Long Island Tennis Magazine May / June 2016 by United Sports Publications

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

LIMITED AVAILABILITY • LIMITED AVAILABILITY • LIMITED AVAILABILITY • LIMITED AVAILABILITY • LIMITED AVAILABILITY • LIMITED AVAILABILITY • LIMITED AVAILABILI

arl g C t n tac a spri his n o C nd as ce e n t o t n i to a sess xperie S e ALP st to camp gue what like is

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com

SUMMER 2016

Summer Camp 2016 FROM JUNE 27TH - AUGUST 19TH DAILY AND WEEKLY PRICING AVAILABLE

he Early Hit Training Center is pleased to announce its 14th Annual Junior Summer Tennis Camp. Our comprehensive program will provide your child with all the resources necessary to reach his/her maximum tennis potential. The Early Hit Training Center incorporates all aspects of the game into our complete program. We begin each session with a nutritionally complete and balanced shake from Court 7, our on-premises restaurant and smoothie bar. After a thorough warm-up, the student will work through the core components of tennis, including stroke production, drilling and physical ﬁtness tranining, before breaking for a healthy lunch. We then move onto playing dynamics and strategy, and reinforce these lessons with focused match play. A thorough cool-down and stretching session completes a world-class day of tennis for your child. With our team of renowned tennis teaching professionals, experienced physical conditioning trainers, movement experts and on-site chef, the Early Hit Training Center offers a unique and total tennis experience. Ask About Campo Mas

FALL 2016

Junior Alps Program "ALPS" is a program for High Aptitude Learners.

he Early Hit Training Center is pleased to announce it's 15th season of group training. This comprehensive program will provide your child with all the resources necessary to reach his/her maximum tennis potential. The Early Hit Training Center incorporates all aspects of the game into our complete program. After a thorough warm-up, the student will work through the core components of tennis, including stroke production and drilling. We then move onto playing dynamics and strategy, and reinforce these lessons with focused match play. A session starts or ﬁnishes with an hour of conditioning. Come experience our team of renowned tennis teaching professionals, conditioning trainers and movement experts. TUESDAY 6:00pm - 8:30pm • 7:30pm - 10:00 pm SATURDAY 8:00am - 10:30am SUNDAY 8:00 am - 10:30am • 3:30pm - 6:00 pm

in Jo w! No

Hand & Upper Extremities

Shoulder

Spine

Elbow Hip

Knee

Foot & Ankle

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Table Of Contents Azarenka’s Ascent By Brian Coleman

Victoria Azarenka storms back to challenge Serena for the top spot, cracking the top leave her mark on Roland Garros. See page 22

Featured Stories 18 LITM’s 2016 Guide to Top Tennis Apparel Providers A closer look at the area’s top tennis equipment and apparel providers, including Grand Slam Tennis, High Country Ski and Tennis, Solow Sports, Tennis East and TopSpin Tennis & Fitness.

26 2016 French Open Preview A closer look at the men’s and women’s fields as the second Grand Slam of 2016 is played on the clay courts of Roland Garros.

34 Beyond the Baseline: Bill Levin of TopSpin Tennis & Fitness

Features 12 17 21 38

39 40 41 42 53 56 61 63

Cryotherapy: Enter the New Age of Athletic Recovery Tennis History Runs Deep at The Hamlet Golf and Country Club Glam Slam Gear Brings Style Both On and Off the Court McEnroe, McHale Host Youth Tennis Clinic to Kick Off NY Empire Season Roddick and Wozniacki Appearances Highlight Inaugural NY Empire WTT Schedule USTA Eastern LI Region Kicks Off Adult Season With Captain’s Party U.S. Open National Playoffs Giving Players Chance to Play in 2016 U.S. Open Bethpage Park Hosts Annual High School Coaches Workshop In Memoriam: Sol Schwartz (1970-2016) Inwood Country Club: A Shining South Shore Summer Destination Peaking an Athlete’s Performance: Don’t Let Pain Keep You From Your Passion … Donnay Releases Xenecore SuperLite Racket

2 2

Long Island Tennis Magazine is published bi-monthly by United Sports

MAY/JUN 2016 Vol 8, No 3

litennis Long Island Tennis Magazine

MAGAZINE

Long Island Tennis Magazine 1220 Wantagh Avenue • Wantagh, NY 11793-2202 Phone: (516) 409-4444 • Fax: (516) 409-4600 Web site: www.litennismag.com

Staff

p five and dominating the WTA Tour as she looks to

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

64 70

Monfils and Serena Winners in NYC at BNP Paribas Showdown The Advantages of Playing Down By Jimmy Delevante

Featured Columns 4 8 10 14 46 54 55 57 58 59 60 62 66

73 74 76 80 81 82 85

At the Net With Gigi Fernandez Sportime World Tour Stops in Indian Wells Across Long Island … News and Notes From Across the L.I. Tennis Community Court Six: Long Island Tennis Magazine’s Gossip Column By Emilie Katz USTA Eastern Long Island Region Update: 26th Annual Awards Dinner Journal Tips From the Tennis Pro: Four Things Great Players Do By Carl Barnett Twenty Tournament Tennis Truths By Steven Kaplan The Jensen Zone: 2016—The Year in Gear and in Scandal By Luke Jensen It’s Not About the Score By Rob Polishook, MA, CPC Tennis Injury Prevention: Three Signs of an Achilles Tendon Injury By Dr. Charles Ruotolo, MD, FAAOS Adult League Wrap-Up By Kathy Miller College Tennis Spotlight: Mythbusters By Ricky Becker Fitness & Nutrition: Strength and Conditioning for Tennis By Dr. Brian DeVeaux, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS and Eating Right Doesn’t Have to be Complicated By Irina Belfer-Lehat, RD, CDN The Seven Commandments of Tennis By Dr. Tom Ferraro Win the Moment By Lonnie Mitchel Long Island Tennis Magazine’s Charitable Initiatives Long Island Tennis Magazine’s College Roundup Long Island Tennis Club Directory Long Island Rankings USTA/Long Island Region 2016 Tournament Schedule

Joey Arendt Managing Art Director Brian Coleman Senior Editor (516) 409-4444, ext. 326 • brianc@usptennis.com Francine Miller Advertising Coordinator (516) 409-4444, ext. 301 • francinem@usptennis.com Casey Lynn Director of Business Development (516) 409-4444, ext. 315 • caseyl@usptennis.com Emilie Katz Assistant Marketing Coordinator Scott Koondel VP of Operations (516) 409-4444, ext. 324

Sidney Beal III Staff Photographer

Lee Seidner Staff Photographer

Gabi Sklar Intern

Jenn Keneiby Intern

Emma Fein Intern

Advertising To receive any information regarding advertising rates, deadlines, and requirements, call (516) 409-4444 or e-mail info@usptennis.com. Article Submissions/Press Releases To submit any material, including articles and press releases, please call (516) 409-4444 or e-mail info@usptennis.com. The deadline for submissions is the first of the month preceding the target issue. Subscriptions To receive subscription information, contact (516) 409-4444 or e-mail info@usptennis.com or check out our Web site: www.litennismag.com. Fax subscription changes to (516) 409-1600. Statements of fact and opinion in Long Island Tennis Magazine are the responsibility of the authors alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of United Sports Publications Ltd. Long Island Tennis Magazine reserves the right to edit, reject and/or postpone the publication of any articles, information or data.

at the net wit h

g i g i

igi Fernandez was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico and began playing the sport of tennis at an early age. Her hard work and talent led her to the University of Clemson, eventually becoming the first female athlete from Puerto Rico to turn professional. She became one of the greatest doubles players of all-time, winning 17 Grand Slam titles and two Olympic Gold Medals. Fernandez has been extremely active since retiring from the tour pursuing her life’s mission of sharing her knowledge of doubles. She directs the adult curriculum at Chelsea Piers where she developed The Gigi Method. She also conducts Master Doubles with Gigi clinics and is establishing Gigi Fernandez Teaching Centers throughout the country. She is also director of tennis at The Long Ridge Tennis Club in North Stamford, Conn. during the summer.

When did you first start playing tennis and how did you get into the sport? I started playing when I was about threeyears-old at a club my parents and older brothers played at. I wasn’t old enough to play, so I started hitting against a wall. I always had exceptional hand-eye coordina4

f e r n a n d e z

tion, and was able to start rallying at just three-years-old. I used an adult racket, which isn’t normal today with all the 10 and Under programs, but that’s how I got started. When did you realize tennis was something you could do professionally? I had a pretty good junior career in Puerto Rico. There wasn’t a whole lot of competition, so I was always number one in my category. Because the Puerto Rican Tennis Association was part of the United States Tennis Association, I would get entry into national tournaments where a few college coaches saw something special. I received a full scholarship to play at Clemson University, and that’s when I first realized I could play professionally. As a freshman, I made it to the NCAA finals and lost to Beth Herr in a third-set tiebreaker. She was ranked 27th in the world at that time, and if I could go to 7-6 in the third with a player like that, I thought I could have a chance on the pro tour. I got my ranking up to 85th in the world in singles and decided to turn pro.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com

Was tennis popular in Puerto Rico at that time and how has your success changed that? Tennis wasn’t big at all when I was growing up. It was not shown on TV, and I had no role models. I was the first Puerto Rican female athlete to make a living playing a sport. I had to blaze my own trail, which I embraced with a passion, and now Hispanic girls throughout the world have several role models, including myself, Mary Jo Fernandez, Gabriella Sabatini and many other Span-

ish players. We have a great current player in Monica Puig, and there were two other girls who cracked the top 100 on the tour since I played. Not bad for a small island! What was the highlight of your playing career? The highlight of my career was definitely

winning the Olympic Gold Medal. The difference between that and other big tournaments is that you are playing for your country, and everyone follows the Olympics. When I came home after winning Wimbledon, not many people paid attention to that, but they did when I won the Gold Medal at the Olympics.

What was your favorite tournament to play in? The Australian Open. There is something about being on the other side of the world. The pressure wasn’t as high as some of the other Grand Slams and Australians are super-friendly. It’s a great country. They continued on page 6

JOHN McENROE TENNIS ACADEMY TRYOUT FULL SCHOLARSHIPS WILL BE AWARDED! SPORTIME SYOSSET | JUNE 9, 2016 | 5:00PM-8:00PM Aspiring tennis players, ages 6-16, try out for a chance to earn a scholarship to Long Island’s Premier Tennis Training Program The John McEnroe Tennis Academy! Register online: www.SportimeNY.com/JMTAScholarship NOAH RUBIN, JMTA/SPORTIME PLAYER World No. 190, Wimbledon Boys Champion 2014

Winning ... it’s in our DNA

364-2727

SportimeNY.com/STM

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

at the net continued from page 5 treat the players really well. It’s really fun to be over there and I had some really great experiences Down Under. You were such a great doubles player, winning 17 Grand Slams over the course of your career. What is the key to being successful at doubles? It’s really just about understanding the game of doubles because it is so different than playing singles. It’s about understanding positioning, where you should be standing, where your partner is standing and what type of shot to use in a particular situation, and of course, being a good communicator. Do you think it’s important for junior players to play both singles and doubles growing up? I definitely think it’s important for juniors to play doubles. Doubles tennis is all that most adults play when they get past the

age of 30. Many come to the game later in life, having played juniors, but not fully understanding the game of doubles. It’s a shame that we don’t do a better job of teaching doubles in the United States. That’s why I’m really trying to be proactive about sharing my knowledge of doubles, how to teach it properly and how to help people be passionate about it. Where do you currently teach and how are you being proactive in teaching doubles? My goal in life is to “share my knowledge of doubles,” and I do that in many ways. My main job is at Chelsea Piers, where I am senior consultant and touring pro. I am responsible for the adult tennis curriculum, training pros and ensuring cohesive instruction throughout the facility. I also travel around the country, conducting Master Doubles With Gigi Clinics. In doing that, I realized that I teach doubles differently than anyone else,

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com

so I developed the “Gigi Method,” which helps players better understand the doubles game. People have really taken a liking to it, so I am expanding that in two ways: One is through a Doubles Boot Camp, where people can come in and learn everything they need to know about doubles in one weekend. The first Boot Camp will be held at Chelsea Piers, Friday-Sunday, June 24-26. I partnered with Dr. Mark Kovacs for this event and it will be a once in a lifetime opportunity for the participants. The second is through the Gigi Fernandez Teaching Center, where I license my name and method to clubs, train their pros on how to deliver it to their clients, with the shared goal of helping people achieve success. I’m also active in the conference speaking circuit, speaking at many USPTA and USTA regional and national conventions. As director of tennis at The Long Ridge Club in North Stamford, Conn., about a mile from the New York border, I will continue to share my passion for the doubles game with members and non-members alike. Everyone is welcomed, and I hope to see you there.

500 CASH PRIZE $

Men’s Pro Doubles Division

litennis MAGAZINE

Tennis CHALLENGE Long Island Tennis Magazine

Presents

The Long Island

Saturday, May 21st

(Rain Date: Sunday, May 22nd) 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Men’s and Women’s Amateur Check in: 8:30 a.m. • Tournament: 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Men’s Pro Check in: 1:00 p.m. • Tournament: 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m.

Engineers Country Club 55 Glenwood Rd., Roslyn, NY 11576

Tournaments will have 3 categories: • Men’s Pro (5.0+) • Men’s Amateur • Women’s Amateur (All Divisions Are Doubles)

$60 per person Participants will be able to win great prizes including tennis tickets, apparel, gift bags, gift cards and much more. Winners will receive a spotlight article and photo in Long Island Tennis Magazine

Food & Drinks Provided

To register go to: https://nmpmag.wufoo.com/forms/li-tennis-magazine-challenge-2016/ For more information, contact Info@usptennis.com or call 516-409-4444 LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Photo credit: Brian Coleman & Emma Fein

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com

Sportime World Tour Stops In Indian Wells ith the BNP Paribas Open taking place in California, the Sportime World Tour continued its trek through the world’s tournaments, with an Indian Wells-themed event at Sportime Syosset. The stop was the first on the Sportime World Tour in 2016 and it did not disappoint. There were tennis courts packed with kids of all levels throughout the day, DJ Curtis keeping everybody entertained with music and contests, delicious food, and even a bounce house. “We wanted to create an event that was more about the actual event than winning or losing,” said Jason Wass, the director of the Sportime World Tour. “It’s all about fun.

We have food, prizes, a DJ and Long Island Tennis Magazine was here. The kids get to play a lot of tennis, but it’s really about having a good time on the tennis court as opposed to just wins or losses. That’s the major philosophy on the World Tour and what we are doing with our U10 programs as well.” Each World Tour participant was given their own individual passport when they enter the facility, giving the event an international feeling. Parents were able to watch their kids take part in various drills on the courts, and also enjoy the food, music and other entertainment the Sportime World Tour offers. “I like it,” said Josh Berger while his son Zach was on court. “It’s a great way to

bring kids from surrounding areas in here and play tennis … it’s a fun event!” “It was very enjoyable,” said Sportime World Tour participant Kayla Castellano. “I love that we were able to hit a lot and use a full court instead of just half of it.” The event is the product of Sportime’s philosophy on early tennis development and their programs for young players. “We want to get as many kids playing as possible,” said Wass. “This creates a pathway for them to get into tournaments and not feel the pressure. We have a lot of people who say: ‘I’m not ready to play.’ This event is based on level, so everyone is ready to play out of the gate. That way, even our brand new players can come participate in the World Tour.”

w www.hartru.com ww.hartru.com

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Across Long Isla Cold Spring Harbor’s Battaglia headed to Yale

Manhasset’s Amanda Foo commits to Stony Brook Former Manhasset standout Amanda Foo will be keeping her talents on Long Island for her college career. Foo, who led Manhasset to the 2015 Nassau County Championship, committed to play her college tennis at Stony Brook University next fall.

Cold Spring Harbor’s Madison Battaglia has made the decision to continue her tennis career at Yale University. “I just had a large number of opportunities and a lot of great offers, so it was difficult to choose,” Battaglia told TennisRecruiting.net. “But I just liked Yale the best because the team, the coaches and the professors were so nice and welcoming. They just had a vibe about them that made them different from every other school that I visited.”

Carefree hosts egg hunt Carefree Racquet Club hosted an Egg Hunt for its QuickStart Tot Program. The program’s children hunted for eggs filled with candies throughout the courts to kick off the spring season.

Sportime Massapequa crowns winners in 7.0 Mixed Doubles event Sportime Massapequa recently played host to a 7.0 Mixed-Doubles tournament. After an exciting day of tennis, Wai Chiu-Leong & Ellie Wang (pictured left) defeated the team of Jung Park & Jessica Fu (pictured right) in the finals to capture the 7.0 Mixed-Doubles Championship.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com

and

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

Great Neck’s Michele Lehat enjoying stellar freshman campaign

Peak Performance’s John Finneran visits Long Beach’s Career Day

Great Neck’s Michele Lehat has enjoyed a wonderful freshman campaign with Brandeis University in Massachusetts. Lehat, who played at Great Neck North High School, was a big part of a recent three-match winning streak for Brandeis, winning all of her third singles matches.

Peak Performance Physical Therapy was on hand at Long Beach High School’s recent Career Day. John Finneran, a physical therapist who treats patients at Peak Performance’s Island Park, N.Y. location, visited the Career Day to discuss the different career paths that Peak Performance offers.

Local collegians find home court at Point Set Point Set Tennis in Oceanside, N.Y. has played host to some college tennis over the past few months. The men’s and women’s tennis teams from both Hofstra University and Adelphi University have played many of its home matches at Point Set in their spring seasons, demonstrating the connection between local clubs and Long Island’s top colleges.

National Tennis Center welcomes 100-plus from Cultural Arts Academy Charter School The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center recently welcomed more than 100 students from the Cultural Arts Academy Charter School for a day of tennis, fun and excitement.

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Cryotherapy: Enter the New Age of Athletic Recovery

he world of athletics is always looking for new and innovative ways to enhance performance and decrease recovery time for injuries. Most athletes, across all sports, have used ice to decrease inflammation following a performance. Some hop in ice baths for long periods of time after a game and baseball pitchers throw bags of ice onto their arms after pitching.

While these methods are effective, they may be a bit archaic. A new technology is expediting this process by accessing the same medical responses within the body: Cryotherapy. “Cryotherapy is when a person goes into an enclosed cryosauna, and the temperature gets very cold: -240 degrees,” said Dr. Konstantinos Zarkadas at KryoMed LI, located at 369 Glen Cove Road in Greenvale,

N.Y. “It’s the coldest place on Earth.” A person or patient enters the enclosed chamber for just three minutes, while the body does the work. “What that does is trigger your body that it is freezing and it’s going to die. It turns on the fight or flight responses, which produces hormones like epinephrine and endorphins to keep the body alive, shuttling the blood from the extremities to the vital

T E N N I S

R U S H

Come play where the surf applauds every shot. The Seaside Tennis Club at the legendary Mauna Kea Beach Hotel on Hawaii Island. 866.977.4589 I MaunaKeaBeachHotel.com Director of Tennis, Craig T. Paulter

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com

organs,” Dr. Zarkadas added. “Afterwards, you do a little exercise on the treadmill or elliptical to get warmed up, and all that oxygen-enriched blood leaves the core organs and goes back to the extremities, creating a sort of euphoria and reducing the inflammation.” What separates some Cryotherapy practices from others is that the medical supervision, something that is essential for safety purposes. “The medical supervision is incredibly important. You need to understand what can happen to somebody in that temperature,” said Dr. Zarkadas. “Your body increases your blood pressure by 10 percent, so if you have high blood pressure or heart problems for instance, things like a stroke or heart attack can happen.” Since the technology is still new, the government has yet to come up with regulations, allowing some of these practices to open up without medical supervision. At KryoMed, you are required to undergo a free medical consultation or clearance from a personal doctor prior to undergoing the therapy, as well as getting checked

out afterwards. “Before you even go in there, you have to be cleared. Before every session, we take your blood pressure. It’s all about safety,” said Dr. Zarkadas. “This is the reason it’s medically supervised. We go over everything to avoid any accidents and to make sure the therapy is right for you.” Cryotherapy has benefits beyond just recovery for athletes. It can help with cellulite reduction, boosted metabolism promoting weight loss, production of collagen and anti-aging. This new technology is being used by

some of the world’s top athletes, and can serve as a more efficient and effective way to recover from injuries, as well as numerous other benefits in a safe, supervised manner. “Athletes jump into ice baths and they try to get their inflammation down in one to two hours, but it’s tough to stay in there that long,” Dr. Zarkadas added. “Here at KryoMed LI, we reach that same solution in three minutes. This helps athletes get back onto the court or field faster and it’s all about the safety of our patients.” For more information, visit KryoMedLI.com.

Competitive Training, World-Class Education Ross School Tennis Academy (RSTA) and Junior Tennis Academy (RSJTA) offer dynamic programs for junior tennis players (grades 7–12) that combine a challenging global curriculum with the highest level of competitive tennis training available.

631-907-5162 TENNISACADEMY@ROSS.ORG WWW.ROSS.ORG /TENNISACADEMY

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Townsend battles 69-year-old

Gail Falkenburg has scored a major victory for senior citizens everywhere. The 69year-old Falkenberg took on 20-year-old Taylor Townsend at the ITF 25K tournament in Pelham, Ala. Townsend won the match 6-0, 6-0, but Falkenberg won 12

E M I L I E

KAT Z

points throughout the match against her opponent, 49 years her junior.

Federer injured giving kids a bath

Djokovic the matchmaker

Roger Federer had the first surgery of his tennis career back in February to repair torn cartilage in his knee. The injury wasn’t caused on the court, however, as Federer said it happened while he was preparing a bath for his twin daughters. “It was a very simple movement, probably a movement I’ve done a million times in my life,” said Federer. “I didn’t think much of it when it did happen.”

Besides his own winning on the court, world number one Novak Djokovic helped a lucky fan ask his date to prom at the recent Miami Open. With help of Djokovic, she said yes.

USTA joins First Family for annual Easter Egg Hunt

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama hosted the annual White House Easter Egg Roll for the final time, as the Obamas will be out of office at the end of this year. USTA President Katrina Adams, James Blake and Sloane Stephens were just some of the names on hand for the event, which encourages kids to be active. 14

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com

Cibulkova not missing Maria

While many fans around the world have missed Maria Sharapova since she has been indefinitely suspended by the ITF due to her positive drug test at the Australian Open, there is at least one of Sharapova’s fellow tour members who doesn’t: Dominika Cibulkova. In an interview with a Slovakian sports magazine and translated by many media outlets, Cibulkova said: “I didn’t make any statement, as I didn’t want to be the only person to openly say what they think about this case. I will only say that I don’t feel sorry at all for Sharapova and I don’t miss her on the tour. She’s a totally unlikeable person. Arrogant, conceited and cold. When I sit beside her in the locker room, she won’t even say hello.”

Bringing Battle of the Sexes to the big screen

Credit: Fox Searchlight Pictures

Shooting has begun for the Hollywood adaptation of the Battle of the Sexes movie which highlights the infamous match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in 1972. The film stars Emma Stone as Billie Jean King and Steve Carell as Bobby Riggs.

Venus Williams (@VenusesWilliams): Today at practice @volvocarsopen I decided to mix collections and colors, our new apricot color …

Justin Gimelstob (@JustinGimelstob): Never too early to explain to your boy the legendary teachings of Coach John Wooden! @ UCLA

Tweets from the pros

Serena Williams (@SerenaWilliams): #kobebryant I’m in tears. Congrats Kobe Bryant. You inspire every athlete for a lifetime.

Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal): Thank you all for your support. Very happy for this win and now it’s time to celebrate it with the team. continued on page 16

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

court six continued from page 15 Christina McHale (@ChristinaMcHale): Let’s go Heels!!!! #tb

Mardy Fish (@MardyFish): Here we go @Twins

Ana Ivanovic (@AnaIvanovic): Loving my new stripes. The new Roland Garros collection by Y-3. Thank @adidastennis #RG16 #CreateYourMark

GER

Caroline Wozniacki (@CaroWozniacki): My morning view! #keepgrinding #gettingstronger #monaco #mondays #gym

John Isner (@JohnIsner): #Magill and I are so thankful for our relationship with @HelloNulo, keeping him fit and healthy. #NationalPuppyDay

Noah Rubin (@Noahrubin33): The true New Yorker secretly believes that people living anywhere else have to be, in some sense, kidding.

TIGER TENNIS AND SWIM DAY CAMP at LIU Post 8 WEEK PROGRAM • JUNE 27TH - AUGUST 19TH

EN NI

From 6 year old beginner to 17 year old recreational or competitive player, take advantage of the expertise of a college coach and have the experience that you won’t forget. CAMP INCLUDES Warm up, group activities, coordination exercises, tennis instruction and games. Free swim supervised by a certiﬁed lifeguard. Lunch served in the LIU Post Cafeteria and supervised free play on the tennis courts or adjacent ﬁelds. Match play, point and strategy development, team competitions.

