Mideast Regional at Chapel Hill

I was recently in Raleigh for the Thursday night football game between North Carolina State and Florida State. Before I made the trip I learned that UNC Chapel Hill would be hosting the ITA Mideast college regionals. I knew this was something I wanted to check out.

On my way to the football game I stopped at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center to catch an hour or so of action. The qualifying round was taking place and the first match I saw when I walked in the facility was David Hopkins of Wake Forest. He was getting ready to take his match to a third set when I ran into some of the Georgia Tech players looking on at a few matches. I spent a few minutes with them getting their perspective on the upcoming season. They are a great group of guys and they always make a point of saying hello to me at the matches.

Shortly after that, I ran into head coach Kenny Thorne and we visited for quite awhile. He is so enthusiastic and is really looking forward to the upcoming season. Tech has a new assistant coach, Aljosa Piric, and his arrival at the Flats is a great story. Kenny has known Aljosa for a long time and is really excited to have him on his staff.

Before returning to Charlotte on Friday, I had made the decision to take a day off from work and catch a full day of matches. I watched Ryan Smith of GT fight back after dropping the first set and take out his opponent from Radford. Once he won the second set, he was in complete control and played smart by moving his opponent around and forcing him to make shots he wasn't converting.

Later I saw Doug Kenny from GT play a tough match against the College of Charleston. Kenny went down in straight sets and was never really able to wrestle control from his opponent. I talked with Doug's father before the match and he was feeling good because he and his wife went to the N.C. State game the night before to root the Seminoles on to victory. He went to FSU.

The last GT match I saw was Ryan Smith and Miguel Muguruza in doubles taking on a team from Radford. Kenny Thorne sat with me for a few games of the first set and provided some good strategic insight. The Jackets were playing tough, but not converting on the key points and they ended up going down in straight sets in an entertaining match.

The day was filled with great action on every court. I loved the Davidson - Clemson doubles match where Davidson went up 4-1 and was set for an upset but Clemson clawed their way back and when the match was 8-8, the Tigers went on to win the tie-break. All day long you could see high quality matches from players at schools like UNC, Wake Forest, Florida State, Clemson, William and Mary, and East Tennessee State. Colette Lewis at Zoo Tennis recently wrote in her blog that the quality of tennis you will see from the major NCAA conferences is equivalent to seeing USTA challenger circuit matches. I could not agree more with her observation. One of these days, more tennis fans from all over will realize this and start making a point to catch these matches. Events like the ITA championships are like all-star events where you can see multiple players from multiple teams come together for some great entertainment. And if you really watch them play, you can learn something too.

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Saturday at the Davidson Invitational

Davidson College hosted a four team fall invitational this past Friday and Saturday. The visiting schools included Furman, Appalachian State and UNC Charlotte. The weather on Saturday morning was very pleasant with bright sunlight and cool temperatures. Instead of random singles and doubles matchups, the schools played one another in a team format. In the morning singles, Furman took on Appalachian State while Davidson played UNC Charlotte.

The Furman / Appalachian State match was a good one. Two matches stood out to me as I roamed from court to court. Philipp Fuelkell from Furman played a tough match against Lee Floyd. These two went at it for some time with good rallies and plenty of service holds. Fuelkell used the drop shot quite often to his advantage. In the end he edged out Floyd 7-6, 7-5. Over the two days at the tournament Fuelkell won two singles and one doubles match. I was impressed with his groundstrokes and his consistency.

Another good match involved Peter Jacobs from Appalachian State and Ethan Asher. Both of these guys displayed consistent groundstrokes but Jacobs was able to run more balls down and came away with a 6-3, 6-3 decision. Asher showed a lot of emotion at times but he maintained his control. That win was one of four that Jacob recorded on Sunday.

