Long Island Tennis Magazine - Sept/Oct 2010 by United Sports Publications, Ltd.

LITennisMag.com • September/October 2010 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2010 • LITennisMag.com

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September/October 2010 Volume 2, Number 4

Cover story An “Open” State of Mind A collection of articles and highlights covering all facets of the 2010 U.S. Open. From autograph seeking to an insider’s perspective to the experiences of an Open ballboy, the area gears up for two week’s of the sport’s top stars as they invade New York.

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

Staff David Sickmen National Director of Business Development (516) 409-4444, ext. 309 david@litennismag.com Emilie Katz Marketing and Editorial Coordinator (516) 409-4444, ext. 309 emilie@litennismag.com Andrew T. Berman Vice President/Sales (516) 409-4444, ext. 333 andrew@litennismag.com Eric C. Peck Editor-in-Chief (516) 409-4444, ext. 312 eric@litennismag.com Domenica Trafficanda Managing Art Director Karen Krizman Senior Account Executive (516) 409-4444, ext. 326 karen@litennismag.com

Cover photo credit: USTA

58 The 10 Commandments for Optimal Tournament Performance

Features 3 Hitting With Rosewall By Brent Shearer Author Brent Shearer shares his experience practicing with one of the sport’s top legends, Ken Rosewall, and the thrill of a lifetime.

8 Junior Player Spotlight: 2009 New York State High School Girls Champion Blair Seiderman of Jericho, N.Y. This month, we showcase the accomplishments of local Blair Seiderman, as she looks back at her past and moves forward as her collegiate career begins at Yale.

10 The New York Sportimes Win the World TeamTennis Eastern Division A look back at the successes of the 2010 World TeamTennis season at Sportime Stadium at Randalls Island and the accomplishments of the New York Sportimes.

An in-depth review of the new line of racquets from Donnay, the X-Series.

Vermont Tennis Vacations at The Essex (Vermont) Resort & Spa A look at the packages available for the perfect tennis northern vacation getaway at The Essex Resort & Spa.

30 NYC Racquet Sports Easing the Long Island Transition From

Laura Schroeder PR Associate

Advertising To receive any information regarding advertising rates, deadlines, and requirements, contact David Sickmen at (516) 409-4444, ext. 309 or e-mail david@litennismag.com.

Article Submissions/Press Releases To submit any material, including articles and press releases, please contact David Sickmen at (516) 409-4444, ext. 309 or email david@litennismag.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@longislandtennismag.com or check out our Web site: www.litennismag.com. Fax subscription changes to (516) 409-1600. Statements of fact and opinion in Long Island Tennis Magazine are the responsibility of the authors alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of United Sports Publications Ltd. Long Island Tennis Magazine reserves the right to edit, reject and/or postpone the publication of any articles, information or data.

Author Mike Mejia, CSCS discusses becoming an overall better conditioned athlete as opposed to focusing one’s conditioning strictly toward one sport.

the Commute to the Courts By Eric C. Peck A look at the opening of NYC Racquet Sports and how its owner, Woody Schneider, is seeking to provide a one-stop shopping experience for the commuting tennis player.

32 Long Island Tennis Magazine Challenge Wraps Its Inaugural Outing in Long Beach A look back at the Long Island Tennis Magazine Challenge and the beach tennis action that was brought to the area this past summer by Beach Tennis USA along with a photo gallery.

34 Correcting Mistakes and Mistaken Corrections By Steven Kaplan

36 Long Island Tennis Magazine’s Guide to Tennis Court Surfaces

We take a look at the offerings from both Great Shot! Courts and Velvetop Products and what they can offer to meet your tennis needs.

38 Igniting Your Best Game Through Mental Training By Bob Litwin

Developing a strong mental game is key to any successful tennis player’s repertoire and Bob Litwin discusses the ingredients required for success.

44 LIPTL Caps Off 2010 Season

A look back at the 2010 Long Island Professional Tennis League’s (LIPTL) season as the victorious Piping Rock Club were crowned 2010 LIPTL champs.

Gerry Ashley, coach of the USTA Boys and Girls 14 North Zone Team, documents his trip to Kalamazoo, Mich. for the National Championships.

51 Long Island Tennis Magazine’s Girls High School Preview

Who to look out for as the 2010 girl’s high school tennis season gets underway.

65 Burnout By Lonnie Mitchel How much is too much? Lonnie Mitchel discusses the toll too much tennis can take on a young player.

73 The Game of Tennis By Alan Fleishman

Columns

54 QuickStart Tennis Blitz in the Parks Reaches Out With Free Lessons By Bill Mecca

6 My Opinion: What’s the Story With Tennis Compared to Other Sports? By Eric Meditz Eric Meditz discusses the lack of respect tennis gets in the world of sports, and just why tennis is better than the rest.

14 Dr. Tom on Giving Up the Lead By Dr. Tom Ferraro Sports Psychologist Dr. Tom Ferraro discusses mental breakdowns and what can be done to prevent them.

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

Emilie Katz delves into the off-court lives of the sport’s top stars.

35 Injury Prevention: Shoulder Health By Dr. Eric Price Dr. Eric Price discusses the proper form required and range of motion in the shoulder area to prevent injury and remain pain free.

42 College Tennis Spotlight: Mythbusters … The College Tennis Experience is Completely Different (or Similar!) to Junior and High School Tennis: Part II By Ricky Becker

toc

Steven Kaplan examines methods of problem solving and the use of logic during a tennis match.

46 A Tennis Journey to Kalamazoo … By Gerry Ashley

Captain of the 2010 Talbert Cup winning team, Russell Heier, recaps his team’s run to the 2010 Talbert Cup.

15 Long Island Tennis Magazine Presents … Tennis Travel Destinations:

Jennifer Moeller Billing Coordinator (516) 409-4444, ext. 324

Brent Shearer Editorial Contributor

61 Eastern Men Bring Home the Talbert Cup By Russell Heier

Alan Fleishman looks at quirky stories from over the years in the sport of tennis.

18 Too Specific, Too Soon? By Mike Mejia, CSCS

Gary Simeone Writing Intern

Darrin Cohen provides a list of 10 rules one should adhere to when mentally prepping for tournament play.

12 Long Island Tennis Magazine Racquet Review: The Donnay X-Series

Jon Blake Advertising Coordinator (516) 409-4444, ext. 301 jonb@litennismag.com

Eric Meditz Editorial Contributor

By Darrin Cohen

The USTA Eastern Section and Nassau County join forces to introduce the sport of tennis to area youth.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2010 • LITennisMag.com

In the second part of his series, Ricky Becker again breaks down the differences in making the transition from high school tennis player to the collegiate ranks.

50 Tips From the Tennis Pro: Set Your Goals By Jay Wass

Jay Wass explains the importance of goal setting and meeting those short-, medium-, and long-term goals.

55 Adult League Wrap-Up By Kathy Miller

Kathy Miller recaps the Senior and Super Senior Leagues and looks ahead to the 2010 Tri-Level League as it begins action in September.

62 The Sand Pit

Beach Tennis USA gets set for 2010 National Championships in Long Beach, N.Y.

69 Long Island Tennis Club Directory

70 Long Island Tennis Magazine’s Literary Corner By Brent Shearer

Brent Shearer takes a look at the book by Patrick McEnroe & Peter Bodo, Hardcourt Confidential and Acing Depression: A Tennis Champion’s Toughest Match By Cliff Richey with Hilaire Richey Kallendorf.

76 Long Island Rankings Sponsored by Denny’s

79 USTA/Long Island Region 2010 Tournament Schedule

Hitting With Rosewall By Brent Shearer As tennis fans enjoy the 2010 U.S. Open, I cannot help but think about the man who won the event in 1956, Ken Rosewall, and the time I hit with him. I don’t know why I started by volleying when I faced the great Rosewall across the net. Maybe it was because I’d been videotaping a match between Ken and three campers at the Tennis Legends event at the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch, and I had the camera and tripod positioned by the net post. Or maybe I started at the net because I learned to volley from another former Australian Davis Cup team member, Warren Woodcock. One thing those mid-century generations of Aussie champs could do was volley, and by extension, teach volleying. It’s not that surprising if you recall that three of the four Slams were on grass for most of the period they dominated. It could also have been that these Aussies owned the volley because most of them used a continental grip, which is the best volleying grip. Anyway, when one of the campers had to take a bathroom break and the other two decided to get a drink, (of water, not Foster’s), I saw my chance and I took it. I picked up one of the racquets the guys had put down, and

before Ken had a chance to walk off the court, tapped a ball softly toward the baseline where he was standing and said, “C’mon, Ken.” He was kind enough to hit it back to me, gently. I’m sure when the organizers of the event signed up Ken and the other former champs, part of the deal wasn’t that they had to rally with the staff. But to say Ken is polite and gracious is an understatement. So he indulged me. When I was learning to play as a kid, Ken was my hero. Part of what I liked about him was how cool his name sounded. Someone once wrote a poem about the baseball player Curt Flood’s name. The writer liked it because it implied such opposite qualities. I felt the same way about the combination of rose and wall. And it didn’t hurt that we have the same birthday. But even more important was the way he played. His strokes were crisp and conventional and he covered the court like it was the size of a postage stamp. I remember one of my teenage tennis pals saying he must use a lot of hair tonic because it seemed like his hair was never ruffled. I also identified with

him because of his slight stature. Of course, being small, the other Aussies gave him the nickname “Muscles,” because he had so few of them. Watching Ken play Fred Stolle or John Newcombe was like watching a point guard take on a forward or a center. John Newcombe, another Aussie tennis great, told a story that week about the first time he practiced with Ken. Newk said he was 17, so Ken must have been 27. Newk said that by 17, he was hitting a formidable serve … hitting the cover off the ball, as he put it. But practicing with Ken was a humbling experience, because as hard as he was banging the serve, Ken was able to return it nearly as hard and place the returns for winners. Andre Agassi had a great servcontinued on page 4

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HITTING WITH ROSEWALL

ice return, but I’d stack Ken’s up against it. Another reason I loved Ken’s game was that he used conventional strokes. The problem I had with Ken’s near contemporary, Rod Laver, besides the fact that he was a lefty, was that Laver took huge swings and used tons of wrist. It looked like a hard way to play unless you had Laver’s talent. As a kid, I needed to believe that if you learned the conventional strokes right, even an average athlete like me could get some mileage out of them. If I’d seen John McEnroe’s volley when I was learning the game, I’d have been really

continued from page 3

confused. I might have just concluded that McEnroe’s volleys are proof that lefties are all weird. In any event, as great as Laver was, and as much as I liked watching him play, there wasn’t much for me to copy there. I also admired Rosewall’s counter-punching style. He could turn an opponent’s pace against them better than anyone of his era. And then there was his slice backhand. He could also come over the ball, but nobody has ever hit such an aggressive slice backhand. Ken talked about how he hit it that week at the Ranch. He said he hit through the ball more than nearly anyone has been able to. As a result, he produced a heavier ball that didn’t tend to sit up like most slice backhands. After Ken Rosewall hit a few soft balls at me, he picked up the pace a bit. Only to what were for him probably half-speed drives, but I was volleying them with control back at him. Soon he was picking up the pace every few shots as he saw I could handle it. I think we hit for about 10 min., before the guys came

back. When they returned, I thanked him and went back to taping the match. Part of the thrill I got from hitting with Rosewall was subtle. As time passes, there are fewer and fewer of us who had a chance to take lessons from or just watch, the Australian Davis Cup team members who dominated the game in the pre-Open era. When I was hitting with Rosewall, I was using a grip that is dying out and hitting mostly a shot whose importance has shrunk from its glory days. So I was sharing in a small way that culture, which includes Australian camaraderie and a taste for Foster’s beer that has faded along with wood frames and white balls. The other thrill was also fleeting. I was hitting with Ken Rosewall and for a moment, he must have realized I had some game. Not a ton, but still … Thanks, Muscles. G Brent Shearer may be reached by e-mail at bbshearer@gmail.com.

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my opinion BY ERIC MEDITZ

What’s the Story With Tennis Compared to Other Sports? hy is it that tennis players seldom get any respect from athletes in other sports? I remember many times growing up being made fun of because I played tennis. For some bizarre reason, being a “tennis player” comes with this stereotype that we are all wimps or weaklings that cannot handle competing or getting roughed around in other sports. Here’s a quick example. One time, while changing into my tennis gear after school, a lacrosse player who was changing next to me asked me why I wasn’t wearing my Indian head dress. Confused, I looked at him as I put on my 1991 Boy’s 14’s Zonals tshirt, with matching white shorts and headband. It was only after he asked me if I was going to open with “YMCA” or “In the Navy,” did I realize that he was making a bad joke at my expense. Thanks a lot … jerk! If you don’t think that stuff like this happens, you would be wrong, because it does. But, as I will explain, we the tennis players are the tough guys who have the most skill and have sacrificed more for our

craft than any of these other guys in other sports could ever even fathom. First off … let’s start with baseball players. I watch baseball games and laugh out loud when they take a guy out of the game because he has a blister on his pitching hand or he fell a little awkwardly while running to first. If you want to talk about wimps, there’s your answer. Tennis players play with blisters sometimes so painful and raw, it feels as if our grip is a smoldering piece of orange steel. But, do we start crying about how much it hurts and then spend 15 days on the disabled list … no! We man up, play with the pain and continue competing. Then, we do it all over again tomorrow, then the next day, etc. That’s something I don’t see from professional baseball players. Score: Tennis players 1—Everyone else 0 I also watch those same pitchers pitch and it looks to me that it’s very similar to a tennis players serving motion. Everyone nowadays makes a big deal that they are on some type of pitch count where they can only

throw 100 or so pitches. The question that I have is then why isn’t a guy like Andy Roddick on a serve count? Wouldn’t that make just as much sense? Throughout a regular tennis match he could serve hundreds of times. Not to mention hitting forehands and backhands using the muscles in that same shoulder. Why don’t people make a big deal about tennis players serving so much? They should, but they don’t. The reason why is that we are strong and tough! Score: Tennis players 2—Everyone else 0 Here’s another thing baseball players do that makes me laugh. Sometimes, when a big hitting player comes to the plate, the infield shifts to where they will stack the whole team towards the left or right side of the infield, depending on where this specific hitter likes to pull the ball. And usually, like clockwork, this player, who’s making about $8 million a year I might add, hits the ball to the general area where everyone is stacked. Isn’t that pathetic? Why doesn’t this “professional” hit the ball to the other side where nobody is standing? The reason is simple … he can’t. He doesn’t have the ability to. Tennis players, on the other hand, just don’t use reflexes to get back 130 mph serves, but we also are able to control those balls hit to us. We rarely hit balls that aren’t totally in our control. Score: Tennis players 3—Everyone else 0 I watch football on Sundays, and I have a problem with those guys too. I love watching pregame shows where they have a few ex-NFL players dress up in suits and sit at a desk giving their thoughts on the upcoming game, while they are holding pens and jotting stuff down as if they are solving the Pythagorean Theorem. One

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2010 • LITennisMag.com

time, those guys were talking about some linebacker, while highlights of him getting by his blocker and sacking a quarterback played on TV. The guy in the suit said that this player’s skill and abilities will be the difference if their team wins or loses. As soon as I heard this, I hunched over and buried my face in my hands just like my father did when I told him he had to pay for my fifth year of college. Skill? What skill is that? Okay, I understand that this guy is big … and I also understand that this guy is pretty fast and agile for a guy his size. I understand that! But what skill is he talking about. He can run up to a guy standing and jump on top of him? That’s skill? Do you want to know what real skill is? Try playing for four hours in 100-degree heat, battling cramps and trying to find a way to win a 20-ball rally. And then, when that point is done, we go back up to the baseline to do it all over again, with no one to rely on but ourselves. The difference cannot even be compared. Score: Tennis players 4—Everyone else 0

Growing up, I played tennis six days a week for about three hours a day all throughout my middle and high school years. I sacrificed so much to become the best tennis player that I could be. It did pay off, in that I was recruited and received a partial scholarship to attend a Big 10 University. But the thing that really gets under my skin still to this day is that I knew a lacrosse player in high school who played the lacrosse season that lasted only three months and that was about it. That was all the lacrosse he played throughout the year and that’s about all he sacrificed. And this guy got recruited and played lacrosse for an Ivy League school. He played about 1/100th the amount of lacrosse growing up compared to the amount of tennis I played. So who sacrificed more? Who do you think is the tough guy is now? Score: Tennis players 5—Everyone else 0 Every sport that is being played by other athletes has some type of offseason. They sometimes have as long as six months to regroup and recharge. Tennis, on the other hand, is a sport that needs to be played con-

stantly if you want to be good at it. It would be totally unheard of for a junior, college or professional player to take two months off out of nowhere because they felt like they needed a break. There is no offseason for a tennis player … ever! That’s why we are the toughest guys around. We just keep on going and going. Score: Tennis players 6—Everyone else 0 The bottom line is that we, the tennis players, are really the true tough guys, compared to all of these other athletes. So next time when some insecure, meathead, angry lacrosse player who will probably get a nice cushy job in the financial world because of this “lacrosse player nepotism,” comes up to you to make some stupid remark about tennis players being wimps, please reference this article to him. If that doesn’t work … then just say that tennis players get hotter girlfriends! Score: Tennis players 7—Everyone else 0 Tennis Pro Eric Meditz may be reached by e-mail at meditzisfunny@yahoo.com.

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2009 New York State High School Girls Tennis Champion

Blair Seiderman of Jericho, N.Y. ecently, Long Island Tennis Magazine had the chance to sit down with 2009 New York State High School Girls Tennis Champion Blair Seiderman of Jericho N.Y. to discuss her past, present and future in the tennis game.

At what age did you start playing tennis and please take us through your tennis development process? I began playing tennis at the age of five. My older sister played and it inspired me to want to play. Once I was seven-years-old, I was ready for competitive matches and began playing in tournaments. I have had a few different coaches through the years, but through my most important stages of development as a tennis player, I was coached by Maurice Trail and Andre Fukala. They have helped

make the process easier. I have found it rewarding that I have developed as a person, in addition to becoming a better tennis player. How much do you train? I play five days a week, two of those days are spent with Maurice and Andre, and get into the gym three days a week. I play two to three hours a day, and on gym days, spend an additional 90 min. in the gym. Then, I take two days off. What did it mean to you in 2009 when you were crowned New York State High School Girls Champion? That accomplishment meant a lot to me. I played high school tennis in eighth and ninth grade, and then took off my sophomore and junior seasons to play more tour-

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naments and spend time with my coaches. But, I always planned on coming back my senior year to give back to Jericho High School and win the title for the school. Jericho High School has been very supportive and helpful in managing my tennis in my time there. Where will you be playing college tennis this fall and how do you feel about it? This fall, I will be playing at Yale. The girls on the collegiate level have more power and the competition is much better, so I will have to employ a more aggressive style. I will be playing both singles and doubles at Yale. What is your most memorable tennis moment thus far in your career? Winning the New York State Championship in 2009 was probably my best moment to date. Winning states earned me more respect from my peers. Usually, in winning USTA tournaments those not involved with the sport don’t hear about it, but when you win states everyone in my school and town knew about it. What are your goals for your future in tennis? I would like to help win an Ivy League Title for Yale. Individually I’d like to win the Freshman of the Year Award in the Ivy League. And, of course, we must beat Harvard! What advice would you give to young junior girls looking to one day play at the collegiate level? It’s important to set attainable goals and to enjoy the journey. Memories and your childhood are important, so be careful not to lose that in the process. G

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The New York Sportimes Win the World TeamTennis Eastern Division Exciting professional tennis action makes its return to New York he 2010 World TeamTennis (WTT) season concluded on July 25, when the Kansas City Explorers defeated the New York Sportimes in the finals of the 2010 WTT Championship to claim the King Cup, named after league founder and tennis legend, Billie Jean King. The Sportimes advanced to the finals by winning the Eastern Division, and then defeating the Boston Lobsters in a home semifinal playoff match. It was a very exciting season for the Sportimes and for tennis enthusiasts in the New York area, not only because of the team’s success-filled 2010 season, but because of the excitement and buzz that was brought into Sportime Stadium at Randalls Island facility during home matches. On two occasions, John McEnroe played for the Sportimes and Kim Clijsters also joined the Sportimes for a late July match. Opposing players who made appearances in New York this summer included Andy Roddick, Martina Hingis and James Blake. Sportime Stadium provided all fans the opportunity to see these stars up close and in an atmosphere that encouraged vocal fan support. While the play was very competitive, WTT crowds are loud, they are entertained by music and an announcer who tries to motivate the crowd to cheer on the home team at all times. After the matches, the Sportimes made their players available so that kids who wanted autographs were able to meet the players and have them sign. The 2010 Sportimes roster featured John McEnroe, Kim Clijsters, Ashley Harkelroad, Abigail Spears, Robert Kendrick and Jesse Witten. Some highlights of the 2010 season included:

ceived complimentary issues of the magazine. Long Island Tennis Magazine also had the opportunity to take part in interviews and press conferences with all the players, as well as having photographer Kenneth B. Goldberg on court taking photos of each home match. Below are some of the quotes and scenes from the Sportimes 2010 Eastern Division Championship winning season. We look forward to seeing even more of you out at the matches for another exciting season of WTT action in 2011. Credit all photos: Kenneth B. Goldberg “I love playing in my home spot of New York. It allows me to play the hero most of the time. And when we get more people here and good crowds, it’s fun! When things are going well they’re is not a better place to play in the world!” —John McEnroe (pictured above with Kim Clijsters) after his July 19 match with the New York Buzz “I enjoy the WTT format. I like interacting with the fans, and where else can I get a chance to play a guy like McEnroe. But the biggest reason I play WTT is because of my respect for Billie Jean King and what she has put together.” —Andy Roddick during his WTT match on July 14 at Sportime Stadium at Randalls Island against John McEnroe

N July 7: James Blake helped lead the Boston Lobsters to a win over the Sportimes. N July 14: Andy Roddick defeated John McEnroe 5-4 in a singles match that came down the last point in a hotly-contested match featuring legends of different representing different eras. N July 19: John McEnroe and Kim Clijsters helped lead the Sportimes to a win over the New York Buzz, who were led by Martina Hingis. Clijsters defeated Hingis 5-2 in singles play. N July 23: The Sportimes defeat the Boston Lobsters to win the Eastern Division and earn a trip to the 2010 WTT Championship. Long Island Tennis Magazine was on hand for all of the Sportimes 2010 home matches, and all fans in attendance re10

“This is my third season with the Sportimes and I love it. My husband is the coach (Chuck Adams) and I’m close with Jesse Witten. The familiarity with the Sportime staff makes it nice. The stadium is great, and I get to stay in the city for the summer instead of traveling. It’s nice to stay put.” —Ashley Harkelroad (pictured above right with doubles partner Abigail Spears) in WTT action against the Philadelphia Freedoms on July 13

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2010 • LITennisMag.com

“I love the World TeamTennis experience, team spirit and team events in general. I always considered myself a team player, and actually have more doubles Grand Slams than singles.” —Martina Hingis, prior to her July 19 match at Sportime Stadium at Randalls Island

“It’s great playing in New York! New York crowds are loud and opinionated, that’s my style of play, and more importantly, that’s what we want here at World TeamTennis ... enthusiasm from the fans!” —John McEnroe (pictured above after his match with Andy Roddick) at the postmatch handshake with Andy Roddick “New York fans will tell you what they’re thinking, whether good or bad … and that’s what is fair.” —Andy Roddick (pictured above right) during his post-match press conference with John McEnroe (left)

Kim Clijsters in her WTT match for the New York Sportimes versus the New York Buzz on July 19

The 2010 New York Sportimes, led by Coach Chuck Adams (from left to right), Ashley Harkelroad, Robert Kendrick, Abigail Spears and Jesse Witten

Billie Jean King, founder of World TeamTennis, visits Sportime Stadium at Randalls Island on July 14 for a matchup featuring the Sportimes taking on the Philadelphia Freedoms

Robert Kendrick in action for the Sportimes against the Philadelphia Freedoms

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Contact former Stanford University and Roslyn High School MVP Ricky Becker today at 516-605-0420 or rbecker06@yahoo.com. www.juniortennisconsulting.com LITennisMag.com • September/October 2010 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Long Island Tennis Magazine

Racquet Review The Donnay X-Series bination for your game. These are some of the most stable and forgiving frames out there.

X-Blue 94

Ah, the memories of an unprecedented run of victories at Wimbledon and Roland Garros by Bjorn Borg; epic battles at Wimbledon with John McEnroe … During the heyday of tennis, the pinnacle of the sport was Bjorn Borg and Donnay racquets. He was the king of cool and everyone wanted to use his racquet, the Donnay Borg Pro. After spending years as the number one racquet manufacturer in the world and the leader in innovation, Donnay quickly faded away through bankruptcy and ownership changes. After a 13-plus year absence from the U.S. market, Donnay is now trying to recapture the glory days by re-launching the brand with a new line of racquets called the X-Series. Touting an ultra thin beam width of 15 mm. and a new technology called “XeneCore,” these racquets are generating a lot of buzz. Proclaimed as a “solid core,” they claim to achieve feel and control without loss of power. An interesting concept, but haven’t we heard this before? Don’t all tennis manufacturers come up with some ultimate claim, only to let us down? Well, we tested all nine models in the Donnay X-Series and here are the results.

This is a serious player frame. You really have to be at the top of your game, with full strokes, to maximize the potential of these racquets. The dense string pattern (18x20) provides a great deal of control while allowing you to really bomb your serves. Again, the “hexagonal molding” prevents any twisting and the “solid core” creates an extremely stable racquet.

X-Dark Red 94 This softer and heavier frame is for those that like to play with more feel and control and can generate their own power with great plow through. Easy to generate spin, but they seem better suited for serve and volley type playing styles, as opposed to baseliners. They require you to really swing to generate power, but the amazing levels of feel and control allow you to be creative with your shot making.

X-Red 94/99 The most popular among our staff, these frames seem to suit multiple playing styles; from the baseliner to the serve and volleyer. The 94 is better suited for the all-court player and is great for volleys and doubles, while the 99 is great for the aggressive baseliner. Jim Courier was seen playing with the Red 99 at a charity event in Los Angeles. Both of these frames encouraged spin on ground strokes, worked great for kick serves, and offer an excellent combination of feel and power.

X-Black 94/99 At first glance, all of these frames look about as stable as a badminton racquet. However, once you start to hit with it, you realize the stability allows you to really go after your shots. The “hexagonal molding” appears to increase the torsional rigidity, preventing the racquet from twisting on off-center shots. The 94 has a dense string pattern (18x20), so this is more suited to those using flat to moderate spin and have long and fast swings. Interestingly, the 99 has a more open string pattern (16x20), allowing for more spin, which gears it more towards an aggressive baseliner. The thin beams really let you feel the strings, so it is paramount to have the right string type and tension com12

X-Orange 99 The stiffness of this frame allows you to generate power on your shots without the stinging feeling in your arm. Extremely maneuverable, this is a great choice for an all-around game without the need for high levels of strength. This racquet is better suited for those with a moderate swing and looking for power.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2010 • LITennisMag.com

X-Yellow 99 This is the choice for those that like the playing characteristics of the Red 99, but need something lighter. Extremely maneuverable, these frames provide the feel and control you want without the unwanted vibration usually associated with light racquets. Solid with great control.

X-White 99

the needed power. They are also some of the best looking racquets we have seen and the grips feel great as they are consistent and round. The self-customization kits are simple to use and actually quite effective—no more dealing with sticky and ugly lead tape. The company assures us that their quality control, consisting of a serial numbering system on each frame, will ensure that orders of multiple frames will have consistent specs. With retail prices ranging from $249 to $299, these racquets may not be for everyone, but if you want a racquet that will help elevate your game, these are definitely worth play testing. G For more information, visit www.donnay.com.

