New York Tennis Magazine - November/December 2011 by United Sports Publications, Ltd.

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November/December 2011 Volume 1, Number 3 New York Tennis Magazine 1220 Wantagh Avenue • Wantagh, NY 11793-2202 Phone: (516) 409-4444 • Fax: (516) 409-4600 Web site: www.nytennismag.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS Cover story Cover photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

New York’s Finest: All Eyes Were on Flushing for the 2011 U.S. Open

Staff David Sickmen Publisher (516) 409-4444, ext. 309 • david@usptennis.com

With television ratings up over last year and online viewers setting records, the 2011 U.S. Open swept through the New York area and brought with it, the drama and excitement of the final Grand Slam of 2011 featuring a rematch of the previous year’s final between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.

Andrew T. Berman Vice President/Sales (516) 409-4444, ext. 333 • andrew@usptennis.com Eric C. Peck Editor-in-Chief (516) 409-4444, ext. 312 • eric@usptennis.com Joey Arendt Managing Art Director Jon Blake Advertising Coordinator (516) 409-4444, ext. 301 • jonb@usptennis.com

Feature Story 20 New York Tennis Magazine’s Coaches Roundtable Discussion The area’s top tennis coaches sound off in our first-ever Coaches Roundtable Discussion on a variety of topics including coaching philosophies, the state of American tennis and the New York tennis scene, how involved should coaches and parents be in the development of a player, and at what age should junior players begin to focus on tennis exclusively, among others.

Michael Sarro Director of Business Development (516) 409-4444, ext. 330 • michael@usptennis.com Anthony Pastecchi Editorial Coordinator (516) 409-4444, ext. 314 • anthony@usptennis.com Emilie Katz Marketing Coordinator Tara Cook Billing Coordinator (516) 409-4444, ext. 324 Brent Shearer Editorial Contributor

Gary Simeone Editorial Contributor

David Drucker Editorial Contributor

Ken Goldberg Photographer

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

Additional Features 3 Tips From the Tennis Pro: Pseudo Tennis By Partha Bhattacharya 14 Rafa Visits the Big Apple to Promote Bacardi’s Champions Drink Responsibly Campaign By Michael Sarro 15 First Set’s a Dream … Match Turns Into a Nightmare By Lawrence Kleger 18 Remedies to Overcoming the on-the-Court Choke By Eric Faro 32 High School Spotlight: St. Francis Prep Keeps the Streak Alive By Michael Sarro 33 SBTA and USTA Eastern Participate in Vive Tu Vida! Event By Pablo Sierra 40 The Stars of the Court and Kitchen Shine for the BNP Paribas Taste of Tennis Event By Michael Sarro 42 The World’s Finest and Bravest Take to the Courts By Michael Sarro 44 The On-Court Consultation: A New Way to Find the Perfect Racquet for You By Roman Prokes

Columns 6 USTA/Eastern-Metro Region Recap 12 Riding the Waves: Using Momentum to Win in Competition By Rob Polishook, MA, CPC 16 New York Tennis Magazine’s Literary Corner: The Wimbledon Final That Never Was and Other Tennis Tales From a Bygone Era By Sidney Wood With David Wood By Brent Shearer 26 College Tennis Spotlight: Mythbusters … College Club Tennis is for Losers By Ricky Becker 30 Good to Great: A Model for Safely Building the Tennis Champions of Tomorrow (Part II) By Steve Kaplan 31 The Jensen Zone By Luke Jensen 34 Court Six: New York Tennis Magazine’s Gossip Column By Emilie Katz 50 New York Tennis Club Directory 50 Upcoming Events 52 New York Rankings 55 USTA/Metropolitan Region Tournament Schedule

News Briefs 4 7 27 37 38 45 46 48

2011 Hall of Fame Class Honored at the Legends Ball Top USTA Eastern Section Juniors Honored Prior to U.S. Open Inwood County Club Captures Their First LIMTL Championship New York City’s Irina Falconi Wins Gold Medal at Pan American Games Longines Takes Center Court for Kids Tennis Train-ing at the Vanderbilt Tennis Club Prospect Park Hosts 5th Annual End of Season Tournament The USTA Community Tennis Development Workshop: Growing the Game

Pseudo Tennis By Partha Bhattacharya hange is constant … oftentimes motivated by necessity, and other times, triggered by technology in an effort to maximize convenience. Rarely do we have a choice but to adapt, even if we are not clear on how we feel about the particular change. From posted mail to e-mail, landlines to cell phones, and from enjoying the company of like-minded people to now having Facebook friends, we are constantly going in directions that we are unsure about. Just the other day, my 14-year-old nephew claimed to be the best tennis player in the world. He seemed so thrilled about his Nintendo Mario tennis video game accomplishments that his parents even bought him a trophy for reaching the top level. I wondered if this is much different from how Rafael Nadal must have

felt at the age of 14. Within the confines of a court, the game of tennis is changing as well. We have everimproving technology when it comes to rackets and balls. The way we teach and learn the sport is changing wonderfully too, especially with USTA’s 10 & Under QuickStart initiative for kids. However, in certain metropolitan cities, there is a very different kind of change that is becoming the norm. In an effort to accommodate a vast number of tennis enthusiasts, big city tennis programs are forced to provide the closest alternative to real tennis. This includes tennis in church basements, auditoriums and on the rooftops of buildings and hotels, and all places in between that can be converted into a playing area that somewhat resembles a real court. Lessons at such facilities often have six to eight players on a court with only one instructor, who has more to do with damage control than teaching be-

“Within the confines of a court, the game of tennis is changing as well.” cause of the disproportional ratios of playerto-court space. This is a brand of tennis where players hit only a few balls and get an entire lesson at being better spectators. It makes you wonder, doesn’t it … how far will it go? Is a Facebook Friend really a friend? Is playing tennis like this even playing tennis at all? Or is my nephew’s Nintendo Mario tennis game actually closer to the real sport than what some of these programs have running? You tell me … Partha Bhattacharya is a PTR-certified tennis professional who teaches junior tennis at Midtown Tennis Club. He may be reached by e-mail at parthab1983@gmail.com.

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2011 Hall of Fame Class Honored at The Legends Ball Credit all photos to Anne Marie McLaughlin/International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum

n the eve of U.S. Open Finals Weekend, tennis champions, industry leaders and supporters of the game gathered at Cipriani Wall Street for The 2011 Legends Ball. The event honored the greatest legends and supporters of the sport of tennis while raising funds to support the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum in their mission to preserve tennis history and inspire its future. Class of 2011 Hall of Fame inductees Andre Agassi 2012 Tennis Hall of Fame and Peachy nominee Jennifer Capriati Kellmeyer were honored at the arrives at The 2011 event. An inLegends Ball

Stefanie Graf and Andre Agassi were honored at the 2011 Legends Ball Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert chat with Andre Agassi

credible collection of tennis champions and Hall of Famers joined in the celebration, including Stefanie Graf, Billie Jean King, Tracy Austin, Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Pam Shriver, Tony Trabert, Maria Bueno, Vic Seixas, Stan Smith and Dick Savitt. Additionally, some of the sport’s most influential contributors attended, including Hall of Famers Donald Dell, Butch Buchholz and Russ Adams. Also joining in

the festivities was 2012 Hall of Fame nominee Jennifer Capriati. At the event, legendary sportscaster Dick Enberg was presented the Eugene L. Scott Award, a tribute to his 50-year career in sports broadcasting and long-time support of tennis. Campbell Soup Company was presented the Joseph F. Cullman III Award, in recognition of their years of support for tennis at all levels.

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New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2011 • NYTennisMag.com

Grammy Award-winning artist Marc Cohn performs his hit, “Walking in Memphis” The crowd was treated to a special performance by Grammy Award winner Marc Cohn, who dazzled the crowd with his always popular “Walking in Memphis.” A live and silent auction of exclusive tennis experiences, travel and memorabilia raised more than $150,000. Additionally, many attendees contributed more than $25,000 to a special fund which will provide free admission to the Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum for kids ages 16 and under for a full year, in support of the Hall of Fame’s mission Former New York Mayor David Dinkins and Murphy Jensen pause for a photo

to inspire the future of tennis. The event was made possible with the generous and dedicated support of the three Legends Ball co-chairs, as well as event sponsors, BNP Paribas, FILA, Rolex and Transamerica Retirement Management. The 2011 Legends Ball co-chairs were Mark Ein of Washington, D.C., founder and CEO of Venturehouse Group LLC and owner of the Washington Kastles of World TeamTennis; Mike Goss of Westport, Conn., who is managing director and COO of Bain Capital; and Bob Jeffrey of New York City, worldwide chairman and CEO of J. Walter Thompson.

Mary Carillo (right) interviews members of the 2011 Tennis Hall of Fame Class, Andre Agassi (left) and Peachy Kellmeyer (center) Longtime broadcaster Dick Enberg (left) chats with Harry Cicma (right) at the 2011 Legends Ball

Brad Gilbert arrives to show his support for the Tennis Hall of Fame Class of 2011

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USTA/Eastern-Metro Region

Junior TeamTennis braces for winter season If you love playing tennis, you’ll love it even more as part of a team. Similar to the World TeamTennis (WTT) format, the Junior TeamTennis (JTT) format consists of co-ed teams where individual matches incorporate an overall team score. It creates a funfilled team atmosphere for what is thought of as an individual sport. The upcoming USTA Eastern Metro’s Junior TeamTennis Winter League is set to begin this November. USTA’s JTT is the largest

youth tennis program in the country, helping girls and boys ages six to 18 get in the game, get on the court and have a good time. USTA’s JTT is about capturing all the unique joys of playing on a team, while playing a singularly great sport. Teams are coed and made up of at least six players, three boys and three girls, based on similar ages and skill levels. The emphasis is on skill development, fun, teamwork and friendly competition, all with the possibility of advancing to the Junior TeamTennis National Championship. The great thing about JTT is that everyone does their individual best to make their teammates better. That’s what USTA Junior TeamTennis is all about, building your game, while building a team, and sharing the fun with your friends.

USTA Metro Region Board

Carl Summerlin

Regional President

summtennis@aol.com

Thomas Gilliland

First Vice President

thomas@foresthillstennis.com

Jackie Clark

Second Vice President

jackiec555@aol.com

Allon Lifshitz

Secretary

allonl@gmail.com

Janice Campbell

Bronx Representative

tennis4players@yahoo.com

Pablo Sierra

Brooklyn Representative

psierra@sierrahospitality.com

Jeffrey Fairbanks

Manhattan Representative

jftennisne1@aol.com

Deb-Rose Andrews

Queens Representative/Adult Leagues

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Donald L. Malech

Staten Island Representative

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Thomas Gilliland

Junior Recreation Representative

thomas@foresthillstennis.com

Kathy Yee

Junior Team Tennis

jttmetro@aol.com

Robin Lieberman

Adult Competition Representative

roblieber1@yahoo.com

Jeff Jones

At-Large

stvoyager@email.msn.com

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2011 • NYTennisMag.com

Top USTA Eastern Section Juniors Honored Prior to U.S. Open n Aug. 29, prior to the start of the 2011 U.S. Open, some of the top juniors in the USTA Eastern Section were honored at the Junior Awards Gala. All of the junior players received free grounds passes to watch the best players in the world compete on Opening Day of the 2011 U.S. Open. All 25 honorees finished strong in sectional tournaments this year, earning enough points to be recognized. One of the juniors managed to achieve perfection though. Sixteen-year-old Jaime Loeb of Ossining, N.Y. won all eight tournaments that she entered, earning a perfect 800 points and a place in USTA Eastern history. “Jamie’s record is truly incredible,” said Julie Bliss, director of competition and player development for the USTA Eastern Section. “And it is a testament to her talent, hard work and dedication to the sport.” Loeb, who attends Ossining High School, decided to play in all of the sectional tournaments to avoid traveling to International Tennis Federation tournaments

and missing school. But playing against only Eastern Section girls presented its own set of challenges and rewards. “The pressure was always on me since I was the number one seed,” Loeb said. “It taught me how to deal with high expectations.” Congratulations to the following: 2011 USTA Eastern Award Winners Boys 12s 1. Jeff Zucker (Short Hills, N.J.) 2. George Gramatikov (Vestal, N.Y.) 3. Finbar Talcott (Sea Cliff, N.Y.) Girls 12s 1. Sarah Rahman (East Elmhurst, N.Y.) 2. Stephanie Schrage (Millburn, N.J.) 3. Loren Haukova (Elmsford, NY) Boys 14s 1. Brendan Volk (Dix Hills, N.Y.) 2. Robert Levine (Bedford, N.Y.) 3. Maverick Lin (Edison, N.J.)

Girls 14s 1. Jessica Livianu (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 2. Madison Battaglia (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.) 3. Jackie Urbinati (Harrison, N.Y.) Boys 16s 1. Sam Swank (Bedford, N.Y.) 2. Quentin Monaghan (Chatham, N.J.) & Matthew Nardella (Manlius, N.Y.) 3. Josh Silverstein (Great Neck, N.Y.) Girls 16s 1. Quinn Gleason (Mendon, N.Y.) 2. Louisa Chirico (Harrison, N.Y.) 3. Katherine Orozco (New Milford, N.J.) Boys 18s 1. Winston Lin (Williamsville, N.Y.) 2. Andrew Yaraghi (Mill Neck, N.Y.) 3. Andrew Adams (Bronx, N.Y.) Girls 18s 1. Jamie Loeb (Ossining, N.Y.) 2. Amanda Muliawan (Wyckoff, N.J.) 3. Katherine Yau (Manhasset, N.Y.)

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2011 • New York Tennis Magazine

Americans Show Signs of Life

at the 2011 U.S. Open By David Drucker he 2011 U.S. Open was certainly one to remember for tennis fans around the world. Whether it was the intense match play, the chaotic weather, or even the 9-11 ceremony, fans will remember this Open for years to come. Of course we remember the epic final between world number one Novak Djokovic from Serbia and world number two Rafael Nadal from Spain; however, what should be given more attention than itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s getting is how well our young American players performed at the final Grand Slam of the year. Over the years, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve come to depend on names like Andy Roddick, Mardy Fish, Serena and Venus Williams. The truth is that these players arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t getting any younger, and we need fresh American talent to step up and represent the United States. This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s U.S. Open gave us a look at a few names weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve heard of, such as Donald Young and Ryan Harrison, but also introduced us to players such as Jack Sock, Christina McHale, Madison Keys, Sloane Stephens and more.

The summer of 2011 was one to remember for Donald Young, who weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been waiting to emerge as the talent we Photo credit: Kenneth all thought he would be B. Goldberg when he burst onto the ATP Circuit almost five years ago. Since the conclusion of Wimbledon, Young was 10-4 in his last 14 matches, including a careerbest semifinal run in the Legg Mason Classic where he fell to eventual champion Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic. At the 2011 U.S. Open, Young made it to the fourth round where he picked up quality wins over Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland and veteran Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela before falling to fourth-seeded Andy Murray of Great Britain. It appears as if Young may finally be on his way to becoming the player we thought heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be. Though Ryan Harrison possesses a great deal of talent, the young American

fell in the opening round to Marin Cilic of Croatia. Harrison, who some think has a bit of a childish cocky-like attitude, still has massive potential, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll definitely be on the lookout for him in the 2012 season. Lastly on the menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s side is 19-year-old Jack Sock from Lincoln, Neb. Yes Lincoln, Neb. as in where Andy Roddick hails from. In fact, the two met in the second round of this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Photo credit: Kenneth B. Open, where the youngGoldberg ster fell in straight sets to the veteran American. However, Sock did go on to win the mixed-doubles title with American Melanie Oudin. This result was a complete shocker, as the two players never teamed up before the U.S. Open. Oudin who made herself famous for her performance at the U.S. Open a few years back, has struggled since, but with the U.S. mixed-doubles championship now under her belt, perhaps this will kickstart a quality 2012 season.

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Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

In women’s singles, we were introduced to players such as Christina McHale, who upset the eighth-seeded Marion Bartoli of France in the second round before losing to Russia’s Maria Kirilenko in the following round.

Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Madison Keys showed the fans her potential with a tough three set match against veteran Czech Lucie Safarova. Hopefully, she can continue to improve in the upcoming years and make a name for herself.

Sloane Stephens had a quality tournament making it to the third, round before falling to Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic. However, Stephens up-set Israeli veteran Shahar Peer in the second round, which probably was her best career victory to date. Lastly is Irina Falconi who took out Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova in a Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg grueling threeset match, before falling to Wimbledon semifinalist Sabine Lisicki of Germany in the third round.

American Grace Min upsets American duo of Oudin & top-seeded Caroline Garcia Sock capture 2011 U.S. to win U.S. Open Junior Girls Open Mixed-Doubles Title American teenSingles Title agers Melanie

Grace Min, a 17-yearold from Duluth, Ga., upset top-seeded Caroline Garcia of France, 7-5, 7-6(3), to win the 2011 U.S. Open Junior Girls singles title at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. Garcia is currently ranked 135th in the WTA rankings while Min is ranked 552. Min did not drop a set in six matches, which included an upset over the number two seed, Irina Khromacheva of Russia, in the first round, and a victory over fellow American and Stanford University sophomore Nicole Gibbs in the semifinals. With the win, Min becomes the first American to win the U.S. Open Junior Girls Singles Title since Coco Vandeweghe in 2008. When asked how it felt to be a champion Min said, “I don’t really know yet. I’m still processing the win.” Min reached the singles final at the 2010 Orange Bowl and won the Junior Girls Doubles title at Wimbledon earlier this summer. She has trained full-time at the USTA Training Center in Boca Raton, Fla. since the fall of 2009.

Oudin and Jack Sock won the 2011 U.S. Open Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg Mixed-Doubles title, beating the eighth-seeded team Gisela Dulko and Eduardo Schwank of Argentina in a third set super-tiebreak, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 10-8. The 19-year-old Oudin had previously taken the tennis world by surprise in becoming the darling of the 2009 U.S. Open, reaching the women’s quarterfinals. The 18-year-old Sock earned his first Grand Slam singles victory in the first round this year before being eliminated by fellow countryman Andy Roddick. The two needed a wild card to get into the tournament, then upset top-seeded defending champs Bob Bryan & Liezel Huber in the second round. “It was actually really easy playing together, because we’re really comfortable with each other,” said Oudin. “It kind of worked really well because he jokes a lot when we’re playing and he keeps me relaxed, and sometimes, that’s what I have been having trouble with, is staying relaxed playing.” David Drucker is an intern with Long Island Tennis Magazine and is a member of the Nichols College Men’s Tennis team. He may be reached by e-mail at davidd@usptennis.com.

With all this new young talent, the U.S. finally has something to look forward to in the future. It’s only a matter of time before the Americans we’re used to seeing, such as Andy Roddick, Mardy Fish, James Blake, Serena and Venus Williams are all retired. For a few years now, Americans John Isner and Sam Querrey have made a name for themselves, however, they need some help. The United States remains hopeful for that next big player, whether on the men’s or women’s side, and with the emergence of players like Ryan Harrison, Donald Young, Jack Sock, Christina McHale, Sloan Stephens, and all the rest, that success is within reach. NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2011 • New York Tennis Magazine

All Eyes Were on Flushing Meadows for the

2011 U.S. Open elevision ratings for the Men’s Singles Finals of the 2011 U.S. Open between top-seeded Novak Djokovic and secondseeded Rafael Nadal were up over last year’s Nielsen Ratings on CBS, with an overnight rating of 2.6 and a six share. The four-hour-plus Djokovic-Nadal match of 2011 was up 18 percent over 2010’s finals match between the two. Nielsen Ratings represent the percentage of all homes with televisions tuned into a program. Shares represent the percentage of all homes with TVs in use at the time. Nielsen Ratings are audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research that determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States. Approximately 53.1 million viewers watched all or part of this year’s Open on CBS Sports, up 17 percent from last year. Ratings overall for the U.S. Open on CBS Sports, which includes broadcasts of Labor Day Weekend and Finals Weekend, saw overall ratings increase over the past three years, matching the ratings of 2007. The 2011 Djokovic-Nadal finals match was moved from Sunday to Monday, Sept. 12 due

to rain that washed out men’s and women’s action, sending schedule-makers into a frenzy and condensing the schedule for the fourth round onward. The move of the Men’s Singles Finals to Monday, Sept. 12 at 4:00 p.m. may have also given the match a ratings boost as the originally scheduled day and time slot of Sunday, Sept. 11 at noon, was the first Sunday of action of the 2011 National Football League schedule. This year’s Women’s Singles Finals on Sunday, Sept. 11 achieved a 3.3 national rating, with 13.1 million viewers watching all or part of the final, an increase of 93 percent from viewership of the Kim Clijsters-Vera Zvonareva final which aired in primetime on Saturday last year. In addition, the Men’s Singles Final was seen in all or part by 11.8 million viewers. USOpen.org set a new site record for unique visitors (15,421,675), surpassing 2010’s total by 24 percent, and total visits to the site topped 51 million (51,868,345), the second most in history. Additionally, more than 3.1 million hours of live streaming was viewed, an increase of 12 percent over last year. USOpen.org also saw record mobile

traffic across its mobile-friendly Web site (m.usopen.org) and the official iPhone and Android apps, with more than 84 million page views (84,350,596), a 173 percent increase over 2010’s totals. Despite facing Hurricane Irene at the start of the tournament and then working through two days of rain, the USTA announced that the 2011 U.S. Open still attracted more than 650,000 fans to the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. Attendance highlights included: I The all-time Labor Day Weekend attendance record (Saturday, Sept. 3-Monday, Sept. 5) of 186,186. I The Men’s Final featuring Djokovic and Nadal also set an all-time attendance record of 24,713 in Arthur Ashe Stadium and on the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. I The Men’s Semifinal attendance of 24,071 on Saturday, Sept. 10 set a record as well. I Overall, 11 sessions of the 2011 U.S. Open sold out.

