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New York Tennis Magazine’s Q&A Forum With Nick Bollettieri

ach issue, New York Tennis Magazine has the unique opportunity to pose questions from our readers to tennis coaching legend Nick Bollettieri. Nick has coached 10 world number ones, including Andre Agassi, Boris Becker, Jim Courier, Martina Hingis, Jelena Jankovic, Marcelo Rios, Monica Seles, Maria Sharapova, and Venus and Serena Williams, as well as a host of other world-class players, including Tommy Haas, Anna Kournikova, Jimmy Arias and Nicole Vaidisova, to name a few. This month, we posed the same questions to Nick that we asked New York’s top coaches during our Coaches Roundtable Discussion Panel (see page 28). If you want to ask Nick questions in a future issue of New York Tennis Magazine, email info@usptennis.com with the Subject Line “Ask Nick.”

Is it easier to teach a highly ranked player or a beginner/lower end player? Why? Nick Bollettieri: I have been teaching tennis for nearly 60 years, and throughout that time, I have taught all levels of play. To be honest, I cannot say that one level is easier or more difficult than another. The true teacher of the game must know how to reach tennis players and make a difference not only in their game, but also teaching them to compete. What parts of the game have evolved and what parts have grown worse or have disappeared over the past decade? Nick Bollettieri: Yes, the game of tennis has experienced changes the same way that automobiles have. Keep in mind that most people would be able to outrun the first cars. There are a few parts of the game that are far less common in today’s game: l The serve and volley, like Stefan Edberg,

Patrick Rafter, Pete Sampras and Martina Navratilova used to use. l Seldom do we see long rallies from the baseline, including players driving the ball, top spin balls, change of pace, etc. l Players seldom practice together, especially in the women’s game. Players now have hitting partners, physical trainers and coaches. The parts of the game that have evolved include: l A majority of players will try to hit their forehands from any and all positions on the court. l Two of the biggest weapons today are the swinging volley and the drop shot. l Players stand much closer to the baseline to return serve. Who are the greatest players of all-time on each surface? Nick Bollettieri: It is unfair to put down the greatest players of all-time because of different equipment, training schedules, and tournament prize money, and numerous other factors. I will go out on a limb and say that Rafael Nadal is the best clay court player and Serena Williams is the best all-court player. I plead the fifth on naming anyone else. No matter who I name, some will agree and others will disagree.

What does American tennis need to do to develop top professional players? Nick Bollettieri: The first factor that I will start out with is this … back in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, the majority of players came from six to eight countries. Today, the entire world is playing. The USA is very deep in the women’s game, but we are a bit behind with the men. I am sure that Pat McEnroe will find a way to get our men on top. What role should a parent have in their child’s tennis development? Nick Bollettieri: If I were able to come up with one answer about the role a parent should have in their children’s development, I would be able to pay off the national debt! What traits must a top player possess, mentally and physically, to set them apart? Nick Bollettieri: Today’s game is divided into three main factors: Technique, mental and physical. It would be difficult to say how much time you should spend on either one, and that will vary by player. I will tell you that 99.9 percent of all players spend hours upon hours in the gym. Keep in mind that you can have techniques and also be physically fit, but if you lack the right mindset on how to react, you will not win very often.

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www.NewYorkTennisMagazine.com NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

November/December 2013 Volume 3, Number 6 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 12

Rafael Nadal began the year on the shelf and spent 2013 collecting titles and rising back to the top of the ATP Men’s Singles Rankings.

Staff David Sickmen Publisher (516) 409-4444, ext. 309 • david@usptennis.com Joel M. Berman President (516) 409-4444, ext. 310 • joel@usptennis.com Eric C. Peck Editor-in-Chief (516) 409-4444, ext. 312 • eric@usptennis.com Joey Arendt Managing Art Director

Cover photo credit: Adam Wolfthal

Feature Stories 28

Adam Wolfthal Director of Business Development (516) 409-4444, ext. 330 • adam@usptennis.com

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Beverly Bolnick National Sales Manager (516) 409-4444, ext. 316 Scott Koondel Office Manager (516) 409-4444, ext. 324 Lonnie Mitchel Editorial Contributor

Michele Lehat Intern

Michael Cervantes Editorial Contributor

Sasha Lipps Intern

2013 New York Tennis Magazine’s Coaches Roundtable Discussion We get the chance to sit down with the area’s top coaches and brainstorm on a variety of topics from the parent’s role in a junior’s development, to the state of tennis in America.

Francine Miller Advertising Coordinator (516) 409-4444, ext. 301 • francinem@usptennis.com

Emilie Katz Marketing Coordinator

Nadal Overcomes Adversity to Return to the Top

New York Tennis Magazine’s 2013 Tennis Travel Destinations We take a look some of the hottest tennis travel destinations.

New York Tennis Magazine’s 2013 Holiday Gift Guide Get some great gift ideas for the 2013 holiday season from some of the sport’s top providers.

Additional Features 4 9 10 18 20 21 22 38 54 64 66

Planning for the Year Ahead By Gilad Bloom City Parks Foundation Hosts 16th Annual CityParks Tennis Benefit New Sport Pass Mobile App Seeks Out Discounted New York Court Times It’s Not About Winning All the Time By Xavier Luna Queens College Hosts Successful Tennis Outing and Social Fundraiser By Brian Coleman Add Variety to Your Training By Margie Zesinger Should We be Teaching Tennis or People? By Richard Thater 2013 U.S. Open Recap Breaking Records in Flushing Meadows The CLICK! System By Dan Schaefer, Ph.D. RCTA Hosts Walkathon to Raise Environmental Awareness By Dave Suskin Want More Power in Tennis? By Bill Longua

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

Article Submissions/Press Releases To submit any material, including articles and press releases, please call (516) 409-4444 or e-mail info@usptennis.com. The deadline for submissions is the first of the month preceding the target issue.

Subscriptions To receive subscription information, contact (516) 409-4444 or email 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.

Columns 1 6 8 16 24 42 52 53 56 63 67 67 68 71

Ask Nick … New York Tennis Magazine’s Q&A Forum With Nick Bollettieri The Jensen Zone: Is the Doubles Game About to Flatline? By Luke Jensen Metro Corporate League Recap, Presented by Advantage Tennis Clubs New York Tennis Magazine’s Charitable Initiatives USTA Metro Region Update Winning From Within … Key Mindsets of a Championship Team By Rob Polishook, MA, CPC Tips From the Tennis Pro: The Importance of Practice Partners By Carl Thorsen Adult League Recap By Deborah-Rose Andrews The Serve: Take the Best of Your Serve for a Killer Overhead (Part III Final) By Lisa Dodson Literary Corner: “Tennis Inside the Zone” by Rob Polishook, MA, CPC By Jessica Stiles New York Tennis Club Directory Upcoming Events New York Rankings USTA/Metropolitan Region 2013 Tournament Schedule

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Planning for the By Gilad Bloom hen I was a pro player on the Tour in the 1980s and 1990s, I used to plan my yearly tournament schedule generally a year in advance. When you are young, you just want to play and compete. Things like burnout or overload never enter your mind, but that is when the coach should step in and properly guide the player. My old fitness trainer would tell me exactly when my body would peak. He once told me in August of 1989 that I would be in top shape by January of 1990. He was right, and 1990 was my best year. He had just started working with me and the whole concept of long-term work was a very new concept to me. “It takes years to build up your body and months for all of the workouts to kick in,”

he would tell me. “Just be patient and when your body absorbs the hard work it will all pay off.” This statement is even more true when you work with juniors. Before the start of the year, we would mark the important tournaments (the majors and the Davis Cup) and plan the year accordingly. There were usually two peaks during the season because the tennis season is 11 months long and nobody can, nor should, go the entire season without a minioffseason. There was a preparation period in December during which time you would build up your muscle tone and endurance. That would serve as the base for the entire year and included intense sessions twice a day with an emphasis on fitness. Not much tennis was played. During the year, most of the sessions would consist of maintaining the fitness level, but there were weeks when you would do specific short concentrated

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

training camps, usually before a Davis Cup event. There were always very important periods of rest thrown in as well. At least twice a year, the body needs seven to 10 days of no playing at all. This break is important not only for the body, but also for the mind. Tennis is a grueling sport, and the daily grind can take a toll on both the body and the mind. In the weeks leading up to a tournament, I would focus on footwork, drilling, and adding skills to my game to improve my weaknesses. During those weeks, you don’t worry about how you are playing, as this time period is more about getting in shape and experimenting with your game. The mindset should always be that you always need to keep improving and adding things to your game. In the last week leading into a tournament, I would cut down on the fitness sessions and the drilling and begin to focus on live ball hitting and playing practice sets in order to get match sharp. That was the time to implement the new techniques into my game and gain confidence doing it in practice. If you practice it enough and believe in yourself, you will be able to execute in a real match. In the last 48 hours leading into the match, I would hardly play, perhaps 45 minutes twice a day and the rest of the time would be dedicated to stretching, treating the body and preparing mentally for the match. The idea is to arrive to the match hungry and eager to play and fresh, both physically and mentally. Some players obsess and play two to three hours the day before a match, running themselves down in prac-

Year Ahead tice. That’s not wise. The work for the tournament was already done weeks before the event. If anything, over-training before a tournament can hurt the player in the later rounds when you will need extra gas in the tank. When I consult my junior students on their yearly tournament plans, I use the same principles that I used as a pro. It is important for the player to understand the value of a long-term plan and sticking to that plan. The student needs to know early on in their career that certain tournaments are important and others are more of a “preparation tournament.” Knowing that every practice session is part of a grand plan will help the player relax in practice and accept that there will be good days and bad days. They may experience some sessions where their legs will be heavy and their body will be sore, but this is common when you are building up the body. The main thing is to arrive prepared and confident come match day. Unfortunately in my career as a teaching pro, I have seen numerous cases of kids who enter too many tournaments during the year without any logic, not allowing time for mental and physical rest. Playing too much does not allow time to work on the player’s game, to develop the strokes and work on weaknesses. It’s pretty hard to develop your game when you have to worry about a tournament three or four weekends each month. I have some students ages 10-11 who play more than 100 matches a year. That’s insane in my opinion and counterproductive to their all-around development. The students who listen to me in those age groups (12-14), play about 30-

“It is important for the player to understand the value of a long-term plan and sticking to the plan.” 50 matches a year, and in my opinion, that’s plenty. When you get to the 16-18 and under categories, you can step it up a little bit, but in any age group, they should leave some room for an off-week to be used for rest and recharging the batteries. For most of my students, the ultimate goal is to play on a good college team once they graduate. Once they get to the age of 18 and to the collegiate level, it will become more about actually winning and losing matches. During their four years of college, they will need to play as many matches as possible in order to get better through experience. I believe that if you have a good, healthy tennis upbringing in the early days, you will give yourself a better chance of

having a great college career or even beyond. But most of all, you will have the best chance to fulfill your potential and enjoy a long, injury-free career while playing your best tennis when it counts. Gilad Bloom is a former ATP touring professional who, at his peak, was ranked 61st in singles and 62nd in doubles in the world. Five times an Israel’s Men’s Champion, three times in singles and twice in doubles, Gilad is currently the director of tennis at The Club of Riverdale. He was the director of tennis at John McEnroe Tennis Academy for two years, and before, that ran Gilad Bloom Tennis for nine years. He may be reached by phone at (914) 907-0041 or email bloom.gilad@gmail.com.

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NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

Is the Doubles Game About to Flatline?

By Luke Jensen s the tennis year rolls on, I would like to bring up a point on the 40th anniversary of the most important and impactful tennis match in history. The year was 1973, and Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs in what was called “The Battle of the Sexes.” It was a very important step in the growth

of tennis and gender equality in the sport. Tennis has equal prize money between the genders at all the Grand Slams, but it is not equal between the different events. This year at the U.S. Open, the singles champions Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams each earned $2.6 million and another $1 million for winning the U.S. Open Series Bonus Pool of money. The men’s and women’s doubles winning teams split

$450,000 with no U.S. Open Series Bonus Pool option. The mixed-doubles earnings are even less. I believe it is time for the pro game to really promote the stars in doubles. To invest in the amazing game that it is. It is a game of thought, teamwork and it is very fast-paced. The majority of the players on the planet play doubles, but at the pro level, it is not given the respect or promotion it deserves.

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At the Olympic Games, every disci- ketable doubles teams, the Bryan Brothpline in every sport receives the same ers and the Williams Sisters, are the only Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals. It is teams fans watch in masses and on telequal for all competitions evision as the ratings have and competitors. proved. These two teams, “I can only I believe it is time, on the however, are just a few 40th anniversary of one years from leaving stress this very short battle, to begin another the game. battle to improve the sport When this happens, important of tennis. We need to put doubles tennis will no more of an emphasis on longer be relevant. The Pro point ... these world-class players Tour tournament directors doubles, at the tried to kill doubles a few and pay them like the players in the singles draw. back, and the Bryan Pro Tour level, years In my mind, the Grand family saved it from death Slams will have equal prize is nearly dead.” row. The tournament dimoney when the doubles rectors will have the opand mixed-doubles teams portunity to cut costs and split the same prize money per round eliminate the expense of doubles playthat the singles players receive. ers who do not sell tickets for their Tennis needs to evolve and grow more events. stars. Use the power of all the draws and Doubles and the Pro Tours need to components in tennis to promote our adapt doubles to be relevant or die. game for a lifetime. Now is the time to give all events in the I can only stress this very important Grand Slams equal prize money distripoint … doubles, at the Pro Tour level, bution and make the doubles stars maris nearly dead. The only current mar- ketable, or pro tennis will become a one

draw show limited to one draw stars. Give the fans the doubles game they play at the parks and clubs around the world. Give the fans the game the fans understand … give them DOUBLES and make it IMPORTANT! Now and forever proud to be … 1984/1993 French Open Doubles Champion. 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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Contact Clay Bibbee: clay@centercourtclub.com NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

Winter Registrations Open for Metro Corporate Tennis League he Metro Corporate Tennis League, presented by Advantage Tennis Clubs is a joint initiative of the Metrotennis Community Tennis Association and USTA/Eastern-Metro. As the local, volunteer-led chapter of USTA Eastern, the USTA Metro Region is committed to promoting and developing the growth of tennis in New York City. Metrotennis CTA, incorporated in 2002, is a 501(c)4 not-for-profit organization, which provides USTA Adult Competitive Leagues, Corporate Tennis Leagues, and affordable beginner adult programs in the New York City metropolitan area. Registration is now open for the Winter 2014 season. The season includes a minimum of six matches, each played for two hours on two courts. Tennis balls and refreshments are provided, and after every match, hors d’oeuvres wine and beer are served. The season concludes with an end-of-season party where all league participants enjoy a buffet dinner and open

bar, tennis, dancing and other activities. The winners of all divisions advance to semifinals or finals for their league. The matches will be held weekday evenings at three area clubs: l West Side Tennis Club, located at 1 Tennis Place in Forest Hills, N.Y. l Roosevelt Island Racquet Club, located at 281 Main Street in Roosevelt Island, N.Y. l CityView Racquet Club, located at 4334 32nd Place (between Skillman Avenue and Queens Boulevard), Penthouse in Long Island City, N.Y. The season will start at the end of January and run until mid-April. The following are our past and present company teams: ABN AMRO Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP Allen & Overy

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

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Credit all photos to Adam Wolfthal

City Parks Foundation Hosts 16th Annual CityParks Tennis Benefit

The Annual CityParks Tennis Benefit raised more than $200,000 for CityParks Tennis Billie Jean King and Sportime CEO Claude Okin congratulate Sportime Managing Director Eric Fromm on winning the 2013 Vitas Gerulaitis Community Service Award Billie Jean King addresses attendees of the City Parks Foundation’s Annual CityParks Tennis Benefit ity Parks Foundation’s Annual CityParks Tennis Benefit, cochaired by Billie Jean King and John McEnroe, was held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The event raised more than $200,000 for CityParks Tennis, a free youth instructional program that serves over 7,000 children in parks throughout New York City each season. Held each year at the U.S. Open, the event, hosted by Budd Mishkin, featured a cocktail party, dinner, silent and live auction, and tickets to the Open session matches in Arthur Ashe Stadium. This year, City Parks Foundation honored Eric Fromm, a native New Yorker and the former number 38 tennis player in the world with the 2013 Vitas Gerulaitis Community Service Award. Fromm currently serves as the managing director of Sportime, which runs 144 state-

of-the-art indoor and outdoor tennis courts. The event also honored CityParks Tennis youth player, 14 yearold Daniel Corona, with the Billie Jean King Junior Award. Daniel was also presented with a full scholarship to the John McEnroe Tennis Academy, a moment that surprised him and moved the crowd of over 250 to cheers. Daniel, of Fresh Meadows, N.Y., began playing tennis with the program at Cunningham Park, before he earned a spot in the Chase Aces year-round intermediate level program and this past summer landed himself in the City Parks Foundation Junior Academy presented by LACOSTE, an annual tournament-training program for experienced players held at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

New Sport Pass Mobile App Seeks Out Discounted New York Court Times very day, tennis courts and racquetball courts, boxing rings and hundreds of fitness classes at athletic clubs around the city sit empty due to last-minute cancellations. Meanwhile, athletes looking to play a tennis match or take a yoga class after a long day at work discover that they cannot find what they are looking for because they waited until the last minute to book their game. A new mobile app, Sport Pass, offers a solution to the above dilemmas by matching athletes to athletic clubs across New York City. Sport Pass, available as an iPhone download at the App store, allows athletes to locate available courts, classes and games at the last minute at discounted

prices. Sport Pass makes it easy for athletes to schedule lessons, court time and group classes in virtually any sport around an athlete’s busy schedule every day of the week, year round. With clients in New York City and Long Island, Sport Pass is aiming to provide an easy booking process at discounted rates. Sport Pass will benefit sports and fitness club owners in Manhattan, as well as athletes, by allowing them to fill vacancies that would otherwise be impossible to fill at the last minute. “Sport Pass gives sport clubs in New York the flexibility they really need to reach more customers by allowing them to promote specific classes and issue a desired

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

number of passes at reasonable prices,” said Jay Surovy, owner of Sport Pass. “It’s great for customers, too, because it allows them to book classes at discounted rates whenever it suits them. It is a win-win for everybody.” Surovy, a former tennis instructor, created Sport Pass with a team of sports enthusiasts after discovering a significant gap in the online reservation market. The Sport Pass staff believes everyone should have the ability to find a good workout whenever desired, without experiencing the pain of calling club after club across New York City in search of an available class. For more information, visit www.SportPass.me.

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Credit all photos to Adam Wolfthal

Nadal Overcomes Adversity to Return to the Top

BY ADAM WOLFTHAL

ighteen months ago, the tennis world was stunned when a 26year old Czech player named Lukas Rosol, ranked 100 in the world at the time, defeated Rafael Nadal in a five-set battle on Centre Court at Wimbledon. It marked Rafa’s earliest Grand Slam loss in seven years. What we didn’t know was that it would be the beginning of a seven-month hiatus for the Spaniard. Rafael Nadal, who suffers from chronic tendonitis in both knees, had torn his patella tendon causing him to miss the 2012 Olympic Games in London, in addition to the 2012 U.S. Open and Australian Open tournaments, as well as Davis Cup matches and a host of other scheduled ATP Tour events. According to his team, Nadal took two months off from tennis to “let the pain subside” and then he came back to the practice courts as hard as ever

getting ready for 2013. His first tournament back was Viña Del Mar in Chile on Feb. 4th. It was a clay court tournament, his favorite surface, on which he holds the best winning percentage of any player in the history of the Open era. Rafa made it through the first three matches handily, losing only 14 games in six sets, one of which over a tough top 30 opponent in Jeremy Chardy, 6-2, 6-2. His finals match in Chile would be against Horacio Zeballos, an Argentine player who was in the midst of fighting his way back into the top 50 for the first time in over two years. It was a hard-fought match that went to three sets and took over two-and-a-half hours to complete and much to the surprise of everyone, Zeballos came out on top. Nadal took no time to recuperate, heading straight to Brazil for the Brasil Open continued on page 14

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

nadal overcomes adversity 2013 after the loss where he met David Nalbandian in the finals and won, 6-2, 6-3 for his first title of the year. After a week off, he headed north to Mexico for another clay tournament, the Abierto Mexicano Telcel, where he met David Ferrer for a much anticipated all-Spanish final. Although Ferrer was, at the time, the top ranked Spaniard and number four in the ATP World Rankings, Nadal made quick work of him, winning 6-0, 6-2 for his second title in as many tournaments. His first match on hard courts was the BNP Paribas Showdown exhibition match at Madison Square Garden against Juan Martin del Potro against whom he had a 33 record on hard courts. While it was an exhibition match, the first set had the feel of a Grand Slam semifinal, with each player breaking serve once to lead to a tie-breaker which was won by del Potro. During the second set, the match became more lighthearted and after actor Ben Stiller and a young fan were brought out on the court for some impromptu doubles play, Nadal gave up a quick break at 3-2 and the match quickly slipped to del Potro’s favor, 6-4. From MSG, Nadal headed straight to Indian Wells for the 2013 BNP Paribas Open and a second round match (first round bye) with American Ryan Harrison. After disposing of Harrison, Nadal had a walkover and

continued from page 13

then matched up with Ernests Gulbis in a tough three-setter that he edged out 7-5 in the final set. The remainder of Indian Wells would prove to be a true test of his physicality moving forward, as it was his first tournament on hard courts, and he would have to fight through three opponents in the top seven in the world rankings. First up was his longtime to be so on foe, Roger Federer in the quarters, arguably the greatest player of all time who did not seem that day as Nadal cruised to a 6-4, 6-2 victory. Next up was Tomas Berdych, the big

