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Roger Federer Interview – Miami, Apr 1
Apr 2nd
Roger Federer Interview
Sony Ericsson Open – Miami
April 1, 2011
R. NADAL/R. Federer 6 3, 6 2
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. You’ve heard your name called many times around the world. Have you ever heard quite so intense and such a testimonial to you as tonight?
ROGER FEDERER: Um, yeah, I mean, I don’t know. Haven’t gone through every match I’ve ever played, but it’s definitely a very nice feeling to get the support from the crowd, you know, especially against Rafa, obviously.
Yeah, I think definitely had something to do with the score. I’m not sure I wanted it or not because it meant I was down in the score. Definitely nice hearing my name go through the stadium. I’ve had some great times here in Miami. Definitely nice feeling to have to play out there and hear that.
Q. You want to break it down for us?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, I think it’s always a bit of an adjustment obviously for me coming out and playing Rafa any lefty, I guess, but him in particular. That’s what kind of made it hard tonight.
I tried to warm with a lefty, Bob Bryan, and tried to get as acclimatized as I could against him. It’s just hard. In the first couple games you get break down, and then I felt like conditions weren’t really favoring me as well.
I knew it was slow, but just makes it so hard it hit through him on a surface like this. Then maybe you try to overhit a bit, and then obviously I start taking wrong decisions on big points.
From then on, you’re down a set and a break, and it’s not easy to come back. I thought he played well. He played tough and he played good when he had to, and I didn’t do that tonight.
So it’s disappointing for me.
Q. It seemed like your backhand just wasn’t there tonight. Did you feel it was off from the beginning? Did you want to just run around it all night?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I guess so. What else you want to me to tell you?
Q. Looked like in the fifth game in the first set that you were finding some rhythm and started to find your groove. Is there anything about that?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, clearly I’m not going to go through a match not being able to make any shot at all. I’m going to get through a few games where I feel better.
Like I said, I had a few mini chances, which against Rafa I was down right away. From then it was an uphill battle. When I did have chances I played poorly and he came up with some good stuff. Off night for me, unfortunately.
Q. What does this surface add or take away from your game? You talked about it being as slow as clay. Just more specifically, is it higher bounce? Too much time for him?
ROGER FEDERER: Particularly against players like Rafa who like to have a bit more time and gives the, an opportunity to return from way back, from in front, defend like they can and so forth, it’s definitely helpful.
You can’t sort of shoot through the court too much. It’s always got to be worked out every rally. That’s not how we played against each other in London, and knew it wasn’t going to be anything like this tonight.
But, yeah, it’s what it is. I’ve played really well on this surface in the past. Tonight, unfortunately, it wasn’t the night for me.
Q. Are you satisfied wit the way you served tonight? Were you expecting it to help you a bit more?
ROGER FEDERER: I didn’t see the statistics, so how did it feel? Felt okay, I guess. I served in spells. I knew I wasn’t going to get the free points like on the faster surfaces, and that makes it harder against Rafa, getting some momentum on your service games. Every time you miss your serve you’re going to be in a tough rally and so forth.
That’s what the serve is tonight I was hoping to get a few more free points. I did when I was hitting my spots nicely, but…
I didn’t think I served poorly, but Rafa did well and got a lot of balls back. I was just not good on the offensive tonight, and that kind of took all the opportunities away to create something tonight.
Q. Does this widen the gap, or are you more determined than ever to get back?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, for me those are not big setbacks. I wish I could play better right now against those guys, but it is what it is. I’m the last guy who gets pulled all the way down and then can’t get up for the next tournament.
I’m excited going Monaco now. I’m going to fly there directly and prepare as well as I can for the clay court season. It’s a big swing coming up now in Europe, so that’s the mindset.
Yeah, I want to do well and I want to do better. I got the opportunity in a couple weeks already.
Q. 3 Love down in the second set, Love 30, you felt like you were right there, right?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, well, right there is different for me. But I wasn’t far from maybe getting a break, let’s put it that way. Did I have any breakpoints tonight?
Q. One.
ROGER FEDERER: One. I don’t remember how I messed it up, but, yeah, I had a chance. Could have attacked better on one of them and ended up, yeah, not hitting it perfectly. So just one of those nights.
Q. Coming into the match what was your mentality? What did you want to do? Show? What did you anticipate coming into the match?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean, I was confident. I was feeling well. Clearly I had in the back of my mind also how has this tournament been for me? Has it been as perfect as I wanted it to be getting into the semis?
I knew there were some doubts after all getting through the match with Simon, Rochus, a match with Monaco, extremely hot. I’m not saying that Rafa didn’t have I don’t know how his matches have been, but he just played a night session against Berdych. That definitely helped him.
Then again, regardless I’m not sure I would have beaten Rafa tonight. I just couldn’t play my game. Maybe that has something to do with the lack of rhythm I got all week from the opponents I’ve played, from the conditions I played in.
But those are not excuses. Those are just facts. I knew those were a few things that could go wrong. Maybe that was one of the things. But then again, Rafa is such a unique player in terms of how he plays that he always makes it difficult for any player.
I was determined and trying to cut down the length of the rallies, taking the ball early, serving well and mixing it up well and then a few specific details I’m not going to share but I wasn’t able to do to tonight; Rafa was able to do his game plan, and he deserves to be in the finals.
Q. With the exception of Andre and maybe Connors back in the day, there haven’t been too many players winning slams after 29. What do you feel like you have up your sleeve that you’re going to be able to use to win some slams in the future?
ROGER FEDERER: Um, I don’t know. You tell me. I don’t know. I think I’ve done quite well over the last ten years. I feel like I’ve done a lot more than some other players, so I feel like I’m yeah, we’ll see how it all plays out.
We’ll see at 36, 39 how many more I was able to get or not. We’re not going to predict how many I’m going to get or not. I’m enjoying myself right now, and I feel like if I’m playing well I can get those. That’s what I care about right now.
Q. After Rafa’s play today, do you think it’s going to start a new era with Djokovic and Nadal on the top?
ROGER FEDERER: Possibly. I don’t know. You tell me. Let’s see in five years. Look back. It’s not like Novak hasn’t been around. Guys all talk about it like the guy can’t play tennis. It’s disappointing.
Q. It took Pete a long time to get his last title, and some of the other guys also, before they made that final statement, went through a lot of stuff. Are you prepared and thinking about maybe having to go through all that and ultimately prove your point? Is that a challenge, or more of a hassle and a drag?
ROGER FEDERER: No, bigger hassle is being asked all the time these questions. I don’t know how many times I need to answer until I just say I’m not going to answer it anymore. Up to you how many times I will have to answer the question until I’m sick and tired of it.
But I know that I can do many more things in the game. Sure, it’s disappointing losing a game like tonight, but those are the matches I work extremely hard for in the off season and practice, and I’m very excited by what’s to come still.
I don’t feel like I’m 35 like you guys make me sound I am. I’m still only 29, and I have many more years left.
Q. Is it a Grand Slam title, or are you also thinking Olympics, Wimbledon, grass?
ROGER FEDERER: You name it. It’s not only just the slams for me. I like any tournament, that’s why I play them. Otherwise it would be like only playing eight tournaments a year.
Q. Where are the Olympics?
ROGER FEDERER: They’re high, sure. I would love to win the Olympic gold. Who wouldn’t? And who wouldn’t want to win them at Wimbledon?
It’s clearly a big goal and I’m thinking about, but it’s not my No. 1 goal in my career right now. It’s one after another. There are a lot of the highlights in tennis, which is great. Thank God we have those. I don’t know how I would handle having a highlight every four years, to be honest.
I think we’re very lucky in tennis. I think that’s why it’s very easy to go from one tournament to the next, because the next one is as big as the other. We have so many wonderful events around the world, and the tour is on such a high right now, such a great buzz around it.
So I wouldn’t want to miss that, playing with all those guys at the moment and facing off and seeing how I can do against them. I’ve had a great last sort of six to nine months, and I’m looking forward to what’s to come until Wimbledon at least right now.
Q. You have a favorite for the final here?
ROGER FEDERER: Um, I think it’s pretty open, obviously because of how Rafa played tonight and how he can play in finals. He’s got a great winning record for finals in general. I don’t know if he’s ever won here? He hasn’t.
I think it would be nice for him to win here for the first time. He should have beaten me here six years ago I was down two sets to love and a break and breakpoints if I am not mistaken. So he should have gotten that one, but I snuck that one out on him.
Novak has been playing great this season. Yeah, I think Rafa is going to give Novak a run for the money, and I’m going to pick Rafa.
FastScripts by ASAP Sports
From www.tennis-x.com
Rocky tennis finishes 3rd at tourney
Apr 2nd
DENVER – Cara Cromwell won the No. 1 singles title, and Rocky Mountain High School girls tennis players played for championships at three other positions Friday to lead the Lobos to a third-place finish in an eight-team tournament hosted by George Washington.
Cromwell, a junior, beat players from Greeley West and Legacy to reach the title match, where she downed Centaurus’ Glenna Gee-Taylor 6-1, 6-4.
Peak to Peak, a charter school in Lafayette, won the team title with 42 points. Greeley West was second with 37 and Rocky Mountain third with 35.
Rocky Mountain’s Nicole Leinhart finished second at No. 2 singles, losing in the final to a player from Greeley West after defeating players from Legacy and Centaurus in earlier rounds.
The Lobos’ No. 3 doubles team of Heather Raney and Nicole Garza and the No. 4 team of Jocelyn Gentry and Aubrey Davis also finished second, while No. 3 singles player Natalie House and the No. 1 doubles team of Brianna Garza and Sarah Hite placed third.
FOSSIL RIDGE 5, STEAMBOAT SPRINGS 2 – At Steamboat Springs, Fossil Ridge swept the doubles matches and also got a win from No. 2 singles player Sarah Brown to hand host Steamboat Springs its first loss in five matches this season.
The Fossil Ridge doubles teams of Mikayla Bladow and Meghan O’Donnell at No. 1, Rachel Fernandez and Lea Johnson at No. 2, Shelby Mavis and Kaitlyn Motley at No. 3 and Andrea Motley and Lauren Rhoda at No. 4 all won their matches in straight sets.
Brown also was a straight-sets winner, dispatching Rachel Steck 7-5, 6-2.
Steamboat Springs’ Christi Valicenti beat Kori Combs 6-2, 6-3 at No. 1 singles, and Claire Parsons downed Fossil Ridge’s Sarah Franch 7-5, 6-2 at No. 3 singles.
BASEBALL
HERITAGE CHRISTIAN 13, DAYSPRING CHRISTIAN 12 - Eli Smith hit a grand slam during a six-run fourth inning to put Heritage Christian (3-3) in front and T.J. Frasco picked up the victory with 4 2/3 strong innings of relief work to lift the Eagles past Dayspring Christian at Fossil Creek Park.
David Merkley had a triple for Heritage Christian, which managed to win despite committing eight fielding errors.
Smith, Frasco and Derek Isabelle had two hits apiece for the Eagles.
From www.coloradoan.com
Impressive Nadal crushes below-par Federer
Apr 2nd
By Simon Evans
MIAMI (Reuters) – World number one Rafa Nadal produced some outstanding tennis to crush long standing rival Roger Federer 6-3 6-2 on Friday and reach the final of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami.
Nadal, who now has a 15-8 record in meetings between the two, dominated from the outset and was superior in all elements of the game.
“I think I played a very, very good match, very solid and serious. In the first set especially I think I played very, very well,” Nadal told reporters.
“In the second set I think he played worse. He had more mistakes than usual. He tried to play shorter points, so I think second set he didn’t play well.”
The Spaniard was devastating with his serve, particularly in the first set, winning 16 of his 18 service points.
In the second he took full advantage of some unusually loose returns, especially on forehand, from the Swiss world number three.
A packed, 14,500 crowd under the lights had hoped for a tighter contest and urged Federer to lift his game but the Swiss had just one break point in the match.
