Carsten Ball in Shingle Springs, California

Freight Solution Providers Pro Circuit Tennis Championships
Shingle Springs, California
Thru June 29, 2008
$15,000/32 draw
Hard Outdoor
Main Draw Singles
Main Draw Doubles
Order of Play
Qualifying Draw

Related:

Little Rock Family Adopts Julio Peralta

The Book on Greg Jones

Adam El Midawy: 'I'd rather be playing soccer'

Players Battle in Loomis, California

Ryler De Heart is ranked number two in the Recoating West Inc. Men's USTA $15,000 Professional Tennis Tournament in Loomis, California.

Carsten Ball is number one in Loomis. (Ball photo by Tessa Kolodny.)

Resources

Michael McClune article, pictures, Loomis News

Estrella, Hocevar in Loomis

Catching up with the Mobile Players

MOBILE, Al -- The players from the Newton Cox USTA Men's Professional Tennis Classic are scattered around the country and even in Mexico City.

Some continued to the next scheduled Futures tournament; some upgraded to Challenger tournaments; and one even went to an ATP tournament.

Artem Sitak is ranked number one in the St. Vincent Auxiliary Men's Professional Tennis Tournament in Little Rock, Arkansas. This is a Futures level tournament and quite a number of players from the Mobile Futures are in the Little Rock Futures.

Ryan Harrison, who got knocked out early in Mobile, is in the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship in Houston, Texas.

Travis Rettenmaier, the winner in Mobile, continues to roll in the Challenger Casablanca San Angelo in Mexico City, Mexico. Other Mobile players who made the trip to Mexico: Michael Yani, Carsten Ball, Ryler De Heart and Nicholas Monroe.

Gary Lugassy, Izak Van Der Merwe and Josselin Ouanna went to the Tallahassee Tennis Challenger in Florida.

St Vincent Auxiliary Men's Professional Tennis Tournament
Little Rock, Arkansas
April 14-20, 2008
$15,000 / 32 Draw
Hard - Outdoors
Main Draw Singles
Main Draw Doubles
Order of Play
Qualifying Draw Singles

Challenger Casablanca San Angel
Mexico City, Mexico
April 14-20, 2008
$35,000 / 32 Draw
Hard - Outdoors
Main Draw Singles, Doubles

Tallahassee Tennis Challenger
Tallahassee, Florida
April 14-20, 2008
$50,000 / 32 Draw
Hard - Outdoors
Main Draw Singles
Doubles Main Draw
Qualifying Draw Singles

U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship
Houston, TX
April 14-20, 2008
$420,000 / 32 Draw
Clay - Outdoors
Main Draw Singles
Qualifying Draw Singles

How Michael Yani Could Beat Carsten Ball

Carsten Ball. Photo by Tessa Kolodny.

Michael Yani plays the number seven seed Carsten Ball in the 2008 Newton Cox USTA Men's Professional Tennis Classic in Mobile, Alabama, on Tuesday. Yani would be wise to put in a phone call to Michael McClune.

McClune laid the blueprint on how to beat Carsten Ball in a final match in the Mansfield Futures in October, 2007. If Yani were to get McClune on the phone, this is what McClune would tell him...

"Carsten Ball has some pop. He loves to hit ground strokes low and hard. He is a powerful hitter. You have got to push him back, back, back to the fence. That is the only way you stand a chance against his power. You hit the ball all the way to the baseline and make him hit from beyond the baseline. That is how you take away his power.

"One more thing: watch out for the drop shot. He uses it judiciously, sparingly. It is a beauty. It drops just beyond the net and bounces away from you. Good luck."

Yani and the left-handed Carsten Ball play around 11 a.m. Tuesday in this tournament which is also called the Mobile Futures. The Futures is kind of a minor league in tennis; with another level called the Challenger and yet another the ATP series.

Related:

The Michael McClune-Carsten Ball Match

Resources:

Mobile Futures Tuesday Schedule

Qualifying Round Results

Main Draw Bracket

Impressive Talent at Mobile Futures

Introducing the top eight seeds in the 2008 Newton Cox USTA Men's Professional Tennis Classic...

The Futures tournament begins April 7 at the Newton Cox Tennis Center in Mobile, Alabama. The Futures is a series of tournaments for players ranked around 200 and below.

1. Gary Lugassy

Gary Lugassy is ranked 220 in the world. The left-hander from France loves hard courts. He has a double-fisted backhand. He has 10 wins and seven losses this year. He reached a career-high ranking of 194.

