Long Island Tennis Magazine September / October 2023

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Long Island Tennis

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Joey Arendt

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Emilie Katz

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Barbara Wyatt

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Rob Polishook Contributing Writer

Sahara Ahmad

Aryn Feldman

Nyla Gershfeld

Abby Kleiman

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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.

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Brielle Marcus Rachel Neuman Saharsh Peddireddy Victoria Wroblewskii

What Does It Take To Be Number

One?

Tennis Coach-Turned Real Estate Broker Named #1

LI Agent By Real Trends

By Brian Coleman

Tennis

and the real estate business; on the surface, these two things don’t have anything in common.

But if you look closely, the ways to be successful in both of these fields often overlap. It takes dedication, discipline and confidence, and at their cores, they both require focusing on the process rather than results.

A great example of these parallels is Parsa Samii.

A native of Long Island, Samii was a top junior player before going on to have a successful college career at the University of MassachusettsAmherst. Samii would go on to compete on the pro tour in the years following college, but he began to get bit by the injury bug, which halted his professional tennis dream. And now as a Licensed Real Estate Salesperson for Compass, a national real estate agency, Samii has used the skills and work ethic he developed as a tennis player and coach to succeed in the real estate business.

And this year, he was named the #1 Individual Agent by Sales Volume on Long Island by Real Trends (as per 2022 closed sales volume).

“I’m not a big rankings person, and I think a lot of tennis players and parents out there will appreciate that. It’s not something I work towards or

work for,” he said of the honor. I don’t look at rankings as a validation of the work that I’ve put in, but it is a very gratifying result to have. It means a lot that I was able to help my clients, and I think that’s the number one thing. I get to use the great skills and traits I learned on the tennis court and use that relentless nature to continue and pursue the best interests of my clients. I think the validation comes moreso from the daily work, the habits you develop, and the effort you put in every single day, the same way I did when I was a coach or a player.”

That relentless nature is something he learned and developed from his years as a tennis player. It is about the process and the work you are doing, and it is important to do those things without always worrying about the end result.

“Playing one point at a time is something you are taught in tennis, and I’ve adopted that mentality in my business,” he said. “Just like if a tactic were to change during a match, and you need to problem solve right there on the court, I do the same thing in business.”

And with that mentality, Samii is not resting on his laurels, but continuing to put in the hard work to benefit the clients that depend on him. He is already moving on and working on

new deals as we head into the fall and winter months, and has a positive outlook on the state of the industry here in the latter part of 2023.

“The market has actually picked up from the beginning of the year, and a lot of that comes from the fact that buyers know what the lay of the land is,” he said. “They understand interest rates are high, but they can account for that, and be comfortable knowing it won’t be going too much higher or too much lower, it’s sort of settled. At the end of the day, people need houses, especially on Long Island, where there is always a demand for good schools and more space.

For sellers, it’s a great time to sell if the house is priced right and looks the part. There is a big fall market coming, and then preparing your house for the spring to maximize the amount of money you can get. It’s all dependent on where you want to go as a seller and what you are looking for. My suggestion is to find the best professional in your area.”

No matter what changes arise in the market in the future, Samii will continue leaning on the skills and traits he developed as a tennis player, and put in the necessary process work and let the results speak for themselves.

USTA Eastern Provides Hundreds With Free Kids Day Events

USTA

Eastern teamed up with Long Island Tennis Magazine to host three separate Kids’ Day events this summer, bringing free days of tennis to hundreds of kids on Long Island.

With each event consisting of multiple diverse, underprivileged and special needs organizations, these events allowed for 600 kids to experience special days this summer.

“We look forward to hosting Kids’ Day each year,” said Jason Wass, Director of LuHi Summer Programs. “It creates a great opportunity for the kids. We love working with the USTA and Long Island Tennis Magazine to provide an introduction to tennis here on our campus.”

On court, the kids took part in tennis instruction that focused on the fundamentals as volunteers from USTA Eastern Long Island and Long Island Tennis Magazine’s event staff helped teach the kids the basics of the sport.

“At Island Quest, we strive to create unforgettable memories where our camp community learns new skills from experts in specialty fields like sports, tech and nature,” said Melissa Algrenti, Camp

Director for Island Quest. “One of our favorite, most unique opportunities is playing tennis with the best of the best and there is no one better to partner with than the USTA and Long Island Tennis Magazine. They make the day so fun with their skills clinic and the cherry on top is a carnival dunk tank and dance party. What could be better?”

While the focus is tennis, all the events provide additional fun off the court to help create a special experience that these individuals wouldnt normally have. Activities included a DJ, a magician, dunk tank, water slides, bounce house, relay races, face painting, food and drinks and prizes.

“It’s our goal to continue bringing

tennis fun to so many deserving kids, and it’s always fun to watch their faces light up during our Kids’ Day events,” said David Sickmen, Publisher of Long Island Tennis Magazine. “We’re proud to continue our partnership with USTA Eastern and help provide these sorts of experiences for young people. At these events, we supply kids with information as well as an unforgettable experience to create a pathway to more tennis opportunities for them in the future to help ensure that they continue playing the great sport of tennis.”

Mike Pavlides, the USTA Eastern Long Island Region Council Director, added:

“The Long Island Regional Council in conjunction with Long Island Tennis Magazine are happy to have provided another year of Kids’ Days to so many children on Long Island. It's important for children to have the opportunity to be exposed to different sports at a young age so that they can

find the one they are most passionate about. I think we show them that you don't have to be professionally trained in order to have fun with your

friends and hit the ball around, and our goal is that these kids become passionate about tennis and continue playing into the future.”

LITM Ch Event Series Hits Cold

The second Long Island Tennis Magazine Challenge of 2023 brought Men’s and Women’s Doubles teams together on a steamy Saturday afternoon on the courts of Cold Spring Country Club in Huntington.

“This was a great opportunity for our club to host this special event, and our members had very positive things to say about how everything went, including the level of tennis they were able to show on the courts,” said Strate Krstevski, the Director of Tennis at Cold Spring Country Club. “We were very happy that a lot of our members participated in the event, and had a chance to compete against players from other clubs as well.”

The tournament was open to both club members and nonmembers, many of whom had never competed against one another before. While the competition

heated up on the six beautiful Har-Tru courts, off the court there was a social atmosphere, including catered breakfast in the morning, and pizza, pasta, salad and more for lunch in the afternoon, as well as mimosas, sangria and more to keep the event fun and loose.

The morning session played host to two divisions, the Men’s 7.0 – 7.5 division and the Women’s 7.0 – 7.5 division.

Dunja Froman & Rosalyn Beswick used their chemistry and experience playing together as a doubles team to claim the title in the Women’s 7.0 -7.5 divison.

“We started playing together last season, and this is our eighth straight win together,” said Froman.

“Playing with Ros is always fun, because I know she has my back,

Women’s 7.0-7.5

Champions: Dunja Froman & Rosalyn BeswickMen’s 7.0 – 7.5 Champions, Ben Gonson & Richy Lituchi, with Cold Spring CC Director Strate Krstevski

hallenge d Spring Country Club

and having that trust in your partner is key.”

While Froman has competed in LITM Challenge events before, this was Beswick’s first time, and she embraced the uniqueness of the tournament.

“When she invited me to play I

said, ‘I don’t know, maybe’,” she said. “But it was an incredible event. The food and drinks were great, it was a fun time, and being able to win made it that much better.”

In the Men’s 7.0 – 7.5 combined division, the duo of Ben Gonson &

Richy Lituchi used their experience as Cold Spring Country Club members to claim the championship.

“We’ve been playing together for a few years so we know each other’s games and the strengths and

continued on page 8

vskiWomen’s 8.0-8.5 Champions: Michelle Craddock & Tanya Kotov

Men’s 8.0-8.5 Champions: Brian Katz & Lyle Mahler

litm challenge

continued from page 7

weakness that we have,” said Ben Gonson. “It was a great day.”

As the morning turned to afternoon, two new divisions got underway as the day’s second session featured the Men’s 8.0 – 8.5 combined division and the Women’s 8.0 – 8.5 division.

Tanya Kotov & Michelle Craddock played their best tennis in the championship match to walk away victorious in the Women’s 8.0 – 8.5 division and claim the title.

“This was our first time playing together, and it was so much fun,” said Craddock. “This event was great. The matches went

quick so you got to play a lot of tennis against a lot of other teams so it was a really fun day.”

WE'VE GOT YOU

Another Cold Spring Country Club member duo, Brian Katz & Lyle Mahler, maintained a consistent level of play throughout the tournament, especially in the finals, to earn the championship in the Men’s 8.0 – 8.5 combined division.

“We tried to be as consistent as possible. We held serve when we needed to which puts pressure on the other team and that’s a good recipe to win matches,” said Mahler.

Katz added:

“We play a lot of doubles together here at the club, and we are consistent and putting balls back in play, we tend to do pretty

well. We kept our unforced errors down today and that helped.”

The LITM Challenge combines great competition on the court with a festive environment off the court, and that was on full display at Cold Spring Country Club.

“The event was organized really well, and all the players that were in created a positive atmosphere both on and off the court,” added Krstevski. “We are happy as a club to have our members win both of the men’s events, and had a strong showing on the women’s side as well.”

The LITM Challenge Series will continue on Saturday, September 9 with a Men’s and Women’s Doubles event at Sportime Quogue.

“We were proud to host yet

another Long Island Tennis Magazine Challenge event, and were thrilled to be able to bring the event series to a new site in Cold Spring Country Club,” said cotournament director David Sickmen. “Cold Spring CC was an incredible host site, and the staff did a great job of making sure everything

operated smoothly. We heard about all the great work Strate was doing in his first year as Director and we saw that on full display at this tournament. We share the similar vision of putting on professionally-run events, so the collaboration was a no-brainer. Everything ran right on time, and we know how events such as these with multiple levels of players combined with a fun atmosphere keeps the players coming back for more tennis. I want to thank my co-tournament director Michelle Stoerback for providing all of her tournament expertise, and thank our event sponsors OSIM and SassyLI, who provided raffle prizes. We look forward to our next LITM Challenge event on Saturday, September 9 at Sportime Quogue.”

spotlight Junior Player

Leo Carmo Ross School Tennis Academy

Growing up in the middle of a tennis academy, Leo Carmo’s life has always revolved around the sport. Ever since he can remember, he was walking around on the clay courts of the Ross School Tennis Academy (RSTA) while his father, Vinicius, the academy’s Director of Tennis, orchestrated and operated its programming.

“I’ve been playing tennis ever since I could walk,” said Leo Carmo. “My dad always had me holding a racquet while walking around, and even from an early age he was putting me through hand-eye coordination drills. Being out there practically every day, I’ve watched him work with so many players over the years, and Ross has always felt like a second home to me.”

And so from an early age, Carmo fell in love with tennis. While he would play soccer for a few years growing up, as well as leaning into his Brazilian roots and doing jujitsu training, tennis was always number one in his heart.

By Brian Coleman

While growing up in and around Ross School Tennis Academy, with your father as its director, could lead to a burnout from the sport, that has not been the case for Leo, who credits that to the dynamic relationship he has with his father.

“He has been super inspirational to me and has always been there,” he said. “He doesn’t put too much pressure on me, he’s not a typical tennis parent who is always pressuring you or telling you to do things a certain way. He understands tennis and what it takes, so that’s helpful, but we do a good job of separating coach and father.”

Vinicius added:

“I think it’s harder for me than it is for him. I have to be his father and his coach, so when we are on court I tell him what to do, and then when we get home I do the same thing, so it’s important to find that balance. But I’m lucky that he is such a mature kid for his age, and the fact that he has been here since he was young watching me coach, and running the programs makes him in tune with what

should be happening on the courts.”

Carmo has a big serve and effective forehand, and his main focus now in his training is improving his match play and gaining more experience in matches. He wants to continue getting better at point construction and understanding how to properly use his weapons during matches.

Helping him to achieve that goal are the talented coaches at RSTA, many of whom are former professional players or currently compete collegiately, and from all different backgrounds. RSTA has a very international feel and that is evident with its plethora of coaches and instructors which helps foster a well-rounded approach to teaching tennis.

“I’ve been through the whole pathway here, from red dot and green dot to orange ball. This is my second home,” said Carmo. “The coaches are great and amazing people, and it’s great to be able to learn from a mix of coaches who come from different backgrounds. Some coaches who are good players don’t always know how to interact and connect with their players, but the coaches here are not like that at all. They make everyone feel comfortable and welcoming, which helps us have fun while training but still taking it seriously.”

The RSTA provides not only tennis instruction but also top-tier fitness and dietary training to all of its players. Those services and amenities aren’t reserved just for the elite players in the Academy, but are available to the players in all the programs, as well as the kids from local schools in the Hamptons who often come to RSTA to play.

“This is part of the full Ross School Academy experience, it’s well-rounded and we offer it to everyone,” said Vinicius. “We have a sports psychologist here, we help teach them how to eat, proper breathing when on court and everything it takes. This is not just the Tennis Center’s mentality, but it’s the Ross School mentality.”

All of that has helped Leo Carmo become one of the top players in the RSTA, and this past spring he helped the Ross School varsity high school team capture the Suffolk County Small School title and advance to the Long Island Championship. Having been used to competing individually throughout most of his tennis career, Carmo embraced being part of the team and was a key factor in his team’s success.

“It was an amazing season. From the young guys like myself through the older guys, we all got along super well

and were great friends,” said Carmo. “It felt nice to be a part of a team. I play all of these tournaments and it can be lonely sometimes, so to have the team support and hear people cheering for you was a cool experience. I’m excited to try and do better next season and hopefully go to the State Championships.”

The younger Carmo has goals of one day playing college tennis, citing his love of the team experience he felt competing in high school tennis, and then hopefully be able to turn professional sometime after that. But for now, he will continue to put in the work and use all of the resources he has access to at the RSTA to improve his game.