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swinging, hard hitting Czech whom Rafa hadn’t lost to since 2006, and this would be no exception as Rafa would claim the, albeit close, win, 6-4, 7-5. The finals would be a rematch against Juan Martin del Potro, the man who had defeated him on a similar court in New York City just five days prior. However, this match would decide who finished the week with a title, and there would be no doubles interlude strewn with celebrities. In other words, this was business, and Rafael Nadal does not take his business lightly. Del Potro came out strong, taking the first set 6-4, but Nadal fought back and despite not being able to hold a single break point, he created too many opportunities on del Potro’s serve (18 break point chances) and won the final two sets 6-3, 6-4 to take the Indian Wells title. Along with the record-breaking 22nd ATP Tour Masters 1000 title, notching his 600th career ATP victory, and the cool $1 million prize, Nadal had assurance that he could compete with the best in the world again and win. Best of all for Rafa, his part of the season was about to begin, the clay court stretch leading up to Roland Garros, the tournament that he practically owned and would be going for a record-setting eighth title this year. From the start of the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters in Monaco, where he made

the finals and lost a tough match to Novak Djokovic, through the beginning of the French Open, he won three tournaments, the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell in Barcelona, the Mutua Madrid Open in Madrid and the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome, losing only three sets during the whole campaign. Entering Roland Garros, Rafa was the world number four and although he was the three-time defending champion, was slated to face the world number one and the only man to beat him in over three months, Novak Djokovic, in the semifinals. After a slow start, taking four sets in his first two rounds, Nadal cruised to his semifinal meeting where he and Djokovic had one of the best matches of the year with Rafa squeaking it out 9-7 in the fifth and final set. No man had ever won the same Grand Slam title eight times, but Rafa set himself up to do just that against his countryman David Ferrer, whom he had only lost to once since 2008. When the clay settled, Rafa was once again victorious and had capped off yet another amazing clay season in 2013 after a 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 win over Ferrer. Rafa chose to skip the warm-up tournaments before Wimbledon to give his knees a rest after playing 46 matches in just 18 short weeks. Going into Wimbledon, all the excitement was surrounding the “Big Four” and they would finally be in the same tournament again, for the first time in a year, since the last Grand Slam at the All-England Club. Well the hoopla did not help Nadal in his first round match as the obviously tired superstar fell to the 135thranked Steve Darcis in straight sets. Some could point to this early exit as the catalyst to what would become one of the most dominant North American hard court seasons on record. Nadal took over a month off and entered August’s 2013 Coupe Rogers in Montreal with the competitive fire he is famous for. He won in Montreal, moved on to the Western & Southern Open–Cincinnati and won there as well, and made it to the finals of the U.S. Open, dropping only four sets over the entire month of August. Nadal had the lead in the Emirates Airlines U.S. Open Series due to his dominance in August, and had an extra $1 million up for grabs, should he win the U.S. Open Championship match against the world number one Novak

Djokovic. It wasn’t about the money. The match was one of the greatest Grand Slam finals in recent history, up there with the epic 2008 Nadal-Federer battle. Nadal came out strong and took the first set 6-2. After Djokovic leveled it at a set apiece, he led in the third set and it looked as if the consistency would be too much for Nadal to handle, but he fought back from 0-40 in the ninth game of the set to go up 5-4 and broke the next game to take a 2-1 set lead in the match, and there was no looking

back. Nadal took the title, his 11th Grand Slam title and second U.S. Open crown. The year was not over, although the four majors had been played. Rafa was still number two in the ATP rankings heading to the Asian swing. With solid performances, he knew he could regain the number one spot in the world, because he had not been able to play in Asia the previous year and thus had no points to defend. After making the finals at the China Open in Beijing his spot on top of the rankings was secure even though he had to face Novak Djokovic for the title. He lost to Djokovic, but gained enough points on the Serbian to overtake him and complete his comeback to the top. It’s amazing to think that this phenomenal athlete spent three years under the unforgiving Federer as the world number two, and finally leaped over him to take the top spot after a seven-month hiatus. And at just 27-years-old, many feel that the best is yet to come for Rafael Nadal. Adam Wolfthal is director of business development for New York Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by e-mail at adam@usptennis.com.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

N E W

Y O R K

charitabl Credit all photos to Adam Wolfthal

Neriya Yona telling her story of how she became a part of the ITC

Israeli Tennis St

The Israel Tennis Center representatives pose with Rosali Devon, a supporter of the program

he Consulate General of Israel in New York, the Israel Tennis Centers Foundation and the New York Junior Tennis & Learning conducted a tennis clinic for New York children and teens. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, along with Israeli Tennis Star Dudi Sela joined the event to meet the kids, speak to them and conduct the clinic, which is an ongoing part of Israel’s community outreach here in New York and throughout the U.S. The clinic took place behind the Robert F. Wagner Middle School on East 75th Street, and was orchestrated by Dvorah Marsha, coach at the Israel Tennis Centers in Tel Aviv and Ramat Hasharon, Israel, and currently ITC Development Manager in New York. The Israel Tennis Center delegation, represented by ITC, included Elad Gevandschnaider, who has recorded impressive wins at both the National Special Olympics Tournament and the European Championships in Warsaw, Poland. Elad is currently serving in the Israel 16

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

T E N N I S

M A G A Z I N E ’ S

le initiatives

tar Dudi Sela Takes Part in New York Clinic

ind

Participants from Israel Tennis Centers’ clinic in New York City

has been going on for Defense Forces, and reyears, and sports is just cently received the IDF’s one of the outlets it manprestigious “Award of ifests itself.” Excellence.” Congresswoman The clinic allowed the Carolyn Maloney, who children a unique opporrepresents the district in tunity to be coached by Manhattan where the Sela, Israel’s top ranked singles player. Also Clinic took place, cheered known as “The Hebrew the kids on and wished Hammer,” Sela’s career Sela good luck during his run at the U.S. Open. has included impressive “The Israel Tennis Cenwins over Fernando ters Foundation is thrilled Gonzalez, David Ferrer Yossi Dahan shows his skill during a to be working with the and Andy Roddick as he hitting clinic in East Hampton Consulate General of Isachieved a top 30 world rael in New York and the New York Junior ranking in 2009. “We at the Consulate aim to bring Is- Tennis & Learning on such a worthwhile projraelis and New Yorkers together,” said Gil ect,” said Jacqueline Glodstein, VP of global Lainer, Consul for Public Affairs at the Con- development for the Israel Tennis Centers. sulate General of Israel in New York. “We “Bringing kids together under the banner of share a passion for tennis, a passion for tennis underscores what the ITC is all about sports. This partnership between our two ... promoting cooperation and understandgreat countries and the city of New York ing among kids of all backgrounds. We look

Dudi Sela with Gil Lainer of the Israeli Consulate Office in New York City forward to being involved in this program for many years to come.” Israel Tennis Centers also hosted a special exhibition at the East Hampton Indoor Tennis Club, in East Hampton, N.Y. The day consisted of a clinic by ITC players and coaches who were flown in from Israel to take part. After the local players had their fill of tennis, the Israeli Centers’ representatives put on a quick hitting clinic and told their diverse stories of how they ended up at the Tennis Centers, including Elad Gevandschnaider and Barra Ka’abiyye, a 16-year-old from ITC– Yokneam who has directly benefited from the ITC co-existence program and dreams of one day becoming the first Bedouin pro tennis player. To further spread its mission to improve the lives of children in Israel through tennis, the Israel Tennis Centers Foundation is sponsoring a special showing of the Maccabiah Games tennis championships on the cable network JLTV on Sunday, Nov. 17.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

It’s Not About Winning All the Time By Xavier Luna “When you stay in the process is when you win—not when you get into the end results.”— Billie Jean King, former number one women’s tennis player in the world and holder of 39 Grand Slam titles illie Jean King is right. Winning is important, but when it becomes your number one goal—whether it’s on the tennis court, golf course, basketball court or football field—then you’re likely focusing your energy and mind on something you can’t completely control.

Control what you can. Let go of what you can’t. Concentrate on the tennis fundamentals you’ve worked on your entire life. That’s what got you where you are now. Focus on what you can control and everything else will take care of itself. It worked for Billie Jean King, just as it worked for another former number one tennis player in the world, Andy Roddick. Heading into

the 2001 French Open, his mantra was, “If someone is going to beat me, I want him to have to play a good match.” He echoed similar thoughts later in the year when preparing for the U.S. Open. Roddick didn’t win either of those tournaments, but he did win 32 times in a 12year professional career. Had he been obsessed with winning every single one of his tournaments, he could have become consumed with defeating his opponent—potentially distracting himself from playing to the best of his ability and severely compromising his career.

“…if you do your best and continue to improve your game and hone your skills, you’ll win far more than you’ll lose.”

Wisdom that reaches beyond the court. Consider golf sensation Tiger Woods. He has won 14 Major Championships and 101 tour events since turning pro in 1996. When the media began speculating on just how many Major Championships Woods would capture and whether he would catch up to

the great Jack Nicklaus, Woods kept his focus. He responded, “The thing I keep saying to myself is that I want to become a better player at the end of the year. And if I can keep doing that year after year for the rest of my career, I’ll have a pretty good career.” Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. But if you do your best and continue to improve your game and hone your skills, you’ll win far more than you’ll lose. Concentrating on what you can control, rather than what you can’t, is the true pursuit of personal excellence. No … it’s not always about winning all the time. It’s about disciplining your mind to focus on the things that you have control over—the things that are responsible for whether you come out on the winning or losing end. Xavier Luna is director of Advantage AllCity Junior Programs (Roosevelt Island Racquet Club, Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club and New York Tennis Club). He may be reached by phone at (917) 570-9650 or visit www.advantagetennisny.com.

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

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NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

Queens College Hosts Successful Tennis Outing and Social Fundraiser

Credit all photos to Brian Coleman

By Brian Coleman ueens College hosted its inaugural Tennis Outing and Social on its campus in Flushing. The event helped raise money for the Men’s and Women’s Tennis teams at Queens College, and showcased some top-notch tennis to those who came out and supported. The day consisted of lessons in the morning, and continued with a round-robin tournament throughout the afternoon. Participants would partner up with a different

Queens College player each round and receive an individual score at the end of each game. After the tournament concluded, there was a barbeque and a raffle drawing with the money donated going to the Queens College Men’s and Women’s Tennis programs. It was a beautiful day for outdoor activity, as the sun was shining throughout. Wayne Martin, head tennis coach at Queens College, was pleased with how the first-time event turned out. “We had a good turnout for today’s event and the weather couldn’t have been

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

more perfect,” said Martin. “It was great for both tennis teams here and we saw some excellent tennis today, including the president of the University.” The event was particularly significant to the Queens College community because the Indoor Tennis Center on campus was recently re-opened after renovations from damage caused by Superstorm Sandy, and they are looking toward to the future of the tennis program going forward. Brian Coleman is an intern with New York Tennis Magazine.

Add Variety to Your Training

Mixing up your practice partners for optimal results By Margie Zesinger hat is the ideal training environment for a tennis player? An obvious response would be the ideal environment is one that offers the most individual attention and one-on-one coaching. Individual training is important, but it is only a piece of the puzzle. The optimal training atmosphere should also include a variety of players to spar with and compete against on a daily basis. From junior tennis players through the professional ranks, the ability to choose amongst a variety of peers for live ball hit-

ting sessions or practice matches is a priceless asset. My instructional tip Learn how to handle different types of balls (varying speeds and spins) by hitting with a variety of players. Mix it up and compete in practice matches against players who are better than you, at your level or below your level from day to day. At IMG Academy, it is a goal for the player to establish a 3:1 win/loss ratio in practice. The wins give the player necessary confidence, while the loss challenges them to improve specific areas of their game.

On the ATP or WTA Tour, there is often one tennis coach sitting in the playerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s box. Although not visible in the box, bear in mind how many other people helped the top professionals along their journey through the endless hitting sessions and practice matches it took to get the player to the highest level of the game. Margie Zesinger has been coaching tennis at IMG Academy since 2004. Prior to joining IMG, Margie played tennis for James Madison University where she was the number one player at her school. She may be reached by e-mail at margie.zesinger@imgworld.com.

NYTennisMag.com â&#x20AC;˘ November/December 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ New York Tennis Magazine

Should We be Teachin By Richard Thater parks flew during a panel discussion held at the First Annual New York Tennis Expo in April of this year. Following sophisticated presentations by a former touring pro and local tennis leaders, Nick Bollettieri opened his remarks by challenging the need for such highly technical information. I think/hope that Nick had a veiled twinkle in his eye when he said that the best teachers would simply tell their students to “just hit the damn ball.” I find myself in the middle of these opposing positions. I love to learn about sports technology. When Tim Mayotte demonstrated the “unit turn” as a preparation for hitting a forehand, I immediately began to translate his comments into talking points for my students. And I agreed with Steven Kaplan when he criticized the practice of mindlessly accumulating miles as a conditioning technique for tennis. But Kaplan forced me to change my automatic recommendation about jumping rope. Despite claims by Jimmy Connors that jumping rope helped him stay fit like a boxer, Kaplan said “rope jumping is neurologically counter to tennis movement demands.” A solid technical knowledge is essential to a teaching professional, but may not be useful to the people they teach. I recently spoke to the father of one of my 10 & Under students. He has developed an interest in tennis for himself, so I asked whom he was playing with. He told me that his teacher had asked him to refrain from playing for a few months until they had established a solid foundation in his stroke production. I thought tennis was a game that you played with or against other people, for the purpose of fun and fitness. I see people who take plenty of lessons whose strokes fall apart when they play. Instead of playing more, they sign up for more lessons. In this case, it sounds as if the lessons are only about isolated tennis skills, not playing tennis. When I started playing, buying a racquet and some balls was the entry price for getting started. Lesson money was spent on piano or violin instruction. I benefited from the established custom that required people who wanted to play up to play down. That was a cultural/people thing. If you wanted to hit with a better player, you had to hit with someone not a good as you. And believe me, this was rigorously, though unofficially, enforced. Imagine that a student wants a lesson in serving. When they demonstrate their serve, they are facing the net and hitting with a western forehand grip. The student tells me that they have been to two nationally-acclaimed tennis academies in Florida, and have taken lessons from a well-regarded local pro. Here is the dilemma … do I teach correct tennis, or do I teach the per-

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

ng Tennis or People? son? I know they have heard all about the continental grip, pronation and the wrist snap. But, they do not want to serve correctly, they want to serve better. I would not change their grip or stance, but I would help them develop a more dependable toss and improve their weight transfer. Imagine that this player’s serve then improves. They now want to serve and volley as they have seen this on television and it seems pretty effective. Since I try to teach people, I notice the student’s expensive knee brace, and I remember that they wear orthotics because their ankles are weak. I would give him disappointing news that their physical condition prohibits them from playing professional style tennis. If they try to follow their serve to the net, they will probably stop about twoand-a-half big steps into the court, right at the doorway to no man’s land. An ex-

perienced player will place every return at their feet. With a student like this, it is important to recognize and accept this established resistance to traditional training. It is better to teach them, rather than fit them into the mold. Sometimes, we are asked to be the arbiter of rules and how to interpret them. Foot-faulting is clearly defined in Friend at Court, The USTA Handbook of Tennis Rules and Regulations. The simplest explanation is that when you are serving, you cannot put your foot on a line or inside the court. But this rule is often ignored and not enforced at the recreational and league level. I even see young students practicing their serves under the direction of a teacher, and they foot fault every time. This is a situation where strict teaching is more important

than pleasing the student. Nick Bollettieri closed his presentation at the New York Tennis Expo by edging toward the technical camp. Citing the latest research, he recommended that advancing players develop a killer shot and eliminate weaknesses. We teachers are in the shifting middle, always evaluating how much we should simplify the sometimes very technical information that is so intriguing. And we should especially remember that what we applaud today, could fall into disfavor tomorrow. Richard Thater is director of 10 & Under Tennis at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills N.Y. He is PTR-certified in Junior Development. He may be reached by phone at (917) 749-3255 or e-mail richthater@aol.com.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

USTA METRO REGION

A Message From USTA Eastern Metro Region President Jackie Clark

USTA Eastern Metro Region President Jackie Clark and her nephew Jack get ready to hit the courts

Jack getting his start in the sport of a lifetime

As the summer winds down and we approach my favorite season (Autumn), I think of getting outside as much as possible to enjoy the calm and slightly cooler weather and the trees bursting with color. What better way to enjoy the outdoors then to take my nephew Jack out to hit a few balls for a while at his local park using a low compression ball and small racquets. He is about two-and-a-half, and I think he’s got some pretty good skills so far if I do say so myself. More importantly, we are having a blast and smiling and laughing and getting some good exercise. It’s quality time with Jack and quality time with the sport that I cannot live without. I cannot wait until he starts to play USTA Metro Jr. Team Tennis. Jr. Team Tennis is about to start and we are looking forward to a great season. Climb on board! Jackie Clark, President USTA Eastern Metro Region

MTG Celebrates “Diversity” at Annual Matthew Shepard Fundraiser It is astonishing to believe that 15 years have transpired since the brutal murder of Matthew Shepard, a college student who was tortured and murdered in Casper Wyoming in 1998. What happened to Matt remains one of the most heinous and notorious anti-gay hate crimes ever committed in U.S. history. 24

But Matthew’s legacy lives on, by way of a non-profit organization founded by his mother Judy Shepard. The Matthew Shepard Foundation promotes, on the national level, messages of tolerance and acceptance. It further encourages the celebration of and pride in diversity. On a grassroots and local level, Judy Shepard speaks in schools and religious institutions, and imparts her message of embracing and accepting people who are “different.” In early October, Metropolitan Tennis Group (MTG) helped raise money for the Matthew Shepard Foundation by way of its annual Matthew Shepard Tennis Jam held at the 119th Street tennis courts in Manhattan’s Riverside Park. “The story of Matthew Shepard is still as relevant today as it was 15 years ago,” said Daniel Arzuaga, one of the principal organizers of the event and commissioner of MTG. “Despite the advent of gay marriage laws and the advancement of human rights, there still exists much resistance and ignorance, caused principally by lack of exposure and lack of understanding of those people that are ‘different.’ This year saw a significant spike in gay hate crimes here in New York City. Fifteen years later, the struggles that Matthew Shepard faced are still a reality. The need for universal acceptance, tolerance and understanding is just as great today as when the foundation first formed in 1998.” More than 60 people attended the event, which featured “scrambled” doubles play: All participants in the event were assigned a number and were instructed to play on the courts assigned to that number. “You never knew who you would be playing with until you actually stepped on the court,” said Arzuaga. “Numbers were assigned irrespective of playing level, so 4.5s played with 2.5s … young played with old … the random combinations were endless.” During breaks, all the players socialized and enjoyed catered food and fun desserts. The event culminated with a moment of reflection led by Arzuaga and ended with a raffle that included restaurant certificates, free Pilates sessions, free tennis lessons, cosmetic gift baskets and USTA sweatshirts, bags and caps. Between raffle tickets and donations, close to $6,000 was raised for the Matthew Shepard Foundation. “Our Matthew Shepard Tennis Jam is a great way for players of all different abilities and backgrounds to come together, have fun, and celebrate their differences in a tennis setting,” said Arzuaga. “Simultaneously, we all collectively support an important cause, while playing the sport that we all love and have in common.”

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

USTA METRO REGION

Calling All Tennis Fans … Become a Metro Jr. Team Tennis Coach/Captain This year, we will have more than 300 kids, ages eight to 18, playing with our Metro Jr. Team Tennis program. We are looking for volunteers that want to make a difference in the lives of young people to get involved as captains/coaches. The 2013 USTA Metro Jr. Team Tennis program runs from December 2013 through March, 2014. Match play is on Saturdays, from 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and from 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. at the Harlem Tennis Center. The role of the team captain/coach The team captain or coach’s role is to assist the program coordinator or league coordinator in the delivery of the USTA Jr. Team Tennis program. Coaching or tennis experience is not necessary. Below is a list of general duties: l Assist in player registration by making sure your team mem-

bers register themselves using the team ID you have provided. l Gather uniform size information and contact information. l Assist with scoring and monitoring team matches. l Assist in recruiting volunteers/parents to help with team duties such as driving players to matches l Read and know the rules of the league in which the team is competing. The captain is responsible for the team to play and act in accordance to the rules and code. l Report scores on TennisLink within 48 hours of completed match. Home team records match scores. l Keep in contact with the Jr. Team Tennis Metro League Coordinator and Committee l Complete a USTA Safe Play background screening You can help develop the next generation of tennis champions in the Metro area! Join our group today. For more information, contact Joani Akpan at (718) 258-4730 or e-mail metrojtt@gmail.com.

“SBTA Participates in “Pushin’ With Purpose”

The South Brooklyn Tennis Association (SBTA) participated in The Legacy Center’s Second Annual Health Fair called “Pushin’ With Purpose” in alliance with the American Diabetes Association at the Bushwick High School Campus. The focus of the event was on targeting today’s youth by providing information and advice on healthy eating and exercise to help combat diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and stress. The best way to prevent problems in the future is to begin preventa-

tive measures during the early years. As the “Pushin’ With Purpose” event progressed, the kids arrived, and before long, they were lined up to “Take a Swing.” It is always great seeing their eyes light up and smiles form on their face. The SBTA is a registered CTA/NJTL of the USTA that promotes the game of tennis to kids ages 10 and under through programs and special events throughout the City of New York.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

USTA METRO REGION

USTA Eastern Metro Section Committee members Adult Competition Committee Nelson Kier ........................................................................................Committee Chair Ray Krueger ..................................................................................Committee Member Paul Moss .....................................................................................Committee Member Raj Vaswani...................................................................................Committee Member Adult League Committee Deborah-Rose Andrews.............................................................Committee Vice Chair Awards Committee Mark McIntyre....................................................................................Committee Chair Jackie Clark ..................................................................................Committee Member Budget & Finance Committee John Klenner......................................................................................Committee Chair Richard Gordon.............................................................................Committee Member Jim Rosenthal ...............................................................................Committee Member Charter & Bylaws Committee Allon Lifshitz..................................................................................Committee Member Ari Selman.....................................................................................Committee Member Community Development Committee Joan Apkan ...................................................................................Committee Member Jackie Clark ..................................................................................Committee Member Ron Nano ......................................................................................Committee Member Daisy Schwartz .............................................................................Committee Member Community Development-Advocacy Committee Michael McCasland .....................................................................Subcommittee Chair Elena Bantovska ...........................................................................Committee Member Allon Lifshitz..................................................................................Committee Member James Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill................................................................................Committee Member Community Development-Wheelchair Committee John Hamre..................................................................................Subcommittee Chair Cheri Peterson ..............................................................................Committee Member Diversity & Inclusion Committee Daniel Arzuaga..............................................................................Committee Member Jeffrey Fairbanks...........................................................................Committee Member Junior Competition Committee Elena Bantovska ...........................................................................Committee Member Jason Speirs .................................................................................Committee Member Volunteer Committee Daisy Schwartz ..................................................................................Committee Chair Charlotte Ganberg ........................................................................Committee Member Rufaro Makanda ...........................................................................Committee Member Emilia Robinson ............................................................................Committee Member Pablo Sierra ..................................................................................Committee Member Hadassah Silberstein ....................................................................Committee Member

NYTennisMag.com â&#x20AC;˘ November/December 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ New York Tennis Magazine

2013 NEW YORK TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion he New York metro tennis community has some of the sport’s best facilities, both indoor and outdoor, and best coaches in the world. With this wealth of talent available right in our own backyard, New York Tennis Magazine recently took the opportunity to pick the brains of some of these top coaches. What you will find below are some of the sport’s top instructors sharing their ideas and strategies from coaching those new to the game to skilled juniors, the state of tennis in the metro New York area, the role of the parent in a player’s development, and much more. 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 cream of the area’s crop.

