players fairly, but not the same. Serena has a history on that court in big matches. Serena is a very passionate player. I believe each player deserves what I call a “soft warning” in the case of the coaching violation. The second code of conduct when Serena broke her racket at 3-2 up in the second set is an automatic one. The final nail was the final code of conduct warning that ended up in a game for Osaka. Serena should have calmed down. but she never used bad language like she had in a past incident. Was Serena aggressive? Yes! Was it over the line? I didn’t think it deserved a game violation in the finals of the U.S. Open. Both Serena and Ramos have accountability in this match getting out of hand. Osaka played better than Serena on that day and deserved to win, but the match should not have taken that kind of twist of fate. Fun fact … I was once fined $1,000 for calling Doug Flack “Stick Boy” at Wim-

bledon, and I thought that was uncalled for! Competitive tennis can get the best of all of us. The Serena matches are always “Must-See” because she is so charismatic. It makes the game so interesting when she performs. I have enjoyed hearing so many different takes on that match and because of that, the match will go down as one of the craziest in tennis history! Enjoy your tennis and remember, never call your opponent “Stick Boy!” Raised in Ludington, Mich., Luke Jensen’s resume includes 10 ATP Tour doubles titles. He was also a member of the U.S. Davis Cup Teams that reached the finals in 1991 and won in 1992. His ambidextrous play, including his ability to serve the ball with either hand at 130 mph, earned him the nickname “Dual Hand Luke.” Luke is currently Director of Racket Sports at West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, N.Y. He may be reached by phone at (315) 443-3552 or e-mail LukeJensen84@yahoo.com.

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U S TA E A S T E R N L O N G I S L A N D R E G I O N

Long Island’s New 65-and-Over League Is First in Eastern Section

65-and-Over League Co-Creator Al Silverstein with Elaine Cashin, Pamela Gill and Steve Greenfield

Susan D’Alessandro, Pat Molloy, Bob Nathan and Charles Kaplan during match play

A new 65-and-Over Mixed Doubles USTA League launched this summer, the first time this category/age group has been organized on Long Island. It is the only one of its kind in the Eastern Section. The League has grown to two teams, with about 35 participants who play mostly out of Hempstead Lake State Park. “What is unique about this group is that the League does not consist of only Long Islanders,” said Al Silverstein, League CoCreator. “There are people from Brooklyn and Harlem traveling to play with us. Also, because many of these players spend time in Florida, there has been interest in creating a New York vs. Florida ‘League’ with a couple of Florida clubs.” In fact, the group has already launched plans to play in Palm Beach Gardens this winter. Silverstein was joined in starting the League by Susan D’Alessandro and David McKean, who also saw an opportunity for older players to play tennis outdoors. “It has grown into a successful league supported by USTA Eastern and League Coordinator Kathy Miller, who has been storing the match results on the USTA system,” Silverstein said. The teams are led by Co-Captains Bob Nathan, Pat Molloy,

Peggy Gluck, Nancy Rosenthal, Dave McKean and Stan Froelich

D’Alessandro and Silverstein. They play one USTA match every Tuesday in the park, and every other Thursday, they play another USTA match at The Tennis King at Roslyn Estates. “Since our League does not progress to a Sectional event, because there is no other 65-and-Over Mixed 8.0 League on Earth, we concentrate on playing as much outdoor tennis as possible,” Silverstein said. “Many of our registered players are playing USTA League tennis for the first time. With the unflinching support of Kathy Miller and USTA Eastern in keeping the registration fee to $10 (this is not a misprint), we expect to see more serious senior tennis players signing up, and playing alongside our recreational players.” According to D’Alessandro, “We have met some wonderful new players who immediately have something in common … they love the fact that they are 65-plus and are still playing tennis competitively.” A summer highlight was a League BBQ in August, organized by Nathan and attended by many in the League. If you are interested in joining the 65-and-Over Mixed Doubles League or want more information, e-mail ASilver1118@aol.com or SueDAless10is@optonline.net.

Coming soon on Long Island Please visit LongIsland.USTA.com, Facebook (USTA Long Island) or Twitter (@USTA_LI) for more information on these and all upcoming events on Long Island: l November 4, 2018: USTA Eastern College Showcase l January 25-27, 2019: USTA Eastern Annual Conference and Awards Dinner l February 9-17, 2019: 2nd Annual New York Open 38

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • LITennisMag.com

U S TA E A S T E R N L O N G I S L A N D R E G I O N

Local Juniors Compete at U.S. Open

Cannon Kingsley of Northport in action at the 2018 U.S. Open Junior Tennis Championships

Neel Rajesh of Oyster Bay, pictured here after defeating Axel Nefve at the USTA Boys 18 & 16 National Clay Court Championships, competed in the 2018 U.S. Open Junior Tennis Championships

Three local 17-year-old juniors had very short commutes to the 2018 U.S. Open at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park: Cannon Kingsley of Northport, Lea Ma of Dix Hills and Neel Rajesh of Oyster Bay, competed in the Boys & Girls Draw of the U.S. Open Junior Tennis Championships. Kingsley and Rajesh, who train together at Christopher Morley Tennis, both played in the Boys’ competition. Kingsley, a high school senior, received direct entry into the U.S. Open, where he reached the third round of play. So far this year, he also has competed in Wimbledon Juniors and the French Open Boys competition. He will be attending Ohio State University next year as a member of their tennis team. “This year has been an amazing experience for me in so many ways,” Kingsley said. “At the beginning of the year, my expectations were not nearly as high as what I ended up achieving, competing in three of the four Grand Slam events, and winning my first Grade 1 ITF title. I think being at Grand Slams and experiencing the life of a professional tennis player being on the road and facing adversity has really helped me grow as a person and a tennis player. I want to thank my Coach Christian De Los Rios because

Lea Ma of Dix Hills advanced to the third round of the U.S. Open Junior Tennis Championships

I would not be here without him, and also Christopher Morley Tennis for all the endless support they have given me for the last few years.” Rajesh, who attends Syosset High School, won a wild card entry into the Open after winning the Kalamazoo 18s. “I was excited to be the 2018 National Clay Court Champion which gave me a wild card to play at the U.S. Open Juniors,” Rajesh said. “My dream has always been to play a Grand Slam and getting to play the U.S. Open was the ultimate. I started focusing on preparing for the U.S. Open, and as I got closer to my match, I found myself getting very nervous. As I walked onto the court, I found myself overwhelmed by the moment. While disappointed with the result, I reflect on the amazing run I had from June-August and am very proud of my accomplishments. Winning the National Clays and having an opportunity to play at the U.S. Open Juniors was an incredible experience that I will cherish for my entire life.” Ma, a high school senior, received direct entry into the U.S. Open Girls Competition, and reached the third round. She previously competed in the French Open Girls Competition and Wimbledon Juniors this year.

USTA Long Island Executive Board l l l l l

Jonathan Klee, President Sunny Fishkind, Vice President Mike Pavlides, Past President Craig Fligstein, Treasurer Terri Arnold-McKenzie, Secretary

For more information on the USTA Long Island Region, please visit LongIsland.USTA.com, e-mail USTAOnLongIsland@gmail.com, visit us on Facebook at USTA Long Island and follow us on Twitter @USTA_LI. LITennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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2018

LONG ISLAND GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL RECAP By Brian Coleman

Hewlett’s Arbitman Wins Second Straight Nassau County Singles Title

Hewlett sophomore Rachel Arbitman captured her second consecutive Nassau County Singles Title Hewlett sophomore Rachel Arbitman won her second consecutive Nassau County Singles Title, defeating Calista Sha of Friends Academy 6-1, 6-4 in the championship match. “I was able to win this as a freshman, and then being able to come back again this year, against different players this time, I think it’s really great to win this two years in a row,” said Arbitman. She entered the county tournament as the

Nassau County Singles players heading to the NYSPHSAA Championship include Port Washington’s Thea Rabman, Hewlett’s Rachel Arbitman and Calista Sha from Friends Academy top-seed after once again compiling a dominant regular season, and continued her roll through the opening rounds of the tournament. But after defeating Port Washington’s Thea Rabman 6-3, 6-1 in the semifinals, Arbitman faced her toughest test yet in Sha. A former New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Doubles Champion, Sha made Arbitman work for her second straight County Title. Serving

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USTA BJK National Tennis Center from 11am - 2 pm Speaker: Craig Cignarelli Contact Joao Pinho at 718-760-6395 or pinho@usta.com 42

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • LITennisMag.com

for the match at 5-2 in the second set, Arbitman had her serve broken by Sha, who then held serve to bring things to 4-5. The Friends’ senior continued to put the pressure on as she set up multiple break points in the 10th game, but Arbitman regrouped to hold her serve and clinch the title. “I lost a little focus there at 5-4. I took a lot of deep breaths and just tried to focus on the court,” said Arbitman. “The semifinals and finals were very tough matches. The level from my opponents was a lot higher than the previous rounds, but I think I handled that well and was able to come out with the win.” Arbitman now sets her sights on the NYSPHSAA Championships, which will be held in late October in Latham, N.Y. She reached the state final a year ago, and hopes to take it one step further this year. “I want to go match by match, but my goal is to win the whole thing,” said Arbitman. “It’s great because Nassau County is one of the best in the state, so being able to get through the players here gives me good knowledge of what to expect at states.” As the finalist, Sha will also be heading to the state tournament as will Rabman, who defeated New Hyde Park’s Steffi Antao in the third-place match.

2018

LONG ISLAND GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL RECAP Gentile & Zola Bring South Side First County Title Since 2010

Nassau County Doubles Teams heading to States: Great Neck North’s Alyssa Ghassabian & Alina Lyakhov, Cold Spring Harbor’s Maddy Richmond & Nicollete Loeffler, and 2018 Nassau County Girls Doubles Champions Julia Gentile & Lauren Zola from South Side For the first time in eight years, the Nassau County Doubles Champion hails from South Side, as Julia Gentile & Lauren Zola teamed up to win the title. “It’s really special,” said Zola. “I know [our coach] Mr. Colesanti is super excited, you can see it on his face. He tried to take the pressure off of us and told us he didn’t care if we won or lost, but he’s definitely excited.” Zola & Gentile defeated Cold Spring Harbor’s Maddy Richmond & Nicolette Loeffler, 6-2, 6-3, to claim the Nassau County Title, the first for South Side since Deana Davoudiasl & Rachel Shenker claimed the title in 2010. “We knew we were capable of it, but didn’t realize that we could beat all of these teams here, because there are so many good doubles teams,” said Gentile. “We just tried to focus and not get down on ourselves if things weren’t going right.” That mentality proved to be crucial after the pair got off to a slow start on Sunday. They dropped the first set of their semifinal match against Great Neck North’s Alina Lyakhov & Alyssa Ghassabian before coming back to win the final two sets, and

then secure the County Championship in straight sets. “I think in the first set we weren’t sticking to our plan because we were nervous, and we weren’t going for the shots we knew we could make,” said Gentile. “But after that we changed our whole mentality, and knew we had to hit the balls deep and charge the net and put points away.” Zola & Gentile anchored the singles lineup for South Side this year, playing number one and number two, respectively, but found time during practice sessions to work on their doubles game as they sought to improve on their quarterfinal showing last year. “We knew we had one more shot with them together before Julia graduates this June, and they were both eager to play again,” said South Side Head Coach Chris Colesanti. “We created a game plan and stuck it all weekend. We tried to maximize their strengths by having Lauren doing most of the heavy hitting on the baseline because her groundstrokes are so solid, and we had Julia doing most of the work at the net with her great volleying skills and poaching. When opportunities arose during points, the plan was to move forward together and take over the net.

Lauren Zola & Julia Gentile from South Side captured the 2018 Nassau County Girls Doubles Championship

Now they are looking forward to the New York State Championships and I couldn’t be happier for them.” The pair will be joined at the state tournament by runners-up Richmond & Loeffler, as well as Lyakhov & Ghassabian, who defeated Port Washington’s Brittany Polevikov & Charlotte Forman 7-5, 6-0 in the third-place match.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

2018

LONG ISLAND GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL RECAP Westhampton Beach’s Hayes Storms Back to Win Suffolk Singles Title Westhampton Beach’s Rose Hayes fought back from a set down to win the Suffolk County Singles Title, defeating Emily Tannenbaum of Commack 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 in the Suffolk County Finals at ShorehamWading River High School. Hayes had not dropped a set all season entering the County Final, but was able to turn things around early in the second set and never looked back. “You always have to adjust, and especially today because it was super windy outside,” said Hayes. “But I stayed focused and kept positive. You always get a little tight playing in a final, but there was another set, so you just have to turn over a new leaf.” The Westhampton Beach freshman was playing in her second straight County Final, but it was her first with the Hurricanes. She joined the team this fall after having previously played for McGannMercy High School, and brought the Westhampton program its first Singles County Champion since Jen Dupre in 1998. “I think she calmed down, got her composure back and kept a great attitude all through that second set,” said

Rose Hayes of Westhampton Beach was crowned 2018 Suffolk County Girls Singles Champion

Westhampton Beach Head Coach John Czartosieski. “As a result, she elevated her game to win that second set and she just took that momentum into the third and that carried her through. To be that caliber of player you have to be out on the court working on every part of your game every day. She has that drive and determination to improve her game, and I think that’s what propelled

her to this County Title.” Hayes and Tannenbaum will both be heading to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Championships, as will Ward Melville’s Denise Lai, who qualified for the state tournament for the third straight year by beating Commack’s Gabriela Glickstein in the thirdplace match.

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2018

LONG ISLAND GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL RECAP Cherkin & Huber Claim Suffolk Doubles Crown

Lauren Cherkin & Alexis Huber of Half Hollow Hills East captured the Suffolk County Doubles Title

Lauren Cherkin won her third straight Suffolk County Doubles Championship, teaming with Alexis Huber

Alexis Huber of Hills East in action en route to winning the Suffolk County Doubles Title

For the past two years, Lauren Cherkin held the title of Suffolk County Doubles Champion, doing so in back-to-back years with Ariana Malik. The Hills East senior has now made it three Suffolk County Doubles Titles in a row, as she and new partner Alexis Huber defeated the Westhampton Beach duo of Onalee Batcheller & Brooke Del Prete, 6-2, 6-4 in this year’s final. “Alexis and I have known each other for years and have been on the team together for the last four, so we’ve always been friends,” said Cherkin. “Even though Ariana left, it was really fun playing with Alexis and I knew we had the potential to go all the way.” Huber was no stranger to success in doubles, as she reached the state tournament two years ago, partnering with Gina LaRusso, but moved to first singles last year to help out her Hills East team. “We have a program of doubles here, where we try to build up the ability where everyone can play doubles with multiple partners,” said Hills East Head Coach Tom Depelteau. “Alexis went to the states two years ago as a ninth grader, and last year, I needed her at singles, but we were able to get her qualified for doubles, and Lauren has been our top doubles player for years. They

played at the divisional tournament and got five matches in, so by the time we got to the semifinals, they were ready for the big time.” Huber & Cherkin defeated Ward Melville’s Jade Eggleston & Anna Ma in the semifinals before taking out Batcheller & Del Prete in the finals, rolling through their final two matches in straight sets. The pair now prepares for the New York State Public High School Athletic Association

(NYSPHSAA) Championships. “I think we’ve already accomplished a lot. We are going to continue to work hard, play hard and just do our best,” said Huber. In addition to Huber and Cherkin, Batcheller & Del Prete will also be representing Suffolk County at the NYSPHSAA Championships along with Eggleston & Ma, who defeated Islip’s Maddie Germano & Darienne Rogers in the third-place match.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

l Exhibitor Hall: Featuring top programs, camps, products, apparel, sports medicine, travel destinations and much more l Tennis Courts: Use of the two main courts the pros will use during the New York Open l Kids’ Zone: Featuring a bouncy house, face painting, music, games and more l Speaker Sessions: Learn from a panel of ATP stars and top coaches l Chance to Meet the Stars of the ATP Tour: Autograph signing and photo opportunities with the sport’s top stars l Fashion Show: Featuring the latest and trendiest tennis apparel l Activity Zone: Featuring 10U tennis courts, beach tennis courts, a speed serve booth, product demos and more

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • LITennisMag.com

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2018 LONG ISLAND TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion he local tennis community and clubs all over the U.S. have some of the sport’s finest facilities and some of the top coaches in the world. With this wealth of talent available, Long Island Tennis Magazine took the opportunity to pick the brains of some of these coaches. What you will find below are some of the sport’s top instructors sharing their ideas on the return of the New York Open to the area, the parent’s role in junior development, cheating in the sport, in-match coaching, and much more.

