Long Island Tennis Magazine March / April 2009 by United Sports Publications, Ltd.

Long Island Tennis Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ March/April 2009

March/April 2009 Volume 1, Number 2

Cover story 14 The Girls Are Back in Town

Long Island Tennis Magazine

A look at the past, present and future of professional tennis events in the tri-state area, including a look at the upcoming BNP Paribas Showdown.

1220 Wantagh Avenue • Wantagh, NY 11793-2202 Phone: (516) 409-4444 • Fax: (516) 409-1600 Web site: www.litennismag.com

Staff David Sickmen National Director of Business Development (516) 409-4444, ext. 309 david@litennismag.com Emilie Katz Marketing and Editorial Coordinator (516) 409-4444, ext. 309 emilie@litennismag.com Andrew T. Berman Vice President/Sales Eric C. Peck Editor-in-Chief Domenica Trafficanda Managing Art Director Karen Krizman Senior Account Executive Beatrice Marcus Office Manager

Advertising To receive any information regarding advertising rates, deadlines, and requirements, contact David Sickmen at (516) 409-4444, ext. 309 or e-mail david@longislandtennismag.com.

Article Submissions/Press Releases To submit any material, including articles and press releases, please contact David Sickmen at (516) 409-4444, ext. 309 or e-mail david@litennismag.com. The deadline for submissions is the first of the month preceding the target issue.

Subscriptions To receive subscription information, contact David Sickmen at (516) 409-4444, ext. 309 or e-mail david@longislandtennismag.com or check out our Web site: www.litennismag.com. Fax subscription changes to (516) 409-1600. Statements of fact and opinion in Long Island Tennis Magazine are the responsibility of the authors alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of United Sports Publications Ltd. Long Island Tennis Magazine reserves the right to edit, reject and/or postpone the publication of any articles, information or data.

Features

Columns

The Magic Move and The Alexander Technique By Gary Adelman Gary Adelman explains his game-enhancing tips by sharing the Magic Move technique.

Fitness and Nutrition A look at the causes and prevention of tennis elbow by North Shore Rehab Associates; the cardio-tennis trend by Steve Haar; tennis as a way to burn calories; and Jimmy Riaz’s perspective on yoga’s role in tennis.

The Spin Doctor By Danny Burgess Danny Burgess takes a look at the growth of tennis in America and how the sport has broken the color barrier over the years.

10 Catering to the Grassroots Tennis Community By Rich Hume Rich Hume discusses the Tennis Association’s of Farmingdale’s adult league and its upcoming outdoor season.

18 Long Island Tennis Magazine 2009 Summer Camp Guide As the temperature rises and the winter fades, we bring you the best and most prestigious tennis summer camp offerings.

26 Long Island Tennis Charitable Initiatives Tennis Racquets for Kids Inc. finds a new home for those old racquets and Carefree Racquet Club shows their support for breast cancer.

12 Teaching Misconceptions By Steven Kaplan Steven Kaplan dissects some common tennis teaching techniques and looks into how they may not be as foolproof as they appear.

38 Long Island Tennis Magazine’s Literary Corner Long Island Tennis Magazine reviews the books: American Doubles by Marcia Frost; and Brent Shearer reviews Pressure is a Privilege, by Billie Jean King with Christine Brennan.

16 College Tennis Advice: Making the Right Choice By Clark D. Ruiz II Clark D. Ruiz II provides advice in seeking out your child’s higher learning institution.

30 On the Road With Jennifer Kellner …. Hauppauge, N.Y.’s own Jennifer Kellner shares her diary and takes us on a trip to Tucson, Ariz. for the 2009 Copper Bowl event.

31 Tips From the Tennis Pro

42 Long Island Tennis Club Director 44 Long Island Boys High School Preview: 2009 Season Preview

48 Long Island Tennis Magazine 2009 Summer Camp Directory

52 Long Island Rankings

toc

By Jared Rada Jared Rada compares the individuality of tennis to today’s other competitive youth athletics.

55 USTA/Long Island Region 2009 Tournament Schedule

33 Beyond the Baseline

By Michael J. Jappell, CRPC Michael J. Jappell, CRPC shares his financial advice and provides tips on diversifying your portfolio.

34 My Opinion

By Eric Meditz Eric Meditz takes a humorous look back on his own experiences in dealing with parents in the ever-competitive world of tennis.

News Briefs

27 2009 Australian Open Recap

40 USTA Celebrates “Tennis Night in America” With Events at 700-Plus Facilities Nationwide

44 Brendan Ruddock Signs Letter of Intent With University of Minnesota

40 Multi-tasking … the Mantra of Our Generation

By Ed Wolfarth Ed Wolfarth takes a look at multi-tasking and how it impacts our motor skills. Long Island Tennis Magazine is published bi-monthly by United Sports Publications Ltd. Copyright © 2009 United Sports Publications Ltd.

46 Adult League Wrap-Up

By Kathy Miller Kathy Miller discusses organizing the upcoming USTA season for adults and the use of the National Tennis Ratings Program (NTRP).

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

46 USTA/Long Island Region Announces 19th Annual Awards Dinner

50 USTA Tournament Photo Gallery: February 14

L3 Eastern UPS Championships at Sportime Tennis Bethpage and the February 15 L2R Long Island Wilson Regional Championship at Robbie Wagner’s Tournament Training Center in Glen Cove

The Magic Move and The AlexanderTechnique The Secret to Ripping Groundstrokes By Gary Adelman In my previous article, I explained how the Alexander Technique, a time-tested method for natural and effortless body movement, can improve your game. This article discusses “The Magic Move” for groundstrokes. The Magic Move focuses on the first part of the preparation phase of the stroke and it is “magic” because, if done correctly, it propels the remaining parts of the stroke into a higher level. The Magic Move is your ticket to hitting big-time groundstrokes. It will set up your balance, coordination and timing for the rest of the stroke. It will help store power in your body so that your racket will accelerate rapidly at the point of contact. A current player who performs the Magic Move perfectly is Rafael Nadal on his forehand side. This is what enables him to rip the ball with such heavy topspin As you see the ball coming off your opponent’s racket, take a split step. After landing, move in the ball’s direction and begin the Magic Move. We all know this involves coiling the body to the right in preparation for the hit. But exactly how this is done is critical and is what the Magic Move is all about. Be sure to start the Magic Move with a very tiny release of your head upwards, away from the neck. This will allow the whole spine to lengthen upwards. This head/spine movement is how well-coordinated movement is naturally designed to happen. All animals with a spine (humans, horses, dogs, etc.) are built to move in this way. There are also two other important components to the Magic Move. First, keep your weight centered over the balls of your

feet. This concept of keeping the weight balanced over the balls of the feet holds true in other sports like boxing. This will help you to come forward into the ball very quickly and to contact the ball well out in front of your body. Secondly, think of expanding and widening through the front of the body … this will allow you to breathe freely and support the upwards lengthening movement of the spine. Once you get the Magic Move down pat, you will be well on your way to hitting a big forehand. G Kian Ziari performing the Magic Move well: He is on-balance and his head is leading his spine into length.

Kian Ziari performing the Magic Move poorly: He is off-balance and leaning backwards. Gary Adelman, a former star player at Columbia University, has been teaching tennis for more than 25 years and the Alexander Technique for 15 years. He has worked with some of the top junior players in Israel. He was assistant women’s varsity tennis coach at Princeton University in 2002 and taught the Alexander Technique to the team as well. He currently teaches at Glen Head Racquet Club and can be reached by phone at (516) 584-6922 or by e-mail at gary6155e@yahoo.com. Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

Does your elbow hurt? By the doctors of North Shore Rehab Associates

ennis is a sport enjoyed by many. Its benefits increase the wellness of the body and its function, but with any sport, there is risk of injury. One of the most common tennis related injuries seen at North Shore Rehab Associates is lateral epicondylitis, more commonly known as “tennis elbow.” Tennis elbow is one of several overuse injuries that can affect your elbow. The main cause of pain related to tennis elbow occurs primarily where the tendons of your forearm muscles attach to the bony prominence on the outside of your elbow (lateral epicondyle). Symptoms of tennis elbow may include: N Pain that radiates from the outside of your elbow into your forearm and wrist N Pain when you extend your wrist N Forearm weakness N Pain that gets worse over weeks or months

N A painful grip during certain activities, such as shaking hands, turning a doorknob or opening jars and containers N An inability to hold certain objects, such as a coffee cup. The pain of tennis elbow is similar to golfer’s elbow, but golfer’s elbow occurs on the inside rather than on the outside of your elbow. How does tennis elbow occur? Tennis elbow is an overuse injury. The cause is repeated contraction of the forearm muscles that you use to straighten and raise your hand and wrist. The repeated motions and stress to the tissue may result in an inflammation or a series of tiny tears in the tendons that attach the forearm muscles to the bone at the outside of your elbow. As the name tennis elbow indicates, playing tennis, more particularly, a repeated use of the backhand stroke with poor technique, is one possible cause of the condi-

tion. Many other common activities can cause tennis elbow; some examples are the use of plumbing tools, painting, raking and weaving. Am I at risk? Tennis elbow is most common in adults ages 30 to 50, but the condition can affect anyone who repetitively stresses the wrists. Anyone who uses repetitive movements for at least two hours a day is at greater risk. People who smoke also have a higher risk of developing tennis elbow. If left untreated, tennis elbow can result in chronic pain, especially when lifting or gripping objects. Using your arm too strenuously before your elbow has healed can worsen the problem. What are my options? Your doctor or a physical/occupational therapist may suggest exercises to gradually stretch and strengthen your muscles, especially the muscles of your forearm. A specific treatment plan will be implemented based upon the patient’s abilities. The treatment would include therapeutic exercise with modalities such as cold laser, ultrasound, synaptic/electrical stimulation, and heat/ice. Once you’ve learned these exercises, you can do them at home or at work. A specific home exercise program will be created to assist rehabilitation. Through the years, our office has treated many sports-related injuries producing beneficial outcomes. If there are any questions or concerns you may have we can help. G North Shore Rehab Associates is located at 55 Northern Boulevard, Suite 103, in Great Neck, N.Y. They may be reached by phone at (516) 466-9300. continued on page 6

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

F I T N E S S A N D N U T R I T I O N continued from page 4

Cardio Tennis: Heart-Pumping Fitness By Steven Haar

s you approach your favorite tennis courts for a match, from a distance, you hear some terrific dance music. Getting closer you see a large group of adults moving in rapid fashion around the court and hitting tennis balls, all with smiles on their faces. What’s going on here? Welcome to Cardio Tennis (CT)! With more than 1,800 official CT sites nationally, CT is the newest and fastest-growing health program in the country. A heavy emphasis on fitness and fun and a lesser emphasis on stroke mechanics, makes CT a most beneficial way to burn calories, increase vitality, look great, meet new friends and enjoy tennis all at a very affordable price. The facts … the percentage of Americans who are either overweight or obese has grown from 47 percent to 65 percent of the population in the past 20 years! We have become an increasingly sedentary society whose highlight of the day for many is to read and send e-mail, or watch “Dancing

With the Stars.” People, this is a health crisis! For me, it’s no contest. I would much rather be on the court moving and hitting balls to some rocking music rather than struggling with an elliptical machine. The whole idea of treadmills, steppers, and spinning never turned me on, but for me, CT is the answer. CT features group activity drills to give players of all abilities an ultimate high-energy workout. Taught by a professional, CT includes a warmup, cardio workout, and cool down phase. Major benefits of CT include: N Participants consistently elevating their heart rate into their aerobic training zone; N Burning more calories than playing singles or doubles games; N Almost like interval training, you get short cycles of a high intensity movement, then periodic rest; and N An improvement on your tennis skills, while getting a high-energy workout. The obvious extension of CT is to develop a program for our kids. Childhood obesity is a major medical issue and a CT4kids program is currently being developed. Having participated in and viewed the elements of this new program, I am telling you that your child will love this activity and they will be healthier participating in it. Look for CT4kids at your local club, park or school soon. If you don’t see it, ask for it.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

Remember, you do not have to be a good tennis player or even a tennis player at all … you just have to want to have fun while getting healthy! See you on the court. For more information, or to find an affordable CT site near you, visit www.cardiotennis.com. G Steven Haar is a member of the United States Tennis Association/Long Island Region Board. He may be reached by e-mail at steveoncourt@aol.com.

Playing tennis equals sound mind and body Playing tennis on a regular basis is good for your heart. It’s also good for the body and mind. In fact, playing tennis on a regular basis produces positive physical, physiological and psychological benefits. Some benefits include an increased burning of calories, and a reduction in blood pressure and stress. All of these benefits play key roles in reducing a person’s risk of developing heart disease, the number-one disease among men and women. continued on page 8

F I T N E S S A N D N U T R I T I O N continued from page 6 Playing tennis on a regular basis can help maintain or improve balance, mobility, agility, strength and fitness. According to the Miller Family Heart & Vascular Institute’s exercise physiologist and avid tennis player Gordon Blackburn Ph.D., research shows that three hours of moderate aerobic exercise every week can cut the risk of developing heart disease by 50 percent. “Playing tennis at a moderate to vigorous intensity on a regular basis is a good way to get your aerobic exercise,” said Dr. Blackburn. “You’ll exercise your muscles and burn calories. Tennis can even help lower your blood pressure. All of that helps reduce your risk of developing heart disease or of having a cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack or stroke. “A 135-pound woman playing an hour of tennis can burn 330 calories during doubles and 420 calories during singles play,” added Dr. Blackburn. “An average-sized man playing an hour of tennis can burn

about 425 calories during doubles and 600 calories during singles. In fact, you’ll burn more calories playing three hours of tennis per week than you will doing three hours of light weightlifting, bowling or golfing.” So, if you are looking for a way to improve your health and have some fun in the process, pick up a racket and hit the tennis court. G

Yoga: The Secret to Great Tennis By Jimmy Riaz Yoga, a Hindu system of meditation and self-control, involves a plan of physical exercises and breathing control … it strives for complete unity between the mind and body. The sport of tennis also requires complete unity between mind and body; in

fact, it’s a mind-body game. If you want to improve your tennis game, then Yoga is the way to go. Some of the sport’s top pros practice Yoga. Bjorn Borg used to spend at least one month every year with his Maharishi in Geneva, Switzerland. People call Borg “The Ice Man” because of his intense concentration achieved through Yoga. Some of the sport’s all-time greatest pros, Jimmy Connors, Billie Jean King and Ken Roswell, played well beyond their years and all were practitioners of Yoga. Many other former professional athletes also practiced Yoga while in their prime, football’s Joe Namath and George Blanda, and boxing’s Muhammad Ali had one thing in common—they knew how to blend their energies and achieve complete unity in mind and body. This sort of unity could be attributed to their practice of Yoga. continued on page 10

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SASHA COHEN • TODD ELDREDGE • ILIA KULIK MICHAEL WEISS • SHEN & ZHAO • and MORE

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

THE SPIN DOCTOR Only in America â&#x20AC;Ś Only in the United States of America could a poor African-American man born in New Orleans in 1901 rise to blow rhythmic sounds called jazz, entertaining stars, royalty, presidents and a Pope. Louis Armstrongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unique style of playing earned him the nickname â&#x20AC;&#x153;Satchmo.â&#x20AC;? In the late 1970s, Satchmo moved to a small neighborhood in Queens where he eventually died, but not before leaving us a legacy of musical genius such as â&#x20AC;&#x153;What a Wonderful Worldâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dream a Little Dream of Me.â&#x20AC;? To honor his memory, America built him a stadium, right in his backyard, at the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s richest tennis venue. In 1978, the Louis Armstrong Stadium became the main stadium at the U.S. Open, seating more than 18,000 people. Only in America â&#x20AC;Ś Would a tennis ambassador be born in

1943. He would go on to win the inaugural U.S. Open in which professionals were welcomed in 1968. Arthur Ashe would then add an Australian Open title in 1970 and a Wimbledon crown in 1975. Arthur Ashe would not only champion tennis, but also take on apartheid, world hunger and civil rights issues. He would refuse to play before segregated audiences, insisting that if he could play for one group, he could play for all of mankind. Spearheading a campaign to free Nelson Mandela resonated across every tennis court on which he played, with every ace loosening the cell that held Mandela captive. But only in America would we honor such a man whose life was shortened by AIDS acquired through a blood transfusion while undergoing open heart surgery. In 1997, we built a stadium in his honor within a 32-

by danny burgess court facility that seats 22,000, has 90 luxury boxes, two restaurants and has served as a showcase for Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Ivan Lendl, John McEnroe, Chris Everett, Martina Navratilova, Venus and Serena Williams, and Roger Federer, to list just a few. As we recently observed Black History Month, please join me in applauding America as the people of this great nation elected a man born of a black father from Kenya and a white mother from Kansas as our 44th President. Barack Obama was educated at Harvard University, became a U.S. senator from Illinois and was elected the first African-American President of this great country. Only in America â&#x20AC;Ś G Danny Burgess may be reached by email at amertwist@aim.com.

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F I T N E S S A N D N U T R I T I O N continued from page 8 Yoga can be learned through a teacher called a “Yogi.” First, you must understand that there are two types of Yoga: Hartha Yoga and Karma Yoga. Hartha Yoga is physical (outer) and Karma Yoga is internal (inner). In Hartha Yoga, you perform physical exercises to limber up the body, such as swinging your tennis racket from side to side or up, over and back. You may do deep knee bends as you swing your racket, inhaling as you go down and exhaling as you come back up. In Hartha Yoga, loosening up the back is a very important step. We all have 28 vertebrae in our back, and therefore, we need to swing the racket up and back 28 times to loosen, stretch and limber up each vertebrae. If you jump right into playing without stretching, you may hurt yourself badly. Evan a fiddle player tunes up their instrument before playing … your body deserves as much. Hartha Yoga teaches us that our “Ki´ is the center of our body’s gravity. The Ki is located one-half-inch below the bellybutton and all of our body’s energy revolves around it. We need to keep our Ki parallel to the tennis ball. The only way to keep our Ki parallel to the ball is to get under the ball, hit up and follow through.

This has the effect of putting all your body weight into the swing and the ball. Putting all your weight into the ball is a secret weapon that many outstanding sports figures practice. When Jimmy Connors used to hit his backhand, all the weight from his body would go into the ball. He blends all his energies and the synergy is a beautiful thing to watch. Karma Yoga, the second type of Yoga, focuses on the inner qualities of mind control and breathing. Positive thinking is the key. You must be positive in tennis and the only way to remain positive is to inhale positive energy. If you inhale negativity, then that attitude will unfortunately shine through. If you constantly state that your backhand is terrible, then your backhand will remain terrible and you’ll never be able to hit a good backhand shot. If you think you know how to hit a good backhand and concentrate on it, then you will do just that. Karma Yoga requires strict concentration and focus. Some of my own students come to learn to play tennis, but their minds are clouded with all their other thoughts except tennis. Their minds simply are not there and they play poorly, blame themselves, their

tennis pro and others. The reason for their poor play is because their mind and body are not working in unison. In Karma Yoga, you practice meditation, focusing on one thought and forcing your mind to stick to that thought. Your Yogi will give you a mantra or a special thought or saying, that you will repeat with each heartbeat. As you play tennis, you can repeat this mantra to yourself over and over again. Your mantra is your secret, as you never discuss it with anyone and never give it to another person. In summary, Yoga is the secret to better habits and an improvement on your tennis game. N N N N N

Think positively Ask a Yogi to give you a mantra Limber your body before playing Use your Ki as your balance point Meditate and concentrate as you play

You will begin to center your life and your tennis game will improve. Both results are the secrets of happiness. G Jimmy Riaz is a United States Tennis Association professional from Pakistan.

Catering to the Grassroots Tennis Community By Rich Hume

he Tennis Association of Farmingdale (TAF) is an adult tennis league providing its members the opportunity to play outdoor competitive tennis during the months of May through September. TAF is comprised of seven ladders, men’s and women’s singles and doubles, mixed-doubles, and men’s and women’s senior (50 and over) singles. TAF operates under a ladder format, whereas you always have a range of 20 players to challenge to a match. This format ensures that players will naturally gravitate toward others of their own ability level. Arranging matches is simple. You just contact the players in your range and propose a date. Matches are played outdoors on public courts. How many matches you play is entirely up to you—it could range from every day to just two matches a month. TAF was formed in 1976, with the goal of creating a community-based, grassroots organization to afford its members the opportunity to enjoy and grow the game they love. Currently, TAF includes 247 members from throughout Nassau and Suffolk, many of whom play in multiple ladders. TAF’s membership is the most important asset of our league, and the lifeblood of TAF are the volunteers who run the league, from the executive board to the ladder captains who oversee each of the individual ladder sections. Anyone who is interested in information about us can visit our Web site, www.taftennis.org. The cost to join is only $25, which is an incredible bargain considering that you get a whole summer’s worth of great tennis. But perhaps the most important benefit is the camaraderie and friendships that are forged among our members. If you are interested in joining us, we would love to have you become part of our organization. Our 2009 season begins Friday, May 1, so sign up today! G Rich Hume is an avid tennis player and past president of the Tennis Association of Farmingdale (www.taftennis.org). He may be reached by e-mail at rhume@optonline.net. 10

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

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Teaching Misconceptions Misapplications, misconceptions and mistruths of some common teaching clichés and their unintended consequences By Steven Kaplan

he ancient Roman playwright, Terence, wrote: “Moderation in all things.” He could have been referring to optimum tennis performance. Often, I hear both players and instructors repeating phrases of tennis wisdom that, while partially true when applied in the right context, can be undermining of performance when misused. I will address three of these erroneous clichés here. Watch the Ball! Who would agree the validity of that statement? I would! You must watch the ball at some point, specifically when it leaves your opponents racket. Few players, in fact, are careful observers of the ball interacting with the racket on the other side of the net, and as a result, they do not react as quickly or accurately as possible. You must also watch the ball well, up to the point at which you make those swing decisions that put your racket on

an inevitable collision course. Once having made those decisions, however, watching the ball is insignificant for two reasons. First, as Professor Howard Brody of the University of Pennsylvania points out in his book Tennis Science for Tennis Players, no one has the visual acuity to see the balls’ impact with the racket. Simply, it happens too fast for the eye to see. Furthermore, even if you could see the impact, there is little you could do to correct the path of an errant racket as a result of what you have witnessed. If the ball is moving toward you at 100 miles per hour for example, you would have to make the decisions and resulting racket commitment maneuvers before the ball has traveled 50 percent of its path. After that time, the racket is on an inevitable track and watching the ball will not help, in fact, it could compromise your movement. I repeatedly see players attempting to serve and struggling to perform this

skill. They will explain to me that they have been instructed to transfer their weight forward as they hit and also watch the ball at impact. Of course this is a physical impossibility. Ask a member of the high school wrestling team and they will tell you that wherever your head goes, your body will quickly follow. You cannot keep your head up and bring your body forward at the same time. Well, maybe you could once, but then you would have to reconnect your head to your body. Therefore, a more specific and correct statement is: “Watch the Ball Carefully When Making Hitting Decisions and Then Allow Your Head to Move to Accommodate Your Body and Your Swing.” Please note that this should not be interpreted as meaning that a still head at contact is unimportant. Rather, it means that a well-directed head facilitates a smooth, fluid and mechanically sound hit. continued on page 17

Save the date … Wednesday, May 6 USTA/Long Island Region 19th Annual Awards Dinner Crest Hollow Country Club • 8325 Jericho Turnpike • Woodbury, N.Y. 6:30 p.m. Featuring: • Cocktail hour and dinner • Live music and dancing • Recognition and awards ceremony • Prizes and raffles • And much more!!! For more information, see page 40 of this issue or contact Daniel Burgess at amertwist@aim.com. 12

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

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Tennis has certainly become a global sport, but it is disappointing to see its leading country, and one of that country’s largest markets, having lost some high-profile events from both the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) tours. New York has lost a couple of professional tournaments that were very popular in the tennis community, both on Long Island and in the Metropolitan area.

