Long Island Tennis Magazine - January/February 2012 by United Sports Publications, Ltd.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • LITennisMag.com

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By Luke Jensen By Luke Jensen The late season surge from Roger Federer winning his last three tournaments of the year (Basel, Paris and London) show tremendous signs that the player of the last decade will be ready to make a run for the top spot again in 2012. Federer did not win a Grand Slam title in 2011 and was part of two major collapses. Roger lost to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at Wimbledon after leading two sets to love. At this year’s U.S. Open, Federer was serving with double match point and lost to eventual winner Novak Djokovic. At the age of 30, it seemed like father time was about to close the Fed Funhouse. There are tough times for every player at any level of play. Times where the way you lose can cut deeper than other losses … time when you choke or let up during big points and in an instant, the match slips away. These losses will never leave you and will sting for a long time. I have found that what a player does after such losses separates the true competitors from the chokers in our sport. Roger showed me something that we can all learn from. After two devastating Grand Slam losses, it seemed to me that instead of doubting his game, he simplified it. Roger went back to his core strengths and finished 2012 on a confident roll. Roger is a very dynamic and complex player with unlimited options. With so many options and the losses to Rafael Nadal and Djokovic, I believe Federer lost sight of what truly makes him great. Roger wins most of his points from big serving and big forehand play. After losses in big matches, I would hear comments that Roger should serve

and volley, Roger needs to come over his backhand more often, etc. To be honest, I would agree to some point, but the Fed dynasty was built on two massive weapons: The serve and the forehand. The three events Fed just won were a throwback to the Fed tactics of old. Roger beat Nadal 3-0 in London with an executioner’s mindset. The first serve set up the big forehand. The return of serve and backhand groundstrokes played solid. This allowed the weapons to dish out the pain on Nadal. “The Federer Approach” is one that you can use in your own game. I often see players stressed about their weaknesses. They spend so much time on what they don’t do well instead of what they win points with. Sharpen the saw and spend more time with your weapons that win you matches. Don’t take your weapons for granted and develop them even more for better results!

Roger did not win a Grand Slam in 2011, but with the focus on the core strength of his game, look for more major titles for Fed in 2012. Don’t play big … play MASSIVE! Born in Grayling, Mich., Luke Jensen is head coach of the Syracuse University Women’s Tennis Team. Jensen’s resume includes 10 ATP Tour doubles titles and singles victories against Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Ivan Lendl, John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg and Jim Courier. Jensen and his brother, Murphy, won the 1993 French Open doubles title. He was also a member of the 1991 and 1992 Davis Cup Teams. His ambidextrous play, including his ability to serve the ball with either hand at 130 mph, earned him the nickname “Dual Hand Luke.” He may be reached by phone at (315) 443-3552 or e-mail lbjensen@syr.edu.

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LITennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

January/February 2012 Volume 4, Number 1 Long Island Tennis Magazine 1220 Wantagh Avenue • Wantagh, NY 11793-2202 Phone: (516) 409-4444 • Fax: (516) 409-4600 Web site: www.litennismag.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS Cover story Cover photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

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

As 2012 gets underway, we take a look at the top U.S. hopefuls, Mardy Fish and Serena Williams, who will be competing in an open field of contenders, pretenders and sleepers all seeking Grand Slam glory at the Australian Open.

Andrew T. Berman Vice President/Sales (516) 409-4444, ext. 333 • andrew@usptennis.com Eric C. Peck Editor-in-Chief (516) 409-4444, ext. 312 • eric@usptennis.com Joey Arendt Managing Art Director

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2011 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

24 Your Guide to Long Island’s Top Clubs This month, we take a look at the area’s top facilities, including Bethpage Park Tennis Center, Carefree Racquet Club, Eastern Athletic, Glen Head Racquet Club, Great Neck Estates Tennis Club, Long Beach Tennis Center, Point Set Indoor Racquet Club, Robbie Wagner Tournament Training, Rockville Racquet Club, Ross School Tennis Center, SPORTIME and the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

54 2011 Girls High School Nassau & Suffolk Season Recap A look back at the year in girl’s high school tennis on Long Island, from the controversy surrounding the Long Island Championship, to two Long Islanders battling it out for the 2011 State Championship.

Anthony Pastecchi Editorial Coordinator (516) 409-4444, ext. 314 • anthony@usptennis.com Emilie Katz Marketing Coordinator Tara Cook Billing Coordinator (516) 409-4444, ext. 324 Brent Shearer Editorial Contributor

Gary Simeone Editorial Contributor

David Drucker Editorial Contributor

Ken Goldberg Photographer

Advertising To receive any information regarding advertising rates, deadlines, and requirements, contact David Sickmen at (516) 409-4444, ext. 309 or e-mail david@usptennis.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@usptennis.com. The deadline for submissions is the first of the month preceding the target issue.

Subscriptions To receive subscription information, contact (516) 409-4444 or e-mail info@usptennis.com or check out our Web site: www.litennismag.com. Fax subscription changes to (516) 409-1600. Statements of fact and opinion in Long Island Tennis Magazine are the responsibility of the authors alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of United Sports Publications Ltd. Long Island Tennis Magazine reserves the right to edit, reject and/or postpone the publication of any articles, information or data.

2 2

Feature Stories

Jon Blake Advertising Coordinator (516) 409-4444, ext. 301 • jonb@usptennis.com Michael Sarro Director of Business Development (516) 409-4444, ext. 330 • michael@usptennis.com

Fish and Serena Lead American Hopefuls Down Under

Additional Features 3 4 12 14 33 34 35 42 53 64

Collegiate Tennis Hopefuls Brave Early Winter Weather to Attend 25th Annual College Showcase Day By Michael Sarro Tennis Pro Grinds Out a Living on the Tour By Bobby Calise Professional Stringing: What Makes It So Different? By Roman Prokes First Set’s a Dream … Match Turns Into a Nightmare By Lawrence Kleger Winter Care and Maintenance Tips for Your Tennis Court Color Surface By Kevin J. Healion, CTCB Long Island Tennis Magazine’s Adult Player Spotlight: Caroline Bloom Win More Matches With the Rule of 2 By Miguel Cervantes III A Look Back at the 2011 Tennis Season By Emilie Katz Long Island Tennis Magazine’s Coaches Spotlight: Jordie Dolberg So You Think You Are Entitled? Think Again! By Lonnie Mitchel

Columns 1 6 16 18 22 32 38 48 49 50 52 63 65 66 68 71

The Jensen Zone By Luke Jensen Match Point … But How? Five Steps to Closing Out a Match By Rob Polishook, MA, CPC Court Six: Long Island Tennis Magazine’s Gossip Column By Emilie Katz USTA Eastern Long Island Region Recap College Tennis Spotlight: Mythbusters … Focusing Your Attention on Tennis Will Negatively Affect Your College Options By Ricky Becker Dr. Tom on the Secret to Success By Dr. Tom Ferraro Good to Great: A Model for Safely Building the Tennis Champions of Tomorrow (Part III) By Steve Kaplan Fitness and Nutrition: Four Steps to Improving Your Speed on the Court By Frank Dolan, CSCS Fitness and Nutrition: Super Foods and Snacks for Sports By Irina Belfer-Lehat Adult League Recap By Kathy Miller The Sand Pit By Anthony Pastecchi Long Island Tennis Magazine’s Literary Corner: Rafa By John Carlin and Rafael Nadal By Brent Shearer Off the Court Directory Long Island Tennis Club Directory Long Island Ranking, Sponsored by Denny’s USTA/Long Island Region 2012 Tournament Schedule

Collegiate Tennis Hopefuls Brave Early Winter Weather to Attend 25th Annual College Showcase Day By Michael Sarro n the day after New York saw its biggest snow storm in October since 1979, more than 110 high school juniors and seniors, their parents, and more than 40 college coaches braved the treacherous roads to attend the 25th Annual College Showcase Day held at the Saw Mill Club in Mt. Kisco, N.Y. For 25 years, USTA/Eastern has held the event to inform local high school students about playing college tennis. Among the local schools in attendance were: Manhattan College, Queens College, CW Post, City College, Purchase College, Manhattanville College and Yeshiva University. At the event, high school juniors participated in drills and attended special workshops. High school seniors played in a round-robin tournament and were able to have lunch with college coaches and also attend the College Showcase. Topics discussed ranged from scholarships, club tennis, why a specific school/team would be the right fit for a specific player and how to weigh what is important to a player in conjunction with a specific team or school. Leading the seminar discussions were USTA college experts, as well as past attendees of the event who now

play college tennis. “For 25 years, the College Showcase has been a great opportunity for students who want to play on a college tennis team, but don’t know where, or how to get there,” said Julie Bliss, director of competition and player development for USTA/Eastern. “And, we enjoy helping students learn about the opportunities that are out there and get noticed by college coaches.” One local student/athlete, Cory Seltman from Commack High School, was on hand in hopes of getting an idea of what the whole process entails. “I came here to get a feel about the whole process and see what options are out there for me,” said Seltman. When asked if he felt attending the event was worth it he replied, “It was definitely worth it. My opinion has completely changed as now I just want to find a college that fits me personally. I don’t care if it’s Division I, II or III ... I don’t care as much about the level of the tennis team anymore as much as whether the school and team are in fact the right fit for me.”

During the playing portion of the day, it might have been difficult at times for the players on the courts to impress the coaches as the lights went out on occasion in the bubble due to the lingering effects of the storm. You would think that would deter most people from continuing, but not these kids as many had travelled a good distance to display their talents. Enduring these difficult elements showed the coaches what these young athletes were made of as they definitely left lasting impressions. Michael Sarro is director of business development for United Sports Publications Ltd. He may be reached by phone at (516) 409-4444, ext. 330 or e-mail michael@usptennis.com.

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LITennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Tennis Pro Grinds Out a Living on the Tour By Bobby Calise Roger Federer, arguably the greatest men’s tennis player of all time, has earned about $3 million in 2011, not including endorsements. His rival, Rafael Nadal, has made in excess of $6 million, and top-ranked Novak Djokovic, who recently completed a historic season that included three major titles, has pocketed nearly $11 million. If you are one of the top men’s players in the world, a career in tennis can be pretty lucrative. But what if you’re the 978th ranked player in the world? “I am losing money most weeks,” said Peter Aarts, a professional tennis player from Pound Ridge (Westchester County), N.Y. The

24-year-old Aarts turned pro in August 2009 after graduating from the University of Michigan three months prior with a degree in English. “Maybe if you are 300th in the world, you can break even if you are wise and a little frugal,” said Aarts. Though Aarts’ singles rank is in the 900s, he has been ranked as high as 391st in the world in doubles, rotating with three or four different doubles partners depending on who’s in town that week. Like many American college students who graduated into the recession, Aarts’ career options were limited. He says several of his classmates from Michigan had committed to finance jobs during senior year, only to find out those positions were eliminated before they could claim them. So for Aarts, the decision to turn pro was easier than it might have been.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • LITennisMag.com

And yes, playing tennis for a living beats job hunting, resume tweaking, and cover letter writing, but it’s still, unmistakably, work. “It’s the biggest grind you can imagine,” said Aarts, who travels 31 to 32 weeks a year playing tournaments in the U.S. and abroad. His playing schedule is a mix of “Challengers” and “Futures,” the second and third tiers of professional tennis tournaments below the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), which includes majors like the U.S. Open and Wimbledon. Like many pros at his level, Aarts may as well add “Travel Agent” to his resume. He spends hours on end researching flights online and filing the paperwork for international visas when necessary. “I usually only book one-way flights,” said Aarts, because he never knows when he’ll be

leaving—it all depends on how long he survives in a given tournament. “Some days I wake up and I forget what city I’m in.” In 2010, Aarts played five tournaments in five weeks in India and China. He also plays in South and Central America as often as he can—the cost of living is more favorable than in the U.S., tournaments are frequent there, and he speaks Spanish. The entry fees for Challengers and Futures tournaments are about $40, and the prize pool for most tournaments is typically either $10,000 or $15,000, split among all participants. Meaning, if a player wins a $10,000 tournament, he’ll only take home about $1,300, with the rest of the money to be distributed among the other participants based on where they finish. To help pay for his travel expenses, Aarts has a group of sponsors made up of family friends and other supporters who have known him for most of his tennis life. Some sponsors have contributed money, and one even chipped in with frequent flier miles. At one point, Aarts had set himself up as a limited liability corporation, borrowing that idea from his former assistant coach at Michi-

gan, Michael Kosta. Aarts has since dissolved the LLC, though he maintains the partnership with his sponsors (Kosta is now a working stand-up comedian in Los Angeles). Aarts’ arrangement with his sponsors is as follows: They keep him afloat financially and in exchange, they receive the lion’s share of his earnings. Once his sponsors have recouped their initial investments, the percentages flip and he keeps the majority of his winnings. Retaining a full-time coach is another luxury common to the top players. But at Aarts’ level, it takes four or five players like himself to pool their resources and hire a coach, whose services they then share for as long as they can afford it—sometimes just for a week at a time. “And sometimes,” Aarts said, “you just have to figure it out on your own.” The six-ft. three-in., 185-lbs., Aarts started the 2011 season hoping to crack the top 600 in singles, which, with his current ranking, could be difficult but not impossible with about two months to go. In his estimation, there’s not much disparity in skill level between the 200th ranked singles player and the 1,000th. The trick, he says, is maintaining a high level of play for longer stretches over the

course of the season. “Anyone can have one or two good weeks,” said Aarts. The question is, “How can I have one or two good months?” Aarts plans to sit down with his sponsors at the end of the year to evaluate his finances, but says he wants to continue playing professionally through 2012, with a goal of competing in the qualifying tournament for the 2012 U.S. Open. “Right now, there is nothing that I would rather do tomorrow than get up and be able to try and push myself to become a little better,” said Aarts. Bobby Calise is former U.S. Open ballboy and Division III tennis player. Today, he’s a media professional and freelance writer whose work spans sports, culture, business, travel and personal essays. If he’s not blogging or tweeting, he’s probably at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center hitting with his former college doubles partner. More of his writing can be found on his personal blog, “The 250 Square Foot View.” He may be reached by e-mail at BobbyCalise@gmail.com.

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Match Point ... But How? Five Steps to Closing Out a Match

By Rob Polishook, Mental Training Coach MA, CPC

ow many times have you found yourself in a match in which you were just a few points or games from winning? Maybe the score was 6-3, 5-2, and you began to think, “This is great. I’m going to be the champion!” or, “Only four more points and the trophy’s mine!” or even, “My friends are going to think I’m the greatest when I win.” In another situation, you might be even closer to the “finish line.” Maybe this time, you are leading 6-2, 54 and serving in the crucial last game when you began to think, “Just one more game.” All weekend warriors, tournament players and professional players have had these thoughts. The question becomes, “How many of them have succumbed to such thoughts and went on to lose the match?” The answer is, “Many!” While it is true that many professionals and top-ranked players may lose their focus during critical times in a match, the truly mentally tough competitors become aware when this happens and are able to change and regain their focus immediately.

Paradoxically, losing focus is not horrible. In fact, it is a natural occurrence. The key is being aware that you lost your focus and then changing it to bring yourself back to the present. The problem is that when it’s happening, you may swear that you are concentrating. And you probably are—just on the wrong thing. Focusing on the events of the future immediately removes you from the present moment and takes you to a place where you have no control. Furthermore, as your thoughts drift into the future, you lose touch with what’s really important and what brought you to this point: Playing without thinking, relying on your feel and natural instincts, and trusting your game—the game that got you to this moment in the first place. When you lose focus, you are not only in the wrong “time zone” mentally, but you also begin to get tight physiologically as the blood flow is diverted away from your hands and feet toward your deeper muscle groups, and your breathing becomes labored instead of deep and rhythmic. Next comes a loss of feel for your strokes: You are no

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • LITennisMag.com

longer focused on what you can control, but begin worrying about your opponent, what others are going to say, and how you will explain the loss. All of these physiological responses, combined with future-oriented thinking, cause your game to spiral more out of control, particularly as you lose the next point and gasp for breath, grip the racket tighter, and try to find that elusive feel you had earlier. So, what can a player do? No doubt this is a difficult situation, but by employing the following five mental-toughness strategies— especially when you find your game spiraling out of control—you can give yourself the opportunity to get back on track and turn things around: Become aware The first step to combating loss of focus is to become aware that you have indeed lost it. When we talk about “concentration” in the sports arena, we are referring to the ability to focus on what’s important and let go of everything else. All players lose their focus at times; it’s inevitable. The truly mentally tough players, however, understand this. They don’t beat themselves up when it happens and they immediately bring their focus back to what they can control. Remember Arthur Ashe in the 1975 Wimbledon final against Jimmy Connors at changeovers? That towel over his head served as a blanket that allowed him to center himself and bring his attention back to the present moment. Refocus on the present This is imperative, but where do you begin? First off, know that it takes a lot of courage and discipline to mentally refocus. However, what’s the alternative? A free fall! To refocus, bring your attention to your breath. Your breath is always completely

present: Just listen to it and its rhythm, sound, and feel as it enters and leaves your body. Or, visualize yourself breathing relaxation in and breathing stress out, slowly letting go of the stressful air as you visualize it dissipating, like on a cold morning. Another present-moment awareness exercise is to breathe in through your nose to the count of three (if possible) and out through your mouth to the count of four. Or make up your own pattern. These relaxing breathing patterns will help you to stay calm, relaxed and mentally present during the most difficult transitional moments of a match. Other present-moment exercises to try include visualizing the feel of a shot, your rhythm, target zones, and shot patterns. These can all act as “anchors” to make you feel calm. Change focus Inevitably, athletes tend to lose focus when they think about a future moment, such as what might happen on the next point. Thinking about the consequences of a weak shot, or even of an injury or stressor that occurred on or off the court, might also cause you to lose your concentration. The key here is to recognize this loss of

focus and bring yourself back to something that you can control. Let go of winning and of expectations Remember, you cannot control whether you win or lose, or whether or not you hit a winner—your opponent has a say in that. Likewise, you cannot control the expectations others have of you. Paradoxically, the harder you try to close out the match point and win, the more physically tight you will become. Just play each point the best you can; if you do this, you will put yourself in the best position to win. If you don’t win, you can walk away feeling positive about your effort. Trust the process Bring your attention to what you have to do to win the crucial point, which might include staying relaxed, returning the ball deep, or serving into your opponent’s backhand. Ask yourself what it would feel like to hit a great serve. Your body knows; now is the time to trust it. Then ask yourself what it would feel like to play this point relaxed, and instinctually you will feel a release. In The Inner Game of Tennis: The

Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performance, author W. Timothy Gallwey talks about letting your body play the way it knows how to without interference from your (thinking) brain. Using the strategies suggested above will provide you the best possible chance of winning the next point or game and closing out the match. That’s because they help you to begin the point in a calm and relaxed, in-the-moment place. Remember, match point … relax! Now you know how! Rob Polishook, MA, CPC is the founder and director of Inside the Zone Sports Performance Group. As a mental training coach he works with athletes and teams of all levels. His work focuses on helping athletes gain the mental edge and letting go of blocks which get in the way of peak performance. He is a USTA Zonal Coach and has spoken and been published for the USTA, USPTA and ITA. Additionally, he has conducted workshops nationally and internationally in India and Israel. He may be reached by phone at (973) 7230314, e-mail rob@insidethezone or visit www.insidethezone.com.

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

2012 Australian Open

PREVIEW Fish and Serena Lead American Hopefuls

DOWN UNDER M

ardy Fish is now the top-ranked American in the world, surpassing Andy Roddick who held the distinction as the top-ranked American for a number of years. Fish has been playing the best tennis of his life as of late, and despite a lack of success in years past at the Australian Open, Fish is arguably America’s best hope to raise the men’s singles title this year at 2012’s first Grand Slam event. In 2012, Fish will be looking to improve upon his early round defeats in the last couple of Australian Opens. In 2010, Fish was upset in the first round and Fish fell in the second round to Tommy Robredo of Spain, 6–1, 3–6, 3–6, 3–6 last year. Fish’s best result in Melbourne came in 2007 when he was a quarterfinalist.

n the women’s side, American hopes for the 2012 Australian Open crown will rest on the shoulders of six-time Australian Open champion, Serena Williams, who is trying to return to the top of the women’s rankings after a difficult year of injuries, including a serious career-threatening pulmonary embolism. Serena will return to Melbourne this year for the first Photo credit: time since winning her fourth consecutive Kenneth B. Goldberg title in 2010 after missing 2011 due to injury. A powerful serve and fiery groundstrokes makes Serena a favorite to hoist the tournament trophy once again. In early 2003, Serena beat her older sister, Venus, to claim her first Australian Open title. Her “Serena Slam,” as she called her four Grand Slam victories, made her the fifth woman in history to win all four Grand Slams consecutively.

This is the new Mardy Fish though. This is the Mardy Fish who reached a career high ranking of number seven on the ATP Tour in 2011 and is currently the eighth-ranked men’s tennis player in the world. This is the Mardy Fish who was a quarterfinalist at the 2011 Wimbledon Championships which was his best result in the grass court major. This is the Mardy Fish who won the U.S. Open Series before losing a tough five-setter in the fourth round of the 2011 U.S. Open to Jo-Wilfred Tsonga of France. Fish has a great all-around game, and on the hard courts of Melbourne, he is a serious threat to match his career-best quarterfinals appearance and possibly advance further. With Roddick slumping, and fellow countrymen John Isner and Sam Querrey not quite ready yet to take it to the next level, look for Fish to be the USA’s best hope this year.

At the 2005 Australian Open, Serena emerged from the tennis doldrums, as she defeated Amelie Mauresmo, Maria Sharapova and Lindsay Davenport to claim the title for the second time. In 2006, she fell out of the WTA top 50 after exiting the Australian Open in the third round. Her slide continued unabated, and later that year, she fell out of the top 100 for the first time in her career. The 2007 Australian Open women’s singles final saw Serena bounce back to her best as she crushed Sharapova in straight sets. Serena also won the 2008 and 2009 Australian Open titles, and 2010 saw Serena’s success “down under” continue as she claimed her fourth consecutive Australian Open title. After battling through injuries in 2011, she returned with an appearance in the 2011 U.S. Open Finals where she was beaten by Australian Samantha Stosur, 2-6, 3-6. In 2012, Serena looks to right the ship and her journey begins January in Australia.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • LITennisMag.com

2012 Australian Open

PREVIEW Grand Slam Season Kicks Off With 2012 Australian Open By David Drucker Djokovic looks to build off record-breaking 2011 Down Under Another year of tennis is now in the books and we say goodbye to the season of 2011. A season in which we saw one of the most dominating displays of tennis by Serbian Novak Djokovic, who racked up three out of four Grand Slam titles. One of those was the Australian Open last January in which he dismantled Great Britain’s Andy Murray in straight sets. This year’s Australian Open will be a tournament in which we have a lot of questions going in, dating back to a lot of different storylines from the end of 2011. First and foremost, can Djokovic carry his dominant form from 2011 into 2012 and successfully defend his title? It looked as if after winning the U.S. Open, Djokovic had run out of steam. Who can blame him as the number one ranked Serb was 65-2 by the U.S. Open’s end. From thereafter, Djokovic went 6-4 to

finish out the year, failing to make it past the round-robin stages of the year-ending championships in London. It was obvious that Djokovic was spent and needed to shut it down until 2012. Rafael Nadal of Spain struggled this year according to his standards, winning only one Grand Slam, of course on his favorite surface at Roland Garros. The now ranked world number two, Nadal will be entering the 2012 Australian Open on a high note, after just clinching the Davis Cup title for Spain over Argentina. It was apparent as well, that the Spanish warrior seemed to be suffering from fatigue late in the tennis season, hence his failure to make it past round-robin play at the year ending championships as well. Believe it or not, Nadal failed to win a tournament after winning the French Open back in May. Switzerland’s Roger Federer ironically proved many fans wrong with his level of

play at the season’s end, capturing three straight titles in Basel, Paris and London to end his 2011 season on a high note after a set of disappointing Grand Slam showings. Federer was denied a Grand Slam by the likes of Nadal, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and twice by Djokovic. However, it was Federer who showed no signs of slowing down at the end of the season, which makes him one of the players to think about as a favorite heading into the Australian Open. The men’s side: The contenders … Novak Djokovic is your obvious contender heading into the 2012 Australian Open. The only thing that looked to be Photo credit: wrong with Djokovic Kenneth B. Goldberg as the 2011 season wound down was fatigue. Once Djokovic

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LITennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

2012 Australian Open

PREVIEW rests up, gets recharged and re-energized, there should be no reason why he cannot repeat as champion. When healthy, focused and motivated, Djokovic was unbeatable and simply too much to handle for anyone in 2011. Even players such as Federer and Nadal, who went a combined 1-8 against the Serb in 2011 could barely slow him down. Look for Djokovic to go far once again down under. Rafael Nadal has to be the next contender in line as he is hungry for another Grand Slam and a possible shot at the top-ranked Djokovic. Although Nadal faltered in five straight finals against Djokovic in 2011, he seems to be able to Photo credit: make it far into the Kenneth B. Goldberg Slams. One would think the Nadal clan will regroup in the offseason, and come out with a vengeance at the start of 2012 and make a statement. Nadal, who won the Australian Open in 2009, knows he can win on this surface, and will look to regroup and recapture what was once his in Melbourne. The men’s side: The pretenders … Unfortunately for Great Britain’s Andy Murray, it was another year without a Grand Slam. The closest we saw Photo credit: Murray come to Kenneth B. Goldberg winning a title was at last year’s Australian Open final, but he was quickly dismissed by Djokovic. For Murray, there is a ray of light as the Brit turned up his level of play at the end of the 2011 season with convincing wins over both Djokovic and Nadal. However, Murray faltered in his home country once more, failing to make it out of round-robin play at the 10

year ending championships in London, withdrawing with a leg injury. Look for Murray to make it no further than the semifinals. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France will be playing the role of pretender in this year’s Australian Open as well. Tsonga, who had some quality wins in 2011 over players like Federer Photo credit: and Nadal, is still too much Kenneth B. Goldberg of a risk to put him into the contender’s pool. Tsonga can be due for a big win in the quarterfinals or semifinals, but then seems to come up short the round after, such as at Wimbledon 2011. The men’s side: The sleepers … You may be wondering whether or not it’s a good thing that Roger Federer is considered a sleeper going into a Grand Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg Slam. Federer, being labeled a sleeper, should pretty much be an oxymoron. For the past seven and a half years, the Swiss legend has been a contender for every single Grand Slam he’s played in. This year, he goes into the Australian Open on a seven-Slam drought streak, hence his status as a sleeper. Again, going back to the way Federer finished off his 2011 season, his chances in Australia to pick up Grand Slam number 17 had to have increased. David Ferrer needs to be mentioned as well with the way he finished off his 2011 season. The Spaniard showed his fierce competitive play at the year-ending championships in London with back-to-

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • LITennisMag.com

back wins over Murray and Djokovic, both in convincing fashion. Ferrer, who just recently rallied to defeat Juan Martin del Potro in the Davis Cup finals, adds that to his list of quality wins towards the end of 2011. Look for Ferrer to continue his hot streak down in Australia where the Spaniard will be grinding every point out like he usually does. Women’s field wide open going into Australian Open The 2011 women’s tennis season was one in which we saw the rise of new talent, the resurgence of a legend, and a bunch of conversation on who the real number one in the world is. Each Grand Slam saw a different champion; none of which were won by world number one Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark. Belgium’s Kim Clijsters, who many have forgotten about thanks to a string of injuries at the end of 2011, is the defending champion down under. Clijsters should be healed and ready to go at the year’s first Grand Slam and looks to make a run at her ninth Grand Slam title. Of all the players in the women’s field, there seems to be a lack of domination such as the type of play we saw from Novak Djokovic on the men’s side. The women’s field saw spurts of greatness from players such as Li Na of China, Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic, Sam Stosur of Australia and Serena Williams of the United States. Going into the Australian Open, all of these players have a reasonable shot at winning the title. Other players, like world number one-ranked Caroline Wozniacki, Russia’s Maria Sharapova and Italy’s Francesca Schiavone, should be mentioned in the conversation as well. The women’s side: The contenders … Serena Williams is hungry for another grand slam plain and simple. Serena was one match

2012 Australian Open

PREVIEW short of winning her third U.S. Open title before she was upended by Stosur. After missing most of 2011 due to a list of severe injuries, Serena will definitely be on the prowl for her sixth Australian Open title starting in 2012. Petra Kvitova may not be a name you’ve heard of too often, but believe me, you will sooner rather than later. Kvitova, who hails from the Czech Republic came out of nowhere at the 2011 Wimbledon Championships capturing her first ever Grand Slam. She maintained a consistent level of play thereafter, and dominated her way through the year ending championships in Istanbul, Turkey. With that title, the Czech has risen to a career-best number two in the world and will look to continue to do damage at the start of the 2012 season. The women’s side: The pretenders … Caroline Wo z n i a c k i seems to be buckling under the pressure of living up to Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg world number one expectations. The top-ranked Dane went without a Grand Slam in 2011, failing to get past the semifinals in all four tournaments. Wozniacki, although consistent outside of Grand Slam play, cannot seem to find her best talent when she needs it at crunch time late in a Grand Slam. For that reason, Wozniacki remains a pretender in the women’s field until she can win one of the big four.

