February 2017

President Des Shaw [email protected] Visit from IC Team Memories of early NZ v Czechoslovakia Tie. Hon Treasurer Paul Thomson [email protected] Morning Teas and New Members Hon Sec. Angela Hart [email protected] ASB Classic Tournaments Future of ASB National Centre Editor Cecilie McIntyre [email protected] Blast from the Past Drop Shots Link to IC Council website www.ictennis.net Touring Players update

REMINDER AGM May 7th 2017

The Czech IC team visited early this month after being in . Unfortunately it was a smaller team than originally envisaged but they enjoyed being shown around the city and also a west coast trip to Muriwai where the gannets nest on one of the few mainland places in the world.

Marie, Fanda, Jill, Cecilie, Andras, Pam lunching at a vineyard near Muriwai.

We also played a match at the Parnell courts which NZ won, before a most enjoyable cocktail party at the home of our President Des and Jeannette Shaw.

Eliska, Marie, Angela Stephanie During the evening Des thanked members who had helped make the visit successful, including Angela Hart and Lynette Duncan who met the visitors at the airport ; Jill Bignell and Cecilie McIntyre who drove them around on their tour ; and those who helped at Parnell for the afternoon tea ; Pam Long, Mara Harvey and Karen Holland .

1 Kevin Long organised the tennis and we thank Quentin Maisey and David Hawkes for coming from Tauranga to play, as well as Stephanie Fleming from Hamilton. Others who played were Des, Kevin Woolcott, Don Turner and Angela. Jeannette and Jill were the mainstays of the evening food organisation. Des, Stephanie, Marie, Quentin

Marie Neumannova-Pinterova and Frantisek Stejskal (the father of Secretary Fanda ,) who was President of the tennis Club in Prague where NZ and USA played in 2006 were made Honorary Members of ICNZ. Marie was a well-known player who represented Czechoslovakia, as it was known then in the 1970’s and 80‘s, as well as after her marriage to Andras Pinter who also played here. Marie played in many tournaments, reaching the Quarter Finals in The French, 3 rd round in Australia and US and the 2 nd round at Wimbledon. In the final of a Florida tournament she beat in 1972. She has also won 11 singles titles since playing on the ITF Senior Circuit. Unusually now she serves left handed and plays right handed. She was also the player who was tasked with looking after the first time she was able to travel outside the then Czechoslovakia. Her husband told us an interesting story. Andras was Captain of the Hungarian Davis Cup Team. He was CEO of Levi Strauss in Eastern Europe and Levi was a sponsor of the Davis Cup Tie. To promote the event, Levi offered free entry to one of the days if you were wearing Levi jeans. The stadium was full of people wearing Levi jeans. Fabulous marketing. Andras has now left Levi and has a business marketing his own jeans brands. After our contact with them they hired a car and drove north for a couple of days.

Our Patron and Life Member Jeff Robson has some amazing memories from his early days as a Davis Cup player. The Czech visit reminded Jeff of a Czechoslovakia vs Davis Cup Tie, which the Czech visitors were interested to hear about.

In 1947 after defeating Norway, New Zealand had to play the then Czechoslovakia a week later in the next round. In those days New Zealand entered the European Zone – that meant 31 days by ship to London and train to Norway via Holland then train to Prague – Passport inspections at every border. Travelling wasn’t quite so easy in those days!! The Czech team was very strong with Jaroslav Drobny, No. 1 player in Europe and Vladamir Cernik. Jeff admitted that he was a little nervous playing his first Davis Cup singles, on clay, a surface that the team had only experienced for 2 weeks and against the No. 1 player in Europe. Drobny won comfortably but Jeff pushed him to 8-6 in the 3rd set. The one very good result of the tie was that Ron McKenzie and Jeff (pictured) only lost to one of the best European pairs, Drobny and Cernik, 10-8 in the 5th set.

