Aztec Redondo Hired by Pacific, Succeeded by Hurricanes’ Thomsen Aztec Assistant Men’s Tennis Carswell hired Jeff Thomsen, Coach Ryan Redondo, who earned associate head coach of Miami All-American honors and the national University’s women’s team, as collegiate indoor doubles title at San Redondo’s replacement. Diego State in 2002, has accepted Prior to lettering at Oregon, the men’s head coaching position at Thomsen was California’s top University of the Pacific. junior college player at Golden Thomsen After a stint on the men’s tour, he West JC in 1995, according to spent three years as assistant Aztec Miami’s website, which said he helped the men’s coach. Redondo’s father, Hurricane women reach the NCAA Sweet Skip, coached the Aztec men from 16 in each of three years as a coach. 1977 through 1988. AZTEC CHAMPION: Ryan Redondo in In December, Aztec coach Gene Stan Liu Photo his All-American year of 2002. AztecAztec TennisTennis ReporterReporter VOL 12 NO 1 SERVING THE SAN DIEGO STATE TENNIS COMMUNITY SINCE 1998 JANUARY 2011 The Budget Peril: Aztecs Opening 89th Tennis Season How Close It Was Blessed with more than Last summer, strapped for a dozen returning players, funds by budget cuts, San Diego the two San Diego State State eliminated the assistant tennis teams launch their coaching positions on the men’s 89th collegiate home sea- and women’s tennis teams. In all, son with a women’s double- 11 positions were cut in a series header on Jan 22 at the of athletic department dismissals. Aztec Tennis Center Assistant Tennis Coaches Ryan against UC Riverside and Redondo and Lindsey Gamp were Cal State Northridge. The given their walking papers. For ATR Photo (left); GoAztecs.com (right) men open on the road in Gamp, it was a double calamity. Roxanne Ellison, left, and sister Sierra Ellison. Fresno on Feb 5 against Her husband lost his job the same Texas Tech and Feb 6 day. against Fresno State. Their Then, an anonymous donor Aztec Sisters Emerging first home match is Feb 11 pledged $90,000 to support the Continued on Page 2 two tennis positions for two As Doubles Contenders years. And Gamp’s husband got Two San Diego State Valeria Pulido and Alison six job offers. A crisis ended. sisters, Roxanne and Si- Ramos of USC, 8-4. The But the episode signaled a erra Ellison, scored 10 Ellisons defeated the shift in financial sands on Monte- victories in 11 tournament third-seeded team of zuma Mesa’s athletic landscape. matches during a busy Courtney Dolehide and Although the tennis program, fall season, raising their McCall Jones of UCLA, which has employed assistant expectations that they will 8-4, to reach the semifi- coaches for at least 30 years, gain national rankings. nals. dodged the bullet, no one would The Aztec pair de- “Hopefully when the predict a restoration of the posi- feated 24th ranked rankings come out at the Anamika Bhargava and start of the season our Continued on Page 2 Marie Zalameda of Pep- great fall season will pay perdine, 8-4, in the USTA off,” said Sierra Ellison. IN THIS ISSUE WINNERS: Aztec Maurice -ITA Southwest Regional “A very high national Roots: Longest Match Winner 2 Championship semifinals. ranking is what we are Altshuler (1956) won 82nd Aztec Willens SD Hall of Famer 3 They lost in the finals to hoping for!” said Rox- annual San Diego District 2011 Season Schedules, Photos 4 the top seeded pair of anne Ellison. title for 75-and-over men, Larry Belinsky 55-and-over. JANUARY 2011 Aztec Tennis Reporter Page 2 Two Aztec Tennis Teams Embarking on 89th Intercollegiate Season Continued from Page One les; Julia Wais of Goeppin- gen, Germany; Emma Cioffi against Boise State. The of Melbourne, Australia; Aztecs first formed a men’s Roxanne and Sierra Ellison tennis club in 1922. of Coto de Caza, Orange The 2011 men’s team, County; and Julia Trunk of coached by Gene Carswell Bad Salgau, Germany. and volunteer coach Larry Trunk was 51st and Aguilar Willens, is composed of An- 65th in the 2010 fall na- dre Feliz of San Gabriel, tional intercollegiate rank- Matthew Tosches of Muri- ings. etta, California; Tim Schulz In the men’s fall season, van Endert of Berlin, Ger- Aztecs Nicholas and Vagli- many, Hunter Nicholas of etti defeated 6th seeded Aztec Tennis Reporter photo Park City, Utah; Giovanni Jaak Poldma and Peter Lu- Vaglietti of Johanesburg, POWER STROKE: Aztec Freshman Shiva Sangwan of cassen, of USC in a re- South Africa, Shiva Sang- Chandigarh, India strikes backhand in SDSU workout. gional tournament, losing wan of Chandigarh, India; in the quarters to UCLA’s Javier Pulgar of Madrid, arrives on campus this Lindsay Gamp, and volun- Amit