FGCU MEN'S TENNIS SCHEDULE- SPRING 2013

Sat, Jan 12	FGCU Spring Invitational Day 1	FGCU Tennis Complex	All Day
Sun, Jan 13	FGCU Spring Invitational Day 2	FGCU Tennis Complex	All Day
Sat, Jan 19	at Florida State	Tallahassee, Fla.	10:00 a.m.
Sun, Jan 20	vs UAB	Tallahassee, Fla.	1:00 p.m.
Mon, Jan 21	at FAMU	Tallahassee, Fla.	10:00 a.m.
Sat, Jan 26	SMU	FGCU Tennis Complex	1:00 p.m.
February 2013	OPPONENT/EVENT	LOCATION	TIME
Fri, Feb 1	Troy	FGCU Tennis Complex	1:00 p.m.
Fri, Feb 15	at UCF	Orlando, Fla.	2:00 p.m.
Sat, Feb 16	vs Connecticut	Orlando, Fla.	11:00 a.m.
Sat, Feb 23	Oklahoma State	FGCU Tennis Complex	5:00 p.m.
March 2013	OPPONENT/EVENT	LOCATION	TIME
Fri, Mar 1	Old Dominion	FGCU Tennis Complex	6:00 p.m.
Fri, Mar 8	FAU	FGCU Tennis Complex	2:00 p.m.
Thu, Mar 14	Lipscomb *	FGCU Tennis Complex	6:00 p.m.
Sat, Mar 16	Northern Kentucky *	FGCU Tennis Complex	6:00 p.m.
Fri, Mar 22	at Mercer *	Macon, Ga.	2:00 p.m.
Sat, Mar 23	at Kennesaw State *	Atlanta, Ga.	2:00 p.m.
Thu, Mar 28	USC Upstate *	FGCU Tennis Complex	6:00 p.m.
Sat, Mar 30	ETSU *	FGCU Tennis Complex	11:00 a.m.
April 2013	OPPONENT/EVENT	LOCATION	TIME
Sat, Apr 6	at Bethune-Cookman	Daytona Beach, Fla.	11:00 a.m.
Sun, Apr 7	at UNF *	Jacksonville, Fla.	12:00 p.m.
Sat, Apr 13	at Stetson *	DeLand, Fla.	10:00 a.m.
Fri, Apr 19	vs A-Sun Quarterfinals	Johnson City, Tenn.	TBA
Sat, Apr 20	vs A-Sun Semifinals	Johnson City, Tenn.	TBA
Sun, Apr 21	vs A-Sun Championship	Johnson City, Tenn.	TBA

The Gobbler Super Series (Level 6) took place at the Arthur Allen Tennis Center at Cambier Park this past weekend, and 130 players took part. Thanks to Greg Perrino for the heads up. Congrats to Nikki for being a Doubles Finalist.  

I didn't make it to Cambier, but given the number of tiebreaks, the competition was pretty fierce. Way to battle Ian! In any event, the following represents my remote version of how things played out in the four age divisions for both boys and girls.

Boys’ 12s

Blu Baker- Boys' 12s Singles Finalist
& Doubles Champion

There was a ringer in the Boys’ 12s, as unseeded and unknown (at least in this country- click here for more on Blu) Blu Baker (is that a cool name or what!) of Portsmouth upset No.3 Seed Reynold Greenlaw of Cape Coral and Ryan Talano of Naples en route to the semis, dropping just one game in the process.

JB Bernard- Boys' 12 Fin

Baker faced JB Bernard, the No.2 Seed, in the semis, and I wish I could have been at Cambier Park to watch that one, because I know from prior observation that Bernard is a skilled and well-coached youngster who is quite used to winning himself (click here , and here for more). Baker won this battle of young champions, beating Bernard in the semis, 6-2, 7-6, and the two teamed to win the doubles.

Other local entries included Tyler Carlin of Fort Myers and Josh Diggs of Cape Coral. After easily winning his first-round match over Alex Fitzgerald of Naples, 6-0, 6-1, Carlin fell to top-seed Nicholas Garcia of Hollywood, 0-6, 4-6. Diggs defeated Weston Blabey of Naples 6-1, 6-0 before falling to Sebastian Dounchis of Naples by the same score. Garcia eased past Dounchis, 6-0, 6-3 in the semis, then won a war of attrition against Baker in the final, 2-6, 7-5, 1-0.