The season-ending tournament is often referred to as the fifth most prestigious WTA event after the four Grand Slams. From 1972-2001, the season-ending women’s tournament was played at Madison Square Madison Square Garden, home of the Garden (MSG) in BNP Paribas Showdown for the Billie Jean King Cup New York City, and it featured the top 16 ranked singles players. The tournament changed names/sponsors from the Virginia Slims Championship (1971-1978 and 19831994), to the Avon Championship (1979-1982) and then the Chase Championship (1996-2000). The tournament had become a feature event for the WTA Tour, giving a week-long spotlight to the ladies in New York City. In 2001, due to an increase in the global popularity of women’s tennis, the tournament was moved to Munich, Germany. Moving the tournament to Munich broadened the reach of prime-time television coverage, and allowed European fans a chance to attend and watch the matches live. But while Munich is a fantastic city and broadening the game is important, what the WTA Tour lost was the glitz and glamour of the Big Apple. From 2002-2003, fruit juice manufacturer Apple & Eve, along with Newsday, attempted to bring professional women’s tennis to Long Island as co-sponsors of the Long Island Tennis Classic, presented by Pathmark. The tournament was a United States Tennis Associa14

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

tion (USTA)-sanctioned women’s challenger event, with a $50,000 purse. The tournament was played on hard courts at SyossetWoodbury Community Park in Woodbury, N.Y. The event was held in mid-July, about three weeks prior to the U.S. Open. Marion Bartoli, current world number 14, was a finalist at this tournament. After 2003, this challenger was canceled and, unfortunately, Long Island lost yet another professional event. On the men’s side, the staple Long Island professional event was the ATP Tour event, probably best known as the Waldbaum’s Hamlet Cup (1992-2001), although also known at times as the TD Waterhouse Cup (2002-2004) or the Norstar Bank Hamlet Challenge Cup (1990-1991). The Hamlet Cup was a popular Long Island tennis event that existed for 24 years. The Hamlet Cup’s former home was Commack, N.Y., and was a popular stop for players prior to the U.S. Open because of its close proximity to the season’s final Grand Slam event at Flushing Meadows Park in Queens. The Hamlet was played just prior to the U.S. Open and served as a great tune up for those preparing to play at the year’s final major tournament. The Hamlet Cup was started as an exhibition event called the Hamlet Challenge Cup, which was held in Jericho, N.Y. The Inside Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadow Park, Queens, home of the tournament was 2009 U.S. Open Championships created in part to

promote housing built near a country club. Initially, the tournament was played at the Hamlet East Condominium Association in Jericho, and throughout the ‘80s, it featured some of tennis’ top stars, including John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, Ilie Nastase and Stefan Edberg. The tournament, as well as the community promotion, was a success, and the event moved to The Hamlet in Commack, N.Y. in 1990. It was in 1990 that the Long Island tournament officially entered the ATP Tour. In the ‘90s, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, James Blake, Patrick Rafter, Michael Chang and Lleyton Hewitt were among the leading players to compete on Long Island. The Hamlet Cup had become an end-of-summer ritual for the many tennis fans in the Metropolitan area. There was always a lot to do at the tournament, with all the exhibits, interactive sports and various foods to eat, as well as the very intimate atmosphere that allowed attendees to view the games’ best players up close. The players loved coming to Long Island, as well. They enjoyed the tennis, golf, fans and great food at The Hamlet. After the 2004 tournament, the ATP sought to expand the 32-man draw to a 56-man draw as a way of opening more opportunities for U.S. Open entrants. Tournament organizers attempted to move the tournament from Commack to a proposed new, larger facility at Eisenhower Park. Unfortunately, the negotiations between Hamlet Sports Inc. and Nassau County stalled, and without the money for a new tennis facility, Long Island lost their only ATP Tour event. The tournament was moved to New Haven, Conn. in 2005 and has been operating there since. Last year, professional men’s tennis returned to MSG in front of a packed house of 19,000plus with the highly successful exhibition match between Pete Sampras and Roger Federer. This March, professional women’s tennis is returning to MSG for an exhibition featuring a foursome of Roger Federer at last year’s MSG current and former exhibition match at MSG in front of an number one women’s enthusiastic crowd in excess of 19,000 tennis players. The event marks the first time professional women’s tennis will be held at MSG since they hosted the season-ending championships. Wimbledon winner Venus Williams, 2008 French Open champion Anna Ivanovic, 2008’s year-end number one player Jelena Jankovic, and 2009 Australian Open winner and current world number one Serena Williams will compete in a onenight-only event on Monday, March 2 at 7:30 p.m. at MSG, the BNP Paribas Showdown for the Billie Jean King Cup, presented by StarGames and Madison Square Garden. The event will also celebrate tennis legend Billie Jean King. In this unique

format, each participant will compete in a one set, no-ad scoring semifinal, with the winners advancing to a best of three set (regular scoring) final. On the heels of last year’s Sampras/Federer extravaganza, promoters almost immediately went to work trying to assemble the women’s event. “The idea here is to have something annually [at MSG]. To bring a big event to New York City is something that makes a lot of sense,” said promoter Jerry Solomon. USTA CEO of Professional Tennis Arlen Kantarian stated: “This, to us, is a start of an annual Tennis Night in America at the world’s greatest arena.” This event will also mark the return of Tennis legend Billie Jean pro tennis to HBO, which, for 25 King will be honored at consecutive years beginning in the BNP Paribas Show1973, was the exclusive home of down, March 2 at MSG Wimbledon championships. in New York City There has been great buzz about these match-ups amongst the fans, and everyone seems to be looking forward to this event, even the players themselves. Ana Ivanovic, who was born in Serbia, said that she really only gets to come to New York during the U.S. Open tournament and is too focused on the task at hand to venture out into the city to experience the nightlife in Manhattan and get a taste of the cultural diversity that is New York City. However, in this trip to Manhattan, she is excited to take in the sights and sounds of the city. The USTA will be making Tennis Night in America a major component in its inaugural National Youth Registration Night. Teens from across the country can sign up for spring and summer play. “Our core mission is to grow the sport of tennis throughout the United States,” said USTA Executive Director and COO Gordon Smith. Long Island Tennis Magazine would like to welcome women’s Ana Ivanovic will visit Manhatprofessional tennis back to the tan in March for the BNP New York area, and we are sure Paribas Showdown at MSG that those of us who frequented past tournaments that are no longer here all hope that this will mark the return of more professional tennis events for both Long Island and Metropolitan tennis enthusiasts. G Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

Making the Right Choice By Clark D. Ruiz II

he dilemma that faces many tennis families today, after spending nine to 10 years on the junior tennis circuit running from tournament to tournament is, “How do we find the right college for our child?” Ask most young junior tennis players where they want to go to college, and the majority will answer: Stanford, Duke, U Penn or some other top flight university. While those schools usually do have spots to fill on their tennis teams, varying in number from year to year, realistically, they need a player who fits a certain set of criteria. It is that criteria that keeps most junior tennis players from consideration. The good news is that somewhere in the country, there is a quality tennis program at a school with strong academics that will serve as a great fit for your son or daughter. The challenge is finding that particular school. In a time where children grow up using subject tutors, SAT advisors and tennis pros for private instruction, many are turning to college tennis

advisors to help navigate the process of finding the right school. At the beginning, the process can be a bit overwhelming. The real test is keeping things totally realistic. With the help of a college tennis advisor, time can be spent much more efficiently, leaving more time to drill down and perform the kind of due diligence necessary to really understand Division I, II or III tennis programs and just how well your child fits within the program. A good college tennis advisor makes it a priority to understand your child’s needs on both an athletic, as well as an academic, level. Everyone wants to play for the best tennis program that they can, but it is crucial that the school ultimately chosen has the correct balance of tennis and academics. This is what will make the college experience truly worth all the hard work that your child has put into making them an attractive candidate to a college or university. Properly armed with probing questions, one’s investigation of a school’s tennis program should reveal the kind of rapport the tennis coach has with their players, and how that

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

dynamic meshes with your child’s needs and regiment. Does the coach run their own practices or leave it to their assistants? How often does the team practice per week? What time do they practice? Is the coach the type of coach looking to help grow your child’s game or one that wants a finished product? Does your child want a program where they eat, sleep and breathe tennis, or would they prefer a more relaxed program where they can become involved in things like fraternity/sorority life, student council or other sports? No one knows your child better than you do. For instance, if your child performs best when they practice five to six days a week, but needs to get to bed early in order to rest properly, then a program that practices three times a week from 9:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m. may not be the right choice. Most families don’t ask those critical and probing questions on their own. It’s all too easy to get caught up in the “moment” of your child fulfilling their dream of playing collegiate tennis. That is exactly why a college tennis advisor should become a vital part of your program and university selecting process, helping to give your child as many opportunities as possible to achieve what they have been working towards throughout their entire junior career. A college tennis advisor will help uncover available options, so that together with you and your child, you’ll be able to choose the absolute best school from every aspect of collegiate life. Making the right choice in schools does not have to become your second job, just as long as you have the right strategy from the start. Happy searching! G Clark D. Ruiz II is founder of Advantage Tennis Strategies LLC. He may be reached by phone at (917) 991-0088 or e-mail clark@advantagetennisstrategies.com.

T E A C H I N G M I S C O N C E P T I O N S continued from page 12 The Faster You Swing, the Harder You Hit … Swing Faster Great advances in racket technology have furthered the idea that swing speed is the most important quality for the achievement of tennis success. While there is truth here, like many generalizations, it is only partially true, and provisionally sound advice. It is important to recognize that tennis balls, tennis rackets and tennis strings are very flexible objects. They deform and rebound and do so at a consistent rate or frequency. As you swing faster you will hit harder until you reach that point at which the speed of your swing matches the frequency tendency that the ball, racket and strings rebound. After this point, you will reach a plateau of power. Think of jumping on a trampoline. When you jump slower you flex the trampoline more, when you jump faster the trampoline bends less. Within a significant range the resulting power is about the same, and usually not worth the extra effort and risk of a faster movement. Of course there is a threshold at which a faster racket will yield more power, and at this point, speed, if negotiated well, is desirable. From my experience, however, that point is rarely relevant to young players even when they are highly

skilled. Keep in mind that the faster you swing the more forces you will need to manage. Therefore, even if you do get to the point at which you get greater power from your racket, speed is only an advantage if you can maintain body and racket control. A better statement for the above situation should be: “Swing Faster Until You Get No More Power or Until You Cannot Manage the Movement With Enough Control.” Topspin Increases Reliability … the More Topspin You Use, the Steadier You Will be Topspin creates a wind draft that pushes the ball downward in the air. If the ball is pushed downward, then the shot can be aimed higher. This extra cushion of height provides a greater margin of error. Thus, conventional wisdom is that the more topspin you hit with, the greater your resulting shot reliability. This is true, all things being equal. Unfortunately, there is a cost to the creation of topspin. Greater topspin requires more precise timing in the ball strike and a greater ability to keep the racket stable as a result of additional twisting forces or torque. Thus, while the hit gains reliability because it’s a higher trajectory arc, the strike is more difficult to execute, and

therefore, rarely provides a net gain in player steadiness. Thus: “Topspin Will Result in Greater Steadiness, Provided You Do Not Compromise Your Stroke to Execute It.” The purpose of this discussion is intended to provoke players and instructors to question information. Specifically at issue, are those generalizations that, when viewed superficially, seem useful, but when carefully examined, are flawed. It is my experience that adherence to clichés causes greater playing problems than they correct, and should be applied with care and temperance. G Steven Kaplan has guided many touring professionals in the U.S. Open and Wimbledon, and has coached more than 350 nationally-ranked junior players. Steve’s background combines a rare blend of competitive and scholastic achievement. In 1979, Steve won the Big East Conference Singles Championship. In 1983, he received his Master’s Degree in Physiology. Steve develop the games of both Keith Kambourian and two-time NCAA Singles Champion Sandra Birch, from the 12-year olds through the pro tour. Most recently, Steve’s longtime student, Bryan Koniecko has achieved the number one ranking in Men’s NCAA tennis.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

Long Island Tennis Magazine

2009 Summer Camp Guide adidas Tennis Camps at Stony Brook University

Sunday-Friday, July 19-24 and Sunday-Friday, July 26-31 Director: Gary Glassman All ability levels welcome! Boys and girls ages 9-18 Tournament training available • Overnight and day options Phone #: (800) 944-7112 E-mail: support@tenniscamper.com Web site: www.TennisCamper.com adidas Tennis Camps have been held at Stony Brook University since 2005, helping hundreds of kids in the tri-state area improve their tennis game. The Stony Brook camp will once again be directed by Stony Brook University Head Men’s and Women’s Tennis Coach Gary Glassman. Entering his 10th season as the men’s and women’s coach, Glassman has compiled a combined 220 wins, setting single season records in wins for both programs, while leading the men’s program to their first ever national ranking in 2005. Coach Glassman’s camp staff is comprised of area teaching professionals, assistant coaches and college tennis players. adidas Tennis Camps has something to offer to junior tennis players of all abilities. The curriculum is tailored to help each camper improve their game in a positive, fun atmosphere. Each staff pro is dedicated to the personal development and improvement of every camper, from beginners to top tournament players. They encourage high school teams to come together—keeping them on the same courts to help them become stronger as a whole. Finally, adidas Tennis Camps offers tournament training which provides a challenging atmosphere for juniors to improve their USTA rankings. Players will train with other motivated tournament players and 18

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

compete against each other in a constructive, fun and well-organized camp setting. Campers who choose to take part in tournament training will be put through a rigorous training regiment that will help improve their physical and mental endurance as well. adidas Tennis Camps offer three different options for campers: 1. Overnight Campers: Campers sleep on campus in dormitories and eat their meals in the dining hall. The staff lives in the dorms and chaperone all the off court/evening activities to provide supervision. Evening activities last year included a swim party, movie night, karaoke contest and a tennis fun night! 2. Extended Day Campers: Included is lunch and dinner, tennis and evening activities. 3. Day Campers: Includes lunch and a week’s worth of tennis instruction from the finest coaches in the Northeast. Tennis is our passion … Your improvement is our mission!

Bethpage Park Tennis Center Summer Tennis Camp 99 Quaker Meeting House Road, Building # 4 Farmingdale, NY 11735 Phone #: (516) 777-1358 To be your best, you need the best program, facilities and players! Bethpage Park Tennis Center’s Summer Tennis Camp is designed for maximum time efficiency and productiveness. Our wealth of tennis courts enables us to provide indoor and outdoor courts, hard courts and clay courts. No camp provides a more favorable camper to court ratio than us. This means campers can play singles and doubles matches daily. These opportunities for match play are most beneficial because they are with the finest players the East Coast has to offer. To be the best, you need the best staff! We train players to excel with greater success than any other eastern camp because of our unique staff. Since we conduct a yearround program, we employ proven, full-time professionals to

Long Island Tennis Magazine

2009 Summer Camp Guide oversee our camp. The rest of our staff is comprised of our topranked students, many of whom are college standouts, to ensure quality, enthusiasm and continuity of instruction. We are very flexible, with nine one-week, as well as partialweek, sessions so that tournament players can design a schedule that accommodates their individual needs. We believe that the summer is a great time to drill skills, get match tough and develop fitness habits that will help year-round. Is this program right for you? At Bethpage Park Tennis Center’s Summer Tennis Camp, our standards are high, our prerequisites are not! We encourage and value our beginners equally with our nationally-ranked players. All we require is the desire to attend a serious tennis camp to … learn in an intensive, personal and fun environment … and the drive to achieve your personal best! Transportation is available, and a daily deli or pizza lunch is included.

Carefree Racquet Club

1414 Jerusalem Avenue North Merrick, NY 11566 Phone #: (516) 489-9005 Where can you find a Junior Summer Tennis Camp highlighting the excitement of competition, high structured instruction and plenty of all around play time? At Carefree Racquet Club, complete with seven air-conditioned indoor tennis courts, two racquetball courts that can convert to walleyball, a half-court basketball court, a cozy lounge and snack area … that’s where! At Carefree’s summer camp, we encourage the social aspect of loving the game just for the fun of it. We stress the positive approach to competition which gives our juniors perspective both on and off the court. In the long run, this brings out the confidence to succeed in whatever our students venture into later in life. The key is to develop behavioral characteristics of success for all of our students: Vision, action, responsibility and independence. The staff is comprised of knowledgeable and caring counselors who were, or currently are, college players who were also trained at Carefree Racquet Club.

The program is directed by Louis Vallejo, with 25 years of teaching experience and 15 years of sectional, national and international playing experience. He has coached juniors of all levels of play. Along with his head pros, the tutorage of our students is unsurpassed. Carefree Racquet Club is proud to celebrate its 20th year of our Junior Summer Tennis Camp. The success of our summer program comes from our outstanding facility, fun to win attitude and our superior pro staff. Our camp hours are from noon to 5:00 p.m. Our students come in fresh and relaxed with energy, ready for action. We warm up on the courts with the physical part of our training: Stretching, cardio, core and strength exercises. Stroke development and analysis is structured yet simplified to ensure our students keep their enthusiasm for on-court playing action. After warm-up, we begin drilling, instruction and point simulation. After a half-hour lunch/snack break at 2:00 p.m., the students are back on-court for an hour of cardio tennis drilling. Match play begins at 3:30 p.m. where there is singles and doubles competition. We are also able to offer cross-training with the basketball and walleyball courts, which teaches our students team effort and sportsmanship. After a quick juice break, we end the day with fun games for the final 20-30 min. Carefree’s Junior Summer Tennis Camp is the most flexible on Long Island. You can attend full-time (nine weeks, five days a week) or a fewer number of weeks. You can also attend just two or three days a week if you’d like. You can even come just once a week, but we bet if you come once, you’ll want to come twice! So come on down and see for yourself … we will be waiting!

The Early Hit Training Center Junior Summer Tennis Camp at Glen Head Racquet Club Contact: Carl Barnett 95 Glen Head Road Glen Head, NY 11545 Phone #: (516) 455-1225 E-mail: earlyhit@optonline.net Our comprehensive program will provide your child with all the resources necessary to reach his or her maximum tennis potential. The Early Hit Training Center incorporLong Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

Long Island Tennis Magazine

2009 Summer Camp Guide ates all aspects of the game into our complete program. We begin each session with a nutritionally-complete and balanced shake from Court 7, our on-premise restaurant and smoothie bar. After a thorough warm-up, the student will work through the core components of tennis, including stroke production, drilling and physical fitness training before breaking for a healthy lunch. We then move on to playing dynamics and strategy, and reinforce these lessons with focused match play. A thorough cool-down and stretching session completes a world-class day of tennis for your child. With our team of renowned tennis teaching professionals, experienced physical conditioning trainers, movement experts and on-site chef, the Early Hit Training Center offers a unique and total tennis experience. Cost for our camp program is $125 per day or $495 per week. Spaces are limited and there is a discount for early enrollment.

Friends Academy Summer Camps Duck Pond Road Locust Valley, NY 11560 Phone #: (516) 393-4207 E-mail: camp@fa.org Web site: www.fasummercamp.org Friends Academy Summer Camps offer exciting programs for children ages three-14-years of age, from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. General Camp & Sports Academy Plus provides a safe environment where children learn new skills and make new friends. The General Camp (ages three-eight) is a well-rounded program that includes physical education, arts and crafts, music, tennis, science, playground time, two daily swimming periods, and special events. They offer four-, six- and eight-week sessions. Children are placed in small groups by age and gender. The Sports Academy Plus program (two-, four- or six-week sessions with new one-week camps) offer boys and girls ages eight-14 the chance to work on individual team skills in a well-structured environment that provides both instruction and fair competition. The sports/electives offered are baseball, basketball, dance, golf, horseback riding, ice hockey, ice skating, boys and girls lacrosse, sailing, soccer, martial arts, flag football, fencing, gymnastics, tennis, computers, performing arts, art studio, multi20

Long Island Tennis Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ March/April 2009

sports, volleyball, softball, and video game design. We also offer many optional programs, such as academics and our popular travel program. Our head coaches and head teachers have experience on a professional, college or high school level. Campers choose two sports/electives daily for a two-week session and have a double session daily in our one-week camps. All campers swim twice daily and enjoy lunch in our air-conditioned dining hall. Our all-inclusive tuition includes lunch, towel service and air-conditioned transportation. Call (516) 393-4207 or e-mail camp@fa.org to find out more about the 2009 season. Our office hours are Monday-Saturday from 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. or log on to www.fasummercamp.org.

Future Stars Tennis Camps Phone #: (516) 876-3490 â&#x20AC;˘ Web site: www.fscamps.com Future Stars Tennis Camps and Programs have been on Long Island since 1982. Over the years, thousands of kids have developed sound fundamentals and a love of the game under the tutelage of our outstanding tennis professionals. Our long history started in Great Neck at the Future Stars Tennis Center, which was formerly the Great Neck Racquet Club on East Shore Road. There, Future Stars ran a junior development program and our trademark Tennis Camp. Future Stars have gone on to run our camp programs at The Merchant Marine Academy in Great Neck, Match Point Tennis in Commack, Hampton Athletic Club in Quogue, East Side Tennis Club in Westhampton, and Westhampton Beach Bath and Tennis. For Summer 2009, Future Stars present Tennis Camp locations including: SUNY College at Old Westbury, Farmingdale State College, Green Hollow Tennis Club in East Hampton, Sandy Hollow Tennis Club in Southampton, Aspatuck Tennis Club in Westhampton Beach and Pine Hills Country Club in Manorville. Our winning formula for tennis camps revolves around bringing kids together for weekly sessions to learn and compete in a safe and fun atmosphere. Our goal is to find the best facilities for kids to spend the day working on their tennis games, while combining a fun day camp atmosphere. Each day starts with a morning assembly culminating in a stroke of the day demonstration by our director with his pro-staff. Campers are then broken out in groups

Long Island Tennis Magazine

2009 Summer Camp Guide of equal ability and age. They have two daily instructional periods with no more than five to a group. Their instructor for the week works with them on all aspects of their games through fun and intense drilling, focusing on stroke production and strategy. The third tennis period of the day is the all-important match play. Supervised by their instructors, kids play points and matches. To maximize the match play experience, we have the weekly camp tournament along with a back draw and round robins. A typical day also includes field sports and a fitness component, along with a swim break. In addition, we have a full schedule of interclub and camp matches, pitting kids of all ages and levels against their peers, often from other camps and tennis clubs in the area. During the weekly sessions, campers are given feedback and analysis by the director and coaching staff, who get to know every player to make sure they have a rewarding and enjoyable experience. Campers receive an end of session progress report highlighting areas of their game they should continue to work on. To commemorate their camp experience, each camper receives a tshirt, backpack and certificate of attendance at the weekly award ceremony held the last day of camp. However, the most cherished reward a camper leaves after a session at Future Stars Tennis Camp—and the one we are most proud of—is a love for our great sport of tennis and a huge desire to go out and play the game.

Hofstra Summer Camps

Phone #: (516) 463-CAMP Web site: www.hofstra.edu/camp Hofstra Summer Camps … a choice that can change your child’s life!

