Senior Tennis 2011 – 1

Volume Six • Number Seventeen • Spring • 2012

THE NEW ENGLAND SENIOR TENNIS FOUNDATION BULLETIN Game On At 90, Irving Levine still lobbing Marcia Pobzeznik, Special to the Herald News There are no umbrellas in the umbrella stand near the front door of Irving Levine’s home. It’s filled with tennis rackets, and the coat rack next to it has only white caps hanging from it. Levine plops a cap on his head, takes a couple of rackets from the umbrella stand and heads out the door to his clay tennis court where friends are warming up for a few sets. It’s lunchtime and Levine has driven from his business in Fall River to his Rehoboth home – a 19-minute drive – to play tennis and have a bite to eat before heading back to work. Irving Levine reaches way out for a backhand during a “I’ve played tennis my whole life, except when I started my doubles match. Below, this trio of tennis players, from business in Fall River and the World War II years,” he says left, Patrick Riccardi, of New Bedford, Omer Menard, as he walks to the court in his white shorts, white polo shirt of Westport, and George Boyce, of Lincoln, RI, wait for and sneakers. a break in the weather, but seldom cancel their regular Lots of people play tennis, but what is remarkable doubles match at Irving Levine’s backyard clay court. about Levine is that today is his 90th birthday and he’s still known for his tenacity on the courts. “He’s got all the shots,” said Omer Menard of Westport who was playing in the lunchtime doubles match with him Thursday. “He’s got a great lob,” said Patrick Ricarrdi of New Bedford who was running to catch one of Levine’s lobs. A champion player who has played in tournaments around the world, Levine’s basement office in his home is filled with trophies, winner’s cups, pictures and plaques from decades of playing and winning in a sport he is passionate about. He started playing at the age of 13 when he was growing up in New Bedford during The Depression. Over the years he won and placed in both tennis and table tennis championships. His most recent achievement was winning a singles match in the 90-and-over national championship tournament this summer at the Clem Easton Super Seniors event in Longmeadow. He had a broken thumb at the time. Levine said he made himself a promise when he retired for the first time in 1965 after selling his handbag manufacturing company Gamma Leather Goods, that at one time employed 500 people. He promised himself he’d make time for tennis. “I said I would never let work interfere with my tennis,” said Levine. He retired for about one and one-half years and in that time admittedly played a little too much tennis. He played Continued on page 32 2 – Senior Tennis 2011

New England Senior Tennis Foundation, Inc. An organization established by Bernice and Irving Levine for the general purpose of promoting tennis among senior adults in New England.

Administration Board Peter Allen, President Irving Levine Rich Heath, Treasurer Wade Frame Bats Wheeler, Clerk Amy Read George Ulrich Carol Redden Ken Miller Dorcas Miller

To facilitate the promotion of senior tennis, the following strategies will be implemented: 1. To provide instruction for seniors interested in learning how to play the sport or improve their skills; 2. To support the publication of material to help seniors learn how to play the game, improve their skills and knowledge of the game, and un- derstand the latest health research information relating to the sport of tennis; 3. To distribute a newsletter on a regular basis that freely discusses issues in the sport of ten- nis and at the same time reports the results of tournaments and other competitions and news Yoshi Akabane and Ann Murphy, N.E. Mx 65 Champs of interest to seniors; 4. To run tournaments and other compe- titions for seniors innovatively and in such a way Senior Tennis Newsletter editor as to help participants fully enjoy the sport; Dick Ernst of Cranston, R.I. The 5. To develop and support interstate, inter- sectional and international competitions for Barrington High School boys seniors; tennis coach and a ranking 6. To respond to changing needs and interests senior circuit player. of senior tennis players; 7. To recognize and respond to opportunities to provide leadership within a larger context for the development of tennis (i.e., to support or oppose actions by tennis groups that either further or diminish the growth and support of the sport); Send stories, pictures and articles to: 8. To provide where possible and to support Dick Ernst facilities for senior players at either a reduced 71 Philmont Ave., Cranston, RI 02910 rate or at no cost to them; 401-785-0532; or [email protected] 9. To create and support a governance struc- ture that ensures continuity to the Foundation Advertising in this publication is available at 1 and support for its goals and strategies. $500/page and $300/ /2 page. N.E.S.T.F. website www.neseniortennis.org Senior Tennis 2011 – 3

NESTF President’s Message

I hope that you’ve kept active over the past easy winter, because the 2012 lineup of great events will again be loaded. On January 4, about 900 current recipients* of our occasional e-mail blasts received NESTF’s notice that the full 2012 tournament schedule had been finalized and posted. We also included a very senior-friendly link to just the senior tournaments on our own NESTF website, encouraging everyone to begin their calendar-marking early. The very highly attended Slam tournaments will see some notable improvements in 2012, based on valuable player feedback: 1. The hard court Slams at Yale in early June will become a prominent national “Category II” for age groups MW50, 60 and 70. (Other age groups will remain simply the NE hard court Slam.) This is the first Cat II national ever to be held in New England! A large team of motivated advocates deserves our thanks and congratulations for having proved the capability to hold a first-class national senior tennis event here. 2. The Clay Slams will again be held at Beverly and Concord, but both will be held a week later in August to reduce conflict with USTA League playoffs. 3. The Grass Slam will move to the Essex County Club in Manchester, MA, on the weekend after Labor Day. Essex is a great facility with 10 grass courts and 10 clay courts plus nearby indoor facilities in case of rain. As always, NESTF’s entire Board remains dedicated to the Foundation’s goals adopted when it was generously founded by Irving and Bernice Levine in 1996. Focused entirely on promoting senior tennis, NESTF continues to invest roughly $20,000 annually in a mix of areas: grants (up to $2,000 each) for effective senior tennis programs and events, plus preparation of these semiannual online Bulletins. The Board recently accepted with regret the resignation of an original NESTF Board member, Carol Jaffe, whose sneakers and warmth will be very difficult to replace. Please always feel free to call (508-366-0312) or e-mail me ([email protected]) whenever you have a suggestion for NESTF improvement. Best wishes for a highly active 2012 tennis season!

*If you didn’t receive our helpful e-mail but wish you had, please add or update your address to our file by simply e-mailing our Webmaster Ken Miller at kmiller@ neseniortennis.org.

Pete Allen, President New England Senior Tennis Foundation 4 – Senior Tennis 2011

Alan Chandronnait: Inventor By Jerry Johnson Alan Chandronnait, a New England tennis-hall-of-famer, has become an inventor. A longtime teaching pro from Bow, New Hampshire, Alan has always been concerned with balls rolling all over the court when he is giving a lesson or clinic. The idea for Tennis Safety Nets occurred to Alan one evening as he was giving a group lesson at his tennis academy. Play was constantly being interrupted by balls which were hit into the net. Alan realized that if he could come up with a system to keep balls from rolling out from the net and onto the court, the drills would run smoother, the players would be safer, the students would have more lesson time, and ball pick-up would be much easier. So he decided to do something about it. He invented and patented a revolutionary tennis product: Tennis Safety Nets. For the past eight years he has been perfecting his Tennis Safety Nets product which “captures 94 percent of the balls hit into the net.” Tennis Safety Nets provides several positive benefits to both the player and the teacher. The court is much safer without balls rolling back into the court when hit into the net. This allows drills to keep a much better flow. When playing, it’s nice not to have interruptions when first serves or ground strokes hit the net. Stoppage time for lessons, drills and practice is minimized dramatically since the danger of a netted ball rolling back to your feet has been removed. Tennis Safety Nets is a cutting-edge product for private lessons, group lessons, match play, and tournaments. Here is Alan’s Tennis Safety Nets LLC website: www.tennissafetynets.com. You will find a lot of information on his innovative product and how to order it. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. A video is worth 10,000 words. Make sure you click on the one-minute video which, in a nutshell, shows how incredibly effective Tennis Safety Nets is. Senior Tennis 2011 – 5

Clay courts serve community at the Park By Adam Braver, Special to the Journal There are 30 exits along Route 95 in Rhode Island and the one for Roger Williams Park is number 16. This puts it, at least figuratively, in the middle of the state. And tucked into the corner of the park, beside the zoo and bordered by Little League fields, is the Todd Morsilli Clay Court Tennis Center. Although not as expansive as the name may imply, for close to eight months every year these public clay courts are not only a community center for Rhode Island but, in some sense, a daily cross-section of the state, smack dab at its center. Unlike members of a private club, the people there rarely will ask what you do for a living. But dig a little deeper and you’ll find all walks of life disguised by similar shirts, shorts and shoes. Artists. Waiters. Retail workers. Doctors. Retirees. Teachers. Conductors. Laborers. Radio station general managers. The regulars proudly refer to themselves as “Park People.” The implication is a certain scrappiness, a feistiness that comes from playing in the urban setting of Roger Williams Park; the noises of Little League games in the background: the thumping cars and occasional sirens coming down Hawthorne Road. And though in their daily lives they may not quite live up to that image, when they are at the Todd Morsilli Clay Court Tennis Center there is no question that they are nothing other than “park people.”

