New York Tennis Magazine November / December 2018 by United Sports Publications

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NYTennisMag.com â&#x20AC;˘ November/December 2018 â&#x20AC;˘ New York Tennis Magazine

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New York Tennis Magazine 1220 Wantagh Avenue • Wantagh, NY 11793-2202 Phone: (516) 409-4444 • Fax: (516) 409-4600 Web site: www.nytennismag.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

Lee Seidner Staff Photographer

Table Of Contents

Djokovic 2.0: The New Novak Ready for 2019 The second half of the 2018 season has belonged to Novak Djokovic, and it was cemented with his title run at the U.S. Open as the Serbian makes his charge for a return to the top of the ATP Men’s Singles Rankings. See page 14

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.nytennismag.com. Fax subscription changes to (516) 409-1600. Statements of fact and opinion in New York Tennis Magazine are the responsibility of the authors alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of United Sports Publications Ltd. New York Tennis Magazine reserves the right to edit, reject and/or postpone the publication of any articles, information or data.

Photo credit: USTA/Darren Carroll

Highlights 12 20 34 42 58

Free, Family-Fun Returns at the 2019 New York Tennis Expo What’s New for the 2019 New York Open? New York Tennis Magazine’s 2018 Guide to Holiday Gifts 2018 New York Tennis Magazine’s Coaches Roundtable Discussion New York Tennis Magazine’s 2018 Tennis Travel Destination Guide

Features 4 8 10 17 18 19 24 27 28 30 32 39 47 48

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

NOV/DEC 2018 • Vol 8, No 6

50 52 54 56 57 62 63 64 67 68 70 72 75 76 77 79

Across Metro New York At the Net With CourtSense Tennis Training Center By Brian Coleman West Side Juniors Hit the Court at U.S. Open USTA Foundation Hosts Star-Studded Gala Cary Leeds Center Plays Host to U.S. Open Junior Qualifying Tourney USTA Honors Top Juniors With Awards Gala Ahead of U.S. Open USTA Eastern Metro Region Update: November/December 2018 Metro Corporate League Recap, Presented by Advantage Tennis Clubs Beyond the Baseline: Gustavo Loza By Brian Coleman The Connection Between Sports By Gilad Bloom What You Should Look for in a Sports Recovery Drink By Dr. Rob Silverman ‘Little Mo’ Internationals Comes to New York Are Tennis Officials Human? By Barbara Wyatt Junior Player Spotlight: Michelle Sorokko, John McEnroe Tennis Academy Does Weight Training in Young Athletes Equal “Stunt Your Child’s Growth?” By Griffin Samuels The Jensen Zone: Keeping Sharp in the Winter Months By Luke Jensen Steps to the Perfect Two-Handed Backhand By John Evert Sports Made Easy Hosts Unique Tournament Over Three Locations Successful Doubles … Choosing My Partner’s Partner By Mike Puc “I’m So Tight! How Can I Loosen Up?” By Rob Polishook The Importance of Goal Setting in Tennis By Jonathan Raude Ready Position? Who Cares? By Lisa Dodson Essential Information for Aspiring Professional Players, Parents and Coaches By Bob Ingersole The Lefty Side of Things By Michael Smookler Coaching Generation Z By Amanda Ferranti Takeaways From the 2018 U.S. Open Takeaways By Brian Coleman Speed Development for Tennis Players By Philip Feingold What Tennis Players Can Learn From Football Players By Dr. Tom Ferraro USTA/Metropolitan Region 2018 Tournament Schedule New York Rankings

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Across Metro Ne Brooklyn’s Walsh Wins Green Ball Title

Roosevelt Island Adding Fun to Working Out

Thomas Walsh, a Brooklyn native who trains out of MatchPoint NYC, headed out to East Hampton to compete in a recent L1 Youth Progression Green Ball Tournament at the Ross School Tennis Academy. Walsh won all of his matches to take home the Green Ball title.

Idnani Brothers Capture Doubles Title in Schenectady The Idnani Brothers, Ishwar & Balraj, who practice at the CourtSense Tennis Training Centers, paired up to win the doubles title at the L1 Sportime Schenectady September Championships. Seeded second, Ishwar & Balrak won each of their matches in straight sets which included taking out the topseeded duo of Arjun Agostinho & Shawn Shriver in the championship match.

While the outdoor tennis season has come to a close in New York, there is still plenty of tennis to be played indoors. Roosevelt Island Racquet Club’s Cardio Workout Parties are heating up this winter, as players are enjoying getting out onto the court for a workout. The events are for players of all levels and feature music, games, food, drinks, and of course, tennis.

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • NYTennisMag.com

New York

… News and notes from across the New York Metro tennis community

Smith Achieves 1,000 Ball Challenge

JMTA Players Featured in Chrysler Commercial

Tennis players from around the world have been trying the 1,000 Ball Challenge, the viral challenge that tasks players with sustaining a tennis rally for as long as they can. Ian Smith, whose a part of The West Side Tennis Club’s Rock ‘n Roll Tennis School, successfully tackled the challenge by rallying more than 1,000 times.

If you’ve watched television recently, you have probably seen a Chrysler car commercial featuring South Korean tennis star Hyeon Chung. The spot also included many young players from the John McEnroe Tennis Academy at Sportime Randall’s Island playing tennis.

Centercourt’s Kotzen Wins Title in New Shrewsbury

Golod Captures Another Title

Nicolas Kotzen, a player in Centercourt’s Platinum Program, took home the title at the L1 New Shrewsbury September Championships as the top-seed won four matches en route to the championship. After a hard-fought semifinal win, Kotzen defeated Ari Cotoulas 6-4, 6-3 in the finals.

Ross School Tennis Academy’s Vitalina Golod played an excellent tournament at the L1A RWTTC September Championships, earning her topseed 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.

continued on page 6 NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • New York Tennis Magazine

across metro new york continued from page 5

Columbia’s Lin & Matheson Win ITA Regional Doubles Title

NYJTL Starts “Road to College Tennis” Series

Columbia’s Jack Lin & William Matheson defeated Cornell’s Daniel Soyfer & David Volfson 6-0, 6-2 to win the doubles title at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s (ITA) Northeast Regional Tournament at Princeton University. It marks the fourth straight year the doubles champions at the Northeast Regionals have hailed from Columbia.

New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL) began a partnership with the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) to launch the “Road to College Tennis” Workshop Series. This venture was a part of a busy summer at the Cary Leeds Center, and began with a ITA Chief Operations Officer Erica Perkins Jasper stopping by to educate the players in NYJTL’s Intensive Training Program about all aspects of playing collegiate tennis.

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At the Net With CourtSense Tennis Training Center By Brian Coleman

occer is widely known as the global game, a sport that spans nearly every country on Earth and is, by and large, the most popular. But few other sports match the international flavor and global reach like tennis does. It features players, coaches and fans from all walks of life, and great things can happen when those backgrounds are combined. The CourtSense Tennis Training Center is an example of this. With an assortment of coaches and trainers from a number of different countries and playing backgrounds, the melting pot that is CourtSense has worked to create a successful program. “It’s a tennis program I always dreamt of being a part of as a child. I enjoyed ice hockey and many other sports growing up, but tennis was what I really wanted to pursue,” said Gordon Uehling, Founder and Managing Director of CourtSense. “Unfortunately, the tennis programs I was ex-

“My goal at CourtSense was to, f irst and foremost, build a special team environment with coaches and staff that wanted to be a part of something bigger than themselves.” —Gordon Uehling, Founder and Managing Director of CourtSense

posed to in our area were below average, and my tennis experiences mostly came from playing with my Dad and some friends in our neighborhood, as well as a random

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • NYTennisMag.com

tennis lesson here and there during the summer months.” Despite a lack of formative training in tennis, Uehling would go on to play collegiate tennis and eventually join the ATP Tour. “I decided to pursue collegiate tennis and then professional tennis for nine years, so I have the equivalent of a Masters and Ph.D. in the game,” Uehling added. “I was an education major in school. My impetus was to eventually create CourtSense once I felt I had enough personal experience with all the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual facets of the game.” Through his time on the ATP Tour, he learned from some of the legendary instructors of the sport, including Sports Psychologist Dr. Jim Loehr and Coach Jose Higueras, who has worked with some of the world’s top players, including Pete Sampras and Roger Federer. With his dream of creating the type of program he longed for as a young tennis

player growing up, coupled with the knowledge and experience he gained as a player and coach, Uehling was ready to launch CourtSense. “My goal at CourtSense was to, first and foremost, build a special team environment with coaches and staff that wanted to be a part of something bigger than themselves,” Uehling said. “I knew that many people would want to be a part of a team that loved working with each other, and were passionate about the process of teaching and coaching tennis and fitness.” In order to do so, Uehling knew he needed to bring in the types of coaches and managers that shared his vision, making sure his staff was diverse enough in their backgrounds to create the type of well-rounded program he desired. “It was important that all of our staff was open to learning concepts and systems that were based on a lot of collective experiences, while incorporating what we learn from sports science,” said Uehling. “We always encourage our team of coaches to add to what we teach; ultimately creating a manual that has become a big collaboration.” Integral in implanting that methodology was Carlos Cano, who is CourtSense’s Head of Player and Coaching Development, and Ray Josephs, the Director of Coaches at Tenafly Racquet Club, a CourtSense location. “In education, there are many ways to achieve the goal you are looking for, and for that reason, it’s crucial to have coaches with different backgrounds to have different perspectives,” said Cano. “We are looking for leaders with the capacity to adapt to new ideas, and it’s also important that they are teachers and coaches at the same time, and that they enjoy the challenge of the short-, middle- and long-term process of education.” The ability to adapt and blend your own tennis philosophies with the ones of those you work with is one of the most important qualities of the CourtSense program, and something that has established it as a staple of tennis development here in the northeast. One of the program’s top coaches is Geoff Grant, who competed on the ATP Tour and spent time training with Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and Jim Courier.

Grant is the Director of Tennis and General Manager at Tenafly Racquet Club, and primarily works with players during the early part of the development process. “All of my experience as a true professional had to be unwound because I only knew how to play very well coming off the Tour—I didn’t really know how to teach,” said Grant. “But the Tour taught me to understand the value and power of confidence, and I try to teach young players to respect confidence and the hard work it takes to achieve it. Always be looking for just a little bit better every day—the moments of success arrive but only after the gritty work.” That willingness to do the gritty work it takes to be a great player is at the heart of the CourtSense teaching model. It’s a universal trait that exists in people from all types of backgrounds and life experiences, and is a necessity in being successful as a teacher of the sport. “You have to work with all of your heart, soul and passion. That means you have to work 100 percent every second of the day,” said Saul Salazar, Director of High Performance at Bogota Racquet Club, who has been teaching tennis for more than 30 years. “I love the challenges that come along with that. I love seeing the success, but more importantly, the improvement, of every kid that comes through the program.”

The pillars of the CourtSense program are the coaches and the directors who have all contributed their experiences and differences to create the collaboration that Uehling had envisioned. They are taking that collaboration one step further to produce an online e-manual which will help guide the staff with its methodology and philosophy going forward. “We all knew that we could not do this alone, so it was key for us as the company was growing to select the right people who will keep the company growing in the direction we want,” said Ogi Nikolovski, CourtSense’s General Manager and the Director of Tennis at Bogota Racquet Club, who is also the former Vice President of the Macedonian Tennis Federation. “In some ways, we have been very fortunate to find the people that we have on our team today. The key for us has always been to partner and work with people who have good character, love working with other people and have a strong passion for the game of tennis. I have a strong belief that as long as we stay true to this standard, we will continue to help many people, especially kids, to enjoy their time on the court.” Brian Coleman is Senior Editor for New York Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by phone at (516) 409-4444, ext. 326 or email BrianC@USPTennis.com.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • New York Tennis Magazine

West Side Juniors Hit the Court at U.S. Open

One of the coolest parts of the U.S. Open in the past two years is the opportunity for junior players from local clubs to get out onto the courts that the professional players compete on. The kids from West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills had that experience this year as they put on a Net Generation Clinic inside the new Louis Armstrong Stadium before one of the Day Sessions

during opening week of the U.S. Open. Along with coaches and instructors, the kids showed off their forehand, backhand and serving skills using the Net Generation courts, balls and nets before some of the best players in the world, including Angelique Kerber, Kiki Bertens and Alex Zverev, competed in their U.S. Open matches.

