Long Island Tennis Magazine - January/February 2013 by United Sports Publications, Ltd.

Serena’s Sweet Sixteen? Williams Eyes 16th Grand Slam Title at 2013 Australian Open

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2012 • LITennisMag.com

Also Featured: Long Island Tennis Magazine’s Guide To The Top Tennis Clubs

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Looking to Fix Technique? Examine Your Movement By Tim Mayotte Early in my coaching career, the following scenario would take place with me and my students repeatedly … I would work long and hard with a player and achieve a smooth, efficient stroke, only to see the shape of the swing fall apart when the player moved more than one step to the ball. I also noticed that technique would often deteriorate further with each shot in a rally. Perhaps one of the single most valuable and exciting insights I was ever given as a teacher came from my colleague Lee Hurst. He showed me that technique and movement to and from the ball are inexorably interwoven. One day at the USTA Training Center, one of our top players was not able to achieve a efficient shape on his forehand and could not accelerate the racquet equal to his backhand. I focused on the racquet in an attempt to isolate and fix the problem. Lee took a different approach. He suggested that the path to the ball of the loading steps was incorrect.

When the player took a better path to the ball, he was able to load better, clear his hips and the technical and acceleration issues were cleaned up right away. Also, I was excited to see the player recovered much more easily for the next shot. To help break this process down into manageable pieces, Hurst argues that each stroke has seven stages: I I I I I I I

The split-step Unit turn Racquet preparation Loading (steps) Unloading Contact Recovery

This very helpful framework looks at movement and racquet together. The unit-turn is the easiest to see. A good turn serves to rotate the shoulders and pivot the hips (movement), but it also prepares the racquet (technique) or what we used to call in the old days “getting the racquet back.” Great tech-

nical coaching involves getting to know the complex elements of each of these stages of the stroke and how one should flow into the other. No easy task. This framework divides up a shot in a useful way that allows intermediate coaches to more easily identify the root of a problem. I hope you will find, as I have, fixing the movement often leads to immediately fixing the shape of a swing, while not needing to address your student’s racquet technique. Tim Mayotte was one of the nation’s best tennis players during the 1980s. Twice during the 80s, he finished the year ranked in the world’s top 10. Besides reaching the semifinals of Wimbledon and the Australian Open, he also won a Silver Medal in the Olympics and represented his nation in Davis Cup action. For the last decade, Tim has shifted his focus to developing top American players and is currently running 360 Tennis at the Cunningham Tennis Center with his partners, Lee Hurst and Carl Thorsen. He may be reached by phone at (917) 596-0746 or visit 360Tennis.net.

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2013 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

January/February 2013 Volume 5, 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

10 Staff

American Serena Williams is a heavy favorite to raise the women’s trophy Down Under as the Australian Open kicks off the 2013 Grand Slam season … the men, the women, the contenders, the sleepers and pretenders all vying for Grand Slam glory in Melbourne.

David Sickmen Publisher (516) 409-4444, ext. 309 • david@usptennis.com Joel M. Berman President (516) 409-4444, ext. 310 • joel@usptennis.com Eric C. Peck Editor-in-Chief (516) 409-4444, ext. 312 • eric@usptennis.com Joey Arendt Managing Art Director Jon Blake Advertising Coordinator (516) 409-4444, ext. 301 • jonb@usptennis.com

Serena’s Sweet Sixteen? Williams Eyes 16th Grand Slam Title at 2013 Australian Open

Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2012 • LITennisMag.com

Also Featured: Long Island Tennis Magazine’s Guide To The Top Tennis Clubs

Feature Stories 4

Emilie Katz Marketing Coordinator

24 Your 2013 Guide to Long Island’s Top Clubs This month’ we present the area’s top clubs and programs all in one handy guide. Whether it a local adult league program or a junior program to get your child started in the sport, our Club Guide offers the area’s top picks.

36 Big Apple Braces for Big Stars on the Court On March 4, Madison Square Garden will host the Sixth Annual BNP Paribas Showdown featuring Rafael Nadal taking on Juan Martin del Potro and on the women’s side, Serena Williams taking on Victoria Azarenka.

44 Long Island Tennis Magazine’s 2013 Gym Guide

Tara Cook Billing Coordinator (516) 409-4444, ext. 324 Scott Koondel Administrative Manager (516) 409-4444, ext. 324 Beverly Koondel Office Administrator (516) 409-4444, ext. 316 Brent Shearer Editorial Contributor

Michael Schumer Intern

Michael Cervantes Editorial Contributor

Advertising To receive any information regarding advertising rates, deadlines, and requirements, call (516) 409-4444 or e-mail info@usptennis.com.

Article Submissions/Press Releases To submit any material, including articles and press releases, please call (516) 409-4444 or e-mail info@usptennis.com. The deadline for submissions is the first of the month preceding the target issue.

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

LI Tennis Community Cleans Up the Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy By Adam Wolfthal Superstorm Sandy swept through the area and left in its wake, several local tennis facilities who were left to deal with its destruction … here is their story on rebuilding and rebounding.

Adam Wolfthal Director of Business Development (516) 409-4444, ext. 330 • adam@usptennis.com Daisy Schwartz Editorial Coordinator (516) 409-4444, ext. 314 • daisy@usptennis.com

2013 Australian Open Preview

Need to supplement your on court workout? Look no further as we present the area’s top conditioning centers geared toward taking your tennis game and off the court fitness to the next level.

62 2012 Girls High School Season Recap A look back at the final standings and winners of the 2012 girls high school season.

Additional Features 3 14 43 54

Reality & Fantasy: Don’t Overplay … Playing Your Game is the Best Bet By Rohan Goetzke Longtime Rockville Racquet Manager Susan Alvy Announces Her Retirement Unleash the Player Within By Jessica Stiles A Look Back at the 2012 Tennis Season

Columns 1 8 15 16 18 20 22 34 39 46 48 74 75 78

Tips From the Tennis Pro: By Tim Mayotte The Jensen Zone By Luke Jensen Fitness and Nutrition: Nutrition as a Building Block to on the Court Success By Irina Belfer-Lehat Court Six: Long Island Tennis Magazine’s Gossip Column By Emilie Katz Fix Your Toss and Get More Power on the Serve By Lisa Dodson Junior Player Spotlight: Steven Sun Adult League Wrap-Up By Kathy Miller College Tennis Spotlight: By Ricky Becker Dr. Tom on the Lack of Drive in Tennis By Dr. Tom Ferraro Good to Great By Steven Kaplan USTA Eastern Long Island Region Update Long Island Tennis Club Directory Long Island Rankings USTA/Long Island Region 2013 Tournament Schedule

Reality& Fantasy Don’t overplay … playing your game is the best bet

By Rohan Goetzke Being a tennis coach necessitates a unique ability to connect with the player. Tennis is a game of skill, strength and strategy. As a coach, the challenge is to guide a player to perform their best in all of those aspects and then come back the next day reaching for more. As in any sport, there is that elite group of athletes at the top that we are inspired by. Those players, whose names are all too familiar, impress and amaze us with their talent and passion for the sport. They are, if not heroes of the sport, symbolic of what can be achieved. In a tennis training center, from technically fine-tuning a swing, to tweaking a serve, to inspiring a player’s game strategy, one of the most pressing issues for coaches is balancing a player’s expectation of what they are capable of doing at that moment and what they would love to be able to do. If you have been around the game long enough, it is evident how the top professional players are influencing the game style for the rest of us. From the powerful ground shots, to exceptional movement, penetrating serves, and the return of serve, watching a match is often a truly inspiring event. Now consider that junior player who just saw an astonishing match and decides to try that spectacular first serve or to make every shot a winner. What’s the big deal? Well, the big deal is that junior player we is trying to hit the same balls as the professionals and forgetting what they are physically, if not emotionally, capable of. And the result is often trying to hit too hard, trying for too many winners, which often results in unforced errors. They often attempt to serve too hard or possess too great a sense of urgency to end the point rather than work the point. Allthe-while, the player is only 5’4”, they are playing entirely the wrong style of game, and so they become negative and begin a downward spiral. We all know working on fundamentals is

critical for development and that the more solid and developed the mechanics, the lower the chances are that things will fall apart under pressure. It is also important to factor in that players progress and mature physically and emotionally at different rates and at different stages in their training. While many coaches focus on an all-court game, young players need to work more on their serve and also their return of serve. I personally believe that these elements are often overlooked and under-trained. Achieving a higher percentage of first serves, and in the return game, trying to make as many first serve returns and do more with the second serve return, are elements that need more attention. Learning how to work the point—when to rally, open the court up or hit the ball deep or deep and down the middle, and not always going for winners— needs to be a training priority. The professionals play long points and shifting to that mindset can help a young player progress. In today’s world of tennis, coaching needs to focus even more on balancing the expectations of players with their own personal reality, addressing with players and parents how to formulate clear goals that take into account the age and physical capabilities of the player, all while accepting that there is a learning curve. While watch-

ing other players or professional matches are useful training tools, each player needs to stay true to himself and his own game. Those flashy shots that younger players are trying to emulate won’t win the match, but a commitment to playing a point properly and competing hard will. It might be a cliché, but there really aren’t any short cuts to the top, so train hard and don’t forget to enjoy the ride. Rohan Goetzke is the IMG Academy Director of Bollettieri Tennis. As director, Rohan oversees all aspects of the tennis program and ensures delivery of the optimal training and highest level of development to each male and female tennis athlete at the junior, high school, postgraduate, collegiate and professional levels. A native of Australia, Goetzke joined IMG Academy from the Dutch Tennis Federation, where he was responsible for the development and implementation of the nation’s tennis program from the junior through professional ranks. Prior to joining the Dutch Tennis Federation as technical director, Goetzke served as the national head coach of the Federation, working with top professionals including Robin Haase, Michaella Krajicek, Thiemo De Bakker and Arantxa Rus. For more information, visit imgperformance.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 2013 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

LI Tennis Community Cleans Up the Aftermath of

Superstorm Sandy

B y t was late Sunday, Oct. 28, most New Yorkers were just beginning to think about what Halloween costume we were going to try and put together while watching Sunday football. Newscasters everywhere were talking about a major storm coming the following day, and most folks figured, “I hope he’s right, maybe if it’s bad enough, I’ll have off work on Tuesday …” Having weathered the effects of Hurricane Irene just 12 months before, and being jaded to the weathermen predicting catastrophic events every other week, it was brushed off as “No big deal.” A few folks headed out to fill their cars with gas if they had a long commute, while others bought water and other supplies. As the night went on, the winds kept picking up. Then it was calm. As the morning became the afternoon and the winds picked back up and never gave a hint of slowing, it started to become clear that the area was not in the midst of its average storm. Reports started coming in that parts of West Virginia and Virginia were being blanketed with

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snow. Outside, the clouds overhead were rushing by as if they were running late for a peak train on the LIRR. Radio stations began advising folks that they should fill up with gas and then stay in for the night. Little did anyone know how important a full tank of gas would be. Hardware and home improvement stores had sold out of generators. As day turned to night, the darkness outside swiftly gave way to darkness indoors, as the winds picked up and trees began falling and taking out power lines leaving neighborhoods pitch black. Once the power companies saw that poles and power stations were in harm’s way, they began preemptively shutting down the power to the bulk of the island. Then the water came … Sandy was officially only a Category One Storm, what it lacked in force it made up for in sheer size and more effectively, timing. Had Sandy come through during the middle of the day, in the middle of the lunar cycle, it would have been handled. But Sandy was a Superstorm, striking New York and New Jersey at high tide, during a full moon

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2013 • LITennisMag.com

and had a footprint of roughly 1.8 million square miles, from the Mid-Atlantic to Ohio and up into Canada. This was no ordinary, average storm. Couple the massive size and effect of the storm with the complacency that had been brewing ever since New York had “handled” Hurricane Irene just 15 months prior, and what you get is a state of shocked emergency and unprepared terror. At its peak, the new record high tide rose a full nine feet above average, nearly three feet higher than the previous record, set in 1821. Sustained winds reached 90 miles per hour and gusted up to speeds in excess of 110 miles per hour. Any free-standing structure was under duress and anything not tied down became a projectile. Homes and businesses near the water were especially jeopardized due to the extreme high tide pouring water into the ground floor of many buildings. Particularly susceptible were any outdoor tennis facility that had recently raised its bubble to insulate the courts. The newly raised tennis bubbles, with penetrable outer

linings and delicate footing, were left standing in most cases. At Great Neck Estates, once the wind jostled the bubble off its base, and with the town’s power down, backup generators could not push the amount of air needed to keep the bubble standing. At 3:00 a.m. during the worst of the storm, 12-foot waves came up over the pier and pushed the back up generator off kilter, moving the gas line and disrupting the air going to the bubble. Adding insult to injury, because of its coastal location, the club was totally unreachable for three days, while water receded from the park. When it was finally reachable, the courts were a complete mess and the whole facility was covered in clay. Water was the main problem for Point Set Racquet Club in Oceanside, N.Y. Four feet of it poured through the lower level of the club, destroying all the courts, the locker rooms, the pro shop and lobby as well as management offices. Cleaning up the effects closed the Club for a month. Arguably the worst hit place on Long Island was Long Beach. No structure could be closer to the water and more

susceptible than Long Beach Tennis Center, located right on the water under the Long Beach Boulevard Bridge. Wind destroyed the bubbles and water near washed away the clubhouse. Five weeks later, Long Beach Tennis Club was still hoping to get electricity “soon.” This had become the new norm. Due to

the initial power outages, the influx of out of town help coming to the Island and the inability for fuel tankers and trucks to get to their original destinations, fuel and particularly gas were in very low supply. Rationing began one week after the storm, and after seeing gas lines grow from minutes to hours long, coordinating the rebuilding effort became increasingly difficult with a new premium on having fuel. Through the rebuilding process we got to see what makes this island great. Neighbors, working hand-in-hand to rebuild communities. In the midst of everything that happened both personally and professionally to the locals of Long Beach, the employees at Long Beach Tennis Center pushed through to make the re-building process happen. Although it took nearly two months, the clubhouse has been fully reconstructed and is bigger and better than the original, sporting a more “homey” feel. Long Beach has always been the type of club where members stayed after their league matches to have a glass of wine and a snack and continued on page 6

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Superstorm Sandy continued from page 5 chat. Now it will have the facilities and decor to make that sentiment more conducive to all players. According to the staff of the club, the unsung hero of the re-building is Lucas, the maintenance professional and night watchman. Without his efforts, the construction would have been even more monumental and the Club surely would not be back to fully operational status this quickly. Those who were lucky enough to make it through the devastation relatively unscathed, poured out to volunteer and donate what they could. People from all over the continent flooded our streets with electric repair vans and construction trucks. The folks at Sportime in Kings Park lost their bubble for three-and-a-halfweeks and had the challenge of condensing programming from 11 courts down to seven. People from the com-

munity did not mind. In fact in the neighborhood surrounding the facility the power was out for almost two weeks. Even down four courts Sportime found a way to add extra clinics and offer them free to members just looking for a sense of normalcy amid the destruction. Members flocked to the club to charge cell phones and laptops and conduct business or just to get a workout and a hot shower. Kings Park even found a group of out of town electricians camping in their vans and offered them to come in and shower at the club and have some coffee. The folks who helped Great Neck Estates get their bubble back up were from Canada. A crew of 20 worked nearly around-the-clock for two weeks patching, repairing and power washing the bubble and its clay courts to get it ready for regular programs. Four weeks

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2013 • LITennisMag.com

after the storm, the club was back to 99 percent working order, with a brand new club house, sporting new furniture and carpets. Point Set Racquet club had to resurface seven courts and re-build the locker rooms, lobby and offices destroyed by water. They also took the opportunity to improve the upstairs, adding a new viewing lounge. “Point Set wants to thank it’s loyal staff and clientele for patiently waiting for us to rebuild after the storm,” said Mark Kemp, managing partner of Point Set. “We are back and once everything is fully renovated we will be better than ever.” That sentiment is a very common one among affected communities. Although we were battered, and in some cases, broken, the strength of the Long Island tennis community will move forward and rebuild these impacted facilities. Adam Wolfthal is director of business development for Long Island Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by e-mail at adam@usptennis.com.

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By Luke Jensen I would like to salute the captains of our league teams. From coast to coast, the largest demographic of passionate and competitive tennis players in the nation are the adult league players. The unsung hero in a no-win situation is the team captain. Whenever I meet a team captain, I never fail to get a roll of the eyes when I ask them if they like to set the lineup. Being a captain and being a coach is very similar … taking many different personalities and capabilities and attempting to unite all of their strengths into one cohesive unit. Now, notice I did not say the word “WIN!” If winning is the goal, then here is my story … Entering my freshman year at the University of Southern California, I was this junior tennis player hot shot. I was the number one International Tennis Federation singles and doubles player on the planet coming out of

high school. I was loaded with game and confidence. Entering my first team dual match for the USC Trojans, I was pretty set on playing number one in singles and doubles. In all my matchups with my fellow Trojans, I felt that I had earned the number one spot. I can still feel the cold steel of sitting in the bleachers as my team sat waiting for our College Hall of Fame Coach Dick Leach to run down the lineup assignments. I was convinced that I was going to play number one, but I remember saying to myself that I could see him going with an upper classman instead so that I can get my feet wet in the dual match format. Rick Leach, who ended up winning multiple Grand Slams and U.S. Davis Cup ties before he retired, was given the top spot. Yes, Rick was Coach Leach’s son, but Rick was more than worthy of being our top player, receiving AllAmerican honors his previous two years in singles and doubles.

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Now, number two was going to be my spot for sure … NOPE! Jorge Lozano, a senior and Davis Cup player from Mexico filled that spot. I was thinking “Come on already!” I am going to have a serious talk with Coach Leach about this crime of putting me at number three singles. So you can understand my surprise when Coach Leach named Senior Tim Pawsat at number three. Tim was an outstanding player at all levels and ended up reaching the top 10 in the ATP world doubles rankings, but I was so mad it did not matter at that point … I was ready to transfer schools! I have not hit one ball in a team dual situation in my life and I was set on leaving USC for another school as I took my gear to Court #4. My mind was not on any opponent or tactic … I was in BEAST MODE and I blew out the guppy on the other side at number four singles and number two doubles even though Jorge and I were the top doubles team in the college rankings at that point. I was not a team player the next 24 hours, but more like a Tazmanian Devil spinning through trees out of control. After playing the same positions and winning the next day with a massive chip on my shoulder, I was able schedule a meeting with Coach Leach in his office. I had not spoken to anyone for 72 hours and was beyond upset with the situation. Before the door was even closed and I was able to sit in my chair across from Coach Leach (in his office that had more trophies and All Americans on the walls than most conferences have combined), Coach asked, “What’s up?” like he had no idea why I was storming around with so much frustration. All I could get out was “Number four? Come on … number four?”

It was not my best approach, but it was all I could get out at that point. Coach Leach leaned back and responded simply and calmly, “ Did we win?” I replied, “Well, yea but …” He continued to say that on the USC team, that the team winning was the most important thing. That my position was a privilege and numbers five and six, and the other players below me were not happy with their assignments either but USC won. Coach Leach is a tremendous teacher, and for the next hour or so, he explained my role on the team as important, but no more or less important than every other player on the team. I walked out of that meeting with a new and fresh perspective that I still use today with my team at Syracuse University. No matter what level or league, team competition is about the success of the team and how the parts of the team all contribute to the team’s win. The team captains put up with so much through the season and the lineup is a tough part of it. The best teams are the ones that take responsibility for their roles. From captain to player, the little details make a big difference. Everyone being on time, attending all the team practices and functions, are things that make a team move towards their common goals. I have learned so much from my many team experiences on and off the court that made the game more fun through my years as a tennis player. Enjoy your team and wherever you play on it. It my not be where you feel you should play, but the power of many is stronger than the power of one. Crush the ball and poach more than you don’t. 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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2013 Australian Open Preview A NEW SEASON KICKS OFF DOWN UNDER

The 2013 Australian Open will take place at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia from Jan. 14-27, the 101st edition of the Open. ATP top-ranked Novak Djokovic from Serbia will return to defend his men’s singles title for a third time, as WTA top-ranked Victoria Azarenka of Belarus will defend the women’s singles title. Here is a look at this year’s contenders, pretenders and sleepers as well as an overview of what’s new this year in the land Down Under.

The men’s side of the draw The contenders … Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Novak Djokovic is the defending champion, reigning world number one, and the favorite heading into the 2013 Australian Open. Djokovic, who defeated Rafael Nadal in an epic five-set final at this event a year ago, will look to start 2013 off on the right foot. Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Last year, Roger Federer lost in the semifinals Down Under to Nadal. Federer is now 31-years-old and is no longer a lock for success, but his consistency in majors through the years is unmatched, and on the hard courts of Melbourne, he is a good bet to challenge for a championship. Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

The year 2012 was the year Andy Murray finally broke through and moved into the upper echelon of the ATP Tour. Murray won both the Olympics and U.S. Open to 10

finish off the best year of his career. He will be looking to build upon that momentum in 2013. Murray‘s game is well-rounded, and after winning on the hard courts in New York, another hard court major title in Melbourne is within reach. The pretenders … Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Jo-Wilfred Tsonga made the semifinals of the Australian Open in 2010, but the last two years have not gone as well for him “Down Under.” In 2011, he lost in the third round and last year he fell to Kei Nishikori in the fourth round. Both defeats came in tough five setters and Tsonga will need to be in peak physical condition to fight through the Australian heat this time around. While he comes into the year’s first major ranked eighth in the world, Tsonga is a long shot to win his first major title. Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Janko Tipsarevic had the best year of his career and is now a top 10 player, but that doesn’t mean he is ready to win a major. Janko lost in straight sets in the third round in Melbourne a year ago to Richard Gasquet. A similar finish is more likely than a run to the title in 2013 as well.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2013 • LITennisMag.com

The sleepers … Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

John Isner is one player who, on hard courts or grass courts, strikes fear into all players. His serve can be so dominant that on his best days, even the top guys are in trouble. Isner is the best American hopeful this year, especially with Mardy Fish out of the event and Andy Roddick retired. If Isner can limit the long early round matches that have plagued him of late, he has the game to make a deep run in Melbourne. Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Tomas Berdych was an Australian Open quarterfinalist a year ago, falling to Rafael Nadal in four sets. He also made a nice run in Flushing Meadows in September at the 2012 U.S. Open, reaching the semis before falling to eventual champion Andy Murray. Berdych is a big server who can beat anyone if he is on. If he can get a little lucky with the draw, expect a nice run from Berdych this year.

2013 Australian Open Preview A NEW SEASON KICKS OFF DOWN UNDER

The women’s side of the draw The contenders … Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Victoria Azarenka, the defending women’s champion, is back and is playing well. The hard courts of Melbourne suit her game and she will be looking to keep her crown. Last year, Azarenka was quite impressive winning the title by defeating Maria Sharapova easily 6-3, 6-0 in the final. In her last Grand Slam (the U.S. Open), she lost to Serena Williams in a tough three-set final. Odds are, they meet again Down Under. Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Regardless of her ranking at the time, Serena Williams is generally the favorite in every tour-

nament she plays. When she is focused mentally and on top of her game, she is always tough to beat. She will be looking to avenge a fourth round loss from a year ago, where she fell in straight sets to the unseeded Ekaterina Makarova of Russia. With Azarenka, Sharapova and others looking to knock her off, it won’t be an easy road, but Serena is certainly a major contender in Australian. Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Maria Sharapova lost in the finals of last year’s Australian Open to Victoria Azarenka and she will be attempting to go one step further this year and win the title. Sharapova is coming off an impressive 2012 season and will hope to build on that this year. She is one of the top threats.

The pretenders … Petra Kvitova came into Australia as the number two seed in 2012 and lost to Maria Sharapova in a tough semifinal. Her game has slipped a bit since, however, she still remains within the top 10 of the WTA Rankings. While she is still a threat, until she regains her top form, she likely will not be able to string together the six wins necessary to win the title. Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Venus Williams sat out last year’s tournament with an illness, but she will return in 2013. Venus has yet to regain top form since her return to the courts and overcoming the Australian heat and the field of women may be too much for her. She is currently ranked 24th in the world. Expect an early ouster for Venus.

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2013 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

2013 Australian Open Preview A NEW SEASON KICKS OFF DOWN UNDER

Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Samantha Stosur is the hometown favorite and 2011 U.S. Open Champion. However, in the past, she has had trouble dealing with the pressure of playing in her home country. Last year, she lost in the first round in straight sets to the unseeded Sorana Cirstea. While a better result is expected this year, she is not a threat to win it all.

Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

A year ago, Sara Errani was unseeded and still advanced to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open before Petra Kvitova knocked her off. Since then, Errani has been on fire, and her ranking is now up to number five in the world. While this may not be her best surface, she has been playing well enough to be a threat to win on any surface. Look out for Errani in 2013.

The sleepers … Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Maria Kirilenko has her ranking up to 14th in the world. She had a tough draw a year ago, losing to Petra Kvitova in the third round, but a good draw may spark a long run this year. She has been playing some of her best tennis and 2013 could be her year.

New this year at the Aussie Open Organizers of the Australian Open have increased the event’s prize money to a record $31.1 million for 2013, in response to player concerns about compensation at Grand Slam tournaments. In addition, stage one of the $360 million-plus redevelopment of

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2013 • LITennisMag.com

Melbourne Park is currently underway and set for completion in 2015. “We are proud to announce this major increase in prize money,” said Tennis Australia CEO Steve Wood. “We have led the world in prize money for these incredible athletes, and we want to ensure that the Australian Open continues to make a major contribution to the financial well-being of professional tennis players.” Wood noted that Tennis Australia officials would seek further input from the playing group regarding a more equitable distribution of prize money to help ensure financial viability for lower ranked players.

