US Open Wild Card Playoffs

Wild Card Challenge Winner & @USTA Girls’ 18s Champ Sofia Kenin Returns to @USOpen Main Draw, Escobedo Leads Men

Posted by Admin on August 1, 2016

Posted in: ATP, Junior Tennis, US Open, US Open Wild Card Playoffs, USTA, WTA. Tagged: 2016, ernesto escobedo, Girls' 18s, Sofia Kenin, Sonya Kenin, us open, usta, Wild Card Challenge. Leave a comment

Wild Card Challenge Winner & USTA Girls’ 18s Champ Sofia Kenin Returns to US Open Main Draw, Escobedo Leads Men

Sonya Kenin (Photo: Alex Kenin)

2015 USTA Girls 18s champion Sofia Kenin, 17, of Pembroke Pines, Fla., will compete in the US Open main draw for the second consecutive year after winning the USTA Pro Circuit’s US Open Wild Card Challenge this weekend. Kenin finished the challenge with 81 points after winning $50,000 FSP Gold River Women’s Challenger in Sacramento, Calif., two weeks ago. Kenin won the 2015 USTA Girls’ 18s national title to earn a wild-card berth into last year’s US Open women’s singles draw for her first Grand Slam main draw.

Kenin, who goes by Sonya, lost to Mariana Duque-Marino in the first round of the women’s singles main draw last year, but rebounded to reach the singles final at the 2015 US Open Junior Championships. She also reached quarterfinals of junior Wimbledon earlier this year. Kenin has climbed as high as No. 2 in the ITF World Junior Rankings, and she represented the U.S. at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games and also competed at the 2016 ITF Junior Masters, both held in China. Kenin won her first USTA Pro Circuit singles title at the $25,000 event in Wesley Chapel, Fla., in January.

Ernesto Escobedo

In the men’s wild card challenge, Ernesto Escobedo took the lead with 80 points by winning the Kentucky Bank Tennis Championships, a $50,000 Challenger in Lexington, Ky., this weekend. Mitchell Krueger is in second place with 63 points after reaching the quarterfinals in Lexington and the final of the $50,000 Levene Gouldin & Thompson Tennis Challenger in Binghamton, N.Y., two weeks ago. The men’s US Open Wild Card Challenge concludes the week of Aug. 8 with the $100,000 Nordic Naturals Challenger in Aptos, Calif.

—USTA

Marylanders Centenari, Morton Win @USTAMidAtlantic US Open National Playoffs Singles Sectionals

Skylar Morton and Nika Kukharchuk

COLLEGE PARK, MD. (June 4) – After four days of competition at College Park Tennis Club (CPTC) featuring the largest draws in tournament history, the USTA/Mid-Atlantic Section crowned its three champions on Tuesday in the US Open National Playoffs Mid-Atlantic Sectional Qualifying tournament. They are now one step closer to playing in the US Open.

Skylar Morton, 20, of Bethesda, Md., won the women’s singles title, defeating two-time defending champion and No. 2 seeded Nika Kukharchuk from Carmel, N.Y., 6-3 4-6 6-1. Morton is a graduate of CPTC’s Junior Tennis Champions Center (JTCC) and played two seasons for UCLA, where she was a finalist at the 2013 NCAA Division I Women’s Tennis Doubles Championship. She is currently between schools.

The final was Morton’s third three set match in a row. She overcame the tournament’s top seed and world No. 744 Kateryna Yergina in the semifinals 3-6 6-3 6-4 after defeating current JTCC student Ines Vias 0-6 6-2 6-3 in the quarterfinals.

The victory booked Morton a spot in the US Open National Playoffs Championships taking place in conjunction with the New Haven Open at Yale presented by First Niagara, an Emirates Airline US Open Series event (Aug. 15–18 for singles, Aug. 20–23 for mixed doubles). The winner of each Singles Championship (1 male, 1 female) will receive a wild card entry to compete in the 2014 US Open Qualifying Tournament (Aug. 19–22) at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, home of the US Open. The winners of the Mixed Doubles Championship earn a wild card into the main draw of the 2014 US Open mixed doubles draw (Aug. 25–Sept. 8).

Morton will be making her second trip to the US Open National Playoffs. In 2011, she won the Mid-Atlantic’s women’s singles title and partnered with Virginia Tech’s Patrick Daciek to win the mixed doubles tournament.

“Playing in New Haven was fun and exciting,” said Morton. “I really liked the facility. [To win the National Playoffs] I need to train harder, work on my fitness, and find a way to get used to the ball boys.”

Joining Morton at the US Open National Playoffs Championships will be Alexander (Xander) Centenari, 24, of Towson, Md., who won the men’s singles title, defeating Salem, Va., resident and University of South Carolina freshman Harrison O’Keefe 5-7 7-6 6-1 in the final. Centenari fought off a match point while serving at 5-6 in the second set.

