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News Archives: June 2010
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Junior Tour Spring
Update
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Wed Jun 30, 2010 |
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Winnipeg, MB (TM)
– Each year the Tennis Manitoba Junior Tour packs into
May and June tournaments that serve as national qualification
events for those competitive juniors with aspirations
to play in the Rogers Junior National Championships.
The 2010 edition of the spring tour was down in participation
numbers, but did provide some close tour point races
in several age categories.
The complete list of singles event winners in the final
three spring 2010 Junior Tour tournaments were as follows:
World of Water Junior Championships
May 27-30, 2010
Kildonan Tennis Club
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Girls
U12: Cassidy Macdonald
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Girls
U14: Diorella Rosario
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Girls
U16: Kylie Waschuk
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Girls
U18: Kylie Waschuk
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Boys
U12: Earinpreet Hirkewal
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Boys
U14: Earinpreet Hirkewal
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Boys
U16: Shane Nicholls
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Boys
U18: Igal Mostkov
Tuxedo Junior Open
June 10-14, 2010
Tuxedo Tennis Club
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Girls
U12: Cassidy Macdonald
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Girls
U14: Kylie Waschuk
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Girls
U16: Kylie Waschuk
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Girls
U18: Evann Waschuk
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Boys
U12: Earinpreet Hirkewal
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Boys
U14: Earinpreet Hirkewal
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Boys
U16: Shane Nicholls
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Boys
U18: Igal Mostkov
Manitoba Junior Open
June 23-27, 2010
Winnipeg Lawn Tennis Club
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Girls
U12: Cassidy Macdonald
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Girls
U14: Kylie Waschuk
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Girls
U16: event not held
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Girls
U18: Evann Waschuk
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Boys
U12: Earinpreet Hirkewal
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Boys
U14: Earinpreet Hirkewal
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Boys
U16: Kevin Kylar
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Boys
U18: Muzeen Ismath
The next
stops on the 2010 Tennis Manitoba Junior Tour are the
Prairie Regionals being held at the Winnipeg Lawn Tennis
Club, followed by the outdoor 2010 Rogers Junior National
Championships.
Tennis
Manitoba Junior Tour
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Hot Shots Charity
Tie Break Tournament
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| Jeff Player serves
while partner Rufus Nel plays the net at the
Hot Shots Charity Tie Break Tournaments recently
held at the Winnipeg Lawn Tennis Club. To
view the 2010 Hot Shots Tie Break Tournament
photo album
click
here.
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Sun Jun 20, 2010 |
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Winnipeg, MB (Rob
Langan) – It was Ken Callis, manager at the Winnipeg
Lawn Tennis Club (WLTC), who first presented the unique
idea of a tournament consisting solely of tie breaks.
When Bill Rannard, WLTC president, got a hold of the
idea, he took it and ran with it. And so an event was
born.
The two worked tirelessly developing the idea into a
charity event with participants and spectators from
the entire tennis community in Manitoba. The result
was something new and very innovative!
It was a beautiful day for the 1st annual Hot Shots
Tie Break Tournament in support of the Winnipeg
Humane Society. The who's who of the Manitoba tennis
community were out and about soaking up the sun while
both playing and watching this unique event.
Many of Manitoba's top players including Doug DeVriendt,
Evan Mancer, and Sean Lacap played in the 'Open Level'
while many of Manitoba's top 'A Level' players also
participated, notably Rick Borland, Glen Ziprick, and
Taylor Tennis' favourite doubles duo, Mark Brooks and
Larry Harder.
Special kudos goes out to Kyla McNicol, who was the
only female to participate in the men's event. Kyla
held her own as she showed no fear taking on all challengers
including the South African gruesome twosome, Jeff Player
(Executive Director of Tennis Manitoba) and Rufus Nel
(Tennis Canada Prairie Alliance Senior Director).
No one went without food or drink as WLTC's most esteemed
volunteers Les and Paul handled the BBQ and beverage
requests. Similarly, WLTC staff member Kerry Koutis,
Staff kept the comedy relief going throughout the two-hour
event. Underdogs Alan Gardiner and Saul Shrom were points
from knocking out the top seeds DeVriendt and Mancer,
while Player and Nel continually panicked like fish
out of water.
