Schnur’s growth occurring in stature -- and on the tennis court

A Tennis Topics article by John Packett, RTA Staff Writer

Like many adolescent boys his age, Max Schnur has gone through a growth spurt over the past few years.

His 170 pounds is now spread over a 6-4 frame, which has made the 16-year-old an intimidating presence on the tennis court.

“This year, I’ve actually slowed down a little,” Schnur said. “I think I’ve grown like two inches.”

Along with the increase in height, Schnur’s tennis game has shown considerable growth, too. Perhaps that’s no coincidence.

“This year, I’ve kind of started to grow into my body and I’m a little less awkward,” he added. “I started to get a little stronger and a little more coordinated, and everything started to work together with my serve and my forehand.”

Those two valuable parts of his game have vaulted the Collegiate School junior into the No. 2 ranking in the Mid-Atlantic region and the top 100 nationally (No. 82) in the boys 16 age group. It’s also put him on the radar of many Division I college coaches.

“I would say that he has completely committed to being a tennis player ,” said Damian Sancilio, the director of tennis at Courtside West who works with Schnur. “He’s a good athlete. He’s 6-4 and when you’re that height, his serve has improved a lot.

“Probably the biggest thing in his game is he’s developed a serve that is a real weapon. And his forehand has become a weapon. He’s played so many national tournaments and that’s really helped. He’s just fully committed. That’s the main thing.”

Sancilio, a two-time former city champion, also believes the growth surge has been a contributing factor.

“That has really helped him,” said Sancilio. “All of a sudden, he had this huge serve when he didn’t really have much of a serve, so he wins a lot of free points with his serve now. He’s a tall kid, he’s coordinated and he moves well.”

With his big serve and powerful forehand, Schnur has made several splashes on the national scene in recent months.

Perhaps his most significant accomplishment was winning the U.S. Tennis Association’s Boys’ 16 National Open doubles title with Michael Reilly of Raleigh, N.C., in Allenwood, N.J.

“We had never played together before, but we’re pretty good friends now,” Schnur said with a laugh.

“That was, by far, one of my highlights of the summer. That was really good. We were unseeded, so I wasn’t really expecting to win. I was hoping to maybe get a couple matches in there and compete with the best. It was a great feeling to win it.”

Schnur also teamed with his regular partner, Edwin Zhang of Falls Church, to reach the semifinals of the USTA Boys’ 16 Super National Clay Courts in Delray Beach, Fla. The duo upset the No. 1 seeds in the second round before settling for fourth place.

“The whole tournament was a roller coaster of ups and downs,” said Schnur, who won seven singles matches and placed 17-24 after playing well in the backdraw. “We almost lost first round. It was pretty crazy. I think it’s more fun to do something like that with a good friend and doubles partner.”

In the biggest tournament of the summer for juniors, at Kalamazoo, Mich., Schnur lost in the third round of singles of the Boys’ 16 division.

“Even though it was the lowest tournament, result-wise, of the summer,” he said, “it was the most thrilling one. I was really excited to be there. It was a whole new level and a whole different experience. I just loved all of it and want to get back next year in the 18s.”

Schnur has started to play in some 18s – he’ll turn 17 in February – and finished sixth in a USTA National Open last month in Toledo, Ohio, where he also received the sportsmanship award. He’s heading to Scottsdale, Ariz., next week for the USTA Boys’ 16 Winter Super Nationals.

Schnur will be joined in Scottsdale by fellow Richmonder Emily Hahn, who is competing in the Girls’ 16 portion of the tournament. From Jan. 2-7 in Tucson, Ariz., Emily and Alyssa Hahn (girls’ 12) will be playing in the Copper Bowl, along with Callie Whitlock (girls’ 18) and Evan Charles (boys’ 18).

In addition to his national exploits, Schnur helped Collegiate win the Prep League and Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association titles in May, the first time the Cougars had accomplished both in the same season. Schnur played No. 1 singles as a sophomore.

“That was pretty crazy,” he said. “We were underdogs going into it again. It just seemed like every year we were like second place and it didn’t work out. But we really came ready to play this year and everybody played really well.”

Schnur considers himself an “aggressive baseliner,” and is trying to approach the net more to put away volleys.

“I do come in a fair amount,” he said. “That’s one aspect of my game that I’m working on. I’m getting more comfortable coming to the net.”

How much better can Schnur’s game become? Sancilio believes there’s a lot more room for improvement.

“He’s got a lot of potential,” said Sancilio. “He’s getting a bigger game. He’s definitely a Division I college player. He’s a very smart kid. So when he loses, he learns from it. He listens. He asks a lot of people’s advice. He takes it in. His brain has helped him, too.

“I’d say right now, for his age, he’s probably, as far as I’m concerned, in the top 50 in the country.”

Schnur used to play soccer and basketball, as well as tennis, when he was younger but has concentrated on tennis for the past two years.

“People always ask me why did you give up basketball because of my height, but I always liked tennis the most,” Schnur said. “I played soccer and basketball because all my friends played it and it was fun. Now I want to see what I can do with tennis.”

Richmond Team Distinguished in Naples

(Left to right) Richmond’s Margie Walsh, Leslie Butterworth, Kirsten Elim and Julie Ogborne were chosen to represent the Mid-Atlantic Section at the National Team Intersectional Championships in Naples, Florida on Nov. 18-22. The team finished 4th in the 35s division. Each USTA section fields its strongest teams in the 35s through 75s women’s divisions and over 300 players compete in the largest national adult championship of the year.

