Townsend Inks Deal, Will Play Pro Tour

     Stockbridge, Georgia resident Taylor Townsend,who is considered to be a bright future star for American tennis,has decided that the future is now. The Sports Business Journal reports that Townsend has signed a deal with sports and entertainment agency Lagardere Unlimited and is expected to play professionally next year.
     
 The move ends months of speculation about weather the top ranked junior player in the world would make the move to the next level. It also comes on the heels of a well publicized clash with USTA Player Development after funding was withheld from Townsend before the US Open. USTA Player Development officials expressed concern over Townsend's fitness. Townsend payed her own way to New York,won the junior doubles title and scores of new fans.

 I recently spoke with Taylor's mother, Shelia, who informed me that the 16 year old would not be going back to Australian in Jaunary to defend her juniors title from 2012. Instead, Taylor will remain in the states and play professional tournaments at Innisbrook ,Florida and Port St. Lucie, Florida in January. In February ,Townsend plans to play the pro event at Midland, Michigan, and Memphis, Tennessee. In March, look for Taylor Townsend to play at Indian Wells, California and Key Biscayne, Florida . The Family Circle Cup at Charleston, South Carolina is on her schedule for April.

This week Taylor Townsend is the top seed at the Orange Bowl tournament in Florida.

Jenkins and Anderson Win National Indoors

FLUSHING, NY-- Virginia's Jarmere Jenkins and UCLA's Robin Anderson captured the ITA National Indoor Championships at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York.
Jenkins, a senior from College Park, Ga., beat Pepperdine's Sabastian Faneslow in straight sets 6-2, 6-1 to win the Men's final.

              Anderson, a sophomore from Matawan, NJ,  beat Cal's Anett Schutting in straight sets 6-3, 6-4 to win the Women's final.

CAU's Williams Receives USTA Multicultural Grant

Atlanta, GA--Clark Atlanta University head women's tennis coach, Autumn Williams, was among a selected group of NCAA Division I and Division II coaches who was named a recipient of the United States Tenniss Assocition (USTA) Multicultural Grant to attend the 2012 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Coaches Convention being held December 15-18, at the Waldorf Astoria Naples in Naples, Florida.

"I am really honored and excited about the opportunity to attend the coaches convention through the USTA grant," said Williams.

The convention will include a Multicultural Symposium and ITA's business meetings, clinics and workshops where coaches will be able to provide input into the future of college tennis. It will also feature coaching education courses, tennis activites, networking opportunities and a mini tradeshow about products and services that can enhance the collegiate tennis experience.

HBCU National Tennis Championships

It's Classic Week in Atlanta,and for fans and supporters of HBCU sports that means parades, parties and football. Before you head to the Georgia Dome for FAMU vs Southern or the AU Center for Morehouse vs CAU, why not checkout some HBCU tennis. The 12 annual HBCU National Tennis Championships are set for the Clayton County Tennis Center in Jonesboro, September 27-29. Players from 15 HBCUs will be participating in the 3 day event.Therewill be an Old School Mixer and College Pro-Am on Friday. Saturday is Kids Day, with a Round Robin for Jrs. This Round Robin is a an opportunity for college exposure, as the coaches of the participating schools will be there. If you are the coach or parent of a high school age tennis player who wants to play college tennis it might be worth your while to go and connect with these coaches.

UGA's Pasha Wins Napa Valley

ST. HELENA, Calif.----University of Georgia sophomore Nathan Pasha won four matches on Sunday to claim the Audi Napa Valley Tennis Classic title.

Pasha first defeated Stanford’s No. 81-ranked Matt Kandath, 6-3, 6-2, to win Group 2 of pool play with a 3-0 record and advance to the shootout round. The field was divided into eight pools, with each winner advancing to the PlayBrave USTA Wild Card Shootout, a single-elimination, 10-point tiebreak tournament.

In his quarterfinal match Pasha downed Lloyd Glasspool of Texas, 10-8, then defeated his USTA junior opponent, 10-7, to reach the final. Pasha topped Texas’ Soren Hess-Olesen, 16-14, to win the title and earn a USTA-sponsored wild card into a pro circuit event to be determined.

Bulldog freshman Ben Wagland won Group 4 with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 win over Harvard’s Shaun Chaudhuri. He reached the semifinals of shootout competition with a 10-4 win over California’s Mads Engstedt, then was edged by Hess-Olesen in the semis, 10-8.

Pasha also won the tournament’s Minor Sportsmanship Award and was named the Most Outstanding Player.

Next up for the Bulldogs is the ITA All-American Championships Oct. 1-6 in Tulsa, Okla.

 

 

Courtesy: UGA

Swing your racquet for a great cause

Tennithon for Transplant

Date:	Saturday, September 22, 2012 - Saturday, September 22, 2012
Time:	2 to 10 p.m.
Location:	Dekalb Tennis Center1400 McConnell Drive Decatur, GA 30033
Tickets:	Registration is $35, which helps cover the cost of the tournament. It is the money raised by participants that actually goes to Children’s. Each participant is required to raise a minimum of $100. Register here.
Contact	Stephanie Oprea at 404-785-0631
About This Atlanta Charity Event Whether you are new to the game or an old pro, tennis is a fun way to exercise and spend time with those you care about. It is also a great way to raise money to help children experience the fun of summer camp. All you have to do is register and play in the upcoming Tennithon for Transplant. All proceeds from this tennis tournament go to Camp Independence - a weeklong summer camp for children with kidney disease or solid organ transplants. Bring your entire family for a day of live music, prizes and fun.

Paint Serena Red, White, Blue... and Gold

 I don't know about you, but I have totally enjoyed the Olympic tennis tournament. I thought that having the Olympic tournament played at the All-England Club would add a touch of history to an already historic event and it completely lived up to everything I imagined it would be. The crowd was not the usual Wimbledon crowd.There was a bit more chatter between points, that at times gave it more of Flushing Meadow feel. It was with this backdrop that Serena Williams turned in one of the most remarkable performances of her career, and joined Steffi Graf as the only women to win all four grand slam events, and an Olympic gold medal.

 Throughout her career Wimbledon has been known as big sister, Venus', house. Let the record reflect that in the summer of 2012, little sister was holding the key. By winning Wimbledon last month and coming back to the same location to claim gold for the United States, Williams has firmly restored herself at the top player in the women's game again. Some may want to call this a comeback, I prefer to call it a rebirth.

  There's nothing like almost losing something to make you value , and treasure it even more. For Serena Williams it was an injury followed by illness that threatened both life and career. Faced with a simular situation, most of us would evaluate and take inventory of both success and failure. Then there are those glasses that we leave half empty, or would that be half full. No doubt Williams took inventory of her remarkable career and had time to reflect on some of those half full glasses.

 There is an old saying , " If only youth had wisdom." How many times have we seen professional atheletes in the latter stages of their careers wishing for the vitality to go along with wisdom and knowledge that had been gathered along the way. At both Wimbledon and the Olympics, Serena Williams summoned the enthusiam of her youth to go with the wisdom of her 30 years and the result was sheer dominance.

   Serena Williams triumph over Maria Sherapova lasted 1 hour and 3 minutes, and maybe it's fitting for the sands in the hour glass are now fewer for Williams. She danced on the court after winning the gold medal at the Olympics, and all the while hearing the sound of a ticking clock. Maybe it's that ticking clock that now motivates Serena or could it be her sense of history,or perhaps it's those half full glasses from years gone by. It promises to be vintage Serena, and when it's done all glasses will be empty !!   New York City... You're Next !!!