Wendy Ham - New Yorker Finds Regular Tennis With League

Wendy has been a member of the TennisNewYork.com Women’s league and Tennis Ladder since the summer of 2013. She's a passionate tennis player who tries to play three to five times a week and will tell you that she is at the 3.0 level. In 2014, Wendy set herself a goal to make the Tennis New York playoffs at least once, and she is very happy to have accomplished this goal in the Spring Season. Another goal of hers this year is to be more aggressive in matches and score more net points. 

All tennis players start somewhere. For Wendy it all started in high school. However, she struggled to practice regularly because it was always hard for her to find regular partners, not to mention available tennis courts. Needless to say, she felt very thankful when she discovered TennisNewYork.com. The network has made it very easy for her to meet many enthusiastic partners of all levels who are as motivated as she is to play regularly.  

Wendy loves her tennis and will tell you that while it looks easy, tennis is actually very difficult to master. Nonetheless, the room for perpetual improvement is exactly the allure of the game for Wendy. She finds tennis both exhilarating and relaxing, and she finds the mental aspects of the game particularly engaging. Wendy is currently trying hard to finish her PhD dissertation (on the use of computational models to study the accuracy of forecasting strategies), and tennis has provided her with just the right kind of healthy distraction. 

Tennis matches can be memorable for many reasons. For Wendy, matches in which both sides play well and unforced errors are kept to a minimum are the ones she recalls with fondness. Those and several matches she played in 30-degree weather (outdoors!) last winter with Bill Inman, another player on the Tennis Ladder. 

Any player serious about improving their game will have league rivalries, and Wendy is no different. She has no fear of playing opponents of a higher level. In fact, she has lost to Masahiro Maeda 17 times in a row, and that’s just the official records. This rivalry might skew Wendy’s official match statistics but she won’t give up trying to beat him. (She thinks she’s getting close, especially after reading Brad Gilbert’s Winning Ugly.) Any tennis player will tell you the only way to improve your own game is to play those better than yourself. Playing Masahiro reveals areas of Wendy’s game she can improve upon, and she is grateful that he is still willing to play her. (Must be something to do with his win record increasing with each meeting – come on Wendy!)

Meeting other tennis lovers is always a key attraction for tennis players, and Wendy is no different. She enjoys meeting the diverse range of people the league attracts, which so far has included a number of finance professionals (not unusual in NYC), but also an opera singer and a fashion model! She especially enjoys the fact that many of the league players seem to be as obsessed with tennis as she is. 

Matthew Horwich - Dedicated Tennis Player is Out in All Weathers

Matthew has been playing with Tennis Cleveland for three years now and found the Tennis League Network after searching through the wide range of tennis leagues on offer. None of them offer the flexibility and number of players that he wanted except for Tennis Cleveland.
He currently plays in Cleveland's Spring Season Division A and is a 3.5 rated player. Matthew considers himself a competitive league player but he also plays in the partner program and the tennis ladder. He actually won the 2013 Spring Season lower division.  

Matthew didn't play a lot of tennis while in grade school. However, it was not until later in life, when a girlfriend encouraged him to pick up a racket again, that he started to play again. He began playing semi-regularly with some friends, but he knew they would never be as serious about the game as he was becoming. So he joined Tennis Cleveland and now plays as much as six times a week... now that's commitment! 

For Matthew, playing tennis is about improving his game and he looks for every opportunity to take on all players seeded above him. If he can find an opponent rated at 4.0-4.5 who is willing to play a less seasoned player, then he will take the opportunity to improve his game. Subsequently, Matthew’s win/loss record is of secondary importance to him; his priority is playing the better players as often as possible.

Matthew is a self-employed private tutor, which allows for a flexible schedule when it comes to his tennis. As such, dedicated to his tennis, he has no problem with playing at 6:00am but is equally at home with a little tennis nightcap. In fact, ever the dedicated sportsman, Matthew even has a list of indoor tennis facilities for when the weather is not suitable for outdoor play. That’s Cleveland for you!

Tennis, like all sports, allows for competition but it also has a great social aspect where people with a passion for tennis can meet in and outside of the league. Matthew loves to meet up with other players who are passionate about the game.