Virginia State Indoor Results and Pictures

The results from the Virginia State Indoor Tennis Championships are:

Tatsiana Uvarova def. Olga Borisova – 6-4, 6-4 – Ladies Final

Romain Ambert def. Juan Martin Stiegwardt – 6-7 (3), 7-5, 6-4 – Men’s Singles Final

Vera Petrashevitch/Olga Borisova def. Tatsiana Uvarova/Callie Whitlock – 6-1, 6-4 Ladies Doubles Final

Juan Martin Stiegwardt/Alexandru Cojanu def. Romain Ambert/Carl Clark – 6-1, 6-7 (3), 6-2 – Men’s Doubles Final

See photos

Collegiate Girls' Varsity Tennis Team Wins Two!

The Collegiate Varsity Girl's Tennis Team has brought the trophies back "home". After a two-year hiatus, the 2009 Girl's Varsity Tennis Team won the L.I.S. Championship Tournament 48-45, and continued on winning the VISAA State Championship 5-4, both over local rival St. Catherine's. This is Collegiate's 6th VISAA State Championship in eight years.

The final state match came down to #3 doubles, after splitting the matches 4-4. Collegiate lost #1, 3 and 5 singles ... but had dominating singles wins by #2 Connor Brewer and #4 Anne Paige "AP" Lansinger, and a come-from-behind, down 0-5, victory from #6 Frankie O'Neill.

After splitting #1 and 2 doubles, the last match on, the #3 doubles team of Hannah Carl and Frankie O'Neill prevailed, and after fighting off two match points, being down 7-9, 15-40 ... went on to win the deciding match 11-9.

The Team Mantra this season has been "We Believe", and they have certainly made believers out of all of us. Way to go COUGARS!

The Cougar Team consisted of
Seniors: Mollie Bisger, Tori Bos, Tri-Captain Anne Paige Lansinger, Tri-Captain Parke Whitley, Tri-Captain Bridgette Williams
Juniors: Erin Anderson, Meredith Armstrong, Hannah Carl, Amanda Johnson, Kate Maraghy, Virginia Parks
Sophomore: Emily Wright
Freshman: Connor Brewer, Frankie O'Neill
along with Head Coach Karin Whitt (L.I.S. Coach of the Year) and Assistant Coaches Sharon Johnson and Wes Atiyeh

What's the Call? November 2009

Question: Two players are playing in a tournament. These particular player are less than friends.

They are at 6-6 in the third set tiebreak.

The next point was a close call at player A's baseline. The call was out but not that audible.

Now, both thought they won the point and thought the score was 7-6 in their favor.

Strangely on the next point it was a close call on player B's baseline.

The call was signaled out, but not visible to the other player, making player A think he won the match.

Both players now thought they had won the match. Approached the net, shook hands and went to the tournament desk reporting the win.

As tournament director, what to do ...

Answer: This scenario raises a variety of issues under the Code, so let’s tackle them one at a time:

1. At 6-6, Player A called a ball out, but the call was “not that audible.” While the point belongs to Player A, he should be reminded that Code Section 15 provides that an opponent is entitled to prompt and audible or visible out calls, even on shots that are obviously out.

2. Whichever player served the next point apparently violated Code Section 31 by not announcing the score before serving. If players would follow this rule, it would eliminate virtually all scoring controversies and confusion.

3. The out call by player B on the next point again arguably violated Section 15 by not being visible to the opponent.

4. Because both players shook hands believing in good faith they had won the match, neither can be penalized for shaking hands and walking off the court, so the tournament director should have had the players confirm their calls on the preceding two points, and send the players back out to the court to complete the tiebreak from 7-7.

Got a question about the rules of tennis?
Think you've been "greased" by your opponent during a match and just can't sleep until the issue is resolved? Go ahead and submit your question to "What's the Call?" at eric@ericperkinslaw.com. Sample questions and answers will be posted monthly.

Short Pump completes unbeaten season to win league title

A Tennis Topics article by JOHN PACKETT, RTA Staff Writer

The Henrico/Hanover Middle School League doesn’t declare official champions but Short Pump left no doubt who the best girls’ tennis team was this season.

With an experienced squad that included 10 eighth-graders, Short Pump won all 10 of its matches to finish on top of the 2009 standings.

“There were six eighth-graders on the team this year that actually made the team my first year of coaching,” said Mary Ellen Lahy, who took over the Short Pump program in 2007.

“It was kind of a special year for me, too, to be undefeated. This was the first group that I started coaching, and to see them graduate and see how much they improved and how close they became and how much they worked together to make this an undefeated season was pretty special.”

Short Pump’s closest call came late in the season against Tuckahoe Middle and coach Martha Hodges, who was Lahy’s mentor in middle school before she continued on to a successful career at Douglas Freeman High School.

Without No. 1 singles player Caroline Mosberg (who was sick), the Pumas lost all four singles matches before rallying to claim five doubles victories in a 5-4 decision.

“The biggest reason we beat Tuckahoe was because we did have the depth,” said Lahy. “In doubles, our three, four and five were stronger than their bottom doubles players. So our depth was the difference in that match. Everyone seemed to step up and do their part to pull out the match.”

Short Pump’s team also included six seventh-graders and two sixth-graders.

“We had a lot of players improve from last year, players who were playing doubles that stepped up and played singles this year,” Lahy said. “Our No. 1 doubles team, Alexa Vignone and Emma Garrett, played all three years together.

“They were a powerhouse at No. 1 doubles. They had built up a strong camaraderie and were a great team together. It was great to see them progress. I don’t think they lost a match.

“Then I always counted on Caroline Mosberg to win at No. 1 [singles]. I figured we’d win at least another singles and then the doubles were pretty good this year.”

Short Pump beat Pocahontas, their biggest and closest rival, 6-3. Pocahontas had gone unbeaten last fall to capture the girls’ crown, knocking off Short Pump in a close match along the way.

