Tennis Headlines

Har-Tru Launches Initiative to Support Players During These Challenging Times

Har-Tru is piloting a program to help supplement the incomes of professional tennis players by hiring them as sale representatives. The first two players in this program are #278 ranked Jamie Loeb and #472 ranked Alex Rybakov.

Loeb and Rybakov have joined Har-Tru as outside sales representatives, helping the company build connections and drive sales at some of the nation’s top tennis facilities.

“This is an incredibly exciting initiative for our company, which we recognize is coming at a beneficial time for these young athletes,” said Pat Hanssen, president of Har-Tru. “Har-Tru will be able to tap into their expertise and experience at the highest levels of tennis and in return, we will provide each of them a measure of business training and experience that will benefit them now and in the future.”

Loeb (Lake Nona, Florida), who currently has 16 Pro Circuit

championships to her name, was the 2015 NCAA Singles Champion out of the University of North Carolina, where she was a 3-time All-American, 2-time ACC Player of the Year, and the ITA National Player of the Year in 2014. “From Har-Tru’s presence in the USTA Pro Circuit, to my training ground at the USTA National Campus, their commitment to the game of tennis makes us a perfect pair,” she said.

Rybakov (Fort Worth, Texas), a 6-time Pro Circuit champion, recently concluded his career at the Texas Christian University (TCU), where he was a 3-time All-American, 2019 NCAA Singles Semi-finalist, 2019 Big 12 Player of the Year, and 2018 Big 12 Scholar Athlete of the Year. “Growing up in Florida and playing on mainly Har-Tru clay courts, I know the brand is well known and has a great reputation. I am excited to have the opportunity to help HarTru become the best tennis court company out there,” he said.

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‘Talking Tennis Southern Style’ Podcast Launched

The USTA Southern Section has launched a podcast called “Talking Tennis Southern Style.” The debut episode features USTA Vice President and NCAA Chief Medical Officer Dr. Brian Hainline. During his interview, Hainline focused on shepherding sports through the COVID-19 pandemic, playing tennis safely, collegiate sports, and the health benefits of tennis. Hainline is serving on the USTA and ITF pandemic task forces. The USTA Southern podcast is scheduled for new episodes every other Thursday and can be downloaded on all major podcast download sites. Episodes are archived and are available for listening at TalkingTennisSouthernStyle.com. The podcast highlights a junior player and volunteer along with information on how tennis can improve your fitness and health.

Veteran TV and radio sports personality Sam Crenshaw serves as host. The longtime weekend sports anchor of 11Alive, the local NBC affiliate, Crenshaw currently hosts weekend morning shows on 92.9 The Game. He also works as a reporter/commentator for ATL26, Atlanta TV channel, along with GPB and Georgia State sports broadcasts.

USTA Southern President & CEO Bonnie Vandegrift said, “We are very excited to launch our podcast and are especially fortunate to have Dr. Brian Hainline on our first episode. His comments about our current situation shows that Talking Tennis Southern Style will focus on current events along with an overview of tennis in USTA Southern.”

Committee member Kyle Blackburn, of Knoxville, Tenn., is the podcast’s audio engineer. USTA Southern Director, Communications Ron Cioffi serves as executive producer.

Georgia Tech’s Women’s Recruiting Class Ranked No. 2

The Georgia Tech women’s tennis 2020 recruiting class was ranked No. 2 by Tennis Recruiting Network and Mizuno, the organizations announced in June when they un veiled the 2020 Top 25 Women’s Recruiting Classes.

Tech’s recruiting class consists of Ava Hrastar (Duluth, Ga.), Mahak Jain (Bhopal, India), Carol Lee (Northern Mariana Islands), and Ruth Marsh (Atlanta, Ga.). The Yellow Jackets’ recruiting class features a Blue Chip recruit, five-star recruit, and two Atlanta area natives. Three signees are ranked among the top-25 recruits by Tennis Recruiting Network. Additionally, Jain boasts an 11.94 UTR rating, while Lee carries an 11.12 UTR rating.