The lightest and stiffest frame of the line, this racquet is the choice for those with short compact swings, looking for added power and maneuverability. They are great for developing juniors with an all around game. In summary, it appears that Donnay is truly back. Their XSeries racquets are a must try for anyone serious about their tennis game. The thin beam solid core construction of these frames provide exceptional feel and control while maintaining the stability of wider beam frames, allowing you to generate

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Dr. Tom on Giving Up the Lead By Tom Ferraro, Ph.D. One of the more curious things that tennis players tend to do is give up the lead when ahead. They could be dominating, have a set lead and are cruising along just fine, but when victory is in sight, they soften up and fold. It’s as if a switch has been flipped off and all of the energy drains from their body. They start to steer shots, hit weakly and lose focus and aggression. The next thing they know is that they lose and are shaking hands with the winner wondering how did this happen again? So, what goes on here and what can be done if this is your case? RX: Your first job is to determine that you have a problem. Some call it a fear of success, but it’s not fear so much as a be14

lief that you are not really good enough to win. In psychology, this is called “cognitive dissonance” or a failure to believe in yourself. Others unconsciously feel that being ahead is tantamount to winning and it becomes time to relax. A talented player who is not performing up to expectations may harbor a low self-image deep inside and has spent their whole life giving things away. These are the nice guys, the givers who are always putting others before themselves. Usually, these players have been raised to give, rather than to receive and this is just what they do on the court. To put an end to this is not easy, but a first step is to set up a pre-match routine where you look deeply into your own eyes in a mirror and say to yourself: “I can do this, I really am a winner and really am that good. I want to win this

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2010 • LITennisMag.com

match.” Years ago, the famous entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. had a ritual before he went on stage. He would kiss his ring and say, “I’m a star. I’m a star. I’m a star.” This may sound awfully silly, but when faced with a great challenge, it is nice to have a ritual set up to remind you of who you really are and what you want to do. Develop one for yourself and do it before every match. This will be your little mantra that can settle you and perhaps unleash your strength. Give it a try and tell me what you think. For consultations, treatment or on-site visits, contact Dr. Tom Ferraro Ph.D., sport psychologist, at (516) 248-7189.

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ermont Tennis Vacations (VTV) at The Essex Resort & Spa prides itself in taking an individualized approach to teaching and coaching. “We look to refine and strengthen existing skills while developing sound shot selection,” said VTV Director Rob Barr, who has served as a personal coach for top professionals on both the ATP and WTA tours. “The result is a customized program perfectly suited for each person, from the beginner to the tournament player.” Vermont Tennis Vacations is the ultimate retreat for any fan of the game. Two-, threeand five-day packages are available, each of which includes: accommodations at the AAA Four-Diamond resort, meals from the full menu at the award-winning Butler’s Restaurant & Tavern, five hours of professional tennis instruction per day (including video analysis), unlimited access to the indoor/outdoor pools, hot tub, and fitness center, plus indoor court rain-backup. Among VTV’s program offerings are:

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Ball machine rental, complimentary court time for all resort guests, and complimentary game-matching services are also available. “We are very pleased to be the home of

Vermont Tennis Vacations, and our guests agree,” sais Essex Resort & Spa General Manager Jim Glanville. “Low prices, added value, expansive food and beverage offerings, spa services, and wide flexibility in vacation packages all make VTV at The Essex Resort & Spa a bona fide destination for tennis enthusiasts in the Northeast.” Vermont Tennis Vacations is led by Barr and by Head Tennis Professional Anders Lundberg, who combine worldclass coaching and fast-paced drills in a fun and challenging environment. Lundberg is a nationally-recognized, world-ranked player and developmental coach who won conference honors while playing at the University of Texas and has held the number one ranking in Sweden in three different age divisions.

About The Essex Resort & Spa (formerly ‘The Inn at Essex’) Nestled on 18 acres between the Green Mountains and Lake Champlain, The

Essex Resort & Spa is a AAA Four-Diamond rated, 120-room resort and spa featuring the award winning Butler’s Restaurant & Tavern. Conveniently located just minutes from downtown Burlington, Vt., the resort also offers hands-on cooking classes, golf, hot air ballooning, fitness instruction and many other amenities and experiences. Follow The Essex on Twitter @EssexResortSpa. G For more information, visit www.VtTennisVacations.com.

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By Emilie Katz Tennis tweets of late N Kim Clijsters (Clijsterskim): Enjoyed her time with the New York Sportimes … “On our way back home from NYC! Had fun last night. Was a little nervous about playing mixed with John Mac, but he was great! And he played great” N Andy Roddick (andyroddick): Andy plays baseball too? … “Threw first pitch out at Braves game, always get nervous and wimp out, but actually tried to throw it hard tonight and it went over the plate!” N Serena Williams (serenajwilliams): On supporting her sister Venus … “I am reading @venuseswilliams book “Come to Win.” It’s in stores now. I love it … how inspiring.” N Caroline Wozniacki (CaroWozniacki): Caroline attends concerts in her downtime … “I went to a @pink concert two days ago! She is really a great performer and her songs are very good as well!” N The Bryan Brothers (Bryanbros): The Bryan Brothers launch their new Web site … “We’re excited to report that www.bryanbros.com is now live. Our first round match in LA is tentatively Wednesday at 7 p.m. Querrey follows.” 16

N Daniella Hantuchova (dhantuchova): Daniella wants to be a Cardinal … “Stanford is such a cute university city. Great atmosphere, nice coffee places, tons of good restaurants … It’s also fun to see so many students around. If I had the time to study, this would definitely be on the top of my list.” N Svetlana Kuznetsova (vika7): Svetlana uses the iPad … “My sponsor, Power Balance, got me an iPad with their logo on it! It’s so cool! Thx a lot guys! Love u!“ N Janko Tipsarevic (TipsarevicJanko): Janko is a fan of cocktails … “His favorite is the ‘Liquid Cocaine,’ with fire on top and sniffing in the end.”

Gossip & sightings N The Bryans’ music group, The Bryan Bros Band, played alongside Counting Crows drummer Jim Bogios in Los Angeles N Andy Roddick and his wife, modelactress Brooklyn Decker, attended a Dave Matthews Band concert at Citi Field in New York. N Roger Federer will be coached by Paul Annacone on a trial basis. N Caroline Wozniacki, Agnieszka Radwanska and Urszula Radwanska

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2010 • LITennisMag.com

all vacationed together on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius.

Ochocinco issues tennis challenge to Roddick Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson from the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals is now touting his tennis game. The six-time Pro Bowler, who happened to be a regional tennis champion in his younger days, has challenged Andy Roddick to meet him on the court for the second time since January. Ocho tweeted, “How long are you gonna keep duckin me on court, say the place, grass, clay or hard surface, don’t be scared!” Roddick confidently replied, “I might just try to beat u with a frying pan.” G

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Too Specific, Too Soon? Re-evaluating “sports-specific” training for young athletes By Mike Mejia, CSCS A generation ago, training for athletes was a lot simpler than it is today. We lifted a few weights, did various forms of running for conditioning and even stretched on occasion. Granted, we probably weren’t quite as fit as the athletes of today, but somehow we managed to get by. Fast-forward about 20 years, and much has changed. Not only are athletes better conditioned overall, but more often than not, they are specifically conditioned for their chosen sport. These days, it’s not enough to simply strength train; it has to be done in such a way to mimic particular sports movements. Running drills, likewise, must simulate the various ways that athletes move on the playing field or on the court. While this can indeed be a valid approach for more experienced, physically mature athletes, it has also become increasingly popular among adolescents. All of which begs the question: Is this type of training specificity

really beneficial to kids in the long run? Or, is it in fact contributing to the near epidemic rise in injury rates?

Some scary statistics According to the Centers for Disease Control, high school athletes alone account for an estimated two million injuries, 500,000 doctor visits and 30,000 hospitalizations each year; with an additional 3.5 million kids under the age of 14 receiving medical treatment for sports re-

“Not only are athletes better conditioned overall, but more often than not, they are specifically conditioned for their chosen sport.” lated injuries1. While it’s true that overall sports participation among these age groups is at an all-time high—leading to higher injury rates in general—the fact that nearly half of them are attributed to over-

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use, raises at least some cause for concern. It appears that the current trend towards early specialization in a single sport, and near year-round training and competition schedules are placing too much of an overload on developing young bodies. To then add sport-specific movements into their conditioning programs, often under additional load, seems at least somewhat questionable. Especially for younger kids, whose bodies have not yet fully matured, and aren’t of an age where specialization in a single sport is even desirable. When you consider the number of balls a young player hits during a given week between practices and matches, is it really a good idea to add resistance to their swing in the form of say, rubberized tubing? Or, would that athlete be better-served by first doing some more generalized strengthening of the core, as well as the muscles that help to stabilize the shoulder, elbow and wrist? And what about agility drills that attempt to mimic the exact same movements players use on the court? Theoretically, they might help make an athlete quicker to the ball; however, if an underlying imbalance exists (and one usually does in this population), overuse of faulty movement patterns might in fact predispose the player to any number of lower body injuries. Remember, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link; and when an athlete repeatedly engages in the same movements, sooner or later, weak links are bound to develop. Instead, more emphasis needs to be placed on strengthening muscles like the glutes and hamstrings to help better stabilize the knees and thus, lessen the likelihood of injury. All I am saying is that before a player worries about getting too specific with their training, they need to spend some

time building a sound, overall conditioning base. Improving things like systemic strength, and enhancing range of motion around key joints, such as the ankles, knees, hips and shoulders, will do a young tennis player infinitely better than trying to simulate the exact physical demands of the sport. In fact, by focusing their training efforts on becoming more athletically balanced and bolstering resistance to injury, I find that younger athletes usually end up reaping huge performance benefits as a mere byproduct of this decidedly more holistic conditioning approach. Not to imply that they should engage in the type of generic workouts you see people doing at the gym. They still need to train more for function than anything else. They just need to do so in a manner that helps make them a better athlete, and not necessarily just a better tennis player. In the end, how specific your training should be really depends on a variety of factors. Things like your age, current level of fitness, and injury history, should all come into play. Older players who have been training for a while and have paid proper attention to bolstering the areas on their bodies most susceptible to injury, can likely benefit from some degree of sports-specific training. Younger, less experienced athletes however, need to forego all the fancy training gadgets and specialized footwork drills, and focus on building the kind of foundation that will allow them to improve their overall athleticism. Once they’ve done all the necessary groundwork, there will be plenty of time to use a more specialized training approach later on down the line. G Mike Mejia, CSCS is the president of B.A.S.E. Sports Conditioning Inc., a training company that caters to the unique needs of young athletes ages 12 and up. For more information, call (516) 662-9717, e-mail mejia@optonline.net or visit www.basesportsconditioning.com.

Footnote 1—JS Powell, KD Barber Foss, 1999. Injury patterns in selected high school sports: a review of the 1995-1997 seasons. J Athl Train. 34: 277-84.

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The U.S. Open: From an Insider’s Perspective By Whitney Kraft ure, you may have your tickets purchased, the TV set to DVR and TIVO matches when you’re busy, and perhaps you even have your dinner plans wrapped around the evening’s marquee matchups. But, do you think you know everything there is to know about the 2010 U.S. Open? The sport’s top stars are set to make New York their home away from home from Aug. 30-Sept. 12, and this article will serve as your guide in and around the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center as the Open takes place. From the prime parking spots to where to go to possibly meet and greet the stars of today and the stars of tomorrow, this article looks to provide you with those little extra tidbits of information on this year’s U.S. Open.

Opening night kick-off In what has become one of the anticipated highlights of the U.S. Open, there will once again be a special ceremony to kick off opening night of the 2010 U.S. Open. This year’s ceremony, 20

themed “Dream. Succeed. Inspire,” will feature the inspiring stories of Martina Navratilova, James Blake, wheelchair tennis phenom Esther Vergeer, and the moving story of USTA member Dori Samadzai-Bonner. The ceremony will be hosted by ABC News’ Christiane Amanpour and will be capped with a special performance by Gloria Estefan. Navratilova, a four-time U.S. Open singles champion and the most prolific winner in the history of the sport, recently defeated her toughest opponent in breast cancer. Born in Czechoslovakia, Navratilova sought political asylum in the U.S. in 1975, then changed the face of women’s tennis with an aggressive game and a inspirational desire to be the best. Blake, a long-time U.S. Open fan favorite and Davis Cup

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2010 • LITennisMag.com

champion, grew up with scoliosis, which forced him to wear a back brace for 18 hours a day as a youth, and later made a triumphant return to the men’s tour after he fractured his neck in 2004 when he collided with a net post during practice. Vergeer, perhaps the most dominant female athlete in all of sports, has been confined to a wheelchair since the age of eight, when she lost the ability to use her legs after undergoing surgery for a spinal defect and brain hemorrhage. She began playing wheelchair tennis at the age of 12, and has not lost a singles match since January 2003, an incredible unbeaten streak of 390 consecutive victories. She will look to continue her inspirational streak by successfully defending her singles and doubles titles at the 2010 U.S. Open Wheelchair Tennis Competition, set for Thursday-Sunday, Sept. 9-12 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Samadzai-Bonner grew up in Afghanistan where girls were barred from taking parts in sports of any kind. She dreamed of coming to America, and succeeded after a lengthy trip that brought her here via stops in India and Thailand. Now a resident of Montgomery, Ala., and proud USTA member, she discovered tennis as a senior in high school and has been playing ever since. Following the on-court tributes to the four inspirational individuals, seven-time Grammy-Award-winning singer/songwriter Gloria Estefan will perform the inspiring song, “Reach” which was written as the Official Theme Song to the XXVI Olympic Games. Estefan’s own story is one of dreams, success and inspiration, as she immigrated to the United States from her native Cuba and came back from a life-threatening accident to become one of the most revered Hispanic female role models.

See the stars of tomorrow The 2010 U.S. Open qualifying rounds will take place Tuesday-Friday, Aug. 24-27 beginning at 11:00 a.m. each day (gates open at 10:00 a.m.). Admission to these qualifying rounds is free, so why not stop by and see the stars of tomorrow leaving it all on the line for a spot in the 2010 Open.

Arthur Ashe Kids Day Set for Saturday, Aug. 28, Arthur Ashe Kids Day, presented by Hess, will be hosted by Adrienne Bailon and Quddus, and feature special celebrity guests including Nick Cannon. The popular full-day tennis and music festival for children and families includes interactive games, musical entertainment and tennis clinics, and will also feature performances from The Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato, David Archuleta, Shontelle, Allstar Weekend and School Gyrls.

From 9:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m., kids and their families can experience an exciting schedule of free tennis games, live music and attractions taking place throughout the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Inside Arthur Ashe Stadium from 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m., the live tennis and music show will feature exhibition matches and skills competitions with Rafael Nadal, Andy Roddick, Kim Clijsters, Novak Djokovic and other top players and celebrities, followed by musical performances. Kids 12-and-under with Stadium Show tickets will receive a free Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day hat from the USTA and Hess on a first-come, first-served basis. General admission promenade tickets cost $10 and loge tickets are $20. Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day will be broadcast nationally by CBS on Sunday, Aug. 29, from noon-1:30 p.m. The interactive activities, offering children of all ages a chance to hit with top tennis pros and win prizes, include: The Hess Express Obstacle Course where kids can test their agility, balance, running and tennis skills; Nike will be on hand for tennis and skill activities on two courts featuring Nike-sponsored athletes; IBM’s Hit the Spot!, with two radar guns on-court testing the speed of kids’ serves; a QuickStart Tennis demonstration, an exciting new play format for learning tennis, designed to bring kids into the game by utilizing specialized equipment, shorter court dimensions and modified scoring, all tailored to age and size; USTA Serves Adaptive Tennis, supported by USTA Serves, the National Charitable Foundation of the United States Tennis Association, featuring demonstrations and clinics conducted for children with disabilities, the Olympus Capture It All court featuring various volley drill stations; World TeamTennis where younger kids will participate in relay races and balance challenges; and player practices, autographs, face-painting, hair braiding, juggling and plate-spinning, stilt-walkers, balloon artists and much more.

Open practice day On Sunday, Aug. 29, take advantage of this rare opportunity to see the stars of the sport of tennis take to the practice courts for their final tune-up prior to the 2010 U.S. Open. Get a rare glimpse into the habits and drills the stars use in their warm-up routine, and who knows, maybe you could pick up some pointers from the pros in the process.

The stars sign Want to get photos and autographs of your favorite tennis pros? The best spot for both is what has been dubbed “Autograph Alley,” which runs alongside Courts P1-P5. Be sure to come prepared with a Sharpie marker, photos or balls for the players to sign. There are no guarantees that you’ll be able to meet the stars, but if you do, you can file it away as a memory forever!

LITennisMag.com • September/October 2010 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Travel to and from the Open An SMRI Fan Research poll conducted in 2008 found that 53 percent of patrons surveyed used public transportation to travel to the U.S. Open. Our best suggestion is to “Go Green!” With public transportation, you can skip the traffic and parking congestion, be environmentally-friendly and spend more time watching world-class tennis. Use mass transit to make your trip to the U.S. Open both convenient and cost-effective. If using the subway, the 7 Train provides easy service from Grand Central Terminal to Mets-Willets Point Station, including connections for all Metro-North Trains from Westchester and Connecticut. Service is also available from the Port Authority Bus Terminal. The Long Island Rail Road provides easy service to Mets-Willets Point Station from Woodside, and convenient connections from Penn Station for New Jersey Transit customers. The MTA Web site, www.mta.info, provides complete schedules and information on the most convenient ways to get to and from the U.S. Open. If you are driving to the U.S. Open, give yourself ample time to find parking and for traffic delays. Also, visit www.usopen.org for the latest travel advisories. Due to new traffic patterns surrounding CitiField and the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, please follow the USTA’s driving directions at www.usopen.org and on the back of pre-paid parking permits. A limited number of public parking spots will be available in Lots 1-7 for $19 per car. Public parking at CitiField will be restricted due to New York Mets home games scheduled for the following dates: N N N N N

Friday, Aug. 27 vs. Houston at 7:10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 28 vs. Houston at 7:10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 10 vs. Philadelphia at 7:10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 11 vs. Philadelphia at 4:10 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 12 vs. Philadelphia at 1:10 p.m.

Q&A with Coach Bollitieri Take part in the “American Express Questions and Answers With Nick Bollitieri” session, held daily during the 2010 U.S. Open from 5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. outside of Louis Armstrong Stadium. Join in and you’ll have the opportunity to ask Coach Bollitieri questions on the sport and maybe get some guidance on your game in the process. Bollitieri is credited with developing many of the sports champions, including Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Monica Seles and Mary Pierce. He has also worked with Maria Sharapova, Jelena Jankovic, Nicole Vaidisova Tommy Haas, Max Mirnyi, 22

Xavier Malisse, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Martina Hingis and Marcelo Ríos. He also coached Boris Becker for two years.

Upgraded promenade experience This year, the 2010 U.S. Open will attempt to better integrate the promenade into the overall stadium experience. There will be a promenade patrol rousing fans; a wireless cam hosted by tennis personality Harry Cicma to get shots on the big screen; seat upgrades and product giveaways each night, and special visits to the promenade by celebrities and former players.

Enhanced TV experience Can’t make it out to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center? The advent of HD technology and the digital television experience will bring the action of the U.S. Open into your living rooms as extensive television coverage will make you feel the sights and sounds of Arthur Ashe Stadium. For the first time, microphones are being added to the player boxes to give an inside perspective on the on-court chatter. ESPN coverage will feature two “fly cams,” one over the site and one over Ashe Stadium, for the first time.

And much more … The U.S. Open experience is your chance to experience the sport of a lifetime on the world’s grandest stage and capture memories of your own. What is listed above is just a small sampling of what you can experience. Here are a few other small tidbits that will hopefully make your 2010 U.S. Open experience the “experience of a lifetime.” For full details, visit www.usopen.org. N USTA Member Appreciation Day will be held Friday, Sept. 3. N City Park courts throughout event will feature world-class practice sessions. N The Tennis Hall of Fame Gallery exhibit will be held at SmashZone. N There will be sponsor giveaways and vendor kiosks throughout the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. N Take advantage at the variety of food options in the Food Village, located in the South Plaza, to sit down restaurants like Aces, Champions Grill and the U.S. Open Club. Whitney Kraft is director of tennis programs at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and director of player operations for the U.S. Open. He may be reached by e-mail at kraft@usta.com.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2010 • LITennisMag.com

Stargazing at the Open: Both on and Off the Courts By Brad Shafran he U.S. Open has a long tradition of hosting the best players in the game for two weeks of world-class tennis. Recently, the tournament has grown to also host some of the most famous and celebrated personalities in the world, turning the tournament into a world-class sporting and social event. The lines between tennis and Hollywood are sometimes blurred, as actors and actresses, politicians and athletes from other sports come out to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center to enjoy the action. Justin Gimelstob, former ATP player and current commentator for the Tennis Channel recently told me: “The U.S. Open has become a worldwide sports and entertainment event. The lines between sports and entertainment have been merging over the past decade and the U.S. Open is now a great example of how things are trending.” The presence of “off the court” superstars often presents tennis fans with unique and unexpected opportunities. While the weekend of the U.S. Open Finals brings out the most famous names, the big screens at Arthur Ashe Stadium will undoubtedly show big name celebrities during nearly every session. It’s usually difficult to get near them, as security is tight, but those with courtside and lower level tickets are generally able to move around freely enough to have a chance to get a picture or grab an autograph if the celebrity obliges. The grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center are now guarded as tightly as the White House. It wasn’t always this way. As a young kid, if I was thirsty, I usually walked into the player’s lounge, unquestioned, and grabbed a soda. I met many celebrities and tennis players this way, including Wilt Chamberlain, Chris Evert and Steffi Graf, but those days are long gone. Justin Gimelstob recalls similar experiences: “The whole presentation of the tournament has changed since you and I were able to sneak in by jumping a fence and sliding into the player’s lounge! The U.S. Open is big business, from the gourmet food to the luxury boxes. The energy around the U.S. Open is amazing and part of that is the frequent attendance of celebrities.” My wife, Allison, was not much of a tennis fan before we met. However, after bringing her to several sessions at the Open, she thoroughly enjoyed watching the tennis and always anticipated spotting the celebrities in the stands. She has attended some great matches, including several men’s finals, but some of her greatest thrills have been meeting a variety of superstars on the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

The best time to “celebrity watch” is in the later rounds of the Open—the finals weekend always brings out a “who’s who” of celebrities. While most stars are ensconced in the private suites, Allie and I have been fortunate to meet a plethora of stars after the conclusion of the men’s final on the concourse outside the suite level. We have met Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong, Mandy Moore, Robin Williams, Christie Brinkley, Ben Stiller and Ralph Lauren, just to name a few. Gimelstob concurs: “In the past few years, Will Ferrell, Jason Bateman, Alec Baldwin, Natalie Portman, Bradley Cooper, Rob Thomas, Harry Connick, Christie Brinkley, Matt Lauer, Jerry Seinfeld, Bill O’Reilly, and many more have passed through the turnstiles to watch the world’s best tennis players.” The athleticism and mastery on the tennis court, combined with the glitz and glamour of the crowd, makes the U.S. Open one of the greatest tennis events worldwide. Brad Shafran is a full-time autograph dealer and part-time tennis pro at Bethpage Park Tennis Center. He can be reached by phone at (516) 978-0094, e-mail brad@shafrancollectibles.com or visit www.shafrancollectibles.com. Christie Brinkley pauses for a photo with author Brad Shafran during the U.S. Open

Designer Ralph Lauren with Allie Shafran, wife of Brad Shafran, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center

Lance Armstrong (right) is just one of the many celebrities who have attended the U.S. Open, as he pauses for a photo with Brad Shafran (left)

LITennisMag.com • September/October 2010 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

American Players to Watch at the 2010 U.S. Open n the past, the U.S. Open has been dominated by Americans. Legends of the game, including Pete Sampras, John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors on the men’s side, and Chris Evert, Tracy Austin and Serena Williams on the women’s side have all left Flushing Meadows victorious on more than one occasion. Hopefully, this year some of the American hopefuls will make yet another run at the U.S. Open Championship. Here are the best American hopes for a shot at walking away with the U.S. Open crown in Flushing Meadows.

Mardy Fish

Men’s singles

Serena Williams

Mardy Fish has been on a roll this year in returning from the fractured rib injury that caused him to miss most of last year. Fish missed last year’s Open, but his best run was in 2008, when he reached the quarterfinals before falling to Rafael Nadal.

Women’s singles Defending U.S. Open Women’s Champion is Kim Clijsters

Defending U.S. Open Men’s Champion is Juan Martin Del Potro

The number one player in the world and favorite to hoist the womens trophy at the 2010 U.S. Open, Serena Williams comes into Flushing Meadows off a win at Wimbledon. Serena has two U.S. Open singles titles under her belt, having won in 1999 and 2008. Last year, she was beaten by eventual U.S. Open Champion Kim Clijsters.

Andy Roddick Currently ranked number nine in the world, the top American finished 2009 in the Top 10 for an eighth consecutive year, joining Roger Federer as the only active players to do so. Roddick and Federer are also only active players to win at least one ATP World Tour title for nine straight year. Roddick, who had an early exit last year losing to fellow American John Isner in the third round, will look to win the 2010 Open as he did back in 2003.

Venus Williams Venus Williams is currently ranked fourth in the WTA rankings. As the number two seed, she was a quarterfinalist at Wimbledon in 2010. Venus is a major threat at Flushing Meadows and is a two-time champion, having won back to back titles in 2000 and 2001.

John Isner John Isner became a household name this year following his epic and record-breaking first round match at Wimbledon against Nicholas Mahut, where he won 70-68 in the fifth set in a match that lasted eight hours and 11 minutes, played over a span of three days. Isner is currently ranked number 19 in the world. His big serve will be his weapon once again at the Open. Isner will look to build on last years fourth round loss to Fernando Verdasco after defeating Andy Roddick in the third round, while hitting 38 aces in his victory over fellow American Roddick.

Sam Querrey Sam Querrey has been on top of his game this year having won titles on three different surfaces. Querrey has a big serve, but his all-around game makes him tough on all surfaces. In 2009, Querrey lost to Robin Soderling in the third round at the U.S. Open. With the home crowd on his side, Querrey could cause some serious damage this time around. 24

Men’s doubles Defending U.S. Open Doubles Champions are Lukas Dlouhy & Leander Paes

Mike & Bob Bryan Mike Bryan and Bob Bryan have been the face of the ATP doubles tour for much of the past decade. This year, they captured their record-breaking 62nd doubles title (winning in Los Angeles). The Bryans are two time U.S. Open Doubles Champions, having won in 2005 and again in 2008, and will look to get back on top this year.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2010 • LITennisMag.com

Melanie Oudin

Womens doubles Defending U.S. Open Women’s Champions are Venus & Serena Williams

Last year’s U.S. Open sweetheart, Melanie Oudin had a string of comeback wins over top players, while making a run to the quarterfinals before falling to Caroline Wozniacki. Oudin is currently ranked 45th in the world.

Venus & Serena Williams The Williams Sisters won their second U.S. Open Women’s Doubles Title in 2009, defeating the team of Liezel Huber & Cara Black in the finals. This year, they have already won both the Australian Open and French Open Doubles Titles before falling at Wimbledon.

Young Americans to keep an eye on …

Donald Young Once the top junior player in the country, Donald Young is now trying to make a bigger name for himself on the pro tour. He is currently ranked 100th in the world. The lefty will hope for a good draw and a breakthrough run.

Vania King Currently ranked 80th in the world, Vania King defeated Sam Stosur at the 2009 U.S. Open, before losing in the third round to Daniella Hantuchova. King is coming off a doubles title at Wimbledon where she teamed with Tamarine Tanasugarn. Maybe a run at the 2010 U.S. Open will be the singles breakthrough she has been waiting for.

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The U.S. Open ... Through the Eyes of Long Island’s Junior Players hroughout the summer, Long Island Tennis Magazine asked several junior players who are working hard on their tennis games for their thoughts on the following question regarding the U.S. Open: What would you be feeling if you made it to the U.S. Open and got to play in front of 20,000 people on Arthur Ashe Stadium Court and is there anyone particular you’d like to play?

