Greetings!
Always look for the bright spots...Winter storms Linus, Marcus, Neptune, Octavia, Pandora, Quantum and Remus disrupted life for many in February, but they couldn't stop tennis players from pursuing silver and gold trophies. Despite a dismal month, February's bright spots included the Level Championships, Gold Racquets and the recently concluded U.S. Open (dubbed the 2015 SnOwpen). As this is being written, the juniors are in Philadelphia for a weekend of handicap matches. Amazingly, there were no delays and all of the tournaments went off without a hitch.
Sixty players participated in the U.S. Level Championships. The finals were held on our own version of Super Sunday with five new national champions sporting a gold medal. Next up was the 113th Gold Racquet Weekend in Tuxedo. Australian Kieran Booth, the number one amateur player in the world, braved the cold in Tuxedo to capture the title over Guy Devereux in four sets. Then it was on to Boston for the 2015 U.S. Open featuring pros and top amateurs from around the world for ten days of non-stop action. Camden Riviere three-peated his way to claim the singles title and the doubles title with Tim Chisholm.
Looking ahead to March, we've got another busy month of tournaments. The Lord Percival (Percy Cup), the U.S. Amateur, the Anne Boleyn Handicap and finally the U.S. 50s, 60s and 70s take center stage. We'll have all of the results on the website and in next month's edition of Chase the First.
Player Development continues to be a priority focus of the USCTA. This month, the junior development spotlight is on Ben Dickinson of Newport. Another focus of player development is a series of women's clinics at various clubs. The latest clinic was held in Boston.
David Sweet of Chicago provides a great article on James Bruce's recently concluded tour promoting his book The Neptune Book of Tennis and Rackets. Sweet's article appeared in the North Shore Weekend. The series on "Caravaggio's Ill-Fated Tennis Match" continues this month with new episodes adding to the mystery. Ivan Ronaldson reminds us in "Tips from the Pros" to use intelligent serving to your advantage.
The momentum to build a court in Charleston continues to roll along. In the news this month is the upcoming donor weekend in April. For details on this and all the news this month, read on!
Until next month...
Sincerely,
Jane Lippincott - Editor
U.S. Court Tennis Association
P.S. Winter storm Spartan has arrived...could Thor be far behind?
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2015 U.S. OPEN
Hosting the U.S. Open is a huge undertaking. Hats off to Arthur Drane, U.S. Open Tournament Chair, and his entire committee. Despite the snow, the tournament went off without a hitch. For complete coverage, including daily recaps, an article in the Boston Globe, links to the video coverage, the completed draws and other U.S. Open items of interest, go to our U.S. Open page on our website by clicking here.
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Greevy Cup Winner - Alex Spence, John Lumley &
Finalist - Christian Bullitt
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2015 LEVEL CHAMPIONSHIPS
2015 Level Championship Results
Greevy Cup - Handicap 20-29
Alex Spence def. Christian Bullitt 6-4,6-3
Noll Cup - Handicap 30-39
Tom Pickin def. Aitor Aldazabal 6-5,6-1
Burke Cup - Handicap 40-49
Josh Scherer def. Rich Mueller 6-5,6-1
Wharton Cup - Handicap 50-59
Daniel Sternberg def. Temple Grassi 2-6,6-1,6-2
Hickey Cup - Handicap 60+
Matt Reinbold def. Charlie Waddell 6-4,6-5
For complete coverage of all five national level championships, draws and photos, click here.
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113th GOLD RACQUETS WEEKEND
Gold Racquets Singles Finalist -
Guy Devereux with Kieran Booth - Champion
Click here for the complete report
Cuspidor Doubles - Group A
Peter Cipriano & Josh Scherer were defeated
by Dan Laukitis & Doug Ewing
Cuspidor Doubles - Group B
Arnold Spangler & George Connell were defeated by
Dara Walsh & Kevin Shea Marker- Josh Dodgson
Cuspidor Doubles - Group C
Laura Tinsley & Kim Kilgore defeated Aileen Bruner &John Beam. Marker - Cam Riviere
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CHARLESTON COURT TENNIS ANNOUNCES DONOR WEEKEND
Attention court tennis community: Tired of the cold??!! Charleston Court Tennis is planning an extravagant weekend in Charleston at the Daniel Island Club and surrounding venues to show the world the attractions of the Lowcountry. Mark your calendars for April 10, 11,12. All donors to the Charleston Court Tennis court and all potential donors are invited for golf, tennis, dinners, and cocktail parties. In addition, a presentation by the Daniel Island Club will be held to answer any and all questions concerning the structure and progress of the court building project.
