February 2017 President Des Shaw [email protected] Visit from Czech Republic IC Team Memories of early NZ v Czechoslovakia Davis Cup 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 Tennis 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 Auckland early this month after being in Australia. 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 Hungary after her marriage to Andras Pinter who also played here. Marie played in many Grand Slam 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 Billie Jean King 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 Martina Navratilova 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 New Zealand 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 Lauren Davis, who has played here for the last few years although is still only 23 and Jack Sock 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 Ana Konjuh in the final. The appearances of Serena and Venus Williams 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 Madison Brengle. 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 Ana Ivanovic 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 forehand 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 French Open, semi- finalist at Wimbledon, reached the fourth round of the US Open and was runner-up at the Australian Open 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 Serena Williams 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.