For Vinicius Carmo, his objective with Leo is the same as it is for all the kids he teaches:

“My goal for him, and all the players here, is first and foremost be the best they can be,” he said. “That’s the ultimate goal, and it means something different to each person. Tennis can teach us so much about ourselves, how to deal with adversity and how to handle struggles, things like that. If I can pass those sorts of lessons onto my son and he can take that away from me, then we did something right.”

inPhorm Part Of The Solution

Long Island Tennis Magazine recently asked inPhorm’s creative director, Saad Hajidin, about sustainability and being “eco-forward.”

Why is sustainability important to you?

Call it Global Warming or Climate Change! When we started inPhorm 12 years ago there were skeptics and deniers. Scientists have warned us for years about the harmful effects if we continue down this path. I wanted our company to be part of the solutions, not the problem. I have a grand nephew who is four years old. Every day I think about what I can do to help make the world a better place for him and future generations.

On the notion of Eco-Forward, what do you mean by this?

When I founded inPhorm, I wanted to create a brand dedicated to sustainable production and to empower responsible consumers to choose products that are eco-forward and kinder to the Earth. My spouse, a journalist, coined the word “eco-forward,” because it suited me and my way of thinking. Being “ecoforward” is to think beyond “green” or eco-conscious. To look ahead with new ideas and innovations that contribute to sustainability.

To me, being conscious was not enough. If you talk the talk, then you must walk the walk. It’s been incredibly challenging to run a small company and to be sustainable, and we are taking one step forward every day.

Why is that important?

Preserving our environment is critical.

We inherited this precious beauty. It is not only our responsibility and duty to make sure that we preserve it.

How do your customers respond? What are they looking for?

As we evolved, so have our customers. They are much more engaged in the conversation. It used to be a fad to talk about sustainability, but today they demand it. We have consumers who are in tune with what’s going on in the world, and they are smart about it. Our job is to be innovative and to deliver what they’re looking for.

How do you balance performance with sustainability?

There are so many new and exciting technologies in textiles and manufacturing. From day one, inPhorm has always been innovative and forward thinking. We use materials from sustainable and recycled sources. Our factory uses solar panels and recycles its water. We’ve used dry dye technology in our fabrics.

How do you choose new fabrics or technologies to support this?

Through research and staying informed. There are so many new and exciting

technologies in textiles and manufacturing. As a small business, we don’t have the luxury of employing every new technology out there. The key is to look for something that can separate us from our competitors. And we work with companies that are willing to collaborate with us. For example, we are consulting with Acteev, an award-winning, odor-fighting textile, and we’ll soon be launching tennis and golf wear made from fabrics with Acteev antimicrobial technology. Our Fall 2023 Collection will be launched late this month.

inPhorm’s Harper Long Sleeve Crewneck and Angelika skirt are made from lightweight recycled polyester and the Harlow Jacket is made from recycled cotton blend with recycled poly

Path to College Tennis

How Crosscourt Consulting, Donovan Tennis Strategies Are Easing The Process for Junior Tennis Families

The world of junior tennis is often a difficult one to navigate. Between ranking systems, tournament travel, college recruiting and more, junior players and their families can very easily stumble through the process. To help ease those difficulties are two companies, Crosscourt Consulting and Donovan Tennis Strategies, who have taken their respective resources and areas of expertise to help countless young tennis players.

Jeff Bearup and Tim Donovan are the owners and founders of Crosscourt Consulting and Donovan Tennis Strategies, respectively, and have known each other for nearly 30 years, dating back to Donovan’s time on the professional tour and Bearup’s time as a top tennis coach.

“We met in the 90s and have remained good friends and collaborators in the competitive junior tennis space since then,” said Bearup. “We have always searched for ways to deliver proper information and to set player, coaches and parents up for success. Back when we started, there were very few places parents could go to get historical and real time information on how the whole system works.”

As Donovan transitioned away from his competitive playing career, he took a position with the USTA

New England Section, and this was around the same time that Bearup was coaching top players in the Boston-area, and had the vision of launching his own academy in Boston. After a few years, Donovan left the USTA to begin Donovan Tennis Strategies, and partnered with Bearup to open the New England Academy of Tennis, where the two would go on to coach more than 1,000 players including many national and sectional champions.

“After 20 years of our Academy being in business, we continued to see families not understand how to navigate the USTA, ITF, UTR and ITA systems,” said Donovan. “We took it upon ourselves to build an orange ball to college tennis advisory services.”

And taking all that they have learned in their time in the tennis industry, the pair did just that, and have since been an integral service for so many tennis families across the country. While both aspects of the partnership address different areas of the pathway, the combination of the two has helped create a one-stop-shop essentially for the needs of any junior tennis player.

“The symbiotic relationship between Crosscourt Consulting and Donovan Tennis Strategies provides a turnkey and the most advanced

educational system to help players and families maximize their child’s tennis experience,” added Bearup.

Crosscourt Consulting creates a schedule based on the age and skill of a young player, and puts together a developmental plan and coordinates information with a players private coach, and works with parents on how to manage expectations for their child. Nearly 100 percent of Crosscourt Consulting’s clients stay with it for multiple years, and as the player gets older, that’s when Donovan Tennis Strategies steps in to begin the college planning process.

Their services are personalized to the player and family, with both sides of the partnership taking great pride in providing unparalleled support along a player’s tennis journey.

“The system can be confusing and there are benchmarks players should strive for based on their goals,” said Bearup. “Together, our companies create a synergy of information that helps everyone in the Sectional, National and International competitive systems succeed through proper planning. We see so much money spent on tennis that can be better utilized with proper planning and expert advice. Our services tend to save families money in the long run.”

To learn more about all the services offered and the specific approach they take, visit CrosscourtConsultingLLC.com and DonovanTennis.com.

Morethan 30 years ago, Jonathan Baker and James Van Patten teamed up to create the tennis comedy, ‘Dirty Tennis’, a hilarious take on sports instructional videos that starred Dick Van Patten, Caitlyn Jenner (then Bruce Jenner) and Nicolette Sheridan. And while the era of the VHS is over, the film is getting a new life as earlier this year it became available on streaming services and introduced to a new generation of tennis fans.

While the film was shot in Los Angeles, it has a strong connection to the New York tennis community. Baker is a native of Manhattan who spends his summers out in the Hamptons. As the owner of the famed Maidstone Hotel in East Hampton, he held a rerelease of the film earlier this spring at the hotel where he brought together people from throughout New York, including many of the local tennis clubs out in the Hamptons.

“Dirty Tennis came out because after Dick and his family moved out to California, I caught up with them and visited him at his house,” recalls Baker. “At the time, I was working on a film called ‘Dorf on Golf’, which was a big success, and I thought, wouldn’t it be interesting to do something like this for tennis. At the Van Patten’s house, I saw Dick on his tennis court playing, with no form, crappy old racquets, dressed like he was in the circus, and yet, he was beating everybody. I turned to his son Jimmy, who wrote the script, and said this is crazy. He’s dancing around, playing music, it was hysterical. I said we have to show this to the world.”

‘Dirty Tennis’ Lives To See Another Day

By Brian Coleman

From there, the inspiration for the film was born. They decided to bring in world-class swimmer Bruce Jenner to costar in the film, and then brought in Nicolette Sheridan as well. Van Patten’s wife, Pat, and sons, James, Vincent and Nels, are also featured. The film is a short comedy that parodies tennis instructional videos, with Van Patten as the instructor and teaching his students all about how to use tricks to succeed on the tennis court.

Vincent Van Patten, who was a professional tennis player on the ATP Tour who reached 26th in the world, said:

“On the tennis court, our dad, Dick Van Patten wore the wrong clothes, held the racquet the wrong way, had no tennis etiquette, but never lost… He played ‘dirty tennis’.”

The film’s co-star, Caitlyn Jenner, added:

“‘Dirty Tennis' lives to see another day. Jonathan Baker's relentless journey to keep his tennis show alive in the public eye has been as fun to watch as is this comedy itself.”

That desire to keep the film alive derives from Baker’s love of tennis. He still plays three hours a day every other day, and is a huge fan of the sport in general, so when he saw what was happening on the Van Patten court, he knew he had to combine his love of tennis with his filmmaking expertise.

“When I saw Dick on the court with his outfits and misshapen racquets, I was in shock, and saw the oxymoron of what he was doing clashing with the typical traditions of tennis,” said Baker.

This is a throwback, a novelty piece. It was made in 1988, and it looks like it was made in 1988, but tennis transcends those differences. If you love tennis, you’ll love ‘Dirty Tennis’.”

With the U.S. Open arriving here in New York, there is no better time to revisit Baker’s hilarious film. It is available to stream on Amazon Prime, Apple TV/iTunes and Google Play, with 20 percent of profits going to benefit the Women’s Shelter of East Hampton.

And with it being written and produced by New York natives, it is the perfect viewing to prepare yourself for the final major of the year, right here in our backyard.

“The movie features New Yorkers and so many different personalities, and I love that it’s available to a new audience right in time for the U.S. Open,” added Baker.

2023 U.S. Open Preview

It’sthat time of the year again, when the stars of the tennis world arrive in New York to compete on the world’s biggest tennis stage. The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, Queens hosts the world’s greatest tennis players here in New York to compete under the bright lights of the city that never sleeps, and carries with it a thrilling three weeks of tennis action.

A year ago, the U.S. Open delivered amazing moments and thrilling matches, which included the final professional match in the legendary career of Serena Williams, as well as the crowning of two new U.S. Open champions.

Carlos Alcaraz won the Men’s Singles title, his first career major, and Iga Swiatek won the Women’s Singles title, her third major title overall (at the time), and the two victories gave the tennis world a glimpse

into the future. Alcaraz added to his count by capturing the Wimbledon title earlier this summer, and Swiatek won the French Open to add a fourth major title to her resume.

“There were a lot of tough moments for me, tough matches. They were there all the time believing in me, supporting me,” Alcaraz said of the impact the New York crowd had on him winning. “I finished the match against Jannik [Sinner] at almost 3:00 a.m., and they were there supporting me until the last ball. I could say this trophy is for them, as well. It’s thanks to them. Maybe if I hadn’t had them supporting me all the time, I couldn’t have this trophy today.”

It’s those special moments and the unique relationship that forms between the New York crowd and the players that makes the U.S. Open such a thrilling event, and we expect no less in 2023.

Contenders, Pretenders, Sleepers

Contenders – Men’s Singles

Carlos Alcaraz

When examining the men’s singles field for this year’s U.S. Open, look no further than top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz. The Spaniard is the event’s defending champion, and he backed up that maiden Grand Slam victory by winning Wimbledon in July, dethroning Novak Djokovic in one of the most exciting tennis matches in recent history. That victory was notable both in the sense that it earned Alcaraz a second major trophy, but also showed he has the toughness to take

down an all-time great like Djokovic in a big spot. His unparalleled athleticism combined with his massive forehand make him a dominant hard-court player, and with his new found confidence from that Wimbledon title, Alcaraz is the betting favorite at this year’s U.S. Open.

Novak Djokovic

The aforementioned Djokovic is always a threat when he is in the draw, and should be motivated to avenge his defeat to Alcaraz at Wimbledon. Djokovic is arguably the greatest player of all-time and has not shown any signs of slowing down, despite being 36-years-old. He won both the Australian Open and French Open titles earlier this year, and still remains at the top of his game. While the U.S. Open only accounts for three of his 23 major titles, Djokovic knows what it takes to succeed under the bright lights of New York City, and rises to the occasion of those big matches while his opponents often shrink in these same moments.

continued on page 18

Contenders, Pretenders, Sleepers

Frances Tiafoe

The United States is starving for a men’s singles major champion, and it would be an unbelievable story if that champion was crowned right here in the States. Frances Tiafoe could be just the person to snap the 20-plus year drought, as he has shown he has what it takes to succeed here in New York. A year ago, he knocked off Rafael Nadal in the Round of 16 and Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals to reach the final four of the U.S. Open. He would end up losing to the eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals, but it was still a successful run for the American, one he aims to follow up this year.

Contenders – Women’s Singles

Aryna Sabalenka

Aryna Sabalenka is one of the best hardcourt players on the women’s side, and after capturing her maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open to begin this year, she will be out to bookend her year with a title here at the U.S. Open. Her powerful groundstrokes thrive on the fast hard courts in New York, and with her serve troubles deep in her past, Sabalenka has found the all-around game that makes her a threat at the majors. She will be a difficult out for any of her opponents as she attempts to win a second career major.

Elena Rybakina

Another power player on tour is Elena Rybakina, and she is certainly one of the favorites heading into this year’s U.S. Open. She showed she has what it takes to win a major, winning the Wimbledon title a year ago and then reaching the finals of the Australian Open earlier this year. Rybakina is a player that primarily plays from the baseline, has a big serve and forceful groundstrokes which make her an effective hard-court player. Rybakina is coming off a quarterfinal appearance at Wimbledon and is playing good tennis thus far in 2023, something she will look to continue when she gets to Queens.

Iga Swiatek

She has been at the peak of the women’s rankings, so Swiatek is used to having that target on her back, which will be the case again at this year’s U.S. Open. Swiatek is a four-time major winner who captured the title here in New York a year ago, and she will seek to become the first back-to-back women’s singles champion at the U.S. Open since Serena won three straight between 2012-2014. Swiatek will use her aggressive, all-court game to try and defend her title, as Swiatek aims to continue the incredible run she has been on to start her young career.

Pretenders – Men’s Singles

Stefanos Tsitsipas

One of the most talented players in the world, Tsitsipas has still not been able to win his maiden major title. The Greek star has been a mainstay in the Top 10 for several years now, and is always one of the most talked about players. He has the game to compile a great two-week run, but the U.S. Open has always been an enigma for Tsitsipas. He has never made it past the thirdround making the U.S. Open his least successful major event. Do not be surprised if Tsitsipas suffers an early exit again this time around in Queens.