Activities will include:
- Golf at the 36 hole Daniel Island Club
- Tennis games arranged at DIC 12 court facility
- Tickets available to Family Circle Ladies Professional Tennis event (formerly Virginia Slims)
- Cocktails at DIC on Friday, April 10th to learn about the club and the project
- Tours of historic downtown Charleston on mule drawn wagons
- Cocktails on Saturday, April 11th sponsored by the US Court Tennis Preservation Foundation and the Grassi Family at the home of Greg & Lucienne Van Schaack in South of Broad historic residential district of Charleston
- Farewell brunch on Sunday April 12th at Carolina Yacht Club
Accommodations available throughout the city and on Daniel Island.
Please join us and help make the Charleston Court Tennis court a reality. Contact Greg Van Schaack for information: gvs@hedgedalternatives.com or 845-642-2673
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| | Ben Dickinson with Beth Winthrop |
JUNIOR DEVELOPMENT SPOTLIGHT
by Jane Lippincott
When asked what he wanted for his tenth birthday, Ben Dickinson asked for his first membership to the National Tennis Club. That was two years ago. Fast forward two years and you could say that Ben was hooked on tennis. When asked about his pupil, NTC Head Pro Rich Smith said, "Ben started the game nearly two years ago, he is very motivated and has missed only a few junior sessions. During any professional event at the NTC you can find him front row of the dedans cheering on his favorite pros. Ben has great form and a wide variety of shots, including a server cut volley (his favorite shot)! Remember his name in the near future." When asked why he likes tennis, Ben said, "I think it's really fun, and I like how it's a small sport. It's so unique." An active member of the National Tennis Club, Ben participates in many club events and the weekly junior clinics. He has a positive attitude about tennis and looks forward to more years on court. Ben lives in Middletown and is in the sixth grade at Gaudet Middle School. Tennis isn't his only sport, though as he also plays ice hockey, lacrosse and runs cross-country. He also plays the saxophone and clarinet. Ben turns twelve on March 5. Happy Birthday Ben - we look forward to watching your tennis game grow in the coming years!
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 A RECAP OF THE NEPTUNE BOOK
OF TENNIS & RACKETS BOOK TOUR
James Bruce recently concluded a U.S, book tour to promote his recently published work "The Neptune Book of Tennis and Rackets". David Sweet, a tennis player and member of the Racquet Club of Chicago, wrote the following piece for the North Shore Weekend. The illustration is by New Yorker cover artist Barry Blitt.
Ensconced in the Racquet Club of Chicago on a February morning, Englishman James Bruce talked about his plans for the day.
That afternoon, he would play a game of court tennis (called real tennis abroad). At nightfall, he would entertain the private club's members, giving a talk about his recently published illustrated history, "The Neptune Book of Tennis and Rackets."
The order form for either the £35 standard edition or the £350 leather-bound limited edition (100 copies) can be found by clicking here.
If for any reason you are unable to open the attachment, send an e-mail (with your mailing address) to alan@tennisbookshop.com and a printed copy of the order form will be immediately mailed to you wherever you are in the world."
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Nine women players from Boston recently took part in a one-day clinic run by Tony Hollins. The clinic is part of the USCTA/USCTPF Player Development Program. Several clubs this year have run one-day events for their women members funded by the Development Program. The reaction has been positive and more clinics are planned for the future.
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LIVE FROM BOSTON....
Chances are some of you did not get to Boston to see the Open. Fortunately, all ten days of the tournament were streamed live through our YouTube channel. Andy Roberts from the T&R in Boston set up the video coverage....but who was that man behind the curtain running the show each day? It was none other than Ryan Carey - pictured above.
