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MAGAZINE
New York Tennis Magazine 1220 Wantagh Avenue • Wantagh, NY 11793-2202 Phone: (516) 409-4444 • Fax: (516) 409-4600 Web site: www.nytennismag.com
Staff David Sickmen Publisher (516) 409-4444, ext. 309 • david@usptennis.com Joel M. Berman President (516) 409-4444, ext. 310 • joel@usptennis.com
MAR/APR 2016 • Vol 6, No 2
Table Of Contents
Murray’s Muse: With New Perspective, Murray Seeks Top Spot in ATP Rankings By Brian Coleman Cover photo credit: Matthew Stockman New father Andy Murray takes aim at Novak Djokovic as the year begins and the race atop the ATP Men’s Singles Rankings tightens. See page 12
Eric C. Peck Editor-in-Chief (516) 409-4444, ext. 312 • eric@usptennis.com
Featured Stories
Brian Coleman Senior Editor (516) 409-4444, ext. 326 • brianc@usptennis.com
32 Your 2016 Guide to Court Builders & Suppliers We present the area’s top court maintenance companies available to service your surface’s needs.
Joey Arendt Managing Art Director Francine Miller Advertising Coordinator (516) 409-4444, ext. 301 • francinem@usptennis.com Casey Lynn Director of Business Development (516) 409-4444, ext. 315 • casey@usptennis.com
44 2016 New York Tennis Magazine Camp Guide With summer around the corner, we present the top tennis camp destinations and what they have to offer your child for the summer of 2016. 62 2016 Boys High School Preview By Brian Coleman We take a look at who to watch in the 2016 season.
Emilie Katz Assistant Marketing Coordinator Beverly Bolnick National Sales Manager (516) 409-4444, ext. 316 Scott Koondel VP of Operations (516) 409-4444, ext. 324 Sidney Beal III Staff Photographer Lee Seidner Staff Photographer
Advertising To receive any information regarding advertising rates, deadlines, and requirements, call (516) 409-4444 or e-mail info@usptennis.com. Article Submissions/Press Releases To submit any material, including articles and press releases, please call (516) 409-4444 or e-mail info@usptennis.com. The deadline for submissions is the first of the month preceding the target issue. Subscriptions To receive subscription information, contact (516) 409-4444 or e-mail info@usptennis.com or check out our Web site: www.nytennismag.com. Fax subscription changes to (516) 409-1600. Statements of fact and opinion in New York Tennis Magazine are the responsibility of the authors alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of United Sports Publications Ltd. New York Tennis Magazine reserves the right to edit, reject and/or postpone the publication of any articles, information or data.
Featured 6 8 10 22 23 27 28 36 38 42 61 71
Tennis at the Garden: A Timeless Idea By Jerry Solomon The Storied History of West Side Tennis Club Tennis Growth Highlights USTA Eastern Annual Conference Let the Gamification Begin! By Whitney Kraft Embracing the Challenge: Dishonesty By Greg Chertok, M.Ed., CC-AASP World TeamTennis Returns to New York 2016 Australian Open Recap By Brian Coleman Empire State Open Brings WTA Tennis to New York Junior Players Get the Opportunity to Showcase Talents Little League Tennis By Michele Byrne U.S. Open National Playoffs Gives Players Shot at U.S. Open Xenecore Answers the Arm Injury Epidemic
Featured Columns 4 16 20 24 40 64 67 68 72 73 74 78 84
Across Metro NY At the Net With Paul Annacone The Jensen Zone By Luke Jensen USTA Eastern Metro Region Update Building Your Resume as a Coach: Part One By Gilad Bloom Tips From the Tennis Pro By Lisa Dodson Emotional Balance By Rob Polishook, MA, CPC Court Six: New York Tennis Magazine’s Gossip Column By Emilie Katz Adult League: USTA Leagues Update Metro Corporate League Recap The Psychology of Injuries By Dr. Tom Ferraro A Winner’s Mentality: It Takes Practice By Lonnie Mitchel New York Rankings & Tournament Schedule
New York Tennis Magazine is published bi-monthly by United Sports Publications Ltd. • Copyright © 2016 United Sports Publications Ltd.
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Across Metro N Court Sense’s Cicero wins L1B Nassau Indoor Challenger Shannon Cicero, who trains out of Court Sense in New Jersey, captured the title at the L1B Nassau Indoor Challenger. The top-seeded Cicero went through the whole tournament without dropping a set, culminating in a 6-3, 6-0 win over Rosedale, N.Y.’s Bukky Alalade in the final.
Centercourt’s Fahey named Big 10 Athlete of the Week Kate Fahey, a former Centercourt Tennis Academy player, has had an excellent freshman campaign for the Michigan Wolverines. She was instrumental in helping Michigan knock off North Carolina in a recent match, which earned her the Big 10 Athlete of the Week award for the week ending Feb. 23.
Loeb captures Surprise Tennis Classic title
Columbia women capture ECAC Indoor Championships
Former John McEnroe Tennis Academy (JMTA) standout Jamie Loeb continued the excellent start to her pro career. The Bronxville, N.Y. native and former NCAA singles champion recently captured the title at the Surprise Tennis Classic $25,000 in Surprise, Ariz., defeating fellow American CiCi Bellis in the final.
The Columbia women’s tennis team captured the East Coast Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division I Indoor Championships in February. The Lions won the title back in 2014, and after losing in the 2015 final, reclaimed the title with a 4-2 victory over Harvard. 4
New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2016 • NYTennisMag.com
ew York New
… News and notes from across the New York Metro tennis community
NTC wraps up USTA Eastern Metro Regional Tournament The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center recently hosted the USTA Eastern Metro Regional Tournament, which saw some metro area locals compete in some high-quality tennis. Congratulations to all the following winners: l Boys 10 & Under: Matisse Farzam l Girls 10 & Under: Chantajah Mills l Boys 12 & Under: Andrew Ena l Girls 12 & Under: Kira Diaz l Boys 14 & Under: Waley Chen l Girls 14 & Under: Nia Dabreo
West Side Tennis Club thanks its members West Side Tennis Club held a number of different Member Appreciation Events to thank all of its dedicated members and was a great way for many players to stay active during the winter months. The events included cardio tennis, city fitness and a platform mixer.
MatchPoint and Cary Leeds host winter camps MatchPoint NYC and the Cary Leeds Center hosted winter tennis camps over the President’s Week break to keep its campers active and in top form. NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2016 • New York Tennis Magazine
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Tennis at the By Jerry Solomon hen my longtime client and friend Ivan Lendl called me to tell me that Pete Sampras wanted to play Roger Federer back in 2007, we laughed and said it would never happen. But I said to him if it is going to happen, it should happen at Madison Square Garden. There hadn’t been tennis at the Garden in seven years at that point, and the days of the Masters and Virginia Slims Championships were a distant memory. But not to me. And not to Ivan. And fortunately, not to the guys at the Garden. I started my career in sports working at the first Colgate Grand Prix Masters held at the Garden and remember the night that 16,000 people stayed in their seats until well past 1:00 a.m. to watch Guillermo Vilas and Jimmy Connors duke it out. I was representing Ivan when he had a run-in with Jimmy in the Garden hallway over how he had manipulated the tournament’s round-robin format. And I know how the MSG crowds react to superstars putting on a show that is worthy of their appreciation. So, how could you put arguably the two best tennis players of all time anywhere other than center court at the World’s Most Famous Arena? Fortunately, when I walked into discuss this with Joel Fisher and Adam Thier in their Garden offices, they too remembered the history of tennis at the Garden and said “Yes.” Of course there were risks and there are lots of stories behind the scenes about how the event almost didn’t happen ... we joke about those now, but it was nerve-wracking for sure. So with J. Wayne Richmond, Marisa D’Amico and Karen Scott Happer at my side, we marched into the unknown and 60 days prior to the event, put tickets on sale. Within a couple of weeks, we sold out The World’s Most Famous Arena. Roger and Pete put on a great show, as
W
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New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2016 • NYTennisMag.com
Garden:A Timeless Idea Roger eked out a victory in a third set tiebreaker, in front of 19,690 fans which set the stage for what has become an annual night of tennis for New Yorkers. Going back to Jack Kramer, Bobby Riggs, Billie Jean King and Vitas Gerulaitis, the star power of the sport of tennis has always attracted a celebrity-filled crowd to the Garden. We have tried hard to build on that history, so over the last eight years, have had virtually every major star in the sport play at the BNP Paribas Showdown. In addition to Roger and Pete, the likes of John McEnroe, Andre Agassi, Ivan Lendl, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova, Kim Clijsters, Andy Murray, Andy Roddick, Victoria Azarenka and more have graced the Garden court. And a celebrity crowd has responded, including the likes of Bill Clinton, Ben Stiller,
Donald Trump, Vera Wang, Nancy Kerrigan, Anna Wintour, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Rupert Murdoch and many others. So we continue to try our best to carry on a tradition ... a legacy of tennis on the world’s biggest stage … and this year will be no different. We will feature fantastic tennis with 21time Grand Slam singles champion Serena Williams, former world number one Caroline Wozniacki, two-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka and the flamboyant French star Gael Monfils. But it is Serena’s presence that will get the most attention and with good reason. In part because of her Grand Slam singles and doubles titles, Olympic victories and number one rankings, Serena has probably been the most important female athlete in the world over the last 20 years. Off the court, she has built schools in
Africa, been Sports Illustrated’ s “Sportsperson of the Year,” has been an ambassador for the United Nations, a staple on Home Shopping Network, a target for gossip columns and a role model for women around the world. She has had her share of ups and downs, but at the age of 34, she stands atop the sports world as one of her generations most outstanding and impactful people. Over the years at the BNP Paribas Showdown, we have paid tribute to the U.S. Davis Cup team, Billie Jean King and Roy Emerson. This year, in addition to watching her play, we will honor Serena for her greatness on the court, but also for her tenacity, longevity and contributions that go far beyond the tennis courts. We don’t often get a chance to honor living legends. This will be another in those unique moments that has made tennis timeless at Madison Square Garden. It will be exciting to be part of it. Jerry Solomon is executive producer of the BNP Paribas Showdown and creator of World Tennis Day.
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NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2016 • New York Tennis Magazine
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The Storied History of West Side Tennis Club The pros return this summer in World TeamTennis action On April 22, 1892, 13 initial members organized the West Side Tennis Club with the modest goal of renting ground on Central Park West, between 88th and 89th Streets, for three clay courts. The courts opened on June 11, 1892, and Club membership required a $10 initiation cost, a $10 annual fee, and the ability to play a good game of tennis. By the end of the first season, the Club expanded to 43 members and five courts. The “clubhouse” consisted of a shed with two dressing rooms and cold showers. After 10 years, the Central Park West property became too commercially valuable for tennis, so the Club moved to 117th Street near Columbia University, which had room for eight courts. Through the largesse of the land’s owner, Mrs. John Drexel of the prominent banking Drexel family, the Club paid a mere $20 per court annually. The Club built a
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new clubhouse with hot showers. Membership expanded to 110 members. With the Drexel lease up six years later, West Side rented a location at 238th Street and Broadway, covering two city blocks with room for a dozen grass courts and 15 clay courts. The Club hosted Davis Cup matches with Great Britain in 1911. The matches featured the great Maurice “The California Comet” McLoughlin and crowds numbered in the thousands. With the success, however, came the realization that the West Side’s location was inadequate to accommodate the crowds. A committee was formed in 1912 to find a permanent location for purchase. The committee scouted 30-plus locations and narrowed the field to properties in the Bronx, Kew Gardens and Forest Hills. On Dec. 3, 1912, the Club voted on the Forest Hills location.
New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2016 • NYTennisMag.com
The Club purchased the land, a few blocks from the Long Island Railroad, for a $2,000 downpayment and a $75,000 mortgage. The Tudor-style clubhouse, built the following year, cost approximately $25,000. New York City featured a world-class tennis center by the spring of 1914. The 1915 transfer of the United States Lawn Tennis Association National Championship (later the U.S. Open) to the West Side Tennis Club from the Newport Casino was a watershed event in the history of tennis. For the next six decades, the Championship would be held at West Side. Along with tennis events, West Side hosted music concerts in its stadium for decades. Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, The Who, Diana Ross and the Boston Pops were just some of the musicians that performed at West Side. By the late 1970s, the popularity of the Open had boomed, and the 15,000-seat Forest Hills Stadium had become too small to handle the crowds. The USTA moved the Open to the broader expanses of Flushing Meadows in 1978. The Stadium has gone relatively unused compared to its history as an iconic tennis venue until now. Through some creative thinking and the support of the membership, the Stadium is again one of the premier concert venues in the Northeast. Mumford & Sons, Santana and The Who are some of our recent acts who have played West Side with more to come. Professional tennis is coming back to West Side, as well as the host site for the New York Empire, the newest team in the Mylan World TeamTennis circuit. The Empire will be coached by Patrick McEnroe and captained by former world number one Andy Roddick.
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NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2016 • New York Tennis Magazine
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Tennis Growth Highlights USTA Eastern and USPTA/USPTR Annual Conference
Credit all photos to Sidney Beal III
USTA Eastern recently partnered with the USPTA/USPTR for its annual weekendlong conference at the Renaissance Westchester Hotel in West Harrison, N.Y. The theme of the event was to continue to grow tennis together. With more than 300 people from various tennis backgrounds and organizations at the event throughout the weekend, the conference
was a great way for members of our community to come together with the common goal of growing the sport. “The goal of the conference was to inspire our tennis advocates to take action locally to spread the love of the game,� said USTA Eastern Executive Director and COO Jenny Schnitzer. “The energy and enthusiasm was at an all-time high among the attendees and
are confident in a strong year ahead.� Expanding tennis inside the schools and growing its Hispanic initiative were some of the main topics discussed at the event. There were seminars, clinics, a cocktail reception, and the weekend culminated with an awards ceremony to honor those who impacted the game in the local tennis community in 2015.
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New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2016 • NYTennisMag.com
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ndy Murray has enjoyed a fantastic tennis career up to this point and is no doubt one of the top three players in the world. Murray led Great Britain to the 2015 Davis Cup championship and brought a Wimbledon championship back to Great Britain when he defeated Novak Djokovic in the 2013 final, becoming the first British male to capture the historic title since Fred Perry in 1936. Despite all of his accomplishments, Murray may fall victim to playing right in the middle of a transitioning era in tennis. In his
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early days, Federer and Nadal were scooping up all of the Grand Slams and that fed right into what we can now call the Djokovic Era, leaving Murray in sort of a tennis limbo. In the 12 matches since that Wimbledon final, Djokovic has defeated Murray 11 times, four of which have been in Grand Slams. The undisputed best player in the world has also now triumphed over Murray in four Australian Open finals. “I feel like I’ve been here before,” Murray said to the crowd with a mix of humor and sadness after the final in January. “I’d like
New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2016 • NYTennisMag.com
to congratulate Novak for six Australian Opens, it’s an incredible feat. I’d like to thank my team for getting me into the position. Sorry I couldn’t get it done tonight.” It was indeed a tough and distracting few weeks in Melbourne for Murray. He and his wife, Kim Sears, were expecting their first child, and Sears was unable to accompany Murray to the tournament. So the Scot played the tournament with thoughts of his wife in the back of his mind. And that wasn’t the only family-related matter on his mind. The night before his final, Murray’s older brother, Jamie, was
Murray’s Muse With new perspective, Murray seeks top spot in ATP Rankings BY BRIAN COLEMAN
competing in the men’s doubles final and Andy, being a proud younger brother, was on hand taking photos. “What are you doing here taking photos?” Jamie said to Andy during his victory speech. “You should be in bed.” Regardless of if late nights affected his performance in the final against Djokovic, this scene just added to the theme of family matters for Murray all-tournament long. To compound things, Sears’ father, Nigel, who coaches Ana Ivanovic, collapsed and fainted during Ivanovic’s Round of 32 loss to Madison Keys.
“It’s been a tough few weeks for me away from the court, and I thank all you for your support in that,” Murray said. “Finally, to my wife Kim, you’ve been a legend the last two weeks, thank you for all your support. I’ll be on the next flight home.” Murray did fly home right away and, soon after, he and his wife welcomed their first child, a healthy baby girl named Sophia Olivia. “He’s in a really good place. He’s got a beautiful daughter that he can dote on and enjoy. It’s a different phase in his life now,” said Leon Smith, Great Britain’s Davis Cup
captain. “We’ve been practicing this week. He’s been at Wimbledon every day. He was up in Scotland seeing family, but also practicing. He’s great … very motivated and happy. There are some things more important than tennis, and family is that for him. I don’t know how it will affect him and neither does he, but I just know he’s happy and he’s a brilliant family guy anyway so I can only set it being a positive.” The 28-year-old Murray hopes the birth of his daughter will have the same effect on continued on page 14
NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2016 • New York Tennis Magazine
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murray’s muse continued from page 13
“The outcome of a match is not everything, but I want my daughter to be proud of her dad when she grows up and sees what I did.� —Andy Murray
him that the birth of Novak Djokovic’s first child had on him. Since Djokovic and his wife, Jelena, had their first child, Djokovic has gone on a 102-6 tear, winning 14 titles, including two ATP World Tour Finals and four Grand Slam championships.
“It’s tough to tell. I’ve been training again and certainly haven’t been worse,� Murray told The Guardian in an exclusive interview. “I’ve been very motivated in practice. Obviously with Novak and Roger it’s worked out well. I don’t know if having kids made them play better or if they’re just really
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good. For other players, it hasn’t worked out as well. But fatherhood is a positive thing—and tennis not being your priority can help. It lends perspective when you have a bad loss or bad practice. The outcome of a match is not everything, but I want my daughter to be proud of her dad when she grows up and sees what I did. I hope it works out in a positive way on the court, but if it doesn’t, it’s not the end of the world.� It helps that Djokovic is far and above the best player in the world, so who knows if there is a direct correlation between the two. But that being said, having a child can offer a new perspective both on life and on your career, as Murray admits, which may open the door to a more relaxed and focused Murray. “I hope you will experience a feeling like no other as that is what happened for me and my wife,� Djokovic told Murray after the Aussie Open final. Whether or not Murray will ever reach Djokovic’s level or stack up more Grand Slam titles remains to be seen, but we will
most likely see a different Andy Murray going forward. But being the feisty competitor he is, Murray’s immediate goal will be to lead his fellow Britons in their Davis Cup title defense. “Nobody can underestimate his commitment,” said Smith. “Last year, he was absolutely immense. He was an incredible role model of how to fight for every point for your country.” And there is no denying Murray’s love for his nation and the pride he takes in competing and representing his nation. With his family life seemingly more stable than it was in the beginning of the season, Murray should be able to compete for Grand Slam titles yet again. What he was able to do in Melbourne with so much on his mind was nothing short of remarkable, as Smith notes: “It just shows you the quality he’s got mentally and emotionally to be able to go out there and still fight and compete against the best players in the world and reaching another final of a Grand Slam. He just keeps pushing boundaries.”
The Davis Cup will serve as a nice tune up for Murray, who hasn’t played since the Australian Open. This is a point in the season that has not always been kind to Murray, but with him taking a month off to decompress and then playing the Davis Cup, he will return to the ATP World Tour energized, refreshed
and ready to challenge for the top singles spot in the world. Brian Coleman is senior editor of New York Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by phone at (516) 409-4444, ext. 326 or e-mail BrianC@USPTennis.com.
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Call 914-907-0041 or E-mail BloomGilad@gmail.com NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2016 • New York Tennis Magazine
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At the Net With
aul Annacone was born and raised on the East End of Long Island before going on to carve out a decorated career in the sport of tennis. The Long Island native graduated from East Hampton High School before moving on to the University of Tennessee, where he would win the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Player of the Year in 1984. That same year, Annacone would advance to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. Following a successful playing career, Annacone would go on to coach some of the world’s top players, most notably all-time greats Pete Sampras and Roger Federer. Long Island Tennis Magazine recently sat down with Paul to talk about his Long Island roots, his coaching style and playing career, and much more.
P
Tell us about your Long Island upbringing. I was born in Southampton and raised in East Hampton. I grew up middleclass and both of my parents were educators. I loved the lifestyle and the quality of life out there in The Hamptons. I came along in the dark ages when there really wasn’t a lot of indoor clubs, so I moved to the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida for about three-and-a-half years to train. But I was fortunate enough to come back and graduate with my 16
Paul Annacone
friends at East Hampton High School. I loved growing up a Long Island kid, and I still spend a lot of time in New York and have a house out in The Hamptons. How did you first get involved with the sport? My parents started playing. Growing up in a middle-class home, they didn’t have a lot of extra money lying around for babysitters, so they would take my brother and I down to the public parks to play with them. When I was about six- or seven-years-old, I became pretty good and started enjoying the sport more and more. At the age of nine, I played my first Under-12 tournament, and my passion for the sport just took off from there. I always enjoyed it, and always loved the competition. I simply fell in love with the sport. You always have to go back to your parents. I had to make some tough decisions as a kid to pursue a dream and the Bollettieri Academy in Florida was the answer. My parents were always supportive and gave me the opportunity to pursue my dream. When did you have the moment of realization that you could play on the pro tour? I went to the University of Tennessee and my tennis career really began to take off, especially in my junior year when I made a really big jump. I had a
New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2016 • NYTennisMag.com
Pete Sampras with Coach Paul Annacone
great season, finishing as the number one collegiate player and went from the ranks of NCAA tennis to playing at Wimbledon. I ended up going to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, and that was my introduction to the pro circuit. In that junior year of college in 1984, I went from being a good college player to winning three qualifying rounds and four main draw rounds at Wimbledon. I ended up playing my childhood idol, Jimmy Connors, in the quarterfinals. He gave me a pretty good tennis lesson (62, 6-4, 6-2), but that’s when I realized I could compete on the professional level. Coming from that small-town mentality, it took me a while to grasp that, but that was a very big moment for me.
ATP world number three Roger Federer discusses match strategy with coach Paul Annacone When you were playing, did you ever think that coaching would be in your future? I always thought that I was a pretty expansive thinker. I tried to learn more beyond just what I needed to do, and sometimes, in an individual sport, that can be a challenge. As I went through my career,
I tried to be a sponge as often as possible. I helped a few players I knew on the tour informally, and I saw my athletic mortality coming as I had foot surgery, elbow surgery and ultimately, a herniated disc. I was interested in the game and helping other players, so that’s when the coaching aspect really started to intrigue me.
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How did your coaching relationship with Pete Sampras come about? I was fortunate to be put into an unfortunate situation. I knew Pete was a young kid on tour, and he traveled with continued on page 18
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NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2016 • New York Tennis Magazine
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at the net continued from page 17 his brother, just like I did with my brother, Steve, and we got to be friends. A few years later, his coach, Tim Gullikson, became very sick and I was asked to help Pete and try to make some good of a bad situation. My timeline as a player was winding down, so the timing worked out well. Tim was unbelievably gracious in helping me help Pete, and I was able to build a rapport with Pete. After Tim unfortunately lost his battle with cancer, I became Pete’s full-time coach. You would go on to coach another all-time great in Roger Federer. What similarities and what differences did you find between the two? Roger and Pete are two very different people. Both have similar goals of being as successful as possible, but did so in different ways. Roger is much more extroverted. He loves life and enjoys being a global citizen. He embraces the global environment and what comes from being an international superstar, whereas Pete was much more introverted and liked a small, controlled environment. All that mattered to Pete was being humble, professional and winning as many Grand Slams as he could. We had to use different tools to get the
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same message across. The most successful coaches are the ones who can get their message across to different personalities. It’s a great challenge, but also a fun one. Roger could sit around at great length talking about tennis. He liked watching a lot of film and could talk about different ways to get things accomplished, absorb a lot of information, and still go out and be super-focused. With Pete, he needed things much more clear and concise. We would go over four or five bullet points and then move on. He didn’t want a lot of extraneous conversation that could cloud his mission. The point was to get your message across to him in a clear and simplistic manner, then evaluate it afterwards and move on. As great of tennis players as they were and are, they were better people. That really helped me feel comfortable in dealing with people despite how successful they may be. You spent time as the head of USTA Player Development. How would you evaluate the current state of American tennis? Tennis has become such a global game, and I think in the U.S., we lose a
New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2016 • NYTennisMag.com
“The most successful coaches are the ones who can get their message across to different personalities. It’s a great challenge, but also a fun one.” —Paul Annacone
lot of our best athletes to other sports, such as baseball, basketball and football. It’s much more convenient and simple to play those sports in high school, and it makes tennis a bit more of an isolated sport. In the long-term, I think player development in the U.S. is more about focusing on participation numbers than development. The Player Development staff do a terrific job with their players, but the more people who play, the more likely you are going to have a deeper talent pool to work with. That being said, I think Patrick McEnroe did a terrific job in his role as head of USTA Player Development
over the last decade, just look at the current number of players on the pro tour who are progressing in both the men’s and women’s games. At the end of last year, there were approximately 14 American women in the top 100, with Serena obviously carrying the torch, but players like Madison Keys and Sloane Stephens are knocking on the door. On the men’s side, 10 U.S. players ages 20 or younger are currently inside the top 500. It may not sound like a lot but it’s significant. A lot of youngsters are starting their career arc as teenagers and that’s a great sign. Because the game has become so physical, I’d be shocked to see a teenager win a Grand Slam, but I do think we will see more players like Taylor Fritz, Jared Donaldson and Frances Tiafoe break into the top 50 quickly. On both the men’s and women’s tour, we’re going to have more players in the top 50 coming soon, and I think the signs are terrific right now.
You recently partnered with Oasis Day Camps. How did that partnership come about and what are the goals of the partnership? Oasis Day Camps reached out to me, and after they did, I read about them and started to learn what they had started back in 2000. The Oasis-Gold Coast partnership is one that really resonates with me. As a small-town, New York kid, it really hit close to home. The foundation of what they are trying to do is community-oriented and to give kids an opportunity to learn life lessons through sports. I think the processes, lessons and discipline you learn in tennis can help you no matter what you do in life, and it’s rewarding to be able to come back to the Tri-State Area where I grew up and help kids pursue their dreams and goals. Will you be on-site at the camps to coach tennis? Absolutely, and that was a big part of
the initial conversation. As excited as I was, I wasn’t going to do it if I wasn’t going to be there. I didn’t want to lend my name to it and just be there once. That’s not the goal. Clearly, I have a pretty full plate, but we have put together a nice blueprint so that I can have a significant impact on the campers, and also help the coaches teach the philosophy that I believe in. I want to be there to have an impact. Another piece of good news is that my brother Steve’s company, Annacone Tennis Management, will have a hands-on role and Steve will be the point person to push my philosophy and message when I am not there. Steve and I are going to educate the coaches who will be there every day about the message we want to get across. That way, the coaches are teaching the philosophies we have passed on, and the kids have the repetition, format and environment they need to succeed. We are very excited about this opportunity.