Cameron Norrie

Despite being a fixture in the Top 15 of the ATP World Tour rankings, Cameron Norrie has not been able to see that success shine through at the U.S. Open. The best result of his career in New York came last year when he reached the fourth round, but the Brit has still yet to reach the second week of the year’s final major. Norrie is a player with consistent groundstrokes who likes to counter punch, but he lacks the type of weapons that would make him a feared player on hard courts. He was a semifinalist at Wimbledon last year, but other than that has not reached the second week at any of the other majors.

Taylor Fritz

The highest-ranked American is still out to bring glory back to American men’s tennis, but the U.S. Open has been the major where he has had the least success in his career. Whether it’s the pressure of being an American competing at his home event or something else, there is something about Fritz and the New York courts that don’t connect. Out of his seven times competing in the U.S. Open main draw, his best results are two appearances in the third round. In 2023, Fritz has not been successful at the majors, reaching the second round, third round, and second round at the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon, respectively, a trend that could continue at the year’s final major.

Pretenders – Women’s Singles

Coco Gauff

One of the most exciting young stars we have in the game today, Coco Gauff is an easy player to root for, and has the game to back it up. But since ascending into the Top 10, Gauff has struggled a bit at the majors. While she did reach the French Open quarterfinals, she followed that up with a first-round exit at Wimbledon, a disappointing loss for someone who broke onto the scene at Wimbledon a couple of years ago. Gauff is still trying to find consistency with her forehand and until she does so, her game has a flaw that can be attacked by her opponent. Future major success could very well be in Gauff’s future, but it may not show at this year’s U.S. Open.

Maria Sakkari

The ninth-ranked Sakkari reached the semifinals in Queens two years ago, and has one of the most powerful games on the women’s tour, but 2023 has not been kind to her in terms of success at the three Grand Slams. She was bounced in the third round at the Australian Open, and then did not win a match at either the French Open or Wimbledon events. Prior to her semifinal run in 2021, Sakkari had never made it out of the fourth-round here in New York, and a year ago saw her tournament come to an end in the second round, an early exit that could happen again in 2023.

Marketa Vondrousova

The darling of Wimbledon put her best tennis forward for two weeks in London. In doing so, she became the first unseeded and lowest ranked Wimbledon champion in the Open Era. It was a resurgence for a player who missed much of 2022 with injuries after she was a finalist at the French Open back in 2019. But the Czech has never found much success at the U.S. Open with her best result being a fourth-round showing, and her game style is more suited to the clay with her crafty approach lending itself to a slower surface. Coming off her first major championship, Vondrousova may face an early exit in New York.

Sleepers – Men’s Singles

Matteo Berrettini

Injuries have been the name of the game for Berrettini in the last two years which temporarily derailed his career. In 2021, Berrettini peaked in the world rankings at No. 6 after reaching the quarterfinals at the French Open and the U.S. Open, and the finals at Wimbledon. His two main weapons are his forehand and serve, which suit him well on the fast U.S. Open hard courts. With him feeling healthy once again, Berrettini is a threat. He reached the fourth round at Wimbledon in July which showed that he was back and ready to compete with the world’s best.

Karen Khachanov

A year ago, the 27-year-old reached the semifinals before falling to Casper Ruud, which set him on a successful course at the majors that proceeded it. He reached the semifinals at the Australian Open at the beginning of this year, and then the quarterfinals at the French Open. He had to withdraw from Wimbledon with an injury, but Khachanov has seemed to find his footing. If he is healthy, look for Khachanov to be playing into the second week of the U.S. Open.

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Contenders, Pretenders, Sleepers

Alexander Zverev

While Germany’s Alexander Zverev is a former finalist at the U.S. Open, his name isn’t one that is mentioned much when discussing the best players in the world. But perhaps that could be something that works to his benefit. Zverev was the face of the Next Gen when he broke out and was supposed to be one of the players to carry the torch for tennis’ future. With that pressure now subsided, Zverev is playing more relaxed tennis which has resulted in more success. He reached the semifinals at the French Open earlier this year, and with a deep U.S. Open run in his past, Zverev could be due for another one this September.

Sleepers – Women’s Singles

Belinda Bencic

A quarterfinalist two years ago, don’t be surprised if Belinda Bencic returns to that stage of the event in 2023. Bencic has returned to form over the last year-or-so, after injuries ravaged what was a promising young career. She is still only 26-years-old and has began playing like the player

she was when she first broke onto the scene, which saw her reach the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open back in 2014. She is up to No. 15 in the world rankings and has been playing consistently well all year long. Bencic has shown she can succeed at the U.S. Open, and will aim to do so once again.

Victoria Azarenka

The veteran Azarenka has a deep resume that features a lot of Grand Slam success, and she is prepared for a secondweek run at this year’s U.S. Open. Azarenka has returned to the form that made her one of the top players in the world for years. She reached the Australian Open semifinals at the beginning of this year, reaching that milestone for the first time in a decade, and will look to continue that major success in Queens. She is a three-time U.S. Open finalist, so she won’t shy away from the bright lights of New York.

Madison Keys

A former finalist at the U.S. Open, Madison Keys knows what it takes to go far at this tournament. A powerful player with big groundstrokes, her game is suited to the hard courts, and she will look to build on the success she has had thus far in 2023. Keys reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon which came on the heels of her title at Eastbourne the week before. If Keys can remain consistent and cut down on her errors, she is a force to be reckoned with, especially with the American crowd support behind her.

Reasons to Love the U.S. Open

Fan Week

US Open Fan Week will return in style in 2023, providing six days of amazing tennis, star-studded events and activities for all—with most free to the public—in the leadup to the final Grand Slam of the year. Whether it's your first time or your 10th time visiting the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the slate of events scheduled from Tuesday, Aug. 22 through Sunday, Aug. 27 will give you a savory sampling of the US Open’s unparalleled electricity.

Tennis under the stars

There is something special about summer nights in New York City, and that only gets amplified during the U.S. Open’s fortnight. Late-night tennis featuring star-studded matchups have become synonymous with the U.S. Open. The tennis stars always deliver big performances under the stars late into the early morning hours in the city that never sleeps, which provides unmatched energy not found anywhere else in the tennis world.

Practice court access

A two-story practice gallery debuted at the 2014 US Open, which allowed fans unprecedented access to see their favorite players as they prepared for their matches. In addition to the viewing area of the practice courts, the gallery is also adjacent to Courts 4, 5 and 6 where matches are taking place, giving fans 360 degrees of tennis.

New York, New York

Tennis is an international sport with

fans and players from all over the globe. But for a threeweek period in the late summer, tennis’ home is located right here in our backyard. New York City becomes the sport’s host site and welcomes the best players and millions of fans to come celebrate the sport, and the city’s energy always brings out the best in the players.

Star Power

The U.S. Open is the best way to witness some of the greatest athletes in the world, right here in our backyard in New York. The intimate access to the practice courts are always packed when the top players are training, and walking around the vast USTA Billie Jean King National Center grounds, you can stumble on tons of great matches, especially in the early rounds.

U.S. Open Fan Week Kicks Off 2023 Event

USOpen Fan Week will return in style in 2023, providing six days of amazing tennis, star-studded events and activities for all—with most free to the public—in the lead-up to the final Grand Slam of the year.

Fan Week is a celebration of tennis and all the sport has to offer, as well as the players, fans and New York City—the tournament’s home. With tennis activities as well as entertainment for the whole family, the events that anchor each day of this beloved tradition offer something for everyone. The experience tries to break down any barriers to the sport, such as cost, equipment and knowledge of the game. Tennis is for everyone, so there’s something on offer for all ages and skill levels.

Nearly 112,000 visitors attended US Open Fan Week in 2022, with a record-setting 35,000 enjoying the atmosphere and activities on Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day.US Open Fan Week will include the following events in 2023:

US Open Qualifying Tournament

From Tuesday, Aug. 22 through Friday, Aug. 25, 128 men and 128 women will compete for the final 16 spots in both singles main draws, with matches scheduled around the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

Legends of the Open presented by Moderna

Fans can watch top players and former US Open favorites Kim Clijsters, James Blake and Caroline Wozniacki play an exhibition match in Louis Armstrong Stadium on Tuesday, Aug. 22 at 7:00 p.m.

Stars of the Open Exhibition Match

Carlos Alcaraz, Christopher Eubanks, Elina Svitolina, Frances Tiafoe, John McEnroe and more will take to Louis

Armstrong Stadium for a ticketed exhibition match at 7:00 p.m. on Aug. 23, with all proceeds benefiting Ukraine relief efforts.

Flavors of the Open

Returning for a second year, the US Open’s signature culinary event will delight attendees with the wide range of food and beverage offerings available, coupled with celebrity chefs and top tennis talent.

The chefs will interact with the crowd while serving up signature US Open dishes served at their on-site restaurants, but the action in Louis Armstrong Stadium isn’t limited to food. Fans will have the opportunity to meet—and potentially rally with—Bob and Mike Bryan, while the concourse features games, music and even a photo op with the US Open's Tiffany trophies.

Flavors of the Open takes place on Thursday, August 24 at 6:30 p.m., and chefs scheduled to participate include Alex Guarnaschelli, Josh Capon, David Burke, Pat LaFrieda, Masaharu Morimoto, Kwame Onwuachi, Melba Wilson and James Kent.

Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day

Oriented toward kids and families, Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day celebrates the life and legacy of tennis icon and civil rights activist Arthur Ashe. Fans of all ages can play tennis, enjoy performances and participate in other fun activities starting at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 26.

Open Practice Day

The grounds are open on Sunday, Aug. 27, as players put in their last hours of practice before the tournament officially gets underway the next day. Visitors can watch some of the top talent while enjoying concessions from the Food Village.

2023 U.S. Open Schedule

The Path of Tennis Fandom

By Ricky Becker

Asa big sports fan, while I am an avid fan of one of the New York sports team in each of the four major sports, I have admittedly found it very difficult to become a huge, diehard fan of a particular tennis player. I like watching tennis. I honestly cannot believe how good the top-players are today. But at the same time, when people ask me, “Who is your favorite player?” I don’t have that go-to player who I can roll off the tip of my tongue or I’ll often either say that I don’t know who I’m going to root for until the match starts. Should tennis fandom really be that complex?

But now I think I have it figured out.

Not just for me but for many tennis fans even if they don’t realize it. I give you the path of tennis fandom.

First Stage: The up-andcomer, on their way up When a new and often young player breaks through we usually root for them. This player is fun because he or she is new and exciting like the new girl in school and breaks the monotony of rooting for the same player over-and-over again. There is also that feeling that a new player hasn’t been there before and will appreciate the experience of winning, prize money and points more because they haven’t received it before and

that is fun to watch. We feel like we are being brought into their world more when we see it. It’s a lot more fun seeing a tournament conclude with a smile and a look of disbelief on a player’s face beaming “I can’t believe I did this!” And if you are actually at the tournament when it is happening, it feels like you are witnessing some sort of tennis history and can tell people, “I was there!” Carlos Alcaraz is in this stage now and if you think back to Grand Slam winners, most of them are adored when they first start winning.

Second Stage: The constant winner

This is the player who has already won

slams or is well-established. It’s not that we dislike them but they get kind of boring. Not only do we see them as some sort of immortal machines but they are in the public eye long enough that we see some of their warts. They aren’t so young, innocent and fresh now. They yell inappropriately at times at umpires. They seem a bit robotic which is kind of understandable when reaching the very elite level for a sustained period of time and they are usually favored to win. Players in this stage are at their peak and so good they are not relatable. A lot of people liked Andre Agassi, Serena Williams and Jimmy Connor at the end of their careers or Boris Becker, Coco Gauff or Martina Hingis in the beginning of their careers but when they were in this second stage the crowds often rooted against them. For a player like Coco Gauff it feels like when she first came on the scene fans loved her, now they simply like her.

And I bet when she hits the third stage, fans will love her again.

Third Stage: Great player getting old and about to retire

This is the stage where a couple of things happen. Firstly, we see the formerly invincible players are now vulnerable and we want to see good things happen to them because we feel like they have been part of our lives as fans. Also, if you are at the age or older of the player on their way out you can relate to what they are going through with the aging process and sympathize. A former wellestablished tour player told me he

knew it was time to consider retirement when he was running for a shot, deciding where he was going to hit it and then at the moment of truth…he didn’t even get to the ball in-time. We can all sympathize with this as we get older as well and it is very relatable. I think as much as people love Roger Federer, the peak of fans adulation for him as well as other legends was when they started to slip. We feel like we got to know them through the years but now we realize they are human like us and that is the perfect level on a human connection for many fans to get behind.

Looks like I will probably be a Djokovic fan for the next few years!

Ricky Becker is The Director of Tennis at Glen Oaks Club. Ricky also coaches highperformance juniors throughout the year and has been the Director of Tennis at three of Long Island’s biggest junior programs. As a player, Becker was the Most Valuable Player for the 1996 NCAA Championship Stanford Tennis team and ranked in the top-five nationally as a junior. He can be reached at rbecker06@yahoo.com, 516-359-4843 or via juniortennisconsulting.com.

Novak and His Perfect Pitch

By Steve Kaplan

PITCH is the ability of a musician to play or sing a note at exactly the correct level. PERFECT PITCH is that stunning ability to decode with absolute perfection by indemnifying and mimicking just by "feeling." In music many come close to perfect pitch but few can match Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston or Stan Getz, to name three artists. This brings me to another artist, Novak Djokovic, and his “Perfect Tennis Pitch”. Now before proceeding I should mention that Novak is not a perfect tennis player. In fact he could still improve in some meaningful ways. "Perfect Pitch" is used here as an analogy /metaphor to explain Novak's innate ability to hit close to the right shot, in the right way at the right time, almost every time. Many performers in all areas can come close to such a high standard. The margins that separate the very best from the almost best however, are razor thin

and no matter how much we practice we can never match Stan Getz's ability to play a note on the Saxophone or Novak's ability to perceive the ball, court and opponent with the suppleness, dexterity and clarity that he and a few others display.

