New York Tennis Magazine - January/February 2012 by United Sports Publications, Ltd.

NYTennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • New York Tennis Magazine

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NYTennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • New York Tennis Magazine

January/February 2012 Volume 2, Number 1 New York Tennis Magazine 1220 Wantagh Avenue • Wantagh, NY 11793-2202 Phone: (516) 409-4444 • Fax: (516) 409-4600 Web site: www.nytennismag.com

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

Staff David Sickmen Publisher (516) 409-4444, ext. 309 • david@usptennis.com Andrew T. Berman Vice President/Sales (516) 409-4444, ext. 333 • andrew@usptennis.com NYTennisMag.com • November/December 2011 • New York Tennis Magazine

Eric C. Peck Editor-in-Chief (516) 409-4444, ext. 312 • eric@usptennis.com Joey Arendt Managing Art Director Jon Blake Advertising Coordinator (516) 409-4444, ext. 301 • jonb@usptennis.com Michael Sarro Director of Business Development (516) 409-4444, ext. 330 • michael@usptennis.com Anthony Pastecchi Editorial Coordinator (516) 409-4444, ext. 314 • anthony@usptennis.com Emilie Katz Marketing Coordinator Tara Cook Billing Coordinator (516) 409-4444, ext. 324 Brent Shearer Editorial Contributor

Gary Simeone Editorial Contributor

David Drucker Editorial Contributor

Ken Goldberg Photographer

As 2012 gets underway, we take a look at the top U.S. hopefuls, Mardy Fish and Serena Williams, who will be competing in an open field of contenders, pretenders and sleepers all seeking a Grand Slam glory at the Australian Open.

Feature Stories 3 6 14 18 20 24 26 27 32 38 39 44 44 47 47

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

Fish and Serena Lead American Hopefuls Down Under

How to Avoid Burnout By Eric Faro Tennis Pro Grinds Out a Living on the Tour By Bobby Calise NYC Racquet Sports Serving New York’s Tennis Needs By Michael Sarro Do Not Let Fear Affect Your Game in Tennis By Stan Popovich NYJTL Honors Cantor Fitzgerald CEO and John McEnroe at Annual Awards Luncheon By Michael Sarro The Biofile: Gilad Bloom By Scoop Malinowski Five Ways You Can Win More Matches … With Less Effort! By Alex Vayner Ethics and Adult League Tennis By Marvin Jeffrey A Look Back at the 2011 Tennis Season By Emilie Katz Step Up to Success By Ajay Kumar Winter Care and Maintenance Tips for Your Tennis Court Color Surface By Kevin J. Healion, CTCB Downgrade: One Player’s NTRP Shocker! By Brent Shearer Local Tennis Clubs Serving Up the Holiday Cheer By Michael Sarro Cardio Tennis By Barbara Ordes CHSAA Girls Recap: St. Francis Prep Girls Capture 14th Straight CHSAA Girl’s Tennis State Title Professional Stringing: What Makes It So Different? By Roman Prokes

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

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

Columns 4 13 16 22 30 40 42 46 48 51 51 52 55

Court Six: Long Island Tennis Magazine’s Gossip Column By Emilie Katz The Jensen Zone By Luke Jensen Match Point … But How? Five Steps to Closing Out a Match By Rob Polishook, MA, CPC Metro Corporate League Recap USTA Eastern Metro Region Recap New York Tennis Magazine’s Literary Corner: Rafa By John Carlin and Rafael Nadal By Brent Shearer New York Tennis Magazine’s Mailbag CTA Spotlight: Metropolitan Tennis Group (MTG) Charitable Initiatives: Champions One and All! New York Tennis Club Directory Upcoming Events New York Rankings USTA/Metropolitan Region Tournament Schedule

How to Avoid

Burnou t By Eric Faro Burnout in tennis is an everyday occurrence. The game can become such a physical and mental grind, and it can really take a toll on your mind and body. Players often push themselves to the point of exhaustion that they no longer enjoy playing the game. There are a few key things that you can do to avoid feeling this way. 1.When you start to feel like you need a break, get away. Don’t force yourself to continue to play when you are totally burned out. Serious players often feel guilty when they take some time off so they don’t really get away from the game. They may only take a few days off and get back on the courts before they are really ready or study tapes and watch matches. This is not really clearing your mind because you are not really into what you are doing when you are on the court. My suggestion is to put your racquets in the closet, don’t turn on the Tennis Channel, and stay away from tennis magazines until you are ready. When you find yourself really missing the sport with a passion, it is time to return to the court. 2. Vary your practice sessions. It can become very monotonous and boring to practice the same way every time you step on the court. Make sure you vary your drills. Give yourself goals when you are drilling and change up the length of your sessions. You don’t always have to spend the same amount of time on the court to be productive. With intensity, effort and concentration, you can get things done in a much shorter amount of time than simply going through the motions of a long, boring practice.

3. Practice with different partners and at different facilities. It can be tedious to play with the same people all the time. In order to spice up your practice a little, play with different players who play different styles. This will also help your game rather than falling into the same tendencies of playing the same players all the time. It can also be a drag to always play at the same club. Every now and then, go play somewhere else. It would also be a good idea to play on different surfaces. 4. Listen to a different voice. There may come a time when you are no longer totally connecting with your coach. It happens to coaches in all sports. It happened to Joe Torre. It happened to Bill Parcells. It happened to Pat Riley. After a period of time, you may drown out what your coach is telling you and it may make you feel like it is draining you mentally. You may lose your motivation to play. You may need to a hear a new voice. A new coach may tell you the same exact thing as your old coach, but the way they say it may click in your head. It could be their tone, their enthusiasm or their body language, but a different voice can sometimes do wonders for your game and make playing tennis fun once again. Eric Faro is program director at Gotham Tennis Academy and Stadium Tennis Center, just south of Yankee Stadium. Eric grew up in Riverdale and attended Horace Mann, where he played number one singles for all four years. He attended Ohio State University and won more than 100 matches during his collegiate career. He may be reached by e-mail at eric@gothamtennis.com, or online at www.stadiumtennisnyc.com or www.gothamtennis.com.

NYTennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • New York Tennis Magazine

What the pros do away from the court Sania Mirza-Malik (@mirzasania): Lunch at the mall, followed by shopping = life is good :)

Sabine Lisicki (@sabinelisicki): One more session to go + a massage and then I’m done for the day :) I love off season training! Serena Williams (@serenawilliams): Getting ready for Kourtney and Kim take New York.

Ryan Harrison (@ryanharrison92): Got killed at the track this morning. So fired up to be in Texas! Cool down today at the golf course. Over/under = 105! Andy Roddick (@andyroddick): Getting the chance to play Augusta national today … It doesn’t get better than this ...

Ryan Harrison (@ryanharrison92): Just rolled out of bed and definitely feeling the effects of our basketball game last night. Amer Delic (@amerdelic): Listening to Howard Stern’s segment called “Dumber Than a Box of Rocks.” He gets paid millions of dollars. We are all dumb. Svetlana Kuznetsova (@svetlanaK27): About to do some boxing!

Mike Bryan (@bryanbrothers): Took a trip to the Welsh Dept. of Defense and they let me fire some of their new weapons.

Mardy Fish (@mardyfish): You know you are bored when you are watching your buddy play the quarters of his men’s open club championship …

New York Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • NYTennisMag.com

Victoria Azarenka (@vika7): What’s up world? Getting ready for workout … coffee to wake up again :))) Serena Williams (@serenawilliams): Family bowling night w/my mom & niece & nephews. I did not have the heart to tell my mom I HATE bowling and I’m terrible at it … Mardy Fish (@mardyfish): Not a bad Turkey Day. Play Federer, eat turkey with family and friends. Life is good!

Life isn’t perfect for the pros either … Ryan Harrison (@ryanharrison92): Love the lady in line ahead of me at Walmart who is taking five minutes to find exact change for the $154.89 grocery bill. Bob Bryan (@Bryanbros): Well, we have a house full of strollers, car seats, bassinets, blankets, toys & clothes … now just need a baby.

Bob Bryan (@Bryanbros): The time of judgment is upon me. Lord, give me no cavities & I’ll never ask for anything again.

Shahar Peer (@shaharpeer): Slept 12 hours!!! Any one said Jet lag?!

Andy Roddick (@andyroddick): Doh!!! In line to get food. Guy in front of me pulls out a full page of orders … I will be here awhile … Sh#*! Caroline Wozniacki (@carowozniacki): Sprinting through the airport for a 10 min. connection, but made it. Shortest connection ever! Lindsay Davenport (@LDavenport76): On the same page! RT @anotherAndyL: I hate when I hold the door open for a person and they don’t say thank you. Give a nod at least.

Dominika’s Slovakian dance party While Americans dined in their homes on Thanksgiving feasts, a pair of WTA stars entertained in Bratislava, Slovakia. Before an exhibition match against hometown girl Dominika Cibulkova, Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki let loose her dance moves on the court, replete with pompoms and a makeshift “Macarena” performance. It’s good to see Wozniacki letting herself have some fun, but one has to think if she was just trying to keep up with the self-proclaimed “party girl” Cibulkova on a club’s dance floor. Maybe it was that champagne toast with her friendly little foe, but Caro really let herself go at this event. It’s commendable, the lack of self-conscious inhibition, very childlike but in a good way in this case. For what it’s worth, Cibulkova won the match, 6-4, 2-6, 10-3 Pizza anyone? Playing in his hometown of Basel, Switzerland, Roger Federer won his second tournament of 2011, defeating Kei Nishikori 6-1, 6-3. Then, he went out and bought the ballkids pizza served on a silver platter. New relationship? Russian tennis star Maria Kirilenko has a new beau, two-time NHL most valuable player Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals. Apparently, Kirilenko has been spending part of her offseason in the Washington, D.C.

area working out with the George Washington women’s tennis team.

Love and marriage? Dane world number one-ranked C a ro l i n e Wozniacki and the number two-ranked golfer in the world, Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, have been dating the since the 2011 U.S. Open with the Golden couple having confirmed that, they are in love. However, Wozniacki has stated that she will not get married in 2012. The Dane was asked about her weeding plans with McIlroy in 2012, and she reported that, “I think one has to wait a couple of years yet … in any case.” Moving on Anna Kournikova is exiting NBC’s The Biggest Loser at the end of this, the show’s 12th season.

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NYTennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • New York Tennis Magazine

Tennis Pro Grinds Out a Living on the Tour By Bobby Calise Roger Federer, arguably the greatest men’s tennis player of all time, has earned about $3 million in 2011, not including endorsements. His rival, Rafael Nadal, has made in excess of $6 million, and top-ranked Novak Djokovic, who recently completed a historic season that included three major titles, has pocketed nearly $11 million. If you are one of the top men’s players in the world, a career in tennis can be pretty lucrative. But what if you’re the 978th ranked player in the world? “I am losing money most weeks,” said Peter Aarts, a professional tennis player from Pound Ridge (Westchester County), N.Y. The

24-year-old Aarts turned pro in August 2009 after graduating from the University of Michigan three months prior with a degree in English. “Maybe if you are 300th in the world, you can break even if you are wise and a little frugal,” said Aarts. Though Aarts’ singles rank is in the 900s, he has been ranked as high as 391st in the world in doubles, rotating with three or four different doubles partners depending on who’s in town that week. Like many American college students who graduated into the recession, Aarts’ career options were limited. He says several of his classmates from Michigan had committed to finance jobs during senior year, only to find out those positions were eliminated before they could claim them. So for Aarts, the decision to turn pro was easier than it might have been.

New York Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • NYTennisMag.com

And yes, playing tennis for a living beats job hunting, resume tweaking, and cover letter writing, but it’s still, unmistakably, work. “It’s the biggest grind you can imagine,” said Aarts, who travels 31 to 32 weeks a year playing tournaments in the U.S. and abroad. His playing schedule is a mix of “Challengers” and “Futures,” the second and third tiers of professional tennis tournaments below the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), which includes majors like the U.S. Open and Wimbledon. Like many pros at his level, Aarts may as well add “Travel Agent” to his resume. He spends hours on end researching flights online and filing the paperwork for international visas when necessary. “I usually only book one-way flights,” said Aarts, because he never knows when he’ll be

leaving—it all depends on how long he survives in a given tournament. “Some days I wake up and I forget what city I’m in.” In 2010, Aarts played five tournaments in five weeks in India and China. He also plays in South and Central America as often as he can—the cost of living is more favorable than in the U.S., tournaments are frequent there, and he speaks Spanish. The entry fees for Challengers and Futures tournaments are about $40, and the prize pool for most tournaments is typically either $10,000 or $15,000, split among all participants. Meaning, if a player wins a $10,000 tournament, he’ll only take home about $1,300, with the rest of the money to be distributed among the other participants based on where they finish. To help pay for his travel expenses, Aarts has a group of sponsors made up of family friends and other supporters who have known him for most of his tennis life. Some sponsors have contributed money, and one even chipped in with frequent flier miles. At one point, Aarts had set himself up as a limited liability corporation, borrowing that idea from his former assistant coach at Michi-

gan, Michael Kosta. Aarts has since dissolved the LLC, though he maintains the partnership with his sponsors (Kosta is now a working stand-up comedian in Los Angeles). Aarts’ arrangement with his sponsors is as follows: They keep him afloat financially and in exchange, they receive the lion’s share of his earnings. Once his sponsors have recouped their initial investments, the percentages flip and he keeps the majority of his winnings. Retaining a full-time coach is another luxury common to the top players. But at Aarts’ level, it takes four or five players like himself to pool their resources and hire a coach, whose services they then share for as long as they can afford it—sometimes just for a week at a time. “And sometimes,” Aarts said, “you just have to figure it out on your own.” The six-ft. three-in., 185-lbs., Aarts started the 2011 season hoping to crack the top 600 in singles, which, with his current ranking, could be difficult but not impossible with about two months to go. In his estimation, there’s not much disparity in skill level between the 200th ranked singles player and the 1,000th. The trick, he says, is maintaining a high level of play for longer stretches over the

course of the season. “Anyone can have one or two good weeks,” said Aarts. The question is, “How can I have one or two good months?” Aarts plans to sit down with his sponsors at the end of the year to evaluate his finances, but says he wants to continue playing professionally through 2012, with a goal of competing in the qualifying tournament for the 2012 U.S. Open. “Right now, there is nothing that I would rather do tomorrow than get up and be able to try and push myself to become a little better,” said Aarts. Bobby Calise is former U.S. Open ballboy and Division III tennis player. Today, he’s a media professional and freelance writer whose work spans sports, culture, business, travel and personal essays. If he’s not blogging or tweeting, he’s probably at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center hitting with his former college doubles partner. More of his writing can be found on his personal blog, “The 250 Square Foot View.” He may be reached by e-mail at BobbyCalise@gmail.com.

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2012 Australian Open

PREVIEW Fish and Serena Lead American Hopefuls

DOWN UNDER M

ardy Fish is now the top-ranked American in the world, surpassing Andy Roddick who held the distinction as the top-ranked American for a number of years. Fish has been playing the best tennis of his life as of late, and despite a lack of success in years past at the Australian Open, Fish is arguably America’s best hope to raise the men’s singles title this year at 2012’s first Grand Slam event. In 2012, Fish will be looking to improve upon his early round defeats in the last couple of Australian Opens. In 2010, Fish was upset in the first round and Fish fell in the second round to Tommy Robredo of Spain, 6–1, 3–6, 3–6, 3–6 last year. Fish’s best result in Melbourne came in 2007 when he was a quarterfinalist.

n the women’s side, American hopes for the 2012 Australian Open crown will rest on the shoulders of six-time Australian Open champion, Serena Williams, who is trying to return to the top of the women’s rankings after a difficult year of injuries, including a serious career-threatening pulmonary embolism. Serena will return to Melbourne this year for the first Photo credit: time since winning her fourth consecutive Kenneth B. Goldberg title in 2010 after missing 2011 due to injury. A powerful serve and fiery groundstrokes makes Serena a favorite to hoist the tournament trophy once again. In early 2003, Serena beat her older sister, Venus, to claim her first Australian Open title. Her “Serena Slam,” as she called her four Grand Slam victories, made her the fifth woman in history to win all four Grand Slams consecutively.

This is the new Mardy Fish though. This is the Mardy Fish who reached a career high ranking of number seven on the ATP Tour in 2011 and is currently the eighth-ranked men’s tennis player in the world. This is the Mardy Fish who was a quarterfinalist at the 2011 Wimbledon Championships which was his best result in the grass court major. This is the Mardy Fish who won the U.S. Open Series before losing a tough five-setter in the fourth round of the 2011 U.S. Open to Jo-Wilfred Tsonga of France. Fish has a great all-around game, and on the hard courts of Melbourne, he is a serious threat to match his career-best quarterfinals appearance and possibly advance further. With Roddick slumping, and fellow countrymen John Isner and Sam Querrey not quite ready yet to take it to the next level, look for Fish to be the USA’s best hope this year.

At the 2005 Australian Open, Serena emerged from the tennis doldrums, as she defeated Amelie Mauresmo, Maria Sharapova and Lindsay Davenport to claim the title for the second time. In 2006, she fell out of the WTA top 50 after exiting the Australian Open in the third round. Her slide continued unabated, and later that year, she fell out of the top 100 for the first time in her career. The 2007 Australian Open women’s singles final saw Serena bounce back to her best as she crushed Sharapova in straight sets. Serena also won the 2008 and 2009 Australian Open titles, and 2010 saw Serena’s success “down under” continue as she claimed her fourth consecutive Australian Open title. After battling through injuries in 2011, she returned with an appearance in the 2011 U.S. Open Finals where she was beaten by Australian Samantha Stosur, 2-6, 3-6. In 2012, Serena looks to right the ship and her journey begins January in Australia.

New York Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • NYTennisMag.com

2012 Australian Open

PREVIEW Grand Slam Season Kicks Off With 2012 Australian Open By David Drucker Djokovic looks to build off record-breaking 2011 Down Under Another year of tennis is now in the books and we say goodbye to the season of 2011. A season in which we saw one of the most dominating displays of tennis by Serbian Novak Djokovic, who racked up three out of four Grand Slam titles. One of those was the Australian Open last January in which he dismantled Great Britain’s Andy Murray in straight sets. This year’s Australian Open will be a tournament in which we have a lot of questions going in, dating back to a lot of different storylines from the end of 2011. First and foremost, can Djokovic carry his dominant form from 2011 into 2012 and successfully defend his title? It looked as if after winning the U.S. Open, Djokovic had run out of steam. Who can blame him as the number one ranked Serb was 65-2 by the U.S. Open’s end. From thereafter, Djokovic went 6-4 to

finish out the year, failing to make it past the round-robin stages of the year-ending championships in London. It was obvious that Djokovic was spent and needed to shut it down until 2012. Rafael Nadal of Spain struggled this year according to his standards, winning only one Grand Slam, of course on his favorite surface at Roland Garros. The now ranked world number two, Nadal will be entering the 2012 Australian Open on a high note, after just clinching the Davis Cup title for Spain over Argentina. It was apparent as well, that the Spanish warrior seemed to be suffering from fatigue late in the tennis season, hence his failure to make it past round-robin play at the year ending championships as well. Believe it or not, Nadal failed to win a tournament after winning the French Open back in May. Switzerland’s Roger Federer ironically proved many fans wrong with his level of

play at the season’s end, capturing three straight titles in Basel, Paris and London to end his 2011 season on a high note after a set of disappointing Grand Slam showings. Federer was denied a Grand Slam by the likes of Nadal, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and twice by Djokovic. However, it was Federer who showed no signs of slowing down at the end of the season, which makes him one of the players to think about as a favorite heading into the Australian Open. The men’s side: The contenders … Novak Djokovic is your obvious contender heading into the 2012 Australian Open. The only thing that looked to be Photo credit: wrong with Djokovic Kenneth B. Goldberg as the 2011 season wound down was fatigue. Once Djokovic

NYTennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • New York Tennis Magazine

