Spring, 2013 - New England Senior Tennis Foundation

Senior Tennis 2013 – 1

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) presented to Irving Levine of Rehoboth, Mass., its Seniors’ Service Award. Levine was recognized for his outstanding dedication and contribution in helping grow tennis at the local level. He was honored at the USTA Annual Meeting on March 17 in Weston, Fla. The Seniors’ Service Award was established in 1958 to recognize and honor a person for service to senior tennis. It is given annually to the person deemed most deserving of the respect and honor of all seniors and is awarded on the basis of the recipient’s willingness, cooperation and participation, either in play or organization-al work, for the betterment and furtherance of senior competition. Levine began playing tennis when he was 13 years old and has continued to be heavily involved in the sport at age 90. He still plays many tournaments annually and remains an icon in the sporting community of Re-hoboth. Levine and his wife, Bernice, have been an inspiration to their local community. In 1996, they founded the New England Senior Tennis Foundation (NESTF), an organization committed to promoting and supporting tennis among New England seniors. Levine has donated approximately $20,000 annually toward the effort and has been an active leader of the foundation, serving as a member of its board of directors. The NESTF provides year-round opportunities for seniors to play, including an international annual tournament called the Friendship Cup, which has been held for more than 40 years and features competition between teams from USTA New Eng-land and Canada. “Irving truly embod-ies what it means to be an advocate for our sport. He is a true inspiration, and thanks to his efforts on and off the court, hundreds of senior players have been able to enjoy the game,” said Kurt Kamperman, Chief Ex-ecutive, Community Tennis, USTA. “We are proud to recognize him for all that he has given to senior tennis in his community.”

THE NEW ENGLAND SENIOR TENNIS FOUNDATION BULLETIN

Volume Six • Number Seventeen • Spring • 2013

USTA Honors Irving Levinewith Annual Seniors’ Service Award

L - R: Andrew Wong from Hawaii, a member of the selection committee; Cliff Drysdale, a friend of Irv’s since 1972, and a 2013 inductee to the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

2 – Senior Tennis 2013

New England Senior Tennis Foundation, Inc.

An organization established by Bernice and Irving Levine for the general purpose of promoting tennis among senior adults in New England.

Administration BoardPeter Allen, President Irving Levine Rich Heath, Treasurer Wade Frame Dorcas Miller, Secretary Amy Read George Ulrich Carol Redden Ken Miller Jeanne Hulsen Bats Wheeler To facilitate the promotion of senior tennis, the following strategies will be implemented:

1. To provide instruction for seniors interested in learning how to play the sport or improve their skills;

2. To support the publication of material to help seniors learn how to play the game, improve their skills and knowledge of the game, and un-derstand the latest health research information relating to the sport of tennis;

3. To distribute a newsletter on a regular basis that freely discusses issues in the sport of ten-nis and at the same time reports the results of tournaments and other competitions and news of interest to seniors;

4. To run tournaments and other compe-titions for seniors innovatively and in such a way as to help participants fully enjoy the sport;

5. To develop and support interstate, inter-sectional and international competitions for seniors;

6. To respond to changing needs and interests of senior tennis players;

7. To recognize and respond to opportunities to provide leadership within a larger context for the development of tennis (i.e., to support or oppose actions by tennis groups that either further or diminish the growth and support of the sport);

8. To provide where possible and to support facilities for senior players at either a reduced rate or at no cost to them;

9. To create and support a governance struc-ture that ensures continuity to the Foundation and support for its goals and strategies.

Send stories, pictures and articles to:Dick Ernst

71 Philmont Ave., Cranston, RI 02910

401-785-0532; or [email protected]

Senior Tennis Newsletter editor Dick Ernst of Cranston, R.I. The Barrington High School boys tennis coach and a ranking senior circuit player.

Advertising in this publication is available at$500/page and $300/1/2 page.

N.E.S.T.F. website www.neseniortennis.org

Irv Levine in Action


Editor’s Corner... with Dick Ernst

At 77, Lazar Lowinger still recruits and trains for Maccabiah Games

By Dick Ernst If Lazar (Larry) Lowinger makes the US team for the 19th Maccabiah Games, he hopes the grand masters tennis division is played on the games’ five new red clay courts. The 77-year-old Newton resident had a total knee replacement in early February after bouts with ar-thritis. The softer courts are easier on the legs. But if the Maccabiah World Union, the games’ organizer, says no, Lowinger will maintain his training regimen and book his flight to Jerusalem. He’ll still play. “Of course,” he said. “We’re going to play like the youngsters play. I’m counting down the days to the 2013 Maccabiah.” Trials for Lowinger’s 65+ tennis division will take place in fall. Maccabi USA (the American spelling is different) hopes to send more than 1,000 Jewish athletes to Israel to compete in 35 sports according to Jed Margolis, the executive director. Lowinger is one of more than 300 board members, “mavens” of their sports, who scout for athletes through national sports associations and the JCC Maccabi Games. Because of their efforts, Margolis expects tryouts to draw 3,000. “We have people on the board who are out there all the time, looking for Jewish names, talking it up and running receptions in their homes,” Margolis said. “It’s a matter of education – letting people know what the games are.” Lowinger attends tennis tournaments wearing a Maccabiah or Israeli Tennis Centers shirt and makes a point of introducing himself to Jewish players. He sees the games as a way to bolster Americans’ pride in their Jewish identity. Among his recruits is Ben Soloway of Weston, who won a silver medal in the singles at the Pan American Maccabi Games in Brazil last year. Soloway, 16, is now applying for the 19th Maccabiah. “You bring new players in, you bring in kids like Ben Soloway, you’re preparing the ground for the future leaders of Maccabi USA,” Lowinger said. Soloway said he had seen Lowinger wearing his Maccabiah Games shirts around the Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman Tennis Center in Weston, where both are members. Lowinger would praise Soloway’s strokes

during practice, he said. Soloway said the atmosphere at the Pan American games was different from that of other tennis tourneys. “Everyone was on your side,” he said. “It makes you feel like you’re special.” He said that at other tourneys, he tends to avoid talking to the competition. But in Bra-zil, after defeating his first opponent, a Ven-ezuelan, the two became friends. Lowinger said sports have helped him de-velop mentally and physically throughout his life. Lowinger was born in 1933 in Belgium to parents who had met and married in Cuba.

His father was originally from Romania and

Continued on page 4

Lazar Lowinger surrounded by cheerleaders at the 2005 Mac-cabiah Games in Israel, where he won a silver medal in doubles play.


Continued from page 3 (Editor's Corner)

Among Lowinger's recruits is Ben Soloway of Weston.

his mother from the Ukraine. The family spent the war years in Romania and then moved to Cuba. Growing up, he saw gentiles participate in athletics, but was consistently excluded, he said. “How does it feel to get kicked in the rear end and told, ‘Get the hell out of here, you Jew?’ he said. “As a child of eight years old, it feels pretty bad.” He first set foot on a playing field after World War II in Bucharest. With a team of other Jewish youth, Lowinger played a gentile public school in soccer. “It was a feeling of rebirth,” he said. “Like you’re born again, and you live in a new, free world.” The team – playing its first game with a real soccer ball instead of one made of stockings – beat its seasoned opponents. Lowinger didn’t pick up a tennis racket until he moved to Cuba when he was invited to hit some balls with a friend of his father’s. “I said, ‘Are you kidding me? This is not male, this is not a macho game,” Lowinger recalled saying. But he was persuaded to give it a try. Thanks to strokes he had perfected playing ping-pong, he amazed his partner and fell in love with the sport. “I got bitten by it,” Lowinger said. “I got bitten to the point where I lived to play tennis, especially to help Jewish kids get into the game and to participate.” After his family moved to the United States in 1954, Lowinger became a lawyer in 1964. A Newton resident since 1967, he considered himself Massachusetts’ first Hispanic lawyer and still practices, pri-marily representing immigrants. Lowinger’s two sons do not play tennis – one enjoyed lacrosse, one baseball. “I always dreamt to play father and son with my boys” he said. “But if they weren’t into it, they weren’t into it.” Though he played in social and competitive-area tennis tournaments, he did not try out for the Mac-cabiah Games until 1987. Lowinger played his first game for the Maccabi USA tennis team in 1987 in Venezuela as part of the Pan American games. He won a bronze medal in the world Maccabiah Games in 2001 for the team from Mexico, where he had established an additional residence after not qualifying for the US team. In 2005, he represented the US and took home the world silver medal in doubles. “When I represented the United States, and I came onto the court as part of the Maccabi USA team, it was the proudest moment of my life,” Lowinger said. He’s medaled at the Pan American games representing the U.S. in 1991, 1995, 1999 and 2003, he said. Among Lowinger’s tennis buddies and rivals is Sam Sporn of Brooklyn, New York. Sporn beat Lowinger in the 1989 Pan American games in Argentina. Together, they won the gold medal for doubles in Chile during the 2003 games. Between tournaments, they played in both Boston and Central Park, Sporn, 82, said. To prepare for this fall’s trials, Lowinger plays matches and uses ball machines at the Weston tennis center. His regimen includes an up to two-hour workout two or three times a week. Lowinger can’t imagine living – or dying, for that matter – without tennis. “My rackets go with me,” he said. “If they don’t have tennis courts up there, I’m not going.” For details on the 19th Maccabiah, visit maccabiusa.com.