Later in the morning the teams rotated for doubles, as Davidson took on Appalachian State while Furman played UNC Charlotte. In what turned out to be a heated match, Phillip Kloc and Lee Floyd of Appalachian State won 8-5 over their Davidson opponents. When Floyd called a ball long that the Davidson duo thought was clearly in, the two sides traded comments and later played some very aggressive and entertaining points at the net. Calls do not always go the way you want and you have to have the ability to let them go and not affect your game. I don't think it affected Davidson that much, but it did lead to some memorable points and interactions between the two teams.

My friend Alex stopped by just in time to catch the Kloc / Floyd doubles match and then he headed off to Chapel Hill for even more entertainment as UNC was hosting Notre Dame in football.

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Visiting the Champions Series in Charlotte

While the ATP and WTA seasons are winding down right now, former champions that make up the Champions Tour are still entertaining tennis fans all over the country. I got a taste of this recently. I joined two of my good friends in late September for the night session of day two of the Outback Champions Series at the Palisades just outside of Charlotte. Jim Courier has been complimentary of Charlotte as a host location and I believe there were good crowds at the event, except for the night we attended. The threat of rain and heavy winds kept a lot of fans away, but the 500 or so people that were there were entertained by some big names.

The Palisades is a nice place to host the event. The stadium court could probably hold 3,000 or so people and the set up was just like any other ATP event with vendor tents and hospitality areas. The round robin tournament brings together eight champions in two groups. The Charlotte stop included Jim Courier, Goran Ivanisevic, Todd Martin, Wayne Ferreria and Thomas Enqvist, among others. The first match of the night on day two was Courier and Jimmy Arias. Arias really struggled with the wind and the misting rain at times and never really found his game. Courier was very consistent and glided through the match 6-2, 6-1.

In the second match, Ferreria played Enqvist in what turned out to be a very entertaining match. Enqvist jumped out to a 4-2 lead in the first set and it looked like Ferreria would not be able to get his game going. He did start to find his consistency and turned it around. Ferreria rallied to win the next four games and take the first set. The two continued to play many good rallies but Ferreria was more consistent and took the second set 6-3.

The players come to play and entertain. Enqvist and Karel Novacek were late adds to the lineup when Mark Philippoussis and Mikael Pernfors pulled out of the tournament due to injuries. Each champion brings a really good spirit to the event and all are pretty accessible. Although he wasn't playing, Ivanisevic watched both matches and a number of fans got photos and talked with him during the evening. Arias was in good spirits after his loss and took a moment to pose in a photo with me and Alex while cracking a joke or two.

It's a great event that promotes all the good things about tennis. And it's clear from the level of play that these guys can still compete. If you get a chance to see the series in one of the many cities they play in the U.S. or outside the U.S., check it out.

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Mile High Memories

In the middle of September I made a return trip to the Mile High City for a week-long series of business meetings. At last year's US Open, I had met a group of people from the Denver area who showed me great hospitality the week after our encounter in Flushing Meadow. This year, I contacted my friends about a week before my trip to see if we could set up some time to hit the courts. I got that and a whole lot more.

On Sunday before our meetings began, I went to Boulder with my co-workers for brunch and a quick trip into the mountains. While on the ride I got a call from Steve who said he or one of the other guys would meet me and we'd make plans as we go. So Brock, Steve, Matt and his daughter Haley joined me in a brew pub to catch up and hang out. Later Steve and Matt took me for an hour hike around the mountains in Boulder. We then went to John's house to watch the semi-finals of the Open. Steve brought me back to my hotel in downtown Denver, 30 minutes away, at the end of the night.

Monday night Brock and Steve met me at the hotel and we went over to the Gates Tennis Center to hit some balls around. This is a top notch public facility. Make sure you call ahead to reserve a court and be advised there is a court fee. It is well worth it. We had a great hourlong workout and then made our way to a local grill to get a bite to eat.

Tuesday night Matt picked me up at the hotel and we zipped over to Washington Park to hit for an hour. I must have seen 1,000 people walking by the courts. It is a very popular spot for riders and walkers. Steve then called and we met him at an Irish pub downtown where we sat outside for dinner while an in-training waitress did a great job serving us.