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Free, Family-Fun Returns at the 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. 12

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • NYTennisMag.com

NYTennisMag.com â&#x20AC;˘ November/December 2018 â&#x20AC;˘ New York Tennis Magazine

By Brian Coleman

New York Tennis Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ November/December 2018 â&#x20AC;˘ NYTennisMag.com

he second half of the 2018 season on the ATP World Tour has belonged to Novak Djokovic, and it was cemented with his title run at the U.S. Open where he defeated Juan Martin del Potro in routine 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-4 fashion. The win finished off a run of 16 consecutive straight sets in Queens for Djokovic, and earned him the 14th Grand Slam title of his career, equaling his idol Pete Sampras for third on the all-time men’s list. “Pete Sampras is one of the biggest legends ever to play the game. He was my childhood idol. He was someone I was looking up to,” said Djokovic. “The first actual thing I saw related to tennis on the TV was his first or second Wimbledon Championship. That inspired me to start playing tennis. There is a lot of significance of me being now shoulder-to-shoulder in terms of Grand Slam wins with him.” The U.S. Open title also brought him within six Grand Slams of Roger Federer, and three Grand Slams from Rafael Nadal, bridging a gap that, only months prior, felt like a near impossibility for the Serbian. Earlier this year, Novak Djokovic was suffering through one of the toughest periods of his tennis career. After failing to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals for the first time in 11 years, Djokovic underwent elbow surgery and was forced out of action. In that period of time, he was left to ponder his professional life, and even had some serious doubts

about if he wanted to continue playing. “This year, in the first months after surgery, I went through emotions and thoughts that were not the brightest,” he admitted. “I also said that I would no longer play tennis … people were shocked. At those moments I was not sure what I was talking about. The worst is when there’s a doubt about the belief that I can do it. I am not ashamed of such moments. One part of me knew that there would be a moment to make a success, for a Grand Slam, and to be number one in the world.” The 31-year-old had been dealing with the elbow injury for all of the prior year, and it forced to him to miss the entire second half of the 2017 season. Already on the heels of missing a chunk of time, and stuck with the outlook of missing more time to recover from surgery, Djokovic was understandably hesitant about his future. When Djokovic resumed playing tennis in early March, his return to the top form did not happen immediately. He lost to Taro Daniel in the opening round of the BNP

Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., and then traveled east to Florida only to lose to Benoit Paire in the opening round of the Miami Open. In his return to the Tour following his elbow surgery, Djokovic lost five of his first eight matches as things seemed to be getting worse before they got better. He played his best tournament of the year up to that point when he powered into the Rome semifinals before falling to Rafael Nadal, setting him up for a promising run at the French Open. And while he won four rounds in Paris, he lost to little-known Italian Mario Cecchinato in the quarterfinals in a shocking defeat, suffering an injury to his shoulder and once again feeling doubt in his game. “I don’t know if I’m going to play on grass. I don’t know what I’m going to do. I cannot give you any answer,” said Djokovic. “I’m just not thinking about tennis at the moment.” And he did just that. He spent some time soul-searching and went on a five-day long hike with his wife, Jelena, in the French Alps. The time away from tennis and with his family helped ground Djokovic, he says, and provided him with a fresh perspective on his life and career. “I remember one moment particularity when we climbed that mountain. It was pretty high. We reached the top after three hours,” said Djokovic after winning the U.S. Open. “We sat down and we just looked at continued on page 16

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djokovic 2.0

continued from page 15

the world from that perspective, just kind of breathed in the new inspiration, new motivation. I thought of tennis … thought of the emotion that tennis provokes in me in a way. It was all positive. I just felt like I had a new breath for this sport.” With that newfound perspective and a different outlook on his play, Djokovic reached the finals of the Fever-Tree Championships in London and was poised to make his presence felt on the grass courts of the All-England Club at the Wimbledon Championships. At Wimbledon, Djokovic knocked off top players such as Karen Khachanov, Kei Nishikori and Rafael Nadal, before taking out Kevin Anderson in straight sets in the finals. It was his first Grand Slam title since hoisting the French Open trophy in 2016. “I understand that people are questioning whether I can consistently play on this level. Trust me, I am too,” said

Djokovic after winning Wimbledon, being half-sarcastic. “At the same time, I can’t look too far down the road because I have to embrace and cherish this kind of accomplishment.” He would not have to look too far down the road to find his next success. After suffering a tough loss to Stefanos Tsitsipas in Toronto, he powered through the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. At one point, he won four straight three-set matches, coming from a set down in three of them, before ousting Roger Federer in the finals. His momentum was rolling heading into the U.S. Open, and it only continued from there. “Ever since then, tennis was completely different for me,” he said referring to the now infamous hike into the French Alps. “In terms of results, I played in the finals of Queens, won Wimbledon, won Cincinnati, and won the U.S. Open. I guess we’ll

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • NYTennisMag.com

be hiking some more very soon.” There were times when many people, including the man himself, were doubting if Djokovic would ever return to the form that saw him dominate the sport just a couple of years prior. Into his 30s and dealing with injuries, nothing was guaranteed. But like all great champions, the Serbian got up off the mat and continued working. A renewed mental strength and outlook on both his play and his life have driven him into this new chapter of his career, and it will be interesting to see if Djokovic can add to his Grand Slam total in 2019. “I think you’re seeing the new Novak,” Djokovic said recently at the Shanghai Rolex Masters. “I don’t need to describe him. That’s all I can say. I had to reinvent myself and find the proper formula for success. I found it and I’m just trying to hold onto it for as long as I can.” Brian Coleman is Senior Editor for New York Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by phone at (516) 409-4444, ext. 326 or email BrianC@USPTennis.com.

USTA Foundation Hosts Star-Studded Gala (Seated, from left to right): Deborra-Lee Jackman, Anna Wintour, Wendi Deng Murdoch and Gayle King with (standing, left to right): Irving Milgrom, Cheryl Scharf, Hugh Jackman, USTA Foundation Executive Director Dan Faber, USTA Foundation Board Member and Litigation Partner for Morrison Cohen LLP Y. David Scharf, USTA Foundation Director of Development Jeff Harrison, Vera Wang, Xin Li, Dana Garner and Chris Garner

Credit all photos to: Steven Freeman

USTA Foundation Gala co-hosts Mike Greenberg from ESPN and Billie Jean King address attendees elebrities turned out in force to show their support at the USTA Foundation Gala, which marked the opening night of the 2018 U.S. Open. Cohosted by Billie Jean King and TV personality Michael Greenberg, the star-studded event at Arthur Ashe Stadium raised more than $1.5 million for tennis and education. Attendees included Hugh Jackman, Anna Wintour and Vera Wang. Additionally, a VIP Auction featuring admission to any concert anywhere in the United States by country singer Luke Bryan raised an additional $55,000. The Foundation also presented Pam Shriver, former pro tennis player, with a surprise award for leadership and advocacy. The USTA Foundation, the charitable arm of the USTA, brings tennis and education together to change lives, serving

USTA Foundation Gala guests included Vera Wang, Anna Wintour, Cheryl Scharf and Y. David Scharf

more than 225,000 young people. To date, the Foundation has awarded more than $25 million in grants and scholar-

ships benefiting thousands of children and adults through tennis, education and health curricula.

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NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • New York Tennis Magazine

Cary Leeds Center Plays Host to U.S. Open Junior Qualifying Tourney

hile the main draw of the U.S. Open was happening in Queens, the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning in the Bronx played host to the 2018 U.S. Open Junior Qualifying Tournament. The 32-player singles draws in boys and girls singles featured players from 28 different countries, including many of the top 100 players in the world junior rankings. “The U.S. Open Junior Qualifying Tournament features some of the best junior tennis players in the world, and the Cary Leeds Center is a world-class tennis facility,” said Tournament Director Lew Brewer.

“Not only does it a make a great host for the Qualifying Tournament, but it allows us to offer all of our main-draw juniors more practice time than ever before.” It is the first year that the qualifying draw of the tournament was moved from park courts near the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center to the Cary Leeds facility. Because of this, players had more access to court time to practice, and the players who advanced out of qualifying headed to the National Tennis Center to compete in the main draw. There were plenty of scouts and college

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • NYTennisMag.com

coaches in attendance at the qualifying tournament, including former U.S. Open Doubles Champion and current Texas A&M head coach Steve Denton. “I knew Cary Leeds from his Yale days and stayed with the Leeds family in 1976 while I was playing a collegiate tournament,” said Denton. “It’s incredible being here.” In the end, when the tournament shifted back to Queens, it was Brazil’s Thiago Seyboth Wild and China’s Xiyu Wang who won the Boys’ Junior and Girls’ Junior Titles, respectively.

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

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • New York Tennis Magazine

2019

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YORK

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What’s New for the 2019 New York Open? ew York 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 20

signed. John is arguably coming off his 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

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • NYTennisMag.com

fully baked all the details about the 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

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complete information around Andy’s 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

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2019 New York Open

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

universities the chance to enter their 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.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • New York 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 adjacent 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 fam-

ily-friendly component of their New York Open experience. On the tournament’s closing weekend, 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 tennis-themed 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.”

Local Collegiates to Play in New York Open Singles Main Draw New for 2019, the New York Open is hosting a Wild Card Collegiate Invitational for a chance to earn a spot into the Main Draw of the 2019 New York Open. Some local colleges have been invited to send their top players to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Nov. 16-18 to compete in the tournament, where the winner of the Wild Card Invitational will play their first-round match in the New York Open on Feb. 12 as the featured singles match of College Night at NYCB 22

LIVE, Home of the Nassau Memorial Coliseum. Come out and support your team at the Wild Card Collegiate Invitational, as they battle for the right to play against the best professionals in the world. Teams represented in the Wild Card Invitational include: Adelphi, Army, Binghamton, Columbia, Concordia, Cornell, FDU, Hofstra, NYIT, Princeton, St. Francis, St. John’s, Wagner and the winner of the Tennis on Campus Challenge.

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • NYTennisMag.com

COMING IN JANUARY 2019

Distribution scheduled for 01/01/19

This edition will feature: • New York Tennis Expo/NY Open Preview • 2018 Year in Review/2019 Preview • Australian Open Preview • 2018 Girls High School States Recap • Mental Tennis Roundtable

Distribution across New York at 300+ locations: • Indoor tennis clubs • Country clubs • Restaurants and health food stores • Tennis camps • Retail stores • Gyms • Supermarkets and • Many more!

Don’t miss the advertising opportunities in the next edition of New York Tennis Magazine January/February 2019! Facebook-www.Facebook.com/NYTennisMag Instagram-@NYTennisMag • Twitter-@NYTennisMag Submissions for both advertising and editorial are due by 2018 December 2018 NYTennisMag.com • November/December • New York 1, Tennis Magazine 23 For more information, please call 516-409-4444 or e-mail Advertise@NYTennisMag.com

USTA Metro Region A Message From USTA Eastern Metro Region President Pablo Sierra

Liber-T Community Tennis Association Nestled in the midst of Bricktown (173st & Liberty Avenue) in Queens is Detective Keith L. Williams Park, affectionately known as Liberty Park. It is home to several different types of sporting activities, including a rec center, a running track, a field, a seasonal pool, plus basketball, handball and tennis courts. But the one thing that brings the community together more than anything is tennis. Liberty Park has 10 outdoor ten24

nis courts, lit for night play and offers players of all level the opportunity to play the game of tennis historically called “The Sport of a Lifetime.” Housed at Liberty Park is the Liber-T Community Tennis Association (LTCA) whose mission is to promote interest in tennis by developing and promoting the game of tennis at Liberty Park and its residents, in such ways that are beneficial to its members and to the community. In 2017, the LTCA created the Liber-T Tennis Memorial Tournament as a tribute to three local tennis players whose lives

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • NYTennisMag.com

USTA Metro Region were tragically cut short, Cornel, Val and Moe. In their honor and for their dedication to the game of tennis, the Memorial Tournament was established to celebrate players of all levels, while exposing others to the game. The LTCA organizers, Rosemarie Roopchand, Sharon Simmonds, Tristan Jobity, Compton Meerabux, Ricky Villaroel and countless volunteers invited players from all over the Tri-State to participate and play men’s and women’s singles; as well

as men’s, women’s and mixed doubles. This year’s Liber-T Tennis Memorial Tournament saw an increase in the number of players and spectators of all ages, as players brought their family members. Members of the immediate community, ranging in age from the very young to the very elderly, came out to listen to music, enjoy delicious food and watch some magnificent tennis from local community players.

New York “Lil” Aces in Action

Picture a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Forest Hills, Queens, the New York Aces were in full swing and wearing their classic tennis whites at the historic West Side Tennis Club. What I saw was a bunch of really dedicated tennis instructors

teaching tennis to some great well-motivated kids. It was very evident that they truly enjoy playing the game. The NY Aces has done a great job promoting the game of tennis since they were founded … keep up the great work!

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • New York Tennis Magazine

USTA Metro Region U.S. Open Arts CourtsX Chase and Highland Park Tennis Association

It was a beautiful Saturday morning, as the Highland Park Tennis Association ran their program just like they do every Saturday. However, this Saturday was going to be a little different. This was the day that Highland Park Tennis would be recognized as the spot for the unveiling of the U.S. Opens 50th Anniversary painted 26

Art on its very own courts. The kids handled this momentous event like true pros. When the courts were unveiled, they revealed beautifully-colored tennis courts, displaying some exquisite artwork, and Highland Park Tennis Association became part of the history for the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Open.

New York Tennis Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ November/December 2018 â&#x20AC;˘ NYTennisMag.com

The Metro Corporate Tennis League, presented by Advantage Tennis Clubs, is an initiative of the Metrotennis Community Tennis Association (MCTA). The League is divided into three levels of play, Intermediate (3.0-3.5), Advanced Intermediate (4.0-4.5) and Advanced (4.5+). Also offered is the Hi-Five program for teams that are not ready to compete, but want to get into the sport while getting a great workout or just need to get the rust off their rackets. This season, the Metro Corporate Tennis League will host more than 58 teams. The following is the roster for the upcoming season: Advanced Division 1 1. Moody’s 2. Bloomberg (Vighnesh) 3. Ernst & Young 4. BNP Paribas 5. PwC 6. Deloitte LLP

Advanced Intermediate Division 2 1. Bloomberg (Vineet) 2. Deutsche Bank (Sonja) 3. Bloomberg (Reno) 4. Mizuho Bank 5. Schulte, Roth & Zabel LLP 6. Neuberger Berman

Advanced Division 2 1. Brave Warrior Advisors LLC 2. Bloomberg (Ming) 3. Bank of America 4. Proskauer Rose LLP 5. Credit Agricole

Intermediate Division 1 1. Société Générale 2. Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP 3. Bloomberg (Aces) 4. HBO 2 5. Moody’s 6. Barclays

Advanced Intermediate Division 1 1. Deutsche Bank (Armen) 2. Bloomberg (Ankur) 3. The Corcoran Group 4. Bloomberg (Fischler) 5. BNP Paribas 6. ING 7. Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP

Intermediate Division 2 1. D.E. Shaw & Company 2. AMC Networks 3. BNP Paribas 4. Sidley Austin LLP 5. Centerview Partners LLC 6. Capital Partners

Intermediate Division 3 1. Angelo, Gordon & Company LP 2. Barclays 3. Bloomberg (Kyuwon) 4. White & Case LLP 5. Douglas Elliman Intermediate Division 4 1. Xaxis 2. Sullivan & Cromwell LLP 3. HBO 1 4. PwC 5. Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson Hi-Five Division 1. Bloomberg (Peggy) 2. Penguin Random House 3. Havas 4. The Corcoran Group 5. Google 6. Bloomberg (Andy) 7. Sullivan & Cromwell LLP 8. Centerview Partners 9. MongoDB 10. Bloomberg (Innyoung) 11. Schulte, Roth & Zabel LLP

The season will run from September to December, culminating with an end-of-season party at Roosevelt Island Racquet Club. Please welcome this season’s new teams, Centerview Partners LLC and Brave Warrior Advisors LLC.