2. Josselin Ouanna

The Frenchman is ranked 231 in the world and loves to play on grass. He started playing at the age of five and is coached by Louis Borfiga. He loves soccer and basketball. He is the best friend of promising young French player Richard Gasquet. He has 11 wins and eight losses this year.

3. Izak Van De Merwe

Van De Merwe played for Old Dominion University. He is from South Africa and his hero is former president Paul Kruger. He loves golf and was a finance major in school. His favorite movie is the Gladiator, favorite book Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer. The player he most admire is Pete Sampras.

4. Ryler De Heart

The 24-year-old American is left-handed and prefers hard courts. He is ranked 291 and played for the respected program University of Illinois Fighting Illini.

5. Amir Weintraub

The 21-year-old was born in Reehovot, Israel. He is a right-hander and enjoys watching movies. His dad is Luis, mom Carol and Sisters Daliti and Irit. He is ranked 327.

6. Nicholas Monroe

Twenty-four-year-old Nicholas Monroe was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He is right-handed. He went professional in 2004 after playing for the University of North Carolina. He won five Futures tournaments.

7. Carsten Ball

Ball has ties in both the United States and in Australia. Officially, he plays for the Australian team and his father was a respected player from Australia.

8. Artem Sitak

Sitak is from Russia and celebrated his Futures victory in McAllen, Texas, in March. Sitak says he can tell when an opponent is getting frustrated and that is the time when he attacks.

Vive La France: Lugassi, Ouanna in Mobile

Gary Lugassi, winner of 12 Futures tournaments, is headlining the Mobile, Alabama professional tennis event starting April 7. The twenty-six-year-old Frenchman won in Croatia, Ireland and two Futures in England last year. Lugassi, a left-hander is ranked 220 and is coached by Anthony Desjardins.

Lugassi will be accompanied by his countryman Josselin Ouanna, who won two Futures tournament. Lugassi is ranked number one and Ouanna number two.

The third-ranked player in Mobile will be Izak Van Der Merwe of South Africa. Van Der Merwe, an avid golfer, won three Futures championship last year, including Baton Rouge where he defeated Michael McClune, Uladzimir Ignatik and Carsten Ball.

Carsten Ball is number eight in Mobile.Nicholas Monroe is ranked sixth in Mobile Futures. Photos by Tessa Kolodny.Rylan Rizza.
Carsten Ball.

Milan Pokrajac.

The Mansfield Futures Players

You read live reports in The Tennis Hacker from the Mansfield Futures last year and you may be wondering, where are the players from that tournament? A number of them occupy the middle of the ATP ratings, around 300 to 600.

Carsten Ball, the runner-up, is ranked 359th in the world and Michael McClune, the winner of the Mansfield Futures, also known as the Texas 76ers Pro Event, is 387th.

John Paul Fruttero, who pulled out due to back injury is 459th and

Milan Pokrajac 500

Luigi D'Agord 551

Gastao Elias 606

Related:

The Mansfield Final

Michael McClune Plays Perfect Tennis

The Mansfield Futures Players Speak Out

John Paul Fruttero's Back

Carsten Ball's Big Year

Gastao Elias: Ready

Carsten Ball Comes Up Short

Carsten Ball at Texas 76ers, photo by Tessa Kolodny

Carsten Ball came up short in the finals of the Baton Rouge Pro Classic in Louisiana Sunday. Ball lost to the number one seed Izak Van Der Merwe 2-6, 6-7 (4).

Just a week ago, Ball lost in the finals of the Texas 76ers Pro Tennis Event in Mansfield, Texas. Ball was quite busy: he was also in the doubles final with partner Rylan Rizza. Brian and Dann Battistone defeated Ball and Rizza 6-4, 7-6 (3).

Ball and Rizza were the number-one ranked doubles team in the tournament.

These tournaments are part of the futures series of the United States Tennis Association. The players head to Hawaii for two more tournaments.

Check in regularly at The Tennis Hacker to find out how these players are doing. No newspaper or no other website is publishing regularly about the tennis news you care about.

Rylan Rizza, photo by Tessa Kolodny

Michael McClune Falls in Baton Rouge

Photo, Michael McClune at Texas 76ers, by Tessa Kolodny

Michael McClune had the misfortune of playing against the number one player in the Baton Rouge Pro Classic. It ended badly for McClune.

