This interactive 10 and Under workshop, taught by a national trainer, highlights skill development, progressions and child centered activities.
Come out to Willow Oaks Country Club on May 15 from 1-4:30pm.
The cost is $15 and registration is online at www.coachyouthtennis.com
Children ages 6-13 are invited to come out to the Bon Air tennis courts on April 25 from 9 to 10:30 am for fun instruction, games, prizes, snacks, and goodie bags!
Registration is free, but required- get all the information below.
In recent years, Mercedes-Benz has played a limited sponsorship role in several Richmond tennis events.
Beginning with the 2016 city championships, the German-based automobile company will be a much more visible player.
The Mercedes-Benz Greater Richmond Tennis Championships will kick off with the family divisions on May 7 at Byrd Park and continue with the junior divisions for boys and girls 8-under to 18-under May 27-30 at the same Boulevard courts.
The marquee event on the calendar will be the open divisions Aug. 11-15, which will be held at Raintree Swim and Racquet Club for the second straight year. There will be prize money again, although the exact amount is yet to be determined.
A year ago, the winners of the men’s and women’s singles titles received $500. It marked the first time the city tournament had offered prize money in the 90-year history of the event.
The final segment of the annual affair – mixed doubles — will be held in late August at Hermitage Country Club.
Mercedes-Benz takes over title sponsorship of the tournament after Davenport and Company, which was a gracious host and financial backer for nearly two decades, bowed out after the 2015 event.
“As the title sponsor of the 2016 Mercedes-Benz Greater Richmond Tennis Championships, everyone at Mercedes-Benz of Richmond and Mercedes-Benz of Midlothian is excited to be a part of what the tournament means to the tennis community, and the competitive play that comes with each of the four [divisions],” said Thomas Mills, marketing coordinator for the local Mercedes-Benz brand.
“Mercedes-Benz has been a sponsor of tennis events at the national level, and we’re bringing some of that energy and excitement to greater Richmond,” Mills added. “This is a great tennis town, and through the partnership with the RTA, we have some fun things planned this year that includes on-and-off-court involvement.”
Bill Carli, president of the Richmond Tennis Association, welcomed the addition of Mercedes-Benz as a co-sponsor along with the RTA.
“We’re excited to have them on board, and we hope it will be a long-lasting relationship,” Carli said. “Hopefully, they will find value in partnering with the RTA as a sponsor.”
The deal is for one year, Carli said, but both sides believe there are possibilities for the future.
“The greater Richmond area has a vibrant tennis community, and Mercedes-Benz is proud to partner with the RTA on some of this year’s upcoming events,” said Mills.
The city tournament had fallen on hard times in recent years, with small fields being the norm, but it was revitalized in 2015 when the open division was moved to mid-August and was played at Raintree Swim and Racquet Club for the first time.
Those two factors, combined with the addition of a modest amount of prize money, attracted larger draws in both the men’s and women’s divisions. The open tournament had been held at Byrd Park and the Country Club of Virginia in past years.
Online registering is open at the RTA web site (www.richmondtennis.org) for the family and junior divisions. The open and mixed divisions will be open soon.
Janet Fleischman won the women’s singles title last year while Hunter Koontz captured the men’s crown.
The McDonald’s Richmond Junior Tennis Circuit (RJTC) is designed to make competitive play more accessible for our juniors. These tournaments are for non-ranked juniors playing bantam or intermediate tennis or looking to start playing L7 or L8 tournaments. These one-day tournaments will be held on Saturdays at clubs throughout the Richmond area. More information can be found here.
Mercedes-Benz of Midlothian and Mercedes-Benz of Richmond is a new MAC Wheelchair Tennis Open sponsor. We could not be happier!
Thomas Mills, Marketing Coordinator for Mercedes-Benz, JP LaFors, COO of Free Agents Marketing, and Meghan Meleski of Free Agents Marketing had a preliminary walk through of the Midlothian Athletic Club, the site of MAC Wheelchair Tennis Open.
The MAC Wheelchair Tennis Open was launched in 2010 as one of four tournaments in the Virginia Tennis Association Wheelchair Tennis Grand Prix circuit. The circuit was the first such circuit in the nation. The tournament was recognized for its innovative approach, receiving the USTA MidAtlantic Section’s Tournament of the Year Award and the USTA Virginia District Tournament of the Year Award in its inaugural year.
The VCU-Gerry Bertier #42 Foundation has been a gold sponsor of the tournament for many years. The tournament site will definitely have a new look with the added gold level sponsorship of Mercedes-Benz of Midlothian and Mercedes-Benz of Richmond. Players, volunteers and spectators are looking forward to an exciting onsite presence.
