new york tennis magazine september / october 2015

S E R V I N G U P M A N H AT T A N ’ S F I N E S T L U X U RY R E A L E S TAT E F O R 1 6 Y E A R S .

G R A N D S L A M P R O P E R T I E S

A tennis enthusiast himself, Jason Karadus has worked with world class athletes and the most discerning clientele with the utmost discretion. While never ranked in the ATP, he is ranked amongst the Top Residential Real Estate

Brokers in America by the Wall Street Journal, and has over $160 million in-contract for 2015.

53 GREENE STREET - PH SOHO 3 BR 4 BATH $14.05 M WEB ID: 476638

721 FIFTH AVENUE MIDTOWN EAST 3 BR 3 BATH $8.95 M WEB ID: 508828

179 SULLIVAN ST - TH GREENWICH 7 BR 7.5 BATH $17.5 M WEB ID: 878985

JASON P. KARADUSLicensed Assoc. Real Estate Broker

E: [email protected]: 917.685.8575

TOWN Flatiron LLC

110 Fifth Avenue, 6th Floor

New York, NY 10011

1355 FIRST AVENUE - THE CHARLES U.E.S 4 BR 4 BATH $9.882 M WEB ID: 917135

5548 ALBANY POST ROAD RHINEBECK 4 BR 3 BATH $1.8 M WEB ID: 605068

173 PERRY WEST VILLAGE 2 BR 2.5 BATH $4.8 M WEB ID: 795681

TOWN Residential LLC (“TOWN”) is a licensed real estate broker and a partnership of Buttonwood Residential Brokerage LLC and Thor Equities, LLC. All property listing information, including, but not limited to, square footage, room

TOWNRESIDENTIAL.COM

1NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2015 • New York Tennis Magazine

THE MANHATTANTENNIS ACADEMY

(212) 359-9535Class Times—Mon - Fri

3:00 - 4:00 • 3:15 - 4:00 • 4:00 - 5:00 • 5:00 - 6:00www.manhattantennisacademy.com

The Manhattan Tennis Academy, NYC’s premier tennis academy, conveniently located in Chelsea, still hasspots in its popular QuickStart program for Fall 2015 semester starting Monday, September 14.

Our popular QuickStart program is specifically designed for children ages 4–8 years old. QuickStart with TheManhattan Tennis Academy utilizes modified court equipment such as mini nets, low pressure/progression ballsand modified rackets, consistent with the USTA’s 10 and Under standards.

This program is designed to teach fundamental tennis movements, eye-hand coordination and basic motorskills to our youngest players-all while maximizing FUN!

www.manhattantennisacademy.com • 341 8th Avenue (between 26th & 27th streets), NYC • (212) 359-9535

CALL TO ENROLL TODAY!

New York Tennis Magazine1220 Wantagh Avenue • Wantagh, NY 11793-2202

Phone: (516) 409-4444 • Fax: (516) 409-4600Web site: www.nytennismag.com

StaffDavid Sickmen

Publisher(516) 409-4444, ext. 309 • [email protected]

Joel M. BermanPresident

(516) 409-4444, ext. 310 • [email protected]

Eric C. PeckEditor-in-Chief


Brian ColemanSenior Editor


Joey ArendtManaging Art Director

Francine MillerAdvertising Coordinator


Matthew CohenDirector of Business Development

(516) 409-4444, ext. 306

Emilie KatzAssistant Marketing Coordinator

Beverly BolnickNational Sales Manager(516) 409-4444, ext. 316

Scott KoondelVP of Operations

(516) 409-4444, ext. 324

AdvertisingTo receive any information regarding advertisingrates, deadlines, and requirements, call (516)409-4444 or e-mail [email protected].

Article Submissions/Press ReleasesTo submit any material, including articles and pressreleases, please call (516) 409-4444 or [email protected]. The deadline for submissionsis the first of the month preceding the target issue.

SubscriptionsTo receive subscription information, contact (516)409-4444 or e-mail [email protected] or checkout our Web site: www.nytennismag.com. Faxsubscription changes to (516) 409-1600.

Statements of fact and opinion in New YorkTennis Magazine are the responsibility of theauthors alone and do not imply an opinion on thepart of United Sports Publications Ltd. New YorkTennis Magazine reserves the right to edit, rejectand/or postpone the publication of any articles,information or data.

nytennisMAGAZINE

New York Tennis Magazine

Featured Stories20 2015 New York City Girls High School Preview

A look at the girl’s high school season.33 2015 U.S. Open Preview

The stars of the sport get set to take over the New York area for the finalGrand Slam of 2015.

50 2015 Guide to the Top Clubs/Programs for New York Tennis PlayersA closer look at the top clubs and programs.

Featured4 NYJTL Hosts 500-Plus for Annual Summer Gala With the Stars16 Best Lights: Perfecting On-Court LED Lighting17 Boca West Country Club Offers Pro-Worthy Tennis Center18 Courtside … With Skip Hartman22 Ball Hubs Offer Unique Combination of On-Court Branding &

Functionality28 Drink Up! By Elizabeth Right Reiss46 Women’s Grass Court Nationals Wraps in Forest Hills By Ashley

Brownstein48 MBR Builders Brings Experience and Skill to Indoor Tennis Renovations65 What Was Is … Mauna Kea Beach Hotel Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary72 What Happened to Decency? By Richard Thater80 High Country Ski and Tennis Launches U.S. Open Campaign

Featured Columns6 Court Six: New York Tennis Magazine’s Gossip Column By Emilie Katz10 Across Metro New York12 Fitness & Nutrition By Suzanna McGee14 The Jensen Zone By Luke Jensen24 USTA Eastern Metro Region Update60 New York Tennis Magazine’s Charitable Initiatives63 Adult League: USTA Leagues Update64 Sports Medicine: Dealing With Lower Back Pain By Dr. Michael Mizhiritsky66 More Than an Athlete By Rob Polishook, MA, CPC68 Tips From the Tennis Pro By Lisa Dodson71 Metro Corporate League Recap, Presented by Advantage Tennis Clubs74 How to Become the Alpha Player on the Court By Dr. Tom Ferraro76 New York Rankings79 USTA/Metropolitan Region 2015 Tournament Schedule

Table Of ContentsSEP/OCT 2015 • Vol 5, No 5

Pursuit of History By Brian ColemanSerena Williams continues her quest for her 22nd Open EraGrand Slam title when the U.S. Open takes over the New Yorkarea for the final Grand Slam event of 2015. See page 30

New York Tennis Magazine is published bi-monthly by United Sports Publications Ltd. • Copyright © 2015 United Sports Publications Ltd.

Jacob MishkinIntern

Alyssa GormanIntern

Trevor MitchelIntern

Jessica HaverlinIntern

Samantha SklarIntern

Sarah SklarIntern


If tennis is your game, Advantage is your club!

Manhattan Plaza Racquet and Health Club

450 West 43rd St., New York, NYContact Milos Vojvodic: 212.594.0554, [email protected]

New York Tennis Club

3081 Harding Ave., Throgs Neck, NYContact Delilah Bartels: 718.239.7919, [email protected]

6 Har-Tru Outdoor courts

5 cushioned hard indoor courts

Roosevelt Island Racquet Club

281 Main St., Roosevelt Island, NYContact Gordon Kent: 212.935.0250, gkent@ advantagetennisclubs.com

12 Har-Tru indoor courts

Advantage Tennis Clubs serve up tennis just the way you like it! Always with a relaxed atmosphere, friendly people and 3 unbeatable locations.

All Advantage Tennis Clubs offer: Private and group lessons • Game arranging • Tennis programs & clinics • Leagues • QuickStart for ages 4 & up • Junior program • And more!

Find out more today—then choose your Advantage club! advantagetennisclubs.com

Choose from 3 fantastic locations.

NYJTL Hosts 500-Plus Annual Summer Gala

On a beautiful Augustnight in New York City,more than 500 atten-dees took part in theNew York Junior Ten-nis League’s (NYJTL)Annual Summer Gala

With the Stars. Luminaries from theworlds of tennis, finance and the NewYork social scene came out to supportone of the largest tennis and education-themed organizations in the country.

Former New York City Mayor DavidDinkins, NYJTL Founder Skip Hartmanand other supporters helped celebrate

the efforts of the group, which reachesout to more than 75,000 New York Cityyouth.

“In the two weeks of the U.S. Open,$750 million is generated to the economyof New York, more than the Knicks,Rangers, Mets and Yankees combined,and this is the kickoff event” said Dinkins.

More than 500 partygoers honored theNYJTL's work and, in particular, thegrand opening of the $26.5 million CaryLeeds Center for Tennis and Learning inthe Bronx's Crotona Park. Through silentauctions and donations, the SummerGala With the Stars is expected to raise

more than six figures.Polly Scott, NYJTL board member and

director of development, said that it is theyounger members of the tennis commu-nity that make the event the success thatit is.

“The young people in the tennis com-munity make this event so special, this isreally about reaching out to the kids ofNYC through the tennis community,” saidScott. “Young tennis players, old tennisplayers … this is a way for all of us in thetennis community to reconnect as we doevery year before the Open.”

In addition to the spread of food andopen bar, guests enjoyed entertainment, in-cluding a live band, photo booth, gondolarides and a magician. A silent auction wasalso conducted, with prizes ranging fromhotel and vacation stays, to Legends seatsat Yankees Stadium.

“Everybody has a good time, it’s a lotof young people, and it’s a really diverseevent in terms of age,” said Hartman. “It’sgot a lot of energy to it. This event isabout bringing new people in to makecontact with the organization.”

forWith the Stars

Providing the highest quality orthopedic care for NY & NJ.

Orthopedic Surgery & Sports Medicine l Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Our expert orthopedic doctors treat all bone, joint, and musculoskeletal injuries of tennis athletes.

Dr. Leon Popovitz is a former orthopedic surgeon for the US Open.Main Location

205 E. 64th St., Ste. 402 l New York, NY 10065 l Phone: (646) 693-3194

www.nyboneandjoint.com


courtsixNew York Tennis Magazine’s Gossip Column By Emilie Katz

The Mardy Fish retirement tour

Former top 10American MardyFish announcedthat the U.S. Openwill be his last tour-nament before heretires. The fan fa-vorite Fish reached

a career high ranking of seventh in theworld before anxiety issues forced him totake time off. In a July tweet, Fish said, “Myschedule this summer will be Atlanta,Cincinnati and I will finish my career at theU.S. Open … #lastride.”

Federer opensschools in poverty-stricken Malawi

Seventeen-time Grand Slam championRoger Federer spent some of his summerin Malawi, spending $13.5 million to open81 schools in the poverty-stricken nation.“I believe every young child should havethe opportunity to spend some years insuch a center, because early education isthe foundation of learning,” Federer saidduring his visit.

Kirilenko gives birthFormer top 10p l a y e r M a r i aK i r i lenko an-nounced on Twit-ter that she has anew baby withher husband,

Alexei Stepanov. The two married in Janu-ary of this year. Kirilenko, who has notplayed since last September, has not yetdecided whether to return to the WTA Tour.

HBO airs “7 Days in Hell” tennis mockumentary

HBO recently aired a hilarious “mocku-mentary” called “7 Days in Hell.” The spe-cial reminisced on a fictional 2001 firstround Wimbledon matchup between AaronWilliams (played by Andy Samberg of Sat-urday Night Live fame) and Charles Poole

(played by Kit Harrington, who portrays JonSnow on HBO’s “Game of Thrones”). Theshow featured appearances by real life ten-nis stars Serena Williams, John McEnroeand Chris Evert.

del Potro not close to returning

Juan Martin delPotro has stoppedworking with hislongtime coach,Franco Davin. Heappears to be along way awayfrom returning to

the ATP Tour after another left wrist surgery.The 2009 U.S. Open champion has playedjust two tournaments this year. Davin begancoaching del Potro in 2008. “I wanted to tellyou that Franco is no longer part of myteam,” del Potro wrote on Facebook. “I’mreally grateful for the years we’ve workedtogether, and I wish them the very best. I’malso thankful to their families for their warmsupport that goes beyond tennis.”

Troubles for Tomic Austra l ia ’s BernardTomic was in the news agreat deal following hisloss to eventual cham-pion Novak Djokovic atWimbledon. He stirredthe pot with Tennis Aus-tralia, claiming that thefederation does not sup-

port him and other players properly. He wasthen arrested at a Miami hotel after throwing

6 New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2015 • NYTennisMag.com

a party in his room. After guards came to theroom following a noise complaint, Tomic re-fused to come out and was subsequentlyarrested for trespassing and resisting arrest.Tomic later apologized for the incident, say-ing: “It was definitely my fault. I was asleepon several occasions when they complainedat first, but you know, it was just a noisecomplaint. I’m sorry for the police and thedisturbance I caused. I’m just happy I gotout and no one got hurt.”

Sharapova/Dimitrovend relationship

One of the sport’sbiggest power cou-ples recently endedtheir relationship.Top 20 BulgarianGrigor Dimitrov andfive-time GrandSlam championMaria Sharapovaannounced thatthey had amicablyended their rela-

tionship. “We experienced wonderful mo-ments together. I wish her much happinessand success in life and in tennis,” saidDimitrov. “Now I’m concentrated entirelyon the game, and I’m sure the results willsoon be seen. This is the summer of thenew beginning for me.”

Wedding bells for Berdych

Photos recently surfaced from the weddingday of Tomas Berdych and his wife, modelEster Satarova. It was reported to be asmall gathering, with around 20 family andfriends in attendance.

at SADDLEBROOK R

ESORT 5700 Saddlebrook Way ♦ Wesley Chapel, FL 33543800.729.8383 ext. 4200

www.saddlebrooktennis.com

Immerse yourself in performance tennis.

Get a head start on your 2015 game.

With 5-hours of tennis coaching per day,

we unlock your tennis potential.

Adult Weekends and Junior Camps.

TENN

IS

CAMPS

John Isner’straining base

Tweets from the pros

Andy Roddick (@AndyRoddick): @travis-mathew hat in my coffee! Bam!

Aga Radwanska (@ARadwanska): Gettingready for the U.S. hard court season

continued on page 8


court six continued from page 7

Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal): I was thechef today. First course, salad with olives!#Wimbledon #RafaNadalAlimentosEspaña

Roger Federer (@RogerFederer): I feelgrateful to be able to share time with theseamazing kids

Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole): Thankyou to my team, to my #NoleFam and to allthe people cheering and supporting mehere @Wimbledon. Ideeemoooo!

Victoria Azarenka (@Vika7): Last day ofbeing 25

Caroline Wozniacki (@CaroWozniacki):Love the latest style from @adidas and@finishlinewomen. These look great in anysituation #thedebut

Venus Williams (@VenusesWilliams): Tak-ing it all in at The Grand Bazaar in Istan-bul—the oldest mall in the world.



IMMEDIATE OCCUPANCY

TOWN Residential LLC (“TOWN”) is a licensed real estate broker and a partnership with Buttonwood Residential Brokerage LLC and Thor Equities, LLC. No representation is made as to the accuracy of any description. This is not intended to solicit property already listed. The number of bedrooms listed above is not a legal conclusion. Each person should consult with his/her own attorney, architect or zoning expert to make a determination as to the number of rooms in the unit that may be legally used as a bedroom. TOWN owns the following subsidiary licensed real estate brokerages: TOWN Astor Place LLC; TOWN Fifth Avenue LLC; TOWN Flatiron LLC; TOWN Gramercy Park LLC (“TOWN Gramercy”); TOWN Greenwich Street LLC (“TOWN Financial District”); TOWN Greenwich Village LLC; TOWN Soho LLC; TOWN West Village LLC; and TOWN 79th Street LLC (“TOWN Upper East

Simply Incomparable.Private, full-floor

Simply Incomparable.y residences-bedroom luxur, fourPrivate, full-floor

Simply Incomparable.y residences

• Full-floor privacy

Full-floor privacy

•

Expansive views from floor-to-ceiling windows


• Full-floor privacy• Generous four-bedroom layouts• Impressive ser

Full-floor privacyGenerous four-bedroom layouts

vices & amenitiesImpressive ser

IMMEDIATE OCCUPANCY

IMMEDIATE OCCUPANCYFrom: $6,583,500

•••

IMMEDIATE OCCUPANCY

Expansive views from floor-to-ceiling windowsPrivate storage421-A tax abatement


TOWN Residential LLC (“TOWN”) is a licensed ris not intended to solicit pr

ooms rof number the to cy Park LLC (“TOWN GramerGramer

oker and a partnership with Buttonwood Residential Breal estate brTOWN Residential LLC (“TOWN”) is a licensed rooms listed above is not a legal conclusion. Each person should consult with his/her own attoready listed. The number of bedroperty alris not intended to solicit proom. TOWN owns the following bedrlegally used as a be in the unit that may ooms

eet LLC (“TOWN Financial District”); TOWN Greenwich Strcy”); TOWN Grcy Park LLC (“TOWN Gramer

okerage LLC and Thor Equities, LLC. No roker and a partnership with Buttonwood Residential Brooms listed above is not a legal conclusion. Each person should consult with his/her own attor

estate breal rsubsidiary licensed oom. TOWN owns the following illage LLC; TOWN Soho LLC; TOWN Weenwich Veet LLC (“TOWN Financial District”); TOWN Gr

eprokerage LLC and Thor Equities, LLC. No rchitect or zoning expert to make a determination as , arneyooms listed above is not a legal conclusion. Each person should consult with his/her own attor

LLC; venue Fifth ATOWN Place LLC; Astor TOWN okerages: estate brillage LLC; and TOWN 79th Strest Village LLC; TOWN Soho LLC; TOWN W

chitect or zoning expert to make a determination as LLC; TOWN on FlatirTOWN LLC;

eet LLC (“TOWN Upper East illage LLC; and TOWN 79th Str

Across Metro NJamie Loeb, who trains at the John McEnroe Tennis Academy at Sportime Ran-dall's Island, recently received a huge honor from her hometown of Ossining, N.Y.The town declared Aug. 3 as "Jamie Loeb Day" to honor Loeb’s accomplishmentson the court.

“It’s something that I’ll remember all my life,” Loeb told The Journal News. “It’sreally nice giving back, helping the youth program out, and hopefully, have them be-come successful tennis stars in the future.”

Ossining, N.Y. declares Aug. 3rd“Jamie Loeb Day”

Across Metro N

Staten Island’s Elvina Kalieva won the USTA Girls 12 National Clay CourtChampionships singles tournament in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Kalieva cameback from a set down to defeat Boca Raton’s Charlotte Owensby 1-6, 6-4, 6-3. Soon after, she competed in the Girls 14 Singles draw of the USTA NationalWarm-Up Tournament, going all the way to the finals.

Staten Island’s Kalieva win National Clay Court Championship

Centercourt Athletic Club of Chatham recently hosted the Wilander on Wheels Tour, as it made a stop at their club for a day of tennistraining and lessons from International Tennis Hall of Famer and former world number one Mats Wilander and his training partner,Cameron Lickle. There was personalized coaching, fast-paced energy drills and the day concluded with a luncheon.

"This has been my third time working with Mats and Cameron,” said Michael Smookler, USPTA New Jersey District president andCentercourt Advantage Program manager. “They do such a wonderful job of putting everyone at ease. The energy and passion Matsand Cameron bring to the courts is infectious. I look forward to working with them again."

Centercourt hosts Wilander on Wheels Tour


New Yorkew York … News and notes from across the New York Metro tennis community

Roosevelt Island Racquet Club recently hosted its Fifth Annual Men’s Prize Money Singles Tourna-ment. The tournament draw featured 16 top singles players and consisted of both college playersand adult players. Kyle Mautner (pictured right), who will be playing tennis at the University of Penn-sylvania this fall, defeated Christopher Grant in the tournament’s final. Mautner went through thewhole tournament without dropping a set, and walked away with the $700 prize. Grant took home$400, while the semifinalists each won $200.

Mautner captures top prize at Roosevelt Island’s Annual Men’s Tournament

North Shore Towers Country Club in Floral Park, N.Y. recently hosted its Sum-mer Championships, one of the most competitive clay court junior tournaments.The tournament was a success, and the winners are as follows:l Boys 16 Singles: Spencer Brachman of Commack, N.Y.l Boys 18 Singles: Peter Lohrbach of North Port, Fla.l Boys 16 Doubles: Timothy Nacca of Garden City, N.Y. & Gabriel Sifuentes

of Flushing, N.Y.

North Shore Towers wraps up Summer Championships

The Columbia Women’s Tennis team will be welcoming in the highest-ranked recruiting class in the program’s his-tory this fall. The class is ranked sixth by TennisRecruiting.net, and features Star Makarome and Andrea Kevakianas blue chip recruits, Rani Rachavelpula as a five-star recruit and Sara Hu as a four-star recruit.

“Our 2015’s are the highest-ranked recruiting class in the history of Columbia Women’s Tennis,” said ColumbiaHead Coach Ilene Weintraub. “Not only are they really good, they are positive and fun people, and will add to ourteam dynamic.”

Spencer Brachman Peter Lohrbach

Congratulations to New York City’s Ameer Hosain (pictured here right), who recently capturedthe Boys 16s Championship at the 98th American Tennis Association (ATA) National Cham-pionships in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Donovan Spigner (pictured here left) of New York City alsohad an excellent showing, finishing in second place in the Boys 12s Division.

Success for two HJTEP members at ATA National Championships

Columbia Women’s Tennis preps for big 2015 season


USTA LEAGUES UPDATE

Nutrition for Optimal Tennis Performance

Eat as many freshvegetables and fruits as you canIt is hard to overeat fresh fruits and veg-etables because you get full and satisfiedbefore you eat too many calories. Peoplefear fruits for their sugar content, but fruitsdeliver fiber, water and quality nutrients.Fruits serve as an amazing snack to fuelyour workouts.

Add protein sources, such aslegumes, seeds and nutsEating lentils, beans, chickpeas and greenpeas delivers the protein you need forbuilding and repairing your muscles. Com-pared to cooking, sprouting your legumesunleashes many healthy nutrients and en-zymes.

Pay close attention to oils,nuts and seedsDue to their high fat content, it is easy toeat too many calories. Add a handful ortwo for the taste and to get the essentialfats, then get the rest of your calories fromcarbohydrates, as carbs serve as the bestfuel for a training body.

Eat as few (if any) animalproducts as possibleThey are highly acid-forming and hard to

By Suzanna McGee

Playing tennis makestremendous de-mands on the

human body. You spendhours on the courts, grinding and practic-ing, and later in the gym, working on yourtennis-specific fitness to optimize move-ment, power, explosiveness and the pre-vention of overuse injuries.

Today’s elite athletes are similarlyskilled in the training techniques, andwhat distinguishes the best from the restis nutrition. Novak Djokovic is a prime ex-ample of how his new gluten-free andjunk-free diet made him unbeatable“overnight.”

Nowadays, most people are overfed,yet undernourished. They eat too manynutritionally empty calories.

Your main nutritional goals are:

l Fueling the body with quality nutrientsto decrease inflammation from train-ing and physical and emotionalstresses

l Delivering the optimal amount of qual-ity calories to sustain heavy trainingand to support muscle repair and re-covery.

You cannot go wrong choosing a com-pletely plant-based lifestyle. It is nourish-ing, filling, healing and light. It is fresh andfull of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals,fiber and enzymes.

digest. You want to create an alkaline envi-ronment in your body for optimal recoveryand digestion.

If you dare to feel the best of your life,eliminate meat, poultry, fish, dairy andeggs. You will feel heightened energy lev-els, unreal recovery and the ability to trainmore frequently and with higher intensity.Your body composition will reach optimal,lean levels and you will become healthier inthe process.

Suzanna McGee is certified by NationalAcademy of Sports Medicine and alsoholds a Certificate in Plant Based Nutritionfrom eCornell University. She is an authorof Tennis Fitness for the Love of It and TheAthlete’s Simple Guide to a Plant-BasedLifestyle. For more information, [email protected] or visit TennisFit-nessLove.com.

“Today’s elite athletesare similarly skilled in

the training techniques,and what distinguishesthe best from the rest

is nutrition.”

12 New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2015 • NYTennisMag.com12

13NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2015 • New York Tennis Magazine 13

MatchPoint NYC is the sports and fitness destination for the entire family. Spread across120,000 sq. ft., our premier health and fitness complex features a cutting edge tennis facility with

9 indoor tennis courts and programs for kids and adults of all levels.

MatchPoint NYC Tennis Program Benefits• Personalized training for each player • Private coaching • Intensive Drills

• Match Play • Tennis Specific Fitness • Mental Conditioning.

SessionsSeptember to January • February to June • Summer Camp

Programs• Quick Start (Ages 4-6) • Junior Development (Ages 7-18)

Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced Group Training • Adult Leagues • Private Lessons• Tournament Training (by invitation only)

www.matchpoint.nyc • 718 769-0001 • 2781 Shell Road • Brooklyn, NY 11223


By Luke Jensen

Hey tennis stars … the sum-mer of 2015 is flying by, and Iam still trying to figure out whois leading the points race in

the U.S. Open Series! Ahhh, the U.S. Open: Thebig, bad boy on the Grand Slam block. TheAussie is the “Happy Slam.” The French Openis the “Fashion Slam” and Wimbledon is the“Traditional Slam.” Now, as the summer be-gins to fade away and back to school adsseem to be everywhere, the massive 22,000-seat Arthur Ashe Stadium will greet playersand fans with a brand new look for 2015. Tow-ering like a massive military top secret project,the retractable roof structure will be ready togive poor Aaron Krickstein a break from the1991 Jimmy Connors defeat in the 2016 U.S.Open. This will be the last U.S. Open raindelay to replay the Krickstein-Connors thriller!

The U.S. Open is the bad boy on the blockbecause the conditions will test even the men-tally tough pros. Traffic from the city can be hec-tic and the noise from nearby planes and trainstell you this is NOT a quiet country club. Then,while you are in a heated match, the smell ofburgers and hot dogs from the food court willmake you woozy!!!

But give me New York City! Give me thecrowds and the passion of a rrrrrrroar on a win-ner to break serve. Let me high five the fans inthe front rows and throw wristbands and hit ballsinto the top rows to get the American crowd firedup! I wish you all could experience exactly whatthe U.S. Open is! The Open was my kind of an-imal. It is a beast of intimidation and feasts onthe weakest of players. From the outside courts,the presence of that massive star of Arthur AsheStadium is always present.

From the first ball to the last ball hit of thetournament, the U.S. Open is intensity per-

Nothing Like a Late Summer Grand SlamCatching the excitement of the U.S. Open

sonified! Now I have played on all of the courtssince 1983, but my all-time favorite is theGrandstand. This will be the very last year forthe court before it is torn down for a brand newshow court. At some point this year, I willsneak down and kiss the net and say good-bye. My brother Murphy and I had someamazing moments on the Grandstand courtthat I will always treasure. The crowd is liter-ally above you, looking over from ArmstrongStadium. One time while tossing the ball up toserve, there was a guy with some shirt thatsaid “Boston STINKS” on the front. I guess hewas a New York Yankees fan, but even after allof these years, I still remember looking up to hitthe ball and seeing this guy and saying to my-self, “This is NOT Wimbledon!”

It is the players’ final shot to capture a realGrand Slam run in 2015 and they know it. It is along ride until the Aussie Open in 2016, so pick-ing up a momentous run is on every player’sagenda. Watch for Roger Federer … his game ispriceless and if the draw can break open for him,maybe he can win Grand Slam number 18.Don’t forget history and Serena Williams goingfor Steffi Graf’s record 22 Grand Slam titles andthe calendar Grand Slam.

Tons of storylines and excitement will unfoldat the 2015 U.S. Open … let’s take it all in!!!

Born in Grayling, Mich., Luke Jensen’s resumeincludes 10 ATP Tour doubles titles and singlesvictories against Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras,Ivan Lendl, John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, JimmyConnors, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg and JimCourier. Jensen and his brother, Murphy, won the1993 French Open doubles title. Luke is currentlydirector of tennis at Sea Island Tennis Center inGeorgia. He may be reached by phone at (315)443-3552 or e-mail [email protected].


STADIUMT E N N I SCENTERat Mill Pond Park

Stadium Tennis Center at Mill Pond Parkwww.stadiumtennisnyc.com | www.gothamtennis.com

(718) 665-4684

• We offer a full-range of junior and adult programs for recreational andtournament players in partnership with Gotham Tennis Academy, aleader in developing and operating tennis programs in New York Cityand the Hamptons.