Walter Giacometti, Head Coach LIU Post Tennis • 646-339-6450 • walter@tigertennisacademy.com CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE AT www.Tiger-Tennis.com

LIKE US AT TIGER TENNIS CAMP

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com

@Aga Radwanska (@ARadwanska): Good fun shooting with @babolat today. Not bad scenery

Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole): Excited! So many great athletes will be at the @LaureusSport awards ceremony. Always wearing #SneakersforGood Eugenie Bouchard (@GenieBouchard): Can’t wait to wear these babies #mambaday #justdoit

Roger Federer (@RogerFederer): Tennis with a view

Nick Bollettieri (@NickBollettieri): With @IMGAcademy alumnus @dhantuchova @MiamiOpen. She’s the best!

Bethanie MattekSands (@BMattek): USA!! USA!! USA!! @CoCoVandey @ChristinaMcHale @Madison_Keys @maryjblige and Anne Marie photo bomb @USFedCupTeam

Tennis History Runs Deep at The Hamlet Golf and Country Club f you are a tennis player on Long Island, you have probably heard of The Hamlet Golf and Country Club, located at 1 Clubhouse Drive in Commack, N.Y. A rich history and current exciting tennis programming make it one of the most popular destinations for tennis enthusiasts looking for great amenities in a private country club setting. In the past, the prestigious Hamlet Cup Tennis Tournament was hosted at The Hamlet. The Hamlet Cup was used as a warm-up for the U.S. Open for more than 16 years. The eight Hamlet tennis courts have been graced by world renowned players such as Martina Navratilova, Tracy Austin, Boris Becker and Michael Chang, just to name a few. Today, The Hamlet still boasts six immaculate hard courts, one with stadium seating, as well as two clay courts—all lit for evening play. With such a history and beautiful environment in which to enjoy the game, last season, The Hamlet put together an exciting new membership. The Tennis and Pool Club Membership offers access to tennis and the pool for the warmer months and is available to both individuals and families. This Membership gives access to all the Tennis and Pool amenities as well as the Cabana Bar and Cafe and last year proved to be a great way to spend the summer months. The Hamlet Golf and Country Club was only purchased in June of 2011 by ClubCorp, a Dallas-based company known as “The World Leader of Private Golf and Country Clubs.” This exciting procurement led to a multi-million dollar renovation, including improvements to the clubhouse,

pool area, tennis courts and $1 million in renovations to the golf course last year alone. ClubCorp’s refreshing philosophy of what the modern Country Club looks like is drawing attention to The Hamlet from Manhattan to Montauk. The Hamlet’s General Manager Jon Cheshire feels strongly about the relationship between The Hamlet Golf and Country Club and the surrounding community. ClubCorp’s and Hamlet’s motto of “Building Relationships and Enriching Lives” reaches even further than its membership. Now where the tennis legends of the past once warmed up

for the U.S. Open, the stars of tomorrow are cutting their teeth at the Hamlet. If you are interested in learning more about the new, exciting Hamlet Golf and Country Club, you may contact Membership Director Hillary Epstein at the Club at (631) 499-5200 or e-mail Hillary.Epstein@OurClub.com.

Come in and Celebrate Summer Tennis savings! Don’t forget to tune your game up with: New Racquet, New Tennis Outfit and Tennis Sneakers, Restring and Regrip! On the spot racquet stringing available (1 hour or less) $0.."$, 30"% t $0.."$, (1/2 MILE SOUTH OF JERICHO TPKE)

631-499-6444

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Grand Slam Tennis 214 Commack Road Commack, N.Y. (631) 499-6444 What are specialty stores? Specialty stores are a place to go and receive extensive, dedicated, and welcoming services that do not include the click of a mouse while sitting at your computer desk or on your phone. Jim and Chase Donnelly are the proud owners and operators of Grand Slam Tennis and have been for 30 years! With the help of Jim’s son Chase managing Grand Slam, Jim has had the opportunity to expand his interest in growing tennis. Grand Slam is a welcoming environment for any tennis player, whether you’re a recreational, club or tournament level. Their services provide an array of possibilities: Tennis racquet, badminton, squash and racquetball re-stringing/re-gripping, tennis attire (women’s, men’s and children’s), tennis tutor ball machines (sales, services and trials), tennis nets, ball hoppers, tennis bags, tennis racquet sales, tennis sneakers, accessories, and a whole lot more. Grand Slam Tennis is 1,800-square feet of tennis equipment, with one side dedicated solely to tennis attire, and the other as pictured to tennis racquets, sneakers and four top of the line stringing machines. Your experience at Grand Slam Tennis is guaranteed to be different from any other store. The staff is very experienced, knowledgeable and willing to help. When looking to buy a tennis racquet or ball machine, you are able to demo the equipment through our demo program. The demo program is geared toward the player, and is based on your feedback; therefore, you can be guided in the right direction in purchasing the right racquet for you. At the point of purchase, all of your information is stored in the computer database for future reference. See you on the court!

High Country Ski and Tennis 465 West Mount Pleasant Avenue Livingston, N.J. (973) 994-3630 HighCountrySkiAndTennis.com High Country Ski and Tennis is one New Jersey’s premier tennis specialty shops. In existence for more than 27 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, Prince, 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.

Long Island Tennis Maga-

Solow Sports Tennis East 347A Main Street 73 Main Street Huntington, N.Y. Southampton, N.Y. (631) 629-4940 (631) 283-9535 SolowSports.com TennisEast@optonline.net Solow Sports is not your typical racket shop! The experience For more than 44 years, Tennis East has been the year-round, begins with its staff which consists solely of players, coaches full-service tennis store of choice for East End racket sport enand tour stringers to help you find exactly what you are looking thusiasts. Tennis East offers an extensive selection of men’s, for. A vast array of rackets are available from all leading brands, women’s and junior’s rackets, apparel, sneakers, strings and as well as some rare manufacturers that you won’t find anyaccessories for players of all ages and skill levels. More so, Tenwhere else. You can even test the rackets in the on-site serving nis East carries a complete line of 10 and Under Tennis equipcage as they have the largest demo selection on Long Island. ment so that kids will have more fun playing tennis. When it comes to racket stringing, gripping and customizaTennis East carries the most popular and latest product artion, Solow Sports is your go-to place. Rackets are always rivals so that its customers can use the gear that the top tenstrung on the world’s most advanced machines with knowlnis pros are using. The store stocks a full-line of Nike, Wilson, edgeable stringers who have strung for pros on tour. Have your Head, Prince products and more. In addition, we have exgrips meticulously installed, rackets weighted and balanced, panded our women’s apparel offering to include several new grommets replaced, and more. Racket drop-off is available 24/7 fashion designers. for your convenience, as well as on-the-spot stringing within an Allow our knowledgeable and friendly team members to ashour or less. Get the same professional service as your favorite sist you choose the proper new tennis or paddle racquet to eltour player. evate your game. Tennis East has an extensive selection of Find your favorite apparel brand or try a new local manufacrackets to demo and all daily fee charges will be credited toturer with several styles on display. Complete your on-court look wards your new racquet purchase. with huge selections of bags, hats, footwear and more. As a preTennis East continues to string all customer and demo racmier racket sport destination, you will find full equipment lines for quets on the Wilson Baiardo, which is the state-of-the-art platform tennis, racquetball, squash, paddle and even table tenstringing machine on the market. nis. The store features a tournament ping-pong table for cusTennis East is the conveniently located, one-stop shop for tomers to play. all your racquet sport needs. We are committed to providing If that wasn’t enough, Solow Sports enhances the customer personalized service, professional advice, competitive pricing experience with racket pickup and deand a unique shopping experience. Please look for special livery, on-court equipment consultaoffers on Tennis East’s tions, custom racket painting, a full social network sites. For racket diagnostic center, tennis elbow more information, conand injury assessment, sponsorship tact us by phone at (631) opportunities, custom team orders, 283-9535(Southampton) and so much more. Get what you are or e-mail Tennis East at looking for to take your game to the TennisEast@optonline.net. next level in-store and online at SolowSports.com. LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

TopSpin Tennis & Fitness 218 Jericho Turnpike l Syosset, N.Y. (516) 364-9470 TopSpinTennisLI.com TopSpin Pro Shop at Christopher Morley Tennis 500 Searingtown Road l Roslyn, N.Y. (516) 484-4200 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. The second shop is located at the new “Stateof-the-Art” tennis complex at Christopher Morley Tennis at the park in Roslyn/Manhasset. 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. Ask any tennis enthusiast on Long Island and odds are they will be familiar with TopSpin. We are a great destination for tennis and Mother’s Day gifts as well. 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.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com

Glam Slam Gear Brings Style Both On and Off the Court Glam Slam Gear Inc. is a luxury sport and lifestyle company, co-founded by Lisa Olivieri and Meaghan Janedis, two Long Island “Mompreneurs” who are tennis partners and business partners, turning their passion for tennis into a thriving company. The ladies of Glam Slam Gear design and manufacture their product lines in New York City, truly made in the USA. Couture tennis racquet covers made from fine Italian leather were the launch products of Glam Slam Gear, back in May of 2014. Meaghan and Lisa were tired of watching impeccably dressed ladies in brand name tennis gear enter the court with racquets in hand, while juggling keys, phones, wallets and purses. This problem was solved with a fashion solution. Their development of a traditionally-styled tennis racquet cover enables the player to look sleek without compromising necessary gear. Glam Slam Gear’s designs are made for tennis players with busy lives who have a desire to look and play great. All of Glam Slam Gear’s tennis racquet covers easily carry three adult racquets, while the outer pocket holds a phone, wallet, keys and more. They have truly de-

signed a handbag for your racquet! The demand for couture products made in the USA inspired Lisa and Meaghan to expand their business and branch out with new product ideas. In addition to tennis racquet covers, Glam Slam designs clutch purses, tote bags, wristlets and paddle racquet bags. Meaghan and Lisa certainly did not forget about creating a product for their kids. They produce the same tennis racquet cover style in vibrant neon colors using denier nylon for bag construction. K-Slam is what they refer to as their kid couture line of tennis racquet

covers. Having the same design and functionality as the leather couture bags, K-Slam covers are perfect for children enrolled in tennis programs and camps. Parents can now pack their child’s K-Slam cover with all of the necessities for the entire day. They don’t have to worry about their kids losing a racquet or pair of sneakers because it all fits in the bag … it’s a knapsack for their racquet! Glam Slam Gear continues to thrive in the niche market of tennis because each of their product lines bear the same quality and dedication to being practical and elegant. The idea of having couture sporting accessories appeals to many women who have a keen sense of fashion and competition. Unlike many designers, Glam Slam Gear prides themselves on unique fabrics and limited productions of those unique fabrics. Whether it be a vintage scarf or limited edition piece of jewelry, women around the world appreciate possessing a one-of-a-kind treasure to quietly boast about to their friends. It’s never too late to put some GLAM in your SLAM! For more information, visit GlamSlamGear.com.

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

2 0 1 6

F R E N C H

O P E N

P R E V I E W

Azarenka’s Ascent

Strong start to 2016 propels Victoria Azarenka back into the top five B Y B RIA N C O LEMA N

hree years ago, Victoria Azarenka was on the verge of being the most dominant player in the women’s game. She had won two straight Australian Open titles (2012 and 2013) and had reached the number one ranking in the world. But an array of injuries over the next year would halt her success on the court. In that interim, Serena Williams won six of the 12 Grand Slam titles since that 2013 Australian Open, and despite her falling short in the two most recent majors, Serena still reigns as the most dominant player in the women’s game and we have yet to find a consistent challenger. The rest of the top 10 has struggled to maintain consistency as viable threats to the top spot for an extended period of time. Flavia Pennetta won the U.S. Open last summer, and is now since retired, and Angelique Kerber captured the Aus-

tralian Open title in January, but hasn’t shown the consistency to be a mainstay at the top. That is where Azarenka comes back into play. A relatively-injury free 2015 was a positive sign for the Belarusian, and the positives led right into 2016, where she has played some of the best tennis of her career through the first quarter of the year. “I don’t think I am close to fulfilling my potential,” Azarenka said before the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif. “Just to see what I can do on the practice court and

physically what I can improve, I’m far from that. That’s what I’m looking forward to improve.” What her and her coaches saw on the practice court translated to matches. She defeated Serena in the BNP Paribas Open finals, in what can be considered a statement match. It wasn’t just the fact that she defeated Serena in a topflight final, it was the way she did it. Azarenka won the first set 6-4, and then built a commanding 5-1 advantage in the second set. Seemingly on her way to a sure victory, Azarenka allowed the world number one to win three straight games to trim the deficit to 4-5. With Azarenka serving for the match again at 5-4, Serena went ahead 40-15 and had two chances to break and even up the set. But instead of caving in as a lot of players do against Serena, Azarenka showed resilience. She saved those break points and turned her game up in those

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

2 0 1 6

F R E N C H

final points, closing out the match for her first win over Serena since Cincinnati in 2013. “I have to go for it. She’s not the type of player that if you’re going to play it safe she’s going to give it to you or she’s going to miss,” Azarenka said of playing Serena. “You really have to go out there and take it because nothing comes easy.” And that is what makes the Azarenka triumph in Indian Wells so impressive. She went out and took it from Serena, validating the progress she has made over the last couple of years and demonstrating how dominant she can be when she is on her game. The former world number one followed up her win out West by heading to the East Coast and dominating the competition at the Miami Open. She cruised through the tournament without dropping a set, including wins over top players Garbine Muguruza, Johanna Konta and Kerber before bulldozing Svetlana

O P E N

Kuznetsova 6-3, 6-2 in the final. The two wins at the Premier Mandatorylevel events moved Azarenka into special company as she joined Steffi Graf and Kim Clijsters as the only players to complete what is known as the Sunshine Double. “It’s an honor to stand next to those

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com

P R E V I E W amazing champions,” said Azarenka. “This just gives me even more inspiration and motivation to keep working harder.” Azarenka is 22-1 in 2016 (as of print) and now has three titles to her name this season. While Serena may be the one at the top of the WTA mountain, there is no doubt that Azarenka is climbing up there quickly. For the last couple of years, the tour has not had an adequate challenger to Serena’s throne. Players like Muguruza and Simona Halep were thought to be on the verge of contending for Grand Slam titles, but haven’t been able to maintain that high level play throughout the Grand Slams. What separates Azarenka from the rest of the field is her competitive nature. These clichés are often thrown around when talking about athletes across all sports, but Azarenka truly personifies passion. She has a hunger that many of her colleagues don’t possess. “I’ve always been a fighter, since a really young age.” Azarenka recently told

2 0 1 6

F R E N C H

WTA.com. “I think I was born this way, and where I came from, there was no other way. It was always: ‘If you want it, you have to fight for it.’” And that mindset is obvious when watching an Azarenka match. She has been open about her depression following a breakup with musician Redfoo and being injured for the better part of 2014, where she only played 24 matches. Those tribulations have only added fuel to her everburning competitive fire. “I was struggling with injuries, mentally, with everything, but I was brave enough to do something about it,” said Azarenka. “And Serena is one of the players who makes me push myself with the stats and records [she holds]. She’s the toughest competitor there is. And for me there’s a great challenge to have her because it will always push me to improve.” Azarenka has moved up 17 spots in the rankings since the start of the year and her return to prominence is a welcome site to

O P E N

the women’s game. She carries a huge chip on her shoulder, and whereas other players would run from a matchup with Serena, Azarenka embraces it. In her own words, Serena’s success helps motivate Azarenka to reach that level, and having a viable challenger to the best player in the world is

P R E V I E W always good for a sport. Azarenka’s phoenix-esque rise comes at the perfect time. Muguruza and Halep have struggled in 2016 and there is no real pecking order behind Serena, leaving Azarenka an open door she has worked so hard to bust through. The clay surface has not always been kind to Azarenka, but she is poised to change that perception with the clay season and the French Open on the horizon. “I am definitely motivated for the clay season,” she said recently. “I’ve always liked to prove people wrong. It motivates me. When people say clay is not my favorite surface, I’m going to work hard to make sure it’s my favorite surface. I will do the work. Do the adjustments. I’m looking forward to going after it.” Brian Coleman is senior editor for Long Island Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by phone at (516) 409-4444, ext. 326 or email BrianC@USPTennis.com.

WE'VE GOT YOU COVERED Play tennis year round under a Farley bubble. The Farley Group is the world leader in air-supported structures and has provided over 20 tennis bubbles in New York and Long Island. Contact us today to learn about how you can turn your outdoor courts into a year round facility.

www.thefarleygroup.com l info@thefarleygroup.com

1-888-445-3223

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

2016 French Open Preview N

ovak Djokovic and Serena Williams both remain atop the men’s and women’s tours as we prepare for the second Grand Slam of the year, the 2016 French Open, May 22-June 5. The clay courts of Roland Garros will provide a challenge for some as Stan Wawrinka looks to defend his title and Serena looks to continue her dominance over the WTA Tour in defending the women’s title.

2 0 1 6

F R E N C H

Men’s side of the draw The Contenders

Undisputed world number one Novak Djokovic will enter Roland Garros as the odds-on favorite to win it all, and even though he has never won the French Open, you would be hard-pressed to pick against the Serb. He is a three-time finalist at the tournament and has posted a record of 28-1 thus far in 2016 (as of his Miami Open title). With the rest of the field

O P E N

P R E V I E W

clearly not up to par with Djokovic, this could be his year to finally hoist the title at Roland Garros.

best tennis is behind him, this tournament, which made him an all-time great, is it. Nadal has already shown signs of his form returning as evidenced by winning the ninth Monte Carlo Rolex Masters title of his career in April and his ninth Barcelona title.

Despite his injuries and inconsistent play over the last year or so, Rafael Nadal still holds the title of “King of Clay.” The Spaniard has won the French Open nine times and won 39 straight matches at the Paris tournament before falling to the aforementioned Djokovic in last year’s quarterfinals. If there was ever a time for Nadal to silence those who believe his

Andy Murray is a three-time semifinalist at the French Open and lost in the semifinals a year ago to Djokovic. Clay has never been his best surface, but he showed signs of improvement last year.

Want long-term solutions to your roof problems?

A Butler® Roof System installed by MBR Builders is your Best Choice!

MBR Builders

Affffordable Energy-Ef ffi ficient Affordable Energy-Efficient

888.852.0223

Solutions for

info@mbrbuilders.com

Indoor Sports Facilities

New Y York ork 914.400 o 914.400.9115 0.9115

ww www.mbrbuilders.com ww w.mbrbuilders.com .

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

2 0 1 6

F R E N C H

He won the first clay court title of his career at the BMW Open and followed that up by winning the Madrid Open, demonstrating he could beat the top players on clay. This will be his first Grand Slam as a father, and look for Murray to try and make young Sophia proud.

It would be impossible to call the tournament’s defending champion anything but a contender. Stan Wawrinka played one of the best matches of his life

O P E N

P R E V I E W

The Pretenders

a relentless worker on the baseline and has some of the best groundstrokes in the world. But at age 34, Ferrer has been pedestrian so far this year, posting a record of 12-7 as of mid-April and it will tough for him to make it through two weeks of bestof-five sets play. While he will certainly not be an easy out, don’t look for Ferrer to advance past the first week.

A quarterfinalist last year and a finalist in 2013, David Ferrer’s game seems to be perfectly suited for the clay surface. He is

A Frenchman hasn’t won the French Open title since Yannick Noah in 1983, a streak

in last year’s final, a thrilling four-set triumph over Djokovic. His 2016 season has been an up and down so far, but the Swiss seems to rise to the occasion in the major tournaments. If his one-handed backhand is on, Wawrinka is as good as anyone.

Max Tennis Academy Presents…

Summer Tennis Program June 27-August 26 The Wheatley School 10:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Program Directors, Andrei Rosianu and Cornel Marola, present a 9-week Summer Tennis Program. l l l l l l 28

All Skill Levels, Ages 5-18 Daily, Weekly, Monthly Registration Flexible Early Drop Off and Late Pick Up Available Agility & Conditioning Training Program Wide Variety of Lunch Choices To Order Daily Door to Door Transportation Offered

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com

2 0 1 6

F R E N C H

that Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and the rest of his countrymen would love to break. But Tsonga has been inconsistent for someone who certainly has the talent to be a perennial top five player. He is a twotime semifinalist at Roland Garros, but his 11-6 record in 2016 is an indicator of his up and down play, and if he is ineffective with his serve, Tsonga can become a beatable player.

Tomas Berdych is one of the most gifted players on the tour at 6’5” and 203 pounds. But the French Open has never been kind to the Czech. Since reaching the semifinals in 2010, he has been ousted in the first round twice and the fourth round twice, and his inability to consistently hit from the baseline hurts him. Despite his obvious talent, Berdych will be on upset alert and could be one of

O P E N

the first players from the top 10 eliminated in Paris.

Rarely, if ever, you will find Roger Federer on any list labeled “Pretenders,” but the French Open could be a tough tournament for the Swiss. Federer had surgery on his knee back on Feb. 3 and missed significant time while recovering, and is still shaking off some that rust in the tournaments leading up to Roland Garros. The 17-time Grand Slam champion is 34-years-old and it will be interesting to see how his body holds up over the court of the two-week major. There is nobody craftier and smarter on tour than Federer, but with his recent injury and time away from the court, the 2009 champion may be due for an early exit.

P R E V I E W The Sleepers

Kei Nishikori is one of the most fun players to watch on the ATP Tour. At just 5’10”, Nishikori is fantastic from the baseline and can return with the best of him. We have seen how well he can play at the Grand Slams, and when healthy, he has shown that he can beat the world’s best. He reached the quarterfinals at Roland Garros one year ago and will build on that performance this time around.

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

2 0 1 6

F R E N C H

Milos Raonic has always been known for his power and big serve, but the Canadianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performance so far in 2016 has shown that he is capable of playing an all-around game. During his semifinal run at the Australian Open, Raonic showed the tennis world his ability to serve and volley and play at the net, most notably in his win over Wawrinka. While clay may not be the most suitable for a power-player, look for Raonic to try and squash that narrative.

O P E N

The enigmatic Gael Monfils is certainly one of the most entertaining players on the ATP Tour. He plays with a flare and charisma that no other player on the planet does, but that sometimes gets him into trouble. He played in one of the best matches of 2016, a quarterfinal loss to Nishikori, and showed that the Frenchman may be on the brink of a breakthrough. If he can harness his talent and stay focused, the 2008 French Open semifinalist could be a dark horse on the Paris clay.

P R E V I E W

Richard Gasquet enjoyed a great comeback season in 2015. After struggling with a back injury through most of 2014, Gasquet went 43-17 last year and reached the Wimbledon semifinals and French Open fourth round. He has some of the best groundstrokes and possesses a onehanded backhand which, much like Federerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and Wawrinkaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, can really give opponents fits. If Gasquet is feeling healthy in Paris, the 10th ranked player in the world could be a factor late in this tournament.

Peak Performance...Keeping You in the Game of Life Peak Performance Physical Therapy is Nassau Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading physical therapy practice, treating athletes from all walks of life including Hungarian Tennis Pro, Anna FĂśldĂŠny and Division 1 Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tennis Pro, Talia Aviani. With four locations and 21 therapists, Peak Performance offers top notch Sports and Orthopedic Therapy. For more information visit: www.peakptfit.com.

Lynbrook: 516-599-8734 l Island Park: 516-897-9700 New Hyde Park: 516-326-4580 l Wantagh: 516-785-4800 30

Long Island Tennis Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ May/June 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ LITennisMag.com

2 0 1 6

F R E N C H

O P E N

The Contenders

body holds up as she has clearly been rusty this year thanks to a lack of match play, but her passion and intensity make her tough to beat.

Despite her struggles so far in 2016 (she has yet to win a title), Serena Williams will head into Roland Garros as the favorite. She is the defending champion, having defeated Lucie Safarova in last year’s final, and has won this tournament three times in her career. It will be interesting to see how Serena’s

While Serena is clearly in a field of her own, if there is one player capable of beating her it is Victoria Azarenka. The Belarusian has proven that already this season, beating Serena in the Indian Wells final, and going on to complete the Sunshine Double with her title at the

Women’s side of the draw

P R E V I E W Miami Open. The best showing of her career at Roland Garros was a semifinal appearance in 2013, but as she is finally feeling healthy after almost two years of nagging injuries, look for Azarenka to be playing for the trophy in early June.

Agnieszka Radwanska’s style of play is one that is tailor-made for the clay courts of Roland Garros. She doesn’t play with a ton of power but loves to rally, and has the craftiness to take out just about any

The West Side Tennis Tennis Club West Side Forest Forest Hills, New New York York August August 21-27, 2016 Boys ages Boys & Girls: ag es 8-12 Singles/Doubles/Mixed Singles/Doubles/Mixed Doubles Doubles All Yellow Yellow Ball on full court court

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

2 0 1 6

F R E N C H

player on tour. Her best showing in Paris was a quarterfinal trip back in 2013 and she hasn’t won a clay court title since 2012, but “The Professor,” as she is known to her peers on the WTA Tour, plays clean, efficient tennis, and could make some serious noise if she can find her consistent serve.