Six Richmond-area high school players have been chosen as finalists for the first Richmond Tennis Association Tennis Community Scholarship, worth $1,000 each to one girl and one boy who is graduating from a public school in June.
The scholarship was the brainchild of Eric Perkins, who started the local business firm of Perkins Law, and his group is contributing $1,500 toward the two scholarships. The remaining $500 will come from the RTA.
“The scholarship is intended to promote greater awareness and appreciation of the high school tennis community, which features hundreds of RVA’s finest young men and women each year,” said Perkins, a former president of the RTA.
“The video component of the scholarship application was intended both to leverage the power of social media to promote tennis and also to tap into the passion and creativity of the area’s top high school players.”
Each of the six finalists submitted a two-minute video expressing what tennis means to them, why tennis is a great sport or why Richmond is such a great tennis town. Links to those videos are included in this article.
Matthew Cousins Paul Mendoza Grant Sarver
Morgan Fuqua Rachel Summers Katherine Weber
In addition to their video clips, the finalists will be judged on their accomplishments in tennis, academics and community service.
Rachel Summers played No. 1 singles and doubles for James River last year but chose to forego her senior season. She is headed to Mary Washington in the fall. She was a member of the Junior Team Tennis squad out of the Westwood Club that finished second in the nation in the 18-under division last year.
Morgan Fuqua plays No. 3 singles for Mills Godwin and plans to attend college at Shenandoah University. Fuqua has played a major role in helping the Eagles capture three consecutive state championships.
Katherine Weber is Glen Allen’s No. 4 singles player and also helps out the Jaguars at No. 2 doubles.
On the boys’ side, Paul Mendoza has led Cosby for the past four years at No. 1 singles and doubles, and has the Titans positioned for another strong run at the 6A regional title.
Matthew Cousins is Midlothian’s top player in singles and doubles, while Grant Sarver plays the No. 1 positions for Mills Godwin. Sarver is planning to continue his career at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland.
The RTA has appointed a scholarship committee of three people, and the winners will be announced on or around May 1.
“It is my hope that the tennis community embraces this new program and that other sponsors will step up to allow the RTA to increase the scholarship amounts each year,” said Perkins.
The scholarship awards are a noble idea and perhaps long overdue for such a tennis-oriented city as Richmond.
Here are the points from the latest McDonald’s RJTC event. Each week the updated point totals from the tournament series will be posted online. Good luck to all the players and have fun!
More information about this series of tournaments can be found here.
McDonalds RJTC Standings 5-11-2016
*If you see any corrections or have questions please contact Joe Cappellino at jcappellino@heritagegolfgroup.
The USTA Mid-Atlantic Section is looking for enthusiastic part-time employees who have a passion for tennis and love working with children to run TGA (Teach, Grow, Achieve) after-school enrichment and summer camp programs.
Join the fun of Junior Team Tennis by playing in the Summer Single Gender League! This 4 week league goes from Sunday, July 24 to Sunday, August 21.
There are divisions for 12U, 14U, and 18U both beginner and intermediate players- so grab 3 other friends and sign up today!
Virginia Tennis Association has multiple tennis leagues this summer and fall. Don’t miss out on the fun!
Summer Commonwealth League:
2 Lines of Singles, 1 Line of Doubles Registration Opens June 1
Team Registration deadline June 20 League begins 6/27 and runs through Mid- August
Summer World TeamTennis
Coed format, minimum 2 men and 2 women at each match Registration opens June 1
Team Registration deadline July 7
League begins July 15 and runs through early September
Fall Commonwealth Doubles League
3 Lines of Doubles
Registration open August 1, Team Deadline August 26 League begins September 10 and ends in early November
Cost is $26 per player per league.
For questions or more information, email catherine@virginiatennis.com
call/ text 8046145526
www.virginiatennis.com
The Richmond Tennis Association and Perkins Law, PLLC are pleased to announce that James River High School’s Rachel Summers and Cosby High School’s Paul Mendoza are winners of the 2016 RTA Tennis Community Scholarship.
Summers, a National Honor Society and National Beta Club member, has played #1 singles and doubles for James River since 2013 and has been a first team All-Metro selection the past two years. She competes in USTA-sanctioned tournaments and has a top-25 ranking in USTA/Mid-Atlantic in the girls 18s division (both singles and doubles). Rachel’s extensive community service activities include tutoring students through the Mu Alpha Theta Mathematics Honor Society, volunteering for the local Christmas Mother organization, and helping prepare meals for the homeless during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season through St. Edward’s Catholic Church. Rachel has committed to play college tennis this fall at Mary Washington University.
