Long Island Tennis Magazine September / October 2017 by United Sports Publications

LITennisMag.com • September/October 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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LITennisMag.com • September/October 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Table Of Contents

Paving the Way to Flushing Meadows Glory By Br

Roger Federer has rebounded from an injury-plagued 2016 to find great success in 2017 for the final Grand Slam of the year. See page 20

Highlights 14 Bringing Star Power Back to the Island By Brian Coleman NY Open Tournament Director Josh Ripple discusses the return of pro tennis to Long Island and the revamped Nassau Coliseum.

24 2017 U.S. Open Preview The stars return to New York and take over the Big Apple for the final Slam of 2017.

40 2017 Long Island Girls High School Preview A look at the upcoming Nassau and Suffolk County girlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s high school season, the teams to watch and the players to keep on your radar for the upcoming fall season.

Features

ClayTech: A Better Solution for the Home Tennis Court

USTA Long Island Region Hosts Annual Nassau and Suffolk Kids Days

Across Long Island â&#x20AC;Ś News and Notes From Across the L.I. Tennis Community

Super Nationals By Steve Kaplan

Mauna Kea Resort Is Tennis, and So Much More

ATP Pro Reyes-Varela & Caripi Win Final LI Tennis Challenge of 2017 By Brian Coleman

The Jensen Zone: The Vets Show No Sign of Quit! By Luke Jensen

Why Kids Should Choose Tennis Over Other Sports By Stephen Annacone

USTA Eastern Long Island Region: September/October 2017

Let Me Take a Moment to Get 30 Things Off My Chest! By Ricky Becker

2 2

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

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SEP/OCT 2017 Vol 9, No 5

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

y By Brian Coleman

David Sickmen Publisher (516) 409-4444, ext. 309 • david@usptennis.com

s in 2017 as he heads to Flushing Meadows

Joel M. Berman President (516) 409-4444, ext. 310 • joel@usptennis.com Cover photo credit: USTA

Reboot, Recharge and Rebound: The Secret to Success By Rob Polishook

Grown Tennis New York

Orlin & Cohen Leading the Way in Orthopedics on Long Island

Injury Prevention and Recovery for Today’s Athlete By Brian Coleman

Adult League Wrap-Up By Kathy Miller

To Defer or Not to Defer: That Is the Question By Barbara Wyatt

What’s in Your Backyard?

Mastery, Mindset, Learning and the Long Game By Dr. Eric Price

Michelle Greco and Austin Doerner Dominate Inaugural New York Open POP Tennis Tournament

Fitness & Nutrition: Attention All Athletes: Vitamin C Is Key! By Irina Belfer-Lehat RD, CDN

inPhorm: Setting the Trend in Tennis Apparel

Tennis Injury Prevention: The Five Most Common Symptoms of a Meniscus Injury By Dr. Charles Ruotolo, MD, FAAOS

New York Beach Tennis: NYBT Open Hits the Sands of Crest Hollow & NYBT Hosts Battle on the Beach

The Athlete’s Greatest Opponent By Dr. Tom Ferraro

Court Six: Long Island Tennis Magazine’s Gossip Column By Emilie Katz

More Grass Please By Jimmy Delevante

Long Island Tennis Charitable Initiatives: Oceanside High Plays Host to Fifth Annual “Ace It for Syd” Tournament

One Tennis Lesson Can Turn Into a Journey: So What If …? By Lonnie Mitchel

USTA/Long Island Region 2017 Tournament Schedule

Eric C. Peck Editor-in-Chief (516) 409-4444, ext. 312 • eric@usptennis.com 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 Emilie Katz Assistant Marketing Coordinator Scott Koondel VP of Operations (516) 409-4444, ext. 324

Sidney Beal III Staff Photographer Lee Seidner Staff Photographer

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.

ClayTech: A Better Solution for the Home Tennis Court

erhaps you have heard of ClayTech? Many still have not. This court surface has been around for close to 20 years in Europe and nearly 10 years in the United States, but it is only just beginning to catch on here as the preferred home tennis court. If you have an existing hard court or are planning new court construction, you should definitely take a look at ClayTech. ClayTech is an all-weather, clay court that can be installed on top of an existing hard court in as little as two days. The surface eliminates the need to repaint every three to five years and will bridge many

crack and deficiencies in the substrate. The product utilizes a specially-designed mat that acts as the base for a thin layer of green or red clay or HarTru. Much like a hard court, ClayTech features permanent lines that will occasionally need to be touched up with new paint. Here are some things court owners are saying about the surface: l “ClayTech plays brilliantly, like clay but the traction and bounces are more consistent.” l “I am so glad I no longer have to watch the cracks on my court reappear.”

l “I love the comfort! I can now play more frequently and for longer stretches without really hurting the next day.” l “The speed of play is ideal. I get to more shots and the rallies are incredibly fun.” l “I can count on my court to be playable more quickly than any other courts in my area after all types of weather.” To learn more about ClayTech, visit AllWeatherClay.com or call the manufacturers at (877) 442-7878.

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2017 • LITennisMag.com

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USTA Long Island Region Hosts Annual Nassau and Suffolk Kids Days

STA Long Island and Long Island Tennis Magazine hosted its annual Nassau County and Suffolk County Kids Days, bringing together hundreds of kids from across the Island for days of tennis and fun on the courts of Engineers Country Club in Roslyn and The Hamlet Golf and Country Club in Commack. “Thanks to Long Island Tennis Magazine, Randi Wilkins, Terry Fontana and all the staff and volunteers for organizing fun events that exposed so many kids to tennis,” said Neil Thakur, Long Island’s Tennis Service Representative for USTA Eastern. “USTA Eastern is always glad to support such events and will continue to work in the community to grow the game.” More than 175 kids were in attendance for the Nassau County event at Engineers Country Club, including groups from Circulo de la Hispanidad in Long Beach and the Alliance Tennis and AMC Child Care in Roosevelt. “Nassau County Kids Day was a terrific day of tennis, fun and new friends,” said Terry Fontana, USTA Long Island Region Nassau County Kids Day Chair. “The kids who attended—coming from as far as Long Beach and Roosevelt—had a wonderful time learning to play tennis, enjoying carnival games, face-painting and a pizza lunch, as well as dancing on the court to music from DJ CM.” For many of the kids, it was their first time playing tennis or even picking up a racket, and Kids Day served as a great 6

introduction to the sport, presenting it in a fun and friendly environment. “I really miss tennis because I haven’t played in so long,” said a youngster named Sofia. “When I played today, it was really fun. I won some prizes and it felt good to be playing again.” Student volunteers from the Hicksville Community Tennis Association and Ward Melville High School helped make both events a success, along with student interns from Long Island Tennis Magazine.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2017 • LITennisMag.com

“We are thankful to all the volunteers who helped throughout the day, to Long Island Tennis Magazine for their co-sponsorship and to Engineers Country Club for hosting,” said Fontana of Nassau’s Kids Day. “The USTA Long Island Region is proud that we are able to introduce tennis, the sport of a lifetime, to children at events like this one.” The Suffolk Kids Day was held at The Hamlet in Commack, and brought together more than 150 kids who came from

various groups, such as Kid’s Clubhouse of Suffolk County, YES, Fit4Moms of Suffolk County West and Alliance Junior Development Inc. “The USTA Long Island Region is happy to work with Long Island Tennis Magazine and the Hamlet Golf & Country Club in Commack to provide Kid’s Day, which is a fun introduction to tennis for children who have never picked up a racket and addi-

tional exposure for those who already play,” said Randi Wilkins, USTA Long Island Region Suffolk County Kids Day Chair. “It’s wonderful to see kids with different skill levels all involved at the same event.” In Suffolk County, the clinics and drills were presented by pros from Sportime Kings Park, as well as student/volunteers from Ward Melville High School and Miller Place Middle School. There was a bounce

house and pizza provided for the group of approximately 150, and the kids were able to hit for prizes at the end of the event. “This was The Hamlet Golf and Country Club’s second year hosting this wonderful event,” said Bruce Moodnick, Head Tennis Professional at The Hamlet. “It’s fantastic to see all the kids enjoying a day of tennis. Who knows, in 10 years, you may see one of these kids at the U.S. Open.”

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LITennisMag.com • September/October 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Across Long Isla Bethpage Park’s Goetz Advances to Finals of National Clay Court Championships

NTC Hosts Annual Say Yes to Tennis, No to Violence Event

Ryan Goetz of Bethpage Park Tennis Center, pictured here with Bethpage Park’s Co-Owner Keith Kambourian, brought his talents down to Florida to compete against the best players in the country, and had an outstanding tournament in Delray Beach. He won seven straight singles matches to reach the finals of the USTA Boys National Clay Court Championships in the Boys 18s Division.

Sportime Lynbrook’s Twist on Summer Camp

The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center recently hosted its Annual “Say Yes to Tennis, No to Violence” event, bringing together more than 700 kids from Far Rockaway along with the Queens’ District Attorney’s anti-violence program.

Sportime Lynbrook added a fun element to its camp this summer with Team Tennis Fridays, as the kids played in a team competition that encouraged teamwork and camaraderie. 8

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2017 • LITennisMag.com

land

… News and notes from across the L.I. tennis community USTA Eastern Squad Attends 2017 Zonals

Syosset’s Pellerito Commits to William & Mary Daniel Pellerito of Syosset, currently ranked 60th nationally by Tennis Recruiting Network, has announced that he has verbally committed to play collegiate tennis at William & Mary next fall.

Long Beach Film Fest Screens New Tennis Documentary The Sixth Annual Long Beach International Film Festival, which takes place at the Long Beach Public Library in Long Beach, N.Y., screened the tennis documentary film “Gold Balls,” an inspiring film about the ageless human spirit inside the world of competitive ultra-senior tennis.

Point Set Women’s Team Caps Off Successful Season Point Set’s 3.0 USTA Women’s Day Team wrapped up its season in grand fashion by finishing in first place in their division and winning the playoffs.

USTA Eastern sent some of its best junior players down to the 2017 USTA Zone Team Championships, a five-day national team competition emphasizing singles, doubles and mixed doubles play against other Section’s teams. Team Eastern did a great job representing the Section both on and off the court.

Tennis Fun in the Hamptons Sun

Tennis on Long Island heats up in the summertime, especially out in the Hamptons. The kids from the Sportime Quogue (above) and Annacone Tennis (pictured left) summer camps braved the summer heat to have fun while working on their tennis games.

LITennisMag.com • September/October 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Super Nationals By Steve Kaplan don’t travel to tournaments as much as I used to earlier in my career, but I decided to journey with a terrific student to Virginia Beach to the Girls’ 16 Clay Court Super Nationals this past July. I was expecting the worst, but was pleasantly surprised at the performances of these top girls. Here are a few observations and comparisons about the Girls’ 16s tournament experience of today with that of years ago …

are selected to host Summer Nationals. Here’s my take on it … it’s about economics. You need a large facility to serve as the host, and cooler areas are busy in the summer while warmer areas are busy in the winter and ghost towns in the summer. Enter the bid to host a Nationals while sane people stay in air conditioning. The Board of Health In New York City recently adopted a heat alert policy for scholastic sports for a sound reason. A heat index of over 100 cannot be healthy to exercise in, and Virginia Beach, while not scary hot every day this time around, was very toasty.

The weather I’m sure that I’m not the first person to wonder why the hottest places on Earth

The club The Virginia Beach Tennis and Country Club is the perfect venue (except for lo-

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2017 • LITennisMag.com

cation, see above) to host Nationals. It has more than 25 outdoor clay courts, 10 indoor courts and it’s spread out. Wide open areas at Nationals seem to be soothing to the frayed nerves of the parents and coaches watching. It’s a nice place, but by no means, toney and stuffy … just good ole’ southern hospitality at a club happy to be given the opportunity to host a Super Nationals. The behavior The on and off court behavior of players was just outstanding. Players at this event were polite, fair and focused. Perhaps cheating is rampant at some junior events, but the girls here let their rackets do the talking.

Sure, a few players could use finishing school and perhaps my experience was unique, but it gives me cause for optimism that athletes’ behavior in the sport has progressed and matured. The tennis Girls hit ground strokes really hard these days. A former student who was top 20 nationally in the Boys’ 18s, 35 years ago swears that National Level 16-year-old girls hit groundstrokes as hard as Jimmy Connors did back in the day with his Wilson T2000. The athletes are bigger and stronger, and move side to side well, but forward and backward movement is still as much of a problem as ever. While more girls have a usable slice, fewer girls than ever seem to have a very good slice. Not many girls had very sound service motions. They get more power because of advancements in technology, but efficient linkage from the ground to contact seems to be as elusive as ever. While I suspect that girls volley bet-

ter today, it’s difficult to evaluate the singles volleys of the Girls’ 16s in comparison to a generation ago. First, because they don’t come to net often, and second, when they do, their opponents have huge power to defend. When I watch doubles, I am pleased to observe that more girls than before have developed a strong sense of court position and doubles competency. Pre-match preparation The fitness world has changed and progressed, but the junior tennis world seemed stuck in the practices of yesterday. I saw a few players perform functional movements for a minute or two, but most did not demonstrate good form. An overwhelming number of players just hit to warm up. It’s better than eating potato chips, but still not a best practice. The parents and coaches This was a very low key event. There was surprisingly little cheering, obnoxious clapping, clandestine attempts to

communicate and self-talking. It was almost calm … almost. Overall impressions Over the years, many of the institutions that define a National Summer Tournament experience, i.e. bad hotel breakfast, boring pre-tournament meeting, the sales pitch for extra car rental insurance and that very long walk back to the tournament desk after a loss, have remained the same. The weather is still hot, but tempers have cooled. It was a kinder and gentler tournament scene in Virginia Beach, and if this experience is representative of a wider trend, it is a very large step in the right direction. Steve Kaplan is Owner of Bethpage Park Tennis Center, as well as 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.

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LITennisMag.com • September/October 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Mauna Kea Resort Is Tennis, and So Much More

auna Kea Resort’s 11court Seaside Tennis Club is one of the largest and most sought-after tennis experiences in Hawaii. Located ocean side on the grounds of the legendary and award-winning Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, the Club consistently ranks among the best in the world … and with good reason. In addition to the expected menu of lessons, clinics and round-robin tournaments, Director of Tennis Craig Pautler and his staff have long-standing relationships with guests and island residents who come regularly to play at the top-notch facility. They also work closely with local high school and junior tennis players and programs, providing courts and even equipment to help aspiring young athletes. Each September, the Seaside Tennis Club serves up 12

their annual Grand Prix and Open Class Championship and a Spring Doubles Tournament takes place in April. Perhaps most surprising to first-time players at Mauna Kea however, is the club’s proximity to the ocean, unlike any other tennis facility in the state. Players on Courts 10 and 11 in particular might be distracted during humpback whale season from December until May when the giant mammals can often be seen breaching just offshore. Mauna Kea Resort, originally developed by venture capitalist and environmentalist Laurance S. Rockefeller in 1965, is an 1,800-plus acre resort with beautiful homes, two stunning white sand beaches, two 18-hole championship golf courses and two hotels, Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, which opened in 1965 and its sister hotel, Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel, which opened

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2017 • LITennisMag.com

in 1994. Guests are afforded signing privileges at both hotels for dining and receive guest rates at the Seaside Tennis Club and at Hapuna Golf Course and Mauna Kea Golf Course where golfers may opt to “surf the earth” aboard Golfboards. No stay at Mauna Kea Resort would be complete without experiencing the warm ocean waters fronting the two hotels at Hapuna Beach and at Kauna’oa Bay. Standup paddleboarding, snorkeling and canoe rides are among activities for anyone looking for a day of sun and fun. Mauna Kea Spa by Mandara and the Hapuna Spa, along with fully-equipped fitness centers at both hotels, provide perfect options for indulgence and exercise. Enjoy more with Mauna Kea Resort’s Free Nights and Breakfast Package. For more information, visit MaunaKeaBeachHotel.com or call (877) 880-6524.

