Tennis is more than just time spent on the court - it's also about the connections and lifelong friendships you make on and off the court. This past month, players - all under the age of 26 - from England, Australia and the U.S. gathered in Boston for the biennial Clothier, Van Alen and Limb Cups. While I will let you read on to find out the results (they were great), the week of tennis forged new friendships and new friendly rivalries that will go on for years. Later in the month, our younger juniors gathered in Tuxedo for the fourth annual Court Tennis Academy and U19/17/15/13 Junior National Singles Championships. Again, new friendships were formed, old ones rekindled and thus, a whole new generation of players is formed - all based upon a love of court tennis. The results of both events are listed below.
While juniors dominated the headlines in July, the pros travelled to England for the inaugural Champions Trophy at Hampton Court. Camden Riviere won over Ben Taylor-Matthews. John Lumley and Nick Howell both played, with Howell having an impressive three-set win over Rob Fahey. The following week, Prested hosted the Professional Doubles. Camden Riviere teamed up with John Lumley to win the tournament over Rob Fahey and Ricardo Smith.
Also, this month we have the latest news from Charleston, the Foundation and the announcement of the Pettitt Fellowship by the USCTA. Plus, we've got a tip on cut volley accuracy from Tony Hollins.
Finally, back to connections...you never know where or when you'll run into a court tennis player, and a celebrity at that. Read on to find out who....
Until next month....
Sincerely,
U.S. Court Tennis Association
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VAN ALEN/CLOTHIER/LIMB CUPS
BIG WIN FOR THE USA!
by Tony Hollins
Starting on July 10th, the Boston Tennis and Racquet Club was delighted to host the Van Alen, Clothier and Limb Cups; international team junior competitions between the USA, UK and Australia.
This is only the second time that the three tournaments have been played concurrently at one location and the first time this format has been hosted in the USA. The idea makes a lot of sense in terms of travel between the countries and also makes for a week long spectacle of the best junior players from around the world.
The format for each tournament included four singles matches and four doubles matches (twenty-four between the three events). If one of the tournaments ended in a 4-4 tie then the #2 and #3 players from both teams would play a deciding doubles match.
The week started with the Van Alen Cup (UK vs. USA). Coming into the event the UK were clear favourites with the four Brits playing off single figure handicaps. This was a great experience for the Americans, whose handicaps were in the twenties, and allowed them to test their skills against strong opposition. Dylan Ward put in a notable performance in the Singles against Robert Shenkman, eventually losing in a tight 6-3 6-4 match. Although the Americans put up a good fight, the Brits took the day 5-0.
At the close of the day's play, the players and spectators moved to the Hamlen Room for the "Welcoming Cocktail Party". Dick Brickley opened the speeches, welcoming the players to Boston and the T&R. Howard McMorris then spoke to the history of the Clothier Cup; Jimmy Van Alen talked about his Great Uncle's drive to start the Van Alen Cup; Greg Moran, the manager of the Australian team, then gave a history of the Limb Cup and George Limb's contributions to Royal Tennis in Australia. Players and spectators alike then faced the four flags above the tennis court for the singing of the national anthems.
Click here for the full recap, results, rosters and the webcast.
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2017 U23 & U26 CHAMPIONSHIPS
by John Lumley
We had players from Australia, the UK & the USA all battling it out for the U.S. Nationals U23's & U26's titles! In the U23 Singles Erik Barker and Freddie Bristowe had one of the matches of the tournament with Bristowe taking it 5-6 6-5 6-5 to progress him into the semifinals! On the other half of the draw No.1 seed Will Hoskin had his hands full with Pete Dickinson just taking it 6-5 6-5. Pete retrieving out of the corners superbly making Will hit constantly good shots. It was the No.1 vs No.2 seed in the final of the U23's. Noah Motz off to a quick start was striking the ball with exceptional pace causing Will to make racquet errors giving Noah the first set 6-3. Keen to keep the pressure on Noah kept moving Will round the court and controlling the rallies and took the U23 National Title 6-3 6-2!