Novak feels the shot and sees the court differently than most players. He has great technique, mentality, physicality and tactics for sure, but there always seems to be something more to his game.

Novak has no excess in his movements and his shots. He moves with such effortless efficiency that he makes the sport look way easier than it really is.

He hits with an economy of effort that has as much pace, spin, height and distance as needed but no more. Some call his efficiency "pushing." If Novak is a tennis pusher then Ernest Hemingway is a literary "pusher"

As an athlete similar to Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky and, most recently, Nikola Jokic, Novak has a feel that can be described as a perfect pitch in athletics.

When combined with his incredible fitness, such feel with little interference leads to efficiency that is the foundation for why he can play at such a high level for so long in a match, and continue for so long, in his career.

Steve Kaplan is the owner and managing director of Bethpage Park Tennis Center, as well as director emeritus of Lacoste Academy for New York City Parks Foundation, and executive director and founder of Serve &Return Inc. Steve has coached more than 1,100 nationally- ranked junior players, 16 New York State high school champions, two NCAA Division 1 Singles Champions, and numerous highly-ranked touring professionals. Many of the students Steve has closely mentored have gone on to achieve great success as prominent members of the New York financial community, and in other prestigious professions. In 2017, Steve was awarded the Hy Zausner Lifetime Achievement Award by the USTA. He may be reached by e-mail at StevenJKaplan@aol.com.

Lastyear, Shauna Devardo and Fiona Branchinelli opened the doors to their new tennis retail shop as 40 Love Lifestyle joining the Manhasset community.

“40 Love Lifestyle was created with the idea of bringing a unique experience to Manhasset, where our local customers could benefit from finding the perfect outfit, the equipment necessary and all the encouragement needed to pursue their hobby,” explained Branchinelli.

Now one year later, the store is thriving.40 Love, which they refer to as a “Sportique”, combining both fashion and sport needs, has a wide array of selections for tennis players of all levels and ages, and has expanded to offer other sports.

Beyond tennis, 40 Love Lifestyle includes badminton, pickleball, racquetball and even golf. The goal of 40 Love Lifestyle is to provide its customers with equipment and apparel that inspires you to feel your best while being active and living your best life.

Prior to opening their doors early last year, the two co-founders had never owned or operated a retail store, let alone a tennis retail store. Devardo had experience owning a bakery, but as she says, that wasn’t comparable to the ins-

40 Love Lifestyle Celebrates One-Year Anniversary

By Brian Coleman

and-outs of running a tennis place.

“I only started playing tennis during the COVID pandemic, so everything about this was new to me,” said Devardo. “So in year one, I essentially got a crash course in tennis, I went to tennis university. There are so many little things you learn along the way in addition to the typical day-to-day business decisions you have to make. When I went to buy my first racquet, I just wanted a pretty blue one, but now I know all about different models, and the specifications for each one, and which racquets are best for a particular person, so its things like that. I could fill a book with the amount of tennis knowledge I have now, compared to when I started.”

Devardo has even learned how to string racquets and says that that aspect of the business is thriving. Over the course of the last year, the two co-owners have learned a lot about both the industry but also themselves, and while some mistakes have been made along the way, those have presented learning opportunities which they will carry into year two.

“We hope to fix a lot of those in year two, like ordering things properly, or making sure we stay up to date with what’s new and trendy,” Branchinelli added. “We then want to create a system, almost like a manual, that we can

use to open up locations in other towns. That’s eventually the goal, and for the time being we are focused on doing our best to meet the needs of our community here.”

Beyond being simply a retail shop for tennis, pickleball or golf needs, 40 Love Lifestyle is a place where people can hang out, discuss tennis and meet new people.

“We’ve met tennis players from all over. We wanted to have that local feel where everyone can come together,” said Devardo. “I’ve played tennis with a lot of the customers who have come in, and it’s great to be a part of this tennis world. People come in and tell stories, they love telling us about their latest matches or what’s going on in their lives.”

40 Love Lifestyle has carved out its spot in the Long Island tennis community, and as they continue to grow their brand and business, exciting things are in store as they move into year two of existence. It’s more than simply a tennis shop, but a sportique that has something for everyone, from outfits and racquets to novelty gift items for the tennis lover in your life.

“We are doing the best we can and are excited for things to come in the future,” Devardo added. “We’re still figuring out what works and what doesn’t work, and we’re having fun doing so.”

beyondthebaseline

Chintan Trivedi, Nassau Tennis & Sports Center

By Brian Coleman

Tennis for everyone, Tennis for life.

That is the mantra that Chintan Trivedi has used throughout his adult life, as the sport of tennis has helped take him from a small town in India to the owner of a top tennis facility right here on Long Island, and one that he continues to use today as he aims to grow the sport of tennis here in our community.

Earlier this year, Trivedi took over full ownership of the Nassau Tennis & Sports Center, completing a goal of his when he began his tennis journey.

“I started in tennis later than most people, at around 17-years-old, when I challenged my friend, who was playing three times a week at that time, to a match,” said Trivedi. “So for my summer vacation after completing 12th grade, my father asked what I wanted to do, and I told him I wanted to play tennis.”

And while Trivedi’s family, coming from a middle-class background in India, couldn’t afford lessons, they were able to pay for access to the local public tennis courts and a wall to

practice against. As Trivedi recalls, there was one court but also a wall, and he would go there and hit against that wall whenever he could, and would play on the court when it was available. He picked up a book on Biomechanics to learn the ins-and-outs of the sport’s technique, and also rented a VCR and old VHS tapes of tennis matches which he would use to shadow practice in his living room and on a flat roof.

“About seven weeks after I started, I challenged my friend. And I beat him 61,” he said.

From there, Trivedi’s tennis passion was in full bloom and he knew it was what he wanted to do in his life. He continued to play and grow his ranking as a player, competing in state championships, while also leaning into the teaching world, organizing lessons and groups at that same local court where he got his start.

“I organized three different stations at that local court, one was on court, one was in an exercise area, and one was at that wall,” he said. “In the couple of years I ran the program we grew from 18 kids to 84 kids, and it was amazing being able to use tennis to meet all these people. Some of the people who were coming to the courts went to a resort in Canada during the summers, and I was then able to use that connection to get a job teaching tennis there.”

That resort was called Manitou, about three hours north of Toronto,

and it was Trivedi’s first time coming to North America. The main challenge with this transition was learning to speak English, but just like tennis, he worked hard in order to improve, watching videos and repeating phrases he heard from people to improve his language skills. By being able to do so, he was able to improve his tennis teaching at the resort, and it helped lead him into the next stage of his tennis journey.

At that resort, he met a few families from the Riverdale area of the Bronx, who put in a good word for him at the Tennis Club of Riverdale. At the same time, he received a job offer from what would become the Evert Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, but as a young 23-year-old, he chose to go to New York. But Trivedi had dreams of owning his own club one day, and using all that he had learned and benefitted from tennis and passing that on to others.

“I was looking into business and wanted to do something more entrepreneurial,” said Trivedi. “At around this time my daughter was born, I knew that I needed to add to my skill set if I was going to achieve my tennis ownership dreams, and I needed to add another source of income. I developed a career in banking and as a real estate broker, while still teaching tennis.”

As he grew his real estate business, an opportunity arose when the City of New York opened up bidding on the McCarren Park in Brooklyn. He put together an investment group and won the bidding, and after negotiating all the details, Trivedi and his team started the indoor programming at McCarren Tennis Center in January of 2017.

After running that club for a few years, another opportunity presented itself when he was told that the Nassau

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beyond the baseline

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Tennis & Sports Center on Long Island was possibly for sale.

“The previous majority owners wanted someone to take on the reins of the club and not let the tennis die at Nassau Indoors,” Trivedi recalls. “We negotiated the terms, and agreed to keep all the same teaching professionals, the same rates and the same overall operating procedure for at least a year. We had our own ideas on how to run things, but we agreed to keep things the same for the time being until we got to know the neighborhood.”

And it is at Nassau Tennis & Sports Center that Trivedi planning to achieve his dreams of running his own tennis & sports club, a journey that began all those years ago on that local public court in India. Earlier this year, he relinquished his interests in the McCarren Park facility and he now plans to put all his resources and energy into Nassau Tennis & Sports Center.

“We have a simple rule: Tennis for everyone and Tennis for life. Our goal is to get as many new players to Nassau as we can, make it a lifelong sport for them and become a staple in our community,” Trivedi said. “When

we took over the club there were about 400 people in the club’s database, and in our two-plus years we’ve grown it to 2,000. We have one of the finest indoor Har-Tru courts in the tristate area, plus locker rooms, saunas, stringing services, pro shop, plus camps, adult leagues, adult zones plus open court times are available to all tennis enthusiasts. We’ve also began planning for USTA tournaments and we are also working with UTR as well, so we are really moving in a direction of becoming an allencompassing tennis facility.”

Trivedi is excited for what lies ahead for Nassau Tennis & Sports Center as we head towards the end of 2023 and into 2024. At this year’s U.S. Open, the juniors from Nassau Tennis & Sports Center will have the opportunity to partake in a Net Generation clinic on the courts prior to the start of matches, which is a tremendous opportunity for the kids in that program.

As the club continues its path to become profitable for him and his team of people, they plan on giving back to the community that has welcomed them in. He wants to donate the unused court time to

underprivileged kids, donating that time at no cost while also going into the public schools and ask them to be a part of this beta program.

“The idea is to create an environment where everybody can win, from the local community to our staff,” he said. “There are a lot of people here in New York that can’t afford to spend extra income on expensive tennis lessons or court time, and our goal as we move into 2024 is to figure out what we can do to help with that and continue to grow the sport.”

Trivedi’s tennis journey has been a long one, but one that has been incredible rewarding for him and his family. He has two children, both of whom play tennis, and he says as long as he can walk he will be playing the sport that has given him so much.

From his humble beginnings as a teenager hitting against a wall in his hometown, to owning a premier tennis club on Long Island, Trivedi hopes to become a steady pillar in our local tennis community.

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

What’s Your On-Court Persona?

By Dr. Tom Ferraro

AsI was speaking to a tennis player the other day, we came upon the interesting notion of “oncourt persona”, the characteristic manner in which a player will conduct themselves on the court. Many amateur players haven’t established one at all and lose control of themselves when dealing with setbacks or mistakes by getting panicky or angry, or simply giving up. But obviously that is not the right way do go about things. An oncourt persona is like a defense mechanism that provides the means to cope with any temporary setback.

Over the years, all the greats had their own on-court persona that was selfevident. Jimmy Connors had a fiery on-court persona and John McEnroe had a bullish on court persona. Bjorn Borg was called the ice man because of his unflappable on court persona. Pete Sampras was criticized for being too robotic in his personality. On-court personas are a defensive shield which helps you to organize your thoughts, roll with the punches and finish off matches without wavering.

The closest theory about this was by Dr. George Kelly, who was a psychologist from the 1950s and developed the Personal Construct Theory. He felt that our personalities were based upon the way we felt things would turn out. Unfortunately for many amateur players, their personal construct is, “I’m a loser”, and this becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

George Kelly believed that one can adopt a certain personal construct which can help a great deal in coping with missed shots, and when you are on the edge of victory and need to finish off matches.

The ideal personal contract for you will be based partly upon your temperament and partly on the traits any tennis player needs to have if they are to have a winning career. These traits would include resilience, adaptability, aggression, poise, focus, confidence and the belief that they are

winners. I once asked a highly ranked tennis player what it felt like to play against Roger Federer and he said “Well, he believed he would beat me,

the crowd believed he would beat me and I believed he would beat me.”

The way to achieve a convincing and a winning personal construct is to think about it, embrace it, develop it and use it has a defense to cope with all setbacks as you play every match. Over time you will learn to accommodate to your new on court persona and it will become you.

You may feel you do not want to be too cocky or too confident but you need to realize that a winning on-court persona is a great device which can shield you form losing control of your emotions and we all know that tennis is a highly emotional game. In psychoanalytic terms this is called “identification with the aggressor” and is one of the essential defense mechanisms that winning athletes use.

All great tennis players have a tried and true on court persona which they use automatically and unconsciously. When you see them enter center court with that game face on what you are really seeing is their on-court persona, that unshakable attitude that gets them in the zone and keeps them there.

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.

Every great tennis player has a characteristic on court persona that they use to stay focused and even

Photo courtesy of USTA

REGION 33Rd ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER JOURNAL

USTA Eastern Long Island hosted three Kids’ Days events this summer, bringing free tennis to hundreds of kids

The Long Island representatives at the 2022 New York State Girls' Tennis Championships and 2023 New York State Boys' Championships wearing the sweatshirts provided by USTA Eastern Long Island

33Rd ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER JOURNAL

Want to see photos from tonight’s awards or from past years? Need more information on our fabulous honorees and past awardees? Inspired to nominate someone for an award for next year?

Visit www.longisland.usta.com for all you need to know about our Long Island Regional Awards Dinners from past to present!