Meet the participants … Gilad Bloom The Club of Riverdale Gilad Bloom is a former ATP touring professional who, at his peak, was ranked 61st in singles and 62nd in doubles in the world. Five times Israel’s Men’s Champion, three times in singles and twice in doubles, Gilad is currently the director of tennis at The Club of Riverdale. He was the director of tennis at John McEnroe Tennis Academy for two years, and before that, ran Gilad Bloom Tennis for nine years. Eric Faro Stadium Tennis Center at Mill Pond Park Eric Faro grew up in Riverdale and attended Horace Mann, where he played number one singles for all four years and subsequently at Ohio State University. Eric is excited about his new role as a director at Gotham Tennis Academy and this new phase of his tennis career in New York City and the Hamptons. Eric has an engaging personality that kids enjoy, and he brings a wealth of coaching experience from his extensive background at Stadium Tennis and Central Park Tennis Center. George Garland Go! Tennis Programs at North Shore Tennis and Racquets Club George Garland is director of tennis and president of 28

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, has been a personal coach to numerous sectionally- and nationally-ranked juniors, as well as many television, music and movie personalities. Gordon Kent Advantage Tennis Clubs’ Roosevelt Island Racquet Club Gordon Kent is general manager of Advantage Tennis Clubs’ Roosevelt Island Racquet Club (RIRC) and was the tennis director of Stadium Tennis Center from 1979-97. He was also the owner and director of the New England Tennis Camp from 19912010. Gordon brings more than 25 years of teaching experience with every level of junior–from beginner through tournament competitor. Gordon was named “Pro of the Year” for the USPTR, Eastern Division (1989). In 1992, he received the same award from the USPTA, Eastern Division. In 1986, he received the USTA/USPTR “Public Service Award” for outstanding contributions to tennis development. He is a past chairman of the Junior Competition Committee for the Eastern Tennis Association.

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

Lawrence Kleger Sportime/John McEnroe Tennis Academy A native New Yorker, Lawrence Kleger is recognized as one of the top developmental coaches in the U.S. He has trained more ranked juniors than anyone in the history of the USTA/Eastern Section. Lawrence is also the personal coach of Noah Rubin, who trains at the John McEnroe Tennis Academy and who has been Lawrence’s student since the age of seven. Noah is a top American tennis prospect and reached a career-best number six ITF junior world ranking at the age of 16. He has won two Level 1 ITF singles titles and reached the quarter finals of the 2012 Junior French Open. Lawrence’s students have won countless National and Regional Championships and 18 USTA Eastern YearEnd Sportsmanship awards. Whitney Kraft USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Since 2007, Whitney Kraft has been the director of tennis at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y. and director of player operations for the U.S. Open. Previously, he was director of tennis for the City of Fort Lauderdale Park & Recreation Department (1998-2007). He was a 1983 Singles AllAmerican for Florida Atlantic University, and inducted into their inaugural Athletic

2013 NEW YORK TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion Hall of Fame class in 2006. He is a National 10 & Under Trainer, a USPPTA Platform Tennis instructor, member of the Beach Tennis USA Board of Advisors, as well as a member of the National Cardio Tennis Speakers Team. A USPTA member since 1983, Whitney served as district director for Broward County, Florida and as president of the local CTA, Broward Tennis Association. Whitney has been the tournament director for many prestigious events, including the National Public Parks Tennis Championships (2007), ITF World Championships (2002), the inaugural U.S. Open National Sectional Playoffs (2010), USTA Boys 14 National Clay Court Championships (2000-2007) and the USTA National Open Clay Court and Indoor Championships (1998-present). Xavier Luna Advantage All-City Junior Programs (Roosevelt Island Racquet Club, Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club and New York Tennis Club) Xavier Luna is director of Advantage AllCity Junior Programs (Roosevelt Island Racquet Club, Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club and New York Tennis Club). Xavier has more than 30 years of experience in tennis, commencing as a ranked junior. He was the director of Junior Programs at Stadium Racquet Club, the owner and founder of Metro Tennis Academy, and has held many other positions in the tennis industry. Xavier inspires players with his love of tennis and possesses the professional skills to keep campers returning year after year to the All-City Junior Tennis Camp.

Lauren has played tennis her entire life and attended Indiana University where she was captain of club tennis team, increasing team participation by more than 350 percent. Lauren led her Indiana University team to national tournaments in North Carolina and Arizona. Jason Spiers Advantage Tennis Clubs’ Roosevelt Island Racquet Club (RIRC) Jason Spiers is the tennis director at Roosevelt Island Racquet Club (RIRC) 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 24 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. Richard Thater West Side Tennis Club Richard Thater is a longtime teacher and player on New York City courts. He is PTR-certified in both Junior and Adult Development, and has played in senior tournaments in the Greater New York area. Richard currently teaches at the West Side Tennis Club.

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Lauren Rothstein Centercourt Athletic Club of Chatham Lauren Rothstein is a tennis professional at Centercourt Athletic Club of Chatham. NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

2013 NEW YORK TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion The roundtable ...

Question: What role should a parent play in their child’s tennis development? George Garland: My short answer is to find a coach/director/program that you believe in, sign them up, drop them off and pick them up. After being in tennis for 40 years, I would say that the primary responsibilities of parents are to expose their kids to different opportunities, then support them once they have chosen something that they would like to further pursue. It is essential that the child, the parents, and the coach and/or director are on the same page in terms of goals, expectations, etc. Any problems that arise will almost certainly be a result of that not being the case. However, once a path has been mutually established, I would recommend that the professionals are left to do their job. Gordon Kent: A parent should facilitate their child’s development in any way they can—financially, with transportation, moral support, structure, etc. Where parents get into trouble is when they put too much pressure on their children. Sometimes it works for parents to coach their children, but most often it does not. The best thing a parent can tell their child about tennis is, “Have fun!” We lose too many talented players when tennis ceases to be fun for them. This doesn’t mean they shouldn’t work hard and be dedicated to improving. 30

Jason Spiers: Parents should play a big role when it comes to their children. Parents often get too involved and micromanage their kids which is usually bad for both the child and the coach. Creating a better tennis player is the job of the pro. Parents should be instilling a positive attitude and teaching their kids how to deal with situations. Richard Thater: Parents should establish a dependable foundation for their young players. Proper equipment should be supplied, regardless of match results. For example, do not bargain and do not promise a child two new rackets if they make the semis at an event. Listen to your child. If the young player does not like the coach, no matter how great their reputation is, you will not get much value for the money you spend. Do not pick up balls during your child’s lessons. You maximize the number of balls hit during the hour, but you deny your child the opportunity to learn other skills, such as responsibility. I was on a court once with Mats Wilander helping him conduct a corporate clinic. When my portion was finished, I told Mats that I would pick up all the balls on the court (he is a seven-time Grand Slam champion). Mats gently chided me and said that he always picks up his own balls when he is teaching Run from coaches who have a very rigid catechism. Leave some

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

room for fiddling. Martina Navratilova has admitted that even into her 40s she was still making adjustments in her search for the perfect grips. Question: What are the biggest positives and negatives about the current state of tennis in New York? Eric Faro: QuickStart programs are bringing a lot of new players to our sport in the New York area. Stadium Tennis Center has blended lines on all 16 of our courts. Our weekend QuickStart programs with kids as young as four-years-old are some of our most popular! A negative of being in New York would be that there isn’t a tennis court on every street corner. Lawrence Kleger: The positives … there are a lot of places to play tennis in New York, especially during a relatively long outdoor season. And that includes indoor tennis for year-round play. In New York, we have many people who can afford to pay for tennis year-round. On the competitive side, many families have the financial capabilities to support the development and training of junior players. This goes a long way to support our public and private tennis facilities and clubs as junior development is usually the biggest revenue producing program at these sites. New Yorkers are a tough breed and we have a rich tennis tradition. John & Patrick

2013 NEW YORK TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion McEnroe, Vitas Gerulaitis, Gene & Sandy Mayer, Dick Stockton, and James Blake are some of the more famous names in tennis from New York. The U.S. Open is played here and that makes New York the tennis mecca of the U.S. The negatives … cold weather makes it difficult to play tennis outdoors year-round, so being forced to go indoors is a given in New York. While we have many people who can afford indoor tennis, most cannot. From a competitive standpoint, having limited access to precious indoor court time, puts New Yorkers at a disadvantage. And playing indoors makes it difficult for players to develop well-rounded games. Since most competition takes place outdoors, it becomes a difficult transition from indoor to outdoor tennis.

Richard Thater: The best thing about tennis in New York is the U.S. Open. It brings huge sums of money into the City, creates a sense of excitement about the sport, and helps portray tennis fans and spectators as a somewhat civilized bunch of folks. Playing year-round on the same courts as the pros use at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is also very motivating. The worst thing about tennis in New York is the U.S. Open because it overshadows everything else. The event is so big, and so focused on the present moment that past memories and moments can lose their impact. When I am at the Open, I enjoy watching tennis celebrities like Stan Smith and Donald Dell pass by on the way to their seats. I remember watching them play when

the event was held on the grass courts in Forest Hills. How many new fans of the Open would recognize either of these men? Question: What does American tennis need to do to develop top professional players? Gilad Bloom: American tennis needs the U.S. economy to fall apart and for millions of kids to have a harder childhood. The good life that the U.S. youth is used to makes it hard for them to compete against working class kids who grow up in poorer countries and are much hungrier for success and are mentally tougher. Another problem is that the top athletic talents in the U.S. go to the more popular sports, such as baseball, football and basketball, while tennis basically gets passed

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Coaches Roundtable Discussion over. U.S. tennis needs to figure out a way to attract the hardcore talents and athletic bodies to the sport. It is an uphill battle since tennis is expensive and therefore out of reach for many in low-income populations. It is also hard to change a tradition, and traditionally, minorities choose team sports. Once tennis became a global sport, the U.S. started its slump … it is no longer an Anglooriented sport as countries like Spain, Serbia, Russia, even the Swiss and Belgium are producing world-class players. The U.S. fell behind because of an outdated system that was stagnant and based on the “old world.” In order to catch up with the rest of the world, we need to learn from countries like Spain which has a great coaching tradition which basically teaches generation after generation the same principles of the game and literally passes on the information from generation to generation, creating dynasties of good players for decades. I believe that the USTA is actually trying to do something similar with Jose Higueras, director of coaching, running it with all the regional tennis centers working under the same guidelines and transferring as many of the facilities to clay courts … a big change from the past in this country. I’m not sure if the U.S. will

ever be as dominant as it was in the past, but if they do make a comeback, it will take some years because it’s hard to change the DNA of a nation. Lawrence Kleger: First, we have to figure out how to attract elite athletes to our sport. Tennis is way too low on the pecking order of desirable sport careers in the U.S. As far as recreational activities are concerned, tennis usually rates just below camping and canoeing at number 36! In most other countries, tennis is much higher in status than it is here. Why that is has to be addressed. At the John McEnroe Tennis Academy, we are reaching out to the inner city community leaders to help us identify young talented athletes that might not think that they have the financial resources to pay for tennis instruction. We have established a charitable foundation, the Johnny Mac Tennis Project, which is dedicated to providing training and financial aid to these deserving young athletes. Second, I believe part of the answer lies in the fact that our sport is poorly managed from the top down. Our top 20 ranked stars obviously do very well. But the income of tennis players drops off dramatically as you go down the ranking list. How attractive can

it be to be a touring tennis professional if the 750th ranked player in the world is struggling to make a living? There are 750 Major League Baseball (MLB) players who make a minimum salary of nearly $500,000 and an average salary of $3.2 million-plus. The NBA and NFL minimums are about the same. And that 750th ranked tennis player is one heck of a player! Third, we need to do a better job of training our top developmental coaches. The educational requirements to become a “certified tennis professional” in most other countries are way more advanced than they are in the U.S. In some countries, to become a real tennis professional, you need to go to school for 18 months or two years where you learn everything from the importance of being on time, to advanced biomechanics. In the U.S., you need a pulse and a racquet. Many times, it appears that the pulse is optional. Fourth, we have to come up with a better competition system for junior tennis. We seem to redo the system every few years and every time we change it, most are unhappy. Just when everyone finally understands the system, it’s changed. This is very difficult for participants, parents and coaches. The USTA is the governing body of junior tennis in the United States, and based on the size and diversity of our country, their task of creating a system that will produce American champions is a daunting one to say the least. Having said that, I still believe we have to do better. Eric Faro: In order to develop top professional tennis players, we need to get the best athletes playing tennis. We need to attract the young kids who are on the basketball courts and football fields. We need parents and coaches encouraging and recruiting in order for this to happen. Question: Is it easier to teach a highlyranked player or a beginner/lower-end player? Gilad Bloom: As in anything, there are

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

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Coaches Roundtable Discussion pros and cons to both working with a beginner or an advanced player. Obviously, it is more challenging to work with a high performance type of student, the level of the sessions and the frequency allow for better results and a long-term career. The downsides are that at some point, the advanced players need a lot more personal attention, are more demanding, the parents are more involved and there is more pressure to produce results. When working with beginner type players, it can get a bit boring and frustrating because they might not commit to the game or play that much. On the other hand, there is a challenge in taking a low level player and turning them into a good player. I am often surprised at how good some of my “low level” players became. When working with both types of

kids, the main reward is the lifetime connection you get with the kids. Whitney Kraft: Both provide exciting challenges. A particular coach’s skill set may best answer this question. A High Performance-certified coach would feel more adept with an advanced player, but may feel ill-equipped with a beginner if they haven’t worked recently with this demographic. The toughest lesson is the player with entrenched muscle memory of poor technique that has to be re-tooled. Conveying the fact to this student that they must first get worse to get better and not worry about short-term results will aid in the process of their improvement. Lawrence Kleger: I think for most teach-

ing professionals, it is easier to teach “less accomplished” and recreational players than highly-ranked players, but I personally love the challenge of developing competitive players. While I believe that teaching recreational players requires knowledge of all aspects of the game and many important teaching skills, developing highlyranked players requires all of those, plus it taps into one’s competitive nature. When you take on a student who is, or one that has the skill set to be, a ranked player, you take on the responsibility and pressure to make this player successful. Teaching a player to have fun is a noble undertaking. Teaching a ranked player to meet and surpass his or her own goals (or that of the parents) is a deeper and more stressful proposition!

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Coaches Roundtable Discussion Lauren Rothstein: Above all, the easiest player to teach is one who has a real desire to listen, learn and improve. However, strong points can be presented for both answers. The benefit of teaching a beginner is that the student’s game is completely raw, so teaching proper technique and fundamentals can be easier. The benefit of teaching a highly ranked player is that a coach is usually just refining skills that have already been successfully developed. The rate of success when teaching new skills is also quicker for the more advanced player. Question: Who are the greatest players of all-time on each surface (clay, hard, and grass courts)? George Garland: This is a bit of a loaded question in two ways. First, the surfaces have been homogenized in the recent past to the point that their individual inherent differences have been reduced. And second, like most sports, the game has evolved in terms of power and speed so much so that great champions of the past simply could not compete against the modern player. That doesn’t mean they weren’t great in the context of their era. It’s just a different game now in so many ways. Given all that,

I have a hard time picturing anybody from any time being better than Rafael Nadal on clay. I would say the same thing on hard and modern grass as well, with an additional nod to Roger Federer. The distinction I would make would be in terms of grass. If Wimbledon was played the way it used to be played when the courts were deader and softer, give me Roger or Pete Sampras. Whitney Kraft: On clay, Bjorn Borg was the best, with his simple seldom miss strategy of hitting heavy topspin balls cross-court and then occasionally hitting down the “middle” and Chris Evert with pin-point accuracy and immense patience and mental focus. On hard courts, I would have to say Andre Agassi with his directional patterns and clean ball striking and Steffi Graf with her super slice backhand, big forehand and competitive spirit. On grass, I give it to Pete Sampras with his great serve and running forehand combined with impeccable volleys and Martina Navratilova with the “automatic” lefty add point and her ahead of her time physicality. Jason Spiers: In my opinion, Rafael Nadal is the greatest clay court player ever. His titles speak for themselves. However, the

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greatest hard court and grass court players are really tough to determine because they could be one of two guys … Pete Sampras or Roger Federer. I’m going with Sampras as the greatest hard court player because some of his greatest wins were on a hard court. Which leaves Federer as the greatest of all-time on grass. With a total of seven Wimbledon Championships, five of which were in consecutive years, it’s fair to say he’s the greatest. Question: What traits must a top player possess, mentally and physically, to set them apart? Eric Faro: Mentally, top players must be strong enough to not worry exclusively about wins and losses. They must play with a purpose and be able to bounce back to a good practice after each tournament. They need to focus on the process, rather than on each and every result. Physically, top players need to be able to play long matches over several hours, and sometimes twice a day. Once players are doing well, they need to play matches for many days in a row in order to win a tournament, so they need to be in shape to keep their performance level up. It is important to dedicate time off the court to their physical training schedule as well. Lauren Rothstein: Top tennis players must be willing to make sacrifices. They need to be focused and commit to a long journey of highs and lows. Great players must constantly strive for success but be able to accept losses. They must thrive on a challenge. Successful players understand the importance of mental strength. They know that the difference in winning and losing may be in their head, and that they must always stay positive and mentally tough. Top players focus on their effort, not their outcome because they know that they will be successful in the long run with that attitude. They have developed a high level of self-confidence that sets them apart from their less successful peers.

2013 NEW YORK TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

Coaches Roundtable Discussion Richard Thater: Stories about high performers have stuck with me over the years. In one of his books, sports psychologist Dr. Jim Loehr has stated that the lifestyle of winners is not normal. In that vein, I remember years ago watching a Robin Roberts interview with soccer player Mia Hamm and one of her teammates. The soccer stars had just spent the whole day giving a clinic for young players, so Roberts asked if they wanted a ride back to their motel. Hamm and her teammate looked at each other, then said that since it was only 5:30 p.m., and only five miles back to the motel, they would rather run. If this strikes you as not normal, you can begin to understand the mindset of world-class athletes.

worse or have disappeared entirely over the past decade? Gordon Kent: Certainly tennis has evolved into a power baseline game over the past decade. With improved equipment and bigger, stronger players, the game has gotten much faster. The groundstrokes have gotten so powerful and accurate that serve and volley players have all but disappeared from the game. Players now approach the net almost exclusively to finish a point when they have their opponent way out of position. Players now lack the finesse and skills around the net that previous generations possessed. Young players do not focus nearly as much on learning volleys as they could.

Question: What parts of the game have evolved and what parts have grown

Whitney Kraft: Aggressive baseline groundstrokes and return of serves have

evolved, while serve and volley singles tennis has virtually disappeared. As well, overall volley skills (particularly touch and angle) have regressed. Xavier Luna: As racquets and strings have allowed for an increasingly greater emphasis on spin and power, players are now glued to the baseline. Serve and volley has been nearly extinct in the singles game for the past decade. This has taken away finesse and touch shots from many players’ repertoires. As a result, there is a greater divide between singles and doubles play. As power and spin have dominated the sport, there is a greater need for conditioning and athleticism. Unfortunately, this leaves little room for players like John McEnroe and Martina Hingis, both of whom employ finesse, skill and guile, to com-

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Coaches Roundtable Discussion pete in the modern game. Furthermore, the game has become one-dimensional. In the 1990s, there was a wide variety of playing styles: Serve and volley, baseline grinding, counter-punching. There was also a greater range of grips, ranging from continental to western. Today, almost everyone is coerced into the semi-western grip. The one-handed backhand also enjoyed great popularity by players like McEnroe, Pete Sampras, Boris Becker and Pat Rafter. Lastly, the court surfaces allowed for unique specialties and strengths to be highlighted. Question: How prevalent do you think performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) are in professional tennis and what do you feel should be done about them? Gilad Bloom: I have been off the Pro Tour for almost 20 years and from what I hear, the problem still exists. There are always rumors about certain players, and I want to believe that in tennis, the situation is not as bad as it is in other sports. I know the ATP is conducting random testing on every player multiple times a year. It is a cat and mouse game, and the punishment should be severe for players who get caught to make it not worth doing it and send a mes-

sage. It is simply not fair for the ones who don’t cheat if the punishment of those who violate is not severe. George Garland: I honestly have no idea. I am constantly amazed at the physicality of today’s game. I guess I shouldn’t be shocked if players have found ways to help themselves, especially when it comes to the aspect of recovery. Trying to police it or control it would be no different than in any other sport … just up the ante when it comes to testing. You will, however, encounter resistance from the player’s union. And at the end of the day, have to decide how much of a problem it has become, and to what length you’re willing to go to change it. Lauren Rothstein: With scheduled and random drug tests on the professional tour, tennis fans are lead to believe that PEDs are not very relevant. However, there has been a lot of criticism about the loopholes and transparency in the minimal testing for a physically demanding 11-month sport. Multiple top players have publically voiced their support for increased testing. It is very conceivable to believe that players have been working with doctors to pass drug

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tests while still injecting their bodies with strength enhancement and recovery drugs. More drug tests and stricter rules would help prevent players from getting away with what could be going on behind the scenes of every tournament now. If drug tests were a higher priority in the sport, this could solve the potential loopholes and transparency of testing to maximize the fairness and integrity of tennis. Jason Spiers: I don’t think PEDs are prevalent in tennis. It’s certainly there, but not prevalent. Some of the recent cases haven’t been able to prove much, but have really questioned the drug screening process. Question: What are some of the positives and negatives of 10 & Under Tennis? Gordon Kent: Right now, there are really only positives. It remains to be seen if young players will achieve higher levels of play as a result of the 10 & Under program. Certainly, participation has increased at the younger ages. Everything makes sense … shorter racquets, appropriate balls, shorter courts. We’ll see what the results are in a few years. Xavier Luna: The benefits of 10 & Under Tennis are plenty. The lighter balls allow young players to form a proper technique. The lower bounce of the balls enables the children to play relative to their own height, thereby preventing the reliance on extreme western grips. Most importantly, juniors are encouraged to hit with spin, as the courts are smaller. As the progression balls are lightweight and travel slower, hitting winners are less frequent. This enables the players to develop more tactical point construction and consistency before relying on their power. The only downside of 10 & Under Tennis is the perception that exists in the mind of parents. Those who are not active in the sport may not understand the development regimen required in tennis. They may be the most difficult barriers to a child’s development in 10 & Under Tennis.