Centenari played for Dartmouth College where he was named All-Ivy in singles and doubles before turning pro in September 2013. He has spent the past year playing Future events, trying to build up his ranking, while training in Baltimore and more recently at the JTCC. He pulled double duty in the tournament, playing mixed doubles with his younger sister Gabrielle. The duo lost in the quarterfinals to eventual champions Matt Stillwagon and Jessica Keener.

Stillwagon, 29, and Keener, 27, both from Leesburg, Va., overpowered Annapolis, Md.,’s Sydney Rider and Ventnor City, N.J.,’s Shane Monroe 6-4 6-2 in the final. Stillwagon and Keener are both past USTA League National Champions. Stillwagon was a champion at the Mixed 10.0 level in 2012 and Keener won her National Championship at the Adult 5.0 level in 2011.

—Chris Miller, USTA

Johnson topples Sandgren in 5 to capture USTA Australian Open Wild Card Playoffs Title for 2013

Posted by Admin on December 22, 2013

Posted in: Atlanta, ATP, US Open Wild Card Playoffs, USTA, Wild Card Playoffs, Wildcard Playoffs. Tagged: atlanta, atp, australian open, Steve Johnson, tennys sandgren, usta, wild card playoffs.

Steen Kirby, Tennis East Coast

Steve Johnson needed the full 5 sets to topple Tennys Sandgren and book his ticket to ride for Melbourne, but he got things done in a topsy turvy battle of a final that ended up with a score of 4-6 6-3 0-6 7-6 6-1.

Your AOWC 2013 Champion Steve Johnson!

The first 2 sets were defined by early breaks, Sandgren getting an early first set break, and Johnson getting an early second set break, both of which were mostly followed by consistent holds and a split result as both players generated early momentum by set.

Johnson and Sandgren both relied on powerful serves and good quality forehands, while Johnson came to the net more and Sandgren, for the first 3 and a half sets of tennis, had superior mobility, with his speed allowing him to get to most of what Johnson was throwing at him. They both had a lot of lucky shots as well, some long deuce games, and were rattled by a seemingly equal amount of controversial/blown line calls that went against them at key moments in the match, something that changed the momentum of matches all weekend on the men’s side.

Johnson let the third set go after going down 0-3 on the trot and Sandgren seemed to be fresher and making cleaner shots, as well as serving much better as Stevie J had a few double faults mixed in. Sandgren had called the trainer for his knee, something that seems to be a consistent pattern, after dropping the second set. Despite the bagel, he came back very strong and though they were neck and neck in the fourth set, as Johnson went back to matching Sandgren shot for shot, it seemed that Tennys still was in the drivers seat. In fact, late in the 4th, he had a match point that was erased. He had many chances to close out the match, including in the 4th set tiebreak, but he couldn’t seal the deal and Johnson slowly regained momentum. By the time the 5th was underway, Sandgren, after all the running, was out of gas and cramping a bit, allowing Johnson to cruise and tidy the match up.

It’s also worth nothing Johnson was putting it all on the line out there. He suffered 3, if not more, falls/slips on court, including twisting his ankle after a nasty fall as he changed direction and reached for a ball. He needed a long medical timeout to get it wrapped at 4-3 in the 4th set. He played dangerously but it paid off. Sandgren also had quite a few splits and slips on court.

Steve Johnson struggled mightily in late 2013 but he ends the year on a high note by guaranteeing himself an AO main draw spot and a nice delayed payday. Tennys Sandgren will have to play Aussie Open qualies in a few weeks. They are both talented players who hit their high notes at certain times, but the best of 5 set format produced a very worthy winner in the end. Covering AOWC 13 was a pleasure as always!

Worthy and Exhausted Finalists

TWO-TIME NCAA SINGLES CHAMPION NICOLE GIBBS, USTA GIRLS’ 18s CHAMPION SACHIA VICKERY AMONG US OPEN WOMEN’S WILD CARDS

Former World No. 1 Junior Taylor Townsend, Local teens Louisa Chirico and Jamie Loeb among Qualifying WC Recipients

FLUSHING, N.Y., August 14, 2013 – The USTA announced today that two-time NCAA singles champion Nicole Gibbs, U.S. Fed Cup team member Vania King, rising young Americans Alison Riske, Shelby Rogers and Maria Sanchez and USTA Girls’ 18s national champion Sachia Vickery are among those receiving wild-card entries into the 2013 US Open. Australia’s Ashleigh Barty and France’s Pauline Parmentier also will receive US Open main draw wild cards.

The 2013 US Open will be played August 26-September 9 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y. Both the men’s and women’s singles champions this year will earn $2.6 million, the largest payout in tennis history, with the ability to earn an additional $1 million in bonus prize money – for a total $3.6 million potential payout – based on their performances in the Emirates Airline US Open Series.