NESTF President’s MessageI hope you kept active over the past winter because the 2013 lineup of tournaments is chock full again. Mark your calendars now for a fun, full season with all senior tournaments conveniently listed at http://www.neseniortennis.org/NESrTournsched.htm. The highly attended Senior Slam tournaments will retain their great attraction, thanks to the continu-ing devotion of Ken and Dorcas Miller and major support from NESTF: 1. The Hard Court Slams at Yale on June 6 through 9 retain their national "Category II" significance, for men’s and women’s 50, 60 and 70 age groups. 2. The Clay Slams on August 8 through 11 will again be held at Beverly and Concord. 3. The Grass Slams on September 9 through 12 will return to the International Hall of Fame in Newport, RI. NESTF’s Board remains dedicated to the Foundation’s goals adopted when it was generously founded by Irving and Bernice Levine in 1996. Focused entirely on promoting senior tennis, NESTF continues to invest roughly $20,000 annually in a mix of areas: grants (up to $2,000 each) for effective senior tennis programs and events, plus online publication of these semiannual Bulletins. The NESTF Board was recently delighted to learn that Irving Levine has been honored by the na-tional US Tennis Association as the latest recipient of its very prestigious Seniors’ Service Award! The USTA press release said, “It is given annually to the person deemed most deserving of the respect and honor of all seniors and is awarded on the basis of the recipient’s willingness, cooperation and participa-tion, either in play or organizational work, for the betterment and furtherance of senior competition.” Established in 1958, this award had never gone to a New Englander. I had the extreme pleasure of participating in a two-minute video honoring Irv, prepared for the March 17 awards ceremony at the USTA Annual Meeting in Weston, Florida. Here is a link to it, featuring our legendary 91+ New England tennis duo, Irving Levine and Henry Tiberio: http://www.usta.com/awardsmedia/. Irving is rehabbing from a September hip replacement and hopes to compete again nationally in the spring. Please call me (508-366-0312) or e-mail ([email protected]) whenever you have a suggestion for NESTF improvement. Best wishes for a fun 2013 season with your senior tennis friends!

P.S. If you aren’t receiving occasional “NESTF Breaking News” emails but wish you were, please add or update your email address to our file by simply e-mailing our Webmaster Ken Miller at [email protected].

Pete Allen, PresidentNew England Senior Tennis Foundation


The New England 2012 Senior Slams Reporting from the 2012 Senior Slams is originator and New England No. 1 ranked senior player, Dorcas Miller. Dorcas notes that 411 entries in three premier events for this, the third season, reflect an ever-increasing interest in this challenging format. Breaking down the total reveals 127 individual competitors playing the Hard Court Slam at Yale; 136 in the combined Clay Slam at Concord Country Club and Beverly Golf and Tennis Club; and 148 in the Grass Slam at Essex Country Club. Dorcas thanks all who competed fiercely throughout the days and stayed for the parties afterward. “That’s what it is all about in senior tennis.” Dorcas also notes that approximately 20 entrants from sections other than New England livened up this season’s competition, and she hopes they enjoyed the tennis and will return next year.

Some high points from the tournaments include • a large men’s 50 singles draw at Concord, finally won by Scott Snow (Windsor, CT) after many rain delays; • club members Kevin Barry (Beverly, MA) and Hamilton Mehlman (Manchester, MA) captured the men’s 50 doubles title at Essex – Where had they been all year? • a nail-biter final won by Joe Bouquin (Delray Beach, FL) in the men’s 60 singles at Essex – Welcome back to New England, Joe; • a squeaky-close men’s 55 doubles win by Wade Frame (Marblehead, MA) and Alan Turner (Brookfield, CT) at Essex; • a battle of the women’s teams in the 50 doubles at Essex, finally won by Johanna Bickford (Hingham, MA) and Jean Osachuk (Belmont, MA) – It was good to see more women playing this year; • Mal Swanson’s (Windham, NH) 75 singles marathon win at Beverly; • Kimm Fisher (Milford, CT) and Richard Makepeace’s (Naugatuck, CT) men's 55 doubles win in three tough sets at Concord; • Pennsylvania's Al Hernandez’s (Yardley, PA) wonderful play in the men’s 50 singles in the Category II at Yale; • Jonathan Bates (Stamford, CT) and Harlan Stone’s (Darien, CT) win in the 55 men’s doubles at Yale; • and finally, participation in the tournaments by our former New England tennis stars, John Mayotte (Clarksville, MD) and Ted Hoehn (Vero Beach, FL) – We loved having you back! Going into the final tournament there were three Triple Slam candidates: Paul Shaw, the team of George Ulrich and John Fournier, and the team of Whitey Joslin and Tom Diehl. All did not make it, as Paul Shaw opted to play only doubles, and Ulrich and Fournier and Joslin and Diehl both lost in their respective finals. Maybe next year? So the lone triple-crown winners to date remain Carolyn Fournier and partner, Ruby Curtis. Con-gratulations, ladies. More detailed information regarding the Senior Slams may be found at www.neseniortennis.org/NESlams.htm.


Two More NE Players Receive Gold Ballsby Winning National Tournaments

Judy Smith of Brookline, MA, won the women’s 75 Grass National held in Philadelphia in late July. Her partner was Roz King from California. They were unseeded, so scored an upset over the seeded teams. More recently, Henry Tiberio managed to win two gold balls at the 90’s Grass National at Longwood Cricket Club in late August. In the singles, he defeated first seed Robert Sherman in three tough sets in the semis, and then went on to win the finals, 6-2, 6-1, over second seed W. Mathes. In doubles, there were three teams and they played round-robin. Henry and partner Steve Parson won two of three matches to win, and thus win two gold balls in the same tournament. Congratulations to both Judy and Henry for a great achievement!

John Kielty We all thought we knew senior mixed doubles player John Kielty, a ranking New Englander at least since 1986, until he showed up in The Boston Globe this past March wearing ski equipment! Turns out he’s been racing down mountains winters instead of heading for Florida along with many other New England tennis enthusiasts. John revealed that he’s skied all his life (which may explain why he’s so agile on the court).

John Kielty, 84, shown after a downhill race, recalled that his first pair of hickory skis were strapped to his street shoes.


The team before play started.Continued on page 25

2012 Atlantic Coast 45’sby Wade Frame

The 32nd annual Pauline Betz Addie Cup competition was held recently at theLongwood Cricket Club in Brookline, Mass., May 30 and June 1.

It’s early spring, and time to get everything in order for the 2013 Atlantic Coast 45’s. This inter-sectional match features teams from New England, Eastern, Middle States, and Mid-Atlantic sections. A round-robin format is used and has each team playing four singles and three doubles matches against each of the other sections. Mid-Atlantic is the host section and the matches will be held on Har-tru courts at split sites at the Columbia and Woodmont Country Clubs. It's great to be back on clay after having to go indoors for the past two years at the Middle States and Eastern sites. Hosting teams are usually able to put together tough teams, and we are scheduled to start play against host Mid-Atlantic at Columbia Saturday morning, and then face off against Middle States in the afternoon at Woodmont. We’ll finish on Sunday morning against Eastern, the 2011 AC45 winner. New England’s travel team is looking good at 11 players, with nine returnees and two rookies. Heading up the singles ranks are David MacBurnie, Bill Mountford, Dave Cox, Anthony Ditulio, and Phil Kadesch – who will also play a doubles match. With decades of doubles experience, we have three long-standing teams of Jon Bates and Harlan Stone, Scott Snow and Mike Kolendo, and Chris Holmes and Wade Frame. Saturday morning's match starts with a change as we are to play at Woodmont instead of Colum-bia. We’re ready to go with our No. 1 lineup when we find there is another change – we’ll play Middle States, not the home team from Mid-Atlantic. After a bit of lineup juggling, we’re ready to go. David MacBurnie at 1st singles, followed by Bill Mountford, Dave Cox, and Anthony Ditulio; at 1st doubles, Stone and Bates; 2nd, Kadesch and Frame, and Kolendo and Snow at 3rd. New England gets off to a quick start winning both 1st and 3rd doubles in straight sets. These wins are offset as Middle States takes straight-set wins over Cox and Ditulio at 3rd and 4th singles. Bill Mountford plays a strong match to take second singles 6-2, 6-2. Kadesch and Frame take the 1st set from Al Hernandez and