Inbar and Nick Spain, and Jose Sierra-Short month, according to teer Holly Bagshaw, is com- Meister. It was one of the of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. A Carswell. prised of Alicia Aguilar of best showings by an Aztec new recruit, Juan Guillermo The women’s squad, Coatzacoalcos, Mexico; men’s doubles team in sev- Flores of Pereira, Columbia, coached by Peter Mattera, Olivia Colman of Los Ange- eral years. Facing Budget Peril, Aztec Tennis Teams Dodge a Bullet — But for How Long? Continued from Page One 2010-11 football and basketball sea- ment should increase funds from student sons. athletic fees. “In two years, “ Weber told tions in two years, even with expected SDSU President Steve Weber said ATR, “we should be stronger.” If so, the revenue gains from highly successful the state’s removal of a cap on enroll- positions could be funded again. — J.M. The Longest Match in History and the College Player Who Grew Up To Win It Transcript of John Isner press confer- Q. Was (sic) there any specific Manny- ence at the All England Lawn Tennis Club isms that came to your mind from college following his 70-68 fifth-set victory at 2010 Wimbledon, the longest match in tennis at any point in that match? history. Isner played college tennis at Uni- JOHN ISNER: No, nothing specific. I versity of Georgia under coach Manuel think it's just the way that he was able to Diaz. get to me when I was on court. You Q Is there something that keeps you know, having him on the court with me. I patient and mentally fastened on EXALTANT: John Isner, who mean, he said so much great stuff to me. what's going on, some sort of magic It wasn't anything in particular that stuck word? played college tennis at Georgia, celebrates marathon Wimbledon out JOHN ISNER: No. I don't know. A Q. Can you believe how far you've come lot of times in situations like that, I win over Nicolas Mahut of France, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (3), 70-68. since college to this point? always find myself very, very calm JOHN ISNER: Yeah, I've come a long, and controlled. long way. I mean, I didn't think about I think I learned that in my time in college, playing a lot of, going pro until my junior year in college. So I was 21. I you know, pressure filled matches. Obviously it's not the mean, I started obviously out late playing pro at 22. This is magnitude that this is. exactly my third full year from right now that I've been playing. That's something that Coach (Manny) Diaz at Georgia So, you know, I didn't know what to expect. If I told myself if I was really good at, was Aztec Tennis Reporter January, 2011 ever got to the top 100 at any able to really make me a lot point in my career, that would mentally stronger. That's Aztec Tennis Reporter isis aa newsletternewsletter createdcreated inin 19981998 forfor players,players, coaches, alumni, and friends of San Diego State tennis. Neither the be an accomplishment. But one of the reasons, you university nor its athletic department is responsible for its content. now I'm top 20, and I can go know, I'm here today, what This is the 47th issue. To comment, correct, or subscribe, email az- further and get higher than I'm doing right now. [email protected]. Editor: John Martin (1957 men) that. — ASAP Sports transcripts JANUARY 2011 Aztec Tennis Reporter Page 3 Aztec Larry Willens among 5 Inducted by San Diego Tennis Hall of Fame The Citations: Glass Perry Todd Bacon Bob Perry, Patricia Canning Virginia Glass, Bob Bacon, Willens top-ranked U.S. Todd, two-term competitor, junior, led UCLA to international president , junior college three NCAA team champion and American Tennis coach, titles, international top 10, teaching Association, served San competitor, La professional national and Diego tennis Jolla Tennis Club community community teaching “...she won a total tennis patron professional of four Grand Slam and organizer “...Bacon and his long-time dou- championships, singles at the bles partner Larry Willens, “...Perry and first-time “...one of the origi- French Champion- Jack Movido partner Don Candy won nal founders of the San ships in 1947, won eight ATP, WTA and World Team Tennis the French Open dou- Diego District Tennis coach and organizer, women’s doubles at USPTA National bles in 1956 over sin- Association and the the French and Championships, San Diego State University coach, gles winner Lew Hoad San Diego Umpires Wimbledon in 1948 the American junior tennis organizer, benefactor and Ashley Cooper. Bob Association. Glass was and the mixed in Tennis Associa- reached the round of the west coast editor the 1948 French.