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus is another up and coming player who cannot seem to capitalize in the late stages of a Grand Slam either. Azarenka is one of the most focused and determined players on the court, but seems to lack the knockout blow. The feistiness that Azarenka possesses will definitely lead her to some quality wins in her career, and perhaps even a Slam, but for now, the competition seems to be too tough for her to break through against the likes of Serena, Clijsters, and Kvitova. The women’s side: The sleepers … Samantha Stosur of Australia, who finally broke through at the end of the 2011 season by defeating Serena in the finals of the 2011 U.S. Open for her first ever Grand Slam, will be flying under the radar in her native

Australia for 2012’s first Grand Slam. Stosur who possesses all the talent there is to win multiple Slams has failed to do so mentally. When on her game, firing on all cylinders, the Aussie is unbeatable. When faced with hardship at a difficult spot in a match, how she reacts will be the determinant in whether she can continue to make a name for herself in Grand Slam play. Don’t forget about Russian Maria Sharapova who turned up her level of play at the end of 2011 as well. Although she didn’t win a Grand Slam, she came pretty close, and posted a good deal of consistent wins throughout the season. Don’t count the big hitting Russian out of making her way through the field where she’s already done so once before in 2008. David Drucker is an intern with Long Island Tennis Magazine and is a member of the Nichols College Men’s Tennis team.

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Professional Stringing: What Makes It So Different? By Roman Prokes Stringing tennis racquets is a true art form. The stringing process is not as uniform and simple as it may seem. Players often believe that stringing is a non-differentiated good/service like milk or gasoline. If the octane of gas or style of milk is the same, then there is no real difference from company to company other than price. This could not be any further from the truth with racquet stringing. As there are mammoth differences in end product when dealing with a top chef versus a fast food worker, stringers are similarly an integral force of how your racquet plays. A stringer’s knowledge, experience, technique, skill, etc. all play a fundamental role in the end product. Here are some key factors to consider when getting your racquet serviced: The stringing machine Stringing machines vary in price, and can range anywhere from $100 to upwards of $10,000. With such a vast range comes a hefty discrepancy in quality. Stringing machines must have sufficient mounts to stabilize a racquet during the stringing process.

The mounts prevent racquet cracking and warping, and not all machines provide the same number of mounts. The power behind the tension head differs as well. Electronic machines provide higher accuracy as crank and drop weight machines are largely subject to human imprecision. The most advanced stringing machine to date is the Wilson Baiardo which I was fortunate enough to be a part of the At the 2011 U.S. Open, the world’s record was set as 490 tennis design process. This machine is racquets were strung in one day so unique because it is ergonomically built with hydraulics, features superior clamps, has six balanced mounts, and a fully computerized tensioning system for stunningly precise stringing. As the saying goes, “You can tell a lot about a person from their shoes,” well check your stringer’s machine because they walk around in it every day. The pattern The most undervalued and un- RPNY Tennis at the 2011 U.S. Open known part of stringing is the

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • LITennisMag.com

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pattern. The pattern refers to the order in which a stringer weaves string throughout the racquet. Most people do not realize that the only pattern a racquet should be strung is from the head to the throat (i.e. top to bottom). Most people also don’t realize that this does not happen naturally with a standard string pattern. Ninety-five percent of stringers perform a standard pattern on the racquet, and thus 95 percent of stringers do not do the job properly. The problem with standard patterns is that it can cause racket warping, significant loss of tension, uneven tension, string shearing, frame cracking at the throat, off-center string breakage, and several other problems. Numerous companies consider stringing in that pattern as a void of warranty because it can be so damag-

A view from beneath a racket on the stringing machine ing. The other five percent of professional stringers are educated in avoiding harmful patterns. I am still baffled that such a chief part of stringing is unfamiliar to a large part of the tennis community. Check with your stringer the next time you go in for service that they utilize the correct pattern or you may be surprised at the damage already occurring in your racquet. The stringer’s consistency A stringer’s consistency is simply defined at how reproducible their results are. Stringing a racquet is a series of hundreds of little steps. Professional stringers are best at methodically recreating the steps in the same exact way to produce machinelike results. Professional stringers make a science of systematically ordering everything. They clean the machine routinely for consistent output, adjust the clamps for minimal wear, repair grommets for optimal string life, apply pads/tubing and use efficiency to eliminate damage to the overall frame. With the utmost feel, playability, durability and performance why would you have your racquet serviced any other way? Professional stringers spend years to learn their craft for the benefit of the player. Players need only find a professional stringer to make sure that their racquet is serviced correctly. You probably already use this care when buying cars, food, clothes, electronics, etc. Why not be a knowledgeable consumer and do the same when it comes to tennis. Roman Prokes is a racket technician guru. He has over three decades of experience in the industry. He works with several of the top touring professionals on the ATP and WTA Tours. He can be found at RPNY Tennis in Robbie Wagner Tournament Training, NYC, Citiview Racquet Club, and other locations. He may be reached by phone at (516) 759-5200 or visit RPNYTennis.com.

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First Set s a Dream … Match Turns Into a Nightmare By Lawrence Kleger Do you ever win the first set easy and lose in three? Of course! It happens to every competitive player at some point in time. The scenario goes something like this … You start the match against a very good player totally pumped-up and ready to kick butt! Your focus and concentration are at their highest levels. You move as though you were gliding on air. You get to every ball and execute each shot to perfection. The ball looks the size of a beach ball and appears to be moving in slow motion. The service boxes on your opponent’s side look like football fields and you make 85 percent of your first serves. Your only bad shot hits the top of the net and dribbles over for a winner. The pros call this being “In the Zone,” And you stay “In the Zone” for the entire first set; which lasts 12 min. You win 6-0 and you’re thinking, “This is great!” The second set begins with you holding serve, as you did in the first set but not without a struggle, 1-0. The next game is a long one in which your opponent records his first ace and you make your first two unforced errors It’s all tied up 1-1, no big deal. You serve the third game and start with your first double fault. You follow with a volley error and then witness two winners by your opponent that Rafael Nadal would never have returned. Now you’re down 1-2. The fourth game goes to deuce six times and your opponent holds serve when a let cord dribbles over on your side on game point to make it 1-3. You get broken at love and change ends at 1-4 trying to figure out, “Just what is going on?” You 14

think that you are playing the same as in the first set, but lose the second set 4-6. “I can’t believe I just split sets with this knucklehead that I beat 6-0 in the first set! A score of 6-0 didn’t even indicate how badly I mushed this guy! I was about to play the second set lefty!” You go out to play the third set muttering, “I can’t believe this … I suck!” You know the rest. You lose the third 6-3 and you are at a loss to explain just how it happened. Friends and relatives politely say, “Nice match,” but you just keep telling yourself, “I was up 6-0, 1-0, cruising!” What really happened? Let’s go back to that marvelous first set and look at it objectively. While it was obvious to you that you were tennis perfection, maybe not so obvious was that your opponent’s poor play and/or bad strategy might have contributed to the one-sided score. It is possible that your opponent came out tight and could not establish any rhythm or timing. Maybe your opponent underestimated you, and temporarily, could not find any answers to your shot-making onslaught. Maybe the first set was not a true indication of the relative abilities of the players. Remember that you started the match psyched-up to play “a very good player.” Ask yourself these questions: If you felt like you played a perfect set, isn’t it a little bit unreasonable to expect to play perfect tennis throughout the entire match? Is it not reasonable to expect your opponent, down a set, to make adjustments and improve his level of play? Would you not expect him to change a losing strategy and to fight harder in the second set? Every match has ebb and flow, peaks and valleys … stretches where you can’t do anything wrong and some where nothing goes

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • LITennisMag.com

right. A good competitor understands this and works hard to maintain an emotional balance. He does not become overly seduced by his play “In the Zone;” and likewise, does not get mentally down by a stretch of misfortune. The good competitor is always prepared for the unpredictability of a tennis match. He is not intimidated by the possibility of his opponent turning it around; he is challenged by it. If he wins the first set easy, he expects the next set to be tough. A good competitor never loses his respect for an opponent’s ability to compete. When you win an easy first set against a strong opponent, acknowledge it, be proud of it, and then expect the rest of the match to be a heck of a lot tougher. If you prepare yourself mentally to win a war, you won’t be thrown so much when you lose any of the battles. Lawrence Kleger is nationally-acclaimed as a unique talent in junior development. As the director of Sportime’s Excel Tennis Camps each summer and of the Elite development program each winter, Lawrence has trained hundreds of sectionally- and nationally-ranked juniors. His knowledge, experience and keen “eye” help Lawrence to produce players who are fundamentally, technically and mechanically sound. His commitment to true sportsmanship and proper tennis etiquette has produced 13 USTA/Eastern year-end Sportsmanship Award winners. Lawrence is one of a select group of coaches invited to attend two levels of the USA High Performance Coaching Program. He was named the 2006 USTA/Eastern Section Long Island Section Tennis Professional of the Year. Lawrence’s campers have captured more than 70 USTA National Championships. He may be reached by phone at (516) 938-6076.

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Distribution scheduled for 03/01/12 This edition will feature:

• Guide to Long Island’s Top Tennis Camps • BNP Paribas Showdown at MSG • Boys High School Season Preview • Australian Open Recap

Don’t miss the advertising and editorial opportunities in the next edition of Long Island Tennis Magazine March/April 2012.

Submissions for both advertising and editorial are due by February 1st. For more information, please call (516) 409-4444 or e-mail Advertise@LITennisMag.com. Distribution across Long Island at (300+ locations): • indoor tennis clubs • country clubs • tennis camps • retail stores • supermarkets • gyms • and many more LITennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

By Emilie Katz What the pros do away from the court Sania Mirza-Malik (@mirzasania): Lunch at the mall, followed by shopping = life is good :)

Sabine Lisicki (@sabinelisicki): One more session to go + a massage and then I’m done for the day :) I love off season training! Serena Williams (@serenawilliams): Getting ready for Kourtney and Kim take New York.

Ryan Harrison (@ryanharrison92): Got killed at the track this morning. So fired up to be in Texas! Cool down today at the golf course. Over/under = 105! Andy Roddick (@andyroddick): Getting the chance to play Augusta national today … It doesn’t get better than this ...

Ryan Harrison (@ryanharrison92): Just rolled out of bed and definitely feeling the effects of our basketball game last night. Amer Delic (@amerdelic): Listening to Howard Stern’s segment called “Dumber Than a Box of Rocks.” He gets paid millions of dollars. We are all dumb. Svetlana Kuznetsova (@svetlanaK27): About to do some boxing!

Mike Bryan (@bryanbrothers): Took a trip to the Welsh Dept. of Defense and they let me fire some of their new weapons.

Mardy Fish (@mardyfish): You know you are bored when you are watching your buddy play the quarters of his men’s open club championship …

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • LITennisMag.com

Victoria Azarenka (@vika7): What’s up world? Getting ready for workout … coffee to wake up again :))) Serena Williams (@serenawilliams): Family bowling night w/my mom & niece & nephews. I did not have the heart to tell my mom I HATE bowling and I’m terrible at it … Mardy Fish (@mardyfish): Not a bad Turkey Day. Play Federer, eat turkey with family and friends. Life is good!

Life isn’t perfect for the pros either … Ryan Harrison (@ryanharrison92): Love the lady in line ahead of me at Walmart who is taking five minutes to find exact change for the $154.89 grocery bill. Bob Bryan (@Bryanbros): Well, we have a house full of strollers, car seats, bassinets, blankets, toys & clothes … now just need a baby.

Bob Bryan (@Bryanbros): The time of judgment is upon me. Lord, give me no cavities & I’ll never ask for anything again.

Shahar Peer (@shaharpeer): Slept 12 hours!!! Any one said Jet lag?!

Andy Roddick (@andyroddick): Doh!!! In line to get food. Guy in front of me pulls out a full page of orders … I will be here awhile … Sh#*! Caroline Wozniacki (@carowozniacki): Sprinting through the airport for a 10 min. connection, but made it. Shortest connection ever! Lindsay Davenport (@LDavenport76): On the same page! RT @anotherAndyL: I hate when I hold the door open for a person and they don’t say thank you. Give a nod at least.

Dominika’s Slovakian dance party While Americans dined in their homes on Thanksgiving feasts, a pair of WTA stars entertained in Bratislava, Slovakia. Before an exhibition match against hometown girl Dominika Cibulkova, Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki let loose her dance moves on the court, replete with pompoms and a makeshift “Macarena” performance. It’s good to see Wozniacki letting herself have some fun, but one has to think if she was just trying to keep up with the self-proclaimed “party girl” Cibulkova on a club’s dance floor. Maybe it was that champagne toast with her friendly little foe, but Caro really let herself go at this event. It’s commendable, the lack of self-conscious inhibition, very childlike but in a good way in this case. For what it’s worth, Cibulkova won the match, 6-4, 2-6, 10-3 Pizza anyone? Playing in his hometown of Basel, Switzerland, Roger Federer won his second tournament of 2011, defeating Kei Nishikori 6-1, 6-3. Then, he went out and bought the ballkids pizza served on a silver platter. New relationship? Russian tennis star Maria Kirilenko has a new beau, two-time NHL most valuable player Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals. Apparently, Kirilenko has been spending part of her offseason in the Washington, D.C.

area working out with the George Washington women’s tennis team.

Love and marriage? Dane world number one-ranked C a ro l i n e Wozniacki and the number two-ranked golfer in the world, Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, have been dating the since the 2011 U.S. Open with the Golden couple having confirmed that, they are in love. However, Wozniacki has stated that she will not get married in 2012. The Dane was asked about her weeding plans with McIlroy in 2012, and she reported that, “I think one has to wait a couple of years yet … in any case.” Moving on Anna Kournikova is exiting NBC’s The Biggest Loser at the end of this, the show’s 12th season.

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USTA Eastern Long Island Region

Carefree team is Long Island Corporate Tennis Champion In the spirit of the holiday season, USTA Eastern Long Island teamed up with United Way of Long Island to hold its first Corporate Tennis Challenge Fundraiser in December. The team from Carefree Racquet Club of Merrick was the overall winner, taking home the title of Long Island Corporate Tennis Champion at the event, which was hosted by the Port Washington Tennis Academy. Coming in second was the team sponsored by tennis enthusiast Steve Shapiro of Merrick. The event raised money to provide rehabilitative and recreational tennis programs for returning military veterans and their families. The fundraiser was one in a series of events saluting our nation’s military. In November, the USTA Eastern Section and Long Island Region joined with the USTA National office in Operation Yellow Ribbon, to say, “so long” to our deploying neighbors. The Yellow Ribbon events are held around the state by the New York Guard to help transition military personnel and their families and to make deployment less ominous for all. This year, the USTA joined with the New York Guard to provide tennis lessons to the children, while their parents attended informational sessions and seminars. The children were also given free USTA 10 & Under memberships, as well as gifts and prizes. Bill Mecca, USTA Eastern Long Island tennis service representative, coordinated this event. The Corporate Tennis Challenge event pitted companies and organizations from across Nassau and Suffolk Counties against each other in a battle for Long Island bragging rights. The event included a tennis clinic and round-robin doubles competition, with trophies awarded to the winning teams and players. In addition, all tennis players enjoyed a buffet dinner, t-shirts and special gifts. All profits went to the United Way of Long Island’s Military Family Assistance Project, which supports programs that serve Long Island military, reservist and National Guard personnel active in Operation Enduring Freedom and/or Operation Iraqi Freedom/New Dawn and their families. Members of the winning team from Carefree were: Mara and Ben Mazza, Veronica Kurka, Ruth Settles, Debra and Seth Lehman, Michele Bergman, Liz Schiff, Devang Parmar and Susan Fisch. The second place team, represented by Steve Shapiro of Merrick, included the following players: Ross Binder, Jared Zeitlin, Asher Abitol, Rhonda Dauway, Kerrisha Buckley, Yael Glaser, Mac Laurencin, Larry Ham and Carl Harris. All matches were played by doubles teams. Individual winners were: Carefree (Women’s 6.0, Mixed 6.0, Men’s 6.0 and Mixed 8.0); Setauket Tennis & Fitness, East Setauket (Mixed 7.0 and Women’s 8.0); United Way of Long Island, Deer Park (Men’s 7.0), and HD 18

Tennis, Syosset (Men’s 8.0). Participating teams represented the following: United Way of Long Island (www.unitedwayli.org), Malverne School District (two teams), Carefree Racquet Club (www.carefreeracquetclub.com), Setauket Tennis & Fitness (www.setaukettennis.com), Steve Shapiro, and HD Tennis. Special thanks to the following for their assistance: Marian Morris; Craig Fligstein; Port Washington Tennis Academy; Carl Summerlin, USTA Eastern Metro president, and the CW Post College women’s tennis team; Marquee Screen Printing (www.marqueesp.com); Carefree Tennis; Melanie Rubin; Ronni Klein; Mike Pavlides; Ed Wolfarth; Debra Indeck, and Maddie Binder. Photo Credit: Melanie Rubin

The Carefree Racquet Club of Merrick team was the overall winner at the LI Region’s First Annual Corporate Tennis Challenge fundraiser. Team members included Ruth Settles, Liz Schiff, Veronica Kurka, Debra Lehman, Seth Lehman, Ben Mazza, Mara Mazza and Michele Bergman. The Setauket Tennis & Fitness team had several winners. Shown here (from left) are Karen Dunbar, Allan Weiner, Ronni Klein, Matthew Neiger, Sharon Erb and Monica Aston.

Carl Summerlin (left), USTA Eastern Metro president and coach of the CW Post College Women’s Tennis team, joins USTA Eastern Long Island President Daniel Burgess, along with John and Anne Taylor

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • LITennisMag.com

Karen Dunbar and Allan Weiner of the Setauket Tennis & Fitness team celebrate their victory

USTA Eastern Long Island Region

Carefree team members Susan Fisch and Devang Parmar display their trophies

Larry Dillon, USTA Eastern staffer and QuickStart tennis specialist (center back), poses with some of the children in their new “I Love Long Island Tennis” t-shirts donated by the USTA Long Island Region board

Nick Penny & Herb Harris of HD Tennis in Syosset were Men’s 8.0 Doubles champs

USTA Eastern Long Island Region Event Planner Marian Morris (right) hands out gift bags

Players preparing to play in the LI Region’s First Annual Corporate Tennis Challenge

From left, representing the Malverne School District, are Darrol Lopez, Desiree Bunch and Coach Charles Nanton, with Daniel Burgess A deploying soldier fills out a free USTA Membership Application for his kids

Melanie Rubin (left), USTA Long Island Board Member, and Bill Mecca (right), USTA Eastern Long Island Tennis Service Representative, are joined by deploying soldiers

Long Beach shows its heart at CPR/AED training The USTA Eastern Long Island and Long Beach Tennis Center joined forces to help save lives by hosting a three-hour Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and CPR Training session. Participants received their two-year CPR certification upon completion of the program. The CPR/AED training program was the second in a series sponsored by the Long Island Region in an effort to make this important skill available and accessible to all members. Any club or organization with an interest in hosting their own training class can contact Jacki Binder, USTA Eastern Long Island Region Communications Director, at ustaonlongisland@gmail.com. The training session was made possible by Forever 9-The Robbie Levine Foundation (www.robbielevinefoundation.org). The continued on page 20 LITennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

USTA Eastern Long Island Region

Robbie Levine Foundation works to increase awareness of the need for and importance of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in saving lives, particularly in youth athletics, and to advance Robbie’s love of sports and giving nature by supporting youth sports programs. Proceeds from the training session went to Forever 9 to support its efforts to donating AEDs to youth sports programs.

USTA Eastern LI Region collects clothing to help tennis players A new community service initiative will be started by the USTA Eastern Long Island Region in January, and all club members and member organizations are urged to help. Beginning Jan. 15 and lasting for one month, club members will be collecting donations of new and gently used tennis clothing to be given to tennis players in need. All donations will be given to tennis players from the Shinnecock Indian Nation and the Community School in Westbury operated by United Way of Long Island (www.unitedwayli.org/education/communityschools). Many clubs across Long Island will be setting up collection locations. Region board members will pick up all the clothing during the week of Feb. 16, to be sorted and distributed. Any gently used tennis attire for men, women and kids, in all sizes, is welcomed. New tennis clothing is also welcome. Those with questions about where to drop off their tennis clothing or who want to help collect, sort and distribute the donations can contact Ronni Klein, Region Clothing Donations Coordinator, at ustaonlongisland@gmail.com.

Merrick Street Fair a hit Two 10 & Under QuickStart tennis courts were a hit at the Merrick Street Fair where the USTA Eastern Long Island Region met many new tennis players, both kids and adults, taught the basics of the game, and signed up junior tennis players for QuickStart memberships. Hundreds of children from around Long Island learned tennis basics and had fun trying a new sport at the annual Merrick Fair. The USTA Eastern Long Island Board, led by Daniel Burgess, president; Melanie Rubin, JTF liaison; Marian Morris, event planner and Bill Mecca, USTA Eastern Tennis Service Representative, set up two 10 & Under courts at 20

the fair, and organized lessons for many new, young tennis players. These kids learned tennis the “Quick Start” way, USTA’s format specially-designed for children under the age of 10 where the racquets are smaller, balls are lighter and tennis courts are shorter. Region board members helped throughout the day, as did local pros, including Carefree Racquet Club (Merrick) Manager Kathy Miller and Director of Tennis Ronny D’Alessandro, Dory Levinter from Long Beach Tennis Center, Ashley Horishny, Daniel Burgess Jr., Sunny and Ed Fishkind, Kerrisha Buckley and Elaine Rodriguez, as did the girls from the John F. Kennedy (Bellmore) High School Girls’ Tennis Team.

I Love Long Island Tennis t-shirts now available T-shirts displaying love of local tennis are now available from the USTA Eastern Long Island Region. The white shirts, with bold yellow and black graphics and the message “I Love LI Tennis,” with the “love” in the form of a heart-shaped tennis ball, are $5 each and make great gifts. They are available in both children’s (youth large) and adult sizes (small, medium, large and extra-large). The t-shirts will be for sale at all USTA Eastern Long Island Region events and can be ordered by e-mailing ustaonlongisland@gmail.com. Pictured here, USTA Eastern LI Region Board members Jacki Binder (left) and Mike Pavlides (right), along with volunteer Maddie Binder (center), show off their “I Love Long Island Tennis” t-shirts.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • LITennisMag.com

USTA EASTERN ANNUAL MEETING

AND VOLUNTEER DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP

JANUARY 20 | 2012 > JANUARY 21 | 2012

Master the new world of 10 and Under Tennis. Learn about the latest in USTA’s tournament management systems. Sharpen your grant-writing skills. Meet volunteers and teaching pros from across USTA Eastern. Recognize juniors and adults for their achievements and dedication to the sport.

Renaissance Westchester Hotel, 80 West Red Oak Lane, West Harrison, New York 10604

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

MORE THAN A GAME. IT’S A LIFESTYLE.

Mythbusters: Focusing Too Much on Tennis Will Negatively Affect Your College Options By Ricky Becker Early college choices are starting to be decided by the Class of 2012 and Long Island should be very proud. So far, Long Island junior tennis players have been accepted to colleges with great academics and great tennis. According to TennisRecruiting.net, Long Island junior tennis players have been accepted to: Duke, Penn State, Wake Forest, Williams, Amherst, Washburn-Topeka, Virginia, Brown, Dartmouth, Emory, Marist and Adelphi. I asked four Long Island standouts about their recruiting experience and any advice they may have for people who still have to go through the process. I Katherine Yau Manhasset High School Committed to Dartmouth Can you think of anything that surprised you during recruiting? What surprised me was how easy it is for coaches to get in contact with recruits and how organized their schedules are so new recruits could plan their visits ahead of time. When did you construct your first list of colleges that you wanted to consider? How many schools made that list? I made a list around the beginning of junior year. There were about six or eight colleges on that list. At the end of your junior year of high 22

school, how many schools were you considering? How many schools were you considering at the beginning of your senior year? At the end of junior year, I was considering four schools. By the beginning of senior year, I narrowed it down to my top two. What advice would you give to high school tennis players who have not gone through the recruiting process? Coaches know of your potential before they even get a chance to watch you play, so don’t stress over those “bad” matches they so happen to watch. It’s important to stay positive through the whole process. I Andrew Yaraghi Friends Academy Committed to Amherst Can you think of anything that surprised you during recruiting? I was really shocked when I saw coaches at sectionals and nationals in the beginning of my junior year. I was not expecting it and I think I actually benefited from it as I could play without any pressure. When did you construct your first list of colleges that you wanted to consider? How many schools made that list? I began to make a list of schools during the beginning of my junior year. It was after the thanksgiving National Open that I really put some time into thinking about schools. At the time, my list con-

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • LITennisMag.com

sisted of about five schools, and all of these coaches were at the National Open. At the end of your junior year of high school, how many schools were you considering? How many schools were you considering at the beginning of your senior year? Going into the summer, I had many more schools on my list, closer to 10. At the time, I liked everything about these schools and continued to be in contact with them. When the school year started up, I had three official visits lined up and ultimately took five in total. What advice would you give to high school tennis players who have not gone through the recruiting process? You definitely want to take a couple of unofficial visits during the winter or spring of your junior year. Seeing the campus, the team and meeting the coach should be your number one priority. Try not to lose contact with a coach, even if the school isn’t at the top of your list, as you want to keep your options open. Going into the summer, you should try to develop a list, taking into consideration aspects such as the level of tennis, academics, coach, team and location of the school. For me, location of the school was a huge factor. Before deciding on a school, you have to make sure that you know what you want in a school and that your decision isn’t someone else’s. Finally, try not to choose a school solely because of the

coach as that coach’s stay can easily change. I Stephanie Loutsenko Bellmore JFK Committed to Emory Can you think of anything that surprised you during recruiting? How nice and open the coaches were. I was a little nervous about e-mailing some of the schools I had interest in, but communicating with the coaches put me at ease. When did you construct your first list of colleges that you wanted to consider? How many schools made that list? Around the time I began my junior year. I always had an idea where I wanted to go, but that was the point where I narrowed it down to about 15 schools I was really interested in. At the end of your junior year of high school, how many schools were you considering? How many schools were you considering at the beginning of your senior year? I think I narrowed my list down to 11 or 12 by the end of junior year, but at the beginning of senior year, I had a list of five schools I was seriously considering. What advice would you give to high school tennis players who have not gone through the recruiting process?

