The Usual Suspects for Down Under?

By Jean Kirshenbaum, Tennis League Network Writer

When it comes to celebrating a new year, Australia, a full 16 hours ahead of the US, leads the way. When it comes to the tennis grand slam tournaments- Australia also leads the way. As the first of this year’s four majors, the Australian Open (AO) begins Monday, January 14. The pundits love to wallow in player analysis but will likely not announce their top picks until they see the draws, which won’t be announced until Friday, January 11. The one player they can’t pick is Rafael Nadal, now #4, who was a finalist last year against Novak Djokovic. As you probably have heard, he won’t even be in the tournament because of a stomach virus, which he has said prohibits him from practicing and being tournament ready. Few are buying it, and instead attribute the withdrawal to the chronic knee problems that have kept him off the court since last June. For that reason, they probably wouldn’t have picked him anyway.

So where does that leave AO predictions? First-ranked Novak Djokovic, winner for the past two years, is the heavy favorite.  But, given Andy Murray’s break-through victories at the Olympics and the US Open, he’s a solid contender. And can anyone ever write off Roger Federer, who won 2012 Wimbledon, yet again? Others being talked about are among the top ten: #5-7 David Ferrer of Spain, Tomas Berdych of Czech Republic, Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina. Any dark horses are still in the dark at this point.

The women’s side is even more fluid. With Serena Williams back in the game big time (remember, she won Olympic gold, Wimbledon, AND the US Open), can the top ranked players, #1 Victoria Azarenka, and #2 Maria Sharapova, even hope to claim a victory? Their head-to-head records against her are just awful- Azarenka is down 11-1, and Sharapova, 10-2. Other strong possibilities are players who have been gaining steam, such as almost anyone ranked 4-10: Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, Angelique Kerber of Germany, Sara Errani of Italy, Na Li of China, Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic, Samantha Stosur of Australia, and Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark. Because they were weak in 2012, Stosur, Li and Wozniacki are the least likely contenders of this group. Wozniacki has never won a slam, Stosur hardly got past the first round of any tournament in 2012, and Li’s record since she won the French Open in 2011 has been so poor that she dumped her husband as her coach and took on the former coach for Justine Henin, Carlos Rodriguez. Errani and Radwanska each had a tremendous surge in 2012, so they could be ready to break through to a slam.

Check out some of our leagues:  Brooklyn Tennis, Orlando Tennis and Long Beach Tennis.

Tennis Anyone? Ask Valentin Ionescu-Tiba of Tennis Los Angeles

Valentin Ionescu-Tiba and fourth-ranked professional Andy Murray, who recently won the Olympic Gold Medal, have something in common. Wha? You must be kidding. Nope, not kidding. Here it is: In 2012, they each played 53 matches through the spring. http://legacy.tennis.com/stats/index.aspx/  (At the time of this write-up on 9/1/12)

Now, it’s one thing for a full-time professional tennis player to reach that number of matches. It’s another thing for a Tennis League Network (TLN) recreational player, who works full time, to play that much tennis. After all, tennis is what Andy Murray does for a living. On the other hand, it’s also not so unusual for Valentin—who is clearly obsessed with tennis.

“As of now (Sep 3rd) my 2012 total number of matches played in the league (from Jan 1st until Sep 1st) is 110.” it’s one thing for a full-time professional tennis player to reach that number of matches. It’s another thing for a Tennis Los Angeles recreational player, who works full time, to play that much tennis. After all, tennis is what Andy Murray does for a living. On the other hand, it’s also not so unusual for Valentin—who is clearly obsessed with tennis.

Now, it’s one thing for a full-time professional tennis player to reach 53 or more matches. But it’s another thing for a TLN recreational player, who works full time, to play that much tennis. After all, tennis is what Andy Murray does for a living. On the other hand, it’s also not so unusual for Valentin—who is clearly obsessed with tennis.
 “As of now (Sep 3rd) my 2012 total number of matches played in the league (from Jan 1st until Sep 1st) is 110," Valentin says.


