New York Tennis Magazine September/October 2013 by United Sports Publications, Ltd.

83 New York Tennis Magazine • July/August 2013 • NYTennisMag.com 83 New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

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? What’s Wrong With the American Men and How Can Their Game be Helped By Tim Mayotte s we enter the season of the U.S. Open, a question that hangs over American tennis is why have we not produced male champions in tennis over the past 10 years? It’s a problem that I have spent months seriously considering. Like most issues, the answer is complicated, but I feel confident that I have arrived at a framework to approach a chunk of the issue. Our players need to learn to trade, neutralize and defend better, particularly on the backhand side. From many corners, we are hearing that our athletes are not the best or our players lack the hunger of the athletes from other nations. It’s very difficult to answer those questions, so what I hope to accomplish is identify the specifics and address those problems. What is obvious is that the world’s best have a remarkable ability to trade, neutralize and defend attacks. Many observers believe that our players don’t want to suffer from long rallies. I believe most of our players have technical issues that prevent them

from doing this at the highest levels. A look at two of our nation’s biggest prospects, Jack Sock and Ryan Harrison, demonstrates this. When I speak about technique, I mean more than just the shape of the swing. I also mean footwork patterns, loading and recovery. The technical elements of trading, neutralizing and defending are distinct (though related). Any breakdown at the highest levels will be exploited. Both Sock and Harrison hit with subpar ball quality while trading and neutralizing on their backhands. As always, technical weaknesses lead to tactical weaknesses. They are both forced to hit forehands from deep in the backhand corner which, over time, leads them to be exposed in the forehand corner. It’s fascinating to compare these two with Andy Roddick. All three have inefficient footwork patterns and neglect to use their legs and core sufficiently to create world-class ball quality. The technical and tactical weaknesses of all three are remarkably similar though, obviously Roddick was a far more powerful player. Any look at American tennis in the past

15 years shows a group of players adept at attacking, but inadequate at neutralizing and defending. Going back to Roddick and up through James Blake, Sam Querry and John Isner, most of America’s best players suffer from the same issues. Only the most solid technical players have a chance of making it to the top. I hope we can help our players reach the top again. Anyone interested in a deeper technical analysis of Harrison and Sock’s game can contact me at my Twitter account, @Tim Mayotte. 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.

NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

September/October2013 Volume 5, Number 5 New York Tennis Magazine 1220 Wantagh Avenue • Wantagh, NY 11793-2202 Phone: (516) 409-4444 • Fax: (516) 409-4600 Web site: www.nytennismag.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS Cover story 40

Previewing the stars as they get set to take over New York at the 2013 U.S. Open, with a closer look at the contenders, pretenders, the state of American tennis … the sights, the sounds, the dining, the attractions and the pageantry that is right in our own backyard.

Staff David Sickmen Publisher (516) 409-4444, ext. 309 • david@usptennis.com Joel M. Berman President (516) 409-4444, ext. 310 • joel@usptennis.com

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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

Emilie Katz Marketing Coordinator Beverly Bolnick National Sales Manager (516) 409-4444, ext. 316 Scott Koondel Office Manager (516) 409-4444, ext. 324 Jeff Arlen National Account Executive (516) 409-4444, ext. 317 Brent Shearer Editorial Contributor

Kristina Hyland Intern

Michael Cervantes Editorial Contributor

Erin Brown Intern

WILLIAMS

DJOKOVIC

SHARAPOVA

MURRAY

Cover photo credit: Eric C. Peck

Feature Stories 30

Your 2013 Guide to New York Tennis Clubs A closer look at the area’s top clubs.

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 U.S. Open Preview

NY Sportimes Entertain Local Crowd With Two Nights of WTT Action The New York Sportimes returned to Sportime Stadium at Randall’s Island.

Additional Features 1 4 8 14 16 20 21 22 28 63 68 69 70 72

What’s Wrong With the American Men and How Can Their Game be Helped By Tim Mayotte Division I Northeast Men’s College Tennis Season Preview (Part I) By Eric Rebhuhn Boathouse Fundraiser a Success for NYJTL By Brent Shearer Getting Back Into the Swing of Things at the New York Open By Elizabeth Kobak MeiGray Helping Tennis Fans Take Home a Piece of the Match You Inc.: The Athlete CEO By Dan Schaefer, Ph.D. Boosting On-Court Confidence Through Proper Preparation By Margie Zesinger Smart Tennis With the New PlaySight SmartCourt Patience and the Waiting Game in Tennis By Gilad Bloom Proper Balance Equals On-the-Court Success: Tennis Balance Board Doubles Service Return By Bill Longua Costa del Tennis: Playing Abroad is all the Rage Should We be Teaching Tennis or People? By Richard Thater PBS Focus on Billie Jean King in New American Masters Documentary By Robert Ottone

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

Columns 6 10 12 24 27 60 62 64 66 71 73 75 76 79

Tennis Travel Destinations: Casa de Campo … Wimbledon of the Caribbean Ask Nick … New York Tennis Magazine’s Q&A Forum With Nick Bollettieri The Jensen Zone: Tennis … In the Mind or in the Body? By Luke Jensen USTA Metro Region Update Adult League Recap By Deborah-Rose Andrews Metro Corporate League Recap, Presented by Advantage Tennis Clubs Tips From the Tennis Pro: The Best Way to Practice Your Serve By Eric Faro The Serve: Take the Best of Your Serve for a Killer Overhead (Part II) By Lisa Dodson Slumps, Chokes and the Yips: Understanding Performance Blocks By Rob Polishook, MA, CPC Player Spotlight on Arvind Mahankali By Adam Wolfthal Literary Corner By Brent Shearer New York Tennis Club Directory New York Rankings USTA/Metropolitan Region 2013 Tournament Schedule

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Division I Northeast Men’s College Tennis Season Preview (Part I) By Eric Rebhuhn

1. Binghamton University Under the leadership of Adam Cohen, the Binghamton University Bearcats program has been as consistent over the last five years as any mid major in the country. 2. Boston College In the ACC playing against the reigning NCAA National Champions, the Virginia Cavaliers, Boston College Head Coach Scott Wilkins continues to improve the program. 3. Boston University Rick Edelman has been at the helm of the Boston University program for quite a while. The BU kids are focused on academics, but are extremely competitive. 4. Brown One of the top Ivy League schools in tennis over the last 10 years, Brown Coach Dave Schwartz gets the most out of his players every match with a very good schedule to match. 5. Bryant University Bryant University Coach Ron Gendron has slowly built a former D2 school into a sleeper in the Northeast. It used to be that it was a team to add to your schedule for a certain win, but not anymore.

6. Buffalo Buffalo Head Coach Lee Nickel is another great upcoming coach at another state school that continues to improve every year. His teams are known to be the fittest around! 7. Colgate Colgate, a Patriot League team led by Bobby Pennington, is always competing for the title. Colgate brings with it a great academic reputation in a quiet college town. 8. Columbia University What can you say about Columbia Head Coach Bid Goswami’s legacy … it’s second to none! Year-in, year-out, his team competes for an Ivy League title and is extremely dedicated both on and off the court! It is with tremendous support from alumni and friends that have helped establish and maintain Columbia as a Northeast powerhouse. 9. University of Connecticut Head Coach Glenn Marshall of the University of Connecticut is again venturing into the new American Athletic Conference and time will tell if they will stay there. Hopefully, the program will gain a newfound momentum with the conference change. 10. Cornell University Cornell Head Coach Silviu Tanasoiu has continued the success of this Ivy League power with his tireless recruiting and great schedule, competing year-in, year-out against some of the best programs in the country. Coach Silviu comes from the University of Oklahoma where he was considered the top recruiter in the country.

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

11. Dartmouth College Dartmouth Head Coach Chris Drake continues to run a classy program that improves year after year. Coach Drake was a tremendous competitor during his college days and that has continued over to his coaching career. Hanover is a beautiful place to go to school. 12. Drexel University Drexel University is in the heart of Philly, and competes in the Colonial Athletic Association. Mehdi Rhazali is embarking on his second season as the head coach. Coach Rhazali looks to continue to bring the tennis program to new heights. 13. Fairfield University Fairfield University, a private school in the middle of Connecticut, offers a solid tennis program under the leadership of Head Coach Ed Paige, as well as an excellent education. 14. Fordham University New Fordham University Coach Mickey Brzov looks to revamp this program and reestablish themselves within the Atlantic 10 Conference. With more than 100 career wins and the 2011 Big East Coach of the Year Award under his belt, head men’s tennis coach Eric Rebhuhn has solidified himself as one of the most successful coaches in St. John’s tennis history. Last season, Rebhuhn’s squad finished with a 17-9 record, while peaking at number 50 in the national polls during the season, the highest ranking in school history. He may be reached by phone at (718) 990-5549 or email rebhuhne@stjohns.edu.

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Tennis Travel Destinations

Casa de Campo: Wimbledon of the Caribbean asa de Campo, the 7,000-acre resort offers the largest experiences found in the Caribbean, including choice accommodations in hotel rooms and suites or spacious villa homes; the acclaimed The Beach Club by Le Cirque and La Caña by Il Circo; along with dozens of other restaurants, bars and lounges throughout the property; discover the sporting life experiences with 90-holes of Pete Dye-designed golf courses: The Teeth of the Dog, Links, La Romana Country Club and Dye Fore; shooting center; equestrian center; polo club; marina for deep sea and river fishing; a yacht club; and exclusive beaches. Culture is abound at the shops, museums, church, galleries of Altos de Chavon, the 16th Century replica Mediterranean village including the 5,000-seat Grecian style amphitheater, a site of international touring concerts. For total relaxation, Casa de Campo Spa offers holistic and ayurvedic treatments, yoga, meditation and natural rejuvenation.

La Terraza Tennis Club is located overlooking the entire resort and Caribbean Sea called the “Wimbledon of the Caribbean,” it features 13 fast-dry Har-Tru courts, 10 of which are lit for night play. Thirty-two ball boys in crisp white tennis attire chase errant shots, not only making guests’ matches more pleasant, but helping local Dominican children learn the game and look forward to a brighter future. A former ballboy rose up in ranks at La Terraza to be-

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

come a junior pro, then pro and is now representing the Dominican Republic in the race for the Davis Cup. In the fall of 2013, La Terraza will host the 36th Annual International Tennis Open, an event that attracts 300-plus players from Latin America, Europe and the United States. Casa de Campo’s warm signature hospitality has made it a favorite destination for generations, no matter what your passion is. For ease of arrival, the resort’s Casa de Campo/La Romana International Airport (LRM) is just five minutes from check-in and is serviced by: JetBlue Airways, with direct flights from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) now three days a week; and American Airlines, with daily non-stop service from Miami International Airport (MIA). A quick 45-minute drive, Santo Domingo International Airport (SDQ) and Punta Cana international Airport (PUJ) operate daily direct flights from all major U.S. airports. For more information, call (855) 8773643 or visit www.casadecampo.com.do.

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By Brent Shearer

t was a midsummer night’s dream come true for more than 450 attendees at Central Park’s Boathouse on Aug. 8th as the New York Junior Tennis League (NYJTL) held its 18th Annual Summer Gala With the Stars. Luminaries from the worlds of tennis, finance and the New York social scene came out to support the largest tennis and education-themed organization in the country. “NYJTL’s annual gala is among the premiere tennis events on the NYC calendar,” said Mark McIntyre, executive director of the Riverside Clay Tennis Association (RCTA). “I have been attending for 20 years and each year they outdo the previous one. A first-class organization, a fun-filled evening, and a very worthy cause.” Former Mayor David Dinkins, NYJTL Founder Skip Hartman and other backers helped celebrate the efforts of the group, which reaches out to more than 75,000 young tennis players and learners in New York. “The vitality and energy of the event was absolutely outstanding,” said Dr. Deborah Antoine, CEO of NYJTL. “It was gratifying to see so many long-standing and new attendees bring such passion and enthusiasm to the NYJTL community.” This year, the event was especially festive as more than 400 partygoers honored the organization’s work and, in particular, the $22 million Cary Leeds Center for Tennis and Learning now under construction in the Bronx’s Crotona Park. The Summer Gala With the Stars is expected to raise an amount that will be in the low six figures. “We’re confident that we are reaching out to the next generation of socially concerned New Yorkers to make them aware of the great work the NYJTL is doing,” said Tory Kiam, NYJTL’s vice chairman. In addition to the increased services the Leeds Center will make possible, Kiam said the group will focus on continuing to provide tennis and educational support to the City’s youth at the more than 600 8

More than 450 supporters and tennis fans celebrated the NYJTL’s 18th Annual Summer Gala With the Stars

Boathouse Fundra

MORE THAN 450 ON HA courts and playgrounds it operates. “Once again, NYJTL’s Deborah Antoine, along with Pam Glick, have outdone themselves,” said Hartman. “They produced both a fun party for 450-plus people and a very successful fundraiser. This one broke both attendance and fundraising records, which is nice to see because NYJTL is working so hard to both continue its citywide programs and build the Cary Leeds Center. I was thrilled to see how the next two generations filled the room, had fun, and carried on Arthur Ashe’s vision.” Brent Shearer may be reached by e-mail at bbshearer@gmail.com.

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

Twins and NYJTL Scholarship Award winners Jordan and Justin Selig

Credit all photos to Adam Wolfthal

aiser a Success for NYJTL

AND FOR ANNUAL CHARITY EVENT

Former Mayor David Dinkins and Sara Fornaciari

Chairman Emeritus of NYJTL Skip Hartmann with Dr. Deborah Antoine, CEO of NYJTL, with Larry Elena Bantovska, director of Advanced Training and Leeds NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine 9 Competition

New York Tennis Magazine’s Q&A Forum With Nick Bollettieri

ach bi-monthly issue, New York Tennis Magazine has the unique opportunity to pose questions from our readers to tennis coaching legend Nick Bollettieri. Nick has coached 10 world number ones, including Andre Agassi, Boris Becker, Jim Courier, Martina Hingis, Jelena Jankovic, Marcelo Rios, Monica Seles, Maria Sharapova, and Venus and Serena Williams, as well as a host of other worldclass players, including Tommy Haas, Anna Kournikova, Jimmy Arias and Nicole Vaidisova, to name a few. If you want to ask Nick questions in a future issue of New York Tennis Magazine, email info@usptennis.com with the Subject Line “Ask Nick.”

Question from Steven (Dix Hills, N.Y.) … I am currently a high school junior and played high school tennis last season. I play number one singles and I am in the top 15 in my Section. I had some real

good matches at number one singles and some not so competitive. My outside coach thinks I should not play on the team, but rather, take additional drill sessions and train with him and better juniors every day. I’m conflicted and really not sure because I do love being on the team and hanging out with my teammates. What do you think I should do? Nick Bollettieri: This is not an easy question to answer, one way or the other, but my suggestion is to consider the following: l Are you in the best physical shape you can be? l Why not do both and have your coach video some of your high school matches and then sit and review them? l There must be specific drilling sessions that your coach should consider, but also have him watch you play practice matches. Review the tape after to see what is taking place when you play.

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New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

Question from Judith (New York, N.Y.) … As a coach what is the biggest indicator that a player has what it takes to make it professionally in tennis? Nick Bollettieri: I have been a coach for almost 60 years, and it would be difficult to pin it down to only one tip, but here are a few to think about: l Refuse to lose. l Never make excuses. l It’s all about winning. Playing the best you can play is only accepting second place. l The game today is divided into three categories that you must master: The Technical, the Physical and the Mental. l Your game cannot have a weakness and you must have one or two weapons. l Make sure you have a well-selected support team. l Last and most important, I want a player that will hit the last ball to win. Question from Jordan (Sayville, N.Y.) … What about your Academy keeps it as one of the top-ranked training facilities in the nation year after year? Nick Bollettieri: IMG Academy is the leading training institution in the world because we keep adding new facilities and innovating. We compete with ourselves and never become complacent. We are spending more time on integrating the physical and mental parts of the game than ever before. The IMG Academy Bollettieri Tennis Program has a dedicated staff, directed by Rohan Goetzke, and they work as a team to develop high-performing athletes who can go on to have successful collegiate and professional careers.

Photo credit: Nicole Guglielmo

ask nick …

Question from Kristen (Merrick, N.Y.) … Heading in to this year’s U.S. Open, which young American do you feel has what it takes to make a deep run? Nick Bollettieri: At this time, Pat McEnroe and his USTA staff are making a major breakthrough, especially with the ladies including: Sloane Stephens, Jamie Hampton, Madison Keys, Taylor Townsend, Vicky Duval and Varvara Lepchenko. Of course, we have the best female player to ever play the game in Serena Williams and we all hope Venus can make another run. With the men, there is finally a bit of sunlight coming through. Ryan Harrison, who trains at IMG Academy, has moved down to the USTA Center and is working with one of our former students, Jay Berger. Keep an eye on Ryan’s younger brother, Christian, who also trains at IMG Academy, as he will be special. John Isner, when healthy, can beat the very best. He just won the BB&T Open in Atlanta and hopefully he will get back on top. Don’t put aside Sam Querrey, James Blake or Rhyne Williams. It is also time for Jack Sock to start living up to his very sound game. Question from Bob (Flushing, N.Y.) … Roger Federer has dropped out of the top five in the ATP Rankings for the first time in a long time. Do you think he is still capable of winning another major? Nick Bollettieri: Roger Federer has dropped out of the top five, but in my mind, he has not been eliminated from challenging for another Grand Slam win. His coach, Paul Annacone, is a former student at IMG Academy, and is one of the very best. I am sure you will see Roger playing more aggressively, including serve and volleying, and also coming to the net more and more. Question from Samantha (New York, N.Y.) … What are your views on professional player prize money at majors? Do you feel the men’s and women’s purses should be equal or should the men’s be higher because they play three out of five sets? Nick Bollettieri: I definitely believe that there should be equal money. The men should still play the best of five matches. NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

Tennis: In the Mind or in the Body?

By Luke Jensen am asked all the time from competitive tennis players … is the game more mental or physical? In my life-long adventure through the world of competitive tennis, I have found that the mentally tough players win more than the physically gifted. When I was a young player in the juniors, most of my problems came from a lack of consistency with my shots. I had the ability physically and I knew how to accomplish the goal, but I was too young, stupid and impatient to maintain a long rally. I grew out of it by competing with the length of rallies, rather than winning or losing the point. For example, before the point would begin, I would make a goal of 20 balls in the court. I would count right from the serve to the last shot. I would not try to end the point until the rally reached 20. I would change the number depending on if I was winning or not. Most of my success came from putting the number at 50 every point. As my game grew, so did my mental approach to training. My ability to drive myself through pain when my body told me to stop. I began demanding more performance from my body in practice, so in any match, I had one more gear to shift to for a victory. I won a five-set match at the U.S. Open and my mindset

to my fitness approach was the main key for the victory. At the very crest of my career on the ATP Tour, I felt I was capable on any shot, in any match, against anyone. I knew when I had enough firepower to win and when I needed more. In 1996, I played Andre Agassi who was at the top of the game with the most feared return of serve since Jimmy Connors. Andre’s return was bigger than any serve I could hit. So my approach to the match was simple. I could not hit any second serves under 110 miles per hour. I had to throw flames at him at every opportunity. My ability to serve left-handed and righthanded never bothered Andre in previous matches, so I needed to fire the heavy artillery from both wings. My mental approach was a “go for it” mindset, and even though I hit a ton of double faults, Andre never had a read on my serve in my two-set victory that night. Now, as a coach of aspiring pro tennis players at Syracuse University, my mental toughness is challenged all the time. I explain to all my players and their parents that they will all be treated fairly, but not the same. I put the same extreme effort into every player on my team that I put into my game towards winning a French Open Title. The main difference is that I had more drive and commitment than they do. I take every player individually and break down their complete game, from their best to worst. Then, I

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

go to work. Most of my coaching is instilling a mental toughness and self-confidence in my team. You are who you think you are. I always believed I was the best player when I walked on the court regardless of the situation. In the Agassi match, I knew the odds and I knew I was capable. Now if you think you are a chump, well then that’s how you will play under pressure. It’s not easy taking a wimp and making them a warrior. It takes time and a commitment from the individual and their tennis parents to believe in the fighter and not the score. That is why our game is ALL mental. The space between the ears can be a weapon or a meatball. Aim for the lines! 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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NEW YORK O West Side Tennis Club Hosts Inaugural New York Open By Erin Brown he New York Open made its debut in Forest Hills, N.Y. at the West Side Tennis Club this summer. The historic former site of the U.S. Open, West Side Tennis Club, in conjunction with the not-forprofit group, Tennis in New York, shared the mutual goal of bringing great tennis back to the area through this inaugural event. The New York Open featured not only tennis, but a book, film, food and family festival featuring players and exhibitors from around the metropolitan area. The New York Open weekend would not have been possible without all of the volunteers who worked the event. One unique feature to this tournament was that there was a volunteer who would run bananas to the players if they were beginning to cramp up in the extreme heat wave. At the U.S. Open, the players have to deal with cramps with whatever they have in their bags, but the directors of this tournament knew it would be tough out there contending with temperatures in the middle- to upper-90s and they took care of their players. All of the finals in the Men’s and Women’s Singles and Men’s Doubles were played on a particularly hot Sunday, and the weather was a factor in each of the matches. The Women’s Singles Final match pitted Nini Lagvilava against Elizabeth Kobak, who was seeded second. Lagvilava defeated Kobak 6-3, 1-0, as Kobak retired due to an injury early in the second set. After Lagvilava’s match, she discussed her ambitions on and off the court. She is currently taking summer classes, and will grad-

uate in August. Her career goals are to be a tennis pro, and she is living with her aunt while looking for a place to live and work so that she can stay in the U.S. Finalist in the Women’s Singles event, Elizabeth Kobak, suffered from an injury to her calf muscle and Achilles, which forced her retirement from the match. She played as a junior and was recruited by Columbia, but was unable to play due to injury. While earning her master’s degree in journalism at Northwestern, she played on the tennis team for a year. The Men’s Doubles Final was a tough match, with first seeds Justin Natale & Jason Speirs defeating Richard Del Nunzio & George Finch 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(7). “It was a tough match,” said Speirs after the match. “All of our emotions weren’t in check, and the match went back and forth. We had tough opponents, and all of us had to battle the elements.” One of the players in the Doubles Final, Del Nunzio, also played in the Men’s Singles Final. He was beaten by top-seeded Winston Lin, 6-3, 3-6, 3-0. The doubles match took a toll on Del Nunzio who had to retire in the third set of his singles match. He held at 5-3 to win the second set, but after the match, said, “I knew at 5-1 in the second set that I would not be able to finish.” The Men’s Singles event was the only event for Lin, who was happy to come out on top. After the match, he commented, “It was hot out, which made the match tough.” Also, because Lin is a collegiate player, he could not accept the prize money, but the tournament did reimburse him for his tournament expenses. The New York Open proved to be a very successful weekend for the West Side Tennis Club. And building off the success of this year, the tournament hopes to draw even more people and players to the historic site next year. Erin Brown is an intern at Long Island and New York Tennis Magazine. She graduated from George Washington University with a

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

degree in English, where she was also a member of the Club Tennis team. She may be reached by e-mail at erinb@litennismag.com.

Getting Back Into the Swing of Things My experience at the inaugural New York Open By Elizabeth Kobak t’s not easy getting back into competitive tennis after a three year hiatus–especially when that break was due to injury. Competing in the 2006 Legg Mason Tennis Classic women’s doubles tournament alongside Madison Brengle, I had simultaneously torn my left knee’s ACL and lateral meniscus while hitting a winner around the net post and then colliding with a ball boy. The next four years were spent awakening my leg muscles, fitness and spirit. It was difficult transitioning from national hard court tennis champion to the full-time world of Columbia University academia. While pursuing my broadcast journalism master’s degree in 2010, Northwestern University’s head tennis Coach Claire Pollard graciously welcomed me onto her varsity squad as a walk-on. Representing Northwestern, I claimed my firstever singles and doubles tournaments, thanks to Coach Pollard’s help in getting me light on my feet like a ballerina. Increased cardio fitness, strength training, stamina and awakened tactics all contributed to molding my game back into its glorious shape. But what I recently realized is most important … even more so than those aforesaid tennis-related skills is real competition. I got a good taste of that in two of New York’s most historic tennis homes. The U.S. Open

OPEN pre-qualifying tournament in Flushing Meadows, N.Y., was my first tournament in nearly three years. In the first round, I received a bye and then drew junior Eastern standout Valerie Shklover. We played on Court Number 7, the same stage that Victoria Azarenka and I played on in our opening 2004 Junior U.S. Open match (which Azarenka won 6-3, 7-5). Sound groundstrokes, quick feet and a feisty on-court presence proved Shklover was there to win. After surviving four set points in the first set and a 3-0 deficit in the second, I fought to keep that last ball in and advance into the quarterfinals. Adverse physical conditions contributed to my losing that next match. There was another tournament I was looking forward to playing. Next up was the New York Open, played at the former site of the U.S. Open, the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, N.Y. There is something magical about playing tennis on the same stage that Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones all graced way back when. The last time I competed on that court was when top-50 WTA player Iveta Benesova bested me in the 2004 Forest Hills Tennis Classic. That loss didn’t stop me from winning 26 consecutive games this time around, two of which came in the championship round’s opening games. Something painful happened in the third game; I was wrong-footed on a return of serve and pulled something in my left calf. Rather than stopping immediately while up 2-0, I continued playing for another eight games before ultimately retiring. In retrospect, that was poor decision-making. Whenever injury strikes, address it immediately and know that your health is more important than winning one tennis match. It was an honor to compete in both Eastern tennis tournaments. New York Open Tournament Director Bob Ingersole and Dale G. Caldwell might host this fun event next year, filled with tennis, jazz and film. Bumps in the athletic road are inevitable.

Credit all photos to Adam Wolfthal

Top-seeded Winston Lin was a 6-3, 3-6, 3-0 winner at the inaugural New York Open over Richard Del Nunzio who was forced to retire

Justin Natale & Jason Speirs, winners of the inaugural New York Open Men’s Doubles Tournament, are presented with their trophies

Men’s Singles runner-up Richard Del Nunzio and champion Winston Lin accept their New York Open trophies

Take it from someone who’s been there–determine your body’s strengths and weaknesses before stepping foot on that beautiful tennis court. And remember that patience is a virtue, even for fast-loving tennis players. Elizabeth Kobak won the Girls 16s National Hard Court Championships and was ranked number one nationally in the Girls 16s Divi-

Women’s champion Nini Lagvilava and finalist Elizabeth Kobak accept their trophies

sion, number one in the Eastern Girls 18s Division and Women’s Open Division. She achieved career-high WTA rankings of 570th in singles and 660th in doubles. She earned her undergraduate degree from Columbia University and a master’s in journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School. She may be reached by e-mail at lizkobak@gmail.com.

NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

MeiGray Helping Tennis Fans Take Home a Piece of the Match tennis collector at the 2012 U.S. Open paid $2,000 for a tennis ball? Well, it was not just any tennis ball. It was THE tennis ball. It was match point of the 2012 Men’s Singles Finals. It was the last ball struck on the last point won by Andy Murray in his dramatic five-set triumph over Novak Djokovic. Seconds after the match ended, with Murray still on the court celebrating his victory, the USTA-MeiGray Group MatchUsed Authentication Program had begun to identify, secure, authenticate and register one very valuable and historic tennis

ball … a ball which now rests in a private tennis fan’s impressive collection. The USTA-MeiGray Group Match-Used Authentication Program debuted last summer, and it was a rousing success. With its booth near Court 11 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, MeiGray introduced to tennis fans and collectors the availability of match-used balls and other items that came directly off the courts in real-time, through an on-site authentication process, and into the hands of tennis fans and collectors—often within hours of a match.

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

“Sports collectors love to own a piece of an event they witnessed. It’s part of American culture,” said Barry Meisel, MeiGray president and director of the program which works with the U.S. Open to aid USTA Serves. “With the help of the USTA, the U.S. Open, the officials and so many others behind the scenes, we now are on the ground securing these unique items for fans to add to their collections.” Whether it’s the pure silver pre-match flip coin available for $75 from one of the matches in Arthur Ashe, Louis Armstrong or Grandstand, or a match-used ball for $29.99 from a men’s or women’s firstround match, or a towel used by one of the participants, MeiGray is on the grounds, taking possession of the unique item directly from an on-court official. The authentication process done on the grounds by MeiGray includes marking each item with counterfeit-proof invisible ink, adding a unique serial number and hologram which is stored in a database, and preparing a letter of authenticity backed by the USTA and MeiGray. “When we attend great American sporting events, we save our programs, we save our ticket stubs, we cherish the memories of those matches,” Meisel said. “Now you can take home a real piece of that match, too.”

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NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

Nadal’s first round loss at Wimbledon sets tournament Twitter record Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

According to Wimbledon, more people tweeted about Rafael Nadal’s first round loss to Belgian Steve Darcis with 7,000 tweets per minute, than last year’s men’s final.

Serena and Murray entertain idea of battle of the sexes match Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Serena Williams would be happy to take on Andy Murray on a tennis court after the Olympic champion said he would fancy a match against the 16-time Grand Slam winner … but just for fun. After being challenged by a fan on Twitter to take on Serena, Murray said in his column for BBC Sport that such a matchup could create interest among tennis fans. “I’ve never hit with her, but she’s obviously an incredible player, and I think people would be interested to see the men play against the women to see how the styles match up,’’ said Murray. Serena replied, “Really? He wants to play 18

me? Is he sure? That would be fun. I doubt I’d win a point, but that would be fun.” There have been several high profile matches between stars from the men and women’s game. The most famous of them was held in 1973, with Billie Jean King humbling Bobby Riggs in straight sets.

On-court royalty Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

If Andy Murray wins Wimbledon again in 2014, he will do so as “Sir Andy Murray” if British Prime Minister David Cameron get his way. Here’s what Cameron had to say after Murray defeated Novak Djokovic to become the first British winner of Wimbledon in 77 years, “I can’t think of anyone who deserves knighthood more.” Sources inside the British government have confirmed they would be nominating Murray to the Honors Committee, the group who determines who is bestowed such titles.

Wimbledon winner Bartoli faces criticism Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Marion Bartoli won the 2013 Wimbledon Women’s Singles Title. BBC radio commentator John

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

Inverdale, had this to say to his radio listeners after Bartoli’s triumph: “Do you think Bartoli’s dad told her when she was little, ‘You’re never going to be a looker? You’ll never be a Sharapova, so you have to be scrappy and fight.’” We doubt that exchange occurred, and not just because her dad probably had no knowledge of Sharapova’s existence when Marion was little. Inverdale later attempted to make amends, saying, “We poked fun, in a nice way, about how she looks ... but Marion Bartoli is an incredible role model.” The BBC also apologized later. None of it stopped the torrent of social media criticism from rolling in. As for Bartoli herself? She replied to the criticism, “It doesn’t matter, honestly. I am not blond, yes. That is a fact. Have I dreamt about having a model contract? No. I’m sorry. But have I dreamed about winning Wimbledon? Absolutely, yes.” Marion’s father, Walter, also handled the situation with class. “I am not angry. She is my beautiful daughter,” he said when told of the comments.

Yonex severs ties with Wozniacki Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

The relationship between Caroline Wozniacki and Yonex has been interrupted, due to the Dane being caught training with an old Babolat racquet, disguised with the colors of Yonex. Someone who watched her

‘’nutrition-based performance guide.” The top-ranked Serbian has won six of his seven Grand Slam tournament championships since adopting a “performance-focused” gluten-free diet in late 2010. In 2011, he took the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. He has since won two more Australian Opens. “Finding the right foods for my body has made me lighter, healthier, and more focused,” said Djokovic. “It’s made all And the ESPYs go to? the difference in my career and in my Novak Djokovic and life.” Serena Williams won 2013 ESPY Awards for the Best Troicki suspended Male and Female Tennis 18 months Players at ESPN’s ESPYs World number award show. “Aww yeah,” said Serena’s sis53 Viktor Troicki ter Venus Williams via Twitter. “It was some of Serbia has tough competition, so proud of ‘lil sis.” been suspended for 18 months by Djokovic releases the International gluten-free diet book Tennis Federation (ITF) for refusing to subNovak Djokovic at- mit to blood testing before this past April’s tributes his success Monte Carlo Masters. The ITF said Troicki in recent years to a broke an anti-doping rule by providing a change of diet. Now urine sample, but not a blood sample. His he’ll be sharing his ban from the sport ends Jan. 24, 2015. “I am innocent,” said Troicki. “I have nutrition tips in a never ever taken any prohibited substance book to be released or ever thought of doing so. I did not lie and prior to the U.S. this really hurts.” Open. Serve to Win: Troicki told an independent tribunal he The 14-Day Glutenhad been assured by the doping control ofFree Plan for Physical and Mental Excelficer at the event that it would be acceptlence is the title of Djokovic’s train posted the pictures on Twitter. This all didn’t escape from the careful eyes of Yonex Director Benni Holst Andersen, who affirmed that her contract is now void. Wozniacki enjoyed her best results using a Babolat racket, but the former world number one stands to lose a lot of money from the Yonex contract. Wozniacki has been struggling mightily lately, and will not find it easy to get a similar contract elsewhere.

able to not provide blood because he had not been well that day, the ITF said. The tribunal, however, ruled that the officer had told Troicki “she could not advise him as to whether his reason for not providing a blood sample was valid, and that no such assurances were given by her.”

Tweets from the pros l Roger Federer (@rogerfederer): Went to see a 3D movie, man there was a lot of steel! l Kim Clijsters (@clijsterskim): Hey guys, check out @maditenniskeys is on Twitter now! l Maria Sharapova (@mariasharapova): New York is just around the corner!! Saw the TV ads and got all excited @usopen l Victoria Azarenka (@vika7): Going for a day to where it all kinda started for me in the states! Back to AZ :) l Serena Williams (@serenawilliams): Welcome back Twinkie! My dessert for tonight. l Andy Roddick (@andyroddick): My friends and I do a “Guys on Steroids” pool where we guess/draft players who might get busted for steroids … #bigday l Andy Murray (@andy_murray): Dexter! l Justin Gimelstob (@justingimelstob): My 1st movie role! Albeit a small one (though no small roles I’m told!) “Break Point” I’m “Dash Stevens” :)

• Top ﬂight Pro Staff, including Director George Garland, Mike Misiti, Marvin Dent, and John Brennan. • 14 Har-Tru and 5 Hard Courts • 7-Tier Program: Teddy Tennis (New), Quickstart, Hitters, Super Hitters, The Academy, Varsity Prep, Tournament Team

4-WEEK FALL SESSION

(Outdoors)

September 9th - October 6th

FIRST 13-WEEK INDOOR SESSION October 14th - January 19th

GEORGE GARLAND, DIRECTOR OF TENNIS • MARIA ALIVENTI, GENERAL MANAGER NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

YOU INC. THE ATHLETE CEO By Dan Schaefer, Ph.D. t happens very quickly. The contract is in front of you, your pen moves across the paper, the ink is still not dry and your business status changes immediately. Instantly, you are the CEO of your own company. The _______ Group [enter your name]. From now on, every decision you make, both on and off the court, becomes a business decision. It’s no longer just tennis. You are the franchise, the talent and the product—whichever way you would like to describe it. Hopefully, you buy the concept, but now what? Successful CEOs are constantly challenged to guide their company toward long-term success. Focusing on their product or service, they become responsible for product development and improvement, continuing education, public relations, sales, marketing and branding, as well as financial and legal issues that affect their firm. Success, once reached, requires constant attention. Taking your eye off the ball can lead to disaster. CEOs, in confidence, will tell you that they are “alone at the top.” So CEOs need answers. They know that they do not need all the answers and do not need to have all the answers themselves. They need three things: The right questions, the right people to ask and the courage and confidence to ask. They also must access their own skills. Do they have to assemble the best team possible or can they handle it all them-

selves? If they need a team, where does the recruiting start? What can successful athletes draw from a successful business practice? Why are more and more companies currently in 2018 and are working backwards? A SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) Analysis will help quickly. Strengths What do you do well? Training, coaching, plus your lifestyle choices, either add to or take away from your competitive edge. How do you practice and play your mental game? Do you work on focus and concentration? Are you aware that those athletes who work on their mental game may tell you they are doing something but almost never tell you what they do. They often describe it as a secret weapon. Teams, using this strategy as a group, insist on a confidentiality agreement. No one wants to give away their edge. It is important to speak positively to yourself. Tell yourself what you want, and the outcome you seek rather than what you do not want. How and when you train, what you eat and drink, where you go and with whom … virtually every decision you make is a business decision. If you are involved in business off the court, focus becomes critical. Professionals have found they cannot allow business concerns to invade their mindset and their need for peak performance on the court. Specifically designed strategies to quickly click on intense concentration at

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

will allows individuals to engage in multiple tasks, going from one to the other with simplicity and ease. Weaknesses I suggest that you look for areas that you need to develop. Where do you need assistance to maintain and assure your business [sports and business] growth? How do you protect your future? Not being able to identify what you do well can be problematic. Are you asking the right questions of the right people? Opportunities Since you are your business, what opportunities have you missed? Which are open to you today that you are not taking advantage of both on and off the court? How many opportunities are on the way that you will want to prepare for. Threats What threats exist for your company? Make a list of every possible “really bad” business [personal] decision you could make that would destroy your business and career. Dan Schaefer, Ph.D., CEO of Peak Performance, offers a place to start asking questions. Dr. Dan is dedicated to assisting individuals and companies win quickly through enhancing both personal and business performance. For more information, call (917) 880-6758, e-mail dan@danschaeferphd.com or visit www.danschaeferphd.com.

Boosting On-Court Confidence Through Proper Preparation By Margie Zesinger n addition to pure talent, the greatest champions of the game acquire relentless self-belief and determination through preparation. Every player has experienced a certain amount of doubt when down in the score or struggling through a match. Look at Andy Murray during the 2012 Olympics and 2013 Wimbledon Championships. There were critical points in each of his matches when his self-belief was tested. It is during those moments that if a player knows he or she did everything they could to prepare, then they have a greater chance of success. Process-oriented players, rather than

result-oriented, are the ones who experience true self-confidence. At the end of the day, on the last court, when no one was watching, how hard did the player work during their training? How was the quality? Were they willing to go the extra mile to improve their fitness? Did they serve extra baskets of balls on their own? Did the player make optimal nutritional decisions? How much time was spent on reviewing stroke or match footage? If a player knows that they were willing to sacrifice everything they could to prepare for a match or tournament, then they will have the courage to put everything on the line until the match is over. The match is often won even before the player steps on the court. A match is just one moment, while it is all of the mo-

ments prior to the match that lead to the outcome. My instructional tip: If you want to be a successful tennis player at any level, hold yourself accountable with your training. Understand that if you have done all that you can to prepare, then you have every reason to walk on to the court with 100 percent self-belief. All the sacrifices that you make along the way translate into a belief that you deserve to win. Margie Zesinger has been coaching tennis at IMG Academy since 2004. Prior to joining IMG, Margie played tennis for James Madison University where she was the number one player at her school. She may be reached by e-mail at margie.zesinger@imgworld.com.

NYTennisMag.com â&#x20AC;˘ September/October 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ New York Tennis Magazine

Smart Tennis With th New computerized system revolutionizing tennis as we know it t’s a new ballgame for Gilad Bloom, a former professional tennis player who is currently director of tennis at The Tennis Club of Riverdale (TCR). For the past two months, Bloom has been using the PlaySight SmartCourt, a new system aiming to revolutionize tennis. The PlaySight SmartCourt is a computerized tennis analysis system using state-ofthe-art technology to improve tennis players at all levels. PlaySight Smart Court makes tennis more challenging and fun. Whether you are a social player who plays recreationally, an advanced player or even a pro, the PlaySight SmartCourt has a lot to offer. Using a five-HD camera system and with no sensors attached to the players, PlaySight utilizes advanced image processing and analytical algorithms (incorporating the company’s “auto-tagging” technology) to record and track player movement and shots. The system is selfoperated, as both the player and coach can easily work the user-friendly and intuitive touch-screen kiosk on-court. The PlaySight SmartCourt digitally records and analyzes every aspect of a match and training session. It calculates comprehensive game statistics (player and ball position, speed and distance of each shot) and classifies strokes automatically (serve, backhand/forehand ground strokes and volleys, etc.). Players can be shown a video analysis in realtime while courtside, as a coach can pinpoint specific rallies, shots and events in the match, as well as immediately demonstrate match stats. “I’ve been coaching for years now,” said Bloom, “but I’ve never seen my students and players improve their game so fast in such a short amount of time as they have when using SmartCourt.” Bloom uses the different modes of the system for different types of practices,

from stroke and serve practices to playing a full set. But the SmartCourt is far from being just a training tool, it makes the whole game much more exciting and enjoyable even if you play tennis just for fun. Just imagine how it would be to play with a real line calling system? No more disputes or arguments. When was the last time you saw yourself playing tennis on video? And wouldn’t it be cool to know how fast you serve, your first serve percentage and many more stats that were available until now only for the pros? SmartCourt does all that and much more. The SmartCourt experience does not end on the court. Match and training activities are recorded, analyzed and uploaded to Playsight.com, where it is stored in the players’ personal accounts, where they can review and track their performance and share it with their coach, friends and family. Parents now have the ability to follow and track their children’s progress and see all of their practices and matches on video. Furthermore, after each match, the SmartCourt automatically creates a short video clip showing the match’s highlight. Video and stats can be reviewed and shared by players via e-mail and/or social media. Today, tennis ranks second to last in the list of sports using sophisticated analytics, according to the MIT Sloan Sport Analytics Conference 2012. “We strongly believe that a sports analysis platform is feasible on every tennis court, with the ability to accurately analyze and immediately share a player’s performance, during and after a match or training, will revolutionize the game of tennis,” said Chen Shachar, CEO and founder of PlaySight Interactive. “I have no doubt that tennis can lead the way in adopting advanced technology, funda-

he New PlaySight SmartCourt mentally changing all aspects of the game, training and coaching, as well as playing and reviewing matches.” Most tennis players have never received any visual feedback. Players who engage in dozens of matches throughout the year rarely get to see themselves playing and hardly receive any feedback. With PlaySight, players and coaches at all levels will receive automatic and instant on-court biomechanical and 3D tactical feedback with no prior preparation, as an integral part of each SmartCourt. The lack of umpires in most tournaments, especially in junior tournaments, causes a number of problems, such as bad calls, cheatings, frustration, parents’ negative involvement, etc. So when the

guys from PlaySight started working on the SmartCourt, they knew from the start that their system would include a built-in line calling system. “For the first time ever, PlaySight is bringing officiating abilities that, until

now, were only available at Grand Slam tournaments, to the club level,” said Shachar. As of August, the SmartCourt is installed in three tennis clubs in the New York region, including The Tennis Club of Riverdale, Port Washington Tennis Academy and CourtSense in New Jersey. Two additional SmartCourts will soon be installed at the Tennis Club of Hastings and Proform Tennis Academy. SmartCourts are also installed at the Queen’s Club in London and in other countries around the world. PlaySight officials say that there will be more SmartCourts installed in the New York area during the coming months. For more information, visit www.playsight.com.

The Centercourt Performance Tennis Center is the Northeast’s premiere High Performance Tennis Academy. The Centercourt Performance Tennis Center (CPTC) is located in Morristown, NJ. The facility is one of a kind as it is fully dedicated to the development and performance of tennis players. The Performance Center went through a complete renovation in 2012 and has seven hard courts (five are domed in the winter and two are permanent), one red clay court, state of the art strength and conditioning room, study area, new lobby, and new locker rooms. Our philosophy is if you want to improve, you need to train. While you don’t have to be exceptionally talented, you do need to be seriously committed to your training. Our mission is to help every student-athlete we train realize his or her full potential; athletically, academically and within life itself. We believe that the trials and tribulations that our student-athletes endure in the tennis pathway will develop our young athletes into leaders on and off the court. Our players respect the game, their peers, parents, environment, and coaches. Our players are coached to not only become great players, but hardworking, self-sufficient individuals. The CPTC curriculum features on-court and off-court lesson programs which include 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. Our culture is simple, We live the sport! Seven days a week, 365 days a year. Continually striving for improvement, we do not celebrate mediocrity. We strive to get the most out of all our players. 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 Performance Tennis Center firsthand! 65 Columbia Road, Morristown, NJ 07960 For more information, contact Clay Bibbee at clay@centercourtclub.com

For more information, contact Clay Bibbee at clay@centercourtclub.com. NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

USTA METRO REGION

A Message From USTA Eastern Metro Region President Jackie Clark As the summer starts winding down, I think about all of the wonderful tennis programs and events that have taken place over the last few months. People of all ages, from beginners to advanced levels, have been getting out on the courts either competing, learning or just playing for fun. Friendships forged on the courts, great exercise, new and renewed passion for a wonderful sport are just a few of the incredible benefits of tennis. Many champions have been crowned as well. Whether it is the U.S. Open champions, tournament players or USTA Metro League teams, a tremendous sense of accomplishment is felt from all of the hard work that is put in throughout the year. For me, this has been an amazing summer of tennis. Being a small part of so much growth and participation of the sport has been incredible. I also have had the opportunity to play on many USTA teams in metro as well as other regions. There is nothing that I love more than being on a team. The camaraderie, friendships, competition and the chance to meet so many men and women of all ages who are just as passionate about tennis as I am. I feel truly blessed and cannot wait for all of the Fall programs to start! You can find out more about what we are doing in the Metro Region on our Facebook page, under “USTA Eastern Metro Region” or at our Web site, www.metroregion.usta.com Sincerely, Jackie Clark, President USTA Eastern Metro Region

USTA Metro Captains and Battle of the Boroughs Champions Celebrate With the Sportimes The USTA Metro Region sponsored an event to show appreciation for the hard work that the Metro Region captains do and to celebrate the first Battle of the Boroughs champions. USTA Metro Captains with USTA Eastern Metro President Jackie Clark and USTA Tennis Service Representative Esu Ma’at

USTA Metro Captains and Battle of the Boroughs Champions celebrate a night at the New York Sportimes WTT match at Sportime Randall’s Island

USTA Eastern Metro President Jackie Clark and Mayor Dinkins

The 2013 Battle of Boroughs Champs

Highland Park Reaches for New Heights By Jose Rodriguez Highland Park is located in North Brooklyn and Northwest Queens, and is considered the Central Park of North Brooklyn. The park has 13 hard courts with lights, but were in horrible condition. In the spring of 2005, Dion Lachnamen, Al Foster, Hector Henry and a few others armed themselves with a few tennis hoppers, a dozen racquets and a movement was started. It was hard for the members of the Highland Park Tennis Association (HPTA), but they worked feverishly with the kids in the community. In 2013, Highland Park Tennis Association is the hidden jewel of the Metro Region. The tennis program has 220 students and a strong Parents Tennis Association. They concentrate on kids from the ages of five through 18 years, utilizing the Junior Team Tennis (JTT) format, as well as 10 and under tennis, which is the foundation of the HPTA program. In 2006, the team from HPTA was the 14 & Under Junior Team Tennis Metro Regional Champions, in 2006 took home second place in the Eastern Sectional 14 & Under Division, the 2007 14 & Under Metro Regional Champions, and the 14 & Under Sectional

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

Credit photos to Jose Rodriguez

USTA METRO REGION

New York State Assemblyman Rafael Espinal presents awards to the HPTA Sectional 18 & Under JTT Champions

HPTA’s 10 & Under players pause for a photo

National Tennis Center Plays Host to Annual Liberty Open By Daniel Arzuaga Not even scorching heat and the sweltering humidity of a July 4th heat wave could deter 225 eager tennis enthusiasts from flocking to the Liberty Open, an annual tournament held every 4th of July weekend at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The Liberty Open is hosted by Metropolitan Tennis Group (MTG), a USTA Community Tennis Association and proud member of the Gay Lesbian Tennis Alliance (GLTA). Its tournament directors are two dedicated and long-time MTG members, Marsha Silverman and Mark Reiter. The Liberty Open not only draws players from around the United States, but also attracts players from many foreign countries as well. Its world renown status was confirmed this year with representation from Italy, Spain, England and Canada. The Liberty Open is MTG’s marquee annual event and is also

Credit photos to Sidnei Beal III/Clique Photography

Champions. The HPTA JTT squads took a hiatus until the 2012-2013 season. They came back with a vengeance, when they played in the JTT Metro Winter League, placing four teams in competition and won the 12 & Under Division, the 18 & Under Division and won the Sectional 18 & Under Division, earning them another trip to the Nationals. The HPTA JTT teams have become local celebrities as well, receiving a citation from State Assemblyman Rafael Espinal and awards from State Sen. Martin Malavé Dilan and City Councilmember Erik Martin Dilan. Now that’s tennis!

one of the most popular stops on the GLTA world tour. The GLTA circuit is an amalgam of more than 60 different tennis tournaments from all around the globe. The Liberty Open’s unique and defining characteristic is that it is the only GLTA tournament that is played on the same grounds as an ATP/WTA Grand Slam event, the U.S. Open. “We are thrilled with how the Liberty Open has grown in both size and popularity over the years,” said Tournament Co-Director Mark Reiter. “We began with around 90 players and a handful of playing divisions, and we now have over 200 hundred participants consistently registering every year. We now promote every possible division of play, from beginners to advanced, in doubles, mixed-doubles and singles. Anyone, regardless of tennis experience, can participate in the Liberty Open and enjoy playing competitive tennis at one of the most exciting tennis venues in the world.” The tournament is spread out over four days and includes a welcome “draw” party, a formal banquet and a wrap up social to crown the event’s winners. “After” parties are also organized to increase camaraderie and friendship amongst all the players. The Liberty Open is also a fundraising event for charitable causes, including LIGALY (Long Island Gay & Lesbian Youth), a local organization that provides education, advocacy and social support for LGBT youth on Long Island and MCCNY Homes Youth Services, which provides emergency shelter and drop-in services to homeless LGBT youth in NYC. Proceeds for these local charities are generated through raffle sales and from any surplus leftMark Reiter and Marsha Silverma, Liberty Open tournament directors, with Sidnei Beal III and Jean Tefort (Liberty Open Outstanding Volunteer Award)

Jon Guerrica in serving position

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USTA METRO REGION

over from the event after all expenses are paid. “The Liberty Open has always been about giving back to the community we come from as much as it is about providing a social and competitive forum for tennis to the LGBT community,” said Marsha Silverman. “We focus on local organizations that do vital work for our community. Their ability to thrive depends on charitable donations, including those provided by the Liberty Open. We are thrilled to help support these causes.” For more information on the Liberty Open, please visit www.metrotennisgroup.com/libertyopen or contact Mark Reiter by e-mail at markbucky16@aol.com or Marsha Silverman by email at msilver0@aol.com. To learn more about MTG, its year-long events and how to join, please visit www.metrotennisgroup.com

JTT All-Stars Take Part in New York Open Festivities By Esu Ma’at

The 2013 Junior Team Tennis All-Star competition took place July 5 at the West Side Tennis Club. Intermediate players in the 10U, 12U, 14U and 18U age divisions from the Metro Region competed against their counterparts from the Long Island Region. Metro won all four flights. Medals, t-shirts and other fun prizes were awarded to all participants. As part of the New York Open festivities, the Junior Team Tennis contestants, dressed in their Wimbledon whites, got a big thrill out of flashing their skills on the same court scores of professional players, past and present, have competed 26

on as well. For more information about participating in Junior Team Tennis please e-mail maat@eastern.usta.com.

Kings County Tennis League Receives Grant

The Kings County Tennis League’s (KCTL) mission is to use tennis as an instrument for positive mentorship and community building. Equipped with a passion for social justice and portable tennis nets, KCTL literally brings tennis to the children. KCTL serves more than 120 children, ages five through 15, from four public housing developments across Brooklyn. KCTL attracts ethnically- and professionally-diverse volunteers from across New York City to provide these youth with tennis instruction, nutrition education, community building projects, an end-of-season tournament, and a trip to the U.S. Open’s Arthur Ashe Kids Day. KCTL recently received a USTA Metro Grant to support its Site Leaders, who are responsible for managing the league at each of its four sites. The Site Leaders, in addition to perfecting the forehands and backhands of the KCTL participants, manage the volunteers and tournaments, track data for their respective site, and help create and refine the KCTL curriculum. Thanks to USTA Metro’s recent grant, the Site Leaders will have enough time to prepare for each lesson, and work in the office to help improve our program.

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

USTA Leagues Update BY DEBORAH-ROSE ANDREWS

he Queens season was once again plagued by rain. We had 44 matches rained out and several were interrupted midmatch by rain. The weather issues continued into District playoffs. The 4.0 Queens men’s playoffs were interrupted mid-match. Several Manhattan matches were also impacted by rain. Regionals also started out rainy and the day of Regionals was an eventful one. At the start time, rain was coming down. Just after 2:00 p.m., Paul, one of our 3.5 players who is also a meteorologist, assured me the rain was moving out and we would be in the clear soon! With that happy news, the men joined together to dry the courts and finally get the matches underway. Just after the last court started, the yellow jacket bees arrived and promptly stung one of the players. Off to the main building for ice. At the start of the next round, Court 10 developed a problem, and despite our best efforts, the court was declared unplayable by the maintenance staff. The ladies, who had patiently waited, were finally moved to another court. The competition throughout the playoffs was very tough. There were many close matches, and many matches decided by a 32 win. There were some exciting matches– and some marathons (two ladies singles matches lasted three-and-a-half hours!). After a very long day, Regionals finally ended as the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center closed for the night. Thanks to the players for their patience and understanding of the long delays. Our teams now advance to Section Championships in Schenectady, N.Y. The

18 & Over 3.5, 4.0 and 5.0+ Men and Women competed Aug. 9-11, while the 18 & Over 3.0 and 40 & Over 3.5 and 4.5+ Men and Women competed Aug. 16-18. And on Aug. 23-25, the 18 & Over 4.5, and 40 & Over 3.0 and 4.0 Men and Women played. You can follow our team’s progress through the USTA Eastern Web site, as well as through updates on our Facebook page. 18 & Over Women l 3.0 Level: Cam/Caponi l 3.5 Level: Rowe/Qureshi l 4.0 Level: Johnson l 4.5 Level: Gloria/Minatodani l 5.0+ Level: Glick 18 & Over Men l 3.0 Level: Snow/Caballero l 3.5 Level: Ticol/Malubay l 4.0 Level: Johnson/Freed l 4.5 Level: Khuong/Snyder l 5.0+ Level: Snyder 40 & Over Women l 3.0 Level: McDonald/Terry l 3.5 Level: Chin/Wood l 4.0 Level: Schaffer l 4.5+ Level: Reiner/Urban 40 & Over Men l 3.5 Level: Brown/Tallia l 4.0 Level: Khine/Zhang l 4.5+ Level: Katz The new 55 & Over League is currently playing at Randall’s Island and City View.

