Updating the (POTY) Point System

     The Player of the Year (POTY) program has been great to represent whose been the most active player in each program every year.

     The players currently can get points from either the League Playing Initiative (Get points just for playing) or League Growth Initiative (Get points for promoting the league).  Later this year we'll be adding a third initiative:  League Story Initiative.  We'll be creating a facebook style scroller feed where players will be hopefully motivated to submit content about their local program for everyone to read.

In 2013 we crowned these wonderful players Players of the Year:
Boston (TennisNorthEast):    Mark Stern
Chicago (ChiTownTennis):   Sarah Young
DC (TennisDC):                    Jorge Daniels
LA (Tennis LosAngeles):       Valentin Ionescu-Tiba
Philly (TennisPhilly):             Rameshkannan Arumugam
NYC (Tennis NewYork):      Arthur Wood
OC (TennisOC):                    Ajay Patel
SF (TennisSF):                      Michelle Atkins
Miami (Tennis Miami):          Eli Panell
Denver (TennisDenver):        Peter Aguilar
Phoenix (TennisPhoenix):     Michael Bronstein
Cleveland (TennisCleveland): Louis Burnoski
St. Louis (TennisStLouis):    Nick Flanchsca
Portland (TennisPortland):    Munjal Shah
Cincy (TennisCincy):            Sanjay Ray
Minny (TennisMinneapolis): Lydia Crouser
Austin (Tennis-Austin):        Andrew Rohlfs
San Jose (TennisSanJose):    Praveen Koka
Baltimore (TennisBaltimore): Jason Morstein
Orlando (Tennis-Orlando):   Wade Bailey
Pittsburgh (PittsburghTennisLeague): Martin Rubeo
Ft. Lauderdale (Tennis FtLauderdale): Thomas Trotter

We thanked all the players with Tennis Warehouse Gift Cards for their promotion and activity in the program.

In 2014 we're going to update the point system for both initiatives.

League Playing Initiative:
League Match Winner will go to 5 pts from 3 pts.
League Match Opponent will go to 3 pts from 2 pts.
Tournament Match Winner will go to 8 pts from 6 pts.
Tournament Match Opponent will go to 5 pts from 3pts.
Non-League Match Winner will stay at 2 points
Non-League Match Opponent will stay at 1 pt.

League Growth Initiative:
A League referral will now be 40 points, previously it was 30 points
A Non-League referral will be 10 to 30 points based upon how much of a commitment the referral makes.

This should increase the points and we all that know higher scores makes the game more exciting.

                              -Steve Chagnon, Tennis League Network, llc

Thank you to the most Active Tennis Players in our Program!

Thank you to the most Active Tennis Players in our Program!

You make our program run like a well oiled machine.  You know how to compromise and are a master with scheduling with other players whether they are veterans or new to the program.

So we want to extend our thanks by providing you a permanent discount moving forward:

More than 200 to 299 Matches: 2% off all league programs
More than 300 to 399 Matches: 4% off all league programs
More than 400 to 499 Matches: 6% off all league programs
More than 500 Matches: 8% off all league programs

We have a bunch of players who have hit each criteria:

More than 200 to 299 Matches: 22 players
More than 300 to 399 Matches: 7 players
More than 400 to 499 Matches: 4 players: Mark Stern, Boston, Ajay Patel, OC, Marcelo Saavedra and Valentin Ionescu-Tiba.
More than 500 Matches:  1:  Steven Chagnon

Yes, the owner of the network is also the player who has played the most number of matches over the years.

Tennis League Network, it's where players come to play!

Let's Ace Cancer . . .

       Tennis is a love of mine. It's one of the many things I love in life. In fact, it's the only place on this earth that I leave this earth for a little while. It's my escape and a way to let out some ruthless aggression. We all have things in life that we enjoy doing and look forward to. Like Louie Armstrong said, 'What a Wonderful World'.

       However, people who have cancer, can have their worlds altered overnight, their hopes and dreams put on the back burner and they can be overcome with a paralyzing fear. All of the simple things in life that most of us take for granted, become a precious commodity to those that battle this dreaded disease. The fight is no longer about winning and losing on the court. It's is about life and death off of it.

       We all know someone who has their lives affected by cancer. For me, it is my best friend. In addition, she is a mother, daughter, aunt, sister, director, CPA, cheerleader coach and jack of all trades. A true superstar that MANY people count on. She was fortunate enough to knockout cancer a few years back.

       But over the summer a thought dawned on me. What if she did not win the battle? What would all of those people do without her, that count on her everyday? My life is GOOD, way too blessed to be stressed! I decided to dedicate the Philly fall singles, doubles and Tennis League Network Year End Tournament in Key Biscayne, Florida matches in her honor and for everyone battling cancer that would love to be on that court.