In the U23 Doubles Ben & Pete Dickinson had a battle against the No.2 Seeds which were Will Hoskin & Freddie Bristowe. Both teams getting lots of balls back made for some exciting rallies with the No.2 seeds taking it 6-5 6-5 to send them into the final. They met the on-form Noah Motz & Erik Barker who took off to a flying start winning the first set 6-0! With Hoskin & Bristowe eager to do better they changed the game plan and started being more aggressive finding themselves at 5 games all. Barker with some great forehand saves from good cut shots kept them in the points where Motz finished the point winning 6-0 6-5 to take the U23 Doubles Title!
The U26 Singles Draw was the strongest it's been in a long time which made for some great matches. Jackson Brand and Pete Dickinson had a battle in the first round. Brand starting off slowly lost the first set 2-6. Dickinson & Brand making some outrageous gets soon saw them at 5 games all in the second set. Brand with sheer determination took it 6-5 to tie it up at 1 set all. Brand took to a quick start in the third but Dickinson fought back to find himself at 4 games all. Brand with a few key serves at good times went on to take the set and match 2-6 6-5 6-4. Freddy Bristowe took upset of the day beating Will HoskinNo.2 seed 6-3 6-5 to take him to the semifinals. Dylan Ward & Erik Barker had a great match where Dylan just took it 6-0 4-6 6-5 with a nail biting finish. Michael Williams & Noah Motz had straight forward paths to the final. Williams being the heavy favorite found himself at 3 games all in the first set with Motz playing great Tennis to keep in the match. Williams turned up the pace and mixed up forcing and good length to win the match 6-3 6-1 and take the U26 Singles Title.
Click here for the rest of the story, draws and pictures.
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| Pete Dickinson & Freddie Bristowe |
2017 U19,U17,U15 & U13 SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIPS
by Dawson Chisholm
Nineteen players competed in the U19, U17, U15 and U13 Singles Championships, hosted by the Tuxdeo Club.
The results are as follows:
- U17/U19 - Freddie Bristowe def. Pete Dickinson 6-5,6-3
- U15 - Freddie Bristowe def. Ben Dickinson 6-0,6-1
- U13 - Lucas Capella def. Christian Capella 8-3
For a complete summary of the weekend, click here.
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NEWS FROM CHARLESTON
by PJ Yeatman
The Foundation is pleased to report that the Daniel Island Club has agreed to take the lead on finalizing all of the pre-development activities associated with design and permitting of the court in Charleston for Charleston Court Tennis. Given their development expertise, their existing site knowledge, and their vested interest in the success of the project, the Daniel Island development team is optimally suited to lead this project through the permitting process. Charleston-based E.E. Fava Architects has been retained by Daniel Island to oversee the completion of the construction documents, as well as to coordinate the various engineers and contractors who will be collaborating to provide Charleston Court Tennis with a final set of plans that can be taken to the contracting market and competitively bid prior to breaking ground. The Foundation, in conjunction with CCT has approved the funding of this next phase of the development process, and both parties will continue to monitor the progress and the release of dollars associated therewith.
Click here for the Charleston Court Tennis Website.
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NEWS FROM THE FOUNDATION
by Jane Lippincott
The U.S. Court Tennis Preservation Foundation continues to support its multiple projects including player development, court restoration and new courts. This summer has witnessed real progress on all fronts. The season is about to begin at Georgian Court University, some notable pledges were made to the Charleston project and the multi-year work of the Player Development Program continues to bear fruit.
Three years ago, the Foundation entered into a partnership with the USCTA to create a Player Development Program. The focus of the program is on top amateurs, women and juniors. We have made steady progress over the past three years and in July scored the biggest coup by winning the Clothier Cup for the first time since 2007.
The number of junior players are growing and we have seen major results in tournaments both here in the U.S. and overseas. The number of women playing is at an all-time high. Our top amateurs are working with our professionals on a regular basis to improve their games. Overall, we are making significant progress in all areas.
None of this would have been possible without the foresight and generosity of Ellie and Temple Grassi through the Thornedge Foundation. They provided the initial inspiration, committed to the program from the beginning and have continued to fund the program on an annual basis.
Additionally, the Foundation is pleased to report that we received a grant of $50,000 in July from an anonymous donor through their foundation to be used for Player Development initiatives. The grant represents a 100% increase of their prior year gift. This gift is in addition to a grant of $50,000 from the Thornedge Foundation pledged in June. Wow!
The Foundation is only able to be supportive to the broader game to the extent our donors support the Foundation and its programs. Your significant generosity has helped accomplish a great deal, thank you.