Mendoza, also a National Honor Society and National Beta Club Member, has played #1 singles for the past three years (including two years as team captain) and doubles for the past four years for Cosby High School. Paul is also a first-team selection on the All-Metro team in addition to being a three-time Scholar Athlete Award winner. A long-time junior tournament competitor (currently ranked #4 in Virginia), Paul has won over 200 matches in USTA-sanctioned events across the United States and has been selected to participate in USTA national training camps. Paul’s commitment to community service is illustrated by his volunteer work with Habitat for Humanity and FeedMore along with his work as a volunteer tennis instructor at Clover Hill Elementary School. Paul has been recruited to play college tennis at the James Madison University.
“These two outstanding individuals are great ambassadors for tennis in every sense,” noted Eric Perkins, local small business and nonprofit attorney who sponsored this year’s scholarship program, “their talent and accomplishments on the tennis court are matched only by their impressive academic accomplishments and volunteer work throughout their schools and the community. Both have bright futures ahead of them, and I hope that tennis will continue to play a meaningful part in their lives for years to come.”
“Tennis is a uniquely valuable sport in our society because it is an activity you can enjoy your entire life. Tennis offers a complete package of benefits that no other activity can match–physical fitness, sportsmanship, integrity, perseverance, social networking…the list goes on and on. Let’s also remember that RVA has been recognized as one of the best tennis towns in America,” noted Perkins.
Both Summers and Mendoza will receive a one-time $1,000 scholarship toward tuition, fees, and expenses. All scholarship applicants were required to submit not only a written application describing their activities and accomplishments in tennis, academics, and community service, but also submit a 2-minute video expressing what tennis has meant to them or why RVA is a great tennis town. Those video clips can be viewed on YouTube or by following the links below.
Bon Air Community Association is pleased to announce and congratulate Michal Ciszek on his promotion to Director of Tennis. Michal will be promoting some new tennis clinics to include cardio clinics and 4.5+ 
clinics. He also has some new adult events to include exhibition matches and Davis Cup tournaments. Our junior high performance after school program is continuing too. Please contact him if he can be of assistance in moving your tennis game to the next level.
Like the proverbial Old Man River, Julie Ogborne just keeps rolling merrily along.
The former city champion picked up her 15th gold ball, which is awarded to every age group winner in singles and doubles by the United States Tennis Association, last month at the women’s 45-over National Indoor championships in Homewood, Ill.
Ogborne, 48, teamed with Jean Marie Alpert of Texas to outlast a duo from Northern California 7-5, 7-5 in the final.
While it was Ogborne’s 15th time in the winner’s circle, the victory — and gold ball — was the first for Alpert.
“Jean Marie had just returned to competitive tennis after 20 years and her goal was to win a gold ball,” said Ogborne.
“I didn’t know any of this until after we won the tournament. We sat down after we shook hands and she told me this. She said, ‘This was on my bucket list. I just wanted to win one national title.’ That was pretty cool.”
Ogborne, a former standout for William and Mary, was randomly paired with Alpert by her friends at the indoor facility outside Chicago.
“The people there know that if I’m looking for a partner, so they’re on the lookout for me to find somebody good. They knew that Jean Marie was good because she had played there in the spring and did well,” Ogborne said.
Ogborne and Alpert clicked together from the beginning. Ogborne plays the ad side in doubles – “I’ve done it my entire life” – and, as it turned out, Alpert prefers to handle the deuce court. It was a perfect match as the results showed.
“It worked out really well,” said Ogborne. “It was fun.”
The duo had to rally from 1-4 down in both sets before receiving their golden trophies.
“It was kind of unbelievable that we came back and won 5 and 5,” Ogborne said. “I definitely thought we were going three sets.”
Ogborne usually plays with another Texan, Shelly Works, in the tournament, and in fact, teamed with her in the 35-over division, where they finished as the runners-up, dropping a three-setter to a pair from the Midwest.
The silver ball, which goes to the finalists, was the 22nd for Ogborne.
Ogborne grew up in the Chicago area, so playing in this tournament is a “no-brainer. My parents live about 13 miles from this tournament, so I go and stay with them and go visit my family, which lives all over the area.”
Ogborne plans to keep adding to her “gold chest” in the tournament, which also includes the 55-over division. So she can keep on rolling along and collecting titles even when she ages out of the 45-over group.
“I really enjoy playing in this tournament,” she said.