       About a week into the season, my friend called me and said that her aunt was now fighting breast cancer. This is a disease that can strike anyone of us at any given time without notice. It is a privilege each and every time I step onto the court. The pressure of converting a set point or getting a second serve in can seem trivial in the grand scheme of things. Each time I was faced with these clutch moments this fall season, I thought about my friend, her aunt and everyone battling cancer to keep my head in check and fight with the heart of a lion. Whether I play singles, or doubles with my partner Tony, it's an absolute joy playing tennis. I am truly blessed. Really... I am blessed.

       I am proud to write out a donation today to the Cancer Research Institute, the home charity of the Tennis League Network.
The Cancer Research Institute (CRI) is the world's only nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to harnessing the immune system's power to conquer all cancers. The Tennis League Network with the help of founder and ambassador Steve Chagnon, have raised over $5,000 dollars for the Cancer Research Institute over the last 4 years.

       I ask my fellow Tennis League Network members, in over 37 cities, to do something good for someone else this holiday season. Maybe even joining me in making a donation to CRI. As Steve would say, 'It's the right thing to do'.

Have a great holiday and I will see everyone in 2014.

Sincerely,
Jeffrey Barr
Tennis Philly

Some Details about the 2013 End of the Year Tourney held at Crandon Park Tennis Center

What a line-up!  What a line-up!   This is by far the most talented roster of players coming for the 2013 End of the Year Tourney.   I'm so excited to meet you again or for the first time.  Let's play way too much tennis and have fun on the tennis courts at beautiful Crandon Park Tennis Center in Key Biscayne, FL.

Here's some tourney highlights:
*  Ajay Patel out of Orange County is our most decorated player ever. He has 14 championships and 377 total wins in the program.
* Eli Panell out of Miami is returning after winning the Advanced championship last year. He's also won 5 total championships.
* Norbert Pukeca out of Orlando and Mariano Copello out of Miami both are undefeated at 27-0 and 9-0 respectfully.
* 16 players are returning for 2nd or 3rd or even 4th championship. Brian Beno out of Ft. Lauderdale and myself will have participated in all 5 tournaments.
* 44 players are attending as of today. That's a record.
* 28 players could be considered out of towners and will be traveling to the tourney.
* 16 players are from Miami or the Ft. Lauderdale franchises.
* Darrel Belvin out of Seattle will be the player making the longest trip to Key Biscayne.
* We're going to have 16 Advanced players playing for only 8 championship Sunday playoff spots. Friday, Saturday count more for them!
* Our smallest functional franchise: St. Louis will be having two participants: Nick Flanscha and Brandon Hall.
* The total record of everyone attending is:  2537 wins, 1785 loses -  58.6% win percentage
* The total record for the Elite players is:  964 wins, 211 loses - 82% win percentage
* Once again Denise Lynch will be the lead assistant in running the tourney. She did such a kick butt job last year and she's a wonderful sister. :)

Great things are happening at Tennis League Network.

A reflection on my first 100 matches - by Brian Patrick

         

           It was recently pointed out to me that I was approaching my 100th match.  I hadn't realized it and when I was first made aware, it didn't seem to mean much.  But after having a chance to reflect on 100 matches, I realized it was a big deal - to me at least.

            I joined TennisCleveland.com in the summer of 2011.  I had played tennis on vacation with my wife with a group of retired men and women in Hawaii in a round-robin mixer type activity.  I had played casually with friends before, mostly just singles, but after this one day, I realized I wanted to play more.  We got home and I did a search for tennis leagues in the Cleveland area.  I signed up and I was hooked.  I remember vividly my first match.  I was nervous, mostly afraid of looking foolish, but the gentleman I met that day made me feel at ease.  See, it was also his first match, too.  We had a nice match, despite the result, a resounding 6-1, 6-2 defeat.  Although, in retrospect, the loss was against the eventual champion, so nothing to hang my head over.  

            Needless to say I was hooked.  I signed up for Spring, Summer and Fall in 2012 and couldn't play enough.  My "lessons" were earned on the court.  I am a competitor, so I struggled with balancing winning with working on some of the fundamentals.  I still do.  There are just some matches where you really feel like you need that win to help your morale, or to overcome a hard day at work.  But that's what keeps us coming back, right?

            I've met some incredible people and had some amazing matches.  The highlight of 2012 was going down to Florida for the year-end tournament and meeting other enthusiasts from the other networks around the country.  If you have the means and the opportunity to do this, I highly recommend it.  Oh, and winning my first championship trophy (yes, first....beware TennisCleveland players, there will be more!).  