Meet the participants … This year marked the 17th season of Carl Barnett’s Early Hit Training Center. Early Hit Training Center is dedicated to providing lessons, groups and training in its comprehensive ALPS program. Pat Etcheberry has worked with Carl as an advisor with the ALPS training program. Carl has concluded that students learn faster when they have core fitness, flexibility and explosive strength. Ricky Becker is the Founder of JuniorTennisConsulting LLC, Director of Tennis at Pine Hollow Country Club and independently coaches high-performance juniors yearround. Ricky was named the Most Valuable Player for the 1996 NCAA Championship Stanford Tennis Team and was a top-five nationally-ranked junior. Lisa Dodson is the Developer and Owner of Servemaster, a USPTA Elite Professional and a former WTA world-ranked player. She is also a national speaker, serve specialist, and is currently the Director of Tennis at Shenorock Shore Club in Rye, N.Y.

John Evert is the Founder and Managing Partner of the Evert Tennis Academy. John has developed and managed top junior, collegiate and professional players for over 35 years. Prior to establishing the Evert Tennis Academy, John was the Vice President of IMG’s Tennis Division where he served as an agent for recruiting and developing tennis talent. At the Evert Tennis Academy, John has coached and developed players such as Andy Roddick and Madison Keys and numerous other professional players, as well as many National and NCAA Champions. John has been a consultant for the USTA, Chinese Tennis Association and works closely with coaches and Federations located in Central America and the Bahamas. John also advises Lacoste, Wilson and Nike on their junior sponsorship programs. Laurie Tenney Fehrs has been the Director of Tennis and Head Professional at Eastern Athletic Club for the past 35 years. A former National 18U Doubles Champion, she began her successful career on the professional tour when she was 17 and would go on to compete in six Wimbledon Championships and seven U.S. Opens.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • LITennisMag.com

Michael Fehrs grew up on Long Island in a tennisplaying family, and currently serves as the Head Pro at Eastern Athletic Club and Tam O’Shanter Country Club. He is a former New York State Doubles Champion from Huntington High School, and played Division I collegiate tennis at the University of Delaware. Geoffrey Jagdfeld is the USPTA Eastern President and currently Tennis Director of Solaris Sports Clubs. He is a USPTA Elite Professional and USTA High Performance Coach who serves as USTA Junior Team Tennis League Coordinator for Westchester. He is the Head Coach of the Men’s and Women’s Tennis Teams at St. John Fisher College, and played collegiate tennis at Michigan State University. Jay Kang is currently a Senior Staff Professional for New York Tennis at Great Neck, where he works with Junior Development and High Performance Players. Jay has taught more than 400 students during his 19 years as a teaching professional, and was a former nationally-ranked junior and Division I collegiate player. Jay has a

2018 LONG ISLAND TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion passion for junior development on and off the court, and believes there are no shortcuts in teaching students—both instructors and students must commit to the craft equally to be successful. Steve Kaplan is the Owner and Managing Director of Bethpage Park Tennis Center, as well as the Director of Lacoste Academy for New York City Parks Foundation and Executive Director and Founder of Serve & Return Inc. Steve has coached more than 1,000 nationally-ranked junior players, 16 state high school champions, two NCAA Division 1 Singles Champions, and numerous highly-ranked touring professionals, many of whom have become prominent tennis coaches themselves. In 2017, Steve was awarded the Hy Zausner Lifetime Achievement Award by the USTA. Dmytro Kovalevych is a USPTA-Certified Professional currently working at Christopher Morley Tennis. He is a graduate of South Carolina State University where he played Division I tennis, and recently was named the Men’s Open Player of the Year on Long Island. Since 2007, Whitney Kraft has been the Director of Tennis at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. and Director of Player Operations for the U.S. Open. Previously, he was Director of Tennis for the City of Fort Lauderdale Park & Recreation Department (19982007). He was a 1983 Singles All-American for Florida Atlantic

University, and inducted into their inaugural Athletic Hall of Fame class in 2006. Ed Krass coached the Harvard Women’s Tennis Team to four consecutive Ivy League titles from 1986-1990. Ed is the Founder and Director of the Annual College Tennis Exposure Camps, which are taught exclusively by all head college coaches for high schoolaged players (15-18). Ed is also the Founder of One-On-One Doubles tournaments, which have been played at USTA, ATP, ITA and USPTA national events. Ben Marks is Director of Junior Tennis at Carefree Racquet Club, and Director of Tennis at Cold Spring Harbor Beach Club. He previously worked at the John McEnroe Tennis Academy, and was the Cold Spring Harbor Varsity Head Coach for three years, earning Nassau County Coach of the Year Honors in 2014. He played number one and number two singles for Norfolk State University, and number one doubles—reaching a careerhigh regional ranking of ninth in the Atlantic Region. He is a 2015 National Open Doubles Champion. David Nisenson is the Director of Junior Development at Point Set Tennis. With more than 25 years of playing and coaching experience and an unmatched competitiveness, David has quickly become one of the driving forces behind Point Set’s junior development program.

Kat Sorokko is the Director of Player Development/Tournament Director at Sportime Syosset. She is a former top national junior player out of Queens, and would go on to play four years at Brown University, graduating with a BA in organizational behavior before getting her Master’s Degree in Sport Management from Columbia University. She has previously worked at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Gotham Tennis and NYJTL. She joined Sportime/JMTA in 2013. Jason Wass is a USPTA Professional Certified Instructor, with experience coaching all ages and levels. A graduate of the USTA High-Performance Player Development Program, Jay’s strengths lie in working with players in developmental stages of the game, building a player’s technique and strategy from the ground up. Jason’s versatility as a tennis coach is demonstrated by his list of students, ranging from total beginner to nationally-ranked. Named the 2010 USTA Long Island Tennis Professional of the Year, Jay is the Director of Tennis at Sportime Kings Park.

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LITennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

2018 LONG ISLAND TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion The roundtable ...

What positive impact have you seen from USTA’s Net Generation initiative? Ben Marks: Net Generation, although very new and fresh, has been extremely visible throughout Long Island at tournaments like the U.S. Open and the New York Open, giving kids amazing opportunities to be a part of some fantastic events. Talking to our kids after they had the chance to participate in these on-court demo days, there has been nothing but amazing feedback. Parents are telling me they are at home watching every match, glued to the TV after attending the events. I think it has really helped the younger players form more of a connection to tennis, which can only be a positive moving forward. Steve Kaplan: I know that the Net Generation is an initiative to get new players interested in tennis, but I was a little unsure about “exactly what does it do for tennis.” I ask many colleagues and club members and no one could answer clearly, so I consulted the USTA site. It said, “Net Generation is a celebration of a game where no one sits on the sidelines. Tennis is easy to learn and tailored for all ages and abilities, giving kids a game that will help them build friendships and learn skills they’ll use for life.” So I guess that clears that up. Net Generation is a clever marketing pun that needs to provide 50

clarity to grow the game. Jason Wass: The biggest WOW has been the play opportunities at the U.S. Open and other tournaments throughout the country giving young tennis players a chance to play on the same courts as the pros, and in some cases, getting a chance to meet their heroes. Additionally, Net Gen has done a nice job of bringing all the various USTA resources together in one place—Schools programs, JTT, marketing, etc. What do you think the New York Open, now in its second year, can do for growing the sport of tennis on Long Island? Ricky Becker: My experience from last year was that it was difficult to get people to break their weekly routine to go to the tournament, but the ones who did, really enjoyed it and wanted to go again. I know corporate support is what the tournament needs most, but most of the people I saw at the tournament last year were casual tennis fans and not those junior tournament players where tennis is a large part of their lives. Maybe a highperformance “New York Open” Junior Clinic can help both local tennis and the tournament. Steve Kaplan: The New York Open deserves the support of the local tennis community. However, the sad reality of

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • LITennisMag.com

this event is that its failure to attract fans remains a mystery. While Madison Square Garden fills the stands for celebrity tennis exhibitions, the New York Open gives savvy, local fans an up-close and economical chance to see some of the best players in the world and yet, the turnout was disappointing. The best, and most popular part of the New York Open was the New York Tennis Expo, and this event has and will continue to grow the sport. Whitney Kraft: The talented folks behind this event are already doing yeoman’s work by connecting to the communities and organizations around the Tri-State area. They have many innovative ideas and activations planned to create positive action and experiences around the event within and around NYCB LIVE. All this is a win-win for both the New York Open and tennis on Long Island and New York, as it brings people together playing, spectating and socializing. Ben Marks: The New York Open is going to help in a very similar way to what Net Generation has done … create more excitement and more access to tennis for our kids. Being able to go and be a part of amazing tournaments such as the New York Open can be a deciding factor when kids are choosing whether to continue playing tennis or not. The energy and excitement when our kids knew that they

2018 LONG ISLAND TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion were attending a pro tournament and seeing some of the best players in the world was incredible. Jason Wass: I think it is important that everyone gets exposed to the NY Open in one way or another. Being able to experience the highest level of tennis, up close and right in our own backyard, is a remarkable opportunity to get patrons excited about the game. What role does the parent play in their child’s tennis training? What are some common mistakes you see from parents? John Evert: First, I would like to emphasize that parents are critical in the early stages of a player’s development. Second, the player’s motivation always has to trump the parent’s motivation. For 35-plus years, I have seen family dynamics that I thought were great and others that were not so great. There is no perfect formula other than remembering to be a parent first. At the Evert Tennis Academy, we are very parent-friendly and consider parents a big part of the team. Dmytro Kovalevych: I believe that parents should fulfill the role of positive supporters for their child. Becoming a tennis player is a long journey, and parents should be supportive and patient to make their child’s training enjoyable. A common mistake for many parents is their emphasis on winning. Another mistake that parents make is discussing the financial commitment with their child. Both, talking to the child about how expensive tennis is and placing an emphasis on winning could create more mental pressure and make the player nervous. Ed Krass: The biggest role a parent has is to be mentally, emotionally and hopefully financially supportive of their child’s tennis goals and dreams. Making yourself available to drive to tournaments and watch without interfering is the great

balance that is sought after! The biggest mistake is when a parent wants to coach and/or teach their child anything about tennis before, during or immediately after the tournament or practice session. No matter how great a parent’s tennis background or lack thereof, most kids appreciate another different voice when it comes to tennis coaching. Love, respect and logistics-planning should be the parent’s primary objectives when raising their tennis-playing child. Kat Sorokko: Without a doubt, parents play the most important role in the child’s development in tennis. Throughout a child’s early development and young adulthood pathway, they will most likely encounter numerous coaches, tennis clubs and academies. It is the parent’s responsibility, especially at a young age to find the right coach and system for their child which will motivate them, teach them and most importantly, make them love the sport. A common mistake I see in parents is them trying to find that silver bullet and the new coach in town. I think it is important for parents not to compare their child’s development with someone

else’s and find a coach who works well with their child. Laurie Tenney Fehrs: A parent’s role in their child’s tennis training is important in so many ways. Making the sport accessible to a child in a way that they will see success immediately when they make contact with the ball. Offering them a tennis coach they can connect with so they will want to keep going. They must always be encouraging to their child and careful not to set them up in a situation for failure and disappointment. A parent’s role and goals are not about the end result of a college scholarship or ranking. For me, as a parent and a touring and teaching pro, it was about creating selfesteem for my children and keeping them in the sport for a lifetime. As adults, they are both involved in tennis and love it! What is your opinion on inmatch coaching, whether it be at the junior level or the professional level? Do you think it should be allowed to some extent? Carl Barnett: It looks like the WTA is

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2018 LONG ISLAND TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion moving toward coaching. If you don’t like it, your coach may stay in the stands. College and high school already have it, and it is a real benefit to teams and coaches. USTA junior tennis, in my opinion, shouldn’t allow coaching because not all competitors can afford a coach to travel to matches, thus creating an unfair advantage. Geoffrey Jagdfeld: On-court coaching is a tricky one, as I am of two minds on this topic. On one hand, it adds another layer into the mix of watching an exciting match. Alternatively, does it favor the person who can afford a better coach? I think when it comes down to it, having to work through the mental ups and downs of a competitive match without a coach is more intriguing. Steve Kaplan: In-match coaching goes on in junior and professional tennis today even when it’s against the rules. As rule-breaking, covert behavior, it’s usually subtle and not overly disruptive to match play. If it were legalized at the junior level, I could see the potential for some very uncivil behavior that would not be good for the sport. Despite the

individual nature of the sport of tennis, coaching at the professional level should be allowed. The enforcement of the no coaching rule is too arbitrary and the permission to coach would be consistent with almost every other professional sport. Jay Kang: Juniors or pros, I don’t think coaching should be allowed. We don’t let students study for finals and ask teachers for hints. Likewise, all players should be on their own during the match and learn to figure out a way to win. David Nisenson: I like that there is no coaching during a match. It makes tennis unique compared to other sports. I believe this forces players to learn how to problem-solve and strategize on their own. I am not opposed to the WTA experimenting with in-match coaching, but I do not like that the fans can hear what the coach is telling the player. I think it should be a private moment between the player and their coach. Laurie Tenney Fehrs: I believe in-match coaching should be available and allowed as long as both coaches are available. The smarter tennis player