We have six teams competing in this league type. Our next season will be Mixed-Doubles. This League will start in the fall for Manhattan, January for the other boroughs. More details will be sent in the Call for Captains and posted to our Facebook page (Metrotennis League) in September. Enjoy the break and the U.S. Open. We look forward to seeing you for Mixed-Doubles. Are you ready to play League Tennis? l If you know your rating, you can contact the appropriate level coordinator through our Web site (www.metrotennis.com). Click on USTA Leagues, click the appropriate borough on the left, then “Coordinators.” Fill out the form completely, which will be sent on to the level coordinator. l If you do not know your rating, please e-mail info@metrotennis.com with your full name, current age, area you wish to play in and tennis background. If you played college tennis, please include the college name, the years played and position(s) played. A coordinator will get back to you. l You can also go to TennisLink, complete the self-rating and then contact the appropriate level coordinator. Deborah-Rose Andrews is the Local League Coordinator for the Metro Region. She is also vice chair of the Adult League Committee and a member of the Metro Region board of directors. She may be reached by e-mail info@metrotennis.com.

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Patience and the Game in Tennis By Gilad Bloom s a player, coach and as a parent, I have learned over the years that exercising patience is a wise move in most cases, especially when you are dealing with children. As a junior player, I was asked constantly by my coach to be patient both on the court during matches, waiting for the right shot to attack, and to be patient when it came to the big picture—my expectations. “It’s a long road, we have to stay the course, and in the end, it will all click,” he would say to me. “The goal is not to be good now, but when you move out of the junior circuit into the men’s game.” Even as a young junior, I was always led to believe that there was a long-term plan, one that was devised for me to keep developing my game and not get too caught up with results … not let the bad periods shake my confidence. Part of that is to not become too overconfident and cocky during the good periods because you never “own the game.” As a junior, I was lucky, I had a very good coach who was not only competent, but he also believed in me and helped me believe in myself—a key ingredient in any good coach. Without the belief that things will work out well, it is very difficult to achieve long-term success with juniors because there will always be bad patches when things go wrong, such as injuries, tough losses, mental letdowns and personal issues. In a time of crisis, the strategy of exercising patience can be very helpful. A teaching pro needs to be able to look the player in the eye and assure

them that they are on the right track because the road ahead may be filled with heartbreaking losses and frustrating practice sessions. When I first started coaching, I was young and eager to see quick results. As a former pro player fresh off the ATP Tour, I expected my students to have the same passion, discipline and athletic ability that I had, and it frustrated me when they didn’t show visible improvement in a short amount of time. I found out quickly that, in reality, each player has their own goals and the vast majority of players end up at the college, high school and/or club levels because many play other sports and have other activities. Although they love tennis and try hard, they cannot achieve a high level until they reach their late teens. Therefore, I had to re-set my expectations from my students. Over the years, I have come to realize that it takes months, sometimes even years, to implement good habits and there needs to be a lot of repetition. With kids who play one to four times a week, it could take years until they start to look, move and compete like true tennis players. Like I said, patience is needed because in many cases, it can look pretty ugly until it becomes watchable. Over the years, I was often surprised at the level that some of my students achieved. Some players whom I had very low expectations of actually reached levels that I never thought they would achieve. It took longer than usual, but once they got the idea, they excelled and surpassed their own expectations. Again the key was patience, as they were given all the time in the world to develop without pressure.

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

Furthermore, when you are dealing with coaching juniors, you have to take into consideration many aspects and allow the kids to grow into their game. Certain children mature late both physically and emotionally, and as a coach, you need to be aware of such things and are often forced to look the other way if a player cannot handle themselves on the court. As we have all seen, teenagers can get pretty emotional and irrational at times, and as a coach, it’s easy to give up on a kid who throws tantrums often or cannot push themselves hard enough in practice. I have found that most kids, if given a chance to come around, will actually improve as they get more mature, provided they love the game enough. The other layer to this equation is that they need the support of coaches and parents who don’t put too much pressure on them. Psychology has a lot to do with it, and as a coach, I always try to find a way to get inside the student’s head. Each player is different, so it can become a bit tricky.

e Waiting “Young players need to know that playing tennis is a long-term process, kind of like a marathon where when you finally finish, you can hang up the racquet.” Once the child gets to that stage where they are playing for their own benefit and not to please the coach or parent, I find that my job as a coach becomes much easier. This process can take a few years, so it takes a lot of patience from the tennis pro, but when that hurdle is passed, it’s well worth the wait and you just may have a player who is going places on your hands. The patience aspect of tennis must be projected to the child early on both by the parents and the coaches. Young players need to know that playing tennis is a longterm process, kind of like a marathon where when you finally finish, you can hang up the racquet. Tennis is an acquired, sophisticated, yet simple, sport and practicing and playing lots of matches is a huge part of the growing process. Primarily, it is about experience, attitude and how you can learn about the game and improve your own game every time you step on the court. I must admit that even at the age of 46, I am still learning new things about this game every day. I’ve had a long enough career as a

coach by now that some of my students who started with me as kids are now in their 20s and even in their 30s. They tell me that it took them years to fully implement the techniques I tried to teach them as juniors, and most of them played their best tennis in their 20s when it actually counted. There is a huge difference between doing something in practice and doing it in an actual match. It takes thousands of repetitions and it takes the guts to execute these techniques in a real match, and in the process, you may even lose a match here and there. I often hear parents reporting to me that their child reverted back to old habits when things went wrong during a match. That is a very common and natural occurrence. Moving up from each age group is a process, and there is an adjustment period. The job of the teaching pro is to predict those transitions and prepare the student for each stage. This means that the kids must be forced to practice things they are uncomfortable with, such as taking the ball early, coming to the net or adding more variety shots to their game. These kids need to be given time to experiment and need to

exercise patience and realize that it will take time to perfect their craft. Do to the patience required to excel in our great sport, I do not put too much emphasis on results and rankings in the junior age groups. For me, those results represent a short-term outlook. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against winning and achieving a high ranking, but that should be a byproduct of good, methodical hard work and not a goal. I have never met a player who worked the right way that did not improve and achieve good results. It just might take a little longer, but it will be worth the wait and will last for a long time. Gilad Bloom is a former ATP touring professional who, at his peak, was ranked 61st in singles and 62nd in doubles in the world. Five times an Israel’s Men’s Champion, three times in singles and twice in doubles, Gilad is currently the director of tennis at The Club of Riverdale. He was the director of tennis at John McEnroe Tennis Academy for two years, and before, that ran Gilad Bloom Tennis for nine years. He may be reached by phone at (914) 907-0041 or email bloom.gilad@gmail.com.

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2013 GUIDE TO NEW YORK TENNIS CLUBS

Guide to New York Tennis Clubs Centercourt Performance Tennis Center 65 Columbia Road • Morristown, N.J. www.centercourtclub.com The Centercourt Performance Tennis Center (CPTC) is located in Morristown, N.J., a oneof-a-kind facility fully-dedicated to the development and performance of tennis players. The Performance Center went through a complete renovation in 2012 and has seven hard courts (five are domed in the winter and two are permanent), one red clay court, state of the art strength and conditioning room, study area, new lobby, and new locker rooms. Our philosophy is if you want to improve, you need to train. While you don’t have to be exceptionally talented, you do need to be seriously committed to your training. Our mission is to help every student-athlete we train realize his or her full potential; athletically, academically and within life itself. We believe that the trials and tribulations that our student-athletes endure in the tennis pathway will develop our young athletes into leaders on and off the court. Our players respect the game, their peers, parents, environment, and coaches. Our players are coached to not only become great players, but hard-working, self-sufficient individuals. The CPTC curriculum features on-court and off-court lesson programs which include 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. Our culture is simple, We live the sport! Seven days a week, 365 days a year. Continually striving for improvement, we do not celebrate mediocrity. We strive to get the most out of all our players. 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 Performance Tennis Center firsthand! 30

Go! Tennis 34-28 214th Place • Bayside, N.Y. (718) 224-6303 Director George Garland and Business Manager Maria Aliventi operate Go! Tennis Programs at North Shore Tennis and Racquets Club in Bayside, Queens. North Shore has 14 outdoor Har-Tru courts, 10 that are bubbled for the indoor season. Players are provided with beautifully-maintained courts, as well as excellent lighting and heat. The club also boasts a beautifully appointed clubhouse featuring spacious locker rooms, lounge, and a full-service bar and grill. Go! Tennis Programs are under the direction of 35-year tennis veteran George Garland. The seven-level junior program caters to players of all ages and skill levels. The program includes: Teddy Tennis, QuickStart, Hitters, Super-Hitters, The Academy, Varsity Prep and Tournament Team. Go!Tennis is known for its high level of instruction and professionalism. The new Varsity Prep program (for high school and part-time tournament players) is coordinated by John Brennan (long-time boys and girls coach at St. Francis Prep). The Tournament Team (for ranked tournament players) is under the direction of Mike Misiti, and features Pro Marvin Dent. Go! Tennis also offers a wide range of programs geared for adults, including the new Go! Tennis Adult Academy. Whether its competitive leagues, clinics, drills or private lessons, Go! Tennis has it all. An attentive, caring professional staff, coupled with first-rate facilities make Go! Tennis at North Shore Tennis and Racquets Club the place to play.

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IMG Academy 5500 34th Street W. • Bradenton, Fla. (800) 872-6425 www.imgacademy.com Located in Bradenton, Fla., IMG Academy is home to the 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 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 60 percent of its student-athletes to Division-I universities (the national high school average is less than two percent), and some of the leading academic institutions in the nation, including Harvard, Princeton, and Stanford. Many of the world’s top professionals have also trained at IMG Academy, including Maria Sharapova, Kei Nishikori, Sabine Lisicki, Ryan Harrison and Andre Agassi, just to name a few. In fact, our student-athletes and alumni have won 939 singles titles, 441 doubles titles, 86 Grand Slam singles titles, 49 Grand Slam doubles titles, and 12 Olympic Gold Medals. Ten IMG-Academy trained tennis players have reached number one in the world in singles and four have reached number one in the world in doubles! With more than 50 tennis courts, all students attending IMG Academy receive multiple hours of on-court training per day that includes match-simulation drills and match play, delivered by a dedicated fulltime coaching staff with extensive collegiate and professional playing and coaching experience. Off the court, students work with physical and mental conditioning, speed and movement, leadership, vision training, and nutrition specialists to ensure a well-rounded game. In addition to our preparatory school program, we offer: Fiveweek, three-week and weekly camps with education add-ons like ESL/TOEFL and SAT preparation; holiday/spring break camps; adult training programs; collegiate and professional training programs; and team training. With programs available year-round for all ages and ability levels, IMG Academy has a program to help you reach your performance goals! For more information, visit www.imgacademy.com or call (800) 872-6425.

Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club 450 West 43rd Street • New York, N.Y. (212) 594-0554 • www.advantagetennisclubs.com info@mprcnyc.com Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club (MPRC), an Advantage Tennis Club, located at 450 West 43rd Street (between 9th Avenue and 10th Avenue) in New York City (open Monday-Sunday from 6:00 a.m. until midnight), offers luxury tennis in the heart of Manhattan with five indoor championship hard courts, air-conditioning in the summer, a luxurious duplex clubhouse with terrace, a new tennis bubble, private lessons and group lessons for all ages Photo credit: MPRC member Sam Kanter, courtesy of MPRC and levels, game arranging, quality tennis programs for members and non-members, leagues, tennis camps, parties, doubles play, tournaments, a pro shop with stringing services, and nice locker rooms. Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club membership includes a full membership to Manhattan Plaza Health Club. MPRC members can fully access the Health Club’s many fitness classes, climbing walls, gym, glass enclosed swimming pool, sundeck, sauna and more. There is indoor parking also available on the premises. MPRC’s most popular program for members is game arranging that follows the NTRP rating system. MPRC has some of the best tennis-teaching professionals in New York City who offer private lessons and group lessons. MPRC offers several categories of membership, including the Advantage Passport Tennis/Sports MultiClub Membership to Roosevelt Island Racquet Club & Sports Park and the New York Tennis Club. For membership information, contact MPRC Assistant Manager and Membership Director Calvin Sharpe at (212) 594-0554. MPRC also offers season/open tennis time, and for more information on these opportunities, contact MPRC Manager Gertrud Wilhelm at (212) 594-0554. For more information on tennis lessons and Adult Tennis Programs, contact MPRC Assistant Tennis Director Bruce Barney at (212) 5940554. MPRC also offers QuickStart Junior Programs, for more information, contact MPRC’s Youth Program Administrator, Gabriel Slotnick at (212) 594-0554.

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Guide to New York Tennis Clubs Mayotte-Hurst Tennis Academy 196-00 Union Turnpike • Fresh Meadows, N.Y. (718) 740-6800 • www.cunninghamsportscenter.com

Mayotte-Hurst Tennis Academy runs sophisticated, cuttingedge programs and private lessons at its site at Cunningham Tennis in Cunningham Park, Queens. 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: l Performance-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. l High Performance: For committed serious players ages 1117, these competitors receive world-class training in one twohour session per day. Embedded in the technical, tactical and fitness training, the students work on 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 5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.). l Competition: Focused players from 12-years of age through high school can participate in the Competition Program, which currently runs Monday-Friday from 6:00 p.m.8:00 p.m. 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. l Development: For younger players there is Development. 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, ageappropriate way to learn the foundations of becoming a top 32

level player (Monday-Friday from 5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.). Weekend hours are being planned for all groups. For more information, call (718) 740-6800 or visit www.cunninghamsportscenter.com.

New York Tennis Club 3081 Harding Avenue • Throgs Neck (Bronx), N.Y. (718) 239-7919 • www.advantagetennisclubs.com lhartman@advantagetennisclubs.com Founded in 1886, New York Tennis Club is the oldest active tennis club in New York. In fact, 2013 marks their 128th consecutive season. Throughout the years, the Club has maintained a reputation for its restful atmosphere, the congeniality of its members and its professional approach to a truly popular sport. With a new patio and viewing deck and six newly-resurfaced Har-Tru courts, the Club is a haven in a quiet corner of the City. Convenient to Manhattan, Queens and lower Westchester, it’s also the best value in the TriState area. Sit back and relax in the recently renovated clubhouse and lounge, grab a bite to eat at the snack bar or unwind in the remodeled locker rooms. There is also on-site racquet stringing in the pro-shop and ample free parking located on the premises. A club for all seasons For the upcoming indoor season, mid-October to the end of April, New York Tennis Club offers high-quality courts at competitive rates. The two climate-controlled bubbles are equipped with shadow-less, non-glare lighting, with hourly court time at rates between $34 - $70 per court, as well as seasonal court options. Hours of operation are 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., seven days a week, and no membership is required. The rest of the year is outdoor season, when the Club offers unlimited play—as much tennis as members wish. Tennis lovers can soak up the sun on lush lawns surrounded by flower gardens, sit in the shade of willow trees or have lunch on a covered patio or in the clubhouse, which offers dining facilities, locker rooms and showers. For additional information, please visit www.newyorktennisclub.com.

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Guide to New York Tennis Clubs

Tennis all over town One more special feature: Advantage Passport Membership, which offers members a whole new level of benefits and access. Passport memberships include free summer court time on reserved courts at Roosevelt Island Racquet Club (RIRC) and New York Tennis Club, plus membership privileges at Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club, Manhattan Plaza Health Club and New York Tennis Club. For more information, call Manager Lauren Hartman, or Director of Adult Programs & Advantage Sea and Sports Camp Paul Fontana at (718) 239-7919. See you on the courts!

Queens College Tennis Center 65-30 Kissena Boulevard • Queens, N.Y. (718) 997-2771 www.queensknights.com/tenniscenter The Queens College Tennis Center (QCTC) is determined to provide the patrons of the Queens College Tennis Center with a state of the art facility, professional service and a healthy environment to enhance their tennis experience. Newly reopened, QCTC is centrally located in Flushing, N.Y. and is easily accessible via car, bus, or subway. Enjoy indoor

2013 GUIDE TO NEW YORK TENNIS CLUBS

Extensive adult and junior programs throughout the year The Club offers adult programs for skill sets of all levels. Program offerings include singles and doubles leagues, a comprehensive game arranging program for both singles and doubles players, private and group instruction for all levels, cardio-tennis classes, and tennis parties where guests are welcome. Whether you are new to tennis, or want to take your game to the next level, The New York Tennis Club has a program for you. The Junior Tennis Program at New York Tennis offers yearround classes, camps, and programs for all ages and levels. There are QuickStart classes for ages four through ten, summer and holiday camp programs, after-school programs, tournament training for advanced competitive players, and match play. During the school year, classes are offered both after school and on Saturdays. The Junior Tennis Camp offers one-week sessions during the month of August.

rain free tennis year round under our spacious state of the art facility. QCTC offers six indoor and outdoor newly resurfaced Deco-turf courts available for use seven days a week. Youth and Adult tennis classes are available for all ages and levels of play. All tennis program curriculum has been carefully structured for the progression of each player. Private and semi-private lessons are available with our experienced coaching staff. Please contact The Queens College Tennis Center for court reservations and class registrations. For more information visit www.queensknights.com/tenniscenter.

Roosevelt Island Racquet Club 281 Main StreetRoosevelt Island, N.Y. (212) 935-0250 • netennis@aol.com www.rirctennis.com Now in its 21st year of operation, Roosevelt Island Racquet Club (RIRC) is part of Advantage Tennis Clubs. Roosevelt Island Racquet Club is conveniently located on beautiful Roosevelt Island, New York City’s oasis on the East River. The Club features 12 Lee green clay courts under new bubbles with shadowless, non-glare lighting, heated and air-conditioned for comfortable yearround play. The exercise room includes a treadmill, exercise bikes, elliptical trainers and free weights to accommodate almost any workout. The Club boasts a completely stocked pro shop, locker room facilities, two social lounges, Riverview Lounge with a breathtaking view of Manhattan’s skyline, a snack bar and free parking. RIRC is easily accessible by tram, subway or car (free on-site parking). The Roosevelt Island Tram (from 60th Street and 2nd Avenue) stops adjacent to the Club, and the subway (F Train) stops one block from the club. Members also have use of an indoor swimming pool and fitness center next door in the Sports Park. RIRC offers a wide range of adult programs for players of all levels. Program offerings range from the Advanced Singles League for the experienced competitive player, to Beginner Group Lessons for people new to the sport of tennis. Cardio-

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NEW YORK TENNIS MAGAZINE Presents Your

2013

2013 GUIDE TO NEW YORK TENNIS CLUBS

Guide to New York Tennis Clubs tennis is one of the Club’s most popular programs and is offered daily for those looking to combine a cardio workout with tennis. Whatever your goal, there is a program for you! The Advantage All-City Junior Tennis Program offers yearround classes, camps and programs for all ages and levels. There are QuickStart classes for ages four through nine, summer and holiday camp programs, after-school programs, tournament training for advanced competitive players, and match play. During the school year, classes are offered both after-school and on Saturdays. The Advantage All-City Junior Tennis Camp offers one-week sessions from mid-June through the end of August. Roosevelt Island Racquet Club offers a Gold Membership that includes full Club privileges, 14-day advance reservation privileges, member court fees with an average savings of $35 per court hour, game arranging and member discount on all programs. The Club is excited to offer Advantage Passport Membership, which offers members a whole new level of benefits and access. Passport Memberships include free summer court time on reserved courts at RIRC and New York Tennis Club, plus membership privileges at Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club, Manhattan Plaza Health Club and New York Tennis Club. For more information, contact Gordon Kent, Tom Manhart or Kimberly Latif at (212) 935-0250.

SPORTIME Randall’s Island One Randall’s Island • New York, N.Y. (212) 427-6150 • www.sportimeny.com/manhattan membershipri@sportimeny.com SPORTIME Randall’s Island, a state-of-theart, 20-court facility located on Randall’s Island in Manhattan, is the home of the John McEnroe Tennis Academy (JMTA). New York sports legend John McEnroe opened his worldclass training academy in the world’s greatest city in September 2010. JMTA is led by Academy Director Lawrence Kleger, who has trained more ranked juniors than anyone in the history of the USTA Eastern Section. Lawrence is also the personal coach of JMTA’s Noah Rubin, a top 34

American tennis prospect who recently competed in the junior events at the French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open. JMTA staff is comprised of experienced teaching professionals, including Associate Academy Director and Johnny Mac doubles partner Peter Fleming, Assistant Academy Directors Felix Alvarado, Cosim Cotet, Nate Emge and Bruce Haddad, and former WTA touring professionals Hana Sromova and Martina Sucha. In addition to a world-class tournament training program and our well known JTK recreational program for juniors, SPORTIME Randall’s Island delivers the best New York City has to offer for adult players of all levels. We have a wide range of adult tennis and fitness offerings, including group clinics and private lessons, many taught by the same great teaching pros who are training the next Johnny Mac at JMTA. The club also offers adult singles and doubles leagues, private and group personal training in our well-equipped fitness center and studio, and a variety of events, including pro-ams and tennis mixers. Members enjoy preferred rates for court times and seasonal courts. SPORTIME Randall’s Island features 160,000-square feet of tennis courts and amenities, including five indoor and five indoor/outdoor Deco-Turf tennis courts, and 10 indoor/outdoor Har-Tru clay tennis courts. All 20 courts are available for year-round play. This extraordinary club also features a functional training and fitness center; comfortable lounge areas with excellent viewing; a junior lounge/computer lab; a pro shop featuring top brands and 24-hour stringing; a complimentary nursery; steam baths in the member locker rooms; a café serving healthy food, snacks and beverages; and classrooms, party rooms and meeting facilities. So come see for yourself. It’s all right here on Randall’s Island under the RFK/Triboro Bridge. Contact our membership director at (212) 427-6150 or e-mail membershipri@sportimeny.com for more information and to schedule a visit.

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

NEW YORK TENNIS MAGAZINE Presents Your

2013

Guide to New York Tennis Clubs 2013 GUIDE TO NEW YORK TENNIS CLUBS

Stadium Tennis Center at Mill Pond Park 725 Exterior Street at East 152nd Street and the Harlem River • Bronx, N.Y. (718) 665-4684 • www.stadiumtennisnyc.com The new Stadium Tennis Center at Mill Pond Park, located in the shadow of Yankee Stadium at East 152nd Street and the Harlem River, can be labeled “the best-kept secret in New York City tennis.” With 16 cushioned, U.S. Openstyle deco-turf, hard courts—including 12 indoor courts which are open for indoor play from October through April, New York City’s newest indoor/outdoor tennis center commenced its first indoor season at the end of 2010. The excellent lighting, high indoor ceilings and spacious backcourts of the new Stadium Tennis Center are sure to please the tennis playing public and tournament level players. The new Stadium Tennis Center at Mill Pond Park offers a full complement of tennis programs for juniors and adults of all skill levels in partnership with Gotham Tennis Academy, a leader in developing and operating tennis programs in New York City and the Hamptons. Through its partnership with Gotham Tennis Academy, the new Tennis Center has established a team of topnotch, experienced tennis professionals and offers popular junior development and advanced training tennis programs including high performance elite training for ranked juniors. For adult players, fast-paced group clinics and cardio tennis workouts are offered daily, in addition to indoor seasonal court rentals, private lessons, game arranging, leagues and tournament play. The state-of-the art indoor seasonal “bubble” covering 12 tennis courts at the new Stadium Tennis Center is one of the largest tennis “bubbles” or domes of this type in the world, covering an area of over four million cubic feet and a footprint of more than 75,000-square feet. For the convenience of our regular players and their families, the Tennis Center offers complimentary on-site parking. In addition, an adjacent clubhouse features a pro shop, café, locker rooms and lounge areas, WiFi computer access, a workspace where children can do schoolwork and read and a tennis library.

More information about Stadium Tennis Center at Mill Pond Park can be found at www.stadiumtennisnyc.com or by calling (718) 6654684. More information about Gotham Tennis Academy can be found at www.gothamtennis.com or by calling (646) 524-7069.

TCR—The Club of Riverdale 2600 Netherland Avenue • Riverdale, N.Y. (718) 796-9099 • TCR-NYC.com TCR—The Club of Riverdale, is located just one minute from the West Side Highway in Riverdale, just 15 minutes from most of Manhattan. A one of a kind club with the most beautiful indoor tennis courts in New York City, is celebrating its 20th year as New York’s premier tennis and health club. This impressive 150,000-square foot club features six indoor tennis courts, a 75-foot swimming pool, basketball gymnasium, table tennis rec hall, fitness center, golf center, group exercise and spinning studios, spa, café, sun deck and Kid Care. In July, TCR began offering PlaySight to its’ members. TCR is the first facility in the United States to offer this cutting edge teaching tool with automated video technology. We are proud to have Gilad Bloom as our director of tennis. Gilad commands the reputation of inspiring the most from the high-performance athletes in the field. It is his inspirational quality that is going to not only lead the Tournament Training Program at TCR, but will raise the level of effort and productivity on all the courts that Gilad will personally impact each and every day. TCR’s Junior Development Program has led the market in operational excellence since 1993. TCR’s quality pro staff, unparalleled on-court product, mature transport operation, great facilities and the most convenient club location in NYC have combined to make TCR’s program the go-to program for the most discerning tennis enthusiast. TCR is accepting a limited number of applications for its Junior Development Training Program that begins Monday, Sept. 9. TCR’s transport network of 12 vehicles, offers the convenience of door-to-door transport from school or home, seven days a week. To arrange for enrollment and or a facility tour, call Dan Mooney at (718) 796-9099 or e-mail dan@tcr-nyc.com.

NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

NEW YORK TENNIS MAGAZINE Presents Your

2013

2013 GUIDE TO NEW YORK TENNIS CLUBS

Guide to New York Tennis Clubs USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center 12402 Roosevelt Avenue • Flushing, N.Y. (718) 760-6200 • USTA.com The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is the largest public tennis facility in the world. Operated by the USTA for the City of New York, the 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 12 indoor courts for public use in the Indoor Training Center. In actuality, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is open to the public seven days a week, 11 months a year, closing only on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center has a staff of more than 20 USPTA and/or PTR-certified professionals conducting programs, clinics, private lessons, leagues and tournaments year-round. The NTC also supports all USTA Community Tennis and Player Development initiatives. Other tournaments held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center include the Men’s and Women’s College Tennis Invitational (an ITA event) and other ITA college events and conference championships; the Jana Hunsaker Memorial Eastern Wheelchair Championships (an ITF event); the USTA Men’s and Women’s National Open Indoor Champi36

onships and a host of USTA Eastern sectional tournaments for juniors, adults and seniors as well as New York Junior Tennis League (NYJTL) and New York City Parks Foundation programs for junior and senior players. The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center professional staff also conducts community tennis programs, including 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. The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis also provides for diverse community outreach programs including; the New York Junior Tennis League (NYJTL), the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, the Queens District Attorney’s Star Track/Say Yes to Tennis, No to Violence program for Queens at-risk youth, and free tennis clinics conducted for NYC Department of Education teachers/coaches. The NTC hosts various tennis opportunities for special populations, including wheelchair tennis instruction for the physically-challenged from the months of October through July, HERO (Help Expand Recreational Opportunities) for developmentally challenged adults and tennis for autistic children through NYFAC (New York Families for Autistic Children). There is an extensive summer camp program which provides basic tennis instruction, including the 10-and-Under QuickStart format for younger children, and basic fitness programs; encourages good sportsmanship; and leads to general character building for the children in the New York City area. These services are provided at nominal cost, mak-

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

NEW YORK TENNIS MAGAZINE Presents Your

2013

Guide to New York Tennis Clubs

West Side Tennis Club 1 Tennis Place • Forest Hills, N.Y. (718) 268-2300 • ForestHillsTennis.com The West Side Tennis Club is well-known for hosting the U.S. Open Tennis Championships. Today, it is home to 830 members, maintaining the best of our celebrated past and rich history. The West Side Tennis Club often surprises firsttime visitors. Anchored by its historic stadium, the renowned Tudor-style clubhouse, along with a junior Olympic pool complex, West Side’s 12 acres are both a majestic setting and a tranquil oasis in the heart of New York City. West Side Tennis Club is located just 20 minutes from the bustle of midtown Manhattan, easily accessible by car, bus, subway or the Long Island Railroad. West Side maintains 38 tennis courts on four different surfaces: Grass, Har-Tru, Red Clay and Deco-Turf and provides year-round tennis utilizing its 10-court indoor facility. Members can take advantage of group or private lessons, clinics, tournaments, ladders, arranged matches, roundrobins and a year-round junior program, including summer camp, a pro shop and swimming lessons. West Side Tennis Club also offers a full-service restaurant and bar with spectacular sunset dining, and private party and corporate out-

2013 GUIDE TO NEW YORK TENNIS CLUBS

ing it affordable for youngsters who would not otherwise get the chance to attend camp or receive tennis instruction. Lastly, our Project ACES (Alternative Classroom Environment for Students) which was implemented at the NTC in 2009, is geared toward six- to 10-year-old children from schools from the NYC Metropolitan Area. This program provides students the opportunity to visit the NTC and learn about the history and the game of tennis. The kids are given a walking tour of the entire site (excluding Stadium 2/3), including Center Court in Ashe, a video presentation in Interview Room 1 on the history and the game of tennis and the great players of the sport, a tour of the locker rooms, and roughly an hour of tennis instruction from the NTC’s pro staff, ending with lunch at the Indoor Training Center.

ing facilities. Platform tennis, bridge, and fun-filled activities and social events for all ages at all levels are scheduled year-round. On weekends and weekdays, it’s a fabulous warm weather getaway for families, with a tennis day camp that is the perfect summer activity for children. So convenient, what better way to end a day at work than with a game of tennis, a dip in the pool, and watching the sun set having drinks on the club house patio. And for getting business done in a special way, it’s a unique place to spend quality time with customers, business associates and colleagues. There is even wireless Internet access available anywhere in the clubhouse. Want to do a truly special event for a small or large group of people, West Side Tennis Club has everything you could want to create a special occasion. There is something for everyone at the West Side Tennis Club. For more information, visit ForestHillsTennis.com or call (718) 268-2300.

NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

Robert Kendrick in men’s doubles action for the Sportimes against the Texas Wild

Credit all photos to Adam Wolfthal

NY Sportimes Entertain Local Crowd With Two Nights of WTT Action

rofessional tennis returned to New York this summer as World TeamTennis (WTT) and the New York Sportimes treated New Yorkers to two back-to-back nights of tennis fun at Sportime Randall’s Island. The Sportimes played to a nice crowd, including former Mayor David Dinkins and the General Manager of USTA Player Development Patrick McEnroe, who turned out to see two former world number ones square off in WTT action as John McEnroe led the Sportimes against Jim Courier and the Texas Wild. Unfortunately, Mother Nature didn’t help 38

out this evening as rain forced the match indoors, but that didn’t deter from the fun and intensity. On the court, things didn’t start too well for the Sportimes. In men’s doubles, Alex Bogomolov Jr. & Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi of the Wild defeated the team of Robert Kendrick & John McEnroe of the Sportimes 5-2. Next up was women’s singles where young Canadian player Eugenie Bouchard of the Wild defeated the Sportimes’ AnnaLena Groenefeld 5-2, giving the Wild a 104 overall lead. The third match of the night was the marquee encounter as John McEnroe and Courier squared off. Both players exhib-

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

ited the type of play that propelled them to become the world’s top-ranked players with McEnroe’s serve and volley, and Courier’s blasting of cross-court forehands. The set was tight throughout, with no breaks of serve. At 4-4, they played a nine-point tie-breaker that was won 5-3 by McEnroe, giving the Sportimes their first win of the night. The fourth match was a mixed-doubles event, which was arguably the most intense of the night. The team of Darija Jurak & Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi of the Wild defeated Kveta Peschke & John McEnroe of the Sportimes 5-4 in a tie-breaker. This gave the Wild an overall 19-13 lead.

Martina Hingis in mixed-doubles action for the Washington Kastles against her former WTT squad, the New York Sportimes

Jim Courier with a backhand against John McEnroe at Sportime Stadium

In the fifth match of the night, it was the women’s doubles team of Anna-Lena Groenefeld & Kveta Peschke getting another win for the Sportimes, defeating Eugenie Bouchard & Darija Jurak 5-2 to secure the win for the Wild. On night two, the weather was more cooperative, allowing the match to be played at the outdoor stadium. The Sportimes came up short again, but that didn’t deter the home fans from enjoying the atmosphere presented with intense

Kids enjoying a night of World TeamTennis action at Sportime Stadium at Randall’s Island

WTT action. The Washington Kastles defeated the Sportimes 23-15, as the matches were very competitive with the Sportimes giving the Kastles a hard time in each encounter. Martina Hingis, playing the 2013 WTT season for the visiting Kastles, showed the crowd why she was once ranked number one in the world as well and more than deserving of her recent induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. And while the Sportimes fought hard all

The New York Sportimes prep for their World TeamTennis match against the Texas Wild at Sportime Stadium

season, in the end, it was the Kastles who defeated the Springfield Lasers 25-12 in the Mylan World TeamTennis (WTT) Finals to capture their third consecutive title and their fourth in five years. “It is the best feeling in the world to share so much success with such great people,” said the Kastles’ Murphy Jensen, WTT coach of the year. “We are America’s team and it’s kind of cool. It’s kind of a dream come true to be able to wear a jersey that says coach.”

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www.TennisBalanceBoard.com NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

2013 U.S. OPEN PREVIEW 2013 U.S. Open times of entry Day sessions l All gates open to the public daily at 10:00 a.m. l For Session 25/Women’s Singles Final on Sunday, Sept. 8, gates open at 11:00 a.m. l For Session 26/Men’s Singles Final on Monday, Sept. 9, gates open at 3:00 p.m. Evening sessions l All grounds gates open at 6:00 p.m. and Arthur Ashe Stadium will open at 6:30 p.m. or 40 minutes after the conclusion of the day sessions l Guests with restaurant passes, hospitality invitations and Luxury Suite ticket holders will have access to the site, through the East Gate, and restaurant elevators at 5:00 p.m. l Early entrance evening ticket holders will have access to the grounds at 4:00 p.m. Final Sunday grounds admission ticket Share in the excitement of Final Sunday, Sept. 8, with a $5 Grounds Admission. You can catch all the action of the Junior’s and Wheelchair Championships and see the Women’s Singles Final on big-screen TVs located throughout the grounds. You can also enjoy regional cuisine and live entertainment in the Food Village and South Plaza. These Grounds Admission tickets may be sold in advance at the discretion of the USTA and will be available for purchase at the Box Office on the day of the Finals (subject to availability). All Final Sunday Grounds Admission proceeds benefit USTA Serves, the national charitable foundation of the USTA, which funds tennis and education programs for at-risk children and people with disabilities Free Qualifying Tournament Come out and see the tennis stars of tomorrow! The U.S. Open Qualifying Tournament takes place Tuesday-Friday, Aug. 20-23, with matches beginning at 11:00 a.m. daily. Photo credit: Eric C. Peck

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

2013 U.S. OPEN PREVIEW Attractions 2013 l The U.S. Open American Express Fan Experience: The U.S. Open U.S. Open American Express Fan Experience returns in 2013 Open to all U.S. Open at- restaurant tendees. The U.S. Open American Express Fan Experience will feature guide swing analysis hitting bays allowing

offer. Reservations are recommended for Aces and Champions Bar & Grill, and can be made by calling the reservation line at (718) 393.1933 or using the online reservation system at www.usopen.org.

l Aces and Champions Bar & Grill: Both are located on the Club level in Arthur Ashe Stadium between Gates 3 and 4 and are available to Courtside fans to get instant feedback on their Along with the best tennis and entertainBox seat holders and Luxury Suite swing, along with other activities The ment in the world, the U.S. Open offers preguests. You can access both restaufull-size tennis court returns to the mium dining experiences—from Mojito, the rants by using space allowing fans to try out their newly-redesigned Latin-inspired restaurant the elevators on strokes, demo the latest racquets, and and bar, to Champions Bar & Grill, a classic the east side of other special programming for kids and American steakhouse. Whether you are in Arthur Ashe the mood for a light snack, lunch, dinner, adults. Stadium adjameeting friends for cocktails or satisfying a cent to the U.S. l U.S. Open Fountain Plaza Desk: sweet tooth, the restaurants on the Open Club PreThe U.S. Open Fountain Plaza Desk in grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King Nasented by Emithe South Plaza is where ESPN and tional Tennis Center can cure any craving. rates Airline. CBS will broadcast live during select Come experience all the U.S. Open has to sessions. You won’t want to miss the interviews with today’s tennis stars. l Where to see the stars: The practice courts located by the West Gate are a great place to get an up-close look at some of the world’s best players. l Merchandise: An array of tournament souvenirs and mementos are available to commemorate the 2013 U.S. Open experience. l International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum Gallery at the U.S. Open: Be sure to visit the US Open Gallery, located inside the Chase Center.

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2013 U.S. OPEN PREVIEW Loge and Promenade Subscription Series ticket holders may purchase passes for the duration of the tournament. l U.S. Open Club Presented by Emirates Airline: The U.S. Open Club Presented by Emirates Airline is located on the ground floor of Arthur Ashe Stadium. The Club is available to all Subscription Series ticket holders for the duration of the tournament for a nominal entrance fee, and is included for Silver Loge Box seat holders. With its contemporary décor, the U.S. Open Club Presented by Emirates Airline is famous for its Chef’s Table and seasonal selections of eclectic American cuisine. Restaurant passes are required.

l Patio Café & Bar: Soak up the beautiful surroundings of the U.S. Open grounds at the expanded outdoor café and bar located outside the U.S. Open Club Presented by Emirates Airline. Enjoy fresh selections of seasonal sandwiches and salads, paired with summer specialty cocktails. The Patio Café & Bar is available to all ticket holders. l Mojito Restaurant & Bar: Mojito, the newly-redesigned Latin-inspired restaurant available to all ticket holders,

is located on the ground floor of Arthur Ashe Stadium near the Patio Café & Bar Experience. Seating is available either indoors or outside in the grounds garden, enhanced by multiple bars and TVs showing the matches as they happen. l Heineken Red Star Café: The Heineken Red Star Café is located next to the South Plaza Fountains. Newlyredesigned just last year, the Heineken Red Star Café sits on the top level of the two-

Get your shoes dirty. Photo: Joe Josephs

Play on red clay at this unique, public ten-court facility in Riverside Park on the Hudson River Greenway, maintained by the Riverside Clay Tennis Association. Present a NYC Parks Department tennis permit, single play ticket or pay $15 at the gate to play on these courts.

The RCTA oﬀers clinics, tournaments, ladders and “speed tennis” meets throughout the season. For more information please go to www.rcta.info.

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

2013 U.S. OPEN PREVIEW story building, providing guests a spacious, ideal setting to unwind and keep track of the matches while enjoying the Café’s laidback atmosphere and enhanced menus. The U.S. Open Collection Store, located on the ground level, features a complete assortment of 2013 U.S. Open merchandise and mementos alongside a limited selection of Heinekenbranded offerings. l Heineken Light Lounge: With the option of outdoor and indoor seating, the Heineken Light Lounge, located near the East Gate, is the perfect spot to take a break. Outside, fans can relax and take in the sights and sounds of the U.S. Open. Inside, visitors will experience the Heineken Star Bar and cabanastyle seating and can enjoy the oneand-only turkey waffle club—a sandwich unlike any other and exclusive to the Heineken Light Lounge. A custom line of Heineken merchandise, available only at the U.S. Open, is also on display and available for purchase.

l Moët & Chandon Terrace: The Moët & Chandon Terrace, located next to the Patio Café & Bar, features Moët & Chandon Imperial Champagne, along with full-service bar options. Guests can relax and enjoy a glass of champagne in an outdoor lounge setting.

l Grey Goose Bar: Located in the Food Village, the Grey Goose Bar features the Honey Deuce, a U.S. Open signature cocktail, along with Grey Goose specialty cocktails and a fullservice bar. l Food Village: Enjoy regional cuisine and specialty items at the U.S. Open Food Village: Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Shop, Carnegie Deli, Classic Burger, Cuppa Spotta, Farm 2 Fork, Franks and Fries, Fresca Mexicana, Fulton Seafood, Glatt Kosher Cart, New Delhi Spice, Pizza/Pasta, Southern Barbeque, and Sweet & Savory Crepes.

l Baseline Cocktails: Come quench your thirst with a full-service bar that includes premium wine upgrades

NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

2013 U.S. OPEN PREVIEW An Insider’s Look at the Men’s and Women’s Draw Beginning immediately after the conclusion of Wimbledon, the U.S. Open Series links together WTA and ATP tournaments that take place on hard courts across America throughout the summer. As the summer comes to a close, fans are gearing up for the fourth and final Grand Slam event of the season, the 2013 U.S. Open. With the 2013 U.S. Open beginning Aug. 26, the big names in the tennis world will converge on New York in hopes of winning the fourth and final Grand Slam of the year. Since 1978, the tournament has been held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. and has been a highlight to the summers of New York tennis fans. This year’s championships will undoubtedly provide a high level of drama, action, and excitement as the world’s best players compete for the final Grand Slam title of the year. Some players go into the tournament looking to finish a disappointing season off on a more positive note, and some seek to build on the solid season they’ve had thus far. No matter what the player’s individual goals are for the tournament, we can fore-

cast the true contenders, pretenders and American hopefuls for this year’s U.S. Open.

Contenders: Men’s singles Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Novak Djokovic is the 2011 U.S. Open Champion, current world number one and top seed heading into this year’s tournament. Djokovic has enjoyed much success at the Open, having reached the semifinals in 2008 and 2009; the finals in 2007, 2010 and 2012; and took home the championship in 2011. Having lost to Andy Murray a year ago and in the Wimbledon Finals, Djokovic comes in highly motivated to win his seventh Grand Slam title (2008, 2011, 2012, and 2013 Australian Open; the 2011 Wimbledon Championships; and the 2011 U.S. Open).

Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Andy Murray is the defending champion at Flushing Meadows and has momentum coming into the event off his first Wimbledon Championship. At the 2012 U.S. Open, he defeated Novak Djokovic in five sets to win the title, and he became the only British male to become a Grand Slam singles champion during the Open Era. With a Gold Medal at the 2012 Olympics and a Wimbledon title both in front of his home fans in Great Britain, the pressure is off Murray and he can relax and play. Defending a title is no easy feat, but Murray may be playing well enough to do so. Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Rafael Nadal is the reigning French Open Champion and 2010 U.S. Open Champion returns to Flushing Meadows after not playing due to injury a year ago. Nadal has won 12 Grand Slam singles titles, including an all-time record eight French Open titles. In 2010, Nadal completed the Career Grand Slam by winning the U.S. Open proving that while this isn’t his best surface, he is a threat on any surface. He is only the second male player to complete the Career Golden Slam (winner of the Career Grand Slam and the Olympic gold medal) after Andre Agassi. Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Juan Martin del Potro has won the U.S. Open before and poses a serious threat this year. The 2009 Champion was 44

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

2013 U.S. OPEN PREVIEW also a quarterfinalist in 2008 and in 2012. In January 2010, del Potro reached a careerhigh ranking of world number four. As the only player other than Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray to have won a men’s Grand Slam singles title since 2005, del Potro stands a true chance to survive two weeks in New York and win a Championship. Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Tomas Berdych had not had much success at the U.S. Open until last year when he made a nice run making the semifinals before a loss to Andy Murray. In his career, he has also reached two other quarterfinals, in 2010 at the French Open and last year’s U.S. Open. Berdych has a big serve that will play well on the hard courts at Flushing Meadows.

Pretenders: Men’s singles Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Roger Federer finds himself in an unfamiliar position this year as he enters the tournament as the fifth seed. Also, while three male players have won majors this year (Djokovic, Nadal and Murray), Federer is not one of them. Federer, however, is a five-time U.S. Open Champion (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008) and can never be fully counted out. In June at Wimbledon, his streak of 36 consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinals appearances was broken. Bouncing back at the U.S. Open will be no easy feat. Stanislas Wawrinka, the world’s 10thranked player, has had a nice year, but has never enjoyed tremendous success at Flush-

ing Meadows. His career best was as a quarterfinalist in 2010, and last year, he suffered a fourth round loss. Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

David Ferrer is very consistent and tough to beat. Last year, he was a semifinalist at the U.S. Open, and this year, he lost in the French Open finals to fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal. While Ferrer should make a nice run at the Open, he may only wind up as a quarterfinalist.

NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

2013 U.S. OPEN PREVIEW Sleepers: Men’s singles Jerzy Janowicz, playing in his first U.S. Open last year, lost in the first round. However, over the past year, he has made tremendous strides. A run to the semifinals at Wimbledon was certainly a career best and he reached a career-high of 17th in the world in July 2013. Janowicz has the type of game that can bring down the top players. If he gets a good draw, he should be able to make a nice run. Alexandr Dogopolov reached the third round a year ago and the fourth round in 2011. At this year’s Australian Open, he reached the quarterfinals of the hard court event. Dogopolov has a unique type of game, but one that could pose problems this year.

Contenders: Women’s singles

again hoist the trophy. She has won 29 WTA singles titles, including four Grand Slam singles titles.

Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Serena Williams, the four-time U.S. Open Champion (1999, 2002, 2008 and 2012) and defending champion is the one to beat coming in to this year’s event. She is the only player to have achieved a Career Golden Slam in both singles and doubles. Her 31 Grand Slam titles ties her for eighth on the all-time list: 16 in singles, 13 in women’s doubles, and two in mixed-doubles. However, anything can happen to Serena in a Grand Slam, as evidenced by her loss in June at Wimbledon to Sabine Lisicki, but if she is on her game, she should hold the trophy at the end. Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Maria Sharapova won the U.S. Open in 2006 and advanced to the semifinals a year ago. While she has not had much success head-to-head against Serena, if Serena gets knocked off somewhere along the way, Sharapova may

Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Prior to last year, Victoria Azarenka hasn’t had much success in New York. Last year, she reached the U.S. Open finals and was on the cusp of victory before Serena fought back She is a two time Grand Slam Champion on hard courts having won the last two Australian Open titles. She likes the surface and will be tough to beat.

Pretenders: Women’s singles Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Sara Errani was a U.S. Open semifinalist in 2012, and has now made at least the quarterfinals in every major event except Wimbledon. Clay, however, remains her best surface. Winning on a hard court seems like too tall of a task for Errani in singles. The 2012 U.S. Open Doubles Champion (with partner Roberta Vinci) is the number one-ranked doubles player in the world and with Vinci once again in 2013, will be the favorites to hoist the doubles crown.

Roberta Vinci, currently ranked 11th in the world, has not found much success in the women’s singles draw at the U.S. Open. Last year, she reached the quarterfinals, but prior to that, she lost in the first round seven previous times. At 30-years-old, don’t expect a breakthrough this year. 46

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

2013 U.S. OPEN PREVIEW Sleepers: Women’s singles Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Maria Kirilenko has never reached the quarters at the U.S. Open, but this may be her year. She is not playing doubles in an effort to focus strictly on singles play. This past June, Kirilenko reached her career high ranking of world number 10. She has reached three Grand Slam singles quarterfinals (the 2010 Australian Open, the 2012 Wimbledon Championships and the 2013 French Open).

Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

The young American Sloane Stephens has reached the third round of the U.S. Open the last two years. This year has been her best year though as she has reached the semifinals of the Australian Open, the fourth round at the French Open and the quarters at Wimbledon. While she has yet to make a WTA Tour singles final, she has reached four semifinals. The New York crowd will certainly be behind her and might push her to that next level. Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Being a past champion is always a confidence booster heading into a major. Samantha Stosur won the 2011

U.S. Open, defeating Serena Williams, and has also won four other Grand Slam titles to date, two in women’s doubles and two in mixed-doubles. With the right draw, Stosur can make a solid run this year at Flushing Meadows.

Americans at the U.S. Open There is nothing more exhilarating to the New York crowd than getting a chance to cheer for one of their own. Competing in this year’s U.S. Open are a handful of American hopefuls on both the men’s and women’s sides of the draw. Serena Williams leads the women with Sloane Stephens, Venus Williams, Jamie Hampton, Madison Keys

and Vavara Lepchenko also in the WTA Top 40. On the men’s side, John Isner and Sam Querrey lead the way, while the returning Mardy Fish gives the Americans another player who can make a run at the men’s singles title.

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2013 U.S. OPEN PREVIEW Local Tennis Stars at the U.S. Open: Now and Then BY STEVE KAPLAN Photo credit: Adam Wolfthal

The New York M e t ro p o l i t a n area has a storied history of great tennis players and today’s current crop of rising junior stars Local juniors Noah Rubin continues that and Jamie Loeb are among tradition of exthe New Yorkers to appear at cellence. Nothe 2013 U.S. Open table juniors in this year’s U.S. Open junior draw include Noah Rubin from Rockville Centre, N.Y., a quarterfinalist at the 2012 French Open Juniors and currently ranked number one in his class by Tennis Recruiting; Jamie Loeb from Ossining, N.Y., ranked 465th by the WTA and quarterfinalist at the 2013 Wimbledon Juniors; and Louisa Chirico from Harrison, N.Y. who is ranked ninth in the ITF Juniors and was a Junior French Open

and Wimbledon Semifinalist this year. All three of these players are fantastic and promising. Hopefully one day they will join the ranks of New York Metropolitan area greats. On the men’s side, Rubin has enjoyed tremendous success in the junior ranks and is one of the top American juniors. Perhaps Rubin will one day make his mark on the game the way local greats before him have, and we will be able to compare him to local tennis legends such as seven-time Grand Slam Champion John McEnroe. Some of the local greats and near greats from our area’s history include: Vitas Gerulaitis, 1977 Australian Open Champion; Fritz Buehning from Summit N.J., former number 21 in the world in singles and number four in doubles; and Peter Fleming from Chatham, N.J. who, along with McEnroe, won seven Grand Slams and 52 titles overall. Peter Rennert from Great Neck, N.Y. was 40th in the world in singles and eighth in doubles. Jimmy Gurfine, also from Great Neck, N.Y., was ranked 96th by the ATP and Marcel Freeman from Port Washing-

ton, N.Y. was ranked 46th in the world. A few years later John’s brother, Patrick McEnroe, achieved a singles ranking of 28th in the world and a doubles ranking of number three. Paul Annacone from East Hampton, N.Y. was number 12 in singles and third in doubles before achieving coaching fame with Pete Sampras and Roger Federer. Richard Matuszewski from Newark, N.J. proved that you do not have to be a great junior to be a successful professional. Hard work at Clemson University helped Richard achieve an ATP ranking of 49th in the world in singles and 87th in doubles. John Sullivan from Rockville Centre, N.Y. was a student of mine early in my career and also a Clemson product. He was ranked 371st in singles and 101st in doubles. I watched another early student, Howard Endelman from Roslyn, N.Y., play in the main draw of doubles on Court 14 at the Open. Howie was ranked 603rd in singles and 183rd in doubles.

Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

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More recently, Tennis Channel’s own, Justin Gimelstob from Livingston, N.J. rose to a world ranking of 63rd Merrick’s Scott Lipsky in in singles and doubles action at the 2011 18th in doubles. U.S. Open Scott Lipsky from Merrick, N.Y. was the 2011 French Open mixed-doubles champion along with Casey Dellacqua. I gave Scott lessons for a few years as a young junior, and he loved to come forward even as a little boy. How many play-

2013 U.S. OPEN PREVIEW ers can put a Grand Slam title on their resume? Several years ago, my long-time student Bryan Koniecko from Jericho, N.Y. was ranked 651st in the world and was the number one-ranked college player in the country for almost two years at Ohio State. Jamie Loeb and Louisa Chirico are top American juniors who might one day be rival some of the local women’s stars who have come before them. Mary Carillo from Douglaston, N.Y. was number 33 in the world and was the 1977 French Open Mixed-Doubles Champion with John McEnroe. They were both so young it made for an even more amazing accomplishment. Melissa Brown from Westchester, Terry Phelps from Larchmont and Mollie Van Nostrand from Brightwaters, N.Y. all arrived on the world tennis scene at about the same time, and they certainly left their mark. Brown was a French Open quarterfinalist in 1984, Mollie was a Wim-

bledon quarterfinalist in 1985, and was ranked 37th in the world. Terry was ranked 20th in singles and 37th in doubles on the WTA Tour. In 1988, my long-time student Sandra Birch was a U.S. Open Junior Singles Finalist. Sandra went on to win two NCAA singles titles for Stanford and achieved a world singles ranking of 187th, and a doubles ranking of 163rd (I cannot help but add a ranking of number one in the world for hard work, sportsmanship and class). Another student of mine, Bea Bielik from Valley Stream, N.Y. won the NCAA Singles Title in 2002 for Wake Forest and had a great run at the U.S. Open that year, reaching the third round. Bea was ranked as high as 130th in the world. Recently, Christina McHale from Englewood Cliffs, N.J. was ranked 24th on the WTA Tour and reached the third round of the U.S. Open in 2011. Irina Falconi from

Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Christina McHale from Englewood Cliffs, N.J. in action at the 2011 U.S. Open

New York, N.Y. played in The City Parks Foundation Academy on the outside practice courts in Flushing Meadows before achieving a ranking of 73rd in the world in singles and 71st in the world in doubles. As a coach of highly-ranked juniors and a club owner just 20 miles from the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, I have had some wonderful personal experiences watching and coaching players at the U.S. Junior Open. Of course, I’ll never

NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

2013 U.S. OPEN PREVIEW forget the roar of the crowd as Sandra Birch came back from a big deficit to win 75 in the third on a packed Court 17. A few years later, Jordan Richman, who lived just a few miles from the National Tennis Center, dropped his court maintenance broom and rushed to change when his name was called from the junior alternate list. It might be the first and only time in U.S. Open history that a player has swept the court before playing on it. In 1997, Kyle Kligerman

from New York, N.Y. was selected as a doubles alternate, and despite being matched with a partner he had never met, beat the number two seeds in the first round! I hope the rising local stars, as well as their coaches and families, have an equally memorable time in 2013 on their way to the top. Steve Kaplan is the owner of Bethpage Park Tennis Center, as well as the director

of Lacoste Academy for New York City Parks Foundation. Over the last 34 years, Steve has been the longtime coach of more than 600 nationally-ranked junior players, 16 state high school champions, two NCAA Division 1 Singles Champions, and numerous touring professionals and prominent coaches. Steve’s students have been awarded in excess of $8 million in college scholarship money. He may be reached by e-mail at stevenjkaplan@aol.com.

