Long Island Tennis Magazine

LITennisMag.com • November/December 2018 • Long Island Tennis Magazine 107

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New York Tennis Expo Returns to Bring Fun for the Whole Family ave you ever wanted to play on the same courts as professional tennis players?

Do you want to experience playing on the beach in the middle of winter? What about meet and get an autograph from a professional player? The 2019 New York Tennis Expo will have all of that and more, and is completely FREE to attend.

Bring the whole family down to NYCB LIVE, Home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, on Saturday, Feb. 9 from 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., as the New York Tennis Expo arrives to kick off the New York Open, Long Island’s own ATP World Tour tournament.

Last year’s New York Tennis Expo was a big hit, as more than 3,800 attendees came out for a great day.

In 2019, the Expo will again have something for the whole family. The Activity Zone is highlighted by the use of the main Grandstand Court, used by the professional tennis players, where local college tennis teams, along with special guests, both players and coaches, will be on-court all-day long conducting clinics for attendees. There will also be a 10U mini-court where young players can play.

The Kids Zone will feature a bouncy house, face-painting and carnival games, and while the weather outside will be cold, get a taste of summer in the winter at the Expo with our Beach Tennis Court, where you can kick off your shoes and step onto the sand. You’ll also be able to compare your serve to the pros with our popular Speed Serve Booth.

We will have some of the industry’s top coaches on our two separate Speaker Session panels which will be headlined by ATP star Ryan Harrison.

There will be professional tennis players from the New York Open on-site during the Expo to sign autographs, take part in meet-and-greets, and participate in the 2019 New York Open Draw Ceremony.

The New York Open will play host to some of the best tennis players in the world, including sixth-ranked Kevin Anderson, ninth-ranked John Isner, former Wimbledon semifinalist Sam Querrey, and all-time doubles greats, Bob & Mike Bryan.

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For FREE tickets and parking, visit 2019NYTennisExpo.eventbrite.com For more information, contact Info@usptennis.com or call (516) 409-4444.

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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litennis Long Island Tennis Magazine

MAGAZINE

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

Staff David Sickmen Publisher (516) 409-4444, ext. 309 • david@usptennis.com Joel M. Berman President (516) 409-4444, ext. 310 • joel@usptennis.com Eric C. Peck Editor-in-Chief (516) 409-4444, ext. 312 • eric@usptennis.com Brian Coleman Senior Editor (516) 409-4444, ext. 326 • brianc@usptennis.com Joey Arendt Managing Art Director Francine Miller Advertising Coordinator (516) 409-4444, ext. 301 • francinem@usptennis.com Emilie Katz Assistant Marketing Coordinator Scott Koondel VP of Operations (516) 409-4444, ext. 324 Sidney Beal III Staff Photographer

Lee Seidner Staff Photographer

JAN/FEB 2019 • Vol 11, No 1

Table Of Contents

Resurgent Isner Seeks Redemption on Long Island By Brian Coleman Top-ranked American John Isner returns to Long Island for the New York Open and to get off to a strong start on the 2019 season. See page 12

Highlights 1 8 16 28 32 42

4 6 11

30 34 36 37 38

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

Subscriptions To receive subscription information, contact (516) 409-4444 or e-mail info@usptennis.com or check out our Web site: www.litennismag.com. Fax subscription changes to (516) 409-1600.

Statements of fact and opinion in Long Island Tennis Magazine are the responsibility of the authors alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of United Sports Publications Ltd. Long Island Tennis Magazine reserves the right to edit, reject and/or postpone the publication of any articles, information or data.

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New York Tennis Expo Returns to Bring Fun for the Whole Family Long Island Girl’s High School Recap 2019 New York Open Preview 2019 Australian Open Preview By Peter Mendelsohn Junior Player Spotlight: Thea Rabman, Sportime By Brian Coleman Your 2019 Guide to Long Island Tennis Magazine’s Top Clubs & Programs

Features

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

Photo credit: USTA/Brad Penner

58 60 62 63 64 67 68 73 74 76 77 78

Adult League Wrap-Up By Kathy Miller Across Long Island … News and Notes From Across the L.I. Tennis Community Locals Kingsley and Rajesh Make Collegiate Decisions on National Signing Day Release the Pressure: Parental Choices to Help Your Child’s Mental Game By Tonny van de Pieterman The Opponent Is Your Partner, Not Your Enemy By Rob Polishook USTA Eastern Long Island Region Update Creative Doubles Positioning By Mike Puc Why You Should Wear Two Pairs of Socks When Playing Tennis Why You Should Look Beyond the Hype When Selecting a Tennis Coach: A Two-Part Guide (Part 2: Understanding What the Best Mentors Do)

By Steven Kaplan Long Island Tennis Charitable Initiatives Coaches, Players Come Out for Annual USTA Eastern College Showcase Do-Over? Hardly! By Barbara Wyatt Parenting a Tournament Player By Marvin Jeffrey Be a Volleying Nightmare With Three Simple Improvements

By Lisa Dodson Tennis Tips for Singles Rallying By Geoffrey Jagdfeld A Look Back at the Year That Was 2018 By Emilie Katz Why Athletes Choke By Dr. Tom Ferraro Court Six: Long Island Tennis Magazine’s Gossip Column By Emilie Katz Evaluating Trends in the Sport of Tennis By Bo Zaputovic The Jensen Zone: Getting Better in the Offseason By Luke Jensen USTA/Long Island Region 2019 Tournament Schedule

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2019 • LITennisMag.com Long Island Tennis Magazine is published bi-monthly by United Sports Publications Ltd. • Copyright © 2019 United Sports Publications Ltd.

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Saturday, February 9, 2019 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. at NYCB LIVE, Home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum

litennis Long Island Tennis Magazine

nytennis New York Tennis Magazine

MAGAZINE

MAGAZINE

INTERACTIVE SEMINARS

Headlined by ATP Star Ryan Harrison I Take part in the New York Open Draw Ceremony which will take place during the Expo I Meet and get autographs from ATP Stars

I Playing opportunities on stadium court used by the Pros I Watch the ATP Stars Practice I Chances to Win Tickets to the New York Open

ACTIVITIES INCLUDE: I Indoor Activity Zone Featuring N Speed Serve Booth N 10 & Under Tennis N Clinics with Local N Hit For Prizes College Players

I Kid Zone Featuring N Face Painting N Carnival Games N Bouncy House N Prizes and More ...

N Mascots

I Ninja Warrior Obstacle Course

I Beach Tennis Court

For FREE parking, register at 2019NYTennisExpo.eventbrite.com

For more information, contact: 516-409-4444 info@USPTennis.com LITennisMag.com • January/February 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine 3

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

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy New Year, filled with great tennis!

The 18 & Over Mixed Doubles League is now in full swing, with the 40 & Over Mixed Doubles League beginning the first week of February.

By the end of January, the information for the 18 & Over, 40 & Over, 55 & Over, and 65 & Over Men’s And Women’s Leagues will be sent out for teams to register. The 18 & Over Leagues are run at the 2.5 and 5.0+ Levels with matches consisting of one court of singles and two courts of doubles. The 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 and 4.5 Levels play two courts of singles, and three courts of doubles. The 40 & Over League is at the 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 and 4.5+ Levels and consist of two courts of singles and three courts of doubles. The 55 & Over League is run at the combined Levels of 6.0, 7.0, 8.0 and 9.0. In the 65 & Over League, we had men’s teams at the 7.0 and 8.0 Levels last season, which we would love to see grow. We did not get enough players to have women’s teams, but are hoping we do for the upcoming season. Please spread the word!

The main Section rule change for the upcoming season involves the playoffs. The playoffs will now be considered Championships, and players will be able to play in a playoff match for one team only and they will be committed to that team until the team loses. You must make sure you have enough players committed to your team from the start of the season should you make playoffs.

A local rule change is the number of people you may have on a team.

For five-court matches, you can have up to 22 players on your roster and three court matches can carry a total of 18.

If you are a new captain having a team this season, please e-mail me at Miller@Eastern.USTA.com.

Looking forward to a great 2019 of USTA Adult League Tennis!

Kathy Miller is Manager of Carefree Racquet Club and is also the Adult League Coordinator for USTA/Long Island. She may be reached by email at KathyM65@aol.com.

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Across Long Isla Sports Made Easy Runs Challenger Event on Long Island Sports Made Easy continued its tournament series, hosting the Sports Made Easy Challenger on Long Island. Like all Sports Made Easy tournaments, the idea was to combine the fun of playing the sport, with flexibility in the scheduling of events. In addition to the trophy, tournament winners walked away with a $50 eCheck for online shopping, thanks to partner brands Joma and Head. Winners included: Susan Bacey (Women’s 4.5), Laura Cassella (Women’s 4.0), Jonathan Kalina (Men’s 4.0) and James Avallone (Men’s 3.5). Pictured here are Women’s 4.5 winner Susan Bacey and Men’s 4.0 winner Jonathan Kalina.

Oresky Takes Home Winter Challenger in Long Beach Justin Oresky, who trains at Bethpage Park Tennis Center, captured the championship at the L1B Boys 16s Early Winter Challenger at Long Beach Tennis Center. Oresky (pictured here, right), the top-seed, defeated secondseed Kazuma Togawa (pictured here, left), 6-2, 6-2 in the finals to take home the title.

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Simon Picks Up Tournament Wins Valerie Simon, who practices at Point Set Tennis, had a good run of play at recent tournaments. She took home the title at the L1B World Gym December Challenger, coming back from a set down to win 1-6, 6-4, 10-8. That win followed up her championship at the L1B Bethpage Park Fall Challenger, where she also won a tight three-set match to win the title.

Stony Brook Tennis Team Hosts Clinic at Eastern Athletic

Some of the junior players at Eastern Athletic Club recently had the opportunity to train with top Division 1 collegiate players, as members of the Stony Brook Seawolves Tennis team stopped by the facility to conduct drills and help train Eastern Athletic’s juniors.

Arbitman Wins the National Indoor Championships in Minneapolis

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2019 • LITennisMag.com

Second-seeded Rachel Arbitman, who trains at Christopher Morley Tennis, cruised through the competition at the USTA National Indoor Championships on the campus of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, winning all seven matches in the draw in straight sets, including a 6-4, 6-0 victory over sixth-seed Katja Wiersholm in the finals.

land

… News and notes from across the L.I. tennis community Sportime World Tour Stops in Beijing

Robertson Rolls to Win November Challenger Charlie Robertson won five matches in a row to be crowned champion at the L1B Boys 16s Sportime Randall’s Island November Challenger. Robertson, who trains at New York Tennis at Great Neck, upended secondseeded Jules Taylor-Kerman 6-7(8), 6-1, 10-5 in the finals to win the title.

Long Island Men’s 40 & Over 4.5 Team Wins USTA Nationals

The Sportime World Tour continued its excursion around the world and recently made a stop in Beijing, China, as Sportime Lynbrook hosted a China Open-themed event featuring music, food, contests, and of course, tennis.

Locals Sciarrota and Goetz Make College Choices

The USTA Long Island Men’s 40 & Over 4.5+ team headed to the National Championships in Las Vegas with the hopes of bringing a National Championship home to Long Island and did just that.

“This is a team that had great camaraderie,” said Captain Lionel Goldberg. “It combined two teams that were adversaries in the past, as well as some new players, and we all checked egos at the door to accomplish what we did. I see this is the highlight of my USTA career, and I believe that the team does as well. It was a great ride, and we hope to do it again in the future.”

It’s that time of year where high school athletes begin to officially commit to a college or university.

Former Hewlett standout Gabriela Sciarrotta (pictured here, left) will be playing her collegiate tennis at Queens College next fall, while Alexa Goetz (pictured here, right) from Harborfields High School, will head down to Atlanta to play for Emory.

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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Long Island Girl’s High S Westhampton Beach Beats Syosset for Long Island Championship

Westhampton Beach was crowned winners of the 2018 Long Island Championship with a win over Syosset

ust like it did in the Suffolk County Final, a Westhampton Beach match came down to the second doubles pairing of Rose Peruso & Julieto Tomaro.

With the 2018 Long Island Championship between the Hurricanes and the Syosset Braves knotted at three-all, the duo once again delivered in the clutch, defeating Syosset’s Alex Flicker & Olivia Tiegerman, 7-5, 7-6(6), to win the title.

“Everyone on our team has come such a long way since August, and the fact that we all made it this far together is just something we’re never going to forget,” said Peruso.

“It’s a team effort, 100 percent. Even though it came down to our match, it wasn’t just us … it was the entire team.”

While Peruso said she didn’t realize that the overall team match was once again tied at three, Tomaro was well-aware of the stakes of their match.

“I knew so it put some more pressure on me because this is kind of a bigger title than a County Championship,” said Tomaro. “The Suffolk Championship was

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Rose Peruso & Julieto Tomaro of Westhampton Beach clinched the LI Championship at second doubles

an important win, and I kind of thought of today as like gravy. I’m so we happy we got it because we all worked so hard.”

Both the Nassau County and Suffolk County Championships were tightly-contested 4-3 matchups, so it was no surprise that the Long Island Championship would be evenly matched.

Rose Hayes kicked things for the Hurricanes with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Caroline Lee at first singles, but Syosset responded, as Sanya Jolly & Jenna Koeppel notched a straight-sets win over Helena Jones & Mia Seitles at fourth doubles, and Sarah Schwartz & Ruth Abraham won 6-4, 6-2 against Katelyn Stabile & Jen Curran at third doubles to put the Braves in front.

Westhampton Beach evened the score up, as Onalee Batcheller & Emma Bender hung on to defeat Alexa Brecher & Stephanie Wiener 6-4, 7-6(4) in the first doubles flight, but soon after, Sarah Wong brought Syosset within one victory of the Long Island title with a 6-1, 7-5 victory over Marin Vander Scharf at third singles.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2019 • LITennisMag.com

Needing to win the final two flights, the resiliency of the Westhampton Beach team shined through again, as Westhampton Beach’s Brooke Del Prete defeated Alex Ho 6-4, 7-6(5) at second singles to tie things up.

“I knew we needed my match, and the next match, so there was no option of losing,” said Del Prete. “You need every point.

Especially in a tiebreaker that’s five-all. I need the next two points or I’m not winning.”

With all attention turning to the second doubles court, Peruso & Tomaro held their nerve in a close second-set tie-breaker to seal the deal.

“They were both solid in the end,” said Westhampton Beach Head Coach John Czartosieski. “They just kept the ball in.

Both teams got a little tense in that tiebreak, and I think Rose and Juliet were just able to elevate their games late. Brooke at second singles played an incredible match, she played great defense. Her opponent was formidable. And she pulled off the win.

h School

RECAP

Westhampton Beach’s Brooke Del Prete won at second singles en route to the LI Championship This team is just amazing. They had the determination all year of wanting to keep it going, and wanting to extend their season another day.”

The Hurricanes extended its season as far as it can go and finished the 2018 cam-

Rose Hayes kicked things for the Westhampton Beach Hurricanes with a 6-0, 6-1 win at first singles

paign with an undefeated 17-0 record, and a Long Island Championship.

“It’s so funny because on the bus I was like, ‘There’s a Long Island Championship banner for volleyball in our gym, but there’s no banner for tennis’” said Tomaro. “So it just

makes it so much better. I don’t even know if there’s room in our gym for another banner.”

Whether or not a banner is put up in the Westhampton Beach gym, the Hurricanes will always be known as the 2018 Long Island Champions.

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LITennisMag.com • January/February 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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Long Island Girl’s High School

RECAP

Arbitman Captures NYSPHSAA Title s a freshman, Rachel Arbitman came up just short in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Championship match a year ago, dropping a straight-set match to Our Lady of Mercy’s Julia Andreach.

So when the Hewlett sophomore captured the Nassau County singles title for the second straight year to qualify for states, she entered the NYSPHSAA tournament with some extra motivation to go one step further.

“Losing in the final last year gave me a lot of motivation to come back and win the championship,” said Arbitman. “I was really focused on my goal of winning and that was the only thing I was thinking Hewlett’s Rachel Arbitman won the 2018 New about.”

York State Public High School Athletic The top-seeded Arbitman compiled a Association Championship dominant tournament run up at the TriCity Tennis Club in Latham, N.Y. After defeating Suffolk County runner-up Emily Tannenbaum of Commack in the quarter- feating Ferrante 6-3, 6-0 to claim the finals, Arbitman ousted fourth-seed Re- NYSPHSAA title. becca Lim, to book her spot in the It is the ninth time in the last 14 years championship against former NYSPHSAA that a girl from Long Island has won the Champion Caitlyn Ferrante of Yorktown. state title, including fellow Hewlett BullBut Arbitman used her motivated mind- dog Kseniya Zonova in 2015. set to play her best tennis in the final, deHer fall season did not stop there, how-

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2019 • LITennisMag.com

ever, as Arbitman continued her excellent results beyond the high school season.

She traveled up to Minneapolis, Minn. to compete in the USTA National Indoor Championships, and continued her momentum from states.

“Winning the states against strong opponents without even losing a set gave me a lot of confidence,” said Arbitman. “I was able to carry this momentum to the National Indoors where I won the championship without losing a set as well.”

As the second-seed, Arbitman won six straight matches in straight sets including a 6-4, 6-0 triumph over sixth-seed Katja Wiersholm to win the title and the famous Gold Ball.

“Winning the Singles Gold Ball has been a dream of mine since I was very young,” Arbitman said. “Finally being able to accomplish that gives me a great feeling as I head towards this upcoming year.”

It was an excellent fall season for Arbitman, and it began with her torrid play during the high school season. She helped lead her Hewlett Bulldogs to the Nassau County Championship, and went on to the County and State Title, and will be the favorite to defend her title in her junior season.

Locals Kingsley and Rajesh Make Collegiate Decisions on National Signing Day

The Kingsley family congratulates Cannon (center) on committing to Ohio State next fall

Christopher Morley Assistant Manager Anthony Morais (center) congratulates Neel Rajesh, a fall 2019 member of the Stanford Cardinal, and Ohio State-bound Cannon Kingsley on National Signing Day

High school athletes across the country recently signed their official letters of intent to the colleges and universities they would attend next year. At Christopher Morley Tennis in Roslyn, two of the program’s top players, Cannon Kingsley and Neel Rajesh, made their collegiate commitments in front of family, friends and coaches.

Kingsley will be headed to Columbus, Ohio

in the fall to join the Ohio State Buckeyes.

“I’m glad it’s official,” said Kingsley. “I think Ohio State and Coach Tucker will make me a better player. The guys on the team are really committed and I’m really looking forward to the next four years of my career there.”

Rajesh will be heading to the West Coast to join the Stanford Cardinal.

Neel Rajesh (center) with his family on National Signing Day as he commits to Stanford next fall

“I looked at a number of schools, but felt that Stanford offered the best combination of athletics and academics,” said Rajesh.

“The whole history of the program at Stanford, with players like John McEnroe and the Bryan Brothers, as well as a lot of other top pros, and just the whole atmosphere of how much they care about academics as well as athletics really appealed to me.”