For more information regarding the Metro Corporate Tennis League, visit MetroTennis.com under the tab labeled, “Corporate,” or e-mail Luis@MetroTennis.com. NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • New York Tennis Magazine

Beyond the Baseline Gustavo Loza, Tennis Service Representative for the USTA Eastern Metro Region, still finds time to play competitive tennis as pictured here taking part in the Long Island Tennis Magazine Challenge

Gustavo Loza

Tennis Service Representative, USTA Eastern Metro Region By Brian Coleman

rowing up in Mexico City, Gustavo Loza was a multisport athlete who played both tennis and soccer as a child. But around the age of 14, he had to make the decision of which sport he wanted to continue playing. “I chose tennis,” Loza said. With tennis as his top priority, he quickly rose up the junior ranks in Mexico, eventually reaching number two in the country which earned him a scholarship to the University of Oregon in Eugene. “I’m from Mexico City, so when I went to Oregon it felt like a small town,” noted Loza. “But the campus and the facilities were topnotch. The way they treated their athletes was incredible. It was such a small town though, and I wanted to be a part of a big city where I could potentially have a future in the professional world after college.” Loza transferred to St. John’s University in Queens which was the beginning of him

becoming a permanent New Yorker. “St. John’s was a completely different scenario than Oregon, facilities and athletic department wise, but New York City was definitely for me,” Loza said. “I got the best of both worlds in my college experience: The small, college town and the big city.” He played singles for the Red Storm for two years, and after graduating, he went on to play professionally, primarily on the Futures and Challenger Tours. “After that, I came back to get my Master’s Degree and became an Assistant Coach at St. John’s,” Loza said. His New York City experience helped usher him into his current role as Tennis Service Representative for the USTA Eastern Metro Region. “It’s a very exciting and unique role,” said Loza. “It covers all of the programming, from school programs to junior tennis, from competitive players to adults, and social tennis as well. It gives me the opportunity to work

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • NYTennisMag.com

in all the different areas that make up New York tennis. My main duty is to serve as a liaison between the USTA, and all the providers, clubs, schools, etc. I’m the face of the USTA in New York City, so I try to help whoever needs it, whether it be coaches, players, a program or a club. For younger players, we want to create a first-time experience to the sport that can develop a pathway for them to continue playing into the future.” As a player and coach for St. John’s University, Loza played a lot of his matches at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, as well as many other locations across the city. His time there helped him forge relationships with many members of the tennis community in New York City, relationships that have since grown in his role with USTA Eastern. “I never expected to be able to use those relationships in a job, but it has become super helpful,” Loza said. “Once I came on board with the USTA, having those relationships al-

ready intact helped to accomplish help with our exposure and help us ensome of our goals faster, and just hance the experiences of our prohelped me get on the same page with grams. All the on-court demos, Arthur a lot of people in the industry.” Ashe Kids Day, Net Generation Clinics In Loza’s role, it’s important to es… all of those things are incentives that tablish connections with people we use to help grow our programs.” from all spectrums of the industry in Loza hopes to continue to build upon order to grow the sport for everyone. the relationships he has already built, While it can sometimes feel like a and the progress he has already made cutthroat business, it’s Loza and the in his role to accomplish his and USTA USTA’s job to build a bridge for all of Eastern’s goal of growing the sport. the components that make up the There is no better and exciting place, he tennis community. says, to do this than in New York City. “I love the flexibility of the role, I have Gustavo Loza loves to get onto the court and share his experience “We’re very lucky that we are in one the opportunity to bring tennis into the with children of the best cities in the world that alschools, but also work with more adlows us to have exposure and contact vanced players and adults,” Loza said. “Being backyard year-after-year. This allows Loza with different backgrounds and cultures,” said able to work with all levels is definitely a chal- and his team to create programming around Loza. “We have such a vast pool of coaches, lenge, but one that I embrace. New York City the tournament that gives kids a great tennis and so many good coaches which definitely is one of the most competitive areas in the experience. With the addition of the New helps develop better players. There is a lot of country, so being able to get everyone on the York Open in the local community, those op- healthy competition, and that’s one of the best same page and bringing all the facilities to portunities have only increased. aspects of tennis in our area.” “Being the home of the U.S. Open allows work together is a challenge, but it is a task us to give experiences to providers and kids Brian Coleman is Senior Editor for New York that is very exciting for me.” One intriguing aspect of tennis in New that we otherwise would not be able to. And Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by York City is having the world’s most famous the same goes for the New York Open now,” phone at (516) 409-4444, ext. 326 or e-mail tournament, the U.S. Open, right in our said Loza. “We have two great events that BrianC@USPTennis.com.

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www.cen ntercourtacademy.com NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • New York Tennis Magazine

The Connection Between Sports

By Gilad Bloom s a young sports fanatic, I used to play all sports that were available. In those days (the 1970s), there was no Internet and in Israel, barely any television, so it was either sports or other hobbies (for the rainy days) that filled my day. But since there is hardly any rain in Tel Aviv, it was basically sports. For me, it was first soccer and then basketball, and I only started playing tennis at the age of nine. As a coach, I have always encouraged my students to play multiple sports. It has been proven that playing multiple sports helps in preventing injuries. I also strongly believe that sports like soccer and basketball are a great supplement to playing tennis. Having played those two sports from a very young age, it allowed me to pick up tennis very quickly and attain a high skill level within two or three years of playing the game. Obviously, playing a team sport is an attraction, since as a tennis player, you are alone out there and the mental stress of competing one-on-one can be taxing. I always loved being part of a team and enjoyed the social aspect of it. It seemed so much more “fun” than tennis, even though when I had to choose between the two sports, I chose tennis because in the end, I

loved the individuality of the sport. I also liked the different cultures each sport exposed me to. Switching from the soccer field to the basketball court, and despite being pretty short for basketball, I still played every week with my high school buddies up to the age of 40. I ended my soccer career earlier this year at the age of 51. Over the years, I learned that those sports not only benefit the mind, but also have a direct positive effect on the tennis court. There are many similarities in the athletic movement of each sport, and of course, in hand-eye coordination which is a universal trait of all ball-related sports. I recommend playing all sports, but for me personally, soccer and basketball made the most sense as a tennis player. I have had the opportunity to watch top professional basketball and soccer players play tennis, and most if not all of them were extremely good for the amount of time they played. Also, as a touring pro on the ATP Tour, we used to play some soccer between tennis matches (mostly with Europeans and South Americans) and basketball (with the Americans). The level of competition was very high and more than a few players, myself included as well as Roger Federer, grew up dreaming to be a pro soccer player, but somehow ended up playing tennis. Here are some of the similarities: 1. The side step: A very basic movement which is necessary in almost every point in

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • NYTennisMag.com

tennis. In basketball, the same exact movement is used to defend. 2. The first step: High level ball sports is a lot about the first step. In tennis, you need it to get to the ball early so you can position the body perfectly to hit a high percentage shot, you need it to recover as well. In basketball and soccer, the first step is huge in beating your defender to create space for a shot or a pass. As a defender, you would need a great first step to out-run the forward. 3. Movement without the ball: The best basketball and soccer players move constantly without touching the ball during a game to make themselves open for scoring or passing opportunities. In tennis, movement without the ball is just as important. Once you hit the shot, there is a recovery movement that needs to happen right away. The point is … you cannot be still for even a second. 4. The split-step: This is used in tennis all the time. In soccer, it is actually the goalkeeper who does a split-step every time they get ready to make a save. It helps to be balanced and dive in the right direction. 5. Touch/finesse/imagination: In tennis, you need to apply touch, soft hands and the ability to improvise on certain shots. In soccer and in basketball, you need the same

type of creativity. You often see players scoring goals with chip shots, curveballs and accuracy rather than with power. In basketball, there are plenty of times when a soft hand can help the rim be more friendly (the tear drop). 6. Anticipating different spins and tracking the ball: When I played soccer, I always found that I had an advantage because I was used to playing tennis with a small ball that travels more than 100 mph. The “huge” soccer ball seemed easy for me to track and control after dealing with a tennis ball, and it gave me an advantage in corner shots and with long passes. When playing basketball, my instincts and anticipation from my net game allowed me to be able to make a lot of steals, and in general, helped out my defensive game. 7. Technique: Tennis is a bit more technical in the sense that it’s harder to reach a high level without proper coaching. In principle, the concept is the same … there is a set of skills required and good technique helps to perform under pressure or when tired. The

best players in soccer and basketball, much like the top tennis players, have perfected their techniques in all aspects of the game and if they don’t, they will work to improve it. For example, LeBron James improved his jump shot midway through his career. Lionel Messi improved his right foot and Rafael Nadal improved his serve, slice and net game. The similarities are there when you see how methodical and ritualistic the players are about their technique, trusting it in the big moments. 8. Decision-making: Just like in tennis, decision-making is critical to playing a high level. You will almost never see Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal hit the wrong shot. They might miss from time to time, but their shot selection is usually the right one, which is a big part of why they are so good. In soccer and basketball, it is very similar, knowing when to release the ball and to whom or choosing to shoot or pass makes or breaks a soccer and basketball player. There are plenty of examples of players who have great ball skills, but keep making the wrong choices with the ball. In tennis,

the equivalent is a player that has great strokes, but doesn’t know how to construct a point well due to bad shot selection. The ability to make the right decision in a splitsecond, to execute it successfully and most importantly, to do it on a daily basis, is the formula. We can use sports like soccer and basketball to enhance our tennis ability. The best aspect of playing other sports is the aspect of “having fun.” It takes you away from the grueling tennis world and into the team sport universe, but mainly so we can get back on the tennis court and start hitting tennis balls. Gilad Bloom, former Israeli Davis Cup player and two-time Olympian, played on the ATP Tour 1983-1995, reached the fourth round of the U.S. Open in 1990, reached a highest ranking of 61 in singles, was Israel Singles Champion three times. Bloom has been running his own tennis program since 2000 and also was Director of Tennis at John McEnroe Tennis Academy for two years. He can be reached by e-mail at Bloom.Gilad@Gmail.com.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • New York Tennis Magazine

What You Should Look for in a Sports Recovery Drink By Dr. Rob Silverman very athlete understands the great importance hydration plays in their performance—possibly as a result of experiencing the negative impact that dehydration imparts on the body. But what about the significance of re-hydrating post-race or after a competition? As a rule of thumb: Athletes should work with a functional health practitioner to calculate their sweat-rate and dehydration percentage in order to understand how to stay properly hydrated. Then, athletes should choose fluids that meet their electrolyte replenishment needs. Here’s what you should be looking for in a sports recovery drink.

Electrolytes are king Electrolytes are substances that are utilized by the body to create electricallycharged fluids. Many bodily functions depend on electrolytes, especially in muscle and nervous system tissue. For an athlete, keeping electrolytes balanced is key for both training and competitive performance. Major electrolytes found in the body include sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphate and bicarbonate. After exercising, proper fueling requires more than just replenishing calories and fluids—it also involves consistent 32

and adequate electrolyte support. Sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium are the four major electrolytes that maintain the body’s fluid balance. Balanced electrolytes are necessary for your digestive, cardiac, muscular and nervous systems to function well. If your electrolytes are imbalanced, you could compromise your athletic performance by putting yourself at risk for muscle fatigue, cramping or worse. Along with muscle cramps in the legs, stomach cramps or side stitches are also a common result of an electrolyte imbalance. As a major electrolyte, magnesium plays a key role in 300 enzymatic reactions in the body and is essential for proper functioning of the nervous, musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems. Temporary magnesium deficiency as a result of exercise may impair endurance performance by increasing oxygen requirements to complete submaximal exercise. Replenishing magnesium—either as amino acid chelate or bis-glycinate—ensures both increased absorption and more usable magnesium in the body for cellular metabolism and glucose homeostasis. Additionally, malic acid with magnesium uses aerobic and anaerobic energy sources so energy production can be boosted. Other critical electrolytes to replenish during post-exercise recovery are sodium and potassium, particularly for those athletes with high sweat losses. For optimal performance, especially when losing large

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • NYTennisMag.com

amounts of electrolytes through sweat, sodium and potassium should be replaced in proportion to the amounts that are lost—these proportions average between 3:1 and 5:1. By replenishing, and ultimately maintaining, the correct electrolyte ratio, athletes can avoid muscle cramping, muscle fatigue and stomach bloating. Not-so-obvious ingredients Whether you choose to purchase your sports recovery drink in liquid form, capsule or in a powder that you mix into water, they all should also contain the following ingredients: l Glutamine: Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the plasma and muscle of humans. Glutamine protects muscle tissue and supports immune function during periods of immune and muscular stress, and supports protein synthesis and the integrity of intestinal mucosal cell. Glutamine supplements preserve and protect muscles from inflammation. l Taurine: An amino acid that helps regulate the level of water and mineral salts in the blood. Taurine also keeps potassium and magnesium inside the cell, while keeping excessive sodium out. Many studies suggest that taurine supplementation may improve athletic performance. l L-carnitine: Drives fatty acids to the inner layer of the mitochondria where

l l l

they are oxidized for cell energy. It also up-regulates the androgen receptor content, improving recovery from workouts. This enables athletes to optimize their use of fat during exercise. L-carnosine: An amino acid that helps fight fatigue, has antioxidant properties, and helps minimize damage to tissue found in fast-twitch muscle fibers. B-Complex Vitamins: For energy production. Chromium: For blood sugar and lipid control. Citric Acid: To increase sodium and water absorption.