Gibbs, 20, of Santa Monica, Calif., won her second consecutive NCAA singles title this year as a junior at Stanford. Gibbs turned pro this summer and won the singles title at the USTA Pro Circuit $50,000 event in Yakima, Wash., ascending to a career-high rank of No. 166. She is now ranked No. 172.

Vania King

King, 24, of Boynton Beach, Fla., has finished in the Top 100 each of the past four years. Once ranked No. 50 in the world, King won her first WTA singles titles as a teenager in Bangkok in 2006 and has represented the U.S. in Fed Cup eight times from 2006 to 2011. This year, she qualified for both the French Open and Wimbledon, reaching the second round at Roland Garros.

Riske, 23, of Pittsburgh, reached the semifinals of the WTA event in Birmingham, England, this summer, where all of her WTA main draw wins had come to that point. Then, after receiving a wild card into the Wimbledon main draw, she reached the third round there and broke into the Top 100 for the first time shortly thereafter. She is now ranked No. 98.

Sanchez, 23, of Modesto, Calif., once was the No. 1-ranked college singles player at the University of Southern California and has been hovering around the Top 100 much of this year. Now ranked No. 113, Sanchez won singles titles at both $75,000 and $50,000 USTA Pro Circuit events in 2012.

Rogers, 20, of Charleston, S.C., earned her US Open wild card as the top American points earner at select USTA Pro Circuit hard-court events this summer. Rogers, who earned a USTA wild card into the 2013 French Open the same way and reached the second round at Roland Garros, has won two USTA Pro Circuit $50,000 titles in 2013. She is ranked No. 132.

Vickery, 18, of Hollywood, Fla., received a US Open wild card after winning the USTA Girls’ 18s National Championships singles title. Formerly the No. 6-ranked junior in the world, Vickery is now at a career-high pro ranking of No. 229. She trains at the USTA Player Development Headquarters in Boca Raton, Fla.

Barty, 17, of Ipswich, Australia, received a wild card through a reciprocal agreement with Tennis Australia, which will grant an American a wild card into the 2014 Australian Open, to be determined by a USTA playoff. (Madison Keys was the 2013 winner.) The 2011 Wimbledon girls’ singles champion, Barty was a women’s doubles finalist at both Wimbledon and the Australian Open this year.

Parmentier, 27, of Paris, France, received her wild card through a reciprocal agreement with the French Tennis Federation, which awarded a wild card into the 2013 French Open to an American player designated by the USTA. (Shelby Rogers won the USTA Pro Circuit event-based system this year.) A former Top 40 player, Parmentier reached the third round of the 2012 US Open and has been in the Top 100 for most of 2013.

In addition to the eight US Open women’s singles main draw wild cards, the USTA also announced eight women who have been awarded wild card entries into the US Open Qualifying Tournament, which will be held August 20-23 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. One additional US Open qualifying wild card will be awarded to the winner of the 2013 US Open National Playoffs – Women’s Championship, taking place August 16-19 in New Haven, Conn.

Louisa Chirico

Players receiving 2013 US Open qualifying wild cards are: Jan Abaza (18, Deerfield Beach, Fla.), who has won two pro doubles titles in 2013; Brooke Austin (17, Indianapolis, Ind.), a USTA Girls’ 18s National Championships semifinalist; local teenager Louisa Chirico (17, Harrison, N.Y.), who reached the girls’ singles semifinals at both the French Open and Wimbledon this year; Victoria Duval (18, Delray Beach, Fla.), the 2012 USTA Girls’ 18s national champion; Allie Kiick (18, Plantation, Fla.), this USTA Girls’ 18s National Championships singles runner-up and doubles champion each of the last two years; local teenager Jamie Loeb (18, Ossining, N.Y.), a 2013 Wimbledon junior singles quarterfinalist; Brianna Morgan (19, Beverly Hills, Calif.), a freshman at Florida this year who won her first pro singles title in June; and Taylor Townsend (17, Chicago), who made history in 2012 as the first American girl in 30 years to hold the year-end No. 1 world junior ranking.

The 2013 US Open will be held Monday, Aug. 26, through Monday, Sept. 9. Tickets for the 2013 US Open can be purchased four ways: 1) at USOpen.org; 2) by calling Ticketmaster at 1-866-OPEN-TIX; 3) at all Ticketmaster outlets; or 4) at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center box office.

Baker, R. Harrison, Williams, Ram Headline @USOpen Men’s Wild Card Field

Posted by Admin on August 13, 2013

Posted in: ATP, US Open, US Open Wild Card Playoffs, USTA, Wild Card Playoffs. Tagged: 2013, Brian Baker, dennis novikov, mitchell krueger, new york, rajeev ram, rhyne williams, Ryan Harrison, us, us open, usta, Wild Cards. Leave a comment

BRIAN BAKER, RYAN HARRISON HEADLINE MEN’S US OPEN WILD CARD RECIPIENTS

Photo Retweeted by Ben Rothenburg of Harrison Signing Busted Racquet for the Fan who Snagged It. (Now Famous)

Teenagers Christian Harrison, Mitchell Krueger, Dennis Novikov, Noah Rubin, Jared Donaldson Get Qualifying WCs

FLUSHING, N.Y., August 13, 2013 – The USTA announced today that Brian Baker, playing in his first Grand Slam since the 2013 Australian Open, 2012 Olympian and former world No. 43 Ryan Harrison, 2010 NCAA singles champion Bradley Klahn and 2011 NCAA singles finalist Rhyne Williams have been awarded men’s singles main draw wild card entries into the 2013 US Open. Other American men receiving US Open main draw wild cards are Rajeev Ram and 2013 USTA Boys’ 18s champion Collin Altamirano. Australia’s James Duckworth and France’s Guillaume Rufin will also receive wild cards.

Brian Baker, Newport 2013

Baker, 28, of Nashville, Tenn., is attempting to make yet another remarkable comeback from injury. After being sidelined since the 2013 Australian Open in January, when he suffered a significant knee injury during his second-round match against Sam Querrey, Baker returned to competitive play last week at the USTA Pro Circuit $100,000 Challenger in Aptos, Calif., and has advanced to the second round of this week’s Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati on the Emirates Airline US Open Series. Baker, now ranked No. 185, ascended to No. 52 in the world in 2012 after injuries kept him sidelined for nearly six years.

Harrison, 21, of Shreveport, La., rose to No. 43 in the world in 2012, the year in which he also represented the U.S. in the London Olympics and in Davis Cup. On the Emirates Airline US Open Series this summer, Harrison, now ranked No. 102, reached the semifinals at the BB&T Atlanta Open and defeated former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt in the first round of the Citi Open in Washington, D.C.

Klahn

Klahn, 22, of Poway, Calif., earned a US Open wild card as the top American points earner at select USTA Pro Circuit events this summer. The 2010 NCAA singles champion while a sophomore at Stanford, Klahn won the USTA Pro Circuit $100,000 Challenger in Aptos, Calif., last week, catapulting to a career high rank of No. 123. Last year, Klahn received a wild card into the US Open Qualifying Tournament, qualified and reached the second round, becoming the first men’s qualifying wild card to win a US Open main draw match.

Wiliams

Williams, 22, of Knoxville, Tenn., reached his first ATP semifinal in Houston this year and played in the main draws of the French Open and the Australian Open, winning a USTA playoff to gain entry into the latter. Now at a career-high rank of No. 114, He was a 2011 NCAA singles finalist while at Tennessee, and his grandfather, Michael DePalmer, Sr., was the Volunteers’ longtime coach who helped found the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy.

Rajeev Ram. Newport 2013

Ram, 29, of Carmel, Ind., is the highest ranked American who did not receive direct entry into the US Open at the entry deadline. Ram owns one singles title (Newport, 2009) and seven doubles titles on the ATP World Tour and has been ranked as high as No. 78 in singles. Ram qualified and reached the second round of the 2013 Australian Open.

Altamirano, 17, of Yuba City, Calif., earned his wild card by winning the USTA Boys’ 18s National Championship singles title, doing so in historic fashion. Altamirano became the first unseeded player to win the tournament in the 71 years it has called Kalamazoo, Mich., home.

Duckworth, 21, of Sydney, Australia, received a wild card through a reciprocal agreement with Tennis Australia, which will grant an American a wild card into the 2014 Australian Open, to be determined by a USTA playoff (Rhyne Williams was the 2013 winner). Currently at a career-high rank of No. 150, Duckworth reached the second round of the 2013 Australian Open and qualified for both the French Open and Wimbledon this year.

Rufin, 23, of Charnay, France, received his wild card through a reciprocal agreement with the French Tennis Federation, which awarded a wild card into the 2013 French Open to an American player designated by the USTA (Alex Kuznetsov won the USTA Pro-Circuit event-based system this year). Rufin, currently ranked No. 92, has played in all three Grand Slam main draws this year, reaching the second round of the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

In addition to the eight US Open men’s singles main draw wild cards, the USTA also announced eight men who have been awarded wild card entries into the US Open Qualifying Tournament, which will be held August 20-23 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. One additional US Open qualifying wild card will be awarded to the winner of the 2013 US Open National Playoffs – Men’s Championship, taking place August 16-19 in New Haven, Conn.

Players receiving 2013 US Open qualifying wild cards are: 2013 USTA Boys’ 18s National Championship runner-up Jared Donaldson (16, Cumberland, R.I.); 2011 French Open boys’ champion Bjorn Fratangelo (20, Pittsburgh, Pa.), who has won three Futures titles in 2013; Christian Harrison (19, Shreveport, La.), who reached the 2012 US Open doubles quarterfinals with his older brother, Ryan Harrison; Jarmere Jenkins (22, College Park, Ga.), who came one win short of winning the NCAA triple crown this summer, leading Virginia to its first NCAA team title, winning the NCAA doubles title and reaching the NCAA singles final; former Wimbledon and French Open boys’ semifinalist Mitchell Krueger (19, Fort Worth, Texas), who won his first pro singles title in June; UCLA sophomore Dennis Novikov (19, San Jose, Calif.), the 2012 USTA Boys’ 18s national champion who defeated 2013 Wimbledon semifinalist Jerzy Janowicz in the first round of last year’s US Open; local teenager Noah Rubin (17, Rockville Centre, N.Y.), who has been as high as No. 6 in the world junior rankings; and Tennys Sandgren (22, Gallatin, Tenn.), a former standout at Tennessee who has won five USTA Pro Circuit Futures singles titles in the last two years.

The 2013 US Open will be held Monday, August 26, through Monday, September 9. Tickets for the 2013 US Open can be purchased four ways: 1) at USOpen.org; 2) by calling Ticketmaster at 1-866-OPEN-TIX; 3) at all Ticketmaster outlets; or 4) at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center box office.

From Grassroots to Boardrooms: Ray Benton is a Statesman for the Game

Posted by Admin on March 2, 2012

Posted in: Baltimore, Coaching, Junior Tennis Champions Center, Legg Mason Tennis Classic, Tennis Center at College Park, Tennis Lessons and Instruction, University of Virginia, US Open Wild Card Playoffs, USTA, Washington, Wild Card Playoffs. Leave a comment

TCCP/JTCC Chief Ray Benton

by Steve Fogleman, TennisMaryland.com

Cross-filed at TennisGrandstand.com

When I arrived at the Tennis Center at College Park to speak with its CEO, Ray Benton, he was finishing up a lesson with former U.S. Congresswoman Jane Harman. He’d agreed to speak with me after the practice and he was still stretching when our conversation began. I admit that at first I was bemused by the notion of a crossroads of politics and tennis. You don’t see that every day. But for tennis statesman Ray Benton, it was business as usual. He’s as comfortable on court with children as he is in the halls of power in Washington. Legendary House Speaker Tip O’Neill used to repeatedly insist that all “politics is local”. Witnessing the VIP lessons he’s giving and the expansive, state-of-the-art tennis training facility he’s managing (largely funded by the former Chairman of the US Export-Import Bank), you realize that Benton is the embodiment of O’Neill’s mantra. Benton’s career arc has taken him from local to national to international and now, to some degree, back to local tennis. With that breadth of experience, he brings with him the uncanny ability to cultivate a major-league presence even in the deepest of grassroots tennis.

His office substantially resembles the International Tennis Hall of Fame in miniature. The walls of his paper-piled workspace are adorned with posters and photos from tennis events from the last forty years. With all of his energy, it is difficult to believe he is 71. He still competes in senior tournaments “when my body’s working”, he said.

Benton is an Iowa native who moved to Washington in 1971. He started playing the game at 15 and “really took to it right away”. Later, he spent two years with the Iowa Hawkeye team in Big Ten play. While attending college, law school and a year of business school, he worked in the summer as the tennis pro at Dubuque Country Club in Dubuque, Iowa. He was brought in to start a tennis program at a “golf wacko club where tennis was a nuisance”. It had “two broken-down courts and 35 tennis playing club members”. He was up for the challenge, and within a few years, Benton had installed six lighted courts, attracted 500 players and even trained 20 state-ranked juniors there. “That’s when I figured out maybe I should be in the business”.

Even after he was drafted and sent to Fort McClellan in Anniston, Alabama in 1966, he managed to stay active in the game, serving as head pro at the Gadsden and Anniston Country Clubs and varsity coach for Jacksonville State University in Alabama. He then spent a couple of years in Colorado running that state’s Youth Tennis Foundation and putting on professional events before Washington called. Then, Benton’s call to DC came to Denver. Through Dubuque.

“As I was finishing business school, a guy I knew from Dubuque had hit it big, Bob Lange. He invented the plastic ski boot. I went into business with him to develop the first plastic tennis racquet. We had a prototype and I suggested that we have a tournament in Denver. And in order to get any American players there, I had to talk to the Davis Cup captain named Donald Dell. We worked together and a year later, I moved here.”

Dell was looking for partners in a law firm that would eventually morph into sports management company ProServ years later. During his early days in Washington, he also served as the first National Executive Director of the National Junior Tennis League.

From DC, the firm represented big names in tennis like Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl and Tracy Austin. They also managed top athletes throughout the world of sport, including Michael Jordan, Boomer Esiason, Dave Winfield and Payne Stewart. Yet the firm’s focus stuck with tennis for an important reason.

Mark McCormick started IMG and based it around golf and Donald started ProServ around tennis. After all, he was the Davis Cup captain and Stan Smith and Arthur Ashe were on his team.

As a law firm, we couldn’t solicit clients. We could write a letter to a company saying ‘I’m writing on behalf of Arthur Ashe to see if you might have interest’. We couldn’t put out a promotional brochure for Arthur, so we started the company Proserv. It was an affiliated marketing company to the law firm. When our firm split in ’83, Donald and I kept the name ProServ and made it the major identity.

During the nineties, Benton founded the Worldwide Senior Tennis Circuit. He secured more than $35 million in corporate sponsorships at a time when interest in tennis had started to wane. He also saw the events as more than a tournament, but an “entertainment event” with theme nights, contests and celebrity matches.

Benton created the Nuveen Tour

After spending most of the last decade doing marketing consulting for clients like the ATP, the PGA, the Vic Braden Tennis Academy and national mentoring advocacy group MENTOR, he was hired as the CEO of the Tennis Center at College Park. Once again, politics and tennis intersected, as banker and Clinton Administration appointee Kenneth Brody needed someone to market the tennis facility he had built in College Park. And he went straight to Benton to market it.

So, now that this writer knows he’s talking to the right person for the question, is DC a tennis town?

It is, but it needs to regain the stature it once had, and not only Washington, but many other area of the country. Tennis is totally a bottom-up sport. The great majority of energy comes from the grassroots. And that’s what advances tournament play, pro play, collegiate play. Frankly, I think we got lazy in this sport. We had so much momentum, so much success and great stars and I think the leaders of tennis, everyone became deluded that tennis was driven by Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe. And the fact of the matter is in the days of Connors, Borg and McEnroe, participation in tennis in the United States decreased. We didn’t develop the next generation of Nick Bollettieris, of Vic Bradens or Dennis Van Der Meer or Peter Burwash. Who are the biggest names of teaching pros these days? Still those guys. If I asked you that same question 35 years ago, you’d have the same answer.

Benton’s approach to bringing the game back is simple. “A kid should be introduced to tennis the same way they should be introduced to basketball, which is they should have fun, be on a team, and compete the first day. And then they get hooked on the fun. And when they improve, then you offer them instruction. How many kids would play basketball if they were required to take three weeks of dribbling lessons and two weeks of shooting lessons before they were allowed to play the game? You’d have a lot fewer basketball players, wouldn’t you?”

He’s already building JTCC for the future. “You need leadership from the bottom. We’re going into schools now. We have a program called “Game On”. We’re trying to spread this game as far and wide as we can. We’re working with Prince George’s County Parks. We’ll have five sites in the summer. I see a lot more highly-ranked kids. I see a lot more inner city stuff. Five years from now, I see a much larger percentage of our kids coming from the inner city. I see considerable expansion here. We can expand. We’ve got room.”

As far as accolades the Tennis Center and the Junior Tennis Champions Center have received recently, he’s not wasting any time basking in the glory. “Attention is fine, but substance is what counts. We were very under marketed when I got here. There’s no question about that. One of the main reasons to get your name out is to attract the best athletes and do fundraising, because we’re a non-profit. We depend on it.”

Benton is audibly proud of the hundreds of kids who have been a part of the program. When he talks about the JTCC talent, it’s as if he is the proud grandfather of all of them. You almost expect him to have a photograph of every one of them in his wallet. “Denis Kudla is #184 in the world right now. There are only one or two players younger than him who are ranked higher. Mitchell Frank is excelling at Virginia. Trice (Capra) is at Duke. Skylar Morton graduated from here in three years and is playing very well, #3 or 4 at UCLA. She should be a senior in high school.”

Then there’s the next class of Junior Champions. After we spoke about Riverdale’s Frances Tiafoe and Reisterstown’s Yancy Dennis, he was more than ready to talk up the local girls climbing the ladder. “We have a girl named Elizabeth Scotty, who’s 10 and 16th in the country in under 12s. We are really strong in the 14 girls, including three girls from Baltimore, Nadia Gizdova (Columbia, MD), Raveena Kingsley (Parkton, MD) and Jada Robinson (Reisterstown, MD). And next week, we’ll have a girl that is as good as any of them. Usue Arcornada. She’s coming with (longtime JTCC Coach) Frank Salazar. She’s originally from Argentina, but grew up in Puerto Rico. And she is a tiger.”