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Resurgent Isner Seeks Redemption on Long Island Eyes New York Open title after early exit in 2018

By Brian Coleman

here exists loads of talent and promise in many of the young players on the ATP World Tour, but if the last few years have shown us anything, it’s that men’s professional tennis remains an older man’s game.

When you look at the Grand Slam winners from the last two seasons, the names you see are Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, all of whom are north of the 30-year-old mark.

But the reign of the 30-somethings extends beyond just those all-time greats, and includes American John Isner who, at 33-years-old, enjoyed the best season of his career in 2018. For the first time in his career, Isner concluded a season ranked inside the top 10.

“At 33, that’s a pretty remarkable achievement for me,” said Isner while he was in London competing in the ATP Finals. “I’ve been in the Top 20 now for nine consecutive years … that’s 11 to 19 for nine straight years I’ve been in that gap, but I broke through that this year, which I’m very proud of.”

Isner’s year did not start off with the same promise with which it concluded. The 6’10” American dropped his first three ATP matches of the season, including at the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, and in the opening round of the Australian Open.

The third on that list came on Long Island, a disappointing 6-7(5), 6-3, 4-6 defeat to Radu Albot in his debut match at the inaugural New York Open.

“I don’t know,” Isner said after that defeat. “He had the momentum, I had the momentum. I just wasn’t able to sustain it, which is disappointing. A lot of times, I have been in a match like that, I win the second set and start playing better, I carry that over to the third. But I didn’t do that.”

The day is always darkest before the dawn, as they say, and those early 2018 struggles laid the groundwork for a strong finish. After tripping up in Acapulco and Indian Wells, Isner headed to south Florida to compete in a loaded Miami Open field.

After moving past Jiri Vesely and Mikhail Youzhny in his first two matches, Isner took out some of the top players in the game consecutively, starting with a straight-sets win over third-ranked Marin Cilic. He then ousted talented young South Korean Hyeon Chung in the quarterfinals before defeating sixth-ranked Juan Martin del Potro and fifth-ranked Alexander Zverev in the semifinals and finals, respectively, to claim the Miami Open title.

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2019 • LITennisMag.com continued on page 14

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine Photo credit: USTA/Brad Penner

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Photo credit: USTA/Darren Carroll

resurgent isner seeks redemption continued from page 12 “You can’t replicate moments like this,” said Isner during the Miami Open trophy ceremony. “I’m toward the latter part of my career, and this is the best moment of my career. I couldn’t have scripted this. I was

playing very poorly. But that’s the way tennis goes. You gain a little confidence, and things start to roll your way.”

With that confidence in tow, Isner’s Miami Open triumph was the beginning of

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2019 • LITennisMag.com

a fantastic run for the remaining part of the 2019 season. He would reach the Round of 16 at Roland Garros before competing at Wimbledon, where his breakout season continued.

Having never been out of the quarterfinals at one of the four majors, Isner put an end to that streak and advanced to a Grand Slam semifinal for the first time in his career, and squared off against Kevin Anderson.

In what would turn out to be a marathon five-set match, Isner battled for six hours and 36 minutes with Anderson, losing in heartbreaking fashion by the score of 24-26 in the fifth set. It was the second longest match in Wimbledon history, with the longest having also involved Isner as he beat Nicolas Mahut 70-68 in the fifth set back in 2010.

It was a crushing way for Isner’s longest major run to come to an end.

“I felt all right out there. I mean, now I feel much worse, once you come down from the match. You have a lot of adrenaline and whatnot; that helps. That can mask a lot of things,” Isner said after the defeat. “I competed hard. That’s what it

comes down to. That’s what I have to be proud of. It stinks to lose, but I gave it everything I had out there. I just lost to someone who is just a little bit better at the end and I guess he just won a few more of the bigger points. Right now, I feel terrible. I work hard at what I do. I feel like I’m in pretty good shape. I think it showed out there today.”

The match took both a physical and emotional toll on Isner.

“When I played the long match in 2010 against Mahut, what bothered me the most was my neck: said Isner. “That really troubled me then. But this year it was my feet. I had some blisters. One was about the size of two quarters and I had to get it drained right after the match, which wasn’t that pleasant. But the recovery process was probably tougher mentally than anything just knowing how close I was to the Wimbledon finals.”

Although physically and mentally worn out from his run in London, Isner came back to the states and played some great tennis, capturing the Atlanta title and reaching the U.S. Open quarterfi-

nals, and qualified for the end-of-year ATP Finals.

“It means a lot to be here,” Isner said of reaching the ATP Finals. “I’ve been very close throughout my career. It just hasn’t quite happened. I also realize that I’m pretty fortunate to be here as well this year. That said, I’ve had a very good year and I put myself in position to make this event. And at 33, to be competing in my first Nitto ATP Finals is very satisfying.

This is certainly a life-changer, all for the good.”

It was a life-changing year off of the court for Isner as well as his wife, Madison, gave birth to the couple’s first child, Hunter Grace, back in September.

“First thing in the morning, my focus is on her,” said Isner as he discussed how being a father has helped his tennis game. “I think the most important thing that does is help you relax on the court, and when I play my best, I’m relaxed on the court. Having something like this to come home to, helps you calm down on court.”

With a renewed focus and perspective

on his family life, Isner played some of the best tennis and achieved the top results of his career in 2018, something he hopes to carry into 2019. One of his immediate goals in 2019 is to make up for his showing at last year’s New York Open, a tournament he is looking forward to being a part of again.

“I’m very much looking forward to playing in New York again,” he said. “I did not play that great last year unfortunately, but I’m hoping in the future it becomes a tournament like Atlanta for me. I’m very comfortable and I’ve done well there.

New York is a tournament I enjoyed so much even though I wasn’t around that long. I think all the players did. The newly renovated NYCB LIVE was one of the nicer places I’ve ever played in. It’s got all the makings of a tournament for me to do well in, it just didn’t happen last year. But I’m looking forward to getting another crack at it in 2019.”

Brian Coleman is the Senior Editor for Long Island Tennis Magazine. He may be reached at brianc@usptennis.com.

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LITennisMag.com • January/February 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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2019 NEW YORK

Roddick, Courier Set to Battle on Opening Night

It’s a mash-up! While the 2018 New York Open’s Opening Night Premiere delivered a star-studded night featuring New York’s own tennis icon, John McEnroe, and Grand Slam champion Sloane Stephens along with James Blake and Genie Bouchard, Opening Night 2.0 plans to serve up a bigger and tastier twist.

The kick-off for the opening weekend begins with the exhibition’s move from the 16

first Sunday to Saturday, Feb. 9, at 7:30 p.m., following the second annual New York Tennis Expo—the free event produced in conjunction with Long Island and New York Tennis Magazine that attracted more than 4,000 people last year.

Andy Roddick and Jim Courier—two of the game’s greatest American champions will take to the New York Open’s signature stadium black court for a battle between

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2019 • LITennisMag.com

these Hall of Famers, Grand Slam Champions and former ATP World number ones.

But before they pick up their rackets, Roddick and Courier will adorn aprons and join New York Open’s Official Celebrity Chef David Burke to co-host the Taste of New York Open Player Party, starting at 6:00 p.m. What promises to be a very cool insiders VIP party will in fact be available to the public and approximately 400 people, including ticket buyers, ATP Tour players, celebrities and other VIP guests. Chef Burke has become a well-known figure on Long Island with his restaurants Red Salt Room and King Bar in residence at the Garden City Hotel.

“Our goal with the New York Open is to add something different for the fans to increase the entertainment value both onand-off the court. Curating a platform that’s unique to our brand or replicating successful ideas from others that resonate with fans in order to make the New York Open more than ‘just’ an amazing ATP Tour tennis event is critical to our growth,” explained Tournament Chairman and GF Sports EVP Josh Ripple. “The creation of the new Taste of New York Open culinary

K OPEN PREVIEW platform, and the involvement of Chef Burke will perfectly complement the night of amazing tennis that Andy and Jim bring anywhere they perform.”

Chef David Burke is no stranger to tennis. Many U.S. Open fans have experienced Chef Burke’s signature food inspirations the last few years with his celebrity chef role and presentations at the summer Grand Slam event. While the Taste of New York Open Player Party is limited in capacity, lucky fans who secure tickets will have the unique opportunity to eat, drink and hang out with the tournament players in attendance while being treated to culinary demonstrations performed by Chef Burke, Roddick and Courier.

We can’t wait to see what Opening Night 3.0 may offer! But for now, tickets for 2.0 and its tennis and culinary events at NYCB LIVE are on sale now on newyorkopen.com.

New York Open’s Official Celebrity Chef David Burke will co-host the Taste of New York Open Player Party to kick off the event

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LITennisMag.com • January/February 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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Top Singles, Doubles Players Set to Battle at 2019 New York Open The inaugural New York Open brought some of the world’s best tennis players to Long Island in 2018, and fans can look forward to an even more dynamic roster of players set to compete in the tournament’s second year.

The field will feature two of the world’s top 10 singles players as well as the top two ranked doubles players in the world, all of whom will descend onto NYCB LIVE, Home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in February. Headlining the field will be sixthranked Kevin Anderson, who won the first ever New York Open a year ago, and will return to defend his title following a career year in 2018. “I feel like towards the end of 2017, after I dealt with some injuries, I was able to pick up my game and felt a few things I had been working on were starting to come together more,� said Anderson, who reached the Wimbledon finals last year in addition to titles in New York and Vienna. “I did a good job of taking that into this year and continued that process. I created a path and did a good job of sticking to it. I think moving into next year, the margins get a little smaller. I set some higher goals and the biggest thing is maintaining that belief and confidence in my game.�

Defending New York Open Champ Kevin Anderson returns to NYCB LIVE for the 2019 New York Open

A t 2

Joining Anderson as a top seed will be American John Isner, who will also be looking to build off of a career season. The 10th ranked Isner was a semifinalist at Wimbledon, where he lost to the aforementioned Anderson, before reaching the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open, also taking home titles in Miami and Atlanta.

Isner was defeated in the first round of last year’s New York Open, and is eager to make up for that performance this time around. “New York is a tournament that, even

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Long Island Tennis Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ January/February 2019 â&#x20AC;˘ LITennisMag.com

though I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t around that long last year, I enjoyed it so much. I think all the players did,â&#x20AC;? said Isner. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With the hotel being so close and in the newly renovated coliseum, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one of the nicest places Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever played in. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got all the makings of a tournament for me to do well in.

It didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happen last year, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m looking forward to getting another crack at it in 2019.â&#x20AC;?

Sam Querrey, who narrowly lost to Anderson in last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s final, is back in the mix and is excited to return to the NYCB LIVE courts. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know the New York Open was going with the black courts until I walked into the venue. They looked amazing and I was excited to try it,â&#x20AC;? said Querrey, a former Wimbledon semifinalist. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The ball pops off of the courts so visibility is amazing. The court played slow so it made for good matches. I think all of the players really enjoyed playing in the new coliseum. We always look forward to playing for New York crowds, their energy is unlike any other. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m looking forward to that again in 2019.â&#x20AC;?

For folks interested in seeing some great doubles play, the 2019 New York Open will put forth an exciting doubles draw, led by the greatest tandem in the history of the sport.

Bob & Mike Bryan will return to Long Island looking to add another title to their historic career. It was a difficult 2018 season for the brothers as Bob was forced to miss much of the year with a hip injury, snapping a string of

RK OPEN PREVIEW

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Photo Credit: USTA/Brad Penner

American Jack Sock will enter both the singles and doubles draws of the 2019 New York Open

2018 New York Open finalist Sam Querrey returns to NYCB LIVE seeking another run to the finals

76 consecutive Grand Slams played together by the duo.

In all, the pair has accumulated 116 doubles titles overall and 16 Grand Slam titles entering the 2019 campaign, and will look to rebound from a tough first round exit at last year’s New York Open.

“We are excited to come back,” said Mike Bryan. “They did a great job in the first year of the event. It was cool playing in the new coliseum, the atmosphere was incredible. The fans were great for our match.

We’re hoping to do a little better than last year and put together a good result.”

While Bob was recovering from his hip injury, Mike sought out another partner for the second half of the season, and found it in fellow American Jack Sock, who will also be a part of the star-studded field.

Bryan and Sock quickly developed chemistry and compiled a dominant season, winning both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, which prompted Sock to joke afterwards that he was the third Bryan Brother.

“They’re the greatest team to ever play this sport in doubles, and to be able to be a part of that, on the same side of the court with one of them and to now hold two pretty big trophies is extra special,” said Sock.

Sock is slated to play both singles and doubles in February.

Australian tennis will be well-represented

on Long Island as all-time great Lleyton Hewitt plans to partner up with up-andcoming star Alex de Minaur in doubles.

Hewitt is currently the coach of de Minaur, and the two will put that to the test in what is expected to be a deep doubles draw.

De Minaur, who had a breakout season in singles by reaching the finals of the Next Gen ATP Finals and is currently ranked 31st in the world, will also be playing singles on Long Island.

American Ryan Harrison has also committed to the field and will return to the New

Top-ranked American John Isner joins the men’s singles field of the 2019 New York Open

York Open for the second straight year. The 26-year-old reached the Atlanta finals and Winston-Salem quarterfinals in 2018, and is ready to build off of his second-round appearance last year. Harrison’s doubles partner last year, Steve Johnson, returns as well to create a formidable doubles tandem, one that reached the semifinals a year ago.

Johnson will be playing singles as well.

As we get closer to the beginning of the tournament, expect more big names to be added to the player field, and check LITennisMag.com for updates.

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Long Island’s Rubin Returns Growing up on Long Island, Noah Rubin attended many New York Islanders games at Nassau Coliseum. So returning to the building he spent a lot of his childhood in to compete in last year’s inaugural New York Open was something special.

“I had this immense feeling of nostalgia,” recalls Rubin. “So many great experiences were had at the Coliseum when I was a kid, going to Islanders games and circuses. I was just excited to be able to play there and represent Long Island.”

Rubin drew a tough matchup in the opening round of last year’s New York Open as he took on former U.S. Open finalist Kei Nishikori.

The former Wake Forest All-American fought hard, but fell, 5-7, 3-6.

But Rubin continued working as the year went on which produced some of the best results of his young career. He captured the title at the Tallahassee Challenger, and reached the Round of 16 in Atlanta and Washington, D.C., notching a huge victory over John Isner in the latter.

“I am happy with my year, but not content,” said Rubin. “I was excited to be healthy for the full year, but didn’t end it the way I wanted.

I am just thrilled that there wasn’t any injury to prevent momentum and give me some push heading into 2019.”

A Message From Tournament Chairman Josh Ripple The New York Open returns to NYCB Live!, Feb. 9-17, 2019, and we plan to be bigger and better! Though it is hard to believe that it is tournament time again, GF Sports and BSE Global are ready and raring to go to bring excitement and great entertainment value to the community.

Fans can count on several of the inaugural New York Open’s signature elements to return. The Black Courts are back, and its place on the worldwide ATP Tour remains exclusive as the only professional tennis championship using the unique surface color. The two-court NYCB LIVE stadium configuration will once again provide a 4,000- to 5,000seat capacity, and the one-of-a-kind Overlook (presented by La Croix) is back to offer fans the premium experience to watch multiple matches at one time. The 2018 champion, ATP’s number six-ranked Kevin Anderson, and 2018 finalist Sam Querrey 20

are back to respectively defend and seek revenge.

The Tennis Channel will telecast more than 40-hours of first-to-last ball action of America’s only indoor championship. And, the New York Tennis Expo kicks the week off with an anticipated return of thousands of fans to experience the free, one-day mini festival of tennis exhibitors, symposiums, ATP player practice sessions and much more.

Opening Night will once again feature a cast of legendary tennis stars with this year’s exhibition showcasing Grand Slam champions and Hall of Famers Andy Roddick and Jim Courier. We are really excited about these two popular American former number ones battling each other on the black courts. To give more people a greater opportunity to attend without the worry about work or school the next day, we are scheduling the session on Saturday night, Feb. 9 at 7:30 p.m.

And what’s new?

Many of you commented on the need for Box Seats, so we’re going to deliver an up-

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2019 • LITennisMag.com

close-and personal experience with a VIP hospitality benefit at an extremely reasonable price. In November, we debuted the New York Open Collegiate Wild Card Tournament, providing college players throughout the USTA Eastern Section a shot to earn an actual spot in our singles main draw. Congrats to Jack Lin from Columbia University for making it to “The Show.”

But, our most exciting add for our fans in ‘19 may be the creation of the Taste of New York Open Player Party, starring our Celebrity Chef, David Burke, and co-hosted by his “Executive Tennis Chefs,” Andy Roddick and Jim Courier. The two-hour culinary extravaganza will also serve as the New York Open’s Official Player Party. A tournament’s player party is typically a private event, but we are going to open it up, making the fun foodie experience a major opportunity for 250 guests.

For those not familiar with Chef Burke, he recently took up restaurant residence at the Garden City Hotel with his famed Red Salt Room and King Bar. On the court, the New York Open will once again showcase several of the ATP’s

RK OPEN PREVIEW top stars. In addition to Anderson, Isner and Querrey, the players that have committed to date include Mike and Bob Bryan, reuniting after almost eight months of separation due to Bob’s hip injury. Mike starts 2019 as the number one ATP-ranked doubles player and Bob is number six, despite being sidelined for the last 10 months. The number two ATP-ranked doubles star Jack Sock will make his debut on the black courts in both singles and doubles, and the same with the 2018 ATP’s Newcomer of the Year Alex de Minaur. Alex will provide New York fans a special treat by pairing with his coach, former world number one Lleyton Hewitt.

Coming off his best year as an ATP pro, Long Island’s own Noah Rubin returns

2 0 1 9 N E W YO R K O P E N P R E V I E W along with American stars Steve Johnson and Ryan Harrison. There are sure to be more player surprises and announcements leading up to the tournament so stay tuned.

A major new element of the New York Open will be the presentation of immersive, ancillary content and the build out of NYCB LIVE’s Exhibition Hall. If you want to take a break from the tennis action, our New York Open Experience will feature everything from mini-tennis and beach tennis, the official merchandise store, the player-stringing center, sponsors activations, Chef Burke food inspirations, music and more.

And finally, the New York Open will present a special pop-up Ninja-course experience, featuring several of the world’s elite

ninjas as the Wolfpack Ninja Tour comes to town. Kids and adults will have the chance to see incredible demonstrations, participate in immersive classes and clinics and help raise money for Nassau County Police and the Fire Fighter Museum during a Tuesday night ninja competition. If you have never seen Wolfpack Ninja, then take the time to do so.

Thanks in advance for joining us at the 2019 New York Open. At GF Sports, our mission is to produce first-class, world-class professional tennis tournaments here in the United States and by doing so provide upand-coming American stars the opportunity to perform and shine. Come join us Feb. 917 at NYCB LIVE! and be a big part of supporting the sport we love.