Boys’ 14s

Another unknown threw a monkey wrench into the works in the Boys’ 14s as well. Michael Heller of Weston came in unseeded and downed two seeds on his way to the semis, including No.8 Seed Devidas Vilys and No.1 Seed Philippe Niňo, both of Naples.  After dropping the first set to Niňo in the quarters, Heller had to win two tiebreaks to make it through to the semis. Niňo and Vilys partnered to take the doubles title home to Naples.

Ian Ziegler

Ian Ziegler of Fort Myers showed that he is determined to live up to his vast potential, taking out two seeds himself on the way to the semis. In his second match, Ziegler downed seventh-seeded Logan Glock, also of Fort Myers, 6-2, 6-3, and defeated second-seeded Ethan Eckhard of Lakewood Ranch 6-3, 6-2. He fell in the semis to No.3 Seed Romare Gonzales of Doral in a thriller, 4-6, 6-2, 0-1(9). Remember that unknown I mentioned above? Yep, Heller won the event in straight sets, downing Gonzales 6-2, 7-5.

Boys’ 16s

John Carlin of Fort Myers was the top local performer in the Boys’ 16s. Carlin, who reached the top-50 in Boys’ 14 Rankings for USTA Florida, showed that he can compete in the 16s as well. After a relatively easy pass into the second round over Matej Holy of Naples, 6-2, 6-3, Carlin outlasted third-seed William Shkrob of Venice, 6-7, 6-1, 1-0. He then defeated Eric Poland of Fort Myers, who also reached the semis without being seeded. Poland had survived a tough match in the quarters against M. T. McCormick of Berwyn, Pennsylvania, winning 6-2, 5-7, 1-0. Carlin dispatched Poland 6-1, 6-0 to reach the final.

In the final, Carlin took on No.1 Seed William Shisler of Naples. Shisler had had little trouble reaching the final, losing just four games in three matches, including a 6-2, 6-0 defeat of Brandon Wortkotter of Fort Myers and of Chase Burton of Naples by the same margin. Shisler got off to a strong start in the final, taking the first set 6-1, but Carlin fought back and made a match of it, finally falling 6-7. Carlin did get the win over Shisler in the doubles final, partnering with Burton.

Boys’ 18s

Adam Hamilton

The two local entries in the Boys’ 18s, Miguel Bendito and fourth-seeded Adam Hamilton, both of Fort Myers fell in their first-round matches. Alan Sweet of Naples had an easy path to the semis, beating Jacobo Nieto of Coral Gables 6-2, 2-0 (retired), and getting a walkover in the quarters. Sweet fell to Ezequiel Cerrini of Sunny Isles Beach 4-6, 3-6 in the final.

Girls’ 12s

In Girls’ 12s, No.1 Seed Shani Idlette of Fort Myers cruised to the semifinals, losing just one game in two matches. She then faced No.4 Seed Emily Javedan, also of Fort Myers, who narrowly edged QiQi Anderson of Naples, 6-3, 3-6, 1-0(8) in the quarters.

Alanna Dukas

Third-seeded Alanna Dukas of Fort Myers eased her way into the semis without dropping a game in quarters, and faced unseeded Victoria Franklin of Naples. Franklin had to battle her way past Zoe Imes of Bradenton to reach the semis, downing Imes 6-4, 0-6, 1(7).

Two of the three locals who made the semis exited when Franklin knocked Dukas out in the semis, 6-2, 6-3, and Idlette defeated Javedan, 6-3, 6-1. However, when the final score was posted, local girl Shani Idlette had claimed the victor’s spoils, beating Franklin 6-1, 6-1 in the final. Idlette also joined with Dukas to win the doubles event.

Girls’ 14s

Only two players from Fort Myers entered the Girls’ 14s, top-seed Allison Ghuman and Emma Scott. The two met in the second round (Ghuman’s first match), and Scott toppled Ghuman in a tough one, 7-5, 6-4.

Viva Laas of Bonita Springs was unseeded, but she dominated her three opponents, including No.2 Seed Tatia Ghviniashvili, en route to the final, dropping just three games in the three matches. Laas finished the event as the Finalist, losing to Champion Taylor Kogan of Plantation, 6-3, 6-0. Laas did go home a winner, taking the doubles with Ghuman.

Girls’ 16s

Three-seed Fallon Burger was Fort Myer’s only entry in the Girls’ 16s, and she had to survive a scare (1-6, 6-2, 1-0) from Karley Borras of Bradenton to reach the semis. Stevie Kennedy from Bonita Springs posted an impressive win over No.2 Seed Ines de Bracamonte of Golden Beach, 6-2, 6-1, to advance to the semis. Kennedy dispatched Burger in the semis, but fell to Ashby Bland of Fort Lauderdale in the final, 6-3, 6-3. Kennedy with partner Alyssa Mayo of Naples also lost a close one (9-7) to Bland and Bracamonte in the finals of the doubles.