“He played tough and he played good when he had to and I didn’t do that. So it’s disappointing for me,” said Federer. Continued…
From af.reuters.com
Federer Can’t Hold Off Father Time
Apr 2nd
In March 2004 at the ATP Masters event in Miami, a 17-year-old Rafael Nadal – then a nearly complete unknown – stunned Roger Federer during his early reign atop the sport and defeated the Swiss genius in the fourth round of the tournament. A year later, Federer returned the favor and beat Nadal in Miami in a riveting five-set final. It marked the start of the tandem’s unparalleled rivalry. And, remarkably, for all their globetrotting theatrics in Paris, London, Melbourne and elsewhere, Federer and Nadal have not played a match in the United States since their Miami encounter in 2005. Until last night.
After a seemingly interminable six-year wait, on a steamy south Florida evening, Nadal and Federer finally and thankfully played before an American audience (Miami remains the only city the two have played against each other on U.S. soil).
But much to the tangible – and vocal – disappointment of the raucous sellout crowd in attendance, who were hungry for a match befitting the glory days of this rivalry, the contest was a thudding and shocking anticlimax as Nadal demolished a confused, slow and apparently lost Federer, 6-3, 6-2. It was, unquestionably, further proof that the mighty Federer is not the player he was and that he is – at best – the third-best player in the world.
There is now a new must-see rivalry in tennis and the two main attractions are Nadal and Novak Djokovic – who still hasn’t lost a match in 2011 – and they will meet in the final in Miami on Sunday afternoon. This will be the second time the pair has met in the final of a Masters event in as many weeks. This much anticipated match up is continuing the trend of brilliant tennis during the still-young 2011 season. A finer start to the calendar year would be hard to imagine.
Maybe Federer’s timing was off, as he had suggested might be the case before the match even started, because of his not playing a full match for several days due to his opponent’s retirement in the quarterfinals.
Yet an even more accurate assessment of the current state of affairs is that Nadal has elevated his game seemingly exponentially these last few years and it leaves one to wonder if even the Federer of 2007 would had a chance against Nadal when he is playing this well.
Nadal shows great respect and admiration for his rival and friend. And it is sincere. But the Man from Mallorca also refuses to show mercy. Nadal never allowed Federer to get into the match on Friday. When Nadal is hitting his flat backhand with ferocious power and precision he becomes nearly impossible to defeat. And so it was on Friday night. At this point, the best barometer of how well Nadal is playing is his backhand.
Judging from the first game on Friday it appeared that the fans would get the close encounter they so craved after all. Federer played an aggressive opening service game, even serving and volleying on a couple of points and he seemed poised to not wait for Nadal to dictate the points.
But Nadal never did let Federer feel comfortable on this night. In fact, he made Federer look desperate on occasion. And slow. Never before can I recall Federer flailing so frequently at volleys and rushing his shots to the degree he did on Friday. Or with such insecure body language so early in a match.
Truth be told: the great Federer looked like a defeated man when the match was just five minutes old.
On a slow hard court like Miami, Nadal is almost as comfortable as he is on the red dirty of Paris (and let’s face it, the Mallorcan is comfortable on pretty much every terrain at this point). He is perfectly at home and his tried and true formula of consistently – and frustratingly, if one is Federer – nailing balls to Federer’s backhand works to perfection. Even though Federer knows what’s coming he can’t stop it.
And this is the way it’s been, for the most part, with Nadal’s strategy against Federer since 2007. At the Wimbledon final of that year, Nadal started this practice of attacking Federer’s backhand and he came within a whisker of winning his first Wimbledon title. Federer won that match – but it would be the last time he would defeat Nadal in a Slam.
Nadal now takes an even more commanding lead in their rivalry, 15-8 (10-2 on clay, 5-3 on hard courts and 1-2 on Wimbledon’s grass). Granted, with half their battles having been contested on clay, the numbers are skewed slightly in Nadal’s favor. But it bears reminding Nadal eventually triumphed over Federer on his beloved grass while Federer never got remotely close to Rafa at the French Open.
So was last night a sad reminder that the lights are going out on this once incandescent rivalry? Maybe so. Yet I would never count Federer out of the equation, especially come late June when Wimbledon comes around. Memories are often more powerful than present day happenings, so with that Nadal’s and Federer’s rivalry will be forever sealed in time and is the brightest star in the galaxy of the sport’s shining moments.
From www.realclearsports.com
Fort Scott tennis plays at Indy
Apr 2nd
INDEPENDENCE, Kan. — Fort Scott High School’s tennis team faced tough competition at a five-team round-robin tournament here Thursday and finished in fourth place.