Q&A With New York Open Assistant Tournament Director Peter Lebedevs Long Island Tennis Magazine had a chance to sit down with Peter Lebedevs, Assistant Tournament Director of the 2019 New York Open. We discussed a variety of topics, from what’s new in 2019, to the local grassroots tennis community.

LITM: What sort of new features and additions can fans come to expect in Year Two of the New York Open?

Peter Lebedevs: This year, we have incorporated some exciting features. The first one everyone will see is the creation of VIP Box seats. These include four seats in a private courtside box to every session with food and beverage included! New for this year will be The Taste of New York Open Player Party, featuring Chef David Burke with Andy Roddick and Jim Courier as guest chefs on Saturday, Feb. 9th prior to their Opening Night match.

We will have a Wolf Pack Ninja obstacle rig in the Exhibition Hall for everyone to experience the fun of challenging themselves to the course. There will be a Police vs. Fireman event Tuesday, Feb. 12 on the Ninja rig … re-

ally looking forward to that competition. We will also have College Night that evening with the Winner of the College Wild Card Invitational, Jack Lin from Columbia, playing his first match. College students who show their ID can get their ticket for $10!

What can someone expect if they purchase a ticket and come out to the 2019 NY Open?

A first-class experience that is more than tennis that will make them want to come back again. Being able to be up this close and personal, watching some of the best tennis players in world compete in the stadium is amazing. The chance to walk past a top 10 player as they walk through the venue. When the fans aren’t watching tennis, they can take part in some exciting offthe-court activities like the Ninja course and Beach Tennis. When they are hungry, they can experience some Chef David Burke-inspired menu items … there is something for everyone.

What feedback did you receive from the tournament’s first year and how have you used that to build on the event?

As a first-year event, we received some welcomed feedback from the passionate

tennis fans. We listened and have made some enhancements. The need for box seats was what we heard a lot, so we have created that experience. Our Daily Session times will begin earlier, so more schools and groups could come see world-class tennis action. Our ticket pricing was adjusted to create a very affordable price point for fans to come to the event and we will have more food options for everyone to choose from as well.

How have you been reaching out and immersing yourselves into the Long Island/New York community?

The first week after last year’s event, we started going out to tennis clubs and facilities to engage them for 2019. This summer, we were at all the clubs in the area providing New York Open prizes and the new Skills Challenge programming. We have been at a lot of events such as Kids Day in the Hamptons, the NYBT summer series, and this holiday season, had a giant tennis ball can filled with Dunlop tennis balls in Roosevelt Field Mall. We also attended local Chamber of Commerce meetings and the LIA holiday event. Our goal is to make sure that everyone on Long Island and the New York community knows about the New York Open!

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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2019 New York Open Tournament Schedule Date

Event

Time

Details and Players

Saturday, February 9

New York Tennis Expo

10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Watch the pros hit on the Black Courts, the 2019 draw ceremony and so much more!

Saturday, February 9

Taste of New York Open and Player Party

6:00 p.m.

Join the VIP Player Party, featuring celebrity Chef David Burke, alongside Andy Roddick, Jim Courier and other ATP players!

Saturday, February 9

Andy Roddick vs. Jim Courier: Opening Night Match

7:30 p.m.

Watch two of the most accomplished stars in American tennis history battle it out!

Sunday, February 10

Qualifying

11:00 a.m.

Qualifying matches

Monday, February 11

Qualifying, Round 1

11:00 a.m.

Qualifying, Round 1 Day Session

Monday, February 11

Round 1

7:30 p.m.

First Round Evening Session

Tuesday, February 12

Round 1

11:00 a.m.

First Round Day Session

Tuesday, February 12

Round 1

7:30 p.m.

First Round Evening Session

Wednesday, February 13

Round 2

11:00 a.m.

Second Round Day Session

Wednesday, February 13

Round 2

7:30 p.m.

Second Round Evening Session

Thursday, February 14

Round 2

11:00 a.m.

Second Round Day Session

Thursday, February 14

Round 2

7:30 p.m.

Second Round Evening Session

Friday, February 15

Quarterfinals

Noon

Quarterfinals Day Session

Friday, February 15

Quarterfinals

7:30 p.m.

Quarterfinals Night Session

Saturday, February 16

Semifinals

2:00 p.m.

Semifinals Day Session

Saturday, February 16

Semifinals

7:00 p.m.

Semifinals Night Session

Sunday, February 17

Finals

2:00 p.m.

Singles and Doubles Final

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2019 • LITennisMag.com

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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Release the Pressure: Parental Cho

By Tonny van de Pieterman hen I was growing up and trying to become a worldclass tennis player, I suffered from tremendous performance anxiety. I experienced severe nervousness before and during matches, and I battled with strong bouts of anger. I even went through periods of complete carelessness, tanking, never wanting to ever play tennis again. This resulted in a love-hate relationship towards competitive tennis, but more importantly, it led to a weak level of self-confidence.

I come from a very athletic family. My uncle was an international soccer star, and both of my parents were athletes. I loved and played all sports, but at the age of 11, I choose tennis as my favorite.

I started playing tournaments immediately, and my parents were very supportive and involved. However, as I grew into more

W

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and more competitive levels on the junior circuit, I noticed my mother getting more and more nervous. She seemed to be feeling every emotion I was having on the court … how exhausting! Also, she had a hard time listening to all of the other parents talking about tennis, their child, or even about me or my play. “How dare they speak about my son!” she must have thought.

After matches, especially losses, the discussions in the car or back at the house were very painful to me. Perhaps they were well-intentioned, but I wanted no part of these conversations. I would choose to remain quiet, but the deafening silence would often result into more elevated levels of “conversation,” and the “constructive” criticism was completely wasted on me. I hated every second of this part of tennis, and it often ruined the mood in our house for a day or two. My siblings hated when I had lost another match. “Thanks, Tonny!” … a double whammy!

Looking back, it is easy to see why my

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2019 • LITennisMag.com

tennis matches were so stressful for me. In the natural hierarchy of a family, the adult caregivers carry the responsibilities, and the children are mostly powerless. Through my tennis matches, however, I seemed able to change the way my parents felt and acted by the results of my matches. I was able to create a euphoric atmosphere by winning an important match, and life was good. If I lost, I would feel responsible for their frustration and anger, which even led to “unloving” behavior. This power and responsibility are too much to handle for a child. I was already juggling a tight homework/practice schedule, as well as dealing with the usual puberty and high school issues. It was quite a confusing time. The reason for all my sacrifices and tennis obligations became complicated and stressful. It severely affected my confidence and self-belief.

My mom eventually stopped coming to my matches, and it was a blessing in disguise. Some of the parents I speak with are

Choices to Help Your Child’s Mental Game hesitant to make this move for a number of reasons. They tell me that they want to show their support, or perhaps that their child needs them to watch. I have my own thoughts on this. I often observe parents during tournaments … they try to keep eye contact with their child, offer motivational gestures, or engage in superstitious behavior. They somehow believe they have some control over their child and the outcome of the match. This illusionary control is really why they cannot release their child.

For a sport in which independence is an extremely valuable skill, these parents are not helpful in fostering this skill. Ultimately, this says more about them then about the child.

My solution …

have had some run-ins or hurtful interactions with your child after matches, perhaps you are too emotionally attached to watch. You can be courageous, admit that, and give your child a great gift by having an honest supportive conversation about that.

Teach your child to rely on some of the other adults at the tournament site, including the tournament director, referees and hopefully their coach.

1. Cultivate some separation between your child’s emotions and yours. If you

3. Become an amateur sports psychologist. Simply by observing what your

2. Accept that you are not the authority on their tennis. You are the authority on pretty much everything else in their lives, but not tennis. Even if you are a very good tennis player yourself, your well-intended help will not be appreciated … it will actually strain your relationship.

child is going through, allowing them to go through it and empathizing with them, you will be of great help and you will be a source of strength instead of confusion.

A helpful tennis parent allows their child to learn the tough lessons that need to be learned, and should not serve as an additional burden. Make the decision to remove yourself to best serve your child ... you won’t regret it.

Tonny van de Pieterman is Director of Tennis at Point Set Indoor Racquet Club.

He was recently named USTA Tennis Professional of the Year for the USTA/Eastern-Long Island Region and helped the Eastern Section win this year’s Talbert Cup. He may be reached by phone at (516) 536-2323 or e-mail Tonny@PointSetTennis.com.

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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G Exhibitor Hall: Featuring top programs, camps, products, apparel, sports medicine, travel destinations and much more G Tennis Court: Use of the main court the pros will use during the New York Open G Kids’ Zone: Featuring a bouncy house, face painting, music, games and more G Speaker Sessions: Learn from a panel of ATP stars and top coaches G Chance to Meet the Stars of the ATP Tour: Autograph signing and photo opportunities with the sport’s top stars G Fashion Show: Featuring the latest and trendiest tennis apparel G Activity Zone: Featuring 10U tennis courts, beach tennis courts, a speed serve booth, product demos and more

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2019 • LITennisMag.com

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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2019 Au Credit all photos: WTA/ATP

ach new tennis season is highlighted by the year’s first Grand Slam, The Australian Open. The top men and women in the world will head to Melbourne January 14-27 to compete Down Under for a shot at a major title. Below are my Contenders, Pretenders and Sleepers for the 2019 Australian Open …

E

The 2019 Australian Open Men’s Field The contenders Roger Federer kept plugging away in 2018, capturing his 20th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. If the 37-year-old Swiss legend is able to win the crown in Melbourne, he’ll become the oldest male player to win a slam. Ken Rosewall currently holds the honor, winning the 1972 Australian Open when he was 37 years and 63 days old. Federer is currently sitting on 99 career singles titles. What better place than Oz to make it an even 100?

Novak Djokovic appeared to lose confidence after undergoing right elbow surgery in February 2018, losing five of his next eight matches … the drought didn’t last long.

The 31-year-old Serbian bounced back to win Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, and he went on a 22-match winning streak in between August and November.

Djokovic won’t be lacking in confidence when he arrives in Melbourne, so don’t be surprised if the six-time Aussie Open champion makes it a lucky seven.

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The pretenders Dealing with countless maladies throughout an injury-riddled career, Juan Martin Del Potro bounced back in 2018, reaching six finals. The 30-year-old captured his maiden Masters 1000 title in Indian Wells, defeating Roger Federer in a third set tiebreak to take the crown. However, those expecting Del Potro to make a deep run in Melbourne should probably temper their expectations. The Australian Open is the only Slam in which the Argentine has never advanced to the semifinals. Del Potro hasn’t even made it past the third round since 2012.

The year 2018 was a year that Kevin Anderson won’t soon forget. He made the finals at Wimbledon, beating John Isner in a five-set semifinal that lasted six hours and 36 minutes. In February, he reached the top 10 of the ATP Rankings for the first time in his career.

Still, Anderson has struggled in Melbourne. His career record at the Australian Open is 11-10, and he hasn’t made it past the first round since 2015.

Anderson may win a round or two, but he won’t be playing deep into the second week.

The sleeper Karen Khachanov, the 22-year-old Russian made his presence felt on the ATP Tour in 2018, capturing three titles and rising to a career high ranking of 11th in the world. In November, Khachanov beat Novak Djokovic in straight sets in Paris to win his first Masters 1000 title.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2019 • LITennisMag.com

Khachanov has never made it past the fourth round of a Grand Slam. Expect that to change in 2019, and don’t be surprised if that starts at the Australian Open.

The 2019 Australian Open Women’s Field The contenders Last year marked the first time since 2006 that Serena Williams didn’t win a singles title. She was a finalist at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, losing both times in straight sets. Expect the 23-time Grand Slam champion back with a vengeance this season.

The 37-year-old American has won the Australian Open seven times, and will be a favorite at any event she plays until she decides to step away from the game once and for all.

In 2018, Simona Halep finally captured her maiden Slam, beating Sloane Stephens in the French Open final.

However, the Romanian finished the year poorly, losing in the first round in her final three tournaments.

With time to rest at season’s end, we expect to see a rejuvenated Halep in Melbourne. The 27-year-old was a finalist at the Australian Open in 2018, losing a competitive three-setter to Caroline Wozniacki. Expect her to make another deep run in 2019.

Australian Open Preview

BY PETER MENDELSOHN

The pretenders Twenty-seven-yearold Kiki Bertens had her best season in 2018, winning three titles. Her highlight of the year came in August, when she defeated world number one Simona Halep to win the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. Bertens finished the year at a career-high ranking of ninth in the world, but don’t let her top-10 ranking fool you.

The Breda, Netherlands native has a record of 3-6 at the Australian Open, losing in the first round in four of her six appearances. Don’t expect her to make a deep run in Melbourne.

Former U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens had an excellent run in 2018, finishing the year ranked sixth in the world.

Stephens won the Miami Open and was a finalist in Montreal, Roland Garros and the WTA Finals.

However, she tends to struggle in Melbourne. The 25-year-old hasn’t won a match at the Aussie Open since 2014, losing in the first round in 2015, 2016 and 2018.

The sleeper In 2018, 20-year-old Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka rose 59 spots to a WTA Women’s Singles Rankings of 13th in the world. In September, she won the Wuhan

Open, a WTA Premier 5 tournament, beating Elina Svilotina, Dominika Cibulkova and Ashleigh Barty along the way. The Minsk native had eight wins over top-10 players last year.

Sabalenka is gearing up for a big 2019, and the Australian Open would be a great place to start.

Peter Mendelsohn is the Owner of TennisDork.com. He is currently pursuing a degree in sports journalism.

He may be reached by phone at (647) 984-5509 or e-mail at Peter.R.Mendelsohn@gmail.com.

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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The Opponent Is Your Partner, Not Your Enemy

By Rob Polishook, Mental Training Coach MA, CPC I remember it like it was a lightning bolt, my then mentor said to me: “Your opponent is your partner, not an enemy!” I thought that statement was blasphemous! My entire competitive life, I viewed the opponent as my enemy, someone whom I must defeat. The entire goal was decimation! My mentor, Jena Marcovicci, was a former tour player who learned this lesson the hard way like most of us. What I didn’t realize is how this approach hurt me. It made me tight because there was only one acceptable

outcome … winning every point, game, set and match. Additionally, it completely took the focus off my process, my game and what I could control. While shifting the focus to something I couldn’t control, the outcome.

Okay, so stay with me, I know you still want to win and so do I! But, let me explain … there is another approach and the goal of winning is still the same. However, this approach will allow you to shift the perspective and approach in competition to being your best and playing in a calm, more relaxed and aware manner.

How about looking at your opponent as your partner and even extending it

out to the court conditions. What do I mean by this? Both your opponent and the conditions are there to challenge you. They are, in fact, there to make you better, hone your game and make you mentally more resilient. Isn’t that the objective? If not, play a three-yearold the next time. I promise that will get old real quick!

When you approach your opponent as a partner and not as an enemy, a few good things will happen …

1. Open vs. close: As Jena said in his book, The Dance of Tennis, “You will neutralize the fight or flight mentality than can cause you to rush or over hit a ball, hesitate or lose your cool.”

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2019 • LITennisMag.com

Rather, you will play from a place of being centered, making good choices, sound strategic decisions and focusing on your game. You will no longer be playing from a place of crisis, high alert, and fight or flight. You won’t be out of breath because you lost a point.

2. Allow vs. force: When you allow, you will play from a less frenetic place. Not only will this be easier, but will eliminate the need to hit that ESPN highlight reel shot! You will be more apt to work the point, knowing it’s not just about your shots, but also about how your partner plays the point. When players “allow,” they play within themselves without forcing.

3. Respect vs. no respect: This one is my favorite, again, really …? You might be wondering how can I suggest respecting the opposition? It comes down to the singular premise: If there weren’t an opponent, there would be no one to challenge you. In

fact, if you respect them, your job is to beat them and “show” them what they need to work on. So yes, don’t go easy on an opponent, beat them 0 and 0! An aware partner will recognize where and what they need to practice for the next time. Conversely, if you lose 0 and 0, thank your opponent for showing you what you need to work on.

Also, get their number and thump them the next time.

4. Play present vs. play in the past/future: When your focus is on the process, you are taking things step by step. Your focus is on what you can control and need to do to best compete and adapt to situations. If your focus is solely on beating the opponent, something you cannot control, you won’t see the court, detect momentum, make percentage choices and stay patient. Rather, you will just try to aggressively hit “your” winners, no matter what is happening.

5. Win vs. lose: Yes, you will win more

because you are able to play from a more relaxed, calm and centered place.

You are no longer looking at your opponent as an enemy that must be beat.

More so, now it’s about being your best, bringing you game, and competing your best. However, if you don’t win, you will gain valuable feedback on what needs to be worked on in your next practice and match.

So go out, crush your opponent, respect them and their game. By doing so, you will improve yours, and no matter the outcome, you win!

Rob Polishook, MA, CPC is Founder and Director of Inside the Zone Sports Performance Group. As a Mental Training Coach, he works with athletes and teams, focusing on helping athletes gain the mental edge. Rob is Author of Tennis Inside the Zone: Mental Training Workouts for Champions. He may be reached by phone at (973) 723-0314, email Rob@InsideTheZone.com or visit InsideTheZone.com.

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LONG ISLAND TENNIS MAGAZINE’S

J U N I O R P L AY E R S P O T L I G H T

BY BRIAN COLEMAN

THEA RABMAN SPORTIME hen she began playing sports as a youngster, around the age of seven, one of the first sports Thea Rabman tried was softball. Despite being good, it didn’t take because, as Rabman says, it was too slow.

That’s when tennis entered the picture.

“My dad wanted me to try out tennis, so I started playing with a couple of friends,” said Rabman.

“And then when I started doing some different groups without them, and began training by myself with my coach, that’s when I realized it was something I was good at.”

Rabman was a natural and quickly developed her skills for the sport, beginning her training at Sportime, where she continues to play to this day.

“I’ve been at Sportime since I started playing when I was about seven-years-old,” said Rabman, who works with Greg Lumpkin at Sportime’s Syosset facility, and with Jay Harris and Lauren Cloonan at Sportime Roslyn. “There is such a wide range of players who train there, and that helps a lot. You can play kids who are above you, and those who you are a little better than, and you learn a lot about your game by

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playing against different players of various skill levels.”

Lumpkin, who has worked with a number of top junior players over the years, says Rabman has a work ethic that is second to none.

“Thea is one of the most determined and hardest-working young players I have ever

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2019 • LITennisMag.com

worked with,” said Lumpkin. “She pushes herself every day, and has made steady progress in all areas of her game as a result. Thea’s mental toughness truly sets her apart. She has incredible spirit and raises her level whenever facing adversity.”

For the past two seasons, Rabman has been the leader of the Port Washington Girls Tennis team, anchoring the Vikings to a 32-match winning streak and a Long Island Championship during that span.

“I really enjoy the experience of high school tennis, and going up against older girls,” she said. “It’s definitely taught me to be more disciplined on the court and learn how to craft points.”