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • LITennisMag.com

prospers. Therefore, if we, as their pros, can enhance their games by coaching them during a match, this would elevate the game of tennis even more. What advice would you give a junior player who is struggling with the balancing of practice and schoolwork? Lisa Dodson: It’s probably best to scale back on tennis if schoolwork becomes a struggle. Unless the player is able to leave the worry about school “at the door,” then they won’t be present enough to make their tennis practice beneficial. In fact, tennis may become frustrating, so neither activity will be satisfying. John Evert: Balancing school and tennis practice depends on age and priorities. Everyone is different. At the Evert Tennis Academy, we take academics very seriously and that is why we offer a variety of options. I will say that if the child is trying to play at the highest level, they need to practice twice a day because that is what their competitors globally are doing. The good news is that home schooling and online schooling are getting better and more recognized by colleges. Michael Fehrs: With the pressure on education these days, practice should be the outlet for every child. For those students who struggle, prioritizing and balancing schoolwork and practice will help alleviate the pressure of succeeding. Dmytro Kovalevych: Balancing practice and schoolwork requires self-discipline from the player. I suggest that the player who struggles with tennis and schoolwork should develop a plan or a list of things to do for each day of the week. Developing a plan for the day, together with a discipline to stick to that plan, should help the player to stay on track. Kat Sorokko: Every child, regardless of their talent or potential, should have

2018 LONG ISLAND TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion school as their primary area of focus. Time management is obviously a big factor to help balance tennis and schoolwork. My advice would be to plan ahead. Write out the test, projects and tournaments you have for the month. Communicate with your teachers when you will be missing school for tournaments, and it never hurts to bring back a trophy to show your teacher and thank them for their support. The Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) has become a major factor in junior tennis over the last year or so. How have you or your players utilized this ranking system and has it been beneficial? Whitney Kraft: UTR is changing every day and provides for accurate data derived from head-to-head results. Level disparities have always been a challenge for matching players. UTR provides a platform to ensure players are matched accordingly providing for close contests. As well, it bridges gender and age, and allows for more play options. All features customizable by the host and or organizer. UTR provides accuracy with the volume of play, therefore, motivating players to play more and work to increase their individual level. Ed Krass: The UTR is a big benefit to our juniors in that they will now get credit for playing and losing close matches to players ranked above them. The UTR’s sophisticated algorithm for rating players seems to be a very accurate way to rate players, from one to 16, with one being a beginner and 16 being one of the top ATP players in the world. I use the Universal Tennis Rating to do all my tournament event seedings and to place juniors, attending my College Tennis Exposure Camps, into their initial groups. Kat Sorokko: The UTR system has been a great resource for us here at John

McEnroe Tennis Academy in Syosset. We have many great players who train here with us at JMTA year-round, and the UTR system has helped us measure and track our players’ development. I also use the UTR frequently when traveling to ITF tournaments to gauge the level of the international players who don’t have a USTA ranking and cannot be found on the TennisRecuiting.net Web site. What advice do you give your students on dealing with a situation where they feel their opponents are cheating? Geoffrey Jagdfeld: Make sure you question a cheater on the first bad call. They will rarely change the call, but you will have at least notified them that you are on to them. When cheating happens, have rehearsed statements to use such as: “Are you sure? It looked good from here;” “Are you sure about that call? That’s two that looked in to me.” Follow up with, “How far out was it?” and/or “I thought that ball was in. I’ll get an official so we can just play tennis.” Jay Kang: When your opponent is

cheating, there isn’t much you can do as a junior tennis player. You just have to stay positive and learn to control your emotions. Of course, getting the refs to watch would be helpful, but they don’t stay more than a couple of points anyways. Dmytro Kovalevych: If a player thinks they were cheated for the first time during the match, I advise that they question the call or ask their opponent to show the mark (if the match is played on clay courts). It won’t necessarily impact the opponent’s initial decision, but they might not be so confident to cheat again. If the cheating happens again, I suggest that the player goes to the referee, explains the situation, and asks the referee to monitor the game. Also, the players who usually cheat won’t make a bad call if the ball lands way within the lines. That’s why, tactically, I would advise my students to aim the ball not too close to the lines, especially at key points during a match. David Nisenson: I think at the younger ages, some players are under a lot of parental pressure to win, and unfortunately, this can result in cheating.

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2018 LONG ISLAND TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion Tennis is the only youth sport that is officiated by the players. I would love to see these tournaments have a high school-aged kid on the court to help with the officiating. I have been to too many tournaments where the Tournament Director is there alone and not on the court, unless they are called out for a dispute. If a player felt like their opponent was cheating I would tell them to let the first bad call go, and if it happens again, to stop play and get the Tournament Director. Sometimes a match can be decided by a few points, and therefore, cheating can have a significant impact on the outcome of a match. What advice would you give to a student who wants to end their relationship with a coach because they feel they are no longer improving? Carl Barnett: “Why” is the big question? This turns out well often, but doesn’t work when the reason for change is not well-founded. The parent needs to hear the child, watch the

lessons and then know that too many coaching changes aren’t advisable either. Ricky Becker: Do it! You cannot change the player, but you can change the coach. I don’t know any coach with a modicum of experience who hasn’t had a player change coaches because the player felt they weren’t improving, whether it was justified or not. What I do suggest though is to be classy about it, and depending on the relationship with the coach, either tell them in-person or over the phone. Don’t let the awkwardness of the conversation push you to sending a text or just ignore the coach altogether. David Nisenson: Very few players have one coach their entire career. Sometimes, a coaching change is necessary and can be very beneficial. A new voice and a fresh pair of eyes can often be the push a young player needs. That being said, however, some players jump from coach to coach way too often. There definitely needs to be a good line of communication between the player and coach, and the player’s

family needs to decide what is best for the player. Laurie Tenney Fehrs: When a child has been with a coach for a long period of time and feels no improvement occurring, that can be discouraging. However, it can be as simple as changing a relationship in distress or adding another pro’s expertise in the different aspects of the game. My first suggestion would be to create some excitement by asking the coach about new things you might like to learn or why you are losing. That often creates a spark in the coach-student relationship, and the purpose in the lesson improves. If the connection is lost, then that would be the time to research someone new that will perhaps give you what is missing in your game. Change is easy, but often not the right answer. Name the best things about the current landscape about tennis on Long Island and name some of the glaring issues where improvements are needed? Ricky Becker: I think the good and bad

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2018 LONG ISLAND TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion are both associated with pros and courts. There are a lot of solid coaches now on Long Island, but a common strategy many clubs are using is to bring in someone from out of town, hype them up and then do something that makes that pro leave Long Island. Juniors are getting good coaching, but not the same quality long-term coaching. It also seems like there are quite a few indoor clubs for kids to train which is of course good for consumers as far as clubs competing with one another. On the flip side, it seems like some outdoor tennis club are being sold for housing which is bad for local tennis, especially for adults and families. Michael Fehrs: The current landscape of tennis on Long Island, in my opinion, is good. There have been new programs and more inexpensive ways to get new children and adults involved in the sport. The number one thing that I feel needs to be improved upon is making junior tennis more team-oriented to get that feeling of camaraderie that other team sports have. Steve Kaplan: Long Island has great tennis resources, but the promotional practices of many clubs and pros is as divisive, tribal and partisan as the political landscape is today. This does not help attract players to stay in such a difficult and economically-challenging sport. To grow, we need to recognize that there is no better sport than tennis to further education and health, and this should be the centerpiece of our collective message. Ben Marks: From personal experience both as a Director and as Coach of Cold Spring Harbor High School, I think more needs to be done during tennis seasons for our players. More understanding from coaches about players missing practice (even just once a week) to come to coaching groups can only be a good thing. We find that once high school play-

ers make their high school teams, through hard work put in at their clubs, they tend to pull back slightly during the season, as they are already playing every day. This harms our players’ development in the long run, as although they are hitting a lot of balls at high school practices, there is often no corrections or learning really happening. It is impossible to give 18 players the attention they need as a single coach, whereas during their club tennis, most clubs offer a maximum of four students per pro. Having coaches with a little more flexibility will benefit all of our players, clubs and high school teams. Jason Wass: There are a number of success stories coming out of Long Island tennis. Noah Rubin reaching his career-best ranking, Cannon Kingsley and Lea Ma reaching the third round of Junior Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, a number of high level tennis players contributing at the college level, etc. These are great accomplishments. However, in order to see strong results like these in the future, we need to find ways to engage players and keep players playing at all ages and levels. Creating social and team environments around the sport are important if we want to keep players connected to the game, whether they are young or old. How should a player go about choosing their coach and how should they know who would be a good fit for them? Carl Barnett: Ask friends, get referrals and try a few different coaches. As a child progresses, they may move from a coach who is a good remedial instructor, to a coach whose focus is both on strokes, match play and has a strong group of other tournament players close to and better than your child. Lisa Dodson: This can be a very important decision. The coach needs to be available, positive, organized and

understanding. Going to the busiest and most sought-after coach may not be the way to go as they have less and less time to provide personal attention. The player’s emotional needs come before skill set. Most reputable coaches can teach adequate strokes, but not all of them can provide the mental and attitude coaching that kids need most. John Evert: Great question! Choosing a coach requires trust, belief and passion. It is important that the coach is experienced or knowledgeable, but it is essential that the coach is committed. The best developmental coaches put their ego aside and do what is best for the player. At Evert Tennis Academy, we hand-pick our coaches to ensure program quality and personalization. Geoffrey Jagdfeld: First, find a coach who specializes in the area you need to improve upon. Secondly, look for a USPTA-certified coach who has the proper training and experience. Then, look for a coach that “gets” your child’s needs. Finally, look for a coach that fits your budget. Jay Kang: Finding a perfect coach for a student is very tough. Students must trust the coach’s ability to guide in all aspects of the game, especially the non-tangibles for tournament players. Just like hiring any other professional, ask for student/parent references and also find out about their reputation as a coach. Ed Krass: A player should choose their coach after previewing and taking a few lessons first. Hopefully, the player and parents really like the coach’s background and bio before the lessons take place. If there is a good communication style coming from the coach and the player can feel good progress is being made, then we have a good match between player and coach.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Takeaways From the 2018 U.S. Open By Brian Coleman

The emergence of Naomi Osaka Photo credit: USTA/Darren Carroll

The story of the 2018 U.S. Open is the breakout performance of Naomi Osaka. To say that that the 20-year-old played dominant tennis during her fortnight in Queens would be an understatement. She bulldozed through her opening round matches, and only dropped one set throughout the tournament. Her performance culminated in a near-perfect showing in the championship match against Serena Williams to claim her maiden Grand Slam title, which most likely won’t be her last. Djokovic’s dominant return Photo credit: USTA/Garrett Ellwood

It had been a rough yearand-a-half stretch for Novak Djokovic as injuries broke down the player that we saw dominate the sport in 2016. But he seems to have regained that form and is back to being a consistent title threat at Grand Slams, which was evident with his showing at the U.S Open. Expectations were already high after he claimed the Wimbledon 56

title earlier in the summer, but Djokovic was unbeatable in Flushing Meadows. After losing a third-set tiebreaker to Tennys Sandgren in the second round, the Serb rattled off 16 consecutive sets which included wins over Kei Nishikori in the semifinals before beating Juan Martin del Potro in the finals. Djokovic is now tied with Pete Sampras with 14 career Grand Slams. Mattek-Sands returns after devastating injury Photo credit: USTA/Darren Carroll

Last July, American Bethanie MattekSands suffered a gruesome knee injury at Wimbledon, one that brought a long recovery process along with it. But she persevered and returned to the court earlier this year, and partnered with Jamie Murray in the Mixed Doubles draw of the U.S. Open. The duo would fight back in the finals to beat Alicja Rosolska & Nikola Mektic, 2-6, 6-3, 119, as Mattek-Sands claimed her eighth Grand Slam title overall,

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • LITennisMag.com

2018 U.S. OPEN TAKEAWAYS and perhaps her most significant: “It was a little emotional getting that win. I thought I did a really good job throughout all the matches, kind of putting that aside and just going out there and playing tennis,” said Mattek-Sands. The Serena spectacle While the 2018 U.S. Open delivered some fantastic tennis and exhilarating matches, there is no doubt the biggest storyline to arise from Flushing Meadows was the dramatic scenes during the women’s final. By now, I am sure you’ve either seen, read or heard about what happened: Serena received code violations for coaching and smashing her racket, before being given a game penalty for saying “thief” and “liar” to the chair umpire, Carlos Ramos. In today’s climate, people rushed to either defend or vilify Serena, but regardless of how you feel about the situation, there’s no doubting the scene marred what was otherwise a thrilling fortnight of women’s tennis in Queens. The Kyrgios pep talk Ramos’ game penalty to Serena wasn’t the only story involving an umpire to arise from the tournament. Early on, Nick Kyrgios was down a set and 0-3 to Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert and was showing no signs

of effort. So chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani stepped down from his chair to give Kyrgios what was seemingly a pep talk: “I want to help you,” Lahyani can be heard saying. “I know this is not you.” Kyrgios would go on to win the match which stirred up controversy over whether or not Lahyani crossed a line. Whether or not the talk itself was the reason Kyrgios turned things around, the optics of the situation did not look good for either Lahyani or Kyrgios. The heat What would the U.S. Open be without the long sweltering days of relenting heat and humidity. The 2018 version may have been the worst yet, with oftentimes unbearable conditions that forced the USTA to implement its Extreme Heat Policy for just about the entire first week. The policy called for a 10-minute break at the end of the third set in men’s matches, and at the end of the second set in women’s matches. “Ten minutes?” said Leonardo Mayer, who retired in the fourth set of his match. “I would have needed an hour-anda-half.” The heat during the U.S. Open isn’t going to be going away and, in fact, it will most likely only continue to get worse. The upsets One of the best parts about the Grand Slams, and specifically the U.S. Open, is the stage it offers for younger or lesser-known players to throw a wrench into the draw with an upset. It started right away with top-seed Simona Halep getting bounced by Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi in the

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

2018 U.S. OPEN TAKEAWAYS opening round, and while Kanepi is certainly an established pro who has had success at the U.S. Open before, it was certainly an upset that rattled the draw. Aryna Sabalenka showed out with a win over fifth-seed Petra Kvitova, and Anastsija Sevastova took out defending champion and third-seeded Sloane Stephens, as well as seventh-seed Elina Svitolina. And who can forget John Millman ousting Roger Federer? I expect more upsets to continue at the Grand Slams as we head into the 2019 Australian Open. Another U.S. Open, another year of epic matches The U.S. Open never seems to disappoint in terms of delivering some of the most entertaining tennis, and this year was no different. The highlight may have been the quarterfinal showdown between Dominic Thiem and Rafael Nadal. The two battled for nearly five hours and in a five-set thriller that could have went either way. That match came just two rounds after Nadal needed more than four hours to beat Karen Khachanov in a match that featured incredible rallies and multiple tiebreakers. Sloane Stephens captained a comeback against Anhelina Kalinina, battling through the devastating heat to win that match in three sets, and the fourth-round clash between Aryna Sabalenka and Naomi Osaka produced some big-time winners and clutch playing from Osaka. And that’s just to name a few.