Really think about what you want and who you are. You should definitely listen to the advice your parents and coaches give you, but ultimately, you’ll be spending four years there and you want to be happy. I Josh Levine Cold Spring Harbor High School Committed to Duke Can you think of anything that surprised you during recruiting? There wasn’t much too surprising about the recruiting process; however, some of the schools reaching out to me was really flattering on how much they went after me. With Duke, I didn’t think there was serious interest until Kalamazoo when we had breakfast and I found out that I was one of the two guys they wanted badly. When did you construct your first list of colleges that you wanted to consider? How many schools made that list? I constructed my first list of colleges right before the summer of my junior year. The amount of schools that were on that list was probably about 20 to 25 schools. At the end of your junior year of high school, how many schools were you considering? How many schools were you considering at the beginning of your senior year? By the end of junior year, I was consider-

ing around five schools that I was in very close contact with. By the time that senior year rolled around, I was fortunate to commit early to Duke University on Aug. 29, 2011. What advice would you give to high school tennis players who have not gone through the recruiting process? I would say to contact the coaches early and get a good relationship going with them through e-mails. Also, just play your game and compete hard in your matches and the coaches will notice your abilities. Don’t be too worried about who is looking at you or what you hear from other kids. If you perform well on and off the court, the coaches will contact you. Over the last few years, I have been lucky enough to spend time with all four of these kids. They are all extraordinary people/athletes and there is little doubt they will represent themselves and Long Island very well in everything they do in the future. Ricky Becker is founder of JuniorTennisConsulting LLC, which offers offcourt college guidance services to junior tennis players. He is now running programs on Long Island. He can be reached by e-mail at rbecker06@yahoo.com, by phone at (516) 605-0420 or via JuniorTennisConsulting.com.

INTEGRITY RESULTS INTENSITY

Visit our website for more details at www.nickbrebenel.com or call 516-852-0591 LITennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Your Guide to Long Island’s

TOP CLUBS Bethpage Park Tennis Center 99 Quaker Meeting House Road, Building #4 Farmingdale, N.Y. (516) 777-1385 Bethpage Park Tennis Center is located just a few hundred feet from the Black Course at beautiful Bethpage State Park, which has served as home to the U.S. Golf Open. Four indoor hard and four indoor red clay courts are air-conditioned for year-round play. The Tennis Center offers an array of adult seasonal, leagues, lessons and walk-on court opportunities. It’s free and low-cost program for seniors and special populations is perhaps the largest of its kind in New York State. The Center is best known for its renowned junior development program, led by top coaches Steve Kaplan and Keith Kambourian. Collectively, they have developed more players than anyone else in the east. Steve Kaplan is the owner of Bethpage Park Tennis Center, as well as the director of Reebok Academy for New York City Parks Foundation. Over the last 33 years, Steve has been the longtime coach of more than 600 nationallyranked junior players, 15 state high school singles champions, two NCAA Division 1 Singles Champions, and numerous touring professionals and prominent coaches. Steve’s students have been awarded in excess of $7 million in college scholarship money. Keith Kambourian is a voice of reason 24

in the often-stressful world of junior tournament tennis. Keith’s philosophy is simple, “Train hard and compete hard, and you will achieve.” This outlook has enabled Keith to excel as both a player and a coach. He was ranked in the top 30 nationally in the Boys 18 Division. His playing career flourished at Duke University, where he received a full scholarship and was ranked nationally among the best collegiate players. He directed the Reebok Urban Youth Tennis Academy at Flushing Meadow, N.Y. and has since coached players from beginners to international touring professionals. In 1998, he was awarded the ETA Long Island Region Tennis Professional of the Year Award. Keith has a Master’s Degree is Sports Management. His levelheaded approach to junior tennis ensures that students develop and maintain a positive and productive mental outlook. The Bethpage Park Tennis Center offers a comprehensive program of group and individual lessons, workshops, match plays and tournament team programs during the indoor session. In the summer, the finest players in the east join us for summer camp on eight indoor courts, four outdoor red clay courts and eight nearby outdoor hard courts. Lunch is provided and transportation is available. While our standards are high … our prerequisites are not! We charge no membership fee and encourage and value our beginners equally with our nationally-ranked players. All we require at the Bethpage Park Tennis Center is the desire to attend a serious tennis camp and to learn in an intensive, personal and fun environment … and the drive to achieve your personal best!

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • LITennisMag.com

Carefree Racquet Club 1414 Jerusalem Ave #1 North Merrick, N.Y. (516) 489-9005 CarefreeRacquetClub.com

Carefree Racquet Club is Long Island’s premier indoor tennis club. With our new court lighting along with our constant upgrading, we cannot be matched. Carefree has seven indoor tennis courts, two racquetball courts and a half court basketball court. Our league coordinator, Debbie Cichon, offers adult singles, doubles and team doubles leagues that are always on level to insure you a good game every time you play. Carefree has many USTA teams in the adult, senior, mixed doubles and TriLevel leagues. For those that are new to the game or just want to improve, we have 14-week learn and play groups. Players get an hour lesson each week, along with an hour-and-a-half of practice time each week. For players looking for a more relaxed social atmosphere, Karen Guigliano has her parties on Friday nights where food is served and Karen arranges all games for the night. Jean Tanklowitz, our senior program coordinator, has many retired or people that simply have a flexible schedule, playing Monday through Thursday in the afternoon. All games are arranged by Jean. For junior players, Ronny D’Alessandro, Carefree’s director of tennis, coordinates the Junior Development Program. This is a 14-week program starting at

Your Guide to Long Islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

TOP CLUBS age five to age 18. Children can take group, semi-private or private lessons and get practice time and ladder match play as well. New this year is our high school program that Ronny started for children that play on their school team. Carefree also offers a QuickStart tot program for children ages three to five years old. This adorable program uses all the props to keep the childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attention and is unmatched by any other club. Carefree Racquet Club is managed by Kathy Miller, who is also the Long Island USTA Adult, Senior, Super Senior, Mixed and Tri-Level League Coordinator. Kathy, along with her assistant manager, Pat McIlwee, pride themselves on the organization and smooth running of the best indoor club on Long Island that has never and continues to NOT charge membership fees. So if you are looking to join a program or just rent a court now and then, we would love to see you at Carefree!

Eastern Athletic Blue Point 9a Montauk Highway Blue Point, N.Y. â&#x20AC;˘ (631) 363-2882 Dix Hills 854 East Jericho Turnpike Dix Hills, N.Y. â&#x20AC;˘ (631) 271-6616 Melville 100 Ruland Road Melville, N.Y. â&#x20AC;˘ (631) 420-1310 EasternAthleticClubs.com Because of the quality and wide range of its sports facilities, the excellence of its staff, and the variety of classes and activities offered, Eastern Athletic Clubs is a leader in the sports club community. The Club was founded 40 years ago to provide top-quality sports facilities at an affordable price to people of all ages who were interested in an ac-

tive life-style and who wanted to learn a sport, develop their skills, or to play in competition. The founders also wanted to create a strong social atmosphere for the Club and pioneered this concept by developing a variety of events, tournaments, and workshops that members and friends could participate in. These programs included the first tennis leagues in America. The family-owned Eastern Athletic Clubs now includes three Long Island locations with a total of 17 Indoor Decoturf tennis courtsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the same surface as the U.S. Open. All courts are climate-controlled for comfort in all seasons. Eastern Athletic Clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Junior Academy offers a wide range of programs for the young beginner to the advanced player. From the USTA 10 & Under Tennis to Elite Player Training, Supervised Leagues, Practice and Drills, our experienced staff of dedicated professionals is ready to help your child learn and enjoy the sport for a lifetime.

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ZZZ YHOYHWRS FRP (631) 427-5904 1HZ <RUN $YH +XQWLQJWRQ 6WD 1< LITennisMag.com â&#x20AC;˘ January/February 2012 â&#x20AC;˘ Long Island Tennis Magazine

Your Guide to Long Island’s

TOP CLUBS Adult lessons can provide a strong foundation, give confidence that allows growth, or hone already advanced skills. Drills strengthen your strokes and game skills, plus warm you up for a match. Leagues provide players with a variety of opponents in a competitive, social atmosphere. Team Tennis and Ladders offer beginner and advanced players the opportunity for competitive singles and doubles play with flexible scheduling. Mixed-doubles tennis parties are arranged for an exciting, social, tennis-filled evening. By bringing sports and conditioning into your life you will improve your motivation, energy and strength. You will have more power, strength and fun. Glen Head Racquet Club 95 Glen Head Road Glen Head, N.Y. (516) 455-1225 The Early Hit Training Center is located in the Glen Head Racquet Club, at 95 Glen Head Road in Glen Head, N.Y. Home of the ALPS Program, they specialize in accelerated learning through a combination of private lessons, group sessions and physical training in tennis-specific exercises. The program was designed by Carl Barnett with the help of Pat Etcheberry. The program focuses on the players and their need for accessible court time, coupled with a flexible schedule and parentfriendly budget. Early Hit also features a 6:00 a.m.-8:00 a.m. adult program that is open 365 days a year. Late Hit is on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. During the indoor season, Early Hit is a terrific value. They feature a fabulous sum26

mer camp, pro shop, restaurant and private training all year long. Great Neck Estates Tennis Club 12 Shore Drive Great Neck, N.Y. (516) 233-2790 The all-new Great Neck Estates Tennis Club opened on Nov. 1. The Club is located in the scenic Great Neck Estates Waterfront Par. The lobby and front desk area of the Club provides players with an incredible view of New York City. This new tennis center features a brand-new, fully-insulated air structure and five Har-Tru courts. The air structure, manufactured by the world famous Farley Group of Canada, is the most advanced air structure of its kind and provides a tennis experience second to none. When players walk onto the court, they are instantly amazed by the quality of the lighting system. Plans for the new Great Neck Estates Tennis Center have been ongoing for the past two years, with many different tennis groups wanting to develop this special site for tennis. The Trustees of the Village of Great Neck Estates decided on the team of Howie Arons and his New York Tennis group, and Willie Notar, the director of Great Neck Estates tennis for the past 25 years, to join together and develop a program that Great Neck Estates residents could be proud of. What truly makes a facility excellent are the people who create the programs, direct the programs and instruct the programs. Both Howie Arons and Willie Notar have an incredible passion for tennis and for what players expect their tennis experience to be like. For the past 37 years, Arons has been one of the most successful coaches in the Eastern Section. His

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • LITennisMag.com

programs have produced more than 75 Division I college players and hundreds of high school players. At Cardozo High School where he has been the head coach for 36 years, his teams have won 18 PSAL Championships and 12 Mayors Cup Championships. Arons has the most wins of any tennis coach in New York State with 567. In 1989, he was recognized as ETA Coach of the Year by the USTA, and in 2007, he was named Coach of the Year by the USPTA. Willie Notar has been a standout in Eastern tennis since 1980. As a senior at Cardozo High School, Notar won the PSAL Singles Championship and the prestigious Iron Horse Trophy, awarded to the best player of the year in New York City tennis. He accepted a full scholarship to St. John’s University and played for the immortal coach George Seewagen. As a sophomore, it was apparent that Notar’s game had gone to a higher level, so he left St. John’s and turned pro. Notar gave pro tennis a three-year run and achieved amazing results. He had wins over such standouts as Emelio Sanchez and Mark Woodford, and achieved a world ATP ranking of 282. Upon returning home, Notar began his career in tennis instruction at Great Neck Estates Park. In addition to running adult and junior programs at Great Neck Estates, Willie is also the head pro at Fresh Meadows Country Club where he currently coaches some of the area’s top senior men. From QuickStart to tournament training, New York tennis at Great Neck Estates is striving to offer junior tennis players the best tennis experience. Arons stated, “Our goal is to motivate our juniors to want to be the best they can be. Whether the player wants to play every day with passion to improve for tournament play, or just once a week to have fun, we get it. Our pro staff is amazing and each day, we strive to bring out the best in all of our players.” The club’s weekend junior tournament training programs is its trademark. On both

Your Guide to Long Island’s

TOP CLUBS Saturdays and Sundays, a three-hour tournament training program is offered, consisting two-hour lesson/drill followed by a full set of tennis. The session includes rigorous competitive drills, point play and fitness, and then each player participates in a ladder match. The results of the ladder match determines the player’s court next week. This type of experience weekly prepares juniors for both high school and tournament tennis. During the mornings and early afternoons, Willie Notar organizes and directs programs for adult players that will surely meet your needs and level. To burn calories, there is Boot Camp, a rigorous drill ($25 per session) that will give you that cardio boost. For players in the evenings, there are men’s drill and play leagues, or you can come in with a friend and book a court for an evening on an open or seasonal basis. Come in and visit the all-new Great Neck Estates Tennis Club and see one of the finest tennis facilities on Long Island. From beginners to experienced tennis enthusiasts, Great Neck Estates would love to serve your tennis needs. Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard Long Beach, N.Y. (516) 432-6060 LongBeachTennisCenter.com Long Beach Tennis Center is the South Shore’s premier tennis facility and whether it’s our Web site, our facilities … or your game, our philosophy of constant improvement and striving for perfection is at the core of everything we do.

Our professional, experienced staff is dedicated to your success; from beginners to tournament ranked players our programs offer the comprehensive instruction you desire to take your game to the next level. Our adult tennis programs run the gamut, from drop-in clinics, winter leagues, private and group lessons, to USTA teams of all levels, mixed-doubles leagues and more. Of course, as a non-membership club, all are welcome to rent a court and try the club out for size! Tennis Director Chuck Russell is a USPTA and PTR top certified teaching professional, along with being a National Clinician for USTA 10 & Under QuickStart. The LBTC 10 & Under QuickStart Program follows the guidelines of the national curriculum to make the programs fun, age-appropriate, and overall just easier to learn the game. Racquet size, court size, ball size, scoring, age and net height are all used to enhance the learning … and fun! Our Tournament Training Programs, led by Sid Siddiqui and Bandar Kayali, use the latest training methods to help motivated players reach their potential. Footwork, stroke tech-

nique, strategy and tactics, focused and fast paced games, tournaments … all are used in combination to bring our tournament players to a higher level of play. Long Beach Tennis Center is proud to be a USTA tournament center showcasing the very best in tennis and dedicated to training children and adult tournament players. Our summer tennis camps are just, well, awesome! We offer up to nine weeks of daily training and overall camp fun for all ages and levels. And our new A/C makes us, literally, the coolest camp on the South Shore! And for those who are looking for after-camp tennis, we offer adults and children’s programs and clinics daily throughout the summer season. Enjoy year-round indoor tennis at our fully climate controlled indoor courts. Our recently installed, brand new HVAC system will keep you comfortable as you enjoy all the amenities LBTC has to offer. Please stop by today and check out the South Shore‘s premier tennis training facility! We have four hard and four Har-Tru heated and air conditioned courts.

All Expenses Paid Trip A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Jewish tennis players, ages 15 to 18 years old, to train, travel and compete in Israel. • Compete in an ITF Tournament. • Participate in invitational tournaments. • Spend three summer weeks competing in local competitions, training and traveling in Israel.

www.Israeli-sports-exchange.com Call Larry Seidman at (973) 952-0405 or e-mail LBSeidman@msn.com LITennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Your Guide to Long Island’s

TOP CLUBS Point Set Indoor Racquet Club 3065 New Street Oceanside, N.Y. (516) 536-2323 PointSetRacquetClub.com With 300 juniors in developmental programs and over 500 adult players in leagues, contracts and drills, Point Set Indoor Racquet Club is working towards fulfilling its mission statement: Point Set aspires to be the most vibrant tennis club on the South Shore by integrating heart with sport in the community. The dedicated Dream Team staff of tennis professionals, led by Director Tonny van de Pieterman has established a top tier Tournament Training Program (TTP) for three levels of junior competitors. It addresses all aspects of competition: Drills, match play, fitness and mental toughness. Director of Junior Development Brett Nisenson oversees a broad junior academy and lives up to his title of “Mr. Fit.” Adult Director Nadia Johnston brings the Australian spin to freshen up adult drills and skills. Point Set Indoor Racquet Club recognizes that customers are our most important asset. The collegial relationship of the staff, on and off court, translates into a friendly environment for our customers. We are a full-service club and your gateway to challenging yourself to explore, enjoy and improve yourself through the great sport of tennis. Experience the difference a supportive environment makes! Come play at Point Set: Where Fun meets Fitness. 28

Robbie Wagner Tournament Training 60 Sea Cliff Avenue Glen Cove, N.Y. (516) 759-0505 RWTT.com Robbie Wagner To u r n a m e n t Training (RWTT) has been in the Eastern Section of the USTA for over 30 years. RWTT not only teaches the game of tennis … they live it! RWTT’s tennis professionals travel to tournaments with their players every weekend both on the local and national levels. The club’s stellar reputation speaks for itself within the tennis industry. RWTT is totally committed to helping make its clients of all ages the best players they can be and strive to help them reach their full potential. RWTT’s tennis professionals are world renowned in the industry and coach a multitude of sectional and national ranked players. This year, RWTT introduces there new off court training facility that is overseen by their High Performance Strength and Conditioning Coach Jerry Flood NASMPES, CPT. The offcourt program that Flood runs at RWTT shows students how to improve their overall fitness level by training specific movements that are used in tennis. The personal relationships that RWTT’s coaches forms with its clients helps guide them in the right direction. Working together as a team, RWTT assists in providing a positive and successful future. RWTT’s motivation for success is unmatched as is its dedication to helping children achieve their goals. Whether it’s

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • LITennisMag.com

their first Level II tournament or a national event, RWTT has the ability and the experience to offer their students the personal attention they’ll need to succeed. RWTT has the knowledge and capability to give both parent and child the proper guidance towards a career in college tennis. There is no need to pay a high fee for a college tennis advisor when you have RWTT in your corner. RWTT is a privately-owned club currently with two locations and looking to grow. Come to RWTT’s Glen Cove, N.Y. location and see the “Wall of Fame” which lists the players the club has helped place in top-level colleges and universities around the country. Rockville Racquet Club 80 North Centre Avenue Rockville Centre, N.Y. (516) 764-5350 RockvilleRacquet.net

Ideally situated in the heart of Rockville Centre, N.Y., Rockville Racquet Club is a comprehensive tennis facility, offering state-of-the-art courts, equipment and amenities. Under the direction of manager Susan Alvy, the club is open from early in the morning until 11:00 p.m., seven days a week. Seven nova acrylic courts are available to the public for seasonal rental, league play, junior development, adult lessons and court rental when available. Rockville Racquet’s highly regarded

Your Guide to Long Island’s

TOP CLUBS tennis professionals provide an outstanding junior development program for all ages and abilities. Students can choose from private, semi-private and group lessons. Included in the junior development program are weekend drills and ladder matches, as well as free court time and discounted private lessons. A Team Tennis Program is available for those youngsters who are committed to tennis and wish to compete on a local level. In 2010, Junior Development Director Pat Mosquera led the Rockville Racquet USTA Junior Team to the Nassau County Championship. Adults are offered a variety of programs at Rockville Racquet. Men’s and women’s singles and doubles leagues are available for all levels of play. League players enjoy friendly competition and winners receive trophies at the end of each season. Adults who would like to learn to play or want to improve their game can participate in learning leagues, drills and private lessons with our accomplished professional team. A learning league is a weekly group lesson with three or more players of similar ability. Learning leagues provide an inexpensive way to improve skills. The Rockville Racquet staff is available to help new or returning players to find a compatible group. Drills and cardio tennis are another exciting way to enjoy learning and improving tennis strokes. Drills are group lessons, with a maximum of six players, which stress tennis skills. Cardio drills, with a maximum of eight participants, combine an aerobic workout with tennis movement. These hour-long sessions are available at one’s convenience throughout the week. Simply sign up in advance to participate. Women or men with young children

can take advantage of the free babysitting available weekdays at Rockville Racquet Club. Children will enjoy the toys, television and videos under the loving supervision of an experienced sitter. The Pro Shop at Rockville Racquet is open for customers to test the latest racquets and equipment. Fashionable tennis attire and gift items are available at competitive prices. Stringing, grips and other services are available. The front desk staff is always glad to assist customers with purchases or to provide information about Rockville Racquet’s programs and services. Ross School Tennis Center 18 Goodfriend Drive East Hampton, N.Y. (631) 907-5162 • Ross.org The Ross School Tennis Center, located on the Upper School campus in East Hampton, N.Y., is a wonderful resource in the Hamptons open to seasonal and yearround residents. The Center features six state-of-the-art Har-Tru tennis courts that are enclosed by a bubble from midfall through mid-spring, allowing for year-round play. The courts are directly adjacent to the beautiful new Fieldhouse where players can sign up to play and also take advantage of amenities, including locker rooms and a lounge. The Fieldhouse is also used for a variety of special events and is available for private parties. The Tennis Center offers many programs for all ages, all year round. Start-

ing in nursery and pre-kindergarten, the Jump Start program allows children to develop spatial awareness, movement and locomotor skills using appropriately sized rackets. They learn volleying, throwing, catching and rallying skills, building a foundation not only for tennis but for any future athletic activities. The Junior Development Program offers games and level specific drills and training for building a strong foundation. It is designed with a lot of fun in mind and to improve skills and motivate the young player into wanting to play more. Advanced players can sign up for Accelerated Tournament Preparation, which features drills, tennis-specific conditioning and game strategy designed specifically to prepare players for junior tournaments and match play. Adults also have many programs to choose from at the Ross School Tennis Center, including Cardio Tennis with John Graham and Local Weekend Round-Up featuring round-robin matches, followed by wine and cheese. Beginners can master the fundamentals of tennis in Learn + Play with fun-filled integrated drills and match play. Meanwhile, the Pro-Am Doubles League allows advanced players to compete with and against the pros in a competitive, high level and inspiring game. Private instruction is available for all levels of play. The Tennis Center staff provides a fun and supportive atmosphere that allows for the greatest amount of success. Guests can also rent courts during the weekday, weekend or seasonally; however, these courts are not available while during school hours. Please call (631) 9075162 for more information or to make reservations.

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Your Guide to Long Island’s

TOP CLUBS SPORTIME Randall’s Island, Syosset, Roslyn, Bethpage, Kings Park, Quogue, Amagansett, Mamaroneck, Lynbrook, Massapequa and Schenectady, N.Y. (888) NY-TENNIS SportimeNY.com Why does SPORTIME have the best tennis programs in New York? We have a system—and it works! We have the John McEnroe Tennis Academy at SPORTIME Randall’s Island! And WE ARE SERIOUS! We have Tennis Kinetics—The accelerated learning method Tennis Kinetics is SPORTIME’s innovative approach to teaching the sport of tennis. SPORTIME’s teaching method is founded on the belief that the optimum method of learning the hitting skills needed for tennis requires the development of the essential movement skills that relate to them. At SPORTIME, each student learns how to strike the tennis ball as part of a sequence of reactions and movements that begins when his/her opponent strikes the ball. By having students develop and execute the entire sequence for every shot in the game, the learning process is accelerated. In a very short time, SPORTIME students become capable of playing successful points; weaknesses change into strengths and strengths into winning games! We use the games approach Traditional teaching methods focus too much on developing tennis skills, and not enough on helping students to apply those skills. At 30

SPORTIME, junior players and adults learn tennis through the experience of playing points and games. Not only do SPORTIME students have a lot more fun, our guided discovery method of teaching empowers our students to problem-solve as they progress. By making sure that our students understand the tactics of the game, while they continue to perfect the technical skills required to execute those tactics, SPORTIME produces fundamentally sound players whose games do not break down under pressure. We have the best pros SPORTIME has assembled a staff of top teaching professionals from all over the world. All of our staff professionals are certified by either USTA High Performance, USPTA, PTR, or by their home country’s tennis federations. SPORTIME pros receive extensive continuing education and training, designed to keep our instruction on the cutting edge. SPORTIME directors of tennis roam from court to court to continually analyze lesson dynamics, to evaluate student progress, to supervise the staff and to assure that each and every lesson is up to SPORTIME standards. We have the best Ten and Under Tennis (TAUT) program for kids ages three through 10 Directed by our TAUT Experts, and following USTA guidelines and best practices, SPORTIME’s TAUT Programs are nationally acclaimed by the USTA. Every TAUT director has been extensively trained by a USTA-certified trainer. TAUT is an exciting new format for learning tennis where the kids get to “play” in their very first lesson. The SPORTIME TAUT program combines aspects of the most successful developmental programs in Europe with those of the USTA. Every SPORTIME TAUT program utilizes specialized equipment,

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • LITennisMag.com

court dimensions and modified scoring tailored to the age and size of the student, to provide the optimum learning environment for our future tennis stars! We have programs for everyone I Juniors: From our TAUT developmental programs, which start with toddlers, to our Elite and High Performance programs for nationally-ranked juniors, to SPORTIME’s ultimate opportunity to train with tennis icon Johnny Mac, and the John McEnroe Academy team at Randall’s Island, SPORTIME offers a complete menu of tennis programming for every level of play. For the competitive junior, SPORTIME clubs host over 100 USTA-sanctioned tournaments a year, including TAUT tournaments, as well as ladders, supervised match play programs and USTA Team Tennis competition. SPORTIME works extra hard to make every kid feel special. I Adults: SPORTIME ‘s Adult Tennis Kinetics program is one the largest adult group lesson programs in the country. For those looking for the ultimate challenge, we offer Adult Elite, modeled after our highly successful Junior Elite programs. Major League Tennis, Cardio Tennis, and our signature “Zone” highintensity competitive games program are not only great workouts, they are challenging and a lot of fun! Mixed doubles parties, round robin mixers, club tournaments and other special events round out our adult schedule throughout the year. And for those who are always in search of more tennis at their level, the SPORTIME player network offers a comprehensive game arranging service that provides great tennis matches “on demand.”