Treat your child to the best summer ever! Hofstra Summer Camps, the largest university-based camp on the East Coast, offers outstanding resources and facilities and two exciting summer choices: Hofstra Specialty Camps and Hofstra Sports Academy Camps. Specialty campers spend half the day in one of more than 20 specialty areas—like tennis, musical theater, fine arts, science, video game development, baseball, tennis, and more—and the other half in recreational activities, including instructional swimming in our Olympic-sized pool. For campers whose interests are strictly athletic, Hofstra Sports Academy Camps are the perfect choice. Hofstra offers soccer, basketball and lacrosse camps, and new this year, softball, pep band, dance and cheerleading camps. Supervised by Hofstra’s NCAA head coaches, these popular camps will teach your child the skills and techniques they need to succeed.

Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard Long Beach, NY 11561 Contacts: Sid Siddiqui or Chuck Russell Phone #: (516) 432-6060 Long Beach Tennis Center has been the area’s leader in providing tournament-level juniors with the most comprehensive instructional program available. Their handson approach to teaching top players will be on display throughout the summer as well, as they conduct their Day Camp for 2009. For eight weeks, beginning at the end of June, Sid Siddiqui, Chuck Russell, Fahad Malik, Andrei Rosiano, and the rest of Long Beach Tennis Center’s exceptional staff of tennis pros, will provide full days of group and one-on-one instruction geared to each player’s level, match play, strategy sessions and consulting on tournament scheduling. As with their indoor programs, the summer camp at Long Beach will emphasize serious game improvement and sportsmanship, with an atmosphere of friendly competition. Long Beach Tennis Center’s summer camp will also be available for younger players of all levels—including beginners. Utilizing the latest teaching techniques and equipment, Chuck Russell, a USPTA-certified QuickStart professional, will guide campers through the basics of the game. The summer program will focus on building hand-eye coordination, basic stroke production, having fun and fitness. Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

Long Island Tennis Magazine

2009 Summer Camp Guide The facilities at Long Beach Tennis Center will provide campers with an air-conditioned indoor oasis to escape from the summer heat. Their large and comfortable clubhouse will also guarantee that rainy days do not interrupt the camp schedule. Parents who value flexibility can register children for individual days or weeks. The staff at Long Beach Tennis Center can also customize a package that best fits a hectic schedule.

Nick Brebenel Tennis Tournament Training Phone #: (516) 852-0591 Web site: www.nickbrebenel.com E-mail: info@nickbrebenel.com Nick Brebenel presents the best proven and quality tennis program in New York. Nick Brebenel has the best summer camp which has delivered results for 15-plus years. Nick Brebenel’s Tennis Tournament Training, recipient of the Certificate of Quality 2009, can help achieve your tennis goals from beginners to pros. It’s easy to talk about the best tennis program or the best coach … we have the results to prove the point! Current and past students of Nick Brebenel include: Bryan Koniecko (number one-ranked boys player NCAA-January 2009); Artemie Amari (winner of the Sectional January 2009 Boys 12 event); Stephanie Loutsenko (winner of Sectional January 2009 Girls 14 event); 12-year-old Daniel Kerznerman (winner of Sectional January 2009 Boys 14 event, 2008 twotime runner-up in Super Nationals, and in December 2008, took sixth place at the Orange Bowl); 14-year-old Julia Elbaba (runner-up of Sectional January 2009 Girls 18 event and runner up at the Winter National event on Jan. 1, 2009); 14-yearold Becky Shtilkind (quarter finalist for Sectional January 2009 Girls 16 event); Oliver Loutsenko (semi-finalist for the Sectional January 2009 Boys 16 event); Julian Zlobinski and Artemie Amari (top 16 finishers at the Eddie Herr 2008 event); and Philip Aantohi (player of the year January 2008 nr. 129, under 12 and January 2009 under 14 top 50-ranked player). The Best Quality Tennis Program in New York! 22

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

Peter Kaplan’s Westhampton Beach Junior/Adult Tennis Academy Contact: Peter Kaplan Phone #: (631) 288-4021 or (914) 234-9462 E-mail: peterkaplan2002@yahoo.com Web site: www.westhamptontennis.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 and 90-min. clinics are offered daily. Camps and one- to sevenday programs are available. The flexibility of the programming enables participants to enjoy the nearby beautiful ocean beaches, charming village, Performing Arts Center, movie theatre, wine country, flower farms, shopping, cafes, restaurants, water park and other East End attractions. Peter Kaplan is an attorney, former New York State tennis champion, and a graduate of Cornell University, is on-site every day. Resident students/families/teams stay at the historic Grassmere Inn, located on quiet, tree-lined Beach Lane in Westhampton Beach, N.Y., only 50 yards from the beginning of the charming village, yet less than one mile from a beautiful ocean beach. The location could not be better. The Grassmere has 22 guest rooms, all with air conditioning, WiFi, cable television and private bathrooms. Ideal for families, are two suites or interconnected rooms. A delicious breakfast of fresh muffins, bagels, cereal, fruit, juice, coffee, tea, milk and yogurt is included daily. A pool application is pending for summer ‘09 and non-campers are welcome. The Tennis Academy, located three miles away, is primarily a teaching center featuring 12 soft courts. We have welcomed participants from over 25 countries and 30 states since 2000. The Academy features an enthusiastic staff, renowned for its high-quality instruction and low student-to-staff ratio. The maximum ratio is 4:1, but the average ratio is 2:1. Thirty-five Japanese juniors have been coming for three weeks annually, for the last eight years. They run three miles before breakfast and then 10 hours of instruction, running and matches. However, most participants seek a less intensive program, taking three to five hours of instruction daily. The staff is always accommodating and happy to tailor programs to fit the needs of the customer. Frequently, an adult team will come at the beginning of the season and return for a family vacation. There are also tennis pros who bring groups. The Academy’s staff is available to supplement visiting pros’ staff.

Long Island Tennis Magazine

2009 Summer Camp Guide The groups always have an incredible time, some having returned for 10 consecutive years. Tennis during the day, a trip to the beach in the late afternoon, perhaps a glass of wine at sunset, and then dining at a great restaurant, a movie or a show at the Performing Arts Center. Occasionally, guests are coaxed into karaoke with the international staff! One season, the academy and staff served as Vic Braden’s primary East Coast staff and facility. Basketball instruction is also offered. Former NBA All-Star Gus Williams, New York Knicks player Greg Butler and Hilton Armstrong have appeared. Day camps begin at $250 per week. Instruction with accommodations range from $99-$225 per person/day weekdays (slightly more on weekends). Family, group, team and student discounts are available. The Grassmere Inn has been named one of two Best Inns on Long Island by Dan’s Papers and a Best Place to Stay in Westhampton by Long Island Alive. The Academy has been selected among the top teaching academies worldwide by TennisWeek, Tennis Mag and Courttime. It is the only academy in the world the USTA has chosen to be part of the marketing program to USTA juniors and adults. Members receive free stringing and a free halfhour private lesson.

Robbie Wagner’s Tournament Training Center Summer Tennis Camp Co-Camp Director: Parsa Sammi Web site: www.rwtt.com Every day at the Robbie Wagner’s Tournament Training Center Summer Tennis Camp is a fun and challenging way for children of all ages to spend their summer days. The camp consists of world-class tennis coaches and facilities catering to the needs of each and every child, from the beginning toddler to the nationally-ranked junior tennis player. It is of the utmost importance to us that each child has a pleasurable day at our camp and we strive to achieve a standard of excellence unparalleled on Long Island. Our day typically begins with a warm-up and flexibility session, followed by tennis drills in a group setting with a strong emphasis on technique and stroke production. For our ad-

vanced players, we also focus on tactics and point construction. In the afternoon session, there is a fitness training session with our expert conditioning specialist along with match play. Each day of the week, we strive to change the format of our match play to keep our campers excited and challenged with various formats of play, including camp tournaments, Davis Cup team matches, and individual one-on-one practice matches. We pride ourselves in teaching the children in a fun and hard-working atmosphere.

Rockville Racquet Club 80 North Centre Avenue Rockville Centre, NY 11570 Phone #: (516) 764-5350 The summer is time for fun at Rockville Racquet! Rockville Racquet Club is conveniently located in the heart of Rockville Centre. Its central location allows easy access to local shopping, dining and transportation. Our modern center boasts seven Nova Acrylic courts, men’s and women’s locker rooms, showers and saunas, as well as babysitting facilities. Courts are available for seasonal or hourly rental throughout the year. However, the summer is the time for fun at Rockville Racquet. Every summer afternoon, you can hear the sounds of happy children on the courts at Rockville Racquet. Under the professional guidance of Freeman Bayard, USPTR, dozens of young tennis enthusiasts are perfecting their skills, while meeting new friends and having fun. The summer camp is open to youngsters from five-years-old to 18-years-old, one to five days a week, for eight weeks. Students of all levels can participate in this unique learning experience. In addition to tennis, the kids can enjoy table tennis, strategy sessions, games and snack time in an air-conditioned, state-of-the-art facility. For the adults at Rockville Racquet Club, there are men’s and women’s summer leagues. Summer is the perfect time to try out a league. This shorter and modestly-priced season allows newcomers time to adjust to competitive tennis in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Tennis drills and learning leagues offered by tennis professionals can also help to improve your game. The more competitive player can participate in USTA team tenLong Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

Long Island Tennis Magazine

2009 Summer Camp Guide nis. With many men’s and women’s USTA teams at all levels, there is a place for everyone at Rockville Racquet. Our teams compete against other teams throughout Long Island. USTA teammates enjoy the camaraderie and competition of team play. Each year, several of our teams have made it to the sectional and national championships. Join us this summer for a season of fun at Rockville Racquet!

Sportime Excel Tennis Camps “Getting Better Just Got Better!” Locations: Bethpage, Kings Park, Massapequa, Amagansett, Manhattan (Randall’s Island) Phone #: (516) 933-8500 Web site: www.sportimeny.com (and click on the “Eastern Excel Summer Tennis Camp” tab) Sportime’s Excel Tennis Camps are expanding! To better serve the needs of junior tennis players in our region, we are proud to announce that Sportime’s highly-successful Excel Tennis Camps are expanding. Now, players across Long Island and New York City can experience Sportime’s premier tennis program for aspiring junior players of all ages and abilities. Excel’s training methods are fun and fast-paced, featuring stroke production, competitive games, and tactical training for match play. Our innovative tennis training techniques and tennis-specific conditioning regimens prepare players for the physical, mental and emotional demands of the sport of tennis. Excel campers develop positive self-esteem and laser-like focus. Our program is dedicated to turning weaknesses into strengths, and strengths into a winning game. Your child will get better at tennis That’s a guarantee! We take pride in our commitment to helping every camper make serious progress, regardless of his or her level, ability or experience. At Excel, we assess and discuss each camper’s goals and aspirations, and we waste no time setting out to meet and surpass them. From the total beginner, to the top five in the nation superstar, our campers all show significant improvement in all phases of the sport. And they will leave stronger and more physically fit than they were when they started! 24

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

Your child will make friends Aren’t most experiences better when you have friends and buddies to share them with? At Excel Tennis Camps, we believe that an important part of camp is providing a mutually supportive atmosphere where individuals can develop and cultivate friendships. This positive social opportunity is a big part of what makes tennis “the sport of a lifetime,” and at Sportime Excel, we try our best to create and foster “friendships for a lifetime.” Your child will be safe Excel Camps supervision is better than any other tennis camp. That is a bold statement to make, but we back that statement up by working incredibly hard to train our entire staff on every aspect of safety, both on and off the court. Senior staff at every Excel Camp location implements and oversees our campers’ well-being and assures that safety procedures are followed during every hour of the camp day. Your child will have a blast! Having a lot of fun while you are improving is just better! And kids get better faster when they are having fun. Excel campers and parents are amazed at how much fun there can be while working hard to improve one’s tennis game. We make every part of our curriculum challenging, fulfilling and fun. Even our conditioning element is fun! Doesn’t your child deserve to have fun this summer?

The Suffolk County Junior Tennis League 33 Sheppard Lane Smithtown, NY 11787 Phone #: (631) 360-8047 E-mail: scjtl@ariastennis.com Web site: www.scjtl.org The Suffolk County Junior Tennis League (SCJTL) is a network of community-based sites and programs in Suffolk County, N.Y., founded in 1997 and dedicated to introducing the youth of Suffolk County to the lifetime sport of tennis. Through its flagship, SCJTL Summer League and Fall Indian Summer League programs, the SCJTL programs provide an allinclusive “playing” experience to more than 1,000 new and existing junior players each summer at nine school sites throughout Suffolk County.

Long Island Tennis Magazine

2009 Summer Camp Guide Selected as one of 28 national 36/60 test sites in 2006, SCJTL Summer League adapted the new Quick Start Tennis format in 2008 as a recreational Junior Team Tennis program, with a season-ending challenge featuring an appearance by “Deuce,” the mascot of the Suffolk County Tennis and Education Foundation and non-profit 501(c)3 organization in Suffolk County that sponsors and works closely with the SCJTL. SCJTL expanded its scope after two years in existence to provide affordable local competition and player development programs through the SCJTL Competition Squad USTA Junior Team Tennis program and SCJTL Tennis Academy, Competition Tennis Camp and Tennis Team training camps. Executive Director Joe Arias, is a USPTA Pro 1-certified tennis professional, finishing his last phase of completion of his USTA High Performance Coach and USPTA Player Development Specialist certification and is director of tennis of the Port Jefferson Country Club. Donna Arias, is a fashion consultant for Grand Slam Tennis in Commack and Bolle’ Tennis Wear representative. Joe and Donna administrate the SCJTL staff of 40-plus Camp and Summer and Indian Summer League site directors, assistant site directors, site assistant, and tennis camp coaches consisting of school tennis team coaches, college tennis players and high school tennis-playing students who also play in the SCJTL Summer League Blue Division program. SCJTL has played a part in getting hundreds of Suffolk County kids playing on

school tennis teams and to achieve Long Island Regional and USTA Sectional rankings with many players moving on to play college tennis. SCJTL programs include: N SCJTL Tennis Academy, providing affordable quality training, playing experience, and fun in the SCJTL Competition Tennis Camp and SCJTL Competition Squad tennis team training camps. N SCJTL Competition Tennis Camps, preparing players ages nine through 18 for middle school, junior varsity, varsity and collegiate tennis teams and USTA tournament competition. N SCJTL Competition Squad Junior Team Tennis Program, a comprehensive team tennis experience with practice sessions, team matches and participation in team tournaments designed to provide match play experiences. N SCJTL Challenge Series, a tournament circuit and ranking system for SCJTL program players. The Suffolk County Junior Tennis League is a division of Arias Tennis Corporation. SCJTL is a registered USTA Community Tennis Association, Junior Team Tennis program, USTA National Junior Tennis League chapter and registered network of TIA Tennis Welcome Centers. SCJTL was awarded the 2008 USTA Eastern Member Organization of the Year Award and 2004 USTA Eastern NJTL Chapter of the Year.

Do you aspire to play college tennis at a Division I, II or III level? Finding a school with the right tennis program and well balanced academics that fit your needs does not have to be an overwhelming experience. Let Advantage Tennis Strategies help. We will work with you to navigate through the college selection process both realistically and efficiently. ATS will help you make the right choice. The process of selecting a college is a huge step towards your future. Take that step with an advantage, Advantage Tennis Strategies.

Visit us at www.AdvantageTennisStrategies.com or call us at 917.991.0088 "College tennis provides an excellent platform for junior players to learn more about themselves It is a great environment to learn life skills before the transition to the workforce. College tennis challenges you with adversity, diversity, and your ability to adapt to change. Unlike the juniors, you have teammates cheering you on throughout the process.". Asi Phillips Head Coach, Long Island University

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

LONG ISLAND TENNIS

Charitable Initiatives Tennis Racquets for Kids Inc. Gives All Children a Chance to Play Donate for the Love of the Game! Tennis is a game which brings people together. However, there are many children who will never have the opportunity to play the game due to limited economic resources. Zachary Mintz and his twin sister, Paige, two high school sophomores, founded Tennis Racquets for Kids Inc. Both Paige and Zachary are avid tennis players and compete in many United States Tennis Association local and national junior tournaments. Over the last several years, they have accumulated a number of racquets that they had outgrown and were taking up space in their garage. They realized that these racquets were in very good condition and could provide a wonderful opportunity for children who could not afford to buy tennis racquets. In addition, they thought that other players would also have extra racquets lying around with no purpose. This concept became the inspiration for the creation of Tennis Racquets for Kids Inc., a non-profit tennis charity that collects racquets that are no longer being used and redistributes them to children or organizations that need them. What a great way to help others and at the same time, be kind to the environment by recycling! The organization has already helped start an afterschool tennis program in Florida. Plans are in the works with various organizations to support spring tennis clinics and school programs. Zachary and Paige designed the Web site, www.tennisracquetsforkids.org, which includes information about the organization, how to donate racquets, and an informative blog. The concept has grown in the community with donations of racquets received from individuals, religious groups and tennis centers. Unfortunately, there are more requests for racquets than inventory and your help is needed. Every player has multiple racquets and as the player grows or the racquet is no longer suitable or fashionable, a new opportunity is born. Donate that racquet and help someone experience the enjoyment of the game. Currently, there are collection boxes at The Alley Pond Tennis Center in Queens Village, N.Y. and Westhampton Beach Tennis and Sport in Westhampton, N.Y. Other collection sites are being set up. Racquets may also be dropped off or sent to:

Carefree Racquet Club supports Rally for the Cure, a National Breast Cancer Awareness Program A Rally for the Cure, a national breast cancer awareness fundraising event, was held on Dec. 29 at Carefree Racquet Club in North Merrick, N.Y. One-hundred percent of the proceeds went to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, which raises awareness for breast cancer. Tennis clinics were held by three United States Professional Tennis Association pros (Brian Hoffner, Rafael Rodriguez and Lou Vallejo) donated their time and organized doubles games were held. The event was held by Debbie Cichon. A fun time was had by all participants.

Tennis Racquets for Kids Inc. c/o Dr. Guy Mintz 287 Northern Boulevard â&#x20AC;˘ Great Neck, NY 11021 For more information, e-mail racquetsforkids@optonline.net or visit www.tennisracquetsforkids.org. 26

Long Island Tennis Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ March/April 2009

For more information, visit www.rallyforthecure.com.

2009 Australian Open RECAP T

he first Grand Slam of the year concluded, amidst extreme emotions and compelling action. The event produced high drama and spectacular tennis. On the men’s side, there was a lot of talk coming into the tournament about the young guns: The red hot Andy Murray, number three seed Novak Djokovic and 2008 finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The men’s draw produced power tennis and marathon matches, but in the end, it came down to the inevitable: World number one Rafael Nadal and number two Roger Federer battled it out in the finals. Nadal claimed an emotionally draining five set win over his rival to win the title. Nadal’s mental toughness and conditioning made the difference. The 22-year-old Spaniard knows how to win and is committed to doing so. Nadal has stepped in front of Federer, having beaten him in the last three major finals they have competed in, and is

now, unquestionably, the world’s best player. On the women’s side, with 2008 Australian Open champion Maria Sharapova out with an injury, the title was there for the taking. Top-seeded women did not fare well in the opening rounds. Early exits by Jelena Jankovic, Ana Ivanovic and Venus Williams opened up the draw. In the end, Serena Williams overcame the heat and some erratic play to win the women’s title. Serena easily defeated Dinara Safina in the finals and is once again ranked number one in the world. In men’s doubles, the top seeded duo of Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic fell in the second round. The Bryan brothers (Mike and Bob) went on to win the doubles crown, defeating Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles in a fierce three-set final. In women’s doubles, the Williams sisters captured their eighth Grand Slam Doubles Championship, giving the Americans a clean

sweep in men’s and women’s doubles. Serena and Venus defeated Ai Sugiyama and Daniela Hantuchova to win the women’s crown. The mixed doubles title went to Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi, who beat Natalie Dechy and Andy Ram in the finals. It was a great event and great way to start the 2009 tennis season! G

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

Long Island Tennis Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ March/April 2009

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cally, and is looking forward to studying medicine. At this time, she works ardently to improve and reach her utmost tennis capabilities.

This edition of Long Island Tennis Magazine takes you inside the trip and journey of Hauppauge, N.Y. high school student Jennifer Kellner and her recent trip to Tucson, Ariz. for the 2009 Copper Bowl Tennis Tournament. Jennifer is a full-time student at Hauppauge High School. She is enrolled in a number of advanced placement courses and maintains her position on the high honor roll. She has been ranked as high as number one in the Eastern Section and number four nationally in the Girls 16 & Under. Currently, Jennifer is ranked 60th nationally in the 18 & Under age division and continues to advance in the standings. Jennifer hopes to find a college that is challenging both athletically and academi-

New Years Eve: The logistics of travel … As with many tournaments, Winter Nationals started out with the promise of victory and ended up with the disappointment of loss. While I won four matches, including a victory over two seeds I eventually lost to, Courtney Dolehide (the 5th seed), 6-4 in the third. As I watched her progress through the tournament, I felt the universal losing tennis player conundrum. On the one hand, I was hoping she would win to justify my loss, but then again, I cannot help rooting against anyone that beats me. My friend Bryan Roberts and I were off to meet my coach Steve Kaplan and Girls 16s player Hannah Camhi for the Copper Bowl. My uncle Jimmy helped us pack our luggage into his pickup truck to meet Steve halfway between Scottsdale, Ariz. and Tucson, Ariz. We then had to unpack the truck, repack it

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

into Steve’s car, and were on our way to the airport to change cars which required us to unpack again only to repack before unpacking at the Golf Villas! In between luggage transfers, we managed to hit for 90-min. or so. New Year’s Eve dinner was celebrated at one of the best traveling player restaurants, Macaroni Grill. We later went supermarket shopping for the two tournament essentials, PowerAde and Lucky Charms. Bryan hijacked a handicapped cart and drove it into a display. As he drove down the aisle pulling numerous cases of Diet Pepsi in an attempt to pry them loose, he kept on insisting that, “It doesn’t feel like New Year’s Eve.” New Years Day … The Copper Bowl starts tomorrow, so today was sign-in day. I picked up the wrong sized t-shirt before searching www.tennisrecruting.net to see how many stars my opponent has earned. She’s a three star … hmmm. Since the Copper Bowl is perhaps the biggest junior tournament in the world with continued on page 32

How Important is Success? By Jared Rada Are pee wee tennis players better athletes than pee wee football players? Are they stronger then soccer and basketball players? I think it is safe to say that kids between the ages of five-years-old and eight-yearsold share the same athletic capabilities within all sports. If this is true, why do we expect pee wee tennis players to play on a professional regulation tennis court hitting the same regulation tennis balls that the pros use? Tennis is the only sport where you will see this. Pee wee soccer is played on a smaller field, using a smaller ball, which is kicked into a smaller goal. Pee wee basketball players shoot a smaller ball into a lower net. Why do these other sports change and alter their equipment for their younger athletes?

The answer is … success. Kids need to experience success to have fun and learn the sport. Pee wee tennis players are no different. Most parents enroll their kids in tennis lessons so they can learn a sport that they can play for their entire life … that is if the player does not quit out of frustration. There are plenty of instructional tools out available that can help kids experience success in tennis. For starters, there are smaller racquets that are lighter and easier to control. There are foam and pressure-less tennis balls, making them easier to hit by providing a better target. Mini nets and portable lines can be set up to create a smaller court for play. All of these tools are designed not only to make sure the players experience success, but to give them an opportunity to really play the game. Using smaller courts and modified balls, kids can rally much easier and

much quicker giving them the sense of playing in a real game. It is very important to always keep in mind what makes sports fun. Fun is in keeping a rally, moving the ball around the court, and most of all, playing the game. It is up to us to make sure our young tennis players are in an atmosphere to make this possible. It is up to us to make sure that all tennis players experience success. G Jared Rada is director of tennis for Sportime at Roslyn. He has been coaching and directing tennis programs for the past 10 years. Jared holds a BA in business with a concentration in marketing from Hofstra University. He is a USPTA certified coach, as well as a certified speed, agility and quickness trainer. He may be reached at (516) 484-9222 or email tdroslyn@gmail.com.