“I think we were down a couple of players because of the swine flu thing,” said Lahy. “I think that influenced a lot of people’s seasons this year. Pocahontas was also missing a lot of players for that match. It made the whole season a challenge to work with.

“Pocahontas is always a big match for my girls. They’re always excited about it and look forward to it. A lot of them know the girls on that team. We usually play Pocahontas during our spirit week, so everybody is really pumped up.

“When we lost to them last year, it came down to one match and a tiebreaker, so it was nice to beat them this year.”

Pocahontas’ team was not nearly as experienced as Short Pump, which likely played a role in the outcome.

“We graduated our top four,” said Jane Evans, the Pocahontas coach. “All four were undefeated last year. Their top four were all eighth-graders and were extremely experienced. They have some very serious players on that team.”

Lahy will find herself in that position next fall, when she loses 10 of her players, most of whom will go on to Deep Run High School, which has challenged Mills Godwin for Central Region supremacy the past few years.

“It’s going to be very different for me, not to have the same players,” she said. “It could be a down year next year, but we really had a great year this year.”

Short Pump roster

Eighth-graders -- Caroline Mosberg, Abby Mainwaring, Abby Dawsone, Emma Garrett, Alexa Vignone, Maggie Noonan, Katie Leich, Jenna Zimmerman, Payal Shah, Hannah McMichael.

Seventh-graders -- Emily Sheppard, Claire Harper, Sarah Jorhde, Meredith Rose, Alyeena Khan, Maggie Gardner.

Sixth-graders -- Vibha Shekhar, Abby Randall.

Short Pump schedule (with result in parenthesis):

• Moody (7-2)
• Hungary Creek (9-0)
• Brookland (9-0)
• Oak Knoll (7-2)
• Liberty (8-1)
• Chickahominy (6-3)
• John Rolfe (9-0)
• Pocahontas (6-3)
• Tuckahoe (5-4)
• Byrd (9-0)

Tennis Awards Season in Richmond

In addition to the recently announced RTA Hall of Fame, other awards have been given out to some of Richmond's finest pros, players and patrons.

USTA/Virginia Tennis Association Awards:
Victor Rizzi of Richmond City Tennis was awarded the Virginia Teaching Professional of the Year. Rizzi is responsible for the upsurge in tennis in the Richmond school and City Parks this year.
The Fred Bruner Family is the Virginia Tennis Family of the Year. Fred Bruner and his family have been serious tennis volunteers for the Richmond City programs for many years. Fred is the past Richmond Tennis Association president.
Hugh Waters, III was awarded the prestigious Dick Green Service Award. This is rarely awarded and is for years of service to the greater Virginia tennis community. Waters is a USPTA Master Professional and has been a well-known tennis advocate for many years in Richmond, VA and the Mid-Atlantic. He is the current president of the Richmond Tennis Association.
The Association of Richmond Tennis Professionals was selected as the Community Outreach Organization of of the Year. The tennis professionals from this group host over twenty Richmond Junior Tournaments annually.

USTA/Mid-Atlantic Sectional Awards:
The Adult/Senior Tennis Tournament of the year was awarded to the USTA McDonald's Men's and Women's Open Clay Court $30,000 Championships. The tournament is held each year in July at Salisbury County Club. Bill Barnes is hte promoter of the event and Scott Steinor, Director of Tennis at the Salisbury CC, is the tournament director.
Cris Robinson received the 2009 Teaching Professional of the Year Award. Robinson is the Director of Tennis at Willow Oaks County Club. He is a leader in promoting and teaching the new USTA QuickStart program.
Tut Bartzen has been chosen as the Male Adult Sportsmanship Award winner. Bartzen is a tournament player from The County Club of Virginia.

RTA inducts Hall of Fame Recipients on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009

Saturday, October 24th, was an exciting evening at the Westwood Club when 150 guests celebrated the induction of 13 new members into the Richmond Tennis Hall of Fame. The Richmond Tennis Association (RTA) sponsored event had not been held since 1995 so this year's ceremony included individuals and organizations originally selected for 1997, as well as those for 2009. The energy and enthusiasm was evident as everyone traded memories of past as well as current playing days. All seemed thrilled to be celebrating the contributions the inductees had given to the tennis community through their leadership, commitment and playing success.
 


The evening kicked off with a cocktail hour and silent auction. Dinner was next and then the ceremony began. Bill Correll started things off by recognizing the 13 previous inductees from 1990 and 1995. Lou Einwick, a Hall of Fame member, followed with introductions for the Class of 1997. Bill Correll and Lou Einwick then shared the duties of introducing the Class of 2009. A quick look around the room witnessed nodding heads, huge smiles and expressions of fond memories as each inductee's bio was related.
 


The class of 1997 included Jerry Depew, Frank Maloney III, Massie Valentine, and Home Beneficial Life Insurance.

The Class of 2009 Included Tom Cain, Kathleen Cummings, Rodney Harmon, Wade McGuire, John Packett, Mark Vines, Hugh Waters, Davenport and Co., and the Westwood Club.
 


The guests remained enthusiastic throughout the evening and included representatives from the Virginia Tennis Association, Middle Atlantic Tennis Association and the United States Tennis Association. The crowd was reluctant to leave but eventually the evening had to come to an end. By final tally, the event surprisingly raised over $2000.00 for the RTA to use in funding various tennis programs around the Richmond area.

Click on photo to see more photos from the event.


Front row, left to right: John DePew (holding picture of his dad, Jerry, 1997 inductee), Hugh Waters, Kathleen Cummings, Mark Vines

Back row, left to right: Wade McGuire, Rodney Harmon, John Packett, Tom Cain, E. Massie Valentine, Coleman Wortham (Davenport & Co. representative), Bill French (Westwood club representative).

Not pictured: Virginia Maloney, who accepted on behalf of her late husband, Frank Maloney, III.