U.S. Open Timeline 1881

Begins as a singles men’s tournament, for entertainment purposes only. The United States Championship is held at The Casino in Newport, R.I. Richard D. Sears is the first champion.

1887

Ellen Hansel is the first female singles winner.

1915-1978 The tournaments are held at West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, N.Y.

1968

The Open Era begins. Professionals are allowed to compete with amateurs. Name changes to the U.S. Open. Arthur Ashe is the first winner of the newly-named tournament.

1973

The U.S. Open becomes the first Grand Slam tournament to offer equal prize money to male and female winners.

1978

The National Tennis Center at Flushing Meadows Corona Park becomes the site of the U.S. Open.

1997

The stadium used for the tournament inside the USTA National Tennis Center is named Arthur Ashe Stadium.

2006

The USTA National Tennis Center facility, home of the U.S. Open, is renamed the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

Winners of Most Men’s Singles Titles (Post-1968)

Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras & Roger Federer (tied with 5)

Winner of Most Women’s Singles Titles (Post-1968)

Chris Evert (6)

Winner of Most Consecutive Men’s Titles (Post-1968)

Roger Federer (5)

Winner of Most Consecutive Women’s Titles (Post-1968)

Chris Evert (4)

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

2013 U.S. OPEN PREVIEW National Tennis Center Set for Upgrades The USTA joined with New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Queens officials to release details of a proposed strategic vision for future development at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center (NTC) in Flushing Mead-

ows Corona Park. The New York City Council voted overwhelmingly in favor of the USTA’s plan to improve the National Tennis Center by a resounding 471 margin. In exchange for the 0.68 acres, the USTA will return to the City a portion (1.56 acres) of its currently leased land. The USTA will also launch an increased community outreach program and has made a long-term commitment to fund capital improvements in Flushing Meadows Corona Park and will help establish the FMCP (Flushing Meadows Corona Park) Alliance, which will be dedicated to improving all aspects of the park

moving forward. The strategic vision, a series of interconnected construction projects that includes building developments, infrastructure upgrades and improvements to site circulation—aims to enhance the current conditions at the NTC and preserve its stature as a world-class venue. The project will positively impact the facility’s ability to host its flagship event, the U.S. Open, while simultaneously providing a superior experience for both visiting fans and players, allowing the City of New York to continue to reap substantial economic benefits. “Our goal remains to ensure that the

NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

2013 U.S. OPEN PREVIEW USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center remains a world-class facility for the top professional tennis players, for the hundreds of thousands of fans who annually attend the US Open, and, as importantly, the near hundred thousand recreational tennis players who use this facility all year round,” said Jon Vegosen, chairman of the board and president of the USTA. “The strategic vision will enable us to achieve this goal.” The project, expected to develop throughout a multi-year period and cost hundreds of millions of dollars, will be undertaken by the USTA, which will investigate a multitude of potential financing options. The project will primarily entail the replacement and renovation of aging facilities and infrastructures. Since 1978, the USTA has invested more than $500 million of its own funds into the NTC, and this project will continue that investment. Most notably, the project calls for the construction of two new stadiums, one to replace the aging Louis Armstrong Stadium in its current location at the northeast corner of the site, and the other a brand new Grandstand Stadium, built in a different location at the southwest corner of the property. Seven tournament courts on the southern section of the site will be relocated between 30-50 feet, and a new walkway will

be built to allow for easy access through the southern part of the site. Two parking garages will be constructed over existing parking lots to accommodate additional spaces, and seven courts on the northwest section–five practice and two tournament- will be replaced and linked by a new, elevated viewing platform that will provide better seating and viewing options for fans. As a direct result of the collective enhancements, the project will enable the facility to accommodate an extra 10,000 people each day during the U.S. Open, increasing attendance by approximately 100,000 new visitors, and amounting to a significant economic boost to Queens, New York City and the entire metropolitan region. The U.S. Open creates 6,000 seasonal jobs–with 85 percent of all employees coming from New York City and 41 percent from Queens. These 6,000 seasonal jobs yield the equivalent of 585 (direct and indirect) full- and part-time jobs for Queens residents, earning $40.33 million in direct and indirect employee compensation. Strategic vision overview includes: l Louis Armstrong Stadium (replaced with a new adjacent administrative and retail building): The existing Louis Armstrong Stadium,

located in the northeast corner of the site, is a 125,000 gross square-foot facility with approximately 10,000 seats. First constructed as the Singer Bowl for the 1964-65 World’s Fair, the stadium is now nearing the end of its useful life. After demolition of the existing stadium, a new 15,000-seat stadium would be built on the same site. Similar to the existing facility, the new stadium would include concession, retail, broadcasting and administrative space, as well as expanded rest room, first aid and guest services centers, and would have two stories of administrative and retail space in an adjacent new building. l The Grandstand (new and relocated): The current 6,000-seat Grandstand is located on the property’s east façade, adjacent to Louis Armstrong Stadium. Just like Louis Armstrong Stadium, it also was built as part of the 1964-65 World’s Fair Singer Bowl and is near the end of its useful life. The proposed project would replace the current Grandstand with a new 8,000-seat stadium in the southwest corner of the site. Most of the area in which the stadium would be located falls within the boundaries of the USTA’s lease. One exception is a connector road between United Nations Avenue and Meridian Road, which runs through the leased area in which the new stadium would be located, and would be added to the area covered by the lease. This would increase the area subject to the lease by approximately 11,449-square feet, or .26 acres. The connector road would be relocated to the area south of United Nations Avenue North near the Queens Museum of Art parking lot. New pedestrian walkways would also be created. l Tournament Courts (relocated): Currently, there is a row of seven tournament courts on the southern portion of the site. Under the proposed

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

2013 U.S. OPEN PREVIEW project, four of the courts would be relocated approximately 50 feet to the south, and three of the courts would be relocated approximately 30 feet to the south. The new NTC boundary line under the lease would move south to United Nations Avenue North, allowing space for pedestrian circulation around these courts and along a walkway connecting to the new Grandstand Stadium. This would increase the area subject to the lease by up to approximately 32,973-square feet, or 0.76 acres. New bleacher seating areas would be provided. The area to be added to the NTC lease is currently a mix of grassy and paved areas, including one lane of the three-lane United Nations Avenue North, which would be reduced to two lanes. The lane that would be eliminated is lightly used, primarily as a service road.

l Parking Garages (two new garages and relocated transportation center): Currently, there is a 200-space surface parking lot and transportation center in the northwest corner of the site and an approximately 100-space surface parking lot in the northeast corner of the site. Under the proposed project, the northwest lot and transportation center would be replaced with an approximately 432-space, two-level parking garage and transportation center, and the northeast lot would be replaced with an approximately 370-space, three-level parking garage. No additional land outside the existing boundaries of the NTC would be required for these elements of the proposed project. l Northwest Tournament Courts (reconfigured, new elevated viewing platform): At present, the north-

west courts include five practice courts and two tournament courts, each with bleacher seats. The proposed project would replace the existing courts and bleachers with five new practice courts and three new tournament courts. A new, elevated viewing platform would be constructed between the practice and tournament courts. No additional land outside the existing lease boundaries of the NTC would be required for this aspect of the proposed project. l Miscellaneous Renovations: The proposed project would also include lighting, infrastructure and utility improvements, as well as improvements to landscaping, paving and drainage within the NTC site, with sustainability features and potential cosmetic enhancements to Arthur Ashe Stadium.

NYTennisMag.com â&#x20AC;˘ September/October 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ New York Tennis Magazine

2013 U.S. OPEN PREVIEW Ariana Grande and Austin Mahone to Headline 2013 Arthur Ashe Kids Day For the past 17 years, fans of all ages have been entertained by some of the biggest names in music and tennis. With chart-topping singer Ariana Grande and rising star Austin Mahone leading the way in 2013, the 18th Annual Arthur Ashe Kids Day Presented by Hess promises to be no different. Joining Grande and Mahone in the lineup for 2013 Arthur Ashe Kids Day, to be held Saturday, Aug. 24 from 9:30 a.m.4:00 p.m. will be spirited-teen sensation Coco Jones, breakout UK band Lawson and Swedish DJ duo Cazzette, as well as world number ones Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams, five-time U.S. Open champion Roger Federer and world number one wheelchair tennis champion David Wagner. Arthur Ashe Kids Day will kick off the 2013 U.S. Open, which runs from Aug. 26 through Sept. 9.

From 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., kids and their families can enjoy an exciting schedule of free tennis games, live music and attractions taking place throughout the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Inside Arthur Ashe Stadium from 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m., the live tennis and music show will feature fun exhibition matches and skill competitions with Djokovic, Serena, Federer and Wagner along with musical performances by Grande, Mahone, Fifth Harmony, Jones, Lawson and Cazzette. USTA 10 & Under Tennis spokesperson Jeff Sutphen, the star of Nickelodeon’s “Figure It Out,” will also take part in the action. Arthur Ashe Kids Day will be broadcast nationally by CBS on Sunday, Aug. 25, from noon-1:30 p.m (ET). Kids 12 and under with stadium-show tickets will receive a free Arthur Ashe Kids Day hat from the USTA and Hess on a first-come, first-served basis.

Brent Shearer

646.270.8371 tribecatennis@gmail.com 54

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

Over the years, Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day has featured many of music’s biggest acts including Justin Bieber, Rihanna, The Wanted, Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato, Carly Rae Jepsen, Sean Kingston, Britney Spears, Ne-Yo, Gavin DeGraw, Jessica Simpson, Backstreet Boys, Cody Simpson and Hanson. This year’s lineup will feature: Ariana Grande: Music has always been Ariana Grande’s first love. In fact, long before millions of fans fell in love with the singer and actress as Cat Valentine on the hit Nickelodeon shows Victorious and Sam & Cat, she began professionally pursuing her musical career at only eight-years-old. After performing with symphonies around her native Florida, Ariana made her national television debut, singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the first-ever broadcast of the national anthem for the Florida Panthers. The breakout single for Republic Records, platinum-selling “The Way” featuring Mac Miller, is the best way to get to know Ariana. Over shimmering piano and a slick beat, her voice echoes soulfully before she carries an inescapable and impressive hook. The follow-up single, “Baby, I” is creating similar buzz—reaching number two on the iTunes chart just hours after its release. Both are simply a prelude to her forthcoming full-length 2013 debut. Ultimately, the new album will welcome everyone into Ariana’s world, and it’s a wonderful place.

2013 U.S. OPEN PREVIEW Austin Mahone: At just 17-years-old, singer/songwriter Austin Mahone is poised for stardom. Not only is Austin nominated for MTV’s Video Music Award “Artist to Watch,” but his new hit single, “What About Love” has gained over 19.5 million views on YouTube and can be heard on top radio stations around the nation. Austin was one of a select few presenters at this year’s Billboard Music Awards where he presented “Best EDM Artist” alongside singer Kelly Rowland, as well as opened at the 2013 Radio Disney Music Awards where he took home his first RDM award for the “Ultimate Breakout Star–Biggest Viral Artist.” Not only does he have a solid fan base, known as “Mahomies,” but the teen sensation is gaining a legion of loyal fans in the media as well.

Natasha Bedingfield), who worked with the girls on The X Factor, is executive-producing the album. Coco Jones: It would be hard to find another teen with the poise, chops, and confident charm of Coco Jones. With her debut Hollywood Records EP, “Made Of,” the 15-year-old singer shows the world what her growing fan base already knows: Coco Jones is a spectacular talent of limitless potential. Sound like hype? In 2010, Coco emerged as a finalist on the Disney Channel’s “Next Big Thing” which led to a recurring role on “So Random” followed by her breakout role in the Disney Channel movie “Let It Shine.” The video for her first single, “Holla at the DJ,” has surpassed 2.2 million YouTube views and garnered praise from MTV who likened Coco’s performance to a “young Beyonce.” Lawson: After racking up five top 10 hits in their native United Kingdom, Lawson are coming to America. The London-based four-piece consists of Andy Brown, Ryan

Fifth Harmony: Thanks to their showstopping vocals, charisma and genuine sisterly bond, Fifth Harmony have attracted a growing, devoted fan base. “Miss Movin’ On” is the first single from Fifth Harmony’s upcoming debut album, which will be released by Epic Records and Syco Music later this year. The girls have been in the studio working on their debut album with The Suspex (Demi Lovato), The Monsters (Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez), J Kash (Kesha, Avril Lavigne), Lil’ Eddie (Usher, Pink), Toby Gad (Beyoncé, Fergie) and others. Multi-platinum-selling producer/songwriter Julian Bunetta (One Direction,

Fletcher, Joel Peat and Adam Pitts and anticipation is building ahead of their debut U.S. album “Chapman Square” which reached number four on the British charts. Lawson have cut their teeth as a band opening up for the likes of Avril Lavigne, Jessie J and Bruce Springsteen on tour. Unsigned at the time, these shows marked a turn in fortunes for the band culminating in sold out performances at London’s O2 Arena. Soon after, the band signed with Polydor Ltd. (UK) and four years after forming, Lawson had lift-off. Cazzette: From the house that brought you Avicii, comes Cazzette. The Swedish DJ duo is currently tearing up clubs worldwide with “Beam Me Up,”

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2013 U.S. OPEN PREVIEW a club banger with a hard-charging kick drum, an epic vocal track and dub bass drops designed to get the party going. Cazzette, aka Alexander Björklund and Sebastian Furrer, incorporate a variety of sounds into their dub house tracks, including aspects of trance, hip-hop and funk. They’ve been on the rise since making a huge splash in 2011 with their official remix of Avicii’s “Sweet Dreams.” Since then, they’ve become the only group to have ever played the Ultra Music Festival’s headline stage three times in two years. Since launching their EJECT project on Spotify, Cazzette has topped Billboard’s dance charts and garnered a combined eight million views on Vevo/YouTube. With an album coming on PRMD, through Island Def Jam Music Group, Cazzette is poised to become a major force in electronic music. Jeff Sutphen: Jeff Sutphen has a great talent for creating shows that engage kids and teens, whether he is behind the camera or in front of an audience. As host of

Nickelodeon’s “Figure It Out,” Sutphen brings high-energy and laughs to the game show which challenges celebrities to guess kid contestants’ unique talents and skills. Prior to “Figure It Out,” Sutphen hosted all three seasons of Nickelodeon’s Emmy-nominated hit “BrainSurge,” for which he also served as a producer. He most recently hosted the ABC summer game show “101 Ways to Leave a Game Show” from the producers of “Wipeout” and completed the first episode of his Web talk show, “The Garage Show With Jeff Sutphen,” in which he interviews celebrity guests from the comfort of his own garage (thegarageshowwithjeff.com). The Grounds Festival offers a wide range of interactive activities as well as a chance for children of all ages to test their skills, hit with top tennis pros, win prizes and enjoy music: l Hess Express Stage: The Grounds Festival’s free concert featuring upand-coming musical talent including pop/R&B group Lucki Gurlz, Atlantic Records artist Trevor Jackson, Disney Channel’s “Shake It Up!” star Kenton Duty, New York’s own CityKids and “Summer Forever” songstress Megan

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l l

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

Nicole. Additional acts to be confirmed. YouthTennis.com: Learn real tennis and have fun doing it using racquets, balls and courts that are sized right for kids so they enjoy the game right from the start. Hess Express Obstacle Course: Test agility, balance, running and tennis skills on the engaging and challenging obstacle course. From Nickelodeon: Live appearances by characters from your favorite Nickelodeon shows. Nike Tennis SPARQ Challenge: Tennis and skill activities on two courts featuring Nike sponsored athletes. USTA Serves/Aetna Tennis Skills: Activity stations for very young kids or special populations. Stations include rolling balls with racquets and bouncing Koosh balls. Esurance Champions of the Court: Exciting doubles play for all levels. Which team will win Champions of the Court? Hess Target Time: Intermediate and advanced-level kids can test their skills hitting targets and win prizes. Xerox Beat the Pro: Challenge the best playing points against some of the top touring and teaching pros in the world. IBM Speedzone: Just like the pros, utilize IBM’s speed serve technology to test the power behind your shot. PTR 10 & Under Tennis: Hit with PTR-certified pros on mini-courts at full speed and with complete strokes using a special restricted flight foam ball. USPTA 10 & Under Tennis: USPTAcertified teaching professionals host this court consisting of 30 colorful hitting stations using a variety of teaching aids. Also: Watch the Pros Practice, Player Autographs, Juggling Workshop, FacePainting, Hair Beading and Braiding, Storytelling, Roving Entertainers and more.

2013 U.S. OPEN PREVIEW Kids comment on the U.S. Open experience Every summer, New York Tennis Magazine visits dozens of tennis camps. This summer during our travels, we asked kids at all the camps the following question: “If you had a chance to play in the U.S. Open, how would you feel and who would you want to play against?” Here are some of the answers from our local tennis players: Maria Bessmertnaya (age 16, ER Tennis): “It would be very exciting for me, and I would like to play because I watch all the matches on television. I would want to play Maria Sharapova because her game is very interesting to me.” Aiden Brent (age 9, West Side Tennis Club): “I would want to play Roger Federer because I don’t believe I could actually beat him because he’s one of the best players of all time. I’d be excited and happy and so stressed to play in the U.S. Open.” Nicolas DeMaria (age 14, GO! Tennis): “I’d be really nervous, but it would be a great experience. I would play David Ferrer because he has a really athletic game and would move me around a lot. I would adjust to his playing style.” Hannah Divine-Rader (age 9, New York Tennis Club [Bronx]): “It would feel like a privilege, but also nerve-wracking. I would want to play one of the top men’s tennis players to challenge myself.” Sophia Eisele (age 6, West Side Tennis Club): “It would feel good because people are watching how good you are and how far you’ve come. I would want to play one of my friends at the U.S. Open.” Mia Kingiroglou (age 10, Centercourt Tennis Camp): “It would feel like a dream come true because I have been working

my entire life for that day. I would play Serena because she is number one in the world, and it would be amazing to play her.”

Randalls Island/John McEnroe Tennis Academy): “It would be a little crazy for me. I would want to play Maria Sharapova.”

Alex Klasiwitz (age 7, TCR—The Club of Riverdale): “ I would feel proud of myself and proud of my dad because he was the first one to encourage me to start playing tennis because he was number one in the state. I hope one day I may become a pro. I would want to play Federer because he is my favorite player and the nicest.”

Jillian Pintauro (age 11, New York Tennis Club [Bronx]): “I think it would be scary because I would be practicing a lot and I would be scared of getting knocked out in the first round. I would want to play Roger Federer because I like to challenge myself. I like to play the boys because they are different in a way at tennis so it would be challenging.”

Martina Kroupa (age 14, Stadium Tennis Center): “It would feel amazing and I would probably want to play Petra Kvitova because she is one of my favorite players. I’ve always wanted to meet her.” Gideon Marcus (age 11, New York Tennis Club [Bronx]): “It would be exhilarating to play in the U.S. Open and kind of scary if you lost. I would want to play Roger Federer to challenge my skill.” Jeffrey McCready (age 12, GO! Tennis): “I would love to play in the U.S. Open, and it would be great to get the opportunity because its hard to get that far in the game. I would want to play Rafael Nadal even though I might lose because I can learn stuff since he is also left-handed. It would be a fun match.” Caroline McGinley (age 8, Centercourt Tennis Camp): “It would be amazing to play in the U.S. Open. I would want to play Caroline Wozniacki because her name is Caroline and mine is too.” Zeba Packer (age 7, TCR—The Club of Riverdale): “It would feel fun. I would want to play Cela from this camp.” Allesandra Ago Pain (age 6, Sportime

Avery Vukhac (age 6, Roosevelt Island Racquet Club): “It would be so much fun to play in the U.S. Open. I would want to play one of my friends.” Damon Watson (age 12, ER Tennis): “It would feel like I was living my dreams. I would want to play Roger Federer because I know his game the best and he is one of my favorites, and I really zero in on his game when I watch him.” Emily Willett (age 10, Roosevelt Island Racquet Club): “It would feel like a lot of pressure, but really exciting and it’s really fun to play tennis. It would be fun to compete against pro tennis stars. It would also be fun to hear the fans cheering. I would want to play Novak Djokovic because he’s my least favorite player so I’d want to beat him.” Andy Yeim (age 6, Stadium Tennis Center): “I would feel good, and I would play Rafael Nadal because I want to play people who are good.” Alexea (age 8, Sportime Randall’s Island): “It would feel pretty good because of the tennis. I would want to play my sister because I think it would be fun to play her.”

NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

2013 U.S. OPEN PREVIEW 2013 U.S. Open Match Schedule SUBJECT TO CHANGE Date/Session

Day/Evening

Time

Featured Matches

Monday, August 26 1 2

Day Evening

11:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m.

Men’s/Women’s First Round Men’s/Women’s First Round

Tuesday, August 27 3 4

Day Evening

11:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m.

Men’s/Women’s First Round Men’s/Women’s First Round

Wednesday, August 28 5 6

Day Evening

11:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m.

Men’s First Round/Women’s Second Round Men’s/Women’s Second Round

Thursday, August 29 7 8

Day Evening

11:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m.

Men’s/Women’s Second Round Men’s/Women’s Second Round

Friday, August 30 9 10

Day Evening

11:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m.

Men’s Second Round/Women’s Third Round Men’s Second Round/Women’s Third Round

Saturday, August 31 11 12

Day Evening

11:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m.

Men’s/Women’s Third Round Men’s/Women’s Third Round

Sunday, September 1 13 14

Day Evening

11:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m.

Men’s Third Round/Women’s Round of 16 Men’s Third Round/Women’s Round of 16

Monday, September 2 15 16

Day Evening

11:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m.

Men’s/Women’s Round of 16 Men’s/Women’s Round of 16

Tuesday, September 3 17 18

Day Evening

11:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m.

Men’s Round of 16/Women’s Quarterfinals Men’s Round of 16/Women’s Quarterfinals

Wednesday, September 4 19 20

Day Evening

11:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m.

Men’s and/or Women’s Quarterfinals Men’s and/or Women’s Quarterfinals

Thursday, September 5 21 22

Day Evening

11:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m.

Men’s Quarterfinals Men’s Quarterfinals

Friday, September 6 23

Day

11:00 a.m.

Women’s Semifinals/Mixed-Doubles Final

Saturday, September 7 24

Day

11:00 a.m.

Men’s Semifinals/Women’s Doubles Final

Sunday, September 8 25

Day

Noon

Women’s Final/Men’s Doubles Final

Monday, September 9 2013 •5:00 NYTennisMag.com 58 New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 26 Day p.m. Men’s Final

COMING IN NOVEMBER 2013

Distribution scheduled for 11/01/13 This edition will feature: • Coaches Roundtable Discussion • Tennis Travel Destinations Guide • Holiday Gift Guide • Looking Ahead to 2014

Distribution across New York at 300+ locations: • Indoor tennis clubs • Country clubs • Tennis camps • Retail stores • Gyms • Restaurants and health food stores • Supermarkets and • Many more!

Don’t miss the advertising opportunities in the next edition of New York Tennis Magazine November/December 2013!

Submissions for both advertising and editorial are due by October 2013 NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2013 • New York1, Tennis Magazine 59 For more information, please call 516-409-4444 or e-mail Advertise@NYTennisMag.com

he Metro Corporate Tennis League, presented by Advantage Tennis Clubs, is a joint initiative of the Metrotennis Community Tennis Association (MCTA) and USTA/Eastern Metro Region. The League is divided into three levels of play, Intermediate (3.03.5), Advanced Intermediate (4.0) and Advanced (4.5+). The Metro Corporate Tennis League also offers an Advanced Beginner Clinic program for teams that are not ready to compete. However, during the summer season, the League can only accommodate 22-plus teams. The following is the roster for the season:

Advanced Division 1. Bloomberg (Amit) 2. Bloomberg (Huy) 3. Bloomberg (Vighnesh) 4. BNP Paribas (Thibaud) 5. Cleary Gottlieb 6. Ernst & Young 7. Horizon Media 8. Patterson

Intermediate Division I 1. Deutsche (Elena) 2. Sullivan 3. Ipreo 4. D.E. Shaw 5. Barclays 6. Freshfields 7. Moody’s 8. Cleary Gottlieb

Intermediate Division II 1. Bloomberg (Ankur) 2. Bank of Tokyo 3. Nielsen 4. MSCI 5. Deutsche (Tony) 6. Google Advanced Beginner Clinic 1. Bloomberg (Peggy)

The season will run from June 3-Aug. 15, culminating with an end-of-season party at Roosevelt Island Racquet Club. The Metro Corporate Tennis League would also like to congratulate Winter 2013 Intermediate Division Champions Opera Solutions, Advanced Intermediate Division Champions Ernst & Young, and Advanced Division Champions Bloomberg. For more information on the Metro Corporate Tennis League, visit www.metrotennis.com under the “Corporate” tab. 60

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

SUMMER '13 SEASON Monday, August 12th CityView 8:30pm

1. Deutsche (Elena)

Thursday, August 15th CityView 7:30pm

Deutsche (Elena)

2. Nielsen

D.E. Shaw & Co. INT. DIVISION CHAMPIONS

3. Deutsche (Tony) 4. D.E. Shaw & Co.

D.E. Shaw & Co. INT.DIV. 1 Team Pts. 1 Deutsche (Elena) 190 2 D.E. Shaw & Co. 182

INT.DIV. 2 Team Pts. 1 Deutsche (Tony) 198 2 Nielsen 180

INTERMEDIATE PLAYOFFS SUMMER '13 SEASON

1. Ernst & Young

Wednesday, August 14th CityView 7:30pm Bloomberg (Vighnesh) ADV. DIVISION CHAMPIONS

2. Bloomberg (Vighnesh) ADV.DIV. Team Pts. 1 Ernst & Young 206 2 Blooomberg (Vighnesh) 205

ADVANCED PLAYOFFS NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

The Best Way to Practice Your Serve By Eric Faro very day, coaches from all around the world tell their students “get a bucket of balls and practice your serve.” This is great advice; however, just going out and practicing your serve without a purpose might just lead to boredom. Oftentimes, you will see players hitting serve after serve, and they are more concerned with how many balls are left in the basket than with the quality of the serves they are hitting. Serving practice can be extremely monotonous, and many players need to be challenged during practice in order to succeed. Give yourself goals when you serve! Here are a few tips to help improve your serve and get the most out of your practice. I like to advise players to set up targets during serving practice. Serving without putting focus on your placement is akin to a pitcher practicing throwing the ball in the middle of the strike zone on every pitch. No matter how good their fastball is, if it is right down the middle of the plate, eventually they are going to get hit hard! No matter how big your serve is, if it is right in the middle of the box every time, your opponent will be able to time it and take control of the

point with their return. Place three targets in each service box: Down the tee, into the body and out wide. Depending on how advanced a player you are, you can make your targets different sizes. As your serve improves, make your targets smaller. Give yourself a goal. Start with having to hit the serve on each target 10 times. If you can accomplish that, you’ve just hit 60 good quality serves! See how many serves it takes to get to 10 on each target—the ones that take the most serves are obviously the ones you need to start practicing more. The next game could be a simple scoring game. Start on the deuce side and play a game to 10. Practice like you are playing a point. Hit a first serve to your target. If you hit your target, you get two points. If you get the serve in but not to your target, you get one point. If you miss the serve long or wide, you lose a point, and if you miss the serve in the net, you lose two points because serving in the net is the worst place to miss (just like any other shot!). If you get to plus-10, you win, and if you get to minus-10, you lose. Now repeat to the ad side. This is a great way to actually compete while practicing your serve. The last piece of advice to spice up your serving practice is to judge your power. For less advanced servers, you should count

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

how many times your serve bounces after landing in the box before it hits the fence. If the number is four, then try to make it three a few times to each box. When the ball starts bouncing fewer and fewer times, you will realize that your serve has become more powerful. If you are a more advanced tournament player, see if you can hit the back fence before a second bounce. This is especially important when practicing your second serve, as it is extremely important to get good depth so your opponent cannot attack. By adding these little games and competitions to your serving practice, you are likely to have better focus while really having fun! Before you know it, you will notice a big difference in the quality of your serves. Eric Faro is program director at Gotham Tennis Academy and Stadium Tennis Center, just south of Yankee Stadium. Eric grew up in Riverdale and attended Horace Mann, where he played number one singles for all four years. He attended Ohio State University and won more than 100 matches during his collegiate career. He may be reached by email at eric@gothamtennis.com, or online at www.stadiumtennisnyc.com or www.gothamtennis.com.