While Ryan had a great view of the daily action, those of you familiar with Boston know that its not the warmest spot in the club. And thus, astute observers will note the portable heater and, of course, the large bottle of Gatorade for extra energy!
Thank you Ryan for keeping the camera, audio and scoreboard rolling and the tweets tweeting for ten long, but exciting days!
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PHILADELPHIA
Handicap Round Robin and Clinic for players under 19 years of age.
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NATIONAL LEAGUE
NEW YORK
13-15
LORD PERCIVAL
PHILADELPHIA
20 NATIONAL LEAGUE Chicago vs. Newport NEWPORT
Amateur Singles and Doubles Championships
National Championships for amateurs age 50 and over
27-29
U.S. 60s
PHILADELPHIA
National Championships in singles and doubles for amateurs age 60 and over
National Championships in singles and doubles for amateurs age 70 and over
APRIL
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NATIONAL LEAGUE
New York vs. Newport
NEW YORK
Doubles round robinfor all levels
Doubles for handicaps under 30
LADIES INVITATIONAL
CHICAGO
Singles and doubles for U.S.-based amateurs.
MAY
15-17
U.S. JUNIOR NATIONALS
TUXEDO
U26 & U23 - Singles and Doubles
30- June 7
TUXEDO
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NATIONAL LEAGUE
STANDINGS
BOSTON/WASH 19
NEW YORK 11
CHICAGO 9
NEWPORT 0
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TOP AMATEUR LISTS New Top Amateur Lists
have been published.
as of 3/1/1 
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TIPS FROM THE PROFESSIONALS
Make the receiver play into your strengths with intelligent serving. Most good players will force for the Dedans if you serve deep to them (when the ball hits the back wall before the floor off the penthouse). If you have a magnificent volley then you'll probably want your opponent to force at you, so take the time to learn a good, deep railroad. If your volley is average but winning long floor rallies is your forte then serve shorter with heavy spin. This will encourage the receiver to cut their return into the corners where you, hopefully, have the advantage. When you are changing ends take the time to think, "Am I serving into my opponent's weaknesses? Am I making him hit to my strengths?" As the server you have control of the tempo of the game and to some extent you can select which shot the receiver will play.
Use that to your advantage.
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RTO STATS
Matches recorded in Real Tennis Online in the last 30 days. Remember, it's important to record match scores to have an accurate handicap!
WASHINGTON 132
NEWPORT 109
NEW YORK 102
CHICAGO 65
PHILADELPHIA 40
TUXEDO 28
BOSTON 26
AIKEN 12
LAKEWOOD 0
Compared to:
RADLEY 232
HAMPTON COURT 249
MELBOURNE 329
CAMBRIDGE 235
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Annual Junior Court Tennis Camp
July 13-17
The Player Development
Committee has selected the Tuxedo Club for a one-of-a-kind junior court tennis camp. Court Tennis Champion - Tim Chisholm - will head up the USCTA/USCTPF sponsored junior tennis camp for one week this summer at the Tuxedo Club. The camp is designed for juniors ages 11-17 and modeled around a very successful and popular UK-based program. Beginner and experienced players are invited to participate. For more information, contact
Tim Chisholm
Tchisholm@thetuxedoclub.org
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Caravaggio's Ill-Fated
Tennis Match -
An Inquiry into a Painting
by CEES DE BONDT
"New Episodes Available!"
After some nine years of research into The Death of Hyacinth painting an increasing number of art scholars that I contact for their opinion tend to support my interpretation that the production of the picture was sparked by Caravaggio's famous tennis match of 1606.
Follow me on this quest for the hidden identity of the painting. The story will be "served" out to you in sequels, unfolding itself as a whodunit, and following a trail that is full of twists and turns.
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2015 WORLD DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIP
The Tuxedo Club will host the 2015 Court Tennis World Doubles Championship from May 30 - June 7, 2015. Look for event details and sign up for updates at
also follow us on Facebook (World Doubles Championship) and Twitter (Tuxedo Court Tennis). More details and some big announcements coming shortly. We look forward to seeing everyone in the summer!
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