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‘I am trying to be more consistent and really lean on my weapons.’ RANKED NO. 10 IN THE WORLD and currently America’s best men’s tennis player, John Isner is com- ing home for the final Grand Slam of 2012. He has had a stellar year, having defeated Roger Federer in the Davis Cup and Novak Djokovic in the Masters 1000 tournament in Indian Wells. He has shown a cali- ber of play not present in previous years. The six-foot-nine tennis player—a frame which made him the second tallest Olympian in the 2012 London Games—is bringing every- thing to his home court. While his game started at the age of nine, Isner did not receive much attention until his college years. It wasn’t until 2004 as a freshman at the University of Georgia that he began playing intercollegiate tennis. During his time as a Univer- sity of Georgia Bulldog, he emerged as the universi- ty’s all-time leader in both singles and dou- bles victories, which led him to receive All- American honors all four years. After lead- ing Georgia to a NCAA championship in 2007, Isner left the college heats for the profes- sional men’s tour. His start on the pro- fessional circuits was by no means easy. His world ranking lay at No. 839. Entrance into main draws of any tournament, regardless of the level, required him to get a wildcard entry. But even at the bot- tom, Isner was quick to rise. His first tourna- ment victory was in the fall of 2007 at the USA F14 Futures, where he earned wins over the top three seeds. Immediately afterwards, Isner faced first-round losses in both a Challenger level and ATP level tournament. He bounced back, however, when he won the Lexington Challenger in July of 2008, which shot his ranking up to No. 416. It was at the Legg Mason Tennis Clas- sic in Washington, D.C. that he closed in on the top 100. He made it to the final, but fell to Andy Roddick. At the end of the week, he was ranked No. 193 in the world. During his first year on the pro tour, he made it into the U.S. Open as a qualifier where he made it all the way to the third round, losing to Rodger Federer. He fin- ished in 2007 ranked No. 107 with a place on Davis Cup team as a practice partner. Even though he moved into the top 100 at No. 93, Isner lost in the first round of all of the Grand Slams. The following year, he switched coaches to work with Craig Boynton and made his comeback, ending the year ranked No. 39 and earning ATP’s Most Improved Player Award. It was during 2009 that he won against a top-ten-seeded player for the first time and also beat Andy Roddick at the U.S. Open. The Heineken Open in 2010 was Isner’s first career win, and he entered the Davis Cup team on the doubles team. He finished the year with a world rank- ing of 18. Moreover, it was in 2010 that he made head- lines playing the world’s longest match against Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon. The match spanned three days and lasted eleven hours and five minutes. With an amazing year behind him, Mr. Isner spoke with The Observer about the challenges he has faced competing at Wimbledon, the 2012 Olympics and the U.S. Open in such a short space of time. “The biggest challenge is trying to peak for these three big events,” he said. “Most important, I need to take care of my body and make sure I am fresh. I hired a physio[therapist] earlier this year and that has really helped.” With a strong body and tall frame to back him, Isner has focused on improving certin aspects of his game. “I am trying to be more consistent and really lean on my weapons,” he explained in refer- ence to his serve and forehand. “I need to play my strengths,” he said. “I also have been working on the return of serve quite a bit.” Given that hard court is Mr. Isner’s best game, we asked him what hurdles he sees forthcoming at this year’s Open. “I do not really look at a specific hurdle necessarily… I know I can do well there, so I just want to stay focused, stay fresh and do my best,” he said. His confidence of play at the Billie Jean King Cen- ter derives not only from playing there, but also from the overall experience. “The U.S. Open for me is like my Super Bowl,” he said. “I love playing in the U.S. with our rowdy fans… I really thrive in that environment.” AUGUST 27, 2012 THE FUTURE OF TENNIS IT'S AMERICA’S FASTEST GROWING SPORT PAGE C4 RISING STARS A NEW CROP OF YOUNGSTERS ARE OUT TO DOMINATE THE GAME PAGE C10 GEAR UP! SOPHISTICATED AND INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS ON THE MARKET NOW PAGE C14 SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION FOR THE NEW YORK OBSERVER Tennis Inside Who has the goods to win By Luke Hammerman, Benjamin-Émile Le Hay and Melissa Wiley Can the No. 10 ranked tennis player answer American hopes for a U.S. Open men’s title? By Luke Hammerman and Benjamin-Émile Le Hay New York Observer Tennis Exclusive ~ The Titans of Tennis Battle for Glory STAN HONDA/AFP/GETTY IMAGES FINAL ACT The male and female singles players who have played the most U.S. Open finals are American BILL TILDEN (1918-25, ‘27, ‘29) and Norwegian MOLLA B. MALLORY (1915-18, ‘20-24, ‘26). IT'S AN ACE! The top five men and women singles players with the most aces at the 2011 U.S. Open. MEN John Isner, U.S., 94 Gilles Müller, Luxembourg, 76 Ivo Karlović, Croatia, 74 • Andy Roddick, U.S., 72 Andy Murray, Great Britain, 59 WOMEN Serena Williams, U.S., 57 Julia Görges, Germany, 19 Coco Vandeweghe, U.S., 17 Flavia Pennetta, Italy, 17 Svetlana Kuznetsova, Russia, 16 THE 2012 GRAND SLAM CIRCUIT is coming to a close with the U.S. Open at Flushing Meadows about to begin. However, the competitive- ness of the 2012 season is nowhere near ending. It is the last chance for many to move up in ranking and close out the season on a high note. In the world of hard court tennis, Roger Federer has been doing superbly winning three of his five titles this year on hard courts. He holds a solid lead on hard courts over Serbia’s Novak Djokovic with over 23 wins on the surface this year. Yet, as the current champion at the Open, the Serb is going to be looking for a win and the chance to reclaim the No. 1 world ranking. Of course, after both suffered Olympic losses to gold medalist Andy Murray, predictions for Open champions will run the gamut. Yet that was on the grass of Wimbledon —a totally different surface game. Federer and Djokovic’s biggest competi- tion at the Open may have been Spain’s Rafael Nadal, but with Nadal’s recent injury, which lead to him pull out of the Olympics and last week the Open —he’s out of their way. Murray will look redeem himself after his loss in the Wimbledon final against Federer. (Murray’s Olympic win goes a long way towards achieving that redemption.) In women’s tennis, Serena Williams is the best bet for hard courts as she has time and again proven that hard courts are her preference with the majority of her Grand Slam success coming from the Australian Open. Victoria Azarenka will certainly present challenges to Williams’ quest, as will defending champion Samantha Stosur. The same goes for dou- bles teams Liezal Huber and Lisa Raymond and Jürgen Melzer and Philipp Petzschner, who were last year’s doubles winners. With many players coming in hot from the Olympic Games and U.S. Open series tournaments, there will be plenty of opportunity for players to make impressive last minute changes to their 2012 records. The top players in men’s, women’s and doubles ten- nis all have the skills to win. What it comes down to is who is the most aggressive and self-assured. MEN’S DRAW Novak Djokovic, Serbia Despite being one of the best on hard courts in the men’s game, Djokovic only has one Open title under his belt. That said, with a strong offen- sive game and well-rounded defen- Continued on page C2 INFORMATION COMPILED BY BENJAMIN-ÉMILE LE HAY SOURCE: USTA Kjokovic was last year’s men’s singles winner at the U.S. Open. U.S.OPEN players preview ISNER IN CONTROL STEPHEN DUNN/GETTY IMAGES U.S. OPEN SPECIAL COVERAGE Six-foot-nine-inch John Isner’s serve is one of his most valuable weapons.
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Transcript
Page 1: Tennis Section

‘I am trying

to be more consistent and really lean on

my weapons.’

RANKED NO. 10 IN THE WORLD and currently America’s best men’s tennis player, John Isner is com-ing home for the final Grand Slam of 2012. He has had a stellar year, having defeated Roger Federer in the Davis Cup and Novak Djokovic in the Masters 1000 tournament in Indian Wells. He has shown a cali-ber of play not present in previous years. The six-foot-nine tennis player—a frame which made him the second tallest Olympian in the 2012 London Games—is bringing every-thing to his home court.

While his game started at the age of nine, Isner did not receive much attention until his college years. It wasn’t until 2004 as a freshman at the University of Georgia that he began playing intercollegiate tennis. During his time as a Univer-sity of Georgia Bulldog, he emerged as the universi-

ty’s all-time leader in both singles and dou-bles victories, which led him to receive All-American honors all four years. After lead-ing Georgia to a NCAA championship in 2007, Isner left the college heats for the profes-sional men’s tour.

His start on the pro-fessional circuits was by no means easy. His world ranking lay at No. 839. Entrance into main draws of any tournament, regardless of the level, required him to get a wildcard entry. But even at the bot-tom, Isner was quick to rise. His first tourna-ment victory was in the fall of 2007 at the USA F14 Futures, where he earned wins over the top three seeds. Immediately afterwards, Isner faced first-round losses in both a Challenger level and ATP level tournament. He bounced back, however, when he won the Lexington

Challenger in July of 2008, which shot his ranking up to No. 416.

It was at the Legg Mason Tennis Clas-sic in Washington, D.C. that he closed

in on the top 100. He made it to the final, but fell to Andy Roddick. At

the end of the week, he was ranked No. 193 in the world. During his first year on the pro tour, he made it into the U.S. Open as a qualifier where he made it all the way to the third round, losing to Rodger Federer. He fin-ished in 2007 ranked No. 107 with a place on Davis Cup

team as a practice partner. Even though he moved into the top 100 at No. 93, Isner lost in the first

round of all of the Grand Slams. The following year, he switched coaches to work with Craig Boynton and made his comeback, ending the year ranked No. 39 and earning ATP’s Most

Improved Player Award. It was during 2009 that he won against a top-ten-seeded player for

the first time and also beat Andy Roddick at the U.S. Open. The Heineken Open in 2010 was Isner’s first career win, and he entered the Davis Cup team on the doubles team. He finished the year with a world rank-ing of 18. Moreover, it was in 2010 that he made head-lines playing the world’s longest match against Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon. The match spanned three days and lasted eleven hours and five minutes.

With an amazing year behind him, Mr. Isner spoke with The Observer about the challenges he has faced competing at Wimbledon, the 2012 Olympics and the U.S. Open in such a short space of time. “The biggest challenge is trying to peak for these three big events,” he said. “Most important, I need to take care of my body and make sure I am fresh. I hired a physio[therapist] earlier this year and that has really helped.”

With a strong body and tall frame to back him, Isner has focused on improving certin aspects of his game. “I am trying to be more consistent and really lean on my weapons,” he explained in refer-ence to his serve and forehand. “I need to play my strengths,” he said. “I also have been working on the return of serve quite a bit.”