The opening of Louis Armstrong Stadium The beginning of the 2018 U.S. Open was highlighted by the opening of the new Louis Armstrong Stadium. After years of construction and a huge investment from the USTA, the

stadium debuted over the two weeks in Flushing Meadows. Overall, it got great reviews from the players who competed inside the 14,000-seat stadium: “I think it’s a great court,” said Caroline Wozniacki. “It’s intimate.” Some things do still need to be figured out though, including the uneven shade and sun balance that oftentimes plagued the court, as well as the camera angle when watching on television. It was located too far from the court and didn’t make for a great viewing experience. But in all, it was a spectacular debut for Louis Armstrong Stadium. The continued dominance of the Big Four While Roger Federer was upset and Andy Murray withdrew before the tournament started, it was the same song and dance on the men’s side as the Big Four’s reign continued. Novak Djokovic seems to be in the midst of a resurgence and Rafael Nadal, despite retiring, showed that he is still one of the toughest outs in tennis. While Juan Martin del Potro isn’t in the Big Four, he is a former Grand Slam champion and returned to his first major final in nine years. But where are the deep Grand Slam runs from promising young talent such as Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem? Thiem was denied advancing in spectacular fashion by Nadal, but even so, with the sport’s most dominant players in their 30s, when will we see a fresh face on the men’s side hoisting a Grand Slam trophy? Brian Coleman is Senior Editor for Long Island Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by phone at (516) 409-4444, ext. 326 or e-mail BrianC@USPTennis.com.

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Are Tennis Officials Human? By Barbara Wyatt hird set tie-break. Pete was serving at 11-11. Arturo, his partner at the net, turned and gave him the nod, “We can do this.” Pete hit a power serve and the ball hit inside and deep. The opponent extended his racket, lunged and managed a sloppy return off the rim. “Whap!” the sound from the mishit reverberated throughout the court. The ball popped up. Pete ran forward, a grin on his face, thankful for the easy put-away. He raised his racket and slammed the ball into the bottom of the net. “Sh!#,” he said. The tennis official said, “Code violation. Audible profanity. Loss of point, Mr. Pete. Match over.” Pete’s unforced error into the net took the score to 11-12. His one-word outburst resulted in the loss of another point and ended the tie-break at 11-13. Loss of tiebreak. Loss of match. Loss of team match. No advancement to USTA Nationals. Did the opponents hear the profanity? If it isn’t heard by the opponents, is it a profanity? Are tennis officials even human? A

one-word outburst and an entire team is unable to advance? Pete said an obscenity. The rule in the USTA Friend at Court 2018: Handbook of Rules & Regulations does not question if it was audible to the opponents, only that it was heard. At the 2018 U.S. Open, Chair Umpire Carlos Ramos gave Serena Williams a game penalty after he said she accrued three violations noted in the 2018 Official Grand Slam Rule Book: Receiving coaching, smashing a racket, and verbally abusing Ramos. The Internet exploded with videos of players slamming rackets, cursing tennis officials and calling officials names. Officials had been called “thieves” (code violation), “an abortion” (no code violation), “unattractive inside” (code violation, but less than the full fine), “son-of-a-b#$@h” (no code violation), “corrupt” (code violation), and other uncomplimentary names. Wherein lies the problem. Tennis officials are dancing between a tight adhesion to the rules or are showing discretion. Players demand discretion when the error is on their side of the court. But when the error is on the opponent’s side, players are quick to request a “Follow-the-Rules-to-a-T” decision.

Officials are passionate about the game of tennis. Each year, they attend workshops and participate in Webinars. They are tested on the rules and safe play conduct, and they take eye exams. Yes, even eye exams. Tennis officials are humans. They are educated to ensure a standard of fairness, objectivity and neutrality in the game. Maybe it is not a question of officiating, but imprecise rules. The follow-up to the 2018 U.S. Open is to ask, “Why not let coaches instruct their players?” Maybe, in the future we could watch and admire the dazzling mental wit of Coach John McEnroe as he paces up and down on the sidelines, while his players battle against an equally competitive team coached by Ivan Lendl. Now that’s entertainment! Barbara Wyatt is a Writer, Photographer, USTA Official, and Mobile App Developer of iKnowTennis!, the tennis rules app. Her poem, Ode to Tennis, an amusing poem on the joys and frustrations when learning tennis, is available at Amazon. She can be reached by e-mail at BarbaraW@iKnowTennis.com.

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“I’m So Tight! How Can I Lossen Up?” By Rob Polishook, Mental Training Coach MA, CPC In my first book, Tennis Inside the Zone: Mental Training Workouts for Champions, I wrote a chapter entitled, “OMG, I’m Nervous …What Do I Do?” At the time I wrote that chapter, that was the top question tennis players brought to me. But there is another question tennis players experience and grapple with that is equally important. These players will say, “I was so tight, I couldn’t hit a ball!” or “I’m so tight, why? I’m going to lose!” and “How can I loosen up?” When a player is noticing tightness, it is most often about anxiety, nervousness or fear. The description “tight” usually means the player is experiencing one or all of these symptoms: Shortness of breath, tingling, a lack of energy, clammy skin, overall impatience and rushing. So what’s a player to do? How do we get back to a more relaxed place so the match feels more like practice? Here are five ways a player can loosen up … 1. Stop fighting Rather than fighting your thoughts and feelings and trying to get rid of them, try turning towards them and accepting how you feel right now. Simple acceptance eliminates the struggle and allows you the freedom to make adjustments and find your rhythm. You can talk to the feeling and say, “I’m noticing something inside of me is tight.” Then say, “I’m going to say hello to it because it’s clearly worried.” This strategy helps you see that your thoughts are not you, nor is the tightness. Rather, it’s something you are simply aware off and notice. Remember, your thoughts are not truths and your feelings are not fatal. They are like a movie you are watching. No need to fuse together with them and feel like they control 60

you and highjack the moment, point, game from the outcome and tightness. Between or match. points, before your serve or prior to returns, bring your attention to your breath and 2. Shift the focus breathe. You won’t be sorry. The anxiety a player is experiencing is most likely a result of focusing on something you 5. Grounding cannot control. Maybe you are trying to con- Shift your attention to your feet. Whether it’s trol the outcome or what the coach thinks, or a serve or a return of a serve, notice both of how you “think” you should be playing. But all your feet touching the ground. If you are of these things are beyond your control. bouncing on your toes or just feeling the Change your focus to something you can balls of your feet, notice the contact with the control. You might focus on committing to ground. By doing this, you will become your game and using strategies that set you aware that you are stable, balanced and apart. Maybe you want to try breaking up the centered. Being centered will help the nervmatch or the game into smaller pieces, fo- ous system settle. cusing on one point and one shot at a time. These five centering tips can be used 3. Shake it off separately or can be combined into a beNotice where you are feeling the tightness in tween-point or between-game ritual. Be creyour body. If it is in your arm, shake the arm. ative. It’s important to remember as you are If it is in your feet, shake your feet. Your shoul- doing any of these tips to be present while ders? Shake them! Shaking can help the body doing them. The object, for example, is not to release tension and feel connected. to do the breathing exercise so you can You might even ask yourself, “How would loosen up. This conditional type of thinking I feel if I was loose and relaxed?” Or you can will only make you tighter. The idea is to ask this question about a stroke: “How breathe, and to “be the breath.” Be present would it feel if my serve was relaxed?” to the breath or shaking or noticing your feet Rather than answering this, allow your body contacting the ground. By doing this, you to feel, relax and release it. Right now, ask have a better chance of settling down. If by yourself, “How would my jaw feel if it was chance you don’t settle in, don’t get upset loose?” If you are like most people, you will that you don’t feel how you want. Stick to realize you have been clenching or holding this process, the real game is creating the your jaw tight. Just the awareness alone will discipline to be present to the little things. prompt you to let go and settle. Soon this will translate to bigger things. This will allow you the best chance to play the 4. Breathe next shot, point, game and match from a Bringing your attention to your breath and centered place. breathing patterns is a secret of so many pros. This allows the player to bring oxygen Rob Polishook, MA, CPC is Founder and Diinto the body to replenish and reset. A little rector of Inside the Zone Sports Performknown fact is that by inhaling, you are acti- ance Group. As a Mental Training Coach, he vating the sympathetic nervous system that works with athletes and teams, focusing on provides you with energy. Exhaling activates helping athletes gain the mental edge. Rob is the parasympathetic nervous system, allow- Author of Tennis Inside the Zone: Mental ing for calm and relaxation. Breathing in and Training Workouts for Champions. He may out serves to ground, balance and help be reached by phone at (973) 723-0314, eloosen you up so you can get out of your mail Rob@InsideTheZone.com or visit Insidmind. It also helps to shift the focus away eTheZone.com.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • LITennisMag.com

Losing Won’t Kill You: A Coaching Tip Regarding Match Preparation By Tonny van de Pieterman uring my playing days, I had the opportunity to play for a National Singles Championship. After a great streak of matches, I reached the finals. The night before the match, I was extremely nervous. I had beaten my opponent three times already during the year, but I was not sure of myself. All three matches had been very close (7-6, 6-4 … 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 … 6-4, 4-6, 7-6). In each of these matches, I had experienced moments when the match could have easily gone the other way. I’m sure my opponent had felt the same way. All night, my mind was consumed by fear. A horrible scenario was playing through my head where I was going to lose the match … after I had beaten him three times! The last match was as recent as a week prior. Even though all these matches were important to me, I would gladly trade them in for this one upcoming match. This is the one I really wanted. The thought of losing was unbearable. I couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep, my mind was racing. Only in hindsight did I learn that uncertainty creates that type of anxiety. Uncertainty can be both exciting and frightening. They are two sides of the same coin. Clearly, I was in “Camp Fear.” The morning of the match, I was exhausted. I had slept poorly and I was not looking forward to the match. I thought to myself, “How can I look forward to something that I am afraid of?” After a light breakfast, I went back to my hotel room to pack up and get ready for the match. My energy level was low. I wanted to win this match so badly, yet I was paralyzed by my fear of losing. As a last resort, I made myself look at the ‘unthinkable,’ losing the match. I asked myself what would happen if I indeed lost the match, and how I would

feel. Well, I thought, that depends. It depends on “How.” I came to the conclusion that if I could still be proud of myself after the match, even after losing, that I would live; I would be alright. Losing can sometimes feel like dying. It all changed for me at that point. I decided at that moment that I was going to work hard on the court and that I was going to remain calm. That would give me the best chance to play within myself, as my coach always preached, and I would be able to problem-solve. With this commitment to myself, my energy level picked up immediately. I then started to look forward to the match. In hindsight, what I had done was take my focus off the outcome, and placed it on maintaining my self-confidence, working hard and staying calm. Those behaviors were in my control. The uncertainty of the match was still there, but the uncertainty of my “survival” was not. I was going to represent myself the best way I could. Years later, I have been able to use this match preparation several times with top junior players overcome by nerves. By carefully looking at the worst case scenario

and by holding onto what you can control, you will be able to find some solid footing and turn some of the nerves into excitement. The uncertainty of tennis matches may drive you nuts, but it is also the reason we love the competition so much. Oh, in case you were wondering about my National Championship final … I lost the first set, 3-6. One break of serve. I stayed calm. I won the second set, 6-4. One break of serve. At 4-3 in the third set, I hit a brilliant running topspin lob to break serve and go up 5-3. I still remember the hair on my neck and the goosebumps! Somehow, I managed to serve it out for the Championship … it was a good day. Tonny van de Pieterman is director of tennis at Point Set Indoor Racquet Club. He was recently named USTA Tennis Professional of the Year for the USTA/EasternLong Island Region and helped the Eastern Section win this year’s Talbert Cup. He may be reached by phone at (516) 536-2323 or e-mail Tonny@PointSetTennis.com.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Albany Tennis Academy

Casa de Campo

(242) 823-5979 WindsorHighSchoolatAlbany.com GrantDoyle@WindsorPrep.com Located on New Providence in The Bahamas, the Albany Tennis Academy is set on the 25-acre campus of Windsor High School, adjacent to the renowned, luxury resort community of Albany. The unique day and boarding school combines an academic curriculum based on the Cambridge system with unprecedented athletic and training academies for both tennis and golf. Powered by former world number one Lleyton Hewitt, the Albany Tennis Academy delivers an intensive training and development program for aspiring student-athletes, with personalized instruction, conditioning and guidance from an expert team of coaches and staff, including Director Grant Doyle. Student-athletes train on Windsor High School’s cutting-edge facilities, which include the latest PlaySight smart court technology, a fully interactive technology which monitors and tracks all activity on the court and offers professional-level analysis. “At the Albany Tennis Academy, we prepare student-athletes both physically and mentally for the game’s highest level,” said Lleyton Hewitt. For parents or families visiting Albany Tennis Academy student-athletes, the ideal place to stay is the luxury resort community of Albany. The collective vision of its founders–Joe Lewis and the Tavistock Group, and golfing greats Tiger Woods and Ernie Els–Albany features an unparalleled combination of surroundings, architecture, service and sporting amenities including an 18-hole championship golf course, a mega-yacht marina, fitness center, boxing ring and CrossFit course, spa and salon, a racquet center with Har-Tru courts and a paddle court, numerous pools, including a kid’s waterpark, and restaurants. Albany’s boutique hotel provides some of the finest accommodations in the Caribbean.

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Casa de Campo offers the widest array of experiences found in the Caribbean. The 7,000-acre luxury resort offers choice accommodations, whether in hotel rooms and suites or spacious villas. The deluxe lodging options are accented by dining at acclaimed restaurants, such as The Beach Club by Le Cirque and La Cana by II Circo. Dozens of other restaurants, bars and lounges give guest plenty of variety during their stay. For those guests seeking more of a thrill, The Sporting Life has countless options for athletic excitement. Experience 90 holes of Pete Dye designed gold courses—Teeth of the Dog, Links, La Romana Country Club and Dye Fore—Shooting Center, Equestrian Center, Polo Club, Marina for deep sea and river fishing, Yacht Club and exclusive beaches. Called the “Wimbledon of the Caribbean,” La Terraza Tennis Club overlooks the entire resort, as well as the Caribbean Sea. The club features 13 fast-dry Har-Tru courts, 10 of which are lighted for night play. Thirty-two ball boys in crisp white tennis attire chase errant shots, which not only makes guests’ matches more pleasant, but also helps local Dominican children learn the game and look forward to a brighter future.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • LITennisMag.com

Elite Tennis Travel

Evert Tennis Academy

(914) 713-5074 EliteTennisTravel.com Info@EliteTennisTravel.com Elite Tennis Travel designs exclusive tennis and cultural immersion programs across Europe, the Caribbean and beyond. Whether your dream trip includes high-performance tennis training, premium access to world-class ATP tennis tournaments, or VIP-only cultural experiences, we will create the perfect tennis holiday for you. n Indian Wells, Calif.: Join Elite Tennis Travel for tennis in paradise. The desert will be in full bloom, and the stars of the tennis world will all be shining at Indian Wells. n Havana, Cuba: Be part of the revival of Cuba’s tennis community through Elite Tennis Travel’s one-of-a-kind cultural exchange program. Forge unforgettable ties with the Cuban National Team. Meet the Cuban leaders, coaches and players that are shaping the future of Cuban sports and politics. n Monte Carlo, Monaco: Perhaps the most stunning tennis venue in the world, the Monte Carlo Country Club is well worth the trip for the Rolex Masters. But when coupled with Elite Tennis Travel’s VIP access to the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy, the Monte Carlo experience becomes the tennis trip of a lifetime. Explore nearby Nice, shop the couture boutiques, and relax at one of the regions luxury spas. n Barcelona, Spain: Our signature journey, built around the Barcelona Open, is a client favorite for good reason. Daily tennis coaching at the historic Club Real de Barcelona is followed by delicious indulgence in wine-tasting and day-tripping across the spectacular Costa Brava. n Rome, Italy: The world’s most elegant game, played in Europe’s Eternal City. Join Elite Tennis Travel for Grand Slamlevel tennis in a timeless setting along the Tiber River. n Custom trip planning: Get in touch any time, and Elite Tennis Travel will plan your trip for you!