An absence of sugar Macronutrient and electrolyte requirements are increased during physical activity. During prolonged exercise, two primary goals should be to replace fluid losses and to provide carbohydrates for maintenance of blood glucose. Therefore, when it comes to choosing a sports recovery drink, you’ll want to avoid America’s most addictive drug:

Sugar. Not only will sugar induce the peaks and valleys of varying blood glucose levels, constantly replacing electrolytes with sugary sports drinks can lead to health problems down the road. For starters, avoid popular electrolyte drinks that contain high amounts of simple sugar. Instead, I recommend consuming a rehydration supplement formulated without artificial sweeteners or colors. Typically available in powder form, the right rehydration supplements are scientifically designed to help support fluid balance, supply sodium and potassium to help replenish the electrolytes lost during exercise, deliver key electrolytes to help replace those lost through sweating during exercise, activity or hot weather conditions, and support hydration during exercise. To help maintain adequate hydration, supplement your diet for electrolyte support without artificial sweeteners, drink rehydration supplements mixed into water in accordance with the hydration plan developed with your functional health practitioner. If you have ever cramped during a run,

played a tennis match on a hot summer day, or sweat to the point where salt crystalized on your face, your body has required electrolytes. As an athlete, proper hydration, electrolyte replenishment and adequate recovery will dictate how (and how often) you practice and compete. Incorporating all of the necessary electrolytes your body needs—without consuming sugary sports drinks—is one key way to continue performing at the top of your game. Dr. Robert G. Silverman is a White Plains, N.Y.-based sports chiropractor and certified clinical nutritionist, specializing in functional medicine and the treatment of joint pain with innovative, science-based, nonsurgical approaches. He is also on the advisory board for the Functional Medicine University and a health contributor to various major TV networks. He is the author of Amazon’s Number One Best-Seller, Inside-Out Health. In 2015, he was honored with the prestigious Sports Chiropractor of the Year award by the ACA Sports Council. He can be reached by phone at (914) 287-6464, e-mail Info@DrRobertSilverman.com or visit DrRobertSilverman.com.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • New York 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.

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • NYTennisMag.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!

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • New York 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.

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • NYTennisMag.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!

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • New York 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.

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • NYTennisMag.com

‘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:

T l l l l l l l l l

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

l l l l l l l l

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

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • New York 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

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • NYTennisMag.com

NYTennisMag.com â&#x20AC;˘ November/December 2018 â&#x20AC;˘ New York Tennis Magazine

2018 NEW YORK TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion he local tennis community has some of the sport’s finest facilities and some of the top coaches in the world. With this wealth of talent available, New York 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 … 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.

Raised in Ludington , Mich., Luke Jensen’s resume includes 10 ATP Tour Doubles Titles and singles/doubles victories against Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Ivan Lendl, John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, Jim Courier, Patrick Rafter, Michael Stitch. Luke and his brother, Murphy, won the 1993 French Open Doubles Title. 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 Racquet Sports at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, N.Y. 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 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.

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • NYTennisMag.com

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 (1998-2007). 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 19861990. Ed is the Founder and Director of the Annual College Tennis Exposure Camps, which are taught exclusively by all head college coaches for high school-aged players (1518). Ed is also the Founder of One-On-One Doubles tournaments, which have been played at USTA, ATP, ITA and USPTA national events. Greg Lumpkin is the Associate Director for JMTA Long Island. A native Long Islander, he attended Hofstra University where he earned a spot on the varsity tennis team as a walk-on. He also spent time working under a world-

2018 NEW YORK TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion renowned physical therapist from whom he learned about injury prevention, treatment and management, as well as kinesiology and biomechanics. He is also an expert in slow motion video analysis and has used it successfully in the development of top juniors throughout his coaching career. Xavier Luna is the Director of Junior Tennis for the Advantage All-City Junior Tennis Programs. Xavier has more than 30 years of experience in tennis, commencing as a ranked junior. He was the Director of Junior Programs at Stadium Racquet Club, the Owner and Founder of Metro Tennis Academy, and has held many other positions in the tennis industry. Xavier

Jason Spiers is the Owner and Director of Tennis of Empire Tennis Academy. He became a doubles player at the national level while studying at Assumption Conrad Singh is the Chief Operations Officer of Tennis College, where he held a ranking of 24 for and the Director of Coaching Division II, and was third in the Northeast at Centercourt Performance Region. After 12 years of teaching tennis in New York City, and eventually becoming Tennis Academy. He has Director of Tennis at Roosevelt Island held Head Coach and Racquet Club, he has returned home to Director positions in Australia, England, Japan and China, and has been involved in Rochester, N.Y. where he directs his own program, Empire Tennis Academy. In his free professional tennis player development for time, he volunteers as an active USPTA First well over two decades. Singh came to Centercourt from Shanghai, China, where he Vice President and Educational Chairman, and runs his own charity foundation, Tennis helped to develop a top high-performance Saves. He was also awarded the 2015 player program, which saw more than 200 USPTA Pro of the Year. athletes train under his system.

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2018 NEW YORK TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion The roundtable ... What positive impact have you seen from USTA’s Net Generation initiative? Luke Jensen: A laser-like focus on first to last swing performer performance … accountability and action with a motivated staff. Jason Spiers: On-court, I’ve seen the confidence of the children skyrocket because of the innovative drills and games curriculum from Net Generation. It allows the kids to be constantly active, experience high levels of success, and empowers the kids through self-feeding. This keeps many of the kids continuing in our sport. Off-court, as a Director of Tennis, it makes life easier giving a curriculum to staff with professional videos and well-written descriptions so they can deliver the curriculum properly.

grow participation. The New York Open should ignite a spark through academies and tennis clubs within the area, high school teams and coaches, colleges and young aspirational players, as well as tennis families to come together. Being on the opposite side of the year to the U.S. Open and being such an intimate tournament where the players feel very accessible, I believe this can be a big factor in growing participation and bringing the tennis community together as a whole. It is a wonderful chance for coaches and tennis directors to bring their students and the families of the students together to create stronger relationships and enjoy the sport outside of the regular weekly arrangements.

What role does the parent play in their child’s tennis training? What are some common mistakes you see from parents? What do you think the New York Open, now in its second year, can do Luke Jensen: Parents must be their child’s life coaches. Use the same approach used in for growing the sport of tennis in the academic approach. Allow the teachers New York? to teach, and parents shape attitudes and efWhitney Kraft: The talented folks behind this event are already doing yeoman’s work fort. A parent’s biggest mistake is turning into the tennis coach or the classroom teacher by connecting to the communities and organizations around the Tri-State area. They without any expertise in the field. Too many have many innovative ideas and activations parents look at the score instead of attitude planned to create positive action and expe- as the measure of success and failure. riences around the event within and around Ed Krass: The biggest role a parent has is to NYCB LIVE. All this is a win-win for both the be mentally, emotionally and hopefully financially supportive of their child’s tennis goals New York Open and tennis on Long Island and New York, as it brings people together and dreams. Making yourself available to drive to tournaments and watch without inplaying, spectating and socializing. terfering is the great balance that is sought Conrad Singh: International tennis events after! The biggest mistake is when a parent at the 250 level, such as the New York wants to coach and/or teach their child anyOpen, create an opportunity for the local thing about tennis before, during or immeditennis community to come together and 44

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • NYTennisMag.com

ately 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 logisticsplanning should be the parent’s primary objectives when raising their tennis-playing child. Xavier Luna: A parent’s role is to be supportive. They need to be brought to and from practices … there is the sacrifice of taking weekends off to bring them to tournaments and no one can do this better than a parent. There is a lot of managing off the court that needs to be done as well, such as physical training, the analyzing of research, ensuring that their child isn’t under too much pressure and managing the balance of their child’s emotions. What is your opinion on in-match coaching, whether it be at the junior level or the professional level? Do you think it should be allowed to some extent? 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. Xavier Luna: I think, from a coaching perspective, it’s better to allow coaching because it shows people the value of a good coach. However, this would be the only reason that I would advocate for in-match coaching. I think it is unfair for previous players who have played tournaments and matches without coaches. In addition, not all

2018 NEW YORK TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion players are able to afford in-match coaching, and this could create a huge divide. For these reasons, I am 70 percent against inmatch coaching and 30 percent for inmatch coaching. Conrad Singh: As a Grand Slam tour coach for more than two decades, I can tell you that at the highest levels, all players are being coached to some extent when in matches. I believe the best way is that the coaches remain in their allocated seats and the players be allowed to walk to the coach and gain consultation. However, I think that this needs to be limited to three visits per match, lasting no more than one minute at a time. At the junior level, I believe it should not be allowed at all, as not every player has access to a coach being on-site. If we allowed it, the parents would most likely become the default coach, which I cannot see as a good thing for the development of the child. Many junior athletes don’t have the capacity to visualize their parents as a coach, and as a result, I believe this would lead to further breakdowns. What I would like to see is kids using notebooks and coaches comments or notes and read those at the change of ends to help encourage in-competition independence and also problem-solving skills. 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. Jason Spiers: Rarely do I have a junior expressing they are struggling with the balance … it’s usually the parents. However, if it is a student, we approach it just like any other aspect in tennis; we identify the problem and then dedicate time working on the weakness. If that means cutting out tennis time for tutoring, so be it. I don’t know many parents who are willing to pay for tennis if their child’s grades aren’t satisfactory. 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.

What advice do you give your students on dealing with a situation where they feel their opponents are cheating? 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. Greg Lumpkin: Tennis is one of the only sports that is self-refereed. Unfortunately, this opens the door for players to cheat and frequently get away with it. The biggest mistake I see tournament players make when they think they are being cheated is to get into a big argument about the call. Arguing a call almost never gets the result they want, and often leads to losing focus from the match. It is usually best to assertively ask if they are certain about the call. Then it is best to move on to the next point. If the problem continues, the players should get a line judge to watch the match. I personally love when my students have to face adversity and let it be known that if a player has to cheat, then deep down they don’t believe they can win the match. Conrad Singh: Cheating in tennis is really hurting the sport globally, and we need to get back to the old habits of players being very concerned about being labeled as a cheat. This can only be done by programs and academies ensuring to treat this topic as a priority. I try to ensure that my players understand that getting involved in these types of distractive behavior cannot end well, and will certainly cause a loss of momentum and or complete loss of focus. I teach them to first, give the benefit of the doubt, but question politely so the player cheating knows you won’t let them get away with it. If it happens again, simply call for the referee to be present and remain focused on your goals. If this persists, demand for the referee to remain oncourt. Remain focused on playing with more spin, giving more margin for error and to understanding that playing to big targets will re-

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • New York Tennis Magazine

2018 NEW YORK TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion duce the likelihood of bad calls. We need to remember that it’s impossible for a cheat to not be caught or stopped at some stage. I have never seen a junior who cheats go on to become a top junior or pro. 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? Greg Lumpkin: Coaches and players often have very close relationships. This complicates things when the player or parents feel progress has come to a halt. Plateaus are a normal part of a player’s development and need to be worked through, however a coaching relationship can go stale. I believe communication is key in this situation. Sometimes a simple conversation with the coach can spark the changes needed to get back to making improvements on your game. Coaching changes are normal and when it is the right time to make a switch no time should be wasted. It is a very rare that a high level player hasn’t had multiple coaches along the way. On the flip side, if you find you are changing coaches every year, that can have a negative effect with progression as having familiarity and continuity plays a role in advancement. Xavier Luna: The best advice would be to be completely honest and to communicate with their coach. Every coach and player relationship is built on trust, and if a player believes that they are no longer improving, it is pertinent to express this concern with their coach. This could help a player communicate their concern so their coach could adjust the strategy to help them or they can both come to a mutual agreement to move forward with another coach for the players own benefit. Jason Spiers: This is always a tough and delicate situation. I would suggest reviewing your developmental plan to make sure both the player and coach are on the same page. Oftentimes, they aren’t. Some coaches assume they know best and force their 46

philosophies on a student without corroborating together first. Sometimes, the players have the wrong idea of what improving means. There are many players, both juniors and adults alike, who think hitting hard or winners is the only way to improve. But at the end of the day, if neither the coach nor the player can get on the same page, then agree to disagree, and search for a coach who shares similar values. Name the best things about the current landscape about tennis in New York and name some of the glaring issues where improvements are needed? Luke Jensen: There are extraordinary coaches and programs, and great opportunities for all levels of play. Leagues are competitive and awesome for growing the game. It will always have a natural limit to the number of indoor options. Indoor tennis is expensive, and the trend of losing indoor courts instead of building indoor courts across the rust belt continues to be a real concern for me. Greg Lumpkin: Tennis is currently thriving here in New York. With the volume of private clubs, country clubs, public clubs and public courts, access to playing tennis has never been easier. Everyone has the opportunity to play and receive skilled coaching. On the flip side, to be a competitive tennis player, you do need to play more than once or even twice a week. Lessons and group programs can get costly compared to other parts of the country. Court time gets pricey as well in the winter months, compared to warm weather states where I have seen court time in private clubs for as low as $2 an hour! Whitney Kraft: Lots of great Community Tennis Associations are working tirelessly to grow the game along with talented sectional/regional staff. Some glaring improvements that are needed: Navigating the competitive tournament schedule especially for youth players and their families. There is

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • NYTennisMag.com

a dearth of competent coaches/tennis teaching professionals, but we also do need an influx of talented, engaging and competent teaching professionals. How should a player go about choosing their coach and how should they know who would be a good fit for them? 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. 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.

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.