Given that hard court is Mr. Isner’s best game, we asked him what hurdles he sees forthcoming at this year’s Open. “I do not really look at a specific hurdle necessarily… I know I can do well there, so I just want to stay focused, stay fresh and do my best,” he said.

His confidence of play at the Billie Jean King Cen-ter derives not only from playing there, but also from the overall experience. “The U.S. Open for me is like my Super Bowl,” he said. “I love playing in the U.S. with our rowdy fans… I really thrive in that environment.”

august 27, 2012

THE FUTURE OF TENNIS

IT'S AMERICA’S FASTEST GROWING

SPORTpage C4

RISING STARSA NEW CROP OF

YOUNGSTERS ARE OUT TO DOMINATE

THE GAME page C10

GEAR UP!SOPHISTICATED

AND INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS ON THE

MARKET NOWpage C14

s p ec i a l a dv e rt i s i n g s ec t i o n fo r t h e n e w Yo r k o b s e rv e r

TennisMONEY, POWER AND THE CITY

I n s i d e

Who has the goods to win By Luke Hammerman, Benjamin-Émile Le Hay and Melissa Wiley

Can the No. 10 ranked tennis player answer American hopes for a U.S. Open men’s title?

By Luke Hammerman and Benjamin-Émile Le Hay

New York Observer

Tennis Exclusive

~

The Titans of Tennis Battle for Glory

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FINAl ACTThe male and female

singles players who have played the most U.S.

Open finals are American BIll TIlDEN (1918-25, ‘27, ‘29) and Norwegian MOllA B. MAllORY (1915-18, ‘20-24, ‘26).

IT'S AN ACE!The top five men and women

singles players with the most aces at the 2011 U.S. Open.

MENJohn Isner, U.S., 94

Gilles Müller, Luxembourg, 76Ivo Karlović, Croatia, 74 • Andy Roddick, U.S., 72

Andy Murray, Great Britain, 59

WOMENSerena Williams, U.S., 57

Julia Görges, Germany, 19Coco Vandeweghe, U.S., 17Flavia Pennetta, Italy, 17

Svetlana Kuznetsova, Russia, 16

THE 2012 GRAND SLAM CIRCUIT is coming to a close with the U.S. Open at Flushing Meadows about to begin. However, the competitive-ness of the 2012 season is nowhere

near ending. It is the last chance for many to move up in ranking

and close out the season on a high note. In the world of hard

court tennis, Roger Federer has been doing superbly winning three of his five titles this year on hard courts. He holds a solid lead on hard courts over Serbia’s Novak Djokovic with over 23 wins on the surface this year. Yet, as

the current champion at the Open, the Serb is going to

be looking for a win and the chance to reclaim the No. 1

world ranking. Of course, after both suffered Olympic losses

to gold medalist Andy Murray, predictions for Open champions will run the gamut. Yet that was on the grass of Wimbledon —a totally different surface game. Federer and Djokovic’s biggest competi-tion at the Open may have been Spain’s Rafael Nadal, but with Nadal’s recent injury, which lead

to him pull out of the Olympics and last week the Open —he’s out of their way. Murray will look redeem himself after his loss in the Wimbledon final against Federer. (Murray’s Olympic win goes a long way towards achieving that redemption.)

In women’s tennis, Serena Williams is the best bet for hard courts as she has time and again proven that hard courts are her preference with the majority of her Grand Slam success coming from the Australian Open. Victoria Azarenka will certainly present challenges to Williams’ quest, as will defending champion Samantha Stosur. The same goes for dou-bles teams Liezal Huber and Lisa Raymond and Jürgen Melzer and Philipp Petzschner, who were last year’s doubles winners. With many players coming in hot from the Olympic Games and U.S. Open series tournaments, there will be plenty of opportunity for players to make impressive last minute changes to their 2012 records. The top players in men’s, women’s and doubles ten-nis all have the skills to win. What it comes down to is who is the most aggressive and self-assured.

Men’s DrawNovak Djokovic, SerbiaDespite being one of the best on hard courts in the men’s game, Djokovic only has one Open title under his belt. That said, with a strong offen-sive game and well-rounded defen-

Continued on page C2information compiled bY benjamin-émile le haY sOURCE: UsTA

Kjokovic was last year’s men’s singles winner at the u.s. Open.

U . S . O P E N players preview

ISNER IN CONTROL

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six-foot-nine-inch John Isner’s serve is one of his most valuable weapons.

Page 2: Tennis Section

C 2 | August 27, 2012 | The New York Observer Tennis

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sive moves and counter-punching moments, his matches are often lengthy and come down to endurance and control of rally. Stronger points of his leveled game are his return of serve and swift movement around the court. The play-er with the most rivalries, his matches will at-tract plenty of attention. With an amazing 2011 record—winning three of the Grand Slams—a lot is expected of the Serb. Djokovic also has the chance to reclaim his No. 1 ranking, which he lost at Wimbledon.

Roger Federer, SwitzerlandBack at the No. 1 ranking, Federer has the most to gain if he wins this U.S. Open. It would be his sixth Open title, surpassing both Pete Sampras and Jimmy Connors. Federer has just recent-ly broken Sampras’ record of most weeks at No. 1 in Association of Tennis Professionals World Tour rankings at 287 weeks. His most obvious strength is his serve, arguably the best in the game. Though it would not hurt him to attack his serve more, especially his second serve. A base-line player with grace and confidence, he stands against defending champion Djokovic. He main-tains a balanced game with the only debatable weakness being his backhand, although this has

vastly improved over the years.

David Ferrer, SpainATP’s No. 5 player has one

of the most determined games. Ferrer does not give

up. While he plays best on clay, Ferrer excels on hard surfaces, often making it to the semi-finals of hard court Grand Slams. His pugnacious attitude and agile movement

keep him in the game. His consistent baseline play

does not have the power of his top competitors, and

his net play is not the stron-gest, which may present prob-

lems against competitors such as Nadal and Murray. His returns, how-

ever, are strong and his games are al-ways a treat for tennis fans to watch.

Andy Murray, Great BritainThe defensive counter-puncher of the top five holds onto an extremely strong defensive game which helped him to confidently win the 2012 Olympic gold medal, beating first Djokovic, and then Federer in a three-set final. His perfor-mance at Wimbledon with an upsetting loss in the finals may have caused him to fight hard-er. Murray’s fast and tactical playing style are rewarded on the hard courts. If Murray were to stop continuously waiting for an unforced error and make more aggressive passes when they counted most, we may see him go far at the Open. His ability to return nearly any serve and his solid two-handed backhand make us certain that we’ll see him in the semi-finals.

Rafael Nadal, SpainThe No. 3 ranked Spaniard has had an interest-ing year and unfortunately withdrew from the 2012 U.S. Open. His performance at Wimbledon was disappointing, having lost in the 2nd round to 100th ranked Lukas Rosol of Czech Republic. (It is considered by many to be one of the biggest upsets in Wimbledon history). Nadal’s game is heavy. His ground strokes and serve and vol-ley techniques have all improved this year, and make his game a difficult one to break once he is in the zone. However, he has been bothered this year with tendonitis in the knee, which caused him to also withdraw from the 2012 Olympic Games. We look forward to Nadal’s speedy and healthy recovery and return to the tour. Perhaps Argentina’s Juan Martin Del Potro will make up for the lost on-court flair.

Other Men’s Players tO WatCh:

Juan Martin Del Potro, ArgentinaJohn Isner, United StatesAndy Roddick, United StatesJo-Wilfred Tsonga, France

WOMen’s DraWVictoria Azarenka, BelarusProbably the best baseline hard court player in the Women’s Tennis Association, Azarenka has won nine of her ten career titles on hard courts. Her shouts and shrieks accompany the ferocity of her groundstroke’s and her two-handed back-hand is arguably one of the tour’s strongest. Hav-ing recently reclaimed the No. 1 ranking in the world after beating Maria Sharapova at Wim-bledon, combined with losing against Serena Williams, has cast her in an unsure light. How-ever, with her successful track record on hard courts and a strong offensive game, she may be able to snag her second Grand Slam title.

Agnieszka Radwanska, PolandThe world’s No. 3 has agility, flexibility and a varied arsenal of shots. With no Grand Slam victories under Radwanska’s belt and her best play coming on grass, it is hard to favor her on the hard courts of Billie Jean King Tennis Cen-ter. A defensive player, she understands how to use the court with disguised drop shots and multiple angles that keep her opponents run-ning. Her second serve is notably shaky. With no real weaknesses, and no outstanding strengths, her ability to draw matches out continually lands her in quarter-finals.

Maria Sharapova, RussiaThe statuesque Russian’s aggressive and com-petitive style, combined with an intense amount of power behind her ground strokes and serve,

Continued from page C1

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art

Roger Federer

Andy Murray

John Isner

Jo-Wilfred Tsonga Andy Roddick

Maria Sharapova

Samantha Stosur

Agnieszka Radwanska

Victoria Azarenka

David Ferrer

U . S . O P E N players preview

Juan Martin Del Potro

Novak Djokovic

bONUSThe 2012 U.S. Open

prize winnings have increased significantly with single’s

winners earning $1.9m for their victories. The rest: $950,000 for finalists/

runners-up, $475,000 for semifinalists and $237,500

for quarterfinalists. sOURCE: UsTA

Page 3: Tennis Section

The New York Observer Tennis | August 27, 2012  | C 3

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great net play and Štěpánek provides a reli-able return game. The Indian-Czech team has been at home on hard courts, winning all of their career matches this year on the surface. With Štěpánek’s aggression and Leander’s passion and intensity, these two consistently play engaging matches for tennis fans.

Nenad Zimonjić and Michaël Llodra, Serbia and FranceEven though these two have no Grand Slam wins under their belt since joining as a team last year, they are still considered a competi-tive force and may be due for a U.S. Open title. Zimonjić, when he was partners with No. 1 ranked Daniel Nestor, won three Grand Slams: twice at Wimbledon and once at Roland Garros. Llodra also holds three Grand Slams: twice at the Australian Open and once at Wimbledon. Neither however, has made it to the U.S. Open finals. Their powerful game is reliant upon control of the court and it may just take them there this year.

Women’s Doubles DraWSara Errani and Roberta Vinci, ItalyThe Italian pair has been a dominating force in doubles (and singles) this year, winning the French Open, making it to the Australian fi-nals and quarter-final at Wimbledon. They captured seven titles in the first six months of the 2012 season. With a current record of 43-5, the ladies were only broken in the Grand Slams. Their record has been most impressive on clay, but with a career record of 46-23 on hard, the Open may be their time to shine.