10334 Diego Drive S Boca Raton, Fla. (561) 488-2001 EvertAcademy.com The Evert Tennis Academy is located in the beautiful town of Boca Raton, Fla., nestled in a beautiful residential neighborhood. Evert Tennis Academy’s convenient location is only a short drive from the beaches of Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale and Miami, and is roughly 30 minutes away from Palm Beach (PBI) and Fort Lauderdale International (FLL) airports. The Miami International airport (MIA) is also only 45 minutes away. Chrissie, John and their father, Jimmy Evert, established the Evert Tennis Academy in 1996. The Evert Tennis Academy quickly became, and continues to be, the home to countless national and international junior players, best college players and some of the world’s finest pros. Evert Tennis Academy offers personalized and individualized programs the all year-round for junior players worldwide, including Holiday Camps, Summer Camps, Pre-Tournament Training and Full-Time Programs (year/semester). If you are a basic player looking to get instruction that is more technical or if you are a highly-ranked national player looking for some intense competition, Evert Tennis Academy has a program for you. The Evert Tennis Academy campus contains 23 courts, which offer two types of playing surfaces, including 12 hard courts and 11 clay courts. Moreover, the Evert Tennis Academy has two secondary sites with over 25 courts to conduct its program, including a private club, which is only minutes away from the Academy. Our campus also has one girls dormitory and one boys dormitory, a cafeteria, a strength and conditioning room, a massage and athletic training room, a clubhouse, and an academic classroom.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Fisher Island Club

Gleneagles Country Club

One Fisher Island Drive Fisher Island, Fla. (305) 535-6000 FisherIslandClub.com Reservations@FisherIslandClub.com Ranked one of the finest facilities of its kind in the world and now number one in the East Coast region of the United States by Tennis Magazine, Fisher Island’s Mediterranean-inspired Racquet Club offers play on 18 courts, three types of playing surfaces (two grass courts, two Decocushion hard courts), nine Har-Tru clay courts, and five European red clay courts–all surrounded by lush green hedging that ensures complete privacy, inviting members and guests to pass shots day or night. Fisher Island Club’s landmark resort blends the charm of the past with the best-in world-class amenities and recreation. If your idea of a perfect love match is played at an exclusive, private island tennis center, look no further as Fisher Island feels a world apart, yet it’s close to all of the excitement of Miami and Miami Beach. Fisher Island Club recently completed the conversion of Courts Eight and Nine to “French Open” European red clay courts. The Club is now one of few tennis facilities in the world to offer all four “Grand Slam” surfaces–a very special accomplishment! Fisher Island invites you to come by its Tennis Center and try out its brand new courts for yourselves. You will love the way they play!

7667 Victory Lane Delray Beach, Fla. (561) 860-8794 GlenEagles.cc Membership@GlenEagles.cc With perfect temperatures year-round, every day feels like a vacation when you are a member at Gleneagles Country Club in Delray Beach, Fla. With 20 Har-Tru night-lit courts, one hard court, and four pickleball courts, the Gleneagles Tennis Center is a tropical paradise where former resident pros Ivan Lendl and Steffi Graf honed their craft. The USPTA-certified staff offers private and group lessons for all ages. Never worry about finding a game, as Gleneagles Country Club’s tennis concierge will place you in games and monitor your satisfaction. If you are looking for competition, you can play on one of 25 teams in nine different leagues for both men and women at various levels. After your game, enjoy a complimentary beverage and relax on the patio. If shopping is on your mind, the Pro Shop has the latest styles at member-friendly prices. In addition to tennis, Gleneagles members enjoy some of the best amenities in South Florida, with a 100,000-square feet main clubhouse that features three restaurants and two bars, a brand new Healthy Lifestyle Center encompassing a spacious fitness center, tranquil spa, and resort-style pool, in addition to 36 holes of Championship golf. Set in the seaside town of Delray Beach, between Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale, Gleneagles Country Club is close to award-winning restaurants, shopping, museums, beaches and a vibrant downtown. Gleneagles is regarded as one of the best values in South Florida. Prices for homes and garden residences start in the $100,000 range. Country club joining fees start at $35,000.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • LITennisMag.com

Peter Kaplan’s Westhampton Beach Junior/Adult Tennis Academy (631) 288-4021 • (914) 234-9462 WestHamptonBeachTennis.com PeterKaplan2002@yahoo.com Peter Kaplan’s Westhampton Beach Junior/Adult Tennis Academy, and the affiliated Grassmere Inn, is a wonderful destination for beginners to nationally-ranked players of all ages. Private instruction, clinics, one to seven full- and half-day camps are offered. The flexibility of the programming enables participants to enjoy the nearby beautiful ocean beaches, charming village, Performing Arts Center, movie theatre, wine country, shopping, cafes, restaurants and nearby water park. The Tennis Academy features 12 soft courts and features an enthusiastic staff, renowned for its high-quality instruction with an average student/staff ratio of 2:1. Most participants seek a less intensive program of three to five hours of instruction daily. Visiting tennis pros bring students with Kaplan’s staff available to supplement the pros. Here, you can play tennis during the day, go to the beach and have a glass of wine at sunset, and then dine at a great restaurant, or take in a movie or a show at the Performing Arts Center. Westhampton Beach Junior/Adult Tennis Academy is the only academy in the world the USTA selected for the members benefits program for both juniors and adults. And Westhampton Beach Junior/Adult Tennis Academy is annually selected among the top 25 in the world and number one in the East by TennisResortsonline.com. Programs including accommodations and tennis instruction begin at $99 per person/day.

Tennis Fantasies with John Newcombe and the Legends Contact Steve Contardi: (800) 874-7788 TennisFantasies.net SteveC@TowneProperties.com Enjoy the best tennis vacation of your life! Tennis Fantasies with John Newcombe and the Legends, the original tennis fantasy camp, is your chance to play tennis and rub shoulders with the alltime greats of the game. Join host three-time Wimbledon Champion John Newcombe and his “mates” at the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch in New Braunfels, Texas for a most memorable tennis event. The legendary staff will include International Tennis Hall of Fame Members John Newcombe, Roy Emerson and Charlie Pasarell, as well as Grand Slam winners Ross Case, Marty Riessen, Dick Stockton, Brian Gottfried, Rick Leach and The Jensen Brothers. Together, more than 150 Grand Slam titles and hundreds of other major championships are assembled under one roof! Learn, play and mingle with tennis royalty. Tennis Fantasies 2019 offers two great programs: n March 7-10, 2019: Tennis Fantasies (Men and Women) n October 20-25, 2019: Tennis Fantasies (Men Only) On-court activities include clinics, team competition, and “fantasy” pro-am matches. After tennis, guests will enjoy the “Aussie-style” hospitality of the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch. The Ranch is located just outside of New Braunfels in the rolling Hill country of central Texas, 30 minutes from the San Antonio airport. The crystal clear water of Canyon Lake, the Guadalupe River, and the Comal River are just minutes from the Ranch. Accommodations at the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch are one- or two-bedroom condominiums or a courtside room. The Ranch has 32 deco-turf and four Har-Tru courts, eight lighted and four all-weather covered courts for guaranteed tennis every day.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

The Lefty Side of T By Michael Smookler t’s at that moment you realize your opponent looks strange. The ball isn’t bouncing the right way. You say, “Oh, they’re a lefty.” Speaking from the lefty’s point of view, the most important tactic is to get off to a quick start. The lack of awareness from your opponent is an advantage you should

be taking advantage of. Eventually, righties will make the necessary adjustment to get back in the match. Hopefully by that time, you have a comfortable lead. Righty spin, lefty spin Lefties hit the same spin a righty does. The difference is the side of the ball the they hit from. For example, a righty’s slice serve is struck on the right side of the ball and bounces left to right of the returner. A lefty’s

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • LITennisMag.com

slice serve is hit on the left side of the ball and bounces right to left of the returner. A practical serving tactic is for the lefty server to jam the returners’ forehand on the deuce side and take them out of the court on the ad side. This is an easy way to create a weak return or open up the court to take control of the point. For groundstrokes, a lefty forehand will tend to jump right to left of the opponent and left to right on the backhand side.

Things There are usually some cheap points to win off of those shots since the righty may not be prepared for the awkward bounce. Lefties work on your weakness On the deuce side, work on serving out wide and up the service T. Now, when you are warming up your serve during your match warm up, serve to your strength. Do not show them you can hit the other spots. Once the match begins, after a few points, start mixing up location, like a dominant pitcher does in baseball game. Once your opponent has made their adjustments, mixing up location becomes more important to keep them off balance and guessing. Do you like your backhand? What I have noticed, as a fellow lefty and a teaching pro over the years, is that we tend to favor our backhand over the forehand. How many lefties do you know, if they swing a bat or golf club, swing from the right-hand side? This is more common than you think. Ask a lefty, because if that’s the case, their backhand should be stronger, since that is their backhand side.

That should be the first test in the warm up, check to see if the lefty is running around their forehand to hit a backhand. Federer and Nadal The cross-court lefty forehand is a natural shot and it is important to take advantage of your opponent’s backhand side. When you watch Rafael Nadal, you cannot help but notice how much topspin he uses. A strategy that works well for him against Roger Federer is he hits a high looping topspin forehand cross-court to Roger’s backhand. The ball jumps up quickly out of Federer’s comfort zone. This creates either a weak shot for Rafa to move in and take control of, or Roger tries to go for a shot that’s not there and makes an unforced error. Countering a lefty Challenge them on their serve by favoring their stronger targets. Meaning, take their lefty serve away from them and make them show you they can hit the out wide serve on the deuce side and up the T on the ad side. Once they show you they can, get into a more neutral returning position. As a server, try to serve more to the lefty serving targets. Serve up the T on the deuce side and out wide on the ad side. Remember, earlier I mentioned lefties generally prefer their backhands. If you can catch them off guard and serve to their forehands, you might be able to get an easy hold. They are expecting you to serve to their backhand. Now you can

stay on pace and go for the break on their serve. Your doubles partner is a lefty If a lefty and righty are playing together in doubles, I feel the lefty should play the deuce side. This gives the doubles combo overheads and forehands in the middle of the court. To hit to a lefty’s backhand, the ball must be hit down the line or hard cross-court. These are tougher shots than down the middle and may create unforced errors. But subconsciously, forced. These are just a few things to think about from the lefty’s and the righty’s perspective. Of course, every individual is different and really what you want to do during a warm-up and match is to see where your opponent might be comfortable and uncomfortable. But most importantly, notice which hand they are swinging their racket is before it’s too late. Michael Smookler is the General Manager and Tennis Director at Centercourt of Florham Park. He brings more than 30 years of experience teaching and directing tennis. He is currently the Eastern USPTA Vice President and an Elite Certified Teaching Professional. Additionally, Coach Smookler is a Freelance Writer for NorthEast Tennis Magazine and coaches the Governor Livingston Boys Tennis Team, where he earned the 2018 Eastern USPTA High School Coach of the Year.

• Long Island's Premier Indoor Racquet Club • New Court Lighting & New Resurfaced Courts, Making Us The Best! • 7 Indoor Tennis Courts, 2 Racquetball Courts, 4 Pickleball Courts and a Half Basketball Court. • Tennis Programs For Tots (3-5 Years Old), Juniors (6-18), Adults & Seniors. • Special Holiday Rates For Thanksgiving Weekend & Our Winter Break In December. CAREFREE WISHES EVERYONE A HEALTHY & HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON!

1414 Jerusalem Avenue, North Merrick, NY 11566 • 516-489-9005 LITennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Ready Position?

Who Cares? By Lisa Dodson Advanced play is simply doing the basics well. Every player wants crisp volleys, powerful groundstrokes and a killer serve, but we often leave the basics in the dust when pursuing bigger and better things. Balance is the key to movement transition, directional change, speed, power and efficiency in sport. No matter how fast you can run, how high you can jump, how strong or athletic you are, you will need improved balance to be able to make these skills work for you. What is at the center of balance in tennis? Ready position–So, what’s the big deal? I bet you’ve never read much on the ready position. It’s not an exciting subject, but one that will improve your game tremendously. The ready position is the most important posture in tennis and yet the most disregarded and poorly executed form in the game. What we don’t really get is that the ready position takes practice and discipline, just like a forehand, backhand, volley or serve. It’s a form, a posture and a discipline and it allows us to transition from one shot to the next. When we learn it as a beginner, it’s kind of awkward and uncomfortable and 68

doesn’t seem that important. Besides, we are ready to run around, hit the ball and have some fun, right? Every single shot hit in a point sequence originates from the ready position (except the serve) and every grip originates from it, too When it breaks down, so do your strokes and so does your movement. Let’s look at just a few of the important things that the ready position does for every player: l Allows a neutral and balanced transition from shot to shot l Keeps your head and eyes still so that you can see the ball l Balances and makes your first move powerful to every incoming ball l Allows grip changes from shot to shot l Creates the form for an efficient splitstep l Keeps the arms and racket forward of the body for turns associated with groundstrokes, overheads and volleys What is the perfect ready position? We all need to be as athletic as possible to play good tennis and your ready position will either allow or hinder athletic movement to the ball (see Figure 1). A good ready position involves specific placement of the feet, legs, torso, arms, hands, head and eyes. This position centers

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • LITennisMag.com

your weight and makes athletic movement possible. l The feet need to be spaced appropriately with the toes on your feet pointing forward (not out). Now when you bend your knees your weight will be forward on the front of your feet and you’ll be ready to spring. If your toes point outward and you bend your knees, your weight goes to the mid-foot or back on the heels. You cannot move from this position and besides, you just look bad. l Ankles, knew and hips are flexed and ready to spring. l The torso is straight and upright l The arms, hands and racket are extended forward and in neutral placement for quick reactions to incoming shots. For one-handed backhand players, the non-dominant hand is placed higher on the throat of the racket for stability in holding the racket head up. Many two-handed players hold the non-dominant hand closer to the hitting hand on the grip in ready position as a time saver on grip changes. l The head is still and looking forward and the eyes are looking over the tip of the racket. l The positions above are extremely important for volley position and return of serve.

l When playing groundstrokes in a baseline point, the elbows may bend more and the arms may be in closer to the body to allow for quicker lower body movement. The non-dominant arm and hand are 99 percent responsible for holding the racket out in the ready position. Most players use their dominant hand and arm to hold the racket out. Because of how our arm hangs from the shoulder, plus how we grip the racket, keeping the racket in the center line of your body and the tip facing forward is awkward. If you are righthanded, the racket tip naturally wants to point off in a left direction and if you are left-handed, it wants to point in a right direction. If you use your non-dominant hand and arm to hold the racket out, then it is simple to hold the tip out straight. This frees up the hitting hand and arm to hold a loose grip for quick grip changes, quick turns to the right and left and allows the racket to be in a fixed and neutral position to receive balls (see Figure 2). The first footwork movement to a ball is the most important. When your feet are spaced beneath the shoulders and the toes are forward, an ankle and knee bend set your weight forward on your feet for quick response. The ready position is the start position for all volleys, overheads and serve returns. It also needs to be an automatic reset position after you have hit a ball. You may not even know how you prepare for the ready position. Try this … stand up now and see if you can realistically create your tennis ready position. If you do, and you are correct with it, you are in the top two percent of tennis players with this skill. A great ready position will set you free! As previously mentioned, the ready position is the origin of all shots except the serve. Below are some simple benefits of using a great ready position for groundstrokes, serve and return, volley, overhead, split-step and lateral recovery movement: l Forehand and forehand return: These days, the “set” is the way to