• Our professional tennis staff has some of the most talented, personableand engaging tennis professionals in NYC. For more information aboutour pros, please visit www.stadiumtennisnyc.com

• Sign up now for our popular programs, private lessons, seasonal courtrentals, unlimited play memberships, tournaments and adult leagues.

• Sixteen BRAND NEW – JUST RESURFACED! US Open style deco-turftennis courts with spacious backcourts

• For the convenience of our regular players and their families, the TennisCenter offers complimentary on-site parking. In addition, an adjacentclubhouse features a pro shop, café, locker rooms and lounge areas,Wi-Fi computer access, a workspace where children can do schoolworkand read, and a tennis library.

SPECIAL OFFER

ARE YOUREADY?

ADULTS – 1 Free 30 minute cardio tennis lesson or clinicJUNIORS – 1 Free 30 minute junior clinic

Call now to schedule your free lesson – (718) 665-4684*Subject to availability and club rules


Best Lights has spent the past three yearsresearching and developing its TriangularLED™ 630-watt indirect series. Its designincorporates stable, economical anddurable components. Through the use of aproprietary reflector Best Lights is able toproduce more light using less wattage andhas solved many of the frustrating prob-lems associated with LED luminaries.

By introducing its Triangular LED™ de-sign, Best Lights gains superior stability

and light performance, while protecting theLEDs from bugs and dust collecting on topof them. This design also allows the elimi-nation of the need for lenses, which reducelight output by 20 percent. LEDs create atremendous amount of heat, and if thatheat is not drawn away from the back ofthe LED board through heatsinks, the LEDwill lose life and light output. Best Lights’heatsink system and active air design allowsuperior performance protecting the LEDs

from overheating, allowing them to operatewell below the maximum temperature rat-ing, which in turn, allows the LED to pro-duce more light and last longer.

Manufacturing indirect lights over 21years, Best Lights has perfected its reflec-tors. They magnify and reflect the light out ofthe luminaire at the correct angles with theintensity to reflect off the ceiling, eliminatinghot spots or hot lines seen on the ceilings inother designs. The outer housing has a stiff-ing rib rolled into the side, which strengthensit for durability. The silent dimmable elec-tronic drivers are inside the luminaire.Whether installing new lights or replacing ex-isting lights, installation is simple and easy.Best Lights’ designs utilize the existingwiring and attachment points.

Best Lights 630-watt Triangular LED™Indirect series produces more light than abrand new 1,000-watt HID lamp in your ex-isting fixtures. When your goal is to reduceenergy cost, Best Lights’ luminaire pays forthemselves through electricity savings.Having the best-lit facility will generate newmembers, thus leaving your competitors inthe dark. Just another benefit to havingBest Lights.

For a quote, energy analysis or light lay-out, contact Best Lights at (800) 545-2928,(248) 588-4980 or visit BestLights.com.

TENNIS AND SWIM CLUB FOR SALEIN THE NORTH GEORGIA MOUNTAINS!

6.3 Ac, 2000 Sq. Ft. Banquet Hall, Heated Pool; 4 Hard Ct Tennis Courts;

2 Pickle Ball Courts

2494 Tennis Court Road l Blue Ridge, GA, 30513

$649,900 U.S.

Keel Properties, Inc. l 404-213-5754www.keelproperties.com

Best Lights: Perfecting On-Court LED Lighting

Boca West Country Club, located inBoca Raton, Fla., is renowned for itsfirst-rate recreational activities. The

Country Club's reputation in golf is equaledby its $1.8 million Tennis Center. Fully dedi-cated to the racquet sport, there is a lightedstadium court and seating for more than300, plus access for members to U.S. Pro-fessional Tennis Association (USPTA) stafffor tennis clinics and private lessons for in-structions, drills, techniques and strategies.

The number one residential country clubin the United States is also the proud re-cipient of the 2013 USTA Outstanding Ten-nis Facility Award. Tennis enthusiastslooking for superb amenities in a beautifulprivate country club setting have the op-portunity to see many WTA and ATP touringpros and other world-class players who fre-quent the courts.

Adding cachet to the Club’s brand is itsrecent 2015 partnership with WTA rising starChristina McHale, who, according to USAToday, has “long been considered a could-be next star for the U.S. on the women's

tour.” Known for competing hard and push-ing players such as Maria Sharapova andJelena Jankovic, McHale is currently ranked59th in the world. She was ranked 26th inthe world as a 19-year-old heading into the2012 London Olympics.

Boca West’s Tennis Center courts carry afeature-worthy status of their own. Thereare 31 Hydro-courts, three are lit for nightplay, along with one hard court with fourPickleball courts.

“Our Tennis Centercourts have been de-signed to improve en-durance and toprovide memberswith the opportunityto develop an all-court game,” said JayDiPietro, CCM, presi-dent/CEO/generalmanager of BocaWest Country Club.

The Tennis Centeris a sought-after draw

and destination, hosting champ-ionship tournaments andexhibitions, including the USTAFrench Open Wild CardTournament, held from 2006-2010.First-rate former and current playersare the norm at such events, andhave included Chris Evert, JenniferCapriati, Martina Navratilova andthe Bryan Brothers, among others.Competition isn’t limited only to thepros. Boca West offers eight men’sleagues and five women’s leaguesthat challenge other clubs in PalmBeach County.

An award-winning communitythat was originally developed byArvida Corporation in 1971, it ishome to 6,000 residents (3,380 fam-ilies) in magnificent residences, in-

cluding townhomes, patio homes, villas,garden apartments and single-familyhomes. Boca West is the number one pri-vate residential country club in the countryand number one private club, of all types,in Florida statewide. Boca West is a Plat-inum Club of America, Five-Star PrivateClub since 1997, and is proudly recognizedas a Distinguished Emerald Club by BoardRoom Magazine since 2013.

For more information, visit Bo-caWestCC.org.

Boca West Country Club Offers Pro-Worthy Tennis Center

Top-shelf facility wows with WTA rising star, USPTA pros and 31 Hydro-Courts

17NYTennisMag.com • September/October 2015 • New York Tennis Magazine 1717


With Skip HartmanThe New York tennis landscape is al-ways growing and evolving. There are amyriad of options both indoors and out-doors for a local tennis player to choosefrom. So how does a successful tennisentity separate themselves? How does asuccessful club increase their playerbase and continue to grow? New YorkTennis Magazine sat down with SkipHartman, owner of three of the localarea’s top tennis entities, The AdvantageTennis Clubs, to get his take on the cur-rent state of tennis in New York and howhe has found success for so many yearswith his clubs.

What was the goal when you broughtyour three clubs (Roosevelt Island Rac-quet Club, Manhattan Plaza RacquetClub and New York Tennis Club) to-gether a few years ago under The Ad-vantage Tennis Clubs umbrella?Skip Hartman: Our goal was to develop astronger brand. We had offered manyprograms at several clubs for manyyears, all with different names. Some-times, at the same club, there were dif-ferent names for programs that were noteven associated with the club's name.This reflected our philosophy that it wasthe personal skill and commitment ofeach program director and club man-

agement team that dictated their suc-cess. Also, advertising was very expen-sive years ago. We felt word of mouthwas the best way for a club or programto build a following and that it was besttriggered by a dedicated manager or pro-gram leader. We still believe deeply in theimportance of these underlying factors.

However, times have changed. Tech-nology has made continuous communi-cation with the market much lessexpensive. People are bombarded by somuch information now that a simplermessage is stronger and has a betterchance of being heard. Also, we havemore competition today than 10 yearsago. By combining the marketing budg-ets and the image under a single brand,Advantage Tennis, of our three clubs[Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club, Roo-sevelt Island Racquet Club and New YorkTennis Club], we could send a strongermessage to our customers and potentialcustomers. We remain committed to hav-ing excellent program leaders and man-agers dedicated to helping each playerbe as good as they can be and derive en-joyment from tennis.

How can you continue to grow underthis model?Hartman: Our club facilities have room for

participation to grow at their current sites,although our 42nd Street Club is pretty full.With respect to our youth programs, we stillhave room to grow at existing sites, and weare adding more sites every year.

What is it about Advantage Tennis Clubsthat make it unique and different thanmost other tennis facilities?Hartman: For 45 years, we have tried toprovide more personal service. Our motto,"We've Got Your Game," stresses our com-mitment to each player. We have manycustomers, their children and grandchil-dren who have been with us for more than40 years.

Tell us about Roosevelt Island RacquetClub.Hartman: Roosevelt Island is very conven-ient to get to and has 11 indoor Har-Trucourts with an adjacent pool that memberscan use.

What is special about Manhattan PlazaRacquet Club?Hartman: Location, location, location! It’shard to beat a club right on 42nd Street.Manhattan Plaza is now year-round in-doors, and boasts cushioned, all-weathercourts and a full-service health club with apool.

Courtside…


MBR Builders

888.852.0223

[email protected]

Affordable Energy-Efficient

Solutions for

Indoor Sports Facilities

New York 914.400.9115 www.mbrbuilders.com

Want long-term solutions to your roof problems?

A Butler® Roof System installed by MBR Builders is your Best Choice!

[email protected]

888.852.0223

MBR Builders

ork 914.400New YYo

[email protected]

888.852.0223

MBR Builders

0.9115


forAfff

ww


Solutions for

ficientdable Energy-Efffifor

.mbrbuilders.comwww.

What makes New York Tennis Clubstand out?Hartman: Outdoor courts set in a lovelyarea with trees and grass, a very pleasantescape from the hustle and bustle of Man-hattan during the summer. In the winter, thesix Har-Tru courts are a few minutes longerto get too from Manhattan, but are lessthan half the price of Manhattan clubs.

What is your view of the current state oftennis in New York? What are the prosand cons?Hartman: This subject is complex andworthy of a separate article or book. Thereare different opportunities and challengesfrom the perspective of the players andtheir families, facility operators, land own-ers, which in New York, is often a public in-stitution, the people who have made tennistheir careers as instructors, managers andoperations staff. New York City remains avery strong market where it is possible toplay both inexpensively and very expen-sively. That is good.

What are some of your fondest memo-

ries of your life/career in tennis? Whatwould you consider to be your greatestaccomplishment?Hartman: One of my biggest thrills wasdefeating a very good player after beingdown 5-0, 40 love, in a sanctioned 35 andOver Eastern Tennis Association tourna-ment. But then again, I just play for thefun of it.

I was fortunate enough and privilegedto grow up at the same time the sport oftennis started to grow, as it became moreof a broad-based public pastime andsport of a lifetime. So I had an opportu-nity to contribute to that growth.

I taught tennis with Darlene Hard whenI was 18-years-old at Camp RobinsonCrusoe in Massachusetts. I promotedgroup instruction with Eve Kraft when Iwas at Princeton, and later when she be-came active, doing so nationally with theUSTA. I worked on developing indoor ten-nis facilities on public and private land,using the air structure, with my partnerfor 36 years, Bob Kelton, who had beenmy high school tennis coach, and now,with Bob’s son Rob, and Gordon Kent,

Joel Ross, Gertrud Wilhelm, and myChicago partner, Alan Schwartz. I haveworked with Gene Scott, Arthur Ashe,Sherry Snyder, Charlie Pasarell, DonaldDell and Ray Benton to develop the Na-tional Junior Tennis League and it's NewYork Chapter (NYJTL) … so many won-derful relationships came from that. Ofcourse, the many tennis playing buddiesI have met over the years. I have had theprivilege to work with David Dinkins andthe irrepressible Harry Newton. We hadthe chance to help the City's publicschools be better, more welcoming andenriching. With Jim O'Neill, we devel-oped the Sports & Arts in Schools Foun-dation in 1992 with the help of RossSandler, Roger Alcaly, Jerry Kohlberg,Frank Macchiarola, Ed Aquilone, KirbyCoughlin, Alan Dobrin and Burt Sacks. Imention these folks because I want to beresponsive to your questions, but I am inbig trouble because I cannot do justiceto the naming of so many people whohave joined me and have enriched my lifewhile promoting youth development andtennis.


Last spring, the Beacon Lady Demons once againreigned supreme as the best team in New York City.The Demons topped McKee Staten Island Tech 3-2 inan excellent city championship. Not only did Beaconwin the team championship, a pair of Beacon players,Alexus Gill & Michelle Khaimov, won the Doubles

Championship at the 2015 Mayor’s Cup. The girls season in New York City has now been moved to the

fall, and will give a chance for the top players to compete with therest of the state at the New York State Public High School AthleticAssociation (NYSPHSAA) State Championship at the end of theseason.

Players to watchl Alexus Gill, The Beacon Schooll Tamila Latif-Zade, James Madison High Schooll Anastasiya Malinouskaya, Staten Island Technical High Schooll Sarah Rahman, Bronx High School of Sciencel Victoria Sec, The Beacon Schooll Nicole Semenov, Brooklyn Technical High Schooll Brianna Williams, Bronx High School of Science

Teams to watchManhattan: The Beacon SchoolThe Beacon School won its third consecu-tive PSAL title this past spring, edgingMcKee Staten Island Tech 3-2 in the city

championship. The girls from Beacon are the favorites to repeat ascity champions for the fourth straight year this fall, returning nearlyits entire roster from last year. Michaella Estevez, who played sec-ond doubles with Sofia Pascual last season, was the only senioron the roster. Alexus Gill, Victoria Sec, Michelle Khaimov and theaforementioned Pascual will lead Beacon to what it hopes will beanother city title.

Queens: Francis Lewis High SchoolThe Patriots of Francis Lewis High School en-joyed an excellent season last year, reaching thecity semifinals, before falling to McKee Staten Is-land Tech. Despite losing a couple of its top dou-

bles players and its second singles player, Nicole Stay returns atfirst singles and Jean Soo at third singles. Head Coach WayneZweigbaum calls Stay one of the best players in the city, and willbe counted on to lead the Patriots deep into the city playoffs.

Bronx—Bronx High School of ScienceThe Bronx High School of Science Wolverinesmight have the best 1-2 punch in all of New YorkCity in Brianna Williams and Sarah Rahman atop

the singles lineup. Williams is a two-time Mayor’s Cup SinglesChampion and Rahman recently reached the semifinals at theNew Balance High School Tennis Championship. Joining theduo is Sofie Levine, who went 10-2 as a freshman last year. Thisthree-headed monster will look to lead the Wolverines to a citychampionship.

Brooklyn: Brooklyn Technical High SchoolThe Brooklyn Technical High School Engineers losta close match to Tottenville High School in lastyear’s tournament, falling 3-2, and will be lookingto build on this fall. The Engineers are led by soph-

omore Nicole Semenov, who didn’t lose a match all season as afreshman. Right behind her is another sophomore, ChelseaWilliams, giving Brooklyn Tech an excellent duo at the top of theircard. Despite losing some key doubles players, the Engineersshould be a major threat come playoff time.

Staten Island: Tottenville High SchoolThe Pirates of Tottenville High School had a verysuccessful campaign this past spring, reaching thecity quarterfinals. The Pirates will lose the first dou-bles tandem of Katherine Villarroel & Stephanie Leto graduation, but still have a deep lineup that

should make them a contender. The top three singles players—Autumn Greco, Karina Karazhbey and Paulina Daugis—will againbe called upon to lead Tottenville, and the experienced seniorsNicole Galabrese and Valerie Awad will look to dethrone McKeeStaten Island Tech as the top team in Staten Island.

2015 New York CityGirls High School Preview


Key dates: New York City Girls High School TennisCoaches Clinic Wednesday, Sept. 2 Newtown High School 3:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.

Coaches Clinic Wednesday, Sept. 9 Newtown High School 4:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.

Matches Begin Wednesday, Sept. 16

Girls Invitational Tournament Saturday, Sept. 26 TBA 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Individual Singles & Doubles Qualifier Tournament Saturday, Oct. 17 TBA 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Seeding Meeting Monday, Oct. 19 PSAL Office 4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m.

Girls A & B League Team 1st Round Tuesday Oct. 20 Higher Seed 4:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

Girls A & B League Team 2nd Round Wednesday, Oct. 21 Higher Seed 4:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

Girls A League Team 3rd Round & B League Friday, Oct. 23 Higher Seed 4:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.Team Quarterfinals

Girls A League Team Quarterfinals Monday, Oct. 26, 2015 Higher Seed 4:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

Girls B Team Semifinals Monday, Oct. 26 TBA 3:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

Girls A Team Semifinals Tuesday, Oct. 27 TBA 3:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

A & B Team Finals Wednesday, Oct. 28 TBA 3:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

Singles & Doubles 1st & 2nd Rounds Friday, Oct. 30 TBA 3:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m.

Singles & Doubles Quarterfinals Tuesday, Nov. 3 TBA 3:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

Singles & Doubles Semifinals Wednesday, Nov. 4 TBA 3:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

Singles & Doubles Finals Thursday, Nov. 5 TBA 3:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

Centercourt Performance Tennis Academy (CPTA) is a one of a kind facility dedicated to the developmentand performance of tennis players. CPTA features eleven hard courts, one red clay court, a state-of-the-artstrength and conditioning center, an indoor turf field and an academic center.

Our mission is to help every student-athlete realize his or her potentialathletically and academically. Our players respect the game, their peers,parents, and coaches. Our curriculum features comprehensive tennisinstruction as well as physical and mental conditioning.

CPTA offers both full-time and after-school programs 7 days perweek with tournament coaching and travel. Both programs haverolling admissions from September 9, 2015 to June 21, 2016. CPTAalso offers an 11-week summer training camp, with van shuttletransportation available for players located in the New York area.Contact us to schedule an appointment and discover the placechampionships come to train!

Centercourt Performance Tennis Academy65 Columbia Road, Morristown, NJ

www.CentercourtAcademy.comContact Clay Bibbee: [email protected]


If the word “let” causes tennis players atyour facility aggravation when playing orpracticing, CourtHarbor has developed theperfect solution. With their Ball Hubs, play-ers will enjoy more tennis while feeling likethey are playing on their own court.

The Ball Hubs are strategically posi-tioned between courts and have been de-veloped at just the right size to stop themaximum number of balls along the backfence without interfering play. By keepingthe balls within their court, the pace of playis improved and the frustration level is de-creased.

In addition to CourtHarbor’s benefits toyour teaching pros and players, your facil-ity will be enhanced aesthetically withoutneeding to use a fence or curtains. Unlike afence or curtains, CourtHarbor’s Ball Hubsprovide excellent sight lines for spectatorswho are watching matches. Each Ball Huballows for a full color, digitally printed de-sign measuring 3-feet X 3-feet. The customdesign is included as part of the GrandSlam, Championship, and TournamentPackages. If you prefer just a solid colorBall Hub for its functional use, then theBaseline Package is for you.

In case you are wondering what kind ofcustom designs might be placed on a BallHub, below are a few suggestions:

l Your facility or school logol Information regarding your tennis acad-

emy or private lessonsl Information to promote items sold in

your pro shopl Logos of sponsors and names of

donors who support your facility orschool

We finished the suggestions with logosof sponsors and names of donors becauseyou can utilize the Ball Hub as a true rev-enue generating product! Through the saleof sponsorship packages and recognitionof donors, CourtHarbor’s Ball Hubs cangenerate revenue for your facility or serveas a fundraising tool for your team.CourtHarbor will even provide resourcesthat lead to successful sponsorships andfundraising, including sponsorship/donorforms and print-ready brochures.

By complying with USTA rules, the freestanding, easy-to-assemble Ball Hubs area perfect solution for your adjoining courts.

Isn’t it time you provided your players andcoaches with a facility enhancement thatmaximizes their playing time and reducesthe number of “lets?”

As Ball Hubs are becoming increasinglypopular, CourtHarbor is excited to offeryour facility special 2015 discounts. Con-tact CourtHarbor today so they can helpRedefine the Tennis Experience at your fa-cility for 2016 and beyond!

For more information, call (844) 855-3441, e-mail [email protected] orvisit CourtHarbor.com/CourtHarbor.

“CourtHarbor has developeda unique product that I

personally believe does notcome along very often.”

—Kelly Jones, Head Men's Tennis Coach,Furman University

Ball Hubs Offer Unique Combination of On-Court Branding& Functionality


Christina McHale

A Members Only Private Residential Country Club

Proudly introducing the WT

s Christina McHale as our ’Audly introducing the WTTA2013 UST

s Christina McHale as our Outstanding FacilityAAUSTTA

ouring ProfessioTToennis TTes Christina McHale as our ward A

ouring Professional

oted #1 Private Country Club in the Country and #1 Private Club, of all types, in the State of FloridaV

Proudly recognized as a Distinguished Emerald Club by

est Country CluBoca We

oted #1 Private Country Club in the Country and #1 Private Club, of all types, in the State of FloridaPlatinum Club oAA

Proudly recognized as a Distinguished Emerald Club by

est Drive,ub | 20583 Boca We

Outstanding Facility oted #1 Private Country Club in the Country and #1 Private Club, of all types, in the State of Florida

America, 5-star Private Club since 1997 Platinum Club of Proudly recognized as a Distinguished Emerald Club by BoardRoom Magazine

33434est Drive, Boca Raton, FL

oted #1 Private Country Club in the Country and #1 Private Club, of all types, in the State of FloridaAmerica, 5-star Private Club since 1997

BoardRoom Magazine since 2013

oted #1 Private Country Club in the Country and #1 Private Club, of all types, in the State of Florida

since 2013

4-Championship Golf Courses | 31 Har

est Country CluBoca We888.504.BOCA

T4-Championship Golf Courses | 31 Har

/BocaWestCountryClub

est Drive, ub | 20583 Boca We| bocawestcc.o8.504.BOCAA

ennis Courts | 6 RestauTTeru T

@BocaWestCC @BocaWestCC

33434est Drive, Boca Raton, FL | bocawestcc.org

Aquatics Complexennis Courts | 6 Restaurants | Fitness, Spa &

@BocaWestCC /BocaWestCC

Aquatics Complex

/BocaWestCC

USTA Metro RegionA Message From USTA Eastern Metro Region

President Jackie ClarkIt's hard to believe that it is time for the U.S.Open, as the summer has zoomed by and whata fun summer it has been!

It is wonderful to see how tennis has becomesuch a big part of the New York City culture.Whether it is at NYC’s parks, tennis clubs, com-munity tennis programs or local schools, there

is so much opportunity for everyone to play tennis. The USTA Eastern Metro Region Board volunteers have been

active throughout the summer, with the first summer Junior TeamTennis League, Youth Tennis Leagues, organizing tennis fests andplay days, supporting local community programs, continuing togive out grant money, growing our volunteer base, and helping toget kids and adults from all backgrounds to play tennis. This sum-

mer has been a blast, and I cannot thank my Metro Board volun-teers enough because they are quality people and simply the best!

In the hopper!l Want to get involved, have fun, meet people and make a

difference? Contact me at [email protected] We have a new community service program for high school

students who want to volunteer at local events. For moreinformation, e-mail [email protected].

l NYC ACES, the young professionals group for those ages 21through 35, has many events coming up! Check outMetroRegion.USTA.com/NYC_Aces for more information.

Jackie Clark, President • USTA Eastern Metro Region

Players compete for bragging rights at Battle of theBoroughs Tennis Challenge

USTA Eastern and City Parks Foundation teamed up to presentthe Third Annual Battle of the Boroughs Tennis Challenge, an adultrecreational tournament held in June and July in New York Cityparks. The tournament featured the best of team competition andneighborhood pride to benefit CityParks Tennis, which providesfree tennis lessons and activities for children at 40 parks citywide.

"The event allows many of the best adult tennis players to com-pete in New York City’s parks and help children learn the sport ofa lifetime," said Jenny Schnitzer, assistant executive director ofUSTA Eastern.

The tournament culminated at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park,on the outskirts of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.The final was a battle between the last-standing boroughs asProspect Park of Brooklyn, captained by Nigel Griffin, defeated Sil-ver Lake Park of Staten Island, captained by Danny Ursommano, 96games to 90 games in a tightly-contested mixed-doubles match totake the Flight A Division (players with a NTRP rating of 4.0 or higher).

Manhattan's Central Park team, captained by Theresa Hall,knocked off Harlem's Fred Johnson Park in Flight B (players withan NTRP rating of 3.5 or lower).


USTA Metro RegionKnickerbocker Field Club presents free clinics

The Knickerbocker Field Club located in the Prospect Park Southneighborhood of Brooklyn offers a free neighborhood tennis clinic forchildren ages six through 18, two afternoons a week throughout thesummer. The program began in 2003, with about 30 neighborhood chil-dren, and has grown to more than 75 kids of all ages and skill levels.

With the help of four pros and a dozen wonderfully-talented vol-unteers, club members and high school players, they are able to

integrate tennis instruction into fun games and drills that engagethe kids and get them running for increased levels of fitness.

The USTA Eastern Metro Board provided a $1,000 grant tocover the expense of additional teaching equipment, as well asreplacing worn items, such as teaching carts, tennis balls and jun-ior-sized tennis racquets to accommodate the increased numberof children and teens who come for instruction.

Credit photos to Jackie Weisberg Photography

Metro Board members lend a hand at Flavor of the Open event

USTA Eastern Metro Board members Jackie Clark andJoani Akpan, and USTA Eastern Staff member JocelynCruz, helped out at the U.S. Open pop up restaurant Fla-vor of the Open at Grand Central Station. Jackie, Joaniand Jocelyn are pictured on the left with Aussie tennisgreat and 1987 Wimbledon Champion Pat Cash. Alsopictured here (on the right) is Eastern Metro Region BoardMember Ogbonna Chilaka (center) with Joani Akpan (left)and Jackie Clark (right) at Grand Central Station.


USTA Metro RegionSBTA helps take a bite out of crime

Night Out Against Crime is an annual community-building cam-paign that promotes police-community partnerships and neigh-borhood camaraderie to make neighborhoods safer, better places

to live. Members of the South Brooklyn Tennis Association (SBTA)recently took part in the annual Night Out Against Crime event,lending a hand with tennis drills and instruction.



By Elizabeth Right Reiss

Your aspiring athlete is on a roll. They have been tak-ing the initiative and working on their own, focus-ing on wall exercises, practicing with coaches and

friends, and even getting enough sleep. They are takingthe time to watch their opponents, studying their strengths and weak-nesses, watching the pros play and has even started some visualizationto give them a leg up on the mental side of the game. But, they seem tobe lacking energy halfway through their lesson or match, even whenpracticing wall ball activities.

Let’s discuss the concept of hydration. When our athletes get tired,the first thing that comes to mind is, “He or she is not eating enough.”That might very well be the case, however, we cannot forget about hy-dration; especially with the extreme activity levels that these athletesendure.

The recommended daily water intake for kids ages five through eightis one liter, which is about five glasses of water. For nine- through 12-year-olds, 1.5 liters is suggested and for kids ages 12 years and above,two liters or approximately eight to 10 glasses of water, is the suggesteddaily intake. It does not seem like a lot, but if we do not get water con-sumed early in the day, it is often too late to aid in the body’s hydrationprocess to help with energy levels. Unless we are truly focused, we mighttotally forget!

So, just how do we get our kids to drink more water? Below are somesuggestions for your athlete to help get water consumed early in the dayand throughout. When children are away from caregivers, these sug-gestions can empower children to remain motivated in their hydrationchallenge.

Drink water the moment you open your eyesHave a glass, maybe even two, by your athlete’s bed. Before they evenget out of bed, have them “chug” that water! Make it fun by selecting acool Nalgene, sippy-cup or Bkr Bottle, which is fun and colorful. Let themchoose which one fits them the best!

Before breakfast, have another glassChildren often model behavior, so have a glass of water with them! Thiscan be a great way to be a role model and you might not be gettingenough either! That is already two to three glasses down before the dayhas started! Try to get in the majority of the water early in the day, be-fore you are thirsty. Some specialists stress that if you become“parched,” it’s a little too late.

Drink Up!


PATENTED

Triangular LED-XLIndirect Series

Best Lights Super Reflector Technology Designs Magnifies the light source Directs the light for optimal performance

We are a 21 year manufacturer illuminating all types of Indoor Sports Facilities with High Performance: LED T-9 CDM Fluorescent

Why Best Lights? More Light, Less Energy Simple and Easy Installation Complete dimming capabilities Qualifies for Energy Rebates Free point by point calculations Free Energy analysis Financing Available

Experts in helping our clients select the BEST solution.

Is LED Your Best Solution?

Toll Free (US Only) (800) KIL-A-WAT (545-2928) Phone: (248) 588-4980 Fax: (248) 589-0134

Since 1994

Best Lights are made in America

100 Park DriveTroy, Michigan 48083

www.bestlights.com

Practice your hydrationBefore practice, make sure to drink an-other eight-ounce glass or water bottle.