Earlier in the week, John called to let me know a friend of his was playing at a prestigious Denver jazz club, Dazzle, on Wednesday. I love jazz and when he followed up Wednesday afternoon I told him I would meet him there. If you get a chance, make a point to see a show at Dazzle. It has a lot of character and a number of well-known jazz greats have played there. John's friend is Bonnie Lowdermilk and she put on a great performance. She is a vocalist / pianist in the traditional jazz style and she included two original compositions in the show. "Bankin' on the Moon," inspired by George Clooney, is a great song and you can hear it on her web site, www.bonnielowdermilk.com. After the show I got on her e-mail list and we've even traded a few stories since then.

The weather did not cooperate on Thursday and so tennis plans were scratched, but Matt did come down with his daughter and we went to a Mexican restaurant for dinner.

This is a special group of people and I can't wait to get back out for another visit. Wow! Meet some people at the US Open and you have got friends for life. I am looking forward to the time when some of them make their way to Charlotte. After sharing photos and stories with them about this year's Open, I have a good feeling they will be in NYC next August.

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Friendly Encounters at the US Open

Another US Open came and went this past year, and this one was especially memorable. Just before the Open I took the big step and got engaged to my girlfriend Lisa. We then traveled to upstate New York to spend the weekend with my family and celebrate the engagement. On Sunday we took a train to NYC and we stayed on Lexington Avenue in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. We had a great view of the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building.

On Monday we got to the grounds at 9:30 am and were in shortly after 10 am. We ran into some tennis friends from Atlanta on the way in and headed over to see some players warming up before the matches started. After watching Davenport for a short time, Lisa, Pat and Marybeth stayed around Court 4 while I took a stroll. I had Lisa join me shortly thereafter as I was watching Tommy Haas and Igor Andreev warming up. At the end of their session, Lisa got photos with both guys.

During a break early in the afternoon we ran into a number of friends of mine who had told me they were planning to come. Mark had flown in from Atlanta and would be there for the first two days and Eileen and her sister took the train down from upstate New York. I also spotted Ashley Weinhold, a junior standout I have known for a number of years and is still part of the USTA development program. She came over to meet Lisa and catch us up on her life on the tour.

Later in the afternoon, after all that visiting, we headed over to join Pat and Marybeth on the Grandstand court to see John Isner, former member of the national champion Georgia Bulldogs. Unfortunately he went down in straight sets to Andres Beck. Isner made a big splash at last year's Open, but it did not work out the same for him this year.

On day two, I met up again with Mark and my good friend Eric, who had flown in that morning from Washington, DC. We spent a lot of the day together drifting on the backcourts and hitting the stadium courts as well. We also met up with Pat and Marybeth for a few matches, including the Richard Gasquet - Haas duel. We made sure to see the two Atlanta boys on the schedule. Scoville Jenkins played in the early afternoon and went down to Jarkko Nieminen while Bobby Reynolds played late in the day against Tomas Zib. Reynolds played tough and advanced.

I have been going to the Open for years, but I saw more people I know at this Open than any previous one. It's such a great event and it brings the casual fan as well as the tennis die-hard fan. Attending the Open is always special, but when you can share it with friends it takes a great feeling and makes it even better.

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Traveling To Winston-Salem

Over the past summer I have had a number of memorable tennis encounters. I'll start with a traveling league match I participated in this past August. When I returned to Charlotte, I rejoined the Sugaw Creek Park team I had played with when I lived in Charlotte in 2002. This group plays a number of matches over the summer across North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. The match I attended was in Winston-Salem, NC which is 90 minutes from Charlotte.

It was a great day for tennis and I was able to participate in singles, doubles and a mixed doubles match. The Winston-Salem team is a great group of people and they were great hosts. They brought out the grills and had a great BBQ with burgers, dogs and a bunch of sides. Our team had a tough day and lost the overall match, but there were a few highlights.