FIGURE 1

FIGURE 2

Nose, toes and racket tip all face the direction of where the ball is coming from

Use your non-dominant arm and hand to hold the racket out and the tip forward

go for the first move on a topspin forehand. From your neutral ready position, the knees, hips, torso, arms, hands and racket make a unit turn to the right or left, depending upon which hand you use. Both hands stay on the racket in order to get the shoulders fully turned. Your

lower body is preparing by rotating the hips and preparing a weight transfer for a quick first step. If your ready position is good, then the set can be done quickly and efficiently giving the player more time to respond. continued on page 70

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ready position? who cares? l Backhand and backhand return: If you use a one-handed backhand, the ready position is critical. There is a substantial grip change that needs to be made if the ball is hit to, or served to, the backhand. Most players will stand to return serve and stand or move during a point using a forehand grip. When the ball comes to a backhand, the non-dominant arm and hand will be holding the racket out and the hitting hand will have a loose grip. The turn is initiated by a lower body turn and the non-dominant arm and hand drawing the racket into position. The loose grip with the dominant hand floats into correct position. If you use a two-handed backhand, the neutral ready position will allow for a quick turn to the backhand side and allow for any grip changes. Typically, the non-dominant hand will be in backhand position for the return, so only the hitting hand grip will need to change. This tends to be a somewhat individual process for players. l Volley and overhead: Volleys are movement shots. The pace of the ball hit is determined by how fast or slow one pushes off with the feet and legs,

continued from page 69

in combination with racket work. Therefore, a balanced and potentially powerful stance is key to a great volley. Recognition of which side of the body the ball is coming to determines the first move. The racket face and same side leg prepare together for a multi-directional push off to the ball. If you begin with a balanced and neutral stance and a Continental Grip, then going to the forehand or backhand are equally simple. l Overheads require a great first move. There is some individuality in hitting an overhead depending upon the athletic ability and serve structure of the player. Typically, the first move combines several movements: Pivoting, turning and stepping back to the hitting side and raising the toss and hit arms and locking them into position for the hit. Movement is paramount for the Overhead so starting from a neutral and balanced ready position will allow a quick and safe start to the overhead movement. l Forward split-step: Like the ready position, a forward split-step is commonly misunderstood, poorly executed and poorly taught. A forward split-step is a ready position

created from movement and is typically done just before your opponent strikes the ball when approaching the net to volley. The forward split-step allows for ball recognition, decision-making, a change of direction and a correct first move to the volley or half-volley. If the ready position is the start to all shots and running or moving adds to the difficulty of shot success, then it only makes sense that a good form for the ready position will automatically improve the ability to make a welltimed and effective split-step. l The ready position for lateral recovery movement and directional change: Lateral movement can, once again, be very misunderstood. It is used when returning from retrieving a ball that is any distance from you. If you are moving to a ball, you turn and run. If it is 10- to 12-feet to the left or right, you will use lateral movement and a slightly adapted ready position to return towards the center. Your arms may be more relaxed to match the moving and flexed state of the legs (which allows movement). A lateral split-step is now used. This is very different from a forward splitstep in many ways, but similar in one: You will produce a lateral split-step in order to stop and balance, allow for recognition of the incoming shot and make directional changes and transitions that are successful. Hopefully you are now convinced to explore your ready position. Better form and structure will give you more time to react to a ball physically and mentally, a quicker step to every first ball, smoother transitions, easier grip changes and more precise approaches to each ball. Your best shots will all be better with a great ready position and your game will improve dramatically. Lisa Dodson is the Developer and Owner of Servemaster, a USPTA Elite Professional and a former WTA world-ranked player. She is currently the Director of Tennis at Shenorock Shore Club in Rye, N.Y. She may be reached by e-mail at Lisa@TheTotalServe.com or visit TheTotalServe.com.

Long Island Tennis Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ November/December 2018 â&#x20AC;˘ LITennisMag.com

Taste of Tennis Kicks Off 2018 U.S. Open in Style Photo credit: Getty Images

The week leading up to the U.S. Open is always an action-packed one with events and happenings taking place all across New York City, and once again, Citi Taste of Tennis was one of the most anticipated events of the week. The 19th Annual Taste of Tennis took place at Cipriani 42nd Street, and featured signature cuisine from the city’s leading chefs, as well as a lineup of tennis stars in attendance. Serena and Venus Williams,

Nick Kyrgios, Sloane Stephens, Victoria Azarenka, Simona Halep, the Bryan Brothers and Kevin Anderson were just some of the many tennis stars who came out for the evening. Taste of Tennis guests enjoyed an array of food and drinks, including Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto’s duck tacos, Saxon & Parole’s Impossible Burger, Loews Regency Bar & Grill’s Shrimp Torta, beef tartare, surf and turf prawn sausage hotdogs from Sujan

Sarkar of Baar Baar, Nikkei Ceviche from Mina Newman of Sen Sakana, burritos, tater tots with Ossetra Caviar + Gold Billionaire’s bacon, Chef Wenford Simpson of Walkerswood Caribbean Foods’ sliders, Eddie Zheng of The Little One’s Japanese shaved ice and ice cream sandwiches made with rice wafers, Moffle Bar’s mochi stuffed waffles, Doug Hernandez of Oceana Restaurant’s chocolate treats, Aperol spritzes, wine and Red Stripe beers.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Setting a C By Zeki Tukel n the last article I wrote in Long Island Tennis Magazine (September/October 2018 issue) on making a long-term development plan, the success of the plan was based on the accumulation of each individual session of practice and match play. In this article, I will focus on the efficiency and quality of each session of practice and match play and how to make the most out of each. It is the coach’s job to plan the practice and execute it, and it is the player’s job is to be ready physically and mentally and give 100 percent. So at a very early age, the culture has to be set of what is expected of a player and what is not. These are the not written rules of a constitution. That’s the oil of a car. That’s the stimulus of the economy. Without setting this culture early on, efficiency will be low and there will be compromise. That’s why development coaches have a very important job in building the framework early on that will continue to effect a player during their career. There is the belief that 10,000 hours of practice can make you great at anything. I would argue that what will make you great is the combination of genetics and highquality practice that is both purposeful and systematic. Since we don’t have much control of the genes with our player, then the goal becomes to make the most out of what we have. The way is setting the culture early on and building the right habits.

1. Preparation: Preparation is 24/7, it is self-discipline and self-awareness. It is what time you go to bed to have enough sleep and rest. It is how many hours early you wake up before your practice and match play. It is when you eat and what you eat before your match. Preparation is your warm up before your match or practice, both physically and mentally, espe-

a Culture in Junior Players cially on indoor courts where practice time is limited. You must make the most out of that time the player has to warm up very well before. It is how you prepare your bag before a practice or match, to making sure your rackets are ready, your grip is fine, you have your extra t-shirts ready, your water, etc. It is very important for a player to feel confident and comfortable in a match and that will only occur if the player’s preparation is very good. The best way to build these habits is to give the player tasks so they will learn how to prepare themself. 2. High intensity: Tennis is a very high intensity sport. It is crucial to build that intensity at an early age in practices. Practices should duplicate match play intensity unless working on technique. One of the mistakes that causes low intensity is exposing the player to over-training hours so they must pace themselves. Especially when working one-on-one, it is a good idea to stop the practice when the intensity is deteriorating, so that teaches the player that high intensity is a must in practices.

ning. So they know that to get what they want, which is winning, they have to work hard from an early age. There is no compromise in their preparation. They are fully prepared for a practice session or match, and are 100 percent ready. They are openminded and good listeners. They will try to get the most out of the coaches, and as a coach. They are not on the court to satisfy their parents either. Another common trait is confidence and positivity that they believe they are good and are destined for glory. They know there are no excuses, but only situations where the player who adapts better will have the upper hand. More important than anything, they have fun from this life even though it is a constant battle. 5. Attitude: When we hear the press conferences of the pro players, we hear something very similar. They always say they will give 100 percent. They don’t say they will win for sure. Any player who spends some time in a tennis career knows that you can’t play your best every single match. However, with every match, you

can make sure you give 100 percent effort. On the long-term, some of those bad days can turn into wins when you give 100 percent effort. That’s the attitude to build in a player as early as possible. Practice or match play to give 100 percent, day-in, day-out. As painful as losing is, it is important to teach the player that losing is also part of the learning process and a positive attitude towards that helps to teach a lesson. Also, not going to extremes after victories and/or defeats helps sustain a long career. The way to do it is to remain calm and not going to extremes with the praise or criticism as a coach and parents after big wins or defeats. Zeki Tukel is a Tennis Professional at Christopher Morley Tennis. Zeki played number one singles for Mercy College New York and was ranked fifth in the Eastern Region. He was the under 18 National Champion in Turkey. With a reference letter from Nick Bolletieri, Zeki is a USPTR certified coach. He has 13 years of coaching experience and has coached some of the top players in the country.

3. Focus: Like in anything, focus is a very important determinant of learning. That determines the efficiency of practice. It is the coach’s job to make sure the player understands that and when their focus is lacking, the coach should stop the practice to make their case. Just like high intensity, focus can be lost due to long hours of practice, so it is crucial to find the proper amount of time of practice for a player to make sure high intensity and focus is not lost. Then, to build from that is the right approach. 4. Mindset: Among even the best junior players, one of the common things that I see is that they are driven to win. But they also comprehend the consequential thinking of hard work, improvement and winLITennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

What Tennis Players Can Learn From Football Players By Dr. Tom Ferraro To become a champion, you must have talent, fitness, good coaching, money, supportive parents, access to courts, discipline and patience. The sport psychologist is usually called upon when a player is having trouble with anxiety, anger, confidence, focus or pain tolerance. Any coach and athlete will admit that the ability to stay focused, confident and having the ability to transcend pain are the primary ingredients in any match. But beyond all of this, I recently learned something else about winning by interviewing an ex-NFL player who remarked that football games are usually won or lost within the first two or three plays. As we explored this interesting remark, he told me that what happens almost immediately is that during the first few plays, the lineman are sizing each other up to see which has more speed and power. After these first few plays, one linesman realizes that he will be able to dominate his opponent and his focus, determination, confidence and willpower become enhanced. Conversely, if he senses that his opponent is stronger and faster than his willpower, focus, determination and confidence will be seriously diminished and he is well on his way to a loss. This football player said that in nearly every game this occurs and the outcome is predicated by this moment. The best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell once wrote Blink where he explained how humans have an instinct capacity to size up situations in the blink of an eye. I agree with him. The determination of the winner and loser of a tennis match often occurs within the first few points of game one. Billy Edwards was a nationally-ranked amateur golfer who would always say all matches in golf are won or lost on the first tee. He was referring to the same issue of first impressions. This amazing ability to assess the opponent’s strength and/or weakness is seen in horses as well. My family owned many thor74

Football games are won or lost during the first few plays of a game. Tennis players can learn how to win if they can see how to dominate in the same way. oughbreds, and I learned early on that horses actually size each other up in the paddock and the alpha animal would be recognized by the other horses and they would relinquish their power to the alpha during the homestretch of the race. This happens in tennis as well. Reputation carries weight as does the feel of the first few points in a game. Each player is trying to establish dominance and this this occurs very quickly. And when this takes place, the “weaker” player will subtly back off. This accounts for most of the poor play we observe in players who sometimes underperform and seem to give up leads. I think it is crucial for my players to understand this biological/psychological process so they can avoid it. We do this by: 1. Talking to them about this experience both before a match and during the first few points and if they sense this process; and 2. Teaching them how to overcome it. Teaching them about this domination/sub-

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • LITennisMag.com

mission response allows them to have control over it by establishing a routine that they can always use to maintain focus, determination, pain tolerance and courage. They become aware that this dominant position can be achieved in any match, no matter who you are playing as long as you stay focused, resist the feeling and hold strong to self-belief. Domination and submission is a biologically-determined tendency that can be overcome with insight into the process, and then by establishing willpower. This is one reason why I believe in the unconscious process in sports and why one must understand it in order to play consistently well. I would never have imagined that I could learn so much about tennis by listening carefully to how a football linesman plays the game on the line of scrimmage. For consultations, treatment or on-site visits, contact Dr. Tom Ferraro Ph.D., Sport Psychologist, by phone at (516) 248-7189, e-mail DrTFerraro@aol.com or visit DrTomFerraro.com.

charitable initiatives Port Washington Tennis Team Holds Annual Clinic

Each year, the Port Washington Girl’s Tennis Team holds a free tennis clinic for the local community. This year was no exception, as nearly 30 young tennis players came out to learn from some of the top high school players on Long Island. The courts were divided into different fun-

damentals and basics of tennis: Forehands, backhands, volleys, serves and other games. Players from both the varsity and junior varsity teams were instructing on the court, and each participant in the clinic left with a trophy. “While we always strive to succeed on the court, we also understand the impor-

tance of giving back to the community and making a difference for the young athletes in our community,” said Port Washington Head Coach Shane Helfner. “Seeing the smiles on these faces when they left the court showed how much fun was had. I’m really proud of our girls for doing this service.”

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LITennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

E M I L I E

KAT Z

Rafa Pitches in for Record Purse for Flood Cleanup Efforts 2019 Aussie Open

Rafa Nadal has joined in with cleanup efforts following flash floods in his native island of Majorca in Spain. The floods have left at least 10 people dead and several others missing. Nadal took to the streets of Sant Llorenç, a town near the east coast of the Spanish island, clearing mud and water from the roads. Nadal owns a tennis academy in the nearby town of Manacor, which he offered up to victims left homeless in the wake of the flooding. “Sad day in Majorca,” Nadal wrote on Twitter. “My most sincere condolences to the families of those who have passed and those hurt by the severe floods in San Llorenç. We’re again offering the facilities of the Rafa Nadal Academy for all those affected if they need housing.”

The Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of 2019, has announced that its prize money in 2019 will be jumping to approximately $42.7 million, an increase of about 10 percent from last year. A new series of initiatives will be in play this year as well, as the tournament is instituting a 25-second serve clock for all main draw matches, electronic review systems on all courts, a heat stress index and expanding the women’s qualifying draw from 96 to 128 players.