During your match or practice, see ifyou can be challenged by drinking atevery side change or every ball pickup.Ask yourself mindful questions thatmake you in charge of your water con-sumption, such as, “Do I feel like I hadmore energy than when I didn't drinkmuch? Could I have played longer if Ihad to?”

Digital remindersThere are many apps available to remindkids to drink water. If kids do not have aphone, parents should set it on theirphones, and when the reminder goesoff, it’s water time!

Invest in a cool water bottleGoing online or to a sports shop andfinding one you’ll love and won’t mindtaking with you is a great way to pro-mote hydration. This way, you put thewater control in their power and it is also

a bit more eco-friendly than using multi-ple plastic bottles.

What about the children who don't like waterWhat about the children who don't like it,complain and feel like it’s worse thanpulling teeth to get water down? Empowerthem. Ask them about solutions. Could youcut the water with a little pure orange,cherry or apple juice?

What about sports drinks?Too much sugar is not really beneficial,but adding a little flavor is no problem atall. With all of their activity, a little sugarcan actually be helpful. After they get inthe habit of it and see how their game re-sponds when they are hydrated, less andless juice will be needed.

Back to schoolWhen kids head back to school, there is noreason to halt water intake. Continue withthe morning routine and find a cool lookingwater bottle for them to head off to school

with. Have them try to fill it up after everyclass, or have the younger ones see if theycan drink one bottle before recess, anotherbefore lunch and another before dismissal.Of course, it depends on the size of thebottle, but there are some great kid-friendlyand teenage-friendly options available.

Oh, and just a reminder: In the beginning,drinking water throughout the day mightseem like a hassle … one more thing tothink about. But like every routine, once youget into the swing of it, it will grow to be-come second nature. And just like you de-veloped the habit of brushing your teethevery morning, you will start to reach for thatimportant and refreshing glass of water!

Elizabeth Right Reiss works with a varietyof student-athletes ages in small groups,teams and privately. Her work involves fit-ness, sports, exercise, mindfulness, nutri-tion, confidence building and athletics. Shemay be reached by phone at (303) 918-3140, e-mail [email protected] orvisit www.ElizabethRightReiss.com.


BY BRIAN COLEMAN

Not since 1988 has a woman’s player won all four Grand Slams in a calendar year. That year,Steffi Graf dominated the rest of the women’s field, as the 18-year-old won her second ca-reer Grand Slam at the Australian Open, and proceeded to rattle off titles at the French Open,Wimbledon and U.S. Open.

Twenty-seven years later, 34-year-old Serena Williams has a shot at the Golden Slam. She has al-ready completed her second career “Serena Slam,” winning last year’s U.S. Open and the first threemajors of 2015, and a win at this year’s U.S. Open will tie her with the aforementioned Graf for the mostGrand Slam titles with 22 in the Open Era.

At her age, what Serena has been able to do over the past 10 months is nothing short of remark-able. At any age, the feat would be great, but to be playing at the top of her game in her mid-30s onlyfurther demonstrates her dominance over the rest of the sport. The question heading into the finalGrand Slam of the season is: Can anyone in the women’s game beat Serena?

Many have speculated as to what the difference is in Serena’s game that sets her apart from the restof the pack. It is not just her power, but the consistency with which she uses power that makes herstand out. No one on the WTA Tour serves with as much speed and accuracy as Serena, making itnearly impossible to break. With the U.S. Open being played on hard-courts, her power becomes evenmore of a factor.

In addition to her sheer power, there might not be anyone on the Tour who plays with as much pas-sion and intensity on every single point than Serena. Her emotions were on full display in the FrenchOpen final against Lucie Safarova as she was yelling at herself, and in her Round of 32 match at Wim-bledon against Heather Watson, she turned to the crowd to say “Don’t try me” in reference to theBritish crowd favoring the hometown favorite Watson.

For someone who is so dominant, it almost seems that Serena still plays with the same chip on hershoulder that helped propel her and her older sister Venus into stardom more than 15 years ago. It iswhat keeps her drive at full throttle and still motivates her to be the seemingly unbeatable force thatshe remains to this day. Sure, there are times where she drops sets and looks to be on the brink of de-feat, but at this point in the season, winning two sets out of three against her feels like an impossibleassignment.

“I was really excited to achieve that ‘Serena Slam,’” said Serena. “It was really important for me todo that. Just holding all four trophies at the same time, two times in one career … I feel okay about


in pursuit of history continued from page 31

my game. I’m always looking to improve. I’mnever too comfortable. That’s when I thinkyou are susceptible to losing.”

That is the scary part for opponents.Serena is not yet satisfied and is still hungryfor victory even to this day. There doesn’tseem to be a complacent bone in her body,

as her desire for victory and pulling out dom-inant performances has become her forte.

Another trait that separates Serena fromher compatriots on the WTA Tour is herability to hit another gear in the match’sbiggest moments, evident in some of herGrand Slam wins. When the lights are on

the grandest of stages, as they often are forSerena on the grounds of the USTA BillieJean King National Tennis Center, sheshines her brightest.

Sixteen years ago, a then 17-year-oldSerena captured her first Grand Slam titlein Flushing Meadows at the U.S. Open. Ifshe wins this time around, she will tieGraff’s record of 22 career Slams, and onlyadd to her ever-growing and legendarylegacy.

She is the odds-on favorite to hoist thetrophy for the sixth time in her career andwin her fifth consecutive major title.

“Hopefully, people will be cheering meon to push me over the edge, give me theextra strength needed for this historic mo-ment,” said Serena of playing in front of theU.S. Open audience. “I think, in a way, italso makes things easier for me because Ifeel like I have nothing to lose. I feel like Ican go in there, do the best I can and justhope for the best.”

While she may be trying to tame expec-tations, Serena is undoubtedly the odds-onfavorite to extend her reign in Queens onceagain.


2015 U.S. Open Preview

The Men’s DrawThe contenders …

Coming off a 2015WimbledonChampionship,world number oneNovak Djokovichad a verylopsided 48-3record on the yearin early August,winning more than

94 percent of the matches he has playedthis season. His winning percentage sofar this year by far eclipses that of worldnumber two Roger Federer (85 percent)

and world number three Andy Murray (87percent). Djokovic is also 20-1 in GrandSlams this year, a true testament to hisconsistency at the most pressure-riddentournaments. If Djokovic manages to winthe last Grand Slam of the year at the U.S.Open, he would earn his third Grand Slamtitle of 2015 and his 10th Grand Slamcrown overall. Look for Djokovic to finishoff the year the way he started it—strong.

The tennis world knows Andy Murray isback. After a disappointing 2014 whereMurray made only one semifinalappearance in a Grand Slam at theFrench Open, Murray has made the finalsof the Australian Open and the semifinals

of Wimbledon in2015. In thesemifinals ofWimbledon,Murray playedsuperb tennis,however, ran into aresurgent RogerFederer. There wassimply nothing he

could have done to beat the SwissMaestro on that day. The Andy Murray ofthe past wouldn’t be able to push thatloss aside. However, the new Murray,under the guidance of two-time GrandSlam Champion Amélie Mauresmo, hasdone a great job of transitioning his game

A Look at the 2015 U.S. OpenMen’s and Women’s Draws

B Y J A C O B M I S H K I N

On the heels of the final Grand Slam of 2015, the U.S. Open descends upon New York to bringthe pageantry and electricity that only the backdrop of NYC can bring.

If last year is any indication with the 14th-seeded Marin Cilic defeating the 10th-seeded KeiNishikori, upsets may be abound, as any player at any time can score a shocker in FlushingMeadows en route to the championship match.

2 0 1 5 U . S . O P EN P R E V I E W

both on and off the court. AfterWimbledon, Andy led Great Britain to aDavis Cup quarterfinal victory overFrance, with wins over world number 12Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and world number11 Gilles Simon. Murray followed thosewins up by beating world number oneDjokovic in the finals of the RogersCup. The 2012 U.S. Open Championhas won beneath the bright lights ofArthur Ashe before and Murray will beon a mission to end his remarkable runin 2015 with his first Grand Slam title intwo years.

Stan Wawrinkapossessesunlimitedfirepower. Hisforehand is huge,his backhand iscolossal, and hisserve isuntouchable attimes. His

quarterfinal loss to Richard Gasquet innearly July at Wimbledon was ananomaly, as Stan has played some of hisbest tennis this year. Wawrinka won the2015 French Open Championship andhas a 16-2 record in Grand Slam eventsthis year. Stan has won a hard courtGrand Slam before at the 2014Australian Open, and will look to use his

pure strength to put his opponents onedge. Consistency for Stan will be keyin hopes of winning the U.S. Open. IfStan is off or going for too many lines,he could exit Flushing Meadows earlierthan expected, but if he is playing closeto his peak, Stan “The Man” will be atough man to defeat.

The pretenders …Spaniard DavidFerrer, rankedseventh in theworld, never givesup. He playsevery point likeit’s his last, heruns for everyball, keeps therally going, and is

always in peak shape. This year,however, has been a struggle for Ferrer.He has had knee and wrist issues,which forced him out of Wimbledon,and he owns losses against worldnumber 59 Marco Baghdatis and worldnumber 66 Pablo Andujar. ThoughFerrer has won two hard courttournaments this year, he did not facethe likes of Djokovic, Federer, Murray orWawrinka in any of those ATP events.He did beat world number seven TomasBerdych and world number five KeiNishikori, but can he maintain that

consistency on a regular basis? It wouldbe great if Ferrer proved his doubterswrong, but the U.S. Open is not the bestplace to get over injuries.

It’s still hard tobelieve, but RafaelNadal is currentlyranked 10th in theworld. In back-to-back tournamentsin June and July,Nadal suffered afirst round loss toworld number 75

Alexandr Dolgopolov at the ATP AEGONChampionships at The Queen’s Club,and was defeated by world number 81Dustin Brown in the Round of 64 atWimbledon. Even though those losseswere on grass courts, they were stillpoor losses for Nadal. Most importantly,Rafa lost to world number 41 FernandoVerdasco and world number 122Michael Berrer in 2015. Both of thoselosses were on outdoor hard courts anddo not forecast a successful 2015 U.S.Open for the 14-time Grand Slamchampion.

Jo-WilfriedTsonga, in earlyAugust, slippedfrom the 12th-ranked player inthe world to the24th-ranked playerin the ATP Men’sSingles Rankings.Though he had anice showing at

the 2015 French Open and 2015Wimbledon, Tsonga has not won anyATP titles this year, and owns apedestrian match record of 13-8 todate. Tsonga always seems to havebumps and bruises, and just weeksago, was working through an abdominalinjury. Only he knows if he is trulyhealthy and if he is, Tsonga might turnsome heads at the U.S. Open. Tsongamay not be in top-form as we approachthe Open, having not played many


2 0 1 5 U . S . O P EN P R E V I E W

tournaments since Wimbledon. Whilehis forehand is one of his strengths,you can attack his backhand for someeasy points. He struggles with bigserving so he will need to step up hisreturn game to be exploited inFlushing.

The sleepers …Vasek Pospisil,the 25-year oldCanadian and the29th-rankedplayer in theworld, is comingoff his bestresults in a GrandSlam. By far,2015 has been

Vasek’s best when it comes to GrandSlam finishes. Pospisil made it to thethird round of the Australian Open andadvanced to the quarterfinals ofWimbledon. While his 13-13 matchrecord this year is middle of the road,Pospisil’s confidence should be at anall-time high after such strongshowings at the Slams. If theCanadian rides his Wimbledonmomentum into the U.S. Open, lookfor him to make a heavy push inFlushing Meadows.

Kevin Anderson,the 6’ 8” SouthAfrican, hasplayed well as oflate. The formerUniversity ofIllinois standouthas used his bigserve to notchwins over Stan

Wawrinka and Gilles Simon en routeto the finals at the ATP AEGONChampionships. He also made it theRound of 16 at Wimbledon beforelosing in five sets to eventualchampion Novak Djokovic. He hadcontrol of his Wimbledon match withDjokovic, and the loss might havebeen difficult to shake off, butAnderson knows if he plays like that,

he will have a chance to sneak intothe latter stages of the U.S. Open. Forthe 2015 season, Anderson owns acareer high 79 percent first servepercentage points won. It is the highestit has been throughout his career, and ifAnderson continues to serve near thatpercentage and keeps hanging with hisopponents at the baseline, Andersonmight go deep into the second week atthe year’s final Slam.

The Women’s DrawThe contenders …

Who else wouldbe the favorite towin the U.S.Open besidesSerenaWilliams?Serena hasbeen a womanon a mission.She has gone

40-1 on the year and has won 82percent of her service games. Serenais three for three in Grand Slamevents this year and will look toachieve the “Golden Slam” inFlushing Meadows. The 21-timeGrand Slam winner will look to gether 22nd title and tie Steffi Graf for

first place on the list of majorchampionships won in the Open Era.

Twenty-one-year-old Spanish-VenezuelanGarbiñeMuguruza is atthe top of hergame. She madeit to the finals ofWimbledon thisyear and

defeated Angelique Kerber, CarolineWozniacki and Agnieszka Radwanskabefore losing to Serena Williams in atightly contested 4-6, 4-6 defeat. Herrun at Wimbledon was her highest finishever in a Grand Slam and she shouldtake her confidence and young legs withher to Flushing Meadows. Keep youreyes peeled for Muguruza, as she couldvery well be the future of the WTA tour.

After injuriescaused VictoriaAzarenka to takesome time offfrom tennis, theBelarusian isback. The 19th-ranked player inthe world is notactually the 19th


2 0 1 5 U . S . O P EN P R E V I E W

Mindfulness

Sport Psychology

Nutrition

New York City303-918-3140

[email protected]

best player in the world as her rankingdoes not do her justice. When healthy,Azarenka is a top three player in the worldand one of the few players who cancompete with and beat Serena Williams.This year alone, Azarenka lost to Serenathree times, yet she split sets in all threeof the matches that they have faced off in.Behind Serena, Victoria is the bestbaseliner on the WTA Tour because of herability to attack with her forehand andbackhand. If Azarenka can get a favorabledraw at the Open and avoid a top-seededplayer early on, don’t be shocked if yousee Azarenka make it to the last day andpossibly earn the third Grand Slam title ofher career.

The pretenders …Though sheremains rankedthird in the world,Simona Halep’sbest tennis seemsto be a thing of thepast. In twotournaments priorto Wimbledon,Halep has lost to

world number 70 Mirjana Lucic-Baroniand world number 43 KristinaMladenovic. At Wimbledon, she lost tothe 106th-ranked Jana Cepelova in thefirst round. Halep did have hard court

success early in the year, but acoaching change, along with recentpoor play, will be difficult to overcomeon such a huge stage.

It’s no secret thatSpaniard CarlaSuarez Navarro’sbest results havecome on clay. Thehard courts of theU.S. Open don’tsuit her topspin-heavy shots andcraftiness.

Although she is in the top 10 of theworld, Navarro has never made asemifinals appearance in any GrandSlam tournament and will have troubledoing so in New York.

While AgnieszkaRadwanska hasbeen a consistentplayer on the WTATour for years, aGrand Slam titlehas yet to be inher cards. She hasmade deep runsinto past Grand

Slam tournaments, but she has only madeone Grand Slam final (2012 Wimbledon).As Radwanska progresses into the deep

stages of these Grand Slams, her styledoesn’t bode well. Radwanska is anextremely consistent player who hastouch, footwork, craft and patience,but she has little offensive weapons todefeat the very best. If Radwanskahopes to contend for a Grand Slam,she will need to take more risks andpractice being more offensive.

CarolineWozniacki is verysimilar toRadwanska in thatshe simply doesnot have theoffensive game tokeep heropponents onedge. Similar to

that of Radwanska, she has the finesse,speed, smarts and racquet skills, butthat alone will not be enough to beatthose who have Grand SlamChampionships on their resumes.Wozniacki made the finals of the U.S.Open last year, but in 2015, she hasshown some inconsistent play at theGrand Slams, as she has failed toadvance past the fourth round in allthree events.

The sleepers …Twenty-year-oldMadison Keyshas the chance tomake some noiseonthe court at thisyear’s U.S. Open.She has the serveand powerful shot-making skills tocreep into the last

few days at Flushing and willundoubtedly cause the boisterousAmerican crowd to root her on everystep of the way. Keys advanced to thesemifinals of the 2015 Australian Openand should attempt to equal or betterthat results on a very similar and familiarsurface. I can already hear the U.S.Open crowd chanting … “USA, USA,USA!”


2 0 1 5 U . S . O P EN P R E V I E W

In the last sevenyears, FlaviaPennetta hasreached thequarterfinals orbetter at the U.S.Open five times.With her bestresult coming in2013, a semifinal

appearance, Pennetta will search for thatform once again. For her career, Flaviahas gone 24-10 at the U.S. Open, whichis her best record in all of the Grand Slamevents. Though she is 33-years-old, shebrings needed experience to FlushingMeadows. Though she did not have agreat Wimbledon showing, she made it tothe Round of 16 at this year’s FrenchOpen and she defeated Azarenka inMarch at the hard courts in Miami. Shealso came out victorious against MariaSharapova at the hard courts of IndianWells in March. If she can beat Azarenkaand Sharapova on the hard courts, she isdefinitely someone who deservesattention when the U.S. Open begins.

Americans Headline U.S. Open JuniorChampionship Field

Worldnumberone junior

Taylor Fritz,Wimbledon BoysChampion ReillyOpelka, FrenchOpen BoysChampion TommyPaul and reigning

ITF World Junior Champion CiCi Bellis(pictured above) headline the Americansentered into the boys and girls singlesfields at the 2015 U.S. Open JuniorChampionships, which will be playedSept. 6-13 at the USTA Billie Jean KingNational Tennis Center in FlushingMeadows, N.Y.

Top-10 world-ranked juniors Michael

Mmoh, a 2015 French Open boyssemifinalist, and William Blumberg, whoreached the boys singles quarterfinals atWimbledon and the boys doubles finalat Roland Garros this year, are alsoentered into a U.S. Open boys field thatincluded 24 of the Top 25 juniors in theworld when the International TennisFederation released the entry lists lastweek.

Bellis, the breakout star of the 2014U.S. Open with her upset of DominikaCibulkova in the first round of thewomen’s draw, headlines a girls fieldthat includes other top Americanprospects, such as Katerina Stewart,Sofia Kenin, Usue Arconada and ClaireLiu, among others, along withWimbledon girls champion Sofya Zhukof Russia, and Australian Open GirlsChampion Tereza Mihalikova ofSlovakia. Tornado Alicia Black, a 2013U.S. Open Girls Singles Finalist, isentered into qualifying.

The full list of Americans entered intothe U.S. Open Junior Championships:Boys–Main DrawTaylor FritzMichael MmohReilly OpelkaWilliam BlumbergTommy Paul Nathan PonwithUlises BlanchSam Riffice

Boys–QualifyingEmil ReinbergGirls–Main DrawCiCi BellisUsue ArconadaSofia KeninMichaela GordonRaveena KingsleyFrancesca Di LorenzoIngrid NeelClaire LiuKaterina Stewart

Girls–QualifyingKayla DayAlexandra SanfordTornado Alicia Black

Locals Loeb and Elbaba Selected for 2015 AmericanCollegiate Invitational

The USTAhasannounced

that 2015 NCAAchampions JamieLoeb (picturedleft) of theUniversity ofNorth Carolina ofOssining, N.Y.,

and Ryan Shane of the University ofVirginia, will lead the group of topAmerican collegiate players selected toplay in the second annual AmericanCollegiate Invitational at the 2015 U.S.Open, Sept. 10-12 at the USTA BillieJean King National Tennis Center inFlushing Meadows, N.Y.

Joining Loeb and also representingthe New York area will be Winston Lin,a senior at Columbia from Williamsville,N.Y., and Oyster Bay, N.Y.’s JuliaElbaba, a junior at the University ofVirginia.

The American Collegiate Invitational,open only to American college players,began last year as a way to spotlightcollege tennis during the U.S. Open.Eight men and eight women will againplay single-elimination singlestournaments Thursday to Saturdayduring the second week of the U.S.Open, with the winners receiving a wildcard into the 2016 U.S. Open, maindraw or qualifying, depending on theirranking next summer.

“It is important that college tenniscontinues to be a part of the U.S.Open,” said U.S. Open TournamentDirector David Brewer. “We are excitedto once again feature a high level ofcompetition between some verytalented players with the AmericanCollegiate Invitational.”

The men’s field will consist of (italicsindicates that the player is a


2 0 1 5 U . S . O P EN P R E V I E W

graduating senior and/or has turnedpro/exhausted collegiate eligibility):l Gonzales Austin, a senior from Vander-

bilt from Miami, Fla.l Mitchell Frank, a senior at Virginia from

Annandale, Va.l Thai-Son Kwiatkowski, a sophomore at

Virginia from Charlotte, N.C.l Winston Lin, a senior at Columbia from

Williamsville, N.Y.l Mackenzie McDonald, a sophomore at

UCLA from Piedmont, Calif.l Quentin Monaghan, a junior at Notre

Dame from Chatham, N.J.l Ryan Shane, a junior at Virginia from

Falls Church, Va.

The women’s field will consist of (italicsindicates that the player is a graduating

senior and/or has turned pro/exhaustedcollegiate eligibility):l Robin Anderson, a senior at UCLA from

Matawan, N.J.l Brooke Austin, a freshman at Florida

from Indianapolisl Julia Elbaba, a junior at Virginia from

Oyster Bay, N.Y.l Lauren Herring, a senior at Georgia

from Greenville, N.C.l Josie Kuhlman, a freshman at Florida

from Ponte Vedra, Fla.l Jamie Loeb, a sophomore at North Car-

olina from Ossining, N.Y.l Maegan Manasse, a sophomore at Cal

from Redondo Beach, Calif.

In addition to the participants listed,the USTA will issue one men’s andwomen’s wild card to fill out each field

of eight. The fields are comprised of thetop two players in the ATP/WTArankings (as of June 1) and the top fiveplayers in the year-end IntercollegiateTennis Association singles rankings(excluding those selected by proranking), including at least twograduating seniors or players who haveturned pro/exhausted their collegiateeligibility.

The men’s/women’s AmericanCollegiate Invitational champions willreceive main draw wild card entries intothe 2016 U.S. Open if either is ranked120th or better by the U.S. Open entrydeadline next summer. Otherwise, thewinners will receive qualifying wildcards. The champions will also get wildcards into two USTA Pro Circuit events,while each runner-up will get one.

Singles Doubles (each team)

Winner: $3,300,000 Winners: $570,000

Runner-Up: $1,600,000 Runners-Up: $275,000

Semifinalist: $805,000 Semifinalist: $133,150

Quarterfinalist: $410,975 Quarterfinalist: $67,675

Round of 16: $213,575 Round of 16: $35,025

Round of 32: $120,200 Round of 32: $21,700

Round of 64: $68,600 Round of 64: $14,200

Round of 128: $39,500

The USTA has announced that thetotal purse for the 2015 U.S. Openwill increase by $4 million dollars,

bringing the total purse for the tournamentto a record $42.3 million and a 10.5 percentincrease over the 2014 U.S. Open.

Both the men’s and women’s singleschampions will earn $3.3 million, thelargest payout in U.S. Open history. Eachround of the singles competition will seedouble-digit percentage increases overlast year’s record payouts, with theminimum increase of 10 percent for thechampions and up to a 14.4 percentincrease in the Round of 32. Both the

Total U.S. Open Purse Surpasses $40 Million Markmen’s and women’s doubles championswill earn $570,000, the highest in U.S.Open history, and overall doubles prizemoney has been increased by 8.4 percent.The U.S. Open Qualifying Tournament willnow offer more than $1.7 million in prizemoney, a 12 percent increase over 2014.

In the last three years, US Open maindraw prize money has increased by 67percent.

“We continue our commitment toensure that the U.S. Open offers one ofthe most lucrative purses in all ofsports,” said USTA Chairman of theBoard and President Katrina Adams.“As we have stated, total playercompensation at the U.S. Open willreach $50 million by 2017.”

Round-by-round individual prizemoney for the U.S. Open is as follows:


2 0 1 5 U . S . O P EN P R E V I E W

Five Reasons to Love the U.S. Open

5. Night tennis

Night tennis at the U.S. Open is wherefans will create memories for years tocome. Late-night tennis has been atradition at the Open since 1975,when New Zealand’s Onny Parundefeated American great Stan Smithat the West Side Tennis Club in ForestHills, N.Y.

Last year, two top 10 players didbattle under the lights, as Kei Nishikoriwon a four-hour, 19-minute match overMilos Raonic that ended at 2:26 a.m.,tying the record for latest finish at theU.S. Open.

And who can forget Andre Agassi, atthe age of 35, coming back from twosets down to defeat James Blake infive sets in 2005? After the match,Agassi said, “At 1:15 a.m. for 20,000people to still be here … I wasn’t the

winner, tennis was. I don’t know if I’veever felt this good here before.”

The magical run by Jimmy Connorsat 39-years-old in 1991 included afive-set win over Patrick McEnroe thatended at 1:35 a.m.

You never know what to expect atthe Open, but it is often worth stayingup late to find out.

4. Celebrities

Celebrities, like the rest of us, lovetennis. Spotting athletes, actors andmusicians in attendance throughoutthe tournament becomes easy. TheU.S. Open has attracted the likes offormer U.S. President Bill Clinton(pictured above), Ricky Martin, EvaLongoria, Michael Jordan, Beyonce,Jay-Z, Sean Connery, Ben Stiller andmany more to Flushing Meadows.

When you are on grounds this yearkeep your eyes open for your favoritecelebrities!

3. Practice court viewingarea

A two-story practice gallery debutedat the 2014 U.S. Open. This allowedfans a better view of their favoritesstars as they warmed up for matcheson the practice courts. What madethis area even better is that youcould view Courts 4, 5 and 6 from thesame spot by simply turning around.The practice courts are alwayspacked with fans looking to catch aglimpse of players or get autographs,but this new viewing area allowedpeople to be a bit more spread out.Make sure to stop by this new spotat the 2015 U.S. Open.

SHIPPING AVAILABLE! CONTACT US!WWW.HIGHCOUNTRYSKIANDTENNIS.COM

CLOTHING & ACCESSORIESGROMMET INSTALLS

FREE DEMOS

A TENNIS SHOP FOR THE PROS



2 0 1 5 U . S . O P EN P R E V I E W

2. Entertainment

From live music to interactive gamesand kids tennis sessions, there’ssomething for everyone at the 2015U.S. Open. It starts with Arthur AsheKids Day on Saturday, Aug. 29, whichfeatures games and activities all overthe grounds of the National TennisCenter, as well as a stadium show inthe afternoon featuring top stars fromthe worlds of tennis and music.

The American Express FanExperience offers great family fun forall ages throughout the tournament.Kids can take part in youth tennissessions, while adults can have theirswing analyzed by a teaching pro.Fans can also sit in on interviews withtop players on the Fan Court or get anautograph from their favorite stars atthe WTA booth.

The U.S. Open includes plenty oflive music, with performers rangingfrom solo singers to jazz bands,which can be heard throughout thetournament at the South Plaza andPresident’s Gate.

1. The stars

Well this one is simple … the bestplayers in the world are in ourbackyard, here in New York for threeweeks (including qualifiers and

practice days). Whether you are a fan,casual player or a serious tennis player,you will not want to miss out on yourchance to get up close with the bestplayers when they come to town for thebiggest and best tennis tournament inthe world!

2015 U.S. OpenRestaurant Guide

Along with the best tennis andentertainment in the world, the U.S.Open offers premium-dining

experiences—from Mojito, a Cuban-inspired restaurant and bar, to ChampionsBar & Grill, a classic Americansteakhouse. Whether you are in the moodfor a light snack, lunch, dinner, meetingfriends for cocktails or satisfying a sweettooth, restaurants on the grounds of theNational Tennis Center can cure anycraving. Come experience all that the U.S.Open has to offer.

Aces and Champions Bar & Grill

Both are located on the Club level inArthur Ashe Stadium, between Gates 3and 4, and are available to Courtside Boxseat holders and Luxury Suite guests. Youcan access both restaurants by using theelevators on the east side of Arthur AsheStadium adjacent to the U.S. Open Club.Loge and Promenade Subscription Seriesticket holders may purchase passes forthe duration of the tournament by callingthe USTA Billie Jean King National TennisCenter Ticket Office at (718) 760-6363.Reservations are recommended for bothAces and Champions Bar & Grill.

