Arraya, Carter Win Inaugural Hamptons Pickleball Open 24Junior Player Spotlight: Ava Alfano & Rachel Neuman, Eastern

Arraya, Carter Win Inaugural Hampto

Kowalsky siblings w

The first-ever Long Island Tennis Magazine Hamptons Pickleball Open took place at Tennis & Pickleball at The Barn in Westhampton as dozens of pickleball teams headed out east to compete in this one-of-a-kind event.

The event was split into two different divisions, with the Mixed Doubles 3.5 competitors playing in the morning, while the Men’s Doubles 5.0+ pro division gathered in the afternoon to battle it out.

The Mixed Doubles winners and finalists earned themselves new pickleball paddles courtesy of adidas, and the Men’s Doubles players competed for the $2,000 purse that was up for grabs.

Throughout the day, the courts at The Barn were filled with high-level pickleball action, and players and spectators were able to enjoy the complimentary waters and bananas, as well as the breakfast platters and pizza provided. In the afternoon, the open bar became the place to be with beers and margaritas available to help convert the tournament into an event. "We have been running events for multiple racquet sports for over a decade all around the Metropolitan area, and we just recently entered into the pickleball world, and were thrilled to team up with Barry Altman and Tennis & Pickleball at The Barn," said David Sickmen, Owner of Long Island Tennis Magazine. "When we run events, we like to make sure that in addition to the competitiveness on-court, players and fans can enjoy the fun atmosphere off court. Tournament Director David Radisch did a great job making the event run smoothly, and the catered breakfast, lunch and open bar kept everyone well-fed and well-"hydrated". The best part is the pickleball world is filled with great people who were a pleasure to get to know. This was a real team Courtney and Kevin Kowalsky captured the title in the Mixed Doubles division.

Enrique Carter & Juan Arraya won the Men’s Doubles division, earning the top prize money courtesy of Hampton Estates Realty

tons Pickleball Open Pro Division Title

win Mixed Doubles

effort all around!"

The tournament was played in a round-robin format with the top teams advancing to the quarterfinals. In the Mixed Doubles division, the sisterbrother combination of Courtney & Kevin Kowalsky defeated C.J. Shank & Linda Vonderlieth to earn the title. Lisa Schindler & Ken Savelli won the thirdplace match to earn the Bronze Medal.

“I think our chemistry played a massive role in our win today,” said Kevin Kowalsky. “Obviously we’ve always had that, and we’ve strengthened it over time. We also were able to exploit our opponent’s weaknesses pretty well.”

Courtney added:

“We’re so happy to get the win. This tournament was such a fun day, and it was run really well. Everything went smoothly, there was great competition. We only have good things to say.”

In the afternoon, the pros took the court as $2,000 in prize money, courtesy of Hampton Estates Realty was on the line. When the dust settled, the duo of Enrique Carter & Juan Arraya defeated Sam Kim & Allen Fitzsimmons to win the Gold Medal.

Frank Sciacca & Thomas Finale

continued on page 10

The top three medal finishers in the Mixed Doubles division Sam Kim & Allen Fitzsimmons finished in second place and earned the Silver Medal in the Men’s Pro Division

defeated Mike Kazin & Robert Giovi to earn the Bronze Medal.

“There were some good teams out there today. You can see even the newer teams have been practicing a lot and have gotten better, which is great to see,” said Carter. “The event was very well-run. I was just telling Barry [Altman] that the facility looks great inside and out. The courts are great…I love this place.”

The key to success for Arraya & Carter?

“We were setting each other up really well, and worked incredibly well together,” said Arraya. “We definitely made a few mistakes at times, but we got back to our strategy and ended up having a great result.”

The inaugural Hamptons Pickleball Open was a success as there were sold-out draws for both divisions, and players and spectators both left the

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event wanting to know when the next one would be. A special thanks goes out to the event’s sponsors, including host site Tennis & Pickleball at The Barn, adidas and Hampton Estates Realty, without whom the event would not be possible.

“The event was a wonderful way to showcase our brand new facility and to display a high level of competitive pickleball,” said Barry Altman, Owner of Tennis & Pickleball at The Barn. “We hope to house many additional events throughout this coming season. The enthusiasm that was shared by all led to another full house over the balance of this past weekend.”

Be sure to check LITennisMag.com and our social media pages for information on future events!

Across Long Isl Across Long Isl

Ziets-Segura Takes National Doubles Title

Marco ZietsSegura, who trains at Glen Head Racquet Club, paired with Aarav Patel to capture the Boys 16s doubles title at the L3 National event in Peachtree City, Ga. As the top seeds, the duo did not drop a set en route to the championship victory.

RSTA Visits Brazil

Members of the Ross School Tennis Academy took a trip down to Brazil to train with legendary coaches Guga and Larri Passos. Vinicius Carmo, a native of Brazil and the Director of Tennis at RSTA, helps organize the trips, and RSTA will reciprocate the visit by welcoming Passos and players from Brazil to East Hampton this summer.

Wang Wins L6 Title in Connecticut

Preston Wang, who trains at the John McEnroe Tennis Academy (JMTA), took home the title in the Boys 14s division at the L6 event at Trumbull Racquet Club. Wang did not drop a set throughout the tournament en route to the title.

Hoo, Lee Win National Doubles Title

Carrie-Anne Hoo & Nancy Lee captured the title at the L2 National tournament in Cincinnati. Hoo, who trains at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, and Lee, who is from Massachusetts, did not drop a set throughout the tournament as they won the Girls 14s title.

land land… News and notes from across the L.I. tennis community … News and notes from across the L.I. tennis community

Eastern Athletic Crowns Junior League Winners

Eastern Athletic Club in Blue Point crowned its first, second and third place winners for its 2022 Junior League across Green Ball, Orange Ball and Yellow Ball divisions.

Holod, Tannenbaum Reach Empire Cup Finals

Kady Tannenbaum & Sophia Holod, who train at the John McEnroe Tennis Academy, reached the finals of the Empire Cup in the Girls 18s division at the Westchester Tennis Club.

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The Top Ten Tennis Tips of All-Time Part Four: Patience

By Dr. Tom Ferraro

Patience is not only a virtue but it’s the most valuable asset a tennis player can have. Players like Roger Federer, Arthur Ashe, Bjorn Borg, or Rod Laver have patience in the short term and in the long term. No matter what has just occurred, they remain unruffled, unphased and self-contained. Every tennis player alive knows that this is the way to play yet few are able to do so. The question is how does one learn to be patient?

Over the years by working with some of the best professional players in tennis, baseball, basketball, and golf I have had a chance to learn what their secret is and how to foster more of it. My favorite story is from Al Leiter, the former Mets and Yankees pitcher, and three-time World Series champion. I once asked him what he thought the secret to his success was and he smiled and said to me “I learned how to win with my B and my C game.” He was the personification of self-acceptance and patience. Every athlete has ups and downs, winning streaks, and slumps but the ones with patience are the ones that remain champions. The key to patience under duress is found in a solid self-belief. When things are not going your way, the only way to

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maintain composure is to rely on a belief in oneself that transcends the last mistake. Self-belief is like a cushion that softens the blow of mistakes. If Humpty Dumpty had a cushion under him when he had that ‘great fall’ he would not have needed ‘all the king’s horses and all the king’s men to put him together again. ‘ Rod Laver was exceptionally humble and said great players accept their limits and their mistakes. Champions like Federer, Ashe, and Borg all have an unwavering belief in themselves which helps them to forgive themselves. So how does one develop enough self-belief to have patience and composure when facing setbacks? The answer to that is found either in having a very good family life as a kid or of having a very good spouse or coach that instills belief in you. Roger Federer has a loving wife who supports him. Arthur Ashe had a loving father and then was mentored by Pancho Gonzales. Bjorn Borg was coached throughout his professional life by Lennart Bergelin. Borg had trouble with anger early in his career but learned to master it by the time he turned professional. And the baseball legend Al Leiter came from a big stable family of baseball players with lots of love all around.

Tiger Woods managed to withstand all the adversity he faced as a minority in an predominantlywhite sport was because he had such a solid foundation of love from both his parents who instilled in him self-belief.

Patience is one of the secrets to becoming a champion, but you cannot get to patience directly or on your own. You must first be the recipient of love from either your parents, your coach, or your spouse. With love comes self-belief, self-forgiveness, the iron will to win and enough patience to endure the slings and arrows of sport.

And if you find that you are not getting the support or the love that you need, you can call me. The sport psychologist is assigned the task of parent surrogate to help to develop forgiveness, self-respect, and patience. And then who knows what happens next. The sky’s the limit as they say.

For consultations, treatment or on-site visits, contact Dr. Tom Ferraro Ph.D., Sport Psychologist, by phone at (516) 248-7189, e-mail DrTFerraro@aol.com or visit DrTomFerraro.com.

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Paving the Road to Pro

How a retired professional tennis player is changing the landscape of sports equipment

What does it take to be the best? Or the fastest? Coolest? Strongest?

This depends on innumerable factors, but most importantly: context.

What if, however, achieving the best is less important to most people than achieving their best?

Sky Kim, a South Korean tennis player, achieved a dream that so many young athletes share, yet so few can possibly fulfill: play professional sports.

The story of Road to Pro, Inc. begins with Sky Kim, founder and CEO, who trained at IMG, before playing professionally and ranking in the World’s Top 500.

Sky recalls his career’s biggest hurdle, “The biggest opponent is not the player across the net but injuries that you get.”

Despite achieving his dream, Sky battled numerous injuries that stole his mobility, comfort and practice time. He was forced to retire from the sport he loved in his early 20’s. Sky knew there had to be a way for players to better prevent injuries before they occurred. He also recognized that such a product or technology likely didn’t yet exist—he would have to create it.

Sky found a lot of success and enjoyment coaching high level pros and juniors after retiring from his own competitive career. In 2017, under Sky’s coaching, South Korean tennis star, Hyeon Chung had monumental successes, cracking the ATP Top 30.

Chung’s career milestones include a victory over Andrey Rublev in 2017’s ATP Next-Gen Final.

Months later, at 2018’s Australian Open, Chung took down Mischa Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, a best of 5 over Alexander Zverev and a straight sets win over #1 Novak Djokovic, all before retiring in the semi-finals due to injury. Another testament to the unjust nature, yet supposed inevitability of injuries in sports.

Sky used his coaching platform and meticulous, curious nature to develop and test a brand new type of shock absorbing dampener. What set this one apart was that it incorporated the most absorbent material he could possibly find: Sorbothane.

Sky relentlessly tweaked and tested the dampener’s design, over onehundred times, until it was ready for mass-production, perfectly balancing absorption, stability and durability. In 2018, The ShockSorb launched via a KickStarter Campaign, as the world’s first dampener to reduce arm pain.

Never sitting still, Sky began working on other performance-based and injury-prevention equipment. Later came the Heel Pad XC, a shoe-insert specifically for shock absorption on the heels, ankles and knees.

Most recently, the UltraGrip Socks were developed for better in-shoe traction to fight blisters and bruising. RTP’s products combined offer unprecedented levels of protection, performance, and comfort during high-level tennis and other rigorous physical activities.

RTP’s products help athletes in all sports across the world play at their true potential with reduced risks of injury. Available on Amazon and RTPTennis.com, a portion of proceeds fuels the next generation of tennis athletes through financial backing and product endorsements.

Coco’s Confidence

By Brian Coleman

As she stood on court and watched the French Open champion trophy being handed to Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff had tears streaming down her face. After such a dominant two weeks in Paris, Gauff’s attempt to win her maiden Grand Slam title came up short.