Proper Balance Equals On-the-Court Success

Tennis Balance Board Is it balance or weight distribution? We hear it all the time ... the finest tennis players in the world are those who have great “balance.” However, it’s not as simple as looking at it as just “balance,” it’s a bit more complex than that. If we focused on weight distribution in the foot versus generic balance training strategies, we would be getting much further in improving balance. The problem is, not every player is able to feel the proper weight distribution through their foot needed for optimal balance, despite having the right coaching and/or training regimen. It simply comes down to the way we are “wired” as humans and how our central nervous system works. From one player to the next, inherent neuromuscular control will be very different, and therefore, achieving proper balance, which stems from our central nervous system, will be unique for each player. Therefore, some players will struggle with ideal weight distribution through their foot, while others, utilizing the same coach, will have no problem at all. As an expert in the field of physical therapy and sports biomechanics, David Lipetz, who serves as a consultant to the sports medicine division of the USA Olympic Committee, set out to develop a product that will have a profound effect on a tennis player’s balance by manipulating their central nervous system. The Tennis Balance board, unlike other balance systems, will force the central nervous system to react specifically to the sport of tennis during the load phase of ground strokes. Once the athlete’s brain is

able to “feel” the correct weight distribution through their foot, there will be an instantaneous mind body connection. Ultimately, the athlete will be able to transfer this feeling to on-court technique and notice a dramatic improvement in balance, thereby creating a more powerful, efficient stroke. For those elite players, the Tennis Balance Board is the most effective strengthening tool avail-

able to them by utilizing single limb body weight exercises while on the board. This is truly the most sports-specific approach to training the lower extremity musculature for ground strokes. The Tennis Balance Board is for every level player and is a training aid that no player should be without. For more information, visit www.tennisbalanceboard.com.

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concentrate on Contact Point for Power (Points C, D & E). When you are serving, you are in complete control of the situation, so choosing your contact point is really a matter of choice and practice. There are three main types of serves: By Lisa Dodson Flat, Slice and Kick. Typically, players start by hitting a flat serve because they initially hold a n the last issue, we started forehand grip. A flat serve seems easier bediscussing the major differ- cause a full racket face with all the string area ences between the serve and going towards the ball gives a higher success the overhead. Hopefully you rate. In an ideal world, the Continental grip have started cleaning up your overhead tech- should be learned first, therefore developing nique by improving your movement, balance the slice serve. This sets the edge forward to and preparation for this important shot. If you the ball and allows the hand, wrist, forearm, have, you may now be looking forward to hit- elbow and shoulder to move naturally in a ting your overhead instead of avoiding it. “throwing” motion. It also prepares the player Let’s do a quick review of the major simi- for learning the more complex kick serve and larities and differences between the serve and easier understanding of the volley (and all overhead: under spin shots). Learning the various serve types allows Similarities players to choose the best serve for a situal Sideways set-up with Continental grip tion, keeps the opponent guessing and crel Relaxed arms and legs ates a very high serve percentage Let’s make one thing very clear: Where you l Use a “throwing” action with the hit arm l Power attained through use of legs, trunk, toss your ball creates contact point. Place the ball in the path of the moving racket, rather shoulders, rotation and pronation l Power is achieved by forward contact than hunting for the ball and contacting it. It must be predictable, precise and consistent. point Tosses should have no spin, excessive speed l Potentially a power shot or arc (except the kick and topspin serve must arc back). Understanding that concept will Differences For your next phase of improvement, let’s help both your serve and overhead. Each serve type has its own corresponding toss. It is imServe Overhead possible, for A. Stationary shot Movement shot B. Drop toss and hit arms Raise non-dominant and hit arms example, to hit a C. Contact hitting “up” Contact hitting “down” flat serve from a D. Contact point varies Contact point needs to be the same kick toss or a kick E. Accurate, versatile, high Overpowering shot for power serve from a slice percentage shot with a potential for power toss. The flat and F. Drive up off front or both legs Drive up off front, both or back leg slice serve toss are G. Follow through is longer Follow through is short very similar and

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

d a e verh

)

II t r a P (

often players don’t differentiate between the two and don’t understand why their serve doesn’t work. It’s time to get serious about your toss so that you feel like you are in control of a controllable situation. Contact point Contact point is equally important on the overhead, but is much more difficult to negotiate. Opponents are attempting to make you fail by throwing up various high balls and lobs with varying spins, speeds, heights, trajectories and angles. You have no direct control of the situation and are constantly fighting to put the ball in a good relationship to your body to hit a successful overhead. It makes sense that the more intentional versatility one has on the serve the better the potential for hitting a great overhead. If you can choose to serve from different tosses then you have a bigger range of places to contact the crazy balls your opponent lobs in your direction. The bigger the range, the more balls you’ll be able to cover. However, the ideal place to contact the ball for the overhead is in the flat (or slice) range. Power If power is what you want on the overhead, then contact the ball out in front of the hitting shoulder. Since overpowering the opponent is the primary objective, success will be yours. After a player has attained good preparation and movement, the next big task is tracking the ball. Remember that preparation gives you a sideways, balanced position to the net, a prepared racket and an extended non-dominant arm. The non-dominant hand is basically across the body to the right (for right hander) so that the hitter is looking over the forearm. The hand is further to the right and stretched up to “catch” the incoming ball. The non-dominant shoulder is higher than the hitting shoulder and is high under the chin. These common similarities to the serve provide an appropriate amount of turn for a powerful hit (see Figure 1).

Figure 1-Jana Juricova, NCAA Singles Champion 2011, Doubles 2009

Hit “down” when hitting an overhead When hitting a serve, we are hitting “up” to the ball. This is a fairly confusing concept for a lot of players who attempt to hit down on the ball. Simply stated, hitting up means that contact is initiated with the racket head on the way up which creates spin to help bring the ball down. Then, going through the phase of pronation (the hand, wrist, forearm go from an inward to an outward direction) creates a downward direction of the ball. Studies have been done to prove this point and show that even a very tall man hitting at 102 miles per hour must hit up and add some spin or the ball will travel seven feet long of the service line. When hitting an overhead, we want to hit more “down.” Of course, we cannot physically hit the top of the ball, but we want to get more of that feeling. Again by pronating the hand, wrist and forearm one can safely hit down with power to clear the net and

keep the ball within court boundaries. In summary, in order to hit the ideal, powerful overhead, first understand where the best contact point is for a flat serve. This ball will always be well forward of you. The challenge on the overhead will be to accurately move into great hitting position and be in a good relationship with the ball. Practical homework 1. To understand where the serve toss should generally be for a flat or slice serve Set up to serve, then place your racket on the ground with the butt of the racket off of the left toes and the head in the direction of the right net post (off right toes and left net post for lefty). Toss the ball up to height so that it will land on the racket head. This is proper placement for a power serve. This will help you understand the ideal contact point for the overhead (see Figure 2). Figure 2Amy Jensen, NCAA Doubles Champion 1998, 1999 & 2000

2. Stand 10 feet from the net and start in abbreviated position Toss the ball forward and hit it down into the opposite service box. Attempt to hit the ball so that it bounces very high. This will develop hand, wrist and forearm action (pronation) and help you learn to hit “down” on the ball for the overhead (See Figures 3 & 4) Figures 3 & 4-Kat Winterhalter, Women’s Assistant Coach at St. Mary’s College Okay, it’s time to get to work. Check in the next issue for better leg use on the serve and overhead. 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.

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NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

Slumps, Chokes, and the Yips: Understanding Performance Blocks By Rob Polishook, Mental Training Coach MA, CPC ow many times have you seen an athlete get tight, underperform or choke in a big event? In practice, they play great—not a care in the world, going for broke on every shot, and effortlessly succeed while doing so. Yet once the competition starts, their best shots become their worst. Perhaps their big forehand, previously a weapon, turns defensive. Or maybe the formerly simple act of a two-foot putt now becomes unmanageable. Suddenly the reliable catcher cannot make a routine throw back to the pitcher. Inexplicably, the runner hesitates during a pivotal point in the race. Fans become dumbfounded and cannot believe that an elite athlete can succumb to this type of pressure. “How can this happen? What’s the cause of this?” they ask. In looking for the solution, many coaches, fans, players, media and even performance experts start by critiquing what they can see (i.e. the double faults, missed free throws or er-

rant putts). Their initial intent is to look above the surface to find what’s broken in hopes of a technical quick fix. Certainly, this is the place to look if the situation occurs once or twice. However, if the choke or slump continues repeatedly under pressure, it falls in the category of a repetitive sports performance block. A repetitive sports performance block (i.e. choke, slump, yips) is actually the symptom of an underlying issue. The cause is an accumulation of trauma-like experiences that the athlete has not been able to move on from. In actuality, this block has little to do with the last time the player “choked.” Rather, something about that pressure situation was the trigger that brought the unprocessed issue to the surface where it distracted the athlete’s performance. In fact, before or during the competition, some athletes are aware that “something is just not right.” They experience underlying nervousness, anxiety and try to hide or resist it. Oftentimes, the athlete doesn’t want to address their anxiousness for fear of being judged by teammates or fans as lacking mental toughness. Yet other times, the athlete may be completely unaware of the root cause of their

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

anxiety, since it has been disassociated from their consciousness in an effort to protect their personal psyche. Either way, the athlete’s performance bears the burden. Much like “baggage” we hold onto on a daily basis, these trauma-like experiences grip a person and can accumulate during a person’s life from both on and off the field incidents. The emotional trauma can come from situations such as embarrassment from double faulting in a big match, striking out with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning, or repeatedly missing short putts on the green. The physical trauma can derive from getting beaned with a baseball, getting blindsided on the football field, or lying face down in pain after your ankle gave way on a wide forehand. Additionally, off-field trauma can occur and accumulate, stemming from issues such as divorce, death, car accidents, or other traumatic circumstances. Similarly, excessive judgment, expectations, and comparisons from parents, coaches, media or friends can also unknowingly add weight to the burden of pressure and distract a player from playing freely. Throughout our lives, we encounter physical

and emotional trauma-like experiences. Depending upon the severity of these instances and our preparedness to meet them at the time, we sometimes successfully absorb and process through these encounters, and other times, we do not. When we are unable to process these traumas, the stress does not evaporate over time. Rather, we store the unprocessed memory inside, where it may show itself at unexpected times. For instance, a baseball player who had been beaned by a pitch may be scared to get back in the batter’s box, sometimes without admitting it to himself, and certainly not to his teammates. Or perhaps a tennis player may be so scared of losing or making the same error from previous matches they tense up, hesitate or even freeze during current matches. These unprocessed negative experiences can accumulate like balls in a bucket. Each individual issue represents a different size ball. Some may be small, like the size of a golf ball, others are bigger like a tennis ball, and then still bigger like a football, depending upon the level of stress and trauma the person/athlete carries. These emotional/physical trauma-like experiences

get held in the body’s central nervous system. They directly interfere with the athlete’s ability to access and adapt to situations and perform movements that were once so easy and instinctual. Finally, when a ball tumbles out of the bucket, the player’s repetitive sports performance block is now on public display for all to see, judge, and evaluate. We often forget that behind the superstar athlete’s exterior, the athlete is a person first and performer second. It’s almost impossible not be affected by the day-to-day troubling events which we all experience. Each person holds onto different things in different ways. James Blake summed it up best in his autobiography Breaking Back, explaining, “If there is something wrong in your life, it’ll show up in your tennis game—not always in predictable ways … self-belief might be manifested in weak second serves, impatience can cause you to make low-percentage gambles, and so on.” In summary, it’s clear to see how we hold emotional (fears) and physical (injuries) traumalike experiences in our bodies. As a person, this “baggage” can consciously or unconsciously impact how we react, adapt and adjust to

everyday situations. As a player, it can also carry onto the playing field and affect an athlete’s ability to perform, especially in a highpressure situation. In light of this, it makes sense to look beyond the slump, choke or yips, below the surface to the root cause. The athlete is not irreparably damaged, broken or a “head case,” as some suggest. The block is part of their process and actually can be a valuable clue to turning their situation around. Ultimately, they will emerge mentally stronger, move without hesitation and compete with increased confidence. Rob Polishook, MA, CPC is the founder and director of Inside the Zone Sports Performance Group. As a mental training coach he works with athletes and teams of all levels. His work focuses on helping athletes gain the mental edge and letting go of blocks which get in the way of peak performance. He is a USTA Zonal Coach and has spoken and been published for the USTA, USPTA and ITA. Additionally, he has conducted workshops nationally and internationally in India and Israel. He may be reached by phone at (973) 723-0314, e-mail rob@insidethezone or visit www.insidethezone.com.

NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

Doubles Service Return By Bill Longua t remains an ongoing debate about which shots are the most important when playing doubles: The serve, volley or the return. I won’t try to solve that debate here, but I will tell you that all three are imperative to a solid doubles game, with the return of serve maybe the most strategic. In singles tennis, the return is obviously easier because the whole court is available to hit into, while in doubles, we are required to hit to one-half and usually cross-court. Let’s delve into our doubles return options. In classic serve and volley doubles, the server hits and comes to net. Now both partners are up at the net, a version of “King of the Hill.” We need to keep our returns low so the oncoming server has to hit the volley up. There are two ways to

accomplish this, either by shortening the backswing and brushing up on the ball to add topspin, or chipping the return, creating backspin. In either case, power is not the most important aspect, keeping the ball down is. In fact, less power is often more desirable. Remember, with topspin, we brush up, and with backspin, we brush down and out. Many doubles teams are now playing one up and one back when serving. I feel that is a real plus for the receiving team, and the pressure of having to keep the return low is not a problem. That formation will free us up to drive the ball cross-court back to the server, it also gives us the opportunity to move into the net and be offensive. There are two other returns we need to keep in mind. The first is to hit behind the net player, we need to keep that player honest so that he or she cannot continually poach our returns. If the net player sees that

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

we always hit cross-court, it allows them to move closer to the middle of the court and pick off our returns. Second, is the return lob down the line over the net person’s head. This return is strategic when we are having a tough time catching up to the pace of the serve, or we want to get the opponents out of their comfortable formations. Doubles returns ... don’t take them lightly! Check out www.onlinetennistraining.com. Good luck and have fun! Bill Longua is the tennis director/head pro at Palm Island Resort in Cape Haze, Fla. Bill is a member of the USPTA, has been teaching tennis for more than 35 years, and is the author of Winning Tennis Strokes. Bill also enjoys teaching tennis on his Web site, http://onlinetennistraining.com. To purchase Bill’s book, visit http://onlinetennistraining.com. He may be reached by e-mail at bill@onlinetennistraining.com.

C O S TA D E L T E N N I S : P L AY I N G A B R O A D I S A L L T H E R A G E laying tennis abroad gives new perspective, mental strength and a fresh environment in which to discover your game and yourself.

So whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the big deal about experiencing tennis in Spain? The main reason is that Spain is not only a top tourist destination in the world, but a country where tennis represents an international example of excellence. With 10 of the top ATP Tour players hailing from this special place on the Mediterranean, you have to wonder â&#x20AC;Ś what makes it such a tennis powerhouse? To be clear, Spain has a â&#x20AC;&#x153;pay it forwardâ&#x20AC;? system in which each generation of coaches and highly-ranked Tour players nurtures the next. Coaches develop kids from an early age and typically stay together cultivating their playerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s game and character over the long haul. The temper-

ate climate of the Mediterranean allows players to play outdoors year-round on red clay, developing their all-court game. Mental and physical conditioning in Spain are paramount, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s their passion and dedication that separates them as champions! Experienced players Fortunate to have firsthand experience with these coaches, including custom programs, Costa del Tennis focuses on experienced adults, college and high school players. For ambitious players, there is no greater tennis and life experience than training like the pros on red clay. Tennis travelers have ambitious lifestyles on and off court, and Costa del Tennis covers both. The academies The academies and clubs are based on the excellence of players. Coaches are nothing

less than ATP Tour pros who have played on tour with ATP Rankings or are experienced in high-level competition. The philosophy on court is to prepare players for national or international levels of play. Adult teams and coaches find excellent resources for their future in tennis, either for competitive or club play. Tennis holidays include boutique accommodation, 15 hours on-court instruction and play-per-week, leaving more time to explore these compelling regions at your own pace. The perfect combination Combining Spainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ultimate tennis instruction, dynamic destinations and ideal accommodations make your tennis travel experience one for the memory books. Costa del Tennis is certainly not your typical tennis camp! For more information, visit www.costa-del-tennis.com or call (888) 814-6465.

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NYTennisMag.com â&#x20AC;˘ September/October 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ New York Tennis Magazine

Should We be Teaching

Tennis or People? By Richard Thater

sons whose strokes fall apart when they play. Instead of playing more, they sign up for more lessons. In this case, it sounds as if the lessons are only about isolated tennis skills, not playing tennis. When I started playing, buying a racquet and some balls was the entry price for getting started. Lesson money was spent on piano or violin instruction. I benefited from the established custom that required people who wanted to play up to play down. That was a cultural/people thing. If you wanted to hit with a better player, you had to hit with someone not a good as you. And believe me, this was rigorously, though unofficially, enforced. Imagine that a student wants a lesson in serving. When they demonstrate their

that their physical condition prohibits them from playing professional style tennis. If parks flew during a they try to follow their serve to the net, they panel discussion held will probably stop about two-and-a-half big at the First Annual New steps into the court, right at the doorway to York Tennis Expo in April of no man’s land. An experienced player will this year. Following sophisticated presenplace every return at their feet. tations by a former touring pro and local With a student like this, it is important to tennis leaders, Nick Bollettieri opened his recognize and accept this established reremarks by challenging the need for such sistance to traditional training. It is better to highly technical information. I think/hope teach them, rather than fit them into the that Nick had a veiled twinkle in his eye mold. when he said that the best teachers would Sometimes, we are asked to be the arsimply tell their students to “just hit the biter of rules and how to interpret them. damn ball.” Foot-faulting is clearly defined in Friend at I find myself in the middle of these opCourt, The USTA Handbook of Tennis Rules posing positions. I love to learn about and Regulations. The simplest explanation sports technology. When Tim Mayotte is that when you are serving, you cannot put demonstrated the “unit turn” as your foot on a line or inside a preparation for hitting a forecourt. But this rule is often “A solid technical knowledge is essential the hand, I immediately began to ignored and not enforced at to a teaching professional, but may not translate his comments into the recreational and league talking points for my stulevel. I even see young stube useful to the people they teach.” dents. And I agreed with dents practicing their serves Steven Kaplan when he critiunder the direction of a cized the practice of mindlessly accumu- serve, they are facing the net and hitting teacher, and they foot fault every time. This lating miles as a conditioning technique for with a western forehand grip. The student is a situation where strict teaching is more tennis. But Kaplan forced me to change my tells me that they have been to two nation- important than pleasing the student. automatic recommendation about jumping ally acclaimed tennis academies in Florida, Nick Bollettieri closed his presentation at rope. Despite claims by Jimmy Connors and have taken lessons from a well-re- the New York Tennis Expo by edging tothat jumping rope helped him stay fit like a garded local pro. Here is the dilemma … do ward the technical camp. Citing the latest boxer, Kaplan said “rope jumping is neuro- I teach correct tennis, or do I teach the per- research, he recommended that advancing logically counter to tennis movement de- son. I know they have heard all about the players develop a killer shot and eliminate mands.” A solid technical knowledge is continental grip, pronation and the wrist weaknesses. essential to a teaching professional, but snap. But, they do not want to serve corWe teachers are in the shifting middle, almay not be useful to the people they teach. rectly, they want to serve better. I would not ways evaluating how much we should simI recently spoke to the father of one of change their grip or stance, but I would plify the sometimes very technical information my 10 & Under students. He has devel- help them develop a more dependable toss that is so intriguing. And we should especially oped an interest in tennis for himself, so I and improve their weight transfer. remember that what we applaud today could asked whom he was playing with. He told Imagine that this player’s serve then im- fall into disfavor tomorrow. me that his teacher had asked him to re- proves. They now want to serve and volley frain from playing for a few months until as they have seen this on television and it Richard Thater is director of 10 & Under they had established a solid foundation in seems pretty effective. Since I try to teach Tennis at the West Side Tennis Club in Forhis stroke production. I thought tennis was people, I notice the student’s expensive est Hills N.Y. He is PTR-certified in Junior a game that you played with or against knee brace, and I remember that they wear Development. He may be reached by other people, for the purpose of fun and fit- orthotics because their ankles are weak. I phone at (917) 749-3255 or e-mail ness. I see people who take plenty of les- would give him them disappointing news richthater@aol.com.

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

NEW YORK TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

P L AY E R S P O T L I G H T BY ADAM WOLFTHAL

Photo credit: Adam Wolfthal

ARVIND MAHANKALI By Adam Wolfthal rvind Mahankali of Queens is the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee Champion, beating out 280 other contestants in his fourth attempt in the competition. Arvind was finally able to overcome his “German Curse,” having been eliminated in third place the prior two years when asked to spell a word of German origin. This year, Arvind was asked to spell the word “Knaidel,” a German-Yiddish word meaning a dumpling, especially a small ball of matzo meal, eggs and salt, often mixed with another foodstuff, usually served in soup. In training, Arvind regularly read the dictionary in order to increase his vocabulary and learn as many words as possible to be better prepared for the annual spelling competition. This level of dedication is one of the many things he learned through his involvement with the New York Junior Tennis League (NYJTL). Arvind first began taking part in the NYJTL programs at the age of eight. He learned at an early age that sacrifices, such as waking up early on weekends as he did for the NYJTL early morning program, would help to get him on track to achieve his goals. He also learned to work hard to become better in tennis and in the classroom. In tennis, you need to work at producing a powerful serve, and it’s the same when studying for spelling bee. Whether its buckets of balls or a dictionary full of words, no matter how large of a task or how hard it seems, you have to put in the work in order to reach your goals.

USTA Eastern Executive Director Jill Fonte, Director of Tennis for Connor Sport Court International Randy Futty and USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Director of Tennis Whitney Kraft welcome Arvind Mahankali (second from right) to the NTC Arvind comes from a tennis-playing family, saying many of his greatest memories are with his family on the court. Arvind lives in Queens near many tennis courts, playing at many public parks and at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. If he could play any professional, Arvind would love to challenge Novak Djokovic in a singles battle. Given the opportunity to set up a doubles match with any three others, he would partner with Serena against his father and

brother so he could have a front row seat to watch Serena do her work. Arvind gracefully denies his newfound celebrity status, although he admits to having been stopped by tourists visiting New York City to take his picture. Arvind recounted a story when he was being interviewed by The Wall Street Journal. When he left the interview, a television crew was shooting something else, but when they saw him, they ran over for an impromptu interview. He was also on the “Jimmy Kimmel Live” show and “Live With Kelly and Michael” on his promotional tour. At the 2013 Mayor’s Cup Awards Ceremony at the National Tennis Center, Arvind was part of a panel that included local tennis luminaries and former NBA star Earl “The Pearl” Monroe. During a photo opportunity, Earl “The Pearl” stopped in the middle of a photo to seek out Arvind for a photo of his own. Since he became famous from spelling the word “Knaidel,” he has been invited to delis around New York City, including Carnegie and Katz, to sample the classic Jewish dumplings. Up next for Arvind are the Math and Physics Olympiads, and he will begin studying computers as it is a useful skill in all business. He plans to become a physicist. He will stay loyal to the NYJTL because he believes in the principals of encouraging young players to get better and emphasizes the importance of education. Adam Wolfthal is director of business development for New York Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by e-mail at adam@usptennis.com.

NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

PBS Focuses on Billie Jean King in New American Masters Documentary BY ROBERT OTTONE ne of the more fascinating aspects of Billie Jean King’s career and life is that not only did she fight for equality on the court, but also off. While listing King’s accomplishments here would be redundant, “American Masters,” the long-running documentary series on PBS, does an excellent job of balancing both athletic accomplishment, as well as giving a in-depth perspective into the era of tennis King played in, but also the political and social climate at the time. As a longtime viewer of “American Masters,” this kind of in-depth character study shouldn’t surprise, however; for the uninitiated, you’re getting a true glimpse into what it means to be a champion both on and off the court. What’s fascinating here is that this is the very first time “American Masters” has profiled a professional athlete. This is somewhat surprising in that the series could have easily showcased the NBA’s Michael Jordan, NFL’s Joe Montana or the NHL’s Brett Hull, King receives the honor. “I am thrilled ‘American Masters’ is choosing to showcase my journey as we celebrate so many historic anniversaries in my ongoing commitment to social justice and equality,” said King. “It is an honor to be the first athlete profiled in the 27-year history of ‘American Masters,’ and I look forward to bringing our message of equality to audiences of all ages and all backgrounds.” King, the winner of 39 Grand Slam titles

over the course of her career, is perhaps best known for The Battle of the Sexes, where she accepted a challenge from Bobby Riggs, winning around $100,000 in the process, as part of the winner-takes-all male vs. female competition. King also puts a definition on what it means to be a feminist, stating, “It means choice; it means equality for boys and girls. That’s what it means to me. The guys loved it, because I always included them. I still do.” Featuring interviews ranging from Hillary Clinton and Elton John to Margaret Court, Chris

Evert, Maria Sharapova, Serena and Venus Williams, and other past and present tennis greats, the film highlights the impact a strong-willed feminist like King had on the sport of tennis. The recipient of multiple awards and recognition, the film recaps her Grand Slam victories, while also putting an emphasis on being a gay athlete at a time when being “out” would have had an effect on the thenfledgling women’s tour. “Billie Jean King embodies the art of sports, of humanism, and of activism. For more than 50 years, her excellence and example have sparked the way for changes that enrich us all,” said Susan Lacy, creator and executive producer of “American Masters.” “Billie Jean’s star on our cultural landscape shines brighter and brighter, with no end in sight.” “My favorite thing is to stay at my home and do nothing. I live for those days where I can walk around the neighborhood, play tennis in Central Park or go out to the Sportime facility on Randall’s Island,” King said, as a longtime resident of New York. “New York is bustling with things to do, and I enjoy going to the movies, concerts and dance performances at the Beacon Theatre or Lincoln Center, and I wish I had time to catch two Broadway plays a week!” “American Masters: Billie Jean King” airs Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 8:00 p.m. on PBS with replays on PBS throughout the month. Robert Ottone is assistant editor with New York Tennis Magazine.