So move over, Mark Stern of Boston (Tennis Northeast), where Valentin previously played, your record of most matches played – 50 matches in fall 2011--has been smashed like an overhead. Although Valentin used to play on your side of the court there in Boston, he's a newly promoted 3.5 player who’s been playing with Tennis LosAngeles since September, 2010 He's now the record holder: http://tennislosangeles.com/info/MatchesInSeason.

 
If you could ask him a question, would it be this one?

 
TENNIS ANYONE?

Tennis Orange County Match Makes TLN history: 6-7, 7-6, 7-6

Thomas Cielinski and Alan Kuhn of Tennis OC should be grateful for tie breaks. Otherwise, like the storied match between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut, who played an 11 hour, 70-68 5th set match at Wimbledon in 2010, they, too, may have made a crazy kind of history. It was that close--three tiebreak sets: 6-7, 7-6, 7-6. It was Tom’s first victory in the 10 matches he and Alan have played to date. 


Tie-break sets are now nearly universal in all levels of play, even in final sets. But that’s not so at all of the Grand Slams. Tie-breaks are not used in the final set in the Australian Open for singles, French Open, Wimbledon, the Olympics, Davis Cup, or Fed Cup. The US Open is the only grand slam to use a tiebreak in the final set for singles. The Australian Open and French Open do, however, use the final set tiebreak for men's and women's doubles. (Toward the end of this article, you can learn about the evolution of the tie break, which has had mixed reception in the world of professional tennis.)

In fact, such a close match is quite rare in TLN history. This is the just the 3rd time in nearly 100,000 matches that a three tiebreak match has been reported to Tennis League Network. Moreover, it hasn't been done in more than four years. The match between Tom and Alan was not only a battle, but it was also a watershed event for Tom, who was the victor for the first time in the ten matches they have played. So does it matter that it was a close match? Not to Tom of course. A win is a win.

Here’s the story according to Tom (Alan left it to Tom to provide the blow-by-blow commentary). While he is proud of his win, you will see that he is somewhat modest.

“The match was three hours long, as are all of the matches that I have played with Alan. We have played each other three times per season, with him winning the previous nine matches in a row.


“During our recent marathon match, the second set tie breaker turned in my favor when people entered the court next to us to start playing. This may have distracted Alan for a brief moment. As a result, he sent a forehand long. The result was that I took the second set. Admin's Note: They probably should of played a let.

“ The third set was more of the same. Alan continued his wall-like form, never missing, but never going for too much. Given that it was the middle of the day, he may have worn out down the stretch, since his wall technique requires a lot of energy.

“Finally, he lost the third set tie breaker when I sent a forehand winner up the line rather than cross court, which may have surprised him. After a warm embrace at net, we sat and enjoyed Tustin's best tap water. In addition to my two handed backhand, my best shot was the first serve; Alan’s is his serve which he calls ‘the swerve.’ It’s simply unreturnable.”


Sounds like it was one helluva match, doesn’t it? Tom sums it up this way: “The Kuhn simply can't be beat without playing a 3 hour match, six bottles of water and a note from him to my wife indicating I was playing and not cheating on her.” Admin's Note: Simply amazed it was only 3 hours. These guys are all about just starting the next point.

Strong Opinions about Tie Breaks.

Not everyone agrees on the wisdom of tie-breaks, which makes them somewhat controversial. Steve Tignor, a writer for Tennis.com, changed his stance on the subject after Olympic tennis. He explains it this way:

“The recently concluded Olympic tennis changed my mind on this issue, but my main reason for embracing the final-set tiebreaker is not the obvious one that would be cited by most time-sensitive television producers. The real problem with deuce sets is that when a match goes as long as Federer v. Delpo or even Jo-Wilfried Tsonga v. Milos Raonic (that one went 25-23, for Tsonga) the reward for the winner's heroic feat is almost always a quick subsequent loss.