“It’s another beautiful day for tennis,” Larry Sack, director of tennis, says welcoming each person on a late Saturday morning. “Addison,” he directs my son, one of the children coming for lessons, “you’re with Coach Mike on the first court.” As his two young sons circle him, Larry spins around to greet a familiar woman in a dark blue tennis skirt, a bag of rackets in her hand. “Cali,” he says, “you look fit and ready to play today. Let me introduce you to my friend Adam – he’ll be your doubles partner on Court One, where you’ll be playing Frank and Amy. Good luck.” A man walks up, slightly unsure of where to go. Excuse me,” he says to Larry. “I signed up for singles online.” Larry asks his name, and then says, “Doug, you need to go see my wife, Marisa, with the clipboard. She has the schedule, knows what’s going on. She’ll get you matched up.” Meanwhile the last members of the Cardio Fitness class come off the side courts. They are twisting their torsos and touching their toes. “What a workout!” a mid-fortyish man says, between deep breaths The woman beside him dabs sweat off her forehead with a towel. She says she, too, is beat. Then she shakes her head, and looks up. Do you want to play a set?” In 2006, husband and wife Larry Sack and Marisa Salvadore entered a bidding process through the Providence Parks and Recreation department to run the Todd Morsilli Clay Court Tennis Center. For dozens of years the courts had been maintained and managed for basic play – supplemented by individually run tournaments and leagues – but the city knew they were being underused in terms of tennis programming. Robert McMahon, superintendent of Parks and Recreation, also understood that his department didn’t have the staffing or tennis resources to dedicate to revitalizing the center. Following a model being adopted by parks departments across the country, the city decided to partner with a private operator who could run the courts, as well as expand community-based programming. Sack, who had worked as a community coordinator at the United States Tennis Association (USTA) in Rhode Island and central Massachusetts, understood how tennis can help create community. One of the keys is that a true tennis community won’t survive without women and children of all backgrounds. He’d lived it firsthand with his USTA work, seeing the dormant parks turn into inclusive welcome centers through kids classes and camps, co-ed group lessons, men’s and women’s tournament and leagues, and mixed match play. 6 – Senior Tennis 2011

So with that philosophy, and buttressed by Marisa’s business sense from her work practicing general corporate law, they submitted a bid under the moniker of Serving Providence Organized Tennis (SPOT) – and won. Under its terms, they will lease the facility from the city for five years (along with another five-year renewal option), and commit to providing specified programming. They will be responsible for paying the bills – maintaining the courts had cost the city some $20,000 to $25,000 a year – mostly from sales of season passes, lesson packages, and hourly court fees, maintained at the prevailing $5 an hour. For Larry and Marisa, the commitment extends well beyond just managing their menu of programs – their work can go from resurfacing the courts by routinely raking new layers of clay, to tacking down the vinyl service lines, to hiring and mentoring a teaching staff, to the daily chore of picking up branches and leaves and acorns that litter the courts from the giant trees that line the fences. From McMahon’s perspective this private-public partnership has been “very successful.” From Larry and Marisa’s perspective, they’ve fulfilled their own professional aspirations of giving back to the community by creating one based on health and camaraderie. The retired men sit at picnic tables and in folding chairs, talking and laughing between their doubles matches, sometimes shirtless, with portable coolers under the table. “Home run,” one of the jeers during our match in front of them. “Or was it a ground rule double?” Another adds, “Amy, let me check my rule book, but I think the ball’s supposed to go inside the lines?” This just brings out more laughter. Amy yells back, “Who invited the peanut gallery?” only further cracking them up. There are a total of 10 clay courts. They are among the few surviving public ones in New England, and the only ones in Rhode Island. Decades ago the park had had more than three times that number, but a combination of competing interests and budgetary factors took its toll. When you first set eyes on the park’s grayish clay courts, like a natural ground cover under the trees, there is a sense of nostalgia – not just for the preservation of a bygone era, but also for the idea that not everything always has to be changing. In a world that regularly tears down and rebuilds in the name of progress, there is still a place that can retain its heritage. On a more practical level, talk with the park people and you’ll get opposing opinions about playing on clay. For the older set, the softness of the surface is much more forgiving on the joints – they credit it for being able to play more comfortably in advancing years. Others lament the slowness of the bounce, missing the power a hard surface can lend. Contrarily, some claim that little extra time makes them better players by causing them to have to think a bit more. Although the clay courts may represent another era, signing up to play is mostly done online. After all the preferred times have been submitted, Marisa carefully matches skill levels the night before play. You show up, and on her clipboard is a roster of ready-made partners. But this is more than a scheduling convenience – it’s part of the mission to connect the community beyond the physical space. “Being able to manage your schedule and connect online,” Larry says, is where the world is going. And something else that doesn’t delineate color or class.” “I’ll get this half.” After our match, like mules on a 19th century farm, we take turns dragging a giant sweeper behind us to smooth down the clay for the next players, while others roll the lines to clear the dust. “Beautiful play out there,” Sack calls through the fence, his fingers laced through the wires. Exiting the courts, we talk about our neighborhoods, people it turns out we know in common, parting more as new friends than competitors – although I don’t even know their last names. Back on the benches, I wait for Addison’s clinic to finish up; other parents read, chitchat about schools, and make plans. A guy I’ve partnered with before asks how I played. I say, “All things considered...” And he asks, “You’ll be out here during the week?” “I’ll try,” I say. “And you?” “As long as the sun stays in the sky,” he says. “As long as it’s in the sky.” By early December, Larry and Marisa will close up the park for the season, moving some of SPOT’s operations indoors. There will be a kind of desperation among some of the park faithful, squeezing in Continued on page 7 Senior Tennis 2011 – 7

Editor’s Corner... with Dick Ernst

Don Henson, Founder and Director A Providence, R.I. native now based in San Diego, California. He formerly was a highly successful New England teaching professional. “Rather than spouting information, genuine Tennis Teachers find a way to penetrate their students as they lead them towards experiencing the desired skills.” – Don Henson

By Jerry Johnson A full-time tennis teacher since 1966, Don is one of the original 18 USPTA Master Professionals. His long career in the tennis world has seen him as a club owner, court builder, tournament promoter, administrator, player developer, mentor, and certification tester for both the USPTA and the PTR. It was during his 35 years as an international tester for the USPTA that Don developed a passion for helping other tennis teachers become more effective on the court. In 1984, Don began what he thought would be a one- year research project entitled “How Humans Acquire Specific Skills.” The “one year project” is ongoing and has involved many from movement disciplines outside of the world of tennis. During his years as a tester Don has had the opportunity to work with more than 7,000 teaching pros from around the world. The Tennis Teachers Institute is a vision Don shared with longtime friend and mentor, George Bacso, “the father of tennis teacher certification”. And now, after many years of thought and consideration, that vision comes to life. Don is a member of the Head/Penn national advisory staff, and a six-time Pro of the Year.

Continued from page 6 (Clay courts) every possible match, playing under the last ray of all sunlight. And while it may slip our minds in the dead of winter, come the first sign of spring, we’ll drive through the park trying to tell if the nets are up yet, peeking to see if Larry’s raking a new layer of clay. We’ll check our computers for any information that Marisa’s e-mailed about opening day; and we’ll wait impatiently, eager to be back on the court, with our fellow park people.

Adam Braver ([email protected]) is a novelist who teaches writing at Roger Williams University. He lives in Edgewood, near his beloved tennis courts. For more information about the Todd Morsilli Clay Court Tennis Center at Roger Williams Park, visit spotri.com or call Larry Sack at (401) 749-1072 or Marisa Salvadore at (401) 749-1071, or email them at [email protected]. 8 – Senior Tennis 2011

Connors, McEnroe, Borg By Jerry Johnson It’s great having Federer and Nadal around. Perhaps one of them will go down as the greatest player of all time. When it comes to talking about the greatest of all time, everyone has an opinion. Perhaps 10 or 20 years from now someone will emerge and win 25 of the majors. Who knows and should we care? I think it’s just great having great athletes play the great game of tennis. There have been numerous fabulous players on the men’s and women’s tours throughout the years. My all-time favorite player was Borg. I only wish he stayed around longer. The years of Borg-McEnroe- Connors. For me, those were the greatest years.

Here are some quotes from the triumvirate: Jimmy Connors Quotes

Bjorn was a different breed, I threw my best material at him, but he would never smile, but that added to the charm when he played me and Mac. We were going nuts and losing our mind and he was sitting back like he was on a Sunday stroll.

Experience is a great advantage. The problem is that when you get the experience, you’re too damned old to do anything about it.

I hate to lose more than I love to win.

I was never part of the crowd.

I would watch Gonzalez play and he mesmerized you. It would be like looking into the flame of a fire. You know you couldn’t take your eyes off him because you never knew what he would do next.

New Yorkers love it when you spill your guts out there. Spill your guts at Wimbledon and they make you stop and clean it up.

People don’t seem to understand that it’s a damn war out there.

Tennis was never work for me, tennis was fun. And the tougher the battle and the longer the match, the more fun I had.

Use it or lose it.

You have to remember that I played longer than anybody else on the main tour; I played until I was 40, and then played another six years or so on the seniors tour. Senior Tennis 2011 – 9

John McEnroe Quotes

Do you have any problems, other than that you’re unemployed, a moron, and a dork?

Everybody loves success, but they hate successful people.

I think it’s the mark of a great player to be confident in tough situations.

I’d like to think I could have and should have won more, but that’s not the point. And I was at the point where I was playing great tennis in the mid 80s – the type of tennis people hadn’t seen before – and I was very proud of that.

I’ll let the racket do the talking.

The important thing is to learn a lesson every time you lose. Life is a learning process and you have to try to learn what’s best for you. Let me tell you, life is not fun when you’re banging your head against a brick wall all the time.

Things slow down, the ball seems a lot bigger and you feel like you have more time. Everything computes – you have options, but you always take the right one.

We should reach out to people to try to go after the fans the way other sports do. Because we can’t just depend on the fact that it is a great game.

What is the single most important quality in a tennis champion? I would have to say desire, staying in there and winning matches when you’re not playing that well. Bjorn Borg Quotes

My greatest point is my persistence. I never give up in a match. However down I am, I fight until the last ball. My list of matches shows that I have turned a great many so-called irretrievable defeats into victories.