But as the emotional pain from the loss subsided, Gauff displayed the type of maturity and level-headed thinking that has become so synonymous with the 18-yearold American. “After the match, my little brother was crying and I felt so bad, because I was just trying to tell him, it’s just a tennis match,” Gauff said. “I’m like, ‘Why are you crying?’, but I’m like, ‘I’m crying too, I know.’ Everybody’s crying. I think for them to see me so upset, I think that’s what hurt them the most. [But] tomorrow, or even tonight, we’re going to play cards again and we are going to laugh and we are going to be fine.”

While the loss stung, Gauff quickly refocused her attention not to the straight-sets defeat at the hands of Swiatek, but what her Parisian fortnight ultimately demonstrated about where she was at in her career.

Still just a teenager and fresh off of her high school graduation just days prior to the start of the French Open, Gauff proved she had the fortitude to succeed at the majors.

“I definitely feel like this helped my confidence a lot,” said Gauff. “I just think even when I was 15, 16, 17, I felt like so much pressure to make a final. Now that I made it, I feel like a relief a little bit.”

Gauff entered the French Open final on a tear, winning all of her matches in straight sets leading into the matchup against Swiatek. But she ran into an unstoppable force as Gauff witnessed up close the level she needs to get to in order to win a major.

“I feel like throughout my career, and even in juniors, the reason I had success so early is that I was able to see that level and then go back and practice and try to reach that level,” said Gauff. “Now that I have seen the level, this level of No. 1 and 35 match wins [in a row], I know what I have to do. I’m sure I’m going to play her in another final and hopefully it’s a different result.”

Even after her defeat in the singles final, Gauff was not done at Roland Garros.

continued from page 18

Photo credit: Andrew Ong/USTA

Pairing with Jessica Pegula, the American duo made their way into the French Open women’s doubles final, played the day after the singles final. Gauff & Pegula would come up short, but advancing to two different Slam finals at the same event was a remarkable accomplishment for Gauff.

And while suffering a loss on such a big stage can be a difficult thing to recover from, the 18-year-old Gauff seems to be mature beyond her years. She knows she needs to continue working on her game, but also that the difference between winning and losing titles at this level often comes down to what is there between the ears.

“I guess the journey to get here, I realized the key to making the final was not something with my game or something that I needed to fix," Gauff said. "It was more with my mentality and how I entered the matches. I think that's the difference between me dreaming it and reality, I realized that, yes, it's hard to get here, but also, it's not like some master puzzle that you need to solve. You just kind of have to get your mind in the right place.”

Gauff’s modest-yet-confident outlook on her tennis career is something that has been a part of her persona since she burst onto the scene a few years ago. No stranger to hype, Gauff has had a lot of noise surrounding her ever since she was a little girl. Her junior career resulted in a Junior Orange Ball title, and soon after, a French Open junior singles title, as well as a U.S Open junior doubles title.

This early success convinced her

and her family that turning professional was the right decision, and she made her debut at the 2019 Miami Open. After Gauff defeated Venus Williams at Wimbledon that same year, she was suddenly a household name, but this pressure did not phase her.

“I said this before: I want to be the greatest. My dad told me that I could do this when I was eight,” she said back in 2019. “I think people just kind of limit themselves too much…I like to shoot really high. So that I always have many goals along the road, but that way you have the ultimate goal.”

It is precisely that mentality that Gauff will use to carry her through the biggest loss of her young career.

Her Roland Garros run catapulted her to a career-high ranking of 13th in the world, and she continues to be the youngest player not only in the Top 15 in the world, but she is also the youngest player inside the Top 150. If you were looking to buy stock into a player, Gauff looks like one of the best investments on the women’s tour.

Losing in a major final is never an easy thing, and of course there is no guarantee that you’ll get back to that same stage again. But for Gauff, the young American has decided to take the high road in evaluating her Parisian performance, something that will likely pay dividends as we move through the rest of 2022 and beyond.

“At the beginning of this year I lost at the Australian Open and a couple of other first rounds, and I think I was just going into the matches trying so hard to win, but not for myself, but for other people,” Gauff explained in her postmatch press conference. “I think this tournament was the first tournament this year that I went in trying to win for myself, and I think that was the difference in my mentality. I think that now that I have found that mental state, I know how to get there. I think it will help me in future tournaments.”

Brian Coleman is the Senior Editor for Long Island Tennis Magazine. He may be reached at brianc@usptennis.com.

Cross Eye Dominance And Roger Federer’s

Head Tilt By Steve Kaplan

There has been a lot of discussion and controversy in the tennis world lately over the need to adjust technique in accordance with front or cross eye dominance. Notably, Patrick Mouratoglou has been outspoken on this topic and is an advocate of learning and modifying techniques based upon this technique. Specificity Patrick has spoken about the need to adapt a stance to "open" or "closed" based on eye dominance with the idea that getting the dominant eye closer to the ball will help you watch it better.

I think it's worthwhile to examine the science to support or refute this concept and to discuss how such eye dominance might impact players.

Let's start with the simple stuff: The literature reflects that 1. There is no evidence that we are born with a dominant eye. 2. The studies on this topic are not high quality and have conflicting/ inconclusive findings.

What's interesting, however, is that so many people anecdotally support the benefit of adjusting open and closed stance techniques to accommodate the dominant eye. So while I would like to see more scientific support I try to keep an open mind about this topic.

Now here is where this topic gets interesting but also really, really complex. While we might not rotate our bodies differently because of cross eye dominance we can tilt our head differently to accommodate eye dominance differences.

The great Roger Federer is a perfect example of this. Here is an explanation and please be warned it is not easy to explain without a lot of science jargon. Let's start by understanding some basic bodily functions starting with the spine and working our way to the neck and head. Since the function of the cervical spine is to stabilize and maintain the head in a position that allows our eyes to be parallel to the ground. What we see in RF is cervical flexion and extension. This position and this function is crucial for the vestibular function, (the system which assists in his balance). This allows Roger to make large movements to scan his surroundings so he can adjust to interact with the environment in this case, the ball. This also aids in swallowing and helps to elevate the rib cage during inhalation.

The bottom line here is that his head tilt (cervical flexion/extension) is the result of his inner ear detecting head rotation (angular acceleration) and linear motion and then adjusting by seeking a position that allows his eyes to be parallel to the ground while tracking the ball which greatly aids in his balance and breathing. His cerebellum (which is the part of the brain that controls balance) is going to fine tune his head position to account for visual acuity differences in each eye. So if he is left eye dominant his head will tend to tilt naturally to accommodate this because it is seeking visual parallel balance. In some studies it was found that this process is mostly controlled by several autonomic receptors that actually help build nerve pathways to ingrain this response.

So there it is. Almost all of us have a "dominant" eye and while we may not be born with it, dominance usually develops. As most of us are not as gifted to naturally adjust as well as Roger we can actively tilt our heads to help us balance better to accommodate eye dominance and see vast improvements in our game.

Steve Kaplan is the owner and managing director of Bethpage Park Tennis Center, as well as director emeritus of Lacoste Academy for New York City Parks Foundation, and executive director and founder of Serve & Return Inc. Many of the students Steve has closely mentored have gone to achieve great success as prominent members of the New York financial community, and in other prestigious professions. In 2017, Steve was awarded the Hy Zausner Lifetime Achievement Award by the USTA. He may be reached by e-mail at StevenJKaplan@aol.com.

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LITennisMag.com • July/August 2022 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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Junior spotlight Player By Brian Coleman

Ava Alfano and Rachel Neuman Eastern Athletic Clubs

As we move through the spring and officially enter the summer, and with the outdoor season here to stay for the next several months, it’s an important time for junior tennis players here on Long Island.

Two of those players who will be looking to take their games to the next level are Ava Alfano and Rachel Neuman, two girls who train and play at Eastern Athletic Club in Dix Hills.

Alfano is a rising junior, while Neuman is a rising senior, and both have been playing tennis since they were very young.

Alfano’s love of tennis began on one summer afternoon in front of the television.

“I was about six-years-old and on my vacation with my family,” she recalls. “My dad was watching the U.S. Open, he is a huge tennis fan. I sat the whole afternoon and watched with him, and I thought it looked so fun. A commercial came on for quick start tennis, and as soon as we flew back home, my parents found a

program for me to join.” While she would try other sports and activities, tennis was always the one that stuck with Alfano. “When I was younger I used to ride horses, because my older sister liked to, and I did gymnastics for a few months but I hated it,” she said. “Tennis was my favorite sport by far. I always liked individual sports because I don’t like to have the responsibility be on other people. Tennis always stood out to me because I loved just being on my own on the court, and running around just having fun.” Like Alfano, Neuman got her start in tennis thanks to her family’s love of the sport. “I first got into tennis when I was about four or five. It captured my attention from the second I stepped onto the court,” said Neuman. “My Rachel Neuman mom and grandma were also tennis players so it runs in my blood. I can remember being on the court at my first lessons, and while all my friends were doing cart wheels on the court, I was actually playing. I always looked forward to my Saturday morning lessons with my

coach when I got to start the day with the thing I loved.”

Neuman played an array of other sports growing up including soccer, basketball and softball but, as she says:

“Tennis always kept me coming back. I loved the fact that the people I played with were all a community, but it still gave me a sense of individuality. If I’m being completely honest, the tennis courts became my second home when I needed a stress release or needed to vent to my coaches.”

Those early tennis lessons for Neuman began at Eastern Athletic, and she has continued to train at the place where she first cultivated her love of the sport.

“The coaches, facilities and people make it a great place to train,” she said. “I started at Eastern with my coach at the age of five, and he laid the foundation for the rest of my career. After he moved to Florida, I started training with Michael Fehrs about two years ago. He has advanced my game more than I thought I could. And it’s not just Mike; many other coaches have given me advice on how to improve my game through the years. One thing that I will always carry along with me is that more than anything, the coaches taught me to be smart and actually think about what I’m doing and how it effects each point.”

Alfano, who plays at Kings Park High School, began training at Eastern Athletic a few years ago when she was 12-years-old, and she has seen her game improve immensely over that time.

“My mom signed me up for a group there and Michael happened to be running the group,” said Alfano. “I loved the drills he taught so much, it was always high intensity and very helpful to my game. He really helped me with match confidence, technique, strategy on the court and movement. Eastern is a really great place and has helped my game so much.”

That improvement has led to Alfano developing a strong forehand that is a go-to shot for her during matches.

“I would consider my forehand to be my biggest strength,” she said. “It is definitely my favorite shot in my game. I always rely on my forehand during important points in a match.”

Adding variety to her game is a major point of focus for her moving forward.

“I have been working a lot on my drop shots and slices lately. It’s a challenge to work on the shots that don’t require a lot of power,” said Alfano. “My drop shot and slice has always been a weaker part of my game, so I’ve been putting a lot of time into improving those shots. And I am always looking to work on and improve my shot selection and mentality during matches.”

Neuman is excited to continue her improvement as she gets ready to compete in her final year for the Half Hollow Hills East tennis team.

“I would consider my determination and drive to be big aspects of my game, as well as my serve,” she said. “Something I want to improve or focus on in my training is consistency and really making sure that each point is played with a purpose in mind. I plan on training as much as possible to really improve my game, and fine tune the little things to prepare for my senior season.”

Ava Alfano

Brian Coleman is the Senior Editor for Long Island Tennis Magazine. He may be reached at brianc@usptennis.com.

Tennis, Food

2022 LITM Challenge Series

Women’s 6.0-6.5 Champions: Lynn Villano & Theresa Ameres Women’s 7.0-7.5 Champions: Jueen Lee & Heoeeun Kwon Women’s 8.0-8.5 Champions: Barbara Mue

Great competition, ideal weather and a beautiful setting was all on display at the first Long Island Tennis Magazine Challenge event of the summer as men’s doubles and women’s doubles teams gathered at Sportime Quogue to get the 2022 LITM Challenge Series started.

