East Bay – March 2010
Tennis Is Happening at Blackhawk Country Club
For the price of a pair of tennis shoes, Danville’s Blackhawk CC is offering a special, limited-time tennis membership for just $100. A key to Blackhawk’s success is its attention to detail: 20 lighted courts, the individual attention from four USPTA-certified pros: tennis director Brian Berry, head pro Shawn Brown and teaching pros Mike Parry and Mirko Jovanovic, complimentary monthly “Stroke of the Month” clinics, a full-service pro shop, a traveling junior team with over 20 talented young players, Cardio Tennis, and the list goes on and on. Plus, all their courts are separate, so no stray tennis balls roll in from adjacent courts.
“If competitive teams are your style, we had 13 of our 17 USTA League teams make the playoffs,” noted Berry.
Even if tennis isn’t your game, you can drop the kids at either of the two tennis facilities and play golf (on their two PGA Championships courses up to six times a year), enjoy dinner at the club and get a taste of luxury at an affordable price.
For additional information, contact Morisha Dechter at (925) 736-6500.
Blackhawk Country Club boasts 20 lighted courts and four USPTA-certified pros.
USPTA Honors Claremont
The Claremont Hotel Club & Spa is back in the winner’s circle. (As if it ever left.)
After earning USTA NorCal Organization of the Year and USPTA Service to Tennis Award honors in ‘08, the Berkeley tennis hotspot has pulled in yet three more USPTA NorCal accolades, including Pro of the Year (Rosie Bareis), the President’s Award (Ron Lowe) and the Diversity Leadership Award (Dale Evans).
Built in 1915, the sprawling white Mediterranean-style resort is a landmark in the historic Berkeley Hills, and boasts countless competitive USTA teams for every level of play. Bareis, who has been with the Club at the Claremont since ‘03, is focused on developing tennis players of all ages and abilities. Along with player development, the club hosts numerous tournaments, charity events and is an active supporter of various community ventures.
The combination of enthusiasm, energy and a passion for the great sport of tennis adds up to point,
set and match for the Club at the Claremont.
Top of the Class: Tsay, McDonald End Year No. 1
Tsay excelled on both the junior and Open stages in ‘09.
Closing ‘09 on top of the heap, Ellen Tsay won another title at December’s USTA Winter National Championships in Scottsdale, Ariz., earning her the No. 1 year-end national girls’ 18s ranking. True to form, the quiet whiz kid from Pleasanton wasn’t really challenged in Scottsdale, as she didn’t surrender a set in seven matches. Tsay defeated Anna Marnalat of Philadelphia 7-5, 7-5 in the final. Last year was a good one for Tsay, who won the singles at the 18s National Open, and captured a bronze ball in singles and a silver ball in doubles at the USTA National Clay Court Championships. She also dabbled on the NorCal Open circuit, winning the $25,000 Stead Open in August.
Another NorCal junior who’s showing great promise is ‘09 IT Player of the Year Mackenzie McDonald, who smashed his way to a win at the Winter Nationals in the boys’ 16s. McDonald, who is nationally ranked No. 1 in 14s and No. 9 in the 16s, didn’t drop a set en route to earning gold-ball honors, defeating Ace Matias of Torrance, Calif., 7-6(6), 6-2 in the final.
Bay Area Philanthropist Joins YTA Board
It takes a special kind of person to manage a thriving global investment group in today’s economy, particularly one that adds philanthropy and volunteer activities to their workload. In January, the Oakland-based YTA found just such a person in LRG Capital Group founder Larry Goldfarb, who joined the YTA Board of Directors.
“Larry will be a huge asset to YTA,” said YTA chief Russell Flynn.
“Larry has only been associated with YTA for a few short weeks and he has already volunteered to Co-Chair our June 7 Marin Doubles Fundraiser,” added YTA executive director Loretta Conway.
Shepherd Named to International 40s Team
El Cerrito’s Morgan Shepherd is among three NorCalers who will represent the U.S. at the 30th ITF Seniors World Team Championships in Mexico City. Shepherd will join San Francisco’s Curtis Dunn and Aptos’ Rick Kepler at the March 29- April 3 event, hosted by Federacion Mexicana de Tenis.