N Noah Rubin: “Playing in Arthur Ashe Stadium would be absolutely awesome, mostly because of all the great players who have played on that court over the years. It would also be so cool to play in front of over 20,000 people!” N Mia Vecchio: “I think the feeling would be like none other, but more importantly, it would show that with hard work and dedication, dreams do come true. Knowing that I was able to play in front of family and friends would be amazing.” N Christopher Grisham: “I would just be like … wow!” N Connor Mullins: “I’d have butterflies in my stomach, but it would feel great, especially in front of a home crowd. There would be nothing better.”

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N Blair Seiderman: “It would be a moment to absorb, to feel the

process of getting there being worthwhile. Just being on those courts would be the culmination of everything. Truly a dream.” N Cory Seltnan: “Nerve-wracking … but really cool at the same time.” N Devlin Ammendola: “Everything I worked for paid off.” N David Ammendola: “These seats are a lot better.” N Jessica Podlofsky: “If I had to play one player in the U.S. Open, it would be Rafael Nadal. He is my role model. It would be so nerve-wracking, and at the same time, overwhelming and exciting going in there too. I don’t think I’d be able to sleep thinking about it.” N Fallon Blacharski: “I would love to play Maria Sharapova. I love the way she plays tennis with so much passion. I know I’d be really nervous though. Just thinking about it makes me nervous.” N Michael Weitz: “Come on … I would be happy, excited, and nervous.” (Pumping his fist and yelling …) N Tristan Sommer: “It would be really cool and awesome. A chance of a lifetime.”

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2010 • LITennisMag.com

18 GOODFRIEND DR E A S T H A M P TO N , N Y

Tales of a U.S. Open Ballperson By Joe Laskowski I have been a ballperson at the U.S. Open for the last five years, and will again take part this year in the 2010 U.S. Open. It has been a great experience, and one that comes with many interesting and fun circumstances, both good and bad, each year. I will share a few of those experiences with you and give you an inside look at the life of a U.S. Open ballperson.

Why I do it N It’s an amazing experience to be on the same court as worldclass players, watching them play their hearts out up close and personal. N I learn a great deal during those two weeks of watching the players (footwork, technique, strategy, and even their mentality). N The U.S. Open grounds is a great atmosphere for this tournament. N There is no better feeling than doing a night match in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Big players I have served as a ballperson for Anna Ivanovic, Novak Djokivic, Marat Safin, Tomas Berdych, Juan Del Potro, Maria Kirilenko, Fernando Verdasco, Fernando Gonzalez, Serena Williams, Todd Martin, Agnieska Radwanksa, Nikolay Daydenko, Ivan Ljubicic, Jelena Jankovic, Juan Carlos Ferrero and Sam Querrey.

Best U.S. Open experience It was the Marat Safin-Vincent Spadea match, where Safin he was down 4-5 on serve at deuce in the fourth set and he was called for his foot fault. That call, from the other side of the court, just set him off. His reaction was priceless, and he was right in every single way because that was a bad call. He managed to keep his cool to everyone around him excluding the chair umpire and the rest of the linesmen. Marat is the type of player who doesn’t want any problems on the court, he just wants to enjoy his match, win or lose. He’s definitely one of the most entertaining players on the tour when a bad call is made.

Worst U.S. Open experience I was on one of the field courts during a qualifying match and the ball was shanked off the court by a player. Being the “veteran” that I was, I showed the rookie ballboys how you should go about retrieving it. I started jogging towards the fence and was planning on leaping right over it with no hands to grasp the rail. As I was airborne, my shoe was caught in the fence, and I face-planted on to the other side. Luckily, there weren’t many spectators to witness the trip except my crew of ballboys.

The perks to being a U.S. Open ballboy N A complete Polo Ralph Lauren uniform, including shoes,

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socks, wristbands, hats, shorts, shirts, pants and jacket for free (valued at more than $600). A $20 meal card each day. Regular people trying to get your autograph, especially the ballboy who took a dive last year during the Novak Djokivic match. People trying to buy your uniform on the spot. First dibs on cracked rackets and/or shoes from the players.

Fun facts about my U.S. Open experiences N Held Serena Williams’ earring during her match last year. N Five years of serving as a ballperson and I never once hit a player. I hit many linesmen over the years, but never a player.

N Was once walking back to the ballpersons lounge, turned the corner and walked right into Gael Monfils. N Saw Rafael Nadal jogging around the field courts on the grounds last year and was surprised that no one noticed it was him. N Chilean and Australian fans are the most rowdiest U.S. Open spectators with their chants. N You’d be surprised how picky players are with Gatorades, they would throw a tantrum if there was no “Orange” or “Red” Gatorade in the coolers. N Met John and Patrick McEnroe just walking through the grounds.

So You Still Want to be a Ballperson? USTA welcomes 400 hopefuls as they vie for one of 80 spots By Gary Simeone You read the story of Joe Laskowski and his experiences of serving five years as a U.S. Open ballboy. Joe’s trip wasn’t that easy, as we found out in late June as the USTA held open tryouts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center to field an open spot as a 2010 U.S. Open ballperson. There were more than 400 people scrambling around on the 90-plus degree tennis courts for loose balls as the USTA hosted tryouts to win one of the 80 available spots. Each year, the USTA begins with around 400 hopefuls, a field which is then narrowed down to 200 and eventually, the final cut of 80 who earn their spot as ballpersons for the U.S. Open. “This is our starting point for evaluations,” said Tina Taps, National Tennis Center program director. “After today, we will have picked about 80 to come back in Mid-July in order to re-evaluate them.” Evaluations are based on agility exercises, such as running and throwing drills. The staff also looks at such things as the discipline and maturity levels as well. Those trying out had to be on their toes and pay strict attention to the match. It is considered a major blunder and a potential distraction to players in a match when a ballperson accidentally runs onto the court thinking a ball is dead when it is actually a live ball. “Each individual has to stand in their position during the match taking place and pay attention to every point,” said Taps. Ballpeople are positioned at the net and behind the baseline. There are two age brackets that the ballpersons are categorized in. The 14-17 year olds and the 18 years and older category. “We have people come from all over to try out,” said Taps. “But the majority of the people are from the Tri-State area.” One such potential ballperson to try out was 61-year-old Jerry Loughran of Garden City, N.Y. Known as the “world’s 28

oldest ballboy,” this is Jerry’s second go-round at the event. Potential ballpersons are looked at for three qualities, reaction time at the net, throwing ability and communication along the back fence. Once a ball hits the net, those trying out jump into action and race to the ball, returning to whichever side is closest. They then must make an accurate throw from one side of the court to another on one bounce. They must throw three balls in rapid succession to their intended target, again on one bounce, and then switch roles and catch three quicklythrown balls in a row. Finally, candidates are placed on either side of the back fence. Once a ball hits the back fence, the person closest to the ball must dart out and get it. There is no verbal communication between the ballpersons on the back fence, so a non-verbal form of communication must me established to see who retrieves the ball and returns to their side. “I have a lot of fun doing this,” said Loughran. “I tried out a couple of years ago and didn’t make it and came back last year and really competed well. The schedule this year should be a little bit easier on me with more breaks especially during the first week of qualifiers.”

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2010 • LITennisMag.com

2010 U.S. Open Event Schedule Schedule subject to change. All times Eastern. Session

Day/Date

Time

Singles Schedule

Tuesday, August 24

11:00 a.m.

Qualifying Tournament

Wednesday, August 25

11:00 a.m.

Qualifying Tournament

Thursday, August 26

11:00 a.m.

Qualifying Tournament

Friday, August 27

11:00 a.m.

Qualifying Tournament

Saturday, August 28

9:30 a.m.

Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day

Monday, August 30 (Day)

11:00 a.m.

Men’s & Women’s 1st Round

Monday, August 30 (Night)

7:00 p.m.

Men’s & Women’s 1st Round

Tuesday, August 31 (Day)

11:00 a.m.

Men’s & Women’s 1st Round

Tuesday, August 31 (Night)

7:00 p.m.

Men’s & Women’s 1st Round

Wednesday, September 1 (Day)

11:00 a.m.

Men’s 1st Round/Women’s 2nd Round

Wednesday, September 1 (Night)

7:00 p.m.

Men’s 2nd Round/Women’s 2nd Round

Thursday, September 2 (Day)

11:00 a.m.

Men’s 2nd Round/Women’s 2nd Round

Thursday, September 2 (Night)

7:00 p.m.

Men’s 2nd Round/Women’s 2nd Round

Friday, September 3 (Day)

11:00 a.m.

Men’s 2nd Round/Women’s 3rd Round

Friday, September 3 (Night)

7:00 p.m.

Men’s 2nd Round/Women’s 3rd Round

Saturday, September 4 (Day)

11:00 a.m.

Men’s 3rd Round/Women’s 3rd Round

Saturday, September 4 (Night)

7:00 p.m.

Men’s 3rd Round/Women’s 3rd Round

Sunday, September 5 (Day)

11:00 a.m.

Men’s 3rd Round/Women’s 4th Round

Sunday, September 5 (Night)

7:00 p.m.

Men’s 3rd Round/Women’s 4th Round

Monday, September 6 (Day)

11:00 a.m.

Men’s 4th Round/Women’s 4th Round

Monday, September 6 (Night)

7:00 p.m.

Men’s 4th Round/Women’s 4th Round

Tuesday, September 7 (Day)

11:00 a.m.

Men’s 4th Round/Women’s Quarterfinals

Tuesday, September 7 (Night)

7:00 p.m.

Men’s Fourth Round/Women’s Quarterfinals

Wednesday, September 8 (Day)

11:00 a.m.

Men’s Quarterfinals/Women’s Quarterfinals

Wednesday, September 8 (Night)

7:00 p.m.

Men’s Quarterfinals/Women’s Quarterfinals

Thursday, September 9 (Day)

11:00 a.m.

Men’s Quarterfinals

Thursday, September 9 (Night)

7:00 p.m.

Men’s Quarterfinals

Friday, September 10 (Day)

11:00 a.m.

Women’s Semifinals

Saturday, September 11 (Day)

11:00 a.m.

Men’s Semifinals

Saturday, September 11 (Night)

7:00 p.m.

Women’s Singles Final

Sunday, September 12 (Day)

Noon

Men’s Singles Final

LITennisMag.com • September/October 2010 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

NYC Racquet Sports Easing the Long Island Transition From the Commute to the Courts A chat with NYC Racquet Sports Owner Woody Schneider

By Eric C. Peck oody Schneider has been a mainstay in the New York tennis community for 30-plus years. As current owner of NYC Racquet Sports in Midtown Manhattan, Schneider’s goal is to become the onestop shop for the Long Island-based tennis aficionado who commutes to New York City. Located centrally at 157 West 35th Street, NYC Racquet Sports offers all that the avid tennis player needs to go from the office to the courts … from professional racquet stringing, to footwear and apparel. Woody owns and operates two addi-

tional New York City stores, Grand Central Racquet at 40 East 45th Street in Grand Central Station (between tracks 38 and 39) and another location at 341 Madison Av30

enue (between Madison and Vanderbilt). In addition to the New York City locations, Woody also runs the USTA Pro Shop on the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. We recently caught up with Woody to discuss his retail locations and the many benefits that NYC Racquet Sports brings to its customers.

How did you begin your career in running tennis retail shops? It happened by accident. I worked for 13 years inside Grand Central Station at a store called Commuter Sports Center. One day, my boss came to me and told me he was shutting down. It was then time to try something on my own. I started out in the stockroom of my friend’s store in Grand Central. Eventually, I rented my own 100-square foot space, and set up a stringing shop. I have been told that it was the first time that anyone had ever opened up a shop dedicated strictly to stringing. A few years later, there was a renovation done to Grand Central Station, and I

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2010 • LITennisMag.com

was one of just a few businesses that remained open. We built a free-standing kiosk that could move on wheels when we couldn’t be in one part of the station. To this day, I still have a shop in Grand Central. It’s not in the best location, but people know where I am and come to me for business. Tennis Week Magazine rented a store on 44th Street that they didn’t really want to run themselves, so I went into business with Gene Scott, former publisher of Tennis Week, and we turned that location into my first actual store. Five years ago, my girlfriend and partner, Joan Dziena, and I were approached about taking over the pro shop at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Joan has 25-plus years of retail and garment center experience, and we began running the pro shop at the National Tennis Center.

What comprises most of your clientele base? The new store on 35th Street has been doing very good business with tourists. I never really focused on that demographic, but being located in New York City, tourists just fall into your lap. When the economy fell, business dropped as well, but the strength of the foreign dollar has kept NYC Racquet Sports very healthy. We still need

to get to the locals and make them aware of us. NYC Racquet Sports focuses on Long Island and New Jersey commuters, and the tourists have benefitted as well. Once the general public learns about NYC Racquet Sports, they won’t feel they have to call an online store to buy the latest racquets. Much of today’s business is going out to the Internet retailers, which has been murder on the smaller tennis shops. We are right here, they can come into our store, hold the racquets in their hand and speak with our knowledgeable staff. We open at 8:30 a.m. specifically to cater to commuters so they can drop off their racquets before they come to work, and stay open until 7:00 p.m. If a person wants to drop off a racquet, it will be done when they are ready to go home. We are here to serve them.

When you go to a chain store, I personally think it’s a disaster. Most of the large chains don’t even string racquets. How is the guy who is selling Yankees jerseys going to be able to advise you on what tennis equipment to buy? That’s what we do and what we are here for … to help people choose the right products.

What are some of the bigger selling items at NYC Racquet Sports?

cited to find our store. We are ready for the big rush.

Babolat is very hot right now. We were recently chosen as one of only four locations in the U.S. that will be carrying the new Nike Air Court Ballistec 2.3 shoes that Rafael Nadal will be wearing at the Open. When Nadal comes out on that first night of the Open, his “Neon Nadal” shoes will be glowing, and we’ll have them.

Any closing comments?

Do you see a spike in sales during the U.S. Open? During the two weeks of the Open, it’s like our Christmas. We get people from all over the world, and they are so ex-

To me, the message to the readers of Long Island Tennis Magazine is to come in and give us a try, and I think they will become devoted customers of NYC Racquet Sports for years to come. We offer same-day service on racquet stringing and can turn things around quickly to accommodate any commuter’s schedule. They will feel like they have a new home with us. G For more information on NYC Racquet Sports, call (212) 695.5353 or visit www.grandcentralracquet.com.

What does your shop offer that the retail chains do not? When you come in and talk to a person face-to-face who knows the sport and the products they are talking about, it is an overall better shopping experience. We have retail professionals on staff who know more about the products than most teaching pros do. The teaching pros know what they like and what is good for them, not necessarily what’s suitable for the customer. We properly advise the customer to best suit their needs. LITennisMag.com • September/October 2010 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Long Island Tennis Magazine Challenge Wraps Its Inaugural Outing in Long Beach he final leg of the Long Island Tennis Magazine Challenge was the most successful of all, as the tournament, the magazine and the sport of beach tennis continues to grow. Thirty pro beach tennis teams, between the men’s and women’s draws, competed on Saturday, Aug. 7 and another 20 amateur teams competed on Sunday, Aug. 8. Juniors and those trying out the sport for the first time were drawn in by all the fun being had by the tournament players, and they came down the Long Beach and played for fun. With the sun out, the ocean a few steps away, food, drinks and 60 players a day, everyone who came out had a great time. On Saturday, the pros were out and ready to compete. The men’s pro tournament saw the top-seeded team of Whitney “The Sandman” Kraft & Devin Wakeford looking to remain undefeated by winning their third tournament of the summer together. But the competition was not going to make that an easy task for the team of Kraft & Wakeford. After very tough pool play competition, the level of play got even higher in the semifinals. Kraft & Wakeford took on the third-seeded team of Bob

Considine & Marc Altheim and were victorious, 6-2, 6-3. The other semifinal match was a down-tothe-wire battle, as the number two seed, Team Top Gun of David “The Iceman” Sickmen & Jared “Maverick” Rada survived an upset scare and defeated sixth-seeded Gerry Ashley & Elliot Rosenbloom, 6-4, 4-6 7-6(7-2) in a match that took over an hour. The crowd then gathered on center court for the finals to see if the defending champs could get knocked off. Early on, things were status quo, as Kraft & Wakeford rolled to a 6-1 win in the first set. Team Top Gun was not going down without a fight though, as Sickmen & Rada came back to win the second set, 7-5 on an overhead smash by “The Iceman” in which the scream that accompanied it was heard across the beach. The momentum couldn’t be sustained though, as in the deciding set, Kraft & Wakeford pulled it out 6-3 giving them the title. In women’s pro play, you have the team of Nadia Johnston & Nicole Melch, and there is the rest of the field. Johnston & Melch remained undefeated this summer, by sweep-

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ing the Challenges. In the semifinals, Johnston & Melch defeated the team of Lisa Templefelde & Anastasiya Shevchenko in straight sets, while Ashley Hornishny & Lisa Goldberg defeated Jami Ashley & Jennifer Petersen in straight sets as well. In the finals, it was more domination from Johnston & Melch as they defeated Hornishny & Goldberg easily, 6-0, 6-1. On Sunday, there was advanced amateur play, as some of the pros returned to join up with the amateurs. Pool play saw some great battles, and in the end, four teams advanced to the semifinals. In one semifinal match, the top-seeded team of David “The Iceman” Sickmen & Anthony “Stretch” Pastecchi defeated the team of Marc Altheim & Mitch Druckner, 63, 7-5. In the other semifinal, Rob Feinerman & David Mate defeated Anthony Chan & Jimmy Lorenzo, 6-2, 6-2. In the finals, it was The Iceman & Stretch coming out on top with a 6-3, 6-3 straight-set victory over Feinerman & Mate. The duo of Iceman & Stretch didn’t drop a set in the amateur tournament. On the junior side, the finals saw Keiran Patton & Michael Costelloa defeat the team of Brendan & Shane Pues, 6-2. The next beach tennis tournament in New York will be the Nationals, which will take place over Labor Day Weekend in Long Beach, N.Y. The National Tournament is a huge event, with a large draw and $10,000 in prize money, along with major ITF World Ranking Points. There will be events on both Sept. 4 and Sept. 5, with top teams coming into New York from a number of foreign nations, including Italy, Holland, Aruba and the Czech Republic, highlighted by the top beach tennis-ranked team in the world, Alex Mingozzi & Matteo Marighella from Italy. This is a weekend in Long Beach you will not want to miss, either as a player or as a fan. G For more information, visit www.beachtennisusa.net.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2010 • LITennisMag.com

Scenes From the Long Island Tennis Magazine Challenge August 7-8 in Long Beach, N.Y. The team of Whitney “The Sandman” Kraft & Devin Wakeford, eventual men’s pro winners, in their finals match of the fourth leg of the Long Island Tennis Magazine Challenge

The team of Nicole Melch & Nadia Johnston en route to winning the women’s beach tennis pro tournament Barbara Drozdzik and her partner in beach tennis action at Long Beach

Team Top Gun, Jared “Maverick” Rada & David “The Iceman” Sickmen, finalists in the fourth leg of the Long Island Tennis Magazine Challenge

Lisa Templefelde & Anastasiya Shevchenko, finalists on the women’s side of the bracket

Jimmy Lorenzo & Anthony “Stretch” Pastecchi getting a taste of beach tennis action in Long Beach, N.Y.

The team of Jay Wass & Darrin Cohen enjoying some beach tennis action

Elliot Rosenbloom & Gerry Ashley in semifinals play in the men’s pro bracket

Don’t miss out on the intensity of beach tennis as the National Tournament comes to Long Beach, N.Y. this Labor Day Weekend, Sept. 4-5 LITennisMag.com • September/October 2010 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Correcting Mistakes and Mistaken Corrections By Steve Kaplan If I were advising a person who was taking a bath for the first time, I would recommend that they step into a tub of warm water, after all, if the water is ice cold, it would be very uncomfortable and if it is scalding hot, then it could be downright dangerous. If they check the water from the faucet and it’s very cold, then they would adjust the temperature to make it warmer. Superficially, this action of cause and effect makes sense, but in practice, it could be a burning mistake because if the water in the tub is already too hot, then the water from the faucet would need to be cold to correct the existing temperature mistake. Too often, tennis instruction mimics this same faulty cause and effect logic because some mistake are desirable especially in the short run. Play must be viewed from a greater perspective to be understood clearly since some mistakes offset other mistakes, and therefore, are not mistakes at all, but rather, compensations. I often see instruction, especially on stroke production, which corrects the player’s compensations, rather than addresses the root mechanical issues that underlay these correcting mistakes. I had an experience instructing a highly-ranked young girl in The City Parks Reebok Academy recently that illustrates this observation. This player explained to me that several pros had told her that her forehand elbow was “too bent at contact.” I looked at her stroke and agreed completely with this analysis. I did not agree, however, with the correction which she said was to “try to straighten her arm.” As I view it, she did not generate a strong push from her rear leg, and as a result, she did not get a fluid link to her torso rotation on 34

the stroke. Her arm was on its own to create racket speed, and as a good athlete, she did an admirable job of muscling the racket through impact. Straightening her arm without first correcting her underlying lower body mistake would be counterproductive to the stroke and ineffective to the goal to achieving arm extension. With a strong rear leg creating the momentum to carry the stroke up the kinetic chain, this player was able to create an effortless swing without over-bending, flexing and torquing her arm. As an athlete, she could and would correct her arm compensation when it felt natural to do so. After several minutes she succeeded.

“Great tennis players are great problem solvers, and therefore, skillful compensators.” Compensations are not just limited to mechanics however, they can also be stylistic and tactical … case in point: I was coaching a 12-year-old player who was very competitive, very coordinated and very high ranked. He was also very small. The head coach of a very large, well know U.S. tennis organization criticized his game as too dependent on “touch and feel” since the sport was heading toward a trend of power. I saw him differently. From my perspective, he is a great problem-solver who recognized what it would take to win given his limited size and he adapted well in order to achieve his goal. Ten years and 100 pounds later, this same player serves in the 120s mph. Early “touch and feel” tendencies don’t seem to have inhibited his ultimate development of enormous power.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2010 • LITennisMag.com

Similarly, when players go for “stupid” low percentage shots, that shot choice needs to be understood in the context by which it was chosen. What I mean is that a bad shot choice for an athlete, as well-conditioned as Rafael Nadal might be a well intended choice for a poorlyconditioned young player gasping for oxygen. Escaping a point by going for a winner is not as sound a tactic as working the court with high percentage shots, unless of course, your lungs are about to collapse and your legs feel like concrete. Great tennis players are great problem solvers, and therefore, skillful compensators. As coaches, it is important that we don’t instruct based on the superficial observations as to whether a player’s mechanics, style or tactics conform to our preconceived notions of “correctness,“ but rather, on careful and thoughtful analysis which factors in both cause and context. Anything less will undermine, rather than encourage, the talent. G Steven Kaplan has guided many touring professionals in the U.S. Open and Wimbledon, and has coached more than 350 nationally-ranked junior players. Steve’s background combines a rare blend of competitive and scholastic achievement. In 1979, Steve won the Big East Conference Singles Championship. In 1983, he received his Master’s Degree in Physiology. Steve developed the games of both Keith Kambourian and two-time NCAA Singles Champion Sandra Birch, from the 12-year olds through the pro tour. Most recently, Steve’s longtime student, Bryan Koniecko has achieved the number one ranking in Men’s NCAA tennis.

By Dr. Eric Price roper form is essential to maintaining a healthy shoulder while playing tennis. During a tennis serve and stroke, power comes from the legs and transmitted to the racquet via what is known as the kinetic chain. Power is generated from the legs, passes through the core, then the shoulder, elbow, wrist, and ultimately, to the racquet. When players have poor form or a weak link in their kinetic chain, they compensate by trying to generate more power by using the shoulder and arm. Core and leg strengthening are essential for maintaining proper form and longevity in tennis. Exercises such as yoga and plyometrics serve as excellent complements to a player’s off-the-court training regimen as they will strengthen the core, and improve balance and power. A healthy and strong rotator cuff is important for tennis. Exercises to target the rotator cuff with a resistance band or weights can improve strength; however, the shoulder cannot adequately compensate for a weak midsection and poor leg strength. The shoulder will become overtaxed, and ultimately, will suffer injury. The best initial response to pain in the shoulder is rest, ice, and anti-inflammatory medicines (as allowed by your doctor). If these measures fail to relieve pain, a visit with an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in sports medicine is the next step. X-rays and usually an MRI will be done. Medicines may be prescribed, and a cortisone shot may be given. Physical therapy will often be prescribed in order to strengthen the muscles in the shoulder and the kinetic chain. Occasionally, an MRI will show a rotator cuff or labral tear. Surgery may then be recom-

mended. Surgery may also be an option if patients fail to improve without surgery even if no tears are present. The most common shoulder problems in tennis players are bursitis, rotator cuff tears, and labrum tears. The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles whose job is to elevate the shoulder. Surgery can be performed via a small surgical camera called an arthroscope to repair a torn cuff. The labrum is a tissue that surrounds the socket of the ball and socket joint that comprises the shoulder and if it is torn it can be repaired via arthroscopy. Occasionally, bursitis does not respond to physical therapy and can be addressed surgically as well. After surgery, physical therapy is essential for a full recovery. Since poor form is the root of most shoulder pain, I recommend that those players

who are serious about longevity in tennis evaluate their form via video analysis or a lesson with a tennis pro. Another way improve one’s form is to watch videos of a tennis professional whose style is similar to one’s own so that one can try to mimic their form. The key to avoiding shoulder injury in tennis is maintaining proper form, not playing through pain, and seeking the help of a properly trained specialist when an injury does occur. G Dr. Eric Price is a board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon at Orlin and Cohen Orthopedic Associates, Long Island’s premier orthopedic group. He specializes in Sports Medicine. For appointments, call (516) 536-1212, ext. 213.

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LITennisMag.com • September/October 2010 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Long Island Tennis Magazine’s Guide to Tennis Court Surfaces Great Shot! Courts

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Contact: Ed Oliveau at (631) 351-7100 www.greatshotcourts.com Imagine stepping out your back door and getting your own home court advantage! Custom-built to the size and sports lifestyle that suits your home, family and friends of all ages would play sports and games of all kinds for countless hours! Some playing seriously, but most just playing for some serious fun and exercise! Back yard multi-game courts are an energizing and valuable addition to any home, providing a safe, durable, attractive and maintenance-free court surface that easily transforms from basketball games to pickle ball or tennis matches, to roller hockey games and virtually every sport in between! The traction-maximizing Suspended Modular Court surfaces offered by Great Shot! Courts not only provide terrifically consistent ball playability for every sport but also feature Advanced Impact Relief Technology, which reduces the strain on ligaments and joints that is typically associated with sports play, actually making these courts more “comfortable” to play on. Constructed using the same durable polymers found in another Great Shot! Courts product, RevTek Garage Flooring, these courts are tough enough to withstand everything from a game of Badminton to the weight of an automobile. The all-weather interlocking tiles are available in a rainbow of colors so courts can either be colorized to blend with the surrounding landscape or to match the vibrant colors of a favorite sports team or school! Fully customizable batting cages and putting greens are built to match their owner’s desirability of play and appearance—terrific for serious pros and serious hacks alike who look to improve their swing. Built to virtually any size, appearance, location and landscape, Sports Settings by Great Shot! Courts provide homeowners with the luxury and freedom of back yard fun, play and exercise.