Artie Wood - Tennis Rehabilitation for New York Player

Artie is a regular member of the Tennis New York league and has been for the past 2 years. Before joining he was having a real difficult time finding active & regular tennis players and so when he searched for tennis meet ups in New York he came across the league and he has been hooked ever since.

Trying to classify his level is proving to be difficult as at the 3.25 level but in the indoor winter league he plays for the 3.5 league. Either way, for Art he just loves the competition the league offers him, regardless of the level.

He is a passionate player of the game and has averaging 110 games a year. Artie plays as much as he possibly can and sometimes even if his body likes it or not. In fact, it is his love of tennis that keeps him going because he suffers from a Bi-Polar condition. He has found tennis a way to improve his life.

Every player has stories to tell and memorable matches they like to relive, Artie is no

different. Unfortunately Arts sister passed away and the day before her funeral Orlando Jones (an advanced player) gave him a game. By his own admission he went into the game with little tennis worry he played particularly well. In fact, he nearly won the first set and for Artie playing so well against a player more accomplished in the league. Art regularly plays in tournaments with better players in order to evaluate how far he has improved and what aspects of his game he needs to work on.

In his first season he made into the finals and he was so proud that he asked his friends to come and watch. Despite losing 10-4 this was an incredible result for Artie because he got so far, especially when you consider that he was down a lot of match points in the very first round.

With regular competition come league rivalries. Artie likes to consider himself a tennis historian and points out that Vitas Geralitis never beat Ivan Lendl (0-17). For Art, he has a rivalry similar to that, he has beaten Doug Ogliges only the once with a current standing of 1-13. However, always looking at ways to improve his game, Art has been crafty and as he learns how to beat Doug he has joined him as a doubles partner and will be the first to tell you that if you can’t beat a player in the league… join him.

Munjal Shah – Tech Guru Gains high Rating in Record Time

      Munjal Shah has been playing in Tennis Portland program for a year now. He's a solid player and likes to play at least four times a week and is rated at 4.0.

      For Munjal the league offers him much more than just other tennis players, it offers a great opportunity to meet like-mined people and socialise outside of the game, however, the conversation invariably turns to a great competitive game. The Portland tennis league offers active tennis players and Munjal is never short of a challenge or two.

      Any player will tell you about their great comebacks or near misses. Munjal is no different and remembers his first playoff matches fondly. It was the spring of 2013 and both matches were very tight. Despite the high competitiveness of the games he enjoyed them enormously and it gave him so much confidence going into the summer season.

      Munjal will tell you that the league is well run and that the administrator is very helpful and

responsive. As such, he finds playing in the league very easy which allows for easy scheduling and regular games. Munjal has a number of league rivalries (who doesn’t)  but with James Brown in particular, check out his profile page for details.

      Munjal is a Software Engineer by trade and was born and brought up in India. He moved to Los Angeles in 2008. He studied at UCLA and earned a Master of Science degree in Computer Science. Tennis has been his passion and a game he has followed since he was 16 years old.

      However, it was not until January 2013 that he actually picked up a racket and started to pay the game rather than be an arm chair critic. Recently married in November 2013, Munjal is now getting his wife into tennis.

      Munjal is big fan of Roger Federer, in fact, he has learnt a lot from Federer’s game by watching slow motion videos of the man in action. Subsequently, Munjal has been fortunate enough to meet Roger Federer and other players at Indian Wells.

Yann Auzoux – FifthSet International - Top Coach Shares his Video Tutorials

       Yann Auzoux has been a tennis instructor for over 25 years and his experience is truly vast, ranging from the eager youngster all the way up to the professional standards required of the elite players.

       For the past ten years Yann has been coaching a high school tennis team and their winning record is an impressive 95% over the past ten years; even more impressively they have been undefeated during the last five years.

       Yann has brought his wealth of experience in tennis to the online community and has been an avid contributor to tennis.com, for a number of years now. Yann’s success has come from his ability to teach complicated concepts in very simple and intuitive ways. This has allowed his students, regardless of ability level, to understand and apply the training tips to their own game. That way, through the curriculum, players are able to see tangible improvements in their game very quickly. As such, Yann’s video training series has created great results for many students in a relatively short period of time.