Pairings competed across seven different divisions with play taking place on the outdoor courts as each team competed through the roundrobin stages in hopes of advancing to the knockout rounds. In addition to the tennis on the court, players at the LITM Challenge events are treated to catered lunch, waters and snacks, as well as a stocked open bar. "Every year, the Long Island Tennis Magazine Challenge continues to get bigger and better. With 22 outdoor clay courts at Sportime Quogue, the club is able to accommodate the growth,” said co-tournament director Michelle Stoerback. “The atmosphere at this event was amazing. Perfect weather, amazing people, great tennis, tons of fun and the best margaritas ever!”

In the Women’s 6.0-6.5 combined division, Lynn Villano & Theresa Ameres overcame Amy Gillen & Joy Martinsen to capture the title. The chemistry and communication between the two players proved to be the difference.

“Our communication was great, and most important we got over our nerves,” said Villano. “We started off a little rocky, but we settled in well and just played our game, and that’s what we wanted to do.”

Ameres added:

“The tournament was excellent; it was a lot of fun. The whole day was great.”

Coming through in the Men’s 7.07.5 combined division was the duo of Steve Subject & Jeff Kee, who were able to defeat Jonathan Greenhut & David Blank in the championship.

“This is my fourth or fifth time playing this tournament, I love it,” said Subject. “It’s always a lot of fun and run very, very well. On the court I thought our strength was our teamwork. Jeff and I have played

THE LONG ISLAND

CHALLENGE

2022

od and Fun!

ies kicks off in the Hamptons

a Mueller & Susie Mackenzie Women’s 9.0-9.5 Champions: Tatiana Dualiby & Shay Siege Men’s 7.0-7.5 Champions: Steve Subject & Jeff Kee

together many times, so it was good that we weren’t strangers. We also covered the court very well, and had a high first-serve percentage.”

The Women’s 7.0-7.5 combined division featured a thrilling final that went into a deciding tiebreak. Jueen Lee & Heoeeun Kwon were able to outlast Agne Rakauskas & Theresa Bellini 7-6(7-5) to win the title.

“The final was so close, and it was a really tight match,” said Lee. “It was very competitive and I’m proud of the way we played, and that we were able to win.”

A key to victory was an in-match adjustment that saw the two players switch positions on the court.

“We changed our strategy to have Jueen play from the baseline and I moved up to the net,” said Kwon. “I think that’s what makes us a good team, we can change up our plan and mix up our strategies.”

Adjusting to new styles of play was something that the pairing of Barbara Mueller & Susie Mackenzie had to do in order to claim victory in the Women’s 8.0-8.5 combined division, defeating Simone Cranes & Rhonda Levy in the championship.

“Sometimes at tournaments you see the same players, but here it was a nice change of pace, and it forced us to have to adjust to some other games and styles,” said Mackenzie. “It wasn’t always the prettiest but we got it done.”

Mueller added:

“I think keeping the ball deep was a big key for us. We came in when we needed to, and there was a lot of lobbing going on so we tried to take the ball out of the air.”

Raimundas Rakauskas & Marijus Kuzavas edged out Brett Verini & Zach Mollo 7-5 in the championship match to win the Men’s 8.0-8.5 combined division.

“We both were serving very well,” said Kuzavas. “This allowed us to keep most of our service games unbroken and I think that gave us a lot of confidence.”

When asked what his favorite part of the event was overall, Kuzavas said:

“I would not single out one part, but I would say that everything was

THE LONG ISLAND

CHALLENGE

2022

continued on page 28

continued from page 27

Men’s 8.0-8.5 Champions: Raimundas Rakauskas & Marijus Kuzavas Men’s 10+ Champions: Vishal Varghese & Christopher Tattanelli

really good. The event was organized very well. The food and drinks provided were great. The atmosphere was amazing – everyone was in good moods. Lots of lighthearted conversations on and off court. Competition was great – every match was a nail-biter. And doing this interview at the end of event was also a lot of fun!”

For Tatiana Dualiby & Shay Siegel, the biggest factor was maintaining their composure throughout the event. In doing so, the pairing won the Women’s 9.0-9.5 combined division, downing Stacy Fleischman & Sondra Glueck in the finals.

“My favorite part of the event was how friendly all the players were and competing at my home court,” said Dualiby. “And what helped me win was to keep calm and wait for the right shot to finish the points and my partner always keeping a positive energy.”

The championship match of the Men’s 10.0+ division was played on Sportime Quogue’s center court as Vishal Varghese & Christopher Tattanelli defeated Allen Thrones & Jeremy Chung to capture the title. “It was great to be on court and play with Vishal,” said Tattanelli. “The tournament was a lot of fun, and we’re looking forward to playing in the next event.” The first LITM Challenge of the summer continued the tradition of previous events, with friendly-yet-competitive tennis on the court, and just as much fun off the court. Catered food and lunch was provided for all players, as well as an open bar featuring beers and mixed drinks, which helps elevate the LITM Challenges to more than just tennis tournaments. “This is our ninth year hosting the LITM Challenge Series, and we have always tried to create an event rather than just a tournament,” said tournament founder and cotournament director David Sickmen. “We have moved the Challenge

events around Long Island, but hosting the events in the Hamptons at Sportime Quogue this summer allows for many outdoor courts and a beautiful setting with a pool deck.

Additionally we catered lunch which included wraps, salads and pizza, along with having an open bar with margaritas and beer. We supply snacks and water, bring a photographer and writer for a media component, and have not raised the price despite all of these tournament expenses. With all types of levels of play available, and anywhere from 85-110 players per tournament, we love bringing the community together in a special way and we hope the players continue to appreciate our efforts and support our events the same way we try to support their passion for unique and professional events.” The next Long Island Tennis Magazine Challenge will be a Mixed Doubles event on Saturday, July 16 at Sportime Quogue. Visit LITennisMag.com/LITMSummerMixed to register.

THE LONG ISLAND

CHALLENGE

2022

www.pinehollowclub.com

• New Director of Tennis: Alina Volman • New Pickleball and Padel Courts • Weekly Kids drills/camp • Co ed clinics • Men’s and Ladies Practices • Very welcoming membership with players at all levels • Appropriate coaching for players at all levels ranging from adult beginners and tots to high-ranked juniors and serious adult players • Many extra special tennis events throughout the summer

We have so much going on “on the courts” - it is no surprise that our court usage has increased by 1000% over the past 9 years. Schedule a tour with Heidi today!

Contact Heidi Stanya, Director of Membership at 516-922-0300, x115 or hstanya@pinehollowclub.com

The USTA Long Island Regional Council has been very busy the past few months, especially with National Tennis Month festivities taking place in May. Some highlights of recent events include:

Elementary School Enrichment

Council members Sunny and Eddie Fishkind ran a multi-day program at the William S. Covert School in Rockville Centre as part of the school’s new “enrichment clusters” program. Participants were in grades kindergarten through second. Neil Thakur, USTA Eastern Tennis Service Representative, supplied Net Generation equipment and prizes. The program was coordinated by teachers Danielle Blocker and Melanie Rubin.

Tennis in the Parks

The Long Island Council helped run two Tennis in the Parks events at Eisenhower Park, coordinated by Long Island Tennis Magazine, and Casamento Park, organized by Joe Arias. Each event had over 100 participants.

Courts & Cocktails

With the help of local USTA grants, Council Member David Sickmen, publisher of Long Island Tennis Magazine, and the magazine have been running Courts & Cocktails programs at different clubs across Long Island.

Red Ball Fest

Christopher Morley Tennis held a Red Ball Festival to celebrate National Tennis Month. All of the children had a wonderful time at this event, which was overseen by LI Council member Hilary Bressler.

Long Beach Court Dedication

LI Regional Director Jonathan Klee participated in a Court Reopening/ Dedication with the Nancy Lieberman Foundation

and the (Billy) Crystal Family at the Long Beach Recreation Center along with USTA Eastern’s Neil Thakur and Jocelyn Cruz and LI Council member Jason Wass. The revamped basketball court will also host USTA events.

Robbie’s Run

In early June, the Long Island Junior Council and USTA LI Regional Council brought junior tennis lessons to the Robbie’s Run in Merrick. This 5K run and community festival – a fundraiser for Forever 9-The Robbie Levine Foundation, which supplies AEDs and provides CPR training for youth sports organizations – was back for the first time since the pandemic. LI Council member KerriAnn Janotte coordinates the Junior Council and worked with Junior Council members to coordinate the children’s tennis lessons. Also coordinating tennis participation at the Robbie’s Run were Council members Denise Schmidt and Hilary Bressler.

Awards!

Finally, the USTA Long Island Regional Council is delighted to announce the return of its Awards Dinner this September. The 32nd celebration of Long Island’s tennis community will be held on Tuesday, September 20, 2022 at Chateau Briand Caterers in Westbury. Mark your calendars!

Boys’ High School Tennis

The Council also was pleased to provide sportsmanship plaques to each public high school in Nassau and Suffolk County during the boys’ tennis season. Each coach was encouraged to award sportsmanship recognition and give a plaque to one boy on his or her team. For a complete list of sportsmanship awardees and photos of many of the recipients, please visit www.longisland.usta.com. This year marked the first time the Council has supplied sportsmanship awards for each school. The Council also was pleased to give a Long Island team sweatshirt to each Nassau and Suffolk boy competing in the NY State tournament in June.

USTA Eastern Long Island Regional Council

Executive Committee Jonathan Klee, Regional Director Michael Pavlides, Past Regional Director Sunny Fishkind, Vice Regional Director Randi Wilkins, Secretary Neil Thakur, Manager, Schools Tennis and Long Island & Metro Region CTC

www.longisland.usta.com Follow USTA Long Island on Facebook: Play Tennis Long Island

Adult League Wrap-Up

By Becky Bellino

It’s hard to believe, but we are already half way through our Adult League Season and will finish up just around the same time this article is being published. At this time it is too soon to tell who will be advancing to playoffs, Regionals, and Sectionals, but keep on truckin’ and good luck to all of the 185 teams participating this season!

Our regular season for the 40 & Over Mixed Doubles league has come to a close. It has already been determined that Donna Healy’s Sportime Lynbrook team will represent Long Island for the 6.0 division. They beat out Deer Park 2-1 in the playoff. Congratulations to both teams for a strong finish, and good luck to Donna and her team up in Schenectady in September! The remaining divisions are still duking it out. Below are the contenders for local league champions:

7.0-1st Round of Playoffs (June 24):

• 1st Place Nassau (Syosset,

Schosberg) vs. 2nd Place Suffolk (Blue Point, Tang/Gulbransen) • 1st Place Suffolk (Deer Park,

Patel/Bunting) vs. 2nd Place

Nassau (Lynbrook, Healy)

The winners of these two matches will play one another with the winning team advancing to Sectionals. • 8.0 - Lynbrook, Low/Blue vs.

Syosset, Mandelbaum/Charles. The winner will go to Sectionals. • 9.0 - Winner TBD. This division will conclude on June 26.

With a look back, the 18 & Over Mixed Doubles Sectionals took place the first weekend in June. Long Island had teams playing in the 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, and 9.0 divisions. A special shout out to Jill Bratos and her 6.0 team out of Deer Park. They took 2nd place in a nail-biter that came down to a tie between Northern and their team. Unfortunately, Northern took first place due to winning Head to Head against our Long Island team. Great run to all the players that participated!

The next Sectional to take place will be June 24-June 26th for the 4.0 Tri-Level League. Lisa Newell and Tracy Kleiberg’s Huntington team will represent the Long Island Region. Good luck ladies!