TENNIS ACADEMY GOLDCOASTSPORTSACADEMY
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The Dark Clouds of Gambling Forming Over the Court By Luke Jensen Welcome back to the Jensen Zone! I am writing for you, the tennis fan, that in over four decades of being involved with the sport of tennis, I have seen every side of the game. It has been an honor to be part of this glorious game that reveals every ounce of your soul when you commit everything into the fight to win. I have been part and witnessed some of the most historic matches and moments in tennis history: l Being a sparring partner in the U.S. Davis Cup failure in 1991 and victory in 1992 l Warming up Andre Agassi for the final of his Wimbledon title and first of eight majors in 1992 l Through massive injuries that blew me out of the game in 2003 l Covering the amazing Rafael NadalRoger Federer Wimbledon final in 2008 l The three-day John Isner marathon match at Wimbledon Today, after so many legendary moments in the sport, I write you about a moment in the history of the game that will define the next 100 years in professional tennis. I am talking about the match fixing scandal that has been only whispers up until this point, and now, has morphed into a fullblown firestorm. How the leaders of the pro game attack this issue will determine a pathway of transparency and full disclosure of the problem. I remember, as a player in the mid-1990s, 20
starting to hear rumors of tanked matches by players who were match fixing. This was the dawn of Internet gambling. While the world of tennis was coming up with a cellphone etiquette, there was a storm cloud forming in the form of betting on matches from around the world with just a click of the mouse. When the game moved into the mid2000s, rumors became very clear of match fixing and players were investigated. It seemed like the situation was random and under control. Then about seven years ago, global tennis found itself seeing spikes in certain matches, but also betting on individual sets, games and even points. We are at the point of the top being blown right off this alarming story that the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) has flagged numerous players at all levels of play including a Grand Slam champion! My firm belief is that tennis must grab this match fixing menace by the horns and squash any type of betting on individual points, games and sets. Any decent player can throw a point here or there by hitting shots just wide or long of the line. By surveying the betting lines and seeing spikes in wagering on one player that match should then be taken off the board and all bets on that specific match should be voided. What about the tennis players involved? This starts early on for these players moving up the minor leagues of the game when money is very tight. Even the smaller pro events are being bet upon. Once a player takes the action to match fix, that player will be in the pocket of a corrupted source. Imagine if that young player in three years makes it to the big time? Big stakes, big moments
New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2016 • NYTennisMag.com
“The game of professional tennis is at its defining moment. The moves the leadership of the sport make now must preserve the ethical integrity of the sport.” and big temptation will cloud the player who has been on the take in the past. The pro game must come down with lifetime bans for any players, coaches or staffers around the game if it is proven that they have been involved in this criminal business. This message must be absolute. The game of professional tennis is at its defining moment. The moves the leadership of the sport make now must preserve the ethical integrity of the sport. My heroes of the game have inspired me through their adrenaline and fire to be the very best at what they do. These elite athletes have the ability to find the most pressure-packed situations and conquer those moments. Pro tennis … get your act together and clean up this chemical spill of ethics for the generations of fans and champions to come. Born in Grayling, Mich., Luke Jensen’s resume includes 10 ATP Tour doubles titles and singles victories against Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Ivan Lendl, John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg and Jim Courier. Jensen and his brother, Murphy, won the 1993 French Open doubles title. Luke is currently director of tennis at Sea Island Tennis Center in Georgia. He may be reached by phone at (315) 443-3552 or e-mail lukejensen84@yahoo.com.
Ever Dreamt of Playing in a WTA Tournament? Dreams Can Come True!
litennis Long Island Tennis Magazine
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New York Tennis Magazine
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Long Island and New York Tennis Magazine’s
Empire State Open Wild Card Tournament Friday, April 8th - Sunday, April 10th Monday, April 11th (if needed) To register for the tournament go to Tennislink.USTA.com and enter Tournament ID # 100076416 Registration deadline is Sunday, April 3rd The winner of the tournament will be awarded a MAIN DRAW WILD CARD into the $125,000 WTA Tour Empire State Open. The runner up will be awarded a qualifying wild card into the Empire State Open. Held at Bethpage Park Tennis Center on their red clay courts Players must be 14 years of age or older NYTennisMag.com March/April 2016 • New York Tennis 21 Tournament Director Ricky Becker can• be contacted viaMagazine phone at 516-359-4843 or via email at rbecker06@yahoo.com
Let the Gamification Begin! By Whitney Kraft I remember not too many years ago, coaches and tennis teaching pros commiserating over the lack of growth in our sport and the recurring comment was: “Those darn video games are killing our sport and kids think they’re actually playing (exercising) these virtual games.” Well, kudos to the USTA who has launched the best-in-class system that will track the progress of 10 & Under junior players as they advance from the Orange Ball, to the Green Ball, and then to Yellow Ball competition. They are calling the system Youth Progression. Youth Progression, which should be a game-changer for youth tennis, was designed to create a greater experience for children beginning and developing in tennis competition. The pathway ensures young players, ages seven- to 10-years-old, will compete at appropriate levels of play as they progress through competitive stages based on age, participation and achievement. With the innovative concept of applying gamification principles to tennis, the sport can’t lose! Gamification is the concept of applying game mechanics and game design techniques to engage and motivate people to achieve their goals. The new system serves as a guide for coaches, parents and players to help ensure that kids ages 10 and under participate in events using the appropriate ball and court for their skill level. A child can advance to another level by earning the required amount of virtual participation stars and trophies. Players will have to collect a combination of 20 stars 22
USTA Eastern’s Youth Progression System where players can earn stars and trophies in Junior Team Tennis and Tournaments
Players can track their progress on Tennis Link’s “My Player” page where participants will see how many more stars and trophies they need to acquire to reach the next level
and/or trophies to advance to the next level. Players can collect stars for tournament participation, Junior Team Tennis participation and in some areas, Play Today participation. Additionally, players collect bonus trophies for winning a tournament and for reaching the final of a tournament. “We are excited that the USTA has made the technology that now allows the Eastern Section to move toward gamification,” said USTA Eastern’s Senior Director of Competition Julie Bliss-Beal. “This system will personalize the players’ progress through tournaments and Junior Team Tennis and, most importantly, reinforce the importance of playing on the right size court with the correct ball and equipment for their skill level and age. We will be launching the new system Sept. 1. For more information, please visit Eastern.USTA.com.”
Gamification has proven kids and adults alike love a challenge and progressions, but at the same time, appreciate do-overs and a non-threatening environment. Well, now tennis will provide the same, whereby the more kids play and the more they improve their skills, the more stars and trophies they earn enabling them to clear each level. This is where players are bitten by the tennis bug! Close matches with unpredictable outcomes, new experiences and friends.
New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2016 • NYTennisMag.com
Since 2007, Whitney Kraft has been the director of tennis at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y. and director of player operations for the U.S. Open. Previously, he was director of tennis for the City of Fort Lauderdale Park & Recreation Department (1998-2007).
Embracing the Challenge:
Dishonesty By Greg Chertok, M.Ed., CC-AASP In the spirit of exposing a group of high performance junior tennis players to “embraceable” challenges, I recently set up a good-natured exercise to see how they would react to a particular challenge often faced in matches: Dishonest calls. The activity was simple: I asked each member of the group in my session to take six shots (with a tennis ball) into a small can from about 12-feet away. At the end of the activity, the player with the most baskets would win. Winning simply meant bragging rights, as there was no material reward attached to this activity. However, there was one “actor” in the group. Seconds before the competition began, I received a fake “phone call” and told everyone I must leave the room, but to begin the game without me. In my absence, the “actor” was selected to shoot first, and was secretly instructed by me beforehand to be dishonest. The actor took six shots, but lied to me, in blatant fashion, about how many were actually made once I conveniently re-entered the room moments after the shots were taken. The actors performed marvelously–that is, there was no giggling or losing character during the act of perjury–and as anticipated, their acting affected the anger levels of many of the shooters next in line. The temptation is surely for the cheaters,
the immoral folk, to take us off our own road. While we’ve got control of the wheel, in those moments, it feels like we don’t. It feels like our focus, effort and attitude are no longer controllable qualities. But many players weren’t affected by the cheater, and took their own shots with full attention and relaxation. They stayed on track. It wasn’t easy for them, not in the least, but as they felt the temptation to sway off their road, they caught themselves. Their awareness of the anger rising–their own proverbial inner rumble strip–led them to make smart decisions about where to put their attention in that moment (on calming their bodies and minds, and not on the vin-
dictiveness that swelled within them). The commitment to play our best and give full effort is something that a cheater, or many of life’s other roadblocks, shouldn’t ever influence. That’s a challenge worth embracing. Greg Chertok, M.Ed., CC-AASP serves as director of Mental Training at CourtSense, a high performance junior tennis academy in Bogota, N.J., and at Magnus Potential, its fitness training affiliate. Greg has helped develop programs through which athletes work with professionals in fitness training, nutrition and mental training to enhance overall athletic and personal performance.
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USTA Metro Region Eastern Metro Region supports Delete Blood Cancer Credit all photos to Eric Vitale
The USTA Eastern Metro Region was happy to support the Delete Blood Cancer Second Annual “Game, Set, Match for Life” tennis event at Sportime Randall’s Island in February. Attendees helped raise enough funds to register more than 300 new potential bone marrow donors. Many thanks to all who supported, competed and attended. They could not have done it without you! For more information, visit DeleteBloodCancer.org.
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New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2016 • NYTennisMag.com
USTA Metro Region Metro Region at the USTA Eastern Annual Awards Dinner
USTA Eastern Metro Region Volunteer of the Year Barry Sonustun and USTA Eastern Community Service Award winner Bill Noonan with members of the Metro Region board
USTA Eastern Metro Region board members, volunteers and members from the local tennis community
Award winners from the Prospect Park Special Aces program: Winston Ramsay, Susan Campbell and Paul Campbell
Leslie J. Fitzgibbon Tennis Man of the Year Dante Brown (center) accepts his award
USTA Eastern Metro board member Jason Speirs (left), with Metro Region President Jackie Clark (right), receives the USPTA Tennis Pro of the Year Award
The George Seewagen Award winner Andre Sinclair smiles for a photo
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USTA Metro Region Metro Region awards four Junior Team Tennis Scholarships Over the summer, the USTA Eastern Metro Region board was proud to award four Metro Junior Team Tennis Scholarships. All applicants had to demonstrate academic success and strong leadership and character. They were required to write an essay on how playing USTA tennis has made an impact on their life and they had to get a recommendation from a teacher or a coach. Here are the winners of the Metro JTT Scholarships: Anu Alalade University at Buffalo l Major: Pharmacy “As both a tournament and a team tennis player in the USTA, more than anything else, the sport has taught me the values of teamwork, cooperation, civility, self-discipline, endurance, honesty and integrity. I have discovered that all of these are essential values promoted by the USTA. I have also learned how not to take anything too seriously, realizing that, in any competition and in life, there will always be winners and losers, but what matters most is the takeaway one obtains from losing, while enjoying winning when one is recorded. Furthermore, as a tennis player and a young coach who believes in giving back by teaching tennis to kids I currently volunteer at the tennis club that first introduced me to tennis, the Youth and Tennis Inc., where I coach children between ages four and 16 on Sundays, Tuesdays and Saturdays. I have also had the honor of teaching tennis strokes and donating balls and racquets to kids in my father’s native Nigeria, where I have traveled in my dad’s company, volunteering and helping to feed and care for kids in orphanages over the last two summers.” Amina Durkovic Stony Brook University l Major: Astronomy/Physics “USTA tennis will always remain an immense piece of who I am. All of the lessons that I learned playing USTA tennis taught me not just how to deal with life itself, but how to use a pivotal ideology of the scientific method: Using my mind for the better of myself, as well as my society. Tennis is so much more than a sport; playing at the USTA will always be a memory that I will hold dear to me. When I started playing Metro Junior Team tennis, I learned the true value of sportsmanship. I practiced match play along with amazing coaches. I am a stronger person for playing a sport at one of the most distinguished facilities in athletic history and am truly grateful for all of the opportunities I had. I will take the wisdom that I learned here and apply it to my future scientific practice as well as my individual growth for eternity. It was through the USTA where I began dreaming of becoming the next Serena Williams and winning Wimbledon. As I grew older, however, my life took an academic turn and I fell in love with astrophysics. Although quite different in scope, USTA tennis in particu26
lar is where I am applying the lessons that I learned for my growth as a future astrophysicist.” Zorriana Johnson Manhattan College l Major: Mechanical Engineering “Being an injured athlete was stressful, both mentally and physically. However, through the hardships I faced, I was able to appreciate my body as an athlete more. Moreover, through those six months, I matured into a more independent young woman because of the adversity I overcame. I am able to look back and not regret a single decision I made throughout the entire process. This experience has made me into a better athlete and a better person, because I never realized how much I took the life I lived and the activities I did for granted. However, after all the work I have done in order to get it back to 100 percent health, it seems that no matter how tedious my work will be, whether it’s for sports, college or life, I find myself to be at ease. In my opinion I have truly been like a roller-coaster ride. But as I look at all the mentors and coaches that have taught me for the past 12 years and the teammates I practice with, I am truly proud and blessed to be a part of something great. Each individual I have met at the programs has helped me to learn, grow and mature more into a better person and better athlete, and push me to aspire to become the best Zorriana Johnson possible. Through all of my experiences and the maturity I have acquired, I can honestly say that I never regret any moment in my life because these programs have taught me that each moment we have in life should be lived to the fullest.” Andreas Nolan University of Pennsylvania l Major: Psychology “The aforementioned collaborative and individual approaches to tennis have undoubtedly been instilled in me through playing as a part of the USTA, particularly through being a member of the Harlem Tree’ers in Junior Team Tennis (JTT). The team atmosphere provided an interactive forum for support and strategizing, while matches allowed for personal action. Through being a member of the team for three years, I’ve effectively learned the ability to balance group collaboration with individual competition in a way that transcends a tennis setting and instead impacts my life as a whole. Schoolwork necessitates the perfect combination of these two values, which was certainly developed through my participation in JTT. Since I plan to enter the field of education in the future, these skills prove even more vital, as a teacher or administrator must be able to facilitate discussions between students and peers, as well as lead lessons and projects. Ultimately, playing USTA tennis has taught me to love the challenge that comes with solving a problem with constantly changing variables, and has equipped me with the resilience to do so.”
New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2016 • NYTennisMag.com
World Team Tennis Returns to New York he 2016 Mylan World TeamTennis (WTT) season will have a fresh look this year, as six teams will compete for the King Trophy, including a new franchise based in New York City. The New York Empire has been announced by league officials and will play at the historic Forest Hills Stadium at The West Side Tennis Club in Queens, N.Y., former home of the US Open. Former world number one Andy Roddick will be one of the headliners for the NY Empire in their inaugural season. The team picked up the rights to Roddick in a recent transaction with the Orange County Breakers. The Empire also announced that ESPN commentator and former tour player Patrick McEnroe will serve as their coach. The Empire brings Mylan WTT back to New York for the first time since the New York Sportimes moved to San Diego after
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the 2013 season. The Sportimes played in the area from 2000-2013, winning one championship in 2005. The iconic New York Apples competed in the 1970s, where they won the title in 1976 (as the New York Sets) and again in 1977. Along with the return to the New York market, the 2016 season will include 45 hours of live match coverage on ESPN3 which highlights more than 250 hours of Mylan WTT matches and special programming airing on Tennis Channel, Comcast SportsNet, Altitude Sports, Mediacom and other regional sports networks. ESPN3 will broadcast one match daily and ESPN2 will also air one featured match broadcast. Building on the ESPN coverage, the league is also increasing its international broadcast reach. A season preview show and weekly highlight series will air internationally on five continents in more than 100 countries, including Eurosport, Eurosport Asia, Supersport, Gaora, FOX Sports Aus-
tralia, and WHY TV. Although the Mylan WTT season traditionally begins immediately following Wimbledon, the start of the season has moved to the end of July, during this action-packed Olympic summer. Each team will play 12 regular season matches (six home, six away) in 14 days. The regular season runs from July 31-Aug. 13, culminating with the top two teams advancing to the Mylan WTT Finals on Saturday, Aug. 27 in the New York City area. The six teams will build their rosters at the Mylan WTT Player Draft, scheduled for March 25 in Miami, during the Miami Open in Key Biscayne. The Kastles look to keep their dynasty intact in 2016. “As both a player and an owner I have always enjoyed all that encompasses Mylan WTT,” said Roddick. “To be able to play on the legendary courts at Forest Hills and be involved with a team in a city that I love, New York, will make this even more special.”
Doubles Boot Camp with Gigi Fernandez Friday, June 24 to Sunday, June 26 • 8-10 hours of on court instruction with supervised match play • 3+ hours of classroom lectures by Gigi • 3+ hours of health, fitness & nutrition lectures by Dr. Kovacs • All inclusive and VIP packages • Panel discussions, Q&A and more Special Guest: Dr. Mark Kovacs
A unique opportunity to learn the game of doubles from one of the best doubles players in the history of the game alongside one of the top health and fitness experts in the industry.
www.DoublesBootCamp.com NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2016 • New York Tennis Magazine
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Credit photo to STRINGERimage
First Grand Slam of 2016 Wraps Down Under A look back at the Australian Open BY BRIAN COLEMAN
he first major of 2016 came and went in Melbourne, but not without its fill of excitement. Germany’s Angelique Kerber shocked the world by defeating the top-seeded Serena Williams in the women’s final, and Novak Djokovic once again showed his dominance over the men’s tour, capturing yet another Grand Slam title. Here are some of the biggest takeaways and top moments from the 2016 Australian Open ...
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Kerber shocks Serena Last year, it was Roberta Vinci who took out a seemingly unbeatable Serena Williams at the U.S. Open, and this year, it was Angelique Kerber, who possesses a much different style of play than Vinci. Serena had looked incredibly dominant in her run up to the final, including a 6-0, 6-4 rout of Agnieszka Radwanska in the semifinals. But Kerber seemed to have destiny on her side. She faced a match point in the first round, and after coming back to win that, seemed to play loose the rest of the tournament to win the first Grand Slam title of her career.
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Djokovic’s dominance over Murray It is Novak Djokovic’s tennis world and everyone else is just living in it. The Serb once again demonstrated that in his two weeks in Melbourne, winning the sixth Australian Open title of his career. This time, it was second-ranked Andy Murray who fell victim to him in the finals for the fourth time. Djokovic also downed third-ranked Roger Federer in the semifinals, illustrating the gap between him and the rest of the field. He has won five of the last seven Grand Slams, and now sets his sights on the victories that still elude him in his career: The French Open title and Olympic Gold.
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Hingis/Mirza maintain doubles dominance
Martina Hingis’ last singles title at a Grand Slam came before the new millennium, a triumph at the 1999 Australian Open. But she has found a rebirth in her career on the doubles court with India’s Sania Mirza, and the two have formed quite a dominant duo. They captured the Australian Open title, the third straight major title for the pair.
Riverdale Tennis Center has coaches with the most experience and best reputation in NYC who will work together to help bring your game to next level. We offer after school programs and, for serious players, USTA and ITF tournament preparation. l Recreational Camp: 9:30am - 4:00pm (3 hours of Tennis and 2 hours of other sports and fun games) l High performance camp times: 9:30am - 4:00pm (4 hours of Tennis guaranteed with up to 4 kids per court plus 1 hour of fitness and down time at the swimming pool during breaks)
Each coach has over 20 years of experience working in the tennis industry. We focus on high quality instruction, working on technical foundation, tactics, strategy, fitness and mental training, directly on a court next to the student. We specialize on the individual approach, small groups and guarantee to get players to the next level.
Please call RTC 718-796-7400 l www.riverdaletennis.com Gilad Bloom 914-907-0041 l Garko-Fit 646-710-0552 l Arthur Bobko 646-228-1677 NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2016 • New York Tennis Magazine
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Raonic shows marked improvement Canada’s Milos Raonic reached the semifinals in Melbourne and was one set away from reaching the first Grand Slam final of his career. But a leg injury slowed him down and Andy Murray rallied to win in the semis and reach the finals. Despite that disappointment, Raonic still enjoyed a fantastic tournament. He entered the Aussie Open coming off a title in Sydney where he defeated Roger Federer in the finals and rode that momentum into Melbourne. Known as a big server, Raonic showed he could do more than just hit the ball hard, adding a formidable net game to show opponents that they just cannot sit
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back on the baseline against him. Still just 25-years-old, Raonic’s play in Australia indicates that he is not too far away from a Grand Slam title. Zhang’s return run Shuai Zhang entered the tournament as an after-thought for many. The 27-yearold qualifier had never won a Grand Slam main draw match entering the tournament and drew the secondseeded Simona Halep in the opening round. But Zhang put together a masterful run, upsetting Halep in straight sets, before going on to defeat Alize Cornet, Varvara Lepchenko and Madison Keys on her way to the quarterfinals. Not bad for someone who was on the verge of retirement.
New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2016 • NYTennisMag.com
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LI’s Rubin upsets the 18th-seeded Paire Long Island’s Noah Rubin made his Australian Open debut, and pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the tournament, beating 18thseeded Frenchman Benoit Paire in straight sets, 7-6, 7-6, 7-6. Rubin would fall in the next round, but his first round performance showed that he will be a threat on the tour soon. Brian Coleman is senior editor of New York Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by phone at (516) 409-4444, ext. 326 or e-mail BrianC@USPTennis.com.
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Distribution scheduled for 05/01/16
This edition will feature: • French Open Preview • Summer Tennis Preview • Boys High School Tennis Recap • Guide to New York’s Top Tennis Apparel Stores
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Don’t miss the advertising opportunities in the next edition of New York Tennis Magazine May/June 2016! Facebook-www.Facebook.com/NYTennisMag Instagram-@NYTennisMag • Twitter-@NYTennisMag Submissions for both advertisingNYTennisMag.com and editorial• are due by 1, 2016 March/April 2016April • New York Tennis Magazine 31 For more information, please call 516-409-4444 or e-mail Advertise@NYTennisMag.com
Best Lights
Century Tennis
100 Park Drive l Troy, Mich. (800) 545-2928 Info@BestLights.com l BestLights.com Best Lights Triangular LED 630-watt indirect series for indoor tennis facilities and air structures is saving clients 50 percent on energy bills, with up to 50 percent increased light levels on the courts. Through the use of Best Lights’ proprietary reflector design, the company is able to produce more light using less wattage, unlike other manufactures that reduce electric bills while reducing light levels. Best Lights’ patented Triangular LED design has superior stability and light performance, while protecting the LEDs from bugs and dust collecting on top. This design also allows for the elimination of the need for lenses, which reduces light output by 20 percent. Best Lights reflectors magnify and reflect the light out of the luminaire at specific angles, with the intensity to reflect light off the ceiling, producing superior light levels at the playing surface. This design also eliminates having to add and wire many additional luminaires that create hot spots or hot lines seen on the ceilings in other designs. The silent dimmable electronic drivers inside the luminaire. When retrofitting an existing facility, Best Lights utilizes the existing wiring and attachment points, and installation is simple and easy. Best Lights’ 630-watt Triangular LED Indirect Series produces more light than a brand new 1,000-watt HID lamp in existing fixtures. With a 60,000-hour life, Best Lights’ luminaires can last 20 years. Also available are wireless dimming controls. The lights pay for themselves, with reduced energy costs, while increasing light levels—a plus for any club. Utility rebates and financing are available in most states.
56 Brook Avenue l Deer Park, N.Y. (631) 242-022 CenturyTennis.com Since 1965, Century Tennis has been dedicated to the growing sport of tennis by building quality tennis courts and providing a specialized service to the tennis club industry, as well as the private community. By maintaining a high-quality of service and customer satisfaction over the years comes a trust that is ever so hard to attain.
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New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2016 • NYTennisMag.com
“We simply want to be the best at what we do.” In order to build great tennis courts, you have to start at the bottom with an understanding of soil conditions and converting it to a good base. Laser-controlled road graders enable Century Tennis to build with accuracy. Building Post-Tensioned Concrete instead of the old asphalt type courts are proving to be a great alternative for “crack-free” tennis courts. Whether it is a hard court with the softness of Deco-Turf or Classic Turf Rubber or whether it is a soft court like Har-tru or Hydro Court, or a surface that offers a little of both like Nova Synthetic Turfs, Century Tennis can deliver. The company is a member of the American Sports Builders Association (ASBA), Better Business Bureau (BBB) and the Long Island Builders Institute (LIBI). Century Tennis’ building techniques meet and or exceed those of the ASBA and the USTA and with its “Certified Tennis Court Builder” staff assures this quality. The company’s intention is to deliver the very best tennis courts for the most demanding players and tennis club owners. “Expanding the game of tennis, one court at a time.”
The Farley GroupAir-Supported Structures 6 Kerr Crescent Puslinch, Ontario, Canada (888) 445-3223 TheFarleyGroup.com The Farley Group has installed more than 20 tennis bubbles in the New York City and Long Island areas, helping tennis facilities extend their season into the winter months. For seasonal or permanently installed tennis bubbles, The Farley Group is your number one source for quality, service and dependability. As a manufacturer, supplier, installer and service provider of air-supported structures, The Farley Group works with you from conception to implementation and beyond. The company’s philosophy is built around the belief that a customer never leaves The Farley Group—from project planning and installation to ongoing service and maintenance, we become a trusted member of your team. The company’s expert staff of sales consultants, designers and highly-skilled production and service professionals are well-experienced in all facets of air structure technology, ready to help you through every phase of your tennis bubble project.
Har-Tru Sports 2200 Old Ivy Road, Suite 100 Charlottesville, Va. (877) 442-7878 HarTru.com The first Har-Tru court was constructed in Hagerstown, Md. in 1932 and the brand was born. Har-Tru is consistent, timeless and intimately acquainted with some of the greatest moments in the history of the game. More than 88 percent of the world’s champions learned to play on clay. Har-Tru Sports is a global sports company with its roots in the tennis industry. The company’s expertise in tennis includes more than 200 years of collective experience on its team. Based in Charlottesville, Va., Har-Tru is the leading provider of clay courts, court consultation, court accessories and maintenance equipment in the tennis industry. Har-Tru helps develop champions, but we don’t stop at clay. Har-Tru Sports are champions of the sport of tennis wherever it is played. The company’s court equipment and accessories are made with the same integrity that it’s been famous for since it began 85 years ago. The goal of Har-Tru Sports is to increase the quality of the game and the enjoyment of playing it. Building on the company’s unique experience, it works to create an exceptional future for the sport you love. Har-Tru Sports is here to make your game the best it can be every time you set foot on a court. For more information about Har-Tru Sports, visit HarTru.com.
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Lux-Craft Inc.
MBR Builders
101 Bloomingdale Road Hicksville N.Y. (718) 934-3600 LuxCrafters@Gmail.com l LuxCrafters.com Since 2010, Lux-Craft Inc. has been involved in research and development of the newest LED technologies for sport facilities. In 2013 as a leader in the field, first ever 100 percent LED system was installed at Robbie Wagner Tennis Academy. Today, through hard work and dedication Lux-Craft Inc. is the only company who is able to deliver indirect LED lighting manufactured in the USA with direct replacement capability of old HID systems. LED systems outperforms old 1000-watt HID systems by delivering crisp and clear lighting, while reducing electricity cost by as much as 70 percent. By utilizing the latest technologies with years of research and development, Lux-Craft Inc. manufactures high-intensity light products, designed for industrial and commercial applications. Currently, the company has a line of lighting products for indoor and outdoor applications. Lux-Craft Inc. is also the first to introduce an outdoor indirect light fixture. The new outdoor fixture minimizes the glare and provides bright daylike lighting.