Virginia State Indoor Tennis Championships Dec. 12-15, 2009

Virginia State Indoor Tennis Championships
December 12-15, 2009

SIGN UP NOW!

Over $10,000 in Prize Money!

Each player will receive a tournament shirt & gift ($75 value). This year's gift is a 30-can cooler on wheels with a built-in radio (also compatible with MP3 or CD player.)

Players' Luncheon on December 12.

Players' Brunch on December 13.

Hospitality room with food & beverages throughout the entire tournament.

"FINAL 4" awards for all semi-finalists (Gift Baskets: $50 value.)

Events offered: Men's and Women's Singles and Doubles

Download PDF flyer for more information and entry form

or

To register online, to to www.usta.com and then click on TENNISLINK/TOURNAMENTS and use Tournament I.D.#302966909.

SIGN UP DEADLINE IS DECEMBER 4!

For more information e-mail Julie Ogborne at Julie.Ogborne@theccv.org or call (804) 287-1456

RTA, Fraziers introduce program to city elementary schools

A Tennis Topics article by JOHN PACKETT, RTA Staff Writer

It’s been a while since the likes of Junie Chatman, Rodney Harmon, Rozzell Lightfoot and Koren Fleming came out of the city schools to make their mark on the local tennis scene.

If a program initiated by the Richmond Tennis Association and given a boost by Elizabeth and Michael Frazier’s generosity works out, there may be many more developing from Richmond’s inner city in the future.

The seed has been planted in the city’s 26 elementary schools through a U.S. Tennis Association program called Quick Start, which uses a smaller court and racquets with a foam ball --- as well as modified scoring --- to get kids hooked on the sport at an early age.

But the most important aspect of the program, according to Cris Robinson, is simply giving kids who wouldn’t otherwise have the chance an opportunity to enjoy the game without paying for the high cost of lessons and equipment.

“Getting a really good player out of the city, to me, is really far down on the priority list,” said Robinson, a former Clemson University standout who is now the director of tennis at Willow Oaks Country Club.

“Getting the introduction to tennis and having some adult hold the tennis racquet with them and smile at them and say hello. Ask them how they’re doing that day. I think that’s the bigger goal of this whole program.”

The RTA paid for USTA membership ($50 per school) for each of the elementary schools, so they can have access to the Quick Start format and curriculum. The Fraziers, who are co-owners of the new Richmond Raiders indoor football team that begins play at the Coliseum in January, donated the equipment for the program.

“We’ve always been community-service oriented,” said Elizabeth Frazier, whose husband, Michael, is chairman and CEO of Genworth Financial Inc., a global financial security company based in Richmond.

The Fraziers founded the Mary and Frances Youth Center, which is located on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University and offers an after-school program called Lobs and Lessons for inner-city children featuring tennis instructions and life skills.

“I love tennis,” continued Elizabeth Frazier. “My parents met on the tennis court. I didn’t start playing myself until I was an adult. One thing led to another and, all of a sudden, you find yourself delivering equipment to city schools.”

Through the Fraziers, Genworth was also responsible for bringing several exhibitions in recent years to the Siegel Center involving Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf (the two of whom have given clinics as well as played), James Blake, Anna Kournikova, Andy Roddick and Lindsay Davenport.

The Quick Start equipment, which included nets, racquets and balls, was given to the schools last month, and Robinson and his wife, Melissa, held a clinic at the Mary and Frances Center to instruct physical education teachers how to conduct a curriculum.

“We did a whole day of taking them through all the teaching formations and different drills,” said Cris Robinson. “One of the things that was pretty neat was, at the very end, one of the ladies said they had done a lot of in-services in their careers but this was the best one they had ever been a part of.

“And she said the reason for that was what we taught them and using the materials, they could implement with whatever space they had available, whether it was a lot or a little. Very few of them have tennis courts but they do have blacktops they can use.

“Some of them can only use half of a cafeteria or a stage. One guy said they have no hard surface at all, just a grass field. But he said he was going to use half of what we taught them, things that could be done in the air [without a court].

“The majority really received it well. They were excited about it and they loved the fact that the kids could be successful at it.”

The RTA is also hoping to get area clubs involved in the process by sending volunteers to the schools to help with the project.

“The plan is to take each of the schools that have an interest and find volunteers through one of the club’s USTA League teams or maybe a Suburban League team. We’re still working on it, but the idea would be for the team to adopt a school and help with the classes on certain days.”

The VCU Sports Center, which is a graduate school for sport management, is scheduled to be involved in the process and help conduct a Quick Start tournament among the elementary schools sometime in the spring, possibly in April, at the Mary and Frances Center.

“For some of these kids, when a club member comes in and spends 30 minutes or so, showing they care about the kid and gives them attention and helps boost their confidence and self-esteem, I think it’ll be a really positive experience they might not get on a daily basis,” said Robinson.

There is no doubt in Elizabeth Frazier’s mind that a program like this will be successful.

“I think two things,” she said. “With tennis and hopefully, through volunteers and Lobs and Lessons, when you spend time with some of these kids, they just really need some positive feedback. And the fact that they can get on a tennis court and have a little bit of success is great.

“We’re going to stress that positive feedback with the volunteers. You plant seeds and you grow them. I think this is a good start.”

Middle schools offer future glimpse at high school stars

A Tennis Topics article by JOHN PACKETT, RTA Staff Writer

If you want to watch the future of high school tennis in the area, look no further than the middle schools of Henrico and Hanover counties.

The Henrico/Hanover Middle School League encompasses 15 schools, with another one coming on board next year.

Unfortunately, neither Chesterfield County nor the Richmond city schools include middle-school tennis among their sports, although there is a move afoot to add it in Chesterfield in the future.