Looking into the near future, The Men’s and Women’s Tri Level League will be starting around the end of September, or in the beginning of October. The league consists of three courts of doubles with one court at the 4.5 level, one at the 4.0 level and one at the 3.5 level.

We also run another Tri Level league at the 4.0, 3.5 and 3.0 levels. If you are interested in captaining a team, or getting onto a team, please let me know.

The 18 & Over Mixed Doubles league, which is three courts of doubles, will have teams at the combined levels of 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0 and 10.0. The league will run from November 2022 through March 2023. We will also run the 40 & Over Mixed Doubles league with the same levels from February through May.

In the past we have not been able to get a 55 & Over Mixed Doubles League up and running. If you are interested in forming a team, please let me know as the best time to run this league would be in the late fall. We can see about having this team participate in the 2023 Sectionals. The mixed doubles matches play on weekends. Again, if you are interested in captaining a team or joining a team, please let me know!

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Becky Bellino is the Adult League Coordinator for USTA/Long Island. She may be reached at bellino@eastern.usta.com.

Tennis Bubbles:

A Grand Slam Victory Over the Elements

Trying to figure out a way to maintain your tennis training momentum throughout the offseason? Indoor tennis is a lot more viable than you might think. New York’s harsh winters make outdoor tennis strictly a seasonal sport—unless you can move it indoors. And while indoor tennis may seem like an expensive luxury, The Farley Group keeps the game going year-round by manufacturing, installing and maintaining tennis bubbles. Bubbles are the ideal solution for indoor tennis—both economically and practically.

Tennis has always been a big deal in New York, which has driven the demand for indoor playing spaces for several decades now. With more than 20 bubbles in New York City and the Long Island area, Farley tennis bubbles have helped solidify New York as one of the top places to train and develop tennis talent. By providing a way to train throughout the winter, tennis becomes much more accessible to those that don’t have the means or desire to travel south for the winter.

Compared to other construction methods, bubbles have a relatively short history. Bubbles first made appearances in North America in the early 1970s, and have since evolved into a top solution for sports like tennis. Ralph Farley, founder of The Farley Group, saw how well the concept worked in Europe, and brought it back with him more than 40 years ago. Since then, The Farley Group has built dozens of tennis bubbles around the world.

Stepping into a tennis bubble for the first time can be awe-inspiring. No other structure can provide as much space without any support beams or walls. It’s almost counter-intuitive at first sight: “What’s holding up the roof?” Intriguingly, bubbles require nothing but air to do that. Fresh, filtered and conditioned air flows in, giving the bubble its rounded shape, protecting the playing surface and players underneath.

A wonderful added benefit is that tennis bubbles can be either seasonal or permanent. Permanent bubbles have the advantage of full protection from the weather throughout the year—cold and snow during the winter, and rain or high winds in the summer—while seasonal domes can go up in the fall and come down in the spring. They represent the perfect solution for outdoor courts.

And best of all? Tennis bubbles can be installed for a fraction of what other indoor tennis courts cost.

To learn more about how Farley tennis bubbles can help your club members practice their swing 365 days a year, visit TheFarleyGroup.com or call (888) 445-3223.

Racquet SportReport presented by adidas Pickleball

With Pickleball Continuing to Grow, MLP Hosts League Draft in New York

As more and more people continue to fall in love with Pickleball every day, we see courts popping up at local parks more and more, as well as clubs installing pickeball courts into their tennis facilities. The recreation enthusiasm for pickleball is skyrocketing, and that is also the case for the professional side of pickleball.

There are a number of different professional associations, and that is a good thing for players as prize money tournaments continue to increase not only in volume, but also in terms of the purse size at these events. One of those leagues is Major League Pickleball, which got its 2022 season underway in June, and hosted its annual league draft here in New York. The MLP is an elite pickleball league showcasing the world’s best professional pickleball players in a unique mixedgender team format. The first tournament of the year took place in Austin, Texas, which was televised on CBS, providing a platform to attract new pickleball fans.

In addition to Austin, additional MLP 2022 signature events will take place in Newport Beach, CA, from August 5-7, and Columbus, OH, from October 14-16. The winning team at each event will receive the highest prize money in professional pickleball: $100,000 ($25,000 per winning player).

Each MLP 2022 signature event will take place over three days with all 12 MLP teams competing to win The Pritchard Cup, first awarded to Team BLQK at MLP’s inaugural event at Dreamland in November 2021. The draft at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center at Flushing Meadows populated the 12 teams with 48 of the world’s best professional players on fourperson teams. This unique draft format enabled Team Owners to

pick gender equitable teams of two men and two women players. There are three pools of four teams. The 12 teams will compete this year under an exciting roster of new owners including David Kass & Doug Ulman (The Bus), Molly Joseph & Travis Rettenmaier (Florida Smash), and Zubin Mehta (Mad Drops Pickleball Club) who join Gary Vaynerchuk’s team (The 5s). David Kass will also host MLP 2022 Columbus in a new indoor pickleball venue later this year. Team BLQK, featuring Irina Tereschenko, Parris Todd, Zane Navratil, Rafa “I could not be more excited to Hewett, won the first MLP event of 2022 in Austin announce Newport Beach and Columbus as our next two signature events in addition to MLP 2022 Austin. And it’s my honor to welcome our new team owners to our iconic Major League Pickleball team owner group,” said Steve Kuhn, Creator and Founder of Major League Pickleball. "Adding to Austin, Newport Beach and Columbus, we now also have Pickleball Night in America, our regular Tuesday night pro pickleball series, which is moving around the country, taking pro pickleball into great locations across the USA and giving pickleball fans over 60 events a year of pickleball action to tune into. That’s hundreds of hours of opportunities to showcase the sport we all love as well as the amazing pro players”, said Steve Kuhn, Creator and Founder of Major League Pickleball.

Har-Tru Becomes Official Playing Surface of the Citi Open in 2022

In 2022, Har-Tru will sponsor the historic Citi Open® Tournament, held annually in Washington D.C.’s Rock Creek Park. The four-year arrangement provides the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center with new hard court surfacing for the event and Har-Tru clay court material for the community courts at the facility.

The tournament has a deep and rich 52-year history. It was played on HarTru clay courts until 1986, when the competition switched to a hard-court surface. This year, the Citi Open will be played on a best in class hard court surface made by Har-Tru.

Founded in 1969 to support Arthur Ashe’s vision of playing a pro tennis tournament in a public park fully accessible to everyone, Citi became the event’s title sponsor in 2011, ushering in the Citi Open Era of the tournament. Today, the Citi Open is the only ATP 500 event in the U.S. and the longest-running U.S. pro tournament in its original location.

In 2019, MDE Sports, owned and led by D.C. philanthropist and entrepreneur Mark Ein, took over management and reimagined the historic tournament experience for players and fans. Ein was a ball boy at the tournament as a kid and frequently says the experience changed his life.

“My personal experience as a fan, ball boy, and now CEO of the tournament, convinced me long ago of the awesome power of tennis to transform kids’ lives,” said Ein. “The Citi Open really is Arthur Ashe’s dream come true. And I hope that spirit shines through for the players and fans who take part in this special event in our nation’s capital.”

“We’re excited to be back at the Citi Open to introduce our hard courts to a new generation of players and fans,” said Pat Hanssen, president of Har-Tru. “At the same time, it’s very fulfilling to support the Rock Creek Tennis Center community. We believe it’s important for players to have an opportunity to train and play on clay, and this sponsorship allows us to help them do that.”

The Citi Open Tournament will be held Aug. 1-7, 2022.

Two Words By Barbara Wyatt

"Do you know what helps me stay calm during pressure moments in tennis matches?" Margaret asked.

I stopped mid-bite in a sandwich that traveled three hours in a crammed daypack, then bounced for miles on a trail with multiple switch backs. The bread was smooshed in the middle because I shoved a headlight into my pack at the last minute.

A hawk soared above us. A striped chipmunk, no doubt waiting for fallen crumbs, darted underneath a fallen log. A rainbow trout splashed, then disappeared into the brilliant blue freshwater mountain lake where we stopped for lunch.

A rich green canopy of forest surrounds us, and she's thinking of tennis?

Me too. "Two words," she said. "When my muscles tighten or my stomach has butterflies, I say two words to regain my calm and stop thinking internally. Two words to prevent choking under pressure."

I mentally flipped through tennis words like a rapid-fire rolodex, the business card organizer now only seen in movies from the 70's and 80's. A smorgasbord of three words rang out, like "watch the ball," "left arm up," "turn your shoulder," and "bend your knees." I failed at finding only two words.

I'm working on my follow-through this week; that's two words. Reminding myself to follow-through is good mechanics for a top spin ground stroke, but not effective when nerves make me error prone. Why do I fail (on occasion) to execute a solid put-away? Or doublefault on my serve? (Yes, I do that as well.) What did she mean by two words? "My two words are," she said, "'Trust' and 'Breathe.' I must trust that I have the skills and breathe to bring a steady calmness to my play."

She has the skills. Margaret has an uncanny knowledge of court positioning and fluid tennis strokes as well as being a delightful teammate who plays a healthy competitive match. "When I think I'm falling down a stress spiral," she said. "I think trust in my skills and breathe. Those two words center me."

When I am under stress on court, I overthink and push aside motor memory obtained through hours of practice. Yet how do I fix the biomechanical problem (i.e., not following through) and get out of my head to let motor memory return?

Rob Gray, School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Birmingham, gave a golfing example on how to resolve this challenge in his paper published by the Association for Psychological Science. A golfer grips the club too hard when they are stressed. Gray says a coach could advise the golfer "to imagine you have an open tube of toothpaste between your hands and contents must not be pushed out." This would fix the specific problem (squeezing the club), stop the internal anxiety (focus on an external tube of toothpaste) and allow a highly efficient muscle memory to take over.

If you've made three errors in a row and your opponents are covering the court like cheetahs, what can you do?

Two simple words, like "trust" and "breathe", may be the ticket to a win.

Barbara Wyatt is a Writer, Photographer, USTA Official, and Mobile App Developer of iKnowTennis!, the tennis rules app. Her poem, Ode to Tennis, an amusing poem on the joys and frustrations when learning tennis, is available at Amazon. She can be reached by email at BarbaraW@iKnowTennis.com

Camp IHC

The Best of Both Worlds

The IHC Tennis Academy offers the best of both worlds—A tennis academy program combined with an incredible summer camp experience.

Nestled in the beautiful rolling mountains of North Eastern Pennsylvania lies the IHC Tennis Academy. We offer a 5 night, allinclusive tennis camp for kids at Camp IHC, one of the top sleep away summer camps in America. Here we deliver a one-of-a-kind program designed to give kids much needed fun while allowing our camp culture to help them develop in many ways. Players will have the opportunity to play tennis, experience camp, create friendships and gain a greater sense of independence.

Our one-of-a-kind program includes:

• Drills, stroke production, game

analysis, on/off court conditioning, and nutritional guidance • Competitive and recreational UTR certified matches • Alternative activities such as: Yoga, zip-lining, water skiing, paddle boarding, rock climbing, swimming, ropes course, flag football, basketball and more • Our tennis coaches work toward creating a space where each and every camper feels both comfortable and challenged. We offer group lessons & private lessons with our head coaches.

At IHCTA, we take pride in providing the tools to prepare our campers not only for tennis competition, but to deal with life situations through instilling the importance of work ethics, discipline, consistency, goal setting, respect, team work, responsibilities, accountability, and compassion.

You can learn more about Camp IHV by visiting www.IHCTennisAcademy.com, or by contacting caio@campihc.com or (914) 345-2155.