Contact: John Conti (888) 852-0223 MBRBuilders.com MBR Builders is a nationwide expert in all facets of construction and renovations of metal buildings for the indoor tennis market. With more than 50 years of combined experience of their highly qualified staff, MBR offers a full range of services for your tennis club. Besides being a Certified Butler Builder for new construction and re-roofing systems, MBR Builders also works closely with their clientele to provide easy and cost-efficient ways to lower operating costs of their existing buildings. With a multitude of high quality insulation and lighting systems, MBR Builders can match your individual club needs to the perfect energy-efficient system for your facility. MBR’s offers LED lighting systems, such as The Watt Slayer Series, which have been extremely successful in reducing energy consumption, while giving their clientele the light levels they desire. MBR Builders also offers a quality line of indoor tennis accessories, including custom backdrop curtains and divider nets. Check out MBR’s Web site at MBRBuilders.com to learn more about their services or request a free estimate. MBR’s services include: New construction, re-roofing, interior ceiling systems, lighting systems, curtains and wire work, and tennis accessories. Take that first step to the exceptional tennis facility of your dreams!
Outdoor Living FX
Velvetop Products
Mt. Sinai, N.Y. (631) 882-1932 OutdoorLivingFX.com
1455 New York Avenue Huntington Station, N.Y. (631) 427-5904 Velvetop.com
How do you have fun? For more than 20 years, Outdoor Living FX’s talented staff has transformed the landscape of many Long Island homes. Whether you enjoy spending hours with friends on your multi-purpose game court, practicing your short game on your own putting green or entertaining around your outdoor living space, let Outdoor Living FX’s creative design team build it for you! Outdoor Living FX specializes in: l l l l
Extreme Waterfalls/Grottos/Slides Multi-Purpose Courts Outdoor Kitchens/Fireplaces/Pizza Ovens Adventure-Themed Landscapes
Velvetop Products is a family-owned and operated business since 1968. We are a stocking distributor of a full line of tennis court materials and equipment.
Our brands include: l l l l l l
Deco Turf: Cushioned Tennis Surface of Champions Har-Tru: Developing Champions Since 1932 Douglas Sports: Nets, Windscreens, Divider Nets RiteWay Crack Repair Systems Deep Root: Tree Root Barriers Hadeka Red Clay For more information, call (631) 427-5904, e-mail BWalsh@Velvetop.com or visit Velvetop.com.
Call today to schedule your transformation at (631) 882-1932.
NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2016 • New York Tennis Magazine
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Empire State Open Brings WTA Tennis to New York he inaugural Empire State Open is bringing professional tennis back to New York, with the nine-day tournament set to run from Saturday-Sunday, May 7-15 at Hempstead Lake State Park in West Hempstead, N.Y. The qualifying tournament will be played from Saturday-Tuesday, May 7-9, with the main draw beginning Monday, May 9 and will be played through May 15. From Monday-Friday, May 9-13, the main draw matches will begin at 10:00 a.m., with the featured match of the night on Centre Court starting after 5:00 p.m. For more information on the tournament, the schedule and the various ticket options and VIP Packages offered, visit EmpireStateOpen.com. The event is sure to be the professional sports highlight of the spring in New York. It will bring to our area some of the WTA’s best and brightest stars to compete in this red clay, WTA 125K tournament that will serve as a tune up for the 2016 French Open. “Both the players and fans are looking forward to professional tennis returning to Long
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Island,” said Empire State Open Tournament Director Tony Driscoll. “We have world-class amenities and accommodations for our players and are setting up the ultimate fan experience for our patrons. I personally am excited to have this event take place in New York.” The tournament will bring a combination of local and international talent to New York. The following players have signed on to play the Empire State Open as we went to press: 93rd-ranked Naomi Broady, who recently defeated Ana Ivanovic in January at the ASB Classic in Auckland; 189th-ranked Olga Savchuk; 190th-ranked Barbora Krejcikova; 215th-ranked CiCi Bellis; 227thranked Grace Min; 330th-ranked Jamie Loeb, a local who trains out of Sportime Randall’s Island; and 525th-ranked local Alexa Graham from Garden City, N.Y. “I’m so excited to accept the main draw wild card into the Empire State Open and to be able to play in the backyard where I grew up,” said Graham. “I’m so happy to have the WTA Tour come back to this area.” Hard courts are where Bellis has shined,
New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2016 • NYTennisMag.com
first as the winner of the Girls 18s National Championship, her ticket to the 2014 U.S. Open where she went toe-to-toe with Dominika Cibulkova, the number 12 seed, in a 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 victory that captured the imagination of a country starved for a young tennis hopeful. The final draw acceptance will not be available until three weeks prior to the tournament, when the Main Draw is announced and all players at that time will be accepted by the tournament and will be committed to play. New York Tennis Magazine and the Empire State Open are also giving more of the area’s top talent a chance to shine and fulfill a dream of playing in a WTA tournament with the Wild Card tournament, which will run from Friday-Monday, April 8-11 at Bethpage Park Tennis Center. The winner of this will earn a wild card entry into the Empire State Open main draw, and the runner-up will earn a wild card into the Empire State Open qualifying draw. You can sign up for the wild card tournament at TennisLink.usta.com under Tournament ID: 100076416.
CiCi Bellis
Naomi Broady
In addition to the top-level tennis that will be coming to the area for the WTA portion of the Empire State Open, there will be two high-level tournaments for current and former college players. The Men’s Invitational will be held Thursday-Sunday, May 12-15, and will feature 16 former Division I all-American players, former ATP players, as well as high-performance coaches and instructors. The final of this singles only, prize-money tournament will be played on the Main Stadium Court. Also from May 12-15, there will be the Elite 16 Collegiate Shootout, which will feature 16 current Division I and elite Division II women’s players, with the finals to be played on the Main Stadium Court as well. The Empire State Open is welcoming recommendations of players to participate in both of these tournaments, and to do so, reach out to Info@EmpireStateOpen.com
Alexa Graham
or call (516) 208-3804. Tennis won’t be the only thing for fans to enjoy. On the first day of the qualifying tournament, May 7, there will be a Kentucky Derby Party. New York Equestrian Center will be on hand to give free pony rides to kids and a former jockey will serve as celebrity bartender for the day. There will also be a bonnet contest as a part of the equine festivities, and this event is open to anyone with a ticket. On the first day of the main draw, Garden City Hotel will be the host of the Player’s Party. The stars of the WTA will be on hand and this event will give partygoers the opportunity to meet and mingle with the players. The cost of the event is $100 per person and features food and an open bar. You can purchase tickets for the Player’s Party at EmpireStateOpen.com/Tickets. The Garden City Hotel is also offering numerous special offers
Jamie Loeb and packages for fans and attendees of the tournament, including a Red Door “Stay and Spa” package when you stay at the hotel during the tournament’s semifinals and final. The tournament’s amenities and grounds are sure to impress with renovated courts and facilities which will give the Empire State Open a big-time tournament feel. Stadium 1 will hold more than 3,500 fans, and offer courtside dining, as well as an indoor and outdoor Ultra VIP Lounge. Stadium 2 will also have its own VIP Lounge and a variety of dining, vending and concession options available throughout the grounds. The Empire State Open is bringing top tier professional tennis back to Long Island, and is a great chance for local players and fans to experience this opportunity. With an array of tennis, parties and events, this tournament is sure to be the highlight of the tennis lover’s spring here in New York.
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Current world number 215 Noah Rubin
Credit photo to Keith Kowlasky
Junior Players Get the Opportunity to Showcase Talents to Top College Coaches John McEnroe Tennis Academy raises its college placement game rom his years on the ATP Tour winning 17 Grand Slam titles, spending 170 weeks as world number one and challenging the status quo, to his current roles as commentator, elder statesman and founder and leader of the John McEnroe Tennis Academy (JMTA), John McEnroe’s impact on the sport of tennis has been profound and ongoing, more than 30 years after his retirement from the sport. His trademark mantra, “You cannot be serious?” that was once aimed at chair umpires has become a battle cry about the state of American tennis. McEnroe is serious, very serious, about seeing the game of tennis return to its glory days, when American players, both men and women, were hoisting Grand Slam trophies with regularity and the “tennis boom” was in full swing. To this end, he spends countless hours on the court at JMTA, with its flagship location at Sportime Randall’s Island in his hometown of New York City. McEnroe created JMTA in partnership with Sportime in 2010, and he can be found at the facility daily, coaching, teaching, mentoring and sharing personal insights about his journey from junior tennis, to college at Stanford, to his life at the top of the pro tour, to his life as a fellow New Yorker.
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“I am very happy to have been able to establish my Academy in NYC, my home and the greatest city in the world, and to have a hand, I hope, in creating the next generation of great American players,” said McEnroe. “My view, and what I share with my JMTA students, is that in today’s game, players tend to peak later, after gaining strength, maturity and experience, both as individuals and as athletes, and that one of the best places to develop those qualities, and to prepare for the rigors and challenges of pro tennis, is in a great college program. Not to mention the value of getting an education.” The John McEnroe Tennis Academy’s success in producing a consistent stream of top collegiate talent has become one of its hallmarks. Since 2010, many JMTA players have earned scholarships to top colleges and universities across the nation in various conferences and in all three NCAA Divisions, from Wake Forest, to LSU, to Harvard, to Boston University, to Princeton, to the University of North Carolina … and the list goes on. This includes more than 10 members of the JMTA Class of 2015, and members of the JMTA Class of 2016 who have already been recruited. Current JMTA pro tour players, including ATP number 215 and 2014 Junior Wimble-
New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2016 • NYTennisMag.com
don Champion Noah Rubin, and WTA top 300 and 2015 NCAA singles champion Jamie Loeb, attended Wake Forest University and the University of North Carolina, respectively, on full scholarships, before turning pro. Their coveted scholarships allow them to return to school at any time to complete their education. To build upon its college placement success, and to support JMTA students and other talented players in the greater New York area and beyond, JMTA is launching the inaugural John McEnroe Tennis Academy College Recruiting Combine, which will be held the weekend of June 18-19 at Sportime Randall’s Island. Jay Harris, former Men’s Varsity Tennis Coach at Brown University, and current general manager of Sportime Roslyn and director of the Sportime/JMTA College Recruiting Combine, sees this as the perfect fit for JMTA brand. “The college recruiting scene is more intense than ever before, which means that coaches want to sign recruits earlier in the process,” said Harris. “To ‘win’ in this process, junior tennis players need professional advising and effective exposure opportunities to as many college coaches as possible. Our goal at Sportime and JMTA is to make the JMTA College Combine the
Ossining, N.Y. native Jamie Loeb was the 2015 NCAA singles champion for Wake Forest University
Credit photo to Adam Wolfthal
very best college recruiting weekend experience of the year, for our players, for other talented players from the New York area and beyond, and for college coaches.” Rising sophomores, juniors and seniors will have the opportunity to showcase their technical and tactical tennis talents, their fitness capabilities and their mental toughness in front of coaches from Baylor, Harvard, Wake Forest, Penn State, Amherst and many other top programs. Players will compete in singles and doubles match play throughout both days.
Match results will be tracked and will count toward players’ Universal Tennis Ratings. Players will also receive athletic performance assessments, mental toughness assessments, and will have a half-hour of their match play recorded and analyzed by Tennis Analytics. An integrated recruiting package for each Combine participant will be compiled and made available, digitally, to both the participants and the coaches, at the touch of a button. The announcement of the inaugural John McEnroe Tennis Academy College Recruit-
ing Combine has coaches weighing in enthusiastically. “I cannot wait to attend this new, innovative and exciting showcase,” said Colgate University Coach Bobby Pennington. “In my 10 years at Colgate, I have been to many camps and showcases. However, the focus on fitness and mental toughness are two critical components of college tennis.” To apply to participate or for more information about The John McEnroe Tennis Academy College Recruiting Combine, visit SportimeNY.com/JMTACombine.
w www.hartru.com ww.hartru.com
NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2016 • New York Tennis Magazine
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Building Your Resume as a Coach: Part One Compounding coaching experience pays dividends By Gilad Bloom t recently hit me that I have been teaching tennis for more than 20 years. I have now taught tennis for more years than I have played the sport competitively, and I had a relatively long career. I am a totally different coach than I was 20 years ago. I did go through the ATP University and got various other certifications over the years, but it is clear to me that the most important asset of a coach, experience, can’t be taught. Instructing hundreds of kids and adults over the years has taught me more than any course or article would have taught me. Each student I worked with added another layer to my body of work and made me a better coach. By now, I have developed a style of teaching that is a summation of all the experiences that I have had. Over the next two editions, I will attempt to put into words the top 10 things that I learned as a coach in the past 20 years.
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1. Don’t try to compare your students to you When I left the pro tour and went into coaching, I was very intense and tried to project that intensity onto my students. When they didn’t meet my expectations, I 40
was often frustrated and disappointed. I couldn’t understand why they didn’t work as hard as I used to work or progress at the same pace I did. I also would not tolerate a lack of total commitment. In time, I realized that each kid has their own path of improvement. Some are more talented than others and not all kids have the desire to be number one in the world like I did when I was a kid. Some kids just want to learn the game, enjoy it and do other things as well. I learned to adjust my expectations according to the student’s level of intensity and talent. Doing this helped me achieve better results, and more importantly, forge a better relationship with the student. 2. Develop a personal relationship with students This can get difficult if you are running a big program, but I always tried to have a personal relationship with the student. I always ask them about their hobbies or talk to them about other sports or what type of music they like, etc. I am a pretty strict coach during lessons, but other than that, I am pretty relaxed and find that when they see the lighter side of me, it helps them relate to me as a human. As a result, they feel comfortable when I push them to the limit during drills because it can get pretty intense on the practice courts. By engaging with the kids on a personal level, I give
New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2016 • NYTennisMag.com
them a feeling that I am not just a coach, but also a friend and someone who cares. 3. Don’t get dogmatic in your style of teaching When I was growing up, my coaches were using the Continental Grip and playing with wood rackets. The strategy of the game was totally different back then, and so was the approach and technique. When I became a coach, I started teaching kids the way that I was brought up, which was an all-court game, waiting patiently for the short ball and coming to the net a lot. But the game changed quickly and when my students started to travel and compete in Europe, I realized that with the advent of the sport’s new equipment, the style of game has completely changed. Kids at the ages of 12 and 14 are blasting winners from all areas of the court. They play very aggressively and nobody comes to the net. I had to make some major adjustments to the way that I coached. Some things are still the same, but reality dictated that I had to prioritize certain shots over others. To keep up with the constant changes in the game, I make sure that I follow the pro game, read relevant articles and attend the U.S. Open every year so I can see with my own eyes what the top players are doing. I often go the U.S. Open just to watch the practice courts rather than the actual matches in hope to “steal” some
new drills from the pros on tour. I also keep a strong dialogue open with other coaches in the U.S. and worldwide. 4. Ask questions and always say things in a positive manner The old school teaching methods of terrorizing students and turning the sessions into a mini “boot camp” are a thing of the past. Today’s generation is much more responsive to an interactive way of teaching. When I want to make a correction, instead of telling the kid, “You should have hit this shot down the line,” I’ll ask them, “What would you do differently if you had to play the same shot again?” By asking a question, I am making the student use their brain to come up with the right answer and to understand their mistake. Furthermore, when kids underperform, I will make an effort to analyze them in a constructive manner rather than put them down. If a kid is being lazy, I would simply ask them to rate their own effort and see if simple reverse psychology works. If the student is still not putting up the effort they are capable of, I will simply say, “You can
do better than that.” I always try to send kids home with a smile on their face, no matter how bad the lesson may have been. After all, it is just a game and there is no reason to lose perspective. They are kids and deserve the right to not be perfect all the time. I appeal to their sense of self-respect and they come back with a better attitude the next time. 5. Stick to your own principles This is one of the hardest things to do as a coach because we need to pay bills and most of us don’t want to and cannot afford to lose students. However, I found that if you stick to your guns, you will create a reputation that will bring you more students. I’m talking about parents who try to be overinvolved in the lessons, or kids who are spoiled, disrespectful and undisciplined. We have all experienced these situations as pros, but how do we handle it? With me, it is very clear … I don’t tolerate parents dictating lessons. Why are they paying me if they are telling me how to coach their kid? Of course the parents deserve a full report and transparency, I don’t even mind if they
sit on the court. But as a coach, I should have autonomy to teach the child the way I see fit to do so. I feel that it is the role of the pro to find a way to bring the kid to make an effort and push themselves. I try to adjust myself to the child’s mental and physical ability. I find that most kids like to be treated with respect and challenged. I challenge my students to improve by giving them achievable goals and gradually increasing the work load. Once the student sees the correlation between effort and improved results, my job as a coach becomes much easier. The trick is to bring it out of them without them even noticing it. Gilad Bloom is a former ATP touring professional who, at his peak, was ranked 61st in singles and 62nd in doubles in the world. Five times an Israel’s Men’s Champion, three times in singles and twice in doubles, Gilad is currently the director of tennis at The Club of Riverdale. He was the director of tennis at John McEnroe Tennis Academy for two years, and before, that ran Gilad Bloom Tennis for nine years. He may be reached by phone at (914) 907-0041 or e-mail Bloom.Gilad@gmail.com.
NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2016 • New York Tennis Magazine
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Little League Tennis By Michele Byrne A few years ago, I attended a seminar where Patrick McEnroe, director of USTA Player Development at the time, spoke about the future of tennis in the United States. He spoke of the demise of tennis as a youth sport and asked why there wasn’t something like Little League in our sport. The crowd, filled with teaching pros, groaned in response, “There is!” But if the director of Player Development for USTA wasn’t aware of Junior Team Tennis (JTT), how can we expect the general tennis public to know about it? What JTT means to a player JTT is a way to get children entering the competitive pathway involved in playing the sport, not just by going to lessons and working on technique. Players are put on teams and are matched up against opponents based on gender and age. Team wins are based on the total amount of games won. As a result, players learn not to give up and that even one game may mean the difference between a team’s win or loss. There are leagues starting from age six all the way to 18 & Under. How many times have you entered your child into a tournament only to meet up with the number one seed in the first round? JTT offers competition for beginner, intermediate and the most advanced tournament players, which means fair play. 42
While most sports like football and soccer allow coaches on the field to motivate and support, tennis leaves our youngest players to deal with pressure on their own. JTT allows coaches and teammates to sit courtside, so your child isn’t out on the court alone, but coached and applauded by teammates. JTT also promotes having volunteer court monitors assisting our youngest players in court positioning, scoring and basic rules. Competition for JTT is local, usually no more than 30 minutes away from your home club, and matches are no more than two hours a day, one day a weekend. A player signing up for a team can play one time a month or every weekend. Like Little League, youth soccer and football, parents are recruited to act as team managers. No prior tennis playing experience is required, just organization and a desire to be a part of your child’s tennis journey. Tennis can be a lonely sport. But with JTT, you can lose your match and still walk away a winner. Tennis is now not so lonely because you are part of a team. At the end of the local season, JTT offers a championship playoff. Teams travel together to compete against other teams from their Region and can advance to a Sectional and even perhaps a National Championship. This is the highlight of the season for some teams. The whole family gets involved in the competition, making banners, coordinating picnics and other off-court activities.
New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2016 • NYTennisMag.com
JTT teams can advance to championships or the league can stay local. There are even programs running that piggyback instruction with competitive team play. How does Junior Team Tennis benefit the professional instructor? About 10 years ago, I had just started working at a new club. One of the other pros at the club asked me if I would be interested in volunteering to manage a JTT team. My first thought was: Volunteer? I am a tennis pro and people need to pay for my time! But on the other hand, my students were only taking tennis lessons once a week and never playing matches. So I decided to give it a try. What happened next was something I never expected. Junior Team Tennis brought breathe to a good program and made it great! Players who were taking clinics once a week now were registering for two times a week and asking their parents to schedule private lessons. To find a local JTT program, a parent will sometimes contact the local USTA service rep or a JTT coordinator. They will supply a list of teams that offer Junior Team Tennis in the player’s area. When a parent called my club asking about JTT, I would schedule evaluations during clinic times and next thing you know, “Voila! New players for our program!” But what about the volunteer part? Now I was so busy, how was I to handle managing a team? That’s where the team man-
ager/volunteer parent part comes in. Take advantage of that “helicopter parent” who is always hovering around. They are dying to become involved in their child’s development. I am always there to help assist in recruiting new players for the team or to find a substitute player, but the team manager/team parent is the one who accompanies the team to away matches and communicating scheduling with the other team parents. What JTT means for the provider To help players learn to play doubles and work on strategy, I decided to start scheduling team practices. Team practices are now a great source of income not only for me, but my club. Team practices and JTT matches help to fill court inventory that might otherwise go unsold. JTT contracts to use courts for the entire season. In the fall and spring when adult players are still playing outdoors? No problem … JTT is filling courts every weekend. JTT doesn’t take away court time, it fills those courts that are the hardest to sell like on a Saturday
evening. JTT only requires a minimum of two courts, for two hours per week, per home team. And during the summer months, JTT was an additional program offered by the club to enhance programming. After training, we would visit other clubs and compete. Sometimes, the kids got to go swimming at the clubs they visited and started socializing with their opponents. As a result, when travelling to tournaments far away from their local club, they ran into friends instead of a stranger across the net. What about the fact that JTT will promote my players travelling to other clubs? Won’t other clubs “steal” my players? In fact, more often than not, Junior Team Tennis kept players at my club because they didn’t want to leave their teammates who they had built a bond with. I found that Junior Team Tennis took that tennis player who was just trying the sport to a whole new level. Maybe JTT doesn’t have all the answers. But I personally have worn all three hats that I speak of, including a team parent,
and JTT has given a place for my children and students to compete on a weekly basis, make friends and learn to love the sport. JTT has helped me increase my business, and maintain and bring new clients to my facility. Tennis, unlike other sports, allows your child to play every point. No longer are they put in the outfield or sitting on the bench when the other kids are competing. JTT doesn’t just send your kid to a lesson, it gets them in the game! For more information about Junior Team Tennis, contact your local USTA service rep or visit Eastern.USTA.com. Michele Byrne is a PTR certified professional with more than 25 years of experience teaching tennis specializing in 10 & Under Tennis. She is currently working at Centercourt Athletic Club in Chatham, N.J. as the Orange Ball Program Manager with more than 200 training in the Orange Ball Program. She also volunteers on the USTA NJ executive board, as well as serving as the volunteer chair for USTA Eastern Junior Team Tennis Committee.
Centercourt Performance Tennis Academy (CPTA) is a one of a kind facility dedicated to the development and performance of tennis players. CPTA features eleven hard courts, one red clay court, a state-of-the-art strength and conditioning center, an indoor turf field and an academic center. Our mission is to help every student-athlete realize his or her potential athletically and academically. Our players respect the game, their peers, parents, and coaches. Our curriculum features comprehensive tennis instruction as well as physical and mental conditioning. CPTA offers both full-time and after-school programs 7 days per week with tournament coaching and travel. Both programs have rolling admissions from September 9, 2015 to June 21, 2016. CPTA also offers an 11-week summer training camp, with van shuttle transportation available for players located in the New York area. Contact us to schedule an appointment and discover the place championships come to train!
Centercourt Performance Tennis Academy 65 Columbia Road, Morristown, NJ www.CentercourtAcademy.com
Contact Clay Bibbee: clay@centercourtclub.com NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2016 • New York Tennis Magazine
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River that’s just a short tram or F-Train ride away. Choose separate or consecutive weeks, and receive a discount for multiple weeks. Of course, snacks and lunch are included and we offer the option of daily transportation, too. We’re here to help make this the best summer ever for your camper, and for you.
Advantage Day Camps at Roosevelt Island Racquet Club 281 Main Street Roosevelt Island, N.Y. All-City Junior Tennis and Sports & Arts: (212) 935-0250 AdvantageCamps.net Advantage Day Camps offer more choices, more facilities and more satisfaction for campers. Advantage delivers just the right amount of tennis, sports and arts for everyone. For lots of tennis plus optional sports and arts, choose All-City Junior Tennis. Directed by Xavier Luna, it’s the City’s oldest and most-established junior tennis program. Every day, campers ages six through 17 receive three to six hours of expert instruction, practice and play on 12 HarTru indoor courts and three outdoor hard courts. They also enjoy swimming at an adjacent indoor pool, and field sports just a short walk from the Club. For lots of sports and arts plus tennis, choose Sports & Arts. Boys and girls ages five through 14 play about an hour of tennis a day, plus basketball, soccer and swimming—and there’s a daily art program, featuring acclaimed artist Bonnie Lane. Campers look forward to workshops in kite making, shadow puppets, origami and more, plus weekly “art events.” Both camps take place at Roosevelt Island Racquet Club—an oasis in the East
Advantage Sports & Arts Camp at Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club 450 West 43rd Street New York, N.Y. AdvantageCamps.net For lots of action and adventure, choose Advantage Sports & Arts Camp at Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club. In the heart of midtown Manhattan, boys and girls ages four through 12 enjoy a wide array of sports including tennis, swimming and rock wall climbing, plus new activities for 2016. Advantage has added art classes, crafts and indoor sports—even the option of a “field trip” each week. Choose half-days or full days, Monday through Friday at Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club and the Beacon School, directly across the street. You can opt for a single week or select multiple weeks at a discount. This Advantage Day Camp offers a stimulating, confidence-building experience—and an unbeatable summer.
Centercourt Performance Tennis Academy 65 Columbia Road Morristown, N.J. (973) 539-2054 CentercourtAcademy.com Contact: Clay Bibbee at Clay@CentercourtClub.com A commitment to excellence! Centercourt Performance Tennis Academy has quickly earned the reputation as one of the sport’s premier destination for player development in the Northeast. With access to 50 tennis courts (hard, Har-Tru, red clay and indoor hard), Centercourt’s tennis camps are a perfect opportunity for players to refine and develop their skills in a short period of time. Why choose Centercourt? l Train in a world-class environment with high-performance level coaches from around the world. l Achieve significant individual improvement in all facets of the game, including technical, physical and mental aspects. l Centercourt is dedicated to meeting the individual needs of each and every one of its players. l Academy players are among some of the top Sectional-, National- and ITFranked players from around the country. l Centercourt puts the needs of the player first, in a development-focused model of training.
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l Each camp is tailored to the skill levels and goals of the players; featuring small group training, match play, individualized fitness plans, mental coaching and video analysis. l Tournament coaching and travel. l Players who commit to Centercourt’s training will see themselves develop life skills that will enable them to become champions, both on and off the court. Centercourt Performance Tennis Academy provides a superior junior player pathway that satisfies the needs of Sectional- and Nationally-ranked juniors. Centercourt Performance Tennis Academy offers programs with rolling admissions year-round and a 12-week Summer Camp from June 13-Sept. 2, 2016.