COMING IN JANUARY 2014

Distribution scheduled for 01/01/14 This edition will feature: • Guide to Tennis Fitness Locations • 2013 Year In Review • Australian Open Preview • BNP Paribas at MSG Preview

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Credit photo: Adam Wolfthal

2013 U.S. Open

Recap Breaking Records in Flushing Meadows

Record setting The USTA has announced a number of new milestones for the 2013 U.S. Open. Overall attendance surpassed 700,000 for the sixth time, with the final tally of 713,026 ranking as the fourth-highest U.S. Open attendance in history. The alltime combined session attendance of 62,794 was set on Sunday, Sept. 1. In a rematch of last year’s women’s singles final, television viewership of Serena Williams defeating Victoria Azarenka on CBS Sports was the highest since 2002, with 19.3 million viewers watching all or part of the match. The four-set men’s singles final, where Rafael Nadal captured his second U.S. Open title by defeating Novak Djokovic, was seen by 11.7 million viewers on CBS Sports. The 2013 U.S. Open was broadcast in more than 200 countries around the world, and aired on CBS Sports, ESPN and Tennis Channel in the U.S. The official U.S. Open digital properties experienced record setting growth across all platforms, breaking many previous records. Throughout the 15 days of the tournament, there were a record-setting 53.7 million visits, an 18 percent increase over the 2012 tournament. Additionally, more than 419 million page views were tallied creating another all-time record; surpassing the 2012 total by 29 percent. The majority of digital growth was seen across mobile platforms which rose 64 percent. The Official U.S. Open iPhone App recorded over 811,000 downloads, a 110 percent increase over 2012, and surpassed 109 million page views, a 66 percent increase over 2012. The Official Android App received over 41.1 million page views, a 330 percent increase over 2012. Additionally, the Android app was downloaded more than 300,000 times; the second highest total ever. Additionally, the U.S. Open saw 54 percent growth in tablet traffic by recording over 41.7 million page views on tablet devices. In its second year the Official U.S. Open iPad app saw unprecedented growth with over 16.9 million page views, a 118 percent increase over 2012. U.S. Open Live streaming also saw record engagement by tallying 9.3 million plays; a 12 percent increase over 2012. Over 2.9 million hours of live streaming footage was viewed across USOpen.org, tablet and mobile devices.

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

2013 U.S. Open top moments Credit photo: Adam Wolfthal

In front of packed house of over 25,000 fans, the second-seeded Rafael Nadal defeated the topseeded Novak Djokovic 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 to win his 13th Grand Slam title.

Credit photo: Adam Wolfthal

James Blake called it quits on his career, retiring in front of the local crowd after losing a two-set lead and dropping a fiveset first-rounder to Ivo Karlovic.

Credit photo: Adam Wolfthal

In three tough sets, top-seeded Serena Williams defeated second-seeded Victoria Azarenka for the second straight year in the finals of the U.S. Open, 7-5, 6-7(6), 6-1, giving Serena her 17th Grand Slam title and her fifth U.S. Open Singles Title. Credit photo: Adam Wolfthal

Stanislas Wawrinka made the semifinals of the Open, defeating the 2012 U.S. Open defending champion Andy Murray along the way. With Roger Federer falling back to the pack, Wawrinka may soon become the top Swiss player.

Credit photo: Adam Wolfthal

Lleyton Hewitt, U.S. Open champ in 2001, played like he had a decade ago at times taking out the number six seed Juan Martin del Potro in the second round before losing a thrilling five-setter to Mikhail Youzhny in the fourth.

Playing in her first-ever main draw at a major, 17-year-old Victoria Duval shocked the world when she took out the 2011 U.S. Open champ and 11th-seeded Samantha Stosur in the opening round.

NYTennisMag.com â&#x20AC;˘ November/December 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ New York Tennis Magazine

Spain’s Tommy Robredo had been 0-10 against five-time U.S. Open champ Roger Federer prior to their fourth-round encounter. But the Spaniard refused to be intimidated by either opponent or occasion here, ousting the men’s all-time Grand Slam title leader in straight sets. Proving (to paraphrase the late Vitas Gerulaitis), “Nobody beats Tommy Robredo 11 times in a row!” Credit photo: Adam Wolfthal

A win at the 2013 U.S Open would have made the team of Bob & Mike Bryan the first doubles team to win a calendar year Grand Slam since 1951, but they fell to the fourthseeded team of Leander Paes & Radek Stepanek in three sets Credit photo: Adam Wolfthal

Flavia Pennetta came into the 2013 U.S. Open unseeded, but took out four seeds, including fellow countrywomen Sara Errani (number four) and Roberta Vinci (number 10) in reaching her first career Slam semifinal. The 31-year-old also ousted 2004 U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in her remarkable run, which finally ended with a semifinal loss to Victoria Azarenka. Credit photo: Adam Wolfthal

Four New Yorkers competed in the U.S. Open Junior tournament. Long Island’s Noah Rubin advanced to the second round in Boys Singles. Westchester’s Jaime Loeb lost in her opening round match as did Brooklyn’s Daniel Kerznerman. Louisa Chirico from Westchester advanced to the quarterfinals before being defeated by the eventual champion

Flushing Meadows facelift on the horizon New York State Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has announced the signing of legislation to expand and improve the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The legislation will enable critical infrastructure repairs, allow more fans to attend major tournaments and create over 1,500 construction and full-time jobs. “As the site of the U.S. Open, the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center brings thousands of fans to New York every year, boosting our tourism industry and spurring local economic activity,” Gov. 40

Cuomo said. “New York is proud to showcase the biggest players in tennis at this annual event, and I am committed to making this facility the best it can be to attract and host more events like the U.S. Open. Today’s legislation will help make that possible, by allowing the expansion and improvement of this sports complex, while also creating more than 1,500 jobs for the community. From CitiField to Yankee Stadium to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, New York offers the best venues for sports and entertainment in the country.” The signing will provide for a nearly one acre boundary expansion of the entire complex and a return to the New York Department of Parks of 1.56 acres of land for public recreational use. The planned improvements include a new row of tennis courts, the addition of a fenced and landscaped border area to improve spectator safety and circulation, and new positioning for the grandstand stadium. Additionally, out-of date infrastructure will be repaired and upgraded, and public plazas and promenades will be expanded to accommodate up to 10,000 additional fans per day during U.S. Open tournaments. Expansion of the complex is expected to create approximately 800 construction jobs and an additional 776 full-time jobs for Queens residents over a 10-year period. “Approval of this bill will pave the way for an historic expansion of the USTA’s National Tennis Center, which will create new jobs and opportunities for economic growth in and around the New York City area,” said New York State Senate Co-Leader Dean G. Skelos. “In addition, this expansion will ensure New York will play host to the country’s premier tennis tournament for years to come, and our residents can continue to experience world class men’s and women’s tennis right in their own backyard.” The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is the largest public tennis facility in the world. It is operated by USTA for the City of New York, on land leased from the City in Flushing MeadowsCorona Park, in Queens. The complex hosts the U.S. Open Tennis Championship, one of the premier sporting events in the world. In 2010, the U.S. Open generated an estimated $756 million in positive economic impact for New York City, an increase from $420 million in 2001 and $145 million in 1991. The U.S. Open also creates 6,000 seasonal jobs annually, with 85 percent of employees from New York City and 41 percent from Queens, specifically. These jobs generate approximately $40 million in employee compensation. “The USTA is proud of its rich history in New York, which dates back to 1915,” said Dave Haggerty, USTA chairman of the board and president. “As the world’s largest annual sporting event, the U.S. Open is proud to bring worldwide attention to the city and state that it calls home, and is pleased that this legislation will allow the longstanding tradition to continue.”

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

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Winning From Within ... Key Mindsets of a Championship Team: Players, Parents and Coaches By Rob Polishook, Mental Training Coach MA, CPC hink back to the last Grand Slam final you saw … Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic or Andy Murray raise the microphone and always shout out to their team thanking them for their support, patience and direction. In order for any athlete to reach the highest level of performance, there are a set of underlying principles which must serve as a guide for the team—athletes, parents and coach—during the journey. Metaphorically, these principles act as the rudder that helps the player and team stay on course, achieve goals, and play with purpose and intention. We all know that hard work is imperative for success. Many of us are familiar with the adage that in order to achieve mastery you must put 10,000 hours into a task. While this idea has been debated by many, one thing has not—the training

needs to be directed and purposeful. In fact, we can think of things this way: Building technical, strategic and physical skill sets is much like building a sturdy foundation of a house, one floor at a time, each new skill resting on the previous. In order to understand the mental component, let’s use a sailboat as an analogy. It is obvious that everyone sees the sail of the boat when it is gracefully gliding on the water. Similarly, we see the graceful physicality of a player. However, far less obvious, yet more important, is the rud-

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New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

der. This determines what direction the boat travels. If it is not pointing in the right direction, the boat will veer off course. Because the rudder is below the surface, it’s unknown to most. However, this allimportant rudder is the metaphorical equivalent of the mindset, beliefs and assumptions of the player, coaches and parents. Without the proper mental mindset, the player and team cannot steadily travel in the proper direction, and the boat goes adrift. So what’s a key mindset for the player, parent and coach to embrace in order to create a champion? The remainder of this article will identify the key mindset which I believe is imperative in developing a player that embraces competition, thrives under adversity and ultimately puts themselves in a position to rise to the highest levels in their sport. Players: Focus on competing vs. winning Junior players are too caught up in winning!

Yes, I understand this is the goal, but it should be known that winning is a consequence of taking disciplined, purposeful action over time. The key question which must be asked is, “What does it take to win?” This question presupposes that there is a process to winning and encourages the player to identify these actions and attributes, such as preparation, discipline, effort, focus on things within the players control, etc. Winning is not something that a player can directly control, but they can control their process towards this outcome. Juniors need to change their singular focus to the process and get comfortable with the word “competeology,” that is, “The art of competing.” We all know that the player who competes better is usually the player that wins. Attributes of what it means to compete include: Maintaining high energy, a positive attitude, bouncing back from adversity, adjusting and adapting to match situations, staying in the present moment, taking nothing for granted, beginning each point in a centered, calm place, accepting yourself and your process, and giving an all-out effort. All of these attributes are within the control of any player at any level and are necessary steps to win on the court, and succeed in life. Parents: Focus on the process vs. the outcome Parents are often caught up in the outcome, worrying about what a loss means to their child’s ability to play at a high level years down the road. This thinking places the focus away from the step-by-step process and progression. Additionally, this focus inevitably takes the child’s mindset away from the present and focuses them on the future. Yet more destructive, it places thoughts on parental expectations rather than the moment in front of them. One of my clients once said to me, “When I’m on the court, I think about what my dad is thinking.” Clearly this is not where child or parent wants the athlete’s mind to be during the match, yet a focus on the expectations of victory leads to such results. Parents need to be patient with the process, and understand there are no such things as bad losses—unless no one

learns from it. All competitive experiences are learning opportunities and practice for the next match. The goal of any junior player is to continue making progress, and losses hold answers for improvement that lead to future victories. A keen eye must be focused on how a player is using their strategy, how they are making adjustments to obstacles, and how they are letting go of the past, and competing to the best of their ability. When these things are happening, improvement, rankings and rewards will follow as a result. Coaches: Focus on the person, not the athlete Many coaches and academies often have pre-conceived notions of what a player should look and play like as they progress to certain stages. This takes the emphasis off the person and their unique qualities (i.e., Rafael Nadal’s fire, Roger Federer’s calm, David Ferrer’s patience, Fabrice Santoro’s creativity). The key is non-judgmentally recognizing these intangibles, while identifying and building on them as a strength, knowing that each player’s journey is going to be unique to the person. Athletes want people to “get them,” to understand “what they are going through” and to appreciate and respect their journey as a person and not just a player. Embracing this mindset is a far quicker launching pad to success than trying to mold a player towards some sort of prototype which you expected them to fit into but does not necessarily work with the innate strengths they already possess. As a coach, a key facet toward reaching peak performance is realizing how to tap into a person’s unique skills, personal attributes and motivations. Truly understanding the person and their story, and the story behind the story, will lead to increased trust and loyalty, and ultimately serve as a launching pad to unleashing the player within. Preliminary questions to ask your player may include: What’s your “big why” for playing? What motivates you? What do you like and dislike about the game? What are your goals? What did it take to get to this point (obstacles and successes)? How do you deal with adversity? What’s something about yourself that doesn’t necessarily make you better or worse than others, but makes you indi-

vidually who you are? Understanding these answers will better enable you to understand where your player is now, and how to motivate them. Additionally, they will feel you understand them and give a full effort from the inside out. In summary, in all performance-related endeavors, we need to understand that the performer starts off as a person. When a player walks through the court gates, they bring the same strengths, weaknesses, confidence and insecurities that they feel off the court. The job of the player is to focus on what they can control, that is to focus on competing, not winning. Paradoxically, this focus will provide the best chance to win. The job of a parent is to support their child’s process, and understand to reach the goal they need to take different steps, much like climbing a mountain, some up, some across and even some down to reset for more climbing ahead. Obstacles, setbacks and failure must be viewed as part of the process, and something to learn from. The job of a coach is to recognize their player is a person first, and strive to bring out their individual qualities which make them and their game unique as opposed to making the student fit into a preconceived model of what they think is a champion. In fact, champions come in all shapes and sizes. Just look at John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Boris Becker, Nadal and Federer. Some of those personalities could not be more different from one another, yet each has been able to feed off unique personality traits to create their own winning brand. 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 in all sports and levels, helping them to gain the mental edge. He has spoken nationally and internationally and has been quoted by ESPN, Sports Illustrated, The New York Times and other major media publications. His new book, Tennis Inside the Zone has just been released. He may be reached by phone at (973) 723-0314, e-mail rob@insidethezone or visit www.insidethezone.com.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

Happy 70th Billie Jean Billie Jean King got a jump start on celebrating her 70th birthday (Nov. 22) recently at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas with her close friends Elton John, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf among the 200 attendees. Also in attendance were her partner Ilana Kloss, as well Tracy Austin, Lindsay Davenport, Rosie Casals, Pam Shriver, Bud Collins, Mary Carillo, WTA CEO Stacey Allaster, former WTA Chief and now Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott, and ABC’s “Good Morning America” host Robin Roberts.

Djokovic Foundation hosts NYC event

Campbell, Camila Alves, Goldie Hawn and Nicky Hilton. A bevy of Victoria’s Secret models, like Adriana Lima, Candice Swanepoel, Toni Garrn and Karlie Kloss were also in attendance. Anna Wintour and designer Donna Karan also took a break from their busy schedules at New York Fashion Week to round out the guest list for the charitable evening.

Stephens takes part in NY Fashion Week Sloane Stephens stepped out on the New York Fashion Week runway in support of brand Boy Meets Girl. Stephens, in a flirty purple skirt, joined actress Brittany Snow and designer Stacy Igel for the style bonanza.

Celebs at the 2013 U.S. Open Photo credit: Adam Wolfthal

The Novak Djokovic Foundation gala had the models mingling the day after the conclusion of the 2013 U.S. Open in New York City. Man of the hour Novak Djokovic had his fiancee Jelena Ristic by his side to host the dinner honoring his foundation, which aims to provide sports activities, nutrition and better education to the youth of his native Serbia. Despite losing the U.S. Open title to Rafael Nadal in the men’s finals a day earlier, the event was a celebratory occasion for Novak, who had the support of a good-looking cast, which included Naomi 44

The U.S. Open always brings out tons of celebrities from all genres of the entertainment world. Here is a list of some of the celebrities who were seen at this year’s installment of the Open: Henrik Lundquist, Justin Timberlake, Jessica Biel, Jessica Alba, Spike Lee, Ralph Macchio, Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor, David Schwimmer, Olivia Wilde, Jason Sudeikis, Zachary Levi, Olivia

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

Munn, Cuba Gooding Jr., Donald Trump, Sean Hannity, Robin Roberts, Sir Richard Branson, Sir Sean Connery, Sally Field, Judd Hirsch, Chuck Scarborough, Juliana Margulies, Kate Upton, The Iceman, Liev Schreiber, Fisher Stevens, David Duchovny, Josh Henderson, Paul Simon, Jason Biggs, Roger Goodell, Dylan McDermott, Naomi Campbell, Kaley Cuoco, Jim Parsons and Amanda Seyfried.

Gulbis calls out Djokovic Ernests Gulbis and Novak Djokovic used to be friends; Ernests once even said Novak inspired him to work harder. The two used to hang out as juniors. Not anymore according to an interview Gulbis gave to a French TV station. “I don’t like Djokovic that much. We know each other since I’m 12. He was a normal guy then, but since his first big success he changed, his eyes changed. We never fought, but I felt he changed because of success. And I don’t like people like that. I like strong characters that don’t change because of success or money. That’s why I be careful not to change myself”.

Sharapova live on Larry King Asked whether she is engaged she said: “No, not that I know of,” Maria Sharapova said on “Larry King Now.” “Not that I know of. No, I’m not engaged.

Photo credit: Kenneth Goldberg

I am dating him. He is a good player. I’ve known him for many years on the tour. I’m not engaged, no.” Sharapova discussed many other interesting topics during the interview. She said she avoids locker room friendships because she competes against the players and wants to have that edge against them. She also said she thinks she’s won a lot of matches because of her mental toughness. And what about the rivalry with Serena Williams that seemed to flare up around Wimbledon? Sharapova says there is no grudge between them and that the media has overplayed things. King also asked Sharapova about what happened with Jimmy Connors. Sharapova abruptly fired Connors as her coach after just two matches together, days after praising the legend. ”It was just not the right fit, wrong timing with my injury with everything going on,” said Sharapova. “It was just not the right time for it.”

Murray has back flare up Photo credit: Adam Wolfthal

Andy Murray decided to have a minor operation to sort out a disc problem in his lower back that has been bothering him for most of this year. That means it is unlikely he will play again this year missing the last four tournaments of the season in Asia, Paris and the World Tour Finals in London. Instead, he will aim to regain full fitness in time to begin his preparations for next year at his Miami base in early November. After the surgery Murray posted on Twitter: “Thanks for all the well wishes, means a lot to me...” alongside the photo of him lying in a hospital bed with both thumbs up. The 26-year-old added: “First thing I said when I came round was “did I win?” #somethingsneverchange.” Providing all has run smoothly with his surgery, Murray should be back on court

and targeting the Australian Open in January, before returning to Davis Cup duty at the end of the month when Leon Smith’s Great Britain team faces the United States.

Tweets from the pros l Serena Williams (@serenawilliams): On my way to the Dolphins game. Let’s go Miami!! l Novak Djokovic (@djokernole): So grateful to have such a great team behind me all these years! And thank you #NoleFam for love and support! HAPPY l Sabine Lisicki (@sabinelisicki): I simply have the best friends & fans!!! Got calls & messages from all over the world today! Thx for all the birthday wishes!! :-) l Daniela Hantuchova (@dhantuchova): I always have great memories especially playing doubles with one of my best friend Ai Sugiyama in her last tournament on the tour! :)) l Justin Gimelstob (@justingimelstob): Who is ready to watch football??! l Petra Kvitova (@petra_kvitova): With the one and only Li Na in Istanbul :) l Jesse Levine (@jesselevine7): Having a blast here in Toronto helping raise money for the kids of the @IsraelTC in Israel. Always great to #giveback. l Caroline Wozniacki (@carowozniacki): Not good for your confidence when you

l l

go from being a small to an extra-large overnight! #japanesesizes #asia Andy Roddick (@andyroddick): Watching tennis channel ... Why do some coaches take their racket w them to the players box to watch a match? Maria Kirilenko (@mkirilenko): Moscow!!! I’m at home!!! Happy!!! Maria Sharapova (@mariasharapova): I am not a fan of cold weather, but training in the middle of the forest with yellow and orange leaves all around, it’s breathtaking!#Sweden Roger Federer (@rogerfederer): Switzerland made it to the World Cup, how happy am I on a scale 1-10? About a 25. Great effort and congratulations. Victoria Azarenka (@vika7): My warm up is your work out … Training! ;) Milos Raonic (@milosraonic): I am happy to see Mason Raymond doing well. He’s a great player but from what I have learned the last 2 years, even better person! #GoLeafs Eugenie Bouchard (@geniebouchard): Hey @justinbieber I'm in Beijing too! Sloane Stephens (@sloanetweets): My grandparents love to watch me play tennis, but I think they love watching me do yard work at their house more.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

Casa de Campo

Costa del Tennis

Casa de Campo is a world-renowned, 7,000acre Caribbean resort offering supreme experiences “under one roof” including choice accommodations in hotel rooms and suites or spacious villa homes; the acclaimed The Beach Club by Le Cirque and La Caña by Il Circo, along with dozens of other restaurants, bars and lounges throughout the property. Discover The Sporting Life experiences with 90 holes of Pete Dye designed golf courses: the Teeth of the Dog, Links, La Romana Country Club and Dye Fore; Tennis Club, Shooting Center, Equestrian Center, Polo Club, Marina/Yacht Club and well-appointed beaches. Culture abounds at the shops, museums, church and galleries of Altos de Chavon, the 16th century replica Mediterranean village including the 5,000-seat Grecian style amphitheater, a site of international touring concerts. La Terraza Tennis Club is located overlooking the entire resort and Caribbean Sea called the “Wimbledon of the Caribbean,” it features 13 fast-dry Har-Tru courts, 10 of which are lighted for night play. Thirty-two ball boys in crisp white tennis attire chase errant shots not only making guests’ matches more pleasant, but help local Dominican children learn the game and look forward to a brighter future. A former ball boy rose up in ranks at La Terraza to become a junior pro, then pro and is now representing the Dominican Republic in the race for the Davis Cup. In the fall of 2014, La Terraza will host the 37th Annual International Tennis Open an event that attracts 300-plus players from Latin America, USA and Europe.

Costa del Tennis provides a unique tennis experience for Travel Teams on the Mediterranean coastline of Spain. Spain is not only a top tourist destination in the world, but a place where tennis represents an international example of excellence. It’s important for tennis players to master match play! Win or lose, that’s what it’s all about. For American players, it’s an opportunity to experience international match play through different playing styles before meeting competitors in college competition. It’s a win-win for coaches, players and overall, a great life experience! The Barcelona camp, Team Training or Mallorca camp, and High Performance, have hand selected coaches who’ve played on the pro tour. It’s quickly and clearly represented in their mastery and techniques of the mental game being one of the most valuable elements players develop. Court ratios are kept small at 1: 3-4, while coaches zone in on specific pattern play for singles and doubles developing footwork and consistency necessary for an all court—any surface game! The coolest part of it all? Tennis isn’t simply another sport in Spain but a lifestyle … The benefits of travel team holidays? n Personalized program per group for both coaching sessions and match play. n Trips are chaperoned. Lessons are in English and match play is structured. n Accommodations are modern and quiet for peak on-court daily performance. n Daily transportation to and from the Academy is included. n Breakfast is included and half-board is available. It’s the cultural experience of a player’s lifetime …

For more information, visit www.casadecampo.com.do.