2022 Long Island Boys’ High

Long Island Individual Championships

Stephan Gershfeld of Hewlett has now won back-to-back Nassau County singles titles Great Neck South’s Albert Hu Jericho’s Michael Safir Syosset’s Ansh Chadha

Hewlett's Gershfeld Wins Second Straight Nassau County Singles Title

Hewlett’s Stephan Gershfeld returned for his junior season with one primary goal in mind: defend his Nassau County singles title.

Gershfeld did just that, defeating Great Neck South’s Albert Hu 6-0, 6-3 to win his second consecutive county title.

“I’m feeling great,” said Gershfeld. “That was the point in coming back and playing again this year, to go for this title. It feels great to be able to do it again. I just tried to play my game, went out there and had fun.”

After taking the opening set, Gershfeld saw Hu come out firing in the second set as the Great Neck South sophomore jumped out to a 3-0 lead. But Gershfeld dug in and was able to rattle off the next six games to flip the second set, and win the match in straight sets.“I was making some errors and he was coming in very well, so I just tried to regroup, started to play a little farther back and hit a heavier ball,” said Gershfeld. “I was able to take control of the points after that.”

Hewlett head coach Joyce Narciso-Raikos added:

“Today was the first time he was really challenged, and I was proud of the way he was able to regroup in the second set. It shows a lot of maturity on his part,” she said. “He knows what he is doing wrong and is able to fix it. He is a great kid all-around and is constantly working on his game, and figuring out how he can improve.”

2022 Nassau County Boys’ Singles Results

1) Stephan Gershfeld - Hewlett 2) Albert Hu - Great Neck South 3) Michael Safir - Jericho 4) Ansh Chadha – Syosset

h School Recap

Gavin Koo & Drew Hassenbein of Roslyn are the 2022 Nassau County Doubles Champions Aaron Raja/Kavin Shukla - Wheatley

Roslyn's Hassenbein, Koo Capture Nassau County Doubles Title

Leading up to the Nassau County Individual Championships, Roslyn’s Gavin Koo & Drew Hassenbein stayed late after practices and even playoff matches to develop a chemistry on the doubles court together.

Both Koo, a junior, and Hassenbein, a seventh-grader are typically singles players, but teamed up to compete in the doubles draw, in pursuit of a county title.

“The commitment the two of them had to practice together after our matches, to come in early and stay late, says so much about them,” said Roslyn head coach Kerri Jannotte-Hinkley.

That commitment paid off, as the Roslyn duo captured the Nassau County doubles title, defeating Wheatley’s Aaron Raja & Kavin Shukla 7-5, 7-5 in a tightly-contested championship match.

“We trusted each other out there,” said Hassenbein. “It’s a long weekend, and there are lots of ups and downs, so we made sure to pick each other up during matches. I also think we did a good job of making sure we got off the court when we needed to in those opening round matches to stay fresh for today.”

Koo reached the doubles final a year ago alongside Ethan Solop, and was able to lean on the experience he developed last year.

“It’s amazing, it’s such a great feeling,” said Koo. “I was here last year and we unfortunately came up short. Chemistry matters so much in doubles, and it was great that Drew and I were able to develop that. He’s such a talented player, and still has a lot of time to continue getting better as well.” Jannotte-Hinkley added:

“They are both so coachable, and that makes all the difference. For them to be able to use each other’s talents, not get frustrated with each other, which can happen in doubles, says a lot about them. It’s all about trust, and that is what we have been preaching as a team all season.”

continued from page 41

Candrin Chris/Amir Pazy - Port Washington Daniel Greilsheimer/Reed Paltrow - Port Washington

In the third-place match, Candrin Chris & Amir Pazy beat their Port Washington teammates Daniel Greilsheimer & Reed Paltrow. All four doubles teams qualified for the the New York State Public School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Championships.

2022 Nassau County Boys’ Doubles Results

1) Gavin Koo/Drew Hassenbein - Roslyn 2) Aaron Raja/Kavin Shukla - Wheatley 3) Candrin Chris/Amir Pazy - Port Washington 4) Daniel Greilsheimer/Reed Paltrow - Port Washington

Aron Bursztyn & Shashank Pennabadi won the Suffolk County doubles title. Commack’s Matt Strogach & James Yu

Hills East’s Dylan D’Agate & Krithik Madisetty Angelo Guzman & Thomas McNulty of Comsewogue

Bursztyn, Pennabadi Win Suffolk Doubles Title

For the second straight season, the Suffolk County doubles champions reside at Ward Melville.

Aron Bursztyn & Shashank Pennabadi defeated Commack’s Matt Strogach & James Yu 7-6(5), 6-2 to claim the doubles title, and follow in the footsteps of Aron’s younger brother, Gabe, and Matthew Kronenberg, who won the county title for Ward Melville last year.

Both normally singles players, the senior-freshman duo of Bursztyn & Pennabadi came together for the doubles tournament and quickly developed a chemistry that allowed them to flourish.

“I am so proud of Aron and Shashank today for winning the doubles championship, no small feat when you see the tremendous talent we have in the county,” said Ward Melville head coach Erick Sussin. “These two, although a senior and freshman who on paper look like an unlikely pairing, gel so well together. Neither player carries the other one; they complement each other perfectly which makes it hard for the opponent to try and target who they suspect is the weaker one.”The opening set of the final was a back-and-forth affair, with Bursztyn & Pennabadi jumping out to the early lead, only to see Strogach & Yu move ahead 5-3. The Ward Melville pairing brought the set back on serve and forced it into a tiebreaker.

“We had a rough start in the tiebreaker,” said Bursztyn. “But we continued to fight and were able to win it.”

The duo carried that momentum into the second set, and quickly pounced on the return game to open up a double-break advantage. With Bursztyn serving and match point on the line, Pennabadi poached the net and

continued from page 43

hit a running backhand volley to close out the match and claim the county title.

“To end of my senior year like this, I couldn’t have asked for anything better,” said Bursztyn.

2022 Suffolk County Boys’ Doubles Results

1) Aron Bursztyn & Shashank Pennabadi – Ward Melville 2) Matt Strogach & James Yu – Commack 3) Dylan D’Agate & Krithik Madisetty – Hills East 4) Angelo Guzman & Thomas McNulty – Comsewogue

Eddie Liao of Commack won the Suffolk singles title for a second consecutive year Christopher Qi of Harborfields Harshith Pennabadi of Ward Melville Sam Lopez-Cardenas of Walt Whitman

Commack's Liao Repeats as Suffolk Singles Champion

On match point of the 2022 Suffolk County Boys’ Singles Championship at Smithtown East High School, Commack sophomore Eddie Liao approached the service line as he aimed to seal his second straight county title.

The big-hitting Liao then dialed up one last ace and let off a big “Come on!”, pumping his fist in celebration. The point was the final one of a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Harborfields’ Christopher Qi as Liao defended his title from a year ago.

“It means a lot,” said Liao. “I really wanted to win this title again. I’ve always loved playing high school tennis, I love being out there with my friends and teammates. It’s great being able to come out here and compete.”

The county title was a rematch of last year’s final, and Liao was able to control the pace of play once again to come away victorious.

“It’s a battle every time I play against Christopher, he is a tough player to play against,” said Liao. “I just wanted to play the best I could, and do what I do best, which is hit big serves and big forehands, and just make sure I remained positive out there.”

Commack head coach Jimmy Delevante added:

“Eddie is a very hard-working and dedicated tennis player. He had an outstanding year last season, and since then he has continued to improve tremendously,” he said. “He is fitter and serving bigger, and is just more confident and tougher. He sets the bar higher for himself each year and continues to surpass it. Our team is so proud of him and lucky to have him.”

In the third-place match, Ward Melville’s Harshith Pennabadi defeated Sam Lopez-Cardenas of Walt Whitman.

2022 Suffolk County Boys’ Singles Results

1) Eddie Liao – Commack 2) Christopher Qi – Harborfields 3) Harshith Pennabadi – Ward Melville 4) Sam Lopez-Cardenas – Walt Whitman

Wheatley Downs Friends Academy to Win Nassau Small School Title

Wheatley and Friends Academy squared off in the first-ever Nassau County Boys’ Small School Team Championship at Eisenhower Park with a spot in the Long Island Championship on the line.

The Wildcats of Wheatley continued their undefeated season by knocking off Friends Academy 4-1, improving to 16-0 and booking its spot in the Long Island Championship.

“Our team responded well to the in-game adjustments today,” said Wheatley head coach Herman Lim. “That’s the key right there. Figuring out strengths and weaknesses on the opponent’s side, and just making adjustments on the fly, that is what all the singles players are doing well.”Wheatley’s singles play led the way as Kavin Shukla, Aaron Raja and Saje Menon notched victories at first, second and third singles, respectively.

Rahul Dawar & Ilan Klein posted a 6-2, 6-4 victory at first doubles to round out the scoring for Wheatley and clinch their team’s win.

“My serve and my partner’s poaching stood out to me personally,” said Klein when asked what made the duo successful. “We worked really well together.”

Kavin Shukla celebrates a big point during his win at first singles for Wheatley

continued from page 45

2022 Nassau County Boys’ Large School Champions: Roslyn Bulldogs

Drew Hassenbein won a key match at first singles to help lead Roslyn Roslyn’s Ethan Solop delivered a clutch victory at second singles

Hassenbein, Solop Lead Roslyn to Nassau County Large School Title

Pressure. Some athletes run from it, some embrace it.

For seventh-grader Drew Hassenbein, it’s the latter. As his Roslyn team moved to within one victory of the Nassau County Large School title, the entire crowd of spectators gathered by the singles courts, where he and teammate Ethan Solop were still playing their respective matches.

“I love my team, I love the crowd, even the Syosset crowd,” said Hassenbein. “I love everything about it.”

Thriving off of that, Hassenbein clinched the county title for Roslyn with a 6-2, 6-7(6), 6-2 win over Syosset’s Ansh Chadha.

Soon after, Solop completed his 6-4, 6-7(7), 6-4 second singles win over Devin Melandro to finalize Roslyn’s 5-2 victory.

“Drew eats pressure for breakfast, and Ethan never gets too worried, which gives you confidence as a coach,” said Roslyn head coach Kerri Jannotte-Hinkley. “They use their experience to say, ‘I know what this feels like’, and it gets

them through whatever they need to go through.”

“I thought it was really special, especially in my first year,” Hassenbein added about clinching the title for his team. “I feel like we really deserved this with all the hard work and practice we put in.”

In a rematch of last year’s championship, it was Syosset who got on the board first, as Evan Lee defeated Roslyn’s Justin Sherman 6-3, 6-0. Roslyn would then win the next two flights, a 6-2, 6-4 win by Gavin Koo & Matthew Stone at first doubles, and a 7-6(4), 6-0 victory from Zachary Sheena at fourth singles.

Koo, who normally played third singles throughout the season, teamed up with Stone for the first time, and the pairing delivered a crucial victory at first doubles. "We practiced a little before this, but we both have a very adaptable play style, so it just came naturally for us," said Koo. "In doubles you always have to rely on your partner and rely on trust. We’re a family on and off the court, so we just translated that, worked hard, trained every day, and we won.”

After Syosset grabbed the third doubles point thanks to a 6-3, 6-4 triumph by Aayan Mehta & Ryan Jiang, Roslyn’s Cayden Shen & Bartek Dziedziach notched a 7-5, 6-4 victory at second doubles. Roslyn then heald a 3-2 lead with only the first singles and second singles courts remaining.

Hassenbein and Solop delivered victories to finish out the scoring, and the top-seeded Bulldogs were crowned Nassau County champions.