You have to find it. No one else can find it for you. 10 – Senior Tennis 2011

Djokovic was flying high in early 2011 By Paul Fein Last year Novak Djokovic climbed onto the wing of a biplane and rallied with another player to promote Head’s YouTek IG Speed Racquet. Viewers of the commercial, which appeared on YouTube, head.com and other websites in March, were left wondering if the irrepressible Serb, dressed in headgear, goggles and flight suit, really did play tennis 1,000 meters up in the air. This year there is no doubt ‘the Djoker’ is flying high. He’s played out of this world tennis, going unbeaten in six tournaments and 32 matches, highlighted by winning the Australian Open. There, he outclassed legend Roger Federer in the semis and overwhelmed Andy Murray for his second major title. Djokovic’s hardcourt domination continued at Indian Wells and Miami where he took out world No. 1 Rafael Nadal in riveting three-set finals. But can Djokovic sustain his reign at the French Open and Wimbledon, on clay and grass, his weakest surfaces? If he does capture Roland Garros, the Madrid Open final on May 8 may prove pivotal. There, Djokovic upset Nadal to end the Spaniard’s 37-match winning streak on clay as well as his own nine- match losing streak on clay to Nadal. In this wide-ranging interview, Marian Vajda, his highly regarded, longtime Slovak coach and confidant, reveals why the 23-year-old Djokovic has improved so much and what we can expect from him for the rest of the year.

How much of a springboard for Djokovic’s great 2011 season was his superb Davis Cup performance last December? Yes, that was a big thing. I really believe the Davis Cup final lifted him up. It was a big thing because the Davis Cup in every country is a big thing. It increased his confidence. It definitely meant a lot for him. During the entire 2010, his [main] focus was just on winning the Davis Cup for Serbia. That victory was even more important for Novak than winning the 2008 Australian Open.

Last year Djokovic was the only top 50 player with more double-faults than aces. This year at the Australian Open in his last three matches, he hit a total of 22 aces and only 6 double-faults. He also averaged an impressive 119 mph for first serves. Why is his serve much better this year? Because he’s worked on different techniques. This year his serve is completely different from last year. His serve in 2010 was not efficient and not technically right. Biomechanically, he changed the whole concept. He worked on that for much of last year. Then he started to use his new serve because it gave him more power and more precision. From 2007 to 2009 his arm was bent a lot at the end of the backswing like a baseball throw, and the same is true this year. That method is correct. But in 2010, his arm was straight, like a bowler in cricket. Another big difference is that from 2007 to 2009 and again this year, he had more racket-head speed and forward and upward thrust, which caused him to jump three or four inches off the court. All these things gave both his first serve and second serve more power, accuracy and consistency.

His forehand used to be mainly a rallying shot; now it has become a major weapon. What is he doing differently on his forehand? Technically, he’s improved his balance a lot. He’s hitting through the ball more and his legs are more stable. He’s using his balance better, and he’s going forward more to attack the ball. He doesn’t twist his body or lean backward. The result is that now his forehand has more power, and because of that it has more depth, and it also has more accuracy.

Does Djokovic have the best backhand in the game today, and what makes it so effective? First of all, his backhand has been very natural since he was young. He had a very good teacher when Senior Tennis 2011 – 11 he learned tennis. His first teacher was a lady named Gelena Gencic. The double-handed backhand is much more efficient because the left hand is very supportive, and it’s much stronger to play with two hands than one hand without a doubt. With a double-handed backhand you can also hit angles, and you can block the ball and return powerful shots much better. You can maneuver much better at the last second with a two-handed backhand and still hit a good shot. A one-handed player cannot also hit double-handed, but a double-handed player can always learn how to hit a slice backhand with one hand. He’s very confident he’ll never lose a point on his backhand, and he almost never makes an error on his backhand even though he hits flat shots. It’s amazing. He can adjust to fast or slow shots, low or high shots, flat or topspin shots. His backhand feeling and technique are unique. You can’t teach that.

What about his backhand footwork? Novak has great footwork, and that is another reason for his great backhand. He is very flexible and agile. I met him when he was 18, and he had an incredible way of running with agility. That was his big, big advantage already. He plants his right [front] foot at a 45-degree angle. His fitness coach and I worked with him a lot on that. At the beginning, Novak didn’t have that balance and footwork, so he worked on that in many practices.

Djokovic’s down-the-line backhand is his favorite shot, and it’s a powerful weapon that many top players such as Federer, Sampras, Hewitt and Nadal don’t have. What makes it picture-perfect? And how important is this shot in Djokovic’s arsenal? It’s a very, very good shot. And it’s one of the most effective shots tactically to open the court at the very last second – he does this better than others with double-handed backhands – even though his opponents know his game very well. His down-the-line backhand is really effective because then he can attack with his forehand. This weapon has helped him be unbeaten this year. The players are studying his game, and they know him much better now. But he’s still able to win points with his backhand down the line because it’s so difficult to reach and return, and that’s because it’s powerful and he takes the ball early. It is similar to Jimmy Connors’s great backhand.

Djokovic is volleying more and better this year. Are you pleased with his net game? I think he still has to work on his net game. The front court is like a minefield for him. You may think his volleying has improved, but it’s not good enough yet. This is where I wish he could improve the most. In the final in Miami against Nadal, you can see Novak was very confident and he made almost every volley, which was great. The match was fantastic, and everything worked for him. But I wish he would use his volley more in matches where the other parts of his game are not going well. Then he could finish off the points with volleys. His technique is fantastic. Tactically, he is also very good. He knows when to come to net. But he needs to improve his position. He needs to make his first step much faster so that he hits his first volley closer to the net.

When Djokovic gets a weak shot, does he drop-shot too much instead of attacking it by rushing net? I’ve told Novak so many times not to drop-shot. I hate this shot, the drop shot. I am frozen in my seat when he hits a drop-shot because it gives his opponent a chance to finish off the point. Why give Federer and Nadal, who anticipate so well and are so fast, a chance to come to net where they like to be? But he’s young and still learning. (Laughter)

Djokovic is tied for No. 2 in points won, returning first serves (37%) and in points won, returning second serves (58%), and No. 3 in break points won among top 50 players (51%), as of May 9. As a result, he ranks No 1 in return games won (42%), the most important service return statistic. How do you explain these highly impressive and revealing statistics? I didn’t know these statistics, and I’m glad you told me. His service return is definitely one of the best Continued on page 25 12 – Senior Tennis 2011

Jonathan Fisher December 13, 1961 – January 18, 2012 Jonathan Fisher passed away on January 18, 2012 in Lake Worth, Florida. He and his father Conrad were good friends of mine at the Worcester Tennis Club. Jon was born in Worcester. He had junior tennis rankings in various categories. He played in the number one position at Worcester Academy. Jon also played for Brandeis University. He taught tennis in Massachusetts and moved to Florida many years ago where he taught at the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach. Jon and Conrad played in many tournaments together, including the National Father and Son Grass Court Championship. He was a member of the USPTA for more than 20 years. Jon leaves his parents, Edie and Conrad Fisher, his sister Elizabeth, his brother Charles, Charles’s wife Wilandrea, nieces Emily and Sally, and nephews Sidney and Satchel.

Our Friend In Remembrance of Jonathan Fisher

He was a loving son fantastically talented with so many abilities His glowing smile and wit would brighten up the room any room any gathering

We think of him on nights like this Candles flicker on a fireplace mantle as the wind blows across a red clay court A kid with a racquet scampers after a ball as he plays tennis with his always encouraging father Early on they were joined at the hip

His father was his hero but little did he know how much his father thought of him as the hero As time went by he came to realize how much his father meant to him But life was a tough battle He was not given a level playing field yet he battled like a warrior against insurmountable odds

Our thoughts are a gentle being who touched us with the stroke of an angel We remember the warmth and gentleness which emanated from his aura so easily exposed in his ready smile

We were in the presence of a friend who made us feel at ease Senior Tennis 2011 – 13

who made us feel that we belonged We truly appreciated the friendship he so readily displayed

He left us all too soon before we had a chance to say goodbye His legacy will live on in all whom he touched

On nights like this we will think of him the kid with a racquet the man with a glowing smile our friend Jonathan

–Jerry Johnson

Condolences can be sent to: Conrad and Edie Fisher 3140 South Ocean Blvd. 304N Palm Beach FL 33480 14 – Senior Tennis 2011

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury by Jack D. Goldstein, M.D. Fellowship Trained in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine

General: The anterior cruciate ligament is the most commonly disrupted ligament in the knee. Our understanding of its role in knee stability, diagnosis of injury ad surgical reconstructions have all advanced in recent years. The anatomy of the human knee is shown on the cover. The collateral ligaments provide stability in a side to side plane. The anterior and posterior cruciates provide stability in a front to back plane. Additionally, these ligaments which are within the joint, provide a linkage system which guides the complex rolling-gliding motion of the knee. The menisci (cartilage) on both the inside and outside of the knee increase the contact area between the joint surfaces. In this way they decrease the load in any one area of surface cartilage. A tear of the anterior cruciate is often associated with a meniscal or a collateral ligament tear. These injuries occur most often in athletics, but accidents or work injuries may also disrupt the cruciate if the mechanism of injury is similar. The injury may simply occur with a sudden change in direction while running, or with hyperextension of the knee. Often an audible "pop" is heard or a sensation of "tearing" within the knee is felt. Within a few hours or a day, the knee swells and weight bearing may become difficult. If left untreated, many knees with this injury become unstable and are referred to as a “trick” knee. They may buckle unexpectedly with rapid changes in direction. Symptoms: Approximately one-third of patients who disrupt their anterior cruciate ligament experience few related problems. Another one-third have problems which are activity related. They are relatively asymptomatic if they modify their activities. They can run straight ahead, but sudden changes in direction may cause “giving way’. The last one-third are symptomatic with activities of daily living. Unexpectedly, the knee may give way. This may be dangerous in some situations or a disability at best. Because all anterior cruciate injuries are not associated with symptomatic instability, it is difficult to assess those who will ultimately become symptomatic. Treatment is dependent on what activities each person is willing to give up, as well as their expectations. Patients who should consider surgery are generally athletic and are unwilling to give up at least high level activities. The highest chance of excellent surgical reconstruction is obtained within the first few months after injury. After this time, there is little change in results as long as no major injuries (meniscal or ligament) occur additionally. Late arthritis is not a natural sequel of cruciate ligament injury. Meniscal (cartilage) tear is more likely to occur in an unstable knee, and meniscal tear is very likely to contribute to late arthritis.

Treatment: Patients with anterior cruciate injuries need to avoid recurrent giving way. If these episodes cause pain and swelling, the knee may be progressively damaged. This most commonly occurs with associated meniscal Senior Tennis 2011 – 15

(cartilage tears). Early wear and tear arthritis may eventually develop. When this occurs, surgical reconstruction or modified activities should be considered before these changes occur. Reconstruction of the anterior cruciate is a surgical procedure. Biological ligaments are autograft (self) or allograft (same species, different individual), are the most successful replacements. Artificial ligaments are available but are only licensed for use after biological graft failure. Arthroscopic methods of ligament reconstruction have been developed which allow for small incisions, less postoperative pain, and shorter hospital stays. Rehabilitation is also sped up with this method. A strip of patellar tendon or hamstring tendons are used to replace the torn ligament. These are placed by arthroscopic technique by drilling tunnels into both tibial and femoral attachment sites. The graft is pulled into the knee, locked in placed on the femoral side with an interference screw which wedges between the graft and the surrounding bone. The graft is pulled into the knee, locked in place on the femoral side with an interference screw which wedges between the graft and the surrounding bone. The graft is then tensioned on the tibial side and fixed in a similar fashion here. This allows for early protected knee motion. Ligament reconstruction should generally be delayed after acute injury for four weeks. This minimizes the risk of postoperative knee stiffness. Occasionally, surgery needs to be performed early, when a cartilage tear blocks knee motion and normal walking. Associated meniscal tears may require intervention even if the anterior cruciate is not reconstructed. Repairing or removing the torn portion of the meniscus may provide for a more functional knee. Meniscal repair should not significantly alter the course of rehabilitation. High level function most likely will result if all structures are repaired before other damage results. Rehabilitation: Appropriate rehabilitation is essential to successful ligament reconstruction. This often includes formal physical therapy, but in the motivated patient, a well supervised home program of therapy may suffice. Initially, passive range of motion of the knee and weight bearing with crutches are begun. A brace is used as a safety precaution for the first four weeks, but rapid restoration of functional knee motion and strength protects the new healing ligament. Knee extension against resistance should be avoided. This places high loads on the graft during a period when it is slowly revascularizing and regaining strength. It should be avoided for about four months. Strength is probably not maximal until at least one year after surgery. Physical therapy must be individualized to each injury and each patient. Week 1: Partial weight bearing with crutches. Early passive range of motion. Avoid extension against resistance. Week 1-4: Brace to improve security. Light functional exercise beginning at week 1-2 (exercise bicycle, stairmaster). Week 4-14: Continued strengthening and range of motion. Short arc squats with body weight. Avoid extension against resistance. Brace discontinued. Week 14 on: Straight-line running, no cutting or sudden change of direction. Week 25 on: Running and cutting resumed. An ACL brace may be used as a safety precaution against reinjury until about one year post-operatively. Complications: ACL reconstruction is highly successful. Roughly 90% of patients return to normal or nearly normal knee function,. They have little or no pain or swelling. Infection is extremely rare and graft failure occurs in about 5% of patients. The knee should eventually have no greater risk of ligament reinjury than a knee without prior injury.

In summary, the anterior cruciate deficient knee is a challenging problem to the knee surgeon. Diagnosis and treatment require careful history and physical exam, X-ray and sometimes MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) to define the precise injury. After diagnosis, treatment options vary with the injury, the patient's lifestyle and their future expectations.

Compliments of: Center for Sports Medicine, Orthopaedics and Podiatry 400 Massasoit Ave., Suite 200 East Providence, Rhode Island 02914 sportsmedcenter.com – (401) 919-5222 16 – Senior Tennis 2011

Beverly Golf & Tennis Women’s 60+ Team Wins New England Championships to go to Nationals this Spring

Nine North Shore seniors will represent New England at the 2011 USTA League 7.0 Super Senior National Tennis Championships at the Surprise Tennis & Racquet Club in Surprise, Arizona, on April 27- 29, 2012. They will play the best teams from the other 16 USTA sections for a chance to win the national title. The team was 14-1 at Sectionals on August 12-14 in Beverly, MA, beating Rhode Island, Vermont, Maine, Cape Cod, and Western Massachusetts. This will be the fourth consecutive year that the captain, Cynthia Borghesani, has captained a USTA team that went on to Nationals. Her senior team in 2009 from New England won the national title in Tucson, Arizona. Several players from this 7.0 team are veterans of national USTA competitions.

Back rows, l-r: Carolyn McPartlin, Cheryl Connors, Cynthia Borghesani (capt.), Grace Cause, Charlotte Chane. Front row, l-r: Muthe Limpaecher, Dee Sordillo, Jill Lewis, Judy Schmid. Senior Tennis 2011 – 17

Ned Eames By Jerry Johnson Many years ago at the Worcester Tennis Club a young player came on the scene. His name was Ned Eames. I was always looking for guys who could really (as they say) “hit the ball” and players who had an innate passion for the game. Ned assuredly met and exceeded those standards! It wasn’t long after our initial practices that I christened him with the sobriquet “Swiss Cheese.” If you weren’t always on your toes, you were apt to be nailed (swiss-cheesed) by one of his rifled two-handers. We played against each other in singles and together in doubles. I couldn’t have asked for a more gutsy opponent or a better doubles partner. But there was something more that I admired about Ned. He was (and still is) a man of principle and conviction. He was (and still is) the type of person you liked hanging out with. I had a feeling that Ned was not only going to be a fine player but someone who would give back to the game. Ned founded Tenacity in 1999 and serves as its President. See www.tenacity.org. “Tenacity taps the resources of the community to provide a winning combination of literacy, life-skills and tennis instruction that enables at-risk youth to succeed.” I was recently thumbing through a copy of the 9/12/2011 edition of the Christian Science Monitor and came across an article on the magazine’s “People Making A Difference” page. It’s a story about Ned and Tenacity. I have attached the article, There are three kinds of people on this earth: Those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who say What happened? Ned is one who has made things happen. He has made a huge and positive difference in the lives of many.

PEOPLE: Making a Difference By Mary Helen Miller Contributor / The Christian Science Monitor / Sept. 12, 2011 At Umana Middle School Academy in East Boston, it’s easy to pick out some of the best students: They’re the ones with tennis rackets. The middle school is one of five in the city that has invited Tenacity, a nonprofit organization that teaches tennis and literacy, into its doors during or after school. Kids in the program meet three or four times a week for three-hour sessions of playing tennis and studying English and language arts . “They’re definitely our strongest academic students,” says Umana principal Alexandra Montes McNeil of the approximately 75 students at her school who participate. Ned Eames, Tenacity’s founder and president, started the program 12 years ago to reach students who were in danger of dropping out of high school. About 60 percent of Boston’s high school students graduate. But the number for students in the Tenacity program is considerably higher: About 95 percent of them graduate. And Tenacity doesn’t cherry-pick the top students to make its graduation rate look good. “We do not cream the crop,” Mr. Eames says. “These are the kids that are floundering.” Tenacity sessions held both during the summer and school year, include equal parts tennis and academics, with tennis as a big lure and unifying activity. About 5,000 kids participate in its summer programs at 30 sites, and about 200 students at five middle schools take part during the school year. Tenacity also offers less formal academic and personal support to another 200 high school students. All of its programs are free to students. Summer sessions look much like a typical summer sports camp, with counselors leading activities for 18 – Senior Tennis 2011

groups of yelling, laughing, running kids. But this camp has mandatory reading time, too. One July morning at a session on the tennis courts on the Boston Common, an urban park, kids gather under a tree with a counselor to read silently or aloud from books on their summer reading lists. Each camper must attend at least two weeks of the six-week summer session. The school year program is more demanding. Students must commit about 10 hours a week, and parents must agree to attend certain events and open their homes for visits from the Tenacity staff. Though Tenacity students spend half their time playing tennis, no one is claiming that they’re going to become stars. “It’s really about tennis as a means to an end,” Eames says. “We’re not a program that talks a lot about how good our kids get at tennis.” Instead, they talk about how good their kids get at academics. Tenacity students in middle school make 1.8 to 2.5 years of progress in English and language arts for each year they spend in the program, Eames says. He knows that because when students sign up for the programs, parents must agree to share student test scores with Tenacity. Richard Wilson, part of the first school year Tenacity class in 1999, says he was touched that Eames “actually cared and thought that I could go to college, and thought that I could be a successful person, which is something I didn’t hear much in my life.” Mr. Wilson later volunteered at Tenacity for eight years because he felt that he owed so much to Eames. “As I got older, he didn’t just toss me to the curb,” says Wilson, who will study communications this fall at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Eames, he says, showed him “that I can make it, and that there are opportunities out there.” Eames spent his early childhood in an upper-middle class neighborhood in Byfield, Mass, north of Boston. When he was 12, his father became a community organizer at a low-income housing project in Worcester, a blue-collar city west of Boston, and the family moved there. “As a teenager in a family that was going through as much change as you can imagine," Eames says, "tennis became the one thing that I could really hang onto." After college, he spent a short time playing minor-league tennis before eventually earning an MBA Ned Eames runs Tenacity, a fast-growing nonprofit that teaches tennis and starting a career as a management and literacy to middle-schoolers and some high school youths. He’s eyeing consultant. expansion to elementary schools. But after eight years working in New York, he says, “This idea kept coming to me: tennis. And it was very disconcerting because there was nothing in the world of tennis that I knew that I wanted to do.” A friend urged him to visit the New York Junior Tennis League, which provides lessons to kids free of charge. He decided he wanted to start something similar back in Boston. In Tenacity’s first year 40 students participated in the school year program and 1,100 in the summer program. Today those numbers have more than quadrupled. In the future, Tenacity plans to start workshops for elementary students and their parents and provide more guidance to high school graduates who are in post-secondary schools or the military. Senior Tennis 2011 – 19

But Eames says he doesn’t want the program to grow too fast – or go nationwide – if it would mean sacrificing quality. “We don’t want to be selling our soul to have to raise the money we’d have to raise to go national,” Eames says. “We’d just like to be focused right here.”

*To learn more go to Tenacity.org. South Shore Seniors to Go to National Tennis Championship Seven South Shore Seniors, six who are members of the Quincy Tennis Club, will represent New England at the 2011 USTA League 8.0 Super Senior National Tennis Championship in Surprise, Arizona in April 2012. This Championship pits the best teams from each of 17 USTA Sections against each other for the chance to win the national title. To represent the New England Section, the group first had to win the Cape Cod League in a series of matches for men aged 60+, played this summer at the Kings Grant Racquet Club in Cotuit, Mass. By winning that league they entered the New England Sectional Championship played in Beverly, Mass. August 12-14. There they defeated teams from Eastern Mass, Maine, Rhode Island and New Hampshire for the New England title.

Pictured are the team members (from l to r): Pat Rossetti, Quincy; Ted Underwood, Hingham; Butch Guilizia, Quincy; Bill Litwin, Hingham; Paul Ajemian, Duxbury; Dan Vaughn, Norwell; Joe Ryan, Quincy. 20 – Senior Tennis 2011

Poems Set to Music Jerry Johnson has provided the New England Senior Tennis Foundation Bulletin with dozens of tennis poems and stories over the past decade. Recently, he collaborated with Jon Gailmor and Pete Sutherland, two of Vermont’s most beloved troubadours, resulting in a wonderfully enjoyable CD of 16 of Jerry’s poems set to music. Jon’s and Pete’s voices ring with a crisp, uncommon clarity and engaging musicality, while Jerry’s words from the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont are authentic and revealing of a life led fully in the embrace of this land of all seasons, secured with his first-person knowing of what it means to live a life found nowhere else. Sydney Lea, Poet Laureate of Vermont, said this about Jerry’s CD: “Jerry Johnson has the true songwriter’s gift: his lyrics seem so simple, but that’s a deception. The more one listens – and the tunes are brilliantly served by the excellent Jon Gailmor and Pete Sutherland – the deeper they get. What a pleasure this album is!” Here’s how to purchase: Single CD, $15; 2 CDs, $25; Free Shipping. Send a check or money order to: Jerry Johnson, PO Box 44, Irasburg, VT 05845. Poems Our Precocious Poet – for Axel Kaufmann

Mr. Kaufmann is witty with the poems he does pen about tennis, the players – be they women or men. For years he has composed many a line for Longwood’s Cricketeer in the town of Brookline.

His poems pour forth freely. It is quite clever how he finds the right words in his writing endeavor. He wields his pen as he did with his racquet and nails all his rhymes with a thunderous “whack it!”

Hail, hail to our precocious rhapsodist and each of his poems with their American twist. His verses have covered every possible approach from drop shot to serve and even the poach.

Tennis is blessed to have this man called Axel – his decades of poems form a tennis-time capsule. He has written about the game which we play on grass and cement and our beloved red clay.

Jerry Johnson www.vtpoet.com Senior Tennis 2011 – 21

Team Richey

Nancy and Cliff, Cliff and Nancy – One is a bull, the other is fancy. Out on the court they went for the kill, Knocking off players was their ultimate thrill.

One’s in the Hall, the other should be too – What else must a player of his caliber do? He took on all comers with the heart of a lion, His opponents were facing the hunter, Orion.

Sister and brother, brother and sister – Out on the court the ball they did blister. No other team of sister and brother Brought as much to tennis or to one another.

It is time for the Newport Casino to receive The bull who wore his heart on his sleeve. A champion was he of the highest caliber – It’s time for his hall-of-fame investiture.

Jerry Johnson www.vtpoet.com 22 – Senior Tennis 2011

Report from Rich Heath Pictures are from the Pittsfield Tournament. There were four teams in the mixed doubles, 45-and-over. The Heath family comprised a member in each one of the teams. Tim Heath and Dixie Passardi won the tournament. They also won the previous year. We also held the Conanicut Island Century Tennis Doubles Classic at the Conanicut Yacht Club Sept. 17 and 18. Twelve teams competed and Tim Heath and Jim Fallon beat John Spears and Phil Johnson in the finals, 6-2, 6-1. Eighty-nine year old Henry Tiberio and his grandson Matthew won the back draw. This was exciting for Henry to say the least.

Winners: Tim Heath and Jim Fallon. Director Steve Health. Runners-up: John Spears and Phil Johnson.

Consolation winners: Tim Sternberg and Bertrand Reprieve winners: Henry Tiberio and Dumont. Matthew Tiberio. Senior Tennis 2011 – 23

1960 Scrap Book Memories Favorites Advance to Quarterfinals of State Tennis Tournament Salaun, Scott Win Matches with Ease Four Yale Players Are Still Left in Field The third day of the 37th annual Connecticut State Tennis Championships at the Lawn Club produced little on the unusual side as all of the top seeded contestants won their matches. The men’s singles were scheduled to run today with four Yale players among the eight quarterfinalists left. The women’s quarterfinals were also slated to get underway as were the women’s doubles and the mixed doubles. The Yale netters advancing to the quarterfinal round were Giff Hopkins, who was booked to meet fourth-seeded Richard Heath, Gene Scott, Ralph Howe and Sid Wood. Scott’s opponent will be Howe, Wood will book up in a duel against Steve Ogilvy of Westport. Top ranked women’s singles contestant Kay Hubbell of Conway, N.H., had the day off but second ranked Mrs. Gloria Martin, of Springfield, Mass., Mrs. Lois Rockwell of Wellesley, Mass., the No. 3 gal, and Virginia Connolly, No. 4, of the home club enjoyed expected success in their matches.

These are some glimpses at the annual Connecticut State Tennis Tournament at the Lawn Club. Photo at left show top seeded men’s singles player Henri Salaun relaxing after winning his first match. In the center is Gene Scott, New England College Champion seeded No. 2 on the court during his doubles match. At right are Lois Felix, winner of the tourney the past seven years, now assistant pro, and Bill Hinchcliff, head pro, busily attending to the chore of keeping the score board up-to-date. The quarterfinals of the event were held today. 24 – Senior Tennis 2011

Rain Interrupts Semi-Final Play in Annual State Tennis Tournament Miss Hubbell, Henri Salaun Win Quarters Virginia Connolly is Only Casualty Among Top Seeds That somebody up there – in this case the weatherman, hit the New Haven area early and late this morning forcing postponement of the women’s singles semi-final matches this morning. Only one reversal of form marked yesterday’s quarter- final round. If continued bad weather cancels the entire slate of activity today, there’s a chance the semi-finals and finals will be staged tomorrow. On the other hand, if the inclemencies persist, the finals may be moved to Sunday with the semifinals tomorrow. The women’s final is booked for 11 a.m. whenever it’ll be played, with the men taking over the courts at 2 p.m. When play does get under way, top seeded Kay Hubbell of Conway, NH, will face third seeded Mrs. Lois Rockwell of Kay Hubbell, seeded No. 1 in the State Wellesley, Mass. Second seeded Mrs. Gloria Martin of Springfield, Tournament at the Lawn Club this week, Mass., will be pitted against Mrs. Virginia Johnson of the home returns serve from quarter-final opponent club. Ann Carlier. Miss Hubbell defeated Top seeded men’s contestant, Henri Salaun of Cambridge, Miss Carlier in straight sets 6-0, 6-0. Her Mass., is scheduled to oppose Richard Heath of the host club at 6 semifinal opponent will be third seeded p.m. today. Yale University star Gene Scott and teammate Sidney Mrs. Lois Rockwell. Rain halted today’s Wood meet in the other men’s semifinal struggle at 4 p.m. action at least temporarily. Miss Hubbell, playing her second match, had Wellesley, Mass., school teacher Ann Carlier seeing nothing but blanks in their quarterfinal match yesterday, winning 6-0, 6-0. Miss Hubbell has yet to be pressed in either of two matches. Mrs. Rockwell got a score from Charlotte Alling of The Lawn Club before overcoming her rival 6-4, 7-5. Second seeded Mrs. Martin enjoyed much the same soft touch as Miss Hubbell, bouncing around the court with ease, 6-0, 6-0, over Mrs. Mildred Johnson of Boston, Mass. Pretty Virginia Connolly of Weymouth, Mass., was the only casualty among the top ranked gals. The Boston University senior prevailed in the first set over her much older foe, Mrs. Johnson of the home club, 6-4, but the dashing Terrier co-ed fell asleep 6-0 and 6-3 in the last two sets. The tiger-like Salaun didn’t give an inch to New York’s Bill Tull in the quarterfinal clash. Salaun consistently broke through Tull’s service as he took his foe into camp 6-0, 6-0. Tull made a try at playing Salaun’s game but the little slugger’s change of pace play proved too much. Home club entry Richard Heath was extended to three sets before turning back Giff Hopkins of Yale 6-4, 3-6, 7-5. Heath, who has played 87 games in three matches, began against Hopkins in similar fashion to his earlier bouts. He won the first set 6-4 and lost the second 3-6. But the good looking former Colgate star went to the net against Hopkins in the final set for a 7-5 triumph. Second seeded Scott and Wood both won their quarterfinal matches by 6-2 scores in straight sets. New England Collegiate champion Scott, displaying an accurate overhead shot, kept forcing Howe back and out of position. He won the first three games in the opening set and was on easy street after that. Baseline Banter: New assistant pro Lois Felix of Meriden was 33 Wednesday. Lois, usually the perennial favorite to win the tournament, is enjoying her new job but says she probably won’t engage in

Continued on page 28 Senior Tennis 2011 – 25

Continued from page 11 (Djokovic’s) in the world. It was always very good, and this year it’s even better. Its great depth makes it very effective against both first serves and second serves. So his opponents have a lot of pressure on them and have to decide what kind of serve they will use. Novak can read his opponents’ serves very well and anticipate what kind of serve it will be. Sometimes Federer slows up his first serve a little bit because when he hits it harder, it comes back to him faster. Federer is a genius, and he tries all different kinds of serves, but he doesn’t succeed because Novak is unique in being able to return everything.

Some experts say Djokovic and Federer have the two best returns of serve today. Why is Djokovic’s return of serve technically excellent? His reactions are great. If the serve comes at 240 kilometers [per hour], you have less than a half a second to hit it. He’s doing technically great things, and against very fast serves he adjusts and shortens his backswing. In a short amount of time he can adjust and move right or left. It’s just a great reaction that comes from his ability to read the serve and anticipate. Some players can do it, but it takes them six or seven errors to figure out the service. Novak and Federer can do it after only one or two errors. It is a gift they have. You cannot learn it.

Is there anything else that makes Djokovic’s return of serve great? Now after two years, he has found a racket which is very good. It’s a Head racket. Its sweet spot is very narrow. It was difficult to adapt to it, but once you adapt and you hit the ball in the right place, the ball goes great off the racket.

Darren Cahill, who coached Andre Agassi and Lleyton Hewitt, considers two statistics the most telling: Percentage of second serve points won on your serve and percentage of second serve points won against your opponent’s serve. Djokovic has won 56 percent of his second serve points, which ties for No. 2; and he's won 58 percent of the points when he returns second serves, which ties for No. 2. Please analyze why he is so successful in these two important categories. Professional tennis players always say you are only as good as your second serve. His second serve was always good, except in 2010. But now his second serve is one of the best. I think Novak has one of the fastest second serves on the tour. His spin is also great. For the second part, obviously the second serve is slower than the first serve, and he can adapt very well because he is very agile. His technique is very, very good on the return. So he can attack the second serve more quickly than the other players. No matter how tricky the spin is, it doesn’t bother him.

What is different about his tactics this year? The Davis Cup gave him confidence, then he won the Australian Open, which gave him more confidence, then he had fantastic results in America [winning Indian Wells and Miami]. His game is very effective now; he can reach every ball; his movement is great. So there is no reason to change the tactics or adapt to his opponents’. He knows their strengths and weaknesses. We’ve done a lot of work over the years to reach this point. He’s not playing that many drop-shots anymore from the baseline, which is smart. He can come to the net more, but that will take some time. This is another step [in his progress]. This is very interesting work for me. (Laughter)

Does Djokovic’s game resemble Andre Agassi’s game because they are both grinders, but power grinders? Yes, but it’s tough to compare their games and strategies. Agassi had great groundstrokes. He was punching all the time, like a boxer. He took some punches, but he punched back even more. Agassi was one of a kind, as well. There was a different kind of pro game in the 1990s. There is definitely a slight similarity there. But now it is much more baseline tennis; there is no serving and volleying. 26 – Senior Tennis 2011

Success breeds confidence. How would you assess the evolution of Djokovic’s mental game? He definitely has calmed down, and he’s more confident now. He has his weapons, and he has his weaknesses he can work on still. But now he’s more of an all-around player. He believes in his game much more. Being more mature has helped him achieve his goals.

Is he also maturing as a person off the court? Yes, definitely. He’s more responsible for his decisions, and he understands the consequences of his decisions better. He organizes things better in his private life, and writes down what he has to do every day in a notebook. He’s very focused, but he’s also very relaxed. He likes to play golf and he likes to talk with the guys. He makes jokes which people like. (Laughter) Some people call him “The Djoker.” That’s a good nickname.

Djokovic and Murray have both played third fiddle to Federer and Nadal from 2007 to 2010. Djokovic thrashed Murray in the 2011 Australian Open final and has played phenomenally well, while Murray has slumped badly. What are the biggest differences between the two? In Grand Slam events, you have to stay focused for all fourteen days, and that is tremendously hard. Novak was able to cope with that. When Andy played the Australian final, [it looked like] he didn’t want to be on the court. The first set was close. But Novak was eager and really on top of his game from the beginning.

Djokovic almost never serves and volleys. Since both his serve and his volley have improved, do you think the next stage in his improvement should be to serve and volley occasionally as a surprise tactic on grass and hard courts? That’s a good question. Yes. He could volley much more, but not on a hard court because it’s kind of slow. But grass would be different. I wish he could do that. For Wimbledon, I wish Novak would have that option and be confident enough to come to net more often. Maybe he could even do that on the U.S. Open hard courts, which are a little bit faster.

Clay and grass are Djokovic’s least successful surfaces, though he’s reached the French and Wimbledon semis twice. How do you predict he will fare this year as the second seed at the French Open and Wimbledon? I don’t predict anything, but our hopes are high. He wants to win one of them. It’s just a matter of good preparation right now and choosing the right tournaments to enter. He could win both the French Open and Wimbledon. In his mind, he thinks his chances are equally good to win both tournaments. He likes both surfaces, but I would prefer clay for him right now. Another good advantage is that finally Novak is going to be seeded No. 2, which means it is less likely he will have to beat both Nadal and Federer,

Would it surprise you if Djokovic won three major titles this year? No! (Laughter). He has the ability and a strong mental game.

Would it surprise you if Djokovic won all four majors to win the Grand Slam? Yes!

(Editor’s note: Djokovic defeated Nadal to win Wimbledon this year.)

Paul Fein has received more than 30 writing awards and authored three books, Tennis Confidential: Today’s Greatest Players, Matches, and Controversies; You Can Quote Me on That: Greatest Tennis Quips, Insights, and Zingers; and Tennis Confidential II: More of Today’s Greatest Players, Matches, and Controversies. Fein is also a USPTA-certified teaching pro and coach with a Pro-1 rating, former director of the Springfield (Mass.) Satellite Tournament, a former top 10-ranked men’s Open New England tournament player, and currently a No. 1-ranked Super Senior player in New England. Senior Tennis 2011 – 27

Over Time, Tantrums on the Court Become Tamer By John Martin During his second-set meltdown Sunday against Rafael Nadal, the Argentine veteran David Nalbandian raised his racket in disgust and despair, brandishing it above his head at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Soon, it appeared, the racket would be smashed to pieces. The chair umpire, Pascal Maria of France, watched closely in anticipation. But it did not happen. Suddenly, Nalbandian pulled back from the abyss, lowered his racket and walked to the sideline, his moment of fury defused . For tennis fans with long memories, it was a chance to ponder the ebb and flow of anger management between players and officials in the last 30 years. Not everyone has adopted the Nalbandian style: feel it, cool it, move on. On opening day, Ryan Harrison, who was fined $2,100 at the French Open for flinging his racket over a fence, lost his temper on the Louis Armstrong court. Venting his frustration, Harrison slammed his racket and kicked a ball into the crowd during his first- round loss to Marin Cilic. But the chair umpire, Louise Engzell of Sweden, kept her cool. Later that afternoon, Maria Sharapova grew contentious and challenged no fewer than five calls. The chair umpire, Lynn Welch of the United States, calmly acceded to her repeated requests for video replays. The next night, Andrey Golubev of Kazakhstan disputed several decisions in his first-round loss to Nadal, gesturing and glaring at his opponent, the crowd and the chair umpire, Carlos Ramos, of Portugal. Ramos ignored him. None of the players’ behavior was deemed disruptive or excessive. Even so, by Tuesday night, United States Open umpires had cited 30 players for 33 code violations that drew $44,600 in fines. The offenses included audible obscenities, abuse of rackets and equipment and unsportsmanlike conduct. What is different from the bad old days? Paid professional umpires have replaced unpaid volunteers, and players can resort to electronic replays to verify a call they think is wrong. As a result, gone are the towering tantrums of Ilie Nastase, the umpire baiting of John McEnroe and the crude gestures of Jimmy Connors. “It was dreadful” said Dick Roberson, a World Team Tennis supervisor of officials who was hired by the ATP in 1979 and became the chief Grand Prix supervisor. “Nobody wanted to sit courtside because of the vulgar language,” he said. Roberson’s mandate from the Men’s International Professional Tennis Council was to conduct training, devise evaluations and certify professional chair umpires who could stand up to misbehaving players. One of Roberson’s early recruits was Rich Kaufman, now the Open’s chief umpire. Another recruit was Jim Tunney, who refereed three Super Bowl and was put to work in World Team Tennis matches in California. “You know why I got him?” Roberson said of Tunney. “So he could handle Nastase.” The most notorious outburst of that era came from McEnroe, who repeatedly screamed at a Wimbledon chair umpire in 1981, “You cannot be serious!” It became the title of McEnroe’s autobiography. It is unlikely that McEnroe would now choose to say, “Are you, sir, perhaps, not serious?” But in the different atmosphere today, players are often more respectful toward officials. Some are downright sympathetic. “I think it’s a tough job being an umpire,” Roger Federer said last week . “I think players know that, too.” One umpire who might have been pleased to hear Federer’s remark is Dr. Charles F. Beck, who faced a fellow New Yorker’s ire in the late 1970 and the 1980s. “As I drove along, I examined the match that I had done with John McEnroe,” he wrote in his 1988 28 – Senior Tennis 2011

memoir, “A View From the tall Chair: Ten Years with the Men’s Pro Tour.” “Why did he behave so badly? Why did I put myself in a position to listen to him? Is it worth that to an umpire? No one, in my whole life, had ever yelled at me like that. In all of my participation in sports, no player had ever behaved that way.” Beck, who spent a decade on the road working at tournaments, found himself questioning his competence in the wake of McEnroe’s tongue-lashing. “Should I stop?” he wrote. “Is it possible that he is right? Maybe I am not a good official.” Maybe, with his restraint and self-examination, Beck was a better official than he realized. Today, some top players still cannot control their anger. At the French Open in May, Fernando Verdasco of Spain drew a $5000 fine for repeated audible obscenities. Still, some others have managed to curb their enthusiasm for even mild tantrums. At Wimbledon in July, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France missed a pop volley that could have pulled him out of a downward spiral against Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. As his shot landed long, Tsonga raised his racket and appeared ready to slam it into the Center Court turf. Then he checked his motion, gingerly placed the racket in his mouth and sank his teeth into the frame. Tennis anger managed, released – and left behind.

David Nalbandian became upset during his match with Rafael Nadal on Sunday, but he did not completely lose his temper.

Continued from page 24 (Rain) any formal competition this summer unless some Open Tournament is staged.... The starting number of 42 men is 20 short of the all-time record. The largest number of female entries in the event was 30.... The annual dinner dance is being held in the club ballroom tonight from 7 to 1... The winner of the women’s singles receives the Hope Knowles Rawls Trophy. To the men’s victor goes the Lawn Club Bowl...Miss Hubbell was ranked 14th in the nation at one time in her career... Gene Scott took a final examination in Chinese History today. He plans to play on the tennis circuit before going into the service. Senior Tennis 2011 – 29

Chaffee-Hart-Alden Memorial Seniors Tennis Tournament For the past seven years John and Judy Clarno of Adams, MA, have run the annual Chaffee-Hart-Alden Seniors Tennis Tournament in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts. They have decided to retire and put the tournament in someone else’s hands. The tournament has a history of more than half-a-century, but its future remains in doubt as of the writing of this article. The event was held at the Williams College clay courts up until 2009 when the college, impacted by the national recession, decided not to open the courts for the summer season. For every action there’s a reaction and tournament director John Clarno sprung into action and convinced the Country Club of Pittsfield to open up their 5 Har-Tru (clay) courts for the three day tournament over the July 4th weekend. And while the tournament has been held there the past three years, the club, prompted by member complaints, will not allow the competition to use the courts during the summer months. That’s where things stand now – unless enough Williamstown area tennis players can come up with a membership fee of $200 to pay the college to reopen the courts this summer. The local players were successful last year in getting enough members to pay the college to open the courts, but not in time to move the tournament back to Williamstown. So, as of now, it’s a tournament without a home, as tennis players are working hard to raise the money to reopen the courts again this summer. If that effort is successful, the tournament is hopeful of getting the courts reserved for the weekend of July 20-22. But, I digress and need to get back to the main purpose of this story – the Clarnos. Not only did John and Judy spend long hours well before and during the tournament to make it one of the most popular events of the tennis season in New England. John played singles and doubles nearly every year. They worked hard to get area players to participate in and help run the tournament, which drew anywhere from 60 to 85 participants yearly. They point with pride to the success they had in making sure tournament players were treated with respect and provided with refreshments during the event, which often ended up during one of the hottest weekends in the summer. In the meantime, Judy has retired from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, MA, where she served as an instructor. The pair now hopes to curtail their activities and bask in the knowledge that they earned the admiration and respect of senior tennis players throughout New England and the east coast. As stressful and challenging running the tournament was, you may ask: “Will they miss it?” Judy speaks for her and John and replies, “Yes, we will miss it.” She says she’s encouraging John to continue playing in the tournament in the 75 and over category. So, what will they miss? The list is long, but it starts with realizing that there were only two entries two weeks before the start of the competition. Typically the event drew 70-plus players with many playing in two categories. The pair says they won’t miss the 3 a.m. hour when they were still on the computer arranging the schedule for the next day, but they felt exhilarated when it all came together. Looking back over the seven years, Judy and John pointed to the strong support given the tournament by Irving Levine, Rich Heath and the New England Senior Tennis Foundation. The couple also has a warm spot for the late Nancy Alden (she died two and a half years ago of cancer) and the parties that she hosted at her Southern Vermont home during the tournament which then required four days to complete. In addition to the usual pulled muscles and other minor injuries endured by the senior players during those seven years, one major incident stands out. Two summer ago, a player in his sixties collapsed on the 30 – Senior Tennis 2011

court during a changeover in a singles match on a very hot day. In the adjacent court was a heart doctor and he rushed over, applied CPR and stabilized the man until an ambulance arrived and whisked him to a nearby hospital. The story has a happy ending – the man recovered and was on the senior tour the next year. So, in wrapping up this tribute to John and Judy Clarno, they want to “thank everyone who in any way helped us to bring our senior players together, and we sincerely hope that this tournament continues for another 50-plus years.” And for those of us who had the privilege of working with them (I’m one of them), we wish them health and longevity and a THANK YOU for helping to promote senior tennis in New England. Submitted by Ron Plock Committee Member – Tournament Publicity [email protected]

Weinstock was Captain of U.S. Team in Turkey Framingham, Mass. – The nation’s top tennis players in age groups from 60-80 competed against 153 teams from 27 countries around the globe from October 10-15 in Antalya, Turkey. One of New England’s most talented tennis players and strongest advocates for the game went international. Sheila Weinstock of Framingham, Mass., represented the United States at the 34th ITF Super-Seniors World Team Championships. The nation’s top tennis players in age groups from 60-80 competed against 153 teams from 27 counties around the globe from Oct. 10-15 in Antalya, Turkey. Weinstock was named captain of the Althea Gibson Cup team and was valuable in singles and doubles along with her teammates Suella Steel, Susanne Clark, and Charleen Hillebrand. Weinstock won the 2011 National Grasscourt Doubles Championship and was the finalist in the singles. She was the Northeast USPTA Senior Player of the Year from 2006 through 2010. Sheila has experience with international competition as she represented the USA in 2003, 2004 and 2008 on national cup teams. Weinstock is a member of the USTA National Adult Competitive Committee and was recently elected to the very prestigious position of president of the National Senior Women’s Tennis Association. She presently is the manager and a teaching pro at Natick Racquet Club. The ITF Seniors/Senior-seniors World Team Championships is the most coveted team event on the ITF Seniors circuit. Since its inception, the number of competitors attracted to this event has increased yearly. In 1993 the ITF made the decision to divide the senior world championships into two groups: ‘Seniors’ for the younger veterans, and ‘Super-seniors’ for the older players. Senior Tennis 2011 – 31

Why Tennis Rules the Earth By Jason Gay One of these days men’s tennis is going to get boring again. There will be a fallow period. Greats will retire, get hurt, fatten up, open bad restaurants, babble on TV and buy vineyards. There will be a new, unremarkable No. 1. A murky two through 10. Maybe a U.S. player – a U.S. player! – will crack the top five. Grand Slam finals will shrink to three uneventful sets. Tennis will return to that stale-aired foyer it got trapped in a while ago – dull, characterless, skippable. That time isn’t now. Men’s professional tennis may be the most satisfying sport on the planet at the moment. There is no game with so much excellence currently swirling at its top, that so reliably delivers not just entertainment, but historic greatness. It isn’t to be missed. Conventional superlatives fail. Once-a-lifetime? Symphony of brilliance? Wicked good? It all sounds cheesy, inadequate. But what’s happening in the men’s game is as close as sports gets to unadulterated joy, the kind of outrageous viewer experience that leaves the audience gasping, as if anaerobic, as it did Sunday morning, in the men’s final of the Australian Open. To be clear, when I say men’s tennis, I am really talking about the Novak Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal in a interactions of three players. Maybe four, if we want to be generous 5-hour, 53-minute final Sunday. and include Andy Murray, who has yet to win a Grand Slam, and keeps grabbing for that glory, only to pull the doorknob off in his hand. The unquestioned top three are world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and roger Federer. Between them, they have won 31 Slams, and Djokovic is still shopping in aisle one. They are as formidable and as entangled a trio as tennis has ever witnessed – as silly as it is to get into generational comparisons, it’s fair to say that the great three of Borg, McEnroe and Connors (26 combined Slams) are on the run, in their flowing hair and short-shorts. This past week there were early mornings, depending on where you lived, and your ability to have woken up in darkness to watch the spectacle. Reasonable people used a DVR, but Sunday’s 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-5 epic, won by Djokovic over Nadal, wasn’t designed to be breezed over via remote control. This was a match that accelerated and de-accelerated and accelerated again; that both men locked up and let escape; that left a pair of champions droop-shouldered and wobbly. It lasted a boiled egg under six hours, beating the second-longest Grand Slam final by 59 minutes. It was briefly delayed by rain. It ended with Djokovic yanking at his collar, stripping off his shirt, and unleashing a primal yell – Fred Stolle meets Freddie Mercury. Could a 60-minute Super Bowl equal this kind of drawn-out saga? An NBA Final? The win was Djokovic’s second straight Australian Open title and his third Slam victory in a row. Nadal won three straight in 2010, and Federer did it twice before, and Pete Sampras once before him. Looming above, there is only Rod Laver, who polished all four in the 1962 and 1969 calendar, and watched Sunday's final in the arena that bears his name. Once considered an interloper with dubious endurance, Djokovic, 24, now stands as the sport’s alpha. He began 2011 with a 41-match win steak, and has won four of the last five Slams. You’d think Djokovic’s dominance might suck some of the drama out of the sport, but this is thoroughly not the case. After a string of one-sided defeats to Djokovic, Nadal’s narrow loss Sunday is new fuel for the Spaniard, who remains just 25. “During all of 2011, I didn’t play much like this,” Nadal said afterward. At 30, Federer is elegantly fighting the sunset – he’s still capable of beating both, pushing Nadal to four sets in the semis, beating Djokovic in the French and taking him to match point in the past two U.S. Opens. Tennis fans are giddy, and may get carried away in the afterglow of these tournaments, but this is defensible carrying away. That 2008 Wimbledon twilight five-setter between Federer and Nadal set a glorious standard, but 32 – Senior Tennis 2011

since then there’s been a steady stream of classics, on all surfaces, between the big three, and even Murray, too. As soon as new matches are consecrated, they’re replaced. (How quickly Sunday’s thriller vaporized Djokovic’s five-set semi over Murray and Nadal’s four-setter over Federer, not to mention Victoria Azarenka’s 6-3, 6-0 rout of Maria Sharapova in the women’s final.) The torrent of great tennis has undermined the old fear that the game would unravel with new technology, that it would become a tedious game of baseline heavy hitting. Ha. A confident Djokovic will press toward a Steffi Graf-style “Golden” Slam, with the delicious potential exclamation point of an Olympic title in London at the All-England Club. But his most formidable challenge may come next, at the French Open, on the red brick dust Nadal claims as a pied-à-terre. Could a 60-minute Super Bowl equal this kind of drawn out saga? An NBA Final? An Olympiad? (Please don’t say the Pro Bowl or the NHL All-Star Game.) Every spring someone trots out the claim that the flurry of buzzer beaters in the NCAA basketball tournament makes it the most riveting event in sports, and there’s always the World Cup, but what’s happening in tennis feels far more intimate, close up, personal, Djokovic, Nadal and Federer are deep in our pores. It feels like they have more to give, but you never can be sure, and that’s what makes it so...whatever word you want to use. On to Paris.