Aces features vaulted ceilings, vibrantcolors and a casual but elegant wineand sushi bar, combined withsuperlative seafood offerings, makingAces the ultimate dining experience. Youcan also enjoy Aces’ flavorful andsumptuous cuisine in your suite with theAces Platinum Package Series. Open forlunch, dinner or after the matches.

Champions Bar & Grill features acontemporary setting with classicleather and wood accents. ChampionsBar & Grill is a modern take on thetraditional clubhouse atmosphere. TheGrill offers premium steaks, heartychops, fresh seafood, salads and a widevariety of wines. Join us for fun,delicious menu items and the finest cutsof meat and more.

Bring your friends for lunch, dinner orafter the matches, and you won’t miss aminute of the action with live matchesand other sporting events onChampions’ many TVs.

U.S. Open Club

The U.S. Open Club is located on theground floor of Arthur Ashe Stadium.The U.S. Open Club is available to allSubscription Series ticket holders forthe duration of the tournament for anominal entrance fee, and is includedfor Silver Loge Box seat holders.

The U.S. Open Club, with itsstriking contemporary décor, isfamous for its Chef’s Table andseasonal selections of eclecticAmerican cuisine.

Open for lunch, dinner or after thematches. Restaurant passes arerequired. To purchase passes, call theUSTA Billie Jean King National TennisCenter Ticket Office at (718) 760-6363.


2 0 1 5 U . S . O P E N P R E V I E W

Patio Café

Soak up the beautiful surroundingsof the U.S. Open grounds at theexpanded charming outdoor PatioCafé and bar located outside theU.S. Open Club. Enjoy freshselections of seasonal sandwichesand salads paired with summerspecialty cocktails. The Patio Café isavailable for all ticket holders. Openfor lunch, dinner or after thematches.

Mojito Restaurant & Bar

Mojito, a Cuban-inspired restaurant,transports you to a dramatic settingin a tropical oasis reminiscent of1950s Havana. Experience Mojito’sluscious flavors with Latin specialtiesand cool cocktails either inside oroutdoors in our whimsical outdoorgarden. Mojito is available for allticket holders. Open for lunch, dinneror after the matches, Mojito islocated on the ground floor of ArthurAshe Stadium near the Patio Café.

Heineken Red Star Café

The new Heineken Red Star Café islocated next to the South PlazaFountains. Sitting on the top level ofthe two-story building, it providesguests a spacious, ideal setting tounwind and keep track of the matcheswhile enjoying the café’s laid-backatmosphere and enhanced menus.The new U.S. Open Collection Store,located on the ground level, willfeature a complete assortment of U.S.Open merchandise and mementosalongside a limited selection ofHeineken-branded offerings.

Heineken House

A trip to the U.S. Open isn’t completewithout a stop at the Heineken House,located above the Food Village. You’llbe able to grab a few Heinekens fromone of the three bars on-site, relax incabanas, play games with friends, andeven purchase limited editionHeineken-branded clothing from thePro Shop. TVs will be set upthroughout, so you won’t miss amoment of the action on the courts,while relaxing with a cold beer. Youcan also compete in the “HeinekenPerfect Pour” each afternoon withlocal New York City bartendersjudging the best, and awarding

winners with VIP tickets to thatevening’s match.

Rejuvenate by theFountains

Visit the refreshing food destinationsby the fountains, including the SouthPlaza Café, Cuppa Spotta, CarnegieDeli and Ben & Jerry’s.l Oyster Bar is located on the Club

Level in Arthur Ashe Stadium andoffers fresh oysters, lobster rollsand crab cakes in a unique setting.

l Come quench your thirst with afull-service bar that includespremium wine upgrades atBaseline Cocktails.

l Sample Mediterranean flavors withwines to match at Wine Bar Food.

l Located in the Food Village, theGrey Goose Bar features the GreyGoose Honey Deuce, the U.S.Open signature cocktail, alongwith Grey Goose specialtycocktails and a full service bar.

l Enjoy regional cuisine andspecialty items at the U.S. OpenFood Village.

2 0 1 5 U . S . O P E N P R E V I E W

The USTA has announced a series ofphysical improvements, fan andplayer upgrades, and new sponsor

activations that will be unveiled at the2015 U.S. Open.

Strategictransformation of theUSTA Billie Jean KingNational TennisCenterRoof superstructure over Arthur Ashe Stadium

More than 6,000 tons of steel nowsurround Arthur Ashe Stadium in atechnological first–constructing a stand-alone support system for a retractableroof over an existing stadium. With thefinal piece of steel placed in late spring,the structure that ultimately will hold theretractable roof is now in place. At theconclusion of the 2015 U.S. Open, workwill continue on the two retractablepanels, as well as the installation of achilled water ventilation system to controlhumidity inside the Stadium when theroof is closed, so that the retractable roofwill be ready for the 2016 U.S. Open.When the roof becomes fully operational,it will be the largest of any tennis stadiumin the world, with a 62,500-square-footopening. Six thousand tons of steel formthe superstructure, which contains 1,700structural beams and 115,000 bolts. Atotal of 176 steel and concrete-filledpilings, driven 180 feet below the surface,anchor the 24 steel columns which rise150 feet above ground to support thesuperstructure.

Technological upgrades elevate thein-Stadium experience

The completion of the roof superstructurehas allowed the USTA to upgrade alltechnologies within Arthur Ashe Stadiumincluding the lights, sound and videoboards. In 2015, a total of four big screens(up from two) will be utilized in thestadium. Additionally, an LED lightingsystem has replaced the former lighttowers, providing sharper, more energy-efficient lighting for competitive play.Finally, a completely new sound systemhas been installed throughout the stadiumtaking advantage of the roof trusses andcatwalks.

Grandstand construction

Construction has begun on a new 8,000seat Grandstand and a new Food Villagein the southwest corner of the campus;both are slated to open in 2016. TheGrandstand will provide a one-of-a-kindfan viewing experience in a completelymodern and state-of-the-art stadiumsetting.

West Stadium Courtsand Practice Gallery

An immediate fansensation in 2014,the West StadiumCourts andPractice Gallerywill continue to beone of the mostdesirable fanareas in 2015.With seating formore than 3,000,

fans can watch tournament action, aswell as the top seeds practicing. TheWest Stadium Courts also will be thehome of the second annual AmericanCollegiate Invitational, which will takeplace from Thursday, Sept. 10, throughSaturday, Sept. 12.

Fan enhancements atthe 2015 U.S. Open“Doubles on Us” at the U.S. Open(Thursday, Sept. 10)

For the first time at the U.S. Open,complimentary grounds admission will beoffered to all fans who come during theday of the tournament’s second Thursday,Sept. 10. The day’s action will be filled withdoubles play, including the Men’s DoublesSemifinals and Women’s DoublesSemifinals, as well as semifinal action inthe Champions Invitational, a showcase offormer Grand Slam tournament championsand finalists. The free grounds admissionalso will enable fans to watch competitionin the American Collegiate Invitational,featuring top American collegiate players,taking place on the West Stadium Courts.

New Upgrades at the 2015 U.S. Open


Also on that day’s slate, the world’s topboys and girls will be competing in the U.S.Open Junior Championships; and topwheelchair athletes will see action in theU.S. Open Wheelchair Tennis Competition.

Nightly light show

The USTA has installed new lighting trussesin each of the upper concourse entryways inorder to conduct a nightly light show whichwill highlight the steel truss and catwalksystem now surrounding Arthur AsheStadium. The light show will take placebetween the two evening matches inconcert with the performance of “Americathe Beautiful” by the USTA’s Casting Callwinners.

U.S. Open televisionESPN ... new partnership

This is the first year that ESPN will be theexclusive live domestic media partner ofthe U.S. Open. Over the course of the2015 U.S. Open, ESPN and ESPN2 willcombine to air more than 130 hours of livematch play with more than 1,100 hours offirst-to-last ball coverage to be seen onESPN3, which also will be available on theU.S. Open official Web site, USOpen.org.ESPN will enhance its coverage with ahost of cutting-edge camera systems inArthur Ashe Stadium, including the returnof Spider-Cam (to be used for the firsttime during the entire tournament), a newrail-cam contained within the southernbaseline wall and freeD replay technologyfor the first time at a Grand Slam event.


2 0 1 5 U . S . O P E N P R E V I E W

Every summer, New York TennisMagazine visits dozens of localtennis camps. This summer during

our travels, we asked kids the followingquestion: "If you had a chance to play inthe U.S. Open, how would you feel andwho would they want to play against?"

Here are some of the answers from ourlocal tennis players:

l Francie Brewster (12-years-old),Riverside Summer Camp: "I think itwould be really cool to play at theU.S Open, but I don't think I would

win against the pro players. I wouldwant to play against SerenaWilliams because she is the bestfemale player in the world. It wouldbe cool to meet her because I thinkshe's an inspiration to female tennisplayers."

Kids Comment on the U.S. Open Experience

2015 US Open ScheduleDate Session Time Featured Matches

Monday, August 31 1 Day 11:00 a.m. Men’s/Women’s 1st Round

Monday, August 31 2 Evening 7:00 p.m. Men’s/Women’s 1st Round

Tuesday, September 1 3 Day 11:00 a.m. Men’s/Women’s 1st Round

Tuesday, September 1 4 Evening 7:00 p.m. Men’s/Women’s 1st Round

Wednesday, September 2 5 Day 11:00 a.m. Men’s/Women’s 2nd Round

Wednesday, September 2 6 Evening 7:00 p.m. Men’s/Women’s 2nd Round

Thursday, September 3 7 Day 11:00 a.m. Men’s/Women’s 2nd Round

Thursday, September 3 8 Evening 7:00 p.m. Men’s/Women’s 2nd Round

Friday, September 4 9 Day 11:00 a.m. Men’s/Women’s 3rd Round

Friday, September 4 10 Evening 7:00 p.m. Men’s/Women’s 3rd Round

Saturday, September 5 11 Day 11:00 a.m. Men’s/Women’s 3rd Round

Saturday, September 5 12 Evening 7:00 p.m. Men’s/Women’s 3rd Round

Sunday, September 6 13 Day 11:00 a.m. Men’s/Women’s Round of 16

Sunday, September 6 14 Evening 7:00 p.m. Men’s/Women’s Round of 16

Monday, September 7 15 Day 11:00 a.m. Men’s/Women’s Round of 16

Monday, September 7 16 Evening 7:00 p.m. Men’s/Women’s Round of 16

Tuesday, September 8 17 Day 11:00 a.m. Women’s Quarterfinal/Men’s Quarterfinal

Tuesday, September 8 18 Evening 7:00 p.m. Women’s Quarterfinal/Men’s Quarterfinal

Wednesday, September 9 19 Day 11:00 a.m. Women’s Quarterfinals/Men’s Quarterfinal

Wednesday, September 9 20 Evening 7:00 p.m. Men’s Quarterfinal/TBD

Thursday, September 10 21 Evening 7:00 p.m. Women’s Semifinals

Friday, September 11 22 Day 12:00 p.m. Mixed-Doubles Finals/Men’s Semifinals

Saturday, September 12 23 Day 12:00 p.m. Men’s Doubles Finals/Women’s Finals

Sunday, September 13 24 Day 12:00 p.m. Women’s Doubles Finals/Men’s Finals


2 0 1 5 U . S . O P E N P R E V I E W

l Nicolaus Doupsas (12-years-old), Stadium Tennis Center: “Iwould want to play Roger Federer.He is my idol. I think many peopleidolize him. I’ve always admiredhim and personally, I think he isbetter than everyone else. He’s thegreatest of all time. I guess itwould be fun to play him on thecourt as well. I would go all out if Iwere to play him because I know Iwould lose. I would also want tosee what he does and learn fromhim.”

l Julian Greenfield (eight-years-old), Roosevelt Island RacquetClub: “I would play Rafael Nadal,because I like him very much. Iwould try to hit the ball on thelines so he cannot get it.”

l Justice Hollins (10-years-old),Alley Pond Tennis Center: “Myfavorite is probably Roger Federer.If I played him at the U.S. Open,

I'd probably lose 32-0, but itwould be a cool experience."

l Vienna Marszalek (13-years-old), USTA Billie Jean KingNational Tennis Center: “I wouldwant to play against SerenaWilliams. It would be an honor,because she has won so manyGrand Slams."

l Luca Nickoila (13-years old),Tennis Innovators: "I would feelreally excited and nervousbecause I've only been playingfor two years. I would want toplay against Novak Djokovicbecause he's a really nice guyand never gets upset, even whenhe loses a point. He makes thegame fun."

l Matteo Nickoila (12-years-old),Tennis Innovators: "I would feelnervous because I've neverplayed in a tournament before,but it would be really exciting to

do it in the majors. I would wantto play against my older brotherbecause we always playtogether."

l Hyatt Oyer (13-years-old),Stadium Tennis Center: “I wouldwant to play Roger Federer. He’smy favorite player, and I look upto him, so it would be a dreamcome true.”

l Maxime Promeyret (nine-years-old), Roosevelt Island RacquetClub: “I would play RogerFederer because he’s my favoriteplayer and I would learn fromhim. He is liked by everyone.”

l Simkho Shimonov (14-years-old), USTA Billie Jean KingNational Tennis Center: "I don'treally have high hopes of playingin the U.S. Open … it would bepretty amazing though. I'd playRafael Nadal, but I don't expectto beat him."


By Ashley Brownstein

For 39 years, theWomen’s Grass CourtNationals has taken

place in Forest Hills, N.Y. atThe West Side Tennis Club. More than 100women from across the country gatheredto take part in this historic event. FromHawaii, Nevada, California, Florida, Geor-gia and Arizona, women trekked to WestSide to play on some of the best grasscourts in the country.

So what is it about this tournament thatseparates it from others? Bob and DinaIngersole have created a tournament thatattracts women of all levels—ranging fromex-tour players, to those who only pickedup a racquet for the first time as an olderadult. Player Anne Schwartz has called it a“labor of love” from the Ingersoles, whohave run this tournament for the past 12years.

Participants range in background aswell. Some are involved with tennis, eitheras teaching pros or coaches. However,there are others ranging from a diplomat, a

math professor and a firefighter/paramedic.The more I speak with Anne, the more I

begin to realize this tournament is more ofa reunion than anything else. The main rea-son to play in this tournament is the friend-ships forged amongst the players. Thepatio is constantly crowded with playerslooking on, not to size up their next oppo-nent, but to simply see how their friends aredoing. Sure, there are some upsets in theseeds, which can make for excitingmatches, but the participants are all sup-portive of each other.

“This is the most hyper-competitivegroup of women you’ll ever meet on thecourt … and then go out later for dinnerand a drink,” Anne said. “I literally gethomesick when I leave.”

When the players depart, it’s not radio si-lence either. They stay in touch and supportone another outside of their tennis livesthrough Facebook once the tournament isover.

It seems that in today’s age, the words“friendly” and “competition” do not gohand-in-hand with one another, espe-cially when it comes to the women’s

draw. Yet, as I reflect on this event, itseems that nothing highlighted it morethan sportsmanship. As I end my conver-sation with Anne, she asks me, “Do youhave everything you need? I want to gowatch my friend finish her match before Ihead home.”

I couldn’t think of a better sign-off thanthat.

The following are the results from the2015 Women’s Grass Court Nationals:

Women’s 30sSingles: Round Robinl Round Robin: Irene Paulus defeated

Ji-Yeon Choi, 6-2, 6-4l Round Robin: Pamela Mogul

defeated Ji-Yeon Choi, 6-0, 6-0l Round Robin: Pamela Mogul

defeated Irene Paulus, 6-0, 6-0 (Finals)

Women’s 40sl Singles: (4) Amanda Parson Siegel

defeated Mercedes Michel, 6-1, 6-1l Doubles: Amanda Parson Siegel &

Trish Riddell defeated (1) AdrianaIsaza & Mutsumi Shirai, 6-1, 6-2

Women’s Grass Court Nationals Wraps in Forest Hills


PGA National Resort & SpaBallenIsles Country ClubPalm Beach Gardens, FloridaDecember 4-9, 2015Boys & Girls: Ages 8-14 Singles/Doubles/Mixed Doubles “Little Mo” Yellow Ball: Ages 8-14“Little Mo” Green Dot: Ages 8, 9, 10 “Big Mo”: Ages 13 and 14

To register, visit www.littlemoflorida.comFor more info: www.mcbtennis.org Contact: [email protected]

Women’s 50sl Singles: (1) Susan Wright defeated (2)

Vesna McKenna, 6-3, 6-2l Doubles: (1) Vesna McKenna & Susan

Wright defeated (2) Mary Dailey &Erika Smith, 6-3, 6-4

Women’s 60sl Singles: (1) Tina Karwasky defeated

(2) Sherri Bronson, 6-2, 6-2l Doubles: (1) Tina Karwasky & Jan

Kirkland-Cochran defeated (4) LilianPeltz-Petow & Betsy Savitt, 6-2, 6-2

Women’s 70sl Singles: (1) Betty Wachob defeated

Carolann Castell, 6-2, 6-1l Doubles: (3) Lee Delfausse & Susan

Kimball defeated (2) Carolann Castell& Judy Louie, 6-4, 7-6(0)

Women’s 80sSingles: Round Robinl Round Robin: (1) Burnett Herrick

defeated Irene Bretzel, 6-0, 6-1l Round Robin: Laurine Leach defeated

Fay M. Martin, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4

l Round Robin: Fay M Martin defeatedIrene Bretzel, 7-6(1), 3-6, 7-6(3)

l Round Robin: (1) Burnett Herrickdefeated (2) Dorothy Matthiessen, 6-1,6-0 (Finals)

Ashley Brownstein is a 2009 graduate fromMarist with a major in communications,radio/TV/film and a minor in business. A for-mer USTA junior player, Brownstein is cur-rently working for West Side Tennis Club asan administrative assistant in marketing andsocial media, as well as tennis reporting.


MBR Builders is a nationwide expert in allfacets of construction and renovations ofmetal buildings for the indoor tennis market.With more than 50 years of combined experi-ence of their highly qualified staff, MBR offersa full range of services for your tennis club.

Besides being a Certified Butler Builderfor new construction and re-roofing sys-tems, MBR Builders also works closelywith their clientele to provide easy andcost-efficient ways to lower operating

costs of their existing buildings.With a multitude of high-quality insula-

tion and lighting systems, MBR Builderscan match your individual club needs to theperfect energy-efficient system for your fa-cility. MBR’s offers LED lighting systems,such as The Watt Slayer Series, which havebeen extremely successful in reducing en-ergy consumption, while giving their clien-tele the light levels they desire.

MBR Builders also offers a quality line of

indoor tennis accessories, including cus-tom backdrop curtains and divider nets.Check out MBR’s Web site at MBR-Builders.com to learn more about theirservices or request a free estimate.

MBR’s services include: New construc-tion, re-roofing, interior ceiling systems,lighting systems, curtains and wire work,and tennis accessories.

Take that first step to the exceptionaltennis facility of your dreams!

SIGN UP NOW FOR OUR POPULAR TENNIS PROGRAMS!

For more information and to register, please visitWWW.GOTHAMTENNIS.COM or call (646) 524-7069

Gotham Tennis Academy is dedicated to providinghigh-quality tennis instruction in the most convenientlylocated facilities in New York City. Our PTR-certifiedtennis professionals are some of the most talented,personable and engaging pros in New York City.

REGISTER ONLINE at www.gothamtennis.comNow accepting registrations for

2015-2016 Tennis Programs

MBR BuildersBrings Experience and Skill

to Indoor Tennis Renovations



C O M I N G I N N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5

Submissions for both advertising and editorial are due by October 1, 2015For more information, please call 516-409-4444 or e-mail [email protected]

Distribution scheduled for 11/01/15

This edition will feature:• Top Coaches Roundtable Discussion• Tennis Travel Destination Guide• Holiday Gift Guide• 2015 Girls High School Season Recap

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

Don’t miss the advertising opportunities in the nextedition of New York Tennis Magazine November/December 2015!

Facebook-www.Facebook.com/NYTennisMagInstagram-@NYTennisMag • Twitter-@NYTennisMag


2015 Guide to the Top Clubs/Prografor New York Tennis Players

Alley Pond Tennis & Sports Center7920 Winchester BoulevardQueens Village, N.Y.(718) 264-2600AlleyPondTennisCenter.comLike us on Instagram:AlleyPondTennisCenterAlley Pond Tennis & Sports Centeris a multisport facility. During the

winter season, Alley Pond offerstennis on our 11 hard courts, aswell as rental field time to soccerand lacrosse teams.

Alley Pond Tennis Center takesgreat pride in teaching andcoaching its students. You will findthey are one of the nicest,friendliest and most caring tennisfacilities in the Queens, N.Y. area.All students, from kids to adults, areencouraged to accomplish theirgoals in tennis. Alley Pond is proudto say its kids go on to play highschool and college tennis.

Offered by Alley Pond is a SuperAdult Drills Program on theweekends, which continues to be abig hit each year. Also offered areAdult Tennis Classes on weekdaymornings, 90-minute classes with acombination of teaching and match

play. The Evening Adult TennisClasses are one-hour sessions, andall of the classes are a 1:5 pro tostudent ratio. If you like to socialize,you will love the APTC Adult TennisParties, hosted on Friday orSaturday nights, depending on themonth. It's so much fun you cancome by yourself or bring yourpartner and play multiple doublesmatches against other players.

The most popular tennis class isthe Junior Development Program forchildren ages five through 17-years-old, encompassing all levels of play.These classes meet once a week forone hour or 90-minutes. Alsooffered is a Quick Start Program forkids ages three-and-a-half to five-years-old. This is a great startupprogram for young kids and a greatway to introduce them to tennis.


Boca West Country Club20583 Boca West DriveBoca Raton, Fla.(561) 488-6975BocaWestCC.orgBoca West Country Club isrenowned for its first-raterecreational activities. TheCountry Club's reputation in golfis equaled by its $1.8 millionTennis Center. Fully dedicated tothe racquet sport, there is alighted stadium court and seatingfor more than 300, plus access formembers to USPTA staff fortennis clinics and private lessonsfor instructions, drills and strategysessions.

The number one residentialcountry club in the United Statesis also the proud recipient of the2013 USTA Outstanding TennisFacility Award. Tennis enthusiastslooking for superb amenities in abeautiful private country clubsetting have the opportunity tosee many WTA and ATP touringpros and other world class playerswho frequent the courts.

Adding cachet to the Club’sbrand is the recent 2015partnership with WTA rising starChristina McHale, who, accordingto USA Today, has “Long beenconsidered a could-be next starfor the U.S. on the women's tour.”Known for competing hard andpushing players such as MariaSharapova and Jelena Jankovic,McHale is currently ranked 61st inthe world.

Tennis Center courts carryfeature-worthy status of their own.There are 30 Hydro-courts, with

three lit for night play. Keeping upwith the times, they’re adding oneU.S. Open cushion court, whichconverts to four Pickleball courtsto be completed by September ofthis year.

An award-winning community inBoca Raton, Fla. originallydeveloped by Arvida Corporationin 1971, Boca West Country Clubis home to 6,000 residents (3,380families) in magnificent residencesincluding townhomes, patiohomes, villas, garden apartmentsand single-family homes. BocaWest is the number one PrivateResidential Country Club in thecountry and number one PrivateClub, of all types, in Floridastatewide. Boca West is aPlatinum Club of America, Five-Star Private Club since 1997, andis proudly recognized as aDistinguished Emerald Club byBoardRoom Magazine since 2013.For more information, visitBocaWestCC.org.

Cary Leeds Center for Tennis& Learning1720 Crotona AvenueBronx, N.Y.(718) 247-7420CaryLeedsTennis.orgFollowing its mission to developthe character of young peoplethrough tennis and education fora lifetime of success on and offthe court and with a vision toserve the youth of New York City,NYJTL has opened the CaryLeeds Center for Tennis &Learning, a world-class facility forchildren and families. The Cary

ams

New for this coming indoorseason, Alley Pond is introducing itsAPTC Junior Tournament TrainingProgram for advanced level playerswho are getting ready to startplaying USTA tournaments, andjunior and high school tennis. Thisprogram was kicked off in July 2015and plans are to continue theprogram through the indoor season.Alley Pond’s coaches are dedicatedto taking its students to the nextlevel of their tennis development.

Also offered are children’s tennisbirthday parties, featuring one-hourof on-the-court instruction, lots offun games, and 45-minutes forcake and pizza.

We hope to see you on the courtsof Alley Pond soon. Let Alley Pondmake your tennis experience afantastic one.


Leeds Center will provideyoungsters, who would nototherwise have the chance,opportunities to learn and playtennis.

Commercial offerings include acomprehensive range of Juniorand Adult Programs for players ofall levels, Private & GroupLessons, Hourly & Seasonal CourtRental and Space Rental.

The Cary Leeds Center, a $26.5million dollar project, constructedin partnership with the NYCDepartment of Parks &Recreation, was originallyenvisioned nearly 15 years ago.The ground breaking took placeMay 22, 2013 and had its grandopening on June 15, 2015. Ithouses a 12,000-square-footclubhouse and educationalfacility, and is the flagship homefor NYJTL coaches to provide freeyear-round instruction and playfor young people from beginnersto nationally-ranked juniorplayers, ages five through 18. TheCenter will serve more than30,000 families and children inand around Crotona Park,annually providing more than6,000 hours of free tennis courttime to the community.

But the tennis programs areonly part of the story. The Centeralso provides space for educatorsto help students improve theirperformance in school. In thefacility’s three classrooms,teachers and counselors will offeryoung people a quiet and safeplace to benefit from a wide rangeof programs centered onacademics, healthy living andcharacter education.

Centercourt PerformanceTennis Academy65 Columbia RoadMorristown, N.J.(973) 635-1222CentercourtAcademy.comThe Centercourt PerformanceTennis Academy is a one-of-a-kindprogram fully-dedicated to thedevelopment and performance oftennis players. Centercourt’sphilosophy is if you want toimprove, you need to train. Whileyou don’t have to be exceptionallytalented, you do need to beseriously committed to yourtraining. The mission is to helpevery student-athlete trained torealize their full potential—athletically, academically and withinlife itself. Centercourt believes thatthe trials and tribulations that itsstudent-athletes endure in thetennis pathway will develop youngathletes into leaders both on andoff the court. Players respect thegame, their peers, parents,environment and coaches. Playersare coached to not only becomegreat players, but to become hard-working, self-sufficient individuals.

The Centercourt curriculumfeatures on-court and off-courtlesson programs, which includecomprehensive tennis instruction,complimented with both physicaland mental conditioning,conducted by performancespecialists; all of whom are

committed to developing playersinto champions. Total athletictraining programs are designed toincrease player development andfacilitate higher overall performanceby incorporating mental toughness,nutrition counseling,speed/movement, communicationand vision/reaction skills in allplayers.

Centercourt Performance TennisAcademy’s culture is simple …theylive the sport! Seven days a week,365 days a year. Continuallystriving for improvement,Centercourt does not celebratemediocrity. Centercourt strives toget the most out of all its players. Ifyou are serious about your tennisand want to be the best athlete youcan possibly be, you owe it toyourself to experience theCentercourt Performance TennisAcademy, firsthand!

Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club450 West 43rd StreetNew York, N.Y.(212) 594-055AdvantageTennisClubs.comMilos@AdvantageTennisClubs.comManhattan Plaza Racquet Club(MPRC), an Advantage TennisClub, is located at 450 West43rd Street (between 9th Avenueand 10th Avenue) in New YorkCity (open Monday-Sunday from

Photo credit: MPRC member Sam Kanter, courtesy of MPRC

2015 Guide to the Top Clubs/Programs for New York Tennis Players


6:00 a.m. until midnight).MPRC offers luxury tennis in the

heart of Manhattan, with five indoorchampionship hard courts, airconditioning in the summer, aluxurious duplex clubhouse withterrace, a new tennis bubble,private lessons and group lessonsfor all ages and levels, gamearranging, quality tennis programsfor members and non-members,leagues, tennis camps, parties,doubles play, tournaments, a proshop with stringing services, andnice locker rooms. MPRCmembership includes a fullmembership to Manhattan PlazaHealth Club. MPRC members canfully access the Health Club’s manyfitness classes, climbing walls,gym, glass enclosed swimmingpool, sundeck, sauna and more.There is indoor parking alsoavailable on the premises.