Your Guide to Long Island’s

TOP CLUBS We offer SPORTIME Tennis Camps To provide the best tennis camp experience anywhere, our highly successful SUMMER TENNIS CAMPS and School Break/Holiday camps are offered at a SPORTIME club near you. SPORTIME camps utilize our fun and fast-paced training methods, featuring stroke production, competitive games, and tactical training for match play, along with SPORTIME’s tennisspecific conditioning regimens, which prepare our players for the physical, mental and emotional demands of the sport of tennis. SPORTIME campers develop positive self-esteem and laser-like focus, and they have FUN! Our facilities can’t be beat Not only does SPORTIME offer 155 hard and soft surface courts, indoors and outdoors, our courts, facilities and club environments have set a new standard of excellence, and we are getting even better. When you are at a SPORTIME club you won’t want to leave! And that also goes for SPORTIME’s great fitness and multi-sport facilities. USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center 12402 Roosevelt Avenue Flushing, N.Y. (718) 760-6200 USTA.com The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is the largest public tennis facility in the world. Operated by the USTA for the City of New York, the fa-

cility opened in 1978 when the USTA moved the U.S. Open from the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, NY. It is, most certainly, a “Tennis Welcome Center.” In 1997, the USTA opened Arthur Ashe Stadium as its main stadium and expanded the tennis facilities at the USTA National Tennis Center. The construction increased the number of courts on the grounds from 25 to 45 and saw the acreage more than double to 46.5 acres. In 2006, the USTA renamed the entire facility the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in honor of one of tennis’ finest ambassadors and a product of public courts in her native Long Beach, Calif. Expansion of the USTA National Tennis Center has increased the number of outdoor courts available for public play to 30. This does not include Arthur Ashe Stadium, Louis Armstrong Stadium or the Grandstand. In addition, there are nine indoor courts for public use and that number will increase to 12 with the completion of the new Indoor Tennis Center. In actuality, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is open to the public seven days a week, 11 months a year, closing only on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center has a staff of more than 20 USPTA and/or PTR-certified professionals conducting programs, clinics, private lessons, leagues and tournaments year-round. The NTC also supports all USTA Community Tennis and Player Development initiatives. Other tournaments held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center include the Men’s and

Women’s College Tennis Invitational (an ITA event) and other ITA college events and conference championships; the Jana Hunsaker Memorial Eastern Wheelchair Championships (an ITF event); the USTA Men’s and Women’s National Open Indoor Championships and a host of USTA Eastern sectional tournaments for juniors, adults and seniors as well as New York Junior Tennis League (NYJTL) and New York City Parks Foundation programs for junior and senior players. The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center professional staff also conducts community tennis programs, including QuickStart tennis for children 10 & under to learn tennis in a fun and dynamic way; USTA Junior Team Tennis for youth match play; USTA League Tennis for competitive, levelof-play competition and an official Cardio Tennis site for on-court heart pumping fitness. Initiatives for USTA Player Development include an Invitational USTA Competition Training Center for ranked players, Player Development programs for top-ranking juniors residing in the Northeast and a year-round USTA Tournament Training Program for ranked juniors. In addition, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center hosts events for coaches training and education, including United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) functions, four Certification Training Courses and Developmental Coaches Workshops each year, annual meetings and conventions and at least four Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) Teaching Essentials Workshops and Professional Development Workshops.

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Dr. Tom on the Secret to Success By Tom Ferraro, Ph.D.

hen I am asked about the secret to athletic success, I invariably say that the ingredient that every top athlete must have is the long-term support of an intact family with both parents being

on board for the long haul. The mother must be there to solace, guide, encourage, drive, plan schedules and organize plane flights. The father must be there with unconditional financial support for all the ex-

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • LITennisMag.com

penses and do so without complaint. When they do this for 10 years, the talent of the young athlete can unfold to its fullest. You will recall that Tiger Woods blossomed when his family was intact, but when his parents separated and his father passed away, all of his troubles began. The secret to success is having a family that provides all of the resources and support for the many years it takes to climb to the top. As Hillary Clinton used to say “it takes a village” to raise a child, and it takes a strong, fully committed family to raise a winner. When the young athlete stands up on the podium to receive his or her trophy, I would like to see the parents come up there too to receive some of the applause. High level athletic accomplishment is always a team effort. For consultations, treatment or on-site visits, contact Dr. Tom Ferraro Ph.D., sport psychologist, by phone at (516) 248-7189, e-mail drtferraro@aol.com or visit www.drtomferraro.com.

Winter Care and Maintenance Tips for Your Tennis Court Color Surface By Kevin J. Healion, CTCB Closing court for the winter Winterizing a hard court for the winter months is important. Special attention should be given to windscreens, which are attached to the fence system on your tennis court. The winter months bring severe winds which may not only damage your windscreens, but can also do costly damage to framing and fence fabric. Windscreens should be removed in fall months as a precaution. Tennis nets should be lowered to relieve the nets posts of tension. Some players like to play on those occasional nice days in the winter in which the net can be raised fairly easily. Another option would be to take the net down completely and store it inside. This helps the longevity of the net and reduces frequent replacement. One more important tip for tennis court win-

terizing is removing leaves and organic debris from the court surface which generally gathers in the corners of the court surface. This will reduce staining and mildew buildup, in addition to keeping the court in a “ready to play” condition. Tips on hard court maintenance A well-constructed and well-maintained tennis court will offer years of play. To maximize the life of any type of court, the owner should develop and implement a regular schedule of maintenance. Regular inspection of the court and the repair of minor irregularities are more cost-effective than allowing the court to deteriorate to the point where it requires major repair. Hard court surfaces are generally considered maintenance free; however, court cleaning may be required from time to time in order to maintain a safe playing surface. “Safe playing surface” refers to the condition of the surface. Conditions such as moss and mildew may cause slippery areas on the court, possibly resulting in personal injury while playing.

To remove stains, start with the gentlest treatment, as a soft brush and mild cold water detergent solution may remove the stain. If that doesn’t work, try the same brush with a mild chlorine bleach solution—about one cup of bleach per gallon of water and rinse with hose or light power washing. Power washing is not as easy as it sounds and costly damage to court surface can occur. Hiring a professional may be the best course of action in this case. Other conditions, such as bumps, cracks and holes, must be addressed prior to tennis play to avoid tripping hazards and serious injury. Contacting a tennis court professional for information on methods and new techniques of repair will help you make these important repair decisions. Play safe and have a nice winter. Kevin J. Healion, CTCB of Deer Park, N.Y.based Century Tennis Inc. may be reached by phone at (631) 242-0220 or e-mail Kevin@CenturyTennis.com.

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Long Island Tennis Magazine’s Adult Player Spotlight: Caroline Bloom My Toughest Opponent to Date By Caroline Bloom I was 47-years-old and diagnosed with cancer. Wow! I thought I was typical. I work, play a lot of tennis, have two children, a husband, and a home on the North Shore. I never questioned my fate, until I was the one that was tested. Being pro-active, I knew I had to act quickly and attack this awful vermin, after all I was a 3.5 USTA Captain for many years, so I knew how to control and conquer. The days before my first big surgery, I played endless singles, the game I thought I owned. The next day, I learned what was real. I decided at that point, even though I had more surgeries in front of me, I would not let anyone or anything stand in my way. During my year-long recovery, I endured numerous hours of physical therapy. I was lucky, I was a fighter and I had Donna

Goldman at Pro Health as my mentor to help mend me back together along with my two doctors. When I finally got the okay to play again, I was nervous, for I knew that I did not have the strength or endurance to handle the pressure of hitting a ball or running. Within a few weeks of getting the clearance to play tennis, Debbie Cichon at Carefree Racquet Club was nice enough to get me out on the court and hit with me. We did this weekly and tried all avenues. Debbie started me out slowly, hitting short balls close to the net, and as I got a little bit stronger, we moved back to the baseline. Even though I could barely hit and was gasping for air, Debbie was always encouraging. Being away from tennis for almost one year, I was not ready to play singles at the 3.5 Level. I knew I had to push myself during the summer, so I could compete beginning in September. All spring and summer, I played and put myself into my own boot camp. I was determined to not let the one activity I have played since I

was 10-years-old be controlled by an awful disease. I was fortunate enough to have joined the Farmingdale ladder in the summer and to my surprise; I made it to the playoffs and played third court singles. I lost two out of three sets, but to me, it felt like I had won something more important. Now that we are in late fall, I am back to where I was playing at Carefree Racquet Club 3.5 singles and proud to say near the top. I achieved more than I could have ever expected. I got my life back and for that I am eternally grateful. I would like to especially thank: I I I I I I

Doctor Dwight DeRisi; Doctor Mark Silberman; Donna Goldman, my physical therapist; Debbie Cichon, tennis league coordinator; My wonderful family; and My loving husband. My name is Caroline, and this is my story …

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Win More Matches With the Rule of 2 By Miguel Cervantes III A great deal of tennis is mental, and with that being the case, winning a match can be achieved more consistently by changing the way you think rather than by changing your forehand or serve. One thing I like to reinforce is the power of the “Rule of 2.” If you want to win a game, you really only need two points. If you want to win a set, all you really need is two games. Even though that might not be the case literally, that’s the way players should be thinking to achieve greater success. How many times have you been in a match where the score goes back and forth: 15-love, 15-15, 15-30, 30-30, 40-30, deuce and so forth to infinity. This very often happens in sets as well partially because, all other things being equal, the server has a small advantage in hitting the ball first. Another reason this happens though is that our bodies and minds are constantly seeking equilibrium. Mentally,

once we get ahead, we start to relax a bit and play down, and while when we’re down a bit, we will unconsciously start to focus more and play smarter and harder. I call this see-sawing where you are up, then you’re down, then you’re up, then you’re down again. The Rule of 2 says that you only really need to have a difference of two in order to win the game and/or set. Once one team goes up two points or games, their opponents will start to check out mentally as opposed to putting up more resistance. Even if that is not the case, the other most likely scenario is that you continue to trade points, but in this event, the team that was up by two will win. For example if you are up 2-0 in a set and you start to trade games back and forth, the score will progress as follows: 2-1, 3-1, 3-2, 4-2, 4-3, 5-3, 5-4, 6-4 and that’s the set. Once you go up by two points in a game, you can also trade points until your heart is content because you’ll win in that engagement as well. If faced with a situation where you are

“Mentally, once we get ahead, we start to relax a bit and play down, and while when we’re down a bit, we will unconsciously start to focus more and play smarter and harder.”

down by two points or down by two games, try not to panic. This is where champions are made and you’ll have to pull out using mental toughness and a lot of heart to put yourself back into a position where you can stay in the game. Matches do not always go to the better players, they sometimes go to players who can look at the game a different way psychologically. So add the Rule of 2 to your toolbox and win the mental see-saw battle early. Safe playing my friends.

Formerly with Daniel Burgess at Freeport Tennis, Miguel Cervantes III now teaches at Carefree Racquet Club and privately outdoors. Miguel specializes in teaching beginners, training juniors and coaching doubles. He may be reached by e-mail at understandingtennis@gmail.com.

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • LITennisMag.com

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LITennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Good to Great:

A Model for Safely Building the Tennis Champions of Tomorrow (Part III) By Steve Kaplan Stroke Mechanics Simplified A Unified Functional Syestem for Understanding Tennis Movements raditionally, strokes are developed and corrected by haphazardly focusing on body movements, racket movements and ball and racket interactions. This approach is confusing, ineffective and needlessly complicated because it fails to address the kinetic chain of events that led to a successful stroke. I suggest a different paradigm for managing tennis stroke production corrections by explicitly comparing and integrating racket movements with running acceleration movements. You can be a good player by expertly compensating for movement inefficiencies; however, to quickly and safely progress from good to great, you must use the best body parts as slings rather than as levers in kinesthetically correct sequences to maximize efficiency and produce power by making anatomy, gravity and momentum allies. I have outlined 10 broad concepts in a linear order from the initiation of the stroke

to its completion in the kinetic chain. Some of my descriptions deviate and conflict with common tennis corrections, since much instruction uses trigger words as a conceptual shorthand. Unfortunately, this practice is misleading and imprecise. One of my least favorite trigger expressions, for example, is to correct a hit using the term “late“ since this incorrectly refers to time, and often, the intended contact correction was “behind” which reflects mechanical disadvantage and not timing. Indeed, players and coaches are frustrated by seeing strokes broken down step by step because the descriptions that accompany the pictures are crude observations masquerading as analysis. When I watch Andy Roddick ready himself to hit a powerful serve and I read “here is his loading phase,” it helps me to hit a serve 140 mph about as much as knowing that E=mc2 means that time and space are relative. These concepts are profound, but if they were practical and useful, then I would be a multiple Grand Slam champion with a size-

able portfolio of Apple stock and real estate in the West Village gathered while time traveling.

Stroke mechanics simplified 1. Explosion, not progressive acceleration When a rocket blasts off from its launching pad, it accelerates from the thrust of its engines. Tennis movements are not these kinds of progressive stage accelerations; rather, they are singular explosions much like a bullet fired from a gun with linear hip extension providing the force from the ground up. Rotational unloading of the hips, torso and arm are the result of initial acceleration. Added rotational emphasis is not useful since it relies on external force which results in body instability and stroke inconsistency. Useful racket speed from powerful movements is described in Newton’s third law of “action-reaction.” It’s not how fast you move, but how much force you push into the

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • LITennisMag.com

ground. Power results in speed, but speed does not produce power. 2. Hip lift and extension Great mechanics transfer energy and move it in the right direction. Sit back to flex your hips and you are ready to extend and lift from loaded posterior muscles rather than the quadriceps. The quadriceps are not made to drive your body up; rather, they flex and extend your foot back. Quad dominant or toe runners, especially female athletes with wider hips and greater “Q” angles, are prime candidates for knee hip and ankle injuries. You will explode with force by extending the hips forward and up using the gluteus from a loaded position. This is the desirable source of power in the hit, as the goal is to transmit hip lift power up the kinetic chain from prime movers 3. Good explosive torso angles Hip extension causes your legs to accelerate up in a unified explosive movement; however, if your body mass is located directly above your legs, your torso decelerates. The result is a vertical jump, not a

forward movement. Forward acceleration as a result of hip extension happens when most of your mass is forward of your legs, therefore, every hit requires forward torso leans from the ankles, not the hips. 4. Pre-tense the core Relaxation promotes emotional serenity; however, this concept is undermining of stroke production unless it is clearly understood, since good movements require mobility in some joints and stability in others. Core tension is vital to stroke mechanics because as forces travel up, they pass through the core muscles on their way to the torso. A relaxed core is an unstable body part and an inefficient transmitter of power, because only neutral spine positions transmit force from the ground up. Relax your mind as well as those parts of your body that should be loose, like the hands and facial muscles, but tense and set your core before hinging your hips. 5. Strong shoulder positions Throw a punch with your shoulders rolled forward and up and notice how your

arms disengage from your body. Now take your shoulders and pack them back and down and punch again. This is powerful because back stabilizing muscles are activating to connect your arm to your body. The power generated by great hip extension and a rock-solid core isn’t going to connect if force doesn’t find its way from your torso to your arms. 6. Internal shoulder rotation The result of good shoulder position is the ability to perform an internal shoulder rotation. This can be thought of as screwing your arm into your shoulder as a bulb is screwed into a socket. This corkscrewing of the arm is essential to the transmission of explosive power. Try throwing a punch with your thumb facing up during the entire movement. Now rotate your thumb in the direction of your opposing arm as you strike. You don’t have to be a black belt in martial arts to recognize what all martial art masters know. These internal forearm rotations continued on page 40

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

facilitate speed and transmit force. Trigger words and phrases that refer to spin such as “low to high,“ “brush the ball” and “10 o’clock to 2 o’clock” are misleading and insidiously counterproductive because they don’t distinguish whether the vertical racket movement is produced by mechanically sound, and well-timed internal movement, or dangerous, inconsistent and uncoordinated external rotation. What about the ubiquitous wrist snap that I often hear students being told to perform? Try a few wrist snaps at the end of your punch and see if the result is greater power or a complete disconnect of force. 7. Arm to leg timing You cannot run with coordination unless your arm and legs synchronize. It is interesting to note that the limiting foot speed movement factor in athletes who are not highly trained is arm speed and not leg speed. Quicken up the arm that opposes your foot with efficient movements and you will run faster. Similarly, cross arms and legs must coordinate as you perform a stroke or you will lose power, stability and linear momentum. As your legs move faster, your arms must keep pace. Since greater arm speed is elusive, most often, the best adaptive movement is to shorten and compact the stroke. 8. Accelerating arm positions Effective ball striking like effective run-

ning reflects strong arm action with correct position and amplitude of arm and hand movement. Great runners start their arms at their pockets and powerfully exchange their hands up to their ears with an emphasis on the movement from the shoulders upward to encourage the transmission of force from the ground with balance and force. Sound strokes reflect these same strong upward arm to leg accelerating swings. Our brains are neurologically hardwired to encourage emulating symmetrical, arm and leg movements. 9. Balancing momentum and deceleration Imagine that you are pedaling a bike. If you stop spinning the pedals, the bike will still coast from inertia. You must actively apply the brakes to stop immediately. Great stroke mechanics encourage the gentle and natural discharge of linear momentum without the destabilizing and lifting effects of abrupt deceleration. Balance while moving is the direct result of unchanged acceleration, or dynamic equilibrium, and nowhere is this movement flow more important than in those critical moments surrounding the hit. All movements have these three parts: A lift, acceleration and a landing. Balanced landings are vital to successfully stringing movements. Soft landings using good absorption angles of one step become powerful lifts with strong application angles in the next step.

10. Grips Explosive force from the ground up must ultimately connect to the racket and the bridge to facilitate efficient transfer is the grip. Most grip dysfunction in good players result from an attempt to compensate for inadequate power transmission by griping the racket to maximize power from external rotation. If you correct only the grip, you will succeed in only removing the compensation, therefore, isolated grip corrections treat the symptoms of an underlying problem not the cause. First, effectively create power transfer to the racket with internal rotation and grip corrections will be minimally invasive and disruptive. While the body knows movement, not muscle, reliance on science, not self-awareness is the foundation for progress. Power transmission from the ground to the racket is the result of a synergy of movements that must be examined from beginning to end to be clearly understood and effectively developed since body systems in stroke production and running form are kinesthetically interactive. Good strokes facilitate and mirror sound running technique, and correct running mechanics promote good strokes. Even the slightest lack of integrity in any link of either chain will cause correcting compensations, in both forms of movement. Stroke mechanics will progress from good to great when movement acceleration transmission problems are identified and their causes are corrected. Steve Kaplan is the owner of Bethpage Park Tennis Center, as well as the director of Reebok Academy for New York City Parks Foundation. Over the last 33 years, Steve has been the longtime coach of more than 500 nationally-ranked junior players, 15 state high school champions, two NCAA Division 1 Singles Champions, and numerous touring professionals and prominent coaches. Steve’s students have been awarded in excess of $7 million in college scholarship money. He may be reached by e-mail at stevenjkaplan@aol.com.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • LITennisMag.com

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

A Look Back at the

2011 Tennis

SEAS

By Emilie Katz

Australian Open 2011 January 17-30, 2011 Melbourne Park Melbourne, Australia Men’s Singles Finals Novak Djokovic defeated Andy Murray, 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 Men’s Doubles Finals Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan defeated Mahesh Bhupathi & Leander Paes, 6–3, 6–4

Women’s Doubles Finals Andrea Hlavackova & Lucie Hradecka defeated Sania Mirza & Elena Vesnina, 6–4, 6–3 Mixed Doubles Finals Casey Dellacqua & Scott Lipsky defeated Katarina Srebotnik & Nenad Zimonjic, 7–6, 4–6

Wimbledon 2011 June 20-July 3, 2011 All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club Wimbledon, London, England

Women’s Singles Finals Kim Clijsters defeated Li Na, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 Women’s Doubles Finals Gisela Dulko & Flavia Pennetta defeated Victoria Azarenka & Maria Kirilenko, 2–6, 7–5, 6–1

Men’s Singles Finals Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal, 6–4, 6–1, 1–6, 6–3

Mixed Doubles Finals Katarina Srebotnik & Daniel Nestor defeated Yung-Jan Chan & Paul Hanley, 6–3, 3–6, 10–7

Men’s Doubles Finals Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan defeated Robert Lindstedt & Horia Tecau, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6

French Open 2011

Women’s Singles Finals Petra Kvitova defeated Maria Sharapova, 6-3, 6-4

May 22-June 5, 2011 Roland Garros Paris, France

Men’s Singles Finals Rafael Nadal defeated Roger Federer, 7–5, 7–6, 5–7, 6–1

Women’s Doubles Finals Kveta Peschke & Katarina Srebotnik defeated Sabine Lisicki & Samantha Stosur, 6-3, 6-1 Mixed Doubles Finals Jurgen Melzer & Iveta Benesova defeated Mahesh Bhupathi & Elena Vesnina, 6-3, 6-2

Men’s Doubles Finals Max Mirnyi & Daniel Nestor defeated Juan Sebastian Cabal & Eduardo Schwank, 7–6, 3–6, 6–4 Women’s Singles Finals Li Na defeated Francesca Schiavone, 6–4, 7–6 42

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • LITennisMag.com

A Look Back at the

2011 Tennis

SEAS

N 2011 TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships

U.S. Open 2011 August 29-September 12, 2011 USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Flushing Meadows, N.Y.

October 25-30, 2011 Sinan Erdem Arena Istanbul, Turkey

Men’s Singles Finals Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal, 6-2, 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-1 Men’s Doubles Final Jurgen Melzer & Philipp Petzschner defeated Mariusz Fyrstenberg & Marcin Matkowski, 6-2, 6-2

Singles Final Petra Kvitova defeated Victoria Azarenka, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 Doubles Final Liezel Huber & Lisa Raymond defeated Kveta Peshke & Katarina Srebotnik, 6-4, 6-4

Women’s Singles Final Samantha Stosur defeated Serena Williams, 6-2, 6-3 Women’s Doubles Final Liezel Huber & Lisa Raymond defeated Vania King & Yaroslava Shvedova, 4-6, 7-6, 7-6 Mixed Doubles Final Melanie Oudin & Jack Sock defeated Gisela Dulko & Eduardo Schwank, 7-6, 4-6, 1-0

2011 ATP World Tour Finals November 5-12, 2011 O2 Arena London, England

Singles Final Roger Federer defeated Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-3 Doubles Final Max Mirnyi & Daniel Nestor defeated Mariusz Fyrstenberg & Marcin Matkowski, 7-5, 6-3

2011 ATP Year-End Award Winners ATP World Tour No. 1 (based on South African Airways ATP Ranking) Novak Djokovic: The 24-year-old Serbian won 10 tour-level titles, highlighted by three Grand Slam championships (Australian Open, Wimbledon, U.S. Open) and a record five ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophies in one season. Djokovic ascended to number one in the South African Airways ATP Rankings following Wimbledon. He opened 2011 with a 41-match winning streak, just shy of John McEnroe’s record 42-0 start in 1984, and enters the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals with a 69-4 match record. ATP World Tour No. 1 Doubles Team (based on ATP Doubles Team Ranking) Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan: The American twins clinched the yearend number one team ranking for a record seventh time in nine years (2003, 2005-2007, 2009-2011). They claimed eight tour-level titles, including the Australian Open, Wimbledon and two ATP World Tour Masters 1000s (Monte-Carlo and Madrid), to take their team total to an Open Era record 75. They have now won at least five titles in 10 straight seasons.

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

A Look Back at the

2011 Tennis

SEAS Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award (voted by ATP players) Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg Roger Federer: Fellow players voted the Swiss as the winner of the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award for the seventh time. He had won the award six straight years from 2004-09 before Rafael Nadal broke the streak last year. Nadal, Djokovic and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi were also nominated in this category Comeback Player of the Year (voted by ATP players) Juan Martin Del Potro: The former world number four reestablished himself as one of the top players on the ATP World Tour in 2011. He fell to a low of 485th in the South African Airways ATP Rankings this past February, after a wrist injury and surgery limited him to six matches in 2010, but climbed to 11th by November. The 23-year-old Argentine compiled a 48-16 match record and two ATP World Tour titles (Estoril, Delray Beach). Newcomer of the Year Milos Raonic: The 20-year-old jumped from 156th in the South African Airways ATP Rankings at the start of the season to 31st on Nov. 14. After compiling a 4-6 match record in 2010, he went 31-19 in his first full season on the ATP World Tour. He became the first Canadian to claim a tour-level title in 16 years, winning San Jose without dropping a set (defeating Fernando Verdasco), and the following week, reached the final in Memphis (lost to Andy Roddick). Most Improved Player of the Year (voted by ATP players) Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg Alex Bogomolov Jr.: The 28-year-old American rose from 166th in the South African Airways ATP Rankings at the end of 2010 to a career-high 33rd in November. He finished 2011 with a 27-21 match record, eclipsing the total num44

N ber of matches he’d won on the ATP World Tour prior to this season (21-40 record from 2002-2010). He reached the quarterfinals or better at six tournaments, and recorded his biggest career win by defeating then-world number five-ranked Andy Murray in Miami. Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg Rafael Nadal: The Spaniard joined Roger Federer, Carlos Moya, former South African president Nelson Mandela and Arthur Ashe as winners of the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award, recognized for his contributions through the Rafa Nadal Foundation. The Foundation, a recipient of a 2011 ATP ACES For Charity grant, offers educational programs for socially-disadvantaged youth using sport as a tool for personal and social integration. The Foundation is currently affiliated with three projects, the Vicente Ferrer Foundation in Antapur, India; the Special Olympics; and the Aldeas Infantiles SOS, a private international aid organisation which cares for children in vulnerable situations. ATP Tour Fan Favorite (Singles) Roger Federer: The Swiss extends his reign as the most popular player on the ATP World Tour, selected as ATPWorldTour.com Fans’ Favorite presented by RICOH for a record ninth consecutive year. Djokovic finished second in the voting, followed by Nadal. ATP WorldTour.com Fans’ Favorite (Doubles) Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan: The 33-year-old American Bryan twins continue their dominance in this fan-voted category, winning it for a seventh straight time. They finished ahead of Michael Llodra & Nenad Zimonjic and Mahesh Bhupathi & Leander Paes in the voting.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • LITennisMag.com

A Look Back at the

2011 Tennis

SEAS 2011 ATP Tour Year-End Singles Rankings Rank Name Country Ranking Points 1..............Novak Djokovic..............Serbia..................13,475 2 ................Rafael Nadal ................Spain ..................9,375 3 ................Andy Murray ..............Scotland ................7,380 4 ..............Roger Federer ..........Switzerland ..............6,670 5 ................David Ferrer ................Spain ..................4,480 6 ..........Jo-Wilfried Tsonga ..........France ..................3,535 7 ..............Tomas Berdych ......Czech Republic ..........3,300 8..................Mardy Fish............United States ............2,965 9 ............Janko Tipsarevic ............Serbia ..................2,395 10 ..........Nicolas Almagro..............Spain ..................2,380 11 ......Juan Martin del Potro ......Argentina ................2,315 12 ..............Gilles Simon ................France ..................2,165 13............Robin Soderling ............Sweden ................2,120 14 ............Andy Roddick ........United States ............1,940 15 ..............Gael Monfils ................France ..................1,935 16........Alexandr Dolgopolov ........Ukraine..................1,925 17 ........Stanislas Wawrinka ......Switzerland ..............1,820 18 ................John Isner ............United States ............1,800 19 ..........Richard Gasquet ............France ..................1,765 20............Feliciano Lopez ..............Spain ..................1,755

N 2011 WTA Year-End Award Winners Player of the Year Petra Kvitova: She was voted Player of the Year for a season that saw her win six WTA titles, including her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon and the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships and going from 34th at the start of the year to number two at year-end. She also led the Czechs to the Fed Cup title. Doubles Team of the Year Kveta Peschke & Katarina Srebotnik: The duo earned Doubles Team of the Year in a fiercelycontested doubles season. They claimed a WTAleading six titles, including their first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon. They also rose to number one in the rankings. Comeback Player of the Year Sabine Lisicki: Having nearly cracked the top 20 after a 2009 season that saw her win the Premier title in Charleston and reach her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at Wimbledon, Lisicki went even higher in 2011, winning two WTA titles at Birmingham and Dallas, reaching her first Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon and peaking at number 15.