2013 Australian Open Preview A NEW SEASON KICKS OFF DOWN UNDER The $4 million hike is the biggest single increase in the history of the event. Other additions to the 2013 Australian Open include: I Andre Agassi to present the men’s championship trophy I Hawk-Eye to be introduced on Show Courts 2 and 3 I New practice and recovery facilities for players, including eight new clay courts in the new National Tennis Centre I An expanded Australian Open Trophy Tour throughout Australia, China and Japan

I The inaugural Asia-Pacific Australian Open Wildcard Playoff (to be held in China) I The new Edwin Flack footbridge connecting the MCG with Melbourne Park and AAMI Park I An expanded Women’s Legends event, including former Australian Open champs Amelie Mauresmo and Lindsay Davenport, along with Martina Hingis and Martina Navratilova I A special Legends Lunch on the final Saturday to honor six-time Australian Open winner Roy Emerson I New multi-year deals with Rolex, ANZ,

Maxxis, Powerade and Mount Franklin I Australian legend Judy Dalton to be inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame I Two new balcony areas overlooking the Grand Slam Oval on the western side I An elevated viewing deck over major practice courts I Dedicated MLC Tennis Hot Shots courts in Garden Square and Court Four so kids can experience the game, with professional coaches on hand to provide tips and advice

The Academy at Centercourt Athletic Club “Where champions come to train!”

he Academy at Centercourt Athletic Club is the northeast’s premiere High Performance Tennis Academy. Our full-time boarding academy provides players with the ideal environment to improve their tennis skills under a certified international coaching staff while also gaining an exceptional education. Our Academy players are among some of the top sectional, national, and ITF ranked players from around the world. The coaching staff of the Academy at Centercourt Athletic Club, are all top level USPTA, PTR, ITF and USTA certified High Performance coaches who possess the knowledge, leadership and mentoring skills necessary to develop players into champions.

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I 20 indoor tennis courts (12 Clay, 8 Hard) I State of the art Fitness & Conditioning Center I Spacious Academy Club House (Academy/Mental Training Center)

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Centercourt Athletic Club • 222 North Passaic Ave • Chatham, New Jersey 07928 LITennisMag.com • January/February 2013 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Longtime Rockville Racquet Manager Susan Alvy Announces Her Retirement usan Alvy, manager of Rockville Racquet, is a staple of the Long Island tennis community and has decided to retire at the end of 2012. Susan will be missed by all who have come into contact with her over the past 20 years and the tennis community as a whole. Susan grew up in Lawrence and now lives in Merrick. She began working at Rockville Racquet in June of 1992. Susan’s first job was as a gym teacher and then she was a stay at home mom before taking a position as manager of Tennis Time in Lynbrook as she thought tennis was a good fit for her having been a player since she was young. She then moved on to Rockville Racquet after getting a call from former long time manager Louise Merritt to fill that position and has never looked back. Susan loved her work experience over the last 20 years, saying, “Who could’ve asked for a better job than this? People come here everyday by choice and enjoy their experiences. If you have to work, there was no better job for me. This place has a family atmosphere and I have made lifelong friends.” Now it’s time for Susan to “spend more time with the grandkids and split her time

between New York and the Florida sun.” The job of running Rockville Racquet’s day-to-day activities will now be handed off to Colleen Woods. “I love people and that’s why I know this job is perfect for me,“ said Colleen. She has learned the tricks of the trade from an expert. “Susan told me this job is a great atmosphere to be in,” said Colleen. “It is a customer-based job and the job comes easy when you build personal relationships.” You know an employee has done a good job when they can bring their owner to tears and that happened during this in-

terview. As we talked with Owner Cindy Ziegler, both Cindy and Susan began to cry reliving their experiences over the past 20 years. “Susan epitomizes what the manager of a tennis club should be,” said Cindy. “She has made my life so much easier over these past 20 years. She is singlehandedly responsible for the club being as successful as it has been” The whole staff will miss Susan. “From the day I got to Rockville Racquet, Susan has been a pleasure to work with and I’m extremely impressed with how she handles the clientele,” said Tennis Pro Freeman Boyd. Maureen McFadzen, assistant manager of Rockville Racquet, said, “I’ve been here 16 years and I’ve had great fun working with Susan. I remember my first day when everything seemed so chaotic, but Susan’s ability to multitask was remarkable to watch and learn from. “ The Long Island tennis community should be a family. Susan Alvy’s time at Rockville Racquet should be a lesson in how accomplishing that sense of family can grow the game and make it the experience of a lifetime.

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2013 • LITennisMag.com

Nutrition as a Building Block to on the Court Success By Irina Belfer-Lehat any people claim to be nutritionists … you can find one almost anywhere— from your local vitamin shop, to a health food store or even your local gym. My goal is not to discredit them, but to educate the public that it takes a real college degree, one year of residency and a very complicated RD exam to become a registered dietitian in the State of New York. Whenever consulting someone who claims to be a “nutritionist,” one should always ask for a valid New York State License. My specialty is in broad nutrition, from weight management and diabetes, to renal and cardio disease, but my primary focus is on sports nutrition. As a regis-

tered dietitian and mother of a competitive junior tennis player, I can relate how proper nutrition is important to an athlete. On many occasions, I observe kids and adults who do not know what to eat before and after tennis drills or they experience match fatigue, cramps and poor stamina. There are many misconceptions on what to eat or what to avoid eating before a match. While some parents stuff their kids with heavy meals to sustain energy, there are others who do not allow any meals prior to a match. Just like having tennis and a fitness coach, a competitive tennis player needs to consult with a sports nutritionist. At many sophisticated tennis clubs, coaches guide athletes on proper hydration and diet. I haven’t seen a staff nutritionist at our local tennis clubs as of yet and per-

haps it’s a good time to change this. A change in diet can significantly improve athletic results and prevent many injuries. Novak Djokovic’s gluten-free diet completely changed his game and even seems to have improved his breathing issues. Proper caloric, liquid and electrolyte calculations are crucial for any athlete. Although one cannot control the outcome of a match, an athlete should certainly use all the tools necessary, such as proper nutrition, to better control it. Make a proper nutrition a key part of your wining formula! Irina Belfer-Lehat is a New York State-licensed dietitian and certified dietitiannutritionist. She may be reached by phone at (917) 769-8031 or e-mail irinalehat@gmail.com.

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Tweets from the tennis pros Caroline Wozniacki (@carowozniacki): I’m so excited its snowing!! @mcilroyrory snowball fight coming up!! I would watch my back;) Jesse Levine @jesselevine7: You know its going to be a rough day in fantasy football when your kicker puts up more points than your #1 overall! HAHA! Shahar Peer @shaharpeer: Master Chef!!! Love this show :-)

Justin Gimelstob (@justingimelstob): Early morning hoops at UCLA, great way to start the day!

Laura Robson @laurarobson5: Cannot stop watching Criminal Minds. On my 5th straight episode.

E M I L I E

KAT Z

Amer Delic @AmerDelic: Last time I was at the Orange Bowl, I watched Federer, Lopez, Robredo, etc. On my way there now. Let’s see what this class has to offer. Ryan Harrison (@ryanharrison92): Having a great off season so far! Lots of work, but so ready to get back at it next year. Enjoying some great home cooking for a change :) Serena Williams (@serenawilliams): I could be the moodiest person alive.

Caroline Wozniacki (@carowozniacki): Really enjoyed my time here in Aspen, but now bags are packed and Brazil here I come :) Justin Gimelstob (@justingimelstob): Sitting between @kanyewest and @andyroddick on flight from Miami-LAX. Tough for me to accept third alpha male status on flight :(

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2013 • LITennisMag.com

Wedding bells Mike Bryan has married Lucille Williams in California. American ATP stars and personalities in attendance at Mike‘s wedding included his twin brother Bob Bryan, Mardy Fish and Justin Gimelstob. Mike himself and James Valentine from rock band Maroon 5 (fresh off of a Saturday Night Live stint) played songs on guitar for guests a half-hour before the ceremony began. Former world number four James Blake married Emily Snider in California. ATP stars in attendance included Andy Roddick, John Isner, Mardy Fish and Robby Ginepri, among other sports and entertainment notables. The joys of marriage keep coming for ATP players, as Aussie Matt Ebden became the latest to tie the knot at the Secret Garden. Ebden is a frequent doubles partner to budding young gun, American Ryan Harrison. From the local coaching ranks, a sincere congratulations are in order for Sportime coaching legend Eric Meditz, who is well-known for his “My Opinion” columns in Long Island Tennis Magazine, on tying the knot as well. Meditz can now finally put his focus back on his writing as well as righting the ship with his fantasy baseball and hockey teams which have struggled as Meditz was busy wedding planning.

Mid-match massage Novak Djokovic was in Brazil for an exhibition match against Brazilian native Gustavo Kuerten, and during a stoppage of play, Novak noticed a group of young models standing behind his chair. That’s when the top-ranked Djokovic sprung into action by removing his shirt and received a “multi-model” massage for the ages … the video can be found online, and if Djokovic wasn’t already the idol of young tennis players throughout the world, he certainly will be now.

personal question: “If you win this week, am I going to get a really nice Christmas present?” “Have you not already got a lot of nice presents,” McIlroy responded. Rory then assured his lady that she’s going to have a memorable Christmas regardless of the outcome of this weekend’s tournament. “I have been looking, I have been looking,” McIlroy said. “But it won’t take winning this week to buy you a nice present–I’ll get you a nice present anyway.” This back and forth brought laughs from all in attendance. McIlroy certainly won’t have any problem affording a nice gift, as he made in excess of $13 million in PGA and European Tour tournaments alone this year, let alone the millions he rakes in from endorsements.

Christmas gift

CSI

Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Caroline Inter national Wozniacki Tennis Hall of snatched a miFamer Chris crophone from Evert, Olympic a reporter durGold Medalist ing boyfriend Lindsay Davenport and tennis commentaRory McIlroy’s press conference to ask a tor Justin Gimelstob will guest star in an

episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in January 2013 on the CBS Television Network. The three tennis personalities will appear as themselves when the CSI team investigates the death of a professional female tennis player. Evert, winner of 18 Grand Slam singles titles, including two Australian Opens, seven French Opens, three Wimbledons and six U.S. Opens, owns the best winning percentage (.900) in pro tennis history. She won 154 singles titles (second all-time in the Open Era). Joining Evert will be former world number one and 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist Lindsay Davenport, who won 55 singles titles, including seven Grand Slams (two Australian Opens, three Wimbledons, two U.S. Opens) and 38 doubles titles. A former top-ranked U.S. junior and NCAA doubles champion at UCLA, Justin Gimelstob rounds out the guest stars from the professional tennis world. He reached a career-high ranking of 63rd in singles and 17th in doubles. He is also a correspondent for CBS THIS MORNING. CSI airs Wednesday nights (10:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m., ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

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LITennisMag.com • January/February 2013 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Fix Your Toss and Get More Power on the Serve By Lisa Dodson As a veteran teaching professional, the top two questions that I am asked about the serve are: “How do I get more power”? and “How do I fix my toss?” In the real world of the serve, the toss is the most misunderstood action. Players are so focused on striking the ball and the outcome that they neglect to pay due attention to the details of the toss. The toss is the single most important vehicle to a great serve and to gaining power. Without consistency, accuracy and dependability of the toss, our serve is sunk. Simplicity in producing strokes and stroke segments is the key to success. There are numerous schools of thought as to what is the best way to produce every stroke and action in tennis. Arguably there is no best way to toss, but there are simple guidelines and principles that work for everyone. The point is to combine the actions of our strokes so that they fit efficiently and rhythmically together. It is pretty standard for players to copy what they see done on television. This must be done with caution because it can be very dangerous to your tennis game to try to copy the touring pros. For example, I just reviewed a teaching video that showed the toss motion of eight ATP players. It stressed that their toss arm moved along the baseline, all the way down between the legs, and that the ball toss is located at 12 o’clock. Most of this is very advanced stuff and if it is interpreted or produced incorrectly can have a disastrous effect on the serve and cause injury. So, let’s go with a more mainstream system that will provide a great foundation for a successful serve technique. If we break the toss action down into understandable 18

chunks then we can better focus on the parts. As I see it, there are three extremely important functions that the toss arm and hand provide. Of course there are many more details, but just for the sake of ease, we’ll concentrate on three Chunks followed by the details that make it successful. I Chunk #1: The toss arm/hand is used to place the ball precisely where it needs to be for contact. I Chunk #2: The hand and arm hold the non-dominant side of the body up in a strong manner and set shoulder angle (toss shoulder higher than hitting shoulder) I Chunk #3: The toss arm is responsible for pulling out of the way quickly enabling the hitting side to swing fire with force. The faster the toss arm pulls away, the faster the racket can come through. Let’s examine some details that make the chunks work: Chunk #1

curled around the ball) with the thumb over the top. The wrist is laid slightly down so that when the ball is released it will go forward as opposed to traveling in a forward-back arc. I The hand is at an angle to the ground not held with the top side of the hand flat to the ground. When you look at the toss hand, you will see more of the ball to the left side of the thumb than to the right side of the thumb. I The toss arm is straight at the elbow and wrist. This is one of the major difficulties with the toss. The two arms have completely different functions. The swing arm is loose and whippy, while the toss arm is straight and has no flex. Our arms like to be balanced and doing the same thing on either side of the body. The massive difference in the tension and flexibility of the arms is tough to conquer. They are connected, but have two entirely different jobs. I The toss comes from the shoulder and with weight shift and rotation. It is an entire body action not a single, standalone movement. Chunk #2

Most players just use the toss arm/hand to launch the ball up to hit and pay no attention to how they are holding the ball or to the position or direction of the toss arm. This is understandable since the main focus is on hitting the ball and getting it in the box and not on HOW it is done. I The ball is best held with a flat hand (this simply means that the fingers are not

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2013 • LITennisMag.com

The toss arm/hand must hold the body up in a strong position to help pull the chest and racket side up to contact. Typically, a

player tosses up and the hand comes down immediately. Hold it up much higher and longer than you think necessary and you will begin to understand what it feels like to hit “up” to a ball. I The toss shoulder finishes under the chin and finger tips stretched to the sky. I The toss arm and side firmly hold that side of the body up. It is the counter force to pressing the feet against the ground for “loading” of weight. I Shoulder angle is achieved. The tossing shoulder sets substantially higher than the hitting shoulder. This will enhance upward drive to the ball with the legs and chest. Chunk #3

“Pulling” the toss arm out of the way for

power is a foreign idea to most players. Typically, the toss arm just drops when it finishes launching the ball. I Upon completion of the toss and setting shoulder angle the toss elbow now needs to bend. If you keep it straight it will simply pull your body down. I Initiate toss arm action with the back of the tossing shoulder. Sharply pull your toss arm to the outside and at a downward angle by driving the elbow, triceps and bicep down. This is similar to “elbowing” someone with the intention of hurting them. You’ve probably never done this but, come on … you wanted to once or twice in your life! I With the initiation of the pulling action with the toss arm, the front leg is driving up, the back foot/leg drives the hip forward and the chest drives up to contact. The racket arm is still lagging behind. I At this point all body and racket power is heading up. The racket can now get the best results possible. A

common term for this is “slinging” the racket head. All upward and rotational forces are in action in advance of the racket head moving to the ball. In summary, great toss technique will directly affect power on the serve and add to your consistency. A powerful deliberate toss arm is key to creating racket head speed for power. You cannot create power from a racket swing alone. Start with Chunk #1 and make sure that you are producing the most basic of the toss movements. If you progress through the steps, your toss will be consistent and you will gain the fluid power that has otherwise been elusive. Start today to measurably increase the speed and power of your serve. Lisa Dodson is owner of The Total Serve, a USPTA Pro 1, and a formerly WTA worldranked player. She may be reached by email at ldodson57@yahoo.com or visit www.thetotalserve.com.

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2013 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

STEVEN SUN len Cove, N.Y. native Steven Sun is 12-years-old and is ranked seventh in the country in the USTA 12 and Under Division. After watching his practice session with his tennis coach, Maurice Trail, it’s easy to see why Steven has been so successful. Steven’s nickname is “The Machine,” a name that derives from his work ethic in practice. Steven practices six days a week for two-plus hours a day on average, in addition to fitness and conditioning work three days a week. On the day he was interviewed by Long Island Tennis Magazine during his practice session, we personally witnessed Steven hit 1,500 balls (varying shots) without taking a break … hence the nickname “The Machine.” His training sessions try to simulate those of Steven’s favorite player, Rafael Nadal. In the summer, Steven spends his

training time at Advanced Tennis Camp run by his coach Maurice Trail. Steven started playing tennis at the age of four, with his older brother and family friends and immediately fell in love with the sport. From playing recreationally, he made the transition to serious tournament player. He has been with his current coach Maurice Trail for five years now, and he continues to evolve as a player. Steven is a baseliner whose biggest strength is his groundstrokes. His game is well-rounded and there is no shot he cannot hit while acknowledging that he is always looking for ways to improve his overall level of play. According to Steven’s coach Maurice Trail,

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2013 • LITennisMag.com

the number one thing he believes that can take Steven to the next level would be a stronger mental game. “Closing out matches is the key for him,” said Trail. “He needs to keep his level of play strong throughout the entire match. No mental lapses. If he continues to work hard physically and improves mentally, 2013 will be a big year for Steven. He could be number one in the nation in his age group.” Maurice said Steven’s most telling match of the year actually came in defeat. “Steven is ranked seventh in the nation, so obviously he had many big wins this year, but he needs to keep his focus at all times,” said Trail. “The match I remember the most from this year was one where he was playing against the fourth ranked player in the nation and Steven took the first set. He couldn’t hold on though and subsequently lost in three sets. If he can keep his focus throughout the match, he will win those matches and begin to reach his full potential.” Off the court, Steven likes to read, mainly sports-related books. On the court, he is coming off two of his biggest victories, having won two Nationals in Georgia. He says his most memorable tennis moment was the latest National victory and he is looking forward to traveling and playing more Nationals this coming year. Steven says, for the immediate future, “My goal for 2013 is to win a Super National.” As for the distant future, “I want to play college tennis, and of course, go pro as well.”

ĞƚĞƌŵŝŶĂƟŽŶ͘ dŚĞ >ŽŶŐ ĞĂĐŚ dĞŶŶŝƐ ĞŶƚĞƌ ŝƐ ƉůĞĂƐĞĚ ƚŽ ĂŶŶŽƵŶĐĞ ƚŚĂƚ t ͛Z <͙ ĞƩĞƌ dŚĂŶ ǀĞƌ͊ /ƚ͛Ɛ ŽƵƌ ŚŽƉĞ ƚŚĂƚ ŽƵƌ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚǇ ǁŝůů ĐŽŶƟŶƵĞ ƚŽ ƌĞĐŽǀĞƌ ĂŌĞƌ ƚŚĞ ĚĞǀĂƐƚĂƟŶŐ ĞīĞĐƚƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ƌĞĐĞŶƚ ƐƚŽƌŵƐ͘ tĞ ǁĞƌĞ ĚĞƚĞƌŵŝŶĞĚ ƚŽ ƌĞďƵŝůĚ ĂŶĚ ƌĞƉĂŝƌ ŽƵƌ ĨĂĐŝůŝƚǇ ĂƐ ĨĂƐƚ ĂƐ ƉŽƐƐŝďůĞ ƐŽ ƚŚĞ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚǇ ǁŽƵůĚ ŚĂǀĞ Ă ƉůĂĐĞ ƚŽ ƉůĂǇ ƐŽŵĞ ŐƌĞĂƚ ƚĞŶŶŝƐ͘ tĞ͛ƌĞ ƐŽ ŚĂƉƉǇ ƚŚĂƚ ŝƚ͛Ɛ ĚŽŶĞ ĂŶĚ ǁĞ ƚŚŝŶŬ ŽƵƌ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞĚ ĨĂĐŝůŝƚǇ ŝƐ ďĞƩĞƌ ƚŚĂŶ ĞǀĞƌ͘ ŽŵĞ ƐĞĞ ĨŽƌ ǇŽƵƌƐĞůĨ ĂŶĚ ƐƚĂƌƚ ƉůĂǇŝŶŐ ƐŽŵĞ ŐƌĞĂƚ ƚĞŶŶŝƐ͊ x x x x x x x

ĚƵůƚ >ĞĂŐƵĞƐ :ƵŶŝŽƌ WƌŽŐƌĂŵƐ h^d dŽƵƌŶĂŵĞŶƚƐ >ĞƐƐŽŶƐ dŽƵƌŶĂŵĞŶƚ dƌĂŝŶŝŶŐ ŚĂƌŝƚǇ ǀĞŶƚƐ ϭϬ Θ hŶĚĞƌ WƌŽŐƌĂŵƐ

WůĂǇ 'ƌĞĂƚ dĞŶŶŝƐ͘ ϴϵϵ DŽŶƌŽĞ ŽƵůĞǀĂƌĚ >ŽŶŐ ĞĂĐŚ͕ Ez ϭϭϱϲϭ

ǁǁǁ͘ůŽŶŐďĞĂĐŚƚĞŶŶŝƐĐĞŶƚĞƌ͘ĐŽŵ ϱϭϲ͘ϰϯϮ͘ϲϬϲϬ Ĩ͗ϴϴϴ͘ϱϭϵ͘ϵϭϴϱ LITennisMag.com • January/February 2013 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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

irst and foremost, I hope everyone is recovering from Superstorm Sandy. I know we had many players affected by the storm and my heart goes out to all of you. I am hoping that you are all starting to get some normalcy back in your lives!

Tri-Level League The men’s playoffs are complete, with the Sportime Syosset team, captained by Ian Shapiro, beating the Nassau Indoor team, captained by Jonathan Klee. Congratulations to both teams for a great season. The final round of the women’s playoffs, were played as this issue went to print (the weekend of Dec. 23). The first place Rockville Racquet squad, captained by Lynnette Cruz, is hosting the second place team, Sportime Lynbrook, captained by Jackie Clark … best of luck to both teams. The winning women’s team, along with Ian Shapiro’s men’s team from Sportime

Syosset, will compete at the Section Championship in Albany, N.Y. the weekend of Jan 19-20. Mixed-Doubles League The Mixed-Doubles League started the beginning of November with teams at the 6.0, 7.0, 8.0 and 9.0 Levels. The deadline to add players is Tuesday, Jan. 15th. I know many matches were postponed due to the storm, and due to the amount of matches that need to be played, please get these rescheduled as soon as possible. Playoffs for the divisions begin in May with the Section Championship in Albany, N.Y. set for the weekend of May 31-June 2. USTA Men’s and Women’s Leagues I have received e-mails and phone calls regarding the new rules, and there is a lot of misinformation going around. The following is the correct information on how this is

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2013 • LITennisMag.com

going to work, and if you hear anything different … it is not correct! I Adult 18 & Over League: For the 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 and 4.5 Divisions, play will consist of two courts of singles and three courts of doubles. This is the same as it has always been, nothing has changed. As it has been in the past, players have to be 18 years of age in the calendar year to play. The 2.5 Division is one court of singles and two courts of doubles as it’s always been. The one change is the 5.0 Division, which is now the 5.0+ Division. What this means is, this Level can have two 5.5 players on the team. Only one can play per match and must play first singles or first doubles. This is also a three court format with one court of singles and two courts of doubles. I Adult 40 & Over League: This league will consist of the 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 and the

new 4.5+ Divisions with play being two courts of singles and three courts of doubles. For the 4.5+ Division two 5.0 Level players are allowed on the team. Since this is the five-court format, both players can play in the same match, but must be in first singles or first doubles. I Adult 55 & Over League: This League will be at the combined rating Divisions of 6.0 (a 2.5 player and a 3.5 player or two 3.0 players), 7.0 (a 3.0 player and a 4.0 player or two 3.5 players), 8.0 (a 3.5 player and a 4.5 player or two 4.0 players) and 9.0 (a 4.0 player and a 5.0 player or two 4.5 players). This League

will consist of three courts of doubles. I Adult 65 &Over League: This League will also be a combined ratings league with divisions of 6.0, 7.0 and 8.0. This League will also consist of three courts of doubles. The most common misconception I have been hearing is that all levels can have two above level players on their team. THIS IS NOT CORRECT. It is only the 5.0+ Division in the 18 & Over League and the 4.5+ Division in the 40 & Over League. Other than that, the only changes are the age requirements.

I will be getting a letter and registration form to all of last year’s captains in February, for the upcoming season which will start as early in May as court time allows. If you would like to start a new team, please e-mail me at kathym65@aol.com. This will be an exciting new year with the leagues and I look forward to seeing you all. If you have any questions at all, please get in touch. Kathy Miller is the manager at Carefree Racquet Club and is also the Adult League Coordinator for USTA/Long Island. She may be reached at kathym65@aol.com.

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www.juniortennisconsulting.com LITennisMag.com • January/February 2013 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Your 2013 Guide to

Long Island’s Top Clubs 360Tennis 196-00 Union Turnpike Fresh Meadows, N.Y. (718) 740-6800

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360Tennis runs sophisticated, cutting-edge programs and private lessons at its site at Cunningham Tennis in Cunningham Park, Queens (and at its small satellite program in Vista, N.Y.). Led by former top 10 player Tim Mayotte and top coach Lee Hurst (who has developed a number of tour-level players), our coaches bring years of experience in player development and getting them on track to be top players. All participants are expected to embrace and contribute to a “culture of excellence” built on our knowledge that great joy comes from the mastery of the physical and mental aspects of playing. There are four levels of programming: I 360Performance-Full Time: For pros, aspiring pros, full-time home-schooled students. This is for the most committed players. Participants train twice a day and receive mental, technical, tactical and fitness training of the highest level. Scheduling, goal-setting, video documentation and periodization training are also part of the regime. I 360 High Performance: For committed serious players ages 11-17, these competitors receive world-class training in one two-and-a-half-hour session per day. Embedded in the technical, tactical and fitness training, the students work to learning how to train with intensity and focus while finding their way to “practice with purpose.” Private lessons are strongly suggested for participants (Monday-Friday from 4:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m. and Sunday from 4:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.). I 360Feeder: Focused players from 12years of age through high school can participate in our 360 Feeder Program, 24

which currently runs three afternoons a weeks (with plans to expand). The focus here is less on technique and more understanding tactics by learning to “practice with purpose.” The coach-player ratio is 4:1. The work is intense as we push players to maximize their learning every time they step on the court (Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.). I 360Development: For younger players there is 360Development. This program is focused on skill-building for ambitious youngsters. Realizing that high-level tennis requires the mastery of complicated skills, such as good technique, footwork patterns and basic tactics, we guide our students in a fun, age-appropriate way to learn the foundations of becoming a top level player. (Friday from 5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. and Sunday from 2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.). For more information, visit 360Tennis.net, or call (917) 596-0746 or (973) 626-5236.