Ed Krass’ 27th Annual College Tennis Exposure Camp 4 June 15-17 at The University of South Florida, Tampa, Fla. 4 July 8-10 at The University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va. 4 July 17-21 & July 23-27 at Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pa. 4 July 30-31 at Brandeis University, Waltham, Ma. (813) 684-9031 CollegeTennis.com
to all players, ages 15-18, who are interested in playing college tennis. Players receive instruction and training from head coaches representing every level of the college game. Ed Krass coached varsity tennis teams at Harvard University, Clemson University and the University of Central Florida prior to founding the College Tennis Exposure Camp. Under the skillful eyes of top college coaches, players showcase their singles, doubles and One-on-One Doubles skills, and receive specific feedback on their game. Instructional drills and match play competitions are conducted with the same style and intensity as collegiate practice sessions. Players have the opportunity to sample various coaching styles and receive oncourt coaching during team competitions. Classroom seminars with college coaches motivate and educate players about college tennis preparation. The camp is offered at University of South Florida in Tampa, Fla. from June 15-17; the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va. from July 8-10; Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa. for two sessions, July 17-21 and July 2327; and Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass. from July 30-31. Dormitory accommodations, cafeteria meals and 24-hour adult supervision are provided. For more information, call (813) 6849031 or visit CollegeTennis.com.
Coach Ed Krass’ 27th Annual College Tennis Exposure Camp is the nation’s only training camp taught exclusively by head college coaches. The camp is open 46
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CourtSense Tennis Training Centers at Tenafly and Bogota Racquet Clubs 195 County Road Tenafly, N.J. (201) 569-1114 & (201) 489-1122 CourtSense.com CourtSense offers the best tennis facilities in Northern New Jersey and provides unmatched tennis programs all-year-round for kids and adults. CourtSense features a highly-trained and experienced international coaching staff that focuses on developing complete players who can excel in any match, at any level. Students have access to 15 indoor tennis courts (10 PlaySight smart courts), 17 outdoor courts, state-of-the-art strength and conditioning centers, and player lounges. CourtSense’s mission is to “Provide the finest facilities, technologies and integrated tennis system, while stretching and tapping into the spirit of each student with passion and positive energy.” CourtSense is a comprehensive program of tennis instruction, providing personalized training at the highest professional level. CourtSense meticulously isolates and breaks down each component of play in proper sequence, making it easier for students to learn, practice and commit these elements to muscle memory.
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CourtSense gives students a clear, powerful and fully-integrated foundation, which is vital to achieving the higher levels of skill necessary for competing. 2016 CourtSense Summer Camps: l Tenafly Racquet Club (June 27Aug. 26), ages six through 18 for all levels, from beginners to advanced players are welcomed (Monday through Friday). Morning Camp is held from 9:00 a.m.Noon and Afternoon Camp is from 2:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. Early Evening Camp is held from 4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m., while Summer Match Play is held from noon1:30 p.m. l Bogota Racquet Club (June 27-
Aug. 26), ages 11 through 18 (an evaluation is required prior to enrollment). High Performance Summer Camps are held Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m.4.30 p.m. and are attended by top Sectional and National players. l Ramapo College in Mahwah, N.J. Week One will be held June 27July 1 and Week Six will be held Aug. 1-Aug. 5, ages eight through 18, and players are grouped based upon level and aptitude. l Day Camp and Extended Day Camp is held Monday through Friday from 8:45 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Overnight Camp is held Monday at 8:00 a.m. through Friday at 5:00 p.m. (Ramapo College
THE ULTIMATE KIDS CHALLENGE is the
“Road to the
Little Mo Nationals” Ages 7-12 Sectionals • Regionals • Nationals For More Info Call 214-754-7065 www.MCBTENNIS.ORG
Andy Roddick, former “Little Mo” Champion 1992
accommodations, with cafeteria meals and 24-hour adult supervision). At CourtSense Tennis Training Centers, you will learn and refine skills, make new friends and enjoy the process! For more information, call Tenafly Racquet Club at (201) 569-1114 and Bogota Racquet Club at (201) 4891122, or visit CourtSense.com.
The "Road to the Little Mo Nationals" is a yearlong circuit of sectional, regional, and national tournaments open to any player in the United States. The top 8 players from the Sectionals in each age division will advance to the "Little Mo" Regionals. The top 4 players from the Regionals will qualify for the "Little Mo" Nationals in Austin, Texas from October 14-17. For more information on the "Road to the Little Mo Nationals", please email cartennis@aol.com or call (214) 754-7065. "Little Mo" Middle States Sectionals Aronimink Tennis Center, Newton Square, PA May 14-15, 2016 Info: agcracquets@aronimink.org "Little Mo" Eastern Sectionals Armonk Tennis Club, Armonk, NY May 28-29, 2016 Info: tennisdirector@armonktennis.com "Little Mo" New England Sectionals Longfellow Club, Wayland, MA May 28-30, 2016 Info: lftennisdirector@hotmail.com Topnotch Resort Stowe, VT June 4-5, 2016 Info: milan@topnotchresort.com
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best opportunity to break serve. l Optimal and high percentage shot selection based on the three different formations that you face in doubles: Two up, two back and one up/one back. l The mental game of doubles: How it differs from singles. l Partnerships and communication: How to pick the right partner, who should play what side and how to work with your partners. Doubles Boot Camp With Hall of Famer Gigi Fernandez Chelsea Piers 1 Blachley Road Stamford, Conn. (203) 989-1800 or (203) 807-3848 MasterDoubles.com DoublesBootCamp.com Info.MasterDoubles@gmail.com A unique opportunity to learn the game of doubles from one of the best doubles players in the history of the game, Gigi Fernandez, in partnership with one of the premier fitness experts in the tennis industry, Dr. Mark Kovacs. What makes Gigi unique from other Grand Slam doubles champions is that she has spent the past four years teaching recreational players from the 3.0 to 5.0 Levels how to excel at doubles. She now brings her expert perspective on doubles to tennis enthusiasts who can attend a weekend of intense doubles education, training and fun at Chelsea Piers in Stamford, Conn. Space is limited. Subjects covered: l Understanding high percentage shot selection with positioning to make your opponent play low percentage shots. l Court coverage in doubles. l Serve strategies for holding serve, even if your serve is weak and your partner doesn’t help. l Return strategies that will give you the 48
24-hour supervision, accommodations, three meals and transportation. Tennis development Elite Tennis Travel’s coaches are former ATP players and will work on technical and tactical parts of the game. They are bilingual and able to offer instruction in either language. This high performance program includes four hours of tennis instruction, and two ours of off-court training. Cultural program During the weekends, there are planned excursions to explore various facets of Barcelona, including its culture and traditions. Visits to local beaches, museums and important historical sites enrich our program.
Elite Tennis Travel Program Contact: Adriana Isaza (914) 713-5074 Info@EliteTennisTravel.com EliteTennisTravel.com Elite Tennis Travel Inc. builds exclusive tennis and cultural experiences in Spain. Tennis training is provided by masters at renowned clubs in Barcelona and Valencia. Cultural activities include private cooking and flamenco classes, shows, concerts, kayaking in the Mediterranean Sea, Gaudi bike tours, and visits to interactive museums. Spanish language lessons are also provided. Programs are designed for small groups of high school students. One or two week programs in Barcelona for high school students include tennis and physical training, language lessons, cultural experiences,
New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2016 • NYTennisMag.com
Language program Elite Tennis Travel’s schools are accredited by National Independent Private Schools Association (NIPSA), and offer a variety of Spanish programs. Teachers are licensed, native speakers who will target the areas that will improve the skill of each student, regardless of their level. Groups Elite Tennis Travel Inc. can accommodate groups of various sizes. From teams to tennis friends, Elite Tennis will design an experience to the required specifications. For some programs, homestay is available. Programs are in Barcelona and Valencia. For more information, visit EliteTennisTravel.com or contact Adriana Isaza at (917) 713-5074 or e-mail Info@EliteTennisTravel.com.
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l l l l Gilad Bloom & Arthur Bobko Summer Camp at Riverdale Tennis Center 3671 Hudson Manor Terrace Riverdale, N.Y. Entrance at West 236th Street & Douglas Avenue (914) 907-0041 & (941) 544-4778 Bloom.Gilad@gmail.com Arthur.Bobko@yahoo.com Riverdale Tennis Center (RTC) is a hidden gem of a club, located conveniently in Riverdale, N.Y., just five minutes north of Manhattan by car in a quiet neighborhood and a picturesque setting. RTC is an “oldschool style” club and features two high quality Har-Tru courts and a low key and distraction-free atmosphere ideal for tennis lovers. Gilad Bloom Tennis, in its 16th year, teamed up with Arthur Bobko, longtime tennis director of RTC, to create the perfect camp for tennis purists. The camp is geared both for high-performance tournament players, as well as recreational and more casual players. This is an exclusive camp with extra personal attention by the coaching staff which created a unique camp curriculum that evenly combines drills, fitness, live ball hitting and lots of match play in a fun, yet professional, environment. l High Performance Camp: 9:30 a.m.4:00 p.m. (four hours of tennis guaranteed with up to four kids per
l l
court, plus one hour of fitness and down time at the swimming pool during breaks). Recreational Camp: 9:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. (three hours of tennis and two hours of other sports and fun games). Door to door transportation is provided. Private lessons before and after camp are provided, as well as on weekends. Flexible sign up conditions: Weekly, Daily and Half-Day rates are available. Tournament travel is provided on weekends. Space is limited.
Gilad Bloom is a former ATP Tour pro, ranked as high as 61st in the world in singles, with 20 years of experience in coaching and running junior tennis academies. Arthur Bobko has been tennis director at Riverdale Tennis Center since 1992. Arthur has also been head tennis coach at Manhattan College for the past five years, and was instrumental in bringing Manhattan College to its first conference championship. He was named “College Coach of the Year” three years in a row. Also on staff for the camp is Dariusz Garko, a top fitness coach in New York City, certified with NASM and NSCA. Garko has 20 years of experience, working at NYC’s elite private club, The Printing House in Greenwich Village, where he serves as fitness and program director at the facility.
Gold Coast Sports Academy Locations in New Hyde Park, Greenvale, Sag Harbor, East Hampton and Montauk (516) 551-9122 GoldCoastAcademy.org GoldCoastAcademy@gmail.com This summer Gold Coast Sports Academy (GCSA) is proud to announce a partnership with Paul Annacone and Annacone Tennis Management to launch The Paul Annacone Tennis Academy. Paul is a former top-ranked ATP professional and is known as “The Coaches Coach,” having coached among others: Pete Sampras, Sloane Stephens and Roger Federer during his 2012 Wimbledon title. Paul brings his years of experience in playing professionally and coaching at the highest level to its highly-skilled coaches in intense train-the-trainer sessions and visits to Gold Coast camps. It is in these train-thetrainer sessions and their visits to camp that the coaches and players will become experts in Paul’s methodology and philosophy. Paul Annacone Tennis Camps will open in five different locations on Long Island: Michael J. Tully Park in New Hyde Park, N.Y.; CW Post LIU in Greenvale, N.Y.; Mashashimuet Park in Sag Harbor, N.Y.; East Hampton Tennis Club in East Hampton, N.Y.; and Montauk Downs in Montauk, N.Y. GCSA is a member of the Oasis Children’s Day Camps family of camps. GCSA, launching in the summer of 2016, takes all the professional experience and knowhow developed over the last 16 years
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about summer camp and combines it with world-class professional sports training. Gold Coast has partnered with premier professional athletes to develop the most sophisticated state-of-the-art training methodology to bring to its camperathletes. GCSA Summer Sports Academy is for boys, girls, and teens, ages five through 16. Gold Coast’s other Academies are the; Karl-Anthony Towns Basketball Academy, Sue Bird Basketball Academy, Jozy Altidore Soccer Academy, Brad Guzan Goalkeeper Academy, and Max Seibald Lacrosse Academy. These unique sports camps provide camper-athletes with an unprecedented opportunity to get the highest level of training each and every time they step on the court and field at GCSA. GCSA camper-athletes will learn about what it takes to succeed in sports—both physically and mentally.
improve his or her tennis in a fun and supportive indoor atmosphere. Indoor tennis offers a safe, sun/rain/bug-free environment so children can really enjoy the sport! The Gotham QuickStart Tennis Program emphasizes skill development and fun on a specially equipped tennis court at the Equinox Sports Club/NY. In friendly, small group tennis lessons, Gotham Tennis Academy’s certified professional instructors utilize foam balls and pressure-free balls, mini-nets, and age- and level-appropriate miniature racquets to accelerate the development of early muscle memory. In no time, your child will learn to swing the racquet and move his or her feet like a tennis prodigy! For beginners and advanced beginners between the ages of three to nine, you can expect your child to have fun, develop self-confidence and learn tennis fundamentals.
SPORTS CLUB/NY
Gotham Tennis Academy Morning Summer Camp at Equinox Sports Club/NY Equinox Sports Club/NY 160 Columbus Avenue New York, N.Y. (646)-524-7069 Info@GothamTennis.com GothamTennis.com Dates: Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays & Fridays starting in June, from 10:00 a.m.-Noon The Gotham Tennis Academy Morning Summer Camp at Equinox Sports Club/NY (Upper West Side) is a great way to keep your child active and 50
Julian Krinsky School of Tennis 610 South Henderson Road King of Prussia, Pa. (866) 879-5527 Info.JKCP.com/TennisMag Julian Krinsky School of Tennis was created more than 35 years ago by Julian Krinsky, who played at Wimbledon and the French Open. Over the years, the
New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2016 • NYTennisMag.com
School has trained more than 20,000 tennis players. Julian Krinsky School of Tennis knows each player has unique goals, interests and strengths. This is why the School has reimagined the tennis camp experience and allows you to choose the intensity you want to learn to achieve the best results for YOU! First, choose from five levels of tennis. Then, each day, pick from a variety of concentrations so you can focus on the areas of your game that matter most to you: l Tennis Basic Training: Makes the game easier and more fun; play games and build confidence in a relaxed environment. l Tennis for Improvement: Increase consistency, endurance, footwork and compete in weekly tournaments. l Tennis to Compete: Ideal for school team players to prep for next season’s tryouts or to improve your spot on the team. l Tennis for Tournaments: This is the turning point. Prepare for USTA tournaments, step up your training, and learn to execute your best game every time. l Tennis for College: For the true competitors who want highperformance and high-intensity classes to prepare for college level tennis. Classes that will push you past your limits to achieve greatness. No matter what your goal or level is, work with Julian Krinsky School of Tennis’ professional instructors to reinvent your tennis game. Plus, enjoy campus life at Haverford College or Villanova University, evening activities and weekend trips! For more information, visit Info.JKCP.com/TennisMag.
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Manhattan Tennis Academy Summer Camp 2016 Midtown Tennis Club 341 8th Avenue • New York, N.Y. (212) 989-8572 ManhattanTennisAcademy.com The Manhattan Tennis Academy’s (TMTA)
Summer Tennis Camp is a great way to keep your child active and improve their tennis skill in a fun and supportive environment. The camp is designed to take your child to the next level towards tennis proficiency in our fun and supportive environment. TMTA-certified tennis instructors excel at teaching junior players of all levels and ages. Whether your child is a beginner or advanced level player, they will gain confidence and learn appropriate stroke production fundamentals, strategy, match play, conditioning and footwork during the camp … all while having a super-fun summer tennis experience! TMTA Summer Camp will utilize a combination of indoor and outdoor
courts, depending on the weather. The goal is to be outside in the sunshine every day, thus camp/lesson plans will be designed based on an outdoor camp day. All campers should bring sunscreen, hats/visors, and lite/cool clothing for hot/sun-filled camp days. Should there be a rainy day, campers will be inside doing a combination of indoor tennis, tennis video analysis, fun games, arts and crafts, movies, etc. Camp will be held daily, rain or shine. All campers are responsible for their own lunch. TMTA recommends keeping brown bag lunches in insulated cooler packs/bags until lunch time. TMTA is not responsible to make up missed classes.
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MatchPoint NYC 2781 Shell Road • Brooklyn, N.Y. (718) 769-0001 MatchPointComplex@gmail.com MatchPoint.NYC Grab your tennis racket and get ready for a great summer at Camp MatchPoint NYC! The summer tennis and multisport camps for kids are a great way to
help them learn, excel and master the game, as well as make new friends and develop long-lasting friendships. MatchPoint’s program is committed to developing young players to their peak potential, providing them with the best chance at tournament success. For those just starting out in the sport, MatchPoint offers a multi-sport program that includes tennis, swimming, basketball, stretching and lunch. All programs include drills, match play and fitness sessions. MatchPoint NYC is the sports and fitness destination for the entire family, located in Brooklyn, only 20 minutes away from downtown Manhattan. Spread across 120,000-sqare feet, MatchPoint’s premier health and fitness complex features a cutting-edge tennis
facility that includes nine indoor tennis courts. Additional features include a fullsized gym with top of the line fitness equipment and three group fitness studios, a Junior Olympic pool, a rhythmic gymnastics center, a basketball court, yoga studio, and a variety of youth and adult competitive and recreational training programs. For more information, visit MatchPoint.NYC/Camp or call (718) 769-0001. Sign up today and find your game!
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f tennis programs for all kinds of play “All kinds o ers.” Low cost adult beginner group tennis lessons throughout New York City PLAY TENNIS April thru September. NEW YORK
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Singles and doubles competition in a team format by ability levels-fun and competitive! We'll find you a team, or bring your own team!
New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2016 • NYTennisMag.com
metrotennis.com 212-244-2845
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Nike Tennis Camps (800) NIKE-CAMP (645-3226) USSportsCamps.com Come join the fun and get better this summer at a Nike Tennis Camp! With more than 80 locations nationwide, both overnight and day options, there
is a camp for everyone. Nike Tennis Camps provide young players the opportunity to improve their tennis skills, work hard, make new friends and have a lot of fun. Dedicated camp directors have a passion for teaching and a gift for helping you take your game to the next level. Locations include: Fordham University (Bronx, N.Y.); Lawrenceville School (Lawrenceville, N.J.); Randy Mani Tennis Academy at Hardscrabble Club (Brewster, NY); Colgate University (Hamilton, N.Y.); ChiricoCohen Tournament Training at Chestnut Hill College (Chestnut Hill, Pa.); and Sacred Heart University (Fairfield, Conn.). Who says that only kids can go to camp?
The Nike Adult Tennis Camp at Amherst College has hosted more than 30,000 adult tennis players since 1972. Camp Directors Reiny Maier and Maureen Rankine are outstanding teachers and passionate coaches who inspire all players to get better and love the game. Multiple camp options and dates offered throughout June and July. Visit USSportsCamps.com/Tennis for details. The Lawrenceville School and Curry College also offer adult weekend clinics.
WE'VE GOT YOU COVERED Play tennis year round under a Farley bubble. The Farley Group is the world leader in air-supported structures and has provided over 20 tennis bubbles in New York and Long Island. Contact us today to learn about how you can turn your outdoor courts into a year round facility.
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1-888-445-3223 NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2016 • New York Tennis Magazine
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component designed to improve players’ footwork, balance, speed and overall strength. We advise all players to attend tryouts for evaluation and placement. Benefits include free entry to USTA tournaments at the Cary Leeds Center, tournament trips, college selection guidance, special events and uniforms. Training will take place at the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning. NYJTL Outdoor Program Offerings NYJTL Advanced Training Program (ATP) Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning 1720 Crotona Avenue • Bronx, N.Y. Contact: Elena Bantovska at (347) 417-8168 EBantovska@NYJTL.org CaryLeedsTennis.org ATP Summer Tournament Team—Free training The ATP Summer Tournament Team provides talented players ages six through 18 with year-round, on- and off-court, elite training by USPTA- and PTR-certified coaches. The program focuses on developing skills, improving technique, footwork, balance, coordination and point construction. Each student will gain discipline, decision-making skills, selfesteem, the ability to focus on goals and a commitment to high standards. Training will take place at the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning. The tryout date is Saturday, April 23. Cary Leeds Center Summer Tennis Camp The Cary Leeds Center Summer Tennis Camp runs for 12 weeks, starting Monday, June 13-Aug. 26. Hours are from 10:00 a.m.4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Full- and half-day options are available. The Tennis Camp is designed for players of all skill levels, ages four through 18. Players will train to develop the necessary tennis technique, improving consistency and creating basic patterns of play for effective point construction. Included is a fitness 54
Community Tennis Program (CTP) NYJTL’s free summer Community Tennis Program will begin Tuesday, July 5. These programs run from 9:00 a.m.-Noon; 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.; or 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., Mondays to Fridays for six to eight weeks. For specific days and times, please visit NYJTL.org as the season nears. Register for free on-site, during hours of operation at various locations citywide. For more information, contact Scott Daly by phone at (347) 417-8177 or e-mail TC@NYJTL.org.
Peter Kaplan’s Westhampton Beach Junior/Adult Tennis Academy Contact: Peter Kaplan at (631) 288-4021 or (914) 234-9462 PeterKaplan2002@yahoo.com WestHamptonBeachTennis.com Peter Kaplan’s Westhampton Beach Junior/Adult Tennis Academy, and the affiliated Grassmere Inn, is a wonderful destination for beginners to nationally-
New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2016 • NYTennisMag.com
ranked players of all ages. Private instruction and clinics are offered daily. Camps and one- through seven-day programs are available. The flexibility of the programming enables participants to enjoy the nearby beautiful beaches, charming village, Performing Arts Center, wine country, flower farms, and other East End attractions. Peter Kaplan, former New York State Tennis Champion, and a graduate of Cornell University, is on-site every day. Resident students/families/teams stay at the historic Grassmere Inn, located on quiet, tree-lined Beach Lane in Westhampton Beach, only 50 yards from the beginning of the charming village, yet less than one mile from a beautiful beach. The Grassmere has 22 guest rooms, all with air conditioning, WiFi, cable television and private bathrooms. Ideal for families, are two suites or interconnected rooms. A delicious breakfast of fresh muffins, bagels, cereal, fruit, juice, coffee, tea, milk and yogurt is included daily. The Tennis Academy, located three miles away, is primarily a teaching center featuring 12 soft courts. We have welcomed participants from over 25 countries and 30 states. The Academy features an enthusiastic staff, renowned for its high-quality instruction and low student-to-staff ratio. Thirty-five Japanese juniors have been coming for three weeks annually, for the last eight years. They run three miles before breakfast and then 10 hours of instruction, running and matches. However, most participants seek a less intensive program, taking three to five hours of instruction daily. The staff is always accommodating and happy to tailor programs to fit the needs of the customer. There are also tennis pros who bring groups. The Academy’s staff is available to supplement visiting pros staff. The groups always have an
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incredible time, some having returned for 10 consecutive years. Tennis during the day, a trip to the beach in the late afternoon, perhaps a glass of wine at sunset, and then dining at a great restaurant, a movie or a show at the Performing Arts Center.
Riverside Park Conservancy’s Multi-Sport Summer Camp 96th Street Red Clay Tennis Courts and at the 102nd Street Playground Executive Director (RCTA): Mark McIntyre (212) 870-3078 Mark@RCTA.info RCTA.info Riverside Park Conservancy’s (RPC) MultiSport Summer Camp offers week-long day camp in four different sports, including tennis, as well as several dual-sport weeks, at the ball fields and courts of Riverside Park on the West Side of Manhattan. RPC is a non-profit organization and proceeds from the camp go towards the improvement of the park. The Tennis Camp is run by the Riverside Clay Tennis Association (RCTA) at the 96th Street Red Clay Tennis Courts and at the 102nd Street Playground, where 36’ and 60’ courts have been lined on existing volleyball and basketball courts. Participants four- through eight-years-old will play on the well-shaded playground, while eight- to 16-year-olds will play at the
beautiful red clay courts along the Hudson River. The Tennis Camp can accommodate participants with all skill levels, from beginner to advanced. A week of tennis camp, which operates 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, is $450. Early registration, multiple week and sibling discounts are available. Registration is available online at RiversideParkNYC.org. For more information, contact RCTA Executive Director Mark McIntyre at Mark@RCTA.info. The RPC Multi-Sport Camp also offers baseball, soccer and basketball weekly camps. Soccer camp is run by the Carlos Rivera Soccer Academy, which has been operating summer programs in Riverside Park for over 10 years. Baseball and basketball camps are run by Kids of Summer, a long-time provider of after school and summer programs throughout New York City. Some dual camps are offered, for example, soccer in the morning and baseball in the afternoon. Details for all camps, as well as registration, can be found at RiversideParkNYC.org or call the RPC camp director at (212) 870-3070.
Ross School Tennis Academy 18 Goodfriend Drive East Hampton, N.Y. (631) 907-5162 Ross.org/TennisAcademy TennisAcademy@Ross.org The Ross School Tennis Center, located on the Upper School campus in East
Hampton, N.Y., is a wonderful resource in the Hamptons open to seasonal and year-round residents. The Center features six Har-Tru tennis courts enclosed by a bubble from mid-fall through mid-spring, allowing for yearround play. The courts are adjacent to the beautiful, state-of-the-art Fieldhouse, where players can take advantage of its many amenities, including locker rooms, lounge, snack bar, and ping-pong tables. The Fieldhouse is also used for a variety of special events and is available for private parties. USTA/ITF players in grades five through 12 can join the Ross School Tennis Academy program, where you can increase your skills under a highlevel tennis training program. This intensive program is specially designed for a small group of players dedicated to training to their highest potential every day. Boarding is available for ages 12 and up. At the Ross School Tennis Academy (grades nine through 12th) and the Ross School Junior Tennis Academy (grades fifth through eighth) Summer program, you will: l Train on six impeccably maintained Har-Tru courts in preparation for USTA tournaments. l Practice for four hours tennis daily, plus one hour of fitness in group and private sessions with other high level players. l Receive top-level instruction, custom designed to improve your game by seasoned RSTA pros. l Reside in luxurious boarding houses with students from around the world, dining at the renowned Ross Café and taking part in weekend and evening excursions to local Hamptons activities or to New York City. l Additional private training, sports psychologist sessions and coaching are available for a fee.
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Southampton Camp & Club Director: Thomas Coffey & Cindy Davidowitz Winter: 85 Crescent Beach Road Glen Cove, N.Y. (516) 953-5176 Summer: 665 Majors Path Southampton, N.Y. (631) 488-4700 SouthamptonCC.com Fun@Southamptoncc.com
small groups with extensive staffing. Qualified teachers, coaches and activity specialists ensure that all campers have the best summer possible. SCC’s tennis program is facilitated by the nationally-renowned Cliff Drysdale Tennis company, and provides worldclass coaching from a highly-qualified national and international staff. With a well-balanced program of technique, strategy, game-play, fitness and having lots of fun, SCC’s program is established to instill qualities, both on and off the tennis court. With its structured curriculum, SCC helps improve and develop tennis and skills in young players, not just for the season, but for life. Come and join us at Southampton Camp & Club and enjoy the perfect summer program, building selfconfidence, self-esteem and resilience in a safe and fun environment.