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What is Velvetop? You might recognize us from the yellow pails of driveway sealer that you see in your local hardware store, but we are much more than that! Velvetop Products has been a family-owned and operated business since 1968. We sell only the premium brands of tennis court equipment and materials. Some of these brand names include: N Deco Turf: The most recognize tennis court surface in the world. Deco Turf, in its 32nd year as the surface of the U.S. Open, has been selected for use at the world’s most prestigious events, including the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the 2004 Athens Olympics, Davis Cup, Fed Cup, and the NCAA Championships. N Har-Tru: The world’s leading clay court surface, with more than 40,000 courts in 23 nations and 49 states. Har-Tru is the most widely used material for top dressing existing clay courts. N Douglas Industries, Tennis Nets and Windscreens: Douglas has been making quality sports equipment for 45 years. N Lee Tennis Court Products: Including net posts, grooming and maintenance equipment, line tapes and nails. Velvetop is unique in that we are not tennis court contractors, but tennis court suppliers and distributors for most products used to build or maintain a tennis court. You can come in and purchase products at our Huntington Station store, or supplies can be delivered to you with our trucks equipped with forklifts. If you have a clay court, whether a club or private home, we can partner with Lee Tennis, manufacturers of HarTru, to do a facility analysis survey. This goes well beyond looking at the court surface, but is an all-inclusive plan, looking at irrigation, lighting, nets and posts, and the entire facility. If you are considering building a court, we can meet at your site, help you plan and recommend the best contractors in the business. Whatever your tennis court needs, Velvetop can help.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2010 • LITennisMag.com

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Igniting Your Best Game Through Mental Training By Bob Litwin very successful athlete knows that there is both an inner game and an outer game. The outer game is visible: Forehands, backhands, serves, tactics, point development and statistics … skills that most players know about and continue to work on. Many of us know that, in spite all of this work, there is no guarantee that our best level will be ignited when it counts ... in the heat of competition. It is the inner game, the part that very few work on, that sepa-

rate the ordinary player from the extraordinary competitor. This is the game that is invisible: confidence, optimism, attitude, focus, perspective, persistence, resiliency, acceptance and spirit. Development of this part of the game is loosely called “mental training” and it is the mental, emotional and spiritual work that is done before, during and after competition. It is this mental strength that the greats develop in order to deal with the ongoing challenges of competition. Every single thing that a player does, thinks, says, feels and believes has a con-

sequence. Each thing either increases or decreases a player’s mental skills. There are four areas of “the mental game” and each can be trained for an athlete to ignite their highest levels in competition: N Physically: Players must be strong enough to go the distance. To this end, nutrition, hydration and sleep must be taken seriously. Yes, this is part of the mental game. N Emotionally: Players must train to access emotions that increase mental

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2010 • LITennisMag.com

strength: Pleasure, joy, excitement, wonder, confidence, hope and fun. These emotions support high levels of performance. Negative emotions drain players and take them out of their games: Frustration, intolerance, worry, threat all lead to difficulty in finding our top level of play. A player that is playing with negative based emotions is carrying baggage that can only hold them back from their best. N Mentally: Players must build focus that is of the highest quality. Focus increases mental energy. Multitasking decreases energy (players who think about how they are playing or about winning and losing are multitasking. They are only partly where they need to be.) Positive self-talk increases energy. Self-criticism decreases it. Perspective increases it. Distortion decreases it. A player lacking in focus is sure to lose their way, time and again, during competition.

N Spiritually: The greatest impact of mental training comes from developing spiritually. Players, to get the most out of their talent and skills need to train to compete for more than just the win. They need to train in the qualities of champions: character, courage, conviction, persistence, perseverance, acceptance and a welcoming attitude about challenges. Champions love battles, and many of the greats say they love to compete even more than they love to win.

strengths grow. Each one, as a muscle and as a stroke, becomes stronger, more enduring, more flexible and has greater resiliency. Today is the day to begin to train mentally. Welcome the challenge and believe that you can be a Rafael Nadal, not only a great player, but also an extraordinary competitor. The pathway from ordinary to extraordinary, the key to igniting the very highest end of your talent and skill in competition, is through the investment of time and energy in developing your mental game. G

And the great news Each of these parts of the mental game is trainable, just like a forehand and backhand, and just like strategy and footwork. Mental training is more than just words. A player must work and improve at it. By doing repetitions and increasing the stress on each of these, we end up improving, just as we improve strokes and strategy. In the same way that we treat a muscle that we are trying to grow, these mental

Bob Litwin is a mental training coach who trains athletes, as well as financial analysts and traders. A senior international player, he was ranked number one in the world in the 55 and over, won the ITF World Championships, has won 15 USTA National Senior Championships and has represented the USA in multiple International Senior Cup competitions. He may be reached by e-mail at focused130@mac.com.

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Mythbusters: The College Tennis Experience is Completely Different (or Similar!) to Junior and High School Tennis … Part II By Ricky Becker The life of a college tennis player is different in many respects and similar in many respects. Here is the second part of miscellaneous information about college tennis life. From the last issue of Long Island Tennis Magazine: ! In a team match (also known as a “duel match”), there are three doubles matches, followed by six singles matches. Players can compete in singles and doubles. ! There are few, if any, private lessons. ! Balancing tennis and academics in college was probably more difficult in high school. ! There are long breaks from official practices. ! Being on the tennis team in college can

give you an instant social life. Which can be important as a college freshman. ! There are a lot of international players in college tennis. There is a faction of people who are against this and a quiet faction of people who support this. ! If you win the “walk-on tournament” you are not always guaranteed a spot on the roster. ! A lot more time is practiced on doubles than you are probably accustomed to. ! The assistant coach is often a graduate student who played college or pro tennis.

Teams stack lineups based on potential matchups When players are relatively equal, a coach may set a lineup based on matchups. Often, when players are even, the player with greater fluctuation in his/her level will play higher to pick off some good wins and not fall victim to

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2010 • LITennisMag.com

bad losses. Arguably, doubles lineups get stacked more frequently than singles lineups.

Physical conditioning is a constant priority at most schools College teams spend a substantial amount of time on fitness. Cardio and physical conditioning is worked on often. Some coaches have required that team members be able to run two miles in 12 min. Physical conditioning is certainly an important component for a tennis player and something that is stressed.

A college player who has not contributed to his/her team the first two years and doesn’t figure to contribute will be often be pressured to quit College teams have a budget and each player costs money. Coaches want players

who may play intercollegiate matches. If a player isn’t in the equation, the coach would rather have a fresh face who may play. Additionally, after not starting for two years, the college player probably did not improve much due to a lack of matches.

Most schools have a special academic advisory program for student/athletes Most college athletic departments have staff members whose job is to ensure that the student-athletes make the cut academically. It is of my opinion that if a student was admitted to a school and is academically motivated to do well, that student will be okay. Most flunking stories involve student-athletes who slacked off in a class.

Most coaches have a ballpark idea what number an incoming freshman is going to play before he/she steps onto campus Especially in Division I, freshmen do not walk into practice with a clean slate. Coaches usu-

ally know the player’s junior credentials and has an idea the approximate idea where that student will fit in. If a great recruit or full-scholarship athlete slumps in the early going, it does not mean they will not start. On the other side of the coin, if an unheralded freshman comes in, they will have to prove more than once that they belong ahead of the star recruit in the lineup.

Hosting recruits over a weekend is part of the deal A fun and sometimes mandatory part of being on a team, is allowing a high school recruit to stay with you for the weekend. Often, you will be asked by the coach how the recruit got along with everybody and whether the recruit would fit in with the team.

The NCAA Division I Tennis Championships have 64 teams in the tournament, but don’t expect many upsets early The NCAA keeps expanding the NCAA Tournament so more players get a taste of NCAA post-season action. There were

three first round upsets this year in the Men’s Tournament and 24 of the 32 first round matches were 4-0 shutouts! The Women’s Tournament had four first round upsets and 20 of the 32 matches were 4-0 shutouts.

There are no service lets in Division I A serve that touches the net and lands in the correct service box is in play! This could lead to some “different” points than tennis players are used to. The rumor is that this rule was created to curb players from calling a phantom let when they got aced. G Ricky Becker is the founder of JuniorTennisConsulting LLC, which offers off-court college guidance services to junior tennis players, in addition to teaching tennis at the Robbie Wagner Tournament Training Center in Glen Cove. He can be reached by phone at (516) 605-0420, e-mail rbecker06@yahoo.com or visit www.JuniorTennisConsulting.com.

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LITennisMag.com • September/October 2010 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

LIPTL Caps Off 2010 Season Piping Rock upsets The Creek to win 2010 George Seewagen Trophy

he Long Island Professional Tennis League’s (LIPTL) 2010 Championship came down to a very exciting and dramatic showdown as The Creek Club and Piping Rock Club squared off in their second match at Piping Rock. The Creek Club had already defeated Piping Rock at home, but still needed a victory to ensure a second championship season. With The Creek having been upset in the first match of the season at North Hills Country Club, The Creek needed to give Piping Rock a second loss to keep the League’s George Seewagen Trophy. “The LIPTL was a very big success this year,” said Pine Hollow Coach and Tennis Director Butch Seewagen. “We are looking forward to an equally good year next season. There has already been talk of expansion to Suffolk County with a Long Island Championship match between the two county champs.” More than 150 spectators witnessed some tennis that Larry Hilbert, Piping Rock’s director of tennis said, “could not have imagined a higher or more exciting level.” Piping Rock set the tone early, by winning the opening women’s singles match. Piping Rock’s Natasha Marks, a former number one-ranked player from England, reversed an earlier loss and defeated The Creek Club’s Bulgarian star Victoria Konstantinova, 6-2. Former number oneranked Greek player and The Creek Club’s star player Vasillis Mazarakis

quickly evened things up by defeating Piping’s Australian star David McNamara, 6-3. The excitement rose as Piping Rock’s home crowd rooted the mixed duo of Marks & McNamara to a win over The Creek Club’s Mazarakis & Konstantinova, 6-3. With the victory Piping Rock was crowned 2010 LIPTL Champion! Many Long Island junior tennis players got a taste of the LIPTL during its 2010 season, playing for the area’s various county clubs, including Blair Seiderman, Julia Elbaba and Jennifer Kellner. Darrin Cohen, director of tennis from Sportime Kings Park, also participated as did

former Long Island junior player Jason Morganstern. Two of the LIPTL’s major sponsors during the 2010 season were Cablevision and U.S. Business Technologies (USBT). “USBT is all about being involved and being local,” said Andrew Napoli, chief executive officer of USBT. “We are proud sponsors of the Long Island Professional Tennis League and make every attempt to support our community. From a business perspective, we have joined the Optimum Business Benefits program that Cablevision created specifically to help small businesses in our community by offering special offers and discounts to qualified Optimum Business customers. We feel it’s a winning combination.”

LIPTL 2010 Final Season Standings Club ..................................................................Win-Loss Piping Rock Club........................................................................5-1 The Creek Club ..........................................................................4-2 North Hills Country Club ............................................................3-3 Pine Hollow Country Club ..........................................................1-5

LIPTL 2010 Results June 18..........North Hills defeats The Creek..........................18-10 June 19..........Piping Rock defeats Pine Hollow ......................18-9 June 26..........Piping Rock defeats North Hills ......................15-11 June 27..........Piping Rock defeats Pine Hollow ....................16-14 July 9 ............The Creek defeats Piping Rock ......................17-11 July 11 ..........The Creek defeats Pine Hollow ......................17-12 July 16 ..........The Creek defeats North Hills..........................18-11 July 23 ..........The Creek defeats Pine Hollow ........................18-9 July 30 ..........Piping Rock defeats The Creek ......................15-11 August 1 ........Noth Hills defeats Pine Hollow ..........................18-9 August 4 ........Piping Rock defeats North Hills ......................18-11 August 6 ........Pine Hollow defeats North Hills ......................16-14

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2010 • LITennisMag.com

(631) 393-2995

A Tennis Journey to Kalamazoo … By Gerry Ashley he following is taken from the blog of Gerard Ashley of Sportime at Roslyn, tennis director and USTA tournament director, documenting his coaching trip to the USTA Boys and Girls 14 North Zone Team Championships, held at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Mich., July 28-Aug. 1.

Tuesday, July 27 The alarm goes off at 3:00 a.m. Normally, I might hit the snooze button, but I cannot today because my 4:15 a.m. shuttle is taking me straight to LaGuardia to catch a 6:30 a.m. flight to Chicago, where I will catch a connection to Kalamazoo, Mich. I am scheduled to arrive in Kalamazoo close to 10:30 a.m., pick up my rental car and make my way to the hotel. I need to meet up with the other eastern coaches and then get to a noon meeting where we will be introduced to not only the tournament directors and USTA officials, but all of the coaches from the other sections that will be participating in this event. At this meeting, we will go over all of the rules and regulations, and most importantly, the format: N Two flights of six teams N Boys and girls scores will count together N Each team match will consist of 12 singles matches and six doubles matches

N Each team match will be 18 possible points During this meeting, I find out the kids who I will be in charge of. At 2:00 p.m., we do a meet and greet with my players and their parents. This can be a little bit overwhelming, and maybe the first year I coached at one of these events, I was a tad nervous, but not this year! I know many of the kids already simply because I have run so many USTA tournaments over the years that I have met them in one way or another. I feel relaxed and am ready to have a good time with my team. We have to line up for pictures, and then figure out what our team name will be. This is a very important moment for a team. We were considered the third eastern team out of four playing in the event. So in essence we were “Eastern C,” and after much deliberation, we came up with The “C” Monsters. With 12 players and myself, that was the best we could come up with! After pictures, it was about 5:30 p.m., and I was able to have a brief practice. This is where I can really begin to open up the lines of communication and get to know the kids on a personal level and also see their styles. We finish up the night with a team social that goes until roughly 8:00 p.m. Time to get back to the hotel and get some rest for our first match the next day!

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The “C” Monsters Roster Boys #1 Singles ..........Artem Khrapko ................Corning, N.Y. #2 Singles ..........Alex Lebedev ..................Island Park, N.Y. #3 Singles ..........Winn Smith ......................Brooklyn, N.Y. #4 Singles ..........Julian Rozenstein ............Morganville, N.J. #5 Singles ..........Jack Turchetta..................Pound Ridge, N.Y. #6 Singles ..........Edan Sossen....................Oakland Gardens, N.Y.

Now the girls had a much easier time, winning four out of six matches, highlighted by Maddie Sterns winning her own three-set match, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. All in all, a good day for the “C” Monsters, and with Arielle’s injury, we were still able to squeak by with a 10-8 victory. Many kids would have packed it up and quit for the week, but I give Arielle a lot of credit. She showed a lot of fight and decided to continue to play the rest of the week, even though she wasn’t at 100 percent.

Thursday, July 29 Girls #1 Singles ..........Arielle Shuren ..................Montebello, N.Y. #2 Singles ..........Paulina Tafler....................Oceanside, N.Y. #3 Singles ..........Maddie Sterns..................Short Hills, N.J. #4 Singles ..........Isabella Turchetta ............Pound Ridge, N.Y. #5 Singles ..........Jacqueline Urbinati ..........Harrison, N.Y. #6 Singles ..........Casey Marx ......................Mendham, N.J.

Wednesday, July 28 Our match time is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. against a team from the New England area (Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island). Before each match, I schedule a short 45 min. practice, and then head to our match of the day. We split our doubles and it’s a rocky start to the day for the “C” Monsters when our top girl, Arielle Shuren, bangs her knee into a fence while chasing down a ball during her doubles match. Her knee is so bad that she has to retire in doubles, as well as singles. At this point, I don’t know if we will have her for the rest of the week which would be a huge blow to our team. Not exactly the start we were looking for, but the show must go on! The boys also spilt their singles matches, and thanks to Jack Turchetta, who wins rather easily 6-4, 6-1, and Artem Khrapko and Winn Smith both win three-setters. Winn’s match took more than three hours and it was simply an awesome display of determination and stamina.

On Thursday, things got a bit tougher. Our first match was set for 8:00 a.m., and we played against a team from the Midwest (Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin) which means the coach and players are up at 5:45 a.m. for breakfast and off to the practice courts by 6:45 a.m., talking strategy and going over the doubles teams that will be paired up later that morning. This match was pretty straightforward, as we grabbed an early lead in doubles, four matches to two. Then, our girls go out, starting with Casey Marx playing number six, who won 6-3, 6-2 and was simply a rock at her position all week as she fought hard in every single match she played in! Then, Paulina Tafler, our number two player, plays what was the toughest match of the day. She wins a battle 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(5). Way to go Paulina! As far as our boys, they did quite well, winning five out of six matches, highlighted by Edan Sossen winning a very impressive 60, 6-0 (not an easy feat at this level) and Julian Rozenstein, who played number four all week, winning, 6-4, 6-1.

Friday, July 30 Friday wound up being a tough one. The “C” Monsters were playing well, leading up to this match. We were 2-0, and feeling good about our chances, and then we ran into a buzzsaw of a team in yet another Midwestern squad that wound up making it all the way to the finals. This team came out of the gates running on all cylinders. They continued on page 48

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JOURNEY TO KALAMAZOO jumped out to a 5-1 lead in doubles and never looked back. Our boys played tough and wound up splitting their six matches, highlighted by Artem Khrapko, who must have ice in his veins because all he did was win this week, playing one tough match after another. In addition to his strong play, and more importantly, he wound up winning the only Sportsmanship Award that was given out to an Eastern Boys team member who showed great class and dignity throughout the week. Congratulations Artem … you deserved it! The girls had a tougher time of it. The one ladies match that stood out to me was our number four, Isabella Turchetta who won, 6-3, 6-0. She played great, was always cheering on her teammates and was definitely a key factor in keeping the team together. Thank you, Isabella!

Saturday, July 31 At 8:00 a.m., we were scheduled to play against one of the northern teams from Minnesota. We wound up losing this match by a very close margin; however, there were two distinct memories of this day. The first one deals with my number three, Winn Smith. This young man is simply a warrior. It seemed like he was playing in one long continuous match all week. However, on this particular day, Winn had to battle through a bloody nose that would not stop. He had the trainer trying to help him on changeovers … he needed to play while having gauze in his nose … it’s not hard enough to breath when you are out on the court for three hours … try playing when you can only breath out of one nostril. Winn wound up losing in the third set, but I give him credit for staying out on the court and fighting until the end. I would be happy to have a team full of Winns any day of the week! The second highlight of the day deals with my number two, Alex Lebedev. I had the pleasure of working with Alex last year at the 12s Zonals at Penn State. This young man has all the talent in the

continued from page 47

world, and will continue to be a solid tennis player, but one thing as a coach that I cannot deal with is when someone starts to give up and stops believing in themselves. That’s where I, as a coach, come into play. Alex was not doing well in the first set and basically gave away the end of the set by hitting every forehand as hard as he could and as far out as he could. This is where, as a coach, you hope that you can push the right buttons with your players, and with that thought in mind, I gave Alex a minor tongue lashing at the end of the set. This is really not my style as a coach, but I knew Alex could handle it. I did my best Bobby Knight or Lou Piniella impersonations, as I left the court talking to myself loud enough for Alex to hear, and crossed my fingers as I was out of his sight that he would not further implode. To his credit, he stormed back and won the second set with ease, 6-1. The third set was close, but in the end, Alex was the one left standing, winning a very hard-fought third set, 7-5. It’s moments like these that I will remember and cherish. I only hope that Alex learns from this experience, and hopefully, that moment makes a little difference in not only his level of tennis, but also translates into a life lesson in never quitting!

Sunday, August 1 Wow … I cannot believe that the week has flown by so quickly! We had morning matches and early afternoon matches that ran right up until my return flight to New York. I changed in the car on the way to the airport, not an easy task and probably not legal either, but that’s beside the point. The one glowing image that sticks out to me for from Sunday’s play would be the match with our number five Jackie Urbinati. Jackie was, by far, the best number five that I saw, and quite honestly, she could have easily played up a couple of spots. She did not lose a singles match all week, but was tested on more than one oc-

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2010 • LITennisMag.com

casion this day. She won her first set rather easily, 6-2; however, started getting some very questionable calls against her to the point where this girl got into the head of Jackie and wound up coming back and winning the second set to tie up the match. It is in the heat of these moments that you find out about the character and heart of a player. Jackie was visibly shaken and mentally drained with all of the bad calls. She was complaining of not feeling well, and I thought for a very quick moment¸ that maybe it would be best for her to retire from the match all together. I had the trainer speak with her, as well as her mother. It wasn’t looking good, but I didn’t want Jackie to walk away from the match with any regrets and let someone who made bad calls on purpose get the better of her. After talking to her for a few minutes, she said those four wonderful words to me: “I want to play.“ As she went back onto the court, I was saying to myself, “Gerry, I hope you didn’t misread this one.” I would have felt awful if Jackie made it halfway through the set, and then needed to retire because of how she was feeling. It became apparent to me that Jackie had the heart of a lion and was not going down without a fight. She started the third set with something to prove, and took it out on her opponent right up to the finish by winning 6-3. I was very proud of her, and felt like I had helped her accomplish something bigger than a tennis match.

I want to thank all of the parents of the team who were able to join us on this amazing trip, and last but not least, I want to thank my team and all of its players. You guys and gals were great, and you made my experience a memorable one. Reading all of the little notes that you wrote for me was special, and I wish all of you nothing but the best of luck! There’s only one thing left to say ... Go “C” Monsters! G Gerry Ashley is currently with Sportime at Roslyn. Not only is he one of the tennis directors, but is also the USTA tournament director in which he has managed events ranging anywhere from beginner round robins, to high level sectional junior tournaments. He has coached at different Zonal events in the past, most recently, last year where Gerry was one of the coaches for the Boys and Girls 12s Zonals that was held at Penn State. Gerry not only coaches, but plays as well. He has played for and was captain of the NCAA Division 1 Hofstra University Men’s Tennis Team. He may be reached by e-mail at gashley1@optonline.net.

In closing As I flew home, I had time to think about the events that had transpired over the past week. I would like to thank not only the USTA Eastern Section, but in particular, Julie Bliss for affording me the opportunity to go to Kalamazoo, Mich. and represent the Section in what I hope was a professional manner. I would also like to acknowledge the head coach of the Eastern Section, Mark Savage, whose team wound up winning the entire Zonals competition … way to go Eastern “A.” Every time I spend some time with Mark at these Zonal events, I just try and pick up a few important things that will not only make me a better coach, but a better person as well.

Coach Gerry Ashley with the “C” Monsters during the USTA Boys and Girls 14 North Zone Team Championships, held at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Mich., July 28-Aug. 1

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Set Your Goals By Jay Wass

should give insight into where the player, parents and coach will eventually want to end up based on the other goals that have been set and the type of training that is being provided.

immediate expectations and how you are going to accomplish them.

September is an exciting time, as the U.S. Open is in town, school is starting and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s back to the daily grind for tennis players, parents and coaches alike. Now is the perfect time to evaluate or re-evaluate your tennis goals (maybe your other goals too). I believe that it is vital for players, parents and coaches to have a realistic plan for the upcoming weeks, months and years in order to get the most out of your time on the tennis courts. I like to keep my goalsetting exercise fairly simple, by setting up three time frames:

Medium-term goals (six months-one year) This time frame allows for you to look into the future and set somewhat lofty but attainable goals that will allow you to strive for greater objectives that you would like to see yourself accomplish and really sets the direction you would like to see your tennis go. For instance, if you are currently playing Level 2 tournaments, you may want to set a goal that you will play three Level 1 Tournaments within this time frame.

Short-term goals (0-6 months)

Long-term goals (one year and beyond)

These goals allow you to set your focus on

These goals are further reaching, but

Here are some tips for planning your goals. ! Be realistic. While considering talent, desire, schoolwork and other time commitments, create goals that are achievable and something that you will be able to reach with hard work and dedication. If you set your goals too low, you may not push yourself to full potential, and if you set goals too high, it could become discouraging to fail. continued on page 53

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Long Island Tennis Magazine’s

Girls High School Tennis In last year’s Long Island Girl’s Tennis County Championship match, Syosset High School defeated Half Hollow Hills West 5-2 to win the 2009 Long Island Title. This year, a majority of the Syosset High School girl’s roster returns and they look to repeat as champs. Individual players to keep an eye on: Long Island girl’s singles players N Jacqueline Raynor (Garden City): All-New York State and All-County honors, and runner-up at the Nassau County Championship in 2009.

N Hannah Camhi (Syosset): All-New York State and All-County honors, Hannah led Syosset High School to the Girl’s Long Island Championship in 2009 and finished fifth at the New York State Tournament. N Samantha Elgort (Half Hollow Hills East): All-New York State and All-County honors, Samantha finished second in the Suffolk County Singles Championship and sixth at the New York State Tournament. N Devlin Ammendola (Farmingdale): All-County honors and quarterfinalist

Preview

at the Nassau County Championships in 2009.

Long Island girl’s doubles N Missy Edelblum & Paige Mintz (Roslyn): All-New York State & AllCounty honors, the team of Edelblum & Mintz won the Nassau County Doubles Tournament in 2009. Long Island Tennis Magazine will be out at the girls matches all season, and we are looking forward to covering yet another great season of girl’s tennis.

LITennisMag.com • September/October 2010 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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TENNIS PRO continued from page 50 ! Don’t forget the how. It’s fantastic to plan accomplishments, such as “I want to be a professional tennis player”, however you have to remember that once goals are created, the next logical question becomes: “How will you reach your goals?” If you plan to “hit better backhands,” plan to devote time and energy in your training. ! Quantify. It’s always easier to measure how you are doing if you quantify things. For example, if you are trying to improve your second serve, you may need to strive for certain numbers like “make 10 second serves in a row” in practice. In tournaments, you may want to challenge yourself to reach the next level of a tournament, “Semifinals of a Level 1 Tournament.” Consider the obstacles. See “Be realistic,” but more importantly, remember your other commitments (obstacles), such as schoolwork, dance recitals or musical performances. It is very difficult to become a professional tennis, concert violinist and NASA astronaut. Good luck with the goal-setting process and remember that this needs to be done as a group which includes players, parents, coaches, trainers, and sometimes, doctors, in order to make this exercise useful for all involved. G Jason Wass is general manager of Sportime Kings Park. Wass is a rising star in the development and coaching of tennis talent, and has been teaching tennis since the age of 13. He is a USPTA Professional 1 Certified Instructor, with experience coaching all ages and levels. As the former director of tennis at Sportime Kings Park, he has created programming that has cultivated one of the top programs on Long Island, producing multiple national titles, New York State Championships and Sectional victories. Jason grew up and currently resides in Farmingdale, N.Y. with his wife Julie, and their two dogs, Riley and Shelby. He may be reached by phone at (631) 269-6300, ext. 5220, visit www.sportimeny.com/kings-park or e-mail jwass@sportimeny.com.

www.grandcentralracquet.com LITennisMag.com • September/October 2010 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

QuickStart Tennis Blitz in the Parks Reaches Out With Free Lessons By Bill Mecca or the third consecutive year, the USTA Eastern Section has teamed up with Nassau County and the U.S. Professional Tennis Association’s Eastern Division to provide free tennis lessons to Nassau County’s children at eight Nassau County parks. QuickStart Tennis Blitz in the Parks is organized by Bill Mecca, the USTA’s Long Island tennis representative and Karen Beckhard-Ravener from Nassau County’s Parks and Recreation Depart-

ment. This year, nearly 700 children from the County’s new summer recreation camps program, Oasis Camps, and the Nassau County Girl Scouts, plus some drop-in children and adults were taught the basics of tennis by 13 tennis professionals and 20 USTA staffers and volunteers. Over the past three years, this unique program has taught the benefits of tennis to more than 2,500 of the County’s children. Special thanks to the USPTA Eastern

Division for providing grants for professionals, Paige and Zach Mintz for volunteering and to their Racquets for Kids program for distributing used racquets to deserving children, and to Clif’s Bars for supplying enough healthy energy bars for this and other venues. G Bill Mecca is a USTA/Eastern tennis service representative for the Long Island Region. He may be reached by e-mail at mecca@eastern.usta.com.

Scenes From the 2010 Nassau County QuickStart Tennis Blitz in the Parks July 22, 2010

D.A. Abrams, executive director of USTA/Eastern, taking part in the Nassau County QuickStart Tennis Blitz in the Parks at Wantagh Park

A great time was had by all at Cantiague Park in Hicksville, N.Y.

At Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, The volunteers at Wantagh Park pause for a photo N.Y., children are taught the basics of tennis

The children and volunteers line up for a photo at Christopher Morley Park in Roslyn, N.Y. during the 2010 Nassau County Quick- Kids and volunteers enjoying the sport of tennis at Centennial Park in Roosevelt, N.Y. Start Tennis Blitz in the Parks

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2010 • LITennisMag.com

By Kathy Miller

At the time this edition went to press, the Adult Regionals just wrapped up with the Senior and Super Senior Leagues having two weeks left of play. The Long Island regional winners advancing to sectionals in Syracuse, N.Y. are: ! Women’s 2.5—Carefree Racquet, captain Carrie Alfano ! Women’s 3.0—Eastern Athletic at Blue Point, captain Michele Colondona ! Women’s 3.5—Carefree Racquet, captain Denise Michel ! Women’s 4.0—Sportime Syosset, captain Melody Sciacca ! Women’s 4.5—Robbie Wagner Tournament Training, captain Tina Stellato (third place team advancing from Rockville Racquet, captain Jackie Gaines) ! Men’s 3.0—Sportime Massapequa, captain Zafar Malik

! Men’s 3.5—Sportime Kings Park, captain John Mahoney/Wayne Freeman ! Men’s 4.0—Eastern Athletic Blue Point, captain Tim Hill/Eric Glickstein ! Men’s 4.5—Huntington Indoor, captain Nick Szabo ! Men’s 5.0—Sportime Syosset, captain David Grossman Good luck to all of our Long Island teams! Next up will be the Tri-Level League. Early start ratings will be available the beginning of September, which the Tri-Level League will be based on. The Tri-Level League is three courts of doubles, with one court being at the 4.5 level, one at the 4.0 level and one at the 3.5 level. All players must be computer rated for this league, and a team can have up to six players at each level on a team. We will start the

league the first week of October and the season will run through mid-December. Once the final ratings are available at the end of November, we will start organizing the Mixed-Doubles League which will run from January to May 2011. The Mixed-Doubles League consists of three courts of doubles, and is based on combined levels. We have the league at the 6.0 Level (two 3.0 players, a 2.5 and 3.5) 7.0, 8.0, 9.0. and this year, we will be adding a 10.0 Level. If you are interested in starting a new team or getting on an already existing team, please e-mail me at kathym65@aol.com. G Kathy Miller is the manager at Carefree Racquet Club and is also the Adult League Coordinator for USTA/Long Island. She may be reached at kathym65@aol.com.

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The 10 Commandments for Optimal Tournament Performance By Darrin Cohen I. Thou shalt train with an event in mind Practice and training can be monotonous, and at times, more of a chore than a diversion. Think of practice as a business. Approach it with planning, forethought and focus. Two weeks before any event, practice with the event in mind. Create a journal. Record all of your workouts, practices, lessons, eating habits, sleep patterns and thought processes leading up to the event. If the results of your practice are favorable, go back and repeat all that you have done. If your performance is poor, or does not meet your expectations, make the appropriate corrections and modifications to your event preparation. Get input from outside sources, and focus on the areas of your game that need the most work. You may just find the perfect recipe for success after only a few events.

II. Thou shalt practice like playing a tournament match I have found that many players, especially junior tournament players, take regular private lessons, join group programs, use personal trainers and practice their serves. However, seldom do they schedule and play a regular scoring, two out of three set practice match with new tennis balls. Approach your practices the same way that an actor approaches a dress rehearsal of a Broadway show. Do not just wing it. Rather, make sure you have rehearsed several times before you hit the stage.

III. Thou shalt place one’s feet on fire Footwork and speed differentiate good 58

players from great players. Regardless of how a player swings the racquet, if the feet are not in position it is not likely that a good shot will be produced. In the weeks before a tournament, work hard on footwork skills. Quick movements through the agility ladder, on court spider drills, and short sprints are a few of the techniques that I use to ensure that my feet are blazing fast during a tournament. Remember that when in a pressure situation, ramping up your footwork is a great way to combat nerves.

IV. Thou shalt place one’s brain on ice If only we could all know what goes through Roger Federer’s head during big Grand Slam championship moments. Unfortunately, Roger has not been quick to divulge many of his mental secrets for consistently being able to rise to the occasion and snag title after title. If you are like me, and are not always sure what should be going through your head at 65, 40-30 in the third set of the tournament finals, then DON’T think at all. You will be amazed at how well this works. Have a short mantra to utter to yourself

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2010 • LITennisMag.com

right before the crucial point. For example, I tell myself, “Don’t think—watch the laces.” I rely on my muscle memory to get the job done. I just need to make sure my brain does not get in the way. Thoughts about holding the trophy after the match, the pressures of work or school, or concerns about what my coach or parent might say if I lose match point, will ultimately get in the way of success.

V. Thou shalt be faster, stronger and fitter than one’s opponent Confidence is a key ingredient to playing in the zone. There is no easier way to boost confidence during a match than to know that you have outworked your opponent during your training leading up to an event. On the surface, there is no difference between running wind sprints at six in the morning or at four in the afternoon. Except for the fact that you will be less likely to allow yourself to lose knowing the sacrifices you made to wake up early in the morning and train. Pushing yourself past your limits off the court can instill a

sense of right and belonging in the winner’s circle.

VI. Thou shalt keep the first two shots in the court A vast majority of tennis points end after the first four shots. These four shots include the serve, return of serve, and subsequent two shots. If you watched the recent 2010 Wimbledon tennis match between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut, you may remember that seldom did these players even get to the third shot of a point. If you find that you are making errors during these four shots, you are shooting yourself in the foot. When playing a tournament match, be accepting of errors that come after these four shots, but demand perfection during them.

VII. Thou shalt learn to pace oneself for success The theory here is fairly straightforward, and it seems to work for many players. Play fast while you are winning or up in the match, and slow when you are losing or down in the match. When you are ahead, make sure to maintain your pace and avoid changes to your game plan. The goal is to just keep winning points as long and quickly as possible. On the other end of the spectrum, nothing can be as demoralizing as losing a two out of three set match in 45 min. If you find yourself in this situation, take the full amount of allotted time in between each point, as well as in between each game and set. You may just lull your opponent to sleep or rattle them by breaking their rhythm. Of course, the momentum changes during tennis match, but recognize the flow and take advantage of it.

an opportunity to mimic superior shots, bring our game to a higher level, and ultimately, make us feel better about our own game. The same thing happens when we practice with players of lesser ability or those who do not hit conventional shots. We find ourselves mimicking lesser, poorly hit shots, which can frequently lead to feeling worse about our own game. Do not be afraid of practicing against these players. It most likely will pay off the next time you face a tournament player who hits soft, junky or crumby balls. But, the main point here is that when you are playing a match against someone you consider to be a much better player, stick to what you know and do well. Do not mimic their strokes or play outside yourself. Doing so will undoubtedly be the root of dozens of errors.

IX. Thou shalt treat one’s body like a race car Be very aware of what you are putting into your body days before a tournament begins, and through to the end of the tournament. Good nutrition, as well as hydration, should be ongoing, but it is especially important at tournament time. Likewise, stretching each day for 10 min. or more is equally important to stretching a half-hour before a match begins. In order to compete at your best, you must make sure your body is

feeling good and is in top shape. If a race car is not tuned to perfection, it probably will not win the race, despite the ability of the driver.

X. Thou shalt worry only about things one can control The more you worry about crying babies, referees with poor vision, wind, sun, shadows, dead balls, cracked courts, incorrect string tension, poor lighting, cheaters, rankings, draws … and the list goes on … the worse you will perform. Ignore all of these uncontrollable factors and take charge of the things under your power. Focus on making your first two shots on every point. Think about your readiness and foot speed on break point. Concentrate on the amount of time you are taking in between each point. Log your workouts before each tournament until you have found the winning formula. Let your opponent complain about being seeded below a player he beat twice this year. Focus on and stick to implementing your game plan. G Darrin Cohen was a top-ranked national junior player who went on to play four years as a scholarship athlete at the University of Virginia. He is now the director of tennis at Sportime in Kings Park, N.Y. He may be reached by e-mail at tdkingspark@sportimeny.com.

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VIII. Thou shalt not mimic one’s opponent In all my years as a player and as a coach, I have never once heard anyone ask to practice with a player of lesser ability, or players who do not cleanly strike the ball. To the contrary, I have frequently heard how much people hate playing “ball pushers” and “junk ballers.” We all enjoy practicing with players who hit the ball better than we do. It affords

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LITennisMag.com • September/October 2010 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

• HOT TOPICS: Breaking pro tour news. • LOCAL NEWS: The hottest local tennis news. • GUIDES: Camps, clubs, retail outlets and anything related to tennis on Long Island • VOICE: Share your opinions and experiences in LI Forums. Participate in polls. Comment on articles. • WHAT'S GOING ON: Check out upcoming tennis events and tournaments • READ: The latest issue and archives of Long Island Tennis Magazine. • PHOTOS: Photos, photos and MORE photos.

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Coming In November Distribution scheduled for 11/1/10 This edition will feature: • Top Long Island Coaches Roundtable • Long Island’s Best Tennis Apparel Stores • Holiday Gift Ideas • Girls High School Season Recap • U.S. Open Recap

Don’t miss the advertising and editorial opportunities in the next edition of Long Island Tennis Magazine November/December 2010. Submissions for both advertising and editorial are due by October 1st. For more information, please call (516) 409-4444 or e-mail Advertise@LITennisMag.com.

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Eastern Men Bring Home the Talbert Cup By Russell Heier In the Davis Cup, playing at home is a major advantage. Around the world, rabid fans propel their teams to victory. In the Eastern Section, there was also a home court advantage in the Talbert Cup, a team event for the top Men’s 35 and Over players. The event is played annually with the host Section changing every two years. The event was played at World Gym at Setauket on the weekend of May 22-May 23, and even though their were not loads of fans with horns and cowbells, the experience of playing at home helped lead the Eastern Section to victory. Led by Daniel Montes de Oca, Todd Ehren, Team Captain Russell Heier, Robert Janicek, Robert Kresberg, Juan Carlos Parker, Joe Polestino, Scott Thyroff and Raj Vaswani, Eastern were victorious and raised the Talbert Cup on May 23. It is the first time since 2006 that Eastern captured the Talbert Cup, which has been being played for 24 years now with teams from the Eastern, Middle States, MidAtlantic and New England Sections competing. The team representing the Eastern Section was unstoppable at World Gym, as they beat Middle States 7-2 in the first round, and then beat New England 6-3 in the finals. Montes de Oca and Parker who were able to play because City View Racquet Club graciously opened up their schedules, and the two provided key victories. In the finals, Juan Carlos and Daniel played first and second singles respectively, and set the tone by putting on an unbelievable exhibition of tennis and were victorious, while Joe Polestino completed a tight three-set match to secure the 2010 Talbert Cup. In team competition chemistry, commitment and dynamics play a key part in achieving success, as was the case with the Eastern Section team. All of the players made sacrifices to ensure they were available to play, with Scott Thyroff traveling eight hours to participate in the event. Heier, the captain of the team, said that in his 10-plus years of playing the Talbert Cup felt that this year’s team was the strongest that the Eastern Section has ever put to-

gether. He said the team’s success would not have been possible without the help of World Gym’s Owner Tom Jacklitsch and manager Gina Marie McNulty, who worked tirelessly to ensure the event ran smoothly. “They were great to us,” Heier said. “They put in so much work, and we hope we can go back there again next year.” G

Juan Carlos Parker during match play at the 2010 Talbert Cup event, held at World Gym in Setauket, N.Y.

Russell Heier is head pro/director of the Muttontown Club and captain of the 2010 Tablet Cup winning Eastern Section team and may be reached by e-mail at rhuspta@optonline.net.

Raj Vaswani, Russell Heier, Daniel Montes de Oca, Todd Ehren, Robert Kresberg, Scott Thyroff and Rob Janicek of the Eastern Section 2010 Talbert Cup winning team

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The Sand Pit Beach Tennis USA Again to Host National Championship in Long Beach First beach tennis tournament in America sanctioned by the ITF As this issue of Long Island Tennis Magazine goes to press, Beach Tennis USA is gearing up for its sixth annual National Championship. The season-ending tournament will once again be held on Riverside Boulevard in Long Beach, N.Y. on Labor Day Weekend (Sept. 4-5). Juniors, amateurs and pros will compete for beach tennis bragging rights, as top pro teams from a dozen countries are expected to battle for $10,000 in cash prizes at the two-day event. Reigning champions Chris Henderson & Phil Whitesell of Charleston, S.C. will attempt to defend their title in the Men’s Pro Division, while Joslynn Burkett & Lee Whitwell of San Diego will try to repeat as champions of the Women’s Pro Division. This will be a historic event, as it will be the first beach tennis tournament in the U.S. officially sanctioned by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), the governing body of tennis. Earlier this year, BTUSA and the ITF

established a strategic partnership to expand the global development of the sport of beach tennis. All Beach Tennis USA tournaments sanctioned by the ITF will contribute to the international player ranking system. For more information and player registration, visit www.beachtennisusa.net. Earlier this summer, Beach Tennis USA constructed two beach tennis courts on the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center at Flushing Meadow Corona Park in Flushing, N.Y.

In June, truckloads of sand were delivered to the site and Beach Tennis USA, which introduced the sport of beach tennis to America, constructed the two regulation-size courts in the shadow of Arthur Ashe Stadium. Jim Lorenzo, president of BTUSA, personally supervised the construction effort. “This is another major accomplishment for Beach Tennis USA,” said Lorenzo. “Having beach tennis courts at the National Tennis Center validates our sport and proves that Beach Tennis USA is here to stay.” People of all ages and skill levels are invited to come out to the National Tennis Center and try beach tennis for free. For those of you who are unfamiliar with beach tennis, the sport is basically tennis, beach volleyball and badminton all rolled into one and is played on a sand court. “It’s been a wonderful addition to our summer camp for children,” said Whitney Kraft, director of tennis programs at the

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USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and director of player operations for the U.S. Open. “We’ve got several hundred kids here playing beach tennis on a daily basis and they really enjoy it because it’s something new and different.” According to Kraft, his campers don’t even realize that they’re developing their skill sets while they’re having fun playing beach tennis. “The sport is played using paddles and players learn to control volleys, time their jumps on overhead smashes and serve with spin and accuracy,” said Kraft. “Also, they learn to attack the net, since you can’t let the ball hit the sand, and most importantly, they learn the importance of teamwork.” In addition to beach tennis, Kraft and his staff use the sand courts as a strength and fitness conditioning area. “The kids do sprints, hurdles and resistance training on the sand,” said Kraft. And the beach tennis courts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center are not just for kids. “On July 17, we had an adult tennis camp where people got the chance to try beach tennis and wrap their arms around the sport,” said Kraft. “It was very well-received.” All in all, beach tennis has been a terrific addition to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

“It’s something fresh and new and it’s become a destination on the property,” said Kraft. “I’m excited about the fact that we can activate it in both the fall and the spring.” Kraft noted that the beach tennis courts are closed during the U.S. Open (Aug. 7-

Sept. 18) and will be open again after the tournament ends. For more information about playing beach tennis at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, call (718) 7606200, ext. 0. G

With Arthur Ashe Stadium looming in the background, summer campers at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center try their hand at beach tennis

Beach Tennis USA will host its 2010 National Championship on Labor Day Weekend, the sixth straight year BTUSA will be holding its season-ending tournament in Long Beach, N.Y.

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Burnout By Lonnie Mitchel I have seen it hundreds of times in tennis … burnout. I have seen it with an overwhelming majority; from kids in their late teens who played almost every day working for their Division I scholarship, to those who graduated from Division I colleges where a major focus was their tennis. They simply have had it with the game of tennis and they have to find real motivation to play at a time when their tennis desires should be burning brightest. It could be years before they come back to the game and reignite their tennis competitiveness. Is it true with all players that compete at that high level? No, of course not … but there is a significant amount of burnout that does take place at that level that warrants writing this article or at least provoking a thought to the reader. For now, let’s eliminate those who do play at that high level and can keep their competitive desires burning after attending college. I have written about this before, “the importance of exposing our younger generation to our great game.” to keep them enthused and to enhance the “sport of a lifetime” to quote the USTA slogan. Who

does it serve (no pun intended) when by the age of 21 or 22 they want to keep their racquets in the closet for an indefinite amount of time? Sure, they may have received an education out of it, which is certainly a great asset or maybe that was the goal to get an education all along. But strictly speaking in terms of tennis, they might be out of the game for a very long period of time due to burnout. Some professionals can play into their 30s before they succumb to burnout or age robs them of their skill and speed. But we are talking about the best of the best of the best who are also gifted athletes both physically and mentally. Those professionals who can make it on the tour are the smallest minority. I know, in writing this, I might stir up some controversy for those who do practice several hours a day. I might even stir up some controversy from some of my tennis teaching colleagues who want their students to go to Division I schools on tennis scholarships. For those players, practice and commitment is the key. Practicing, playing in tournaments, traveling to out of

town tournaments, and playing every day after school is a sacrifice which will, in many cases, reward the player with a college education. Those experiences reward them with not only an education, but the experience of meeting great people, learning about themselves as an individual and more. But burnout could also be a result of this approach. To be honest, I hate burnout, and as a tennis instructor and parent am acutely aware of the signs of burnout and I go out of my way to avoid it. My approach is a bit different than the average tennis pro/parent. “I want the total package!” We, as a family of tennis players, made a decision very early on to take a different approach. In my opinion, it is an approach that works and yields great rewards as well. First and foremost, I am a father who also grew up in a tennis family and I love the game of tennis. My children love the game of tennis and I want them to love it forever. Like any parent, I am partial to my children, but in terms of tennis and quality of life, I look to my gut and I truly believe continued on page 67

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B U R N O U T continued from page 65 we went about their tennis education the right way. We were laser focused on having my children play tennis in college. However, we knew the sacrifices to get them to a Division I school would hurt us financially. In addition, there were just no guarantees that their talent level would support that effort. The sacrifice also both physically and socially on them was a major factor on how we would approach our strategy. We as a family worked out a great formula resulting with my older son playing Division III college tennis and becoming captain of the tennis team. We believe we yielded great dividends that resulted in a good education and a great tennis experience. In terms of tennis, he thinks of well … what next? The fire and desire still burn, and he is looking to his tennis future by perhaps playing in USTA Tournaments, USTA Team Tennis and perhaps even doing a little coaching.

The mission statement we set from the start was accomplished. Better yet, my son is cashing in on the work he put in. The goals were, no burnout, get an education, play competitive tennis, be wellrounded and have a great skill for a lifetime. My sons often asked me during

“Burnout is not an option, as there is too much at stake. We refuse to sacrifice 40-50 years of great tennis ahead for the 10-12 years of seven-days-a week of intense tennis. We must look at the big picture!” their early teen years such questions as, “Why can’t I play more days this week?” “Why can’t I go out of town to this tourna-

ment?” He now knows why! While they were 12, 13 and 14, they watched as some of their tennis colleagues moved ahead of them on the USTA ranking scale, as my wife and I remained focused on the big picture. A great win only made them king for that day and a bad loss was not the end of the world and resulted in an opportunity to learn. Either way, we never flinched in attaining the goals that were set early on. My sons eventually signed on and adopted the formula. I always promised my oldest son that he would have the last laugh when he suffered a bad loss in high school and in USTA Tournaments and it is became a reality. He developed into an outstanding collegiate level player. My youngest son who plays Level 1 and 2 Tournaments gets a very similar message. We do not travel off Long Island for a tournament, there is continued on page 68

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BURNOUT

continued from page 67

plenty here in “our own backyard.” He plays an equal number of Level 1 and 2 Tournaments to support the local Long Island USTA grassroots tournaments. He plays very little tennis over the summer, except for an occasional practice session or an occasional “tune up” tournament. Rather, he works in an “all-sport” camp where tennis is not an emphasis. He plays tennis in a good program during the school year with good coaches. The intention is we are laser focused in building a tennis player for life with all the other assets I described. Burnout is not an option, as there is too much at stake. We refuse to sacrifice 40-50 years of great tennis ahead for the 10-12 years of seven-days-a week of intense tennis. We must look at the big picture! Financially, had we been in the position of having our sons travel or play a few more times a week, the mission would

not have changed. Tennis is the sport of a lifetime and his tennis education was to prepare him for a lifetime of great tennis. The added benefit and if not more important was getting an education with tennis as just a bait, developing good social skills, developing a good self esteem and more. Let me close by writing this. There are others who will disagree with me and that is fine; otherwise, there would be no Division I tennis and U.S. Open Champions. However, you have to know the odds going in and as one would say, “There is more than one way to skin a cat.” There are many ways to achieve the same goal; we choose a way that works for us. But, you parents of great juniors make sure you are sacrificing for the right reasons. Make sure your son or daughter is not suffering from any burnout. Put the brakes on in this case, re-evaluate your strategy and move for-

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ward. But whatever you do, keep them in the game for as long as possible. G Lonnie Mitchel has been teaching tennis since 1985, mostly at Carefree Racquet Club in North Merrick, N.Y. and is a USPTA Level 1 certified tennis instructor. He has produced many high school and collegiate level tennis players, including his own children, Wayne (who plays at Muhlenberg College ) and Trevor (who competes regularly on the USTA Long Island Junior Circuit, gaining the number one ranking in the 14s). Lonnie has also worked in the travel and tourism industry as a regional sales manager for 25-plus years for such companies the Walt Disney Company and Royal Caribbean International. Lonnie is now the national account manager for Sandals and Beaches Resorts. His wife, Harriet, is a club level tennis player and can often be found on the court. Lonnie may be reached by phone at (516) 4147202 or e-mail lonniemitchel@yahoo.com.

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Bethpage Park Tennis Center Andrea Pappas-Manager 99 Quaker Meeting House Road #1 Farmingdale, NY 11735 516-777-1358 • bptcenter@aol.com Carefree Racquet Club Kathy Miller-Manager 1414 Jerusalem Avenue • Merrick, NY 11566 516-489-9005 • carefreetennis@aol.com Deer Park Indoor Tennis Club Afzal Ali-Director of Tennis 30 Burt Drive • Deer Park, NY 11729 631-667-3476 • Fax: 631-667-7179 Eastern Athletic Club Cira Jones-Manager 9 Montauk Highway #A • Blue Point, NY 11715 631-363-2882 easternathleticclubs.com Eastern Athletic Club Betsy Johnson-Manager 854 Jericho Turnpike • Huntington Station, NY 11746 631-271-6616 easternathleticclubs.com

Ross School Holly Li-Manager 18 Goodfriend Drive East Hampton, NY 11937 631-907-5162 www.ross.org/tennis hli@Ross.org SPORTIME at Amagansett Sue De Lara-Co-General Manager Hana Sromova-Director of Tennis/Co-General Manager 320 Abrahams Path Amagansett, NY 11930 631-267-3460 www.SportimeNY.com amagansett@sportimetfm.com SPORTIME at Bethpage Tennis Perry Aitchison-Director of Tennis 101 Norcross Avenue Bethpage, NY 11714 516-933-8500 www.SportimeNY.com tdbethpageten@sportimetfm.com

Eastern Athletic Club Gary Jones-Manager 100 Ruland Road • Melville, NY 11747 631-753-3696 easternathleticclubs.com

SPORTIME at Bethpage Multi-Sport Randy Louie-General Manager 4105 Hempstead Turnpike Bethpage, NY 11714 516-731-4432 www.SportimeNY.com bethpagemulti@sportimetfm.com

Glen Head Racquet Club Heath Koch: 516-676-9849 Home of Early Hit Training Center Carl Barnett: 516-455-1225 95 Glen Head Road Glen Head, NY 11545 earlyhit@optonline.net

SPORTIME of the Hamptons Mauricio Gattuso-Director of Tennis Route 104 East Quogue, NY 11959 631-653-6767 www.SportimeNY.com tdhamptons@sportimetfm.com

Point Set Indoor Tennis Dan Dwyer-Owner 3065 New Street • Oceanside, NY 11572 516-536-2323 www.pointsettennis.com matt@pointsettennis.com

SPORTIME at Harbor Island Eric Fromm-General Manager, Director of Tennis In Harbor Island Park Mamaroneck, NY 10543 914-777-5050 www.SportimeNY.com efromm@sportimetfm.com

Racquet Club at Old Westbury Rose Fiorenti-Manager 24 Quail Run • Old Westbury, NY 11568 516-626-1625 Robbie Wagner’s Tournament Training Center @ GLEN COVE Stephen Alcala-Business Manager 60 Sea Cliff Avenue Glen Cove, NY 11542 516-759-0505 • www.rwtt.com Rockville Racquet Club Susan Alvy-Manager 80 North Centre Avenue Rockville Center, NY 11570 516-764-5350 rockvilletennis@optonline.net

SPORTIME at Kings Park Petr Perecinsky-Director of Tennis 275 Old Indian Head Road Kings Park, NY 11754 631-269-6300 www.SportimeNY.com tdkingspark@sportimetfm.com SPORTIME at Lynbrook Chris Morales-Director of Tennis 175 Merrick Road Lynbrook, NY 11563 516-887-1330 www.SportimeNY.com

tdlynbrook@sportimetfm.com SPORTIME at Massapequa Fayez Malik-Director of Tennis 5600 Old Sunrise Highway Massapequa, NY 11758 516-799-3550 www.SportimeNY.com tdmassapequa@sportimetfm.com SPORTIME at ProHealth Jay Karl-General Manager 3 Delaware Drive Lake Success, NY 11042 516-348-8463 www.SportimeNY.com jkarl@sportimetfm.com SPORTIME at Randall’s Island Ted Dimond-Director of Tennis 1 Randall’s Island New York, NY 10035 212-427-6150 www.SportimeNY.com randallsisland@SportimeTFM.com SPORTIME at Roslyn Jared Rada-Director of Tennis Landing Road, PO Box 1 Roslyn, NY 11576 516-484-9222 www.SportimeNY.com tdroslyn@sportimetfm.com SPORTIME at Schenectady Philippe Ceas 2699 Curry Road Schenectady, NY 12303 518-356-0100 www.SportimeNY.com tdschenectady@sportimetfm.com SPORTIME at Syosset Tennis & Multi-Sport Karl Sommer/Director of Tennis 75 Haskett Drive Syosset, NY 11791 516-364-2727 www.SportimeNY.com SPORTIME at Syosset Fitness & Racquetball Joe Gazio-General Manager 10 Gordon Drive Syosset, NY 11791 516-496-3100 www.SportimeNY.com jgazio@sportimetfm.com USTA National Tennis Center Whitney Kraft-Director of Tennis Flushing Meadows Corona Park Flushing, NY 11568 718-760-6200 www.usta.com

LITennisMag.com • September/October 2010 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Long Island Tennis Magazine’s

Literary Corner

By Brent Shearer

Hardcourt Confidential By Patrick McEnroe and Peter Bodo Patrick McEnroe’s account of his 25 years in and around pro tennis makes a fascinating read. After Andre Agassi’s book, Open, any tennis celebrity’s book is likely to fall short in the sensationalism department. And while Hardcourt Confidential isn’t totally Hardcourt Deferential, it is clear that there are a lot of toes McEnroe avoids stepping on. What McEnroe provides is a number of interesting stories about the inner workings of the game from the locker room to the board room. But anytime he starts to get into anything sensitive, he and co-au-

thor, veteran tennis journalist Peter Bodo, back off. This is especially a concern for Patrick McEnroe because of his multiple roles in the game … a former pro, Davis Cup captain, broadcaster, director of player development for the USTA and member of one of the game’s leading families. McEnroe has been able to juggle most of these roles for a long time. In fact, he’s the second longest serving Davis Cup Captain, nine years with one win. In baseball or football, that might have the owners looking for a new coach, but so far, the USTA is sticking with him. Anyway, critics of McEnroe should be reminded that there are some jobs in the game he hasn’t done. He has never been a umpire or had court maintenance responsibilities. So, as McEnroe and Bodo worked their way through the taping sessions that Bodo

then organized into this book, it feels like they wanted to tell a good story, but often stepped back from revealing too much. Because as McEnroe says at one point, the personalities in the game are like a small circus troupe. The cities may change, but you always have the same small group of people putting on the show. The average reader can only guess at the tensions and politics that exist just below the surface of what McEnroe chooses to reveal in Hardcourt Confidential. For example, why devote three pages to U.S. prodigy Donald Young? Probably because the USTA got a lot of heat for the way it handled him. Further on in the book, McEnroe says that Young isn’t likely to fulfill his promise and even supplies a dollar amount for what the USTA invested in him. It’s a safe bet there’s a lot of politics here, but we don’t get the whole story.