Liezal Huber and Lisa Raymond, United StatesLiezal Huber and Lisa Raymond have enjoyed a great year with a record of 37-11. As a team, the majority of their career wins have been on hard court (45-8), which makes sense given that they are the defending champions at the U.S. Open for women’s doubles. The team, cur-rently ranked No. 1 by the WTA, has impressive net play and a generally masterful strategy. Given that they are both over 36-years-old, fatigue could factor into their play and, if it does, a couple of power hitters could overtake these two strongholds.

Květa Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik, Czech Republic and Slovenia Peschke and Srebotnik finished in 2011 as the No. 1 doubles team, punctuating an excellent year with six titles, including their first Grand Slam win at Wimbledon. That same year, they were named WTA Doubles Team of the Year. While they have not had any Grand Slam wins this year, and their only win was at Sydney, they are still strong competition. With 67 ca-reer wins on hard court, the Open is beyond a doubt their most comfortable turf.

Yaroslava Shvedova and Vania King, Kazakhstan and United StatesShvedova and King may come as a surprise, considering their short time together. Start-ing in 2010, they won the women’s doubles at Wimbledon in what was only their third event together and followed up that win with anoth-er at the U.S. Open in 2011. With the majority of their career wins on hard surfaces (35-15) and a previous win at Flushing Meadows, the two could cause an upset at the 2012 Open.

are all well suited for the hard court grand slam. With the majority of her wins on hard courts, it was surprising to see her leave Wimbledon so early in the fourth round, when she lost to Sabine Lisicki. She did regain credit with a phenomenal road to the finals at the Olympics, before she lost brutally in straight sets to Serena Williams. With an old shoulder injury always a factor, Sharapo-va’s biggest challenge and weakness is her confi-dence and maintaining a focused attack.

Serena Williams, United StatesAmerican’s best (read only) shot at having one of their own win on U.S soil, Williams with her 29 Grand Slam titles make her a likely finalist for the U.S. Open this year. Her victories at Wimble-don and the 2012 Olympic Games, where she won gold in doubles with sister Venus, stand as proof that her game doesn’t get much better than right now. Possessing one of, if not the most, power-ful baseline games in women’s tennis, Williams takes control of the court and rallies consis-tently. Her serve rivals those on the men’s tour. Williams’ biggest challenge will most likely be Azarenka, as both will fight for control of points. The victory may come down to who hits harder and faster (if they face each other).

Samantha Stosur, AustraliaThe Aussie is the defending champion at the U.S. Open and, with a killer serve and consistent backhand, will be under pressure to maintain her standing as champion on the hard court. Her weakness in the past has been playing pressure points. In recent years she has made massive im-provements in this area. Her biggest opponents will be Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova, who will look to reclaim the title.

other Women’s Players to WatCh:

Svetlana Kuznetsova, RussiaPetra Kvitová, Czech RepublicVenus Williams, United StatesCaroline Wozniacki, Denmark

men’s Doubles DraWBob and Mike Bryan, United StatesAlways a favorite for U.S. Open crowds, the Bryan twins are without a doubt looking to re-gain their ranking of No. 1 in doubles, which they recently lost to Max Mirnyi and Daniel Nestor. Hot from winning Olympic gold in London, the dynamic duo is known for aggressive court play, extreme prowess, tall stature and one-handed back hands. The lefty-righty pair last won the Open back in 2010 and is America’s best chance at a men’s doubles win.

Max Mirnyi and Daniel Nestor, Belarus and CanadaThis decorated team has been a formidable agent of change in the doubles rankings this year. Ranked No. 1, at 39, Nestor is the oldest player to hold a top ranking in doubles. The duo, which formed back in 2011, won the Roland Gar-ros the same year. The lefty-righty pair is known for Mirnyi’s fierce serve and aggressive play, which earned him the nickname “the beast,” and Nestor’s masterful touch and net play. Mirnyi captured a mixed-doubles gold with teammate Victoria Azarenka. Nestor, who holds a record of over 800 doubles wins, is considered by many to be the best doubles player in the world.

Leander Paes and Radek Štěpánek, India and Czech RepublicIndian player Leander Paes started the year off on a high note, winning the Australian doubles and completing his first career Grand Slam. Paes provides fierce competition with

s p ec i a l a dv e rt i s i n g s ec t i o n fo r t h e n e w yo r k o b s e rv e r

Venus Williams Svetlana Kuznetsova

Petra Kvitová

Serena Williams

Bob and Mike Bryan won doubles gold in London

Radek Štěpánek and Leander Paes

Max Mirnyi and Daniel Nestor

Yaroslava Shvedova and Vania King

Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci

Květa Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik

Nenad Zimonjic and Michael Llodra Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond

Caroline Wozniacki

U . S . O P E N players preview

Page 4: Tennis Section

C 4 | August 27, 2012 | The New York Observer Tennis

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ON MAY 21, I SAT IN MY OFFICE dreaming of the good old days as a col-lege tennis player as I anxiously awaited the next update from @PolarBearTen-nis to see how my alma mater was doing in the quarterfinals of Division III Na-tionals. Game by game, the results came in via Twitter, and a group of fellow washed-up tennis alums tweeted each other sitting by our computers until the dreaded tweet came: “This caps a great season for Bowdoin Tennis.” Though I was just getting the scores from Twit-ter, I still could feel the blow of defeat.

Days later, @MicaelaBryan, the six-month-old daughter of American dou-bles specialist Bob Bryan, tweeted her best “game face” wearing a Stan-ford Tennis shirt. Usually pictured in the arms of her “uncles” Roger, Novak and Rafa, among others, Micaela Bry-an’s tweets have gone viral. They usu-ally include a thought bubble allowing Bob Bryan’s sense of humor to shine through. The toddler has been pictured with over 70 tennis personalities, and her tweets have become a hit among fans and the professional tennis community. While social media has increased fans’ access to all sports, social media and tennis in particular have been a perfect match.

Conventional media has faced sever-al challenges in presenting the compre-hensive, all-access tennis coverage that fans crave:

Tennis is about individuals. It’s hard to get to know individuals when they’re grunting on the court.

Tennis coverage is often sub-par. With tournaments spread across time zones and spanning weeks, social media opens doors.

Tennis coverage has always come from the commentators. We hear from the McEnroes and Brad Gilbert about what’s hot and what’s not. While fans have things to share too, they have his-torically done it on the sidelines or in their living rooms.

Game, set and match for social media…

Social media has strengthened ten-nis by promoting events, brands and players. It has also created a stronger community between experts, players and, most importantly, fans to share information and connect people across the sport.

Media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest have created a constant flow of information both from official outlets like televi-sion networks and event organizers as well as from the casual fan watching the match live. Traditionally, results were not available until after the match was completed. Social media has changed

this, allowing for live results to be broadcasted instantly to millions.

Event organizers, mindful of tennis’ long tradition, were initially hesitant to adopt social media, but fan demand forced them to change their approach. Wimbledon organizers shunned Twitter in 2011, but they significant-ly ramped up their presence in 2012, sending out 8,200 tweets over the 14-day event for an average of 585 tweets per day. These tweets not only provid-ed live scoring and weather updates, but also included up-loaded pictures and retweets from pro-fessionals and fans. Wimbledon’s Twit-ter handle has con-tinued to keep fans updated through the Olympics, also held at the All England Club. For those of us who didn’t make it to the grounds for straw-berries and cream the day of the men’s final (you made me a fan, Murray), Wim-bledon updated its cover photo nine times that day.

The U.S. Open is also on their A-game with social media. You can now follow posts on Facebook for behind-the-scenes content, become a follower on Twitter for live updates and tweets from players, check out videos on You-Tube of highlights and previews, or use Foursquare to check into certain courts

or stadiums, interact with other fans and unlock rewards. According to the USTA, the U.S. Open is “the most glob-ally comprehensive event activation on Foursquare ever.”

All Access PassSome professionals are just as ac-

tive as the tournament hosts, which gives these players (and their spon-sors) access to thousands of fans. We’ve watched athlete Twitter feeds exponen-

tially multiply and today’s sports su-perstars have shown several distinct ap-proaches to their so-cial media presence.

Compared to tra-ditional media, Fa-cebook and Twitter have allowed pro-fessionals to up-date their fans with spontaneous and less filtered content. Compared to other athletes, who often have team personnel carefully monitor-

ing their tweets (franchise owners, you know who you are), ATP and WTA pro-fessionals’ content is generally uncen-sored. This allows fans an honest and candid portrayal of the lives of these stars.

Serena Williams, who has over 10,000 tweets to her name, should be crowned the Queen of Twitter. While

she often tweets multiple times a day, many of her tweets relate to her matches (consider her tweet on July 7 immediately after winning her fifth Wimbledon title: “Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa” or after winning Olympic Gold in August: “Gold Medal!!! I can’t believe it. I got the singles gold!!!!!! I’m gonna sleep in it tonight!”). Others related to the nor-mal goings of her daily life such as “I’m cold…” to “Goodnight.” Though casual observers may scoff at more mundane tweets, loyal fans are grateful for 24/7 access to her daily life.

Americans Mardy Fish and John Isner are also active. Both players not only take the time to respond to indi-vidual fans’ questions and comments, they also provide colorful insights into their lives off the court. Fish, for exam-ple, uploaded a picture with NBA super-star Dirk Nowitzki and wrote, “Look who showed up at my practice today in Dallas. Easily the biggest serve from a non-pro I’ve ever seen.” When fellow pro James Blake filled his car up with thousands of styrofoam pieces, Isner took to Twitter and asked fans for sug-gestions on how to get Blake back. Some athletes prefer to keep their so-cial media up-to-date, but don’t want to do it themselves, frequently handing feeds over to agents to manage. Even to the casual observer, it’s clear which players want to actively engage with users and fans through social media.

The athletes who have had the most success on the court generally have the largest followings off the court. Play-

ers can use the same approach as the businesses we help with social media—that is, to strike a balance between per-sonal posts and sponsored material on their feeds. Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova, two of the sport’s chief am-bassadors, have mastered social media.

Today, Federer has over 11 million fans on Facebook, while Sharapova has 7.5 million, the most of any female ath-lete in any sport. Both athletes have recent postings highlighting commer-cials they’ve filmed, but their feeds provide plenty of the personal touch-es which tend to receive more engage-ment from fans.

Roger Federer often posts video mes-sages prior to major tournaments and used Facebook to give the world its first glimpse of his twin girls. The first pic-ture of his wife Mirka and twins Char-lene and Myla received significantly more “likes” than any of his posts en-dorsing Nike, Gillette, Rolex, Wilson or Mercedes Benz products.

Maria Sharapova also has a well-bal-anced presence. She not only highlights recent promotions with Tag Heuer, Evian and Nike, but has also posted pictures of her riding on a bus prior to Wimbledon and walking around Cen-tral Park in New York.