Despite still only being in eighth grade, Rabman has played first singles for Port Washington each of the last two seasons.

“Playing first singles as a seventh and eighth grader, Thea has had to go up against much older and stronger opponents every match,” said Port Washington Head Coach Shane Helfner. “She is fearless and has a natural ability to plan out a point and change the pace of her shots. Her tournament experience has helped her gain a competitive edge and she helped guide us to a Long Island Championship and two consecutive

Thea Rabman & Nina Wiese after capturing the Empire Cup Nationals at Cornell University

years as Conference I Champions. She sets an example for the rest of the team and helps motivate our other players to always try to elevate their game to the next level.”

Playing against older and stronger girls is something Rabman has been used to, both in high school and in tournament play, and has resulted in her possessing a strong defensive and return game.

“I think my defense is the strongest part of my game. Playing up in competition against girls older than me has forced to play on the run a lot,” Rabman said. “This has allowed the defensive part of my game to really develop.”

Her fall season has been packed with tournaments and she has fared quite well in them, including winning titles at the L1B Sportime Randall’s Island September Challenger, L1 September Championships at CourtSense Bogota and the Eastern Sweet 16 at New York Tennis Club in singles, and capturing a doubles title at both the Empire Cup Nationals at Cornell University and the Empire Cup Nationals at Sportime Schenectady.

Being able to win big tournaments like those is the result of a lot of hard work, as well being able to learn from the tournaments she didn’t win.

“My dad always tells me to take notes at tournaments, but that never happens,” Rabman joked. “But I do have a routine I usually do before matches and make sure to do at each tournament, like talking to my friends which helps me relax and relieve some of the stress of playing. And

you try to make sure you learn from your mistakes each match, and improve from one tournament to the next.”

Still just in eighth grade, there is plenty of tennis left in store for Rabman. While she has won many notable junior tournaments already, she does have one specific goal for this coming year …

“I’d like to win a Gold Ball from a Super National,” said Rabman. “That would be so cool.”

In order to do so, Rabman knows she needs to continue working on aspects of her game to develop into the consistent player she wants to be. Her main focus in recent years has been the development of her serve, something she says she has seen a lot of improvement in.

“I’ve been working a lot on my serve,

and that has really been my main focus over the last seven months,” said Rabman.

“I’ve definitely seen a lot of improvement which is good. And just making sure I am more consistent … that’s a big thing for me and something I want to improve on.”

As Rabman’s already polished game continues to improve and she gets older, there is no telling just how good a player she can be. She plans on playing for Port Washington again next fall, when she begins her freshman year of high school, and hopes to continue to build on her tournament success.

Brian Coleman is Senior Editor for Long Island Tennis Magazine. He may be reached by phone at (516) 409-4444, ext.

326 or e-mail BrianC@USPTennis.com.

Upcoming USPTA Events in 2019: G USTA Eastern 2019 Eastern Tennis Conference on January 25-26 in White Plains, NY (General Membership meeting on Jan. 26) G USPTA Eastern High School Workshop on February 9 from 2:30 PM - 6:00 PM at Carefree Racquet Club G USPTA Eastern Tennis Night at the NY Open on February 14 at Nassau Coliseum (Group rate tickets available) G USPTA Eastern Annual Conference on May 3-5 at Doral Arrowwood Conference Center in White Plains, NY

Please contact Paul Fontana at 914-656-0614 or paul.fontana@uspta.org LITennisMag.com • January/February 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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U S TA E A S T E R N L O N G I S L A N D R E G I O N

Long Islanders to be Recognized by Eastern Section The USTA Eastern Section will honor some of its own at its 2019 Eastern Tennis Conference, to be held Jan. 25-26 at the Renaissance Westchester Hotel in White Plains, N.Y. Among those being recognized for greatness–both on and off the court–are several Long Islanders who have made significant impacts on tennis in their communities. They are: Sunny Fishkind: Tennis Woman of the Year This Award is presented to a female USTA Eastern volunteer in recognition of outstanding service to tennis in the Section.

Jason Wass: 10 & Under Tennis Award This Award recognizes a person or organization who has done an outstanding job promoting 10 & Under Tennis in the Section.

Carefree Racquet Club: Corporate Service Award The Award is given to an organization whose sponsorship of tennis and programs has helped to grow the sport in the Section.

Adrian Chirici: George Seewagen Award This Award is presented to a USTA Eastern teaching professional who exemplifies excellence in competition, sportsmanship and love of the game.

Brian Coleman, Long Island Tennis Magazine: Press Service Award The honor is presented to a member of the press corps for excellence in reporting tennis in the Section.

Terri Arnold-McKenzie: Long Island Volunteer of the Year The Volunteer of the Year Award is presented to the Eastern Section volunteer who tirelessly gave of their time to benefit the proliferation of the sport in the Eastern Section.

The Eastern Tennis Conference is the Section’s annual professional development gathering, where tennis leaders and professionals convene to learn about the state of competitive and community tennis and discuss new trends. The two-day event will include oncourt demonstrations and experiences, off-court classes, and panel discussions and breakout sessions.

USTA Long Island Executive Board Jonathan Klee, President Sunny Fishkind, Vice President Mike Pavlides, Past President Craig Fligstein, Treasurer Terri Arnold-McKenzie, Secretary 34

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2019 • LITennisMag.com

U S TA E A S T E R N L O N G I S L A N D R E G I O N

LI Awards Dinner Scheduled & Nominations Open

Nominations are now open for the 29th Annual USTA Long Island Awards Dinner, which has been scheduled for Thursday, May 2 at Chateau Briand Caterers in Carle Place, N.Y. Awards will be given to Long Islanders who have made an impact on the tennis community here, whether on the court or as a volunteer, as players, coaches, teachers, parents and more. Please help us to identify who should be honored this year by taking a look at our nominations page and criteria and submitting your choices to USTAonLongIsland@gmail.com by January 8th. For details on the awards and how to make your nominations, please visit LongIsland.USTA.com/Events/Awards_Nominations.

“Each year, we look forward to recognizing the people who

make Long Island a fabulous tennis community, whether league players, juniors, instructors, clubs, volunteers, etc.,” said Jonathan Klee, President of the USTA Long Island Region. “Our Annual Dinner is a wonderful evening of celebrating everything that is great about local tennis. But we can’t do it without your help! Do you know someone deserving who we don’t? Please give some thought to who should be recognized this year and let us know by submitting your nominations.”

Is your company or organization interested in sponsoring an aspect of the Awards Dinner? Contact us at USTAonLongIsland@gmail.com to learn about how you can put your business in front of more than 300 members of Long Island’s tennis community.

For more information on the USTA Long Island Region, please visit LongIsland.USTA.com, e-mail USTAOnLongIsland@gmail.com, visit us on Facebook at USTA Long Island and follow us on Twitter @USTA_LI. LITennisMag.com • January/February 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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Creative Doubles Positioning It’s okay to stand in No Man’s Land

By Mike Puc t is okay to stand in No Man’s Land in doubles!

Players have been conditioned to stand all the way back or all the way up in doubles. While this is applicable in matches where players are skilled in placing the ball deep or hard, players who are challenged with mobility or power are wise to adjust their court position.

Stand in No Man’s Land! After serving, move up, set your ready position in your half of the court in No Man’s Land, and play from there as if this were your baseline. The same goes for receiving the serve. The biggest advantage of this position is that you will get to short balls.

You are shortening the court and the area you

I

are covering. The traditional reason for avoiding playing in No Man’s Land is that your opponent may easily play shots to your feet, thus forcing you to make a difficult shot … no problem if they cannot do this consistently.

Consider focusing on some doubles specialty shots from this zone that are always useful in typical positioning as well. A half volley or pickup shortening your backswing and staying low is easily perfected. The deep volley that would drop in if you let it go will take you to the net if that is where you want to go or return to your No Man’s Land ready position if you prefer to stay back. These volleys are not intended as winners, rather, only positional shots. You also will be able to easily judge “out” balls from here, which occur frequently with your opponent’s deep

choices being squeezed out of the equation.

While the two shots above are on the defensive side of your tactics, you will add offensive weapons to your arsenal like the drop shot when the ball bounces conveniently below the level of the net in front of you. An absolute necessity for all doubles players, a timely, well-executed drop shot confuses your opponent while putting them on the run.

You will be presented with transitional short balls with a higher trajectory on occasion.

Move in and hit down on these balls with more pace for a clean winner.

Notice the winning shots described above are predicated by the height of the ball with low balls being dropped and high balls being hit harder. Depending on your opponent’s position, you may experiment with lobs from this zone that require a bit more finesse as well as drop volleys. As mentioned earlier, it will be your choice to adjust your position and move in if you are eager to volley or back up a step if you prefer to let the occasional deep ball bounce. I encourage you to discuss the No Man’s Land positional option with your tennis professional to explore the feasibility of playing there on a regular basis or as an addition to your game.

Mike Puc has been the Director of Tennis at Gleneagles Country Club in Delray Beach, Fla. since 1998. A winner of 15 national titles and an ATP world ranking, Mike directs 25 teams with 350 players in nine leagues, while offering the most extensive Calendar of Events in South Florida that includes tournaments, lectures and social round-robins.

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2019 • LITennisMag.com

Why You Should Wear Two Pairs of Socks When Playing Tennis

A

ll the top tennis pros wear two pairs of socks when competing. Roger Federer is no exception. So then, why is wearing two pairs of socks important for tennis players?

Wearing shoes and one pair of socks create two interfaces: The skin-sock interface and the sockshoe interface, with each interface generating a certain amount of friction. This friction is measured by a coefficient of friction (COF), and is a number usually less than one. High friction between both interfaces contributes to the formation of blisters. To alleviate this problem, the wearer should have an extra interface by wearing an additional sock. If the sock-sock interface COF is lower than that of the other two interfaces, the two socks will slide across each other before movement occurs elsewhere resulting in a reduction of shear and, therefore, blisters.

The additional interface also creates structural padding underneath the feet, and thus reduces impact on the joints during explosive stops, starts, linear and lateral movements. Likewise, two socks will

provide extra ankle support to reduce the probability of ankle injury.

ElSo is an active apparel lifestyle brand that engages in the design, development and marketing of performance athletic socks, apparel and accessory products worldwide with a strong reputation among

its consumers as one of the highest quality sock makers in the industry. ElSo has designed double socks (Double Impact Socks) that feature a patented two-sock system which is the solution for wearing two pairs of socks that work together as a unit. ElSo’s Double Impact socks use its patented two sock system to diminish the friction between the sole of the foot and the shoe with a unique layout, thus providing the wearer with additional comfort and support during any physical activity. ElSo accomplishes this by utilizing various moisturewicking fabrics paired with a double-holding elastic system. The Double Impact Performance socks move perspiration away from the feet in order for sweat to evaporate quickly, thereby allowing the athlete to feel cooler and more comfortable. The elastic holding system stabilizes the ankle and arch of the foot, keeping the foot and ankle more secure while providing an extra layer of comfort.

ElSo sponsors many athletes who benefit greatly from performance-based products. Based in the United States, ElSo and its Double Impact socks provide the protection and support that feet always need.

Visit ElSo’s ElSoCompany.com, follow them on Instagram @elsoathletics or e-mail Connect@ElSoAthletics.com.

LITennisMag.com • January/February 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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Why You Should Look Beyond the Hype When Selecting a Tennis Coach: A Two-Part Guide Part 2: Understanding What the Best Mentors Do

By Steven Kaplan In part one of this two-part series, I discussed how coaches market themselves to appear qualified and why it’s so important to look past the “Humble Brag” and find leadership and mentorship in a coach. In part two, we will uncover the common traits and guiding philosophy of what the best coaches/mentors do to develop talent and maturity in athletes.

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1. The best coaches/mentors don’t instill values, they reinforce existing values Coaches spend an enormous amount of time with players and exert a profound influence on how they view the game and the world. This position should be viewed with great care because there is no long-term upside to instilling values which are counter to the beliefs of a player and their family.

Equally, it is inauthentic to advocate for values that you as a coach do not hold. It is therefore important for players, parents and

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2019 • LITennisMag.com

coaches to find out about each other to find a common outlook and shared ideals.

2. The best coaches/mentors don’t create followers, they create other leaders who ultimately become peers and friends Tennis is a fiercely independent game that rewards self-reliance in competition and leadership in practice. Great coach-player relationships rely on trust and the sharing of common goals. While it’s not impossible to find a productive relationship with some-

one you don’t like, enjoyment is an enormous motivator to success. Find a coach you like. It should be noted that while it’s important to expect that a coach treats you special, it’s a slippery slope of expectation to make comparison to others and to expect a coach to treat you more special than others.

3. The best coaches/mentors place an emphasis on character over performance Skills matter, but the pathway to learning, growing and displaying improved skills is through the develop of self-awareness, empathy, respect and the highest regard for learning. As a coach, if you promote the idea that your players’ success is dependent on you and not them, you are satisfying your needs, not the needs of the player. Tennis should further abilities, not dependencies. As a coach, you need to stand for the display of strong character because if you don’t stand for something, you stand for nothing. As a player, you need leadership.

4. The best coaches/mentors are loyal and selfless The best coaches/mentors put the needs of their students first and foremost. Professional coaches coach for a living, but they embrace the idea that the richest rewards for what they do are intrinsic. Find a coach and mentor who loves to develop others to exceed their own abilities. If a student has

manship is counterproductive. Educating a student about nutrition, while you sip a Big Gulp, is hypocritical and demonstrating a disrespect and contempt for others, while talking about the need for selfvalue is disingenuous. Find a coach who will clearly, simply and succinctly explain what they believe, and I suggest if you cannot easily explain this or any concept, it’s because you don’t understand it.

Finding the right coach is one of the foundations of tennis success and one style of coaching does not suit every player’s needs.

Find out about a coaches’/mentors’ values and methods and make sure they align with yours for a long and happy relationship. outgrown you as a coach, perhaps you are limited in your abilities or maybe you have simply done your job well. The true test of character is how you treat someone who you have nothing to gain by helping.

Coaches love to coach and they teach players to love to play.

5. The best coaches/mentors provide a context for understanding the world through word and deed “Do as I say” is not as powerful as “Do as I do.” The best coaches/mentors are role models who embody the very ideals they preach. Shouting in anger about sports-

Steve Kaplan is the Owner and Managing Director of Bethpage Park Tennis Center, as well as the Director of Lacoste Academy for New York City Parks Foundation and Executive Director and Founder of Serve & Return Inc. Steve has coached more than 1,000 nationally-ranked junior players, 16 state high school champions, two NCAA Division 1 Singles Champions, and numerous highlyranked touring professionals, many of whom have become prominent tennis coaches themselves. In 2017, Steve was awarded the Hy Zausner Lifetime Achievement Award by the USTA. He may be reached by e-mail at StevenJKaplan@aol.com.

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Capital Region Scchenectady - 518-356-0100 LITennisMag.com • January/February 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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Your 2019 Guide to Long Island Tennis Magazine’s

Top Clubs & Programs

Long Island tennis players have great choices when it comes to where to play tennis. We have compiled a list of some of the top clubs and programs 42 Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2019 • LITennisMag.com with descriptions of what each has to offer.

2 0 1 9

T O P

C L U B S

&

P R O G R A M S

Bethpage Park Tennis Center 99 Quaker Meeting House Road, Building #4 Farmingdale, NY 11735 BethpageParkTennis.com (516) 777-1358 ethpage Park Tennis Center is located just a few hundred feet from the Black Course at beautiful Bethpage State Park. Four indoor hard courts and four indoor red clay courts are air-conditioned for yearround play, along with two outdoor HarTru courts.

Bethpage Park Tennis Center offers an array of adult seasonal, leagues, lessons and walk-on court opportunities. It’s free and low-cost program for seniors, special populations and veterans is perhaps the largest of its kind in New York State. We are excited to have finalized part of our major renovations with newly resurfaced courts, LED lights and heating/cooling system.

We are equally excited to complete our new state-ofthe-art clubhouse with a Sports Performance Training Center, as well as Educational Center in the summer of 2019. The Center is best known for its renowned junior development program, led by top coach Steve Kaplan who has developed more top players than anyone else in the East.

Steve is the Owner of Bethpage Park Tennis Center, and was the Director of City Parks Foundation Lacoste Academy for 10 years. Steve has been the long-time coach of more than 900 nationally-ranked junior players, 16 state high school singles champions, two NCAA Division I Singles Champions, and numerous touring professionals and prominent coaches. Steve’s students have been awarded in excess of $9 million in college scholarship money.

In the summer, the finest players in the East join us for summer camp on four indoor hard courts four indoor red clay courts that are air-conditioned, along with two outdoor HarTru courts and six nearby outdoor hard courts. Lunch is included and transportation is available. Bethpage Park Tennis Center charges no membership fee and values all of its beginners equally with its nationally-ranked players.

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Butch Seewagen Tennis Academy 188 Maple Avenue Rockville Centre, N.Y. CATSNY.com CATSRVC@gmail.com (516) 763-1299, ext. 10 he Butch Seewagen Tennis Academy is proud to be the first of its kind on Long Island devoted entirely to the USTA’s Net Generation 10 & Under Tennis Program. The Academy features three state-of-the-art, Net Generation, U.S. Open blue green courts. The Academy offers professional tennis programs for group, semi-private and private lessons, plus birthday parties and special events.

Directed by former U.S. National Amateur Champion and former top 70 player Butch Seewagen, the Academy uses USTA and the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Net Generation tennis guidelines. This progressive curriculum focuses on developing children’s tennis skills on a sizeappropriate scale, utilizing smaller courts, low compression balls and smaller rackets. Drills and games are played with an emphasis on developing skill sets in a fun environment.

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Carefree Racquet Club 1414 Jerusalem Avenue, #1 North Merrick, N.Y. CarefreeTennis.com CarefreeTennis@gmail.com (516) 489-9005 arefree Racquet Club is Long Island’s premier indoor tennis club, offering seven indoor tennis courts, two racquetball courts, a half-court basketball court and four pickleball courts.

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League Coordinator Debbie Cichon offers adult singles, doubles and team doubles leagues that are always on the correct level to insure you a good game every time you play. Carefree has many USTA teams in the 18 & Over, 40 & Over, 55 & Over Men’s, Women’s and Mixed Doubles Leagues, along with Tri-Level Leagues. For those new to the game or just want to improve, Carefree offers two 14-week sessions of learn and play groups, coordinated by Louis Vallejo. Players get an hour lesson each week, along with 90 minutes of practice time each week.

Jean Tanklowitz, Senior Program Coordinator, has many retirees who simply have a flexible schedule, playing Monday through Thursday in the afternoon. All games are arranged by Jean.

For junior players, Ben Marks, Carefree’s Director of Tennis, coordinates the Junior Development Program with two 14-week sessions starting at the age of five, running through the age of 18. Children can take group, semi-private or private lessons, along with practice time and ladder match play as well. Ben also runs a highschool prep program and an Elite program.