Southampton Camp & Club (SCC), part of the TLC Family of Camps, offers an extraordinary program at their Southampton, N.Y. location for children ages two-and-a-half through 14 years of age. SCC’s campus features a beautiful 17-acre wooded landscape in the middle of Southampton, just 1.5 miles north of Route 27. SCC offers the perfect summer program for every camper with our camp program filled with a unique blend of age appropriate activities including aquatics, athletics and tennis and creative and performing arts and special events that help build a strong foundation of physical movement skills and cross-training, essential for the development of every child. SCC also offers a Tennis Academy program for campers ages eight through 14. SCC offers air-conditioned bus transportation, included in the tuition, from Westhampton-Bridgehampton, flexible enrollment options, including fulland mini-day, and is also committed to 56
New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2016 • NYTennisMag.com
Sportime NYC and Westchester Summer Programs and Training Camps Sportime Randall’s Island, NYC Home of the John McEnroe Tennis Academy One Randall’s Island New York, N.Y. (212) 427-6150 GEvans@SportimeNY.com SportimeCamps.com/NYC Sportime Lake Isle, Westchester Home of the John McEnroe Tennis Academy Lake Isle Park 660 White Plains, N.Y. (914) 777-5151 Fritz@SportimeNY.com SportimeCamps.com/LIsle Sportime Harbor Island Harbor Island Park Mamaroneck, N.Y. (914) 777-5050 CCampo@SportimeNY.com SportimeCamps.com/Harbor John McEnroe Tennis Academy Training Camp Highlights (offerings may vary by JMTA site): l For committed players, ages seven through 18 l Twelve weeks, June 13-Sept. 2 l Athletic and performance training l Mental toughness and related training provided by Hourglass Performance Institute@JMTA l Player development plans and tennis analytics
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l Enhanced DARTFISH and other video analysis At John McEnroe Tennis Academy (JMTA), training takes place 52 weeks a year. The intensive JMTA Summer Training Camps, located at Sportime Randall’s Island, Sportime’s flagship site and the New York City home of JMTA, and at SPORTIME Lake Isle, the Westchester home of JMTA, are specifically designed for players competing in or striving to compete in USTA Sectional, USTA National and ITF tournaments, and those interested in playing high school tennis, college tennis and beyond. World-class JMTA tennis and performance directors and coaches carefully evaluate students, place them in small age and level
appropriate groups, and customize programs to meet their developmental needs. All levels are welcome. This summer, train where top American players like JMTA’s Noah Rubin, Jamie Loeb, Madison Battaglia, Jessica Golovin, Sam Turchetta, Brian Shi, Sean Wi, Jake Bhangdia and others train—JMTA!
Sportime Randall’s Island, Lake Isle and Harbor Island Present Sportime U10 Tennis and Sports Training Camps Tennis Whizz Preschool Camp, ages three to five at Sportime Randall’s Island from 9:00 a.m.-Noon, and at Harbor Island from 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m., Monday-Friday. #1 TENNIS RESORT IN THE NORTHEAST Tennis Magazine TOP 20 TENNIS RESORTS IN THE USA Condé Nast
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U10 Red and Orange Ball Tennis and Sports Camp, for ages five through 10, Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Harbor Island, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Sportime’s U10 summer camp programs, featuring Sportime’s trademarked U10 philosophy and curriculum, challenging campers’ abilities, while enhancing their selfesteem and providing positive social interaction. From the Tennis Whizz program for preschoolers, who are just beginning to integrate physical activity into their lives, to Red and Orange ball players, campers receive the best tennis and sports programming, with experienced and qualified counselors and sports professionals, and the finest and safest facilities in New York City and Westchester. In addition to tennis, campers receive ageappropriate instruction and enjoy “cross-training” in a variety of team sports activities like basketball, soccer, kickball, flag football, softball and more. In addition, Sportime Randall’s Island offers a slip-and-slide water feature, Sportime Harbor Island offers the same, plus the Harbor Island Park spray park, and Sportime Lake Isle offers access to the beautiful outdoor swimming pools at the Lake Isle Country Club, so campers can cool off between activities.
l The Junior Summer Tennis Development Program: Designed for beginner, intermediate and advanced players. Ages five through 14 are welcomed to enroll. Your child will learn proper stroke production fundamentals, strategy, match play, conditioning and footwork. Roundtrip transportation from points in New York City, Westchester and New Jersey may be arranged.
Stadium Tennis Center Summer Camps Stadium Tennis Center at Mill Pond Park 725 Gateway Center Boulevard (formerly Exterior Street) at E152nd Street and the Harlem River Bronx, N.Y. Contact: Eric Faro or Rachel Aaron (718) 665-4684 Info@StadiumTennisNYC.com StadiumTennisNYC.com Stadium Tennis Center offers a unique array of summer camp programs designed for tennis players of all levels to experience. Through a partnership with Gotham Tennis Academy, some of the most talented, and engaging tennis pros in New York City have been assembled. The pros share a passion to work closely with players of all levels and ages to help them develop to their fullest potential. Stadium Tennis Center offers two distinct summer tennis camp experiences to choose from: l The Summer Elite High Performance Tennis Academy: Designed for those juniors who are ranked in the top 30 or better in their Section. It includes a low player-to-coach ratio, on-court drills, match play, video analysis, mental toughness training and an extensive fitness program to prepare for sectional and national events.
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Tennis Innovators Tennis & Sports Summer Camp 2016 Contact: Juan Andrade (646) 476-5811 JAndrade@TennisInnovators.com TennisInnovators.com Cutting Edge Flagship Location: Delfino Park White Plains, N.Y. Upper Westside Location: 59th Street and 10th Avenue New York, N.Y. Eastside Location: Kips Bay 33rd Street and 2nd/3rd Ave. New York, N.Y. Tennis Innovators is proud to once again provide your junior with one of the top tennis camps in New York City. The Tennis & Sports Summer Camp 2016 begins June 13 and runs through Sept. 4. Tennis Innovators offers your junior a daily dose of stroke development, private instruction, fun drills and games. The Summer Camp ensures a successful experience developing tennis
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skills and coordination, while enjoying a fun and exciting summer camp day. Outdoor fields are available for multisport activities, where players can enjoy soccer, basketball, baseball and more to keep each camp day fresh and exciting. Tennis Innovators offers: Indoor and outdoor locations; tennis lessons and games; multi-sport activities; arts and crafts; and sprinklers and a trip to the pool. A typical summer camp day at our camp runs from 8:45 a.m.-4:00 p.m., and features yoga-infused stretching; tennis instruction, drills and games; multi-sport activities; lunch; and a cool down at the pool or in the sprinklers. Full-day, half-day or weekly enrollment is available. For more information, call (646) 476-5811 or visit TennisInnovators.com.
West Side Tennis Club’s 2016 Summer Camp One Tennis Place Forest Hills, N.Y. Contact: Thomas Gilliland, Assistant Tennis Director at (718) 268-2300, ext. 135 Thomas@ForestHillsTennis.com ForestHillsTennis.com The West Side Tennis Club’s Summer Camp offers top-notch coaching at the most historic tennis venue in the U.S. Led by former touring pro Bob Ingersole, who
has coached numerous Sectional, National and professional players, West Side’s program outlines the “Road to Success.” Former home of the U.S. Open, West Side Tennis Club still maintains grass, hard, red clay and Har-Tru courts. Each day, campers receive three hours of instruction from the certified staff. Headed by Brett Bothwell, the 10 & Under program is an innovative way to start children off on the right foot. Using graduated-length racquets, low compression balls and smaller nets, the student’s success rate is immediately increased, which makes learning tennis more fun. Brett is a master of fundamentals, and has a vast understanding of equipment and how to maximize potential by matching the player with their racquet and on-court activities West Side’s Tournament Training Program (TTP) was created to meet the needs of the top players in the area. Gus Alcayaga, West Side’s TTP coordinator, heads up a team of senior staff professionals to work with these players. In addition to the high intensity drills on the court, the Camp incorporates conditioning and match play into the curriculum to make sure players reach their maximum potential. Amaury Piantini is West Side’s teenage program coordinator and handles the needs of older campers. The Camp consists of players ranging from touring pros to complete beginners. Campers also have two hours of free swim in our Junior Olympicsized pool. The camp provides drinks throughout the day, a snack of fresh fruit, a lunch catered by our restaurant and towels for pool time. All day-to-day activities are handled by Assistant Tennis Director Thomas Gilliland, a national coach, graduate of Columbia University’s Masters of Sports Management Program and Chairman of the USTA Metro Region Nominating Committee. Thirteen weeks of camp begin June 9, and transportation is available from Queens and Manhattan.
USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Flushing Meadows Corona Park Flushing, N.Y. (718) 760-6200 NTC.USTA.com The USTA Billie Jean National Tennis Center will once again offer seven weeks of fun in the sun tennis day camps starting in June. Enrollment will soon be available online and you may choose registration for one, two or as many as seven weeks. The weekly program runs Mondays through Fridays, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., with a one-hour lunch break or a twilight session from 4:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m. Campers work on the development of tennis techniques, tactics, sports conditioning, multi-sports and strategy geared toward maximizing the learning experience in a fun presentation. As the juniors develop, they are advanced to more challenging groups. Tennis activities include Stroke of the Day, team games and competitive match play. The camp also offers crosstraining activities, such as soccer, softball and basketball in the park or at the Corona Park multi-purpose recreational facility, off-site field trips include ice skating, Mets games, and more, and full access to the many fun activities on the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
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The program accepts junior players, ages four- through 10-years-old for the 10 & Under programs. Recreational players 11-years-old and up are enrolled in the Junior Camps (8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. or 4:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m.). Advanced High Performance Tournament training campers will also be invited to participate in an intensive Tennis Academy training program. National Tennis Center has 22 outdoor courts, 12 indoor courts, and four stadium courts. Also on-site are pingpong tables, ball machines, a fitness center, and other age-appropriate fun activities like arts, multi-sports, arts and crafts, and other engaging sporting events. The primary focus will be on developing tennis skills, while offering other activities to enhance the learning and summer camp experience. Also offered are junior evening and weekend programs, as well as adult daytime, weekday evening and weekend camps. Detailed information will be available soon at NTC.USTA.com. You may contact the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center at (718) 760-6200 for more information about year-round and summer day camp programs.
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evening activities and special events to create a well-rounded experience for each camper. For more information, visit WindridgeCamps.com or contact Camp Director Norbert Auger at NAuger@WindridgeCamps.com.
Windridge Tennis and Sports Camps 1215 Roxbury Road Roxbury, Vt. (802) 860-2005 WindridgeCamps.com Windridge ... a tradition of tennis, soccer and horseback riding and so much more for almost 50 years. Located in the Green Mountains of Vermont, the Windridge Tennis and Sports Camps stand unique in that they feature specialized sports programs within the framework of a traditional New England camp setting. Since 1968, children have come to Windridge from most of the 50 states and many foreign countries to share in the Windridge experience. Campers make a commitment to hard work, good sportsmanship, and wholesome fun and laughter. Within a warm and friendly environment, campers make lifelong friends while learning skills for life. Windridge offers two- and three-week coed sessions from June through August, serving ages seven through 15. Windridge’s 4:1 camper-to-counselor ratio is an important factor in its warm and nurturing environment. Windridge offers “majors” in tennis, soccer and horseback riding, and also offers many elective programs, such as golf, mountain biking, archery, a ropes course, basketball, volleyball, arts and crafts, and more. Windridge adds to this, a wide variety of exceptional
New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2016 • NYTennisMag.com
U.S. Open National Playoffs Gives Players Shot at U.S. Open
The USTA has announced that the U.S. Open National Playoffs will be held for the seventh season this year, expanding the footprint of the U.S. Open to cities nationwide by providing the opportunity for all players 14 years of age and older to earn a berth into all five draws at the U.S. Open. Tennis players of all levels can compete in men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixeddoubles draws. The U.S. Open National Playoffs men’s and women’s singles champions earn a wild card into the U.S. Open Qualifying Tournament, held the week prior to the U.S. Open. The U.S. Open National Playoffs men’s, women’s, and mixed-doubles champions receive a wild card into the main draw of the 2016 U.S. Open. “The U.S. Open National Playoffs are all about giving players of all abilities the opportunity to dream big and be a part of the U.S. Open,” said Katrina M. Adams, USTA chairman of the board, CEO and president. “This year, players have more ways than ever to make it to New York, with all five of the U.S. Open’s draws in play. We look forward to another year of great tennis and watching top juniors, collegians, aspiring pros and weekend warriors connect with the U.S. Open, and compete for the chance to play on tennis’ grandest stage.” Registration for the 2016 Sectional Qualifying Tournaments opens March 15 at USOpen.org/NationalPlayoffs. The entry
fee for each of the Sectional Qualifying Tournaments varies, with men’s and women’s singles entries ranging from $75$100 per player and men’s, women’s, and mixed-doubles entries ranging from $45$60 per player. All players competing must have a current USTA membership valid through Aug. 29, 2016. The U.S. Open National Playoffs begin as a series of 15 Sectional Qualifying Tournaments held in different USTA sections across the country. The 15 champions or top available finishers in each division from each Sectional Qualifying Tournament advance to the following U.S. Open National Playoffs Championship events that will take place in conjunction with the Connecticut Open, presented by United Technologies, an Emirates Airline U.S. Open Series event, in New Haven, Conn.: l Men’s and Women’s Singles Championship, Aug. 19-22 l Men’s and Women’s Doubles Championship, Aug. 21-24 l Mixed-Doubles Championship, Aug. 24-27 Players may compete at different Sectional Qualifying Tournaments in each division (one for men’s or women’s singles, one for mixeddoubles and/or one for men’s or women’s doubles). However, a player may only compete in one Sectional Qualifying Tournament per division during a calendar year. Partici-
pants can be of any playing level, giving everyone an opportunity to advance. The USTA Eastern Sectional Tournament will run from June 4-10 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. More than 2,000 players competed in the 2015 U.S. Open National Playoffs—the largest number of players to date. Players ranged from experienced professionals who were once ranked in the top 50 in the world, to junior players and current/former college standouts, to recreational players of all playing abilities and walks of life. Participants included those competing for charity, businesspeople, musicians, lawyers, reporters, former athletes, and stay-at-home parents. Notable past participants include Olympic skier Bode Miller; musician Redfoo of the group LMFAO, who competed in three draws in the 2015 U.S. Open National Playoff sectional qualifiers; ESPN’s Mike Greenberg, who teamed with six-time U.S. Open champion Chris Evert in mixed-doubles; and LuAnn De Lesseps and Jill Zarin of “The Real Housewives of New York City.” The U.S. Open Qualifying Tournament will be held Aug. 23-26, and the U.S. Open Men’s and Women’s Doubles Championships will begin Aug. 30. The U.S. Open Mixed-Doubles Championship begins Aug. 31 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.
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NEW YORK TENNIS MAGAZINE’S
2016 Boys High School
PREVIEW BY BRIAN C O LEM AN
Susan Wagner’s Standout Jackson Looks to Build on Freshman Success Susan Wagner’s Shawn Jackson enjoyed a phenomenal freshman campaign a season ago. Jackson went undefeated in singles play during the PSAL regular season and was a semifinalist in the PSAL individual tournament. But his big accomplishment came in New York City’s top tournament: the Mayor’s Cup. Jackson defeated fellow freshman Jonah Jurick of Bronx Science, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 to capture the championship. “It was a pretty awesome moment,” Jackson said of his Mayor’s Cup victory. “It definitely gave me a boost of confidence that I could play at that level consistently. I tried not to over think things before the matches and just played my game.” Jackson said that his Mayor’s Cup run was some of the most con62
sistent tennis he has played, match in and match out, and that was something he wanted to ensure he did all season long in 2016. “Consistency is definitely something I want to improve on,” said Jackson. “I also wanted to work on my serve, making it more of a weapon. If I am able to hold serve, the return game will become easier. I did a lot of physical fitness to get stronger. It’s a key component to tennis. You need to be able to withstand a long match. I played outdoors at tournaments in the offseason which helped me prepare for the high school season matches this year.” Jackson already has the firepower on his shots and that will only continue to improve as he gets older and stronger. His strategic and tactical game has improved also, something he credits to his training at the John McEnroe Tennis Academy (JMTA). “I think the main thing I’ve improved on since being at JMTA is working points,” Jackson said. “When I first started, I was really fast and getting to a lot of balls, but I really didn’t have a strategy in keeping the ball in the court, whereas now it is coming along. I’m able to work the point, and they’ve taught me a lot about dictating and winning the points.”
New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2016 • NYTennisMag.com
N e w Yo r k Te n n i s M a g a z i n e ’ s 2 0 1 6 B o y s H i g h S c h o o l P r e v i e w Teams to watch Beacon Beacon won its second consecutive city championship a year ago, and despite losing five of its seven starters to graduation, will be led by a group of young but talented players, such as Amer Hosain to defend the title. Bronx Science The sophomore has now set his sights on the 2016 season. “I want to make it to New York State championships,” said Jackson. “I feel like I can. I did really well last year, and I feel like my game has improved a lot so making it to states is my goal.” Jackson will lead Susan Wagner in a tough Staten Island Division that features formidable opponents such as Tottenville and Staten Island Tech, but with Jackson at the helm, Susan Wagner will make some noise this year in New York City. Other players to watch Lantis Wang l Bronx Science As a freshman last season, Lantis Wang anchored the top singles spot for a Bronx Science team that reached the PSAL semifinals. Wang will once again lead the Wolverines at first singles in his sophomore campaign. Jonah Jurick l Bronx Science Jonah Jurick, a freshman a season ago, had a phenomenal campaign, playing second singles for Bronx Science and advancing to the Mayor’s Cup finals. Chris Kolesnik l McKee/Staten Island Tech Chris Kolesnik held down the top singles spot for the Seagulls of Staten Island Tech last season, and will once again lead a Staten Island Tech team that is capable of making a deep run in the playoffs.
Bronx Science sent out an incredibly young lineup a season ago, including three freshman in the top three singles spots. The talented freshman, including Mayor’s Cup runner-up Jonah Jurick, helped lead the Wolverines to the semifinals and with more experience this season, should make Bronx Science a contender. McKee/Staten Island Tech The Seagulls of Staten Island Tech are led by Chris Kolesnik and Kemal Aziz at the top of the singles card, making SI Tech a contender despite graduating three starters from one year ago.
Stuyvesant High School Stuyvesant High School will be led by a deep and young singles lineup that includes Nicholas Pustilnik, Derek Lung, Michael Kaydin and Isaac RoseBerman, all of whom were just freshman a year ago.
Cardozo Cardozo will lose top singles player Marcus Smith to graduation, but return the rest of its starting lineup from a year ago, plus a new talented crop of freshman, should make Cardozo the favorite in Queens.
Philip Raytburg l Brooklyn Tech As a junior last year, Phillip Raytburg played second singles behind one of the best players in the city, William Trang. With Trang having graduated, Raytburg will be the one leading Brooklyn Tech in his senior season.
Key dates to remember l Monday, March 21: 2016 Regular Season Begins l Saturday, April 16: Qualifiers for PSAL Individual Tournament l Monday-Thursday, April 18-21: Main Draw of Individual Tournament Begins l Friday, May 13: “A” League Playoffs Begin l Monday, May 16: “B” League Playoffs Begin l Wednesday, May 25: “A” League Finals l Friday, May 27: “B” League Finals l Thursday-Saturday, June 2-4: 2016 New York State Championships
Igor Maslov l James Madison Igor Maslov will lead the James Madison squad at first singles in a highly-competitive Brooklyn Division.
Brian Coleman is senior editor of New York Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by phone at (516) 409-4444, ext. 326 or e-mail BrianC@USPTennis.com.
Kemal Aziz l McKee/Staten Island Tech Right behind Kolesnik was Kemal Aziz last season. As a freshman, he went undefeated in the regular season and looks to continue that success in his sophomore campaign.
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Determine the Essentials and Set a Plan for Your Best Tennis By Lisa Dodson Whether it’s money, health, work or sports, goal-setting is an essential component to success. All goals take time and effort to reach, and planning is required to make meaningful progress. Goals can be slow to achieve, but amazing when we succeed. Understanding this for tennis makes it all worthwhile. Tennis goals can be a little tricky. First, we must realize that we need to
improve and then we have to want to make the effort. Typically, we want too much too soon and don’t understand the process of learning to play our best tennis. Skipping elements and taking short cuts just doesn’t do it. Maybe you have one big end goal. Achieving this big goal requires another set of goals. For example, a friend of mine wants to win one round in a Men’s Open Tournament. To do this he’ll have to get fitter, play more practice matches, sharpen up his entire skill set and believe that he can do it. That will take a lot of work and
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love of the game. Let’s think about some big, realistic goals that tennis players of all levels aim for. We’ll choose essentials to reach the goal and form a simple plan that will allow you to grow. Below are four examples of some basic and realistic goals. 1. Beat an archrival Just can’t beat the guy or gal you play every week? It’s always close and you’ve taken a few sets, but haven’t yet won the match. It’s the same old story. You don’t really believe you’re going to win, you just hope you will. What essentials do we need? l A good, solid, positive attitude l Countering skills to make the opponent uncomfortable l Willingness to work through uncomfortable and difficult situations l Consistency What’s the plan? Go to the match thinking that you are going to win. Chances are your skills are good enough, but your mindset won’t let you do it. If the difference is a few points here and there, be aware of where you are giving away points. For example, are you missing service returns, double-faults, over hitting or under hitting in rallies? Sometimes we
don’t recognize how many points we just throw away. Every point you give away is a steal for the opponent. Play high percentage tennis and attempt to determine what makes the opponent uncomfortable. If they like to receive a hard flat ball, give them a high ball. If they serve and volley well, respond with an off-speed chip return. If they like to rally high and keep you back, then return a high ball to them and run to the service line to hit the next ball as a volley. Basically, the better your counter skills are, the more effective you will be. It’s all about the fight. The biggest fight is your willingness to stay focused, make good decisions, stay energized and keep up the intensity. The rest of the stuff falls into place. Get some professional advice on a specific strategy that will work against this player. Chances are, you need some stroke work for better consistency, but sometimes, we simply need to form a better tactical plan. All of it will help you grow. 2. Hit aces and double fault less by swinging the same speed on all serves Is that really possible? Yes and it is also essential. The key to serving success is swinging the same speed on both first and second serves. This is the only way you will both hit aces and reduce double faults. In fact, you will often swing harder on a second serve than you will on a first serve. When talking about a “second” serve, we are simply referring to the serve that follows the first one, or your second opportunity to start the point and not a serve that just has to get into the box. First and second serves are interchangeable and use the same basic technique and tempo. They are delivered with different spins, speeds, arcs and target points. Typically, a second serve will have a lot of spin to allow height over the net and to bring the ball into the box, but this “second” serve can also be used as a first. In order to hit more first serves in, you need to stay in rhythm by swinging the same speed all of the time. Swinging
slower on a second serve disrupts timing and takes away your natural rhythm. Then, your first serve percentage decreases and your double faults increase. What essentials do we need? l A Continental Grip (and willingness to modify grips for varying serves) l Knowledge of where the toss contact point is located for varying serves l A slice serve What’s the plan? Bite the bullet and move your grip to the Continental. Be willing to fail first in order to make a big improvement. Slight variations of this grip are used for varying serves so first master the Continental Grip. It is your base serve grip. Learn a slice serve first. Slice spin should happen naturally if your grip and toss are in place. This teaches your brain that the front edge of the racket should be heading to the ball, and the arm and body what the correct serve action should feel like. Hitting a slice serve lets you branch out into hitting more complex spin serves. Practice away from the court and without a ball. If you cannot go through the movements without a ball, then you don’t need one. Experiment by getting on the court and let yourself make mistakes. Find out what works and what doesn’t. Have fun and just see what you can make the ball do. Variation in serve types comes from grip changes and ball toss location, not from
changing the serve motion or tempo. Changing a grip allows your hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder to move on different planes. This allows you to strike different parts of the ball and creates spin. Spin will let you swing away on all serves. 3. Never miss a return of serve Here is an ugly fact: Missing a return has the same point value as a double fault. It can also give your opponent the same sense of power as hitting an ace. All in all, it is a giant boost and a free point for the opponent. Just like the serve, the return is necessary to start a point. It’s really that simple. Typical errors are over- or under-hitting the return. What essentials do we need? l A specific landing point for our return l Quick recognition of what you are receiving l Shot selection that is deliberate and not impulsive What’s the plan? Keep it simple! When in doubt, go for depth on returns. Remember your opponent has just come out of a service motion that typically lands them inside the baseline. Depth will drive them back and reduce their shot selection and power. Be specific about where you want your continued on page 66
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tips from the tennis pro continued from page 65 ball to land, but allow yourself “spray room.” Whether you are going cross-court or down the line, aim for a specific spot about eight-feet inside the inside alley line and 10-feet inside the baseline. If you miss it long or wide by three to six feet, you are still well inside the boundaries. Aiming closer to the lines is a sure way to miss frequently by a small margin. Watch your opponent’s serve carefully. When they toss the ball, look at the strike of the ball, not at the toss. React immediately by turning first, not moving first. Recognize quickly which way to turn: Right or left for forehand or backhand preparation. Don’t be impulsive, but return smart, clean and at a high percentage. Serves can be difficult to return if they are very hard, have a great deal of spin or are very soft. Figure out a way to make a good play on every ball. It has to go back in order to make your opponent play.
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4. Begin playing league matches This doesn’t sound difficult to many, but for those who have never really competed, it can be a truly frightening experience. What essentials do we need? l Know how to score l Basic ability to rally from the baseline, volley and hit overhead from the net area and get one out of two serves in the box l Reasonable expectations of self What’s the plan? You don’t need anything high-powered yet. Remember you are just venturing into playing matches that count for something besides your own personal gain. Practice the basic skills of tennis—ground strokes, volleys, overhead and serves—outside of playing sets and matches. Find a practice partner to do organized drills with. For example, five minutes of cross-court
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forehands and backhands, controlled groundstroke to volley series, overhead/lob drill, and serving to targets. Improvement happens quickly if you stay with a plan. Get some lessons to supplement and speed up skill development. Drills form your points in a match. The patterns we practice are ones that happen over and over in rallies. You just need to recognize the situations and be able to handle them. Working on skills and technique is much more important than playing points at this stage. Determine your own essentials for improvement in one area then set your plan into action. Don’t hesitate to get some advice from a friendly pro. If you ask nicely, you might even get some free tips! Be brave, be willing to fail and you’ll soon be a very happy tennis player. It’s really that simple. Lisa Dodson is owner of Servemaster at The Total Serve, a USPTA Elite Pro, a formerly world ranked player and radio show host. She may be reached by e-mail at Lisa@TheTotalServe.com or visit TheTotalServe.com.
Emotional Balance The Key to the Mental Game By Rob Polishook, Mental Training Coach MA, CPC It’s Monday morning, and my inbox is filled with emails from parents whose child has just played in a tournament over the weekend. Most e-mails lament about how the results could have gone better, including what could be done to change what appears to be this “monster inside” of their usually mild-mannered child. “You don’t know me, but I wanted to share something that happened this last weekend. I’d love to get your insight … My daughter, Jane Doe just finished a USTA L1 tournament. She started off well in her match, but then was cheated, unable to deal with the situation, she spiraled out of control until she lost the set. Fortunately, she was able to regroup and then won the second set. However, in the tie-breaker she got down 1-4, then missed an easy volley, and the tears started flowing, her shoulders slumped, and body looked deflated. Why does she get so upset? It never helps her. How can I help?” From the child’s perspective, a few days later, I might hear something like this: “Before the match, I was so nervous, then when I stepped on the court, it only got worse, I know I should beat this girl. Everyone expected me to beat her! When the score got tight I got scared, then … I was cheated. I can’t believe she called that ball out! Then I missed an easy shot in the tie-breaker, OMG! I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I just wanted to get off the court. I totally sped up, forgot about any rituals, I just lost it.”