2012 Australian Open

PREVIEW rests up, gets recharged and re-energized, there should be no reason why he cannot repeat as champion. When healthy, focused and motivated, Djokovic was unbeatable and simply too much to handle for anyone in 2011. Even players such as Federer and Nadal, who went a combined 1-8 against the Serb in 2011 could barely slow him down. Look for Djokovic to go far once again down under. Rafael Nadal has to be the next contender in line as he is hungry for another Grand Slam and a possible shot at the top-ranked Djokovic. Although Nadal faltered in five straight finals against Djokovic in 2011, he seems to be able to Photo credit: make it far into the Kenneth B. Goldberg Slams. One would think the Nadal clan will regroup in the offseason, and come out with a vengeance at the start of 2012 and make a statement. Nadal, who won the Australian Open in 2009, knows he can win on this surface, and will look to regroup and recapture what was once his in Melbourne. The men’s side: The pretenders … Unfortunately for Great Britain’s Andy Murray, it was another year without a Grand Slam. The closest we saw Photo credit: Murray come to Kenneth B. Goldberg winning a title was at last year’s Australian Open final, but he was quickly dismissed by Djokovic. For Murray, there is a ray of light as the Brit turned up his level of play at the end of the 2011 season with convincing wins over both Djokovic and Nadal. However, Murray faltered in his home country once more, failing to make it out of round-robin play at the 10

year ending championships in London, withdrawing with a leg injury. Look for Murray to make it no further than the semifinals. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France will be playing the role of pretender in this year’s Australian Open as well. Tsonga, who had some quality wins in 2011 over players like Federer Photo credit: and Nadal, is still too much Kenneth B. Goldberg of a risk to put him into the contender’s pool. Tsonga can be due for a big win in the quarterfinals or semifinals, but then seems to come up short the round after, such as at Wimbledon 2011. The men’s side: The sleepers … You may be wondering whether or not it’s a good thing that Roger Federer is considered a sleeper going into a Grand Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg Slam. Federer, being labeled a sleeper, should pretty much be an oxymoron. For the past seven and a half years, the Swiss legend has been a contender for every single Grand Slam he’s played in. This year, he goes into the Australian Open on a seven-Slam drought streak, hence his status as a sleeper. Again, going back to the way Federer finished off his 2011 season, his chances in Australia to pick up Grand Slam number 17 had to have increased. David Ferrer needs to be mentioned as well with the way he finished off his 2011 season. The Spaniard showed his fierce competitive play at the year-ending championships in London with back-to-

New York Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • NYTennisMag.com

back wins over Murray and Djokovic, both in convincing fashion. Ferrer, who just recently rallied to defeat Juan Martin del Potro in the Davis Cup finals, adds that to his list of quality wins towards the end of 2011. Look for Ferrer to continue his hot streak down in Australia where the Spaniard will be grinding every point out like he usually does. Women’s field wide open going into Australian Open The 2011 women’s tennis season was one in which we saw the rise of new talent, the resurgence of a legend, and a bunch of conversation on who the real number one in the world is. Each Grand Slam saw a different champion; none of which were won by world number one Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark. Belgium’s Kim Clijsters, who many have forgotten about thanks to a string of injuries at the end of 2011, is the defending champion down under. Clijsters should be healed and ready to go at the year’s first Grand Slam and looks to make a run at her ninth Grand Slam title. Of all the players in the women’s field, there seems to be a lack of domination such as the type of play we saw from Novak Djokovic on the men’s side. The women’s field saw spurts of greatness from players such as Li Na of China, Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic, Sam Stosur of Australia and Serena Williams of the United States. Going into the Australian Open, all of these players have a reasonable shot at winning the title. Other players, like world number one-ranked Caroline Wozniacki, Russia’s Maria Sharapova and Italy’s Francesca Schiavone, should be mentioned in the conversation as well. The women’s side: The contenders … Serena Williams is hungry for another grand slam plain and simple. Serena was one match

2012 Australian Open

PREVIEW short of winning her third U.S. Open title before she was upended by Stosur. After missing most of 2011 due to a list of severe injuries, Serena will definitely be on the prowl for her sixth Australian Open title starting in 2012. Petra Kvitova may not be a name you’ve heard of too often, but believe me, you will sooner rather than later. Kvitova, who hails from the Czech Republic came out of nowhere at the 2011 Wimbledon Championships capturing her first ever Grand Slam. She maintained a consistent level of play thereafter, and dominated her way through the year ending championships in Istanbul, Turkey. With that title, the Czech has risen to a career-best number two in the world and will look to continue to do damage at the start of the 2012 season. The women’s side: The pretenders … Caroline Wo z n i a c k i seems to be buckling under the pressure of living up to Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg world number one expectations. The top-ranked Dane went without a Grand Slam in 2011, failing to get past the semifinals in all four tournaments. Wozniacki, although consistent outside of Grand Slam play, cannot seem to find her best talent when she needs it at crunch time late in a Grand Slam. For that reason, Wozniacki remains a pretender in the women’s field until she can win one of the big four.

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus is another up and coming player who cannot seem to capitalize in the late stages of a Grand Slam either. Azarenka is one of the most focused and determined players on the court, but seems to lack the knockout blow. The feistiness that Azarenka possesses will definitely lead her to some quality wins in her career, and perhaps even a Slam, but for now, the competition seems to be too tough for her to break through against the likes of Serena, Clijsters, and Kvitova. The women’s side: The sleepers … Samantha Stosur of Australia, who finally broke through at the end of the 2011 season by defeating Serena in the finals of the 2011 U.S. Open for her first ever Grand Slam, will be flying under the radar in her native

Australia for 2012’s first Grand Slam. Stosur who possesses all the talent there is to win multiple Slams has failed to do so mentally. When on her game, firing on all cylinders, the Aussie is unbeatable. When faced with hardship at a difficult spot in a match, how she reacts will be the determinant in whether she can continue to make a name for herself in Grand Slam play. Don’t forget about Russian Maria Sharapova who turned up her level of play at the end of 2011 as well. Although she didn’t win a Grand Slam, she came pretty close, and posted a good deal of consistent wins throughout the season. Don’t count the big hitting Russian out of making her way through the field where she’s already done so once before in 2008. David Drucker is an intern with Long Island Tennis Magazine and is a member of the Nichols College Men’s Tennis team.

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Collegiate Tennis Hopefuls Brave Early Winter Weather to Attend 25th Annual College Showcase Day By Michael Sarro n the day after New York saw its biggest snow storm in October since 1979, more than 110 high school juniors and seniors, their parents, and more than 40 college coaches braved the treacherous roads to attend the 25th Annual College Showcase Day held at the Saw Mill Club in Mt. Kisco, N.Y. For 25 years, USTA/Eastern has held the event to inform local high school students about playing college tennis. Among the local schools in attendance were: Manhattan College, Queens College, CW Post, City College, Purchase College, Manhattanville College and Yeshiva University. At the event, high school juniors participated in drills and attended special workshops. High school seniors played in a round-robin tournament and were able to have lunch with college coaches and also attend the College Showcase. Topics discussed ranged from scholarships, club tennis, why a specific school/team would be the right fit for a specific player and how to weigh what is important to a player in conjunction with a specific team or school. Leading the seminar discussions were USTA college experts, as well as past attendees of the event who now

play college tennis. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For 25 years, the College Showcase has been a great opportunity for students who want to play on a college tennis team, but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know where, or how to get there,â&#x20AC;? said Julie Bliss, director of competition and player development for USTA/Eastern. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And, we enjoy helping students learn about the opportunities that are out there and get noticed by college coaches.â&#x20AC;? One local student/athlete, Cory Seltman from Commack High School, was on hand in hopes of getting an idea of what the whole process entails. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I came here to get a feel about the whole process and see what options are out there for me,â&#x20AC;? said Seltman. When asked if he felt attending the event was worth it he replied, â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was definitely worth it. My opinion has completely changed as now I just want to find a college that fits me personally. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t care if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Division I, II or III ... I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t care as much about the level of the tennis team anymore as much as whether the school and team are in fact the right fit for me.â&#x20AC;?

During the playing portion of the day, it might have been difficult at times for the players on the courts to impress the coaches as the lights went out on occasion in the bubble due to the lingering effects of the storm. You would think that would deter most people from continuing, but not these kids as many had travelled a good distance to display their talents. Enduring these difficult elements showed the coaches what these young athletes were made of as they definitely left lasting impressions. Michael Sarro is director of business development for United Sports Publications Ltd. He may be reached by phone at (516) 409-4444, ext. 330 or e-mail michael@usptennis.com.

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By Luke Jensen The late season surge from Roger Federer winning his last three tournaments of the year (Basel, Paris and London) show tremendous signs that the player of the last decade will be ready to make a run for the top spot again in 2012. Federer did not win a Grand Slam title in 2011 and was part of two major collapses. Roger lost to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at Wimbledon after leading two sets to love. At this year’s U.S. Open, Federer was serving with double match point and lost to eventual winner Novak Djokovic. At the age of 30, it seemed like father time was about to close the Fed Funhouse. There are tough times for every player at any level of play. Times where the way you lose can cut deeper than other losses … time when you choke or let up during big points and in an instant, the match slips away. These losses will never leave you and will sting for a long time. I have found that what a player does after such losses separates the true competitors from the chokers in our sport. Roger showed me something that we can all learn from. After two devastating Grand Slam losses, it seemed to me that instead of doubting his game, he simplified it. Roger went back to his core strengths and finished 2012 on a confident roll. Roger is a very dynamic and complex player with unlimited options. With so many options and the losses to Rafael Nadal and Djokovic, I believe Federer lost sight of what truly makes him great. Roger wins most of his points from big serving and big forehand play. After losses in big matches, I would hear comments that Roger should serve

and volley, Roger needs to come over his backhand more often, etc. To be honest, I would agree to some point, but the Fed dynasty was built on two massive weapons: The serve and the forehand. The three events Fed just won were a throwback to the Fed tactics of old. Roger beat Nadal 3-0 in London with an executioner’s mindset. The first serve set up the big forehand. The return of serve and backhand groundstrokes played solid. This allowed the weapons to dish out the pain on Nadal. “The Federer Approach” is one that you can use in your own game. I often see players stressed about their weaknesses. They spend so much time on what they don’t do well instead of what they win points with. Sharpen the saw and spend more time with your weapons that win you matches. Don’t take your weapons for granted and develop them even more for better results!

Roger did not win a Grand Slam in 2011, but with the focus on the core strength of his game, look for more major titles for Fed in 2012. Don’t play big … play MASSIVE! 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.

NYTennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • New York Tennis Magazine

NYC Racquet Sports Serving New York’s Tennis Needs

By Michael Sarro oody Schneider has been a mainstay in the New York tennis community for 30-plus years. As current owner of NYC Racquet Sports and Grand Central Racquet in Midtown Manhattan, Woody’s shops are the authority on all racquet sports in New York City. Located centrally at 157 West 35th Street, NYC Racquet Sports offers all that the avid tennis player needs, from professional racquet stringing, to footwear and apparel and anything else you may need to be prepared for action on the court. Woody owns and operates two additional New York City stores, a kiosk in Grand Central Station (between tracks 38 and 39) and Grand Central Racquet at 341 Madison Avenue (between Madison and Vanderbilt Avenues). In addition to the New York City locations, Woody also owns and operates the USTA Pro Shop on the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. We recently caught up with Woody to discuss his retail

locations and the many benefits that NYC Racquet Sports brings to its customers. How did you begin your career in running tennis retail shops? It happened by accident. I worked for 13 years inside Grand Central Station at a store called Commuter Sports Center. One day, my boss came to me and told me he was shutting it down. It was then time to try something on my own. I started out in the stockroom of my friend’s store in Grand Central. Eventually, I rented my own 100-square foot space and set up a stringing shop. I have been told that it was the first time that anyone had ever opened up a shop dedicated strictly to stringing. A few years later, there was a renovation done to Grand Central Station, and I was one of just a few businesses that remained open. We built a free-standing kiosk that could move on wheels when we couldn’t be in one part of the station. To this day, I still have a shop in Grand

New York Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • NYTennisMag.com

Central. It’s not in the best location, but people know where I am and come to me for business. Tennis Week Magazine rented a store on 44th Street that they didn’t really want to run themselves, so I went into business with Gene Scott, former publisher of Tennis Week, and we turned that location into my first actual store. Five years ago, my partner, Joan Dziena, and I were approached about taking over the pro shop at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Joan has 25-plus years of retail and garment center experience, and we began running the pro shop at the National Tennis Center. What message do you have for those who buy their equipment online? You cannot beat personalized service. Although most people are under the misconception that there are far greater savings online, the fact of the matter is that we are all held to industry standards on our prices, and if you look closely, the

prices you see listed online are the same exact prices we have here in the store. In addition, there are some sites out there who are not authorized dealers, which means you have no warranty at all and also run the risk of a counterfeit racquet. There is no substitute for walking into a store, shaking the hand of a sales rep and speaking to them about what your issue is or what you are looking to purchase rather than on the phone with someone hundreds of miles away in a small corner office. It’s the personal care and helpfulness of our staff that helps you buy the right product. You cannot tell which racquet fits you best by clicking some button online. What does your shop offer that the retail chains do not? When you come in and talk to a person face-to-face who knows the sport and the products they are talking about, it is an overall better shopping experience. We have retail professionals on our staff who know more about the products than most teaching pros do. The teaching pros know what they like and what is good for them, not necessarily what’s suitable for the customer. We properly advise the customer to best suit their needs. When you go to a chain store, I personally think it’s a disaster. How can you compare a racquet boutique shop that only specializes in racquet sports to a large sporting goods store? The sales rep at the sporting goods store might not have knowledge of tennis at all, whereas when you walk into a store like mine, you know for a fact that the employees are tennis players, tennis enthusiasts and experts on tennis products. Most of the large chains don’t even string racquets or offer demo programs! How is the guy who is selling Yankees jerseys going to be able to advise you on what tennis equipment to buy?

That’s what we do and what we are here for … to help people choose the right products for them. What are some of the bigger selling items at NYC Racquet Sports? Babolat is always through the roof. The adidas Baricade 7.0 tennis shoe was a hot holiday item this season. Nike apparel also sells well. One unique item has been Roger Federer’s outfit from the end of the year tournament in London that has been selling real well. For myself, I have always been a Head man. I am excited for the Head Youtek IG Instinct racquet which Maria Sharapova switched to and Christina McHale uses. We do Christina’s stringing when she is here playing at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center where I have one of my shops. She is always thrilled with our services. Do you see a spike in sales during the U.S. Open? During the two weeks of the Open, it’s like our Christmas. We get people from all over the world, and they are so excited to find our store. We are ready for the big rush from New Yorkers, as well as tourists. What has been the highlight of your career in the industry? In 2010, Racquet Sports Industry

awarded us the Retailer of the Year Award. After more than 30 years of being in the tennis industry, nothing ever made me more excited than that. Unfortunately there was no cash reward, just bragging rights. To congratulate us, many of our manufacturers sent us signed memorabilia, trophies, plaques, etc. It really made me feel that what I do makes a difference to people and I am glad that I can provide a service to the tennis community. Any closing comments for our readers? I would tell New York tennis players and tennis players in general to support your local tennis shop or retailer. We are here to offer you help in your process of searching for the right equipment for you. If you take tennis seriously, how are you going to know which racquet to buy if you have never used it? That is what we are here for, so feel free to take advantage of the opportunity. For more information on NYC Racquet Sports, call (212) 695.5353 or visit GrandCentralRacquet.com. Michael Sarro is director of business development for New York Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by phone at (516) 409-4444, ext. 330 or e-mail michael@usptennis.com.

NYTennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • New York Tennis Magazine

Match Point ... But How? Five Steps to Closing Out a Match

By Rob Polishook, Mental Training Coach MA, CPC

ow many times have you found yourself in a match in which you were just a few points or games from winning? Maybe the score was 6-3, 5-2, and you began to think, “This is great. I’m going to be the champion!” or, “Only four more points and the trophy’s mine!” or even, “My friends are going to think I’m the greatest when I win.” In another situation, you might be even closer to the “finish line.” Maybe this time, you are leading 6-2, 54 and serving in the crucial last game when you began to think, “Just one more game.” All weekend warriors, tournament players and professional players have had these thoughts. The question becomes, “How many of them have succumbed to such thoughts and went on to lose the match?” The answer is, “Many!” While it is true that many professionals and top-ranked players may lose their focus during critical times in a match, the truly mentally tough competitors become aware when this happens and are able to change and regain their focus immediately.

Paradoxically, losing focus is not horrible. In fact, it is a natural occurrence. The key is being aware that you lost your focus and then changing it to bring yourself back to the present. The problem is that when it’s happening, you may swear that you are concentrating. And you probably are—just on the wrong thing. Focusing on the events of the future immediately removes you from the present moment and takes you to a place where you have no control. Furthermore, as your thoughts drift into the future, you lose touch with what’s really important and what brought you to this point: Playing without thinking, relying on your feel and natural instincts, and trusting your game—the game that got you to this moment in the first place. When you lose focus, you are not only in the wrong “time zone” mentally, but you also begin to get tight physiologically as the blood flow is diverted away from your hands and feet toward your deeper muscle groups, and your breathing becomes labored instead of deep and rhythmic. Next comes a loss of feel for your strokes: You are no

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Become aware The first step to combating loss of focus is to become aware that you have indeed lost it. When we talk about “concentration” in the sports arena, we are referring to the ability to focus on what’s important and let go of everything else. All players lose their focus at times; it’s inevitable. The truly mentally tough players, however, understand this. They don’t beat themselves up when it happens and they immediately bring their focus back to what they can control. Remember Arthur Ashe in the 1975 Wimbledon final against Jimmy Connors at changeovers? That towel over his head served as a blanket that allowed him to center himself and bring his attention back to the present moment.

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longer focused on what you can control, but begin worrying about your opponent, what others are going to say, and how you will explain the loss. All of these physiological responses, combined with future-oriented thinking, cause your game to spiral more out of control, particularly as you lose the next point and gasp for breath, grip the racket tighter, and try to find that elusive feel you had earlier. So, what can a player do? No doubt this is a difficult situation, but by employing the following five mental-toughness strategies— especially when you find your game spiraling out of control—you can give yourself the opportunity to get back on track and turn things around:

Refocus on the present This is imperative, but where do you begin? First off, know that it takes a lot of courage and discipline to mentally refocus. However, what’s the alternative? A free fall! To refocus, bring your attention to your breath. Your breath is always completely

present: Just listen to it and its rhythm, sound, and feel as it enters and leaves your body. Or, visualize yourself breathing relaxation in and breathing stress out, slowly letting go of the stressful air as you visualize it dissipating, like on a cold morning. Another present-moment awareness exercise is to breathe in through your nose to the count of three (if possible) and out through your mouth to the count of four. Or make up your own pattern. These relaxing breathing patterns will help you to stay calm, relaxed and mentally present during the most difficult transitional moments of a match. Other present-moment exercises to try include visualizing the feel of a shot, your rhythm, target zones, and shot patterns. These can all act as “anchors” to make you feel calm. Change focus Inevitably, athletes tend to lose focus when they think about a future moment, such as what might happen on the next point. Thinking about the consequences of a weak shot, or even of an injury or stressor that occurred on or off the court, might also cause you to lose your concentration. The key here is to recognize this loss of

focus and bring yourself back to something that you can control. Let go of winning and of expectations Remember, you cannot control whether you win or lose, or whether or not you hit a winner—your opponent has a say in that. Likewise, you cannot control the expectations others have of you. Paradoxically, the harder you try to close out the match point and win, the more physically tight you will become. Just play each point the best you can; if you do this, you will put yourself in the best position to win. If you don’t win, you can walk away feeling positive about your effort. Trust the process Bring your attention to what you have to do to win the crucial point, which might include staying relaxed, returning the ball deep, or serving into your opponent’s backhand. Ask yourself what it would feel like to hit a great serve. Your body knows; now is the time to trust it. Then ask yourself what it would feel like to play this point relaxed, and instinctually you will feel a release. In The Inner Game of Tennis: The

Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performance, author W. Timothy Gallwey talks about letting your body play the way it knows how to without interference from your (thinking) brain. Using the strategies suggested above will provide you the best possible chance of winning the next point or game and closing out the match. That’s because they help you to begin the point in a calm and relaxed, in-the-moment place. Remember, match point … relax! Now you know how! Rob Polishook, MA, CPC is the founder and director of Inside the Zone Sports Performance Group. As a mental training coach he works with athletes and teams of all levels. His work focuses on helping athletes gain the mental edge and letting go of blocks which get in the way of peak performance. He is a USTA Zonal Coach and has spoken and been published for the USTA, USPTA and ITA. Additionally, he has conducted workshops nationally and internationally in India and Israel. He may be reached by phone at (973) 7230314, e-mail rob@insidethezone or visit www.insidethezone.com.

NYTennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • New York Tennis Magazine

Do Not Let Fear Affect Your Game in Tennis By Stan Popovich ometimes, fear and anxiety can get the best of us in tennis. The key is to know how to manage that fear and anxiety. As a result, here is a brief list of techniques that a tennis athlete can use to help manage their fears and every day anxieties. Occasionally, you may become stressed when you have to play in an important event. When this happens, visualize yourself doing the task in your mind. For instance, you have to play in the championship game in front of a large group of people in the next few days. Before the big day comes, imagine yourself playing the game in your mind. Imagine that you are playing in front of a large audience. By playing the game in your mind, you will be better prepared to perform for real when the time comes. Self-visualization is a great way to reduce the fear and stress of an upcoming situation. Sometimes we get stressed out when everything happens all at once. When this happens, a person should take a deep breath and try to find something to do for a few minutes to get their mind off of the

problem. A person could read the newspaper, listen to some music or perform an activity that will give them a fresh perspective on things. This is a great technique to use right before your next game. Another technique that is very helpful is to have a small notebook of positive statements that you can carry around with you. Whenever you come across an affirmation that makes you feel good, write it down in a small notebook that you can carry around with you. Whenever you feel stressed, open up your small notebook and read those statements. This will help to manage your negative thinking. In every anxiety-related situation you experience, you should begin to learn what works, what doesn’t work, and what you need to improve on in managing your fears and anxieties. For instance, you have a lot of anxiety and you decide to take a small walk before your game to help you feel better. The next time you feel anxious, you can remind yourself that you got through it the last time by taking a walk. This will give you the confidence to manage your anxiety the next time around. Take advantage of the help that is avail-

New York Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • NYTennisMag.com

able around you. If possible, talk to a professional who can help you manage your fears and anxieties. They will be able to provide you with additional advice and insights on how to deal with your current problem. By talking to a professional, a person will be helping themselves in the long run because they will become better able to deal with their problems in the future. Remember that it never hurts to ask for help. It is not easy to deal with all of our fears and worries. When your fears and anxieties have the best of you, try to calm down and then get the facts of the situation. The key is to take it slow. Do your best each day, hope for the best, and when something does happen, take it in stride. Take it one step at a time and things will work out. Stan Popovich is the author of A Layman’s Guide to Managing Fear Using Psychology, Christianity and Non-Resistant Methods, an easy-to-read book that presents a general overview of techniques that are effective in managing persistent fears and anxieties. For more information, visit ManagingFear.com or e-mail SPopovich@ManagingFear.com.

NYTennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • New York Tennis Magazine

NYJTL Honors Cantor Fitzgerald CEO and John McEnroe at Annual Awards Luncheon By Michael Sarro John McEnroe addresses the audience at the NYJTL 26th Annual Awards Luncheon

Howard Lutnick, chief executive officer of Cantor Fitzgerald, was honored at the 26th Annual NYJTL Awards Luncheon

Former NFL quarterback and radio personality Boomer Esiason was on hand to honor his friend. Howard Lutnick, chief executive officer of Cantor Fitzgerald

Former New York City Mayor David Dinkins shows his support for the local tennis community at the 26th Annual NYJTL Awards Luncheon Photo credit: NYJTL

On Nov. 17, the New York Junior Tennis League (NYJTL) held its 26th Annual Awards Luncheon at the Waldorf Astoria where they presented this year’s Leadership Awards to former champion John McEnroe and Howard Lutnick, chief executive officer of Cantor Fitzgerald. The afternoon consisted of a reception/cocktail hour, followed by a lunch with guest speakers, as well as a live auction with proceeds going to the NYJTL and the thousands of kids in their programs. The Master of Ceremonies for the event was Ted Robinson, NBC’s lead announcer of tennis coverage since 2000 and McEnroe’s longtime broadcast partner. Other special guest presenters on hand were former New York Mayor David Dinkins, who presented the Educator of the Year award to Beverly Mitchell, principal of P.S. 37 in Queens; former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason, a lifelong friend of Lutnick and thus introduced him, and also Kay McEnroe, mother of John who had the privilege of introducing her son to the stage. “We are proud to honor two recognized leaders of the New York City business and sports community, “ said NYJTL President and CEO Dr. Deborah Antoine. “We are also pleased to celebrate NYJTL’s significant recent accomplishments.” The first honoree, Lutnick, guided the rebuilding of Cantor Fitzgerald following the 20

devastating World Trade Center terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 that claimed the lives of 658 of the firm’s 960 New Yorkbased employees. Since then, Cantor Fitzgerald has provided more than $180 million to help the families of the firm’s colleagues who perished and 10 years of healthcare coverage. “After the attacks, we had two options, either close up the business for good, or rebuild it from the bottom up,” said Lutnick during his speech. “We decided to start over by hiring people we liked, creating a better work atmosphere, and immediately set up funds for the families of our lost colleagues.” The second honoree, McEnroe has made a major commitment to growing the sport of tennis in New York City with the opening of the John McEnroe Tennis Academy, located at Sportime Randall’s Island. In addition to his Academy, McEnroe continues to play international competitive tennis on the ATP Champions Tour and for the New York Sportimes of World TeamTennis (WTT). He is also widely acclaimed as the face of tennis broadcasting for CBS, NBC, ESPN2 and the Tennis Channel. McEnroe concluded his speech by saying, “With my program and programs like the NYJTL, we are a lot closer to having another tennis champion from New York City,” as the entire room applauded and gave him a standing ovation.

New York Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • NYTennisMag.com

During the luncheon, there was a live auction for attendees. Among the several “priceless” live auction items was a trip for two to the upcoming USA-Switzerland Davis Cup tie-breaker to be played in February in Switzerland, four tickets for the Presidential Suite in Arthur Ashe Stadium for the 2012 U.S. Open, and two tickets to the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami. The auction was conducted by celebrity auctioneer C.K. Swett of Phillips De Prury who used a giant racquet as his gavel. The NYJTL has been changing lives through tennis and education for 40 years. It is the largest tennis and education themed, non-profit organization in the United States and are planning to get even bigger. Larry Leeds, father of the late Cary Leeds who played for Yale University, was another speaker on hand and discussed the plans for the new Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Education which will be the NYJTL’s new flagship site. The complex will offer 22 tennis courts, including two stadiums that will offer viewing for 1,000 spectators. The facility will also include a library and study centers for the kids when they are not on the courts. Michael Sarro is director of business development for New York Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by phone at (516) 409-4444, ext. 330 or e-mail Michael@USPTennis.com.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

e-mail southbrooklyntennisassn@yahoo.com

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

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

NYTennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • New York Tennis Magazine

2011 Fall Season winners crowned

The 2011 Fall Metro Corporate Tennis League came to an end in December. In the Advanced Division, the New York Junior Tennis League (NYJTL) team got past PwC in the first round of the playoffs to advance to the league finals where they defeated Credit Agricole to win the 2011 Advanced Championship at Roosevelt Island Racquet Club. In the Advanced Intermediate Division, Ernst & Young opened their playoff run with a win over Mitsubishi to move on to the finals where they defeated Bloomberg to take the 2011 Fall Advanced Intermediate title. In the 2011 Fall Intermediate League, eight teams entered the playoffs, and in the end, the team from Deloitte was crowned 2011 Fall League Intermediate Champs. They defeated Credit Suisse in round one action, Thomson Reuters in the second round and clinched the title with a win over DESCO in the finals.

and includes a minimum of six matches. Each match is played for two hours on two courts, and tennis balls are provided. The 2012 Winter Season will conclude with an awards party and includes trophies, t-shirts and networking opportunities as well. Teaching clinics are also available for an additional cost. All league champions have the right to advance to the National WTT Championships. Each team entering play requires a minimum of four players, two women and two men to play an entire match, but you can carry as many players as you like. Play format for each match consists of six “no-ad” sets:

2012 Winter Season set to launch The 2012 Winter Metro Corporate Tennis League will begin late January/early February

The total games won for each of the six sets are recorded and totaled at the end of the evening. Total games won are tallied throughout the season, with playoffs at the end of sea-

I I I I I

One women’s singles One men’s singles One women’s doubles One men’s doubles Two mixed-doubles

New York Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • NYTennisMag.com

son party. Coaching and player substitutions are permitted during the match, and allows for more players to get involved and creates a fun atmosphere! The entry fee is $2,000 per team for the season. For more information on the 2012 Fall Metro Corporate Tennis League, call Debra Leffe at (914) 482-8471 or visit MetroTennis.com under the “Corporate” tab. Matches for the 2012 Winter League will be held weekday evenings at the following locations: CityView Racquet Club 43-34 32nd Place, Penthouse Long Island City, N.Y. (718) 389-6252 Roosevelt Island Racquet Club 281 Main Street • Roosevelt Island, N.Y. (212) 935-0250 West Side Tennis Club 1 Tennis Place • Forest Hills, N.Y. (718) 268-2300

NYTennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • New York Tennis Magazine

The Biofile: Gilad Bloom

By Scoop Malinowski Status: Former ATP pro from 1986-1998. Member of Israel’s Davis Cup team from 1986-1995. Winner of four ATP doubles titles. Reached a career-high singles ranking of 61st in 1990. Holds career wins over Petr Korda, Brad Gilbert, Carlos Costa, Jacob Hlasek, Marcelo Rios and Martin Jaite. Currently coaches at the John McEnroe Tennis Academy at Sportime Randall’s Island in New York City. Date of birth: March 1, 1967 in Tel Aviv, Israel Height: 5-ft. 8-in. Weight: 160 lbs. First tennis memory: Playing on the wall at my parent’s house in Israel with my brothers, I was seven- or eight-years-old. I only started playing real tennis at the age of nine. Tennis inspiration: Since I started playing, I always wanted to be a pro on the tour, play Davis Cup and all the majors. Current car: Volkswagen Jetta Diesel. Favorite ice cream flavor: Chocolate swirl. Greatest sports moment: In 1994, I played in the Davis Cup for Israel against Switzerland. They reached the finals the year before and had Jacob Hlasek and Marc Rosset on their team. I played Hlasek in the deciding match at 2-2 in the tie. I won in straight sets and never lost my serve once in front of a crazy home crowd. The fans carried Amos Mansdorf and me to the locker rooms on their shoulders. It was like a soccer game atmosphere. I didn’t have to pay for a meal or a drink in Israel for weeks after that match. Hlasek was ranked 100 spots above me at that time and with the win, Israel qualified for the World Group. Most painful moment: In 1986, I was 19-years-old and ranked about 160th. I played Brad Gilbert, who was number six in the world. We played in the quarterfinals of my hometown event in Tel Aviv. I was serving for the match at 5-4 in the third and two points away from victory, and I lost the match. Gilbert went on and won the tournament easily. I couldn’t sleep for months. With a win, I could have been in the top 100 in one leap and probably win the tournament. It was a huge disappointment. 24

Favorite tournament: Australian Open. The people are so nice down under, and the tournament organizers were very easy to deal with, friendly and they give away plenty of tickets. I have lots of family in Australia. Last book read: Life, the autobiography of Keith Richards. Funniest players encountered: In my time on the Tour, Mansour Bahrami was pretty funny and entertaining, and Karsten Braasch, the German, was hilarious too. Closest tennis friends: I still keep in touch with many players from my time, including Bruno Oresar from Croatia and Pablo Arraya from Peru, among others, who are my closest friends. I work closely with John McEnroe on a daily basis, so I see him a lot as well. The best you ever felt on court: In Manchester, England in 1991, I played Brad Gilbert who was still ranked in the top 15 in the world. From 2-2 in the first set, I won 10 games in a row, broke Gilbert five times in a row and played perfect tennis for those 10 games. I hit many winners and spectacular shots, including diving winners, etc. Brad kept looking at me and shaking his head … he didn’t say hello to me for about a year after that match. Prior to that match, he beat me three times. Why do you love playing tennis: It’s a passion. The feeling of hitting a clean ball or hitting a winner or playing a good match is something to look forward to every time you step on the court. Favorite players to watch: Growing up, I loved watching John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors play … I love lefties. I liked Ilie Nastase as well. In the new era, I like to watch Roger Federer, Tomas Berdych, Andy Murray and Dudi Sela, my first student. I used to love watching Fabrice Santoro, and I love watching the Rochus Brothers play, being a short guy myself. Personality qualities most admired: Mental strength, sportsmanship, being cool under pressure and bringing your best tennis to the big matches. Scoop Malinowski is the co-owner of Tennis-prose.com. His book, Marcelo Rios: The Man We Barely Knew, is available at Amazon.com.

New York Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • NYTennisMag.com

USTA EASTERN ANNUAL MEETING

AND VOLUNTEER DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP

JANUARY 20 | 2012 > JANUARY 21 | 2012

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

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

MORE THAN A GAME. IT’S A LIFESTYLE.

NYTennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • New York Tennis Magazine

Five Ways You Can Win More Matches … With Less Effort! By Alex Vayner

As a New York City tennis player, you probably never get as much court time as you would like to prepare for your league or tournament matches. When you lose a match, especially a close one, you just know that you could have prepared and played better. Sound familiar? We have all been there and our typical consolation is that we need more practice. What if I told you that you can, and will win more matches with less effort? Sound crazy? In this article, I will discuss five simple and proven tactics that you can use to win more matches by, quite literally, doing less. They have done wonders for my students, and can do the same for you. 1. Don’t try to serve so hard! Too many players try to blast the first serve really hard only to miss it into the net or deep. Take some pace off the ball to increase your first serve percentage. At first, this may seem counterintuitive, but think about it … you know how you are always more confident when returning your opponents second serve as opposed to their first serve? The same is true for your opponent. By trying not to blast the ball and by reducing the speed of your first serve by 10 percent, you can significantly increase the percentage of your first serves going in. This will put more pressure on your opponent not only to return your first serves, but also to serve better during his or her own service game. Additional pressure will lead your opponents to make errors they would not have otherwise made … it’s a win-win situation. 2. Block back the return of serve You may know many players who take a big swing at the return of serve, really trying to punish the ball. More often than not, that “big” return is missed, and all of that effort is wasted. What was the point? To hit a winner or to set up a winner? That is not the purpose of the return. Your goal with the return of 26

serve should first be to start the point. Before you do anything fancy with the ball, you must first get it in the court, and taking a big swing on the return frequently defeats that purpose. A barely-blocked shot that goes in is 100 times more effective than the Goliath-type forehand you “almost” made. Resolve today to reduce your backswing on the return of serve, and simply put the ball back deep. Start by blocking or chipping every ball back deep, and gripping your racket slightly higher than usual will help. You will notice that two things happen immediately as you block more serves back. Your opponent, especially a good server, will get frustrated at the high number of his serves that are coming back. He will either try to serve harder, causing them to make more errors, or serve softer, allowing you to attack. Blocking returns will reduce the number of unforced errors you make, build confidence in your return, and help you handle even the toughest serves.

3. Get on the baseline Every tennis player is sometimes guilty of backing up on a relatively easy high spin ball, to hit the ball as it drops instead of stepping into the court and taking the ball on the rise. If this happens to you only once in a while, great. However, if you regularly find yourself backing up or playing far behind the baseline, you might have the case of “The Silent Killer,” whereby you hand over the match to your opponent without realizing it. Playing far behind the baseline, or worse, backing up as you hit the ball, is typically counterproductive to your goal of winning points, and the overall match. Think about it … to win points, your options typically are to: I Draw an error from your opponent by making them run more; or I Draw an error by breaking the opponent’s rhythm (reducing the time your opponent has to prepare and hit the ball). These objectives are achieved by stepping into the ball and maintaining the control of the

New York Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • NYTennisMag.com

baseline. Stepping into the court increases the angles available to move your opponent, and forces the ball to come back to your opponent noticeably faster, thus breaking their rhythm. It also gets your body moving forward, making contact with the ball 10 to 15 percent further in front than you would hit otherwise, and inadvertently, lengthen your follow-through after contact—all factors (without getting into details of stroke production) which significantly increase your control and consistency, among other benefits. It’s a win any way when you step into the court. 4. “Catch the ball” at the net Most players today avoid coming to the net. On the professional level, speed, power, athleticism and overall skill has risen the bar so much that the average tennis match has distinctly fewer opportunities to effectively get to the net than one had playing on tour in the 1990s. Junior and club players, however, avoid the net for other reasons—they are either playing too far back behind the baseline to capitalize on presented opportunities (see point three) or feel uncomfortable at the net because they miss volleys more often than they can put those volleys away. So, the question is, how can you easily make those volleys go in once you are at the net? You miss the volleys that you do because you take too big of a swing. Here too, you don’t need to try so hard. Volleys, more than any other shot, are played with your feet. To eliminate that backswing, extend your hitting arm forward as if you are trying to catch the ball in front of you and step in simultaneously. So long as you are holding a racket with a continental grip, you are “catching” the ball at full arm’s-length in front of you, and maintain a 90 degree angle between your arm and your racket, the volleys you previously missed will now be going in. When you commit to coming up to the net on at least one out of every five points you play, you will notice that half the time, you don’t have to do much more than just stand at the net in order to win the point. Either you

will hit a winner during your approach, your opponent will make an error from the pressure of you being at the net, or they will popup a relatively easy shot for you to put away. It is quite rare, until advanced levels of play, that a player can hit a clean passing shot under pressure and on the run—so force them to attempt such passing shots more often; come to the net on all short balls, and “catch” your match. 5. When in doubt, hit cross-court Winning your matches has far less to do with the quality of your technique, let alone with your equipment, than you may be willing to believe. Yes, it helps to have good technique to execute your strategy effectively, and yes, at a national/international level, you cannot get very far without clean strokes. But the match is never won because the player has prettier strokes. It’s won by the player who hits one more ball over the net than their opponent. In a nutshell, the match goes to the player who hits a higher probability of shots (probability of success = the ball goes into the court). In other words, the match is always won by the player who makes fewer errors. The highest probability shot in tennis is cross-court, because it is hit with the natural rotation of the body, over the lowest part of the net, into the greatest hitting area of the tennis court. Therefore, the player who hits more cross-courts typically wins the match. So when you’re on the run, hit cross-court. When pressured, hit crosscourt. When in doubt … hit cross-court! You will be amazed at how many matches you can win by hitting cross-court shots. Now, as you incorporate these tips into your match play, do not confuse them with defensive plan, and for maximum effectiveness, make sure to incorporate them into a comprehensive match strategy … happy winning! Alex Vayner was ranked number two as a junior in Uzbekistan when he came to United States. In high school, Alex won the New York State Championships, competed on the junior national circuit in the U.S., and was a scholarship player at Rick Macci’s Tennis Academy in Florida. After graduating from Yale University, Alex competed in Challenger Tournaments on the Pro Circuit until his professional tennis was cut short by a shoulder injury. Alex has taught tennis since 1999, developing players ranging from enthusiasts to top sectional/national,

world-ranked, and Grand Slam players. He serves as a hitting partner to U.S. Open players, and is the author of Tennis Revolution: Five Secrets to Playing Your Best Tennis. Alex

teaches tournament players at Cunningham Sports Center, and professional players in NYC area. He may be reached by e-mail at alex@tennisrevolution.info.

Ethics and Adult League Tennis By Marvin Jeffrey Tennis, over the last few years, has become more enjoyable for me since I stopped competing in tournaments and started playing in USTA league matches. Through tennis, I’ve met some amazing people with whom I’ve bonded and have become very good friends with. In 2011, I had a great deal of people approach me about putting a team together, so I took it upon myself to become a captain of a USTA 9.0 Mixed Metro team. My thoughts going into this was that it’s going to be fun playing competitive tennis with my friends, only to find out that being a captain is not that easy. This season, I ran into a problem with one captain who pulled a dirty little trick and there seems to be a rule that allows him to pull such a trick. This rule basically states that if one team asks for a reschedule and that reschedule is granted and the other team does not have players for the day of the rescheduled match, the team asking for the reschedule loses that match. This does not make any sense to me, and really was a low blow, because with almost every team having at least 20 players, this captain is saying that he didn’t have two players available to play the rescheduled match? I find this very hard to believe. By not playing the rescheduled match, he wins that match and the three point value of that match. The three points really does not bother me, but what does bother me is that captains will go so low for three points and not care if the players on both teams get the matches that they paid for. My two players who were scheduled to play the rescheduled match will not get that match because of this rule that puts power into the hands of the opposing captain. Personally, I think this rule needs to be amended to say: “If there’s a rescheduled match granted, then both teams are obligated to field a team and the team that cannot oblige will have to forfeit that match.” This way, every captain will have a vested interested in playing, and every player will have a chance at playing instead of winning or losing based on a rule with a big loophole. After all, we are all here to play tennis, meet new people, have fun and enjoy the sport we all love so much. Please captains, be fair, play fair and leave the trickery at home. Don’t look for loopholes in the rules, and if there are any loopholes, make it known to the officials. Don’t abuse it and to try to win in that way, because at the end of the season, we are not playing this league for money, glory or fame … it’s for fun. The misunderstanding with this rule has put me on probation for fighting to change it. Fighting against this rule and probation will not deter me from being a captain in the future, nor will it make me change what my beliefs are … I still believe in being fair and fighting for what is right. Marvin Jeffrey is a competitive coordinator/senior teaching professional with Cunningham Tennis Center. He is currently coaching numerous tournament players and attends many junior events. In addition, Marvin is competing in Men’s Open ETA tournaments and is ranked among the top players in his age group. He may be reached by phone at (718) 740-6800 or e-mail dalion1007@yahoo.com. NYTennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • New York Tennis Magazine

SPORTIME RANDALL’S

2012 SUMM

New York Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • NYTennisMag.com

ISLAND

MER CAMPS Offered Weekly: June 11th - August 31st With transportation available in Manhattan, SPORTIME Randall’s Island Summer Camps feature tennis pros from the John McEnroe Tennis Academy and caring counselors who deliver an unforgettable experience to every camper! The 2012 EXCEL Summer Camp, for tennis players ages 7-16, features four hours of intensive coaching from McEnroe Academy professionals and two hours of fitness and cross-training. The SPORTIME 2012 Tennis & Sports Camp, for kids 5-15, provides two hours of tennis and four hours of other sports, including basketball, softball, and soccer; plus an activity tent, slip ‘n slide and more! For more information email Camp Director and Master Tennis Professional Greg Evans at CampsRI@SportimeNY.com, call 212-427-6150, or log onto www.SPORTIMENY.com/Manhattan

212/427-6150 SportimeNY.com/Manhattan If you’re traveling east, check out the summer camp offerings at SPORTIME clubs in the Hamptons: SPORTIME Amagansett, 320 Abrahams Path, 631.267.3460, SportimeNY.com/Amagansett SPORTIME Quogue, Route 104, 631.653.6767, SportimeNY.com/Quogue NYTennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • New York Tennis Magazine

USTA/Eastern-Metro Region

A Message From USTA Metro President Carl Summerlin Sr.