       For Yann, all training should be fun and well organised and his video series is no exception; walking students through complicated concepts from point A through to point Z. If you study via Yann’s training courses then you will be taken through the vital steps in an intelligent manner and via a system that is so powerful you will improve your game without even thinking about it, simply by doing and feeling.

       The secret to being a great player, according to any top coach, is being able to play the game instinctively and not have to think too much about it. The thinking comes ahead of the game but instinct takes over during the match.

       Let’s take a look at a couple of Yann’s courses in more detail, in particular the Serve Accelerator. Over the last 20 years Yann has mastered this course as both a coach and professional player. The course provides a step by step progression that gradually helps a player to maximise their personal talent. The course is designed to be easy to grasp but very dominant when applied. This course will help you to master your toss and will make you understand the mechanical chain that optimizes your power and your control. Importantly, students will learn how to develop their serve whilst preserving their joints so that they do not develop bad habits that could cause injuries. Yann will tell you that this is one of the best investments you can make for your game and seeing as the serve is so important to any player’s game who could disagree. 

       Yann has put into practice his own training methods and with his relatively small frame of 5'10 and 150lbs he has been able to generate up to 135mph serves, which is almost 1 mile per hour per pound of flesh. That is very impressive for any player.

       Next, there is Yann’s renowned course in dynamic footwork. Now, no one ever talks about the importance of footwork but Yann can teach you the most important topic no one ever talks about or teaches. Yann has spent an extensive amount of time on technique and strokes but if you do not get to the ball, you will not hit it. Contrary to what many people think, footwork is not as simple as "moving your feet", there is so much more to successful footwork. In this easy to understand course, Yann walks you through steps that will make you gain seconds in your movement. Imagine what you would do with seconds to spare every time you get to a ball.

       Additionally, footwork means getting to the ball in the right position so that your body is never in your way but instead gives you all the extra stuff you need for a winning shot. Just like every aspect of your game, there are footwork patterns to learn that maximize your options based on the situation you face. This course will change the way you move and show you that Federer can be emulated.

       Yann’s video training series are essentially documentaries which explain his many secrets and insider knowledge of the game. This advice has led to his great success which has seen his teams remain undefeated, year after year. Each and every player who undertakes Yann’s training complete the same curriculum and a brief look through his results will show that they keep on winning. Subsequently, it is clear what Yann has to say is essential for any player to improve their game and clearly a recipe for success, for any level of player.

       Do you want to improve your game? Do you want to know what Federer does that is so special? Then why not take up the challenge and let Yann show you how to improve your game and maybe you can start an undefeated streak.

Charles Bane - The Bay Area player where tennis for him is all about exercise and the fun of the game.

A relative newcomer to the game Charles Bane only started playing last spring and has developed very quickly and to be now rated as a 3.5 player is very impressive, given his limited time in the sport. It is easy to see how Charles has developed so quickly given that when fit he tries to play three or more times a week.

Charles has been playing in the Tennis SF's non-league programs since late spring 2013. He is also an active player in league tennis since the winter of 2013.

After playing regularly on Tennisopolis he found some of the players to be unreliable and in the pursuit of keen and reliable opposition (that would challenge and improve his game), he came across TennisSF.com. Charles is delighted that he made the jump to a different league because now he can play tennis regularly and against challenging opposition.

For Charles tennis is all about exercise and the fun of the game. There is nothing he loves more than to be challenged physically, mentally and strategically on a regular basis and by different players. According to Charles, tennis is not unlike being a mad scientist… one who develops the next cockroach killer but when that cockroach adapts… its back to the drawing board!

Any tennis player will regale you with past glories and great come backs and for Charles there is one such game that sticks with him. He was leading the first set 5-1 against a league rival and friend (Mariano Del Rosario) who was even apologizing for his bad play. Charles went on to win that set 6-2 and his friend was still lamenting his poor game. Just as Charles thought he had the game in the bag Mariano went on to win the second set 7-5! A tie breaker in the third set sees the rivals matched at 5-5, however, the rallies were long and many points saved. The match turned out to be a 5-6 hour marathon which ultimately saw Charles win this grueling affair.