“What’s imperative to know is that before a parent or a coach can f igure out how to help their child, they must f irst try to understand what’s going on in their head, what they are experiencing, and feeling.” As a mental training coach, you can imagine, I encounter this type of scenario often, especially in the younger age groups. What’s imperative to know is that before a parent or a coach can figure out how to help their child, they must first try to understand what’s going on in their head, what they are experiencing, and feeling. Think of your child’s emotional state like a see-saw. On one side, you have “Emotional Balance” and the other side, “Emotional Imbalance.” Emotional Balance implies the degree that a player is to be able to stay calm and deal with adversity, challenges and setbacks. The greater their Emotional Balance, the greater their resilience and ability to deal with events they cannot control. Conversely, “Emotional Imbalance” means they get caught up in what they cannot control, they react quickly and negatively to adversity, challenges or momentum shifts. They act out, and go faster when an opponent mounts a challenge. This is usually followed by a fast downward spiral, followed by that “deer in a headlights” look. Overall, there is a lot of drama and ups and downs. It seems the only way this cycle stops is by crashing. When we look at the performance through the lens of Emotional Balance or Imbalance, we stop passing judgment, take our emotions out of it, and also let go of the score. In reality, we recognize that no amount of mental or technical skill cor-
rections are going to hold up when a player is emotionally imbalanced and overwhelmed. They are essentially in a frozen state! Of course, the behavior—crying, tantrums, racket throwing—is brutal to watch. In fact, it may even trigger things about how you parent. However, if you can step back, you can see that the behavior is not the problem, rather, it’s a window into the fears and insecurities that your child is experiencing. This will allow you to think more about what they need and how you can give it to them. Our work as parents and coach is to help them deal with what’s really triggering them, what’s behind the behavior. If we can get to the root of the behavior, your child will unwind, let go of things, and get back to a place of emotional balance next time. From this place, your child will be calmer and certainly the parent/coach watching will be, too! Rob Polishook, MA, CPC is founder and director of Inside the Zone Sports Performance Group. As a mental training coach, he works with athletes and teams, focusing on helping athletes gain the mental edge. Rob is author of Tennis Inside the Zone: Mental Training Workouts for Champions. He may be reached by phone at (973) 723-0314, e-mail Rob@InsideTheZone.com or visit InsideTheZone.com.
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courtsix New York Tennis Magazine’s Gossip Column By Emilie Katz Murray and Sears have first child
Betting accusations rock the tennis world
World number two Andy Murray and his wife, Kim Sears, welcomed in their first child, a baby girl, Sophia Olivia, in early February. Soon after losing another Australian Open final to Novak Djokovic, Murray, who married Sears last April, rushed home to be with his wife, who gave birth about a week after the first major of 2016 wrapped up Down Under.
The world of tennis was hit with an array of rumors, allegations and revelations about match fixing over the last couple of months. A BBC and Buzzfeed report the night before the Australian Open started much of the talk, and a recent investigation by The Guardian, revealed more information about various umpires from around the world being suspended or banned for their involvement.
Wozniacki poses in body paint for SI Swimsuit Issue
For the second straight year, Danish tennis star Caroline Wozniacki posed for the annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. This time around, however, Wozniacki ditched the bikini for some body paint.
Serena builds new school in Jamaica
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Serena Williams did not spend any time sulking after her Australian Open final loss to Angelique Kerber. The 21-time Grand Slam champion headed down to Jamaica to help build a school. Her organization, The Serena Williams Fund, along with Helping Hands Jamaica, teamed up to build the Salt Marsh Primary School.
Raonic, Bouchard compete in NBA AllStar Celebrity Game
player and after her playing career, recently campaigned with presidential candidate Hillary Clinton as the former New York senator tries to break down her own barrier and become the country’s first female president.
Mardy Fish (@MardyFish): Really excited to announce my new partnership with @championporsche!
Tweets from the pros Canadian tennis stars Eugenie Bouchard and Milos Raonic put down their rackets and stepped onto a different court at the NBA All-Star Weekend in Toronto. The two competed on Team Canada during the Celebrity Game, and helped lead their team to a 74-63 victory. Raonic even threw down a two-handed dunk right before halftime.
Billie Jean King on the campaign trail with Hillary
Tennis legend Billie Jean King, who broke down many barriers in her time as a tennis
John Isner (@JohnIsner): Thanks to the Ritz-Carlton in Charlotte for the amazing hospitality. #rcmemories Aga Radwanska (@ARadwanska): G’day mate! Happy Australia Day from Melbourne
Venus Williams (@VenusesWilliams): First title of the year, Asia is very lucky for me! Thank you to all the fans and the Taiwan …
Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal): I ignore the odds and take every serve as a fresh start.
continued on page 70
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court six continued from page 69
@judmoo what a tournament 4 her, both her boys and Joana Konta making runs! Eugenie Bouchard (@GenieBouchard): Views from Doha #bikershorts
Christina McHale (@ChristinaMcHale): What do you guys think of my @RioOpenOficial caricature? We decided I look like Gretchen from Recess LOL Noah Rubin (@Noahrubin33): Things become so insignificant 10,000 feet in the sky.
Roger Federer (@RogerFederer): On my way to Melbourne
Victoria Azarenka (@Vika7): In case Peyton retires for @broncos I’ll be ready :)
Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole): That feeling of coming back to your country ... #proud #excited #Serbia #BelgradeAirport #NikolaTesla Caroline Wozniacki (@CaroWozniacki): Danish girlssss!! Double trouble! @ninaagdal @si_swimsuit by @lebrechtmedia @playerstribune
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Ana Ivanovic (@AnaIvanovic): Arts education at the Hermitage Museum after my training today! #WhenInRussia Justin Gimelstob (@justingimelstob): 1 of my fav people 2 talk tennis w/
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Xenecore Answers the Arm Injury Epidemic ccording to the International Tennis Federation (ITF), half of all tennis players will suffer from tennis elbow. Thirty-four of the top 40 ATP and WTA men and women have been sidelined recently from shoulder, wrist and elbow injury or surgery (TennisInsights.com/Injuries). In the past 30 years, more than 150 million players have suffered an arm injury, according to Mark Kovacs, former USTA sports science director. A Tennis Industry of America (TIA) survey reports that 22 percent of all permanent debilitations for tennis players in the United States comes from an arm injury. This epidemic did not exist in these vast numbers prior to the advent of hollow empty rackets. Research conducted found that 70 percent of children in intensive tennis training programs suffer an arm injury or arm surgery before the age of 16. Thousands of these young victims were especially vulnerable because of their underdeveloped tendons and muscles. Children as young as eight-years-old are hitting balls four to five hours a day, and modern composite racquets have “Added too much power and put enormous wear and tear on young bodies,” wrote Martina Navratilova (“Sidelined in their Prime,” Newsweek, 2009). “More injuries are likely unless tennis’s governing bodies fight back
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against the racquet manufacturers that have hijacked the game.” Dr. Stuart Miller, head of the ITF’s Technical Commission, after years of studying all possible causes of the injuries, concluded that racket shock is the cause (British Journal of Sports Medicine). The medical examinations from doctors at the Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia who perform hundreds of surgeries on young tennis players concluded that the cause of the injury was the racket. In the paper “Influence of Racket Properties on Injuries and Performance in Tennis,” Dr. Ewald M. Hennig concludes that the characteristics of the racket cause racket shock. “Poor stroking technique is frequently accused, conveniently diverting scrutiny from racquet design. What is good for minimizing elbow damage is low shock (RacquetResearch.com).” Numerous studies have shown that the characteristics of the racket affect the shock load up to five times, depending on the construction of the rackets. In wood rackets, vibration disappeared quickly. But the new stiffer, lighter and hollow conventional frames do a poor job of snuffing out the vibrations, so they transfer this shock to the arm that can stealthily sabotage the elbow, wrist, forearm and shoulder.”
The most recent published scientific study conducted by Ferrara and Cohen showed that empty hollow rackets have shock durations up to three times that of a Xenecore multi solid-core racket. These rackets shocked for less than 0.2 of a second, compared to an average of 0.7 of a second for the other brands’ empty hollow models. That means, in a typical match with 180 balls, more than 43,000 pounds of force is transmitted from the racket to the arm versus 13,000 pounds of force transmitted from multisolidcore rackets. In the abstract “Prediction of Impact Shock Vibrations at Tennis Player’s Wrist,” the authors concluded that shock vibration is higher in super lightweight rackets. This is why Xenecore developed its revolutionary 114-square inch seven ounce super control racket which could become the next dominant form in the industry. Based on Federal Consumer Safety Product Commission Recall regulations, all conventional hollow empty rackets are technically illegal because of the high likelihood of injury as they transmit well over 100 pounds of force and shock significantly longer than 0.2 seconds at impact (see 16 CFR § 1115). Xenecore technology was developed to cure this arm injury epidemic. Visit Xenecore.com for more information.
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adult league U S T A L E A G U E S U P D AT E
The 3.5 Men’s team, captained by Michael Tarlow, were winners of the 3.5 Division during the USTA Metro Winter Season
The Women’s 4.0. team, captained by Susan Bacey & Diana Marie Davis, is advancing to the Sectional Playoffs The Men’s 4.5+ team, led by captain by Ian Katz, are headed to the Sectional Playoffs after winning the USTA Metro Winter 4.5+ Division The USTA Metro Winter Season is now in full swing. The first league to finish up was the 40 & Over League. Congratulations to the following teams for winning their respective divisions and advancing to the Sectional Playoffs: Women l 3.0 Level: Deborah Fantera & Karen Johnson l 3.5 Level: Ashley Rowe & Susan Chee l 4.0 Level: Susan Bacey & Diana Marie Davis
Men l 3.5 Level: Michael Tarlow l 4.0 Level: Fred Derman l 4.5+ Level: Ian Katz
The Mixed-Doubles Season continues on. The Queens teams are in the middle of their season. The Manhattan Mixed Regular Season is over and playoffs will be held soon. Congrats to the playoffs teams and good luck in your playoff matches! As the Winter Season finishes up, we are planning to start up our Spring and Summer Season. The 18 & Over Manhattan and Queens League will begin in April, and the Brooklyn and Staten Island Leagues will begin in June. 72
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Advanced Intermediate Division Champs Proskauer Rose LLP The Metro Corporate Tennis League, presented by Advantage Tennis Clubs, is a joint initiative of the Metrotennis Community Tennis Association (MCTA) and USTA Eastern Metro Region. The League is divided into three levels of play, Intermediate (3.0-3.5), Advanced Intermediate (4.0) and Advanced (4.5+). We also offer an Advanced Beginner Clinic program for teams that are not ready to compete. The Metro Corporate Tennis League hosts more than 43-plus teams. The following is the roster for the season: Advanced Division 1 1. Proskauer 2. Bloomberg (Vighnesh) 3. NYJTL 4. Credit Agricole 5. BNP Paribas (Pierre) 6. The Corcoran Group 7. PwC (Gellert) 8. Horizon Media Advanced Intermediate Division 1 1. Cleary 2. Ernst & Young
Metro Corporate Tennis Advanced Division Champs Bloomberg LP
3. Bloomberg (Ankur) 4. White & Case 5. Bank of America 6. Corcoran Advanced Intermediate Division 2 1. Patterson 2. BNP Paribas 3. Moody’s 4. Deutsche Bank (Elena) 5. Watson Farley & Williams 6. Nielsen Intermediate Division 1 1. BNP Paribas (Kage) 2. D.E. Shaw & Company 3. Cleary 4. HBO 1 5. Barclays (Vikki) 6. Fried Frank Intermediate Division 2 1. Neuberger Berman 2. Bloomberg (Kara) 3. Highbridge 4. Paul Weiss
5. Barclays (Fares) 6. HBO 2 Intermediate Division 3 1. Penguin Random House 2. Xaxis 3. PwC (Tanner) 4. Sullivan 5. Schulte Intermediate Division 4 1. Corcoran 2. Deutsche Bank (Armen) 3. Sidley 4. ING 5. AOL Advanced Beginner Division 1. Bloomberg (Peggy) The season runs from Jan. 25-April 21, culminating with an end-of-season party at Roosevelt Island Racquet Club. Please welcome new teams, Xaxis, AOL and Penguin Random House to the Metro Corporate Tennis League.
For more information, visit Metrotennis.com/Corporate/main.html, or call Luis Espinoza at (347) 886-3117 or e-mail Luis@Metrotennis.com NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2016 • New York Tennis Magazine
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The Psychology of Injuries: Why They Happen and How to Prevent Them By Dr. Tom Ferraro s a sport psychologist, I have treated many athletes who have been injured. There are 30 million kids playing sports and 10 percent of them will get injured this year. Tennis is not quite as dangerous as football, soccer or ice hockey, but there are plenty of ankle, knee, elbow and shoulder injuries. The consequence of a serious injury to an amateur tennis player can be devastating, can end a season, and sometimes, threaten a promising career. One of the most important questions to ask is why injuries occur. Fatigue, overuse and acute trauma leading to secondary gain are three reasons.
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1. Fatigue Accidents in sports usually occur towards the end of matches when the muscles are tired. Horses typically break down during the home stretch and so do athletes. 74
2. Overuse injuries I recently attended a seminar run by Winthrop’s Dr. Mark G. Grossman and the bulk of the talk was how over use leads to injury in the young athlete. My experience with the young highly competitive athlete tells me that many tend to be obsessive compulsive and perfectionistic. When you add to this the highly competitive nature of elite or professional tennis, it’s predictable that the body will eventually give in. Tennis elbow is common, but so are ankle injuries, knee sprains, Achilles tendon problems and shoulder tendinitis. 3. Traumatic injury dictated by secondary gain This dynamic is more deeply unconscious, but by no means, rare. In fact, I believe this is one of the prime reasons that sports injuries take place. I recall one of the first interviews I did for a sports magazine. I met the athlete who was a nationally-ranked young golfer still in his teens. When I walked into his home, I could see that he had broken his arm and he was in a full cast. When I asked him what had hap-
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pened, he broke into a big smile and with a hushed voice, said “Isn’t it great … I finally get to stay home and rest for a while. I am so tired of flying around to play tournaments.” Here was a 16-year-old kid already burnt out. He incurred the injury through horseplay with his girlfriend. These kind of odd accidents are very common. Just recall the Tiger Woods incident when he crashed his car, broke his front teeth all of which triggered one of the sports world’s greatest sex scandals. I had long felt that Woods was under far too much pressure and public exposure, but was trapped inside his own fame and success. Who can walk away from a career bringing in $100 million-plus per year. And it’s my guess that he unconsciously and desperately wanted out of the whole game. Here was a guy dying to get caught. These accidents happen in sports all the time. These unconsciously driven accidents are not limited to sports. Recall the rise of Bob Dylan to world fame back in 1969. Immediately following his big world tour, he
nearly killed himself with in a motorcycle accident. He was forced to rest for a year. These escapes from the pressure of fame are largely unconscious, because it’s impossible to walk away from all the money and adulation so the unconscious takes over to do the job for them. How to prevent fatigue and overuse injuries These kind of injuries are easy to predict and coaches, trainers, parents, spouses or doctors need to intervene with the overworked tennis player. The player headed for an overuse injury will go through a three-phase process. They will first show signs of exhaustion with flat or lackluster performance on the field. This will go on for a while and if they are not forced to rest, they will then become illness prone with increases in colds, headaches and chronic muscle pain. If this is ignored, they will then get injured and everything will come to a crashing halt. The prescription for this problem is to ensure that the athlete is wellrested, takes breaks away from the sport and avoids overwork.
How to understand the secondary gains sought through accidents These are usually the worst injuries because they are often experienced by extremely talented and hardworking players who are surrounded by people who have a vested interest in seeing them continue to perform. The conflict of trying to please everyone, versus being in extreme anxiety or exhaustion, will produce accidents as the only way out. This is when the insight of the trained psychoanalyst is needed. Real success is always very difficult to manage because there is so much pressure and so much responsibility. I recall meeting some of Michael Jackson’s crew in Rome in the 1990s. Michael was selling out 50,000-seat stadiums night after night, and he was on tour for a full year with a team of 210 dancers, musicians, choreographers, seamstresses, production people, etc. His opening act was being paid $8 million for the year, and the entire staff of 210 was put up in five-star hotels every night. That is what you call pressure … unbearable pressure. It was no surprise to
me to learn that he succumbed to heavy drug use and death in order to escape such demands. Fame is a tough thing to turn away from and is tough to endure, and this is why accidents are often unconscious choices as the only way out. My belief is that it’s far better to help the athlete understand this hidden conflict so that they can chose a more conscious and less self-destructive way to slow things down before they break apart. This is what is meant by “The Fear of Success.” Success is usually filled with increasing amounts of hard work and responsibility, and quite often, the talented athlete will resort to injury as the only way to get a rest. Accidents in tennis can be devastating for the avid player and they would do well to follow the above guidelines so that they can prosper and thrive in the sport they love to play. For consultations, treatment or on-site visits, contact Dr. Tom Ferraro Ph.D., sport psychologist, by phone at (516) 248-7189, e-mail DrTFerraro@aol.com or visit DrTomFerraro.com.
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The Most Difficult Thing to Do in Tennis By Steve Kaplan “So … does my child have talent?” I cringe when asked this all too frequent question for a few compelling reasons. First, I defer to child development experts who agree that, at a very young age, it’s virtually impossible to distinguish between real physical talent and precocious development. Most talent evaluations are
misleading because a seemingly gifted child may have simply progressed early. Only time reveals the truth, and no tennis pro has a crystal ball. Next, even if we could identify talent, it’s a dangerous quality to focus on as study after study confirms that children who are told they have “talent” are less likely to tolerate failure constructively. Physical talent is largely a threshold for 99.9 percent of players and greater talent for anyone but one in 1,000 players is a weak indicator of
the potential for more success. It’s too bad that science and common sense doesn’t slow down unethical coaches who “sell the dream” to those eager to buy it. If the sales pitch “Your child has the talent to be a pro, and I’m the only one who can take them there” came with a money-back guarantee, I am sure it would be heard a lot less. A more responsible way to evaluate the potential of young players is to look for signs of an aptitude to succeed which is the most difficult thing to do in tennis. Here
T E N N I S
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Come play where the surf applauds every shot. The Seaside Tennis Club at the legendary Mauna Kea Beach Hotel on Hawaii Island. 866.977.4589 I MaunaKeaBeachHotel.com Director of Tennis, Craig T. Paulter
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are a few hints … it’s not a stroke, shot or tactic and it’s so difficult that even some of the best players in the world are unable to master this skill. The most challenging thing to do in tennis is to display the mindset to adeptly balance being a great self-conscious student with being an uninhibited performer. For psychology buffs out there, I’m not referring to a “fixed” versus “growth” mindset. I’m assuming that, as a motivated student, you already have a growth mindset and you believe that you will learn and develop. The art of having a mindset of optimal growth requires that you know when to focus on the growth part and when to quiet your mind and “just do it.” For clarity, I’m also not referring to the valuable practice of “periodization” in which athletes will undergo dedicated periods or phases to focus on an aspect of their game or to gain recovery. The balance between growth-intensive play and performance-focused play is not a mutually exclusive choice, but an important quality at every step of the way. The ability to be self-conscious promotes discovering that every mistake is a
“If the sales pitch ‘Your child has the talent to be a pro, and I’m the only one who can take them there’ came with a money-back guarantee, I am sure it would be heard a lot less.” valuable learning opportunity. Great care must be taken because too much selfawareness undermines performance by causing “paralysis by analysis.” In contrast, great performances result from a reliance on what you know and not what you think. The best players walk a constant tightrope, displaying efficient learning in practice with effective flow in competition. Therefore, students should hold themselves accountable and be held by coaches to the highest performance standards, while competing but it’s important to risk poor performances to learn and grow in practice. Great talent alone does not create great players. Optimal learning environments and immersion in cultures of success pave the path to achievement. The great champion Martina Navratilova, when asked about
how her physical gifts helped her dominate women’s tennis, responded, “A lot of players have the talent and the will to compete. Fewer are willing to prepare to win. I did that work.” Talent is the luck of the draw, but achievement is not an accident, it’s a choice. Take confidence from your preparation. High purpose leads to high performance. Steve Kaplan is the owner of Bethpage Park Tennis Center, as well as the director of Lacoste Academy for New York City Parks Foundation. Steve has been the longtime coach of more than 600 nationally-ranked junior players, 16 state high school champions, two NCAA Division 1 Singles Champions, and numerous touring professionals and prominent coaches. He may be reached by e-mail at stevenjkaplan@aol.com.
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Sign up today! Contact Joel Richmond at 646.884.9644 or jrichmond@advantagetennisclubs.com. Or visit quickstartny.com. NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2016 • New York Tennis Magazine
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A Winner’s Mentality: It Takes Practice BY LONNIE MITCHEL
am in my fifth year working full-time at an academic institution. Academia has done something that I could never envision when I took on a fulltime role as head tennis coach at SUNY Oneonta. I am exposed to great thinkers, doctors and professors from many fields on a daily basis. I attend lectures and symposiums on a variety of topics that have little to do with tennis. However, without the burden of having to study every day like my student-athletes, something happened to my awareness as my cognitive skills began to heighten. I started to crave knowledge and part of my brain that I am embarrassed to say simply required more stimulation was not getting it. I began to desire learning much like I crave hitting a crisp volley. The reward for hitting a crisp volley for a winner for us tennis players is something that we identify with, and when the outcome is a winning point for you, there is a faint rush of adrenaline. Tennis players know that feeling and there is nothing better! I tapped into the
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same adrenaline rush as I started to learn new things about exercising my brain in new ways since my days in college. We as tennis junkies need and want that great tennis experience several times a week, and are not happy unless we get that fix/tennis rush much like runner’s high. I have augmented my tennis desires with a cerebral exercise that quite frankly gives me another rush. My brain loves the exercise as much as I enjoy that great workout or tennis hitting session … I got to have it! The brain is like a muscle. It gets stronger with practice. Scientists have been able to show just how the brain grows and gets stronger when you learn. Scientists have shown that, when people study hard and learn new ways to study, their brains change and grow. Bridging these experiences to the tennis courts was easy once the light bulb went off in my head. Eighteen- and 19-year-old young men and women’s brains are still developing and maturing, therefore if you have a willing student we can contribute to their winning thinking. I now have a better understanding
New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2016 • NYTennisMag.com
why great coaches like Nick Bollettieri, Vince Lombardi and John Wooden would tap into their players thought patterns and repeat the positive thinking process over and over. They wanted their players to think like winners. What I also realized is that you cannot think like a winner from one moment to the next. The brain must be massaged and exercised where those cognitive impulses come from. Rather than just hit tennis balls in the quest to practice perfectly for perfect results, I started to research how to exercise the brain at practice so that players have more of a winning mentality. It’s ultimately skill and desire that will contribute to great performances on the tennis court, but putting one more thing in our corner was another variable that might put an extra win or two in the victory column. Players are asked every day to think like winners … not just on the tennis court where we still hit plenty of tennis balls, but also in the classroom. My goal is to exercise that cognitive portion of the brain that helps them think like winners. I asked some great coaching colleagues in the world of tennis and matched it
with several psychologists on campus who practice Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and saw that just practicing and exercising the brain with a winner’s mentality thought process can be a huge benefit. This thinking takes practice much like hitting a forehand
and backhand in repetitious fashion. There are many books, sports psychology books and material on the Internet available on the topic. So maybe I did not discover life on another planet or a cure for the common cold, but when you learn about this topic and embrace it, you will see the results first-hand. The attitude of players has incrementally been changed, their perseverance is heightened, the ability to think more positively on the tennis court and become single-mindedly focused on winning is changing. So too was their attitude about grades, as I meet with the players regularly monitoring their academic progress. However, winning matches all the time is impossible, but thinking like a winner is very possible and learning from losses is a tremendous asset. I found that I can simply accelerate effort and cultivate a drive to win on the tennis court and in the classroom by creating an atmosphere where they can exercise their brains with positive thoughts and cognitive winning habits. Every time you think a thought, feel an emotion or execute a behavior, your brain changes. The good news is you can take charge of this process if you are willing to. You must be willing to practice it. As I write this article, we are preparing for our opening match against St. Lawrence University, a team that has beaten us three consecutive years in a row. Before and after practice today, each player will be given a piece of paper to read before we even strike a tennis ball about a winner’s mentality. As a coach, I am trying to take any history of losing to this opponent out of the equation and
think single-mindedly as a winner. The result though, for me as a coach, will not be the win or the loss, but the overall improvement of each player at each position, thereby opening the door for little victories incrementally. We can then look critically at ourselves as a team and embrace victory in a number of ways, not just the win in victory column, but gaining a win even if we have to tally a team loss. By doing this, we can ensure victory and a winner’s mentality. Each player must take ownership of that goal. We won’t like a team loss, but we can still leave with a winner’s attitude because we will go back to practice and know what we have to work on … we win! A win tomorrow won’t fool us either into thinking we are great and turned around a lopsided loss the year prior, but will show us this thinking contributes and we will learn from the win in order to improve—we get two victories after the match. The win in numbers and the opportunity to learn and augmenting the winner’s mentality. I hope you are reading this and now know it’s possible to always think like a winner. Take a book out on the topic, embrace it and you will find results. Parents, juniors tennis players … I dare you to change that thinking. It begins with your willingness. Lonnie Mitchel is head men’s and women’s tennis coach at SUNY Oneonta. Lonnie was named an assistant coach to Team USA for the 2013 Maccabiah Games in Israel for the Grand Master Tennis Division. Lonnie may be reached by phone at (516) 414-7202 or e-mail LonnieMitchel@yahoo.com.
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Finding That Ideal Doubles Partner
By Bill Longua There are ways to improve your doubles play as a team, as you and your partner should always be on the same page. In this article, I will discuss the server’s partner while playing the net. Strong communication between partners is a must. In between points, talk to each other about the placement of serve and some basic strategy for the next point. When I was coaching USTA teams, I was a big proponent of my teams using hand signals. Not only did it not make for a long match lengthened by conversations between points, but it would distract the opponents by having them constantly guessing what we were going to do, resulting in some unforced errors. The partner of the server at the net does the signals. Keep the signals simple, and use them primarily for direction of the serve and whether or not the net player is poaching on the return or not. If you are in the Australian formation, a signal is needed to tell the server if you are moving left or right at net after the serve.
on some returns so the return player has to be concerned about you. Even if some points are lost, the overall effect will be positive. You may win some easy points and you will definitely receive some free points by missed returns. When you do poach, move in at an angle to catch the ball at the highest point possible toward the center strap. Remember, don’t swing, punch the ball and try not to go back at the returner because you have left your side of the court open. Volley either for the sharp angle, down the middle or at the returner’s partner’s feet at the service line.