Brad Werner at 2nd doubles, but drop the 2nd set when Frame’s serve heads south. The serving troubles continue through the 3rd set and even Phil’s great play can’t turn it around. Middle States wins to tie the match at 3-3. David Mac is playing a very tough Jim Kohr. While Jim dominates the first set 6-3, and Mac fights back to take the second set in a tight tiebreaker. It’s a tough set and costs him an injured back. Battling a rejuve-nated Kohr, dry and


Irving Levine Winnerof the USTA 2013 Senior Service Award

by Richard Heath Irving Levine, my longtime friend and benefactor of many different tennis activities here in New England, was awarded the highest USTA National award for doing so many good things for tennis here in the USA. This event was on the 17th of March during the USTA’s annual meeting in Weston, Florida. Back in the year 1996 William Powers and Jack England asked Irving to meet with them to discuss the idea starting an organization that would be helpful to senior tennis here in New England. Irving liked the idea and was happy to give a generous sum of money for the start-up of the New England Senior Tennis Foundation. This arrangement has been active since the start in 1996, and has assisted many different senior events here in New England. One of the outstanding events has been the New England Senior Slams played on three different surfaces: hard courts at New Haven, Ct.; clay courts at Concord, Mass. and Beverly, Mass; and grass courts at Newport, RI. These events came about because of the hard work of Ken and Dorcas Miller, board members of the NESTF. The NESTF has backed them all the way. The enclosed photograph is of one of the past annual awards gathering at the Newport Hall of Fame courts for tennis players ranked No. 1 in their age brackets. If you look closely you will see Irving talking to his longtime partner Henry Tiberio. Irving has been No. 1 in many different brackets. This article is written by Rich Heath, longtime friend of Irving Levine, who has been very active in running tournaments and helping out with various tennis activities for the past 59 years here in New England.


How Important is anOlympic Gold Medal in Tennis?

By Paul Fein What is more treasured: a Grand Slam title or an Olympic gold medal? When tennis returned to the Olympic Games as a medal sport in 1988 after a 64-year hiatus, posing this question was unimaginable. Cynics and critics, including the esteemed writer-broadcaster Bud Collins, then contended tennis didn’t need the Olympics and the Olympics didn’t need tennis. In 1994, Cliff Drysdale, a TV commenta-tor and former US Open finalist, told Tennis magazine: “Those who advocate for Olympic tennis believe it’s an idea whose time has come. In fact, it’s an idea whose time has passed.” They couldn’t be more wrong. In a 1982 World Tennis magazine editorial, International Tennis Fed-eration secretary David Gray provided four compelling reasons for readmitting tennis: “The universality of the sport, the growth of participation and public interest, our history (Baron de Coubertin had regard-ed us as suitable for the first modern Olympics in 1896), and the simplicity of our requirements.” There will always be skeptics and bitter-enders. As recently as 2004, all-time great Rod Laver told Tennis magazine, “I just think tennis doesn’t lend itself to being an Olympic sport. To me, the Olympics is track and field.” But the overwhelming support and enthusiasm of players, fans, sponsors and media for tennis in the Olympic Games is now a happy fact of life, not a subject for debate. John McEnroe, a 1980s champion and now a leading TV analyst, recalled, “When Andre Agassi won his gold medal in 1996 and stood oh so proud with that USA on his back, other players started thinking: ‘Maybe it’s a good thing if we play this; maybe pros in the Olympics makes sense.’ In the beginning more than 50 percent of the top [men] players didn’t play. After Andre won it, more and more of the top players played each subsequent Olympics.” The fields have grown steadily stronger since 1988 and now equal those at Grand Slam events. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the singles competitions featured 17 of the top 20 men, and 18 of the top 20 women, with all of the top five men in attendance. The only top 20 women missing at the London Games were Kaia Kanepi and Andrea Petkovic, both injured, and Marion Bartoli because of her refusal to accept any coach other than her father. All of the top 10 men, except injured Rafael Nadal, competed. Nadal, the 2008 singles gold medalist, called his withdrawal, “one of the saddest days of my career.” When Russian veteran Elena Dementieva captured the singles gold medal at Beijing, she stressed it meant much more to her than winning a major title would have. The tears of joy Roger Federer shed after he and Swiss compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka took the doubles gold medal in Beijing were so poignant that IOC President Jacques Rogge said it was one moment he would never forget. Grabbing his 17th major title at Wimbledon gratified The Mighty Fed and silenced his critics, but he failed for the fourth straight Olympics to win a singles gold medal, the only prestigious prize that has eluded him. Although Federer now owns a singles silver medal, he remains in the club of “greatest players never to win a singles gold medal,” which includes Pete Sampras, Martina Navratilova, Ivan Lendl, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, Novak Djokovic, Martina Hingis, and Maria Sharapova. When Djokovic was asked early in the London Games what a gold medal would mean to him, he replied, “It would be prob-ably right up there with all the Grand Slams that I won because I’m playing here for my country.” Like Federer, the Serb was thwarted by surprise gold medalist Andy Murray. Although a gold medal won this century keeps increasing in value, it’s fair to say not all Grand Slam tournaments are valued equally. While some players may cherish a Wimbledon title more than an Olym-pics gold, far fewer would take an Australian title over a gold medal. Opinions vary about the French and US Opens. Specifically, Europeans consider Paris more prestigious than Flushing Meadows, but Americans would disagree. What isn’t debatable is that gold medals possess such great value partly because they are rare – 16 major titles are contested for every Olympics. Top 50 players may get three


chances in their careers-if they’re healthy and are selected. “The Olympics is a tremendous address for tennis, and contributed greatly to the surge of importance and respect for the sport in countries like China and Russia,” points out respected tennis and Olympic Games analyst Mary Carillo. “I remember [1950s champion] Tony Trabert – an old-school man in so many ways – who said of the inclusion of tennis in the Olympics, “I think it’s a great thing. I’d have loved to play for my country in the Olympics. Who wouldn’t?" National pride also factors heavily in the equation for many players, tennis associations, fervent me-dia and patriotic fans. When No. 133-ranked Jie Zheng stunned everyone by making the 2008 Wimble-don semifinals, the headline in a Chinese newspaper read: “Wimbledon semifinal greatly enhances your Olympics preparation.” Put differently, the message was: Nice going, Jie Zheng, but what really matters is the Beijing Games and we expect you to excel there. The WTA and ATP Tours have some catching up and explaining to do. The WTA Tour awards only an insulting and unfair 685 and 470 ranking points to gold and silver medalists, respectively, compared to 2,000 and 1,400 ranking points for the champion and finalist, respectively, at Grand Slam events. The ATP Tour isn’t much better, awarding 750 points for the gold, but even fewer, 450 points, for the silver. “Toronto [Rogers Cup] is worth more points [1,000 for the winner] than the Olympics. That’s what’s bizarre,” rightly criticized McEnroe. “I don’t know why the Olympics aren’t as important now in terms of ranking points as a major. If you only play the Olympics once every four years, how in the world is it less important than 14 other tournaments – not just the four majors, but also 10 other tournaments?” After falling to Federer in the Wimbledon final and disappointing British fans again, world No. 4 Murray said he was “desperate” to win an Olympics gold medal at the All England Club. “I think a gold medal is the pinnacle of every sport. Novak Djokovic won a bronze medal at the last Olympics and was in tears,” asserted Murray. More relaxed, confident and aggressive than ever in big matches, Murray reached that pinnacle by edging Djokovic 7-5, 7-5 in the semis and outclassing favored Federer 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 for the gold medal. When American twins Bob and Mike Bryan, winners of 11 major doubles titles, defeated Frenchmen Michael Llodra and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to capture the doubles gold medal and complete a career Grand Slam, Bob said, “This is the biggest win of our career right here. It’s unbelievable.” Before the London Games, Serena Williams said the gold medal she won playing doubles with her sister Venus at the Sydney Olympic is “my favorite thing I have” and the only award she shows off to friends. After trouncing Sharapova 6-0, 6-1 for the gold, ecstatic Serena jumped several times in joy, did a little dance and gushed, “Winning Wimbledon is the best feeling in the world. Now that I won the gold medal, I didn’t think it could get better than winning Wimbledon.” That the premier women from Steffi Graf in 1988 to Serena in 2012 have won the gold medal “shows you the importance of tennis to the Olympics and the players,” pointed out topnotch NBC analyst and former Australian doubles standout Rennae Stubbs. “Tennis is becoming more and more im-portant every single Olympic Games.” Adds Carillo: “Staging the Olympics here [at Wimbledon], the greatest venue in tennis, has added so much more luster.” How important is a tennis gold medal? Andre Agassi, who boasts a career Grand Slam and a gold medal at the Atlanta Games, summed it up best: “To win a Grand Slam [title] is the greatest thing in the sport, but to win an Olympic is the biggest thing you can do in all sports.”