LITennisMag.com • September/October 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Bringing Star Power Back to the Island NY Open Tournament Director Josh Ripple brings pro tennis to revamped Nassau Coliseum By Brian Coleman

ong Island will once again play host to professional tennis when the New York Open makes its debut at NYCB Live, Home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in February of 2018. Thanks to the partnership between GF Sports LLC and Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, the famous Memphis Open has found a new home in Nassau County. “We conducted an exhaustive eightmonth national search to find a real growth opportunity from both a corporate sponsorship and ticket buyer standpoint,” said Josh Ripple, Executive Vice President of GF Sports LLC and Tournament Director for the New York Open. “In the end, we were fortunate to capitalize on our GF Sports Board’s relationship with Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment and the realization that the newly 14

renovated Coliseum could be interested in having a solid event anchor tenant so to speak. A casual conversation turned into a win-win proposition for both of us, and the partnership affords us the chance to help build tennis in the New York-metro area and offer Long Islanders an annual world-class professional sports property to support.” The Memphis Open was one of longest running American tournaments on the ATP Tour, dating back to 1976. In 1977, it was designated as the U.S. Indoor National Championships, and tennis legend Bjorn Borg captured the title that year. The tournament was acquired by GF Capital, two years ago, along with the BB&T Open in Atlanta, and both are now operated by GF Sports LLC. While Memphis possesses a strong and passionate tennis fan base, as time went on,

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2017 • LITennisMag.com

the market shrunk with attendance dropping and sponsorship interest on the decline. “Memphis is an historic tennis market with savvy tennis fans,” said Ripple. “But the tournament itself became victim to the macro changes in professional tennis, meaning many of the sports top players were no longer Americans and more and more tournaments were exiting the U.S. With that evolution, the event became pretty limited to a small core base of passionate tennis fans and not many others. With attendance dwindling, the interest from sponsors in that market also became limited.” Ripple continued, “When GF Capital purchased the tournament, it was our mid- to long-term goal to relocate closer to the New York area. When we learned that Nassau Coliseum had gone through a change, we thought we had a great opportunity to move this event

closer to our home base and reside in a newly renovated stateof-the-art arena. It became a no-brainer. When all the stars lined up, we knew we could have a potential winner by moving it to the Nassau Coliseum.” The move is one of many that GF Sports looks to make as it wants to bring its event assets closer to the company headquarters, and the New Yorkmarket presents a unique opportunity to grow the tournament exponentially. The company is making a major investment and betting on the New York Open, as well as other events that it is bringing to the area. One of those events is the American leg of the Longines Masters, an Equestrian event that has been held in Los Angeles for the last several years and will be moving to the Nassau Coliseum next April. In conjunction with Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, the partnership is set to build on its various event series with a strong and strategic marketing campaign. At the heart of that is the tournament that has brought excitement and intrigue to tennis fans in the Long Island and New York communities who have been starving for a professional tennis event outside of the three week-long U.S. Open. Ripple and all involved have stressed that they want the New York Open to be more than just an ATP 250 Series tennis tournament, incorporating various lifestyle extensions that will help create a festival-type atmosphere throughout the week that the tournament is in town. That marketing strategy is something he learned and was able to help execute during his time at Life is Beautiful, a Las Vegas-based inspirational content and music, food, art and learning event company, where he served as Chief Operating Officer. Ripple will serve as the New York Open Tournament Director and brings a wealth of experience in the field of event marketing and the business which encompasses it. He is also a former tennis player himself, having played his college tennis at George Washington University where he was roommates with now ITF President David Haggerty.

“Our overall strategy must never forget our core tennis base, but perhaps more important, it must cater to the general entertainment-seeking consumer,” said Ripple. “While it may take a few years to get it right, the goal is to offer the players, fans, sponsors and media something unique that differentiates ourselves from the rest. That fundamental approach was pounded into me in recent non-sports roles at The Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas and then at Life is Beautiful. An old boss used to preach to me that is was our mission to differentiate ourselves in a sea of sameness, and that philosophy will be applied to what we do here with the New York Open.” Ripple has been encouraged by the feedback GF Sports has received from the local community, and he says, in addition to USTA Long Island and USTA Eastern, there are so many people in the tennis world around here who want to do what’s necessary to have the New York Open become a successful platform to help promote the sport. “It is clear to us over the last few months that we have made the right decision to be here,” Ripple said. “The tennis community is truly excited over having an annual winter tennis event on the calendar which will allow players, club owners and teaching pros, and

even the media like Long Island and New York Tennis Magazines, programming to look forward to in the early part of the year.” Kathy Miller is one of those club owners who has collaborated with GF Sports and the New York Open team. Miller is the Club Manager of Carefree Racquet Club in North Merrick, which will serve as the practice facility for the players during the tournament, and is located just about four miles from Nassau Coliseum. The player field for both the singles and doubles draws come February is expected to be improved over what Memphis has had in recent years. New York and Long Island’s Nassau Coliseum will be more attractive to players because of the market and the new arena. One of the early commits is current world number nine Kei Nishikori of Japan, who won four straight titles in Memphis from 2013-2016. Ripple expects that the majority of the top Americans, as well as up-and-coming U.S. stars, will be in the field as well which should create excitement amongst the fans in attendance. There will be a qualifying tournament leading into the main draw, and there have been discussions of creating something of a regional wild card tournament, where local players will have a chance to compete for a spot in qualifying. While there is no word on how long the agreement between the tournament and Nassau Coliseum is, Ripple assures that the New York Open is here to stay for a long time, and will attract tennis fans and nontennis fans alike. “This will be a professional sports franchise for everyone, not just for tennis people,” Ripple said. “In order to be successful, we need to attract a diverse audience, and the way to do that is to create something extraordinary on Long Island in the winter time. With the entertainment powerhouse Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment as our partners, we have the right combination of sports and entertainment acumen to create memories for a very long time.”

LITennisMag.com • September/October 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

ATP Pro Reyes-Varela & Caripi Win Final Goldberg wins record fifth LI LI Tennis Challenge of 2017 Jud duo captures Women’s D By Brian Coleman

Long Island Tennis Challenge winners Todd Selter & Lionel Goldberg with the runner-up team of Chuck Silverstein & Ed Kornstein he third and final Long Island Tennis Challenge of 2017 hit the clay courts of Engineers Country Club in Roslyn, as players in three different divisions competed for titles. The day began with a free clinic, provided by pros from Sportime Roslyn, to allow the players to get warmed up before the competition started. In the Women’s Amateur Draw, former champion Jerilyn Jud and her daughter, Christina, defeated Corinne Moschetti & Jennifer Leggio in the first semifinal, setting up a finals matchup against the team of Simone Crames & Alison Sands, who had defeated Jackie Gaines & April Mongelli in the other semifinal matchup. The Jud duo looked to jump ahead early in the final, and did so by breaking Crames’ serve in the opening game. After Jerilyn Jud held serve, the pair broke Sands’ serve to take a commanding 3-0 lead, and bumped it to 4-0 after a hold by Christina. The next two games resulted in holds of serve, and some good net play by the Juds in the seventh game, setting up match points for the pair and they converted on their first try to win the title 6-1. “Christina has an all-around game. She’s extremely steady from the baseline and was able to set me up at the net, and then when

Women finalists runners up Allison Sands & Simone Crames with Women’s Amateur Division winners Jerilyn Jud & Christina Jud

I was back I was able to set her up at the net,” said her proud mom Jerilyn. “It was just a combination of working together.” The mother-daughter combo had not played much doubles together prior to the tournament, but were able to figure out each other’s games as the matches went on, resulting in their solid play in the semifinals and finals. “We never really played together, but we figured it out,” added Jerilyn. “Once we settled in it was a lot of fun.” Lionel Goldberg entered this installment of the tournament looking to defend his title and win it for a fifth time overall, but would have to do it with a new partner, Todd Selter, as Goldberg’s usual teammate, Jonathan Klee, was out of town. After a dominant run in pool-play, Goldberg & Selter entered the final four as the favorite to win, but got off to a slow start in the semifinals against the team of Bart Kaplan & Harlan Levine. Despite the slow start, Goldberg & Selter forced the match into a tie-breaker, and played their best tennis of the match in the breaker, winning seven of the nine points to advance to the finals. “We spent a long time waiting for that match and started slow because of it,” said Goldberg. “But we came into ourselves a lit-

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2017 • LITennisMag.com

tle bit. We took it point by point instead of getting overwhelmed … we just stayed with it.” The two carried that momentum into the finals against Chuck Silverstein & Ed Kornstein, who had ousted Michael Mueller & Dennis Reisman in the other semifinal. Goldberg & Selter came out firing, breaking Kornstein & Silverstein in each of their first service games and notching holds to open up a 4-0 lead. But Kornstein & Silverstein did not go quietly, breaking Goldberg & Selter both en route to winning three straight games to cut the deficit to 3-4. Goldberg & Selter halted the momentum by breaking Silverstein’s serve in the ensuing game, and Goldberg proceeded to hold serve in the ninth game to close the match out and win his record fifth Long Island Tennis Magazine Challenge title. “You just have to bear down and look forward instead of behind you, and realize that even though you had an early lead, we know how it is, how quickly things can change in these matches,” added Selter. “We just didn’t want to beat ourselves. Keep the ball in the court and try to break down their weaknesses.” The final draw of the day brought together some high-level doubles players which included current ATP Tour players, as well as former and current college standouts, making for a thrilling afternoon of tennis. Miguel Reyes-Varela, who is currently

Ben final the y

nal

fifth LITM Challenge; men’s Division Title

Ben Marks takes part in the third and Bart Kaplan returns a shot at Long Island Tennis Challenge winners Miguel Reyes-Varela & Vasili Caripi are final Long Island Tennis Challenge of Engineers Country Club joined post-match by runners-up Gustavo Loza & Michael-John Every the year “We had a good practice session, and tiful place to play at and was very well-orgaranked 351st in the world in doubles, partnered with Vasili Caripi and the pair powered its way Miguel told me what he wanted from me,” nized. I think all the teams really enjoyed it. into a semifinal matchup against the team of said Caripi. “He is such a good player, so I There was great competition and it was a lot Miki Nobuzawa & Danilo Vukotic, who play for just stuck to the game plan he wanted to of fun.” have and it worked.” Long Island Tennis Magazine would like to Farleigh Dickinson. Reyes-Varela & Loza are good friends off thank its sponsors of the Long Island Tennis In the other semifinal, former St. John’s players Gustavo Loza & Michael-John Every took of the court, and it was Loza who extended Challenge: USTA, USTA Eastern, Sportime, on Dymtro Kovalevych & Bozo Zaputovic, two the invite to Reyes-Varela to play in the Long John McEnroe Tennis Academy, South Shore Island Tennis Challenge. Auto Sales, 30fifteen, inPhorm, Connecticut pros from Christopher Morley Tennis. “I was lucky to be around here and with Open, New York Empire, Inside the Zone When the dust settled, Reyes-Varela & Caripi took on Loza & Every in the final. The match Gustavo, and they invited me to play in the Sports Performance Group and PGA Tour played host to phenomenal tennis, as neither tournament,” Reyes-Varela said. “It’s a beau- Superstore. team budged early, and each player held serve in their first service games to bring the final to 2-2. That is when the match met its turning point, as a backhand winner from Reyes-Varela broke the serve of Every for a 3-2 lead. The pair would not be broken throughout the whole set, and “Long Island’s Tennis Store” would notch one more break at 5-3, once again We Now Carry Viking Platform Tennis Racquets and Paddles on Every’s serve, to wrap up the 6-3 victory and Kids Apparel & Sneakers t Great Prices On Racquets win the $650 cash prize. Tennis & Running Shoes t 1 Hour Stringing “Getting that break was definitely key and alUSTA Open 7 Days t Demos Available lowed us to control the match and set the tone,” Long Island Shipping Available Retailer of said Reyes-Varela. “It really made it simple for the Year ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED us to stick to our plan and it worked out. We AT CHRISTOPHER 218 JERICHO TURNPIKE tried to just get a lot of balls in and make our MORLEY TENNIS IN SYOSSET t 516-364-9470 first serves.” ROSLYN/MANHASSET! ACROSS FROM SYOSSET HOSPITAL The pair hadn’t played much tennis together, 516-484-4200 TopSpinTennisLI.com but got a practice session in the day before the tournament which helped them develop a little chemistry.

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The Vets Show No Sign of Quit! By Luke Jensen As we shut down a glorious summer of tennis and look forward to a great fall going into winter, I am just floored by the work done on the pro tour by the veterans who continue to amaze. When I played on the pro tour, players in their 30s were a rarity. Johnny Mac, Jimmy Connors and Martina Navratilova were out there, but not winning the same way that Roger Federer, Venus and Serena Williams, and Rafael Nadal are winning these days. Today, there are so many other players in both singles and doubles rankings playing extremely well into their 30s. I believe much of it can be attributed to the evolution of nutrition and athletic recovery. Venus talks about an affinity inside that makes her feel like she can go on forever. Venus also often talks about the process of improving and

getting better. She knows that, in her heart, she will always love the game of tennis and be a tennis player who wants to improve. I am so impressed with these legendary leaders in the game. So … how is your game these days? Is it improving and moving in a direction that helps you win more key points? If not, maybe you can use this next tennis tip to win more points. I’m a big believer in moving the ball to the open court. From singles to doubles, looking to hit shots to the open court is always going to keep your opponent moving. One thing I explore during matches when my open court approach is not working is to hit down the middle of the court. This “go at your opponent” strategy forces the other side to move out of the way to hit the ball. Players are used to moving toward the ball. Tennis players are not used to getting away from the ball!

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My dad took up tennis late in his athletic life and hated when the ball jammed him. He hated it so much that he thought the answer was to saw off about an inch to an inch-and-a-half of the handle to deal with a body shot. This was always a family frustration because I would leave rackets at home and come back from college or the tour with many of my frames SAWED OFF! They were useless to me! My dad really thought it helped him, so I would tell him that if he thought that shortening the racket frame is magic to his game, then do it to YOUR racquets! Not MINE! He would laugh and say he liked his racquets and that my frames get better shorter … Anyway … please don’t saw off your frames. Just move your feet to set up for a body ball. So if you are not playing well or losing a tennis battle, try going right at the net player or right down the middle and see how they handle a ball in the body. You may surprise yourself! Always remember to never change a winning tactic and always change a losing game plan … find another way to win … play tough and play smart! Keep going for the lines! 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.

Why Kids Should Choose Tennis Over Other Sports By Stephen Annacone I started playing tennis when I was 10-years-old. My brother Paul and I would go with our parents to the park in Sag Harbor and eventually, we decided to go out and try to hit some balls. We pretty much picked it up right away and became regular hitting partners for the next 20 years. Paul became a successful professional tennis player, and I was his coach for most of his playing career. Tennis has basically been my life since I was 14. I have learned a lot through playing, teaching and coaching. My years as a tennis professional and coach have given me the ability to communicate better, understand the benefits of fitness and exercise, and also enabled me to enjoy the sport while improving my skills in all areas. Tennis teaches you the life lessons of: l How to deal with losing or not being successful l How to exhibit good sportsmanship l How to learn from your mistakes l How to organize your time efficiently l How to continue to improve over time l How to help others enjoy success Tennis gives kids a great opportunity to excel in a sport. You do not have to be a great athlete to be a very good tennis player. Discipline, hard work and desire will take you a long way in this sport. In addition, because there are so many aspects to becoming a good player, many people can be successful in tennis by competing well, having a good strategy and learning from their experiences on the court. Putting all of these elements together is a great recipe for success. Playing tennis at the collegiate level is a great goal for a young tennis player. The number of scholarships for boys (4.5 per team) makes

it difficult to get a free ride to college, but it can help you get into a school that you might not qualify for academically. For girls, there are still more scholarships available (eight per team) than players. I get phone calls regularly asking if I have any, or know of any players who might want to play tennis in college. There are many opportunities to use your tennis to help with a college education. I believe that tennis players tend to form an alliance. I have made many friends through tennis and still have contact with a large number of them. We can all relate to the different experiences and great stories on and around the tennis court, and it has bonded us in a way that no other sport can. The individual aspect of the game tends to separate us when competing, yet brings us together when we are not on the court opposing each other. Tennis teaches you that a game is a game, there are other things in life that are more important than winning the game. I strongly recommend that kids experience this great sport and I hope that I can continue to be involved in making that happen. Stephen Annacone, USPTA Elite Pro, is the Director of Annacone Tennis (AnnaconeTennis.com). For details on lessons and camps in Sag Harbor and throughout the Hamptons this summer, contact SAnnacone@AnnaconeTennis.com or Management@AnnaconeTennis.com.