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There are plenty of great, big picture stories in the book. McEnroe makes the point that Australian tennis great Roy Emerson’s tally of Grand Slams is a bit padded because half of them came at home in years when few top players made the trip Down Under. McEnroe does a good job of chronicling the changes in the way the game is played, the impact of polyester strings and the spread of the European or Spanish philosophy of tennis. This is must-read material for the casual to semi-serious tennis player or fan. The book bogs down in sections, like where McEnroe tells the story of how he found himself in the position of interviewing Venus and Serena Williams when they won the womens’ doubles at last year’s U.S. Open. This was two days after Serena’s notorious outburst and default. He describes his decision after some soul searching to ask Serena directly about the incident. Well, the cynical might say he’s praising himself too much for doing what any reporter, even a conflicted one, had to do. The Williams Sisters blew him off, but at least he tried. But if he was so worried about challenging two potential Fed Cup players, one wonders how he would have handled the aftermath of a situation in which a potential Davis Cupper threatened to shove a ball down a linesperson’s throat. In any case, there is one exception to McEnroe’s “on the one hand this, on the other hand that” style of storytelling and it’s a surprising one. James Blake takes a beating even as McEnroe tries to keep the gloves on. “James Blake is a sensitive guy, very self-protective and resistant to change.” “James’ reluctance to change things up or try something new gradually became a running joke on our team (Davis Cup). “I learned quickly that James needed to be handled with kid gloves, and tried to remember it in every subsequent tie.” “How does a top 10 player register a first serve percentage of under 50 percent in ideal indoor conditions? I wondered.” As McEnroe says it’s a clubby world at the top of the game. Elsewhere in his book, McEnroe says regarding a Davis Cup tie in Carson, Calif., that Darren Cahill,

Agassi’s coach at the time, was not much fun to have around. It’s easy to picture these two former players, who also rotate through the broadcast booth, laughing about McEnroe’s dig. It’s harder to imagine James Blake shaking off McEnroe’s comments. Hardcourt Confidential does a good job of portraying some of the inner workings of the game. Hardcore tennis fans may wish McEnroe had been more revealing, but his book still offers an interesting glimpse into life on the tour. Anyway, if you want fireworks, you can always turn to Patrick’s older brother, John.

Acing Depression: A Tennis Champion’s Toughest Match By Cliff Richey with Hilaire Richey Kallendorf This memoir of former tennis star Cliff Richey’s struggle with depression gives the reader a glimpse of the mental health issues that dogged its co-author. After struggling for years with depression, Richey and his daughter, Hilaire, have written a book that chronicles his struggle to overcome this illness. Richey, along with his sister, Nancy,

were among the top players in the world in the period from the 1960s through the mid-1970s. Richey himself was the topranked American male player in 1970. Although he never won a Grand Slam, he can claim wins over nearly all of the great players of that era, such as Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall, Stan Smith and Jimmy Connors. But from 1973-1978, his last years on the tour, Richey describes his life on the road as a constant and depressing series of preparing to play tournaments, playing them and then repeating the process. By the time he quit the pro tour in January of 1979, he knew there was something wrong, but his illness went undiagnosed until 1996. These were dark years for Richey and his family. He had won enough money during his playing career so that the family was stable economically, but Richey found himself unable to function as a father and as a husband. He describes crying jags, being unable to drive a car, and finally, a period in which he taped black, plastic garbage bags over the windows of the family house. The book traces his upbringing in the midst of what he calls Richey Inc., which was composed of his parents, especially his father, a teaching pro at various clubs as he was growing up, and his sister who was also successfully groomed to be a champion. Richey says that the boot camp approach to tennis and life, always emphacontinued on page 72

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LITERARY CORNER sized by his dad, helped hide the early signs of the depression, whose symptoms began to appear when he was 26. He was unable to enjoy his success on the pro circuit even though he traveled the world firstclass, played Davis Cup and was consistently in the world top 10. Richey filled his post-tennis life up with golf and there are a lot of passages about how his ability to throw himself into a new game gave him something of a counterweight against the increasingly severe symptoms of his illness. Upon finally getting his diagnosis in 1996, and even then, it was kind of accidental in that it was delivered by his dermatologist, Richey was given a new tool to help him in the fight against his illness. Although he tried others, he settled on the antidepressant Zoloft as the best drug to help him regulate his mood swings. It took him a long time to settle

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upon the right dosage, but when he did, he found he was able to live a nearly normal life. Instead of being the bitter, angry tennis player, he was when he was younger, he used his newfound health and golf game to become a regular at charity golf events and corporate outings. It’s inspirational to see Richey overcome his demons because he struggled with them for many years. One oversight in the book is that as it traces Cliff Richey’s decline, which took place mostly after his playing days were over, we don’t hear what his sister has gone on to do. She was the top American woman player in 1964, 1965, 1968 and 1969. The writing in the book consists mostly of an endless string of simple, declarative sentences and, as such, can get tiring. There are parentheses that

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2010 • LITennisMag.com

don’t close, suggesting a lack of careful editing. Acing Depression is also the only book about tennis you are likely to read in which racquets are “strang.” These oversights aside, Richey and his daughter have combined to produce a book that is a testament to one man’s struggle against mental illness. It is also a compelling portrait of an era in which the game was changing into today’s Open era. Richey started his career winning money under the table and by the time he retired amateurs and pros were competing together. Despite everything Richey accomplished in tennis, his biggest triumph is the way he has been able, with the help of medication, to live a normal lie despite his mental illness. G Brent Shearer may be reached by e-mail at bbshearer@gmail.com.

The Game of Tennis

By Alan Fleischman “To know anything well is to be unhappy.” —My criminology teacher at Queens College, 1968 I guess that I have contributed enough articles to Long Island Tennis Magazine to allow me to have a little “fun.” Before retiring, I was a history teacher (I know, its “Social Studies,” but I am old school) for a third of a century. It was a great job, but there are always speed bumps on the highway of life. I also build wooden model ships as a hobby, and I am about to embark upon the RMS Titanic. I decided to combine all of these disciplines and compose a column that includes all of their relationships with tennis. I guess I am pampering my inner Andy Rooney. This is one part Yellow Brick Road and one part Twilight Zone.

A brief history of tennis The history of tennis dates back several thousand years. An Englishman, Major Walter C. Wingfield, invented lawn tennis (1873) and first played it at a garden party in Wales. Henry VIII was an avid tennis player (when he was not busy dispatching his wives). The oldest ball game court (tennis court) in the world is the tennis court that Henry VIII built at Windsor Castle in 1529. Because it was played by royalty, some people believe the term “tennis court” comes from the term “Royal Court.” The tennis racket as we know it today, but with a lopsided head, thick gut, and longer handle was being used in 1750. The shape of the racket enabled the player to scoop the ball out of the corners (floor and walls were considered in-bounds) and also to put ‘cut’ or ‘spin’ on the ball. In tennis, zero score is love. You pronounce a score of 6-0 as six-love. “Love” is generally taken as being derived from the French “l’oeuf,” the egg, symbolizing nothing, but the term “love” can also be said to come

from the English phrase “neither for love nor for money,” indicating nothing. Between 1859-1865, Major Harry Gem and his friend Augurio Perera developed a game that combined elements of rackets and the Basque ball game pelota, which they played on Perera’s croquet lawn in Birmingham, United Kingdom. It was brought to the United States via Bermuda. During the late 1800s-early 1900s, male players wore long-sleeved shirts and trousers, and women wore ankle-length dresses. Today, tennis attire is much more relaxing and comfortable to wear (except if you are Nadal, who has to pull at something before every shot. Rene Lacoste, known as the crocodile, is credited with designing the modern tennis shirt ,as well as the modern metal racquet in 1963 (later made popular by Jimmy Connors). A wooden racket was last used at Wimbledon in 1987. The Championships, Wimbledon, commonly referred to as simply “Wimbledon,” is the oldest major championship in the sport of tennis and is widely considered to be the most prestigious. The very first Wimbledon Championship was in 1877 when it was watched by some 200 spectators. It only took more than 120 years for the audience to increase, and in 1999, an additional 999,999,800 watched it live and on TV satellite all over the world for an approximate total audience of one billion. During the World War II, a bomb ripped through Centre Court at the AllEngland Club and 1,200 seats were lost. Fortunately, they weren’t filled at the time. Play finally resumed in 1946 but it wasn’t until 1949 that the area was back in top shape.

The idealized and the real Note that much of this section comes from an article by Joe Dorish published in 2009 in Tennis.

Tennis is supposed to be a civil game played by gentlemen and ladies. But throw in big money and big events and shocking moments are sure to happen. Here are the most shocking tennis court moments in history. N During the 1996 Wimbledon Men’s Final between Mal Washington and Richard Krajicek, 23-year-old Tournament worker Melissa Johnson streaked through centre court. She wore an apron which she promptly lifted giving those in attendance a nice view of her anatomy. N During the 1977 U.S. Open in Forest Hills, N.Y. John McEnroe (playing in his first U.S. Open) was playing against Eddie Dibbs in a third round match. A commotion in the stands forced the umpire to call over the two players. “Someone has been shot in the stands,” the umpire told them. Dibbs response was to say, “I’m out of here.” The umpire called him back and said it was a mistake, someone was in shock not shot. McEnroe won the match and then the umpire fessed up and told the two players a spectator in the stands had indeed been shot from a stray bullet from the streets of Queens. The year 1977 was the Son of Sam Summer in New York City, and the last year the U.S. Open was played in Forest Hills. N At Wimbledon in 1995, Tim Henman (often referred to as “Gentleman Tim” for his high level of sportsmanship), accomplished what no other player had ever done at Wimbledon. During a doubles match with partner Jeremy Bates, Henman lost a crucial point in the fourth set tie-breaker. Angry with himself, Henman picked up the ball and without thinking smashed it down continued on page 74

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THE GAME OF TENNIS the court. The streaking ball connected squarely with the ear of 16-year-old ballgirl Caroline Hall, who was running across the court at the very same instant. Hall went down like she was shot and the umpire immediately disqualified Henman & Bates from the match. Henman is the only player in Wimbledon’s long history to be disqualified from the tournament. N On April 30, 1993, Monica Seles was the number one female tennis player in the world and playing in the Citizen Cup in Hamburg, Germany against Maggie Maleeva and was up 6-4, 4-3 when she sat down on her courtside seat during the changeover. A 39year-old unemployed German lathe operator named Gunter Parche then leaned over the three-ft.-high barrier and stabbed Seles in the back with a 10-in. long knife. Seles let out a scream, clutched her back and stumbled on to the court. The attack took place in front of 6,000 fans in the arena. “He held the knife with both hands as he stabbed her in the back,” said one eyewitness. Seles was rushed to the hospital and treated for a one half inch knife wound in her upper back. Luckily, the knife did not affect her lungs or shoulder blades. Parche was immediately subdued and apprehended. He turned out to be a mentally disturbed fan of Steffi Graf and stabbed Seles to help Graf regain the number one ranking in the world. It took Seles two years to get back to tennis and she was never really the same player again and never regained her number one ranking. Parche was given just a two year suspended sentence. N Richard Wertheim was working as a linesman during the 1983 U.S. Open Boys Tournament when a shot by Stefan Edberg hit him in the groin and knocked him backwards and he fractured his skull on the hard surface and died shortly thereafter in the hospital. Edberg went on to win 74

continued from page 73

six Grand Slam Singles Titles and three Grand Slam Doubles Titles, and even though he did nothing wrong, he will always be remembered for this incident.

Every high school coach’s nightmare: The tennis parent Believe me, you won’t believe me. My personal experience with this came as the tennis coach. One of the tennis parents hired a local teaching pro to “spy” on my practice sessions. They were unsatisfied at the position I had given their child on the team. Little did they know that I had worked with this pro earlier in the summer. We had a good laugh and he made a little extra money. Note: A bulk of this section comes from an article by John F. Murray, sports psychologist, Johnfmurray.com. “Consider the Williams sisters. As the story goes, their father, Richard, upon learning of the lucre that women’s tennis offered, decided to make his next two kids into tennis pros. He taught himself the game, coaching his protégés on rotten courts where their sessions were sometimes interrupted by gunfire before shipping them to a Florida tennis academy for refinement. While his girls racked up Grand Slams (17 singles titles and counting), he made headlines with his histrionic antics at tournaments, erratic ramblings and general weirdness—he insisted on meeting his daughters’ first hitting coach at a public carwash because he believed the FBI had bugged his car and house.” Obsessive, overbearing and downright insane parents are not a new phenomenon in tennis, nor are they uniquely American. N Frenchwoman Suzanne Lenglen was the product of a taskmaster father who withheld jam for her bread if she practiced badly. Under Daddy Lenglen’s tutelage, and occasionally fortified with the cognac-soaked sugar pieces he provided during matches, Lenglen won 31 Grand Slam titles between 1914 and 1926.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2010 • LITennisMag.com

N In 2000, Jelena Dokic’s father and coach, Damir, who has admitted to hitting Jelena, as he said, “for her sake,” achieved three legs of an ignominious Grand Slam, getting ejected from the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. Since Jelena cut ties with him, he’s threatened to kidnap her and drop a nuclear bomb on Australia, where his daughter now lives. N Maria Sharapova’s father, Yuri Sharapov, is currently so reviled for his cheating (blatant coaching during matches) and belligerence (making a throat-slitting gesture from the stands) that Anastasia Myskina refused to play in the Federation Cup if her countrywoman was named to the Russian team. N Mike Agassi, is a self-described “crazy Iranian from Las Vegas who browbeat his kids into mastering tennis.” Mike indoctrinated his son Andre by hanging a tennis ball over his crib and taping a ping pong paddle to his hand. N Stefano Capriati boasted that his daughter Jennifer was doing sit-ups as a baby and had a racket in her hand as soon as she could walk. N Though Jim Pierce had no tennis background, he pulled daughter Mary out of school to train her full-time, working her up to eight hours a day, sometimes until midnight. He also punched a spectator at the 1993 French Open and was so unruly that he led the women’s tour to add a provision for the banning of abusive players, coaches and relatives. In an act of solidarity, Richard Williams later called him “one of the best parents I have ever known.” N I guess every tennis fan knows that before Andre Agassi was married to Steffi Graff, he was married to Brook Shields, but how many know that Brooke’s grandfather was Francis Xavier Shields, who was an American tennis player. His accomplishments

include being a Wimbledon finalist, being ranked eight times in the U.S. Top Ten, including number one in 1933 and number two in 1930.

Tennis and the Titanic The information cited here is from Wikipedia. Karl Howell Behr was also a well-known lawn tennis star, playing on the U.S. Davis Cup team in 1907. Behr, with Beals C. Wright, was also runner up in the men’s doubles at the 1907 Wimbledon Championships, losing to Norman Brooks & Tony Wilding in three sets, 4-6, 4-6 and 2-6. In 1912, Behr booked first-class passage on board the RMS Titanic. His main reason for traveling was due to his pursuit of fellow first-class passenger Helen Newsom, who was a friend of Behr’s sister. Newsom’s mother, in an attempt to discourage the relationship, tried to separate the pair by taking her daughter on a grand tour of Europe, but Behr followed them under the guise of a business trip. Behr occupied cabin C-148 during the voyage. Sometime after the ship hit the iceberg, Behr met up with Helen, her mother and stepfather, Richard and Sallie Beckwith; and another couple, Edwin and Gertrude Kimball, on the boat deck. Gertrude Kimball asked J. Bruce Ismay if all of their group could enter the boat. Ismay replied, “Of course, madam, every one of you.” As a result, Karl Behr and his friends were rescued in Lifeboat #5, the second boat to leave the ship. After the rescue, several newspapers reported that Behr had proposed to Miss Newsom in the lifeboat. Behr continued his tennis career after the sinking, and went on to win the Davis Cup with fellow Titanic survivor, R. Norris Williams. In 1915, Behr defeated Maurice McLoughlin, considered the world’s best tennis player, in straight sets, 8-6, 7-5, 7-5. Williams is best known for his two victories at the U.S. Championships in 1914 and 1916. He was also on the victorious American Davis Cup team twice: in 1925 and 1926 and was considered a fine doubles player. He also had a reputation in singles of always hitting as hard as possible and always trying to hit winners near the lines. This made him an extremely erratic

player, but when his game was sporadically “on,” he was considered unbeatable. Williams also gained fame as being a survivor of the RMS Titanic disaster in April 1912. He and his father, Charles Duane Williams, were traveling first-class on the liner when it struck an iceberg and sank. Shortly after the collision, Williams freed a trapped passenger from a cabin by breaking down a door. He was reprimanded by a steward, who threatened to fine him for destroying White Star Line property, an event that inspired a scene in James Cameron’s 1997 film Titanic. Williams remained on the doomed liner almost until the very end. At one point Williams’ father tried to get a steward to fill his flask. The flask was given to Norris Williams and remains in the Williams family. After being washed overboard by a wave that also took off Colonel Archibald Gracie, fellow Philadelphian Jack Thayer and Second Officer C.H. Lighttoller, along with several others, the 21-year-old Williams made his way to the Collapsible Lifeboat A holding on to its side for quite a while before getting in. When Williams entered the water, he was wearing a fur coat, which he quickly discarded along with his shoes. Those in Collapsible Lifeboat A who survived were transferred to Lifeboat #14 by Fourth Officer Lowe. Although abandoned by the Carpathia, Collapsible

Lifeboat A was recovered a month later. Amazingly, on board the lifeboat was the discarded fur coat which was returned to Williams by White Star. Even after entering the lifeboat, he spent several hours waist in freezing water. RMS Carpathia arrived on the scene to rescue survivors. His father was lost in the disaster. The ordeal left his legs so severely injured that the Carpathia’s doctor wanted to amputate them. Williams, who did not want his tennis career to be cut short, opted instead to work through the injury. The choice worked out well for him as later that year, he won his first U.S. Tennis Championship, in mixed-doubles, and went on to win many more championships. Remember, it is the journey, not the destination. Thanks for joining me on mine. G Alan Fleishman has been a devoted fan of tennis since 1969. He won the Town of Hempstead tennis tournament at Newbridge Road Park in 1972 and was runnerup in 1974. He worked as an assistant to the tennis professional in the summer program at Lutheran High School in the early 1970s. While teaching social studies at John F. Kennedy High School in Bellmore, N.Y., he was fortunate to have coached some talented players, but more importantly, some wonderful young men and women during his last seven years at the school. He may be reached by e-mail at gamesetmatch76@aol.com.

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LONG Boys & Girls Long Island Rankings (as of 08/02/10)

BOYS

Long Island Boys 10 Singles Rank ..Name ..........................City 1 ........Daniel Eric Pellerito......Syosset, N.Y. 2 ........Ronald P. Hohmann ....Oyster Bay, N.Y. 3 ........Justin Ilan Lempert ......Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 4 ........Neel Raj ......................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 5 ........Benjamin Grossman ....Sands Point, N.Y. 6 ........Billy G. Suarez ............Huntington, N.Y. 7 ........Michael Medvedev ......Oceanside, N.Y. 8 ........Cannon Kingsley..........Northport, N.Y. 9 ........David Ammendola ......Massapequa, N.Y. 10 ......Kyle C. Yaun ................Sand Point, N.Y. 11 ......Patrick F. Maloney ......Oyster Bay, N.Y. 12 ......Steven Well Sun ..........Glen Cove, N.Y. 13 ......Matthew T. Roberts ....Setauket, N.Y. 14 ......Zachary Ian Khazzam ..Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 15 ......Jacob Weiner ..............Oyster Bay, N.Y. 16 ......Parker Appel ................Locust Valley, N.Y. 17 ......Joey Austin ..................Hewlett, N.Y. 18 ......Matthew Wu ................Commack, N.Y. 19 ......Oliver Worth ................Locust Valley, N.Y. 20 ......Pete Sizios ..................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 21 ......Alexander Roti ............Woodmere, N.Y. 22 ......Amani Siddiqui ............West Babylon, N.Y. 23 ......Eli Grossman ..............Woodbury, N.Y. 24 ......Jeffrey McDonnell........Glen Cove, N.Y. 25 ......Spencer Brachman......Commack, N.Y. 26 ......Joseph Pascucci ........Oyster Bay, N.Y. 27 ......Connor Leaf ................Dix Hills, N.Y. 28 ......Matthew Porges ..........Sands Point, N.Y. 29 ......Cody Bograd ..............Huntington, N.Y. 30 ......Gardner Howe ............Locust Valley, N.Y. 31 ......Daniel Chikvashvili ......Syosset, N.Y. 32 ......Brandon T. Cohen........Westhampton, N.Y. 33 ......Henry Bilicic ................Locust Valley, N.Y. 34 ......Tyler Nierman ..............Dix Hills, N.Y. 35 ......Robert Steven Bellino..Huntington, N.Y. 36 ......Dylan E. Spilko ............Port Washington, N.Y. 37 ......Nicholas Tyler Decker ..East Setauket, N.Y. 38 ......Wiktor Marek Figiel......Sea Cliff, N.Y. 39 ......Niles Ghaffar ................Massapequa, N.Y. 40 ......Michael Kaydin ............Valley Stream, N.Y.

Long Island Boys 12 Singles Rank ..Name ..........................City 1 ........Yuval Solomon ............Plainview, N.Y. 2 ........Stephen Gruppuso ......Bayport, N.Y. 3 ........Brian Hoffarth ..............Fort Salonga, N.Y. 4 ........James Kyrkanides ......Stony Brook, N.Y. 5 ........Brian Shi ......................Jericho, N.Y. 6 ........Dylan Granat................Woodbury, N.Y. 7 ........Ian Bank ......................Old Westbury, N.Y. 8 ........Michael Jaklitsch ........Islip, N.Y. 9 ........Benjamin Tenner ..........Roslyn, N.Y. 10 ......Travis Leaf....................Dix Hills, N.Y. 11 ......Kyle Hudson Gower ....Oceanside, N.Y. 12 ......Arjun Mehrotra ............Woodbury, N.Y. 13 ......Spencer Bozsik............Sag Harbor, N.Y. 14 ......Michael Medvedev ......Oceanside, N.Y. 15 ......Austin Egna..................Port Washington, N.Y. 16 ......Christian Ardito............Rockville Centre, N.Y. 17 ......Alex Grossman ............Sands Point, N.Y. 18 ......Zane Siddiqui ..............West Babylon, N.Y. 19 ......Daniel Khodosh ..........Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 20 ......Aziz Rashidzada ..........Dix Hills, N.Y. 21 ......Ronald P. Hohmann ....Oyster Bay, N.Y. 22 ......Curran Varma ..............Manhasset, N.Y. 23 ......Titus Syon Sung ..........Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 24 ......Ryan Goetz ..................Greenlawn, N.Y. 25 ......Aaron Askowitz............Great Neck, N.Y. 26 ......Daniel Shleimovich ......Merrick, N.Y. 27 ......Jack Aaron Briamonte Great Neck, N.Y. 28 ......Justin Ilan Lempert ......Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 29 ......Sean Patrick ................Oyster Bay, N.Y.

ISLAND

30 ......Daniel Eric Pellerito......Syosset, N.Y. 31 ......Patrick F. Maloney ......Oyster Bay, N.Y. 32 ......Carl Grant ....................Water Mill, N.Y. 33 ......Spencer Swanson ......Remsenburg, N.Y. 34 ......Garrett Malave ............Laurel, N.Y. 35 ......Joonho Ko ..................Huntington, N.Y. 36 ......Neel Raj ......................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 37 ......Brady Berman..............Glen Head, N.Y. 38 ......Max Egna ....................Port Washington, N.Y. 39 ......Nasser Abdel Ghaffar ..Massapequa, N.Y. 40 ......Matthew Cantone ........Oceanside, N.Y.

Long Island Boys 14 Singles Rank ..Name ..........................City 1 ........Andrew J. Bentz ............Massapequa Park, N.Y. 2 ........Cole Lafitte ..................East Setauket, N.Y. 3 ........Zachary M. Chang ......Massapequa, N.Y. 4 ........Daniel Sliwowski..........Islip, N.Y. 5 ........Daniel Lee....................Port Washington, N.Y. 6 ........Kevin Cino ..................East Quogue, N.Y. 7 ........Philip Foo ....................Great Neck, N.Y. 8 ........Nikhil Raj......................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 9 ........Daniel Grunberger ......Great Neck, N.Y. 10 ......Kevin Alec Kowalsky ..Oyster Bay, N.Y. 11 ......Erik Joshua Klug..........Sands Point, N.Y. 12 ......Alec Tuckey..................Melville, N.Y. 13 ......Michael L. Schumer ....Syosset, N.Y. 14 ......Curran Varma ..............Manhasset, N.Y. 15 ......Evan Kober ..................Wantagh, N.Y. 16 ......Samuel Federman ......Sea Cliff, N.Y. 17 ......James Heaney ............Locust Valley, N.Y. 18 ......Joshua A. Fried............Plainview, N.Y. 19 ......Michael DeNigris..........Islip, N.Y. 20 ......Jonathan Staudigel......Northport, N.Y. 21 ......Riki Ishikawa................Woodbury, N.Y. 22 ......Varun Mehta ................Hauppauge, N.Y. 23 ......Andrew Muran ............Glen Head, N.Y. 24 ......Jesse M. Levitin ..........Manhasset, N.Y. 25 ......Jeremy Grossman........Woodbury, N.Y. 26 ......Benjamin Tenner ..........Roslyn, N.Y. 27 ......Sahil Massand ............Woodbury, N.Y. 28 ......Matthew Kantor ................Westhampton Beach, N.Y. 29 ......Henry Tell ....................Woodbury, N.Y. 30 ......Bryant J. Born..............Manhasset, N.Y. 31 ......Ian Combemale ..........Bridgehampton, N.Y. 32 ......Rajkumar Pammal ......Dix Hills, N.Y. 33 ......Jacob Ross Pion..........Roslyn, N.Y. 34 ......Kavi Bhatia ..................Westbury, N.Y. 35 ......Jack Ian Lindenman ....Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 36 ......Justin Park ..................Huntington, N.Y. 37 ......Palmer T. Clare ............North Bellmore, N.Y. 38 ......Cory Seltman ..............Smithtown, N.Y. 39 ......Jacob Lacks ................Woodbury, N.Y. 40 ......Kyle Hudson Gower ....Oceanside, N.Y.

Long Island Boys 16 Singles Rank ..Name ..........................City 1 ........Sean Jagi Chhugani ....Roslyn, N.Y. 2 ........Matthew R. Demichiel..Hewlett, N.Y. 3 ........Trevor S. Mitchel..........East Meadow, N.Y. 4 ........Doron Saraf..................Great Neck, N.Y. 5 ........Gabriel P. Lazar............Hewlett, N.Y. 6 ........Ian Hyland Glessing ....Manhasset, N.Y. 7 ........Brett Ringelheim ..........Atlantic Beach, N.Y. 8 ........Richard Mitchell ..........Franklin Square, N.Y. 9 ........Michael Freilich............Lawrence, N.Y. 10 ......Eric Sumanaru ............Middle Island, N.Y. 11 ......Marcell Rengifo............Copaigue, N.Y. 12 ......Ian Baranowski ............Syosset, N.Y. 13 ......Daniel Sliwowski..........Islip, N.Y. 14 ......Erik Ujvari ....................Hauppauge, N.Y. 15 ......Daniel Wong ................Great Neck, N.Y. 16 ......Jake Horowitz..............Smithtown, N.Y. 17 ......Clark D. Ruiz................Glen Head, N.Y. 18 ......Henry D. Lee................Sag Harbor, N.Y. 19 ......Samuel Hajibai ............Kings Point, N.Y. 20 ......Austin Davidow............Glen Head, N.Y. 21 ......Michael Hakimi ............Great Neck, N.Y. 22 ......Nick Bauer ..................Great River, N.Y. 23 ......Dylan Hobbs Appel......Locust Valley, N.Y.

