You Never Know Where You Will Find Tennis People

As I was paging through the 2007 November - December issue of USTA magazine, I came across a photo of Ashley Weinhold, a top US junior, who was featured for a win at the Girls 18 USTA National Hardcourt Championships in August. This was the third time this year Ashley was featured in USTA magazine.

I met Ashley in September of 2004 on a Super Shuttle bus at the Tampa Airport, as we were both heading to the Saddlebrook Resort. I was on a business trip and Ashley was taking part in an all-star camp sponsored by Addidas. We chatted for most of the half hour ride to the resort, as I asked her a variety of questions about her game and her tennis lifestyle. She was from Austin, Texas and a Longhorns fan.

I was hoping to get to play some tennis while I was on the trip, but with the business at hand I really did not have the time. I did manage to get out one afternoon while the Addidas camp was in session. About 15 of the top juniors in the country took part in the camp and a number of coaches ran them through drills and hitting sessions while they were there. It was good, high quality tennis. On the day I got out to see them hit, they worked on groundies and net play for awhile and then went over to another court where they received an instruction session from tennis legend Stan Smith. He talked to them for about 25 minutes or so and then the kids went out and drilled while Stan watched their workout. It was a real treat just to listen to him address the group and provide tips during their workout. While I enjoyed my time at the resort for business, that day made the entire trip worthwhile.

The next time I ran into Ashley was the following summer at the US Open. She was involved in doubles and I caught her on one of the practice courts a day or two before she was scheduled to play. She was pretty focused but you could tell she was loving the experience.

I don't think I ran into her in 2006. I did read an article about her in USTA magazine earlier this year that she had been nominated as a practice partner for the US Fed Cup team prior to their match against Belgium in April in Florida. I thought that was pretty impressive. She even wrote a blog about the experience. At this year's US Open, I unexpectedly caught Ashley warming up on one of the practice courts. She was drilling and I was on my way to one of the afternoon matches so I did not stick around to say hello.

In October of this year, a friend of mine who frequents Georgia Tech matches called to tell me there was an ITF Women's $50K event in Lawrenceville, GA, about 30 minutes from my house. I went over after work one day and caught some really good tennis, including Julie Ditty, Angela Haynes and Alexa Glatch. As I was watching Glatch play against Alisa Kleybanova, I noticed Ashley sitting outside the fence of the court watching the same match. I went down and visited with her for five or 10 minutes and then went back to my viewing spot. She was entered in the doubles draw and unfortunately I would not be able to see it. There had been rain earlier in the day in Atlanta and she told me several of the players in the draw had gone over to Georgia Tech and the indoor courts there and worked out with some of the girls on the Jackets squad. She also talked about visiting with Bryan Shelton and I told her about my trips to the Flats to watch the Jackets play.

Who would have ever thought a simple shuttle ride on a business trip would lead to these encounters over the last few years? It will be interesting to see when our paths cross again, and they will.

Time.