For the time being, Henrico and Hanover counties are the places to go to witness the up-and-coming stars on the courts.

Martha Hodges, who coaches the girls and boys at Tuckahoe Middle, has seen many of the area’s best players come through her program, but has watched as the balance of power has moved west to Short Pump and Pocahontas middle schools.

“A lot of the Short Pump kids play at the Dominion Club, and they play a lot,” said Hodges, who is in her 23rd year at Tuckahoe.

Emily Hahn, who played No. 1 at Douglas Freeman High School last spring as a freshman and won the Central Region title, was one of Hodges’ star pupils before dominating at the next level.

Hodges also coached Bridget and Jay Bruner, and Becky Gunn, among others, over the years, feeding some excellent players to Douglas Freeman, when the Rebels frequently challenged Mills Godwin High School for area and state supremacy.

“I think it was due to the fact that a lot of the kids belonged to the neighborhood recreation associations, where there was swimming and tennis,” Hodges said. “Some of these kids had taken tennis lessons for years and years and years.

“The Hanover schools are good, too, because a lot of them play at Burkwood,” where director of tennis Ed Butterworth has one of the area’s top junior programs.

Another rising middle-school program is at Moody, which draws students from all parts of Henrico County to its IB (International Baccalaureate) program. Shyam Venkatasubramanian was Moody’s top boys’ player last spring.

Mary Ellen Lahy, who played for Hodges at Tuckahoe, is now the girls coach at Short Pump, and has enjoyed watching the younger players develop under her guidance.

“It’s tons of fun,” she said. “I love teaching the game and love seeing them develop friendships at that age. At that age, they’re still having more fun than having that competitive nature. They just enjoy going out there and playing,

“Teaching them the love for the game is one of the big things that I try to do. Once you get to high school, even I remember, you have more pressure and it’s very, very competitive. At the middle-school level, it’s competitive, but they have fun, win or lose.”

Most of Lahy’s girls go on to Deep Run High School, which has joined Godwin as one of the premier female teams in the Central Region.

Short Pump will play Pocahontas on Thursday at Short Pump in a match that could decide this year’s girls’ champion. The boys’ league competes in the spring.

The format for middle-school tennis differs from the high-school level. The middle schools play four singles matches and five doubles, while a high-school match features six singles and three doubles matches.

Players can’t compete in both singles and doubles in middle school like they can in high school. “You need 14 people for a starting lineup, so our teams are a little bit bigger than high-school teams,” said Hodges.

“This gives a few more people a chance to play, but that means five through 14 are playing doubles in a team match, and you can win a match by winning all the doubles. That gives them a chance to learn how to play doubles, because a lot of them don’t play doubles, unless they’re tournament players.”

Hanover has four middle schools that play tennis: Oak Knoll, Chickahominy, Liberty and Stonewall Jackson. The Henrico members of the league are Byrd, Tuckahoe, Elko, John Rolfe, Moody, Brookland, Short Pump, Pocahontas, Wilder, Fairfield, Hungary Creek, with Holman joining next year.

“I know there have been some efforts, especially in recent years, to get Chesterfield schools to put tennis in their program,” said Hodges. “Their [high school] teams will have one or two kids who play in private clubs, but that isn’t enough to have a strong team.

“You need more depth than one or two players. If you have kids that started playing when they were little and then keep playing and really get into tennis in middle school, then they’re willing to do the extra work and practice [to help their high school team].”

That’s the way the Henrico/Hanover Middle School League has operated for years, and it shows when the players they feed into the high-school programs help their teams win regional and state championships.

Autumn Cup Challenge opens Friday at Avalon with four teams

A Tennis Topics article by JOHN PACKETT, RTA Staff Writer

Three years ago, when Rob Johnson was the director of tennis at Avalon Recreation Association, he tried to get his club into the Anthem Challenge.

That’s the city-wide, doubles-only competition conducted annually among the area’s largest clubs to determine the best of the best. The Country Club of Virginia won this year’s event at the Westwood Club last month.

Avalon challenged Brandermill Country Club, which finished last among the 12 teams in the Anthem that year, for the final spot in the field for the coming year.

“I brought a team over to Brandermill and challenged them but lost,” Johnson said.

“But our team was so excited about doing something like that, so I thought why not get the rest of the smaller clubs that aren’t participating in it and let them have their own event. That winter, I called around to a lot of the clubs close to Avalon to see who wanted to do it.”

Johnson thought he had six clubs lined up for the first event but it turned out only three -- Avalon, Ridgetop and Kanawha recreation associations -- took part in the first one at Avalon.

“It was an incredible amount of fun and everyone had a great time,” Johnson said.

The third annual affair gets under way -- weather permitting -- on Friday at Avalon with a new name and a fourth team in the draw. It is scheduled to run through Sunday.

The name of the event for the first two years was the Recreation Club Challenge but it’s been changed to the Autumn Cup Challenge for 2009. Wendy Daniels of Kanawha created a logo and designed the T-shirts. Avalon won the initial tournament while Ridgetop claimed last year’s title.

The fourth team will be Richmond Country Club, which is known more for golf but has increased its tennis-playing membership in recent years under the direction of former city champion Jamie Hevron.

At first, Hevron was reluctant to commit the club to the event because he wasn’t sure if there were enough players to field a team.

“We were just worried about not having enough people to play,” Hevron said. “We just didn’t want to say we’d be involved and then realistically be 20 players short or something. That’s why we didn’t get in it last year.

“This year, our tennis committee chair, Susan Evans, took a good lead in recruiting people, and we filled the numbers and we’re pretty excited about it. We’ve had some of our ladies teams and mixed teams go to districts, so I think we’ve got a shot at it.”

Each club is required to field 22 teams and contribute $1,000 in sponsorship funding. Proceeds go to the Richmond Tennis Association’s inner-city junior program.