Rockville Racquet Club Welcomes.......... Carlos Maldonado as Director of Player Development • USTA High Performance Coach/ USPTA Professional 1/USPTR Pro • Currently coaching top ranked Eastern Juniors • Played on the Satellite Tour • Coached at the USTA National Tennis Center • Hitting partner for ATP and WTA Touring Pros Sign Up Now for Second Session Junior Development Program!

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LITennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

A Look Back at the

2011 Tennis

SEAS

N Fan Favorite Doubles Team Victoria Azarenka & Maria Kirilenko

Most Improved Player of the Year Petra Kvitova: For her on-court achievements, Kvitova was named Most Improved Player of the year.

Fan Favorite Breakthrough Player Petra Kvitova

Newcomer of the Year Ina-Camelia Begu: She won Newcomer of the Year after a breakthrough season that saw her rise from 214th to 38th, finishing at 40th. She reached her first two WTA finals at clay court events in Marbella and Budapest. Player Awards (voted by WTA players) Player Service Award Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg Francesca Schiavone: For her off-court achievements Francesca Schiavone won the Player Service Award, which recognizes the player who has done the most to support her fellow players through the WTA Players’ Council and other initiatives. Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award Petra Kvitova

Favorite Premier Tournament Porsche Tennis Grand Prix (Stuttgart) Favorite International Tournament Abierto Mexicano TELCEL (Acapulco)

2011 WTA Tour Year-End Singles Rankings Rank Name Country Ranking Points 1 ............Caroline Wozniacki..........Denmark ................7,485 2..................Petra Kvitova ........Czech Republic ..........7,370 3 ..............Victoria Azarenka ............Belarus ................6,520 4 ..............Maria Sharapova ............Russia ..................6,510 5 ........................Na Li ......................China ..................5,720 6 ..............Samantha Stosur ..........Australia ................5,585 7 ................Vera Zvonareva ..............Russia ..................5,435 8 ..........Agnieszka Radwanska ........Poland..................5,250 9 ................Marion Bartoli ..............France..................4,710 10 ............Andrea Petkovic............Germany ................4,580 11 ........Francesca Schiavone............Italy ....................3,900 12..............Serena Williams ........United States ............3,180 13 ................Kim Clijsters................Belgium ................3,161 14..............Jelena Jankovic ..............Serbia ..................3,115 15................Sabine Lisicki..............Germany ................2,879 16 ....Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova ....Russia ..................2,865 17 ................Shuai Peng ..................China ..................2,800 18 ..........Dominika Cibulkova ........Slovakia ................2,755 19..........Svetlana Kuznetsova ..........Russia ..................2,606 20 ..............Flavia Pennetta ................Italy ....................2,490

Fan Favorites (fan’s vote) Fan Favorite Singles Player Agnieszka Radwanska

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • LITennisMag.com

A Look Back at the

2011 Tennis

SEAS 2011 ATP Tour Retired Players Simon Aspelin: Aspelin is best remembered for triumphing at the 2007 U.S. Open with Austrian Julian Knowle and partnering compatriot Thomas Johansson to a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The Swede turned pro in 1998 after graduating from Pepperdine University, where he was a four-time All-American. He won his first of 12 titles at the Open 13 at Marseille in 2000 and reached a career-high doubles ranking of number seven in March 2008. Harel Levy: Levy announced his retirement from professional tennis at the age of 32. Levy was ranked as high as 30th in June 2001 at the ATP Tour rankings, but suffered a hip injury that summer and his game plunged. He was a key component of Israel’s Davis Cup team Nicolas Lapentti: Lapentti announced his retirement from professional tennis in 2011. Lapentti, who is 34 years old, won five ATP World Tour singles titles and competed in a total of 12 finals in 16 seasons as a pro.

Nicolas Kiefer: Kiefer announced his retirement from professional tennis in 2011. During his career he reached a high of fourth in the ATP rankings. His best result in a Grand Slam was the semifinals of the 2006 Australian Open. Taylor Dent: The 29-year-old Dent, a former top 25 tennis player, announced his retirement from professional tennis. Dent was one of a handful of current pros with a serve-and-volley style and currently ranked 85th in the ATP World Tour rankings

N Wesley Moodie: South African Wesley Moodie, the 2005 Wimbledon doubles champion with Stephen Huss, has retired from professional tennis after 12 seasons. He ranked a career-high No. 8 in the ATP Doubles Rankings in 2009 and rose to a career-high No. 57 in the South African Airways 2011 ATP Rankings in 2005. Oscar Hernandez: Spaniard Oscar Hernandez announced his retirement from professional tennis this year. Hernandez, who turned professional in 1998, reached a career-high of 48th in October of 2007 and compiled a 65-125 singles record.

2011 WTA Tour Retired Players Justine Henin: Former number one Justine Henin has announced her retirement from professional tennis in 2011 due to a career-ending elbow injury she initially received last year at Wimbledon. Henin retired from the sport for the first time in March 2008 and became the first woman in the history of professional tennis to retire while ranked number one. She made a successful comeback to tennis at the beginning of the 2010 season, reaching the final of the 2010 Australian Open and capturing two titles. Henin is a winner of 43 WTA singles titles, including seven Grand Slam championships, and has been ranked number one for a total of 117 weeks (seventh all time). She has amassed more than $20 million in career prize money and is leaving the sport with a win-loss record of 527-116 Patty Schnyder: Schnyder played in 59 Grand Slam tournaments, including 52 in a row from 1997-2009, and her best showing was making the semifinals at the 2004 Australian Open. Schnyder, who was born in Basel, the same town as Roger Federer, compiled a 555-370 career record. Sybille Bammer: The 31-year-old Austrian Bammer won two singles titles in her career and reached the quarterfinals at the 2008 U.S. Open for her best Grand Slam result. Her best showing at Wimbledon came in 2006 when she reached the third round.

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Four Steps to Improve Your Speed on the Court By Frank Dolan, BS, CSCS 1. Functional movement The first step to improving a players’ speed is to assess and correct their functional movement limitations. It sounds unrelated to speed, but in fact, it is the foundation for building quality training programs, tennis mechanics and creating higher speeds on the court. Not only does it make the athlete more efficient in their movements (and improve their ability to perform tennis skills), but it will also help decrease the chance of injury. Using a simple tool such as the Functional Movement Screen (FMS), a coach can accurately find out the weakest link in the players’ movement patterns. Left unaddressed by a qualified movement specialist or high-level coach, these weaknesses will hold you back from performing speed development drills, exer-

cises and your movements in the match itself. For example, if hip extension is an issue (which is very common among players; largely due to the fact that we sit down most of the day) the player will not be able to use the potential of range of motion possible when they push off the ground moving laterally or in a straight line. 2. Strength To get a body at rest to accelerate in the direction of the ball at optimal speed, you need a requisite amount of strength. If leg and core strength is not in the correct proportion to your body weight you will be slower than you should be. As players age, their strength levels tend to drop or their weight increases. This could lead to slower starting speeds on the tennis court. Reaction time plays a role, but not as much as you think. Additionally, in adolescents, their

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • LITennisMag.com

bodies tend to grow disproportionately to their strength levels. Most times, a good dose of strength alone can be the fastest way to improve speed. 3. Technique There is the age-old argument that you cannot teach speed, that you are born with it. If you have ever taught or been taught by someone to serve or hit a forehand, you would know that there is an optimal way to perform those skills. The same is true of speed. You can improve the skill of arm drive, leg drive, body position, shin angles, as well as how the foot interacts with the court. These skills, if done incorrectly, will make you less efficient and slower than you should be. There is no argument that some people have a greater potential for being faster. However, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t teach people to reach their “top” speeds.

4. Power Individual and age-appropriate power and reactiveness exercises will help increase the rate of turnover, as well as concentric “push off” to increase speed. There are exercises and drills to enhance the central nervous system, which will increase quickness and leg speed. This work can give you quickness, but not necessarily speed. It is like the roadrunner spinning his wheels but not really going anywhere. Turnover is important, but not nearly as significant as utilizing ground reaction force. Newton’s third law: “Every action produces an equal and opposite reaction,” guarantees that if you push into the

court; the court will push back with an equal force to propel you in the direction that you want to go. Power is a function of strength and time. Faster players display maximal amounts of strength in very short windows of time. In this case, someone who has a greater amount of power can utilize ground reaction force to create greater displacement with every step on the court. Plyometric drills done appropriately (exercises chosen conservatively with proper progression and age taken into consideration) help improve the explosiveness on the tennis court.

Frank Dolan, BS, CSCS is a strength and conditioning specialist, and the owner of Sports and Fitness Performance in Islip, N.Y. In addition to studying directly under such industry luminaries as Gray Cook, Mark Verstegen and Mike Boyle, Frank consults for organizations such as Equinox Fitness Clubs, Major League Strength, The Baseball Factory, and several local colleges, high schools and sports organizations. He is an expansion team presenter for Functional Movement Systems (FMS), and in 2008, worked as consultant to the New York Yankees during spring training. He may be reached by phone at (631) 650-7140 or e-mail CoachFrankDolan@gmail.com.

Super Foods and Snacks for Sports By Irina Belfer-Lehat Following proper nutrition preparation will guarantee improved tennis performance. Packing your lunch box with proper snacks and fluids will help you to avoid fatigue, cramps and get you ready for any early matches, late matches or even multiple matches. Here are some easy tips on what super snacks and drinks to have in your bag when playing in a tournament: I Freeze some water and Gatorade the night before and pack it with your snacks and drinks. It will help to keep your refreshments cool and fresh. I The myths about Vitamin Waters and other “smart waters:” They have empowering flavor names like Endurance, Energy, Essential and Focus, and give the illusion of a healthy, hydrating and rejuvenating miracle elixir. The bottles are beautiful, colorful and the text on them is snappy and clever; however, they do not provide proper electrolytes and often are full of sugar that can lead to a further dehydration. Low calorie Gatorades, such as G2, do not provide proper hydration either. Regular water and Gatorade are the best sources of hydration. I Fiber is a super nutrient that keeps you full for a long time, look for snack bars that have more than five grams of fiber in them. I like Fiber One snack bars be-

cause they provide nine grams of fiber and less than four grams of fat. Always keep extra bars in your bag.

stressor and provides a quick fuel release to your brain. Dark chocolate (greater than 70 percent), provides up to 9.6 milligrams (64 percent RDA) of zinc per 100 gram serving (most bars are 50-100 grams). A small piece of dark chocolate is a musthave in your bag.

I Fruits are super snacks. Not only do they provide all kinds of vitamins and minerals, but the potassium in fruit helps prevent muscle cramping. Bananas and oranges are the best sources of potassium and are easiest to have on the run. Here’s a tip … peel your orange in advance to avoid a mess on the court.

Always remember to drink plenty of water and eat small, frequent meals during your tournament days! Let an expert analyze and personalize your diet.

I Good news for chocolate lovers … in addition to being a feel-good food, it is loaded with antioxidants and minerals such as zinc. Zinc is proven to work as an anti-

Irina Belfer-Lehat is a New York State-licensed dietitian and certified dietitian-nutritionist. She may be reached by phone at (917) 769-8031 or e-mail irinalehat@gmail.com.

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1-1 consultations, phone consults, family counseling, on site visits Dr. Tom Ferraro (516) 248-7189 • 2 Hillside Avenue, Ste. E • Williston Pk, NY 11596 Drtomferraro.com • drtferraro@aol.com LITennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

By Kathy Miller

he Men's and Women's Tri-Level League finished their season with championship matches Dec. 17-18. In the women's final, Point Set, captained by Jenn Jaeger, defeated Rockville Racquet, captained by Jackie Gaines. In the men's final, Carefree's team, captained by Adam Kohlenberg, defeated Rockville Racquet, captained by Jonathan Klee. Both championship teams will now advance to the Sectional Championships in Albany, N.Y. this January. Next up is the mixed-doubles league. All teams are registered with matches beginning the first week of January. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not too late to join as players can be added to team rosters until Feb. 15. The USTA mixed-doubles league runs from January to May, playing on weekends two to three times each month. Long Island fields teams at the 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0 and 10.0 levels. The league is based on combined NTRP ratings (see page 51) and matches consist of three courts of mixed-doubles playing for two hours per match. March begins the organization for the Adult, Senior and Super Senior menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leagues. In the Adult and Senior leagues, teams are based on the NTRP rating system. In the Adult League, play begins at the 2.5 Level for the women and

3.0 Level for the men with teams also at the 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5 and 5.0 levels for both men and women. In the Senior League, womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s teams begin at 3.0 with both the men and women also having teams at the 3.5, 4.0 and 4.5 Levels. Super Seniors are combined ratings with womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s teams at the 6.0, 7.0 and 8.0 Levels and men at the 7.0 and 8.0 Levels. Play takes place from May through August, with a section championship for adults in Albany, N.Y. in August and for seniors and super seniors in September. The format for the league is as follows: Adult League: 2.5 and 5.0 is one court of singles and two courts of doubles with the 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 and 4.5 playing two courts of singles and three courts of doubles. In both the Senior and Super Senior League, matches consist of three courts of doubles. To get involved in the USTA Adult League Program, e-mail Kathy Miller, the Long Island USTA League Coordinator, at Kathym65@aol.com. I look forward to hearing from you! 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.

FFeed eeeed yo your our game. gam g me.

Vermont Tenn Tennis nis Vacations Vac ns at The Essex Resort Reso ort & Spa

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Long Island Tennis Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ January/February 2012 â&#x20AC;˘ LITennisMag.com

ITN

NTRP

NATIO NAL TENNIS RATING PROGRAM FOREHAND

10.1 10.3 10 9

1.0 1.5 2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

5.5

6.0 to

7.0

BACKHAND

SERVE OR RETURN OF SERVE

VOLLEY

SPECIAL SHOTS

PLAYING STYLE

This player is just starting to play tennis. This player has limited experience and is still working primarily on getting the ball into play. Incomplete swing; lacks directional intent

Avoids backhands; erratic contact; grip problems; incomplete swing

Incomplete service motion; double faults common; toss is inconsistent; return of serve erratic

Reluctant to play net; avoids backhand; lacks footwork

Form developing; prepared for moderately paced shots

Grip and preparation problems; often chooses to hit forehand instead of backhand

Attempting a full swing; can get the ball in play at slow pace; inconsistent toss; can return slowpaced serve

Uncomfortable at net, especially on the backhand side; frequently uses forehand racquet face on backhand volleys

Can lob intentionally but with little control; can make contact on overheads

Can sustain a short rally of slow pace; modest consistency; weak court coverage; usually remains in the initial doubles position

Fairly consistent with some directional intent; lacks depth control

Frequently prepared; starting to hit with fair consistency on moderate shots

Developing rhythm; little consistency when trying for power; second serve is often considerably slower than first serve; can return serve with fair consistency

Consistent forehand volley; inconsistent backhand volley; has trouble with low and wide shots

Can lob fairly consistently on moderate shots

Fairly consistent on medium-paced shots; most common doubles formation is still one up, one back; approaches net when play dictates but weak in execution

Improved consistency and variety on moderate shots with directional control; developing spin

Hits with directional control on moderate shots; has difficulty on high or hard shots; returns difficult shots defensively

Starting to serve with control and some power; developing spin; can return serve consistently with directional control on moderate shots

More aggressive net play; some ability to cover side shots; uses proper footwork; can direct forehand volleys; controls backhand volley but with little offense; difficulty in putting volleys away

Consistent overhead on shots within reach; developing approach shots, drop shots, and half volleys

Improved consistency on moderate shots with directional control; improved court coverage; starting to look for the opportunity to come to the net; developing teamwork in doubles

Good consistency; hits with depth and control on moderate shots; may try to hit too good a placement on a difficult shot

Directs the ball with consistency and depth on moderate shots; developing spin

Places both first and second serves, often with power on first serve; uses spin; dependable return of serve; can return with depth in singles and mix returns in doubles

Depth and control on forehand volley; can direct backhand volleys but usually lacks depth; developing wide and low volleys on both sides of the body

Can put away easy overheads; can poach in doubles; follows aggressive shots to the net; beginning to finish point off; can hit to opponent's weaknesses; able to lob defensively on difficult shots and offensively on set-ups

Good consistency on ground strokes with directional control and depth demonstrated on moderate shots; not yet playing good percentage tennis; teamwork in doubles is evident; rallies may still be lost due to impatience

Very good consistency; uses speed and spin effectively; controls depth well; tends to over-hit on difficult shots; offensive on moderate shots

Can control direction and depth but may break down under pressure; offensive on moderate shots

Aggressive serving with limited double faults; uses power and spin; developing offense; on second serve frequently hits with good depth and placement; frequently hits aggressive service returns; can take pace off with moderate success in doubles

Can handle a mixed sequence of volleys; good footwork; has depth and directional control on backhand; developing touch; most common error is still overhitting

Hits approach shots with good depth and control; can consistently hit volleys and overheads to end the point

Very good consistency; more intentional variety in game; is hitting with more pace; covers up weaknesses well; beginning to vary game plan according to opponent; aggressive net play is common in doubles; good anticipation; beginning to handle pace

Strong shots with control, depth, and spin; uses forehand to set up offensive situations; has developed good touch; consistent on passing shots

Can use backhand as an aggressive shot with good consistency; has good direction and depth on most shots; varies spin

Serve is placed effectively with intent of hitting to a weakness or developing an offensive situation; has a variety of serves to rely on; good depth, spin, and placement on most second serves to force weak return or set up next shot; can mix aggressive and off-paced service returns with control, depth, and spin

Can hit most volleys with depth, pace and direction; plays difficult volleys with depth; given an opportunity volley is often hit for a winner

Approach shots and passing shots are hit with pace and high degree of effectiveness; can lob offensively; overhead can be hit from any position; hits mid-court volleys with consistency

Frequently has an outstanding shot, consistency, or attribute around which game is built; can vary game plan according to opponent; this player is “match wise,” plays percentage tennis and “beats himself or herself” less than the 4.5 player; solid teamwork in doubles is evident; game breaks down mentally and physically more often than the 5.5 player

This player is capable of hitting dependable shots in stress situations; has developed good anticipation; can pick up cues from such things as opponent’s toss, body position, backswing, preparation; first and second serves can be depended on in stress situations and can be hit offensively at any time; can analyze and exploit opponent's weaknesses; can vary strategies and style of play in a competitive situation. These players will generally not need NTRP ratings. Rankings or past rankings will speak for themselves. The 6.0 player typically has had intensive training for national tournament competition at the junior level and collegiate levels and has obtained a sectional and/or national ranking. The 6.5 player has a reasonable chance of succeeding at the 7.0 level and has extensive satellite tournament experience. The 7.0 is a world-class player who is committed to tournament competition on the international level and whose major source of income is tournament prize winnings.

Familiar with basic positions for singles and doubles play; frequently out of position

Players in Wheelchairs: Players in wheelchairs should use these general characteristics to determine their NTRP skill level. The only differences are as follows: Mobility: While players in wheelchairs may have skills that would normally provide them a certain rating, the mobility factor suggests that when competing against able-bodied players, they should participate at an NTRP skill level that provides for competitive rather than compatible play. Serving ability: Due to the nature of the player’s injury or disability, a powerful serve may not be possible. In this case, it may be more realistic to self-rate below 4.0, as service strength becomes key beyond this level. Many tournament players in wheelchairs have already received an NTRP rating. Wheelchair players should check with players whose skills match their own before determining their rating. The very best world-class players in wheelchairs have an NTRP rating in the low 4.5s.

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

The Sand Pit By Anthony Pastecchi

rom Nov. 17-20, the best American beach tennis players took to the beaches of Aruba for the 2011 International Beach Tennis Championships. Players from all over the globe, including Italy, Brazil, France, Venezuela and Belgium among others joined their American counterparts to compete in this International Tennis Federation (ITF)-sanctioned tournament. For the first time in history, a team from the United States was victorious on center court, where in women’s doubles, Nadia Johnston from Long Island & Nicole Melch captured the Professional Women’s Doubles Championship. The duo went up against Julie Labrit & Virginie Cabrien, who had just won a beach tennis tournament in St. Maarten the previous week. “Winning our first G1 event, in an atmosphere like Aruba, and being the first U.S. team to win an international event is just unbelievable. It’s proof that we can compete with the best in the world,” said Johnston. It was clear that the American team of Johnston & Melch would be unstoppable with their level of determination and will to make beach tennis history by becoming the first American team to ever win a G1 tournament. “Winning felt like being on a different planet and writing a part of U.S. beach tennis history,” said top-ranked U.S. player Nicole Melch. “It motivates us to find sponsors and play more tournaments.” On the men’s side of play, Matteo Marighella & Luca Meliconi of Italy took down fellow Italians, Alessandro Calbucci & Michele Cappelletti in the Professional Men’s Doubles Finals. Although no Americans made it into the men’s final, the American men played at a very high level proving they are making their way to the top of the playing field. At the end of the final match, it was clear that the tournament was not yet over as the music kicked in and the party

began. The event was hosted at Moomba Beach Bar and was made possible by organizers Jochem Ros and Sjoerd de Vries, who run Beach Tennis in Aruba. Back on American soil, the season may have concluded for the New York area; however, the sport is still very alive with new school initiatives and Nicole Melch & Nadia Johnston in action in Aruba at the 2011 Inprograms. Beach Ten- ternational Beach Tennis Championships nis USA has initiated a program to be in- latest news and upcoming events from troduced to local school systems which the official Beach Tennis ITF-sanctioning gives students of all ages access to a body in America. great new sport. It has been adopted into Sewanhaka High School, Island Anthony Pastecchi is an editorial and marPark Middle School, and the Long keting assistant with Long Island Tennis Beach & Hempstead School Districts. Magazine. He is currently an undergrad at The sport combines the likes of bad- C.W. Post and participant in the honors minton, volleyball, tennis and paddleball program. He is also a USTA volunteer and into one high-energy, easy-to-learn coach for Hicksville Community Tennis. He game. was recently named USTA/Eastern-Long Beach Tennis USA has launched a Island Region 2011 Junior Volunteer of new Web site, BeachTennisUSA.net, the Year. He may be reached by e-mail at where one can keep an eye out for the anthony@usptennis.com.

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Jordie Dolberg ordie Dolberg is the new director of tennis at Sportime Massapequa. Jordie lived in Florida his entire life, attending college at The University of Florida, before recently moving to Long Island to accept his new position. As a junior player, Dolberg was ranked in the top 10 in the nation, from the Boys 12s Division through the Boys 18s Division. He reached the finals of the USTA Boys Singles 16s National Championships in Kalamazoo, Mich. and reached the finals in Kalamazoo in doubles when he was 18. As a highs school student, he was named Class 1a Athlete of the Year in Florida. “I want to bring a new method to the table and the key to that method is going to be defined by discipline,” said Dolberg on his new role with Sportime. His collegiate career spanned from 2002-2006 at the University of Florida where he was ranked in the top five in the

nation throughout. Dolberg was a two-time SEC champion and three-time SEC tournament champion, in addition to two semifinal appearances in the NCAA Men’s Tennis Tournament. After the University of Florida, Jordie joined the pro circuit and joined the ATP Tour, reaching a career-best 460th in the rankings before being forced to retire due to injury. “I have a high level of playing back-

ground, and have learned and seen many things through the years both as a player and a coach that can help students,” said Jordie. “But most importantly, they have to have the discipline to reach their goals and I will strive to help them achieve that.” His coaching career has seen him mentor and instruct some of the top American players, including Jesse Levine and Ryan Sweeting when they are in the states. Notable juniors who have played with Jordie include Brennan Boyaijian, a number one singles player for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels; Zack McCourt, a top three singles player for Princeton; Antonio Pena, a number one singles player for Hofstra; and Gustavo Gonzalez who committed to Harvard for the fall of 2012. “I want to work with players from start to finish and watch their growth as a tennis player throughout,” said Dolberg. “That’s where I get the most satisfaction as a coach.”

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

2011 Girls High School Nassau & Suffolk

SEASON RECAP 2011 Long Island Championship Long Island Champion–Syosset Long Island Championship Match Syosset declared winner over Half Hollow Hills East via forfeit.