THANKSGIVING, CHRISTMAS & NEW YEARS CAMPS BECOME PART OF THE TRADITION

EVERTACADEMY.COM | 561-488-2001 evert@evertacademy.com | Located in Boca Raton, Florida

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NEW YORK TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

J U N I O R P L AY E R S P O T L I G H T BY BRIAN COLEMAN

MICHELLE SOROKKO JOHN MCENROE TENNIS ACADEMY eeling like she needed some more match play as the 2018 season nears its conclusion, Michelle Sorokko showed up to the ITF Grade 4 tournament in Atlanta as an on-site alternate. The Douglaston, N.Y. native needed to come through three rounds of qualifying just to enter the main draw. She did just that and more, powering through the main draw with five consecutive straight-set victories before taking on fellow American Briana Crowley in the final. While she would come up short in the championship match, it was still a productive week in Atlanta. “I haven’t played a lot of ITFs this year, and I actually only decided to play this tournament last week,” Sorokko said. “I’ve been trying to work on being more aggressive this year, coming in more and volleying better, and I thought I needed some more match play to continue working on some of those things.” It was already a successful year for Sorokko even before she arrived in Atlanta. Back in April, she defeated three of the top seven seeds, including top-seed Hurricane Tyra Black, at the Delray Beach ITF en route to the title, one of the biggest of her junior career. “I really didn’t expect to go all the way, to be honest, because there were a lot of really

good players in the draw,” she said. “I approached the tournament by taking it one match at a time and I think that’s what helped get me through to the finals. I sometimes have a tendency to overlook some of the players I play and get ahead of myself, but when I take it one match at a time and really fight for every point, that’s when I play my best.” After powering through the first few

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • NYTennisMag.com

rounds of Delray Beach in straight sets, Sorokko dropped the first set in both the semifinals and finals, but found the resiliency to come back in each of those matches, something she is accustomed to doing. “I try to be as smart as I can on the court, I like to read my opponent and see what their strength and weaknesses are, and try to adapt my game to that,” said Sorokko. “Sometimes that takes a set for me to adjust

to know exactly how I should be playing…so when I do drop a set, I don’t get too worried because there’s still another set I can win, and one after that. That’s what is great about tennis. It’s not over until that last point.” Being a cerebral tennis player is something that Sorokko has always prided herself in. She said she got used to playing great defense and forcing her opponents into mistakes because she grew up playing against older girls in high-level tournaments, and it is something that has worked for her. The daughter of Russian immigrants who weren’t that much into sports themselves, Sorokko got her tennis inspiration from her older sister Kat, a former standout at Brown University who has been her younger sister’s coach since the beginning. “Michelle is one of the brightest people I have ever met,” said Kat. “She has this amazing ability to read her opponents game and think one step out. It’s like she’s playing chess out there on the tennis court.” Despite a 12-year age gap between the two, the sisters are very close which has helped foster a successful coach-player relationship. “Michelle is my closest friend. My fiancée teases me all the time that he’s going to be second in my life after Michelle,” Kat joked. “I have been her tennis coach and mentor

since she could hold a racket in her hand. We are extremely close, but we do have our occasional battles. Having a coach-player relationship with your own sister really tests both of one’s patience. There are times I have to remind her that when we step on court I have my coaching hat on. But it’s been an amazing experience. Getting to travel all around the country and world, and watching her compete and sharing these experiences with my best friend has been unreal.” “I got into playing because of her, and she got into coaching because of me,” added Michelle. “She has been with me from the start and taught me how to play from the very beginning.” Sorokko trained at a couple of different facilities before settling on the John McEnroe Tennis Academy about six years ago, with Kat still remaining as her coach, which has really helped shape her game. “It’s been great, I love it,” Sorokko said of being at JMTA. “This is the longest I’ve been at an academy. I came here in seventh grade and have been here ever since. The coaches are really great and they’ve given me some really great opportunities.” While her defense has always been the bread and butter of her game, Sorokko said she knows she needs to continue working

on developing offensive weapons in order to take her game to the next level. She made being more aggressive and coming to the net more a point of emphasis this year, and wants to continue growing as a player as she enters the last year of her junior career. “I can always defend, but I have to get better at winning the point myself and that’s something I’ve seen improve in my game over the last year,” said Sorokko. “I’ve been working on stepping up the big points. When it’s a tight situation I tend to sometimes just rely on my defense, but I need to get better at attacking and taking more advantage of my opportunities during a point. And my serve is something that has always kind of taken a backseat on what I need to develop. I think if I can turn my serve into a weapon it would really help my game.” With that plan in mind, Sorokko is ready for the next stage of her tennis career. She has verbally committed to the school where she will play her collegiate tennis, and plans to announce her decision towards the end of this year. She plans on doing some more traveling and playing in some more ITF tournaments in 2019, and has one clear goal in mind for this year: “Hopefully playing in a Grand Slam,” she said. “To play in a Junior Grand Slam is something I really want to do for myself.”

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • New York Tennis Magazine

Does Weight Training in Young Athletes Equal “Stunt Your Child’s Growth?” Time for some fitness fact vs. fiction By Griffin Samuels t some point in everyone’s lives, one is told a particular “fact” that goes unquestioned. We have all fallen victim to being told something that is not nec-

essarily the truth. In the year 2018, one bit of fiction continues to rear its ugly head in the fitness and athletic community. That aforementioned piece of information is that lifting weights stunts a child’s growth. Typically speaking, a doctor or pediatrician will tell a parent the dangers of lifting weights for their children. Let’s be clear and indi-

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cate that this article is not an attack on doctors or any other purveyor of this fitness myth. After all, everyone is looking out for the health of children. The goal of this article to heighten awareness to the benefits of weight training for the youth population. Let’s take a closer look, and separate fact from fiction.

The idea behind stunting a child’s growth involves their growth plates, which, if damaged, can adversely affect their physical development. Ironically, children are encouraged to be involved in intense, physical, fast-paced and uncontrolled activities as often as possible! Every time a child runs through the playground, sprints down the field kicking a soccer ball or explodes to the net on a tennis court, their growth plates are at risk! This may seem like hyperbolic language, but the truth behind most injuries (growth plate injuries included), is that they take place during situations where an individual is involved in an uncontrollable situation or environment. Sports by nature exhaust individuals. When a surplus of situations takes place where an athlete cannot control how many forehands they will hit in a game, or what direction they will travel in a given match, their body eventually breaks down. Of course, I will not advocate to stop playing a sport due to the risk of injury, rather, one should be as prepared as possible to withstand the rigorous aspects of sports.

Perhaps there is a stigma with weight training, as most will picture a strong man or bodybuilder. To better understand, let’s alter weight training to resistance training (same thing) and we will discover the fact that if properly programmed and executed, resistance training can actually reduce the risk of injuries while playing sports. The human body is a complex set of systems that work together to make us move. When one of these systems is lagging, the rest tend to fall apart. The idea behind resistance training is to strengthen or enhance these systems. Resistance can be achieved with body weight, or outside weight such as bands, dumbbells, barbells or machines. If this training is taught incorrectly, the program progressions are not monitored or the child is mentally too young and unfocused to perform movements with resistance, then injuries can take place. A great benefit here is that resistance training is in a controlled environment. With proper professional coaching, a young athlete will not only reduce their risk of

injury, but even increase their overall athletic performance. I do caution parents to be aware that this style of training takes patience and a certain degree of mental maturity. If this article does indeed inspire you to enroll your child in a resistance-based training program, just make sure a proper evaluation is given. As a Strength and Fitness Coach myself, I hope that this article helps to debunk the myth that weight training is not for children, as we aim to help every athlete develop and reach their potential. Griffin Samuels is a Fitness Coach at Magnus Potential at Tenafly Racquet Club. He holds both personal training and corrective exercise specialist certifications issued by NASM. He obtained his English degree at Dominican College, where he also minored in Education. Shortly after graduating, he received his teaching certification for the state of New Jersey. Since the age of 17, Griffin has had a passion for health and fitness, and a desire to pass on his knowledge obtained from that passion.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • New York Tennis Magazine

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

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.

www.inphormnyc.com

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • NYTennisMag.com

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.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • New York 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 54

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-

New York Tennis Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ November/December 2018 â&#x20AC;˘ NYTennisMag.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.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • New York Tennis Magazine

Sports Made Easy Hosts Unique Tournament Over Three Locations Photo credit: Sports Made Easy

NTRP 3.0 Division winner Arjun Reddy with runner-up Bill Kim

The Sports Made Easy crew hosted a clinic to introduce youngsters to the basics of the sport of tennis

NTRP 4.0 Division winner Harold Kaufman

NTRP 3.5 Division winner Laura Cassella

NTRP 3.5 Division winner James Avallone

Spread over three locations, Sports Made Easy recently ran an NTRP USTA tournament, using a unique format to run its first flexible tournament for 3.0-4.0 NTRP Divisions. “Unlike other NTRP tournaments, players had the option of choosing their location and times for their match,” said Neil Parthasarathy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sports Made Easy. In all, 21 players participated and chose

between playing in New Jersey, 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: l NTRP 3.0: Arjun Reddy l NTRP 3.5: James Avallone l NTRP 3.5: Laura Cassella l NTRP 4.0: Harold Kaufman

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 to them in a casual setting, where they learned basic techniques and point play. Exposing kids to tennis in this sort of environment can go a long way to helping them want to move to the next level on their tennis journey.

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • NYTennisMag.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.

Upcoming USPTA Eastern Events in November for

NATIONAL EDUCATION MONTH NJ District

Saturday, November 10 Centercourt in Chatham, NJ. Drill Exchange from 6 pm - 8 pm, pizza to follow. Contact Mike Smookler at 802-279-1499 or smooks@ymail.com Metro District Singles Tactics & Long Term Development Planning

Thursday, November 15

USTA BJK National Tennis Center from 11am - 2 pm Speaker: Craig Cignarelli Contact Joao Pinho at 718-760-6395 or pinho@usta.com NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • New York 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.

(800) 336-5520 CasaDeCamp.com.do 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.

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • NYTennisMag.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.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • New York 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.

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • NYTennisMag.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.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • New York Tennis Magazine

“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 62

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.

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • NYTennisMag.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.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • New York 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 64

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

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • NYTennisMag.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 66

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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 65

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.

New York Tennis Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ November/December 2018 â&#x20AC;˘ NYTennisMag.com

Essential Information for Aspiring Professional Players, Parents and Coaches By Bob Ingersole In 2019, the international competitive structure of tennis will change significantly. These changes will have a profound effect on how a professional player is developed. The impact on U.S. tennis in general will also be far-reaching. Our junior competitive pathway, collegiate tennis, which tournaments our junior and elite players choose to play, and in fact, the dreams of the children we introduce to our sport, will all be affected. The changes to our competitive system are being driven by the WTA and ATP, which are unions of professional players. As unions, these organizations seek to protect the interests and the jobs of their members … the players on the pro tours. There are more than 8,000 men and 6,000 women competing for points under the existing competitive structure. The WTA and ATP Tours have set the goal of supporting only 500 to 750 players each through their Tours. They feel this is the way to insure a reasonable income for their members. Part of their motivation for doing so is to protect the integrity of the sport. Little has been said about this for obvious reasons, but tennis is the second most bet-on sport in the world. The ITF Ethics Committee is concerned about the cheating that is potentially taking place, particularly at entry level pro events. The present competitive structure A leveled system of prize money tournaments carrying WTA or ATP points offers a large base of players the ability to advance to higher level events by winning points at various levels. Opportunity is available to almost anyone who wishes to “give it a shot.” Players advance through the system based on points earned in WTA, ATP and ITF Professional Circuit events. Almost all of these events have 32 main draws consisting of 20 players selected on WTA or

ATP points, eight qualifiers and four wild cards. Entry-level events with prize money of $15,000 may have up to 128 players in the qualifying draw with 11 wild cards for men and eight for women. Currently, WTA and ATP points are first awarded in the $15,000 tournaments at the main draw Round of 16. That is, you have to win two matches in an entry-level professional tournament main draw to gain WTA or ATP points. If you look at the USTA Pro Circuit Web site, you will see that draw sizes are shrinking and WTA and ATP points are much more difficult to gain as they are not awarded until a player reaches a much higher level than at present. In 2020, there will be no ATP points awarded until a player can gain entry into $50,000 + Hospitality level events. These events have very high quality player fields. In the $50,000 Challenger tournaments I have run, we had players such as James Blake and Michael Chang competing. WTA and ATP points will not start until the $25,000 level in 2019, a bridge year, and will only be awarded in the semis and finals. In 2020 there will no ATP points available until the $50,000 + Hospitality level. The world governing body of tennis, the International Tennis Federation (ITF), has created a new ranking system which will award ITF points at $15,000 and $25,000 events. This system provides an alternate pathway into WTA and ATP events. At present it is called the Transition Circuit. The possible impact on our game With our present system, all players have a competitive progression that, while financially and physically demanding, is open to all and easy to understand. It is all about chasing points to gain entry into higher level tournaments which carry more points. At present, players start meeting expenses when they reach a WTA or ATP ranking of 300 to 400. The WTA or ATP point

systems protect their top 100 players by insuring those players gain entry into the top tier of tournaments. With the new international competitive structure, our U.S. players’ tournament schedules will change. For some players even as young as 16, the decision whether to play in National Junior Championships or ITF events will be more difficult than ever. How players use the U.S. college system to develop their games will be impacted. Who and how college coaches recruit will also be affected. Wild cards controlled by the USTA Player Development Department are used to help our top players progress through the professional rankings. The allocation of these wild cards will be changed under the new competitive structure. Some wild cards will be used to advance our most promising talent quickly through the system. Other wild cards will be awarded to winners of designated events such as our National Junior Championships, Collegiate Championships and other potential wild card tournaments. Conclusion With change comes opportunity. The year 2019 will be a trial year for this new structure, and I am sure many adjustments will be made as it is evaluated over the next few years. It will be interesting to see whether this new system will enhance or hinder the growth of our sport. More to come on this as the alphabet soup of governing bodies, the WTA, ATP, ITF, USTA, etc. assess and react to these changes. Bob Ingersole is President of Ingersole Events & Tennis Management. Over his many years of coaching, he has developed many professional and collegiate players. He has vast experience in the USTA and is a Past President of USTA Eastern. He can be reached by e-mail at BIngersole@gmail.com.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • New York 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

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • NYTennisMag.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.