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

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2013 • LITennisMag.com

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 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 34 years, Steve has been the long-time coach of more than 600 nationally-ranked junior players, 15 state high school singles champions, two NCAA Division I 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 is a voice of reason in the oftenstressful 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 level-headed approach to junior tennis ensures that students develop and maintain a positive and productive mental outlook. 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

Your 2013 Guide to

188 Maple Avenue Rockville Centre, N.Y. (516) 763-1299, ext. 10 www.catsny.com • catsrvc@gmail.com The Butch Seewagen Tennis Academy is proud to be the first of its kind on Long Island devoted entirely to the USTA’s 10 & Under Tennis Program. We feature three state-of-the-art QuickStart, U.S. Open blue green courts. We offer professional tennis programs for group, semi private and private lessons, plus birthday parties and special events. Directed by former U.S. National Amateur Champion and former top 70 player, the Butch Seewagen Tennis Academy will use the USTA and the International Tennis Federation QuickStart tennis guidelines. This progressive curriculum will focus on developing children’s tennis skills on a size-appropriate scale, utilizing smaller courts, low compression balls and smaller rackets. Drills and games will be played with particular emphasis on developing skill sets in a fun environment.

1414 Jerusalem Avenue, #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 Tri-Level 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, a 14-week program starting at age five and running through the age of 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 children’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 TriLevel 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!

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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 nationallyranked 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!

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Long Island’s Top Clubs

Your 2013 Guide to

Long Island’s Top Clubs Centercourt Athletic Club

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222 North Passaic Avenue Chatham, N.J. (973) 635-1222 www.centercourtclub.com clay@centercourtclub.com Centercourt Athletic Club of Chatham, N.J. is excited to announce the launch of its full-time boarding and nonboarding tennis academy. Centercourt is one of 19 USTA Certified Regional Training Centers in the U.S. and will host the only boarding academy in the northeast. Centercourt Athletic Club is a modern, newly-renovated state-of-the-art tennis and fitness complex offering the region’s best year-round tennis and racquet facilities. Academy Founder and Director Clay Bibbee has assembled an elite staff of world class tennis and fitness professionals to help facilitate the growth and development of every junior tennis player enrolled in our program. Director Greg Bolitsky is responsible for the day-to-day on-court tennis curriculum development, tournament scheduling and all tournament travel with Academy players. The Centercourt curriculum features on- and off-court lesson program which includes comprehensive tennis instruction complimented with both physical and mental conditioning conducted by performance specialists; all of whom are committed to developing players into champions. Total athletic training programs are designed to increase player development and facilitate higher overall performance by incorporating mental toughness, nutrition counseling, speed/movement, communication, and vision/reaction skills in all of our players. Through our full-time program, we offer 26

two comprehensive academic options for all athletes. Centercourt has a partnership with the Dwight School in NYC, which tailors a specific daily program to fit our athletes’ rigorous schedules. The Dwight School is an internationally-recognized college preparatory school with a rich tradition of academic excellence. For more information on the Dwight School, visit their Web site at www.dwight.edu. The second academic option for our players is through the highly-accredited Laurel Springs online schooling program. Both options are tailored to fit all of our players’ needs. For the convenience of our national and international student athletes, residence halls are available and include separate and private boys and girls living quarters. The residence halls are part of Sun Valley, a town home complex adjacent to Centercourt’s property. Each residence includes individually controlled central air and heating, full-sized washer and dryer, kitchen, and wall-to-wall carpeting. Each residence hall will have a full-time, live-in house parent to provide 24-hour supervision. If you are serious about your tennis and want to be the best athlete you can possibly be, you owe it to yourself to experience the Centercourt Academy firsthand!

Deer Park Tennis and Fitness 30 Burt Drive Deer Park N.Y. (631) 667-3476 www.deerparktennis.com A family-friendly tennis facility with more than 20 years of experience in the tennis field, Deer Park Tennis and Fitness offers a variety of competitive/non-competitive programs year round from league/ladder matches to group/private lessons those looking for personal directives.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2013 • LITennisMag.com

Our pros come from a variety of different backgrounds each with a unique set of skills utilized for training our students. Our staff focuses their lessons to ensure personal development on all of our students. Our programs/courtime rates are very affordable compared to our competitors. We offer discounted rates for seniors during specified times. Please call (631) 667-3476 to inquire. Our JDP program includes a four-person group lesson for 16 weeks which could be coupled with a weekend ladder match for an additional affordable rate. Students are given individual attention in our group lessons to focus on technique/footwork/match strategies. Enrollment includes two free practice times a week, where students are separated based on their tennis proficiency. Please call to set up a testing time if you are interested. If you have any questions or concerns on our programs and what we have to offer, please call us at (631) 667-3476, or come on by and visit us at 30 Burt Drive in Deer Park N.Y. Deer Park Tennis and Fitness is conveniently located by the Tanger Outlets in Deer Park (Exit 51 on the LIE, off of Grand Boulevard or Exit 39N on the Southern State Parkway).

Early Hit Training Center at Glen Head Racquet Club 95 Glen Head Road Glen Head, N.Y. (516) 455-1225

EARLY HIT TRAINING CENTER 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 pri-

Your 2013 Guide to

Long Island’s Top Clubs

95 Glen Head Road Glen Head, N.Y. (516) 455-1225 ksommerghrc@verizon.net With the addition of Ricky Becker and Karl Sommer leading the way, Glen Head Racquet Club has quickly developed strong momentum with our on-court programming. Ricky is the only program director who was a top nationally-ranked player and from the Long Island area, while Karl is a Long Island tennis icon who has positively influenced more kids under the age of 10 over the last 25-years than any other tennis teaching professional. This local flavor, combined with the intimacy of our six court facility and our very talented and experienced General Manager Stephanie Leo, provides a down-to-Earth, caring, high-quality player development atmosphere unmatched anywhere on Long Island. People are taking notice. With an emphasis on personal atten-

Great Neck Estates Tennis Club

The all-new Great Neck Estates Tennis Club opened on Nov. 1, 2011. 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

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2013 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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12 Shore Drive Great Neck, N.Y. (516) 233-2790

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tion and attention to detail, we are able to provide more hands-on teaching to all kids from three- to five-year-old Pee-Wee players, to top nationally-ranked 18-year olds. Our management team isn’t just a sales marketing tool, rather the conduit to productive, well-run programs. Two programs that are extremely unique to Glen Head Racquet Club are our QuickStart program and our instructional match play program. Always lauded for his amazing, creative QuickStart classes, Karl now has the forum to be 100 percent hands-on, rather than just train other pros to try and run it the “Karl Sommer way.” Our instructional match-play program is the perfect program for kids who have either just started tournaments or hope to play tournaments in the future. Ricky or Tyrone Trail are always on court, giving instruction. Standings are kept and playoffs are held. We take enormous pride in being the lowest priced, quality-run player development center on Long Island. For a free player evaluation to determine which of our programs offers the best fit for your child, contact Karl Sommer or Ricky Becker at ksommerghrc@verizon.net or call (516) 676-9849.

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vate 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 summer camp, pro shop, restaurant and private training all year long.

Your 2013 Guide to

Long Island’s Top Clubs

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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 and Willie 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 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 37 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 582. 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. 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 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.”

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 28

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2013 • LITennisMag.com

The club’s weekend junior tournament training programs is its trademark. On both 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, 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.

IMG Academy 5500 34th Street West Bradenton, Fla. (800) 872-6425 www.imgacademy.com Located in Bradenton, Fla., IMG Academy is home to the IMG Academy Bollettieri Tennis program. Under the guiding principles of our founder, Nick Bollettieri, and the leadership and direction of Rohan Goetzke, the IMG Academy Bollettieri Tennis program sets the standard by which all tennis

Your 2013 Guide to

899 Monroe Boulevard Long Beach, N.Y. (516) 432-6060 www.longbeachtenniscenter.com Long Beach Tennis Center is the South Shore‘s premier tennis facility! Whether it’s our Web site, www.longbeachtenniscenter.com, 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, fall/winter leagues, private/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 Professional Jared Berse heads up LBTC’s 10 & Under Program following 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! 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 Tournament Training Programs, led by Sid Siddiqui and Fayez Malik, use the latest training methods to help motivated players reach their potential. Footwork, stroke technique, 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. Summer is a great time as well to be at LBTC! Our beginner to intermediate level Tennis & Multi-Sport Camp provides a tennis emphasis but offer other sports for a fun filled camp day. Our tournament training camp for our more serious players is awesome! We offer up to nine weeks of daily training and conditioning. Our scheduling is flexible so you can fit camp into your busy summer. And for those who are looking for after-camp tennis, we offer adults and children’s clinics daily throughout the summer season. Enjoy year-round indoor tennis at our fully climate controlled indoor courts. We have four hard and four Har-Tru heated and air conditioned courts. Stop by and check out the South Shore’s premier tennis training facility!

Point Set Indoor Racquet Club 3065 New Street • Oceanside, N.Y. (516) 536-2323 www.pointsetracquetclub.com Extreme makeover tennis club edition! Upgrade yourself by enjoying the all new U.S. Open blue tennis courts, gleaming locker rooms, renovated lobby/office and redesigned social space of poststorm Point Set Indoor Racquet Club! A state-of-the-art, spare no expense renovation out of respect to our customers! With 350-plus juniors in developmental programs, 60-plus QuickStart Pee-Wees, 500-plus adult players in leagues/contracts/drills, Point Set Racquet Club is working towards fulfilling its mission state-

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2013 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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academies are measured. With a collegiate-style schedule that balances elite academics with a customized on-court and off-court training program, IMG Academy annually sends student-athletes to some of the nation’s highestperforming universities, including Brown, Cornell, Duke, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Princeton, Stanford and countless others. Many of the world’s top professionals have trained at IMG Academy, including Maria Sharapova, Kei Nishikori, Sabine Lisicki, Ryan Harrison and Andre Agassi, just to name a few. In fact our studentathletes and alumni have won 939 singles titles, 441 doubles titles, 86 Grand Slam singles titles, 49 Grand Slam doubles titles, 12 Olympic Gold Medals, 10 have reached #1 in the world in singles and four have been number one in the world in doubles! With over 50 tennis courts, all students that attend IMG Academy will receive multiple hours of on-court training per day that includes match-simulation drills and match play. Off the court, students work with physical, mental, vision training, and nutrition specialists to ensure a well-rounded game. In addition, to our Academy Program, we offer the following: Five-week summer camps; five-week summer camps plus Education options; three-week camps (available in the winter and summer); weekly camps (available yearround); holiday/spring break camps; adult camps; ATP/WTA training; and collegiate/team training. With programs available year-round for all ages and ability levels, IMG Academy has a program to help you reach you become more! For more information, visit www.imgacademy.com or call (800) 872-6425.

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Your 2013 Guide to

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ment: 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 administers 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. See what a difference the Point Set staff delivers! Point Set Indoor Racquet Club recognizes that customers are our most important asset. The collegial relationship of the staff, on and off the 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.

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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 Colleen Woods, 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 tennis professionals provide an outstanding 30

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

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2013 • LITennisMag.com

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 www.ross.org/tennis The Ross School Tennis Center, located on the Upper School campus in East Hampton, NY, is a wonderful resource in the Hamptons open to seasonal and yearround residents. The Center features six Har-Tru tennis courts that are enclosed by a bubble from mid-fall through midspring, allowing for year-round play. The courts are directly adjacent to the beautiful, state-of-the-art Fieldhouse where players can take advantage of its many amenities, including locker rooms, lounge, snack bar, and ping pong tables. The Fieldhouse is also used for a variety of special events and is available for private parties. I Jump Start Program is a junior program allows children to develop spatial awareness, movement, and locomotor skills using appropriately sized rackets. They learn how to volley, throw, catch and rally, building a foundation not only for tennis, but for any future athletic activities. I Junior Development Program offers games and level-specific drills and training for building a strong foundation. Designed with having fun in mind, the program improves skills and motivates young players into continuing the sport.

Your 2013 Guide to

Long Island’s Top Clubs

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

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 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.

Adults have many programs to choose from at the Ross School Tennis Center, including Adult Clinics for all levels in the mornings and evenings, as well as the Pro-Am Doubles League on Tuesday nights, which allows advanced players to compete with and against the pros in a competitive, high-level 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. Call (631) 907-5162 for more information or to make reservations. LITennisMag.com • January/February 2013 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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Randall’s Island, Syosset, Roslyn, Bethpage, Kings Park, Quogue, Amagansett, Mamaroneck, Lynbrook, Lake Isle, Massapequa and Schenectady (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!

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!

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I Accelerated Tournament Preparation features drills, tennis-specific conditioning and game strategy designed specifically to prepare advanced players for junior tournaments and match play. I High Performance (summer only) for ages 10–17, is offered to players who are current USTA members and have some tournament experience. Try-outs required. I Ross School Tennis Academy (RSTA) offers an unusual and dynamic program for national and international junior players that combines an engaging, global curriculum with the highest level of competitive tennis training available. Designed for USTA/ITF players in grades 7-12 and post-graduates, the RSTA is the first in the New York City area to have a full academic program with a complete physical and mental conditioning program. Students who attend the Academy experience high-performance tennis training while studying alongside their peers in a stimulating, college preparatory, learning community following a regular academic year. RSTA Summer is an invitation only program for USTA/ITF and professional players. Boarding options are available.

Your 2013 Guide to

Long Island’s Top Clubs 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.

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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, 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 and at our JMTA Annex locations in Bethpage on Long Island and at Lake Isle, Eastchester in Lower Westchester, SPORTIME offers a complete menu of tennis programming for every level of play. For the competitive junior, SPORTIME clubs host over 100 USTAsanctioned 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” high-intensity 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

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2013 • LITennisMag.com

more tennis at their level, the SPORTIME player network offers a comprehensive game arranging service that provides great tennis matches “on demand.” 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 tennis-specific 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 162 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,

Your 2013 Guide to

Long Island’s Top Clubs 225 Howells Road • Bay Shore, N.Y. (631) 968-8668 www.worldgym.com/bayshore World Gym Bay Shore is the proud home of the South Shore division of Game Set Match Tennis Academy, directed by Head Pro and Tennis Director Tracie Forsythe. Here at this club, the tennis staff makes it their mission to provide quality tennis lessons to people of all ages. The club also features a two-level gym that has state-of-the-art fitness equipment, as well as a heated indoor lap pool to help all tennis participants either step it up or wind it down. The staff are all tennis players themselves, having competed in international and national tournaments, as well have played competitive high school and college tennis. The junior program is proud to be able to train many local children who have aspirations to compete at a high level. Our All Aces program for ages four through seven uses techniques that are set up by the USTA 10 & Under program, and has trained pros to ensure the youngsters have great instruction and positive reinforcement as they start out. The courts are available for seasonal contract time as well as open time.

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2013 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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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 Ten and Under 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, level-of-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.

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the facility 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 yearround. 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

Mythbusters: Do College Results Mean Anything to Professional Tennis Players? By Ricky Becker

dent and founder of JRS Sports LLC.

Last issue’s interviewee Jim Thomas and this month’s interviewee, Jeff Salzenstein, played professional tennis for 10-years after graduating from Stanford in 1996 and have some good insight and advice about tennis life as a pro, college and junior player to share. Jeff Salzenstein is the oldest American ever to break the top 100 in the world at the age of 30. In college, Jeff was a two-time NCAA All-American, Team Champion and Stanford Captain. Jeff is the creator of online tennis instruction membership site Total Tennis Training Inner Circle, and is the presi-

What were the biggest differences between college tennis and pro tennis onand-off the court? Jeff Salzenstein: On the court, the day in and day out grind of playing professional tennis was at a much higher level than college tennis. Certainly, college tennis prepped me for professional tennis to be able to play at that level but we only had three or four really solid duel matches a year against the UCLAs, the USCs and Georgias of the world. As a pro, you’ve got Jeff Salzenstein to have a bigger serve,

a better approach shot, you must be able to have that all-court game and you just cannot get away with as much as you can in college. In terms of the off-the-court differences, pro tennis is a full time job. It’s 24-7, you’re always thinking about your training, recovery, massages and practice. The travel schedule is absolute grueling—you could be on three or four different continents within a month or two of each other. And of course, in college, there’s much more balance. You’re going to class, you might be in a fraternity, you practice a couple of hours a day, but it’s just not as rigorous. You have time off. And it’s also not quite intense because you’re not relying on winning tennis matches for your livelihood.

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2013 • LITennisMag.com

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Do you have a preference between professional tennis, college tennis and junior tennis? Well, I loved junior tennis, college tennis and professional tennis for different reasons. Obviously, in junior tennis, you’re kind of getting into the scene, you’re loving just meeting new kids and new people, and you’re getting that first taste of traveling. So it’s a lot of fond memories from junior tennis. In college tennis, it was amazing. Some of my best memories were winning the national title at Stanford two times with some great teammates. Just playing for a team, the camaraderie, having people supporting you, that’s a once in a lifetime experience that I recommend to just about any junior tennis player. And of course, the thrill of playing pro tennis, playing on that big stage, playing the Grand Slams, playing in front of thousands of people, that was amazing too. But if you had to ask me to pick one, I would go with college tennis for the mere fact that you’re playing with a team. You don’t get to do that on the pro tour—you are on your own a lot, traveling. And just that thrill of sharing, in our case, a national championship at Stanford, that’s something you just really can’t replace. So I’m going to say college tennis was the most enjoyable experience for me. What are your fondest college tennis memories? My fondest college tennis memory was when Ricky Becker saved match points against Georgia when we were down three matches to two. He saved match points against a very talented player from Egypt, and we ended up winning the seventh match, the clinching match. The next day, we came back to win the national title. It was moments like those that helped us obviously win the national title, but just that entire experience is one of my fondest memories. Certainly, winning those two national titles as a team was something you just cannot top and you cannot relate to unless you experience it. Those were some amazing times back at Stanford. Of course, playing Michael Chang at the U.S. Open in 1997 as a pro, my first year on the tour, was one of my fondest memories as well. Just having that experience to play in Arthur Ashe stadium in front of 25,000 people,

on a Friday night match … people still mention that match 15 years later, it’s just quite ironic, but that was an incredible experience to play under the lights in New York City. I went back to the U.S. Open this year, 15 years later. It was hard to believe that so much time had passed. But it was really phenomenal to play the number two player in the world and make it a competitive match, and it was amazing to share that with my friends and family who were in the box or watching on TV that evening.

to move from the college level to the pro level, I think securing financial sponsorship or financial aid in some regard is absolutely essential. If you are going to try to make it driving around in a van for a couple of years, you’ve got another thing coming. You need to have that financial support, the coaching, and the support in your corner. Trying to do it alone and play against the best players in the world is virtually impossible. Do you subscribe to the theory that it is hard to break into a college starting lineup if you don’t start the first year or two? Yes, I think it’s very difficult to become a starter in college if, after your second year in college, you’re not in the starting lineup. The reason being is that there is always new, fresh, young talent coming into a program. If a new recruit is coming in and they are not a top recruit, then that coach is probably not doing their job with recruiting. Hopefully you are in the lineup by your sophomore or junior year. At least you’ve kind of planted those seeds for those first couple of years.

You won the first set, too. Yup. What advice do you give to a junior player who is going through the college recruiting process? I think the most important thing is to identify the place that the junior tennis player is most interested in going for college and to look at where they are going to be happiest. When I made my decision to go to Stanford, it really came down to where I would be happiest if I could not play tennis. Of course, tennis is the dream and it’s very important to keep that dream alive and to play four more years. But I really think someone’s happiness is the most important thing to look at when you’re deciding on where to go to college.

Ricky Becker is the founder of JuniorTennisConsulting LLC, director of Tennis at Pine Hollow Country Club and high-performance manager at Glen Head Racquet Club. Ricky was named the Most Valuable Player for the 1996 NCAA Championship Stanford Tennis Team and was a top-five nationally-ranked junior. He can be reached by e-mail at rbecker06@yahoo.com, by phone at (516) 605-0420 or via JuniorTennisConsulting.com.

What advice do you give to a current college tennis player who is probably looking to play the circuit professionally after they graduate? Number one … when you are getting ready

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LITennisMag.com • January/February 2013 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Big Apple Braces for Big Stars of the Court

Sixth Annual BNP Paribas Showdown at Madison Square Garden ew York area tennis fans are in for another great night of tennis with some of the world’s top players scheduled to appear at the Sixth Annual BNP Paribas Showdown at Madison Square Garden on Monday, March 4. Current world number one-ranked Victoria Azarenka, the 2012 Australian Open champion and Olympic Bronze Medalist, will get the night started against Wimbledon champion and Olympic Gold Medalist Serena Williams. Following the women, Argentine Davis Cup star, 2009 U.S. Open champion and Olympic Bronze Medalist Juan Martin del Potro will step onto the Garden court against one of the game’s all-time greats, former world number one and 11-time Grand Slam champion, Rafael Nadal. Here are what the starts are feeling as they head to the Big Apple for a night of tennis in the World’s Most Famous Arena …

Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

“While I am disappointed to have missed the trip to New York fo r t h e U . S . Open, I am happy to announce that I will be coming to New York to play at Madison Square Garden on March 4. New York has many great memories for me and I am really looking forward to playing against Juan Martin in front of all of the New York tennis fans that night.” —Rafael Nadal 36

“New York and the New York fans represent something special for me as I had my first Grand Slam win here. It will be great to come to Madison Square Garden and play in a world famous arena against Rafa which should bring out a lot of flags from Spain and Argentina, making it an exciting night of entertaining tennis. I am really looking forward to playing in the Showdown.” —Juan Martin del Potro Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

“I always love playing in New York and at Madison Square Garden. The last time I played there, I won the Billie Jean King Cup which was a huge honor for me. It will be exciting to be back at the Showdown with the other great players. I am sure it will be another fantastic night.” —Serena Williams Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

“I have heard from some of the other players how exciting it is to play in the Showdown at Madison Square Garden so I am really looking forward to being part of the event. It should be a great night for tennis.” —Victoria Azarenka

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2013 • LITennisMag.com

Tale of the Tape: Nadal vs. Del Potro

Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Rafael Nadal Former world number one, Rafael Nadal is currently ranked fourth in the world. “The King of Clay,” Nadal has won 11 Grand Slam singles titles, including an all-time record seven French Open titles, the 2008 Olympic Gold Medal in Singles, a record 21 ATP World Master 1000 tournaments and was also part of the Spain Davis Cup team that won in 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2011. He completed the career Grand Slam by winning the 2010 U.S. Open, being the seventh player in history, and the youngest of four in the Open era, to achieve it. He is the second male player to complete the Career Golden Slam (winner of the Career Grand Slam and the Olympic gold medal) after Andre Agassi. Nadal has at least two Grand Slam titles on each of the three surfaces (hard court, grass, and clay), the second player to achieve this feat after Mats Wilander. By winning the 2012 French Open, he became one of three mens players to win any Grand Slam tournament seven times (Pete Sampras’s and Roger Federer’s seven Wimbledon titles). Nadal was ranked world number two, behind Federer, for a record

Nadal vs. Del Potro: Head to Head

Rafael Nadal vs. Juan Martin del Potro 26 (06.03.86) Manacor, Mallorca, Spain Manacor, Mallorca, Spain 6’1” 188 lbs. Left-handed 2001 42-6 4 583-122 50 $50,061,827 160 consecutive weeks before earning the top spot, which he held from Aug. 18, 2008-July 5, 2009. He regained the world number one ranking on June 7, 2010, after winning his fifth French Open title. He held it until July 3, 2011, when Novak Djokovic replaced him as world number one. Nadal has held the number two ranking for an ATP record 241 weeks (as of July 9, 2012).

Age Birthplace Residence Height Weight Plays Turned Pro YTD Won/Lost YTD Titles Career Record Career Titles Career Prize Money

in ATP history to win his first four career titles in as many tournaments. He also completed the second-longest winning streak in 2008, and the second longest by a teenager in the Open Era, behind Nadal—with his winning streak spanning 23 matches over five tournaments. Del Potro captured his first Grand Slam title at the 2009 U.S. Open, defeating Nadal in the semifinals and Roger Federer in the finals—the first man to defeat them both in

24 (09.23.88) Tandil, Argentina Tandil, Argentina 6’6” 214 lbs. Right-handed 2005 65-17 4 254-107 13 $10,853,349 the same Grand Slam tournament. Del Potro is the only player other than the “Big Four” of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray to have won a men’s Grand Slam singles title since 2005. He became the second Argentine and the fifth-youngest man to win the U.S. Open title in the Open Era. Del Potro also won the bronze medal in men’s singles at the London Olympics in 2012.

Juan Martin del Potro Juan Martin del Potro is currently the highest-ranked Argentine and the seventh-ranked player in the world. Del Potro achieved a top-10 ranking for the first time on Oct. 6, 2008. In January 2010, he reached a career-high ranking of number four in the world. Soon after attaining this ranking, del Potro had to withdraw from most tournaments in 2010 due to a wrist injury. In 2008, he became the first player LITennisMag.com • January/February 2013 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Tale of the Tape: Azarenka vs. Serena

Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Victoria Azarenka Twenty-three-year-old Victoria Azarenka is the current world number one. She won the 2012 Australian Open singles title, becoming the first Belarusian player to win a Grand Slam in singles. Her other achievements include winning the Bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, two mixed-doubles Grand Slam titles—the 2007 U.S. Open with Max Mirnyi, the 2008 French Open with Bob Bryan—and the Gold Medal in mixed-doubles at the 2012 Summer Olympics with Max Mirnyi.

ber one in singles on five separate occasions. She became world number one for the first time on July 8, 2002, and regained this ranking for the fifth time on Nov. 2, 2009. She is the only female player to have won over $40 million in prize money. Already regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, her 30 Grand Slam titles ties her for eighth on the all-time list: 15 in singles, 13 in women’s doubles, and two in mixed-doubles. She is the most recent player, male or female, to have held all four Grand Slam singles titles simultaneously (20022003) and only the fifth woman ever to do so. Her total of 15 Grand Slam singles titles is sixth on the all-time list, and fourth in the Open Era, behind Steffi Graf (22 titles) and Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova (18 titles each). Among active players, male or female, she holds the most major titles amid singles, doubles, and mixed-doubles. She won her 13 Grand Slam doubles titles with her sister Venus Williams and the pair is unbeaten in Grand Slam finals. Serena is also a three-time winner of the WTA Tour Championships. Williams has won four Olympic Gold Medals, one in women’s singles and three in women’s doubles.

Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Azarenka vs. Serena: Head to Head

Serena Williams Serena Williams has been the world num-

Serena and Azarenka have met a total of 12 times, including seven times in Grand

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2013 • LITennisMag.com

Slams, with Serena leading their headto-head series with an overwhelming 11–1 record and is a perfect 7-0 in Grand Slams. Their first meeting was at the 2008 Australian Open, with Serena winning in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4. Their next meeting would also be at the Australian Open, in the fourth round in 2009, and again, Serena was victorious when Azarenka was forced to retire due to illness, having won the first set 6-3, but was trailing 2-4 in the second. Two-anda-half months later, Azarenka would achieve her first victory over Serena, defeating the American in straight sets in the final of the Miami Masters. Serena later won a quarterfinal match between the pair at Wimbledon on her way to winning that championship. Once again, the pair met at the Australian Open, in the 2010 quarterfinals. Azarenka had won the first set 6-4 and was leading 40 in the second set before Serena came back to win the three-set match, 4-6, 76(7-4), 6-2, once again on her way to winning the title for the second consecutive year. Serena’s dominance over the Belarusian continued at the 2011 U.S. Open, when the 28th seed, whose ranking plummeted to 175th after Wimbledon, defeated the fourth-seeded Azarenka in the third round in straight sets, 6-1, 7-6(7-5), on her way to reaching the final. The rivalry reached its peak in 2012 with the pair meeting five times, as Serena was victorious on each occasion.

The Fire in the Belly

Dr. Tom on the Lack of Drive in Tennis By Tom Ferraro, Ph.D. I just finished an interview with Jason Rolle, a 22-year-old tennis pro out of Sportime Roslyn. I started the interview with a simple question: “What is the biggest issue your students present every day?” Immediately, he said, “That’s an easy one. The biggest issue I face each day is that the young player often lacks a certain fire during matches.” I asked him how he could tell this, he replied, “You watch how they react to a loss. If they joke around and do not seem to care, this is a sign they lack real desire to win in tennis.” Jason has touched upon something that I have rarely read about, but is very real. Many of the young elite athletes I work with suffer with anxiety which causes them to underperform under pressure. In short, they care too much. But, there is also a set of athletes, the ones Jason is referring to, who do not care enough. Every coach and every parent is faced with the dilemma of how to deal with this or how to inspire their players. These may be the students who frequently miss lessons and wreak havoc with the lesson book of the tennis pro. These are the players who may be playing multiple sports and also have academic stresses as well. I think this is an

exceptionally common problem where the ambitious coach and parent who has great expectations for the young one is disappointed when they encounter a lackadaisical attitude. Let’s face it … not every tennis player has the passion or drive of a John McEnroe or Jimmy Connors. The fire in the belly is something that cannot be manufactured or maintained every day, but there is something that can be done. Typically, passion comes from childhood experiences which cause pain in the person and this gives that person the fire to do better and to show the world they are worth something. There are days when the student is lax, but you can remember how truly talented they are. You must carry the fire on these days and remind them of their greatness. Other days, the parents must do this. And other days, this will not be so necessary. The young athlete will carry the torch themselves. So, if you have a young athlete who lacks motivation and you feel frustrated by all of this, here is what you can do: I Sit them down and ask them if they like tennis and want to continue I Ask them what their goals in tennis are. Then remind them of just how much you believe in them and say that it takes hard

work to achieve the big dreams. I You can ask them if they feel burnt out or if they need help in some way. Of course rest and relaxation is part of every athlete’s development. I Make sure you are not investing more than they are. Your investment may not match theirs and this can only lead to fighting and misery I Make sure you post news of wins and trophies earned in a place seen by all. Give special attention to all wins and all accomplishments that the young player makes. In addition, if you are a parent or coach make sure you display all your trophies as well. This serves to motivate the young player as well. Most coaches tell me that they always take the student who shows effort over the student who just has talent. Keeping fire in the belly of your students or children is one of the greatest skills that a parent or coach can muster. Do this and the student learns to overcome all odds against them. 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.

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2013 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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Can You Play High Level Tennis at Division III? Of course you can and by the way â&#x20AC;Ś you will get a great education! By Lonnie Mitchel For the past year, I have been the head menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tennis coach at SUNY Oneonta and have discovered something. Typically, when a junior tennis player thinks of Division III, they think of strong academics and not-so-strong tennis. The former is definitely true. If you look at the top 75 national universities and the top 75 liberal arts colleges according US News and World Report, nearly half of them compete in NCAA Division III tennis. When choosing Division III, players will have the opportunity to get a great education, but can also play top-notch tennis. A great part about Division III is the variety among programs. If a player wishes to train three or four hours a day, the opportunity is there to do so. If a player needs to miss practice for an academic conflict, that is also acceptable. Division III typically does not mirror the rigid practice schedules of Division I, and there is a lot more flexibility when it comes to athletics. People in the tennis community who look down upon Division III tennis as some sort of extension of high school tennis or see it as nothing more than a club team are wrong. Let me cite some research I did and information I also share with parents and players

that I recruit. There was a recent national sampling taken of 133 male players who were three, four and five star recruits who went on to play Division III tennis from the high school classes of 2006, 2007 and 2008. From these 133 players in the sampling, 94 consistently started for their team, 80 have played in NCAA tournaments and only 17 have transferred schools or quit the team after their first year. Here are some more eye-opening statistics. In looking at a national sampling of 242 four and five star male players in the classes of 2006 and 2007 who went on to Division I institution, only 134 consistently started for their team and 68 transferred or quit (that is 28 percent). That is a pretty alarming statistic that nearly one in three either quit or transferred. When choosing a college tennis program you should try to be as informed as possible and go in knowing what you are looking for. Personally, I believe that you send a child to college to get a well-rounded education. Unless your goal is to become a professional player or a tennis coach, why would you choose a school that emphasizes tennis over academics? I want to paraphrase an NCAA campaign that was seen on ESPN back in 2007: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Essentially almost all of us are going pro in something other than sportsâ&#x20AC;? which

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Long Island Tennis Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ January/February 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ LITennisMag.com

exemplifies this point quite well. Division III can give you the opportunity to concentrate on your schoolwork, while still playing a high level of tennis. You will be prepared for the real world, whether it be at a larger research university or a small liberal arts college. There are often financial aid packages that can take the place of an athletic scholarship that you would receive in Division I. The point I want to stress; the emphasis will be placed on student, before athlete, and you will come out of college as a more disciplined and wellrounded person than when you started. Many at the Division III tennis level will have the opportunity to become exemplary scholar-athletes. These players can strive for competitive excellence and academic achievement. They will learn to embrace a commitment to community and develop a dedication to sportsmanship and learn to represent themselves with dignity and class well beyond the classroom and long after they graduate. I am not anti-Division I tennis, just know what you are getting into. Many Division I programs promote the qualities I just described, but there will be a disproportionate time spent on tennis. Of course there are many young men and women who are successful competing on that level and do wonderful things in their lives. However, please do your research and know that being a Division III tennis player is something you can be proud and the chances of being successful in life are certainly increased by getting a well-rounded education of which tennis has a significant and rightful place. Lonnie Mitchel is head menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tennis coach at SUNY Oneonta. 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.

Unleash the Player Within BY JESSICA STILES Rob Polishook, mental training coach, founder of Inside the Zone Sports Performance Group, and Long Island Tennis Magazine contributor, recently led a fiveday workshop at the renowned Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, N.Y. Omega is a trusted source for wellness and personal growth, welcoming more than 23,000 people to workshops and conferences throughout the year. The goal of Rob’s workshop was to inform, inspire and support tennis players of all ages and levels to develop their tennis game from the “inside out.” The workshop was aptly named “Unleashing the Tennis Player Within.” The primary focus was on exploring the mental game of tennis, and specifically, how the perspective of viewing the tennis player as a person first and performer second will maximize performance. Off the court, participants broke into groups and discussed questions such as: I What is your primary reason for playing tennis? I What do you get back from tennis? I What’s holding you back from performing your best? I What would your best tennis look like? I What would it take to commit to the process of improvement?

On the court, each day started with breathing exercises, dynamic warm-ups, demonstrations, live ball play, all to the steady beat of music. All of the on-court exercises, drills and games incorporated foam tennis balls, low-compression balls and regulation balls. The purpose was on discovering your feel, understanding your ideal tennis rhythm, creating awareness of the ideal contact point, establishing targets, and saying “yes” to “the process of relaxing and improving without negative self-talk. Each session ended with yoga. Through this gradual progression, players of all levels had fun, experienced success and pushed themselves to achieve their best. Each day, players began to play in a more relaxed manner, view their oncourt challenges with more perspective, and as a result, see their games improve before their eyes. Workshop participants completed the workshop with a renewed feeling of satisfaction and a desire to continue to use the tools Rob encouraged throughout the week. Additionally at the completion of the workshop, each participant was given a personal Inside the Zone Gratitude, Goal and Centering Journal to help facilitate their process on their own. Rob and his assistants, Jessica Stiles (number one singles for the University of

Kentucky) and Parker Chang (number four for Washington U in St. Louis) helped set the precedent that the mental game is intricately intertwined with technique, strategy and fitness. Previously, the program was directed by Dr. Jena Marcovicci, who created the Joy of Athletics Foundation in 1991. Skye Marcovicci, Jena’s wife, said “his vision was to awaken the bright loving spirit in children. He wanted to share his love for the game, and help others reach their potential.” Jena called the program The Dance of Tennis. Dr. Jena Marcovicci passed away in 2007. To learn more about his foundation, visit www.danceoftennis.com. “It is an honor to continue the program at Omega, it makes me smile to know the program is being held on courts which Omega dedicated in Jena’s memory, Jena was a dear friend and mentor,” said Polishook. For more information about the program or mental training services, contact Rob Polishook at rob@insidethezone.com, visit www.insidethezone.com, call (973) 723-0314, or visit the Omega Web site for a listing of all of their programs at www.eomega.org. Jessica Stiles is an intern for Long Island Tennis Magazine and is a player for the University of Kentucky Women’s Tennis Team.

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2013 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Early Hit Training Center at Glen TRAINING CENTER Head Racquet Club 95 Glen Head Road Glen Head, N.Y. (516) 455-1225 The Early Hit Training Center offers the most comprehensive (and flexible) fitness conditioning program for aspiring junior tennis players. Our group classes are designed to improve mental focus and physical strength by training the body, mind and spirit. We develop intelligent and strong athletes by teaching the fundamentals of world-class athletic training. The ability to win starts in the mind. Our tennis-specific conditioning program teaches kids how to train like the pros and develop a greater sense of self-confidence by training properly—at all times. To achieve positive results, it is essential that kids learn how to avoid distraction; train smart and stay motivated from within. Our “Eight Steps to Athletic Success” teaches kids how to successfully develop a plan of action and a will to win. Early Hit Training Center fitness classes focus on the entire body with tennis-specific “pre-game” warm up drills; muscular strength and cardiovascular endurance exercises. Your child will improve their flexibility; range of motion; core strength; body posture; foot speed and power. Remember, fitness conditioning is one of the best ways to improve selfconfidence and competitive spirit within any athlete. Your child will discover the excitement of learning new skills; the value of discipline and the rewards of consistent effort. With more than 500-square feet of dedicated training space and a team of qualified tennis professionals— your child will have a unique opportunity to gain that competitive edge. The Early Hit Training Center offers the best fitness training facility on Long Island for rising tennis stars. For more information or to make an appointment to tour our facility—call Carl Barnett at (516) 455-1225

EARLY HIT

IMG Academy 5500 34th Street West Bradenton, Fla. (800) 872-6425 www.imgacademy.com Tennis is a very complex game which demands high energy output and muscular engagement. At IMG Academy, we develop a strength and conditioning routine tailored to the individual athlete that addresses these demands. With a combination of work in strength, movement, and footwork, we seek to prevent injuries, while helping to build the absolute best tennis body possible. In terms of strength, we look to produce a solid and strong body that is able to generate power and develop a lot of momentum with rotational movements. For injury prevention, scapula stabilization, hip mobilization, core strengthening, and knee and ankle proprioception, are the main focus. Lastly, footwork and movement training, which includes court drills and a variety of equipment like medicine balls, bungees, and balance boards. Our main focus is to provide better self awareness, balance, eye-to-hand and eye-to-foot coordination, and speed of reaction. All these points are very important to maintaining good technique throughout a stroke. As part of the IMG Academy training program, we take all of our athletes through our i360 sports performance tests, which give our coaches an indicator of what areas of development the individual athlete needs to work on in order to take his/her game to the next level. Within the IGNITE 360 performance training system, we continue to work on the athlete’s strengths, but spend more time on fixing the athlete’s weaknesses and improving any muscular imbalances or deficiencies. This approach grants the athlete the best opportunity to maximize their energy output and muscular engagement capabilities. Cassiano Costa is IMG’s physical conditioning coach. He completed a bachelor’s degree in sports science, a master’s degree in sports injury prevention, and specialist in tennis biomechanics. Before joining IMG Academy, Cassiano was a strength and conditioning coach for a number of professional players on the ATP and WTA Tours.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2013 • LITennisMag.com

SPORTIME Kings Park 275 Indian Head Road Kings Park, N.Y. (631) 269-6300 www.sportimeny.com/kings-park Although many people go to one club or facility to play tennis and another club or facility to use a gym, or to take fitness classes, at SPORTIME Kings Park, we offer 11 year-round tennis courts, in hard and soft surfaces, and a modern fitness center on two levels, along with indoor and outdoor sports facilities. SPORTIME calls this the TFM model, for Tennis/Fitness/Multi-Sport. For recreational players, we offer programs to enhance core strength and cardio endurance. For our tournament players, young and old, functional training leads to enhanced conditioning and endurance. The bottom line is that improved fitness wins tennis matches. SPORTIME Kings Park’s full-service gym offers state-of-theart cardio and strength equipment, Free-Motion trainers, and a free weight and circuit training area. Our cardio area includes treadmills, stationary bikes, elliptical and AMT trainers. Our multisport court accommodates adult and youth basketball and volleyball. SPORTIME Kings Park also features a large group exercise studio, offering over 35 classes each week. SPORTIME’s certified personal trainers are available for oneon-one or small group training. Every member/players receives a complementary evaluation leading to a personalized training plan. SPORTIME junior players participate in our Junior Athletic Conditioning program, or “JAC.” Led by our certified personal trainers, junior athletes are able to take an unlimited number of group classes each week, strength and conditioning, flexibility, speed and agility. The JAC program provides an opportunity for us to efficiently train junior players off-court, in a fun and social environment, leading to improved on-court confidence and performance. The SPORTIME TFM Model, with fitness centers, sports and cross-training available on-site, is also available at Quogue, Lynbrook and Randall’s Island locations. Many other SPORTIME locations, including our John McEnroe Tennis Academy Annexes at Bethpage and Lake Isle, offer functional and group training, to support our junior athletes.

World Gym Bay Shore 225 Howells Road Bay Shore, N.Y. (631) 968-8668 www.worldgym.com/bayshore World Gym Bay Shore is a 50,000-square foot facility located on the South Shore of Long Island, boasting great amenities for tennis players of all levels. There are two beautifully maintained hard courts and a comfortable viewing area for guests. The club offers seasonal contract time, group and private lessons for all ages and levels and is led by a USPTA-certified staff, including Head Pro Tracie Forsythe. Off the court, players will be happy to find many options for boosting their on-court performance, as well as places to unwind after a hard-fought game. There are two gym areas that offer the latest cardio and fitness equipment, a wide variety of group exercise classes, and a heated indoor lap pool and whirlpool. The top level of the gym has every piece of cardio equipment a player needs for training hard and staying a step ahead. The Nautilus, Cybex and Olympic free weight equipment is state-of-the-art and there are certified personal trainers on hand to help with any questions one might have. Training sessions can also be tailored to fit an emerging players specific training needs. For those players already up on their fitness and looking for something different, there are a wide variety of exercise classes that range from Tennis Boot Camp and hardcore spin classes that test your endurance to tranquil yoga and Pilates classes that will keep you strong and limber. This facility also has everything you would need to unwind and relax. There are steam rooms located in each of the country club style locker rooms, as well as a large sauna which are great for loosening up. And on the way out, you can grab a delicious shake from our newly renovated café that will be sure to replenish anything you might have left out on the court.

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2013 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Good to Great:

A Model for Safely Building the Tennis Champions of Tomorrow (Part VI) By Steve Kaplan

Functional Fitness Training for Tennis Performance fter watching Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal battle for six hours in last year’s Australian Open final, it is evident that the world’s best players are some of the fittest athletes in the world as tennis has evolved from a “gentleman’s game” into a demanding athletic contest. The modern game, at every competitive level, is a physically demanding sport. Professionals and aspiring juniors alike are regularly incorporating off-court functional fitness sessions into their training schedules to prevent injuries and achieve high performance goals. It’s vital to get expert advice before starting off-court training and the stakes are high. Consider that if your tennis coach is not competent, then you will likely under perform, but if your trainer is remiss, you could be injured, perhaps permanently. Before starting fitness training, one should examine an overview of some primary fitness goals which promote safe ten-

nis improvement. Recognize here that the high performance of tennis mechanics is about employing the most efficient movement systems to perform the most effective neuro-muscular movement patterns. Injury considerations The nature of performing tennis movements encourages most athletes to be anterior (front) dominated as a result of managing externally weighted (racket) deceleration forces which causes over engagement on the racket hand side. Such bilateral (both sided) and anterior discontinuity will encourage movement compensation, as well as upper to lower body disconnection, leading to suboptimal performance and increased injury risk. These inequities will especially impact elite players, who must manage enormous swing force deceleration. The first priority of fitness training for tennis athletes is the functional identifications and correction of movement pattern and motor control deficiencies and imbalances. You must assess to progress. A simple

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2013 • LITennisMag.com

Functional Movement Screen (FMS) is a practical diagnostic tool that identifies the observable performance of fundamental, manipulative and stabilizing movements by placing athletes in positions where weakness, imbalances, asymmetries and limitations are apparent. Once movement function and patterns have been identified, a program of corrections and progressions can be undertaken. Strength, stability and mobility are threshold attributes here, with balanced body symmetry being more important than functional excess. Most tennis movements are asymmetrical, as one foot bears the movement load while the other foot moves freely in a series of steps and descents, or in common tennis terms, “The set up, hit and recovery.” The asymmetrical nature of tennis movements places great demands on the development and training of rotational stability, coordination, posture, balance, mobility and body alignment. Tennis-specific dysfunction issues include Scapula immobility, especially on the domi-

nant side; glenohumeral laxity, also on the dominant side with increased external rotation at the expense of internal rotation; and pectoral over engagement. The results of these problems can often be identified by a rounding of the shoulders. Lower body issues include Quid dominance, hamstring and ankle immobility which lead to forward foot strikes, valgas and AB knee instability. These conditions are especially prevalent in females with wide hips (large Q angles.). Performance considerations Racket and foot speed are essential for success in today’s explosive game. The road to achieving these vital abilities is through the development and transfer of power. Speed does not result in power. You will not hit harder or move better by trying to perform movements more rapidly. Power results in speed. Learn to work from the ground up and integrate these skills on the court. Speed training goes hand-in-hand with functional mobility improvement. Since the average run in tennis is short, just seven feet with a multi-directional cut, development of linear speed is not the primary goal. Instead,

explosive starts, rapid and balanced decelerations and quick changes of directions should be the main training focus. The integration of racket management skills that are consistent with functional mobility abilities is the ultimate goal of fitness training for tennis performance. This comprehensive approach starts with learning sound neuro-muscular activation technique, as well as dynamic movement preparation protocols. Next, coordinated lower to upper body linkage will ensure that power is developed and transmitted in the stroke from the ground up. Racket speed is an essential skill in today’s power game, but simply trying to swing faster is not the answer. Speed does not provide power … power results in speed. Finally, strokes with sound shoulder positions and accelerating arm arcs will ensure that the power created and transmitted from the ground finds it’s way to the strike. Communication considerations Movement trainers and tennis coaches are most beneficial when they work synergistically to develop an athlete. This practice goes beyond the trainer simply understand-

ing the unique demands of tennis and the coach being familiar with training practices. Trainers and coaches must communicate and interact in an ongoing dialogue, using a common language so that the best practices in each area are consistently reinforced. Fitness training has the potential to greatly further the improvement and performance of tennis skills. This training must address and target the unique demands of the player and the sport. Tennis coaches need to work closely with functional trainers to help players progress from good to great. 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.

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LITennisMag.com • January/February 2013 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

USTA EASTERN LONG ISLAND REGION

LI Region/United Way Fundraiser Supports Military Families

Kings Park Women Crowned Event Champs The women of Sportime Kings Park took first place in the Challenge (bottom row): Toni Carlos, Rebecca Campbell, Diana Steinberg and Patty Serpe, with (standing, from left) Ellen DiFazio, Diann Starcke, Sue Bacey, Michelle Bongiorno, Leanne Pulvirenti, Team Captain Angela O’Leary and Halle Turke U.S. Merchant Marine Academy team members Bryan Diffley, Philip Criswell, Krissy O’Brien, Josh Levitas and Steven Ficken enjoy the day

Individual winners Ellen DiFazio and Ed Stamp won individual honors

USTA Eastern LI President Danny Burgess (center) welcomes attendees to the 2nd Annual USTA Long Island and United Way of Long Island Club & Corporate Tennis Challenge

he women of Sportime Kings Park won the most points in the 2nd Annual USTA Long Island and United Way of Long Island Club & Corporate Tennis Challenge and took home beautiful firstplace medals for their accomplishment. The true winners of the day, however, are the members of the U.S. military who will benefit from the generosity of all of the event’s many participants and volunteers. The Tennis Challenge brought together teams from across Long Island to have fun playing tennis, while raising much-needed funds for recreational and rehabilitative tennis programs for our returning military personnel and their families. The tournament took place at the Port Washington Tennis Academy and was sponsored by Fairway Market. Participating teams represented HD Tennis, Syosset; Hempstead Lake Indoor Tennis, West Hempstead; Point Set Racquet

Volunteers from the Hicksville CTA and CW Post helped make the event a success

Club, Oceanside; the Village of Malverne, and Sportime Kings Park. Special guests this year were members of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy tennis team, Kings Point, coached by Jason Loeb. Individual winners were Ellen DiFazio of Kings Park and Ed Stamp of Malverne. The Merchant Marines took second place in the team competition. “We couldn’t have made this fundraiser the success it was without the assistance of our many volunteers and supporters,” said Marian Morris, event chair. “Special thanks to Fairway Market, Hicksville Community Tennis Association, Port Washington Tennis Academy, Synergy3Corp, CW Post Women’s Tennis Team, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Grand Slam Tennis, John McEnroe, HD Tennis and United Way of Long Island for their participation and support.”

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2013 • LITennisMag.com

USTA EASTERN LONG ISLAND REGION

PAC-12 Commissioner Returns to His Roots

USTA Eastern Long Island Region Board President Daniel Burgess and Melanie Rubin, Community Events Chair present a plaque to Larry Scott on his induction into the JFK High School Alumni Hall of Fame

Playing tennis was a springboard for Larry Scott, who grew up in Freeport Indoor Tennis, the Woodbury Country Club and the Port Washington Tennis Academy and went on to become an All-American at Harvard University, a pro on the ATP Tour and now Commissioner of the NCAA’s PAC-12 Conference. Scott, who grew up in Merrick and played varsity tennis for JFK High School in South Bellmore in the early 1980s, recently returned “home” to be inducted into the Kennedy High School Alumni Hall of Fame. He credits his early days playing tennis on Long Island with helping him achieve athletic, academic and

professional success. “Tennis was a great experience for me growing up,” Scott said. “I come from a tennis-playing family. My parents played frequently and I went with them when they played. At the age of 11, I played my first tournament, at Shelter Rock Country Club. I didn’t do well.” Scott added that he went on to play junior tournaments both locally and nationally, reaching a high of ninth in the country in his second year in the 16 & Under Division. While playing for Kennedy High School, Scott won the Individual New York State Championship. Scott went on to play for four years at Harvard, where he was team captain. “I had the full student athlete experience,” Scott said, adding that while he didn’t go to college with the intent to play pro tennis, after graduating, he played on the ATP tour for three years. Scott’s highest career rank was 69th in doubles and he says his career highlight was qualifying for Wimbledon in 1987 in singles and winning the first round. Also that year, he won in doubles in the Newport Hall of Fame Tournament. While no longer a professional tennis player, Scott said he still plays in some USTA league matches at home in California and also plays mixed-doubles with his wife. The couples’ three children, ages 12, 10 and 9, all play tennis. A USTA Eastern Hall of Fame Inductee in 2008, Scott spent 11 years as chief operating officer of the ATP Tour and six years as head of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, where his proudest accom-

plishments were working with Billie Jean King and the Williams Sisters to achieve equal prize money for women at Grand Slam tournaments and raising the profile of the women’s game. Today, as PAC-12 Commissioner, a position he has held since 2009, Scott is responsible for all athletics in 12 leading academic institutions, with 8,000 student athletes and 35 sports. He manages administration, governance, marketing and revenue generation as well as coordinating complex relationships among stakeholders including university presidents, athletic directors, coaches, the media and student athletes. Playing pro tennis and following a career in sports management was “not something I ever thought about,” Scott said, but he is delighted that he was able to turn his passion as an athlete into a career. He offered the following advice for high school student athletes thinking about following in his footsteps: “You can’t predict your athletic development, so follow your dreams. For me, there were more talented players, but I was disciplined and I worked hard. I was driven and focused. Put a higher priority on your academic success than on athletics because academics will be with you throughout your life. Your athletic career will end, but your academic achievements through high and college will stay with you forever. Use your athletic talents to advance your academic career.”