Do you want to be a High-Performance Player but Can't Get a High Performance Coach? Contact Ricky Becker for 2017 Fall/Winter Season Groups and Private Lessons.

516-359-4843 rbecker06@yahoo.com LITennisMag.com â&#x20AC;˘ September/October 2017 â&#x20AC;˘ Long Island Tennis Magazine

Paving the Way to Flushing Meadows Glory Roger Federer’s injury-plagued 2016 leads to historic 2017 season By Brian Coleman year ago, the U.S. Open delighted fans with two thrilling finals on the men’s and women’s sides of the draw, as Stan Wawrinka defeated Novak Djokovic for the men’s title and Angelique Kerber outlasted Karolina Pliskova on the women’s side. But there was something missing from the final Grand Slam of 2016: Roger Federer. The now 19-time Grand Slam champion missed the second half of last season to recover from a knee injury, bringing to a close a run of 16 consecutive years in which the Swiss competed in the U.S. Open main draw. Federer made the decision to withdraw in late July, following a semifinal run at Wimbledon. “The doctors advised that if I want to play injury-free for another few years, as I intend to do, I must give both my knee and body the proper time to fully recover,” Federer said at the time of withdrawal. “I am as motivated as ever and plan to put all my energy towards coming back strong, healthy and in shape to play attacking tennis in 2017.” He has done nothing short of live up to his words. The rest did the all-time great plenty of good, and he has been the best player in the world thus far in 2017. He has already won the Australian Open and Wimbledon, while also notching title wins in Halle, Indian Wells and Miami, improving his overall season record to 31-2 after his demolition of Croatia’s Marin Cilic in the Wimbledon finals; the eighth Wimbledon title of his career. “I honestly didn’t think I was going to be able to run through top-10 players the way I am, win all these breakers and all these big moments,” Federer said after winning at the All-England Club. “This is what’s made the difference for me. I’ve won all the big matches this year. It’s unbelievable.” That has to be the sentiment shared by many of his peers who are in awe of what 36-year-old is doing. His year began in Melbourne, where he played 10 sets of tennis in his final two matches. To be able to play that much tennis after missing so much of the previous season is just incredible, and it concluded with a five-set triumph over compatriot Stan Wawrinka and a victory in a historic five-set affair against long-time rival Rafael Nadal.

continued on page 22 Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2017 • LITennisMag.com

Photo credit: USTA

LITennisMag.com • September/October 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

paving the way to flushing meadows glory continued from page 20

And he will look to continue his historic season as we approach the year’s final major, the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows. Federer has perfected the art of schedule-making, picking and choosing his spots to compete in tournaments throughout the year to maximize his performance in the Grand Slams, which makes his presence in Flushing Meadows this year even more exciting.

The Basel, Switzerland native has also mastered the art of tampering expectations as well, never getting too high or low, and that’s how he presented his own outlook on his chances at the U.S. Open. “That would be a joke, if I won three Grand Slams this year out of nowhere,” Federer said. “I know if I stay in shape, there are chances for me to do well at the U.S. Open, but to win it? Yeah, at some stage I almost feel like I have to be realis-

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2017 • LITennisMag.com

tic. I am not 25-years-old anymore. I’m not sure I can win three Slams in one year. Winning two is already pretty crazy and plenty good enough for me.” There is nobody playing better than Federer this season, except for the claycourt stretch from Nadal. His success at this stage of his career is something that is not lost on some of the world’s best players and some of the greatest players in the sports history, as even they are marveling at what the Swiss Maestro has done so far this year. “Roger is playing great again,” said former U.S. Open finalist Kei Nishikori. “With his age, it’s something incredible. I want to play a long time, but I don’t know if my body can stand up.” Three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker added: “We can’t emphasize enough all the records Federer has broken, and with tough competition. Everybody is younger than him and he finds the way to win easily, and do it consistently on every surface, apart from clay. It’s just impossible to fathom. You think, where is he going to go now? Will it be 20 Grand Slams at the U.S. Open?” The scariest part of Federer’s success is just how easy he has made winning look. He won the Wimbledon title without

dropping a set at a time when the sport of tennis has seen the style of play shift to more power and athleticism. And Federer hasn’t missed a beat. His task at the U.S. Open became a bit easier when Novak Djokovic announced he would miss the rest of 2017 with an elbow injury and the recent withdrawal by defending U.S. Open champ Stan Wawrinka adds to a depleted men’s singles draw. Current world number one Andy Murray has also been hampered by injuries and missed some of the tournaments that lead up to the U.S. Open, which opens up the draw for Federer to win his third major title of the year, and the 21st of his career. The five-time champion has not hoisted the trophy in Flushing Meadows since 2008, but is there anyone in the tennis world who is willing to bet against him? There is no doubt that players face a mental hurdle when they stare across the net and see Federer waiting on the other side. Each match he plays, especially in Flushing Meadows, is a de facto home match for him as he garners more crowd support than anyone, and there doesn’t seem to be any holes in his game. The only two players who have defeated him to date in 2017 are Evgeny Donsky and Tommy Haas. Those defeats came in Dubai and Halle, respectively, but there is little doubt Federer’s game rises to another level when the lights of a Grand Slam are shining bright.

His two weeks at the U.S. Open will begin with his appearance at Arthur Ashe Kids Day, the 10th time he will take part in the always-popular and fan-friendly event. Few players enjoy connecting with and being with fans than Federer as he understands the impact his smile and presence can have on the tennis world. Federer is a fan-favorite and will once again feel the love of the Big Apple crowd when he arrives in late August. The tournament is certainly glad to have him back

and there will be no shortage of celebrity sightings in Arthur Ashe Stadium as his run progresses. He is also a big favorite to bring home the title, and the real question is, can anyone challenge him over the course of two weeks in Flushing Meadows? Brian Coleman is senior editor for Long Island Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by phone at (516) 409-4444, ext. 326 or e-mail BrianC@USPTennis.com.

LITennisMag.com • September/October 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

2017 U.S. Open Preview August 28-September 10, 2017

USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center l Flushing Meadows, N.Y. Credit photos to WTATennis & ATPWorldTour.com

What to watch for … 1. Can Garbine Muguruza find consistency? Spain’s Garbine Muguruza captured the second Grand Slam title of her career with a straight-sets win over Venus Williams at Wimbledon. This U.S. Open will be a huge showcase for her to see if she can follow up her win with success in Flushing Meadows. When she won her first major at the 2016 French Open, she was bounced in the second round of Wimbledon and the U.S. Open afterwards. A successful run in Flushing Meadows will go a long way towards establishing consistency for her. 2. Can Kerber regain her 2016 form? Defending U.S. Open champion Angelique Kerber has not had a good 2017 season up to this point. Now, it was always going to be tough for the German to follow up her fantastic 2016 campaign, which saw her win two Grand 24

Slam titles. She has yet to win a title and only reached one final, in Monterrey, while failing to get out of the Round of 16 in any of the three majors. Kerber’s ability to return to her form from 2016 is a top storyline heading into the U.S. Open, and will play a major factor in how the women’s singles draw shapes out. 3. How much does Venus have left in the tank? The resurgence of Venus Williams has been one of the best stories of the WTA Tour for the last 18 months, as the American has found a new start to her legendary career. She has reached the finals at Wimbledon and the Australian Open, and the Round of

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2017 • LITennisMag.com

16 at Roland Garros. She is a twotime champion in Flushing Meadows and is beloved by the New York fans. It will be interesting to see how her body holds up at this point in the season, but with her power game and ability to limit errors, Venus is certainly a solid contender at this year’s U.S. Open. 4. Women’s field wide open The women’s tour has felt wide open for the last few months, and a lot of that can be linked to the absence of Serena Williams since the Australian Open. There have been four different finalists in the following two Grand Slams, and the current world number one, Karolina Pliskova, reached that pinnacle thanks to losses by other top players. As the musical chairs at the top of the WTA Rankings continue to turn, it only creates more excitement for the women’s singles draw at the U.S. Open.

2017 U.S. OPEN PREVIEW 5. Young Americans The U.S. Open always serves as a nice showcase for young American players, and this year will be no different, on both sides of the draw. On the men’s side, you have young talents such as Frances Tiafoe, Jared Donaldson, Taylor Fritz and Reilly Opelka, all of whom are still under the legal drinking age. Tiafoe could be the most intriguing, and he pushed compatriot John Isner to five sets in the opening round at Flushing Meadows a year ago. Cici Bellis highlights the crop of young American women, as she won two main draw matches at the U.S. Open last year. Seventeen-year-old Kayla Day is the reigning U.S. Open Junior Champion and could take a major step forward in her career if she is able to play in the main draw. It is also easy to forget that Madison Keys is still just 22-years-old, while Coco Vandeweghe is only 25-years of age. The 2017 U.S. Open should be an exciting one for those fans of American tennis.

announced he is shutting his season down thanks to a knee injury. There will be two new finalists this time around, leaving two of the top five players vacant from the season’s final Grand Slam. World number one Andy Murray has been slowed down by injuries, and all of these factors opens the door for someone to make a surprise run deep into the tournament. 7. Federer’s dominance The facts written above point to Roger Federer having an easier path in his quest for a third major title of the year. Nobody has looked better than the Swiss Maestro thus far in 2017, and his legion of fans who will be in New York are hoping that the diluted men’s field creates a less treacherous path for the 36-year-old. His absence from last year’s tournament left something missing, and

his presence once again in Flushing Meadows breeds excitement, as well as provides us with a clear-cut favorite to hoist the trophy at the end of the two weeks. 8. Will the reign of the Big Five continue? Since Rafael Nadal won his maiden French Open title in 2005, only twice has there been a player outside the Big Five (Federer, Djokovic, Nadal, Murray and Wawrinka) to win a major trophy. Both of those came at the U.S. Open, as Juan Martin del Potro and Marin Cilic have won trophies in Flushing Meadows. Two of the big five have already withdrawn from the tournament, so it will be interesting to see if that trend will continue, or will someone unexpected be able to topple a Federer, Murray or Nadal. Players like Dominic Thiem, Kei Nishikori (a former U.S. Open finalist) and Milos Raonic are due to have a deep run in Flushing Meadows, but can they overcome the mental obstacle that is playing the players who have dominated the men’s circuit for years.

6. Djokovic and Wawrinka injured, Murray banged up We already discussed the wide open women’s field, but the men’s field has become just as open as well. Two-time champion Novak Djokovic is missing the rest of the season to recover from an elbow injury, and defending champion Stan Wawrinka also LITennisMag.com • September/October 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

2017 U.S. OPEN PREVIEW

2017 U.S. Open sleepers Jo-Wilfried Tsonga The big Frenchman is a three-time quarterfinalist at the U.S. Open, but could this be the year he pushes his way into the final four? He has a game well-suited for the hard, fast Flushing Meadows courts. Injuries and inconsistency have led to an underwhelming year so far for Tsonga, but he has played well as of late and is capable of a deep run at the year’s final major. Karen Khachanov The 21-year-old Russian has shot up the rankings over the past year, and it began with his run at last year’s U.S. Open. After coming through qualifying, he won his opening round match and took the first set off of Nishikori in the second round before losing. But he is up to 30th in the ATP Rankings, and has the type of game that is successful on hard courts. If the big-hitting Khachanov can be consistent, he has the ability to take down just about any opponent. Johanna Konta Great Britain’s Johanna Konta has had success so far at Grand Slams in 2017, reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and the semifinals at Wimbledon. Konta doesn’t wow you with 26

any particular aspect of her game, but is incredibly consistent and possesses the ability to beat any player on any given day. Look out for Konta to make a deep run in Flushing Meadows. Svetlana Kuznetsova In 2004, Svetlana Kuznetsova captured the title at the U.S. Open and now, 13 years later, could be a factor to do so once again. She is the eighthranked player in

the world, and knows what it takes to win in Flushing Meadows. She recently reached the quarterfinals in Wimbledon before falling to eventual champion Muguruza. She was bounced early at the U.S. Open a year ago, but was dealt a tough draw by playing Caroline Wozniacki in the second round. Don’t be surprised to see the Russian to at least reach the second week in Queens this time around.

2017 U.S. Open prize money

The total prize money for the 2017 U.S. Open will be $50.4 million, making it the richest purse in tennis history, with a record $3.7 million going to the men’s and women’s champions. The total purse has increased about $4 million from a year ago, or roughly nine percent. With this increase, the U.S. Open becomes the first tennis tournament in history with the total prize money compensation topping $50 million. “Five years ago, we committed to the players that total player compensation for players would reach $50 million at the U.S. Open, and we are honoring that commitment,” said USTA President Katrina Adams. The singles competition has seen an in-

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2017 • LITennisMag.com

crease of 7.5 percent per round from last year, and the overall doubles prize money is increasing by 8.6 percent, with the men’s and women’s double champions taking home $675,000, the highest in U.S. Open history. The US Open Qualifying Tournament has also seen a notable bump, increasing an unprecedented 49.2 percent, with total prizing now totaling more than $2.9 million dollars. Besides the boost in prize money, the U.S. Open players will also have a host of new amenities to look forward to, including upgrades to Player Dining, a more generous meal allowance, upgrades to all player workout facilities and additional quiet room space.

2017 U.S. OPEN PREVIEW

2017 U.S. Open Prize Money Singles

Doubles

Winner: $3,700,000 Runner-Up: $1,825,000 Semifinalist: $920,000 Quarterfinalist: $470,000 Round of 16: $253,625 Round of 32: $144,000 Round of 64: $86,000 Round of 128: $50,000

Winner: $675,000 Runner-Up: $340,000 Semifinalist: $160,000 Quarterfinalist: $82,000 Round of 16: $44,000 Round of 32: $26,500 Round of 64: $16,500

2017 U.S. Open Restaurant Guide Heineken Red Star Patio Café & Bar

Enjoy fresh selections of seasonal sandwiches and salads paired with summer specialty cocktails at this charming outdoor café located outside the US Open Club.

Aces

Both are located on the Club level in Arthur Ashe Stadium between Gates 3 and 4 and are available to Courtside Box seat holders and Luxury Suite guests.

You can access both restaurants by using the elevators on the east side of Arthur Ashe Stadium adjacent to the U.S. Open Club. Enjoy local and seasonal seafood creations at Aces by Ed Brown, creator of Ed’s Chowder House, and sushi prepared by Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto. Loge and Promenade Subscription Series ticket holders may purchase passes for the duration of the tournament by calling the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Ticket Office at (718) 760-6363.

Mojito Restaurant & Bar Features a menu inspired by Chef Marcus Samuelsson with Latin specialties and cocktails, offering indoor and outdoor seating. It’s located just west of the Octagon outside Arthur Ashe Stadium. Emirates Sports Café The Emirates Sports Café is located near the South Plaza Fountains. Situated on the top level of a two-story building, it provides guests an ideal setting to unwind with gastropub fare in a laid-back atmosphere

LITennisMag.com • September/October 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

2017 U.S. OPEN PREVIEW ground floor of Arthur Ashe Stadium. The Club is available to all Subscription Series ticket holders for the duration of the tournament for a nominal entrance fee and is included for Silver Loge Box seat holders. Restaurant passes are required. To purchase passes, please visit the US Open Box Office. Champions Bar & Grill BLT Steakhouse imagined by Celebrity Chef David Burke in the newly transformed Champions Bar & Grill.

The U.S. Open Club The U.S. Open Club is located on the

Enjoy regional cuisine and specialty items at the US Open Food Village. l l l l l l l l l l l l

Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Shop Curry Kitchen Farm 2 Fork Franks & Fries Hill Country BBQ Korilla BBQ BLT Fish Shack Neapolitan Express Prime Burger Angry Taco Glatt Kosher Grey Goose Bar

l l l l l l

Jacob’s Creek Wine Bar Lavazza Café Fuku Franks & Fries Crepes JoJu Modern Vietnamese Sandwiches

South Plaza l Pat LaFrieda Meat Company l Dean & DeLuca Grandstand Food Village l Angry Taco l Franks & Fries l BLT Fish Shack l Oyster Bar 7 l Hill Country Chicken l Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Shop l Neapolitan Express l Prime Burger l Grey Goose Bar

Five reasons to love the U.S. Open 5. Night tennis

years-old in 1991 included a five-set win over Patrick McEnroe that ended at 1:35 a.m. You never know what to expect at the Open, but it is often worth staying up late to find out.