Izak Van Der Merwe of Kempton Park, South Africa, beat McClune 7-5, 6-3 in the quarterfinals at Lamar Tennis Center at the Paula G. Manship YMCA. McClune had barely celebrated a victory at the Texas 76ers Pro Tennis Classic a week earlier.

Carsten Ball, the runner-up to McClune at the Texas 76ers tournament in Mansfield, Texas, is still alive in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Ball defeated Chase Buchanan 6-2, 6-3.

Uladzimir Ignatik, a former French Open junior champion, knocked off Alexei Grigorov 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. Ignatik and Grigorov, who both played at the Texas 76ers tournament, are like teammates; both are members of John Roddick Total Tennis Academy in San Antonio, Texas.

Best Place to Invest Tournament Earnings, Hacker's Financial Guide for Tour Players

Michael McClune earned $1,950 for a week's worth of work at the Texas 76ers Pro Tennis Event. Carsten Ball pocketed $1,350 after putting in work at the Walnut Creek Country Club in Mansfield, Texas. All told, all of the players split $15,000.

That begs the question: where is the best place for the players to park their hard-earned money? One possibility is to drop in to Countrywide Bank at 965 West Lamar in Arlington, Texas, deposit the money in a money market account and earn a 4.50% interest.

The players are currently in the 'minor leagues' of tennis. When they move up to the big leagues, when they start making Roger Federer and Andy Roddick money, perhaps they could call on James P. Barrow and Mark Giambrone in Dallas. Barrow and Giambrone -- Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss in the J.P. Morgan Chase Tower on Ross Avenue -- manage over fifty billion dollars for their clients.

Michael McClune Guts It Out

Michael McClune at the Texas 76ers Tournament.
Photo by Tessa Kolodny

Michael McClune ground down Carsten Ball, took the fight out of him and neutralized his power to win 6-7, 6-4, 6-3 in the final of the Texas 76ers Pro Tennis Event.

The lefthander Ball won the first set that was tied at 4-4, 5-5, and Ball eventually won the set 7-6. Ball displayed his power with low ground strokes while McClune pushed the ball high and deep to the baseline.

Ball executed three lovely drop shots -- two for winners -- that spinned away from McClune in the first set.

In the second set, McClune continued to push the ball deep, pushing Ball far behind the line, effectively neutralizing his power. McClune took the second set 6-4.

McClune was perceptibly sharp mentally in the third set and paced himself to a 3-0 lead in the third set. At that point Bell called in the trainer and had some bandaid applied to his left foot, possibly suffering from blisters after competing in some 20 tournaments this year.

McClune battled and showed heightened concentration while Ball missed three of the drop shots that were so successful in the first set. McClune led by as much as 4-1 and 5-2 in that final set.

This finals victory and this tournament is an important step for the 18-year-old McClune as he attempts to advance in the tennis world.

Carsten Ball

Photo by Tessa Kolodny

Cool, Windy Final

From my balcony, it is a bit windy and a cool 83 degrees. My apartment is just a few miles from the Walnut Creek Country Club in Mansfield, the site of the Texas 76ers Pro Tennis Event.

I had my morning jog and conditions were great for jogging. The wind however might be something Michael McClune and Carsten Ball have to contend with in this futures series match.

The doubles -- Daniel Byrnes and Robert McKenzie versus Danny Bryan and Michael Venus -- starts at noon. The singles will follow.

I'm out the door.

Michael McClune: Best Tennis of My Life

Michael McClune at the Texas 76ers tournament.
Photos by Tessa Kolodny

Michael McClune played "perfect tennis" in beating Nicholas Monroe 6-3, 6-3 in the Texas 76ers Pro Event in Mansfield, Texas. McClune imposed his will on Monroe and stepped up his game to advance to the finals of this United States Tennis Association futures tournament at the Walnut Creek Country Club.

"I played perfect tennis," McClune told The Tennis Hacker after the match. "The best tennis I could possibly play. I feel really good. I'm hitting the ball well. I had a couple of three-setters; I pulled through those and that gave me a lot of confidence.

"It was tough. It was the first time I beat him,'' McClune said of Monroe.

McClune struggled earlier in the tournament and Monroe showed a tendency to play 'tight' -- a bit fidgety and jumpy -- even though he was winning his earlier matches in the tournament. McClune forced Monroe to things that Monroe was apparently uncomfortable doing.