Sharapova is adept at making her commercials seem less corporate on Facebook, offering “sneak peaks” and exclusive content instead of explicit promotions. She often posts pictures of her “photo shoots,” appealing to fans on a human level. Most of Sharapova’s posts cast her in a rather normal light, rather than as the global tennis sensa-tion she is.

Players are not the only ones using social media to interact with fans. Ana-lysts like Patrick McEnroe, Brad Gilbert and Jimmy Connors have used Twit-ter to provide their insight to fans off-air. Twitter has also been used during broadcasts by shows, allowing fans to ask questions of players.

Lastly, social media has also been integrated into traditional forms of media. During coverage of Wimble-don, the Tennis Channel, NBC and ESPN all featured players’ tweets during their broadcast and devoted a great deal of content to tennis-related tweets on their websites. Coupled with traditional broadcasting, social media has truly given fans an all-access pass to the lives of tour players.

As the U.S. Open begins, we can count on the fact that the high energy buzz about the game will not only be evident at Flushing Meadows, but on computers across the globe.

—Andrew Fried, is a co-founder of Spark Growth Partners (www.spark-

growthpartners.com), a New York City-based digital and so-

cial media strategy firm.

U . S . O P E N where tennis is going

A GAME OF LIKES, NOT OF LOVE

‘Gold Medal!!! I can’t believe it. I got

the singles gold!!!!!! I’m gonna sleep in it

tonight!’

Serena Williams’ tweet after winning the Oympic

gold medal in London

CATCH THE 7 TRAIN from Times Square to Queens, jump off at Mets- Willets Point and you are greeted with a dilem-ma: To turn left for Mets Base-ball or right for the United States National Tennis Center. The Observer paused at the sign and contemplated; what would the majority of New Yorkers pick, left or right? We conced-ed that in the modern day, the likelihood was that New York’s second most famous baseball stadium would probably at-tract more attention than the country’s largest tennis center. Why?

Lauren Hartman, who runs Advantage Tennis Clubs in East Bronx, a company in partner-ship with New York Tennis Club, told us that at this club the older clientele are definitely her best customers.

“It’s like a country club here, removed and calm, but with great access to the city, which is why I think it attracts the older members,” she said. “Tennis has turned into a luxury sport and certainly takes a back seat to the likes of football and base-ball these days. I had a poster of Andre Agassi on my wall grow-ing up, but I’d bet that hard-ly any kids have tennis idols, which is shame because, in New York City, it’s so accessible.”

Ms. Hartman winced as we reminded her that an American man hadn’t won a Grand Slam for the past 35 tournaments. “These days, education is the main focus. Parents want their

kids to grow up to be lawyers or doctors whereas a decade or so ago a sports career would have been encouraged much more,” Ms. Hartman reasoned. “We also find ourselves in a video game culture.” By that logic, more people in New York will be playing the inevitable U.S. Open EA Sports Playstation game come August 24 than watching the actual live events unfold at Flushing Meadows.

“It does get busier here when the Open is on. Everyone comes down and tries to be Nadal; it’s a special time for New York.” But will John Isner, Andy Roddick, Mardy Fish or any other Amer-ican man be lifting the trophy this year? We were answered with a laugh before we finished asking the question.

“No. Maybe one of these kids will do one day,” said Ms. Hart-man. “The quick start program being developed by the USTA and everything going on at Ran-dall’s Island is promising, but no, not any time soon.”

In 2010, John McEnroe estab-lished the SPORTIME Tennis Center and Academy on Ran-dall’s Island with three inten-tions: To develop world-class players, excite New Yorkers, es-pecially kids, about the game of tennis and provide opportuni-ties to motivated and deserving NYC area kids.

On the night The Observer visited, Sportime was hosting a World Tennis Team (a league co-founded by Billie Jean King) match between the Sportimes

and the Boston Lobsters. The main showpiece was a men’s singles match featuring Mr. McEnroe himself and Andre Agassi.

“Tennis was a growing sport when I came in,” Mr. McEnroe told us at a press conference be-fore the match. “I’m proud to be a part of the era that I was, as is Andre, I’m sure. But it’s a differ-ent sport now”

“It’s a much more demand-ing sport,” Mr. Agassi echoed. “Players now are capable of pulling off shots John and I could only dream of, and what with the technology advancing every day, it’s very different for the kids today than it was for us.”

Can one of these young Amer-icans break through? Who bet-ter to ask than the man who had helped to coach the likes of Ryan Harrison and whose center was dedicated to doing just that?

“It’s very difficult to say,” re-plied Mr. McEnroe. “These guys have to find their own identi-ties, their own personalities.” We considered if Mr. McEn-roe himself had been given the same advice at some point and if the person responsible had known what they were about to unleash onto the world of ten-nis. “You have to nurture these kids suited to their style, emo-tionally as well as their tech-nique,” he said. “It’s all about the heart. I can’t say that these guys will be top five players. Top twenty/forty for sure, but I don’t know about top five,”

If Randall’s Island is now the place that young gifted New Yorkers come to blossom and be nurtured, then what is the U.S. Open? The promised land?

“It’s way better than the other slams. Way better!” pro-claimed Mr. McEnroe, whose face suggested a bit of bias or sarcasm. “Wimbledon was a special place when I was grow-ing up. There’s just something special about it.”

From a proud New Yorker those words don’t bring prom-ise to the ears of Americans praying for an American win-ner this year.

Mr. Agassi concurred, “New York is one of the great sporting places and has some of the best sporting fans. Players lucky enough to have a Slam in their own country will always lean towards that one. But there is something about Wimbledon, and now, with the Olympics being there, it adds something even more special.”

One week later The Observ-er took a right turn in Flush-ing and walked over to the

23,000-capacity Arthur Ashe Stadium for a tour of the com-plex. It quickly became appar-ent that our assumption about the current popularity of ten-nis might have been wrong.

“Seven hundred thousand people come to the Open every year; it is the highest attended annual sporting event in the world,” said Communications Director Chris Widmaier, mak-ing us eat our words almost immediately. “The site itself is open 11 months a year and in that time, we have over 10,000 amateurs come to play.”

Mr. Widmaier went on to ex-plain that a special Ten and Under program is used to build “a national infrastructure to help build future champions.” According to Mr. Widmaier, in the past five years they have refurbished over 8,000 courts across the country. “Just like Little League, our program is scaled down for the kids so you can get 16 kids playing on a two-court space.”

So why, with everything we have seen and heard, hasn’t an American man stood on this

court lifting the trophy in re-cent years?

“Just as important as the Open is the role of the Center all year round,” Dan Zausner, USTA Managing Director at the Billie Jean King Center in-formed us. “Tennis is the fast-est growing recreational sport for people to play in America. It is also arguably the cheap-est and easiest to access. Just as it is important for our men and women to be competing and winning at the highest lev-els, it is equally important that we inspire the general public to play.” Mr. Zausner noted that the most unique aspect of this center is that it is public. “An estimat[ed] fifty percent of our amateurs are from Queens and eighty percent from New York,” he said. “People from all age groups come all year round to play and sure, at half time of the Superbowl a handful of people might go outside and throw a football around, but after com-ing to the Open people will visit for the next 12 months, inspired by what they experienced.”

A survey by the Sporting Goods Manufacturer Associ-ation supports that tennis is indeed the fastest growing rec-reational sport in America and it seems that The U.S. Open is indeed a major national event and tennis seems to be one the favorite national sports, more accessible and more played than any other. A statue with-in the grounds shows an elder-ly man flanked by two children all holding rackets. It is called “Inspiration,” and that is cer-tainly what Flushing Meadows has in abundance. Inspiration is the base for success. Perhaps as some of the United State’s best tennis players arrive at Billie Jean King Center this week, they will be inspired by the atmosphere to win .

The social media revolution steps

up to promote and publicize the game

By Andrew Fried

Clockwise from top: A glimpse at the social media pages of Maria Sharapova, John Isner and Roger Federer.

John McEnroe high-fives several young players at SPORTIME.

How Tennis Fares StatesideWhere the American game is going

By Jack Mcilroy and Melissa Wiley

Page 5: Tennis Section

Tennis The New York Observer | August 27, 2012  | C 5

LOVE ISLOVE ISLOVE ISLOVE IS

Past participants shown. Match schedule subject to change. ©2012 USTA. Photos © Getty Images.*Ticket availability subject to change.

AUGUST 27 – SEPTEMBER 9

OPENING DAYAUGUST 27

MEN’S QUARTERFINALSSEPTEMBER 5 & 6

WOMEN’S FINALSEPTEMBER 8

facebook.com/usopentennis @usopen #usopen

USOPEN.ORG / 1-866-OPEN-TIX

TICKETS STILL AVAILABLEDON’T MISS OUT ON ANY OF THESE GREAT SESSIONS!*

Page 6: Tennis Section

C 6 | August 27, 2012 | The New York Observer Tennis

TENNIS SHOPSGRAND CENTRAL RACQUETwww.grandcentralracquet.com341 Madison Avenue 212.292.8851

Grand Central Terminal (Between Tracks 38 and 39)212.856.9647

Grand Central Racquet doesn’t discriminate among racket sports; it has supplies for everything tennis – including platform tennis, table tennis and frescobol.

We spoke with Woody Schneider, owner of Grand Central Racquet about brands and products on the market. Right now, he said, Babolat is the tennis retail “phenom.” Its characteristic? Extraordinary. Babolat’s most popular racket models are the Aero Prodrive and the Puredrive. In the shoe department, Nike and Adidas’ Barricade 7s are the standout favorites. The Barricade 7s are so popular that Novak Djokovic, though sponsored by Uniqlo, chooses to wear them.

Creative shock absorbers and tennis grips in every color of the rainbow aside, we are particularly excited about one product sold at Grand Central Racquet’s Pro Shop. Resembling a strand of pearls, this product is filled with water and can be frozen for wear in the too-often unbearably hot stands. Mark our words, tennis spectatorship will never be the same.

NYC RACQUET SPORTSwww.grandcentralracquet.com

157 West 35th Street212.695.5353

Grand Central Racquet is affiliated with NYC Racquet Sports, the largest racket store in New York City, located in Herald Square, next to Macy’s. NYC Racquet Sports was rated Racquet Sport Industry’s Pro Specialty Retailer of the Year.

MASON’S TENNIS MARTwww.masonstennis.com56 East 53rd Street212.755.5805

For the last 25 years, Tennis Industry Magazine has rated Mason’s the #1 Specialist shop in the U.S. Mason’s site makes a point of noting that the store is “owned and run by the people that live and love tennis.” Nestled in the heart of midtown, the store

sells racket products, apparel and shoes as well as jewelry and kid’s wear. In the apparel department, Mason’s sells Gigi Activewear, Lija, FILA, Polo, Sergio Tacchini, Fred Perry, Nike and Adidas.