USTA Eastern Announces Honorees for 2012 Junior Awards Luncheon

My name is Carl Summerlin and I’m the regional president of the USTA Eastern Metropolitan Region. As an avid tennis player, coach and program administrator of tennis in the New York City area, I bring you this message: Tennis is alive and well in New York City. The U.S. Open had a phenomenal season, as the matches were unparalleled for excitement and drama, but professional tennis is not the only tennis played in New York. We had a number of teams and persons participating in National Championships through the USTA Leagues. We had a New York City college player qualify for the NCAA Nationals. Junior TeamTennis is being played all over the City, and it is introducing players of all levels and abilities to competitive play. There are several new facilities being opened in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens; bringing tennis to the disadvantaged and to those who are in need of a facility to play. The USTA has started a number of programs to improve local courts by repairing and renovating them. One of the more exciting things is how the 10 & Under initiative is bringing a new way of providing tennis to children so that they can all participate, learn and have fun playing the sport of tennis. All of the other major sports have done it, and now it’s our turn. Having fun playing the game, hitting a ball and meeting friends all happens at a tennis outing. There are not many sports where you can find people from the age of five to the age of 95 participating. No matter the age or the ability, there is a game for everyone. At one of the public parks that I play at, people gather with their lawn chairs and racquets to spend a day enjoying all the benefits of playing tennis. Everyone can play, no matter handicaps, age and ability. Tennis players cross all racial, economic and physical bounds, and as tennis players, we all need to be ambassadors of the game. We can play, teach others to play and support programming locally or support any of the USTA programs. Sports, especially tennis, provide a necessary outlet from our day-to-day routine. The ability to use tennis as physical and mental outlet is well-documented, and I say it again, “Let’s all get out and play.” If not today, tomorrow or next week, but let’s all get out and play and make tennis part of your lives.

On Jan. 21, USTA Eastern will recognize 16 outstanding students for their sportsmanship and their appreciation of Arthur Ashe’s legacy at the section’s 2012 Junior Awards Luncheon. The luncheon, which begins at noon, will be held at the Renaissance Westchester Hotel in White Plains, N.Y., and is part of USTA Eastern’s Annual Meeting and Volunteer Development Workshop, Jan. 20-21, 2012. The sportsmanship awards will be presented to eight Eastern juniors, four girls and four boys, for the respect and fair play they showed while participating in USTA sanctioned tournaments all year long. The section will also honor the seven Eastern winners of the USTA Arthur Ashe Essay Contest and the section’s National winner of the USTA Arthur Ashe Art Contest. These eight Eastern juniors competed against 16 other USTA sections in the national competition, which engages the entire network of National Junior Tennis and Learning centers and recognizes the legacy of Arthur Ashe and his impact on the world. “We are very proud of all the juniors being honored,” said Julie Bliss, director of competition and player development for USTA Eastern. “They understand that what matters most in tennis is not whether you win or lose, but how you treat others, both on and off the court.” At the luncheon, USTA Eastern will also give out awards for parent sportsmanship, tournament director of the year, and present the Henry Benisch Award. The Henry Benisch Award, which was established in memory of the USTA Eastern Past President and awarded on behalf of the Junior Tennis Foundation, is a scholarship given to a to a top junior player who has exemplified good sportsmanship. This year, USTA Eastern’s Annual Meeting and Volunteer Development Workshop will feature sessions on grant writing, running USTA-sanctioned tournaments and teaching 10 & Under Tennis. There will also be opportunities for participants to network with section leadership, including members of the board of directors, the executive board and section committees, as well as Eastern staff, tournament directors, instructors, and key section providers.

Carl Summerlin Sr., President USTA Metro Region 30

New York Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • NYTennisMag.com

USTA/Eastern-Metro Region

2012 Junior Awards I Richard D. Lynch II Boys’ 12 Sportsmanship Award: Harris Walker (South Salem, N.Y.) I Richard D. Lynch II Girls’ 12 Sportsmanship Award: Marcella Cruz (Marlboro, N.J.) I E. Hawley Van Wyck Jr. Boys’ 14 Sportsmanship Award: Maverick Lin (Edison, N.J.) I Edith Martin Girls’ 14 Sportsmanship Award: Shanice Arthur (Glen Head, N.Y.) I Lawrence A. Miller Boys’ 16 Sportsmanship Award: Taiyo Hamanaka (Eastchester, N.Y.) I Lawrence A. Miller Girls’ 16 Sportsmanship Award: Luisa Fernandez (Pittsford, N.Y.) I Lt. Frederick M. Scribner, Jr. Boys’ 18 Sportsmanship Award: Brendan Henry (Massapequa, N.Y.) I Edith Martin Girls’ 18 Sportsmanship Award: Hannah Shteyn (Staten Island, N.Y.) I Henry Benisch Scholarship Award: Brian Power (Pelham, N.Y.) I Ron Smyth Parent Sportsmanship Award: Melanie Rubin (Merrick, N.Y.) I Tournament Director of the Year: Annelies Karp (Floral Park, N.Y.) I USTA Arthur Ashe Art Contest Winner: Clara Kim (Flushing, N.Y.)

USTA Eastern Arthur Ashe Essay Contest Winners I Girls 10 and Under: Shelly Yaloz (Little Neck, N.Y.) I Boys 10 and Under: Christopher Beharry (South Richmond Hill, N.Y.) I Girls 11-12: Jennifer Yu (Forest Hills, N.Y.) I Boys 11-12: Noah Castillo (Brooklyn, N.Y.) I Girls 13-14: Isis Gill-Reid (Brooklyn, N.Y.) I Boys 13-14: Stephen Mai (Little Neck, N.Y.) I Boys 15-16: Justin Selig (New York, N.Y.)

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@NYTennisMag (twitter.com/NYTennisMag) NYTennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • New York Tennis Magazine

A Look Back at the

2011 Tennis

SEAS

By Emilie Katz

Australian Open 2011 January 17-30, 2011 Melbourne Park Melbourne, Australia Men’s Singles Finals Novak Djokovic defeated Andy Murray, 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 Men’s Doubles Finals Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan defeated Mahesh Bhupathi & Leander Paes, 6–3, 6–4

Women’s Doubles Finals Andrea Hlavackova & Lucie Hradecka defeated Sania Mirza & Elena Vesnina, 6–4, 6–3 Mixed Doubles Finals Casey Dellacqua & Scott Lipsky defeated Katarina Srebotnik & Nenad Zimonjic, 7–6, 4–6

Wimbledon 2011 June 20-July 3, 2011 All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club Wimbledon, London, England

Women’s Singles Finals Kim Clijsters defeated Li Na, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 Women’s Doubles Finals Gisela Dulko & Flavia Pennetta defeated Victoria Azarenka & Maria Kirilenko, 2–6, 7–5, 6–1

Men’s Singles Finals Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal, 6–4, 6–1, 1–6, 6–3

Mixed Doubles Finals Katarina Srebotnik & Daniel Nestor defeated Yung-Jan Chan & Paul Hanley, 6–3, 3–6, 10–7

Men’s Doubles Finals Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan defeated Robert Lindstedt & Horia Tecau, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6

French Open 2011

Women’s Singles Finals Petra Kvitova defeated Maria Sharapova, 6-3, 6-4

May 22-June 5, 2011 Roland Garros Paris, France

Men’s Singles Finals Rafael Nadal defeated Roger Federer, 7–5, 7–6, 5–7, 6–1

Women’s Doubles Finals Kveta Peschke & Katarina Srebotnik defeated Sabine Lisicki & Samantha Stosur, 6-3, 6-1 Mixed Doubles Finals Jurgen Melzer & Iveta Benesova defeated Mahesh Bhupathi & Elena Vesnina, 6-3, 6-2

Men’s Doubles Finals Max Mirnyi & Daniel Nestor defeated Juan Sebastian Cabal & Eduardo Schwank, 7–6, 3–6, 6–4 Women’s Singles Finals Li Na defeated Francesca Schiavone, 6–4, 7–6 32

New York Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • NYTennisMag.com

A Look Back at the

2011 Tennis

SEAS

N 2011 TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships

U.S. Open 2011 August 29-September 12, 2011 USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Flushing Meadows, N.Y.

October 25-30, 2011 Sinan Erdem Arena Istanbul, Turkey

Men’s Singles Finals Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal, 6-2, 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-1 Men’s Doubles Final Jurgen Melzer & Philipp Petzschner defeated Mariusz Fyrstenberg & Marcin Matkowski, 6-2, 6-2

Singles Final Petra Kvitova defeated Victoria Azarenka, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 Doubles Final Liezel Huber & Lisa Raymond defeated Kveta Peshke & Katarina Srebotnik, 6-4, 6-4

Women’s Singles Final Samantha Stosur defeated Serena Williams, 6-2, 6-3 Women’s Doubles Final Liezel Huber & Lisa Raymond defeated Vania King & Yaroslava Shvedova, 4-6, 7-6, 7-6 Mixed Doubles Final Melanie Oudin & Jack Sock defeated Gisela Dulko & Eduardo Schwank, 7-6, 4-6, 1-0

2011 ATP World Tour Finals November 5-12, 2011 O2 Arena London, England

Singles Final Roger Federer defeated Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-3 Doubles Final Max Mirnyi & Daniel Nestor defeated Mariusz Fyrstenberg & Marcin Matkowski, 7-5, 6-3

2011 ATP Year-End Award Winners ATP World Tour No. 1 (based on South African Airways ATP Ranking) Novak Djokovic: The 24-year-old Serbian won 10 tour-level titles, highlighted by three Grand Slam championships (Australian Open, Wimbledon, U.S. Open) and a record five ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophies in one season. Djokovic ascended to number one in the South African Airways ATP Rankings following Wimbledon. He opened 2011 with a 41-match winning streak, just shy of John McEnroe’s record 42-0 start in 1984, and enters the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals with a 69-4 match record. ATP World Tour No. 1 Doubles Team (based on ATP Doubles Team Ranking) Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan: The American twins clinched the yearend number one team ranking for a record seventh time in nine years (2003, 2005-2007, 2009-2011). They claimed eight tour-level titles, including the Australian Open, Wimbledon and two ATP World Tour Masters 1000s (Monte-Carlo and Madrid), to take their team total to an Open Era record 75. They have now won at least five titles in 10 straight seasons.

NYTennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • New York Tennis Magazine

A Look Back at the

2011 Tennis

SEAS Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award (voted by ATP players) Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg Roger Federer: Fellow players voted the Swiss as the winner of the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award for the seventh time. He had won the award six straight years from 2004-09 before Rafael Nadal broke the streak last year. Nadal, Djokovic and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi were also nominated in this category Comeback Player of the Year (voted by ATP players) Juan Martin Del Potro: The former world number four reestablished himself as one of the top players on the ATP World Tour in 2011. He fell to a low of 485th in the South African Airways ATP Rankings this past February, after a wrist injury and surgery limited him to six matches in 2010, but climbed to 11th by November. The 23-year-old Argentine compiled a 48-16 match record and two ATP World Tour titles (Estoril, Delray Beach). Newcomer of the Year Milos Raonic: The 20-year-old jumped from 156th in the South African Airways ATP Rankings at the start of the season to 31st on Nov. 14. After compiling a 4-6 match record in 2010, he went 31-19 in his first full season on the ATP World Tour. He became the first Canadian to claim a tour-level title in 16 years, winning San Jose without dropping a set (defeating Fernando Verdasco), and the following week, reached the final in Memphis (lost to Andy Roddick). Most Improved Player of the Year (voted by ATP players) Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg Alex Bogomolov Jr.: The 28-year-old American rose from 166th in the South African Airways ATP Rankings at the end of 2010 to a career-high 33rd in November. He finished 2011 with a 27-21 match record, eclipsing the total num34

N ber of matches he’d won on the ATP World Tour prior to this season (21-40 record from 2002-2010). He reached the quarterfinals or better at six tournaments, and recorded his biggest career win by defeating then-world number five-ranked Andy Murray in Miami. Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg Rafael Nadal: The Spaniard joined Roger Federer, Carlos Moya, former South African president Nelson Mandela and Arthur Ashe as winners of the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award, recognized for his contributions through the Rafa Nadal Foundation. The Foundation, a recipient of a 2011 ATP ACES For Charity grant, offers educational programs for socially-disadvantaged youth using sport as a tool for personal and social integration. The Foundation is currently affiliated with three projects, the Vicente Ferrer Foundation in Antapur, India; the Special Olympics; and the Aldeas Infantiles SOS, a private international aid organisation which cares for children in vulnerable situations. ATP Tour Fan Favorite (Singles) Roger Federer: The Swiss extends his reign as the most popular player on the ATP World Tour, selected as ATPWorldTour.com Fans’ Favorite presented by RICOH for a record ninth consecutive year. Djokovic finished second in the voting, followed by Nadal. ATP WorldTour.com Fans’ Favorite (Doubles) Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan: The 33-year-old American Bryan twins continue their dominance in this fan-voted category, winning it for a seventh straight time. They finished ahead of Michael Llodra & Nenad Zimonjic and Mahesh Bhupathi & Leander Paes in the voting.

New York Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • NYTennisMag.com

A Look Back at the

2011 Tennis

SEAS 2011 ATP Tour Year-End Singles Rankings Rank Name Country Ranking Points 1..............Novak Djokovic..............Serbia..................13,475 2 ................Rafael Nadal ................Spain ..................9,375 3 ................Andy Murray ..............Scotland ................7,380 4 ..............Roger Federer ..........Switzerland ..............6,670 5 ................David Ferrer ................Spain ..................4,480 6 ..........Jo-Wilfried Tsonga ..........France ..................3,535 7 ..............Tomas Berdych ......Czech Republic ..........3,300 8..................Mardy Fish............United States ............2,965 9 ............Janko Tipsarevic ............Serbia ..................2,395 10 ..........Nicolas Almagro..............Spain ..................2,380 11 ......Juan Martin del Potro ......Argentina ................2,315 12 ..............Gilles Simon ................France ..................2,165 13............Robin Soderling ............Sweden ................2,120 14 ............Andy Roddick ........United States ............1,940 15 ..............Gael Monfils ................France ..................1,935 16........Alexandr Dolgopolov ........Ukraine..................1,925 17 ........Stanislas Wawrinka ......Switzerland ..............1,820 18 ................John Isner ............United States ............1,800 19 ..........Richard Gasquet ............France ..................1,765 20............Feliciano Lopez ..............Spain ..................1,755

N 2011 WTA Year-End Award Winners Player of the Year Petra Kvitova: She was voted Player of the Year for a season that saw her win six WTA titles, including her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon and the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships and going from 34th at the start of the year to number two at year-end. She also led the Czechs to the Fed Cup title. Doubles Team of the Year Kveta Peschke & Katarina Srebotnik: The duo earned Doubles Team of the Year in a fiercelycontested doubles season. They claimed a WTAleading six titles, including their first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon. They also rose to number one in the rankings. Comeback Player of the Year Sabine Lisicki: Having nearly cracked the top 20 after a 2009 season that saw her win the Premier title in Charleston and reach her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at Wimbledon, Lisicki went even higher in 2011, winning two WTA titles at Birmingham and Dallas, reaching her first Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon and peaking at number 15.

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NYTennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • New York Tennis Magazine

A Look Back at the

2011 Tennis

SEAS

N Fan Favorite Doubles Team Victoria Azarenka & Maria Kirilenko

Most Improved Player of the Year Petra Kvitova: For her on-court achievements, Kvitova was named Most Improved Player of the year.

Fan Favorite Breakthrough Player Petra Kvitova

Newcomer of the Year Ina-Camelia Begu: She won Newcomer of the Year after a breakthrough season that saw her rise from 214th to 38th, finishing at 40th. She reached her first two WTA finals at clay court events in Marbella and Budapest. Player Awards (voted by WTA players) Player Service Award Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg Francesca Schiavone: For her off-court achievements Francesca Schiavone won the Player Service Award, which recognizes the player who has done the most to support her fellow players through the WTA Players’ Council and other initiatives. Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award Petra Kvitova

Favorite Premier Tournament Porsche Tennis Grand Prix (Stuttgart) Favorite International Tournament Abierto Mexicano TELCEL (Acapulco)

2011 WTA Tour Year-End Singles Rankings Rank Name Country Ranking Points 1 ............Caroline Wozniacki..........Denmark ................7,485 2..................Petra Kvitova ........Czech Republic ..........7,370 3 ..............Victoria Azarenka ............Belarus ................6,520 4 ..............Maria Sharapova ............Russia ..................6,510 5 ........................Na Li ......................China ..................5,720 6 ..............Samantha Stosur ..........Australia ................5,585 7 ................Vera Zvonareva ..............Russia ..................5,435 8 ..........Agnieszka Radwanska ........Poland..................5,250 9 ................Marion Bartoli ..............France..................4,710 10 ............Andrea Petkovic............Germany ................4,580 11 ........Francesca Schiavone............Italy ....................3,900 12..............Serena Williams ........United States ............3,180 13 ................Kim Clijsters................Belgium ................3,161 14..............Jelena Jankovic ..............Serbia ..................3,115 15................Sabine Lisicki..............Germany ................2,879 16 ....Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova ....Russia ..................2,865 17 ................Shuai Peng ..................China ..................2,800 18 ..........Dominika Cibulkova ........Slovakia ................2,755 19..........Svetlana Kuznetsova ..........Russia ..................2,606 20 ..............Flavia Pennetta ................Italy ....................2,490

Fan Favorites (fan’s vote) Fan Favorite Singles Player Agnieszka Radwanska

New York Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • NYTennisMag.com

A Look Back at the

2011 Tennis

SEAS 2011 ATP Tour Retired Players Simon Aspelin: Aspelin is best remembered for triumphing at the 2007 U.S. Open with Austrian Julian Knowle and partnering compatriot Thomas Johansson to a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The Swede turned pro in 1998 after graduating from Pepperdine University, where he was a four-time All-American. He won his first of 12 titles at the Open 13 at Marseille in 2000 and reached a career-high doubles ranking of number seven in March 2008. Harel Levy: Levy announced his retirement from professional tennis at the age of 32. Levy was ranked as high as 30th in June 2001 at the ATP Tour rankings, but suffered a hip injury that summer and his game plunged. He was a key component of Israel’s Davis Cup team Nicolas Lapentti: Lapentti announced his retirement from professional tennis in 2011. Lapentti, who is 34 years old, won five ATP World Tour singles titles and competed in a total of 12 finals in 16 seasons as a pro.

Nicolas Kiefer: Kiefer announced his retirement from professional tennis in 2011. During his career he reached a high of fourth in the ATP rankings. His best result in a Grand Slam was the semifinals of the 2006 Australian Open. Taylor Dent: The 29-year-old Dent, a former top 25 tennis player, announced his retirement from professional tennis. Dent was one of a handful of current pros with a serve-and-volley style and currently ranked 85th in the ATP World Tour rankings

N Wesley Moodie: South African Wesley Moodie, the 2005 Wimbledon doubles champion with Stephen Huss, has retired from professional tennis after 12 seasons. He ranked a career-high No. 8 in the ATP Doubles Rankings in 2009 and rose to a career-high No. 57 in the South African Airways 2011 ATP Rankings in 2005. Oscar Hernandez: Spaniard Oscar Hernandez announced his retirement from professional tennis this year. Hernandez, who turned professional in 1998, reached a career-high of 48th in October of 2007 and compiled a 65-125 singles record.

2011 WTA Tour Retired Players Justine Henin: Former number one Justine Henin has announced her retirement from professional tennis in 2011 due to a career-ending elbow injury she initially received last year at Wimbledon. Henin retired from the sport for the first time in March 2008 and became the first woman in the history of professional tennis to retire while ranked number one. She made a successful comeback to tennis at the beginning of the 2010 season, reaching the final of the 2010 Australian Open and capturing two titles. Henin is a winner of 43 WTA singles titles, including seven Grand Slam championships, and has been ranked number one for a total of 117 weeks (seventh all time). She has amassed more than $20 million in career prize money and is leaving the sport with a win-loss record of 527-116 Patty Schnyder: Schnyder played in 59 Grand Slam tournaments, including 52 in a row from 1997-2009, and her best showing was making the semifinals at the 2004 Australian Open. Schnyder, who was born in Basel, the same town as Roger Federer, compiled a 555-370 career record. Sybille Bammer: The 31-year-old Austrian Bammer won two singles titles in her career and reached the quarterfinals at the 2008 U.S. Open for her best Grand Slam result. Her best showing at Wimbledon came in 2006 when she reached the third round.

NYTennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • New York Tennis Magazine

StepUp

to Success

By Ajay Kumar How does one determine that a player is developing or has developed? Most touring pros and instructors use a marker—wins or losses. Is that all there is to development? Wins and losses? Shouldn’t there be an easier way? Shouldn’t there be a better way to evaluate or understand the idea of development or developing? How does one truly understand the development of a player? Is it just a result-oriented marker? Can it be explained visually? Can it be conveyed to a beginner, an intermediate, an advanced player or a baller? In an age where heavy emphasis is put on winning and not development, it is very important for players, parents and instructors (i.e., coaches and teachers), to understand and have a certain realization of the term “development” or “improvement.” I feel most players concern themselves too much with winning and not enough on learning long-term (emotional, mental and physical) skills to help them sustain in an ever-expanding competitive (tennis) world. The great “Pistol Pete” Sampras spent two years developing and improving his onehanded backhand as a struggling junior who just wanted to get better, and 14 Grand Slams later, no one is complaining. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic or any other accomplished players (even of the past), still talk about playing better in a current match than the match before—just listen to their postmatch interviews. 38

So, how does one say, “Hey, how do I know I have improved on a stroke?” or “How do I know I got better?” or even, “Are these lessons paying off?” There is one method I use—and it is based visually. It is relatively easy and instructors should help players understand this. Think of staircases. A staircase has a progression, which we can word it as “going up” and conversely, deterioration, which would be represented as “going down” the staircase. When a student learns an aspect of a stroke, or positive development of a stroke, think of it as a “step-up,” or in other words, progression. When, at the peak of this stage, the next stage of the staircase flattens, this is a “plateau” where the player is honing the aspect of that particular skill— the longer the plateau, the longer it will be to take the player to the next step-up phase. When a player does master that skill, the player steps-up. This progression is where you can see the development in the upward trajectory. The more the player learns and masters a skill or a particular aspect of a skill, the more upward the push is and they take another positive step in their development. The deterioration is now very simple to identify because the student will realize the concept of progression—this concept can be visualized by everyone involved with the player, as well. Now, a player can use that as a genuine marker for the concept of improvement and development. This “staircase” idea can be used at any level and at any skill. This also allows a player to focus more on detail and pay attention to growing and mastering a

New York Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • NYTennisMag.com

set of skills, as opposed to worrying about winning or losing. Believe me, if a player focuses on getting better, and puts their best effort forward, winning comes naturally without hesitation. This is also a mentally accessible tool, where a player in a slump, uses it as a positive feedback method and to divert their attention away from the negative slump and convert the practice time to positive momentum. My recommendation to players, instructors and parents alike is to realize the importance of development in the long run as opposed to success in the short-term. To develop in the long run, one has to improve in stages and see an upward swing in the emotional, physical and mental growth of the player. Ajay Kumar is currently the director of tennis at one of the oldest tennis facilities in New York, the New York Tennis Club (NYTC), and is an assistant director for the Advantage Tennis Clubs family, servicing out of four-major locations in Manhattan. Prior to taking over the director of tennis position at NYTC, Ajay was a partner at Metro Tennis Academy and was instrumental in developing a renowned junior program that serviced both recreational and competitive players. He has played in the USTA Eastern Section, and as well as in the ITF. He graduated with a sports medicine major from Manhattan College, where he played competitively in its Division I varsity team as a scholar-athlete. He may be reached by phone at (646) 294-2653, email AK.AdvantageTennis@gmail.com or visit AdvantageCamps.net.

Winter Care and Maintenance Tips for Your Tennis Court Color Surface By Kevin J. Healion, CTCB Closing court for the winter Winterizing a hard court for the winter months is important. Special attention should be given to windscreens, which are attached to the fence system on your tennis court. The winter months bring severe winds which may not only damage your windscreens, but can also do costly damage to framing and fence fabric. Windscreens should be removed in fall months as a precaution. Tennis nets should be lowered to relieve the nets posts of tension. Some players like to play on those occasional nice days in the winter in which the net can be raised fairly easily. Another option would be to take the net down completely and store it inside. This helps the longevity of the net and reduces frequent replacement. One more important tip for tennis court winterizing is removing leaves and organic

debris from the court surface which generally gathers in the corners of the court surface. This will reduce staining and mildew buildup, in addition to keeping the court in a “ready to play” condition. Tips on hard court maintenance A well-constructed and well-maintained tennis court will offer years of play. To maximize the life of any type of court, the owner should develop and implement a regular schedule of maintenance. Regular inspection of the court and the repair of minor irregularities are more cost-effective than allowing the court to deteriorate to the point where it requires major repair. Hard court surfaces are generally considered maintenance free; however, court cleaning may be required from time to time in order to maintain a safe playing surface. “Safe playing surface” refers to the condition of the surface. Conditions such as moss and mildew may cause slippery areas on the court, possibly resulting in personal injury while playing. To re-

move stains, start with the gentlest treatment, as a soft brush and mild cold water detergent solution may remove the stain. If that doesn’t work, try the same brush with a mild chlorine bleach solution—about one cup of bleach per gallon of water and rinse with hose or light power washing. Power washing is not as easy as it sounds and costly damage to court surface can occur. Hiring a professional may be the best course of action in this case. Other conditions, such as bumps, cracks and holes, must be addressed prior to tennis play to avoid tripping hazards and serious injury. Contacting a tennis court professional for information on methods and new techniques of repair will help you make these important repair decisions. Play safe and have a nice winter. Kevin J. Healion, CTCB of Deer Park, N.Y.based Century Tennis Inc. may be reached by phone at (631) 242-0220 or e-mail Kevin@CenturyTennis.com.

NYTennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • New York Tennis Magazine

Rafa By John Carlin and Rafael Nadal Rafa, an autobiography of former number one player Rafael Nadal, was published last summer, but considering that its subject has just scored another career triumph, playing on Spain’s winning Davis Cup team late last year, this is a good time to revisit Nadal’s story. As sport autobiographies go, Rafa holds up well. This is because its subject seems, on the whole, to be a decent guy. Gestures like his comforting of Polish players on the tour when a plane crash killed a number of their leaders and the respectful way he has conducted himself as he passed his rival Roger Federer in the fight for the top spot in the men’s rankings, point to the fact that Nadal is, in all, a grounded young man despite his international celebrity. Rafa supplies a number of personal and professional details about the star’s many pre-match rituals and training habits that will be of interest to his fans. Anyone who follows tennis already knows about his obsessive positioning of the water bottles during a match, but Rafa book reveals a whole range of rituals that he goes through including taking a cold shower before big matches. The first chapter is a moment-by-moment description of how he prepared for his 2008 Wimbledon final with Roger Federer. It includes a funny description of himself and Federer in the locker room before the match. Federer is sitting quietly on a wooden bench. Nadal, with music blasting through his headphones, is sprinting around the small room 40

and doing other violent exercises. It was the contrasting styles of the two players that made their rivalry so great when they were the two top players in the game, before Novak Djokovic came along to spoil the party. This section of the book also contains a lengthy passage about how hard it is to hit a ball well even for Nadal. He talks about all of the adjustments players need to make to hit even one ball well, never mind the dozens of hits a long rally can consist of. Well, if it seems hard for Nadal, no wonder all of us less-skilled players have trouble. Another strength of Rafa is its descriptions of Nadal growing up. In addition to cute pictures of him as an infant, it starts off his career progression throughout the junior ranks. It won’t shock anyone to learn he was very good, very young. There has been a lot of ink spilled describing Spaniard Carlos Moya’s mentor-like relationship with Nadal. After all, what are the chances you would get two world number ones from a small island like Majorca? But as Moya makes clear in some passages quoted in Nadal’s book, it wasn’t like he was doing charity work with the teenaged Nadal when Moya practiced with him. Moya says that even when Nadal was 14 or 15, he was tough to beat. As the older Majorcan puts it, “You didn’t want to be a grown man and a top 10 ATP tour professional and lose to a kid.” Of course, Nadal was not just any kid. Rafa shows how his support team was put in place early and hasn’t changed much over the years. He describes his uncle Toni as the toughest tennis coach in the world. His trainer and his agent, former ATP pro Carlos Costa, are prime members of an entourage that enable Nadal to exist in a kind of Borg-like cocoon that allows him to play his best tennis. In the book Open, readers were given a good look at everything the young Andre

New York Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • NYTennisMag.com

Agassi had to give up in order to be a champion. Nadal’s sacrifices don’t seem to be as harsh, no doubt because instead of getting sent away from home, as his team is family-centered with his uncle calling most of the shots. Still, as he says in the middle of the book, he wishes he could go out of the hotel in New York and just walk around, but he feels, rightly or wrongly, that he would be recognized and mobbed. Instead, Nadal says that when he is here in the Big Apple, about the only place he goes besides the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is to sponsor events to which he’s whisked in and out without being able to get a feel for New York’s streets. One fault of the book is that Carlin doesn’t seem clear about the difference between “Slams” and “Grand Slams.” He often has Nadal up there with Rod Laver and Don Budge as another Grand Slam winner, when what he means is that the Majorcan has won another one of the Big Four. It would be interesting to get the kind of personal reaction that Nadal shows readers in this book with co-author John Carlin about his adjustment to the change in the tennis world order that the ascension of Djokovic has caused. The year 2011 has been a remarkable season for the Serb, and most of his triumphs have come by beating both Nadal and Federer. It would be interesting to hear what Nadal’s take is on his two, straightset losses to Djokovic at home in Madrid and in Rome this year. But Nadal’s fans will have to wait for a second book to get these insights. For now, Rafa, will function as a good read and a source of information about how Nadal climbed the ladder to become the number one player in the world. Brent Shearer may be reached by e-mail at bbshearer@gmail.com.

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NYTennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • New York Tennis Magazine *Photos courtesy of Getty Images. *Players subject to change.

New York Tennis Magazine’s

Mailbag Letter to the Editor: An Open Letter to the USTA How Many Tournaments Should Count in the Rankings? Dear USTA leaders: At its Semi-Annual Meeting on Sept. 7, the USTA voted to further reduce the number of tournaments that count for men’s singles and individual doubles rankings from five to four starting in 2012. When the points ranking system took effect in 2004, the six best tournament results counted. A few years ago, the USTA reduced it to the five best tournaments. Let’s analyze the USTA’s recent reduction to four tournaments using three highly important criteria. 1. In the 2011 USTA Yearbook, Jon Vegosen, chairman of the board and president, wrote: “The USTA already has a compelling mission—to promote and develop the growth of tennis.” We believe that keeping the number at five better achieves this laudable mission than reducing the number to four, which diminishes, rather than promotes and grows, our sport. Specifically, more competitors playing more tournaments is better for players, fans, tournaments, sponsors and the media. 2. A fair and accurate ranking system is another extremely important goal for every tournament division. This goal requires having sufficient data and results to evaluate. We believe the results of five tournaments—rather than only four—provide more data. That will result in more accurate, and thus more fair, rankings. 3. Since USTA national tournaments are spread across our vast country and some large sections cover several hundred miles, the 42

burden of competing should not be unduly onerous in terms of travel, cost and time. The rationale for the rule change from five to four tournaments hinged largely, if not solely, on the claim that competing in five tournaments would prove unduly onerous. Since players have an entire year and the option of playing in many tournaments in many parts of the country or their sections, we believe the claim of the supporters of this reduction is clearly unjustified. There is no requirement to play in any particular number of tournaments—the only requirement to get ranked nationally is that a player plays one National Championship. Beyond that, it is entirely optional whether he or she plays in any additional tournaments. (The statement in the Autumn 2011 issue of Super Senior Tennis by the chair of the USTA Adult/Senior Competition Committee that “Men will need four tournaments for a USTA ranking, instead of five” is inaccurate and misleading—only one tournament, a National, is needed for a USTA ranking.) Just as a ranking rule should not discriminate against players who compete in relatively few tournaments, it also should not discriminate against players who compete in many tournaments. But, where do the players themselves believe the line should be drawn? In the late fall of 2010, anticipating USTA Florida’s upcoming 2011 Annual Meeting, Julien Moussalli, a leading Florida senior player, circulated a petition intended for USTA Florida. The petition proposed a rule change for the Florida Sectional Rankings that would count all tournaments played—not the current five tournaments. Due to time constraints, Moussalli was only able to circulate the peti-

New York Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • NYTennisMag.com

tion at a couple of tournaments. Nonetheless, he obtained 35 signatures. One signatory, Joe Bachmann, a prominent and highly-ranked national player, signed the petition on the condition that eight tournaments be counted for Florida Sectional Rankings. All things considered, we believe his proposal to count eight tournaments is a sound, reasonable and fair compromise between the extremes of counting only four tournaments (USTA) or five tournaments (USTA Florida), and counting all tournaments, as Moussalli proposes for Florida. (The number of tournaments that count in the rankings can vary depending on the age division, and it may be advisable for lower age divisions to have fewer tournaments count.) Moussalli met several times with USTA Florida officials and presented the signed petition, but to no avail. The USTA Florida official to whom the petition was submitted was a member of the USTA Adult/Senior Competition Committee, which, in September, reduced the number of tournaments that count for a national to four. He had, in his possession for six months prior to the Semi-Annual Meeting, both Moussalli’s petition and a five-page protest letter from Ron Tonidandel, to which he never responded. It is disappointing that, to the best of our knowledge, he did not disclose the contents or even the existence of either the petition or the letter to the other national committee members. We submit that, even though Moussalli’s petition was directed to USTA Florida and not the USTA committee in charge of national rankings, the principles involved are the same on both levels. Therefore, in

fairness, the USTA Florida official should have informed other members of the USTA National Committee, on which he sits, about what transpired in Florida, particularly Moussalli’s petition and Tonidandel’s unanswered letter. Without that important information, there could not be an informed, thorough and fair debate on this vital issue. In closing, we would like to note the proliferation of players from all over the country competing in National Category II tournaments since their inauguration and the creation of the ranking points system in 2004. This sharp increase in player participation and its momentum can and should be accelerated—rather than be reversed. Indeed, it is important to note that the mission of the Adult/Senior Competition Committee is: “To promote all activities associated with adult/senior competition, including rankings, sanctions and schedules, and to find ways to increase participation in all national adult/senior competition events.” The USTA can do exactly that by re-focusing on its stated mission to promote

and develop the growth of tennis, in this case, tournament participation. The rescinding of its decision to again reduce the number of tournaments that count in the rankings would be a prudent and productive first step toward that end. In discussing the 2004 National Ranking System, New England Senior Tennis in 2005 pointed out: “The new points-per-round system would increase tournament participation as the more tournaments played, the higher the possibility of the ranking achieved. Note that the

junior tournaments in New England also changed to pointsper-round and their participation increased significantly.” Thank you for considering and evaluating the facts, criteria and arguments presented here. Sincerely, Ron Tonidandel (Sarasota, Fla.) Paul Fein (Agawam, Mass.) Leon Kennedy (St. Petersburg, Fla.) Roger Upton (Atlanta, Ga.) John Natolly (Harbor Hills, Fla.)

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NYTennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • New York Tennis Magazine

Downgrade: One Player’s NTRP Shocker! By Brent Shearer

ou’ve probably heard by now … the news is out. It’s all over the city’s public courts, from Central Park to Riverside Park, to my home courts in East River Park, or, as we call it, the East Village Country Club. I’m not a 5.0 on the National Tennis Rating Program’s (NTRP) scale anymore. If I ever was. The NTRP is the U.S. tennis rating system. Beginners are ranked 2.0, and it rises in 0.5 increments to ATP-level professionals who are ranked 7.0. For years, for decades even, I thought I was a 5.0. I told everybody I was a 5.0. Hadn’t I played Division I college tennis even if it was in a previous century? Sure, I’d lost a step or two, maybe I wasn’t playing much these days, but I’d assigned myself a 5.0 rating, and I thought that was what I was. I knew that a lot of players rate themselves more highly than they deserve. I’d joked with my fellow teaching pros about players who called themselves 5.0s

and weren’t even close. I saw the humor in these men and women who overrated themselves. But me? I had a former Australian Davis Cupper as a coach when I was 12, the same guy Vitas Gerulaitis used when he was coming up. True, I don’t play events on the senior circuit, but I am the 2004 Riverside Park 45 and Over Champion. When I got certified for a PTR credential, the coach running the session, herself a former tour player, said I had a beautiful game. The NTRP doesn’t give out style points, but how was I not rated a 5.0? Sure, I shanked most of the overheads in the evaluation, but I pointed with my left hand as I teach my students to do. Really, who practices overheads if you haven’t been playing that much. And as for my serve, I had trouble getting the first serve in, but when I missed these slice serves, wasn’t I able to put the second serves into play pretty well using my anemic kick serve? That’s two different kinds of serves even if neither was very consistent or powerful. Of course, my first response was to question the competence of my tester, USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Pro Bora Gerceker. What did this guy know anyway to so cavalierly knock me off

my comfortable, self-assigned 5.0 perch? Then I read Bora’s bio on the NTC site. Of about 15 impressive credentials and achievements, the only one I remember is that he was the Turkish Fed Cup Captain. When I won the Riverside Park clay event, the quality of the guys I beat was pretty high. In the finals I beat another writer by the odd score of 5-7, 6-0, 6-0. Still, that is hardly Fed Cup level tennis. I have to admit that Bora knows more about the game than I do. And I didn’t go down just one step to 4.5. If I’d been rated a 4.5 I wouldn’t feel nearly as dissed as I do now that I’m a mere 4.0. Bora seemed like a nice guy. What if my 4.0 is really a “mercy 4.0” like that proofreading class in journalism school where I got the “mercy” D? Maybe I’m really a 3.5? I’m going to look for the tennis equivalent of those SAT prep courses. Maybe I’ll never be a 5.0 again, but as God and Bora are my witnesses, I’m going to climb back up to 4.5 even if I have to practice overheads. Brent Shearer may be reached by e-mail at bbshearer@gmail.com.

Local Tennis Clubs Serving Up the Holiday Cheer

By Michael Sarro

he holiday season can often become quite stressful. Whether it’s shopping, making travel plans, finishing up projects at work before the year ends or bumper-to-bumper traffic, the holiday season can be quite an undertaking for a New Yorker. Knowing this, two local tennis clubs offered their members a few hours to forget about the holiday stress by hosting recent holiday parties. On Dec. 11, Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club held their member’s holiday party on the same day as new renovations to the club were completed. Members walked into the newly renovated facilities and were in shock at what they saw ... new carpeting and lighting was found throughout the club, completely-revamped locker rooms and a 44

second floor of the clubhouse where members can relax, watch TV and even watch their competition on the courts from the clubhouse from newly-installed courtside cameras. During the party, members were enjoying other members play on TV from the clubhouse, as their friends played games such as King of the Court and Offense-Defense, while enjoying food and drink. According to Gil Amar, “We are very happy to have our renovations finished in time for this party. We wanted to thank our members for being patient during the renovations and what better way to say thank you than having a party for them!” Across the river in Queens, CityView Racquet Club had their holiday party on Dec. 13. In light of the holiday season, there

New York Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • NYTennisMag.com

was also a silent auction that supported the Meals on Wheels Foundation. Featured items included signed memorabilia from Eli Manning, Derek Jeter, Jimmy Connors, Mark Sanchez and other pro athletes. With the holiday season binge being one of, if not the, most hectic times of year, the local tennis clubs offered their members the chance to release some stress by meeting with friends, making new friends and smashing some tennis balls as 2011 winds down and 2012 looms around the corner. Michael Sarro is director of business development for New York Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by phone at (516) 409-4444, ext. 330 or e-mail michael@usptennis.com.

NYTennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • New York Tennis Magazine

Metropolitan Tennis Group (MTG) he Metropolitan Tennis Group (MTG) is a not-for-profit, Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transgender (LGBT) organization formed to provide its membership with expanded opportunities to play recreational and competitive tennis. The MTG was formed in 1985 when one of its original members, Terry Fonville, placed an ad in the Village Voice seeking out other gay and lesbian tennis players, and 20 people responded. Thereafter, the group formed and met monthly in what was to become the precursor to MTG’s current social doubles parties. In 1988, MTG formally organized, obtained its not-for-profit status, established a steering committee and elected its first board of directors. Over the years, the group has grown to approximately 300 members. In addition to social doubles parties, other types of tennis playing events were conceived and established. More than 25 years after its initial inception, MTG continues to expand its membership, events and community outreach efforts. MTG’s current membership is culturally and ethnically diverse and is comprised primarily of residents from the New York City metropolitan and Tri-State area. The age range of the group is from 18-70 years old, and includes players of all levels, from beginners to advanced, experienced lifetime players. MTG runs many different events throughout the year, including:

youths, people living with HIV/AIDS and the indigent); I The Liberty Open (held each July 4th holiday, when MTG and NYC draws players from all across the country and abroad to this Gay and Lesbian Tennis Alliance [GLTA] tennis tournament);and I The Matthew Shepard Memorial Tennis JAM (MTG’s annual fundraiser consisting of four hours of round-robin play benefiting the Matthew Shepard Foundation), which this year, the group raised $7,500 for the cause.