Similarly in the A level, Borland and Bushuk reminded
everyone why the best players in the province play at
the WLTC, while they battled rivals Glen Ziprick and
Dave Roberts in the final showdown.
Spectators travelled from all over the tennis community.
Taylor Tennis was represented by a contingent of women
who were keeping a close eye on their flock. A representative
from Kildonan Tennis Club made the journey on her scooter.
The Wildewood Club also had several of its staff and
friends attend the event.
Special guests also included several members of the
Manitoba Volleyball community who struggled the entire
time to figure out what exactly a tie break is. Many
thanks for their support and questions.
As the matches ended with a flurry of cheers, the tennis
came to a close. However, it was only the start of the
post-game festivities. As participants and spectators
slowly funneled out with smiles upon their faces, a
dedicated few remained, drinks in hand, and continued
the festivities deep into the evening.
When all was said and done, the last of these tennis-goers,
pizza in their bellies and much of the world's problems
solved, left the club marking the end of the 1st Annual
Hot Shots Tie Break Tournament.
The event was a great success and raised over $900 for
the Winnipeg Humane Society. Many requests to include
women has resulted in the Ladies & Gents Tie Break
Tournament now scheduled for Friday 6:30 - 9pm on
July 9th. This is sure to exceed the first event and
be a great evening for all! For additional details
click here.
A special thanks goes out to the winners and runner-ups
from the 'A Level' who donated their cash winnings to
the charity, as well as to Mark Lloyd for his very generous
donation. Others that provided great support include:
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Top
ticket sellers: Kyla McNicol (30), Agata Jancek
(11), Sean Lacap (8).
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Generous
Donations of Cash Prizes: Rick Borland, Darrell
Bushuk, Dave Roberts, and Glen Ziprick.
We appreciate our 22 participants, who were:
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Open Level: Winners Doug DeVriendt & Evan
Mancer. Runner-ups Muzeen Ismath & Igal Mostkov.
Participants: Sean Grassie & Trevor Borland, Kyla
McNicol & Sean Lacap, Saul Shrom & Alan Gardiner,
and Rufus Nel & Jeff Player.
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A Level: Winners Glen Ziprick, Dave Roberts.
Runner-ups Darrell Bushuk, Rick Borland. Participants,
Chris Shay, Aaron Margolis, Mark Brooks, Larry Harder,
Dom DiCurzio, and Mark Lloyd.
Be sure to sign-up for the Ladies & Gents Tie Break
Tournament at WLTC on July 9th.
Ladies
& Gents Tie Break Tournament
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Manitoba welcomes
juniors from around the world
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Fri Jun 18, 2010 |
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Winnipeg, MB (Keith
McCullough) – For many top junior players in Manitoba,
facing a break point is nothing compared to the hassles
of having to travel to find top competition. This is
about to change as Manitoba welcomes junior tennis players
from around the globe for the Canadian Mid-West ITF
U18 tournament in July. For 2009 Manitoba Female Player
of the Year Evann Waschuk, the chance to have the best
come to her for a change is a welcome one.
“Having an ITF here will definitely be nice since I
won't need to worry about the hassle with hotels, flights
and meals,” she said.
“When I am away travelling for tournaments it can often
take time to adjust to the new courts and get comfortable
with the surroundings, so I am excited to be able to
play a big tournament without having to worry about
all the things I would in a different city,” she added.
The tournament, sanctioned by the International Tennis
Federation, aims to provide young players from our province
with the opportunity to test themselves against some
top quality juniors from a number of different countries
such as India, Hong Kong, Russia, Brazil and South Africa.
The event will be Manitoba’s first international tennis
tournament since the 1999 Pan Am Games and act as the
third leg of a western Canadian “tour” for the ITF,
which will also feature tournaments in Vancouver and
Edmonton.
The tournament is open to both under-18 boys and girls
with singles and doubles categories. For those failing
to qualify for the main draw, satellite tournaments
will be held to ensure that those traveling don’t leave
without getting a change to play.
Organizer Bruce Waschuk said the tournament itself was
set up as a North American affair before it grew into
something bigger.
“The tournament here was really our chance to bring
together some top junior players from Canada and then
from the States and it just so happens that we have
close to 20 different countries,” he said.
Waschuk said the chance for our players to have a tournament
like this here at home is one that top players and potential
entrants alike shouldn’t take for granted.
“This could be your one chance to play in an international
event and do it in your own backyards and be able to
tell your friends. It’s a chance that most players don’t
get in their lives,” he said.
Evann Waschuk agrees with her dad, and said she’s looking
forward to the challenge of playing the best.
“Like any other big tournament it’s a great chance to
test myself against other players, especially since
there will be many international players I haven't played
or seen before,” added the Vincent Massey Collegiate
student.
Having an ITF event is clearly seen as a major step
forward for junior level tennis in Manitoba as it will
give aspiring players a chance to watch high level,
international play, something Bruce feels that prospective
players just don’t get to see on a regular enough basis
to grow the game.
“Young kids, when they aspire to be an athlete, can
see football all over and go and watch hockey but what
does a tennis player look like? That’s what we want
to show them,” he said.
Waschuk added that putting these talented players on
display to inspire the next generation of tennis youngsters
to get involved with the game is what would really make
the tournament a success in the long run.
“We hope it’s an event that some kids will come and
watch and think someday I can maybe play this event
and then boost tennis in Manitoba. That’s the big goal.”
Registration for the tournament runs until June 22nd
and requires an International Player Identification
Number, which can be obtained through the ITF website,
which does require a registration fee that can be paid
online.
For more information on registration and the tournament
in general visit
JoinTheTour.com or the official Tennis Manitoba
website.
JoinTheTour.com
Join the Tour flyer
Join The Tour on Facebook
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Senior holds
court, Octogenarian tennis player takes on all comers
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Jake Suderman
Birthplace: Regina. Moved to Winnipeg to take
social work at University of Manitoba.
Best win: In the Open consolation at the Winter
Club tournament. “He was 38 and I was 70.”
Secret to winning: “Age and treachery always
beats youth and power.”
On his age: “I’m actually middle age. You see,
the young age are 70, the middle age are 80,
and the older are 90. That’s how it works.”
On when he’ll stop playing tennis: “I really
don’t want to go beyond 100.”
All-time favourite player: Andre Agassi
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Tue Jun 15, 2010 |
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Winnipeg, MB (Reprint:
April 25, 2010, Sean Grassie, for
The Winnipeg Sun)
According to the scouting report on 80-year-old tennis
player Jake Suderman, if you’re waiting for the guy
to tire out you may want to pack a lunch.
Suderman, once the fifth ranked 60+ player in Canada,
isn’t showing many signs of slowing down.
Sure, he doesn’t dart around the country entering senior
tennis tournaments like he once did.
But Suderman is still on the court about three times
a week, he goes in the Manitoba Open every year, and
he hopes to play the national senior tennis championships
in August in Vancouver.
He even took up skating again recently after more than
30 years away from the ice.
"All my life I've been a sports person, everything from
to gymnastics to diving to racquetball, the whole works,”
said Suderman. “This was my last racquet sport. Up until
then, I did all the others."
A friend introduced Suderman to tennis when he was 38,
but it wasn’t a memorable start.
“We went twice and I ran into the chain-link fence to
retrieve a ball and I got a tennis elbow out of it,”
Suderman said. “My tennis elbow lasted for 16 years.
It was so bad I couldn't pick up a pencil.”
Suderman tried everything to get rid of his tennis elbow,
but nothing worked. Then a cure came from an unlikely
source.
“I had a heart attack when I was 54, I haven't had a
tennis elbow since,” said Suderman. “How do you like
that for medical science?”
Suderman was on the court less than 60 days after his
heart attack, and that’s when he took up the game in
earnest. Even a cardiac arrest nearly 10 years ago didn’t
keep him away from tennis for more than a few months.
"Clinically when that happens you're kind of dead, but
I'm not, as you can tell," Suderman said with a laugh.
He battled a rotator cuff injury the last four years,
but his racquet didn’t stay in the closet. For Suderman,
it was a matter of altering some parts of his game.
"I couldn't serve overhand, so that's when I developed
my underhand serve,” said Suderman, who noted his shoulder
is now OK.
“I think it has been very effective, especially when
I play tournaments out of town, and I do from here to
Vancouver. Those guys aren't use to it, and when you
get to my age you tire them out like crazy because they
have to run so hard.”
Suderman, who plays at the Winnipeg Winter Club and
Kildonan Tennis Club, is happy to step on the court
with anyone who’s up for a game.
"If I guy who's 80 and a guy who's 52 phones me and
says, 'hey do you want to play tennis,’ I'm saying it
can't be that bad,” he said.
Suderman says he still prefers singles over doubles,
and he won the 50+ event at the Winter Club’s senior
tournament last year.
"I'm always playing younger people,” said Suderman.
“I don't play anyone older than I am.”
His wife of 57 years, Betty, says he doesn’t play tennis
just for a good time and some exercise.
“The competitiveness is in his nature,” she said. “He's
just a very competitive person. It doesn't matter whether
you're playing tiddlywinks or tennis, he's out there
to win.”
Off the court, Suderman is just as active. In his workshop
at home, he builds bookshelves for Thrift stores, pulpits
for churches, and anything people ask him to make.
"Let's say every entertainment centre that I, or my
grandson, or my granddaughter, or my child has, I've
made,” he said.
That’s not all that keeps Suderman busy in his workshop.
“I also make games and there are some fabulous games,
but if you want one, it will cost you $249,” Suderman
said with a laugh.
"For kids they're fabulous because there is really action.
What you have is a top, and you wrap a string around
it and pull it, and the top really moves and there's
lot of noise. The kids love it and the adults hate because
it's too noisy.”
Suderman also works with refugees through the Mennonite
Central Committee, which he’s been doing since a group
of refugees came to Winnipeg from Laos about 30 years
ago.
“We had almost 80 of them from Laos,” said Suderman.
“We had to find accommodation for these people, find
them all jobs, and second languages and everything else.
“It was a lot of work, but then I was also 30 years
younger, (so it was) no problem.”
He is now waiting for two brothers, ages 10 and 12,
to arrive from Sudan.
“You literally have to teach them everything,” Suderman
said. “It's a different culture.”
Does Suderman ever find time to rest?
“Unless he's watching television he can't sit still,
and when he watches television he falls asleep, absolutely
every time,” Betty Suderman said with a laugh.
Suderman says his energy doesn’t come from any secret
formula.
"I'm not an exercise buff or maniac,” said Suderman.
“I don't stretch. I never have. I can go away on a holiday
for two months and come back and play an hour and a
half of tennis and I would never think of a muscle.”
He says his active lifestyle has been a blessing.
“The good Lord has been good to me.”
See also
Jake Suderman Video
Profile
Visit Jake on Juump
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Kids hold court,
St. James tennis festival could draw hundreds
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Thu Jun 10, 2010 |
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Winnipeg, MB (TM)
– For up to 750 kids in St. James, a trip to the tennis
court will be one final school activity before summer
vacation.
On Saturday, June 26, the first-ever St. James-Assiniboia
Tennis Festival will be held at the Deer Lodge Tennis
Club. The event is open to students in Grades 1-5. Each
of the 15 elementary schools in the division is eligible
to send 10 kids per grade.
Various drills and games will be set up using the Progressive
Tennis model, where kids move through different stages
of equipment and court sizes (slower balls and mini-nets
are used) to help them develop their skills. Among the
prizes up for grabs will be 50 junior tennis racquets,
courtesy of Kids Dental.
The lead instructors will be Sean Grassie, head pro
at the Deer Lodge Tennis Club, and Rob Langan, head
pro at the Winnipeg Lawn Tennis Club. Rob has been working
with kids in schools across the city this year using
the Progressive Tennis equipment. And there is already
an aim to establish the first-ever schools tennis league
in the St. James-Assiniboia division.
The tennis festival was created through a partnership
between Tennis Manitoba, the St. James-Assiniboia School
Division, and Kids Dental. In 2010 Kids Dental will
sponsor seven TennisFests at various clubs in the city,
which give kids a free introduction to the sport using
Progressive Tennis.
Schedule for June 26:
9:00-10:15 a.m. Grade 1
10:30-11:45 a.m. Grade 2
12:00-1:15 p.m. Grade 3
1:30-2:45 p.m. Grade 4
3:00-4:30 p.m. Grade 5
The Deer Lodge
Tennis Club is located at 2050 Ness Avenue.
For more information, please contact Sean Grassie at
(204) 250-3873 or
seangrassie@hotmail.com
About Tennis Manitoba Schools Program
Tennis Manitoba is working with Manitoba schools to
promote a healthy and active lifestyle by playing tennis.
More at TennisManitoba.com/schools
About SJSD
St. James-Assiniboia
School Division is located in west Winnipeg with
26 schools, including one in the community of Headingley,
offering classes for children from Kindergarten to Grade
12.
See also
Tennis Manitoba Schools
Program
Deer Lodge Tennis
Club
Kids
Dental
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Up coming Rogers
Rookie Tour stops
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Wed Jun 9, 2010 |
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Winnipeg, MB (TM)
– Kids looking to start playing tennis tournaments have
plenty of opportunities to participate in 2010. The
next two stops for the Rogers Rookie Tour are scheduled
for this weekend and the weekend after.
This Saturday, June 12th the Rogers Rookie Tour is being
held at the Winnipeg Winter Club. The tournament starts
at 3pm and goes for approximately 2.5 hours. The tour
continues the following week on Saturday, June 19th
at the Sargent Park Tennis Centre from 1pm to 4pm.
The events incorporate progressive tennis equipment
with an emphasis on having fun. Parents that are willing
to help are welcome to join in.
Each participant receives a t-shirt, water bottle, gym
bag, cell phone holder, Rogers discount card and a keychain/flashlight.
Kids need only have the basic tennis rally skills in
order to have a great time.
To register or for more information contact Robert Kennedy
at (204) 297-4020 or
rfk@canada.com
Rogers
Rookie Tour
Progressive
Tennis
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Tennis club serving
up renovated clubhouse
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| Photo: Trevor
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| Deer Lodge Tennis
Club pro Sean Grassie is excited for members
to see the clubhouse renovations later this
month. |
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Thu Jun 3, 2010 |
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Winnipeg, MB (Trevor Suffield, The Metro,
Winnipeg Free Press) – City officials are optimistic
that a series of recent upgrades to the Deer Lodge Tennis
Club will result in a net gain for fans of the sport.
The Ness Avenue facility has been undergoing a $100,000
upgrade since last October when an inspection found
mould throughout its clubhouse. The improvements are
expected to be completed later this month.
Sean Grassie, 31, the club’s manager and tennis pro,
said it’s been business as usual during the renovations.
Grassie said club members and casual visitors will notice
a definite difference when the renovations are completed.
"It will be nice to spruce it up a little bit with a
new and improved look," said Grassie, who has been the
tennis pro at the club for 14 years.
The refurbished clubhouse will feature a new ceiling,
windows, flooring, lighting and wiring. It will also
features a lounge area, locker rooms and showers.
Glen Snider, supervisor of building maintenance for
the city, said the city had little choice but to repair
the clubhouse after mould was discovered.
"Once we find something like that we are obligated to
deal with it and we certainly didn’t want to impact
the public negatively by not being able to use it,"
Snider said.
Snider said tearing down the 44-year-old, 2,400 sq.
ft. building and constructing a new facility wasn’t
really an option. He said building a new clubhouse would
have been far too costly for the city.
"To go through the process of redesigning would be fairly
intensive and a long, drawn out process and the building
would have been lost to the public for some time," he
said, adding that the funding came from the city’s building
maintenance fund.
Grassie said the tennis club has enjoyed a resurgence
in recent years after facing declining enrolments in
the mid-1990s. It currently has more than 100 members
compared to 40 in 1996.
"We’ve got a pretty good singles league, we’ve got summer
camps for kids and we’ve added more programs and built
it up and it’s doing really well," Grassie said.
Because the clubhouse hasn’t been available to members
this season, Grassie said that the membership fees for
the year were cut in half to $60.50. The walk-on fee
was also reduced by half to $2.50, he added.
Mike Mirus, who has been with the club for the past
10 years, said part of what draws him back each year
is the camaraderie and competition.
"I think there are some excellent players here who are
very competitive. I’ve even seen former provincial champions
play here," said Mirus, who lives in Wolseley.
Ken Richards, who has been playing at Deer Lodge for
the past 12 years, said he appreciates the club’s commitment
to developing young players.
"They try to bring out the youth as much as they can.
If you don’t have a racket they always have one here
for you, or if you need a partner they’ll find someone
for you," Richards said.