Hingis Takes to Social Media to Announce Pregnancy From her Twitter feed, Martina Hingis (@mhingis) has announced that she is now pregnant. “Thanks for all the birthday wishes! Happy to share that this will be the last time we’ll celebrate as a couple ... excited to announce that we will become a family of three!” said Hingis of the new addition. This past July, Hingis married former sports physician Harald Leemann in a ceremony in Switzerland.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • LITennisMag.com

Courier Out as Davis Cup Captain

Jim Courier has announced that he will step down from his position as U.S. Davis Cup Captain after an eight-year run in which he led Team USA to two semifinal and six quarterfinal appearances. The former world number one, a two-time Davis Cup champion as a player in 1992 and 1995, notified the USTA, the players and his staff of his decision following Team USA’s recent semifinal defeat in Croatia. “It’s been my honor and privilege to represent the USTA and USA as a player and captain,” said Courier. “I look forward to cheering the team on as they pursue the cup in its new format next year and beyond.” Only Patrick McEnroe, who served as Team USA Captain for 10 years between 2001 and 2010, served for more years as U.S. Davis Cup captain than Courier, whose 10 wins are tied for the seventhmost all time.

USTA/Long Island Region 2018

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. NOVEMBER 2018 Friday-Sunday, November 16-18 L1 Sportime Syosset Championships Sportime-Syosset 75 Haskett Drive Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Girls’ Singles & Doubles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Nov. 12 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail KSorokko@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 364-2727. Friday-Sunday, November 16-18 L1B Bethpage Park Fall Challenger Bethpage Park Tennis Center 99 Quaker Meeting House Road Farmingdale, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Nov. 12 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail RBecker06@yahoo.com or call (516) 359-4843. Friday-Sunday, November 16-18 L1 Point Set November Championships Point Set Tennis 3065 New Street Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys’ Singles & Doubles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Nov. 12 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088. Friday-Sunday, November 23-25 L2 HIT Turkey Trot Huntington Indoor Tennis 100 Broadway Huntington Station, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (FMLC) and Intermediate Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14-18 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail hitennis@hitennisny.com or call (631) 421-0040.

Friday-Sunday, November 23-25 L1B Point Set Thanksgiving Challenger Point Set Tennis 3065 New Street Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Nov. 18 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088.

Friday-Sunday, November 30-December 2 L1 Bethpage Park Winter Championships Bethpage Park Tennis Center 99 Quaker Meeting House Road Farmingdale, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Nov. 26 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail RBecker06@yahoo.com or call (516) 359-4843.

Saturday-Sunday, November 24-25 Youth Progression Green L1-East Setauket World Gym Racquet & Sports Arena 384 Mark Tree Road East Setauket, N.Y. Divisions: Green Level 1 Boys’ & Girls’ 10 and Under Singles: 78’ Green Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Clay Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Saturday, Nov. 17 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail VTAPR@hotmail.com or call or call (631) 751-6100.

Friday-Sunday, November 30-December 2 L1 Point Set Winter Championships Point Set Tennis 3065 New Street Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 for first singles, $28 for first doubles, $28 for additional doubles (deadline for entries is Sunday, Nov. 25 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088.

Thursday-Saturday, November 29-December 1 L2 Sportime Syosset Open Sportime-Syosset 75 Haskett Drive Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys’ & Girls’ Singles & Doubles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (FMLC) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Nov. 25 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail KSorokko@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 364-2727. Friday-Sunday, November 30-December 2 L1 Ross December Championships Ross School Tennis Academy 18 Goodfriend Drive East Hampton, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) and Championships Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14-16 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Nov. 26 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail CSidor@Ross.org or call (631) 907-5162.

Friday-Sunday, November 30-December 2 L1 GHRC Chilly Championships Glen Head Racquet Club 95 Glen Head Road Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail Vasco.D.Antunes@gmail.com or call (516) 676-9849. DECEMBER 2018 Friday-Sunday, December 7-9 L1B World Gym December Challenger World Gym Racquet & Sports Arena 384 Mark Tree Road East Setauket, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail VTAPR@hotmail.com or call or call (631) 751-6100.

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

USTA/Long Island Region 2018

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. Friday-Sunday, December 7-9 L1B Sportime Syosset December Challenger Sportime-Syosset 75 Haskett Drive Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Dec. 2 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail KSorokko@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 364-2727.

Friday-Sunday, December 7-9 L1 Point Set Holiday Championships Point Set Tennis 3065 New Street Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Dec. 2 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088.

Friday-Sunday, December 7-9 L1B Park Ave Tennis Classic Park Avenue Tennis Club 100 Partridge Lane Huntington, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Nov. 30 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Caddy44@aol.com or call (631) 271-1810.

Saturday, December 8 Youth Progression Orange L2: East Hampton Ross School Tennis Academy 18 Goodfriend Drive East Hampton, N.Y. Divisions: Orange Level 2 Boys’ & Girls’ 10 and Under Singles: 60’ Orange Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Clay Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Dec. 2 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, e-mail CSidor@Ross.org or call (631) 907-5162.

Friday-Sunday, December 7-9 L1B LBTC Winter Challenger Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles & Doubles: 78’ Yellow Ball 18 (SE) and Challenger Mixed Doubles: 78’ Yellow Ball 18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 for first singles, $28 for first doubles (deadline for entries is Wednesday, Dec. 5 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Andrew@LongBeachTennisCenter.com or call (516) 432-6060.

Friday-Sunday, December 14-16 L1B Ross December Challenger Ross School Tennis Academy 18 Goodfriend Drive East Hampton, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12-18 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Dec. 10 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail CSidor@Ross.org or call (631) 907-5162.

Friday-Sunday, December 7-9 L2 GHRC December Open Glen Head Racquet Club 95 Glen Head Road Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14-18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail Vasco.D.Antunes@gmail.com or call (516) 676-9849.

Friday-Sunday, December 14-16 L1B GHRC December Challenger Glen Head Racquet Club 95 Glen Head Road Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12-14 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $48.88 per player For more information, e-mail Vasco.D.Antunes@gmail.com or call (516) 676-9849. Saturday-Monday, December 15-17 L3 RWTTC December UPS Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenue Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Entry Level Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12-18 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Saturday, Dec. 1 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail RWagner968@aol.com or call (516) 759-0505. Saturday, December 15 Youth Progression Orange Level 1: Winter Open Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Orange Level 1 Boys’ & Girls’ 10 and Under Singles: 60’ Orange Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Dec. 9 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Andrew@LongBeachTennisCenter.com or call (516) 432-6060.

Saturday, December 15 Youth Progression Orange Ball L2 Sportime Bethpage Sportime Bethpage Friday-Sunday, December 14-16 101 Norcross Avenue L2 Bethpage Park Tennis Center December Open Bethpage, N.Y. Bethpage Park Tennis Center Divisions: Orange Level 2 Boys’ & Girls’ 10 and Under Sin99 Quaker Meeting House Road gles: 60’ Orange Ball 10 (NEF) Farmingdale, N.Y. Surface Type: Unknown Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, 16 (SE) Dec. 9 at 11:59 p.m.) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Thursday, For more information, e-mail KSorokko@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 933-8500. Dec. 6 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail RBecker06@yahoo.com or call (516) 359-4843.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • LITennisMag.com

LONG Boys & Girls Sectional Rankings (as of 10/02/18)

BOYS Sectional Boys 12 Singles— Long Island Rank..Name ..................................................City 2 ....Jordan Reznik ..................Great Neck, N.Y. 10 ..Malik Trail ..........................Mill Neck, N.Y. 11 ..Ariel Zauber ......................Great Neck, N.Y. 13 ..Dillon Beckles ..................Roslyn, N.Y. 18 ..Aryan Badlani....................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 21 ..Aiden Patel........................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 23 ..Sebastian Bielen ..............Glen Cove, N.Y. 28 ..Matthew Zeifman ..............Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 30 ..James Yu ..........................Smithtown, N.Y. 32 ..Aaron Raja ........................Old Westbury, N.Y. 33 ..Jack Kennedy ..................Huntington, N.Y. 34 ..Edward Liao ......................Commack, N.Y. 36 ..Albert Hu ..........................Great Neck, N.Y. 39 ..David Anosov....................Oceanside, N.Y. 52 ..Avery Frekhtman ..............Woodmere, N.Y. 57 ..Joseph Banilivi..................Great Neck, N.Y. 69 ..Colin Hui ..........................Syosset, N.Y. 74 ..Juan Perez ........................Mt. Sinai, N.Y. 86 ..Joseph Romito..................East Northport, N.Y. 94 ..Samarth Deepudass ........Williston Park, N.Y. 95 ..Bryan Volk ........................Dix Hills, N.Y. 97 ..Alexander Sherman ..........Hewlett, N.Y. 104 Saje Menon ......................Mineola, N.Y. 106 Maxim Zlobinsky ..............Greenvale, N.Y. 107 Cooper Schorr ..................East Rockaway, N.Y. 117 James Sacco ....................Brightwaters, N.Y. 123 Alex Mazza........................Bellmore, N.Y. 132 Ethan Solop ......................Roslyn, N.Y. 138 Samuel Lopez ..................Huntington Station, N.Y. 157 163 171 180 181 182 199

Alexander Weiner..............Southampton, N.Y. Daniel C. Rila ....................Peconic, N.Y. Drew Hassenbein..............Roslyn, N.Y. Connor Plunkett................Jericho, N.Y. Nicholas Cooper ..............East Hampton, N.Y. Rocco Roti ........................Locust Valley, N.Y. Jordan Heyman ................Melville, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 14 Singles— Long Island Rank..Name ..................................................City 15 ..Mark R. Taranov................Valley Stream, N.Y. 21 ..Daniel Kong ......................Commack, N.Y. 32 ..Stephan M. Gershfeld ......Hewlett, N.Y. 34 ..Michael Ryan Safir ............Old Westbury, N.Y. 36 ..Ajer Sher ..........................Jericho, N.Y. 37 ..Ty Nisenson ......................Port Washington, N.Y. 38 ..Malik Trail ..........................Mill Neck, N.Y. 43 ..Julian Messina ..................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 53 ..Aron Bursztyn ..................South Setauket, N.Y. 81 ..Dylan D’Agate ..................Melville, N.Y. 90 ..Benjamin Grushkovskiy ....Woodmere, N.Y. 93 ..Matthew Zeifman ..............Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 94 ..Daniel Beckles ..................Roslyn, N.Y. 102 Christopher Qi ..................Centerport, N.Y. 117 Chris Candrin ....................Port Washington, N.Y. 120 Matthew Strogach ............Commack, N.Y. 124 Aidan Patel........................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 149 Jordan Reznik ..................Great Neck, N.Y. 159 Eli Newman ......................Great Neck, N.Y. 170 Ansh Chadha ....................Westbury, N.Y. 182 Landon Agic......................Miller Place, N.Y. 186 Michael Chan ....................Commack, N.Y.

ISLAND

188 Joshua Mancheril..............New Hyde Park, N.Y. 196 Murray Litman ..................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 197 James Yu ..........................Smithtown, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 16 Singles— Long Island Rank..Name ..................................................City 2 ....Kabir Rajpal ......................Syosset, N.Y. 4 ....Logan Paik Chang ............Old Westbury, N.Y. 6 ....Billy G. Suarez ..................Huntington, N.Y. 7 ....Alexander Karman ............Port Washington, N.Y. 8 ....Sujay Sharma....................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 13 ..Spencer Brachman ..........Commack, N.Y. 32 ..Rohan Gaddam Reddy ....Glen Head, N.Y. 35 ..Jared Phillips ....................Plainview, N.Y. 42 ..Justin Oresky ....................Syosset, N.Y. 44 ..Gabriele Brancatelli ..........Westhampton Beach, N.Y. 47 ..Maxwell Moadel................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 57 ..Joseph Monticciolo ..........South Setauket, N.Y. 78 ..Anthony Casale ................Old Bethpage, N.Y. 97 ..Ryan Shayani ....................Old Westbury, N.Y. 99 ..Daniel Kong ......................Commack, N.Y. 101 Brian Gao..........................Syosset, N.Y. 106 Ian Schunk ........................Westhampton Beach, N.Y. 107 115 120 121 138 145 189 194 197 198

Matthew Kronenberg ........East Setauket, N.Y. Logan Fliegel ....................Lynbrook, N.Y. Aaron Rittberger................Huntington, N.Y. Alex Vinsky........................Westbury, N.Y. Pius Lo ..............................Glen Head, N.Y. Aidan O’Connor ................Manhasset, N.Y. Sean Cohen ......................Plainview, N.Y. Luke Markovic ..................Locust Valley, N.Y. Luke Burke........................East Hampton, N.Y. Rohan Gupta ....................New Hyde Park, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 18 Singles— Long Island Rank..Name ..................................................City 1 ....Cannon Kingsley ..............Northport, N.Y. 4 ....Neel Rajesh ......................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 5 ....Daniel Eric Pellerito ..........Syosset, N.Y. 8 ....Patrick F. Maloney ............Oyster Bay, N.Y. 10 ..Chene Li............................Syosset, N.Y. 11 ..Pieter Alexander Wernink..Glen Cove, N.Y. 12 ..Logan Paik Chang ............Old Westbury, N.Y. 17 ..Ryan Goetz ......................Greenlawn, N.Y. 18 ..Ronald P. Hohmann ..........Oyster Bay, N.Y. 19 ..Karan Amin ......................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 23 ..Brian Shi ..........................Jericho, N.Y. 29 ..Jack Flores........................Huntington, N.Y. 33 ..Lazar Ivan Markovic..........Lattingtown, N.Y. 35 ..Alexander Roti ..................Locust Valley, N.Y. 36 ..Adrian Tsui ........................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 46 ..Matthew Charles Cashin ..Syosset, N.Y. 48 ..Evan Brady........................Glen Head, N.Y. 49 ..Maxwell Moadel................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 54 ..Niles Ghaffar ....................Massapequa, N.Y. 57 ..Nicholas Wernink ..............Glen Cove, N.Y. 60 ..Abhinav Raj Srivastava ....Melville, N.Y. 67 ..Spencer Brachman ..........Commack, N.Y. 78 ..Luke Karniewich ..............Glen Head, N.Y. 81 ..Yoel Andre Yamus ............Deer Park, N.Y. 84 ..Rohan Reddy ....................Glen Head, N.Y. 93 ..Griffin Schlesinger ............Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 109 Sujay Sharma....................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 120 Jared Phillips ....................Plainview, N.Y. 137 Justin Oresky ....................Syosset, N.Y. 145 Alexander Rzehak ............Centerport, N.Y. 147 Jack Loucheim..................Sagaponack, N.Y. 149 Billy G. Suarez ..................Huntington, N.Y. 161 Michael Safir ....................Old Westbury, N.Y.

167 168 169 175 183 191

RANKINGS Michael Medvedev............Albertson, N.Y. Kian Ziari ..........................Locust Valley, N.Y. Kabir Rajpal ......................Syosset, N.Y. Liam Schmidt....................Wantagh, N.Y. Danny Tocco ....................East Quogue, N.Y. Avi Anand..........................Dix Hills, N.Y.