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O N T H E R O A D continued from page 30 eight filled draws of 128 players, practice courts the day before can be a challenge to find. We first went to the University of Arizona to meet Bryan’s doubles partner, only to find the gates were locked. Next, it was off to La Cholla High School where we considered climbing the fence before deciding that we wanted to find a court rather than end up in court for trespassing. So on a day in New York when it was 22 degrees out, we found a court at Pima Community College and complained that the Arizona sun was annoyingly hot for tennis. At least it’s a dry heat. We hiked in Gates Pass later, breathing hard as we climbed. An 80-year-old woman and two small children said, “Hi,” as they passed us on the way up. My first match was at 8:00 a.m. at Randolph Park.

off to a poor start, 1-0, but won the next 12 thankfully. Hannah and Bryan also both won two matches, so everyone was happy at Grimaldi’s Pizza, our dinner stop. As we finished, Bryan was slightly less pleased when he placed his hood over his head and realized that eight pieces of uneaten authentic brick oven crust had been clandestinely placed there by all of us. My two friends, Sonia and Carolina, both in the Girls 18s as well, joined us for dinner, so the car ride home was pretty tight. With Hannah, Carolina, Sonia and me in the back seat, you can imagine how Hannah’s inopportune nosebleed wasn’t the prettiest of sights. While Hannah almost bled to death, we all enjoyed a laugh. Hannah apologized as blood bubbled out of her nose, which of course, caused us to laugh even harder. Exhausted, we got back to the hotel and called it an early night.

January 2, 2009: The tournament begins … I woke up this morning more tired and irritable than usual. Morning matches are generally not my favorite. We got off to a slightly late start, as Bryan was running behind like usual. With great time urgency, I got through my warm up, which consisted of what felt like only 10 shots before rushing to my site at Randolph Park, which was a lengthy 45-min. away. After about an hour, I won my match and faced a 6.5 hour time lapse between matches. This time seemed to pass painlessly; however, as I caught up with friends I only get to see at tennis tournaments. Three thirty seemed to roll around quickly and I got

January 3, 2009: The longest day … Today felt like it would be one of the longer ones for sure. Between my time-consuming match of 7-6, 6-2 and the countless “That’s what she said” jokes, I could have called it a night at 4:30 p.m. In my match, I got off to a poor start, down 5-2 on one of the only courts that didn’t have doubles alleys. Fortunately, I was able to come back and win 76, although I felt I was striking the ball terribly. After winning the second set 6-2, I was glad to be finished for the day, until I realized I still had a doubles match to play. I signed up without a partner, and wasn’t really looking forward

to playing with someone I had not met before. I was chatting with my friend Carolina when the tournament director called and informed me that the girl they paired me with hadn’t shown up for any of her matches for the entire tournament. However, they said they were trying to pair me up with a girl whose partner had defaulted due to injury. After trying to get in touch with the girl for nearly an hour, she answered her phone and declined the offer to play doubles with me. I found it rather bizarre, but apparently the girl and her parents preferred to “take a tour of Tucson” rather than show for her doubles match with me. Though I was tired, I admit I was slightly disappointed I wouldn’t be playing doubles. Later on, however, I received a call again from the director saying he found someone for me to play with. I showed up that afternoon and played with the girl, whose name I don’t quite recall, but I don’t even think we exchanged names. The match was equally forgettable, as we ended up losing 9-7 in a pro set despite having match point. Nevertheless, Steve remarked that he’d never seen me so jubilant after losing a match. I don’t think there was much more I could’ve done anyway, and with all the rain delays, it turned out to be just as well that we had lost. We went right to dinner after picking up Bryan and got sushi which we’d been looking forward to the whole week. They put us in a private room, and while it was fun, the sushi was fishy. Steve entertained us with his analysis of Bryan’s dreams. Steve claims that all dreams are symbolic of greater things, but I disagree and believe that all of Bryan’s thoughts and dreams represent lesser things. After returning to the hotel, we stretched and went to bed to prepare for yet another early match. Before retiring for the night, Bryan explained that he was still finding pizza crumbs on him, but would not complain because he was slightly hungry after our bad meal. January 4, 2009: Rain day … The morning was gray and the weather outlook was gloomy. Wait, I thought this was the desert? My match was delayed several hours. Rain delays make it difficult to time out eating, stretching and homework avoidance. My book, Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, would now be awoken continued on page 37

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

Beyond the

Baseline BY MICHAEL J. JAPPELL, CRPC

ost of us have heard the saying: “Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.” For years, financial experts have urged investors to spread their money across different types of asset classes—such as stocks, bonds and cash—in order to help reduce risk and enhance long-term returns. Yet, all too often, investors ignore this advice, pouring the bulk of their funds into a relatively narrow handful of investments—or even into a single stock. Although diversification does not insure against loss, it can be an important factor to helping you achieve longterm financial success. As with tennis, let’s relate this to a player with one strength. In this case, we’ll use the player’s forehand as an example. If all this player has is that one strong point and never works on any of his/her weaknesses (serve, backhand or volley), this player could potentially let themselves fall victim to an opponent that can exploit these weak points on a consistent basis.

Modern portfolio theory The concept of diversification finds its roots in the Modern Portfolio Theory. This theory states that portfolios created using a mix of different asset classes and investment styles should deliver higher returns with less risk than any one asset class would by itself. Asset allocation process Developing an asset allocation strategy requires an in-depth statistical analysis of asset class performance. While this process begins with an analysis of historic risk and return results, it shouldn’t end there. The capital markets are constantly evolving, and what occurred yesterday, might not happen tomorrow. With many different variables and strategies impacting diversification decisions, many investors may find it difficult to chart an appropriate course.

Michael J. Jappell, CRPC is a Smith Barney Financial Advisor and Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor, located in Garden City, N.Y. He may be reached at (516) 227-2808 or visit www.fa.smithbarney.com/jappell. G © Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Member SIPC. Smith Barney Consulting Group and Investment Advisory Services are divisions of Citigroup Global Markets Inc. Securities are offered through Smith Barney. Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and Citibank are affiliated companies under the common control of Citigroup Inc. Smith Barney is a service mark of Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and its affiliates and is used and registered throughout the world. Citi and Citi with Arc Design are trademarks and service marks of Citigroup Inc. and its affiliates, and are registered throughout the world.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

my opinion BY ERIC MEDITZ

What’s the story with crazy tennis parents?

hen I was 18-years-old, I remember playing a junior tournament in Colts Neck, N.J. My opponent was a fellow high school senior who I played many times throughout my junior career. This was our last year in the juniors and we were both headed to Division 1 colleges the following year. During the match, we battled back and forth like we always did, and I ended up winning. It’s been a while since then, so I don’t remember what the score was or anything that specifically happened during the match, but the thing I do remember is that after the match, my opponent left his bag on the court and ran out of the tennis club. He proceeded to cross a busy highway and went running into the woods as if he was William Wallace running from the English. Nobody saw or knew where this guy was for the next three hours. There were many concerned people in the lobby asking questions if he was okay. But after some time, he came sulking back in. His father was there with his tennis bag and without speaking, they both walked out of the tennis club. Now, why would this 18-year-old, college-bound tennis player decide to run away? It’s not like he was an immature kid. Under New York State law, he could legally operate a car, buy a pack of cigarettes, vote and go off to war. Why was this man running for the hills after a stupid tennis match? The reason was simple … he was scared of facing his unstable, irrational, unknowledgeable and delusional tennis parent. Now it’s not like his father was some lunatic who shoots squirrels for sport in his free time. He was a respected doctor on Long Island who, on weekends, made tremendous scenes at junior tennis tourna34

ments all over the Northeastern United States. What makes an extremely educated parent go down this crazy road? What is it about tennis that produces these types of parents? After being involved in this sport for 25 years as a player and now as a coach, I think that it’s not one specific thing, but a combination of things that makes normal, rational people turn to the dark side and become crazy tennis parents. Okay, let’s start with the thing that makes the world go around … money. If you want your child to be a nationally-ranked junior tennis player, it’s going to cost you. So if you start your kid playing tennis at 8-yearsold, you will be paying for about 10 years of a junior tennis career. And in case you were wondering, this is what you are paying for. To be a nationally-ranked player, you need constant lessons. Then, you need to get into a good program to hone your skills. Then, you need to get racquets. Then, you need to get them constantly restrung. Then, you need to play local tournaments every other weekend. Then, you have to travel the country throughout the year and play as many national tournaments you can get into. After this is all said and done, you are looking to spend approximately $20,000-$40,000 annually on your kid’s tennis. So when tennis parents are watching their son or daughter compete, they are not just emotionally involved, but are also financially involved in the outcome of these matches as well. By doing this year after year, do you honestly believe you could handle all of this without losing it every now and then? Now, I remember playing soccer when I

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

was a kid. My parents paid for my reversible blue and yellow shirt and occasionally had to buy oranges for the team and that was it! Total cost for me to play soccer … $29! Parents would cheer during the game, but nobody’s day was ruined if my team won or lost. The point I’m trying to make here is that if you are not financially invested in something, you aren’t going to fall off the deep end if things go south. Here’s another example. I love the New York Islanders. When they are playing the Red Wings, I will watch the game and hope the Islanders win. If they win … great! I turn off the TV and I go to bed. If they lose … oh well, then I turn off the TV and go to bed. Now for instance, let’s say I put down $25,000 on the Islanders to beat the Red Wings. Do you think I will be a rational person during that game? Of course not! I would probably be pacing back and forth, screaming obscenities, talking to myself, twirling my hair, and sweating bullets throughout the whole game. I will think every call made against the Islanders is the wrong call and that the referees were trying to put one over on me. I would be totally irrational and inconsolable if the Islanders end up losing. By the end of the game, I would have looked as if I walked 15 miles through a Costa Rican rainforest. When people are spending big money on a certain thing, everything involving that thing becomes a huge deal. Okay, let’s move on to what separates tennis from a lot of sports … individuality. When a team of five junior basketball players is playing, the parents of the five kids will pull together and cheer for one another’s kids. The goal is to score the most

points in a collective effort. Everyone on the team contributes, and together, they work hard and try to win. They practiced together the whole season, and hopefully in the end, their teamwork will pay off. Now let’s move to our sport, tennis. When your offspring is competing at junior tournaments, all you care about is how well your son or daughter is doing. There’s no team. There’s no cheering for anyone else. Everyone else is the enemy. Everyone else wants to beat your son or daughter. It’s an individual tournament and you only care about one name in the draw. Sure, you will have the parents who say that they care about how well everyone else is doing and that they are rooting for your kid to win, but realistically, they are all full of garbage! I have seen potential Oscar-winning performances in lobbies of tennis tournaments over the years. Parents asking other parents what the score is with their son or daughter, as if they really hoped that they win. Come on! Dustin Hoffman’s performance in Rain Man couldn’t hold a candle to some of the performances that I have wit-

nessed in the past. Ninety-nine percent of all the parents are putting on a show in that tournament lobby. Witnessing this, and doing this for years, eventually has to get to you. It’s a tough environment to always be in and could be one of the pieces that contribute to eventually becoming a crazy tennis parent. Because of the constant playing of these tournaments, players develop histories with one another over the years. Some players lose to a certain player every time. Another player cheats some players every time. Some parents even start fights in parking lots with other parents. Trust me … it happens! You play many of the same players over the years and problems arise more often than not. And everyone’s parents are aware of it. In the lobby of tennis tournaments, you have parents pulling their kid aside and whispering things to them. It becomes a very sneaky environment to be in. It’s like that large holding cell at Riker’s Island … all you can do is try to keep to yourself and look as tough as possible. Do you

think if you were there every weekend throughout the year for 10 years, you would be a rational person? I know I wouldn’t. This just adds to the drama that a tennis parent has to handle. So by this point, you are investing a ton of money, you think that everyone is secretly out to get your kid, and you just spent five hours in a car to drive to Syracuse, N.Y. in the middle of January. If you haven’t lost it yet, there’s still the match to play. Can you imagine a junior baseball team spending a lot of money to go out to play another team? They show up with all their equipment and report to the head umpire before they go out on the field. The referee tells them the rules and gives them three baseballs. He instructs them to play the game and after it’s done to report back to him what the score was. In his speech, he also informs them that they would be calling their own balls and strikes. Can you imagine how absurd this sounds? Well, junior tennis players do this continued on page 36

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

M Y O P I N I O N continued from page 35 every time they play, and because of this, tremendous drama ensues on the court and in the lobby. Players make bad calls, mess up the score, and then run up to the referee to get a line judge. The line judge comes down and stays on the court for four minutes, then leaves to finish his pizza. And then all the drama comes right back. Can an observing parent handle this without developing an involuntary twitch over their left eye? I don’t think so! Nobody likes knowing that they are being taken advantage of. That’s why people lose it when they get a parking ticket or get charged for the fried calamari that they never ordered. You have kids calling their own matches and all you can do is hope for the best that things don’t get ugly. Unfortunately, they usually do and the tennis parents’ emotions are helpless watching this. My cousin used to wrestle in high school. I would occasionally go to his matches and cheer him on. Sometimes, his matches were as quick as 20 seconds; others went as long as three minutes. I also had a friend in high school that was a really good swimmer and I would go to his meets and be very attentive the whole minute and a half his races took. I had a roommate in college who competed in the 50-yard hurdle for track and field, and I would scream

my lungs off the whole 11 seconds it would take. These are all other individual sports, and I’m sure you have your nutcases in these sports as well. But the difference is the time of competition. All of these sports have very fast competition times. It’s like your mother pulling off a Band-Aid when you were a kid … one fast swoop and it’s off. That wasn’t nearly as painful as it could have been. Now let’s get back to tennis. Tennis matches go on and on. At one moment in the match, your kid is winning. At another, they are losing. Then, they are winning again … oops, I take that back, they are still losing. The point I’m making here is that it’s a slow kill for the people watching. These matches go on and on, and maybe after two hours, the match will finally be over and this emotional rollercoaster will finally stop. Wait! Your kid won, so now he has an hour break and he has to play again! It keeps going and going and going … It’s like putting BandAids all over your body and slowing peeling them off millimeter by millimeter. Can you imagine your emotions during these long matches? The ball goes back and forth, and back and forth, over and over again, and you are glued to its every movement. It’s like you are staring at one of those piano pendulums for hours. It

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

must be torture. At some point, you must go insane. How can you not? In fact, the Pentagon should use this tactic to extract information from terrorists. We make the captured terrorist have a kid and start them playing in junior tennis tournaments. After a couple of years of paying tremendous bills, watching their kid get cheated all the time, thinking that everyone they run into is full of it, and forcing him to watch long emotionally draining matches, they would eventually get to their breaking point and tell us to stop. We’d have Bin Laden picked up in about 15 min.! There’s only so much a human being can take. Now you have a feel why so many tennis parents get the reputation that they do. It’s very hard being so emotionally and financially involved year after year like many of them are. With all of these things combined, you have what Massachusetts fishermen call “a perfect storm.” So you can see why that 18-year-old ran away after losing a tennis match to me. He knew what the deal was. He ran into those woods because he wanted to postpone, for a long as he could, the car ride home with his crazy tennis parent. Wouldn’t you have? G Tennis Pro Eric Meditz may be reached by e-mail at meditzisfunny@yahoo.com.

O N T H E R O A D continued from page 32 from its deep slumber in my racket bag buried underneath a half-eaten banana. The match started well for me, I won the first 11 games. I got distracted as I imagined my opponent telling everyone, “It was 0 & 0, but it was closer than the score.” After losing a game, I pulled it together. Remembering that I had won 0 & 0 the last time we played, I now realized no one beats Della Taylor 24 games in a row. Dinner was at El Charro, a popular Tucson restaurant. I had an enchilada or a burrito or maybe a burro. I don’t think it was a chimichanga, but I’m not sure. It was hot, cheesy and delicious. January 5, 2009: Groundhog day … I awoke this morning to the annoying sounds of Hannah’s phone vibrating, again. I looked out the window to find puddles, and yet again, a dark and cloudy sky. After eating breakfast, we found out no matches

would start before noon which wasn’t too far off from my scheduled time of 11:30 a.m. Since there was pretty much no way of warming up or even knowing what time we’d play, Steve found it a good idea for all of us to go to the gym and stretch. After a good warm up in the gym, we looked outside only to again find puddles and rain falling from the desert sky. Still having to get to the site by noon, we started driving when Hannah’s parents called her telling her the Copper Bowl Web site said she’d been withdrawn due to illness. Frantic, Hannah began calling what seemed to be every number combination that is possible using seven digits to tell the tournament in her words that “She had all intentions of playing.” Apparently unsure of precisely what to say, she seemed to struggle and blurted out whatever came to her mind and then repeated herself several times which was pretty funny to us, but probably confusing to the tournament desk

who was not fluent in “Hannah talk.” After what felt like an eternity, we arrived at the Tucson Racket Club and figured out that Hannah’s opponent was the one who actually defaulted. We got to warm up briefly, since there were more than 30 wet courts available, with just five dry. I ended up getting on court at about 2:00 p.m. and finished in a little over two hours, winning 6-2, 3-6, and 6-1. Before each match, I hope to play well and not get too frustrated. I especially hoped to avoid embarrassment today, since Steve’s cycling friend Dave came to watch and he is a tennis civilian. Unfortunately, frustration was inevitable today and it was a relief to me for the match to have been over. Steve, Bryan, Hannah, Sonia and I were off to the El Conquistador to drop Hannah off for her match which didn’t end up starting until about 8:30 p.m. Luckily, Sonia Bryan and I were able to have down time continued on page 39

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

Long Island Tennis Magazine’s

Literary Corner American Doubles reveals intriguing, exciting and impossible to put how U.S. players dominate down.” Frost is a longtime journalist who the courts worldwide started covering tennis in 1981. Her work In the ultra-competitive landscape of professional sports, American tennis players have carved a niche on the world’s doubles courts. American Doubles: The Trials … the Triumphs … the Domination, a book written by Marcia Frost and published by Mansion Grove House Publishing, explores the phenomenon of the United States’ doubles prowess from the successes of such legends as Billie Jean King and Stan Smith to the current number one men’s team of Bob and Mike Bryan. American Doubles is packed with touching stories of how some players conceded a chance at singles stardom to preserve ties with a doubles partner, how sibling pairings are tough to beat, and how Americans thrive in a team environment. Readers will learn that the success of Americans in the doubles game runs deep—at the junior and college levels, wheelchair tennis, mixed doubles, World Team Tennis and the pro tours. The story of how Americans have come to rule the doubles court is a fascinating and surprising tale told by longtime journalist and tennis insider Marcia Frost. Stanford University’s Director of Tennis Dick Gould, who coached the Bryans, as well as John and Patrick McEnroe, says the book offers “a close-up view that is 38

includes editing and writing for CollegeAndJuniorTennis.com, Tennis.com, USTA Magazine, SMASH Magazine, Tennis Life, Racquet Sports Industry, and Tennis Championships Magazine. She volunteers on the USTA/Eastern college Tennis committee and speaks at college showcases. “We’ve felt a renewed interest in doubles the past few years and this book will help the great game even more,” says Bob Bryan, who recently captured the 2008 Sony Ericsson Open doubles championship with his brother Mike. “We love the dynamics of the team thing and it is captured so well by Marcia Frost in this work.” G Excerpts on local Long Island tennis players from the book: American Doubles: The Trials … the Triumphs … the Domination Scott Lipsky (Merrick, N.Y.) Taken from pages 132-133 Long Island born and raised, Scott Lipsky had also entered Stanford at the same time as David Martin. He was also a top doubles player and was looking for a new partner in college to continue the success he had in junior tennis. Scott Lipsky’s junior years were filled with titles, as he was ranked number one

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

in the country in singles (he defeated Andy Roddick at the 1999 U.S. Junior Open Championships) and doubles as a 16year-old. For doubles, he had frequently partnered in the juniors with Jeremy Wurtzman, another New Yorker. Scott and Jeremy were a top team whose titles included three USTA National Clay Court Championships, but Jeremy had gone to school at the University of Florida. After a year there, he joined his brother Marc at Ohio State University, where he was the assistant coach. He was still no where near Stanford and Scott Lipsky needed a partner. Scott Lipsky and David Martin had been a doubles team once before college. It was by chance, when both were chosen to compete for their country. “We actually played together for the first time when we were 16, competing for the United States in the World Youth Cup in Vancouver,” remembers David. The pairing worked from the beginning as the U.S. team took fourth at the event. Then, coincidentally, both players would then end up at Stanford University and need doubles partners. In their sophomore year, Head Coach Dick Gould and Assistant Coach John Whitlinger decided to pair Martin and Lipsky. And they also moved David Martin to the deuce side for the first time in his career. Scott knew right away it was a good pairing. “The first time we played together was in the ITA Regionals at Cal (the University of California at Berkeley) and we won the tournament and qualified for the National Indoors.” The two also made the NCAA semis that year. It would be the title that would get away from them. They would make the finals in 2002, and the semis again in 2003. continued on page 41

ON THE ROAD continued from page 37 back at the hotel where we went in the pool and ordered in pizza. Steve, not quite as lucky, had to go back and watch Hannah‘s match in the 25 degree nighttime Arizona weather. At last, they arrived back and we all packed in anticipation of our next early and potentially chaotic day. January 6, 2009: The last day … My flight home out of Tucson International Airport was scheduled for 1:00 p.m. My match against the first seed, Brett Ellen Keller is at 9:30 a.m. If I win, then the finals would be at 11:30 a.m. tomorrow. Since the latest flight to Long Island on Southwest is at 1:00 p.m., then if I win, I won’t be home until Thursday. If I lose, then I want to go home with the rest of the group today. While I know that I need to play a quick match, I am faced with a real dilemma. The scouting report on Brett Ellen Keller is that, despite her three names, she is not married and not a presidential assassin, she is steady and I am a pusher. It was nearly 11:00 a.m. and the score was 4-4 in the first set. I decide to go for it. It’s now 11:20 a.m. and I just go. I gather my rackets and wait to shake hands as I race out the fence gate. “Take your time Brett, take your time.” We rushed to the airport and raced to the gate to discover that our flight has been delayed. The highlight of the day so far is that my streak of forgetting to take all of the water bottles out of my bag while going through airport security remains intact at 27 and counting. I put this extra time to good use and caught up on my belated Christmas shopping at the newsstand shop. It’s difficult to decide which he will like more, The “Property of University of Arizona Athletic Department” t-shirt or the Prickly Pear Jelly? We finally boarded the plane, and I spotted a seat open next to Steve and Bryan. Hannah is behind me and there is a seat open next to a baby. Since Hannah is younger, she and the baby should have more to talk about, so I let her have that seat. The best part of the entire trip was our stop at Potbelly sandwich shop in Midway Chicago airport … I cannot wait to go back! G Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