Grassie adds there are currently no plans for any exterior
renovations to the club. He said the only downside to
the renovations is a tournament that usually takes place
in early June had to be rescheduled to August. T
he Deer Lodge Tennis Club is located at 2050 Ness Ave.
For more information, call 330-1381.
trevor.suffield@canstarnews.com
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press online edition
June 3, 2010
See also:
Deer Lodge Tennis Club on Juump
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VIDEO: Tennis
camp a smash hit for city kids
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| Winnipeg Free
Press |
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| Bill Serbin |
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Tue Jun 1, 2010 |
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Winnipeg,
MB (Winnipeg
Free Press) – It was the worst of times and the
best of times for 289 participants in the 20th annual
Tennis Futures camp on Monday.
The elementary school students were seconded to squeegee
nine courts at the Winnipeg Lawn Tennis Club when they
arrived in the morning but it wasn’t long until the
blazing sun emerged and they were serving, volleying
and smashing – most of them for the very first time.
Tennis Futures is the brain child of Bill Serbin, a
physical education teacher at John de Graff School,
who wanted to expose inner-city students to the game.
It has grown from a few dozen kids in its inaugural
year to more than 1,200 this year. Tennis Futures, the
biggest tennis program of its kind in Canada, has become
so big it is now held at three different tennis clubs
over the course of five days.
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Republished
from the Winnipeg Free Press online edition June 1,
20100
See also:
Tennis Manitoba Schools
Program
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Future stars
shine at local junior tournament
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| Photo: TM File |
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| George Kylar,
tournament director of the 2010 Head Masters
Series Junior Challenge |
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Tue Jun 1, 2010 |
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Winnipeg, MB (Keith McCullough) – While the eyes of
the tennis world may be focused on Roland Garros for
the French Open this week, the action is heating up
right here in Manitoba as well. The 2010 Head Masters
Series Junior Challenge took place earlier this month
at Glendale Golf and Country Club. According to organizer
George Kylar, the event was a major success.
“It was excellent. High participation, lots of younger
players which is always the right way to start,” he
said.
The tournament, which has been running for nearly a
decade, featured under-10, under-12, under-14, under-16
and under-18 competitions for both singles and doubles
in boys. The same went for the girls save for the under-16
category, which had to be cancelled because of a lack
of participation.
Despite this setback, the tournament featured 73 entrants,
an impressive tally which is above average for tournaments
around this time of year according to Kylar.
The event offered valuable qualifying points towards
the provincial standings, which can eventually be used
to gain entrance into the Prairie Regionals featuring
the top four players each from Manitoba and Saskatchewan
for the different age ranges. From there, the top 3
overall will move on to the prestigious national championships.
The two big winners from this year’s event were Kevin
Kylar, who won the under-16 title as well as the under-18
for both singles and doubles with partner Mickey Rogers
and Earinpreet Hirkewal who won the under-12 and under-14
championships.
Kylar said the players were amongst Manitoba’s premier
up and comers.
“Well Kevin is my son so I know a lot about him. He
is ranked number one in under-16 and number three in
under-18. They haven’t updated the national standings
but I’m sure he would move into the top 20 there,” he
said.
The other kid [Hirkewal] is also really good. He’s ranked
number one provincially in both the categories he won
so he is definitely playing well to,” he added.
Kylar said that despite the success of his tournament,
he did have some concerns about junior tennis in our
province.
“Well, I think the system isn’t perfect yet. There is
too much of a discrepancy between the levels they’re
playing at and therefore the marginal ones are hesitant
to enter unless you give them a chance to get in and
not get clobbered,” he said
“Overall tennis is up but competitive junior tennis
is down,” he added.
Despite this, Kylar said the number of young people
he sees playing the game is a definite plus and with
numbers like we saw at his tournament, the sport may
well be on the rise here in Manitoba.
For his part, Kylar said that while it may not be as
competitive, participation in tennis is still strong.
“I’m a tennis pro and I see close to 200 kids participating
in the winter lessons. There’s lots of kids playing
for sure,” he said.
Next up for the juniors was the World of Water Junior
Open at Kildonan Tennis Club, which took place this
weekend, and the Tuxedo Junior Open happening from June
10-14.
Tennis
Manitoba Junior Tour
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