For more information, visit www.costa-del-tennis.com.

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

IMG Academy

Israel Tennis Centers

Located in Bradenton, Fla., IMG Academy is home to the Bollettieri Tennis program. Under the guiding principles of founder, Nick Bollettieri, and the leadership and direction of Rohan Goetzke, the IMG Academy Bollettieri Tennis program sets the standard by which all tennis academies are measured. Many of the world’s top professionals have trained at IMG Academy, including Maria Sharapova, Kei Nishikori, Sabine Lisicki, Ryan Harrison and Andre Agassi, just to name a few. Its student-athletes and alumni have won 939 singles titles, 441 doubles titles, 86 Grand Slam singles titles, 49 Grand Slam doubles titles, and 12 Olympic Gold Medals. Ten IMG-Academy trained tennis players have reached number one in the world in singles and four have reached number one in the world in doubles! With more than 50 tennis courts, all students and trainees receive multiple hours of on-court training per day that includes match-simulation drills and match play, delivered by a dedicated full-time coaching staff with extensive collegiate and professional playing and coaching experience. Off the court, players may take in physical and mental conditioning, speed and movement, leadership, vision training, and nutrition specialists to ensure a wellrounded game. In addition to our preparatory school program, IMG Academy offers: Five-week, three-week and weekly camps with education add-ons like ESL/TOEFL and SAT preparation; holiday/spring break camps; adult training programs; collegiate and professional training programs; and team training. With programs available year-round for all ages and ability levels, IMG Academy has a program to help you reach your performance goals!

Attention … avid tennis players! The Israel Tennis Centers (ITC) is launching an ambitious new initiative in 2014. For the first time in its 37-year history, the ITC will be conducting tennis training camps specifically targeting teens and college athletes in North America who want to elevate their game and see Israel at the same time. These camps will be held at the Israel Tennis Centers’ world famous Academy in Ramat Hasharon. “One of our key objectives is to encourage young people in the Diaspora to come to Israel and hone their tennis skills alongside members of Israel’s Davis Cup team at our premier facility in Ramat Hasharon,” said Jacqueline Glodstein, ITC’s Vice President of Development. The ITC helps Israeli youth develop life skills through the medium of sport. Serving over 20,000 children annually, the ITC has 14 centers that stretch from Kiryat Shmona on the Lebanese border in the north, to Beer Sheva bordering the south. Groups are now forming for 2014 sessions starting in March and ending in late August. There will be separate training camps for high school and college students. All sessions will include room and board at the Academy, full days of tennis and fitness training and participation in tournaments with other campers and the ITC High Performance players. In addition, there will be one-of-a-kind discovery tours of Israel on those days when the kids are not playing tennis.

For more information, visit www.imgacademy.com or call (800) 872-6425.

For more information, contact Dvorah Marsha, ITC Development Manager, by phone at (212) 584-5723 or e-mail dmarsha@israeltenniscenters.org. Learn more about the ITC by visiting www.israeltenniscenters.org.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel What makes Mauna Kea a “Top Tennis Destination?” The legendary Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, an architectural icon designed to coexist beautifully with the unforgettable landscape of the Kohala Coast is located on a silky whitesand crescent beach, Kauna’oa Bay. Escape to paradise where you will find 258 luxurious guest rooms, Laurance S. Rockefeller’s private collection of Asian and Pacific artwork, impeccable service, one of the world’s finest golf courses and tennis club plus tantalizing cuisine with unforgettable settings. The 11-court Seaside Tennis Club is one of the largest and most sought-after tennis experiences in Hawaii. Each one of the 11 courts offer an incredible view of the Pacific blue ocean and on a clear day, you can see Maui in the background. Craig Pautler and his team serve up some of the most thoughtful touches available at the best private luxury tennis clubs. Recent accolades include Top 25 Tennis Resorts and World’s Top 100 Resorts. Facilities and services include 11 ocean side tennis courts, a pro shop offering equipment and apparel, equipment rentals, men and women locker rooms, video instruction service, individual game-matching, customized special events, tennis clinics, round robin tournaments, private and group lessons. Enjoy the many other amenities offered at the resort like the weekly Lu’au and Clambake, 2,500-square-foot fitness room and spa just to mention a few. Enjoy some private time at this worldclass resort, improve your tennis game while taking in some of the most incredible views in the world and create memories that will be treasured for a lifetime. The club is open 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. daily, and can be reached at (808) 882-5420 or by visiting www.maunakeabeachhotel.com. 48

Tennis Fantasies with John Newcombe and The Legends Enjoy the best tennis vacation of your life! Tennis Fantasies with John Newcombe and the Legends, the Original Tennis Fantasy Camp, is your chance to play tennis and rub shoulders with the all-time greats of the game. Join host three-time Wimbledon Champion, John Newcombe and his “mates” at the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch in New Braunfels, Texas for this most memorable tennis event. The legendary staff will include International Tennis Hall of Fame Members John Newcombe, Roy Emerson, Fred Stolle, Owen Davidson, Mark Woodforde and Charlie Pasarell, as well as Grand Slam winners Ross Case, Marty Riessen, Dick Stockton, Brian Gottfried, Rick Leach, and Murphy Jensen. Together, more than 150 Grand Slam titles and hundreds of other major championships! Learn, play and mingle with tennis royalty. Tennis Fantasies 2014 offers two great programs: n March 6-9, 2014—Tennis Fantasies for Men and Women n October 19-24, 2014—Tennis Fantasies, Men Only On-court activities include clinics, team competition, and “fantasy” pro-am matches. After tennis, guests will enjoy the “Aussiestyle” hospitality of the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch. The John Newcombe Tennis Ranch is located just outside of New Braunfels in the rolling Hill Country of central Texas, 30 minutes from the San Antonio airport. The crystal clear water of Canyon Lake is just minutes from the Ranch. Accommodations at the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch are one or two bedroom condominiums or a court-side room. The Ranch has 28 deco-turf and four Har-Tru courts, eight lighted and four all-weather covered courts. For more information, visit www.tennisfantasies.net or contact Steve Contardi at (800) 874-7788 or e-mail stevec@towneproperties.com.

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

Tennis Mom/Sailing Dad After the successful launch of its junior program last spring, Tennis Mom/Sailing Dad is proud to introduce its new program, Tournaments Among Friends (TAF), which offers luxury, all-inclusive vacation packages for adults. TAF offers exclusive, full-service travel packages designed around sporting events. The “Tourna-cation” division offers vacations that follow the ATP Tour. Ring in the 2014 with the “Down Under” package, which includes a stop in New Zealand for the Heineken Open, complete with a chance to see the country. Then, hop over to Australia for some incredible sightseeing and a visit to the first grand slam of the year, the Australian Open. Celebrate spring with our incredible “Jetsetter” Package. Included is a trip to The Nice Open, The Monte Carlo Grand Prix and the French Open, with optional Ferrari rentals for an overnight to Portofino, Italy from Monte Carlo. The “Tennis-cation” Division offers accommodations and tennis training, along with tournament play amongst your friends at the David Ferrer Training Academy. TAF is not just limited to tennis. TAF offers Ski-cations, Sailcations and Golf-cations. All include training, competition and desired event packages. Personally tailored customized vacations, private villa, destination of your choice fully researched & planned by TAF. Optional services such as guided excursions and spa services are available. Grab seven friends to go with you and you can go free (sans airfare)! For more information, visit www.tennismomsailingdad.com.

Travels With Soha: Grand Slam Tennis Vacations San Franciscobased Travels With Soha has been crafting trips to the French and Australian Open since 1999. But these trips are not your ordinary “pack-em-into-the-tourist bus” excursions. For Soha, it is all about the personal touch, so she tailors each trip to the wants/needs of the group. The trips are very exclusive and always include the best Center Court lower level tickets. Soha, who speaks four languages, makes her clients feel at home in Paris, London and Melbourne, guiding them on exclusive wine tastings, themed walking tours and sightseeing sojourns. In 2014, Travels With Soha will head Down Under first for the Australian Open in Melbourne (a city Soha knows intimately). Accompanying the small group will be former ATP Tour players Lan Bale and Andrew Kratzmann who will conduct exceptional tennis clinics at the prestigious Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club. Also, on tap are a wine-tasting lunch, a private tour of the National Gallery, walking tours, Sydney Opera performances, optional trip extensions to the Great Barrier Reef and New Zealand. As an Australian Open Official Agent, Soha offers front row Rod Laver and Hisense shaded corporate tennis tickets with accommodations and handles all airline booking, and visas.

For more information, visit www.travelswithsoha.com or call 415-933-6612. NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

Injury Prevention: Knee Injuries By Dr. Eric Price meniscus is a cartilage structure that provides shock absorption and cushioning in the knee joint. There are two menisci. They are located in between the thigh bone (femur) and the shin bone (tibia). Meniscus tears are very common among tennis players. They are often the result of a twisting injury. When a patient has a torn meniscus, he or she usually complains about sharp pain in the knee. A torn meniscus is similar to a hangnail. The same way that a hangnail can catch and cause discomfort, a torn meniscus can catch and get pinched between the bones in the knee during regular activities causing pain. Torn menisci can occur as a result of a singular traumatic event, such as an abrupt twist of the knee, or as the result of many years of wear and tear. To diagnose a meniscus tear, a doctor will take a history and perform a physical examination. X-rays and an MRI are usually ordered. X-rays show the bones of the knee but do not show the meniscus. The MRI shows the meniscus and any possible tears. Other causes of knee pain in addition to meniscus tears include ligament tears, such as a torn ACL, sprains and arthritis. These are elucidated by the X-rays, exam and MRI, and are treated differently than meniscus tears. The majority of meniscus tears do not heal on their own. Therefore, surgery is often recommended. Surgery for a torn meniscus is performed arthroscopically. Arthroscopic surgery uses small incisions and small tools, about the size of a pencil, to perform the procedure. All the work is visualized with a small camera, the arthroscope. The surgeon sees inside the knee with the arthroscope and its images are projected on a video screen. The torn meniscus fragment is removed and the remaining meniscus is

trimmed. Occasionally, the meniscus is torn in such a way that it can be sewn back in place and will heal if stitches are placed across the tear. However, the majority of meniscus tears are treated by removing the torn fragment. Even though a portion of the meniscus is removed in these procedures, a significant portion of a normal intact meniscus is left behind. While it does not function in the way that it did prior to the injury, a significant amount of its function is still retained. Recovery after meniscus surgery depends upon whether a repair or a partial meniscus removal was performed. If a partial meniscus removal is performed, then a patient can usually resume his or her normal activities within several weeks of surgery. If a repair is performed, weight-bearing restrictions may apply and crutches may be needed. Additionally, the patient may be restricted from returning to sports until appropriate healing has taken place. Rehabilitation with physical therapy may be necessary, and if so, it will be prescribed by the surgeon. Dr. Eric Price is a boardcertified, fellowshiptrained sports medicine specialist with Orlin & Cohen Orthopedic Group. He takes care of all types of athletes, from pee-wee league players to pros and from weekend warriors to triathletes. As an athlete himself, he understands the need to get people back in their game. Dr. Priceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expertise includes shoulder arthroscopy for repair of rotator cuff tears, dislocations, knee arthroscopy, including ACL and meniscus surgery. He also teaches shoulder arthroscopy as an Associate Master Instructor for the Arthroscopy Association of North America and as a Laboratory Instructor at several shoulder surgery conferences. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call (516) 536-2800 or visit www.orlincohen.com or scan the QR Code.

NYTennisMag.com â&#x20AC;˘ November/December 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ New York Tennis Magazine

The Importance of Practice Partners By Carl Thorsen s a High Performance coach, I have had many discussions and have heard many opinions about what makes for a good practice partner. Some people just like to see a solid ball over and over so they can catch their rhythm, while others like to be pushed around by a stronger player because they like the challenge. The surprising thing though, is that nobody ever really mentions the benefits of practicing with somebody who is not quite as strong, and when the topic is brought up, many seem very skeptical. Let’s take a look at exploring ways to get the most out of your practice regardless of who you are on court with, especially because it is something that is not always within your control. Let’s start by highlighting the advantages/disadvantages of practicing with somebody a bit stronger than you are. I think we can agree that it is motivating, it forces you to play out of your comfort zone, makes you take advantage of opportunities (as they are more seldom seen), and forces you to hustle and focus at a higher level. In a nutshell, it can help you become a better competitor. But what happens if your preparation is late on the fore-

hand, and you play somebody who is ripping the ball into your forehand all day? Does the preparation get better or worse? The reality is that seeing too much of this will very often result in hitting the ball even later, leading to a loss of rhythm, a deterioration of technique and even injuries. On the flip side, playing someone who is at a slightly lower level than you are has its advantages/disadvantages as well. If a player’s preparation is late and he or she is receiving a ball that is not quite as big, it can help them keep that contact point out in front during a live ball rally or even in a point. Tactically, it can help as well, if you are more comfortable on defense, but don’t like stepping up and using your forehand, playing someone who doesn’t push you around is the perfect opportunity to work on your offense. But, if your goal is to go out and win, tactically, this practice doesn’t offer much. If that’s the case, it’s always good to give yourself some type of handicap which will even out the score and make things slightly more difficult. The important thing to understand is that there is always something to be gained regardless of who you are practicing with. But what are the long-term effects of gaining this understanding? The ability to train well regardless of who

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

you are on court with helps develop leadership and independence. It also shows that you have a goal in mind, and how well you accomplish that goal is all that matters. These skills not only require a ton of practice, but they also set the foundation for the proper mentality in competition. This is called being “process-oriented,” and the best athletes in the world are the ones who are able to do this the best. After a loss, rather than view it as a disaster, they are able to evaluate what they did well and what they didn’t do well. They are able to take a loss as a learning experience, while not being concerned with things which are out of their control. Carl Thorsen is a director of Gotham Tennis Academy’s Elite High Performance Program at Stadium Tennis Center. He brings more than 18 years of experience, coaching a wide range of students from beginners to elite juniors to world-class professionals. A graduate of Cornell University, Carl spent three years on the professional circuit, winning several titles along the way. Carl currently coaches some of the top juniors in the New York metro region and nationally and internationally ranked juniors. He may be reached by e-mail at carl@gothamtennis.com or by phone at (718) 665-4684.

USTA Leagues Update BY DEBORAH-ROSE ANDREWS

he 2014 USTA League season is about to begin. The Manhattan Mixed League will start in early November. The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island Leagues will begin in January. Mixed-Doubles is played with three doubles courts. The level is based on the players’ combined rating (i.e. two 4.0 players would play 8.0 mixed). After a successful introduction last year, Metro will be running the 40 & Over League again starting in February. The 40 & Over League is run at the 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 and 4.5+ Levels. This League is a Metro League—meaning matches are played in multiple boroughs. The 18 & Over Men & Women’s season is a Spring/Summer League. Manhattan will start in April, with the outer boroughs following in late May. The 18 & Over League is played with five courts: Two singles courts

and three doubles courts, and is run at the 3.0, 3.5. 4.0, 4.5 and 5.0+ Levels. Players must play at their NTRP Rating, or may play one level above. (i.e. a 3.5 player may play at the 3.5 and 4.0 Levels only). The 55 & Over League is also a Metro League. This format is now three courts of doubles play at the 6.0, 7.0, 8.0 or 9.0 Levels. Levels are based on the players’ combined ratings. Are you ready to play League Tennis? l If you know your rating, you can contact the appropriate level coordinator through www.metrotennis.com. Click on “USTA Leagues,” click the appropriate borough on the left, and then “Coordinators.” Fill out the form completely, which will be sent on to the level coordinator.

l If you do not know your rating, please e-mail info@metrotennis.com with your full name, current age, area you wish to play in and tennis background. If you played college tennis, please include the college name, the number of years played and position(s) played. A coordinator will get back to you. You can also go to TennisLink, complete the self-rating and then contact the appropriate level coordinator. Deborah-Rose Andrews is the Local League Coordinator for the Metro Region. She is also vice chair of the Adult League Committee and a member of the Metro Region board of directors. She may be reached by e-mail info@metrotennis.com.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

The CLICK! System By Dan Schaefer, Ph.D. t’s all about how you use your mind to achieve the results you want or how you unknowingly allow your mind to get in your own way. I asked my clients to create a Wish List of things that could improve achievement at their highest level and the list below contains some of the items that came up most frequently.

Wish List l Increase Concentration l Identify and Control Self-Talk l Identify and Control Distraction

l l l l l l l l l l

Control Anger and Stress Increase Energy Increase Motivation Control Aggression Control Discomfort Improve Performance Improve Self-Esteem Improve Self-Confidence Identify and Resolve Subconscious Blocks Catch Distractions Earlier

The point that struck me immediately, upon putting this list together, was that all of the elements my clients were struggling with were internal in nature. It is about the Mind Game.

The key to the Wish List Making up your own Wish List will allow you to address the most prominent issues you need to deal with immediately. For the athlete, it is dealing with the next shot, play or match. Let’s start at the top of the list and be more specific about how to implement a few of the items. Increase concentration Almost everyone can benefit from improving this element of the Mind Game. How do you increase concentration? The beginning of the strategy is simple: Identify what distracts you. The next step can be a bit more difficult: Figure out how to eliminate those distractions quickly. This is often achieved through sports hypnosis. Identify and control self-talk What exactly is self-talk? For some, selftalk is constant chatter within the mind. For others, it is more situation-specific. Selftalk is the internal dialogue or mental audio you encounter within your mind every day. It is the way in which you talk to yourself. Many do not take the time to listen to how they talk to themselves. If you do not take the time to listen, you will never know

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

whether your own self-talk is working for you or creating havoc in your own performance. If you hope to achieve any kind of selfimprovement, you cannot allow negative self-talk to get in your way. Where does one start? Right now! Notice how you talk to yourself! Identify and control distractions Distraction can get in the way of the outcomes you want most. But, how important are these distractions? Try this: Stand up … support yourself by placing your left hand on the back of a chair. Now, pick up your right foot and begin to rotate the tip of your foot clockwise in the air. While your right foot is going round and round, draw a big number six in

the air with your right hand. What happened to your foot? It reversed direction, didn’t it? That is what happens to almost everyone. The question from this exercise is not why this happens, but rather, how the result impacts your performance. Can you really afford even a second of distraction? How can you best control it? Control anger and stress Of all the distractions, these two tend to be the most significant. They get in the way of so many things in life, affecting performance and altering outcomes. I have a client who is an ultra-marathon runner. She is focused and talented enough to run 135 miles through the unforgiving heat of Death Valley. Why do I bring her up here? She has told me, “I cannot run well if I am angry. Carrying the anger drains me.” Anger has so much power that it can bring down the toughest athletes. One has to learn how to deal with it at the appropriate time—not during the run or the match. There are excellent strategies to do this and the ability to do this can be-

come subconscious and automatic. What now? Because the mind is constantly in flux, the Wish List is not static. For most people, every day is different. Each day comes with new challenges, new distractions and new desired outcomes. The goal here is to draw from the list I have presented above and add to it any other points you would like to improve upon. Once you have done that, you can begin to select the three most important categories you wish to deal with on a daily basis. I encourage you to call me if you have any questions about the Click! System at (917) 880-6758. Dan Schaefer, Ph.D., CEO of Peak Performance, offers a place to start asking questions. Dr. Dan is dedicated to assisting individuals and companies win quickly through enhancing both personal and business performance. For more information, call (917) 880-6758, e-mail dan@danschaeferphd.com or visit www.danschaeferphd.com.

www.gothamtennis.com

WWW.GOTHAMTENNIS.COM NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

: e v r Se e

hT Take

f o t s e B e th

d a e h r e v O r e l l i K a r o f e v r e S r u Yo

By Lisa Dodson e’re finally at the finish of the three part series about understanding the major differences and similarities between the serve and overhead. Part I dealt with cleaning up movement, balance and preparation. Part II helped to find a great contact point for power and the ability to hit down on the ball. If you made the time to do the practical homework then your overhead and serve should both have improved by leaps and bounds. Part III will now put the finishing touches on your ability to hit a killer overhead. Once again, let’s review the major similarities and differences between the serve and the overhead.

al) n i F I II (Part

Similarities l Sideways set-up with Continental grip l Relaxed arms and legs l Use a “throwing” action with the hit arm l Power attained through use of legs, trunk, shoulders, rotation and pronation l Power is achieved by forward contact point l Potentially a power shot Differences Serve A. Stationary shot B. Drop toss and hit arms C. Contact hitting “up” D. Contact point varies E. Accurate, versatile, high percentage shot with a potential for power F. Drive up off front or both legs G. Follow through is longer

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

It’s time to concentrate on two things: How to use your legs properly to drive up and how to get a real pop at contact (Points F & G). Leg Drive These days, when serving, there are several really good options for how to use your legs. These options are dependent upon the stance that you choose to begin with. Typically, players choose one of two stances: Platform or Pinpoint Stance. Of course there are variations within these stances that we won’t be concerned with right now. The common denominator is and always will be upward drive to the ball with powerful legs.