2 Morning Teas New Members introduced. As usual on the 2 Mondays of the January International Tournaments we held morning teas for all IC members and friends or partners. They were very successful with 30 to 40 at each. Members were also given stand tickets to either of the first day's play. It was disappointing there were no outside matches on the first day of the Men's ASB Classic until very late in the day but the qualifying this year was a smaller draw and completed in 2 days. During that morning tea 4 of the 5 new men Members and Hon Members were introduced and given their ties. Karl Budge, as Tournament Director and guest speaker at our Annual Dinner on 2 occasions needed little introduction as an Hon Member. The Members are Martin Colenbrander a NZ Ranked and touring player who was a Young Associate Member after playing for our IC Trans Tasman Junior teams and Matt Prentice who was a Davis Cup player in 2004 and a top 10 NZ player 2002 till 2010. Matt apologised as he was out of the country early January. The other Honorary Members are Don Cotter and Ashley Wilson . Don is the Immediate Past President of Tennis Auckland and has been involved with the organisation of our International Tournaments. He is a Past President and a Life Member of Remuera Rackets Club and is well known for his work with both tennis and squash administration there. Ashley has been highly involved on the Tennis Seniors scene both as an active administrator and successful player for many years. He is a Life Member of the Tennis Seniors Association and just 2 weeks ago, after receiving his tie and telling us he was going to play in Australia the week after our morning tea, he excelled by winning the ITF WORLD 85+ singles Title! Well done Ashley.

Pictured here with Des Shaw: Karl, Don, Ashley and on the right Martin.

3 ASB Classic Tournaments 2017 The winners this year were , who has played here for the last few years although is still only 23 and who had to withdraw during last year’s final. He promised to return to try to win the title and he certainly did that. Laura beat 3 seeded players then young star in the final. The appearances of Serena and were not as expected, both bowing out in the 2nd round, Venus withdrawing with injury and Serena blaming the wind for her 6-4 6-7 6-4 loss to fellow American . The weather was not as pleasant as usual in early Jan- uary, the sooner Auckland can get the retractable roof on the new stands the better, but it was a very disappointing error rid- den display which Serena herself said was an ‘unprofessional’ display. Venus stayed in Auckland for a few days to fulfil her media commitments and it was good to see her play so well 2 weeks later in Melbourne.

As the text with this photo in Auckland said, Karl Budge should be applauded for his efforts in bringing Serena to Auckland. Venus has enjoyed her time here for the previous 3 years and encouraged Serena to come too this year.

Looking back to the last newsletter in December I wrote that was one of the stars listed to play in Auckland, but she announced her retirement soon after. Ana Ivanovic retires proving that champions can be made of grace and charm and not just ruthlessness. She had her fair share of injuries over the years - her was never quite the same after a thumb injury forced a change in her technique - but she did not miss a Grand Slam event between her debut in 2005 and what proved to be her swansong at the 2016 US Open. In five successive Grand Slam tournaments when at her peak in 2007 and 2008 Ana was runner-up at the , semi- finalist at Wimbledon, reached the fourth round of the US Open and was runner-up at the before she completed her only Grand Slam triumph at Roland Garros. Naturally shy, she never appeared entirely comfortable on centre stage. She was always delightful company away from the court when the cameras and microphones were turned off, but you sometimes wondered whether the perennial problems she suffered with her ball toss were evidence of some inner turmoil whenever she was under the spotlight. Her magnificent forehand could be a formidable weapon in the middle of a tense rally, but when she had time to think about her ball toss as she prepared to serve, there was no knowing what might be going through her mind. You never sensed the steeliness of a Sharapova or a in those softly clenched fists, though that should not be taken as any indication of a lack of commitment or resolve. Through the ups and downs of her 13-year professional career Ana always gave her best. One of her greatest achievements was the way she fought back to win back her place in the world’s top 10 in 2014 after several years of struggle. She won four titles that year and beat Serena Williams in the fourth round of the Australian Open. This was the year Ana beat Venus to win the Auckland Final, but she was a welcome player here for several years.

4

Future of ASB National Tennis Arena.

Brent Robinson , CEO of Tennis Auckland came to both our morning teas and updated us about the improvements scheduled for the ASB Tennis Centre...still fondly remembered by many of us as “Stanley St” .