All of the Tigers’ victories came against Labette County. Independence, Parsons and Arkansas City each swept Fort Scott.
“We knew this would be a tough match considering the opponents we would be facing,” Fort Scott head coach Lynn Barr said, “and knew it would be even tougher since we would be without our normal No. 1 singles, 2 Singles and 1 doubles team. They were unable to play due to a conflict with field trip by another school group. But I thought the kids we took down there did a nice job of competing. For four of them, it was their first ever varsity action and this gave them a chance to see what they will need to do to compete at a higher level.”
Barr used different combinations against each opponent. Bryce Daly played No. 1 singles against Ark City and Indy and Austin Sather played in that spot against LCHS and Parsons.
Daly lost to Alex Behrens of Ark City, 8-1, and Nick Romans of Independence, 8-0. Sather defeated LC’s Joshua Mathes, 8-2, and lost to Parsons’ Payton Hayes, 8-0.
Brett Allen played No. 2 singles against Ark City’s Rett Posey, who won 8-3. Matt Hull was there against Indy’s Skylar Stacy, who took an 8-1 decision. Wyatt Hulbert defeated LC’s Dakota Lewis in his match, 8-5. Kyle Kelly lost to Parsons’ Corentin Prevot, 8-2.
“I was pleased with the effort of all of the singles players today,” Barr said. “Bryce played pretty well in his two matches, but was up against some very good competition. Austin played a nice match against LCHS and had some good points against and excellent player from Parsons in his other match. Wyatt hung on to (win) his first varsity match against LCHS. Matt, Brett and Kyle all played hard but were just facing some strong opponents.”
Kelly and Davis Drake played the first two matches in No. 1 doubles. Macen Vargas/John Rohr of Arkansas City won 8-1 and Gavin Webster/Tyler Posch of Independence won 8-0. Drake and Daly paired up against Labette County’s Andy Emerson/Conner Traxson and won 8-1. That combination later lost to Parker Robinson/John Paul Hurley of Parsons, 8-1.
Hull and Hulbert were paired for two No. 2 doubles matches, losing to Jake Hull/Jake Sillman of Ark City, 8-2, and Alex Jack/Alex Jacquinot of Parsons, 8-3. Sather and Allen lost 8-3 to Indy’s Joel Simwinga/Aidan Goodrich. Kelly and Allen shut out LC’s Cody Fought/Michael Banowetz.
“Much like in singles, we were just facing some really tough competition for most of the evening,” Barr said. “Davis played with both Kyle and Bryce today and both combinations played pretty well at times and struggled at times. We are still trying to sort out who will be on the second doubles team and these three are all very close right now. ”
Independence and Parsons tied for the team title with 14 points each. Indy’s No. 1 singles and doubles entries won their divisions and Parsons’ No. 2 singles and doubles won theirs.
Fort Scott plays at 3 p.m. Tuesday in Spring Hill, Kan.
From www.fstribune.com
Aging Federer being overtaken by youth
Apr 2nd
KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. — The ball went left, it went right, it went long. One ball even landed about four rows in the stands. Rarely, it seemed, did the ball find the middle of the court.
It was that kind of night for Roger Federer on Friday.
In a match that was hyped as a Grand Slam final, Federer faced rival Rafael Nadal in the semifinals of the Sony Ericsson Open. The crowd of 14,638 was standing room only, and scalpers were selling upper-deck tickets, which normally start at $45, at $150 each.
That’s because Rafa vs. Roger is one of the best matchups in tennis history, along the lines of Bjorn Borg vs. John McEnroe and Pete Sampras vs. Andre Agassi, but rarely have they met on American soil. They have played each other 22 times prior to Friday, but the last time they met in North America took place at this tournament in 2005 when Federer beat Nadal for the title.
This match — the first time these two have met before a final round since 2007 — was expected to be another epic battle, but it never lived up to the billing as Nadal walked all over the error-prone Federer 6-3, 6-2. Nadal will now face Novak Djokovic in the finals Sunday while Federer sulked off the court.
He gave a token wave to the crowd and then had to face questions about his future. At 29, can the 16-time Grand Slam champion Federer — arguably the greatest player in men’s history — still compete with the younger Nadal (24) and Djokovic (23)? Federer feels like he can still hang with the kids even if the results say otherwise.
“I don’t know how many times I need to answer until I just say I’m not going to answer it anymore,” Federer said. “Up to you how many times I will have to answer the question until I’m sick and tired of it. But I know I can do many more things in the game. Sure it’s disappointing losing a game like tonight, but those are the matches I work extremely hard for in the offseason and practice, and I’m very excited by what’s to come still. I don’t feel like I’m 35. I’m still only 29, and I have many more years left.”
It’s hard for older players to accept when their game has slowed down. And even though Federer might not be there yet, he’s getting close, since tennis has proven to be a young man’s sport. The former No. 1 player in the world is now No. 3 behind Nadal and Djokovic, and he might be stuck there for the rest of his career. Nadal and Djokovic appear to have loosened the Federer stranglehold on men’s tennis.
Federer is now 22-4 on the season with three losses to Djokovic and this loss to Nadal. He hasn’t won a Grand Slam title since the Australian Open at the start of 2010, and Nadal made him look 35 on Friday. Nadal never lost serve, converted four of five break-point chances and Federer had 31 unforced errors. Every time Federer had the chance to make a rally he hit the ball long or wide, and his worst shot came in the first set when he hit the ball into the seats.
The crowd, hoping for a comeback in the second set, did their best to urge Federer on. They chanted his name, but unfortunately he came up empty in his effort to make the match competitive.
“I was confident,” Federer said. “I was feeling well. Then again, regardless I’m not sure I would have beaten Rafa tonight. I just couldn’t play my game.”
Nadal is now 15-8 against Federer, but he might be setting his sights on Djokovic as his next rival. Earlier on Friday, Djokovic extended his winning streak to 25 consecutive matches by beating Mardy Fish in the other semifinal 6-3, 6-1.
Nadal and Djokovic met at the most recent tournament in Indian Wells prior to Key Biscayne, and Djokovic beat Nadal 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. Nadal holds a 16-8 advantage head-to-head, but Djokovic won their only meeting here in 2007, which was the year he won the Sony Ericsson Open title. Nadal has never won the title at Key Biscayne.
“He’s playing fantastic,” Nadal said. “On Sunday, I have to play very well for the entire match if I want to have any chance. I have to play aggressive, and I have to play all the points. … I’m going to have to play my best.”
Federer said he gives the edge to Nadal. He also said “I wish I could play better against those guys, but it is what it is.”
He’s not used to watching other players meet in a final.
Federer is still an amazing player, and he will likely have many more outstanding moments in his career. But at 29, he needs to be near perfect against elite talents like Nadal and Djokovic, who are in their prime. Hitting the ball off the court and into the stands just won’t cut it when the end is near.
From www.cbssports.com
Eagles Fall to Dolphins in Women’s Tennis Dual
Apr 2nd
Friday, April 01, 2011 Print Email RSS Share
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Returning to Atlantic Sun Conference action in Jacksonville, Fla., the FGCU women’s tennis team fell to Jacksonville, 5-2, on Friday. Freshman Bettina Botha (Cape Town, South Africa/De Kuilen HS) and sophomore Bibiana Almeida (Porto, Portugal/Schiller International School) each recorded singles wins in the dual contest.
The loss dropped the Eagles’ record to 9-8 (4-5 A-Sun) while the Dolphins improved their mark to 14-4 (5-3 A-Sun).
In the afternoon doubles action, Jacksonville recorded the opening point by taking two of the three matches. Preventing the sweep of the paired competitions, Almeida and junior Jen Evans (Fort Myers, Fla./Evangelical Christian HS) battled in the No. 3 contest to grab a 9-7 victory over Virginia Iwinski and Veronique Spence.
FGCU scored its two points in the day’s singles play with victories in the No. 4 and No. 6 positions. Botha turned away Natalie Melibeu, 6-3, 7-6, at No. 4, and Almeida continued her success from doubles play with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Spence in the No. 6 singles spot.
The Eagles will return to the courts on Saturday for the final dual contest of the 2011 spring season. UNF will play host to the Blue and Green beginning at 10 a.m. The Ospreys (11-4, 6-2 A-Sun) had their five-match winning streak snapped with a 4-3 loss to Stetson on Friday.
Results and recaps from the spring finale with UNF will be available at www.FGCUAthletics.com following the match.
Doubles Results
1. Eve Castaing/Gabriela Bartos (JU) def. Iris Rendon/Bettina Botha (FGCU), 8-6
2. Flavia Nagayama/Natalia Melibeu (JU) def. Morgan Bechtel/Gyanna Mandic (FGCU), 8-6
3. Bibiana Almeida/Jen Evans (FGCU) def. Virginia Iwinski/Veronique Spencer (JU), 9-7
Singles Results
1. Eve Castaing (JU) def. Morgan Bechtel (FGCU), 6-2, 6-2
2. Gabriela Bartos (JU) def. Iris Rendon (FGCU), 6-2, 6-2
3. Flavia Nagayama (JU) def. Jen Evans (FGCU), 6-2, 6-0
4. Bettina Botha (FGCU) def. Natalia Melibeu (JU), 6-3, 7-6
5. Virginia Iwinski (JU) def. Gyanna Mandic (FGCU), 6-4, 6-3
6. Bibiana Almeida (FGCU) def. Veronique Spencer (JU), 7-5, 6-4
From www.fgcuathletics.com
Big tennis tourney begins today
Apr 1st
Big tennis tourney begins today Published 6:55pm Friday, April 1, 2011
The Bainbridge Leisure Services Department is sponsoring the four-day Georgia-Florida State Junior Open Tennis Championships, which get underway today at two local sites.
Matches in the tournament, which is a United States Tennis Association (USTA) sanctioned event, will be played today, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday at Bill Reynolds Tennis Center and the Carole Simpson Floyd Tennis Complex.
Tournament seeds are determined by using a modified all factors method with consideration given to national and sectional standings.
Leisure Services tennis professional Tim Thompson reports that 175 Georgia and Florida junior players ranging in age from 10 years old and under to 18 years old will be taking part in the tournament. There will be both singles and doubles play.
“Tennis tournaments like the one we are having this weekend and the first of next week inject a lot of tourism dollars into the community,” Thompson said.
“We always want to put our best foot forward, so if anyone sees people from out of town who are looking for directions, a place to eat, or other places in town, give them a smile and a helping hand,” Thompson said.
Thompson said local folks are always welcome to come and watch the matches. At the end of the tournament, they will be giving a male sportsmanship award and a female sportsmanship award.
While matches are being played at the Reynolds and Floyd courts, players will be practicing at the new Bainbridge High School courts, the Potter Street courts and the Cass Kirbo Tennis Center Courts at the Bainbridge-Decatur County YMCA.
Today’s tentative opening-round action will include first-round doubles followed by two rounds of main draw singles and first-round consolation competition.
The tentative Sunday schedule calls for one round of doubles, two rounds of consolation singles, one round of main draw singles and a qualifying doubles round.
Monday will feature the semifinal doubles round along with two rounds of consolation singles and two rounds of draw singles.
Action on the final day of tournament competition Tuesday tentatively calls for consolation play through the semi finals.
The consolation round will be played through the semi finals unless draw sizes are smaller than expected.
From www.thepostsearchlight.com
Chandler Prep tennis player Elena Shaw mature ‘beyond her years’
Apr 1st
College is roughly five months away, but Chandler Prep senior tennis player Elena Shaw is all set to tackle that new chapter of her life.
“I know theoretically how to live on my own, pay the bills, do my own grocery shopping,” the 18-year-old singles player said.
Shaw is equipped with these life skills because she’s been practicing them for the past two years while attending Chandler Prep. With her mother living in China and her father in Washington state, Shaw has been studying and competing in Chandler.
“It’s definitely made me a lot more independent,” she said. “I feel a lot better about myself and more confident. It’s a lot easier for me to go off into the adult world and go to college.”
Shaw was born in Indiana but moved to China when she was 2 years old. Early on, her parents decided that they wanted Shaw to get part of her education in China and part of it in the United States. The plan was to stay in China to get a solid foundation in math and then move to America for middle school and high school to focus on analytical thinking, Shaw said.
