Parks Sisters Visit New York

As promised, I have an update on the Amazing Parks Sisters, who will take a break from their training in South Florida this weekend to attend a Junior Tennis Combine in the Washington, D.C. area .Martin Blackmon of the USTA has told Michael Parks that Alycia and Mikayla will likely begin tournament play early next year. Mr. Parks says that in January Mikayla will be 11, and Alycia will be 10, and he expects them to play level 4, 14's. It should place the Parks Sisters in direct competition with some of the top Juniors in the country, and prepare then for international events. Remember, Alycia and Mikayla have been playing tennis for just two and a half years, and have been based in Florida for less than a year. They've come a long way in a very short period of time.

The eyes of the sports world turned to New York City for the US Open, and the Parks Sisters were there for Opening Day. According to their dad, it was great experience for the girls.While on the grounds of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the Parks Sisters got to watch matches and see how the top players in the world prepare to play in the final slam of the year. While at the Open, the girls also got to take pictures with Katrina Adams, former WTA Tour player turned commentator for the Tennis Channel, and with ATP tour player Donald Young. Young, who lives in Atlanta, has seen his ranking rise during 2010, and came into the US Open listed among the top 100 players in the world. The sisters are big fans of the Bryan Brothers, and they got to say hello to the world's top ranked doubles team while in New York, too. Let it be noted that the media was aware of the Parks Sisters' visit, as former ATP player and coach Brad Gilbert gave them an enthusiastic wave from his perch in the ESPN broadcast booth. Can you just imagine the look on the faces of these two young phenoms as they laid their eyes on Arthur Ashe Stadium for the first time? No doubt it inspired them to play, not in the future, but right then! Michael Parks says he and family friend Keith Mitchell were at the hotel the next day when the girls found a ball and started bouncing it around the room. They just couldn't hold it in any more...Alycia and Mikayla had been watching tennis for two days and wanted to play. Mr. Parks shouted, "Keith, let's get them out of this room and find them a court, quick!" Together the four hopped into a cab and drove to a tennis court not far from their hotel, and there in the heart of the Big Apple, the Amazing Parks Sisters worked their magic. No, it wasn't Arthur Ashe Stadium, or Louis Armstong Stadium. It wasn't even on the grounds of the National Tennis Center,  but for that moment in time, it could have been. You might think this would be enough for a first time visit to New York, but the best part was yet to come. Alycia and Mikayla were special guests of Solomon Smallwood at the Madison Square Garden performance by Justin Bieber. In addition to being in the house for one of the hottest concerts on the planet, the young ladies got to meet a long list of celebrities that included Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, Snoop Dogg and Kanye West. The girls took pictures with Boys To Men, Jaden Smith, Usher, and of course, Justin Bieber. It was an amazing evening, but while they enjoyed the music, their father was totally taken with the building itself. Madison Square Garden has long been known as the "Mecca of Basketball." A star basketball player in high school and college, Michael Parks took a moment or two to admire the banners that hung from the longtime home of the New York Knicks. After three days in New York, Michael Parks and his daughters headed back to Florida, and back to their daily workouts on the courts in Boca Raton. The family had taken just a small bite out of the "Big Apple" and the taste was sweet indeed!

Swing Your Racquet For A Good Cause

Whew!!! The rain that passed through our area the past two days has ushered temperatures that feel more like early fall. I don't know about you, but to me this is the best time of year to attack the tennis court. It is also a great time to play tennis for good causes. There are a number of events scheduled for the Metro Atlanta area in the coming weeks. For instance, this Wednesday September 29th, the third annual Breast Cancer Round Robin will be played at the Wheatfield's Reserves Tennis Courts in Grayson. Registration and drills begin at 10am, with the Round Robin lasting from 11am to 1pm. The cost is 25 dollars, and there is also a dessert buffet and lunch, plus a truck sale. To find out more contact Bryan Shepard at onemoretennisnut@aol.com ..
Saturday you can "Serve It Up" for a good cause. The W.E.B DuBois Society is an organization that helps empower black youth in the Atlanta area, and on Saturday October 2nd, the society will host it's annual "Serve It Up" fund raising event from 4pm to 8pm at the Midtown Athletic Club. Area civic leaders and celebrities will take to the courts for an event that includes food, drinks and prizes.If you want to play go to http://www.webduboissociety.org/  to find out about registration.
Finally, on Sunday October 24th, the Racquet Club of the South in Norcross will be the site of the " Scary Tennis Cup". The adult tennis fundraiser will be held from 4pm to 8pm, will include a silent auction, door prizes, goodie bags, and raffles. There is room for 15 men's doubles teams and 15 women's doubles teams..Halloween attire is encouraged.The registration fee of  $35 is tax deductable and all levels of players are welcomed.. To find out more contact: Melissa Anthony at http://www.tenniskidsandteens.com/ ..I would love to play in all of these events, but my football season work schedule won't allow it..That is why I wrote this for you. Hope you can attend and have some fun for me.. I will update you on more tennis for great causes in the area. And, keep you eyes on Sams Passing Shots for an update on the Amazing Parks Sisters who recently visited the Big Apple and met their hero.. watch out for it..