Currently both the ASB Classic Tournaments are played in the Arena with stands over 60 years old, which need to be removed. The New Generation Club has made such a difference to one cor- ner and now it is time for the whole stadium to be improved. The re-development will deliver a retractable roof over Centre Court , new stands and updated spectator facilities. Auckland Council and others have made significant contributions as the arena will be used during the year for other events, but fundraising is still going on for the final few million dollars needed. Brent would love to hear from anyone with ideas !!

I believe there is still going to be a view of the wonderful old trees which make our tournaments so different from many places.

5 Blast From The Past THEN & NOW When Jeff spotted the 4 ladies in the “NOW “ photo below talking together during the first morning tea he asked me to take a photo….

THEN The photograph is the Men’s and Ladies’ New Zealand teams which played in New South Wales in early 1956. From the left are Corbett Parker, Eric White, Ron McKenzie, Jeff Robson, Jack Squire of NZ Tennis, Manager, Heather Robson, Pat Nettleton (later Guiney), Judy Tinnock and Elaine Becroft (later Stephan)

The teams played matches against New South Wales ladies and men - the strongest State in Australia. The ladies defeated NSW in an outstanding effort. The NSW team was virtually an Australian team consisting of 3 Australian champions, Mary Hawton, Beryl Penrose and Mary Carter. Judy and Elaine had a great win defeating Mary Hawton and Beryl Penrose, Australian Doubles Champions, and Heather defeated Mary Carter the reigning Australian Singles Champion. The NSW men which included Davis Cuppers Lew Hoad and Ken Rosewall were too strong for the New Zealand men although Jeff distinguished himself by reaching match point against Ken Rosewall before the outstanding Australian finally prevailed. (Those were Jack Squires’ words in his report to NZ Tennis) NOW The photo taken January 2017 – 61 years later!

Pat, Judy, Elaine and Heather

Any other photos which would interest our members as ‘Blast from the Past’ articles would be great to get. Paul White, a current member, is the son of Eric who is in the 1956 NZ Team.

6 A message from Steve Guy, a member who has established himself in for many years. One of our memories at the Auckland Tournament is from the then Benson & Hedges Open in 1990 when as a wildcard entry Steve defeated the 2nd seed and 25th ranked Miloslav Mecir. He also played Davis Cup for NZ in 7 ties. Hi Cecilie, This is the second summer I have got back to New Zealand to catch up with family and friends. Down under is truly respectful and the friendliest place on earth. I have been fortunate to accompany my son Thomas Guy, 17, to the ITF tournaments U18. Bumping into old tennis friends like Mark Lewis , Alistair Hunt after 25 years is a blast in the past. Guys Tennis School in Fulda , Germany, runs well. Together with my wife Hana... we are a good team. Tennis is global, and I am very privileged that my passion for the sport has rewarded me with so much in return. Wishing all fellow tennis friends a great year in 2017. Steve Guy Drop Shots

New ATP Rules in 2017: Will mid-match retirements in the first rounds disappear?

The 2017 ATP Rulebook will have some changes. The most interesting one is of mid-match retirements in the first rounds that always created controversy.

According to the new rule, next year, a player can retire on-site before a first-round match without losing the prize money the player would have earned by playing it. The replacing the player will earn the prize money reserved for defeat in the final round of qualifying plus the money earned depending on the lucky loser's result in the main draw. This rule will be tested for the whole of 2017 season. The only exception is when a player decides to retire in such fashion for the third time, or who retires for the second time in a row.

The rule about special exemption has also been modified. In 2017, a player who reaches an ATP 250 semi-final or final can directly enter in the main draw of an ATP 500 event the following week and vice-versa. Until 2016, this rule only extended to the tournaments of the same category.

Finally, the third rule is about the doubles entry lists. Teams with players playing only doubles will have an advantage over a team with a player having a combination of singles and doubles rankings.

French IC played in USA in November They had a good trip playing against US IC. Although they lost a lot of matches, the trip was very good. They took time to visit California and Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Sequoias,...but say they still fondly remember the tour they had of NZ and Australia 2 years ago.

Tennis - 50,000 balls used in January The Australian tennis federation and Wilson renewed their contract until 2018, which means that in all the Australian tournaments players will play using this ball. This year around 50.000 Wilson balls were used in the Australian Open!