Like any competitive tennis player Charles has league rivalries. He has built up a good, competitive rivalry with Gerard Astrero in both the league and non-league tennis. Matches between the two can go back and forth; such is the understanding they have for each others game.

It is important not to forget the significance of the social aspect of belonging to a tennis league. For Charles, it is a great way to meet other tennis lovers from all over the Bay area who love to play.

April Non-League Rewards Program get 5 players a $25 Tennis Warehouse Gift Card

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Earn Free Service For Playing Tennis With The Tennis Partner & Tennis Ladder Non-League Rewards Program

         There is nothing worse than joining a tennis program only to find that the players are less active than you had been led to believe. You want active, committed players who are reliable and keen to play, just like you.

 

         We want you to enjoy your time in any and all of our programs.  Our Non-League programs don't have the competitive angle and typically have less reasons for players to meetup with each other.  So back in 2010 we queried our players and we basically determine giving away free months of the service and gift cards was the way to motivate players. 

         In the past four years, the Tennis Partner & Tennis Ladder Non-League Rewards Program has given away $4,850 in Tennis Warehouse gift cards to the most active players in the program. Importantly, this rewards system is open to all players in the Tennis Partner Program and the Tennis Ladder.

         We hold a Normal Monthly Contest where players can earn a month’s service if they play 3 different partners, this month if players meet that criteria between May 1^st and May 31^st then they are eligible for the prize.

         April our Secondary Contest rewarded 5 players with a $25 Tennis Warehouse Gift Cards. If you play 5 or more players during the month of May then you will be entered into a lottery with other qualifiers to win one of 5 Tennis Warehouse Gift Cards. This contest was nationwide and covers both non-league programs, however, players who got the program for free were not be eligible for this promotion.

         The winners for our Secondary Contest in April 2014 were: (5 Winners)  
Metro Chicago Tennis League:   A. Miller
Metro DC Tennis League:   K. Capelli
NYC Tennis League:   A. Wood, W. Ham
San Francisco Tennis League:   G. Astrero

         This exact same promotion will be run in May but this month we'll be rewarding 7 players.

Update: 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.

It's time to really say thank you.

More than 200 to 399 Matches: 5% off all league programs
More than 400 Matches: 10% off all league programs

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

More than 200 to 399 Matches: 40 players have made this criteria
More than 400 Matches: 5 players: Mark Stern and Al Ganeshkumar out of Boston, Ajay Patel out of TennisOC, Marcelo Saavedra and Valentin Ionescu-Tiba out of Tennis Los Angeles.

More than 675 Matches:   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!

Karen Bielak's Story. - Flexibility, Great Competition and getting out on the tennis courts!

Rated at 3.5, Karen plays her tennis in the Chicago league (Chitowntennis.com) and is in her third year with the league. It was way back in the 7^th grade that Karen first discovered tennis and has been hooked ever since. Now, Karen tries to play at least 3 times a week but this does depend upon her schedule. The league provides great flexibility when scheduling her own matches, which is especially useful during the summer months when her schedule is changeable.

      Karen likes her tennis to be competitive and yet fun; however, the people she has been able to meet whilst playing the game she loves are one of the key attractions to the league. The social aspect of a tennis league is a great way to meet like-minded people who share a passion for the game. It is also a useful way to find opponents to help improve your game.

     Like any competitive player, Karen loves the competition tennis provides and when you get competitive players together you can’t help but develop league rivalries. Karen is no different, and in Sarah Young she has such a rival. Between the two they have amassed a lot of games which are regularly close and have long rally’s that could go either way. It is players like this that help to keep Karen on her toes and eager to get out and play tennis as often as possible.

   Karen loves to travel, in fact traveling is a huge passion of hers having spent a number of years living abroad in Asia. However, when not traveling or playing tennis, Karen is an elementary school teacher but is the only member of her family who plays tennis. That said, she can certainly rely upon them to come and watch her play from time to time.

   The Chicago league has provided Karen with the opportunity to meet other tennis lovers and schedule games that fit around her work and life. This has helped her play opponents who can develop her game and seen her rise to a 3.5 level over recent years.