MPRC’s most popular programfor members is game arranging thatfollows the NTRP Rating System.MPRC has some of the best tennis-teaching professionals in New YorkCity who offer private lessons andgroup lessons.

MPRC offers several categoriesof membership, including theAdvantage Passport Tennis/SportsMultiClub Membership toRoosevelt Island Racquet Club &Sports Park and the New YorkTennis Club. For membershipinformation, contact MPRCAssistant Manager andMembership Director LaurenHartman at (212) 594-0554.

MPRC also offers season/opentennis time, and for moreinformation on these opportunities,contact MPRC Manager MilosVojvodic at (212) 594-0554. Formore information on tennis lessonsand Adult Tennis Programs, contactMPRC Assistant Tennis DirectorBruce Barney at (212) 594-0554.MPRC also offers QuickStart Junior

Programs, for more information,contact MPRC’s Youth ProgramAdministrator, Gabriel Slotnick at(212) 594-0554.

MatchPoint NYC2781 Shell RoadBrooklyn, N.Y.(718) [email protected] NYC is the sportsand fitness destination for theentire family, located in Brooklyn,N.Y. only 20 minutes away fromdowntown Manhattan. Spreadacross 120,000-square feet,MatchPoint’s premier health andfitness complex features acutting-edge tennis facility thatincludes nine indoor tenniscourts.

MatchPoint’s Tennis CoachingTeam is led by Numrud NinoMuhatasov, co-founder and directorof MatchPoint NYC (a former coachof top WTA and ATP players, formercaptain and number one singlesand doubles player for the St.John's University Tennis Team, BigEast Conference Finalist and two-time Most Valuable Player),together with featured Coach AlonaBondarenko (Australian OpenDoubles Champion in 2008, rankedin the top 20 in the world in singlesand top five in the world in doubles)and Head Pro AlexanderDemidenko (Davis Cup Team

Member, head coach of the formerUSSR Girls National Team).

MatchPoint NYC’s world-classjunior tournament trainingprograms (by invitation only) arecomprised of highly-ranked playerson national and international levels.The club offers personalizedcoaching for each player, plusprivate lessons, intensive drills,match play, tennis-specific fitnessconditioning and mentalconditioning. MatchPoint has awide range of programs for alllevels, including adult leagues,QuickStart, Junior Development(beginner, intermediate, andadvanced) and private lessonstaught by accredited USPTA-certified coaches.

MatchPoint NYC’s WiFi-enabledCafé is open for breakfast, lunchand dinner. Relax and unwind aftera game, grab a bite to eat or relaxwhile you watch your child on thecourt. Enjoy a healthy snack or getrefreshed with a smoothie at thejuice bar. Stop by the Pro Shop ifyou forgot something or if you needyour racquet restrung. Free parkingis also offered on premises.

Additional club features include aluxury full-sized gym, three groupfitness studios, a Junior Olympicpool, a basketball court and avariety of youth and adultrecreational and competitivetraining programs. MatchPointNYC-certified instructors andpersonal trainers are friendly,approachable and ready to assist inyour individual fitness objectives.The group swimming and exerciseclasses, health metricsassessments, and one-on-onetraining will get you the desiredresults in your quest for a healthierlifestyle. Complete your day ofhealth and fitness by winding downand relaxing in the steam sauna.Join MatchPoint NYC and FINDYOUR GAME!



Midtown Tennis Club341 8th AvenueNew York, N.Y.(212) 989-8572MidtownTennis.comMidtown Tennis Club isManhattan's original indoor tennisfacility, conveniently located in theheart of New York City. Situated on8th Avenue, between 26th and 27thStreets, Midtown Tennis Club iseasily accessible by publictransportation. In a city filled withcommitments and membershipdues, it’s a breeze to reserve atMidtown for an hour or more ofcourt time, a private lesson or oneof Midtown’s clinics.

Midtown has four indoor Har-Trucourts for year-round use and fouroutdoor Har-Tru courts which arebubbled and heated during thewinter months. Midtown’s outdoorseason enables City-dwellers toplay on our open-air courts withspectacular views of the Manhattanskyline.

Midtown offers an extensive teamof tennis professionals who areavailable to provide lessons to allages and levels. If you are lookingto develop your existing skills, learnnew techniques, get a great cardioworkout or prepare for your nexttournament, Midtown has a pro forwhatever your interest.

Midtown’s clinics are offered fortotal beginners and all levels up tocompetition players. Sign up forone month, one day or all year. The

Friday Night Round-Robin is apopular event in the winter seasonwhich attracts intermediate toadvanced players looking forfriendly doubles matches. It is agreat way to meet new tennisfriends.

Midtown is the home of TheManhattan Tennis Academy (TMTA),New York City’s premier JuniorDevelopment Program. TMTA offersafter-school classes for juniors of allages (four years of age and up) andlevels. TMTA features theQuickStart program, as well as acompetitive training program, andoffers small classes throughout theschool year.

New York Tennis Club3081 Harding AvenueThrogs Neck (Bronx), N.Y.(718) 239-7919AdvantageTennisClubs.comIndoor Courts, LaurenHartman:[email protected] Courts, MikeWeisberger:[email protected] in 1886, New York TennisClub is the oldest active tennis clubin New York. In fact, the year 2015marks their 129th consecutiveseason. Throughout the years, theClub has maintained a reputation forits restful atmosphere, thecongeniality of its members and its

professional approach to a trulypopular sport. With a new patio andviewing deck and six newly-resurfaced Har-Tru courts, the Club isa haven in a quiet corner of the City.Convenient to Manhattan, Queensand lower Westchester, it’s also thebest value in the Tri-State area. Sitback and relax in the recentlyrenovated clubhouse and lounge,grab a bite to eat at the snack bar orunwind in the remodeled lockerrooms. There is also on-site racquetstringing in the pro-shop and amplefree parking located on the premises.

New York Tennis Club is a club forall seasons. For the upcoming indoorseason, mid-October to the end ofApril, New York Tennis Club offershigh-quality courts at competitiverates. The two climate-controlledbubbles are equipped with shadow-less, non-glare lighting, with hourlycourt time at rates between $36-$74per court, as well as seasonal courtoptions. Hours of operation are 7:00a.m.-11:00 p.m., seven days a week,and no membership is required.

The rest of the year is outdoorseason, when the Club offersunlimited play—as much tennis asmembers wish. Tennis lovers cansoak up the sun on lush lawnssurrounded by flower gardens, sit inthe shade of willow trees or havelunch on a covered patio or in theclubhouse, which offers diningfacilities, locker rooms and showers.For additional information, visitNewYorkTennisClub.com.

The Club offers adult programsfor skill sets of all levels. Programofferings include singles anddoubles leagues, a comprehensivegame arranging program for bothsingles and doubles players,private and group instruction for alllevels, cardio tennis classes, andtennis parties, where guests arewelcome. Whether you are new totennis, or want to take your gameto the next level, New York Tennis



Club has a program for you.The Junior Tennis Program at New

York Tennis offers year-roundclasses, camps and programs for allages and levels. There are QuickStartclasses for ages four through 10,summer and holiday campprograms, after-school programs,tournament training for advancedcompetitive players and match play.During the school year, classes areoffered both after-school and onSaturdays. The Junior Tennis Campoffers one-week sessions during themonth of August.

One more special feature: TheAdvantage Passport Membership,which offers members a whole newlevel of benefits and access.Passport memberships include freesummer court time on reservedcourts at Roosevelt Island RacquetClub (RIRC) and New York TennisClub, plus membership privileges atManhattan Plaza Racquet Club,Manhattan Plaza Health Club andNew York Tennis Club. For moreinformation, call (718) 239-7919. Seeyou on the courts!

Roosevelt Island Racquet Club281 Main StreetRoosevelt Island, N.Y.(212) [email protected] in its 22nd year of operation,Roosevelt Island Racquet Club(RIRC) is part of Advantage Tennis

Clubs. Roosevelt Island RacquetClub is conveniently located onbeautiful Roosevelt Island, New YorkCity’s oasis on the East River. TheClub features 12 Har-Tru courtsunder new bubbles with shadowless,non-glare lighting, heated and airconditioned for comfortable year-round play. The exercise roomincludes a treadmill, exercise bikes,elliptical trainers and free weights toaccommodate almost any workout.The Club boasts a completelystocked pro shop, locker roomfacilities, two social lounges,Riverview Lounge with a breathtakingview of Manhattan’s skyline, a snackbar and free parking.

RIRC is easily accessible by tram,subway or car (free on-site parking).The Roosevelt Island Tram (from 60thStreet and 2nd Avenue) stopsadjacent to the Club, and the subway(F Train) stops one block from theclub. Members also have use of anindoor swimming pool and fitnesscenter next door in the Sports Park.

RIRC offers a range of adultprograms for players of all levels.Program offerings range from theAdvanced Singles League for theexperienced competitive player, toBeginner Group Lessons for peoplenew to the sport of tennis. Cardiotennis is one of the Club’s mostpopular programs and is offered dailyfor those looking to combine a cardioworkout with tennis. Whatever yourgoal, there is a program for you! TheAdvantage All-City Junior TennisProgram offers year-round classes,camps and programs for all ages andlevels.

There are QuickStart classes forages four through nine, summer andholiday camp programs, after-schoolprograms, tournament training foradvanced competitive players, andmatch play. During the school year,classes are offered both after-schooland on Saturdays. The AdvantageAll-City Junior Tennis Camp offers

one-week sessions from mid-Junethrough the end of August.

Roosevelt Island Racquet Cluboffers a Gold Membership thatincludes full Club privileges, 14-dayadvance reservation privileges,member court fees with an averagesavings of $35 per court hour, gamearranging and member discount onall programs. The Club is excited tooffer Advantage PassportMembership, which offers membersa whole new level of benefits andaccess. Passport Membershipsinclude free summer court time onreserved courts at RIRC and NewYork Tennis Club, plus membershipprivileges at Manhattan PlazaRacquet Club, Manhattan PlazaHealth Club and New York TennisClub. For more information, contactGordon Kent, Tom Manhart orKimberly Latif at (212) 935-0250.

Saddlebrook Tennis Academy5700 Saddlebrook WayWesley Chapel, Fla.(813) 973-1111Saddlebrook.comSaddlebrook Tennis Academy,located on the 480-acre property ofSaddlebrook Resort, was acquired in1986 from the legendary HarryHopman. Harry's philosophy andfocus on fitness made Hopman oneof the most successful tenniscoaches in history, and became thefoundation of the Saddlebrookprogram. The Hopman Tennis



Program at Saddlebrook offersprograms for players of all ages andability levels.

Saddlebrook’s renowned facilitiesattract enthusiasts from across theglobe, and is home to 45 courts,including all four Grand Slamsurfaces. Saddlebrook Tennis hasthe ability to cater to the true tennisfanatics who choose to participate inour demanding five-hour a dayprogram, offered 365 days a year,while also providing corporatemeeting attendees with anopportunity to fit in a quick lesson ora few sets of competitive play.

The combination of tranquility,privacy and exclusivity on property,coupled with the energy of theworld's top players training to reachtheir goals of ATP and WTA successhas made Saddlebrook a historicand legendary training ground. Infact, guests have enjoyed watchingsome of the world's best playersduring their training at Saddlebrook,including Jim Courier, Pete Sampras,Martina Hingis, James Blake, JohnIsner, Jack Sock, and Bob and MikeBryan.

Hundreds of talented players cometo Saddlebrook each year to vastlyimprove their game through training,hard work, discipline and motivation.Saddlebrook’s program includes on-and off-court performance routines,including specialized drills forconsistency and accuracy, as well assupervised match-play under thesupervision of a professionalcoaching staff. After years ofexperience and proven success withprofessional players, Saddlebrook’sjunior program has been designed toimprove each camper’s technical,tactical and mental games. Juniorstrain up to five hours daily, in additionto making new friends and enjoyingfun social activities with othercampers.

In addition to the tennis facilities,Saddlebrook boasts 95,000-square-

feet of versatile meeting space, twoArnold Palmer Golf courses, a newlyrenovated golf training area, a half-million gallon pool, state-of-the-artfitness center and an internationalboarding school.

Saddlebrook Preparatory is apremier destination for education andaspiring junior golf and tennisathletes who wish to get the intensivetraining offered at Saddlebrook,whilst enjoying the luxuries of aworld-class resort year-round. Someof the school’s past alumni includeAndy Roddick, Jennifer Capriati andAshley Harkleroad.

SPORTIME Randall’s Island,Home of the John McEnroeTennis AcademyOne Randall’s IslandNew York, N.Y.(212) 427-6150SportimeNY.com/ManhattanJohnMcEnroeTennisAcademy.comJKarl@SportimeNY.comSPORTIME Randall’s Island, a state-of-the-art, 20-court tennis andtraining facility located on Randall’sIsland in Manhattan, is home to theJohn McEnroe Tennis Academy(JMTA). New York sports legend JohnMcEnroe partnered with SPORTIMEto open his world-class trainingacademy in the world’s greatest cityin September 2010. JMTA is led byAcademy Director Lawrence Kleger,who has trained and coached morenationally-ranked and world-ranked

juniors than anyone in the history ofthe USTA Eastern Section, as well asJMTA Performance Director AndrewSmall, and JMTA Associate DirectorsFelix Alvarado and Nate Emge.

The JMTA tennis and athleticdevelopment coaching staff iscomprised of more than 40experienced professionals fromaround the world, all personallyselected by Johnny Mac andLawrence Kleger. Recent JMTAgraduates include Noah Rubin, atop American tennis prospect, whojust launched his pro career after astellar year at Wake Forest duringwhich he lost in the finals of the2015 NCAA Championship. Noahwon the Boys WimbledonChampionship in singles and theBoys National Championship insingles and doubles in 2014.

In addition to world class grouptraining for top juniors, SPORTIMEoffers a player pathway for children ofall ages and levels, including theTennis Whizz program forpreschoolers and, red and orangeball programs for younger, developingplayers. SPORTIME Randall’s Islandalso offers private tennis lessons,private athletic training, privatemental toughness training, and thebest group programming andfacilities in NYC for adult players of alllevels.

SPORTIME Randall’s Islandfeatures 160,000-square feet oftennis courts and amenities, includingfive indoor and five indoor/outdoorDeco-Turf tennis courts, and 10indoor/outdoor Har-Tru clay tenniscourts. This extraordinary club alsofeatures a functional training andfitness center; comfortable loungeareas with excellent viewing; a juniorlounge/computer lab; a pro shopfeaturing top brands and 24-hourstringing; complimentary nurserycare; member locker rooms withsteam; a café serving healthy food,snacks and beverages; and



classrooms, party rooms andmeeting facilities.

It’s all on Randall’s Island underthe RFK/Triboro Bridge. ContactDirector of Sales and Services JayKarl at (212) 427-6150 or [email protected] for moreinformation and to schedule a visit.

Stadium Tennis Center at Mill Pond Park725 Exterior Street at East152nd Street and the HarlemRiverBronx, N.Y.(718) 665-4684StadiumTennisNYC.comStadium Tennis Center at Mill PondPark is located two blocks south ofYankee Stadium at East 152nd Streetand the Harlem River. This popularfacility is quickly shaking its label as“the best-kept secret in New YorkCity tennis.” Stadium Tennis Center isthe flourishing “go-to” tennis facility inNYC–with16 cushioned, newly-surfaced U.S. Open-style Deco-Turfhard courts, including 12 indoorcourts, which are now open for year-round indoor play. Stadium’s firstindoor season came at the end of2010, and today, the staff, players,and families are thrilled with thesuccess and tremendous growth oftheir favorite facility. Stadium TennisCenter is certain to become your newpopular public tennis facility, too.

The “Bubble” continues to reign as

one of the largest tennis bubbles ortennis domes of this type in the world,covering an area of over four millioncubic feet and a footprint of more than75,000 square feet. The “Bubble” willsoon feature a brand new state-of-the-art lighting system to complementits high indoor ceilings and spaciousbackcourts. These offerings willcertainly please the playing public andthe many tournament level,interscholastic, and collegiate playerswho compete at and call StadiumTennis Center their “home court.”

Stadium Tennis Center also offerscomplimentary on-site parking to thenorth of the facility. The newly-remodeled Café and Clubhouse willwelcome you to host special events,birthday parties, and tennis gatheringsfor all of your family and friends, andthe updated Pro Shop offers all yourtennis necessities. The Clubhousealso features clean, secure lockerrooms and lounge areas, Wi-Ficomputer access, a workspace wherechildren can do schoolwork and read,as well as an always-growing tennislibrary.

This highly-touted facility offers a fullcomplement of tennis programs forjuniors and adults of all skill levels andages. In partnership with GothamTennis Academy, a leader indeveloping and operating tennisprograms in New York City and theHamptons, Stadium Tennis Centeremploys high level, experiencedtennis professionals from all over theworld who have established a strongsense of ownership in the success ofthe total Stadium Team. Stadium’sElite High Performance and JuniorDevelopment Programs continue toexpand exponentially, and the 10 &Under Program has been reinforcedto follow the true Gotham Pathway totennis .For adult players, fast-pacedgroup clinics and cardio tennisworkouts are offered daily, in additionto indoor seasonal court rentals,private lessons, game-arranging,

leagues and tournament play.More information about Stadium

Tennis Center at Mill Pond Park,visit StadiumTennisNYC.com or call(718) 665-4684. More informationabout Gotham Tennis Academy,visit GothamTennis.com or call(646) 524-7069.

Super Stars Tennis1461 First Avenue, #241New York, N.Y.(646) [email protected] more than 20 years of tennisteaching experience, Super StarsTennis has introduced thousands ofchildren to the sport of tennis in theNew York metropolitan area. With 14-plus convenient locations inManhattan, Queens and New Jersey,Super Stars Tennis welcomes all agesand levels. From the beginning noviceplayer to the advanced tournamentplayer, a wide variety of programs areoffered including their Tiny Tots (agesthree to five), Mighty Mites (ages sixthrough eight), Super Stars (ages nineand 10), Varsity and junior varsityteam tennis, and Junior DevelopmentPrograms. In addition, adult tennisprograms, group classes, private andsemi-private instruction are all offered.

For children ages 10 and under, theUSTA QuickStart format makeslearning tennis easier and more funthan ever! Our programs introducetennis-sized right for kids so theydevelop skills and have fun right from



the start. Using modified equipmentand courts tailored to a child’s sizeand age, kids will learn, rally, play andcompete quickly and in a way that isboth enjoyable and rewarding. TheQuick Start format fosters slower-moving and lower-bouncing balls,shorter and lighter racquets, andsmaller courts. The smaller courts willgive kids the confidence and ability tocover the entire court. The shorter,lighter racquets will allow kids tocontrol the racquet and discourageextreme grips. The balls will slow playdown, bounce at a height equal to thekids’ playing abilities and providelonger rallies, allowing kids to betterdevelop their court skills, tactics andstrategy. All classes are taught by astaff of certified professionals, whowill teach your child the game oftennis, the sport of a lifetime.

For more information on SuperStars Tennis programs and adulttennis programs, contact Director ofTennis Justin Hogh at (646) 284-0514or [email protected]. Onlineregistration is now available atSuperStarsTennis.com.

Tennis Innovators Academy110 Lake StreetWhite Plains N.Y.(914) 428-2444TIAcademies.com Located in White Plains, the heart ofWestchester County, Tennis

Innovators Academy (TIA) serves thelocal tennis community and is quicklybecoming the main hub for therecreational and competitive adultplayer, and high-performance juniors.As you walk in the lobby, you enter atennis mecca. Modern, sleek designof the clubhouse, large glass viewingwindows, and a friendly staff get youin the mood to go out there and grind.The facility offers eight brand newhydro Har-Tru courts, LED lights, anda pleasant upbeat environment. Withhydro-court technology, the courtconditions are truly the best inWestchester County, offering eliteplaying performance for all levels. Inthe coming months, the club willinstall Playsight Technology, a totalgame-changer in the industry. Itallows coaches to analyze a player’sgame, movement patterns, shotselection and spins, measure thespeed of serve, as well as line-callchallenges. The clubhouse isequipped with a special conferenceroom where you sit down with theinstructor and go over the analysis.

Both adult and junior programs arestructured, with a walking directorenforcing the quality of the programsand established curriculum. Themanagement of the Academybelieves in a good balance betweenhigh quality instruction, a greatworkout, and lots of fun, but alwaysgeared towards development. Theratio on-court never exceeds a 4:1student to pro ratio, including the 10& Under Academy. Every age groupand level has a clear curriculum andthemes change bi-weekly. For theAdult Academy players, USTAcompetition is offered during theindoor and outdoor season, with adedicated traveling coach attendingthe matches. As a player, you areconstantly learning and climbing theladder within the academy. Whetheryou are a junior or an adult, there arenumerous classes and clinics tochoose from including private

lessons, adult clinics, match playsessions for juniors, cardio-orientedsessions for adults, and others. Thepackages are all customized andtailored to each individual playerdepending on their goals andavailability.

The staff, led by Cesar Andrade,consists of premier teaching pros fromaround the world. They know exactlyhow to fine-tune your game. The levelof devotion and attention towards thestudents is beyond anything you haveexperienced. The TIA pro staffconstantly contributes to thedevelopment of the sport byparticipating in various workshops andconferences in addition to their dailyresponsibilities. TI Academy makesplayers … come and check it out!

Tennis Innovators also offers avariety of programs in numerous NewYork City locations.

USTA Billie Jean King NationalTennis CenterFlushing Meadows Corona ParkFlushing, N.Y.(718) 760-6200NTC.USTA.comThe USTA Billie Jean King NationalTennis Center, home of the U.S. OpenTennis Championships, is the largestpublic tennis facility in the world. It is,most certainly, a “Tennis WelcomeCenter.” The Tennis Center is open tothe public year-round and offersexciting programming, as well as



numerous events throughout the year.Programs are offered for all ages

and levels, as well as clinics, privatelessons, leagues, tours, field trips,summer camps, corporate events,birthday parties and tournaments. TheNTC also supports all USTACommunity Tennis and PlayerDevelopment initiatives.

The professional staff of the USTABillie Jean King National Tennis Centeralso conducts community tennisprograms, including 10 & UnderTennis for children 10 years of ageand under to learn tennis in a fun anddynamic way; USTA Junior TeamTennis for youth match play; USTALeague Tennis for competitive, level-of-play competition, and an officialCardio Tennis site for on-court heartpumping fitness.

Initiatives for USTA PlayerDevelopment include an InvitationalUSTA Competition Training Center forranked players, Player Developmentprograms for top-ranking juniorsresiding in the Northeast, and a year-round USTA Tournament TrainingProgram for ranked juniors.

The USTA Billie Jean King NationalTennis also provides for diversecommunity outreach programsincluding; the New York Junior TennisLeague (NYJTL), the NYC Departmentof Parks and Recreation, the QueensDistrict Attorney’s Star Track/Say Yesto Tennis, No to Violence program forQueens at-risk youth.

The NTC hosts various tennisopportunities for special populations,including wheelchair tennis instructionfor the physically-challenged from themonths of October through July,HERO (Help Expand RecreationalOpportunities) for developmentallychallenged adults and tennis forautistic children through NYFAC (NewYork Families for Autistic Children).

There is an extensive summer campprogram which provides basic tennisinstruction starting as young as 10and under up through and including

Academy level players. Campsinclude instruction and fitnessprograms; the encouragement ofgood sportsmanship leading togeneral character building for thechildren of all ages and levels. Theseservices are provided at nominal cost,making it affordable for youngsterswho would not otherwise get thechance to attend camp or receivetennis instruction. Lastly, the ProjectACES (Alternative ClassroomEnvironment for Students),implemented at the NTC in 2009, isgeared towards children from schoolsfrom the New York City MetropolitanArea. This program provides studentsthe opportunity to visit the NTC andlearn about the history and the gameof tennis. The kids are given a tour ofthe entire site, including Center Courtin Ashe, a video presentation on thehistory of tennis and the great playersof the sport, followed by an hour of oncourt tennis instruction.

West Side Tennis Club1 Tennis PlaceForest Hills, N.Y.(718) 268-2300ForestHillsTennis.comWest Side Tennis Club is well-knownfor hosting the U.S. Open TennisChampionships. Today, it is home to830 members, maintaining the best ofa celebrated past and rich history.West Side Tennis Club often surprisesfirst-time visitors. Anchored by itshistoric stadium, the renowned Tudor-style clubhouse, along with a junior

Olympic pool complex, West Side's 12acres are both a majestic setting and atranquil oasis in the heart of New YorkCity.

West Side Tennis Club is located just20 minutes from the bustle of midtownManhattan, easily accessible by car,bus, subway or the Long IslandRailroad. West Side maintains 38tennis courts on four differentsurfaces: Grass, Har-Tru, Red Clayand Deco-Turf and provides year-round tennis utilizing its 10-courtindoor facility.

Members can take advantage ofgroup or private lessons, clinics,tournaments, ladders, arrangedmatches, round-robins and a year-round junior program, includingsummer camp, a pro shop andswimming lessons. West Side TennisClub also offers a full-servicerestaurant and bar with spectacularsunset dining, and private party andcorporate outing facilities. Platformtennis, bridge, and fun-filled activitiesand social events for all ages at alllevels are scheduled year-round.

On weekends and weekdays, it’s afabulous warm weather getaway forfamilies, with a tennis day camp that isthe perfect summer activity forchildren. So convenient, what betterway to end a day at work than with agame of tennis, a dip in the pool, andwatching the sun set having drinks onthe club house patio.

And for getting business done in aspecial way, it’s a unique place tospend quality time with customers,business associates and colleagues.There is even wireless Internet accessavailable anywhere in the clubhouse.Want to do a truly special event for asmall or large group of people, WestSide Tennis Club has everything youcould want to create a specialoccasion. There is something foreveryone at the West Side TennisClub. For more information, visitForestHillsTennis.com or call (718)268-2300.



N E W Y O R K T

charitablBeautiful Weather and Great Tennis Mark Annual New York Open

B Y H E R B E RT G L E N N

The inaugural New York Open TennisChampionship was held at the historicWest Side Tennis Club (where the U.S.

Open was founded) in 2013. To increase ac-cess to the general public and provide freetickets to fans, Tennis in New York Inc., thenon-profit running the tournament, movedthe event to the legendary Central Park Ten-nis Courts near 93rd street and Central ParkWest in 2014. The tournament, which ac-cepted the best professional and amateurtennis players living or visiting New York Cityon the July 4th weekend, returned to theCentral Park Tennis Courts this year.

“This year’s tournament exceeded allexpectations,” said Dale Caldwell, a for-mer USTA board member and founderand tournament chair of the New YorkOpen. “We had great weather, wonderfulspectators and fantastic matches. All ofthe finalists in both the Men’s andWomen’s Singles tournaments were inter-national touring professionals with globalrankings.”

Spectator Velvor Rhone, who has at-tended all three New York Opens, stated,“This year’s New York Open was the best

one yet. The tennis and weather werefantastic.”

Winston Lin, a full-time touringprofessional, the former number oneColumbia University player and winner ofthe 2013 New York Open, won the Men’sSingles Championship in a thrilling two-hourthree-set match against touring pro andformer number one St. John’s player GaryKushnarovich, 6-7 (1), 6-1, 6-4.

The score of the Women’s Singles Finalwas not as close, however, it was a verycompetitive match with Russian touring pro

Nika Kukharchuk beating Malika Rose, atouring pro from Florida, 6-1, 6-2. The win-ners of the Men’s and Women’s Champi-onships received $2,000 and a silver plate.The Finalists each received $1,000 and a sil-ver plate for their efforts in the tournament.

On July 4th, children and adults weregiven free tennis lessons to celebrate theNew York Open’s “David Dinkins FamilyDay” named in honor of the former New YorkCity Mayor who has been a big supporter ofboth Tennis in New York Inc. and the NewYork Open.

The men’s finalists gather for a photo with their trophies The coaches take a break from the action The women’s finalists gather for a photo

Kids and coaches enjoying the clinics held duringthe 2015 New York Open

Participants in the First Annual New York OpenMindfulness Festival, led by Trish Miele and ClarisaRomero, gather for a group photo


T E N N I S M A G A Z I N E ’ S

le initiatives“I had never picked up a racquet before,

but I had a lot of fun,” said Donald Tiller, anadult participant in the free tennis lessons. “Iam still sore from using muscles I had neverused before.”

In addition to great tennis and weather,this year’s tournament included the First An-nual New York Open Mindfulness Festival,led by Trish Miele and Clarisa Romero.