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Scenes from the

2011 U.S. Open Credit all photos to Kenneth B. Goldberg

Switzerland’s Roger Federer (pictured) returns a backhand in his 7-6, 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 5-7 loss to eventual U.S. Open winner Novak Djokovic in the Men’s Semifinals

Serbian Novak Djokovic celebrates winning the 2011 U.S. Open Serena Williams (pictured), the favorite on the women’s side, ponders her upset loss to Australia’s Samantha Stosur in the Women’s Finals, 2-6, 3-6

Spain’s Rafael Nadal (pictured) en route to his 6-2, 6-1, 6-3 win over American Andy Roddick that would land him a trip to the 2011 U.S. Open Finals

Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki (pictured) at Arthur Ashe Stadium during her 2-6, 4-6 loss in the Women’s Semifinals to Serena Williams Julia Elbalba of Oyster Bay, N.Y. in first round action on Court 13 at the U.S. Open Junior Girl Singles event

2011 U.S. Open winner Samantha Stosur (pictured) of Australia in early round action against American Coco Vandeweghe at Louis Armstrong Stadium

France’s JoWilfried Tsonga (pictured) defeated American Mardy Fish, the number eight seed, 6-4, 67(5), 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 in fourth round action

Great Britain’s Andy Murray (pictured), the number four seed, in his 7-5, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(2) quarterfinals win over American John Isner

The American doubles team of Bob & Mike Bryan (pictured) were upset early on in action by Croatia’s Ivo Karlovic & Frank Moser from Germany

The number seven seed Gael Monfils (pictured) of France displays his athleticism during his opening round 7-6(4), 6-3, 6-4 win against Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov

Unseeded American Christina McHale (pictured) celebrates her 76(2), 6-2 win over the eighth-seeded Marion Bartoli from France

Germany’s Andrea Petkovic (pictured), the number 10 seed, celebrates her 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 win over China’s Jie Zheng on the Grandstand

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2011 • New York Tennis Magazine

Riding the Waves Using Momentum to Win in Competition By Rob Polishook, Mental Training Coach MA, CPC surfer sits out in the open ocean. The water is calm, the surfer is in complete control. Atop his surfboard, the surfer can enjoy the tranquility of his sport. However, he has not come out to the open water to enjoy tranquility. The surfer has ventured out in search of the big wave … the wave that will get his adrenaline pumping; the one that will satisfy his craving for the thrill of competition; the wave that will push him to the absolute limit. He has come not for relaxation, but to embrace a challenge. The surfer looks forward to the biggest wave that may come his way. When the “big one” comes along, it will undoubtedly test his physical abilities, challenge his mental game, and for a moment, leave the surfer wondering if he can come out of the wave unscathed. But if he does, if he stays on the board and is able to ride the wave out, he will be ready for whatever comes next. If he cannot stay on the board, he will spiral out of control, be thrashed under the water, and have no ability to take advantage of the calm seas which will follow or handle a new wave. There are parallels between this anecdote and a tennis player competing in a match. Just like the surfer, a tennis player may begin a match in complete control. They make the shots they are supposed to make, and win the points they are supposed to win. But then, just as a wave is bound to occur in the open ocean, a change and momentum shift is bound to occur in a tennis match. This is the natural evolution of nature and sports. Consistency plays a small role in both. The wave is impossible to stop, the momentum cannot be controlled. The best strategy is to continue to battle and try to ride it out. A surfer may see a wave approaching far in the distance, just as a tennis player senses a change in momentum before it shows on the scoreboard. The wave may show itself either as a letdown in one’s own game, i.e., unforced errors, double faults, etc. Or, a boost in your

opponent’s game, i.e., aces, running winners, treeing, etc. Factors beyond the player’s control, such as poor line calls or distracting fan conduct, can also lead to a momentum swing. These situations are inevitable in a match. But given the player’s level of awareness to the specifics of a match and their ability to sense the upcoming waves of momentum, players have the opportunity to mentally hunker down and prepare themselves for the impending change. There are times when the waves may be so sudden that all the player can do is hang on, grind it out, and hope to stay afloat. Metaphorically, the wave is a change of momentum often out of the player’s control. Your opponent may hit a winner that paints the line, or hit a ball that hits the net and trickles over for a winner. The only hope to get through the wave is to ride it out. The wave should not be viewed as a setback or even an obstacle, but rather, as an opportunity … an opportunity to test one’s ability to remain focused, level-headed and in control. An opportunity to adapt and adjust one’s game to what works best in changing situations, and an opportunity to push oneself both mentally and physically towards eventual success. But success can only be achieved if a player can proactively ride out the wave and stay above water. The goal is to simply stay afloat … nothing fancy, just keep grinding. Countless times, Rafael Nadal has demonstrated his ability to do this by saving break point after break point in a match. Just as the calm existed before the wave, the calm will resume after the wave has passed. The question becomes: Is the player still on the board, or have they let that wave throw them off? If they are on the board, they are in a position to battle once the wave and momentum passes. However, if the player feels sorry for themselves, cannot stop thinking about past points, and is despondent about the negative turn of events, they will be completely unaware that the wave has passed. They will continue to spiral out of control. The player will not be able to take advantage of the newly-found calm after the storm.

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2011 • NYTennisMag.com

A player must recognize that momentum shifts are unavoidable in competition. It is just part of the rhythm of a match. Just as waves in the ocean ebb and flow, the course of a match constantly changes as well. This is a natural phenomenon and the reason why we find sports so entertaining. Waves, momentum shifts and adversity in a match should be seen as a challenge, something to be embraced. Perhaps Billie Jean King said it best when she texted Maria Sharapova “pressure is a privilege.” before Sharapova beat Serena Williams in the 2004 Wimbledon finals. In the end, riding the big wave is the ultimate thrill. A surfer may struggle with the wave, but stay on the board and ride the big wave out. Or, they may completely fall off the board and capsize. When the surfer stays consistent and sensible, calm under pressure, that surfer has a chance to persevere no matter how big and how many waves come his way. A surfer, once he knows he can handle the waves, embraces even bigger waves, hopes for even bigger challenges. Only through challenging oneself and confronting increasingly bigger obstacles can you improve. No one’s saying the wave will be easy to ride out, the object is to battle it and stay afloat. Only by embracing the challenge of a big wave and testing one’s limits will true potential be uncovered. Remember, nothing great is ever achieved without overcoming adversity. Rob Polishook, MA, CPC is the founder and director of Inside the Zone Sports Performance Group. As a mental training coach he works with athletes and teams of all levels. His work focuses on helping athletes gain the mental edge and letting go of blocks which get in the way of peak performance. He is a USTA Zonal Coach and has spoken and been published for the USTA, USPTA and ITA. Additionally, he has conducted workshops nationally and internationally in India and Israel. He may be reached by phone at (973) 723-0314, e-mail rob@insidethezone or visit www.insidethezone.com.

DO YOU LOVE TO PLAY TENNIS? ARE YOU LOOKING FOR TENNIS IN YOUR AREA? CHECK OUT YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY TENNIS ASSOCIATION! Community Tennis Associations work on coordinating and maintaining tennis programs and services in local areas. With over 1,000 registered Community Tennis Associations across the US, there is always someone available to help you enjoy the sport of Tennis in your community.

For more information e-mail CTA@USTA.com or contact your local CTA from the Metropolitan CTA directory below: Riverside Clay Tennis Association http://www.rcta.info Mark McIntyre phone : (212) 870-3078 e-mail: mark@rcta.info

Highland Park Tennis Association http://www.hptany.org Dion Lachmanen phone: (718) 355-9338 e-mail hptany@gmail.com

Youth and Tennis http://www.youthandtennis.org Bill Briggs phone: (718) 658-6728 e-mail: youthandtennis@msn.com

Junior Tennis Clinic http://www.Jtcny.org Mel Swanson phone: (718) 789-5084 e-mail tennisclinicny@gmail.com

Prospect Park Tennis Center http://www.prospectpark.org/tennis Paul Campbell phone: (718) 436-2500 email: pcampbell@prospectpark.org

Metrotennis CTA http://www.metrotennis.com Lou Hernandez phone: (718) 639-8936 e-mail: lou@metrotennis.com

Metropolitan Tennis Group http://www.metrotennisgroup.com Daniel Arzuaga phone: (646) 417-0910 e-mail: arzuaga_daniel@yahoo.com

Kings County Tennis League http://www.Marcytennisclub.org Michael McCasland phone (202) 359-9534 e-mail: Marcytennisclub@gmail.com

Co-op City Tennis Club http://www.coopcitytennis.com Lorraine Alexander phone: (718) 671-4437 e-mail: lmtennis01@aol.com

Washington Heights Tennis Association http://www.TennisHeights.net Leo Reynoso e-mail: TennisHeights@aol.com

South Brooklyn Tennis Association http://www.southbrooklyntennis.com Pablo Sierra phone: (917) 685-9483

Lincoln Terrace Tennis Association Charles East Phone: (917) 379-0094 e-mail: ce49614@aol.com

119th Street Tennis Association http://www.119TA.net Liz Hydes phone: (212) 870-3070 e-mail: 119thtennisassoc@gmail.com

Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program, Inc. http://www.HJTEP.org Katrina Adams Phone: (212) 491-3738 E-mail: kadams@HJTEP.org

e-mail southbrooklyntennisassn@yahoo.com

McCarren Tennis http://www.mccarrentennis.org Sean Hoess phone: (917) 348-4411 e-mail: sean@mccarrentennis.org

New York Junior Tennis League http://www.nyjtl.org Ron Nano phone: (347) 417-8194 e-mail: rnano@nyjtl.org

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2011 • New York Tennis Magazine

Rafa Visits the Big Apple to Promote Bacardi’s Champions Drink Responsibly Campaign By Michael Sarro n Aug. 23, hundreds of fans were lined up outside Bar Basque in New York City to catch a glimpse of 2010 U.S. Open champ, Rafael Nadal. Nadal was on hand to promote his new campaign with Bacardi Limited, Champions Drink Responsibly, a campaign that conveys a message that everyone can be a champion to their friends and family by making responsible choices when it comes to the consumption of alcohol. The Champions Drink Responsibly campaign was developed as an educational program to promote responsible drinking. Nadal was chosen to be the “Global Social Responsibility Ambassador” by Bacardi due to his “global popularity, the fact that he is a champion, and is really a genuine person and great role model,” according to Bacardi Limited President Robert Furniss-Roe. “We couldn’t have chosen a better representative than Rafa.” Midtown Tennis Club was also on hand at the event, providing free t-shirts, hats and bags to the adorning mass of fans. Midtown raffled off free club memberships, free junior programs and signed memorabilia as well. “I am the first one ready to go out with friends,” said Nadal. “When I go out with friends, everyone drinks alcohol, but I like to show people that you can have fun without drinking. I have fun all the time without drinking too much,” all the more reason why Nadal is the perfect ambassador for Bacardi’s new line of non-alcoholic drinks, Mocktails. Nadal was in town to begin his title defense at the U.S. Open, but arrived a little earlier than usual this time to promote his new campaign and his new book, Rafa. When asked about why he wrote a book now, Rafa replied, “I felt it was the right time even if my career is not yet finished. I wanted to make myself more open to the people and give them a history of my life and how I arrived to where I am today. I also wanted to give my fans something to enjoy.”

Credit all photos to Michael Sarro

Spain’s Rafael Nadal (center) fields questions during the Bacardi Limited, Champions Drink Responsibly promotional event Cameras capture the arrival of defending U.S. Open champ Rafael Nadal by taxi

A crowd gathers to get a glimpse of 2010 U.S. Open champion Rafael Nadal When asked if he had time to enjoy the sights and sounds of the Big Apple during his stay here for the U.S. Open, Rafa replied, “I am very familiar with New York City as I have been here many times. When I am not working on my promotions, it is business as usual, but I try to have fun and enjoy myself when I am here. I like to walk around, go out to dinner and I also enjoy the theatre. I want to go see Mamma Mia if I have the time.” When asked about the raucous New York crowd at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Nadal replied, “I always get excited about the U.S. Open because I love being in New York, and I love

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2011 • NYTennisMag.com

the New York crowd. Playing here is like no other place. Usually in the tournaments I play, the crowds are more relaxed and calm, but here, especially at the evening matches, the crowd can get a little crazy. During changeovers, I enjoy hearing music and looking up at the big screen and seeing the Kiss Cam. It is a brief distraction for me and allows me to relax a little bit more. During the match, I love the energy of the crowd and appreciate the support.” After fielding questions from the media, Nadal signed some tennis balls and threw them down into the massive crowd, displaying the magnitude he carries as a global role model for people around the world.

First Set s a Dream … Match Turns Into a Nightmare By Lawrence Kleger Do you ever win the first set easy and lose in three? Of course! It happens to every competitive player at some point in time. The scenario goes something like this … You start the match against a very good player totally pumped-up and ready to kick butt! Your focus and concentration are at their highest levels. You move as though you were gliding on air. You get to every ball and execute each shot to perfection. The ball looks the size of a beach ball and appears to be moving in slow motion. The service boxes on your opponent’s side look like football fields and you make 85 percent of your first serves. Your only bad shot hits the top of the net and dribbles over for a winner. The pros call this being “In the Zone,” And you stay “In the Zone” for the entire first set; which lasts 12 min. You win 6-0 and you’re thinking, “This is great!” The second set begins with you holding serve, as you did in the first set but not without a struggle, 1-0. The next game is a long one in which your opponent records his first ace and you make your first two unforced errors. It’s all tied up 1-1, no big deal. You serve the third game and start with your first double fault. You follow with a volley error and then witness two winners by your opponent that Rafael Nadal would never have returned. Now you’re down 1-2. The fourth game goes to deuce six times and your opponent holds serve when a let cord dribbles over on your side on game point to make it 1-3. You get broken at love and change ends at 1-4 trying to figure out, “Just what is going on?” You think that you are playing the same as in the

first set, but lose the second set 4-6. “I can’t believe I just split sets with this knucklehead that I beat 6-0 in the first set! A score of 6-0 didn’t even indicate how badly I mushed this guy! I was about to play the second set lefty!” You go out to play the third set muttering, “I can’t believe this … I suck!” You know the rest. You lose the third 6-3 and you are at a loss to explain just how it happened. Friends and relatives politely say, “Nice match,” but you just keep telling yourself, “I was up 6-0, 1-0, cruising!” What really happened? Let’s go back to that marvelous first set and look at it objectively. While it was obvious to you that you were tennis perfection, maybe not so obvious was that your opponent’s poor play and/or bad strategy might have contributed to the one-sided score. It is possible that your opponent came out tight and could not establish any rhythm or timing. Maybe your opponent underestimated you, and temporarily, could not find any answers to your shot-making onslaught. Maybe the first set was not a true indication of the relative abilities of the players. Remember that you started the match psyched-up to play “a very good player.” Ask yourself these questions: If you felt like you played a perfect set, isn’t it a little bit unreasonable to expect to play perfect tennis throughout the entire match? Is it not reasonable to expect your opponent, down a set, to make adjustments and improve his level of play? Would you not expect him to change a losing strategy and to fight harder in the second set? Every match has ebb and flow, peaks and valleys … stretches where you can’t do anything wrong and some where nothing goes right. A good competitor understands this and

works hard to maintain an emotional balance. He does not become overly seduced by his play “In the Zone;” and likewise, does not get mentally down by a stretch of misfortune. The good competitor is always prepared for the unpredictability of a tennis match. He is not intimidated by the possibility of his opponent turning it around; he is challenged by it. If he wins the first set easy, he expects the next set to be tough. A good competitor never loses his respect for an opponent’s ability to compete. When you win an easy first set against a strong opponent, acknowledge it, be proud of it, and then expect the rest of the match to be a heck of a lot tougher. If you prepare yourself mentally to win a war, you won’t be thrown so much when you lose any of the battles. Lawrence Kleger is nationally-acclaimed as a unique talent in junior development. As the director of Sportime’s Excel Tennis Camps each summer and of the Elite development program each winter, Lawrence has trained hundreds of sectionally- and nationally-ranked juniors. His knowledge, experience and keen “eye” help Lawrence to produce players who are fundamentally, technically and mechanically sound. His commitment to true sportsmanship and proper tennis etiquette has produced 13 USTA/Eastern year-end Sportsmanship Award winners. Lawrence is one of a select group of coaches invited to attend two levels of the USA High Performance Coaching Program. He was named the 2006 USTA/Eastern Section Long Island Section Tennis Professional of the Year. Lawrence’s campers have captured more than 70 USTA National Championships. He may be reached by phone at (516) 938-6076.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2011 • New York Tennis Magazine

The Wimbledon Final That Never Was and Other Tennis Tales From a Bygone Era

By Sidney Wood With David Wood layers will want to read this book for its many interesting anecdotes and because it may arm them to win drinks at tennis gatherings by betting on either of the following obscure tennis history questions: Who was the youngest Wimbledon winner for over 50 years until Boris Becker’s first title in 1985? And, who is the only tennis player in history to win Wimbledon by default? Of course, the answer to both questions is the author of The Wimbledon Title That Never Was and Other Tennis Tales From a Bygone Era, the Connecticut-born Sidney Wood. Wood (19112009), accomplished both of these feats

that his book uses as supports to hang the rest of his story on in 1931. His opponent in the final, American Frank Shields, grandfather of Brooke Shields, was ordered by U.S. tennis authorities not to play so he could rest an injured knee for an upcoming Davis Cup match. Apparently, amateur officials had more clout in the era between the World Wars. The U.S. team lost the match against England that they had tried to save Shields for. So much for listening to the USTA! Somehow, I think if Donald Young was instructed not to play a Wimbledon final by the national tennis organization, he wouldn’t listen. But this is now, and Wood’s book is about then. The book’s charm lies in the way it recreates early 20th Century tennis history and supplies facts and stories about such pre-World War II tennis stars as France’s Four Musketeers: Rene Lacoste, Jean Borota, Henri Cochet and Jacques Brugnon, as well as other stars such as Ellsworth Vines, Don Budge, Fred Perry, Bill Tilden and Jack Kramer. One thing Wood brings to his analysis of the game, which the reader should remember extends from his playing days before World War II, never mind preOpen tennis, this is pre-shorts, up nearly until his death in January of 2009, at the age of 97, is an unequaled exposure to every champion. When Sidney Wood takes a shot at ranking the all-time greats in our game, it’s a fascinating list because he saw them all of them play and competed against players from Tilden to Gonzales. So Wood’s ranking of the greats and near-greats alone makes this book worth reading. His top 10: Budge, Kramer, Tilden, Gonzales, Laver, Sampras, Perry, Borg,

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2011 • NYTennisMag.com

Lendl and Connors. Wood makes good arguments for those he includes and those he leaves out. Tough luck for McEnroe and Agassi. David Wood, Sidney’s son, who helped smooth some of the book’s passages, notes that his father wasn’t able to watch the current contenders for that list, Federer and Nadal, enough to rate them, but that he respected what they have been able to accomplish. Sidney Wood, who stayed involved in the game after his playing days ended, was also responsible for the invention of Supreme Court, the portable court used by the pro tours for many years, and the creation of box seats at the U.S. Open championships at Forest Hills, N.Y. Wood tells the story that, at one of the first events that used his new surface, Ken Rosewall was playing Fred Stolle. As Stolle ran for a wide forehand, he broke through a taped seam and fell under the carpet. He ended up buried up to his chest. Wood recounts that “I pulled Fred to his feet, amid catcalls from the spectators, and used a staple gun to secure the selvages to the pallet below.” Even outside of the game, tennis savvy New Yorkers may remember, as I do, seeing trucks zipping around midtown streets bearing the logo of another one of Wood’s business ventures, the Woods-Budge laundry. Whether as a competitor when male tennis players wore long pants, or as a tennis-oriented laundry owner, Sidney Wood’s book is a rich source of stories about tennis history. Brent Shearer may be reached by e-mail at bbshearer@gmail.com.

Hingis to Team With Federer in Comeback at the Australian Open artina Hingis, a five-time Grand Slam champion, will be making a return to the pro tour at the Australian Open for her first time since 2007 when she competed at the U.S. Open. She will be entering the mixeddoubles competition with partner Roger Federer. Hingis is aiming to earn a mixed-doubles entry into the Summer Olympics held in London to take place next summer. She won five majors while in her teens and was number one in the world at one point; she retired from play at the young age of 22 after having chronic ankle problems. In 2006, Hingis played two more seasons where she was able to make it to the quarters of three Grand

Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Slams where she once again retired after testing positive for cocaine. Hingis has since played for New York’s World TeamTennis teams for the past two years and this will be her first major Grand Slam re-emergence in more than four years. On Federer’s side of play, this will be the first time he enters into a doubles competition at a Grand Slam since 2004. In order for Hingis to enter the Olympics, she has to gain ranking points to enter contention. The exact guidelines for entry into play are not clear, but a mixed-doubles entrance at the Australian Open would be a good beginning to getting into the next Summer Olympics.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2011 • New York Tennis Magazine

Remedies to Overcoming the on-the-Court Choke I Believe in yourself. When it comes to that big point or having to hit that big shot, you must have the confidence in yourself that you will get it done. You have to believe that all the time you have spent practicing, all the sweat and tears, will all be worth it at crunch time. I Play as many matches and tournaments as possible. Nothing can actually prepare you for the moments in a match where you feel the most pressure. No matter what any coach tells you, no one knows exactly what is going through your mind in any particular situation. There is nothing that can prepare you more than having been in a situation previously.

“The first thing to remember when you are in a stressful situation on the court is that your opponent is just as nervous as you are.” By Eric Faro There are many different ways to define “choking” on a tennis court. There is a simple definition to me. Choking is when you get so nervous that it negatively impacts your on-court performance. There are a few keys to try and relax your body and your mind to avoid being so nervous that you “choke.” I The first thing to remember when you are in a stressful situation on the court is that your opponent is just as nervous as you are. This should help you realize that you are not the only one feeling the heat. Your opponent is also dealing with the same feelings of tension and anxiety. 18

I When you are in a tight situation on the court, the tendency is to overthink. A good remedy when you overthink is to focus on moving your feet. When you are at your tightest, your footwork gets sloppy. When your nerves are getting the best of you, the tendency is to stop moving. I Make sure you take deep breaths between points. Grunting can also help loosen you up. Instead of tensing up while hitting your shots, grunting should help you let out your nervous energy. You will often hear players say that when the match got tight, things seemed to “speed up.” By concentrating on your footwork and breathing, you can transition back into your comfort zone.