Monroe repeatedly attempted drop shots against McClune and the shots that landed -- a number of them went into the net -- McClune ran them down and hit them in for winners.

Monroe (pictured, left) also tried to lob over McClune's head and those that stayed in play -- a number of the lobs sailed long -- McClune smashed them in for overhead winners.

McClune will face his biggest test of the tournament when he plays Carsten Ball in the finals.

Movers and Shakers: Carsten Ball

It is not too late to jump on the Carsten Ball bandwagon. Ball has just recently won a United States Tennis Association futures championship in September in Pomona, California.

He defeated Jarmere Jenkins 6-3, 6-1 Friday in the Texas 76ers Pro Tennis Event.

Ball summed up the tournament so far: "I felt good. The conditions were good. (Earlier in the tournament) it was raining; it was windy. I'm happy with the result....I made it to the semis. I'm happy. The other guys are good. It is just going to be the luck of the draw."

His opponent Jenkins is a junior player and is stepping a level. "He is going to be a good player," Carsten said about Jenkins. "He has got a lot of potential."

Ball plays Austin Krajicek at the Walnut Creek Country Club Saturday.

Krajicek Beats Elias in Texas 76ers Tournament

Gastao Elias at Texas 76ers Tournament

Photo by Tessa Kolodny

Fans in Portugal have been e-mailing requesting results from the Austin Krajicek-Gastao Elias match in the Texas 76ers Pro Tennis Event. Sorry to report, Portugal's favorite son Gastao Elias is out.

Krajicek won 7-5, 6-4 at the Walnut Creek Country Club in Mansfield, Texas. Gastao had an opportunity in the first set; he was leading 4-3. They were tied 4-4 and 5-5.

In other singles matches in this futures tournament Carsten Ball defeated Jarmere Jenkins, and Nicholas Monroe defeated Vahid Mirzadeh. Full scores here.

Austin Krajicek at the Texas 76ers Tournament

Photo by Tessa Kolodny.

Tennis Hacker Tid Bits

Stories along the right hand side of the page are updated daily -- taken down and new ones put up. As the brief stories are taken down, they would be placed here in Tennis Hacker Tid Bits.

Index

Grand Prairie Loves The Tennis hacker

Arlington ZAT Girl 12 Results

Players Head to Hawaii

Dallas Wins Lonestar Championship

Discover Arlington Tennis Center

What People Are Saying About The Tennis Hacker

Lonestar Championships in San Antonio

The Tennis Hacker is Your Website

Boost Your Performance with a Power Bar

Opportunities to Host USTA Tournaments

Arlington Tennis Center is Wi-Fi Hot Spot

Arlington Holds Junior Tournament

Tennis Improves Sex Life, Mayo Clinic Reports

Dallas, Fort Worth Play Lonestar Championships

Fort Worth Seniors Finish Fourth in Nationals

Texas A & M Snags Top Recruits

Star-Telegram, Morning News: Local Newspaper Coverage

Michael McClune Plays Jeffrey Das

McClune's Coach Has Texas Connection

McClune Ball Headed to Baton Rouge

Carsten Ball Recalls Surreal Experience

McClune's Special Birthday Present

Bryan and Venus Wins Doubles

Tennis Hacker Featured in Bob Larson's News

Tennis Player Makes Texas His Home

John McEnroe Cusses Out Fan in Frisco Tournament

Texas 76ers Pro Event Available on Web Archives

Dallas Tennis Player Receives 4 Stars (Natalie Leitch)

Dusan Vemic Responds to The Tennis Hacker

Mansfield Upsets Arlington in Battle of Texas Cities

Richardson Player is 4-Star Recruit (Peta Lancaster)

Dallas Tennis Player Receives 5 Stars (Amy Allin)

Arlington Tennis Player Receives 4 Stars (Jason Lateko)

Recreational Players Get Together in Arlington

Arlington Spotlight (Clara Jagosova)

***

Arlington ZAT Girls 12 Results

Arlington Tennis Association Zone Advancement Tournament (ZAT)

Full results at ATA-United States Tennis Association site

Girls 12 Results

Final

(1) Darby Strickland d (2) Tori Simmons 6-1, 7-6

Semifinal

(2) Tori Simmons d (4) Kristen Murphy 6-2, 6-2

(1) Darby Strickland d (3) Melody Tong 6-3, 7-6 (4)

Quarterfinal

(2) Tori Simmons d Elizabeth Salmon 6-0, 4-6, 1-0 (7)