33rd Annual USTA Long Island Region Awardees

PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS

l Hy Zausner Lifetime Achievement Award: Rich Rottkamp

l Vitas Gerulaitis “For the Love of Tennis”

Award: Adam Kolenberg

l Rose Buck Scalamandre Tennis Family of the Year: The Hayes Family

EXCELLENCE AWARDS

l Adult Volunteer of the Year: Jackie Clark

l Charles Karp Memorial Award for Overcoming

Adversity: Roslyn High School Boys Tennis Team

l Daniel Burgess, Sr. Community Service Award: Nassau County Police Activity League

l Good Samaritan Award: Kerriann Jannotte-Hinkley

l Junior Team Tennis Award: Ricardo Aguirre

l Junior Volunteer of the Year: Rachel Neuman

l Outdoor Tennis Site of the Year: Hofstra University

l Private Club of the Year: The Engineer’s Club

l Tennis Professional of the Year (Adult): Louis Vallejo

l Tennis Professional of the Year (Junior): Gary McNulty

l Long Island High School Tennis Team of the Year: Long Island Boys High School tennis teams

l Birdie Tarulli League Captain Sportsmanship

Award: Lori Sarnelli

l Blane Magee League Captain Sportsmanship

Award: Jeffrey Snow

l Anuj Agarwal Junior Sportsmanship Award: Luke Lastique

l Jennifer Sherry Junior Sportsmanship Award: Aanya Patel

l Madeline Zausner Junior Tournament Director

Award: Al Alcantara

2022-23 - HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPIONS

l Nassau County Boy’s Singles Champion: Stephan Gershfeld (Hewlett)

l Nassau County Boy’s Doubles Champions: Nikhil Shah & Devan Melandro (Syosset)

l New York State and Suffolk County Boy’s Singles Champions: Edward Liao (Commack)

l Suffolk County Boy’s Doubles Champions: Shashank Pennabadi & Gabe Bursztyn (Ward Melville)

l Nassau County Girls Singles Champion: Isabella Sha (Friends Academy)

l Nassau County Girls Doubles Champions: Darian Perfiliev & Ellie Ross (Por t Washington)

l Suffolk County Girls Singles Champion: Victoria Matos (Longwood)

l Suffolk County Girls Doubles Champions: Julia Stabile & Matilda Buchen (Westhampton Beach)

l Nassau County Coach of the Year: Chris MacDonald (Glen Cove)

l Suffolk County Coach of the Year: Erick Sussin (Ward Melville)

Commack's Eddie Liao won the New York State Boys' Singles Championship this spring

USTA EASTERN LONG ISLAND REGION

33Rd

ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER JOURNAL

33rd Annual USTA Long Island Region Awardees

NATIONAL RANKINGS

(as of 07/05/23)

Boys/Girls

l Boys 12 singles: #1 Marcus Gonzalez, #2 Jacques Chen

l Boys 14 singles: #1 Sebastian Bielen, #2 Sean Grossman

l Boys 16 singles: #1 Jack Kennedy, #2 Sebastian Bielen

l Boys 18 singles: #1 Stephan Gershfeld, #2 Edward Liao

l Girls 12 singles: #1 Sofia Kedrin, #2 Blake Chang

l Girls 14 singles: #1 Paige Wygodzki, #2 Anabelle Janczyk

l Girls 16 singles: #1 Sophia Holod, #2 Christasha McNeil

l Girls 18 singles: #1 Theadora Rabman, #2 Ariana Pursoo

Men

l Open Singles: #1 Amani Siddiqui, #2 Adam Lee

l 30+ Singles: Casey Schnabel

l 35+ Singles: #1 Adrian Pagani, #2 Jonathan Klein

l 40+ Singles: Jonathan Ostro

l 45+ Singles: #1 Jonathan Klein, #2 Gerry Bohner

l 50+ Singles: #1 Jay Harris, #2 Lawrence Kramer

l 55+ Singles: #1 Jeffrey Snow, #2 Lawrence Kramer

l 60+ Singles: #1 Matthew Crowley, #2 Dan Cahill

l 65+ Singles: #1 Steven Brill, #2 John Titcomb

l 70+ Singles: #1 Marshall Hubsher, #2 Steven Brill

Women

l Open Singles: #1 Rose Hayes, #2 Elizabeth Kobak

l 30+ Singles: Elizabeth Kobak

l 60+ Singles: Deirdre Ettus

NTRP National Championship (Women)

3.5 Singles 18+: Betsy Bickar

3.5 Singles 40+: Maritoni Carlos

3.5 Singles 55+: Irene Zimmet

4.0 Singles 40+: Atara Simpson

4.0 Doubles 40+: Misha Monticciolo

NTRP National Championship (Men)

l 3.0 Singles 18+: Martin Guichardo

USTA LEAGUE TEAM AWARDS

(EASTERN SECTIONAL CHAMPIONS: COMPETED AT/GOING TO NATIONALS)

l 18 & Over 4.0 Women: Jamie Stickney & Dorian Consiglio (Eastern Athletic Club Blue Point)

l 18 & Over 3.5 Men: Adam Moramarco (Christopher Morley Tennis Center)

l 40 & Over 3.0 Men: Rob Kronenberg (Long Island Health and Racquet East Setauket)

l 40 & Over 3.5 Men: Bill Carson (Sportime Kings Park)

l 55 & Over 8.0 Men: Russ DiFazio (Sportime Kings Park)

l 55 & Over 9.0 Men: Allan Rosner & Wyn Mintz (Jericho Westbur y Tennis)

l 4.0 Tri-Level Women: Lisa Newell & Tracy Klienberg (Huntington Indoor Tennis)

l 55 & Over 8.0 Mixed Doubles: Shanon Blue (Long Beach Tennis Center)

Families came out for a free day of tennis at the annual Park Day event

USTA EASTERN LONG ISLAND REGION

33Rd ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER JOURNAL

Regional Director’s Letter

Welcome to the 33rd Annual USTA Long Island Region Awards Dinner!

It’s an evening of celebration as we congratulate those Long Island tennis players who have won awards. It’s a moment to recognize the game itself, which has seen participation in 2023 return to, and exceed, its pre-pandemic levels. It’s also a night of reflection as we honor the memories of two junior players who left us way too soon.

What makes the evening rewarding is that it is an opportunity to recognize how special the Long Island tennis community truly is. I am awed (but not surprised) by how Long Island has always rallied to support those in need. From Hurricane Sandy, the pandemic and the recent tragic passing of our junior players, the tennis community has always rallied to provide support emotionally, financially or both.

The mission of the USTA Long Island Region is a simple one in theory. We strive to reach out to the entire Long Island community to bring tennis to people of all ages and skill levels. We also look to provide support and education in existing areas. In practice, it’s the dedication of our regional council members (all volunteers), who have given of their time over the past 12 months, to the planned activities we have conducted that have allowed us to make this happen.

As a Council, we were thrilled to introduce tennis to children at the Nassau County PAL. National Tennis Month gave us the opportunity to host Tennis in the Park at Hempstead Lake State Park, held in conjunction with the New York State PTA. We continue to support Robbie’s Run and their mission of providing CPR training and AEDs. We provided a day of introductory tennis to hundreds of children at three Summer Kids’ Days in July and August. We also supported two High School Coaches workshops. These events would not have been successful without our many partnerships. Thank you to our partner Long Island Tennis Magazine for their ongoing support of these initiatives, and to the LuHi Camp, Sportime Hempstead Lake and the Island Quest Camp for hosting these events.

Our high school tennis teams and their players had exceptional seasons. The girls’ season saw both the Nassau singles champion (Isabella Sha) and Suffolk

singles champion (Victoria Matos) win their second consecutive titles. In doubles, the Nassau team of Darian Perfiliev & Ellie Ross won for the third consecutive year. The boys’ season saw both the Nassau and Suffolk singles champions (Stephan Gershfeld and Eddie Liao) win their third consecutive titles, with Eddie Liao taking the NYS title. In team competition, Long Island teams made the finals of both the Small and Large school tournaments in both the girls’ and boys’ seasons, with Syosset winning the boys large school NYS title.

In our ongoing support of high school tennis, the Long Island Council was pleased to supply each Nassau and Suffolk public high school with special plaques allowing coaches to recognize one player on their team for outstanding sportsmanship during the 2022-23 girls & boys’ seasons. Also, we provided special sweatshirts to all Long Island girls and boys competing at New York State Individual Championships.

We ask you to pay it forward by sharing, participating in and supporting the sport we all love by working with us on these and other programs and activities. Make sure to visit our website, Facebook and Instagram pages frequently, and if you don’t already, please subscribe to our quarterly newsletter, “On the Ball: News from LI.”

I look forward to continuing the work we are doing and to reaching out and creating new pathways for those who have never had the opportunity to play and experience “The Sport for a Lifetime.”

Michael Pavlides Long Island Regional Director (volunteer)

THANK YOU

We are grateful to all our supporters for helping to make the 33rd Annual USTA Long Island Region Awards program a success! Special thanks to Long Island Tennis Magazine for publishing tonight’s awards program. Thank you to our fabulous awards dinner committee headed by the incomparable event planner Randi Wilkins and featuring the hard work of our Long Island Regional Council.

The Long Island Region Team

Adult League Coordinator: Becky Bellino (bellino@eastern.usta.com)

Tennis Service Representative: Neil Thakur (thakur@eastern.usta.com)

Long Island Regional Council Executive Committee

Mike Pavlides, Regional Director

Jonathan Klee, Past Regional Director

Sunny Fishkind

Tito Perez

Jason Wass

Randi Wilkins

Committee Members

Terri Arnold-McKenzie

Scott Axler

Shannon Blue

Hilary Bressler

Jackie Clark

Stephen Green

Herb Harris

KerriAnn Jannotte-Hinckley

Chris MacDonald

Jason Pasion

Sharon Rappaport

Fabiana Rezak

Clark D. Ruiz II

Denise Schmidt

Michelle Stoerback

Jacki Binder, Newsletter Editor

2023 Long Island Girls’ High

When the leaves begin to change colors and the weather gets cooler, that ushers in a new year of girls’ high school tennis here on Long Island.

To quickly recap the 2022 season, the Port Washington Vikings captured both the Nassau County Large School Championship and the Long Island Large School Championships to qualify for the New York State Championships where it would finish as runner-ups.

Port Washington defeated Suffolk County Large School champion Harborfields in the Long Island championship, while Cold Spring Harbor was crowned as the Long Island Small School Champions thanks to a victory over the Suffolk County Small School Champion Ross School.

As we head into the fall of 2023, Long Island Tennis Magazine spoke to two of the top players on Long Island, as well as with coaches, to compile some of the players and teams to watch for in the upcoming 2023 Long Island Girls’ High School Season.

*all players and dates are subject to change

Nassau County Player Spotlight: Nyla Gershfeld, Hewlett

Backin 2018, Nyla Gershfeld made her varsity girls’ tennis debut and helped lead her Hewlett Bulldogs to a runner-up finish in the Nassau County Championships. Fast-forward five years, and Gershfeld now prepares for her final season competing in high school varsity tennis, as the senior hopes to take the next step and lead her team to the county title this fall. As she gets ready to do so, Gershfeld is excited to have one more season representing Hewlett and competing with her teammates.

“I think I’m more excited for this season than any other besides my first one in seventh grade, and I have a lot less nerves this time around,” said Gershfeld. “I’m friends with everyone on our team and friends with girls from other teams on Long Island as well, so I couldn’t be more excited to have one more season playing high school tennis.”

Individually, Gershfeld has already had a storied high school career. Back in 2019, Gershfeld teamed with Rachel Arbitman to win the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Individual Doubles Championship, and has finished as an all-state

singles player four different times in her career.

Last season, she finished fourth in the individual county championships and narrowly missed qualifying for the state championships. That will serve as motivation for her as she enters her senior campaign.

“Getting to states and doing well there is definitely one of my main goals this season,” she said. “I was able to do that in doubles before and it was amazing, so I would love to be able to do that in singles.”

For any advice on what it will require to take the next step in her game and win a county title or even a state title, she doesn’t have to look any farther than in her own house. Her older brother, Stephan, is a threetime Nassau County Boys’ Singles Champion and won the NYSPHSAA Singles title in 2022. The two have always been close but have become even closer as they’ve gotten older, and have always relied on one another for support.

“We’re only one year apart so he’s one of my best friends. We’ve always practiced together, gone to tournaments together, and it was great to always have someone to hit with,” said Gershfeld. “I’ve gone to him for

School PREVIEW

advice on my tennis, and vice versa. It’s definitely something that I’ve used to my benefit because I know all the pressure he has been under playing in big tournaments, so it’s nice to be able to talk to someone who understands what I’m going through.”

Before Nyla gets the chance to compete in the individual tournaments, she will be tasked with leading the Hewlett Bulldogs this season as they move up to Nassau County’s Conference I, the top conference.

Gershfeld will serve not only as a leader on court with her play at first singles, but will try to use her vast high school tennis experience to help guide her teammates.

“Nyla will be expected to set the tone for the team this season, on and off the court. First singles in Conference I is always tough, and it’ll be crucial for the team to have someone up there that can win matches for us,” said Hewlett head coach Brett Verini. “As a senior leader with such experience, she’ll be an important resource for some of the younger girls on the team to turn to. We’re all expecting big things from Nyla this season, but I think most importantly she expects it of herself.”

Joining Gershfeld in the singles lineup will be Sahara Ahmad and Tiffany Lin, and together the three create a formidable top of the lineup for the Bulldogs.

“We have high expectations for this season,” she added. “We have some talented young players, and a lot of depth at doubles. I believe we can compete with the best teams in our conference.”

While Gershfeld’s tennis career has been a major part of her life, it isn’t everything. She is a well-rounded person who loves to travel and learn new languages. She wants to go into the dentistry field and become an oral surgeon, and has spent time interning at local dental offices and hospitals in order to gain more experience, in addition to being a Senior PR Event Intern with Long Island Tennis Magazine.

She has a tireless work ethic and has kept herself busy, but has struck a balance between all the obligations she juggles, from her tennis to her social life, and her academic and extracurricular commitments, which has properly prepared her before she heads to college next fall.

But before that, Gershfeld is excited for the next couple of months of high school tennis, and spending one more season competing with her teammates.

“Bonding with my teammates, and spending those long bus rides together, it’s those things that make high school tennis so special and something I’m looking forward to this fall.”