Multi-tasking … the mantra of our generation By Ed Wolfarth Multi-tasking (MT) is now the mantra of our generation. It is indiscriminately accepted not only in colloquial conversation, but among astute teachers and scholars. It is empowering. According to this widely-held axiom, our students can and do learn efficiently doing several things at once. Our younger (and perhaps hipper) students brag about their prowess at juggling many tasks at once, while us older folk bemoan our inability to master this mind-muddling aptitude … MT. After all, who can’t walk and chew gum at the same time? The term “multi-tasking” was coined in the computer industry. It refers to the ability of a microprocessor (the brain of a computer) to simultaneously perform several

tasks. Ironically, even in its current use, this is demonstrably false. Microprocessors are inherently linear. They can only perform one task at a time. Check out your current computer to substantiate this fact. What we do have, in fact, in computer terms, is many microprocessors running concurrently to increase operational speed. But I digress. As it pertains to learning motor skills, MT can be counterproductive. While it is the rare klutz who cannot ride an exercise bicycle and listen to music, many types of learning, are in fact, inhibited by trying to do perform more than one task at once. Without getting too complicated, let’s say there are two types of learning … conceptual (also called declarative) and habitual. The latter being a more ‘inferior’ type in that it is less easily manipulated or applied to new situations. Learning a new motor skill is considered this

USTA Celebrates “Tennis Night in America” With Events at 700-Plus Facilities Nationwide The USTA has announced that more than 700 tennis facilities, recreation departments and community centers across the country will host the first-ever national youth registration initiative for all spring and summer tennis programs on Monday, March 2. The launch is part of the “Tennis Night in America” celebration, and will also feature demonstrations for kids and parents. “Tennis Night in America” also includes the winner-take-all BNP Paribas Showdown for the Billie Jean King Cup at Madison Square Garden in New York City. National Youth Registration Night events serve as “opening day” for parents to sign up their kids for league and team tennis play, including USTA Jr. Team Tennis. Facilities and clubs across the country, in cooperation with HBO, will also be offering live viewing parties for the BNP Paribas Showdown for the Billie Jean King Cup to complement the kick-off of the 2009 tennis season. “Tennis Night in America is a great opportunity to bring together the best of the pro game with our grassroots efforts,” said Kurt Kamperman, chief executive of community tennis for the USTA. “We have made a commitment to make tennis more accessible to all through our various programming and initiatives. This year, and the years ahead, Tennis Night in America promises to be an important component in our efforts to grow the game.” For more information, visit www.tennisnight.com.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

type of learning. Golfers who have more than one swing thought or tennis players with multiple keys to hitting a backhand, tend to get ‘stuck’ in their learning progression. The real problem is that, in spite of mounting evidence to the contrary, our students cling to this illusory dream of getting something for nothing; the hope of accomplishing more than merely one thing at a time. Perhaps we’ve created this culture or perhaps we are unable to set priorities of learning for fear that there’s no time. Whatever the rationale, MT is not only dangerous, but it can produce an inferior and even muddled learning process. So, what do teachers or as I like to consider ourselves, “tennis learning facilitators,” do? For one thing, we need to stress one task, one swing pattern and one thought at a time … and do it until our students are unconsciously competent. Introducing the volley, ground strokes and some serve practice in one lesson is counterproductive, even if done separately. Each skill, tactic or pattern needs to be done repeatedly. Focus on one aspect of a skill at a time. Allow the learner to self-discover and be aware of what works and what doesn’t. Once we understand the learning process, and more specifically, how each individual learns (most learn visually and kinesthetically), only then will we become the best teachers we can be … and remember, MT is unhealthy, it tends to create an inferior type of learning and, in fact, takes more time, not less, to truly learn the task at hand. G Edward Wolfarth is the tennis director at the Tam O’ Shanter Club in Brookville, N.Y. He is also a professor of physical education and sports sciences at Hofstra University. In addition to his class load, Edward finds time to coach high school tennis at Jericho High School. He’s an active member of the United States Professional Tennis Association and currently serves on the executive board of the United States Tennis Association/Long Island Region. He still plays competitively and is a highly ranked senior player. He may be reached at (516) 626-9005 or email wolfarthe@msn.com.

L I T E R A R Y C O R N E R continued from page 38 didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do so well so weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not going to do it again,â&#x20AC;? says Lauren. And Christina is in complete agreement.

Stacey Lee (Old Westbury, N.Y.) Lauren & Christina McHale (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.) Taken from pages 105-106 The McHale sisters are another pair of siblings that donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like playing together. Both sisters are excellent doubles players. In 2007 alone, Christina won the USTA National Spring Championships with Stacey Lee, and Lauren won a USTA National Open with Hilary Bartlett. They are also ranked in the top 10 nationally in singles. They were actually the first set of sisters to be ranked that high in the Girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 18s at the same time in 28 years, since Andrea and Susy Jaeger did it in 1979. Singles, they call a â&#x20AC;&#x153;healthy competition,â&#x20AC;? but doubles play is something different. They only played together once on the same side of the net. It was at the USTA Girls 18 National Hard Courts in 2007. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We

Cory Parr (Jericho, N.Y.) & Ryann Cutillo (Kings Park, N.Y.) Taken from page 88 The USTA Pro Circuit is also a good place for college players past and present to get together. In 2007, recent LSU grad Danny Bryan and Michael Venus, who would be transferring to LSU in September 2007, captured a doubles title together in California. Also, Cory Parr, a junior at Wake Forest, won the Rochester, N.Y., doubles event with Todd Paul, who had recently finished at the school. Cory also paired with incoming freshman Ryann Cutillo in December of 2007 to win the Mixed Doubles at the USTA National Open Indoor Championship. Gene & Sandy Mayer (Flushing, N.Y.) Vitas Gerulaitis, (Howard Beach/Port Washington/Southampton â&#x20AC;Ś he seems to be listed as living everywhere!) Taken from page 98 Gene and Sandy Mayer are four years apart. Sandy was the older brother of the two New Yorkers. He went to Stanford University, and was a member of the 1973 NCAA winning team. Sandy then went on tour, winning a total of 24 professional

doubles titles. Of those, five were with fellow New Yorker Vitas Gerulaitis, who was more of a singles star (and, like Tim Gullikson, died tragically of carbon monoxide poisoning at a young age). From 1978-1981, Sandy Mayer won five doubles titles with brother Gene. Though Gene was unbeaten in two years on his high school tennis team, he did not play college tennis. He won 15 doubles titles with nine different partners. His brother Sandy was the only one that he earned more than two with.

Lindsay Clark (Bernardsville, N.J.) & Shinann Featherston (Rockaway Beach, N.Y.) Taken from pages 138-39 Another team that grew up together and played with much success in the juniors is Lindsay Clark and Shinann Featherston. continued on page 45

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Long Island Tennis Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ March/April 2009

Bethpage Park Tennis Center Andrea Pappas-Manager 99 Quaker Meeting House Road #1 Farmingdale, NY 11735 516-777-1358 • bptcenter@aol.com Carefree Racquet Club Kathy Miller-Manager 1414 Jerusalem Avenue Merrick, NY 11566 516-489-9005 • carefreetennis@aol.com Glen Head Racquet Club Heath Koch: 516-676-9849 Home of Early Hit Training Center Carl Barnett: 516-455-1225 earlyhit@optonline.net 95 Glen Head Road • Glen Head, NY 11545 Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard Long Beach, NY 11561 516-432-6060 Fax: 516-897-0097

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SPORTIME at Randall’s Island Ted Dimond-Director of Tennis 1 Randall’s Island New York, NY 10035 212-427-6150 www.SportimeNY.com randallsisland@SportimeTFM.com

SPORTIME of the Hamptons Mauricio Gattuso-Director of Tennis Route 104 East Quogue, NY 11959 631-653-6767 www.SportimeNY.com tdhamptons@sportimetfm.com

SPORTIME at Roslyn Jared Rada-Director of Tennis Landing Road, PO Box 1 Roslyn, NY 11576 516-484-9222 www.SportimeNY.com tdroslyn@sportimetfm.com

SPORTIME at Harbor Island Eric Fromm-General Manager, Director of Tennis In Harbor Island Park Mamaroneck, NY 10543 914-777-5050 www.SportimeNY.com efromm@sportimetfm.com

SPORTIME at Schenectady Philippe Ceas 2699 Curry Road Schenectady, NY 12303 518-356-0100 www.SportimeNY.com tdschenectady@sportimetfm.com

Point Set Indoor Tennis Dan Dwyer-Owner 3065 New Street • Oceanside, NY 11572 516-536-2655 www.pointsettennis.com matt@pointsettennis.com Robbie Wagner’s Tournament Training Center Adrian Chirici-Director of Tennis 142 Glenwood Road Glenwood Landing, NY 11547 516-676-9107 • www.rwtt.com Robbie Wagner’s Tournament Training Center @ GLEN COVE Stephen Alcala-Business Manager 60 Sea Cliff Avenue • Glen Cove, NY 11542 516-759-0505 • www.rwtt.com Rockville Racquet Club Susan Alvy-Manager 80 North Centre Avenue Rockville Center, NY 11570 516-764-5350 rockvilletennis@optonline.net Smash Tennis Club Jimmy Riaz-Director of Tennis 575 Merrick Avenue • Westbury, NY 11568 Business: 516-832-8010 Cell: 516-477-1192

SPORTIME at Massapequa Fayez Malik-Director of Tennis 5600 Old Sunrise Highway Massapequa, NY 11758 516-799-3550 www.SportimeNY.com tdmassapequa@sportimetfm.com

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

SPORTIME at Kings Park Petr Perecinsky-Director of Tennis 275 Old Indian Head Road Kings Park, NY 11754 631-269-6300 www.SportimeNY.com tdkingspark@sportimetfm.com SPORTIME at Lynbrook Chris Morales-Director of Tennis 175 Merrick Road Lynbrook, NY 11563 516-887-1330 www.SportimeNY.com tdlynbrook@sportimetfm.com

SPORTIME at Syosset Tennis & Multi-Sport Karl Sommer/Director of Tennis 75 Haskett Drive Syosset, NY 11791 516-364-2727 www.SportimeNY.com SPORTIME at Syosset Fitness & Racquetball Joe Gazio-General Manager 10 Gordon Drive Syosset, NY 11791 516-496-3100 www.SportimeNY.com jgazio@sportimetfm.com

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Long Island Boys High School

PREVIEW 2009 season preview

ast year’s Nassau County Championship saw Cold Spring Harbor defeat Syosset with a 5-2 win to win the Nassau County title. In Suffolk, it was Half Hollow Hills East defeating Half Hollow Hills West to win its fourth straight Suffolk County Title. In the battle of Long Island, Cold Spring Harbor defeated Half Hollow Hills 5-2 to win the Long Island Championship.

Brendan Ruddock (Senior, Suffolk County) Connetquot Singles Last season, Brendan Ruddock won the Suffolk County Singles Championship and placed fifth in the state championship. Ruddock finished the year with a record of 20-1.

Returning players to watch … Daniel Kreyman (Senior, Nassau County) Long Beach Singles Last season, Daniel Kreyman won the Nassau Singles Title and placed second in the state championship. He had a record of 28-1 for the season and has a 50-8 record in his career.

Brett Byron (Senior, Suffolk County) Half Hollow Hills East Doubles Brett Byron, along with his doubles partner last season, Andrew Won, captured the Suffolk County Doubles Title before losing in the state semifinals. Byron will be a senior co-

captain this year. As a singles player, his record is 26-3. Matt Lam (Sophomore, Nassau County) Jericho Doubles Last season, Matt Lam, along with his doubles partner Jason Liao, won the Nassau County Doubles Title, but lost in the state semifinals. They finished with a record of 8-1 as a pair. As a freshman, Lam finished with a record of 10-2 in singles competition. G

Brendan Ruddock Signs Letter of Intent With University of Minnesota

rendan Ruddock, who placed fifth in the New York state tennis tournament, has signed a national letter of intent to join the men’s tennis team at the University of Minnesota. Ruddock, a Ronkonkoma, N.Y. native who attended Connetquot High School, became the first player from his high school to win the Suffolk County Singles Championship. He finished the season 20-1 overall and was the consolation champion at the state tournament. Ruddock was named to the Newsday All-Long Island Boys’ Tennis Team last spring. He won three consecutive U.S. Tennis Association Eastern Section titles and was ranked number one in the section in the under-16 age group. Ruddock also captured a gold medal in the doubles event in the Empire State Games. “Brendan is a player who will build his game around his big forehand and serve,” said Minnesota Coach Geoff Young. “He is six-feet, three inches and still only 16 years of age. He possesses the ability to hit other players off the court with the velocity of his ground strokes. I am very excited about the opportunity to work with Brendan and watch him develop into a premier college player.” 44

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

L I T E R A R Y C O R N E R continued from page 41 They did well in younger ages, but various doubles titles brought them to the top ranking in the nation in the Girls’ 16s in 2005, the first year they would achieve that. They also realized a dream of playing the U.S. Open Junior Championships together in 2006. It was a great experience, even if they did draw the No. 2 team in the world and lose in the first round. Though Shinann is a year younger, she chose to move up with Lindsay to the 18s in 2006 and they quickly earned a top five ranking in that division. In the fall of 2007, however, it was time for Lindsay to go to college and Shinann still had a year of high school to go. Lindsay chose Yale and Shinann, who has also maintained a top 20 singles ranking through the juniors, decided to start at the University of North Carolina in 2008. “It’s been great playing with her for the past five years,” says Lindsay, who grew up in New Jersey. “We’ve really created a relationship. When we are on the court, we know each other. The fact that we’ve been playing together for so long really helps us and that’s why we’ve been so successful as a team.” Lindsay has brought her experience into school adjusted well to the transition. She and her partner at Yale, Lauren

Ritz, finished her first season ranked No. 8 in the region for the fall (national fall rankings are not released). They continued to a nearly undefeated spring. Shinann Featherston, who was raised in New York with four other tennis-playing siblings and parents who worked for the New York City Fire Department, enjoyed playing doubles with Lindsay for all those years, “It’s fun. It’s serious, but I have fun with my friend.” John McEnroe (Douglaston, N.Y.) Taken from page 58 It’s never happened before and probably will never happen again, but in 1977, an 18-year-old made it through qualifying and all the way to the semifinals of Wimbledon (before losing in four sets to Jimmy Connors). Then, he went to college. John McEnroe, who was born in Germany, but grew up in New York, training at the Port Washington Tennis Academy, went to Stanford University after that incredible summer on the tour (as an amateur). He helped Dick Gould’s 1978 Cardinal team to an undefeated 24-0 season, culminating with an NCAA team title (and a singles crown for John). It was a quick college tennis career, but it was certainly a memorable one.

John McEnroe (Douglaston, N.Y.) & Peter Flemming (Chatham, N.J.) Taken from pages 142-43 John McEnroe and Peter Fleming certainly had that rhythm. They were both from the East Coast and they had a record of 14-1 in the 15 Davis Cups they played. They won four Wimbledon and three U.S. Open doubles titles together, and made the finals of another three majors. There were also an additional 50 ATP Tour doubles titles. They were a successful doubles team for nearly two decades. Although many say the best doubles team in the world is “John McEnroe and anyone he is with,” it is clear that he had most of his success when he played with Peter Fleming. Like many great doubles teams, they had the lefty-righty combination that worked well, but it was also a great personality combination. There was always fire on their courts and it showed in their finishes. John McEnroe (Douglaston, N.Y.) & Mary Carillo (Douglaston, N.Y.) Taken from page 156 John McEnroe, who is certainly one of the very greatest doubles players of all time, did not play a lot of Mixed Doubles. He only won one Grand Slam Mixed Doubles title in his career. It was the 1977 French continued on page 49

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516 . 876 . 3490 Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

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

rganizing for the USTA Tennis League season for adults (19 and over), seniors (50 and over), and super seniors (60 and over), will be starting soon. On Long Island, the league plays from mid May to the beginning of August, with organizing and planning starting in March. The league is based on National Tennis Rating Program (NTRP) levels (see page 47 for full ratings breakdown) and is a team format that plays out of participating clubs across Long Island. Women’s teams start at the 2.5 level and go to 5.0, with the men starting at 3.0 going to an Open Division with players 5.0 and above. For the adult league, 2.5, 5.0 and the Open Division play one court of singles and two courts of doubles per match. Players rated 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 and 4.5 play two courts of singles and three courts of doubles per match, while the seniors and super seniors play three courts of doubles. The winning teams from each level advance to a Sectional Playoff where they play the winning teams from the other five regions of the Eastern Section of the USTA. The adult league teams advance to Syracuse, N.Y. in August, playing for the opportunity to win and advance to a national championship. The senior and super seniors also send the

winning team from each level to a Sectional Playoff in the Albany, N.Y. area in September with the hopes of advancing to the Nationals (held in Arizona, California and Nevada). The costs to participate in the local league are as follows: N A minimum of a one year USTA membership ($40 for one year); N A $25 roster fee; and N An $18 fee each time you play a match (paid to the home club). If you and a group of friends would like to start a new team or if you are an individual that would like to be placed on a team, please contact Kathy Miller at kathym65@aol.com. Scheduling of matches begins Wednesday, April 1, so all new teams must be accounted for before then. People can be added to existing teams up until Monday, June 15. In August, we will be running the latest USTA format—the Tri-Level League. The league consists of three courts of doubles, one being 3.5 players, one being 4.0 players and the last being 4.5 players. Each team can have up to four players at each level. We ran a one-day round robin in January to introduce

the Tri-Level League to Long Island. Everyone loved the format and had a great time. The two winning teams advance to a Sectional Playoff the weekend of Feb. 20 in Albany, N.Y., and the winners from there advance to a national playoff in Indian Wells, Calif. Team Cichon for the ladies was the winning team and Team Kolenberg for the men. We wish both teams luck at Sectionals! Organizing for the Tri-Level League will begin in June with play taking place in August. If you would like to submit a team or be placed on a team, contact Kathy Miller at kathym65@aol.com. To be placed on teams, you must have an idea of your NTRP level rating. A guide to help you can be found on page 47 of this issue. When looking to be placed on a team, please be sure to include your NTRP ranking level. The USTA League is a great way to meet new tennis friends and enjoy friendly yet competitive tennis! I look forward to hearing from you soon. G Kathy Miller is the manager at Carefree Raquet Club and is also the Adult League Coordinator for USTA/Long Island. She may be reached at kathym65@aol.com.

USTA/Long Island Region Announces 19th Annual Awards Dinner On Wednesday, May 6, the United States Tennis Association/Long Island Region board will host its 19th Annual Awards Dinner at the Crest Hollow Country Club, located at 8325 Jericho Turnpike in Woodbury, N.Y. It will be the largest and most prestigious tennis gathering held on Long Island to honor the outstanding achievements of local tennis enthusiasts. This special evening brings together tennis communities from across the Island to pay tribute to the accomplishment of fellow players. The festivities will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a cocktail hour, live music and dinner, during which time, junior and adult players, coaches, clubs, programs, volunteers and individuals will be recognized who demonstrated the very best in skills, sportsmanship, and dedication to the sport of tennis in 2008. Besides a feast that only the Crest Hollow Country Club can prepare, other highlights of the night will include a variety of raffles and an auction of tennis memorabilia. There will also be a surprise offering that is surely a part of every tennis buff’s dream. Please join the USTA/LI Region for this extraordinary fundraiser. Remember, 100 percent of the revenue from this event is fed right back into the tennis community in the form of grants, scholarships, and other worthwhile programs and events. Make sure to mark Wednesday, May 6 on your calendar and help make the USTA/LI Region 19th Annual Awards Dinner a great success. Last year, approximately 250 people were in attendance … and this year, USTA/LI is looking to set a new attendance record. If you want to make sure you receive an invitation to purchase a ticket, please reserve seating space by e-mailing your name, mailing address, and number of people in your party to Daniel Burgess at amertwist@aim.com. 46

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

ITN

NTRP

NATIO NAL TENNIS RATING PROGRAM FOREHAND

10.1 10.3 10 9

1.0 1.5 2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

5.5

6.0 to

7.0

BACKHAND

SERVE OR RETURN OF SERVE

VOLLEY

SPECIAL SHOTS

PLAYING STYLE

This player is just starting to play tennis. This player has limited experience and is still working primarily on getting the ball into play. Incomplete swing; lacks directional intent

Avoids backhands; erratic contact; grip problems; incomplete swing

Incomplete service motion; double faults common; toss is inconsistent; return of serve erratic

Reluctant to play net; avoids backhand; lacks footwork

Form developing; prepared for moderately paced shots

Grip and preparation problems; often chooses to hit forehand instead of backhand

Attempting a full swing; can get the ball in play at slow pace; inconsistent toss; can return slowpaced serve

Uncomfortable at net, especially on the backhand side; frequently uses forehand racquet face on backhand volleys

Can lob intentionally but with little control; can make contact on overheads

Can sustain a short rally of slow pace; modest consistency; weak court coverage; usually remains in the initial doubles position

Fairly consistent with some directional intent; lacks depth control

Frequently prepared; starting to hit with fair consistency on moderate shots

Developing rhythm; little consistency when trying for power; second serve is often considerably slower than first serve; can return serve with fair consistency

Consistent forehand volley; inconsistent backhand volley; has trouble with low and wide shots

Can lob fairly consistently on moderate shots

Fairly consistent on medium-paced shots; most common doubles formation is still one up, one back; approaches net when play dictates but weak in execution

Improved consistency and variety on moderate shots with directional control; developing spin

Hits with directional control on moderate shots; has difficulty on high or hard shots; returns difficult shots defensively

Starting to serve with control and some power; developing spin; can return serve consistently with directional control on moderate shots

More aggressive net play; some ability to cover side shots; uses proper footwork; can direct forehand volleys; controls backhand volley but with little offense; difficulty in putting volleys away

Consistent overhead on shots within reach; developing approach shots, drop shots, and half volleys

Improved consistency on moderate shots with directional control; improved court coverage; starting to look for the opportunity to come to the net; developing teamwork in doubles

Good consistency; hits with depth and control on moderate shots; may try to hit too good a placement on a difficult shot

Directs the ball with consistency and depth on moderate shots; developing spin

Places both first and second serves, often with power on first serve; uses spin; dependable return of serve; can return with depth in singles and mix returns in doubles

Depth and control on forehand volley; can direct backhand volleys but usually lacks depth; developing wide and low volleys on both sides of the body

Can put away easy overheads; can poach in doubles; follows aggressive shots to the net; beginning to finish point off; can hit to opponent's weaknesses; able to lob defensively on difficult shots and offensively on set-ups

Good consistency on ground strokes with directional control and depth demonstrated on moderate shots; not yet playing good percentage tennis; teamwork in doubles is evident; rallies may still be lost due to impatience

Very good consistency; uses speed and spin effectively; controls depth well; tends to over-hit on difficult shots; offensive on moderate shots

Can control direction and depth but may break down under pressure; offensive on moderate shots

Aggressive serving with limited double faults; uses power and spin; developing offense; on second serve frequently hits with good depth and placement; frequently hits aggressive service returns; can take pace off with moderate success in doubles

Can handle a mixed sequence of volleys; good footwork; has depth and directional control on backhand; developing touch; most common error is still overhitting

Hits approach shots with good depth and control; can consistently hit volleys and overheads to end the point

Very good consistency; more intentional variety in game; is hitting with more pace; covers up weaknesses well; beginning to vary game plan according to opponent; aggressive net play is common in doubles; good anticipation; beginning to handle pace

Strong shots with control, depth, and spin; uses forehand to set up offensive situations; has developed good touch; consistent on passing shots

Can use backhand as an aggressive shot with good consistency; has good direction and depth on most shots; varies spin

Serve is placed effectively with intent of hitting to a weakness or developing an offensive situation; has a variety of serves to rely on; good depth, spin, and placement on most second serves to force weak return or set up next shot; can mix aggressive and off-paced service returns with control, depth, and spin

Can hit most volleys with depth, pace and direction; plays difficult volleys with depth; given an opportunity volley is often hit for a winner

Approach shots and passing shots are hit with pace and high degree of effectiveness; can lob offensively; overhead can be hit from any position; hits mid-court volleys with consistency

Frequently has an outstanding shot, consistency, or attribute around which game is built; can vary game plan according to opponent; this player is “match wise,” plays percentage tennis and “beats himself or herself” less than the 4.5 player; solid teamwork in doubles is evident; game breaks down mentally and physically more often than the 5.5 player

This player is capable of hitting dependable shots in stress situations; has developed good anticipation; can pick up cues from such things as opponent’s toss, body position, backswing, preparation; first and second serves can be depended on in stress situations and can be hit offensively at any time; can analyze and exploit opponent's weaknesses; can vary strategies and style of play in a competitive situation. These players will generally not need NTRP ratings. Rankings or past rankings will speak for themselves. The 6.0 player typically has had intensive training for national tournament competition at the junior level and collegiate levels and has obtained a sectional and/or national ranking. The 6.5 player has a reasonable chance of succeeding at the 7.0 level and has extensive satellite tournament experience. The 7.0 is a world-class player who is committed to tournament competition on the international level and whose major source of income is tournament prize winnings.