LI Region Thanks League Members To show its appreciation for its USTA League participants, the USTA Eastern Long Island Region Board is inviting USTA league members to a fun-filled weekend of tennis. Scheduled for March 15-17, 2013, Member Appreciation Weekend will take place at Total Tennis in Saugerties, N.Y. USTA members will enjoy special pricing for this event. Included in the weekend is food, room, eight hours of lessons (four in a group) and a half-hour private lesson. On Friday night, there will be open court time after dinner from 9:00 p.m.11:00 p.m. The deadline to sign up is Feb. 7, 2013 since space is limited. To register for this action-packed weekend, please call Total Tennis at (800) 221-6496 and tell them you want to enjoy a weekend with USTA Long Island. E-mail ustaonlongisland@gmail.com with any questions.

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2013 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

USTA EASTERN LONG ISLAND REGION

Teens Learn How to Include Tennis in College Search Photo credit: Adam Wolfthal

More than 140 high school juniors and seniors and their parents from across the USTA’s Eastern Section spent a day playing tennis and learning the ins and outs of the college tennis recruiting process at the 26th Annual USTA Eastern College Showcase Day. More than 70 college tennis coaches attended the event at the Saw Mill Club in Mt. Kisco, N.Y., both to observe the play and to share information about their colleges and tennis programs. Colleges in attendance included Adelphi University, Connecticut College, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Long Island University Post, Queens College, Muhlenberg College, Southern New Hampshire University and the University of Massachusetts. The Eastern College Showcase was coordinated by Julie Bliss, competition and player development, and the staff of USTA Eastern. Players were broken up into groups according to grade in school and played drills and short matches to demonstrate their talents. In addition to tennis play, the students and their parents participated in two special programs. One was a question-and-answer session with college student Danielle Knott (Chestnut Hill College), who described her college recruiting process and her experiences being a member of her school’s tennis team and how that impacts on her academics and social life. A second program brought together two speakers on the topic of college recruiting, Eric Butorac and Charlie Adams. Butorac has been an assistant tennis coach at Harvard University since 2010, played Division III tennis at Gustavus Adolphus College and was a pro on the ATP tour. He talked about his college and pro playing days and offered tips for students seeking to improve their game. Some of those tips include: Write directly to coaches, make every ball count, make friends with coaches and players, and especially your opponents, challenge yourself to get better with every ball, and take advantage of every opportunity you can get. Charlie Adams, an educational speaker for NCSA Athletic Recruiting (www.ncsasports.org) and a former sports television anchor, explained the five things students must do if they are interested in playing college tennis: 1. Reach out to college coaches and schedule unofficial campus visits during junior year—meet the coach, the team and visit the admissions office. 50

2. Stay on top of your grades during junior year. They are critical, as is participating in activities at school besides tennis. 3. Create an online profile at NCSA.org or tennisrecruiting.net showing your grades, activities and a highlight video. Show your passion for tennis. Your online academic-athletic resume makes it easier for coaches to find you and for you to be recruited. 4. Be realistic … fewer than one percent of student athletes get a Division I full ride. Division III schools don’t give athletic scholarships but they do offer great academics. When considering colleges, take into account where you want to be geographically and consider how important playing time is as compared to simply being on the team. Remember, not everyone can be a starter. 5. Create a highlight video showing how you play 80 percent of the time, not your best match. Include forehands, backhands, volleys and show your on-court speed.

Calling All Winners: Save the Date(s) Two important annual recognition events on the USTA calendar are coming up. The Eastern Section Awards Dinner has been scheduled for Jan. 26 in Westchester, N.Y. Please plan to come out to support your Long Island Region award winners. This year’s local honorees are: I Leslie J. FitzGibbon Tennis Man of the Year: Ed Wolfarth I Clinician of the Year: Sunny Fishkind I Landis High School Coach of the Year: Michael Pavlides I Press Service Award: Jacki Binder I Special Service Award: Lori D’Antonio I Long Island Regional Volunteer of the Year: Melanie Rubin For more information on attending the dinner or advertising in the Dinner Journal, visit www.eastern.usta.com. The 23rd Annual LI Region Awards Dinner is scheduled for Wednesday, May 1, 2013 at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury, N.Y. Once again, the evening will be a great celebration of Long Island talent and volunteerism as we recognize many terrific volunteers and players. Awards are given in categories including top-scoring league and high school players, lifetime achievement, sportsmanship, tennis pro, junior team tennis, family participation, volunteerism, tennis facilities, community service and innovative programming, among others. If you have any suggestions for deserving award winners, please e-mail ustaonlongisland@gmail.com.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2013 • LITennisMag.com

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2013 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Your Child Should be Playing Doubles! By Miguel Cervantes III he focus on juniors in competitive play and training is usually on singles. Singles is always the main attraction at every major televised tournament and brings with it the most prize money. Singles is at the heart of the spirit of tennis. It’s you against your opponent, one on one, the best you have against the best they have; no outsiders allowed. Although this is the case, junior players should be made aware of

LI’s first Tennis Academy devoted to the USTA’s 10 & under Initiative.

all the benefits that doubles can bring. Here’s why your child should be playing doubles. Doubles is, on the whole, a much faster game. This is partially due to the fact that net play is a primary component. With each team fighting to get to the net first, in order to have an easier time winning the point, the ball is getting to the players much sooner since they are twice as close. Because the game is faster, you have to react faster, thus improving your footwork and coordination. Doubles requires a player to be more aware and

Butch Seewagen is a former varsity coach at Columbia University. He holds over 15 national and international titles and is the owner/program director of the Children’s Athletic Training Schools. For Boys and Girls 5 – 9 years old.

Private, Semi-Private and Small Group Lessons for Boys and Girls Ages 5-9.

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2013 • LITennisMag.com

sharp. It’s easy to become lulled into a false sense of security if the ball is not struck to you for the majority of the point, but you have to assume it will be and here is where the awareness and footwork improves. Players who are sluggish on court, who are used to controlling the center and working the other player, or rely on one aspect of their game to find success must improve their split steps and movement since winning in doubles requires you to have different tools in your toolbox. This leads into a second reason why your child should be playing doubles. Volleys and overheads are shots which are seen far more often in doubles than in singles. While you may be able to set up a volley or solicit an overhead in singles, those shots are requirements for good doubles. A player may be able to avoid hitting them altogether in singles and work to their own strengths, maybe their serve or forehand, but in doubles, you simply cannot get away with it. Success in doubles is directly proportional to your skill in hitting good volleys and overheads. And because a player will have more opportunities to hit these shots, their skills will improve and they will be a better and more well-rounded player. Doubles is also good to build team-

work skills. Working in tandem with another player is something that does not come naturally. Communication is something you don’t need in singles, whereas in doubles, it is vital to winning. The ability to communicate and coordinate a strategy with another player is exceptionally rewarding and brings another dimension to one’s game. The structure that doubles provides is important to the mental side of the sport. Singles is a forgiving game where a bad shot may not turn out in losing a point. Singles also allows for a great deal more passing lanes than you would see in doubles. Playing with another person against another team requires you to make less mistakes. A short ball or a bad lob is going to be punished immediately. There are few second chances in doubles. The game also requires you to work the point a bit more since there are far fewer passing lanes. One opponent may miss a ball or not be able to reach it, but what about their partner. Their partner might be able to re-

cover the ball, and so patience and strategy are developed on a greater level. Finally, doubles is just plain fun. Singles is difficult in part because you’re out there by yourself and you have to figure things out on your own. Players can enjoy a camaraderie in doubles that you cannot find otherwise. It provides our juniors a break from the pressures of singles and they get to meet new players and build relationships. Doubles has several benefits (improved footwork, different shot selection, team strategies, camaraderie) that you wouldn’t normally get out of singles, and it is for that reason that we should be encouraging our juniors to play it more often. Our goal as mentors to our children should be to build a well-rounded player who can handle anything on the court. Doubles is a vehicle that can get them there faster. Formerly with Daniel Burgess at Freeport Tennis, Miguel Cervantes III now teaches at

“Our goal as mentors to our children should be to build a wellrounded player who can handle anything on the court.” 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 2013 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

A Look Back at the

2012 Tennis

SEAS

By Emilie Katz

2012 Grand Slam Champions Crowned …

Wimbledon 2012 June 25-July 8, 2012 at All-England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon London, England

2012 Australian Open January 16-29, 2012 at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia I Men’s Singles Final: Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal 5-7, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 7-5 I Men’s Doubles Final: Leander Paes & Radek Stepanek defeated Bob & Mike Bryan 7-6, 6-2 I Women’s Singles Final: Victoria Azarenka defeated Maria Sharapova 6-3, 6-0 I Women’s Doubles Final: Svetlana Kuznetsova & Vera Zvonareva defeated Sara Errani & Roberta Vinci 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 I Mixed-Doubles Final: Bethanie Mattek Sands & Horia Tecau defeated Elena Vesnina & Leander Paes 6-3, 5-7, 10-3

I Men’s Singles Final: Roger Federer defeated Andy Murray 46, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 I Men’s Doubles Final: Frederik Nielsen & Jonathan Marray defeated Robert Lindstedt & Hotia Tecau 4-6, 6-4, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3 I Women’s Singles Final: Serena Williams defeated Agnieszka Radwanska 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 I Women’s Doubles Final: Serena & Venus Williams defeated Andrea Hlavackova & Lucie Hradecka 7-5, 6-4 I Mixed-Doubles Final: Mike Bryan & Lisa Raymond defeated Leander Paes & Elena Vesnina 6-3, 5-7, 6-4

2012 French Open

2012 U.S. Open August 27-September 10, 2012 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.

May 27-June 10, 2012 at Roland Garros in Paris France

I Men’s Singles Final: Rafael Nadal defeated Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 I Men’s Doubles Final: Daniel Nestor & Max Mirnyi defeated Bob & Mike Bryan 6-4, 6-4 I Women’s Singles Final: Maria Sharapova defeated Sara Errani 6-3, 6-2 I Women’s Doubles Final: Sara Errani & Roberta Vinci defeated Maria Kirilenko & Nadia Petrova 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 I Mixed-Doubles Final: Sania Mirza & Mahesh Bhupathi defeated Klaudia Jans-Ignacik & Santiago Gonzalez 7-6, 6-1

I Men’s Singles Final: Andy Murray defeated Novak Djokovic 7-6, 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2 I Men’s Doubles Final: Mike & Bob Bryan defeated Leander Paes & Radek Stepanek 6-3, 6-4 I Women’s Singles Final: Serena Williams defeated Victoria Azarenka 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 I Women’s Doubles Final: Sara Errani & Roberta Vinci defeated Andrea Hlavackova & Lucie Hradecka 6-4, 6-2 I Mixed-Doubles Final: Ekaterina Makarova & Bruno Soares defeated Kveta Peschke & Marcin Matkowski 6-7, 6-1, 12-10

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2013 • LITennisMag.com

A Look Back at the

2012 Tennis

SEAS 2012 Summer Olympics July 27-August 12, 2012 in London, England

Men’s Singles I Gold Medal: Andy Murray (GBR) I Silver Medal: Roger Federer (SUI) I Bronze Medal: Juan Martin del Potro (ARG)

N 2012 TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships October 23-28, 2012 Sinan Erdem Arena Istanbul, Turkey

Singles Final Serena Williams defeated Maria Sharapova 6-4, 6-3

Men’s Doubles I Gold Medal: Bob & Mike Bryan (USA) I Silver Medal: Michael Llorda & Jo-Wilfred Tsonga (FRA) I Bronze Medal: Julien Benneteau & Richard Gasquet (FRA)

Doubles Final Maria Kirilenko & Nadia Petrova defeated Andrea Hlavackova & Lucie Hradecka 6-1, 6-4

Men’s Award Winners

Women’s Singles I Gold Medal: Serena Williams (USA) I Silver Medal: Maria Sharapova (RUS) I Bronze Medal: Victoria Azarenka (BLR)

Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Women’s Doubles I Gold Medal: Serena & Venus Williams (USA) I Silver Medal: Andrea Hlavackova & Lucie Hradecka (CZE) I Bronze Medal: Maria Kirilenko & Nadia Petrova (RUS) Mixed-Doubles I Gold Medal: Victoria Azarenka & Max Mirnyi (BLR) I Silver Medal: Laura Robson & Andy Murray (GBR) I Bronze Medal: Lisa Raymond & Mike Bryan (USA)

2012 ATP World Tour Finals November 5-12, 2012 O2 Arena London, England

Singles Final Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer 7-6(6), 7-5 Doubles Final Marcel Granollers & Marc López defeated Mahesh Bhupathi & Rohan Bopanna 7-5, 3-6, 10-3

ATP World Tour Number One (determined by South African Airways ATP Rankings): Novak Djokovic—The 25year-old Serbian is the first player to clinch the year-end number one South African Airways ATP Ranking in consecutive seasons since Roger Federer achieved four straight world number one finishes from 2004-07. Djokovic successfully defended the Australian Open title and reached the final at six ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments, winning titles in Miami, Toronto and Shanghai. He also lifted the Beijing trophy and was a finalist at Roland Garros and the U.S. Open. ATP World Tour Number One Doubles Team (determined by ATP Doubles Team Rankings): Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan—The Americans finish as the top duo in the ATP Doubles Team Rankings for a fourth successive year and record eighth time overall (2003, ‘05-07, ‘0912). They captured seven titles–their 11th straight season of winning five or more–highlighted by a record-equaling 12th Grand

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2013 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

A Look Back at the

2012 Tennis

SEAS Slam trophy at the U.S. Open and the Gold Medal at the London 2012 Olympic Games. The Bryans also won a pair of ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments in Monte-Carlo and Toronto, and were runners-up at the Australian Open and Roland Garros. They have won the most doubles team titles in the Open Era with 82, and Mike Bryan broke Todd Woodbridge’s individual record when he won his 84th trophy with the twins’ victory in Beijing. Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award (voted by ATP players): Roger Federer—Fellow players voted the Swiss as the winner of the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award for the eighth time and second year in a row. He had won the award six straight years from 2004-09 before Rafael Nadal broke the streak in 2011. Marin Cilic, Juan Martin del Potro and David Ferrer were also nominated in this category. Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Comeback Player of the Year (voted by ATP players): Tommy Haas—The 34-year-old German rolled back the years as he re-established himself in the Top 25 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, having started the season outside the Top 200. Haas had been sidelined for 14 months between February 2010 and May 2011 following hip surgery, but found top form once again in 2012. The former world number two defeated Roger Federer to win the Halle title, finished runner-up in Hamburg and Washington and recorded his 500th match win with victory in the Vienna second round in October. Newcomer of the year (voted by ATP players): Martin Klizan—The 23year-old has jumped 88 places in the South African Airways ATP Rankings since the start of the season to hit a career-high world number 29. The left-hander compiled a 19-15 mark, highlighted by winning his first ATP World Tour title in St. Petersburg with victory over Fabio Fognini. A few weeks earlier, the Bratislava native had knocked out Jo-Wilfried Tsonga en route to a fourth-round showing at the U.S. Open. 56

N Most Improved Player of the Year (voted by ATP players): Marinko Matosevic—At the age of 27, Marinko Matosevic enjoyed a career-best season that saw him finish 2012 as the number one Australian with a career-high position of world 47th. The right-hander from Melbourne reached his first ATP World Tour final in Delray Beach where, as a qualifier ranked 173rd, he beat four top 80 players before finishing runner-up to Kevin Anderson. He also reached the semifinals in Los Angeles and compiled a 17-19 match record on the year. Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year: Novak Djokovic—The Serb joined Rafael Nadal, 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 Novak Djokovic Foundation, his role as a UNICEF ambassador and other individual ventures. His Foundation raised $1.4 million for early childhood education through its inaugural fundraising dinner in New York in September and a week later he visited the “Beneath the Linden Trees” kindergarten, a UNICEF initiative in Lesnica, Serbia, to raise awareness of the importance of early childhood education. In October, Djokovic collaborated with UNIQLO to develop and launch ‘Clothes for Smiles,’ a new program that aims to give children of all ages a chance for a better future. The program has established a $10 million fund that helps nurture the dreams of children worldwide. Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

ATPWorldTour.com Fans’ Favorite (Singles): Roger Federer—The 31-year-old Swiss has been voted ATPWorldTour.com Fans’ Favorite presented by RICOH for a record 10th straight year, receiving 57 percent of all votes cast. British number one Andy Murray finished second, just ahead of Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. ATPWorldTour.com Fans’ Favorite (Doubles) Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan—The Bryan twins received 40 percent of votes to be named the ATPWorldTour.com Fans’ Favorite for a record eighth time. Michael Llodra & Nenad Zimonjic came in as the second most popular duo for a second straight year, followed closely by Leander Paes & Radek Stepanek.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2013 • LITennisMag.com

A Look Back at the

2012 Tennis

SEAS Retirements in 2012 Following is a list of notable players (winners of a main tour title, and/or part of the ATP Rankings top 100 (singles) or top 50 (doubles) for at least one week) who announced their retirement from professional tennis, became inactive (after not playing for more than 52 weeks), or were permanently banned from playing, during the 2012 season: José Acasuso (born Oct. 20, 1982 in Posadas, Argentina) turned professional in 1999, reaching career-high rankings of singles number 20 and doubles 27th, both in 2006. Mainly a clay-court specialist, the Argentine took three singles and five doubles career titles, all on the surface. Playing for Argentina, Acasuso competed in two Davis Cup finals (2006 and 2008), but helped claim one World Team Cup title in 2007. Acasuso announced his retirement in February, less than a year after his last match in the French Open qualifying in May 2011. Juan Pablo Brzezicki (born April 12, 1982 in Buenos Aires, Argentina) joined the tour in 2001, reaching a career-high ranking of singles number 94 in 2008. Winner of one doubles titles on the main circuit, Brzezicki competed for the last time in Buenos Aires in February. Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina leaves the sport of tennis with six ATP singles titles and three in doubles, all on clay. The 33-year-old announced his decision on his Twitter account (@JuanIChela). Chela reached three Grand Slam quarterfinals, the French Open in 2004 and 2011, and the U.S. Open in 2007. Known as “El Flaco” or “The Skinny One,” Chela is retiring with his singles ranking at 176th and career earnings of $6.5 million. Arnaud Clément (born Dec. 17, 1977 in Aix-en-Provence, France) became a tennis professional in 1996, peaking with a singles ranking of 10th in the world in 2001, and doubles of eighth in 2008. In singles, Clément won four titles, made the quarterfinals at all majors but one (the French Open), and reached

N one Grand Slam final at the Australian Open (2001, losing to Andre Agassi). In doubles, he collected 12 titles and made two major finals with Michaël Llodra, winning one at Wimbledon and losing the other in Australia (2008). Brian Dabul (born Feb. 24, 1984 in Buenos Aires, Argentina) turned professional in 2001 and reached a career-high ranking of 86th. His highest doubles ranking was 88th. He won only one ATP titles in doubles in Viña de Mar in 2009, partnering with Pablo Cuevas. He played his last singles match in Guayaquil on Nov. 21, 2011. Juan Carlos Ferrero (born Feb. 12, 1980 in Ontinyent, Spain) joined the main circuit in 1998, and reached the world number one ranking in singles on Sept. 8, 2003, holding the spot for eight straight weeks, and finishing three straight seasons in the top 10 (2001-2003). Ferrero won 16 singles titles during his 14year career, including four Masters events, and one Grand Slam trophy at the French Open (2003). A onetime semifinalist at the Australian Open (2004) and two-time quarterfinalist at Wimbledon (2007 and 2009), the Spaniard also made two additional major finals at the French (2002, lost to Costa) and the U.S. Open (2003, lost to Andy Roddick), and reached one year-end championships final (2002, lost to Lleyton Hewitt). As part of his country’s team, Ferrero took part in three victorious Davis Cup campaigns (2000, 2004, 2009). The Spaniard retired after playing in Valencia in October. Fernando González (born July 29, 1980 in Santiago, Chile) joined the main tour in 1999 and reached his best singles ranking, number five, in early 2007, finishing two seasons in the top 10 (2006-2007). A junior world number one, winner of the boys’ doubles at the U.S. Open in 1997 and the boys’ singles and doubles at the French Open in 1998, González won 11 singles and three doubles titles on the pro circuit, and gathered three medals at the Olympics: The bronze in singles and the gold in doubles (with partner Nicolás Massú) in 2004, and the silver in singles (lost the finals to Rafael Nadal) in 2008. The Chilean reached the last eight at every major, making three quarterfinals at Wimbledon (2005) and the U.S. Open (2002 and 2009), one semifinal at the

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2013 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

A Look Back at the

2012 Tennis

SEAS French (2009), and one final at the Australian Open (2007, lost to Roger Federer). Struggling with injuries for more than a year before deciding to retire, González played his last event in Miami in March. Mark Knowles (born Sept. 4, 1971 in Nassau, The Bahamas) joined the pro tour in 1992 and reached a high singles ranking of 96th in 1996. Knowles reached the doubles world number one ranking in June 2002, keeping the spot for a total of 65 weeks between 2002 and 2005. Partnering with Daniel Nestor for most of his career, and later Mahesh Bhupathi, Knowles won 55 doubles titles, including one year-end championship (2007), and three Grand Slam trophies (all with Nestor). He retired after competing in the U.S. Open doubles in August. Ivan Ljubicic (born March 19, 1979 in Banja Luka, Yugoslavia) turned professional in 1998, peaking at third in the world in singles in 2006 and ending two seasons in the top 10 (2005-2006). During his career, Ljubicic won 10 singles titles, including one Masters at Indian Wells (2010), and went past the fourth round twice in Grand Slam tournaments. Playing for his country, the Croatian partnered with Mario Ancic to win a Bronze Medal in doubles at the 2004 Athens Olympics Games and took part in one successful Davis Cup campaign (2005). Ljubicic played his last tournament in Monte Carlo in April. Peter Luczak (born Aug. 31, 1979 in Warsaw, Poland) joined the main circuit in 2000, peaking at 64th in the world in singles in 2009. Competing mainly on the ITF Men’s Circuit and the ATP Challenger Tour during his career, Luczak’s best result came with a Gold Medal in doubles (with Paul Hanley) at the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games. The Australian retired from the sport after losing in the second round of the Australian Open doubles last January.

N Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Andy Roddick (born Aug. 30, 1982 in the United States) turned professional in 2000 and became the sixth American player to be ranked number one in the world in singles when he reached the top spot on Nov. 3, 2003, holding it for a single spell of 13 straight weeks. Roddick finished nine seasons in the ATP Rankings singles top 10 (2002-2010), including one year as number one (2003), and also reached the 50th ranking in doubles in 2010. As a junior, Roddick took two singles Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open and the U.S. Open in 2000, finishing the season as junior world number one. Over his 12-year pro career, Roddick collected 32 singles titles, on every surface, among which five Masters and one Grand Slam title, at the U.S. Open (2003, defeated Juan Carlos Ferrero). Roddick’s other best results in majors came with four semifinals at the Australian Open (2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009), three finals at Wimbledon (2004, 2005 and 2009, all lost to Roger Federer), and another final at the U.S. Open (2006, lost to Federer). In doubles, Roddick won four titles including one Masters trophy. Part of the United States Davis Cup roster for 25 ties over 10 years, Roddick helped the U.S. Davis Cup team to a final in 2004, and a title (the country’s 32nd) in 2007. The American retired in September, after losing in the fourth round of the U.S. Open. Rainer Schüttler (born April 25, 1976 in Korbach, West Germany) turned professional in 1995, reaching a career-high singles rankings of fifth in 2004, and doubles ranking of 40th in 2005. Schüttler won four singles and four doubles titles during his stint on the main circuit, his best Grand Slam results coming with a final at the Australian Open (2003, lost to Andre Agassi), and a semifinal run at Wimbledon (2008). Alongside countryman Nicolas Kiefer, the German also took the Silver Medal in doubles at the 2004 Athens Olympics, losing the final in five sets. Schüttler last played at the Australian Open in January.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2013 • LITennisMag.com

Alexander Waske (born March 31, 1975 in Frankfurt, West Germany) turned professional in 2000 and reached a career-high ranking of 89th in singles and 84th in doubles. He won four ATP doubles titles and played his last doubles match on Oct. 15, 2012 in Vienna, partnering with Janko Tipsarevic.

A Look Back at the

2012 Tennis

SEAS Women’s Award Winners

N Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

WTA Player Award Winners WTA Player Awards were voted for by the international media.

Player of the Year: Serena Williams

Comeback Player of the Year: Yaroslava Shvedova

WTA Player Awards Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award: Kim Clijsters—As voted upon by WTA tour players, this award recognizes professionalism, attitude and sense of fair play.

Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Newcomer of the Year: Laura Robson

Doubles Team of the Year: Sara Errani & Roberta Vinci

Player Service Award: Venus Williams—As voted upon by WTA tour players, this award recognizes the player who has done the most to support fellow players through the WTA Players‘ Council and other initiatives.

Fan Favorite Awards Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Most Improved Player: Sara Errani

Fan Favorite Singles Player: Agnieszka Radwanska—Though there were 13 players to choose from, a whopping 42.8 percent of the votes went to Agnieszka Radwanska (Li Na came in second with 27 percent). Fan Favorite Doubles Team: Serena Williams & Venus Williams—There were five teams to choose from, and it was the Williams Sisters who finished first with 36 percent of

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2013 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

A Look Back at the

2012 Tennis

SEAS the vote (Maria Kirilenko & Nadia Petrova came in second place with 25.5 percent of the vote. Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Fan Favorite Twitter: Caroline Wozniacki—There were five Twitter pages to choose from, and it was Caroline Wozniacki who finished first with 42 percent of the vote while Serena Williams came in second with 24.9 percent. Fan Favorite Facebook: Agnieszka Radwanska—There were five Facebook pages to choose from, and it was Agnieszka Radwanska who finished first with a whopping 46.5 percent of the vote, while Maria Sharapova came in second place with 24 percent of the vote. Fan Favorite Video: Agnieszka Radwanska & The Bee—There were five videos to choose from, and in the most dominant Fan Favorite victory of the day, it was Agnieszka Radwanska’s battle with a bee that won, earning 48.7 percent of the vote.