2023 long island girls high school preview

continued from page 41

Nassau County Teams to Watch

Syosset

One year ago, Syosset was one win victory away from claiming another Nassau County Championship, but fell just short. The Braves will be motivated to go one step further this fall, and will lean on its strong and deep lineup in order to do so. That depth has been a strength for Syosset over the years and that will be no different this year. While it loses some key contributors from last year’s team, including Abby Glenn, Olivia Tiegerman and Rachel Lin, Syosset will lean on experienced players such as Zia Mukherjee, Sara Gao, Sanam Mehta, Manami Wakazono, Julia Isham, Elaine Liu, Taylor Weinstock, Stephanie Marcheret and more to once again remain at the top of the county’s top conference.

Hewlett

Led by the aforementioned Gershfeld, Hewlett enters this fall with high expectations as a team. Accompanying Gershfeld in the singles lineup will be Sahara Ahmad and Tiffany Lin, and the Bulldogs will have talented depth in their doubles play as well, which will help it compete against some of the county’s better teams. Those doubles players include Eva Karmazin, Mia Teplish, Aryn Feldman and Olivia Tetsoti, as well as some new varsity players joining the lineup.

“I know the girls are excited for the season,” said head coach Brett Verini. “There are definitely expectations, but I think with the great senior leadership and experience we have on this team, we’ll do great. It should be fun to watch them out there competing.”

Manhasset

Manhasset was just one win away from reaching the Nassau County Championship last year and will be out to make a deep run again this fall. Manhasset fell to Syosset in the semifinals but returns a lot of its top tier talent from that team which should make it a contender once again. Despite losing key contributors such as graduating seniors Julia

Chiovitti, Alexandra McIntyre and Claire Dambrosio, Manhasset will bring back top singles players Andrea Vases, Diane Durante and Angelina Vases, the latter two reached the state championships in doubles last season. In order to fill the gaps left by the departing players, Manhasset will look to get contributions from doubles players such as Alexandra Bartul, Grace Li, Regina Huang and Allison Tak as it aims to make another playoff push.

Roslyn

Like Manhasset, Roslyn was just one win away from reaching the county final last fall, but the Bulldogs are prepared to build on that success this time around. Roslyn will be anchored by Anika Tolat, their number one singles player last season who also finished third in the county doubles tournament. With Ava Veneziano having graduated, Roslyn will need Alexandra Krol and eighthgrader Emily Glass to play a big role, and will rely on the depth of its team as it returns starters Katelyn Yuen, Ryann Rappaport, Shayla Ai, Alexa Kessler and Emma Pnini from the 2022 squad.

Cold Spring Harbor

Last season, Cold Spring Harbor put together one of its best campaigns in recent years, and it resulted in a Nassau County and Long Island Championship for the Seahawks. They will be without graduating senior Nicolette Loeffler, the county singles champion, but returns a lot of key starters from last year’s championship team. That includes the second and third singles players, respectively, Kati Cotek and Brooke Winthrop, as well as doubles players Dylan Savarese, Fiona Meier and Amber Zhou.

Additional Nassau County Players to Watch

Katelyn Ho, Great Neck North

Alex Raikos, Mepham

Skylar Cohen, Friends Academy

Ava Sun, Friends Academy

Nassau County Key Dates

• Regular Season Begins - Friday, September 8

• Regular Season Ends - Wednesday, October 11

• County Individual Tournament - SaturdaySunday, October 14-15

• Team Playoffs - Monday, October 16 - Friday, October 20

• Small School Championship - Thursday, October 19

• Large School Championship - Friday, October 20

• LI Small School Championship - Monday, October 23

Nina Weise, Garden City

Kayla Castellano, Garden City

Madison Lee, Great Neck South

Evie Loewy, Port Washington

Angel Walia, Herricks

• LI Large School Championship - Tuesday, October 24

• NYS Individual Championships - Thursday, October 26 - Saturday, October 28

• NYS Team Championships - Friday, November 3

2023 long island girls high school preview

continued from page 43

Suffolk County Player Spotlight: Anya Konopka, Smithtown East

Heading into her junior season, Smithtown East’s Anya Konopka is ready to have the best season of her high school tennis career. Over the last several years, Konopka has been a mainstay in the end-of-season Suffolk Divisional and County Championships, and has goals of building on that success this fall.

“I decided to come back this season because I want to do better than I did last year,” said Konopka, who placed third in last year’s county individual championships. “I want to do better both at counties and then at states, and I think I have a good chance to do so. I’ve been practicing a lot and been training hard. I’m also really excited to return to the team and be around the girls again, as well as our coach.”

The Smithtown East team put together a good season in 2022, finishing in fourth place in the regular season of Suffolk County’s League 1, the top league in the county, and Konopka hopes to be able to lead her team to bigger things in 2023.

“Anya is coming off a fantastic sophomore year and the sky is the limit for 2023,” said Smithtown East head coach Nicole Daniggelis. “We look forward to her picking up right where she left off, an anchor for us in the lineup, and her continuing to grow as a player and teammate throughout the season.”

While tennis is often a lonely sport, oftentimes spending weekends competing in tournaments by yourself, the high school

tennis landscape contrasts that by bringing a team atmosphere, which is something that Konopka embraces.

“It’s really fun to be able to play tennis for a team. I love having a little fan club cheering for you, supporting you no matter what, whether you win or lose,” she said. “Having those friends in your corner, for better or worse, really makes high school tennis special.”

And Konopka will take on more of a leadership role for her team this fall, both with her play on the court but also off the court, using her many tennis experiences to help guide her team through some of the difficult parts of the season. Konopka has been playing varsity tennis since she was in seventh grade and has been through it all, something her team will lean on as they hope to make a deep postseason run.

“Match experience is key, and being a member of the varsity team for so long and one of the top players in the USTA, her ability to understand match scenarios and strategy is a huge advantage for our team,” added Danigellis. “You can tell Anya truly loves the game of tennis, is an extremely hard worker and brings the perfect mixture of competitiveness and fun helping everyone around her become a better player.”

Konopka has spent her summer on the tennis court, both teaching tennis, which she has done for the last few summers, as well as focusing on improving her game. Konopka is an athletic left-hander with a great forehand, and has spent her training time trying to sure up her backhand and her serve, to create a well-rounded approach.

“I think my serve is better than ever,” said Konopka. “I think I’m playing some of my best tennis and I am confident in my game right now.”

So as we head into this new season, Konopka is expected to compete for the county title and once again head up to the state championships, an experience she really embraced last year.

“Going up to states felt like a college experience, just traveling with the girls, and getting our own hotel rooms,” she said. “There was high-quality tennis and it felt like a big deal. It was my first year going to states and I’m looking to be able to qualify for those again.”

Harborfields

Suffolk County Teams to Watch

Ward Melville

Last year, Harborfields put together one of the best seasons in program history as it captured the Suffolk County Large School Championship and reached the Long Island Championship. And while it will be without three of its top players from last year, including Isabella and Victoria Frangione as well as Emma Kirschner, Harborfields still possess a deep and talented team beaming with championship experience. Zoe Sabarra-Vaughan and Hana Deckman return to anchor the singles lineup, both of whom were all-county last year, as does Carsen Rittberger, and the all-state doubles team of Aya Deckman & Jose Rudloff return to play first doubles, with Brianna Coakley & Allie Bigelow back in the doubles lineup to help create a formidable lineup.

“We do have seven of our top 10 players returning, all of which had fantastic records last year, and we also had a very successful junior varsity season led by a few top players with lots of talent,” said Harborfields head coach Jimmy Delevante. “We plan to compete for the county title and I think we have a chance to win it again. The girls really came together as a team the last two seasons and I think they can do it again.”

Hills East

The key to the Hills East team this season will be the depth of talent it has on its roster which helps create flexibility when putting together the lineup. Leading the way in singles will be sophomore Christina Zhao, freshman Anjali Raza and senior Angelina Malik, all of whom are capable of competing in the first singles spot, according to head coach Steve Ferrantello. While it will be without graduating seniors Victoria Czoch and Rachel Neuman, the Thunderbirds will expect key contributions from returning doubles players such as Samantha Heyman, Emma Wilck and Brielle Marcus as it hopes to return to the county championship.

“I expect big contributions for them all and as a team we have a new young core, but I expect to compete for a title once again,” said Ferrantello.

Ward Melville enters 2023 without two of its top contributors from a year ago, Kira Kronenberg at first singles and Catherine Park at first doubles, but the Patriots will still be out to make a deep playoff run. It will be led by sophomore Lynelle Chernavsky, a hard-hitter with a big forehand and consistent backhand who has the chops to beat anybody in the county. Alex Potekhin, competed at third singles a year ago and will most likely move up to second singles this year, with Ana Smith expected to step into the third singles spot. Ward Melville still has doubles depth as well, led by Sophia and Sana Kahn, who will be at first doubles as the team looks to take the next step and win a Suffolk County Championship.

Commack

The Cougars are always a contending team in Suffolk County’s top league and that should be no different this season. At the top of the lineup, Commack will be led by Amelia Kleiman and Victoria Wroblewski, while relying on its depth thanks to veteran players such as Abby Kleiman, Bianca Reznic and Jaslyn Cloughen, as it aims to make a deep push into the Suffolk County playoffs.

Bayport-Blue Point

The champions of the Suffolk County Small Schools in 2021 and 2022, Bayport-Blue Point will be out to defend its title this fall and enters the year with high expectations. Returning eight of its 10 starters from last year and led by Emilia Romano atop the lineup, the Phantoms are out to win a third consecutive county title. Bolstering the lineup behind Romano is Scarlett Kingston, who played second singles a year ago, and the doubles lineups will be helped out by Ava Duras along with freshmen Lily Castka and Evie Romano who will play a key role in the team’s success. It’s a difficult task, but the Phantoms are eager to back up its previous two county titles and go for the three-peat, and hopefully this time come away with the Long Island title.

Suffolk County Key Dates

• Regular Season Begins - Monday, August 28

• Regular Season Ends - Wednesday, October 4

• Suffolk Small School Final - Thursday, October 19

• Suffolk Large School Final - Tuesday, October 24

• LI Small School Championship - Monday, October 23

• LI Large School Championship - Tuesday, October 24

• NYS Individual Championships - Thursday, October 26 - Saturday, October 28

• NYS Team Championships - Friday, November 3

COMING IN NOVEMBER

Distribution scheduled for 11/01/23

This edition will feature:

• Coaches Roundtable Discussion

• Tennis Travel Destination Guide

• Holiday Gift Guide

• 2023 Girls’ High School Recap

• And Much More!

Print distribution across New York at 300+ locations.

Digital distribution across website and social media pages, and the e-Edition will be e-mailed out to our full data base.

Don’t miss the advertising opportunities in the next edition of Long Island Tennis Magazine November/December 2023!

Facebook-www.Facebook.com/Long IslandTennis Instagram-@LITennisMag • Twitter-@LITennisMag

Submissions for both advertising and editorial are due by October 1, 2023

For more information, please call 516-409-4444 or e-mail Advertise@LITennisMag.com

In the Kitchen

An in-depth look at Pickleball on Long Island

More Than Hundred Players Compete in Long Island Pickleball Challenge

Withover 100 players, event organizers faced a “pickle” with the forecast calling for thunderstorms. Originally scheduled to be held outdoors at Sportime Hempstead Lake, the event was forced to move indoors to Sportime Kings Park. But once indoors, players were treated to a

professionally-run event on and off the court in the inaugural Long Island Pickleball Challenge.

Despite the last-minute change of venue, the transition was seamless, and the tournament continued without skipping a beat,” said cotournament director Michelle Stoerback. “The matches started on

time, and by successfully managing the logistics of a tournament with over 100 players indoors, we not only preserved the integrity of the event, but also created an unforgettable experience for everyone involved.”

Throughout the day-long tournament, which included a Men’s

Women’s Doubles 7.0 – 7.5 Champions: Lauren Brenner & Lisa Goldberg

Men’s Doubles 8.0 – 8.5

Champions: Jesse Tuozoo & Matt Verini

Doubles division and a Women’s Doubles division in the morning and two Mixed Doubles divisions in the afternoon, competition was intense on the court, but players were kept well-energized as they were treated to breakfast and lunch, and also a happy hour later in the afternoon.

In the Women’s Doubles 7.0 – 7.5 combined division, Lauren Brenner & Lisa Goldberg teamed up for the first time on the pickleball court, and quickly found their chemistry together. The duo defeated Kristen Brown & April Mongelli in the finals to claim the championship.

“This was our first tournament together,” said Brenner. “I’m still new to pickleball, I’m normally a tennis player but I’m loving pickleball. We’ll definitely be playing together again.”

Goldberg added:

“Winning was our favorite part! But today was a great event, everyone was nice, there were no arguments or drama, and it was a really fun time.”

Jesse Tuozzo & Matt Verini weren’t playing for the first time together but instead used their experience to come away victorious in the Men’s Doubles 8.0 – 8.5 division,

defeating Brad Berger & Alex Rothstein in the championship.

“We’ve been playing together for a couple of years now, but this was our first tournament win,” said Tuozzo. “We’ve had a lot of second place and third place finishes, so to win today was great.”

When asked the key to their win, Verini added:

“We tried to stay as consistent as we can, and did so all the way to the end. The event was well-run overall and it feels good to be a

continued on page 50

Mixed Doubles 7.0 – 7.5 Champions: Lori McBride & Jason Pomerantz

Mixed Doubles 8.0 – 8.5 Champions: Courtney Kowalsky & Alec Mehr

in the kitchen

continued from page 49

champion. It’s time to get some rest.”

The afternoon session played host to the two Mixed Doubles divisions, with Lori McBride & Jason Pomerantz teaming up to win the Mixed Doubles 7.0 – 7.5 division, claiming their second pickleball championship as a duo as they defeated Richard Nessim & Kelly Dall in the finals.

