Hawai'i Makes Impact At Tennis Nationals

Hawai'i makes impact at tennis nationals - The Honolulu Advertiser -...

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Posted on: Friday, October 8, 2004

RECREATION

Hawai'i makes impact at tennis nationals • Teams bound for nationals • Tennis league set for Central O'ahu

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By Peter Erikson Advertiser Staff Writer

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Hawai'i has relatively few United States Tennis Association players, but many high-octane teams.

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Nowhere is this better illustrated than at the national tournaments, where the state has "held its own over the years," said Lynn Lozano, USTA Hawai'i League coordinator. In 2000, for example, three Hawai'i teams won USTA championships. A year later, a 4.0 women's team from Honolulu also took the title.

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The Wailea 4.5 Women team, from left: Diane Driscoll-Miller, Mino McClean, Sally Gretz, Cathleen Nicoloff, Katrina Holmberg, Marie Holmberg and Kathy Shipman. The team will be competing in the national tournament Oct. 15 to 17 at Tucson, Ariz.

Last year, Kaua'i's Hattie Somerville teamed with Betsy Christie Wilson • The Purpura to win a second RESOURCES Honolulu Advertiser Mother-Daughter National Discussion board Traffic hotspots Grasscourt Championship at Newport Casino Lawn HTYellowpages.com Tennis Club in Newport, R.I. Hawaiian

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This year there are several teams headed to nationals (see chart below). The Hawai'i Pacific Section, which includes American Samoa and Guam, listed 7,301 players as of August, one of the smallest totals among the USTA's 17 sections. By comparison, the Southern Section comprises nine states and nearly 170,000 players. At the nationals, "people told us they had to win lots more matches than we did to get there," said Gary Nekoba, whose 5.0 men's team barely lost to champion Texas at the USTA championships in 2000 in Palm Springs, Calif. Hawai'i players take full advantage of the matches they do get to play in, however. "In Hawai'i we have to get the best of the best," said Cathleen E. Nicoloff, who coaches and plays for the Wailea 4.5 women's team from Maui, which will compete in the National Championships this month in Tucson, Ariz. "At the 4.5 level we get players at the top level, not the middle level," she said. Sometimes getting the best players takes some ingenuity. At the sectionals in Maui in August, for instance, "two of our best players were from O'ahu and one was from Los Angeles," Nicoloff said. Out-of-state players can qualify for a championship here by competing in at least two matches at the local level. Most Hawai'i teams, though, are made up of players from their own districts, Lozano said. Spreading aloha Hawai'i teams, Nicoloff said, are intent on making an impression at the nationals. "We always bring a bunch of protea for the tournament desk and we bring pineapples for each of the team captains we compete against," said Nicoloff, who helped her Hawai'i 5.0 team place fifth at

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National Tennis Rating Program 1.5: Works primarily on getting the ball in play. 2.0: Lacks court experience, and strokes need developing. Is familiar with basic positions for singles and doubles play. 2.5: Has limited court coverage but can sustain

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Hawai'i makes impact at tennis nationals - The Honolulu Advertiser -...

the 1996 nationals at New Orleans. "And we bring cookies to give to each of our competitors." Playing in the nationals "gives us a chance to spread the aloha and tell them (opponents) who we are," Nicoloff said. "We wear fun clothes and want everyone to know we're there." It's not hard to find tennis enthusiasts in Hawai'i, where the percentage of people who play the sport is among the highest in the nation, Lozano said. Among those who help drum up interest in tennis here is USTA teaching pro Rusty Dyer. It was at Dyer's urging that Kiyomi Smothermon, captain of the 3.0 Lady Rocketeers, joined the USTA. Her team is set to play in the nationals in Arizona. "I didn't even know there was team tennis for adults — I thought is was only for children," Smothermon said.

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a short rally at a slow pace. 3.0: Fairly consistent when hitting medium-paced shots, but not comfortable with all strokes and lacks execution when trying for directional control, depth, or power. 3.5: Has improved strokes and can control direction of moderate shots, but needs to develop depth and variety. Is more aggressive at net, has improved court coverage and is developing teamwork in doubles. 4.0: Has dependable strokes and shows more expertise with forehand and backhand shots. Uses lobs, overheads, approach shots and volleys with some success but occasionally forces errors when serving. Rallies may be lost due to impatience. Doubles teamwork evident. 4.5: Has developed use of power and spin and can handle pace. Has sound footwork, can control depth of shots, and attempts to vary game plan according to pace set by opponent. Can hit first serves with power and accuracy and place second serve but tends to overhit difficult shots. Aggressive net play is common in doubles.

It's no surprise that the USTA 5.0: Has good membership has grown anticipation and can hit outstanding shots. steadily, Lozano said. "What other sport offers the recreational adult the opportunity to play at the local level all the way up to the national championships?" she asked. "There are 10 national championships, including those for seniors and adult leagues, totaling 3,000 players across the country."

Regularly hits winners and puts away volleys but still forces errors. Can execute lobs, drop shots, half volleys, overhead smashes, and has good depth and spin on most second serves. 5.5: Has mastered power and/or consistency as a major weapon. Can vary strategies and styles of play and hit dependable shots in stressful situations.

Founded in 1881, the USTA

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owns the U.S. Open, selects members for the U.S. Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic teams, and sponsors programs for players of all ages and abilities.

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6.0 to 7.0: Has had intensive training for national tournament competition at the junior and collegiate levels and obtained a sectional and/or national ranking. 7.0: World-class player.

Also, USA League Tennis is the largest recreational tennis league in the world, with more than 530,000 participants, according to the organization's Web site. The site allows players to check their scores and records, as well as those of their opponents. Coordination not easy The number of opponents dwindles, however, as a player reaches the higher levels. Nekoba's team, for instance, was decimated after the 2000 nationals, when USTA "verifiers" bumped up five players to the 5.5 level — even though Hawai'i doesn't have such a league. When their ratings expired in 2004, four of the five returned to 5.0 play. But there's still not much competition for 5.0 players in Hawai'i, Nekoba said. "At least on the Neighbor Islands we can scrape enough players together to make a league," Nekoba said. "... I would think O'ahu would have enough 5.0 players because of the population difference — I don't know why they don't field more teams. "On the east side, basically Hilo, as far as 5.0 players go, there's seven who can play at that level and that's it. I usually have to get all of them together at the same time to make a team and that's difficult because of commitments." Lozano said it's not surprising that there aren't more 5.0 players. "The largest level for participation is 3.5; as you go higher in level you will note that those levels/divisions become smaller," she said. "This is natural in most recreational sports." Nekoba also plays 4.5 tennis, and said there's a paucity of players on that level, too. "In general, on the east side (of Maui), people get

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Hawai'i makes impact at tennis nationals - The Honolulu Advertiser -...

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comfortable at 4.0 and stay there," he said. "The faces don't really change in that group and they don't play up. "We used to have a bunch of lawyers and doctors who played but they all moved to golf ... and drifted away from tennis. Hopefully they'll all come back." Reach Peter Erikson at [email protected] or 525-5489. Top

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