“Teamwork,” Janotte-Hinkley said when asked the key to her team’s success. “It absolutely comes down to our young guys, we have five middle school guys melding and blending in with the other guys who have a bit more experience. It's all about trust. It’s not always smooth, it’s not always easy, but families never are. We’re a big, dysfunctional tennis family, but it works.”

2022 Suffolk County Boys’ Large School Champions: Commack Cougars

Commack Beats Ward Melville to Win Second Straight Suffolk Title

As the defending county champions and with an undefeated record at the end of the regular season, the Commack Cougars felt as though they should be the top seed in the Suffolk County playoffs.

That top seed went to the Ward Melville Patriots who, like Commack, was undefeated during the regular season, and Commack was given the second seed. The two squads met in the Suffolk County Large School Championship at Casamento Park in Bay Shore, with Commack defending its county title with a 6-1 victory.

“We knew we had a target on our backs the whole season. We came here as the number two seed, which sort of fired our guys up and we wanted to come out and prove that they made a mistake with the seeding,” said Commack head coach Jimmy Delevante. “We had a good group of kids who were excited to go out there and repeat as championships. We have a senior-heavy team, especially at the bottom of our lineup, and this is all the guys thought about all season. It’s the most dedicated team I’ve been around.”

Ward Melville jumped out to the early lead as Aron Bursztyn & Ethan Timm put their team ahead with a win at first

continued from page 47

Avi Gupta & Matt Schwartz sealed the county title for Commack Saharsh Peddireddy hits a shot during he and Jeffrey Behar’s win at third doubles.

doubles. But soon after, Eddie Liao evened things up with a win at first singles, and James Yu gave Commack its second point with a victory at second singles.

The lead for the Cougars continued to swell as Saharsh Peddireddy & Jeffrey Behar won at third doubles, and Avi Gupta & Matt Schwartz won at second doubles to clinch the county title for Commack. Senior captain Matt Strogach posted a 6-4, 6-1 victory at third singles, while Eric Benderly rounded out the scoring with a straight-sets victory at fourth singles, giving Commack the 6-1 win. “It was hot, probably the hottest match we’ve had all season, but everyone is dealing with the same elements so you have to battle through it,” said Strogach. “You have to get into the mindset that you have to fight for every point, so I just made sure to take my time in between points and stay hydrated. This was extremely important for us. Every year we set a goal for ourselves to win the county championship, and this year we set our goals even higher.”

Wheatley Wins Long Island Small School Title

The Wheatley Wildcats are the 2022 Long Island Small School Champions after defeating the Wildcats of Shoreham-Wading River 5-0 at Casamento Park in Bay Shore.

“The message to the team going in was that while we didn’t know much about our opponents, they were here for a reason. They’re a good team that got the job done this season,” said Wheatley head coach Herman Lim. “We went in with the mindset that we have to play our best in order to move forward, and I think everybody in the lineup embraced that and was able to play well.”

Kavin Shukla notched a 6-0, 3-6, 10-1 victory at first singles, while Aaron Raja won 6-2, 6-1 at second singles. Saje Menon was a 6-1, 6-1 victor at third singles.

In doubles play, Rahul Dawar & Ilan Klein won 6-0, 6-0 at first doubles, and Steven Jarrahy & Eli Mizhiritsky were 6-0, 7-5 winners at second doubles to help secure the Long Island championship for Wheatley.

2022 Long Island Boys’ Small School Champions: Wheatley Wildcats

Eddie Liao won at first singles for Commack

Eric Benderly celebrates after he clinched the Long Island title

Commack Finishes LI Season Undefeated, Beats Roslyn for Long Island Championship

Third time’s a charm.

For Commack, the previous two trips to the Long Island Championship in recent years were unsuccessful. But the Cougars would not be denied in its third go around, defeating Roslyn 4-3 to win the Long Island Large School Championship.

“This year was going to be different,” Commack head coach Jimmy Delevante of his message to his team before the match. “I just felt going in that we were a bit stronger. I knew how good Roslyn was, I predicted it would be a 4-3 battle. I thought we were just stronger than we were last year, and we were able to get it.”

That prediction would turn out to be prophetic, with Commack edging Roslyn 4-3 as the showdown between the two top teams on Long Island did not disappoint. Commack jumped out to the early lead thanks to a first singles win by Eddie Liao, and a third singles win from Matt Strogach.

“We went back to basics, fight for every point, go for every ball, never assume anything is going out, and I think that mentality helped us today,” Strogach said. “We all encourage each other to cheer for everyone else; I think that really motivates us. That’s why I love team tennis, everyone has your back.”

Roslyn would answer with a victory by Gavin Koo & Matt Stone at first doubles, and a second doubles win from Cayden Shen & Bartek Dziedziach. Soon after, Ethan Solop brought Roslyn within one win of capturing the title as he won in straight sets at second singles.

With just two courts remaining, the depth of Commack would become evident. Saharsh Peddireddy & Jeffrey Behar secured a win at third doubles, evening the overall team match at three-all, and leaving the Long Island Championship to be decided by the fourth singles match between Commack’s Eric Benderly & Roslyn’s Zach Sheena.

“Eric did this once before last year against Hills East, we knew once they were going into the third set that he was going to pull it off,” said Strogach. “We had all the confidence in the world.”

Despite losing a tight second-set tiebreak, Benderly recovered in the deciding third set, securing a late break of serve to win the set 6-4, and clinch the Long Island title for Commack.

“It was really tough, especially after losing three match points in the second set,” said Benderly. “But I just tried to come out and play as loose as I can, like I did in the first set. When I saw that last ball go out, it was just an amazing moment.”

Commack would go on to advance to the New York State Large School Team Final, but fell to Mamaroneck as the Cougars finished its season at 22-1.

continued from page 49

New York State Individual and Team Championships

Stephan Gershfeld says he is ready to defend his state title next season

Hewlett's Gershfeld Captures New York State Singles Title

For Stephan Gershfeld, winning a state title was something he always envisioned. Since he can remember, just competing on the U.S. Open courts was a dream of his.

And this spring at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, that became a reality as the Hewlett sophomore captured the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) singles title, defeating Emil Grantcharov of New Rochelle 6-2, 6-2 in the championship match.

“It’s amazing, but it still hasn’t sunk in yet,” Gershfeld said afterwards. “Ever since I was in seventh grade, I dreamed of playing here at the U.S. Open, and now I am a champion here. It’s a dream come true.”The twotime Nassau County singles champion came out firing in the final, breaking Grantcharov early in the first set and never looking back to take the opener.

In the second set, Grantcharov was able to push deeper into the service games of Gershfeld, and had a chance to break his serve in the fourth game. Gershfeld fought off the potential break though, holding serve to even the set at 2-2, and then proceeded to break Grantcharov in the ensuing game.

“That was definitely a mentally tough game, and just to pull through there kind of gave me the edge,” said Gershfeld. “My confidence grew with it and I was able to take off from there.”

Gershfeld capitalized on the momentum, breaking one more time for a 5-2 lead and creating an insurmountable lead. Serving for the state title, Gershfeld closed it out on his first match point as he ripped a forehand winner past Grantcharov.

“I love how he kept his cool and stayed positive today,” said Hewlett head coach Joyce Narciso-Raikos. “The match was on his racquet to either win or lose, and it’s my job to give him that belief that he is the better player and he was going to win the match. That’s what we have been working on since yesterday, making sure he stayed positive and confident.”

Gershfeld and Grantcharov were familiar with each other, having competed in many different junior tournaments. The state final was the ninth time they played against one another, with each player having won four of the previous eight matches.

“This is a big rivalry, we’ve been playing against each other since we were 10-years-old,” said Gershfeld. “The first time we ever played actually was here at a USTA tournament, and he beat me pretty good. We’ve gone back and forth throughout the years, and I’m glad

I was able to win this one.”

Gershfeld’s title continues the success of Hewlett tennis at the state championships in recent years. His older sister Nyla won the state doubles title alongside Rachel Arbitman in 2019. The year before that, Arbitman won the state singles title, and in 2015 it was Hewlett’s Kseniya Zonova who won the singles title.

“We gotta keep the title here at Hewlett,” said Gershfeld. “I’m looking forward to coming back here next year to try and defend it.”

The Ward Melville pairing of Aron Burstzyn & Shashank Pennabadi won the third-place match on Saturday, defeating Chappaqua’s Jason Wei & Matthew Wallis 7-6(1), 6-2.“This was the last high school match ever for me, so it’s a great way to finish,” said Burstzyn. “Unfortunately we couldn’t win yesterday, but glad we were able to pull through today and end on a win.”

Pennabadi added:

“It was a fun weekend with some challenging matches. We couldn’t pull it out yesterday but we played very well today.”

In the consolation final, Hills East’s Dylan D’Agate & Krithik Madisetty fell to Williamsville East’s Grant Wang & Arjun Pindiprolu in three sets. The Ward Melville pairing of Aron Burstzyn & Shashank Pennabadi finished third in the state tournament

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continued from page 51

New York State Individual and Team Championships

Wheatley finished its season undefeated and won the New York State Small School Championship

Wheatley Completes Undefeated Season, Wins New York State Title

By Frank Cannistra

The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center played host to the Small School State Championship match, which saw Wheatley overcome a very competitive Byram Hills team by a final score of 3-2.

The victory for Wheatley not only solidifies them as small school state champions, but completes an undefeated season.

Coach Herman Lim was ecstatic at his team’s victory, stating:

“I’m speechless. It's been such an unbelievable season, undefeated, trying to keep these guys on track. I keep reminding them that we’re due for one and these kids have been just amazing.”

Most notable of their three wins, first singles player Kavin Shukla was able to secure a victory for Wheatley in a very intense match that had the crowd extremely boisterous throughout. Shukla overcame a racaous crowd and a big second-set deficit to win the match 6-2, 7-5, and clinch the state championship.

Elsewhere during the match, Wheatley singles players Saje Menon and Aaron Raja provided the team with just the right amount of wins, as Byram Hills was able to secure both doubles matches.

Shukla was proud of his fellow teammates for coming up with the victories that put him in position to clinch the state title.

“We’re really close, me and these guys, they all work hard…well at least some of them”, Shukla said jokingly.

“Thankfully singles did what they had to do," Lim added. "Byram Hills had great doubles play today, so our guys came up huge when we needed them most.”

PGA Tour Superstore

A Destination for Tennis Players

PGA Tour Superstore in Westbury, N.Y. is a reputable golf retail destination, but if you walk the store floor, engage with its staff and ask around, this national retail chain is quickly making a name for itself in tennis and with the tennis community.

Located at 1254 Corporate Drive in Westbury, PGA Tour Superstore has everything tennis players and fans are looking for, carrying all of the latest tennis rackets and equipment from the top names in tennis, including Prince, Babolat, Head, Wilson and more. They also carry a wide selection of tennis apparel and footwear from leading brands, such as Adidas, Asics and Nike, as well as grips, strings and other accessories.

PGA Tour Superstore offers on-site stringing, and its expert staff, led by Master Stringer Adam Moramarco who runs the tennis department, are players just like you, so they can help you out with any questions on stringing and products, and make sure you walk away with the product that is right for you.

PGA Tour Superstore hosts in-house events and fundraisers year-round, and can help customize your event or tournament by offering gift cards, products, memberships and much more.

Many PGA Tour Superstore customers play both golf and tennis, and whether they are looking for expertise in one sport or the other, the national retail chain is changing the reputation of traditional big box stores by providing personalized customer service often found at smaller, local (tennis and golf) pro shops.

In addition, PGA Tour Superstore hosts in-store events, such as contests, clinics, fundraisers, parties and many more functions, which can enhance your cause. The store is involved with numerous charities, including Ronald McDonald House and Tuesday’s Children, and takes great pride in being a part of and contributing to the betterment of the community.

For more information on PGA Tour Superstore’s products and services, call (516) 824-3000 or visit PGATourSuperstore.com/Tennis.

Necesito El Ritmo:

The Importance Of Rhythm In The Spanish Method

By Chris Lewit

“Necesito el ritmo,”—“I need (the) rhythm”—is a common phrase heard on the tennis court in Spain, both from players and coaches. Rhythm, cadence, timing, and control are essential aspects of the Spanish style of training.

What is rhythm and why is it important in Spain? How do you achieve good rhythm? Let’s explore Spanish rhythm in more detail.

Spanish rhythm can mean many things

Rhythm can mean many things in the Spanish style. For example, there is a rhythm when hitting the ball: You can see it and even hear it. There is rhythm to the footwork and movement on the court. There is a rhythm to playing on the red clay courts. There is rhythm to match play. And there is rhythm to the drills and exercises performed in practice. In Spain, coaches search for rhythm in these myriad areas:

Rhythm of the hands

Rhythm of the hands means the technical swing.

In Spain, there is an obsession with creating a fast racquet head while maintaining control of the body. Maximum acceleration is achieved by slowly starting the racquet during the backswing— after the initial unit turn—leading to a crescendo of racquet speed into the forward swing to the ball. There is a smooth slow to fast buildup. This pathway to maximum acceleration should not be jagged or abrupt, “no bruscos”, as Toni Nadal likes to say.

At the end of the swing, players in Spain—and especially in the Toni Nadal and Lluis Bruguera Methods— are taught to pause or “pausa” at the end of the follow through. For example, Nadal was taught by Toni to tap his upper arm with his racquet for his pause at the end of the forehand swing. Watch Rafa practice or warmup and you will see his biceps tap. This pause helps to balance the body and organize the technique before the recovery.

Thus, the rhythm of the Spanish swing is typically slow to fast, with a pause at the end of the finish. I see many players with very chaotic swing paths and rough technique who would benefit from the Spanish approach.

Rhythm of the feet

Spanish players are famous for their footwork. They demonstrate grace and balance when moving around the court. These traits are due to their obsession with movement and getting the body in a good balanced position to receive the ball. Watching Spanish players move is a beautiful sight to behold, especially on clay.

Legendary Spanish coach Pato Alvarez likened movement on the court to a dance, and he developed a unique movement and balance training style he dubbed “Doble Ritmo”, or double rhythm. Pato was obsessed with the rhythm of the feet and argued that his movement style should be practiced every day through repetitions. While not every Spanish system agrees with Pato’s

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double ritmo philosophy, they all empathize moving fluidly on the court. In general, good players flow around the court quickly with good balance and body control. Bad players are clumsy and often move with inefficiencies. Their movements often look chaotic and slow. The Spanish are experts at improving the movement of players.

Rhythm of red clay

Red clay has its own unique rhythm. The surface is very slow and leads to longer rallies. The ball bounces higher and sits up for the players to strike. There is a slower beat to rallies on red clay and players in Spain are attuned to this rhythm. Spanish players are always seeking rhythm on red clay, and thus they often look to extend rallies and grind rather than always striking first during points.

Rhythm in a match

While not unique to Spain, players there are taught to manage the rhythm of a match, controlling the time and tempo to achieve maximum advantage. Pato Alvarez, the great Spanish coach, famously said that the best players control everything around them in their environment. Spanish players learn to command the rhythm of a match by organizing their mind, their rituals, what they want to do with the ball tactically, and the external elements that they can control.

Rhythm in training

Spanish training has a unique rhythm because, across the country, academies and coaches tend to teach with unique constraints and parameters. For example, Spain is famous for its two player per court ratio, which allows for one player to train while another rests. Long repetitions of 20 or more consecutive balls in drills are also commonplace in Spain, and this type of extreme

“La pared”, the wall, is a famous Spanish drill where players develop consistency and control with long repetitions of sometimes hundreds of consecutive hits without a rest. Players who fall in love with the Spanish system tend to enjoy the flow of practice that comes from these unique aspects of the Spanish style.

In Spain, you cannot have rhythm if you don’t have control:

1. Control of the technique

This means a smooth acceleration and a swing that is not jagged or choppy. Lifting up and creating good net clearance and topspin are important elements of a controlled swing. Control of the body and technique during peak acceleration is also an obsession in Spain.

continued on page 56

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2. Control of the body

This means balance and postural control. I see players who frequently flail at the ball and play with a chaotic body. In Spanish systems, control of the body and balance are obsessions. In addition, physical and muscular endurance are developed so the body never fails the athlete. A player who is not fit will eventually lose body control.

3. Control of the mind

In Spain, players are taught to develop a long attention span and deep concentration. Players who are impatient or impulsive do not develop a good rhythm for the game.

4. Control of the emotions

As Toni Nadal speaks to frequently, without control of the emotions all is lost on the tennis court. It is impossible to master the game without good emotional control. When a player’s emotions run too hot or he feels anxiety or embarrassment or other powerful emotions, these feelings can undermine focus and control of the mind, body, and technique. Emotional control underpins all of the elements that lead to good rhythm.

5. Control of the situation and your opponent

As mentioned previously, the legendary Spanish coach Pato Alvarez always says that the greatest champions are able to manipulate and control all the variables in a match to their advantage. If a player does not handle these situations well, the rhythm of the game will be sacrificed.

Conclusion

In the end, one way to appreciate Spanish training is to understand that control of all these factors is paramount. Control is at the heart of the Spanish method. Control brings harmony to the game, reduces anxiety on the court, and leads to a beautiful flow—or rhythm.

I meet many players who come to me for training and on assessment they are very arrhythmic—like a dysfunctional heart muscle. I see my work as finding control and bringing harmony and rhythm to my players’ game.

How is your rhythm?

Next time you are out on the court, analyze your own rhythm—or if you are a coach or parent— observe the rhythm of your player. If you notice a lack of control, and a chaotic approach to the game in any of the areas I have mentioned above (hands, feet, or mind for example) consider making adjustments to your training methods to develop more control, which will lead to better rhythm, and ultimately less anxiety— and more success— on the court.

On my podcast, The Prodigy Maker Show Episode 50, we discussed this same topic. Check it out for further learning on Spanish rhythm.

Vamos!

Chris Lewit is a former number one for Cornell and pro circuit player. He is a highperformance coach, educator, and the author of two best-selling books: The Secrets of Spanish Tennis and The Tennis Technique Bible. He has coached numerous top 10 nationallyranked players and is known for his expertise in building the foundations of young prodigies. Chris coaches in NYC and year-round at his high performance tennis academy in Manchester, VT, where players can live and train the Spanish Way full-time or short-term. He may be reached by phone at (914) 462-2912, e-mail Chris@chrislewit.com or visit ChrisLewit.com.

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How To Improve Your Tennis Off the Court By Steve Annacone

There are many things you can do to get better at tennis. Obviously, hitting a lot of balls from the baseline, practicing your serve, and playing numerous points against different players are all good things to do for improvement. However, there are a lot of different things you can do off the court that will also help you improve your overall tennis game.

First, read some basic technique information that is readily available on the internet. The USTA, USPTA, PTR, Tennis Industry Association and this publication all have instructional articles available. Many pros have blogs or tips (myself included) that can be helpful. It is likely that you will get some conflicting information since tennis is not a perfect sport. However, there are many things that the best players do, that are similar. Study the preparation ideas (getting ready) and basic technique for the swings. Try to get a picture in your mind of what you would like to do and then practice the preparation and the swing with your racquet in hand, but no ball. If possible, have someone video your practice swings so you can look and see if they are the way you had envisioned.

Next, try some footwork drills with your racquet in hand. Put some cones relatively close together and run (slowly and under control) from starting point to the cone, recover back to starting position and run to the other cone and return to the original position. Move the cones slightly forward and backward and repeat your movement. Try to put the cones close enough so that you are only moving two or three steps in order to reach them. Most of your shots will be hit only a few steps away from your starting point as long as you are recovering towards the open part of the court. Remind yourself to get your racquet back out in front and move those feet back in the direction that you just came from. Practice split stepping after two or three steps into your recovery, as if the opponent is about to swing at the ball.

With a ball and your racquet, try going through your service routine including your toss and your motion. Instead of swinging at the ball, try catching the ball without moving your tossing hand much. If you have to reach a lot or move your feet, the toss is likely not going straight up in the air. Repeat the routine, your motion and the toss, emphasizing a nice smooth movement of the racquet and just release the ball rather than throwing it up in the air. Everything should feel somewhat effortless and smooth. Sometimes counting "one, two, three" can help. One is when the ball is touching the racquet at the beginning of the motion, two is when you toss the ball, and three is when you catch it (you would hit on three during an actual serve). Once you feel good about the tossing aspect, try some serves without the ball and using the regular motion, your legs and the normal swing as you would when actually serving the ball. Do this practicing both first serves and second serves equally.

Finally, watch tennis matches! You can get a lot of video of the pros on the internet. You can also watch matches on the tennis channel on both the internet and on television. It is also extremely helpful to watch your peers (also the worst and best players) at your favorite tennis facility. Watching tennis can teach you, inspire you, and help you with self realization of where you are as a player. You will see the best players make a lot of the same mistakes you make and the worst players hitting shots that you don't even feel like you can hit well. Tennis is a very complex sport and spending some time off the court working on your game will give you even more appreciation for those great shots that the pros hit often, and that you will hit more and more often as you improve.

Steve Annacone, USPTA Elite Pro, is the Director of Annacone Tennis, www.annaconetennis.com and MyHamptonsPro, www.myhamptonspro.com in East Hampton, NY . Steve is also a tennis professional at Ventana Golf and Country Club in Tucson, AZ. In addition, Steve and Miguel Coelho have introduced the JET (Junior Elite Tennis) program at the Tucson Jewish Community Center for high level players ages 8-18. Please contact Steve at info@annaconetennis.com.

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Tennis Players Refuse to Grow Up

By Tonny van de Pieterman

Tennis players are just like regular people. All human beings refuse to grow up.

Why? Because it’s painful.

Why? Because trying to reach your potential, your personal truth, is painful.

Why? Because the truth hurts!

Why? Because the reality of your truth kills all the fantasies and delusions that you have dreamed up about yourself. You will try and prevent that at all costs.

I am trying to make a case here that NOT growing up is more painful. I am convinced that most competitive tennis players use the game as a vehicle for personal growth. They might not be able to put their finger on it, but something keeps them coming back for another experience. No matter how frustrating or how disastrous their last match was, they just know they can do better, and they will sign up again for another chance. I know the feeling. Somehow, we feel like we haven’t played our best match yet, if we only could relax a little more, if we could only play the way we do in practice. For some reason we are not learning the lessons though. Why is that? Are we confused about what the lessons really are?

What are the biggest regrets we usually have after matches? Why do we often feel so pathetic and weak after a tennis match? I claim that the answers are to be found in the area of our human powers. You ultimately don’t feel like a winner unless you have adequately engaged your innate

capacities of patience, courage, discipline, compassion, and humility. When you fail in these areas, a feeling of powerlessness comes over you. You will feel that you have not represented yourself truthfully. You are in fact a liar, and you feel ashamed about that. You feel small. Am I right?

Most players know all this, of course, yet we fail to prepare in such a way that will guarantee that we satisfy our internal metrics of these human powers. Is it that we hope next time will be different? Hint: it won’t. Is it that Colonel Jessup in A Few Good Men was right?

“You can’t handle the truth!”

I am certain of the opposite. You can handle the truth. The truth is what you are after each time you take the court. You want a true representation of your skills versus the skills of another person. I guarantee that if you ponder and answer the following questions for yourself before your next match, you are putting yourself on the proper growth path.

• How and when am I going to be patient? At what game scores especially? • When is it important to be courageous? What does that mean for my game? • What do I have to be disciplined about? What makes me feel disciplined? • Compassion for myself and the opponent. How can I give myself a break? • What can I do to make sure I don’t get ahead of myself when winning or the opposite?

This is the preparation part that most people will not perform. Kudos to you if you are willing to take it seriously. (You must have suffered a lot). Develop metrics for your human powers so you can hold yourself accountable. The simpler, the better.

The implementation part is where all the action is. If you feel constant resistance from yourself, you know you are on the right track. This is your refusal to grow up. Be gentle, one step at a time, the results will be worth it. You will feel like a winner every time out.

How will you know you have grown up?

You will not need to be lied to anymore. Not by yourself or by anyone else. The truth is simple, and you will know it. No more excuses, no more blame.

Will you win more matches? Most definitely!

Tonny van de Pieterman is a tennis professional at Point Set Indoor Racquet Club in Oceanside, N.Y. He was recently named USTA Tennis Professional of the Year for the USTA/Eastern-Long Island Region and helped the Eastern Section win this year’s Talbert Cup. He may be reached by phone at (516) 536-2323 or e-mail Tonny@PointSetTennis.com.

The Myth of Over-Trying Dont Do It!

We have all experienced it…that time when our game was just not clicking and you felt a little off. Maybe it was your serve? Maybe it was the forehand or volley?

So what did you do?

If you’re like most players, you went out to the courts with a hopper of balls and drilled serves until your arm felt like falling off. Unbeknownst to you, each serve you hit, your muscles were getting tighter and tighter, mentally you were getting more frustrated, and your serve was getting worse! Consequently, you leave the court in unhappy wondering if your serve will ever get better? Then the next day, with a sore arm, you run back the same scenario, except this time with more frustration and a higher risk of injury.

How can this be happening? We wonder and more so what can I do to improve this blasphemous serve? If you asked me, my first recommendation would be to start by letting go of the age old myth which in actuality is propelling things and making them worse in the first place.

The myth is: “If we try more or play harder, we will get more out of the activity, and achieve better results.”

Societal norms help create this myth. It sounds like the truth but it’s simply not. For most of us, our common default mode is over trying, beating ourselves up and grinding.We wonder, but isn’t this the way to winning, fame and fortune? We hear it all the time, in phrases like, “no pain no gain” or even “suffer”. You, your coach or your parents might not want to hear this. For sure everyone has bought into the “more is better” myth, or when in doubt work harder, grind more, struggle till it hurts.”

What if that’s not exactly true? In fact, maybe over-trying can be counterproductive, hurt your game and lead to burnout.

Now, I am not suggesting to not try, not work, or not to care. However, more times than not, when an athlete over-tries in competition or practice, they physically rush, get tense, and lose their focus. Essentially, they lose sight of the little things that are necessary to put themselves in the best situation to compete. Mentally, they mind travel back to the past or forward to the future and focus on what they cannot control. Things like the outcome, expectations and what’s important now (W.I.N.). Physiologically, they lose their feel, rhythm, and timing; essentially, not trusting themselves, their process, and their plan. Given these characteristics, it’s not a surprise less actually happens and frustration, anger and anxiety escalate.

The path isn’t about over-trying. Rather the path is about slowing down, breathing, and pausing to evaluate what’s happening in the moment. It is

By Rob Polishook

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not about grinding, trying to do more, but rather maybe doing what you have been doing, but better or with more intention. For example, taking a step back and simplifying things to one common denominator such as sticking to the fundamentals of a shot (good split step), playing your patterns better (higher net clearance), or simply not overcooking and trying to be perfect by letting go of imperfection. Also maybe, strategically playing smarter and eliminating low percentage choice. Essentially staying within your game, not frantically trying to change something which you can’t do.

We all have the skills for this; however, it requires awareness, observation, and being open. It would require the player to trust their instincts, intuition and process. No longer forcing, rather approaching competition not as a threat but as a challenge from a calmer, clearer and more grounded place. Essentially doing less but being more. Basically, doing the basics better.

This track recognizes that we are good enough and our charge actually lies in getting out of our way, letting our light shine, and maximizing not just the physical tools but, also the mental. If we are honest with ourselves. We all can benefit one way or another by slowing down and taking the time to accept, breathe, and be curious. This momentary pause will create clarity in the face challenges. It will help to be more resilient and allow you to respond to situations with choice.

You are first and foremost a whole human; sport is what you do, not who you are. What I call a Whole Human Athletes. The charge is to bring your heart, energy, and spirit to what you do. The journey is not about perfection, it’s not personal, there’s nothing to prove. Just play.

Next time you notice yourself overtrying; take a step back, pause, to take a breath. Feel your feet connecting to the ground. You can even ask yourself… What would it feel like if my jaw was loose? Notice how you loosen up. Then bring your attention to a calming image or sight in your visual field (i.e. a tree beyond the court).

Recognize, there is no need to over try and do more, rather just do what you’re doing a bit better. Trust yourself, your game, and give your best. Just play.

Rob Polishook, MA, CPC is the founder of Inside the Zone Sports Performance Group. As a mental training coach, he works with the whole human athlete helping them to unleash their mental edge (heart.energy.spirit) through mindfulness, somatic psychology, animal wisdom and mental training skills. Rob is author of 2 best-selling books: Tennis Inside the Zone and Baseball Inside the Zone: Mental Training Workouts for Champions. He can be reached by phone at (973) 723-0314, by e-mail rob@insidethezone.com, by visiting insidethezone.com, following on Instagram @insidethezone

Guide to the Top Tennis Apparel Providers

High Country Ski & Tennis

465 West Mount Pleasant Avenue l Livingston, N.J. l (973) 994-3630 HighCountrySkiAndTennis.com

High Country Ski & Tennis is one of New Jersey’s premier tennis specialty shops. In existence for more than 30 years, High Country has New Jersey’s largest tennis showroom from March through September, and it is shrunk down in the winter months to focus on skiing and snowboarding. High Country prides itself on providing the best in clothing, equipment and customer service. As Owner Bill Silverman says, “Our philosophy is to promote the game of tennis as much as our own company.” High Country carries the top manufactures and clothing providers in tennis, including Wilson, Babolat, Head, Nike, Adidas and many more. High Country offers 24-hour racket stringing, grommet installs, re-gripping and free demos. With great customer service and competitive prices, High Country continues to grow each year.

For more information, call (973) 994-3630 or visit HighCountrySkiAndTennis.com.

PGA Tour Superstore

1254 Corporate Drive l Westbury, N.Y. l (516) 824-3000 PGATourSuperstore.com/Tennis

PGA Tour Superstore is more than just a hub for golf lovers and is quickly making its tennis presence felt on Long Island. Located at 1254 Corporate Drive in Westbury, N.Y., PGA Tour Superstore has everything tennis players and fans are looking for, carrying all of the latest tennis rackets and equipment from the top names in tennis, including Prince, Babolat, Head, Wilson and more. They also carry a wide selection of tennis apparel and footwear from leading brands, such as Adidas, Asics and Nike, as well as grips, strings and other accessories PGA Tour Superstore offers on-site stringing and its expert staff are players just like you, so they can help you out with any questions on stringing and products, and make sure you walk away with the product that is right for you.

PGA Tour Superstore hosts in-house events and fundraisers year-round, and can help customize your event or tournament by offering gift cards, products, memberships and much more.

For more information on the products and services the PGA Tour Superstore offers, call (516) 824-3000 or visit 62 Long Island Tennis Magazine • July/August 2022 PGATourSuperstore.com/Tennis. • LITennisMag.com

Guide to the Top Tennis Apparel Providers

SPORTIME Pro Shops

Locations across Long Island and New York City l (888) NY-TENNIS SportimeNY.com

From Randall’s Island to Amagansett to Roslyn, Lynbrook and Syosset in between, SPORTIME is host to state-of-the-art Tennis Pro Shops with staff dedicated to helping you find all the gear you need to make us a great tennis match, on and off the court! While each store has its own identity catering to its local clientele, every store has a huge selection of tennis apparel and accessories including racquets, strings, bags, grips, and footwear from the best brands: Head, Wilson, Babolat, Yonex, Solinco, Luxilon, Tecnifibre, Nike, Asics, Lucky-in-Love, Sofibella, Lija and more. SPORTIME’s knowledgeable staff is standing by to help you find whatever you need to get you playing your best tennis. In the rare instance that they don’t have an item in stock, they will get it from another SPORTIME location. However, in the event that SPORTIME does not have the item, they will do our best to order it for you.

When it comes to five-star service, SPORTIME provides 24-hour stringing, grommet replacement and racket re-gripping. Demo rackets are available for free or for a small fee that will apply towards the purchase of a new racket depending on the club.

For more information about SPORTIME’s Pro Shops or to inquire about programs, lessons and court times, call (888) NY-TENNIS

Tennis East

73 Main Street l Southampton, N.Y. l (631) 283-9535 TennisEastSH@gmail.com l TennisEast.com

For more than 50 years, Tennis East has been the year-round, full-service tennis store of choice for East End racket sport enthusiasts. Tennis East offers an extensive selection of men’s, women’s and junior’s rackets, apparel, sneakers, strings and accessories for players of all ages and skill levels. More so, Tennis East carries a complete line of 10 & Under Tennis equipment, so that kids will have more fun playing tennis.

Tennis East carries the most popular and latest product arrivals, so that its customers can use the same gear that the top tennis pros are using. The store stocks a full line of Nike, Adidas, FILA, Babolat, Wilson and Head products. In addition, Tennis East has expanded its women’s apparel offering to include several new fashion designers.

Guide to the Top Tennis Apparel Providers

Allow Tennis East’s knowledgeable and friendly team members to assist you choose the proper new tennis, paddle or pickleball racket to elevate your game. Tennis East has an extensive selection of rackets to demo and all daily fee charges will be credited towards your new adult racket purchase.

Tennis East continues to string all customer and demo racquets on the Wilson Baiardo, which is the state-of-the-art stringing machine on the market.

Tennis East is the conveniently located, one-stop shop for all your racquet sport needs, and is committed to providing personalized service, professional advice, competitive pricing and a unique shopping experience. Please look for special offers on Tennis East’s social network sites. For more information, contact Tennis East by phone at (631) 283-9535 or e-mail TennisEast@optonline.net.

TopSpin Tennis & Fitness

218 Jericho Turnpike l Syosset, N.Y. l (516) 364-9470

TopSpin Tennis & Fitness is Nassau County’s top tennis specialty shop. TopSpin relocated five years ago and is now centrally located at 218 Jericho Turnpike in Syosset, N.Y., directly across from Syosset Hospital. TopSpin provides one-hour expert stringing at both facilities. Known as the home of “Clothes for the Pros,” TopSpin has been serving Long Island tennis pros and players with equipment and the top fashion in the sport for more than 30 years. TopSpin’s staff is known for its expertise and high-quality service. You will find all the premier tennis brands of equipment, apparel and shoes at TopSpin for the whole family, including Nike, Adidas, K-Swiss, Asics, Babolat, Wilson, Head, Prince and many more. TopSpin carries the actual outfits and footwear worn at the U.S. Open and other major events by Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

TopSpin carries a full line of fitness and workout apparel and running shoes, so you can go from the court to the gym in style. Their racket wall contains a large selection of frames, bags and accessories at great prices. Your racket can be strung while you wait. TopSpin’s staff will ensure that, with the right equipment, you will reach your highest potential as a player and just as importantly, look great too.

For more information, visit TopSpinTennisLI.com.

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