Tennis Industry magazine

 

Industry News

Information to help you run your business.

700 Facilities Take Part In ‘Tennis Night’

The USTA says more than 700 tennis facilities, recreation departments and community centers across the U.S. took part in the first-ever national youth registration initiative for spring and summer tennis programs — held as part of “Tennis Night in America” on March 2 — attracting tens of thousands of kids and parents.

Tennis Night in America also included the ”BNP Paribas Showdown for the Billie Jean King Cup” at New York’s Madison Square Garden. The Showdown featured Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic competing in a single-elimination tournament for the inaugural BJK Cup before a live national TV audience on HBO. The tournament was captured by Serena Williams in a straight-set victory over her sister Venus.

National Youth Registration Night events were created to give young players and their families around the country a day all their own to sign up for spring and summer programming including team tennis play. Facilities and clubs across the country, in cooperation with HBO, also offered live viewing parties for the Showdown.

“We were excited about the possibilities of what Tennis Night in America could be, but last night truly exceeded our expectations,” said Kurt Kamperman, the USTA’s chief executive of Community Tennis, after the event.

Babolat Unveils New Y Line of Racquets

Babolat’s latest racquet innovation is “Y” technology, most visible in its five new oversize racquets by the longer arms that extend up the side of each racquet. The new Y line debuted in March at the BNP Paribas Open tournament in Indian Wells, Calif.

Designed for club players, Babolat says Y racquets combine power with precision, mainly due to four featured technologies:

The frames in the Y line are the Y112 Limited (suggested retail $249), Y112 ($229), and Y112 with Smart Grip ($229), each at 112 square inches; and the Y118 ($239) and Y118 with Smart Grip ($239), at 118 square inches. Babolat Y tennis bags and slings, designed to fit Y racquets in shape and color, are also available, as is the Smart Grip Kit.

Babolat Y racquets

View the line of Y products at babolat.com, or call 877-316-9435.

PTR to Host Inaugural Tennis Club & Facilities Conference on Hilton Head

The PTR will host its inaugural Tennis Club & Facilities Conference May 13-15 at PTR Headquarters on Hilton Head Island, S.C. The event has been designed specifically for tennis club owners, club managers, and directors of tennis.

Presentations and breakout sessions will include topics such as Customer Service, Programming to Fill Courts, Innovative Ideas for New Clinics, Marketing Your Club & Programs, Forming a Club Owners Association, Controlling Energy Costs & Expenses, Managing Your Staff, Renovating Your Club, Creating/Improving Your Website and more.

The program starts at 1p.m. Wednesday, May 13, and runs through 5 p.m. Friday. Cost is $295 before April 1, $325 after April 1, and the price includes all workshops, meals and social activities through Friday afternoon. For more information or to register, contact PTR at 800-421-6289 or visit ptrtennis.org.

Sports Marketing Veteran Harlan Stone Joins USTA

The USTA has hired sports marketing veteran Harlan Stone as its new chief marketing officer for Professional Tennis. Stone will be responsible for all advertising, marketing, promotional programs and campaigns for the US Open, the Olympus US Open Series, the USTA Pro Circuit and all USA Team events including Davis and Fed Cups.

Stone also will be responsible for entertainment programming at the US Open and other select USTA pro tennis events. He will report to USTA Executive Director Gordon Smith.

In the early 1980s Stone launched his own agency that promoted a number of “Legends” tennis events in the Northeast. He headed the N.Y. Times Magazine Group’s Golf Digest/Tennis Sports, then was a partner at Advantage International (later renamed Octagon where he served as president). He worked as a marketing consultant for many leading sponsors and properties and most recently has been president of Major League Gaming Properties.

Tennis Channel is Home for U.S. Davis, Fed Cup

Tennis Channel has signed a multi-year deal to be the exclusive U.S. television home of all U.S. Davis Cup ties. The agreement struck with the ITF and USTA puts all three ITF annual international team competitions — Davis Cup by BNP Paribas, Fed Cup by BNP Paribas and Hyundai Hopman Cup — on Tennis Channel in the U.S.

In addition to exclusive U.S. telecast rights, a broadband component to the agreement will see U.S. Davis Cup matches available on demand and in their entirety on Tennis Channel’s web site, tennischannel.com, posted the day after each competition. Tennis Channel aired the U.S. Davis Cup first-round match in March as the U.S. beat Switzerland in Birmingham, Ala.