The average age for the students at JTCC to pick up a racquet is “6-ish”, according to Benton. The journey for a young player at JTCC begins with “Quikstart with a parent, then to intermediate development, advanced development and then they would try like crazy to get into Junior Champs, which is an invitation program. If they’re moving along, by 7 or 8, they should be in the Junior Champs. If they do well in Junior Champs, around age 10 or 11, they should be invited to the Champs program. That’s also an invitation only program. The definition of being invited into the Champs is this: If you’re invited and you do the work, you have every right to expect to do well and play Division I tennis. And so far, that’s exactly what’s happened.”

It’s remarkable that a man of his resume would still bring as much energy to marketing the game as he did back at Dubuque Country Club over fifty years ago. He’d already made his name as a pioneer of the pro circuit long before he came to College Park. The choice that he has made to continue to develop the sport here on a full-time basis renders him an inspiration as well as a pioneer.

Who will make ‘Main Draw Roll Call’ Down Under?: USTA Australian Open Men’s Wild Card Playoffs

Posted by Admin on December 15, 2011

Posted in: Atlanta, Australian Open, Racquet Club of the South, Tennessee, US Open Wild Card Playoffs, USTA, Wild Card Playoffs, Wildcard Playoffs. Tagged: Jesse Levine, Steve Johnson. Leave a comment

Can you hear it in the distance?

It’s the Call of the Main Draw Roll Call Down Under. One lucky American man will win an automatic main draw entry into the 2012 Australian Open during the USTA Australian Open Wild Card Playoffs at Racquet Club of the South in Norcross, Georgia on Sunday. Tennis Maryland will be there and wants to afford you a cursory advance briefing on the situation.

In comparison to the women’s field, the men’s field celebrates diversity. Diversity of age, that is. While the women at the 2011 USTA Australian Open Wild Card Playoffs range in age from 16-21, the men range from 19-29. In a microcosm of player development, it seems that the future of the future of American men’s tennis at the Wild Card Playoffs is slightly longer in the tooth than the women’s field. The men’s field is also ranked lower than the women. In fact, #3 seed Denis Kudla, with a world ranking of 275, would be the #7 seed on the women’s side.

The men’s draw also reflects the lack of volatility and the more rigid hierarchy of the men’s professional game at this time. Just like the top few players in the world, a man in the top four ranked players in the men’s draw at the Playoffs will likely ‘win it all’. However, in this case, the winner will only be flying off to Australia for a berth in the main draw and not necessarily be raising the trophy at Melbourne Park.

Based on the rankings of December 4, 3 of the top 4 players are the oldest in the contest, with Reynolds and Ginepri at 29 and Levine at 24. Of the top 4 players based on rankings, only Denis Kudla can’t legally buy a beer.

Reynolds: It's still his to lose

#1 Bobby Reynolds (#127): At 29, Bobby Reynolds from Acworth, Georgia, is the oldest player in the field, but only by a few months over Robby Ginepri. Reynolds, known locally for his play for the Washington Kastles and their 2011 undefeated dream season, also impressed with his commanding performance at the US Open Wild Cards. Though beset by injuries in the last couple of years, he seems to be on top form for the last half of the year. He should meet Rhyne Williams in the first round, who he beat in straights at the Wild Card semifinals in College Park.

#2 Jesse Levine (#164): The Canadian-born Levine is the only left-hander in the draw. He is likely to face Daniel Kosakowski in the opener. He’s battled back from injuries since his third round appearance at Wimbledon in 2009 and has climbed from #526 in August to his current ranking of #126. Levine defeated Reynolds in the duo’s only main draw meeting, in the round of 32 at Los Angeles in 2009.

We call him 'Dangerous Denis' for a reason

#3: Denis Kudla (#275): Kudla is called ‘Dangerous Denis’ for a reason. He can knock out a more experienced player at any given moment, such as he did at Newport in July, when he successively stunned Ivo Karlovic and Grigor Dmitrov to reach the Quarters. He should see first-round action against Jack Sock, who defeated him in the semis of this same event last year.

Robby could concentrate on his game if it weren't for all the stalkers--like this one

#4 Robby Ginepri (#318): The 29 year old Kennessaw native and 2005 US Open semifinalist looks to capture the crowd’s hearts. He could see Steve Johnson in the first round.

#5 Steve Johnson (#369): The 21 year old Californian saw his rankings reach the highest point of his career last month, and he has broken into the top 200 in men’s doubles.

#6 Jack Sock (#380): Sock drew an automatic berth into the US Open by virtue of his triumph at Kalamazoo last summer. He made the quarters in Sacramento before losing to James Blake and the second round of the 2011 US Open before being defeated by Andy Roddick. The 2010 US Open Junior Champion, he continues to move up the rankings and should be a joy to watch in an anticipated first rounder against Kudla.