Much like the Anthem Challenge, the Autumn Cup Challenge uses the U.S. Tennis Association’s rating system to pair doubles teams. In this event, the teams range from the 2.5 to 4.0 levels.

For the purpose of involving more players, the levels for competition are 5.0, 6.0, 7.0 and 8.0. The 5.0 level, for example, will combine two 2.5 teams and has two men’s teams, two women’s teams and one mixed.

The 6.0 level, which will combine either two 3.0 teams or a 2.5 and a 3.5, will be composed of three men’s teams, three women’s teams and one mixed. The 7.0 level, which could be two 3.5s or a 4.0 and a 3.0, will also have three men’s, three women’s and one mixed.

The 8.0 level, which features two 4.0s, has one men’s, one women’s and one mixed. Teams receive two points for a win and one for a loss, with the team with the most points at the end of three days taking home the trophy.

There is a social Friday evening at Richmond CC and a pro challenge match scheduled for Saturday evening.

In case of inclement weather, the Autumn Cup Challenge will be postponed two weekends to Oct. 30-Nov. 1.

Charlie Palmer, director of tennis at Avalon, said the event committee is interested in adding more clubs in the future.

“We’re trying to expand it,” he said. “We’d like to have some clubs like Bon Air or Three Chopt and some others join us. Six would be nice and maybe one day even get it to eight. But that might be tough to do, since we only have eight courts here.”

USTA Tennis/Local 5.0 Team Takes Nationals by Storm

ACAC Fitness & Wellness Center is pleased to announce that tennis director Jason Kinder, along with his 5.0 team, took the USTA Adult Championship home. The tournament, held October 2-4, 2009, was held in Indian Well, California. The team has been together for seven years and have scored victories at the USTA Greensboro Local Adult League, the USTA North Carolina District Tournament and the USTA Southern Tennis Association Sectional Tournament before taking the big win at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

Kinder says, “This is a great group of men that travel all over the country to play and train with each other. When the team visits ACAC they really enjoy cross training and using the entire club. From group exercise classes to strength training equipment to the sauna and steam rooms, every little bit helps in winning a National Championship.”

The entire team is made up of tennis professionals that are friends on and off the court. It is crystal clear that this teams’ dynamic is on point. Congratulations!

ACAC has a vast array of tennis programs, starting at age 3 to age 103. ACAC boasts 17 total tennis courts, including clay and hard courts as well as indoor courts. For more information, or to inquire about enrolling in a tennis program or setting up a tennis lesson, please call the ACAC Tennis Desk at 464-0980 or visit us at the web at www.acac.com.

About ACAC Fitness & Wellness Centers
ACAC Fitness and Wellness Centers has been providing quality fitness and wellness services since 1984. With clubs in Charlottesville and Midlothian, VA as well as in West Chester, PA, ACAC features comprehensive fitness facilities complemented by tennis programs, aquatics programs, personal training, medical programs, summer camps, senior fitness and wellness, kids’ programs and corporate fitness programs. Often referred to in national and international industry publications as creating benchmark facilities and recently ranked #38 in the nation by Club Industry’s Top 100, ACAC continues to break new ground in the development of fitness and wellness.

From left: Matthew Rowe, Jason Kinder, Michael Weidl, Toby Curtis, Damon Martin, Tony Mule and Dipesh Surathu Rao (Photo Joe Murphy/USTA)

USTA/Virginia Tennis Annual Meeting

Don't miss the USTA/Virginia Tennis Annual Meeting & Awards Luncheon at The Dominion Club in Glen Allen, VA on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009. Two-time Paralympic Gold Medalist Nick Taylor will be the keynote speaker.

Download the flyer (PDF). RSVP by October 16, 2009 by phone: 800.229.3166 or 540.982.5524 or by e-mail: info@virginiatennis.com.

Aside from being a two time Paralympic Gold Medalist (Nick won the gold in 2008 in Beijing and 2004 in Athens, both times in Wheelchair Tennis Doubles), Nick Taylor is part of Team USA for World Team Cup, holding World Champion titles for the last ten years. He is also a volunteer coach and team manager for Wichita State University's Men's & Women's Tennis teams, heads up the WSU committee for Americans with Disabilities Act, and was named USTA Wheelchair Tennis Player of the Year in 1999.

NYTimes Revisits Historic Raintree Match

On Sept. 24, 1984, Richmond's Raintree club saw a 29-minute, 643-shot rally that remains the longest point played in professional tennis. The Times' article includes interviews with Richmond sports writer John Packett and Raintree owner Hugh Waters and begins, "As the 642nd shot of the rally floated high above her head, Vicki Nelson decided it was time to go for a winner."

Read the full article.

Sept 2009 - What's the Call?

Question: I was playing a singles match when my opponent and I lost track of the set score. I thought it was 5-3, but my opponent thought it was 4-4. We were not sure where we got mixed up, but we did agree that it was 3-3 at one time, so we just played from there. Did we do the right thing?

Answer: Yes you did. There is a 3-step process for resolving scoring disputes such as this. First, you try to figure out which point or game is in dispute and just replay that point or game. If you can’t agree on that, then you go back the last score that you both agree on and resume play from there (which is what you did). Believe it or not, the rules say that if you still can’t resolve the dispute after going through steps 1 and 2, the final step is to flip a coin to resolve the dispute.

Got a question about the rules of tennis?
Think you've been "greased" by your opponent during a match and just can't sleep until the issue is resolved? Go ahead and submit your question to "What's the Call?" at eric@ericperkinslaw.com. Sample questions and answers will be posted monthly.

