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Greetings!
September was a quiet month on the tennis court. The highlights were the 4th Annual Georgian Court Invitational and the Americans strong performance at the 2012 French Open. Both events set the stage for a strong start to the 2012/13 season!
Play kicks off in October with the 15 & under, 12 & under Singles and Doubles Championships in Newport. A strong group of young players are expected to play in the 3 day event insuring continued growth of our game. National League begins in October and includes 4 teams comprised of professionals. The teams are New York, Philadelphia/Tuxedo, New England and Chicago. Matches will be played at various clubs and are a great chance to see the professionals play. Also in October is the Hadden Tomes Doubles in Tuxedo and finally, the big event of the year - Chicago. Make sure to check the schedule for all of the upcoming events as there are plenty to choose from for players of all levels.
This month we have included several articles on a variety of topics sure to appeal to all readers! With an eye to preparing for the upcoming season, James Stout in "Tips from the Pros" reminds us that it's all about the foot work, while Bruce Katz talks about the "Science (and Art) of Spin". Both stories are sure to improve your game. And, when you do get on court remember to record your results. Recording scores are important as they lead to more accurate handicaps. Going forward, we will be posting each club's recorded matches so remember to record your results!
Also this month, Jim Zug recently visited the National Portrait Gallery in London where a portrait of the World Champion, Rob Fahey, is on display. Jim interviewed the artist, Rupert Alexander, and Rob Fahey, which is recounted below.
Finally, the professionals are on the move - Tony Hollins has moved to Boston and Newport welcomes Sergio Lopez Ruiz to its ranks.
So...it's time to dust off those racquets and get back on court, as the "season" has begun! Good luck to all!
Sincerely,
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AMERICANS DOMINATE FRENCH OPEN
 Americans dominated the finals of the 2012 French Open held in Bordeaux. Camden Riviere defeated Tim Chisholm, 6/5,6/4,6/2 for the Singles title. Riviere and Chisholm teamed up to win the Doubles 6/3,4/6,6/2,6/5 over Steve Virgona and John Lumley. Anyone know when the last time two Americans played each other in an Open final? |
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2012 GEORGIAN COURT INVITATIONAL
For the fourth year, a hearty group of court tennis players visited Georgian Court University to see and play the former private court built for Jay Gould, one of the 20th century's most successful amateurs. Each year I go back, I marvel at the building that houses the court. Though court tennis must have been at the heart of designing the "Casino," it seems like just one of a dozen or so things to do to divert oneself. Other fun could have been had at polo, bowling, hard racquets, squash, swimming, etc. It's too bad that the racquets court has been transformed into a student center of sorts. To read Ken Forton's recap.
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THE PORTRAIT OF A CHAMPION
by James Zug
This past summer we were strolling through the National Portrait Gallery in London and came upon a special exhibit, the BP Portrait Award 2012. In its thirty-third year, the Portrait Award is a major event in the art world; this year the NPG selected fifty-five works from over two thousand entries. Some of them were fantastic, others outer-wordly. On one wall, we stumbled upon someone we knew: the world champion of tennis.
"Rob Fahey on Court," by Rupert Alexander, is an oil on canvas measuring 3.1 feet by 2.2 feet and depicts Rob on the hazard side of the court at Lord's. It is a wonderful, insightful portrait.
To read Jim Zug's interview with Rupert Alexander and comments by Rob Fahey and Claire Vigrass, click here. |
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RECORD ALL SCORES, RECORD ALL SCORES, RECORD ALL SCORES
by Jeremy Wintersteen
Handicap & Ranking Committee Chair
Listed below are match activity stats for US clubs. Please remember to record your singles and doubles scores. Why does it matter? Handicaps are often used in tournaments to determine seeding and/or entry eligibility. Players who do not record scores can negatively impact a tournament for the host club, spectators, and other competitors. Match postings are also indicators for a club's tennis program. In the case of the US, Washington and Newport have the busiest courts so congratulations to them for all the tennis activity. For comparison's sake, Radley College in the UK is the world's most active court and posted 62 more matches than all the US clubs combined. A handicap is an estimation of a player's level (compared with others) and more scores lead to a more accurate handicap. For more information on Real Tennis Online, the international handicap system for court tennis, please log onto www.realtennisonline.com.
As of 9/29/12:
Club Last Posting # in last 30 days S D %S %D
(# players with hdcp*)
ITCW (161) 9/28 84 84 0 100% 0%
NTC (166) 9/26 63 26 37 41% 59%
T&R (171) 9/26 28 19 9 68% 32%
R&T (297) 9/28 19 19 0 100% 0%
RCOP(174) 9/14 17 15 2 88% 12%
ATC (83) 9/18 4 3 1 75% 25%
TUX (115) 9/17 3 3 0 100% 0%
US (1,167) 218 169 49 78% 22%
(4 most active courts: Radley College 280 matches, Melbourne 278, Hobart 238, Hampton Court 227)
* Clubs are in the process or reviewing and updating their handicap lists. These numbers include players who are members of multiple clubs.