Pro Tennis Here To Stay ???

What  a week at the Atlanta Athletic Club.. The pro tennis tour returned to our town on a week when the nickname " HOTlanta", was more than fitting.Spectators braved the conditions that were unbearable at times, with some needing medical assistance. The fans were not the only ones needing help, Tournament Champion Mardy Fish required an I-V after playing a grueling 3-setter with UGA's John Isner. It brought an end to an exciting week of competition with some of the top players in the world, and we even got to see Andy Roddick's wife and SI swimsuit model Brooklyn Decker. The couple was spotted eating at Waffle House and Mrs. Roddick was sporting a t-shirt that proclaimed Atlanta to be the "Best Tennis Town". That's it, HOT tennis, a HOT model, and  HOT weather that made us all feel scattered , covered and smothered. Andy Roddick did not make hotel reservations for next year, saying this year's tournament happened to fall just right for his schedule. He may be on to something. Just hours after celebrating the success of last week tournament officials said that next years date might be in doubt. The first week of the US Open series could be the same week as the PGA Championship, which is scheduled for the Atlanta Athletic Club . It could leave the Atlanta Tennis Championships searching for a home for next year, or worse, taking a year off. That is not the way an event wants to spend the year after a successful debut..Look for update on this blog site..

ATC Day 4 .. Survival !!!

When I asked Andy Roddick about playing in the Georgia heat this week he basiscally brushed it off, saying that it's hot everywhere this time of year. He added that most cities on the US Open series were real proud of their heat, with a smile..Well, the top seed wasn't smiling when he called for the trainer to come and visit him during his three set battle with Rajeev Ram. When this tournament was anounced I was concerned with it's date. Late July in Georgia can be brutal and would truly test the fitness of the tours top players, who are just returning to the states from Wimbledon. The top three seeds were trying to shake of some rust and clearly labored in the sweltering conditions.. John Isner made it through, so did Roddick, but the outcome was not so good for Australian Lleyton Hewitt, who fell in straights to Lukas Lacko. The fans were having a time keeping cool, and yours truly was glad I brought a second polo along. The first shirt looked like I went swimming in it.. Roddick mentioned the heat in his post match interview and about a hour later, we learned that he and Mardy Fish had backed out of their doubles match.. Both are set to play singles matches in the evening seassion.. While John Isner will play the third stadium court match of an afternoon session that gets started at noon..Hydrate !!! See you at the Tournament..

Day 3 at the Atlanta Tennis Championships

 It was another spectacular day at the Atlanta Tennis Championships, as the Americans continued to be a as hot as the weather..Speaking of weather, the tournament managed to dodge a certain thunderstorm during the late afternoon session.Dark clouds, and grumbles of thunder had spectators keeping an eye on he sky during Taylor Dent's match. The win picked up, blowing pine needles on to court two and forcing a delay for the court to be cleared by leaf blowers. Dent brought some thunder all his own, with serves that clocked 148 miles per hour. Dent led a parade of American winners that included Michael Russell, Mardy Fish, and John Isner, barely. Isner had no bounce on court, and admitted that he had not been on court much since the marathon win at Wimbledon. He escaped Gilles Muller's excellent play in a match that lasted over 2 and a half hours, with a third set tiebreak.. The final match of the day has Mardy Fish beating Robby Ginepri in straight sets. Fish is playing well after a recent win at Newport. Thursday will bring the first singles play for Andy Roddick and Lleyton Hewitt. Both are former world number 1s and married to wifes who sing, act, and model. So let the stargazing begin, Carolina Panthers Pro-Bowler Steve Smith is here to watch Isner, look for Terrell Owens to show up to watch buddy, Roddick. We may have to wait a day for TO to show up. The live television broadcast won't start until Friday, and If we know anything about TO it's that he loves those network tv cameras.. See you at the Atlanta Athletic Club..