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Coaching Generation Z By Amanda Ferranti urrently, we live in a culture entranced by social media and technology. As a result, we are seeing athletes thwarted in emotional development, specifically in their ability to cooperate, empathize and resolve conflicts (as stated by Daniel Goleman, a leading psychologist in the field of emotional intelligence). With that said, we need to continually attempt to understand the changes that come with each generation of athletes. The current complaints from coaches are similar across ages and levels and include three main concerns:

l They need a prize or praise for motivation l Players think everything is unfair l I have no real leaders Below I will provide insight and some ideas on how you can turn your complaints into action plans … The need for a prize or praise for motivation With every post, comment, Like, text or even worse–none of the above–athletes are 70

disproportionally focused on obtaining validation. In other words, their behavior is highly motivated by the praise and approval of their peers. Extrinsic motivation (driven by reward or praise) is not a new concept, nor is it overly problematic. However, mentally tough athletes are able to balance this drive with a strong desire to feel the pride and satisfaction of reaching one’s potential (Intrinsic Motivation). As a coach, it is important to understand that Generation Z has a great deal of exposure to extrinsic motivation, which means that you must use your role in a performance environment to help athletes build an internal drive for success. Some ideas on how to accomplish this task include, but are not limited to: l Have players establish goals and identify weekly plans to accomplish those goals l Be strategic with your praise: Praise effort (work rate and attitude) and intent (ideas), as opposed to outcomes (goals, wins, execution, etc.) l Refrain from motivating your players with rewards l Make the practice age-appropriate, enjoyable and engaging

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • NYTennisMag.com

l Incorporate the players in the practice with open dialogue l Allow for creativity and decisionmaking Players think everything is unfair Although motivated to receive validation from peers, young athletes take a risk in their social media presence. Between the sheer size and public access of their social network, there is much more opportunity to be treated critically or discriminatorily. And, on top of that, when a young athlete is an unfortunate target of inconsiderate or insensitive behaviors, the attack is witnessed by a much wider group of peers and can be permanently digitized as a continuous reminder. When judgments are made freely in this manner, the human defense mechanisms kick in to preserve self-esteem and selfworth. Instinctually, many young athletes will complain that the attack is “unfair,” whereas the healthier–more mentally tough response–is to believe in oneself and feel secure in the face of adversity. In a sports environment, judgments are made on a continuous basis–whether it is to instill the rules of the game or to critique a player’s performance. How a player mentally responds to such judgments will determine how they perform and persist. As a coach, you can train your players to persist

with confidence and use problem-solving skills with the following ideas: l When an athlete complains of “unfairness,” think about how they may have felt attacked, and communicate in a way that bolsters self-esteem and confidence l Correct the behavior, do not criticize the person l Highlight success, even in unsuccessful situations l Use Socratic questioning to promote problem-solving skills l Create challenging scenarios that allow for group problem-solving I have no real leaders The overarching concern of social media and technology use is that we are seeing more and more athletes underdeveloped in the skills of empathy and emotional intelligence—lessons primarily learned through face-to-face interactions. Since Generation Z spends more time in faceless interactions, they have less of an opportunity to master the skills of empathy (the capacity

to attune to a wide range of emotional signals), including their ability to accurately identify emotions and manage them, as well as understand tone of voice and body language. A leader is a person who is liked by the majority–a person who can navigate relationships and keep the peace and productivity high amongst teammates. Empathy is a critical quality to be effective at this role because it involves being sensitive and understanding, as well as influential. As a coach of Generation Z players, you may not have “natural leaders” as you were once used to, however, you have a great opportunity to use the sports environment to enhance the skills of empathy in your athletes. Ultimately, you will find that building such skills will produce more confident leaders, as well as a more motivated, optimistic and cohesive team. Below are some suggestions on how to build the skills of empathy: l Demonstrate empathy by emotionally connecting with your athletes l Periodically have individual conversations, especially if there is an

issue or a player needs assistance l Ask your athletes to attune to the emotional climate at times l If you recognize interpersonal conflict, encourage face-to-face resolution l Encourage athletes to see things from another perspective (on field/off field) In closing, we are starting to see clear differences in the emotional skills of our current generation of athletes. I propose that many of these changes are highly influenced by social media and technology use and believe that coaches have an opportunity, perhaps even a responsibility, to use their sports environment to teach important life lessons. Amanda Ferranti is the Director and Founder of Ferranti Empowerment, where she has established herself as an AASP Certified Mental Performance Consultant for youth athletes, teams and coaches. Amanda also has years of athletic experience as an exprofessional soccer player and Princeton graduate. She can be reached by e-mail at AFerranti@FerrantiEmpowerment.com.

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NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • New York 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 72

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,

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • NYTennisMag.com

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

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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 New York Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by phone at (516) 409-4444, ext. 326 or e-mail BrianC@USPTennis.com.

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New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • NYTennisMag.com

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Speed Development for Tennis Players By Philip Feingold t’s obvious that speed plays a key role in tennis. However, speed is more than just how fast a player moves on the court. It also refers to reaction time, readiness and the ability to make tactical decisions on the spot. Good tennis players have perfect command of all of these skills. They can move around the court quickly, complete various maneuvers with skill, return the opponent’s serves efficiently, and react to unexpected strokes in a timely fashion. The ability to react and move fast can be developed, and it depends primarily on the strength of the muscles. For this reason, it is important to pay much attention to the development of a player’s muscle strength, using a set of special exercises. In professional tennis, “Explosive Power” is the goal—a sudden acceleration that is achieved through muscle strength in the legs and good joint mobility.

Specifics of speed skill development in tennis As I have mentioned, “Explosive Power” is achieved through the development of leg muscles, as well as knee, ankle and hip joint mobility. To achieve this level of fitness, regular exercises are required. Professional coaches put special emphasis on developing the speed skill development of tennis players ages 11 through 14. Later, these skills are developed by an increasing complexity of exercises, the number of repetitions, the length of distance and running speed. Types of exercises for speed development To achieve the most balanced development of leg muscles, an individually-tailored exercise plan should be followed. Such a plan includes: l Relay races and outdoor games (usually practiced in youth tennis during the early stages of learning). l Various types of sprints (speed run,

running with acceleration, running with change of direction, etc.). l Jumping and squats (to develop leg strength). l Ball throwing exercises with weighted balls and tennis balls (to work out the muscles of the upper back using powerful throws that require considerable strength). These exercises should always be performed under the condition that the player is in good physical health and allow for a strong period of rest and recovery. Philip Feingold is the Founder and Owner of Philgym Academy. An internationallyrecognized track and field athlete, Philip has a lifetime’s worth of experience training world-class athletes. He has worked with ATP/WTA-ranked players, including Elina Svitolina, Denis Kudla and more. His academy currently has locations in Central Park, the Cary Leeds Center, the Riverdale Tennis Center and the Brunswick Hill Tennis Center in New Jersey.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • New York 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 thor76

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-

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • NYTennisMag.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.

USTA/Metropolitan Region

2018 TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. NOVEMBER 2018 Wednesday-Friday, November 21-23 L1B NYTCI Thanksgiving Challenger New York Tennis Club Indoors 3081 Harding Avenue Bronx, 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 Friday, Nov. 16 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail BillWiese4@gmail.com or call (718) 239-7919.

Friday-Sunday, November 23-25 L1B APTC Thanksgiving Championships Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard • Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12, 18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 for first singles, $28 for first doubles (deadline for entries is Sunday, Nov. 18 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail AlleyPondTennisCenter@gmail.com or call (718) 264-2600.

Friday-Sunday, November 30-December 2 L1B Cary Leeds Center Challenger Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning 1720 Crotona Avenue, Ste. 1 • Bronx, 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, Nov. 18 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail WWiese@NYJTL.org or call (718) 247-7420.

Saturday, November 24 Youth Progression Orange Level 1 Fresh Meadows Friday-Monday, November 23-26 Cunningham Tennis USTA Boys 12 National Indoor Championships 19600 Union Turnpike • Fresh Meadows, N.Y. USTA National Tennis Center Divisions: Orange Level 1 Boys’ & Girls’ 10 and Under SinFlushing Meadows, Corona Park gles: 60’ Orange Ball 10 (NEF) Flushing, N.Y. Surface Type: Hard Indoor Divisions: Level 1 Boys’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (MFIC) Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Sunand Level 1 Boys’ Doubles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (SE) day, Nov. 18 at 11:59 p.m.) Surface Type: Hard Indoor For more information, e-mail Entry Fee: $140.25 for one event, $140.76 for two Victor@CunninghamTennis.com or call (718) 740-6800. events; additional fees may apply if registered in three or more events (deadline for entries is Thursday, Nov. 1 at Saturday-Sunday, November 24-25 11:59 a.m.) L3 Alley Pond TC Thanksgiving UPS For more information, e-mail Alley Pond Tennis Center NTCTournaments@USTA.com or call (718) 760-6200. 7920 Winchester Boulevard • Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Entry Level Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Green Ball Friday-Sunday, November 23-25 12, 78’ Yellow Ball 14-16 (NEF) • Surface Type: Hard Indoor L1B Cross String Tennis Academy Thanksgiving Challenge Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is MonQueens College day, Nov. 19 at 1:00 p.m.) 6530 Kissena Boulevard For more information, e-mail Flushing, N.Y. AlleyPondTennisCenter@gmail.com or call (718) 264-2600. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14, 18 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail Steve.Beatty2584@gmail.com.

Friday-Sunday, November 30-December 2 L1 Cross String Tennis Academy December Championships Queens College 6530 Kissena Boulevard • Flushing, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail Steve.Beatty2584@gmail.com. Friday-Sunday, November 30-December 2 L1B APTC Winter Challenger Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard • Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Nov. 23 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail AlleyPondTennisCenter@gmail.com or call (718) 264-2600.

Friday-Sunday, November 23-25 L2 Mill Basin Matchpoint Open Matchpoint NYC Mill Basin 2350 East 69th Street Brooklyn, 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: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Nov. 20 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail KLastique@yahoo.com or call (718) 769-0001. NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • New York Tennis Magazine

USTA/Metropolitan Region

2018 TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. Friday-Sunday, November 30-December 2 L2 Stadium November Open Stadium Tennis Center 725 Exterior Street• Bronx, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.52 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Nov. 26 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Michael2.Moore@yahoo.com or call (646) 292-3511. Friday-Sunday, December 7-9 L1 Stadium December Championships Stadium Tennis Center 725 Exterior Street • Bronx, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.52 per player For more information, e-mail Michael2.Moore@yahoo.com or call (646) 292-3511. DECEMBER 2018 Friday-Sunday, December 7-9 L1 NYCTI December Championships New York Tennis Club Indoors 3081 Harding Avenue • Bronx, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Dec. 2 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail BillWiese4@gmail.com or call (718) 239-7919. Friday-Sunday, December 7-9 L1 Cross String Tennis Academy December Championships Queens College 6530 Kissena Boulevard • Flushing, 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 Steve.Beatty2584@gmail.com. Friday-Sunday, December 7-9 L1 APTC December Championships Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard • Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Saturday, Dec. 1 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail AlleyPondTennisCenter@gmail.com or call (718) 264-2600. 78

Saturday-Sunday, December 8-9 Youth Progression Green Level 1 Fresh Meadows Cunningham Tennis 19600 Union Turnpike Fresh Meadows, N.Y. Divisions: Green Level 1 Boys’ & Girls’ 10 and Under Singles: 78’ Green Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Dec. 2 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Victor@CunninghamTennis.com or call (718) 740-6800.

Saturday, December 15 Youth Progression Orange L1 Stadium Tennis Center 725 Exterior Street Bronx, N.Y. Divisions: Orange Level 1 Boys’ & Girls’ 10 and Under Singles: 60’ Orange Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.52 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Dec. 9 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Michael2.Moore@yahoo.com or call (646) 292-3511.

Saturday, December 8 Youth Progression Orange OL1: Bronx Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning 1720 Crotona Avenue, Ste. 1 Bronx, N.Y. Divisions: Orange Level 1 Boys’ & Girls’ 10 and Under Singles: 60’ Orange Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Hard Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Nov. 25 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, e-mail WWiese@NYJTL.org or call (718) 247-7420.

Friday-Sunday, December 21-23 L1B NYTC Holiday Classic New York Tennis Club Indoors 3081 Harding Avenue Bronx, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12, 16 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Saturday, Dec. 15 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail BillWiese4@gmail.com or call (718) 239-7919.

Saturday, December 8 Youth Progression Orange L2 Bronx Stadium Tennis Center 725 Exterior Street Bronx, N.Y. Divisions: Orange Level 2 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 Friday, Nov. 30 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Lauren@StadiumTennisNYC.com or call (718) 665-4684.

Friday-Sunday, December 21-23 L1B Mill Basin Matchpoint December Challenger Matchpoint NYC Mill Basin 2350 East 69th Street Brooklyn, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14, 18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 for first singles, $28 for first doubles, maximum fee charged per player is $75 plus the processing fees for the number of events you select (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Dec. 18 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail KLastique@yahoo.com or call (718) 769-0001.

Saturday-Sunday, December 15-16 Youth Progression Green L1 Progression Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning 1720 Crotona Avenue, Ste. 1 Bronx, N.Y. Divisions: Green Level 1 Boys’ & Girls’ 10 and Under Singles: 78’ Green Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Hard Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Dec. 2 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, e-mail WWiese@NYJTL.org or call (718) 247-7420.

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2018 • NYTennisMag.com

Wednesday-Tuesday, December 26-January 1 L1 APTC Holiday Championships Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Saturday, Dec. 22 at 9:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail AlleyPondTennisCenter@gmail.com or call (718) 2642600.