Bill Clinton, Ricky Martin, Eva Longoria, Michael Jordan, Beyonce, Jay-Z, Sean Connery, Ben Stiller, Michael Shannon (pictured here) and many more to Flushing Meadows. When you are on grounds this year keep your eyes open for your favorite celebrities!

4. Celebrities 3. Practice court viewing area Night tennis at the U.S. Open is where fans will create memories for years to come. Late-night tennis has been a tradition at the Open since 1975, when New Zealand’s Onny Parun defeated American great Stan Smith at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, N.Y. Who can forget Andre Agassi, at the age of 35, coming back from two sets down to defeat James Blake in five sets in 2005? After the match, Agassi said, “At 1:15 a.m. for 20,000 people to still be here … I wasn’t the winner, tennis was. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt this good here before.” The magical run by Jimmy Connors at 3928

Celebrities, like the rest of us, love tennis. Spotting athletes, actors and musicians in attendance throughout the tournament becomes easy. The U.S. Open has attracted the likes of former U.S. President

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2017 • LITennisMag.com

A two-story practice gallery debuted at the 2014 U.S. Open. This allowed fans a better view of their favorites stars as they warmed up for matches on the practice

2017 U.S. OPEN PREVIEW courts. What made this area even better is that you could view Courts 4, 5 and 6 from the same spot by simply turning around. The practice courts are always packed with fans looking to catch a glimpse of players or get autographs, but this new viewing area allowed people to be a bit more spread out. Make sure to stop by this new spot at the 2017 U.S. Open. 2. Entertainment

From live music to interactive games and kids tennis sessions, there’s something for

everyone at the 2017 U.S. Open. It starts with Arthur Ashe Kids Day on Saturday, Aug. 26, which features games and activities all over the grounds of the National Tennis Center, as well as a stadium show in the afternoon featuring top stars from the worlds of tennis and music. The American Express Fan Experience offers great family fun for all ages throughout the tournament. Kids can take part in youth tennis sessions, while adults can have their swing analyzed by a teaching pro. Fans can also sit in on interviews with top players on the Fan Court or get an autograph from their favorite stars at the WTA booth. The U.S. Open includes plenty of live music, with performers ranging from solo singers to jazz bands, which can be heard throughout the tournament at the South Plaza and President’s Gate.

1. The stars

Well this one is simple … the best players in the world are in our backyard, here in New York for three weeks (including qualifiers and practice days). Whether you are a fan, casual player or a serious tennis player, you will not want to miss out on your chance to get up close with the best players when they come to town for the biggest and best tennis tournament in the world!

2017 U.S. Open Schedule Monday, August 28

Men’s and Women’s First Round

Tuesday, August 29

Men’s and Women’s First Round

Wednesday, August 30

Men’s and Women’s Second Round

Thursday, August 31

Men’s and Women’s Second Round

Friday, September 1

Men’s and Women’s Third Round

Saturday, September 2

Men’s and Women’s Third Round

Sunday, September 3

Men’s and Women’s Round of 16

Monday, September 4

Men’s and Women’s Round of 16

Tuesday, September 5

Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals

Wednesday, September 6

Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinals

Thursday, September 7

Women’s Semifinals

Friday, September 8

Men’s Semifinals

Saturday, September 9

Women’s Final

Sunday, September 10

Men’s Final LITennisMag.com • September/October 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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

USTA Eastern Long Island Region President’s Update

The USTA LI Region lends a hand teaching some clinics to children in Sea Cliff

The Kowalsky Family, recipients of the USTA Participating Family of the Year at the Annual Awards Dinner

USTA Eastern LI Region Treasurer Craig Fligstein accepts the Special Service Award during January’s USTA Eastern Annual Awards Ceremony

Tennis Hall of Famer Gigi Fernandez (right), Keynote Speaker at the USTA Eastern Annual Awards Dinner, pauses for a photo with attendees

Jonathan Klee USTA Long Island Region President It is exciting for me to report on the USTA Long Island Region’s first half of 2017, because so many wonderful things have happened in local tennis in the past six months. The Long Island Region, including our volunteer Board of Directors and the many volunteers across Nassau and Suffolk Counties, has been very busy these past few months supporting all aspects of local tennis, from USTA Leagues and high schools, to youth programming and community events, and much more. With the help of our new USTA Eastern TSR (Tennis Service Representative), Neil Thakur, we have hit the ground running in 2017. As always, a highlight of the Long Island tennis year is our annual Awards Dinner, which in 2017, brought more than 300 tennis players and supporters together to recognize the best in the sport, including adult and junior players, volunteers and more. We were especially honored to welcome Tennis Hall of Famer and 17-time Grand Slam winner Gigi Fernandez to our dinner as our Keynote Speaker and to present awards to our honorees. Attendees not only were happy to meet and speak with Gigi about her experiences, but were also excited to try her two Olympic Gold Medals on for size. We would like 30

to thank Robbie Wagner’s Tournament Training Center for donating court time so that Gigi could run a doubles clinic that was open to Long Island tennis players. All the participants agreed that the session was highly educational, and they appreciated bringing some of Gigi’s doubles success tips to their own game. This past spring, we learned that the premier ATP Memphis Open event will be moving to the Nassau Coliseum in 2018, and bringing with it, not just professional tennis, but opportunities for our local community to participate as volunteers. Our Regional Board has been in contact with the tournament and will be volunteering to make this a successful event. Stay tuned to our Web site (LongIsland.USTA.com) and social media for information on volunteering at the new New York Open, discounted tickets for USTA members and on attending the matches. One of our favorite initiatives as a Region here on Long Island is introducing tennis to new participants. We do that in many ways, including bringing tennis into local schools and community organizations, parks, fairs and a myriad of events. So far this year, we are pleased to report that several hundred children enjoyed our Annual Nassau and Suffolk Kids Day programs, hosted by the Engineer’s Club in Roslyn and the Hamlet in Commack. Coordinating our efforts with Long Island Tennis Magazine, children came from all parts of the Island, and many had never seen or held a tennis racket be-

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2017 • LITennisMag.com

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 fore. Despite many being tennis novices, everyone had a great time practicing, learning, making new friends and enjoying all of the days’ activities. Our Region also sponsored tennis demonstrations and clinics in local schools like Mineola and Glen Cove this past spring and at community events including at Town of Hempstead and Nassau County Parks and other venues. Anyone who wants to bring tennis to their local school or community program/event is encouraged to email us at USTAOnLongIsland@gmail.com for information. In addition, USTA Eastern has a number of monetary grants available to help start and support tennis at our schools, community centers, parks and private clubs. Among slightly older children, we were so excited to wish World Gym’s 14 & Under Junior Team Tennis team luck when they competed at Nationals. This was the first such Long Island team to win their division at Eastern Sectionals and go on to the Nationals. In high school play, we were proud to launch the first Long Island Executive Cup Tournament, pitting the top Nassau boys team (Syosset) against their Suffolk County counterpart (Half Hollow Hills East). This initiative had been a long time in the making, with hard work done by the Nassau and Suffolk high school tennis coaches. We are pleased that its success will now result in the coaches taking on this event moving forward with the girls season this fall. Congratulations to Syosset on their win. Further, we were also proud of our state high school champions: Yuval Solomon,

who won his second straight New York State Title, as well as his third straight Nassau County Championship. Long Islanders also won third and fourth place in doubles at States, with Syosset’s Preet Rajpal & Eli Grossman defeating Roslyn’s Sangjin Song & Zachary Khazzam. On the Adult League side, three Long Islanders were recognized at the Eastern Section Annual Meeting for their continuing volunteerism and support of Long Island and Sectional tennis: Eileen Leonard, Craig Fligstein and Randi Wilkins. Further, Port Washington’s Dick Zausner and former Long Islander Steve Siegel were inducted into the USTA Eastern Hall of Fame. Several of our USTA Adult League teams have qualified for Regional and National play, and we are eagerly watching to see how far they can advance. My report would not be complete without mentioning and thanking the USTA Eastern Section for its continued support of our efforts. USTA Eastern Executive Director & Chief Operating Officer Jenny Schnitzer and her team have been so supportive of our programming, efforts and local tennis initiatives across the Region. I encourage anyone with an interest in local tennis to follow our social media (Facebook: USTA Long Island, Twitter: USTA_LI) and Web site (LongIsland.USTA.com) for updates and information on our activities. We are always looking for new volunteers and new events. E-mail us at USTAOnLongIsland@gmail.com with your ideas and questions.

Sponsor Profile: Stahl Eye Center Our 2017 USTA Long Island Region Awards Dinner would not have been the success it was without the support of our generous sponsors. One such organization is Stahl Eye Center (StahlNY.com), a premier regional ophthalmology practice with locations in Garden City, Hauppauge and Manhattan. For more than five decades, Stahl Eye Care physicians have performed more than 40,000 laser vision correction procedures. In addition, they have helped their patients by providing expert care in everything ranging from routine eye examinations to contact lenses and microsurgical cataract and glaucoma procedures. They are experts in caring for vision and for their patients, believing that we live better and safer lives when we see better. As a community service

initiative, they performed more than 500 LASIK procedures on New York’s firefighters. Helping them see better, without being dependent on glasses or contacts, helps all of us to be safer. Stahl physician Dr. Marc Werner (pictured left) considers tennis to be a passion and was eager to support the USTA Long Island Region at its dinner. “I’ve been playing tennis since I was in the second grade,” Dr. Werner said. “I enjoy playing on several USTA League teams, including one, a Men’s 4.0 Doubles team that plays in Queens, going to Sectionals in a couple of weeks.” Dr. Werner, who also plays regularly at Inwood Country Club, says his patients are tennis fans, too. “I have tennis memorabilia in my office, and my patients love it,” said Dr. Werner.

Coming soon … l Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017: Kids! Join us for free tennis lessons at the 2017 Merrick Fall Festival! USTA Long Island Region volunteers will be teaching kids’ tennis near the LIRR station in Merrick all day Saturday, Sept. 9.

l Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017: Girls’ varsity high school tennis players will Play for Pink at the Suffolk County Coaches Round Robin tournament, with proceeds to benefit a breast cancer charity at the Hamlet in Commack

LITennisMag.com • September/October 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Let Me Take a Moment to Get 30 Things Off My Chest! By Ricky Becker avid Letterman made us realize that people like lists. I guess any of these thoughts could be article subjects, but I prefer to just take this opportunity to clear my throat.

1. I can’t stand it when a parent says “we” when talking about their child’s tennis. 2. People shouldn’t tell families who home-school their kids or miss social functions for tennis to “get a life.” It comes off as jealous. 3. People shouldn’t be condescending to families whose children play tournaments, but pursue other interests as well. It comes off as naive to how far tennis will probably take you. 4. The USTA can run and host the U.S. Open so incredibly well. Why can’t they come up with an easier point system and tournament pathway for people to understand? 5. Why doesn’t every club have an on-court monitor for its’ tournaments like they are required to? 6. It is very annoying when an 11-year-old kid yells “Come on!” and pumps their fist … to go up 30-15 in the first game. 7. It would be nice if there were local USTA tournaments for adult players that had draws comparable to junior tournament draw sizes. 8. Why can’t more parents assume the parents of their child’s op32

ponent is sitting near them during the match and not talk about the other child! 9. When you are at a tournament site and your child isn’t playing a match, the parent of a child who is playing probably doesn’t want that to be the time to catch up on what you’ve done since the last time you saw them. 10. I can’t help but wonder if the 10 & Under initiative is being pushed by an undercurrent from the equipment industry. 11. Why can juniors play in a Sectional final with loud Pee-Wee clinics next to them, but club players who rent court time and are not playing for potential college scholarships won’t tolerate a pin dropping? 12. You can throw money at your child’s tennis development, but if you aren’t willing to spend many Friday or Saturday nights in the lobby of a tennis club, your child probably isn’t going to be able to play Division I tennis. The sooner in the game one realizes this, the better. 13. Juniors should be willing to do fitness off-court, on their own, wherever they can … it’s free. Everyone has a high school near them that has a track free of charge and parents shouldn’t have to pay for everything! 14. Don’t complain that your child’s match time is too late if you are going to ask for that same match time at the same location the following month. 15. When you send a child away to a year-round tennis academy who isn’t genuinely motivated, you won’t magically get the child

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2017 • LITennisMag.com

motivated. They will probably get in trouble with the lack of things to do there. 16. Can we please make it a rule that if one player takes a bathroom break, the other player can get coached? This would stop the bathroom break momentum stopping phenomenon. 17. Sixty percent of the $280 million in prize money in the ATP and WTA Tours goes to the top one percent of men and women players. Wow! 18. With Serena out, I can’t remember either tour lacking as much star power as the WTA is right now. 19. Why didn’t Petra Kvitova’s story last December of being injured due to being stabbed during a home invasion get more publicity? 20. I didn’t want to watch and laugh at Rafael Nadal hitting his head on the door frame before his Wimbledon match against Gilles Muller, but I did … six times! 21. It would be so cool for the USTA to have a public grass court facility in this area … and it would grow the game! 22. The Universal Tennis Rating system has done an incredible job to get noticed where other companies have tried and failed. 23. Good for the French Open for not bowing to the almighty dol-

lar in refusing a wild card to Maria Sharapova. 24. Is the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) in any sport as universally loved and deserving of adoration as Roger Federer? 25. I will miss Louis Armstrong Stadium. 26. College tennis is, by far, the most fun level of tennis to play and watch in all of tennis. 27. The Davis Cup and Fed Cup should be played over one weekend with a college tennis format. 28. In the beginning, there are more fun sports than tennis to learn, but once you can keep a rally going, it is awesome! 29. Long Island Tennis Magazine is great for Long Island tennis … and I’m not just saying that! 30. I guess I’m a little more opinionated and judgmental than I thought! Ricky Becker is Director of Tennis at Pine Hollow Country Club and independently coaches high-performance juniors throughout the year. As a player, Becker was the Most Valuable Player for the 1996 NCAA Championship Stanford Tennis Team and was ranked topfive nationally as a junior player. He can be reached by e-mail at, call (516) 359-4843 or visit JuniorTennisConsulting.com.

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www.hartru.com LITennisMag.com • September/October 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Reboot, Recharge and Rebound The Secret to Success By Rob Polishook, Mental Training Coach MA, CPC We all saw Roger Federer win yet another Grand Slam victory, totaling 19, undoubtedly making a strong case for being the GOAT … Greatest Of All-Time. However, that’s not the purpose of this article. Let’s leave that debate to others and bring our focus to the story behind the story. What is Roger’s driving force? How can he continue to rebound? And, most importantly, what can we learn from him and other greats? Let’s discuss the driving force first. Whenever Federer talks about tennis and his longevity, he always speaks to his “Love of the game.” His enjoyment of competing. During Wimbledon, Federer said to the Guardian, “Don’t you understand that playing tennis is great fun? I don’t need to win three Slams a year to be content. If the body doesn’t want to do it, if the mind doesn’t want to do it, if

my wife doesn’t want me to do it, if my kids don’t like it, I’ll stop tomorrow. Zero problem.” Clearly, Roger is in tune with himself, his unique process and his supporting cast, his family. These components, together, allow him the freedom to play and be grateful for each match he plays. The secret to Federer’s sustained performance is that he is more than an athlete, he brings who he is (the person) to what he does (tennis). As a result, he is able to play from a grounded, centered place. What about the question of rebounding, aka bouncing back? During Wimbledon, I remember seeing an advertisement on a New York City bus: “Reboot, Recharge and Rebound.” This struck me as making so much sense both in life and on the court. Think about it … we spend so much time trying to “get somewhere.” Very often, we over-try, pushing the limits and grinding. Grinding almost becomes a rite of passage. Think of how many times, off the court, you reboot your computer, your phone or Kindle, and everything resets. Often, that act of rebooting is preceded by panic, pressing buttons,

imagining the worst. But stepping away and a simple rest or reboot is usually all that’s necessary to clear the way. Federer and Serena Williams are two great examples of this. Last year, Federer took six months off to allow his mind and body to heal. The result? A victory at the 2017 Australian Open, followed by time off and then Wimbledon. Years back, I remember announcers lamenting that: “If only Serena would play more, dedicate herself more, she would have so many more Grand Slams, and have a stronger imprint in the game.” Certainly, Serena also values the saying on the bus: Reboot, Rebound and Recharge. For many, it can be difficult to take such protracted periods away from the game. However, that’s not the point, the real point is that many times, it’s not about continuing to grind and push forword. Often times, the best strategy is to stop rather than step forward and simply allow things to settle, clear your mind, loosen up, be free and then continue your journey. In my previous article on page 64 of the May/June 2017 issue of Long Island Tennis Magazine, titled “Untangling the

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2017 • LITennisMag.com

Knot,” I spoke about this same idea. As players, coaches and fans, it’s important to give some thought to what we can learn from all the players who continue to rebound, bounce back from adversity and never give up. In a nutshell, these players are the ones who don’t force, don’t over-try and don’t continue to do the same thing … that is not working, with more intensity. They are also not focused on outcome, but rather, on their unique process. They dial back to small things like positioning, targets and contact point. They are eliminating the excess noise of what they cannot control and bringing their focus back to what they can control: Playing their game, not comparing and staying patient on their journey. It’s not so much about confidence, but about inner belief and trust. They know if they lose a match, they are more than an athlete. The match is only a reflection of the score on that particular day, not a reflection of who they are as a person. From this place, they can Reboot, Recharge and Rebound from a place of

clarity, allowing their journey to be their best. 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.