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2011 • NYTennisMag.com

I The last, and in my mind, the most important key to avoid choking, is sticking to what you do best. Some players try to over hit when they are extremely nervous. Other players get very tentative in those situations. My advice is to play your game. Whatever you do best on the court is what you should do when things get tight. If you have a serve and volley game, then serve and volley. If you are a counterpuncher, then counter punch. Above all, play the game that has made you successful. By following these simple steps, you should be able to turn around your nerves and perform at your best. Eric Faro is program director at Gotham Tennis Academy and Stadium Tennis Center, just south of Yankee Stadium. Eric grew up in Riverdale and attended Horace Mann, where he played number one singles for all four years. He attended Ohio State University and won more than 100 matches during his collegiate career. He may be reached by email at eric@gothamtennis.com, or online at www.stadiumtennisnyc.com or www.gothamtennis.com.

NYTennisMag.com â&#x20AC;˘ November/December 2011 â&#x20AC;˘ New York Tennis Magazine

New York Tennis Magazine’s

Coaches Roundtable Discussion he New York City tennis community is blessed to have some of the best indoor facilities and best coaches in the world right here in our backyard. Recently, New York Tennis Magazine spoke with some of these top coaches to get some insight into their coaching/training strategies, what they look for in a great player, views on important local tennis topics, and an overview of the state of affairs in the world of tennis. Even the best coach can always learn an extra tip or two, and the following article will provide all players and coaches with a chance to learn from the best.

Meet the participants … Gabrielle Baker Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club 450 West 43rd Street New York, N.Y. (212) 594-0554 ManhattanPlazaRacquetClub.com Gabrielle Baker is a tennis pro with Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club. She grew up on Australia’s “Gold Coast” near Brisbane and was ranked in the top-20 in Australia as recently as 2004. Gabby played on the international WTA Tour, and in 2004, reached a ranking of 450th in the world. She was offered a scholarship at the University of Oklahoma where 20

she attended from 2004-2007 and graduated with honors. Gabby was captain of the women’s tennis team (2006-2007), was on the All Big 12 Singles Team (2006) and a Big 12 Singles and Doubles Champion (2004), and made the All-American Team in 2006. Gabby has several years of teaching and coaching experience both in Australia and here in the United States for Nike Tennis Camps, Cliff Drysdale Tennis and other tennis centers. Jarett Cascino Midtown Tennis Club 341 8th Avenue (27th Street) New York, N.Y. (212) 989-8572 MidtownTennis.com Jarett Cascino is a Minnesota native, with success as a junior in the Northern Section, winning two Minnesota State Doubles Championships and finishing his high school career as the Minnesota State Singles Champion. He went on to play Division I Men’s Tennis at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and was also the assistant tennis coach. Jarett is a USPTA-certified professional and has coached tennis in Minnesota, Wisconsin, the International Tennis Academy in Florida, and was the head tennis professional at the Deal Casino in Deal, N.J.

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2011 • NYTennisMag.com

George Garland Go! Tennis Programs at North Shore Tennis and Racquets Club 34-28 214th Place Bayside, N.Y. (718) 224-6303 GoTennisPrograms.com George Garland is director of tennis and president of Go! Tennis Programs at North Shore Tennis and Racquets Club in Bayside, N.Y. A former coordinator of adult tennis at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Garland played on the collegiate, satellite and senior levels. George, a national teaching clinician for the USTA, is a personal coach to numerous sectionally- and nationally-ranked juniors, as well as many television, music and movie personalities. Thomas Gilliland The West Side Tennis Club One Tennis Place Forest Hills, N.Y. (718) 268-2300, ext. 135 ForestHillsTennis.com Thomas Gilliland is assistant tennis director at The West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, N.Y. and is certified by the PTR. He recently completed Columbia University’s Master of Sports Management program. Thomas is a USTA/Eastern National Coach, sits on the USTA/Eastern Metro Region Board of Directors and on the USTA/Eastern Coaches Commission. Under his direction, the Junior Program has grown enormously and the program displays his abundant energy, creativity and professionalism. Bruce Haddad John McEnroe Tennis Academy/ Sportime Randall’s Island 1 Randall’s Island Randall’s Island, N.Y. (212) 427-6150 JohnMcEnroeTennisAcademy.com Bruce Haddad is assistant academy director of the John McEnroe Tennis Academy at Sportime Randall’s Island. Born in New Jersey, Bruce was a standout junior player, reaching the number one ranking in the USTA Eastern Section, and achieving national top 10 rankings in the boys 12s, 14s and 16s Divisions. As a junior, Bruce was the national clay court champion in singles and doubles and the national indoor champion in the 14s Division, before winning the prestigious Easter Bowl in the 16s. Bruce attended the University of Florida and graduated from Arizona State University, where he achieved a national collegiate ranking of ninth nationally and was a twotime All-American, earning a degree in communications. Bruce competed professionally, achieving an ATP ranking of 888th in the world. Bruce was the co-owner and founder of Knickerbocker Sports Tennis, was a professional coach on the WTA Tour and was manager and director of the Columbus Racquet Club in NYC.

Marvin Jeffery Cunningham Park Tennis Center 196-00 Union Turnpike Fresh Meadows, N.Y. (718) 740-6800 CunninghamSportsCenter.com Marvin Jeffery is competition coordinator/senior teaching professional at Cunningham Park Tennis Center in Fresh Meadows, N.Y. Marvin has been a standout tennis professional at Bay Terrace since 1998. He is currently coaching numerous tournament players and attends many junior events. In addition, Marvin is competing in Men’s Open ETA tournaments and is ranked among the top players in his age group. Whitney Kraft USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Queens, N.Y. (718) 760-6200 Whitney Kraft is director of tennis programs at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and director of player operations for the U.S. Open. A native of Summit, N.J., Whitney brings more than 25 years of tennis experience to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Prior to joining the USTA, Kraft served as director of tennis for the city of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. where he oversaw the daily programming and operations of more than 45 courts at nine different facilities. As a tennis player, Kraft was a four-time National Mixed-Open Champion and most recently in 2006, Kraft was the USPTA International Championship 45 Doubles Champion. Ajay Kumar New York Tennis Club 3081 Harding Avenue • Bronx, N.Y. (718) 239-7916 NewYorkTennisClub.com Ajay Kumar is currently the director of tennis at one of the oldest tennis facilities in New York, the New York Tennis Club (NYTC), and is an assistant director for the Advantage Tennis Clubs family, servicing out of four-major locations in Manhattan. Prior to taking over the director of tennis position at NYTC, Ajay was a partner at Metro Tennis Academy and was instrumental in developing a renowned junior program that serviced both recreational and competitive players. He has participated in ITF- and USTA- sanctioned tournaments. He graduated with a sports medicine degree from Manhattan College, where he played competitively on its Division I varsity team and was a scholar-athlete. Rich Reyes Gotham Tennis Academy and Stadium Tennis Center 725 Gateway Center Boulevard • Bronx, N.Y. (718) 665-4684 • StadiumTennisNYC.com Rich Reyes is a director of tennis at Gotham Tennis Academy and Stadium Tennis Center. He can be reached by e-mail at info@stadiumtennisnyc.com or by calling (718) 665-4684.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2011 • New York Tennis Magazine

Jason Speirs Roosevelt Island Racquet Club 281 Main Street • Roosevelt Island, N.Y. (212) 935-0250 www.rirctennis.com Jason Speirs is the tennis director at Roosevelt Island Racquet Club, part of the family of clubs for Advantage Tennis Clubs, and teaches full time in the junior program. Playing tennis for Assumption College, he became a doubles player at the national level, attaining a ranking of 24th for Division II, and number three in the Northeast Region. His tennis background includes tournament director for the Rochester Junior Grand Prix, teaching at The Harley School, New England Tennis Camp, and prestigious clubs such as the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Jason has worked at RIRC since 2004 and is a USPTA-certified teaching professional. What are the best things you see about tennis in the New York area and do you have any concerns about the local tennis scene? Jarett Cascino: New York City is known for its diversity and tennis is a sport that people play around the world. Lots of people come out and the courts are starting to fill up with kids, tennis fanatics, or just beginners holding a racquet for the first time! One major asset in our tennis community is the competitive business nature of New York City. Tennis clubs are much like any other enterprise or activity, each club is looking to retain existing clients and find new ones in order to

turn a profit. Thus, each club has to compete with the next one in order to stay afloat. From improvements to infrastructure, all the way to the staff teaching lessons, the pressure felt from the competition makes each club provide a better service to the customers. There are really only two major concerns that I see with the local tennis scene. One is the availability of courts. New York City has a lot of people, but not a lot of indoor tennis clubs comparatively. And because of that is the second major concern: The prices. If you really would like to learn the game of tennis you should play two or three times a week, more for a progressing junior with aspirations of playing college tennis. You can get the parks pass and play on your own for relatively cheap; however, you are not guaranteed a court and you cannot play outside all year long. In turn, people play at the few indoor clubs and pay top dollar. This means that not everyone can play all year long. We lose kids, especially to other team sports that are cheaper to finance. This is a major concern for the growth and popularity of the sport in our area. George Garland: I think the best thing is the sport’s availability. From parks, to commercial facilities, to country clubs, there are a million programs and opportunities to learn the sport and play. The downside of that, however, is that the quality of those programs isn‘t always what it could be. Because of the great demand, there are people teaching the game and running programs who just are not that qualified. In other areas of the country where there are fewer tennis jobs to be had, the level of experience and professionalism required to get those jobs is much greater. Thomas Gilliland: The best thing about tennis in New York is how diverse the players are. You can find any level and personality. One of my biggest concerns is the rise in price for the City Parks Per-

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New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2011 • NYTennisMag.com

mit and how it will affect how the accessibility of tennis is to the general public in the future. Bruce Haddad: The best things I see about tennis in the New York area is that there are many more kids starting to play, and those who have been playing have continued in the sport. With that being said, my concern is that most kids who are playing consider the sport as a recreational activity and not taking it serious enough to become a high level tournament player. Marvin Jeffery: The best things about tennis is that, for the most part, the people involved in the sport are fun and friendly. Ajay Kumar: The best things would be the growing number of people wanting to play. The biggest concern, I feel, is the quality, accessibility and affordability of tennis facilities. Rich Reyes: The best things I see in New York City tennis is that the sport is growing and thriving with excitement. And with 10 & Under tennis, the game will keep kids in the sport longer. My biggest concern is the lack of high-quality courts in the city. On a per capita basis, the demand for tennis in New York City greatly outweighs the supply of courts, and too many courts are simply in poor condition. There are too many courts that are not regulation size and are improperly maintained. What is your opinion of the state of American tennis? Gabrielle Baker: I feel the state of American tennis could be improved if there was more unity. In other countries throughout the world, the best players in the nation train together, travel together, work together and encourage each other. They utilize the best coaches that the country has to offer and the government supports these programs. George Garland: American tennis has two very real problems. The first is that there is not one centralized place where the best players in the country go to train and compete against each other. Because we are a free capitalistic society, tennis is treated as a business. Everybody and their brother, literally, has an academy and claims to have all the answers. Being in the tennis business and making great players are two different things. Other countries know that. Making players isn’t that complicated. Take the best players from a given area (in this case, the entire U.S.), have them train and compete and make each other better, and you’ll end up with the one or two that become the best. But because we are fractured into small groups with individual agendas, that doesn’t happen. The other problem is that, for the most part, American kids are just not that desperate. They have lots of options in their life. In other countries, it’s make it or go home and work in the factory. That’s not the case here in America. Bruce Haddad: My opinion of the state of American tennis is one of major concern. The U.S. has a great run of success for many years, but over the last four to five years, it has regressed and it doesn’t seem like this will change anytime soon. Ajay Kumar: American tennis is on the rise, but the governing body doesn’t do enough to encourage players to practice/play in tournaments held on Har-Tru/clay courts. Predominantly, all tournaments are held on hard courts, and this is hard for young players because they do not know how to transition to a clay surface. A clay surface develops patience and great playing strategies, to name a few key points, and most juniors around the world prefer clay/Har-Tru courts to develop skills, footwork and mental ability to develop their tennis, and in turn, success overall.

Rich Reyes: I am optimistic about the future of American tennis with all of the young stars who are coming up. The USTA is committed to giving opportunities to young talent which should accelerate the development of our country’s most talented players. Jason Speirs: I think American tennis is in shambles. It’s terrible that a nation as big as ours cannot produce more players per capita in the top 10, let alone in the top 100. We have the money and resources to produce exceptional players. We have phenomenal coaches at our disposal, but not enough kids who want to learn. I’ve found, and maybe I’m wrong (I’d like to be), that our kids think it’s enough to have a strong forehand and serve to become a top player in the world. Our youth look up to who … Andy Roddick, James Blake and John Isner?! I hope that the younger players like Mardy Fish, Alex Bogomolov, Donald Young, Ryan Sweeting, Ryan Harrison and Sam Querrey can change the way our youth play tennis. Look at all the top 10 players! They can hit amazing shots off both sides and can/are willing to come to the net. I’d like to see our kids be more patient with their groundstrokes and willing to work on their net game. Serena Williams had another outburst at this year’s U.S. Open. How would you address this sort of issue with kids who saw her outburst and may be negatively influenced by it? How would you handle poor sportsmanship by one of your players? Jarett Cascino: I would say that Serena Williams normally has a great attitude. Even when she is losing, she always competes and gives it her best shot to with the match. Inexplicably, however, we saw a side of her that let her emotions take control. Certainly the outburst had not helped her whatsoever with her tennis game. At this point, I would go on to explain that controlling your emotions during a tennis match is a considerably important facet of the game. A match can be won and lost on emotion and momentum, just look at the recent collapses of Roger Federer in tense situations. When I was a kid starting to play tournaments, I wasn’t always a good sport. It seemed so important to play in a tournament for a trophy. I’ve had my fair share of broken sticks in matches I “should have won.” This may or may not answer the question, but I was given a rule by my long-time coach, boss and friend, and for me, it is something to live by. After you play a tennis match, you have 15 min. to think about the match. Whether you win or lose, it doesn’t matter. If you win, you can celebrate and be big headed or whatever for 15 min. and then it’s done. If you lose, you can pout and be sad and think about what could have gone differently, etc. for 15 min. and then the match is behind you. I think this was the best rule for sportsmanship. My coach was really just telling me that winning a tennis match is not the most important thing in the world, and the result shouldn’t have any effect on the rest of the day. George Garland: Handling behavior starts from the beginning. We teach kids from the outset what is acceptable and what isn’t. It’s important to develop good kids, as well as good players. The game of tennis has to enforce correct conduct as well. I don’t know if Serena is a great example, because she really has gotten the short end of the stick a few times. But I would say that John McEnroe might have had an even greater career if the sport would have dealt with his behavior earlier and more consistently. Bruce Haddad: I would address the issue as a major disappointment to the kids and all those who saw it. I do not tolerate poor

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2011 • New York Tennis Magazine

sportsmanship by any of my players. There are consequences for these actions, and I try to figure out the root of the behavior and teach them about controlling it. Rich Reyes: Serena’s outburst was a lapse in judgment. She let her emotions get the better of her. We all lose our cool and there are consequences to it. The key is to learn and grow from it. With our players at Gotham Tennis Academy and Stadium Tennis Center, we mentor and encourage patience and staying in control of one’s emotions. Jason Speirs: I tell my kids off the bat that any negative outburst is unacceptable. Yes, it feels good to let out the emotions, but it distracts you from focusing on how you’re going to construct the next point. If you are busy feeling bad for yourself, you potentially begin a negative spiral that becomes hard to stop. Poor sportsmanship is not tolerated. If my kids cannot respect the game, they do not deserve to play. I’m strict about respecting the coach and the game. Since 10 & Under tennis has been implemented at your club, have you noticed an increase in participation of kids in that age group? Whitney Kraft: The 10 & Under programs should have a great effect in the New York City area as the population density and numerous clubs and facilities should really build the local base, help with talent by attracting some of the better young athletes, as well as recreational players. One concern in this area is cost of indoor court time. At what age, if any, should a serious junior player focus solely on tennis instead of any other extracurricular activities? Gabrielle Baker: A serious junior player aspiring to reach the collegiate or professional level should consider limiting extracurricular activities by the age of 11. National tournaments for 12 and under players are extremely competitive and require full commitment. Marvin Jeffery: By the age of nine or 10, because by the time they hit 15 or 16, young players are already playing Futures and Satellites. Whitney Kraft: I’m not sure if this ever needs to occur. Extracurricular activities develop and maintain better athletes and help prevent players from getting stale from the sameness of one discipline/sport. Ajay Kumar: Around the ages of 12-14 is when a player should solely focus on heavy competition. At this age, most of the motor skills that are known to them will be formed and developed, and the same applies to their mental capacity of accepting competition. Physically, the player develops their growth plates and bone structure to help develop their muscles to strenuous competition—the mental aspect works in sync to support the body. Jason Speirs: That’s a very tough question because the younger the child, the more important it is for them to learn new skills, and if they focus solely on tennis, the potential for burnout increases dramatically. By the age of 14 or 15, the drive to train and succeed must come from within. If a young teenager can make this commitment, then they will use everything around them, school, training, friends and family, to succeed. How much involvement should a parent have in their child’s tennis development? What role do you think the tennis parent should have and what should be left to the coach? Gabrielle Baker: Parents should play a major role in a child’s de24

velopment … off the court. There are many elements, like attitude, diet, discipline, sacrifice and off-court training, just to name a few, that the parents can be involved with. But in terms of coaching, technique and instruction, the coach should fulfill this role. Jarett Cascino: The parents should definitely play a role in the child’s development if the child has the desire to play. Every parent and family situation is different, but as a general rule if the child likes it and seems to be improving ask him/her if he would like to do another day per week. If he already does a couple of days a week, then ask him/her if they would like to play tournaments, maybe then see if they can work their way up the USTA junior ranking system. In other words, give them every opportunity they can to become a fully developed tennis player if they seem to like it. I always encourage parents to go out and hit with their kids or do extra practice on the side somehow. The parent should have some knowledge of what the strengths and weakness of the child are so that they can work on them together. However, at a certain level, leave the teaching up to the professional, just work on the stuff they learned in class. Every situation is different. If the parent has a true understanding of all aspects of the game, including technique, scoring, strategy, and the intelligent use of power and plays at a reasonable level, they should take a much more active role in the development. But, if the kid’s technique becomes better than the parent’s technique, just go out and let him/her practice hitting the ball with only telling them the basics. Thomas Gilliland: It depends on a million different variables, but the main thing is to be open about boundaries. Once everyone is comfortable with them and they have been established, stick with them with the understanding that they can be re-evaluated later on. Whitney Kraft: The operative word is quality of involvement, not quantity. This is the same for coaching. Quantity would vary to produce desirable changes without overload or undue pressure. A parent’s role should focus upon providing a solid support system. Ajay Kumar: Both parent and coach have a direct impact on a player. Stories of players listening to their coaches more than parents are rampant. Coaches become role models, and parents should let the coach do their job on the court. They should be the sole developer of the player on the court, as the parent should be helping the player develop positive attitudes off the court, and encouraging the player, whether in a defeat or win. This way, the perspectives are clear and roles are defined. The player will recognize this and listen and work accordingly and develop their overall game. Players will no doubt respond to a parent’s call, as well as a coaches’ work ethic. It would be a tremendous help where coaches also click to a parents’ personality as it will be much easier to communicate with each other. What qualities do you look for in a junior player that makes them stand out from the rest of the pack as a potential top player? Thomas Gilliland: We look for a lot of the same things that other coaches in other sports look for (coordination, speed, stamina, focus), but tennis is an individual sport and might require a mental toughness and maturity that team sports do not require. Time management skills are also a huge advantage for top players because their schedules can be so demanding.