Players can also help their serving part-
COME PLAY TENNIS AT THE HOME OF THE US OPEN
There is one statement made by players that drives me crazy: “I lost my serve!” Unless the player double-faulted four times in a row, a loss of serve is normally a team result. The partner of the server must play a significant role at the net, not just stand up there. Early in the match, you should poach
ners by faking a poach. Once you have actually tried to cut some returns, the opponent will be keeping an eye out. By faking a step right before the return, you will cause some unforced errors. I am not saying you should use too much movement to be construed as gamesmanship or illegal, but just enough to keep the opponent thinking. So, be a good partner and help out when at the net. Bill Longua is the tennis director and head pro at Palm Island Resort in Cape Haze, Fla. Bill is a member of the USPTA, has been teaching tennis for more than 35 years and is the author of Winning Test Strokes. Bill also enjoys teaching tennis on his Web site, OnlineTennisTraining.com. Search the Apple App Store or Google Play for Bill’s new 117-lesson app, “Complete Tennis Mastery” or to purchase Bill’s book, visit OnlineTennisTraining.com. He may be reached by e-mail at Bill@OnlineTennisTraining.com.
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charitable initiatives N E W
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T E N N I S
M A G A Z I N E ’ S
Play Today Tennis Program Providing Opportunities for NYC Juniors
ityParks Foundation has partnered with a number of facilities in New York City to offer a program called Play Today!, which will help provide dedicated juniors from New York City more opportunities to play and practice together at an affordable price. “The idea was to give dedicated juniors in our program and others in NYC access to more indoor court time, so they can keep practicing year-round,” said Mike Silverman, director of sports at CityParks Foundation. “We can only provide free instruction and court access for a relatively small group of kids during the winter, so we approached local clubs we work with and it really didn’t take much convincing. It’s mutually beneficial for everyone. It helps fill their unused courts, brings in new players and maximizes the use of the facility.” The program, now in its third year, selects juniors from the directors of six New York City tennis programs, and those players receive a card that allows them to play at a reduced rate at any of the six indoor facilities involved in the program:
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USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Cunningham Park Tennis Center Stadium Tennis Center Sutton East Tennis Roosevelt Island Tennis Club Cary Leeds Center for Tennis and Learning
“The main objective is to provide more play opportunities for promising New York City junior players,” said Whitney Kraft, ten82
nis director at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. “The upside for tennis facilities is the utilization of court time that might otherwise go unused; thus a win-win for both junior players and the providers. Also, joining the participants of four not-forprofit organizations provides for more variety of competition and the development of new friendships.” The program is a great way for young, dedicated juniors to find court time at a cheap rate during the winter months. It also allows them to find new practice partners from other clubs and programs. “Some of these kids live and breathe tennis, but the only thing holding them back from practicing is having more low-cost court time in the winter,” said Silverman. “It’s also a great chance for them to network with other players. Tennis can be an impersonal and lonely sport sometimes, especially in competitive tennis. Play Today! Encourages kids throughout the five boroughs to make friends and practice with more of their peers.” The program started with about 100 participants in its first year, and has grown to about 150 players this year. It has grown steadily in its first couple of years, and the next step is to get more programs and clubs involved. “We’d like to see more facilities sign on, and get more kids and more non-profit programs like ourselves to get involved,” said Silverman. “It’s helping kids save money and play more tennis, which is often something junior players struggle with.” To learn more about the Play Today! program, contact Jonathan Gamberg at (718) 760-6986 or e-mail jgamberg@cityparksfoundation.org.
New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2016 • NYTennisMag.com
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65 Columbia Road • Morristown, N.J. (973) 635-1222 clay@centercourtclub.com CenterCourtClub.com GOTHAM TENNIS ACADEMY Eric Faro—Director of Tennis
358 West End Avenue #3A New York, N.Y. (646) 524-7069 info@gothamtennis.com GothamTennis.com MANHATTAN PLAZA RACQUET CLUB Gertrud Wilhelm—General Manager
450 West 43rd Street • New York, N.Y. (212) 594-0554 gwilhelm@advantagetennisclubs.com AdvantageTennisClubs.com MIDTOWN TENNIS CLUB Jennifer Brown—Director
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One Randall’s Island • New York, N.Y. (212) 427-6150 ahodgkins@sportimeny.com jkarlebach@sportimeny.com SportimeNY.com/Manhattan SPORTIME HARBOR ISLAND Carlos Campo—Regional General Manager, Westchester Clubs Guillermo Ripoll-Brenot—Assistant Director of Tennis Cathi Pizzo—Assistant Regional General Manager, Westchester Clubs
Harbor Island Park PO Box 783 Mamaroneck, N.Y. (914) 777-5151 ccampo@sportimeny.com Sportimeny.com/Harbor-Island
SPORTIME LAKE ISLE John McEnroe Tennis Academy, Westchester Carlos Campo—Regional General Manager, Westchester Clubs Fritz Buehning—Director of Tennis, JMTA Cathi Pizzo—Assistant Regional General Manager, Westchester Clubs
660 White Plains Road • Eastchester, N.Y. (914) 777-5151 ccampo@sportimeny.com Sportimeny.com/Lake-Isle SPORTIME SCHENECTADY Jed Murray—General Manager Philippe Ceas—Director of Tennis
2699 Curry Road • Schenectady, N.Y. (518) 356-0100 jmurray@sportimeny.com SportimeNY.com/Schenectady STADIUM TENNIS CENTER AT MILL POND Joel Kassan—Executive Director
725 Gateway Center Boulevard Bronx, N.Y. (718) 665-4684 joel@gothamtennis.com StadiumtennisNYC.com TENNIS INNOVATORS NYC Juan Andrade—Executive Director
520 2nd Avenue (Kips Bay Court) 899 10th Avenue (John Jay Court) New York, N.Y. (646) 476-5811 TennisInnovators.com USTA BILLIE JEAN KING NATIONAL TENNIS CENTER Whitney Kraft—Director of Tennis
Flushing Meadows Corona Park Flushing, N.Y. (718) 760-6200 kraft@usta.com USTA.com WEST SIDE TENNIS CLUB Bob Ingersole—Director of Tennis
1 Tennis Place • Forest Hills, N.Y. (718) 268-2300 tennisdirector@foresthillstennis.com ForestHillsTennis.com
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NEW Boys & Girls Metro Rankings (as of 02/16/16)
BOYS Metro Boys 12 Singles Rank Name ................................City 1 ......Safin Shaikh......................Bayside, N.Y. 2 ......Christian Bobko................Bronx, N.Y. 3 ......Joshua Staroselskiy ........Brooklyn, N.Y. 4 ......Dylan Lachmanen ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 5 ......Jack Charles Benavides ..New York, N.Y. 6 ......Ty Justin Staco-Towns ....Brooklyn, N.Y. 7 ......Michael Zlatnik ................Forest Hills, N.Y. 8 ......Nicholas Jozef Zagora ....Staten Island, N.Y. 9 ......Ronald Aaron Fridlyand ..Forest Hills, N.Y. 10 ....Sacha Maes......................New York, N.Y. 11 ....Mathias Isaac Davila ........Whitestone, N.Y. 12 ....Dominick Mosejczuk........East Elmhurst, N.Y. 13 ....Rafe Photopoulos ............New York, N.Y. 14 ....Sebastian Brustein ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 15 ....Ryan Friedman ................New York, N.Y. 16 ....Sabian Kosinov ................Forest Hills, N.Y. 17 ....Nicholas Scott Doupsas..New York, N.Y. 18 ....Gabriel de Kergorlay ........New York, N.Y. 19 ....Daniel Atkin ......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 20 ....Charles Robertson ..........Whitestone, N.Y. 21 ....Noah Katzer......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 22 ....Cal R. Wider......................New York, N.Y. 23 ....Andrew Mendelson..........New York, N.Y. 24 ....Joshua Ashvil ..................Forest Hills, N.Y. 26 ....Nicholas Oblonsky ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 27 ....David Alan Khaimov ........Jamaica, N.Y. 28 ....Arnav Agostinho ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 29 ....John Hilledgar ..................New York, N.Y. 30 ....Yash Bhandari More ........New York, N.Y. 31 ....Jack Griffin........................New York, N.Y. 32 ....Jake Srebnick ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 33 ....Santiago Espejel ..............New York, N.Y. 34 ....Achille Sarachek ..............New York, N.Y. 35 ....Teddy J. Ryan ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 36 ....Samuel Max Youngwood New York, N.Y. 37 ....Benjamin Elliot Emag ......Brooklyn, N.Y. 38 ....Jordan Rechtschaffen......New York, N.Y. 39 ....Isadore Jude Axinn ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 40 ....Zecheng Fang ..................New York, N.Y.
Metro Boys 14 Singles Rank Name ................................City 1 ......Ryuichi Nitta ....................Bronx, N.Y. 2 ......Jasper Hunt Thomas ......New York, N.Y. 3 ......Connor P. Dunne ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 4 ......Brandon Torres ................Bronx, N.Y. 5 ......Simon Camacho ..............New York, N.Y. 6 ......Dylan Lachmanen ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 7 ......Tadd Long ........................Woodside, N.Y. 8 ......Matthew Mosejczuk ........East Elmhurst, N.Y. 9 ......Ryan David Brandes ........Rego Park, N.Y. 10 ....Christopher Tham ............Flushing, N.Y. 11 ....Winter Fagerberg..............New York, N.Y. 12 ....Neel M. Epstein ................New York, N.Y. 13 ....Solomon Brown ..............New York, N.Y. 14 ....Eugene Fishman ..............Rego Park, N.Y. 15 ....Liam J. Dunne ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 16 ....Daniel Galisteo Gordon....New York, N.Y. 17 ....Sunjay Dev Singh ............New York, N.Y. 18 ....Jack Charles Benavides ..New York, N.Y. 19 ....Donald James Smith........Roosevelt Island, N.Y. 20 ....Waley Chen ......................Oakland Gardens, N.Y.
84
YORK
21 ....Nicholas Wernink ............New York, N.Y. 22 ....Anton Semenov................New York, N.Y. 23 ....Milian Kavi Jain ................New York, N.Y. 24 ....Cooper Williams ..............New York, N.Y. 25 ....Rohan Gold ......................Forest Hills, N.Y. 26 ....Nicholas Oblonsky ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 27 ....Ethan King ........................New York, N.Y. 28 ....Guy Ferrera ......................New York, N.Y. 29 ....Michael Cooper................Brooklyn, N.Y. 30 ....Zachary Portnoy ..............New York, N.Y. 31 ....Sabian Kosinov ................Forest Hills, N.Y. 32 ....John C. Bricker ................New York, N.Y. 33 ....George Manuel Arteaga ..East Elmhurst, N.Y. 34 ....Alfonso Laffont ................New York, N.Y 35 ....Kole Henry Moses............New York, N.Y. 36 ....Yesh Nikam ......................New York, N.Y. 37 ....Donovan Brown ..............New York, N.Y. 38 ....Albert Y. Wan ....................Forest Hills, N.Y. 39 ....Dylan Conner Charles......New York, N.Y. 40 ....Daniel Ivko ........................Staten Island, N.Y.
Metro Boys 16 Singles Rank Name ................................City 1 ......Richard Wickman ............Bayside, N.Y. 2 ......Daniel Leon Maseyev ......Brooklyn, N.Y. 3 ......David Krasner ..................Staten Island, N.Y. 4 ......Jonathan Glinsky..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 5 ......Simon Camacho ..............New York, N.Y. 6 ......Alex Portnoy ....................New York, N.Y. 7 ......Fayed Fayaz Uddin..........Elmhurst, N.Y. 8 ......Christopher Tham ............Flushing, N.Y. 9 ......Michael Kaydin ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 10 ....Jaime Gomez ..................New York, N.Y. 11 ....Sadi Gulcelik ....................New York, N.Y. 12 ....Dominik Pajor ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 13 ....True Waaktaar-Savoy ......Brooklyn, N.Y. 14 ....Leonidas Vrailas ..............New York, N.Y. 15 ....Jeffrey McCready ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 16 ....Illya Semenov ..................New York, N.Y. 17 ....Marcos Souza Lee ..........New York, N.Y. 18 ....Donald James Smith........Roosevelt Island, N.Y. 19 ....Alfonso Laffont ................New York, N.Y. 20 ....Robert Ivko ......................Staten Island, N.Y. 21 ....Tadd Long ........................Woodside, N.Y. 22 ....Liam J. Dunne ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 23 ....Connor P. Dunne ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 24 ....John C. Bricker ................New York, N.Y. 25 ....Umar Akhmedjanov ........New York, N.Y. 26 ....Yarden Hahn ....................New York, N.Y. 27 ....Harry Portnoy ..................New York, N.Y. 28 ....Igor Maslov ......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 29 ....Ameer Hosain ..................New York, N.Y. 30 ....Henry William Firestone ..New York, N.Y. 31 ....Alexander Kucherina........Brooklyn, N.Y. 32 ....John-Tomas Bilski............New York, N.Y. 33 ....Jonathan Shapiro ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 34 ....William Kofman ................Queens Village, N.Y. 35 ....Daniel Vascones ..............Middle Village, N.Y. 36 ....Tyler Mark Gulston ..........Queens Village, N.Y. 37 ....Connor Ryan Crowley......Bronx, N.Y. 38 ....Ketan D. Parekh ..............New York, N.Y. 39 ....Daniel Schaw....................New York, N.Y. 40 ....Jordan Sells......................Forest Hills, N.Y.
Metro Boys 18 Singles Rank Name ................................City 1 2 3 4
......Fayed Fayaz Uddin..........Elmhurst, N.Y. ......Richard Wickman ............Bayside, N.Y. ......Michael Dozortsev ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. ......Lucas Larese DeSanto ....New York, N.Y.
RANKINGS 5 ......Yarden Hahn ....................New York, N.Y. 6 ......Douglas Nover ................Bayside, N.Y. 7 ......Nicholas Ostrovsky ..........Staten Island, N.Y. 8 ......Daniel Usvyat....................Forest Hills, N.Y. 9 ......Connor Ryan Crowley......Bronx, N.Y. 10 ....Justin Holmes ..................Bronx, N.Y.
GIRLS Metro Girls 12 Singles Rank Name ................................City 1 ......Alina Ongeyberg ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 2 ......Natalie Bergmann ............Forest Hills, N.Y. 3 ......Rachel Zhang ..................Forest Hills, N.Y. 4 ......Kelly Chen ........................Forest Hills, N.Y. 5 ......Nicolette Fundator ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 6 ......Sophia Cisse ....................New York, N.Y. 7 ......Sofie Shen ........................New York, N.Y. 8 ......Jala Atkinson ....................New York, N.Y. 9 ......Sheyna Esther Karen ......New York, N.Y. 10 ....Blakely Dushkin................New York, N.Y. 11 ....Juliana Hornak ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 12 ....Jordan Ben-Shmuel ........New York, N.Y. 13 ....Catalina Haberman ..........New York, N.Y. 14 ....Sophia Montero................Brooklyn, N.Y. 15 ....Rosie Isabella Seccia ......New York, N.Y. 16 ....Elizabeth Bentsianov........Staten Island, N.Y. 17 ....Isabella Sofia Mandis ......New York, N.Y. 18 ....Maxie Molly Karen............New York, N.Y. 19 ....Samantha Bentsianov......Staten Island, N.Y. 20 ....Ronit Khromchenko ........Staten Island, N.Y. 21 ....Sasha Noel Ryder ............Staten Island, N.Y. 22 ....Mia Saveljic ......................New York, N.Y. 23 ....Fuschia Steward ..............New York, N.Y. 24 ....Julia T. Werdiger ..............New York, N.Y. 25 ....Charlie Eve Liss................New York, N.Y. 26 ....Tess Ariel Whitman ..........New York, N.Y. 27 ....Talia Helen Kahan ............New York, N.Y. 28 ....Brooke Johnston Hoffman New York, N.Y. 29 ....Jasmine Leon Soon ........Brooklyn, N.Y. 30 ....Julia Dementyev ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 31 ....Arielle Bakst......................New York, N.Y. 32 ....Taylor Overstrom..............New York, N.Y. 33 ....Bukky Alalade ..................Rosedale, N.Y. 34 ....Gabrielle Sophie Usvyat ..Forest Hills, N.Y. 35 ....Karah C. Augustin ............Saint Albans, N.Y. 36 ....Sabine Abeia ....................New York, N.Y. 37 ....Adriana Rose Hornak ......Brooklyn, N.Y. 38 ....Nina Wiese........................Flushing, N.Y. 39 ....Maria Volkov ....................Staten Island, N.Y. 40 ....Jodian Manahan ..............Bronx, N.Y.
18 ....Ellie Sullivan......................New York, N.Y. 19 ....Natalie Bergmann ............Forest Hills, N.Y. 20 ....Celina Liu ..........................Forest Hills, N.Y. 21 ....Casey Brandes ................Rego Park, N.Y. 22 ....Sofia Allinson....................New York, N.Y. 23 ....Anastasya Menshikova....Brooklyn, N.Y. 24 ....Alina Abramoff..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 25 ....Nia Simone Benjamin ......Brooklyn, N.Y. 26 ....Josephine Kimball............New York, N.Y. 27 ....Isabella Sifuentes ............Flushing, N.Y. 28 ....Isabella T. Hartman ..........New York, N.Y. 29 ....Kelly Chen ........................Forest Hills, N.Y. 30 ....Catalina Haberman ..........New York, N.Y. 31 ....Isabelle Grace Casimir ....New York, N.Y. 32 ....Alexandra Peeler ..............New York, N.Y. 33 ....Kristina Pali ......................Briarwood, N.Y. 34 ....Rachel Musheyev ............Forest Hills, N.Y. 35 ....Sofie Shen ........................New York, N.Y. 36 ....Maria Volkov ....................Staten Island, N.Y. 37 ....Anita Olivia Wright............New York, N.Y. 38 ....Tess Anna Price................Brooklyn, N.Y. 39 ....Maxie Molly Karen............New York, N.Y. 40 ....Haley Phillips ....................New York, N.Y.
Metro Girls 16 Singles Rank Name ................................City 1 ......Alanna Levitt ....................New York, N.Y. 2 ......Gianna Gaudio ................Staten Island, N.Y. 3 ......Jamila Akhmedjanova......New York, N.Y. 4 ......Natalie Marguiles..............New York, N.Y. 5 ......Mariam Shengelia ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 6 ......Maryna Bohdanovska......Brooklyn, N.Y. 7 ......Nadejda Maslova ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 8 ......Anna Borovinskaya ..........Bronx, N.Y. 9 ......Barbara Podvorchani ......Bronx, N.Y. 10 ....Maxine Beata Zaretsky....Brooklyn, N.Y. 11 ....Rachel Okin ......................New York, N.Y. 12 ....Celina Liu ..........................Forest Hills, N.Y. 13 ....Theodora Vrailas ..............New York, N.Y. 14 ....Audrey Pacthod ..............New York, N.Y. 15 ....Hillary Sherpa ..................Astoria, N.Y. 16 ....Kristina Pali ......................Briarwood, N.Y. 17 ....Isabella Rendon................Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 18 ....Lejla Redzematovic..........Whitestone, N.Y. 19 ....Masha Serjantov ..............New York, N.Y. 20 ....Tomi Alalade ....................Rosedale, N.Y. 21 ....Prthvi Srinivasan ..............New York, N.Y. 22 ....Anastasya Menshikova....Brooklyn, N.Y. 23 ....Carolyn Silverstein............New York, N.Y.
Metro Girls 18 Singles
Metro Girls 14 Singles
Rank Name ................................City
Rank Name ................................City
1 2 3 4 5
1 ......Jamila Akhmedjanova......New York, N.Y. 2 ......Niki Truszkowski ..............Middle Village, N.Y. 3 ......Anna Borovinskaya ..........Bronx, N.Y. 4 ......Alanna Levitt ....................New York, N.Y. 5 ......Cassie Tian ......................Flushing, N.Y. 6 ......Rachel Zhang ..................Forest Hills 7 ......Beyonce Blake ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 8 ......Nicole Koi Massa ............Astoria, N.Y. 9 ......Emma Eisenberg..............New York, N.Y. 10 ....Nathalie Williams..............New York, N.Y. 11 ....Leila M. Epstein................New York, N.Y. 12 ....Nadzeya Fliaha ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 13 ....Hillary Sherpa ..................Astoria, N.Y. 14 ....Katrine Zlatnik ..................Forest Hills, N.Y. 15 ....Nicolette Fundator ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 16 ....Leah Margulies ................New York, N.Y. 17 ....Sheyna Esther Karen ......New York, N.Y.
New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2016 • NYTennisMag.com
......Tamila Latif-Zade..............Brooklyn, N.Y. ......Liana Weitzman................Whitestone, N.Y. ......Anna Borovinskaya ..........Bronx, N.Y. ......Miriam Irfan Aziz ..............Staten Island, N.Y. ......Marian Shengelia..............Brooklyn, N.Y.
NEW Boys & Girls Sectional Rankings (as of 02/08/16)
BOYS Sectional Boys 12 Singles— Metro Region Rank Name............................City 2 ......Sebastian Sec ..................New York, N.Y. 4 ......Cooper Williams ..............New York, N.Y. 5 ......Wesley Zhang ..................Staten Island, N.Y. 8 ......Ty Switzer..........................New York, N.Y. 9 ......John-Thomas Bilski ........New York, N.Y. 12 ....Hudson Beaudoin ............New York, N.Y. 13 ....Tyler Korobov....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 22 ....Joseph Phillips ................New York, N.Y. 23 ....Sachin Palta......................Forest Hills, N.Y. 28 ....Donovan Spigner ............New York, N.Y. 29 ....Jace Alexander ................New York, N.Y. 35 ....Astro Brundo Pilipovic ....New York, N.Y. 38 ....Nicholas Steiglehner ........New York, N.Y. 39 ....Adrien Svilen Jippov ........New York, N.Y. 42 ....Nicholas Laffont ..............New York, N.Y. 43 ....Noah Abels Eisenberg ....New York, N.Y. 46 ....Solomon Brown ..............New York, N.Y. 47 ....Kole Henry Moses............New York, N.Y. 57 ....Luca Anthony DeMare ....New York, N.Y. 58 ....Bradley Bennett................New York, N.Y. 69 ....Sabian Kosinov ................Forest Hills, N.Y. 71 ....Rafe Photopoulos ............New York, N.Y. 73 ....Coby Matthew Brown......New York, N.Y. 74 ....Nicholas Murphy ..............New York, N.Y. 75 ....Joshua Ashvil ..................Forest Hills, N.Y. 79 ....David Krasner ..................Staten Island, N.Y. 81 ....Ari Hercules Cotoulas ......Brooklyn, N.Y. 82 ....Benjamin Thomas Ebanks New York, N.Y. 87 ....Luca Photopoulos............New York, N.Y. 88 ....David Dove Hendon ........New York, N.Y. 90 ....Samuel Benjamin Zeitlin ..Brooklyn, N.Y. 97 ....Safin Shaikh......................Long Island City, N.Y. 100 ..Sacha Maes......................New York, N.Y. 104 ..Stephan M. Gershfeld......New York, N.Y. 113 ..Joshua Staroselskiy ........Brooklyn, N.Y. 115 ..Dylan Lachmanen ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 117 ..Benjamin Kantor ..............New York, N.Y. 121 ..Nicholas Jozef Zagora ....Staten Island, N.Y. 124 ..Andres Fente ....................New York, N.Y. 130 ..Philip Abram Hoover........New York, N.Y. 135 ..Santiago Espejel ..............New York, N.Y. 136 ..Dominick Mosejczuk........East Elmhurst, N.Y. 143 ..Sebastian Brustein ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 144 ..Steven Polishchuk............Brooklyn, N.Y. 145 ..Andrew Mendelson..........New York, N.Y. 150 ..Michael Zlatnik ................Forest Hills, N.Y.
Sectional Boys 14 Singles— Metro Region Rank Name............................City 5 ......Jeffrey Fradkin..................New York, N.Y. 6 ......Steven Nazaroff................Brooklyn, N.Y. 9 ......Derek Raskopf..................New York, N.Y. 16 ....Noah Edelman..................New York, N.Y. 17 ....Brandon T. Cohen ............New York, N.Y. 26 ....Robbie F. Werdiger ..........New York, N.Y. 27 ....Blake Frank ......................New York, N.Y. 28 ....Joseph Wilkanowski ........Long Island City, N.Y. 32 ....Ryan McCook ..................Saint Albans, N.Y. 39 ....Kai Yuminaga....................Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 40 ....John-Tomas Bilski............New York, N.Y.
YORK
42 ....Marcos Souza Lee ..........New York, N.Y. 44 ....Oliver Worth......................New York, N.Y. 45 ....Tyler Korobov....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 46 ....Oliver Obeid......................New York, N.Y. 53 ....Wesley Zhang ..................Staten Island, N.Y. 59 ....Maxwell Igor Kachkarov ..Flushing, N.Y. 60 ....Christopher Tham ............Flushing, N.Y. 64 ....Tristan Taylor ....................New York, N.Y. 68 ....Jeffrey McCready ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 69 ....Donovan Brown ..............New York, N.Y. 73 ....Sebastian Sec ..................New York, N.Y. 75 ....Anton Semenov................New York, N.Y. 80 ....Hudson Beaudoin ............New York, N.Y. 83 ....Sachin Palta......................Forest Hills, N.Y. 86 ....Anthony Cataldo ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 94 ....Eitan Khromchenko ........Staten Island, N.Y. 98 ....David Krasner ..................Staten Island, N.Y. 102 ..Alex Portnoy ....................New York, N.Y. 103 ..Nash Crofoot Johnson ....New York, N.Y. 107 ..Scott Fischer ....................New York, N.Y. 109 ..Charles William Phillips....New York, N.Y. 111 ..Jonathan Glinsky..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 120 ..Alfonso Laffont ................New York, N.Y. 121 ..Mitchel Pertsovsky ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 122 ..Jonathan Laforest ............Queens Village, N.Y. 123 ..Simon Camacho ..............New York, N.Y. 125 ..Winter Forest Fagerberg..New York, N.Y. 126 ..Zachary Portnoy ..............New York, N.Y. 129 ..Solomon Brown ..............New York, N.Y. 130 ..Benjamin Ebanks ............New York, N.Y. 131 ..Cooper Williams ..............New York, N.Y. 136 ..Noah Abels Eisenberg ....New York, N.Y. 137 ..Ty Switzer..........................New York, N.Y. 139 ..Milan Kavi Jain ................New York, N.Y. 141 ..Ryuichi Nitta ....................Bronx, N.Y. 142 ..Jasper Hunt Thomas ......New York, N.Y. 145 ..Spencer Tuck....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 148 ..Harry Portnoy ..................New York, N.Y. 149 ..Sunjay Dev Singh ............New York, N.Y. 150 ..Matthew Mosejczuk ........East Elmhurst, N.Y.