“The competition was outstanding, there were good matches right from the start,” said McBride.

“We just stayed with it and tried to slow down when things got tough,” added Pomerantz. “We used our timeouts wisely in key moments when we needed to reset.”

In the Mixed Doubles 8.0 – 8.5 division, Courtney Kowalsky & Alec Mehr kept their strategy simple throughout the tournament, resulting in capturing the title with a championship win over Brad Berger & Debbie Drum.

“It was fun, we played smart and made sure to get balls back and not give away free points,” said Mehr. “It was a great time overall, this is my

first pickleball win so it feels great.”

Kowalsky praised the event for its combination of competition on the court but fun atmosphere off it.

“The people were great and it was a fun environment,” she said. “Lots of great food, and delicious drinks. These events are always a great time.”

“It was amazing to see such a large draw for a one-day event. Everything was run smoothly, and we take pride in not just running a tournament, but creating a professionally-run event that’s fun for all,” said David Sickmen, cotournament director. “Thanks to Sportime, Michelle Stoerback and our entire Long Island Tennis Magazine event staff for all their hard work, as well as all the players for their commitment and positivity during the event. A special thanks goes to our sponsors Viking Athletics, adidas and Halftime Chiller. We plan on continuing to get more involved with pickleball and this wonderful community, and continue to help promote the game.”

Below are the Top Three Finishers in each of the four divisions:

Men’s Doubles 8.0 – 8.5

Gold – Jesse Tuozzo & Matt Verini

Silver – Brad Berger & Alex Rothstein

Bronze – Jonathan Kim & Alex Ricciuti

Women’s Doubles 7.0 – 7.5

Gold – Lauren Brenner & Lisa

Goldberg

Silver – Kristen Brown & April

Mongelli

Bronze – Emilie Katz & Val Bogard

Mixed Doubles 7.0 -7.5

Gold – Lori McBride & Jason

Pomerantz

Silver – Richard Nessim & Kelly Dall

Bronze – Ira Rosmarin & Lorraine

O’Hanlon

Mixed Doubles 8.0 – 8.5

Gold – Courtney Kowalsky & Alec

Mehr

Silver – Brad Berger & Debbie Drum

Bronze – Nina Pantic & Jonathan Kim

Pickleball Plus Hosts ‘Beat The Heat’ Tournament

Asthe heat wave in the middle of this summer had everyone begging for cooler temperatures, Pickleball Plus used its dedicated indoor facility to help its members escape the brutal weather and hosted a “Beat The Heat” tournament as part of its tournament series.

The event featured three different divisions of play, Men’s Doubles, Mixed Doubles and Women’s Doubles.

“The initial events in our summer pickleball tournament series were very well-received and we’ve scheduled additional tournaments in the coming weeks and months,” said Dory Levinter, Pickleball Plus’ Manager. “Pickleball Plus is proud to offer everything from lessons for adults and juniors, to leagues, ladders, tournaments and many special events that are uniquely designed based on our members’ wants and needs.”

In the Men’s Doubles division, Dan Leo & Garrett Zollo captured the title to earn the Gold Medal.

“The key in tournament play is simple, patience. With it, the other team is more likely to make a mistake first, it's the one thing players often overlook,” said Zollo.

Zollo also discussed what makes Pickleball Plus a great host facility for tournaments.

“Pickleball Plus’s strongest suit for tournament play is the space. They can accommodate many games at once simply based on the size of the venue. This is crucial to keeping the players on the court

and keeping their bodies warm.”

Russ Bank & Mike Baum finished in second place and earned the Silver Medal in the Men’s Doubles division.

“The tournament was very organized so there was no confusion at all amongst the players. It was very well done by Mike Kazin, who organized the tournaments,” said Baum.

“If all tournaments are like the Beat The Heat tournament, I’ll gladly participate in any of them at Pickleball Plus.”

Men’s Doubles Top Three Finishers Mixed Doubles Top Three Finishers

Women’s Doubles Top Three Finishers

in the kitchen

continued from page 51

Pickleball Padel Product Review: adipower Carbon Team ATTK

Looking to take your pickleball game to the next level? Well, adidas has you covered. The new Adipower Carbon Team

ATTK is the latest innovation from adidas pickleball and is the perfect paddle for you to raise your level and dominate the pickleball court this summer. The new adidas adipower CARBON Team ATTK

Pickleball Paddle will bring everything you need in your game. Its 3K Carbon construction will make power to be on your side in every moment.

The paddle shape and Low Density Polypropylene Honeycomb LD Core will allow you to experience a pure sensation of comfort. Now with Structural Reinforcement Technology, which creates tortional rigidity and durability from edge to edge providing a solid and stable hitting surface across the entire paddle. Newly added Spin Blade + technology has a durable sand blasted surface for increased spin and ball control.

Specifications:

Sport: Pickleball

Paddle Width: 7.5 Length: 16.5

Weight: Approx. 7.9 oz

Player Type: Intermediate-Advanced

Colors: Multicolor (Orange, Yellow,Aqua Blue)/Black

Composition/Construction: Spin Blade + Surface, Low Density Polypropylene Honeycomb LD

Core/3K Carbon Construction

Core Thickness: 16 mm

Technology: adidas Spin Blade + (3D relief for more spin), Structural Reinforcement (Perimeter reinforcements around the paddle)

Grip Circumference: 4 ¼ Grip Lenth: 5.5

Shape: ATTK

Misc: USA Pickleball Approved

Sweet Spot: Top

SPORTIME Announces $7 Million Renovation Of The Historic Port Washington Tennis Academy, now SPORTIME Port Washington/JMTA Long Island

SPORTIME, the New York area’s most substantial operator of state-of-the-art racket sports facilities, today announced that a $7 million renovation and modernization of the former Port Washington Tennis Academy, which launched the careers of John McEnroe, his brother Patrick McEnroe, who Co-Directs the John McEnroe Tennis Academy and serves as President of both the Johnny Mac Tennis Project charity and the International tennis Hall of Fame, Vitas Gerulaitis, Tracy Austin and other legends. The facility will now be rebranded SPORTIME Port Washington and will be the Long Island home of The John McEnroe Tennis Academy.

“Our new Port Washington facility has been a part of American tennis history on every level, and a part of the history of the McEnroe family. We are proud to be able to make this restorative investment and to return this iconic facility to elite status,” said SPORTIME CEO Claude Okin. “Bringing the Port Washington facility into the SPORTIME family of clubs, and bringing Johnny Mac back to Port, along with the John McEnroe Tennis Academy, will truly link the past with the future in Port

Washington. Our belief is that our investment and expanded commitment on Long Island will be great for local players and families, and for the racket sports business here.”

“The Port Washington Tennis Academy, now SPORTIME Port Washington, is a special New York place that is part of tennis history, and was a big part of my life and my brothers’ lives when we were training as juniors, " said tennis legend John McEnroe. “I am thrilled to be able to expand my Academy to Port Washington, a full circle moment for me. I look forward to supporting and mentoring a new generation of talented and motivated young players there, and across the tri-state area.”

Upon completion of the facility renovations, currently underway, SPORTIME Port Washington will provide SPORTIME members and guests, and John McEnroe Tennis Academy students, with 7 beautiful soft-surface, Har-Tru tennis courts, 6 new hard-surface tennis courts and 12 new, dedicated, pickleball courts in their own building. These upgrades, along with countless others, and with SPORTIME’s introduction of John McEnroe Tennis

Academy programming, will make SPORTIME Port Washington a premier destination for adult and junior tennis and pickleball on Long Island.

Scheduled to be completed by September 2023, SPORTIME’s $7 million dollar + facility improvement project will include the following:

• New or refurbished roofs for all buildings

• New court building interiors with upgraded insulation in all buildings

• New and improved court lighting in all buildings

• Upgraded locker rooms

• New, easily accessible bathroom locations, in addition to the locker rooms, near courts and dining areas

• New HVAC systems serving the entire facility - all court buildings will now be air-conditioned, providing comfortable temperatures and dehumidification year-round

• Conversion of 6 existing Har-Tru courts to 6 new, cushioned, oversized hard courts, so that our future John McEnroe Tennis Academy stars, and adult players, can play, train and compete on both surfaces

The John McEnroe Tennis Academy now has its second Long Island location at SPORTIME Port Washington, 100 Harbor Road, Port Washington, NY.  For more information, visit www.SportimeNY.com/portwashington.

Thereturn of serve is arguably the second most important shot in tennis, after the serve, yet it is probably the most under practiced, underappreciated, and undervalued shot in the game.

In my annual program at my academy, players can train 25 hours per week with me, and I’ve structured the day so that we can work on serve and return for a significant amount of time.

Lately, as I have worked with different players individually on the return, I am seeing common themes and issues that all players, parents and coaches can learn from:

Eyes and Mind

I have noticed that many players are not alert with their eyes. They are not targeting the server’s toss and technique with their eyes, reading and anticipation the incoming shot.

There are many cues to look for in terms of toss location, technique, body language, head and eye position of the rival server that can give information to help the returner know where the ball is going before it is struck.

The best returners are also good at reading the psychological tendencies and the tactical intention of the server and then making educated guesses as to the direction and selection of the incoming serve.

The Relevance of the Return

By Chris Lewit

I’ve read that Novak Djokovic practices eye exercises to improve his reactions and alertness. Training the eyes in this fashion using technology is a new trend in the game and there are experts in the field of vision training starting to focus in this area. Check that these cool new technologies!

Hands

The swing must be modulated or adjusted to the speed of the incoming ball. This is an important principle that I teach all my students. If the ball is coming faster, the shape of the backswing should be flatter and more compact. Players with significant loops need to learn to keep their hand or

hands lower and to reduce the length of their backswing to be effective returning fast serves.

Players also need to understand the relationship between return positioning and size of backswing. The deeper the player positions himself, the more time that gives him or her to make a larger swing. If the player wants to take the serve earlier, this necessitates a smaller more compact backswing. Many young or inexperienced players don’t understand this relationship well and just take the same loop as on their normal groundstrokes regardless of their court position or the speed of the incoming serve.

Feet

I’ve noticed that many players have poor split-step technique, incorrect timing of the split-step, and an inefficient recovery for the first shot after the return. Coaches, players and parents should dial in on these areas to improve the technique and rhythm.

Players often split-step too narrowly and with poor balance and posture. They land flat-footed or on their heels. These types of postural or technical problems need to be corrected. Players commonly split-step at the wrong time, either too early or too late. Mistiming the split undermines quick reaction and movement to the incoming ball.

If players never practice the footwork

after hitting the return, they often move sluggishly or establish a poor position in the court for the start of the rally. I like to work on the recovery footwork technique after the return is made so that it’s quick and efficient and puts the player in the optimal position to be consistent on the return plus one shot.

Positioning

In addition to the relationship between backswing and court position, players need to understand that the best returners are always moving around the court to find the best possible position to receive the service. The optimal position varies and is not fixed. Many students I see want to stubbornly maintain one return position and never deviate from it.

In contrast, I want my players to adjust to the situation. Against some servers, they can hang back and play heavy topspin.

Against other rivals they can step up inside the baseline and take time away— or any combination in between depending on the details of the moment. Players need to be comfortable with both styles of returning and have the courage and smarts to adjust.

In addition, many inexperienced returners wait for contact to move. However, the best returners move before the ball is struck, either to get

into position to use their weapon, like hitting a runaround forehand, or because they anticipate where the serve is going. It is critical that players learn how to move before the ball is struck— not after.

Routines

I spend a lot of time on pre-return outlines or rituals. I’ve noticed that a lot of kids practice their serve rituals but not much time is spent on return rituals. It’s important to create calmness in the mind and to automate all the movements before the return is struck. Rituals help to prepare the mind and body to receive the onslaught of a big serve.

Targeting and Tactics

My less experienced students have poor tactics on the return and poor targeting. Many players are just trying to get the ball in the court, rather than returning to a specified place. There is no tactic without a target. Honing in on targets helps develop the tactical anticipation so that a player can start to visualize how and where the server will play his first shot.

For example, if I return down the line deep to the backhand from the deuce court, I have a pretty good chance of receiving a cross-court reply to my backhand on the first shot by the server.

the revelance of the return

continued from page 55

Players need to practice their targeting on the return and start to predict the next reply from the server based on percentages and the geometry of the court. Legendary coach Nick Saviano likes to call this type of knowledge “generic tactics.”

Conclusion

How many players will go out and serve buckets of balls to improve their serve consistency? Not enough—but many more than those who go out and practice return. How many lessons include return practice in addition to serve practice? Few. There are many challenges to practicing the return of serve including the biggest one: whom can you get to serve to you?

Structure and plan your return practices well. My recommendation is to try and incorporate specific return of

serve time into your training every week. Find or hire someone to serve to you. Practice second serve returns and first serve returns. Practice adjusting your backswings. Work on your positioning. Clean your technique. Automate your rituals. Improve your targeting and tactical awareness. Train your eyes, mind, and feet!

Some of these skills can be practiced shadow style without the ball if you don’t have a partner. Do that! If you have a partner to serve to you, thank them and value that time dearly. Another option is to buy or get access to

some of the serving ball machines that are now available on the market, but they are unfortunately super-expensive.

The ultimate goal is to be able to get a high percentage of first serve and second serve returns back into play. The best players in the world consistently make returns and keep pressure on the server. That’s how they get break opportunities. Fine tuning your return skills is the only way to achieve a high level of return consistency. To master the return, you need to get out there and do thousands of reps until you can return any type of serve to all the court locations.

More Than 30 Years In, High Country Still Going Strong

In1988, Bill Silverman, along with a college buddy, bought what was then called Racquet & Ski Shop in an old banking building in Livingston, N.J.