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2011 • NYTennisMag.com

Marvin Jeffery: I look for players who are superb athletes, as well as a mental sponge. I look for the kid who is committed to being a student of the game. Rich Reyes: Identifying talent is not easy. One key for me is to see the type of character a player has. Physical talent is important, but it’s the emotional and mental aspects of a player that often makes the difference between good and great. Jason Speirs: Work ethic is key … that will make or break a player. You can have all the talent in the world, but if you don’t work hard, you’re not going to reach your potential, or expand as a player and you’re certainly not going to respect the blood, sweat and tears that goes into becoming a champion. What in your teaching/coaching philosophy do you think is the backbone of your teaching and coaching methods? Jarett Cascino: I am a big advocate of teaching people not just technique, but teaching them how to keep score properly, serve their own ball in the court, and play a set of tennis when a coach is not present. I work on the basic foundation, but it is all up to the player to go out on their own and play. In the last few years, it has become easier to learn the game because of “QuickStart” tennis. Bigger balls and regular-sized “low compression” balls are used with mini nets and smaller racquets so

that children can rally. It is really great. Proper technique is being taught, and kids are learning to rally and play a tennis match! George Garland: I’ve always broken the game down into four main areas: the mechanical, strategic, physical, and mental/emotional. I start with technique and try to give the player sound, current strokes in all parts of the court. From there, as they develop as a player, it becomes more about the other areas. Ultimately, it comes down to what’s in their head and inside their heart. The biggest thing I can give a player is the strength to understand and accept that they are responsible and accountable for their performance and results. Thomas Gilliland: Making sure that the player’s technique is biomechanically sound will help prevent injury and get the most out of their game. Tennis is something that should be enjoyed for the rest of their lives. I find that being patient and focusing on the good things someone is doing is far more effective than always picking on what someone is doing wrong. Bruce Haddad: The backbone of my coaching method is that I try to teach the kids to master their minds. The bottom line is that if you give 100 percent effort and don’t beat yourself up, regardless of the outcome, you will be a winner. Marvin Jeffery: My belief is that you have to be willing to adapt while still staying true to your fundamentals.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2011 • New York Tennis Magazine

Mythbusters: College Club Tennis is for Losers By Ricky Becker At this point in my college consulting career, each of my consults fall into one of a few categories. For example, many consults are with parents of freshmen in high school who want to know whether their child should make an academic or athletic run through college doors. Other clients want to know what colleges might be interested in giving their child a scholarship. Other clients have children outside of the Ivy League ranking threshold, but want to be told (falsely) that there is some backdoor way in. Sometimes, I will know the situation before meeting with the family, and sometimes, I won’t know. One particular consult I did over the summer did not fall into an aforementioned category. I looked up the player on tennisrecruiting.net and did not see the name. I was also told the player never played in a tournament. I had a feeling that this player had good grades and I was told that the player was number one on her high school team. “Okay,” I thought, “This is probably going to be one of those sobering consults where I need to tell someone that if they want to play college tennis, they will need to take an academic drop. Not get the bump up they are looking for.” When I met the girl’s father, he was a very nice guy which made my job harder. We started talking, and I encouraged him to enter his daughter in USTA tournaments. Then he asked me about a lot of the top academic schools and is it possible to play tennis at any of them without setting foot onto a court in a USTA tournament. I empathetically said no. Not un26

less she tries out for a team and somehow makes it, but circumstances like this are rare. “That’s unfortunate,” the father said. “I thought club tennis was always an option.” Wow. I knew club tennis was growing across the U.S., and I also knew that there were club nationals where nationallyranked juniors played. But I never thought that club tennis would really quench a tennis player’s thirst for competition. I did some research and virtually 80 to 90 percent of Division I teams have a club team. “Sure,” I told the father a couple of weeks later. “There are plenty of club tennis options out there.” However, there are some pros and cons to club tennis to consider. The pros I There are inter-collegiate nationals for club tennis as there is for varsity tennis. In fact, the level of top club teams (usual big state schools) is higher than some Division I varsity teams and many Division III varsity teams. I At some schools, club teams have a better chance of going away to the national championships for club tennis than the varsity team does for the NCAA Championships. I The commitment for club tennis is often what one wants it to be. If you can’t make a practice, it’s usually not a big deal. I Often, a bench-warmer for a varsity team would be a star for a club team. Some people would have a much more fulfilling college tennis experience playing high on a club team, rather than riding the bench and not playing team matches.

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2011 • NYTennisMag.com

I With fundraising as a part of club tennis, often the camaraderie among the players on the team is tighter than that of varsity tennis. Fundraisers can often build team unity. I There is less pressure to perform on a club team then there is on a varsity team. Nobody is playing to keep their scholarship. The cons I Club tennis does not hold the same cache with would-be job interviews out of college. I The search for funds could sometimes be a nuisance. I There is sometimes a struggle for court time while the varsity team doesn’t really need to think about such things. I Club tennis does not provide scholarships, nor does it give a student who plans to play club tennis a real academic bump. I Club tennis is not as organized as varsity tennis. Overall, club tennis is a sound alternative for someone who has a strong proclivity for a school but won’t make the tennis team. Club tennis is also ideal for someone who wants to play college tennis on their own terms. For more information, visit TennisOnCampus.com. Ricky Becker is founder of JuniorTennisConsulting LLC, which offers off-court college guidance services to junior tennis players. He is also director of tennis at Sportime Bethpage. He can be reached by e-mail at rbecker06@yahoo.com, by phone at (516) 605-0420 or via JuniorTennisConsulting.com.

Inwood Country Club Captures Their First LIMTL Championship

ince its inaugural season in 1979, no team based on the South Shore of Long Island has won the Long Island Men’s Tennis League (LIMTL). On Aug. 24, that all changed as Inwood Country Club, captained by Lionel Goldberg and co-captained by Jonathan Klee, defeated Cold

Spring Valley 4-1 to take the championship. Finishing in second place in the regular season behind Woodbury at Crest Hollow Country Club, Inwood defeated two-time defending champion Shelter Rock Tennis Club in the semifinals 3-2 before playing Cold Spring Valley in the finals. The team,

which previously played their matches at the Village of Lawrence Club, is comprised of Inwood Country Club members and players who live on the South Shore of Long Island. Inwood Country Club will add their name to the league trophy alongside previous LIMTL winners Shelter Rock, Woodbury, North Shore, Fleetwood, Wildwood, Cold Spring Valley, Bethpage, Piquet Lane and Hunting Hills. The LIMTL is comprised of seven teams, with six based on the North Shore, and matches are played every Wednesday night starting from the second week in May through August. Limited to players who are 35 years-of-age or older and made up of predominately 5.0 and 4.5 Level players, the LIMTL consists of five Har-Tru doubles courts. Individual match results for the regular season and playoffs, and more information on the LIMTL can be found on the league Web site, LIMTL.com.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2011 • New York Tennis Magazine

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Good to Great:

A Model for Safely Building the Tennis Champions of Tomorrow (Part II):

Why Failure is Necessary erhaps the most important quality for success in tennis is steadiness and the avoidance of errors. It might come as a surprise then, that in practice “Blue Chips” miss more shots than “Five Stars,” while “Five Stars” miss more shots than “Four Stars,” etc. If you are thinking that superior players miss more balls because they hit more balls, then you are on the right track, but that is not the complete story. Better players have a higher failure rate in hitting shots than lesser players, because failure is necessary for achievement. As psychologist S.W. Tyler points out in his extensive study on human performance, “The power of practice is most profound when it is challenging rather than nice and easy.” Almost every study on performance excellence concurred that only by endeavoring to master what you cannot do, will you become an expert on what you desire to become. Malcolm Gladwell, in his best-selling book on performance, Outliers, talked extensively about the quantity of practice that is needed to become a master at any skill. He identified 10,000 hours of deep concentration in the performance of a skill that is needed to attain expert status. Anders Ericsson, a psychologist at Florida State University, who performed perhaps the most extensive study on human performance achievement, calls this practice “deliberate practice.” I would go further and call this “Practical Practice.” The most productive practices are those which are challenging and specifically-designed to adapt to the demands of the skills necessary for achievement. College coaches, for example, often have their team members run anywhere from one to five miles with the notion that, since ten-

nis requires strong conditioning as does running, “If you can run two miles in 12 min., then you can play top-level tennis.” This convoluted logic is straight out of the “Dodgeball” school of training, in which the coach threw wrenches at his players and said, “If you can dodge a wrench, then you can dodge a ball.” I call this practice “convoluted” because it does not specifically target and address the demands of tennis. The average run in tennis is seven feet, not two miles. The sport is a series of short, numerous, fast amortization, high intensity, multi-directional sprints, not a moderately fast, long and linear run. Moderate runs may actually be a hindrance since they encourage the development of a low running gait and slow twitch muscle fiber. If you are going to spend the time and energy on practice, then I suggest you first identify the actual goal and target the practice to be practical, addressing the specific demands of that which you seek to accomplish. In this case, if you wish to be adept at short, reactive, explosive, multi-directional sprints, then build VO2 Max with quick directional change runs using a 3:1 Tabata protocol. Failure does not need to be discouraging since success does not impact the learning potential of the experience that can be achieved from feedback. For example, let’s say you and I are beginners at darts, and we each are given 1,000 chances to hit a bullseye from 10 ft. You get to closely examine the result of each toss, but I must look away after tossing the dart. If you toss too high, then you will immediately know and lower your aim. If you hit the bullseye, then you may reinforce your aim. As long as you have created perfect conditions for feedback, then you

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2011 • NYTennisMag.com

will learn and improve. Since I have no opportunity for feedback, I may succeed, but I will not learn and progress. Therefore, it is the quality of the feedback that determines the learning potential of the experience rather than the success of the objective. The most successful players have internalized the joy of practice, rather than the thrill of victory. Monica Seles said, “I just love to practice and drill and all that stuff.” Serena Williams revealed, “It felt like a blessing to practice because we had so much fun.” Tiger Woods once said, “My dad never asked me to go play golf. I asked him.” These players all demonstrate a growth mindset in which the joy of the process is the driving force for aspirations rather than a fixed mindset in which results are the motivation. Many players confuse hitting tennis balls with meaningful and practical practice. In order for players to go from good to great, they must practice with a clear and practical purpose. They must step out of their comfort zone and take joy in the process of improvement, knowing that failures are inevitable. They must rid their practices of the emotional interference that is precipitated by failure, so that they get quiet and productive feedback. Every shot is a learning experience. Steve Kaplan is the owner of Bethpage Park Tennis Center, as well as the director of Reebok Academy for New York City Parks Foundation. Over the last 33 years, Steve has been the longtime coach of more than 500 nationally-ranked junior players, 14 state high school champions, two NCAA Division 1 Singles Champions, and numerous touring professionals and prominent coaches. Steve’s students have been awarded in excess of $7 million in college scholarship money. He may be reached by e-mail at stevenjkaplan@aol.com.

am still fired up from this year’s U.S. Open … the most physical Grand Slam tournament I’ve ever been a part of since I began playing in 1983. Before the tournament began, there was an earthquake centered in Washington, D.C. and felt on the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center with no physical damage to the site of the Open. A Hurricane named Irene put a direct hit on the U.S. Open grounds just a day before the tournament began. The matches were delayed by just an hour on the field courts and two hours on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Two solid days of rain in the second week pushed the women’s final to Sunday and the men’s final to a third Monday. In addition, you must also take into account the emotional toll of the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11 on the New York area, as so many of the professional tennis family have connections to that tragedy. The event I was supposed to participate in at the 2011 U.S. Open, the “Dead Division” or the “Over Your Playing Weight by 35 Pounds Division,” aka the “Former Champions Division,” was cancelled due to the bad weather. The entire tournament presented some amazing challenges and still produced one of the best U.S. Opens in history. The men’s final was a match that reflected the rough and tough U.S. Open of 2011. Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal in four sets, 6-2, 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-1, but by the fourth set, both players had gone past empty and were playing on fumes. Djokovic tweaked his lower back late in the third set and Nadal poured every

ounce of energy, power and will into winning the third set. It was the most physical men’s Grand Slam final I have ever seen. I have seen the five-set thrillers in other Slams, but this final was played at a level none of those were played at. I have never seen anyone wear Nadal out, but Djokovic did. The pace of the rallies was at a level in the third set I have never seen in the game. Nadal dug so deep into himself to redline to the max in order to win the third set and stay alive in the final. Nadal was so spent after the third set, that even an injured Djokovic was too much to handle. Djokovic is 6-0 against Nadal this season alone, and Nadal must evolve as a player once again to compete for the top spot in the world. Like Rafa did as a clay court player to win Wimbledon and last year’s U.S. Open, Nadal must adapt his game to beat Djokovic. That is the beauty of our game. It will

always challenge you to come up with more to succeed. If you don’t … the game will pass you by. The game gets better … are you getting better? Go for the lines! Born in Grayling, Mich., Luke Jensen is head coach of the Syracuse University Women’s Tennis Team. Jensen’s resume includes 10 ATP Tour doubles titles and singles victories against Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Ivan Lendl, John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg and Jim Courier. Jensen and his brother, Murphy, won the 1993 French Open doubles title. He was also a member of the 1991 and 1992 Davis Cup Teams. His ambidextrous play, including his ability to serve the ball with either hand at 130 mph, earned him the nickname “Dual Hand Luke.” He may be reached by phone at (315) 443-3552 or e-mail lbjensen@syr.edu.

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St. Francis Prep Keeps the Streak Alive By Michael Sarro While people play sports for many different reasons, the ultimate goal of playing a sport is to win. In New York City high school tennis, there has been one team that, for the past 13 years, has yet to fail at that goal, the Lady Terriers from St. Francis Prep. Thirteen years ago, John Brennan took the girl’s tennis team coaching job for St. Francis Prep. Never did he imagine that during his tenure there, his team would never lose a match. When this issue went to press, Coach Brennan’s record as head coach of the St. Francis Prep Lady Terriers is an astounding 199-0! In that time span, the team has won 13 league titles (including this year), 12 State Championships and 12 Mayor’s Cups. A record of 199-0 is almost unheard of in any sport at any level. According to Coach Brennan, the reason why his teams have been able to see such a high degree of success is in large part due to the amount of talent that consistently attends the school, as well as the regiment they use to prepare for matches. “You have to have talent in order to succeed,” said Brennan. “Once you have the necessary talent, what you do from there is important as well. Our team practices a lot, four to five days a week and two hours a day. I even work with the girls during the summer to keep them in shape and make sure they are getting the necessary playing time in.” When asked about the degree of competition in the league, Coach Brennan said, “The competition in the league is good, but it could be better. Top junior players often do not choose to play for their high school team, but with my team, I encourage it for our top players. I often use the example of one of my former players, Shinann Featherston, who was ranked number one in the USTA Eastern Section and ranked in the top 10 nationally. Play32

ing for our team helped her in her personal matches and ultimately prepared her for her college career.” St. Francis Prep’s team has gained such a reputation that the best local players often attend the school to play tennis. When parents approach Coach Brennan, they often ask about possible scholarships. “Often, when girls come out for the team, parents ask about scholarships and while I would love to recruit on that level, I tell them that we obviously cannot offer any money,” said Coach Brennan. “What we can offer is that your child will improve their tennis game, while also getting a great education and preparation for college.” Undefeated teams have the added pressure and high expectations to win all the time. “I constantly feel pressure to win, as I am competitive and don’t like to lose,” said Coach Brennan. “However, if we were to lose, I wouldn’t make any excuses. If someone beats us, they beat us.” To Coach Brennan and the girls of the team, the ultimate goal is to win the Mayor’s Cup (the New York City Championship). The Mayor’s Cup means the most to the team as it encompasses all divisions (public schools, private schools and Catholic schools) to find a city champion. Before the season began, the team set the goal of going undefeated and winning the Mayor’s Cup again. According to number one singles player, senior Katie Derienzo, “Winning the Mayor’s Cup will mean a lot to us this year. There are a lot of good teams which makes it that much more special to win it”. Number three singles player, Samantha Rosca-Sipot, added, “To win the Mayor’s Cup this year would mean even more to me

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2011 • NYTennisMag.com

because I am a senior and would like to end my career with another City Championship.” When asked what separates this team from the others in the league, Samantha replied, “I think a lot of it has to do with our team atmosphere. We all get along so well and have fun every day in our practices and matches. We have become a small family and want to win for each other.” When asked the same question, Derienzo answered, “I believe a lot of it has to do with Coach Brennan. He always wants us to improve and motivates us constantly. He pushes us to play our best and we want to win for him.” Both girls are currently looking at colleges and plan to play tennis for whichever school they attend. All good things must come to an end, and this streak might end next year due to the fact that St. Francis is losing an astounding seven seniors from this year’s team. Next year might be an uphill battle, but based on past success, I don’t think anyone would be surprised to see another undefeated season from the Lady Terriers en route to another City/State Championship and Mayor’s Cup Championship. Michael Sarro is director of business development for New York Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by phone at (516) 409-4444, ext. 330 or e-mail michael@usptennis.com.

SBTA and USTA Eastern Participate in Vive Tu Vida! Event By Pablo Sierra The South Brooklyn Tennis Association (SBTA) and USTA/Eastern recently participated in the “Vive Tu Vida! Get Up! Get Moving!” event in the Bronx at the Fordham Road Renaissance Festival. The event, presented to promote physical activity, nutrition, and various health screenings, was sponsored by the Hispanic Federation with the National Alliance for Hispanic. SBTA and USTA/Eastern were on hand to promote the 10 & Under Tennis initiative using the QuickStart format. Jose Rodriguez, USTA/Eastern tennis services representative and Pablo Sierra, SBTA and chair of the Volunteer Committee, were on hand to perform the QuickStart demonstration, and Alexis DeJesus, SBTA volunteer, was man-

aging the booth. The weather was not great, but as the clouds departed and the crowd arrived, the event was swamped with the eager Bronx crowd, on hand to take part in the day’s activities of health screenings, music, food, salsa music, dancing, and of course, tennis. Within a very short period of time, there were between 15,000-20,000 people converged on a five to six block radius enjoying the festivities. The SBTA and USTA/Eastern booth was crowded with individuals requesting information regarding local tennis, and after four hours, all of the complimentary copies of New York Tennis Magazine, the Official Publication of the USTA/Eastern-Metro Region, which included all literature regarding 10 & Under Tennis, were gone.

The SBTA contends that playing tennis every other day for 50-60 min. is a great way of reducing stress, and even lowering glucose levels in the event you are diabetic. Pablo Sierra is USTA/Eastern-Metro Region Brooklyn Representative. He may be reached by e-mail at psierra@sierrahospitality.com.

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NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2011 • New York Tennis Magazine

Ready for the football season Sabine Lisicki (@sabinelisicki): My favorite player is Drew Brees, so I’m going with the Saints! :) But I still remember how great Packers played in the Super Bowl … John Isner (@JohnIsner): Patrick Peterson meet #89 Steve Smith. This ain’t LSU rook. Best in the league …

What do they do in their time off? Caroline Wozniacki (@carowozniacki): Came home today, unpacked, went grocery shopping and cooked. Proud of myself LOL. Now I am tired, lying in bed chilling.

Sania Mirza-Malik (@mirzasania): Spa day today with @anammirza :) Girls have to pamper themselves sometimes :)

Serena Williams (@serenawilliams): With @andyroddick we miss you @BrooklynDDecker Andy’s nuts!!!!!

Justin Gimelstob (@ justingimelstob): Hanging at Yankee Stadium.

Victoria Azarenka (@vika7): Watched V. Klitchko fight! Great victory! Congrats! Real strong!

Serena Williams (@serenawilliams): Had an amazing time at Hamptons Party tonight with @Venuseswilliams.

Sabine Lisicki (@sabinelisicki): Horseback riding anyone? :D

Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole): I had a good day off today: Had a good hit, relaxing dinner and I‘m ready for tomorrow’s challenge.

Hurricane Irene had them scared Sania Mirza-Malik (@mirzasania): Hurricane Irene coming … supposedly the worst in 100 years … Yikes! Hit at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow before everything shuts down.

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2011 • NYTennisMag.com

Serena Williams (@serenawilliams): Ok. Its official. I’m scared. I’m in NYC. Oh boy … #HurricaneIrene :(

Sabine Lisicki (@sabinelisicki): Flights are cancelled because of the hurricane ... Hope to find a solution soon! Now I’m off to bed. Good night <3. Fashion Week has them excited Serena Williams (@serenawilliams): Wow. Fashion Night out, football game opener, U.S. Open Tennis … And I have homework :(

Caroline Wozniacki (@carowozniacki): NYC is so busy tonight … Fashion Week starting!!

Victoria Azarenka (@vika7): Aloha people! I’m back in the plane and back to NY for a couple of days! I’m going to Fashion Week :) First time! So I’m really really excited!

Open congrats! Sabine Lisicki (@sabinelisicki): So proud of my doubles partner Sam to win her

Shahar Peer (@shaharpeer): WWWWOOOOWWWW what a match Nadal vs. Djokovic!

first Grand Slam title! Bob Bryan (@Bryanbros): Congrats to Sam Stosur.

Casey Dellacqua (@caseydellacqua): Congrats Sammy … bloody awesome game!

Anastasia Rodionova (@arodionova): Woohoo! Sam won U.S. Open!!!! Bravo!

Katie O’Brien (@katiejobrien): Sam Stosur … RESPECT!

Amer Delic (@amerdelic): Congrats to my neighbor Sam Stosur on winning the U.S. Open! Well done.

Taylor Dent (@taylordent81): I hope everyone is enjoying this tennis as much as I am!! These guys are incredible!

Caroline Wozniacki (@carowozniacki): Watching Nole against Nadal … What a final!