N only her third tournament back, she won her second U.S. Open title, becoming the first unseeded player and wild card to win the tournament, and the first mother to win a major since Evonne Goolagong in 1980. Clijsters announced in May that her second retirement would occur after the completion of the 2012 U.S. Open. Gisela Dulko (born Jan. 30, 1985 in Buenos Aires, Argentina) turned professional in 2001, enjoying an 11year career before announcing her retirement in November 2012. Despite having a moderately successful career in singles play, winning four titles on the WTA tour and reaching a career-high ranking of 26th in 2005; Dulko experienced more success on the doubles tour, winning 17 titles over her career, including the 2011 Australian Open and the 2010 Year-End Championships, both playing with Flavia Pennetta. In addition, Dulko spent 24 weeks as the top-ranked doubles player from Nov. 1, 2010, including seven as the joint number one with Pennetta.

LONG ISLAND MAGAZINE The Ultimate Guide for Long Island Tennis

Retirements in 2012 … Kim Clijsters (born July 8, 1983 in Bilzen, Belgium) turned professional in 1997, reaching career-high rankings of world number one in singles and doubles. Clijsters has won 41 WTA singles titles and 11 WTA doubles titles. She has won four Grand Slam singles titles, three at the U.S. Open, in 2005, 2009 and 2010, and one at the Australian Open in 2011. She has also been runner-up in four Grand Slam singles tournaments, and won the WTA Tour Championships singles title in 2002, 2003 and 2010. In doubles, she won the French Open and Wimbledon titles in 2003. Clijsters has retired once before in 2007, but almost two years later, on March 26 2009, she publicly declared her intent to return to the WTA tour for the 2009 summer hard court season. In 60

Distribution scheduled for 03/01/13 This edition will feature: • LITM’s Guide to the Top Tennis Camps • New York Tennis Expo Preview • Guide to Long Island’s Top Court Builders & Suppliers • Australian Open Recap Don’t miss the advertising opportunities in the next edition of Long Island Tennis Magazine March/April 2013!

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2013 • LITennisMag.com

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2012 Girls High School Nassau & Suffolk

SEASON RECAP 2012 Long Island Championship Long Island Champion—Syosset High School

2012 Nassau County Girls High School Standings Conference I Conference I Champion: Syosset Playoffs Semifinals Syosset 6–Roslyn 1 Port Washington 5–Garden City 2 Finals Syosset 5–Port Washington 2 Conference I Final Standings Syosset ..............................................14-0 Port Washington ................................11-3 Garden City ..........................................9-5 Roslyn ..................................................7-7 Manhasset............................................7-7 Jericho..................................................5-9 Hewlett ..............................................3-11 Oceanside ..........................................0-14 Conference II Conference II Champion: Great Neck South Bellmore and South Side were cochamps of Conference II-B, with South Side winning the coin toss for number one seed Playoffs Second vs. third seed playoffs Conference II-A: Friends Academy 4–Cold Spring Harbor 3 Conference II-B: Bellmore 6–Massapequa 1

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

Semifinals Great Neck South 5–Bellmore 2 Friends Academy 4–South Side 3 62

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2013 • LITennisMag.com

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

2012 Girls High School Nassau & Suffolk

SEASON RECAP

Conference IV-B Final Standings West Hempstead................................10-0 Lawrence..............................................8-2 Malverne/East Rockaway ....................6-4 Uniondale ............................................4-6 Hempstead ........................................0-10 Roosevelt ..........................................0-10

2012 Nassau County Girls Individual Tennis Championships Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, N.Y. Top three finishers represent Nassau County at the States Singles Tournament All New York State and All-County Honors Champion: Alexa Graham (Garden City) Runner-Up: Vivian Cheng (Syosset) Third Place: Nicholle Torres (Great Neck South) Fourth Place: Nicole Koskovolis (Manhasset) All-County Honors (Quarterfinalists) Taylor Cosme (Herricks) Danielle Mirabella (Wantagh) Cameron Moskol (MacArthur) Samantha Perri (Sewanhaka/Carey)

2012 Suffolk County Girls High School Standings League I Half Hollow Hills East ........................13-0 Half Hollow Hills West ........................13-2 Smithtown East....................................7-5 Commack ............................................8-8 Harborfields..........................................8-7 Northport............................................2-10 League II Walt Whitman ....................................10-2 Huntington ..........................................8-6 Smithtown West ..................................7-3 Kings Park............................................3-8 Elwood/John Glenn............................2-10 Hauppauge ........................................2-10 League III East Islip ............................................10-2 Sayville ................................................9-5 West Islip..............................................7-9 Islip ......................................................5-7 Bay Shore ..........................................2-10 Connetquot ........................................2-11

League IV Brentwood..........................................13-1 West Babylon ....................................12-4 Copiague............................................11-6 North Babylon ......................................7-8 Deer Park ............................................6-8 Central Islip ........................................4-10 Lindenhurst ........................................2-13 Babylon ..............................................1-13 League V Ward Melville........................................8-4 Bayport-Blue Point ..............................9-5 Mt. Sinai ..............................................9-5 Patchogue-Medford ............................7-7 Longwood ..........................................4-10 Middle Country ..................................2-11 League VI Stony Brook ......................................13-4 Port Jefferson ....................................12-3 Miller Place ........................................10-6 Rocky Point..........................................8-6 Sachem East........................................7-9 Comsewogue ....................................3-11 Sachem North ....................................3-12 Bellport ..............................................0-14

Doubles Tournament All New York State & All-County Honors Champions: Gabriella Leon & Veronika Paikan (Hewlett) Runner-Up: Morgan Herrmann & Brittany Burke (Garden City) Third Place: Lauren Livingston & Emma Brezel (Port Washington) Fourth Place: Katie Cirella & Rithika Reddy (Syosset)

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LITennisMag.com • January/February 2013 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

2012 Girls High School Nassau & Suffolk

SEASON RECAP

League VII William Floyd......................................15-1 Ross ..................................................10-2 Westhampton ......................................8-7 McGann-Mercy ..................................11-5 East Hampton/BH................................5-7 Shoreham WR....................................3-10 League VIII Eastport/S Manor ..............................16-1 Mattituck ............................................12-3 Southampton ....................................10-5 Hampton Bays ....................................7-8 Riverhead ............................................7-9 Southold/Greenport ..........................4-11 Center Moriches ................................2-12 Shelter Island ....................................0-14

2012 NYSPHSAA Girls High School Tennis Championships Albany, N.Y. Singles (Main Draw) Vivian Cheng (Syosset) First Place—NYS Public and Federation Champion Nicholle Torres (Garden City) Second Place—NYS Public and Federation Runner-Up Alexa Graham (Garden City) Third Place—NYS Public and Federation Runner-Up Doubles (Main Draw) Gabby Leon & Veronika Paikin (Hewlett) Fourth Place Sportsmanship Award–Section VIII Emma Brezel (Port Washington)

Syosset’s Vivian Cheng Caps Off High School Career With Singles Crown

Nassau County was well-represented at the 2012 NYS Girls High School Championships Vivian Cheng ended her high school career on a high note, capping off her senior season as the 2012 New York State Champion. Cheng, who played first singles for Nassau County Champion Syosset High School, defeated fellow Nassau County representative and fourth-seeded Nicholle Torres of Great Neck South in the finals. The first set went back and fourth and Torres let a golden opportunity slip away when she was unable to serve out the set at 5-4 in the opening set. After Cheng held to go up 6-5, she then broke Torres again to close the set. In the second set Cheng carried that momentum forward to earn the victory and the championship. This marks the second straight season the High School State Champion has been from Syosset. Last year, Hannah Camhi (now at Brown) won the title. It also marks the second straight season the runner-up was a Nassau County representative as Morgan Hermann of Garden City was defeated by Camhi in 2011. Cheng had an abbreviated high school career, as she played for Syosset as a freshman but not as a sophomore or junior before returning to the courts for her senior season.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2013 • LITennisMag.com

“This years New York State tournament was a tremendous success. All nine girls, three singles players and three doubles teams, that represented Nassau County, made it into the quarterfinal round of the tournament,” said Shai Fisher, Section VIII Nassau County Girls Tennis Coordinator. “Our number one doubles team, which won the Nassau County title, lost in the semifinal round, and finished fourth overall out of 30 teams in the state draw.” Third place also went to a Nassau County representative as top-seeded Alexa Graham of Garden City bounced back from her semifinal upset loss to defeat thirdseeded Claire Minnoe of Auburn in straight sets, 6-0, 6-1. In the doubles finals, Cassidy & Jessie Cruz of New Rochelle were able to defend their titles as they defeated Alexa Goldberg & Tomo Iwasaki from Edgemont 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-3 to become back to back State Doubles Champions. “In singles, our three players took first, second and third in the state tournament,” said Fisher. “I don’t think this feat has ever happened before, and is an amazing accomplishment. These results show the strength of girls high school tennis being played here in Nassau County, and is something we should be very proud of.” In the doubles consolation matchup, Hewlett’s duo of Gabby Leon & Veronica Paikin put up a great fight, but fell in three tough sets to Keishorea Armstrong & Emma Willard of Troy 26, 6-4, 4-6. Leon & Paikin finished fourth. Nicholle Torres of Great Neck South was runner-up in the 2012 NYS Girls High School Championships

2012 Girls High School Nassau & Suffolk

SEASON RECAP Syosset Girls Take Fourth Consecutive LI Title By Adam Wolfthal

For the fourth time in as many years, the Syosset High School Girls Tennis team knocked off the Suffolk County Champion, Half Hollow Hills East, to take the title of 2012 Long Island Champions. After finishing the regular season with a perfect record and defeating the Port Washington girls for the Nassau Championships almost a month earlier, it was a long time since the Syosset girls took the court as a team. Following the Nassau team Championships, the Syosset girls played individually for the Nassau County crown and then the New York State crown. Syosset’s own Vivien Cheng brought home the New York State singles title, which helped to give her confidence moving forward for the team championship. Playing number one singles, Cheng was a virtually guaranteed point for the Syosset team all year long. Needing to secure four points for the best of seven win over Suffolk Champions, Half Hollow Hills East, Syosset sent out its undefeated team onto the cold, cloud covered courts of Smithtown West High School. As the players warmed up and play got underway, the sun began to break through the clouds, and it was clear that Syosset was going to jump out to an early lead, taking the first set in all seven matches. Seemingly all at once, the top Syosset doubles teams finished off their opponents as the Syosset players rallied to victory to secure the match. The final match on the court was the second singles battle between Rithika Reddy of Syosset and Allison Huber representing Hills East. Although the match had been decided, Huber was not showing any signs of letting up. With both teams surrounding the courts cheering each points for their respective teammates, Huber brought the second set to a tie-break and won it, sending the match to a deciding 10-point super

Credit photos to Adam Wolfthal

The Syosset High School Girls and Coach Larry Levane celebrate the 2012 LI Championship

Vivien Cheng hits a backhand volley for a winner

Syosset’s first doubles team of Joelle Porush & Paige Gindi discuss strategy tie-break. Although she fought hard, Huber was unable to overcome the consistency and resilience of Syosset’s Reddy and fell in the end. The Syosset girls celebrated, running on to the court to congratulate the winner and cheering “Champs! Champs!” After the match, the seniors realized it was the last tennis match they would play as a team, and even though it was bitter cold, they were thrilled to end their career with four consecutive County and Long Island Titles for Syosset. “It was tough; you really had to focus and be patient out there, the goal was to win the States, but after that it is great to

Allison Huber of Half Hollow Hills East reaches a third set against Rithika Reddy finish the season this way, as Long Island Champions,” said Cheng. “The States are great to win, but it is as an Individual, It is great to win the Long Island Championship as a team four years in a row.” The sophomore doubles squad of Kaitlin O’Rourke & Stacy Denbaum who have been partners all season added, “It is great to end the season as Long Island Champions, as a doubles team going undefeated was a bonus. We have great camaraderie.” Adam Wolfthal is director of business development for Long Island Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by e-mail at adam@usptennis.com.

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2013 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

2012 Girls High School Nassau & Suffolk

SEASON RECAP

Syosset Girls Win Fourth Consecutive Nassau County Championship The Syosset High School Girls Tennis team won their fourth straight Nassau County Championship, defeating the Port Washington Lady Vikings 5-2 at Wheatley High School. The win capped off an undefeated Nassau County season for Syosset. Syosset got strong performances from all of their doubles teams. The second doubles team of Paige Gindi & Joelle Porush, third doubles team of Stacy Denbaum & Kaitlin Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Rourke, and fourth doubles team of Jenna Poczik & Sarah White got the first three victories for the Lady Braves in straight sets, setting the tone for their teammates. With Syosset needing just one more win to clinch the title, they turned to first singles player Vivian Cheng and a short time later, Cheng was victorious securing Syosset the 2012 Nassau Championship after defeating Lauren Livingston, 6-1, 6-0. After the match was clinched, the drama didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t end as both teams cheered on their first doubles squads as they played the longest match of the day. It went the distance, but in a third set tie-break Lexee

Credit photos to Gary Simeone

Shapiro & Rhea Malhotra were able to pull out Syossetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s final win 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(5) over Emma Brezel &Holly Hubsher of Port. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m really proud of our team and how we all played,â&#x20AC;? said third doubles player, Stacy Denbaum. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I would like our team to take it one step further with a win at the Long Island Championship.â&#x20AC;?

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Fourth doubles player, Jenna Poczik, said she was glad she ended her senior year on a good note with a Nassau County title, but would also like to win the Long Island Championship. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m looking forward to the Long Island championship next week and I know our team will play hard and do well,â&#x20AC;? said Poczik.

Half Hollow Hills Westâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rashidzada Wins Suffolk Championship Seeding held to form at the 2012 Girls Individual Suffolk County High School Championships, which set up a final between the top two seeds in both singles and doubles. In singles, it was number one-seeded Zenat Rashidzada of Half Hollow Hills West defeating second-seeded Vanessa Scott of Half Hollow Hills East in straight sets 6-1, 6-0. In doubles, Half Hollow Hills Eastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Amanda Luper & Allison Huber, who were the tourneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top seeds, defeated the number two-seeded team of Dani Silber & Sarah Han of Half Hollow Hills West, 6-4, 6-4. All participants in the finals represented Suffolk County in the New York State Individual Championships in Albany, N.Y.

2012 Girls High School Nassau & Suffolk

SEASON RECAP

Freshman Alexa Graham Wins 2012 Nassau County Individual Girls Title By Gary Simeone Garden City High School’s Alexa Graham showed that age is not always a factor, as the freshman won the 2012 Nassau County Girls Individual Tennis Championships at Eisenhower Park. In the finals, the 14-yearold took on the top-seeded Vivian Cheng of Syosset and Graham fought throughout to earn the straight-set victory. Graham showed nerves early and started slow, falling behind 0-3 in the opening set, but she fought back, and at 3-5, down broke serve to eventually force a first set tie-breaker which she won. She used that momentum in the second set where she unleashed vicious forehands and had Cheng running to both sides of the court. Graham defeating Cheng, 7-6(1), 6-2. “It feels great as a freshman and playing my first year of high school tennis to be able to win this,” said Graham. “I just tried to concentrate on my footwork out there and tried to change the height and pace of the ball a little bit more in the second set. Vivian and I played twice during the regular season, so we were kind of familiar with each other’s game.” Garden City was also represented in the doubles finals, as Morgan Herrmann & Brittany Burke took on the top-seeded Hewlett team of Veronika Paikan & Gabriella Leon. Both teams battled back and forth before Leon & Paikan were able to pull out a thrilling three set victory, 4-6, 6-1, 7-5. This was the second three-set match of the day for Paikan & Leon who defeated Syosset’s Rithika Reddy & Katie Cirella 6-7 ,6-4, 6-1 in the semifinals earlier in the morning. “It is an amazing feeling to be able to win two straight Nassau County Championships especially this being both of our senior seasons,” said Paikan. “We just never stopped believing in ourselves even

Credit Photos to Gary Simeone

Congratulations to all the winners at the Nassau County Championships

First place winner Alexa Graham of Garden City, third place winner Nicole Torres and runner up Vivian Cheng of Syosset at the 2012 Nassau County Championships when we lost that first set.” “I’ve been battling injuries and illnesses all season long and to come out and win here today with my partner is such a great feeling,” said Leon. In the consolation matches, Great Neck North’s, Nicole Torres defeated Manhasset’s, Nicole Koskovolis, 6-4, 7-5 in singles. In doubles, Port Washington’s Lauren Livingston &

Emma Brezel knocked off Syosset’s Rithika Reddy & Katie Cirella, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2. The finalists and the third place finishers all represented Nassau County at the 2012 New York State Girls High School Tennis Championship in Albany, N.Y. Gary Simeone is an intern for Long Island Tennis Magazine.

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LITennisMag.com • January/February 2013 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

2012 Girls High School Nassau & Suffolk

SEASON RECAP

Suffolk High School Girls Tennis Achievements Honored at Annual Dinner By Adam Wolfthal Team Suffolk County Champions, Half Hollow Hills East

2012 All-Division coach of the Year recipients

Participants from the Breast Cancer Awareness Doubles Event held earlier in the year were honored at the dinner

It was an unseasonably warm night of Nov. 20th and Suffolk County had its high school tennis girls stars colliding in one place, Villa Lomardi’s for the All Suffolk County Girls Varsity Tennis Awards Dinner, organized by the Suffolk County Girls Varsity Tennis Coaches Association. The annual event is an evening when the shining stars of local high school tennis are awarded and praised for all they put forth both on and off the court. Awards were distributed to all-division, county and state recipients for their tennis playing, but also sportsmanship awards were 68

given for each team. Each Division crowned a Coach of the Year which honored those coaches who go above and beyond their responsibilities and take their team to the next level. Community service was also recognized as all participants from ‘Play For Pink’ a Breast Cancer Awareness Doubles Event were honored and Scholar-Athlete Community Service driven Scholarships were given out to two of the finest high schoolers in the county for their fine work in the classroom and the community. Despite having to re-schedule the

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2013 • LITennisMag.com

event in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, some 400 people came out to show their support and love for the local players. The dinner was a great opportunity for these scholar-athletes to set their racquets aside and befriend the girls who in the weeks prior were standing across the net in competition, and become a family of tennis players. Adam Wolfthal is director of business development for Long Island Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by e-mail at adam@usptennis.com.

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2013 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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LITennisMag.com • January/February 2013 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

Local Juniors Find Mixed Results in Orange Bowl Doubles Finals In doubles play at the 66th singles victory of Zhao, and Annual Orange Bowl Internathe doubles win of Great tional Tennis Championships, Britain’s Katy Dunne & the seventh- seeded team of Christina Makarova (San Lamar Remy of Roslyn, Diego) over Austria’s Barbara N.Y. & Alejandro Tabilo of Haas & the Czech Republic’s Canada defeated Dennis Katerina Siniakova, the 16Uspensky of Atlantic year old Townsend solidified Beach, N.Y. & Sumit Nagal her year-end ITF number one of India, 6-3, 6-3, for the junior ranking, becoming the Boys 16s title. The 16-yearfirst American girl to hold that old Remy is currently position since Gretchen Rush ranked 567th by the ITF, in 1982. Only Siniakova, the while the 16-year-old Uscurrent world number three, pensky is ranked 352nd by could have caught Townsend the ITF. In their march to the in the year-end rankings, by 2012 Boys 16s Champiwinning the singles and douonship, Remy & Tabilo also bles titles. defeated another Long Is- Lamar Remy of Roslyn, N.Y. (left) & Alejandro Tabilo of Canada (right) de- However, Townsend was lander, Greenvale, N.Y.’s feated Dennis Uspensky of Atlantic Beach, N.Y. & Sumit Nagal of India, 6-3, 6- stopped in the semifinals of Julian Zlobinsky (along with 3, for the Boys 16s title at the 66th Annual Orange Bowl International Tennis the Girls 18s draw by evenpartner Andrey Rublev of Championships tual 2012 Orange Bowl Russia), the number two Champion, Ana Konjuh of seeds, 6-3, 6-3 in the quarterfinals. Also at the Orange Bowl, Taylor Croatia, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3. In the Boys 16s draw, Uspensky ad- Townsend (Stockbridge, Ga.), the top Jamie Loeb of Ossining, N.Y. fell to the vanced all the way to the semifinals where seed in the Girls 18s draw, grinded out a number four seeded Belinda Benic of he was defeated by eventual Boys 16s win- 7-5, 5-7, 7-6(2) victory over number five Switzerland in the second round, 6-3, 6-3 ner Rublev, 6-1, 4-6, 6-1. Carol Zhao of Canada. With Townsend’s of the Girls 18s draw.

Syosset Sportime Men’s Team Headed to USTA Eastern Championships Ian Shapiro’s Syosset Sportime team won the Long Island Region for Men’s 3.5, 4.0. & 4.5 Tri-Level 2-1 over the Klee/Nassau Indoor team. The team went undefeated for the season, winning the Long Island Championship for the second time in three years. They will now be headed to Schenectady, N.Y., Jan. 19-20, for the USTA Eastern Championships. When asked what he thought about his team and the championship Shapiro said, “This is my fourth year as the Syosset TriLevel captain, ever since Tri-Level became known as a league on Long Island, and I must say that this has been my favorite team out of all of my years of captaining. We have a lot of diverse personalities and great talent that makes us a team of one!” Congratulations to the following members of the Syosset Sportime team: Ian Shapiro, Ravi Lam, Scott Wiss, Gabe 72

Moreira, Jemal Creary, Don Rodgers, Wyn Mintz, Paul Wickesser, Allan Rosner, Miguel Gordon, Frank Bella, Scott Kirschman, Frank Schiraldi and David Block.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2013 • LITennisMag.com

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2013 • 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

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

Butch Seewagen Tennis Academy @ Rockville Centre CATS Jami Madison—Director 188 Maple Avenue • Rockville Centre, NY 11570 516-763-1299, ext. 10 • CATSRVC@gmail.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

Carefree Racquet Club Kathy Miller—Manager 1414 Jerusalem Avenue • Merrick, NY 11566 516-489-9005 • carefreetennis@aol.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

Deer Park Tennis Club Afzal Ali—Manager 30 Burt Drive • Deer Park, NY 11729 631-667-3476 • www.deerparktennis.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 Eastern Athletic Club Gary Jones—Manager 100 Ruland Road • Melville, NY 11747 631-753-3696 • easternathleticclubs.com Glen Head Racquet Club Karl Sommer: 516-676-9849 Home of Early Hit Training Center glenheadrc@verizon.net Carl Barnett: 516-455-1225 95 Glen Head Road • Glen Head, NY 11545 earlyhit@optonline.net Long Beach Tennis Center Sid Siddiqui—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 • bightennis@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

Rockville Racquet Club Colleen Woods—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 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 SPORTIME Bethpage Tennis John McEnroe Tennis Academy Mike Kossoff—Director of Tennis 101 Norcross Avenue • Bethpage, NY 11714 516-933-8500 www.SportimeNY.com/Bethpage-Tennis mkossoff@sportimeny.com

SPORTIME Kings Park Jason Wass—Director of Tennis 275 Old Indian Head Road Kings Park, NY 11754 631-269-6300 www.SportimeNY.com/Kings-Park jwass@sportimetfm.com SPORTIME Lynbrook Jeff Morys—Director of Tennis 175 Merrick Road Lynbrook, NY 11563 516-887-1330 www.SportimeNY.com/Lynbrook jmorys@sportimetfm.com SPORTIME Massapequa Jordie Dolberg—Director of Tennis 5600 Old Sunrise Highway Massapequa, NY 11758 516-799-3550 www.SportimeNY.com/Massapequa jdolberg@sportimetfm.com SPORTIME Randall’s Island Felix Alvarado—Assistant Director of Tennis 1 Randall’s Island New York, NY 10035 212-427-6150 www.SportimeNY.com/Manhattan falvarado@sportimeny.com SPORTIME Roslyn Adam Mandell—Director of Tennis Landing Road, PO Box 1 Roslyn, NY 11576 516-484-9222 www.SportimeNY.com/Roslyn amandell@sportimetfm.com SPORTIME Syosset Tennis & Multi-Sport Robert Kendrick—Director of Tennis 75 Haskett Drive Syosset, NY 11791 516-364-2727 www.SportimeNY.com/Syosset-Tennis

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

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

World Gym Bay Shore Tracie Forsythe—Director of Tennis 225 Howells Road Bay Shore, NY 11706 631-456-0994 www.WorldGymBayShore.com tracieforsythe@yahoo.com

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2013 • LITennisMag.com

LONG Boys & Girls Long Island Rankings (as of 11/14/12)

BOYS Long Island Boys 12 Singles Rank..Name ................................City 1 ........Zachary Khazzam ............Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 2 ........Tommy George Srisuro ....Garden City, N.Y. 3 ........Cameron Klepper..............Dix Hills, N.Y. 4 ........Connor Leaf ......................Dix Hills, N.Y. 5 ........Aman Sharma....................Glen Head, N.Y. 6 ........Luke Karniewich................Glen Head, N.Y. 7 ........Matthew Roberts ..............Setauket, N.Y. 8 ........Arjun Sharma ....................Glen Head, N.Y. 9 ........Abhinav Raj Srivastava ....Melville, N.Y. 10 ......Daniel Chikvashvili ............Melville, N.Y. 11 ......Maxwell Moadel ................Brookville, N.Y. 12 ......Matthew Terlovsky ............Merrick, N.Y. 13 ......Logan Paik Chang ............Old Westbury, N.Y. 14 ......Preet Rajpal ......................Syosset, N.Y. 15 ......Jack Flores ........................Huntington, N.Y. 16 ......Sol Yoon ............................Commack, N.Y. 17 ......Jackson Weisbrot..............Dix Hills, N.Y. 18 ......William Sepanski ..............Huntington, N.Y. 19 ......Benjamin Reichbach ........Syosset, N.Y. 20 ......Austin Pomerantz..............Old Westbury, N.Y. 21 ......Evan Kirsh..........................Roslyn, N.Y. 22 ......Bradford Lin ......................Kings Point, N.Y. 23 ......Daniel Meinster..................South Setauket, N.Y. 24 ......Daniel Chang ....................Manhasset, N.Y. 25 ......Matthew Catton ................Woodbury, N.Y. 26 ......Karan Amin ........................Roslyn, N.Y. 27 ......David Ammendola ............Massapequa, N.Y. 28 ......Alexander Roti ..................Locust Valley, N.Y. 29 ......Christopher Grisham ........Huntington, N.Y. 30 ......Louie Kotler........................Roslyn, N.Y. 31 ......Sangjin Song ....................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 32 ......Zachary Berlin....................Dix Hills, N.Y. 33 ......Kabir Rajpal ......................Syosset, N.Y. 34 ......Alexander Karmen ............Port Washington, N.Y. 35 ......Justin Benjamin Oresky....Syosset, N.Y. 36 ......Tyler Nierman ....................Dix Hills, N. Y. 37 ......Sujay Sharma ....................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 38 ......Niles Ghaffar ......................Massapequa, N.Y. 39 ......Michael Weitz ....................Roslyn, N.Y. 40 ......Ethan Ertel..........................Dix Hills, N.Y.