            2013 is off to a great start.  Match 100 was last night in 93 degree heat.  I lost easily 6-2 6-3, so that is in a way serendipitous to the way I started almost 2 years ago.  54 wins and 46 losses later and I plug on.  I love meeting and playing new people, so if you are ever coming through Cleveland, look me up, I'd be happy to play! 

Is Old is the New Young? by Gabe Gonzalez

          When I started playing tennis 30 years ago, the pro circuit was jam-packed with teen wunderkinds.  Tracy Austin, Jimmy Arias, Andrea Jaeger, and Carling Bassett were all media darlings, each one hailed as the next big thing.  The message was, "If you don't make it big by 16, you have no chance."  But, injuries cut short many of those happy endings. 

          Today, Old is the new Young.  As I hit the courts in my early 40's, I feel like I have company on the ATP and the WTA.  Roger Federer, while not at his peak, is still the Number 2 player in the world and the reigning Wimbledon champion at the age of 31.  David Ferrer is at a peak position of Number 4 at the age of 31.  Tommy Haas, up to Number 14 in the world, is having a renaissance at the age of 35.  In the doubles arena, only two of the top 15 players are under 30.  They are surrounded by the likes of the Bryan brothers (34),  Leander Paes (39), Nenad Zimonjic (36), and Daniel Nestor (40, and a three-time defending champion in doubles at Roland Garros).  These seasoned veterans are usually the first on a captain's list when Davis Cup squads are being formed.

          

The WTA is no different.  Five players in the top 20 are at least 30 years old, including the Number 1 player in the world (Serena Williams, Li Na, Nadia Petrova, Roberta Vinci, Klara Zakopalova).  And, these players are not coasting.  While Williams and Petrova had success in earlier years, Na, Vinci, and Zakopalova only hit their stride as they got older.  Much like the men, the women's doubles scene is dominated by the older generation, with nine of the Top 15 at least 30 years old (including Vinci, Number 1 in doubles).  And, then there's 42-year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm, who, after a Top 5 career, returned from a 12-year retirement to ensconce herself in the Top 100 again (currently, Number 74). 

          So, when you think about your game, no matter your age, don't automatically think that your best days are behind you.  In fact, your best days may be right now, or a year or two into the future.  Tennis is a physical game, but it is also very much a mental game.  And, your experience is an advantage that you bring to every match.

-Gabe Gonzalez

                                                                           

TennisDC.com Player 

Avid Tennis Fan

Boise, Idaho was nearly Novak Djokovic's Waterloo

           As the prize money in professional tennis has reached new highs, the distance between the tennis world of us regular folks and the tennis world of the global tennis stars has sometimes seemed very great.  What do they know about having to play on a questionable court or with the aches and pains of age?  And, do they even remember the pure joy of playing, separate and apart from the money, the celebrity, the titles?  Leave it to the Davis Cup to remind us that a pure love of the game of tennis is alive and well even among the greats.

Credited to EPA

           Boise, Idaho, is not known as a tennis mecca, but it was almost Novak Djokovic's Waterloo.  The United States and Serbia were playing their World Group quarterfinal there.  The U.S. had to have been feeling good about its chances, with Serbia lacking Janko Tipsarevic.  If John Isner and Sam Querrey each beat Victor Troicki, then the Bryan brothers would seal the deal in doubles.  On Day 1, Querrey needed five sets to beat Troicki, to get the U.S. to 1-1 after Djokovic's win over Isner.  The Bryan brothers were overwhelming favorites against the doubles line-up of Nenad Zimonjic and Ilija Bozoljac, ranked 334th in singles.  But, Davis Cup makes regular players become great players, at times.  That was the case with Bozoljac, who propelled the Serbs to an improbable 7-6(5), 7-6(1), 5-7, 4-6, 15-13, win over the No. 1 doubles team in the world. 

Credited to USA Today

           After that shock, with the U.S. down 2-1, they needed a near miracle to capture both reverse singles matches.  It would be up to Querrey to topple Djokovic.  But, in the third game of their match, Djokovic toppled himself, falling to the ground in pain with an ankle injury.  After court side treatment, the mega-fit Djokovic played on, in noticeable pain, and beat Querrey in four sets.  Afterwards, he was reduced to tears when talking about the injury, unsure of how bad it really was.  [An MRI revealed no long-term injury, but Djokovic is doubtful for the Monte Carlo Masters.]

           It's not easy when we are in a league match, playing with a sore shoulder or a painful toe, to think that we have much in common with the No. 1 player in the world.  But, in Boise, Idaho, Novak Djokovic showed the same spirit that all of us have shown at some point, getting on the court and playing your best because you love tennis and would rather be on a tennis court playing this game (no matter your physical state) than just about anywhere else in the world.

-Gabe Gonzalez

                                                                             

TennisDC.com Player 

Avid Tennis Fan

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.