Sectional Boys 16 Singles— Metro Region Rank Name............................City 16 ....Gary C. Fishkin ................Staten Island, N.Y. 29 ....Igor Maslov ......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 31 ....Lantis Wang......................New York, N.Y. 32 ....Zachary Jordan Lieb........New York, N.Y. 36 ....Shawn Jackson................Staten Island, N.Y. 42 ....David Mizahi ....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 43 ....Allan Ethan Magid ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 47 ....Steven Daniel Nazaroff ....Brooklyn, N.Y. 49 ....Gabriel Sifuentes..............Flushing, N.Y. 51 ....Nicholas Pustilnik ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 53 ....Peter Frelinghuysen ........New York, N.Y. 56 ....Sam Vagner ......................Staten Island, N.Y. 57 ....Jacob Kern ......................New York, N.Y. 58 ....Christopher Kolesnik........Staten Island, N.Y. 62 ....Ethan Leon........................Woodhaven, N.Y. 70 ....Sumit Sarkar ....................New York, N.Y. 79 ....Dylan Friedman ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 80 ....Michael Tyutyunik ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 82 ....Philip Belmatch ................Staten Island, N.Y. 89 ....Gabriel Isaac Rissman ....Brooklyn, N.Y. 92 ....Jonah Jurick ....................New York, N.Y. 93 ....Jeffrey Gorilovsky ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 100 ..Richard Zusman ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 118 ..Derek Raskopf..................New York, N.Y. 122 ..Blake Frank ......................New York, N.Y. 124 ..Derek Lung ......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 125 ..Shand Stephens ..............New York, N.Y.
RANKINGS 129 ..Ilya Semenov....................New York, N.Y. 139 ..Christopher Tham ............Flushing, N.Y. 140 ..Felix Levine ......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 141 ..Ameer Hosain ..................New York, N.Y. 147 ..Kemal Irfan Aziz................Staten Island, N.Y. 148 ..Pieter Wernink ..................New York, N.Y.
Sectional Boys 18 Singles— Metro Region Rank Name............................City 17 ....Oliver Sec..........................New York, N.Y. 21 ....Ananth Raghavan ............New York, N.Y. 22 ....Calvin Chung....................Bronx, N.Y. 24 ....Peter Lohrbach ................Little Neck, N.Y. 39 ....Ethan Nittolo ....................Flushing, N.Y. 44 ....Mitchell Ostrovsky............Brooklyn, N.Y. 46 ....James Wasserman ..........New York, N.Y. 54 ....Cole Gittens......................New York, N.Y. 55 ....Robert Kennedy ..............New York, N.Y. 71 ....Adam Bryan Borak ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 72 ....Avery Bicks ......................New York, N.Y. 76 ....Jack Haroche ..................New York, N.Y. 82 ....Nicholas Pustilnik ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 84 ....Felipe Osses-Konig..........Rego Park, N.Y. 91 ....Jacob Kern ......................New York, N.Y. 101 ..Andreja Radevic ..............New York, N.Y. 103 ..Igor Maslov ......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 111 ..Xavier Pacthod ................New York, N.Y. 112 ..Michael Gardiner..............New York, N.Y. 128 ..Christopher Kolesnik........Staten Island, N.Y. 132 ..David Mizrahi....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 136 ..Shawn Jackson................Staten Island, N.Y. 137 ..Marcus T. Smith................Little Neck, N.Y. 142 ..Zachary Jordan Lieb........New York, N.Y. 148 ..Gabriel Sifuentes..............Flushing, N.Y.
GIRLS Sectional Girls 12 Singles— Metro Region Rank Name............................City 2 ......Daniella Benabraham ......New York, N.Y. 10 ....Lorraine Bergmann ..........Forest Hills, N.Y. 18 ....Natalie Eordekian ............Woodside, N.Y. 19 ....Sarah Lucy Youngberg ....New York, N.Y. 20 ....Michelle Kleynerman........Staten Island, N.Y. 25 ....Nathalie Williams..............New York, N.Y. 27 ....Catalina Haberman ..........New York, N.Y. 38 ....Deliala Friedman ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 39 ....Sage Loudon....................New York, N.Y. 40 ....Alyssa An ..........................New York, N.Y. 43 ....Shakima Hotaki................Flushing, N.Y. 46 ....Lara Rose Berliner............New York, N.Y. 49 ....Nina Wiese........................Flushing, N.Y. 55 ....Leila M. Epstein................New York, N.Y. 58 ....Julia T. Werdiger ..............New York, N.Y. 67 ....Blakely Duskin..................New York, N.Y. 70 ....Bukky Alalade ..................Rosedale, N.Y. 75 ....Taylor Overstrom..............New York, N.Y. 90 ....Nicole Wooyin Lee ..........New York, N.Y. 91 ....Sophia Cisse ....................New York, N.Y. 95 ....Alina Kargin-Utkin ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 96 ....Alina Ongeyberg ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 99 ....Natalie Bergmann ............Forest Hills, N.Y. 100 ..Beyonce Blake ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 103 ..Kelly Chen ........................Forest Hills, N.Y. 118 ..Samantha Bentsianov......Staten Island, N.Y. 126 ..Emma Voykhanskaya ......Brooklyn, N.Y. 127 ..Rosie Isabella Seccia ......New York, N.Y. 136 ..Sofia Iantosca ..................New York, N.Y. 148 ..Charlie Eve Liss................New York, N.Y.
149 ..Arielle Bakst......................New York, N.Y.
Sectional Girls 14 Singles— Metro Region Rank Name............................City 5 ......Rosie Garcia Gross ..........New York, N.Y. 12 ....Perene Wang....................New York, N.Y. 18 ....Nadejda Maslova ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 21 ....Kyra Bergmann ................Forest Hills, N.Y. 23 ....Isabella Sinclair Cooper ..Brooklyn, N.Y. 35 ....Christina Huynh................Astoria, N.Y. 36 ....Dakota Fordham ..............New York, N.Y. 39 ....Rachel Rubenzahl ............New York, N.Y. 41 ....Lorraine Bergmann ..........Forest Hills, N.Y. 43 ....Amanda Solecki ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 46 ....Amy Kaplan ......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 49 ....Diana McCready ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 54 ....Khyanna Singh ................Queens Village, N.Y. 55 ....Diana Sosonkin ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 56 ....Carolyn Brodsky ..............New York, N.Y. 57 ....Michelle Kleynerman........Staten Island, N.Y. 60 ....Shawnte Beale ................Bronx, N.Y. 62 ....Sabrina Boada..................Woodhaven, N.Y. 64 ....Gabriella Eitkis..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 73 ....Marie Ivantechenko..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 74 ....Rebecca Eliana Fisch ......New York, N.Y. 76 ....Nathalie Williams..............New York, N.Y. 77 ....Jamila Akhmedjanova......New York, N.Y. 78 ....Zoe Kava ..........................New York, N.Y. 79 ....Daniella Benabraham ......New York, N.Y. 90 ....Anastasya Menshikova....Brooklyn, N.Y. 95 ....Daniela Hernandez ..........Corona, N.Y. 101 ..Josephine Kimball............New York, N.Y. 108 ..Shakima Hotaki................Flushing, N.Y. 110 ..Medina Garunja................Bronx, N.Y. 124 ..Rachel Zhang ..................Forest Hills, N.Y. 130 ..Rebecca Sitkovetsky ......Staten Island, N.Y. 135 ..Sofia Allinson....................New York, N.Y. 136 ..Nicole Koi Massa ............Astoria, N.Y. 137 ..Niki Truszkowski ..............Middle Village, N.Y. 138 ..Emma Abels Eisenberg ..New York, N.Y. 140 ..Anna Borovinskaya ..........Bronx, N.Y. 141 ..Cassie Tian ......................Flushing, N.Y. 143 ..Beyonce Blake ................Brooklyn, N.Y.
Sectional Girls 16 Singles— Metro Region Rank Name............................City 7 ......Michelle Sorokko..............Little Neck, N.Y. 11 ....Dasha Kourkina................Brooklyn, N.Y. 17 ....Shelly Yaloz ......................Little Neck, N.Y. 18 ....Chelsea Williams..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 26 ....Aleksandra Bekirova ........Brooklyn, N.Y. 32 ....Anastasia Koniaev............Forest Hills, N.Y. 36 ....Kyra Bergmann ................Forest Hills, N.Y. 38 ....Nicole Semenov ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 40 ....Rosie Garcia Gross ..........New York, N.Y. 42 ....Christina M. Huynh ..........Astoria, N.Y. 43 ....Lauren Munari ..................Middle Village, N.Y. 45 ....Valicia Browne ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 46 ....Dakota Fordham ..............New York, N.Y. 47 ....Katherine Kachkarov........Flushing, N.Y. 54 ....Nadejda Maslova ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 56 ....Sarah Rahman..................East Elmhurst, N.Y. 61 ....Diana Sosonkin ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 76 ....Jennifer Yu........................Forest Hills, N.Y. 84 ....Barbara Podvorchani ......Bronx, N.Y. 85 ....Stephanie Li......................New York, N.Y. 88 ....Miriam Irfan Aziz ..............Staten Island, N.Y. 99 ....Khyanna Rookmin Singh Queens Village, N.Y.
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85
NEW 102 ..Anastasya Menshikova....Brooklyn, N.Y. 105 ..Amy Kaplan ......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 108 ..Lia Kiam ............................New York, N.Y. 111 ..Perene Wang....................New York, N.Y. 114 ..Daniela Hernandez ..........Corona, N.Y. 118 ..Sabrina Boada..................Woodhaven, N.Y. 126 ..Jamila Akhmedjanova......New York, N.Y. 130 ..Isabella T. Hartman ..........New York, N.Y. 134 ..Brittny Jo Ferreira ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 143 ..Nicole Mika ......................Staten Island, N.Y. 144 ..Sofie Kate Levine ............New York, N.Y. 145 ..Kate Yamin........................New York, N.Y. 149 ..Shawnte Beale ................Bronx, N.Y. 150 ..Zoe Kava ..........................New York, N.Y.
Sectional Girls 18 Singles— Metro Region Rank Name............................City 7 ......Alexandra Koniaev ..........Forest Hills, N.Y. 8 ......Anna Ulyashchenko ........Brooklyn, N.Y. 21 ....Alexus Gill ........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 24 ....Sheely Yaloz ....................Little Neck, N.Y. 37 ....Sonia Tartakovsky ............New York, N.Y. 38 ....Isis Gill ..............................Brooklyn, N.Y. 40 ....Michelle Sorokko..............Little Neck, N.Y. 41 ....Jessica Livianu ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 43 ....Yuka Lin ............................Kew Gardens, N.Y. 47 ....Patricia Obeid ..................New York, N.Y. 51 ....Lisa Marchelska ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 59 ....Jillian Rose Auteri ............Staten Island, N.Y. 63 ....Valicia Browne ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 64 ....Emma Brandes Kassan ..New York, N.Y. 65 ....Dakota Fordham ..............New York, N.Y. 67 ....Victoria Sec ......................New York, N.Y. 71 ....Kiara A. Rose....................New York, N.Y. 73 ....Sabrina Xiong ..................Fresh Meadows, N.Y. 78 ....Miriam Irfan Aziz ..............Staten Island, N.Y. 82 ....Isabelle Rovinski ..............New York, N.Y. 84 ....Sydney Lynn Katz ............New York, N.Y. 89 ....Jennifer Yu........................Forest Hills, N.Y. 93 ....Anastasia Koniaev............Forest Hills, N.Y. 97 ....Jessica Golovin ................New York, N.Y. 99 ....Khyanna Singh ................Queens Village, N.Y. 101 ..Anna Maite Kaplan ..........New York, N.Y. 104 ..Sarah Rahman..................East Elmhurst, N.Y. 108 ..Nicole Semenov ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 110 ..Nicole Khorosh ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 112 ..Lauren Elizabeth Munari ..Middle Village, N.Y. 116 ..Tristan Lorich ....................New York, N.Y. 124 ..Kyra Bergmann ................Forest Hills, N.Y. 128 ..Katherine Kachkarov........Flushing, N.Y. 129 ..Dea Koiava ......................New York, N.Y. 131 ..Dasha Kourkina................Brooklyn, N.Y. 132 ..Christina M. Huynh ..........Astoria, N.Y. 133 ..Sophia Kryloff ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 134 ..Nadejda Maslova ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 135 ..Tamila Latif-Zade..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 150 ..Stephanie Li......................New York, N.Y.
86
YORK
Boys & Girls National Rankings (as of 02/25/16)
BOYS National Boys 12 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 22 ....Sebastian Sec ..................New York, N.Y. 27 ....Cooper Williams ..............New York, N.Y. 34 ....Wesley Zhang ..................Staten Island, N.Y. 41 ....John-Tomas Bilski............New York, N.Y. 84 ....Ty Switzer..........................New York, N.Y. 87 ....Hudson Beaudoin ............New York, N.Y. 153 ..Tyler Korobov....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 193 ..Jace K. Alexander ............New York, N.Y. 215 ..Sachin Palta......................Forest Hills, N.Y. 266 ..Donovan Spigner ............New York, N.Y. 335 ..Joseph Phillips ................New York, N.Y. 345 ..Kole Henry Moses............New York, N.Y. 462 ..Nicholas Steiglehner ........New York, N.Y. 572 ..Noah Abels Eisenberg ....New York, N.Y. 600 ..Solomon Brown ..............New York, N.Y. 615 ..Bradley Bennett................New York, N.Y. 622 ..Nicholas Laffont ..............New York, N.Y. 630 ..Astro Brundo Pilipovic ....New York, N.Y. 644 ..Adrien Svilen Jippov ........New York, N.Y. 770 ..Luca Anthony DeMare ....New York, N.Y. 774 ..Sabian Kosinov ................Forest Hills, N.Y. 850 ..Nicholas Murphy ..............New York, N.Y. 865 ..Luca Photopoulos............New York, N.Y. 866 ..Rafe Photopoulos ............New York, N.Y. 996 ..Ari Hercules Cotoulas ......Brooklyn, N.Y.
National Boys 14 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 49 ....Derek Raskopf..................New York, N.Y. 51 ....Jeffrey Fradkin..................New York, N.Y. 93 ....Steven Daniel Nazaroff ....Brooklyn, N.Y. 220 ..Noah D. Edelman ............New York, N.Y. 234 ..Robbie Werdiger ..............New York, N.Y. 247 ..Brandon T. Cohen ............New York, N.Y. 290 ..Joseph ilkanowski............Long Island City, N.Y. 413 ..Sebastian Sec ..................New York, N.Y. 430 ..Oliver Worth......................Long Island City, N.Y. 472 ..Wesley Zhang ..................Staten Island, N.Y. 503 ..Hudson Beaudoin ............New York, N.Y. 521 ..Oliver Obeid......................New York, N.Y. 544 ..Marcos Souza Lee ..........New York, N.Y. 560 ..Harry Portnoy ..................New York, N.Y. 562 ..Blake Frank ......................New York, N.Y. 571 ..John-Tomas Bilski............New York, N.Y. 648 ..Kai Yuminaga....................Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 669 ..Tyler Korobov....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 701 ..Maxwell Igor Kachkarov ..Flushing, N.Y. 743 ..Tristan Taylor ....................New York, N.Y. 771 ..Donovan Brown ..............New York, N.Y. 810 ..Zachary Portnoy ..............New York, N.Y. 909 ..Alex Portnoy ....................New York, N.Y. 952 ..Christopher Tham ............Flushing, N.Y. 999 ..Jeffrey McCready ............Brooklyn, N.Y.
RANKINGS National Boys 16 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 113 ..Gary C. Fishkin ................Staten Island, N.Y. 283 ..Lantis Wang......................New York, N.Y. 314 ..Zachary Jordan Lieb........New York, N.Y. 555 ..Jacob Kern ......................New York, N.Y. 619 ..Nicholas Pustilnik ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 643 ..David Mizrahi....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 651 ..Steven Daniel Nazaroff ....Brooklyn, N.Y. 659 ..Allan Ethan Magdid..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 665 ..Sam V. Vagner ..................Staten Island, N.Y. 670 ..Shawn Jackson................Staten Island, N.Y. 749 ..Gabriel Sifuentes..............Flushing, N.Y. 780 ..Peter Frelinghuysen ........New York, N.Y. 781 ..Derek Raskopf..................New York, N.Y. 860 ..Christopher Kolesnik........Staten Island, N.Y. 912 ..Ethan Leon........................Woodhaven, N.Y. 954 ..Jeffrey Gorilovsky ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 971 ..Dylan Friedman ................Brooklyn, N.Y.
National Boys 18 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 45 ....Oliver Sec..........................New York, N.Y. 210 ..Ananth Raghavan ............New York, N.Y. 214 ..Peter Lohrbach ................Little Neck, N.Y. 242 ..James Wasserman ..........New York, N.Y. 285 ..Ethan Nittolo ....................Flushing, N.Y. 418 ..Cole Gittens......................New York, N.Y. 443 ..Robert Kennedy ..............New York, N.Y. 604 ..Felipe Osses-Konig..........Rego Park, N.Y. 688 ..Calvin Chung....................Bronx, N.Y. 747 ..Mitchell Ostrovsky............Brooklyn, N.Y. 964 ..Adam Bryan Borak ..........Brooklyn, N.Y.
GIRLS National Girls 12 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 15 ....Daniella Benabraham ......New York, N.Y. 95 ....Lorraine Bergmann ..........Forest Hills, N.Y. 213 ..Sarah Lucy Youngberg ....New York, N.Y. 227 ..Nathalie Williams..............New York, N.Y. 255 ..Natalie Eordekian ............Woodside, N.Y. 268 ..Michelle Kleynerman........Staten Island, N.Y. 313 ..Alyssa An ..........................New York, N.Y. 339 ..Shakima Hotaki................Flushing, N.Y. 420 ..Sage Loudon....................New York, N.Y. 567 ..Deliala Friedman ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 762 ..Catalina Haberman ..........New York, N.Y. 971 ..Lara Rose Berliner............New York, N.Y. 982 ..Nina Wiese........................Flushing, N.Y.
National Girls 14 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 47 ....Rosie Garcia Gross ..........New York, N.Y. 65 ....Perene Wang....................New York, N.Y. 185 ..Kyra Bergmann ................Forest Hills, N.Y. 220 ..Nadejda Maslova ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 451 ..Rachel Rubenzahl ............New York, N.Y. 488 ..Isabella Sinclair Cooper ..Brooklyn, N.Y. 500 ..Lorraine Bergmann ..........Forest Hills, N.Y. 534 ..Diana McCready ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 536 ..Khyanna Singh ................Queens Village, N.Y. 653 ..Amy Kaplan ......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 662 ..Marie Ivantechenko..........Brooklyn, N.Y.
New York Tennis Magazine • March/April 2016 • NYTennisMag.com
709 ..Diana Sosonkin ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 805 ..Amanda Solecki ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 874 ..Shawnte Beale ................Bronx, N.Y. 936 ..Rebecca Elaina Fisch ......New York, N.Y. 997 ..Nathalie Williams..............New York, N.Y.
National Girls 16 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 33 ....Dasha Kourkina................Brooklyn, N.Y. 39 ....Michelle Sorokko..............Little Neck, N.Y. 113 ..Shelly Yaloz ......................Little Neck, N.Y. 249 ..Anastasia Koniaev............Forest Hills, N.Y. 275 ..Lauren Munari ..................Middle Village, N.Y. 280 ..Aleksandra Bekirova ........Brooklyn, N.Y. 347 ..Chelsea Williams..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 443 ..Katherine Kachkarov........Flushing, N.Y. 445 ..Nicole Semenov ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 473 ..Kyra Bergmann ................Forest Hills, N.Y. 508 ..Dakota Fordham ..............New York, N.Y. 573 ..Rosie Garcia Gross ..........New York, N.Y. 705 ..Christina M. Huynh ..........Astoria, N.Y.
National Girls 18 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 180 ..Alexandra Koniaev ..........Forest Hills, N.Y. 226 ..Jessica Melanie Livianu ..Brooklyn, N.Y. 256 ..Anna Ulyashchenko ........Brooklyn, N.Y. 386 ..Isis Gill ..............................Brooklyn, N.Y. 411 ..Alexus Gill ........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 434 ..Sabrina Xiong ..................Fresh Meadows, N.Y. 518 ..Sheely Yaloz ....................Little Neck, N.Y. 556 ..Sonia Tartakovsky ............New York, N.Y. 603 ..Michelle Sorokko..............Little Neck, N.Y. 614 ..Dasha Kourkina................Brooklyn, N.Y. 638 ..Patricia Obeid ..................New York, N.Y. 663 ..Victoria Sec ......................New York, N.Y. 844 ..Anastasia Koniaev............Forest Hills, N.Y. 907 ..Lisa Marchelska ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 929 ..Jessica Golovin ................New York, N.Y.
USTA/Metropolitan Region
2016 TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. MARCH 2016 Friday-Sunday, March 18-20 Eastern Super Six at Stadium Tennis Center (National L4) Stadium Tennis Center • 725 Exterior Street • Bronx, N.Y. Divisions: Super 6 Event Boys Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 18 (FIC-R16) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $116.60 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, March 7 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Lauren@StadiumTennisNYC.com or call (718) 665-4684. Friday-Sunday, March 18-20 Eastern Super Six at the Cary Leeds Center (National L4) The Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning 1720 Crotona Avenue • Bronx, N.Y. Divisions: Super 6 Event Boys Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (FIC-R16) Surface Type: Hard Entry Fee: $116.60 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, March 7 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail WWiese@NYJTL.org or call (718) 247-7420. Friday-Sunday, March 18-20 L1A Harlem Jr. Tennis Spring Championship Harlem Junior Tennis Program • 40 W 143rd Street • New York, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, March 11 at 5:00 p.m.) For more information, call (212) 491-3738. Friday-Sunday, March 18-20 Eastern Super Six APTC (National L4) Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard • Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Super 6 Event Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (FIC-R16) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $116.60 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, March 7 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Hemco2@aol.com or call (718) 264-2600.
Saturday, March 19 L3 NCT March BG12 UPS North Shore Tennis-Go!Tennis 3428 214th Place Bayside, N.Y. Divisions: Entry Level Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Green Ball 12 (RR) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, March 11 at 5:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail ncttennis@aol.com or call (718) 224-6303. Friday-Sunday, March 25-27 Cunningham Park Tennis Center Spring Challenger Cunningham Sports Center 19600 Union Turnpike Fresh Meadows, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12, 16 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, March 22 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail klastique@yahoo.com or call (718) 740-6800. Friday-Saturday, March 25-26 L3 Sportime RI March 2016 UPS Sportime Randall’s Island 1 Randall’s Island New York, N.Y. Divisions: Entry Level Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Green Ball 12 (RR) Surface Type: Clay Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, March 18 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail TournamentsRI@SportimeNY.com or call (646) 783-5301.
Saturday-Sunday, March 26-27 L3 Alley Pond TC March UPS Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Entry Level Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Green Ball 12, 78’ Yellow Ball 14-18 (RR) Friday-Sunday, March 18-20 & March 25-27 Surface Type: Hard Indoor L2O Sportime Randall’s Island March Open Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is MonSportime Randall’s Island • 1 Randall’s Island • New York, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball day, March 21 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail hemco2@aol.com or call 14-16 (SE) (718) 264-2600. Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, March 11 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail MTrumino@SportimeNY.com or call (212) 427 6150.
APRIL 2016 Friday-Sunday, April 1-3 L1B Cunningham Park TC April Challenger Cunningham Sports Center 19600 Union Turnpike Fresh Meadows, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14, 18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, March 28 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail klastique@yahoo.com or call (718) 740-6800. Friday-Sunday, April 1-3 L1B APTC April Challenger Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12, 16 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, March 28 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail hemco2@aol.com or call (718) 264-2600. Friday-Sunday, April 1-3 L2Open at Cary Leeds Center The Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning 1720 Crotona Avenue Bronx, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (FMLC), and Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14-18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, March 28 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail wwiese@nyjtl.org or call (718) 247-7420. Friday-Sunday, April 8-10 & April 15-17 L1B RI April Challenger Sportime Randall’s Island 1 Randall’s Island New York, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, April 1 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail MTrumino@SportimeNY.com or call (212) 427 6150.
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USTA/Metropolitan Region
2016 TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. Friday-Sunday, April 8-10 L1 APTC April Championships Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, April 1 at 8:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Hemco2@aol.com or call (718) 264-2600.
Friday-Monday, April 15-18 L1B APTC Spring Challenger Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12, 16 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Wednesday, April 6 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Hemco2@aol.com or call (718) 264-2600.
Friday-Sunday, April 8-10 L1 Cary Leeds April Championships The Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning 1720 Crotona Avenue Bronx, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 18 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, April 1 at 8:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail wwiese@nyjtl.org or call (718) 247-7420.
Friday-Sunday, April 15-17 L1A NYJTL Earth Day Championships at Cary Leeds The Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning 1720 Crotona Avenue Bronx, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, April 8 at 8:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail EBantovska@NYJTL.org or call (917) 443-6751.
Saturday, April 9 L3 NCT April BG12 UPS North Shore Tennis-Go!Tennis 3428 214th Place Bayside, N.Y. Divisions: Entry Level Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Green Ball 12 (RR) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, April 1 at 5:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail ncttennis@aol.com or call (718) 224-6303.
Friday-Sunday, April 22-24 L1B APTC April Flowers Challenger Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14, 18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, April 18 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Hemco2@aol.com or call (718) 264-2600.
Saturday-Sunday, April 9-10 PSP L2 Fresh Meadows Orange Ball Cunningham Sports Center 19600 Union Turnpike Fresh Meadows, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys & Girls 10 and Under Singles: 60’ Orange Ball 10 (NEF), and Intermediate Co-ed 10 and Under Singles: 60’ Orange Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Hard Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, April 3 at 10:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Brian@CunninghamTennis.com or call (718) 740-6800.
Friday-Sunday, April 22-24 L1B Cary Leeds April Flowers Challenger New York Junior Tennis and Learning 5812 Queens Boulevard, Ste. 1 Woodside, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12, 16 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, April 18 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail EBantovska@NYJTL.org or call (347) 417-8168.
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Saturday-Sunday, April 23-24 PSP L1 Bronx: Orange Ball The Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning 1720 Crotona Avenue • Bronx, N.Y. Divisions: Boys & Girls 10 and Under Singles: 60’ Orange Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Hard Entry Fee: $59.63 per player (deadline for entries is Saturday, April 9 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, e-mail EBantovska@NYJTL.org or call (347) 417-8168. Friday-Sunday, April 29-May 1 Empire Cup National Doubles at Stadium Tennis Center Stadium Tennis Center • 725 Exterior Street • Bronx, N.Y. Divisions: Boys & Girls Doubles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (MFIC) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, April 19 at 8:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Lauren@StadiumTennisNYC.com or call (718) 665-4684. Friday-Sunday, April 29-May 1 Empire Cup National Doubles at the Cary Leeds Center The Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning 1720 Crotona Avenue • Bronx, N.Y. Divisions: Boys & Girls Doubles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (MFIC) Surface Type: Hard Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, April 19 at 8:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail EBantovska@NYJTL.org or call (347) 417-8168. Friday-Sunday, April 29-May 1 Empire Cup National Doubles at APTC Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard • Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Boys & Girls Doubles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12, 18 (MFIC) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, April 1 at 8:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Hemco2@aol.com or call (718) 264-2600. Friday-Sunday, April 29-May 1 L1 10U West Side Tennis Club Spring Championships The West Side Tennis Club • 1 Tennis Place • Forest Hills, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys & Girls 10 and Under Singles & Doubles: 78’ Green Ball 10 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, April 1 at 8:00 p.m.) For more information, e-mail Hemco2@aol.com or call (718) 264-2600.
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Metropolitan Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine, LLC 425 Fifth Avenue at 38th St. | Third Floor | New York, NY 10016 | Office: 347.565.4255 NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2016 • New York Tennis Magazine 114
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