Among the celebrities who attended the open

• Donald Trump • Jeremy Piven • Vanessa Hudgens • Justin Timberlake • Beyonce • Jay-Z • Brooklyn Decker • Chris Bosh • Will Ferrell • Olivia Munn

• Blake Lively • The Iceman • Bar Refaeli • Owen Wilson • Christine Taylor • Ben Stiller • Dennis Leary • Bradley Cooper • Alec Baldwin • Adrian Grenier

Zvonareva bares all for magazine World number three ranked Russian tennis star has Vera Zvonareva taken it off for ESPN: The Magazine’s “Body Issue,” posing nude for a pictorial alongside other notable sports celebs including Jose Reyes of the New York Mets, U.S. Women’s soccer star Hope Solo, and speedskater Apolo Anton Ohno. Savic banned for life for fixing matches Serbian tennis player David Savic has been hit with a lifetime ban from the sport for attempting

to fix multiple matches. Savic was fined $100,000 after being found guilty of three violations. These bans begin immediately and at the time of the ban, he was ranked 659th. Just this past May, Daniel Koellerer was banned as well for life for the same violation. First Lady Michelle Obama loves tennis At the 2011 U.S. Open, First Lady Michelle Obama applauded the USTA for engaging millions of children in tennis, introducing tennis into thousands of elementary schools throughout the country, and building more than 2,000 courts that provide a place for young people to play tennis. The USTA’s efforts were part of its partnership with both the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative to encourage more children to become active and lead healthier lifestyles. The USTA exceeded its commitment. The First Lady was in New York to participate in a USTA 10 and Under Tennis Clinic at the U.S. Open. She was joined by several current and former tennis champions including Billie Jean King, Serena Williams, John McEnroe, James Blake, MaliVai Washington and Katrina Adams, as she thanked children from the Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program for participating in her Let’s Move! initiative. “I have been trying to get to the U.S. Open my entire life. I am so incredibly excited to finally be at my first U.S. Open, but I am equally excited and proud to be standing in partnership with the USTA and all they have done for hundreds of thousands of kids across this country. You are an example of what we can do when we put our minds to it,” said First Lady Michelle Obama. “I am again grateful to the USTA. The courts you build, these kidssized courts, are just amazing. They will break that barrier; they will make tennis accessible to kids… I am so proud of the USTA.” continued on page 36

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2011 • New York Tennis Magazine

Djokovic breaks ATP money mark in 2011 Novak Djokovic’s night win over Rafael Nadal in the finals of the 2011 U.S. Open earned the world’s top-ranked men’s singles tennis player a $2.3 million payout, pushing the Serbian’s earnings in 2011 to date over the $10.6 million mark. Djokovic’s $2.3 million U.S. Open payout consisted of $1.8 million for winning the event, plus a $500,000 bonus for finishing second in the U.S. Open Series Standings. Djokovic’s win over Nadal in a rematch of last year’s U.S. Open finals, gave the number one-ranked ATP player his 64th win of the year with just two losses in 12 tournaments to date in 2011. Djokovic will make more money in 2011 than any other men’s professional player during a full season, topping his finals opponent Nadal who took home around $10 million last year, while participating in 17 tournaments and Switzerland’s Roger Federer who earned around $10 million as well in 2007 and took part in 16 tournaments. McIlroy and Wozniacki verify romantic link U.S. Open champ and golfer Rory McIlroy has admitted that he is romantically involved with top-ranked WTA star Caroline Wozniacki from Denmark. McIlroy’s admission verifies a relationship that has been long-rumored as McIlory has been spotted in New Haven, Conn. supporting Wozniacki at the New Haven Open at the Connecticut Tennis Center in Yale. “Obviously, different sports, but we’re pretty much in the same position at a young age and we can talk about things that probably a lot of 21-, 22-year olds can’t talk about,” said McIlroy. “It’s nice to have someone that sort of understands what you’re going through.” Venus vs. Shaq for Oreos Venus Williams joined Shaquille O’Neal on “FOX & Friends” with host Brian Kilmeade at FOX Studios in New York 36

City battling it out over Oreos at Chelsea Piers in tennis, basketball and an Oreo-eating contest as part of the promotion for the new Triple Double Oreo. Venus lost the competition after Shaq’s Oreoeating team defeated hers. “Shaq got lucky today but it was really fun,” said Venus. Shaq said of Venus, “She’s fabulous. She’s always been a great athlete.”

Serena and Roddick to team up? Serena Williams has dropped an intriguing Twitter bombshell, with the former number one hinting that she might be teaming up with Andy Roddick for some mixed-doubles in Australia. Her post-U.S. Open tweet, however, begs as many questions as it answers. “Me and @andyroddick decided to play mixed-doubles Australia! We love Aussie! Book it, it’s real!,” the Tweet read.

2012 Australian Open to Offer $25 Million in Prizes Hometown hero and 2011 U.S. Open champ Stosur to receive hero’s welcome Down Under he 2012 Australian Open, set for Jan. 16-29 at Melbourne Park will be the richest tournament in Grand Slam tennis history, with the winners of both the men’s and women’s singles to pocket $2.2 million U.S. and a total of $25 million U.S. will be paid out at the event. French Open Director Craig Tiley expects defending champion Kim Clijsters and 2011 U.S. Open finalist Serena Williams to participate on the women’s side of the draw, in addition to Australia’s own Samantha Stosur, the 2011 U.S. Open champion. “We know that Kim’s been out for most of the year, but she’s planning on being back to defend her title,” said Tiley. “We’ve still got three months to go, but the last communication is that she’s planning on being back. The same thing with Serena, she unfortunately missed this year’s Open [2011 Australian Open] with her injury, but she’s back playing, we all saw at the finals of the U.S. Open, and she’ll be here too.” The fan favorite on the women’s side of the draw will be Australian native Stosur. Coming off her 2011 U.S. Open title, Stosur, currently ranked seventh in the world, will receive a heroes’ welcome. “We are so proud of Sam Stosur. The importance of her spectacular success at the U.S. Open, winning convincingly over Serena Williams in her own backyard, cannot be underestimated and is a huge boost for the sport in Australia,” said Tennis Australia CEO Steve Wood. “Sam and her team have worked so hard and so consistently over a long period of time, and Grand Slam success, achieved by only a select few, is a well-deserved reward.”

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2011 • NYTennisMag.com

New York City’s Irina Falconi Wins Gold Medal at Pan American Games

he United States women’s tennis gia Tech, where was named the 2010 Colteam has won the gold medal and lege Player of the Year. She had her best bronze medal in girls result as a professional at singles tennis at the Pan the 2011 U.S. Open, American Games in reaching the third round Guadalajara, Mexico. The after upsetting Slovakia’s number two seed, New Dominika Cibulkova in the York’s Irina Falconi captured second round in Arthur the gold medal after Ashe Stadium. Falconi defeating Puerto Rico’s competed in the three Monica Puig, 6-3, 6-2. The other Grand Slam tournalast American woman to ments this year, qualifywin a tennis gold medal at ing for the Australian the Pan American Games Open and Wimbledon was Pam Shriver in and winning a USTA play1991.Another local product, off to earn a wild card the top-seeded 19-year-old into the French Open. Christina McHale from New York’s Irina Falconi, curCurrently ranked a caEnglewood Cliffs, N.J., won rently ranked 77th in the world, reer-high 42nd, McHale the bronze medal, defeating took home the gold for the U.S. became the youngest at the 2011 Pan American Argentina’s Florencia player in the WTA Top 50 Games in Guadalajara, Mexico Molinero, 6-1, 6-1. after reaching the third Currently ranked 77th in the world, round of the 2011 U.S. Open where she Falconi turned pro 18 months ago fol- defeated the number eight seed, Marion lowing a stellar two-year career at Geor- Bartoli of France in the second round.

Three weeks prior, McHale upset the top-ranked women’s player in the world, Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, at the Olympus U.S. Open Series event in Cincinnati. McHale trains at the USTA Training Center-East at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y., and was one the first players to train full-time at the USTA Player Development Headquarters in Boca Raton, Fla., as part of the residency program from 2007-2010. The Pan American Games are held every four years in the year immediately prior to the Olympic Games, and tennis has been contested at the Games since the event’s inception in 1951. Among the Americans who have won a gold medal in singles at the Pan American Games are Althea Gibson (1959, singles), Arthur Ashe (1967, mixed-doubles), Patrick McEnroe (1987, men’s doubles), Pam Shriver (1991, singles, women’s doubles, and mixed-doubles), and Paul Goldstein (1999, singles).

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2011 • New York Tennis Magazine

Longines Takes Center Court for ew York Tennis Magazine had the privilege to spend some time with tennis legend Steffi Graf for the Longines Tennis Court for Kids Clinic at the Harlem Armory. Taking part in the event was the Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program (HJTEP), which provides 500 inner-city youth with the opportunity to play tennis, while also receiving an education. Katrina Adams, former pro player and executive director of the HJTEP, was delegated to emcee duties in a Q&A session with students of the program, Graf, and former pro circuit player Murphy Jensen. Longines teamed up with Graf for the Longines Tennis Court for Kids Clinic as part of their “Women Who Make a Difference Awards,” which celebrates extraordinary women who have made an impact on children’s lives. Adams interviewed Graf and Jensen with questions provided by students of the HJTEP. One question presented to both was, “When did you start playing tennis?” Graf replied, “I was three-anda-half years old. My father started by teaching me in the house, using the couch as a net, a slightly different way to learn than QuickStart which is a great way to learn tennis. In other sports, you grow into it which makes the game easier and gives you a better chance to succeed. QuickStart should be a great push for American tennis in the upcoming years.” In response to the same question, Jensen said, “Well I don’t know about you guys, but I would say that QuickStart is a slight upgrade to a couch.” After the laughter died down, he continued, “I started at the age of two or three as my father was a professional football player and wanted to play a sport that the entire family could play. It was because of him that my brother Luke and I got into tennis, which truly is the sport of a lifetime. Look at me, I started playing not knowing where it would take me, and I am retired at this point, but I am still here today speaking to you guys about the op-

American up-and-comer Sloane Stephens (far left) and Steffi Graf (right) with some young players at the Longines Tennis Court for Kids Clinic at the Harlem Armory

s d ki Murphy Jensen provides some oncourt instruction during the Longines Tennis Court for Kids Clinic at the Harlem Armory

Steffi Graf and Murphy Jensen take part in a question and answer session with attendees at the Longines Tennis Court for Kids Clinic

Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program enjoying the lessons provided at the Longines Tennis Court for Kids Clinic

Steffi Graf practices with a member of the Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program

portunities that tennis can lead to.” Both Graf and Jensen described tennis as a way to lead to other opportunities in life. Graf said that, “Tennis gives you a wide range of cultures. It is played by people from around the world all because it is fun to play.” Jensen added, “Tennis is an intense life. It takes hard work and dedication and gives you chances and platforms for life.” When Adams asked Graf her biggest regret, she replied, “Definitely leaving school early. I turned pro at the age of 13 and didn’t have much time to get an education. Education comes first, I am

telling you this here today and I tell my kids this every day. While tennis is fun and can lead to opportunities, it is important to get your education.” After the Q & A session, it was time to hit the courts where lucky students had the opportunity to get some free lessons and hitting time with Graf and Jensen. The event was part of Longines’ global commitment to support and develop future tennis stars. Graf and Jensen were particularly impressed with one potential future superstar, DJ Spigner of HJTEP, who represents the best of what both Longines and HJTEP stand for.

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2011 • NYTennisMag.com

USTA EASTERN ANNUAL MEETING

AND VOLUNTEER DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP

JANUARY 20 | 2012 > JANUARY 21 | 2012

Master the new world of 10 and Under Tennis. Learn about the latest in USTA’s tournament management systems. Sharpen your grant-writing skills. Meet volunteers and teaching pros from across USTA Eastern. Recognize juniors and adults for their achievements and dedication to the sport.

Renaissance Westchester Hotel, 80 West Red Oak Lane, West Harrison, New York 10604

MORE THAN A GAME. IT’S A LIFESTYLE.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2011 • New York Tennis Magazine

The Stars of the Court and Kitchen Shine for the BNP Paribas Taste of Tennis Event By Michael Sarro Credit all photos to Michael Sarro

NP Paribas hosted the 12th Annual Taste of Tennis event where the top tennis players in the game and the top chefs in the world gathered together in Manhattan at The W Hotel to showcase some amazing food, whip up some signature cocktails and dance the night away. It was a great way for the stressed-out tennis stars to get a chance to relax and enjoy the cuisine just prior to the start of the 2011 U.S. Open. Some of the players on hand were Americans Mardy Fish and James Blake, Spain’s Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco, Tommy Haas from Germany, Victoria Azarenka from Belarus, and many more. The city’s top chefs who worked hard to feed the athletes included Michelle Bernstein, Gabe Thompson, Mark Vidal and Kerry Heffernan just to name a few. It was a night dedicated to the players as an opportunity to relax and forget about the task at hand, prepping for the final Grand Slam of 2011, the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. “I love coming back home and playing in front of my home crowd,” said James Blake. “It is a very exciting time of year and the energy from the crowd is unlike any other tournament I play in.” Proceeds from the event went to the NYJTL, the largest junior tennis program in New York City. This was the second year in a row that the NYJTL was the beneficiary of the Taste of Tennis event which was established in 1999.

New York Rangers center Brad Richards joins James Blake on the red carpet

TV personality A.J. Calloway was on hand for the Taste of Tennis event

Michael Sarro is director of business development for New York Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by phone at (516) 409-4444, ext. 330 or e-mail michael@usptennis.com. 40

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2011 • NYTennisMag.com

Tennis Player Heidi El-Tabakh from Canada enjoying the red carpet arrival at The W Hotel

Russian tennis player Mikhail Youzhny

Spain’s Rafael Nadal arrives in New York City for the BNP Paribas Taste of Tennis event

Chef Emma Hearst arrives at the Taste of Tennis event in NYC World number five-ranked Vera Zvonareva from Russia is interviewed on the red carpet

Germany’s Tommy Haas takes part in the BNP Paribas Taste of Tennis event

Chef Marco Porceddu at the 12th Annual BNP Paribas Taste of Tennis event NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2011 • New York Tennis Magazine

The World’s Finest and Bravest Take to the Courts By Michael Sarro ept. 11th, 2001 will forever be a day that lives in infamy. Many lives were lost and impacted greatly by the attack on the World Trade Center. On that day, and during the following weeks and months, it was New York’s Police Department and Fire Department who were the first to respond and attempt to restore order and save the lives of people in danger. Many uniformed officers also lost their lives, and 10 years later, they are still remembered and honored for their bravery. In 1985, the World Police and Fire Games were implemented to promote sport and fraternity within the police and firefighting communities. Held bi-annually, the World Police and Fire Games have been hosted by numerous countries throughout the world, attracting as many as 8,000 world class athletes representing more than 70 countries. Ranging from archery to wrestling, there are a total of 69 athletic events to compete in. Each 10-day event begins with a grand opening ceremony, and continues with numerous planned social events and a memorial service spread throughout the week. The festivities culminate with the passing of the flag to the following host country at the closing ceremony. The event is the second largest multi-sporting event in the world, only surpassed by the Olympics. To respectfully coincide with the 10-year anniversary of Sept. 11th, the 2011 World Police and Fire Games were held in New York City. The tennis matches were held at Stadium Tennis Center and Sportime Randall’s Island, offering international competitors two of the finest tennis facilities in the city. Competitors traveled from all over the world, including Italy, Brazil and Spain, to test their athletic prowess against the top police and fireman athletes. With more

Credit all photos to Michael Sarro

than 20 different divisions, the competition was fierce and exciting. Ten years ago might have been a low point in our nation’s history, but these uniformed men and women have shown us to how to be strong, resilient and dedicated individuals. From watching the camaraderie and competitive instinct of the tennis players, you can see how motivated these individuals are in whatever task they have at hand. Determination and the desire to succeed is what ultimately won it for the tennis divisional winners, but in the end, all the participants are winners and heroes based on the risks they take every day of their

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2011 • NYTennisMag.com

lives in order to protect us. A special thank you to the Bravest and the Finest of NYC from New York Tennis Magazine and its readers and congratulations to all the participants of the 2011 World Police and Fire Games. Good luck to all of the participants of the next World Police and Fire Games in 2013 as they head to Northern Ireland for another year of friendly competition among those who serve and protect us. Michael Sarro is director of business development for New York Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by phone at (516) 409-4444, ext. 330 or e-mail michael@usptennis.com.

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NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2011 • New York Tennis Magazine

The On-Court Consultation: A N e w W a y t o F i n d t h e P e r f e c t R a c q u e t f o r Yo u By Roman Prokes layers are always looking for an edge on the court. They work with teaching professionals to master their technique, coaches to solidify their tactics, trainers to ameliorate their conditioning. Why not have an expert help with your equipment? That is the goal of an on-court consultation. I have been working with top pro players for over three decades. I have aided players like Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, Maria Sharapova, Caroline Wozniacki, and countless others throughout the world. This massive experience has pushed me to really understand the game from the equipment perspective. Players are constantly searching for the best specification of frames, handles, weights, balances, strings and tensions. I have seen the enormous diversity when players change any of these variables. One example is recently when I was on the court with Maria Sharapova and her coach Michael Joyce. Even though Maria was hitting with extreme force, Michael hardly broke a sweat. Maria’s shots were not as efficient as they could be. By testing multiple equipment variables and giving her direct feedback, Maria was able to alleviate her shoulder pain, add some pop to her ground strokes, improve her confidence and numerous other benefits. By choosing the right specifications, we quickly had Michael doing all the running. The difference was enormous and instantaneous, creating results that translated to tournament wins and ranking points. Professionals are not only superhuman in competition, but they have an uncanny ability to feel differences in almost any infinitesimal change when testing equipment. This continuous discussion of minute details of equipment with myself and top professionals has educated me to really see what specification is needed to achieve a player’s desired results. This gave me the idea to do what I always

did for the best players in the world for everyday players as well. I have tested this in a couple of formats, and have tweaked and perfected the system where, within about one hour of on-court time, I can determine the best possible racket frame, grip size, weight, balance, string and tension for any player. Typically, when searching for the correct equipment, players demo rackets. These are programs where a player borrows a racket, tests it for couple days, and after few tests, buys the racket. I have seen more times than I can recount, where a player purchases multiple rackets only to come back a few weeks later saying that they don’t like the racket. In effect, a player ends up having spent a lot of money and the result is not what they hoped for. That’s where I think an on-court consultation is far superior. The process requires access to all pertinent racket demos for a player’s game, customization resources, a tennis hitter with consistent hitting and meaningful feedback, and a player looking to improve. The player tests different rackets, strings, tensions and customizations, all the while, they receive feedback from the hitter who has the best gauge of their performance. I analyze the performance, hear what goals are desired, and advise which various equipment changes to try. There is really no definitive format of doing this because every player is very unique. Sometimes, the player can try a lot of rackets, whereas other times, not many at all. Sometimes, the results come with retail rackets off the shelf, and sometimes, rackets need to be adjusted to distinct specifications to be perfectly matched to a player’s specific needs. In this well-controlled environment, a player gets the best litmus test of the equipment, as well as allowing the consultant to implement changes to the racket. At the end of the process, the player and the consultant all agree on one to two possible options. The player is then encouraged to test the selected rackets a few more times under different conditions.

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2011 • NYTennisMag.com

An on-court consultation is a very precise and methodical way to find out what works best for you. It will always be a chance for a player to test equipment in a controlled environment, with the guidance of an expert, as well as the feedback of an educated coach/pro. It’s a chance for a player to know what works optimally for them without the “what ifs” (what if I tried this racket at a different tension, what if this racket was heavier, what if I used this racket against a big hitter, etc.). Whether you end up with a whole new racket frame, a customization of your current racket, a new string, new tension, or a modification that you didn’t know existed, one thing is certain … you will improve. Roman Prokes is a racket technician guru. He has over three decades of experience in the industry. He works with several of the top touring professionals on the ATP and WTA Tours. He can be found at RPNY Tennis in Robbie Wagner Tournament Training, NYC, Citiview Racquet Club, and other locations. He may be reached by phone at (516) 759-5200 or visit RPNYTennis.com.

Tennis Train-ing at the

Vanderbilt Tennis Club Photo credit: Erica Gannett for IRL Productions

Earlier this fall, the Vanderbilt Tennis Club, located on the fourth floor of Grand Central Station opened its doors to the public with a “Get Served” launch party promoted by IRL Productions. At the opening event, Vanderbilt members had the opportunity to play tennis games such as King of the Court and Offense-Defense for free court time. To go along with the fun games, a DJ was present spinning top hits echoing in the massive facility. The DJ had to have one eye on the competition himself as tennis balls were flying over his head. When members were not competing against each other for free court time, they had the opportunity to go to the second floor of the facilities where Eldad Zvulun, head tennis pro for Vanderbilt, was providing members with on-court video analysis in the clubs practice lanes. “It is a great opportunity to see instant results in your tennis game, as you can see what you are doing wrong and correct it almost immediately,” said Eldad. The hitting lanes provide players a close proximity with the tennis pro and are a unique and innovative approach to teaching tennis. While the competition was vicious for court time, all the players were having a blast and enjoying their first experiences on the new court. Some players were even going oldschool and were using wooden racquets against their competition, which was all part of the fun and games at the new facility. NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2011 • New York Tennis Magazine

Prospect Park Hosts

5th Annual End of Season Tournament t the end of the outdoor season, Prospect Park Tennis Center held an end of the year tournament open to the public. The tournament featured a men’s and women’s singles bracket, a men’s and women’s doubles bracket, and a mixeddoubles bracket. Now celebrating its fifth year, the Prospect Park Championships has grown from a modest neighborhood tournament to a large-scale event that attracts high-level talent from throughout the greater metropolitan area. On the women’s side, Julie Lilien won the tournament and said that, “I play in other tournaments, but really enjoy playing here at these facilities. I hope to play in the men’s draw next year,” she added while chuckling. Playing in the men’s draw might not be a bad idea, as she had a dominating performance winning the women’s bracket, as well as winning the mixeddoubles tournament with her partner Robert Cooper. Keenan Hughes won the men’s draw in his first appearance in the tournament. For Keenan, he decided to play because “It is fun as you get older to realize that you can still compete with high-quality players. It isn’t often that I play competitive tennis anymore, but when I do, it is quite exciting.” With 64 players on each side of the draw, Julie and Keenan’s victories were well-earned and they will look to defend their respective titles at next year’s Prospect Park Championships.

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2011 • NYTennisMag.com

Dr. Drew Tortoriello, M.D. Medical Director of SIRM New York Board Certiﬁed Reproductive Endocrinologist

Sher Institute - New York State-of-Art Fertility Center

425 Fifth Avenue • New York, NY 10016 Toll Free: (866) 747-6692 Phone: (646) 792-7476 Fax: (646) 274-0600 newyork@haveababy.com “We help complete your journey to parenthood”

Sher Institute - Westchester Phone: (914) 696-7476

From the moment you walk into our state-of-the-art fertility center located on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, you'll feel the warmth and compassion that will deﬁne your experience at our reproductive center. Our professional services include: General Infertility, In Vitro Fertilization, Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD), ICSI, Intrauterine Insemination (IUI), Reproductive Surgery, and Egg Donation and Surrogacy.

SIRM-NY Welcomes Metropolitan Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine We are pleased to welcome Michael Bennett L.Ac., Dipl. O.M. from Metropolitan Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine to our SIRM-New York office. Michael Bennett is a Licensed Acupuncturist in New York and New Jersey and is a Board Certified Herbal Medicine Consultant by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). As our in-house acupuncturist and herbalist, Michael specializes in the treatment of female and male infertility, stress and pain. He offers free consultation to new patients.