Ogborne and six-time city champion Rachel Gale will be heading to the National 35-over Grass Courts in Philadelphia in July. Ogborne and her husband, Kevin, also have begun to play in the National Husband-Wife tournament in September at Amelia Island, Fla.
The duo of Gale and Ogborne, along with Kirsten Elim and Leslie Butterworth, finished third in the country in the National Intersectionals last November in Boca Raton, Fla.
It appears more accolades – and gold balls – may be in the future for Ogborne as she just keeps rolling through the USTA divisions.
The Deep Run girls’ team finally emerged from the giant shadow of long-time rival Mills Godwin to win the 5A state championship.
Midlothian’s girls’ team captured its third straight 4A title, cruising past district rival Hanover in the final.
Rising senior Nina Sorkin of Deep Run continued her unbeaten streak against prep competition, claiming her third consecutive singles and doubles crowns.
Those were the highlights, as the Richmond area reaped the benefits of the Virginia High School League divisional lineup for the third year in a row.
With six classifications awarding team and individual championships, Richmond won more than its share of tennis titles – team and individual – during the early part of June at various locations around the commonwealth.
After knocking off Godwin in the regional semifinals, the Wildcats coasted through the rest of the tournament, sweeping Thomas Jefferson (Alexandria) 5-0 in the title match at Huntington Park in Newport News.
It was the first state championship for the girls’ team, which went 20-0 this season, beating Godwin four times.
Led by seniors Sarah Holland, Courtney Price and Brooke Gore, Midlothian rolled past Hanover 5-0 in the final at Liberty University in Lynchburg. The seniors passed up graduation ceremonies in Richmond to make it a three-peat for the Trojans.
Another local team, Maggie Walker Governors’ School, won the 2A state title with a 6-0 rout of Wilson Memorial at Radford University in Radford. Karl Katlaps led the charge for the Green Dragons at No. 1 singles.
Three other schools lost in the finals. The Deep Run boys were edged by Thomas Jefferson (Alexandria) 5-3 in the 5A showdown in Newport News, while Cosby’s boys dropped a thriller to Chantilly 5-3 in the 6A final in Fairfax.
Midlothian’s boys also came up short in the 4A title match against John Handley, losing 5-0 at Liberty.
In addition to claiming the singles crown with a straight-set drubbing of Ashley Fitz-Patrick of George Marshall (Fairfax), Sorkin returned to the court with Audrey Butterworth to collect the 5A doubles title over a pair from Patrick Henry (Roanoke).
Sorkin, who went 37-0 in singles and doubles this season, hasn’t lost a set in three years to her high-school opponents.
Three other individuals from the area earned singles and doubles titles.
Cosby’s Paul Mendoza edged Ryan Kros of W.T. Woodson 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 in the 6A singles final at George Mason University in Fairfax. Mendoza teamed with Andrew Carey for a straight-set verdict over a Woodson tandem.
In the boys’ 2A division, Chase Bernstine of Goochland had no trouble winning his second straight singles crown, dropping only two games in the final. He and his younger brother, Ryan, came back to capture the doubles championship at Radford.
Anna Soffin made it a sweep in the girls’ 2A classification. After cruising to a straight-set victory in singles over teammate Narmeen Rashid, Soffin and Rashid unified to pick up the doubles title at Radford.
Deep Run senior Rahul Jilakara was runner-up in the boys’ 5A singles division, bowing to Robert Levin of Princess Anne (Virginia Beach) 6-1, 6-2.
In the private school division, St Christopher’s powered its way to a thrilling 5-3 decision over St. Stephen’s-St. Agnes in the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Division I final at Collegiate’s athletic complex.
Senior Matthew Fernandez, who is heading for the University of Richmond, led the way for the Saints, capping a 19-0 season in singles. It was the second straight VIS title for St. Christopher’s.
The RTA is excited to help bring Coach Nick Bollettieri to Richmond in July as part of the McDonald’s Clay Court tournament at Salisbury.
Nick Bollettieri will be the key note speaker at Westwood for a luncheon on Friday, July 15th from 12:00-2:30. This opportunity to have some up close interaction with Nick is limited. The cost will be $75 and includes lunch, a book, and a book signing and photo opportunity.
Nick is a legend in the tennis world, coaching ten Number 1 players including Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Monica Seles and Maria Sharapova! He is an incredible motivational speaker and author. Don’t Miss this Unique Opportunity for the Richmond Tennis Community to hear from and meet a living legend in the tennis world!
| Two of the greatest in the tennis industry are returning to Willow Oaks and now YOU have an opportunity to train with them. This year we have added an adults only clinic to allow our members a chance to work with the sports fitness legend Pat Etcheberry and UVA Head Coach and three time NCAA champion Brian Boland.