Kosakowski was the runner-up for the 2011 US Open Wild Card

#7 Daniel Kosakowski (#410): In his inaugural year as a pro, the 2011 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year was just one win away from the US Open Wild Card Playoffs in August. He has beaten Kudla and Johnson and lost to Rhyne Williams.

Rhyno is back for some more Wild Card Playoffs

#8: Rhyne Williams (#511): Another freshly-minted pro, he left the University of Tennessee over the summer. He’s lost to Levine twice this year, and has beaten Ginepri and Kosakowski. He should face Reynolds for starters.

ANALYSIS

No surprises here. Bobby Reynolds dominance at the US Open Wild Card Playoffs in College Park, Maryland in August reflects his “one to beat” status and an overwhelming favorite to punch his ticket into the main draw at Racquet Club of the South next weekend. Or, it could go another way. Look at the draw posted above this entry. You’ve got Bobby/Robby on one side, and Levine/Kudla/Sock on the other. Consider Denis Kudla the Wild Card at the Wild Cards. That expected first round match against Sock could be Friday’s best action and possibly produce a finalist. Kudla and Sock are hungry to run the table. But, like Tulane Coach Taylor Fogleman told Tennis Maryland about Bobby Reynolds chances before the US Open Wild Card Playoffs just a few months back, “It’s his to lose.” That prediction still rings true and the title of our videos below from the US Open Playoffs sum it all up. If you don’t feel like clicking, the point is: Reynolds dominates Kosakowski and Williams. If Kudla or Sock get a chance to face Reynolds, anything can happen. Otherwise, it’s Bobby Time.

Don’t forget. Tennis Maryland will provide coverage of every match. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @TennisMaryland for the very latest in tennis ephemera. We’ll also have video and lots of it. Let us know who you want interviewed!

Tennys Sandgren headed to Australian Open Wild Card Playoffs?

Posted by Admin on December 13, 2011

Posted in: Atlanta, Australian Open, Maryland, Racquet Club of the South, Tennessee, Tennis Center at College Park, US Open Wild Card Playoffs, Wild Card Playoffs, Wildcard Playoffs. 1 Comment

The Knoxville News Sentinel has reported that former University of Tennessee standout Tennys Sandgren will attend the Australian Open Wild Card Playoffs in Norcross, Georgia this weekend. The article, by Jimmy Hyams of the News Sentinel, notes that Rhyne Wiliams “will be joined by another former UT All-American, Tennys Sandgren”. Sandgren lost to Rhyne Williams in the quarterfinals of the US Open Wild Card Playoffs in College Park in August.

So, is Tennys looking for a spot in the main draw Down Under and a rematch with Williams while in Georgia? The answer is no. It appears that Sandgren will be a hitting partner and provide support for former roommate Williams. According to Wild Card Playoffs communications czar Steve Pratt, the player list has not changed.

This might give us a chance to check in with Sandgren, who is an engaging player with a sense of humor.

Sandgren is Rhyno's official frisbee tosser in warm-ups

US Open: Irina Falconi, What a Month! @USOpen #USO11

Posted by Admin on August 31, 2011

Posted in: New York, Tennis Center at College Park, US Open, US Open Wild Card Playoffs. Leave a comment

Forward with Falconi!

One month ago, Irina Falconi had her first press conference with the tennis media in her pro career. Scroll down to the next post if you want to watch it. It’s pretty good. Shockingly, Tennis Maryland had the only video camera in the room and got to ask her several questions. We were honored to be 1/7 th of that presser. On her blog, this is what she said at the time:

As for media? Yeah, only American in the semis of this tournament, which is cool. I was able to sit in the comfy chair with the Citi Open backdrop and that awesome mic in front of me. I had like seven people asking questions and taking pictures. Oh, so THAT’S what it feels like?

http://www.usta.com/irina_falconi_blogs_from_washington_dc_entry_no_2/

We bet that tonight’s press conference felt a little bit different. Wish we could have been there. We’re glad that we were able to meet you in the minors, kid. Respect!

US Open: Irina Falconi is our @USOpen American Hero! #USO11

Posted by Admin on August 31, 2011

Posted in: Arthur Ashe Stadium, New York, Tennis Center at College Park, US Open, US Open Wild Card Playoffs. Leave a comment

No, her dad doesn’t own a professional sports team and her mother isn’t related to a Kennedy. Her father was a cabinet-maker, her mother a teacher. The NYC immigrants from Ecuador scrimped and saved to make their daughter’s dream come true. And what a dream it is! Here’s Irina at her very first press conference after advancing to the CitiOpen Semifinals last month. She’s gone from #378 to #79 and is going even higher than that, having reached the final 32 of the US Open on this very night. This GA Tech Yellowjacket is going places fast, especially after her victory on Arthur Ashe tonight over Dominika Cibulkova. This is her story.