“Murphy Bear’s Tennis Lesson” and “Murphfit Bear Visits the U.S. Open” Written by Maura Moynihan BY BRENT SHEARER ook out tennis parents and kids. There is a new contender for U.S. Open honors. He is the star of two picture books by Maura Moynihan, a Florida-based tennis instructor. And talk about growing the game … he is a bear with a parrot pal. In Murphy Bear’s Tennis Lesson, the title character discovers how much fun tennis is as he goes through the stages of learning the grips and the shots. It is true that a bear, being so big and strong, might be at a disadvantage in a long, three-set match, but at least Murphy Bear doesn’t have to drag a long tail around the court as does his alligator practice partner. In Moynihan’s second book, Murphy’s name changes to Murphfit, but he is the same tennis-loving bear. In this book, Murphfit goes to the U.S. Open. At the National Tennis Center, he goes to Arthur Ashe Kids Day and the Smash Zone, but his biggest surprise comes when his Florida pal, a parrot, also shows up at the Open. Murphfit Bear Visits the U.S. Open combines some basic instruction in QuickStart progressions alongside the story of a tennis playing bear’s first trip to New York. Ms. Moynihan will be at Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day to introduce Murphfit and her other characters to kids and parents.

Brent Shearer may bbshearer@gmail.com.

reached

e-mail

NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

DOM INAT E

WITH YOUR NON-DOMINANT ARM By Daniel Kresh lmost every club player I have ever seen either does not fully appreciate the importance of their non-dominant arm, or at the very least, will intermittently forget how important using it can be for every shot in tennis … that’s right, every shot! Some uses of your nondominant or “off” arm are more obvious than others, but being aware of, and reminding yourself of, its importance can help you from making preventable errors. The “off” arm can help generate power, set up shots, aid with positioning and spacing all while improving balance. The most glaringly obvious shot which utilizes your non-dominant arm is the twohanded backhand. You’re literally gripping the racket with it and it helps with power and even disguise. It can be helpful to think of the two-handed backhand as a non-dominant forehand and I often times have players practice a non-dominant forehand with the grip choked up (so there would be room for your non-dominant hand underneath) to help improve the activation of the “off” arm. What may not be as obvious is that the “off” arm can also aid in disguising the shot, since that hand is higher up on the handle, articulating the racket head requires less torque than it would for the bottom hand, or in laymen’s terms your hand placement allows you to change the angle of the racket face right before impact and direct shots more stealthily. Less obvious is the role the “off” hand plays on the one-handed backhand. The name is somewhat of a misnomer, since using only your dominant hand would result in a technically flawed shot. The “off” hand

should start out gripping the throat of the racket, it will aid in taking the racket back and getting it into position. That arm will also aid greatly in balance as it counters the foreword movement of the hitting arm. Watch Roger Federer or Richard Gasquet and you will begin to appreciate that their left arms (they both play right-handed) go back as their racket moves through the ball to allow them to maintain balance, control and power. This can also be seen on the one-handed slice by

players regardless of whether or not they have a one- or two-handed backhand and to a lesser extent on the backhand volley. Now let’s discuss the role your off hand can play on shots hit on the dominant side of your body. I like players to have their off hand on their racket in their ready position regardless of if they hit a one or two-handed backhand. For one-handed backhand players, the “off” hand can rest on the throat at all times and players with two-handed backhands can put that ready position to use for volleys. As you turn to prepare to hit a forehand, the “off” hand should reach out in front countering your backswing. Like the way the counter action of the “off” hand helps to balance the swing of the onehanded backhand the counter movement here helps the player balance during preparation. The hand will also help aid with positioning by giving you a visual reference, the

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

more you do this the more you will appreciate how seeing your hand relative to the ball will greatly help with your brain’s ability to predict the path of the ball. As players swing, the “off” hand will come in close to the body, this helps your rotation for the same reason a figure skater brings her arms in to spin faster, you can even chose to bring it close to your non-dominant shoulder to catch the throat of the racket at the end of the swing to ensure a full follow through. In previous articles, I have mentioned the importance of the toss, it is the single most important thing your nondominant hand does in your tennis game; you cannot start a point without it. Besides the initial toss, keeping your hand up longer can help you to gauge the toss get a full shoulder rotation to load the serve and help you visualize swinging up at the ball. On the overhead, the “off” hand again helps to visualize the ball’s height and depth, pointing the index finger towards the ball as you get into position can help. With the serve and the overhead, as with the forehand, bringing the “off” hand into the body as you swing through the ball will decrease rotational inertia, increasing racket speed and in turn power. Learning how to properly coordinate your “off” hand could turn what sometimes might feel like dead weight into a secret weapon to help keep your kinetic chain in tact allowing you to maximize your potential. Daniel Kresh is a USPTA-certified tennis professional who recently accepted the positions of director of junior tennis and assistant tennis professional at the Three Village Tennis Club in Setauket, N.Y. He is also the assistant professional at The Port Jefferson Country Club at Harbor Hills. He may be reached by e-mail at dankreshtennis@gmail.com.

NEW YORK TENNIS CLUB

DIRECTORY Butch Seewagen Tennis Academy @ CATS of 49th Street Geri Goetz—Director 235 East 49th Street New York, NY 10017 (212) 832-1833, ext. 222 catsturtlebay@gmail.com www.catsny.com

Centercourt Athletic Club Clay Bibbee—Managing Partner and Academy Founder 222 N. Passaic Avenue • Chatham, NJ 07928 (973) 635-1222 clay@centercourtclub.com www.centercourtclub.com

Go! Tennis at North Shore Tennis & Racquet Club George Garland—Director of Tennis 34-28 214th Place Flushing, NY 11361-1720 (718) 224-6303 george@gotennisprograms.com www.gotennisprograms.com

Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club Gertrud Wilhelm—General Manager 450 West 43rd Street • New York, NY 10036 (212) 594-0554 gwilhelm@advantagetennisclubs.com www.advantagetennisclubs.com

Mayotte-Hurst Tennis Center

Roosevelt Island Racquet Club

Stadium Tennis Center at Mill Pond

Tim Mayotte—Director of Tennis Cunningham Park Tennis in Queens (718) 740-6800 www.cunninghamsportscenter.com

Tom Manhart—Membership Director 281 Main Street • Roosevelt Island, NY 10044 (212) 935-0250 tmanhart@rirctennis.com www.advantagetennisclubs.com

Joel Kassan—Tennis Director 725 Gateway Center Boulevard Bronx, NY 10451 (718) 665-4684 joel@gothamtennis.com www.stadiumtennisnyc.com

New York Tennis Club Lauren Hartman—General Manager 3081 Harding Avenue Bronx, NY 10465 (718) 239-7916 lhartman.nytci@gmail.com www.advantagetennisclubs.com

Prospect Park Tennis Center Paul Campbell—Director of Tennis 50 Parkside Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11226 (718) 436-2500, ext. 300 pcampbell@prospectpark.org www.prospectpark.org/visit/activities/tennis

Queens College Tennis Club Wayne Martin—Head Pro 65-30 Kissena Boulevard Queens, NY 11367 (718) 997-2795 athleticsinfo@qc.cuny.edu www.athletics.qc.cuny.edu/communityrec/tennis

SPORTIME Harbor Island Tennis Courts in Harbor Island Park Carlos Campo—General Manager Mamaroneck, NY 10543 (914) 777-5050 ccampo@sportimeny.com www.sportime.com/harbor-island

SPORTIME Randall’s Island Manhattan Home of the John McEnroe Tennis Academy Felix Alvarado—Assistant Director of Tennis One Randall’s Island • New York, NY 10035 (212) 427-6150 falvarado@sportimeny.com www.sportimeny.com/manhattan

SPORTIME Lake Isle Westchester Home of the John McEnroe Tennis Academy Brian Inglis—General Manager 660 White Plains Road • Eastchester, NY 10709 (914) 777-5151 binglis@sportimeny.com www.sportimeny.com/lake-isle

The Country Club of Riverdale (TCR) Gilad Bloom—Director of Tennis 2600 Netherland Avenue Riverdale, NY 10463 (718) 796-9099 bloom.gilad@gmail.com www.tcr-nyc.com

USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Whitney Kraft—Director of Tennis Flushing Meadows Corona Park Flushing, NY 11368 (718) 760-6200 kraft@usta.com www.usta.com

West Side Tennis Club Bob Ingersole—Director of Tennis 1 Tennis Place • Forest Hills, NY 11375 (718) 268-2300 tennisdirector@foresthillstennis.com www.foresthillstennis.com/index.html

NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

NEW Boys & Girls Metro Rankings (as of 08/05/13)

BOYS Metro Boys 12 Singles Rank ..Name................................City 1 ........Igor Maslov ....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 2 ........Shawn Jackson..............Staten Island, N.Y. 3 ........Nicholas Pustilnik ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 4 ........Peter Frelinghuysen ......New York, N.Y. 5 ........Wesley Zhang ................Staten Island, N.Y. 6 ........Anthony Cataldo ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 7 ........David Krasner ................Staten Island, N.Y. 8 ........Henry Hochfelder ..........New York, N.Y. 9 ........Blake Frank ....................New York, N.Y. 10 ......Eitan Trantz ....................Bronx, N.Y. 11 ......Michael Gechka..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 12 ......Joseph Wilkanowski ......Long Island City, N.Y. 13 ......Christian Rabinowitz ......Bayside, N.Y. 14 ......Rudolph Merlin ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 15 ......John-Tomas Bilski..........New York, N.Y. 16 ......Joakim Duffy ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 17 ......Michael Cooper..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 18 ......Ryan McCook ................Saint Albans, N.Y. 19 ......Sadi Gulcelik ..................New York, N.Y. 20 ......David Weiner ..................Rego Park, N.Y. 21 ......Brandon Torres ..............Bronx, N.Y. 22 ......Kemal Aziz ......................Staten Island, N.Y. 23 ......Jonathan Glinsky............Brooklyn, N.Y. 24 ......Alexander Petrov............Middle Village, N.Y. 25 ......Jeffrey Yu ........................Forest Hills, N.Y. 26 ......Gabriel Rissman ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 27 ......Noah Eisenberg..............New York, N.Y. 28 ......Isaac Rose-Berman ......Brooklyn, N.Y. 29 ......Joshua Jackson ............Staten Island, N.Y. 30 ......Bradley Bennett..............New York, N.Y. 31 ......Winter Fagerberg............New York, N.Y. 32 ......Derrick Mu ......................Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 33 ......Jacob Livianu..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 34 ......Sidharth Chawla ............New York, N.Y. 35 ......Mitchel Pertsovsky ........Brooklyn, N.Y. 36 ......Pieter Wernink ................New York, N.Y. 37 ......Afi von Auersperg ..........New York, N.Y. 38 ......Stevan Stojkovic ............Flushing, N.Y. 39 ......Dylan Lachmanen ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 40 ......Elias Rabayev ................Brooklyn, N.Y.

Metro Boys 14 Singles Rank ..Name................................City 1 ........Derek Lung ....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 2 ........Henry Hochfelder ..........New York, N.Y. 3 ........Andrew Zucker ..............New York, N.Y. 4 ........Nicholas Pustilnik ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 5 ........Peter Frelinghuysen ......New York, N.Y. 6 ........Wiley Schubert Reed ....Brooklyn, N.Y. 7 ........Christopher Tham ..........Flushing, N.Y. 8 ........David Moldovan ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 9 ........Mizel Stevens ................New York, N.Y. 10 ......Shawn Jackson..............Staten Island, N.Y. 11 ......Igor Maslov ....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 12 ......Barak Harari....................Hollis, N.Y. 13 ......Daniel Corona ................Fresh Meadows, N.Y. 14 ......Leaf Fagerberg ..............New York, N.Y. 15 ......Leonidas Vrailas ............New York, N.Y. 16 ......Christopher Toub............New York, N.Y. 17 ......Kevin Yan ........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 18 ......Tanner Ross Bhonslay ..New York, N.Y. 19 ......Zachary Portnoy ............New York, N.Y. 20 ......Ben Warren ....................New York, N.Y. 21 ......Daniel Ertel......................New York, N.Y. 22 ......Teddy Friedman..............New York, N.Y. 23 ......Tristan Taylor ..................New York, N.Y. 24 ......Kermal Aziz ....................Staten Island, N.Y. 25 ......Jordan Rey-Anatole ......Brooklyn, N.Y. 26 ......Ray Fishman ..................New York, N.Y. 27 ......Daniel Davis....................New York, N.Y. 28 ......Dominick Pajor ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 29 ......Emil Nadyrbekov............Brooklyn, N.Y. 30 ......Mitcehll Mu ....................Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 31 ......Oliver Jevtovic ................Astoria, N.Y. 32 ......Gregory Coe ..................New York, N.Y.

YORK

33 ......Max Schindel..................New York, N.Y. 34 ......Nicholas Kingsley ..........New York, N.Y. 35 ......Jeffrey Yu ........................Forest Hills, N.Y. 36 ......Max Lederman ..............New York, N.Y. 37 ......Robert Freitag ................New York, N.Y. 38 ......Joseph Reiner ................New York, N.Y. 39 ......Joshua Jackson ............Staten Island, N.Y. 40 ......Noah Edelman................ New York, N.Y.

Metro Boys 16 Singles Rank ..Name................................City 1 ........Leonard Margolis............Brooklyn, N.Y. 2 ........Adam Borak....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 3 ........Adam Bernstein..............New York, N.Y. 4 ........Kristjan Tomasson..........New York, N.Y. 5 ........Oliver Mai........................Flushing, N.Y. 6 ........Sam Krevlin ....................New York, N.Y. 7 ........Horia Negru ....................Middle Village, N.Y. 8 ........Jonathan L. Molfetta ......Howard Beach, N.Y. 9 ........Douglas Nover................Bayside, N.Y. 10 ......Kevin Huynh ..................Astoria, N.Y. 11 ......Justin Belnavis................Jamaica, N.Y. 12 ......Robert Millman ..............New York, N.Y. 13 ......Gabriel Kramer-Garcia ..New York, N.Y. 14 ......Bojidar Todorov ..............Rego Park, N.Y. 15 ......Steven Serras ................Queens Village, N.Y. 16 ......Andrew Zucker ..............New York, N.Y. 17 ......Don Negru ......................Middle Village, N.Y. 18 ......Peter Coulombe ............New York, N.Y. 19 ......Kevin Yan ........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 20 ......Stephen Mai ..................Flushing, N.Y. 21 ......Peter Sills ........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 22 ......Michael Jasienowski......Middle Village, N.Y. 23 ......Samuel Caloras ..............Little Neck, N.Y. 24 ......Massimo DeCarvalho ....Forest Hills, N.Y. 25 ......Avery Bicks ....................New York, N.Y. 26 ......Jacob Daly......................Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 27 ......Mitchel Voloshin ............Staten Island, N.Y. 28 ......Andreja Radevic ............New York, N.Y. 29 ......David Farina....................New York N.Y. 30 ......Gabriel Sifuentes ............Flushing, N.Y. 31 ......Adam Chan ....................New York, N.Y. 32 ......Sam Vagner ....................Staten Island, N.Y. 33 ......Ira Rey-Anatole ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 34 ......Dylan Friedman ..............Brooklyn, N.y. 35 ......Xavier Pacthod ..............New York, N.Y. 36 ......Shawn Jackson..............Staten Island, N.Y. 37 ......Christopher Huynh ........Astoria, N.Y. 38 ......Ray Fishman ..................New York, N.Y. 39 ......Glenn Yu..........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 40 ......Josh Charap ..................New York, N.Y.

Metro Boys 18 Singles Rank ..Name................................City 1 ........David N. Zhukovsky ......Brooklyn, N.Y. 2 ........Joshua Freud..................New York, N.Y. 3 ........Jonathan Cohen ............New York, N.Y. 4 ........Stefan Radevic ..............New York, N.Y. 5 ........Michael Lesser ..............New York, N.Y. 6 ........Nolan Crawford ..............New York, N.Y. 7 ........Enrique Torres ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 8 ........Kumeil Hosain ................New York, N.Y. 9 ........Stephen Fields................Bronx, N.Y. 10 ......Kristan Tomasson ..........New York, N.Y. 11 ......Anthony Santino ............Douglaston, N.Y.

GIRLS Metro Girls 12 Singles

RANKINGS 14 ......Anna Tselikovskaya........New York, N.Y. 15 ......Guiliana Rosa Gibson ....Bayside, N.Y. 16 ......Maxine Zaretsky ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 17 ......Julia Dementyev ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 18 ......Sabrina Boada................Woodhaven, N.Y. 19 ......Isabella Hartman ............New York, N.Y. 20 ......Tiana Fernandez ............Bronx, N.Y. 21 ......Elisabeth Schlossel ........New York, N.Y. 22 ......Naomi Park ....................New York, N.Y. 23 ......Alyssa An ........................New York, N.Y. 24 ......Gabriella Kashulsky........Brooklyn, N.Y. 25 ......Nicole Massa..................Astoria, N.Y. 26 ......Emma Abels Eisenberg..New York, N.Y. 27 ......Rebecca Sitkovetsky ....Staten Island, N.Y. 28 ......Caroline Kantor ..............New York, N.Y. 29 ......Lena Kovacevic..............New York, N.Y. 30 ......Julia Sachman................New York, N.Y. 31 ......Khyanna Singh ..............Queens Village, N.Y. 32 ......Bella Kaplan....................New York, N.Y. 33 ......Isabel Stern ....................New York, N.Y. 34 ......Rebecca Fisch................New York, N.Y. 35 ......Maria Bykovskaya..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 36 ......Gabriella Eitkis................Brooklyn, N.Y. 37 ......Tomi Alalade ..................Rosedale, N.Y. 38 ......Alex Townes-West..........New York, N.Y. 39 ......Madeline Kozower ........New York, N.Y. 40 ......Alyssa Brinzensky ..........Staten Island, N.Y.

Metro Girls 18 Singles Metro Girls 14 Singles Rank ..Name................................City 1 ........Sarah Hirschfield ............New York, N.Y. 2 ........Jennifer Yu ......................Forest Hills, N.Y. 3 ........Olivia Morris....................Floral Park, N.Y. 4 ........Victoria Zezula ................Ridgewood, N.Y. 5 ........Veronika Semenova ......Brooklyn, N.Y. 6 ........Christina Huynh..............Astoria, N.Y. 7 ........Donna Episcopio............Bayside, N.Y. 8 ........Yuhan Wang ..................Little Neck, N.Y. 9 ........Marie Ivantechenko........Brooklyn, N.Y. 10 ......Alice Pinho......................Woodside, N.Y. 11 ......Nicole Khorosh ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 12 ......Sofie Kate Levine ..........New York, N.Y. 13 ......Amalia Parrish ................Queens Village, N.Y. 14 ......Autumn Greco ................Staten Island, N.Y. 15 ......Dakota Fordham ............New York, N.Y. 16 ......Maxine Beata Zaretsky ..Brooklyn, N.Y. 17 ......Johnniesha Breiten ........Bronx, N.Y. 18 ......Isabella Tushaj ................Bronx, N.Y. 19 ......Olga Drahanchuk ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 20 ......Kyra Bergmann ..............Forest Hills, N.Y. 21 ......Gianna Gaudio ..............Staten Island, N.Y. 22 ......Rosie Garcia ..................New York, N.Y. 23 ......Rachel Okin ....................New York, N.Y. 24 ......Giuliana Gibson..............Bayside, N.Y. 25 ......Isabelle Rovinski ............New York, N.Y. 26 ......Elizabeth Khusid ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 27 ......Julia Sachman................New York, N.Y. 28 ......Grace Parker ..................New York, N.Y. 29 ......Emma Gray ....................New York, N.Y. 30 ......Gabriella Etkins ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 31 ......Marierose Apice ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 32 ......Nadejda Maslova ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 33 ......Christina Calabrese........Staten Island, N.Y. 34 ......Tiana Fernandez ............Bronx, N.Y. 35 ......Jenelle Downer ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 36 ......Anastasia Lukyanovich ..Brooklyn, N.Y. 37 ......Mia Simone Parrish........Queens Village, N.Y. 38 ......Anastasia Menshikova ..Brooklyn, N.Y. 39 ......Nicole Mika ....................Staten Island, N.Y. 40 ......Victoria Hanuman ..........Brooklyn, N.Y.

Rank ..Name................................City 1 ........Nadejda Maslova ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 2 ........Daniella Benabraham ....New York, N.Y. 3 ........Karolina Lankamer ........Brooklyn, N.Y. 4 ........Amy Kaplan ....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 5 ........Shakima Hotaki ..............Flushing, N.Y. 6 ........Isabella Cooper ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 7 ........Rachel Zhang ................Forest Hills, N.Y. 8 ........Natalie Eordekian ..........Woodside, N.Y. 9 ........Miriam Aziz ....................Staten Island, N.Y. 10 ......Rachel Rubenzahl ..........New York, N.Y. 11 ......Theodora Vrailas ............New York, N.Y. 12 ......Lorraine Bergmann ........Forest Hills, N.Y. 13 ......Maryna Bohdanovska....Brooklyn, N.Y.

11 ......Sarah Hirschfield ............New York, N.Y. 12 ......Zorriana Johnson ..........New York, N.Y. 13 ......Annie Reiner ..................New York, N.Y. 14 ......Nicole Schnabel ............Woodhaven, N.Y. 15 ......Alexandra Sanford..........New York, N.Y. 16 ......Anna Tselikovskaya........New York, N.Y. 17 ......Jennifer Reiss ................New York, N.Y. 18 ......Erika Tinalli......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 19 ......Paolina Zanski ................Astoria, N.Y. 20 ......Anna Kaplan ..................New York, N.Y. 21 ......Sofia Aisiks......................New York, N.Y. 22 ......Gaelle Conille..................New York, N.Y. 23 ......Reena Sarkar..................New York, N.Y. 24 ......Maria Kogarova ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 25 ......Liana I. Weitzman ..........Whitestone, N.Y. 26 ......Dakota Fordham ............New York, N.Y. 27 ......Yifei Wang ......................Little Neck, N.Y. 28 ......Monique Magyar ............New York, N.Y. 29 ......Lindsay Jadow ..............New York, N.Y. 30 ......Soraya Cornille ..............New York, N.Y. 31 ......Donna Episcopio............Bayside, N.Y. 32 ......Brittany Biggs ................Bronx, N.Y. 33 ......Stefana Vujinovic............Brooklyn, N.Y. 34 ......Liza Levison....................New York, N.Y. 35 ......Noa E. Haninovich..........New York, N.Y. 36 ......Bria Heyward..................Bronx, N.Y.

Metro Girls 16 Singles Rank ..Name................................City 1 ........Electra Frelinghuysen ....New York, N.Y. 2 ........Keri Anne Picciochi ........Flushing, N.Y. 3 ........Emi Lewis........................New York, N.Y. 4 ........Jennifer Yu ......................Forest Hills, N.Y. 5 ........Hediye Karabay..............Flushing, N.Y. 6 ........Anika Pornpitaksuk ........Flushing, N.Y. 7 ........Alesssandra Ricciardi ....Howard Beach, N.Y. 8 ........Victoria Zezula ................Ridgewood, N.Y. 9 ........Jenna Borenstein ..........New York, N.Y. 10 ......Ashley DelMissier ..........Forest Hills, N.Y.

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

Rank ..Name................................City 1 ........Briel Biggs ......................Bronx, N.Y. 2 ........Emi Lewis........................New York, N.Y. 3 ........Champagne Mills ..........New York, N.Y. 4 ........Hediye Karabay..............Flushing, N.Y.

Boys & Girls Sectional Rankings (as of 07/31/13)

BOYS Sectional Boys 12 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 4 ........Ethan Leon......................Woodhaven, N.Y. 9 ........Igor Maslov ....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 11 ......Shand Stephens ............New York, N.Y. 13 ......Steven Daniel Nazaroff ..Brooklyn, N.Y. 14 ......Derek Raskopf................New York, N.Y. 17 ......Jeffrey Fradkin ................New York, N.Y. 20 ......Robbie Werdiger ............New York, N.Y. 21 ......Nicholas Pustilnik ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 22 ......Will Coad ........................New York, N.Y. 23 ......Lantis Wang....................New York, N.Y. 26 ......Noah Edelman................New York, N.Y. 34 ......Christopher Tham ..........Flushing, N.Y. 35 ......Harry Portnoy ................New York, N.Y. 37 ......Alexander Nielsen ..........New York, N.Y. 38 ......Aleksa Pljakic..................Forest Hills, N.Y. 43 ......Shawn Jackson..............Staten Island, N.Y. 46 ......Kai Yuminaga..................Little Neck, N.Y. 48 ......David Weiner ..................Rego Park, N.Y. 53 ......Alex Portnoy ..................New York, N.Y. 60 ......Scott Fischer ..................New York, N.Y. 62 ......Eitan Khromchenko........Staten Island, N.Y. 63 ......Alexander Petrov............Middle Village, N.Y. 66 ......Garrett Chao ..................New York, N.Y. 68 ......Brandon Cohen..............New York, N.Y. 69 ......Joseph Wilkanowski ......Long Island City, N.Y. 70 ......Wesley Zhang ................Staten Island, N.Y. 71 ......Maxwell Kachkarov........Flushing, N.Y. 77 ......David Krasner ................Staten Island, N.Y. 78 ......Jeffrey McCready ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 86 ......Michael Cooper..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 88 ......Derrick Mu ......................Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 93 ......Teddy Brodsky................New York, N.Y. 95 ......Tristan Taylor ..................New York, N.Y. 98 ......Zachary Portnoy ............New York, N.Y. 108 ....Mitchel Pertsovsky ........Brooklyn, N.Y. 109 ....Jonathan Glinsky............Brooklyn, N.Y. 114 ....Nash Johnson ................New York, N.Y. 122 ....Jace Alexander ..............New York, N.Y. 125 ....Oliver Obeid....................New York, N.Y.