Pat Etcheberry is a leader in the field of sports fitness, particularly with tennis players. His clients have combined for over 90 Grand Slam titles. He has also personally coached 15 Olympic medalists. Some of his previous clients include Andre Agassi, Martina Hingis, Justine Henin, Pete Sampras, Jennifer Capriati, plus many more. Coach Boland, who was recently named ITA Coach of the Year for the 2016 season, is one of the best in college tennis. As Head Coach for the UVA Men’s team they won NCAA team titles in 2013, 2015 and 2016! His teams have also set the record for the longest ACC win streak in conference history with 140 wins. Richmond players will get to train with these two outstanding coaches. This is a rare opportunity that normally would cost over $400 per player. We’re offering it for just $55 plus tennislink fees. Sign up now as this event will be limited to 32 participants. This clinic will be open to men and women with NTRP ratings of 3.0 to 5.0. |
| Price: Adults = $55 + tennislink fee.Date and Time: Friday, July 22nd at Willow Oaks Adult session, 10:15am – 12:00pm Click this link to register: ***SIGN UP FOR THE “MW(Op)D” option. The other options are for the juniors and elite college players event and cost $85.*** Space is limited to 32 players! |
The nets on Courts 7, 8, 9 and 10 were hiked over the top in the center, and a large trailer and a court washing machine were parked by Court 8 the night before the July Battery Park Junior Open. One hour before the first ball was struck to open the tournament on Friday morning, three workers were putting the finishing touches to repairs on the last four courts.
Good fortune smiled on the July Battery Park Junior Open in more than one way. In addition to just-in- time court repairs and cleaning the weather cooperated. There was a brief rain delay on Saturday afternoon, but matches resumed after 30 minutes without a hiccough.
Many matches were hotly contested. Good sportsmanship, however, ruled the day as competitors remained courteous and gracious.
Here are the champions and finalists.
Julie Ogborne and Rachel Gale competed in both the 35s and 45s doubles divisions at the National Grass Court Championships in Philadelphia July 17-23. The duo finished 2nd in both events!
In the 45s draw, Ogborne and Gale were seeded 3rd and defeated the No. 2 seeds Mary Dailey/Trish Riddell 6-4, 7-6 in the semi-finals. The pair lost in the final to the top seeds Julie Cass and Beverly Bowes-Hackney.
left to right: 35s champions Millie Yablonicky/Yulia Bolotova and finalists Rachel Gale/Julie Ogborne
Nine Richmond area Junior Team Tennis teams are competing in the Sectional Tournament July 30-31 in Virginia Beach. These teams have played throughout the spring in the Richmond area league and in the Virginia Regional Championships earlier this summer to earn a spot at the Sectional Tournament. Good luck to all the teams!
The following teams are representing Richmond:
Burkwood 10u Intermediate- captained by Jenny Cole
Hermitage 10u Intermediate- captained by Jill Ascari
Burkwood 12u Intermediate- captained by Faisal Saeed
ACAC 14u Intermediate- captained by Kathy Guerette
Raintree 14u Intermediate- captained by Suzanne Monroe
Hanover Hawks 18u Intermediate- captained by Jenny Cole
Westwood Aces 18u Intermediate- captained by Chuck Wandling
Tuckahoe Rebels 18u Intermediate- captained by Mike Fuqua
Tuckahoe Raptors 18u Advanced- captained by Mike Fuqua
Hermitage 10u Team
Tuckahoe Rebels- Matthew Cook, Jeremy Curtis, Jacob Webb, Tyson Scherer, Andrew Angel, Phillip Andrews, Jessica Wen, Emily Bowerman, Sophia Deep, and Ashleigh Hannah
ACAC 14 Intermediate- Tiberius Collina, Graham Guerette, Reid Maher, Zain Quader, William Rose, Abby Joyce, Marielle Medellin, Ivory Tang, Caroline Zierenberg (not pictured: Graham Guerette and Reid Maher)
Westwood Aces- Abby Jenkins, Emily Wandling, Alexandra Smyth, Gracie Caplice, Wil Venitz, Alston Hackney, Thomas Jackson, Dorsey Ducharme, William Westerfield
Tuckahoe Raptors- Morgan Fuqua, Mikayla Cunney, Catherine Gulihur, Joseph brown, David Sun, and Nathan Zhao
This year the city tournament has a new sponsor and a new name- the Mercedes-Benz Greater Richmond Championships- and with that we are rolling out some other new features too! This tournament is on track to be the best one yet! Here are the details:
