VVolumeolume XXVIIVII / NNumberumber 4 WWINTERINTER 22008/09008/09 CHANDLER FURMAN PAUL SHERMAN PAUL INSIDE USTA LEAGUE YEAR-END RATINGS ZACK ELLIOTT USTA PACIFIC NORTHWEST Published four times/year by the United States Tennis Association Pacifi c Northwest 4840 SW Western Ave, Suite 300, Beaverton, OR 97005-3430 Ph: 503/520-1877 Fax: 503/520-0133 email: [email protected] Web site: http://www.pnw.usta.com Editor-in-Chief: Blair Thompson ț Managing Editor: Hillary Moore Area Reporters: Alaska/Mona Yarnall; British Columbia/Lenka Moravcova; NW Wash/Lori Brillhart; SW Wash/Barbara Wyatt; E. Wash/Victor Kollock; N. Oregon/Glenn Good; S. Or- egon/Gail Patton. Community Tennis Development: Ruth Turner, Valerie Wright, Mark Toppe, Becky Tallent, Gail Benzler, Adam Rogers, Terry Valdez. USTA Leagues: Sheila Banks. Junior Development: Jim Markin, Valerie Weaks. Fitness Files: Carl Petersen. Advertising Sales: Blair Thompson. Graphic Design: Print Media Productions Ph: (503) 359-9727 > Email: [email protected] Please notify the USTA at 1-800-990-8782 of change of address. Tennis Times cannot be forwarded. Deadline for 2009 issue No. 1: Jan. 30, 2009. CALL (503) 520-1877 TO SUBSCRIBE TO TENNIS TIMES $10 per year (four issues); Send check/money order in U.S. Funds to Sectional Offi ce. AArere yyouou oorr yyourour kkidsids thinkingthinking aboutabout collegecollege oror graduategraduate school?school? TThenhen yyou’reou’re aalsolso tthinkinghinking aboutabout admissionsadmissions tests.tests. TheThe PrincetonPrinceton RRevieweview hhasas beenbeen helpinghelping studentsstudents getget intointo theirtheir top-choicetop-choice schoolsschools ssinceince 11981,981, withwith coursescourses thatthat taketake thethe tediumtedium outout of,of, andand putput thethe rresultsesults iinto,nto, ttestest ppreparation.reparation. NNow,ow, UUSTASTA mmembersembers ccanan rreceiveeceive 110%0% ooffff cclassroomlassroom andand onlineonline PrincetonPrinceton RRevieweview ccoursesourses forfor thethe SAT,SAT, ACT,ACT, PSAT,PSAT, MCAT,MCAT, LSAT,LSAT, GGMATMAT aandnd GRE.GRE. GoGo toto www.princetonreview.www.princetonreview. ccom/USTAom/USTA fforor mmoreore ddetails.etails. 2 TENNIS TIMES WINTER 2008/09 Ī www.pnw.usta.com FROM THE BASELINE ccontentsontents Volume XVII b Number 4 b Winter 2008-09 By Bill Leong Executive Director UUSS OOpenpen 22008:008: I NYNY Three Pacifi c Northwest juniors traveled to New York to take part in the 2008 US Open – arguably the most spectacular tournament on the ATP and WTA Tour. While the three had different experiences at the Open, all shared the same sentiment about the event and its setting – “I love New York!” USTA/PNW numbers rise to Turn to page 16 as each gives us a fi rst-hand account of their time on court and in the big city. record heights in 2008 his year has been full of noteworthy achievements T both on and off the court in the USTA Pacifi c North- Local player west (USTA/PNW). Record numbers in USTA member- helps U.S. team ship and tennis program participation along with indi- vidual and team national championships are just a few of reach 2008 the many highlights we witnessed in 2008. 16 Current USTA/PNW membership of 23,540 refl ects an Austria Cup fi nal over 100 percent increase since 2000. Our section boasts 9 This fall, Len Wofford of the second largest percentage increase this year among the Portland, Ore., traveled 17 USTA sections and has moved up to the twelft h largest to Turkey to represent the section based on membership. Participation growth in the USTA League program has United States as a member helped to boost membership in our section. Th is year saw a Ĩ 2008 USTA League of the 2008 International record nine percent participation growth with 1594 teams Year-end Ratings Tennis Federation (ITF) and 20,426 players participating in Adult, Senior, Super The numbers are in! Alphabetical Super Senior World Senior and Mixed divisions. USTA League matches re- listings of the men’s and women’s Championship team. quired over 25,000 hours on the limited number of indoor 18 courts in the Pacifi c Northwest and we thank all the private 2008 USTA League Year-end Read more about the and public tennis facilities who have accommodated the Ratings have been published and competition and Wofford’s growing demand. Youth team tennis is also growing with they begin on page 19. While you’re reviewing your rating, be sure to check results on page 9. almost 2,000 players in the USTA Jr. Team Tennis program out page 18 to see how our section’s teams fared at the 2008 USTA League and the expansion of new leagues in the Willamette Valley, Southwest Washington and Bend, Oregon. National Championships. Additional 2008 community