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Camden Riviere wins the inaugural Champions Trophy at Hampton Court - July 11-16, 2017. Camden Riviere beat Ben Taylor-Matthews 6-2,6-1, 6-0
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U.K. PROFESSIONAL DOUBLES
John Lumley & Camden Riviere win the UK Professional Doubles at Prested Hall in four exciting sets. Lumley & Riviere defeated Rob Fahey and Ricardo Smith 6-2,4-6,6-5,6-4.
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USCTA PETTITT FELLOW PROGRAM
by Jim Zug
The United States Court Tennis Association has launched a new program, the Thomas Pettit Fellowship.
The purpose is to encourage Americans to take a sustained look at being a court tennis professional by facilitating new apprenticeships.
The fellowship is named after Tom Pettitt, the original American apprentice. In 1877 at the age of seventeen, Pettitt apprenticed at the Buckingham Street court in Boston. He went on to become the head professional at four different clubs in the U.S. and was world champion from 1885 to 1890. Pettitt was inducted into the International Court Tennis Hall of Fame in 2015.
Candidates will be selected on their potential to benefit from the fellowship and probability of becoming a full-time professional. A fellow could be a teenager just finishing high school and choosing a gap year before college; a college graduate looking for work after commencement; or a young person considering a change of careers. A primary goal is to produce more American professionals in the game; thus, the fellowship is restricted to American citizens. The fellow will receive a stipend of $1,500 per month. The fellowship would last from a minimum of three months to a maximum of six months. It is expected that the fellow will travel overseas to apprentice at a club in Australia, England or France at some point during the fellowship. There will only be one Pettitt Fellow per calendar year. Fellows will be expected to remain apprentices during the fellowship and therefore not risk their amateur status. A sub-committee of the Professional Committee will administer the fellowships. Please contact James Zug for more information.
Click here for more information.
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Jesse Colin Young, CTF Editor & Tristan Young
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JESSE COLIN YOUNG
BLAST FROM THE PAST - ROCK LEGEND AND USCTA MEMBER!
by Jane Lippincott
Your Chase the First Editor travelled to Kingston, RI to catch Jesse Colin Young In concert. Jesse, a member of the USCTA and his bandmate and son - Tristan - played in a few court tennis events a few years back....Also spotted in the crowd was NTC President - John Murphy.
"For 50 years Jesse Colin Young has been singing songs about peace, relationships and the environment. From his folk days in Boston and his first record, Soul of a city Boy, he has articulated and recorded the tumultuous times of the 60s, 70s, 80s to the present, while reminding us that it is all about family, community and the precious natural world we live in. His musical style is now considered American, but in fact it's his unique fusion of jazz, blues, folk and rock with an emphasis on his extraordinary voice that makes his signature sound.
Jesse's career is best defined by his recording of "Get Together" with the Youngbloods. In 1969 this one song pivoted him onto the stadium and outdoor concert scene. His touring schedule was with the rock band A-Listers of the era: Led Zeppelin, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, The Doors, Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, The Beach Boys, The Allman Brothers. Steve Miller Band, Van Morrison and many others." Courtesy of Courthouse Center for the Arts.
He has recorded numerous solo albums. This summer he is touring with his band, all Berklee College of Music students, including his son (and former junior court tennis player) - Tristan.
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AUGUST
17-20
NEWPORT
Doubles round robins for pros and amateurs for multiple levels
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TIPS FROM THE PROFESSIONALS
CUT VOLLEY ACCURACY
by Tony Hollins
Be aware of where your cut volley return is striking the main wall. The idea is very like the serve in squash; you want the ball meeting the wall right at, or slightly before, the moment that your opponent would like to strike the shot.
This is usually between chase 2&3 to 4&5.
By doing this, you increase the difficulty of the servers shot as they are having to half-volley the ball off the main wall.
On the flip side, if you hit the main wall too early (between 6 yards and 2nd gallery) you will give your opponent too much time to read the reaction off the main wall allowing them an easy shot.
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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!
(as of 8/1/17)
BOSTON 77
NEW YORK 75
PHILADELPHIA 56
NEWPORT 54
WASHINGTON 37
CHICAGO 32
TUXEDO 31
AIKEN 0
Compared to:
RADLEY 128
MELBOURNE 147
HAMPTON COURT 168
CAMBRIDGE 60
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