For example, “After the storied 70-68 win over Mahut at Wimbledon, Isner lost to No. 46 ranked Thiemo de Bakker in the second round. Isner got five games in three sets. After Paul-Henri Mathieu knocked off heavily favored Isner, 18-16, in the fifth at Roland Garros earlier this year, he lost his next match to No. 23 Marcel Granollers. 

The tiebreak was invented by James Van Alen in 1965 after an earlier, unsuccessful attempt to speed up the game by the use of his so-called Van Alen Streamlined Scoring System (VASSS). For two years before the Open Era, in 1955 and 1956, the United States Pro Championship in Cleveland, Ohio was played by VASSS rules. The scoring was the same as that in table tennis, with sets played to 21 points and players alternating 5 services, with no second service. The rules were created partially to limit the effectiveness of the powerful service of the reigning professional champion, Pancho Gonzales. Even with the new rules, however, Gonzales beat Pancho Segura in the finals of both tournaments. Even though the 1955 match went to 5 sets, with Gonzales barely holding on to win the last one 21–19, it's reported to have taken 47 minutes to complete.[11] The fans attending the matches preferred the traditional rules, however, and in 1957 the tournament reverted to the old method of scoring.

Impetus to use the tiebreak gained force after a monumental 1969 struggle at Wimbledon between Pancho Gonzales and Charlie Pasarell. This was a 5-set match that lasted five hours and 12 minutes and took 2 days to complete. In the fifth set the 41-year-old Gonzales won all seven match points that Pasarell had against him, twice coming back from 0–40 deficits. The final score was 22–24, 1–6, 16–14, 6–3, 11–9.

In 1971 the tiebreak was introduced at Wimbledon when the score in any set except the final set reached 8–8 in games.

In 1979 Wimbledon changed their rules so that a tie break would be played once any set, except the final set, reached 6–6 in games.

In 1989 Davis Cup adopted the tie-break in all sets except for the final set.

In 2001 the Australian Open replaced the final set of mixed doubles with a match tie-break (first to 10 points and win by 2 points wins the match).[12] Despite some criticism of the change by fans and former pros,[13] the US Open and the French Open have since gone on to join the Australian Open in using the same format for mixed doubles. Wimbledon continues to play a traditional best of three match with the final set being an advantage set.

Tie-break sets are now nearly universal in all levels of play, even in final sets; however, the tie-break is not a compulsory element in any set, and the actual formatting of sets and tie-breaks depends on the tournament director in tournaments, and in private matches on the players' agreement before the match begins. Tie-breaks are not used in the final set in the Australian Open for singles, French Open for singles, Wimbledon, the Olympics, Davis Cup, or Fed Cup. The US Open is the only Grand Slam to use a tiebreak in the final set for singles. The Australian Open and French Open do, however, use the final set tiebreak for men's and women's doubles.

Ilias Lalousis: Beware of a Greek Bearing A Tennis Racket!

Ilias Lalousis has likely never encountered Marcos Baghdatis on a tennis court, but he and the 42- ranked player on the men’s professional tour, have one thing in common. They are both from Greece. Baghdatis still lives and trains in Cyprus, but Ilias came to Los Angeles about 6 years ago to study, and started working there after graduation. He is enjoying the weather, which, he says “is perfect for playing tennis throughout the whole year!” In fact, says Ilias, “TennisLosAngeles.com is the reason I became addicted to tennis again!”

It was a long hiatus. “I started when I was 7-8 years old, and was taking classes.” But he stopped when he was 16 years old because he decided to focus more on track and field, “where I was more competitive,” he recalls. He had played a few times since then, “but I really got into tennis again when I joined Tennis LA!”

Despite what he thought when he was a 16-year-old kid, he has proved to himself that he can be very competitive in tennis. He is now a 4.0 player who not long ago moved from the Advanced to the Elite Division, with an overall record of 27-4 and a Winter Season 4.0 Championship title.