LITennisMag.com • September/October 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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Capital Region Schenectady - 518-356-0100 LITennisMag.com • September/October 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

TENNIS LITM Hosts 4th Annual KidsFest NEW YORK

The fourth Annual Long Island Tennis Magazine KidsFest took place at Sportime Roslyn as part of the 2017 Long Island Tennis Magazine Summer Series. For some participants, it was their first taste of tennis, while others just enjoyed extended time both on and off the court. Long Island Tennis Magazine put together tennis clinics for all ages, both on full-sized courts and 10 & Under courts. A DJ, dunk 38

tank, face-painting and an array of prizes were all part of the day’s activities. Various courts were run by local pros from Sportime Roslyn, touching on the basics of the sport and for some groups, some advanced play. Sportime’s pros separated the kids into groups by skill level, ensuring that each and every participant was getting the help and instruction they needed.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2017 • LITennisMag.com

TENNIS Annual Wine & Play Event Hits Engineers Country Club NEW YORK

Long Island Tennis Magazine hosted a Wine & Play Tennis Night at Engineers Country Club in Roslyn, N.Y., as players took to the courts, and others came to watch and enjoy the ambiance of the evening’s activities. The night began with activities on all five courts and the various games continued into the second half of the event. After the on-

court action, Engineers CC supplied food and wine for all attendees. Throughout the night, live music from Tooty and the Mother Pluckers had those both on and off the court singing and dancing. Reps from the inPhorm clothing line were on hand modeling apparel from their new line and supplied participants with prizes and discounts on their line.

LITennisMag.com • September/October 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

2017 Long Island Girls High Nassau County Girls Preview Player to Watch: Amy Delman of Great Neck North Last year, played high school tennis for the first time and compiled a fantastic season in her freshman campaign at Great Neck North High School, finishing in third place at the Nassau County Individual Championships and winning a round at the New York State Championships. But one of her favorite parts of the year was playing tennis in a team format for the first time. “I was never really part of a team,” said Delman. “Tennis is more of an individual sport, but the team experience was really great. All of my teammates support me, cheer for me and comfort me during ups and downs. It was a surprise. I actually asked my mom why I hadn’t played for a team before. It’s a lot of fun and I love my team. I was one of the youngest and they made me feel right at home even though some had been playing for the team for four years. It was a great experience.” Delman was a force to be reckoned with in her freshman season. Her individual accomplishments speak for themselves, and she also helped lead her Great Neck North squad to the Nassau County Championship. A lot of the team success stemmed from the chemistry the team had. “I was really sad when the season was over because I really enjoyed it,” said Delman. “It wasn’t just all tennis, we had fun together as a team and it created an overall experience which was great.” Her success on the court has done a lot for her confidence heading into her sophomore season. Amy Delman She competed against the top players in Nassau County as a part of Conference I, and put it all on display during the Nassau County Tournament. “I gained a lot of confidence and saw that I can compete with these older players, these top players,” said Delman. “It made me want to come back this year and play again.” She is motivated to build upon the success she had as a freshman and will be a factor in the Nassau County Individual Championships later this season. She hasn’t played a lot of tennis over the summer as she works her way back from some injuries, but should be ready to go when the high school season rolls around. Her talent level is on par with anyone in Nassau County, and Delman says in order to play her best tennis, she needs to focus on having fun and not taking herself too seriously.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2017 • LITennisMag.com

Preview

gh School

“I’m definitely just trying to have more fun, because last year, I started off the season very serious and sort of loosened up as it went on,” Delman said. “But I want to go into this season with my head high and just remember that while it is supposed to be competitive, it is supposed to be fun at the same time.”

Nassau County teams to watch Great Neck North The Great Neck North Blazers finished as runners-up in the Nassau County Championship a year ago, but return the bulk of its lineup from that team, making them a favorite to get back to the title match this season. Led by sophomore Amy Delman, Great Neck North also features returning singles players Alina Lyakhov and Alyssa Ghassabian, as well as doubles players Ashley Yu and Margaret Haykin, providing a formidable lineup that can compete with anyone. North Shore North Shore will be a contender in the Nassau County playoff picture in 2017. As many of the top programs have lost players to graduation, North Shore returns a number of players which will give them a deep lineup. Olivia Scordo and Lucia Hu, last year’s Nassau County Doubles finalists, will both be back to lead North Shore, which went undefeated in the regular season last year, as one of the best teams outside of Conference I.

Sha & Morgan Wilkins. The latter will not be back this season, and neither will top singles player Claire Handa, but with Sha returning and younger players gaining valuable experience last year, the Quakers should be a factor in the Nassau playoff picture once again. Manhasset The girls’ tennis program at Manhasset has been one of the top in Nassau County for years, and that should be no different in 2017. While it has lost a number of top players, including Kyleigh Harmon and Lia Frankis, it does return Madeline Clinton and Brianna Rienze, two junior captains from last year, who will anchor a deep roster which will make the Indians one of the teams to beat as we approach the Nassau County playoffs. Cold Spring Harbor The Seahawks of Cold Spring Harbor lost to eventual runners-up Great Neck North in the Nassau County playoffs last year, but should be back again contending in 2017. While it lost top singles player and Nassau County Champion Merri-Kelly Hannity as

well as other key players on the roster, Maddy Richmond returns to lead the Seahawks who always seem to have a young crop of talent, keeping the Seahawks a competitive force in the county’s top conference.

Nassau County key dates (subject to change) l Thursday, Sept. 7: 2017 Regular Season Begins l Tuesday, Oct. 10: 2017 Regular Season Ends l Saturday-Sunday, October 14-15: 2017 Nassau County Individual Tournament l Monday-Friday, Oct. 16-20: 2017 Nassau County Team Tournament l Monday-Wednesday, Oct. 23-25: LI Championship Dates (Tentative) l Friday-Monday, Oct. 27-30: 2017 NYSPHSAA Championships in Albany, N.Y. continued on page 42

Friends Academy The Friends Academy Quakers had an historic season a year ago, capturing the Nassau County title and winning the first ever USTA Long Island Executive Cup with a win over the Suffolk County champions Commack. Friends also featured the talents of New York State Doubles Champions Calista LITennisMag.com • September/October 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Preview

2017 Long Island Girls High School Suffolk County Girls Preview Player to Watch: Jackie Bukzin of Eastport-South Manor Playing in the fifth Suffolk County individual tournament of her high school career, Eastport-South Manor then junior Jackie Bukzin was ready to finally get over the hump and win the county title last year. “I felt very prepared going into the tournament,” Bukzin said. “I think I was just ready to win, and to have all that hard work pay off felt great.” Bukzin would defeat defending champion Kimberly Liao of Commack in the final, claiming the Suffolk County Championship and setting her up for a senior season, where her primary goal will be to defend her title. “I’ve been working on adding variety to my game, trying to really incorporate my slice, which I feel is a great weapon for me,” said Bukzin. “I’ve also been working on my serve. I feel that can really translate into a weapon. I’ve been training really hard over the summer, playing in a lot of tournaments, and I feel like I am playing really well.” Her endurance and fitness has been a major point of emphasis for her as she ap-

proaches her senior season. Bukzin knows she will be taking on top players throughout the regular season and into the county tournament, and potentially the state tournament, so being able to play three-set tennis is a priority for the senior. “I’ve really tried to get stronger and get better in third sets, even just closing out the match a little bit better,” Bukzin said. “One thing my coach always says is when you

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2017 • LITennisMag.com

play top players, you have to expect that the match is going to go three sets. No one is really going to fold. I think preparing for three-set matches against top players is what I have tried to stress most in the offseason. I’ve definitely learned a lot and I’m really looking forward to the season starting.” Bukzin’s high school career has attracted the attention of many college coaches and programs, and she has committed to continue her tennis career at Amherst College. “I made a couple of visits there and I really like the team, the girls were really nice,” Bukzin said. “I then played in the Donovan Showcase at Yale and the coach, Jackie Bagwell, really pushed for me. I feel her personality really suits me and the school is top-notch academically. I loved the atmosphere of the school. It’s a small school so you can develop really good relationships with your peers and professors, so it was the perfect school for me. I am really excited to attend next year.” But first, Bukzin has her eyes set on defending the Suffolk County title and leading Eastport-South Manor into the Suffolk playoffs.

Suffolk County teams to watch Commack The reigning Suffolk County champions will be back once again to try and defend its title as Commack enters 2017 with a deep roster. Despite not having former Suffolk County Champion Kimberly Liao back, the strength of Commack in recent years has been its depth. Singles players Emily Tannenbaum and Gabriela Glickstein will look to fill the void left by Liao and lead the Cougars back to the Suffolk County title for a third consecutive year. Half Hollow Hills East Every year, the Thunderbirds of Half Hollow Hills East need to be considered a contender in the Suffolk County landscape. That is the case once again as it tries to return to the Suffolk Championship after missing out on the finals a year ago. Hills East returns last year’s County Doubles Champions Ariana Mailk & Lauren Cherkin, as well as Alexis Huber to give it three All-County players returning to the roster. With its deep lineup and doubles expertise, Half Hollow Hills East should contend with anyone in the county.

Ward Melville Ward Melville may be the most intriguing team in Suffolk County. It returns a number of players from last year’s team which reached the Suffolk County Finals and should once again be in contention for the County Championship. Led by top singles player Denise Lai, who finished third in the County Individual Tournament last year, as well as Jade Eggleston and Dara Berman, the Patriots of Ward Melville could very well return for a trip to the Championship, this time, with unfinished business to take care of. William Floyd High School William Floyd was undefeated last year up until the playoffs when it dropped a close match to Half Hollow Hills East in the Suffolk County Semifinals. Despite losing top singles player Emily Fernandez, her younger sister, Brooke, returns to help lead the Colonials. Other top players such as Alyssa Drell, who stepped up last year and played great in the fourth singles spot, and Lisa Lin will be looked upon to once again give Floyd a deep lineup poising the Colonials for success this fall.

Islip High School The Buccaneers of Islip High School reached the quarterfinals of the Suffolk County Tournament in 2016, and are positioned to build upon that success this fall. Returning with a majority of its lineup from a year ago, team members include top singles players Maddie Germano and Ashley Mannetta, and doubles players Nicole Arey and Grace Klomp. Last year’s team was extremely young, and with the bulk of the squad coming back for 2017, look for Islip to be a factor throughout the season and build on its quarterfinal success from last year.

Suffolk County key dates (subject to change) l Tuesday, Aug. 29: 2017 Regular Season Begins l Saturday, Oct. 7: 2017 Regular Season Ends l Friday-Monday, Oct. 27-30: 2017 NYSPHSAA Championships in Albany, N.Y.

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Orlin & Cohen Leading the Way in Orthopedics on Long Island rlin & Cohen Orthopedic Group is Long Island’s leading private orthopedic practice with a team of 37 board-certified and boardeligible physicians. The group features orthopedic subspecialists who have completed advanced fellowship training, focusing solely on a single area of concern. This focused approach results in optimum patient outcomes, as the doctors are on top of the latest advances for each specific area of expertise. The group’s highly trained and experienced orthopedists cover the entire spectrum of subspecialty needs, including sports medicine, hip, knee, shoulder, elbow, joint replacements, foot and ankle, spine, neck and back, hand and upper extremities, and general orthopedics. Orlin & Cohen Orthopedic Group has multiple offices in both Nassau and Suffolk Counties, with recently-opened new offices in Woodbury and Garden City. These new state-of-the-art, full-service

facilities address all of your orthopedic related needs, including in-house diagnostic testing, digital x-ray, MRI, physical rehabilitation and fully-accredited pain management/fluoroscopy suites. These sites are part of the Orlin & Cohen network, which consists of eight orthopedic offices, six physical rehabilitation centers, five MRI centers and three fully

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2017 • LITennisMag.com

accredited fluoroscopy suites for pain management. Orlin & Cohen’s team of board-certified, fellowship-trained subspecialists have offices in Rockville Centre, Cedarhurst, Garden City, Lynbrook, Merrick, Massapequa, Woodbury, Garden City and Bohemia. For more information, call (516) 536-2800 or visit OrlinCohen.com.

LITennisMag.com • September/October 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Injury Prevention and Recovery for Today’s Athlete Spaniard Andrea Retolaza brings her experience and education to America By Brian Coleman

here is no shortage of high-quality tennis coaches on Long Island, and the area has helped grow some of the best players in the country. But few of those coaches carry the type of background and experience brought to the table by Andrea Retolaza.

“Andrea has the combination of a professional background and the technical aspects involved with tennis,” said Mitch Zeifman, Owner of Christopher Morley Tennis. “She’s beyond important to our program.” Retolaza comes from Spain where she

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2017 • LITennisMag.com

began training as a junior player at the famous Sanchez-Casal Academy, and her tennis game flourished. She then was a WTA-ranked player before playing Division I tennis in the United States. “I was formed there,” Retolaza said of the Sanchez-Casal Academy. “That’s where everything started for me.” But Andrea suffered injuries during her playing career, which began her desire to learn more about injury prevention. “I had a lot of injuries myself, and I was always prone to getting extremely sore,” said Retolaza. “When I was working with my physio and fitness coach, I was always the annoying girl who asked a lot of questions. I was curious and I liked the science behind it.” She carried that interest in injury prevention to Wake Forest University, where she studied exercise physiology anatomy, while playing for the women’s tennis team. “I realized I wanted to be tied to the sport I love, incorporating what I was studying into the sport of tennis,” said Retolaza. “That’s what I’m combining here in

the United States. I bring my health and exercise science knowledge to Christopher Morley as well as to elite tennis players, from juniors to the pros. Tennis is a very demanding sport, so it’s important to pay great attention to detail and the smaller things, which if gone unnoticed, can become big things.” At Christopher Morley Tennis, Retolaza works with the program’s top junior players, including nationally-ranked Rachel Arbitman. Retolaza does extensive work with the biomechanics of the player’s strokes to not only gain strength, but to also avoid injuries. “Andrea always knows what I need,” said Arbitman, who is currently ranked 20th in the nation in her class. “I feel much healthier and recovered from my shoulder injury after working with her. She knows how to push me within the limits, and now I am a much stronger and consistent player.” Retolaza has experience working with a wide range of players, from the junior level all the way through to the professionals. She played a large role in helping former

world number four and recently retired Daniela Hantuchova come back from injuries, focusing on her recovery routines, nutrition and compensation exercises. She is also part of the coaching staff of pro players, including Julia Glushko, Arantxa Parra and Lara Arruabarrena. Because of her knowledge and experience playing on the team, Retolaza has consulted with the Wake Forest team at the request of Head Coach Jeffrey Wyshner. “I worked with the fitness coach there to enhance the player’s recovery routines, as they suffered a lot of big injuries this past year,” Retolaza said. “I am focusing my work with them in preventing injuries, better recovery, as well as the strengthening of muscles and tendons in the shoulders, wrists and ankles. A lot of people don’t pay attention to things like proper sleep and hydration. I made those mistakes too. But if you want to fix what you’re doing wrong, you have to have an active recovery program.” And that is the message Retolaza tries to pass along to the junior players she works with: Learn from the mistakes she

and others have made. Her background helps reinforce her message, as her routines have worked for top college players and some of the world’s top professional players. “It’s not just me saying it,” said Retolaza. “If I tell you this has worked for a professional player, then a junior player is more prone to listen to it.” Retolaza’s knowledge of not only tennis but the anatomy and biology behind what makes a sustainable player makes her one of the more dynamic coaches in our area. With her innovative instruction, she is helping create the next crop of successful tennis players on Long Island … the ones who will walk away from her with an understanding on how not only to rip a forehand, but also how to properly take care of one’s body so they can become a better, more consistent player while avoiding injuries. 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.