NEW Boys & Girls Sectional Rankings (as of 10/19/18)

BOYS Sectional Boys 12 SinglesMetro Region Rank....Name ..........................................City 3 ......Darren Huang................Whitestone, N.Y. 5 ......Nicolas Iantosca ..........New York, N.Y. 6 ......Andrew R. Ena ..............Rego Park, N.Y. 9 ......Dominick Mosejczuk ....East Elmhurst, N.Y. 25 ....Neel Krishnaswamy ......New York, N.Y. 26 ....Arjun N. Agostinho ........Brooklyn, N.Y. 35 ....Theodore R. Murphy ....New York, N.Y. 41 ....Jordan Chang ..............Oakfield Gardens, N.Y. 43 ....Marco Ziets-Segura ......New York, N.Y. 50 ....John Patrick Popowich New York, N.Y. 55 ....Andrew Gordon ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 56 ....Tyler Bush ....................Staten Island, N.Y. 62 ....Christian Yeagley ..........New York, N.Y. 67 ....David Clarke..................Bronx, N.Y. 72 ....Oliver Meyer..................New York, N.Y. 75 ....Lukas Frangenberg ......New York, N.Y. 76 ....Zane Nippon ................New York, N.Y. 84 ....Adrian Avanesov ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 87 ....Brian Hila ......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 88 ....Ty Justin Staco-Towns ..Brooklyn, N.Y. 91 ....Bassil Touban................Maspeth, N.Y. 92 ....Mateo Pouso ................Beechurst, N.Y. 93 ....James Spiegel ..............New York, N.Y. 94 ....Dev Gehlaut ..................New York, N.Y. 96 ....Stanley Hoo ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 103 ..Noah Vintbaytel ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 104 ..Rhys Spano ..................New York, N.Y. 109 ..Nate Roberman ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 112 ..Daniel Potievsky............Brooklyn, N.Y. 113 ..Lev Seidman ................New York, N.Y. 115 ..Sean Grossman ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 120 ..Jimmy Wey....................New York, N.Y. 124 ..Justin Chong ................Corona, N.Y. 131 ..Sebastian Buck ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 132 ..Russell Nour..................Staten Island, N.Y. 133 ..Jose Pouso ..................Beechurst, N.Y. 138 ..Alexander Rosen ..........New York, N.Y. 142 ..Sebastian Astorga ........New York, N.Y. 144 ..Jesse Yang....................Fresh Meadows, N.Y. 145 ..Christian Pak ................Auburndale, N.Y. 147 ..Zavier Augustin ............St. Albans, N.Y.] 148 ..Michael Kessler ............New York, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 14 SinglesMetro Region Rank....Name ..........................................City 3 ......Donovan Spigner ..........New York, N.Y. 5 ......Cooper Williams............New York, N.Y. 6 ......Jace K. Alexander ........New York, N.Y. 11 ....Ari Hercules Cotoulas ..Brooklyn, N.Y. 13 ....Alexander Aney ............New York, N.Y. 17 ....Nicholas Steiglehner ....New York, N.Y. 24 ....David Krasner ..............Staten Island, N.Y. 26 ....Adrien Svilen Jippov ....New York, N.Y. 28 ....Nicholas Murphy ..........New York, N.Y. 35 ....Cal R. Wider ..................New York, N.Y. 46 ....Giuseppe Cerasuolo ....Bayside, N.Y. 47 ....Astro Brundo Pilipovic ..New York, N.Y. 61 ....Safin Shaikh ..................Long Island City, N.Y. 62 ....Nicholas Zagora............Staten Island, N.Y. 63 ....Rafe Photopoulos ........New York, N.Y.

YORK

64 ....Dylan Lachmanen ........Brooklyn, N.Y. 66 ....Darren Huang................Whitestone, N.Y. 67 ....Damian Stellings ..........New York, N.Y. 70 ....Ryan Friedman..............New York, N.Y. 73 ....Bobby Duskin................Brooklyn, N.Y. 74 ....Zecheng Fang ..............New York, N.Y. 77 ....Luca Photopoulos ........New York, N.Y. 85 ....MG Nastase ..................New York, N.Y. 96 ....Julian JVasquez ............New York, N.Y. 101 ..Max Meyer ....................New York, N.Y. 109 ..Aris Kirkorian ................Sunnyside, N.Y. 115 ..Benjamin Kantor ..........New York, N.Y. 122 ..Soren Aulenbach ..........Brooklyn, N..Y. 125 ..Akash Hongal................Flushing, N.Y. 131 ..Santiago Soto ..............New York, N.Y. 137 ..Romero Jones ..............New York, N.Y. 138 ..Jacob Mann ..................New York, N.Y. 140 ..Zachary Brownstein ......New York, N.Y. 143 ..Erik S. Johansson ........New York, N.Y. 144 ..Daniel Ellis ....................Laurelton, N.Y. 149 ..Daniel Potievsky............Brooklyn, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 16 SinglesMetro Region Rank....Name ..........................................City 10 ....Maxwell Igor KachkarovFlushing, N.Y. 13 ....Hudson Beaudoin ........New York, N.Y. 20 ....Brandon T. Cohen ........New York, N.Y. 24 ....Eitan Khromchenko ......Staten Island, N.Y. 26 ....Wesley Zhang................Staten Island, N.Y. 29 ....Harrison Saladini ..........New York, N.Y. 32 ....Tyler Korobov ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 36 ....John-Thomas Bilski ......New York, N.Y. 39 ....Noah Eisenberg ............New York, N.Y. 42 ....Joseph Wilkanowski ....Long Island City, N.Y. 43 ....Jeffrey Fradkin ..............New York, N.Y. 44 ....Sachin Palta ..................Forest Hills, N.Y. 55 ....Oliver Worth ..................Forest Hills, N.Y. 59 ....Noah Edelman ..............New York, N.Y. 60 ....Paul Eighouayel ............New York, N.Y. 62 ....Bradley Bennett ............New York, N.Y. 64 ....David Krasner ..............Staten Island, N.Y. 66 ....Nicholas Steiglehner ....New York, N.Y. 69 ....Neel Epstein..................New York, N.Y. 71 ....Milan Jain......................New York, N.Y. 73 ....Sacha Maes ..................New York, N.Y. 77 ....Sebastien Sec ..............New York, N.Y. 79 ....Benjamin Ebanks ..........New York, N.Y. 83 ....Donovan Spigner ..........New York, N.Y. 87 ....Jeffrey Yu ......................Forest Hills, N.Y. 89 ....Cooper Williams............New York, N.Y. 91 ....Eric Dubilerer ................Little Neck, N.Y. 99 ....Nicholas Murphy ..........New York, N.Y. 103 ..Dylan Lachamen ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 111 ..Kole Moses ..................New York, N.Y. 115 ..Daniel Gordon ..............New York, N.Y. 117 ..Michael Pertsovsky ......Brooklyn, N.Y. 118 ..Albert Y. Wan ................Forest Hills, N.Y. 122 ..Ari Hercules Cotoulas ..Brooklyn, N.Y. 128 ..Jace K. Alexander ........New York, N.Y. 131 ..Allaksei Bogdanets ......Brooklyn, N.Y. 141 ..Alexander Aney ............New York, N.Y. 150 ..Jules Taylor-Kerman......New York, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 18 SinglesMetro Region Rank....Name ..........................................City 3 ......Ethan Leon....................Woodhaven, N.Y. 11 ....Alexander Nielsen ........New York, N.Y. 13 ....Maxwell Kachkarov ......Flushing, N.Y.

RANKINGS 14 ....Steven Daniel Nazaroff..Brooklyn, N.Y. 22 ....Blake Frank ..................New York, N.Y. 27 ....Lantis Wang ..................New York, N.Y. 31 ....Jonah Jurick..................New York, N.Y. 34 ....Derek Raskopf ..............New York, N.Y. 37 ....Christopher Tham ........Flushing, N.Y. 50 ....Oliver Obeid ..................New York, N.Y. 54 ....Harry Portnoy................New York, N.Y. 56 ....Robbie F. Werdiger........New York, N.Y. 58 ....Danny Thomas ..............New York, N.Y. 59 ....Gabriel Rissman............Brooklyn, N.Y. 62 ....Kai Yuminaga ................Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 66 ....Alex Portnoy..................New York, N.Y. 69 ....Shawn Jackson ............Staten Island, N.Y. 74 ....Simon Camacho ..........New York, N.Y. 77 ....Nicholas Steiglehner ....New York, N.Y. 80 ....Oliver Worth ..................Forest Hills, N.Y. 81 ....Donovan Brown ............New York, N.Y. 83 ....Gary C. Fishkin..............Staten Island, N.Y. 91 ....Zachary Portnoy............New York, N.Y. 99 ....David Krasner ..............Staten Island, N.Y. 102 ..Eugene Fishman ..........Rego Park, N.Y. 110 ..Dylan Friedman ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 111 ..Milan Jain......................New York,. N.Y. 112 ..Neel Epstein..................New York, N.Y. 114 ..Noah Edelman ..............New York, N.Y. 119 ..Harrison Saladini ..........New York, N.Y. 123 ..Tyler Kats ......................New York, N.Y. 124 ..Julian Szuper ................New York, N.Y. 129 ..Matthew Mosejczuk......East Elmhurst, N.Y. 133 ..George Arteaga ............East Elmhurst, N.Y. 137 ..August LePique ............New York, N.Y. 139 ..David Pines ..................New York, N.Y. 145 ..John Bricker..................New York, N.Y. 146 ..Sacha Maes ..................New York, N.Y.

GIRLS Sectional Girls 12 SinglesMetro Region Rank....Name ..........................................City 2 ......Linda Ziets-Segura........New York, N.Y. 4 ......Patricia Grigoras ..........Middle Village, N.Y. 7 ......Rachel Roth ..................New York, N.Y. 9 ......Claire An........................New York, N.Y. 11 ....Julia T. Werdiger............New York, N.Y. 13 ....Sophia Cisse-Ignatiev ..New York, N.Y. 14 ....Charlie Eve Liss ............New York, N.Y. 16 ....Caitlin Bui......................Flushing, N.Y. 18 ....Olivia Benton ................Rosedale, N.Y. 30 ....Chantajah Mills ............New York, N.Y. 32 ....Nicole Sniadowski ........Staten Island, N.Y. 37 ....Naomi Williams ............New York, N.Y. 40 ....Stella Kirby....................New York, N.Y. 44 ....Nicole Okhtenberg ........Brooklyn, N.Y. 46 ....Rianna Mariotti..............Forest Hills, N.Y. 47 ....Stoney Cooks ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 48 ....Summer Chandler ........Jamaica, N.Y. 49 ....Jadah Bentham ............Bronx, N.Y. 53 ....Julia Sniadowski ..........Staten Island, N.Y. 55 ....Leena Friedman ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 57 ....Imani Jean ....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 60 ....Leena Kuittinen ............Bronx, N.Y. 61 ....Ronit Khromchenko ......Staten Island, N.Y. 62 ....Astrid Greene ................New York, N.Y. 63 ....Anias Jenkins ................Bronx, N.Y. 67 ....Ahniya Vustsina ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 68 ....Diya Emine Chawia ......New York, N.Y. 72 ....Nadia Barteck ..............New York, N.Y. 73 ....Sophie Sands................New York, N.Y. 75 ....Uma Pogrebivsky..........Kew Gardens, N.Y.

79 ....Solene Luttway ............New York, N.Y. 80 ....Reese Sibley ................New York, N.Y. 83 ....Kayla Moore ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 85 ....Simran Makkar..............New York, N.Y. 89 ....Sofia Guzzoni................New York, N.Y. 90 ....Isabella Jaramillo ..........New York, N.Y. 92 ....Holyn Karp ....................New York, N.Y. 95 ....Illiana Dearmas..............Maspeth, N.Y. 96 ....Anastasia Pleskun ........New York, N.Y. 99 ....Jenna Kleynerman ........Staten Island, N.Y. 101 ..Sabrina Shvartsman......Brooklyn, N.Y. 102 ..Margaux Vasilescu ........New York, N.Y. 106 ..Ella Farahnakian............New York, N.Y. 109 ..Olivia Chin ....................Bayside, N.Y. 127 ..Stacy Arkhipova............Staten Island, N.Y. 131 ..Sarah Stoyanov ............College Point, N.Y. 133 ..Katherine Seirer ............New York, N.Y. 137 ..Genesis Aragon ............Fresh Meadows, N.Y. 138 ..Oskana Berteaux ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 144 ..Sara Novo ....................Staten Island, N.Y. 145 ..Flora Haberman ............New York, N.Y. 150 ..Chloe Mitchell ..............Jamaica, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 14 SinglesMetro Region Rank....Name ..........................................City 11 ....Natalie Eordekian ..........Woodside, N.Y. 14 ....Sofia Iantosca ..............New York, N.Y. 24 ....Nina Wiese ....................Flushing, N.Y. 36 ....Michelle Ryndin ............Staten Island, N.Y. 37 ....Arina Oreshchenkova....Rockaway Beach, N.Y. 47 ....Rose Seccia ..................New York, N.Y. 49 ....Patricia Grigoras ..........Middle Village, N.Y. 51 ....Charlie Liss ..................New York, N.Y. 61 ....Julia T. Werdiger............New York, N.Y. 72 ....Bianca Dumitru ............Forest Hills, N.Y. 80 ....Isabella Saul..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 81 ....Bukky Alalade ..............Rosedale, N.Y. 82 ....Kaitlyn Mendoza ..........Rego Park, N.Y. 88 ....Imani Jean ....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 89 ....Juliana Gomez ..............Jamaica, N.Y. 91 ....Linda Zeits-Segura........New York, N.Y. 93 ....Caitlin Bui......................Flushing, N.Y. 100 ..Clara Novo ....................Staten Island, N.Y. 101 ..Ava Dahl........................New York, N.Y. 105 ..Lulu Jenkins ..................Bronx, N.Y. 110 ..Clare An ........................New York, N.Y. 112 ..Alyssa Koval..................Rego Park, N.Y. 115 ..Sophia Koval ................Rego Park, N.Y. 116 ..Taylor Overstrom ..........New York, N.Y. 118 ..Damita Bollers ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 119 ..Abigail Hammer ............Astoria, N.Y. 126 ..Anias Jenkins ................Bronx, N.Y. 127 ..Gabrielle Usvyat............Forest Hills, N.Y. 138 ..Rachel Roth ..................New York, N.Y. 139 ..Abigale Marants ............Staten Island, N.Y. 143 ..Lara Berliner..................New York, N.Y. 146 ..Natalie Bergmann ........Forest Hills, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 16 SinglesMetro Region Rank....Name ..........................................City 2 ......Nadejda Maslova ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 4 ......Rosie Garcia Gross ......New York, N.Y. 9 ......Perene Wang ................New York, N.Y. 15 ....Shawnte Beale ..............Bronx, N.Y. 20 ....Daniella Benabraham....New York, N.Y. 30 ....Michelle Kleynerman ....Staten Island, N.Y. 31 ....Lelia Epstein..................New York, N.Y. 34 ....Natalie Eordekian ..........Woodside, N.Y.