 Obviously, Ilias has come a long way since he was referred by a friend who was already playing in the league. He started with the partner program in September, and then joined the winter season league. The he reached the Winter Season final. “That was a great match,” he recalls. “We were both very close in the score. Every point mattered. The match could have gone either way.” As he describes it, the match was one that turned “on the details.” And, what do you know? It turned his way.



Ilias doesn’t have any league rivalries yet but is “looking forward to having them in the future!” So look out players in Tennis LosAngeles. Ilias Lalousis has traveled the distance from Greece to California and plans to keep on moving through Tennis LosAngeles as a winner.

Ilias plays about 3 times per week. What he likes most is “the diversity of the players and the flexibility of the program…I am also really impressed with the very responsive Tennis LA administrative team. Keep up the good work!”
http://TennisLosAngeles.com/

Southern California-- A Lovely Climate for TennisOC

Maria DeSouza moved to the U.S. from Ireland in 2009. Last September, she left San Jose, CA and went south to Orange County.
She truly loves living in southern California. “The weather, the canyons, the ocean…it’s really beautiful.” Do you think that might have something to do with a climate that is conducive to year-round tennis?

When she moved to Orange County, one of the more important things she took with her was her tennis racket, which apparently is becoming well known within the TennisOC league. With a NTRP rating of 3.0 –“But probably 3.5 by now”—she is playing about four times a week.



Her current level of play clearly reflects dramatic improvement for someone who played squash in Ireland, but who is relatively new to tennis. “I started playing little more than a year ago (February of 2011), taking lessons and playing in leagues and tournaments. I played a little casually for a few years before that.”



As a newcomer, Maria learned about Tennis OC in much the same way as many of us learned about our respective local Tennis League Network site. “Someone at my local tennis courts told me about it – I don’t even remember who at this stage,” says Maria. “I like the flexibility and variety of players, the competitive incentives, the format and the price. I just like pretty much everything about this league. I can’t pick just one feature.”



Given that she plays a lot of matches, are there any that are memorable? “There have been a lot of good matches … some ‘out of my league’ though, but always enjoyable. There are no real rivalries, she says, “since I have played too many different people to have had any real rivalries – so far.”



Overall, Maria says she has really enjoyed Tennis OC. “I’ve improved my tennis and met lots of great people. It has also allowed me to recruit lots of great players for my USTA Combo mixed doubles and Ladies Spring League teams.”



Maria is married, but her husband doesn’t much enjoy tennis. He prefers golf, or badminton. Nevertheless, “He patiently (sometimes) supports my obsession for tennis !!” Her 9 year old step-daughter is “very athletic,” and “mostly plays baseball (on a boys team). She is a good swimmer too.” But it should come as no surprise that her interest in tennis is increasing through Maria’s influence. “She’s a natural!” Maria says proudly.



Maria is such a Tennis OC cheerleader that her enthusiasm has encouraged more people to join.



“I just played in the league and told people about it because I thought it was a wonderful way of playing lots of tennis with good people. I encouraged a few people to join or to get their wives to join so that there would be a women's division, but there were lots of others who joined with no influence from me.”

8 years and 502 tennis matches later and this game still challenges, entertains and keeps me fit.

2009 National Championship

    My name is Steve Chagnon, the owner/lead administrator for the Tennis League Network (TLN), an online tennis community that matches players of similar levels. You might know the program as one of 30 city based programs: TennisDC.com, TennisLosAngeles.com or TennisNorthEast.com.

A quick background on me . . . I grew up being a sports fanatic.  I had a childhood baseball addiction, which eventually led to my love of basketball through my 20's.  Basketball is a great team sport but it's brutal on the ankles and knees. It's also quite humbling when you barely get into your mid-30's and you lose your outside shot.  Through the years tennis was always in the background but it took front and center when I entered my 30's and my basketball skills faded. 