RANKINGS

24 ......Michael McFelia ..............Huntington Station, N.Y. 25 ......Daniel Grunberger ......Great Neck, N.Y. 26 ......Ethan Hayden Handa ..Rockville Centre, N.Y. 27 ......Kesar Virendra Shah....Great Neck, N.Y. 28 ......Ryan White ..................Wantagh, N.Y. 29 ......Michael Vera ................Bethpage, N.Y. 30 ......Seth Kornfield..............Jericho, N.Y. 31 ......Alex Philip Rosenfield ..Holtsville, N.Y. 32 ......Jack Vissicchio ............Port Washington, N.Y. 33 ......Matthew Ryan Basile ..Smithtown, N.Y. 34 ......Julian Koby Adler ........Roslyn, N.Y. 35 ......Nick Wong ..................Jericho, N.Y. 36 ......Brian Chalif ..................Huntington, N.Y. 37 ......Shoki Yamada..............Port Washington, N.Y. 38 ......Aman Sharma ..............Roslyn, N.Y. 39 ......Dylan Ander ................Hewlett, N.Y. 40 ......Benjamin Mermelstein..Northport, N.Y.

Long Island Boys 18 Singles Rank ..Name ..........................City 1 ........Matthew Zuckerman....Valley Stream, N.Y. 2 ........Jared Drzal ..................West Sayville, N.Y. 3 ........JT Esposito..................Rockville Centre, N.Y. 4 ........Jaewon Kim ................East Northport, N.Y. 5 ........Sean Jagi Chhugani ....Roslyn, N.Y. 6 ........Sloan Millman ..............Woodmere, N.Y. 7 ........Brian Heinlein ..............Patchogue, N.Y. 8 ........Austin Davidow............Glen Head, N.Y. 9 ........William Speranza ........Hicksville, N.Y. 10 ......Jacob Mishkin ............Woodbury, N.Y. 11 ......Stephen Peng ..............Woodbury, N.Y. 12 ......Brandon Lum ..............Great Neck, N.Y. 13 ......Justin Fitze ..................Greenlawn, N.Y. 14 ......Gregory B. Gittler ........Ronkonkoma, N.Y. 15 ......Eric Sumanaru ............Middle Island, N.Y. 16 ......Richard Sipala ............Quogue, N.Y. 17 ......Kenneth D. Pinillos ......East Hampton, N.Y. 18 ......Jason Fruchter ............Lawrence, N.Y. 19 ......Jordan Lindenmam......Commack, N.Y. 20 ......Scott Johnson ............Northport, N.Y. 21 ......Jason Quintana............Bethpage, N.Y. 22 ......Matthew Corriston ......Wantagh, N.Y. 23 ......Zach Cooper................Holbrook, N.Y. 24 ......Kesar Virendra Shah....Great Neck, N.Y. 25 ......Clark D. Ruiz................Glen Head, N.Y. 26 ......Paul Abrudescu ..........Great Neck, N.Y. 27 ......Faizan Khurram............Long Beach, N.Y. 28 ......Anton Averin ................South Setauket, N.Y. 29 ......Gonzalo E. Mocorrea ..Locust Valley, N.Y. 30 ......Kenneth Gaudio ..........Miller Place, N.Y. 31 ......Matthew Ryan Basile ..Smithtown, N.Y. 32 ......David Kane ..................Rockville Centre, N.Y. 33 ......Jonathan Sanders........Holbrook, N.Y. 34 ......Steven Ferrantello........Dix Hills, N.Y. 35 ......Daniel Wright ..............Babylon, N.Y. 36 ......Gregory Krolikowski ....Massapequa, N.Y. 37 ......Christian Damour ........Hauppauge, N.Y. 38 ......Anil Nandkumar ..........East Northport, N.Y. 39 ......Daniel Sedgh ..............Roslyn, N.Y. 40 ......Aman Sharma ..............Roslyn, N.Y.

GIRLS

Long Island Girls 10 Singles Rank ..Name ..........................City 1 ........Jacqueline Bukzin........Manorville, N.Y. 2 ........Olivia Rose Scordo ......Glen Head, N,.Y. 3 ........Lea Ma ........................Dix Hills, N.Y. 4 ........Julia Kielan ..................Valley Stream, N.Y. 5 ........Francesca Karman ......Port Washington, N.Y. 6 ........Merri Kelly....................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 7 ........Trinity Chow ................Glen Cove, N.Y. 8 ........Victoria Bialczak ..........New Hyde Park, N.Y. 9 ........Celeste Wang Traub ....Jericho, N.Y. 10 ......Katelyn Walker ............Sands Point, N.Y. 11 ......Risha Malhotra ............Syosset, N.Y. 12 ......Emily Austin ................Hewlett, N.Y. 13 ......Alexa Susan Goetz ......Greenlawn, N.Y. 14 ......Kaitlyn Byrnes..............Massapequa, N.Y. 15 ......Cara Becker ................Great Neck, N.Y. 16 ......Maryam Ahmad ..........Albertson, N.Y.

Long Island Tennis Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ September/October 2010 â&#x20AC;˘ LITennisMag.com

17 ......Rachel Arbitman ..........Hewlett, N.Y. 18 ......Amy Delman ................Great Neck, N.Y. 19 ......Kaitlyn Schwarz ..........Oceanside, N.Y. 20 ......Alison Coben ..............Massapequa, N.Y.

Long Island Girls 12 Singles Rank ..Name ..........................City 1 ........Lexee Shapiro..............Syosset, N.Y. 2 ........Michelle Haykin ..........Great Neck, N.Y. 3 ........Taylor S. Cosme ..........New Hyde Park, N.Y. 4 ........Jacqueline Bukzin........Manorville, N.Y. 5 ........Sophie Grace Wilson ..Oyster Bay, N.Y. 6 ........Stephanie Nakash ......Great Neck, N.Y. 7 ........Emily Kate Shutman ....Huntington, N.Y. 8 ........Jessica Schwarz..........Oceanside, N.Y. 9 ........Brynn Maris April ........Dix Hills, N.Y. 10 ......Nicole Kielan................Valley Stream, N.Y. 11 ......Courtney Kowalsky......Oyster Bay, N.Y. 12 ......Celeste Rose Matute ..Oyster Bay, N.Y. 13 ......Vanessa L. Scott..........Dix Hills, N.Y. 14 ......Abigail Carrie Okin ......Amagansett, N.Y. 15 ......Danielle Mirabella ........Wantagh, N.Y. 17 ......Danah Han ..................Dix Hills, N.Y. 18 ......Morgan A. Wilkins........Syosset, N.Y. 19 ......Amanda Allison Foo ....Manhasset, N.Y. 20 ......Rachel Weiss ..............Great Neck, N.Y. 21 ......Taylor Hollis Ferguson East Quogue, N.Y. 22 ......Claire Handa ................Rockville Centre, N.Y. 23 ......Jasmine Olivia Abidi ....Glen Head, N.Y. 24 ......Lauren B. Dolowich ....Jerocho, N.Y. 25 ......Nikaylah Williams ........Wheatley Heights, N.Y. 26 ......Michelle N. Carnovale..Massapequa, N.Y. 27 ......Theodora Brebenel ......Glen Head, N.Y. 28 ......Nicole Damaghi ..........Kings Point, N.Y. 29 ......Ayesha Chhugani ........Roslyn, N.Y. 30 ......Julia Shenker ..............Rockville Centre, N.Y.

Long Island Girls 14 Singles Rank ..Name ..........................City 1 ........Cameron Moskol ........Wantagh, N.Y. 2 ........Lauren Livingston ........Sands Point, N.Y. 3 ........Brittany Burke..............Garden City, N.Y. 4 ........Aidan Owens ..............Manhasset, N.Y. 5 ........Bridget Harding ..........Northport, N.Y. 6 ........Rhea Malhotra ............Syosset, N.Y. 7 ........Lauren Difazio..............Greenlawn, N.Y. 8 ........Nicole Koskovolis ........Manhasset, N.Y. 9 ........Campbell Howe ..........Locust Valley, N.Y. 10 ......Taylor S. Cosme ..........New Hyde Park, N.Y. 11 ......Harley Kaiserman ........Setauket, N.Y. 12 ......Elena Nastasi ..............Bayville, N.Y. 13 ......Sarah Dionisio..............Shirley, N.Y. 14 ......Michele Sheila Lehat ..Great Neck, N.Y. 15 ......Julia Ciardullo ..............Locust Valley, N.Y. 16 ......Morgan Hermann ........Garden City, N.Y. 17 ......Ola Mally......................Franklin Square, N.Y. 18 ......Shanice Nadia Arthur ..Glen Head, N.Y. 19 ......Jeannie Lozowski ........Amityville, N.Y. 20 ......Rachel Murillo..............Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 21 ......Katie Jane Cirella ........Woodbury, N.Y. 22 ......Madison Appel ............Locust Valley, N.Y. 23 ......Caroline Keating ..........Huntington, N.Y. 24 ......Lauren J. Mayo ............Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 25 ......Olivia C. Funk ..............Hicksville, N.Y. 26 ......Claire Handa ................Rockville Centre, N.Y. 27 ......Danielle Mirabella ........Wantagh, N.Y. 28 ......Katharine Brandow......East Northport, N.Y. 29 ......Eudice Wong Chong....Port Washington, N.Y. 30 ......Aimee Manfredo ..........Shoreham, N.Y. 31 ......Angelika Rothberg ......Centerport, N.Y. 32 ......Hannah Shay Juhel......Roslyn, N.Y. 33 ......Ryann Moelis ..............Hewlett, N.Y. 34 ......Sofiya Tumanova ........Middle Island, N.Y. 35 ......Bridget Connors ..........East Quogue, N.Y. 36 ......Courtney A. Digia ........Manhasset, N.Y. 37 ......Annelise Meyding ........Port Washington, N.Y. 38 ......Michelle Vancura ........new Hyde Park, N.Y. 39 ......Stephanie Nakash ......Great Neck, N.Y. 40 ......Lauren Salzano ............Dix Hills, N.Y.

LONG Long Island Girls 16 Singles Rank ..Name ..........................City 1 ........Jennifer C. Ferguson ..Franklin Square, N.Y. 2 ........Daria Schieferstein ......Sag Harbor, N.Y. 3 ........Lara Fishbane ..............Commack, N.Y. 4 ........Ruth Freilich ................Lawrence, N.Y. 5 ........Laura Torsiello..............Bayport, N.Y. 6 ........Taylor Rose Anderson..Locust Valley, N.Y. 7 ........Alison Wang ................Great Neck, N.Y. 8 ........Paige J. Mintz ..............Roslyn, N.Y. 9 ........Cameron Moskol ........Wantagh, N.Y. 10 ......Ashley Sandler ............Jericho, N.Y. 11 ......Hannah Goldman ........West Hempstead, N.Y. 12 ......Mary Harding ..............Northport, N.Y. 13 ......Sunaina Vohra..............Glen Head, N.Y. 14 ......Bridget Harding ..........Northport, N.Y. 15 ......Anna Poslusny ............Centerport, N.Y. 16 ......Emily Bennett ..............Port Washington, N.Y. 17 ......Jessica Sickles ............Massapequa Park, N.Y. 18 ......Erica Bundrick ............Mattituck, N.Y. 19 ......Bianca Posa ................Valley Stream, N.Y. 20 ......Emma R. Brezel ..........Port Washington, N.Y. 21 ......Claudia M. Ruiz ..........Glen Head, N.Y. 22 ......Sarah Dionisio..............Shirley, N.Y. 23 ......Amanda Edelman ........Southampton, N.Y. 24 ......Megan Tamborino........Massapequa Park, N.Y. 25 ......Kristen Bomkamp........Northport, N.Y. 26 ......Karishma Tank ............New Hyde Park, N.Y. 27 ......Karen Serina ................Islip Terrace, N.Y. 28 ......Ola Mally......................Franklin Square, N.Y. 29 ......Sarah Han....................Dix Hills, N.Y. 30 ......Zenat Rashidzada........Dix Hills, N.Y. 31 ......Danielle Byrnes............Massapequa, N.Y. 32 ......Jessie Sarkis................Long Beach, N.Y. 33 ......Amanda Nowak ..........Huntington, N.Y. 34 ......Samantha G. Smith ....Farmingdale, N.Y. 35 ......Courtney Sokol............Floral Park, N.Y. 36 ......Allie N. Rothstein ........Plainview, N.Y. 37 ......Brittany Burke..............Garden City, N.Y. 38 ......Gabriella Nicole Leon ..Woodmere, N.Y. 39 ......Madison Appel ............Locust Valley, N.Y. 40 ......Shanice Nadia Arthur ..Glen Head, N.Y.

Long Island Girls 18 Singles Rank ..Name ..........................City 1 ........Veronika Paikin ............Valley Stream, N.Y. 2 ........Alyssa Lavin ................Glen Head, N.Y. 3 ........Jessica Nowak ............Huntington, N.Y. 4 ........Paige J. Mintz ..............Roslyn, N.Y. 5 ........Brett Lieb ....................Cutchogue, N.Y. 6 ........Sophie Lanter ..............East Rockaway, N.Y. 7 ........Ashley Sandler ............Jericho, N.Y. 8 ........Amy Ginny Naula ........East Hampton, N.Y. 9 ........Marissa D. Lazar..........Hewlett, N.Y. 10 ......Kelly Marie Benini ........Northport, N.Y. 11 ......Alyssa D. Rosello ........Garden City, N.Y. 12 ......Taylor A. Diffley ............Hampton Bays, N.Y. 13 ......Alison Wang ................Great Neck, N.Y. 14 ......Taylor Wilkins ..............Syosset, N.Y. 15 ......Amanda Seeley............Sound Beach, N.Y. 16 ......Elizabeth Rossi ............Flanders, N.Y. 17 ......Brooke Pottish ............East Quogue, N.Y. 18 ......Carly Siegel..................Dix Hills, N.Y. 19 ......Elan King......................Baldwin, N.Y. 20 ......Jessica Sickles ............Massapequa Park, N.Y.

Boys & Girls Sectional Rankings (as of 08/02/10)

Sectional Boys 10 Singles— Long Island Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 5 ........Ryan Goetz ..................Greenlawn, N.Y. 7 ........Alan Delman ................Great Neck, N.Y. 8 ........Brian Shi ......................Jericho, N.Y. 12 ......Ronald P. Hohmann ....Oyster Bay, N.Y. 14 ......Patrick F. Maloney ......Oyster Bay, N.Y.

ISLAND

15 ......Daniel Eric Pellerito......Syosset, N.Y. 16 ......Neel Raj ......................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 18 ......Michael Medvedev ......Oceanside, N.Y. 25 ......Cannon Kingsley..........Northport, N.Y. 26 ......Gardner Howe ............Locust valley, N.Y. 27 ......Pete Siozios ................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 31 ......Amani Siddiqui ............West Babylon, N.Y. 32 ......Billy Suarez ..................Huntington, N.Y. 41 ......Benjamin Grossman ....Sands Point, N.Y. 44 ......Steven Well Sun ..........Glen Cove, N.Y. 46 ......Justin Ilan Lempert ......Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 48 ......Eli Grossman ..............Glen Head, N.Y. 51 ......Joey Austin ..................Hewlett, N.Y. 52 ......Kyle C. Yuan ................Sands Point, N.Y. 53 ......Parker Appel ................Locust Valley, N.Y. 65 ......Sujay Sharma ..............New Hyde Park, N.Y. 69 ......Matthew Roberts ........Setauket, N.Y. 74 ......Alexander Roti ............Woodmere, N.Y. 76 ......Matthew Porges ..........Sands Point, N.Y. 79 ......David Ammendola ......Massapequa, N.Y. 83 ......Zachary Ian Khazzam ..Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 84 ......Cody Bograd ..............Huntington, N.Y. 86 ......Jacob Wiener ..............Oyster Bay, N.Y. 90 ......Oliver Worth ................Locust Valley, N.Y. 102 ....Jeffrey McDonnell........Glen Cove, N.Y. 104 ....Spencer Brachman......Commack, N.Y. 105 ....Joseph Pascucci ........Oyster Bay, N.Y. 117 ....Daniel Chikvashvili ......Syosset, N.Y. 120 ....Niles Ghaffar ................Massapequa, N.Y. 127 ....Brandon T. Cohen........Westhampton, N.Y. 142 ....Henry Bilicic ................Locust Valley, N.Y. 144 ....Robert Bellino ..............Huntington, N.Y. 149 ....Dylan E. Spilko ............Port Washington, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 12 Singles— Long Island Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 2 ........Brenden Volk ..............Dix Hills, N.Y. 14 ......Athell Bennett ............Valley Stream, N.Y. 20 ......Finbar Talcott ..............Sea Cliff, N.Y. 21 ......Jordan Bennett ............Valley Stream, N.Y. 24 ......Sean Patrick ................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 26 ......Sean M. Mullins ..........Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 27 ......Tyler Ng........................Great Neck, N.Y. 29 ......Chris Kuhnle ................Shoreham, N.Y. 32 ......Colin Francis Sacco ....Brightwaters, N.Y. 38 ......Christian Ardito............Rockville Centre, N.Y. 42 ......Keegan Morris ............Franklin Square, N.Y. 49 ......Alan Delman ................Great Neck, N.Y. 50 ......Vincent Caracappa ......Smithtown, N.Y. 51 ......Kyle Hudson Gower ....Oceanside, N.Y. 53 ......Ryan Goetz ..................Greenlawn, N.Y. 57 ......Logan Beckerman ......East Norwich, N.Y. 58 ......Nasser Abdel Ghaffar ..Massapequa, N.Y. 61 ......Rajan Jai Vohra............Glen Head, N.Y. 66 ......Stephen Gruppuso ......Bayport, N.Y. 67 ......Garrett Malave ............Laurel, N.Y. 69 ......Brian Shi ......................Jericho, N.Y. 73 ......Ronald P. Hohmann ....Oyster Bay, N.Y. 74 ......Patrick F. Maloney ......Oyster Bay, N.Y. 76 ......Daniel Shleimovich ......Merrick, N.Y. 78 ......Daniel Eric Pellerito......Syosset, N.Y. 79 ......Trippe Franz ................Bridgehampton, N.Y. 86 ......Alex Grossman ............Sands Point, N.Y. 87 ......Giancarlo Cavallero ....West Hempstead, N.Y. 91 ......Michael Medvedev ......Oceanside, N.Y. 92 ......Ian Bank ......................Old Westbury, N.Y. 94 ......Andy Zhou ..................Commack, N.Y. 95 ......Zane Siddiqui ..............West Babylon, N.Y. 101 ....Terrill Cole Barnard ......Mill Neck, N.Y. 110 ....Titus Syon Sung ..........Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 113 ....Curran Varma ..............Manhasset, N.Y. 115 ....James Kyrkanides ......Stony Brook, N.Y. 119 ....Benjamin Tenner ..........Roslyn, N.Y. 124 ....Yuval Solomon ............Plainview, N.Y. 128 ....Justin Ilan Lempert ......Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 129 ....Dylan Granat................Woodbury, N.Y. 130 ....Spencer Bozsik............Sag Harbor, N.Y. 134 ....Jack Briamonte............Great Neck, N.Y. 138 ....Pete Siozios ................New Hyde Park, N.Y.

RANKINGS

139 ....Neel Raj ......................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 146 ....Michael Jaklitsch ........South Setauket, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 14 Singles— Long Island Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 3 ........Lamar Remy ................Roslyn, N.Y. 4 ........Noah B. Rubin ............Rockville Centre, N.Y. 5 ........Douglas Notaris ..........Wantagh, N.Y. 6 ........Julian Alexi Zlobinsky ..Greenvale, N.Y. 7 ........Dylan Hobbs Appel......Locust Valley, N.Y. 8 ........Philip Daniel Antohi......Glen Head, N.Y. 16 ......Zain Ali ........................Dix Hills, N.Y. 18 ......Brandon T. Stone ........Melville, N.Y. 20 ......Josh Silverstein............Great Neck, N.Y. 23 ......Alexander Lebedev......Island Park, N.Y. 36 ......Lubomir T. Cuba ..........Massapequa Park, N.Y. 38 ......John P. D’Alessandro ..Northport, N.Y. 39 ......Conor Mullins ..............Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 46 ......Jared R. Halstrom........Bellmore, N.Y. 47 ......Jonathan Paris ............Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 50 ......Daniel Grunberger ......Great Neck, N.Y. 52 ......Kyle Alper ....................Dix Hills, N.Y. 56 ......Eric Wagner ................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 68 ......Benjamin Rosen ..........Port Washington, N.Y. 73 ......Josh Young ..................Old Bethpage, N.Y. 78 ......Brenden Andrew Volk ..Dix Hills, N.Y. 87 ......Zacarias Imperial ........Garden City Park, N.Y. 93 ......Kevin Cino ..................East Quogue, N.Y. 96 ......Ian Combemale ..........Bridgehampton, N.Y. 104 ....Joshua Gordon ............Hicksville, N.Y. 112 ....Andrew J. Bentz ..........Massapequa Park, N.Y. 122 ....Palmer T. Clare ............North Bellmore, N.Y. 127 ....Cooper Spector-Salween..Great Neck, N.Y. 132 ....Alex Brebenel ..............Glen Head, N.Y. 136 ....Nikhil Raj......................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 138 ....Cole Laffitte ................East Setauket, N.Y. 139 ....Zachary M. Chang ......Massapequa, N.Y. 149 ....Cory Seltman ..............Smithtown, N.Y. 150 ....Kevin Alec Kowalsky ..Oyster Bay, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 16 Singles— Long Island Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 2 ........Eric Rubin ....................Lido Beach, N.Y. 5 ........Howard Weiss..............Great Neck, N.Y. 6 ........Andrew Yaraghi............Mill Neck, N.Y. 9 ........Matthew O. Barry ........Long Beach, N.Y. 11 ......Josh Levine..................Syosset, N.Y. 13 ......Noah Rubin..................Merrick, N.Y. 15 ......Brendan Henry ............Massapequa, N.Y. 17 ......Samuel Lam ................Old Westbury, N.Y. 18 ......Jonahiby Tauil ..............Valley Stream, N.Y. 19 ......Aidan Talcott................Sea Cliff, N.Y. 23 ......Ethan Bogard ..............Lido Beach, N.Y. 28 ......Alan S. Pleat ................Roslyn, N.Y. 29 ......Kevin Katz....................Woodbury, N.Y. 33 ......Vihar Shah ..................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 50 ......Lamar Remy ................Roslyn, N.Y. 51 ......Ofir Solomon................Plainview, N.Y. 61 ......Brandon T. Stone ........Melville, N.Y. 64 ......Stephen Peng ..............Woodbury, N.Y. 66 ......Eric Bertuglia ..............Dix Hills, N.Y. 68 ......Alexander Schidlovsky..Sea Cliff, N.Y. 69 ......Daniel R. Grinshteyn....Hewlett, N.Y. 78 ......Paul Abrudescu ..........Great Neck, N.Y. 79 ......Eric Sumanaru ............Middle Island, N.Y. 80 ......Tyler J. Hoffman ..........Sayville, N.Y. 81 ......Conor Dauer ................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 82 ......Austin Davidow............Glen Head, N.Y. 85 ......Sean Jagi Chhugani ....Roslyn, N.Y. 90 ......Michael Paul ................Baldwin, N.Y. 93 ......Benjamin Q. King ........East Meadow, N.Y. 98 ......Dylan Hobbs Appel......Locust Valley, N.Y. 99 ......Matthew Demichiel ......Hewlett, N.Y. 107 ....Clark D. Ruiz................Glen Head, N.Y. 108 ....Gabriel P. Lazar............Hewlett, N.Y. 111 ....Henry D. Lee................Sag Harbor, N.Y. 113 ....Daniel Wong ................Great Neck, N.Y. 118 ....Brian W. Slivonik..........Oyster Bay, N.Y.

119 ....Zachary A. Lessen ......Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 120 ....Mark Daniel Temporal..Carle Place, N.Y. 124 ....Douglas Notaris ..........Wantagh, N.Y. 127 ....Jacob Mishkin ............Woodbury, N.Y. 136 ....Gonzalo E. Mocorrea ..Locust Valley, N.Y. 138 ....Alex C. Sacher ............Glen head, N.Y. 141 ....Doron Saraf..................Great Neck, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 18 Singles— Long Island Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 19 ......Bert Vancura ................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 20 ......Eric Ambrosio ..............Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 24 ......Dennis Zlobinsky ........Greenvale, N.Y. 31 ......Jensen H. Reiter ..........Syosset, N.Y. 33 ......Shaun Bernstein ..........Plainview, N.Y. 36 ......Jonathan Defrancesch..Manhasset, N.Y. 37 ......Alex Tropiano ..............Laurel Hollow, N.Y. 38 ......Zachary Morris ............Garden City, N.Y. 39 ......Andrew Yaraghi............Mill Neck, N.Y. 48 ......Austin Blau ..................Roslyn, N.Y. 49 ......Oliver Loutsenko..........Bellmore, N.Y. 57 ......Jason Hubsher ............Sands Point, N.Y. 60 ......Alan S. Pleat ................Roslyn, N.Y. 70 ......Howard Weiss..............Great Neck, N.Y. 72 ......Adam S. Gottlieb ........Great Neck, N.Y. 75 ......David Greenbaum........Great Neck, N.Y. 77 ......Matthew O. Barry ........Lido Beach, N.Y. 79 ......Corey Morgenstern......Old Bethpage, N.Y. 84 ......Michael T. Puntillo........Sands Point, N.Y. 85 ......Jonahiby Tauil ..............Valley Stream, N.Y. 89 ......Eric Sumanaru ............Middle Island, N.Y. 90 ......Matthew J. Richards....Bayport, N.Y. 97 ......Benjamin Bogard ........Lido Beach, N.Y. 98 ......Alexander Friedlich ......Great Neck, N.Y. 100 ....Ignacio Casali ..............Farmingdale, N.Y. 109 ....Paul Abrudescu ..........Great Neck, N.Y. 116 ....Brendan Henry ............Massapequa, N.Y. 117 ....Stephen Peng ..............Woodbury, N.Y. 120 ....Richard Sipala ............Quogue, N.Y. 125 ....Sloan Millman ..............Woodmere, N.Y. 127 ....Harrison R. Digia..........Manhasset, N.Y. 137 ....Austin Davidow............Glen Head, N.Y. 147 ....Sean Jagi Chhugani ....Roslyn, N.Y. 149 ....Richard A. Ferguson ....Franklin Square, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 10 Singles— Long Island Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 4 ........Jacqueline Bukzin........Manorville, N.Y. 5 ........Jennifer Yu ..................Great Neck, N.Y. 6 ........Lea Ma ........................Dix Hills, N.Y. 13 ......Jasmine Olivia Abidi ....Glen Head, N.Y. 15 ......Celeste Wang Traub ....Jericho, N.Y. 19 ......Julia Kielan ..................Valley Stream, N.Y. 20 ......Francesca Karman ......Port Washington, N.Y. 27 ......Olivia Rose Scordo ......Glen Head, N.Y. 32 ......Merri Kelly....................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 34 ......Alexa Susan Goetz ......Greenlawn, N.Y. 36 ......Victoria Anna Bialczak ..New Hyde Park, N.Y. 43 ......Emily Austin ................Hewlett, N.Y. 46 ......Katelyn Walker ............Sands Point, N.Y. 51 ......Nicole Kyrkanides........Stony Brook, N.Y. 54 ......Trinity Chow ................Glen Cove, N.Y. 63 ......Risha Malhotra ............Syosset, N.Y. 65 ......Maryam Ahmad ..........Albertson, N.Y. 70 ......Rachel Arbitman ..........Hewlett, N.Y. 75 ......Kaitlyn Byrnes..............Massapequa, N.Y. 76 ......Cara Becker ................Great Neck, N.Y. 83 ......Amy Delman ................Great Neck, N.Y. 88 ......Kaitlyn Schwarz ..........Oceanside, N.Y. 96 ......Kira Rose Giordano ....Massapequa Park, N.Y. 97 ......Alison Coben ..............Massapequa, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 12 Singles— Long Island Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 1 ........Madison Battaglia........Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 3 ........Morgan Herrmann........Garden City, N.Y. 6 ........Alexa Graham ..............Garden City, N.Y.

