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Bringing on the ‘Boom’

In May’s “Your Serve” column, Chuck Gill wondered whether a tennis boom — akin to what we experienced in the 1970s — could be re-created. Here in USTA Eastern, we say emphatically “Yes!”

In fact, every staff member’s office has a poster (above) that defines our three key strategic objectives and envisions what the “boom” would look like. We have mobilized our staff and volunteer resources to focus on the key objectives and to evaluate decisions based on whether the outcome would contribute to the “boom” or not.

I am fully confident that we can and will see a new Tennis Boom in Eastern — as long as we continue to work toward common objectives and set aside personal agendas in favor of the greater good.

Jill Fonte
Executive Director and COO
USTA Eastern

Net Tension Recommendation

With the announcement by USTA that the 2015 “Friend at Court” will include an amendment that recommends net tension be set at 400-450 pounds across a facility’s courts using a net tension device, the last remaining variable of the tennis court has been standardized. ITF has already made a similar recommendation.

2014 will be the third year all the courts at the US Open, Western + Southern Open, and Rogers Cup, the fourth year for the BB&T Atlanta Open (the first US Open Series venue to use it), and second time that the NCAA Championships have had the net tension variable solved by use of the TNT Gauge (tightcable.net). This compact, durable, certified accurate, inexpensive, and patented Tennis Net Tension Gauge add-on to the dead-side net post of each court is the only net tension device in production.

Whether at pro tournament sites, elite clubs, colleges, schools, or public facilities, the USTA tension recommendation will guarantee consistent play across courts and events, and help prevent net post and court damage from inadvertently over-tightened net cords.

David Glass
President – Cable Tension, LLC

Honoring Jonathan Albrecht

It is with much sadness that I write to honor one of my colleagues at Babolat. Jonathan Seth Albrecht passed away on March 15 from a heart attack. He was only 48 years old.

Jonathan was a tennis territory manager at Babolat for 4-1/2 years, covering North Texas and Southern California, and he was always trying to support and grow the game of tennis any way he could. His infectious personality and positive attitude will be missed throughout the Babolat family, and by all his accounts.

Jonathan would tell all his accounts in email or in person that, “You are greatness!” I was lucky enough to be a teammate of his, and I would like to say, “Jonathan, YOU are greatness, and we love and miss you.” Our hearts go out to his wife, Sandy, and all his family.

David Dwelle
RSM Team South

From the June 2014 issue
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