RP NY TENNIS228 East 51st Street 212.980.1555

RP NY TENNIS AT CITYVIEW RACQUET Club43-34 32nd Place 718.389.6252

RPNY’s claim: “Anything that can be done to a racket can de done here.” Services include everything from pick-up and delivery, stringing, gripping, customization and consultation, to a ship-and-string service for the continental U.S.

OUR BROOKLYN FAVORITESTennis Boom (DBA Bay Sports)www.tennisboom.com1732 Sheepshead Bay Road, Brooklyn718.646.5668

Tennis Unlimited9000 Bay Parkway, Brooklyn718.266.3610

GENERAL SPORTS STORESCITY SPORTS www.citysports.com390 5th Avenue 212.695.017164 West 48th Street212.730.2009

PARAGON SPORTSwww.paragonsports.com867 Broadway at 18th Street 212.255.8889

CLUBS MANHATTAN PLAzA RACQUET CLUBwww.advantagetennisclubs.com450 West 43rd Street212.294.0554Indoor; Year-RoundHard courtsOpen to members and nonmembers

Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club is a luxury tennis experience defined. It has an air-conditioned bubble and five championship tennis hard courts, private and group lessons, game arranging, tennis programs, a singles

league, parties and tournaments. On the premises, setting it apart from other clubs, are a glass-enclosed swimming pool, sundeck and sauna. Members receive full membership to the Manhattan Plaza Health Club. MPRC also has a pro shop and stringing services in addition to indoor parking.

MIDTOWN TENNIS CLUBwww.midtowntennis.com341 8th Avenue212.989.8572Indoor; Year-round Har-TruNon-membership

Midtown Tennis Club’s has eight indoor courts, four of which look out at the Empire State Building. Midtown Tennis recently introduced a bubble, and offers a variety of tennis programs as well as private and group lessons. Its pro shop offers stringing services. The club is also available for private or corporate tennis parties and tournaments.

SUTTON EAST TENNIS CLUBwww.suttoneasttennis.com488 East 60th StreetJust under Queensboro BridgeIndoor; September-JuneRed clayNon-membership

Sutton East has been called the “miracle under the bridge.” Open mid-September for its 24th Season, Sutton East is larger than its Tennis in Manhattan counterparts, Vanderbilt Tennis and Yorkville Tennis. Children, parents and grandparents are equally at home here. Sutton’s most popular programs include an Adult Evening league for advanced players, Round Robins, Drill-and-Plays and Cardio Tennis. Its Pee Wee tennis program for ages three-six and Junior Development Program are also extremely popular and offered at Vanderbilt and Yorkville.

SPORTIME RANDALL’S ISLAND CENTERwww.sportimeny.comManhattan1 Randall’s Island212.427.6150Indoor/Outdoor; Year-roundDecoTurf; Har-TruMembership

Sportime Randall’s Island is a sophisticated and, at 160,000 square feet, large facility. It is best known for its famous John McEnroe Academy where rising talent Noah Rubin plays. There are about 800 to 900 students in the academy and about 2,300 total members. Adult Tennis Kinetics is SRIC’s most popular program, next to game arranging. The two-level viewing area is spacious and pleasant, as is the sports café. SRIC was rated best indoor facility 2010 by the American Sports Builders Association and features in addition to its 20 courts, a 3,000 square foot health club and a full basketball court. USTA National Tennis Centerwww.usta.comFlushing Meadows-Corona Park

718.760.6200Indoor/Outdoor; Year-RoundDecoTurf; ClayOpens to members and nonmembers

USTA is perhaps the epicenter of American tennis as host of the U.S. Open. Its 30 outdoor and 12 indoor courts, including four climate-controlled clay courts, are available to the public. USTA offers specialized lessons and programs for all ages and abilities, including Cardio Tennis, and even has special courts, titled the “Quick start deck zone,” for players ten and under. USTA is home to the NTC Pro Shop, opened by Grand Central Racquet.

NEW YORK TENNIS CLUBwww.newyorktennisclub.com3081 Harding Avenue, Bronx718.239.7919Summer; WinterHar-TruMembership

New York Tennis Club has existed since 1898 and is a little unknown gem. Six gorgeously maintained courts and a charming old house in a quiet setting with shady trees give New York Tennis Club its character. The caretakers and chef live on-site. NYTC’s beautiful grounds are perfect for lunch, spectatorship, reading and the occasional scrabble game. Some of the club’s perks include a TV-and-card room, a snack bar for breakfast and lunch and towel services provided by the live-in staff. Members enjoy social mixed-doubles round robins, the club’s junior programs, an easy sign-up system and unlimited tennis every day.

ROOSEVELT ISLAND RACQUET CLUBwww.rirctennis.com281 Roosevelt Island212.935.0250Indoor; Year-roundLee greenOpen to members and nonmembers

Roosevelt Island Racquet Club features 12 Lee green clay courts, shadowless, non-glare lighting, heated and air-conditioned bubbles and a fitness center for warm-up. Though a commute, RIRC maintains that it is “just a hop, skip, and a tram away!”

STADIUM TENNIS CENTER AT MILL PONDwww.stadiumtennisnyc.com725 Gateway Center Boulevard At East 152nd Street and the Harlem River718.665.4694Indoor/Outdoor; Year-roundHard courtsNon-membership

The Stadium Tennis Center at Mill Pond is south of Yankee Stadium. With 16 tennis courts and excellent lighting, it is a state-of-the-art facility, great in summer or winter. Stadium’s professional staff offers a

variety of lessons and programs in partnership with Gotham Tennis Academy for juniors and adults. STC offers unlimited play memberships as well as seasonal court rentals, game arranging, tournaments, adult leagues and private lessons. Parking is free and on-site at Yankee Stadium, and a clubhouse, featuring lockers, a café, pro shop and lounges, is under development.

VANDERBILT TENNIS CLUBwww.vanderbilttennisclub.com 82 East 42nd Street; Above Grand Central212.599.6500Indoor; Year-roundDecoTurfNon-membership

Vanderbilt Tennis Club is a non-membership club located above Grand Central with a DecoTurf championship hard court. When rain graces Flushing Meadows, U.S. Open players often flock to Vanderbilt. The iconic windows provide stunning views of bustling midtown. The club also boasts a fitness center, a small/private gym and personal training services. Vanderbilt Tennis is smaller than Sutton East, and while also for families, it has more of a luxury feel.

WEST SIDE TENNIS CENTERwww.foresthillstennis.com1 Tennis Place, Forest Hills718.268.2230Indoor/Outdoor; Year-roundGrass; Har-Tru; Red clay; DecoTurfMembership

West Side Tennis Center, former site of the U.S. Open, has 38 different courts on every kind of surface. It is a “jewel in Queens” and the “ultimate experience in tennis,” said WSTC Tennis Director and owner of the Star Search Talent identification program Bob Ingersole. It offers indoor and outdoor tennis on 12 acres, junior programs and quickstart programs for beginners, as well as a game arranging service. It is a summer haven for tennis enthusiasts and, every Saturday night in the winter, the club organizes mixed-doubles round robins with music, followed by a buffet dinner.

WSTC also boasts an Olympic-style pool and a Tudor-style clubhouse.

YORKVILLE TENNIS CENTER www.yorkvilletennisclub.com89th and York Avenue; 1725 York Avenue #3G212.987.0301Indoor; Year-roundHard courtsNon-membership

Located inside a doorman residential building, Yorkville Tennis Center is a hidden gem on the Upper East Side. With two championship courts and great lighting, it is smaller than Sutton East and, like Vanderbilt, has more of a luxury atmosphere. The club has fully-equipped lockers, and its pro shop offers stringing services.

OUR FAVORITE PUBLIC PARK COURTS

The NYC Parks season runs from the first week in April until the Sunday before Thanksgiving.

PROSPECT PARKwww.prospectpark.org/tennis50 Parkside Avenue, Brooklyn718.436.2500Year-roundIndoor/Outdoor; Year-roundClay; Har-Tru

A respite in Brooklyn. Permits are not necessary for night tennis, though reservations are recommended. The tennis center offers group lessons, programs for youths and adults as well as a Special Aces program for children with special needs.

CENTRAL PARKwww.centralparktenniscenter.com93rd Street near West Drive212.316.0800Outdoor; early April – late NovemberClay; Asphalt

Central to Central Park are its 26 clay and four asphalt courts. Clay courts shut down in the winter, but the asphalt courts stay open. The center offers classes for adults and children and its services include rest rooms, a snack bar and pro shop with stringing services. Lockers are available for rent.

RIVERSIDE PARKTwo courts are available at

96th Street and at 119th Street along the Hudson. Memberships provide access to clinics, private and group lessons, tournaments and ladders.

Riverside Clay Tennis Associationwww.rcta.infoRiverside Drive and West 96th212.978.0277OutdoorClay

119th Street Tennis Associationwww.119ta.netRiverside Drive and West 119th212.870.3070OutdoorHard

HOME OF THE U.S. OPEN, New York City is a tennis Mecca. “The world comes to us,” said Woody Schneider, owner of Grand Central Rac-quet. “It’s like what’s happening in London right now, except we get it every year.” And the many clubs and tennis shops are the cornerstones of this tennis capital. Sportime Randall’s Island Center Director Zef Lekaj mused: “Sportime Randall’s Island Center is to New York Tennis as the Williams sisters are to the game of tennis.”

Jerry Elman, Club Manager of Sutton East Ten-nis Club, said, “Tennis in Manhattan [overseeing Sutton East, Vanderbilt and Yorkville] is to New York tennis players as Peter Luger’s is to New York steak lovers.” The Observer agrees with Jerry Elman of Sutton East Tennis Club that ten-nis is the “sport of a lifetime” and that the world of New York City tennis has something for ev-eryone. Here are some of our favorite haunts for your recreational and competitive needs:

S P EC I A L A DV E RT I S I N G S EC T I O N FO R T H E N E W YO R K O B S E RV E R

art

On Thursday, June 21, The Observer trekked out to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center to partake in the 2012 U.S. Open Ballperson Tryouts. Ralph Lauren outfitted us in official ballperson gear and sprinted through the entire tryout process in what seemed like 100 degree weather. Afterwards, around 500 people (from age 14-50) seriously competed for roughly 80 sought-after positions—running, throwing and catching tennis

balls as efficiently as possible. The Observer caught up with Tina Taps, U.S. Open Ballperson Director, once the tryouts concluded to find out more about the massive undertaking. How has the program developed over the years?

Through social media and the internet, we can promote the tryout opportunity to more athletes in more communities.

What is the biggest challenge of staging the auditions?