(4) Kristen Murphy d Aliese Thompson 6-1, 6-0

(3) Melody Tong d. Samantha Garnett 6-3, 6-4

(1) Darby Strickland d Diya Menon 6-0, 6-1

Round of 16

(2) Tori Simmons d Victoria Gilbert 6-1, 6-1

Elizabeth Salmon d Samantha Wong 6-2, 6-2

(4) Kristen Murphy d Nya Cheatham 7-6 (1), 6-1

Aliese Thompson d Madeleine Conley 6-2, 6-3

Samantha Garnett d Victoria Piranian 6-1, 6-1

(3) Melody Tong d Hayley Sharp 6-2 6-2

Diya Menon d Rebecca Sostek 6-3, 6-4

(1) Darby Strickland d Jordan Martin 6-0, 6-2

Consolation Final

Hayley Sharp d Victoria Gilbert 6-2, 6-0

Consolation Semifinal

Victoria Gilbert d Nya Cheatham 6-2, 7-5

Hayley Sharp d Jordan Martin 7-6, 3-6, 1-0 (8)

Round 1

Victoria Gilbert d Samantha Wong Wd (inj)

Nya Cheatham d Madeleine Conley 6-1, 7-6

Hayley Sharp d Victoria Piranian 6-1, 6-2

Jordan Martin d Rebecca Sostek 6-3, 2-6, 1-0 (9)

***
Grand Prairie, Texas, Loves The Tennis Hacker

People of Grand Prairie, Texas, find The Tennis Hacker very entertaining. Nearly half of all the visits to The Tennis Hacker were from Grand Prairie. Google keeps all these numbers in a big vault in Palo Alto, California.

Generally, the people of Texas plug into The Tennis Hacker more than the rest of the country. A small number from California and New York checked out The Tennis Hacker.All told, roughly 15 people read The Tennis Hacker daily.

How does The Tennis Hacker stack up against other websites?

*BlueHampshire.com which was featured in The Wall Street Journal receives 800 visitors a day.

*AskTheBuilder.com receives 25,000 people each day.

*Automotive-Forums.com entertains 30,000 people a day.

*Swap-a-lease.com 10,000 a day.

*TestMagic.com 3,000 a day.

*PVRblog.com 5,000 a day.

*Medical-coding.net 500 a day.

*SeatGuru.com 6,000 a day.

*SourceForge.net, featuring Slashdot.org, Freshmeat.net and ThinkGeek.com 850,000 a day.

***

Players Head to Hawaii

The $15,000 Oceanic Time Warner Cable Honolulu Futures Qualifying Event begin November 10 at the Hilton Waikoloa Village Resort in Hawaii. Michael McClune and Carsten Ball, who played in the Texas 76ers Pro Tennis Event in Mansfield, Texas, are expected to play. The wildcard section of the tournament was cancelled.

***

Dallas Wins Lonestar Championship

Dallas won the Lonestar championships, the United States Tennis Association league tennis tournament held October 27-28 in San Antonio, TX.Fort Worth also played at the Dominion Country Club. The home team San Antonio was a finalist. Other teams making the trip were Austin and Corpus Christi.

***

Discover Arlington Tennis Center

The Arlington Tennis Center is a 3.5-million-dollar complex owned and operated by the city of Arlington, Texas. There is a pro shop, locker-rooms and showers at the facility at 500 W. Mayfield Road.

The center offers classes drills and leagues for players of all abilities: beginners to advanced.

Call 817-459-6163 to hear more about the 20 lighted courts.

Beginner classes for juniors begin November 5.

***

What People Are Saying about The Tennis Hacker

Check out what people are saying about The Tennis Hacker:

"Your site looks great." Tessa"

Great site. I loved reading about how our kids did in Baton Rouge." Elise

"Your site looks great." Greg Howard, Texas High School Tennis

"I think there really is a need for a solid blog, solely dedicated to tennis." Scrapper Nation

"We appreciate the covereage." Jim Handley, International Tennis Federation

"This is the most I have ever laughed...Good job, buddy...I guess you know what you are talking about." Dusan Vemic


***

Lonestar Championships in San Antonio

Dallas will play Fort Worth in the Lonestar Championships Sunday, October 28 in San Antonio, Texas. Austin and Corpus Christi are also playing at the Dominion Country Club. This league tennis tournament is sanctioned by the United States Tennis Association.

Saturday's Schedule

Austin vs Fort Worth

Dallas vs San Antonio

Austin vs Dallas

Fort Worth vs Corpus Christi

San Antonio vs Corpus Christi

Sunday

Dallas vs Fort Worth

San Antonio vs Austin

Corpus Christi vs Dallas

Fort Worth vs San Antonio

Corpus Christi vs Austin

***

The Tennis Hacker is Your Website

The Tennis Hacker is a one-man operation out of an apartment in Arlington, Texas. If you enjoy The Tennis Hacker, learn how you can help by hitting the 'Make a donation' button.

Running a website is incredibly time-consuming and can quickly eat up meagre resources. The Tennis Hacker recently travelled to Lubbock, Texas, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he was able to get information for the articles on Dusan Vemic and Robert Smeets. Consider costs of travel, hotel and even entrance fees to the tennis tournament.

The Tennis Hacker also recently ordered a camera and enrolled in college computer courses in an attempt to improve the content and look of The Tennis Hacker.If you enjoy fresh and original coverage of topics that are important to you, the next step is to hit the 'Make a donation' button.


***

Boost Your Performance With Power Bars

When you start to tire during exercise, it could be that your body is running out of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates is the body's fuel. It is the body's primary source of energy.

Just before exercise, or during exercise, consider eating a Power Bar to boost your performance. Keep in mind, Power Bars are ideally-suitted for endurance athletes (marathon runners, distance cyclist and swimmers, competitive tennis players).

Recreational athletes should eat Power Bars in moderation; perhaps no more than a half bar or one bar a day. The best Power Bar for the recreational athlete is a piece of fruit.


***

Opportunities to Host USTA Tournaments

The United States Tennis Association is always looking for people or tennis centers that are interested in hosting a tournament like the Texas 76ers Pro Tennis Event. The USTA provides an experienced tournament director and a certified trainer to assist with the event.

High-energy, community-minded persons who are interested in hosting an event would need to secure a public or private venue, put together an operations staff, find an army of volunteers, and sign up business who would like to be sponsors.

"I think the most difficult part is trying to get the community to commit to sponsoring a tournament and the second hardest thing is to find good volunteers," said Abrie du Plooy. Du Plooy hosts two tournaments in Hammond, Louisiana, and was featured in USTA magazine.

Anyone interested in hosting a tournament, fill out the USTA questionnaire.


***
Arlington Tennis Center is Wi-Fi Hot Spot

The Arlington Tennis Center at 500 W. Mayfield in Arlington, Texas, is a Wi-Fi hot spot. That is a fancy term which means it has a wireless internet connection. Now parents, while waiting for children in classes or practice, can bring a laptop and enjoy The Tennis Hacker.

***

Arlington Holds Junior Tournament

Junior players who want to achieve a Texas state ranking can play in the Zone Advancement Tournament in Arlington November 3-4.Matches will be played at the Arlington Tennis Center and the University of Texas at Arlington.Visiting players stay at the Whitten Inn.

***

Tennis Improves Sex Life, Mayo Clinic Reports

Regular exercise -- that includes tennis -- can have a positive effect on your sex life, the Mayo Clinic reports. "Regular exercise can leave you feeling energized and looking better...Exercise improves your circulation which may lead to more satisfying sex."And men who regularly exercise are less likely to have problems with erectile dysfunction than are men who don't exercise, especially as they get older."

***

Dallas, Fort Worth Play Lonestar Championships

Dallas and Fort Worth teams will play in the United States Tennis Association's Lonestar Championships at the Dominion Country Club in San Antonio October 27-28. Austin, Corpus Christi and San Antonio will also be fielding teams in the Texas section of the league tennis championships.

***

Fort Worth Seniors Finish Fourth in Nationals

The Forth Worth seniors tennis team finished fourth at the Chrysler 3.5 Senior National Championships. Representing the Texas section of the United States Tennis Association were Elaine McCallion, Claire Harrison, Valerie Campo, Betty Kille, Kathy Coughran, Linda Gilson, Akemi Edwards, Deborah Anstice, Christi Gordon, Shelley Waters and Judy Helbing.

***

Texas A&M Snags Top Tennis Recruits

Zoo Tennis, a popular website for junior tennis news, is raving about Texas A & M's recruiting class of Austin Krajicek, Will Spencer and Steve Denton.