Continued from page Front Cover (Irving Levine)

in 22 tournaments that first year of retirement. “I was like a zombie,” he said. He was 45 at the time. Menard said he’s never played more than seven tournament in a year. “I’ve watched him play matches that lasted three and four hours all over New England,” Menard says of Levine. “His stamina is unbelievable.” Between 1954 and 1965 he held the title of Fall River Champion. “I won it every Labor Day,” he said. “Irving loves tennis,” says George Boyce of Lincoln, R.I., who like Menard is in the 75-and-over age division. “He’s an inspiration,” Menard says looking at him as they sit near the clubhouse at his home waiting for the rain to stop so they can play. The men play on Levine’s court three times a week. Levine said tennis has probably played a big part in his health and longevity. “I think it keeps you in condition,” says Boyce. “If there’s something wrong with you you’re going to find out pretty quickly.” Just a few years ago a 60-year-old man who was playing next to Levine on his home court collapsed and died. Tennis today is more physical and faster than it was years ago, says Riccardi who is the youngest in the group and plays in the 55-and-over division. Levine says he plays tennis every day when he goes to Florida, but finds that he really does need to take a break once in a while. “I now need to rest my muscles,” he said. He said that while he’s working. He shifted his business interest from manufacturing to retail sales and at one time had 50 handbag outlet stores. He now has handbag departments in 12 stores and owns and operates the The Bag Outlet near the Registry of Motor Vehicles office on Plymouth Avenue. He also founded a mutual fund called the The Copley Fund that was number one in the country in 1984 and rated first among 8,000 stock funds this pastAugust. His wife of 64 years, Beatrice, is a golfer. She said she didn’t play tennis because “I could never get to the ball” in time. But tennis has been a big part of her life regardless. “I look at all his trophies and say ‘look at all the places I’ve been and all the nice people I’ve met’.” She remembers the day 35 years ago when they looked at the property that is now their home. A horse paddock was in the back yard, where the tennis court is now. “He said, I think we should buy this place. The land is beautiful. I said, would you like to see the house,” she said laughing. “He fell in love with the idea that he could build a tennis court there,” she said watching as he served the ball. She never thought he’d be playing at the age of 90 but remarks: “Isn’t it wonderful?” Asked if there is a “100-and-over” age division in tennis, Levine replied, “No, not yet.” Senior Tennis 2011 – 33 NE Senior Tennis pix 34 – Senior Tennis 2011

Play Tennis Forever! By Michelle Collie, PT, MS, DPT, OCS To play tennis forever, injury free, takes work and discipline. Follow this routine to optimize your strength, agility, balance and flexibility to reduce your risk of injury and optimize your game

Move Your Body to Warm Up! Spend 5 to 10 minutes on the warm up, designed to increase blood flow to muscles and joints, preparing you for optimal performance and decreasing the risk of injury. • Begin on the service line at the center mark, jog forward to the net, backward to the base line then forward to service line. repeat about 3 times increasing your speed as you feel comfortable. • From the center mark side step to the sideline, repeating about 3 times. Alternate between long and short strides, slow and quick. • From the baseline high knee walk to the net, turn and high knee skip back to baseline. Repeat 3 times. • From the baseline take mini, quick steps moving forward to net then return moving backwards to baseline. Tip: If preparing to play a game of tennis do this on the court to begin to mentally prepare!

1 Want a 6 Pack of Abs? Draw your navel in and upward toward the spine to engage the deepest, lower abdominals. These are the muscles that are key for stabilizing and supporting the spine. 1. Begin with knees bent, navel drawn in, hands support neck, and 2 “crunch” lifting head and shoulder up. Repeat 10 times. 2. Lift both feet and straighten 1 leg at a time – keep abdominals drawn in! To further challenge combined this exercise with a crunch. Repeat 10 times. Note: ANY back pain, stop! And seek help!

1 The Gluts are the Power House! Strong gluteal muscles (the muscles in the butt) are essential for 2 maintaining good alignment and balance in the legs. 1. Bridge; Lift hips up, maintaining a parallel pelvis – hold for 10 seconds and repeat 10 times. 2. To increase the challenge, maintain and parallel pelvis and extend leg – repeat 10 times on each leg. 3 3. Side lying; Keep a stable trunk with abdominals drawn up: a) 10 leg 4 lifts, b) 10 mini circles forward then backwards, c) 10 extend leg behind, d) 10 large circles, f) 10 leg lifts. Keep going until your butt burns! 4. The Clam: Knees and hip at 90 degrees, feet together, lift top knee, 20 times. Repeat routine on other side. Key: Remember, as you strength the gluteals, stabilize the spine by drawing in the abdominals. Senior Tennis 2011 – 35

1 2

Work the Whole Body! 1. The plank; Rest on your forearms and lift the knees and hips up. Hold for 10 seconds, repeat 5 times. 3 4 2. Side Plank; On your side, rest on your forearm and lift up hips. Repeat 10 times. Top hand can be rested on waist or raise and stretch it high. 3. Lunges; Lunge forward keeping trunk straight, knee directly over foot. Step forward and lunge step forward 20 steps. 4. Squat; Knees over feet, repeat 3 sets of 10 squats.

1 2 Keep a Healthy Back Whether you have back pain or not, maintain healthy spinal mobility with these exercises. 1 to 2. Repeat the “cat and cow” 10 times, continuing to breathe and moving spine through full range of movement. 3 4 3. Rest back onto heels and hold for 30 seconds. 4. Relax the spine and use your arms to push up. Only raise shoulders as high as is comfortable. Repeat 10 times. Note: These exercises can be done at any time. Please note, any exacerbation of back or leg pain, please stop.

1 2 Finish with Stretches Stretch after exercise to ensure soft tissue length is maintained. Breathe, hold for 20 seconds at least, aim for a strong but comfortable sensation. 3 5 1. Hamstring Stretch. Aim to stretch forward and pull up toes to include the lower leg. 2. Hip Flexor; Maintain a pelvic tilt to maximize stretch of the hip flexors and quadriceps. This can also be done standing with the right 6 foot on a chair. 7 3. The spinal twist – breathe in become taller, breath out and rotate!

5. Standing quad stretch – keep knees and thighs together. 6. Tricep stretch. 7. Shoulder capsule stretch. 8 8. With extended elbow stretch wrist into flexion and extension.

Conditioning should optimally be done at least 3 times a week and stretches after you play tennis or exercises. Try variations and change the order of the exercises, as this will keep you working harder! And remember to have fun! Please note: This program is not designed to replace any existing program you have or to specifically treat an injury or problem. This program is designed for a person of reasonable fitness and strength without consideration of injuries or medical problems. Please seek medical advice should you be experiencing any pain or an injury. Michelle Collie, PT, MS, DPT, OCS is the owner and director of Performance Physical Therapy, a multi-clinic physical therapy practice in Rhode Island specializing in orthopedics, the spine and sports injuries. For more information, please go to: www.performanceptri.com 36 – Senior Tennis 2011

N.E.S.T.F. Has Financial NEW ENGLAND Support for Tennis- SENIOR TENNIS Related Projects FOUNDATION

The New England Senior Tennis Foundation is soliciting proposals for programs which will support and promote the goals of the Foundation which Grant Policy / Discussion are: to promote tennis among senior adults (45 and older for men and 40 and older for women) in New England and, by instruction and education through the operation of clinics, programs and competitive events, to enhance their physical and mental well-being and thereby their quality of life. The Board of Directors of the Foundation will award a grant of up to $2,000 to an indi- Our policy, as stated in our program grant request, is to “pro- vidual or organization that submits a proposal that is consistent with the above mote tennis among seniors in New England and by instruc- goals. The deadline for submission is February 28, 2013. The program can be tion and education through the operation of clinics, programs run any time in 2013. If you have any questions on your idea for a program and competitive events, to enhance their phsycial and mental you may call George Ulrich at 860-443-2098. Please consider submitting a well being and thereby their quality of life.” proposal using the attached form. This is a good general statement but in the review of grant requests other considerations arise. We are guided by the fol- NEW ENGLAND SENIOR TENNIS lowing: FOUNDATION, INC. Grant requests, where appropriate, are considered as seed PROGRAM GRANT REQUEST money only, and that after a short period of time, grantees should become self-supporting. Description of Program: ______We have been following a policy of partial funding, ______and require grantees to tap other sources including partici- ______pants.

______As a matter of administrative policy, we request that grantees report to us in detail as to the success of their ventures and Budget for Program (Please provide breakdown of all expenses, how the grant was spent. We also ask grantees make partici- e.g. salaries, materials, equipment, court rental, etc.) ______pants aware that NESTF is providing financial assistance. George Ulrich ______

Date(s) Program will be run:______Mail to:______Geographic Location of Program:______George Ulrich Number of Seniors Expected to Participate in Program:______New England Senior Tennis Foundation, Inc. 6 Shore Rd ______Waterford, CT 06385 Goals and Objectives of Program:______Tel. 860-443-2098 Fax 860-437-3175 ______e-mail: [email protected] Contact Person for Program: Name______Address______

Telephone______

The Atlantic Coast Cup Grant, named for Ray Barbero, a former captain of the New England team for ten Telephone years, is to be given to the Men's Atlantic Coast team.

We look forward to receiving some worthwhile ideas. Let us hear from you! – Donations to NESTF are accepted at any time. Senior Tennis 2011 – 37

2011 Senior Slam Newport Ladies 50+ Doubles