It’s actually a good thing. The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is open to the public as a year round tennis facility. As such, we host a full spectrum of tennis programs for all ages. During the tryouts we’re also running a highly successful junior tennis camp. We need to share resources – staffing, courts, etc. Additional challenges are the

Get a Grip on the Tennis Capital of the World

By Melissa Wiley

U . S . O P E N for the love of the game

In 2008, the USTA joined forces with organizations such as

environmental consultant eco evolutions, llc, the Natural Resources Defense Council

and GreenSlam to develop ways to make the U.S. Open more sustainable and eco-friendly. Just last year, around 94 tONS Of rEcyclablE paper,

plastic and glass were collected. The U.S. Open and its organizers also converted a reported 985 gallONS Of

fOOd grEaSE into biodiesel fuel and donated some 20,000 POUNdS Of UNUSEd fOOd to underserved and hungry members of the surrounding community.

Food that did go to waste (around 50 tONS) was composted for farming and landscaping.

The USTA also stated that some 70,000 tENNiS ballS used during the Open

and in practice were reused for its programming or other national

tennis organizations.

kEEP it grEEN

ChaseThat Ball!

A closer look at the U.S. Open ballperson

selection processBy Benjamin-Émile Le Hay

weather and the tedious evaluations of nearly 500 hopefuls. You want to give everyone the best chance to do well.

Who are the involved parties that ensure it is all successfully run?

A solid corps of dedicated U.S. Open ballperson veteran staff and supervisors who truly care about the quality of the rookies who are brought onto the team. Their success becomes the team’s ultimate success. Additionally, usopen.org and our media personnel assist us in getting the word out about the greatest job in the world.

Any major dramas or scandals? Are people hyper-competitive?

No issues here: it’s a great team. They all support one another and challenge each other to be the best that they can be.

How do the ballpeople interact with the players? Is there any communicating off the court?

Interaction with the pros is purely professional. We help them be the best that they can be by helping the match move along efficiently. We’re there to cater to their needs and otherwise become invisible.

How do your tryouts differ from Wimbledon or Roland Garros?

We’re focused on being the best that we can be in the U.S. Not sure what they do at the other Slams.

What’s your favorite part about

the ballperson tryouts?The electricity of the crowd of

eager prospective ballpersons!

Mason’s Tennis Mart is one of the city’s best outposts for all things tennis.

The red clay courts of Sutton

East Tennis Club.

Over 500 people auditioned for the 2012 US Open Ballperson tryouts held in June.

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SOURCE: USTA

Page 7: Tennis Section

Tennis The New York Observer | August 27, 2012  | C 7

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FIFTH AVENUE DUPLEX WITH TERRACE: Glamorous prewar in mint condition with terrace.Opulent master suite with two baths and two dressing rooms. $3,450,000. WEB: NYO0017516

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4 BEDROOM PENTHOUSE WITH DRAMATIC TERRACE: Ultra-chic Philip Johnson condo. Features8 rooms, 3,553± sq ft of interior space plus 1,030,± sq ft terrace $8,975,000. WEB: NYO0018137

THE PLAZA HOTEL: One of the most sought after 2 bedroom apartments in the Plaza becauseevery window faces Central Park. 11’ ceilings, custom renovation. $8,500,000. WEB: NYO0017984

RIVERFRONT MAISONETTE WITH HUGE TERRACE: Features typically found in a $20+ mil apart-ment, this prewar ±5,200 sq ft 5 bedroom duplex is grand and gracious. $9,750,000. WEB: NYO0017605

Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a registered trademark.

ROGER ERICKSON SENIOR MANAGING DIRECTOR212.606.7612 | www.roger-erickson.com

EAST SIDE MANHATTAN BROKERAGE38 EAST 61ST STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10065 | sothebyshomes.com/nyc

Page 8: Tennis Section

C 8 | August 27, 2012 | The New York Observer Tennis

SELECT TOWNHOUSES

EAST SIDE MANHATTAN BROKERAGE | sothebyshomes.com/nyc38 East 61st Street, New York, NY 10065 T 212.606.7660 F 212.606.7661

Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a registered trademark. Equal Housing Opportunity. *Spanish Balconies used with permission.

120 EAST 70TH STREET$35,000,000 | WEB:NYO0016387Louise Beit, 212.606.7703

E 68TH/OFF MADISON AVENUE$17,500,000 | WEB:NYO0018052Fred Williams, 212.606.7737

E 74TH/ OFF MADISON AVENUE$15,000,000 | WEB:NYO0017688 Roger Erickson, 212.606.7612

VILLAGE HOUSE WITH GARAGE$14,950,000 | WEB:NYO0018006S. Ponte/V. Kaufman, 212.606.4109/7639

158 EAST 61ST STREET$13,500,000 | WEB:NYO0018350Serena Boardman, 212.606.7611

109 EAST 81ST STREET$10,000,000 | WEB:NYO0018368Michael Pellegrino, 212.400.8731

Introducing Sotheby’s International Realty’s New York City Market Update

We invite you to review Sotheby’s International Realty’s quarterly residential Market Update for New York City. This report provides data on Manhattan and Brooklyn sales trends and offers some perspective on how our market compares to other key locations.

A WORLD OF ADVANTAGESOur unique association with the world-renowned Sotheby’s auction house, our sophisticated marketing and our connections to real estate experts all over the world provide a level of global reach that is unparalleled in the industry. Like the esteemed auction house that founded our brand, Sotheby’s International Realty has a history of achieving record prices and providing market insight and guidance that is tailored to every client’s needs and taste. Our real estate experts can provide you with deep local knowledge, insightful property valuation and a proven track record in surpassing the expectations of buyers and sellers at a range of price points.

We invite you to contact one of our sales associates to learn some of the reasons the world’s most discerning clients choose to work with us.

Page 9: Tennis Section

Tennis The New York Observer | August 27, 2012  | C 9

SELECT COOPERATIVES AND CONDOMINIUMS

SELECT RENTALS

247 CENTRAL PARK WEST: $110,000/month | WEB:NYO0018175S. Ponte/V. Kaufman, 212.606.4109/7639

50 WEST 15TH ST PENTHOUSE: $39,000/month | WEB:NYO0016891Eric Malley, 212.606.7625

101 WEST 67TH STREET: $50,000/month | WEB:NYO0018173S. Boardman/E. Mohr, 212.606.7611/7736

25 COLUMBUS CIRCLE$21,500,000 | WEB:NYO0018359E. Sample/B. Powers 212.606.7685/7653

1 CENTRAL PARK WEST: $31,000/month | WEB:NYO0018224 Louise Beit, 212.606.7703

80 COLULMBUS CIRCLE: $20,000/month | WEB:NYO0017827E. Sample/B. Powers 212.606.7685/7653

165 CHARLES STREET, APT 10: $23,000/month | WEB:NYO0018174D.Peltz/K. Harounian,212.606.7635/7616

765 PARK AVENUE$27,000,000 | WEB:NYO0017353L. Stone/M. Kent 212.606.7663/7705

50 CENTRAL PARK SOUTH $50,000,000 | WEB:NYO0018168 Roberta Golubock, 212.606.7704

425 EAST 13TH STREET$1,050,000 | WEB:NYO0018236M. Perceval/S. Skiff, 212.606.7790/7794

THE RICHMOND, 201 E 80TH ST$1,995,000 | WEB:NYO0018206Vannessa Kaufman, 212.606.7639

30 EAST 62ND STREET$990,000 | WEB:NYO0017995Olga Neulist, 212.606.7707

815 PARK AVENUE$2,800,000 | WEB:NYO0018355 Lisa Maysonet, 212.606.7603

23 EAST 74TH STREET$3,995,000 | WEB:NYO0017947C. Godbille-Koechlin, 212.606.7777

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL$4,600,000 | WEB:NYO0017858 Nikki Field, 212.606.7669

PARK AVE PREWAR CONDO$6,900,000 | WEB:NYO0018165Anne Aransaenz, 212.606.7645

1148 FIFTH AVENUE$7,200,000 | WEB:NYO0018084R. Pinkwater/J. Hascoe, 212.606.7718

PENTHOUSE WITH TERRACE$8,975,000 | WEB:NYO0018137Roger Erickson, 212.606.7612

EAST RIVER RESIDENCE$10,500,000 | WEB:NYO0018062L. Nasser/C.Rounick, 212.606.7706/7643

SOHO PENTHOUSE$17,950,000 | WEB:NYO0018037 Eric Malley, 212.606.7625

810 FIFTH AVENUE$19,900,000 | WEB:NYO0018158 Serena Boardman, 212.606.7611

sothebyshomes.com/nyc

Page 10: Tennis Section

C 10 | August 27, 2012 | The New York Observer Tennis

s p ec i a l a dv e rt i s i n g s ec t i o n fo r t h e n e w Yo r k o b s e rv e r

art

IT IS NO SECRET that the success of American men’s Grand Slam tennis in recent years has been, well, non-existent. The golden years of Americans Pete Sampras, John McEnroe and Andre Agassi are but a hazy dream, as a collection of Europeans has taken over the sport by the scruff of the neck. The drought has now lasted nine years and, with Sere-na Williams’ resurgence in the women’s game, the American public’s appetite has been whetted. John Isner , Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish will be the focus of attention this year for Americans looking for U.S. success, but another young man may also be in a role to restore balance to the world of Amer-ican tennis. His name is Ryan Harrison.

Signs that this young man may be “the chosen one” are all there. Since becoming the first Ameri-can teenager to beat a top 20 opponent since Andy Roddick in 2010 when he beat No. 15-seed Ivan Lju-bicic in the first round at Flushing Meadows, Harri-son has been on the international tennis radar. The Observer spoke to Harrisom about his ambitions, his tennis roots and career so far.

“I started playing at age two. I would go with my father to the club where he worked and hit against the wall for hours. My Dad eventually let me start hitting on the court and teaching me. I just loved hanging around the club.” Harrison could not re-member one point in which he recognized that tennis was something for which he had talent and wanted to pursue. “I think it just happened over time when I was a kid and when I started to beat the older club members and kids twice my

age. I just loved to compete against anyone that would play me... I always wanted to be a profes-sional tennis player and I think I always felt I had it in me. I feel fortunate to be living out my dream.” If he always had athleticism and winning poten-tial, it would no doubt be thanks to his incredibly athletic family, consisting of a former All Ameri-can football player (his grandfather), his father and an aunt, who played on the pro tennis tour and two younger siblings who display natural tennis ability. His experience helped to shape his tennis game. “I moved to the Bollettieri Academy when I was 15 along with the rest of my family. The atmo-sphere there is full of energy and the daily compe-tition helped me take my game to the next level. I also had the chance to practice with seasoned pros and see how they trained on a daily basis. I learned a lot from them.”