2011 Nassau County Girls High School Standings Conference I Conference I Champion: Syosset Playoffs Semifinals Syosset 6–Roslyn 1 Port Washington 6–Manhasset 1 Finals Syosset 6–Port Washington 1 Conference I Final Standings Syosset ..............................................14-0 Port Washington ................................12-2 Roslyn ..................................................9-5 Manhasset ..........................................9-5 Jericho ................................................5-9 Hewlett ..............................................3-11 Oceanside..........................................2-12 Garden City........................................2-12 Conference II Conference II Champion: Cold Spring Harbor Playoffs Second vs. third seed playoffs (Conference II-A) Cold Spring Harbor 4– Great Neck South 3 (Conference II-B) Massapequa 7–Lynbrook 0 Semifinals Friends Academy 4–Massapequa 3 Cold Spring Harbor 7–Wheatley 0

Finals Cold Spring Harbor 5–Friends Academy 2 Conference II-A Final Standings Friends Academy ..............................10-2 Cold Spring Harbor..............................9-3 Great Neck South ................................9-3 Plainview JFK ......................................7-5 Great Neck North ................................4-8 Herricks................................................3-8 North Shore........................................0-12 Conference II-B Finals Standings Wheatley............................................12–2 Massapequa ......................................12-2 Lynbrook ............................................10-4 Sewanhaka/Carey................................8-6 South Side ..........................................6-8 Bellmore ..............................................5-9 MacArthur ..........................................2-12 Mepham ............................................1-13 Conference III Conference III Champion: Baldwin Playoffs Second versus third seed playoffs (Conference III-A) East Meadow 4–Oyster Bay 3 (Conference III-B) Carle Place 4–Plainedge 3 Semifinals Carle Place 5–Glen Cove 2 Baldwin 4–East Meadow 3 Finals Baldwin 4–Carle Place 3

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • LITennisMag.com

Conference III-A Final Standings Glen Cove ............................................9-3 East Meadow ......................................9-3 Oyster Bay ..........................................9-3 Locust Valley........................................8-4 Hicksville..............................................5-7 Farmingdale ......................................1-11 New Hyde Park ..................................1-11 Conference III-B Final Standings Baldwin ..............................................10-2 Plainedge ..........................................10-2 Carle Place ..........................................9-3 Long Beach..........................................6-6 Calhoun................................................5-7 Valley Stream North ..........................2-10 Lawrence ..........................................0-12 Conference IV Conference IV-A Champion: Bethpage Conference IV-B Champion: Valley Stream Central Playoffs Conference IV-A Semifinals Wantagh 5–Clarke 2 Bethpage 4–Valley Stream South 3 Conference IV-A Finals Bethpage 4–Wantagh 3 Conference IV-B Semifinals Levittown Division 5–Uniondale 2 Valley Stream Central 7-Malverne/East Rockaway 0

2011 Girls High School Nassau & Suffolk

SEASON RECAP Conference IV-B Finals Valley Stream Central 7–Levittown Division 0 Conference IV-A Bethpage ............................................9-1 Wantagh ..............................................8-2 Clarke ..................................................6-4 Valley Stream South ............................4-6 Freeport ..............................................3-7 West Hempstead ..............................0-10

Doubles Tournament All New York State & All-County Honors Champions: Gabriella Leon & Victorika Paikan (Hewlett) Runner-up: Lauren Livingston & Emma Brezel (Port Washington) Third Place: Marissa Cameron & Brittany Burke (Garden City) Fourth Place: Katie Cirella & Lisa Petruzillo (Syosset)

Conference IV-B Valley Stream Central ..........................8-0 Levittown Division................................7-1 Uniondale ............................................5-3 Malverne/East Rockaway ....................4-6 Hempstead ..........................................2-8 Roosevelt ..........................................0-10

All-County Honors (Quarterfinalists) Courtney DiGia & Nicole Koskovolis (Manhasset) Liz Kallenberg & Sarah Seeman (Port Washington) Rachel Murillo & Marissa Luchs (Roslyn) Isabella Pascucci & Julia Carduillo (Friends Academy)

2011 Nassau County High School Girls Tennis Tournament

2011 Suffolk County Girls High School Standings

October 15-16 at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, N.Y. Top three finishers represent Nassau County at the States Singles Tournament All New York State & All-County Honors Champion: Hannah Camhi (Syosset) Runner-up: Morgan Herrmann (Garden City) Third Place: Nicholle Torres (Great Neck South) Fourth Place: Paulina Tafler (Oceanside) All-County Honors (Quarterfinalists) Hannah Goldman (West Hempstead) Olga Kosheva (Port Washington Lila Martz (Long Beach) Cameron Moskol (MacArthur)

League I Final Standings Half Hollow Hills East ..........................9-1 Half Hollow Hills West..........................9-1 Harborfields ........................................6-4 Commack ............................................4-6 Smithtown East....................................2-8 Hauppauge ........................................0-10 League II Final Standings Northport ..........................................10-0 Huntington ..........................................8-2 Walt Whitman ......................................5-5 Smithtown West ..................................4-6 Kings Park............................................3-7 Elwood/John Glenn ..........................0-10 League III Final Standings Islip ......................................................9-1 West Islip..............................................9-1 East Islip ..............................................6-4 Sayville ................................................4-6

Bay Shore ............................................1-9 Connetquot..........................................1-9 League IV Final Standings West Babylon ....................................13-1 Lindenhurst ........................................12-2 Brentwood ........................................11-3 Copiague ............................................8-6 Babylon................................................5-9 North Babylon......................................5-9 Deer Park ..........................................2-12 Central Islip ........................................0-14 League V Final Standings Ward Melville......................................10-0 Patchogue-Medford ............................7-3 Bayport-Blue Point ..............................5-5 Longwood............................................4-6 Mt. Sinai ..............................................4-6 Stony Brook ......................................0-10 League VI Final Standings Miller Place ........................................11-1 Port Jefferson ....................................10-2 Sachem East........................................8-4 Middle Country ....................................7-5 Sachem North......................................4-8 Comsewogue ....................................2-10 Bellport ..............................................0-12 League VII Final Standings Westhampton ......................................9-1 McGann-Mercy ....................................8-2 William Floyd........................................6-4 East Hampton ......................................4-6 Ross ....................................................2-8 Southampton ......................................1-9 League VIII Final Standings Mattituck............................................14-0 Eastport/South Manor ......................11-3 Shoreham/Wading River ....................10-4 Riverhead ............................................9-5 Southold/Greenport ............................6-8 Rocky Point........................................4-10 Hampton Bays ..................................2-12 Center Moriches ................................0-14

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

2011 Girls High School Nassau & Suffolk

SEASON RECAP 2011 NYSPHSAA High School Tennis Championships November 5-7 at the Eastside Racquet Club in Manlius, N.Y. Singles (Main Draw) Hannah Camhi (Syosset) First Place-New York State Public and Federation Champion Morgan Herrmann (Garden City) Second place-New York State Public and Federation Runner-Up Singles (Consolation Draw) Nicholle Torres (Great Neck South)–First place Sportsmanship Award (Section VIII) Nicholle Torres (Great Neck South)

Syosset’s Hannah Camhi Wins State Championship Syosset’s Hannah Camhi (right) was a 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 winner over Garden City’s Morgan Hermann (left) in the finals of the 2011 NYSPHSAA Girls High School Tennis Championships Syosset High School’s Hannah Camhi capped off an epic senior season with a hard-fought, three-set victory over fellow Long Islander Morgan Hermann of Garden City, 6-2, 5-7, 62 in the 2011 NYSPHSAA Girls High School Tennis Championships played at the Eastside Racquet Club in Manlius, N.Y. This was just the first time since 2006 that both girls finalists were Long Islanders. The State Final was a rematch of the Nassau County Championship match where Camhi won easily in straight sets 6-0, 6-0. This time, Hermann battled throughout, playing much

better than she did under the windy conditions faced at the Nassau County Championships when the girls met a few weeks ago. She forced Camhi to step up her game in order to pull out the victory. The win allowed Camhi to end her high school career on top, as well as avenge her loss in the state finals, as Camhi was the runner-up last year and captured third place two years ago. “I’m a strong advocate of high school tennis and very proud of the tradition of successful participation of my players,” said Camhi’s year-round tennis coach, Steven Kaplan. “Hannah’s win is the 11th State Girl’s Singles Title and 15th overall Singles Title of my students. Hannah was inspired by Jenny Kellner’s win at the states two years ago, and she has worked very hard for the opportunity to be a State Champion. Hannah was a dedicated and loyal team member and she will be an inspiration to others for many years to come.” Camhi also won the Nassau County Individual Singles Title, as well as had an undefeated season at first singles to help lead Syosset to their third straight Long Island Championship. Camhi is next off to Brown University to play next fall. Other Long Island players had strong showings as well. In doubles, Gabriella Leon &

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2011 Girls High School Nassau & Suffolk

SEASON RECAP Veronika Pakin of Hewlett as well as Bridget & Mickey Harding of Northport both advanced to the quarterfinals. “I’m extremely proud of all the girls who competed, both in singles and in doubles. The results from the tournament demonstrate the high level of competition that is played here on Long Island by the girls,” said Shai Fisher, Section VIII Nassau County Girls Tennis Coordinator. “Hannah has worked very hard, year in and year out, and to finish her high school career with a win in her last match at the New York State level is a crowning achievement and well-deserved honor.”

Smithtown East’s Daniggelis Wins 2011 Suffolk County Girls Tennis Title Nicole Daniggelis of Smithtown East (right), pictured here with Nicholle Torres of Great Neck South (left), winner of the 2011 Suffolk County Individual Singles Championship Nicole Daniggelis of Smithtown East made her senior season one she’ll never forget, as she captured the Suffolk County Individual Singles Championship. Daniggelis upset two top five seeds en-route to winning the 2011 championship. Daniggelis, from St. James, N.Y., will actually play Lacrosse at Yale next year, had her tennis skills on display this day. She used her impressive athleticism, mental toughness and consistent play to prevail. In the semifinals, she defeated the second seed Ludmilla Yamus from Half Hollow Hills East, which set up a rematch with fifth-seeded Zenat Roshizada of Half Hollow Hills West in the finals. In their previous meeting earlier in the season, Roshizada defeated Daniggelis in

three tough sets, but things were very different in this match. In the finals, Daniggelis recovered from a slow start to win the first set 6-3. She was up 4-1 in the second set when Roshizada retired with an injury which gave the championship to Daniggelis. In the Suffolk County Doubles Championship, the favorites prevailed and left no doubt who the top team was. Top-seeded sisters Mickey & Bridget Harding of Northport cruised through the tournament’s early rounds losing on two games combined in the first three rounds, and then capped off their title run with a very impressive 6-2, 6-1 win over the third-seeded team of Sarah Han & Malini Desai of Half Hollow Hills West. Mickey Harding is a senior while Bridget is a sophomore.

Camhi Rolls to Nassau County Girl’s Championship Syosset High School Senior Hannah Camhi was all business on Sunday winning in impressive fashion over Garden City’s Morgan Herrmann

6-0, 6-0 in the Nassau County Girls Singles Championship at Eisenhower Park. Despite the gusty wind that certainly made adjustments necessary, Camhi was able to place the ball where she wanted to against the her younger opponent Hermann who is an eighth grader. “I’m used to playing in the wind and didn’t have too much difficulty adapting to it,” said Camhi. “I felt like I was striking the ball cleaner and making my shots more impactful today.” Camhi credited her coach, Steve Kaplan of Bethpage Tennis Center, with helping her make some changes in her game. “He helped me with adjusting some of my shots, including incorporating a lot of spin and speed in my game. It really helped me a lot.” Camhi who is off to play for Brown University next fall, was able to attain the title that had narrowly eluded her the past three years as she finished second as a junior and third as a sophomore and freshman. In the doubles final, Hewlett’s Gabriella Leon & Veronika Paikin took down Port Washington’s Lauren Livingston & Emma Brezel in straight sets, 6-1, 6-0. “It’s all about consistency and teamwork with us,” said Paikin. “We felt like we went out there and controlled the match from start to finish.”

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2011 Girls High School Nassau & Suffolk

SEASON RECAP Leon added that they were motivated to come back and win after losing in the second round in last year’s Counties. “Our goal ever since that loss was to get back and win this thing. We practiced really hard and really worked on our volleys in order to get this win today.” In the consolation matches, Great Neck South Junior Nicholle Torres defeated Oceanside’s Paulina Tafler, 6-4, 6-2 to finish third in the singles draw. In doubles, Garden City’s Marisa Cameron & Brittany Burke pulled out a victory over Syosset’s Lisa Petruzillo & Katie Cirella, 7-5, 6-2.

Syosset Wins Third Consecutive Girls High School Tennis Championship On Nov. 1, 2011 Nassau County Champion Syosset High School and 2011 Suffolk County Champion Half Hollow Hills East (HHHE) High School were supposed to

play to determine the winner of the 2011 Long Island Championship. That day ended with HHHE Coach Tom Depelteau putting his team back on a bus instead of playing the match after heated exchanges with Syosset Coach Larry Levane, Nassau County Girls High School Coordinator Shai Fisher and parents. Hoping that cooler heads would prevail, the coaches and coordinators from numerous sections tried to re-schedule the match for the following day, but to no avail. It was then formally announced that HHHE had forfeited the match and that Syosset had been declared the Long Island Champion for the third straight year. “The rule over the last seven years was that if you play in Nassau, you follow Nas-

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • LITennisMag.com

sau rules, which is three singles and four doubles ‘in strength order,’” said Fisher. “The HHHE coach decided not to follow those rules.” When the coaches exchanged lineups, it became clear that HHHE took their top three singles players from throughout the season and put them in the top two doubles positions, moved their top two doubles teams down to third and fourth doubles, then took their regular third doubles team and put them at first and second singles. “This was a blatant stacking of a lineup which was an illegal lineup due to not following the rules of strength order,” said Fisher. “Everyone on my team was stunned and so sad,” said a member of the Syosset team. “I looked at the seniors on my team, Hayley, Hannah, Alexa, Jen and Lisa, and thought about last year when we won the championship. There was no better feeling than rushing onto the court, hugging my teammates, and screaming for joy that we won. Those memories are priceless, and something that I will always take with me. Sadly, that is something we missed out on this year, had we won.” “I am sorry for the girls of the other team that this match wasn’t played,” said a member of the Syosset Girls Tennis team. “I am not sure if they felt under-matched or their coach did, but as an athlete and competitor, I welcome the challenge of being overmatched. Who knows … maybe today could be the day?” Long Island Tennis Magazine would like to congratulate the girls of HHHE on a Suffolk Title and a tremendous season. For the girls of Syosset High School, winning three straight Nassau County and Long Island Championships is an amazing feat. The girls on both teams should be very proud of their efforts on-the-court, and no one should be proud of the events that took place off-the-court.

2011 Girls High School Nassau & Suffolk

SEASON RECAP Massapequa and South Side Girls Help Make a Difference On Oct. 16, the Massapequa and South Side Girls Varsity Tennis teams dedicated their match as part of October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The match featured all the players wearing pink shirts, and playing with specially manufactured Wilson pink tennis balls (whose proceeds

go towards breast cancer research). Even though Massapequa won the afternoon’s match, all of the athletes were winners, as they showed solidarity in helping to raise awareness for a horrible disease that affects too many people (friends, family and loved ones) throughout our country.

Suffolk’s Top Girls Are Honored at the 4th Annual Awards Banquet By Gary Simeone

he 4th Annual Awards Banquet, hosted by the Suffolk County Girls Tennis Coaches Association, took place at Villa Lombardi Restaurant in Holbrook, N.Y. More than 500 players and coaches representing 52 Suffolk County schools showed up for the event, as awards were given out to winners in various categories, including All-League players, All-Division and League Coaches of the Year. “There are so many talented players out here in Suffolk and it’s nice to be able to recognize them at these functions,” said Joe Arias, coordinator of the Suffolk County Junior Tennis League (SCJTL). “The girls are honored for their accomplishments and awarded in State, County, Division and Leagues.” One of the All-State awards was given to East Islip singles player, Karen Serina in the Division III, League III section. “I think it’s wonderful that Karen and the rest of the girls were recognized for their accomplishments here tonight,” said East Islip Coach, Mike Drozd. “Karen has been a big asset for our team all season long helping us get to the sec-

Photo credit: Anthony Pastecchi

ond round of the Suffolk team playoffs.” Katie Molina, who plays first singles for Copiague High School, was awarded AllLeague by the Coaches Association. “It feels really special to know that I’m among some of Suffolk County’s elite players,” said Molina.

“This is such a nice place and it is so nice to be recognized.” Gary Simeone is writing intern/public relations associate for Long Island Tennis Magazine.

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

2011 Girls High School Nassau & Suffolk

SEASON RECAP

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2011 Girls High School Nassau & Suffolk

SEASON RECAP

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Long Island Tennis Magazine’s

Literary Corner

By Brent Shearer Rafa By John Carlin and Rafael Nadal Rafa, an autobiography of former number one player Rafael Nadal, was published last summer, but considering that its subject has just scored another career triumph, playing on Spain’s winning Davis Cup team late last year, this is a good time to revisit Nadal’s story. As sport autobiographies go, Rafa holds up well. This is because its subject seems, on the whole, to be a decent guy. Gestures like his comforting of Polish players on the tour when a plane crash killed a number of their leaders and the respectful way he has conducted himself as he passed his rival Roger Federer in the fight for the top spot in the men’s rankings, point to the fact that Nadal is, in all, a grounded young man despite his international celebrity. Rafa supplies a number of personal and professional details about the star’s many pre-match rituals and training habits that will be of interest to his fans. Anyone who follows tennis already knows about his obsessive positioning of the water bottles during a match, but Rafa book reveals a whole range of rituals that he goes through including taking a cold shower before big matches. The first chapter is a moment-bymoment description of how he prepared for his 2008 Wimbledon final with Roger Federer. It includes a funny description of himself and Federer in the locker room before the match. Federer is sitting quietly on a wooden bench. Nadal, with music blasting through his headphones, is sprinting around the small room and doing other violent exercises. It was the contrasting

styles of the two players that made their rivalry so great when they were the two top players in the game, before Novak Djokovic came along to spoil the party. This section of the book also contains a lengthy passage about how hard it is to hit a ball well even for Nadal. He talks about all of the adjustments players need to make to hit even one ball well, never mind the dozens of hits a long rally can consist of. Well, if it seems hard for Nadal, no wonder all of us less-skilled players have trouble. Another strength of Rafa is its descriptions of Nadal growing up. In addition to cute pictures of him as an infant, it starts off his career progression throughout the junior ranks. It won’t shock anyone to learn he was very good, very young. There has been a lot of ink spilled describing Spaniard Carlos Moya’s mentorlike relationship with Nadal. After all, what are the chances you would get two world number ones from a small island like Majorca? But as Moya makes clear in some passages quoted in Nadal’s book, it wasn’t like he was doing charity work with the teenaged Nadal when Moya practiced with him. Moya says that even when Nadal was 14 or 15, he was tough to beat. As the older Majorcan puts it, “You didn’t want to be a grown man and a top 10 ATP tour professional and lose to a kid.” Of course, Nadal was not just any kid. Rafa shows how his support team was put in place early and hasn’t changed much over the years. He describes his uncle Toni as the toughest tennis coach in the world. His trainer and his agent, former ATP pro Carlos Costa, are prime members of an entourage that enable Nadal to exist in a kind of Borg-like cocoon that allows him to play his best tennis. In the book Open, readers were given a good look at everything the young Andre Agassi had to give up in order to be a

champion. Nadal’s sacrifices don’t seem to be as harsh, no doubt because instead of getting sent away from home, as his team is family-centered with his uncle calling most of the shots. Still, as he says in the middle of the book, he wishes he could go out of the hotel in New York and just walk around, but he feels, rightly or wrongly, that he would be recognized and mobbed. Instead, Nadal says that when he is here in the Big Apple, about the only place he goes besides the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is to sponsor events to which he’s whisked in and out without being able to get a feel for New York’s streets. One fault of the book is that Carlin doesn’t seem clear about the difference between “Slams” and “Grand Slams.” He often has Nadal up there with Rod Laver and Don Budge as another Grand Slam winner, when what he means is that the Majorcan has won another one of the Big Four. It would be interesting to get the kind of personal reaction that Nadal shows readers in this book with co-author John Carlin about his adjustment to the change in the tennis world order that the ascension of Djokovic has caused. The year 2011 has been a remarkable season for the Serb, and most of his triumphs have come by beating both Nadal and Federer. It would be interesting to hear what Nadal’s take is on his two, straight-set losses to Djokovic at home in Madrid and in Rome this year. But Nadal’s fans will have to wait for a second book to get these insights. For now, Rafa, will function as a good read and a source of information about how Nadal climbed the ladder to become the number one player in the world. Brent Shearer may be reached by e-mail at bbshearer@gmail.com.

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

So You Think You Are Entitled?

Guess Again! By Lonnie Mitchel Teaching tennis and teaching more tennis “helping others to improve their tennis game” has been my mission. I will brag for a moment, a very brief moment. My strokes look to the average club level player as an exhibition of textbook tennis. I am so proud of my skills because lots of practices made it happen. That is all very nice, but it entitles me to nothing when it comes to competitive play. Years of teaching tennis, working in a corporate environment and being married with two children did not allow me the time to work on my tennis as much as I would have liked. I was a student of the game as you should be when you are coaching others. Taking your knowledge and using it in your own practice sessions is a far different thing. During my years of not playing competitive tennis, many other players were working on their game and leaving me in the dust. So my knowledge of the game and my expertise as a tennis instructor never gave me enough of an edge needed to compete on the court against my peers. My tennis background never entitled me to anything

other than the ability to go out on the court and rally with any good player. Recently, it was my turn to play after all of these years, and I discovered that I actually can still play, but there was still a void. The lack of regular practice over the years showed. The irony is that I can be quoted almost on a daily basis saying to my students, “Did you practice?” Well, I confess I did not practice enough and just because I am a Certified Tennis Pro, that fact did not entitle me to anything. I have been working in the past several weeks with a few of my other colleagues at my tennis club and guess what? I am playing and I am improving. I teach my students to be humble, open-minded and until you win Wimbledon, you can improve. I also tell my students that there will be a better player out there ready, willing and capable of beating you. You are entitled to absolutely nothing and you have to work for everything and winning is not always possible. One of my students this past summer played an opponent whose strokes were not real pretty. My student had his hands full with this player, but finally eked out a win. Coming off the court, he said to me, “How in the hell did I allow this guy to stay in the match?” My response was,

“Where is it written that you are entitled to win just because your strokes look nicer and that you work hard on your game?” The game of tennis is not a perfect science and you have to compete, no matter who is on the other side of the net! Just ask Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and all of the world-class players. Each player has a coach to help them improve, because without improvement, they cannot win, and even with that perfect recipe of being prepared, they are entitled to nothing. YOU are entitled to nothing! 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). 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) 414-7202 or email lonniemitchel@yahoo.com.

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LITennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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 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

Rockville Racquet Club Susan Alvy—Manager 80 North Centre Avenue • Rockville Center, NY 11570 516-764-5350 • rockvilletennis@optonline.net Ross School Holly Li—Manager 18 Goodfriend Drive • East Hampton, NY 11937 631-907-5162 www.ross.org/tennis • hli@Ross.org

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

SPORTIME 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 amagansett@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 Bethpage Tennis Mike Kosoff—Director of Tennis 101 Norcross Avenue • Bethpage, NY 11714 516-933-8500 www.SportimeNY.com/Bethpage-Tennis tdbethpageten@sportimetfm.com

Long Beach Tennis Center Chuck Russell—Director of Tennis 899 Monroe Boulevard • Long Beach, NY 11561 516-432-6060 • www.longbeachtenniscenter.com info@longbeachtenniscenter.com New York Tennis Academy at Great Neck Estates Howie Arons—Director of Junior Tennis Program 12 Shore Drive • Great Neck, NY 11021 516-233-2790 bigtennis@aol.com Point Set Indoor Tennis Tonny vandePieterman—Director of Tennis 3065 New Street • Oceanside, NY 11572 516-536-2323 www.pointsettennis.com • tonny@pointsettennis.com Port Washington Tennis Academy Manny Iqbal—Director of Tennis 100 Harbor Road • Port Washington, NY 11050 516-883-6425 • www.pwta.com • tennis@pwta.com Robbie Wagner’s Tournament Training Center @ Glen Cove Stephen Alcala—Managing Partner 60 Sea Cliff Avenue • Glen Cove, NY 11542 516-759-0505 • www.rwtt.com

Robbie Wagner’s Tournament Training Center @ Glenwood Landing Adrian Chirici—Director of Tennis 142 Glenwood Landing Road Glenwood Landing, NY 11547 516-676-9107 • www.rwtt.com

SPORTIME Lynbrook Mohamed Shabir—Director of Tennis 175 Merrick Road Lynbrook, NY 11563 516-887-1330 www.SportimeNY.com/Lynbrook tdlynbrook@sportimetfm.com SPORTIME Massapequa Fayez Malik—Director of Tennis 5600 Old Sunrise Highway Massapequa, NY 11758 516-799-3550 www.SportimeNY.com/Massapequa fmalik@sportimetfm.com SPORTIME Randall’s Island Ted Dimond—Director of Tennis 1 Randall’s Island New York, NY 10035 212-427-6150 www.SportimeNY.com/Manhattan randallsisland@sportimeny.com SPORTIME Roslyn Adam Mandell—Director of Tennis Landing Road, PO Box 1 Roslyn, NY 11576 516-484-9222 www.SportimeNY.com/Roslyn tdroslyn@sportimetfm.com

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

SPORTIME Schenectady Philippe Ceas—Director of Tennis 2699 Curry Road Schenectady, NY 12303 518-356-0100 www.SportimeNY.com/Schenectady tdschenectady@sportimetfm.com

SPORTIME Quogue Will Van Rensburg—Director of Tennis 2571 Quogue-Riverhead, Route 104 East Quogue, NY 11959 631-653-6767 www.SportimeNY.com/Quogue tdhamptons@sportimeny.com

SPORTIME Syosset Tennis & Multi-Sport Karl Sommer—Director of Tennis 75 Haskett Drive Syosset, NY 11791 516-364-2727 www.SportimeNY.com/Syosset-Tennis tdsyossetten@sportimeny.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/Harbor-Island efromm@sportimetfm.com

SPORTIME Syosset Fitness & Racquetball Jay Karl—General Manager 10 Gordon Drive Syosset, NY 11791 516-496-3100 www.SportimeNY.com/Syosset-Fitness jkarl@sportimeny.com

SPORTIME Kings Park Darrin Cohen—Director of Tennis 275 Old Indian Head Road • Kings Park, NY 11754 631-269-6300 www.SportimeNY.com/Kings-Park tdkingspark@sportimetfm.com

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • LITennisMag.com

USTA National Tennis Center Whitney Kraft—Director of Tennis Flushing Meadows Corona Park Flushing, NY 11568 718-760-6200 • www.usta.com

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LITennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

LONG Boys & Girls Long Island Rankings (as of 12/12/11)

BOYS

Long Island Boys 10 Singles Rank..Name............................City 1..........Abhinav Raj Srivastava ........Melville, N.Y. 2..........Arjun K Sharma....................Glen Head, N.Y. 3..........Maxwell Moadel ..................Brookville, N.Y. 4..........Karan K. Amin ......................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 5..........Robert Steven Bellino ..........Huntington, N.Y. 6..........Jeffrey McDonnell................Glen Cove, N.Y. 7..........Alec Hunter Barres ..............Old Westbury, N.Y. 8..........Sohrob Yavari ......................Syosset, N.Y. 9..........Luke Torel Karniewich ..........Glen Head, N.Y. 10........Logan Paik Chang ................Old Westbury, N.Y. 11........Evan Brady ..........................Glen Head, N.Y. 12........Alexander Karman................Port Washington, N.Y. 13........Bradford J. Lin ....................Kings Point, N.Y. 14........Brandon Zhu ........................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 15........Aman K. Sharma ..................Glen Head, N.Y.

Long Island Boys 12 Singles Rank..Name............................City 1..........Matthew Roberts..................Setauket, N.Y. 2..........George Kaslow ....................Port Washington, N.Y. 3..........Timothy Serignese ..............Port Washington, N.Y. 4..........Daniel Meinster....................South Setauket, N.Y. 5..........Matthew Franklin Porges......Sands Point, N.Y. 6..........Amani Siddiqui ....................West Babylon, N.Y. 7..........Thomas A. Korossy ..............Oyster Bay, N.Y. 8..........Jackson Weisbrot ................Dix Hills, N.Y. 9..........Alexander Reiley ..................Manorville, N.Y. 10........Eric Li ..................................Old Westbury N.Y. 11........Ben Snow ............................Water Mill, N.Y. 12........Austin Pomerantz ................Old Westbury, N.Y. 13........Lucas Larese DeSantos........Southampton, N.Y. 14........Alex Joseph Amadio ............Smithtown, N.Y. 15........Adam Bradley Wilck ............Dix Hills, N.Y. 16........Mark Julian Baker................North Baldwin, N.Y. 17........Evan Kirsh............................Roslyn, N.Y. 18........Alexander Roti......................Locust Valley, N.Y. 19........Eli Grossman........................Woodbury, N.Y. 20........Matthew Lee Catton ............Woodbury, N.Y. 21........Billy G. Suarez......................Huntington, N.Y. 22........Zan Ahmed ..........................Syosset, N.Y. 23........Gardner Howe......................Locust Valley, N.Y. 24........Steven Well Sun ..................Glen Cove, N.Y. 25........Drew Simon Ingall................Melville, N.Y. 26........Zachary Ian Khazzam ..........Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 27........Nicholas Tyler Decker ..........East Setauket, N.Y. 28........Abhinav Raj Srivastava ........Melville, N.Y. 29........Jonas Feuerring ..................Sagaponack, N.Y. 30........Connor Leaf ........................Dix Hills, N.Y. 31........Jeffrey M. McDonnell ..........Glen Cove, N.Y. 32........Austin Egna..........................Port Washington, N.Y. 33........Jake Spencer Grossman ......Sands Point, N.Y. 34........Justin Ilan Lempert ..............Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 35........Daniel Weitz ........................Roslyn, N.Y. 36........Michael Stuart Petersen ......Bridgehampton, N.Y. 37........Michael Thomas Jaklitsch....Islip, N.Y. 38........Benjamin Cole Grossman ....Sands Point, N.Y. 39........Christopher Grisham ............Huntington, N.Y. 40........Max Egna ............................Port Washington, N.Y.