NEW 131 ....Joakim Duffy ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 132 ....John-Thomas Bilski ......New York, N.Y. 133 ....Elias Rabayev ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 137 ....Anthony Cataldo ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 138 ....Blake Frank ....................New York, N.Y. 139 ....Isaac Rose-Berman ......Brooklyn, N.Y. 140 ....Jeffrey Yu ........................Forest Hills, N.Y. 141 ....Brandon Torres ..............Bronx, N.Y. 143 ....Simon Camacho ............New York, N.Y. 144 ....Daniel Maseyev ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 145 ....Michael Gechka..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 148 ....Oliver Tockman ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 150 ....Dylan Charles ................New York, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 14 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 11 ......Sumit Sarkar .................. New York, N.Y. 20 ......Calvin Chung ..................Bronx, N.Y. 43 ......Gary Fishkin....................Staten Island, N.Y. 49 ......Zachary Lieb ..................New York, N.Y. 58 ......David Mizrahi..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 66 ......Oliver Jevtovic ................Astoria, N.Y. 68 ......Max Prohorov ................Rego Park, N.Y. 70 ......James Dill........................New York, N.Y. 71 ......Jeffrey Gorilovsky ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 74 ......Sam Vagner ....................Staten Island, N.Y. 84 ......Ethan Leon......................Woodhaven, N.Y. 90 ......Philip Belmatch ..............Staten Island, N.Y. 98 ......Emil Nadyrbekov............Brooklyn, N.Y. 99 ......Christopher Kolesnik......Staten Island, N.Y. 107 ....Henry Hochfelder ..........New York, N.Y. 109 ....Nicholas Pustilnik ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 114 ....Kemal Irfan Aziz..............Staten Island, N.Y. 119 ....Giacomo Eisler ..............New York, N.Y. 120 ....Alexander Chiu ..............New York, N.Y. 121 ....Gabriel Sifuentes ............Flushing, N.Y. 133 ....Robert Kennedy ............New York, N.Y. 135 ....Jacob Kern ....................New York, N.Y. 137 ....Shawn Jackson..............Staten Island, N.Y. 140 ....Wiley Schubert ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 146 ....David Moldovan ............Brooklyn, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 16 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 11 ......Felipe Osses-Konig........Rego Park, N.Y. 12 ......Oliver Sec........................New York, N.Y. 19 ......James Wasserman ........New York, N.Y. 20 ......Ananth Raghavan ..........New York, N.Y. 23 ......Marcus Smith ................Little Neck, N.Y. 26 ......Victor Miglo ....................Kew Gardens, N.Y. 28 ......Christopher Paul Auteri..Staten Island, N.Y. 29 ......Edan Lee Sossen ..........Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 35 ......Jack Haroche ................New York, N.Y. 37 ......Gal Matthew Sossen......Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 40 ......Alexander Thrane ..........New York, N.Y. 44 ......Cole Gittens....................New York, N.Y. 45 ......Ethan Nittolo ..................Flushing, N.Y. 55 ......Aleksandar Kovacevic ..New York, N.Y. 67 ......Jordan Jordan ................Astoria, N.Y. 74 ......Jacob Frisch ..................New York, N.Y. 77 ......Alex Chao ......................New York, N.Y. 85 ......William Trang ..................Staten Island, N.Y. 116 ....Maurice Russo ..............New York, N.Y. 120 ....Avery Bricks....................New York, N.Y. 130 ....Kumeil Hosain ................New York, N.Y. 133 ....Christian Gloria ..............Queens Village, N.Y. 138 ....Andrew Hauser ..............New York, N.Y. 140 ....Daniel Nowak ................Middle Village, N.Y. 143 ....Bojidar Todorov ..............Rego Park, N.Y. 145 ....Faris Nathoo ..................New York, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 18 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 5 ........Daniel Kerznerman ........Brooklyn, N.Y. 8 ........Artemie Amari ................New York, N.Y. 11 ......Justin Fields....................New York, N.Y. 16 ......Oliver Sec........................New York, N.Y. 17 ......Win Smith........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 18 ......Lucas Pickering..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

YORK

25 ......Courtney Murphy ..........Bronx, N.Y. 29 ......Sachin Raghavan ..........New York, N.Y. 35 ......Richard Sec ....................New York, N.Y. 41 ......Joshua Yablon................New York, N.Y. 57 ......Ethan Nittolo ..................Flushing, N.Y. 59 ......Christopher Paul Auteri..Staten Island, N.Y. 60 ......Ryoma Haraguchi ..........New York, N.Y. 64 ......Steven Koulouris ............Long Island City, N.Y. 87 ......Jonathan Selegean ........East Elmhurst, N.Y. 92 ......Andrew Arnaboldi ..........New York, N.Y. 103 ....Alexander Pintilie............New York, N.Y. 111 ....Michael Anzalone ..........Howard Beach, N.Y. 121 ....Marcus T. Smith..............Little Neck, N.Y. 127 ....Mark Semerik ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 130 ....Victor Miglo ....................Kew Gardens, N.Y. 150 ....Carlos Saavedra ............Flushing, N.Y.

GIRLS Sectional Girls 12 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 3 ........Michelle Sorokko............Douglaston, N.Y. 4 ........Shelly Yaloz ....................Little Neck, N.Y. 5 ........Dasha Kourkina..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 8 ........Christina Huynh..............Astoria, N.Y. 16 ......Chelsea Williams ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 18 ......Rosie Garcia Gross ........New York, N.Y. 21 ......Katherine Kachkarov......Flushing, N.Y. 24 ......Miriam Aziz ....................Staten Island, N.Y. 25 ......Elvina Kalieva..................Staten Island, N.Y. 28 ......Dakota Fordham ............New York, N.Y. 29 ......Kyra Bergmann ..............Forest Hills, N.Y. 35 ......Isabella Tushaj ................Bronx, N.Y. 40 ......Marie Ivantechenko........Brooklyn, N.Y. 41 ......Najah Dawson ................Rosedale, N.Y. 43 ......Diana McCready ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 45 ......Sonia Tartakovsky ..........New York, N.Y. 47 ......Nadejda Maslova ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 48 ......Steffi Antao ....................Briarwood, N.Y. 49 ......Perene Wang ..................New York, N.Y. 50 ......Diana Sosonkin ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 64 ......Carolyn Brodsky ............New York, N.Y. 66 ......Amanda Solecki ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 68 ......Zoe Kava ........................New York, N.Y. 73 ......Shakima Hotaki ..............Flushing, N.Y. 74 ......Giuliana Gibson..............Bayside, N.Y. 75 ......Audrey Pacthod..............New York, N.Y. 76 ......Sabrina Boada................Woodhaven, N.Y. 79 ......Gabriella Eitkis................Brooklyn, N.Y. 80 ......Karolina Lankamer ........Brooklyn, N.Y. 81 ......Lorraine Bergmann ........Forest Hills, N.Y. 83 ......Isabella Cooper ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 88 ......Emily Moczulski..............Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 91 ......Lena Kovacevic..............New York, N.Y. 100 ....Natalie Eordekian ..........Woodside, N.Y. 107 ....Anastasya Menshikova..Brooklyn, N.Y. 113 ....Daniella Benabraham ....New York, N.Y. 115 ....Rachel Rubenzahl ..........New York, N.Y. 116 ....Khyanna Singh ..............Queens Village, N.Y. 119 ....Amy Kaplan ....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 120 ....Maryna Bohdanovska....Brooklyn, N.Y. 127 ....Rachel Zhang ................Forest Hills, N.Y. 131 ....Anna Tselikovskaya........New York, N.Y. 137 ....Alyssa An ........................New York, N.Y. 138 ....Grace Kennedy ..............New York, N.Y. 141 ....Sofie Kate Levine ..........New York, N.Y. 143 ....Theodora Vrailas ............New York, N.Y. 146 ....Rebecca Izyayeva ..........Staten Island, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 14 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 8 ........Aleksandra Bekirova ......Brooklyn, N.Y. 9 ........Alexus Gill ......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 11 ......Nicole Semenov ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 15 ......Michelle Sorokko............Little Neck, N.Y. 21 ......Dasha Kourkina..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 28 ......Lauren Munari ................Middle Village, N.Y. 29 ......Anastasia Koniaev..........Forest Hills, N.Y. 32 ......Jennifer Yu ......................Forest Hills, N.Y. 38 ......Chelsea Williams ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 39 ......Stephanie Li....................New York, N.Y.

RANKINGS 45 ......Sydney Katz....................New York, N.Y. 46 ......Victoria Sec ....................New York, N.Y. 49 ......Patricia Obeid ................New York, N.Y. 50 ......Christina Huynh..............Astoria, N.Y. 59 ......Regina Furer ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 65 ......Katherine Kachkarov......Flushing, N.Y. 79 ......Kyra Bergmann ..............Forest Hills, N.Y. 83 ......Olga Drahanchuk ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 89 ......Isabel Balilo ....................Flushing, N.Y. 95 ......Shelly Yaloz ....................Little Neck, N.Y. 96 ......Amalia Parrish ................Queens Village, N.Y. 104 ....Alexa Nobandegani........New York, N.Y. 105 ....Olivia Morris....................Floral Park, N.Y. 114 ....Brittny Jo Ferreira ..........Brooklyn,, N.Y. 115 ....Lia Kiam ..........................New York, N.Y. 126 ....Dakota Fordham ............New York, N.Y. 134 ....Alice Pinho......................Woodside, N.Y. 138 ....kiara Rose ......................New York, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 16 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 4 ........Sabrina Xiong ................Fresh Meadows, N.Y. 5 ........Arnelle Sullivan ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 9 ........Jessica Livianu ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 10 ......Jessica Golovin ..............New York, N.Y. 15 ......Brianna Williams ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 17 ......Elizabeth Tsvetkov..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 18 ......Anna Ulyashchenko ......Brooklyn, N.Y. 22 ......Christina Puccinelli ........New York, N.Y. 28 ......Alexus Gill ......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 30 ......Isis Gill ............................Brooklyn, N.Y. 33 ......Stefani Lineva ................Middle Village, N.Y. 38 ......Sophia Kryloff ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 41 ......Alexandra Koniaev ........Forest Hills, N.Y. 42 ......Yuka Lin ..........................Kew Gardens, N.Y. 49 ......Anastasiya Malinouskaya..Staten Island, N.Y. 50 ......Shayna Spooner ............New York, N.Y. 52 ......Jillian Auteri ....................Staten Island, N.Y. 59 ......Julia Fisch ......................New York, N.Y. 65 ......Michelle Khaimov ..........Jamaica, N.Y. 67 ......Illana Levich ....................Staten Island, N.Y. 74 ......Tristan Lorich ..................New York, N.Y. 83 ......Sofia Aisiks......................New York, N.Y. 100 ....Keren Khromchenko ......Staten Island, N.Y. 103 ....Julia Zbarsky ..................New York, N.Y. 104 ....Stephanie Li....................New York, N.Y. 110 ....Zorriana Johnson ..........New York, N.Y. 113 ....Nicole Schnabel ............Woodhaven, N.Y. 121 ....Erika Tinalli......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 122 ....Patricia Obeid ................New York, N.Y. 127 ....Marierose Apice ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 131 ....Jennifer Yu ......................Forest Hills, N.Y. 133 ....Lauren Munari ................Middle Village, N.Y. 139 ....Alana Davidson ..............Bayside, N.Y. 145 ....Kerri Anne Picciochi ......Flushing, N.Y. 148 ....Anna Kaplan ..................New York, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 18 Singles— Metro Region

116 ....Tristan Lorich ..................New York, N.Y. 117 ....Anna Ulyashchenko ......Brooklyn, N.Y. 133 ....Briel Biggs ......................Bronx, N.Y. 137 ....Sabrina Xiong ................Fresh Meadows, N.Y. 139 ....Sophia Schlossel............New York, N.Y. 140 ....Julia Zbarsky ..................New York, N.Y. 148 ....Daniella Roldan ..............New York, N.Y.

Boys & Girls National Rankings (as of 08/15/13)

BOYS National Boys 12 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 46 ......Ethan Leon......................Woodhaven, N.Y. 74 ......Jeffrey Fradkin ................New York, N.Y. 121 ....Steven Nazaroff..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 126 ....Derek Raskopf................New York, N.Y. 168 ....Nicholas Pustilnik ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 193 ....Igor Maslov ....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 247 ....Shand Stephens ............New York, N.Y. 254 ....Robbie Werdiger ............New York, N.Y. 257 ....Lantis Wang....................New York, N.Y. 450 ....Max Katchkarov ............Flushing, N.Y. 497 ....Nicholas Mejia ................New York, N.Y. 505 ....Christopher Tham ..........Flushing, N.Y. 530 ....Alex Portnoy ..................New York, N.Y. 535 ....Brandon T. Cohen ..........New York, N.Y. 554 ....Harry Portnoy ................New York, N.Y. 619 ....Shawn Jackson..............Staten Island, N.Y. 631 ....Alexander Nielsen ..........New York, N.Y. 635 ....Noah Edelman................New York, N.Y. 734 ....Aleksa Pijakic..................Forest Hills, N.Y. 749 ....Jeffrey McCready ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 797 ....Tristan Taylor ..................New York, N.Y. 820 ....Garrett Chao ..................New York, N.Y. 852 ....Eitan Khromchenko........Staten Island, N.Y. 856 ....Derrick Mu ......................Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 994 ....Alex Petrov......................Middle Village, N.Y.

National Boys 14 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 125 ....Sumit Sarkar ..................New York, N.Y. 276 ....Calvin Chung ..................Bronx, N.Y. 708 ....James Kandel Dill ..........New York, N.Y. 728 ....Jeffrey Gorilovsky ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 755 ....Gary Fishkin....................Staten Island, N.Y. 838 ....Max Prohorov ................Rego Park, N.Y. 931 ....Sam V. Vagner ................Staten Island, N.Y.

National Boys 16 Singles— Metro Region

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

8 ........Ariana D. Rodriguez ......Bronx, N.Y. 11 ......Hannah Shteyn ..............Staten Island, N.Y. 12 ......Samantha P. Tutelman ..New York, N.Y. 14 ......Jessica Golovin ..............New York, N.Y. 16 ......Nadia Smergut................New York, N.Y. 24 ......Destiny Grunin................Brooklyn, N.Y. 31 ......Lily Bondy ......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 41 ......Alexa Meltzer ..................New York, N.Y. 42 ......Denise Starr ....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 49 ......Kimberly Salkin ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 50 ......Paulina Velasquez ..........Kew Gardens, N.Y. 64 ......Ilana Levich ....................Staten Island, N.Y. 72 ......Shayna Spooner ............New York, N.Y. 73 ......Nia Rose ........................New York, N.Y. 74 ......Anastasiya Malinouskaya ..Staten Island, N.Y. 81 ......Emily Safron....................New York, N.Y. 93 ......Elizabeth Tsvetkov..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 95 ......Isis Gill ............................Brooklyn, N.Y. 97 ......Hediye Karabay..............Flushing, N.Y. 107 ....Erika Tinalli......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 108 ....Arnelle Sullivan ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 110 ....Vania Savic......................Woodside, N.Y. 111 ....Laura Maria Chitu ..........New York, N.Y.

53 ......James FWasserman ......New York, N.Y. 100 ....Oliver Sec........................New York, N.Y. 131 ....Victor Miglo ....................Kew Gardens, N.Y. 173 ....Felipe Osses-Konig........Rego Park, N.Y. 180 ....Christopher Auteri ..........Staten Island, N.Y. 240 ....Edan Lee Sossen ..........Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 271 ....Ananth Raghavan ..........New York, N.Y. 379 ....Gal Matthew Sossen......Oakland Gardens, N.Y. 384 ....Marcus Smith ................Little Neck, N.Y. 477 ....Aleksandar Kovacevic ..New York, N.Y. 484 ....Alexander Thrane ..........New York, N.Y. 674 ....William J. Trang ..............Staten Island, N.Y. 722 ....Cole Gittens....................New York, N.Y. 767 ....Ethan Nittolo ..................Flushing, N.Y. 932 ....Jack Haroche ................New York, N.Y. 949 ....Michal Pisarek ................Forest Hills, N.Y. 954 ....Maurice Russo ..............New York, N.Y.

NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

NEW National Boys 18 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 9 ........Daniel Kerznerman ........Brooklyn, N.Y. 158 ....Artemie Amari ................New York, N.Y. 195 ....Justin Fields....................New York, N.Y. 216 ....Win Smith........................Brooklyn, N.Y. 238 ....Joshua Yablon................New York, N.Y. 327 ....Sachin Raghavan ..........New York, N.Y. 421 ....Richard Sec ....................New York, N.Y. 423 ....Courtney Murphy ..........Bronx, N.Y. 446 ....Oliver Sec........................New York, N.Y. 456 ....Lucas Pickering..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 517 ....Ryoma Haraguchi ..........New York, N.Y. 623 ....James Wasserman ........New York, N.Y. 677 ....Andrew S. Arnaboldi ......New York, N.Y. 889 ....Zachary Yablon ..............New York, N.Y. 941 ....Steven H. Koulouris ......Long Island City, N.Y. 980 ....Victor Miglo ....................Kew Gardens, N.Y.

YORK

105 ....Chelsea Williams ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 150 ....Marie Ivantechenko........Brooklyn, N.Y. 197 ....Isabella Tushaj ................Bronx, N.Y. 201 ....Elvina Kalieva..................Staten Island, N.Y. 250 ....Kyra Bergmann ..............Forest Hills, N.Y. 255 ....Miriam Irfan Aziz ............Staten Island, N.Y. 344 ....Rosie Garcia Gross ........New York, N.Y. 369 ....Diana McCready ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 391 ....Nadejda Maslova ..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 455 ....Diana Sosonkin ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 519 ....Sonia Tartakovsky ..........New York, N.Y. 557 ....Perene Wang ..................New York, N.Y. 611 ....Najah Dawson ................Rosedale, N.Y. 666 ....Steffi Antao ....................Briarwood, N.Y. 682 ....Grace L. Kennedy ..........New York, N.Y. 881 ....Lena Kovacevic..............New York, N.Y.

National Girls 14 Singles— Metro Region

RANKINGS National Girls 16 Singles— Metro Region

National Girls 18 Singles— Metro Region

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

45 ......Sabrina Xiong ................Fresh Meadows, N.Y. 50 ......Jessica Livianu ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 83 ......Jessica Golovin ..............New York, N.Y. 155 ....Arnelle Sullivan ..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 182 ....Brianna Williams ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 218 ....Elizabeth Tsvetkov..........Brooklyn, N.Y. 284 ....Christina Puccinelli ........New York, N.Y. 288 ....Sophia Kryloff ................Brooklyn, N.Y. 391 ....Isis Gill ............................Brooklyn, N.Y. 413 ....Alexus Gill ......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 420 ....Shayna Spooner ............New York, N.Y. 459 ....Alexandra Koniaev ........Forest Hills, N.Y. 511 ....Stefani Lineva ................Middle Village, N.Y. 647 ....Anna Ulyashchenko ......Brooklyn, N.Y. 795 ....Julia Fisch ......................New York, N.Y. 969 ....Anastasiya Malinouskaya Staten Island, N.Y.

107 ....Denise Starr ....................Brooklyn, N.Y. 146 ....Jessica Golovin ..............New York, N.Y. 157 ....Ariana D. Rodriguez ......Bronx, N.Y. 178 ....Hannah Shteyn ..............Staten Island, N.Y. 232 ....Samantha Tutelman ......New York, N.Y. 357 ....Nadia Smergut................New York, N.Y. 562 ....Lily Bondy ......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 586 ....Alexa Meltzer ..................New York, N.Y. 673 ....Destiny Grunin................Brooklyn, N.Y. 783 ....Jessica Melanie Livianu Brooklyn, N.Y. 964 ....Paulina Velasquez ..........Kew Gardens, N.Y.

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

GIRLS National Girls 12 Singles— Metro Region Rank ..Name ..........................City 13 ......Dasha Kourkina..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 25 ......Michelle Sorokko............Little Neck, N.Y. 41 ......Shelly Yaloz ....................Little Neck, N.Y. 69 ......Katherine Kachkarov......Flushing, N.Y. 87 ......Dakota Fordham ............New York, N.Y. 90 ......Christina Huynh..............Astoria, N.Y.

163 ....Aleksandra Bekirova ......Brooklyn, N.Y. 255 ....Alexus Gill ......................Brooklyn, N.Y. 334 ....Michelle Sorokko............Little Neck, N.Y. 348 ....Nicole Semenov ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 358 ....Lauren Elizabeth Munari Middle Village, N.Y. 382 ....Dasha Kourkina..............Brooklyn, N.Y. 384 ....Regina Furer ..................Brooklyn, N.Y. 397 ....Victoria Sec ....................New York, N.Y. 423 ....Anastasia Nicole Koniaev Forest Hills, N.Y. 470 ....Jennifer Yu ......................Forest Hills, N.Y. 539 ....Chelsea Williams ............Brooklyn, N.Y. 589 ....Stephanie Li....................New York, N.Y. 692 ....Patricia Obeid ................New York, N.Y.

www.gothamtennis.com

WWW.GOTHAMTENNIS.COM 78

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

USTA/Metropolitan Region

2013 TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. SEPTEMBER 2013 Friday-Sunday, September 6-8 L3 Alley Pond End of Summer UPS Alley Pond Tennis Center 7920 Winchester Boulevard Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Novice BG(14-12)s, RR Surface Type: Hard Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Thursday, Sept. 5 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 264-2600.

Friday-Sunday, September 20-22 L1B Staten Island Community Tennis Center September Challenger Staten Island Community Tennis Center 2800 Victory Boulevard Staten Island, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger BG(18-12)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Sept. 16 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 982-3355.

Friday-Sunday, September 13-15 & September 20-22 L1B Sportime Randalls Island September 2013 Challenger Sportime at Randalls Island 1 Randalls Island New York, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger BG(18)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Aug. 23 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (646) 783-5301.

Friday-Sunday, September 20-22 & September 27-29 L2O Sportime RI September 2013 Open Sportime at Randalls Island 1 Randalls Island New York, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate BG(16-14)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Aug. 30 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (646) 783-5301.

Friday-Sunday, September 13-15 L1B Crotona Park Challenger Haffen Park Sports Association 2748 Eastchester Road Bronx, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger BG(16-14)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Sept. 2 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (347) 920-3038.

Saturday-Sunday, September 21-22 L2R CityParks Junior Invitational Championships City Parks Foundation-Flushing Meadows Park Olmstead Center, Flushing Meadow Park Flushing, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate BG(16-12)s, SE Surface Type: Hard Entry Fee: $33 per player For more information, call (718) 760-6986.

Saturday-Sunday, September 21-22 L3 Bill Holloway 10U QuickStart UPS Harlem Junior Tennis Program Monday-Sunday, September 16-29 40 West 143rd Street USTA National Men’s 40,55 & 60 Grass New York, N.Y. Court Championships Divisions: Quick Start BG(10 [60’Court/Orange Ball])s, The West Side Tennis Club RR; QuickStart: BG(8 [36’Court/Red Ball])s, RR 1 Tennis Place Surface Type: Hard Forest Hills, N.Y. Entry Fee: $33 per player (deadline for entries is Divisions: M(40,55-60)sd Monday, Sept. 16 at 1:00 p.m.) Surface Type: Grass Entry Fee: $97.25 for first singles, $65 for first doubles For more information, call (212) 491-3738. (deadline for entries is Sunday, Sept. 1 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 268-2300.

Friday-Sunday, September 27-29 L2O Cunningham Park Tennis Center September Open Cunningham Sports Center 19600 Union Turnpike Fresh Meadows, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate BG(18-12)s, SE Surface Type: Hard Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Sept. 23 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 740-6800. Saturday-Sunday, September 21-29 RIRC NTRP Men’s 3.5 Tournament Roosevelt Island Racquet Club 281 Main Street Roosevelt Island, N.Y. Divisions: Ranked NM(3.5)s, SE Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $75.75 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Sept. 17) For more information, call (212) 935-0250. Friday-Saturday, September 27-28 L3 Sportime RI September 2013 UPS Sportime at Randalls Island 1 Randalls Island New York, N.Y. Divisions: Novice BG(12)s, RR Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Sept. 13 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (646) 783-5301. Friday-Sunday, September 27-29 Sportime at Randalls Island September 2013 Chmps Sportime at Randalls Island 1 Randalls Island New York, N.Y. Divisions: Ranked M(Op,35-75)s, SE; W (Op,25,35,45-50)s, SE Surface Type: Clay Entry Fee: $70.38 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Sept. 23 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (646) 783-5301.

NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2013 • New York Tennis Magazine

USTA/Metropolitan Region

2013 TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments. OCTOBER 2013 Friday-Sunday, October 11-13 Alley Pond Fall NTRP Championships Alley Pond Tennis Center 79-20 Winchester Boulevard Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Divisions Ranked M(Op,35-75)s, SE; W(Op,25,35,45-50)s, SE Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $65 for first singles, $33 for first doubles (deadline for entries is Thursday, Oct. 10 at 11:00 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 264-2600. Thursday-Friday, October 12-20 RIRC NTRP Men’s 4.0 Tournament Roosevelt Island Racquet Club 281 Main Street Roosevelt Island, N.Y. Divisions: Ranked NM(4.0)s, SE Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $75.75 per player For more information, call (212) 935-0250. Friday-Sunday, October 18-20 L2O NCT October Open North Shore Tennis-Go!Tennis 34-28 214th Place Bayside, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate BG(14-12)s, SE Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Friday, Oct. 4 at 5:00 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 224-6303. Saturday-Wednesday, October 21-25 Alley Pond Men’s & Women’s Fall Classic Alley Pond Tennis Center 79-20 Winchester Boulevard Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: Ranked MW(Op)s, SE Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $65 per player For more information, call (718) 264-2600.

Friday-Sunday, October 25-27 L1B Cunningham Tennis Center Fall Challenger Cunningham Sports Center 19600 Union Turnpike Fresh Meadows, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger BG(18-12)s, SE Surface Type: Hard Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Oct. 14 at 1:00 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 740-6800. Friday-Sunday, October 25-November 3 2013 NCT November Classic North Shore Tennis-Go!Tennis 34-28 214th Place Bayside, N.Y. Divisions: Ranked X(Op)d, SE; M(45,55)sd, SE; NM(3.5-4.5)s, SE; NW(3.0-4.0)s, SE Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $75.75 for first singles, $75.75 for additional singles, $38.13 for first doubles, $38.13 for additional doubles For more information, call (718) 224-6303. Saturday-Monday, October 26-28 USTA Regional Tournament Segment- October (Queen Village) Alley Pond Tennis Center 79-20 Winchester Boulevard Queens Village, N.Y. Divisions: G(16)s, FIC; G(16)d, SE Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $124.13 for one event; $124.62 for two events; additional fees may apply if registered in three or more events (deadline for entries is Thursday, Sept. 26 at 11:59 p.m.) For more information, call (718) 264-2600.

New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

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Metropolitan Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine, LLC 82

425 Fifth Avenue at 38th St. | Third Floor | New York, NY 10016 | Office: 347.565.4255 New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

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New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2013 • NYTennisMag.com

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