It was at the age of 15 that Harrison turned pro and has since then seen a swift and steady rise up the ATP rankings not only affecting his game, but also his everyday life. “I think my ranking is more a reflection of how I am changing my game and my daily routine, he said. “I am gradually learning what works best for me and my body when it comes to training and preparation. I am becoming more disciplined and professional. My life away from tennis hasn’t changed too much. I still talk to and hang out with the same friends I have had for years. I guess the only thing that has changed is that I have more responsibilities off-court when it comes to sponsors and media and then sometimes I get

U . S . O P E N on the rise

A sit-down with rising tennis star Ryan Harrison

By Jack Mcilroy

The Chosen One?

With so much of the focus of modern day tennis on grass-roots players and developing youth, The Observer

talked to two of the most promising up-and-coming stars of the game—America’s Ryan Harrison and Russia’s Irina Khromacheva.

We got a glimpse of their backgrounds, their aspirations and dreams, as well as looked at a few other tennis faces in the crowd

who we should keep an eye on over the next few years.

Grigor DimitrovOnly 21 years old and already the most successful Bulgarian Tennis player of all time, Grigor Dimitrov has built an im-pressive professional career since win-ning Junior Wimbledon and the Junior U.S. Open in 2008. 2012 has seen him reach three ATP semi-finals, progress to the second round of the first three slams and represent his country at the Olym-pics. Flirting constantly with the top 50, expect to see Dimitrov climb up the rank-ings in the near future.

OTHER YOUNG MEN TO WATCH

Grigor Dimitrov

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Page 11: Tennis Section

The New York Observer Tennis | August 27, 2012  | C 11

WELCOME TO THE WORLD of women’s ten-nis—where the East-

ern Europeans have taken over! The top three ranked

females in the world are from Belarus, Poland and Rus-

sia and, just like the vodka fa-mous in that part of the world,

the way they play is smooth, pure and often deadly. Closer to home, Serena Williams sits at No. 4, defi-ant and as dangerous as ever –like a classic American Bourbon; strong, sharp and full of flavor. Throw some chilled beer into the equation with the likes of Austrian Samantha Sto-

sur and German Angelique Kerber and you have yourself a deadly cock-tail party at this year’s U.S. Open.

One person who could add to the punchbowl (but not able to drink any herself) is 17-year-old Irina Khro-macheva. The young Russian was run-ner up at 2011 Junior Wimbledon and is likely to make an even bigger splash in the next few years. The Observer chatted with Khromacheva about her passions and progress, the U.S. Open and what makes Russia such a strong producer of tennis talent.

“It’s a big country,” said Khro-macheva. “Most people are really strong mentally. In my childhood I

was lucky to have good coaches who gave me a great start. My genera-tion of players, all of us wanted to be great players.” It is not uncommon to hear such dedication and drive from such young players these days with many having been playing since they could walk and Khromacheva is no exception.

“I found my passion when I was four years old,” she told The Observ-er. “My parents and I went for a walk. And they wanted to play tennis. When they had a break I asked them to play with me a little bit. They gave me a racket and I started to put the ball in. I loved that!”

The next day, Khromacheva re-calls heading to a nearby tennis school.

That passion grew for the young Russian who spent time at the Be-lokamennaya Tennis School before moving to Belgium to train at Jus-tine Henin’s 6th-Sense Academy. She spoke highly of how the school and the guidance of a former world No. 1 and multi-Grand Slam winning star has benefited her game.

“Justine gave me a lot of advice. She helped me a lot mentally. She has a good club with good coaches,” Khromacheva told us. “I was lucky to be there for those four years. I had a very good coach and a good fitness coach and we really did a great job together,”

“I’m really thankful to the 6th-Sense for what they did for me dur-ing those three and a half years. Now my coach Wim Fissette [is] giving me all his experience and has got [me] working with another great champi-on, Kim Clijsters [who he previously coached].”

Khromacheva named Kim Cli-jsters and Novak Djokovic as tennis idols, but said that she would rath-er focus on her own game than that of others.

“I played a lot of junior Slams, which gave me a lot of experience and confidence,” admitted Khro-macheva. “I spent a pretty long time in the Junior Circuit where I really learned how to play in differ-ent situations, [to] be strong men-tally during tough moments. And I think this is why I won a lot of junior tournaments.”

Khromacheva has topped the junior rankings for some time and sees next year as her time to make the step up.

“I won three doubles in Junior Slams and was in the final of Ju-nior Wimbledon and was Best

Junior Player 2011. And now it’s a good time to begin to play my pro

career. I’m happy about my results now, as I will be in top 200 next week already. My next goal is to finish the year in the top 200 and take time to prepare myself physically for next year’s play on the Pro circuit. And, hopefully, will play all qualifiers of Grand Slams.”

We have no doubt that this is a more than achievable goal for Khro-macheva and believe that, should she qualify, Khromacheva will be one to watch at this year’s Open.

“I love Wimbledon and Roland Garros. And, of course, I am fasci-nated by the magnitude of the U.S. Open,” she said. “I’m really excited that I can be in qualifier by myself this time. I will try to get through qualification.” She did acknowledge that, for her, the most important as-pect of competing at the U.S. Open will be to enjoy playing there.

“I will play my game, and then we will see. The most important for me is to show good tennis for my fans in the world and in the U.S.,” Khro-macheva concluded.

Our forecast is that the Eastern Europeans aren’t about to be de-throned from the top-tier of the WTA (or ATP) rankings without a fight, especially with emerging tal-ent such as Irina Khromacheva on the rise over the next couple of the years.

‘Now it’s a good time to begin to play my pro career. I’m happy about

my results now, as I will be in the top 200 next week

already. My next goal is to finish the year in top 200 and take time to prepare myself physically for next

year’s play on the Pro circuit.’

s p ec i a l a dv e rt i s i n g s ec t i o n fo r t h e n e w Yo r k o b s e rv e r

U . S . O P E N on the rise

recognized a bit more than I used to.” We expect that the recogni-tion is something that is only going to get more frequent, espe-cially since appearing on Centre Court at Wimbledon with Novak Djokovic. “I have had a lot of great experiences playing on the ATP World Tour but I think the one that stands out is playing Novak. Even though I was upset that I lost, looking back now, I see how spe-cial that experience really was. I grew up watching so many epic matches on that court. It was very cool to be out there competing myself.”

Harrison is looking forward to play-ing in front of a home crowd on August 27 at Flushing Meadows. “It is my fa-vorite slam,” he told us. “Wimbledon is a very special place because of the his-tory, and I love the vibe in Melbourne, but the U.S. Open is my home event,

and there is nothing like the support of a home crowd... I think the ener-gy that comes from the fans and even the city in general is what makes it so special. It is hard to describe until you are out on the court and have that sup-port. I think the late night matches and drama that happen every year also add to the excitement.”

It is two years since his victory over Ljubicic, and we don’t remind him of the parallels with Roddick. His ambi-tions seem strong enough without the history lesson. “I am looking forward to putting together a nice run for the home crowd in New York this year,” he said. “It won’t be easy because everyone is very good and wants to win, but that is what makes tennis so exciting.” With the addition of the Olympics to this year’s calendar there is no saying who will win in Queens. One thing that we can say for sure is that with Ryan Harrison, American tennis fans have someone who they really believe can prevent American Grand Slam suc-cess from becoming something that happened “a long time ago in a galaxy far far away.”

OTHER YOUNG LADIES TO WATCH

‘I just loved to compete against anyone that would play me... I always wanted to be a professional tennis player and I think I always

felt I had it in me. I feel fortunate to be living out

my dream.’

Laura Robson At just 14, Laura Robson thrilled her home crowd at Wimbledon by winning the 2008 Junior Girl Champion-ships and, later that year, she won her first professional tour-nament on the ITF Junior tour. The next few years saw her reach two Junior Australian Open finals and, at still only 18, she is the youngest player in the WTA top 100. Robson quali-fied for both the Australian and French Opens this year, having reached the second round of Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 2011. Despite being unable to replicate Wimbledon glory, she won silver in doubles at the Olympics. Her ascent up the rankings is all but guaranteed over the next few years.

Ričardas BerankisHis surname, in Lithuania means “armless,” ironic for a man whose right swing took him to No. 1 junior in the world in 2007. At the end of 2010, after reaching the third round of the Australian Open, he was the youngest man in the ATP top 100. The following year, a four month absence due to a pelvis stress fracture slowed his progress. However, in 2012 Berankis bounced back strongly to reach the ATP 250 final at the Farmers Classic in Los Angeles.

Ričardas BerankisLaura Robson

Sloane StephensSloane StephensThis ambitious young player named fellow Americans, the Wil-liams sisters, as two of her main inspirations within the game, and do not be surprised to see this young woman’s career be just as successful. Her best run at a major Slam came this year at Roland Gar-ros, where she reached the fourth round, after impressive runs in Australia and Wimbledon as well. She will look to im-prove on last year’s third round exit in New York this fall. With a serve that has broken the 120mph mark and her overall aggres-sive style of play, Stephens will have the world’s top 20 players looking very cau-tiously over their shoulders.

information compiled sOURCE: UsTA bY benjamin-émile le haY

Russia’s Irina Khromacheva is ready to take on the world

By Jack Mcilroy

Girl on the Run

gamE. SEt. match.Ever wondered exactly how much

players go home with following their victories at the U.S. Open? Let’s just say that even

losers by no means go home empty-handed… Here are the 2011 prize earnings.

mEN’S aNd wOmEN’S SiNglESWinners: $1,800,000

Runners-Up: $900,000Semifinalists: $450,000

Quarterfinalists: $225,000Round of 16: $110,000

dOUblES (PEr tEam)Winners: $420,000

Runners-Up: $210,000Semifinalists: $105,000

Quarterfinalists: $50,000sOURCE: UsTA

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Page 12: Tennis Section

C 12 | August 27, 2012 | The New York Observer Tennis

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S p ec i a l a dv e rt i S i n G S ec t i o n fo r t h e n e w yo r k o b S e rv e r

We’re Going to Flushing Meadows!

The Open, for many, is one of the few times during the year that all eyes are on Queens

By Daniel Mowery

schedule of play

food stopsthere is food at the U.S. open, and

there’s food galore in flushing Meadow park. from hot dogs to ecuadorian and latino delights, wander along the park or venture towards the soccer fields for culinary adventures with a more international flair (and perhaps see the ecuadorian version of volleyball being played). naturally, there are gourmet options in the vip spaces of billie Jean king tennis center, but here are stops along the 7 train worth exploring:

VERNON BOulEVARd/JACKSON AVENuEyoung and up-and-coming, here you’ll find funky cafes and coffee shops along with fresh takes on italian, french or latino fusion. for a java jolt, head to Sweet leaf (10-93 Jackson avenue).