Garbine Muguruza had her best season to date in 2015. The young Spaniard reached the Wimbledon final and broke into the top 10. She went on to reach the semifinals of the end of the year WTA finals and would finish 2015 as the third ranked player in the world. She has had her struggles in 2016, mainly due to injuries, but the big-hitting Muguruza has shown she can advance far at Grand Slams. She has reached the quarterfinals in France each of the last two years, and will look to build on that success this time around.

O P E N

P R E V I E W

The Sleepers

Svetlana Kuznetsova has had a resurgent 2016 up to this point. She hasn’t won a title since the 2009 China Open, but she played some of her best tennis at the Miami Open, upending world number one Serena Williams on her way to the final. Despite losing to Victoria Azarenka in straight sets in the final, her showing proved that she may have regained the form that made her a two-time Grand Slam champion. Kuznetsova reached the Roland Garros final all the way back in 2004, but don’t be surprised if she makes a deep run again this time around.

Ana Ivanovic etched herself in the minds of tennis fans everywhere when she won the French Open back in 2008 at just 20years-old. But since then, the Serb has struggled to find her consistency, going 17 consecutive Grand Slams after that without reaching a quarterfinal. That streak ended last year, however, when she surged into the Roland Garros semifinals. There may be something about the Paris clay that brings out the best in Ivanovic, and despite an up and down 2016, the Serb could make a deep run at the tournament she won eight years ago.

Glam Slam Gear Inc. www.glamslamgear.com

Put some GLAM in your SLAM!

Couture Tennis Racquet Covers & Luxurious Accessories Made in the USA 32

Personalization Available Great for gifts, teams or yourself! Leather Canvas Nylon

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com

Contact the designers anytime! Lisa Olivieri 631-697-8339 Meaghan Janedis 917-608-6510

2 0 1 6

F R E N C H

O P E N

P R E V I E W

The Pretenders

Eugenie Bouchard is one of the most enigmatic players on the WTA Tour. Many thought a number of Grand Slams were in her future after a wonderful 2014 campaign that saw her reach the Australian Open and French Open semifinals, and the Wimbledon final. But 2015 was a tough year for the young Canadian because of injuries and inconsistency. She has been able to stay healthy on court so far in 2016, and her dormant potential could finally wake up in France.

Injuries have hindered Petra Kvitova’s 2016 season up to this point, but the Czech could be primed for a deep run at the French Open. The two-time Wimbledon champion has seen most of her career success come on grass, but her big powerful serve from the left side can give opponents trouble, and she has proven her might at Grand Slams before. She has hired a new coach, Frantisek Cermak, following a split from her coach of seven years, David Kotyza, in January, and could shock a lot of people with her performance in France.

Karolina Pliskova is one of the biggest hitters on the WTA Tour, but that style of play doesn’t always translate to the clay surface. The Czech has been a consistent top 20 player for the last year or so, but has struggled at all four Grand Slams. She has never made it out of the third round at any of the majors, and has only reached the second-round twice in Paris. Despite her obvious talent and size, don’t look for Pliskova to make a deep run on the French clay.

Venus Williams had a resurgent 2015 season. At the age of 34 going on 35, she won three titles last season and beat a number of top 10 opponents. She started off 2016 well, winning the Taiwan Open, but was bounced early from Miami and Charleston. Her best showing at the French Open in her career was a final appearance in 2002, and at her age, it will be tough for one of the all-time greats to find her consistent form for two weeks in Paris.

Belinda Bencic is one of the WTA Tour’s best young talents. At just 19-years-old, she is already a steady top 10 player and won two titles a year ago, including the Rogers Cup where she beat Madison Keys, Caroline Wozniacki, Eugenie Bouchard and Agnieszka Radwanska on her way to the championship. That title came on a hard court, however, and Bencic has yet to show consistent signs of success on clay. She only reached the second round at the French Open last year, and while Grand Slam titles are certainly in the young Swiss’ future, it is unlikely to happen in France this year.

Sloane Stephens has had a fantastic 2016 up to this point. The American already has three titles to her name, and won the Volvo Car Open in Charleston, a clay-court tournament. She has been bounced in the fourth round of the French Open each of the last four seasons, and she has not had a lot of success at Grand Slams since her 2013 season, when she reached the Australian Open semifinals and Wimbledon quarterfinals. Look for that trend to continue in Roland Garros despite her excellent play through the first few months of the season.

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

BE Y O ND TH E B A S E L I N E Getting to know the areas TOP SHOPS

BILL LEVIN OF TOPSPIN TENNIS & FITNESS BY BRIAN COLEMAN ore than 30 years ago, while working in Washington, D.C. as a controller of a publishing company, an opportunity presented itself to Bill Levin that he could not pass up. With an undergraduate degree from American University and a master’s degree from George Washington University in accounting and finance, Levin was working in D.C. when he decided to change professional lanes. “My parents started TopSpin in 1977, and in the mid-80s, I had the opportunity to buy the business from them,” recalls Levin. “The opportunity to come and own my own business was too good to pass up. And it’s the tennis business, a fun business in the best sport. So my wife and I bought the business and the rest is history.” Even though his parents owned a tennis shop, Levin did not have much of a back-

M 34

ground in tennis. He played baseball and hockey growing up, but always enjoyed watching tennis. “You learn how to do things,” Levin said of owning a tennis shop having never played the sport beforehand. “I loved watching the sport. I started taking lessons myself, and started stringing rackets, and within a year, I was on top of it. It’s a job, yes, but it’s also a pastime.” With his background in finance and accounting, and her sense of fashion and other products, Levin and his wife, Flo, make a successful tandem. “She kept me in line,” he said jokingly. I couldn’t go overboard with certain things and she had a great fashion sense. We didn’t get in each other’s way and complimented each other very well.” And two decades later, TopSpin is still providing its customers with everything from clothes to tennis bags to running shoes, and have remained successful because of its unwavering customer service.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com

“We connect with our customers. We’re similar to our corner bar, like the television show ‘Cheers’ where folks can hang out and watch the tennis channel,” said Levin. “Ironically, even with the changing retail environment, we’ve been able to thrive because of our huge selection, customer service, guaranteed satisfaction and the lowest prices. Our customers keep coming back because we have the largest inventory of shoes and rackets on Long Island. We have a comfortable atmosphere here. The people coming in are playing a sport, not going to the dentist, so they are upbeat, and it makes for a fun way to make a living.” The retail market has changed extensively over the last 10-plus years, as the Internet has made it easier for consumers to find the products they want without having to leave the comfort of their own home. But TopSpin Tennis & Fitness has kept up with this change because it continues to live up to its reputation, including stringing rack-

ets for top players such as Andre Agassi, Martina Navratilova, Michael Chang and Long Island’s own Noah Rubin. “The Internet has clearly changed the environment quite a bit,” said Levin. “But we’re staying on top of it so we can compete in terms of price and customer service.” In addition to its location on Jericho

Turnpike in Syosset, N.Y., TopSpin recently opened a pro shop at Christopher Morley Tennis in Roslyn. “We have a great staff and we expand when we see an opportunity,” Levin said of the future. “Our customers are comfortable here and love coming in. This is probably the best area for tennis on the East Coast and we want to continue to

provide superior technical and fashion expertise.” TopSpin Tennis & Fitness is located at 218 Jericho Turnpike in Syosset, N.Y. or call (516) 364-9470. TopSpin’s Pro Shop at Christopher Morley Tennis is located at 500 Searingtown Road in Roslyn, N.Y. or call (516) 484-4200. Visit TopSpin on the Web at TopSpinTennisLI.com.

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

McEnroe, McHale Host Youth Tennis Clinic to Kick Off NY Empire Season

Photo credit: Brian Coleman

he New York Empire introduced itself to media and fans ahead of its inaugural 2016 World TeamTennis season this summer, as Coach Patrick McEnroe and first-round draft pick Christina McHale put on a youth tennis clinic for local kids and held a press conference at the historic West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, N.Y., the WTT home of the Empire. Kids from various Queens tennis programs and the USTA Eastern Section were on hand to learn from some of the sport’s best in McEnroe and McHale. Tennis pros from West Side also helped out with the clinic, as kids moved from court to court to work on various drills and games. Following the clinic, McEnroe and McHale spoke to fans and media in attendance and

T 38

discussed their excitement for the upcoming WTT season. “I’m really excited to be on this team. Being from New Jersey, this feels like home to me,” said McHale. “I was praying the night before the draft that I would be taken by this team, so I couldn’t be happier to be a part of it.” McHale had just returned from Brisbane, Australia after helping the U.S. beat Australia to advance in Fed Cup play, and said her experience playing in that format will help her transition to World TeamTennis. “We each won a match over there so it really took a lot of teamwork to get the job done,” she said. “I think playing on a team like that will really help me for this summer.” McEnroe, a native New Yorker, expressed his excitement for the summer and to coach

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com

McHale, whom he knows since their days playing and teaching in the USTA Eastern Section. “We are lucky enough to have her on our team,” said McEnroe. “I know very much about her attitude, work ethic and commitment to being the best she can be. I could not think of a better representative to lead our team this season than Christina.” The New York Empire season begins July 31, as the Washington Kastles will travel to Forest Hills in the Empire’s first ever match. “It’s my first time actually being here and it’s amazing,” McHale said of West Side Tennis Club. “I just had a chance to walk back and look at the court we’ll be playing on and where the U.S. Open used to be played and I kind of got goosebumps. It’s really special as there is so much history and tradition here.”

Roddick and Wozniacki Appearances Highlight Inaugural NY Empire WTT Schedule ppearances by marquee players Caroline Wozniacki on Aug. 1 and Andy Roddick on Aug. 9 and a full slate of matches for top roster draftee Christina McHale are among the highlights of the inaugural 2016 New York Empire World TeamTennis (WTT) season, presented by Citi, this summer at historic Forest Hills Stadium at The West Side Tennis Club. The new Mylan World TeamTennis squad will face the five-time defending champion Washington Kastles in its opener on Sunday, July 31, at 6:00 p.m. to begin a six-match home schedule over the span of two weeks. Wozniacki, the former world number one and two-time U.S. Open finalist for the Philadelphia Freedoms, will take on the Empire on Monday, Aug. 1 at 7:00 p.m. Additional home matchups beginning at 7:00 p.m. feature Springfield on Wednesday, Aug. 3; Washington on Tuesday, Aug. 9 (featuring Roddick); Orange County on Thursday, Aug. 11; and San Diego on Friday, Aug. 12 round out the remainder of the regular season for the Empire. “This schedule packs a lot of action into two weeks,” said Empire Coach Patrick McEnroe. “Fans can see rising star Christina McHale in all of our home matches, and we are excited that Caroline Wozniacki and Andy Roddick will compete at The West Side Tennis Club. Taking on longtime champion Washington will be a great way to start as well.” Opening night, July 31, will also be “USTA Eastern Night.” Other special events and themes for each home date will be announced. Tickets are available online at NYEmpireTennis.com. In addition to McHale and Roddick, the Empire roster features world number 47 Guido Pella of Argentina, and doubles specialists María Irigoyen, also of Argentina,

Photo credit: Camerawork USA

New York Empire Head Coach Patrick McEnroe with world number 47 Guido Pella of Argentina prepare for the upcoming World TeamTennis season

and Oliver Marach of Austria, both ranked in the top 60 in doubles. The six road dates for the Empire include, Tuesday, Aug. 2 at Washington; Friday, Aug. 5 at San Diego; Saturday, Aug. 6 at Orange County; Monday, Aug. 8 at Washington;

Wednesday, Aug. 10 at Philadelphia; and Saturday, Aug. 13 at Springfield. The top two teams from the regular season advance to the Mylan WTT Finals at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 26 at Forest Hills Stadium at The West Side Tennis Club.

TOPSPIN

TENNIS & FITNESS

“Long Island’s Tennis Store”

We Now Carry Viking Platform Tennis Racquets and Paddles Kids Apparel & Sneakers t Great Prices On Racquets Tennis & Running Shoes t 1 Hour Stringing

Open 7 Days t Demos Available Shipping Available ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED

USTA Long Island Retailer of the Year

218 JERICHO TURNPIKE SYOSSET t 516-364-9470 ACROSS FROM SYOSSET HOSPITAL

TopSpinTennisLI.com

SECOND LOCATION NOW OPEN AT CHRISTOPHER

MORLEY TENNIS IN ROSLYN/MANHASSET!

516-484-4200

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

USTA Eastern LI Region Kicks Off Adult Season With Captain’s Party he USTA Eastern Long Island Region’s Adult League recently hosted its season opening Captain’s Party at Crest Hollow Country Club in Jericho, N.Y. USTA Long Island Region Adult League Coordinator Kathy

Miller and her staff did a terrific job getting all the schedules, materials, and other essentials dispersed and explaining new league rules, while all who attended enjoyed great food and drinks. The Captain’s Party before the season is

always an exciting event because it marks the beginning of the summer season and another year of Adult League tennis. “We are looking forward to another successful season of USTA League Tennis on Long Island,” said Miller.

Inwood Country Club 2015 USTA - Eastern LI Private Club of the Year invites you to enjoy great tennis at a very affordable introductory rate. Tennis, Golf, and Beach Memberships available. • 10 Har Tru courts • All levels of play from 2.5 to 5.0 • Weekly clinics for women and children • Tennis traveling teams • Seasonal beach parties and club dinners • Fully equipped Fitness Center • Classically elegant Clubhouse • Historic U.S. Open golf course • David Brent USTA - Eastern LI Tennis Professional of the year 2014 For details contact Heidi Chriest, Membership Director 516-239-2800 x. 186 or membership@inwoodcc.org. Web site: www.inwoodcc.org.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com

U.S. Open National Playoffs Giving Players Chance to Play in 2016 U.S. Open The USTA has announced that the U.S. Open National Playoffs will be held for the seventh season this year, expanding the footprint of the U.S. Open to cities nationwide by providing the opportunity for all players 14 years of age and older to earn a berth into all five draws at the U.S. Open. Tennis players of all levels can compete in men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. The U.S. Open National Playoffs men’s and women’s singles champions earn a wild card into the U.S. Open Qualifying Tournament, held the week prior to the Open. The U.S. Open National Playoffs Men’s, Women’s and Mixed-Doubles Champions receive a wild card into the main draw of the 2016 U.S. Open. “The U.S. Open National Playoffs are all about giving players of all abilities the opportunity to dream big and be a part of the U.S. Open,” said Katrina M. Adams, USTA

chairman of the board, CEO and president. “This year, players have more ways than ever to make it to New York, with all five of the U.S. Open’s draws in play. We look forward to another year of great tennis and watching top juniors, collegians, aspiring pros, and weekend warriors connect with the U.S. Open and compete for the chance to play on tennis’ grandest stage.” The entry fee for each of the sectional qualifying tournaments varies, with men’s and women’s singles entries ranging from $75-$100 per player and men’s, women’s, and mixed-doubles entries ranging from $45-$60 per player. All players competing must have a current USTA membership valid through Aug. 29, 2016. The U.S. Open National Playoffs begin as a series of 15 sectional qualifying tournaments held in different USTA sections across the country. The 15 champions or top available finishers in each division from each sec-

tional qualifying tournament advance to the following U.S. Open National Playoffs Championship events that will take place in conjunction with the Connecticut Open presented by United Technologies, an Emirates Airline US Open Series event, in New Haven, Conn.: l Men’s and Women’s Singles Championship: Aug. 19-22 l Men’s and Women’s Doubles Championship: Aug. 21-24 l Mixed-Doubles Championship: Aug. 2427 Players may compete at different Sectional Qualifying Tournaments in each division (one for men’s or women’s singles, one for mixed-doubles and/or one for men’s or women’s doubles). However, a player may only compete in one Sectional Qualifying Tournament per division during a calendar year. Participants can be of any playing level, giving everyone an opportunity to advance.

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Photo credit: Brian Coleman

Bethpage Park Hosts Annual High School Coaches Workshop

ethpage Park Tennis Center in Farmingdale, N.Y. recently held its ninth annual High School Coaches Workshop, bringing together high school coaches and even some players from Long Island for an afternoon of drills, hitting sessions and tutorials. The clinic included some of the top players from the Bethpage Park facility, as well as local high school players, and combined with the coaches and instructors, provided a great way for all involved to learn from each other. The Workshop began with the coaches hitting on court with each other, as Bethpage Park Tennis Center co-owners and co-tennis directors Keith Kambourian and Steve Kaplan provided presentations on different drills throughout. In addition to the

tennis, Frank Dolan, owner of Sports and Fitness Performance in Islip, N.Y., was on hand to demonstrate some basic fitness and stretching exercises that can be used. “I thought the event went really well,” said Kambourian. “The coaches get an opportunity to play some tennis, talk about the upcoming season with each other and hopefully take home a few ideas that will help their teams. We emphasize our availability throughout the year to answer any questions and are resources they can rely on during the season.” One of the main objectives of the Workshop is for the members of the local tennis community, both those who work for private businesses and those who coach at public schools, to develop relationships with each other in order to en-

hance the sport for all. “We had some familiar faces, but we also had some newer coaches which was nice to see,” said Kaplan. “As a tennis club, we want to make sure we are meeting the needs of the players, and this was a good way to address a lot of questions that some of these coaches have, and to also reinforce some of the things these coaches are already doing. It went very well.” “The coaches clinic was a great opportunity for newer tennis coaches to learn from some of the professional instructors on Long Island,” said Greg Belillo, head coach of Oyster Bay High School. “I appreciate the efforts of coaches like Steve and Keith for fostering a link between the private clubs and the high school programs. It was very informative and well done.”

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

SPORTIME SUMMER CAMPS NEW

NEW JMTA Tennis Training Camps Tennis & Sports Camps EXCEL Tennis Camps SPORTIME U10 Tennis Camps Preschool Camps Multi-Sport Camps Volleyball & Hockey Camps Go to www.SportimeCamps.com to find out more! 888-698-3664 www.SportimeCamps.com

SERIOUS TENNIS, S

Spots fill up fast and camp is on, rain or shine, at our beautiful indoor and outdoor locations! Call any SPORTIME Camp listed or go to www.SportimeCamps.com to find out more. It’s going to be a great summer!

NASSAU COUNTY

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com

SPORTIME BETHPAGE 516-933-8500 SPORTIME BETHPAGE MULTI-SPORT 516-731-4432* SPORTIME LYNBROOK 516-887-1330

SPORTI 516-799

SPORTI 516-484

SPORTI 516-364

SERIOUS FITNESS, SERIOUS FUN!

ME MASSAPEQUA 9-3550

ME ROSLYN 4-9222

ME SYOSSET 4-2727

SUFFOLK COUNTY EHSC@SPORTIME AMAGANSETT 631-267-3460 SPORTIME KINGS PARK 631-269-6300

MANHATTAN SPORTIME RANDALL’S ISLAND 212-427-6150

WESTCHESTER SPORTIME HARBOR ISLAND 914-777-5050 SPORTIME LAKE ISLE 914-777-5151

SPORTIME QUOGUE 631-653-6767 Camp programs and services vary at each location. *Bethpage Multi-Sport offers ELITE Volleyball and Roller Hockey only.

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Dinner Journal

U S TA E A S T E R N L O N G I S L A N D R E G I O N

26TH ANNUAL AWARDS

M AY 3 , 2 0 1 6

P R E S I D E N T ’ S Dear Members and Friends: elcome to the 26th Annual U.S. Tennis Association Eastern Long Island Awards Dinner. On behalf of the volunteers on the Long Island Regional Board of Directors, it is our pleasure to host this terrific celebration of the wonderful achievements of 2015. One of last year’s highlights was the gala LI premiere of the documentary “Althea,” celebrating the life of tennis great Althea Gibson. It was an honor to host this star-studded event with the Gold Coast International Film Festival. Another 2015 highlight was the number of USTA League Teams who competed at their national championships—we had 10 teams! We had a busy year, reaching out to kids, and were gratified to help our Junior Team Tennis program grow to more than 20 teams Island-wide along with the continuing expansion of 10-and-Under Red, Orange and Green Ball tennis. We introduced many children to the sport by partnering with the Inwood Country Club, Inwood Charities Fund and World Gym Setauket to host Nassau and Suffolk Kids Days, and by offering 10-and-Under lessons at events throughout the Region. At the High School level, Long Island girls swept top honors in singles and doubles at the New York State Public High School Athletic Association championships, while our boys won second place in singles, and second and third place in doubles at their state tournament. It is always a pleasure to support these athletes by giving sweatshirts to all LI participants at States. Six LI students were chosen to participate in Camp Eastern, and more than three dozen of our high school tennis players committed to play on college tennis teams. Kudos to our many high school tennis teams who gave back last year, holding fundraising and awareness campaigns including the Commack girls, who raised $1,700-plus for breast cancer awareness; they also held a tennis clinic for student athletes with disabilities. The Manhasset girls held a clinic and fundraiser for the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, and several Nassau girls teams wore pink for breast cancer awareness. Our college teams enjoyed much success, headlined by the Farmingdale State Women, who won their third consecutive Sky-

L E T T E R

line Conference Championship. Four players received all-conference honors and Head Coach Adam Waterhouse was named Skyline Conference Coach of the Year. The NYIT men captured their third straight East Coast Conference Championship; the women also topped the ECC. Stony Brook’s Women had their best showing in their fourth NCAA Tournament appearance, earned their first-ever national ranking and won their fourth straight America East Title. In Community Action, we joined Carefree Racquet Club to host a CPR/AED training class, while Eastern Athletic Club Blue Point raised $13,500-plus at its Hope House Ministries Fundraiser. World Gym Setauket helped raise money for the St. Charles Foundation for Stroke Rehabilitation. We were pleased to support many programs by providing grants. We helped the Locust Valley Library Courts resurface their HarTru courts, supplied equipment to launch a new program for children at Circulo de la Hispanidad camps in Hempstead and Long Beach, and we helped Robbie Wagner’s with its 10U after-school program at several elementary schools. Congratulations to the Port Washington Tennis Academy as it celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2016. Not only have the Academy and the Zausner family been fixtures in the LI tennis community for over five decades, but their contributions to the sport of tennis have been outstanding. Looking ahead, we have many exciting programs and events on the horizon and look forward to continuing to support existing activities by providing grants, supplying volunteers and helping to promote and market your events. Check LongIsland.USTA.com for updates. Thank you for your support of LI tennis. Congratulations to all of our award winners and thank you for your enthusiasm! Special thanks to the USTA Eastern Section and all of the volunteers on the USTA LI Regional Board of Directors. Enjoy the evening and keep the last ball in play, Sincerely,

Daniel Burgess, President USTA Eastern Long Island Region

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com

USTA EASTERN LONG ISLAND REGION 26TH ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER JOURNAL

SCHEDULE 5:30 p.m. ............Registration & Photos 6:00 p.m. ..........................Cocktail Hour 7:00 p.m. ..................Awards Ceremony 8:00 p.m. ......................Dinner & Raffles Want to see photos from tonight’s awards or events from past years? Need more information on our fabulous honorees and past awardees? Inspired to nominate someone for a 2017 award? Visit LongIsland.USTA.com for all you need to know about the Long Island Regional Awards Dinners from past to present!

USTA EASTERN LONG ISLAND REGION 26TH ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER HONOREES Prestigious Awards Hy Zausner Lifetime Achievement Award—Roberta Feldman Vitas Gerulaitis for the Love of Tennis Award—Eddie Fishkind Arthur Ashe Multicultural Award—Victor (Tito) Perez

Sportsmanship Awards Birdie Tarulli League Captain Award—Gail Schor Blane Magee League Captain Award—Bruce Lindenman Anuj Agarwal Sportsmanship Award—Patrick Hannity Jennifer Sherry Sportsmanship Award—Denise Lai

Special Service Award—Nassau County Legislator Laura Curran 10-and-Under Award—Circulo de la Hispanidad/Gil Bernardino and Fabiana Rezac (Nassau) & Eastern Athletic Club Blue Point (Suffolk) Tennis Club of the Year—Bethpage Park Tennis Center Tennis Family of the Year—The Mosquera Family Tennis Professional of the Year—Ahsha Rolle USTA After-School Tennis Program—Robbie Wagner’s Tournament Training Center/Hilary Bressler

Special Recognition

Excellence Awards

Port Washington Tennis Academy in honor of its 50th anniversary.