Familiar with basic positions for singles and doubles play; frequently out of position

Players in Wheelchairs: Players in wheelchairs should use these general characteristics to determine their NTRP skill level. The only differences are as follows: Mobility: While players in wheelchairs may have skills that would normally provide them a certain rating, the mobility factor suggests that when competing against able-bodied players, they should participate at an NTRP skill level that provides for competitive rather than compatible play. Serving ability: Due to the nature of the player’s injury or disability, a powerful serve may not be possible. In this case, it may be more realistic to self-rate below 4.0, as service strength becomes key beyond this level. Many tournament players in wheelchairs have already received an NTRP rating. Wheelchair players should check with players whose skills match their own before determining their rating. The very best world-class players in wheelchairs have an NTRP rating in the low 4.5s.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

Future Stars Tennis Camps

adidas Tennis Camps at Stony Brook University

Phone #: (800) 944-7112 E-mail: support@tenniscamper.com Web site: www.TennisCamper.com See page 18 for more information.

Phone #: (516) 876-3490 Web site: www.fscamps.com See page 20 for more information. Hofstra Summer Camps

Bethpage Park Tennis Center Summer Tennis Camp

Robbie Wagner’s Tournament Training Center Summer Tennis Camp

Phone #: (516) 759-0505 Web site: www.rwtt.com See page 23 for more information. Rockville Racquet Club Phone #: (516) 764-5350 See page 23 for more information. Sportime Excel Tennis Camps

Phone #: (516) 463-CAMP Web site: www.hofstra.edu/camp See page 21 for more information. Phone #: (516) 777-1358 See page 18 for more information.

Long Beach Tennis Center

Carefree Racquet Club

Phone #: (516) 489-9005 See page 19 for more information.

Phone #: (516) 432-6060 See page 21 for more information.

The Early Hit Training Center Junior Summer Tennis Camp at Glen Head Racquet Club

Phone #: (516) 933-8500 Web site: www.sportimeny.com (and click on the “Eastern Excel Summer Tennis Camp” tab) See page 24 for more information. The Suffolk County Junior Tennis League

Nick Brebenel Tennis Tournament Training Phone #: (631) 360-8047 E-mail: scjtl@ariastennis.com Web site: www.scjtl.org See page 24 for more information.

Phone #: (516) 455-1225 E-mail: earlyhit@optonline.net See page 19 for more information. Friends Academy Summer Camps

Phone #: (516) 393-4207 E-mail: camp@fa.org Web site: www.fasummercamp.org See page 20 for more information.

Phone #: (516) 852-0591 Web site: www.nickbrebenel.com E-mail: info@nickbrebenel.com See page 22 for more information. Peter Kaplan’s Westhampton Beach Junior/Adult Tennis Academy Phone #: (631) 288-4021 or (914) 234-9462 E-mail: peterkaplan2002@yahoo.com Web site: www.westhamptontennis.com See page 22 for more information.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

L I T E R A R Y C O R N E R continued from page 45 Open and it was with childhood friend Mary Carillo, whom he often practiced with while they trained at the Port Washington Tennis Academy growing up in New York. He was still a teenager, even before he did his short stint at Stanford University. They played again that summer at Wimbledon, making the quarterfinals. And, despite the fact that the two would remain long-time friends, they never did it again. Mary Carillo would have a short-lived career, but she has remained one of the most well-respected broadcasters in tennis. Patrick McEnroe (Douglaston, N.Y.) Taken from page 34 There was never any doubt that the game of doubles was in the McEnroe blood. Says youngest brother Patrick, “Doubles was always important to me and, at every level. In juniors it came pretty natural to me based on my game which was just a luck of the draw kind of thing.” “One of the tough things about being a tennis player is that sort of selfishness and the loneliness of doing your own thing,” continues

Patrick McEnroe as he explains the importance of the game, “so I think as a doubles player you learn to deal with someone else, you learn to deal with their emotions, obviously you learn to play your game to your partner’s game so from a lot of standpoints, including psychologically and also just as developing as a player, it’s crucial and I think every junior should be playing as much doubles as they can.” The McEnroes (Douglaston, N.Y.) Taken from page 109 Age difference was a major factor in keeping John and Patrick McEnroe from playing together. They were both always outstanding doubles players, but with a seven year age discrepancy, they were not in the juniors or college at the same time, even though both went to Stanford. They ended up starting their professional careers 10 years apart. As for the rest of the family, the third McEnroe brother, Mark, has always played tennis recreationally, but decided on a career in law like dad, John Sr. Mom Kay was at home and in charge of organizing the junior tennis schedules, practice and play. Once in the pros, John and Patrick McEnroe did play doubles tournaments occasionally. They won two titles together— Richmond in 1984 and the Paris Indoor in 1992. The only other times their tennis paths crossed was at charity events, and in

2000, when Patrick McEnroe took over for John McEnroe as Davis Cup Captain. For more information, visit www.americandoublesbook.com.

Book Review By Brent Shearer Pressure is a Privilege By Billie Jean King with Christine Brennan

In most cases, a book by a sports star of a previous era, even one as fascinating as Billie Jean King, can be shelved along with history books. But King’s book, Pressure is a Privilege, is not only riveting, but is contemporary enough to be linked to the first bill the Obama administration passed. In late January, the new U.S. President signed a law that stipulates that men and women are entitled to equal pay. Nobody continued on page 51

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

USTA TOURNAMENT photo

gallery

Scenes from the L3 Eastern UPS Championship

Scenes from the L2R Long Island Wilson Regional Championship

February 14 at Sportime Tennis Bethpage

February 15 at Robbie Wagnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tournament Training Center in Glen Cove

Photo Credit: Franklyn Higgs

Long Island Tennis Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ March/April 2009

L I T E R A R Y C O R N E R continued from page 49 called it the “Billie Jean King” law. King herself would be the first to acknowledge that the social progress the bill represents was earned by a number of advocates. But the bill’s existence serves as a coda to the story King tells in Pressure is a Privilege, written with Christine Brennan. The book uses King’s much ballyhooed 1973 “Battle of the Sexes” match with Bobby Riggs as a jumping-off point to discuss the beliefs and philosophies that have been the foundation for King’s career as an athlete, activist and businesswoman. Among the snippets of history King covers in the book is the moment when Wimbledon finally equalized its pay scale. “In 2007, I was in the royal box at Wimbledon to watch Venus Williams accept the first-place trophy and a check for the same amount as the men’s champion, Roger Federer, was paid the next day: About $1.4 million.” It was the first time Wimbledon had offered equal prize money to both the men’s and women’s champions. King traces Venus Williams’ big payday back, not only to her win over Riggs in 1973, but also to first Virginia Slims tournament in 1970 when she and eight other women pros signed contracts for $1 each. The reader who expects King to dish dirt about Riggs will be disappointed because she takes the high road about the self-described “male chauvinist pig.” She goes so

far as to say: “His example of remaining vibrant throughout the years has been a powerful one,” as she discusses her off-the-court career after her retirement as a player. While parts of the book are inspirational and packed with messages like, “Let’s focus on those people who are doing good things” and “Once you start using visualization, you will soon see that getting to that new place in your life or finishing a daunting task is not as difficult as you thought,” King doesn’t sugarcoat the other parts of her life. She mentions the struggle she had with her family while she was coming to terms with being gay. Another personal problem she isn’t afraid to reveal is an eating disorder that afflicted her in the early years of her retirement from the tour and which landed her in a treatment center. It’s funny that the tennis community associates Billie Jean King with being a standard bearer for women in general, women in sports, and at least by example, for gay women, but she also is a potential spokesperson for another kind of feminist concern, the many women who suffer from eating disorders. One example of the book’s approach can be seen in King’s description of her preparation for her match with Riggs. She describes practicing hard for weeks and coming up with a strategic plan. But she says that a few minutes before the match

started, she decided to change her plan, which had been to play short points and to overpower Riggs by serving and volleying. Instead, she decided to switch to a strategy of making him run by not hitting winners, but trying to extend the points and move him from side to side. At the last minute, she had the flexibility to throw her plans to serveand-volley out the window. “These moments taught me an important lesson that I have taken throughout the rest of my life: To prepare fully, and then, based on that preparation, to totally trust my instincts, be ready for anything and to be nimble.” Another example of King’s use of the Riggs match as way to talk about her version of best practices for living life on and off the court is drawn from the book’s title. She recommends that people consider their most stressful moments, from job interviews to public speaking, to big matches, as privileges. “Handling pressure is a process. The more you focus on the privilege, the better you will handle it.” You don’t have to be a tennis player to profit from reading about King’s experiences. It’s just an even more rewarding read for those of us who are. G Brent Shearer may be reached by e-mail at bbshearer@gmail.com.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

LONG Boys & Girls Long Island Rankings (as of 1/26/09)

BOYS

Long Island Boys 10 Singles Rank Name ................................City 1 ......Curran Varma......................Manhasset, N.Y. 2 ......Brian Shi ............................Jericho, N.Y. 3 ......Nasser Abel Ghaffar ............Massapequa, N.Y. 4 ......Sohil Mohan........................Roslyn, N.Y. 5 ......Titus Syon Sung ..................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 6 ......Rajan Jai Vohra ..................Glen Head, N.Y. 7 ......Alan Delman ......................Great Neck, N.Y. 8 ......Roger Eugene Millman ........Remsenburg, N.Y. 9 ......Logan Beckerman ..............East Norwich, N.Y. 10 ....Zane Siddiqui......................West Babylon, N.Y. 11 ....Christian Moyer Ardito ........Rockville Centre, N.Y. 12 ....Benjamin Tenner ................Roslyn, N.Y. 13 ....Ethan Nussdorf ..................Old Westbury, N.Y. 14 ....Kyle Hudson Gower ............Oceanside, N.Y. 15 ....Noah Reisch........................Floral Park, N.Y. 16 ....Keegan James Morris ........Franklin Square, N.Y. 17 ....Ronald P. Hohmann ............Oyster Bay, N.Y. 18 ....Michael Medvedev ..............Oceanside, N.Y. 19 ....Joey Austin ........................Hewlett, N.Y. 20 ....Kyle Thomas Jeran..............Islip, N.Y. 21 ....Joseph Carney ....................Locust Valley, N.Y.

Long Island Boys 12 Singles Rank Name ................................City 1 ......Andrew J. Bentz..................Massapequa Park, N.Y. 2 ......Cooper Spector-Salwen ......Great Neck, N.Y. 3 ......Daniel Grunberger ..............Great Neck, N.Y. 4 ......Christopher White................Garden City, N.Y. 5 ......Hunter Lee ..........................Great Neck, N.Y. 6 ......Philip Foo ............................Great Neck, N.Y. 7 ......Andrew Walsh ....................St. James, N.Y. 8 ......Daniel Shleimovich..............Merrick, N.Y. 9 ......Palmer T. Clare....................North Bellmore, N.Y. 10 ....Justin Park..........................Huntington, N.Y. 11 ....Faran Nazir ........................Deer Park, N.Y. 12 ....Evan Kober..........................Wantagh, N.Y. 13 ....Sahil Massand ....................Woodbury, N.Y. 14 ....Bryant J. Born ....................Manhasset, N.Y. 15 ....Jake T. Gans........................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 16 ....Nikhil Raj ............................Locust Valley, N.Y. 17 ....Jacob Ross Pion..................Roslyn, N.Y. 18 ....Kevin Alec Kowalsky............Oyster Bay, N.Y. 19 ....Vincent P. Thompson ..........Massapequa, N.Y. 20 ....Alec Tuckey ........................Melville, N.Y. 21 ....Jonathan Paris ....................Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 22 ....Conor Daniel Jeran..............Islip, N.Y. 23 ....Alex Brebenel......................Glen Head, N.Y. 24 ....Daniel David Kafka..............Massapequa Park, N.Y. 25 ....Matthew Vermont Kantor ....Westhampton Beach, N.Y. 26 ....Jack Ian Lindenman............Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 27 ....Henry Tell............................Woodbury, N.Y. 28 ....Justin Cole Princer ..............Roslyn, N.Y. 29 ....Gregory Rosenthal ..............Glen Head, N.Y. 30 ....Oliver Ridgley Green............Locust Valley, N.Y. 31 ....George Carmi......................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 32 ....Connor Dove ......................Baldwin, N.Y.

Long Island Boys 14 Singles Rank Name ................................City 1 ......Trevor S. Mitchel ................East Meadow, N.Y. 2 ......Michael Freilich ..................Lawrence, N.Y. 3 ......Nick Bauer ..........................Great River, N.Y. 4 ......Drew F. Feldman ................Port Washington, N.Y. 5 ......Stephen Peng......................Woodbury, N.Y. 6 ......Gabriel P. Lazar ..................Hewlett, N.Y. 7 ......Matthew R. Demichiel ........Hewlett, N.Y.

ISLAND

8 ......Henry D. Lee ......................Sag Harbor, N.Y. 9 ......Ryan Marcus ......................Merrick, N.Y. 10 ....Alex J. Fontini......................Syosset, N.Y. 11 ....Dylan Ander ........................Hewlett, N.Y. 12 ....Aaron D. Lewis....................Jericho, N.Y. 13 ....Aaron Nussdorf ..................Old Westbury, N.Y. 14 ....Zachary F. Stephan..............Sayville, N.Y. 15 ....Eric Chalif ..........................Huntington, N.Y. 16 ....Seth K. Kornfeld ..................Jericho, N.Y. 17 ....JT Esposito ........................Rockville Centre, N.Y. 18 ....Andrew Bienstock ..............Hewlett, N.Y. 19 ....Chris Casamassima ............Franklin Square, N.Y. 20 ....Andrew Greener..................Great Neck, N.Y. 21 ....Erik Johann Lobben ............Glen Head, N.Y. 22 ....Brian Chalif ........................Huntington, N.Y. 23 ....Rishabh Mohan ..................Roslyn, N.Y. 24 ....Benjamin Pleat....................Roslyn, N.Y. 25 ....Justin L. Levine ..................Dix Hills, N.Y. 26 ....Jake A. Barach ....................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 27 ....Marcell Rengifo ..................Copiague, N.Y. 28 ....Lucas Adler Viccellio............St. James, N.Y. 29 ....John C. Knight ....................East Northport, N.Y. 30 ....Benjamin Q. King ................East Meadow, N.Y. 31 ....Daniel Sliwowski ................Islip, N.Y. 32 ....Jason Klig ..........................Great Neck, N.Y. 33 ....Erik Ujvari ..........................Hauppauge, N.Y. 34 ....Jeffrey Cherkin....................Melville, N.Y. 35 ....James Cason ......................Malverne, N.Y. 36 ....Brett Ringelheim ................Atlantic Beach, N.Y. 37 ....Eric Elias ............................Jericho, N.Y.

Long Island Boys 16 Singles Rank Name ................................City 1 ......Jason Hubsher....................Sands Point, N.Y. 2 ......Jason A. Fruchter ................Lawrence, N.Y. 3 ......JT Esposito ........................Rockville Centre, N.Y. 4 ......Dylan Matthew Roberts ......Holtsville, N.Y. 5 ......Sloan Millman ....................Woodmere, N.Y. 6 ......Eric Sumanaru ....................Middle Island, N.Y. 7 ......Darren Reisch ....................Floral Park, N.Y. 8 ......Kenneth Gaudio ..................Miller Place, N.Y. 9 ......Jason Quintana ..................Bethpage, N.Y. 10 ....Brett Uslaner ......................Oceanside, N.Y. 11 ....Benjamin Q. King ................East Meadow, N.Y. 12 ....Jared Drzal ........................West Sayville, N.Y. 13 ....Zachary Rotter ....................Melville, N.Y. 14 ....Dylan Quintana....................Bethpage, N.Y. 15 ....Adam Fishelberg ................Plainview, N.Y. 16 ....Max Tcherevik ....................East Setauket, N.Y. 17 ....Gregory Krolikowski ............Massapequa, N.Y. 18 ....Louis Stanley Rosenfield ....Holtsville, N.Y. 19 ....Evan Ross Siedman ............Dix Hills, N.Y. 20 ....Yuval Calev ........................Setauket, N.Y. 21 ....Matthew K. Ross ................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 22 ....Seth K. Kornfeld ..................Jericho, N.Y. 23 ....Thomas Fischl ....................Huntington, N.Y.

Long Island Boys 18 Singles Rank Name ................................City 1 ......Jason Hubsher....................Sands Point, N.Y. 2 ......Bruce T. Grant ....................Glen Head, N.Y. 3 ......Dylan Matthew Roberts ......Holtsville, N.Y. 4 ......Evan Pincus ........................East Meadow, N.Y. 5 ......Eric Dietsche ......................Bay Shore, N.Y. 6 ......Matthew J. Celentano ........Islip, N.Y. 7 ......Stephan Tolila......................Bellmore, N.Y. 8 ......Justin Ziccardi ....................Islaip, N.Y. 9 ......Kevin Francfort....................Islip, N.Y. 10 ....Herman Singh ....................Syosset, N.Y. 11 ....Lin Ochoa............................West Hempstead, N.Y. 12 ....Andrew Joseph Freedman ..Great Neck, N.Y. 13 ....Bradley M. Wasser ..............Roslyn Heights, N.Y.

Long Island Tennis Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ March/April 2009

RANKINGS

GIRLS

Long Island Girls 10 Singles Rank Name ................................City 1 ......Celeste Rose Matute ..........Amityville, N.Y. 2 ......Alexa Graham ....................Garden City, N.Y. 3 ......Claire Handa ......................Rockville Centre, N.Y. 4 ......Ashley Bespechny ..............Hewlett, N.Y. 5 ......Vanessa Scott ....................Dix Hills, N.Y. 6 ......Caitlin Cosme......................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 7 ......Kelsey Shields ....................Old Westbury, N.Y. 8 ......Rachel Brenner ..................Long Beach, N.Y. 9 ......Taylor S. Cosme ..................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 10 ....Courtney Kowalsky..............Oyster Bay, N.Y.

Long Island Girls 12 Singles Rank Name ................................City 1 ......Claudia M. Ruiz ..................Glen Head, N.Y. 2 ......Morgan Kelly Herrmann ......Garden City, N.Y. 3 ......Olivia C. Funk......................Hicksville, N.Y. 4 ......Jeannie Lozowski................Amityville, N.Y. 5 ......Zenat Rashidzada................Dix Hills, N.Y. 6 ......Rachel Gastaldo ..................Syosset, N.Y. 7 ......Michelle Vancura ................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 8 ......Elena Nitsa Maria Nastasi....Bayville, N.Y. 9 ......Shanice Nadia Arthur ..........Glen Head, N.Y. 10 ....Nicole Giannetti ..................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 11 ....Cameron Leigh Moskol........Wantagh, N.Y. 12 ....Brittany Burke ....................Garden City, N.Y. 13 ....Katie Jean Cirella ................Woodbury, N.Y. 14 ....Campbell Howe ..................Locust Valley, N.Y. 15 ....Alexandra Lipps ..................Roslyn, N.Y. 16 ....Aimee N. Manfredo ............Shoreham, N.Y. 17 ....Ariana J. Hwang..................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 18 ....Lauren Ann Livingston ........Sands Point, N.Y. 19 ....Michele Sheila Lehat ..........Great Neck, N.Y. 20 ....Julia Ciardullo ....................Locust Valley, N.Y. 21 ....Ashley Bespechny ..............Hewlett, N.Y. 22 ....Courtney A. Digia ................Manhasset, N.Y. 23 ....Alexa Graham ....................Garden City, N.Y. 24 ....Nicole Gabriela Cason ........Malverne, N.Y. 25 ....Victoria Macchia..................Seaford, N.Y. 26 ....Taylor S. Cosme ..................New Hyde Park, N.Y.

Long Island Girls 14 Singles Rank Name ................................City 1 ......Ruth Freilich........................Lawrence, N.Y. 2 ......Jessica Sickles ..................Massapequa Park, N.Y. 3 ......Alexandra L. Bentz ..............Massapequa Park, N.Y. 4 ......Olivia Bahou........................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 5 ......Alexandra Gerin ..................Glen Cove, N.Y. 6 ......Jennifer C. Ferguson ..........Franklin Square, N.Y. 7 ......Amanda Marie Gaimaro ......Lynbrook, N.Y. 8 ......Betty Ma ............................Dix Hills, N.Y. 9 ......Karen Singer ......................Setauket, N.Y. 10 ....Erica Bundrick ....................Mattituck, N.Y. 11 ....Ola Mally ............................Franklin Square, N.Y. 12 ....Alexa P. Sternschein ............Syosset, N.Y. 13 ....Anna Poslusny ....................Centerport , N.Y. 14 ....Taylor Rose Anderson..........Locust Valley, N.Y. 15 ....Corinne D. Cawley ..............Massapequa Park, N.Y. 16 ....Jennifer A. Carnovale ..........Massapequa, N.Y. 17 ....Julie D. Paone ....................Manhasset, N.Y. 18 ....Emily Bennett......................Port Washington, N.Y. 19 ....Taylor Brant ........................Shoreham, N.Y. 20 ....Hannah Goldman ................West Hempstead, N.Y. 21 ....Paige Gabrielle Gindi ..........Syosset, N.Y. 22 ....Jennifer Glukhman..............Syosset, N.Y.

Long Island Girls 16 Singles Rank Name ................................City 1 ......Elizabeth Caroline Rossi ......Flanders, N.Y. 2 ......Andrea Arreguin ..................Hicksville, N.Y. 3 ......Marysa Walsh ....................St. James, N.Y.

4 ......Lindsay Hochberg ..............Oyster Bay, N.Y. 5 ......Robin Mehta........................Manhasset, N.Y. 6 ......Jordan Lite..........................Sayville, N.Y. 7 ......Katie Thalen........................Rocky Point, N.Y. 8 ......Brett A. Lieb ........................Cutchogue, N.Y. 9 ......Briel G. Smith......................Locust Valley, N.Y. 10 ....Britni Ann Hinderhofer ........Oceanside, N.Y. 11 ....Molly O. Nolan ....................Montauk, N.Y. 12 ....Amanda L. Seeley ..............Sound Beach, N.Y. 13 ....Alexandra L. Bentz ..............Massapequa Park, N.Y. 14 ....Rachel Shenker ..................Rockville Centre, N.Y. 15 ....Marissa D. Lazar ................Hewlett, N.Y. 16 ....Melissa G. Carlay ................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 17 ....Amanda Kristine Marano ....Hampton Bays, N.Y. 18 ....Jessica Nowak....................Huntington, N.Y. 19 ....Abbott M. Brant ..................Shoreham, N.Y. 20 ....Michelle Graziosi ................East Northport, N.Y. 21 ....Lauren Skolnick ..................Sayville, N.Y. 22 ....Hannah Hinchcliffe ..............Mineola, N.Y. 23 ....Alana Berg ..........................Wantagh, N.Y.