A few years later, they would move to a bigger location and rebrand the store to High Country Ski & Sports, and for the last 30-plus years, have been providing New Jersey with top-of-the-line equipment and apparel with unparalleled customer service.

“Customer service is our top priority,” he said. “You can go down the road and get ignored by the big chain places, but when you come in here, we tailor our work to ensure you get the product you need. It’s absolutely what we are all about. We try to make sure we have what our customer wants, and if there's something we don't have, we do our best to get it in store quickly so that they can enjoy it.”

High Country Ski & Sports is open seven days a week, and in addition to the array of equipment and apparel, also offers stringing services, grip replacements, as well as repair work and more for skiers and snowboarders. Silverman says they string over 2,000 racquets a summer, and that customer service is their top priority.

“When I started in 1988, there must have been 40 tennis shops in New Jersey, and there are very few now,” said Silverman. “We’ve become sort of the kids of tennis in the state, we’re the last standing specialty tennis store in

New Jersey.”

With an established brand and success that only continues to climb over the last couple of years, the next step for High Country is to expand farther. The store has added an array of pickleball offerings as well, leaning in to one of the fastest growing sports in the country, as High Country always makes sure to stay ahead of the curve to make sure it

meets all of its customer needs.

“We’re hoping to open some other stores in the future,” said Silverman. “There are a lot of areas that seem to be ripe for tennis, and our goal is to continue expanding and growing into those areas.”

High Country Ski & Tennis is located at 465 West Mountain Pleasant Avenue in Livingston, N.J.

Adult League Wrap-Up

By Becky Bellino

The2023 season is about to come to a close with only senior leagues remaining and a handful of 18+ and 40+ matches. It was several months full of excitement and grit from all of the teams, and I want to thank you all for a spirited season; I hope you all enjoyed your tennis!

We left last month’s article off with wishing our tri-level and 55+ mixed teams good luck up in Schenectady. It must have helped, because not only did Shanon Blue’s 8.0 mixed team win the top honors, but so did Lisa Newell and Tracy Klenberg’s 4.0 tri-level team! They will both be traveling to Nationals next spring to represent the Eastern Section, and Long Island could not be more proud. Congratulations to you all!

The last weekend in July went out with a bang in deciding all of the 18+ Women’s Leagues. The following teams will go up to Schenectady to represent our region strong at Sectionals. Way to go ladies, and best of luck up North!

• 18+ 2.5 - Point Set, Crain/Handler

• 18+ 3.0 - Tie-Break Fairies (Made to

• 18+ 3.5Lynbrook, Brahmbhatt

• 18+ 4.0Huntington, Newell/Kleinberg

• 18+ 4.5 - Dix Hills, Capilets

• 18+ 5.0 - Carefree, Einhorn

Our Men’s 40+ leagues have also been decided and they have their Sectional downstate. Congratulations to Adam

Move), Tanya Kotov

18+ 3.0 Women Champions

18+ 3.5 Women Champions

Moramarco’s 3.5 team, Ken Schoen’s 4.0 team, and Scott Chesney, Eric Chaffer, and Alex Wellem’s 4.5 team. We are waiting in anticipation for all levels for 40+ women to conclude as well as 18+ men. Below are the determined winners:

• 18+ 3.0 Men: Robbie Wagner, Sinn

• 18+ 3.5 Men: Deer Park, Barot/Bunting

• 18+ 4.0 Men: Huntington, Weiss/Hyman

• 18+ 4.5 Men: Long Beach, Low/Siddiqui

• 18+ 5.0 Men: Long Beach Borak

• 40+ 3.0 Women: Point Set, Stein/Weiler

• 40+ 3.5 Women: Lynbrook, Brahmbhatt

• 40+ 4.0 Women: Huntington, Newell/Kleinberg

• 40+ 4.5 Women: Roslyn, Sorin

Just because summer is coming to a close doesn’t mean that USTA leagues are! Look for registration emails regarding the 18+ mixed and 4.5 tri-level leagues.

18+ 4.0 Women Champions

40+ 3.5 Men Champions

Play More Points in the Present Accept-Breathe-Concentrate

By Rob Polishook

Irememberit like it was yesterday, coaching the Zonals for the 16 & Under age group. The competition was fierce with top kids from the country. Inevitably, various issues came up before matches. For example, I received a late-night text from my number two player saying her friend, our number three player, was really nervous about tomorrow’s match. She asked, “What should I do? How can I help her?” Or the other scenario, where my number four player was sitting at the changeover telling me how many lines his opponent had hit in the previous two games.

So, what’s a player to do?

Conventional sports psychology might tell you to ignore your feelings and just play, or even to forget about the score—get back out there and compete. Both ideas sound

good, but in fact, they really don’t address the reality of the situation. What is the player experiencing at this exact moment, and what’s the starting point to moving forward?

I’d like to introduce what I call the “A, B, C’s” to regaining your focus when a distraction occurs. Well, wait you say … “sounds kind of gimmicky.” Call it what you want, but this simple acronym is your roadmap to getting back on track once your concentration has wavered, or you have full blown lost it. The key to the “A, B, C’s” is to be aware that you have lost your concentration. From this point, they can be exercised to help you regain your composure, focus and game. Let me explain what each letter stands for and provide a description and how to use it given the previous examples:

“A” stands for Accept: Using the example of my number two player who was nervous, accept the means to simply accept that you are nervous. Being nervous isn’t bad or good. In fact, I would say that it means that there is a match you care about and feel challenged. If you didn’t attach emotion to it and simply accepted it, you might say “Okay, I’m nervous” and just let it be. By fighting the nerves, you only make things worse and create an internal dialogue of what will happen next with the nerves. It’s okay to be nervous. Furthermore, if you are nervous, guess who else is likely to be nervous? Yes, that’s right … your opponent! Lastly, your name isn’t nervous, a part of you is nervous. Who wouldn’t be? You are getting ready to put yourself on the line.

“B” stands for Breathe: Yes, breathe! Using the example of my number four player who was complaining that his opponent was painting the lines. We discussed the simple truth that yes, he painted lines during the last six points, unheard of, but true. No need to fight it, it happened. Then, the work became to shift my player’s focus away from the past to the present. He brought his attention to his natural anchor—his breath. Little known fact, breath is always in the present. In order to connect to the present, you can simply just observe it, notice the sound, feel or rhythm for a few seconds. Or you can breathe in to a count of three, hold it for two counts, and breathe out to a count of three … you choose the pattern. Or simply breathe in and out. Not only does this shift of focus connect you to the present moment, it will help you relax, stay calm and slow down.

“C” stands for Concentrate: Specifically, we are talking about making the choice to focus on what you can control and let go of what you cannot. In the case of my number three player, instead of concentrating on her nervousness, she could concentrate on what she needs to do to prepare for her match the evening before, and then how she wants to play. What is her game plan going to be? In the situation of my number four player, he can concentrate on playing his game, maybe keeping the ball away from his opponent’s forehand where

most of the winners came from. And most importantly, know that he cannot control his opponent’s shots. He can only control his shot selection, his effort and how he competes. Concentrating on what you can control doesn’t guarantee winning, however, it’s your best path.

The “A, B, C’s” are a surefire way to get your game back on track when you lose your focus. Watch any of the top players and you can see when they move through these steps. Make no mistake, the “A, B, C’s” are simple, but are not easy.

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

Oneof the primary ghosts that haunt tennis players everywhere is that of technical issues. The belief that success in the modality depends on perfect strokes, movements millimetrically aligned with the biomechanical model, and impeccable executions, resonates as a premise for success. Perhaps some of the blame for this lies on Roger Federer, who has become synonymous with perfectly played tennis during his tennis career.

Also, much of the content found on the Internet related to tennis is related to striking gestures and their variations. Books, courses, and classes are not far behind as one more option to achieve better results. But, in this constant search, which goes back to the history

Is Perfect Technique Needed?

By Leo Correa

of tennis, at a certain point, you may be faced with the following question: “Do you need to have the perfect technique to be able to play?” Before giving an opinion on this tricky question, let's analyze a little tennis technique.

Technique

Technique in tennis refers to the set of motor actions performed to hit the ball in its most diverse situations, as well as moving around the court. Therefore, it ranges from the grip to the completion of a stroke, from the exit for the ball leaving the racquet to the return after the hit. The technique is the “how to”, the endless ways to play and move. Proper technique will always point to the best way to do each step of the actions involved in the game.

Range of Acceptability

As the name implies (with form), conformity permeates the form of a stroke. It’s plasticity. It doesn't matter how good or bad the result of the stroke is, what is really relevant is how close it is to the biomechanical model, the ideal strike. The angles of the body segments in each stage of the execution, the amplitudes, and the rhythm, always try to be aligned with an established pattern. Compliance ensures the best way to hit the ball with the least amount of energy and the least risk of injury. It's what we observe on a day-today basis when we notice that someone hits well, that stroke is clean, or that the ball moves easily. It's what many look for in private lessons and hours on the internet watching slow-motion videos of the best players in the world.

It is not difficult to predict that a player with inferior technique, but more trained and physically better, will be superior on the court. Technique is important, but it is not the only factor that defines a player.

Technical Efficiency

But is this beautiful-looking stroke effective? Technical effectiveness is understood as the result of the strike, whether it is deep, consistent, powerful, varied, and manages to put it executer at an advantage. What matters is the result of the action and not necessarily how it is done. And now comes a character who alters the romantic quest for the perfect hit. Who hasn't lost to that player with "ugly" strokes? There is no doubt that the worst defeats that are decreed for us come at the hands of these tennis players with weird, heterodox

techniques. What we are often not prepared to see is that, behind this strangeness, lies an effective production of strokes: solidity, effects, direction, and power, giving great quality to the ugly game that we condemn. And this is not just limited to amateur tennis: there have been and still are many “uglies” among the best in the world.

Being effective is important. In fact, it's what will define a player's level. But at what price? Movements that deviate from the technical standard surely overload some parts of the body. Nor are they economical, they end up demanding more energy and tiring the practitioner. The increased risk of injury can shorten a career. Spending more than you need is also a clear limitation. When we get the best result with the lowest expenditure of energy, with the best preservation of our body, we are efficient. Technical efficiency values the most appropriate way to hit, which, in turn, fulfills its objectives in the order of the game. Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are both extremely effective as they achieve incredible results with their strokes. But Federer is much more efficient, as he expends less energy and preserves his body more to achieve his goals. Just look at the injury history of both players to see how efficient the Federer was before retiring.

Why does this happen?

And why then doesn't that player with such beautiful strokes have better results? Compliance in itself does not imply effectiveness. Having a correct motor gesture is a positive thing, but that does not mean that it will be precise, solid, and powerful. Accuracy depends on many repetitions, hours, and hours of training. Consistency obeys the same rules. Power is beyond. In addition to training volume, it depends on the player's physical capabilities. There are players who are so physically powerful that they achieve great acceleration on the ball, much more because of their physical virtues than technical ones.

Thus, it is not difficult to predict that a player with inferior technique, but more trained and physically better, will be superior on the court. Something that

illustrates this situation well is found in youth tennis. According to many organizations, up to 14 years old, the main factor that defines the quality of players is technique. But, from the age of 16, the mental and physical are more important and will be the main responsibility for the quality of the player. For this reason, we often see a 12-yearold “star” simply disappear at 18, when his peers will become stronger and mentally superior.

Technique is important, but it is not the only factor that defines a player: there are many more issues involved. We must look for safe patterns of movement, and take great care of our physical and mental abilities. Create good standards of play and make good decisions on the court. That way we will be efficient.

Suggestions

1. Social players must be very attentive to the technical repertoire. This helps to avoid injuries and be long-lasting in tennis.

2. Young people should be concerned with the technique as soon as they are initiated. The idea is to reach the age of 14 with superior and wellestablished technical standards.

After that age, technical work is more laborious and costly for the player.

3. It must be remembered that technique undergoes a major transformation when the player is under competitive pressure. A technically correct stroke can translate into a different and nonstandard motor action when the player faces a moment of great tension or anxiety during the match. Blaming the coup is looking for the solution in the wrong place: one must improve the player's mental skills. It's the old story of the double fault in the last game of the set, which erroneously sells the image that the serve is not good. The Technique usually pays for mistakes, but in competitive situations, the villain, who left without paying is almost always the mental aspect.

4. Try to develop the game as a whole. Attention to the physical part, to the acquisition and improvement of mental skills, and, above all, learning and evolving in the tactical universe of tennis. This set, the global one, is preponderant when defining a player's level. After all, in the complexity of tennis, after all, it is not necessary to have the perfect technique to play.

Leo Correa is a High-Performance Specialist at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens. He can be reached at leo.correa@usta.com.

Tennis Through the Lens

By Barbara Wyatt

I don't consider myself a Sports Artist.

I am merely a witness to tennis players releasing raw grit to hit a yellow ball—perfectly.

When I look through the viewfinder of my camera, I am no longer an observer as the match unfolds. I feel the player's heartbeat synchronize with the rhythm of the game. Adrenaline rushes through their veins, and mine. I sense the tension in their muscles when they execute a shot. I share their joy in a powerful return. My heart sinks as their shoulders slump and eyes roll when a ball fails to go over the net.

Like players on court, I seek the right moment for the winning shot—when to click the shutter. I zoom in on the sweat on a player's brow, the narrowing of eyes and the intensity of grip on the racket. And then it happens—that perfect shot materializes. A player lunges with grace, their muscles taut and eyes fixed on victory. The ball dances on the racquet strings.

CLICK!

Sometimes, the photograph isn't right—the timing slightly off, the

composition not as compelling as I hoped, just like unforced errors on a tennis court. Yet, if I do it correctly, that mere snapshot can

reveal a player's soul of tennis—their beauty, athletic prowess, and unwatering concentration on a little yellow ball.

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

Barbara Wyatt’s original photo of Michael OrThe color explosion style photo of Michael Or