***

Star-Telegram, Morning News: Local Newspaper Coverage

The Arlington Star-Telegram (sister paper of the Mansfield News Mirror) carried an article an article by Stefan Stevenson on the finals of the Texas 76ers Pro Tennis Event.
Dallas Morning News carried a story on the StanfordChampionship where John McEnroe played in Frisco, Texas.The Star-Telegram had a well-written story of the Michael McClune-Carsten Ball final. (Reluctantly, I point out his report of 22 aces in the first set is grossly exaggerated.)

***

Michael McClune Plays Jeffrey Das

Michael McClune plays Jeffrey Das in the Baton Rouge Pro Tennis Classic in Louisiana. McClune won the Texas 76ers Pro Event in Mansfield; Das lost to Luigi D'Agord in the first round.Many players from the Mansfield event are now playing in Baton Rouge.

Schedule

Izak Der Merwe vs Kevin Dessauer

Jeffrey Das vs Michael MClune

Ryler De Heart vs Jarmere Jenkins

Luigi D'Agord vs Caio Burjaili

Lance Vodicka vs Rylan Rizza

Adam El Mihdawy vs Fred Hemmes

Carsten Ball vs Ikaika Jobe

Austin Krajicek vs Chase Buchanan

James Clusky vs Nicholas Monroe

***

McClune's Coach Has Texas Connection

Michael McClune's coach Jimmy Johnson studied at the Tennis Technical Program in Tyler, Texas. Johnson of the Advantage Tennis Academy in Irvine, California, also happens to be the coach of Robert Smeets, who is something of a legend at The Tennis Hacker

***

McClune, Ball Headed to Baton Rouge

Michael McClune and Carsten Ball are taking their show on the road. After an exciting final in the Texas 76ers Pro Tennis Event, McClune and Ball are headed to the Baton Rouge Pro Tennis Classic.The tournament starts immediately and goes through October 28.Some of the other players who played in Mansfield, Texas, and headed to Baton Rouge are Nicholas Monroe, Luigi D'Agord, Adam Fass, Michael Venus, Vahid Mirzadeh and Rylan Rizza.


***



Carsten Ball Recalls Surreal Experience

Carsten Ball, who lost in the Texas 76ers Pro Tennis Event finals, received a wildcard entry to play the doubles of a past Australian Open. He described the experience, sharing the same locker room with the world's greatest players, as surreal.Ball told the story during the presentation ceremonies Sunday at the Walnut Creek Country Club in Mansfield, Texas. He said proudly that they won one match.


***

McClune's Special Birthday Present

Michael McClune had a special birthday present: a play date with the world's number one player Roger Federer. McClune told the story at the presentation ceremonies of the Texas 76ers Pro Event Sunday at the Walnut Creek Country Club in Mansfield, Texas. McClune and Federer share the same management company, IMG, and the company was able to set up the opportunity for McClune to practise a few hours with Federer. It so happened that the meeting occurred on his birthday and McClune calls it the greatest birthday present ever.


***

Bryan and Venus Wins Doubles

Danny Bryan and Michael Venus defeated Daniel Byrnes and Robert McKenzie 6-1, 6-1 to win the doubles finals of Texas 76ers Pro Tennis Event at the Walnut Creek Country Club in Mansfield, Texas.Bryan and Venus has known each other since they were about 10 years, growing up in Sydney, Australia.



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Tennis Hacker Featured on Bob Larson's News

Bob Larson's Junior Tennis News, a popular channel on the internet, is featuring The Tennis Hacker's coverage of the Texas 76ers Pro Event on its front page. Junior Tennis News scours the internet for any writing on junior tennis: many of the players in this Mansfield, Texas, tournament are juniors.The Tennis Hacker's stories featured are McClune Guts It Out, Michael McClune: Best Tennis of My Life, The Tennis Hacker Interviews The Players, and French Open Champ Has Texas Connection.

***




Ferreira Wins Stanford Championship

Wayne Ferreira defeated Jim Courier 2-6, 6-3, 11-9 (champions tiebreaker) in the finals Sunday in the Stanford Championships in Frisco, Texas.John McEnroe beat Mark Phillippousis, 6-4, 6-4 for third spot at the Dr. Pepper Star Center.



