Tennis Briefs(6): 2016 Fed Cup Surprise for U.S.; Jrs. Win Int. Wheelchair

Monday Deadline for 2015 Florida US Open Playoffs

You can play on the road to the US Open this month in Tallahassee, where your last stop could be the US Open main draw or qualifying in 2015.

Entries close on June 8 for the 2015 US Open National Playoffs Florida event. Winners of the USTA Florida Section events will advance to the national tournament, where the winners in men’s and women’s singles, mixed doubles, and — new for this year — men’s and women’s doubles, will earn spots in the qualifying (singles winners) or main draw (doubles winners) for the 2015 US Open.

The Florida event will be held on June 18-21, 2015 in Tallahassee on the campus of Florida State University.

The US Open remains the only of the four Grand Slam tournaments, along with the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the French Open, to offer the opportunity for any player to qualify.

“We look forward to another year of great tennis and watching top juniors, collegians, aspiring pros, and weekend warriors compete for the chance to play on tennis’ grandest stage,” said USTA Chairman of the Board, CEO and President Katrina Adams.

Any player age 14 or older can compete. Notable past participants include Olympic skier Bode Miller; musician Redfoo of the group LMFAO; ESPN’s Mike Greenberg, who teamed with six-time US Open champion Chris Evert in mixed doubles; and LuAnn De Lesseps and Jill Zarin of “The Real Housewives of New York City.”

For more info or complete rules go to www.USOpen.org/NationalPlayoffs.

Florida’s Herman on International Champion U.S. Jr. Wheelchair Team

Chris Herman

For the first time in 15 years, the U.S. national junior wheelchair tennis team, consisting of Chris Herman (Gulfport, Fla.), Casey Ratzlaff (Wichita, Kan.), and Conner Stroud (Spindale, N.C.), captured the junior team title at the 2015 BNP Paribas World Team Cup at Ali Bey Resort Manavgat in Antalya, Turkey.

The World Team Cup is the ITF’s flagship wheelchair tennis event, often referred to as the Davis/Fed Cup of wheelchair tennis.  The U.S. juniors last won the coveted title at the inaugural junior event in 2000.

The U.S. junior team faced the Netherlands in the final. In the first match, Ratzlaff defeated Ruben Spaargaren in a tight 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(5) match. Herman then defeated Mitchel Graauw 6-0, 6-4. Herman and Stroud were then set to play Graauw/Spaargaren in the doubles, but the match was not played since the American team already clinched the title.

The U.S. junior team made it to the World Team Cup final after defeating defending champ Russia in the semifinals.

“After months of hard work and constant support from family, coaches, teammates, and friends, we managed to take the junior WTC title home,” said Herman.

The World Team Cup annually features the world’s best wheelchair tennis players. A total of 52 teams representing 28 countries took part in the 2015 adult and junior competitions.

For additional info go to www.itftennis.com/wheelchair/tournaments/world-team-cup/overview.aspx.

U.S. Draws Poland in Fed Cup 2016 1st Round

Relegated to the World Group II in 2016, the United States will have a tricky road to again reach the elite World Group I, matching up against Poland and the Radwanska sisters as the 2016 Fed Cup draw was released on Wednesday.

In April of this year Serena Williams and Alison Riske for the U.S. lost to Flavia Pennetta and Sara Errani in the deciding doubles match as Italy advanced into World Group I play for 2016, and the U.S. was relegated to World Group II.

The U.S. will host Poland on Feb. 6-7, 2016 at a site and on a surface to be determined by the USTA.

World Group I match-ups for 2016 will be Czech Republic at Romania, Switzerland at Germany, Italy at France, and Netherlands at Russia. Joining the U.S. and Poland in World Group II match-ups are Australia at Slovakia, Belarus at Canada, and Spain at Serbia.

This year’s Fed Cup champion has yet to be determined as the Czech Republic will face Russia in the November final.

For more info go to www.fedcup.com/en/news/206255.aspx.

New Orleans to Host 2015 USPTA World Conference in September

The United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) World Conference will be held on Sept. 22-25, 2015 in New Orleans.

The USPTA World Conference is the country’s largest gathering of tennis professionals, industry leaders and representatives, manufacturers, wholesalers and media. In addition to the educational offerings, USPTA hosts its board and executive committee meetings, evening parties, industry meetings, the nation’s largest tennis-only buying show, silent auction, awards presentation and more.

This year the event will also host the USPTA Masters Invitational, the grand finale of the USPTA Surface Championships.

USPTA members will earn eight continuing education credits for a full registration, plus additional credits for courses attended. All sessions will fall under one of four categories: business, teaching, facility management and sport science.

“Not only will you be able to network with friends and colleagues from all over the country, you will be able to successfully attain the continuing education credits required between now and December of 2016,” says USPTA CEO John Embree. “While there, you will hear from the best of the best that our industry has to offer. Plus, you will be guaranteed a great time doing so. See you there!”

For more info go to http://uspta.com/default.aspx?menuitemid=2357.

ITA Summer Circuit to Host 4 Events in Southeast Region in 2015

The 2015 ITA (Intercollegiate Tennis Association) Summer Circuit schedule and online registration is now available on the ITA website, with two Florida events and four overall in the Southeast region.

Southeast region events:

June 27-29 — Florida State University
July 11-13 — Middle Tennessee
July 18-20 — University of Alabama
July 25-27 — University of Florida

Events are “open” tournaments for all players, and provide a great opportunity for student-athletes to compete during the summer months.

Men’s and women’s singles and doubles champions at the ITA/USTA National Summer Championships receive a wild card into the main draw of the ITA All-American Championships. The men’s and women’s singles and doubles finalists will receive a wild card into the ITA All-American Championships qualifying draw. Players receiving wild cards must be current NCAA Division I student-athletes and must meet all eligibility criteria.

For more info go to www.itatennis.com/Events/ITA_Summer_Circuit.htm.

MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation Awards $53,000 in Scholarships

The MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation in Jacksonville, Fla., a USTA Florida Community Tennis Association, has announced 31 scholarship awards for a total of $53,000 to deserving middle and high school students in 2015.

Scholarships range in size from $500 to $5,000. Over the past 19 years, the MWYF in partnership with other organizations has awarded more than $800,000 in scholarship money to MWYF students.

Scholarship awards:

Zoe Gaudet Scholarship — Fred Radford (Jean Ribault H.S.), Marquis Atkinson (Paxon School for Advanced Studies), Antonia Bell (Robert E. Lee H.S.), Adrienne Clark (Robert E. Lee H.S.), Maliyah Davis (Jean Ribault H.S.) and Jervonnie Moody (Robert E. Lee H.S.)

Charlie Rice “Fired Up” Award — Antonia Bell (Robert E. Lee H.S.), Adrienne Clark (Robert E. Lee H.S.), Maliyah Davis (Jean Ribault H.S.) and Jervonnie Moody (Robert E. Lee H.S.)

Rick Murray “Don’t Quit” Award — Dquante Guyton (Andrew Jackson H.S.).

iMethods Meaningful Work Scholarship — Adrienne Clark (Robert E. Lee H.S.)

Carol Hadley Service Scholarship — Tiah Thomas-Jacobs (Kirby Smith M.S.), Kylia Brown (John E. Ford K-8), Nykia Brown (John E. Ford K-8) and Mya Suddath (Darnell Cookman Middle-High)

Sherry Murray Extra Mile Scholarships — Nykia Brown (John E. Ford K-8), Jakaari Jones (John E. Ford K-8), Sedric Norris (John E. Ford K-8), Alfredo Reyes (Kirby-Smith M.S.), Terry Thomas-Jacobs (Kirby-Smith M.S.), Tiah Thomas-Jacobs (Kirby-Smith M.S.), Marquis Atkinson (Paxon School for Advanced Studies), Antonia Bell (Robert E. Lee H.S.), Adrienne Clark (Robert E. Lee H.S.), Taylor Clark (Robert E. Lee H.S.), Dquante Guyton (Andrew Jackson H.S.), Keyondra Merritt (William M. Raines H.S.), Jervonnie Moody (Robert E. Lee H.S.), Bernard Thomas (Robert E. Lee H.S.) and Sylver White (William M. Raines H.S.).

Additionally, all graduating seniors received a laptop computer through the Agassi Advantage Award to use as they further their education or embark on a career.

Scholarship recipients will be recognized during the Current/Sherman Group of Merrill Lynch Champions for Children Gala on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015 at the Conference Center at Florida Blue in Jacksonville, Fla.

For more info go to www.malwashington.com.