LITennisMag.com • September/October 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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

o, it’s that point in the season when we are winding down. Teams are being decided for playoffs, and in some cases, bad sportsmanship rears its ugly head. This has been the season of forfeiting courts, and now, full matches. When players join a team, it’s a commitment— a commitment to your captain, your team, the league and to yourself. Win or lose, whether your team is in the playoffs or in last place, a commitment was made that all matches would be played. When a full match is forfeited to a team in playoff contention and it helps their standing, the team that forfeited has all of their points for the season backed out as a team. They cannot benefit in their playoff spot after being handed 22 points. What sometimes happens is an innocent team that did well against the forfeiting team loses say 20 points. Another team that earned only eight points when playing the team that forfeited loses those eight points and moves ahead of the team that had their 20 points taken away. An innocent team is knocked out of playoffs due to the word “commitment” not having the meaning it should to a team and that team’s players. I beg teams to please get three

courts (for five-court matches, two for three-court matches) played to make it a legitimate match so this will not happen. I am not saying there are never true circumstances that may cause a full forfeit, but more times than not, it’s a total lack of caring. There were a couple of instances of this happening this year where it was the same team that may have done this last season as well, or a club that runs their teams and has this problem year after year. I have no choice but to let those teams and that club know they may not have teams next season. I must protect the majority of the league and do my best to make sure things are as fair as possible and innocent teams are not put in the position of seeing all of their hard work go down the drain. The other main complaint this season has been just basic nastiness. Why? Every year, I ask, “How lucky are we all?” Playing tennis is how we get to spend our spare time. We get to meet new people and we get to play tennis for a couple of hours. Again, sometimes we win and sometimes we lose, but either way, why would it bring out some of the plain and simple nastiness I’ve heard about this season? If a team is simply trying to follow the rules (yes, these rules

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2017 • LITennisMag.com

are needed) and its working against you, isn’t the normal response to apologize for doing something outside the rules instead of name calling? Amazingly, you may see that the nice approach may get you what you want, where the nasty approach doesn’t stand a chance! To the person getting mad at the opposing team who follows the rules, you need to take responsibility for yourself or the actions of your teammates. It doesn’t make the other player wrong and they do not deserve the wrath that some have received. The league is a great program, but it only remains a great program when people are pleasant, play within the rules and respect the rules. I have heard too many times this season from players just looking to play good tennis that they have had enough. They didn’t sign up to be treated so poorly and they are done. That’s not the type of player we want to see leaving the league! I Googled some quotes regarding good sportsmanship, and found the quote below that I think sums it up pretty well: “True sportsmanship is … Knowing that you need your opponent because without him or her, there is no game. Acknowledging that your opponent holds the same deeprooted aspirations and expectations as you. Knowing that, win or lose, you will walk off the court with pride. Always taking the high road.

And always, always, always being a good sport.”—Lorii Myers So, with this said, the playoffs are just beginning at the time of this article is due. I wish all the teams who qualified the best of luck and I hope they have great matches. I look forward to seeing some of you at the Regional Championships and wish the best of luck and fun to the teams that advance to the Sectional Championships in Albany, N.Y. The next edition of Long Island Tennis Magazine will have all the winning teams going to Sectionals and how they all did. Next up will be the Tri-Level League. I will be getting information to last season’s captains via e-mail around the end of August/beginning of September. If you were not a captain last season and are interested in playing this year, please email me at Miller@Eastern.USTA.com. The Tri-Level League consists of three courts of doubles, one at the 3.5 Level, one at the 4.0 Level and the third at the 4.5 Level. The winning Long Island teams advances to a Sectional Championship in January. I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the summer and you all enjoy some great tennis both on the court and during the U.S. Open! 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.

LITennisMag.com • September/October 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

To Defer or Not to Defer: That Is the Question By Barbara Wyatt he tennis racket spins on its head. Someone says â&#x20AC;&#x153;Up.â&#x20AC;? Four tennis players crowd around the spinning racquet. It falls to the ground. A player examines the butt of the racquet and says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is up and I defer.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Oh, fudge. Gosh darn it,â&#x20AC;? I think. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The dreaded â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;deferâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;Ś now what do I do?â&#x20AC;? After the racket spin or coin toss, the winner can choose to serve first, receive first, pick a side to start, or defer to the opponent. The opponent has the choice of what remains, but may not defer again. When you choose â&#x20AC;&#x153;defer,â&#x20AC;? you opt for the best of your services and sides. It is like throwing the gauntlet on the ground and saying, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We know our priorities. Pick whichever you want. We are ready.â&#x20AC;? Most recreational doubles players choose to serve first, not understanding why that is a good or bad decision for their game. A good doubles team will recognize the talent each player brings to the court. Which player is more likely to hold their serve? Which player serves better into the wind? Or who serves better into the sun? Does a player face initial jitters at the start of the match? Does one

partner become fatigued in a match? Who plays strongest after the rest at the changeover? If you have a left- and righthanded player, should you switch serving order to avoid the sun or wind? As an example, you and your partner decide your partner holds their serve more often when serving on the shady side on the court, not into the sun. You win the toss and select to defer. Your opponents decide to serve first and you select the shady side, forcing them to serve that first game into the sun. You win the toss, defer and your opponents select to receive. Select the shady side and start serving. You win the toss, defer and opponents select the shady side, choose to receive and if needed, change your serving order. If they select the sunny side, choose to receive. Does your partner suffer from nerves and initial jitters in the first game? Forget defer and select receive. Many recreational players do not serve at their peak at the start of a match and often need a serving game to warm up. Does your partner tire easily? Choose to receive and have your partner be the second server in the match. They may hold their serve more frequently in the first set after the rest period at the changeover. The choice to defer can place immedi-

ate pressure on the other team. They squirm and stumble about discussing what to do in the face of the dreaded defer. If you are familiar with your opponentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; strengths, use defer to interfere with their serving order. I know a 4.5 left-handed server with a dynamic kick-serve that is most effective when he serves from the shady side. However, this is well-known by his opponents. For the last four years, he has yet to be the first server. His opponents continue to defer and force his team to switch serving order relegating him to serve after his partner. When you win the toss, your decision to serve first, receive first, select the side or defer depends entirely on the priorities of your doubles partnership. Whichever you select, you want to maximize the potential for holding serve while setting up the strongest opportunity to break your opponentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s serve. Barbara Wyatt is a Writer, Photographer, USTA Official, and Mobile App Developer of iKnowTennis!, the tennis rules app. Her poem, Ode to Tennis, an amusing poem on the joys and frustrations when learning tennis, is available at Amazon. She can be reached by e-mail at BarbaraW@iKnowTennis.com.

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Long Island Tennis Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ September/October 2017 â&#x20AC;˘ LITennisMag.com

What’s in Your Backyard?

or over 25 years, FX Design Team has been transforming outdoor living spaces for clients to entertain over the years with family and friends. Owner Jeffrey Ingrassia, heads up his team of designers and artistic craftsmen to give you an experience that will exceed your expectations. One of the services we offer begins with gathering all of our clients’ lifestyle needs and wants, then our talented team uses state-of-art 3D imaging to create a virtual tour of your newly designed concept. We want to help you to realize your outdoor living space before breaking ground. So whether it’s a pool with an extreme water feature, cooking at your own outdoor kitchen, or breaking a sweat on a multi-purpose game court, let the FX Design Team create the backyard of your dreams! Our talented staff has accomplished many award-winning water features both on Long Island, as well as in other states. Swim in grottos, and walkthrough caves entice guests of all ages, complete with a fun-filled slide for your water park experience. Our extreme water features have been credited as being a highlight to our clients. Many homeowners prefer to enhance their culinary skills by cooking on their vehicles’ own outdoor kitchen. These include functional sinks, ice makers, refrigerators, smokers and pizza ovens. This is guaranteed to turn anyone into a chef in no time. When the sun sets, it’s only the beginning. Our custom fireplaces, tiki torches and fire rock inserts, combined with accented night lighting, create tranquil settings for your guests well into the evening. If recreation plays a major role in your lifestyle, then don’t hesitate to ask about our multi-purpose game courts and personalized putting greens. Add hours to your fun by enjoying volleyball, tennis or shooting hoops, all while practicing your short game of golf with friends and family in your own backyard. Our goal is to enrich your lifestyle! So call today to start your transformation! Visit FXDesignTeam.com or call (631) 882-1932 for more information.

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Junior Development Program directed by Ben Marks Learn & Play directed by Louis Vallejo September 13th, 2017 - January 14th, 2017 Learn to play tennis or just improve your game! Call for testing dates and sign up

LITennisMag.com • September/October 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Mastery, Mindset, Learning and the Long Game By Dr. Eric Price ome days, you are in the zone, experiencing a state of flow. Time stops, while dopamine courses through your veins. And other days, you can’t get out of your own way. No flow. No dopamine. But it’s the same frustration. Same court. Same racket. Same opponent. Maybe you didn’t get enough sleep. Maybe you had too much coffee or maybe not enough. Maybe the voice in your head won’t shut up. Usually, that’s it … the voice. The internal critic, coach and judge. On the good days, the voice is silent. But on the bad, it gets in the way. How do you muzzle it? Who knows? Maybe we should listen to Yoda: “Do, or do not, there is no try.” That’s the key, to just do. Once we start to analyze and critique ourselves on the court, we might as well go home. “If I just move my hand to this position on my grip and move my feet this way …” Does this ever work? No. Video analysis? Great idea. Watching yourself is a priceless learning tool. On the court analysis? Terrible idea. Take a break. Close your eyes. Imagine what it feels like to hit the ball how you want to hit it. Then, go do it without thinking about it. Sounds easy, but it’s not. Once you tame the voice, you can play and enjoy, and time will stop, the dopamine will again flow and you will go home happy. Watch how kids learn today. When I tried to teach my daughter how to ride a bike, I broke it down into steps. “First, push off with this foot, then ...” It hurts my brain to even write it. No wonder it didn’t work. Who thinks when they ride a bike?! Thinking just gets in the way. Then, the kid next door came over, showed her and two minutes later, she was off riding. Why? Because she just watched and learned. There’s a reason for the saying “Watch and Learn.” Because it works. As adults, we over-analyze everything. How many steps did I walk today? How many calories is that? Kids follow their instincts. Adults question them and get in their own way. One of my favorite books is The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey. It has nothing and everything to do with tennis. It is really

about learning and performance. The author shares his observations about those who thrived in his lessons and those who got stuck. His students who did well just copied those around them and got better. Those who didn’t do well asked for stepby-step instructions and thought too much. That doesn’t work. It didn’t work when I tried to teach my daughter to ride a bike, and it won’t work for you as a tennis player. Mr. Gallwey helps teach you how not to think too much. Watch a video of someone with perfect form. Try to copy it without analyzing it. This is not to imply that instruction is detrimental. We need instruction to a degree. But analysis kills instinct which kills flow, which kills the joy of the experience. It’s a very Zen book. I should read it again. You should read it if you haven’t. Mastery is a state most of us will never achieve, which is fine. It gives us a goal. If we are in it for The Long Game, we can accept those days that we couldn’t shut off the voice and learn from them. Every time you step on the court, you should learn something. Even if you don’t realize it. It’s a tricky thing to try to get out of your head. It

probably takes as many years to develop that skill as it does to become a solid tennis player. You need to take risks and get out of your comfort zone, which may be painful, but that’s where growth occurs. Without growth, boredom occurs. If you are out of your comfort zone, you are likely so focused on the moment that the voice is silent and there is flow. Those with a Growth Mindset will do that naturally. Those with a Fixed Mindset will stagnate, blaming their doubles partner, their opponent, even their racket. They will remain frustrated and be annoying to play with. Carol Dweck is one of my greatest influences. She wrote another of my favorite books, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. It should be required reading as it has excellent tennis references within it. It will make you a better tennis player, a better parent … better everything. My education to become an orthopedic surgeon was a long grind, up a steep learning curve. Fourteen years of learning and training. There were incremental improvements and many moments way outside of

my comfort zone. It was a process of learning for The Long Game. I surf, in fact, I am addicted. I am far from a master surfer. There’s more dopamine available from being in the ocean than I can imagine. There is flow. On a wave, time stops, and I hope it does for you on the court. In the operating room, it’s the same— a state of flow. But it’s the process of working toward mastery that is most satisfying. It is millions of steps up a massive mountain. Getting better at tennis is the same, as long as you have the right mindset. Dr. Eric Price is a board-certified, fellowshiptrained Sports Medicine Specialist with Orlin & Cohen Orthopedic Group. Dr. Price’s expertise includes shoulder arthroscopy for repair of rotator cuff tears, dislocations, knee arthroscopy, including ACL and meniscus surgery. He also teaches shoulder arthroscopy as an Associate Master Instructor for the Arthroscopy Association of North America and as a Laboratory Instructor at several shoulder surgery conferences. For more information, call (516) 536-2800, ext. 2126 or visit OrlinCohen.com.

PGA National Resort & Spa Palm Beach Gardens, Florida December 1-6, 2017 Boys & Girls: Ages 8-14 Singles/Doubles/Mixed Doubles “Little Mo” Yellow Ball: Ages 8-12 “Little Mo” Green Dot: Ages 8, 9, 10 “Big Mo”: Ages 13 and 14

To register, visit www.littlemo oflorida.com For more info: www.mcbtennis.org Contact a : cartennis@aol.com

LITennisMag.com • September/October 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Michelle Greco and Austin Doerner Dominate Inaugural New York Open POP Tennis Tournament

Women’s Doubles Champions Michelle Greco & Viviana Rojas de Heil, winners of the New York Open POP Tennis Tournament

New York Open POP Tennis Tournament Men’s Doubles Champs Scott & Austin Doerner

he New York Open POP Tennis Tournament, hosted by International POP Tennis Association and sponsored by Adidas and TuffTec Lockers, took place in late July at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Former WNBA champion Michelle Greco

Notably, athletes from other racquet sports participated, including Beach Tennis National Champions Nadia Johnson and Nicole Melch, and Platform Tennis National Champions Mark Parsons and Stephen DeRose. Both teams qualified for the finals in their respective divisions, as well as a group of former collegiate tennis athletes

T 54

swept all three divisions in which she participated, capturing the Women’s Singles, Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles Championships. POP Tennis star Austin Doerner won the Men’s Singles title, defeating his brother, Scott Doerner, in the finals and then partnering with his brother to capture their 12th consecutive Men’s Doubles Championships.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2017 • LITennisMag.com

making a strong presence in the late rounds. Champions and finalists in the 2017 POP Tennis Pro Divisions include: l Women’s Singles: Champion Michelle Greco/Finalist Michaela Kratochvilova l Women’s Doubles: Champions Michelle Greco & Viviana Rojas de Heil/Finalists Nicole Melch & Nadia Johnston l Mixed Doubles: Champions Michelle Greco & Russ Garber/Finalists Dana & Mark Parsons l Men’s Singles: Champion Austin Doerner/Finalist Scott Doerner l Men’s Doubles: Champions Scott & Austin Doerner/Finalists Stephen DeRose & Mark Parsons “The tournament attracted a diverse group of players from various racquet

sports,” said Whitney Kraft, New York Open Tournament Director and Director of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. “Players of all levels quickly

adapted to POP Tennis, and the shorter formats enabled everyone to play multiple matches in a short amount of time.” POP Tennis is in growth mode and looking for facilities, instructors and ambassadors interested in joining TEAM POP to onboard POP Tennis programs and host tournaments in their respective areas. “In addition to the professional level competition, it was so gratifying to see such diversity of first time players, family pairings of parents and children, and adults of all ages,” said Jerry Pham, President of the International POP Tennis Association. “I’ve witnessed a large number of tennis tournaments in my life, and I can safely say that I’ve never seen so many smiles after matches, win or lose.” The third tournament in the 2017 POP Tennis Tournament Series will take place in Venice Beach, Calif., Oct. 78. To find out more about joining TEAM POP, visit POPTennis.com or e-mail Info@POPTennis.com.

LITennisMag.com • September/October 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Attention All Athletes: Vitamin C Is Key! By Irina Belfer-Lehat RD, CDN As an endurance athlete, you need optimal nutrition to train and compete at your best. A balanced diet should give you all the vitamins and nutrients you need. However, difficult training schedules, travel and a lack of homemade meals can mean you don’t always consume the best foods for your personal needs. If you are deficient in certain vitamins, you might feel it in your energy levels and recovery time. Perhaps the most famous antioxidant, Vitamin C, offers a variety of health benefits, including protection from infection and damage to body cells, helping to produce collagen (the connective tissue that holds bones and muscles together), protecting your body from bruising by keeping capillary walls and blood vessels firm, and assisting in the absorption of Iron and Folate. Vitamin C also helps to deliver oxygen to working muscles. Current recommendations for the daily recommended intake for

Vitamin C are 90mg for men and 75mg for women. Good sources of Vitamin C include citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruits and tangerines), strawberries, sweet peppers, tomatoes, broccoli and potatoes. Try at home: Vitamin C Strawberry Yogurt Bites Preparation time: 10 minutes/makes 15-20 bites In mixer bowl, mix together one cup of Greek yogurt, one tsp of cinnamon, two tbs of finely crushed dark chocolate. Using a paring knife or small melon baller, partially hollow out the top of strawberries to a depth of ¾-inch and gently fill each strawberry with about two tsp of mixture. Cool in the refrigerator and enjoy a healthy, refreshing, and Vitamin C-boosting snack! 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.

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2017 • LITennisMag.com

inPhorm: Setting the Trend in Tennis Apparel inPhorm is a distinctive collection of tennis and active wear that has gained an avid following, not only amongst tennis retailers, but also among tennis players and a growing lineup of touring pros, as well as other celebrities. Creating environmentally-friendly international designer active and leisure wear has been inPhorm’s mission since the company launched in 2008. Luxurious tennis, active and lifestyle outfits are made predominantly of recycled fibers and offer sun protection of 50 UV. inPhorm is constantly devising new processes and developing technology to reduce the environmental impact of apparel manufacturing. This year, inPhorm began offering active and tennis wear that have been colored with a proprietary dry-dye process that doesn’t use or pollute water. inPhorm crafts every fabric and stitch of clothing in their own textile mills and sewing factories to ensure high quality,

from start to finish. inPhorm recently announced its increase of sponsorships of young professionals on the circuit, added to their innercity fundraising to help young adults expand in their tennis goals, as well as added to their international sales force. On the courts at Wimbledon, Indian Wells, the U.S. Open, Davis Cup, or World TeamTennis, inPhorm-sponsored athletes define athleticism and beauty with an ecoconscious pedigree! You can visit the inPhorm Web site at inPhormNYC.com or call (214) 749-0300 First time shoppers on inPhormNYC.com

can use Customer Code: STAYINPHORMED for a special discount. Follow inPhorm on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest! Expect more great things from inPhorm as we offer more athleisure, always mindful that the creation of high design does not preclude protecting our planet.

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Post-Tensioned Concrete Now offering up to 15 year warranty "Expanding the game of tennis one court at a time." 56 Brook Avenue l Deer Park, NY 11729 l 1-800-660-PLAY l www.centurytennis.com LITennisMag.com • September/October 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

TENNIS INJURY PREVENTION

The Five Most Common Symptoms of a Meniscus Injury By Dr. Charles Ruotolo, MD, FAAOS The meniscus has the important job of cushioning and stabilizing the knee joint, and any time a meniscus injury occurs, the symptoms are usually severe enough to warrant a trip to an Orthopedic Surgeon. If you’ve injured your knee and are experiencing any, or any combination, of the below-mentioned symptoms, you might have a meniscus injury that needs to be evaluated and treated. Symptom #1: Locking and/or popping A torn meniscus disturbs the integrity of the knee joint. As the knee flexes and extends, the bones may hit or catch the piece of torn meniscus, resulting in an aggravating, irritating and sometimes painful lock58

ing and/or popping sensation. Patients who experience this symptom are very aware of it, as it limits their ability to perform physical activities. Symptom #2: Decreased range of motion The femur and tibia rest perfectly on top of one another to form the knee joint. When healthy, the joint moves smoothly while flexing and extending the knee. Should a significant meniscus injury occur, the integrity and alignment of the joint will be affected and range of motion will decrease. With larger displaced meniscus tears the ability to fully straighten the leg will be affected. This symptom is especially problematic for athletes. Symptom #3: Stiffness Patients who sustain meniscus injuries may

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2017 • LITennisMag.com

experience a great deal of stiffness. It’s not uncommon to see patients walk with their leg completely straight to avoid the locking and/or popping discussed above. Symptom #4: Swelling As with all soft tissue injuries, swelling can occur immediately following a meniscus injury. After a few days, swelling should go down. However, if the injury isn’t treated properly, swelling may continue and limit knee mobility. Symptom #5: Pain Pain is usually associated with a meniscus injury. The type and severity depend on the severity of the injury and pain tolerance of the patient. In most cases, pain ceases after rest and activity modification.

Treating a meniscus injury Ideally, a meniscus injury can be treated using conservative, non-surgical options, such as: l l l l

Rest and activity modification Physical therapy Medications Bracing

Sometimes, a meniscus injury is severe enough to require surgery. The goal of surgery is to repair or remove the piece of torn meniscus to restore the joint and range of motion. Seeking treatment for a meniscus injury If you’ve injured your knee and are experiencing any of the above-mentioned symptoms, an appointment with an Orthopedic Surgeon should be made. Once your knee has been examined, an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment plan can be made. 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 TotalOrthoSportsMed.com.

LITennisMag.com • September/October 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

NYBT Open Hits the Sands of Crest Hollow

Credit all photos to Sidney Beal III

ew York Beach Tennis (NYBT) returned to the sands of Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury and hosted it’s first of three 2017 summer tournaments. Mother Nature pushed the NYBT Open back one day from Saturday to Sunday, but when Sunday arrived and the tournament was about to begin, the players couldn’t have asked for a better atmosphere or conditions. In the Men’s Open Division, the top seeds David Sickmen (NYBT Founder) & Roey Heymann cruised through pool play and eventually into the finals where they met the duo of Jason Quintana & Chris Cetaneau. The rallies were exciting, but in the end, Sickmen & Heymann, playing their first tournament together, were able to pull out a 6-2, 6-3 victory to win the NYBT Open. Experience was the key in the Women’s Open Division. In a draw loaded with talented high school and collegiate players new to the sand, the final ended up being

a battle between beach tennis veterans, as the second-seeded team of Val Bogard & Lisa Goldberg and the fourth-seeded team of Jennifer Peterson & Basia Drozdik squared off. Long points were the theme in this match, with many rallies lasting more than 10 shots. In the end, it was Bogard & Goldberg’s day as they pulled out a 6-2, 62 win. Just as important as what happened on the court is what happened off the court. Players were entertained all day by the sounds of DJ Curtis McCalla, and relaxed with other beach games such as Cornhole, KanJam and Spikeball. “As fierce as the competition was, I was amazed by the camaraderie,” said Harris Durkovic. “Everyone really got along well, was dancing, joking, eating, playing Spikeball ... It was a great day!” Alan Brofka returned to the sand this summer after a two-year hiatus. “I’m so happy to be back,” said Brofka.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2017 • LITennisMag.com

“Everything ran perfectly, and a good time was had by all!” “It was the right mix of people and we got great weather. We had a lot of first and second year beach tennis players who have or are currently playing college or pro tennis and are picking up the sport quickly,” said Sickmen. “But most importantly, it’s a group that really gets along, works together and has a great time on and off the sand. We sold out the tournament in eight days! We got more players than a large majority of tournaments I’ve played around the world that offer ITF points or prize money. Since I have played the sport for years, I know how important organization is to the overall experience of the players. They want to feel like they are getting value. People are busy and need to plan their days. As an organizer of and participant in this tournament, I take pride in making sure that all players get the experience I’d want if I was playing somewhere else.”

NYBT Hosts Battle on the Beach

Credit all photos to Jason Quintana

oming off an extremely successful June tournament (The NYBT Open), New York Beach Tennis (NYBT) had a lot to live up to with its second tournament of the summer. In mid-July at The Battle on the Beach at Crest Hollow Country Club, NYBT delivered yet again. “What a great day of fun, exercise, competition and socializing with old and new friends,” said Whitney Kraft aka “The Sandman,” Director of Tennis for the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. “I love events that are pool play/round-robins and are bundled into a four-hour or so time frame with timely breaks to snack, take a swim and chat with friends between games. NYBT Founder David Sickmen goes out of his way to ensure everyone has a great time. The event is well-organized, starts and finishes on time, and provides lots of amenities and treats for all participants.” At Crest Hollow, NYBT surrounded the courts with beach games such as Cornhole, Spikeball, and Kan Jam, had DJ CMNY getting the crowd going, and was joined by Jamba Juice who gave out free

smoothies. When players needed to cool off, they jumped in the pool and waiters were available so players could order food and eat courtside. On the sand and inside the lines, the action was fierce. With a young draw, filled with up and coming players, the skill level was clearly on the rise, as local players are quickly falling in love with the sport. “It’s great to see so many different players at each event,” said Alex Pop Moldovan. “It used to be the same group over and over again. Now, as word spreads on how much fun the NYBT scene really is, we have a much larger base of players to choose from.” In the Men’s Doubles Draw, the finals came down to four friends who regularly train together and are familiar with each other’s games, as David Sickmen & Alex Pop Moldovan took on the team of Roey Heymann & Mikey Nelson. Sickmen & Moldovan advanced to the finals by defeating Brad Berger & Whitney Kraft in straight sets, while Heymann & Nelson clinched their finals berth by knocking off Jason Quintana & Harris Durkovic in matchup of four college tennis players. In a

tough battle, Sickmen & Pop Moldovan were able to prevail 7-6, 7-5 in the final to win another NYBT championship. The Women’s Doubles Draw was filled with high school and college tennis players, but in the end, it was the Beach Tennis veterans who advanced to the final as Jennifer Peterson & Basia Drozdnik took on Marcia Balbinot & Kiki Nicolopoulos. Earlier in the day, Peterson & Drozdnik had won a matchup between these teams during pool play, but in the finals, it was the opposite result. Balbinot & Nicolopoulos were able to learn from their previous mistakes and win their first ever NYBT title. “This summer has been one of the best we have had for Beach Tennis in the Northeast,” said Sickmen. “The main reason is that our group gets along very well. We all play hard on the court and have a great time together off the court as well. We had a large amount of new players join us this summer from the tennis world and they loved playing. We are finally going in the right direction with the sport here in New York. I hope everyone realizes that and continues to stay the course and enjoy what we have grown.”

LITennisMag.com • September/October 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

By Dr. Tom Ferraro ven the most confident of champions can experience a loss of confidence and self-defeat, and this occurs far more often than you may think. In the world of golf, we recently saw the possibility of self-sabotage show up at the 146th Open at Royal Birkdale in England. The world’s newest superstar, 23-year-old American Jordan Spieth, was cruising to victory until the last day of play. On the final day of play, he bogeyed three of the first four holes and appeared to fall into a lethargic despair as he walked along. It took his caddy, Michael Geller, a former school teacher, to remind him of his talent when he stepped off the seventh tee box. That well-timed comment allowed Spieth to snap out of his funk, start believing in himself again and go on to win the Open in dramatic fashion. During the trophy ceremony, Spieth publicly thanked his caddy for the help on the seventh tee. Tennis players are not as lucky as golfers. They are on their own when they play their matches and must deal with changes in mood without the support of others. And when they begin to fail, it is often difficult for them to right the ship. Here is the process which leads to self-defeat and what you can do to change this.

1. Tension The first trigger to self-defeat occurs based upon heightened tension. Tension may be felt at the beginning or at the end of big matches. 2. A series of mistakes A player may double-fault once or twice, get a bad call or lose some points they should have won. This series of mistakes will then break the player’s confidence and they begin to sink into anger, self-doubt and anxiety. 3. Loss of confidence When negative emotions are not held in check, they will shatter the feeling of confidence and overwhelm the player. When confidence goes, the player is now on shaky ground. 62

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2017 • LITennisMag.com

The Athlete’s

Greatest Opponent 4. Despair and loss of focus When confidence disappears, the players’ will to win and focus is lost, and with it, they lose energy and aggression. If this is not checked, it is inevitable that they will lose the match. All of this can occur within a very short period of time. It may only take five minutes for this transition to occur and the player will be left all alone in shame and humiliation in front of the crowd. This is truly “The agony of defeat.” RX The player cannot turn to an understanding coach during a match. They must be able to make attitude adjustments on their own. Here is the best way to do so …

Tension in big matches is inevitable. You will also make unforced errors based upon this anxiety. So be it. This is not unusual. But if you begin to feel selfdoubt or shame, you must have an internal check at this point. I usually talk to my players about the concept of belief and toughness. This is your go-to psychological position when things go wrong. It’s good to rehearse this beforehand and have a believable script to recite to yourself. It should include a phrase about how good you really are and also how tough you need to be. You are on the court all by yourself, so you must have a script in your mind to go to when bad calls, bad luck and bad mis-

takes happen. You need to learn how to be your own very best friend rather than your worst enemy. This occurs unconsciously, and as a psychoanalyst, I know how important it is to help guide the athlete through that murky place and back to the light. Hold onto your toughness and believe in your talent. If you need some help in doing this, do not be afraid to give me a call. I am always delighted to help. For consultations, treatment or on-site visits, contact Dr. Tom Ferraro Ph.D., sport psychologist, by phone at (516) 248-7189, e-mail DrTFerraro@aol.com or visit DrTomFerraro.com.

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djcmnyc@gmail.com LITennisMag.com • September/October 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

From the Gridiron to the Baseline

Ahead of the 2017 U.S. Open, two New York Jets, linebacker Demario Davis and running back Matt Forte, squared off in the Ultimate NYC Sports Challenge. Davis had challenged Forte to a bet on the tennis court, and the loser agreed to donate $10,000 to the winner’s charity. After a set of uninspiring tennis, it was Forte who came out on top 6-0 in the end.

E M I L I E

KAT Z

Amazon Outbids Sky for Exclusive ATP Tour Rights

Amazon has outbid Sky Sports for the rights to broadcast the ATP World Tour, its first major live TV sports rights deal outside of the United States. Amazon Prime Video will now be the home for nearly all the ATP World Tour tournaments, other than the four Grand Slams, including the ATP World Tour Finals. The contract with Sky Sports ends in 2018, when Amazon’s deal will begin.

WTA Launches WTA TV

The WTA has launched its new subscription service, WTA TV, which offers matches streamed both live and on-demand. Subscribers pay either a monthly or annual fee, with access to nearly 2,000 matches from WTA tournaments.

Wimbledon’s Strict, Strict Dress Code Enforced

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During the Ladies’ Invitational Doubles Tournament, an exhibition for fans to see older or retired players, Kim Clijsters asked a fan to come out of the stands and play. Due to the strict Wimbledon dress code, Clijsters went into her bag for a skirt for the man to wear, which led to a funny and awkward moment as they helped him put it on.

Errani Suspended for Doping

Citi Open Names Fifth Female Tournament Director

Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal): Cycling with my cousins!

Italy’s Sara Errani received a two-month suspension from the ITF after testing positive for Letrozole, a drug used to treat breast cancer patients. An adjudication panel ruled that Errani’s positive test was “at the lower end of the scale,” but still deemed it worthy of a two-month suspension, which bans her from taking part in the 2017 U.S. Open. Errani said that the substance comes from her mother’s cancer medication and that she ingested it while eating tortellini.