Long Island Boys 14 Singles Rank..Name ................................City 1 ........Serge Ushkevich-Zezulin..Sands Point, N.Y. 2 ........Zachary Khazzam ............Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 3 ........Jake Spencer Grossman..Sands Point, NY 4 ........Spencer Lowitt ..................Syosset, N.Y. 5 ........Matthew T. Roberts ..........Setauket, N.Y. 6 ........Joonho Ko ........................Huntington, N.Y. 7 ........Connor Leaf ......................Dix Hills, N.Y. 8 ........Marco Ammirati ................Halesite, N.Y. 9 ........Curran Varma ....................Manhasset, N.Y. 10 ......Kenneth Francis Chiu........Holtsville, N.Y. 11 ......Jay Burkett ........................Syosset, N.Y. 12 ......Jordan Diamond................Mount Sinai, N.Y. 13 ......George Carmi ....................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 14 ......George Kaslow..................Port Washington, N.Y. 15 ......Nicholas Troiano................Oakdale, N.Y. 16 ......Jake Sandler......................Lynbrook, N.Y. 17 ......Christian Esposito ............Port Washington, N.Y. 18 ......Simar Sawhney ................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 19 ......Ian Mitchell Capell ............Woodbury, N.Y. 20 ......Aaron Askowitz..................Great Neck, N.Y. 21 ......Lucas Larese DeSanto......Southampton, N.Y.

ISLAND

22 ......Vincent Chen ....................Hauppauge, N.Y. 23 ......Sangjin Song ....................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 24 ......Vincent Tozzi......................North Babylon, N.Y. 25 ......Ian Bank ............................Old Westbury, N.Y. 26 ......Austin Egna........................Port Washington, N.Y. 27 ......Jackson Weisbrot..............Dix Hills, N.Y. 28 ......Derek Menker ....................Great Neck, N.Y. 29 ......Robert Sangirardi ..............Lynbrook, N.Y. 30 ......Daniel Meinster..................South Setauket, N.Y. 31 ......Jake Cohen........................Oceanside, N.Y. 32 ......Matthew Lee Catton ........Woodbury, N.Y. 33 ......Ben Snow ..........................Water Mill, N.Y. 34 ......Maxwell Moadel ................Brookville, N.Y. 35 ......Matthew Kolkhorst............Sea Cliff, N.Y. 36 ......Jeremy Carlos ..................Dix Hills, N.Y. 37 ......Evan Nierman ....................Dix Hills, N.Y. 38 ......Pete Siozios ......................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 39 ......Timothy Serignese ............Port Washington, N.Y. 40 ......Carl Grant ..........................Water Mill, N.Y.

Long Island Boys 16 Singles Rank..Name ................................City 1 ........Matthew Bahar..................Woodbury, N.Y. 2 ........Arnav Srivastava................Melville, N.Y. 3 ........Dylan Granat......................Woodbury, N.Y. 4 ........Nick John Stamatos..........Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 5 ........Harris Durkovic..................Dix Hills, N.Y. 6 ........Cole Laffitte........................East Setauket, N.Y. 7 ........Mitchell Berger ..................Lake Grove, N.Y. 8 ........Chirag Doshi......................Sands Point, N.Y. 9 ........Zachary Chang..................Massapequa, N.Y. 10 ......George Carmi ....................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 11 ......Kenneth Fox ......................Smithown, N.Y. 12 ......Ankur Kejriwal....................Hewlett, N.Y. 13 ......Evan Kober ........................Wantagh, N.Y. 14 ......Faran Nazir ........................Deer Park, N.Y. 15 ......Jason Gerber ....................Commack, N.Y. 16 ......Joshua Fried......................Plainview, N.Y. 17 ......Zane Siddiqui ....................Long Beach, N.Y. 18 ......Jake Sandler......................Lynbrook, N.Y. 19 ......Nicholas Troiano................Oakdale, N.Y. 20 ......Austin Ash..........................Syosset, N.Y. 21 ......Benjamin Goldrich ............Syosset, N.Y. 22 ......Connor Dove ....................Baldwin, N.Y. 23 ......Mark Julian Baker ............North Baldwin, N.Y. 24 ......Evan Lowitt ........................Syosset, N.Y. 25 ......Ryan Diaz ..........................Jericho, N.Y. 26 ......Eric Ravens........................Merrick, N.Y. 27 ......Nasser Abdel Ghaffar........Massapequa, N.Y. 28 ......Braddock Chow ................Glen Cove, N.Y. 29 ......Vincent Tozzi......................North Babylon, N.Y. 30 ......Jack Ian Lindenman..........Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 31 ......Raizada Vaid......................Old Westbury, N.Y. 32 ......Cory Seltman ....................Dix Hills, N.Y. 33 ......Roger Cheng ....................Melville, N.Y. 34 ......Zachary Fu ........................Roslyn, N.Y. 35 ......Michael LeMonda ............Garden City, N.Y. 36 ......Cameron Posillico ............Bayville, N.Y. 37 ......Jeremy Grossman ............Woodbury, N.Y. 38 ......Richard Spinelli..................Sands Point, N.Y. 39 ......Matthew Holweger............Manhasset, N.Y. 40 ......Nicholas Fox......................Commack, N.Y.

Long Island Boys 18 Singles Rank..Name ................................City 1 ........Richard Liell ......................Nesconset, N.Y. 2 ........Brett Titcomb ....................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 3 ........Sander Brenner ................Port Washington, N.Y. 4 ........Michael Vera ......................Bethpage, N.Y. 5 ........Anton Averin ......................South Setauket, N.Y. 6 ........Craig Cusano ....................Bellmore, N.Y.

RANKINGS

7 ........Brian Heinze ......................Garden City, N.Y. 8 ........Samuel Hajibai ..................Kings Point, N.Y. 9 ........Marco Betito......................Floral Park, N.Y. 10 ......Connor Gehrke..................Miller Place, N.Y. 11 ......Milan Gunasekera ............Mount Sinai, N.Y. 12 ......Richard Mitchell ................Franklin Square, N.Y. 13 ......Brett Edelblum ..................Roslyn, N.Y. 14 ......Zane Siddiqui ....................Long Beach, N.Y. 15 ......Julian Koby Adler ..............Roslyn, N.Y. 16 ......Ian Baranowski..................Syosset, N.Y. 17 ......James Heaney ..................Locust Valley, N.Y. 18 ......Ronald Spinelli ..................Dix Hills, N.Y. 19 ......Jeremy Morgenbesser......Bayport, N.Y. 20 ......Roger Young......................Brookhaven, N.Y. 21 ......Kush Dave ........................Syosset, N.Y. 22 ......Dylan Ander ......................Hewlett, N.Y. 23 ......David Kim ..........................Commack, N.Y 24 ......Nasser Abdel Ghaffar........Massapequa, N.Y. 25 ......Daniel Baruch ....................East Meadow, N.Y. 26 ......Jonathan Ochoa................Hicksville, N.Y. 27 ......Zachary Romanzi ..............Brightwaters, N.Y. 28 ......Benjamin Mermelstein ......Northport, N.Y. 29 ......Troy Michael Haas ............Huntington Station, N.Y. 30 ......Donald Charles Wunder ..West Islip, N.Y. 31 ......Matthew Kantor ................Westhampton Beach, N.Y. 32 ......Anurag Thotkura................Hicksville, N.Y. 33 ......Michael LeMonda ............Garden City, N.Y.

GIRLS Long Island Girls 12 Singles Rank..Name ................................City 1 ........Ivanna Nikolic ....................Glen Head, N.Y. 2 ........Denise Lai ..........................Setauket, N.Y. 3 ........Madeline Clinton ..............Manhasset, N.Y. 4 ........Kaitlyn Byrnes....................Massapequa, N.Y. 5 ........Evangelia Frankis ..............Manhasset, N.Y. 6 ........Samantha Galu..................Jericho, N.Y. 7 ........Madison Williams ..............Glen Cove, N.Y. 8 ........Lucia Hu ............................Roslyn, N.Y. 9 ........Marina Hilbert ....................Locust Valley, N.Y. 10 ......Morgan Voulo ....................East Setauket, N.Y. 11 ......Kerri Goldfuss....................Westbury, N.Y. 12 ......Elena Vlamakis ..................Garden City, N.Y. 13 ......Sofia Anzalone ..................Center Moriches, N.Y. 14 ......Madelyn Kay Germano ....Islip, N.Y. 15 ......Alexa Bracco ....................Freeport, N.Y. 16 ......Katelyn Walker ..................Sands Point, N.Y. 17 ......Calista Sha ........................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 18 ......Christina Jud......................Glen Head, N.Y. 19 ......Madison Li ........................Old Westbury, N.Y. 20 ......Mina Sarcevic....................Dix Hills, N.Y. 21 ......Allison Cooney ..................Locust Valley, N.Y. 22 ......Giuliana Gibson ................Westbury, N.Y. 23 ......Lauren Bishop ..................Woodbury, N.Y. 24 ......Grace Riviezzo ..................Syosset, N.Y. 25 ......Katie Dzialga......................Southampton, N.Y. 26 ......Kimilya Egalite ..................West Hempstead, N.Y. 27 ......Kaitlyn Schwarz ................Oceanside, N.Y. 28 ......Ally Friedman ....................East Hampton, N.Y. 29 ......Julia Gentile ......................Rockville Center, N.Y. 30 ......Madeline Richmond..........Syosset, N.Y. 31 ......Julia Kepczynska ..............Southampton, N.Y. 32 ......Lauren Cherkin ..................Melville, N.Y. 33 ......Morena DeVito ..................Syosset, N.Y. 34 ......Hannah Vinod Abraham ..Syosset, N.Y. 35 ......Julieta Eulau ......................Long Beach, N.Y. 36 ......Gabrielle Sklar ..................Syosset, N.Y. 37 ......Alexandra Dinowitz ..........Merrick, N.Y. 38 ......Ashley Mannetta................Islip, N.Y. 39 ......Brooke Ann Fernandez ....Shirley, N.Y. 40 ......Olivia Broder ......................Setauket, N.Y.

Long Island Girls 14 Singles Rank..Name ................................City 1 ........Danielle Mirabella ..............Wantagh, N.Y. 2 ........Sabrina Ferretti ..................Setauket, N.Y. 3 ........Michelle N. Carnovale ......Massapequa, N.Y. 4 ........Rebecca Stern ..................Dix Hills, N.Y. 5 ........Adele Sukhov ....................Westbury, N.Y. 6 ........Katherine Changtroraleke..Greenvale, N.Y. 7 ........Emily Digia ........................Manhasset, N.Y. 8 ........Rachel Weiss ....................Great Neck, N.Y. 9 ........Emma Rosenberg ............Port Washington, N.Y. 10 ......Nikaylah Williams ..............Wheatley Heights, N.Y. 11 ......Jennifer Berman................Jericho, N.Y. 12 ......Grace Graham ..................Rockville Centre, N.Y. 13 ......Elizabeth Sossan ..............Valley Stream, N.Y. 14 ......Emily Feingold ..................Roslyn, N.Y. 15 ......Jennifer Wang....................Dix Hills, N.Y. 16 ......Ellen Huhulea ....................Rockville Centre, N.Y. 17 ......Stephanie Cole..................Manhasset, N.Y. 18 ......Morgan Voulo ....................East Setauket, N.Y. 19 ......Gabrielle Raziel..................Melville, N.Y. 20 ......Mara Stewart ....................Oceanside, N.Y. 21 ......Courtney Connors ............Manhasset, N.Y. 22 ......Rachel Collins....................Port Jefferson, N.Y. 23 ......Sophie Grace Wilson ........Oyster Bay, N.Y. 24 ......Elena Vlamakis ..................Garden City, N.Y. 25 ......Nicole Vassalle ..................Port Washington, N.Y. 26 ......Danah Han ........................Dix Hills, N.Y. 27 ......Emily Shutman ..................Huntington, N.Y. 28 ......Kerri Leah Goldfuss ..........Westbury, N.Y. 29 ......Theodora Brebenel ..........Glen Head, N.Y. 30 ......Olivia Scordo ....................Glen Head, N.Y. 31 ......Devika Kedia......................East Norwich, N.Y. 32 ......Ariana Fixon-Owoo ..........Lynbrook, N.Y. 33 ......Laura Halsey......................Westhampton, N.Y. 34 ......Kimilya Egalite ..................West Hempstead, N.Y. 35 ......Marina Hilbert ....................Locust Valley, N.Y. 36 ......Katelyn Walker ..................Sands Point, N.Y. 37 ......Trinity Chow ......................Glen Cove, N.Y. 38 ......Rosa LaCorte ....................Merrick, N.Y. 39 ......Fiona Stocks-Lyons ..........Glen Cove, N.Y. 40 ......Christina Jud......................Glen Head, N.Y.

Long Island Girls 16 Singles Rank..Name ................................City 1 ........Danielle Mirabella ..............Wantagh, N.Y. 2 ........Rebecca Stern ..................Dix Hills, N.Y. 3 ........Sarah Seeman ..................Port Washington, N.Y. 4 ........Sabrina Ferretti ..................Setauket, N.Y. 5 ........Katherine Changtroraleke..Greenvale, N.Y. 6 ........Lauren Difazio....................Greenlawn, N.Y. 7 ........Allison Gabrielle Huber ....Melville, N.Y. 8 ........Julia Khan ..........................Port Washington, N.Y. 9 ........Michelle Haykin ................Great Neck, N.Y. 10 ......Stacy Denbaum ................Syosset, N.Y. 11 ......Grace Graham ..................Rockville Centre, N.Y. 12 ......Elena Nastasi ....................Bayville, N.Y. 13 ......Alexandra Lipps ................Roslyn, N.Y. 14 ......Laura Torsiello....................Bayport, N.Y. 15 ......Claudia Ruiz ......................Glen Head, N.Y. 16 ......Alexandra Linder ..............Sands Point, N.Y. 17 ......Taylor Sim ..........................Plainview, N.Y. 18 ......Stefanie Ebo ......................Sayville, N.Y. 19 ......Angelika Rothberg ............Centerport, N.Y. 20 ......Emily Rees ........................Rockville Centre, N.Y. 21 ......Elizabeth Kallenberg..........Port Washington, N.Y. 22 ......Gina Ciliberti ......................West Islip, N.Y. 23 ......Rini Halder ........................Huntington, N.Y. 24 ......Courtney Connors ............Manhasset, N.Y. 25 ......Taylor Cosme ....................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 26 ......Lindsay Haley ....................Hicksville, N.Y.

LITennisMag.com â&#x20AC;˘ January/February 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ Long Island Tennis Magazine

LONG 27 ......Sophie Grace Wilson ........Oyster Bay, N.Y. 28 ......Gina Paprella ....................Saint James, N.Y. 29 ......Alana Weitz ........................Roslyn, N.Y. 30 ......Caitlin Falvey......................Setauket, N.Y. 31 ......Teresa Dorothy Pinnola ....Islip, N.Y. 32 ......Michelle Carnovale............Massapequa, N.Y. 33 ......Jamie Brown......................Huntington, N.Y. 34 ......Elizabeth Gee ....................Garden City, N.Y. 35 ......Rhianna Fitzpatrick............Saint James, N.Y. 36 ......Campbell Howe ................Locust Valley, N.Y. 37 ......Kathryn Sinicropi ..............Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 38 ......Alexandra Dananberg ......Massapequa, N.Y. 39 ......Jacqueline Ann Buzaid ....Lake Grove, N.Y.

Long Island Girls 18 Singles Rank..Name ................................City 1 ........Olivia Ammirati ..................Halesite, N.Y. 2 ........Kerrin Toner........................West Babylon, N.Y. 3 ........Veronika Paikin ..................Valley Stream, N.Y. 4 ........Cameron Leigh Moskol ....Wantagh, N.Y. 5 ........Emma Brezel ....................Port Washington, N.Y. 6 ........Jennifer A. Carnovale........Massapequa, N.Y. 7 ........Bianca Posa ......................Valley Stream, N.Y. 8 ........Elena Nastasi ....................Bayville, N.Y. 9 ........Laura Torsiello....................Bayport, N.Y. 10 ......Kaitlyn Mead......................Manorville, N.Y. 11 ......Amanda Gaimaro..............Lynbrook, N.Y.

Boys & Girls Sectional Rankings (as of 11/15/12)

BOYS Sectional Boys 12 Singles— Long Island Region Rank Name ............................City 2 ........Brian Shi ............................Jericho, N.Y. 3 ........Cannon Kingsley ..............Northport, N.Y. 5 ........Daniel Eric Pellerito ..........Syosset, N.Y. 6 ........Steven Well Sun ................Glen Cove, N.Y. 8 ........Ronald P. Hohmann ..........Oyster Bay, N.Y. 10 ......Ryan Goetz........................Greenlawn, N.Y. 16 ......Patrick F. Maloney ............Oyster Bay, N.Y. 17 ......Michael Medvedev............Oceanside, N.Y. 20 ......Gardner Howe ..................Locust Valley, N.Y. 29 ......Billy G. Suarez ..................Huntington, N.Y. 32 ......Neel Raj..............................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 34 ......Benjamin Grossman ........Sands Point, N.Y. 37 ......Abhinav Srivastava............Melville, N.Y. 41 ......Spencer Brachman ..........Commack, N.Y. 54 ......Sujay Sharma ....................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 64 ......Niles Ghaffar ......................Massapequa, N.Y. 69 ......Oliver Worth ......................Locust Valley, N.Y. 74 ......Karan Amin ........................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 80 ......Kabir Rajpal ......................Syosset, N.Y. 82 ......Jeffrey McDonnell ............Glen Cove, N.Y. 84 ......Logan Paik Chang ............Old Westbury, N.Y. 87 ......Preet Rajpal ......................Syosset, N.Y. 94 ......Maxwell Moadel ................Brookville, N.Y. 96 ......Eli Grossman ....................Woodbury, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 14 Singles— Long Island Region Rank Name ............................City 5 ........Brenden Andrew Volk ......Dix Hills, N.Y. 12 ......Athell Bennett ....................Valley Stream, N.Y. 17 ......Keegan Morris ..................Franklin Square, N.Y. 18 ......Chris Kuhnle ......................Shoreham, N.Y. 19 ......Alan Delman ......................Great Neck, N.Y. 20 ......Sean Patrick ......................Oyster Bay, N.Y.

ISLAND

23 ......Sean Mullins ......................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 27 ......Finbar Talcott ....................Sea Cliff, N.Y. 36 ......Daniel Shleimovich............Merrick, N.Y. 48 ......Nasser Ghaffar ..................Massapequa Park, N.Y. 52 ......Alex Grossman..................Sands Point, N.Y. 53 ......Ryan Goetz........................Greenlawn, N.Y. 54 ......Colin Francis Sacco..........Brightwaters, N.Y. 55 ......Rajan Vohra ......................Glen Head, N.Y. 63 ......Nicolas Demaria ................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 67 ......Pete Siozios ......................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 69 ......Yuval Solomon ..................Plainview, N.Y. 77 ......Del Schunk ........................Westhampton Beach, N.Y. 82 ......Ben Snow ..........................Water Mill, N.Y. 96 ......Daniel Weitz ......................Roslyn, N.Y. 98 ......Austin Egna........................Port Washington, N.Y. 100 ....Patrick Maloney ................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 103 ....Mark Baker ........................North Baldwin, N.Y. 106 ....Ronald Hohmann..............Oyster Bay, N.Y. 107 ....Andy Zhou ........................Commack, N.Y. 111 ....Daniel Eric Pellerito ..........Syosset, N.Y. 113 ....Aziz Rashidzada................Dix Hills, N.Y. 121 ....Brian Shi ............................Jericho, N.Y. 124 ....James Kyrkanides ............Stony Brook, N.Y. 128 ....Lucas Larese DeSanto......Southampton, N.Y. 135 ....Joonho Ko ........................Huntington, N.Y. 136 ....Timothy Serignese ..........Port Washington, N.Y. 137 ....Max Egna ..........................Port Washington, N.Y. 140 ....Daniel Meinster..................South Setauket, N.Y. 147 ....George Kaslow..................Port Washington, N.Y. 154 ....Matthew Porges................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 155 ....Gardner Howe ..................Locust Valley, N.Y. 156 ....Jake Cohen........................Oceanside, N.Y. 162 ....Zane Siddiqui ....................Long Beach, N.Y. 166 ....Steven Sun ........................Glen Cove, N.Y. 167 ....Jack Briamonte ................Great Neck, N.Y. 171 ....Carl Grant ..........................Water Mill, N.Y. 172 ....Spencer Lowitt ..................Syosset, N.Y. 177 ....Brady Berman ..................Glen Head, N.Y. 180 ....Serge Ushkevich-Zezulin..Sands Point, N,Y, 182 ....Benjamin Tenner................Roslyn, N.Y. 190 ....Curran Varma ....................Manhasset, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 16 Singles— Long Island Region Rank Name ............................City 1 ........Josh Silverstein ................Great Neck, N.Y. 2 ........Daniel Grunberger ............Great Neck, N.Y. 10 ......Alexander Lebedev ..........Island Park, N.Y. 27 ......Eric Wagner ......................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 32 ......Zain Ali ..............................Dix Hills, N.Y. 34 ......Lubomir Cuba....................Massapequa Park, N.Y. 36 ......Bryant Born ......................Manhasset, N.Y. 40 ......Brenden Volk ....................Dix Hills, N.Y. 48 ......Jared R. Halstrom ............Bellmore, N.Y. 54 ......Jonathan Paris ..................Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 55 ......Dylan Appel ......................Locust Valley, N.Y. 61 ......Kyle Alper ..........................Dix Hills, N.Y. 62 ......Justin Park ........................Huntington, N.Y. 65 ......Fernando Fernandes Filho....East Hampton, N.Y. 70 ......Tripp Tuff ............................Bridgehampton, N.Y. 73 ......Benjamin Rosen................Port Washington, N.Y. 74 ......Lamar Remy ......................Roslyn, N.Y. 75 ......Jesse Levitin......................Manhasset, N.Y. 83 ......Cory Seltman ....................Dix Hills, N.Y. 84 ......Conor Mullins ....................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 88 ......Nasser Abdel Ghaffar........Massapequa, N.Y. 90 ......Cole Laffitte........................East Setauket, N.Y. 99 ......Palmer Clare ......................North Bellmore, N.Y.

RANKINGS

Sectional Boys 18 Singles— Long Island Region

Sectional Girls 16 Singles— Long Island Region

Rank Name ............................City

1 ........Josh Levine........................Syosset, N.Y. 5 ........Vihar Shah..........................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 6 ........Andrew Yaraghi ................Mill Neck, N.Y. 8 ........Noah Rubin........................Rockville Centre, N.Y. 12 ......Samuel Lam ......................Old Westbury, N.Y. 17 ......Ethan Bogard ....................Lido Beach, N.Y. 20 ......Aidan Talcott......................Sea Cliff, N.Y. 25 ......Josh Silverstein ................Great Neck, N.Y. 27 ......Conor Dauer ......................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 28 ......Eric Rubin ..........................Lido Beach, N.Y. 37 ......Alex Sacher........................Glen Head, N.Y. 39 ......Brendan Henry ..................Massapequa, N.Y. 44 ......Zachary Lessen ................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 45 ......Ofir Solomon......................Plainview, N.Y. 52 ......Dylan Appel ......................Locust Valley, N.Y. 54 ......Philip Antohi ......................Glen Head, N.Y. 56 ......Austin Davidow ................Glen Head, N.Y. 63 ......Tyler J. Hoffman ................Sayville, N.Y. 66 ......Kevin Katz..........................Woodbury, N.Y. 76 ......John D’Alessandro............Northport, N.Y. 80 ......Matthew Demichiel ..........Hewlett, N.Y. 81 ......Howard J. Weiss ..............Great Neck, N.Y. 82 ......Daniel Grunberger ............Great Neck, N.Y. 87 ......Sander Brenner ................Port Washington, N.Y. 94 ......Brandon Stone ..................Melville, N.Y. 96 ......Jeffrey Cherkin ..................Melville, N.Y. 99 ......Brian Slivonik ....................Oyster Bay, N.Y.

14 ......Amber Policare..................East Atlantic Beach, N.Y. 20 ......Madison Battaglia ............Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 23 ......Bridget Elaine Harding......Northport, N.Y. 25 ......Sunaina Vohra ..................Glen Head, N.Y. 27 ......Mia M. Vecchio..................Manhasset Hills, N.Y. 28 ......Alexa Graham....................Garden City, N.Y. 33 ......Aimee N. Manfredo ..........Shoreham, N.Y. 34 ......Danielle Giannetti ..............Oyster Bay, N.Y. 52 ......Lauren Ann Livingston ......Sands Point, N.Y. 53 ......Claire Handa......................Point Lookout, N.Y. 60 ......Paulina Tafler......................Oceanside, N.Y. 64 ......Olivia Funk ........................Hicksville, N.Y. 69 ......Michele Lehat ....................Great Neck, N.Y. 70 ......Claudia M. Ruiz ................Glen Head, N.Y. 71 ......Esther Chikvashvili ............Melville, N.Y. 79 ......Taylor Cosme ....................New Hyde park, N.Y. 89 ......Nicole Koskovolis..............Manhasset, N.Y. 93 ......Alexandra Linder ..............Sands Point, N.Y.