    For me, the beautiful thing about tennis is that there really was only one period where I got pretty good. At my first job out of college with EMC Corporation, a co-worker and I would hit the courts once a week, to just hit around or play matches. Within a few short months we both had elevated our games to a point where winners were becoming commonplace and playing rallies was the norm. This was all lost when I ended up leaving the company.  No more partner. No more tennis. 

    It took about 7 more years before I found a local program and started to play competitive singles matches. But the program had some major flaws, mainly that it relied on postal mail to connect players together, phone calls to post score updates. Things moved slowly, if they moved at all. Eventually, they stopped moving, and the league was entirely shut down. 

2010 National Championship 

So, the concept for TLN the program grew out of my continued desire to compete in a fun and engaging sport.  That’s what tennis is.  It doesn’t matter how old you are or how athletic – just get out on the tennis court and you can see improvements within a short period of time. All you need is either a wall to hit against, an instructor or a tennis partner. The program's true foundation is that we find you passionate tennis players who love the sport of tennis to meet up with you, a  “stranger to them”, on the courts. Call us the match-maker of the online tennis world.  But it’s not a singles group and there's no dating, just the initial awkwardness of meeting up with a new potential tennis friend. This leads to exchanging forehands and backhands and hopefully lots of rallies.  

    So TennisNorthEast.com was born, the Metro Boston Tennis League - the first, the original, and now the 3rd biggest community in the 30-city network.  The program and its format has changed dramatically over the years, with constant feedback from the community, and implementing changes to make this the truest form of Flex League available. What’s all the fuss about, you ask?  Play as much as you want during an 8 to 9 week season. If the first match was a barn-burner, then get out on the courts again and play a rematch.   Women who win 4 matches or men who win 5 matches during the regular season qualify for the playoffs. The single-elimination playoff format is where the champions are crowned. City champions are then eligible to go to our national championship, which is held yearly in November at the gorgeous Crandon Park Tennis Center in Key Biscayne, Florida. 

   Time has passed since that first league kicked off.  Here I am still playing, 502 matches later, with a marginal (at best) record of 251 wins and 251 losses with 3 losses in championship finals. I'm a struggling 3.5 player needing to hold serve way more often than I currently am. But, I'm constantly striving to improve aspects of my game as I still AIM to eventually win a championship.  Spring is nearing and it's time to get physically prepared for the 2012 outdoor season. Sadly, for us up here in Boston, it doesn’t start until late April, unlike the players in LA, Orange County, and most southern cities where they get to play outdoors year round.  

    This year, Tennis League Network will surpass its 100,000th match played. The program has evolved over the years and will continue to evolve, by listening to the community, which is the only way to make sure we're trying to deliver the best product possible.  Though I have my own 502 matches under my belt, I certainly intend to keep going, and think 1,000 matches is a good target.  By the time I reach it, perhaps a player in Los Angeles or Orange County will have surpassed me. If you get there before me, then a lifetime membership in the program will be yours. Good luck! 


                            -Steven Chagnon 
                            Owner and Lead Administrator 
                            Tennis League Network, llc

TLN to Test Team Tennis Format in 2012

In 1974, Billie Jean King co-founded World Team Tennis, the groundbreaking co-ed professional tennis league. She followed up with the World Team Tennis Recreational League, one of the most popular recreational tennis formats in the U.S. 


In the spring of 2012, Tennis League Network (TLN) will also launch team tennis programs of its own--on a pilot basis--in Boston and Washington, DC. This is essentially “a beta test to see if see if we can create a format that we can take nationwide by the fall,” says Steve Chagnon, League Administrator.

What is Team Tennis? In professional tennis, it is a coed professional league played in the United States with a unique team format. Each match consists of five sets. Each set features a different configuration (men's singles, men's doubles, women's singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles). Before the match, coaches decide the order in which the sets will be played. Each player on a team usually plays in at least one of the five sets.