Long Island Boys 14 Singles Rank..Name............................City 1..........Arnav Raj Srivastava ............Melville, N.Y. 2..........Dylan Granat........................Woodbury, N.Y. 3..........Brandon Eric Remer ............Hewlett, N.Y. 4..........Braddock Chow....................Glen Cove, N.Y. 5..........Derek Steven Zadrozny ........Huntington Station, N.Y. 6..........Michael James DeNigris ......Islip, N.Y. 7..........Del Schunk ..........................Westhampton Beach, N.Y. 8..........Zachary Mollo ......................Dix Hills, N.Y. 9..........Raizada Bhavin Vaid ............Old Westbury, N.Y.

ISLAND

10........Benjamin Tenner ..................Roslyn, N.Y. 11........Evan Kober ..........................Wantagh, N.Y. 12........Ethan Susser........................Old Westbury, N.Y. 13........Vincent Chen........................Hauppauge, N.Y. 14........Mitchell Reid Berger ............Lake Grove, N.Y. 15........Daniel Marzagalli ................Patchogue, N.Y. 16........Simon Adler ........................Roslyn, N.Y. 17........Cory Seltman ......................Smithtown, N.Y. 18........Eric Handelman....................Melville, N.Y. 19........Connor Wright......................Commack, N.Y. 20........Thomas Michael Dacosta ....Massapequa, N.Y. 21........Joseph James D’Orazio........St. James, N.Y. 22........JohnThomas Sepanski ........Huntington, N.Y. 23........Jacob Lacks ........................Woodbury, N.Y. 24........Harris Durkovic ....................Dix Hills, N.Y. 25........Nicholas Kevin Fox ..............Commack, N.Y. 26........Landon Phillips ....................Great Neck, N.Y. 27........Matthew Powers Holweger....Manhasset, N.Y. 28........David Binler ........................East Northport, N.Y. 29........Nick John Stamatos ............Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 30........Alex Joseph Amadio ............Smithtown, N.Y. 31........Cameron Posillico ................Bayville, N.Y. 32........Daniel Khodosh....................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 33........Parker Tuthill........................Cutchogue, N.Y. 34........Connor Dove ........................Baldwin, N.Y. 35........Jordan Diamond ..................Mount Sinai, N.Y. 36........Spencer George Bozsik ........Sag Harbor, N.Y. 37........Pete Siozios ........................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 38........Simar Deep Sawhney ..........New Hyde Park, N.Y. 39........Derek Menker ......................Great Neck, N.Y. 40........Spencer Lowitt ....................Syosset, N.Y.

Long Island Boys 16 Singles Rank Name ............................City 1..........Cole Laffitte ........................East Setauket, N.Y. 2..........Erik Johann Lobben ............Glen Head, N.Y. 3..........Troy Michael Haas................Huntington Station, N.Y. 4..........Richard Mitchell ..................Franklin Square, N.Y. 5..........Zachary Chang ....................Massapequa, N.Y. 6..........Gregory Matthew Rosenthal Syosset, N.Y. 7..........Jack Vissicchio ....................Port Washington, N.Y. 8..........Brett Titcomb ......................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 9..........Samuel Johnson ..................Huntington, N.Y. 10........Dylan Ander ........................Hewlett, N.Y. 11........Matthew Bahar ....................Woodbury, N.Y. 12........Steven Marzagalli ................Patchogue, N.Y. 13........Samuel Hajibai ....................Kings Point, N.Y. 14........Joshua Fried ........................Plainview, N.Y. 15........Milan Asanga Gunasekera....Mount Sinai, N.Y. 16........Alex Philip Rosenfield ..........Holtsville, N.Y. 17........Michael Nelson ....................Manhasset, N.Y. 18........Connor J. Gehrke ................Miller Place, N.Y. 19........Sai Senthilkumar..................Manhasset, N.Y. 20........Joshua Sydney ....................East Northport, N.Y. 21........Jeffrey Cherkin ....................Melville, N.Y. 22........Cooper Francis Lacetera ......Speonk, N.Y. 23........Palmer T. Clare ....................North Bellmore, N.Y. 24........Ian Baranowski ....................Syosset, N.Y. 25........Andrew Reiley......................Manorville, N.Y. 26........Erik Ujvari ............................Hauppauge, N.Y. 27........Jesse Richheimer ................Merrick, N.Y. 28........Richard DeGregoris ..............Rockville Centre, N.Y. 29........Craig L. Cusano....................Bellmore, N.Y. 30........Alec Tuckey..........................Melville, N.Y. 31........Jeremy Grossman................Woodbury, N.Y. 32........Joseph James D’Orazio........Saint James, N.Y. 33........David Binler ........................East Northport, N.Y. 34........Andrew J. Bentz ..................Massapequa Park, N.Y. 35........Brian Heinze ........................Garden City, N.Y. 36........Austin Spencer Ash ..............Syosset, N.Y. 37........Matthew Vermont Kantor......Westhampton Beach, N.Y. 38........Will Pratt-Stephen................Northport, N.Y. 39........Duane Davis ........................Dix Hills, N.Y. 40........Daniel Christopher Lee ........Port Washington, N.Y.

RANKINGS

Long Island Boys 18 Singles Rank Name ............................City 1..........Andrew Steven O’Connell ....Medford, N.Y. 2..........Chris Casamassima ............Franklin Square, N.Y. 3..........Sloan Millman......................Woodmere, N.Y. 4..........Erik Johann Lobben ............Glen Head, N.Y. 5..........Richard Mitchell ..................Franklin Square, N.Y. 6..........Matthew Zuckerman............Valley Stream, N.Y. 7..........Jonathan Carl Smucker........Lido Beach, N.Y. 8..........Jared Drzal ..........................West Sayville, N.Y. 9..........Alex Philip Rosenfield ..........Holtsville, N.Y. 10........Zachary Aboody ..................Roslyn, N.Y. 11........Michael Freilich....................Lawrence, N.Y. 12........Ryan Zuckerman..................Valley Stream, N.Y. 13........Samuel Hajibai ....................Kings Point, N.Y. 14........Roger Young ........................Brookhaven, N.Y. 15........Jonathan Sanders................Holbrook, N.Y. 16........Jeffrey Cherkin ....................Melville, N.Y. 17........Zachary H. Mintz..................Roslyn, N.Y. 18........Josh Young ..........................Old Bethpage, N.Y. 19........Kevin Kim ............................South Setauket, N.Y. 20........Dennis Uspensky ................Atlantic Beach, N.Y. 21........Christopher Schwab ............Seaford, N.Y. 22........Jordan Reiley ......................Manorville, N.Y. 23........Jason Fruchter ....................Lawrence, N.Y. 24........Clark D. Ruiz ........................Glen Head, N.Y. 25........Richard DeGregoris ..............Rockville Centre, N.Y. 26........Anton Averin ........................South Setauket, N.Y. 27........Brett Titcomb ......................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 28........Zach Cooper ........................Holbrook, N.Y. 29........Felipe Magalhaaes Reis........East Hampton, N.Y. 30........Sander Brenner....................Port Washington, N.Y. 31........Ian Baranowski ....................Syosset, N.Y. 32........Steven Ferrantello................Dix Hills, N.Y. 33........Daniel Park ..........................East Northport, N.Y. 34........Erik Ujvari ............................Hauppauge, N.Y. 35........Will Pratt-Stephen................Northport, N.Y. 36........Seth Kornfield ......................Jericho, N.Y. 37........Jacob Rothstein ..................Port Jefferson, N.Y. 38........Justin Paul Masure ..............East Rockaway, N.Y. 39........Joseph M. Falcetta ..............Deer Park, N.Y. 40........Sebastian Pedemonte ..........Elmont, N.Y.

GIRLS

Long Island Girls 10 Singles Rank Name ............................City 1..........Alexa Lynn Bracco................Freeport, N.Y. 2..........Rachel Arbitman ..................Hewlett, N.Y. 3..........Madison Li ..........................Old Westbury, N.Y. 4..........Denise Lai............................Setauket, N.Y. 5..........Alexandra Chirinkin..............Woodbury, N.Y. 6..........Allison Cooney ....................Manhasset, N.Y. 7..........Gabriella Sciarrotta ..............Woodmere, N.Y. 8..........Kira Rose Giordano ..............Massapequa Park, N.Y. 9..........Rebecca E. Suarez ..............Huntington, N.Y. 10........Morena Devito ....................Syosset, N.Y. 11........Sofia Rose Anzalone ............Center Moriches, N.Y. 12........Giuliana Rosa Gibson ..........Westbury, N.Y. 13........Jade Fixon-Owoo ................Lynbrook, N.Y. 14........Lucia Hu ..............................Roslyn, N.Y. 15........Ava Ignatowich ....................Sag Harbor, N.Y. 16........Alexis Marie Kotsailidis ........Manorville, N.Y. 17........Katie Dzialga........................Southampton, N.Y. 18........Brittany S. Polevikov ............Port Washington, N.Y. 19........Sarah Gabrielle Faber ..........Roslyn, N.Y.

Long Island Girls 12 Singles Rank Name............................City 1..........Olivia Rose Scordo ..............Glen Head, N.Y. 2..........Francesca Karman ..............Port Washington, N.Y. 3..........Kaitlyn Byrnes......................Massapequa, N.Y. 4..........Amanda Allison Foo..............Manhasset, N.Y. 5..........Hannah Rosalie Dayton ........East Hampton, N.Y. 6..........Merri Kelly ..........................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 7..........Trinity Chow ........................Glen Cove, N.Y. 8..........Marisa L. Menist ..................Great Neck, N.Y. 9..........Celeste Wang Traub..............Jericho, N.Y.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • LITennisMag.com

10........Dasha Dlin ..........................Glen Head, N.Y. 11........Marina Bracken Hilbert ........Locust Valley, N.Y. 12........Devika Kedia........................East Norwich, N.Y. 13........Ashley Debra Yevdosin ........Hewlett, N.Y. 14........Stephanie Anne Petras ........Manhasset, N.Y. 15........Maryam Beshir Ahmad ........Albertson, N.Y. 16........Rachel Arbitman ..................Hewlett, N.Y. 17........Julia Sherwood Dudley ........Southampton, N.Y. 18........Angela Chi ..........................Kings Park, N.Y. 19........Alexa Lynn Bracco................Freeport, N.Y. 20........Christina Lorraine Jud..........Glen Head, N.Y. 21........Morgan Voulo ......................East Setauket, N.Y. 22........Abigail Carrie Okin ..............Amagansett, N.Y. 23........Melissa Cooney....................Manhasset, N.Y. 24........Risha Malhotra ....................Syosset, N.Y. 25........Ariana Malik ........................Melville, N.Y. 26........Danah Han ..........................Dix Hills, N.Y. 27........Lauren Ann Bishop ..............Woodbury, N.Y. 28........Morgan A. Wilkins ................Syosset, N.Y. 29........Amy Delman ........................Great Neck, N.Y. 30........Denise Lai............................Setauket, N.Y. 31........Elena Artemis Vlamakis ........Garden City, N.Y. 32........Rory Abigail Mary Gallaher ..East Hampton, N.Y. 33........Kaitlyn Schwarz ..................Oceanside, N.Y. 34........Katelyn Walker ....................Sands Point, N.Y. 35........Nicole Kielan........................Valley Stream, N.Y. 36........ Lauren Cherkin ..................Melville, N.Y. 37........Kerri Leah Goldfuss..............Westbury, N.Y. 38........Samantha Lena Galu............Jericho, N.Y. 39........Erica Forrest ........................Jericho, N.Y. 40........Amanda Mintz......................Sag Harbor, N.Y.

Long Island Girls 14 Singles Rank Name............................City 1..........Lauren Ann Livingston..........Sands Point, N.Y. 2..........Nikaylah Imani Williams ......Wheatley Heights, N.Y. 3..........Julia Ciardullo ......................Locust Valley, N.Y. 4..........Sarah Seeman ....................Port Washington, N.Y. 5..........Elena Nitsa Maria Nastasi ....Bayville, N.Y. 6..........Lexee Taylor Shapiro............Syosset, N.Y. 7..........Juliana Shenker ..................Rockville Centre, N.Y. 8..........Michelle Haykin ..................Great Neck, N.Y. 9..........Julia Khan............................Port Washington, N.Y. 10........Rosa LaCorte ......................Merrick, N.Y. 11........Michele Sheila Lehat............Great Neck, N.Y. 12........Vanessa L. Scott ..................Dix Hills, N.Y. 13........Sophie Grace Wilson ............Oyster Bay, N.Y. 14........Matilda Evangelina Bros ......Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 15........Danielle Mirabella ................Wantagh, N.Y. 16........Brynn Maris April ................Dix Hills, N.Y. 17........Michelle N. Carnovale ..........Massapequa, N.Y. 18........Courtney B. Kowalsky ..........Oyster Bay, N.Y. 19........Aidan Owens........................Manhasset, N.Y. 20........Amanda Allison Foo..............Manhasset, N.Y. 21........Ariel Natalie Eisenberg ........Valley Stream, N.Y. 22........Lia Petersen ........................Bridgehampton, N.Y. 23........Ellen Nicole Huhulea ............Rockville Centre, N.Y. 24........Alana Weitz ..........................Roslyn, N.Y. 25........Ryann Moelis ......................Hewlett, N.Y. 26........Kaysha Forbes ....................Valley Stream, N.Y. 27........Laura Jean Halsey ..............Westhampton, N.Y. 28........Sabrina Ferretti ....................Setauket, N.Y. 29........Emily Rose Fernandez..........Shirley, N.Y. 30........Celeste Rose Matute ............Oyster Bay, N.Y. 31........Jennifer Wang......................Dix Hills, N.Y. 32........Ayesha Jagi Chhugani..........Roslyn, N.Y. 33........Shannon Marie Mullins ........Oceanside, N.Y. 34........Emily Margaret Marge..........Medford, N.Y. 35........Cecilia Thomas Combemale Bridgehampton, N.Y. 36........Gabrielle Raziel ....................Melville, N.Y. 37........Courtney A. Digia ................Manhasset, N.Y. 38........Tracey Nicole Rosenlicht ......Dix Hills, N.Y. 39........Rebecca Elizabeth Stern ......Dix Hills, N.Y. 40........Jennifer Berman ..................Jericho, N.Y.

LONG Long Island Girls 16 Singles Rank Name............................City 1..........Olivia Marie Ammirati ..........Halesite, N.Y. 2..........Emily Rees ..........................Rockville Centre, N.Y. 3..........Lauren Ann Livingston..........Sands Point, N.Y. 4..........Lara Fishbane ......................Commack, N.Y. 5..........Katharine Brandow ..............East Northport, N.Y. 6..........Alexandra Linder..................Sands Point, N.Y. 7..........Hannah Goldman ................West Hempstead, N.Y. 8..........Julia Ciardullo ......................Locust Valley, N.Y. 9..........Laura Torsiello......................Bayport, N.Y. 10........Bridget Elaine Harding..........Northport, N.Y. 11........Brittany Burke......................Garden City, N.Y. 12........Elena Nitsa Maria Nastasi ....Bayville, N.Y. 13........Michele Sheila Lehat............Great Neck, N.Y. 14........Lauren Difazio......................Greenlawn, N.Y. 15........Rhea Malhotra ....................Syosset, N.Y. 16........Aimee N. Manfredo ..............Shoreham, N.Y. 17........Kristen Bomkamp ................Northport, N.Y. 18........Angelika Rothberg................Centerport, N.Y. 19........Ruth Freilich ........................Lawrence, N.Y. 20........Holly Hubsher ......................Sands Point, N.Y. 21........Amanda Luper ....................Melville, N.Y. 22........Allison Gabrielle Huber ........Melville, N.Y. 23........Rachel Gastaldo ..................Syosset, N.Y. 24........Taylor Brent ........................Shoreham, N.Y. 25........Alanna Carole Kane..............Sea Cliff, N.Y. 26........Bridget Connors ..................East Quogue, N.Y. 27........Stefanie Ebo ........................Sayville, N.Y. 28........Rithika Reddy ......................Syosset, N.Y. 29........Alexa Graham ......................Garden City, N.Y. 30........Morgan Herrmann................Garden City, N.Y. 31........Elizabeth K. Kallenberg ........Port Washington, N.Y. 32........Emma R. Brezel ..................Port Washington, N.Y. 33........Jennifer Glukhman ..............Syosset, N.Y. 34........Matilda Evangelina Bros ......Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 35........Michelle Haykin ..................Great Neck, N.Y. 36........Alexandra Nicole Linde ........Melville, N.Y. 37........Shannon Marie Mullins ........Oceanside, N.Y. 38........Taylor Sim............................Plainview, N.Y. 39........Karishma Ramesh Tank........New Hyde Park, N.Y. 40........Nikaylah Imani Williams ......Wheatley Heights, N.Y.

Long Island Girls 18 Singles Rank Name............................City 1..........Veronika Paikin ....................Valley Stream, N.Y. 2..........Jennifer A. Carnovale ..........Massapequa, N.Y. 3..........Erica Bundrick ....................Mattituck, N.Y. 4..........Hannah Goldman ................West Hempstead, N.Y. 5..........Jennifer C. Ferguson ............Franklin Square, N.Y. 6..........Lara Fishbane ......................Commack, N.Y. 7..........Nicholle Torres ....................North Hills, N.Y. 8..........Rithika D. Reddy ..................Syosset, N.Y. 9..........Sara R. Finger ......................Saint James, N.Y. 10........Kate C. Weidenman..............Syosset, N.Y. 11........Claudia M. Ruiz ....................Glen Head, N.Y. 12........Jennifer Glukham ................Syosset, N.Y. 13........Rachel Gastaldo ..................Syosset, N.Y.

Boys & Girls Sectional Rankings (as of 12/12/11)

BOYS

Sectional Boys 12 Singles— Long Island Region Rank Name............................City 4..........Ryan Goetz ..........................Greenlawn, N.Y. 6..........Finbar Talcott ......................Sea Cliff, N.Y. 7..........Alan Delman ........................Great Neck, N.Y. 8..........Sean Patrick ........................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 9..........Keegan James Morris ..........Franklin Square, N.Y. 10........Brian Shi..............................Jericho, N.Y. 11........Daniel Shleimovich ..............Merrick, N.Y. 20........Rajan Jai Vohra ....................Glen Head, N.Y. 23........Patrick F. Maloney................Oyster Bay, N.Y.

ISLAND

24........Daniel Eric Pellerito ..............Syosset, N.Y. 27........Steven Well Sun ..................Glen Cove, N.Y. 28........Yuval Solomon ....................Plainview, N.Y. 41........Michael Medvedev ..............Oceanside, N.Y. 45........Cannon Kingsley ..................Northport, N.Y. 47........Ronald P. Hohmann ..............Oyster Bay, N.Y. 51........Neel Raj ..............................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 52........Pete Siozios ........................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 55........James Kyrkanides................Stony Brook, N.Y. 65........Daniel Weitz ........................Roslyn, N.Y. 66........Thomas Korossy ..................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 75........Gardner Howe......................Locust Valley, N.Y. 76........Benjamin Cole Grossman ....Sands Point, N.Y. 85........Ben Snow ............................Water Mill, N.Y. 93........Matthew Franklin Porges......Sands Point, N.Y. 95........Mark Julian Baker................North Baldwin, N.Y. 96........Tyler Spencer Bloch ............Jericho, N.Y. 97........Billy G. Suarez......................Huntington, N.Y. 98........Lucas Larese DeSanto ........Southampton, N.Y. 107......Nicolas Demaria ..................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 108......Brady Berman......................Glen Head, N.Y. 109......Eli Grossman........................Woodbury, N.Y. 113......Eric Li ..................................Old Westbury, N.Y. 115......Spencer Brachman ..............Commack, N.Y. 122......George Kaslow ....................Port Washington, N.Y. 124......Ian Bank ..............................Old Westbury, N.Y. 125......Austin Egna..........................Port Washington, N.Y. 131......Sujay Sharma ......................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 133......Jake Spencer Grossman ......Sands Point, N.Y. 144......Timothy Serignese ..............Port Washington, N.Y. 146......Kyle Hudson Gower..............Oceanside, N.Y. 148......Matthew Roberts..................Setauket, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 14 Singles— Long Island Region Rank Name............................City 1..........Brenden Andrew Volk ..........Dix Hills, N.Y. 4..........Alexander Lebedev ..............Island Park, N.Y. 31........Bryant J. Born......................Manhasset, N.Y. 32........Colin Francis Sacco..............Brightwaters, N.Y. 33........Palmer T. Clare ....................North Bellmore, N.Y. 37........Lubomir T. Cuba ..................Massapequa Park, N.Y. 38........Eric Wagner ........................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 40........Chris Kuhnle ........................Shoreham, N.Y. 41........Athell Patrick Bennett ..........Valley Stream, N.Y. 49........Brian Hoffarth ......................Fort Salonga, N.Y. 52........Finbar Talcott ......................Sea Cliff, N.Y. 53........Stephen Gruppuso ..............Bayport, N.Y. 56........Travis Leaf ..........................Dix Hills, N.Y. 58........Sean Patrick ........................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 59........Cory Seltman ......................Dix Hills, N.Y. 63........Nasser Abdel Ghaffar ..........Massapequa, N.Y. 67........William Scribner Bader ........Water Mill, N.Y. 69........Trippie Franz ........................Bridgehampton, N.Y. 71........Sean Mullins ........................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 72........Zacarias Imperial ................Garden City Park, N.Y. 78........Alex Grossman ....................Sands Point, N.Y. 81........Brandon Eric Remer ............Hewlett, N.Y. 100......Justin Park ..........................Huntington, N.Y. 103......Raizada Bhavin Vaid ............Old Westbury, N.Y. 106......Andy Zhou ..........................Commack, N.Y. 111......Jordan Michael Bennett ......Valley Stream, N.Y. 112......Jesse M. Levitin ..................Manhasset, N.Y. 115......Nikhil Raj ............................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 117......Keegan James Morris ..........Franklin Square, N.Y. 121......Braddock Chow....................Glen Cove, N.Y. 129......Dylan Granat........................Woodbury, N.Y. 132......Daniel Khodosh....................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 134......Michael James DeNigris ......Islip, N.Y. 140......Del Schunk ..........................Westhampton Beach, N.Y. 141......David Henry Reinharz ..........Rockville Centre, N.Y. 150......Nicholas Kevin Fox ..............Commack, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 16 Singles— Long Island Region Rank Name............................City 1..........Noah B. Rubin ......................Rockville Centre, N.Y. 4..........Josh Silverstein....................Great Neck, N.Y.

RANKINGS

5..........Aidan Talcott ........................Sea Cliff, N.Y. 6..........Philip Daniel Antohi ..............Glen Head, N.Y. 7..........Samuel Lam ........................Old Westbury, N.Y. 9..........Vihar Shah ..........................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 10........Ethan Bogard ......................Lido Beach, N.Y. 14........Douglas Notaris ..................Wantagh, N.Y. 20........Alex Sacher..........................Glen Head, N.Y. 22........Jeremy Dubin ......................Southampton, N.Y. 24........Brandon T. Stone..................Melville, N.Y. 29........Daniel Grunberger................Great Neck, N.Y. 32........Zachary A. Lessen................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 37........Alexander Lebedev ..............Island Park, N.Y. 41........Julian Alexi Zlobinsky ..........Greenvale, N.Y. 44........Conor Mullins ......................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 48........Tyler J. Hoffman ..................Sayville, N.Y. 49........Matthew R. Demichiel ..........Hewlett, N.Y. 50........John P. D’Alessandro............Northport, N.Y. 53........Jared R. Halstrom ................Bellmore, N.Y. 55........Zain Ali ................................Dix Hills, N.Y. 64........Lamar Remy ........................Roslyn, N.Y. 67........Joshua Williams Gordon ......Hicksville, N.Y. 71........Jonathan Paris ....................Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 84........Mark Daniel Temporal ..........Carle Place, N.Y. 87........Brian W. Slivonik ..................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 89........Alex Brebenel ......................Dix Hills, N.Y. 93........Kyle Alper ............................Dix Hills, N.Y. 103......Ian Baranowski ....................Syosset, N.Y. 112......Bryant J. Born......................Manhasset, N.Y. 125......Erik Ujvari ............................Hauppauge, N.Y. 129......James Edward Heaney ........Locust Valley, N.Y. 131......Brett Edelblum ....................Roslyn, N.Y. 132......Jeffrey Cherkin ....................Melville, N.Y. 141......Josh Young ..........................Old Bethpage, N.Y. 144......Steven Marzagalli ................Patchogue, N.Y. 149......Andrew Reiley......................Manorville, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 18 Singles— Long Island Region Rank Name............................City 2..........Josh M. Levine ....................Syosset, N.Y. 4..........Andrew Yaraghi....................Mill Neck, N.Y. 5..........Bert Vancura ........................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 7..........Eric Rubin ............................Lido Beach, N.Y. 13........Matthew O. Barry ................Lido Beach, N.Y. 15........Noah B. Rubin ......................Merrick, N.Y. 18........Jensen H. Reiter ..................Syosset, N.Y. 21........Brendan Henry ....................Massapequa, N.Y. 26........Howard J. Weiss ..................Great Neck, N.Y. 33........Samuel Lam ........................Old Westbury, N.Y. 35........Ofir Solomon........................Plainview, N.Y. 38........Alexander Schidlovsky ........Sea Cliff, N.Y. 43........Kevin A. Katz........................Woodbury, N.Y. 48........Jonahiby Tauil ......................Valley Stream, N.Y. 55........Aidan Talcott ........................Sea Cliff, N.Y. 56........Alan S. Pleat ........................Roslyn, N.Y. 64........Austin Davidow....................Glen Head, N.Y. 74........Eric Sumanaru ....................Middle Island, N.Y. 75........Conor A. Dauer ....................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 77........David Greenbaum ................Great Neck, N.Y. 79........Tyler J. Hoffman ..................Sayville, N.Y. 85........Sean Jagi Chhugani ............Roslyn, N.Y. 95........Douglas Notaris ..................Wantagh, N.Y. 96........Doron Saraf ........................Great Neck, N.Y. 97........Eric Ambrosio ......................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 98........Jacob Mishkin......................Woodbury, N.Y. 100......Daniel Khanin ......................Baldwin, N.Y. 103......Clark D. Ruiz ........................Glen Head, N.Y. 109......Daniel R. Grinshteyn ............Hewlett, N.Y. 111......Henry D. Lee ........................Sag Harbor, N.Y. 113......Paul Abrudescu ....................Great Neck, N.Y. 120......Zachary Morris ....................Garden City, N.Y. 128......Jared Drzal ..........................West Sayville, N.Y. 130......J. T. Esposito ........................Rockville Centre, N.Y. 131......Darren Reisch ......................Floral Park, N.Y. 138......Michael Anthony Mcfelia ......Huntington Station, N.Y. 139......Chris Casamassima ............Franklin Square, N.Y. 143......Erik Johann Lobben ............Glen Head, N.Y.