Jerry Johnson’s New Book of PoetryHas Been Published

by Dick Ernst Since 2001, Jerry Johnson has been one of the Bulletin’s most prolific writers. He has contributed almost 50 tennis sto-ries and poems. He recently published Up the Creek Without a Saddle, a book which took him eight years to complete. It con-tains 99 poems and his artwork on 150-plus pages. Jerry has assured me that at least two of the poems are tennis poems! Sixteen of the poems were set to music by Jon Gailmor and Pete Sutherland, two of Vermont’s most beloved troubadours. A CD of their songs accompanies the book for free when people order on Jerry’s web-site. Up the Creek Without a Saddle has received high praise from noted Vermont writers:

“What comes shining through from Jerry Johnson’s touching new collection of poems is his great love of northern Vermont’s weather, seasons, animals, trees and wildflowers, farms and villages, mountains and rivers, and, most of all, independent spirit. Jerry’s poems and the music of Jon Gailmor and Pete Sutherland are a lyrical celebration of the ‘Vermont Tradition’ at its best.” – Howard Mosher, award-winning author

“Jerry Johnson has the true songwriter’s gift: his lyr-ics seem so simple, but that’s a deception. The more one listens – and the tunes are brilliantly served by the excel-lent Jon Gailmor and Pete Sutherland - the deeper they get. What a pleasure this album is!” – Sydney Lea, Poet Laureate of Vermont

“Who needs therapy lights and energy drinks when you can read Up the Creek Without a Saddle? Jerry’s bareback collection is a good ride – a kind-hearted and optimistic antidote to so much dark elegy being written today. One by one, the poems lift the spirit. As a whole, it’s an album to savor all year round.” – John Fusco, screenwriter/novelist

For information and to order visit <http://www.vtpoet.com/> www.VTPOET.com. Buy one for yourself and one for friends or family!


Ann Murphy and DaughterKim Murphy-Francis Win Gold Ball

at National Mother/Daughter Tournament Ann won the Super Senior Grass Court Mother/Daughter for the second straight year with her daughter Kim Murphy-Francis at Longwood Cricket Club in Brookline, MA, on August 12-15. There were five teams entered and the draw was set up in a round-robin format. In the first match they defeated Kathy Powers and Elaine Cosseboom 6-4, 6-3. In the second they defeated Judy Bland and Kristin Fusco 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, and in the third match they defeated Julie and Jen Roth from Illinois 3-6, 6-3, 7-5. Their last match, against Nancy Stoller and Amy Gorden from Florida, was won by default after the results were already determined: the Murphy’s won the gold, the Roth’s won the silver, and the Bland’s won the playoff against the Powers for the bronze. Ann and Kim got some practice together before the nationals by playing in 50 women’s doubles at the Walter Rapp tournament (Hartford Tennis Club) in late July where they won. Ann played way down in the age group to win this!

The “Ball” winners: l - r: Kristen Fusco, Judy Bland (bronze ball), Kim Murphy-Francis, Ann Murphy (gold ball), Kathleen Power, Elaine Cosseboom (silver ball).


You Answer the Question: What Kind of Year Did You Have?Enclosed is a moronic, mish-mash of Dick Mount’s miscellaneous minutiae –

stupid stats and statistics (not tennis) are from Dec. 1, 2011 until Nov. 30, 2012!

No. of different license plates seen with the letter “Q” 179No. of jars of sweet gherkin pickles consumed 6Walks around Brookline’s Reservoir Park (one mile) 449Lifted my five pound hand weights 11,150Rounds putted on Coral Beach & Tennis Club’s 18 hole green 95No. of “unlucky bananas” eaten 283Times I wore my tuxedo (left at C.B. & T.C. – no longer fits) 1No. of haircuts (Chestnut Hill Hair Co.) 12No. of basketball games watched/attended in entirety 68/18Points scored in those basketball games 10,150Books read (best Kill Shot by Vince Flynn) 10Wheelbarrows of stuff removed from Quincy Tennis Club 352Alcoholic drinks (mostly scotch old-fashions by Maurice) 81Crossword puzzles successfully completed 469Palindromic license plates seen (best QQQQQ - Mass.) 75Miles riding stationary bike at Badminton & Tennis Club 765Calories lost while riding that bike 10,255Tennis games played that did not end in a completed set 231Movies seen (best: Bridge on the River Kwai) 45Record of Brooklyn High School Girl’s Tennis Team (W/L) 18/3My 16 year record with B.H.S. Girl’s Tennis Team 228-71Surgical procedure (right shoulder – rotator cuff) 1Sudoku puzzles successfully completed 988Hits on the Badminton & Tennis Club’s backboard 38,400Completion of license plate game (se A to Z in order) 238Tie-Breaker record for the year (W/L) 8/4Football games watched in their entirety 52Ended my consecutive Yale/Dartmouth football games seen at 62My Tennis record in Gstaad, Switzerland (W/L) 5/7No. of times I was losing to 7-year-old Ana Driscoll 1

Per usual: My eleventh month Tennis record (W/L) 67-54Winning percentage (lowest ever) Age? or Shoulder? 55.3%

Senior Tennis 2013 – 1518 – Senior Tennis 2006

CHONDROMALACIA PATELLAby Jack D. Goldstein, M.D.Member of the AmericanArthroscopy Association

GENERALThe word “chondromalacia” means cartilage (chron ic)

soft en ing (malacia). This may occur in any joint but is com mon ly used to describe sur face changes of the knee cap (patella). The term truly describes cartilage changes seen mi cro scop i cal ly, but has been generalized to en com pass the clinical con di tion.

The patella, or knee cap, is an oblong bone which is em- bed ded within the ex ten sor tendon of the knee. The pa tel la, increases the leverage of the extensor muscles (quad ri ceps) and acts also as a pulley, around the femoral groove. Both the patella and the femoral groove which it contacts, have smooth cartilage sur fac es lubricated by snyovial fl u id (joint oil). The cartilage also absorbs enor mous loads dur ing daily activities. Walk ing on level ground ex erts a con tact force of one-half body weight. Climbing stairs in creas es the force to three times body weight. Aris ing from a squat can generate pa tel lar forc es up to eight times body weight.

Chondromalacia may occur as a result of a di rect blow to the patella, frac ture or dislocation, or more com mon ly, over a period of years because of wear and tear. This oc curs be-cause of overuse, cou pled with an a tom ic malalign-ment and sup port ing soft tissue im bal ance. The ana-tomic fac tors re spon si ble for align ment and pa tel la track ing are: tibiofemoral angle (knock-knee or bow-leg), tibiofemoral rotatory align ment, patellar and pa tel lar and fem o ral groove shape and congruity and cap sules and mus- cu lar balance. In general, “maltracking” from any cause ex- poses the cartilage of pa tel la and femur to lo cal ized ex ces sive load and ac cel er at ed wear. The con di tion is more com mon in women and is fre quent ly seen during ad o les cence. It is often as so ci at ed with activities which induce high pa tel la femoral loads such as hill climb ing, cross-coun try run ning, jumping, and squat ting.

SYMPTOMSSymptoms are fairly nonspecifi c but the history is rel-

a tive ly diagnostic. Pain is general dull, aching and gen er -al ized to the “front” of the knee. Pain occurs with, or more com mon ly, hours or days after aggravating ac tiv i ties. There is of ten mild swelling noted after ag gra vat ing activities. Crack ing, popping or grating is both palpable and at times audible when fl exing and ex tend ing the knee. Prolonged sitting often results in aching and stiffness. The pain is experienced in bone which feels abnormally high pressure against it. The con se quence of abnormal pressure is ac cel -er at ed wear. The debris gen er at ed lads to infl ammation, swelling and pain.