Did d you u know w thatt Acupuncture e can n positively impact yourr chances s to o conceive? Itt is s a safe e and d scientifically-proven n method d to o enhance y and d increase e your r chances s off conception! fertility At Metropolitann Acupuncturee & Herball Medicine, we specialize in helping couples make the journey from infertility to family. We are conveniently located in Manhattan on the third floor of 425 Fifth Avenue at the corner of 38th street, across the street from Lord & Taylor. Wee aree thee officiall acupuncturee andd herball medicinee practicee forr thee renowned d Sherr Institutee forr Reproductivee Medicinee in n Manhattan.

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NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2011 • New York Tennis Magazine

The USTA Community Tennis Development Workshop:

Growing the Game nce a year, the USTA nationally recognizes all those who promote and grow the sport of tennis by holding the Community Tennis Development Workshop (CTDW). For three days, the tennis community is brought together to learn, teach, inspire and honor people who work so hard for a sport that they love. The annual gathering has become one of the most important that the USTA holds as it brings together Community Tennis Associations (CTAs) and National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) programs from all across the country. In 2011, the workshop was held in Washington, D.C. and focused on the growth of 10 & Under Tennis, the newest initiative launched by the USTA. Attendees are offered an array of classes and workshops dealing with tennis programming, marketing and communications, facilities and advocacy and many more. Along with providing these educational seminars, the USTA uses this opportunity to acknowledge the most outstanding community tennis programs in the country. This year, the New York Junior Tennis League was recognized for their hard work and dedication to growing the sport of tennis by winning the NJTL of the Year Award after many years of providing free tennis programming, as well as after school tutoring programs. The USTA invited New York Tennis Magazine to attend the gala and highlight the NJTL of the Year Award recipient, the NYJTL. Over the last few years, the development of youth tennis has been one of the main focuses of the USTA. According to USTA statistics, tennis has about 20,000 youth players in the 10 & Under age group, while

Pictured here (front row, left to right): Emily Steinberg, R.A.L.L.Y.: Racquet and Literacy League for Youth, 2010 NJTL of the Year; Dr. Deborah MacFarlane-Antoine, NYJTL, 2010 NJTL of the Year; Sandy Martin, Saint Paul Urban Tennis, 2010 NJTL of the Year; Bob Bratcher, 2010 Eve Kraft Community Service Award; Brenda Gilmore, 2010 Eve Kraft Community Service Award. (back row, left to right) Becki Steinberg, R.A.L.L.Y.: Racquet and Literacy League for Youth, 2010 NJTL of the Year; Jim O’Neil, NYJTL, 2010 NJTL of the Year; Lewis “Skip” Hartman, NYJTL, 2010 NJTL of the Year; Jon Vegosen, USTA Chairman of the Board and President; Gordon Smith, USTA Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director; Julie Watson Dick, 2010 Janet Louer USTA Jr. Team Tennis Organizer of the Year Award; Jim Holt, 2010 Adaptive Tennis Community Service Award; Eleni Rossides, Executive Director, Washington Tennis and Education Foundation, 2010 CTA of the Year soccer has approximately two million players in the same age group. Much has been done to modify the game in order to make it easier and more enjoyable for younger players with the development of the QuickStart Method and now most recently with the addition of 10-and-Under Tennis. The 10 & Under Tennis program is a competitive style of play involving the QuickStart

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2011 • NYTennisMag.com

method which uses smaller courts and racquets, as well as bigger foam balls to slow down the game for young beginners. The overall theme of this year’s CTDW was how to implement it into programs. The overall buzz at the workshop was that this new initiative is great for the overall sport but especially great for kids in the hopes of gaining and retaining players.

“Other sports have had modified versions of their game so kids could play for years,” said USTA Chairman of the Board and President Jon Vegosen. “It may have taken us a while, but with the addition of 10 & Under Tennis, we can now say that tennis has joined the ranks of other youth sports.” Many of the classes and seminars were devoted to 10 & Under Tennis in order to educate pros and organizations on the specifics of the program since it is fairly new. In addition to the educational aspect of the workshop, several people and programs received awards for their dedication to growing the sport. Among the select few of recipients, the New York Junior Tennis League (NYJTL), located in Manhattan, was fortunate enough to receive the NJTL of the Year Award. The NYJTL is the largest tennis and education-themed community organization in the United States and offers comprehensive school and communitybased programs throughout New York City’s five boroughs. They serve over 100,000 youths ranging from ages 6-18 and provide free tennis for all participants. The NYJTL was founded by Arthur Ashe and Lewis “Skip” Hartman in 1971 and for 40 years, the New York Junior Tennis League has provided the joys of tennis

and education to underserved children. By participating with the NYJTL, children are provided the necessary tools to excel on and off the tennis court through the sport of tennis. An example of this can be seen by their many after school tutor classes and college prep courses. This was best summed up by President and Chief Executive Officer Deborah MacFarlane Antoine who said, “Our kids become better people because of tennis.” The NYJTL has been providing its services for 40 years now and is a great role model for other NJTLs. Upon receiving the award for NJTL of the year, founder Skip Hartman thanked a countless number of NYJTL employees for their years of dedication and hard work. Hartman went on to say, “Other than my family, nothing has been more life fulfilling than working with the NYJTL.” Skip also mentioned how his programs would not be what they would be if not for devoted volunteers who help in any way they can. This was very well-received as many people in the audience were in fact volunteers and not paid for their efforts towards growing the sport. In closing, Skip stated, “If savvy committed volunteers tackle the important problems that face their communities, then they can be very successful.”

Skip’s concluding remarks echoed through the room as the weekend was a way to say thank you to everyone for all their contributions and that with a little hard work, anyone can make a difference. In one way or another, everyone who attended the workshop had made strides to grow the sport of tennis. Tennis needs these dedicated individuals to promote and grow the sport and they are doing just that. This is evident by the 5,000 or so people who attended the workshop and are doing so much for the sport that we all love. In 2012, the USTA Community Tennis Development Workshop will be held in New Orleans from Jan. 13-15. For the first time ever, it will feature a special session on the new CTA Health Check system which is a way for CTA’s to asses themselves. It is a self-evaluation process where they try to assess their strengths and weaknesses, identify areas that need improvement, and also find resources that can help in planning and implementing strategic goals which is the ultimate goal of the workshop to begin with. The CTA Health Check evaluates four main areas of a CTA: Structure, Planning, Programming and Communications. All are very valuable to the amount of success any CTA will have.

USTA May Alter U.S. Open Schedule to Accommodate Off-Day U.S. Open officials are exploring the possibility of amending its schedule to switch its final day to a Monday. The three other Grand Slam events, the French Open, Australian Open and Wimbledon all wrap up their action on Sundays. USTA Tournament Director Jim Curley has told The Associated Press that the USTA has opened discussions with CBS about finding a way to heed players’ calls for a day off between the men’s semifinals and final. The U.S. Open is the only Grand Slam event that schedules its semifinals and finals on consecutive days, Saturday and Sunday. One proposal would shift the men’s final from Sunday to Monday, and the women’s final from Saturday to Sunday. The USTA also is considering keeping the men’s title match on Sunday, but moving the semifinals to Friday.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2011 • New York Tennis Magazine

NEW YORK TENNIS CLUB

DIRECTORY Cunningham Sports Center Bill Racho—Director of Junior Tennis Programs 196-00 Union Turnpike Fresh Meadows, NY 11366 (718) 740-6800 bill@cunninghamsportscenter.com CunninghamSportsCenter.com Go! Tennis at North Shore Tennis & Racquet Club George Garland—Director of Tennis 34-28 214th Place Flushing, New York 11361-1720 (718) 229-9579 georgec@gotennisprograms.com Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club Gertrud Wilhelm 450 West 43rd Street • New York, NY 10036 (212) 594-0554 g.wilhelm@mprcnyc.com ManhattanPlazaRacquetClub.com or AdvantageTennis NY.com

Midtown Tennis Club Jennifer Brown—Director 341 8th Avenue • New York, NY 10001 (212) 989-8572 midtowntennis@netzero.com MidtownTennis.com New York Tennis Club Lauren Hartman 3081 Harding Avenue Bronx, NY 10465 (718) 239-7916 lhartman.nytci@gmail.com NewYorkTennisClub.com or AdvantageTennisNY.com

Fridays, November 4, 11, 18 & 25 Friday Night Round Robin Tournaments Midtown Tennis Club 341 8th Avenue (27th Street) New York, N.Y. 8:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m. For more information, call (212) 989-8572, ext. 104 or visit MidTownTennis.com.

Stadium Tennis Center at Mill Pond Joel Kassan—Tennis Director 725 Gateway Center Boulevard Bronx, NY 10451 (718) 665-4684 joel@gothamtennis.com StadiumTennisNYC.com

Roosevelt Island Racquet Club Tom Manhart—Assistant General Manager 281 Main Street Roosevelt Island, NY 10044 (212) 935-0250 tmanhart@rirctennis.com RIRCTennis.com or AdvantageTennis NY.com

UPCOMING NOVEMBER 2011 Thursday-Sunday, November 3-6 USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Flushing, N.Y. For more information, visit USTA.com.

SPORTIME Randall’s Island Ted Dimond—Director of Tennis 1 Randall’s Island New York, NY 10035 (212) 427-6150 randallsisland@sportimeny.com SportimeNY.com/Manhattan

Vanderbilt Tennis Club at Grand Central Terminal Eldad (Dadi) Zvulun—Manager/Head Professional 15 Vanderbilt Avenue, 4th Floor New York, NY 10017 (212) 599-6500 dadi@vanderbilttennisclub.com TennisInManhattan.com West Side Tennis Club Bob Ingersole—Director of Tennis 1 Tennis Place Forest Hills, NY 11375 (718) 268-2300 tennisdirector@foresthillstennis.com ForestHillsTennis.com/index.html

USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Whitney Kraft—Director of Tennis Flushing Meadows Corona Park Flushing, NY 11368 (718) 760-6200 kraft@usta.com USTA.com

EVENTS

Friday, November 4 Sportime Randall’s Island Friday Night Adult Tennis Mixer Sportime at Randall’s Island 1 Randall’s Island New York, N.Y. 7:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. For more information, call (212) 427-6150 or visit SportimeNY.com/Manhattan. Saturdays, November 5, 12, 19 & 26 Saturday Night Mixers Roosevelt Island Racquet Club 281 Main Street Roosevelt Island, N.Y. 8:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. Supervised Doubles 10:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m. Open Court Time For more information, call (212) 935-0250 or visit RIRCTennis.com.

Saturday-Monday, November 5-7 2011 New York State Public High School Athletic Association Girls High School Tennis Tournament Eastside Racquet Club 140 West Seneca Street • Manlius, N.Y. For more information, call (518) 690-0771 or visit NYSPHSAA.org. Saturday, November 19 Triples Tournament Roosevelt Island Racquet Club 281 Main Street • Roosevelt Island, N.Y. For more information, call (212) 935-0250 or visit RIRCTennis.com. DECEMBER 2011 Fridays, December 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 Friday Night Round Robin Tournaments Midtown Tennis Club 341 8th Avenue (27th Street) • New York, N.Y. For more information, call (212) 989-8572, ext. 104 or visit MidTownTennis.com.

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2011 • NYTennisMag.com

Friday, December 2 Sportime Randall’s Island Friday Night Adult Tennis Mixer Sportime at Randall’s Island 1 Randall’s Island • New York, N.Y. 7:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. For more information, call (212) 427-6150 or visit SportimeNY.com/Manhattan. Saturdays, December 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31 Saturday Night Mixers Roosevelt Island Racquet Club 281 Main Street • Roosevelt Island, N.Y. 8:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. Supervised Doubles 10:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m. Open Court Time For more information, call (212) 935-0250 or visit RIRCTennis.com. Saturday, December 10 Cardio Tennis Party Roosevelt Island Racquet Club 281 Main Street • Roosevelt Island, N.Y. For more information, call (212) 935-0250 or visit RIRCTennis.com.

NYTennisMag.com â&#x20AC;˘ November/December 2011 â&#x20AC;˘ New York Tennis Magazine

NEW Boys & Girls Metro Rankings (as of 10/17/11)

BOYS

Metro Boys 10 Singles Rank ..Name ............................City 1 ..........Shand Stephens..................New York, N.Y. 2 ..........Kemal Irfan Aziz ..................Staten Island, N.Y. 3 ..........Derrick Mu ..........................Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 4 ..........Derek Raskopf ....................New York, N.Y. 5 ..........Stevan Stojkovic..................Flushing, N.Y. 6 ..........Eitan Khromchenko ............Staten Island, N.Y. 7 ..........Christopher Tham................Flushing, N.Y. 8 ..........Lantis Wang ........................New York, N.Y. 9 ..........Maxwell Igor Kachkarov ......Flushing, N.Y. 10 ........Shawn Jackson ..................Staten Island, N.Y. 11 ........Sidharth Chawla..................New York, N.Y. 12 ........Alex Zlotchenko ..................New York, N.Y. 13 ........Jonathan Glinsky ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 14 ........Jeffrey Fradkin ....................New York, N.Y. 15 ........Tyler Kats............................Astoria, N.Y. 16 ........Sunjay Dev Singh ................New York, N.Y. 17 ........Aaron Jackson ....................Staten Island, N.Y. 18 ........Steven Daniel Nazaroff ........Brooklyn, N.Y. 19 ........Noah D. Edelman ................New York, N.Y. 20 ........Oliver Obeid ........................New York, N.Y. 21 ........Alexander Nielsen ..............New York, N.Y. 22 ........David Krasner ....................Staten Island, N.Y. 23 ........Tristan Taylor, ......................New York, N.Y. 24 ........Will Coad ............................Brooklyn, N.Y. 25 ........Teddy Brodsky ....................New York, N.Y. 26 ........Joseph Wilkanowski............Long Island City, N.Y. 27 ........Oliver Wetherill Tockman ....Brooklyn, N.Y. 28 ........Scott Fischer ......................New York, N.Y. 29 ........Harry Portnoy ......................New York, N.Y. 30 ........Jeffrey McCready................Brooklyn, N.Y. 31 ........Zachary Targoff ..................New York, N.Y. 32 ........Wesley Zhang......................Staten Island, N.Y. 33 ........Blake Frank ........................New York, N.Y. 34 ........Alex Portnoy........................New York, N.Y. 35 ........Christian Leonard Gruyon ....Bronx, N.Y. 36 ........Ryan McCook......................Saint Albans, N.Y. 37 ........Christopher Ronald Borter ..New York, N.Y. 38 ........Max Kessler ........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 39 ........Daniel Rafael Helfgott..........New York, N.Y. 40 ........Robbie F. Werdiger ..............New York, N.Y.

Metro Boys 12 Singles Rank ..Name ..........................City 1 ..........Kemal Irfan Aziz ..................Staten Island, N.Y. 2 ..........Derek Lung ........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 3 ..........Mitchell Mu ........................Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 4 ..........Ethan Moszkowski ..............New York, N.Y. 5 ..........David Moldovan ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 6 ..........Oliver Jevtovic ....................Astoria, N.Y. 7 ..........Derrick Mu ..........................Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 8 ..........Chrstopher Tham ................Flushing, N.Y. 9 ..........Shand Stephens..................New York, N.Y. 10 ........Cameron Gruss ..................New York, N.Y. 11 ........Matthew Joshua Ross ........New York, N.Y. 12 ........Philip Belmatch ..................Staten Island, N.Y. 13 ........Ethan Finley ........................New York, N.Y. 14 ........Christopher Kolesnik ..........Staten Island, N.Y. 15 ........Stevan Stojkovic..................Flushing, N.Y. 16 ........Jonathan L. Molfetta ..........Howard Beach, N.Y. 17 ........Zachary Jordan Lieb............New York, N.Y. 18 ........A.J. Lehrman ......................New York, N.Y. 19 ........Michael Cooper Jr. ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 20 ........Lantis Wang ........................New York, N.Y. 21 ........David Mizrahi ......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 22 ........Robert Shinder ....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 23 ........Logan Gruss........................New York, N.Y. 24 ........Dyaln Friedman ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 25 ........Eitan Khromchenko ............Staten Island, N.Y. 26 ........Andreja Radevic ..................New York, N.Y. 27 ........Nicholas Rudman ................New York, N.Y.

YORK

28 ........Javier Nathaniel Luna..........New York, N.Y. 29 ........Gregory Thomas Coe ..........New York, N.Y. 30 ........Emil Nadyrbekov ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 31 ........Max Leon Adelman..............New York, N.Y. 32 ........Bryce Philip Kassalow ........New York, N.Y. 33 ........Adam Lane Bernstein ..........New York, N.Y. 34 ........Joseph R. Reiner ................New York, N.Y. 35 ........Shawn Jackson ..................Staten Island, N.Y. 36 ........Gabriel Sifuentes ................Flushing, N.Y. 37 ........Will Coad ............................New York, N.Y. 38 ........Itamar I. Oron ......................New York, N.Y. 39 ........David Dylan Pines ..............New York, N.Y. 40 ........George Allen........................New York, N.Y.

Metro Boys 14 Singles Rank ..Name ..........................City 1 ..........Denis Korol..........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 2 ..........Evan Liberman ....................New York, N.Y. 3 ..........Nate Newhouse ..................New York, N.Y. 4 ..........Zachary Kaplan ..................New York, N.Y. 5 ..........Andrew Penn ......................New York, N.Y. 6 ..........Brett Robert Raskopf ..........New York, N.Y. 7 ..........Andrew E. Hauser................New York, N.Y. 8 ..........Garrett Thomas Sopko ........Brooklyn, N.Y. 9 ..........Leonard Margolis ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 10 ........Bojidar Ivanov Todorov ........Rego Park, N.Y. 11 ........Horia George Negru ............Middle Village, N.Y. 12 ........Oliver Mai............................Little Neck, N.Y. 13 ........Alexander Fallone................New York, N.Y. 14 ........Scott Alexander Glauber ......New York, N.Y. 15 ........William J. Trang ..................Staten Island, N.Y. 16 ........Adam Chan ........................New York, N.Y. 17 ........Frank George Nicolazzi........Flushing, N.Y. 18 ........Leonardo Escudero ............Ozone Park, N.Y. 19 ........Cameron Gruss ..................New York, N.Y. 20 ........Xavier Pacthod ....................New York, N.Y. 21 ........Peter Lohrbach....................Little Neck, N.Y. 22 ........Antony Jippov ....................New York, N.Y. 23 ........Robert Eugene Millman ......New York, N.Y. 24 ........Jordan Rey-Anatole ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 25 ........Ethan Moszkowski ..............New York, N.Y. 26 ........Jonathan L. Molfetta ..........Howard Beach, N.Y. 27 ........Cole Fluehr..........................Forest Hills, N.Y. 28 ........Daniel Usvyat ......................Forest Hills, N.Y. 29 ........Dan Ion Negru ....................Middle Village, N.Y. 30 ........Andrew Zucker....................New York, N.Y. 31 ........Owen Silitch........................New York, N.Y. 32 ........Kevin A. Pertsovsky ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 33 ........Matthew Chin......................Flushing, N.Y. 34 ........Kumeil Hosain ....................New York, N.Y. 35 ........Seid Mulic ..........................Long Island City, N.Y. 36 ........Nick Papyan........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 37 ........Massimo Costantini ............New York, N.Y. 38 ........Ian Lee................................New York, N.Y. 39 ........Josh Charap........................New York, N.Y. 40 ........Sam Krevlin ........................New York, N.Y.

Metro Boys 16 Singles Rank ..Name ..........................City 1 ..........Michael Jasienowski ..........Middle Village, N.Y. 2 ..........Jonathan Compres ..............East Elmhurst, N.Y. 3 ..........Benjamin M. Erichsen..........Bronx, N.Y. 4 ..........Brad Gaffin..........................New York, N.Y. 5 ..........Michael Jared Lesser ..........New York, N.Y. 6 ..........Jack K. Spiegel ..................New York, N.Y. 7 ..........Jordan A. Selig ....................New York, N.Y. 8 ..........Justin S. Selig ....................New York, N.Y. 9 ..........Justin Ho ............................Brooklyn, N.Y. 10 ........Joshua Freud ......................New York, N.Y. 11 ........Gregory Gon........................Flushing, N.Y. 12 ........Jonathan Cohen ..................New York, N.Y. 13 ........Anthony Santino..................Douglaston, N.Y. 14 ........Daniel Witke........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 15 ........Leonard Margolis ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 16 ........Dillon McKenzie ..................Laurelton, N.Y. 17 ........Kevin Patrick Roan ..............Howard Beach, N.Y. 18 ........Mark Semerik ....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 19 ........Ryo Kono ............................New York, N.Y.

RANKINGS 20 ........Jason Grunfeld....................New York, N.Y. 21 ........Lamar Hurt..........................New York, N.Y. 22 ........Eugene Rozygrayev ............New York, N.Y. 23 ........James Marcus Dorman ......New York, N.Y. 24 ........Alexander Fallone................New York, N.Y. 25 ........Alexander Newhouse ..........New York, N.Y. 26 ........Kevin Valdez........................Jamaica, N.Y. 27 ........Luke E. Sherman ................New York, N.Y. 28 ........Alexander Pintilie ................New York, N.Y. 29 ........Zachary Kaplan ..................New York, N.Y. 30 ........Safraz Altaf Hamid ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 31 ........Paul Pricop..........................New York, N.Y. 32 ........Travis A. Arffa ......................New York, N.Y. 33 ........Yihao Yang ..........................New York, N.Y. 34 ........Spencer Bistricer ................New York, N.Y. 35 ........William J. Trang ..................Staten Island, N.Y. 36 ........Jun Yiminaga ......................Little Neck, N.Y. 37 ........Douglas L. Mo ....................Douglaston, N.Y. 38 ........Brian Murray ......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 39 ........Rohil Vir Basu......................New York, N.Y. 40 ........Matthew Winter ..................New York, N.Y.