I Monthly 46

singles/doubles

parties

I I

(round-robin singles/doubles play including food and drink social hour); Atlantic Cup Competition (team tennis competition between LGBT tennis groups from Boston, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.); Winter doubles league (MTG roundrobin doubles tournament); Summer Ladder (MTG’s summer competition where wins and losses against other members dictates position on the ladder); The Marsha Day Club Championship (MTG’s “Club Championship Tournament” whose proceed benefit the Marsha Day Memorial Fund, providing services and assistance to runaway and homeless

New York Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • NYTennisMag.com

In 2011, MTG received a USTA grant funding to help hire instructors for beginner tennis parties. As a result, the beginner tennis parties have been consistently selling out and have served as a major vehicle to grow the group. The number of women in the group has doubled in the past year. They hope to continue that growth in 2012, as well as grow other underrepresented areas of memberships including Hispanics, African-Americans, other immigrant/ethnic groups and people with disabilities. Members pay annual dues of $45 which cover the annual period from Sept. 1-Aug. 31 of the following year ($25 from March 1Aug. 31). If you would like to become a member, or would like more information on the MTG, visit MetroTennisGroup.com or contact the MTG Commissioner Daniel Arzuaga by email at courtsandevents@metrotennisgroup.com.

Cardio Tennis

By Barbara Ordes

Cardio Tennis is fun, fast and affordable! I love seeing the same people, week after week, improve their quickness, reaction time and tennis skills with just an hour workout that is way more exciting than another trip to the gym. A challenging cardio workout for tennis focuses on specific footwork and overall court movement. In my experiences when compared to private lessons, clinics or competitive match play, I truly believe that Cardio Tennis gives instant fitness and tennis results. In my experiences, the Cardio Tennis community is supportive, enjoyable and people experience their improvement together. Here are a few testimonials from some Cardio Tennis participants. “I used to dread doing cardio because it meant doing boring repetitive exercises. I was always counting the minutes I had left each session, which makes it hard to keep

motivated long-term. Since I started taking Cardio Tennis classes though, I look forward to my workouts. The pace is really fast, so it keeps my heart rate up, and the competitive nature of the class keeps me engaged much more than solitary exercises like the treadmill or bike. Watching my skills improve from week to week is a bonus, so now not only am I in great shape, but I’m enjoying the game even more.” —Jonathan Weinberg “I’m 35, have been playing tennis since I was six, and my tennis has improved more in the past year and a half that I’ve been doing cardio than the previous 27 years of regular drills. Let’s face it, we all know how to hit a forehand, overhead or volley. The real key to playing good tennis is getting in the right position at the right time, and to be able to hit that forehand or volley properly. Cardio has improved my footwork and hustle 200 percent. I’m running down drop shots I couldn’t have before, and am taking those three little shuffle-steps needed to set up my shot—no

more standing and reaching! Cardio is so fast-paced that when I play regular matches, everything seems like it’s in slow-motion … it feels like I have five min. to prepare for each shot! If you are serious about improving your game, sign up for a cardio class. If you aren’t … stick with your drills.” —Dan Backhaus Barbara Ordes is Cardio Tennis director at Roosevelt Island Racquet Club (RIRC). Barbara has been at Roosevelt since 2005 and serves as the assistant adult program director and the director of the Cardio Tennis Program. She teaches in both the adult and junior programs at RIRC, in addition to giving private lessons. Barbara grew up in Baltimore and received a BS degree from Johns Hopkins University in mathematical sciences. While in college, Barbara was an All-American Field Hockey player. Barbara is a certified USPTA teaching professional and holds Regional and National Rankings in the Women’s Open Singles Division. She may be reached by phone at (212) 935-0250.

CHSAA Girls Recap St. Francis Prep Girls Capture 14th Straight CHSAA Girl’s Tennis State Title fter earning its 200th straight victory, the St. Francis Prep Terriers rolled on and won its 201st straight victory after winning its 14th straight CHSAA Girl’s Tennis State Title. St. Francis Prep defeated St. Joseph by the Sea in convincing fashion, 5-0. This marked another undefeated season for St. Francis, as Head Coach John Brennan has yet to lose a match in his 14-year tenure with the team. Next up on the Terriers’ schedule is the Mayor’s Cup City Championships in the spring where they have won that tournament 13 years in a row. When asked about the Mayor’s Cup, Coach Brennan replied, “The Mayor’s Cup means the most to me as it crowns a legitimate city champion because we play teams in other leagues.” Last year, the Terriers defeated the PSAL champion Leon Goldstein, and according to Katie Derienzo, “I think we will play them again because they had a really good team last year, and just as good of a team this year.” St. Francis won last year’s final 3-2 over Leon Goldstein in a highly competitive matchup and Coach Brennan expects to see them in the finals again this year.

St. Francis Prep vs. St. Joseph by the Sea Scores: I First Singles: Katie Derienzo won 6-0, 6-0 I Second Singles: Lisa Ventimiglia won 6-0, 6-0 I Third Singles: Samantha Rosca-Sipot won 6-0, 6-0 I First Doubles: Marylen Santos & Jacqueline Kelly won, 6-0, 6-0 I Second Doubles: Jennifer Mukofsky & Rossella Scarpa won, 6-0, 6-1

NYTennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • New York Tennis Magazine

charitable initiatives Champions One and All! Children with special needs enjoy tennis program at Prospect Park Every autumn, the Prospect Park Tennis Center’s tennis bubbles fill with cheers of encouragement as the Special Aces Tennis Program gets underway. This unique program offers Brooklyn kids with special needs a rare opportunity to improve their motor skills in an engaging group setting. For 21 weeks each year during the indoor season, qualified physical and occupational therapists join Prospect Park’s tennis professionals and volunteers to provide exercise and tennis instruction to children with varying degrees of physical and cognitive challenges. Special Aces is a program of the Prospect Park Alliance, the non-profit organization that partners with the City of New York to maintain and operate Prospect Park. The program was founded by Prospect Park Tennis Center Director Paul Campbell in 2007 as a way to offer not just exercise, but a boost of self-esteem to kids who often face some tough physical challenges. Now in its fifth year, the program has grown to 50 participants. “I knew from the beginning planning stages of the Tennis Center that I wanted to establish a program for kids with disabilities,” Campbell said. “My wife is a therapist, and she volunteered in a special tennis program many years ago in New England. I felt that it was important to start a program for special needs kids in Brooklyn, but it wasn’t until the program actually started that I realized just how important it really was. Special Aces has been great for the kids and for their parents. There just aren’t many sports programs for this population.” Players from six- to 18-years-old are grouped according to age and ability into two sessions on Sunday afternoons. Tennis pros, therapists, and volunteers provide close su48

Volunteers Adam Borak and Anna Greene, along with Coach Winston Ramsay with George Panagiotakos and Eric Skinner of the Special Aces program

Volunteer Philip Akpan, Krishna Santos, Jaeden Granger, Abraham Imani and Coach Adrian Clarke

pervision and attention to every child. At the beginning of the season, children are assessed to determine factors such as flexibility, strength and general coordination. Kids then learn the basic fundamentals of tennis in fun and innovative ways specially-tailored to their needs and abilities. Therapists participating in the program report improvement in the children’s hand/eye coordination, physical strength and attention span over the course of a seven-session program. The Tennis Center is even able to offer a number of sport wheelchairs for use by children in the Special Aces Program. These chairs are extremely adjustable and help many children participate more fully in program activities. Having two hard courts facilitates the use of wheelchairs, and the special sports wheelchairs are a thrill for the kids to use because of the increased maneuverability. Parents of children who have participated in the Special Aces Program report that even

New York Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • NYTennisMag.com

those with severe cognitive problems are better able to interact socially with their peers and adults during the tennis sessions. The Special Aces Program also helps ameliorate the isolated families of special needs children by giving them a place to join other parents to watch their child play a sport. Thanks to the generous donations from Bulova Stetson Fund, Translation Aces, the USTA, and The Joseph LeRoy and Ann C. Warner Fund, tuition for the program is able to remain low and scholarships are available. “Special Aces is a great and extremely well run program,” said Michael D. Stalonas, executive director of The Warner Fund. “The professional staff and the volunteers are warm and caring. The children truly love the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of tennis, as evidenced by the great percentage of kids that come back each year. The Warner Fund feels very privileged and proud to be able to fund such a wonderful program.”

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NYTennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • New York Tennis Magazine

Professional Stringing: What Makes It So Different? By Roman Prokes Stringing tennis racquets is a true art form. The stringing process is not as uniform and simple as it may seem. Players often believe that stringing is a non-differentiated good/service like milk or gasoline. If the octane of gas or style of milk is the same, then there is no real difference from company to company other than price. This could not be any further from the truth with racquet stringing. As there are mammoth differences in end product when dealing with a top chef versus a fast food worker, stringers are similarly an integral force of how your racquet plays. A stringer’s knowledge, experience, technique, skill, etc. all play a fundamental role in the end product. Here are some key factors to consider when getting your racquet serviced: The stringing machine Stringing machines vary in price, and can range anywhere from $100 to upwards of $10,000. With such a vast range comes a hefty discrepancy in quality. Stringing machines must have sufficient mounts to stabilize a racquet during the stringing process. The mounts prevent racquet cracking and warping, and not all machines provide the same number of mounts. The power behind the tension head differs as well. Electronic machines provide higher accuracy as crank and drop weight machines are largely subject to human imprecision. The most advanced stringing machine to date is the Wilson Baiardo which I was fortunate enough to be a part of the design process. This machine is so unique because it is ergonomically built with hydraulics, features superior clamps, has six balanced mounts, and a fully computerized tensioning system for stunningly precise stringing. As the saying goes, “You can tell a lot about a person from their shoes,” well check your stringer’s machine because they walk around in it every day. The pattern The most undervalued and unknown part of stringing is the pattern. The pattern refers to 50

the order in which a stringer weaves string throughout the racquet. Most people do not realize that the only pattern a racquet should be strung is from the head to the throat (i.e. top to bottom). Most people also don’t realize that this does not happen naturally with a standard string pattern. Ninety-five percent of stringers perform a standard pattern on the racquet, and thus 95 percent of stringers do not At the 2011 U.S. Open, the world’s record was set as 490 tennis do the job properly. The prob- racquets were strung in one day lem with standard patterns is that it can cause racket warping, significant loss of tension, uneven tension, string shearing, frame cracking at the throat, off-center string breakage, and several other problems. Numerous companies consider stringing in that pattern as a void of warranty because it can be so damaging. The other five percent of professional stringers are educated in avoiding harmful patterns. I am still baffled that such RPNY Tennis at the 2011 U.S. Open a chief part of stringing is unfamiliar to a large part of the tennis community. bility and performance why would you have Check with your stringer the next time you go your racquet serviced any other way? Professional stringers spend years to learn in for service that they utilize the correct pattern or you may be surprised at the damage their craft for the benefit of the player. Players need only find a professional stringer to make already occurring in your racquet. sure that their racquet is serviced correctly. You probably already use this care when buyThe stringer’s consistency A stringer’s consistency is simply defined at ing cars, food, clothes, electronics, etc. Why how reproducible their results are. Stringing a not be a knowledgeable consumer and do the racquet is a series of hundreds of little steps. same when it comes to tennis. Professional stringers are best at methodically recreating the steps in the same exact way to Roman Prokes is a racket technician guru. produce machinelike results. Professional He has over three decades of experience in stringers make a science of systematically or- the industry. He works with several of the dering everything. They clean the machine top touring professionals on the ATP and routinely for consistent output, adjust the WTA Tours. He can be found at RPNY Tenclamps for minimal wear, repair grommets for nis in Robbie Wagner Tournament Training, optimal string life, apply pads/tubing and use NYC, Citiview Racquet Club, and other loefficiency to eliminate damage to the overall cations. He may be reached by phone at frame. With the utmost feel, playability, dura- (516) 759-5200 or visit RPNYTennis.com.

New York Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • NYTennisMag.com

NEW YORK TENNIS CLUB

DIRECTORY

Cunningham Sports Center Bill Racho—Director of Junior Tennis Programs 196-00 Union Turnpike Fresh Meadows, NY 11366 (718) 740-6800 bill@cunninghamsportscenter.com CunninghamSportsCenter.com Go! Tennis at North Shore Tennis & Racquet Club George Garland—Director of Tennis 34-28 214th Place Flushing, NY 11361-1720 (718) 229-9579 georgec@gotennisprograms.com

Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club Gertrud Wilhelm 450 West 43rd Street • New York, NY 10036 (212) 594-0554 g.wilhelm@mprcnyc.com ManhattanPlazaRacquetClub.com or AdvantageTennis NY.com

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

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

UPCOMING JANUARY 2012 Fridays, January 6, 13, 20 & 27 Friday Night Tennis Parties Midtown Tennis Club 341 8th Avenue & 27th Street New York, N.Y. 8:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m. Round-robin doubles tournaments for 3.5 players or better For more information, call (212) 989-8572, ext. 104, e-mail MidtownTennis@netzero.com or visit MidtownTennis.com. Saturdays, January 7, 14, 21 & 28 Saturday Social Tennis Parties The West Side Tennis Club 1 Tennis Place • Forest Hills, N.Y. 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. On-court round-robins with music, followed by dinner and drinks (for all levels) For more information, call (516) 380-0123, email GeneralManager@ForestHillsTennis.com or visit ForestHillsTennis.com.

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

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

Stadium Tennis Center at Mill Pond Joel Kassan—Tennis Director 725 Gateway Center Boulevard Bronx, NY 10451 (718) 665-4684 joel@gothamtennis.com StadiumTennisNYC.com USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Whitney Kraft—Director of Tennis Flushing Meadows Corona Park Flushing, NY 11368 (718) 760-6200 kraft@usta.com USTA.com

EVENTS

Friday-Saturday, January 20-21 2012 USTA Eastern Annual Meeting & Volunteer Development Workshop Renaissance Westchester Hotel 80 West Red Oak Lane West Harrison, N.Y. For more information, visit Eastern.USTA.com. Saturday, January 21 University of North Carolina’s Winter Invitational USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Flushing Meadows Corona Park Flushing, N.Y. For more information, visit USTA.com. FEBRUARY 2012 Friday, February 3 Sportime Randall’s Island Friday Night Adult Tennis Mixer Sportime at Randall’s Island 1 Randall’s Island • New York, N.Y. 7:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. For more information, call (212) 427-6150 or visit SportimeNY.com/Manhattan.

Fridays, February 3, 10, 14 & 24 Friday Night Tennis Parties Midtown Tennis Club 341 8th Avenue & 27th Street New York, N.Y. 8:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m. Round-robin doubles tournaments for 3.5 players or better For more information, call (212) 989-8572, ext. 104, e-mail MidtownTennis@netzero.com or visit MidtownTennis.com. Saturday-Sunday, February 4-5 USTA Eastern Tennis Umpires Association Certification Workshop USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Flushing Meadows Corona Park Flushing, N.Y. For more information, visit USTA.com.

Saturdays, February 4, 11, 18 & 25 Saturday Social Tennis Parties The West Side Tennis Club 1 Tennis Place • Forest Hills, N.Y. 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. On-court round-robins with music, followed by dinner and drinks (for all levels) For more information, call (516) 380-0123, e-mail GeneralManager@ForestHillsTennis.com or visit ForestHillsTennis.com. MARCH 2012 Monday, March 5 BNP Paribas Showdown at Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden 4 Pennsylvania Plaza • New York, N.Y. Featuring: Maria Sharapova vs. Caroline Wozniacki & Roger Federer vs. Andy Roddick For more information, visit TennisShowdown.com.

NYTennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • New York Tennis Magazine

NEW

YORK

RANKINGS

Boys & Girls Metro Rankings

16 ........Frank George Nicolazzi ......Flushing, N.Y.

37 ........Spencer Bistricier ..............New York, N.Y.

38 ........Julia Kirsh ..........................New York, N.Y.

17 ........Bojidar Ivanov Todorov ........Rego Park, N.Y.

38 ........Douglas L. Mo ....................Douglaston, N.Y.

39 ........Nicole Veronica Semenov....Brooklyn, N.Y.

(as of 12/16/11)

18 ........Cameron Gruss ..................New York, N.Y.

39 ........Yihao Yang ..........................New York, N.Y.

40 ........Anastasia Nicole Koniaev ....Forest Hills, N.Y.

BOYS

19 ........Xavier Pacthod....................New York, N.Y.

40 ........Rohil Vir Basu ....................New York, N.Y.

Metro Boys 12 Singles Rank ..Name............................City 1 ..........Derek Lung ........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 2 ..........Kemal Irfan Aziz..................Staten Island, N.Y. 3 ..........Mitchell Mu ........................Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 4 ..........David Moldovan..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 5 ..........Eitan Khromchenko ............Staten Island, N.Y. 6 ..........Derrick Mu ........................Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 7 ..........Christopher Tham ..............Flushing, N.Y. 8 ..........Cameron Gruss ..................New York, N.Y. 9 ..........Stevan Stojkovic ................Flushing, N.Y. 10 ........Ethan Finley........................New York, N.Y. 11 ........Shand Stephens ................New York, N.Y. 12 ........Christopher Kolesnik ..........Staten Island, N.Y. 13 ........Matthew Joshua Ross ........New York, N.Y. 14 ........Philip Belmatch ..................Staten Island, N.Y. 15 ........Logan Gruss ......................New York, N.Y. 16 ........Oliver Jevtovic ....................Astoria, N.Y. 17 ........Ethan Moszkowski..............New York, N.Y. 18 ........Zachary Jordan Lieb ..........New York, N.Y. 19 ........Gregory Thomas Coe ..........New York, N.Y. 20 ........Michael Cooper Jr...............Brooklyn, N.Y.

20 ........Leonardo Escudero ............Ozone Park, N.Y.

Metro Girls 14 Singles

21 ........Peter Lohrbach ..................Little Neck, N.Y.

Metro Boys 18 Singles

22 ........David Farina ......................New York, N.Y.

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

1 ..........Keren Khromchenko ..........Staten Island, N.Y.

23 ........Josh Charap ......................New York, N.Y.

1 ..........David N. Zhukovsky ............Brooklyn, N.Y.

2 ..........Jenna B. Borenstein............New York, N.Y.

24 ........Adam Chan ........................New York, N.Y.

2 ..........Sean J. Solomonoff ............New York, N.Y.

3 ..........Nicole Holloran ..................Bayside, N.Y.

25 ........Jordan Rey-Anatole ............Brooklyn, N.Y.

3 ..........Brad Gaffin ........................New York, N.Y.

4 ..........Vanessa Hanuman ..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

26 ........Ethan Moszkowski..............New York, N.Y.

4 ..........Ryan E. Villarruel ................Staten Island, N.Y.

5 ..........Marierose Apice..................Brooklyn, N.Y.

27 ........Jonathan L. Molfetta ..........Howard Beach, N.Y.

5 ..........Mark Semerik ....................Brooklyn, N.Y.

6 ..........Julia Zbarsky ......................New York, N.Y.

28 ........Cole Fluehr ........................Forest Hills, N.Y.

6 ..........Benjamin M. Erichsen ........Bronx, N.Y.

7 ..........Alexandra Sanford ..............New York, N.Y.

29 ........Daniel Usvyat......................Forest Hills, N.Y.

7 ..........Hugh Mo ............................Douglaston, N.Y.

8 ..........Zorriana B. Johnson............New York, N.Y.

30 ........Dan Ion Negru ....................Middle Village, N.Y.

8 ..........Michael Gross ....................Floral Park, N.Y.

9 ..........Sarah Warman Hirschfield ..New York, N.Y.

31 ........Andrew Zucker ..................New York, N.Y.

9 ..........Ryo Kono ............................New York, N.Y.

10 ........Victoria Zezula ....................Ridgewood, N.Y.

32 ........Nick Papyan ......................Brooklyn, N.Y.

10 ........Enrique Torres ....................Brooklyn, N.Y.

11 ........Cecilia Anne Swenson ........New York, N.Y.

33 ........Massimo Costantini ............New York, N.Y.

11 ........Jack Walla ..........................New York, N.Y.

12 ........Sofia Anouk Aisiks ..............New York, N.Y.

34 ........Kevin A. Pertsovsky ............Brooklyn, N.Y.

12 ........Alexander Pintilie................New York, N.Y.

13 ........Lydia Greer Weintraub ........New York, N.Y.

35 ........Antony Jippov ....................New York, N.Y.

13 ........Jonathan Cohen..................New York, N.Y.

14 ........Kiara Rose ..........................New York, N.Y.

36 ........Matthew Chin ....................Flushing, N.Y.

14 ........Mitchell Jordan Cheung ......Woodside, N.Y.

16 ........Hannah Jaye Gendel ..........New York, N.Y.