LITennisMag.com • September/October 2010 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

LONG 12 ......Jeannie Lozowski ........Amityville, N.Y. 17 ......Esther Chikvashvili ......Syosset, N.Y. 22 ......Taylor S. Cosme ..........New Hyde Park, N.Y. 28 ......Celeste Rose Matute ..Amityville, N.Y. 32 ......Claire Handa ................Rockville Centre, N.Y. 41 ......Stephanie Chikvashvili ..Syosset, N.Y. 49 ......Jasmine Olivia Abidi ....Glen Head, N.Y. 57 ......Courtney Kowalsky......Oyster Bay, N.Y. 76 ......Jacqueline Bukzin........Manorville, N.Y. 82 ......Stephanie Nakash ......Great Neck, N.Y. 85 ......Nicole Kielan................Valley Stream, N.Y. 94 ......Emily Kate Shutman ....Huntington, N.Y. 100 ....Lexee Taylor Shapiro ..Syosset, N.Y. 103 ....Michelle Haykin ..........Great Neck, N.Y. 106 ....Dominique Woinarowski..Syosset, N.Y. 107 ....Abigail Carrie Okin ......Amagansett, N.Y. 114 ....Sophie Grace Wilson ..Oyster Bay, N.Y. 115 ....Brynn Maris April ........Dix Hills, N.Y. 121 ....Lea Ma ........................Dix Hills, N.Y. 122 ....Amanda Allison Foo ....Manhasset, N.Y. 123 ....Danielle Mirabella ........Wantagh, N.Y. 125 ....Morgan Wilkins ............Syosset, N.Y. 126 ....Jessica Schwarz..........Oceanside, N.Y. 130 ....Jennifer Yu ..................Great Neck, N.Y. 132 ....Gillian Moser................Hewlett, N.Y. 143 ....Nicole Kyrkanides........Stony Brook, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 14 Singles— Long Island Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 7 ........Ola Mally......................Franklin Square, N.Y. 18 ......Paulina Tafler ..............Oceanside, N.Y. 23 ......Isabella Pascucci ........Oyster Bay, N.Y. 25 ......Mia M. Vecchio ............Manhasset Hills, N.Y. 32 ......Madison Battaglia........Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 33 ......Sunaina Vohra..............Glen Head, N.Y. 35 ......Shanice Nadia Arthur ..Glen Head, N.Y. 37 ......Claudia M. Ruiz ..........Glen Head, N.Y. 43 ......Cameron Moskol ........Wantagh, N.Y. 47 ......Rachel Gastaldo ..........Syosset, N.Y. 48 ......Alexa Graham ..............Garden City, N.Y. 49 ......Karen A. Serina............Islip Terrace, N.Y. 73 ......Aimee N. Manfredo......Shoreham, N.Y. 84 ......Rithika D. Reddy..........Syosset, N.Y. 86 ......Olivia C. Funk ..............Hicksville, N.Y. 93 ......Bridget Elaine Harding..Northport, N.Y. 106 ....Lauren Livingston ........Sands Point, N.Y. 109 ....Karishma Ramesh Tank ..New Hyde Park, N.Y. 111 ....Nicole Koskovolis ........Manhasset, N.Y. 112 ....Elena Nastasi ..............Bayville, N.Y. 114 ....Campbell Howe ..........Locust Valley, N.Y. 115 ....Courtney Appel............`Locust Valley, N.Y. 116 ....Morgan Hermann ........Garden City, N.Y. 121 ....Brittany Burke..............Garden City, N.Y. 131 ....Taylor S. Cosme ..........New Hyde Park, N.Y. 134 ....Rhea Malhotra ............Syosset, N.Y. 136 ....Aidan Owens ..............Manhasset, N.Y. 140 ....Lauren Difazio..............Greenlawn, N.Y. 141 ....Michele Sheila Lehat ..Great Neck, N.Y. 142 ....Michelle Vancura ........New Hyde Park, N.Y. 148 ....Esther Chikvashvili ......Syosset, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 16 Singles— Long Island Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 2 ........Katherine Yau ..............Manhasset, N.Y. 6 ........Hannah L. Camhi ........Woodbury, N.Y. 15 ......Vivian Cheng................Woodbury, N.Y. 25 ......Nadia Smergut ............East Hampton, N.Y. 28 ......Julia Elbaba ................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 29 ......Morgan C. Feldman ....Glen Head, N.Y. 30 ......Sophie R. Barnard ......Mill Neck, N.Y. 36 ......Claudia Li ....................Jericho, N.Y. 40 ......Devlin-Ann Ammendola..Massapequa, N.Y. 47 ......Stephanie Loutsenko ..Bellmore, N.Y. 64 ......Samantha Rosca-Sipot..Malverne, N.Y. 67 ......Diana Vamvakitis ........Quogue, N.Y. 74 ......Paulina Tafler ..............Oceanside, N.Y. 83 ......Sunaina Vohra..............Glen Head, N.Y. 85 ......Ashley Sandler ............Jericho, N.Y.

ISLAND

90 ......Melissa Carlay ............New Hyde Park, N.Y. 91 ......Taylor A. Diffley ............Hampton Bays, N.Y. 92 ......Sara Finger ..................St. James, N.Y. 93 ......Alison Wang ................Great Neck, N.Y. 97 ......Bianca Posa ................Valley Stream, N.Y. 98 ......Lila Martz ....................Long Beach, N.Y. 108 ....Rithika D. Reddy..........Syosset, N.Y. 111 ....Robin R. Mehta............Manhasset, N.Y. 113 ....Ludmila Yamus ............Melville, N.Y. 115 ....Ola Mally......................Franklin Square, N.Y. 117 ....Laura Torsiello..............Bayport, N.Y. 120 ....Aimee N. Manfredo......Shoreham, N.Y. 123 ....Jennifer Ferguson ........Franklin Square, N.Y. 124 ....Mary C. Harding ..........Northport, N.Y. 125 ....Erica Bundrick ............Mattituck, N.Y. 129 ....Veronika Paikin ............Valley Stream, N.Y. 140 ....Julia Zhuang ................Great Neck, N.Y. 145 ....Madison Battaglia........Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 18 Singles— Long Island Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 5 ........Katherine Yau ..............Manhasset, N.Y. 7 ........Jacqueline Raynor ......Garden City, N.Y. 12 ......Theresa Smith..............Port Washington, N.Y. 15 ......Jennifer Kellner............Smithtown, N.Y. 19 ......Julia Elbaba ................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 23 ......Jessica Podlofsky........Port Washington, N.Y. 27 ......Julia Ebalba ................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 28 ......Samantha L. Elgort ......Melville, N.Y. 31 ......Samantha Gann ..........Massapequa, N.Y. 40 ......Stephanie Loutsenko ..Bellmore, N.Y. 41 ......Missy Edelblum ..........Roslyn, N.Y. 44 ......Hannah L. Camhi ........Woodbury, N.Y. 47 ......Jennifer Fridman..........Port Washington, N.Y. 48 ......Olivia Pascucci ............Oyster Bay, N.Y. 55 ......Jamie Hann..................Westhampton, N.Y. 66 ......Sydney Simpson..........North Babylon, N.Y. 74 ......Ashley T. Harel ............Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 80 ......Devlin-Ann Ammendola..Massapequa, N.Y. 87 ......Samantha Rosca-Sipot..Malverne, N.Y. 88 ......Andrea Arreguin ..........Hicksville, N.Y. 90 ......Melissa Carlay ............New Hyde Park, N.Y. 104 ....Blair Seideman ............Glen Head, N.Y. 108 ....Ludmila Yamus ............Melville, N.Y. 111 ....Brett A. Lieb ................Cutchogue, N.Y. 115 ....Veronika Paikin ............Valley Stream, N.Y. 121 ....Taylor A. Diffley ............Hampton Bays, N.Y. 122 ....Carly Siegel..................Dix Hills, N.Y. 126 ....Robyn Romanoff..........Centereach, N.Y. 129 ....Elan King......................Baldwin, N.Y. 134 ....Jessica Nowak ............Huntington, N.Y. 142 ....Deana Davoudiasl........Rockville Centre, N.Y.

Boys & Girls National Rankings (as of 08/02/10)

National Boys 12 Singles— Long Island Players Rank ..Name ..........................City 16 ......Brenden Andrew Volk ..Dix Hills, N.Y. 257 ....Sean Patrick ................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 359 ....Finbar Talcott ..............Sea Cliff, N.Y. 380 ....Jordan Bennett ............Valley Stream, N.Y. 413 ....Athell Bennett ..............Valley Stream, N.Y. 455 ....Sean Mullins ................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 495 ....Colin Francis Sacco ....Brightwaters, N.Y. 503 ....Keegan Morris ............Franklin Square, N.Y. 514 ....Chris Kuhnle ................Shoreham, N.Y. 561 ....Christian Ardito............Rockville Center, N.Y. 628 ....Ronald P. Hohmann ....Oyster Bay, N.Y. 650 ....Travis Leaf....................Dix Hills, N.Y. 723 ....Tyler Ng........................Great Neck, N.Y. 728 ....Ryan Goetz ..................Greenlawn, N.Y. 763 ....Nasser Abdel Ghaffar ..Massapequa, N.Y. 786 ....Logan Beckerman ......Muttontown, N.Y.

RANKINGS

788 ....Rajan Jai Vohra............Glen Head, N.Y. 832 ....Vincent Caracappa ......Smithtown, N.Y.

National Boys 14 Singles— Long Island Players Rank ..Name ..........................City 10 ......Noah B. Rubin ............Rockville Centre, N.Y. 23 ......Lamar Remy ................Roslyn, N.Y. 34 ......Philip Daniel Antohi......Glen Head, N.Y. 54 ......Julian Alexi Zlobinsky ..Greenvale, N.Y. 74 ......Dylan Hobbs Appel......Locust Valley, N.Y. 78 ......Douglas Notaris ..........Wantagh, N.Y. 180 ....Zain Ali ........................Dix Hills, N.Y. 188 ....Josh Silverstein............Great Neck, N.Y. 217 ....John P. D’Allesandro....Northport, N.Y. 239 ....Brandon T. Stone ........Melville, N.Y. 389 ....Alexander Lebedev......Island Park, N.Y. 419 ....Lubomir T. Cuba ..........Massapequa Park, N.Y. 632 ....Jared Halstrom ............Bellmore, N.Y. 642 ....Jonathan Paris ............Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 673 ....Conor Mullins ..............Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 696 ....Eric Wagner ................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 816 ....Brenden Andrew Volk ..Dix Hills, N.Y. 828 ....Kyle Alper ....................Dix Hills, N.Y. 832 ....Daniel Grunberger ......Great Neck, N.Y.

National Boys 16 Singles— Long Island Players Rank ..Name ..........................City 24 ......Eric Rubin ....................Lido Beach, N.Y. 29 ......Howie Weiss ................Great Neck, N.Y. 67 ......Andrew Yaraghi............Mill Neck, N.Y. 70 ......Bert Vancura ................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 82 ......Josh Levine..................Syosset, N.Y. 85 ......Matthew O. Barry ........Lido Beach, N.Y. 144 ....Noah B. Rubin ............Rockville Centre, N.Y. 163 ....Samuel Lam ................Old Westbury, N.Y. 177 ....Aidan Talcott................Sea Cliff, N.Y. 246 ....Jonahiby Tauil ..............Valley Stream, N.Y. 279 ....Brendan Henry ............Massapequa, N.Y. 308 ....Alan S. Pleat ................Roslyn, N.Y. 344 ....Kevin A. Katz ..............Woodbury, N.Y. 356 ....Vihar Shah ..................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 425 ....Ethan Bogard ..............Lido Beach, N.Y. 731 ....Ofir Solomon................Plainview, N.Y. 789 ....Alexander Schidlovsky..Sea Cliff, N.Y. 792 ....Conor A. Dauer............Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 804 ....Lamar Remy ................Roslyn, N.Y. 861 ....Austin P. Davidow ........Glen Head, N.Y. 990 ....Tyler J. Hoffman ..........Sayville, N.Y. 997 ....Dylan Hobbs Appel......Locust Valley, N.Y.

National Boys 18 Singles— Long Island Players Rank ..Name ..........................City 72 ......Shaun Bernstein ..........Plainview, N.Y. 173 ....Bert Vancura ................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 245 ....Eric Ambrosio ..............Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 360 ....Jensen Reiter ..............Syosset, N.Y. 371 ....Jason A. Simon............Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 424 ....Jonathan Defrancesch ..Manhasset, N.Y. 446 ....Dennis Zlobinsky ........Greenvale, N.Y. 496 ....Oliver Loutsenko..........Bellmore, N.Y. 603 ....Alexander Friedlich ......Great Neck, N.Y. 636 ....Howie Weiss ................Great Neck, N.Y. 651 ....Zachary Morris ............Garden City, N.Y. 707 ....Alex Tropiano ..............Laurel Hollow, N.Y. 879 ....David Greenbaum........Great Neck, N.Y. 881 ....Adam Gottleib..............Great Neck, N.Y.

National Girls 12 Singles— Long Island Players Rank ..Name ..........................City 32 ......Madison Battaglia........Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 55 ......Morgan Herrmann........Garden City, N.Y. 173 ....Alexa Graham ..............Garden City, N.Y. 184 ....Taylor S. Cosme ..........New Hyde Park, N.Y. 193 ....Jeannie Lozowski ........Amityville, N.Y. 433 ....Esther Chikvashvili ......Syosset, N.Y.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2010 • LITennisMag.com

497 ....Celeste Mautute ..........Oyster Bay, N.Y. 576 ....Jasmine Olivia Abidi ....Glen Head, N.Y. 669 ....Courtney Kowalsky......Oyster Bay, N.Y. 867 ....Stephanie Chikvashvili ..Syosset, N.Y.

National Girls 14 Singles— Long Island Players Rank ..Name ..........................City 180 ....Isabella Pascucci ........Oyster Bay, N.Y. 204 ....Paulina Tafler ..............Oceanside, N.Y. 235 ....Ola Mally......................Franklin Square, N.Y. 386 ....Mia M. Vecchio ............Manhasset Hills, N.Y. 391 ....Sunaina Vohra..............Glen Head, N.Y. 488 ....Madison Battaglia........Cold Spring harbor, N.Y. 700 ....Karen A. Serina............Islip Terrace, N.Y. 704 ....Claudia M. Ruiz ..........Glen Head, N.Y. 736 ....Cameron Moskol ........Wantagh, N.Y. 958 ....Shanice Nadia Arthur ..Glen Head, N.Y.

National Girls 16 Singles— Long Island Players Rank ..Name ..........................City 30 ......Julia Elbaba ................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 35 ......Hannah L. Camhi ........Woodbury, N.Y. 53 ......Katherine Yau ..............Manhasset, N.Y. 231 ....Vivian Cheng................Woodbury, N.Y. 317 ....Sophie R. Barnard ......Mill Neck, N.Y. 335 ....Morgan C. Feldman ....Glen Head, N.Y. 389 ....Nadia Smergut ............East Hampton, N.Y. 503 ....Devlin-Ann Ammendola..Massapequa, N.Y. 590 ....Stephanie Loutsenko ..Bellmore, N.Y. 810 ....Samantha Rosca-Sipot Malverne, N.Y. 859 ....Claudia Li ....................Jericho, N.Y.

National Girls 18 Singles— Long Island Players Rank ..Name ..........................City 30 ......Julia Elbaba ................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 59 ......Jennifer Kellner............Smithtown, N.Y. 136 ....Theresa Smith..............Port Washington, N.Y. 141 ....Shelby Talcott ..............Sea Cliff, N.Y. 162 ....Katherine Yau ..............Manhasset, N.Y. 338 ....Jacqueline Raynor ......Garden City, N.Y. 429 ....Olivia Pascucci ............Oyster Bay, N.Y. 518 ....Samantha L. Elgort ......Melville, N.Y. 671 ....Blair Seideman ............Glen Head, N.Y. 681 ....Stephanie Loutsenko ..Bellmore, N.Y. 696 ....Jennifer Fridman..........Port Washington, N.Y. 731 ....Jessica Podlofsky........Port Washington, N.Y. 794 ....Ashley T. Harel ............Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 807 ....Jamie Hann..................Westhampton, N.Y. 868 ....Sydney Simpson..........North Babylon, N.Y. 890 ....Samantha B. Gann ......Massapequa, N.Y. 903 ....Robyn Romanoff..........Centereach, N.Y. 988 ....Missy Edelbaum ..........Roslyn, N.Y.

Long Island Rankings Sponsored by

USTA/Long Island Region 2010

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. SEPTEMBER 2010 Wednesday-Friday, September 1-3 USTA National Senior & Super Senior FS Grass Court Championships Piping Rock Club Piping Rock Road, Box 415 Locust Valley, N.Y. Divisions: RF (0)d; FS (SS)d Surface Type: Grass Entry Fee: $99.94 per player, $199.88 per team (deadline for entries is Friday, Aug. 13) For more information, call (516) 676-2332. Thursday-Monday, September 2-6 The Labor Day Championships Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenue Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: BG (12-18)s, FIC; BG (12-18)d, SE Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $102.63 per player (deadline for entries is Thursday, Aug. 5) For more information, call (516) 759-0505. Friday-Sunday, September 3-5 L2R Long Island Regional Sportime Massapequa Championship Sportime Massapequa 5600 Old Sunrise Highway Massapequa, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate BG (12-14)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Aug. 20) For more information, call (516) 799-3550. Friday-Sunday, September 3-5 L1B Atlantic Beach Championship Atlantic Beach Tennis Center 60 The Plaza Atlantic Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate BG (16-18)s, SE Surface Type: Clay Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Aug. 29 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 239-3388. Friday-Sunday, September 3-5 L1B LBTC Challenger Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger BG (12-14)sd, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $48.88 per player for singles/$28 per player for doubles (deadline for entries is Monday, Aug. 23 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 432-6060.

Saturday, September 4 L3 Sportime Roslyn Eastern UPS Championship Sportime Roslyn Landing Road, P.O. Box 1 Roslyn, N.Y. Divisions: Novice BG (10-14)s, RR Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Aug. 29 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 484-9222.

Friday-Sunday, September 10-12 L1B LBTC Championship Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger BG (12)sd, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $48.88 per player for singles/$28 per player for doubles (deadline for entries is Friday, Aug. 27 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 432-6060.

Friday-Monday, September 24-27 & Friday-Sunday, October 1-3 + Fall Foliage Seniors The Tennis King 25 The Tulips • Roslyn, N.Y. Divisions: Ranked M (25, 45, 55, 65-70)sd, FMLC Surface Type: Clay Entry Fee: $60 per player for singles/doubles fee is $60/late registrants fee add $8 For more information, call (516) 621-2009.

Thursday-Sunday, September 8-12 L1B Massapequa Sportime Challenger Sportime Massapequa 5600 Old Sunrise Highway Massapequa, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger BG (14)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Wednesday, Aug. 25 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 799-3550.

Friday-Sunday, September 10-12 Men’s Open & M25 Singles Huntington Indoor Tennis 100 Broadway Street Huntington Station, N.Y. Divisions: Ranked M (Op, 25)s Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Sept. 3 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, call (631) 421-0040.

Friday-Sunday, September 24-26 L1 Point Set Championship Point Set Indoor Racquet 3065 New Street Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Ranked BG (18)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Sept. 3 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 536-2323.

Friday-Sunday, September 10-12 & September 17-19 L1B Westhampton Challenger Westhampton Beach Tennis & Sport Club 86 Depot Road Westhampton Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger BG (12-16)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Aug. 27 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (631) 288-6060.

Friday-Sunday, September 17-19 L3 Huntington Eastern UPS Championship Huntington Indoor Tennis 100 Broadway Street Huntington Station, N.Y. Divisions: Unranked BG (10-18)s, RR Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Aug. 29 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (631) 421-0040.

Friday-Sunday, September 24-26 L3 RWTT at Glenwood Landing Eastern UPS Championship Robbie Wagner Tournament Training Center 81 Round Hill Road Roslyn Heights, N.Y. Divisions: Novice BG (12-14)s, RR Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Sept. 10 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 759-0505.

Friday-Sunday, September 10-12 L3 Deer Park Eastern UPS Championship Deer Park Tennis Center Inc. 30 Burt Drive Deer Park, N.Y. Divisions: Novice BG (10-18)s, RR Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Aug. 27 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (631) 667-3476.

Friday-Sunday, September 17-19 L1B Atlantic Beach Grand Challenger Atlantic Beach Tennis Center 60 The Plaza Atlantic Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger BG (14)s, SE Surface Type: Clay Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Sept. 12 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 239-3388.

Friday-Sunday, September 24-26 L2O Atlantic Beach Championship Atlantic Beach Tennis Center 60 The Plaza Atlantic Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate BG (16)s, SE Surface Type: Clay Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Sept. 20 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 239-3388.

Friday-Monday, September 10-13 & Friday-Sunday, September 17-19 + Sparkling September The Tennis King 25 The Tulips Roslyn, N.Y. Divisions: Ranked M (30,45,55,65)sd; M (75)sd, FMLC Surface Type: Clay Entry Fee: $60 per player for singles/doubles fee is $60/late registrants fee add $8 For more information, call (516) 621-2009.

Friday-Sunday, September 17-19 L1B Long Beach Fall Challenger Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger BG (16-18)sd, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $48.88 per player for singles/$28 per player for doubles (deadline for entries is Friday, Sept. 3 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 432-6060.

Friday-Sunday, September 24-26 L2O ATS Junior Championship Advantage Tennis Strategies LLC Charles Wang Campus Athletic Fields Tennis Courts 6140 Northern Boulevard Muttontown, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate BG (12-14)s, SE Surface Type: Hard Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Sept. 10 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (917) 991-0088.

LITennisMag.com • September/October 2010 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

USTA/Long Island Region 2010

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. Friday-Sunday, September 24-26 L3 LBTC Eastern UPS Championship Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard • Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Novice BG (10-16)s, RR Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $43.50 per player for singles (deadline for entries is Friday, Sept. 17 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 432-6060. OCTOBER 2010 Friday-Sunday, October 1-3 & FridayMonday, October 8-11 +L1 Sportime Bethpage Eastern Designated Closed Championship, Level 4 FIC Sportime Tennis Bethpage 101 Norcross Avenue Bethpage, N.Y. Divisions: Grand Prix B (12)s, FIC; B (12)d, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 for first singles/$28 per player for doubles/an additional $25 for players qualifying or accepted directly to the main draw (deadline for entries is Monday, Sept. 20 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 933-8500. Friday-Sunday, October 1-3 & Friday-Monday, October 8-11 +L1 RWTTC Eastern Designated Closed Championship, Level 4 FIC Robbie Wagner Tournament Training Center 81 Round Hill Road Roslyn Heights, N.Y. Divisions: Grand Prix G (18)s, FIC; G (18)d, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.50 for first singles/$28 per player for doubles/an additional $20 for players qualifying or accepted directly to the main draw (deadline for entries is Monday, Sept. 20 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 759-0505. Friday-Sunday, October 1-3 & Friday-Monday, October 8-11 +L1 Point Set Eastern Designated Closed Championship, Level 4 FIC Point Set Indoor Racquet 3065 New Street • Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Grand Prix B (16)s, FIC; B (16)d, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.50 for first singles/$28 per player for doubles/an additional $25 for players qualifying or accepted directly to the main draw (deadline for entries is Monday, Sept. 20 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 536-2323.

Friday-Sunday, October 1-3 & Friday-Monday, October 8-11 +L1 PWTA Eastern Designated Closed Championship, Level 4 FIC Port Washington Tennis Academy 100 Harbor Road • Port Washington, N.Y. Divisions: Grand Prix G (16)s, FIC; G (16)d, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.50 for first singles/$28 per player for doubles/an additional $25 for players qualifying or accepted directly to the main draw (deadline for entries is Monday, Sept. 20 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 883-6425. Friday-Sunday, October 1-3 & Friday-Monday, October 8-11 +L1 Sportime Lynbrook Eastern Designated Closed Championship, Level 4 FIC Sportime Tennis Lynbrook 175 Merrick Road • Lynbrook, N.Y. Divisions: Grand Prix G (12)s, FIC; G (12)d, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $50 for first singles/$25 per player for doubles/an additional $25 for players qualifying or accepted directly to the main draw (deadline for entries is Monday, Sept. 20 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 887-1330. Friday-Sunday, October 1-3 Sportime Massapequa 3.0-3.5 Octoberfest Sportime Massapequa 5600 Old Sunrise Highway • Massapequa, N.Y. Divisions: NMW (3.0-4.0)sd, SE Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $38.13 per player For more information, call (516) 799-3550.

Friday-Sunday, October 8-10 L2R East End Doubles Championship Westhampton Beach Tennis & Sport Club 86 Depot Road • Westhampton Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate BG (12-16)d, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Sept. 24 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (631) 288-6060. Friday-Sunday, October 8-10 L2R Long Island Regional Sportime Roslyn Championship Sportime Roslyn Landing Road, P.O. Box 1 Roslyn, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate G (10-16)s, SE Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Sept. 24 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 484-9222. Friday-Monday, October 8-11 L2R Long Island Region Deer Park Tennis Deer Park Tennis Center Inc. 30 Burt Drive Deer Park, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate B(10-18)s Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Sept. 24 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (631) 667-3476.

Friday-Sunday, October 15-17 & October 22-24 +L1 RWTTC Eastern Designated Closed Championship Level 5 SE Saturday-Sunday, October 2-3 Robbie Wagner Tournament Training Center L3 Sportime Syosset Eastern UPS Championship 81 Round Hill Road Sportime-Syosset Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 75 Haskett Drive • Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Grand Prix BG (12)sd, SE Divisions: Novice: BG (12-14)s, RR Surface Type: Unknown Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $70.30 for singles players/$35.50 Entry Fee: $40 per player (deadline for entries per player for doubles (deadline for entries is is Saturday, Sept. 25 at 1:00 p.m.) Monday, Oct. 4 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 364-2727. For more information, call (516) 759-0505. Friday-Sunday, October 8-10 & October 15-17 L1 Huntington Indoor Championship Huntington Indoor Tennis 100 Broadway Street • Huntington Station, N.Y. Divisions: Championships BG (10)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Sept. 24 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (631) 421-0040.

Friday-Sunday, October 22-24 L3 Sportime Kings Park Eastern UPS Championship Sportime Kings Park 275 Old Indianhead Road • Kings Park, N.Y. Divisions: Novice BG (10-18)s, RR Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Oct. 18 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (631) 269-6300.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • September/October 2010 • LITennisMag.com

Friday-Sunday, October 22-24 L3 RWTT @Glenwood Landing Eastern UPS Championship Robbie Wagner Tournament Training Center 81 Round Hill Road Roslyn Heights, N.Y. Divisions: Novice BG (12-14)s, RR Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $40 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Oct. 15 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 759-0505. Friday-Sunday, October 29-31 & November 5-7 +L1 Sportime Bethpage Eastern Designated Closed Championship Level 5 FIC Sportime Tennis Bethpage 101 Norcross Avenue Bethpage, N.Y. Divisions: Grand Prix G (16)s, FIC Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player/ an additional $25 for players qualifying or accepted directly to the main draw (deadline for entries is Monday, Oct. 18 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 933-8500. Friday-Sunday, October 29-31 & November 5-7 +L1 RWTTC Eastern Designated Closed Championship Level 5 FIC Robbie Wagner Tournament Training Center 81 Round Hill Road Roslyn Heights, N.Y. Divisions: Grand Prix B (12, 16)s, FIC Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Oct. 18 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 759-0505. Friday-Sunday, October 29-31 L2R Sportime Syosset Championship Sportime-Syosset 75 Haskett Drive Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate BG (16-18)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $45 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Oct. 15 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 364-2727.

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