DIAGNOSISDiagnosis is certain by direct visualization. No one test

is di ag nos tic; however, careful examination and eval u a tion re sults in high diagnostic accuracy. Plain X-ray ex am i- na tion is often sug ges tive and sometimes diagnostic of malalignment or ab nor mal wear. Spe cial ized exam such as CT scan or MRI are gen er al ly not indicated ex cept in

instances where oth er pa thol o gy is sus pect ed. Although chon dro -ma l a cia is an ear ly form of ar thri tis, it rare ly re sults in severe dis- abling symp toms, and has no re la tion ship to gen er al ized arthritis. Typ i cal ly, the pa tient ex pe ri enc es ups and downs in symp toms re lat ed to their ac tiv i ties.

TREATMENTTreatment is aimed at reducing the reg u lar i ty and severity of

symp toms. This may be ac com plished by avoid ing or mod i fy ing ag gra vat ing activities. Over time, the patella and fem o ral sur fac es will then smooth out the rough areas. An ex er cise pro gram which strength ens the quad ri ceps muscles (ex ten sors) and stretch es the ham strings helps to balance the forces hold ing the pa tel la cen tral in the femoral groove. A strong quad ri ceps also dampens forc es the surface car ti lage sees by ab sorb ing more energy of ac cel er a tion and de cel er a tion. Short-arc ex ten sion ex er cis es es pe cial ly lay ing partly to ward the af fect ed side, and straight leg raising also in this po si tion, are help ful ear ly ex er cis es. Stairmaster (with rap id steps), mini-squats, bi cy cle with light load and the seat raised high, and

pull ing your self in a rolling desk chair by your feet on the ground, are helpful ex er cis es. Ic ing the knee for 20 min utes after ag- gra vat ing ac tiv i ties and short courses of aspirin or other anti-in flam -ma to ry med i ca tions may be ben e fi cial. A pa tel la “brace” or sleeve may aid

symptoms of mild “maltracking.’ Swim ming and cycling (straight line ex er cis es) are best tolerated, but the guide to activity should be pain and swell ing.

SURGERYSurgery is considered only after refractory conservative man-

age ment. This may consist of arthroscopic release of the lateral knee capsule or more extensive realignment in the case of sig- nifi cant maltracking. In rare instances, removal of the patella is nec es sary to alleviate symptoms of severe arthritis. This is a last re sort, but in the patient with total cartilage loss, the increase in function and the de crease in pain can be dramatic.

REHABILITATIONRehabilitation is very dependent on the procedure necessary.

Arthroscopic lateral release (dividing the lateral knee capsule) al though simple and quick to perform, requires a long period of re ha bil i ta tion to regain strength of the extensor mechanism and improve stability. Swelling of the knee, especially after activi-ties which load the extensor mechanism, may take 4 months to re solve. More ex ten sive realignment procedures which move the patellar tendon site of attachment, require healing of the bone at tach ment site as well as soft tissue healing. Here improvement may be expected for 4 to 6 months post operatively. Much of the necessary rehabilitation may be un der tak en on a home program of therapy or at a gym facility, once the required exercise program is familiar and progress is made to a safe and comfortable point after surgery.

Compliments of: Center for Sports Medicine, Orthopaedics and Podiatry129 School St. Pawtucket, RI 02860 (401) 729-9400

sportsmedcenter.com

Board Certifi ed by the AmericanAcademy of Orthopaedic Surgery

Fellowship Trained in OrthopaedicSports Medicine


Could You Have a Jeremy Lin Knee?A Torn Meniscus Can Go Unnoticed, 42% of Older Men Have Some Damage

By Melinda Beck Of the more than 7,500 parts in the human body, the knee’s meniscus may be the most vulnerable. The crescent-shaped cushions of rubbery cartilage – two in each knee – act as shock absorbers as people walk, run, pivot and bend. Sudden stops and twisting motions can cause the meniscus to rip or experience a more gradual tear. Jeremy Lin is the latest pro athlete to fall victim. The popular New York Knicks point guard will have surgery this week on a small, chronic tear in his left knee and miss the rest of the season, the team announced Saturday. Last month, Red Bulls power forward Juan Agudelo, Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones and Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez all had meniscus surgery. Many skiers, cyclists, joggers, golfers and other weekend warriors also damage their menisci, as do a growing number of teens and adolescents who play sports. It isn’t just athletes who are at risk. Cartilage weakens and frays naturally with age, so older people can tear a meniscus just walking or rising from a chair. Excess weight also places extra weight also places extra stress on joints and wears down cartilage faster. “A lot of tear are due to chronic degeneration,” says Frederick Azar, chief of staff a the Campbell Clinic in Germantown, Tenn., and a spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, or AAOS. “People may attribute them to a sudden movement, but usually the trouble has been brewing for a long time.” Not surprisingly, knee injuries are rising with the aging population and the obesity epidemic. More than four million Americans visited physicians for meniscus tears in 2009, more than double the number of 2000, according to the AAOS. Not every torn meniscus needs to be fixed. In a landmark study in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2008, researchers randomly selected 991 people aged 50 to 90 to undergo MRIs of the right knee. Overall, 30% of the women and 42% of the men were found to have a tear or other meniscus dam-age. Of those, 61% said they hadn’t experienced any pain or disability in the knee during the previous month, meaning a torn meniscus can often go unnoticed. That’s why orthopedists often say, “Treat the patient, not the MRI.” Surgery is usually recommended in the case of a sudden, severe meniscus tear or in a young athlete with a long playing career ahead. Surgery is also warranted if the knee makes a “popping” or “clicking” sound or catches when bending, which often means that a piece of meniscus has come loose inside the joint. But if the tear is the result of long-term degeneration and osteoarthritis has set in, several studies show that patients do just as well with physical therapy as they do with surgery. “If the MRI shows a meniscus tear, but the patient isn’t experiencing catching or locking [and] their X-rays show early arthritis, I don’t think they’d be a surgical candidate,” says Michael Stuart, professor of orthopedics at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. “But we would help with their pain. We’d suggest weight loss, activity modification, anti-activity modification, anti-inflammatory medications, maybe an injection of a local anesthetic and orthotics in their shoes.” Much also depends on the size and location of the tear. While surgeons can suture a small tear on the periphery of the meniscus, the inner portion of the meniscus doesn’t have its own blood supply, so repairs there seldom heal. Surgeons remove the damaged portion instead. As late as 1971, surgeons frequently removed the entire meniscus if part of it was damaged. Now they leave as much of the meniscus in place as possible. Nearly 700,000 such “partial meniscectomies” were performed in 2006, usually with arthroscopy, in which surgeons using tiny incisions and a lighted scope that lets them both see and sculpt the tissue.


Many patients report significant relief from the procedure, which is usually done on an outpatient basis. “I wish I’d had the surgery sooner,” says Haralee Weintraub of Portland, Ore., who hurt her right knee skiing and put up with pain for 10 years before she had the procedure in 2003 at age 50. But having only a partial meniscus does alter the way the knee joint handles body movement and raises the risk of osteoarthritis later. Whether that’s inevitable depends on the patient’s age, health, genes and activity levels. Physical therapy and strength training before and after the surgery can be crucial. But patients are often told to avoid high-impact sports, or they run the risk of needing a knee replacement later. By the time he was 18, Anthony Baldinelli had torn his menisci thee times playing soccer and had much of the cartilage removed. Now he gets a flare-up of arthritis when he plays sports more than once a week. Doctor want to avoid a knee replacement because he’s only 23. “On X-rays, my right knee looks like an old man’s,” says Mr. Baldinelli, a publicist in Raleigh, N.C.

In a 2008 study, 991 people aged 50 to 90 underwent MRIs of the right knee.Of those: 30% of the women had tears or other meniscus damage

42% of the men had tears or other meniscus damageSource: New England Journal of Medicine.