GIRLS Sectional Girls 12 Singles— Long Island Rank..Name ..................................................City 1 ....Ariana Pursoo ..................Westbury, N.Y. 4 ....Taylor Goetz ......................Greenlawn, N.Y. 9 ....Andrea De Los Rios ..........Port Washington, N.Y. 14 ..Christasha McNeill............Massapequa, N.Y. 15 ..Tara Andrea Kurepa ..........Jericho, N.Y. 25 ..Kady Tannenbaum ............Commack, N.Y. 28 ..Sophia Holod ....................East Setauket, N.Y. 30 ..Lara Afolayanka ................Uniondale, N.Y. 31 ..Nyla Gershfeld ..................Hewlett, N.Y. 61 ..Lucia Donnelly ..................Bayville, N.Y. 63 ..Paige Wygodzki ................Huntington, N.Y. 64 ..Pressley Fortunato............Rockville Centre, N.Y. 67 ..Anya Konopka ..................St. James, N.Y. 74 ..Carina Cristobal ................Smithtown, N.Y. 81 ..Catherine Karman ............Port Washington, N.Y. 90 ..Eva Sun ............................Manhasset, N.Y. 96 ..Anika Tolat ........................Port Washington, N.Y. 113 Jordan McCoy ..................Bayport, N.Y. 125 Valerie Simon ....................Hewlett, N.Y. 131 Kallin Gochna....................Glen Head, N.Y. 138 Eleni Kontokasta ..............Water Mill, N.Y. 139 Zia Mukherjee ..................Syosset, N.Y. 141 Maria Perez Canedo ........Selden, N.Y. 143 Tatiana Lorich....................Southampton, N.Y. 156 Matilda Buchen ................Westhampton, N.Y. 157 Kayla Castellano ..............Garden City, N.Y. 165 Lyla Munter ......................Great Neck, N.Y. 166 Natalie Becker ..................Jericho, N.Y. 169 Maria Perez ......................Centereach, N.Y. 181 Hana Deckman ................Greenlawn, N.Y. 183 Diane Durante ..................Manhasset, N.Y. 196 Gigi Hunt ..........................Massapequa, N.Y. 199 Alanna Wu ........................St. James, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 14 Singles— Long Island Rank..Name ..................................................City 5 ....Emily Tannenbaum............Commack, N.Y. 7 ....Rose Hayes ......................East Moriches, N.Y. 13 ..Rebecca Suarez................Huntington, N.Y. 14 ..Theadora Yael Rabman ....Port Washington, N.Y. 20 ..Ariana Pursoo ..................Westbury, N.Y. 23 ..Olivia Fermo......................Smithtown, N.Y. 24 ..Gabriela Glickstein............Commack, N.Y. 31 ..Tola Pola Glowacka ..........Jericho, N.Y. 37 ..Emma Sy ..........................Port Washington, N.Y. 43 ..Hailey Stoerback ..............Saint James, N.Y. 44 ..Isabella Sha ......................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 47 ..Taylor Goetz ......................Greenlawn, N.Y. 60 ..Ava Scordo ......................Glen Head, N.Y. 63 ..Samantha Zeltser..............Great Neck, N.Y. 68 ..Kady Tannenbaum ............Commack, N.Y. 70 ..Christasha McNeill............Massapequa, N.Y. 76 ..Isabella Dinulescu ............Huntington Station, N.Y. 77 ..Kiera Agic..........................Miller Place, N.Y. 87 ..Andrea De Los Rios ..........Port Washington, N.Y. 96 ..Ines Roti............................Locust Valley, N.Y. 106 Hailey Lessen....................Old Westbury, N.Y. 107 Cassandra Dinulescu........Huntington Station, N.Y. 110 Kira Kronenberg ................East Setauket, N.Y.

121 124 132 134 137 151 170 179 196

Sophia Holod ....................East Setauket, N.Y. Sydney Seid......................Dix Hills, N.Y. Skylar Blake Semon..........Melville, N.Y. Tara Andrea Kurepa ..........Jericho, N.Y. Alexandra Ho ....................Syosset, N.Y. Natalie Kopala ..................Southold, N.Y. Alysson Pierro ..................Patchogue, N.Y. Anya Konopka ..................St. James, N.Y. Sophia Karmazin ..............Hewlett, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 16 Singles— Long Island Rank..Name ..................................................City 3 ....Lina Mohamed ..................Mineola, N.Y. 7 ....Maryam Beshir Ahmad ....Albertson, N.Y. 8 ....Rachel Arbitman ..............Hewlett, N.Y. 25 ..Rose Hayes ......................East Moriches, N.Y. 34 ..Amy Delman......................Great Neck, N.Y. 35 ..Kimberly Liao ....................Commack, N.Y. 36 ..Madison Jane Williams ....Glen Cove, N.Y. 42 ..Kaya Amin ........................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 46 ..Emily Tannenbaum............Commack, N.Y. 54 ..Kavina Amin ......................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 66 ..Janelle Chen ....................Dix Hills, N.Y. 67 ..Tatiana Barnett..................Port Washington, N.Y. 74 ..Emma Sy ..........................Port Washington, N.Y. 82 ..Gabriela Glickstein............Commack, N.Y. 86 ..Sofia Rose Anzalone ........Center Moriches, N.Y. 89 ..Ally Friedman ....................East Hampton, N.Y. 97 ..Andriana Zaphiris..............Smithtown, N.Y. 108 Sadhana Srididhar ............Stony Brook, N.Y. 114 Andrea Irta Brazyte ..........Ronkonkoma, N.Y. 118 Lauren Zola ......................Rockville Centre, N.Y. 121 Alina Lyakhov....................Great Neck, N.Y. 122 Tola Glowacka ..................Glen Head, N.Y. 123 Olivia Fermo......................Smithtown, N.Y. 132 Hailey Stoerback ..............Saint James, N.Y. 146 Anna J. Martorella ............Wantagh, N.Y. 148 Kiera Agic..........................Miller Place, N.Y. 151 Alexis Madison Huber ......Melville, N.Y. 162 Ariana Pursoo ..................Westbury, N.Y. 168 Theadora Yael Rabman ....Port Washington, N.Y. 169 178 181 182 186 199

Bianca Rose Lorich ..........Southampton, N.Y. Daniella Paikin ..................Valley Stream, N.Y. Sophia Schutte ................Great Neck, N.Y. Caroline Lee......................Syosset, N.Y. Mary Madigan ..................Sayville, N.Y. Grace Riviezzo ..................Syosset, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 18 Singles— Long Island Rank..Name ..................................................City 8 ....Rachel Arbitman ..............Hewlett, N.Y. 11 ..Lina Mohamed ..................Mineola, N.Y. 23 ..Merri Kelly ........................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 24 ..Maryam Beshir Ahmad ....Albertson, N.Y. 40 ..Calista Sha........................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 53 ..Alexa Susan Goetz............Greenlawn, N.Y. 59 ..Denise Lai ........................Setauket, N.Y. 60 ..Vitalina Golod....................Setauket, N.Y. 63 ..Francesca Karman............Port Washington, N.Y. 72 ..Steffi Antao ......................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 80 ..Kimberly Liao ....................Commack, N.Y. 91 ..Jacqueline Rae Bukzin......Manorville, N.Y. 95 ..Lea Ma ..............................Dix Hills, N.Y. 102 Sofia Rose Anzalone ........Center Moriches, N.Y. 105 Madison Jane Williams ....Glen Cove, N.Y. 112 Julia Kielan........................Valley Stream, N.Y. 119 Amy Delman......................Great Neck, N.Y. 121 Gabriela Sciarrotta ............Woodmere, N.Y. 123 Janelle Chen ....................Dix Hills, N.Y.

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LONG 125 126 128 129 134 141 157 169 180 186 188 194 195

Rose Hayes ......................East Moriches, N.Y. Andrea Irta Brazyte ..........Ronkonkoma, N.Y. Ally Friedman ....................East Hampton, N.Y. Trinity Chow ......................Glen Cove, N.Y. Elysia Bolton ....................Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. Kaya Amin ........................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. Elizabeth Dwyer ................Cutchogue, N.Y. Soraya Koblence ..............Jericho, N.Y. Emma Sy ..........................Port Washington, N.Y. Isabella Sha ......................Glen Head, N.Y. Jill Lawrence ....................Hauppauge, N.Y. Kavina Amin ......................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. Olivia Fermo......................Smithtown, N.Y.

Boys & Girls National Rankings (as of 10/11/18)

BOYS National Boys 12 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name City 20 ..Jordan Reznik ..................Great Neck, N.Y. 52 ..Malik Trail ..........................Mill Neck, N.Y. 128 Aryan Badlani....................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 138 Dillon Lev Beckles ............Roslyn, N.Y. 161 Ariel Zauber ......................Great Neck, N.Y. 176 Sebastian Bielen ..............Glen Cove, N.Y. 195 Aiden Patel........................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 225 Matthew Zeifman ..............Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 327 David Anosov....................Oceanside, N.Y. 396 Aaron Raja ........................Old Westbury, N.Y. 547 Edward Liao ......................Commack, N.Y. 827 Avery Frekhtman ..............Woodmere, N.Y. 833 Joseph Banilivi..................Great Neck, N.Y. 880 James Yu ..........................Smithtown, N.Y. 917 Juan Perez ........................Mt. Sinai, N.Y. 936 Jack Kennedy ..................Huntington, N.Y. 946 Saje Menon ......................Mineola, N.Y.

National Boys 14 Singles— Long Island Players Rank 136 166 235 283 361 560 585 648 681 722 737 832

Name City Mark R. Taranov................Valley Stream, N.Y. Daniel Kong ......................Commack, N.Y. Jordan Reznik ..................Great Neck, N.Y. Stephan M. Gershfeld ......Hewlett, N.Y. Malik Trail ..........................Mill Neck, N.Y. Aryan Badlani....................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. Dillon Beckles ..................Roslyn, N.Y. Ariel Zauber ......................Great Neck, N.Y. Sebastian Bielen ..............Glen Cove, N.Y. Jeffrey Rosario ..................Dix Hills, N.Y. Aidan Patel........................New Hyde Park, N.Y. Matthew Zeifman ..............Roslyn Heights, N.Y.

ISLAND

National Boys 16 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name City 9 ....Spencer Brachman ..........Commack, N.Y. 19 ..Kabir Rajpal ......................Syosset, N.Y. 45 ..Logan Paik Chang ............Old Westbury, N.Y. 91 ..Sujay Sharma....................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 99 ..Billy G. Suarez ..................Huntington, N.Y. 119 Alexander Karman ............Port Washington, N.Y. 158 Rohan Gaddam Reddy ....Glen Head, N.Y. 360 Jared Phillips ....................Plainview, N.Y. 382 Maxwell Moadel................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 416 Justin Oresky ....................Syosset, N.Y. 595 Joseph Monticciolo ..........South Setauket, N.Y. 658 Mark Taranov ....................Valley Stream, N.Y. 705 Aman Sharma ..................Locust Valley, N.Y. 787 Daniel Kong ......................Commack, N.Y.

National Boys 18 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name City 5 ....Cannon Kingsley ..............Northport, N.Y. 15 ..Neel Rajesh ......................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 42 ..Daniel Eric Pellerito ..........Syosset, N.Y. 44 ..Ronald P. Hohmann ..........Oyster Bay, N.Y. 63 ..Brian Shi ..........................Jericho, N.Y. 66 ..Ryan Goetz ......................Greenlawn, N.Y. 124 Spencer Brachman ..........Commack, N.Y. 149 Patrick F. Maloney ............Oyster Bay, N.Y. 163 Chene Li............................Syosset, N.Y. 174 Pieter Alexander Wernink..Glen Cove, N.Y. 204 Logan Paik Chang ............Old Westbury, N.Y. 292 Kabir Rajpal ......................Syosset, N.Y. 302 Karan Amin ......................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 379 Maxwell Moadel................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 493 Rohan Reddy ....................Glen Head, N.Y. 501 Sujay Sharma....................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 509 Nicholas Wernink ..............Glen Cove, N.Y. 537 Adrian Tsui ........................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 562 Billy G. Suarez ..................Huntington, N.Y. 617 Alexander Karman ............Port Washington, N.Y. 672 823 874 884 976 977

Evan Brady........................Glen Head, N.Y. Matthew Charles Cashin ..Syosset, N.Y. Lazar Ivan Markovic..........Lattingtown, N.Y. Jack Flores........................Huntington, N.Y. Alexander Roti ..................Locust Valley, N.Y. Luke Karniewich ..............Glen Head, N.Y.

RANKINGS

GIRLS National Girls 12 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name City 10 ..Ariana Pursoo ..................Westbury, N.Y. 45 ..Taylor Goetz ......................Greenlawn, N.Y. 129 Christasha McNeill............Massapequa, N.Y. 166 Kady Tannenbaum ............Commack, N.Y. 198 Andrea De Los Rios ..........Port Washington, N.Y. 267 Tara Andrea Kurepa ..........Jericho, N.Y. 268 Nyla Gershfeld ..................Hewlett, N.Y. 627 Sophia Holod ....................East Setauket, N.Y. 764 Lara Afolayanka ................Uniondale, N.Y. 889 Carina Cristobal ................Smithtown, N.Y.

National Girls 14 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name City 69 ..Rose B. Hayes ..................East Moriches, N.Y. 94 ..Emily Tannenbaum............Commack, N.Y. 139 Theadora Yael Rabman ....Port Washington, N.Y. 174 Rebecca Suarez................Huntington, N.Y. 207 Olivia Fermo......................Smithtown, N.Y. 216 Ariana Pursoo ..................Westbury, N.Y. 252 Gabriela Glickstein............Commack, N.Y. 359 Tola Glowacka ..................Jericho, N.Y. 375 Taylor Goetz ......................Greenlawn, N.Y. 552 Emma Sy ..........................Port Washington, N.Y. 615 Christasha McNeill............Massapequa, N.Y. 641 Isabella Sha ......................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 686 Kady Tannenbaum ............Commack, N.Y. 721 Hailey Stoerback ..............Saint James, N.Y. 797 Andrea De Los Rios ..........Port Washington, N.Y. 968 Tara Andrea Kurepa ..........Jericho, N.Y. 969 Nyla Gershfeld ..................Hewlett, N.Y.

National Girls 16 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name City 18 ..Maryam Beshir Ahmad ....Albertson, N.Y. 19 ..Rachel Arbitman ..............Hewlett, N.Y. 78 ..Lina Mohamed ..................Mineola, N.Y. 323 Kimberly Liao ....................Commack, N.Y. 417 Madison Jane Williams ....Glen Cove, N.Y. 449 Kaya Amin ........................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 471 Rose Hayes ......................East Moriches, N.Y. 532 Emily Tannenbaum............Commack, N.Y. 656 Kavina Amin ......................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 695 Theadora Yael Rabman ....Port Washington, N.Y. 725 Amy Delman......................Great Neck, N.Y. 779 Rebecca Suarez................Huntington, N.Y. 859 Olivia Fermo......................Smithtown, N.Y. 926 Gabriela Glickstein............Commack, N.Y.

National Girls 18 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name City 24 ..Rachel Arbitman ..............Hewlett, N.Y. 107 Maryam Beshir Ahmad ....Albertson, N.Y. 134 Lina Mohamed ..................Mineola, N.Y. 142 Lea Ma ..............................Dix Hills, N.Y. 192 Merri Kelly ........................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 539 Denise Lai ........................Setauket, N.Y. 567 Alexa Susan Goetz............Greenlawn, N.Y. 600 Francesca Karman............Port Washington, N.Y. 747 Madison Jane Williams ....Glen Cove, N.Y. 756 Kimberly Liao ....................Commack, N.Y. 854 Elysia Bolton ....................Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.

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