Carefree is very proud of its QuickStart Tot Program for children ages three- to five-years-old, which uses props to keep the children’s attention.

Carefree Racquet Club is managed by Kathy Miller, who is also the Long Island USTA Adult League Coordinator. Kathy, along with her Assistant Manager, Pat McIlwee, pride themselves on the organization and smooth running of Long Island’s premier indoor tennis club that has never and continues to not charge membership fees.

So if you are looking to join a program or just rent a court now and then, we would love to see you at Carefree!

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Centercourt Performance Tennis Academy 65 Columbia Road Morristown, N.J. CentercourtAcademy.com SportsAcademy@CentercourtClub.com (973) 539-2054 entercourt Performance Tennis Academy can be summarized by one phrase: “Culture of excellence.”

From its training to academics to tournament travel; the coaches, academic advisors, tutors and support staff are what make Centercourt a great training base, as well as a place to call home.

Centercourt’s facilities are comprised of six New Jersey locations, with more on the way. Centercourt’s Performance Tennis home base is located in Morristown, N.J., conveniently located 45 minutes from New York City with transportation and boarding options available.

While Centercourt encourages a tennis culture of excellence, Centercourt also places a strong emphasis and focus on academics and work ethic. Since its full-time academic inception two years ago, Centercourt’s scholar-athletes have committed to play collegiate tennis at strong academic institutions such as Columbia University, Wake Forest University, New York University and more. Centercourt offers schooling through both Laurel Springs and The Dwight School, a prestigious preparatory school located in the heart of Manhattan.

There is a strong sense of team and family at Centercourt that is pivotal in complimenting strong tennis training. Centercourt’s full-time athletes reside in a beautiful home setting on a 60-acre estate providing the luxury of a family environment. On the weekends when players are not competing, Centercourt makes sure they take advantage of its prime location by providing excursions to New York City shows or a night of bowling.

Centercourt is truly a performance athletes’ home away from home.

Visit CentercourtAcademy.com for more information on after school, weekend and full-time training.

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Christopher Morley Tennis 500 Searingtown Road Roslyn, N.Y. CMTTennis.com Info@CMTTennis.com (516) 214-1900 hristopher Morley Tennis (CMT), the premier tennis facility on the North Shore of Long Island, is conveniently located north of the Long Island Expressway in Christopher Morley Park, a beautiful 98acre park with golf, basketball, athletic fields, swimming and more. The state-of-the-art tennis facility features five new indoor hard courts and five HarTru courts for yearround play.

Christopher Morley Tennis offers court rentals, adult and junior private and group lessons, 10U after school enrichment, leagues, cardio tennis and high-performance training. Christopher Morley Tennis is known to have one of the best high performance and home-schooling junior programs on Long Island with CMT’s top nationally-ranked juniors, Cannon Kingsley (18’s #5), Neel Rajesh (18’s #13) Spencer Brachman (16’s #10) and Rachel Arbitman (16’s #8).

In addition, CMT’s Red, Orange and Green Ball groups cater to junior players at all levels. CMT is proud to be the home club to more than 25 USTA teams, including Junior Team Tennis which compete in local, regional, sectional and national competition. Due to exceeding demand, CMT has collaborated with Port Washington Tennis Academy to offer programming at their facility, providing access to an additional 17 courts.

Throughout the year, Christopher Morley Tennis hosts mixed-doubles parties, round-robin mixers, club tournaments, special events, and holiday camps for both adults and juniors. During the summer, CMT has an intensive training camp specifically designed for players competing in USTA sectional, USTA national and ITF tournaments, and those interested in playing high school tennis, college tennis and beyond. CMT summer and school-break camps, including red, orange, green and yellow ball junior development groups, utilize fun and fast-paced training methods, competitive games, technical instruction and tactical training for match play, as well as off court training and fitness.

At Christopher Morley Tennis, we strive to offer an array of recreational and competitive programming options under the direction of top-notch pro staff, with no membership fees. For more information, e-mail Info@CMTtennis.com.

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CourtSense Tennis Training Centers at Tenafly and Bogota Racquet Club 195 County Road Tenafly, N.J. CourtSense.com (201) 569-1114 (201) 489-1122 ourtSense offers the best tennis facilities in Northern New Jersey and provides a comprehensive program of tennis instruction delivered by professional coaches, using the finest techniques and technologies. With CourtSense, you’ll achieve your personal best, because our training is of the highest professional caliber—and easily tailored to suit your age and skill level. Children under 10 years of age benefit immensely from a proper training foundation—eliminating poor techniques that could mar their game later in life. If you’d like yours to take up the challenge, CourtSense is the best place—we’ll make them as great as they can and want to be.

CourtSense Tennis Training Centers have a whole range of activities to support junior and adult tennis lovers.

From teddy tennis and after-school clinics to high-performance full-day program, cardio tennis, internal and USTA leagues, and private and group sessions, we have something to suit everyone. CourtSense students have access to 15 indoor tennis courts (10 PlaySight smart-courts), world-class strength and conditioning centers and luxury players’ lounges.

CourtSense’s club in Bogota, N.J. primarily specializes on the high-performance and tournament players. We have worked with players who have become ATP- and WTA-ranked players, U.S. Olympians, as well as many college scholarship athletes. CourtSense’s high-performance coaches, in collaboration with its fitness staff and a sports psychologist, have developed a program that maximizes athletes’ strengths, both on and off the court.

CourtSense uses tennis as a vehicle to teach life lessons by tapping into the spirit of every player, with passion, expertise and character. CourtSense wants its juniors to be the best tennis players they can possibly be, but at the same time, be prepared to be successful in anything they want to be once their tennis careers are over.

Another unique aspect to CourtSense’s facilities is the fitness programming provided in partnership with Magnus: Expand Human Potential. Magnus’ team has the ability to assess, correct, enhance and reassess an athlete–giving you everything you need to compete like a winner. CourtSense members have access to cuttingedge strength and conditioning technology, private sessions, nutritional counseling and psychological skills training.

For more information on CourtSense programs, call (201) 569-1114 and (201) 4891122 or e-mail Info@CourtSense.com.

Registration is now open for the fall clinics at CourtSense.com.

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Eastern Athletic EasternAthleticClubs.com EACTennis@yahoo.com (631) 773-6293 Multiple locations on Long Island and in Brooklyn Eastern Athletic is family-owned and is one of the New York’s original and finest tennis and fitness facilities, offering a wide variety of programs for the tennis enthusiast and fitness buffs. Offering five locations throughout Suffolk County and Brooklyn to accommodate the ever changing needs of our clientele, Eastern Athletic has 17 Nova Ultra cushion indoor tennis courts, seven racquetball courts, eight squash courts, Indoor Pools and much more. To find out about all we have to offer, visit us at EasternAthleticClubs.com.

Eastern Athletic Tennis offers season and open court rentals, private and group instruction for the pee-wee through he seasoned octogenarian. All programs, lessons, drills, clinics, zones, leagues, performance training, ladders, parties and camps are offered year-round in climate-controlled facilities. We host one of the largest Men’s Singles Flex Ladder/Leagues on Long Island, and are home to more than 15 USTA teams. Many of our teams have competed in regional, sectional and national competition.

In addition, Eastern Athletic has one of the best performance training programs, integrating tennis with athletic performance programs. We have produced some of the top tennis players on Long Island under the direction and supervision of Laurie Tenney Fehrs and our renowned tennis staff. Eastern Athletic has programs for Juniors and Adults of all ages and level of play, and are confident we have something for you.

For more information and to join our growing family, e-mail EACTennis@yahoo.com or visit one of our locations: l EAC in Blue Point—9A Montauk Highway, Blue Point, N.Y.—(631) 363-2882 l EAC in Dix Hills—854 East Jericho Turnpike, Dix Hills, N.Y.—(631) 271-6616 l EAC in Melville—100 Ruland Road, Melville, N.Y.—(631) 773-6293 l EAC in Brooklyn Heights—43 Clark Street, Brooklyn, N.Y.—(718) 625-0500 l EAC in Prospect Park—17 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, N.Y.—(718) 789-4600

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Huntington Indoor Tennis 100 Broadway Huntington Station, N.Y. HuntingtonIndoorTennis.net hitennis@hitennisny.com (631) 421-0040 untington Indoor Tennis is celebrating 38 years as the top tennis facility in the greater Huntington area!

Some of our players that trained and competed with us as children, now play here as adults and bring their own children to Huntington Indoor to learn the sport.

Huntington Indoor has six climate-controlled HarTru courts with new state-of-the-art LED lights. We recently refurnished our lounge area for our customers’ comfort and enjoyment. The club is conveniently located next to the Huntington train station with free onsite parking. Open to the public daily from 7:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m., and there are no membership fees.

Huntington Indoor Tennis offers organized adult programs including in-house singles and doubles leagues for women and men; mixed doubles league; USTA leagues; tennis fitness programs; clinics and lessons. We include free daytime babysitting from September through May. In addition, we offer seasonal and hourly court reservations. The “Early Bird” program offers discounted play from 7:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m. year-round and senior discounts are available.

Huntington Indoor tennis is proud to be the home facility of 23 USTA teams in 2018, including women’s, men’s and mixed in levels from 3.0 to 4.5 and all age groups. In 2017, our women’s 55+ 7.0 team were national champions!

We have a robust program for children including junior development, junior competition, in-house leagues and USTA tournaments. There are currently 300 children enrolled in our junior programs. Our premier children’s summer camp is offered every week from late-June through August, including both full day and half day sessions.

Huntington Indoor has an amazing group of pros. Most of our dedicated pros have been working here for 20+ years, coaching children and adults to improve their game and tennis skills.

Contact us anytime for information or visit HuntingtonIndoorTennis.net.

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New York Tennis at Great Neck 12 Shore Drive Great Neck, N.Y. NYTAGN.com (516) 233-2790 A hidden gem conveniently located and open to players of all ages and levels. A short ride from anywhere in Nassau County and Queens, this scenic club overlooking the Little Neck Bay features five year-round clay courts, two outdoor season hard courts, and a highly skilled and experienced coaching staff comprised of former ATP, ITF, and NCAA players.

New York Tennis at Great Neck has been serving up tennis in this location since 2010. Initially formed over 30 years ago by the late and legendary Tennis Director, Howie Arons, the junior program has produced more than 90 NCAA players, 250 ranked junior players, and 1,000 high school players. The club’s adult program prides itself in having a wide array of programming, from Dynamic Clinics and Express Tennis for Beginners, to High Energy Cardio Tennis and In-Club Competitive Leagues, ensuring adults have exactly what they’re looking for. The waterfront location, accommodating staff, and friendly atmosphere has also made the club an increasingly popular destination for those looking to host events such as birthday parties, holiday parties, and corporate outings.

What players enjoy most about playing at the club is the comfortable, relaxed, and welcoming environment that they feel when they walk through the doors of New York Tennis at Great Neck. Passion, consistency, and authenticity ring true every day at the club, where everyone feels at home and part of one big, but at the same time, tight-knit tennis family.

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Point Set Indoor Racquet Club 3065 New Street Oceanside, N.Y. PointSetTennis.com Lori@PointSetTennis.com (516) 536-2323 xtreme makeover … tennis club edition! Upgrade yourself by enjoying the all new U.S. Open blue tennis courts, gleaming locker rooms, renovated lobby/office and redesigned social space of post-storm Point Set Indoor Racquet Club!

A state-of-the-art, spare no expense renovation out of respect to our customers! With 350-plus juniors in developmental programs, 60-plus QuickStart Pee-Wees, 500-plus adult players in leagues/contracts/drills, Point Set Racquet Club is working towards fulfilling its mission statement: Point Set aspires to be the most vibrant tennis club on the South Shore by integrating heart with sport in the community. The dedicated dream team staff of tennis professionals administers a top tier Tournament Training Program (TTP) for three levels of junior competitors. It addresses all aspects of competition: drills, match play, fitness and mental toughness. See what a difference the Point Set staff delivers as the facility has added airconditioning for a controlled climate for play year-round!

Point Set Indoor Racquet Club recognizes that customers are its most important asset. The collegial relationship of the staff, on- and off-the-court, translates into a friendly environment for its customers. Point Set is a full-service club and your gateway to challenging yourself to explore, enjoy and improve yourself through the great sport of tennis. Experience the difference a supportive environment makes!

Come play at Point Set, where fun meets fitness.

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Port Washington Tennis Academy 100 Harbor Road Port Washington, N.Y. PWTA.com Tennis@PWTA.com (516) 883-6425 ort Washington Tennis Academy (PWTA) is dedicated to young people, primarily from the ages of four through 18. PWTA was created in 1966 as a nonprofit facility to use tennis as a means of fostering educational success for children, by developing a stimulating lifelong activity that is fun, healthy, and scholastically and socially beneficial. This is accomplished by utilizing specialized techniques with a wide range of instructional programs, special in-house competitions and several USTA-sanctioned tournaments.

Additionally, graduating high school seniors get the benefit of PWTA’s many years of experiences and up-todate knowledge of schools, teams and coaches when it comes to identifying, selecting and the eventual placement at a university meeting their individual capabilities and goals. While PWTA is well-known for many world-class professional players graduating from its programs, encouraging educational excellence will always be the club’s main focus.

PWTA also offers an extensive variety of adult programs at all levels. Men’s and women’s daytime and evening leagues, private lessons, group clinics (three players plus a professional), seasonal courts, including instructional and season-ending doubles play sessions, are just part of the club’s broad spectrum of activities. PWTA is the largest indoor tennis facility on the East Coast, with 17 indoor courts (four hard and 13 HarTru) and a unique elevated quarter mile-long indoor running track.

PWTA also provides many extras not found as part of a teaching program, such as an international teaching staff, closed-circuit TV for each court, upper TV lounge for relaxed viewing, spectator viewing galleries to ensure full visibility of every court, comfortable lounge areas, extensive men’s and women’s locker rooms, meeting rooms, etc. Complimentary coffee, tea, milk, cookies, juice and potassium-rich bananas are always available to PWTA members. In addition, the Academy has a fully-stocked pro shop to meet the needs of members.

For more information, call (516) 883-6425 or visit PWTA.com.

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Ross School Tennis Center 20 Goodfriend Drive East Hampton, N.Y. Ross.org/Tennis Tennis@Ross.org (631) 907-5162 oss School Tennis Academy (RSTA) is the premiere training center in the Hamptons, boasting a beautiful tennis facility that is open to the public and located on the Ross Upper School Campus in East Hampton, N.Y. The Tennis Center features six HarTru courts that are enclosed by a bubble from mid-fall through mid-spring, allowing for yearround play. The Tennis Center features state-of-the-art amenities such as spacious locker rooms, lower level lounge, convenient snack bar, and ping-pong tables, and the staff provides a fun and supportive atmosphere that allows for the greatest amount of success.

After-school programming, a dynamic program for junior players, and specialized summer programs are offered to make Ross Tennis Academy the place to play tennis in the Hamptons.

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After-school Programs (Pre-Kâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Grade 12) l Nursery-Grade 4: Specialized one-hour training program where players build a strong foundation through a variety of game-based and cooperative activities using 10U age appropriate (Red, Orange or Green) balls and nets that will prepare them for eventual full court play. l Grade 5-Grade 12: Players build off their 10U foundation to further develop fundamental skills and techniques as they transition into yellow balls and prepare for full-court tournament competition. Ball control, strategy, and work ethic are all emphasized in this 90-minute session of drills and point play.

Players in kindergarten and higher are required to play twice per week in this program.

Integrated Training + Academic Program Designed for USTA/ITF players in grades seventh through 12 and postgraduates, RSTA is the first in the New York City area to have a full academic program with a complete physical and mental conditioning program. In addition, unlike other tennis academies, RSTA is a small, intimate program that allows student-athletes to develop lasting relationships with coaches, while receiving personalized instruction. Students who attend the Academy experience high-performance tennis training, while studying alongside their peers in a stimulating college preparatory learning community following a regular academic year (Ross.org/Tennis). l Lessons and Court Rentals: Ross Tennis Academy also offers adult clinics, court rentals and private and group instruction for all ages and levels. The Tennis Center is also used for a variety of special events and is available for private parties.

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Sportime Tennis Clubs–Home of the John McEnroe Tennis Academy New York Region 11 locations across Long Island, Manhattan, Westchester and the Capital Region

SportimeNY.com/Tennis Info@SportimeNY.com (631) 269-1055 portime’s courts, programs, coaches, facilities and club environments have set the tennis standard of excellence in NY since 1994. With more than 150 hard and soft surface courts, indoors and outdoors, we offer great tennis programs and facilities for players of all ages and abilities. To find out more, go to SportimeNY.com.

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Programs for everyone include: l Juniors: From Tennis Whizz for preschoolers, to the Sportime U10 tennis pathway for red and orange level players, to Sportime Excel for green and yellow level juniors, to the ultimate opportunity to train with New York tennis icon Johnny Mac and the John McEnroe Tennis Academy (JMTA) team, Sportime offers a complete menu of tennis programming for every level of junior development and play. Sportime Randall’s Island is the flagship home of JMTA, with JMTA satellite locations in Syosset on Long Island, Amagansett on Long Island (summer only) and at Lake Isle, Eastchester in Lower Westchester. Our curriculums include world-class, age and level appropriate athletic training, mental toughness training, and more, reflecting our commitment to developing complete players. Sportime/JMTA’s gamification/games approach gets kids playing fast and blends technical and tactical learning and coaching from the very first lesson. Sportime students turn their weaknesses into strengths, and their strengths into winning games! l Adults: Sportime’s Adult Tennis Kinetics is the largest adult group lesson program in the country. Major League Tennis, Cardio Tennis, and Sportime’s signature “Zone” high-intensity competitive games program all provide great workouts, combined with skills development and a lot of fun! For those looking for the ultimate challenge, Sportime offers Adult Excel, modeled after the highly successful Junior Excel and JMTA programs. Mixed-doubles parties, round-robin mixers, club tournaments, special events, and concierge-style game arranging, enhance adult play throughout the year. l Sportime Camps: Sportime offers the best tennis camps anywhere and has a camp location near you!

Sportime summer and school-break camps, including U10, Excel and JMTA player development camps, utilize fun and fast-paced training methods, competitive games, technical instruction and tactical training for match play, as well as off-court athletic and mental toughness training. Multi-Sport camps are also offered.

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USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Flushing Meadows Corona Park Flushing, N.Y. NTC.USTA.com NTCPrograms@USTA.com (718) 760-6200 he USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, home of the U.S. Open Tennis Championships, is the largest public tennis facility in the world. The Tennis Center is open to the public year-round and offers exciting programming, as well as numerous events throughout the year. Programs are offered for all ages and levels, as well as clinics, private lessons, leagues, tours, field trips, summer camps, corporate events, birthday parties and tournaments.

The NTC also supports all USTA Community Tennis and Player Development initiatives. The professional staff also conducts community tennis programs, including 10 & Under Tennis for children 10 years of age and 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 in the Northeast, and a year-round USTA Tournament Training Program for ranked juniors.