When a meniscus tear is very large or complex, a transplant may be an option. The tissue is taken from cadavers that have been frozen and screened for infections. The risk of rejection is minimal with cartilage; matches are based on size instead. Follow-up studies have found that about 80% of transplant recipients find significant pain relief. But the donor meniscus isn’t as good as an original. “After about 10 years, 40% of them will have torn and require additional surgery or partial or total removal,” says Dr. Stuart. Mike Schwartz, 43, who runs an Internet apparel company in Santa Monica, Calif., damaged his knees as a gymnast in his teens and had a meniscus transplant in 2007. He is grateful that his knee no longer swells up easily, but is still stiff and sore if he leaves it unbent too long. “My knee still pretty much hurts all the time,” he says. In many cases, physical therapy can stave off the need for meniscus surgery for a few years – or indefinitely. The training strengthens and retrains leg muscles to put less strain on damaged tissue. Some clinics are trying a variety of techniques aimed at coaxing the body to heal itself, with or with-out surgery. Injections of platelet-rich plasma, or PRP, are popular among pro athletes. Doctors withdraw several ounces of the patient’s own blood, spin it and separate out the platelets, which secrete natural growth factors, then inject them back into the site of injury, where they theoretically stimulate healing. But thee have been few randomized trials to date and results have been mixed. Injections of hyaluronic acid – originally derived from the combs of roosters – can lubricate knee joint and stave off surgery in some cases. Patricia Lorenz, 66, of Clearwater, FL., who tore her menis-cus “traipsing all over Europe” in 2000, was scheduled for knee-replacement surgery in January when a sports-medicine doctor gave her a cortisone shot and three injections of rooster cartilage. “The pain went away immediately,” says Ms. Lorenz, an author and speaker. “He says it will last six to 12 months and then I can get three more shots.” Researchers are hoping to develop steam-cell therapies to repair damaged meniscus tissue. Others are engineering biodegradable scaffoldings that could serve as a matrix for growing a new meniscus in-side patients’ knees. Until then, orthopedists advise patients to treat their knees with respect and assume they are the only two they will get.


The Affliction of Athletes – and Couch PotatoesCOMMON TYPES OF MENISCAL TEARSThe size and location of the tear affect the treatment. The outer rim of the meniscus has a rich blood supply, so a tear there can often be surgically repaired or may heal on its own. The inner two-thirds of the meniscus lacks a blood supply, so tears in this area don’t heal. Surgeons may trim way the damaged cartilage instead, especially if a piece pulls away and blocks the knee’s ability to bend.

The meniscus is a crescent-shaped ad of cartilage that acts as a shock absorber in the knee. Each knee has two.

JEREMY LIN of the New York Knicks will miss the rest of the NBA sea-son to recover from a torn meniscus.

Preventive Stepsu Maintain a healthy weight. Men with a body mass index (BMI) over 27 and women with a BMI over 25 have triple the risk of a torn meniscus.u Exercise regularly to strengthen hamstrings, quadriceps and calf muscles.u Warm up and stretch before sports or strenuous activities.u Let muscles rest and recover between activities.u Wear proper footwear for your spots and activity surface; keep laces tight.u Learn proper techniques for landing, cutting, pivoting and shopping.

Source: American Journal of Preventive Medicine 2005 WSJ reporting.

Red Bulls forward JUAN AGUDELO tore his meniscus in a game on March 24.

t

Atlanta Braves third baseman CHIPPER JONES injured his knee when he slipped during a pregame stretching session.

t

CHEZ REAVIE had reconstructive surgery on his knee for a torn ACL and meniscus.

t


A Tradition to Celebrate: The Friendship Cup By Richard Jakiel

As one of New England’s longest running tournaments - and only international tournament – the Friendship Cup is a tradition to celebrate. Started more than 40 years ago, the Friendship Cup is a premier annual senior tennis tournament that has both a rich history and successful story of establishing international camaraderie both on and off the court. The tradition started back in 1967 when Walter Foeger of Vermont was looking to establish competitive senior tennis play in alliance with the New England Lawn Tennis Association

(NELTA), now USTA New England. He contacted George Barta of the Canadian Senior Division and the Friendship Cup was created. The ball has been in play ever since. Foeger, an Austrian Native, was a former member of the Austrian Davis Cup team. Foeger arrived in the United States in 1956 to take leadership of the ski program at Jay Peak Resort located in Jay, VT. In doing so, he was also to carry on his passion for tennis. Foeger was a competitive tournament player capturing many titles including eight Vermont State championships. After participating in the tournament for several years, Foeger returned to his native Austria and took over the reins of the Austrian Tennis Association. Walter Foeger passed away in 2007 at the age of ninety. Irving Levine, co-founder of the New England Senior Tennis Foundation, was one of the original members. Today, at the age of ninety, Levine visibly and keenly recalls the details of the first few years of the tournament. In 1967, the first Friendship Cup was played on three courts at the Jay Peak Resort in Vermont. Hosting the Canadians, New England’s team consisted of no more than a dozen players. They turned out victorious in humble fashion. When asked what the Friendship Cup means to him, Levine says, “The very beginning was the most memorable, the places, the atmosphere, the competition. That is what made you want to participate year after year.” Levine especially looked forward to the banquet every Saturday evening of the tournament where the players exchanged gifts and stories. The Friendship Cup has prospered well over the decades. At the very start of the tournament there was only a 45’s men’s bracket with a select few players. Throughout the years the tournament evolved to hold a men’s 45’s, 55’s, 65’s and 75’s with a 32 man roster. The addition of the women’s category came in 1980. At first it only held a 15 women roster, now has advanced to a 20 women roster with five age divisions: 40’s, 50’s, 55’s, 65’s and 70’s. The format of the tournament is both singles and doubles with 32 singles and 16 doubles matches. Each match gives the respective victors’ team a point. This format is the same for men and women competition. According to the initial guidelines established in 1967, the tournament changes the host country every year. The latest tournament, in June of 2012, was played at Mont Tremblant Ski Resort Quebec, Canada. While traveling between the two countries, the Friendship Cup has left footprints in the United States


at the original starting point at Jay Peak Resort, Sugarbush Resort in Vermont, and also at Mount Royal Club of Montreal. In 2011, the tournament was played at Waterville Valley Resort, Waterville, New Hampshire. Levine’s long time friend and doubles partner of the Friendship Cup (and also an original 1967 team member), Henry Tiberio says the travel and host location has been one of the tournament's key success factors. “The travel was always something special, we just loved doing it. It’s fun going there and having them here,” said Tiberio – who just celebrated his 90th birthday. Neither Levine nor Tiberio play in the tournament anymore, but they continue to be active through their support of the game. Levine added, “If there were an opponent for me in the 90’s bracket, I would still be playing.” The tradition continues on through current captain Ken Moulton and his teammates. He expresses the same passion for the Cup as Levine and Tiberio have all these years. Moulton’s favorite recent memory is New England’s 2012 victory over Quebec. “We were down 17 to 15 and needed 10 of the 16 doubles matches to retain the Cup. It all came down to a 3rd set match that Joe Bouquin and Peter McPartland won 7-5 over Quebec's captain Michel Dagenais and partner. Team New England won a marginal victory of 25 to 23,” explained Moulton. “The competition is clearly still as good as it was.” Teammate and president of the New England Senior Tennis Foundation, Peter Allen, says the Friendship Cup is a reflection of what tennis means to life-long players. “You really look forward to the reunion year after year as much as you do the competition. You see an 85 percent return rate every year. That number alone speaks for itself." To learn more about the Friendship Cup, visit the New England Senior Tennis Foundation website.

Continued from page 19 (Friendship Cup)


Art Larsen, 87, Tennis StarKnown for Wins and Tics

By Bruce Weber Art Larsen, a national tennis champion whose career was marked by eccentricity and cut short by a motor scooter accident that nearly killed him, died on Dec. 7 in San Leandro, Calif. He was 87. His death was reported on the website of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and Museum. With a solid if not overly powerful left-handed serve, reliable ground strokes, excellent foot speed and quick hands at the net, Larsen was the top-ranked player in the country in 1950, when he won the United States National Championship, the precursor to the United States Open, in Forest Hills, Queens, defeating Herbert Flam in a five-set final. In 1954, he lost to Tony Trabert in straight sets in the final of the French Open. He also won United States Indoor, United States Hard Court and United States Clay Court titles. In 1955, he was ranked No. 3 in the country.

A champion who spoke to an imaginary bird on his shoulder.