The organizations reached out to junior tennis experts to the determine the top class es, consisting of reporters, national and international tennis directors, referees, ranking chairman, and writers from across the country to vote.

Georgia Tech was one of nine Atlantic Coast Conference programs to be featured in the Top 25. Three ACC programs — GT, Virginia, and North Carolina — are ranked in the top five, while Clemson, N.C. State, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Florida State, and Duke also appear in the rankings. Texas claimed the overall top spot.

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Slinger Bag Hires Chief Operating Officer

Slinger Bag announced the appointment of Tom Dye as chief operating officer. Dye brings extensive sporting and con sumer goods experience to Slinger. As COO, he will be responsible for the glob al operational and logistical management of the business, including overseeing the company’s partnership with DSV Logistics for third-party logistics, freight-forwarding, and warehousing services in America, China, Thailand, and Belgium.

Dye has more than 35 years of senior management experience in diverse con sumer goods and manufacturing segments. He served as COO at Prince Global Sports, and also as VP of International Operations at Wilson Sporting Goods where he was responsible for multiple international startup operations, including launching the first wholly U.S. owned sporting goods compa ny in Japan. Most recently, Dye served as COO at HazTek, Inc.

“Tom joins Slinger with a wealth of international operations experience having held prominent positions at some of the world’s elite tennis and sporting goods companies,” said Mike Ballardie, CEO of Slinger Bag. “I am excited to welcome Tom to our management team and look forward to working closely with him as we quickly approach our official commercial launch of the Slinger Bag in markets around the world.”

“I am proud to join Slinger Bag at this exciting time,” said Dye. “I believe Slinger Bag has the potential to revolutionize the tennis industry, and I look forward to leveraging my 35 years’ experience and working closely with Mike and the rest of the management team to unlock the company’s value in the near term.”

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2020 US Open, Western & Southern Open to be held in New York

The 2020 US Open is set to be played in Flushing Meadows, New York, on its originally scheduled dates of Aug. 31- Sept. 13. It will be immediately preced ed by the relocated Western & Southern Open, which will take place at the same iconic site, the USTA stated in midJune.

Though fans will not be on-site, the USTA will work with tournament broadcast rightsholders and partners to expand the way these events are delivered to fans at home around the globe, in greater and more innovative ways than ever before.

“These two events are the summer’s biggest tennis blockbusters in the U.S., and we are thrilled for the players, our fans, and all of our partners, that we will be able to mark the return of tennis,” said Mike Dowse, USTA CEO and executive director. “These tournaments also serve as an inspiration to tennis players of all levels, encouraging them to get out and play given the social distancing nature of our sport.”

As part of this decision, the USTA unveiled a comprehensive health and safety plan that has been approved by New York State government officials. The plan was created by the USTA’s US Open team, with input from the WTA and ATP, and in conjunction with the USTA Medical Advisory Group, other medical experts and noted security officials.

According to the USTA, hosting the two events in one centralized location mitigates risk and allows for one cohe sive medical, training and competition environment, with safety measures to be put in place, including testing, miti gation measures, sanitization and other protocols.

World TeamTennis Adds Stars Tiafoe, Puig, Raonic, Bouchard, & Sock as Rosters Set for 2020

World TeamTennis (WTT) has added several prominent tennis stars to an already jam-packed lineup of roster players set to compete during the 45th season, taking place at The Greenbri er “America’s Resort” in West Virginia from July 12-30.

WTT has announced that each player will play the entire three-week regular season, with the Semifinals (Aug. 1) and Final (Aug. 2) to follow.

American star Frances Tiafoe, 2016 Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig, three-time Grand Slam doubles cham pion Jack Sock, and two former Wimbledon singles finalists from Canada — Milos Raonic and Genie Bouchard — will all play this season, joining previously announced players such as reigning Australian Open singles cham pion Sofia Kenin, 2017 US Open winner Sloane Stephens, and tennis’ all-time winningest doubles team Mike Bryan and Bob Bryan. In addition, six-time Grand Slam champion Kim Clijsters will join U.S. Davis Cup captain Mardy Fish playing for the New York Empire in 2020.