Overhead Movement shot Raise non-dominant and hit arms Contact hitting “down” Contact point needs to be the same Overpowering shot for power

Drive up off front, both or back leg Follow through is short

With the Platform Stance, the feet are spaced anywhere between four-inches to one-foot (approximately) depending upon the size of the player and personal preference. The back foot stays put. Drive UP to the ball comes more from the front leg than the back leg. The back leg is more responsible for driving the back hip FORWARD than up although it is still a driving force (see photo below) Jason Beardslee, a USPTA Pro 1, uses a platform stance The Pinpoint Stance is very different. Players begin with their feet spaced at various distances and in different configurations. Generally, after the ball toss is initiated, the back foot steps up or is pulled up to the front foot. Now the feet are close together which potentially creates more combined driving force with both legs. When hitting an overhead, we are faced with a number of problems. First, we have to get “behind” the ball. Remember, an overhead is not really a shot that we want to contact OVER our head, but in front of our head where our eyes can see. The ideal situation is to be turned, flexed, prepared and visually tuned in. The ball is out in front of us so that we can drive up with the legs for a powerful hit. It is really much like the leg use of a Platform Stance, feet spaced for balance and a drive up more from the front leg. I have never seen anyone intentionally hit a Pinpoint Stance overhead. This would most likely end with the player unintentionally on the ground. Nowhere in the two common serve stance types did we say anything about driving up off of the back foot and leg. This is precisely what is needed on a large number of overhead hits simply because often the ball is traveling way over us and out of reach. This is a movement that needs to be learned and practiced often without hitting a ball. In this situation, the objective is to “jump back” to the hit in order to keep the ball forward of the head (at best) or to reach behind the head (often in desperation). Simply stated, when going back for a good lob, jump off the back leg (take off foot) in a backward direction. The swing directly

follows the jump and is in conjunction with body rotation. Land on the opposite foot (landing foot) which now has become the back foot through rotation. You will travel back anywhere from one to four feet in common situations. This is a must have footwork pattern for good overhead coverage (see photo below). Lisa Dodson is just about to take off her back/right foot to jump back, hit and land on left foot Getting that POP There is a real misconception about the finish on the serve. Players often think that the racket hand should travel all the way to the opposite hip for finish. A longer finish does not give more power. Remember that one creates racket head speed by allowing the racket head to go free. The racket head needs to travel faster than the hand. So, on the serve, we have a couple of things to remember. The racket HAND will come to a full stop (decelerate) somewhere in front of the opposite side hip. The toss hand will be somewhere behind the hip and the racket head tip will be pointing back to the back fence. Because of the toss element, the swing will naturally be a little longer than an overhead, but substantially shorter than what is commonly practiced. Players also

have more time to prepare for the return from the opposite baseline. Lisa Dodson demonstrates a typical serve finish On the overhead, we’re looking for a true pop, a short set and snap at the ball. We want to get that racket head moving quickly by pulling the nondominant hand and arm into the body, using extreme pronation with the hit arm. The followthrough will be short and abrupt as we are creating power. We also need to be ready to volley in case the ball comes back. A short finish will accomplish all that is necessary. To sum it all up If you already love your serve, then you have the potential to love your overhead. Knowing the similarities and differences between the two strokes will give you a leg up on everyone else and allow your shots to develop naturally. In order to truly improve, you have to be willing to make changes. No one gets better simply by wanting it. Take some time to work on the parts that will create a great whole and before you know it you will have a killer overhead. Lisa Dodson is owner of The Total Serve, a USPTA Pro 1, and a formerly WTA worldranked player. She may be reached by email at ldodson57@yahoo.com or visit www.thetotalserve.com.

Our facility features 18 outdoor courts, including 4 stadium courts, 12 indoor courts and 4 bubbled clay courts in our state of the art, 245,000 square foot indoor tennis facility. We are open 11 months of the year and offer the following: t : FBS SPVOE 1SPHSBNT GPS "EVMUT BOE +VOJPST t BOE 6OEFS t 4VNNFS $BNQT t 4FBTPOBM $BNQT t 0QFO $PVSU 5JNF t $POUSBDU $PVSU UJNF

t $PSQPSBUF &WFOUT t #JSUIEBZ QBSUJFT t 'JFME 5SJQT t 5PVST t 1SJWBUF -FTTPOT t $BSEJP 5FOOJT t "OE PUIFS 4QFDJBM &WFOUT

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NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

BOLT

Lorow

BOLT is offering a special offer for the 2013 holiday season. This year, get a BOLT Racquet Bag (6-pack) for just $32 ($39 retail) or a 12-pack for just $40 ($49 retail). BOLT’s Racquet Bag is made of heavy-duty nylon construction, with a thermal racquet compartment and padded backpack straps. BOLT began in the age of modern, high-performance athletics, with the understanding that the increasing speed and power of modern sports demands more capable equipment. If cutting-edge tools and materials are employed creatively, BOLT can, and should, expect far better performance over existing products. If there’s a way to improve equipment so that athletes can train, play, and win more—all in good health—BOLT will find it.

Wish to surprise your family and friends this holiday season? Lorow allows you to do it through its range of So Crazy About frames: Design, original and sleek. Choose between different models, colors and sizes: The 33x14 ($249) or 42x17 ($299). Made of high-quality Plexiglass material, each visual, wherever displayed at home or at work, will show off your passion for tennis. For the Holiday season, Lorow offers the option of receiving your order in a nice Christmas gift box, including a Christmas card. You can also have it directly delivered to the person who you wish to offer it to. Do you wish to offer an innovative and performing tennis player partner? think TENSGO! The TENSGO allows to instantly test your racquet string tension to make sure you play in the best conditions! TENSGO is an electronic, easy-to-use device and works with right or lefthand use. Available in six fashion colors, TENSGO is a trendy tennis accessory. The TENSGO ($89.99) will be available end of January 2014 for shipment but pre-orders can be placed as of December. And if you decide to offer the TENSGO for Christmas, we will provide you a TENSGO Christmas card. Are you are a tennis club? Do not hesitate to contact us, we will be able to display the name of your club with the objects of your choices.

Go to www.boltadvance.com and use Discount Code: JINGLEBOLTMETRO.

For more information and to order, please visit www.lorow.com or e-mail info@lorow.com.

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

Pocket Radar

ServeMaster

Pocket Radar is the revolutionary training tool designed to help increase power and develop consistency on the court every day. An affordable radar gun the size of a cellphone, the Pocket Radar is the convenient and accurate tool to discreetly measure the speeds of serves, groundstrokes and volleys. Need to work on quickness attacking the net? The Pocket Radar even measures sprinting speed and acceleration. Obtain instant results-driven feedback of all the hard work you put in during practice. Help identify mechanical issues you may have with your backhand or forehand by receiving speed based results. The Pocket Radar is the training tool of choice for athletes worldwide looking to improve and find their ideal techniques through accurate measured data. The ability to easily measure before and after results provides invaluable knowledge to help raise your speed and game. The Pocket Radar provides unbiased biomechanical feedback of your performance to help build the muscle memory needed to succeed. Find the perfect balance between serve speeds to disrupt your opponent’s comfort zone. By getting a feel for how fast you should swing racquet-head speed wise, you will be able to mix speeds throughout the match and keep your opponent off their game. The Pocket Radar is accurate to +/- 1 MPH and will provide over 10,000 speed readings on a single set of AAA batteries (included). Regularly priced at $199.99, enter promo code “TMHG” at store.pocketradar.com to receive a special Holiday Gift Guide 10 percent off discount.

Why use ServeMaster? Janko Tipsarevic, ATP world ranked player says: “Acing your opponent is the quickest & most intimidating way to win a point on the pro tour. Training with ServeMaster helps me maintain a dominant serve as my biggest weapon in the game.” ServeMaster is a revolutionary new tennis tool developed primarily for mastering the serve and overhead shots. It acts as a completely flexible “racket” that gives immediate feedback on serve and stroke technique. It simply and easily teaches players of all levels efficient serve technique for power, spin and control. And best of all, ServeMaster can be used away from the court for extra practice.

For more information, visit www.pocketradar.com or e-mail info@pocketradar.com.

How does it work? It’s simple! Hold the Continental grip on the 3/8 grip provided and go slowly through your entire service motion. If you are able to keep the ServeMaster moving smoothly throughout the entire swing then you’re on the right track for good serve technique. Since it is completely flexible, flaws such as stops, erratic rhythm, inconsistent timing & poor technique will cause ServeMaster to “breakdown” and stop. With help of the online videos and instruction included, you’ll soon have a rhythmic and flowing service motion. The ServeMaster is available in three sizes for adults to 10 & under players. Academy packages and pro discounts are available. Get started today! Start training with the ServeMaster to improve your serve and ultimately your game; or better yet give one to all your tennis friends this holiday season. The ServeMaster is the perfect gift for all tennis fanatics! For more information, visit www.thetotalserve.com.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

SmashGal

Pojie—Performance Extensions

For 13 years, SmashGal has been selling ladies tennis apparel on its Web site, www.smashgal.com. Our skirts and tops are designed to flatter just about any body type. We are known for our cute print skirts, which are available with or without built-in shorts. Our sleeveless and shortsleeve tops are available in a looser and a more fitted cut. The tops coordinate with more than one skirt, so you can mix and match your outfits. We are very popular with teams because our sizes run XS through 2X. Our clothes are in-stock and affordable, and our shipping is a flat $6.95 for online orders. Shop SmashGal.com today and you’ll be looking “smashing” on the court!

Pojie performance extensions are proven to increase spin, improve control and simultaneously absorb impact for greater comfort. The Pojie’s are installed at the throat of the racquet and provide a larger sweet spot with more control and pop, and the lightweight design only adds 1.8 grams to your racquet! If you are a … n Competitive 4.5+ player, using full poly and/or a stiff racquet, complaining of a tender, tired arm? n Senior player, top-10 in the state in your age division. Want to regain a little of the power you have lost over the years? n Serious 4.0 player looking to increase your topspin. Taking lessons and have the right grips for spin, but want to get more? n 3.0–3.5 who plays five days a week in three different leagues. Tennis elbow forcing you to curtail your favorite activity? Then $15.95 for Pojie maybe exactly what you need. “The racquet is more forgiving. With Pojie, a ball hit slightly off center still goes where it should, without the device it would be a miss hit. There is definitely a ‘feel’ of more control,” said Carlos (tennis coach). “Best of all, the reduction in impact has allowed me to play the entire year injury-free for the first time in 10 years. I have tendonitis in my elbow and shoulder. But since playing with this Pojie, I have none! I’m actually hitting first serves again,” said Michael (avid tennis player). Use Promo Code “TENMAG” to receive FREE shipping when you buy two or more!

For more information, visit www.smashgal.com. 60

For more information, visit www.pojieperformance.com or e-mail support@stringadvantage.com.

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

Tennis Balance Board We hear it all the time ... the finest tennis players in the world are those who have great “balance.” However, it’s not as simple as looking at it as just “balance,” it’s a bit more complex than that. As an expert in the field of physical therapy and sports biomechanics, David Lipetz, who serves as a consultant to the sports medicine division of the USA Olympic Committee, set out to develop a product that will have a profound effect on a tennis player’s balance by manipulating their central nervous system. The Tennis Balance board, unlike other balance systems, will force the central nervous system to react specifically to the sport of tennis during the load phase of ground strokes. Once the athlete’s brain is able to “feel” the correct weight distribution through their foot, there will be an instantaneous mind body connection. Ultimately, the athlete will be able to transfer this feeling to on-court technique and notice a dramatic improvement in balance, thereby creating a more powerful, efficient stroke. For those elite players, the Tennis Balance Board is the most effective strengthening tool available to them by utilizing single limb body weight exercises while on the board. This is truly the most sports-specific approach to training the lower extremity musculature for ground strokes. The Tennis Balance Board is for every level player and is a training aid that no player should be without.

For more information, visit www.tennisbalanceboard.com.

Tennis Elbow Grease Do you have tennis elbow (scientifically referred to as epicondylitis), or carpal tunnel syndrome? Do you know anyone with tennis elbow? Now there is finally some relief for this debilitating problem. Recently introduced at the First Annual New York Tennis Expo at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y., Tennis Elbow Grease is now available in retail stores across the country and online at www.eliminatetenniselbow.com. When applied to the affected area three times a day, pain relief can finally be experienced. Tennis Elbow Grease is formulated as a topical analgesic to address the symptoms of tennis elbow, as well as to aid in healing the long term underlying problems of arm and elbow pain. Utilizing a unique delivery system, the active ingredients in the TEG formula are distributed through the sub-dermal layers of the skin, where they can penetrate the affected muscles, tendons and skeletal areas. Essentially, the active ingredients in TEG target those areas in need of relief, ultimately reducing inflammation and pain. Unlike many other topical analgesics currently on the market, TEG incorporates a variety of ingredients that have been successfully proven to minimize or eliminate muscle, tendon and nerve pain. These include Glucosamine, MSM, Capsaicin, Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin E, R-Alpha Lipoic Acid, Camphor, Menthol, Arnica and DMSO (to aid delivery and speed the healing process). Consequently, TEG eliminates the need to buy and use multiple, less effective products. It offers efficacy, convenience and cost savings. Give Tennis Elbow Grease a try, or buy it for someone who is hoping to return to the tennis court sooner rather than later. Go to www.eliminatetenniselbow.com for more information and to shop now.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

Tennis Inside the Zone-Mental Training Workouts for Champions! By Rob Polishook, MA, CPC What if one book could change everything? It can! What if you could improve without picking up a racket? You can! What if your mental game was your best shot? Game. Changer! Tennis Inside the Zone-Mental Training Workouts for Champions includes 32 unique and fun mental skill workouts. It is an interactive journaling workbook designed to help players gain the mental edge, often the difference between winning and losing. Each workout includes quotes from the pros, key principals, mental training skills and strategy, and an experiential journal workout. Have you ever asked yourself? n How do I get the mental edge? n Why can’t I play matches like practice? n How can I play in the moment? n How can I focus better on what matters? n How can I let go of past mistakes and setbacks? n How can I learn from a big match victory or loss? If so … this book is for you! It was written for the competitive junior tennis player to provide answers and insights to real situations they encounter in competition. The book is also a must-read for adult weekend warriors, parents of players, and coaches who want to teach the mental game and are looking for rainy day chalk talk content. To order the book or get more information about how to gain the mental edge, visit www.insidethezone.com or e-mail rob@insidethezone 62

The Ace Bag Most people probably don’t think too hard about the bag they choose for their tennis gear. After all, an old backpack can do the job. But when you have a quality place to store all of your equipment, it really can improve your tennis experience. The Ace Tennis Bag is squarely aimed at recreational players and their unique needs. It aims to fill the gap between the large bulky ‘professional’ bags and, well, your old backpack. The Ace is versatile enough to keep all of your tennis equipment, as well as some personal preferences. It has six different pockets ranging in sizes and usage. We especially liked the ‘quick’ tech pocket for … you guessed it, your cell phone. It is smartly located on the carrying strap for quick and easy access. In addition, we found the bag comfortable, and for the few hours on court, we could fit all we wanted comfortably (a couple of racquets, extra can of balls, energy drink, a wallet and more room to spare). Aner Fust, the owner and creator of the bag, told us that he designed the bag out of his personal frustration. “I looked long for a bag for my needs, and could not find one,” said Fust. “Larger brands offered bags only for the pros. I’m not a pro, just a huge tennis fan who needed to carry my racket and a few extras.” After spending a day with the Ace, we were pleased with it, and think the bag does fill a gap for club players. The company is currently running a holiday promotion for the bag: 10 percent off, a free can of balls and free shipping. Use Promo Code “Holidays13” at checkout. For more information, and to purchase the Ace visit www.acetennisbag.com.

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

Tennis Inside the Zone: Mental Training Workouts for Champions By Rob Polishook, MA, CPC BY JESSICA STILES have a question: What percentage of tennis do you think is mental? I always thought it was a minimum of 50 percent and a maximum of 99 percent, depending on whom you play, the tournament and match score. As a junior USTA player and collegiate Division I player, I often wonder why most players don’t pay more attention to the mental game. I have to believe that it’s because there is no easy and accessible way to work on your mental game. The mental game sometimes comes across as mystery, and the players are looking for the key. Now, thanks to Rob Polishook, founder of Inside the Zone Sports Performance Group, help is on the way. He is changing the way we mentally prepare and play matches with his new book, Tennis Inside the Zone: Mental Training Workouts for Champions. After reviewing his book, I hope and believe it will encourage and inspire players of all levels to spend more time on their mental game. Tennis Inside the Zone is a game changer! The workbook will enable all players to dedicate real time to their mental game just like they do with on-court tennis training and fitness training. It’s a fun purposeful guide to help take your game to the next level. Players will learn how to make simple, yet critical, adjustments off-court, before, during and after matches. The workbook is organized into four sections: Off Court, Pre-

Match, Match and Post Match. As I reviewed the book, I found each workout (32 in total) to be an eye-opener! Working through the experiential questions, combined with quotes, principles for improvement, and articles gave me great insight to my own mental tendencies and how I can personally improve. For the purpose of this review, I immediately chose to complete one workout in each section. I started off with the “Competeology-The Keys to Winning” workout. It helped me identify mental behaviors which professionals at the highest level demonstrate. Then, I worked through: “OMG … I’m Nervous!” which helped me to accept and reframe my nerves instead of fighting them. I then went to “I Suck … How to Tame Negative Self-Talk.” This helped me understand the triggers to some of my non-productive self-talk. Lastly, I chose, “I’m Better … How Could I Lose?” which made me aware of where my focus has been during matches and how to change it. Tennis Inside the Zone is targeted towards junior players, as well as weekend warriors of all levels who want to improve their overall mental game both on and off the court. In addition, I would recommend the book to coaches who want to teach their teams how to compete and to parents as an easy tool to encourage their kids to work on their mental game. I have known Rob for many years, and his caring and passion for people and the game is truly special. I hope you enjoy the book as much as I have. Jessica Stiles plays number one singles for the University of Kentucky Tennis Team and a former writer for Long Island and New York Tennis Magazines.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

RCTA Hosts Walkathon to Ra

BY DAV he Riverside Clay Tennis Association (RCTA) and Riverside Park Conservancy recently encouraged New York City residents to be part of the green by staging a fundraising walk and tennis party in support of the Green Outlook initiative, a precedent-setting, sustainable development project along the Hudson River Greenway adjacent to the RCTA public courts at 96th Street. Underscoring the RCTA’s long-standing commitment to the community and stewardship of city park land, the $6 million Green Outlook capital campaign seeks to transform an abandoned parking lot just south of the RCTA’s red clay courts into a

beautifully landscaped Hudson River overlook with a wildflower meadow, sustainable park maintenance building, and carbonneutral public restroom. Rallying under the campaign’s Give to Go slogan, tennis and parks enthusiasts were on hand to show support for the cause, kicking off the day’s events with a 2K and 5K walkathon at the future Green Outlook site along the Hudson River Greenway bike and walking path at 95th Street. The festivities continued at the RCTA courts with a tennis carnival for kids 10 and under featuring the new QuickStart format, live music by members of the Dirty Sock Funtime Band and a giant dish of paella

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

prepared by local chef Paul Vella. RCTA and Riverside Park Conservancy representatives were also on hand to discuss the Green Outlook mission along with planned community outreach efforts that will include environmental education initiatives in conjunction with local area schools. “We are really encouraged by the turnout and continued support of the public, local government entities and our many private sector partners as we move closer to making Green Outlook a reality,” said Mark McIntrye, RCTA’s executive director. “With a full commitment to sustainable design, the project will provide significant enhancements to the communities’ beloved red clay tennis courts, while contributing a beautiful rest stop for bikers, runners, strollers, tennis players and neighbors alike.” The RCTA and Riverside Park Conservancy intend for Green Outlook to serve as a model for future park improvements and environmentally-sound development. The entire complex will be carbon-neutral and employ the latest green technologies, including solar power, recycled materials, graywater remediation, on-site waste treatment and use, and storm water management. Following successful completion of an RCTA-funded feasibility study in February 2011, the community tennis association has since raised over $200,000 toward the project, with NYC Council Member Gale Brewer committing an additional $1.2 mil-

Photo credits: Eser Atilla

aise Environmental Awareness

VE SUSKIN lion. With total development and construction costs estimated at $5.5 million, the RCTA and Riverside Park Conservancy led coalition plans to raise $4 million from public sources and $1.5 million from individuals and institutions. For over 25 years, the RCTA has main-

tained Manhattan’s only public red clay tennis courts near 96th Street in Riverside Park, one of NYC’s eight officially designated scenic landmark Parks. To learn more about the RCTA and to support the Green Outlook campaign, visit www.rcta.info or www.greenoutlook.info.

Dave Suskin is a freelance writer and tennis instructor based in Manhattan. An avid player and passionate advocate for grassroots tennis, Dave can often be found on the city’s public courts. He may be reached by e-mail at dave.suskin@gmail.com.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

Want More Power in Tennis? By Bill Longua hen I am teaching or answering questions from members online, the same question often arises: “How can I generate more power in my shots?” The answer is by creating more racquet head speed in your strokes. Head speed is created in two important areas, the first one being distance away from the ball. The larger the arc formed in the swing before contact, the greater the head speed created. When we overrun a shot and hit the ball too close to the body, you remember what happened? There was no power on the shot, just a half a swing. If you are at home now, pick up your racquet and attempt a swing with your elbow near your ribs. You will see how small the arc of the swing is compared to a correct swing with the arm away from the body. The arc will be twice as large, thus creating distance and more available head speed.

This is true for not only your groundstrokes, but also for serves and overheads

as well. The amount of extension when uncoiling on serves and overheads will create head speed. The higher the reach and contact point the larger the arc in the swing, resulting in more power. The second area to generate head speed is by having a flexible wrist when making contact with the ball. In the old days, players were taught to hit their groundstrokes with a firm wrist. While that did help in controlling shots, it did not allow for any real power. In today’s modern game, the emphasis is on generating topspin with an upward brushing action on the ball creating that spin. Players need to snap their wrists up while making contact, that upward wrist snap will generate more head speed giving your shots more power while the topspin gives you control on the ball.

The wrist must be loose on your serves and overheads as well. We already discussed the importance of extension for more power; now add a flexible wrist snapping over the ball and you will maximize your available power. Just a quick side point—remember to be balanced when hitting your strokes. All the arc and snap in the world will not help if the body is not stable and balanced. Learn all the strokes from my book Winning Tennis Strokes. Work with me for free, be like the others and join the Member Site and work with me one-onone at http://onlinetennistraining.com. Bill Longua is the tennis director/head pro at Palm Island Resort in Cape Haze, Fla. Bill is a member of the USPTA, has been teaching tennis for more than 35 years, and is the author of Winning Tennis Strokes. Bill also enjoys teaching tennis on his Web site, http://onlinetennistraining.com. To purchase Bill’s book, visit http://onlinetennistraining.com. He may be reached by e-mail at bill@onlinetennistraining.com.