Long Island Girls 18 Singles Rank Name ................................City 1 ......Eliza J. Budd ......................Locust Valley, N.Y. 2 ......Elaine Mantikas ..................Manhasset, N.Y. 3 ......Cassie Bender ....................Amityville, N.Y. 4 ......Sashana A. Maitland............Baldwin, N.Y. 5 ......Morgan Milleisen ................Bayport, N.Y. 6 ......Caroline Rienzo ..................Smithtown, N.Y.

Boys & Girls Sectional Rankings (as of 1/26/09)

Sectional Boys 10 Singlesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Long Island Region Rank Name ................................City 1 ......Brenden Andrew Volk ..........Dix Hills, N.Y. 4 ......Andy Zhou ..........................Commack, N.Y. 5 ......Giancarlo Cavallero ............West Hempstead, N.Y. 9 ......Finbar Talcott ......................Sea Cliff, N.Y. 10 ....Daniel Shleimovich..............Merrick, N.Y. 13 ....Logan Beckerman ..............East Norwich, N.Y. 14 ....Keegan James Morris ........Franklin Square, N.Y. 15 ....Zane Siddiqui......................West Babylon, N.Y. 20 ....Jordan Michael Bennett ......Valley Stream, N.Y. 21 ....Rajan Jai Vohra ..................Glen Head, N.Y. 24 ....Curran Varma......................Manhasset, N.Y. 26 ....Terrill Cole Bernard..............Mill Neck, N.Y. 28 ....Chris Kuhnle........................Shoreham, N.Y. 33 ....Alan Delman ......................Great Neck, N.Y. 35 ....Noah J. Reisch ....................Floral Park, N.Y. 42 ....Athell Patrick Bennett..........Valley Stream, N.Y. 47 ....Ethan Nussdorf ..................Old Westbury, N.Y. 50 ....Titus Syon Sung ..................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 55 ....Brian Shi ............................Jericho, N.Y. 56 ....Sean M. Mullins ..................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 63 ....Yoel Samuel Levy ................Wantagh, N.Y. 69 ....Colin Francis Sacco ............Brightwaters, N.Y. 71 ....Kyle Hudson Gower ............Oceanside, N.Y. 77 ....Alexander Reiley ................Manorville, N.Y. 81 ....Ian Bank ............................Old Westbury, N.Y. 84 ....Michael Medvedev ..............Oceanside, N.Y. 86 ....Benjamin Tenner ................Roslyn, N.Y. 89 ....James Grad ........................Westhampton, N.Y. 92 ....Vincent C. Caracappa ..........Smithtown, N.Y. 94 ....Eli Grossman ......................Woodbury, N.Y. 96 ....Amani Siddiqui....................West Babylon, N.Y. 98 ....Gyan Goetz..........................Greenlawn, N.Y. 99 ....Arjun Mehrotra....................Woodbury, N.Y. 102 ..David Ammendola ..............Massapequa, N.Y. 105 ..Ronald P. Hohmann ............Oyster Bay, N.Y. 106 ..Blake Shaevitz ....................Glen Head, N.Y.

LONG 111 113 116 118 129 131 132 150

..William Dzanoucakis ..........Hampton Bays, N.Y. ..Jack Aaron Briamonte ........Great Neck, N.Y. ..Joey Austin ........................Hewlett, N.Y. ..Gardner Howe ....................Locust Valley, N.Y. ..Patrick F. Maloney ..............Oyster Bay, N.Y. ..Neel Raj ..............................Oyster Bay, N.Y. ..Patrick Hannity....................Oyster Bay, N.Y. ..Jacob Weiner ......................Oyster Bay, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 12 Singles—Long Island Region Rank Name ................................City 7 ......Noah Rubin ........................Merrick, N.Y. 9 ......Josh Silverstein ..................Great Neck, N.Y. 12 ....Alexander Lebedev..............Island Park, N.Y. 18 ....Conor Mullins......................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 21 ....Lubomir T. Cuba ..................Massapequa, N.Y. 23 ....Jared R. Halstrom ..............Bellmore, N.Y. 26 ....Dylan Hobbs Appel ..............Locust Valley, N.Y. 28 ....Brenden Andrew Volk ..........Dix Hills, N.Y. 29 ....Dennis Uspensky ................Atlantic Beach, N.Y. 31 ....Lamar Remy ......................Roslyn, N.Y. 37 ....Eric Wagner ........................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 45 ....Kyle Alper............................Dix Hills, N.Y. 46 ....Benjamin Rosen..................Port Washington, N.Y. 69 ....Daniel Grunberger ..............Great Neck, N.Y. 78 ....Palmer T. Clare....................North Bellmore, N.Y. 83 ....Jonathan Paris ....................Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 89 ....Joshua Williams Gordon ......Hicksville, N.Y. 92 ....Nikhil Raj ............................Locust Valley, N.Y. 93 ....Andrew J. Bentz..................Massapequa Park, N.Y. 97 ....Faran Nazir ........................Deer Park, N.Y. 100 ..Christopher White................Garden City, N.Y. 104 ..Teddy B. Smith....................Locust Valley, N.Y. 106 ..Justin Park..........................Huntington, N.Y. 108 ..Hunter Lee ..........................Great Neck, N.Y. 111 ..Finbar Talcott ......................Sea Cliff, N.Y. 114 ..Andrew Walsh ....................St. James, N.Y. 120 ..Christopher Moyer Ardito ....Rockville Centre, N.Y. 128 ..Zane Siddiqui......................West Babylon, N.Y. 129 ..Kevin Alec Kowalsky............Oyster Bay, N.Y. 131 ..Chris Kuhnle........................Shoreham, N.Y. 136 ..Austin Langrock ..................Stony Brook, N.Y. 138 ..Daniel Shleimovich..............Merrick, N.Y. 139 ..Daniel David Kafka..............Massapequa Park, N.Y. 143 ..Jake T. Gans........................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 146 ..Giancarlo Cavallero ............West Hempstead, N.Y. 147 ..Vincent P. Thompson ..........Massapequa, N.Y. 148 ..Kevin Cino ..........................East Quogue, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 14 Singles—Long Island Region Rank Name ................................City 1 ......Howard J. Weiss..................Great Neck, N.Y. 5 ......Andrew S. Yaraghi ..............Mill Neck, N.Y. 7 ......Noah Rubin ........................Merrick, N.Y. 9 ......Josh M. Levine....................Syosset, N.Y. 12 ....Ethan Bogard ......................Lido Beach, N.Y. 13 ....Vihar Shah ..........................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 16 ....Aidan Talcott ......................Sea Cliff, N.Y. 17 ....Samuel Lam........................Old Westbury, N.Y. 23 ....Michael Paul ......................Baldwin, N.Y. 27 ....Zain Ali................................Dix Hills, N.Y. 30 ....Brendan Henry ....................Massapequa, N.Y. 34 ....Kevin A. Katz ......................Woodbury, N.Y. 47 ....Richard Mitchell ..................Franklin Square, N.Y. 49 ....Austin P. Davidow................Glen Head, N.Y. 56 ....Clark D. Ruiz ......................Glen Head, N.Y. 58 ....Eric P. Bertuglia ..................Dix Hills, N.Y. 60 ....Philip Daniel Antohi ............Glen Head, N.Y. 62 ....Benjamin Pleat....................Roslyn, N.Y. 63 ....Douglas Notaris ..................Wantagh, N.Y. 67 ....Lamar Remy ......................Roslyn, N.Y. 70 ....Ethan Hayden Handa ..........Rockville Centre, N.Y. 73 ....John P. D’Alessandro ..........Northport, N.Y.

ISLAND

RANKINGS

79 ....Matthew R. Demichiel ........Hewlett, N.Y. 84 ....Tyler J. Hoffman..................Sayville, N.Y. 85 ....Mark Daniel Temporal ........Carle Place, N.Y. 89 ....Sander Brenner ..................Port Washington, N.Y. 91 ....Ofir Solomon ......................Plainview, N.Y. 94 ....Alex C. Sacher ....................Glen Head, N.Y. 95 ....Julian Alexi Zlobinsky..........Greenvale, N.Y. 98 ....Conor Dauer........................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 99 ....Dylan Hobbs Appel ..............Locust Valley, N.Y. 100 ..Brian W. Slivonik..................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 105 ..Stephan Savin ....................Valley Stream, N.Y. 106 ..Gabriel P. Lazar ..................Hewlett, N.Y. 107 ..Zachary A. Lessen ..............Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 110 ..Jared R. Halstrom ..............Bellmore, N.Y. 111 ..Brandon T. Stone ................Melville, N.Y. 116 ..Nick Bauer ..........................Great River, N.Y. 118 ..Josh Silverstein ..................Great Neck, N.Y. 123 ..Benjamin Q. King ................East Meadow, N.Y. 124 ..Daniel Grinshteyn................Hewlett, N.Y. 134 ..Dylan Ander ........................Hewlett, N.Y. 140 ..Guanlongrichard Chen ........Northport, N.Y. 146 ..Aaron Nussdorf ..................Old Westbury, N.Y.

28 ....Shaun Bernstein..................Plainview, N.Y. 43 ....Zachary A. Dean..................Commack, N.Y. 45 ....Morgan Dauer ....................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 49 ....Corey Morgenstern..............Old Bethpage, N.Y. 50 ....Julian Camacho ..................Southampton, N.Y. 51 ....Shane Giannetti ..................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 52 ....Ryan Fitzgerald ..................East Williston, N.Y. 54 ....Zachary Weiss ....................Great Neck, N.Y. 55 ....Jeremy King........................East Meadow, N.Y. 57 ....Brett Byron..........................Dix Hills, N.Y. 60 ....Bruce Grant ........................Glen Head, N.Y. 65 ....Joshua Katten ....................Plainview, N.Y. 71 ....Steven Milo ........................Woodbury, N.Y. 76 ....Eric Shyu ............................Great Neck, N.Y. 87 ....Brian Wee ..........................Woodbury, N.Y. 114 ..Alexander Friedlich..............Great Neck, N.Y. 121 ..Brandon Burns ....................Wheatley Heights, N.Y. 126 ..Allen Jebsen ......................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 131 ..Jason Simon ......................Roslyn, N.Y. 133 ..Dylan Matthew Roberts ......Holtsville, N.Y. 137 ..Stephan Tolila......................Bellmore, N.Y. 144 ..Stjepan Penavic ..................Smithtown, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 16 Singles—Long Island Region

Sectional Girls 10 Singles—Long Island Region

Rank Name ................................City 9 ......Shaun Bernstein..................Plainview, N.Y. 12 ....Bert Vancura ......................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 13 ....Oliver Loutsenko ................Bellmore, N.Y. 15 ....Dennis Zlobinsky ................Greenvale, N.Y. 24 ....Alexander Friedlich..............Great Neck, N.Y. 27 ....Howard Weiss ....................Great Neck, N.Y. 28 ....Josh Levine ........................Syosset, N.Y. 30 ....Eric Rubin ..........................Lido Beach, N.Y. 32 ....Matthew Barry ....................Long Beach, N.Y. 33 ....Eric Ambrosio......................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 34 ....Shane Giannetti ..................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 37 ....Andrew Yaraghi ..................Mill Neck, N.Y. 39 ....Zachary Morris....................Garden City, N.Y. 42 ....Jonathan Defrancesch ........Manhasset, N.Y. 43 ....Jensen Reiter......................Syosset, N.Y. 52 ....Austin Blau..........................Roslyn, N.Y. 53 ....Brandon Li ..........................Jericho, N.Y. 55 ....Jason Hubsher....................Sands Point, N.Y. 57 ....Jonahiby Tauil ....................Valley Stream, N.Y. 59 ....David Greenbaum ..............Great Neck, N.Y. 64 ....Harrison Digia ....................Manhasset, N.Y. 69 ....Brian Hui ............................East Meadow, N.Y. 71 ....Douglas Hoch......................Glen Head, N.Y. 72 ....Alan S. Pleat........................Roslyn, N.Y. 77 ....Alex Tropiano ......................Syosset, N.Y. 79 ....Zachary Mintz ....................Roslyn, N.Y. 96 ....Scott Rabinowitz ................Dix Hills, N.Y. 98 ....Richard Sipala ....................Quogue, N.Y. 108 ..Matthew Lam......................Old Westbury, N.Y. 110 ..Kevin Katz ..........................Woodbury, N.Y. 114 ..Paul Abrudescu ..................Great Neck, N.Y. 116 ..Michael Galatsky ................Bellmore, N.Y. 123 ..Christian Thomas Thienel ....East Quogue, N.Y. 125 ..Michael T. Puntillo ..............Sands Point, N.Y. 127 ..Matthew J. Richards ..........Bayport, N.Y. 128 ..Ignacio Casali......................Farmingdale, N.Y. 120 ..Aidan Talcott ......................Sea Cliff, N.Y. 137 ..Alexander Morris ................Garden City, N.Y. 144 ..Michael Paul ......................Baldwin, N.Y. 145 ..Alex S. Werman ..................Roslyn, N.Y.

Rank Name ................................City 1 ......Madison Battaglia ..............Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 7 ......Celeste Rose Matute ..........Amityville, N.Y. 9 ......Jeannie Lozowski................Amityville, N.Y. 13 ....Alexa Graham ....................Garden City, N.Y. 14 ....Esther Chikvashvili..............Syosset, N.Y. 16 ....Stephanie Chikvashvili ........Syosset, N.Y. 17 ....Claire Handa ......................Rockville Centre, N.Y. 25 ....Caitlin Cosme......................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 31 ....Ashley Bespechny ..............Hewlett, N.Y. 40 ....Dominique Woinarowski......Syosset, N.Y. 45 ....Jacqueline Rae Bukzin ........Manorville, N.Y. 47 ....Courtney Kowalsky..............Oyster Bay, N.Y. 57 ....Hannah Rosalie Dayton ......East Hampton, N.Y. 61 ....Vista Grinde ........................Sea Cliff, N.Y. 66 ....Emma Alexis Weinberg........Port Washington, N.Y. 70 ....Jasmine Olivia Abidi ............Glen Head, N.Y. 73 ....Ashley Lessen ....................Roslyn Heights, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 18 Singles—Long Island Region Rank Name ................................City 3 ......Daniel Kreyman ..................Long Beach, N.Y. 6 ......Joseph Michalisin ..............Melville, N.Y. 13 ....Brendan Ruddock................Ronkonkoma, N.Y. 14 ....Bryan Roberts ....................Commack, N.Y. 24 ....Joseph Agler ......................North Bellmore, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 12 Singles—Long Island Region Rank Name ................................City 11 ....Paulina Tafler ......................Oceanside, N.Y. 13 ....Madison Battaglia ..............Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 15 ....Mia Vecchio ........................Manhasset Hills, N.Y. 16 ....Isabella Pascucci ................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 19 ....Maria Korshunova ..............Oceanside, N.Y. 20 ....Claudia Ruiz........................Glen Head, N.Y. 24 ....Lisa Jouravleva ..................Dix Hills, N.Y. 27 ....Samantha Perri ..................Floral Park, N.Y. 29 ....Rachel Gastaldo ..................Syosset, N.Y. 36 ....Morgan Kelly Herrmann ......Garden City, N.Y. 38 ....Danielle Giannetti................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 39 ....Ola Mally ............................Franklin Square, N.Y. 50 ....Karen Serina ......................Islip Terrace, N.Y. 54 ....Nicole Giannetti ..................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 58 ....Olivia Funk..........................Hicksville, N.Y. 59 ....Lauren Ann Livingston ........Sands Point, N.Y. 67 ....Campbell Howe ..................Locust Valley, N.Y. 69 ....Alexandra Lipps ................Roslyn, N.Y. 72 ....Jeannie Lozowski................Amityville, N.Y. 74 ....Alexa Graham ....................Garden City, N.Y. 77 ....Aimee Manfredo..................Shoreham, N.Y. 80 ....Ariana Hwang ....................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 88 ....Taylor S. Cosme ..................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 102 ..Cameron Leigh Moskol........Wantagh, N.Y. 105 ..Celeste Rose Matute ..........Amityville, N.Y. 106 ..Madison Courtney Appel......Locust Valley, N.Y. 108 ..Michelle Vancura ................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 110 ..Katie Jane Cirella ................Woodbury, N.Y.

113 115 123 127 133 134 136 137 142 144 147 148

..Elena Nitsa Maria Nastasi....Bayville, N.Y. ..Marissa Luchs ....................Roslyn, N.Y. ..Courtney Digia ....................Manhasset, N.Y. ..Stacy Denbaum ..................Syosset, N.Y. ..Sarah Paul ..........................Baldwin, N.Y. ..Shanice Nadia Arthur ..........Glen Head, N.Y. ..Caitlin M. Cosme ................New Hyde Park, N.Y. ..Bridget Elaine Harding ........Northport, N.Y. ..Brittany Burke ....................Garden City, N.Y. ..Julia Ciardullo ....................Locust Valley, N.Y. ..Emily Morgenbesser............Bayport, N.Y. ..Caroline Keating..................Huntington, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 14 Singles—Long Island Region Rank Name ................................City 2 ......Julia Elbaba ........................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 5 ......Katherine Yau......................Manhasset, N.Y. 8 ......Stephanie Loutsenko ..........Bellmore, N.Y. 11 ....Hannah L. Camhi ................Woodbury, N.Y. 15 ....Claudia Li............................Jericho, N.Y. 20 ....Vivian Cheng ......................Woodbury, N.Y. 21 ....Morgan C. Feldman ............Glen Head, N.Y. 24 ....Sophie R. Barnard ..............Mill Neck, N.Y. 27 ....Nadia Smergut....................East Hampton, N.Y. 34 ....Lauren Wagner....................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 44 ....Sara R. Finger ....................Saint James, N.Y. 50 ....Lila B. Martz........................Long Beach, N.Y. 51 ....Taylor A. Diffley ..................Hampton Bays, N.Y. 53 ....Bianca Posa ........................Valley Stream, N.Y. 55 ....Gabriella Nicole Leon ..........Woodmere, N.Y. 58 ....Melissa Carlay ....................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 72 ....Charlotte Camacho..............Southampton, N.Y. 76 ....Rithika D. Reddy..................Syosset, N.Y. 78 ....Paulina Tafler ......................Oceanside, N.Y. 83 ....Veronika Paikin ..................Valley Stream, N.Y. 87 ....Sunaina Vohra ....................Glen Head, N.Y. 94 ....Laura Torsiello ....................Bayport, N.Y. 95 ....Courtney Keating ................Huntington, N.Y. 101 ..Julia Zhuang ......................Great Neck, N.Y. 104 ..Lisa Jouravleva ..................Dix Hills, N.Y. 108 ..Ruth Freilich........................Lawrence, N.Y. 112 ..Robin Mehta........................Manhasset, N.Y. 120 ..Maria Korshunova ..............Oceanside, N.Y. 133 ..Olivia Bahou........................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 140 ..Zoe B. Lesperance ..............Southampton, N.Y. 149 ..Isabella Pascucci ................Oyster Bay, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 16 Singles—Long Island Region Rank Name ................................City 7 ......Shelby Talcott......................Sea Cliff, N.Y. 9 ......Julia Elbaba ........................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 10 ....Katherine Yau......................Manhasset, N.Y. 15 ....Jacqueline Raynor ..............Garden City, N.Y. 19 ....Olivia Pascucci....................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 29 ....Hannah L. Camhi ................Woodbury, N.Y. 33 ....Ashley T. Harel ....................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 36 ....Samantha Gann ..................Massapequa, N.Y. 42 ....Brooke Pottish ....................East Quogue, N.Y. 48 ....Deana Davoudias ................Rockville Centre, N.Y. 56 ....Devlin-Ann Ammendola ......Massapequa, N.Y. 58 ....Stephanie Loutsenko ..........Bellmore, N.Y. 65 ....Taylor A. Diffley ..................Hampton Bays, N.Y. 66 ....Jamie Hann ........................Westhampton, N.Y. 67 ....Tarrin Joslin ........................Hampton Bays, N.Y. 68 ....Paige J. Mintz ....................Roslyn, N.Y. 73 ....Missy Edelblum ..................Roslyn, N.Y. 74 ....Diana Vamvakitis ................Quogue, N.Y. 90 ....Samantha Elgort ................Melville, N.Y. 92 ....Emma Brenner....................Great Neck, N.Y. 95 ....Sophie R. Barnard ..............Mill Neck, N.Y. 109 ..Robyn Romanoff..................Centereach, N.Y. 111 ..Ludmila Yamus....................Melville, N.Y. 112 ..Lauren Wagner....................Roslyn Heights, N.Y.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

LONG 113 114 116 120 127 132 140 144

..Carly Siegel ........................Dix Hills, N.Y. ..Andrea Arreguin ..................Hicksville, N.Y. ..Vivian Cheng ......................Woodbury, N.Y. ..Samantha Rosca-Sipot........Malverne, N.Y. ..Jordan Lite..........................Sayville, N.Y. ..Elan King ............................Baldwin, N.Y. ..Marissa Lazar ....................Hewlett, N.Y. ..Morgan C. Feldman ............Glen Head, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 18 Singles—Long Island Region Rank Name ................................City 1 ......Kristin Norton......................Port Washington, N.Y. 4 ......Jennifer Kellner ..................Smithtown, N.Y. 6 ......Blair Seideman....................Glen Head, N.Y. 9 ......Nicolle Stracar ....................Jericho, N.Y. 13 ....Jordana Kono......................Glen Head, N.Y. 14 ....Mollie Anderson ..................Melville, N.Y. 17 ....Katherine Hanson................Smithtown, N.Y. 19 ....Kelsey Raynor ....................Garden City, N.Y. 21 ....Olivia Pascucci....................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 26 ....Aylin Mehter........................Massapequa, N.Y. 27 ....Julia Elbaba ........................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 32 ....Shelby Bates ......................Jericho, N.Y. 34 ....Jessica Podlofsky................Port Washington, N.Y. 43 ....Jennifer Fridman ................Port Washington, N.Y. 48 ....Shelby Talcott......................Sea Cliff, N.Y. 49 ....Kristin M. Alotta ..................West Islip, N.Y. 55 ....Andrea Samlin ....................Merrick, N.Y. 57 ....Holly Reich..........................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 69 ....Laura Chen ........................Port Washington, N.Y. 80 ....Amanda Wu ........................Great Neck, N.Y. 81 ....Lauren Cloonan ..................Jericho, N.Y. 85 ....Kara E. Caulfield..................Sayville, N.Y. 93 ....Amanda B. Halstrom ..........Bellmore, N.Y. 94 ....Ryann Cutillo ......................Kings Park, N.Y. 99 ....Jessie Rubin ......................Merrick, N.Y. 102 ..Cassie Bender ....................Amityville, N.Y. 103 ..Ashley T. Harel ....................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 119 ..Robyn Romanoff..................Centereach, N.Y. 124 ..Brooke Pottish ....................East Quogue, N.Y. 127 ..Rachel Marc........................Woodmere, N.Y. 129 ..Eliza J. Budd ......................Locust Valley, N.Y. 131 ..Hannah L. Camhi ................Woodbury, N.Y. 145 ..Marissa D. Lazar ................Hewlett, N.Y.