tennis highlights include over 100 physical educators being trained to provide ex- IN THIS ISSUE tracurricular tennis programs in their schools with over 4 From the Prez by Tony Menke 9 From the Chair by Ira Moss 13 College Courts 40,000 students impacted; a well-received inaugural Court 5 Area Reports 10 Community Tennis Development 15 Pro Update - PNW Players on Tour Symposium seminar in Portland featuring national speak- 8 Health+Fitness Files by Carl Petersen 12 Junior Development by Valerie Weaks 18 Let’s Talk Leagues by Sheila Banks ers and covering construction, advocacy, and fundraising 9 Net Notes 12 From the Tournament Desk by Becky Tallent 31 Tournament Schedule topics; an infusion of $135,000 from the USTA/PNW to local communities to renovate and build courts that was leveraged into nearly $3 million in funds from our national Wishing tennis joy to the world offi ce and public/private sources. t this time last year, I had the pleasure of writing about a pair of major tennis triumphs: a Davis And as I mentioned in the last issue of Tennis Times, ACup title in Portland and a 1 Up/1 Down championship in Beaverton. Pacifi c Northwest juniors won various national titles in Well, as most of you know, our U.S. Davis Cup team ran into a tough Spanish squad and was unable summer tournaments. Not to be outdone, congratulations FROM THE to defend their 2007 title. But, as inquiring minds want to know, yours truly was able to two-peat and to our local adult players who continued to bring home go back-to-backback to at the 2008 1 Up/1 Down wheelchair tennis event. Of course, I couldn’t have done it championships to our section. David Wagner of Hillsboro, EDITOR-IN-CHIEFEDITOR-IN-CHIEF withoutwithout anotheran great partner, Carl Backstrom. Th anks Carl and thanks to Debbie Borchers and Rich Ore., won the gold medal in quad doubles and bronze in MeyerMeyer for doing all you do for wheelchair tennis in our area. quad singles in the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing; Portland- AndAn as we fl y through the upcoming holidays, take a moment to enjoy the following rhyme and ers Wayne Pickard and Mike Tammen won the USTA Na- feel free to add your favorite beverage of the season for extra enjoyment. It’s a little something tional Men’s 50 Indoor doubles title and Dougal Williams I composed two years ago and was inspired by an actual pre-Th anksgiving tennis get- earned a gold ball with his singles championship at the together with a good friend. Sometimes the small things can make a big diff erence. Men’s 30 National Grasscourts; in USTA League play, two Happy Holidays and all the best in 2009! Seattle area teams, the Women’s 3.0 Seattle Breakers and the Men’s 4.0 Bad Boyz, won 2008 national championships. As we approach the new year, the USTA/PNW ‘Twas the day before Thanksgiving and all through my tennis bag, no racquets were Board of Directors will see some familiar faces in new stirring, not even a Prince. But the nets were hung and the purple indoor courts of my positions. Gwen Ramras assumed the USTA/PNW Presi- home tennis facility were lit with care in the hopes that I soon would be there. dent position at the section Annual Meeting in October. By Blair Away to the club I flew in a dash, with a desire to hit passing shots that flew by my She is the fi rst Alaskan elected president in the history of Thompson opponent in a flash. Visions of aces and winners danced in my head, if only more our organization. Reelected for their second terms as Area instruction books I had read. Vice President for British Columbia and Southern Oregon respectively, were Peter Jackson of Vancouver and Mike As I jumped on the courts there arose such a clatter and in a moment I knew what was the Naumes of Medford. Th anks to Tony Menke of Yakima matter. I was not Federer, not Agassi, nor Blake or even Kournikova. And as my shots for his dedicated service as USTA/PNW President and we flew around the court, I said to myself “just get it over.” look forward to him continuing that in his new position But no worries mate, as Mr. Rafter would say, because what to my wondering eyes as Section Delegate. should appear but a smile on my face from ear-to-ear. And that feeling of joy, even as Finally, we would also like to thank Peter Kram for I displayed my lack of rhythm and grace, made me think I want and need to spend more his 12 years of service on the USTA/PNW Board. Peter time in this wondrous indoor tennis place. served four years each as Area Vice President, President and Section Delegate from 1996-2008. We will miss his After our match, as my partner and I sat down for some important rehydration, we wished sense of humor, wit and candor.