RTA's 2009 US Open Raffle Winner

"Trip of a Lifetime Travelogue"

When Hugh Waters called to announce that I had won the raffle for two to the US Open, my first comment was " Is this a joke? I've never won anything in my life." I recalled it had been a long time since I had sponsored the first Virginia Slims Ladies tournament in Richmond.

What a pleasant surprise for Nancy and me. We both looked forward to traveling to New York City to enjoy this memorable experience. Sheri Crowell made all the travel and transportation arrangements as well as helping with reservations at Grand Hyatt (where some of the tennis players were staying).

Our special passes allowed us to enter the Billie Jean Tennis Center at the front of the long line waiting for the evening's matches on Friday evening. We promenaded the open areas around the stadiums where there were many food vendors as well as the Open Club for a sit-down buffet. Several famous brand clothiers were selling shoes, sweaters, tennis gear, etc. Our seats in the Arthur Ash Stadium allowed an excellent opportunity to watch some great matches -- Nadal and Kiefer, Frederer and Hewitt, Venus Williams and Rybarikova. We joined the cheers for Melanie Oudin's success.

On Saturday, we were fortunate to be guests of Shima and Joe Grover (Vice President of USTA). Our view was unobstructed from the Presidential box seats. The Presidential suite was a large air-conditioned lounge with several TVs in the event we did not want to sit outside to watch the matches. Refreshments were available throughout the day and evening sessions. Following a gourmet lunch in the President's dining room, Shima Grover conducted a tour of the Stadium. Her intimate knowledge gave us insights into the tremendous planning and personnel needed to conduct the Open.

After the matches, Nancy and I used our voucher to dine at the Capitol Grille near our hotel. We also explored other wonderful restaurants in the city, where it's difficult to get a bad meal. We felt especially fortunate to have special transportation to and from the Center as well as to and from the hotel and airport.

Nancy and I are grateful to the RTA for their gracious and generous arrangements. We are fans of all their incentives, especially the Quick Start Programs for youngsters.

- John Baronian
- A. Nancy Avakian

Aug 2009 - What's the Call

Question: Player A and Player B are about to start a match tiebreak to decide their hard-fought singles match. The position of the sun has cast a shadow across a section of the court that Player A finds distracting, so he asks Player B to move to another court to play the tiebreak. Player B refuses to switch courts. Is he within his right to refuse such a request?

Answer: Player B is well within his rights to refuse such a request by Player A. There is nothing in the rules permitting a player to call for a court change due to shadows. Shadows are not recognized as either a hindrance or unsafe playing condition. Note also that if the players were following the Coman Tiebreak Procedure, then they would be changing ends after the first point, then every four points thereafter, thus evening out any disadvantage created by the shadow.

Got a question about the rules of tennis?
Think you've been "greased" by your opponent during a match and just can't sleep until the issue is resolved? Go ahead and submit your question to "What's the Call?" at eric@ericperkinslaw.com. Sample questions and answers will be posted monthly.

McDonalds Mid-Atlantic $30,000 Championships Underway

by Charles Tilley

The USTA-MAS McDonald's Men's and Women's Open Clay Court $30,000 Championships began earlier this week at Salisbury Country Club. This is a high level tournament carrying cash prizes for the winners It is open to all Mid-Atlantic residents, pulling players from Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and D.C. Most semi-finals will take place on Friday and many finals will occur on Saturday. Scott Steinour, head pro at Salisbury, is overseeing the tournament, which has many local players, both adults and juniors competing. However, as the tournament has progressed, only high level players remain in the draws.

Some players to look for on Friday in the Men's Singles are Sanam Singh, a current U.V.A. tennis player who has experience with the Indian Davis Cup team, and David McNamara, an accomplished ATP Tour (professional) doubles player with 13 titles to his name and a competitor in the 2000 Australian Open. There are certainly other top-notch players in the men's field. On the women's side Petra Rampre, a Slovenian native who has amassed 302 WTA match wins, and Shadisha Robinson, a former University of Georgia player ranked #1 in doubles in #6 in singles in the ITA (collegiate) rankings, are competing. Spectators are both welcome and expected out at Salisbury.

Match Schedules (all times p.m.):

• Men's Singles: Semi-finals at 5:00 on Friday, Finals at 6:00 on Saturday.
• Women's Singles: Semi-finals at 4:00 on Friday, Finals at 4:00 on Saturday.
• Men's Doubles: Semi-finals at 7:00 on Thursday, Finals at 8:00 on Friday.
• Women's Doubles: Semi-finals at 6:00 on Thursday, Finals at 6:00 on Friday.
• Mixed Doubles: Semi-finals at 9:00 on Thursday, Finals at 8:00 on Saturday.

Richmond Tennis Hall of Fame

In 1990 the Richmond Tennis Association (then the Richmond Tennis Patrons Association) established and inducted the first class of the Richmond Tennis Hall of Fame. In 1995 a second class was inducted, and a third in 1997. Since 1997 the Hall of Fame has been dormant and there have been no new inductees. WELL NO LONGER!

The RTA has decided to reinstate the Hall of Fame! In fact the RTA has already elected eight new members for the 2009 class who will be announced publicly at the finals of the McDonalds Mid-Atlantic Open Clay Court Championships July 18th. The induction ceremony will be Oct. 24 at Westwood Racket Club.

To be considered, a person or institution must have a minimum of 10 years of contribution to Richmond tennis. In the player category, the individual must have established outstanding competitive achievements with consideration given to sportsmanship and character. In the non-player category, the individual or entity must have made outstanding contributions within the capital city area with consideration given to dedication to the game.

Prior inductees are:

1990

Arthur Ashe, Sr.
Arthur Ashe, Jr.
Dorothy Chewning
Louis Einwick
Samuel Woods
Crestar Bank
Fidelity Bankers Life Insurance Co.