PTR Presents Annual Awards

The PTR presented its annual awards in February during the 2009 PTR International Tennis Symposium. The event, which included 60-plus on-court and classroom presentations, a tennis trade show and $25,000 Championships was held at Van der Meer Shipyard Racquet Club on Hilton Head Island, S.C.

In addition, PTR recognized several State Members of the Year for their contributions to the organization in their respective states.

PTR awards

Award winners at the 2009 PTR International Tennis Symposium: (back row, from left) PTR CEO Dan Santorum, Ken DeHart, Leo Alonso, John MacDonald, PTR Founder Dennis Van der Meer, Jorge Capestany, Don Henson, Michael Kypriss; (front row, from left) Debbie Miller, Todd Miller, Vicky Matarazzo, Scott Mitchell.

Capestany Named PTR Master Professional

Jorge Capestany of Hudsonville, Mich., earned Master Professional status in the PTR, the only person to do so this year. He is also now one of only a handful of Master Professionals with both PTR and USPTA. Capestany was honored during the 2009 PTR International Tennis Symposium, held in February on Hilton Head Island, S.C.

Jorge Capestany

In his 27 years in the industry, Capestany has created and directed lesson programs that have generated over $1 million in revenue annually. He has had articles published in several industry journals and has been a frequent speaker at the PTR International Symposium, the USPTA World Conference, USTA Tennis Teachers Conference and many others.

The founder of www.tennisdrills.tv — a video-based website that shows more than 700 tennis drills and tips — Capestany has developed many nationally ranked juniors, including three national champions. In 1998, he wrote the booklet “Tennis Strategy,” followed by his second book in 2008, “Mental Toughness — Workbook for Tennis.” He also is a Master Trainer on the Cardio Tennis Speakers Team and is a member of Wilson’s National Speakers Bureau.

2009 Stringers Symposium Set for October at Disney

The 2009 Grand Slam Stringers Symposium will once again be held at the Regal Sun Resort at Disney World in Orlando, Fla. The event will be Oct. 10 to 14.

Registration is open now, at gssalliance.com, or you can call event organizer Tim Strawn at 540-772-4418. Cost is $495 per person, but if you sign up before May 15, you can receive a 10 percent discount off the registration fee. Group rate at the Regal Sun Resort, an official Disney hotel, is $95 per night.

Grand Slam Stringers Symposium

For 2009, new registration types have been added to provide even more discounts. Also, a fourth day has been added specifically for USRSA certification testing. Also new for 2009, sessions have been made longer to allow more time for presentations and questions, roundtable discussion groups and a speed-stringing contest have been added, and new topics include understanding and stringing polyester, marketing, customer service, using USRSA online tools, and more. Visit the website for more information.

New MRTs

Chris Maragozis, Victoria, BC CANADA

Matt Bennett, Victoria, BC CANADA

Allen Lee, Victoria, BC CANADA

Wesley Fry, Fitzroy, VC AUSTRALIA

Andrew Kotnik, Fitzroy, VC AUSTRALIA

Gregg McIntosh, Gastonia, NC

Aaron Petersen, Winston Salem, NC

Dipesh Rao, Greensboro, NC

New CSs

Min-Wei Lee, Kaohsiung County, TAIWAN

Chi Hang Chris Chu, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Upgrades Available for Wise 2086 Tension Head

For users of the Wise 2086 Tension Head machine, the company now offers a newly designed Diablo for free for anyone who has purchased a 2086 in the last six months. (The Diablo is included with each new machine purchase.) Bought separately, the Diablo is $25 plus shipping; the current price of the Wise 2086 is $495.

Users of drop-weight machines can convert their machine to a full electronic with a new bracket. Remove the old drop-weight mechanism, add the new bracket and the Wise 2086 converts almost any model drop-weight to a digital electronic stringing machine. The bracket costs $20 plus shipping. For more information, contact sales@tennishead.com.

Dunlop Expands Aerogel 4D Line

Dunlop has added four new frames to its premium racquet line. Designed for players ranging from beginners to advanced, the four are the Aerogel 4D 2Hundred, Aerogel 4D 5Hundred, Aerogel 4D 5Hundred Tour and Aerogel 4D 7Hundred. In addition to Aerogel, each features Dunlop’s 4D Braiding for control and feel.