Here’s how TLN’s Team Tennis will work:
Overview: We'll place you on a team of 3-5 players who on Saturday mornings meet up with another team to play. Over a 6 week season 4 singles and 2 doubles matches will be played + playoffs. The mini-matches will be 8 game pro-sets, so that the commitment is limited to about 2 hours.

Spring Season Start: Sat. April 29th, 10AM start time* and will run for 6 weeks, with an extra week for rain out. Playoff lengths will depend upon the number of teams that qualify. No more than 8 teams and 3 weeks.

How will teams be formed?: League administrator will create teams from the roster of the players who are enrolled, as in a draft. Each team will have players from various levels on it (for example, A-level, B-level, C, etc.). Each team will have at least 1 female player (preferably two). Each team will have 5 players on it to ensure that 4 players will be available for each match. We anticipate having an extensive sub list to help when more than one teammate can't make a certain week. We will attempt to honor requests for a particular teammate, but will not accept a full team for this first season.

Format: 4 singles matches start the day. The captains will order their singles players from A to D and match them up with their opponent’s A thru D players. For the singles match, at least 1 player per team must be female.** These matches will be 8 game pro sets, where a tie-breaker is played for the match at 7-7. Upon completion of these matches, two doubles matches (A & B) will be played where once again at least one of the players needs to be a female player.

Team Scoring: The winner of each match will be assigned a team point. 6 points are up for grabs. If the two teams are tied at 3 points then the tie-breaker will be the team with the best game score. If they are still tied then the match will be called a tie.

Player's Expectation: To be part of this program, you should want to be part of the fun of the tennis team format and meet new people who love tennis. 'Winner take all type” players need not apply. You also need to be flexible and be comfortable with meeting up at any of the courts suggested. The league will try it's best to have a North and South Division, which will greatly reduce the travel times for players.

Captain's Expectation: You are the heart-beat of the team. Your job will be to be in contact with your team and maybe even set up a time to meet up before the first match. On Thursday you should be in contact with the other captain and have the location picked out. You should also know who won't be able to make it, and fill any team needs you have by using the sub list. Captains will also be expected to bring 4 NEW cans ($15) of balls to each match and will have 'collect ball' dues from their team. Winning team takes home the 4 unopened can of balls. Doubles matches will use the singles matches balls.

Big Note: We are NOT going to rely on the tennis clubs to play these matches, so we are going to avoid a significant cost. But, we're also going to be at the whim of the weather. There's a strong chance that several matches won't be able to be played at the Saturday morning time set aside. The captains should be in contact with each other to try to schedule an alternative time or maybe play indoors. By April, the indoor court costs do come down a bit. If this option is chosen, then the players will be expected to cover the court costs.
_____________________________________________________________________

“16-LOVE,” an Indie Teen Comedy about Junior Tennis

“16-LOVE,” an indie teen comedy about junior tennis, is scheduled to appear in theaters, on video on demand, and online January 20^th.

“16-LOVE” tells the story of 16-year old Tennis Ace, Ally Mash (Lindsey Shaw of the recently released “The Howling” and “Pretty Little Liars”), who lives and breathes the game until a twisted ankle lands her with hot rookie, Farrell Gambles (Chandler Massey of “Days of Our Lives”).  She makes him a champion, and he shows her what true “Love” is.

The cast and crew of “16-LOVE” are poised for the premiere on January 16^th in San Diego—the heart of where the movie was filmed. Drawing on tennis clubs, professionals, and amateurs in the San Diego area, “16-LOVE” is filled with hard-hitting action and a great love story too.

Tennis programs stand to benefit from the “16-LOVE” premiere too. High school tennis teams and other tennis organizations closest to the theaters are selling tickets to the film to earn their programs’ 25% of ticket sales from the “16-LOVE” Will to Thrill fundraiser.

“16-LOVE” recently premiered a “Making of 16-LOVE” special on the Tennis Channel that can now be viewed on Youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEstWtzVCpk  along with their trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqZik9It1GU

For more information about events scheduled around the film please visit www.16-Love.com.

It Was the Best of Times for TennisOC Fall Season 2011

It was the best of times for Tennis OC (Orange County). The fall season was the most successful season in the entire Tennis League Network’s 8-year history.

So many matches played…so many players playing…so many records broken. So many playoff qualifiers. And so much fun! All in just 10 weeks. Here's what went down:

• 389 matches played between 67 players, an average of 11.6 matches per player!
• 8 players got free seasons for playing 20 or matches. 
Alan Kuhn played a whopping 33 matches. http://tennisoc.com/info/MatchesInSeason.
• 37 of 67 players qualified for the playoffs. 55% of the players in the season.

Clearly, everyone loves tennis in TennisOC:

This program is great for all of us who are trying to get back in the game. I think this is a great place to meet other tennis lovers. -E. Valdez, member Since 07/19/11

I had been trying to find a way back into tennis...I'm so glad I found the Tennis League Network and Tennis OC! My game is coming back.
--S. Maki, member since 05/11/09












I have found some great matches and players. Everyone has been very flexible. It's a great league! I plan on playing for years to come.
- R. Baker, member since 03/15/10


 
 
 



Well, the fall season has ended, but  the fun in the sun isn’t over yet. (see the link below.) The New Tennis OC seasons begins January 3. So, if you are in the OC league, you can enroll now. The rest of us here on the East Coast will just have to wait until spring.
 

http://youtu.be/nEGAAUpvm-M

Rafael Rios: A (Tennis) Tale of Two City Championships

What began as a “filler sport” for Rafael Rios led him to being a different kind of 2-time champion. Although it has been done before, it’s a feat to win just one championship, let alone two. What hasn’t been done is for one of our players to spread a tennis footprint from Tennis NorthEast in the Boston area all the way to Tennis New York. Apparently, this 4.0 player is a tennis champion wherever he goes. Which makes him an unusual Tennis League Network (TLN) player, and the only one of his kind.
So what league is he actually a member of? It depends on when you ask him. “I’m a current member of Tennis NewYork, and a former member of Tennis NorthEast. I’ve been a TennisNewYork league member since July 2011, when I switched over from the Tennis NorthEast League, which I had joined in July of 2010. I was relocated to New York this year for work and immediately switched leagues. I pushed my way through some solid competition in this league and was happy to come out on top again in the Summer 2011 season. I think from all my playing with Tennis NorthEast, I was well prepared for the competition in Tennis New York.” (How does the song go? If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere…

It’s up to you - New York, New York)
Rafael learned about the Tennis League Network from James Lee, a fellow league member in Tennis NorthEast. “We were both in the same work league (Raytheon Tennis League) and he suggested I join Tennis NorthEast for the larger pool of players and increased level of competition. I did just that and have been enjoying it since.”

After joining Tennis NorthEast in July 2010, he quickly jumped from a 3.25 to a 3.5 level. “Not having played competitively since high school, I was very rusty at first, but quickly got better and better with each match. By the end of the fall season, I was back in form and winning most matches. I also started playing the 4.0 division to with some success.” At season’s end, Rafael was playing only a couple of times a month due to a hectic work schedule that involves a lot of travel. “But when I first started last year, I could not get enough. Between Tennis NorthEast and my work league, I’d sometimes play two matches in the same day and do it all again two days later. That was one factor, I think, that led to an ankle injury in August, 2010, which put me out for a good six months. “Steve (TLN Admin) graciously allowed me to get back into playing shape before finally playing our Finals match in April of 2011.”