“I can’t wait for the WTT season to start,” Tiafoe said. “I’ve played WTT for the last three years on the Kastles for some of their home matches in D.C. I’m excited to go to The Greenbrier to play there for the Kastles next month. Every one knows 2020 has been a rough year so far. I am definitely looking forward to competing at such an historic venue in such a relaxed setting.”

Added Stephens: “I’ve played WTT for, I think, six years now, and it’s always something I look forward to. Especially this year. I know we all miss playing ten nis and seeing our friends on the tour, so I’m excited to get to The Greenbrier and get in that environment again. WTT al ways does such a great job with creating

a fun, but compet itive, season so I’m ready for that. Plus, I’m playing on Chi cago’s team, which is cool because Ka mau [Murray] is the coach, so that will be fun.”

K e n i n , t h e 21-year-old Flo ridian who currently sits at a career-high No. 4 singles rank ing in the world, will play for the Philadelphia Freedoms. Kenin could potentially match up against six-time Grand Slam winner and past World No. 1 Clijsters when the Freedoms take on the New York Empire on July 15. The International Tennis Hall of Famer Cli jsters is making a return to professional tennis this season following her retire ment in 2012.

“Our player rosters are the stron gest we’ve ever fielded for a WTT season and include players with multiple Grand Slam titles,” WTT CEO Carlos Silva said. “We have a sampling of cur rent stars like Sloane [Stephens], Sofia [Kenin], Vegas Rollers teammates Sam Querrey and Mike and Bob Bryan, as well as a look at tennis’ future impact players with Brandon Nakashima and Caty McNally, as well as tennis greats like Kim [Clijsters] and Mardy Fish. Tennis fans are starving to see some great action on the courts and that’s what we plan to deliver all season.”

World TeamTennis’ schedule will in clude at least three matches per day at Center Court at Creekside, The Green brier’s outdoor stadium. Fans can purchase tickets at WTTTickets.com.

Last Issue’s Trivia Contest Winner Is …

Congratulations! We drew our winner from a pool of readers who submitted correct answers, and Sandy Bishop, Glen Abby Thursday Women, won a HEAD bag and a Tourna Tube! Try your luck with this issue’s contest and see if you can join the ranks of our previous trivia contest winners. Here is the original quiz and the correct answers:

1. What are the opening and closing dates for

registration for the ALTA Junior Challenge Ladder? May 1st and August 15

2. Who were the volunteer drivers for Rafael Nadal and Grigor Dimitrov when they came to Atlanta for the Premier Live Atlanta Challenge Exhibition and what was the location of the dinner the night before the exhibition

match? Lamar Scott and Abby Brunelle. Umi in Buckhead

3. Who was known as the “First Lady of Atlanta tennis” and how old was she when she took up the game?

Eleanor Swann and 37 years old

September/October Trivia Contest

Enter for your chance to win a racquet from Wilson.

To enter the contest, correctly answer the following three questions, in addition to submitting a new favorite courtside recipe, and mail it to New South Publishing, Attn: Cory Sekine-Pettite, 9040 Roswell Road, Suite 210, Atlanta, GA 30350. Answers and recipes may also be submitted online at netnewsmag.com. Hint: The answers can be found in this issue.

Entry deadline: Friday, July 24.

Prize may differ from photo.

1. Who is the new Executive Director of the Atlanta Youth Tennis and Education Foundation (AYTEF)?

2. What is the term used when you over-hydrate and put yourself at risk for diluting your body’s sodium levels which can lead to dizziness, fatigue, lightheadedness, and possible seizure?

3. How many student athletes received the ALTA Foundation Scholarship from the late L. Keith Wood in 2020, and what amount did each receive?

Name _____________________________________________________________

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