GIRLS Sectional Girls 12 Singles— Long Island Region Rank Name ............................City 1 ........Hannah Zhao ....................Syosset, N.Y. 4 ........Lea Ma ..............................Dix Hills, N.Y. 21 ......Alexa Susan Goetz............Greenlawn, N.Y. 27 ......Olivia Rose Scordo ..........Glen Head, N.Y. 34 ......Merri Kelly ..........................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 35 ......Katelyn Walker ..................Sands Point, N.Y. 36 ......Francesca Karman............Port Washington, N.Y. 41 ......Maryam Beshir Ahmad ....Albertson, N.Y. 48 ......Julia Kielan ........................Valley Stream, N.Y. 68 ......Trinity Chow ......................Glen Cove, N.Y. 86 ......Madison Williams ..............Glen Cove, N.Y. 91 ......Kimberly Liao ....................Commack, N.Y. 95 ......Gabriela Sciarrotta ............Woodmere, N.Y. 96 ......Lucia Hu ............................Roslyn, N.Y. 100 ....Celeste Wang Traub..........Jericho, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 14 Singles— Long Island Region

Sectional Girls 18 Singles— Long Island Region Rank Name ............................City 6 ........Hannah L. Camhi ..............Woodbury, N.Y. 10 ......Vivian Cheng......................Woodbury, N.Y. 12 ......Sophie Barnard ................Mill Neck, N.Y. 14 ......Katherine Yau ....................Manhasset, N.Y. 20 ......Aleksandra Mally ..............Franklin Square, N.Y. 27 ......Nicholle Torres ..................North Hills, N.Y. 33 ......Mia Vecchio ......................Manhasset Hills, N.Y. 40 ......Julia Elbaba ......................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 41 ......Sunaina Vohra ..................Glen Head, N.Y. 52 ......Sara Finger ........................Saint James, N.Y. 55 ......Claudia Ruiz ......................Glen Head, N.Y. 56 ......Aimee Manfredo................Shoreham, N.Y. 62 ......Alexa Graham....................Garden City, N.Y. 70 ......Rithika Reddy ....................Syosset, N.Y. 72 ......Morgan Feldman ..............Glen Head, N.Y. 76 ......Taylor Diffley ......................Hampton Bays, N.Y. 78 ......Yuliya Astapova ................Port Washington, N.Y. 81 ......Laura Torsiello....................Bayport, N.Y. 84 ......Gabrielle Leon ..................Woodmere, N.Y. 87 ......Esther Chikvashvili ............Melville, N.Y. 88 ......Zenat Rashidzada ............Dix Hills, N.Y. 89 ......Paulina Tafler......................Oceanside, N.Y. 90 ......Melissa Carlay ..................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 92 ......Olivia Ammirati ..................Halesite, N.Y. 93 ......Bianca Posa ......................Valley Stream, N.Y. 96 ......Amber Nicole Policare ......East Atlantic Beach, N.Y. 99 ......Claire Handa......................Point Lookout, N.Y.

Rank Name ............................City 5 ........Amber Nicole Policare ......East Atlantic Beach, N.Y. 8 ........Madison Battaglia ............Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y 11 ......Claire Handa......................Rockville Centre, N.Y. 12 ......Alexa Graham....................Garden City, N.Y. 33 ......Ashley Lessen ..................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 41 ......Esther Chikvashvili ............Syosset, N.Y. 42 ......Stephanie Chikvashvili......Melville, N.Y. 48 ......Celeste Rose Matute ........Oyster Bay, N.Y. 52 ......Courtney Kowalsky ..........Oyster Bay, N.Y. 74 ......Amanda Allison Foo..........Manhasset, N.Y. 79 ......Dominique Woinarowski ..Syosset, N.Y. 80 ......Adele Sukhov ....................Westbury, N.Y. 82 ......Brynn Maris April ..............Dix Hills, N.Y. 85 ......Hannah Zhao ....................Melville, N.Y. 88 ......Dasha Dlin..........................Glen Head, N.Y. 94 ......Lea Ma ..............................Dix Hills, N.Y. 96 ......Ellen Nicole Huhulea ........Rockville Centre, N.Y.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2013 • LITennisMag.com

Boys & Girls National Rankings (as of 12/19/12)

BOYS

National Boys 12 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name ............................City 9 ........Brian Shi ............................Jericho, N.Y. 14 ......Steven Well Sun ................Glen Cove, N.Y. 32 ......Daniel Eric Pellerito ..........Syosset, N.Y. 42 ......Ronald P.Hohmann ..........Oyster Bay, N.Y. 54 ......Cannon Kingsley ..............Northport, N.Y. 67 ......Patrick Maloney ................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 163 ....Billy Suarez ........................Huntington, N.Y. 173 ....Michael Medvedev............Oceanside, N.Y. 228 ....Gardner Howe ..................Locust Valley, N.Y.

LONG

Rank Name ............................City

GIRLS

National Girls 12 Singles— Long Island Players Rank Name ............................City

Rank Name ............................City 70 ......Hannah L. Camhi ..............Woodbury, N.Y. 81 ......Julia Elbaba ......................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 136 ....Sophie Barnard ................Mill Neck, N.Y. 155 ....Vivan Cheng ......................Woodbury, N.Y. 167 ....Katherine Yau ....................Manhasset, N.Y. 632 ....Nicholle Torres ..................North Hills, N.Y. 757 ....Aleksandra Mally ..............Franklin Square, N.Y. 790 ....Morgan Feldman ..............Glen Head, N.Y. 973 ....Rithika Reddy ....................Syosset, N.Y. 1070 ..Claudia Ruiz ......................Glen Head, N.Y. 1088 ..Sunaina Vohra ..................Glen Head, N.Y. 1142 ..Zenat Rashidzada ............Dix Hills, N.Y. 1177 ..Taylor Diffley ......................Hampton Bays, N.Y. 1262 ..Amber Nicole Policare ......East Atlantic Beach, N.Y. 1368 ..Mia Vecchio ......................Manhasset Hills, N.Y. 1529 ..Alison Wang ......................Great Neck, N.Y. 1532 ..Stephanie Loutsenko........Bellmore, N.Y. 1561 ..Melissa G. Carlay ..............New Hyde Park, N.Y. 1573 ..Sara Finger ........................Saint James, N.Y.

•

ted Sports

USP

55 ......Madison Battaglia ............Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 79 ......Amber Nicole Policare ......East Atlantic Beach, N.Y. 80 ......Alexa Graham....................Garden City, N.Y. 151 ....Claire Handa......................Point Lookout, N.Y.

Uni

Rank Name ............................City

National Girls 18 Singles— Long Island Players

ions, Lt

National Girls 14 Singles— Long Island Players

229 ....Madison Battaglia ............Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 254 ....Bridget Harding ................Northport, N.Y. 338 ....Aimee Manfredo................Shoreham, N.Y. 348 ....Amber Policare..................East Atlantic Beach, N.Y. 405 ....Danielle Giannetti ..............Oyster Bay, N.Y. 442 ....Sunaina Vohra ..................Glen Head, N.Y. 654 ....Mia Vecchio ......................Manhasset Hills, N.Y. 694 ....Paulina Tafler......................Oceanside, N.Y. 699 ....Olivia Funk ........................Hicksville, N.Y. 781 ....Claudia Ruiz ......................Glen Head, N.Y. 829 ....Taylor Cosme ....................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 861 ....Julia Khan ..........................Port Washington, N.Y. 891 ....Alexa Graham....................Garden City, N.Y. 1224 ..Lauren Ann ......................Livingston, N.Y. 1262 ..Katie Jane Cirella ..............Woodbury, N.Y. 1337 ..Claire Handa......................Point Lookout, N.Y. 1382 ..Nicole Koskovolis..............Manhasset, N.Y. 1432 ..Karen Serina ......................Islip Terrace, N.Y.

licat

13 ......Hannah Zhao ....................Melville, N.Y. 41 ......Lea Ma ..............................Dix Hills, N.Y. 170 ....Alexa Goetz ......................Greenlawn, N.Y. 309 ....Merri Kelly ..........................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 327 ....Francesca Karman............Port Washington, N.Y. 439 ....Katelyn Walker ..................Sands Point, N.Y. 639 ....Julia Kielan ........................Valley Stream, N.Y. 651 ....Maryam Beshir Ahmad ....Albertson, N.Y. 668 ....Rachel Arbitman................Hewlett, N.Y. 713 ....Rebecca Suarez................Huntington, N.Y. 784 ....Celeste Wang Traub..........Jericho, N.Y. 800 ....Kimberly Liao ....................Commack, N.Y. 1111 ..Trinity Chow ......................Glen Head, N.Y. 1140 ..Madison Williams ..............Glen Cove, N.Y.

Rank Name ............................City

29 ......Josh Silverstein ................Great Neck, N.Y. 32 ......Daniel Grunberger ............Great Neck, N.Y. 36 ......Dennis Uspensky ..............Atlantic Beach, N.Y. 103 ....Alexander Lebedev ..........Island Park, N.Y. 146 ....Lamar Remy ......................Roslyn, N.Y. 329 ....Julian Alexi Zlobinsky........Greenvale, N.Y. 371 ....Jonathan Paris ..................Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 384 ....Brenden Andrew Volk ......Dix Hills, N.Y. 391 ....Eric Wagner ......................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 456 ....Jared Halstrom..................Bellmore, N.Y. 462 ....Bryant Born ......................Manhasset, N.Y. 557 ....Lubomir Cuba....................Massapequa Park, N.Y. 596 ....Zain Ali ..............................Dix Hills, N.Y. 757 ....Conor Mullins ....................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 769 ....Benjamin Rosen................Port Washington, N.Y. 1096 ..Kyle Alper ..........................Dix Hills, N.Y. 1190 ..Palmer Clare ......................North Bellmore, N.Y. 1204 ..Jesse Levitin......................Manhasset, N.Y. 1207 ..Sean Mullins ......................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 1266 ..Dylan Davis........................Dix Hills, N.Y. 1346 ..Henry Tell ..........................Woodbury, N.Y. 1350 ..Andy Zhou ........................Commack, N.Y. 1355 ..Fernando Fernandes Filho..East Hampton, N.Y. 1358 ..Scott Kim ..........................Melville, N.Y. 1370 ..Brian Shi ............................Jericho, N.Y. 1385 ..Alex Brebenel ....................Glen Head, N.Y.

National Girls 16 Singles— Long Island Players

National Boys 16 Singles— Long Island Players

3 ........Noah B. Rubin ..................Rockville Centre, N.Y. 21 ......Josh M. Levine ..................Syosset, N.Y. 175 ....Andrew S. Yaraghi ............Mill Neck, N.Y. 209 ....Samuel Lam ......................Old Westbury, N.Y. 239 ....Howard J. Weiss ..............Great Neck, N.Y. 255 ....Vihar Shah..........................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 276 ....Lamar Remy ......................Roslyn, N.Y. 309 ....Josh Silverstein ................Great Neck, N.Y. 348 ....Dennis Uspensky ..............Atlantic Beach, N.Y. 353 ....Aidan Talcott......................Sea Cliff, N.Y. 468 ....Daniel Grundberger ..........Great Neck, N.Y. 518 ....Conor Dauer ......................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 548 ....Brendan Henry ..................Massapequa, N.Y. 582 ....Ethan Bogard ....................Lido Beach, N.Y. 614 ....Alex Sacher........................Glen Head, N.Y. 639 ....Philip Daniel Antohi ..........Glen Head, N.Y. 661 ....Ofir Solomon......................Plainview, N.Y. 878 ....Austin Davidow ................Glen Head, N.Y. 932 ....Brandon T. Stone ..............Melville, N.Y. 1151 ..Dylan Hobbs Appel ..........Locust Valley, N.Y. 1158 ..Alexander Schidlovsky......Sea Cliff, N.Y. 1229 ..Brian Slivonik ....................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 1233 ..Jeremy Dubin ....................Southampton, N.Y. 1322 ..Tyler Hoffman ....................Sayville, N.Y. 1328 ..John P. D’Alessandro........Northport, N.Y. 1392 ..Zachary Lessen ................Old Westbury, N.Y. 1575 ..Matthew Demichiel ..........Hewlett, N.Y. 1636 ..Benjamin Rosen................Port Washington, N.Y. 1753 ..Jared Halstrom..................Bellmore, N.Y. 1799 ..Jeffrey Cherkin ..................Melville, N.Y. 1869 ..Alexander Lebedev ..........Island Park, N.Y. 2011 ..Sander Brenner ................Port Washington, N.Y.

ions, Lt

45 ......Brenden Andrew Volk ......Dix Hills, N.Y. 154 ....Athell Patrick Bennett ......Valley Stream, N.Y. 160 ....Sean Patrick ......................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 169 ....Chris Kuhnle ......................Shoreham, N.Y. 199 ....Sean Mullins ......................Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. 242 ....Colin Sacco ......................Brightwaters, N.Y. 277 ....Ryan Goetz........................Greenlawn, N.Y. 326 ....Finbar Talcott ....................Sea Cliff, N.Y. 385 ....Alan Delman ......................Great Neck, N.Y. 414 ....Keegan Morris ..................Franklin Square, N.Y. 693 ....Daniel Shleimovich............Merrick, N.Y. 878 ....Rajan Jai Vohra..................Glen Head, N.Y. 915 ....Nicolas Demaria ................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 938 ....Alex Grossman..................Sands Point, N.Y. 998 ....Aziz Rashidzada................Dix Hills, N.Y. 1070 ..Andy Zhou ........................Commack, N.Y. 1076 ..Brian Shi ............................Jericho, N.Y. 1099 ..Patrick Maloney ................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 1177 ..Pete Siozios ......................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 1188 ..Carl Grant ..........................Water Mill, N.Y. 1329 ..Daniel Pellerito ..................Syosset, N.Y. 1495 ..Noah Reisch ......................Floral Park, N.Y. 1537 ..Jack Aaron Briamonte ......Great Neck, N.Y.

Rank Name ............................City

licat

Rank Name ............................City

National Boys 18 Singles— Long Island Players

479 ....Celeste Rose Matute ........Oyster Bay, N.Y. 592 ....Esther Chikvashvili ............Melville, N.Y. 613 ....Hannah Zhao ....................Melville, N.Y. 617 ....Ashley Lessen ..................Roslyn Hts, N.Y. 656 ....Courtney Kowalsky ..........Oyster Bay, N.Y. 811 ....Dominique Woinarowski ..Syosset, N.Y. 1136 ..Stephanie Chikvashvili......Melville, N.Y. 1204 ..Theodora Brebenel ..........Glen Head, N.Y. 1227 ..Morgan Herrmann ............Garden City, N.Y. 1298 ..Josephine Winters ............Elmont, N.Y. 1368 ..Jasmine Olivia Abidi..........Glen Head, N.Y. 1377 ..Adele Sukhov ....................Westbury, N.Y.

nited Sports P

National Boys 14 Singles— Long Island Players

1396 ..Cory Seltman ....................Dix Hills, N.Y. 1397 ..Cooper Francis Lacetera ..Speonk, N.Y. 1516 ..Sean Patrick ......................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 1540 ..Nasser Abdel Ghaffar........Massapequa, N.Y. 1612 ..Travis Leaf..........................Dix Hills, N.Y. 1746 ..Colin Francis Sacco..........Brightwaters, N.Y. 1779 ..Chris Kuhnle ......................Shoreham, N.Y. 1787 ..Del Schunk ........................Westhampton Beach, N.Y. 1806 ..Cole Laffitte........................East Setauket, N.Y.

RANKINGS

•U

233 ....Neel Raj..............................Oyster Bay, N.Y. 256 ....Benjamin Grossman ........Sands Point, N.Y. 275 ....Abhinav Raj Srivastava ....Melville, N.Y. 418 ....Niles Ghaffar ......................Massapequa, N.Y. 522 ....Spencer Brachman ..........Commack, N.Y. 732 ....Oliver Worth ......................Locust Valley, N.Y. 840 ....Sujay Sharma ....................New Hyde Park, N.Y. 864 ....Maxwell Moadel ................Brookville, N.Y. 865 ....Karan Amin ........................Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 985 ....Alexander Roti ..................Locust Valley, N.Y. 1000 ..Sol Yoon ............................Commack, N.Y. 1002 ..Benjamin Reichbach ........Syosset, N.Y. 1162 ..Logan Paik Chang ............Old Westbury, N.Y. 1232 ..Zachary Khazzam ............Roslyn Heights, N.Y. 1239 ..Kabir Rajpal ......................Syosset, N.Y.

ISLAND

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2013 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

USTA/Long Island Region 2013

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. JANUARY 2013 Friday-Sunday, January 11-13 L2O Kings Park Sportime January Open Sportime Kings Park 275 Old Indianhead Road • Kings Park, N.Y. Divisions: BG(14-12)s, SE; QuickStart: BG(10 [60’Court/Orange Ball])s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Jan.4 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 484-9222. Friday-Sunday, January 11-13 L2O Eastern Athletic Winter Open Eastern Athletic Clubs 9 Montauk Highway, Unit A Blue Point, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate: BG(14-12)s, SE Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Saturday, Jan. 5 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (631) 363-2882. Friday-Sunday, January 11-13 L2O Glen Head Racquet Club Open Glen Head Racquet Club 95 Glen Head Road Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: BG(16)s, SE Surface Type: Hard Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Jan. 4 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516)676-9849. Friday-Monday, January 11-14 L1B Sportime Bethpage January 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 Wednesday, Jan. 2 at 5:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 933-8500. Friday-Sunday, January 11-13 LiB Sportime Massapequa January Challenger Sportime Massapequa 5600 Old Sunrise Highway Massapequa, N.Y. Divisions: BG(18)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Wednesday, Jan. 2 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 799-3550.

Friday-Sunday, January 11-13 & Friday-Monday, January 18-21 +L1 Sportime Bethpage Eastern Designated Closed Championship USTA L4 FIC Sportime Tennis Bethpage 101 Norcross Avenue Bethpage, N.Y. Divisions: Grand Prix: G(18)s, FIC; G(18)d, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Dec. 31 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 933-8500.

Friday-Sunday, January 11-13 & Friday-Monday January 18-21 +L1 Huntington Eastern Designated Closed Championships L4 FIC Huntington Indoor Tennis 100 Broadway Huntington Station, N.Y. Divisions: Grand Prix: G(12)s, FIC; G(12)d, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.24 per player singles and $28.00 for first doubles (deadline for entries is Monday, Dec. 31 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (631) 421-0040.

Friday-Sunday, January 11-13 & Friday-Monday, January 18-21 +L1 RWTTC Eastern Designated Closed Chmps L4 FIC Robbie Wagner’s TTC at Glen Cove C/o Scott Axler/Robbie Wagner/Annelies Karp 60 Sea Cliff Avenue Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Grand Prix: B(16)s, FIC; B(16)d, SE Surface Type: Unkown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player for singles and $28 for first doubles (deadline for entries is Monday, Dec. 31 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 799-0505.

Friday-Sunday, January 11-13 & Friday-Monday January 18-21 +L1 Deer Park Eastern Designated Closed Championships L4 FIC Deer Park Tennis Center 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 and $28 for first doubles (deadline for entries is Friday, Dec. 28 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (631) 667-3476.

Friday-Sunday, January 11-13 & Friday-Monday January 18-21 +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 singles player and $28 for first doubles (deadline for entries is Monday, Dec. 31 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 536-2323. Friday-Sunday, January 11-13 & Friday-Monday January 18-21 +L1 Sportime Roslyn Eastern Designated Closed Championships L4 FIC Sportime Landing Road PO Box #1, Landing Road Roslyn, N.Y. Divisions: Grand Prix: G(14)s, FIC; G(14)d, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Dec.31 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 484-9222.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2013 • LITennisMag.com

Friday-Sunday, January 18-20 L1B Kings Park Sportime Challenger 275 Old Indianhead Road Kings Park, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger: BG(14)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Jan. 11 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information call (516) 484-9222. Friday-Monday, January 18-21 L1B Ross School Tennis Academy Winter Challenger Ross School Tennis Academy 18 Goodfriend Drive East Hampton, N.Y. Divisions: Championships: BG(18-12)s, SE Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Jan. 14 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (631) 907-5162. Friday-Sunday, January 18-20 L2R Sportime Syosset Winter Regional 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 singles (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Jan. 8 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 364-2727.

USTA/Long Island Region 2013

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. Friday-Sunday, January 18-20 L2R Sportime Massapequa Winter Regional Sportime Massapequa 5600 Old Sunrise Highway Massapequa, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate: BG(14-12)s, SE Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Jan. 8 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 799-3550.

Friday-Sunday, January 25-27 L1 RSTA Winter Championships Ross School Tennis Academy 18 Goodfriend Drive East Hampton, N.Y. Divisions: Championships: BG(18,14-12)s, SE Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Jan. 21 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (631) 907-5162.

Saturday, January 19 8U Playday & 10U L3 UPS at Sportime Syosset Sportime Syosset 75 Haskett Drive Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Novice: QuickStart BG(10 [60’Court/Orange Ball] ,8 [36’Court/Red Ball])s, RR Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $43.50 per player singles (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Jan. 15 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 364-2727.

Friday-Sunday, January 25-27 Huntington Men’s Open Singles Winter Championships Huntington Indoor Tennis 100 Broadway • 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. 21 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (631) 421-0040.

Friday-Sunday, January 25-27 L3 Sportime Kings Park January Green-Orange Ball UPS Sportime Kings Park 275 Old Indianhead Road • Kings Park, N.Y. Divisions: BG(14-12)s, RR; QuickStart BG(10 [60’Court/ Orange Ball])s, RR Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Jan. 18 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 484-9222. Friday-Sunday, January 25-27 L2O Glen Head Racquet Club’s Winter Open Glen Head Racquet Club 95 Glen Head Road Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: BG(14)s, SE Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $58.82 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Jan. 18 at 10:00 a.m.) For more information, call (516) 676-9849. Friday-Sunday, January 25-27 L1B Sportime Syosset January Challenger Sportime Syosset 75 Haskett Drive Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: BG(16)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Jan. 15 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 364-2727.

Saturday-Monday, January 26-28 USTA Regional Tournament Segment–January (Glen Cove) Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenue • Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Novice: B(16-14)s, FIC; B(16-14)d, SE Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Thursday, Jan. 3 at 11:59 a.m.) For more information, call (516)759-0505. FEBRUARY 2013 Friday-Sunday, February 1-3 & Friday-Sunday, February 8-10 L2R Long Island Regional at Deer Park Deer Park Tennis Center 30 Burt Drive • Deer Park, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate: BG(18-12)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Jan. 25 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (631) 667-3476. Friday-Monday, February 1-4 & Friday-Sunday, February 8-10 +Fabulous February Jericho Westbury Tennis 44 Jericho Turnpike Jericho, N.Y. Divisions: Ranked: M(25,45,55-65)sd, FMLC Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Open: $65 per player singles and $38.13 for first doubles (deadline for entries is Sunday, Dec. 30) For more information, call (516) 997-4060.

Saturday, February 2 10U L3 UPS Championships & 8U QuickStart Playday at Sportime Syosset Sportime Syosset 75 Haskett Drive • Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: QuickStart: BG(10 [60’Court/Orange Ball] ,8 [36’Court/Red Ball])s, R Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Thursday, Jan. 31 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 364-2727. Friday-Sunday, February 8-10 L1B Ross School Winter Championships Ross School Tennis Academy 18 Goodfriend Drive East Hampton, N.Y. Divisions: BG(18-12)s, SE; Quick Start: BG(10 (78’Court/Green Ball) )s, SE Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Feb. 4 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (631) 9075162. Friday-Sunday, February 8-10 L2O Glena Head Racquet Club Open Glen Head Racquet Club 95 Glen Head Road • Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate: BG(12)s, SE Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Feb. 1 at 11:00 a.m.) For more information, call (516) 676-9849. Friday-Sunday, February 8-10 & Friday-Sunday, February 15-17 L2R RWTTC February Regional Robbie Wagner Training Center 60 Sea Cliff Avenue • Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate: BG(18-14)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Feb. 1 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 759-0505. Friday-Sunday, February 8-10 L3 Sportime Kings Park Winter Break UPS Sportime Kings Park 275 Old Indianhead Road • Kings Park, N.Y. Divisions: BG(14-12)s, RR; QuickStart: BG(10 [60’Court/ Orange Ball))s, RR Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Feb. 4 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (631) 269-6300.

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2013 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

USTA/Long Island Region 2013

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. Friday-Sunday, February 15-17 L1B Sportime Massapequa Presidential Classic Sportime Massapequa 5600 Old Sunrise Highway Massapequa, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger: BG(14-12)s, SE Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Feb. 5 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 799-3550.

Friday-Sunday, February 22-24 L2R Sportime Bethpage February Regional Sportime Bethpage 101 Norcross Avenue Bethpage, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate: G(18,14)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player singles (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Feb. 12 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 933-8500.

Friday-Sunday, February 22-24 L2O Sportime Syosset February Open Sportime Syosset 75 Haskett Drive Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate: B(18,12)s ,SE; G(12)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player singles (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Feb. 12 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 364-2727.

Friday-Monday, February 15-18 L1 Huntington February Championships (with Doubles) Huntington Indoor Tennis 100 Broadway Huntington Station, N.Y. Divisions: Championships: BG(10 [78’Court/Green Ball])sd, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player singles (deadline for entries is Friday, Feb. 1 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (631) 421-0040.

Friday-Sunday, February 22-24 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 for first singles and $28 for first doubles (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Feb. 12 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 799-3550.

Saturday, February 23 8U Playday + 10U L3 February UPS at Sportime Syosset Sportime Syosset 75 Haskett Drive Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: QuickStart: BG(10 [60’Court/Orange Ball], 8 [36’Court/Red Ball])s, RR Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $43.50 per player singles (deadline for entries is Thursday, Feb. 21 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (516) 364-2727.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2013 • LITennisMag.com

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