When she was 12 years old, Shaw moved to the U.S. and relocated all over the West. She spent a year and a half in California, lived in Arizona for the next two years, jumped up to Washington for the next year and finally came back to Arizona for her last two years of high school.
While Shaw has been in Chandler for the past two years, her dad has remained in Washington where he’s a professor at Evergreen State College. Her mom is still in China with Shaw’s 12-year-old sister. There her mom owns a company that helps foreign businesses transition into the Chinese market. Shaw’s parents are still married, but living apart is a lifestyle that isn’t unusual for the family.
“I don’t really remember a time when both my parents were always together in the same house just because when we were in China, my dad was always traveling around China as an exchange professor,” Shaw explained.
Shaw had been living with a host family in Chandler, but the family recently moved to Kansas. Since then, Shaw has taken up residence with her grandmother in Sun Lakes. The maturity she’s gained from not living with her parents has helped her as an athlete.
“She acts beyond her years,” coach Patrick McGlone said. “She plays beyond her years.”
So far this season, Shaw is undefeated in singles play. She went undefeated last year as well except for one match against a male player.
“What I see a lot in tennis is not so much the technique and the stroke, it’s the mental match toughness and she has a lot of that,” McGlone said. “When she falls a little bit behind, she just hunkers down and figures out what she needs to do. So she’s got the ability to self-correct her issues in the match.”
Shaw, who carries a 4.0 GPA, applied to 16 colleges including Stanford and Dartmouth. She plans to pursue a career in neuroscience, but hasn’t picked a school yet.
“She’ll have it all figured out as far as the things that they go through in terms of rooms and dorms and off-campus housing,” McGlone said. “She’s been going through all those motions in high school not to mention the curriculum at Chandler Prep, which is extremely advanced.”
In addition to tennis and a heavy school load, Shaw is involved in drama activities, the philosophy club and the school’s music program. Bearing that type of load comes naturally, Shaw said, and McGlone credits that to her parents.
“Even though they’re not here,” McGlone said, “they’ve done a lot to mold her.”
From www.azcentral.com
Polson tennis starts off strong
Apr 1st
(From the Daily Interlake)
POLSON – Polson tennis coach Bob Hislop couldn’t have asked for a better way to open the high school tennis season.
The Pirates did not lose a set in blanking county rival Ronan 7-0 in both boys and girls action on Thursday.
“It’s really nice start to the season,” Hislop said. “It was just good to get the match in.”
Hislop was especially pleased with the performances of his girls and double teams.
Polson is back in action Saturday, hosting Libby at 10 a.m. and Hamilton at 4 p.m.
BOYS
Polson 7, Ronan 0
Brady Hislop, P, defeats Chase Allen, 6-1, 6-0
Ian Laimbeer, P, defeats Joe Dresen 6-0, 6-2
Andrew Storro, P, defeats Allen Fortin, 6-0, 6-1,
Jared Gallatin, P, defeats Tyson Allen, 6-1, 6-0
Doubles - Will Davy/Justin Evertz, P, defeats Hunter Schima/Payton Adams 6-2, 6-1
Hayden Congdon/Dylan McCrumb, P, defeats Aaron Yazzie/Tyler Anderson 6-0, 6-1
Sam Peel/Reed Hovenkotter, P, defeats Daniel Aylesworth/Logan Sonkkala 6-0, 6-1
GIRLS
Polson 7, Ronan 0
Kendyall Rochin, P, defeats Josie Benedetti 6-1, 6-4
Whitney Zimmerman, P, defeats Taylor Kourville 6-1, 6-1
Karly Rochin, P, defeats Jonelle Lauer 6-3, 6-1
Dominique McGowan, P, defeats Tashina Barnaby 6-2, 6-4
Doubles - Mackenzie Clay/Jordan Quin, P, defeats Darian Blixt/Catelyn Matkovich 6-1, 6-1
Audra Engebretson/Carmen Borchers, P, defeatsSeri Smith/Brianna Frank 6-2, 6-0
Tegan Bauer/Mollybeth Hendriz, P, defeats Elsie Bold/Rachel Cordis 6-3, 6-0
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