When did Rafael start playing tennis?
“I started playing tennis my sophomore year in high school (2003 for Billerica Memorial High School). Before that year, I had never picked up a tennis racquet in my life. Growing up, my sports were always soccer in the spring/summer, soccer or football in the fall, and basketball in the winter. In high school I stuck with soccer, but I needed a filler sport for the spring. I tried doing track as a freshman but hated it and switched to tennis the next year. By my senior year I made captain and was playing second/third singles. I finished my senior year with a 13-2 record and our team made it to the state tournament.”

When he graduated high school in 2005, he went to college at Massachusetts Maritime Academy-- a school that had no tennis team (can you imagine?)-- but “I played on and off my four years there, mostly with friends, and training up my brother, who was three grades behind me and still on the high school team. “ He took a year off from tennis in 2009, when he started his current job with Raytheon. “After that year I noticed that the working world was making me fat and lazy, so I decided to pick up tennis again and started looking for leagues because I wanted to stay in shape. And because I love the sport.”

So, Rafael, what are your memorable league matches?

“I’ve had many memorable matches both good and bad. From Tennis NorthEast, one of the most memorable matches was with Don Tran in the summer playoffs. I’ve played more matches with Don than with anyone else (most of them off-the-record), and when we play it always seems to be a chess match-- picking at each other’s weaknesses, with a constant ballet of drop shots, lobs, and cross court forehands. I took the first set 6-4 on a few lucky points that helped me break his serve. In the second set, I think I won the first few games outright and then sort of relaxed, feeling like I could coast the rest of the set.

“This proved to be a mistake, since Don is a guy who brings it all on every point. He ended up tying up the games and at that point you mentally start to break down and play ‘not to lose’ rather just playing your game. By the third set I was so worn out and demoralized that he made quick work of me, 6-1. It’s matches like those that teach me the most and help improve my game. I make it a point now to try and play like I’ve got nothing to lose and just play hard every point, regardless of the score. Tennis is an awesome game of momentum and mental toughness.”

In Tennis NewYork, two very memorable matches have come against Christian Roumain and Orlando Jones (who was also profiled in this blog in October). I’ve played two 10- game pro set matches against Chris and in both I was down something like 5-1 and came back to win. Those were long rally matches where the points came from forcing opponent errors rather than winners. My only match against Orlando was in this summer’s playoffs. Lucky for me, that day I was nailing my first serves and it seems that I hit every line edge about ten times. I’m really looking forward to playing him again.”

Rafael’s biggest league rivalries “still remain in Tennis NorthEast with the likes of Jeff MacMonagle, Don Tran and James Lee. As I mentioned, I’ve played more off-the-record matches with Don Tran and, no matter the occasion, we always battle long and hard; I’ve had some of my best wins and losses with him. Same goes for Jeff in terms of intensity. Playing matches with James was always fun because his level of play was so high it just made you feel good when you finally took a game or two away from him, never mind a set.”

On the other hand, Rafael has begun “some good rivalries here with Tennis NewYork. As I described, my matches with Christian were epic in nature and Buddy Koehler and I play such similar styles that it’s like playing myself (very exhausting). Bernardo Gomes is also a very good hitter who I’m looking forward to playing some more.”

We can probably bet on the fact that Rafael has some other interesting rivalries -- outside the TLN leagues-- and inside the Rios League. “My younger brother, Billy, and my father became my default hitting partners as I learned the game, and Billy became a very good player. We played together my senior year in high school. Admittedly, he has beaten me on many occasions and is one of my personal motivators, as well as a rival; but luckily also one of my best friends. As soon as he graduates, I will personally see to it that he joins the league so that we may have our matches on record and finally settle who is the better player!”

Rafael looks forward to continuing to be an active member in Tennis New York. “I have really enjoyed my experience thus far. I hope to make the trip down to Miami next year and play in the National Tourney. And I hear that there’s a Raytheon in San Diego… who knows… maybe my job will send me there next and I’ll shoot for 3 Championships in 3 Cities. (Ha Ha)

Watch out Tennis League San Diego!