Shepherd, Dunn and Kepler have been named to the 40s Tony Trabert Cup team. They will be joined by North Carolina’s David Wolf.
Shepherd, the team’s No. 1 player, won six matches in a row to win the Grass Court Championships and also won the Nike Category II in Oregon. He finished ‘09 ranked No. 3 in the U.S.
Lafayette’s Chaudhuri: A Player and a Gentleman
When word came down that Shaun Chaudhuri had won the Bill Talbert Junior Sportsmanship Award, it really wasn’t a surprise to anyone. He’s just the sort of young man that you’d like your daughter to date: smart (he has his eye on Ivy League schools), a heck of a good tennis player (he won the boys 16s Sectionals in ‘08 and the 18s Sectionals in ‘09), and he competes with class. Chaudhuri credits his family and coach Hunter Gallaway of Lafayette TC for his blue-sky demeanor on the courts.
“I’m a very commanding coach, very disciplined,” Gallaway said. “You put in the time and always conduct yourself like a gentleman.”
For the past 10 years, Chaudhuri has worked exclusively with Gallaway, learning not only his winning style, but also the old-school, mannered way to behave on the court.
“Having Shaun as a student has made me a better person, a better coach,” added Gallaway.
“Tennis is a release for the more stressful and important points in my life,” Chaudhuri said. “My dad told me when I first began competing that ‘Tennis is not the destination, but a journey, and to just enjoy the journey.’”
Chaudhuri’s journey this summer will be to the International Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I., where he’ll accept an award that honors his conduct playing tennis, a sport that has helped distinguish him as a gentleman.
Monta Vista H.S. Claims 4th CIF Regional Title
Fortino’s Fortune: The Monta Vista High School girls.
Cupertino’s Monta Vista H.S. captured the ‘09 CIF/USTA Girls NorCal Regionals on Nov. 21 at Oakley’s Diamond Hills Sportsclub and Spa.
Monta Vista, coached by Gene Fortino, defeated Saratoga H.S. in an emotional final, 4-3, to win yet another CIF title (Monta Vista won 4 out of 11 titles in the history of this event). Posting wins were Sylvia Li, Melissa Kobayakawa, Ruri Kobayakawa/Wendi Kong and Annalisa Choy and Jody Law.
The event drew 10 teams from high schools across NorCal, and featured teams from six CIF sections, including Lowell H.S., Skyline H.S., Mission San Jose H.S., Foothill H.S., Monta Vista, Saratoga, Pleasant Valley H.S., Live Oak H.S., Granite Bay H.S. and St. Francis H.S.
In Memoriam: Charlie Hickox 1931-2009
When small wooden rackets were the weapons of choice and tennis whites were required, the courts at the Berkeley Tennis Club in the 1940s were a haven for Charlie Hickox, who passed away on Dec. 6, 2009.
Training with Tom Stow, the renowned serve-and-volley BTC coach who mentored Don Budge, Hickox was the No. 2 junior in NorCal in ‘49. He partnered with Whitney Reed, and the duo captured the No. 1 doubles ranking. Representing NorCal at the National Junior Championships in ‘48 and ‘49, Hickox reached the quarters and was one of the top 10 juniors in the nation. He played at Stanford in the No. 1 position in the early ‘50s and, after receiving his MBA from Stanford, played tennis for the U.S. Army, where he met his wife, Kay, and had four children: Katie, Willis, Mike and Jack. He later married Joanne Anderson. Tennis was in his blood; he never put his racket away and even had the chance to play Author Ashe in an exo at the BTC in ‘67, taking one set from the American legend.
The “shy tennis guy,” as Senator Diane Feinstein once described Hickox, will be missed on the courts and behind the keys on the piano at the BTC, where he was a member for over 60 years.
Jim McManus was honored at the Berkeley TC for his induction into the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame. From left to right are Cliff Mayne, Hugh Ditzler, Doug Sykes, McManus, Bill Crosby, the late Charlie Hickox and Don Jacobus.
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