***

Tennis Player Makes Texas His Home

Austin Krajicek has decided to call Texas his new home. Krajicek is moving to Aggieland, College Station; he has decided to attend school at University of Texas A & M.Krajicek is an outstanding junior player and made it to the semifinals of the Texas 76ers Pro Tennis Event in Mansfield, Texas.Krajicek gave a respectable effort in losing to Carston Ball 6-2, 4-6, 4-6. Ball brings the heat; in fact he hits so hard he actually hit Krajicek in the stomach and a linesman on the arm.Ball had 11 aces.Ball eventually lost to Michael McClune 7-6, 4-6, 3-6 in the final at the Walnut Creek Country Club.

***

John McEnroe Cusses Out Fan in Frisco Tournament

John McEnroe will be John McEnroe. He dressed down a fan at the Stanford Championship in Frisco, according to The Dallas Morning News' blog Neighborsgo.

***

Texas 76ers Pro Event Audio Available on the Web Archives

The audio of the Texas 76ers Pro Tennis Event is available at the RadioTennis.com archives. The quarterfinals, semifinals and finals matches are available.

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Dallas tennis player receives four stars

Natalie Leitch of Highland Park High School in Dallas was named a four-star recruit by the Tennis Recruiting Network. The recruiting network lists outstanding junior players who have the potential to play at the college level and beyond.

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Dusan Vemic Responds to The Tennis Hacker

Dusan Vemic responded to The Tennis Hacker's story Dusan Vemic: The Idiosyncrasies of a Player You Have Never Heard About. It was a fun piece and Dusan accepted it in the spirit in which it was written. This is what he said: "This is the most I have ever laughed...damn...he massacred me...good job buddy...I guess you know what you are talking about...Serve is me...and volleys, you are right, players should just bring me in, and let me miss volleys!!! lol Keep up the good work. Dusan Vemic." The reader might have missed his comments because he posted his comments under the piece Michael McClune Engaged in a Battle of Young Guns.


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Mansfield Upsets Arlington in Battle of Texas Cities

Arlington -- the home of the Texas Rangers, Six Flags Over Texas and soon the Dallas Cowboys -- was upset by Mansfield -- the site of the Texas 76ers Pro Tennis Event -- in this battle of two Texas neighboring cities.Mansfield received an honor in Money Magazine's Best Places To Live: number 83. Arlington failed to make the top 100.Other neighboring cities: Keller was ranked 50th and Grapevine 97th. Richardson Tennis Player Receives Four Stars

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Richardson Player Is a 4-Star Recruit (Peta Lancaster)

Peta Lancaster of Richardson, Texas, is a four-star recruit by the Tennis Recruiting Network, a list that colleges can use to find potential players. Lancaster was honored as a second team member of the WFAA-TV 2007 All-Area Tennis Team. Peta learned how to play at the Canyon Creek Country Club at 625 W. Lookout Drive in Richardson.Clinics for juniors begin October 23 at Canyon Creek.

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Dallas Tennis Player Receives Five Stars (Amy Allin)

Amy Allin of the T Bar M Tennis Academy in Dallas was listed as a five-star recruit by The Tennis Recruiting Network. Allin is considering attending the University of Illinois. Allin teams with doubles partner Meredith Matthews. They play at the T Bar M Racquet Club on 6060 Dilbeck Lane, site of the USTA Challenger of Dallas.

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Arlington Tennis Player Gets Four Stars (Jason Lateko)

The area of Arlington and Mansfield, Texas, is gearing up for the Texas 76ers Tennis Pro Event but there is excitement in Arlington junior tennis. Jason Lateko of Arlington was listed as a 4-star top prospect by the Tennis Recruiting Network. The list -- Blue Chips, Five-Star, Four-Star, Three-Star, Two-Star, One-Star -- is studied by college coaches throughout the country. Jason and partner Carla Cooper is a respected mixed-doubles team throughout the state of Texas and was recognized by WFAA-TV Dallas-Fort Worth.

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Recreational Players Get Together in Arlington, TX

Every Wednesday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 4 p.m. recreational players of all levels get together at the Randol Mill Parks at 1924 W. Randol Mill in Arlington, Texas. Join them: they will be happy to have you.

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Arlington Spotlight (Clara Jagosova)

Clara Jagosova, a member of the University of Texas at Arlington tennis team, is quietly making a name for herself. Clara is from Kyjov, Czech Republic. Read her story here in this excellent report by Isaac Cobham. Cobham has several stories about the UTA tennis team in The Shorthorn, a newspaper run totally by Arlington university students. The UTA tennis team is playing the Midland Invitational this weekend October 12-14 in Midland, Texas.