Metro Boys 18 Singles Rank ..Name ..........................City 1 ..........David N. Zhukovsky ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 2 ..........Sean J. Solomonoff ............New York, N.Y. 3 ..........Ryan E. Villarruel ................Staten Island, N.Y. 4 ..........Brad Gaffin..........................New York, N.Y. 5 ..........Michael Gross ....................Floral Park, N.Y. 6 ..........Rodion Kaplounov ..............New York, N.Y. 7 ..........Hugh H. Mo ........................Douglaston, N.Y. 8 ..........Enrique Torres ....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 9 ..........James M. Rubin ..................New York, N.Y. 10 ........Lear Haninovich ..................New York, N.Y.

GIRLS

Metro Girls 10 Singles Rank ..Name ..........................City 1 ..........Carolyn Brodsky ..................New York, N.Y. 2 ..........Miriam Irfan Aziz ................Staten Island, N.Y. 3 ..........Juliana Kislin ......................New York, N.Y. 4 ..........Diana Ellen Sosonkin ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 5 ..........Gabriella Eitkis ....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 6 ..........Katherine Kachkarov ..........Flushing, N.Y. 7 ..........Diana McCready..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 8 ..........Isabella Nicole Tushaj ..........Bronx, N.Y. 9 ..........Nicole K. Cee ......................New York, N.Y. 10 ........Izabela Almaleh ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 11 ........Dakota Fordham..................New York, N.Y. 12 ........Rebecca Izyayeva................Staten Island, N.Y. 13 ........Zoe Kava ............................New York, N.Y. 14 ........Elisabeth G. Schlossel ........New York, N.Y. 15 ........Lena Kovacevic ..................New York, N.Y. 16 ........Kassia Taylor ......................New York, N.Y. 17 ........Audrey Pacthod ..................New York, N.Y. 18 ........Rebecca Eliana Fisch ..........New York, N.Y. 19 ........Amy Kaplan ........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 20 ........Perene Wang ......................New York, N.Y. 21 ........Amanda Solecki ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 22 ........Zoe Sulju Moon ..................New York, N.Y. 23 ........Grace L. Kennedy ................New York, N.Y. 24 ........Isabella T. Hartman..............New York, N.Y. 25 ........Tatiana Mandis....................New York, N.Y. 26 ........Olivia Lynch-Burgdorf..........Douglaston, N.Y. 27 ........Caroline A. Schlossel ..........New York, N.Y. 28 ........Cassie Tian..........................Flushing, N.Y. 29 ........Bella Kaplan........................New York, N.Y. 30 ........Caroline Paige Kantor ..........New York, N.Y.

Metro Girls 12 Singles Rank ..Name ..........................City 1 ..........Sydney Lynn Katz................New York, N.Y. 2 ..........Victoria Judy Hanuman ......Brooklyn, N.Y. 3 ..........Juliana Kislin ......................New York, N.Y. 4 ..........Patricia Obeid......................New York, N.Y. 5 ..........Kyra Bergmann ..................Forest Hills, N.Y. 6 ..........Rachel Okin ........................New York, N.Y. 7 ..........Katherine Kachkarov ..........Flushing, N.Y.

New York Tennis Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ November/December 2011 â&#x20AC;˘ NYTennisMag.com

8 ..........Brittny Jo Ferreira ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 9 ..........Danielle Kade......................New York, N.Y. 10 ........Victoria Zezula ....................Ridgewood, N.Y. 11 ........Lia Kiam..............................New York, N.Y. 12 ........Olga Drahanchuk ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 13 ........Alexa Nobandegani ............New York, N.Y. 14 ........Chrstina Huynh....................Astoria, N.Y. 15 ........Sonia Tartakovsky ..............New York, N.Y. 16 ........Sarah Finley ........................New York, N.Y. 17 ........Miriam Irfan Aziz ................Staten Island, N.Y. 18 ........Isabelle Rovinski ................New York, N.Y. 19 ........Jennifer Yu ..........................Forest Hills, N.Y. 20 ........Johnniesha Joy Breiten ......Bronx, N.Y. 21 ........Carolyn Brodsky ..................New York, N.Y. 22 ........Stephanie Li........................New York, N.Y. 23 ........Anastasia Nicole Koniaev ....Forest Hills, N.Y. 24 ........Olivia Simone Morris ..........Floral Park, N.Y. 25 ........Charlotte May Mosler ..........New York, N.Y. 26 ........Michelle Sorokko ................Douglaston, N.Y. 27 ........Donna Marie Episcopio........Bayside, N.Y. 28 ........Shelly Yaloz ........................Little Neck, N.Y. 29 ........Steffi Antao ........................Briarwood, N.Y. 30 ........Skyie Stamper ....................Bronx, N.Y. 31 ........Maryna Bohdanovska..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 32 ........Alice Soares Pinho ..............Woodside, N.Y. 33 ........Anna Maite Kaplan ..............New York, N.Y. 34 ........Isabella Nicole Tushaj ..........Bronx, N.Y. 35 ........Kiara A. Rose ......................New York, N.Y. 36 ........Nicole K. Cee ......................New York, N.Y. 37 ........Nicole Veronica Semenov ....Brooklyn, N.Y. 38 ........Rebecca Izyayeva................Staten Island, N.Y. 39 ........Izabela Almaleh ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 40 ........Fjolla Arifi............................Astoria, N.Y.

Metro Girls 14 Singles Rank ..Name ..........................City 1 ..........Jenna B. Borenstein ............New York, N.Y. 2 ..........Nicole Holloran....................Bayside, N.Y. 3 ..........Erika Tinalli ........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 4 ..........Vanessa Hanuman ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 5 ..........Ashley Sarah DelMissier......Forest Hills, N.Y. 6 ..........Keren Khromchenko............Staten Island, N.Y. 7 ..........Marierose Apice ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 8 ..........Julia Zbarsky ......................New York, N.Y. 9 ..........Alexandra Sanford ..............New York, N.Y. 10 ........Jennifer Grace Richards ......New York, N.Y. 11 ........Sarah Warman Hirschfield ..New York, N.Y. 12 ........Victoria Zezula ....................Ridgewood, N.Y. 13 ........Alexandra Koniaev ..............Forest Hills, N.Y. 14 ........Sofia Anouk Aisiks ..............New York, N.Y. 15 ........Lydia Greer Weintraub ........New York, N.Y. 16 ........Hannah Jaye Gendel ..........New York, N.Y. 17 ........Arianna Sunshine Motta ......Staten Island, N.Y. 18 ........Nicole Schnabel ..................Woodhaven, N.Y. 19 ........Zorriana B. Johnson ............New York, N.Y. 20 ........Stefana Vujinovic ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 21 ........Alexus Gill ..........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 22 ........Cecilia Anne Swenson ........New York, N.Y. 23 ........Shammiel Fleischer-Amoros ..New York, N.Y. 24 ........Lipika Raghunathan ............New York, N.Y. 25 ........Jennifer Yu ..........................Forest Hills, N.Y. 26 ........Isadora Braune....................New York, N.Y. 27 ........Anna Maite Kaplan ..............New York, N.Y. 28 ........Sarah Horne........................New York, N.Y. 29 ........Hannah Spears....................New York, N.Y. 30 ........Isabelle Rovinski ................New York, N.Y. 31 ........Danielle Kade......................New York, N.Y. 32 ........Caitlin McCarthy Ervine ......New York, N.Y. 33 ........Kiara Rose ..........................New York, N.Y. 34 ........Patricia Obeid......................New York, N.Y. 35 ........Grace Tom ..........................Rego Park, N.Y. 36 ........Sydney Lynn Katz................New York, N.Y. 37 ........Electra Frelinghuysen ..........New York, N.Y. 38 ........Donna Marie Episcopio........Bayside, N.Y. 39 ........Chelsea Williams ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 40 ........Jennifer Reiss ....................New York, N.Y.

NEW Metro Girls 16 Singles Rank ..Name ..........................City 1 ..........Emi Lewis ..........................New York, N.Y. 2 ..........Erika Tinalli ........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 3 ..........Jenna B. Borenstein ............New York, N.Y. 4 ..........Irina Titova ..........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 5 ..........Brittany Biggs......................Bronx, N.Y. 6 ..........Isis Gill ................................Brooklyn, N.Y. 7 ..........Julia Zbarsky ......................New York, N.Y. 8 ..........Sara Levy-Lambert..............New York, N.Y. 9 ..........Nicole Schnabel ..................Woodhaven, N.Y. 10 ........Paolina Zanki ......................Astoria, N.Y. 11 ........Danielle Hupper ..................New York, N.Y. 12 ........Sara Heath ..........................New York, N.Y. 13 ........Arielle L. John ....................Cambria Heights, N.Y. 14 ........Anne Oliver ........................New York, N.Y. 15 ........Alicia Ng ............................Howard Beach, N.Y. 16 ........Camille Price ......................New York, N.Y. 17 ........Claire Harnett......................New York, N.Y. 18 ........Brianna Williams ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 19 ........Vania Savic ........................Woodside, N.Y. 20 ........Bianca Signore....................Staten Island, N.Y. 21 ........Nicole Druzhinsky ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 22 ........Alexa Morgan Leopold ........New York, N.Y. 23 ........Claire Keyte ........................New York, N.Y. 24 ........Stefana Vujinovic ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 25 ........Sarah Rahman ....................East Elmhurst, N.Y. 26 ........Sofia Degtyar ......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 27 ........Lipika Raghunathan ............New York, N.Y. 28 ........Alexandra N. Samadi ..........Staten Island, N.Y. 29 ........Priscilla Signore ..................Staten Island, N.Y. 30 ........Ashley Sarah DelMissier......Forest Hills, N.Y. 31 ........Julia Greenberg ..................New York, N.Y. 32 ........Sarah Horne........................New York, N.Y. 33 ........Sofia Anouk Aisiks ..............New York, N.Y. 34 ........Olga Voronetskaya ..............Forest Hills, N.Y. 35 ........Hediye Karabay ..................Flushing, N.Y. 36 ........Zoe Anderson ......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 37 ........Briel Biggs ..........................Bronx , N.Y. 38 ........Gabrielle F. Freitag ..............New York, N.Y. 39 ........Nicole Serras ......................Whitestone, N.Y. 40 ........Esther Rodriguez ................Bronx, N.Y.

Metro Girls 18 Singles Rank ..Name ..........................City 1 ..........Juliana Nelkin ....................New York, N.Y. 2 ..........Rachel Colton......................New York, N.Y. 3 ..........Monica Y. Gokhberg ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 4 ..........Sophia N. Schlossel ............New York, N.Y. 5 ..........Cara Borenstein ..................New York, N.Y. 6 ..........Dina Levy-Lambert..............New York, N.Y. 7 ..........Charlotte Camacho..............New York, N.Y. 8 ..........Alexandra Samadi ..............Staten Island, N.Y. 9 ..........Sara Levy-Lambert..............New York, N.Y.

Boys & Girls Sectional Rankings (as of 09/27/11)

BOYS

Sectional Boys 10 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 4 ..........Ethan Leon..........................Woodhaven, N.Y. 8 ..........Derek Raskopf ....................New York, N.Y. 15 ........Steven Daniel Nazaroff ........Brooklyn, N.Y. 17 ........Robbie F. Werdiger ..............New York, N.Y. 19 ........Christopher Tham................Flushing, N.Y. 20 ........Shand Stephens..................New York, N.Y. 21 ........Eitan Khromchenko ............Staten Island, N.Y. 27 ........Jonathan Glinsky ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 28 ........Oliver Obeid ........................New York, N.Y. 30 ........Harry Portnoy ......................New York, N.Y. 31 ........Noah D. Edelman ................New York, N.Y. 32 ........Tyler Kats............................Astoria, N.Y. 33 ........Michael Cooper Jr. ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 34 ........Alex Portnoy........................New York, N.Y.

YORK

36 ........Derrick Mu ..........................Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 40 ........Will Coad ............................Brooklyn, N.Y. 41 ........Aleksa Pljakic......................Forest Hills, N.Y. 42 ........Zachary Portnoy ..................New York, N.Y. 50 ........Maxwell Igor Kachkarov ......Flushing, N.Y. 52 ........Jeffrey Fradkin ....................New York, N.Y. 57 ........Kai Yuminaga ......................Little Neck, N.Y. 58 ........Alexander Nielsen ..............New York, N.Y. 60 ........Marcos Souza Lee ..............New York, N.Y. 65 ........Jacob David Livianu ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 70 ........Ethan Cai Yablon..................New York, N.Y. 71 ........Teddy Brodsky ....................New York, N.Y. 73 ........Sidharth Chawla..................New York, N.Y. 77 ........Tristan Taylor ......................New York, N.Y. 79 ........Alex Zlotchenko ..................New York, N .Y. 85 ........Christian Leonard Gruyon ....Bronx, N.Y. 87 ........Brian Tyutyunik ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 88 ........George Scribner Bader ........New York, N.Y. 91 ........Joseph Wilkanowski............Long Island City, N.Y. 93 ........Sunjay Dev Singh ................New York, N.Y. 96 ........Nash Crofoot Johnson ........New York, N.Y. 97 ........Ryan David Brandes ............Rego Park, N.Y. 98 ........David Krasner ....................Staten Island, N.Y. 101 ......Garrett Chao........................New York, N.Y. 105 ......Jeffrey McCready................Brooklyn, N.Y. 113 ......Blake Frank ........................New York, N.Y. 114 ......Daniel Galisteo Gordon ........New York, N.Y. 115 ......Scott Fischer ......................New York, N.Y. 116 ......Jace K. Alexander................New York, N.Y. 119 ......Wesley Zhang......................Staten Island, N.Y. 125 ......Donald James Smith ..........Roosevelt Island, N.Y. 128 ......Max Kessler ........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 132 ......Dylan Connor Reziniano ......New York, N.Y. 140 ......Stephen Samuel Sloan ........New York, N.Y. 143 ......Benjamin Singer..................New York, N.Y. 146 ......David Brandes ....................Rego Park, N.Y. 147 ......Blake Aviv ..........................New York, N.Y. 148 ......Samuel Thornton Charlton ..New York, N.Y. 149 ......Harry Thornton Charlton ......New York, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 12 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 7 ..........Sumit Sarkar ......................New York, N.Y. 21 ........Sam V. Vagner ....................Staten Island, N.Y. 23 ........Jeffrey Gorilovsky................Brooklyn, N.Y. 25 ........Max Prohorov......................Rego Park, N.Y. 34 ........Gary C. Fishkin ....................Staten Island, N.Y. 36 ........Ethan Leon..........................Woodhaven, N.Y. 47 ........Jacob Kern..........................New York, N.Y. 64 ........Kemal Irfan Aziz ..................Staten Island, N.Y. 66 ........Oliver Jevtovic ....................Astoria, N.Y. 69 ........Gabriel Sifuentes ................Flushing, N.Y. 71 ........David Mizrahi ......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 73 ........James Kandel Dill ..............New York, N.Y. 78 ........Allan Ethan Magid ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 84 ........David Moldovan ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 97 ........Zachary Jordan Lieb............New York, N.Y. 101 ......Matthew Joshua Ross ........New York, N.Y. 103 ......Logan Gruss........................New York, N.Y. 118 ......Mitchell Mu ........................Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 119 ......Tanner Ross Bhonslay ........New York, N.Y. 121 ......Shand Stephens..................New York, N.Y. 126 ......Christopher Tham................Flushing, N.Y. 130 ......Stevan Stojkovic..................Flushing, N.Y. 141 ......Lantis Wang ........................New York, N.Y. 144 ......Philip Belmatch ..................Staten Island, N.Y. 149 ......Derek Lung ........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 150 ......Ethan Finley ........................New York, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 14 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 7 ..........James Franklin Wasserman New York, N.Y. 8 ..........Christopher Paul Auteri........Staten Island, N.Y. 9 ..........Oliver Sec ..........................New York, N.Y. 11 ........Alex Knaff............................New York, N.Y.

RANKINGS 13 ........Edan Lee Sossen ................Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 14 ........Gal Mathew Sossen ............Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 15 ........Mitchell Ostrovsky ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 18 ........Victor Miglo ........................Kew Gardens, N.Y. 20 ........Philip Raytburg....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 24 ........Felipe P. Osses-Konig ..........Rego Park, N.Y. 25 ........Alexander Thrane ................New York, N.Y. 26 ........Ananth Raghavan................New York, N.Y. 30 ........Cole Gittens ........................New York, N.Y. 35 ........Aleksandar Kovacevic..........New York, N.Y. 39 ........Marcus T. Smith ..................Little Neck, N.Y. 42 ........Christian O. Gloria ..............Queens Village, N.Y. 44 ........Ian Witmer ..........................New York, N.Y. 69 ........Jordan D. Jordan ................Astoria, N.Y. 72 ........Alex Chao............................New York, N.Y. 77 ........Jared Fields ........................New York, N.Y. 78 ........Peter Lohrbach....................Little Neck, N.Y. 102 ......Cameron Gruss ..................New York, N.Y. 107 ......Ethan Nittolo ......................Flushing, N.Y. 122 ......Andrew Hauser ..................New York, N.Y. 123 ......Antony Jippov ....................New York, N.Y. 128 ......Andrew Penn ......................New York, N.Y. 130 ......William J. Trang ..................Staten Island, N.Y. 146 ......Michal Pisarek ....................Forest Hills, N.Y. 150 ......Evan liberman ....................New York, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 16 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 3 ..........Joshua Yablon ....................New York, N.Y. 15 ........Dennis Druzhinsky ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 25 ........Ryoma Haraguchi................New York, N.Y. 26 ........Zachary Yablon....................New York, N.Y. 28 ........Artemie Amari ....................New York, N.Y. 30 ........Win Smith ..........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 31 ........Justin Fields........................New York, N.Y. 36 ........Lucas Pickering ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 40 ........Daniel Kerznerman..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 42 ........Richard Sec ........................New York, N.Y. 47 ........Cameron Daniels ................Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 60 ........Sachin Raghavan ................New York, N.Y. 68 ........Christopher Paul Auteri........Staten Island, N.Y. 77 ........Douglas L. Mo ....................Douglaston, N.Y. 91 ........Alexis Cai ............................Woodhaven, N.Y. 92 ........Steven H. Koulouris ............Long Island City, N.Y. 95 ........James Wasserman..............New York, N.Y. 113 ......Jonathan Walter Selegean ..East Elmhurst, N.Y. 124 ......Victor Miglo ........................Kew Gardens, N.Y. 130 ......Andrew S. Arnaboldi ............New York, N.Y. 134 ......Matthew Balilo ....................Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 137 ......Alexander Pintilie ................New York, N.Y. 140 ......Jacob Frisch........................New York, N.Y. 145 ......Michael William Anzalone ....Howard Beach, N.Y. 147 ......Marcus T. Smith ..................Little Neck, N.Y. 150 ......Jun Yuminaga ....................Little Neck, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 18 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 3 ..........Andrew Adams....................South Richmond Hill, N.Y. 16 ........Stefan D. Ilic........................Forest Hills, N.Y. 30 ........Jake Sosonkin ....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 32 ........Richard J. Del Nunzio ..........Forest Hills, N.Y. 36 ........Eric R. Brinzenskiy ..............Staten Island, N.Y. 52 ........Alexander J. Petrone ..........Staten Island, N.Y. 66 ........Leon Pan ............................Brooklyn, N.Y. 67 ........Justin Vijungco....................Forest Hills, N.Y. 70 ........Christopher Jou ..................Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 71 ........Dennis Druzhinsky ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 78 ........Justin Fields........................New York, N.Y. 81 ........David F. Arroyave ................Floral Park, N.Y. 82 ........Justin S. Pagan ..................Flushing, N.Y. 87 ........Jacob S. Huber....................New York, N.Y. 88 ........Joseph Vivaldi Motta ..........Staten Island, N.Y. 93 ........Ian Antonoff ........................New York, N.Y. 99 ........Jeremy Kochman ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 110 ......Christopher A. Jimenez........Oakland Gardens, N.Y.

112 ......Joshua Yablon ....................New York, N.Y. 115 ......Christian Waldron ................Bronx, N.Y. 117 ......Steven W. Wilson ................Bronx, N.Y. 121 ......Stephen Monk ....................New York, N.Y. 142 ......Sean J. Solomonoff ............New York, N.Y.