COuRT SquAREculture hotspots (MoMa pS1, 5pointz) mingle with Spanish diners and new classics like bistro fare at Sage General Store (24-20 Jackson avenue).

40Th STREET ANd 46Th STREETlook for established irish pubs jumbled

in with international gems like Romanian Garden (43-06 43rd avenue), plus not to be missed cross-cultural favorite Alpha donuts (45-16 Queens boulevard).

52Nd STREETworth hopping off the train for la Flor Bakery and Café (roosevelt and 53rd street), Korean BBq and other culinary treasures.

WOOdSidE–61ST STREETMore irish pubs (perhaps Queens holds a record?) and more ethnic standouts. indulge at Sripraphai (64-13 39th avenue) for thai or non-stop food carts for a wide range of treats.

69Th STREETcheck out the filipino places featuring “longanisa,” a delicious array of many-flavored sausages.

74Th STREET–BROAdWAYlittle india, featuring jewelry, saris, spices and the legendary Jackson diner (37-47 74th Street), among other truly exceptional indian eats.

82Nd STREET–JACKSON hEiGhTSamazing columbian fare up and down roosevelt avenue and 82nd Street.

90Th STREET–ElmhuRSTMexican, ecuadorian and dominican kitchens dominate here.

JuNCTiON BOulEVARdone stop further, the latino influence is decidedly pan-latin.

103 STREET–CORONA PlAzAdominicans and other latino flavors blend with old school italian restaurants and sandwich shops.

FluShiNG–mAiN STREETchinese and asian food nirvana! inexpensive and indescribably delicious food carts, mixed in with a multitude of restaurants, bakeries, bubble tea cafes, dim sum, dumplings and bbQ. renowned Joe’s Shanghai (136-21 37th avenue) alone is worth the extra trip.

IT’S FINALLY HERE—the U.S. Open! You’re planning on making a day, perhaps a week of it. As you start your trek, get there the easiest, coolest and most entertaining way possible on the 7 train. In under an hour you can quickly cruise the 8+ miles from midtown Manhattan to Willets Point. With well over 150 languages spoken in this bustling borough, more than any other area of the United States, but Queens is also a food Mecca—so leave time to stop along the way.

By traveling the 7, you’ll also be journeying on part of the National Millennium Trail. Extending from Sunnyside to Flushing, the IRT elevated line is considered a national treasure for the essential role it played for arriving immigrants in the early 1900s—and continues to this day. As Helen Marshall, Queens Borough President, says: “Visit Queens and see the world!”

Before viewing Manhattan from the windows of the 7, you can start your journey at Grand Central, home of the Grand Central Oyster Bar. We recommend a lunch special—the bouillabaisse sandwich in a bowl, with bread on the side, to keep that U.S. Open garb tidy! The bar was first opened in 1913 along with the station, then re-imagined and reinvented in the ’70s with gorgeous vaulted ceilings and U-shaped counters. The sprawling oyster bar boasts over twenty varieties a day and delivers a memorable New York experience. Stand outside the restaurant entrance and let the child in you test the acoustic legend—speak in one tiled corner and your voice clearly carries over the curved ceiling, past the loud echoing bustle of commuters into the opposite diagonal corner.

Then hop on the 7, which quickly emerges above ground at the Queensboro Plaza stop. Here, you can begin to see the city skyline—the slope of CitiCorp, the gleam of Chrysler and the unmistakably regal spire of the Empire State Building. Keep your eyes open for 5pointz as well, the ever-evolving five-story, block-long sprawling hub of graffiti art that is visible from the train. This is certainly worth a closer look if time allows (at Jackson

Avenue and Davis Street).45th Road/Court Square

also is home to MoMA PS1 (exit onto Jackson Avenue and walk right one block to 46th Avenue). Plan on the museum being closed Tuesday and Wednesdays. Better yet, plan on getting there Saturday, when the $15 cash-only entry fee includes Warm-Up, a fabulous outdoor series of experimental live music, performances and DJs, hosted in “Wendy,” a temporary urban landscape (this year designed by HWKN). Enjoy chow by M. Wells.

Back on the train, keep a lookout for Sunnyside Yards, where LIRR and Amtrak trains enter Penn Station. After the Queensboro stop, the construction you see is for the soon-to-open East Side Tunnel Access to Grand Central.

Other cultural stops to keep in mind: Queens Museum of Art, a 15 minute walk through Flushing Meadows Corona Park, located right next to the Unisphere (that giant steel globe!). Among a steady rotation of exhibits, you can also check out Tiffany glass or the recently restored and proudly exhibited 1939 World’s Fair Relief Map of the NYC Water Supply System. Nearby are The Panaroma, built by Robert Moses for the 1964 World’s Fair, and the painstakingly updated Citi Field.

A great back-up plan for inclement weather or a little variety for those with kids in tow is The New York Hall of Science, near the QMA or a short walk from the 111th street station. See 1964-65 World Fair relics including rockets like the Mercury Capsule, or enjoy the Science Playground and tons of hands-on exhibits.

One stop away (Flushing/Main Street) is Flushing Town Hall—and if you’re around on September 5, you can catch the Monthly Jazz Jam at 7p.m. The first Wednesday of each month, the event showcases the house band, followed by an eclectic mix of guest artists, professional musicians, educators and students who improvise the night away in a borough that’s no stranger to jazz (Louis Armstrong’s home is a site to see in Queens, too!)

leave these home

Did you know that the following items are banned from being brought

into the USTA National Tennis Complex during the U.S. Open?

BacKpacKs, cooleRs, Glass Bottles or caNs,

NoIsemaKING devIces, alcohol, vIdeo cameRas, computeRs

and laptops, pets, flaGs, BaNNeRs or sIGNs,

laseR poINtING devIces, and sadly,

teNNIs RacKets.

tRuly a GRaNd slam

U.S. Open VIP premium seat packages (day or evening) include

courtside or loge tickets for Arthur Ashe Stadium, a reserved table in the Hospitality Pavilion, catered food, bar, plus parking,

tIcKets staRt at aRouNd $700 aNd Go up to as hIGh as $3,500

peR peRsoN according to Raleigh Leahy of the USTA.

Vernon Boulevard/Jackson Avenue

Hunters Point Avenue

Court Square

QueensboroPlaza

33 Street-Rawson Street

40 Street-Lowery Street46 Street-Bliss Street

52 StreetWoodside-61 Street

69 Street74 Street-Broadway

82 Street-Jackson Heights90 Street-Elmhurst Avenue

Junction Boulevard103 Street-Corona Plaza

111 Street

Mets-Willets Point

Flushing-Main Street

SUbJect to chanGe

A packed house at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

u . s . o p e N insider’s guide

inforMation coMpiled by benJaMin-éMile le hay

sOURCE: UsTA

the new york obServer; freezr

Page 13: Tennis Section

Tennis The New York Observer | August 27, 2012  | C 13

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Page 14: Tennis Section

C 14 | August 27, 2012 | The New York Observer Tennis

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s p ec I a l a dv e rt I s I n G s ec t I o n fo r t h e n e w yo r k o b s e rv e r

artU . S . O P E N all the rave

1 Anna Wintour 2 Tommy Lee Jones 3 First Lady Michelle Obama and Billie Jean King 4 Justin Timberlake 5 Bradley Cooper 6 Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones

7 Vanessa Williams 8 John Lithgow 9 Christy Turlington and Edward Burns 10 Ben Stiller and wife Christine Taylor11 Alec Baldwin 12 Queen Latifah

13 Jay-Z and Beyoncé Knowles 14 Matthew Perry 15 Star Jones, Al Roker and wife Deborah Roberts 16 Jason Sudeikis 17 Ron Rifkin 18 Ciara 19 Stanley Tucci

• SPOTTED •From First Ladies to stars of the silver screen, the U.S. Open attracts much more than the hoi polloi

to the USTA Billie Jean King Center. Here’s a look at who trekked out to Flushing Meadows for last year’s Open. One can only wonder who will turn up in 2012.

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HeAd’s 2012 YOuTek IG RAdICAl PRO RACkeT made with d3o™ and Innegra materials, this innovative racket is used by wimbledon finalist and 2012 men’s singles olympic gold medalist andy murray.

$210, www.head.com/tennis

WITH FASHION SAVVY PROFESSIONAL TENNIS PLAYERS such as Venus Williams, Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova designing their own outfits and tennis gear, The Observer decided to find out which tennis fashions and equipment will keep you looking most stylish on the courts this fall. Here are some of our top picks.

Tasteful TennisA glimpse at sophisticated and

innovative products on the marketBy Benjamin-Émile Le Hay

HeAd’s MARIA sHARAPOvA TeNNIs RACqueT BAG – COuRT the chic bag hits shelves this month just in time for the U.s. open and was partially designed by maria sharapova herself.

$115, www.head.com/tennis

AdIdAs’ BY sTellA MCCARTNeY TeNNIs PeRfORMANCe dRessformer wta no. 1 player, denmark’s caroline wozniacki, wears this fashionable ensemble for aggressive matches on court.

$120, www.adidas.com

lOve TeNNIs BY HAzel’s MeN’s CufflINksthese dapper sterling silver cufflinks can be upgraded with 14k gold and add a touch of refinement for any occasion.—

$350, www.lovetennisbyhazel.com

AdIdAs’ PeRfORMANCe: AdIzeRO feATHeR II (MeN) ANd AdIzeRO TeMPAIA (wOMeN, sHOwN)a technologically advanced, high-performance shoe series, these styles are worn by france’s Jo-wilfred and spain’s fernando verdasco. former world no. 1 and 2008 french open champion, ana Ivanovic of serbia competes in a pair of adizero tempaia.

$125-130, www.adidas.com

lACOsTe’s ANdY ROddICk sHORT sleeve suPeR dRY CHesT sTRIPe POlOIt’s been nearly 100 years since french tennis star rené lacoste earned the nickname “alligator,” and eventually went on to establish the lacoste label (which he officially created with a crocodile logo in 1933). with a rich history founded on the game, lacoste has continually sponsored a slew of winning tennis players on the tour, spawning numerous design collaborations; this andy roddick polo, is the latest.

$95.00, www.lacostetennis.com

BABOlAT’s PuRe dRIve RACkeT- GeNeRATION 7with extreme maneuverability and power control, babloat’s popular racket line has been updated significantly for “generation 7,” which comes in four different adult models. new cortex active technology

and a lighter design are just a few of the upgrades. the pure drive collection has been used by players such as spain’s carlos moyá, andy roddick and belgium’s kim

clijsters.

$189-$195www.babolat.com

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Page 15: Tennis Section

Tennis The New York Observer | August 27, 2012  | C 15

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Page 16: Tennis Section

C 16 | August 27, 2012 | The New York Observer Tennis

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