The NTC 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. The NTC also 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 starting as young as 10 and under up through and including Academy level players. Camps include instruction and fitness programs; the encouragement of good sportsmanship leading to general character building for the children.

These services are provided at nominal cost, making it affordable for youngsters who would not otherwise get the chance to attend camp or receive tennis instruction.

Lastly, the Project ACES (Alternative Classroom Environment for Students), implemented at the NTC in 2009, is geared towards children from schools from the New York City Metropolitan Area. This program provides students the opportunity to visit the NTC and learn about the history of tennis. The kids are given a tour of the entire site, including Center Court in Ashe, a video presentation on the history of tennis and the great players of the sport, followed by an hour of on-court tennis instruction.

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COMING IN MARCH

Distribution scheduled for 03/01/19

This edition will feature: • Guide to the Top Tennis Camps • New York Tennis Expo Recap • A Look Back at the 2019 New York Open • Guide to the Top Court Builders and Manufacturers • Boys High School Tennis Preview • Long Island Tennis Magazine’s 11 Year Anniversary

Distributionacross Long Island 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 Long Island Tennis Magazine March/April 2019!

Facebook-www.Facebook.com/LongIslandTennis Instagram-@NYTennisMag • Twitter-@LITennisMag Submissions both advertising and editorial are due by 2019 LongIsland Island Tennis TennisMagazine Magazinefor ••November/December September/October September/October 2015 2017 2017 •••LITennisMag.com LITennisMag.com LITennisMag.com LITennisMag.com LITennisMag.com • November/December • January/February 2017 2019February 2018 • Long Island1, Tennis Magazine 57 57 Long

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charitable initiatives Commack Tennis Hosts Annual Tennis With the Teachers Fundraiser

fter the high school season ended, members of Commack High School came together to raise money for a great cause at their annual “Tennis With the Teachers” fundraiser event.

“What I love about our team is how much they enjoy helping others,” said Commack Head Coach Jackie Clark. “Their kindness and compassion for others is unparalleled. Our student-athletes are role models to younger students in the community and they lead by example. As a person who understands the importance of giving back, I am proud to coach a team who loves giving back as well.”

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The fundraiser pairs up a member of the tennis program with a teacher from the Commack School District for a fun afternoon of tennis and togetherness. Local merchants and shops from the community donated products and gifts which were raffled off, including tickets to the New York Open.

All the money raised from the event was donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. In the end, it was the father-daughter team of Paul & Valerie Slackman who beat Emily Tannenbaum & Aly Catinella in the tournament’s final.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2019 • LITennisMag.com

Local High School Teams Play for Pink

ach year for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, many local high school tennis teams wear pink during its matches in October to help do its part to raise awareness for breast cancer. Great job and effort to the girls from the Hewlett, Herricks, Jericho and Massapequa High School Tennis teams for supporting the cause.

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Noah Rubin Stops by Carefree for Charity Event ong Island native Noah Rubin, who enjoyed the best year of his professional career in 2018, carved out some time to give back to the community from which he is from.

Noah’s mother, Melanie, is a special education teacher in the Rockville Centre School District and is on the board of a charity organization called the “Raymar Children’s Fund,” created and run by William S. Covert Elementary School Principal Darren Raymar. Raymar Children’s Fund raises money for needy families in the area, and for many years now, the Rubins have auctioned off court time with Noah, where the auction winners can hit with the professional player on court.

Carefree Racquet Club in North Merrick donated the court time this year, and fourth-grade student at Covert Elementary, Matthew Prezioso, got the chance to hit around with Noah.

“It was really fun, and Noah was really nice and funny,” said nine-year-old Matthew. “It was a great experience!”

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Coaches, Players Come Out for Annual USTA Eastern College Showcase

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or the 32nd year in a row, high school tennis players and college coaches came together for the USTA Eastern College Showcase Day which was held at the Saw Mill Club in Mount Kisco, N.Y. The event has become a fall staple for the USTA Eastern Section, and a key event for bridging the gap between high school players and college tennis programs, and this year’s event featured one of its best attendances yet.

“Our goal every year is to continue to add even more value to the College Showcase Day—we want to make it as informative an experience as possible for the players and college coaches who attend,” said Julie Bliss Beal, Senior Director of Competition for USTA Eastern. “Helping

educate players and parents through the tennis pathway is so important to us, and we also want to continue to support the development of tennis on college campuses. This year it was really incredible to see so many high school athletes come out—it was probably our best attendance in years.”

Sophomore, junior and senior tennis players were able to get out on court and compete in match-play as college coaches from Division I, II and III programs looked on and evaluated.

But the event is much more than a chance for players to demonstrate their tennis skills to prospective college coaches. Players and parents are able to hear directly from coaches and experts in the field of college recruiting to help sim-

plify the complicated process they face, as well as an intriguing seminar on how to be the best athlete you can be.

“A doctor from our participating sponsor, Mt. Sinai, gave a great presentation to all attendees on how to best fuel your body as an athlete. That’s not necessarily the kind of information readily accessible to these players at this stage in their young careers,” Bliss-Beal added. “Additionally, Scott Treibly and College Selection Consultant Mark Blaweiss, along with the Division I, II and III college coaches attending, provided a ton of pertinent recruitment information for the students and parents. Overall it was yet another success and we are all looking forward to celebrating our 33-year-old event in 2019!”

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Do-Over? Hardly!

By Barbara Wyatt “That ball was in!” she yells at a USTA playoff match.

Her competitor, who stands four feet from where the ball landed, says, “My partner and I called it out at the same time. It is our call. The ball was out.”

“The ball was in!”, the player repeats and stomps her feet. On the sidelines, her teammates are yelling “Do-over! Do-over!”

The server puts her hand up and says, with a sigh, “I’ll serve again.”

As a player standing on the sidelines, I was fuming. The yelling, stomping player needs to learn The Code, Rule 5, that states, “Player makes calls on own side of the net.” The word, “do-over,” is used by players who don’t understand the rules.

Have you ever seen these examples in your tennis career? l Noel hits a winning angled shot into Dave’s court. Dave is unable to reach the ball. While the ball is still in play, Noel’s racket slips out of his hands and lands at his feet with a bang! Do-over?

Hardly! Noel’s point. A racket dropped

l

l

l

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on the court is not enough to claim a let: The Code, Rule 36.

Kim hits a volley headed to the sweet spot on Sheri’s racket. While the ball is still in play, Kim’s racket slips out of her hands. Sheri holds up her hand and says, “Hindrance.” Do-over? Yes, but the official will use the term, “Let,” and start the point over. Sheri could have returned the ball except for the racket drop: The Code, Rule 36.

Denise hits a ball that lands at Jill’s baseline. Jill thinks it may have been out. Jill was right on top of where the ball landed, but not sure if it was in or out. Do-over? Hardly! It is Denise’s point. The opponent has benefit of the doubt, according to The Code, Rule 6.

Pete returns the ball over the net into Denise’s court. While the ball is still in play, Pete’s racket falls out of his hands. Denise ignores the unintentional dropping of the racket. She charges the net and slams the ball to win the point. Pete holds up his hand and says, “Hindrance.” Do-over?

Hardly! Players can’t call a hindrance on themselves: The Code, Rule 36.

Sheila hits a glorious cross-court return

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and wins the point. Antoinette picks up the ball and recognizes the ball has gone flat. Do-over? Hardly! Sheila wins the point. The ball was soft, not broken: ITF Rule 3. Replace the soft ball as soon as it is discovered. l As Andrea is slicing a return, her cap flies off her head. Barb holds up her hand and says “Hindrance.” The ball lands at Barb’s feet with an awesome backspin. Do-over? Yes, but the official would say, “Let. Start the point again.”

Barb was distracted by the flying cap, could have finessed a return, so she immediately called a let: The Code, Rule 36.

The word “Do-Over” does not exist in the USTA Friend at the Court 2018, ITA Regulations 2018, 2018 ATP Officials Rulebook, or WTA 2018 Official Rulebook.

Barbara Wyatt is a Writer, Photographer, USTA Official, and Mobile App Developer of iKnowTennis!, the tennis rules app. Her poem, Ode to Tennis, an amusing poem on the joys and frustrations when learning tennis, is available at Amazon. She can be reached by e-mail at BarbaraW@iKnowTennis.com.

Parenting a Tournament Player

By Marvin Jeffrey s I sit back and watch the interactions and listen to conversations between parents and children in the tennis world, some of the things that are said baffles me. I understand all the money invested in practices, private lessons, tournaments and traveling all too well, but adding anxiety or extra pressure to your child will not make them win a match or tournament.

I’ve been teaching competitive junior tennis for more than 20 years, and can safely say I’ve seen it all. I’ve seen parents shout and curse at their child, throw a phone that hits their child in the back, and starving a child because they didn’t win a match. That is just some of the crazy behavior that opened my eyes to destructive relationships between parent and child.

Thirteen years ago when my daughter was born, I made a promise to myself to be nothing like those parents. This is because I understand the pressure of being a tournament player, the pressures to train hard and get results in competition. To date, I

A

have held true to that promise. With that being said, I cannot say that I haven’t had a few moments where I’ve walked off the court because she was driving me crazy, wasting my time and energy and not trying her best. This may not be the best thing to do, but I know I don’t want to ruin our longterm relationship by yelling, cursing or doing any of the negative things I’ve seen done in the past. These behaviors can become forever damaging to the maturing mind of a young athlete. It could steer them away from trying anything new when it comes to sports, and if that is important to parents, then they should be careful of what they say and do.

I think what some parents seem to forget is that tennis and sports are not the most important thing in life. If you ruin the relationship between you and your child when they are young, what’s going to happen when they are older? Their desire to play a sport will begin to decrease and they will play just to impress or appease you, versus genuinely enjoying the game. I have seen this happen very often.

You, as parents, are supposed to be the rock—the person teaching your child that it’s okay to celebrate your wins and learn

from your losses. There is no need for temper tantrums and unsportsmanlike conduct, either on or off the court. Don’t expect the coach to teach and discipline your child on simple moral issues. As a coach, you can mainly discipline when it comes to rules of the game and behavior on the court. Your child should automatically know to respect their coaches, other players and the game in general. This all starts in your own household when you start teaching your kids about rules and behavior.

Remember, your goal as a parent is to listen, advise and support your competitive child in a positive way through this tough journey. Added stress, pressure and negative energy will not make the situation better now or in your future relationship with your child.

Marvin Jeffrey is a Senior Staff Professional and High Performance Coach for New York Tennis at Great Neck. When not coaching high performance players at New York Tennis at Great Neck, Marvin spends time attending junior tournaments with his players, as well as competing in Men’s Open tournaments and USTA Leagues.

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Be a Volleying Nightmare With Three Simple Improvements

By Lisa Dodson Classic volleys are shots that have a specific spin and use short arm and hand movements paired with specific footwork. Spin amounts vary, racket work is short, contained and precise. Footwork is dancelike, using repetitive patterns which adapt to different tempos and situations. When racket work and footwork sync together, you’ll have an efficient, all-court volley.

There are many misconceptions about volleys. The dictionary definition of a tennis volley is: “To propel a tennis ball while in the air and before touching the ground.”

This simplicity is key to success on the volley.

Let’s get more specific about this definition: “Volleys are shots that are designed to intercept shots from the opposing side, before the ball bounces.” Volleys are hit from many places on the court, not just from the dominant position at the net. A majority of volleys are not power shots.

When volleying, the intention is to deflect and redirect the ball to your benefit. You will learn to use the incoming ball to get what we want: Control and placement. You take control with a volley by changing the speed and direction of a ball using under64

spin. If we can use the pace, spin and height of an incoming ball, then we are in command.

Immediately make your volley more effective by using the three ideas below …

1. Learn to hit underspin All classic volleys are hit with underspin (as opposed to a swing volley which has topspin). That is why your tennis pro insists on a grip that feels uncomfortable. The grip opens the racket face and allows spin to be hit. Technically, we use a Continental Grip for the volley, but typically, this grip is too extreme for most players, especially if you are just coming from a Forehand Grip.

So, if you use a Forehand Grip today, start moving your grip to the left (for righthanded player) or right (for a left-handed player).

Why use underspin?

Lots of players call it “Slice” but let’s call it underspin. Slice seems to give players a mental picture of chopping the ball which causes all sorts of problems. It is also the specific name for a type of serve which has a completely different spin than underspin.

Underspin simply denotes the particular way the ball spins backwards (as opposed to topspin where the ball spins forward).

In order to hit underspin, the forward

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2019 • LITennisMag.com

edge of the racket leads to the ball. The ball grips onto and slides across the center strings in order to gain control of it. In this way, we can change the speed and spin of an incoming ball and vary depths and angles of our hit.

Underspin is used for ultimate control of a ball all over the court. We use it on volleys, approach shots, chip shots, drop shots, angles, serve returns, underspin drives, lobs and defensive shots.

So, the Continental Grip (or slightly Modified Grip) is used for ALL shots except the power topspin forehand. This includes the dominant hand for a two-handed backhand, a one-handed backhand (even more extreme than Continental), the serve and overhead.

2. Reduce arm and hand movement Start with a good ready position. If you read my article in last month’s edition, then you are ahead of the game. In the case of the volley, it will give you the best start to a single volley or multiple volleys in a point.

Remember that the ball goes where the racket face is facing at point of contact. A volley is a precision shot, so you need a still platform (the platform being your string bed) at contact. Any backswing reduces your ability to know exactly where your

FIGURE 1

strings might be facing. Your lower body has a lot to do with that, too, but we’ll get to that later.

You must use both arms and hands equally in order to stop backswing and follow through on volleys Your arms move in tandem and are constantly corresponding to each other. They have to be taught how to act together for all tennis strokes. It is not possible to hit a correct tennis stroke or, in this case, a volley by using only your dominant, hitting arm.

Use the steps below to eliminate backswing and follow through on a volley: l To stop backswing: React to an incoming ball by first determining whether it is a forehand or a backhand. From a ready position, simply lay back the wrist of your hitting arm, while keeping the nondominant hand close by (eight- to 12-inches). Both hands will raise to around shoulder height in order to approach the ball from above contact point. l The hit hand should basically line up with the hand in front of the elbow and the elbow in front of the

FIGURE 2

FIGURE 3

shoulder. If your non-dominant hand goes back then your hit hand will also go back, creating a backswing.

No matter how hard you try, you will not be able to keep your racket forward if the non-dominant hand goes away. l With your hit arm wrist laid back and both hands forward, you will see the racket head in front of you. The tip of the racket will be tipped off to the

right (for a righty) and to the left (for a lefty). The tip of the racket will NEVER be straight up and down. The front edge of the racket will be leading towards the ball. Now a crosscourt volley is very easy. l To stop follow through: When the ball is approaching the racket face, both hands are still and out within sight. continued on page 66

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be a volleying nightmare Just preceding contact the hit hand will push forward and the nondominant hand will pull in towards the hit hand. If both hands abruptly STOP moving together at this point, you will have your best shot at a crisp and precise volley.

3. Pair racket work with footwork to complete the volley Please understand that the volley described above is only the upper body portion. A good volley can only be hit when a corresponding footwork pattern is paired with the racket work.

A volley is a movement shot. This means that you are in coordinated movement with your lower body during the shot unlike a ground stroke, which is a stationary shot.

The typical description for volley footwork is to “step into” the shot with a specific leg.

While it is correct to get a specific foot and leg forward on a volley, the description is incorrect and confusing.

Volleys are one-step, dynamic push-off shots. “Stepping in” on any shot is created by pushing off of the opposite leg. For the volley, your weight is placed on one leg in tandem with the set of the racket face. To set your weight you simply unweight or

continued from page 65

take it off of the other foot and leg. If weight is loaded then it’s obvious to the body which leg can push off dynamically into the hit. Then you will understand what it is to hit a volley.

Add speed to or reduce speed from an incoming ball Your hands and feet like to move at the same speed. Since you are not creating any speed with a swing, then the speed you hit is determined by how slowly or quickly you push off to the hit. If you push off fast and powerfully, then your hands will fire more quickly for a more powerful volley. If you push off more slowly, then your hands will correspond and move more slowly and softly, allowing you to take pace off of a ball.

Use the steps below to pair racket work with footwork for the volley. The information is written for a right-handed player. For ease of explanation, we will be describing a forehand volley only. l From the ready position, with a wide stance, set the racket face forward and within sight with the tip angled out to the right. Keep the non-dominant hand close. With the set of the racket, your weight will shift to the same side leg, the right leg (see Fig. 1).

l In order to time the hit, as the incoming ball approaches, you may need to hold your weight on that leg briefly or quickly push off of it. You will learn to accommodate the incoming ball by timing the push off.

In order to move diagonally forward to a volley, you will need pivot on the pushing leg in varying amounts (see Fig. 2). l After the push off, you will strike the ball leading with the front edge of the racket. This will create underspin. You will then be landing on the lead foot, in this case the left foot and leg (see Fig. 3). l So, to make the timing understandable and repeatable, you’ll need to do three things at the same moment: Strike the ball with the racket, pull the non-dominant hand in towards the hit hand and land on the left foot. l It is important that you let your weight carry forward onto the landing leg.

The landing leg acts like a shock absorber, accepting your forceful weight onto a flexible hip, knee and ankle. From here, you’ll catch and rebalance your weight with the right foot and leg.

Written information about a series of movements and grips can be very difficult to understand. That being said, it is important to form a solid concept of what you are attempting to do in order to be successful.

Sometimes reading and digesting information can be just what is needed in order to form a good mental outline of a particular stroke.

Start getting a better understanding of what underspin is and why it is used for the volley. Learn to use your non-dominant side to reduce backswing and follow through.

Combine your racket work and footwork and enjoy frustrating your opponents with your dependable, all-court volley.

Lisa Dodson is the Developer and Owner of Servemaster, a USPTA Elite Professional and a former WTA world-ranked player. She is currently the Director of Tennis at Shenorock Shore Club in Rye, N.Y. She may be reached by e-mail at Lisa@TheTotalServe.com or visit TheTotalServe.com.

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2019 • LITennisMag.com

Tennis Tips for Singles Rallying

By Geoffrey Jagdfeld As USPTA tennis professionals, we are often asked questions about strategy.

What shot should I use when this happens? When should I try this tactic? I have put together some tips to help singles players better understand how and when to use certain strokes in order to achieve the best tactical benefits.

Each player should try to hit at least two or more consecutive shots in play. Let your opponent miss before you try to hit winners.

Modern tennis requires the forehand to be a weapon. Sixty-five to seventy percent of the court should be covered with the forehand, and the backhand should be consistent to provide solid support.

Hitting down the line is a much higher risk. The court is shorter, the net is higher and the recovery more difficult. Only hit down the line after hitting a well-angled crosscourt shot with the intention to put the ball away, and remember, this only happens 25 to 30 percent of the time.