Great Day for Home Town Players at ATC

Day two of the Atlanta Tennis Championships and it was time for area players to shine. Both Robby Ginepri and Donald Young got to see their dream come true. They played in an ATP even while while staying at home..For Ginepri , it has been a long wait for pro tennis to return to Atlanta. The Kennesaw resident and Wheeler High School alum was feeling some nerves playing in front of friends and family , but rallied to take charge of the first round match with Nick Lindahl.  I was sitting near Robby's Father , who is also his business partner with the Olde Town Club in Marietta. A proud father looked on as his son battled through 90 degree heat for a victory..He can playin the heat, said Rene Ginepri. He actually hoped that Robby's next match would be during the day, but the ATP decided otherwise, scheduling Ginepri's next match against fellow American Mardy Fish Wednesday night.  The other home town product , Donald Young, played on court 1, which only has bleaches on eastside of the court. That means those spectators were facing a boiling sun. Like Ginepri,Young got off to a shaky start, then regrouped to win th first set 7-5 over Dudi Sela. Young , is a junior tennis legend who has struggled to find the right formula for success in ATP tournaments..Earlier this year, Donald's parents surrendered their coaching duties to the USTA  and it seems to be working. Young now shows patience on court instead of rushing through his matches. That was the differnce today, and it frustrated Sela so bad he flung his towel over the fence after going own 4-0  in the second set. Young won the set 6-0 to complete an impressive opening round. Young will face Kevin Anderson Thursday. I spoke with Donald Young's Parents and they were all smiles, looking ahead to the next round..With his ranking now at 105, a second round win could send Young into the top 100 in the world.. Also seen at the Atlanta Athletic Club. James Blake falls to Taylor Dent in three sets and I got to perform my duties, interviewing the winners after each match on the court, like US Open.. This is a great week for Atlanta and today the homeboys made the spectators proud.. Let's hope we get to see more tomorrow..

Showtime for Pro Tennis in Atlanta

 This is it!!! Curtains up on the long awaited Atlanta Tennis Championships. The stars of the ATP tour are in Atlanta for first time in almost 10 years. Last week's adddition of Andy Roddick was just the right injection of star power , and area sports fans have responded by making a run on tickets. The blazing heat of Georgia in July didn't keep spectators away from the Atlanta Athletic Club on the first day of play in the main draw. We media folks were getting a chance to huddle with Lleyton Hewitt, and Roddick, who raised a few eyebrows when he practiced wih no shirt on. Meanwhile the guys were keeping their eyes peeled for Roddick's wife, Sports Illustrated Swinsuit Model Brooklyn Decker. Even I was keeeping and eye out for Mrs. Roddick. If she shows up this week, you will hear it here first..After the opening ceremonies American Mardy Fish made short work of James Ward 6-1, 6-2. Ward is a young British player who got a Wild Card into the Atlanta tournament, and it getting dashed by Fish wasn't bad enough, the public address announcer called him JOHN Ward..The young Brit smiled and waved the crowd as he walked toward the gate.. See you in L.A, James, er John.. The other two Wild Cards for this event went to Roddick and Atlanta resident Donald Young, who is coming home to play with some momentum. Last week he made the final of a USTA Pro Curcuit event in California..His ranking is now up to 105 in the world and he will play Tuesday evening against Dudi Sela . Also in action Tuesday will be Kennesaw resident Robby Ginepri, who faces Nick Lindahl in the first match of the day at 4pm. The first evening match on stadium court will feature James Blake and Taylor Dent in an All-American showdown. The late match of the evening will feature the doubles team of Mardy Fish and Andy Roddick..Roddick, who relaxed with a round of golf, will begin singles play Wednesday, as will John Isner.. We also Taped segments for this week's Matchpoint show.. Be sure to watch Thursday on Sportsouth, and Sunday Morning at 11:30 on 11Alive...