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Grand Central Racquet 341 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10017

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National Tennis Center Pro Shop BJK National Tennis Center Flushing Meadows-Corona Park Flushing, NY 11368

New York City Racquet Sports Solow Sports 157A West 35th Street 347 West Main Street New York, NY 10001 Huntington, NY 11743

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

NEW YORK TENNIS CLUB

DIRECTORY Centercourt Athletic Club

Midtown Tennis Club

Clay Bibbee—Managing Partner and Academy Founder 222 N. Passaic Avenue Chatham, NJ 07928 (973) 635-1222 clay@centercourtclub.com www.centercourtclub.com

Jennifer Brown—Director 341 8th Avenue New York, NY 10001 (212) 989-8572 midtowntennisnyc@gmail.com www.midtowntennis.com

Go! Tennis at North Shore Tennis & Racquet Club George Garland—Director of Tennis 34-28 214th Place Flushing, NY 11361-1720 (718) 224-6303 george@gotennisprograms.com www.gotennisprograms.com

Gotham Tennis Academy Eric Faro—Director of Tennis 358 W. End Ave #3A New York, NY 10024 (646) 524-7069 info@gothamtennis.com www.gothamtennis.com

Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club Gertrud Wilhelm—General Manager 450 West 43rd Stree New York, NY 10036 (212) 594-0554 gwilhelm@advantagetennisclubs.com www.advantagetennisclubs.com

Roosevelt Island Racquet Club

Stadium Tennis Center at Mill Pond

Tom Manhart—Membership Director 281 Main Street • Roosevelt Island, NY 10044 (212) 935-0250 tmanhart@rirctennis.com www.advantagetennisclubs.com

Joel Kassan—Tennis Director 725 Gateway Center Boulevard Bronx, NY 10451 (718) 665-4684 joel@gothamtennis.com www.stadiumtennisnyc.com

New York Tennis Club

SPORTIME Harbor Island

Lauren Hartman—General Manager 3081 Harding Avenue Bronx, NY 10465 (718) 239-7916 lhartman.nytci@gmail.com www.advantagetennisclubs.com

Tennis Courts in Harbor Island Park Carlos Campo—General Manager Mamaroneck, NY 10543 (914) 777-5050 ccampo@sportimeny.com www.sportime.com/harbor-island

Prospect Park Tennis Center

SPORTIME Randall’s Island

Paul Campbell—Director of Tennis 50 Parkside Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11226 (718) 436-2500, ext. 300 pcampbell@prospectpark.org www.prospectpark.org/visit/activities/tennis

Queens College Tennis Club Wayne Martin—Head Pro 65-30 Kissena Boulevard Queens, NY 11367 (718) 997-2795 athleticsinfo@qc.cuny.edu www.athletics.qc.cuny.edu/communityrec/tennis

Manhattan Home of the John McEnroe Tennis Academy Felix Alvarado—Assistant Director of Tennis One Randall’s Island • New York, NY 10035 (212) 427-6150 falvarado@sportimeny.com www.sportimeny.com/manhattan

SPORTIME Lake Isle Westchester Home of the John McEnroe Tennis Academy Brian Inglis—General Manager 660 White Plains Road Eastchester, NY 10709 (914) 777-5151 binglis@sportimeny.com www.sportimeny.com/lake-isle

The Country Club of Riverdale (TCR) Gilad Bloom—Director of Tennis 2600 Netherland Avenue Riverdale, NY 10463 (718) 796-9099 bloom.gilad@gmail.com www.tcr-nyc.com

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 www.usta.com

West Side Tennis Club Bob Ingersole—Director of Tennis 1 Tennis Place Forest Hills, NY 11375 (718) 268-2300 tennisdirector@foresthillstennis.com www.foresthillstennis.com/index.html

UPCOMING

EVENTS NOVEMBER 2013 Friday, November 22 David Dinkins Tennis Club & Harlem Cultural Archives: Book Signing With the Honorable Mayor David N. Dinkins USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Flushing Meadows, N.Y. 6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. For more information, call (551) 200-3239 or e-mail ddtcevents@yahoo.com.

DECEMBER 2013 Friday, December 8 Justin Gimelstob Children’s Fund 2013 Tennis Exhibition Centercourt Athletic Club 222 North Passaic Avenue Chatham, N.J. For more information, visit www.thevaleriefund.org/JGCF.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

NEW Boys & Girls Metro Rankings (as of 10/16/13)

BOYS Metro Boys 12 Singles Rank Name ................................City 1........Igor Maslov......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 2........Peter Frelinghuysen ........New York, N.Y. 3........Nicholas Pustilnik............Brooklyn, N.Y. 4........Henry Hochfelder............New York, N.Y. 5........Anthony Cataldo ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 6........David Krasner..................Staten Island, N.Y. 7........Wesley Zhang..................Staten Island, N.Y. 8........Blake Frank......................New York, N.Y. 9........Eitan Trantz ......................Bronx, N.Y. 10......Michael Gechka ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 11......Joakim Duffy....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 12......Shawn Jackson ..............Staten Island, N.Y. 13......John-Tomas Bilski ..........New York, N.Y. 14......Brandon Torres................Bronx, N.Y. 15......Jonathan Glinsky ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 16......Jasper August Hunt ........New York, N.Y. 17......Oliver Wetherill Tockman Brooklyn, N.Y. 18......Noah Eisenberg ..............New York, N.Y. 19......Rudolph Merlin................Brooklyn, N.Y. 20......Bradley Bennett ..............New York, N.Y. 21......Kemal Aziz ......................Staten Island, N.Y. 22......Jeffrey Yu ........................Forest Hills, N.Y. 23......Christian Rabinowitz ......Bayside, N.Y. 24......Sadi Gulcelik....................New York, N.Y. 25......Dylan Lachmanen ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 26......Joseph Wilkanowski ......Long Island City, N.Y. 27......Daniel Leon Maseyev......Brooklyn, N.Y. 28......Donovan Brown ..............New York, N.Y. 29......David Alan Khaimov........Jamaica, N.Y. 30......Gabriel Rissman..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 31......Ryan McCook ................Saint Albans, N.Y. 32......Sachin Palta ....................Forest Hills, N.Y. 33......Derrick Mu ......................Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 34......Winter Fagerberg ............New York, N.Y. 35......Sidharth Chawla..............New York, N.Y. 36......Michael Cooper ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 37......Joshua Jackson ..............Staten Island, N.Y. 38......Mitchel Pertsovsky..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 39......William Charles Phillips ..New York, N.Y. 40......Isaac Lennon ..................New York, N.Y.

Metro Boys 14 Singles Rank Name ................................City 1........Derek Lung ......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 2........Nicholas Pustilnik............Brooklyn, N.Y. 3........Andrew Zucker................New York, N.Y. 4........Peter Frelinghuysen ........New York, N.Y. 5........Henry Hochfelder............New York, N.Y. 6........Christopher Tham ..........Flushing, N.Y. 7........Wiley Schubert Reed ......Brooklyn, N.Y. 8........Max Schindel ..................New York, N.Y. 9........Leonidas Vrailas ..............New York, N.Y. 10......Kevin Yan ........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 11......Jeffrey McCready............Brooklyn, N.Y. 12......Igor Maslov......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 13......Shawn Jackson ..............Staten Island, N.Y. 14......Teddy Friedman ..............New York, N.Y. 15......Daniel Ertel ......................New York, N.Y. 16......Daniel Davis ....................New York, N.Y. 17......Barak Harari ....................Hollis, N.Y. 18......Tanner Ross Bhonslay ....New York, N.Y. 19......Christopher Toub ............New York, N.Y. 20......Mizel Stevens ..................New York, N.Y.

YORK

21......Zachary Portnoy..............New York, N.Y. 22......Dominick Pajor................Brooklyn, N.Y. 23......Tristan Taylor....................New York, N.Y. 24......David Moldovan ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 25......Kermal Aziz......................Staten Island, N.Y. 26......Daniel Corona..................Fresh Meadows, N.Y. 27......Leaf Fagerberg ................New York, N.Y. 28......Mitchell Mu ......................Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 29......Robbie F. Werdiger..........New York, N.Y. 30......Ben Warren......................New York, N.Y. 31......Richard Wickman............Bayside, N.Y. 32......Gregory Thomas Coe ....New York, N.Y. 33......Isaac Lennon ..................New York, N.Y. 34......Jeffrey Yu ........................Forest Hills, N.Y. 35......Robert Freitag..................New York, N.Y. 36......David Dylan Pines ..........New York, N.Y. 37......Joshua Jackson ..............Staten Island, N.Y. 38......Noah Edelman ................ New York, N.Y. 39......Zachary G. Targoff ..........New York, N.Y. 40......Thomas Elfving................New York, N.Y.

Metro Boys 16 Singles Rank Name ................................City 1........Leonard Margolis ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 2........Andrew Zucker................New York, N.Y. 3........Adam Borak ....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 4........Douglas Nover ................Bayside, N.Y. 5........Jordan Rey-Anatole ........Brooklyn, N.Y. 6........Steven Serras..................Queens Village, N.Y. 7........Oliver Mai ........................Flushing, N.Y. 8........Sam Krevlin......................New York, N.Y. 9........Horia Negru ....................Middle Village, N.Y. 10......Adam Lane Bernstein ....New York, N.Y. 11......Jonathan L. Molfetta ......Howard Beach, N.Y. 12......Dan Ion Negru ................Middle Village, N.Y. 13......Jacob Daly ......................Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 14......Kevin Yan ........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 15......Kristjan Tomasson ..........New York, N.Y. 16......Justin Belnavis ................Jamaica, N.Y. 17......Leonardo Escudero ........Ozone Park, N.Y. 18......Gabriel Kramer-Garcia....New York, N.Y. 19......Kyran Luke Somar ..........Bronx, N.Y. 20......Peter Coulombe..............New York, N.Y. 21......Stephen Mai ....................Flushing, N.Y. 22......Daniel Ertel ......................New York, N.Y. 23......Samuel Caloras ..............Little Neck, N.Y. 24......Massimo DeCarvalho ....Forest Hills, N.Y. 25......Avery Bicks......................New York, N.Y. 26......Andreja Radevic ..............New York, N.Y. 27......David Farina ....................New York, N.Y. 28......Gabriel Sifuentes ............Flushing, N.Y. 29......Nate Newhouse ..............New York, N.Y. 30......Igor Maslov......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 31......Xavier Pacthod................New York, N.Y. 32......Bojidar Todorov ..............Rego Park, N.Y. 33......Adam Chan......................New York, N.Y. 34......Sam Vagner ....................Staten Island, N.Y. 35......Shawn Jackson ..............Staten Island, N.Y. 36......Dylan Friedman ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 37......Robert Millman................New York, N.Y. 38......Daniel Enrique Corona....Fresh Meadows, N.Y. 39......Michael Dozortsev ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 40......Benjamin Thier ................New York, N.Y.

Metro Boys 18 Singles Rank Name ................................City 1........Joshua Freud ..................New York, N.Y. 2........Stefan Radevic................New York, N.Y. 3........Jonathan Cohen..............New York, N.Y. 4........Kumeil Hosain ................New York, N.Y. 5........Stephen William Fields ..Bronx, N.Y.

RANKINGS 6........Kristan Tomasson............New York, N.Y. 7........Anthony Santino..............Douglaston, N.Y.

GIRLS Metro Girls 12 Singles Rank Name ................................City 1........Nadejda Maslova ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 2........Karolina Lankamer ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 3........Amy Kaplan ....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 4........Natalie Eordekian ............Woodside, N.Y. 5........Daniella Benabraham......New York, N.Y. 6........Shakima Hotaki ..............Flushing, N.Y. 7........Rachel Zhang ..................Forest Hills, N.Y. 8........Rachel Rubenzahl ..........New York, N.Y. 9........Isabella Sinclair Cooper..Brooklyn, N.Y. 10......Maryna Bohdanovska ....Brooklyn, N.Y. 11......Lorraine Bergmann ........Forest Hills, N.Y. 12......Naomi Park......................New York, N.Y. 13......Rebecca Sitkovetsky ......Staten Island, N.Y. 14......Theodora Vrailas ............New York, N.Y. 15......Miriam Aziz ......................Staten Island, N.Y. 16......Isabella Hartman ............New York, N.Y. 17......Khyanna Singh ................Queens Village, N.Y. 18......Guiliana Rosa Gibson ....Bayside, N.Y. 19......Maxine Zaretsky..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 20......Julia Dementyev..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 21......Alyssa An ........................New York, N.Y. 22......Gabriella Kashulsky ........Brooklyn, N.Y. 23......Elisabeth Schlossel ........New York, N.Y. 24......Caroline Kantor................New York, N.Y. 25......Emma Abels Eisenberg ..New York, N.Y. 26......Emily Moczulski ..............Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 27......Rebecca Lzyayeva..........Staten Island, N.Y. 28......Sarah Lucy Youngberg ..New York, N.Y. 29......Nadzeya Fliaha................Brooklyn, N.Y. 30......Bella Kaplan ....................New York, N.Y. 31......Rebecca Fisch ................New York, N.Y. 32......Isabel Mays Stern ..........New York, N.Y. 33......Shawnte Beale ................Bronx, N.Y. 34......Taylor Simone Williams ..New York, N.Y. 35......Nathalie Williams ............New York, N.Y. 36......Gabriella Eitkis ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 37......Alex Townes-West ..........New York, N.Y. 38......Madeline Kozower ..........New York, N.Y. 39......Isabella Sifuentes ............Flushing, N.Y. 40......Samantha Fischer ..........New York, N.Y.

Metro Girls 14 Singles Rank Name ................................City 1........Elizabeth Khusid..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 2........Veronika Semenova ........Brooklyn, N.Y. 3........Jennifer Yu ......................Forest Hills, N.Y. 4........Jenelle Downer................Brooklyn, N.Y. 5........Sarah Hirschfield ............New York, N.Y. 6........Amalia Parrish..................Queens Village, N.Y. 7........Olivia Simone Morris ......Floral Park, N.Y. 8........Autumn Greco ................Staten Island, N.Y. 9........Donna Episcopio ............Bayside, N.Y. 10......Yuhan Wang ....................Little Neck, N.Y. 11......Theodora Vrailas ............New York, N.Y. 12......Marie Ivantechenko ........Brooklyn, N.Y. 13......Alice Pinho ......................Woodside, N.Y. 14......Kyra Bergmann ..............Forest Hills, N.Y. 15......Maryna Bohdanovska ....Brooklyn, N.Y. 16......Diana Sosonkin ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 17......Sofie Kate Levine ............New York, N.Y. 18......Gianna Gaudio ................Staten Island, N.Y. 19......Isabella Sinclair Cooper..Brooklyn, N.Y. 20......Tiana Fernandez..............Bronx, N.Y. 21......Liana Weitzman ..............Whitestone, N.Y.

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

22......Mia Simone Parrish ........Queens Village, N.Y. 23......Dakota Fordham ............New York, N.Y. 24......Maxine Zaretsky..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 25......Johnniesha Breiten ........Bronx, N.Y. 26......Isabella Tushaj ................Bronx, N.Y. 27......Caroline Paige Kantor ....New York, N.Y. 28......Miriam Aziz ......................Staten Island, N.Y. 29......Giuliana Rose Gibson ....Bayside, N.Y. 30......Rachel Okin ....................New York, N.Y. 31......Rosie Garcia ....................New York, N.Y. 32......Karolina Lankamer ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 33......Grace Caroline Feagin ....New York, N.Y. 34......Kiara Rose ......................New York, N.Y. 35......Michelle Gao....................Sunnyside, N.Y. 36......Julia Sachman ................New York, N.Y. 37......Bri’Yonna Porterfield ......Bronx, N.Y. 38......Grace Parker ..................New York, N.Y. 39......Gabriella Etkins................Brooklyn, N.Y. 40......Nadejda Maslova ............Brooklyn, N.Y.

Metro Girls 16 Singles Rank Name ................................City 1........Electra Frelinghuysen......New York, N.Y. 2........Keri Anne Picciochi ........Flushing, N.Y. 3........Alesssandra Ricciardi......Howard Beach, N.Y. 4........Jenna Borenstein ............New York, N.Y. 5........Jennifer Yu ......................Forest Hills, N.Y. 6........Lindsay Jadow ................New York, N.Y. 7........Victoria Zezula ................Ridgewood, N.Y. 8........Gaelle Conille ..................New York, N.Y. 9........Emi Lewis ........................New York, N.Y. 10......Ashley DelMissier............Forest Hills, N.Y. 11......Sarah Hirschfield ............New York, N.Y. 12......Hediye Karabay ..............Flushing, N.Y. 13......Anika Pornpitaksuk ........Flushing, N.Y. 14......Jennifer Reiss ..................New York, N.Y. 15......Anna Tselikovskaya ........New York, N.Y. 16......Amanda Solecki ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 17......Annie Reiner ....................New York, N.Y. 18......Katie Pazz........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 19......Paolina Zanski ................Astoria, N.Y. 20......Alexandra Sanford ..........New York, N.Y. 21......Nicole Schnabel ..............Woodhaven, N.Y. 22......Anna Maite Kaplan..........New York, N.Y. 23......Maria Kogarova ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 24......Reena Sarkar ..................New York, N.Y. 25......Liana I. Weitzman............Whitestone, N.Y. 26......Monique Magyar ............New York, N.Y. 27......Yifei Wang........................Little Neck, N.Y. 28......Dakota Fordham ............New York, N.Y. 29......Donna Episcopio ............Bayside, N.Y. 30......Stefana Vujinovic ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 31......Soraya Conille ................New York, N.Y. 32......Noa E. Haninovich ..........New York, N.Y. 33......Liza Levison ....................New York, N.Y.

Metro Girls 18 Singles Rank Name ................................City 1........Gaelle Conille ..................New York, N.Y. 2........Hediye Karabay ..............Flushing, N.Y. 3........Briel Biggs........................Bronx, N.Y. 4........Champagne Mills ............New York, N.Y. 5........Jenna B. Borenstein........New York, N.Y. 6........Emi Lewis ........................New York, N.Y. 7........Kyra Bergmann ..............Forest Hills, N.Y. 8........Emily Sham......................Brooklyn, N.Y.

NEW Boys & Girls Sectional Rankings (as of 11/04/13)

BOYS Sectional Boys 12 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 2........Ethan Leon ......................Woodhaven, N.Y. 6........Shand Stephens..............New York, N.Y. 7........Derek Raskopf ................New York, N.Y. 9........Steven Daniel Nazaroff ..Brooklyn, N.Y. 10......Jeffrey Fradkin ................New York, N.Y. 14......Robbie Werdiger ............New York, N.Y. 17......Noah Edelman ................New York, N.Y. 26......Harry Portnoy ..................New York, N.Y. 29......Alexander Nielsen ..........New York, N.Y. 30......Alexander Petrov ............Middle Village, N.Y. 33......Brandon T. Cohen ..........New York, N.Y. 35......Aleksa Pljakic ..................Forest Hills, N.Y. 36......David Weiner ..................Rego Park, N.Y. 37......Christopher Tham ..........Flushing, N.Y. 41......Kai Yuminaga ..................Little Neck, N.Y. 47......Alex Portnoy ....................New York, N.Y. 48......Jeffrey McCready............Brooklyn, N.Y. 60......David Krasner..................Staten Island, N.Y. 62......Scott Fischer ..................New York, N.Y. 64......Ryan McCook ................St. Albans, N.Y. 66......Eitan Khromchenko ........Staten Island, N.Y. 69......Garrett Chao....................New York, N.Y. 70......Wesley Zhang..................Staten Island, N.Y. 72......Joseph Wilkanowski ......Long Island City, N.Y. 73......Maxwell Kachkarov ........Flushing, N.Y. 82......Derrick Mu ......................Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 85......Nash Johnson ................New York, N.Y. 86......John-Thomas Bilski ........New York, N.Y. 89......Oliver Obeid ....................New York, N.Y. 90......Teddy Brodsky ................New York, N.Y. 93......Sidharth Chawla..............New York, N.Y. 96......Tristan Taylor....................New York, N.Y. 100....Zachary Portnoy..............New York, N.Y. 101....Michael Cooper ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 102....Jonathan Glinsky ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 107....Jace Alexander................New York, N.Y. 108....Mitchel Pertsovsky..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 110....Simon Camacho ............New York, N.Y. 112....Anthony Cataldo ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 114....Marcos Souza Lee ..........New York, N.Y. 117....Donovan Brown ..............New York, N.Y. 123....Blake Frank......................New York, N.Y. 126....Eitan Trantz ......................Bronx, N.Y. 130....Michael Gechka ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 134....Brandon Torres................Bronx, N.Y. 137....Jeffrey Yu ........................Forest Hills, N.Y. 141....Dylan Connor Charles ....New York, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 14 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 9........Sumit Sarkar.................... New York, N.Y. 21......Gary Fishkin ....................Staten Island, N.Y. 45......Zachary Lieb....................New York, N.Y. 48......Allan Ethan Magid ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 52......David Mizrahi ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 59......Oliver Jevtovic ................Astoria, N.Y. 64......Ethan Leon ......................Woodhaven, N.Y. 67......Sam Vagner ....................Staten Island, N.Y. 70......Igor Maslov......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 72......Max Prohorov..................Rego Park, N.Y. 77......Emil Nadyrbekov ............Brooklyn, N.Y.

YORK

79......Gabriel Sifuentes ............Flushing, N.Y. 83......Christopher Kolesnik ......Staten Island, N.Y. 84......Jeffrey Gorilovsky............Brooklyn, N.Y. 86......Henry Hochfelder............New York, N.Y. 91......Shawn Jackson ..............Staten Island, N.Y. 92......Alexander Chiu................New York, N.Y. 99......Nicholas Pustilnik............Brooklyn, N.Y. 101....Nicholas Rudman............New York, N.Y. 107....Philip Belmatch ..............Staten Island, N.Y. 126....Alfi von Auersperg ..........New York, N.Y. 127....Ameer Hosain..................New York, N.Y. 133....Wiley Schubert Reed ......Brooklyn, N.Y. 138....Dylan Friedman ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 145....Mitchell Mu ......................Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 147....Gregory Thomas Coe ....New York, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 16 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 5........Oliver Sec ........................New York, N.Y. 8........Felipe Osses-Konig ........Rego Park, N.Y. 10......Victor Miglo......................Kew Gardens, N.Y. 17......Ananth Raghavan............New York, N.Y. 19......Christopher Paul Auteri ..Staten Island, N.Y. 20......Marcus Smith ..................Little Neck, N.Y. 26......Edan Lee Sossen ............Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 28......Gal Matthew Sossen ......Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 29......Jack Haroche ..................New York, N.Y. 30......James Wasserman ........New York, N.Y. 36......Ethan Nittolo....................Flushing, N.Y. 39......Cole Gittens ....................New York, N.Y. 43......Alexander Thrane............New York, N.Y. 51......Aleksandar Kovacevic ....New York, N.Y. 52......Jordan D. Jordan ............Astoria, N.Y. 73......Alex Chao ........................New York, N.Y. 74......Mitchell Ostrovsky ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 80......Faris Nathoo ....................New York, N.Y. 83......William Trang ..................Staten Island, N.Y. 95......Noah Kyle Agarwal..........New York, N.Y. 119....Calvin Chung ..................Bronx, N.Y. 123....Christian Gloria................Queens Village, N.Y. 124....Avery Bricks ....................New York, N.Y. 132....Ethan Moszkowski..........New York, N.Y. 133....Xavier Pacthod................New York, N.Y. 136....Bojidar Todorov ..............Rego Park, N.Y. 137....Leonardo Escudero ........Ozone Park, N.Y. 139....Kevin T. Huynh ................Astoria, N.Y. 150....Philip Raytburg ................Brooklyn, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 18 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 3........Daniel Kerznerman..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 14......Oliver Sec ........................New York, N.Y. 15......Artemie Amari..................New York, N.Y. 16......Lucas Pickering ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 19......Win Smith ........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 21......Justin Fields ....................New York, N.Y. 28......Sachin Raghavan............New York, N.Y. 29......Richard Sec ....................New York, N.Y. 30......Steven Koulouris ............Long Island City, N.Y. 31......Christopher Paul Auteri ..Staten Island, N.Y. 36......Courtney Murphy ............Bronx, N.Y. 45......Ethan Nittolo....................Flushing, N.Y. 57......Victor Miglo......................Kew Gardens, N.Y. 80......Marcus T. Smith ..............Little Neck, N.Y. 88......Maurice Russo ................New York, N.Y. 90......Michael William Anzalone Howard Beach, N.Y. 91......Andrew Arnaboldi ..........New York, N.Y. 94......Alexander Pintilie ............New York, N.Y. 98......Benjamin Gottschalk ......New York, N.Y.