When your opponent hits a slowerpaced ball directed to your backhand, run around any time it is possible to hit an attacking forehand. Forehands from the backhand corner disguise the hitter’s intended direction. Hit either inside-out (crosscourt) or down the line. It also offers a higher possibility of hitting another forehand when the ball comes back.

When your opponent hits shorter balls bouncing in the mid-court area, you should consider the speed and the

bounce of the ball and decide: 1. When the bounce is lower (knee high), you should opt for an approach shot (following the direction of the shot to the net). The key to a good approach shot is depth. It is easier to cover the court behind an approach shot down the line.

2. A crosscourt approach is only advisable when it forces your opponent into a long lateral run. When the bounce is higher (between hips and shoulder) go for a put away shot with a hard flattened drive.

3. Depending on your opponent’s position, a drop shot can be a good choice, but only after you have established a deep down the line approach shot.

Adding these concepts to your game will get you to the next level. Remember to be patient, as some of the ideas will be easy to implement, while others may take more time or instruction. Try these tips the next time you play singles.

Geoffrey Jagdfeld is USPTA Eastern President and currently Tennis Director of Solaris Sports Clubs. He is a USPTA Elite Professional and USTA High-Performance Coach who serves as USTA Junior Team Tennis League Coordinator for Westchester. He is the Head Coach of the Men’s and Women’s Tennis Teams at St. John Fisher College, and played collegiate tennis at Michigan State University.

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A Look Back at the Year T

By Emilie Katz

2018 ATP World Tour Awards presented by Moët & Chandon 2018 Australian Open January 15-28, 2018 Melbourne Park Melbourne, Australia 2018 Champions Men’s Singles: Roger Federer (Switzerland) Men’s Doubles: Oliver Marach (Austria) & Mate Pavic (Croatia) Women’s Singles: Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) Women’s Doubles: Kristina Mladenovic (France) & Timea Babos (Hungary) Mixed Doubles: Gabriela Dabrowski (Canada) & Mate Pavic (Croatia)

Wimbledon July 2-15, 2018 The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club Wimbledon, London, England 2018 Champions Men’s Singles: Novak Djokovic (Serbia) Men’s Doubles: Mike Bryan (USA) & Jack Sock (USA) Women’s Singles: Angelique Kerber (Germany) Women’s Doubles: Barbora Krejcikova (Czech Republic) & Katerina Siniaková (Czech Republic) Mixed Doubles: Alexander Peya (Austria) & Nicole Melichar (USA)

French Open May 27-June 12, 2018 Roland Garros Paris, France 2018 Champions Men’s Singles: Rafael Nadal (Spain) Men’s Doubles: Nicolas Mahut (France) & Pierre Hughes Herbert (France) Women’s Singles: Simona Halep (Romania) Women’s Doubles: Barbara Krejcikova (Czech Republic) & Katarina Siniaková (Czech Republic) Mixed Doubles: Latisha Chan (Taiwan) & Ivan Dodig (Croatian)

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U.S. Open August 27-September 9, 2018 USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Flushing Meadows, N.Y. 2018 Champions Men’s Singles: Novak Djokovic (Serbia) Men’s Doubles: Mike Bryan (USA) & Jack Sock (USA) Women’s Singles: Naomi Osaka (Japan) Women’s Doubles: Ashley Barty (Australia) & CoCo Vandeweghe (USA) Mixed Doubles: Bethanie Mattel-Sands (USA) & Jamie Murray (Great Britain)

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ATP World Tour Number One & Comeback Player of the Year Novak Djokovic Novak Djokovic secured a historic return to year-end number one in the ATP Men’s Singles Rankings, becoming the first player to be ranked outside the Top 20 and climb to the top spot in the same season. Djokovic fell as low as 22nd in the world in June after undergoing right elbow surgery earlier in the year. Everything changed when he entered Wimbledon, posting a 31-2 record, including Grand Slam titles at the grasscourt major and the U.S. Open, as well as ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crowns in both Cincinnati and Shanghai.

ATP World Tour Number One Doubles Team Oliver Marach & Mate Pavic The Austrian-Croatian duo of Oliver Marach & Mate Pavic clinched the yearend top spot for the first time, becoming the first players from their respective countries to achieve the feat in any of the ATP Rankings. Marach & Pavic completed a dominant campaign, beginning with a 17-match win streak and titles in Doha, Auckland and the Australian Open. Also champions in Geneva and Chengdu, they reached a total of nine finals, including runner-up finishes at Roland Garros and Monte-Carlo. Marach, 38, is the oldest member of a year-end number one

ar That Was 2018 Credit all photos to: WTA/ATP

doubles team since 38-year-old Sherwood Stewart in 1984. The 25-yearold Pavic is the youngest member of a year-end number one doubles team since Todd Woodbridge, 24, in 1995. It marks the fifth straight year in which a different team has finished as year-end number one.

Most Improved Player of the Year Stefanos Tsitsipas Twenty-year-old Stefanos Tsitsipas became the top-ranked Greek in ATP Rankings history after rising to a career-high 15th this season, and he also

became the first player from Greece to win a Tour-level title. The champion at the Intrum Stockholm Open, Tsitsipas dropped just one set en route to the indoor-hard court crown.

He rose from a season-opening ATP Ranking of 91st in the world to become the youngest member of the Top 20. He also finished runner-up at the ATP World Tour 500 event in Barcelona and the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Toronto, falling to Rafael Nadal in both finals. In Toronto, Tsitsipas became the youngest player to beat four Top 10 opponents at a single tournament since the ATP World Tour was established in 1990.

Newcomer of the Year Alex de Minaur From outside the Top 200 to open the year, Alex de Minaur soared to a careerhigh 31st in 2018. De Minaur began his campaign with a first Tour-level semifinal in Brisbane and final in Sydney. He would carry the momentum to the Challenger Circuit, where he captured his maiden title in Nottingham in June. The 19-year-old also reached his biggest final at the ATP World Tour 500 event in Washington and earned third-round finishes at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. In 2017, de Minaur won two Tour-level matches. In 2018, he secured a total of 24 victories.

Making his debut at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan, he is one of just two teenagers in the year-end Top 100 of the ATP Rankings. continued on page 70

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a look back at the year that was 2018 continued from page 69 Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award Rafael Nadal Fellow players voted Rafael Nadal as the winner of the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award for a second time, recognizing the Spaniard for his fair play, professionalism and integrity, both on and off the court. Nadal also received this honor in 2010. This season, the 32-yearold Spaniard spent 36 weeks atop the ATP Rankings and won five titles, including a record 11th titles at Roland Garros, Monte-Carlo and Barcelona. Off the court, Nadal supported flood relief efforts in Mallorca.

Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award Tommy Robredo To honor the memory of his close friend, Tommy Robredo launched his foundation and an international wheelchair tennis tournament, the Santi Silvas Open, in 2009. Robredo’s foundation organizes activities which encourage sports training for disabled people, especially wheelchair tennis. It also creates awareness of the importance of sport as beneficial to mental and physical health, and at the same time as a stimulant to personal growth and wellbeing.

ATP Coach of the Year Marian Vajda Marian Vajda and longtime pupil Novak Djokovic reunited in the spring of 2018 at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters after a one-year split. The 53-year-old Slovakian guided Djokovic to a return to the number one spot atop the ATP Rankings and Grand Slam victories at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, as well as 70

ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crowns in Cincinnati and Shanghai. Vajda is a former world number 34 and won a pair of ATP World Tour titles in the late 1980s.

ATPWorldTour.com Fans’ Favorite, presented by Moët & Chandon (Singles) Roger Federer The 37-year-old Roger Federer extended his reign in this category, winning the popular vote from fans for a 16th straight year to take his record tally of ATP World Tour Awards to 37. This season, Federer became the oldest world number one in the 45-year history of the ATP Rankings and also claimed his 20th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. Ahead of the Nitto ATP Finals, he won his 99th tour-level title at his hometown tournament in Basel.

ATPWorldTour.com Fans’ Favorite, presented by Moët & Chandon (Doubles) Mike Bryan & Jack Sock The Americans claimed the fan-voted award in their first year as a duo.

Mike Bryan previously won this Award with his brother Bob Bryan from 2005-17. With Bob sidelined with an injury since Madrid, Mike Bryan and Sock teamed up during the grass-court season and won the Wimbledon title in only their second tournament together. They followed with a second Grand Slam title at the US Open.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2019 • LITennisMag.com

Ron Bookman Media Excellence Award Sue Barker As accomplished in a television studio as she once was on a tennis court, Sue Barker, a former Roland Garros champion and world number three, anchors BBC’s tennis coverage. Each summer at the All-England Club, Barker performs what has become a Wimbledon tradition: an on-court interview with the new men’s and women’s singles champions. Barker started her television career with Channel 7 in Australia, before working for SKY and then becoming one of the most celebrated presenters at the BBC. ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Tournament of the Year BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells) The BNP Paribas Open wins in the Masters 1000 category for a fifth straight year. Ahead of the 2018 tournament, the BNP Paribas Open unveiled a brand-new “Full Bloom” marketing campaign that highlighted the world-class venue and players set amidst the stunning natural beauty and backdrop of the desert landscape. In parallel, the Indian Wells Tennis Garden underwent a beautification project to further amplify the feeling of Tennis Paradise.

Inside Stadium 1, video walls were replaced and upgraded to complement the action on court. Earlier this year, BNP Paribas extended its title sponsorship of the tournament through 2023.

ATP World Tour 500 Tournament of the Year Fever-Tree Championships (Queen’s Club)

The Fever-Tree Championships reclaims the distinction as Tournament of the Year after previously winning in the ATP World Tour 500

category in 2015-2016, and the 250 category in 2013-2014. The grass-court event has been staged for more than a century at The Queen’s Club in London, and has increased its center court capacity by more than 30 percent over the last two years. In 2018, the tournament welcomed Fever-Tree, the premium mixer drinks company, as its title-sponsor.

ATP World Tour 250 Tournament of the Year

Intrum Stockholm Open (Stockholm) The Intrum Stockholm Open wins the Tournament of the Year Award in the 250 category for the second time. It previously shared the honor with the Winston-Salem Open in 2016. The indoor hard-court tournament marked its 50th anniversary this year. With the help of new tournament promoter Game Set Events, it celebrated unique moments of the tournament, including interviews on court with Bjorn Borg, Mats Wilander and Stefan Edberg.

2018 WTA Year End Winners WTA Player of the Year 2018 Simona Halep Simona Halep claimed her first Grand Slam title at the French Open in 2018. She has spent 40 weeks as the WTA world number one this year, earning the WTA Year-End Number One Singles Ranking. She reached a Tourleading six WTA singles finals, including titles at the Shenzhen Open and Rogers Cup in Montreal. Halep also reach the finals at the Australian Open, Internazionali BNL d’Italia (Rome) and Western & Southern Open (Cincinnati).

WTA Doubles Team of the Year 2018 Barbora Krejcikova & Katerina Siniakova The duo of Barbora Krejcikova & Katerina Siniakova won back-toback Grand Slam titles at The French Open and Wimbledon, becoming the first team to do so in 15 years. The duo also advanced to the finals of the Miami Open and Shenzhen Open in 2018.

Most Improved Player of the Year 2018 Kiki Bertens This award is given to the player who finished inside the Top 100 and showed significant improvement throughout the 2018 season. Kiki Bertens clinched the biggest title of her career at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, where she defeated the WTA World number one Simona Halep in the final. She picked up two additional titles at the Volvo Car Open in Charleston and the Korea Open in Seoul. She broke into the WTA Top 10 in October, becoming the first Dutch woman to do so in 22 years.

Newcomer of the Year 2018 Aryna Sabalenka This award is given to the player who made Top 100 debut or notable accomplishments during the 2018 season, and prior to current year, had not played in more than six main draw events at Tour-level in a single season. Aryna Sabalenka won her first WTA singles title at the Connecticut Open in New Haven before taking the WTA Premier 5 title at the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open. She cracked the WTA Top 20 and reached a career-high singles ranking of 11th in October. She went on to make her best Grand Slam run by reaching the Round of 16 at the U.S. Open. Sabalenka owns eight wins over Top 10 players this season, the second most on the WTA Tour.

Comeback Player of the Year 2018 Serena Williams This honor is given to the player whose ranking previously dropped due to injury or personal reasons and current season’s results helped restore continued on page 72

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a look back at the year that was 2018 continued from page 71 their ranking. Serena Williams gave birth to her daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian in September 2017, returning to the WTA Tour in March 2018 at the BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells). She reached back to back Grand Slam finals at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. She also made the Round of 16 at the French Open. Serena’s ranking dropped to 491st in the world in March, but she managed to climb all the way back into the WTA Top 20 after the U.S. Open, rising to sixth in the world.

WTA Jerry Diamond ACES Award 2018 Elina Svitolina The WTA Jerry Diamond ACES Award is presented to the player who consistently goes above and beyond in promoting the sport of women’s tennis to fans, media and local communities by performing off-court promotional and charitable activities. The ACES Award was first introduced in 1995, in memory of former WTA CEO Jerry Diamond. Elina Svitolina has earned the ACES Award for the first time in her career in 2018. The Ukrainian participated in numerous kid’s clinics, charitable activities and fan friendly events throughout the globe to

help bring the game closer to the community.

2018 ATP retirements Florian Mayer Florian Mayer reached his career-high singles ranking of world number 18 in June of 2011. Also in 2011, Mayer won his first ATP title after four previous defeats in ATP finals. At the 2004 Wimbledon Championships, Mayer reached the quarterfinals, which is his best Grand Slam result to date. He received the ATP Newcomer of the Year award in 2004.

Eight years later, Mayer made his second Grand Slam quarterfinal, once again at Wimbledon. The biggest win of his career came at the 2011 Shanghai Rolex Masters, when he upset 11-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal in the Round of 16. Mayer was known for his unorthodox style of play. He had a long backswing on his forehand and backhand and used a lot of different slices and spins on his backhand side. He was also known for his jumping backhand dropshots ,which often frustrated his opponents.

Mayer retired from professional tennis after the 2018 U.S. Open.

Max Mirnyi Max Mirnyi climbed to the top of the ATP Doubles Rankings for the first time in June of 2003 and would spend 57 weeks atop the doubles rankings, good enough for 15th all-time. The Belarusian won 52 Tour-level doubles titles (5246), and he recently finished his 20th consecutive doubles campaign inside the Top 100. As a singles player, he ascended as high as 18th in the ATP Rankings, and won 244 Tour-level matches, including 16 victories against Top 10 opponents. The 41-year-old Belarusian was world number one in doubles and won Olympic Gold in 2012 in mixed doubles with Victoria Azarenka. He is a 10-time Grand Slam doubles and mixed champion and the two-time winner of the ATP Doubles Final (2006, 2011). He won 53 ATP titles (including one in singles).

2018 WTA retirements Francesca Schiavone Francesca Schiavone started her professional career in 1998. She won the 2010 French Open singles title, becoming the first Italian woman to win a Grand Slam event in singles.

She was also runner-up at the 2011 French Open. Her career-high ranking of fourth in the world was achieved in January of 2011. To date, Schiavone is the last one-handedbackhand player to win a Grand Slam title on the WTA Tour.

Roberta Vinci At the age of 35, Roberta Vinci played her last professional match in front of a home crowd at the Italian Open. This ended a 19-year career that included one of the biggest upsets in the history of professional tennis, stunning Serena Williams in the semifinals of the 2015 U.S. Open, stopping Williams just two matches short in her bid of a calendar Grand Slam. She went on to lose in the finals to fellow countrywoman Flavia Pennetta. But Vinci was at her best in doubles. She spent 110 weeks ranked number one, and won five Grand Slam titles, all with Sarah Errani.

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2019 • LITennisMag.com

Why Athletes Choke

By Dr. Tom Ferraro I have been treating athletes for the last 20 years, and after all this time, I can conclude that their issues fall into one of the following two categories: They will fail either out of a fear of success or due growing self-doubt. In this article, let us explore the former issue, the so-called “Fear of Success,” something the lay public usually calls “Choking.”

The choke When an athlete under-performs during a high-stakes event, it is called “Choking.”

This phenomena has been well-studied and is characterized by symptoms which include mental blankness, focusing on irrelevant details, heightened alertness, intrusive and ruminative thoughts, restlessness, catastrophe, dizziness, dry mouth, racing heart rate, perspiration, and/or muscle weakness. It is obvious to any observer when an athlete is choking and it’s painful to watch and even more painful to experience.

it is necessary to look beneath the surface and to help the athlete understanding what is going on unconsciously. And I have also learned that usually the most gifted athletes and the most promising are the ones who fear success the most.

The founder of psychotherapy, Sigmund Freud, provided some helpful hints as to why athletes tend to destroy their own success. He referred to these dynamics as being “Wrecked by success,” and are due to “The calamites of childhood.” He believed that childhood fears of abandonment, fears of retaliatory injury, fears of loss of affection and guilt were responsible for the adult tendency to run from their own success. These fears are unconscious and produce exaggerated reactions to positive things like victory and normal aggression.

The cure In order to gain control over this fear of success and self-defeat, one needs to obtain insight. Insight is defined as: l The understanding of your psychological symptoms, l What triggers these symptoms in the present, l The unconscious childhood roots of Causes of choking these problems, and finally This issue has been widely discussed in the cognitive/behavioral literature they have l The ability to ignore and remove the symptoms when they arrive. failed to provide an adequate understanding of the causes or the cures for this comEach of these four steps is necessary for mon problem in sports. I have learned that

the cure to happen. The failure of most therapeutic efforts is due to the neglect of the person’s past and thus denying the power of their unconscious.

All humans have experienced these “calamities of childhood” including fears of abandonment, fear of losing parental affection and exaggerated guilt.

A vast variety of behavioral interventions have been tried in order to help remove symptoms and all have proven largely unsuccessful because they neglect the influence of one’s unconscious history. Until real insight into the problem and its cause is achieved, all the psychological tools on earth will prove to be useless and like attempting to stop a tidal wave with a small sand castle on the beach. But when insight is achieved, one finds that virtually any intervention that the patient is given will prove to have a salutary effect on behavior, performance and mood.

Most athletes think they have a fear of failure, but in fact, they usually have a far greater fear of success and this is the reason they choke. Depth sport psychology is designed to help them to understand their fears of success so that they achieve all of their rightful ambitions.

For consultations, treatment or on-site visits, contact Dr. Tom Ferraro Ph.D., Sport Psychologist, by phone at (516) 248-7189, e-mail DrTFerraro@aol.com or visit DrTomFerraro.com.

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BY Simona Halep/Darren Cahill End Coaching Relationship

E M I L I E

KAT Z

support as our children enter important stages of their lives with the final year of high school, sports and college preparations all becoming more time-consuming,” said Cahill.

Radwanska Announces Her Retirement

The coach-player partnership between Darren Cahill and Simona Halep has come to an end. The two began working together in 2015 and shared lots of success, as Halep finished the year ranked number one in the world, and claimed her first ever Grand Slam title.