More than for his victories, however, Larsen was known for his personality quirks. On side changes during a match, his routine included stepping on certain lines and avoiding others. He sometimes addressed an imaginary bird on his shoulder, and he was widely known as Tappy because of his superstitious habit, perhaps a compulsion, of tapping people and things a given number of times on given days. “Every day was a onesie day, or a fivesie day – that’s what he called them – and if he hap-pened to run into you on, say, a threesie day, he’d tap you three times,” Dick Savitt, the 1951 Wimbledon champion, said in an interview this week. Savitt also recalled that Larsen was not an ascetic athlete. A smoker, a drinker and a party-goer, he earned his success in spite of his disdain for training. “That’s the understatement of a lifetime, Savitt said. “I don’t think he knew what the word ‘training’ was, but he was in great shape. He was thin and he could play all day.” Savitt, who lost to Larsen in the semifinals of the 1950 United States Championship and beat him at Wimbledon in 1951, had a long history of playing against him, beginning with the national collegiate tournament in 1947. “The first time I met him, he came on the court wearing long pants with his pockets bulging with cigarettes and keys and things,” Savitt said. “He thought he had a lucky eagle following him; he’d always be looking behind him to see if the eagle was there. One day at Wimbledon, a bird flew on the court, and it stayed there for a while, and then it started to fly off, and in the middle of a point, he threw his racket at the bird.” On Nov. 10, 1956, Larsen lost control of his Italian motor scooter on a northern California highway, an accident that sent him into a coma for three weeks, eventually cost him the sight in his left eye and left him partly paralyzed. Two months later, in a much publicized event, Savitt and other tennis players, including Don Budge, held a benefit tennis match to raise money for Larsen’s medical bills. He never competed on the tennis court again. Larsen was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame in 1969. Arthur David Larsen was born in Hayward, Calif., on the east side of the San Francisco


Art Larsen at Wimbledon in 1950, the year he won the U.S. title.

Bay, on April 17, 1925, and grew up in nearby San Leandro. According to San Leandro Bytes, a news Web site, he began playing tennis at 11 and won a tournament at the Olympic Club in San Francisco when he was 14. After the high school, he fought in World War II, and the trauma of that experience is sometimes offered as an explanation for the tics and peculiarities he evinced afterward. After the war, he played tennis for the University of San Francisco, which won the national championship in 1949. Survivors include his companion, Aline Mestas, and a sister, Joyce A. Stengel. “He was a very amusing sort of guy,” Gardnar Mulloy, Larsen’s former doubles partner, said last week. “It was easy to play jokes on him because he’d believe everything. Just point out some beautiful woman and say she said she’s frantically in love with him: ‘Just go up to her and ask her if she wants to make out.’ A couple of times, he got slapped.”


Gussie Moran-a Tennis Star Who Wore a Daring Wimbledon Outfit-Dies at 89

By Lena Williams Gussie Moran, who as a ranked American tennis player in 1949, caused an international stir and gained worldwide fame for competing at Wimbledon wearing a short shirt and lace-trimmed underwear, died at her home in Los Angeles. She was 89. She had recently been hospitalized with cancer, Jack Neworth, a tennis writer and friend, said. Moran’s daring tennis outfit worn in a bastion of English propriety won her more renown than her tennis playing, though she was ranked as high as No. 4 in the United States, won the United States women’s indoor championship in 1949 and reached the quarterfinals that year at Wimbledon. By the end of her life she had come to know hardship – bouncing from job to job, living in near squalor, telling of abortions and rape. At her death she lived in a small apartment. But for a time, more than half a century ago, she was a household name around the world. A racehorse, an airplane and a sauce were named after her. Moran, who was 25 at the time, arrived in London for Wimbledon in June 1949 with a new outfit in mind, having already reached out to the British designer Teddy Tinling to create one. “I wrote him a letter prior to Wimbledon, asking him if he would design me something with one sleeve one color, the other sleeve another color and the shirt another color,” Moran told The Orlando Sentinel in 1988. “He wrote back, ‘Have You Lost Your Mind?’” Tinling, a former tennis player and for many years the official Wimbledon host, told The Associated Press during the tournament that Moran had asked him to make her “look more feminine.” Sticking to Wimbledon’s all-white dress code, Tinling came up with a white silk sun-top jersey with a tight waist and bodice and a short skirt that boldly bared her knees. Underneath were matching white silk jersey panties trimmed with two inches of open lace. Moran displayed her outfit during a pretournament tea party at the Hurlingham Club, instantly in-spiring a nickname, “Gorgeous Gussie’s Lace-Fringed Panties No. 1 Attraction on Wimbledon’s Courts,” a headline in The New York Times declared after the tea party preview.

By the time of her opening match, photographers were jostling for position, many lying flat in the back court, the better to catch the most risqué angle as she served the ball. They were not disappointed. The fringed panties are very much in evidence when Gussie races across the court or leaps for a high shot,” The A.P. reported. Moran, who was noted for a powerful forehand, won her match, defeating Be Walter of Britain, but it was her underwear that became front page news and a subject of debate in the British Parliament. The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, the home of Wim-bledon, accused Moran of “bring-ing vulgarity and sin into tennis.”Gussie Moran was accused of bringing “sin into tennis”

after her 1949 Wimbledon appearance.


Although Moran did not wear the lace panties for the rest of the tournament, the sensation they caused made her one of the biggest attractions in women’s tennis. She made a cameo appearance in the 1952 sports movie “Pat and Mike” with Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. The newspapers report-ed on her romantic life. And her underwear, soon christened “Gussie panties”, started a trend. Women began taking to the court in lace panties, T-shirts and plunging necklines. “Gussie was the Anna Kournikova of her time,” the former tennis champion Jack Kramer told The Los Angeles Times in 2002, referring to the Russian star and sometime model. “Gussie was a beautiful woman with a beautiful body. If Gussie had played in the era of television, no telling what would have happened. Because, besides everything else, Gussie could play.” But there were negative repercussions, too. Wimbledon banned short dresses from the tournament. In 1950 there were grumblings among the tennis elite that the attention Moran had received was un-merited, in light of her being ranked seventh among American women at the time. In 1952 the United States Lawn Tennis Association banned lace panties and low-neckline attire at the United States Open in Queens. Tinling had to resign as official Wimbledon host, not to be welcomed back until 1983, seven years before his death. In the meantime he had designed tennis wear for players like Chris Evert, Evonne Goo-lagong, Martina Navratilova and Virginia Wade. Tennis wear evolved as well, rendering Moran’s outfit relatively tame by today’s standards. “Gussie wasn’t a revolutionary,” Tinling once told The Times. “She wore the dress for two reasons. She wanted to look good, and the shorter dresses allowed her to move more freely on the court.” Gertrude Augusta Moran was born on Sept. 8, 1923, in Santa Monica, Calif., and grew up in a grand Victorian house overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Her father, Harry, was a sound technician at Uni-versal Studios, and her mother, Emma, was a housewife.

After a life of celebrity, a single room was said to be home.

Moran said she learned to play tennis when she was 11. While competing on a junior circuit, she and other young players were sometimes invited to play at Charlie Chaplin’s house on Sunday after-noons, trading volleys with stars like Greta Garbo and Olivia de Havilland. During World War II, after her older brother was declared missing in action, Moran joined the war effort, going to work at the nearby Douglas Aircraft Company. She was well into her 20s when she joined the amateur tennis circuit in 1947, relatively late for a newcomer. But in nine months she won three major tournaments. Her victory in the National Indoor Tennis Tournament in March 1949 was on the wooden courts at the Seventh Regiment Armory in Man-hattan, where she defeated Nancy Chaffee. Moran retired from amateur tennis in August 1950 and signed a one-year, $75,000 contract to play on a professional tour run by Bobby Riggs. Playing alongside Pauline Betz, Moran did not do well on the tour and left it after the year was up. She then began playing exhibition matches at military bases and hospitals as part of a tour managed by the tennis great Bill Tilden. She also joined a U.S.O. tour. Moran went on to work in radio as a sports director and in television hosting interview shows, all in Los Angeles. She was also a television sportscaster in New York on WMGM, marketed her own line of tennis clothes, wrote for tennis magazines and taught tennis. In 1970 she joined a U.S.O. tour in Vietnam and sustained broken bones when a helicopter in which she was riding was shot down. She continued to compete in tournaments into her early 40s, Neworth said. She also publicly spoke of having abortions and of being found backstage beaten and raped during a Lawrence Welk concert at a Santa Monica centennial celebration. There was no arrest. Moran had three marriages, none lasting more than two years. She had no children. In her later years she went from job to job, often living in reduced circumstances after losing her home in the 1980s.

Continued on page 25


At one point, largely supported by friends and fans, she was reported to be living with cats in a single room in a run-down building in Hollywood, the curtains made of bedsheets. In recent years she sold her tennis memorabilia and autographs online. At the height of her celebrity, Moran expressed frustration with all the attention she was receiv-ing, some of it, in the gossip columns, exasperating. It was a Wimbledon title that she wanted more than anything else, she said. “Publicity follows me,” she wrote in an article for the A.P. at the time. “I cannot help it if people cook up phony quotes about engagements with tennis players I’ve never even seen off the court. I am interested in clothes I can play tennis in, not in creating a sensation and certainly not in anything anyone at all would consider in poor taste.”