Adult Volunteer of the Year—Joseph McGorry Charles Karp Memorial Award for Overcoming Adversity— Anthony DeCico Community Service Award—Manhasset High School Girls Tennis Team/Coach Eileen Cuneo Corporate Award—Michael Dachs/Marquee Screen Printing Good Samaritan Award—Carefree Racquet Club (Nassau) & North Fork Tennis Tournament (Suffolk) Innovative Program of the Year—Darrell Lopez/Lakeview Tennis Association Junior Team Tennis—World Gym Setauket (Suffolk) & Point Set Racquet Club (Nassau) Junior Volunteer of the Year—Alex Benanti Madeline Zausner Junior Tournament Director—Kelvin Lastique Outdoor Site of the Year—Village of Port Jefferson/Mayor Margot Garant Press Service Award—Brian Coleman/Long Island Tennis Magazine Private Club of the Year—Crest Hollow Country Club Retailer of the Year—Julien Klein/Solow Sports Rose Buck Scalamandre Participating Family—Cichon Family (Nassau) & Kingsley Family (Suffolk)

USTA League Teams Participating in National Championships 18+ Men’s 3.5/Sportime Lynbrook, Captains Miguel Gordon & Gabe Moreira Men’s 4.5/Long Beach Tennis Center, Captain Sid Siddiqui Men’s 5.0/Robbie Wagner’s, Captain Greg Lumpkin 40+ Men’s 3.0/World Gym Setauket, Captain Phil Monticciolo Women’s 3.5/Carefree Racquet Club, Captain Mara Mazza Women’s 4.5/Carefree, Captains Donna Ryan & Sally Disabato 55+ Women’s 6.0/Eastern Athletic Blue Point, Captain Kathy Sarli Women’s 7.0/Point Set Racquet Club, Captain Ann McGrath 18+ Mixed 6.0/Christopher Morley Tennis Center, Captain Darlene Sotomayor 8.0/Long Beach, Captains Andrew Camacho & Brian Connor

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

USTA EASTERN LONG ISLAND REGION 26TH ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER JOURNAL 2015 High School Champions

Adult Rankings

New York State Champs Singles—Kseniya Zonova (Hewlett) Doubles—Celeste Matute/Courtney Kowalsky (Oyster Bay)

NTRP/Women 3.0 Singles—Fran Breckon 3.5 Singles—Deena Mavroudis, Maritoni Carlos 3.0 Doubles—Annemarie Mahoney/Fran Breckon 4.0 Doubles—Maritoni Carlos/Susan Bacey 4.5 Doubles—Ilana Cohen/Beth Mercante

Nassau County Champs Girls Singles—Kseniya Zonova (Hewlett) Girls Doubles—Celeste Matute/Courtney Kowalsky (Oyster Bay) Boy’s Singles—Yuval Solomon (Plainview JFK) Boy’s Doubles—Dylan Granat/Daniel Shleimovich (Syosset) Nassau County Coach of the Year—Rhonda Barsel (Lawrence) Suffolk County Champs Boy’s Singles—Christopher Kuhnle (Shoreham-Wading River) Boy’s Doubles—Dylan Davis/Duane Davis (Half Hollow Hills West) Girls Singles—Kimberly Liao (Commack) Girls Doubles—Danah Han/Mina Sarcevic (Half Hollow Hills West) Suffolk County Coach of the Year—Dennis Christofor (Port Jefferson)

Juniors Eastern Section Boys 10s—Jordan Reznik, Harrison Walker Gradin 12s—Aman Sharma, Alexander Karman 14s—Spencer Brachman, Billy Suarez 16s—Solomon Youval, Daniel Pellerito 18s—Athell Patrick Bennett, Cuba Lubomir Eastern Section Girls 10s—Kira Sydney Kronenberg, Victoria Matos 12s—Rose Hayes, Ivanna Nikolic 14s—Maryam Beshir Ahmad, Rachel Arbitman 16s—Lea Ma, Merri Kelly 18s—Taylor Cosme, Claire Handa Long Island Boys 10s—Jack Kennedy, Avery Frekhtman 12s—Jeremy Levine, Dylan D Agate 14s—Zachary Stern, Timothy Chiu 16s—Avi Anand, Alexander Hazarian Long Island Girls 12s—Ines Roti, Jennifer Rabinowitz 14s—Daniella Paikin, Alexis Huber 16s—Kaitlyn Schwarz, Marina Hilbert

NTRP/Men 3.5 Singles—David Winnitzki, James Avallone 4.0 & 4.5 Singles—Brian Katz, Jack Eichler 4.0 Doubles—Adam Lieberman/Andrew Camacho

Eastern Section/Women Singles Open—Joan Manfredi-Carter, Nicole Kielan 35s—Joan Manfredi-Carter 50s—Rosemary Cosentino, Eileen Walker 60s—Lydia Eitel 65s—Peggy Gluck Doubles Open—Julia Kielan/Nicole Kielan

Eastern Section/Men Singles Open—Andrew Adler, Hleb Maslau 25s & 30s—Rodolfo Novello, Jack Eichler 35s—David Fischbach, Rodolfo Novello 40s—Andrew Adler, Jack Eichler 45s—Adrian Chirici, Andrew Adler 50s—Jeffrey Snow, Lawrence Kramer 55s—Walter Winnitzki, Mark Johns 60s—John Titcomb, Steven Brill 65s—Douglas Barrow, Jefry Rosmarin 70s—Robert McKenna, Bob Hoffman 75s—Raymond Rahbari Doubles Open—Carlos Maldonado/Mclane Green, Amani Siddiqui/Naeem Siddiqui 65s—Richard Bates/Ronald Kahn Mixed Open—Nicole Kielan/Mark Julian Baker

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com

USTA EASTERN LONG ISLAND REGION 26TH ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER JOURNAL USTA Eastern Long Island Region Executive Board Daniel Burgess—President, 10 & Under Junior Team Tennis Chair Mike Pavlides—1st Vice President, Web Site Manager, Scholastic Representative Chair (Nassau) Sunny Fishkind—2nd Vice President, Public Parks Advocate, Facebook Manager Craig Fligstein—Secretary/Treasurer Scott Axler—Past President, Chair, Boys Ranking & Junior Competition Regional Board Jacki Binder—Public Relations Chair, Web Site Manager Jay Binder—Legal Counsel Bob Coburn—Marketing Chair Terry Fontana—Chair, Kids Day, Awards Dinner, Community Tennis Association & National Junior Tennis & Learning Committees Herb Harris—Chair, Volunteer & Grant Committees Anneleis Karp—President Emeritus

Jonathan Klee—League Liaison/League Appeals & Inquiries Eileen Leonard—Competition Training Chair Kathy Miller—USTA Leagues Coordinator Marian Morris—Events Planner, Awards Dinner Chair Melanie Rubin—Community Outreach (Nassau) Clark D. Ruiz II—Nassau County Delegate Akiko Tohmatsu—Suffolk County Delegate Randi Wilkins—Community Outreach (Suffolk) & Chair, Kids Day (Suffolk) Committee Members Steve Abbondondelo—Junior Team Tennis Hilary Bresler—Awards Dinner Renaire Fierson—Diversity & Inclusion Steve Haar—PTR Liaison Emily Moore—Diversity & Inclusion Tito Perez—10-and-Under Tennis Fabiana Rezac—Hispanic Outreach Denise Schmidt—Awards Dinner Ed Wolfarth—Member at Large-Membership, USPTA Liaison

Thank You! We are grateful to all of our sponsors and supporters for helping to make the 26th Annual USTA Long Island Region Awards Dinner a success! Special thanks to: • ProHEALTH Care Associates, sponsor of the Awards Ceremony • World Gym, sponsor of the 55-inch TV • Eastern Athletic Club, iPad sponsor A complete list of sponsors will appear on LongIsland.USTA.com and in the July/August 2016 issue of Long Island Tennis Magazine.

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

USTA EASTERN LONG ISLAND REGION 26TH ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER JOURNAL

CONGRATULATIONS to All Award Winners from The USTA Eastern Long Island Region’s 26th Annual Awards Dinner

Congratulations Roberta Feldman on your well deserved award. Love Jane and Bob Graff and Ilene and Bob Roman

litennis Long Island Tennis Magazine

MAGAZINE

LITM congratulates our own Brian Coleman on winning the Press Service Award and would like to thank the USTA LI Region for recognizing his outstanding work!

SPORTIME/JMTA Congratulates this year’s Award Recipients Sean Patrick Hannity • Denise Lai Kingsley Family • Kimberly Liao Mina Sarcevic • Billy Suarez Spencer Brachman • Daniel Pellerito Athell Bennett • Lubomir Cuba Lea Ma • Merri Kelly Jack Kenedy • Ines Roti

Carefree Racquet Club Congratulates our teams that attended Nationals!! 40 & Over 3.0 women captained by Mara Mazza 40 & Over 4.5+ women captained by Donna Ryan and Sally Disabato Job well done! You ladies rock!!

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com

USTA EASTERN LONG ISLAND REGION 26TH ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER JOURNAL

CONGRATULATIONS to All Award Winners from The USTA Eastern Long Island Region’s 26th Annual Awards Dinner

Congratulations Roberta Feldman and all award winners From, Joanne and Scott Axler

LITM congratulates Julien Klein and Solow Sports on winning Retail Facility of the Year! LITM congratulates Bethpage Park Tennis Center on being awarded Tennis Club of the Year!

Point Set would like to congratulate our 55 & Over 3.5 Senior Team Captained by Ann McGrath on their Sectional Championship and for their participation at the National Championship in Arizona.

Congratulations Dylan! We are so proud of all of your hard work, commitment and dedication. We love you. Love, Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Janine, Uncle Eddie, Cole, Ava, Uncle John, and Aunt Patricia

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

USTA EASTERN LONG ISLAND REGION 26TH ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER JOURNAL

CONGRATULATIONS to All Award Winners from The USTA Eastern Long Island Region’s 26th Annual Awards Dinner

Congratulations to our loving wife and mother Roberta Feldman A well deserved honor we are so very proud of you and all your accomplishments. We love you, Sandy and Matt 52

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com

In Memoriam Sol Schwartz 1970-2016

he tennis community lost one of its best people recently, as Sol Schwartz passed away at the age of 46. Schwartz was a manager and buyer at Holabird Sports, and dedicated his time and efforts to the sport of tennis, pushing his initiative #SaveCollegeTennis, while also helping the Long Island community following the devastation of Superstorm Sandy. Schwartz was a loving father and husband, and is survived by his wife Ilene, daughter Dori, son Evan, brother Steven, sister Cynthia, and his mother Judith. “Sol was the most incredible husband for over 21 years to me, an amazing dad to Dori and Evan,” said Ilene Schwartz. “He was taken from this Earth way too young, just one month after his 46th birthday . We are all better people because of him. We miss him so much and will live our lives to honor his love and dedication to helping others. We hope his dream to #SaveCollegeTennis comes true. Please keep his dream alive by attending college tennis matches.” In 2013, Sol received the USTA Long Island’s Good Samaritan Award. Rarely does the board honor somebody who isn’t from Long Island with an award, but the Reistertown, Md. native has done tremendous

things for the Long Island community. Here is an excerpt from USTA Board Member Melanie Rubin’s 2013 speech at the Awards Dinner honoring Sol: “Back in November 2012, when Sol Schwartz from Baltimore, Md. had heard about the devastation on Long Island due to Superstorm Sandy, and more specifically, how this impacted the tennis community on Long Island, he knew he had to help … and help he did. “Sol, who had learned by example from his dad Herman, set out to help friends and strangers alike with our common thread being our love and involvement in the game of tennis. He continues the family tradition of generosity, love of people and love of tennis by not only setting a magnificent example for his two beautiful children, Dori and Evan, but by involving Evan by having him make us his Mitzvah project in celebrating his Bar Mitzvah. “Sol reached out to many in the tennis manufacturing industry and reached out to the national and global tennis community as a whole, in order to help those of us here on Long Island. His tireless efforts for the past year-and-a-half have been so very much appreciated. A few examples of what Sol’s efforts have done are: Mini-tennis sets

going to some schools where students had been hit hard by the storm, and wish lists granted to some local clubs devastated by Sandy, as well as a few dozen local pros who were out of work due to the storm will shortly be receiving a small grant. In addition to these examples and others who have benefitted from Sol’s beneficence we, at USTA Long Island Region, want Sol to know just how special it feels to know that others care.” Lisa Stone of Parenting Aces will help keep Sol’s memory alive by honoring his Save College Tennis initiative. “Sol was committed to tennis, but his biggest commitment was to the college game,” said Stone. “He never missed an opportunity to promote college matches on social media, using the #SaveCollegeTennis whenever he posted. To honor Sol’s love of the college game, a group of us are working to create a junior tournament that embodies all the aspects of competition that Sol loved. The tournament will hopefully be played on a college campus, allow for on-court coaching, and award a clothing sponsorship to the winner. Stay tuned for more information on the Sol Schwartz #SaveCollegeTennis AllIn Tournament.”

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

tips from the tennis pro Four Things Great Players Do By Carl Barnett All great players do many things that helps separate themselves from the rest of the field. My coach in the 1980s always talked about Bjorn Borg’s diet being superior to the players of his time. My friend Viorel Marcu (longtime practice partner for Borg) says Bjorn would practice in the morning and then again after lunch and a nap. Asking Viorel if Bjorn was as calm and likable as he appeared on the court, he laughed and said, “He was the nicest guy in the world. Just don’t interrupt his nap time.” Borg had great respect for practice, fuel, rest and recovery. The first thing a player with their eye on greatness can do is surround themself with great people—coaches, practice partners, trainers and friends. The player needs a

coach who has a similar vision and is willing to provide the time to keep extending the growing volume of balls necessary for growth under their watchful eye. The player needs practice partners who are collaborative in their needs. The player needs a trainer who matches their endurance, speed, strength and flexibility. The player needs friends who understand the demands of high performance and aren’t demanding of their time. Lastly, the player needs supportive parents who are encouraging, caring, sympathetic, understanding and concerned. If any of these elements are missing, the support network of the player is not complete. One of my students, Michelle Roitgarts, recently asked Jimmy Connors about the key to maximum junior development. He said, “Parental support.” The second thing great players possess is they are very specific in what they want and

do. Their goals are very specific. Not just their ranking or what they want to achieve in their next tournament, but in their entire schedule which should be plotted out meticulously. They should be aware of their learning breaks, build ups, tournaments and recovery periods well in advance. They never just go out to hit, but practice with a purpose. The same with practice matches. Training should have shortterm and long-term goals. The third thing very successful players do is to hold themselves accountable to all of their actions and situations. Ever lose to a pusher? It was the pusher’s fault, right? No! Ever been late for a practice match? Are you practicing to be late for your next match? Do you blame it on the traffic? Can’t play at school because you are failing a class? Is that the teacher’s fault? If you are failing at school, you may not be eligible for that college you have been eyeing. Too many faults. You must be accountable for all of the necessities I’ve covered in this article. The last thing is to try something new. In practice, always explore what else you can do to protect and expand your game. Pete Sampras was a top national junior when he stepped back to leap forward as a one-hander. As a 12-year-old, Rafael Nadal was a righty. What if his Uncle Toni didn’t have the vision to turn Rafa into a lefty? If you’ll notice the great players in this article, they all surrounded themselves with great people who were very specific in what they wanted, were held accountable and tried new things. Carl Barnett started the Early Hit Training Center over 10 years ago. He has coached countless ranked pre-college tennis players. He may be reached by phone at (516) 455-1225 or email EarlyHit@optonline.net.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com

Twenty Tournament Tennis Truths BY STEVE KAPLAN ver the past four decades, I’ve spent thousands of hours as a coach at local, national and international junior tournaments, and as they say, “I have seen it all.” Here are 20 candid observations about the behaviors and interactions between players, coaches and parents before, during and after matches. I’m sure readers could suggest many more. I use the word “probably” to temper each of these truths because there are always exceptions to any rule. Maybe you recognize your own behavior here, but don’t feel these descriptions apply to you? If so you are probably not being accountable to your actions.

1. If as a coach, player or parent, you act entitled because of your high tennis status, your sense of superiority is probably not shared by everyone. 2. If you talk about your child’s accomplishments as though they are yours, they probably aren’t. 3. If you talk about your student’s accomplishments as though they are yours, they probably aren’t. 4. If you go to tournaments to give unsolicited advice, it’s probably not because you are altruistic.

5. If you frequently talk about how great a player you were, you probably weren’t. 6. If you frequently talk about getting a “bad draw,” you are probably not unlucky. 7. If you frequently default because you are getting injured, you are probably not unlucky. 8. If you frequently lose close matches, you are probably not unlucky. 9. If you frequently default in the back draw because “you have nothing to gain,” it’s probably more a reflection of your character than your savvy at navigating the system. 10. If you refer to your child’s tennis using “we” language, you are probably living vicariously. 11. If you frequently talk to your child about their great talent, you are probably undermining them. 12. If you talk to your children about tennis as a financial investment, it’s probably not intended as a lesson in economics. 13. If you frequently get into fights with your children at tournaments, it’s probably not because you know or care more. 14. If you frequently get angry at your students at tournaments, it’s probably not because you have a bad student. 15. If you spend much of the match acting

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

poorly, you probably didn’t notice much about your opponent. If you try to get your opponent to change their line call by talking to them aggressively, you are probably doing more harm than good. If your opponent questions several of your reasonable line calls, they are probably going to cheat you soon. If you cheated an opponent because you felt you were cheated, it’s probably not because of your strong sense of justice. If you are making calls before the ball lands out, your opponent probably thinks you are cheating. If you think that the way you play is defined by how you played your best match ever, you are probably being unrealistic.

Steve Kaplan is the owner of Bethpage Park Tennis Center, as well as the director of Lacoste Academy for New York City Parks Foundation. Steve has been the longtime coach of more than 600 nationally-ranked junior players, 16 state high school champions, two NCAA Division 1 Singles Champions, and numerous touring professionals and prominent coaches. He may be reached by e-mail at StevenJKaplan@aol.com.

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Inwood Country Club A Shining South Shore Summer Destination

Inwood Country Club is one of the premier family-oriented country clubs on the South Shore of Long Island. Founded in 1901, Inwood played a significant role in the history of golf. Bobby Jones won his first major at Inwood at the 1923 U.S. Open, and Walter Hagen won the first of his five PGA Championships at Inwood. Inwood also features an Atlantic Ocean Beach Club, 10 Har-Tru tennis courts, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and rooms and suites for members who make Inwood their summer residences. Conveniently located just 30 minutes from Manhattan, and 10 minutes from JFK Airport, Inwood has something special for everyone.

Inwood Tennis is now considered one of the premier country club programs on Long Island. Inwood CC won the 2015 USTA Long Island Private Club of the Year Award. The program caters to all levels of play, from a 2.5 Level Beginner Player, to a 5.0 Level Advanced Player. Head Tennis Pro David Brent has obtained many National and Eastern rankings, and in 2009 and 2011, was a finalist at the USTA 55 National Grass Court Doubles Championships. An avid participant in the Country Club Leagues, Inwood won the Long Island Men’s Tennis League (LIMTL) in 2011 and made it to the semifinals of the North Shore Men’s Tennis League (NSMTL) that same year.

PREVENTATIVE NUTRITION HEART DISEASE & DIABETES ADOLESCENT BODY IMAGE SPORTS NUTRITION For groups and individuals

irinalehat@gmail.com 917.769.8031

www.irinalehat.com 56

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com

In season, there is a ladies clinic every Friday and a children’s clinic every Saturday. Inwood’s pros are available for lessons and hitting seven days a week. In addition to the usual pick-up games or club tournaments, Inwood Country Club offers a variety of dining events throughout the year, all of which provide exceptional value and entertainment to its members. In addition to its traditional, formal dining events, Inwood Country Club also offers family-friendly buffet dinners, and pub nights featuring casual attire and cuisine. Inwood’s Sunday evening bingo dinners have been very successful and all ages, both young and old, are invited to attend. Theme dinners, such as Italian Night; Steak, Jeans & Martinis; and Cinco de Mayo are also very popular. Summers at Inwood Country Club are second to none as the Club has the unique distinction of serving as a full-service beach facility. Every Thursday evening, there is an informal beach party and lobster bakes with music and casual fare. Inwood’s weekend beach themed parties, such as July 4th and Havana Nights, have always been favorites among Club members, and this year promises to be no exception. During the summer, there is no place like the beach, and when at the beach, there is no place like Inwood! To experience Inwood Country Club in person, call Membership Director Heidi Stanya at (516) 239-2800, ext. 186, or e-mail Membership@InwoodCC.org to arrange a visit.

2016: The Year in Gear and in Scandal By Luke Jensen What a great time of year to be playing tennis and what a crazy year 2016 has been so far in the world of pro tennis! First, the match-fixing and gambling scandal and now Maria Sharapova fails a drug test? I’m not sure how closely you have been following the drama off the court, but Sharapova failed a drug test using a substance that has been legal since she began using it in 2006! I feel so bad for her and what this might do to a first ballot future Hall of Fame tennis icon! The bottom line is that it is Sharapova’s responsibility, and in a globallytelevised press conference, she demonstrated tremendous poise and took full responsibility over her actions. My take is that the WTA Tour let Sharapova and the game down. It is so important in a landscape of doping suspicions that our players are fully aware of the changes and additions to the drugs that are banned by the sport’s governing body. Sharapova has been such a huge and impactful player for the sport. Why has the WTA not gone through the new banned list of banned substances for 2016 and cross-referenced it with what players on the tour are taking? The ball has been dropped on this, and the game will be hurt because of it. I feel terrible that a 28-year-old superstar who dedicated her life to the sport and is now derailed in this manner. It just goes to show that when you’re winning, life is rocking, but when you’re down, you find out what people are all about. Keep fighting Maria! Get healthy and come back better than ever! Use the time to reflect and improve! This game can be both inspiring and cruel. Hang tough and go win more Grand Slam titles when you are back at 100 percent. With that out of the way, let’s talk to the ten-

nis gear geeks! I just switched out of my Luxilon after shredding my elbow on a wicked forehand howitzer shot. I’ve gone to a softer NXT for now to give the old elbow a rest. My question to you is: How is your gear helping your game? I am a massive demo guy. I tinker and try different frames and strings for the best performance possible. These days as a player halfway to 100-years-old, my game plays like it. So I have gone to game improvement rackets that give me a little more push when my game needs a boost. Remember to fit the frame to your best shot. This shot for me is the second serve. My groundies, volleys and first serve are all aces, even in a sandstorm, but my second serve can go a little crazy. So I make sure any new frame I try I play a set to test it under pressure. I play a full set with only one serve and see how much confidence the frame provides me. If the frame goes too crazy, I send it back to the mother land for recycling.

I recommend trying all types of gear for elite performance and comfort. String, grips and shoes are big, and most players overlook this. Most shoes break down in the upper area before the bottom tears open. This means foot problems and its real tough to move with painful feet. Stay on your toes in the gear game and play nothing but aces next time you go for a victory! Born in Grayling, Mich., Luke Jensen’s resume includes 10 ATP Tour doubles titles and singles victories against Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Ivan Lendl, John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg and Jim Courier. Jensen and his brother, Murphy, won the 1993 French Open doubles title. Luke is currently director of tennis at Sea Island Tennis Center in Georgia. He may be reached by phone at (315) 443-3552 or e-mail LukeJensen84@yahoo.com.

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

It’s Not About the Score 10 ways being “more that an athlete” will help you win By Rob Polishook, Mental Training Coach MA, CPC What if your primary focus in tennis wasn’t about the winning or losing? What if it wasn’t about being better or worse than your opponent? Certainly, that seems like a radical approach. But when we view competition through a completely new lens, the lens of “More Than an Athlete,” where the performer brings their whole self to the performance, focusing on their individual process rather than an outcome, I’ve seen hundreds of clients excel. What does it look like? Here are nine incredible deliverables that result: 1. The athlete stops trying to use the sport to prove their worth, and instead, celebrates the joy of playing. The athlete knows that ultimate victory is in the effort, the improvement and the pursuit. The athlete is aware they did everything they could to compete effectively from setting the conditions, to the last point.