146......Jason A. Fruchter ................Lawrence, N.Y. 148......Andrew Steven O’Connell ....Medford, N.Y.

GIRLS

Sectional Girls 10 Singles— Long Island Region Rank Name............................City 2..........Lea Ma ................................Dix Hills, N.Y. 5..........Francesca Karman ..............Port Washington, N.Y. 14........Rachel Arbitman ..................Hewlett, N.Y. 19........Merri Kelly ..........................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 21........Julia Kielan ..........................Valley Stream, N.Y. 22........Maryam Beshir Ahmad ........Albertson, N.Y. 28........Amy Delman ........................Great Neck, N.Y. 37........Alexa Susan Goetz ..............Greenlawn, N.Y. 41........Alexa Lynn Bracco................Freeport, N.Y. 54........Denise Lai............................Setauket, N.Y. 59........Madison Li ..........................Old Westbury, N.Y. 60........Allison Cooney ....................Manhasset, N.Y. 65........Jade Fixon-Owoo ................Lynbrook, N.Y. 67........Gabriela Sciarrotta ..............Woodmere, N.Y. 74........Alexandra Chirinkin..............Woodbury, N.Y. 76........Rebecca Suarez ..................Huntington, N.Y. 79........Morena DeVito ....................Syosset, N.Y. 87........Sofia Rose Anzalone ............Center Moriches, N.Y. 91........Katie Dzialga........................Southampton, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 12 Singles— Long Island Region Rank Name............................City 4..........Claire Handa ........................Rockville Centre, N.Y. 10........Jacqueline Rae Bukzin ........Manorville, N.Y. 19........Jasmine Olivia Abidi ............Glen Head, N.Y. 25........Lea Ma ................................Dix Hills, N.Y. 32........Stephanie Chikvashvili ........Syosset, N.Y. 33........Courtney Kowalsky ..............Oyster Bay, N.Y. 40........Josephine Winters................Elmont, N.Y. 51........Celeste Wang Traub..............Jericho, N.Y. 52........Olivia Rose Scordo ..............Glen Head, N.Y. 53........Francesca Karman ..............Port Washington, N.Y. 63........Merri Kelly ..........................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 64........Nicole Kielan........................Valley Stream, N.Y. 67........Katelyn Walker ....................Sands Point, N.Y. 72........Trinity Chow ........................Glen Cove, N.Y. 74........Hannah Rosalie Dayton ........East Hampton, N.Y. 88........Maryam Beshir Ahmad ........Albertson, N.Y. 89........Julia Kielan ..........................Valley Stream, N.Y. 104......Theodora Brebenel ..............Glen Head, N.Y. 106......Morgan Wilkins ....................Syosset, N.Y. 111......Marisa Menist ......................Great Neck, N.Y. 116......Hannah Zhao ......................Syosset, N.Y. 118......Dasha Dlin ..........................Glen Head, N.Y. 120......Marina Bracken Hilbert ........Locust Valley, N.Y. 122......Stephanie Anne Petras ........Manhasset, N.Y. 123......Rachel Arbitman ..................Hewlett, N.Y. 137......Kaitlyn Byrnes......................Massapequa, N.Y. 143......Nicole Rezak........................Merrick, N.Y. 144......Morgan Voulo ......................East Setauket, N.Y. 150......Isabella Rose Smith..............Roslyn, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 14 Singles— Long Island Region Rank Name............................City 4..........Madison Battaglia ................Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 9..........Alexa Graham ......................Garden City, N.Y. 11........Isabella Pascucci ................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 12........Shanice Nadia Arthur ..........Glen Head, N.Y. 16........Morgan Hermann ................Garden City, N.Y. 26........Taylor S. Cosme ..................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 28........Mia M. Vecchio ....................Manhasset Hills, N.Y. 43........Esther Chikvashvili ..............Syosset, N.Y. 54........Michele Sheila Lehat............Great Neck, N.Y. 55........Dominique Woinarowski ......Syosset, N.Y. 56........Karen A. Serina ....................Islip Terrace, N.Y. 62........Stephanie Chikvashvili ........Melville, N.Y. 66........Alexandra Lipps ..................Roslyn, N.Y. 80........Elena Nitsa Maria Nastasi ....Bayville, N.Y.

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

LONG 82........Vanessa L. Scott ..................Dix Hills, N.Y. 89........Courtney B. Kowalsky ..........Oyster Bay, N.Y. 95........Celeste Rose Matute ............Oyster Bay, N.Y. 100......Nikaylah Imani Williams ......Wheatley Heights, N.Y. 102......Lexee Taylor Shapiro............Syosset, N.Y. 107......Amber Nicole Policare ..........East Atlantic Beach, N.Y. 112......Claire Handa ........................Rockville Centre, N.Y. 113......Rhea Malhotra ....................Syosset, N.Y. 125......Julia Khan............................Port Washington, N.Y. 135......Cecilia Thomas Combemale Bridgehampton, N.Y. 136......Amanda Allison Foo..............Manhasset, N.Y. 144......Katie Jane Cirella ................Woodbury, N.Y. 147......Brynn Maris April ................Dix Hills, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 16 Singles— Long Island Region Rank Name............................City 13........Sophie R. Barnard ................Mill Neck, N.Y. 21........Aleksandra Mally ................Franklin Square, N.Y. 26........Vivian Cheng........................Woodbury, N.Y. 35........Nicholle Torres ....................North Hills, N.Y. 42........Alison Wang ........................Great Neck, N.Y. 50........Paulina Tafler ......................Oceanside, N.Y. 54........Sunaina Vohra......................Glen Head, N.Y. 55........Claudia M. Ruiz ....................Glen Head, N.Y. 59........Aimee N. Manfredo ..............Shoreham, N.Y. 63........Rachel Gastaldo ..................Syosset, N.Y. 64........Madison Battaglia ................Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 68........Yuliya V. Astapova ................Port Washington, N.Y. 69........Bridget Elaine Harding..........Northport, N.Y. 70........Rithika D. Reddy ..................Syosset, N.Y. 71........Isabella Pascucci ................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 72........Mia M. Vecchio ....................Manhasset Hills, N.Y. 73........Zenat Rashidzada ................Dix Hills, N.Y. 77........Olivia C. Funk ......................Hicksville, N.Y. 79........Cameron Leigh Moskol ........Wantagh, N.Y. 82........Sara Finger ..........................St. James, N.Y. 87........Alexa Graham ......................Garden City, N.Y. 93........Gabriella Nicole Leon ..........Woodmere, N.Y. 94........Jennifer C. Ferguson ............Franklin Square, N.Y. 103......Bianca Posa ........................Valley Stream, N.Y. 110......Emma R. Brezel ..................Port Washington, N.Y. 118......Ruth Freilich ........................Lawrence, N.Y. 119......Brittany Burke......................Garden City, N.Y. 120......Julia Zhuang ........................Great Neck, N.Y. 125......Shanice Nadia Arthur ..........Glen Head, N.Y. 143......Esther Chikvashvili ..............Melville, N.Y. 144......Karen A. Serina ....................Islip Terrace, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 18 Singles— Long Island Region Rank Name............................City 5..........Katherine Yau ......................Manhasset, N.Y. 9..........Hannah L. Camhi..................Woodbury, N.Y. 12........Shelby Talcott ......................Sea Cliff, N.Y. 27........Sophie Barnard ....................Mill Neck, N.Y.

ISLAND

28........Morgan Feldman..................Glen Head, N.Y. 32........Stephanie Loutsenko............Bellmore, N.Y. 35........Vivian Cheng........................Woodbury, N.Y. 46........Ashley A. Masanto................Baldwin, N.Y. 47........Julia Elbaba ........................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 51........Nicholle Torres ....................North Hills, N.Y. 55........Taylor A. Diffley ....................Hampton Bays, N.Y. 58........Alison Wang ........................Great Neck, N.Y. 66........Melissa Carlay ....................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 71........Theresa Smith ....................Port Washington, N.Y. 72........Ludmila Yamus ....................Melville, N.Y. 80........Claudia M. Ruiz ....................Glen Head, N.Y. 81........Missy Edelblum....................Roslyn, N.Y. 92........Aleksandra Mally ................Franklin Square, N.Y. 102......Samantha Rosca-Sipot ........Malverne, N.Y. 105......Erica Bundrick ....................Mattituck, N.Y. 107......Sunaina Vohra......................Glen Head, N.Y. 113......Ashley Sandler ....................Jericho, N.Y. 116......Lila B. Martz ........................Long Beach, N.Y. 130......Jessica Nowak ....................Huntington, N.Y. 134......Mia M. Vecchio ....................Manhasset Hills, N.Y. 135......Veronika Paikin ....................Valley Stream, N.Y. 148......Carly Siegel..........................Dix Hills, N.Y.

Boys & Girls National Rankings (as of 12/12/11)

BOYS

National Boys 12 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name............................City 44........Ryan Goetz ..........................Greenlawn, N.Y. 94........Alan Delman ........................Great Neck, N.Y 142......Brian Shi..............................Jericho, N.Y. 159......Rajan Jai Vohra ....................Glen Head, N.Y. 189......Keegan James Morris ..........Franklin Square, N.Y. 207......Patrick Maloney ..................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 277......Daniel Eric Pellerito ..............Syosset, N.Y. 301......Michael Medvedev ..............Oceanside, N.Y. 332......Ronald P.Hohmann ..............Oyster Bay, N.Y. 419......Steven Well Sun ..................Glen Cove, N.Y. 601......Yuval Solomon ....................Plainview, N.Y. 631......Daniel Weitz ........................Roslyn, N.Y. 720......Neel Raj ..............................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 760......Pete Siozios ........................New Hyde Park, N.Y.

National Boys 14 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name............................City 27........Alexander Lebedev ..............Island Park, N.Y. 33........Brenden Andrew Volk ..........Dix Hills, N.Y. 184......Bryant J. Born......................Manhasset, N.Y. 315......Eric Wagner ........................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 332......Lubomir T. Cuba ..................Massapequa Park, N.Y. 397......Colin Sacco..........................Brightwaters, N.Y.

RANKINGS

398......Palmer T. Clare ....................North Bellmore, N.Y. 526......Finbar Talcott ......................Sea Cliff, N.Y. 567......Athell Patrick Bennett ..........Valley Stream, N.Y. 608......Chris Kuhnle ........................Shoreham, N.Y. 676......Brian Hoffarth ......................Fort Salonga, N.Y. 796......Sean Patrick ........................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 840......Travis Leaf ..........................Dix Hills, N.Y.

National Boys 16 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name............................City 1..........Noah B. Rubin ......................Merrick, N.Y. 26........Josh Silverstein....................Great Neck, N.Y. 39........Aidan Talcott ........................Sea Cliff, N.Y. 51........Samuel Lam ........................Old Westbury, N.Y. 78........Vihar Shah ..........................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 97........Philip Daniel Antohi ..............Glen Head, N.Y. 158......Ethan Bogard ......................Lido Beach, N.Y. 178......Douglas Notaris ..................Wantagh, N.Y. 196......Zachary A. Lessen................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 209......Daniel Grunberger................Great Neck, N.Y. 211......Alex C. Sacher......................Glen Head, N.Y. 227......Brandon T. Stone..................Melville, N.Y. 323......Julian Alexi Zlobinsky ..........Greenvale, N.Y. 367......Lamar Remy ........................Roslyn, N.Y. 457......Alexander Lebedev ..............Island Park, N.Y. 525......John P. D’Allesandro ............Northport, N.Y. 584......Conor Mullins ......................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 603......Jeremy Dubin ......................Southampton, N.Y. 688......Tyler J. Hoffman ..................Sayville, N.Y. 721......Zain Ali ................................Dix Hills, N.Y. 806......Jared R. Halstrom ................Bellmore, N.Y. 812......Joshua Williams Gordon ......Hicksville, N.Y. 915......Matthew Demichiel ..............Hewlett, N.Y.

National Boys 18 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name............................City 36........Noah B. Rubin ......................Merrick, N.Y. 53........Josh M. Levine ....................Syosset, N.Y. 101......Bert Vancura ........................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 112......Matthew O. Barry ................Lido Beach, N.Y. 143......Eric Rubin ............................Lido Beach, N.Y. 149......Andrew S. Yaraghi................Mill Neck, N.Y. 223......Jensen Reiter ......................Syosset, N.Y. 225......Howard J. Weiss ..................Great Neck, N.Y. 325......Samuel Lam ........................Old Westbury, N.Y. 356......Aidan Talcott ........................Sea Cliff, N.Y. 424......Brendan Henry ....................Massapequa, N.Y. 461......Daniel Khanin ......................Baldwin, N.Y. 462......Alexander Schidlovsky ........Sea Cliff, N.Y. 564......Kevin Katz............................Woodbury, N.Y. 698......Ofir Solomon........................Plainview, N.Y. 702......Lamar Remy ........................Roslyn, N.Y. 913......Jonahiby Tauil ......................Valley Stream, N.Y. 976......Julian Alexi Zlobinsky ..........Greenvale, N.Y.

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GIRLS

National Girls 12 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name............................City 71........Hannah Zhao ......................Syosset, N.Y. 200......Jasmine Olivia Abidi ............Glen Head, N.Y. 272......Jacqueline Rae Bukzin ........Manorville, N.Y. 290......Ashley Lessen......................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 332......Lea Ma ................................Dix Hills, N.Y. 421......Stephanie Chikvashvili ........Syosset, N.Y. 512......Francesca Karman ..............Port Washington, N.Y. 566......Merri Kelly ..........................Oyster Bay, N.Y.

National Girls 14 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name............................City 63........Madison Battaglia ................Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 204......Alexa Graham ......................Garden City, N.Y. 287......Taylor Cosme ......................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 347......Shanice Nadia Arthur ..........Glen Head, N.Y. 355......Morgan Herrmann................Garden City, N.Y. 602......Mia M. Vecchio ....................Manhasset Hills, N.Y. 607......Amber Nicole Policare ..........East Atlantic Beach, N.Y. 742......Esther Chikvashvili ..............Melville, N.Y. 874......Celeste Rose Matute ............Oyster Bay, N.Y. 949......Karen Serina ........................Islip Terrace, N.Y.

National Girls 16 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name............................City 128......Sophie R. Barnard ................Mill Neck, N.Y. 247......Aleksandra Mally ................Franklin Square, N.Y. 268......Vivian Cheng........................Woodbury, N.Y. 526......Sunaina Vohra......................Glen Head, N.Y. 751......Paulina Tafler ......................Oceanside, N.Y. 818......Nicholle Torres ....................North Hills, N.Y. 894......Madison Battaglia ................Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.

National Girls 18 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name............................City 52........Julia Elbaba ........................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 79........Hannah L. Camhi..................Woodbury, N.Y. 101......Katherine Yau ......................Manhasset, N.Y. 204......Shelby Talcott ......................Sea Cliff, N.Y. 322......Morgan Feldman..................Glen Head, N.Y. 378......Vivan Cheng ........................Woodbury, N.Y. 438......Sophie Barnard ....................Mill Neck, N.Y. 525......Stephanie Loutsenko............Bellmore, N.Y. 931......Ludmila Yamus ....................Deer Park, N.Y. 962......Ashley Masanto ..................Baldwin, N.Y. 977......Taylor Diffley........................Hampton Bays, N.Y.

USTA/Long Island Region 2012

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. Friday-Sunday, January 20-22 L3 Sportime Roslyn Eastern UPS Championships Sportime Roslyn • P.O. Box 1 • Roslyn, N.Y. Divisions: Novice BG (14-10)s, RR Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Jan. 13 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 484-9222.

JANUARY 2012 Friday-Sunday, January 6-8 L3 Sportime Massapequa Championships 5600 Old Sunrise Highway • Massapequa, N.Y. Divisions: Unranked BG (18-12)s, RR Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Jan. 3 at 11:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 933-8500.

Friday-Sunday, January 6-8 & Friday-Monday, 13-16 +L1 Kings Park Eastern Designated Closed Championships. USTA L4 FIC Sportime Kings Park • 275 Old Indianhead Road • Kings Park, N.Y. Divisions: Grand Prix G (18)s, FIC; G (18)d, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player singles, $28 per player doubles (deadline for entries is Monday, Dec. 26 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 484-9222.

Friday-Sunday, January 13-15 L3 Sportime Lynbrook Eastern UPS Championships Sportime Lynbrook • 175 Merrick Road • Lynbrook, N.Y. Divisions: Novice B G (18-12)s, RR; Quick Start: B G (10 [60’Court/Orange Ball])s, RR Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Saturday, Jan. 7 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 887-1330.

Friday-Sunday, January 6-8 L1B EAC’s Winter Boys Challenger Eastern Athletic Clubs • 9 Montauk Highway, Unit A • Blue Point, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger B (16-14)s, SE Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Jan. 2 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, call (631) 363-2882.

Friday-Sunday, January 6-8 & Friday-Monday, 13-16 +L1 Sportime LR Eastern Designated Closed Championships L4 FIC Sportime Roslyn • P.O. Box 1 • Roslyn, N.Y. Divisions: Grand Prix B (14)s, FIC; B (14)d, SE Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player singles, $27.38 per player doubles (deadline for entries is Monday, Dec. 26 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 484-9222.

Friday-Monday, January 13-16 L1B LBTC Challenger Long Beach Tennis Center • 899 Monroe Boulevard • Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger B G (14)sd, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player singles, $27.38 per player doubles (deadline for entries is Monday, Jan. 9 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 432-6060.

Saturday, January 21 10U & 8U QuickStart Sportime Syosset Championships Sportime Syosset • 75 Haskett Drive • Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Quick Start BG (10 [60’Court/Orange Ball], 8 [36’Court/Red Ball])s, RR Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Jan. 20 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 933-8500.

Friday-Sunday, January 6-8 & Friday-Monday, 13-16 +L1 RWTTC Eastern Designated Closed Championships L4 FIC Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenue • Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Grand Prix B (16)s, FIC; B (16)d Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player singles, $27.38 per player doubles (deadline for entries is Monday, Dec. 26 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 759-0505.

Friday-Sunday, January 6-8 & Friday-Monday, 13-16 +L1 Huntington Eastern Designated Closed Championships L4 FIC Huntington Indoor Tennis 100 Broadway Street • Huntington Station, N.Y. Divisions: Grand Prix G (12)s, FIC; G (12)d, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player doubles, $27.38 per player doubles (deadline for entries is Monday, Dec. 26 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (631) 421-0040.

Friday-Sunday, January 20-22 L2R Long Island Regional Sportime Syosset Championships Sportime Syosset • 75 Haskett Drive • Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate BG (18-16)s, SE Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Jan. 9 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 364-2727.

Friday-Sunday, January 27-29 L1B Sportime Syosset Championships Sportime Syosset • 75 Haskett Drive • Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Ranked BG (16)s d, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Jan. 17 at noon.) For more information, call (516) 933-8500.

Friday-Sunday, January 6-8 & Friday-Monday, 13-16 +L1 Deer Park Eastern Designated Closed Championships L4 FIC Deer Park Tennis Center Inc. • 30 Burt Drive • Deer Park, N.Y. Divisions: Grand Prix B (12)s, FIC; B (12)d, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player singles, $27.38 per player doubles (deadline for entries is Monday, Dec. 26 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (631) 667-3476.

Friday-Sunday, January 20-22 L1 RWTTC Doubles Championships USTA L5 Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenue • Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Championships BG (18-10)d, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $24.69 per player (deadline for entries Monday, Jan. 16 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 759-0505.

Friday-Sunday, January 27-29 L1B LBTC Challenger Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard • Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger BG (12)sd, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player singles, $27.38 per player doubles (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 432-6060.

Friday-Sunday, January 6-8 L2O LBTC’s January Open Long Beach Tennis Center • 899 Monroe Boulevard • Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate B G(18-16)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player singles, $27.38 per player doubles (deadline for entries is Monday, Jan. 2 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 432-6060.

Friday-Monday, January 13-16 L1B Sportime Bethpage Challenger Sportime Tennis Bethpage • 101 Norcross Avenue Bethpage, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger BG (16, 12)s, SE Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Jan. 3 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 933-8500.

Friday-Sunday, January 20-22 L2R Long Island Regional Sportime Massapequa Championships Sportime Massapequa 5600 Old Sunrise Highway • Massapequa, N.Y. Divisions: Ranked B G (14-12)s, SE Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Jan. 10 at 11:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 799-3550.

Friday-Sunday, January 27-29 Huntington Men’s Open Singles Winter Championships Huntington Indoor Tennis 100 Broadway Street • Huntington Station, N.Y. Divisions: Ranked M (Op)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $59.63 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Jan. 23 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (631) 421-0040.

Friday-Sunday, January 6-8 & Friday-Monday, 13-16 +L1 Point Set Eastern Designated Closed Championships L4 FIC Point Set Indoor Racquet • 3065 New Street • Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Grand Prix B (18)s, FIC; B (18)d, SE Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player singles, $27.38 per player doubles (deadline for entries is Monday, Dec. 26 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 536-2323.

Friday-Sunday, January 13-15 GHRC L2O Championships Glen Head Racquet Club 95 Glen Head Road • Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: B (12)s, SE Surface Type: Hard Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Jan. 9 at 11:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 676-9849.

Friday-Sunday, January 20-22 L3 Long Beach Eastern UPS Championships Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard • Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Novice BG (16-12)s, RR Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Wednesday, Jan. 18 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 432-6060.

Saturday, January 28 L3 EAC Winter Round Robin Eastern Athletic Clubs • 9 Montauk Highway, Unit A Blue Point, N.Y. Divisions: Novice BG (12)s, RR Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Saturday, Jan. 21 at 11:00 p.m.) For more information, call (631) 363-2882.

Friday-Sunday, January 6-8 L2O Sportime Lynbrook’s January Open Sportime Tennis Lynbrook • 175 Merrick Road • Lynbrook, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate BG (14)s, SE Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Jan. 2 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 887-1330.

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2012 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

USTA/Long Island Region 2012

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. Friday-Sunday, February 24-26 L1 Huntington Feb. Championships + National L5 Doubles Huntington Indoor Tennis 100 Broadway Street • Huntington Station, N.Y. Divisions: Championships B (14)sd, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player singles, $27.38 per player doubles (deadline for entries is Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (631) 421-0040.

Friday-Sunday, February 10-12 L2O EAC February Open Eastern Athletic Clubs • 9 Montauk Highway, Unit A • Blue Point, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate BG (16)sd, SE Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Feb. 3 at 11:00 p.m.) For more information, call (631) 363-2882.

Friday-Sunday, February 17-19 L3 Sportime Roslyn Feb Eastern UPS Championships Sportime Roslyn • P.O. Box 1 • Roslyn, N.Y. Divisions: Novice BG (18-10)s, RR Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 484-9222.

Friday-Sunday, February 10-12 L1B LBTC Valentine’s Challenger Long Beach Tennis Center • 899 Monroe Boulevard • Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger B (14-12)sd, SE; G (14)sd, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player singes, $28 per player doubles (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Feb. 7 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 432-6060.

Friday-Sunday, February 17-19 L1B LBTC’s February Challenger Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard • Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger BG (18-16)sd, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player singles, $28 per player doubles (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Feb. 14 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information call (516) 432-6060.

Saturday, February 25 8U Play Day + 10U L3 Feb UPS Championships at Sportime Syosset Sportime Syosset 75 Haskett Drive • Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Quick Start: BG (10 [60’Court/Orange Ball], 8 [36’Court/Red Ball])s, RR Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Feb. 24 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 933-8500.

Friday-Sunday, February 24-26 L2O Sportime Massapequa February Open Sportime Massapequa 5600 Old Sunrise Highway • Massapequa, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate BG (16)sd, SE Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player singles, $27.38 per player doubles (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Feb. 14 at 11:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 933-8500.

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2012 • LITennisMag.com

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Friday-Sunday, February 24-26 L2O EAC B14’s February Open Eastern Athletic Clubs • 9 Montauk Highway, Unit A • Blue Point, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate B (14)sd, SE Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player singles, $27.38 per player doubles (deadline for entries is Saturday, Feb. 18 at 11:00 p.m.) For more information, call (631) 363-2882.

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Friday-Sunday, February 24-26 L2R Sportime Bethpage February Regional Sportime Tennis Bethpage 101 Norcross Avenue • Bethpage, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate G (18, 14)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Feb. 14 at noon) For more information, call (516) 933-8500.

Friday-Sunday, February 10-12 L2O Sportime Roslyn February Open Sportime Roslyn • P.O. Box 1 • Roslyn, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate BG (10 [78’Court/Green Ball])s, FRLC Saturday, February 4 10U L3 UPS Championships & 8U QuickStart Playday at Sportime Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Jan. 27 Syosset at 1:00 p.m.) Sportime Syosset For more information call, (516) 484-9222. 75 Haskett Drive • Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: QuickStart: B G (10 [60’Court/Orange Ball],8 Monday-Thursday, February 13-16 [36’Court/Red Ball])s, RR L3 Sportime Kings Park Winter Break UPS Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Feb. 3 Sportime Kings Park 275 Old Indianhead Road • Kings Park, N.Y. at 1:00 p.m.) Divisions: Novice: BG (18-12)s, RR; QuickStart: BG (10 For more information, call (516) 933-8500. [60’Court/Orange Ball])s, RR Surface Type: Clay Indoor Friday-Sunday, February 10-12 Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Feb. 10 L1B Sportime Bethpage February Challenger at 1:00 p.m.) Sportime Tennis Bethpage For more information, call (516) 484-9222. 101 Norcross Avenue • Bethpage, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger BG (18-16)s, SE Friday-Sunday, February 17-19 Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Jan. L1B Sportime Massapequa Presidential Classic Sportime Massapequa 31 at noon) 5600 Old Sunrise Highway • Massapequa, N.Y. For more information, call (516) 933-8500. Divisions: Challenger BG (14-12)s, SE Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Feb. 7 at noon) For more information, call (516) 933-8500.

Friday-Sunday, February 3-5 L3 LBTC Eastern Feb UPS Championships Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard • Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Novice BG (18-12)s, RR Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 432-6060

Friday-Monday, February 17-20 L1 Huntington February Championships (with Doubles) Huntington Indoor Tennis 100 Broadway Street • Huntington Station, N.Y. Divisions: Championships BG (10 [78’Court/Green Ball])sd, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Feb. 3 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (631) 421-0040.

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Friday-Sunday, February 3-5 L2O EAC’s Winter Boys Doubles Open Eastern Athletic Clubs 9 Montauk Highway • Unit A. Blue Point, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate: B (16-12)d, SE Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $22 per player (deadline for entries is Thursday, Jan. 26 at 11:00 p.m.) For more information call, (631) 363-2882.

Friday-Sunday, February 10-12 & 17-19 +L1 World Gym Eastern Designated Closed Championships L5 FIC World Gym Racquet & Sports Arena 384 Mark Tree Road • East Setauket, N.Y. Divisions: Grand Prix B (18)s, FIC Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Jan. 30 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (631) 751-6100.

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FEBRUARY 2012 Friday-Sunday, February 3-5 L2R Sportime Bethpage Winter Regional Sportime Tennis Bethpage 101 Norcross Avenue • Bethpage, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate BG (18-10)s, SE Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 933-8500.

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