37 ........Kumeil Hosain ....................New York, N.Y.

15 ........Christopher Walla................New York, N.Y.

17 ........Jennifer Grace Richards......New York, N.Y.

38 ........Kristjan Tomasson ..............New York, N.Y.

16 ........Lear Haninovich..................New York, N.Y.

18 ........Nicole Schnabel..................Woodhaven, N.Y. 19 ........Anna Maite Kaplan..............New York, N.Y.

39 ........Owen Silitch ......................New York, N.Y. 40 ........Ian Lee ..............................New York, N.Y.

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

GIRLS

Metro Girls 12 Singles

20 ........Stefana Vujinovic ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 21 ........Shammiel Fleischer-Amoros ..New York, N.Y. 22 ........Lipika Raghunathan............New York, N.Y.

21 ........Bryce Philip Kassalow ........New York, N.Y.

Metro Boys 16 Singles

22 ........Robert Shinder....................Brooklyn, N.Y.

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

1 ..........Victoria Judy Hanuman ......Brooklyn, N.Y.

23 ........David Mizrahi......................Brooklyn, N.Y.

1 ..........Benjamin M. Erichsen ........Bronx, N.Y.

2 ..........Juliana Kislin ......................New York, N.Y.

24 ........Jonathan L. Molfetta ..........Howard Beach, N.Y.

2 ..........Jonathan Cohen..................New York, N.Y.

3 ..........Sydney Lynn Katz ..............New York, N.Y.

25 ........Lantis Wang........................New York, N.Y.

3 ..........Michael Jasienowski ..........Middle Village, N.Y.

4 ..........Patricia Obeid ....................New York, N.Y.

26 ........Dylan Friedman ..................Brooklyn, N.Y.

4 ..........Michael Jared Lesser..........New York, N.Y.

5 ..........Rachel Okin ........................New York, N.Y.

27 ........Itamar I. Oron......................New York, N.Y.

5 ..........Jonathan Compres..............East Elmhurst, N.Y.

6 ..........Kyra Bergmann ..................Forest Hills, N.Y.

28 ........Nicholas Rudman................New York, N.Y.

6 ..........Brad Gaffin ........................New York, N.Y.

7 ..........Victoria Zezula ....................Ridgewood, N.Y.

29 ........Javier Nathaniel Luna ........New York, N.Y.

7 ..........Jordan A. Selig....................New York, N.Y.

8 ..........Brittny Jo Ferreira ..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

30 ........Emil Nadyrbekov ................Brooklyn, N.Y.

8 ..........Justin S. Selig ....................New York, N.Y.

9 ..........Lia Kiam ............................New York, N.Y.

31 ........Max Leon Adelman ............New York, N.Y.

9 ..........Mark Semerik ....................Brooklyn, N.Y.

10 ........Danielle Kade ....................New York, N.Y.

32 ........David Dylan Pines ..............New York, N.Y.

10 ........Joshua Freud......................New York, N.Y.

11 ........Olga Drahanchuk................Brooklyn, N.Y.

33 ........Adam Lane Bernstein..........New York, N.Y.

11 ........Gregory Gon ......................Flushing, N.Y.

12 ........Christina Huynh ..................Astoria, N.Y.

34 ........Joseph R. Reiner ................New York, N.Y.

12 ........Ryo Kono ............................New York, N.Y.

13 ........Stephanie Li ......................New York, N.Y.

35 ........Daniel Rafael Helfgott ........New York, N.Y.

13 ........Anthony Santino ................Douglaston, N.Y.

14 ........Katherine Kachkarov ..........Flushing, N.Y.

36 ........Shawn Jackson ..................Staten Island, N.Y.

14 ........Daniel Witke ......................Brooklyn, N.Y.

15 ........Sonia Tartakovsky ..............New York, N.Y.

37 ........Gabriel Sifuentes ................Flushing, N.Y.

15 ........Leonard Margolis................Brooklyn, N.Y.

16 ........Charlotte May Mosler..........New York, N.Y.

38 ........George Allen ......................New York, N.Y.

16 ........Jack K. Spiegel ..................New York, N.Y.

17 ........Isabelle Rovinski ................New York, N.Y.

39 ........Jonathan Glinsky ................Brooklyn, N.Y.

17 ........Dillon Alexander McKenzie..Laurelton, N.Y.

18 ........Miriam Irfan Aziz ................Staten Island, N.Y.

40 ........Ian Leifer ............................New York, N.Y.

18 ........Justin Ho ............................Brooklyn, N.Y.

19 ........Jennifer Yu..........................Forest Hills, N.Y.

Metro Girls 16 Singles

19 ........Jason Grunfeld ..................New York, N.Y.

20 ........Alexa Nobandegani ............New York, N.Y.

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

20 ........Christopher Huynh ..............Astoria, N.Y.

21 ........Sarah Finley........................New York, N.Y.

1 ..........Emi Lewis ..........................New York, N.Y.

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

21 ........Lamar Hurt ........................New York, N.Y.

22 ........Johnniesha Joy Breiten ......Bronx, N.Y.

2 ..........Erika Tinalli ........................Brooklyn, N.Y.

1 ..........Denis Korol ........................Brooklyn, N.Y.

22 ........Alexander Newhouse ..........New York, N.Y.

23 ........Anna Maite Kaplan..............New York, N.Y.

3 ..........Jenna B. Borenstein............New York, N.Y.

2 ..........Evan Liberman....................New York, N.Y.

23 ........Kevin Patrick Roan..............Howard Beach, N.Y.

24 ........Carolyn Brodsky ................New York, N.Y.

4 ..........Sara Levy-Lambert ............New York, N.Y.

3 ..........Nate Newhouse ..................New York, N.Y.

24 ........Alexander Fallone ..............New York, N.Y.

25 ........Kiara A. Rose ......................New York, N.Y.

5 ..........Julia Zbarsky ......................New York, N.Y.

4 ..........Zachary Kaplan ..................New York, N.Y.

25 ........Luke Sherman ....................New York, N.Y.

26 ........Olivia Simone Morris ..........Floral Park, N.Y.

6 ..........Irina Titova..........................Brooklyn, N.Y.

5 ..........Scott Alexander Glauber......New York, N.Y.

26 ........Zachary Kaplan ..................New York, N.Y.

27 ........Dakota Fordham ................New York, N.Y.

7 ..........Dina Levy-Lambert ............New York, N.Y.

6 ..........Andrew E. Hauser ..............New York, N.Y.

27 ........Mitchell Jordan Cheung ......Woodside, N.Y.

28 ........Bella Kaplan ......................New York, N.Y.

8 ..........Vania Savic ........................Woodside, N.Y.

7 ..........Garrett Thomas Sopko ........Brooklyn, N.Y.

28 ........David Farina ......................New York, N.Y.

29 ........Steffi Antao ........................Briarwood, N.Y.

9 ..........Brittany Biggs ....................Bronx, N.Y.

8 ..........Leonard Margolis................Brooklyn, N.Y.

29 ........Andrew Penn ......................New York, N.Y.

30 ........Skyie Stamper ....................Bronx, N.Y.

10 ........Nicole Schnabel..................Woodhaven, N.Y.

9 ..........Brett Robert Raskopf ..........New York, N.Y.

30 ........Travis Arffa ........................New York, N.Y.

31 ........Maryna Bohdanovska ........Brooklyn, N.Y.

11 ........Paolina Zanki......................Astoria, N.Y.

10 ........Horia George Negru ............Middle Village, N.Y.

31 ........Nick Papyan ......................Brooklyn, N.Y.

32 ........Donna Marie Episcopio ......Bayside, N.Y.

12 ........Keren Khromchenko ..........Staten Island, N.Y.

11 ........Oliver Mai ..........................Little Neck, N.Y.

32 ........Safraz Altaf Hamid ..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

33 ........Alice Soares Pinho..............Woodside, N.Y.

13 ........Nia Rose ............................New York, N.Y.

12 ........Andrew Penn ......................New York, N.Y.

33 ........Kevin Valdez ......................Jamaica, N.Y.

34 ........Gabriella Eitkis....................Brooklyn, N.Y.

14 ........Isis Gill................................Brooklyn, N.Y.

13 ........Alexander Fallone ..............New York, N.Y.

34 ........Jun Yuminaga ....................Little Neck, N.Y.

35 ........Shelly Yaloz ........................Little Neck, N.Y.

15 ........Danielle Hupper ..................New York, N.Y.

14 ........William J. Trang ..................Staten Island, N.Y.

35 ........William Trang......................Staten Island, N.Y.

36 ........Perene Wang ......................New Y ork, N.Y.

16 ........Sara Heath ........................New York, N.Y.

15 ........Robert Eugene Millman ......New York, N.Y.

36 ........Brian Murray ......................Brooklyn, N.Y.

37 ........Isabella Nicole Tushaj..........Bronx, N.Y.

17 ........Arielle L. John ....................Cambria Heights, N.Y.

Metro Boys 14 Singles

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

New York Tennis Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ January/February 2012 â&#x20AC;˘ NYTennisMag.com

23 ........Sarah Horne ......................New York, N.Y. 24 ........Jennifer Yu..........................Forest Hills, N.Y. 25 ........Electra Frelinghuysen ........New York, N.Y. 26 ........Isabelle Rovinski ................New York, N.Y. 27 ........Hannah Spears ..................New York, N.Y. 28 ........Danielle Kade ....................New York, N.Y. 29 ........Alexus Gill ..........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 30 ........Grace Tom ..........................Rego Park, N.Y. 31 ........Caitlin McCarthy Ervine ......New York, N.Y. 32 ........Sydney Lynn Katz ..............New York, N.Y. 33 ........Patricia Obeid ....................New York, N.Y. 34 ........Isadora Braune ..................New York, N.Y. 35 ........Donna Marie Episcopio ......Bayside, N.Y. 36 ........Emma Montana Wrazej ......New York, N.Y. 37 ........Nicole Stephanie Stay ........Flushing, N.Y. 38 ........Alexandra Koniaev ..............Forest Hills, N.Y. 39 ........Chelsea Williams ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 40 ........Jennifer Reiss ....................New York, N.Y.

NEW

YORK

RANKINGS

18 ........Sarah Horne ......................New York, N.Y.

102 ......David Moldovan..................Brooklyn, N.Y.

69 ........Andrew S. Arnaboldi ..........New York, N.Y.

67 ........Patricia Obeid ....................New York, N.Y.

19 ........Alicia Ng ............................Howard Beach, N.Y.

114 ......Logan Gruss ......................New York, N.Y.

81 ........Michael William Anzalone....Howard Beach, N.Y.

69 ........Alice Soares Pinho..............Woodside, N.Y.

20 ........Claire Harnett ....................New York, N.Y.

116 ......Shand Stephens ................New York, N.Y.

91 ........Steven H. Koulouris ............Long Island City, N.Y.

74 ........Kyra Bergmann ..................Forest Hills, N.Y.

21 ........Bianca Signore ..................Staten Island, N.Y.

117 ......Matthew Joshua Ross ........New York, N.Y.

95 ........Alexis Cai............................Woodhaven, N.Y.

80 ........Olivia Simone Morris ..........Floral Park, N.Y.

22 ........Anne Oliver ........................New York, N.Y.

120 ......Will Coad ............................New York, N.Y.

97 ........Victor Miglo ........................Kew Gardens, N.Y.

88 ........Lia Kiam ............................New York, N.Y.

23 ........Sarah Rahman....................East Elmhurst, N.Y.

126 ......Robbie Werdiger ................New York, N.Y.

115 ......Marcus T. Smith..................Little Neck, N.Y.

89 ........Sydney Lynn Katz ..............New York, N.Y.

24 ........Claire Keyte ........................New York, N.Y.

130 ......Nicholas Rudman................New York, N.Y.

119 ......Jonathan Walter Selegean ..East Elmhurst, N.Y.

94 ........Olga Drahanchuk................Brooklyn, N.Y.

25 ........Camille Price ......................New York, N.Y.

135 ......Tanner Ross Bhonslay ........New York, N.Y.

123 ......Alexander Pintilie................New York, N.Y.

97 ........Sarah Finley........................New York, N.Y.

26 ........Nicole Druzhinsky ..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

136 ......Ethan Moszkowski..............New York, N.Y.

125 ......Jack Spiegel ......................New York, N.Y.

109 ......Victoria Judy Hanuman ......Brooklyn, N.Y.

27 ........Stefana Vijinovic ................Brooklyn, N.Y.

140 ......Stevan Stojkovic ................Flushing, N.Y.

130 ......Jacob Frisch ......................New York, N.Y.

112 ......Zoe Radojicic......................New York, N.Y.

28 ........Brianna Williams ................Brooklyn, N.Y.

142 ......Christopher Tham ..............Flushing, N.Y.

139 ......Jun Yuminaga ....................Little Neck, N.Y.

114 ......Isabel Balilo ........................Flushing, N.Y.

140 ......Matthew Balilo....................Oakland Gardens, N.Y.

125 ......Kyra Alison Whitelaw ..........New York, N.Y.

142 ......Daniel Segan ......................Brooklyn, N.Y.

126 ......Charlotte May Mosler..........New York, N.Y.

29 ........Sofia Degtyar......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 31 ........Alexandra Samadi ..............Staten Island, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 14 Singles— Metro Region

32 ........Ashley Sarah DelMissier ....Forest Hills, N.Y.

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

33 ........Priscilla Signore..................Staten Island, N.Y.

6 ..........Oliver Sec ..........................New York, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 18 Singles— Metro Region

34 ........Julia Greenberg ..................New York, N.Y.

7 ..........James Wasserman ............New York, N.Y.

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

35 ........Sofia Anouk Aisiks ..............New York, N.Y.

9 ..........Christopher Paul Auteri ......Staten Island, N.Y.

18 ........Jake Sosonkin ....................Brooklyn, N.Y.

36 ........Olga Voronetskaya ..............Forest Hills, N.Y.

10 ........Alex Knaff ..........................New York, N.Y.

21 ........Stefan D. Ilic ......................Forest Hills, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 14 Singles— Metro Region

37 ........Hediye Karabay ..................Flushing, N.Y.

12 ........Edan Lee Sossen ................Oakland Gardens, N.Y.

23 ........Richard J. Del Nunzio..........Forest Hills, N.Y.

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

38 ........Briel Biggs..........................Bronx, N.Y.

13 ........Victor Miglo ........................Kew Gardens, N.Y.

32 ........Eric R. Brinzenskiy ..............Staten Island, N.Y.

1 ..........Jessica Melanie Livianu......Brooklyn, N.Y.

39 ........Zoe Anderson ....................Brooklyn, N.Y.

15 ........Mitchell Ostrovsky ..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

55 ........Joshua Yablon ....................New York, N.Y.

3 ..........Sabrina Xiong ....................Fresh Meadows, N.Y.

40 ........Gabrielle Freitag ................New York, N.Y.

17 ........Aleksandar Kovacevic ........New York, N.Y.

57 ........Christopher Jou ..................Oakland Gardens, N.Y.

5 ..........Arnelle Sullivan ..................Brooklyn, N.Y.

Metro Girls 18 Singles

18 ........Philip Raytburg ..................Brooklyn, N.Y.

63 ........Dennis Druzhinsky..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

11 ........Shayna M. Spooner ............New York, N.Y.

20 ........Gal Mathew Sossen ............Oakland Gardens, N.Y.

64 ........Leon Pan ............................Brooklyn, N.Y.

12 ........Stefani Lineva ....................Middle Village, N.Y.

21 ........Felipe P. Osses-Konig..........Rego Park, N.Y.

68 ........Justin Fields ......................New York, N.Y.

26 ........Isis Gill................................Brooklyn, N.Y.

22 ........Cole Gittens ........................New York, N.Y.

76 ........Courtney Jaycen Murphy ....Bronx, N.Y.

28 ........Yuka Lin..............................Kew Gardens, N.Y.

24 ........Ananth Raghavan ..............New York, N.Y.

77 ........Joseph Vivaldi Motta ..........Staten Island, N.Y.

31 ........Sophia Kryloff ....................Brooklyn, N.Y.

29 ........Alexander Thrane................New York, N.Y.

79 ........Justin S. Pagan ..................Flushing, N.Y.

34 ........Julia D. Fisch ......................New York, N.Y.

30 ........Marcus T. Smith..................Little Neck, N.Y.

83 ........Ian Antonoff ........................New York, N.Y.

35 ........Elizabeth Tsvetkov ..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

35 ........Ian Witmer..........................New York, N.Y.

107 ......Christian Waldron ..............Bronx, N.Y.

36 ........Jillian Rose Auteri ..............Staten Island, N.Y.

39 ........Jack Alexander Haroche ....New York, N.Y.

108 ......Jeremy Kochman................Brooklyn, N.Y.

41 ........Christina Puccinelli ............New York, N.Y.

46 ........Christian O. Gloria ..............Queens Village, N.Y.

116 ......Justin Vijungco ..................Forest Hills, N.Y.

45 ........Regina Furer ......................Brooklyn, N.Y.

51 ........Jordan D. Jordan ................Astoria, N.Y.

117 ......Ryoma Haraguchi ..............New York, N.Y.

46 ........Alexus Gill ..........................Brooklyn, N.Y.

60 ........Ethan Nittolo ......................Flushing, N.Y.

118 ......Jacob Huber ......................New York, N.Y.

54 ........Jennifer Grace Richards......New York, N.Y.

76 ........Alex Chao ..........................New York, N.Y.

137 ......Sean Solomonoff ................New York, N.Y.

55 ........Alexandra Koniaev ..............Forest Hills, N.Y.

79 ........Jared Fields........................New York, N.Y.

138 ......Steven Wilson ....................Bronx, N.Y.

63 ........Julia Zbarksy ......................New York, N.Y.

88 ........Peter Lohrbach ..................Little Neck, N.Y.

141 ......David Arroyave ..................Floral Park, N.Y.

73 ........Michelle Khaimov ..............Jamaica, N.Y.

94 ........Cameron Gruss ..................New York, N.Y.

145 ......David Zhukovsky ................Brooklyn, N.Y.

76 ........Ashley Sarah DelMissier ....Forest Hills, N.Y.

114 ......Daniel Nowak ....................Middle Village, N.Y.

146 ......Hugh Mo ............................Douglaston, N.Y.

83 ........Dasha Kourkina ..................Brooklyn, N.Y.

30 ........Lipika Raghunathan............New York, N.Y.

Rank ..Name............................City 1 ..........Rachel Colton ....................New York, N.Y. 2 ..........Juliana Nelkin ....................New York, N.Y. 3 ..........Monica Y. Gokhberg ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 4 ..........Sophia N. Schlossel ............New York, N.Y. 5 ..........Cara Borenstein..................New York, N.Y. 6 ..........Kimberly Salkin ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 7 ..........Charlotte Camacho ............New York, N.Y. 8 ..........Dina Levy-Lambert ............New York, N.Y. 9 ..........Alexandra Samadi ..............Staten Island, N.Y. 10 ........Michelle Khaimov ..............Jamaica, N.Y. 11 ........Sara Levy-Lambert ............New York, N.Y. 12 ........Nicole Deborah Snegur ......Staten Island, N.Y.

Boys & Girls Sectional Rankings (as of 12/12/11)

BOYS

Sectional Boys 12 Singles— Metro Region

133 ......Andrew Hauser ..................New York, N.Y. 136 ......Max Prohorov ....................Rego Park, N.Y.

128 ......Carolyn Brodsky ................New York, N.Y. 129 ......Stephanie Li ......................New York, N.Y.

87 ........Marierose Apice..................Brooklyn, N.Y.

119 ......Leonardo Escudero ............Ozone Park, N.Y. 128 ......Antony Jippov ....................New York, N.Y.

127 ......Isabella Nicole Tushaj..........Bronx, N.Y.

GIRLS

Sectional Girls 12 Singles— Metro Region

139 ......Evan liberman ....................New York, N.Y.

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

142 ......Andrew Penn ......................New York, N.Y.

1 ..........Sarah Rahman....................East Elmhurst, N.Y. 7 ..........Aleksandra Bekirova ..........Brooklyn, N.Y.

92 ........Patricia Obeid ....................New York, N.Y. 108 ......Cecilia Anne Swenson ........New York, N.Y. 116 ......Aleksandra Bekirova ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 118 ......Brianna Williams ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 126 ......Jennifer Yu..........................Forest Hills, N.Y. 132 ......Erika Tinalli ........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 137 ......Dina Levy-Lambert ............New York, N.Y.

5 ..........Sumit Sarkar ......................New York, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 16 Singles— Metro Region

16 ........Gary C. Fishkin ..................Staten Island, N.Y.

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

12 ........Dasha Kourkina ..................Brooklyn, N.Y.

22 ........Jeffrey Gorilovsky ..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

9 ..........Joshua Yablon ....................New York, N.Y.

18 ........Chelsea Williams ................Brooklyn, N.Y.

30 ........Sam V. Vagner ....................Staten Island, N.Y.

19 ........Dennis Druzhinsky..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

20 ........Alexus Gill ..........................Brooklyn, N.Y.