2. The athlete acknowledges the opponent as a partner. The opponent’s foremost responsibility is in doing the best they can and bringing out the athlete’s best, and to expose weaknesses so the athlete can improve them. In this scenario, there is mutual respect. 3. The athlete understands they are on a journey. During this journey they notice, observe, and are curious about all parts of the game. They persevere, adjust to circumstances, and in the process, are constantly developing, improving and learning. 4. The athlete’s focus is on the present, not the past or future. The athlete leaves expectations at the door and plays in the moment, challenged by the circumstances and focuses on process, not the outcome. They are content to play within themselves and trust their game. 5. The athlete doesn’t try to be perfect. They accept their performance as being perfectly imperfect. They know it’s not about playing the perfect game, there is no such thing. It’s about developing a rhythm, breathing and competing. Without the weight of perfection, their focus

NIKE TENNIS CAMPS SERIOUS. FUN. JUNIOR OVERNIGHT AND DAY CAMPS

ADULT CAMPS

Randy Mani Tennis Academy– NY Fordham University - NY Sacred Heart University – CT Wintergreen Resort – VA Lawrenceville School – NJ

Amherst College–MA Lawrenceville School–NJ

Colgate University– NY Chirico Cohen Tournament Training Camp – PA Amherst College – MA

USSportsCamps.com 1-800-NIKE CAMP (1-800-645-3226) All Rights reserved. Nike and the Swoosh design are registered trademarks of Nike, Inc. and its afﬁliates, and are used under license.Nike is the title sponsor of the camps and has no control over the operation of the camps or the acts or omissions of US Sports Camps.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com

is better and they become more at ease. 6. The athlete lets go of beating the opponent and focuses on what they can control. Through this focus, the athlete feels more emotionally solid, more aware and better able to adapt, adjust and manage the next moment. 7. The athlete doesn’t try to control thoughts. This can’t be done. They might name these “nervous thoughts” as they come, but they understand they are not truths, just a scared part from within that’s trying to be heard. 8. The athlete chooses target zones and stops trying to force winners. They trust the body, training and instincts in an effort to build a point. They know that if the target area is hit, they have done their best … maybe it will be a winner, maybe it won’t. If the opponent gets to the ball, they can recover for the next shot without judgment. 9. The athlete plays from a calmer, more present and aware place. The athlete is able to adapt and adjust, withstand adversity and view challenges as an opportunity not resist them. 10.Paradoxically, the athlete wins more! When you look through the lens of “More Than an Athlete,” you will bring all of who you are to what you do, and from this place, magic happens! If you want to wear these stylish lens, e-mail me at Rob@InsideTheZone.com with your address. I will mail you a pair of custom Inside the Zone sunglasses! Rob Polishook, MA, CPC is founder and director of Inside the Zone Sports Performance Group. As a mental training coach, he works with athletes and teams, focusing on helping athletes gain the mental edge. Rob is author of Tennis Inside the Zone: Mental Training Workouts for Champions. He may be reached by phone at (973) 723-0314, email Rob@InsideTheZone.com or visit InsideTheZone.com.

TENNIS INJURY PREVENTION

Three Signs of an Achilles Tendon Injury By Dr. Charles Ruotolo, MD, FAAOS he Achilles Tendon is one of the longest tendons in the body, and it stretches from the calf muscles all the way down to the heel. The Achilles Tendon is the string of tissue that can be felt above the ankle on the back of the heel. This tendon is responsible for our ability to point our toes to the floor or flex and extend our foot. Unfortunately, because it is such a large tendon, it is also more susceptible to injury. Due to the high velocity initiated in tennis by the lower extremity through the contraction of the calf muscles, injuries to the Achilles Tendon in tennis are common. In fact, in a 2013 review of more than 400 Achilles Tendon ruptures in patients under the age of 55, 13 percent of these injuries were from tennis. Also, there is a 5.5 percent incidence of Achilles Tendon ruptures in tennis players over the age of 40.

Causes of Achilles Tendon injuries Most cases begin though inflammation, which is not the true pathology. In actuality, it is tendinosis or degenerative tearing at the microscopic level that occurs and causes pain. In a severe injury, even the slightest pressure put on the tendon could

cause it to rupture or tear. There are a variety of other causes for an Achilles Tendon injury, including, but not limited to: l Chronic overuse, especially jumping and/or walking uphill l Wearing high heels l Tight leg muscles and tendons l Increasing your level of physical activity too quickly l Flat feet (fallen arches), also known as overpronation. In this case, the step causes a collapse of the arch, which stretches the tendons and muscles. The tendon is more likely to be injured with sudden, quick movements, where abrupt muscle tension causes excessive pressure on the tendon. Three signs you may have an Achilles Tendon injury 1. There will be pain along the back of the foot and around the heel, especially during stretching exercises or when standing on your tiptoes. In cases of tendinosis, the pain starts minimally, but gradually gets worse over time. The pain is usually worse

when you first get up in the morning and initially improves, but then worsens as activity continues. A ruptured or torn tendon will cause immediate and intense pain. This might be associated with tenderness, swelling and stiffness as well. 2. Hearing a snap or pop at the time of the injury. 3. Difficulty with pointing toes to the floor or extending your foot. This will be nearly impossible with a ruptured or torn Achilles Tendon. Dr. Charles Ruotolo is a Board-Certified Orthopedic Surgeon and the founder of Total Orthopedics and Sports Medicine with locations in Massapequa, East Meadow and the Bronx, N.Y. For more information, call (855) 321-ORTHO or visit www.totalorthosportsmed.com.

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

B Y K AT H Y M I L L E R

The Adult League is set to start, with a total of 256 teams. We have teams for the 18 & Over, 40 & Over, 55 & Over, and now also for the 65 & Over Leagues. The 18 & Over and 40 & Over Leagues must have their rosters finalized by June 1 with the 55 & Over and 65 & Over Leagues finalized by July 1. Playoffs for the different divisions within the leagues will begin the end of July and run through the middle of August. Regionals are as follows: l 18 & Over 2.5 Women: Saturday, July 30 at 8:00 a.m. l 18 & Over 3.0 Women: Saturday, July 30 at 10:00 a.m. l 18 & Over 3.5 Women: Friday, Aug. 5 at 7:00 p.m. l 18 & Over 4.0 Women: Saturday, July 30 at Noon l 40 & Over 3.0 Women: Saturday, Aug. 6 at 9:00 a.m. l 40 & Over 3.5 Women: Thursday, Aug.

11 at 7:00 p.m. l 40 & Over 4.0 Women: Friday, Aug. 12 at 7:00 p.m. l 40 & Over 4.0 Men: Friday, Aug. 12 at 9:00 p.m. Sectionals, which will all be held in Ardsley, N.Y., will be held on the following dates: l Aug. 12-15 for the 18 & Over 2.5, 3.0, 4.0 & 5.0+ Leagues l Aug. 19-22 for the 18 & Over 3.5, 4.5 and 40 & Over 3.0 Leagues l Aug. 26-29 for the 40 & Over 3.5, 4.0 and 4.5+ Leagues l Sept. 16-18 for all 55 & Over Leagues Sept 24-25 for the 65 & Over The schedule for Nationals is as follows: l 18 & Over 5.0+ League: Sept. 23-25 in Indian Wells, Calif. l 18 &Over 2.5 League: Sept. 23-25 in

The Retail Choice for Racquet Sports Enthusiasts! For over 45 years we’ve been the year-round, full-service retail tennis, paddle and squash store of choice for East End racquet sport enthusiasts. Tennis East has an extensive instock selection of men’s, women’s and junior’s racquets, sneakers, apparel and accessories from the top manufacturers for players of all ages and skill levels. Providing personalized service, professional advice, and a high quality shopping experience.

SOUTHAMPTON l 73 Main Street l (631) 283-9535 www.tenniseast.com 60

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com

La Quinta, Calif. l 18 & Over 4.0 League: Sept. 23-25 in Rancho Mirage, Calif. l 18 & Over 3.0 League: Oct. 7-9 in Indian Wells, Calif. l 18 & Over 4.5 League: Oct. 14-16 in Rancho Mirage, Calif. l 18 & Over 3.5 League: Oct. 14-16 in Tucson, Ariz. l 40 & Over 3.0 League: Oct. 14-16 in Indian Wells, Calif. l 40 & Over 3.5 League: Oct. 21-23 in Rancho Mirage, Calif. l 55 & Over 6.0 & 8.0 Leagues: Oct. 21-23 in Surprise, Ariz. l 40 & Over 4.5+ League: Oct. 21-23 in Indian Wells, Calif. l 40 & Over 4.0 League: Oct. 28-30 in Indian Wells, Calif. l 55 & Over 7.0 & 9.0 Leagues: Oct. 28-30 in Surprise, Ariz. l 65 & Over 7.0 League: To be determined The Mixed-Doubles Playoffs and Regionals will take place in May, with the winning teams advancing to Sectionals the weekend of June 3-5, also in Ardsley, N.Y. Good luck to all of the mixed-doubles teams! Although most teams are set, anyone looking for a team can e-mail me at KathyM65@aol.com, and I will try to find a spot for you. Looking forward to a great season of USTA Adult matches, with good sportsmanship shown by all! Kathy Miller is manager of Carefree Racquet Club and is also the Adult League Coordinator for USTA/Long Island. She may be reached by e-mail at KathyM65@aol.com.

Peaking an Athlete’s Performance Don’t let pain keep you from your passion … eak Performance Physical Therapy has been keeping Nassau County on the tennis court for more than 25 years. With four locations and 21 physical therapists, Peak Performance is one of Nassau County’s largest physical therapy groups, offering personal care, while maintaining a direct relationship with referring doctors. Orthopedic and sports therapy is one of Peak Performance’s specialties, featuring a combination of physical therapy modalities, hands-on manual therapy and a full range of exercise equipment. Whether you suffer from tennis elbow, a torn rotator cuff or total knee replacement, Peak Performance’s facilities are designed

to meet your healing needs. Renowned for its state-of-the-art HydroWorx Therapy Pool, Peak Performance understands that Aquatic Therapy re-

duces pain and increases flexibility. The water’s buoyancy lessens pressure on knees, ankles and hips, as well as decreases post-operative swelling, accelerating the rehabilitation process, and in turn, a quicker recovery. From its Aquatic Therapy Pool, to an area dedicated to sports conditioning and an inhouse fitness center, Peak Performance’s facilities offer cutting-edge equipment and a caring staff to help you achieve the results you deserve. Peak Performance has locations in Wantagh, Lynbrook, New Hyde Park and Island Park, and can be reached at (516) 599-8734. For more information, e-mail Info@PeakPTFit.com or visit PeakPTFit.com.

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

college tennis spotlight

MYTHBUSTERS What You Say Differs From What a College Coach Hears By Ricky Becker any relationship magazines like to run columns with the format “What a member of one gender says and what the member of the other gender really hears.” I’d like to revisit the topic of speaking with a college coach. What a prospective student-athlete says and what the coach really hears. The bottom line is to stay classy!

1. Prospective student/athlete says: “I haven’t really had a good year because I have been battling a few nagging injuries. I’m usually better.” What the college coach hears: “I am injury-prone … tread carefully.” 2. Prospective student/athlete says: “I have worked with a few coaches over the last couple of years, but haven’t really found one that I like yet. I know I have a lot of potential though.” What the college coach hears: “I often put the responsibility of my results on my coaches instead of taking responsibility for my own results. You may be my next excuse and I will tell others about it, making it harder for you to recruit!” 3. Prospective student/athlete says: “I should not have lost to that other recruit you are looking at. I played with the wrong strategy and went for stupid shots.” What the college coach hears: “I understand why you are looking closer at that other recruit more than me. Instead of being classy about it, showing character and letting my record do the talking for me, I’m going to make excuses, discredit your taste in choosing recruits and act like my poor decision-making during a match is irrelevant. I’m desperate to make a better impression!” 62

4. Prospective student/athlete says: “My opponent kind of ‘Treed’ the last time I played him/her. I usually win.” What the college coach hears: I am quick to disrespect my opponents and make excuses. Recruit me for your team and you could hear more negativity from me!” 5. Prospective student/athlete says: “I’m sorry it took me a couple of weeks to respond to your communication. I have been real busy.” What the college coach hears: I am really not that fired up on your school, but cannot rule you out yet. I’m going to string you along a bit until I am sure I can go someplace I think is better. 6. Prospective student/athlete says: “I absolutely love playing high school tennis.” What the college coach hears: “I really enjoy being on a team, being a leader and helping everyone on my team raise the level of their play.” 7. Prospective student/athlete says: “I am planning to visit your campus within the next few weeks with my family. Are you going to be around so I can meet you?” What the college coach hears: I am going the next step to show you how interested I am in your school and how serious I am about possibly playing for your team by paying for a trip on my own dime and bringing my busy parents. I am also very conscientious by making sure you will be there when I come to visit. Tennis is an extremely important factor in my college choice, and I will be very committed to your team.” Ricky Becker is director of tennis at Pine Hollow Country Club and independently coaches high-performance juniors year-round at Bethpage State Park and Jericho/Westbury. He can be reached by phone at (516) 605-0420, e-mail rbecker06@yahoo.com or visit JuniorTennisConsulting.com.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com

Donnay Releases Xenecore SuperLite Racket he new lightning-fast DonnayXenecore SuperLite 114 is one of the most maneuverable tennis rackets ever made, thanks to its solid Xenecore construction throughout the frame that is twice as light and three times as strong as conventional hollow rackets. Solid-core construction is the key to the SuperLite 114 that breaks the eight-ounce stationary barrier, and, combined with its head-heavy balance results in the easiestto-swing racquet ever and unprecedented power, control and stability due to its hammer-like balance, wide beam, oversized head and extra length. That a frame, filled throughout, can be lighter than conventional hollow rackets, is a testament to the ultralight/super strong properties of the patented Xenecore material. The SuperLite 114 has an easier swing weight–nine percent more maneuverable than the current Head Graphene XT Instinct PWR and the Head TIS6 that broke the nine-ounce weight barrier years ago and remains one of that brand’s bestsellers.

“Swing weight” is how heavy (or light) a tennis racket feels when it is in motion. The formula for determining swing weight is a racquet’s stationary weight, combined with its balance and length. Any racket under nine ounces needs a head-

heavy; a head-light balance makes the racket wilt at ball contact. The SuperLite’s Xenecore solid-core construction also results in a dampening buffer that silences racket shock that can lead to arm injuries which has been a cautionary criticism of conventional lightweight rackets. The SuperLite’s plush comfort and its mobile-missile qualities suit a wide range of player types from those who rely on racket quickness at net and at the baseline, more racket-head speed on serves and players subject to fatigue during long matches. It’s also a boon for wristy players, because its easy maneuverability allows them to impart even more spin. The SuperLite is suited to older and smaller players who will appreciate the increased shot pace and depth. The SuperLite also eliminates the need for junior racquets because its swing weight is equivalent to many of those 26-inch learner frames. For more information, visit Xenecore.com and click on “Donnay Tennis.”

SUMMER JUNIOR TENNIS CAMP DIRECTED BY LOUIS VALLEJO

JUNE 27TH - AUG 19TH Featuring:

Tennis Pre Camp Program

• Tennis • Wallyball • Half Court Basketball • Pickleball

MAY 23RD - JUNE 20TH

Transportation $65 Per Week (Local) Includes:

Most ﬂexible program on Long Island Schedule your own make-ups

• Instruction Drills • Cross Training

8 Hours—$120 • 4 Hours—$60

CALL 489-9005 l 1414 Jerusalem Avenue l North Merrick LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Photo credit: Sidney Beal III & Lee Seidner

Monfils and Serena Winners in NYC at BNP Paribas Showdown n early March, four of the world’s top tennis players descended on New York City for the annual BNP Paribas Showdown at Madison Square Garden, as Stan Wawrinka took on Gael Monfils and Serena Williams battled Caroline Wozniacki in two exhibition matches. The first matchup was between the twotime Grand Slam champion Wawrinka and the always electric Monfils, and the two did not disappoint the MSG crowd. Despite it being an exhibition, the two played some outstanding tennis. As usual, Wawrinka’s one-handed backhand was on display and drew oohs and

ahhs from the New York City crowd, and Monfils tried one of his many trick shots, including tweeners, jump hits and even trying to win a point by heading the ball like a soccer player. Monfils would take the first set in a tiebreaker, and midway through the second set, Serena and Wozniacki came out to play a little mixed-doubles, Serena with Wawrinka and Wozniacki with Monfils. The stars showed their volleying skills at the net and even Wozniacki tried her hand at a tweener much to the delight of the Garden crowd. When all was said and done, Monfils came out victorious, 7-6(6), 6-3 in the

night’s first match. In the second match of the night, good friends Serena and Wozniacki did battle on center stage at the World’s Most Famous Arena. Both players seemed to take the match seriously resulting in lot of long rallies and exciting points. Despite a slow start, Serena set up her first set point after chasing a ball down at the net and landing a drop shot. After closing out the opening set, the two would exchange breaks midway through the second set before Serena got the decisive break for a 5-3 advantage, and promptly served out the set and match on her next chance.

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Strength and Conditioning for Tennis By Dr. Brian DeVeaux, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS he intensity and requirements of sports have significantly progressed over the past decade. Along with the increase in play has also come a requirement for athletes to participate in strength and conditioning for their sport for both improvement of sports performance, as well as reduction of injury susceptibility. Tennis players need to perform strength and conditioning for these reasons to develop and maintain their fitness for their sport. Two important aspects are warm-ups and strength training.

The athlete’s warm-up should be spe- l Dynamic stretching: This form of cific to the sport played, and furthermore, stretching is executed during sportstailored to the prevention of injury. specific maneuvers, and similar to balSports-specific warm-ups incorporate listic stretching in terms of speed of movements of the athlete’s sport, and movement, but different in that it avoids may include linear and lateral movethe use of bouncing movements that ments, dynamic stretching and muscle acmay induce harm to muscles. tivation exercises. Examples for the following are specific exercises for tennis: Types of stretches l Static stretching: A slow and constant Dynamic warm-ups stretching technique with the position A-skips held for a minimum of 30 seconds. This l Bend elbows to 90 degree angle with longer hold enables the muscle to relax arms at sides. and allow an elongation of the muscle. l Rotate the right arm forward as the left This form of stretching is best done after knee is brought up in a skipping motion. practice, games and workouts. l Continue reciprocally skipping with op-

CENTURY TENNIS INC. Specializing In All Phases Of Tennis Court Construction

Maintenance and Repairs Servicing Long Island for 45 years with over 2,000 installations Contact Kevin or James at 1-800-660-PLAY

56 Brook Avenue l Deer Park, NY 11729 l 631-242-0220 l www.centurytennis.com 66

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com

posite arm/leg drive with foot coming down right underneath the body. l Lean forward slightly as well. l Go across the court two times. l A good exercise to improve running mechanics. Butt kickers l Bend the elbows to 90 degrees with arms at sides. l Alternate raising heels to the buttocks, while allowing the knee to drive forward. l As heels are being raised, switch the arm position in opposite arm/leg fashion. l Go across the court two times. l Good to improve running mechanics. Lunge variations Lunge with knee grabs l Lift the knee and pull it with two arms to the chest. l Release the leg and take a large step forwards into a lunge. l Stand up and drive upward, using the lead leg and repeat movement with the other leg in a reciprocal forward direction.

l Continue this two times across the court. l A good exercise to improve leg strength, dynamic balance and flexibility. Backwards lunge with twist/lunge with knee grab l Take a large step backwards into a lunge position. l Twist the torso gently to the left and reach for the left heel with the left hand. l Return the torso to a neutral lunge position. l Stand up and drive upward, using the lead leg and repeat the movement with the other leg in a reciprocal forward direction and repeat to the other side. l Continue this exercise two times across the court. l A good exercise to improve leg strength, dynamic balance, mobility and flexibility. Strength training examples External rotation l Place a towel roll between the arm

and the side. Pinch the shoulder blades together. Start at the stomach and rotate outward like a door hinge and return controlled to the stomach. Repeat for one to three sets of 15-20 reps. l A good exercise to strengthen the rotator cuff muscles and help reduce injury susceptibility for tennis-specific activity. Three-cone balance touches l While standing on one leg, hinge forward at the hip, keeping the lower back straight. l Reach to each cone, returning to a full standing stance each time. l Can also perform the same exercise with a single leg squat. l Repeat the three cone series three to five times. l A good exercise to improve leg strength in the hip/knee, dynamic stability and core control. continued on page 68

Save $ With BEST Lights LED’S Reduced Overhead Pays for Themselves Increased Proﬁts No Risk Investment Financing Available

Since 1994

800-545-2928 Experts in helping our clients select the BEST solution!

bestlights.com Best Lights are made in America

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

fitness & nutrition continued from page 67 Medicine ball forehand/backhand throw l Coach tosses the ball to the player’s right side l Player pivots their feet and lowers their base, then explodes the ball back using the legs/hips to generate power. l Can do 10 to 15 throws to each side. l A good exercise to improve lower extremity strength and power, as well as dynamic stability. Band monster walks l With a band around both ankles, get into a good, low athletic position with the

knees bent, toes straight and chest up. l While maintaining this position, step laterally going from one doubles sideline to the other two times. l A good exercise to improve leg strength, as well as lateral athletic movement. Please consult your physician before beginning any exercise program. This is especially important for persons over the age of 35 or persons with pre-existing health issues. Peak Performance and Dr. Brian DeVeaux assume no responsibility for personal injury.

Dr. Brian DeVeaux, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS, USAW, FMS received his doctorate degree in physical therapy from Touro College. Brian holds a bachelor of health science degree, is board-certified as an orthopedic clinical specialist in physical therapy, and a certified strength and conditioning specialist. He is also certified as an Olympic weightlifting coach through the Olympic Training Center and in the Functional Movement Screen and Y Balance Tests. Brian runs the Sports Outreach Program at Peak Performance’s Lynbrook, N.Y. office, and conducts sport-specific conditioning, injury prevention clinics and presentations for athletes.

Eating Right Doesn’t Have to be Complicated lifestyle, risk factors, medical needs, food 2. Find healthier foods that you enjoy and preferences, health and weight goals. There experiment with new foods. Swap them is no one way to eat right … there are many for those less-than-good choices—you eating patterns that promote health and preknow what they are. ating right doesn’t vent disease. have to be compliHere are my three tips to begin creating a 3. Take the time to build variety into your cated. In fact, it’s healthier eating style that is right for you: diet by planning meals. Without a much easier than you think. solid plan, we fall back on what we are As a registered dietitian, nutritionist and 1. Turn your focus toward eating more used to doing and that gets us into a health coach, I help people improve their whole fresh foods and eliminate highly nutrition rut. nutrition to adopt new and healthy ways of processed foods and ultra-processed eating that work for them. foods. Learn to enjoy nutrient-rich foods Our bodies need more than 23 nutriand include them in meals and snacks. ents for good health, so getting more vaWhat is eating right Think fresh fruit, nuts, low-fat cheeses, riety from all of the food groups will and how to start? yogurt, raw vegetables and whole grains. increase your chance of getting more nuFirst, find out what fits your personal trients for better health … so choose wisely! A good rule of thumb is to pile half of We are open to the public 11 months your plate with fruits and veggies, one of the year and feature: quarter with high-fiber whole grain foods, • Year round Programs for Adults and Juniors and the last quarter with a lean protein. • 10 and Under Tennis There are many benefits to finding a • Summer/Seasonal Camps nutrition plan that works well for you. • Open/Contract Court Time Finding nutrition that supports your • Corporate Events, Birthday parties, health, helps you manage your weight Field Trips, Tours and more • Private Lessons and prevents disease is one of the best • Cardio Tennis things you can do to live a happier and healthier life. For more information call By Irina Belfer-Lehat RD, CDN

COME PLAY TENNIS AT THE HOME OF THE US OPEN

718.760.6200 or visit ntc.usta.com

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com

Irina Belfer-Lehat of Nutrition Solutions PC in Great Neck, N.Y. is a New York State-licensed dietitian and certified dietitian-nutritionist. For more information, call (917) 769-8031, e-mail IrinaLehat@gmail.com or visit IrinaLehat.com.

C O M I N G I N J U LY

Distribution scheduled for 07/01/16

This edition will feature: • A Look Ahead to the 2016 U.S. Open • Guide to the Top New York Sports Medicine Practices • 2016 Boys High School Season Recap • Long Island Tennis Magazine Summer Series

Distribution across Long Island at 300+ locations: • Indoor tennis clubs • Country clubs • Tennis camps • Retail stores • Gyms • Restaurants and health food stores • Supermarkets and • Many more!

Don’t miss the advertising opportunities in the July/August 2016 edition of Long Island Tennis Magazine!

Submissions for both advertisingLITennisMag.com and editorial• May/June are due2016 by• June 1, 2016 Long Island Tennis Magazine 69 For more information, please call 516-409-4444 or e-mail Advertise@LITennisMag.com

The Adva By Jimmy Delevante he benefits of playing against a stronger opponent are more obvious than those of playing against a weaker opponent. A player who “plays up” has the opportunity to experience first-hand the skills of a stronger player and hopefully learn from it. A stronger player might implement tactics against you that are unfamiliar with and produce more powerful shots and spins that you have never had to handle before. All of these things are benefits to a weaker opponent because they sharpen their defensive skills. In order to challenge a stronger opponent you must be able to move faster, prepare earlier and defend without abandon. As coaches, it is our belief that the more a player is exposed to a higher level, they will learn to handle it and improve over time. It is my assertion, however, that stronger players learn just as much from these experiences as weaker players do. The benefits of “playing down” are more numerous and, in my opinion, even more vital to improving your game. As a coach, I often hear things like: “I play better against better opponents,” or “I have trouble playing against weaker opponents.” I interpret all of these types of phrases as a pure lack of offensive skills. If you are truly stronger than your opponent, shouldn’t you be able to soundly beat them over and over again? If you are unable to do so then maybe you have it backwards. In order to beat another player, you have to do something with the ball that they are unable to handle. If you simply keep the ball in play against them, you are giving them the opportunity to play within their own lesser skill set. In order to beat them, you must use your additional skills by forcing them into situations that they cannot handle. The best way to get better at doing this is to practice against weaker oppo-

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com

antages of Playing Down nents. I am not advocating that players should exclusively practice against weaker opponents, but I do firmly believe that you must “play down” on a regular basis to practice attacking. Controlled offensive skills are improved through repetition like anything else. The more a player practices attacking, the more successful they will become doing it. “Playing down” gives players more opportunities to improve their offensive skills than “playing up.” In order to develop weapons, volley skills and all of the other specialty shots in the game, you have to practice using them in real match situations. Often times, I have told my players that “playing down” is an opportunity to serve and volley, to hit more forehands from different po-

sitions on the court or to work on their ball control by being more aggressive with their placement. Qualified coaches understand this principle and often encourage their players to take more risks, attack the net, and finish points quicker against weaker opponents. With these instructions (and supervision), a stronger player benefits more from playing down than his opponent does from playing up. Another benefit of playing against weaker opponents is working on decisionmaking. How often have you had a high sitting volley or a slow mid-court shot and have been unable to select the correct shot to use? “I had so much time,” or “I had so many choices I didn’t know what to do,” are common thoughts that all players

struggle with at some point. These are the types of problems that can be corrected by giving players enough opportunities to make decisions quicker and more assertively. If you are constantly put into these situations, you will get better at knowing how to make a good decision and commit to it. How many times have you felt nervous or unsure during a match especially when the pressure starts to build up? We have all felt the pressure of playing a weaker opponent, especially if we are behind in the match. Again, the best way to get better at handling these situations is to practice it. Often times, when my students play continued on page 72

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

advantages of playing down continued from page 71 matches against each other there is a discrepancy in their levels. One trick I use is giving the weaker player a lead, such as 0-30, in each game. Not only does the stronger player have to work harder to come back each game, but it also empowers the weaker player to take more chances and fight. This can also be done by giving the stronger player only one fault on their serve to increase the pressure on that particular shot. This can be very effective in taking away a stronger players primary weapon (in this case a big first serve) and forcing them to use other skills to beat their opponent. The idea of all of these game changing tools is to put additional pressure on the stronger player so they become better at handling it. Any athlete can tell you about the value of staying focused during competition. It is an essential characteristic of any successful tennis player. The ability to win a

single point or game is much more common than the ability to win two out of three sets. Making a player understand the importance of not letting up is essential to their success. As players, we can all agree that after winning the first set 60, it is easy to become complacent and lose focus. In this situation, you should challenge that player to stay focused, maintain their intensity and replicate their results. Anyone can win a set, but tougher players more often approach the next set with the same level of intensity. Playing another set against the same opponent forces you to stay focused and engaged, and not lose sight of your match goals. The only way to get better at tennis is to play more. It can be very difficult to schedule a practice into our busy lives and coordinate schedules with others. We all need to be less selective about who we play against and keep in mind that it is better to be playing than not

Long Island Tennis Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ May/June 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ LITennisMag.com

playing. Age, gender, level and experience should not prevent you from having a successful match against someone. Those arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sufficient reasons for choosing not to play. The benefits from playing against players of all different levels are endless and should be respected. I recommend seeking out three different levels of practice partners: Players who are stronger than you, players who are weaker than you, and players at the same level as you. This combination will help transform you into a well-rounded player. Above all, keep in mind that there is so much to be gained from playing tennis. While a tough opponent can certainly make for a memorable match, a weaker opponent affords you the opportunity to work on your skills more. Jimmy Delevante is a USPTA-certified teaching professional and a National HighPerformance Coach. He is the director of tennis at the Suffolk County Junior Tennis League Training Center, a former ATP professional tennis player and master pro at Sportime Kings Park.

The Seven Commandments of Tennis BY DR. TOM FERRARO

Commandment #1: Thou shalt always be forgiving The most important key to good tennis is to learn how to accept a lost point. If you allow the point to get under your skin, you will begin to make the long downward spiral to defeat. You must learn to totally forgive yourself for a lost point before you hit the next serve. Take a deep breath and say, “Let it go.” Commandment #2: Thou shalt always walk tall with shoulders back and head held high Body language is a big factor in every match and something you can control to your advantage. Learn to show nothing but confidence before and after every point. This expresses a sense of strength which will help you to relax and at the same time begins to unnerve your opponent. Commandment #3: Thou shalt learn to accept Murphy’s Law Murphy’s Law means you must be prepared for the unexpected. You may get a bad call or two, experience sudden weather or wind changes, or hear a distraction from the sidelines during a match. These distractions are a part of the game, so be ready for them and let them roll off your back. Commandment #4: Thou shalt remain focused at all times Players will often lose focus when they are in the lead or when they feel hopelessly behind. Train yourself to remain attentive at every step of the match no matter how far ahead or behind you are. Steady focus is a key to success.

Commandment #5: Thou shalt learn to have fun in tennis Too much seriousness or competitiveness can drain the fun out of the game and make you too tense, tight and anxious. Train yourself to look at the game as fun, something to really enjoy. Do this and you will play better. Be a little like Novak “The Djoker” Djokovic and fool around, make jokes and laugh during matches.

great tennis guru Tom Galway was the guy that first realized this and his book, The Inner Game of Tennis, became an instant classic as a result.

Commandment #7: Thou shalt learn to be proud of yourself A key aspect of success is self-belief and the best way to develop it is to surround yourself with people who reflect your talent and remind you of just how good you are. This may be Commandment #6 Thou shalt peers, coaches, stats, an accumulation of tronot overthink the serve phies or parents. Learn to listen to positive Remember that tennis is a physical game, feedback and take it in. And keep your trophies engaging the eyes and the body. Learn to out and all shined up. They are there to serve pick your target and hit it there without too as a reminder of your past achievements. many verbal instructions to the body. The body does not understand verbal instruction, For consultations, treatment or on-site visits, only visual input, so get into the habit of sim- contact Dr. Tom Ferraro, sport psychologist, by ply picking your target and letting the body phone at (516) 248-7189, e-mail DrTFerhit it there without you getting in the way. The raro@aol.com or visit DrTomFerraro.com.

ARE YOU TRAINING AT THE BEST INDOOR CLUB IN THE COUNTRY?

OPEN ENROLLMENT—CALL FOR EVALUATION & PLACEMENT 17 COURTS PLUS ¼ MILE RUNNING TRACK...

INTERNATIONAL PROFESSIONAL STAFF. 10 LEVEL JR. PROGRAM FOR INDIVIDUAL NEEDS..

SUPERVISED PRACTICE AND MATCH PLAY... OUR RESULTS ARE OUTSTANDINGLY SUCCESSFUL…..

SUMMER CAMP BEGINS JUNE 27TH 100 Harbor Road, Port Washington, New York 11050 > > (516) 883-6425 Our 51st year serving our community as a non-profit teaching facility, for students of any race, color, nationality and ethnic origin.

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Win the Moment

By Lonnie Mitchel “Luck has nothing to do with it, because I have spent many, many hours, countless hours, on the court working for my one moment in time, not knowing when it would come.” —Serena Williams want to win the moment … this is something I often say to my players at the collegiate level. Serena Williams did the work and her record speaks for itself. Not only does she win, but she wins every moment. The way she carries herself on the court, the way she trains and the way she goes about her business contributes to her championship legacy. That credo, and using Serena as an example, can carry over to your everyday social game, your competitive game and in life. Win the moment at practice. I arrive at practice several minutes before we are to begin. What I usually find is that players are sitting and waiting. That moment for exceeding expectation has come and gone for them to start practicing before my arrival. The players lost out on the best beginning of practice. I am speaking often to my players about raising the bar in everything they do. If you are doing one thing a certain way one day, be prepared to not have it work the next day. The one thing you can count on in life is that change is constant. You can win at change by being flexible. Win the walk up the stairs, win the way you treat others and win at work today by doing the best job possible. The things you can win at are endless. Someone reading this might possibly say, “Coach Mitchel is obsessed with winning every match.” Truth be told, I am as competitive as the next person, but what I mean is simple … treat each moment like it is your last moment on Earth. In tennis, this equates to hitting every shot like your life depends on it. Win the moment on the tennis court by being more determined than your opponent. That might just get you a victory or it might not. However, what the win at the moment guarantees is a much better chance of winning the point than had you not approached the preceding moments with the “win at now” philosophy. If I was to play Roger Federer tomorrow, it’s a foregone conclusion that I am going to lose and lose badly, probably not even win a point. That’s the adversity I am facing when I see him on the other side of the net. However, winning at the moment would be what I did to prepare to play him. Did I study film or find some flaw that would allow me to maybe just maybe win a point? Therefore, I won a preparation session. If I did not win that elusive point, I still have a victory to show for it, I won at my preparation. Rais-

Photo credit: Ryan McVay

ing the bar and winning the many moments of practice with collegiate players begins Sunday night or Monday morning before a week of practice. I map out everything the players can expect during the week complete with a few surprises along the way. Those players who have played high school tennis, where the team generally plays second fiddle to a football or basketball team, now see that they matter. The student/athlete is better prepared and I/we just won that week of practice. Much of my job as a collegiate coach involves meeting potential student athletes who possibly want to play tennis and attend college at SUNY Oneonta. In the privacy of their own home, that potential student athlete comes up with pros and cons of why they should or should not attend SUNY Oneonta. I cannot control their final decision, but if I want the player to join our team, I know I have to win at the influence I impose on them more so than the other coach who may also want that prospect. I can control that, and since I embarked on this campaign of winning moments, the statistics of getting the players I want to attend SUNY Oneonta have taken a drastic swing in my favor. I won the recruiting game and it’s very controllable. The players arrive to the match, they get out of the van and I am looking at clean shaven, groomed men and women with identical ponytails. In perfect choreographed movements, they stretch as a group. In perfect sequence, they hit their cross-courts and volleys in five minutes of incremental time. The players from the other squad look over and watch. Our team has just won the warm-ups.

We walk out for introductions in size order and/or doubles team standing together with a distinct cheer when announced. We just won the introductions. As a tennis coach, I cannot control the outcome of the match, that is in the players hands and their opponents may just be better. However, there is not one excuse to control what you can as you prepare for a tennis match or life’s daily battles. Those who are recreational players just want to relish in their game without the pressure of competition getting in the way of tennis playing pleasure. My question is this: Why do you keep score? If you are keeping score, you must be putting some value on your effort with the hope of perhaps winning. For a brief moment, maybe only lasting a few seconds in your social game, you enjoy the moment of victory. So if that’s the case, you are enjoying victory just a tad more than defeat. Next week, here is how it should go. Get to the club five minutes earlier than usual. You have now won your arrival time. Jog briskly up the stairs into the facility rather than the lazy walk up. You now just won the warm-up. Say hello and acknowledge the staff at the establishment where you play. Be that customer who does not bring toxins with you and a sense of entitlement just because you have the affordability to play … human decency is human decency. You now just won at being a better person by respecting your fellow human beings. I promise that worker will have you branded as a different kind of person and you will, in all likelihood, receive great customer service. You won at being a better customer. The employee should already know they are

there to provide a service, but putting positive vibes out in the world has made you a winner by simply being a better human being. The poem “Man in the Glass” by Peter Dale Wimbrow Sr. ends with this excerpt: “You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years And get pats on the back as you pass But your final reward will be heartache and tears If you’ve cheated the man in the glass.” I know what that means in life, but my players also know that poem when they may try fooling me with their independent training sessions. My reply to them is if you cheat the “Man in the Glass,” you are not winning. Today, finish your match and then do something you may have not done before that leaves your friends, colleagues and tennis opponents thinking of you in the best way possible. When they hear your name and the thoughts that are conjured, is that something you are proud of or are you lacking? Win the moment as you depart. What you leave in your wake after the handshake of a match will be what’s left, at least until the next time you play. Win at tomorrow. Lonnie Mitchel is head men’s and women’s tennis coach at SUNY Oneonta. Lonnie was named an assistant coach to Team USA for the 2013 Maccabiah Games in Israel for the Grand Master Tennis Division. Lonnie may be reached by phone at (516) 414-7202 or e-mail LonnieMitchel@yahoo.com.

DJCM

DJ Curtis McCalla

DJ Services Available For Booking Phone

516.852.6063 E-mail

djcmnyc@gmail.com LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

L O N G

I S L A N D

charitabl Fourteen-Year-Old Louchheim Spearheads Bridgehampton Youth Tennis Project The things that make tennis such a unique sport are the positive effects it has beyond those white lines. “I love the sport, for a variety of reasons. I strongly believe that playing tennis my whole life has done much more for me than simply build my fitness and ability,” said Jack Louchheim, a 14year-old from Sagaponack, N.Y. who plays on the East Hampton Varsity Tennis team. “Playing tennis has increased my commitment, mental endurance, self-confidence and ability to perform under difficult circumstances in all aspects of my life. I would not be the motivated student I am today without it. Playing tennis has also introduced me to the people who are my best friends today. These relationships would not exist if I had never picked up a racket for the first time.”

Louchheim is now taking that philosophy and putting it to work, launching the Bridgehampton Youth Tennis Project, which will be providing courts, equipment and instruction to campers at the Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreational Center (BHCCRC). The eighth grader had been in contact with Executive Director Bonnie Michelle Cannon for about two years before starting the project. While there was some tennis components to the Camp, the kids were using adult rackets on adult courts, and Louchheim wanted to improve upon that.

“I wanted to integrate tennis into the child center’s summer camp, and I asked Bonnie Michelle Cannon what she thought of the idea and she really liked it,” said Louchheim. “I attended a board meeting at the center and put together a PowerPoint presentation, and they were very supportive of the idea.” After asking his friends if they were willing to spend some time working with him this summer, Louchheim’s next step was to raise the money required. “I’ve raised $43,000 to date and my overall goal is to get to $50,000,” he said. “I have raised all the money for the new court, have hired a contractor and they have already begun ripping up the old multipurpose court and will begin building the new youth tennis court.” Another reason the idea was intriguing to

• Experts in elimination of termites, carpenter ants and other wood boring insects • Residential and commercial pest control maintenance programs • Experienced pest control professionals for over 30 years • Nassau, Suffolk, Queens County and Brooklyn • References available • Certiﬁed Pesticide Applicator NYS #C1-625256

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com

T E N N I S

M A G A Z I N E ’ S

le initiatives Bonnie Michelle Cannon, executive director of the Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreational Center (BHCCRC), with Jack Louchheim, head of the Bridgehampton Youth Tennis Project

the BHCCRC is because the project would allow the younger children, ages five through eight, to not have to be bussed with the older

kids to the tennis park at Sag Harbor. The kids will be able to stay on-site and use the court and equipment that is appropriate for their age. In addition to raising money and getting the idea approved, Louchheim has taken the USTA’s online course on coaching youth tennis, and those whom he

has helping him this summer will be taking the course as well. Louchheim has combined his desire to help the kids at the BHCCRC with his love of tennis in hopes of the sport having the same positive effects on others as it did on him. “Tennis has made me a better person. It’s made me better physically, increasing my stamina and strength, but I also think it has helped me become a good student and led to success in many other aspects of my life,” he said. “It’s a fun way to help and benefit the community and hopefully some of the kids I work with will get the same benefits that the sport has given me.”

#1 TENNIS RESORT IN THE NORTHEAST Tennis Magazine TOP 20 TENNIS RESORTS IN THE USA Condé Nast

LEARN IMPROVE HAVE A BALL

Our dedication to the game reigns supreme. That’s why Topnotch Resort is a haven for tennis aficionados, and people looking to get introduced to the sport. TOPNOTCH TENNIS FEATURES sçSix seasonal outdoor courts (four Har-Tru) sçUSPTA/PTR certified instructors sçFull array of Tennis services and programs for all ages and abilities sçIntelligent Ball Machine sçDartfish Video Analysis sçPro Shop

START YOUR TOPNOTCH TENNIS EXPERIENCE. CALL 802.253.6435 TODAY. 4000 Mountain Road Stowe, VT 05672 | www.topnotchresort.com LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

charitable initiatives Commack Tennis Team Hosts Annual Free Clinic

TENNIS SPECIALTY CAMP For boys and girls entering grades 2-9 Sunny and Edward Fishkind, Directors Want to improve your tennis skills this summer? For young novices, we oﬀer the “10 and Under Tennis” (Quick Start) program, while more advanced players will learn techniques like overheads, serves, approach shots, topspin, and slices. You’ll also learn scoring, strategy, and mental toughness as you participate in fun and positive competitions.

For more information, visit hofstra.edu/camp or call 516-463-CAMP. 78

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com

The tennis courts at Commack High School were filled to capacity for the community’s recent free annual tennis clinic. The goal of the clinic was for the high school players to teach young students in the community the fundamentals of the sport of tennis. “Our junior varsity and varsity players run each court teaching the kids different skills such as forehands, backhands, volleys and serves,” said Commack Head Coach Shane Helfner. “This event is a way to give back to the community. A lot of schools don’t do these types of things. “If this type of event can inspire one or two kids to pick up the game of tennis, then it is well worth the effort.” Avi Gupta, a sixth grader at Commack Middle School, has been coming to this event for the past three years. “Coming here gives me an idea of what I need to do in order to make the high school tennis team,” said Gupta, who has been playing tennis for four years now and said his goal is to make the team in eighth grade. “It helps give me a feel of what their level is and the work ethic that is required to make the team.” Andy Zhou, senior captain of the Boys Varsity Team, said the tennis clinic is a great way to give back to the community and he looks forward to the event all year. “It is a great way to show the game of tennis to younger kids and it is a way to inspire more kids to play,” said Zhou. Sportime Kings Park was also part of the free tennis clinic. Trophies and free t-shirts were given to all participants.

Dr. Drew Tortoriello, M.D. Medical Director of SIRM New York Board Certiﬁed Reproductive Endocrinologist Sher Institute - New York State-of-Art Fertility Center

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

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

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

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

Did you know that Acupuncture can positively impact your chances to conceive? It is a safe and scientifically-proven method to enhance fertility and increase your chances of conception! At Metropolitan Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine, we specialize in helping couples make the journey from infertility to family. We are conveniently located in Manhattan on the third floor of 425 Fifth Avenue at the corner of 38th street, across the street from Lord & Taylor. We are the official acupuncture and herbal medicine practice for the renowned Sher Institute for Reproductive Medicine in Manhattan.

To discuss your condition or to schedule an appointment call:

Michael Bennett L.Ac., Dipl. O.M. 347.565.4255 For more information, please visit: www.metropolitanacupuncture.com

Metropolitan Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine, LLC 425 Fifth Avenue at 38th St. | Third Floor | New York, NY 10016 | Office: 347.565.4255 LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine 79

LONG ISLAND TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

College Roundup he college tennis season here on Long Island is wrapping up as a number of local schools have finished the regular season and are gearing up for their respective conference tournaments.

Hofstra Men, Women Earn Season Honors Marcus Smith, who played his high school tennis at Cardozo High School in Queens, had a nice freshman campaign for Hofstra. He went 12-8 in singles play, primarily in the first singles flight. He was named to the All-Colonial Athletic Association’s (CAA) Men’s Tennis team. In addition to Smith, his teammate Niko Vulinovich earned CAA All-Academic honors, and Carmen Pestano was named to the CAA’s Women’s Tennis All-Academic Team.

Hewlett’s DeMichiel Named ECAC Division III Co-Athlete of the Month New York University’s Matt DeMichiel of Hewlett, N.Y., who played his high school tennis at Lynbrook High School, was named the East Coast Athletic Conference’s (ECAC) Division III Co-Athlete of the Month in March. DeMichiel went 7-3 in the month, helping lead NYU to two victories. In addition to his singles play, DeMichiel partnered with Yanik Parsch to go 3-2 in the third doubles slot.

Stony Brook, NYIT Celebrate Senior Days The Stony Brook Men’s and Women’s Tennis teams honored its seniors with Senior Days. On the women’s side, the Seawolves honored Louise Badoche and Becky Shtilkind, while the men honored Vinicius Degani, Kenzo Kauffmann and Jose Morales. Both teams sent their seniors out with victories, as the men beat Hofstra 6-1 and the women blanked the Pride 7-0. The New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) Women’s Tennis team honored its two seniors, Justyna Krol and Alexandra Borgenhoff, with a 7-2 victory over Concordia on its senior day.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com

LONG ISLAND TENNIS CLUB

directory Bethpage Park Tennis Center Andrea Pappas—Manager 99 Quaker Meeting House Road #1 Farmingdale, NY 11735 (516) 777-1358 BPTCenter@aol.com Butch Seewagen Tennis Academy @ Rockville Centre CATS Jami Madison—Director 188 Maple Avenue Rockville Centre, NY 11570 (516) 763-1299, ext. 10 CATSRVC@gmail.com Carefree Racquet Club Kathy Miller—Manager 1414 Jerusalem Avenue Merrick, NY 11566 (516) 489-9005 CarefreeTennis@aol.com Deer Park Tennis Club Afzal Ali—Director of Tennis 30 Burt Drive Deer Park, NY 11729 (631) 667-3476 DeerParkTennis.com Early Hit Training Center at Glen Head Racquet Club 95 Glen Head Road Glen Head, NY 11545 Carl Barnett: (516) 455-1225 EarlyHit@optonline.net Glen Head Racquet Club 95 Glen Head Road Glen Head, NY 11545 Stephanie Leo: (516) 676-9849 GlenHeadRC@verizon.net Huntington Indoor Tennis Club Richard Rottkamp—Manager/Owner 100 Broadway Huntington Station, NY 11746 (631) 421-0040 HITennis@myway.com New York Tennis Academy at Great Neck Estates Howie Arons—Director of Junior Tennis Program 12 Shore Drive Great Neck, NY 11021 (516) 233-2790 BighTennis@aol.com Point Set Indoor Tennis Tonny vandePieterman—Director of Tennis 3065 New Street Oceanside, NY 11572 (516) 536-2323 Tonny@PointSetTennis.com PointSetTennis.com

Port Washington Tennis Academy Manny Iqbal—Director of Tennis 100 Harbor Road Port Washington, NY 11050 (516) 883-6425 Tennis@PWTA.com PWTA.com Robbie Wagner’s Tournament Training Center at Glen Cove Stephen Alcala—Managing Partner 60 Sea Cliff Avenue Glen Cove, NY 11542 (516) 759-0505 RWTT.com Ross School Holly Li—Manager 18 Goodfriend Drive East Hampton, NY 11937 (631) 907-5162 HLi@Ross.org Ross.org/Tennis Southampton Racquet Camp & Club 665 Majors Path Southampton, N.Y. (631) 488-4700 SouthamptonRCC.com SPORTIME Amagansett (Open Seasonally) Sue de Lara—General Manager 320 Abrahams Path • Amagansett, NY 11930 (631) 267-3460 Amagansett@SportimeNY.com SportimeNY.com/Amagansett East Hampton Sports Camp @ SPORTIME (Open Seasonally) Eric Scoppetta—Camp Director Mark Crandall—Camp Director 320 Abrahams Path • Amagansett, NY 11930 (631) 267-2267 Ehsc@SportimeNY.com SportimeNY.com/EHSC SPORTIME Bethpage Tennis Joe Siegel—General Manager Chelsea Riccio-Assistant General Manager Mike Kossoff—Director of Tennis/JMTA 101 Norcross Avenue • Bethpage, NY 11714 (516) 933-8500 MKossoff@SportimeNY.com SportimeNY.com/Bethpage-Tennis

SPORTIME Lynbrook Bea Bielik—General Manager Vicki Weiss—Assistant General Manager Jeff Morys—Director of Tennis 175 Merrick Road • Lynbrook, NY 11563 (516) 887-1330 JMorys@SportimeNY.com SportimeNY.com/Lynbrook SPORTIME Massapequa Chris Leahy—General Manager Emmanuel Ponce—Director of Tennis 5600 Old Sunrise Highway • Massapequa, NY 11758 (516) 799-3550 CLeahy@SportimeNY.com SportimeNY.com/Massapequa SPORTIME Quogue Rene Bond—General Manager Greg Meyer—Director of Tennis 2571 Quogue-Riverhead Road • East Quogue, NY 11942 (631) 653-6767 RBond@SportimeNY.com SportimeNY.com/Quogue SPORTIME Randall’s Island Flagship Home of the John McEnroe Tennis Academy Allison Hodgkins—Assistant General Manager Jared Karlebach—Assistant General Manager One Randall’s Island • New York, NY 10035 (212) 427-6150 AHodgkins@SportimeNY.com JKarlebach@SportimeNY.com SportimeNY.com/Manhattan SPORTIME Roslyn Jay Harris—General Manager Chris Pagoto-Assistant General Manager Jordan Dolberg—Director of Tennis 1 Landing Road Roslyn, NY 11576 (516) 484-9222 JHarris@SportimeNY.com SportimeNY.com/Roslyn SPORTIME Syosset Tennis & Multi-Sport John McEnroe Tennis Academy, Long Island Joe Siegel—General Manager Chelsea Riccio—Assistant General Manager Mike Kossoff—Director of Tennis/JMTA 75 Haskett Drive Syosset, NY 11791 (516) 364-2727 MKossoff@SportimeNY.com SportimeNY.com/Syosset-Tennis

SPORTIME Kings Park Bea Bielik—General Manager USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Jason Wass—Director of Tennis Whitney Kraft—Director of Tennis 275 Old Indian Head Road • Kings Park, NY 11754 Flushing Meadows Corona Park (631) 269-6300 Flushing, NY 11568 JWass@SportimeNY.com (718) 760-6200 Sportimeny.com/Kings-Park USTA.com LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine 81

LONG Boys & Girls Long Island Rankings (as of 04/15/16)

BOYS Long Island Boys 12 Singles Rank Name......................................City 1 ......Evan Joseph Rupolo ............East Patchogue, N.Y. 2 ......Jeremy Levine ......................Woodbury, N.Y. 3 ......Dylan D’Agate ......................Melville, N.Y. 4 ......Candrin Chris ........................Port Washington, N.Y. 5 ......Andrew Cyril Mancheril ........New Hyde Park, N.Y. 6 ......Aiden Patel............................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 7 ......Ajer Sher................................Jericho, N.Y. 8 ......Joseph Perry Boyle ..............Setauket, N.Y. 9 ......Aaron Rittberger....................Huntington, N.Y. 10 ....Benjamin Grushkovskiy........Woodmere, N.Y. 11 ....Johnny Donohue ..................Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40

....Jeffrey Rosario ......................Dix Hills, N.Y. ....Ian Kaish................................Northport, N.Y. ....Gabriel Chan ........................Commack, N.Y. ....Brian D. Gao..........................Syosset, N.Y. ....Matthew Evan Kronenberg ..East Setauket, N.Y. ....Ethan Rabinowitz..................Great Neck, N.Y. ....Michael Ryan Safir................Old Westbury, N.Y. ....Joshua Kaplan ......................East Quogue, N.Y. ....Nicholas M. Pham ................Northport, N.Y. ....Alejandro Pablo Perez..........Selden, N.Y. ....Colin Liotta ............................East Williston, N.Y. ....Joshua Cyril Mancheril ........New Hyde Park, N.Y. ....Julian Daniele Messina ........Oyster Bay, N.Y. ....Alexander G. Davis ..............Oyster Bay, N.Y. ....Brandon Gicquel ..................Huntington, N.Y. ....Mario Earl Simmons ............North Baldwin, N.Y. ....Kevin Chen............................Smithtown, N.Y. ....Aron Bursztyn ......................South Setauket, N.Y. ....Trevor R. Hayes ....................East Moriches, N.Y. ....Ryan Carlos ..........................Dix Hills, N.Y. ....Ben Botwinick ......................Melville, N.Y. ....Matthew Leonard Zeifman ..Roslyn Heights, N.Y. ....Daniel Kong ..........................Commack, N.Y. ....Brett Carnival ........................Smithtown, N.Y. ....Albert Cheng ........................Melville, N.Y. ....Arjun Chadha ........................Woodbury, N.Y. ....Andrew Thaler ......................Old Westbury, N.Y. ....Aryan Badlani........................Roslyn, N.Y. ....Bryan Volcy ..........................Elmont, N.Y.

Long Island Boys 14 Singles Rank Name......................................City 1 ......Max Daniel Safir....................Old Westbury, N.Y. 2 ......Matthew Southard................Islip, N.Y. 3 ......Liam Thomas Schmidt ........Wantagh, N.Y. 4 ......Zachary Emmanuel Stern ....Dix Hills, N.Y. 5 ......Nicholas Harbans Sathi........Port Jefferson, N.Y. 6 ......Timothy Lewis Chiu..............Holtsville, N.Y. 7 ......Joshua Elenowitz..................Syosset, N.Y. 8 ......Arin Siriamonthep ................Greenvale, N.Y. 9 ......Alex Eli Vinsky ......................Westbury, N.Y. 10 ....Joseph Perry Boyle ..............Setauket, N.Y. 11 ....Pranav Vallapragada ............Nesconset, N.Y. 12 ....Putimet Inroon ......................Greenvale, N.Y. 13 ....Joshua Rothbaum................Great Neck, N.Y. 14 ....Andre Kun Kirkorian..............Woodbury, N.Y. 15 ....Gabriel Chan ........................Commack, N.Y. 16 ....Ishan G. Varma ....................Dix Hills, N.Y. 17 ....Danny Tocco ........................East Quogue, N.Y. 18 ....Zachary Chan ......................Woodbury, N.Y. 19 ....Justin Y. Shen........................Glen Head, N.Y. 20 ....Ryan E. Shayani....................Old Westbury, N.Y.

ISLAND

21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34

....Samuel Perlman ..................Great Neck, N.Y. ....Dylan D’Agate ......................Melville, N.Y. ....Matthew Evan Kronenberg ..East Setauket, N.Y. ....Andrew Cyril Mancheril ........New Hyde Park, N.Y. ....Zakir Siddiqui ........................Huntington, N.Y. ....Brian Rex Kornreich..............Great Neck, N.Y. ....Pius Lo ..................................Massapequa, N.Y. ....Michael Wang ......................Syosset, N.Y. ....Brando Fabri Corigliano ......East Hampton, N.Y. ....Alejandro Pablo Perez..........Selden, N.Y. ....Anthony Casale ....................Old Bethpage, N.Y. ....Zachary David Gruber..........Port Washington, N.Y. ....Joseph Monticciolo ..............Coram, N.Y. ....Gabriele Brancatelli ..............Westhampton Beach, N.Y.

35 36 37 38 39 40

....Austin Du Lai ........................Manhasset, N.Y. ....Griffin Schlesinger ................Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. ....Luke Louchheim ..................Sagaponack, N.Y. ....Jeremy Levine ......................Woodbury, N.Y. ....Azim Gangat ........................Syosset, N.Y. ....Mitchell Klee..........................East Rockaway, N.Y.

Long Island Boys 16 Singles Rank Name......................................City 1 ......Avi Anand ..............................Dix Hills, N.Y. 2 ......Alexander Hazarian ..............Garden City, N.Y. 3 ......Deven Andrew Wackett........Setauket, N.Y. 4 ......Ciro Baldinucci......................Ronkonkoma, N.Y. 5 ......Evan Brady............................Glen Head, N.Y. 6 ......Pranav Vallapragada ............Nesconset, N.Y. 7 ......Kian Ziari................................Locust Valley, N.Y. 8 ......Jake William Buckley............Sound Beach, N.Y. 9 ......Zachary Emmanuel Stern ....Dix Hills, N.Y. 10 ....Rohan Dayal..........................Great Neck, N.Y. 11 ....Justin Ullman ........................Huntington Station, N.Y. 12 ....Danny Tocco ........................East Quogue, N.Y. 13 ....Ashkan Moghaddassi ..........Woodbury, N.Y. 14 ....Jonathan Brandon Lum ......Albertson, N.Y. 15 ....Vincent Avallone ..................Smithtown, N.Y. 16 ....Justin Suzzan........................Manhasset, N.Y. 17 ....Matthew Southard................Islip, N.Y. 18 ....Yoel Andre Yamus ................Deer Park, N.Y. 19 ....Garrett Joseph Sebold ........Centerport, N.Y. 20 ....Edward Brambil ....................Halesite, N.Y. 21 ....Neil Edward Sathi ................Port Jefferson, N.Y. 22 ....Michael Wexler......................Old Westbury, N.Y. 23 ....Matthew Moreida..................East Rockaway, N.Y. 24 ....Deven Madan........................Great Neck, N.Y. 25 ....Samir Singh ..........................Syosset, N.Y. 26 ....Evan Kirsh ............................Roslyn, N.Y. 27 ....Amani Siddiqui......................West Babylon, N.Y. 28 ....Andrew Lin ............................Commack, N.Y. 29 ....Mark Julian Baker ................North Baldwin, N.Y. 30 ....Alexander Benanti ................East Setauket, N.Y. 31 ....Timothy Serignese................Port Washington, N.Y. 32 ....Nicholas Gajda......................Smithtown, N.Y. 33 ....Arin Siriamonthep ................Greenvale, N.Y. 34 ....Connor Leaf ..........................Dix Hills, N.Y. 35 ....Rohan Mathur ......................Dix Hills, N.Y. 36 ....Ethan Ertel ............................Dix Hills, N.Y. 37 ....Malik Bass ............................Rockville Centre, N.Y. 38 ....Nicholas Mark Newell ..........Huntington Station, N.Y. 39 ....Julian Mercante ....................Lido Beach, N.Y. 40 ....Nicholas A. Troia ..................Floral Park, N.Y.

Long Island Boys 18 Singles Rank Name......................................City 1 2 3 4 5

......Avi Anand ..............................Dix Hills, N.Y. ......Brandon James ....................Wheatley Heights, N.Y. ......Luke Sandoval ......................Garden City, N.Y. ......Steven Gaudio ......................Miller Place, N.Y. ......Matthew Moreida..................East Rockaway, N.Y.

6 7 8 9

RANKINGS

......Harris Durkovic ....................Dix Hills, N.Y. ......Parker A. Tuthill ....................Cutchogue, N.Y. ......Michael Petersen..................Bridgehampton, N.Y. ......Garrett Joseph Sebold ........Centerport, N.Y.

GIRLS Long Island Girls 12 Singles Rank Name......................................City 1 ......Jennifer Rabinowitz ..............Great Neck, N.Y. 2 ......Ines Roti ................................Locust Valley, N.Y. 3 ......Jacqueline Zambrotto ..........Kings Park, N.Y. 4 ......Ariana Pursoo ......................Westbury, N.Y. 5 ......Theadora Yael Rabman........Port Washington, N.Y. 6 ......Kiera Agic ..............................Miller Place, N.Y. 7 ......Elle Brignati ..........................Rockville Centre, N.Y. 8 ......Alexandra Kaylee Ho............Syosset, N.Y. 9 ......Tola Pola Glowacka..............Jericho, N.Y. 10 ....Isabella Sha ..........................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 11 ....Anna Vanessa Malin ............Oceanside, N.Y. 12 ....Kira Sydney Kronenberg ......East Setauket, N.Y. 13 ....Martina Eulau ........................Oceanside, N.Y. 14 ....Lisa Baldinucci......................Ronkonkoma, N.Y. 15 ....Nicole Pinkus ........................Valley Stream, N.Y. 16 ....Olivia Tiegerman ..................Jericho, N.Y. 17 ....Alysson Dawn Pierro ............East Patchogue, N.Y. 18 ....Ava Thunder Scordo ............Glen Head, N.Y. 19 ....Janae Fouche ......................Freeport, N.Y. 20 ....Nicolette Loeffler ..................Syosset, N.Y. 21 ....Christasha McNeil ................Massapequa, N.Y. 22 ....Elizabeth Becker ..................Jericho, N.Y. 23 ....Ada Maria Amarghioalei ......Port Washington, N.Y. 24 ....Hailey Stoerback ..................Saint James, N.Y. 25 ....Natalie Becker ......................Jericho, N.Y. 26 ....Kady Tannenbaum................Commack, N.Y. 27 ....Taylor Goetz ..........................Greenlawn, N.Y. 28 ....Ellie Ross ..............................Port Washington, N.Y. 29 ....Emma Sy ..............................Port Washington, N.Y. 30 ....Sarah Elizabeth Lane............Garden City, N.Y. 31 ....Jennifer Perper......................Valley Stream, N.Y. 32 ....Katherine Tang......................Great Neck, N.Y. 33 ....Angelina Troia........................Floral Park, N.Y. 34 ....Hailey Lessen........................Old Westbury,N.Y. 35 ....Serena Li ..............................Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 36 37 38 39 40

....Dasha Perfiliev ......................Port Washington, N.Y. ....Talluiah Pitti............................Huntington, N.Y. ....Ashley Kessler ......................Oceanside, N.Y. ....Drea Dawn Pierro..................East Patchogue, N.Y. ....Natalie Phillips ......................Plainview, N.Y.

Long Island Girls 14 Singles Rank Name......................................City 1 ......Daniella Victoria Paikin ........Valley Stream, N.Y. 2 ......Jennifer Rabinowitz ..............Great Neck, N.Y. 3 ......Charlotte Goldbaum ............Old Westbury, N.Y. 4 ......Ida Nicole Poulos..................Manhasset, N.Y. 5 ......Alexa Villez ............................West Sayville, N.Y. 6 ......Sophia Elizabeth Schutte ....Great Neck, N.Y. 7 ......Anna J. Martorella ................Wantagh, N.Y. 8 ......Christine Kong ......................Commack, N.Y. 9 ......Hannah Rose Niggemeier....Sayville, N.Y. 10 ....Mary Theresa Madigan ........Sayville, N.Y. 11 ....Ines Roti ................................Locust Valley, N.Y. 12 ....Ashley Yu ..............................Great Neck, N.Y. 13 ....Jade Eggleston ....................Stony Brook, N.Y 14 ....Jade Fixon-Owoo ................Lynbrook, N.Y. 15 ....Taylor Grace Hanscom ........Patchogue, N.Y. 16 ....Jacqueline Zambrotto ..........Kings Park, N.Y. 17 ....Erica Silver ............................Plainview, N.Y. 18 ....Olivia Zhang ..........................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 19 ....Emily Tannenbaum ..............Commack, N.Y. 20 ....Gabriela Glickstein................Commack, N.Y.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

....Olivia N. Fermo ....................Smithtown, N.Y. ....Madison Li ............................Old Westbury, N.Y. ....Christasha McNeil ................Massapequa, N.Y. ....Victoria Pensiero ..................Commack, N.Y. ....Julianna Marie Romeo ........Massapequa, N.Y. ....Hailey Rose Loughlin............Shirley, N.Y. ....Anastasia Hoffman ..............North Massapequa, N.Y.

28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40

....Onalee Batcheller ................Westhampton, N.Y. ....Alexandra Nicole Yiachos ....Manhasset, N.Y. ....Lisa Baldinucci......................Ronkonkoma, N.Y. ....Jennifer Perper......................Valley Stream, N.Y. ....Jordann Estelle Rosati..........Melville, N.Y. ....Lydia Mercante ....................Lido Beach, N.Y. ....Bianca Banilivi ......................Great Neck, N.Y. ....Lauren Zola ..........................Rockville Centre, N.Y. ....Meegan L. Galante ..............Huntington, N.Y. ....Elena Gabriela Hull ..............Locust Valley, N.Y. ....Megan Kim............................East Islip, N.Y. ....Sofia Rose Anzalone ............Center Moriches, N.Y. ....Emily A. Mowdy....................Jamesport, N.Y.

Long Island Girls 16 Singles Rank Name......................................City 1 ......Kaitlyn Schwarz ....................Oceanside, N.Y. 2 ......Marina Hilbert........................Locust Valley, N.Y. 3 ......Alexa Villez ............................West Sayville, N.Y. 4 ......Kristen D. Cassidy ................Wantagh, N.Y. 5 ......Taryn Roche ..........................Greenlawn, N.Y. 6 ......Natalia Caroline Krol ............Greenvale, N.Y. 7 ......Kaitlyn Byrnes ......................Massapequa, N.Y. 8 ......Isabella DiScipio ..................Woodmere, N.Y. 9 ......Nicole Kielan ........................Valley Stream, N.Y. 10 ....Rose B. Hayes ......................East Moriches, N.Y. 11 ....Morgan Voulo........................East Setauket, N.Y. 12 ....Maya Aerin Masheb ............Jericho, N.Y. 13 ....Morgan A. Wilkins ................Huntington, N.Y. 14 ....Rachel Flynn Collins ............Port Jefferson, N.Y. 15 ....Jillian Rebecca Shulder........Setauket, N.Y. 16 ....Ariana Lynn Fixon-Owoo......Lynbrook, N.Y. 17 ....Sarah Bunk............................Sayville, N.Y. 18 ....Hannah Vimod Abraham......Syosset, N.Y. 19 ....Jennifer Rose Cox ................West Islip, N.Y. 20 ....Jessica Emma Lustig ..........Dix Hills, N.Y. 21 ....Gabrielle Vaillant....................East Moriches, N.Y. 22 ....Elizabeth Leigh Dwyer..........Cutchogue, N.Y. 23 ....Sarah Khan............................Manhasset Hills, N.Y. 24 ....Jill Olga Lawrence ................Hauppauge, N.Y. 25 ....Andrianna Kaimis..................Commack, N.Y. 26 ....Anna J. Martorella ................Wantagh, N.Y. 27 ....Taylor Grace Hanscom ........Patchogue, N.Y. 28 ....Elinor Simek ..........................Glen Head, N.Y. 29 ....Adhele Sukhov......................Westbury, N.Y. 30 ....Lauren Hutton ......................Huntington, N.Y. 31 ....Alexa Lynn Bracco................Freeport, N.Y. 32 ....Jade Fixon-Woo ..................Lynbrook, N.Y. 33 ....Jade Eggleston ....................Stony Brook, N.Y. 34 ....Ashlyn Jane Hu ....................Jericho, N.Y.

Long Island Girls 18 Singles Rank Name......................................City 1 2 3 4

......Rebecca Elizabeth Stern......Dix Hills, N.Y. ......Nicole Kielan ........................Valley Stream, N.Y. ......Morgan Wilkins ....................Huntington, N.Y. ......Maya Aerin Masheb ............Jericho, N.Y.

LONG Boys & Girls Sectional Rankings (as of 04/10/16)

BOYS Sectional Boys 12 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name ......................................City 15 ....Aman K. Sharma ..................Glen Head, N.Y. 20 ....Mark Ryan Taranov ..............Valley Stream, N.Y. 26 ....Alexander Karman................Port Washington, N.Y. 38 ....Alex Eli Vinsky ......................Westbury, N.Y. 46 ....Ty Nisenson ..........................Port Washington, N.Y. 54 ....Ian Schunk ............................Westhampton Beach, N.Y. 59 ....Max Daniel Safir....................Old Westbury, N.Y. 61 ....Dylan D’Agate ......................Melville, N.Y. 62 ....Ryan E. Shayani....................Old Westbury, N.Y. 63 ....Michael Ryan Safir................Old Westbury, N.Y. 76 ....Luka David Markovic............Locust Valley, N.Y. 81 ....Joseph Perry Boyle ..............Setauket, N.Y. 84 ....Candrin Chris ........................Port Washington, N.Y. 90 ....Matthew Strogach................Commack, N.Y. 96 ....Matthew Evan Kronenberg ..East Setauket, N.Y. 116 ..Jeremy Levine ......................Woodbury, N.Y. 118 ..Joseph Monticciolo ..............Coram, N.Y. 121 ..Brian D. Gao..........................Syosset, N.Y. 125 ..Matthew Leonard Zeifman ..Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 128 ..Evan Joseph Rupolo ............East Patchogue, N.Y. 133 ..Jordan Reznik ......................Great Neck, N.Y. 139 ..Aron Bursztyn ......................South Setauket, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 14 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name ......................................City 2 ......Cannon Kingsley ..................Northport, N.Y. 3 ......Spencer Brachman ..............Commack, N.Y. 4 ......Billy G. Suarez ......................Huntington, N.Y. 7 ......Logan Paik Chang................Old Westbury, N.Y. 9 ......Kabir Rajpal ..........................Syosset, N.Y. 11 ....Ronald Hohmann..................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 28 ....Sujay Sharma........................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 41 ....Jack Flores............................Huntington, N.Y. 45 ....Niles Ghaffar..........................Massapequa, N.Y. 48 ....Alexander Karman................Port Washington, N.Y. 51 ....Luke Karniewich ..................Glen Head, N.Y. 59 ....Justin Benjamin Oresky........Syosset, N.Y. 65 ....Rohan Gaddam Reddy ........Glen Head, N.Y. 82 ....Anthony Casale ....................Old Bethpage, N.Y. 86 ....Griffin Schlesinger ................Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 95 ....Brandon Zhu ........................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 96 ....Jack Louchheim ..................Sagaponack, N.Y. 100 ..Valentine Le Goupil-Maier....Oceanside, N.Y. 104 ..Matthew Charles Cashin......Syosset, N.Y. 105 ..Maxwell Moadel....................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 109 ..Jared M. Phillips....................Plainview, N.Y. 117 ..Ravi MacGum ......................Amagansett, N.Y. 122 ..Aman K. Sharma ..................Glen Head, N.Y. 126 ..George Scriber Bader ..........Water Mill, N.Y. 135 ..Brandon Lee ........................Valley Stream, N.Y. 137 ..Alex Eli Vinsky ......................Westbury, N.Y. 144 ..Joseph Monticciolo ..............Coram, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 16 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name ......................................City 3 ......Cannon Kingsley ..................Northport, N.Y. 4 ......Daniel Eric Pellerito ..............Syosset, N.Y. 6 ......Yuval Solomon......................Plainview, N.Y. 9 ......Patrick Maloney ....................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 10 ....Ryan Goetz ..........................Greenlawn, N.Y. 21 ....Spencer Brachman ..............Commack, N.Y.

ISLAND

27 ....Pete Siozios ..........................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 43 ....Alan Delman..........................Great Neck, N.Y. 44 ....Ronald P. Hohmann..............Oyster Bay, N.Y. 45 ....Abhinav Raj Srivastava ........Melville, N.Y. 46 ....Neel Raj ................................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 66 ....Alexander Roti ......................Locust Valley, N.Y. 67 ....Logan Paik Chang................Old Westbury, N.Y. 69 ....Karin K. Amin ........................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 70 ....Daniel Weitz ..........................Roslyn, N.Y. 74 ....Brian Shi................................Jericho, N.Y. 80 ....Andrew Marc Nakhjavan......Dix Hills, N.Y. 81 ....Timothy Hayden Nacca........Garden City, N.Y. 83 ....Michael Medvedev ..............Albertson, N.Y. 95 ....Rohan Gaddam Reddy ........Glen Head, N.Y. 98 ....David Raphael Weiner..........Glen Head, N.Y. 99 ....Daniel Meinster ....................South Setauket, N.Y. 102 ..Matthew Franklin Porges ....Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 106 ..Nicholas Demaria ................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 107 ..Kabir Rajpal ..........................Syosset, N.Y. 128 ..Sujay Sharma........................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 129 ..George Kaslow ....................Port Washington, N.Y. 130 ..Jack Flores............................Huntington, N.Y. 139 ..Avi Anand ..............................Dix Hills, N.Y. 142 ..Matthew Charles Cashin......Syosset, N.Y. 143 ..Sangjin Song ........................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 149 ..Leonard Lazar Koblence......Jericho, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 18 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name ......................................City 2 ......Athell Bennett........................Valley Stream, N.Y. 3 ......Brenden Volk ........................Dix Hills, N.Y. 10 ....Sean Mullins..........................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 13 ....Finbar Talcott ........................Sea Cliff, N.Y. 16 ....Ryan Goetz ..........................Greenlawn, N.Y. 23 ....Sean Patrick Hannity............Oyster Bay, N.Y. 24 ....Yuval Solomon......................Plainview, N.Y. 27 ....Chris Kuhnle..........................Shoreham, N.Y. 29 ....Daniel Shleimovich ..............Syosset, N.Y. 35 ....Rajan Jai Vohra ....................Glen Head, N.Y. 38 ....Mark Julian Baker ................North Baldwin, N.Y. 54 ....Lubomir T. Cuba ..................Massapequa Park, N.Y. 63 ....Cannon Kingsley ..................Northport, N.Y. 66 ....Keegan James Morris ..........Franklin Square, N.Y. 74 ....Colin Francis Sacco..............Brightwaters, N.Y. 92 ....Carl Grant..............................Sagaponack, N.Y. 102 ..Nicolas DeMaria....................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 106 ..Michael Medvedev ..............Albertson, N.Y. 123 ..Andrew Marc Nakhjavan......Dix Hills, N.Y. 133 ..Leonard Lazar Koblence......Jericho, N.Y. 134 ..Noah J. Reisch......................Floral Park, N.Y. 136 ..Nicholas Braden Gunther ....East Hampton, N.Y. 137 ..George Kaslow ....................Port Washington, N.Y. 146 ..Pete Siozios ..........................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 147 ..Bruno Paolino Alves ............East Hampton, N.Y. 149 ..Julian Thomas MacGurn......Amagansett, N.Y.

GIRLS Sectional Girls 12 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name ......................................City 8 ......Rose Hayes ..........................East Moriches, N.Y. 23 ....Rebecca Suarez ..................Huntington, N.Y. 34 ....Olivia N. Fermo ....................Smithtown, N.Y. 43 ....Gabriela Glickstein................Commack, N.Y. 50 ....Isabella Sha ..........................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 58 ....Theadora Yael Rabman........Port Washington, N.Y. 61 ....Ava Thunder Scordo ............Glen Head, N.Y. 68 ....Bianca Rose Lorich ..............Southampton, N.Y.

69 72 75 81 94 99

RANKINGS

....Ariana O. Pursoo ..................Westbury, N.Y. ....Hailey Stoerback ..................Saint James, N.Y. ....Skylor Wong..........................Mount Sinai, N.Y. ....Emily Tannenbaum ..............Commack, N.Y. ....Ines Roti ................................Locust Valley, N.Y. ....Daniella Victoria Paikin ........Valley Stream, N.Y.

105 110 121 122 132

..Andriana Rose Zaphiris........Smithtown, N.Y. ..Alexandra Kaylee Ho............Syosset, N.Y. ..Martina Eulau ........................Oceanside, N.Y. ..Kiera Agic ..............................Miller Place, N.Y. ..Olivia Tiegerman ..................Jericho, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 14 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name ......................................City 3 ......Rachel Arbitman ..................Hewlett, N.Y. 5 ......Maryam Beshir Ahmad ........Albertson, N.Y. 11 ....Merri Kelly..............................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 16 ....Amy Delman..........................Great Neck, N.Y. 17 ....Alexa Susan Goetz ..............Greenlawn, N.Y. 20 ....Francesca Karman ..............Port Washington, N.Y. 33 ....Steffi Antao............................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 34 ....Calista Sha ............................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 44 ....Madison Jane Williams ........Glen Cove, N.Y. 58 ....Vitalina Golod........................Setauket, N.Y. 61 ....Rose B. Hayes ......................East Moriches, N.Y. 68 ....Ivanna Nikolic........................Glen Head, N.Y. 79 ....Sofia Rose Anzalone ............Center Moriches, N.Y. 84 ....Alexis Madison Huber ..........Melville, N.Y. 85 ....Sadhana Sridhar ..................Stony Brook, N.Y. 86 ....Ally Friedman ........................East Hampton, N.Y. 88 ....Kaya Amin ............................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 91 ....Madeline Sarah Richmond ..Syosset, N.Y. 94 ....Kavina Amin ..........................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 101 ..Janelle Chen ........................Dix Hills, N.Y. 106 ..Gabriela Sciarotta ................Woodmere, N.Y. 108 ..Soraya Koblence ..................Jericho, N.Y. 121 ..Emily Tannenbaum ..............Commack, N.Y. 130 ..Tatiana Robotham Barnett ..Port Washington, N.Y. 138 ..Daniella Victoria Paikin ........Valley Stream, N.Y. 146 ..Gabriela Glickstein................Commack, N.Y. 148 ..Hannah Rose Niggemeier....Sayville, N.Y. 149 ..Jennifer Rabinowitz ..............Great Neck, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 16 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name ......................................City 5 ......Lea Ma ..................................Dix Hills, N.Y. 13 ....Elysia Bolton ........................Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 14 ....Merri Kelly..............................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 27 ....Maryam Beshir Ahmad ........Albertson, N.Y. 32 ....Ashley Lessen ......................Old Westbury, N.Y. 40 ....Jacqueline Rae Bukzin ........Manorville, N.Y. 45 ....Francesca Karman ..............Port Washington, N.Y. 50 ....Calista Sha ............................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 53 ....Alexa Susan Goetz ..............Greenlawn, N.Y. 54 ....Nicole Rezak ........................Merrick, N.Y. 59 ....Oliva Rose Scordo................Glen Head, N.Y. 62 ....Steffi Antao............................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 67 ....Rachel Arbitman ..................Hewlett, N.Y. 71 ....Stephanie Chikvashvili ........Melville, N.Y. 77 ....Kimberly Liao ........................Commack, N.Y. 79 ....Denise Lai..............................Setauket, N.Y. 87 ....Amy Delman..........................Great Neck, N.Y. 90 ....Ivanna Nikolic........................Glen Head, N.Y. 96 ....Madison Jane Williams ........Glen Cove, N.Y. 100 ..Samantha Lena Galu............Jericho, N.Y. 101 ..Vitalina Golod........................Setauket, N.Y. 107 ..Trinity Chow ..........................Glen Cove, N.Y. 123 ..Elena Artemis Vlamakis........Garden City, N.Y. 126 ..Kaitlyn Schwarz ....................Oceanside, N.Y.

136 ..Julia Kielan ............................Valley Stream, N.Y. 140 ..Kaitlyn Byrnes ......................Massapequa, N.Y. 150 ..Madeline A. Clinton ..............Manhasset, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 18 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name ......................................City 9 ......Elysia Bolton ........................Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 12 ....Madison Battaglia ................Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 17 ....Taylor S. Cosme....................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 19 ....Emma Scott ..........................Syosset, N.Y. 20 ....Claire Handa ........................Westbury, N.Y. 25 ....Celeste Rose Matute............Oyster Bay, N.Y. 26 ....Courtney B. Kowalsky..........Oyster Bay, N.Y. 31 ....Jacqueline Rae Bukzin ........Manorville, N.Y. 49 ....Ashley Lessen ......................Old Westbury, N.Y. 50 ....Courtney Provan ..................Dix Hills, N.Y. 52 ....Amanda Allison Foo ............Manhasset, N.Y. 59 ....Madison Courtney Appel ....Locust Valley, N.Y. 71 ....Ellen Nicole Huhulea ............Rockville Centre, N.Y. 80 ....Nicole Kielan ........................Valley Stream, N.Y. 86 ....Julia Klara Szymanska ........Elmont, N.Y. 93 ....Steffi Antao............................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 97 ....Lea Ma ..................................Dix Hills, N.Y. 99 ....Nicole Rezak ........................Merrick, N.Y. 101 ..Samantha Lena Galu............Jericho, N.Y. 111 ..Merri Kelly..............................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 124 ..Rachel Weiss ........................Great Neck, N.Y. 133 ..Rachel Arbitman ..................Hewlett, N.Y. 146 ..Ivanna Nikolic........................Glen Head, N.Y.

Boys & Girls National Rankings (as of 04/14/16)

BOYS National Boys 12 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name ......................................City 52 ....Aman K. Sharma ..................Glen Head, N.Y. 104 ..Alexander Karman................Port Washington, N.Y. 176 ..Mark R. Taranov....................Valley Stream, N.Y. 495 ..Alex Eli Vinsky ......................Westbury, N.Y. 771 ..Ty Nisenson ..........................Port Washington, N.Y. 820 ..Max Daniel Safir....................Old Westbury, N.Y. 905 ..Luka David Markovic............Locust Valley, N.Y.

National Boys 14 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name ......................................City 7 ......Spencer Brachman ..............Commack, N.Y. 18 ....Cannon Kingsley ..................Northport, N.Y. 30 ....Ronald P. Hohmann..............Oyster Bay, N.Y. 39 ....Billy G. Suarez ......................Huntington, N.Y. 51 ....Logan Paik Chang................Old Westbury, N.Y. 120 ..Kabir Rajpal ..........................Syosset, N.Y. 176 ..Sujay Sharma........................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 275 ..Niles Ghaffar..........................Massapequa, N.Y. 336 ..Alexander Karman................Port Washington, N.Y. 351 ..Jack Flores............................Huntington, N.Y. 696 ..Luke Torel Karniewich ..........Glen Head, N.Y. 906 ..Justin Benjamin Oresky........Syosset, N.Y.

National Boys 16 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name ......................................City 27 ....Ryan Goetz ..........................Greenlawn, N.Y. 46 ....Cannon Kingsley ..................Northport, N.Y. 55 ....Yuval Solomon......................Plainview, N.Y. 76 ....Daniel Eric Pellerito ..............Syosset, N.Y. 131 ..Patrick F. Maloney ................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 197 ..Pete Siozios ..........................New Hyde Park, N.Y.

LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

LONG 249 330 351 352 599 602 794 851 888

..Brian Shi................................Jericho, N.Y. ..Spencer Brachman ..............Commack, N.Y. ..Ronald P. Hohmann..............Oyster Bay, N.Y. ..Alan Delman..........................Great Neck, N.Y. ..Abhinav Raj Srivastava ........Melville, N.Y. ..Karan K. Amin ......................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. ..Logan Paik Chang................Old Westbury, N.Y. ..Daniel Weitz ..........................Roslyn, N.Y. ..Andrew Marc Nakhjavan......Dix Hills, N.Y.

National Boys 18 Singles— Long Island Players

ISLAND

GIRLS National Girls 12 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name ......................................City 129 238 487 526 839 942 943 950

..Rose B. Hayes ......................East Moriches, N.Y. ..Rebecca E. Suarez ..............Huntington, N.Y. ..Gabriela Glickstein................Commack, N.Y. ..Olivia N. Fermo ....................Smithtown, N.Y. ..Ava Thunder Scordo ............Glen Head, N.Y. ..Isabella Sha ..........................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. ..Theadora Yael Rabman........Port Washington, N.Y. ..Hailey Stoerback ..................Saint James, N.Y.

Rank Name ......................................City 32 ....Brenden Volk ........................Dix Hills, N.Y. 72 ....Athell Patrick Bennett ..........Valley Stream, N.Y. 116 ..Ryan Goetz ..........................Greenlawn, N.Y. 131 ..Sean M. Mullins ....................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 148 ..Finbar Talcott ........................Sea Cliff, N.Y. 279 ..Lubomir Cuba ......................Massapequa Park, N.Y. 325 ..Sean Patrick Hannity............Oyster Bay, N.Y. 411 ..Brian Shi................................Jericho, N.Y. 425 ..Rajan Jai Vohra ....................Glen Head, N.Y. 429 ..Chris Kuhnle..........................Shoreham, N.Y. 693 ..Yuval Solomon......................Melville, N.Y. 761 ..Daniel Shleimovich ..............Syosset, N.Y. 842 ..Alexander Karman................Port Washington, N.Y. 918 ..Mark Julian Baker ................North Baldwin, N.Y. 929 ..Spencer Brachman ..............Commack, N.Y. 932 ..Billy G. Suarez ......................Huntington, N.Y.

National Girls 14 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name ......................................City 30 ....Rachel Arbitman ..................Hewlett, N.Y. 36 ....Maryam Beshir Ahmad ........Albertson, N.Y. 107 ..Merri Kelly..............................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 126 ..Alexa Susan Goetz ..............Greenlawn, N.Y. 157 ..Francesca Karman ..............Port Washington, N.Y. 170 ..Amy Delman..........................Great Neck, N.Y. 264 ..Calista Sha ............................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 376 ..Madison Jane Williams ........Glen Cove, N.Y. 602 ..Steffi Antao............................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 865 ..Kimberly Liao ........................Commack, N.Y. 877 ..Kavina Amin ..........................Roslyn Heights, N.Y.

RANKINGS

National Girls 16 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name ......................................City 24 ....Elysia Bolton ........................Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 30 ....Lea Ma ..................................Dix Hills, N.Y. 202 ..Merri Kelly..............................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 357 ..Maryam Beshir Ahmad ........Albertson, N.Y. 375 ..Ashley Lessen ......................Old Westbury, N.Y. 504 ..Calista Sha ............................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 522 ..Francesca Karman ..............Port Washington, N.Y. 533 ..Olivia Rose Scordo ..............Glen Head, N.Y. 678 ..Steffi Antao............................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 699 ..Jacqueline Rae Bukzin ........Manorville, N.Y. 784 ..Rachel Arbitman ..................Hewlett, N.Y.

National Girls 18 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name ......................................City 28 ....Elysia Bolton ........................Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 74 ....Madison Battaglia ................Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 150 270 347 406 436 440 443 462 773 810 844 934

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com

..Taylor S. Cosme....................New Hyde Park, N.Y. ..Madison Courtney Appel ....Locust Valley, N.Y. ..Claire Handa ........................Westbury, N.Y. ..Alexa Graham ......................Garden City, N.Y. ..Celeste Rose Matute............Oyster Bay, N.Y. ..Emma Scott ..........................Syosset, N.Y. ..Courtney B. Kowalsky..........Oyster Bay, N.Y. ..Lea Ma ..................................Dix Hills, N.Y. ..Courtney Provan ..................Dix Hills, N.Y. ..Amanda Allison Foo ............Manhasset, N.Y. ..Rachel Arbitman ..................Hewlett, N.Y. ..Jacqueline Rae Bukzin ........Manorville, N.Y.

USTA/Long Island Region 2016

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. MAY 2016 Tuesday-Thursday, May 17-19 L2O Pine Hollow Country Club Spring Open Pine Hollow Country Club 6601 Northern Boulevard East Norwich, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12-18 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, May 10 at 10:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail RBecker06@yahoo.com or call (516) 359-4843. Friday-Sunday, May 20-22 L1B Long Beach Memorial Challenger Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles & Doubles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 for first singles, $54.25 for additional singles/$28 for first doubles, $28 for additional doubles (deadline for entries is Wednesday, May 18 at 9:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Andrew@LongBeachTennisCenter.com or call (516) 432-6060. Friday-Sunday, May 20-22 L1B GHRC Challenger Glen Head Racquet Club 95 Glen Head Road Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, May 16 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail TennisCoach.MC@gmail.com or call (516) 676-9849.

Friday-Sunday, May 20-22 L1B PTST Memorial Challenger Point Set Tennis 3065 New Street Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, May 15 at 5:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088. Friday-Monday, May 20-23 L2R May Regional at Huntington Huntington Indoor Tennis 100 Broadway Huntington Station, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (FMLC); Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14-18 (SE); and Intermediate Boys & Girls Doubles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14-18 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 for first singles/$28 for first doubles (deadline for entries is Friday, May 13 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (631) 421-0040.

Saturday-Monday, May 21-23 L1B Sportime Bethpage May Challenger Sportime Bethpage 101 Norcross Avenue Bethpage, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, May 15 at 8:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail TournamentsSYT@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 933-8500. Sunday, May 22 PSP Level 3,Glenwood Landing-Orange Ball Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenue Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Level 3 Boys & Girls 10 and Under Singles: 60’ Orange Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $43.50 per player For more information, e-mail superscoot@aol.com or call (516) 759-0505. Friday-Monday, May 27-29 L1B Sportime Bethpage May Challenger Sportime Bethpage 101 Norcross Avenue • Bethpage, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, May 20 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail TournamentsSYT@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 933-8500.

2013 ETA Recipient “Innovative Tennis Program of the Year” LI’s first Tennis Academy devoted to the USTA’s 10 & under Initiative.

Friday-Sunday, May 20-22 L1B RSTA May Challenger Ross School Tennis Academy 18 Goodfriend Drive East Hampton, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12, 16 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, May 15 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail PhilWil@optimum.net or call (631) 907-5162.

Butch Seewagen is a former varsity coach at Columbia University. He holds over 15 national and international titles and is the owner/program director of the Children’s Athletic Training Schools.

For Boys and Girls 3 – 10 years old.

188 Maple Avenue • Rockville Center Phone: 516-763-1299 catsrvc@gmail.com

www.catsny.com LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

USTA/Long Island Region 2016

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. Friday-Sunday, May 27-29 L1B Sportime Syosset May Challenger Sportime-Syosset 75 Haskett Drive Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 18 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, May 20 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail TournamentsSYT@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 933-8500. Friday-Sunday, May 27-29 L1B World Gym May Challenger World Gym Racquet & Sports Arena 384 Mark Tree Road East Setauket, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys 10 and Under Singles: 78’ Green Ball 10 (FRLC); Challenger Boys Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14,18 (SE); Challenger Girls 10 and Under Singles: 78’ Green Ball 10 (FMLC); and Challenger Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14,18 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, May 22 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Vtapr@hotmail.com or call (631) 751-6100.

Friday-Sunday, May 27-29 L2O Long Beach May Open Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard • Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (FMLC); Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14-18 (SE); and Intermediate Boys & Girls Doubles: 78’ Yellow Ball 1218 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 for first singles, $54.25 for additional singles/$28 for first doubles, $28 for additional doubles (deadline for entries is Wednesday, May 18 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Andrew@LongBeachTennisCenter.com or call (516) 432-6060. Friday-Sunday, May 27-29 L1B Point Set May Challenger Point Set Tennis • 3065 New Street • Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, May 22 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088. Friday-Sunday, May 27-29 L2O Nassau Indoor Tennis May Open Nassau Indoor Tennis • 73 Fern Place • Inwood, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 1218 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, May 22 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088.

PROVIDING THE VERY BEST IN SERVICE, SELECTION & STYLE FOR OVER 35 YEARS! LAYETTE • INFANT • TODDLER GIRLS 4-14 • BOYS 4-20 • JUNIORS YOUNG MEN’S • PRO TEAM YOUR #1 CAMP STORE 1-ON-1 SERVICE • GREAT GIFTS ALL THE LATEST TRENDS Bellmore (516) 221-3187 • E. Northport (631) 499-2504 Hewlett (516) 295-0946 • Little Neck (718) 225-883 Plainview (516) 681-4490 • Scarsdale (914) 722-6077

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com

Friday-Monday, May 27-30 L1 RWTTC Memorial Championships Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenue • Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 18 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, May 20 at 8:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Superscoot@aol.com or call (516) 759-0505. Friday-Monday, May 27-30 L1A PWTA Memorial Championships Port Washington Tennis Academy 100 Harbor Road • Port Washington, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (SE) and Championships Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, May 20 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Tennis@PWTA.com or call (917) 991-0088. Saturday-Sunday, May 28-29 PSP L2; Long Beach Spring Orange Open: Orange Ball Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard • Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Open Boys & Girls 10 and Under Singles: 60’ Orange Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $38.13 per player (deadline for entries is Thursday, May 26 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Andrew@LongBeachTennisCenter.com or call (516) 432-6060. Saturday-Sunday, May 28-29 PSP L2; Huntington LI Eastern Orange Ball Huntington Indoor Tennis • 100 Broadway • Huntington Station, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys & Girls 10 and Under Singles: 60’ Orange Ball 10 (FRLC) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, May 20 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, e-mail HiTennis@myway.com or call (631) 421-0040. Saturday-Sunday, May 28-29 L1B Sportime Quogue May Clay Challenger Sportime of The Hamptons 2571 Quogue Riverhead Road • East Quogue, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys & Girls 10 and Under Singles: 60’ Orange Ball 10 (FRLC) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail GMeyer@SportimeNY.com or call (631) 653-6767.

USTA/Long Island Region 2016

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. JUNE 2016 Friday-Sunday, June 3-5 L1B Sportime Bethpage June Challenger Sportime Bethpage • 101 Norcross Avenue • Bethpage, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, May 27 at 8:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail TournamentsSYT@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 933-8500. Friday-Sunday, June 3-5 L1B Sportime Syosset June Challenger Sportime-Syosset • 75 Haskett Drive • Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, May 27 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail TournamentsSYT@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 364-2727. Friday-Sunday, June 3-5 L1B Point Set June Challenger Point Set Tennis 3065 New Street • Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, May 29 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088. Friday-Sunday, June 3-5 L3 Nassau Indoor Tennis June UPS Nassau Indoor Tennis 73 Fern Place • Inwood, N.Y. Divisions: Entry Level Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Green Ball 12, 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (RR) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, May 29 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or c all (917) 991-0088. Friday-Sunday, June 3-5 L3 Huntington June UPS Huntington Indoor Tennis 100 Broadway • Huntington Station, N.Y. Divisions: Entry Level Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Green Ball 12, 78’ Yellow Ball 14-18 (RR) and Entry Level Boys & Girls 10 and Under Singles: 60’ Orange Ball 10 (RR) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, May 30 at 9:00 p.m.) For more information, call (631) 421-0040.

Friday-Sunday, June 10-12 L2O Sportime Syosset June Open Sportime-Syosset • 75 Haskett Drive • Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (FMLC) and Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 1418 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, June 3 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail TournamentsSYT@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 364-2727.

Friday-Sunday, June 10-12 L1B Point Set Father’s Day Challenger Point Set Tennis 3065 New Street • Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, June 5 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088.

Friday-Sunday, June 10-12 L1B World Gym Challenger World Gym Racquet & Sports Arena 384 Mark Tree Road • East Setauket, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys 10 and Under Singles: 78’ Green Ball 10 (FRLC) and Challenger Girls 10 and Under Singles: 78’ Green Ball 10 (FMLC) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail Vtapr@hotmail.com or call (631) 751-6100.

Friday-Sunday, June 10-12 L1B PWTA June Challenger Port Washington Tennis Academy 100 Harbor Road • Port Washington, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, June 5 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088.

Friday-Sunday, June 10-12 L3 RWTTC June UPS Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenue Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Entry Level Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Green Ball 12, 78’ Yellow Ball 14-18 (RR) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail Superscoot@aol.com or call (516) 759-0505.

Saturday, June 11 PSP L3; Bethpage Orange Ball Sportime Bethpage 101 Norcross Avenue • Bethpage, N.Y. Divisions: Entry Level Boys & Girls 10 and Under Singles: 60’ Orange Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $28 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, June 5 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail TournamentsSYT@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 364-2727.

SPORT PSYCHOLOGY Regain Conﬁdence, Learn How To Win

Dr. Tom Ferraro is a noted Sport Psychologist who has worked with professional and Olympic level athletes in many ﬁelds. He publishes internationally and appears both on television and radio. • Control anger • Cope with anxiety • Re-establish conﬁdence • Learn how to focus • Get proper diagnosis and treatment for your emotions

1-1 consultations, phone consults, family counseling, on site visits Dr. Tom Ferraro (516) 248-7189 • 2 Hillside Avenue, Ste. E • Williston Pk, NY 11596 Drtomferraro.com • drtferraro@aol.com LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

USTA/Long Island Region 2016

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. Friday-Sunday, June 17-19 L2O Sportime Kings Park June Open Sportime Kings Park 275 Old Indianhead Road Kings Park, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (FMLC) and Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, June 12 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Tvanepps@SportimeNY.com or call (631) 269-6300. Friday-Sunday, June 17-19 L1B Sportime Bethpage June Challenger Sportime Bethpage 101 Norcross Avenue Bethpage, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, June 10 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail TournamentsSYT@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 364-2727. Friday-Sunday, June 17-19 L1B Sportime Syosset June Challenger Sportime-Syosset 75 Haskett Drive Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 18 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, June 10 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail TournamentsSYT@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 364-2727. Friday-Sunday, June 17-19 L1B World Gym June Classic World Gym Racquet & Sports Arena 384 Mark Tree Road East Setauket, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys 10 and Under Singles: 78’ Green Ball 10 (FRLC) and Challenger Girls 10 and Under Singles: 78’ Green Ball 10 (FMLC) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail Vtapr@hotmail.com or call (631) 751-6100.

Friday-Sunday, June 17-19 L1B Bethpage State Park Summer Challenger Bethpage Park Tennis Center 99 Quaker Meeting House Road Farmingdale, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, June 12 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail RBecker06@yahoo.com or call (516) 359-4843.

Friday-Sunday, June 24-26 L1B Sportime Bethpage June Challenger Sportime Bethpage 101 Norcross Avenue Bethpage, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, June 17 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail TournamentsSYT@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 364-2727.

Friday-Sunday, June 17-19 L1B Point Set Summer Challenger Point Set Tennis 3065 New Street Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, June 12 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088.

Friday-Sunday, June 24-26 L2O Sportime Syosset June Open Sportime-Syosset 75 Haskett Drive Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (FMLC); Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16-18 (SE); and Intermediate Boys & Girls Doubles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16-18 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 for first singles/$28 for first doubles (deadline for entries is Friday, June 17 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail TournamentsSYT@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 364-2727.

Friday-Sunday, June 17-19 L1B NIT Challenge Nassau Indoor Tennis 73 Fern Place Inwood, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 18 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, June 12 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088. Friday-Sunday, June 24-26 L2O Sportime Kings Park June Open II Sportime Kings Park 275 Old Indianhead Road Kings Park, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys & Girls 10 and Under Singles: 60’ Orange Ball 10, 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (FMLC) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, June 19 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Tvanepps@SportimeNY.com or call (631) 269-6300.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com

Friday-Sunday, June 24-26 L1B Point Set June Challenger II Point Set Tennis 3065 New Street Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, June 19 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088. Friday-Monday, June 24-27 L1B PWTA Summer Challenger Port Washington Tennis Academy 100 Harbor Road Port Washington, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, June 17 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088.

2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Engineers Country Club • 55 Glenwood Rd. • Roslyn, NY 11576 SPONSORED BY

EVENT INCLUDES • 5 Courts of Tennis fun for all junior players • Hit for Prizes/Speed Serve/Drills/Games • DJ Curtis McCalla • Carnival Games • Dunk Tank • Face Painting • Great Prizes for everyone • Snacks/Drinks

$10 per person for Engineers Country Club Members $20 per person for Non Members LITennisMag.com • May/June 2016 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

For more information, contact Info@usptennis.com

Long Island Tennis Magazine • May/June 2016 • LITennisMag.com