GIRLS

Sectional Girls 10 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 4 ..........Dasha Kourkina ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 6 ..........Christina M. Kuynh ..............Astoria, N.Y. 9 ..........Miriam Irfan Aziz ................Staten Island, N.Y. 10 ........Michelle Sorokko ................Douglaston, N.Y. 12 ........Nicole K. Cee ......................New York, N.Y. 13 ........Shelly Yaloz ........................Little Neck, N.Y. 17 ........Isabella Nicole Tushaj ..........Bronx, N.Y. 20 ........Carolyn Brodsky ..................New York, N.Y. 23 ........Kyra Bergmann ..................Forest Hills, N.Y. 25 ........Katherine Kachkarov ..........Flushing, N.Y. 26 ........Perene Wang ......................New York, N.Y. 27 ........Elisabeth G. Schlossel ........New York, N.Y. 29 ........Gabriella Eitkis ....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 30 ........Rebecca Eliana Fisch ..........New York, N.Y. 35 ........Rebecca Izyayeva................Staten Island, N.Y. 36 ........Zoe Kava ............................New York, N.Y. 39 ........Diana Ellen Sosonkin ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 45 ........Diana McCready..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 46 ........Anastasya Menshikova........Brooklyn, N.Y. 53 ........Sarah Williams ....................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 57 ........Dakota Fordham..................New York, N.Y. 58 ........Lena Kovcevic ....................New York, N.Y. 61 ........Amanda Solecki ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 64 ........Sabrina Boada ....................Woodhaven, N.Y. 68 ........Stella Gray ..........................New York, N.Y. 69 ........Steffi Antao ........................Briarwood, N.Y. 71 ........Valicia Browne ....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 80 ........Amy Kaplan ........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 81 ........Kassia Taylor ......................New York, N.Y. 82 ........Grace L. Kennedy ................New York, N.Y. 83 ........Sophia Weiland ..................Ridgewood, N.Y. 84 ........Zoe Sulju Moon ..................New York, N.Y. 88 ........Isabella Hartman ................New York, N.Y. 92 ........Cassie Tian..........................Flushing, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 12 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 1 ..........Sarah Rahman ....................East Elmhurst, N.Y. 6 ..........Aleksandra Bekirova............Brooklyn, N.Y. 12 ........Alexus Gill ..........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 14 ........Dasha Kourkina ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 15 ........Jennifer Grace Richards ......New York, N.Y. 16 ........Chelsea Williams ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 17 ........Jennifer Yu ..........................Forest Hills, N.Y. 23 ........Victoria Sec ........................New York, N.Y. 26 ........Lauren Elizabeth Munari......Middle Village, N.Y. 27 ........Nicole Veronica Semenov ....Brooklyn, N.Y. 28 ........Michelle Sorokko ................Douglaston, N.Y. 34 ........Regina Furer ......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 47 ........Anastasia Nicole Koniaev ....Forest Hills, N.Y. 48 ........Brittny Jo Ferreira ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 54 ........Juliana Kislin ......................New York, N.Y. 61 ........Shelly Yaloz ........................Little Neck, N.Y. 65 ........Katherine Kachkarov ..........Flushing, N.Y. 71 ........Alice Soares Pinho ..............Woodside, N.Y. 73 ........Christina Huynh ..................Astoria, N.Y. 79 ........Olivia Simone Morris ..........Floral Park, N.Y. 81 ........Kyra Bergmann ..................Forest Hills, N.Y. 83 ........Olga Drahanchuk ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 87 ........Danielle Kade......................New York, N.Y. 91 ........Sydney Lynn Katz................New York, N.Y. 92 ........Lia Kiam..............................New York, N.Y. 99 ........Stephanie Li........................New York, N.Y. 103 ......Zoe Radojicic ......................New York, N.Y. 108 ......Victoria Judy Hanuman ......Brooklyn, N.Y. 112 ......Isabel Balilo ........................Flushing, N.Y.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2011 • New York Tennis Magazine

NEW 113 ......Sarah Finley ........................New York, N.Y. 115 ......Rachel Okin ........................New York, N.Y. 130 ......Charlotte May Mosler ..........New York, N.Y. 134 ......Miriam Irfan Aziz ................Staten Island, N.Y. 136 ......Alexa Nobandegani ............New York, N.Y. 138 ......Kaya Alagappan ..................New York, N.Y. 141 ......Johnniesha Joy Breiten ......Bronx, N.Y. 146 ......Diana Ellen Sosonkin ..........Brooklyn, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 14 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 1 ..........Anna Ulyashchenko ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 2 ..........Jessica Golovin ..................New York, N.Y. 3 ..........Jessica Melanie Livianu ......Brooklyn, N.Y. 6 ..........Arnelle Sullivan ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 7 ..........Sabrina Xiong......................Fresh Meadows, N.Y. 17 ........Shayna M. Spooner ............New York, N.Y. 25 ........Yuka Lin ..............................Kew Gardens, N.Y. 27 ........Sophia Kryloff......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 29 ........Isis Gill ................................Brooklyn, N.Y. 35 ........Christina Puccinelli..............New York, N.Y. 36 ........Jillian Rose Auteri................Staten Island, N.Y. 37 ........Anastasiya Malinouskaya ....Staten Island, N.Y. 41 ........Julia D. Fisch ......................New York, N.Y. 47 ........Alexus Gill ..........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 53 ........Regina Furer ......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 60 ........Ashley Sarah DelMissier......Forest Hills, N.Y. 61 ........Julia Zbarksy ......................New York, N.Y. 64 ........Michelle Khaimov................Jamaica, N.Y. 67 ........Brianna Williams ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 68 ........Alexandra Koniaev ..............Forest Hills, N.Y. 76 ........Jennifer Grace Richards ......New York, N.Y. 81 ........Dasha Kourkina ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 88 ........Jennifer Yu ..........................Forest Hills, N.Y. 104 ......Marierose Apice ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 119 ......Aleksandra Bekirova............Brooklyn, N.Y. 127 ......Cecilia Anne Swenson ........New York, N.Y. 139 ......Vanessa Hanuman ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 140 ......Claire Harnett......................New York, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 16 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 8 ..........Hannah Shteyn....................Staten Island, N.Y. 10 ........Ariana D. Rodriguez ............Bronx, N.Y. 11 ........Emily Safron........................New York, N.Y. 16 ........Nadia Smergut ....................New York, N.Y. 19 ........Lily Bondy ..........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 23 ........Samantha P. Tutelman ........New York, N.Y. 25 ........Arielle N. Griffin ..................Jamaica, N.Y. 27 ........Jessica Golovin ..................New York, N.Y. 30 ........Destiny Grunin ....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 32 ........Alexa Sara Meltzer ..............New York, N.Y. 36 ........Kimberly Salkin ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 39 ........Laura Maria Chitu................New York, N.Y. 46 ........Stefani Lineva ....................Middle Village, N.Y. 48 ........Victoria Lynn Zoha ..............New York, N.Y. 67 ........Sophia N. Schlossel ............New York, N.Y. 76 ........Anna Ulyashchenko ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 96 ........Isis Gill ................................Brooklyn, N.Y. 100 ......Elizabeth Tsvetkov ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 102 ......Augusta Conway ................New York, N.Y. 105 ......Erika Tinalli ........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 108 ......Arnelle Sullivan ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 115 ......Shayna Spooner..................New York, N.Y. 116 ......Jessica Melanie Livianu ......Brooklyn, N.Y. 127 ......Ilana Levich ........................Staten Island, N.Y. 128 ......Rebecca Fakas....................Little Neck, N.Y. 129 ......Sabrina Xiong......................Fresh Meadows, N.Y. 131 ......Champagne Mills ................New York, N.Y. 132 ......Sophia Kryloff......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 135 ......Allie A. Jackson-Hing ..........Rosedale, N.Y. 139 ......Brianna Williams ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 142 ......Christina Puccinelli..............New York, N.Y. 146 ......Jenna B. Borenstein ............New York, N.Y. 147 ......Arielle John ........................Cambria Heights, N.Y. 148 ......Nia Rose ............................New York, N.Y.

YORK

Sectional Girls 18 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 3 ..........Leighann Sahagun ..............Queens Village, N.Y. 7 ..........Emily Safron........................New York, N.Y. 13 ........Ariana D. Rodriguez ............Bronx, N.Y. 18 ........Becky Shtilkind ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 20 ........Hannah Shteyn....................Staten Island, N.Y. 22 ........Manuela Velasquez..............Kew Gardens, N.Y. 23 ........Alexis S. Tashiro ..................Jamaica, N.Y. 26 ........Jacqueline R. Katz ..............New York, N.Y. 33 ........Samantha P. Tutelman ........New York, N.Y. 34 ........Angela Assal ......................Bronx, N.Y. 37 ........Madison Gordon..................New York, N.Y. 40 ........Nadia Smergut ....................New York, N.Y. 44 ........Arielle N. Griffin ..................Jamaica, N.Y. 48 ........Dayana Agasieva ................Forest Hills, N.Y. 49 ........Destiny Grunin ....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 52 ........Alexa Sara Meltzer ..............New York, N.Y. 53 ........Kathleen Piit Uy ..................Elmhurst, N.Y. 57 ........Allison Immergut ................New York, N.Y. 60 ........Jordan P. Zola......................New York, N.Y. 61 ........Katie Derienzo ....................Douglaston, N.Y. 63 ........Lisa Ventimiglia ..................Bayside, N.Y. 67 ........Marylen Santos ..................Jamaica, N.Y. 73 ........Nicole Rydzewski ................Maspeth, N.Y. 77 ........Monica Gokhberg ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 78 ........Gabrielle Sullivan ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 82 ........Kyra Silitch..........................New York, N.Y. 87 ........Lily Bondy ..........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 96 ........Loulou Revson ....................New York, N.Y. 98 ........Charlotte Camacho..............New York, N.Y. 101 ......Sophia N. Schlossel ............New York, N.Y. 103 ......Jessica Golovin ..................New York, N.Y. 108 ......Kimberly Salkin ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 109 ......Laura Maria Chitu................New York, N.Y. 110 ......Jemila Brady ......................Bronx, N.Y. 117 ......Joanna haich ......................Flushing, N.Y. 127 ......Allie Jackson-Hing ..............Rosedale, N.Y. 140 ......Olivia Boccardi ....................New York, N.Y. 149 ......Rachel Colton......................New York, N.Y.

RANKINGS Boys & Girls National Rankings (as of 10/12/11)

GIRLS

National Girls 12 Singles— Metro Region

Rank..Name ..........................City 145 ......Sumit Sarkar........................New York, N.Y. 235 ......Jeffrey Gorilovsky ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 296 ......Gary C. Fishkin ....................Staten Island, N.Y. 354 ......Max Prohorov ......................Rego Park, N.Y. 381 ......Sam V. Vagner......................Staten Island, N.Y. 518 ......Ethan Leon ..........................Woodhaven, N.Y. 575 ......Jacob Kern ..........................New York, N.Y. 795 ......Kemal Irfan Aziz ..................Staten Island, N.Y. 929 ......Oliver Jevtovic ....................Astoria, N.Y.

Rank ..Name ..........................City 50 ........Sarah Rahman ....................East Elmhurst, N.Y. 106 ......Aleksandra Bekirova ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 168 ......Chelsea Williams..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 196 ......Dasha Kourkina ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 197 ......Alexus Gill............................Brooklyn, N.Y. 209 ......Jennifer Grace Richards ......New York, N.Y. 220 ......Jennifer Yu ..........................Forest Hills, N.Y. 232 ......Lauren Elizabeth Munari ......Middle Village, N.Y. 316 ......Victoria Sec ........................New York, N.Y. 324 ......Michelle Sorokko ................Douglaston, N.Y. 381 ......Nicole Veronica Semenov ....Brooklyn, N.Y. 519 ......Regina Furer........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 685 ......Anastasia Nicole Koniaev ....Forest Hills, N.Y.

National Boys 14 Singles— Metro Region

National Girls 14 Singles— Metro Region

BOYS

National Boys 12 Singles— Metro Region

Rank ..Name ..........................City 25 ........James Franklin Wasserman New York, N.Y. 48 ........Christopher Paul Auteri ........Staten Island, N.Y. 62 ........Gal Mathew Sossen ............Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 71 ........Oliver Sec ............................New York, N.Y. 82 ........Edan Lee Sossen ................Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 83 ........Alex Knaff ............................New York, N.Y. 132 ......Mitchell Ostrovsky ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 141 ......Victor Miglo ........................Kew Gardens, N.Y. 240 ......Alexander Thrane ................New York, N.Y. 253 ......Cole Gittens ........................New York, N.Y. 299 ......Ananth Raghavan ................New York, N.Y. 348 ......Philip Raytburg ....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 372 ......Aleksandar Kovacevic ..........New York, N.Y. 378 ......Felipe P. Osses-Konig ..........Rego Park, N.Y. 646 ......Marcus T. Smith ..................Little Neck, N.Y. 758 ......Christian Gloria ....................Queens Village, N.Y. 820 ......Noah Wilson ........................New York, N.Y. 841 ......Ian Witmer ..........................New York, N.Y.

National Boys 16 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 23 ........Daniel Kerznerman ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 65 ........Joshua Yablon......................New York, N.Y. 132 ......Zachary Yablon ....................New York, N.Y. 245 ......Courtney Jaycen Murphy ....Bronx, N.Y. 332 ......Win Smith............................Brooklyn, N.Y. 340 ......Justin Fields ........................New York, N.Y. 474 ......Artemie Amari......................New York, N.Y. 550 ......Sachin Raghavan ................New York, N.Y. 576 ......Ryoma Haraguchi ................New York, N.Y. 581 ......James Franklin Wasserman New York, N.Y. 645 ......Lucas Pickering ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 651 ......Richard Sec ........................New York, N.Y. 955 ......Douglas L. Mo......................Douglaston, N.Y.

National Boys 18 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 21 ........Andrew Adams ....................South Richmond Hill, N.Y. 62 ........Alexander J. Petrone............Staten Island, N.Y. 127 ......Richard J. Del Nunzio ..........Forest Hills, N.Y. 330 ......Jake Sosonkin ....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 363 ......Stefan D. Ilic ........................Forest Hills, N.Y. 421 ......Eric R. Brinzenskiy ..............Staten Island, N.Y. 452 ......Daniel Kerznerman ..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2011 • NYTennisMag.com

Rank ..Name ..........................City 33 ........Jessica Golovin....................New York, N.Y. 39 ........Anna Ulyashchenko ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 67 ........Jessica Melane Livianu........Brooklyn, N.Y. 139 ......Sabrina Xiong ......................Fresh Meadows, N.Y. 151 ......Arnelle Sullivan....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 274 ......Shayna M. Spooner..............New York, N.Y. 316 ......Isis Gill ................................Brooklyn, N.Y. 363 ......Yuka Lin ..............................Kew Gardens, N.Y. 407 ......Christina Puccinelli ..............New York, N.Y. 492 ......Julia D. Fisch ......................New York, N.Y. 495 ......Anastasiya Malinouskaya ....Staten Island, N.Y. 569 ......Sophia Kryloff ......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 770 ......Jillian Rose Auteri ................Staten Island, N.Y.

National Girls 16 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 48 ........Emily Safron ........................New York, N.Y. 141 ......Ariana D. Rodriguez ............Bronx, N.Y. 171 ......Nadia Smergut ....................New York, N.Y. 213 ......Hannah Shteyn ....................Staten Island, N.Y. 224 ......Lily Bondy............................Brooklyn, N.Y. 238 ......Arielle N. Griffin....................Jamaica, N.Y. 252 ......Samantha P. Tutelman..........New York, N.Y. 292 ......Destiny Grunin ....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 295 ......Jessica Golovin....................New York, N.Y. 434 ......Alexa Sara Meltzer ..............New York, N.Y. 710 ......Laura Maria Chitu ................New York, N.Y. 752 ......Anna Ulyashchenko ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 821 ......Stefani Lineva......................Middle Village, N.Y. 945 ......Kimberly Salkin....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 983 ......Victoria Lynn Zoha ..............New York, N.Y.

National Girls 18 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 56 ........Leighann Sahagun ..............Queens Village, N.Y. 82 ........Emily Safron ........................New York, N.Y. 112 ......Jacqueline R. Katz ..............New York, N.Y. 207 ......Ariana D. Rodriguez ............Bronx, N.Y. 329 ......Becky Shtilkind....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 363 ......Hannah Shteyn ....................Staten Island, N.Y. 464 ......Manuela Velasquez ..............Kew Gardens, N.Y. 470 ......Angela Assal ........................Bronx, N.Y. 488 ......Arielle N. Griffin....................Jamaica, N.Y. 516 ......Samantha Tutelman ............New York, N.Y. 520 ......Alexis S. Tashiro ..................Jamaica, N.Y. 533 ......Madison Gordon ..................New York, N.Y. 562 ......Gabrielle Sullivan ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 577 ......Dayana Agasieva ................Forest Hills, N.Y. 786 ......Diana Dzarasueva................Brooklyn, N.Y. 894 ......Nicole Rydzewski ................Maspeth, N.Y. 895 ......Jemila A. Brady....................Bronx, N.Y. 961 ......Charlotte Camacho ..............New York, N.Y.

USTA/Metropolitan Region

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. NOVEMBER 2011 Friday-Sunday, November 4-6 & Thursday-Saturday, November 10-12 L1 Alley Pond Eastern Designated Closed Championships Level 5 FIC Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Grand Prix: B (14)s, FIC Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Oct. 24 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 264-2600. Saturday-Sunday, November 5-13 RIRC NTRP Men’s 4.0 Tournament Roosevelt Island Racquet Club 281 Main Street Roosevelt Island, N.Y. Divisions: Ranked N M (4.0)s, SE Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $70 per player (deadline for entries is Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 12:00 p.m.) For more information, call (212) 935-0250. Friday-Sunday, November 11-20 L1B Sportime RI November Challenger Sportime at Randalls Island 1 Randalls Island New York, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger B (14)s, SE; G (16-12)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Oct. 28 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (646) 783-5301. Thursday-Sunday, November 17-20 +Men’s 45 New York Tennis Indoors Sectional Championships New York Tennis Club Indoors 3081 Harding Avenue Bronx, N.Y. Divisions: Ranked M (45)sd Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $65 per player singles, $35 per player doubles (deadline for entries is Thursday, Nov. 10 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 239-7919.

Friday-Sunday, November 18-20 L3 Alley Pond Tennis Center Championships Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Novice BG (14-10)s, RR Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $40 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Nov. 7 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 264-2600. Friday-Sunday, November 18-27 L2O Sportime RI November Championships Sportime at Randalls Island 1 Randalls Island New York, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate B (12)s, SE; G (18-12)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $50 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Nov. 4 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (646) 783-5301. Friday-Sunday, November 18-20 L2O Alley Pond Open Championships Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate B (18-14)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $50 per player (deadline for entries is Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 264-2600. Wednesday-Sunday, November 23-27 L1B NCT BG14 & G18 Thanksgiving Classic Challenger North Shore Tennis-Go Tennis 34-28 214th Place Bayside, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger B (14)s, SE; G (18,14)s, SE Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $50 per player (deadline for entries is Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 224-6303.

Friday-Sunday, November 25-27 L3 Sportime RI November Eastern UPS Championships Sportime at Randalls Island 1 Randalls Island New York, N.Y. Divisions: Novice BG (12-10)s, RR Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $40 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Nov. 11 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (646) 783-5301. Friday-Sunday, November 25-27 November Adult Championships at Sportime Randalls Island Sportime at Randalls Island 1 Randalls Island New York, N.Y. Divisions: Ranked M (Op, 35, 45, 55)s, SE; W (Op)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $65 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Nov. 11 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information call (646) 783-5301. Friday-Sunday, November 25-27 USTA National Opens USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Flushing Meadows Corona Park Flushing, N.Y. Divisions: B (12)s, FIC; B (12)d, SE Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $102.63 per player for one event, $103.13 for two (deadline for entries is Thursday, Oct. 27 at noon) For more information, call (718) 760-6200. Friday-Sunday, November 25-27 USTA National Opens Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: G (12)s, FIC; G (12)d, SE Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $102.63 per player for one event, $103.13 for two (deadline for entries is Thursday, Oct. 27 at noon) For more information, call (718) 264-2600.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2011 • New York Tennis Magazine

USTA/Metropolitan Region

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. Monday-Sunday, November 28-December 4 Alley Pond TC Men’s & Women’s Singles Championships Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Ranked MW (Op)s, SE Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $60 per player (deadline for entries is Saturday, Nov. 26 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 264-2600. DECEMBER 2011 Wednesday-Friday, December 2-4 & 9-11 L1 Alley Pond Tennis Center Championships Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Championships BG (12)sd, SE Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player singles, $27.25 per player doubles (deadline for entries is Monday, Nov. 21 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information call (718) 264-2600. Friday-Sunday, December 9-18 L2O Sportime RI December Championships Sportime at Randalls Island 1 Randalls Island New York, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate B (12)s, SE; G (16-12)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $50 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Nov. 25 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (646) 783-5301. Friday-Sunday, December 9-11 L3 BG 10&U Gotham Tennis Stadium Tennis Center 725 Exterior Street Bronx, N.Y. Divisions: Quick Start: BG (10 [60’Court/Orange Ball])s, RR Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $35 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Nov. 25 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (347) 515-4402.

Friday-Sunday, December 9-18 2011 NCT Holiday Classic North Shore Tennis-Go Tennis 34-28 214th Place • Bayside, N.Y. Divisions: Ranked X (Op)d, SE; M (35, 45, 55)sd, S E; W (35)sd, SE Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $75.75 per player singles, $38.13 per player doubles (deadline for entries is Friday, Dec. 2 at 5:00 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 224-6303. Monday-Saturday, December 12-17 Alley Pond Men’s & Women’s Championships Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard • Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Ranked MW(Op)s, SE Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $60 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Dec. 9 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 264-2600. Friday-Sunday, December 16-18 L3 Sportime RI Eastern UPS December Championships Sportime at Randalls Island 1 Randalls Island • New York, N.Y. Divisions: Novice B (10)s, RR; G (12-10)s, RR Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Dec. 2 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (646) 781-5301. Friday-Sunday, December 16-18 L3 Alley Pond Eastern UPS Championships Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard • Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Novice BG (12-10)s, RR Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $40 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Dec. 2 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 264-2600. Friday-Sunday, December 16-18 NTRP Alley Pond TC Championships Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard • Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Ranked NMW (3.0-4.0)s, SE; N W (3.0-3.5)d, SE; NX (3.0-3.5)d, SE; CM (6.0-7.0)d, SE Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $60 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Dec. 11 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 264-2600.

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2011 • NYTennisMag.com

Sunday-Thursday, December 25-29 L2O Alley Pond Championships Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard • Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate BG (18-10)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Dec. 12 at 7:00 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 264-2600. Monday-Friday, December 26-30 L1 Sportime RI Holiday Championships Sportime at Randalls Island 1 Randalls Island • New York, N.Y. Divisions: Championships BG (18, 14-12 s, SE; Championships: BG (10 [78’Court/Yellow Ball])s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Dec. 12 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (646) 783-5301. Monday-Friday, December 26-30 USTA National Men’s Open, Women’s Open, Mixed Open Indoor Championship USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Flushing Meadows Corona Park • Flushing, N.Y. Divisions: MW (Op)sd; X (Op)d Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $86.50 per player singles, $43.50 per player doubles (deadline for entries is Monday, Dec. 12 at 5:00 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 760-6200. Friday-Sunday, December 30-January 1 L1 Alley Pond New Year Championships Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard • Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Championships BG (16)s, SE Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Dec. 16 at 5:00 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 264-2600.

NYTennisMag.com • July/August 2011 • New York Tennis Magazine

New York Tennis Magazine • July/August 2011 • NYTennisMag.com