Federer Names Wimbledon Trophy

Keely O’Brien became just the fifth female Tournament Director on the ATP Tour when she took over duties for the Citi Open in Washington, D.C. O’Brien began her career as an intern at the Citi Open back in 2004. “I’ve had unbelievable mentors, both men and women, throughout the process,” said O’Brien. “And I think just trying to carry on a legacy is, for me, what I focus on.”

Eugenie Bouchard (@GenieBouchard): Tennis meets golf! All day with @TheMichelleWie on my snap and insta stories

Tweets from the pros Maria Sharapova (@MariaSharapova): Just in. Publishers Weekly #Unstoppable book review

Roger Federer (@RogerFederer): #19 tastes great

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LITennisMag.com • September/October 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

More Grass Please By Jimmy Delevante lmost 50 years ago, the U.S. Open and Australian Open were played on grass courts. At that time, three out of the four Grand Slams were played on grass with the French Open being the only exception. Backtracking even farther into tennis history, you will find that before we had the ATP, WTA or USTA organizations, there was only one governing body of tennis, the LTA or Lawn Tennis Association. Tennis first began as a sport that was almost exclusively played on grass courts. Years later, when clay courts became more popular, tennis became a two-surface sport at the professional level. Closer to 50 years ago when tennis began to grow in popularity, hard courts started popping up in North America and Asia, and professional tennis became a three-surface sport. When the U.S. Open and Australian Open both changed to hard court tournaments, we started to see a growing interest in hard court tennis which unfortunately led to a decrease in grass court tennis. With the ex-

ception of Wimbledon and a few smaller events, the grass court season has shrunk to a mere seven weeks. In recent years, especially in women’s tennis, we have seen a severe drop off in the net-rushing style of play that had dominated for so long. In the 1980s and 1990s, both men’s and women’s tennis still featured a variety of playing styles due to the balance in the amount of tournaments on different court surfaces. Players who adopted a net rushing style could sustain their professional rankings by dominating the grass court seasons, while players with a defensive backcourt style could dominate during the clay court season. The variety in different style matchups also provided for very entertaining matches, think Agassi vs. Sampras. Currently, the grass court season isn’t worth as many points to professional players because of the smaller number of tournaments. For this very reason, some professionals even choose to skip the smaller warm-up events on grass and use it as a chance to get a jump-start preparing for the much longer and more valuable hard court season. The variety in playing styles has to make a return to our sport. It kept the

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

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major events more exciting and enabled players to showcase their distinct skill sets and tactics. Part of the challenge in expanding the grass court season is scheduling. The clay court season concludes after the French Open is over, and immediately, the grass court season begins leading up to Wimbledon. The current schedule however, presents a very difficult problem for players who are forced to switch from the slowest surface in tennis to the fastest in a very short period of time. This issue can be corrected by shortening both the hard court and clay court seasons by a few weeks and playing the French Open in the beginning of April, instead of at the end of May. This would allow for a longer outdoor grass court season which could now start mid-April and continue into early July. Something needs to be done in order to continue to grow and develop our sport. If we make these adjustments at the professional level, we can expect it to trickle down throughout the rest of the sport. With the addition of more grass court tournaments, we will also see an increase in grass court clubs and facilities, which will provide an opportunity for people to experience the sport on all of the surfaces. Ultimately, the more surfaces that a player becomes familiar with, the more skills they will acquire and develop when they playing. I hope that we see a change in tournament scheduling that allows for a longer grass court season, and in turn, a more balanced and diversified sport that we can all enjoy. Jimmy Delevante is a USPTA-certified teaching professional and a National High-Performance 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. He may be reached by e-mail at QCtennis5@yahoo.com.

charitable initiatives Oceanside High Plays Host to Fifth Annual “Ace It for Syd” Tournament

Credit all photos to Tina Don

he Fifth Annual “Ace It for Syd” Charity Tennis Event recently took place on the Oceanside High School tennis courts, as many players and spectators came together to support the Sydne Jacoby Foundation.

The tournament was broken down into five different divisions: Men’s A, Men’s B, Ladies A, Ladies B and Mixed Doubles. The tournament had the biggest turnout of both players and supporters in the five years of its existence, which made for an exciting day of tennis. Congratulations to the following winners on the day: l Ladies A Winners: Nancy Schwarz & Nicole Tavernier l Ladies A Second Place: Liz Bitton & Ruth Settles l Ladies B Winners: Brianna Forman & Natalia Rodriquez l Ladies B Second Place: Melissa Kotcher & Sally Timko

l Men’s A Winners: Bob Block & Christian Eckhardt l Men’s A Second Place: Alex Rubin & Panus Romsaitong l Men’s B Winners: Matt DeGroot & Kyle Cohen l Men’s B Second Place: David Ring & Steve Housman l Mixed Doubles Winners: Bob Block & Casey Block There were drills and clinics performed by teaching pros prior to the tournament and every participant received a t-shirt. The Sydne Jacoby Foundation is a charity that gives back to other worthwhile charities and people in need by the generous donations from readers like you. You can visit SydneJacoby.com to find out how you can donate and learn about more upcoming events. The Charity Tennis Event will take a hiatus next year as the Foundation will host its second “Aces for Syd” Casino Night in its place.

LITennisMag.com • September/October 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

One Tennis Lesson Can Turn Int By Lonnie Mitchel n a flight returning from Portugal this past June, I was with 24 varsity collegiate players from the Oneonta State Tennis program. I had eight hours with my thoughts on a transatlantic journey from Lisbon to New York. We were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to play some team exhibitions in Europe and compete against some good European red court clay players. For a young person, this was an incredible experience I know will resonate with them for life. They may not realize it now, but as the years progress, they will have the opportunity to reflect back that these opportunities do not happen every day. But what if? What if my father, who introduced me to tennis when I was eight and when I did not take to the sport right away, said to himself, “Don’t push him?” What if he did not realize that this was a seed being planted in a person who will grow and resonate for life, giving me a career? What if I did not work on my game and go into coaching? What would have happened? I can tell you this, I am not really sure where or what direction my life

would have gone in. Those questions will remain a mystery. I am not going to tell you that just because I went into teaching and coaching at the collegiate level that somehow I became a savior for all. It’s not true of course, but what I can observe is simply fact … coaching young people at the collegiate level, I know I am not just worried about their forehands and backhands, wins or loses, but so much more. On this trip to Portugal, I found out that the overwhelming majority of the student/athletes on the squad have never been out of the country or have been exposed to anything but American culture. When in Portugal, we were able to explore many enriching sights, museums and other treasures of European life, past and present. Their senses were stimulated in ways like never before. The augmented education they received on this one-week excursion abroad was a result of their initial exposure to tennis. It was also a result of my exposure to tennis for 40-plus years on a journey that has taken many twists and turns well beyond the sidelines of the court. So what if? I know these young people probably would be playing tennis for another school somewhere which one could assume would also be positive, but they would

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2017 • LITennisMag.com

never have been exposed to a European experience under the auspices of our game. Several student/athletes expressed to me when they returned that they were interested in traveling abroad again on their own in the future. I really had to convince them that life has greater borders than just here on Long Island and our annual trip to Florida. It was a real eye-opener. So what if? For me and some of these players, it started with a tennis lesson. You just never know. Fast-forward one-month and again I find myself on an 11-hour flight returning from Israel where I was fortunate to have coached Team USA for the Maccabiah World Games. It was a team of top collegiate and world-ranked tennis players from all over the country. If you are not familiar with the Maccabiah Games, it is the third largest sporting event in the world where you can find the best Jewish athletes from the world competing in Olympic sporting events. I am not a religious person, but it certainly is wonderful to see Jewish athletes from all over the world bonding with one another while embracing the Olympic sporting ideals. One of the players from Team USA Tennis was a woman who competed for me as a student/athlete at Oneonta State. I had

nto a Journey: So What If …? asked this particular player to try out, and when she made Team USA, there were a chain events that took place. Her mother decided to go as a supporter who had not been to Israel in 35 years, followed by her father, who had never been there. This was followed by her younger brother coming along, and when all was said and done, the family had a close religious reunion in Israel. Witnessing this family come together while I was abroad was one of the more rewarding experiences of my own career. I wondered what would have happened if I did not take that tennis lesson when I was eight? What if I did not have parents who supported my efforts and saw the big picture and the future and what could be? What if? There are tons of stories like this throughout my career that I could point to that would prompt me to ask, “What if?” On the eve of the U.S. Open which brings hundreds of thousands of people to Flushing Meadows and New York City, opening the doors to endless economic opportunities each year, what if that tournament organizer in 1881 did not have a championship called the U.S. National Championships for men? And then in 1887, actually have the gall to have women compete for that title with their own draw? What if a woman by the name of Billie Jean

Moffitt (Billie Jean King) did not have a vision of women’s equality? I suppose you can make an argument that these “What ifs” can take place in all walks of life. However, this is a tennis publication and when you mention names like Billie Jean King, Arthur Ashe and many others who help to change the world, they asked themselves “What if” and they did “It.” Our little game that has changed the world, it certainly was a game-changer

wasn’t it? Let’s keep it open-ended for you to ponder, shall we! What if? 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.

LITennisMag.com • September/October 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

USTA/Long Island Region 2017

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. SEPTEMBER 2017 Friday-Sunday, September 15-17 L1A RWTTC September Championships Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenue Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $88.13 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Sept. 11 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail RWTennis@hotmail.com or call (516) 759-0505. Friday-Sunday, September 15-17 L1B Ross September Challenger Ross School Tennis Academy 18 Goodfriend Drive East Hampton, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Sept. 11 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail CSidor@Ross.org or call (631) 907-5162. Friday-Sunday, September 15-17 L2 Bethpage State Park Fall Open Bethpage Park Tennis Center 99 Quaker Meeting House Road Farmingdale, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Sept. 11 at 11:30 a.m.) For more information, e-mail RBecker06@yahoo.com or call (516) 359-4843 Friday-Sunday, September 15-17 L1A GHRC September Championships Glen Head Racquet Club 95 Glen Head Road • Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Sept. 11 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Vasco.D.Antunes@gmail.com or call (516) 676-9849.

Friday-Sunday, September 15-17 L1B Sportime Syosset September Challenger Sportime Syosset 75 Haskett Drive • Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Sept. 10 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail KSorokko@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 364-2727. Friday-Sunday, September 15-17 L1B PWTA September Challenger Port Washington Tennis Academy 100 Harbor Road • Port Washington, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 18 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Sept. 10 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088. Friday-Sunday, September 15-17 L1B PTST Fall Open Point Set Tennis 3065 New Street • Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Sept. 10 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088. Friday-Sunday, September 22-24 L1B GHRC Fall 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 For more information, e-mail Vasco.D.Antunes@gmail.com or call (516) 676-9849. Friday-Sunday, September 22-24 L1B PWTA September 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, Sept. 17 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2017 • LITennisMag.com

Friday-Sunday, September 22-24 L1B Point Set Challenger Point Set Tennis 3065 New Street • Oceanside, 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, Sept. 17 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088. Saturday, September 23 Youth Progression, Orange L2 Sportime Syosset Sportime Syosset 75 Haskett Drive • Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Orange Level 2 Boys' & Girls' 10 and Under Singles: 60' Orange Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Sept. 17 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, e-mail KSorokko@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 364-2727. Saturday-Sunday, September 23-24 L2 Sportime Syosset September Open Sportime Syosset 75 Haskett Drive • Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 14-16 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Sept. 17 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail KSorokko@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 364-2727. Friday-Monday, September 29-October 1 L2 GHRC Fall Intermediate Open Glen Head Racquet Club 95 Glen Head Road Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys' & Girls' Singles & Doubles: 78' Yellow Ball 18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail Vasco.D.Antunes@gmail.com or call (516) 676-9849.

USTA/Long Island Region 2017

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. Friday-Monday, September 29-October 1 L1B PWTA Fall Challenger Port Washington Tennis Academy 100 Harbor Road • Port Washington, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Sept. 24 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (516) 883-6425. Friday-Monday, September 29-October 1 L1B Point Set Fall 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, Sept. 24 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088.

Friday-Sunday, October 13-15 Eastern Super Six at Point Set (National L4) Point Set Tennis 3065 New Street • Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Super 6 Event Boys' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 14 (FIC-R16) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $124.13 per player For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088. Friday-Sunday, October 13-15 Eastern Super Six at RWTTC (National L4) Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenue • Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Super 6 Event Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 18 (FIC-R16) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $124.13 per player For more information, e-mail Superscoot@aol.com or call (516) 759-0505.

Saturday, October 14 Youth Progression Orange Level 2 Kings Park Sportime Kings Park OCTOBER 2017 275 Old Indianhead Road • Kings Park, N.Y. Saturday-Monday, October 7-9 Divisions: Orange Level 2 Boys' & Girls' 10 and Under Singles: USTA National Level 2 Tournament 60' Orange Ball 10 (NEF) Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove Surface Type: Hard Indoor 60 Sea Cliff Avenue • Glen Cove, N.Y. Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Divisions: Level 2 Boys' & Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 12 (FIC-R16) and Level 2 Boys' & Girls' Doubles: 78' Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Oct. 8 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, e-mail tvanepps@sportimeny.com or Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $145.63 for one event; $146.12 for two events; ad- call (631) 269-6300. ditional fees may apply if registered in three or more events Saturday-Sunday, October 14-15 (deadline for entries is Thursday, Sept. 14 at 11:59 a.m.) Youth Progression, Green L1 Sportime Syosset For more information, e-mail Superscoot@aol.com or call Sportime Syosset (516) 759-0505. 75 Haskett Drive • Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Green Level 1 Boys' & Girls' 10 and Under Singles: Friday-Sunday, October 13-15 78' Green Ball 10 (FMLC) Eastern Super Six at GHRC (National L4) Surface Type: Unknown Glen Head Racquet Club Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, 95 Glen Head Road • Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: Super 6 Event Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 16 (FIC-R16) Oct. 8 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, e-mail KSorokko@SportimeNY.com or Surface Type: Hard Indoor call (516) 364-2727. Entry Fee: $124.13 per player For more information, e-mail Vasco.D.Antunes@gmail.com or Sunday, October 15 call (516) 676-9849. Youth Progression, Orange L1 Sportime Bethpage Sportime Bethpage Friday-Sunday, October 13-15 101 Norcross Avenue • Bethpage, N.Y. Eastern Super Six at PWTA (National L4) Divisions: Orange Level 1 Boys' & Girls' 10 and Under Singles: Port Washington Tennis Academy 60' Orange Ball 10 (NEF) 100 Harbor Road • Port Washington, N.Y. Divisions: Super 6 Event Girls' Singles: 78' Yellow Ball 12 (FIC-R16) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Surface Type: Clay Indoor Oct. 8 at 11:59 p.m.) Entry Fee: $124.13 per player For more information, e-mail KSorokko@SportimeNY.com or For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call call (516) 933-8500. (516) 883-6425.

Friday-Sunday, October 20-22 Eastern Empire Cup National Doubles at World Gym Fall World Gym Racquet & Sports Arena 384 Mark Tree Road East Setauket, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys' & Girls' Doubles: 78' Yellow Ball 12 (MFIC) Surface Type: Clay Entry Fee: $48.88 per player For more information, e-mail VTAPR@hotmail.com or call (631) 751-6100. Friday-Sunday, October 20-22 Eastern Empire Cup National Doubles at Ross School Tennis Center Ross School Tennis Academy 18 Goodfriend Drive East Hampton, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys' & Girls' Doubles: 78' Yellow Ball 18 (MFIC) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $48.88 per player For more information, e-mail CSidor@Ross.org or call (631) 907-5162. Friday-Sunday, October 20-22 Eastern Empire Cup National Doubles at PWTA Port Washington Tennis Academy 100 Harbor Road Port Washington, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys' Doubles: 78' Yellow Ball 16 (MFIC) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $48.88 per player For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (516) 883-6425. Friday-Sunday, October 20-22 Eastern Empire Cup National Doubles at Point Set Point Set Tennis 3065 New Street Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Girls' Doubles: 78' Yellow Ball 16 (MFIC) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $48.88 per player For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088.

LITennisMag.com • September/October 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

COMING IN NOVEMBER

Distribution scheduled for 11/01/17

This edition will feature: • Top Coaches Roundtable Discussion • Tennis Travel Destination Guide • Holiday Gift Guide • 2017 Girls High School Season Recap

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LITennisMag.com • July/August 2017 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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