Continued from page 8 (2012 Atlantic Coast 45's)

Continued from page 24 (Moran)

dusty courts, and a painful back, David pulls off a great win with a 6-3 final set to give New England the match, 4-3. A first round loss would make it hard to take home the trophy. We’re off to Columbia next to take on Mid-Atlantic – late and with no time to eat, we’re back on the courts as soon as we arrive (Yes, Phil, we should have stopped at Subway...) Mac’s back is feeling better after the break and he’ll go again at 1st singles, Bill at 2nd, Dave Cox at 3rd, and Phil Kadesch will switch from doubles to singles at No. 4. We need to find four points against the home team, who just swept the East, 7-0. It turns out David’s back was better in the car than on the court – he falls fast to Davy Houston. Dave Cox falls next at 3rd to a tough Dean Packard. Bill has a tight match at 2, but also fails in straight sets. Mid-Atlantic is up 3-0, and we’re off to a bad start. Phil finds his singles legs at 4 and has a nice win over John Olson 7-5, 7-6; New England is on the board. Mike and Scott take a straight-set win at 3rd doubles over captain Bill Rublee and partner, 7-6, 6-1. At 1st doubles Bates and Stone drop the first set, 6-1, to Spencer Kersian and Joe Messmer. New Eng-land fights back to take a very tight 2nd set in a tiebreaker. Chris Holmes and Wade Frame take the 1st set 6-3 but drop a close 2nd set in a tiebreaker. After playing a great tiebreaker, Bates and Stone get back in their usual form and take the 3rd set with score of 6-4. New England and Mid-Atlantic are now tied at 3-3. In the last match of the day Chris and Wade get an early break in the 3rd set, hold serve and get another break to close out the match 6-2 and give New England its second win of the day with a 4-3 vic-tory over Mid-Atlantic. After a good long day on the courts we find the traditional event dinner is off! It’s disappointing that another Atlantic Coast custom seems to be fading away. We find a nice steak house to celebrate the day’s wins and plan on taking the final match against the East. Having beaten both Middle States and Mid-Atlantic, we just need to win 4 matches to take home the Cup! On Sunday morning at Woodmont Country Club, Bill Mountford will take over at 1st singles with David’s back keeping him out of the action. He’ll be followed by Anthony Ditulio, Dave Cox, and Phil Kadesch. Anthony gets it rolling with a 6-0, 6-0 win, quickly followed by Bates and Stone at 1st dou-bles, 6-0, 6-1. Vets Scott Snow and Mike Kolendo dictate their match for a 6-0, 6-4 win. Team rookies Dave Cox and Bill Mountford bring home the match with straight set wins! With five wins over the East, New England wins the 2012 Atlantic Coast 45’s, and takes home the Atlantic Coast 45’s Cup for the 4th time in the last eight years. I have been very lucky to captain the team for nine years and had the honor of playing with some of New England’s best veteran players. Thanks to all players for their effort, great play, and fellowship. Rookie Bill Mountford will take over the captain’s duties in 2013 and I expect he’ll bring home even more wins as New England’s captain. Thanks, Bill! I would also like to thank the New England Senior Tennis Foundation and USTA New England for their help and support each and every year.


Axel KaufmanObituary

Axel Kaufman, age 88, of Newton died on April 22, 2013. He is survived by his beloved wife of fifty years, Marion (Allen), and by two daughters and their spouses, Laura and Jeffrey McGlashen of Hopkinton, N.H., and Jessica and Bruno Miquel of Waban, Mass., and five grandchildren. Born in Frankfurt/Main, Germany, Axel spent his childhood in Berlin and came to the U.S. in 1938. He attended DeWitt Clinton high School in New York City and entered MIT in 1941 at the age of sixteen, graduating in 1949 after serving in the U.S. Army in the Pacific during World War II. He was an architect his entire pro-fessional life, working for several Boston firms before establishing his own prac-tice in 1965, then practicing as a principle at Jung/Brannen Associates on large-scale projects from 1980 until his retirement in 2004. Axel credited his proudest

architectural achievement a nine-year stint as Design Team Project Manager for the Federal (Moakley) Courthouse on Fan Pier. An avid tennis player since age thirteen, Axel was active in the New England Tennis Association as Publicist, Ranking Committee Chair, and Vice President. He held New England and national rankings; was the writer and producer of "Tennis Fundamentals," a 1972 teaching film with tennis great Welby Van Horn; was a co-founder and President of "Tennis/Now," with facilities in Watertown Square and at Brandeis University that taught tennis to over 10,000 players of all levels; he also authored two antholo-gies of his humorous tennis writings and poems, "Pardon Me, Your Forehand is Showing" and "Which Way To The Finals, Please?" He was the architect for numerous indoor and outdoor tennis and club facilities throughout the U.S.; he also chaired of the USTA Facilities Committee for five years. But it was his family that was the main focus of his devotion, and that brought him his greatest joys during shared travels, holidays, and birthday celebrations which he always commemorated with person-alized cartoons, poems and songs. A Memorial Service in celebration of Axel's life was held at the First Unitarian Society in West New-ton on Mat 11. Donations in Axel's memory may be made to Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Donor Services, P.O. Box 4072, Pittsfield, MA 01202; or the Foundation of Mass Eye and Ear Infirmary - Re-search for Juvenile Retinoschisis, to the attention Kristina Sym, 243 Charles Street, Boston, MA 02114; or First Unitarian Society in Newton. Funeral arrangements were made by Burke & Blackington Funeral Home, West Newton, Massachusetts.

Obituary taken from The Boston Globe


N.E.S.T.F. Has Financial Support for Tennis- Related Projects

The New England Senior Tennis Foundation is soliciting proposals for programs which will support and promote the goals of the Foundation which are: to promote tennis among senior adults (45 and older for men and 40 and older for women) in New England and, by instruction and education through the operation of clinics, programs and competitive events, to enhance their physical and mental well-being and thereby their quality of life. The Board of Directors of the Foundation will award a grant of up to $2,000 to an indi-vidual or organization that submits a proposal that is consistent with the above goals. The deadline for submission is February 28, 2014. The program can be run any time in 2013. If you have any questions on your idea for a program you may call George Ulrich at 860-443-2098. Please consider submitting a proposal using the attached form.

NEW ENGLAND SENIOR TENNIS FOUNDATION, INC.

PROGRAM GRANT REQUESTDescription of Program:____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

Budget for Program (Please provide breakdown of all expenses, e.g. salaries, materials, equipment, court rental, etc.)____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

Date(s) Program will be run: __________________________________

Geographic Location of Program: _____________________________

Number of Seniors Expected to Participate in Program: ___________

____________________________________________________________

Goals and Objectives of Program: ______________________________

____________________________________________________________

Contact Person for Program:Name ______________________________________________________

Address ____________________________________________________ Telephone __________________________________________________

Telephone

We look forward to receiving some worthwhile ideas. Let us hear from you! – Donations to NESTFare accepted at any time.

NEW ENGLANDSENIOR TENNISFOUNDATION

Grant Policy / Discussion

Our policy, as stated in our program grant request, is to “pro-mote tennis among seniors in New England and by instruc-tion and education through the operation of clinics, programs and competitive events, to enhance their phsycial and mental well being and thereby their quality of life.”

This is a good general statement but in the review of grant requests other considerations arise. We are guided by the fol-lowing:

Grant requests, where appropriate, are considered as seed money only, and that after a short period of time, grantees should become self-supporting.

We have been following a policy of partial funding, and require grantees to tap other sources including partici-pants.

As a matter of administrative policy, we request that grantees report to us in detail as to the success of their ventures and how the grant was spent. We also ask grantees make partici-pants aware that NESTF is providing financial assistance.

George Ulrich

Mail to: _____________________________________________________

George UlrichNew England Senior Tennis Foundation, Inc.

6 Shore RdWaterford, CT 06385

Tel. 860-443-2098Fax 860-437-3175

e-mail: [email protected]

The Atlantic Coast Cup Grant, named for Ray Barbero,a former captain of the New England team for ten

years, is to be given to the Men's Atlantic Coast team.


L - R: Irv Levine; former Mayor of New York City David Dinkins who was a key mover in the construction of Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Nonprofit Org.U.S. POSTAGE PAID

Fall River, MA02722

Permit No. 89

Spring, 2013 - New England Senior Tennis Foundation

Documents

Transcript of Spring, 2013 - New England Senior Tennis Foundation