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THE SCIENCE (AND ART) OF SPIN
by Bruce Katz
I cannot be the only one who has been thrown off by a ball that seemingly had a mind of its own, either lurching off the wall and away from the path of my stroke, or worse, straight into my body. This degree of wonkiness -unique to court tennis amongst the racket sports because of the relatively large amount of friction between the ball and the wall - is the result of what we Americans call English, the English call side, and what the French call it is anyone's guess. Regardless of its designation, it is crucial to understand this aspect of the game if one is to progress to the highest echelons of the sport.
To read Bruce Katz's full article, click here. |
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NATIONAL LEAGUE
National League kicks off on October 10. This year there will be 4 teams - New York, Chicago, New England and Philadelphia/Tuxedo. For the list of players and first half schedule, click here. |
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HOLLINS JOINS BOSTON
by Ken Forton
The Tennis & Racquet Club (T&R) is pleased to announce that Tony Hollins has recently come on board as Senior Professional. Tony grew up on Hayling Island on the south coast of England where he worked as a lawn tennis instructor from 2002-2006 and picked up the game from Head Professional Dan Jones. In 2007, he came to the US and worked with Head Professional Rich Smith for four years. After Newport, he joined Head Professional Tim Chisholm in Tuxedo for two years. Tony will be working beside Head Professional Jimmy Burke and plans to play for a combined Boston/Newport/Aiken National League Team. Welcome to Boston Tony! |
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SERGIO LOPEZ RUIZ JOINS NEWPORT
by Tom Rowe
As of September 1, 2012, Sergio Lopez Ruiz, will be the new assistant pro at the National Tennis Club in Newport, RI. He was born on the lovely island of Majorca, located off the Mediterranean Coast of Spain. Sergio has led an interesting life, traveling extensively worldwide while actively participating in a number of athletic endeavors, amongst them Rugby and American Football. Though Majorca is currently quite famous for a certain tennis playing sensation, "Lawners" not "Real", Sergio never really picked up a racquet until a certain sultry female caught his eye in Newport somewhat over a year ago. At the time Sergio had just arrived in Newport as the chef and member of the racing crew aboard the J Class yacht VELSHEDA. Being no one's fool, Sergio quickly figured out that he would have to start playing Court Tennis if he wanted a chance with the aforementioned sultry female, Phoebe Livingston. The fact that Sergio and Phoebe were married in early September is testament to Sergio's good sense. Sergio's skills on the court are improving daily, while he is already well known for his culinary treats and adept sociability. If you have not already made Sergio's acquaintance, consider a visit to Newport and one of the many USCTA/club events held at the NTC; you will be glad you made the effort. |
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United States Court Tennis Association
c/o The Racquet & Tennis Club
370 Park Ave. New York, New York 10022
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OCTOBER
5-7
NEWPORT, RI
U15, U12 Singles & Doubles
10
BOSTON
New York vs. New England
19-21
25-28
CHICAGO OPENING
CHICAGO
Doubles
31
NATIONAL LEAGUE
WASHINGTON
NOVEMBER
1
NATIONAL LEAGUE
PHILADELPHIA
Chicago vs, Phila/Tuxedo
2-4
TUXEDO PARK, NY
Singles & Doubles
NEW YORK OPEN HANDICAP
NEW YORK
Handicap Singles
Doubles for handicaps 30+
JIMMY DUNN
PHILADELPHIA
Doubles |
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2012/13 TOURNAMENT
SCHEDULE
Mark your calendars! Here's the schedule for 2012/13. All USCTA members will receive a printed fixture card with their annual report soon.
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TIPS FROM THE PRO
by James Stout
It's all about the foot work!
Foot work is a huge part of court tennis. Not many people understand how important your movement to and from the ball is! How many times have you gotten a good shot back only to have your opponent hit a winner off the next shot because you are out of position? Once you've hit your shot make sure to get back to the middle of the court ASAP, so you can take advantage a weak shot, or give yourself the best chance getting a tough shot back! The other important part of your movement is to give yourself plenty of space. You are going to hit a better shot when your knees are bent stepping towards a ball, than being upright falling away from it...
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CHARLESTON WEBSITE
Keep abreast as to what's going on with the Charleston Court and The International Court Tennis Hall of Fame by visiting their website.
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USCTA FACEBOOK GROUP
The USCTA is on Facebook!
Interact with other players.
Get the latest news, photos, results and more!
Click here to have a look
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