“Tennis and mindfulness became linkedforever after the best-selling book, TheInner Game of Tennis by Tim Gallway,outlined how being present in the mo-ment was the secret to great tennis,” saidMiele. “We started this event to let NewYorkers know how mindfulness is an es-

sential tool for personal and professionalsuccess.”

Romero mentioned that, “The MindfulnessFestival included extraordinary speakers, likeDawn Brekke, Dave Charny, JJ Bruno, JoanieTerrizzi, Fran Swart, Roxanne Chess andMercedes Luna providing mindfulnessclasses in Spanish to expand the reach ofthis life tool."

To demonstrate that tennis is a sport forpeople with special needs, the event includedthe first Annual New York Open Autism Sup-port Festival, sponsored by the New YorkChapter of the National Autism Association(NAA) and Sidekicks Respite. The Festivaltook place over all three days of the tourna-

ment, and included daily hikes through Cen-tral Park, tennis lessons, face-painting, waterballoon games and discussions on ways thatmindfulness and yoga can help students onthe Autism spectrum.

“Participants in this year’s Festival had aphenomenal time,” said Ken Siri, an organ-izer of the New York Open Autism SupportFestival. “We are looking forward to expand-ing this program next year so that this eventwill become a July 4th weekend destinationfor families touched by Autism.”

Herbert Glenn of WeCarePartners Inc. maybe reached by phone at (973) 847-1983 or e-mail [email protected].

charitableinitiatives

Local Talent Aims for John McEnroe Tennis Academy Scholarship

The John McEnroe Tennis Academy(JMTA) at Sportime Randall’s Island hasconcluded its annual tryouts for its pre-

mier tennis facility, offering a year-long schol-arship to train at and learn from some of thebest tennis coaches in the area.

Tryouts consisted of multiple evaluations,ranging from attitude, to tennis skill, to workethic. Hundreds of aspiring tennis playerscame out for a chance at the scholarship.

“Not only do we have a lot of kids here,we have a tremendous amount of reallygood and talented players,” said JMTA Di-rector Lawrence Kleger. “It is nice in oneway, but also tough at the same time, be-cause it means we have to make some reallytough decisions.”

The Academy stresses a player’s charactermore than anything else. While skill and ath-leticism are important, taking in a player withthe proper mindset is something the coachesand directors are looking for in candidates.

“We’re basically evaluating them on sixthings: Attitude and effort, coachability, ath-letic potential, compete level, mental tough-ness and tennis IQ,” said Kleger. “At theAcademy, we are very big on character. Wedon’t want someone who is mopping aroundor throwing their racquet.”

Some of JMTA’s top players have madetheir way through via the scholarship. FelixAlvarado, coach of Sabrina Xiong who re-ceived a JMTA Scholarship a few years back,said this scholarship is a way for the facility todevelop a tennis player.

“We are looking for young kids we can de-velop and see just how athletic they are andhow hard they will work,” said Alvarado. “Wedon’t worry too much about technique, theway they hit or any of that, because that issomething we can work on.”

Credit photos to Brian Coleman



USTA LEAGUES UPDATE

adult league

The USTA Eastern Metro Region's 2015 Spring/Sum-mer Season concluded with the 2015 Regional Play-offs, the weekend of July 31-Aug. 1. There were 17matches played over the course of two days at theUSTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center andThe Cary Leeds Center for Tennis and Learning in

Crotona Park. Metro Region teams will compete at Sectionals for a chance to

advance to National Playoffs later in the year.Looking ahead to the Fall, the Metro Region Schedule will

be slightly different. The 40 & Over Men/Women’s Season willnow start in the middle of September. A 40 & Over Mixed-Dou-bles League, which will start around February 2016, will beadded.

Congratulations to the following teams for winning their respectivelevels and advancing to the Sectional Playoffs.

3.0 Women..................Allison Creekmore/Mignon Winston3.0 Men ..........................................................James Snow3.5 Women ............................Ashley Rowe/Ariane Querishi3.5 Men ..............................................................Erwin Avila4.0 Women..............................Debra Bricker/Fredrica Ford4.0 Men ..................................Ron Johnson/Daniel Bindler4.5 Women ................................................Maria Salnikowa4.5 Men..................................Mitchell Low/Jonathan Dorin5.0 Women......................Chiara Ciabatti/Mercedes Michel5.0 Men........................................................Michael Doane

The 3.5 Men’steam, led by

captain ErwinAvila

The 3.5 women’s team, co-captained by AshleyRowe and Ariane Querishi

The 3.0 Women’s team, led byAllison Creekmore andMignon Winston, are headedto the Sectional Playoffs

Congrats to the USTA EasternMetro Region 4.0 Women's

team, headed to the SectionalPlayoffs in late August


By Dr. Michael Mizhiritsky

Lower back pain is one ofthe more common com-plaints to a doctor. Almost

everyone will experience lower back painat least once in their lifetime. Inactivity, lackof proper exercise, being overweight,smoking, family history, jobs or tasks thatrequire heavy lifting, or frequent repetitiveactivities are just some of the risk factorsthat can lead to lower back pain. Weekendwarriors or competitive athletes may alsodevelop lower back symptoms.

There are many sources of pain genera-tors in the back, including discs, nerves,bones, joints and soft tissue, such as mus-cles, tendons and ligaments. If someone isexperiencing back pain that is also associ-ated with shooting, tingling, numbing,burning pain down the legs, there may bea herniated disc, and/or a pinched nerve. Ifthere is a direct trauma, a fracture shouldalways be ruled out. Medical attentionshould be sought in those situations.

Diagnostic testing, such as X-rays,MRIs and nerve tests, may need to beperformed. Once a diagnosis is estab-lished, a specialist will be able to pre-scribe and perform treatments, such as

proper physical therapy and injections.Injections can include trigger point injec-tions, joint injections, and at timesepidural injections and nerve blocks. Inrare instances, surgery is also consideredwhen conservative measures fail, or ifthere is the presence of significant neu-rologic deficits, such as a foot drop,bowel and bladder disturbances.

The good news is that a majority of thetime, lower back pain is due to soft tissueinjuries, pressure and inflammation of thejoints. Due to the nature of the sport of ten-nis, which includes overhead motion,repetitive rotation, flexion, extension, andoccasional falls, lower back pain is a highrisk. Muscle imbalance is very commonamongst tennis players due to overuse ofone side of the body.

In episodes of acute lower back pain, es-pecially within the first 48 hours, the bestadvice is to place ice on the affected areafor 20 minute intervals, relative rest andanti-inflammatory medications. If pain doesnot improve, a doctor should be seen.

For pain to diminish, physical therapymodalities, such as ultrasound and electri-cal stimulation are used. Physical thera-pists and trainers will also begin manualtechniques, such as myofascial release andmassage. The most important step on the

road to recovery is stretching exercises. Tofurther your recovery, strengthening of coreposture (abdominal and back) muscles andaerobic exercise is a must.

The next step is prevention. When re-turning to play, it is important to properlywarm up, including stretching, foot move-ment, and gradual increase of swing veloc-ity. At the end of play, a set of stretchingexercises is also recommended. Properfootwear should be used, and a clay courtis easier on the back than a hard court.

In summary, back injuries should betreated seriously. Specialists like orthope-dic surgeons and physical medicine andrehabilitation doctors will establish a diag-nosis, and prescribe proper treatments,which should lead to recovery and preven-tion of future injuries.

Dr. Michael Mizhiritsky is a board certifiedphysiatrist and specialist in Physical Medi-cine and Rehabilitation with NY Bone andJoint. He graduated from Stony BrookMedical University where he completedan internship in Internal Medicine at theUniversity Hospital at Stony Brook. Dr.Mizhiritsky specializes in the conservativeand non-operative treatment of muscu-loskeletal conditions. He may be reachedby phone at (646) 491-7963.

SPORTS MEDICINE

Dealing With Lower Back Pain: On and Off the Court


This year marks the 50th anniversary ofMauna Kea Beach Hotel and the celebra-tion of one man’s vision a half-centuryahead of its time—a resort both at onewith nature and the epitome of luxury.Laurance S. Rockefeller, an environmen-talist before environmentalism, envi-sioned the hotel to be “invisible,” and soit would be. A pair of stepped-back gal-leries blends seamlessly with the hillside.The blue-tiled lobby opens to the sky andthe ocean view carries clear through tothe threshold of the porte-cochere.

Rooms have broad lanais and door-ways facing garden atriums rather than darkcorridors.

On opening day, Mauna Kea set thestandard for luxury in the Islands. Now a$150 million restoration has raised it.

True to his vision, today, even bathshave been re-mastered for ocean views.Many baths have deep soaking tubs,window-front showers and separate pri-vate lanais. The Beachfront Wing, justbarefoot steps to the sand and surf, hasits own surprise … a picture windowview from the tub through the room tothe ocean.

Mr. Rockefeller expected to draw out-door-minded people.

“What we look for are people who haveenough inner resources to enjoy an unor-ganized environment, to appreciate

peace, serenity, beauty and reasonablecomfort,” said Mr. Rockefeller.

Then, of course, there is the great out-doors, itself—none greater than MaunaKea’s golden crescent beach on Kauna‘oaBay. Tennis-loving guests enjoy an equallybeautiful ocean vista at the 11-court Sea-side Tennis Club. The resort also sports the18-championship holes of Mauna KeaCourse, its third hole arguably the mostbeautiful in the world. And now, golfers cansurf their way around the course on MaunaKea’s new “Golf Boards”—great fun thatsaves 30 minutes per round.

A timely opportunity: “Fall Into Winter” at Mauna KeaGuests staying Oct. 1-Dec. 18, 2015 will berewarded with daily breakfast buffet for twoat the hotel’s signature Manta Restaurantoverlooking the bay. Also included is a one-time resort credit from $300-$1,000 based onroom category selected. Credits can be usedfor dining and activities during the stay. Somerestrictions and blackout dates apply.

For “Fall into Winter” promotion informa-tion and reservations, along with MaunaKea 50th Anniversary packages, call (866)977-4589 or visit TimelessMaunaKea.com.

We are open to the public 11 months of the year and feature:

• Year round Programs for Adults and Juniors • 10 and Under Tennis• Summer/Seasonal Camps• Open/Contract Court Time• Corporate Events, Birthday parties,

Field Trips, Tours and more• Private Lessons• Cardio Tennis

For more information call 718.760.6200 or visit ntc.usta.com

COME PLAY TENNIS AT THE HOME OF THE US OPEN

Photo Courtesy of the DIRECTV Airship and Chief Pilot Allan Judd. © 2014 USTA. All rights reserved.

What Was Is … Mauna Kea Beach Hotel Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary

By Rob Polishook,Mental Training CoachMA, CPC

Can you remember a timeyou played effortless tennis?

The ball looked as big as a grapefruit,your mind was free of distractingthoughts, your body relaxed, and youseemingly floated from shot to shot.

Roger Federer, in his book, Quest forPerfection, described it this way: “At thetime … I was in the famous zone. Sud-denly, everything was running on auto-matic. I had the feeling that I couldn’t doanything wrong.”

In the previous installment, we un-veiled the seven biggest fears that takean athlete out of the zone. They were:Fear of not being good enough, fear offailure, fear of the unknown, fear ofbeing judged, fear of not meeting ex-pectations, fear of success, and fear ofinjury or re-injury. In this fifth installmentof the “More Than an Athlete” series, wewill unveil 10 commonly held myths that

we hear all the time, but that nonethe-less are simply not true.

The following are the top myths andsubsequent myth-busting:

1. Winning is ALL about talent, skills and techniqueIt’s clear these things are important to agood performance. Metaphorically, theycan be thought of as the armor a warriorwears. Without them, the warrior wouldbe at an extreme deficit when competing.However, these things are only half of theequation, half the warrior, not the wholewarrior. What is crucial is what is behindthe armor, the athlete’s spirit, soul, story

and inspiration. When an athlete canbring who they are to what they do incompetition, magic happens. That com-bination can unlock the unlimited. It’s thecombination of the inside with the out-side, not one or the other.

2. Great players do it ALL themselvesIn individual sports, it’s so common tothink that an athlete’s success is 100 per-cent about them. Certainly, again the ath-lete is a key component. However, lookat many recent Grand Slam winners—from Novak Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka andSerena Williams. They all have a box fullof supporters and coaches. Each one issupporting the player in a different way.So if you want to stand taller, you don’thave to reinvent the wheel. Pay tribute tothose who have come before you, evenmeet with them to understand their jour-ney. Then, jump on their shoulders andreach higher!

3. Work harder, succeed moreThis certainly sounds like a logicalequation. Growing up, it was a mantra.Now, I’m not disputing that hard work,resiliency and determination are keys tothe success equation. However, there isalso a point where you work so hard(grind) that you metaphorically “stripthe gears.” Part of work is rest and re-booting the body and mind. This should

More Than an AthleteTen Myths That Need to be Busted

“The key point is being able to let go of the previouspoint and the emotions that go with it and begin thenext point in a relaxed, aware and balanced place.”

Play Tennis@

Towers Country Club5 Har-Tru courts, 2 lighted courts for night play

USPTA Certified Pro & Assistant Pro on duty

PLUS - you get full Country Club membershipwhich includes: use of gym with aerobics, spin & Zumba classes;

indoor & outdoor swimming pools; lockers; VIP Restaurant; country club & tennis association social events and entertainment.

All of this for $1750 membership & $75 association duesFor information contact the Country Club @ 718.428.5030 ext. 0

27286 Grand Central Parkway, Floral Park, NY 11005


not be an afterthought. The greatestplayers build “down-time” into theequation. This allows them to rejuve-nate and deposit physical rest andmental recovery into their next per-formance. Djokovic spoke about howhe took time off after his French Openloss to rejuvenate and get his head onright for Wimbledon. We all know hebeat Roger Federer at Wimbledon!

4. Great players have NO weaknessWhen looking at the top professionalplayers or even the top seeds in a tour-nament, it’s easy to put them up on apedestal and overlook their weaknesses.All players have weaknesses, the greatones are just better at hiding them andplaying to their strengths. They knowhow to amplify their strengths. For ex-ample, Pete Sampras wasn’t the bestbaseliner, but he covered that up with ahuge serve. Even when he was pinnedto the baseline, he often overplayed hisbackhand and baited his opponent to hitinto the open court. The open court washis lethal running forehand. The key is tounderstand what game plan providesyou the best chance to win, then strate-gizing, moving, and hitting those shots.

5. Great players show no emotionYet another myth that couldn’t be furtherfrom the truth! The great players doshow emotion, however, they are alsoexceptional at letting it go so it doesn’timpact the next point. The key point isbeing able to let go of the previous pointand the emotions that go with it andbegin the next point in a relaxed, awareand balanced place. This will allow youto make the appropriate adjustmentsand/or adapt to what is happening in thepresent. This past Wimbledon, Djokovicwas livid as he gave up a 6-3 lead in thesecond set tie-breaker to Federer. Afterdressing himself down for everyone tosee on TV, he recomposed himself andwon the next two sets in a straightfor-ward fashion. So remember, it’s not theemotion that’s bad, but what happensafter it, does the player let it go? Re-member when Andy Murray cried afterlosing at Wimbledon, he then followed it

up with a U.S. Open and Olympic vic-tory! That’s what I call a good cry!

6. Winning is supposed to be easyNothing is further from the truth! Howmany times do you see a junior playerwalking on the court and expecting aneasy match or not respecting their op-ponent? This puts them at a hugedeficit before the competition even be-gins. They are not in the present but al-ready far into the outcome and future.When the match gets tight or chal-lenges present themselves, they are sosurprised that they are not able to man-age the adversity and have no resiliencyto battle. However, if a competitorwalks on the court respecting their op-ponent, and expects a hard match,when they get to the high pressurepoints they will not be surprised andjust play like any other point. The moral:This game is hard, expect pressure, ex-pect to be challenged, expect to makeadjustments and expect that nothing iseasy!

7. Seeded players are alwaysbetter than unseeded playersIf this was true, there would be no rea-son to play a tournament. A player’sseed simply shows their body of work inthe past, it has nothing to do with whatwill happen in the present. Matches arewon and lost on the court, not on thepaper that the seeds are printed on.

8. Great players only focus on their goalsThis reminds me of my brother Mark’ssaying: “Focus on the path, not thepeak.” Certainly it’s important to knowwhere you want to go, this piece pro-vides purpose, inspiration and passion.However, once a goal is set, the focusneeds to shift from the peak to the path.What are the specific steps that mustoccur in order to reach the peak? Ioften think of it like dominoes, in orderto knock over the last domino, the onebefore that must fall. Essentially, itstarts with the first domino, and oncethat falls, momentum is built and it canbe easier. Goals are never achieved si-multaneously, rather they are a se-

quence of actions that happen one at atime until the last domino or outcomehappens.

9. If you lose, you weren’t prepared enoughHave you ever played in a tight matchwhere you lost a heartbreaker? Certainly, ifyou didn’t train, then you could have beenbetter prepared. However, assuming youtrained hard, slept right, did your mentaltraining and hydrated yourself, the resultcannot be blamed on a lack of effort. Re-member, winning and losing is not some-thing a player can control. They can onlycontrol their effort, adjustments andchoices. There is an opponent that has atleast 50 percent in the outcome. The key isto enter a match knowing you controlledwhat you could and then let go and play.

10. Being nervous is bad and shows weaknessAnother myth that must be busted. Beingnervous shows that you are alive, that youcare, and that you are entering a compe-tition, not knowing what will happen in thefuture. Being nervous is never a problem,it’s how you respond to it. Many juniorplayers enter competitions nervous andthen get scared that they are nervous, thisthen leads to a downward spiral. Nerv-ousness is okay, so acknowledge it, ac-cept it and shift your focus to what youneed to do next in the match.

Whether you are a player, coach or par-ent, the above myths need to be busted!They are erroneous thoughts that canweigh you down and hurt your perform-ance. I highly encourage you to reframeand BUST these myths to set the stage soyou can play your best, unlock your un-limited, and be more than an athlete!

Rob Polishook, MA, CPC is founder anddirector of Inside the Zone Sports Per-formance Group. As a mental trainingcoach, he works with athletes and teams,focusing on helping athletes gain themental edge. Rob is author of Tennis In-side the Zone: Mental Training Workoutsfor Champions. He may be reached byphone at (973) 723-0314, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.insidethe-zone.com.


derstanding of what you are trying tomake the ball do. Typically, players sim-ply toss up a ball and try to hit it (usuallyhard) or they attempt to hit a specificserve type without the correct grip andcorresponding toss.

If you are a player who does not holdthe grip in the Continental Grip directionor cannot place your ball toss, then yourfirst task is to understand how importantthis is to your serve. Most players do notrealize that the serve simply cannot behit without the correct toss and corre-sponding ball location. The difficulty isthis: The grip directly affects how yourarm can move and which part of the ballthe strings will strike on the ball. Also,the toss location will either let thestrings get there or not. A poor grip can

make a good toss fail and a good gripbecomes less effective with poor tosslocation.

Why is the grip so important?How you hold the racket sets the angle ofthe racket face and it either allows yourhand, wrist, elbow and shoulder to movenaturally or not. Comfortable movementproduces an effortless energy flow andkeeps us healthy. The joints in your wristand arm cannot move properly with a “flat”or forehand grip and will only allow you tostrike the face of the ball. You cannot hit aneffective spin serve of any kind with a fore-hand grip.

The grip creates racket face angle andallows you to strike a specific location onthe ball. This is essential to hitting a serve

By Lisa Dodson

There are four main typesof serves in tennis: Flat,Slice, Topspin and Kick. ASlice, Topspin and Kick

Serve each have a specific direction ofspin. The central focus of every serve ispronating. Pronating simply means that, atcontact, the hand naturally moves from aninside to outside position by means of thewrist, forearm and elbow. How and whenyou pronate, using the correct grip, givesyou the ability to hit different serve typesand different spins.

The grip and the ball toss location needto be compatible for success in hitting allserves. First, you need to know what typeof serve you are hitting and have an un-

ALLEY POND TENNIS CENTERAlley Pond Tennis Center is a full service facility operational year round. We have a State of theArt 11 court bubble during the winter season & 16 outdoor hard courts from May to Sept.

• Centrally located • Friendly staff • Family club atmosphere

Alley Pond Tennis Center is a full service center offering:• Seasonal & Hourly Court Rentals • Children & Adult Instructional Classes• Private & Group Lessons • Summer Junior & Young Hitters Camps• Certified Teaching Professional Staff • Children's Birthday Tennis Parties

A Host of other Services please call for more information!NO MEMBERSHIP FEE (OPEN TO THE PUBLIC)!

www.alleypondtenniscenter.com718 264-260079-20 WINCHESTER BLVDQUEENS VILLAGE, NY 11427

Pair the Grip and Toss for Serve Variety


with spin. A spin serve will always pro-vide variety and a high percentage ofserves in.

Pictured below are the two primarygrips for the serve: The Continental andEastern Backhand.

Notice that the grip placement showsthe “V” of the hand (between thumb andforefinger) is to the left of center for both

grips. Grips with the V to the right of centerare not used for the serve.

For the Continental Grip, the V is on thefirst left bevel. For the Eastern Backhand,the knuckle is on the top of the racket. Thegrips in between these two places are alsogood for the serve as well.

What is so important about balltoss location?Where the ball is located in relationship toyour head and your hitting shoulder is crit-ical for natural and comfortable movementof the arm and the driving force of the body.Good ball toss location will let your racketface access the part of the ball you want tostrike and let your arm and racket drive forpower and spin.

Let’s match the grip with the ball toss lo-cation in the pictures to the right:

Flat Servel Toss: Notice for the Flat Serve, the ball

toss is forward (into the court) and tothe right. The Flat Serve contact will besomewhere between the head and thehitting shoulder.

l Grip: The Continental Grip is recom-mended. Hitting up and letting theforearm, wrist and hand pronate willallow a flat hit to occur. Rememberthat every ball has some spin and willnot be completely flat. An EasternForehand Grip can be used, but is notshown or recommended.

metrotennis.com212-244-2845

Low cost adult beginnergroup tennis lessonsthroughout New York CityApril thru September.

Singles and doubles competition in a team format by ability levels-fun and competitive!We'll find you a team, or bringyour own team!

PLAY TENNISNEW YORK

EASTERNM E T R O

“All kinds of tennis programs for all kinds of players.”

The Largest Corporate League in the Country!Team format with refreshments every

night afterwards, and opportunities for exclusive tennis clinics.

presented by

Corporate Tennis League

l i

s

Continental Backhand Eastern Backhand

continued on page 70



tips from the tennis pro continued from page 69

This creates a spin that rotates diagonallyforward, causing the ball to curve from rightto left (righty) and left to right (lefty).

Flat and Slice Tosses travel straight upand down with no spin or arc.

Kick Toss

l Toss: The Kick Toss contact location isover the head. If you were to let yourtoss hit the ground, it would land in aplace behind your left and right heels.The ball is placed here so that you candrive straight up with your body andfront racket edge.

l Grip: The Eastern Backhand is a must.The racket edge traveling straight up

the ball creates a left to right movementof the strings across the ball giving theball a diagonal/forward spin. Thinking interms of a clock face, your racket willstart at 7:00 and sweep to 1:00. On thisserve, you must swing very hard andskim up the ball to achieve maximumspin. The ball travels high over the netand bounces to the right for the rightyand to the left for the lefty. It bouncesthe opposite direction of the slice.

A big misconceptionMany players think that all serve typescan be hit from the same toss. Whilesome of the top players can do this, it isnot recommended or even possible forthe rest of us.

The serve can be a complicated stroke,and there is much more involved than whatis covered in this piece. If you rememberthat the most important action in the serveis the act of pronating, then the grip andtoss combination will become your bestfriend. The correct grip is essential topronating. All you have to do is decide theserve you want to hit, choose your grip andput the ball in the path of the moving rackethead. You’ll be serving with variety, consis-tency and accuracy in no time.

Lisa Dodson is owner of Servemaster atThe Total Serve, a USPTA Elite Pro, a for-merly world ranked player and radio showhost. She may be reached by e-mail [email protected] or visitwww.theto-talserve.com.

Slice Toss

l Toss: The Slice Toss is also into thecourt, but is slightly further to the rightthan the Flat Toss. It will land approxi-mately the same distance inside thebaseline as the Flat Serve. This will dif-fer depending upon personal prefer-ence and the amount of spin being hit.

l Grip: The Continental Grip is a must.For more spin, modify closer to theEastern Backhand.

Using the toss and grip correctly willallow the edge to travel to the ball beforethe hand pronates. Typically, you’ll be in-structed to hit up to 1:00 or 2:00 on theball, with the leading edge of the racket.


The Metro Corporate Tennis League,presented by Advantage TennisClubs, is a joint initiative of the

Metrotennis Community Tennis Association(MCTA) and USTA/Eastern–Metro Region.The League is divided into three levels ofplay, Intermediate (3.0-3.5), Advanced In-termediate (4.0) and Advanced (4.5+). TheMetro Corporate Tennis League also offersan Advanced Beginner Clinic program forteams not ready to compete. The Leaguehosts more than 50 teams. However, dur-ing the Summer Season, it can only ac-commodate 25-plus teams.

The following is our roster for the Sum-mer Season:

Advanced Division I1. BNP Paribas (Pierre)2. Bloomberg (Vighnesh)3. Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP4. Ernst & Young5. Horizon Media

Advanced Division II1. Bank of America2. Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP3. Corcoran Group4. Nielsen5. Google

Intermediate Division I1. Bloomberg (Aditya)2. D.E. Shaw & Company3. White & Case4. Deutsche Bank (Elena)5. Akin Gump6. Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP7. The Corcoran Group8. Google

Intermediate Division II1. Bloomberg (Ankur)2. BNP Paribas (Nicolas)3. Sullivan4. Deutsche Bank (Armen)5. Barclays6. Moody's

Advanced Beginner Division1. Bloomberg (Peggy)

The season began on June 3 and con-cludes with the championships on Aug. 26,culminating with an end-of-season party atRoosevelt Island Racquet Club.

The 2015 Summer Season is currently inthe playoffs stage. The following are theplayoff matchups for the Advanced and In-termediate Divisions when this issue wentto print.

Advanced Division1. Bloomberg (209 points) vs. Bank of

America (166 points)2. Corcoran (215 points) vs. BNP Paribas

(158 points)

Intermediate Division1. Deutsche Bank (214 points) vs.

Moody’s (170 points)2. Bloomberg (205 points) vs. Akin Gump

(182 points)

For more information, visit Metrotennis.com/Corporate/main.html, or call Luis Espinoza at (347) 886-3117 or e-mail [email protected].

By Richard Thater

Swearing and temperoutbursts domi-nated tennis head-

lines this year.In the weeks leading up to Wimble-

don, it seemed that the big controversywas going to be about coaching duringmatches. After all, according to the DailyMail online, Boris Becker divulged thathe and Novak Djokovic have ways ofcommunicating when the Serb is oncourt. The rules clearly say that in-playcoaching is cheating.

But Djokovic would be guilty of amuch worse offense—he made a youngball girl cry. I realize that playing for aplace in history does not guaranteechoirboy behavior. Still, I think his be-havior tarnished his title.

Audible obscenities are against thetennis rules of conduct, yet The NewYork Times reports that stars like SerenaWilliams and Andy Murray drop F-bombs on courts all over the world. Nodoubt younger players like Jack Sock

and Nick Kyrgios would feel comfort-able listing foul language as part of theirequipment during a Tennis Channel BagCheck.

What are these words and how often are they used?John H. McWhorter wrote in The WallStreet Journal that “At street level andin popular culture, Americans are freerwith profanity now than ever before.”

In Medieval times, swearing tendedto focus more on religion and religiousauthority than on body parts or sexualactivities.

“By the late 18th Century, sex, excre-tion and parts associated with samehad come to be treated as equally pro-fane as ‘swearing’ in the religioussense,” said McWhorter in the article.

What is swearing today?I found a clearly written set of guidelinesfrom the Mobile Tennis Center in Alabama,where players are required to abide bythese facility rules of behavior both on andoff the court. These rules also apply to

parents, coaches, siblings and otherguests of the player.

l No use of the word “Suck” or any formof the word spoken or spelled

l No use of expressions of frustrationswith references to deities (i.e. “Oh myGod,” “Jesus,” “Jesus Christ,” “Christ,”“God,” etc.) either spoken or spelled

l No use of “Freaking,” “Frigging,”“Fricking” or variations of such wordseither spoken or spelled …

l Verbal rules apply to any language. Wehave officials on-site that are fluent inmany languages. Anyone found inviolation of these rules may be subjectto a Code Violation and receivesuspension points.

I recently had breakfast with a retired on-court USTA official, and he said current of-ficials are being told only to warn juniorplayers by telling them not to say the badwords or behave poorly next time. Nopenalties should be given.

If more of us are using profanity morefrequently, it should not be a surprise to

What Happened

to Decency?


Sign up today! Contact Paul Fontana at 646.884.9644 or [email protected]. Or visit quickstartny.com.

Kid-sized tennis, giant-sized fun!

Advantage QuickStart makes tennis fun from day one.It’s customized for girls and boys as young as 4, with stages based on age and ability. Kids love the smaller racquets, smaller courts and slow-bouncing balls. There’s something new to learn—and enjoy—in every stage! The more children play, the more fun they have.

Choose from 6 convenient locations! MANHATTANColumbia Prep School Gym 4 W. 93rd St.

Hunter College Lexington Ave. & 68th St.

Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club 450 W. 43rd St.

United Nations International School24-50 FDR Dr.

THE BRONX New York Tennis Club 3081 Harding Ave.

ROOSEVELT ISLAND Roosevelt Island Sports Park Gym 281 Main St.

read that children as young as three areswearing more. Of course, at that age theyare mostly repeating what they have heard.

Writing in The Washington Post, TravisWright said sometimes kids will “talk dirty”to show off in front of their peers. Or, theymay use words of this nature if they arefrustrated, scared or angry. Though theworld is full of curse words, children aremost likely to hear adult language at home.

A surprising soft attitude about swearingon tennis courts was expressed by LesMaddock, chief umpire of the British LawnTennis Association and Wimbledon,through 2010. Interviewed by The Tele-graph in 2006, he “gently scoffed” at theidea that players should pay higher finesfor swearing on court. He said that hehears the F-word being used all the time bygovernment officials on British telly. Hesaid that, given the times, if only the um-pire hears a player mumbling obscenitiesunder his breath, he probably should notbe penalized.

Some stories end on a positive noteListening to Justin Gimelstob today, he is

clearly an insightful television commenta-tor, as well as an enthusiastic and success-ful coach. But it is hard to forget thedramatic monologue he spewed out duringa radio interview back in 2008. I read thestory in disbelief when it first broke in Juneof that year. Not content with calling AnnaKournikova a b*tch, he went on to drop fur-ther disparaging comments Anna’s way,and threatened to hurt her the next timethey played.

He was suspended for one match byWorld TeamTennis, and censured by theATP. Whether prompted by a reality checkor a “come to Jesus moment,” Gimelstobmade a very articulate and comprehensiveapology to Kournikova on the WTT Website, and he made a donation to theWomen’s Sports Foundation. He concludedsaying there was “No excuse for his com-ments.” Thanks Justin for setting a greatexample.

Can we do anything to hold back this tide of unwanted and unacceptable language?I think we can try to be more articulate

when we express our fear, frustration andanger. And let’s keep the profanity on adusty shelf in the back of our minds.

Richard Thater is a long-time teacher andplayer on New York City courts. He is PTR-certified in both Junior and Adult Develop-ment, and has played in senior tournamentsin the Greater New York area. Richard cur-rently teaches at the West Side Tennis Club.He may be reached by phone at (917) 749-3255 or e-mail [email protected].

“If more of us are usingprofanity more frequently,it should not be a surprise

to read that children asyoung as three areswearing more.”


Learning how tobe the alpha wolfon the court willhelp you win more matches …all you have do is to understandthe power ofhuman behavior

The term “Alpha” comes from animal re-search. As an example, in wolf packs,the strongest and largest wolf is thealpha and he is the leader of the pack.All of the rest will act submissively in hispresence. The alpha first establishesthis position by fighting the other wolves

and winning, but when the hierarchy is established, allhe needs to do is stare or growl and the other wolveswill whimper, back off and walk away.

The establishment of power and rank is typical ofalmost all species and has an evolutionary purpose.It would cause far too much blood, injury and loss oflife if the challenger fought for dominance every day.So over the millennium, nearly every animal grouphas become programmed to understand both dom-inant behaviors and submissive behaviors. That goes

How to Become the Alpha Player on the Court By Dr. Tom Ferraro


for humans as well. Let’s take sports asan example.

I recall the first time I met Arnold Palmer,the world’s most loved golfer. He was anold man at that point, but I still recall thepower of his gaze. This was a pure alphaathlete. And it was not only me that felt thisway. A former patient of mine was a tourplayer and I asked him if he had ever beenintimidated on a golf course. He quickly re-marked, “Only one time, the day I playedagainst Palmer. We shook hands on thefirst tee and I was done for the day.”

Alpha players show confidence,focus and attitude.

Meeting Tiger Woods is exactly thesame. When he walks into the press room,it’s like a wave of energy comes in with himand everyone gets very quiet and justwatches him. This is the power of being analpha athlete, and this power affects any-

one who is playing against them.Tennis players experience the same thing.

When facing one of the game’s superstars,the opponent has many challenges, maybethe least of which relates to actual talent dif-ferentials. The superstar will walk onto thecourt with a swagger and a focused atti-tude. The opponent will become a spectatorto this alpha superstar, and almost immedi-ately lose focus, become passive, anxiousand weaker. Some of this submissive be-havior is a biologically-programmed re-sponse that the opponent feels, but cannotput into words, and therefore, they cannotdo much about it.

When an animal becomes submissive inthe face of an alpha, they will back off,lower their head and become weak and actdefenseless. This is biology. I think in ath-letes, it works the same way. When a bigname players steps on to the court to playagainst an unknown player, the unknownplayer has already lost.

The more established player in the groupexpects to win and expresses his powerwith a louder voice, firmer handshake andsteadier gaze. He will be less chatty andless friendly. All of this takes place on anunconscious level.

These types of psychological statesoccur in every sport, including MuhammadAli in boxing (“I am the greatest!”), everyYankee to put on the pinstripes (the Yan-kee mystique) and John McEnroe in tennis(“You cannot be serious?!”) When the op-ponent faces them, they are playing

against not only the alpha player, but theirreputation and aggressive attitude. The op-ponent goes into a state of heightenedanxiety and heightened passivity. Laymencall this “The Choke.” I call it “The Submis-sion Response.”

What to doThe way to get around this submissive be-havior is to reciprocally inhibit it by actingthe opposite way:

1. Keep your shoulders back after everyshot you take

2. Keep your head held up and look di-rectly at your opponent

3. When speaking, do so with a loud anddeep voice

4. Give a strong firm handshake at the be-ginning of the match

When you act as though you are the dom-inant player on the court, it does three things.It convinces you that you’re the dominantone, it inhibits your own fear and it strikessome fear into your opponent as well … alldone non-verbally. So remember, shouldersback, steady gaze, firm voice, head up,strong handshake and you will find yourselfentering the land of the alpha athlete.

For consultations, treatment or on-site vis-its, contact Dr. Tom Ferraro Ph.D., sportpsychologist, by phone at (516) 248-7189,e-mail [email protected] or visit www.dr-tomferraro.com.

T E N N I S R U S HCome play where the surf applauds every shot.

The Seaside Tennis Club at the legendary

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel on Hawaii Island.

866.977.4589 I MaunaKeaBeachHotel.com


N E W Y O R K R A N K I N G S


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

BOYSMetro Boys 12 SinglesRank Name ................................City1 ........Safin Shaikh ....................Bayside, N.Y.

2 ........Sabian Kosinov ..............Forest Hills, N.Y.

3 ........Joshua Staroselskiy ........Brooklyn, N.Y.

4 ........Christian Bobko ..............Bronx, N.Y.

5 ........Rafe Photopoulos ..........New York, N.Y.

6 ........Joshua Ashvil ..................Forest Hills, N.Y.

7 ........Ryan David Brandes ......Rego Park, N.Y.

8 ........Brandon Torres................Bronx, N.Y.

9 ........Sebastian Brustein..........Brooklyn, N.Y.

10......Dylan Lachmanen ..........Brooklyn, N.Y.

11......Nicholas Suhanitski ........Staten Island, N.Y.

12......Isadore Jude Axinn ........Brooklyn, N.Y.

13......Andrew Mendelson ........New York, N.Y.

14......Nicholas Doupsas ..........New York, N.Y.

15......Mathias Isaac Davila ......Whitestone, N.Y.

16......Nicholas Scott Zagora....Staten Island, N.Y.

17......Jack Charles Benavides New York, N.Y.

18......Cooper Williams..............New York, N.Y.

19......Albert Y. Wan ..................Forest Hills, N.Y.

20......Charles Robertson ..........Whitestone, N.Y.

21......Michael Zlatnik ................Forest Hills, N.Y.

22......Winter Fagerberg ............New York, N.Y.

23......Eric Dubilirer ....................Little Neck, N.Y.

24......John Hilledgar ................New York, N.Y.

25......Nicholas Laffont ..............New York, N.Y.

26......Ronald Aaron Fridlyand ..Forest Hills, N.Y.

27......Luca Photopoulos ..........New York, N.Y.

28......Gabriel de Kergorlay ......New York, N.Y.

29......Paul Elghouayel ..............New York, N.Y.

30......Marko R. Gural ................New York, N.Y.

31......Achille Sarachek..............New York, N.Y.

32......Jonathan Laforest ..........Queens Village, N.Y.

33......Jordan Rechtschaffen ....New York, N.Y.

34......Ryan Friedman................New York, N.Y.

35......Yash Bhandari More........New York, N.Y.

36......Guy Ferrera......................New York, N.Y.

37......Noah Butler......................New York, N.Y.

38......David Dove Hendon........New York, N.Y.

39......Sunjay Dev Singh............New York, N.Y.

40......Neel Epstein ....................New York, N.Y.

Metro Boys 14 SinglesRank Name ................................City1 ........Christopher Tham ..........Flushing, N.Y.

2 ........Daniel Leon-Maseyev ....Brooklyn, N.Y.

3 ........Solomon Brown ..............New York, N.Y.

4 ........Jonathan Glinsky ............Brooklyn, N.Y.

5 ........Jasper Hunt Thomas ......New York, N.Y.

6 ........Jack Mascone ................New York, N.Y.

7 ........Tadd Long........................Woodside, N.Y.

8 ........Igor Maslov......................Brooklyn, N.Y.

9 ........Matthew Mosejczuk........East Elmhurst, N.Y.

10......Ethan King ......................New York, N.Y.

11......Brandon Torres................Bronx, N.Y.

12......Donovan Brown ..............New York, N.Y.

13......Eugene Fishman ............Rego Park, N.Y.

14......Simon Camacho ............New York, N.Y.

15......Dylan Conner Charles ....New York, N.Y.

16......Donald James Smith ......Roosevelt Island, N.Y.

17......Sadi Guicelik....................New York, N.Y.

18......Michael Kaydin................Brooklyn, N.Y.

19......Anton Semenov ..............New York, N.Y.

20......Sachin Palta ....................Forest Hills, N.Y.

21......Christian Rabinowitz ......Bayside, N.Y.

22......Alfonso Laffont ................New York, N.Y.

23......Rohan Gold ....................Forest Hills, N.Y.

24......Milian Kavi Jain................New York, N.Y.

25......Jeffrey Yu ........................Forest Hills, N.Y.

26......Noah Hunter Kaye ..........New York, N.Y.

27......Robert Shinder ................Brooklyn, N.Y.

28......Albert Y. Wan ..................Forest Hills, N.Y.

29......Nicholas Wernink ............New York, N.Y.

30......Winter Forest Fagerberg New York, N.Y.

31......Alex Portnoy ....................New York, N.Y.

32......Noah D. Edelman............New York, N.Y.

33......Shanay Ashesh Amin......New York, N.Y.

34......Scott Fischer ..................New York, N.Y.


36......Connor P. Dunne ............Brooklyn, N.Y.

37......Ryan David Brandes ......Rego Park, N.Y.

38......Kevin Daniel Golub..........New York, N.Y.

39......Daniel Levy ......................New York, N.Y.

40......Justin Chen......................Forest Hills, N.Y.

Metro Boys 16 SinglesRank Name ................................City1 ........David Krasner..................Staten Island, N.Y.

2 ........Fayed Fayaz Uddin ........Elmhurst, N.Y.

3 ........Jonathan Glinsky ............Brooklyn, N.Y.

4 ........Christopher Tham ..........Flushing, N.Y.

5 ........Nicholas Pustilnik ............Brooklyn, N.Y.

6 ........Daniel Leon Maseyev......Brooklyn, N.Y.

7 ........Eli Taylor-Kerman ............New York, N.Y.

8 ........Jack Mascone ................New York, N.Y.

9 ........Mark Karpovas................Staten Island, N.Y.

10......Richard Wickman............Bayside, N.Y.

11......Lucas DeSanto................New York, N.Y.

12......Michael Kamsky..............New York, N.Y.

13......Ameer Hosain..................New York, N.Y.

14......Igor Maslov......................Brooklyn, N.Y.

15......Jonathan Shapiro............Brooklyn, N.Y.

16......Jackson Trevor ................New York, N.Y.

17......Umar Akhmedjanov ........New York, N.Y.

18......Daniel Ertel ......................New York, N.Y.

19......Illya Semenov ..................New York, N.Y.

20......Leonidas Vrailas ..............New York, N.Y.


22......Justin Arrington-Holmes..New York, N.Y.

23......Joseph Zac Namtalov ....Staten Island, N.Y.

24......Alexander Kucherina ......Brooklyn, N.Y.

25......Jaime Gomez ..................New York, N.Y.

26......David Dylan Pines ..........New York, N.Y.

27......Leaf Fagerberg ................New York, N.Y.

28......Sadi Gulcelik....................New York, N.Y.

29......Simon Ross Heinberg ....New York, N.Y.

30......Benjamin Thier ................New York, N.Y.

31......Henry William Firestone..New York, N.Y.

32......Wiley Schubert Reed ......Brooklyn, N.Y.

33......Derek Lung ......................Brooklyn, N.Y.

34......Damon Watson................New York, N.Y.

35......Ethan Finley ....................New York, N.Y.

36......Dylan Ruhl........................New York, N.Y.

37......Daniel Schaw ..................New York, N.Y.

38......Jack Firestone ................New York, N.Y.

39......Tanner Ross Bhonslay ....New York, N.Y.

40......Marcos Souza Lee ..........New York, N.Y.

Metro Boys 18 SinglesRank Name ................................City1 ........Nicholas Pustilnik ............Brooklyn, N.Y.

2 ........Fayed Fayaz Uddin ........Elmhurst, N.Y.

3 ........Michael Dozortsev ..........Brooklyn, N.Y.

4 ........Nicholas James OstrovskyStaten Island, N.Y.

5 ........David Farina ....................New York, N.Y.

6 ........Oliver Jevtovic ................Astoria, N.Y.

7 ........Douglas Nover................Bayside, N.Y.

8 ........Shawn Jackson ..............Staten Island, N.Y.

9 ........Justin Arrington-Holmes New York, N.Y.

10......Richard Wickman............Bayside, N.Y.

GIRLSMetro Girls 12 SinglesRank Name ................................City1 ........Niki Truszkowski..............Middle Village, N.Y.

2 ........Nadejda Maslova ............Brooklyn, N.Y.

3 ........Nicolette Fundator ..........Brooklyn, N.Y.

4 ........Leila M. Epstein ..............New York, N.Y.

5 ........Blakely Dushkin ..............New York, N.Y.

6 ........Alina Kargin-Utkin............Brooklyn, N.Y.

7 ........Rachel Zhang ..................Forest Hills, N.Y.

8 ........Taylor Overstrom ............New York, N.Y.

9 ........Natalie Bergmann............Forest Hills, N.Y.

10......Beyonce Blake ................Brooklyn, N.Y.

11......Sofie Shen ......................New York, N.Y.

12......Bukky Alalade..................Rosedale, N.Y.

13......Sophia Cisse ..................New York, N.Y.

14......Nathalie Williams ............New York, N.Y.

15......Sage Loudon ..................New York, N.Y.

16......Talia Helen Kahan............New York, N.Y.

17......Samantha Bentsianov ....Staten Island, N.Y.

18......Sofia Allinson ..................New York, N.Y.

19......Emma Sofia Ostlund ......New York, N.Y.

20......Fuschia Steward..............New York, N.Y.

21......Nadzeya Filaha................Brooklyn, N.Y.

22......Celina Liu ........................Forest Hills, N.Y.

23......Alyssa Pustilnik................Brooklyn, N.Y.

24......Sophia Montero ..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

25......Paula Ann Maseyev ........Brooklyn, N.Y.

26......Jasmine Leon Soon ........Brooklyn, N.Y.

27......Julia T. Werdiger ..............New York, N.Y.

28......Alina Ongeyberg..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

29......Maxie Molly Karen ..........New York, N.Y.

30......Kelly Chen........................Forest Hills, N.Y.

31......Arielle Bakst ....................New York, N.Y.

32......Isabella Sofia Mandis......New York, N.Y.

33......Julia Dementyev..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

34......Catalina Haberman ........New York, N.Y.

35......Nia Lashawn Dabreo ......Brooklyn, N.Y.

36......Angelica Schell ................New York, N.Y.

37......Katherine Krieger ............New York, N.Y.

38......Linda Ziets-Segura..........New York, N.Y.

39......Carolyn Finerman............New York, N.Y.

40......Nina Wiese ......................Flushing, N.Y.

Metro Girls 14 SinglesRank Name ................................City1 ........Niki Truszkowski..............Middle Village, N.Y.

2 ........Cassie Tian ......................Flushing, N.Y.

3 ........Casey Brandes................Rego Park, N.Y.

4 ........Alanna Levitt ....................New York, N.Y.

5 ........Hillary Sherpa ..................Astoria, N.Y.

6 ........Jamila Akhmedjanova ....New York, N.Y.


8 ........Nicole Koi Massa ............Astoria, N.Y.

9 ........Kristina Pali ......................Briarwood, N.Y.

10......Josephine Kimball ..........New York, N.Y.

11......Rebecca Sitkovetsky ......Staten Island, N.Y.

12......Rebecca Izyayeva ..........Staten Island, N.Y.

13......Anna Borovinskaya ........Bronx, N.Y.

14......Karolina Lankamer ..........Brooklyn, N.Y.

15......Anastasya Menshikova ..Brooklyn, N.Y.

16......Rachel Zhang ..................Forest Hills, N.Y.

17......Beyonce Blake ................Brooklyn, N.Y.

18......Leah Margulies ................New York, N.Y.

19......Danielle P. Kezeli..............Staten Island, N.Y.

20......Emma Eisenberg ............New York, N.Y.

21......Nadzeya Filaha................Brooklyn, N.Y.

22......Isabella Sifuentes ............Flushing, N.Y.

23......Isabella T. Hartman..........New York, N.Y.

24......Theodora Vrailas..............New York, N.Y.

25......Amalia M. Parrish ............Queens Village, N.Y.

26......Alexandra Peeler ............New York, N.Y.

27......Julia Kirsh ........................New York, N.Y.

28......Kate Yamin ......................New York, N.Y.

29......Katrine Zlatnik..................Forest Hills, N.Y.

30......Celina Liu ........................Forest Hills, N.Y.

31......Elisabeth G. Schlossel ....New York, N.Y.

32......Anita Olicia Wright ..........New York, N.Y.

33......Alina Kargin-Utkin............Brooklyn, N.Y.

34......Nicolette Fundator ..........Brooklyn, N.Y.

35......Mia Simone Parrish ........Queens Village, N.Y.

36......Rachel Musheyev............Forest Hills, N.Y.

37......Alina Abramoff ................Brooklyn, N.Y.

38......Jade Killikelly ..................Jamaica, N.Y.

39......Eliza Ross ........................New York, N.Y.

40......Lily Yan ............................New York, N.Y.

Metro Girls 16 SinglesRank Name ................................City1 ........Natalie Marguiles ............New York, N.Y.

2 ........Amy Kaplan ....................Brooklyn, N.Y.

3 ........Gianna Gaudio ................Staten Island, N.Y.

4 ........Mariam Shengelia ..........Brooklyn, N.Y.

5 ........Tamila Latif-Zade ............Brooklyn, N.Y.

6 ........Tomi Alalade ....................Rosedale, N.Y.

7 ........Jamila Akhmedjanova ....New York, N.Y.


9 ........Barbara Podvorchani......Bronx, N.Y.’

10......Isabella Rendon ..............Oakland Gardens, N.Y.

11......Maryna Bohdanovska ....Brooklyn, N.Y.

12......Kelsey Emma Gund........New York, N.Y.

13......Denise Marie Trerotola ....Brooklyn, N.Y.

14......Alanna Levitt ....................New York, N.Y.

15......Maxine Beata Zaretsky ..Brooklyn, N.Y.

16......Emma Wrazej ..................New York, N.Y.

17......Sophia Hartman ..............New York, N.Y.

18......Rachel Okin ....................New York, N.Y.

19......Hillary Sherpa ..................Astoria, N.Y.

20......Lejla Redzematovic ........Whitestone, N.Y.

21......Alexandra Coulombe......New York, N.Y.

22......Grace L. Kennedy ..........New York, N.Y.

23......Anastasia Lukyanovich ..Brooklyn, N.Y.

24......Joanna Urena ..................Hollis, N.Y.

25......Anastasya Menshikova ..Brooklyn, N.Y.

26......Danielle P. Kezeli..............Staten Island, N.Y.

27......Carolyn Silverstein ..........New York, N.Y.

28......Gianna Medici ................Bayside Hills, N.Y.

Metro Girls 18 SinglesRank Name ................................City1 ........Liana Weitzman ..............Whitestone, N.Y.

2 ........Tamila Latif-Zade ............Brooklyn, N.Y.

3 ........Marian Shengelia ............Brooklyn, N.Y.



Boys & Girls Sectional Rankings(as of 08/17/15)

BOYSSectional Boys 12 Singles—Metro RegionRank Name............................City7 ........Sebastian Sec ................New York, N.Y.

9 ........Wesley Zhang..................Staten Island, N.Y.

11......John-Thomas Bilski ........New York, N.Y.

12......Ty Switzer ........................New York, N.Y.

14......Tyler Korobov ..................Brooklyn, N.Y.

17......Cooper Williams..............New York, N.Y.


19......Hudson Beaudoin ..........New York, N.Y.

31......Jace Alexander................New York, N.Y.

35......Sachin Palta ....................Forest Hills, N.Y.

38......Donovan Spigner ............New York, N.Y.

40......David Krasner..................Staten Island, N.Y.

44......Jasper August Hunt ........New York, N.Y.

50......Solomon Brown ..............New York, N.Y.

54......Joseph Phillips ................New York, N.Y.

56......Noah Abels Eisenberg ....New York, N.Y.

59......Bradley Bennett ..............New York, N.Y.

60......Mitchel Pertsovsky..........Brooklyn, N.Y.

61......Kole Henry Moses ..........New York, N.Y.

64......Coby Matthew Brown ....New York, N.Y.

66......Nicholas Steiglehner ......New York, N.Y.

73......Jonathan Laforest ..........Queens Village, N.Y.

74......Luca Anthony DeMare....New York, N.Y.

79......Rafe Photopoulos ..........New York, N.Y.

80......Benjamin Ebanks ............New York, N.Y.

82......Nicholas Suhanitski ........Staten Island, N.Y.

84......Nicholas Murphy ............New York, N.Y.

86......Sabian Kosinov ..............Forest Hills, N.Y.

90......Adrien Svilen Jippov ......New York, N.Y.

92......Astro Brundo Pilipovic ....New York, N.Y.

94......Paul Elghouayel ..............New York, N.Y.

97......Jack Benavides ..............New York, N.Y.

102....Joshua Ashvil ..................Forest Hills, N.Y.

103....Jeffrey Yu ........................Forest Hills, N.Y.

107....Samuel Zeitlin..................Brooklyn, N.Y.

109....David Dove Hendon........New York, N.Y.

111 ..Eric Dubilirer ....................Little Neck, N.Y.

112....Safin Shaikh ....................Long Island City, N.Y.

113....Dylan Lachmanen ..........Brooklyn, N.Y.

125....Steven Polishchuk ..........Brooklyn, N.Y.

127....Ryan David Brandes ......Rego Park, N.Y.

131....Christian Bobko ..............Bronx, N.Y.

140....Nicholas Laffont ..............New York, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 14 Singles—Metro RegionRank Name............................City6 ........Ethan Leon ......................Woodhaven, N.Y.

7 ........Lantis Wang ....................New York, N.Y.

8 ........Derek Raskopf ................New York, N.Y.

9 ........Igor Maslov......................Brooklyn, N.Y.

11......Jeffrey Fradkin ................New York, N.Y.

16......Steven Nazaroff ..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

20......Shawn Jackson ..............Staten Island, N.Y.

21......Nicholas Pustilnik ............Brooklyn, N.Y.

24......Shand Stephens..............New York, N.Y.

26......Brandon T. Cohen ..........New York, N.Y.

27......Noah Edelman ................New York, N.Y.

32......Robbie F. Werdiger..........New York, N.Y.

41......Marcos Souza Lee ..........New York, N.Y.

42......Oliver Worth ....................New York, N.Y.

45......Oliver Obeid ....................New York, N.Y.

54......Blake Frank......................New York, N.Y.

55......Kai Yuminaga ..................Oakland Gardens, N.Y.

56......Christopher Tham ..........Flushing, N.Y.

58......Joseph Wilkanowski ......Long Island City, N.Y.


64......John-Tomas Bilski ..........New York, N.Y.

65......Maxwell Igor Kachkarov Flushing, N.Y.

72......Tristan Taylor....................New York, N.Y.

78......Ryan McCook..................Saint Albans, N.Y.

82......Jeffrey McCready............Brooklyn, N.Y.


92......David Krasner..................Staten Island, N.Y.

106....Zachary Portnoy..............New York, N.Y.

107....Anthony Cataldo ............Brooklyn, N.Y.

108....Jonathan Glinsky ............Brooklyn, N.Y.

110....Daniel Leon Maseyev......Brooklyn, N.Y.

112....Scott Fischer ..................New York, N.Y.

116....Anton Semenov ..............New York, N.Y.

122....Aleksa Pljakic ..................Forest Hills, N.Y.

127....Wesley Zhang..................Staten Island, N.Y.

128....Alexander Nielsen ..........New York, N.Y.

130....Tyler Korobov ..................Brooklyn, N.Y.

131....Donald James Smith ......Roosevelt Island, N.Y.

134....Simon Camacho ............New York, N.Y.

138....Ty Switzer ........................New York, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 16 Singles—Metro RegionRank Name............................City18......Gary C. Fishkin................Staten Island, N.Y.

19......Sumit Sarkar....................New York, N.Y.

23......Calvin Chung ..................Bronx, N.Y.

30......Zachary Jordan Lieb ......New York, N.Y.

41......Shawn Jackson ..............Staten Island, N.Y.

47......David Mizahi ....................Brooklyn, N.Y.

48......Sam Vagner ....................Staten Island, N.Y.

51......Lantis Wang ....................New York, N.Y.

53......Christopher Kolesnik ......Staten Island, N.Y.

55......Igor Maslov......................Brooklyn, N.Y.

60......Philip Belmatch ..............Staten Island, N.Y.

62......Jacob Kern ......................New York, N.Y.

65......Allan Ethan Magid ..........Brooklyn, N.Y.

69......Peter Lohrbach................Little Neck, N.Y.

70......Robert Kennedy ............New York, N.Y.

79......Michael Tyutyunik............Brooklyn, N.Y.

81......Gabriel Sifuentes ............Flushing, N.Y.

84......Nicholas Pustilnik ............Brooklyn, N.Y.

89......Dylan Friedman ..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

91......Steven Daniel Nazaroff ..Brooklyn, N.Y.

92......Richard Zusman..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

97......Jeffrey Gorilovsky............Brooklyn, N.Y.

103....Peter Frelinghuysen ........New York, N.Y.

105....Derek Raskopf ................New York, N.Y.

125....Ameer Hosain..................New York, N.Y.

Sectional Boys 18 Singles—Metro RegionRank Name............................City3 ........Oliver Sec ........................New York, N.Y.

14......Christopher Paul Auteri ..Staten Island, N.Y.

16......Ananth Raghavan............New York, N.Y.

23......Ethan Nittolo....................Flushing, N.Y.

25......Marcus T. Smith ..............Little Neck, N.Y.

29......Felipe Osses-Konig ........Rego Park, N.Y.

33......James Wasserman ........New York, N.Y.

45......Mitchell Ostrovsky ..........Brooklyn, N.Y.

53......Calvin Chung ..................Bronx, N.Y.

60......Cole Gittens ....................New York, N.Y.

65......Jack Haroche ..................New York, N.Y.

71......Robert Kennedy ..............New York, N.Y.

75......Avery Bicks......................New York, N.Y.

80......Peter Lohrbach................Little Neck, N.Y.

86......Michael Gardiner ............New York, N.Y.

93......Adam Bryan Borak..........Brooklyn, N.Y.

104....Igor Maslov......................Brooklyn, N.Y.

105....Xavier Pacthod ................New York, N.Y.

106....Andreja Radevic ..............New York, N.Y.

110....Jordan D. Jordan ............Astoria, N.Y.

111....Zachary Jordan Lieb ......New York, N.Y.

116....Kevin T. Huynh ................Astoria, N.Y.

117....Leonard Margolis ............Brooklyn, N.Y.

120....Maurice Russo ................New York, N.Y.

123....Jacob Kern ......................New York, N.Y.

138....Alex Chao ........................New York, N.Y.

GIRLSSectional Girls 12 Singles—Metro RegionRank Name............................City7 ........Elvina Kalieva ..................Staten Island, N.Y.

10......Daniella Benabraham......New York, N.Y.

12......Miriam Aziz ......................Staten Island, N.Y.

13......Nadejda Maslova ............Brooklyn, N.Y.

14......Lorraine Bergmann ........Forest Hills, N.Y.

22......Michelle Kleynerman ......Staten Island, N.Y.

33......Natalie Eordekian ............Woodside, N.Y.

36......Shakima Hotaki ..............Flushing, N.Y.

45......Nathalie Williams ............New York, N.Y.

46......Rachel Zhang ..................Forest Hills, N.Y.

54......Alyssa An ........................New York, N.Y.

59......Sage Loudon ..................New York, N.Y.

60......Deliala Friedman..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

69......Lara Rose Berliner ..........New York, N.Y.

72......Catalina Haberman ........New York, N.Y.

75......Julia T. Werdiger ..............New York, N.Y.

76......Kassia Taylor....................New York, N.Y.

84......Alina Kargin-Utkin............Brooklyn, N.Y.

88......Leila M. Epstein ..............New York, N.Y.

90......Nicole Wooyin Lee ..........New York, N.Y.

97......Sofie Shen ......................New York, N.Y.

101....Blakely Duskin ................New York, N.Y.

112....Nina Wiese ......................Flushing, N.Y.

116....Sophia Cisse ..................New York, N.Y.

117....Emma Voykhanskaya ....Brooklyn, N.Y.

120....Taylor Overstrom ............New York, N.Y.

121....Beyonce Blake ................Brooklyn, N.Y.

124....Elizabeth Serjantov..........New York, N.Y.

127....Angelica Schell ................New York, N.Y.

132....Samantha Bentsianov ....Staten Island, N.Y.

136....Natalie Bergmann............Forest Hills, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 14 Singles—Metro RegionRank Name............................City4 ........Shelly Yaloz......................Little Neck, N.Y.

7 ........Michelle Sorokko ............Little Neck, N.Y.

11......Dasha Kourkina ..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

14......Rosie Garcia Gross ........New York, N.Y.

22......Perene Wang ..................New York, N.Y.

23......Katherine Kachkarov ......Flushing, N.Y.


28......Kyra Bergmann ..............Forest Hills, N.Y.

30......Chelsea Williams ............Brooklyn, N.Y.

40......Christina Huynh ..............Astoria, N.Y.

44......Amanda Solecki ..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

45......Isabella Sinclair Cooper..Brooklyn, N.Y.

46......Marie Ivantechenko ........Brooklyn, N.Y.

47......Sonia Tartakovsky ..........New York, N.Y.

48......Rebecca Eliana Fisch......New York, N.Y.

59......Miriam Irfan Aziz..............Staten Island, N.Y.

60......Diana Sosonkin ..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

61......Rachel Rubenzahl ..........New York, N.Y.

63......Elvina Kalieva ..................Staten Island, N.Y.

67......Gabriella Eitkis ................Brooklyn, N.Y.

70......Diana McCready ............Brooklyn, N.Y.

72......Khyanna Singh ................Queens Village, N.Y.

74......Amy Kaplan ....................Brooklyn, N.Y.

75......Shawnte Beale ................Bronx, N.Y.

86......Audrey Pacthod ..............New York, N.Y.

98......Giuliana Rosa Gibson ....Bayside, N.Y.

101....Jamila Akhmedjanova ....New York, N.Y.

103....Anastasya Menshikova ..Brooklyn, N.Y.

107....Sofie Kate Levine ............New York, N.Y.

111....Zoe Kava..........................New York, N.Y.

112....Daniela Hernandez..........Corona, N.Y.

115....Sabrina Boada ................Woodhaven, N.Y.

118....Lorraine Bergmann ........Forest Hills, N.Y.

119....Medina Garunja ..............Bronx, N.Y.

120....Shakima Hotaki ..............Flushing, N.Y.

123....Isabella T. Hartman..........New York, N.Y.

126....Josephine Kimball ..........New York, N.Y.

127....Daniella Benabraham......New York, N.Y.

138....Michelle Kleynerman ......Staten Island, N.Y.

140....Rebecca Sitkovetsky ......Staten Island, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 16 Singles—Metro RegionRank Name............................City8 ........Shelly Yaloz......................Little Neck, N.Y.

9 ........Michelle Sorokko ............Little Neck, N.Y.


20......Nicole Semenov..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

22......Alexus Gill ........................Brooklyn, N.Y.

25......Sarah Rahman ................East Elmhurst, N.Y.

29......Aleksandra Bekirova ......Brookln, N.Y.

34......Chelsea Williams ............Brooklyn, N.Y.

39......Victoria Sec......................New York, N.Y.

40......Alexandra Koniaev ..........Forest Hills, N.Y.

42......Sydney Lynn Katz ..........New York, N.Y.

45......Lauren Munari..................Middle Village, N.Y.

51......Dakota Fordham ............New York, N.Y.


59......Regina Furer ....................Brooklyn, N.Y.

62......Katherine Kachkarov ......Flushing, N.Y.

68......Valicia Browne ................Brooklyn, N.Y.

69......Kyra Bergmann ..............Forest Hills, N.Y.

75......Christina M. Huynh ........Astoria, N.Y.

81......Stephanie Li ....................New York, N.Y.

87......Barbara Podvorchani......Bronx, N.Y.

89......Jennifer Yu ......................Forest Hills, N.Y.


94......Diana Sosonkin ..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

98......Kiara A. Rose ..................New York, N.Y.

99......Lia Kiam ..........................New York, N.Y.

105....Miriam Irfan Aziz..............Staten Island, N.Y.

116....Anastasya Menshikova ..Brooklyn, N.Y.

118....Rosie Garcia Gross ........New York, N.Y.

119....Brittny Jo Ferreira............Brooklyn, N.Y.

136....Khyanna Singh ................Queens Village, N.Y.

137....Amalia M. Parrish ............Queens Village, N.Y.

147....Natalie Margulies ............New York, N.Y.

148....Amy Kaplan ....................Brooklyn, N.Y.

Sectional Girls 18 Singles—Metro RegionRank Name............................City6 ........Anna Ulyashchenko........Brooklyn, N.Y.

8 ........Sabrina Xiong ..................Fresh Meadows, N.Y.

18......Alexandra Koniaev ..........Forest Hills, N.Y.



19......Alexus Gill ........................Brooklyn, N.Y.

23......Isis Gill ..............................Brooklyn, N.Y.

27......Jessica Livianu ................Brooklyn, N.Y.

32......Sheely Yaloz ....................Little Neck, N.Y.

34......Brianna Williams..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

38......Yuka Lin ..........................Kew Gardens, N.Y.

40......Patricia Obeid..................New York, N.Y.


47......Sarah Rahman ................East Elmhurst, N.Y.

51......Jillian Rose Auteri............Staten Island, N.Y.

55......Christina Puccinelli..........New York, N.Y.

59......Michelle Sorokko ............Little Neck, N.Y.

62......Lisa Marchelska ..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

63......Emma Brandes Kassan..New York, N.Y.

69......Jessica Golovin ..............New York, N.Y.

83......Sophia Kryloff ..................Brooklyn, N.Y.

90......Kiara A. Rose ..................New York, N.Y.

91......Dakota Fordham ............New York, N.Y.

97......Shayna Spooner..............New York, N.Y.

103....Isabelle Rovinski..............New York, N.Y.

104....Nicole Khorosh................Brooklyn, N.Y.

106....Sydney Lynn Katz ..........New York, N.Y.

110....Tristan Lorich ..................New York, N.Y.

113....Annie Reiner ....................New York, N.Y.

115....Khyanna Singh ................Queens Village, N.Y.


121....Dea Koiava ......................New York, N.Y.

123....Stephanie Johnson ........Richmond Hill, N.Y.

126....Tamila Latif-Zade ............Brooklyn, N.Y.

127....Katherine Kachkarov ......Flushing, N.Y.

130....Christina M. Huynh ........Astoria, N.Y.

133....Camilla Trapness ............New York, N.Y.

Boys & Girls National Rankings(as of 08/19/15)

BOYSNational Boys 12 Singles—Metro RegionRank ..Name ..........................City53......Sebastian Sec ................New York, N.Y.

56......John-Tomas Bilski ..........New York, N.Y.

67......Wesley Zhang..................Staten Island, N.Y.

90......Ty Switzer ........................New York, N.Y.

123....Cooper Williams..............New York, N.Y.

144....Hudson Beaudoin ..........New York, N.Y.

147....Tyler Korobov ..................Brooklyn, N.Y.

233....Donovan Brown ..............New York, N.Y.

293....Jace K. Alexander ..........New York, N.Y.

296....Sachin Palta ....................Forest Hills, N.Y.

429....Donovan Spigner ............New York, N.Y.

655....Winter Fagerberg ............New York, N.Y.

664....Solomon Brown ..............New York, N.Y.

712....Kole Henry Moses ..........New York, N.Y.

714....David Krasner..................Staten Island, N.Y.

791....Noah Abels Eisenberg ....New York, N.Y.

984....Joseph Phillips ................New York, N.Y.

1000..Nicholas Suhanitski ........Staten Island, N.Y.

National Boys 14 Singles—Metro RegionRank ..Name ..........................City52......Lantis Wang ....................New York, N.Y.

67......Derek Raskopf ................New York, N.Y.

76......Ethan Leon ......................Woodhaven, N.Y.

78......Jeffrey Fradkin ................New York, N.Y.

158....Nicholas Pustilnik ............Brooklyn, N.Y.

162....Igor Maslov......................Brooklyn, N.Y.

220....Steven Daniel Nazaroff ..Brooklyn, N.Y.

296....Brandon T. Cohen ..........New York, N.Y.

360....Robbie Werdiger..............New York, N.Y.

444....Noah D. Edelman............New York, N.Y.

476....Shawn Jackson ..............Staten Island, N.Y.

486....Shand Stephens..............New York, N.Y.

571....Marcos Souza Lee ..........New York, N.Y.

735....Joseph RWilkanowski ....Long Island City, N.Y.

775....Tristan Taylor....................New York, N.Y.

779....Donovan Brown ..............New York, N.Y.

805....Maxwell Kachkarov ........Flushing, N.Y.

848....Alex Portnoy ....................New York, N.Y.

863....Kai Yuminaga ..................Oakland Gardens, N.Y.

864....Oliver Worth ....................New York, N.Y.

938....Harry Portnoy ..................New York, N.Y.

960....Christopher Tham ..........Flushing, N.Y.

National Boys 16 Singles—Metro RegionRank ..Name ..........................City215....Gary C. Fishkin................Staten Island, N.Y.

275....Sumit Sarkar....................New York, N.Y.

316....Peter Lohrbach................Little Neck, N.Y.

319....Calvin Chung ..................Bronx, N.Y.

657....Zachary Jordan Lieb ......New York, N.Y.

683....Lantis Wang ....................New York, N.Y.

740....Robert Kennedy ..............New York, N.Y.

830....Derek Raskopf ................New York, N.Y.

834....Jeffrey Gorilovsky............Brooklyn, N.Y.

851....Christopher Kolesnik ......Staten Island, N.Y.

858....Sam V. Vagner ................Staten Island, N.Y.

894....Jacob Kern ......................New York, N.Y.

910....Gabriel Sifuentes ............Flushing, N.Y.

960....Allan Ethan Magdid ........Brooklyn, N.Y.

974....Dylan Friedman ..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

National Boys 18 Singles—Metro RegionRank ..Name ..........................City34......Oliver Sec ........................New York, N.Y.

85......James Wasserman ........New York, N.Y.

132....Ethan Nittolo....................Flushing, N.Y.

191....Ananth Raghavan............New York, N.Y.

203....Christopher Auteri ..........Staten Island, N.Y.

346....Felipe Osses-Konig ........Rego Park, N.Y.

401....Marcus T. Smith ..............Little Neck, N.Y.

794....Cole Gittens ....................New York, N.Y.

799....Robert Kennedy ..............New York, N.Y.

946....Maurice Russo ................New York, N.Y.

965....Mitchell Ostrovsky ..........Brooklyn, N.Y.

GIRLSNational Girls 12 Singles—Metro RegionRank ..Name ..........................City11......Elvina Kalieva ..................Staten Island, N.Y.

51......Daniella Benabraham......New York, N.Y.


95......Lorraine Bergmann ........Forest Hills, N.Y.


239....Michelle Kleynerman ......Staten Island, N.Y.

258....Carolyn Brodsky..............New York, N.Y.

267....Shakima Hotaki ..............Flushing, N.Y.

300....Sarah Lucy Youngberg ..New York, N.Y.

429....Shawnte Beale ................Bronx, N.Y.

455....Natalie Eordekian ............Woodside, N.Y.

476....Nathalie Williams ............New York, N.Y.

511....Karolina Lankamer ..........Brooklyn, N.Y.

610....Alyssa An ........................New York, N.Y.

663....Rachel Zhang ..................Forest Hills, N.Y.

680....Deliala Friedman..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

974....Kassia Taylor....................New York, N.Y.

989....Sage Loudon ..................New York, N.Y.

National Girls 14 Singles—Metro RegionRank ..Name ..........................City33......Michelle Sorokko ............Little Neck, N.Y.

34......Shelly Yaloz......................Little Neck, N.Y.


79......Rosie Garcia Gross ........New York, N.Y.

114....Perene Wang ..................New York, N.Y.


171....Kyra Bergmann ..............Forest Hills, N.Y.

234....Nadejda Maslova ............Brooklyn, N.Y.

326....Elina Kalieva ....................Staten Island, N.Y.

471....Diana McCready ............Brooklyn, N.Y.

488....Sonia Tartakovsky ..........New York, N.Y.

556....Chelsea Williams ............Brooklyn, N.Y.

600....Marie Ivantechenko ........Brooklyn, N.Y.

607....Diana Sosonkin ..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

632....Amanda Solecki ..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

865....Rebecca Eliana Fisch......New York, N.Y.

National Girls 16 Singles—Metro RegionRank ..Name ..........................City64......Dasha Kourkina ..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

111....Michelle Sorokko ............Little Neck, N.Y.

160....Shelly Yaloz......................Little Neck, N.Y.

284....Victoria Sec......................New York, N.Y.

299....Aleksandra Bekirova ......Brooklyn, N.Y.

316....Alexus Gill ........................Brooklyn, N.Y.

331....Lauren Munari..................Middle Village, N.Y.

380....Nicole Semenov..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

445....Anastasia Koniaev ..........Forest Hills, N.Y.

548....Sarah Rahman ................East Elmhurst, N.Y.

700....Dakota Fordham ............New York, N.Y.

777....Chelsea Williams ............Brooklyn, N.Y.

875....Regina Furer ....................Brooklyn, N.Y.


National Girls 18 Singles—Metro RegionRank ..Name ..........................City102....Anna Ulyashchenko........Brooklyn, N.Y.

129....Sabrina Xiong ..................Fresh Meadows, N.Y.

147....Jessica Melanie Livianu..Brooklyn, N.Y.

305....Isis Gill ..............................Brooklyn, N.Y.

364....Alexandra Koniaev ..........Forest Hills, N.Y.

384....Brianna Williams..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

418....Camilla Trapness ............New York, N.Y.

446....Jessica Golovin ..............New York, N.Y.

498....Sonia Tartakovsky ..........New York, N.Y.

515....Alexus Gill ........................Brooklyn, N.Y.

527....Sheely Yaloz ....................Little Neck, N.Y.

573....Stephanie Johnson ........Richmond Hill, N.Y.

606....Michelle Sorokko ............Little Neck, N.Y.

634....Sophia Kryloff ..................Brooklyn, N.Y.

694....Alexandra Sanford ..........New York, N.Y.

744....Patricia Obeid..................New York, N.Y.

762....Dasha Kourkina ..............Brooklyn, N.Y.

960....Julia D. Fisch ..................New York, N.Y.


USTA/Metropolitan Region

2015 TOURNAMENT SCHEDULEFor detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments.

SEPTEMBER 2015Saturday-Sunday, September 5-6L3 Alley Pond TC Sept UPSAlley Pond Tennis Center7920 Winchester BoulevardQueens Village, N.Y.Divisions: Entry Level Boys & Girls Singles 78' Green Ball12, 78' Yellow Ball 14-18 (RR)Surface Type: HardEntry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries isThursday, Sept. 3 at 7:00 p.m.)For more information, e-mail [email protected] or call(718) 264-2600.

Sunday-Sunday, September 6-13U.S. Open Junior Tennis ChampionshipsUSTA Billie Jean King National Tennis CenterFlushing Meadows-Corona ParkFlushing, N.Y.Divisions: Boys & Girls Singles & Doubles 78' Yellow Ball18 (SE)Surface Type: Hard Entry Fee: $3 per playerFor more information, e-mail [email protected] or call(718) 760-6200.

Friday-Sunday, September 11-13L1B HPSA Challenger at Crotona ParkCrotona ParkBronx, N.Y.Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles 78' Yellow Ball12-18 (SE)Surface Type: HardEntry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries isFriday, Sept. 4 at 1:00 p.m.)For more information, call (917) 609-3648.

Friday-Sunday, September 18-20L1B Stadium Tennis Center Fall ChallengerStadium Tennis Center725 Exterior StreetBronx, N.Y.Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles 78' Yellow Ball16 (SE)Surface Type: HardEntry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries isFriday, Sept. 11 at 8:00 p.m.)For more information, [email protected] or call (718) 665-4684.

Friday-Sunday, September 18-20L2O APTC Fall OpenAlley Pond Tennis Center7920 Winchester BoulevardQueens Village, N.Y.Divisions: Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles 78' YellowBall 12 (FMLC); Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles 78'Yellow Ball 14-18 (SE); and Intermediate Boys & GirlsDoubles 78' Yellow Ball 12-18 (SE)Surface Type: HardEntry Fee: $54.25 for first singles/$28 for first doubles(deadline for entries is Monday, Sept. 14 at 1:00 p.m.)For more information, e-mail [email protected] or call(718) 264-2600.

Friday-Sunday, September 18-20L2R City Parks Series InvitationalFlushing Meadow Corona ParkPark RoadFlushing, N.Y.Divisions: Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles 78' YellowBall 12-14 (SE)Surface Type: HardFor more information, e-mail [email protected] orcall (718) 760-6985.

Friday-Sunday, September 18-20L1B 10U City Parks Series InvitationalFlushing Meadow Corona ParkPark RoadFlushing, N.Y.Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls 10 and Under Singles78' Green Ball 10 (FMLC)Surface Type: HardEntry Fee: $3 per playerFor more information, e-mail [email protected] orcall (718) 760-6985.

Saturday-Sunday, September 19-20L3 Alley Pond TC Sept UPSAlley Pond Tennis Center7920 Winchester BoulevardQueens Village, N.Y.Divisions: Entry Level Boys & Girls Singles 78' Green Ball12, 78' Yellow Ball 14-18 (RR)Surface Type: HardEntry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries isWednesday, Sept. 16 at 1:00 p.m.)For more information, e-mail [email protected] or call(718) 264-2600.

Saturday, September 26PSP 3; Bill Holloway Metro Orange Series #5Harlem Junior Tennis Program40 West 143rd StreetNew York, N.Y.Divisions: Entry Level Boys & Girls 10 and Under Singles:60' Orange Ball 10 (NEF)Surface Type: HardEntry Fee: $28 per player (deadline for entries isSaturday, Sept. 19 at 11:59 p.m.)For more information, e-mail [email protected] orcall (212) 491-3738.

OCTOBER 2015Friday-Sunday, October 2-4L1B APTC Fall ChallengerAlley Pond Tennis Center7920 Winchester BoulevardQueens Village, N.Y.Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles 78' Yellow Ball12-18 (SE)Surface Type: Hard IndoorEntry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries isMonday, Sept. 28 at 9:00 p.m.)For more information, e-mail [email protected] or call(718) 264-2600.

Friday-Sunday, October 2-4L2O Staten Island Community Tennis Center Summer OpenStaten Island Community Tennis Center2800 Victory BoulevardStaten Island, N.Y.Divisions: Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles 78' YellowBall 12 (FMLC); Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles 78'Yellow Ball 14-18 (SE); and Intermediate Boys & GirlsDoubles 78' Yellow Ball 12-18 (SE)Surface Type: HardEntry Fee: $54.25 for first singles/$28 for first doubles(deadline for entries is Monday, Sept. 28 at 1:00 p.m.)For more information, e-mail [email protected] orcall (718) 982-3355.

Friday-Sunday, October 9-11L1 Stadium Tennis Center October ChampionshipsStadium Tennis Center725 Exterior StreetBronx, N.Y.Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls 10 and Under Singles78' Green Ball 10 (FMLC)Surface Type: Hard IndoorEntry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries isFriday, Oct. 2 at 1:00 p.m.)For more information, [email protected] or call (718) 665-4684.


USTA/Metropolitan Region

2015 TOURNAMENT SCHEDULEFor detailed information on these and all USTA tournaments, visit tennislink.usta.com/tournaments.

Saturday-Monday, October 10-12USTA National Selection Tournament-OctoberAlley Pond Tennis Center7920 Winchester BoulevardQueens Village, N.Y.Divisions: Boys Singles 78' Yellow Ball 16 (FIC-R16) andBoys Doubles 78' Yellow Ball 16 (SE)Surface Type: Hard IndoorEntry Fee: $134.88 for one event; $135.38 for twoevents; additional fees may apply if registered in three ormore events (deadline for entries is Thursday, Sept. 10 at11:59 p.m.)For more information, e-mail [email protected] or call(718) 264-2600.

Friday-Sunday, October 16-18L1B APTC October ChallengerAlley Pond Tennis Center7920 Winchester BoulevardQueens Village, N.Y.Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles 78' Yellow Ball12, 16 (SE)Surface Type: Hard IndoorEntry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries isMonday, Oct. 12 at 1:00 p.m.)For more information, e-mail [email protected] or call(718) 264-2600.

Saturday-Sunday, October 17-18L3 Alley Pond October UPSAlley Pond Tennis Center7920 Winchester BoulevardQueens Village, N.Y.Divisions: Entry Level Boys & Girls Singles 78' Green Ball12, 78' Yellow Ball 14-18 (RR)Surface Type: Hard IndoorEntry Fee: $43.50 per player (deadline for entries isWednesday, Oct. 14 at 1:00 p.m.)For more information, e-mail [email protected] or call(718) 264-2600.

Friday-Sunday, October 23-25L2O APTC October OpenAlley Pond Tennis Center7920 Winchester BoulevardQueens Village, N.Y.Divisions: Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles 78' YellowBall 12 (FMLC); Intermediate Boys & Girls Singles 78'Yellow Ball 14-18 (SE); and Intermediate Boys & GirlsDoubles 78' Yellow Ball 12-18 (SE)Surface Type: Hard IndoorEntry Fee: $54.25 for first singles/$28 for first doubles(deadline for entries is Monday, Oct. 19 at 9:00 p.m.)For more information, e-mail [email protected] or call(718) 264-2600.

Friday-Sunday, October 30-November 1L1B Fall Challenger at APTCAlley Pond Tennis Center7920 Winchester BoulevardQueens Village, N.Y.Divisions: Challenger Boys & Girls Singles 78' Yellow Ball14,18 (SE)Surface Type: Hard IndoorEntry Fee: $54.25 per player (deadline for entries isFriday, Oct. 23 at 5:00 p.m.)For more information, e-mail [email protected] or call(718) 264-2600.

High Country Ski and Tennis Launches U.S. Open Campaign

High Country Ski and Tennis, one of New Jersey's premier tennisspecialty shops, has announced that it has launched a marketingcampaign during the U.S. Open where they will promote both their

store and the sport by placing billboards across the local area during theOpen.

"Our philosophy is to promote the game of tennis as much as our com-pany,” said High Country Owner Bill Silverman.

High Country Ski and Tennis been in existence for more than 27 years,and with great customer service and competitive prices, the store contin-ues to grow. A unique ski and tennis specialty model, as well as strategicadvertising, has proven successful.


From Tennis Whizz to the John McEnroe Tennis Academy, SPORTIME has a player pathway for children of every age and level!eveeryy agge and level!

Tennis Whizz is a complete preschool tennis program thatfosters the healthy mental, physical and emotional growth of our youngest players. Tennis Whizz is off ered at all SPORTIME and JMTA locations.

Preschool TennisAges 3-5

SPORTIME U10 Tennis is comprised of Red and Orange levels and trains our players under 10 to become well-roundedcompetitive athletes. Using the appropriate sized courts (36’- 60’) and balls (low compression Red and Orange), the U10Tennis Pathway provides the best start for young athletes, allowing them to serve, rally and actually play the game of tennisquickly. SPORTIME U10 Tennis is off ered at all SPORTIME and JMTA locations.

TENNISSPORTIMEU10U10

Th e John McEnroe Tennis Academy (JMTA) is the New York region’s #1 green to yellow ball program for developing serious players - like JMTA’s 2014 Wimbledon Boys’ singles champion and 2014 USTA Boys’ National singles and doubles champion Noah Rubin. Conceived, developed and directed by John McEnroe and his world-class staff , JMTA boasts players that have won titles at sectional, national, intercollegiate and international levels. JMTA’s original location is at SPORTIME’s fl agship club on Randall’s Island in NYC, with JMTA Annexes on Long Island and in Westchester.

SPORTIME U10 Tennis Pathway

Ages 5 - 10

JMTAPathway

Ages 9 - 11 and12 and Up

Our new Junior Pathway Programs and Adult Programs are fi lling up fast. Call or visit us online to fi nd out more!

REGISTER FOR OUR FALL-WINTER PROGRAMS TODAY!

Call SPORTIME Randall’s Island or SPORTIME Lake Isle to take advantage of this off er. But hurry, off er expires September 30, 2015.

LIMTED TIME OFFER!Try a Tennis Whizz or SPORTIME U10 Class - FREE!

TENNISSPORTIMEU10U10

SPORTIME RANDALL’S ISLANDOur fl agship site is home of the John McEnroe

Tennis Academy and features 20 indoor and outdoor tennis courts, a well-equipped fi tness center and

state-of-the art amenities.

SPORTIME LAKE ISLELower Westchester’s premier tennis destination

and home of the John McEnroe Tennis Academy Westchester Annex features 8 indoor har-tru tennis courts and a beautiful 5,000 square foot clubhouse.

Ask us about our

adult programs!212-427-6150www.SportimeNY.com/Manhattan

www.JohnMcEnroeTennisAcademy.com

914-777-5151www.SportimeNY.com/Lake-Isle

www.JohnMcEnroeTennisAcademy.com

Certain restrictions may apply. May not be combined with any other off er or discount.


For more information visit us at: www.caryleedstennis.org

Join Us !

Experience our new facility in our Inaugural Indoor Season

• 10 indoor courts• Award Winning, State of the Art

12,000 square foot clubhouse

Amenities Include:• • Lockers and showers• Pro shop with full service stringing

Groups are forming now for: • • • Lessons

A better game is closer than you think...Cary Leeds Center1720 Crotona AvenueBronx, NY 10457(718) [email protected]

As Featured On

Hourly & Seasonal

Court Time Available

new york tennis magazine september / october 2015

Documents