The 4D 2Hundred, which ATP player Tomas Berdych uses, has a 95-square-inch head, 18×20 string pattern, and strung weight of 11.9 ounces. Like the other 4D frames, it features 4D Touchpoints positioned around the frame that Dunlop says makes the racquet 33 percent more stable and 33 percent softer, for added touch and feel.

The 4D 5Hundred Tour, played by Dunlop Tour Team member Nicolas Almagro, is 11.1 ounces strung, with a head size of 100 square inches and a more open 16×18 string pattern.

Dunlop Aerogel

Dunlop launched its initial four Aerogel 4 D racquets in January (4D 3Hundred, 4D 3Hundred Tour, the 4D 5Fifty Lite and the 4D Super-Lite). For more information visit dunlopsport.com or call 800-768-4727.

‘Tennis Life’ To Be Official Florida Section Magazine

Tennis Life Magazine will become the new official section publication for USTA Florida starting in May. USTA Florida members will receive six regionally customized hard-copy editions of Tennis Life in 2009 and nine editions in 2010, along with an additional online version at no extra cost.

The association’s current official section publication, Play Tennis Florida, distributed its final edition to members via an all-digital interactive tennis magazine in February.

The USTA Florida section, with nearly 50,000 members, joins USTA Texas, USTA Southwest and USTA Northern in partnering with Tennis Life to distribute its section publication to USTA members.

Tennis Week Suspends Print Edition

Tennis Week will place the print edition of the magazine “on hiatus through 2009,” according to a statement from IMG, which owns the magazine. TW will, instead, shift its focus to its website, tennisweek.com, and its video distribution platforms. TW has been the official publication of the USTA Eastern Section. IMG Publishing acquired TW in December 2006.

Short Sets

Peoplewatch

USPTA Announces 2009 Tourney Schedule

The USPTA kicks off its 2009 National Surface Championship Series with the USPTA Indoor Championships April 24-26, presented by the USPTA Northern Division. The series offers USPTA members the chance to earn prize money and ranking points.

Prize money for the Indoor Championships, held at Lakeville Lifetime Fitness in Minneapolis, is $5,000. The tournament will feature events in men’s and women’s open and 45s singles and doubles competition.

The tournaments are open to Professional-level USPTA members in good standing. For information, contact 800-USPTA-4U. USPTA Professionals may log in to the “members only” section of uspta.com. Other events in the series are:

College Tennis Roundup

USTA Names Community Tennis Award Winners

At the 2009 USTA Community Tennis Development Workshop, held in February in Hilton Head, S.C., the USTA honored individuals and organizations for their commitment to growing the game and being true tennis ambassadors at the grassroots level. Receiving honors at the event were:

USPTA Pros Raise $4 Million for Charity

USPTA teaching pros once again demonstrated that giving to charity is a priority by raising $4 million in 2008 through the association’s Lessons for Life program.

“Our members continue to show their commitment to giving to charitable causes, especially during the difficult economic climate,” says Paula Scheb, Lessons for Life chairwoman, secretary/treasurer of the USPTA national board of directors and director of tennis and fitness at Bonita Bay Club in Bonita Springs, Fla. “Thanks to all of our members who step up year after year for charity.”

The USPTA and its members have now raised more than $36 million since the program’s inception in 1999. Under the Lessons for Life umbrella, the USPTA encourages its members to use tennis as a vehicle to help others through fundraising activities in their communities. Many of the fundraisers take place at country clubs and commercial clubs. Fundraisers take the form of tournaments, pro-ams, auctions, black-tie dinners and clinics.

Nova Sports Chosen for India Sports Complex

Nova Sports USA and its installer in Delhi, India, has been chosen by the Indian Olympic Association and the Jharkhand Olympic Association to surface the seven new courts of a mega-sports complex near the city of Ranchi, India. The courts will use the Novacrylic sport surface.

The tennis center, part of the 325-acre sports complex, will include a 2,100-seat championship court and will host India Olympic Association tournaments along with all future India National Games. Designers toured the Olympic village in Sydney, Australia, along with national stadiums in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore in an effort to incorporate the finest features of the sports facilities. For more information visit novasports.com.

 

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