RANKINGS 114....Ryoma Haraguchi ..........New York, N.Y. 116....Cameron Daniels ............Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 131....Edan Lee Sossen ............Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 132....Gal Matthew Sossen ......Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 134....Joshua Yablon ................New York, N.Y. 141....James Wasserman ........New York, N.Y. 144....Felipe Osses-Konig ........Rego Park, N.Y.

GIRLS Sectional Girls 12 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 1........Michelle Sorokko ............Douglaston, N.Y. 3........Shelly Yaloz......................Little Neck, N.Y. 5........Dasha Kourkina ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 6........Christina Huynh ..............Astoria, N.Y. 11......Rosie Garcia Gross ........New York, N.Y. 13......Chelsea Williams ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 16......Dakota Fordham ............New York, N.Y. 19......Katherine Kachkarov ......Flushing, N.Y. 20......Elvina Kalieva ..................Staten Island, N.Y. 22......Najah Dawson ................Rosedale, N.Y. 24......Miriam Aziz ......................Staten Island, N.Y. 28......Kyra Bergmann ..............Forest Hills, N.Y. 34......Isabella Tushaj ................Bronx, N.Y. 37......Nadejda Maslova ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 39......Steffi Antao ......................Briarwood, N.Y. 40......Perene Wang ..................New York, N.Y. 41......Marie Ivantechenko ........Brooklyn, N.Y. 43......Diana McCready ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 45......Sonia Tartakovsky ..........New York, N.Y. 47......Diana Sosonkin ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 57......Amanda Solecki ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 58......Zoe Kava..........................New York, N.Y. 59......Carolyn Brodsky..............New York, N.Y. 60......Karolina Lankamer ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 61......Rebecca Eliana Fisch ....New York, N.Y. 64......Isabella Cooper ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 70......Lena Kovacevic ..............New York, N.Y. 71......Giuliana Gibson ..............Bayside, N.Y. 72......Shakima Hotaki ..............Flushing, N.Y. 73......Lorraine Bergmann ........Forest Hills, N.Y. 74......Daniella Benabraham......New York, N.Y. 77......Emily Moczulski ..............Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 81......Khyanna Singh ................Queens Village, N.Y. 83......Gabriella Eitkis ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 91......Natalie Eordekian ............Woodside, N.Y. 98......Rachel Rubenzahl ..........New York, N.Y. 101....Anna Tselikovskaya ........New York, N.Y. 102....Anastasya Menshikova ..Brooklyn, N.Y. 108....Amy Kaplan ....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 110....Anastasya Menshikova ..Brooklyn, N.Y. 114....Maryna Bohdanovska ....Brooklyn, N.Y. 122....Isabella Hartman ............New York, N.Y. 126....Rachel Zhang ..................Forest Hills, N.Y. 130....Alyssa An ........................New York, N.Y. 131....Naomi Park......................New York, N.Y. 134....Sabrina Boada ................Woodhaven, N.Y. 146....Lauren Leah Gilman........New York, N.Y. 149....Rebecca Izyayeva ..........Staten Island, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 14 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 6........Michelle Sorokko ............Little Neck, N.Y. 8........Aleksandra Bekirova ......Brooklyn, N.Y. 9........Dasha Kourkina ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 10......Nicole Semenov..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 12......Alexus Gill ........................Brooklyn, N.Y.

22......Lauren Munari ................Middle Village, N.Y. 26......Victoria Sec......................New York, N.Y. 32......Stephanie Li ....................New York, N.Y. 33......Jennifer Yu ......................Forest Hills, N.Y. 37......Chelsea Williams ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 39......Anastasia Koniaev ..........Forest Hills, N.Y. 42......Christina Huynh ..............Astoria, N.Y. 44......Sydney Katz ....................New York, N.Y. 50......Shelly Yaloz......................Little Neck, N.Y. 53......Katelyn Walker ................New York, N.Y. 63......Katherine Kachkarov ......Flushing, N.Y. 68......Sonia Tartakovsky ..........New York, N.Y. 71......Kyra Bergmann ..............Forest Hills, N.Y. 76......Lia Kiam ..........................New York, N.Y. 79......Olga Drahanchuk ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 88......Regina Furer ....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 90......Dakota Fordham ............New York, N.Y. 100....Amalia Parrish..................Queens Village, N.Y. 107....Isabel Balilo......................Flushing, N.Y. 109....Grace L. Kennedy ..........New York, N.Y. 112....Marie Ivantechenko ........Brooklyn, N.Y. 116....Olivia Morris ....................Floral Park, N.Y. 118....Nadejda Maslova ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 119....Brittny Jo Ferreira............Brooklyn,, N.Y. 123....Miriam Aziz ......................Staten Island, N.Y. 125....Alexa Nobandegani ........New York, N.Y. 128....Diana Sosonkin ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 129....Liana Weitzman ..............Whitestone, N.Y. 137....Anna Tselikovskaya ........New York, N.Y. 140....Elizabeth Khusid..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 145....Sarah Finley ....................New York, N.Y. 146....Alice Pinho ......................Woodside, N.Y. 148....Najah Love Dawson........Rosedale, N.Y. 149....Amanda Solecki ..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 16 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 2........Sabrina Xiong ..................Fresh Meadows, N.Y. 4........Arnelle Sullivan ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 7........Jessica Melanie Livianu..Brooklyn, N.Y. 8........Jessica Golovin ..............New York, N.Y. 10......Brianna Williams..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 13......Anna Ulyashchenko........Brooklyn, N.Y. 20......Alexus Gill ........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 22......Isis Gill..............................Brooklyn, N.Y. 29......Sophia Kryloff ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 32......Alexandra Koniaev ..........Forest Hills, N.Y. 38......Yuka Lin ..........................Kew Gardens, N.Y. 40......Shayna Spooner ............New York, N.Y. 45......Anastasiya Malinouskaya ..Staten Island, N.Y. 50......Jillian Auteri......................Staten Island, N.Y. 58......Lauren Munari ................Middle Village, N.Y. 61......Sofia Anouk Aisiks ..........New York, N.Y. 66......Stephanie Li ....................New York, N.Y. 67......Julia Fisch........................New York, N.Y. 75......Tristan Lorich ..................New York, N.Y. 79......Michelle Khaimov............Jamaica, N.Y. 86......Patricia Obeid..................New York, N.Y. 94......Keren Khromchenko ......Staten Island, N.Y. 97......Julia Zbarsky ..................New York, N.Y. 98......Aleksandra Bekirova ......Brooklyn, N.Y. 108....Sabrina Lee Abrams ......New York, N.Y. 113....Victoria Sec......................New York, N.Y. 116....Ashley Sarah DelMissier Forest Hills, N.Y. 117....Nicole Khorosh................Brooklyn, N.Y. 121....Marierose Apice ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 125....Anna Kaplan ....................New York, N.Y. 129....Jennifer Yu ......................Forest Hills, N.Y. 130....Zorriana B. Johnson........New York, N.Y. 148....Electra Frelinghuysen......New York, N.Y.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

NEW Sectional Girls 18 Singles— Metro Region

YORK

National Boys 14 Singles— Metro Region

Rank ..Name ..........................City

9........Ariana D. Rodriguez........Bronx, N.Y. 11......Nadia Smergut ................New York, N.Y. 13......Hannah Shteyn................Staten Island, N.Y. 16......Jessica Golovin ..............New York, N.Y. 18......Arnelle Sullivan ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 20......Sabrina Xiong ..................Fresh Meadows, N.Y. 21......Samantha P. Tutelman ....New York, N.Y. 28......Christina Puccinelli..........New York, N.Y. 41......Anna Ulyashchenko........Brooklyn, N.Y. 48......Denise Starr ....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 50......Destiny Grunin ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 63......Alexa Meltzer ..................New York, N.Y. 68......Isis Gill..............................Brooklyn, N.Y. 77......Nia Rose ..........................New York, N.Y. 79......Shayna Spooner ............New York, N.Y. 80......Lily Bondy........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 83......Anastasiya Malinouskaya ..Staten Island, N.Y. 86......Kimberly Salkin................Brooklyn, N.Y. 90......Hediye Karabay ..............Flushing, N.Y. 97......Paulina Velasquez ..........Kew Gardens, N.Y. 99......Stefani Lineva..................Middle Village, N.Y. 104....Erika Tinalli ......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 106....Vania Savic ......................Woodside, N.Y. 119....Alexus Gill ........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 120....Jessica Livianu ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 122....Julia Zbarsky ..................New York, N.Y. 132....Yuka Lin ..........................Kew Gardens, N.Y. 133....Emily Safron ....................New York, N.Y. 136....Emi F. Lewis ....................New York, N.Y. 141....Tristan Lorich ..................New York, N.Y. 145....Daniella Roldan ..............New York, N.Y. 146....Augusta W. Conway ......New York, N.Y. 147....Anika Pornpitaksuk ........Flushing, N.Y. 149....Champagne Mills ............New York, N.Y.

105....Sumit Sarkar....................New York, N.Y. 408....Gary Fishkin ....................Staten Island, N.Y. 733....Oliver Jevtovic ................Astoria, N.Y. 807....Ethan Leon ......................Woodhaven, N.Y. 850....Zachary Jordan Lieb ......New York, N.Y. 906....Sam V. Vagner ................Staten Island, N.Y. 915....Max Prohorov..................Rego Park, N.Y. 947....Ethan Allan Magid ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 993....Michael Tyutyunik............Brooklyn, N.Y. 996....Jeffrey Gorilovsky............Brooklyn, N.Y.

National Boys 16 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 54......James Wasserman ........New York, N.Y. 74......Victor Miglo......................Kew Gardens, N.Y. 95......Oliver Sec ........................New York, N.Y. 158....Felipe Osses-Konig ........Rego Park, N.Y. 196....Christopher Auteri ..........Staten Island, N.Y. 236....Edan Lee Sossen ............Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 248....Ananth Raghavan............New York, N.Y. 353....Marcus Smith ..................Little Neck, N.Y. 396....Gal Matthew Sossen ......Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 429....Aleksandar Kovacevic ....New York, N.Y. 478....Alexander Thrane............New York, N.Y. 632....Maurice Russo ................New York, N.Y. 699....William J. Trang ..............Staten Island, N.Y. 728....Ethan Nittolo....................Flushing, N.Y. 924....Cole Gittens ....................New York, N.Y. 954....Jack Haroche ..................New York, N.Y.

National Boys 18 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City

Boys & Girls National Rankings (as of 10/31/13)

BOYS National Boys 12 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 35......Ethan Leon ......................Woodhaven, N.Y. 73......Jeffrey Fradkin ................New York, N.Y. 90......Steven Nazaroff ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 105....Derek Raskopf ................New York, N.Y. 171....Shand Stephens..............New York, N.Y. 201....Robbie Werdiger ............New York, N.Y. 378....Noah Edelman ................New York, N.Y. 389....Alex Portnoy ....................New York, N.Y. 399....Max Katchkarov ..............Flushing, N.Y. 409....Christopher Tham ..........Flushing, N.Y. 420....Brandon T. Cohen ..........New York, N.Y. 427....Harry Portnoy ..................New York, N.Y. 482....Nicholas Mejia ................New York, N.Y. 605....Alexander Nielsen ..........New York, N.Y. 637....Garrett Chao....................New York, N.Y. 720....Aleksa Pijakic ..................Forest Hills, N.Y. 721....Jeffrey McCready............Brooklyn, N.Y. 794....Ryan McCook ................St. Albans, N.Y. 847....Eitan Khromchenko ........Staten Island, N.Y. 951....Kai Yuminaga ..................Little Neck, N.Y. 965....Oliver Obeid ....................New York, N.Y. 983....Alex Petrov ......................Middle Village, N.Y.

4........Daniel Kerznerman..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 189....Artemie Amari..................New York, N.Y. 191....Win Smith ........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 199....Justin Fields ....................New York, N.Y. 297....Oliver Sec ........................New York, N.Y. 307....Sachin Raghavan............New York, N.Y. 314....Joshua Yablon ................New York, N.Y. 420....Richard Sec ....................New York, N.Y. 449....Lucas Pickering ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 452....James Wasserman ........New York, N.Y. 498....Courtney Murphy ............Bronx, N.Y. 704....Ryoma Haraguchi ..........New York, N.Y. 821....Andrew S. Arnaboldi ......New York, N.Y. 914....Maurice Russo ................New York, N.Y. 943....Steven H. Koulouris ........Long Island City, N.Y. 987....Ethan Nittolo....................Flushing, N.Y.

GIRLS National Girls 12 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 10......Dasha Kourkina ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 21......Michelle Sorokko ............Little Neck, N.Y. 33......Shelly Yaloz......................Little Neck, N.Y. 65......Katherine Kachkarov ......Flushing, N.Y. 69......Christina Huynh ..............Astoria, N.Y. 79......Dakota Fordham ............New York, N.Y. 143....Marie Ivantechenko ........Brooklyn, N.Y. 162....Elvina Kalieva ..................Staten Island, N.Y. 180....Chelsea Williams ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 192....Isabella Tushaj ................Bronx, N.Y.

RANKINGS 218....Kyra Bergmann ..............Forest Hills, N.Y. 230....Miriam Irfan Aziz..............Staten Island, N.Y. 243....Rosie Garcia Gross ........New York, N.Y. 372....Diana McCready ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 391....Nadejda Maslova ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 392....Ferenc Wang ..................New York, N.Y. 426....Diana Sosonkin ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 443....Sonia Tartakovsky ..........New York, N.Y. 480....Najah Dawson ................Rosedale, N.Y. 586....Amanda Solecki ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 664....Steffi Antao ......................Briarwood, N.Y. 680....Grace L. Kennedy ..........New York, N.Y. 771....Lena Kovacevic ..............New York, N.Y. 816....Rebecca Eliana Fisch ....New York, N.Y.

National Girls 14 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 146....Aleksandra Bekirova ......Brooklyn, N.Y. 251....Michelle Sorokko ............Little Neck, N.Y. 256....Alexus Gill ........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 292....Dasha Kourkina ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 327....Lauren Munari ................Middle Village, N.Y. 342....Nicole Semenov..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 365....Victoria Sec......................New York, N.Y. 377....Anastasia Koniaev ..........Forest Hills, N.Y. 379....Shelly Yaloz......................Little Neck, N.Y. 431....Regina Furer ....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 466....Jennifer Yu ......................Forest Hills, N.Y. 538....Stephanie Li ....................New York, N.Y. 575....Chelsea Williams ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 881....Katelyn Walker ................New York, N.Y.

National Girls 16 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 43......Sabrina Xiong ..................Fresh Meadows, N.Y. 47......Jessica Livianu ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 60......Jessica Golovin ..............New York, N.Y. 155....Arnelle Sullivan ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 168....Brianna Williams..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 278....Sophia Kryloff ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 285....Christina Puccinelli..........New York, N.Y. 336....Alexandra Koniaev ..........Forest Hills, N.Y. 342....Alexus Gill ........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 348....Isis Gill..............................Brooklyn, N.Y. 519....Shayna Spooner ............New York, N.Y. 580....Anna Ulyashchenko........Brooklyn, N.Y. 771....Julia Fisch........................New York, N.Y.

National Girls 18 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 80......Jessica Golovin ..............New York, N.Y. 140....Denise Starr ....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 150....Ariana D. Rodriguez........Bronx, N.Y. 193....Hannah Shteyn................Staten Island, N.Y. 335....Samantha Tutelman........New York, N.Y. 362....Emily Safron ....................New York, N.Y. 366....Nadia Smergut ................New York, N.Y. 391....Arnelle Sullivan ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 424....Sabrina Xiong ..................Fresh Meadows, N.Y. 592....Alexa Meltzer ..................New York, N.Y. 646....Lily Bondy........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 668....Anna Ulyashchenko........Brooklyn, N.Y. 711....Destiny Grunin ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 719....Jessica Melanie Livianu..Brooklyn, N.Y. 944....Christina Puccinelli..........New York, N.Y.

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

USTA/Metropolitan Region

2013 TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. NOVEMBER 2013 Friday-Sunday, November 15-17 L1B Stadium Tennis Center Fall Challenger Stadium Tennis Center 725 Exterior Street Bronx, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger BG(16)s, SE Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Nov. 1) For more information, call (718) 665-4684. Friday-Sunday, November 15-17 L2O Alley Pond November Open Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate G(18-12)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Nov. 8 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 264-2600.

Friday-Sunday, November 22-24 L3 UPS and Adult Classic at Sportime at Randalls Island Sportime at Randalls Island 1 Randalls Island • New York, N.Y. Divisions: Ranked M(Op,35,45,55-65)s, SE; W(Op)s, SE; BG(12)s, RR Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $70.38 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Nov. 18 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (646) 783-5301. Wednesday-Sunday, November 27-December 1 L1B NCT Thanksgiving Classic Challenger North Shore Tennis-Go!Tennis 34-28 214th Place • Bayside, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger BG(18,14)s, SE Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Nov. 18 at 5:00 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 224-6303.

Friday-Sunday, November 29-December 1 USTA National Open Friday-Sunday, November 15-17 & November 22-24 Alley Pond Tennis Center +L1 Alley Pond Eastern Designated Closed Championships 7920 Winchester Boulevard Level 5 FIC Queens Village, N.Y. Alley Pond Tennis Center Divisions: G(12)s, FIC; G(12)d, SE 7920 Winchester Boulevard Surface Type: Hard Indoor Queens Village, N.Y. Entry Fee: $134.88 for one event; $135.38 for two Divisions: Grand Prix B(14)s, FIC events; additional fees may apply if registered in three or Surface Type: Unknown more events (deadline for entries is Thursday, Oct. 31) Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is For more information, call (718) 264-2600. Monday, Nov. 4) For more information, call (718) 264-2600. Friday-Sunday, November 29-December 1 L1B Cunningham Sports Center November Challenger Friday-Sunday, November 15-17 & November 22-24 Cunningham Sports Center L2O Sportime Randalls Island November 2013 Open 19600 Union Turnpike Sportime at Randalls Island Fresh Meadows, N.Y. 1 Randalls Island • New York, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger BG(16,12)s, SE Divisions: Challenger B(18-14)s, SE; G(14)s, SE Surface Type: Hard Indoor Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Oct. 14 at 1:00 p.m.) Friday, Nov. 1) For more information, call (718) 740-6800. For more information, call (646) 783-5301. Friday-Sunday, November 29-December 1 Friday-Sunday, November 22-24 USTA National Open L2O Cunningham Park November Open USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Cunningham Sports Center Flushing Meadows, Corona Park 19600 Union Turnpike Flushing, N.Y. Fresh Meadows, N.Y. Divisions: B(12)s, FIC; B(12)d, SE Divisions: Intermediate B(18-12)s, SE Surface Type: Hard Indoor Surface Type: Hard Entry Fee: $134.88 for one event; $135.38 for two Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is events; additional fees may apply if registered in three or Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 1:00 p.m.) more events (deadline for entries is Thursday, Oct. 31) For more information, call (718) 740-6800. For more information, call (718) 760-6200.

DECEMBER 2013 Friday-Sunday, December 6-8 & December 13-15 L1 Stadium Tennis Center Winter Championships Stadium Tennis Center 725 Exterior Street Bronx, N.Y. Divisions: Championships BG(14)s, SE Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Nov. 22 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 665-4684. Friday-Sunday, December 6-8 & December 13-15 L1 APTC November 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 for first singles and $28 for first doubles (deadline for entries is Friday, Nov. 22 at 5:00 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 264-2600. Friday-Sunday, December 13-15 L1B Stadium Tennis Center Winter Challenger Stadium Tennis Center 725 Exterior Street Bronx, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger BG(18-16)s, SE Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Nov. 29 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 665-4684. Friday-Sunday, December 13-15 L3 Alley Pond December UPS Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Novice BG(14-12)s, RR Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 264-2600. Friday-Sunday, December 13-15 & December 20-22 L1B Sportime RI December 2013 Challenger Sportime at Randalls Island 1 Randalls Island New York, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger BG(14)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Dec. 6 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (646) 783-5301.

NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

USTA/Metropolitan Region

2013 TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. Sunday-Thursday, December 22-26 L2O Alley Pond December Open Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate BG(18-12)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 264-2600.

Monday-Sunday, December 30-January 5 L1B Stadium Tennis Center Winter Challenger Stadium Tennis Center 725 Exterior Street Bronx, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger B(18-12)s, SE; G(18,14-12)s, SE Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Dec. 13 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 665-4684.

Monday-Thursday, December 23-26 L1 John McEnroe Tennis Academy 2013 Holiday Championships Sportime at Randalls Island 1 Randalls Island New York, N.Y. Divisions: Championships BG(18-12)s, SE; Championships BG(10 [78’Court/Green Ball])s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Dec. 13 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (646) 783-5301. Thursday-Monday, December 26-30 L1B Cunningham Sports Center Winter Challenger Cunningham Sports Center 19600 Union Turnpike Fresh Meadows, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger B(18-12)s, SE; G(18,14-12)s, SE Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Dec. 23 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 740-6800. Friday-Monday, December 27-30 L1B Alley Pond Holiday Challenger Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Championships G(16)s, FIC Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Thursday, Dec. 26 at 4:00 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 264-2600.

New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

New York Tennis Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ November/December 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ NYTennisMag.com

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