7 A tribute to ’s remarkable comeback win in the recent Australian Open. Some of our members were lucky enough to see him playing in Melbourne, with almost all the rest of us watching his matches late into the night, along with millions around the world. Here are a few clips I’ve collected from the thousands of photos and articles written about him recently. From Billie Jean King in September 2016: LOVE FEDERER Roger Federer, who tops the men’s record book with 17 Grand Slam Titles, is recovering from knee surgery. He missed the US Open for the first time since 1999 but plans to return to the ATP Tour in January 2017. “I hope he is back. I don’t even care if he doesn’t win any more,” King said of the 35-year-old Swiss player. “He’s just so beautiful to watch.” He’s a guy who really has a passion to play. Most guys would’ve quit by now because they made all that money and they’ve got all this fame. He’s one player who is going to really miss playing. He loves it.” Federer is also raising 2 sets of twins with his wife Mirka, a former player on the WTA Tour. He posted a photo of himself hiking in the Swiss Alps recently.” King appreciates the ‘balletic gift’ he brings, plus the the 14 Grand Slam titles has added to the sport. “ We’re lucky to have him—he and Nadal went to tennis and not soccer, “ she said. Can you imagine if they both had decided to play soccer?” ROGER when asked about his rivalry with Rafael. ” We go furthest back, you know. Novak also has been one of my biggest rivals. So have Roddick and Hewitt. I don't like to leave anybody out, to be honest. But I'm sure I've left a couple out. They know who they are. But Rafa definitely has been very particular in my career. I think he made me a better player. He and a couple more players have done the most to do that to me because the way his game stacks up with me, it's a tricky one. I've said that openly. It remains for me the ultimate challenge to play against him. So it's definitely very special. I said that also before the finals: if I were to win against Rafa, it would be super special and very sweet because I haven't beaten him in a Grand Slam final for a long, long time now. Last time I guess was 2007 at Wimbledon in a five-setter.

Now I was able to do it again.”

On Arena after the final presentation. Thousands of fans watched there on the big screens so Roger Rod Laver Arena during the prize giving. took the trophy in there to thank those fans as well.

8 Finally, 7 minutes and 7 seconds of Artistry !! If you would like to enjoy these highlights of Roger beating Tomas Berdych click here … https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6NuNlUCOgNU It starts with the on court interview after his previous round. Watch in full screen if you can, then return to this newsletter !

Our Touring Members recent results. ICNZ is always pleased to have the younger Touring Players as Members. Since the last newsletter the NZ Residential Champs were played with the final 2 rounds being held at the ASB Centre after starting at North Harbour. The Men’s winner was guaranteed a wildcard into the ASB Men’s Classic main draw 2 weeks later. Titleholder Michael Venus was injured but the final was won in a convincing display by over Finn Tearney. Jade Lewis won the Women’s title and was rewarded with a first round match against Venus Williams where she acquitted herself very well. In the Australian Open, Marina Erakovic lost a very close first round to 7th seed Garbine Muguruza. This match was shown live here on one of the Sky Channels. Marina played very aggressively and had a set point before losing 5-7 4-6 The top 3 men played with ‘other ‘ partners and all won their first rounds. and his Brazilian partner reached the 3rd round beating the 6th seeds on the way, Artem and Michael both lost 2nd round, Artem 4-6 6-7 to the 7th seeds with Michael losing 7-5 in the 3rd set tie break to the 9th seeds. All so close! Since then at Montpellier Michael lost to the Zverev brothers , the eventual winners, in the ¼ final and Marcus lost in the semifinal. Our players are mixing with top ranked players and holding their own in the doubles these days. Rubin Statham continues to battle in the next level of singles and was rewarded with a lucky Loser spot at Auckland when withdrew.

It’s always good to hear news from or about members whether they are still playing or not, and living overseas or in NZ. Please email Cecilie anytime. Don’t forget the AGM and Annual Dinner on 7th May . Early notice of the date !! Those members from out of Auckland will be especially welcome. On behalf of the committee, Cecilie [email protected]

9