I lost in straight sets in singles, but with my partner Larry we were able to win our doubles match in straight sets. Our women won two out of three singles matches, but that was really it for us. My big highlight came in mixed doubles.

Our captain asked me to fill in at number one doubles and so we were paired up against a team that included an incoming freshman at Wake Forest, David Hopkins. David is from Winston-Salem and grew up playing with this club. Earlier this year he accepted an offer to attend Wake and play on their squad. I talked with him briefly before we played and told him that I was familiar with the college tennis scene after watching Georgia Tech over the last six years. He said he expects to be in the lineup when the dual match season starts in late January.

David and his partner took us out in the first set 6-2. In the second set we took a 4-2 lead and then we saw a very different team play the rest of the way. David really stepped up his game and led them over the next four games to close us out. I was very impressed with his game. He has great control of his forehand and backhand and was effective at the net. He has a ton of power in his strokes and it takes some time to get used to the pace. It is a great experience to play against a Division I ACC college player when they are giving you a taste of their best game. I loved every minute of it.

When the college season kicks in I am sure I will see him play. I am hoping to get to the GT - Wake match and I may even try and get to one other Wake match if I can. I hope David does well in his role at Wake. The Winston team is very proud of him. I look forward to seeing what he can accomplish in one of the best tennis conferences in the country at a program that has been a Sweet Sixteen team for the last few years.

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Georgia Tech Ends Regular Season at Duke

I traveled to Duke University on Sunday, April 13 to see the Yellow Jackets close out their regular season against the Blue Devils. It was a sunny, windy day in Durham at Ambler Tennis Stadium. When the match started it was warm, but as the day went on it got cooler and cooler. Duke was coming into the match 8-12 and 5-5 in the ACC so I thought the Jackets had a great chance of winning this match. It turned out to be a really close one.

The match started with the doubles coming down to the number one position. GT won at number three, 8-6 and lost at number two, 4-8. On one, senior Scott Blackmon and freshman Ryan Smith were neck and neck with the Blue Devils' No. 50 David Goulet and Christopher Price. The match went to 8-8 and a tiebreak. It was a really intense match, for the players and the fans. The Jackets went up an early mini-break, but the Blue Devils got it back and even held on after facing match point and went on to win the match. As is usually the case with doubles, that would turn out to be a big point.

In singles the Jackets took an early blow when senior David North had to retire in the first set on number two, sending the Jackets down 2-0. That was unfortunate as North had been struggling all season through pain and was forced to retire in Winston-Salem against Wake Forest a few weeks ago. I was not sure what caused him to retire in this match, but it put the Jackets in a big hole they could not overcome. Duke then went up 3-0 when they won at six.

At number one, GT freshman Guillermo Gomez played a strong match against David Goulet and won it 6-2, 6-2. The crowd was very lively on court one and Gomez really had to stay focused to get the win. Then Scott Blackmon won in straight sets on number five over Alex Stone 6-3, 7-5 to make it 3-2 Duke. On number three, Eliot Potvin struggled in the first set losing 6-3. He really picked up his game in the second set and took Kiril Dimitrov to a tiebreak. Potvin went up an early mini-break but Dimitrov got it back and then distanced himself the rest of the way and won it in straight sets. It was a good effort by Potvin to get back in it. For a few moments I thought he was going to get it to a third set.

What a great way to end the regular season. This was my first visit to Duke and Ambler Tennis Stadium is in an area right near the football stadium as well as Cameron Indoor Stadium. The buildings on campus are very distinct with their stone exteriors. It's a great campus to visit. The Yellow Jackets finished the regular season 13-11 but a disappointing 3-8 in the ACC. They certainly have some good talent to work with and some good recruits coming in next season, so I hope they'll be able to learn from this year and come back strong in 2009.

Later in that week the Jackets lost in the ACC tournament in Florida to North Carolina State, 4-3, so they have been eliminated from NCAA post-season play. The same week, the Lady Jackets lost in the ACC tournament and are now waiting to see if they will host an NCAA regional.

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