34 ........Ethan Leon ........................Woodhaven, N.Y.

20 ........Courtney Jaycen Murphy ....Bronx, N.Y.

21 ........Jennifer Grace Richards......New York, N.Y.

37 ........Max Prohorov ....................Rego Park, N.Y.

21 ........Justin Fields ......................New York, N.Y.

24 ........Jennifer Yu..........................Forest Hills, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 16 Singles— Metro Region

48 ........Jacob Kern ........................New York, N.Y.

28 ........Win Smith ..........................Brooklyn, N.Y.

25 ........Victoria Sec ........................New York, N.Y.

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

61 ........Oliver Jevtovic ....................Astoria, N.Y.

29 ........James Franklin Wasserman New York, N.Y.

26 ........Michelle Sorokko ................Douglaston, N.Y.

4 ..........Nadia Smergut....................New York, N.Y.

63 ........Kemal Irfan Aziz..................Staten Island, N.Y.

34 ........Lucas Pickering ..................Brooklyn, N.Y.

32 ........Lauren Elizabeth Munari ....Middle Village, N.Y.

9 ..........Jessica Golovin ..................New York, N.Y.

64 ........Peter Lohrbach ..................Little Neck, N.Y.

35 ........Richard Sec ........................New York, N.Y.

37 ........Nicole Veronica Semenov....Brooklyn, N.Y.

11 ........Lily Bondy ..........................Brooklyn, N.Y.

68 ........Gabriel Sifuentes ................Flushing, N.Y.

44 ........Hugh Mo ............................Douglaston, N.Y.

50 ........Anastasia Nicole Koniaev ....Forest Hills, N.Y.

18 ........Samantha P. Tutelman ........New York, N.Y.

78 ........David Mizrahi......................Brooklyn, N.Y.

48 ........Cameron Daniels ................Oakland Gardens, N.Y.

55 ........Brittny Jo Ferreira ..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

21 ........Destiny Grunin....................Brooklyn, N.Y.

81 ........James Kandel Dill ..............New York, N.Y.

49 ........Sachin Raghavan................New York, N.Y.

58 ........Shelly Yaloz ........................Little Neck, N.Y.

22 ........Kyra Silitch ........................New York, N.Y.

87 ........Allan Ethan Magid ..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

51 ........Ryoma Haraguchi ..............New York, N.Y.

59 ........Juliana Kislin ......................New York, N.Y.

27 ........Stefanie Lineva ..................Middle Village, N.Y.

100 ......Derek Roskopf....................New York, N.Y.

62 ........Christopher Paul Auteri ......Staten Island, N.Y.

64 ........Christina Huynh ..................Astoria, N.Y.

30 ........Anna Ulyashchenko ............Brooklyn, N.Y.

101 ......Zachary Jordan Lieb ..........New York, N.Y.

67 ........Douglas L. Mo ....................Douglaston, N.Y.

65 ........Katherine Kachkarov ..........Flushing, N.Y.

31 ........Alexa Sara Meltzer..............New York, N.Y.

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

9 ..........Brianna Williams ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 11 ........Nicole Stephanie Stay ........Flushing, N.Y.

139 ......Keren Khromchenko ..........Staten Island, N.Y. 143 ......Zorriana Johnson................New York, N.Y. 145 ......Sofia Anouk Aisiks ..............New York, N.Y.

NYTennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • New York Tennis Magazine

NEW 35 ........Kimberly Salkin ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 40 ........Arnelle Sullivan ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 42 ........Jessica Melanie Livianu......Brooklyn, N.Y. 49 ........Elizabeth Tsvetkov ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 51 ........Victoria Lynn Zoha ..............New York, N.Y. 58 ........Sophia N. Schlossel ............New York, N.Y. 65 ........Laura Maria Chitu ..............New York, N.Y. 66 ........Ilana Levich ........................Staten Island, N.Y. 70 ........Shayna Spooner ................New York, N.Y. 73 ........Isis Gill................................Brooklyn, N.Y. 74 ........Sophia Kryloff ....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 80 ........Briel Biggs..........................Bronx, N.Y. 82 ........Erika Tinalli ........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 90 ........Augusta Conway ................New York, N.Y. 94 ........Champagne Mills................New York, N.Y. 96 ........Nia Rose ............................New York, N.Y. 104 ......Christina Puccinelli ............New York, N.Y.

YORK

Boys & Girls National Rankings (as of 12/21/11)

RANKINGS 378 ......Stefan D. Ilic ......................Forest Hills, N.Y.

326 ......Hannah Shteyn ..................Staten Island, N.Y.

426 ......Eric R. Brinzenskiy ..............Staten Island, N.Y.

373 ......Becky Shtilkind ..................Brooklyn, N.Y.

434 ......Daniel Kerznerman ............Brooklyn, N.Y.

395 ......Samantha Tutelman............New York, N.Y.

705 ......Joshua Yablon ....................New York, N.Y.

474 ......Manuela Velasquez ............Kew Gardens, N.Y. 506 ......Dayana Agasieva ................Forest Hills, N.Y.

BOYS

GIRLS

National Boys 12 Singles— Metro Region

National Girls 12 Singles— Metro Region

Rank..Name ..........................City 143 ......Sumit Sarkar ......................New York, N.Y. 184 ......Jeffrey Gorilovsky ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 250 ......Gary C. Fishkin ..................Staten Island, N.Y.

886 ......Gabrielle Sullivan................Brooklyn, N.Y. 897 ......Alexis S. Tashiro..................Jamaica, N.Y.

114 ......Sarah Rahman....................East Elmhurst, N.Y.

941 ......Charlotte Camacho ............New York, N.Y.

185 ......Jennifer Yu..........................Forest Hills, N.Y.

619 ......Jacob Kern ........................New York, N.Y.

232 ......Jennifer Grace Richards......New York, N.Y.

805 ......Kemal Irfan Aziz..................Staten Island, N.Y.

245 ......Lauren Elizabeth Munari ....Middle Village, N.Y.

912 ......Allan Ethan Magid ..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

255 ......Michelle Sorokko ................Douglaston, N.Y. 299 ......Victoria Sec ........................New York, N.Y.

129 ......Julia Zbarsky ......................New York, N.Y.

National Boys 14 Singles— Metro Region

131 ......Michelle Khaimov ..............Jamaica, N.Y.

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

622 ......Anastasia Nicole Koniaev ....Forest Hills, N.Y.

135 ......Allie Jackson-Hing..............Rosedale, N.Y.

26 ........James Franklin Wasserman New York, N.Y.

998 ......Shelly Yaloz ........................Little Neck, N.Y.

136 ......Anne Oliver ........................New York, N.Y.

59 ........Oliver Sec ..........................New York, N.Y.

138 ......Vania Savic ........................Woodside, N.Y.

65 ........Gal Mathew Sossen ............Oakland Gardens, N.Y.

143 ......Claire Keyte ........................New York, N.Y.

74 ........Edan Lee Sossen ................Oakland Gardens, N.Y.

146 ......Arielle John ........................Cambria Heights, N.Y.

87 ........Alex Knaff ..........................New York, N.Y.

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

112 ......Victor Miglo ........................Kew Gardens, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 18 Singles— Metro Region

42 ........Anna Ulyashchenko ............Brooklyn, N.Y.

127 ......Mitchell Ostrovsky ..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

43 ........Jessica Golovin ..................New York, N.Y.

210 ......Felipe P. Osses-Konig..........Rego Park, N.Y.

47 ........Jessica Melane Livianu ......Brooklyn, N.Y.

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

231 ......Alexander Thrane................New York, N.Y.

131 ......Sabrina Xiong ....................Fresh Meadows, N.Y.

6 ..........Ariana D. Rodriguez ............Bronx, N.Y.

240 ......Ananth Raghavan ..............New York, N.Y.

148 ......Arnelle Sullivan ..................Brooklyn, N.Y.

7 ..........Emily Safron ......................New York, N.Y.

259 ......Cole Gittens ........................New York, N.Y.

225 ......Shayna M. Spooner ............New York, N.Y.

8 ..........Leighann Sahagun..............Queens Village, N.Y.

271 ......Aleksandar Kovacevic ........New York, N.Y.

269 ......Isis Gill................................Brooklyn, N.Y.

17 ........Hannah Shteyn ..................Staten Island, N.Y.

302 ......Philip Raytburg ..................Brooklyn, N.Y.

367 ......Yuka Lin ............................Kew Gardens, N.Y.

22 ........Manuela Velasquez ............Kew Gardens, N.Y.

498 ......Marcus T. Smith..................Little Neck, N.Y.

418 ......Julia D. Fisch ......................New York, N.Y.

23 ........Becky Shtilkind ..................Brooklyn, N.Y.

694 ......Ian Witmer..........................New York, N.Y.

549 ......Sophia Kryloff ....................Brooklyn, N.Y.

25 ........Samantha P. Tutelman ........New York, N.Y.

769 ......Jack Alexander Haroche ....New York, N.Y.

651 ......Anastasiya Malinouskaya....Staten Island, N.Y.

30 ........Alexis S. Tashiro..................Jamaica, N.Y.

811 ......Christian Gloria ..................Queens Village, N.Y.

708 ......Jillian Rose Auteri ..............Staten Island, N.Y.

33 ........Madison Gordon ................New York, N.Y.

895 ......Jordan D. Jordan ................Astoria, N.Y.

875 ......Jennifer Grace Richards......New York, N.Y.

42 ........Dayana Agasieva ................Forest Hills, N.Y.

National Boys 16 Singles— Metro Region

45 ........Katie Derienzo ....................Douglaston, N.Y.

National Girls 16 Singles— Metro Region

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

50 ........Alexa Sara Meltzer..............New York, N.Y.

20 ........Daniel Kerznerman ............Brooklyn, N.Y.

42 ........Emily Safron ......................New York, N.Y.

54 ........Allison Immergut ................New York, N.Y.

56 ........Joshua Yablon ....................New York, N.Y.

137 ......Ariana D. Rodriguez ............Bronx, N.Y.

59 ........Lisa Ventimiglia ..................Bayside, N.Y.

130 ......Zachary Yablon ..................New York, N.Y.

147 ......Nadia Smergut....................New York, N.Y.

63 ........Jordan P. Zola ....................New York, N.Y.

205 ......Justin Fields ......................New York, N.Y.

209 ......Jessica Golovin ..................New York, N.Y.

69 ........Monica Gokhberg ..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

207 ......Courtney Jaycen Murphy ....Bronx, N.Y.

216 ......Lily Bondy ..........................Brooklyn, N.Y.

71 ........Nadia Smergut....................New York, N.Y.

261 ......Win Smith ..........................Brooklyn, N.Y.

225 ......Hannah Shteyn ..................Staten Island, N.Y.

75 ........Lily Bondy ..........................Brooklyn, N.Y.

307 ......James Wasserman ............New York, N.Y.

230 ......Samantha P. Tutelman ........New York, N.Y.

79 ........Charlotte Camacho ............New York, N.Y.

538 ......Richard Sec ........................New York, N.Y.

278 ......Destiny Grunin....................Brooklyn, N.Y.

80 ........Loulou Revson ....................New York, N.Y.

542 ......Sachin Raghavan................New York, N.Y.

363 ......Alexa Sara Meltzer..............New York, N.Y.

81 ........Kimberly Salkin ..................Brooklyn, N.Y.

568 ......Lucas Pickering ..................Brooklyn, N.Y.

670 ......Anna Ulyashchenko ............Brooklyn, N.Y.

85 ........Arielle N. Griffin ..................Jamaica, N.Y.

593 ......Artemie Amari ....................New York, N.Y.

765 ......Stefani Lineva ....................Middle Village, N.Y.

91 ........Laura Maria Chitu ..............New York, N.Y.

610 ......Ryoma Haraguchi ..............New York, N.Y.

779 ......Laura Maria Chitu ..............New York, N.Y.

92 ........Marylen Santos ..................Jamaica, N.Y.

876 ......Douglas L. Mo ....................Douglaston, N.Y.

812 ......Arnelle Sullivan ..................Brooklyn, N.Y.

National Boys 18 Singles— Metro Region

National Girls 18 Singles— Metro Region

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

23 ........Andrew Adams ..................South Richmond Hill, N.Y.

64 ........Leighann Sahagun..............Queens Village, N.Y.

110 ......Alexander J. Petrone ..........Staten Island, N.Y.

78 ........Emily Safron ......................New York, N.Y.

105 ......Rebecca Fakas ..................Little Neck, N.Y. 114 ......Brittany Biggs ....................Bronx, N.Y.

399 ......Nicole Veronica Semenov....Brooklyn, N.Y. 543 ......Regina Furer ......................Brooklyn, N.Y.

National Girls 14 Singles— Metro Region

38 ........Destiny Grunin....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 40 ........Angela Assal ......................Bronx, N.Y.

94 ........Sophia Schlossel ................New York, N.Y. 103 ......Gabrielle Sullivan................Brooklyn, N.Y. 104 ......Juliana Nelkin ....................New York, N.Y. 110 ......Olivia Boccardi....................New York, N.Y.

212 ......Richard J. Del Nunzio..........Forest

Hills,

294 ......Jake Sosonkin ....................Brooklyn, N.Y.

N.Y.

730 ......Arielle N. Griffin ..................Jamaica, N.Y.

89 ........Aleksandra Bekirova ..........Brooklyn, N.Y.

153 ......Chelsea Williams ................Brooklyn, N.Y.

518 ......Ethan Leon ........................Woodhaven, N.Y.

664 ......Madison Gordon ................New York, N.Y.

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

144 ......Dasha Kourkina ..................Brooklyn, N.Y.

367 ......Sam V. Vagner ....................Staten Island, N.Y.

523 ......Angela Assal ......................Bronx, N.Y.

113 ......Jacqueline R. Katz ..............New York, N.Y. 192 ......Ariana D. Rodriguez ............Bronx, N.Y.

New York Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • NYTennisMag.com

USTA/Metropolitan Region

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. JANUARY 2012 Friday-Sunday, January 6-15 Sutton East Men’s Open January Championships Sutton East Tennis Club 488 East 60th Street • New York, N.Y. Divisions: Ranked M (Op)s Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $70.38 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Jan. 2 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information call, (212) 751-3452.

Friday-Sunday, January 13-22 Sutton East January Women’s Open Sutton East Tennis Club 488 East 60th Street New York, N.Y. Divisions: Ranked W (Op)s Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $70.38 per player (deadline for entries is Thursday, Jan. 12 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (212) 751-3452.

Friday-Sunday, January 20-29 +2012 NCT Winter Senior Classic North Shore Tennis-Go Tennis 34-28 214th Place Bayside, N.Y. Divisions: Ranked M (35, 50-55)sd, SE; W (35)sd, SE Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $75.75 per player singles, $38.13 per player doubles (deadline for entries is Friday, Jan. 13 at 5:00 p.m.) For more information, call (646) 220-4172.

Friday-Sunday, January 6-8 & Friday-Monday, January 13-16 +L1 Alley Pond Eastern Designated Closed Championships L4 FIC Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Grand Prix G (16)s, FIC; G (16)d, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player singles, $27.38 per player doubles (deadline for entries is Monday, Dec. 26 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 264-2600.

Friday-Sunday, January 20-22 L2O 10U Gotham Winter Open Stadium Tennis Center 725 Exterior Street Bronx, N.Y. Divisions: Quick Start BG (10 [78’Court/Green Ball])sd, FRLC Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Jan. 6 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (347) 515-4402.

Friday-Sunday, January 27-29 L3 Sportime at Randall’s Island January 2012 UPS Championships Sportime at Randalls Island 1 Randalls Island New York, N.Y. Divisions: Novice BG (18-16)s, RR Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Jan. 13 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (212) 427-6150.

Friday-Sunday, January 6-8 L2R NCT January Metro Regional North Shore Tennis-Go Tennis 34-28 214th Place • Bayside, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate BG (18-14)s, SE Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Dec. 23 at 5:00 p.m.) For more information, call (646) 220-4172.

Friday-Sunday, January 20-22 L3 Staten Island January UPS Championships Staten Island Community Tennis Center 2800 Victory Boulevard Staten Island, N.Y. Divisions: Novice B G (18-12)s, RR Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $45 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Jan. 16 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 982-3355.

Friday-Sunday, January 27-29 L3 Alley Pond Eastern Jan UPS Championships Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Novice BG (14-10)s, RR Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Thursday, Jan. 26 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 264-2600.

Monday-Sunday, January 9-15 APTC’s Winter Men’s Open Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Ranked MW (Op)s, SE Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $70.38 per player (deadline for entries is Saturday, Jan. 7 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 264-2600.

Friday-Sunday, January 20-22 & Saturday-Sunday, January 28-29 L2O Sportime Randall’s Island January Open Sportime at Randalls Island 1 Randalls Island New York, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate B (12)s, SE; G (16-12)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Jan. 6 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (212) 427-6150.

Friday-Sunday, January 27-29 Sportime Randall’s Island January Championships Sportime at Randalls Island 1 Randalls Island New York, N.Y. Divisions: Ranked M (25, 35, 45, 55, 65)s, SE Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $70.38 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Jan. 20 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, call (212) 427-6150.

Friday-Sunday, January 13-16 & 20-22 L1B Sportime at Randall’s Island January Challenger Sportime at Randalls Island 1 Randalls Island New York, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger B (18)s, SE; G (18-14)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Dec. 30 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (212) 427-6150.

Friday-Sunday, January 20-22 L1B Alley Pond January Challenger Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger BG (10)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Jan. 6 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 264-2600.

Saturday-Sunday, January 28-February 5 Roosevelt Island Blizzard Bowl Roosevelt Island Racquet Club 281 Main Street Roosevelt Island, N.Y. Divisions: Ranked MW (Op)s, SE Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $75.75 per player (deadline for entries is Wednesday, Jan. 25 at noon) For more information, call (212) 935-0250.

NYTennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • New York Tennis Magazine

USTA/Metropolitan Region

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. FEBRUARY 2012 Friday-Sunday, February 3-12 +Sutton East Men’s Open February Championships Sutton East Tennis Club 488 East 60th Street • New York, N.Y. Divisions: Ranked M (Op)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $65.00 per player (deadline for entries is Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, call (212) 751-3452.

Friday-Sunday, February 17-19 & 24-26 L1B Sportime Randall’s Island February Challenger Sportime at Randalls Island 1 Randalls Island New York, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger B (16)s, SE; G (18-16)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Feb. 3 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (212) 427-5650.

Monday-Sunday, February 6-12 Alley Pond Men’s & Women’s February Open Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Ranked MW (Op)s Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $65 per player (deadline for entries is Saturday, Feb. 4 at 11:00 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 264-2600.

Friday-Sunday, February 17-19 10U L2O NCT BG10 February Open Championships North Shore Tennis-Go Tennis 34-28 214th Place Bayside, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate BG (10 [78’Court/Green Ball])s, SE Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Feb. 7 at 5:00 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 224-6303.

Friday-Sunday, February 10-12 & 17-19 L2R Sportime Randall’s Island February Regional Sportime at Randalls Island 1 Randalls Island • New York, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate B (14)s, SE; G (16-12)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Jan. 27 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (212) 427-6150. Friday-Sunday, February 10-12 L3 Alley Pond Eastern Feb UPS Championships Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Novice BG (14-12)s, RR; Quick Start: BG (10 [60’Court/Orange Ball])s, RR Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 9:00 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 264-2600. Friday-Sunday, February 10-19 2012 NCT February Classic North Shore Tennis-Go Tennis 34-28 214th Place • Bayside, N.Y. Divisions: Ranked X (Op)d, SE; M (40, 50-55)sd, SE; W (35)sd, SE Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $75.75 per player singles, $38.13 per player doubles (deadline for entries is Friday, Feb. 3 at 5:00 p.m.) For more information, call (646) 220-4172.

Monday-Friday, February 20-24 L2O Alley Pond President’s Week Open Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate BG (18-12)s, SE Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Feb. 13 at 5:00 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 264-2600. Friday-Sunday, February 24-26 Sportime Randall’s Island February Adult Championships Sportime at Randalls Island 1 Randalls Island New York, N.Y. Divisions: Ranked M (Op, 25, 35, 45, 55, 65)s, SE; W (Op)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $70.38 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Feb. 17 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (212) 427-6150.

New York Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • NYTennisMag.com

Friday-Saturday, February 24-25 L3 Sportime Randall’s Island February Eastern UPS Championships Sportime at Randalls Island 1 Randall’s Island New York, N.Y. Divisions: Novice BG (12)s, RR; Quick Start G (10 [60’Court/Orange Ball])s, RR Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Feb. 10 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (646) 783-5301. Friday-Sunday, February 24-26 L1 NCT BG18 Singles Championships + National Level 5 Doubles North Shore Tennis-Go Tennis 34-28 214th Place Bayside, N.Y. Divisions: Championships BG (18)d, SE; Championships: BG (18)s, SE Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $27.38 per player doubles, $54.25 per player singles (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 5:00 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 224-6303.

NYTennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • New York Tennis Magazine