NYTennisMag.com â&#x20AC;˘ November/December 2018 â&#x20AC;˘ New York Tennis Magazine

NEW 36 ....Deliala Friedman ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 39 ....Carolyn Brodsky............New York, N.Y. 45 ....Khyanna Singh..............Queens Village, N.Y. 49 ....Julia Lendel ..................Staten Island, N.Y. 52 ....Rebecca Eliana Fisch....New York, N.Y. 57 ....Gabriella Eitkis ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 62 ....Nathalie Williams ..........New York, N.Y. 64 ....Anna Borovinskaya ......Bronx, N.Y. 74 ....Alyssa An ......................New York, N.Y. 77 ....Sofie Shen ....................New York, N.Y. 82 ....Jordan Ben-Shmuel ......New York, N.Y. 84 ....Zoe Kava ......................New York, N.Y. 86 ....Lorraine Bergmann ......Forest Hills, N.Y. 95 ....Sofia Allinson ................New York, N.Y. 98 ....Catalina Haberman ......New York, N.Y. 103 ..Dakota Fordham ..........New York, N.Y. 105 ..Nadzeya Fliaha..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 114 ..Arina Oreshchenkova....Rockaway Beach, N.Y. 124 ..India Lottt......................Flushing, N.Y. 128 ..Isabella Saul..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 131 ..Alina Abramoff ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 133 ..Julianna Gomez ............Jamaica, N.Y. 138 ..Kaitlyn Mendoza ..........Rego Park, N.Y. 140 ..Nia Dabreo ....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 145 ..Rose Seccia ..................New York, N.Y. 150 ..Rebecca Sitkovetsky ....Staten Island, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 18 SinglesMetro Region Rank....Name ..........................................City 6 ......Sonia Tartakovsky ........New York, N.Y. 7 ......Rosie Garcia Gross ......New York, N.Y. 9 ......Michelle Sorokko ..........Little Neck, N.Y. 21 ....Perene Wang ................New York, N.Y. 24 ....Shawnte Beale ..............Bronx, N.Y. 29 ....Amy Kaplan ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 32 ....Nadejda Maslova ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 34 ....Khyanna Singh..............Queens Village, N.Y. 35 ....Dasha Kourkina ............Brook;yn, N.Y. 58 ....Kyra Bergmann ............Forest Hills, N.Y. 59 ....Michelle Kleynerman ....Staten Island, N.Y. 60 ....Natalie Eordekian ..........Woodside, N.Y. 68 ....Diana Sosonkin ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 72 ....Josephine Kimball ........New York, N.Y. 74 ....Anastasia Koniaev ........Forest Hills, N.Y. 76 ....Chelsea Williams ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 80 ....Zoe Kava ......................New York, N.Y. 86 ....Anna Borovinskaya ......Bronx, N.Y. 96 ....Katherine Kachkarov ....Flushing, N.Y. 101 ..Dakota Fordham ..........New York, N.Y. 109 ..Gabriella Eitkis ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 110 ..Christina M. Huynh ......Astoria, N.Y. 112 ..Sabrina Boada ..............Woodhaven, N.Y. 130 ..Julia Lendel ..................Staten Island, N.Y. 134 ..Rebecca Eliana Fisch....New York, N.Y. 141 ..Amalia M. Parrish..........Queens Village, N.Y. 146 ..Carolyn Brodsky............New York, N.Y. 147 ..Daniela Hernandez........Corona, N.Y. 149 ..Daniella Benabraham....New York, N.Y.

YORK

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

BOYS National Boys 12 SinglesMetro Region Rank ..Name............................................City 39 ....Darren Huang................Whitestone, N.Y. 56 ....Nicolas Iantosca ..........New York, N.Y. 76 ....Andrew R. Ena ..............Rego Park, N.Y. 79 ....Dominick Mosejczuk ....East Elmhurst, N.Y. 110 ..Neel Krishnaswamy ......New York, N.Y. 475 ..Marco Ziets-Segura ......New York, N.Y. 589 ..Jordan Chang ..............Oakfield Gardens, N.Y. 608 ..Theodore Murphy..........New York, N.Y. 715 ..Arjun N. Agostinho ........Brooklyn, N.Y. 890 ..Jesse Yang....................Fresh Meadows, N.Y. 900 ..Adrian Avanesov ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 901 ..John Popowich ............New York, N.Y. 906 ..Zane Nippon ................New York, N.Y. 936 ..Bassil Touban................Maspeth, N.Y. 968 ..Mateo Pouso ................Beechurst, N.Y. 969 ..Jose Pouso ..................Beechurst, N.Y. 971 ..Ty Justin Staco-Towns ..Brooklyn, N.Y.

National Boys 14 SinglesMetro Region Rank ..Name............................................City 31 ....Cooper Williams............New York, N.Y. 73 ....Donovan Spigner ..........New York, N.Y. 83 ....Jace K. Alexander ........New York, N.Y. 99 ....Nicholas Steiglehner ....New York, N.Y. 184 ..Cal R. Wider ..................New York, N.Y. 199 ..Alexander Aney ............New York, N.Y. 224 ..Astro Brundo Pilipovic ..New York, N.Y. 299 ..Ari Hercules Cotoulas ..Brooklyn, N.Y. 312 ..Darren Huang................Whitestone, N.Y. 397 ..Nicolas Iantosca ..........New York, N.Y. 432 ..Andrew R. Ena ..............Rego Park, N.Y. 436 ..Adrien Svilen Jippov ....New York, N.Y. 441 ..Dominick Mosejczuk ....East Elmhurst, N.Y. 515 ..Neel Krishnaswamy ......New York, N.Y. 598 ..Nicholas Murphy ..........New York, N.Y. 820 ..David Krasner ..............Staten Island, N.Y. 864 ..Zecheng Fang ..............New York, N.Y.

National Boys 16 SinglesMetro Region Rank ..Name............................................City 110 ..Eitan Khromchenko ......Staten Island, N.Y. 121 ..Hudson Beaudoin ........New York, N.Y. 155 ..Maxwell Kachkarov ......Flushing, N.Y. 216 ..Jeffrey Fradkin ..............New York, N.Y. 231 ..John-Tomas Bilski ........New York, N.Y. 235 ..Ty Switzer......................New York, N.Y. 310 ..Tyler Korobov ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 312 ..Brandon T. Cohen ........New York, N.Y. 331 ..Cooper Williams............New York, N.Y. 376 ..Noah Eisenberg ............New York, N.Y. 468 ..Joseph Wilkanowski ....Long Island City, N.Y. 473 ..Wesley Zhang................Staten Island, N.Y. 485 ..Donovan Spigner ..........New York, N.Y. 511 ..Jace K. Alexander ........New York, N.Y. 565 ..Nicholas Steiglehner ....New York, N.Y. 623 ..Sachin Palta ..................Forest Hills, N.Y. 673 ..Sebastien Sec ..............New York, N.Y. 674 ..Noah Edelman ..............New York, N.Y.

RANKINGS 734 803 815 849

..Sacha Maes ..................New York, N.Y. ..Paul Elghouayel ............New York, N.Y. ..Alexander Aney ............New York, N.Y. ..Harrison Saladini ..........New York, N.Y.

National Boys 18 SinglesMetro Region Rank ..Name............................................City 136 ..Ethan Leon....................Woodhaven, N.Y. 270 ..Steven Daniel Nazaroff..Brooklyn, N.Y. 295 ..Alexander Nielsen ........New York, N.Y. 309 ..Gary C. Fishkin..............Staten Island, N.Y. 330 ..Danny Thomas ..............New York, N.Y. 360 ..Derek Raskopf ..............New York, N.Y. 388 ..Lantis Wang ..................New York, N.Y. 393 ..Maxwell Kachkarov ......Flushing, N.Y. 406 ..Oliver Obeid ..................New York, N.Y. 434 ..Jonah Jurick..................New York, N.Y. 504 ..Zachary Portnoy............New York, N.Y. 555 ..Alex Portnoy..................New York, N.Y. 563 ..Harry Portnoy................New York, N.Y. 576 ..Jeffrey Fradkin ..............New York, N.Y. 580 ..Eitan Khromchenko ......Staten Island, N.Y. 607 ..Hudson Beaudoin ........New York, N.Y. 849 ..Simon Camacho ..........New York, N.Y. 923 ..Marcos Lee ..................New York, N.Y. 959 ..Tyler Korobov ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 962 ..Gabriel Rissman............Brooklyn, N.Y. 966 ..Brandon T. Cohen ........New York, N.Y.

GIRLS

310 434 435 484 487 526 539 575

..Patricia Grigoras ..........Middle Village, N.Y. ..Olivia Benton ................Rosedale, N.Y. ..Sophia Cisse-Ignatiev ..New York, N.Y. ..Claire An........................New York, N.Y. ..Julia T. Werdiger............New York, N.Y. ..Rachel Roth ..................New York, N.Y. ..Charlie Eve Liss ............New York, N.Y. ..Caitlin Bui......................Flushing, N.Y.

717 ..Rose Seccia ..................New York, N.Y.

National Girls 16 SinglesMetro Region Rank ..Name............................................City 13 ....Rosie Garcia Gross ......New York, N.Y. 26 ....Nadejda Maslova ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 48 ....Daniella Benabraham....New York, N.Y. 98 ....Perene Wang ................New York, N.Y. 187 ..Shawnte Beale ..............Bronx, N.Y. 366 ..Dakota Fordham ..........New York, N.Y. 389 ..Rebecca Eliana Fisch....New York, N.Y. 413 ..Michelle Kleynerman ....Staten Island, N.Y. 579 ..Carolyn Brodsky............New York, N.Y. 590 ..Lelia Epstein..................New York, N.Y. 666 ..Delila Friedman ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 677 ..Natalie Eordekian ..........Woodside, N.Y. 746 ..Nathalie Williams ..........New York, N.Y. 876 ..Sofia Iantosca ..............New York, N.Y. 915 ..Khyanna Singh..............Queens Village, N.Y. 919 ..Nina Wiese ....................Flushing, N.Y. 989 ..Julia Lendel ..................Staten Island, N.Y.

National Girls 12 SinglesMetro Region

National Girls 18 SinglesMetro Region

Rank ..Name............................................City 14 ....Linda Ziets-Segura........New York, N.Y. 16 ....Patricia Grigoras ..........Middle Village, N.Y. 55 ....Olivia Benton ................Rosedale, N.Y. 73 ....Claire An........................New York, N.Y. 77 ....Sophia Cisse-Ignatiev ..New York, N.Y. 81 ....Julia T. Werdiger............New York, N.Y. 93 ....Rachel Roth ..................New York, N.Y. 115 ..Caitlin Bui......................Flushing, N.Y. 138 ..Charlie Eve Liss ............New York, N.Y. 435 ..Chantajah Mills ............New York, N.Y. 463 ..Naomi Williams ............New York, N.Y. 497 ..Stella Kirby....................New York, N.Y. 537 ..Ava Li ............................Forest Hills, N.Y. 675 ..Anias Jenkins ................Bronx, N.Y. 727 ..Nicole Sniadowski ........Staten Island, N.Y. 759 ..Rianna Mariotti..............Forest Hills, N.Y. 762 ..Julia Sniadowski ..........Staten Island, N.Y. 764 ..Nicole Okhtenberg ........Brooklyn, N.Y. 768 ..Stoney Cooks ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 769 ..Leena Friedman ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 780 ..Summer Chandler ........Jamaica, N.Y. 833 ..Reese Sibley ................New York, N.Y. 842 ..Sophie Sands................New York, N.Y. 882 ..Flora Haberman ............New York, N.Y. 894 ..Cymone Crump ............Bronx, N.Y.

Rank ..Name............................................City 15 ....Michelle Sorokko ..........Little Neck, N.Y. 22 ....Sonia Tartakovsky ........New York, N.Y. 58 ....Rosie Garcia Gross ......New York, N.Y. 70 ....Dasha Kourkina ............Brook;yn, N.Y. 164 ..Nadejda Maslova ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 291 ..Daniella Benabraham....New York, N.Y. 313 ..Perene Wang ................New York, N.Y. 468 ..Dakota Fordham ..........New York, N.Y. 567 ..Amy Kaplan ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 574 ..Shawnte Beale ..............Bronx, N.Y. 757 ..Rebecca Eliana Fisch....New York, N.Y. 859 ..Michelle Kleynerman ....Staten Island, N.Y. 871 ..Khyanna Singh..............Queens Village, N.Y. 957 ..Katherine Kachkarov ....Flushing, N.Y. 989 ..Anastasia Koniaev ........Forest Hills, N.Y. 993 ..Kyra Bergmann ............Forest Hills, N.Y.

National Girls 14 SinglesMetro Region Rank ..Name............................................City 36 ....Daniella Benabraham....New York, N.Y. 141 ..Natalie Eordekian ..........Woodside, N.Y. 180 ..Nina Wiese ....................Flushing, N.Y. 227 ..Sofia Iantosca ..............New York, N.Y. 257 ..Linda Ziets-Segura........New York, N.Y. 305 ..Michelle Ryndin ............Staten Island, N.Y.

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