1995

Susan Cain
Harold Burrows
Waller Horsley
Robert Leitch, Sr.
John Watson
Thalhimers Stores

1997

Jerry DePew
Frank Maloney
Massie Valentine
Home Beneficial Life Insurance co.

July 2009 - What's the Call

Question: Player A attempts to hit a ball during a point but the ball appears to bounce down and strike Player A's end of the court before crossing the net. Player A and Player B disagree on which side of the net the ball first bounced. Whose call is it?

Answer: In this scenario, it is Player B's call. Section 21 of the Code provides, in relevant part, that "a player shall make the ruling on a ball that the player's opponent hits into the ground before it goes over the net."

Got a question about the rules of tennis?
Think you've been "greased" by your opponent during a match and just can't sleep until the issue is resolved? Go ahead and submit your question to "What's the Call?" at eric@ericperkinslaw.com. Sample questions and answers will be posted monthly.

Richmond Tennis Championships Are Here

by Charles Tilley

The Davenport & Company Richmond Age Division Tennis Championships are set to begin on June 27, and will continue through July 2. The tournament will take place on the clay of Willow Oaks Country Club and features fourteen separate divisions. The Women's 40 Doubles is the only female division being contested, so the majority of the court time will be taken by the men's draws. There are several strong players in this year's field. The singles seeds include: Ricardo Ribera (1) and Clint Green (2) for Men's 35s, Carlos Allen (1) for Men's 40s, Wayne Motley (1) for Men's 45s, Hoppy Shores (1) for Men's 50s, Christopher Blair (1) for Men's 55s, Everett Worthington (1) and Rusty Whitaker (2) for Men's 60s, and James Robertson (1) for Men's 65s.

Also, several teams are seeded for doubles: Christopher Blair-Greg Williams (1) for Men's 55s, Stokes Grymes-Anthony Maddra (1) and Alan Harrell-Ron Via (2) for Men's 60s, and Alan Harrell-Ron Via (1) for Men's 65s. The play is sure to be of high quality for this event. Also, spectators are both expected and encouraged.

College Week Tennis Camp is a Blowout Success

by Charles Tilley

Willow Oaks Country Club hosted the College Week Tennis Camp this past week, June 22-26. Cris Robinson, the chief coordinator of the event and head pro at Willow Oaks, was overjoyed at the large turnout and high level of tennis being exhibited by junior players from local clubs and the Mid-Atlantic region at large. The camp brings in different college coaches and tennis instructors each day to provide specific insight and drills for the players. This week, representatives from several esteemed programs were on site for specific days: Brian Kalbas of University of North Carolina, Mark Guilbeau of University of Virginia, Paul Kostin of Virginia Commonwealth University, Jay Bruner of College of Charleston, Billy Boykin of University of Richmond, and Ramsey Smith of Duke University.

Needless to say, the opportunity to meet and be instructed by such high level coaches is an invaluable experience for any junior player. Cris Robinson, camp director, was adamant about the advantages gained by players attending the camp, saying, "In addition to match play, the children were able to participate in real college practices as instructed by real college coaches. They are given advice the coaches would give their own players, including tips to position themselves for a college tennis career. It is simply a tremendous opportunity to learn from the best college coaches in the country."

Each day the players hit the courts from early morning to mid-afternoon, leaving the courts only for a lunch break with food provided by the club. There is a good deal of drilling and match play, often under the watchful eye of a college coach. At the conclusion of the week a pool party with a DJ was arranged to cap off the terrific experience. There will be another session of the camp with different coaches later this summer, August 17-21. Two chief attractions of this week will be Chuck Kriese, Thailand National Tennis Coach, and John Roddick of the Roddick Total Tennis Academy. There are still spots available in this upcoming camp; Cris Robinson can be contacted for further information.

College Week Tennis Camp

Powhatan Junior Starting Third Year as Ball Person at Sony Ericsson

Junior USTA and RTA Member Amanda Maready from Powhatan will be starting her third year as a ball person at the Sony-Ericsson Open Tennis Tournament on Key Biscayne in March. The Sony Ericsson Open is one of the nine ATP Masters Series events, a top tier event on the WTA tour, and features the top men's and women's tennis players in the world.

Amanda began training and working as a ball person in 2007. During her first year, she was required to attend three qualifying training sessions on Saturdays in February for five hours each day as well as a final training session in March. During the training sessions, she is rated on her speed at getting to the ball, rolling the ball fast and straight, catching the ball and entering and exiting properly with her team. She must also be able to completely follow the scoring, stand perfectly still during play and provide the players with shade, towels and drinks during changeovers. Each year, she continues to attend training sessions prior to the tournament.

This year, the tournament will take place from March 25 through April 5. During the tournament, she will work at least seven shifts, each eight hours long beginning at either 7 am or 4 pm. Amanda is now considered a veteran ball person and often serves as team captain on the court. She says that you don't think about who the players are, just about keeping the court organized while not impeding play. The sign of a good ball person team is when the spectators don't even remember seeing the ball kids. They should be invisible to get the job done. During the past two years, she has worked for Amelie Mauresemo, Richard Gasquet, Jo-Wilfredo Tsonga, Feliciano Lopez, Ai Sugiyama, John Isner and many others. This year, she hopes to work on the Stadium Court.

Over the years of attending the tournament she has seen many players compete, including Andy Roddick, Rafael Nadel, Maria Sharapova, Roger Federer, Venus and Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic and Andre Agassi. She has also had the opportunity to play doubles with Bob and Mike Bryan and return serves from Andy Roddick.

Amanda is home schooled, which gives her the opportunity to travel during the year. During the tournament she says with her family in Miami, where she was born and raised. She has lived in Powhatan for over two years and plays in the USTA Richmond Junior Team Tennis League as well as in local tournaments.