Boys & Girls National Rankings (as of 1/26/09)

National Boys 12 Singles—Long Island Players Rank Name ................................City 36 ....Noah Rubin ........................Merrick, N.Y. 65 ....Josh Silverstein ..................Great Neck, N.Y. 79 ....Alexander Lebedev..............Island Park, N.Y. 91 ....Conor Mullins......................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 151 ..Lubomir Cuba ....................Massapequa, N.Y. 176 ..Eric Wagner ........................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 218 ..Dylan Hobbs Appel ..............Locust Valley, N.Y. 223 ..Jared Halstrom ..................Bellmore, N.Y. 267 ..Lamar Remy ......................Roslyn, N.Y. 405 ..Dennis Uspensky ................Atlantic Beach, N.Y. 508 ..Brenden Andrew Volk ..........Dix Hills, N.Y. 646 ..Benjamin Rosen..................Port Washington, N.Y. 714 ..Kyle Alper............................Dix Hills, N.Y. 1316 Joshua Williams Gordon ......Hicksville, N.Y.

National Boys 14 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name ................................City 32 ....Josh Levine ........................Syosset, N.Y. 38 ....Howard Weiss ....................Great Neck, N.Y. 50 ....Noah Rubin ........................Merrick, N.Y. 52 ....Andrew Yaraghi ..................Mill Neck, N.Y.

ISLAND

75 ....Ethan Bogard ......................Lido Beach, N.Y. 90 ....Aidan Talcott ......................Sea Cliff, N.Y. 98 ....Samuel Lam........................Old Westbury, N.Y. 141 ..Vihar Shah ..........................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 256 ..Michael Paul ......................Baldwin, N.Y. 400 ..Zain Ali................................Dix Hills, N.Y. 441 ..Kevin Katz ..........................Woodbury, N.Y. 479 ..Brendan Henry ....................Massapequa, N.Y. 623 ..Benjamin Pleat....................Roslyn, N.Y. 684 ..John P. D’Alessandro ..........Northport, N.Y. 733 ..Lamar Remy ......................Roslyn, N.Y. 743 ..Clark D. Ruiz ......................Glen Head, N.Y. 816 ..Richard Mitchell ..................Franklin Square, N.Y. 822 ..Philip Antohi........................Glen Head, N.Y. 885 ..Eric Bertuglia ......................Dix Hills, N.Y. 934 ..Ethan Hayden Handa ..........Rockville Centre, N.Y. 941 ..Julian Zlobinsky ..................Greenvale, N.Y. 974 ..Austin Davidow ..................Glen Head, N.Y. 1212 Douglas Notaris ..................Wantagh, N.Y. 1225 Dylan Hobbs Appel ..............Locust Valley, N.Y. 1256 Zachary Lessen ..................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 1258 Brian Slivonik......................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 1385 Ofir Solomon ......................Plainview, N.Y. 1418 Mark Daniel Temporal ........Carle Place, N.Y. 1460 Alex C. Sacher ....................Glen Head, N.Y. 1605 Matthew Demichiel ............Hewlett, N.Y. 1606 Dylan Ander ........................Hewlett, N.Y. 1626 Cooper Spector-Salwen ......Great Neck, N.Y. 1627 Raymond Zhao....................Great Neck, N.Y. 1634 Conor A. Dauer....................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 1670 Brett Edelblum ....................Roslyn, N.Y. 1682 Brandon T. Stone ................Melville, N.Y. 1691 Andrew Bienstock ..............Hewlett, N.Y.

National Boys 16 Singles—Long Island Players Rank Name ................................City 28 ....Shaun Bernstein..................Plainview, N.Y. 77 ....Bert Vancura ......................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 106 ..Oliver Loutsenko ................Bellmore, N.Y. 153 ..Dennis Zlobinsky ................Greenvale, N.Y. 167 ..Alexander Friedlich..............Great Neck, N.Y. 243 ..Shane Giannetti ..................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 282 ..Howard Weiss ....................Great Neck, N.Y. 323 ..Jonathan DeFrancesch........Manhasset, N.Y. 345 ..Eric Ambrosio......................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 399 ..Josh Levine ........................Syosset, N.Y. 401 ..Jensen Reiter......................Syosset, N.Y. 514 ..David Greenbaum ..............Great Neck, N.Y. 594 ..Andrew Yaraghi ..................Mill Neck, N.Y. 636 ..Brandon Li ..........................Jericho, N.Y. 726 ..Matthew Barry ....................Long Beach, N.Y. 727 ..Zachary Morris....................Garden City, N.Y. 745 ..Eric Rubin ..........................Lido Beach, N.Y. 839 ..Douglas Hoch......................Glen Head, N.Y. 907 ..Zachary Mintz ....................Roslyn, N.Y. 909 ..Austin Blau..........................Roslyn, N.Y. 956 ..Jonahiby Tauil .................... Valley Stream, N.Y. 1029 Harrison Digia ....................Manhasset, N.Y. 1052 Alan Pleat............................Roslyn, N.Y. 1129 Jason Hubsher....................Sands Point, N.Y. 1225 Scott Rabinowitz ................Dix Hills, N.Y. 1457 Brian Hui ............................East Meadow, N.Y. 1467 Christopher Lam ................Old Westbury, N.Y. 1513 Alexander Morris ................Garden City, N.Y. 1536 Spencer Cohn ....................Roslyn, N.Y. 1609 Alex Tropiano ......................Syosset, N.Y. 1646 Richard Sipala ....................Quogue, N.Y. 1647 Christopher Brosnan............Garden City, N.Y. 1662 Ignacio Casali......................Farmingdale, N.Y. 1752 Matthew Lam......................Old Westbury, N.Y. 1814 Matthew J. Richards ..........Bayport, N.Y. 1831 Kevin Katz ..........................Woodbury, N.Y. 1849 Michael Galatsky ................Bellmore, N.Y.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

RANKINGS

1917 Dylan Marsh........................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 1960 Patrick Bronsan ..................Garden City, N.Y. 1979 Christian Thomas Thienel ....East Quogue, N.Y.

1566 Veronika Paikin ..................Valley Stream, N.Y. 1582 Bianca Posa ........................Valley Stream, N.Y.

National Girls 16 Singles—Long Island Players National Boys 18 Singles—Long Island Players Rank Name ................................City 128 ..Daniel Kreyman ..................Long Beach, N.Y. 133 ..Shaun Bernstein..................Plainview, N.Y. 191 ..Bryan Roberts ....................Commack, N.Y. 252 ..Joseph Agler ......................North Bellmore, N.Y. 263 ..Joseph Michalisin ..............Melville, N.Y. 275 ..Zachary Weiss ....................Great Neck, N.Y. 436 ..Eric Shyu ............................Great Neck, N.Y. 482 ..Brendan Ruddock................Ronkonkoma, N.Y. 547 ..Morgan Dauer ....................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 681 ..Brett Byron..........................Dix Hills, N.Y. 720 ..Ryan Fitzgerald ..................East Williston, N.Y. 747 ..Julian Camacho ..................Southampton, N.Y. 768 ..Jeremy King........................East Meadow, N.Y. 820 ..Zachary A. Dean..................Commack, N.Y. 1273 Shane Giannetti ..................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 1328 Steven Milo ........................Woodbury, N.Y. 1391 Allen Jebsen ......................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 1460 Corey Morgenstern..............Old Bethpage, N.Y. 1614 Joshua Katten ....................Plainview, N.Y. 1649 Brian Wee ..........................Woodbury, N.Y. 1615 Oliver Loutsenko ................Bellmore, N.Y. 1807 Alexander Friedlich..............Great Neck, N.Y. 1885 Bert Vancura ......................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 1916 Dennis Zlobinsky ................Greenvale, N.Y. 1926 Brian Hui ............................East Meadow, N.Y. 1972 Brandon Burns ....................Wheatley Heights, N.Y.

Rank Name ................................City 142 ..Shelby Talcott......................Sea Cliff, N.Y. 261 ..Olivia Pascucci....................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 290 ..Julia Elbaba ........................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 295 ..Jacqueline Raynor ..............Garden City, N.Y. 383 ..Hannah Camhi ....................Woodbury, N.Y. 385 ..Ashley Harel........................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 460 ..Samantha Gann ..................Massapequa, N.Y. 469 ..Katherine Yau......................Manhasset, N.Y. 793 ..Stephanie Loutsenko ..........Bellmore, N.Y. 801 ..Deana Davoudias ................Rockville Centre, N.Y. 891 ..Paige J. Mintz ....................Roslyn, N.Y. 942 ..Brooke Pottish ....................East Quogue, N.Y. 1115 Diana Vamvakitis ................Quogue, N.Y. 1144 Tarrin Joslin ........................Hampton Bays, N.Y. 1174 Missy Edelblum ..................Roslyn, N.Y. 1333 Lauren Wagner....................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 1402 Sophie R. Barnard ..............Mill Neck, N.Y. 1423 Devlin-Ann Ammendola ......Massapequa, N.Y. 1437 Morgan C. Feldman ............Glen Head, N.Y. 1464 Samantha Elgort ................Melville, N.Y. 1499 Taylor A. Diffley ..................Hampton Bays, N.Y. 1635 Emma Brenner....................Great Neck, N.Y. 1724 Jamie Hann ........................Westhampton, N.Y. 1730 Lindsey Reh ........................Port Jefferson, N.Y. 1747 Lindsay Kantor ....................Westhampton Beach, N.Y. 1824 Samantha Rosca-Sipot........Malverne, N.Y. 1912 Charlotte Camacho..............Southampton, N.Y.

National Girls 12 Singles— Long Island Players

National Girls 18 Singles— Long Island Players

Rank Name ................................City 101 ..Paulina Tafler ......................Oceanside, N.Y. 146 ..Isabella Pascucci ................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 171 ..Rachel Gastaldo ..................Syosset, N.Y. 172 ..Madison Battaglia ..............Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 208 ..Maria Korshunova ..............Oceanside, N.Y. 211 ..Lisa Jouravleva ..................Dix Hills, N.Y. 232 ..Mia Vecchio ........................Manhasset Hills, N.Y. 343 ..Samantha Perri ..................Floral Park, N.Y. 362 ..Claudia Ruiz........................Glen Head, N.Y. 419 ..Danielle Gianetti..................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 506 ..Morgan Herrmann ..............Garden City, N.Y. 524 ..Ola Mally ............................Franklin Square, N.Y. 671 ..Nicole Gianetti ....................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 830 ..Taylor S. Cosme ..................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 873 ..Alexa Graham ....................Garden City, N.Y. 942 ..Alexandra Lipps ................Roslyn, N.Y. 1061 Karen Serina ......................Islip Terrace, N.Y. 1190 Campbell Howe ..................Locust Valley, N.Y.

Rank Name ................................City 12 ....Blair Seideman....................Glen Head, N.Y. 28 ....Kristin Norton......................Port Washington, N.Y. 47 ....Jennifer Kellner ..................Smithtown, N.Y. 80 ....Jordana Kono......................Glen Head, N.Y. 116 ..Nicolle Stracar ....................Jericho, N.Y. 148 ..Mollie Anderson ..................Melville, N.Y. 249 ..Olivia Pascucci....................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 377 ..Jessica Podlofsky................Port Washington, N.Y. 386 ..Katherine Hanson................Smithtown, N.Y. 397 ..Shelby Bates ......................Jericho, N.Y. 401 ..Kelsey Raynor ....................Garden City, N.Y. 495 ..Jennifer Fridman ................Port Washington, N.Y. 499 ..Aylin Mehter........................Massapequa, N.Y. 633 ..Julia Elbaba ........................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 642 ..Kristin M. Alotta ..................West Islip, N.Y. 694 ..Amanda Wu ........................Great Neck, N.Y. 761 ..Ryann Cutillo ......................Kings Park, N.Y. 861 ..Laura Chen ........................Port Washington, N.Y. 873 ..Shelby Talcott......................Sea Cliff, N.Y. 961 ..Amanda B. Halstrom ..........Bellmore, N.Y. 1029 Jessie Rubin ......................Merrick, N.Y. 1135 Kara E. Caulfield..................Sayville, N.Y. 1153 Ashley T. Harel ....................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 1206 Andrea Samlin ....................Merrick, N.Y. 1242 Lauren Cloonan ..................Jericho, N.Y. 1577 Holly Reich..........................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 1632 Jacqueline Raynor ..............Garden City, N.Y.

National Girls 14 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name ................................City 9 ......Julia Elbaba ........................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 48 ....Katherine Yau......................Manhasset, N.Y. 62 ....Hannah Camhi ....................Woodbury, N.Y. 110 ..Stephanie Loutsenko ..........Bellmore, N.Y. 112 ..Claudia Li............................Jericho, N.Y. 113 ..Morgan Feldman ................Glen Head, N.Y. 189 ..Vivian Cheng ......................Woodbury, N.Y. 226 ..Sophie Barnard ..................Mill Neck, N.Y. 273 ..Lauren Wagner....................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 309 ..Nadia Smergut....................East Hampton, N.Y. 551 ..Taylor Diffley ......................Hampton Bays, N.Y. 787 ..Sara Finger ........................St. James, N.Y. 801 ..Melissa Carlay ....................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 819 ..Lila B. Martz........................Long Beach, N.Y. 957 ..Gabriella Leon ....................Woodmere, N.Y. 1158 Rithika D. Reddy..................Syosset, N.Y. 1416 Paulina Tafler ......................Oceanside, N.Y.

USTA/Long Island Region 2009

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. MARCH 2009 Friday-Sunday, March 6-8 L1 Champs LBTC Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: BG (18)sd, SE Entry Fee: $48.88 singles/$28 per doubles player (deadline for entries is Saturday, Feb. 28 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 432-6060.

Friday-Sunday, March 13-15 L20 March Madness Open Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: BG (10)sd, SE Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, March 10 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 432-6060. Friday-Sunday, March 13-15 Men’s Clay Championships Sportime Roslyn Landing Road, P.O. Box 1 Roslyn, N.Y. Divisions: M (35, 45, 55)s, SE Entry Fee: $59.63 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, March 6 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 484-9222.

Friday-Sunday, March 6-8 L3 Eastern UPS Champs Westhampton Beach Tennis & Sport Club 86 Depot Road Westhampton Beach, N.Y. Divisions: BG (12-16)s, RR Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Feb. 20) For more information, call (631) 288-6060. Friday-Sunday, March 13-15 L2R Long Island Wilson Regional Friday-Sunday, March 6-8 Championships Mystical, Magical March World Gym Racquet & Sports Arena Jericho Westbury Tennis 384 Mark Tree Road 44 Jericho Turnpike East Setauket, N.Y. Jericho, N.Y. Divisions: BG (14)s, SE Divisions: M (30, 40, 50, 60-65)sd Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for Entry Fees: $60 for singles and doubles, entries is Friday, Feb. 27 at 11:59 p.m.) $8 late fee (deadline for entries is MonFor more information, call (631) 751-6100. day, March 2) For more information, call (516) 997-4060. Friday-Sunday, March 13-15 L2R Long Island Wilson Regional Friday-Sunday, March 13-15 Championships Mystical, Magical March Huntington Indoor Tennis Jericho Westbury Tennis 100 Broadway 44 Jericho Turnpike Huntington Station, N.Y. Jericho, N.Y. Divisions: BG (12, 18)s, SE Divisions: M (30, 40, 50, 60-65)sd Entry Fee: $48.88 per player Entry Fees: $60 for singles and doubles, (deadline for entries is Friday, Feb. 27 $8 late fee (deadline for entries is Monat 1:00 p.m.) day, March 2) For more information, call (631) 421-0040. For more information, call (516) 997-4060. Friday-Sunday, March 20-22 Friday-Sunday, March 13-15 +L1 Eastern Designated Closed L2R Long Island Wilson Regional Championships, USTA L5, FIC Championships Sportime Kings Park Deer Park Tennis Center Inc. 275 Old Indian Head Road 30 Burt Drive Kings Park, N.Y. Deer Park, N.Y. Divisions: G (14)s, FIC Divisions: BG (16)sd, SE Entry Fee: $54.25 for singles, additional Entry Fee: $48.88 per player $25 for players qualifying or accepted di(deadline for entries is Friday, Feb. 27 rectly to main draw (deadline for entries is at 1:00 p.m.) Friday, March 6 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (631) 667-3476. For more information, call (631) 269-6300.

Friday-Sunday, March 20-22 +L1 Eastern Designated Closed Championships USTA L5 FIC Point Set Indoor Racquet Club 3065 New Street Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: B (18)s, FIC Entry Fee: $50 per player, additional $25 for players qualifying or accepted directly to main draw (deadline for entries is Friday, March 6 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 536-2323.

Friday-Sunday, March 27-29 +L1 Eastern Designated Closed Championships USTA L5 FIC Point Set Indoor Racquet Club 3065 New Street Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: B (18)s, FIC Entry Fee: $50 per player, additional $25 for players qualifying or accepted directly to main draw (deadline for entries is Friday, March 6 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 536-2323.

Friday-Sunday, March 20-22 +L1 Eastern Designated Closed Championships USTA L5, FIC Sportime Tennis Lynbrook 175 Merrick Road • Lynbrook, N.Y. Divisions: B (12)s, FIC Entry Fee: $50 per player, additional $25 for players qualifying or accepted directly to main draw (deadline for entries is Thursday, March 12 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 887-1330.

Friday-Sunday, March 27-29 +L1 Eastern Designated Closed Championships USTA L5, FIC Sportime Tennis Lynbrook 175 Merrick Road Lynbrook, N.Y. Divisions: B (12)s, FIC Entry Fee: $50 per player, additional $25 for players qualifying or accepted directly to main draw (deadline for entries is Thursday, March 12 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 887-1330.

Friday-Sunday, March 20-22 L1B Challenger Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard • Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: BG (12)s, SE Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, March 15 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 432-6060. Friday-Sunday, March 20-22 Long Beach Tennis Championships Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard • Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: M (40, 50, 60, 70, 80)s, SE Entry Fee: $65 per singles player, $28 per player or $56 per team (deadline for entries is Wednesday, March 18 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 432-6060. Friday-Sunday, March 20-22 +L1 Eastern Designated Closed Championships USTA L5 FIC Robbie Wagner’s Tournament Training Center 60 Sea Cliff Avenue • Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: G (12)s, FIC Entry Fee: $50 per player, additional $25 for players qualifying or accepted directly to main draw (deadline for entries is Friday, March, 6 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 759-0505.

Friday-Sunday, March 27-29 Long Beach Tennis Championships Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: M (40, 50, 60, 70, 80)s, SE Entry Fee: $65 per singles player, $28 per player or $56 per team (deadline for entries is Wednesday, March 18 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 432-6060. Friday-Sunday, March 27-29 +L1 Eastern Designated Closed Championships USTA L5 FIC Robbie Wagner’s Tournament Training Center 60 Sea Cliff Avenue Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: G (12)s, FIC Entry Fee: $50 per player, additional $25 for players qualifying or accepted directly to main draw (deadline for entries is Friday, March, 6 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 759-0505.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

USTA/Long Island Region 2009

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. Friday-Sunday, March 27-29 L2R Long Island Wilson Regional Championships Sportime Tennis Bethpage 101 Norcross Avenue Bethpage, N.Y. Divisions: BG (10-12, 18)s, SE Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, March 20 at 4:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 933-8500.

Friday-Sunday, April 3-5 Men’s 25 Singles Huntington Indoor Tennis 100 Broadway Huntington Station, N.Y. Divisions: M (25)s Entry Fee: $54.25 per player, additional fees may apply for multiple events (deadline for entries is Thursday, March 26 at midnight) For more information, call (631) 421-0040.

Friday-Sunday, March 27-29 L2R Long Island Wilson Regional Championships Huntington Indoor Tennis 100 Broadway Huntington Station, N.Y. Divisions: BG (14-16)s, SE Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, March 13 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (631) 421-0040.

Friday-Sunday, April 10-12 L3 Eastern UPS Championships Deer Park Tennis Center Inc. 30 Burt Drive Deer Park, N.Y. Divisions: BG (10-18)s, RR Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, March 27 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (631) 667-3476.

APRIL 2009 Friday-Sunday, April 3-5 L1B Spring Challenger Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: BG (14)s, SE Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Saturday, March 29 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 432-6060.

Friday-Sunday, April 10-12 L2R HAR-TRU Long Island Regional Championships Sportime Roslyn Landing Road, P.O. Box 1 Roslyn, N.Y. Divisions: BG (10-14)s, SE Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, March 27 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 484-9222.

Saturday-Sunday, April 18-19 Long Beach Championships Long Beach Racquet Club 899 Monroe Boulevard • Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: M (40, 50, 60)sd Entry Fee: $54.25 per player, $48.00 per doubles player, $97.76 per team (deadline for entries is Wednesday, April 15 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 432-6060.

Friday-Sunday, April 3-5 L2R Long Island Spring Break Championships Westhampton Beach Tennis & Sport Club 86 Depot Road Westhampton Beach, N.Y. Divisions: BG (12-16)s, SE Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, March 20 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (631) 288-6060.

Friday-Sunday, April 10-12 L2R Long Island Regional Championships Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: BG (16-18)s, SE Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, April 6 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 432-6060.

Friday-Sunday, April 24-26 L2R Long Island Regional Championship Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: BG (14)sd, SE Entry Fee: $48.88 singles/$28 per doubles player (deadline for entries is Monday, April 20 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 432-6060.

Monday-Friday, April 13-17 L1 2009 Port Washington Spring L1 Classic Port Washington Tennis Academy 100 Harbor Road Port Washington, N.Y. Divisions: BG (10-18)s, SE Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, March 30 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 883-6425.

Friday-Sunday, April 24-26 Men’s Clay Championships Sportime Roslyn Landing Road, P.O. Box 1 Roslyn, N.Y. Divisions: M (40, 50, 60)s, SE Entry Fee: $59.63 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, April 17 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 484-9222. Friday-Sunday, April 24-26 L1 Hard Court Championships Point Set Indoor Racquet Club 3065 New Street Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: B (10-18)s, SE Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, April 10 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 536-2323.

Friday-Sunday, April 17-19 Amazing April Jericho Westbury Tennis 44 Jericho Turnpike • Jericho, N.Y. Divisions: M (25, 35, 45, 55, 70-55)sd, FMLC Entry Fees: $60 for singles and doubles, $8 late fee (deadline for entries is Monday, April 6) For more information, call (516) 997-4060. Friday-Sunday, April 24-26 Friday-Sunday, April 10-12 L2R Long Island Wilson Championships Amazing April Friday-Sunday, April 17-19 Sportime Tennis Lynbrook Friday-Sunday, March 27-29 Jericho Westbury Tennis L3 Eastern UPS Championship 175 Merrick Road L3 Eastern UPS Championship 44 Jericho Turnpike Huntington Indoor Tennis Lynbrook, N.Y. Sportime Roslyn Jericho, N.Y. 100 Broadway Divisions: BG (16)s, SE Landing Road, P.O. Box 1 Divisions: M (25, 35, 45, 55, 70-55)sd, Huntington Station, N.Y. Entry Fee: $48.88 per player Roslyn, N.Y. FMLC Divisions: BG (10-18)s, RR (deadline for entries is Friday, April 17 Divisions: BG (14-16)s, RR Entry Fees: $60 for singles and doubles, Entry Fee: $43.50 per player at 4:00 p.m.) Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for $8 late fee (deadline for entries is Mon(deadline for entries is Friday, April 3 For more information, call (516) 887-1330. entries is Friday, March 13 at 1:00 p.m.) day, April 6) at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 484-9222. For more information, call (516) 997-4060. For more information, call (631) 421-0040.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • March/April 2009

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