“I’ve decided to take a 12-month break from coaching to be home more for

Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska has announced her retirement from professional tennis, citing her health as the primary

reason for stepping away from the courts.

The 29-year-old Radwanska climbed to as high as number two in the world and reached a Wimbledon final during her career, earning the nickname of “Ninja” for her crafty and stylish shot-making on the WTA Tour.

Keys Checks in on Forbes “30 Under 30” List

American Madison Keys was named to the Forbes “30 Under 30” Sports List for 2019,

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2019 • LITennisMag.com

which spotlights the next generation of top athletes. Keys, ranked 17th in the world, was the only tennis player to check in on the list.

“Madison Keys is part of the impressive post-Serena Williams wave of American women tennis players climbing through the game’s ranks,” said Keys’ profile in Forbes.

York Open, alongside his partner Philipp Oswald in February.

Tennis World Remembers Former President George H.W. Bush

Azarenka Gets Ice Skating Lessons From Olympian

Professional tennis players make sure to take part in new activities to keep themselves busy in the offseason, and Victoria Azarenka is no different. First, she put out an inquiry on Twitter looking for someone to take ice skating lessons from, and found that person in Olympic ice dancer Sinead Kerr. The two took to the ice for a lesson in New York’s Central Park at Lasker Rink.

Max Mirnyi Calls It a Career

The United States lost one of its finest when former President George H.W. Bush passed away Nov. 30th at the age of 94.

An avid athlete and sports fan himself, Bush loved tennis and was revered by many in the tennis community. Tennis legends like Chris Evert (pictured here with President Bush) recalled playing doubles with the 41st President of the United States, and paid her respect with heartfelt messages on social media.

“I feel so privileged that I have had a friendship with George Bush for over 40 years,” Evert told People.com. “Visiting the White House, Camp David and Kennebunkport, having him induct me into the International Tennis Hall of Fame and going on cruises in Greece with his family are fond memories. During those times, I have witnessed such a love of family from him.”

Croatia Wins Davis Cup In what is likely the last final played under the current format, Croatia defeated France in the Davis Cup Finals in Lille, France. Marin Cilic and Borna Coric delivered huge singles victories to lead the Croats to a 3-1 victory in the 106th Davis Cup Finals, the second title for Croatia after the nation won it back in 2005.

Pliskova Releases Her Own Calendar

If you are looking for a new calendar for 2019, WTA star Karolina Pliskova has one for you. The 26-year-old Czech released a calendar featuring pictures of herself, taken in Monte Carlo, Calif. and Prague, Czech Republic, and held a launch party in New York City along with photographer Ondrej Pycha.

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Evaluating Trends in the Sport of Tennis

By Bo Zaputovic

he game of tennis is always changing and evolving, and in order to keep up with the latest trends, we must adapt.

Tennis, as a sport, has seen many evolutions over the last few decades. In addition to constant technological advancements in equipment, one trend that has swept the sport over the past few years is the increase in the height of players.

The ATP Men’s Singles Rankings is dominated by tall players, as John Isner, Milos Raonic, Marin Cilic, Alexander Zverev, Juan Martin Del Potro, and Karen Khachanov are all at least 6’6” tall. To compare to just two decades ago, Goran Ivanisevic at 6’3” was the tallest player in the top 10.

In addition to the increased average height of the players, improvements racket and string technology have impacted play and have added substantial speed and power to the ball. According to multiple sources, the average rally on

T

the men’s professional tour is currently only between four and six shots.

Needless to say, the first shot, whether it be a serve or a return, is critical to be able to play modern tennis. Your first shot will set the tone for the rest of the rally and likely determine the winner of the point.

However, if you look at most tennis lessons, serving and returning is almost always left for the end of the lesson and comprises just five to 10 percent of the entire lesson. At that point, the student is tired and cannot properly use their fatigued body to their fullest potential, which is crucial to developing a powerful serve.

The serve and return of serve are often perceived as separate shots, instead of an integral part to a players’ overall strategy.

As someone who works with high-performance juniors and also advises other coaches, I like to look at the serve as a starting point and teach players to use it as a part of their master plan for the specific point they’re about to play. A powerful serve is useless if not executed as part of

the overall strategy. For instance, Rafael Nadal is not known as a very powerful server, but his ability to place his serve and construct the point around it, in addition to his solid return game, helps him hold his serve and neutralize powerful servers.

According to ATP stats, Nadal won the most second serve points in 2017. From my experience, one of the most overlooked parts of a players’ game is second serve conversions. Most players are able to consistently only make between 40 and 65 percent of their first serves; as such, they’re left with the second serve. Often, this is the moment where most players “choke” at pivotal points in a match.

If taught properly, players can learn that their second serve can still be used strategically, instead of just putting it in the service box and hoping for the best. One of the methods to instruct this is to make players play practice sets with only one second serve throughout the set. This way, they will learn how to value their second serve more and try to get more out of it and grow comfortable doing so.

While the average height on the professional tour has increased over the last few years, not everyone has the ability to serve aces like the aforementioned players, who lead the ace statistics columns. This is where second serve conversion and playing cool under the pressure comes in handy. This ability can definitely be taught and improved upon, but must be taught early on because serving second serves under pressure is not a skill that can be easily acquired.

Bo Zaputovic is a Tennis Pro and Coach at Christopher Morley Tennis, located in Roslyn, N.Y. Bo was born in Montenegro, where he spent his junior career, and after that, attended Midwestern State University, playing singles and doubles.

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Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2019 • LITennisMag.com

Getting Better in the Offseason

By Luke Jensen Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oy, Oy, Oy!!!

The New Year means new opportunities for the pro tennis player, as thousands of men and women are climbing the same mountain to be the very best tennis player in the world.

That steep climb begins with a mind and body reset around November the year before.

At some point, a player’s calendar ends. Some players are successful enough to take their year-long performance to the tour championships and even the Davis Cup or Fed Cup Finals. Even those few high performers have the same decision to make going into the very short pro tennis offseason: How to set up the mission and regiment for critical offseason training that can springboard a player into the New Year. That means prepping for the first major of the year, the Aussie Open. The very first thing you need to know that the Southern Hemisphere is in the middle of their summer.

The extraordinary hot conditions means training is more physical than mental. The crosstraining between the on- and off-court made the difference in the transition from the cold months in the USA, to playing in the scorching heat of the Aussie summer tennis season.

The offseason gave me time to work on areas of my game that let me down over the previous season. That means specific technique, strategy and repetitive training in the morning, followed by three sets of all kinds of match play in the afternoon. Through the years, I would tweak it to find more performance going into the Aussie Open warm-up events, but the basic outline worked for my brother and sisters looking to start the year out on a winning note!

The Aussie Open is just as exciting for the tennis fan. Back in the 1990’s, ESPN tennis analyst legend Cliff Drysdale named the Aussie

the “Happy Slam” and the name stuck! If you ever have the chance to be part of this great event, you will know right away why there is such a wonderful happy vibe. The Aussie culture is built around family, sport and everything outdoors. Tennis is also a huge part of the Aussie way of life. Legends like Laver, Court, Emerson and so many others over the years have shaped the tennis landscape where the majority of ALL Aussies play tennis.

The Aussie is also one of the most modern slams. The Aussie was the first to add retractable roof stadiums and the event continues to grow. It is now the Grand Slam of the Asia-Pacific. This mindset of including other regions close to them has been a gamechanger to promote tennis throughout that part of the world.

If you are looking for a tournament that puts the fan first … the Aussie is perfect for you!

Just within walking distance from all the major hotels in downtown Melbourne and the food is aces! I walked to and from the tournament site every day as a player. The best players in the world looking to win the first major in the

calendar year. The year 2019 will also be a very special year for the Aussie Open. Rod Laver won his second calendar year Grand Slam 50 years ago in 1969. The first leg of that accomplishment began a true Aussie Open all those years ago. I know the Aussies are going to celebrate this accomplishment in a big way.

Enjoy the 2019 Aussie Open, and even if you won’t be there, there is more than 100 hours of TV coverage to keep you locked into the first major of the year!

Until next month … see you on the tennis courts!

Raised in Ludington, Mich., Luke Jensen’s resume includes 10 ATP Tour doubles titles. He was also a member of the U.S. Davis Cup Teams that reached the finals in 1991 and won in 1992.

His ambidextrous play, including his ability to serve the ball with either hand at 130 mph, earned him the nickname “Dual Hand Luke.”

Luke is currently Director of Racket Sports at West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, N.Y. He may be reached by phone at (315) 403-0752 or e-mail LukeJensen84@yahoo.com.

2013 ETA Recipient “Innovative Tennis Program of the Year” LI’s first Tennis Academy devoted to the USTA’s 10 & under Initiative.

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www.catsny.com LITennisMag.com • January/February 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

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USTA/Long Island Region 2019

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments.

JANUARY 2019 Friday-Sunday, January 18-20 L1B Bethpage Park January Challenger Bethpage Park Tennis Center 99 Quaker Meeting House Road Farmingdale, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Jan. 14 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail RBecker06@yahoo.com or call (516) 359-4843.

Saturday-Sunday, January 19-20 Youth Progression 10U Green Ball L1 at Point Set Tennis Point Set Tennis 3065 New Street Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Green Level 1 Boys’ & Girls’ 10 and Under Singles: 78’ Green Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Hard Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Jan. 13 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088.

Friday-Sunday, January 25-27 L2 RWTT January Open Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenue Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (FMLC) and Intermediate Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14, 18 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Jan. 20 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail RWagner968@aol.com or call (516) 759-0505.

Friday-Sunday, January 25-27 L2 Long Island Open at Deer Park TC Deer Park Tennis Club 30 Burt Drive Deer Park, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys’ & Girls’ Singles & Doubles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14-18 (SE) and Intermediate Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (FMLC) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 for first singles, $28 for first doubles (deadline for entries is Friday, Jan. 18 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail DeerParkTennis@optimum.net or call (631) 667-3476.

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Friday-Sunday, January 25-27 L2 Bethpage Park January Open Bethpage Park Tennis Center 99 Quaker Meeting House Road Farmingdale, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Jan. 21 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail RBecker06@yahoo.com or call (516) 359-4843.

Friday-Sunday, February 1-3 L2 Bethpage Park Winter Open Bethpage Park Tennis Center 99 Quaker Meeting House Road Farmingdale, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14-16 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Jan. 28 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail RBecker06@yahoo.com or call (516) 359-4843.

Friday-Sunday, January 25-27 L1B Ross January Challenger Ross School Tennis Academy 18 Goodfriend Drive East Hampton, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14-18 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Jan. 21 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail CSidor@Ross.org or call (631) 907-5162.

Friday-Sunday, February 1-3 Eastern Empire Cup National Doubles at GHRC Glen Head Racquet Club 95 Glen Head Road Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: Advanced Girls’ Doubles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (MFIC) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $59.63 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Jan. 22 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail Vasco.D.Antunes@gmail.com or call (516) 676-9849.

Friday-Sunday, January 25-27 L1B Sportime Syosset January Challenger Sportime-Syosset 75 Haskett Drive Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14-16 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail KSorokko@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 364-2727.

FEBRUARY 2019 Friday-Sunday, February 1-3 Eastern Empire Cup National Doubles at RWTTC Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenue Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Advanced Girls’ Doubles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (MFIC) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $59.63 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Jan. 22 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail RWagner968@aol.com or call (516) 759-0505.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2019 • LITennisMag.com

Friday-Sunday, February 1-3 L2 February Freeze Open Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (FRLC); Intermediate Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14-18 (SE); Intermediate Boys’ & Girls’ Doubles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12-18 (SE); and Intermediate Mixed Doubles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12-18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 for first singles, $54.25 for additional singles, $28 for first doubles, $28.00 for additional doubles (deadline for entries is Wednesday, Jan. 30 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail Andrew@LongBeachTennisCenter.com or call (516) 432-6060.

Friday-Sunday, February 1-3 Eastern Empire Cup National Doubles at Point Set Point Set Tennis 3065 New Street Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Advanced Boys’ Doubles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (MFIC) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $59.63 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Jan. 22 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088.

USTA/Long Island Region 2019

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments.

Saturday-Sunday, February 2-3 Youth Progression L1 Green Ball-Robbie Wagner’s Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenue • Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Green Level 1 Boys’ & Girls’ 10 and Under Singles: 78’ Green Ball 10 (FRLC) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Jan. 20 at 11:59 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail RWagner968@aol.com or call (516) 759-0505.

Friday-Sunday, February 8-10 L1B Deer Park January Challenger Deer Park Tennis Club 30 Burt Drive • Deer Park, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 1216 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Thursday, Jan. 31 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail DeerParkTennis@optimum.net or call (631) 667-3476.

Friday-Sunday, February 8-10 L1 Ross February Championships Ross School Tennis Academy 18 Goodfriend Drive • East Hampton, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Feb. 4 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail CSidor@Ross.org or call (631) 907-5162.

Saturday-Sunday, February 2-3 Youth Progression Green L1: Ross School Ross School Tennis Academy 18 Goodfriend Drive • East Hampton, N.Y. Divisions: Green Level 1 Boys’ & Girls’ 10 and Under Singles: 78’ Green Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $48.88 per player (deadline for entries is Sunday, Jan. 27 at 11:59 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail CSidor@Ross.org or call (631) 907-5162.

Friday-Sunday, February 8-10 L1 RWTTC February Championships Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenue • Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Feb. 4 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail RWagner968@aol.com or call (516) 759-0505.

Friday-Sunday, February 8-10 L1 Sportime Syosset Championships Sportime-Syosset 75 Haskett Drive • Syosset, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys’ & Girls’ Singles & Doubles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (FMLC) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Feb. 4 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail KSorokko@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 364-2727.

Saturday, February 2 Youth Progression Orange L1-East Setauket World Gym Racquet & Sports Arena 384 Mark Tree Road • East Setauket, N.Y. Divisions: Orange Level 1 Boys’ & Girls’ 10 and Under Singles: 60’ Orange Ball 10 (NEF) Surface Type: Clay Entry Fee: $48.88 per player For more information, e-mail VTAPR@hotmail.com or call or call (631) 751-6100.

Friday-Sunday, February 8-10 L1 February Championships at GHRC Glen Head Racquet Club 95 Glen Head Road Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Feb. 4 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail Vasco.D.Antunes@gmail.com or call (516) 676-9849.

Friday-Sunday, February 8-10 L1 Point Set Winter Championships Point Set Tennis 3065 New Street • Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Feb. 4 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088.

DJCM

DJ Curtis McCalla

DJ Services Available For Booking Phone

516.852.6063 E-mail

djcmnyc@gmail.com LITennisMag.com • January/February 2019 • Long Island Tennis Magazine

79

USTA/Long Island Region 2019

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE For detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments.

Friday-Sunday, February 8-10 L1 Bethpage Park February Championships Bethpage Park Tennis Center 99 Quaker Meeting House Road Farmingdale, N.Y. Divisions: Championships Boys’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $65 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Feb. 4 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail RBecker06@yahoo.com or call (516) 359-4843.

Friday-Monday, February 15-18 L1B Huntington Indoor President’s Challenger Huntington Indoor Tennis 100 Broadway Huntington Station, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 18 (SE) Surface Type: Unknown Entry Fee: $58.82 per player For more information, e-mail hitennis@hitennisny.com or call (631) 421-0040.

Friday-Sunday, February 15-17 L2 GHRC February Open Glen Head Racquet Club 95 Glen Head Road Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: Intermediate Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14-16 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player For more information, e-mail Vasco.D.Antunes@gmail.com or call (516) 676-9849.

Friday-Sunday, February 15-17 L1B Ross February Challenger Ross School Tennis Academy 18 Goodfriend Drive East Hampton, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12-18 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries is Monday, Feb. 11 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail CSidor@Ross.org or call (631) 907-5162.

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Friday-Sunday, February 15-17 L1B LBTC February Challenger Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles & Doubles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14-16 (SE) and Challenger Mixed Doubles: 78’ Yellow Ball 14-16 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 for first singles, $28 for first doubles, $28 for additional doubles (deadline for entries is Sunday, Feb. 10 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail Andrew@LongBeachTennisCenter.com or call (516) 432-6060.

Saturday-Monday, February 16-18 USTA National Level 2 Tournament Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenue Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Boys’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16-18 (FIC-R16) and Boys’ Doubles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16-18 (SE) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $145.63 per player (deadline for entries is Thursday, Jan. 17 at 11:59 a.m.)

For more information, e-mail RWagner968@aol.com or call (516) 759-0505.

Friday-Sunday, February 22-24 Eastern Super Six at RWTTC (National L4) Robbie Wagner Tournament Training at Glen Cove 60 Sea Cliff Avenue Glen Cove, N.Y. Divisions: Super 6 Event Boys’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (FIC-R16) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $134.88 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Feb. 12 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail RWagner968@aol.com or call (516) 759-0505.

Friday-Sunday, February 22-24 Eastern Super Six at GHRC (National L4) Glen Head Racquet Club 95 Glen Head Road Glen Head, N.Y. Divisions: Super 6 Event Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12 (FIC-R16) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $134.88 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Feb. 12 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail Vasco.D.Antunes@gmail.com or call (516) 676-9849.

Long Island Tennis Magazine • January/February 2019 • LITennisMag.com

Friday-Sunday, February 22-24 Eastern Super Six at World Gym (National L4) World Gym Racquet & Sports Arena 384 Mark Tree Road East Setauket, N.Y. Divisions: Super 6 Event Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 16 (FIC-R16) Surface Type: Clay Indoor Entry Fee: $134.88 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Feb. 12 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail VTAPR@hotmail.com or call or call (631) 751-6100.

Friday-Sunday, February 22-24 Eastern Super Six at Sportime Bethpage (National L4) Sportime Bethpage 101 Norcross Avenue Bethpage, N.Y. Divisions: Super 6 Event Boys’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 18 (FIC-R16) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $134.88 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Feb. 12 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail KSorokko@SportimeNY.com or call (516) 933-8500.

Friday-Sunday, February 22-24 L1B End of February LBTC Open Long Beach Tennis Center 899 Monroe Boulevard Long Beach, N.Y. Divisions: Challenger Boys’ & Girls’ Singles & Doubles: 78’ Yellow Ball 12,18 (SE) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $54.25 for first singles, $28 for first doubles, $28 for additional doubles (deadline for entries is Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail Andrew@LongBeachTennisCenter.com or call (516) 432-6060.

Friday-Sunday, February 22-24 Eastern Super Six at Point Set (National L3) Point Set Tennis 3065 New Street Oceanside, N.Y. Divisions: Super 6 Event Girls’ Singles: 78’ Yellow Ball 18 (FIC-R16) Surface Type: Hard Indoor Entry Fee: $134.88 per player (deadline for entries is Tuesday, Feb. 12 at 1:00 p.m.)

For more information, e-mail Ruiz.Clark@yahoo.com or call (917) 991-0088.

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110 Long Island Tennis Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ November/December 2018 â&#x20AC;˘ LITennisMag.com