Girls’ 18s

Thandiwe Kangwa

In the Girls’ 18s, Thandiwe Kangwa of Fort Myers encountered stiff competition from Lauren Hidalgo-Smith of Weston in her first match, falling 6-1, 6-4. Fort Myers’ other entry, Ja’cara Gillis also fell in her first match, this time to the No.1 Seed, Miranda Talbert of Bradenton, 6-1, 6-3. Shannon Etten of Naples won the event, beating Talbert, 6-1, 6-1.

Kudos to all the young players who gave it their all this past weekend! Game, set, match...T. A.

Confessions of a Tennis Addict by Mike Stern

This unedited post is courtesy of Michael Stern. I got quite a chuckle from it and thought you might as well, so here it is, "straight, no chaser."  T. A.

Mike Stern incognito?

I am a non-drinker with a tennis problem.

And I can't find a tennis anonymous program anywhere.

Help!

I played tennis every day in October.

And i haven't missed a day this month either.

But it is worse than that.

Yesterday i played 4 sets of doubles in the morning.

And then played a 2 hour singles match that evening for my 4.0 team.

I am trying to find something less addictive than tennis.

You know.  Maybe showing up on a breaking bad episode injecting blue ice while foot faulting.

I can do without golf.

In fact, every time I play I am certain I will never try the game again.

But tennis is different.

And Florida doesn't help.

The weather is just too good.

And the players are plentiful.

I have over 70 people on my tennis list that I play with regularly.

I am currently captain of 4 different teams and play on two others.

This is not normal.

I restring racquets as often as the kardasians change sex partners.

I buy tennis balls by the case.  And I have gone beyond using to dealing.

It's hard to be inconspicuous when you arrive at the racquet club with 3 cases of penn clay court tennis balls cradled in your arms.

What's next?  A tennis video on the internet with Paris Hilton?  or Roger Federer?

I know I should stop.  At least limit myself to once a day.

But my refusal skills are not very good.

Just when I am ready to go home to my wife and dog I hear a whispered, "Hey, sailor, got your racquet?" And I'm off for a few more hours on the court.

I have no sense of shame.

I prowl the courts looking for a game.  Swearing it will be my last.  But knowing that I will be back for more.

After all, I can resist anything except temptation.

How many times must I tell myself "just one more set" before my friends do an intervention.

Someone suggested a 12 step program.  I thought it was a video on footwork patterns to improve your backhand.

I can't do this alone.  My friends need to help make tennis less fun.

So when you are my partner, double fault at least twice a game.

Tell me my drop shots are stupid.  Ridicule me when i hit a lob.  Fail to show up on days we have matches planned.

Or you can indulge my habit.  Make a charitable contribution to get me a new racquet.  Who says eight is enough?

So if you come visit, you know where to find me.  Lying in a gutter outside the Fort Myers Racquet Club waiting for them to open.  With a tennis elbow bandage on my arm, and a case of tennis balls for a pillow.  Better bring your racquet.

I came home late the other day and told Joy I had met another woman and had gone to a hotel room for a liaison.  She immediately replied, "don't lie to me--i know you were playing tennis."

At this point, only a hurricane can slow me down.  And i might be out on the courts with a snorkel mask and fins trying to fit in one more 10 point tie-breaker.

One more forehand and I can break even!

Somehow just say no is not a solution.  Abstinence from tennis is less likely than my embracing Ahmadinejad at a bar mitzvah.

And i can do this in moderation.  As long as you consider 6 hours a day moderate.

So hope for rain or breaking a string in each of my racquets on the same day.

Or that i develop will power.  Hah!

I hope that's a rain cloud building up over the Gulf.

The real Mike Stern

More November Tennis in Fort Myers!

Fort Myers Racquet Club in Daytona

Mike Stern

I’ve already admitted numerous times that I can’t keep up with all that we have going in the Greater Fort Myers tennis community (fortunately Robyn George of the News-Press has my back), and here is more evidence. In my November Tennis post, I forgot to mention that Fort Myers Racquet Club’s 7.5 Men’s Summer Senior Combo League team will be heading to Daytona, November 14 – 16 to represent our area in Sectional League Playoffs.

Tim McClary

In Daytona, Captain Mike Stern will lead a team of nine players against other teams from around the State. In addition to Stern, the players are Tim McClary, Matt Schmelter, EW Brockwell, Dave Coppin, Steve Romaine, Jack Dunmead, Jurjis Petrov, and Barry Speakman. Wish them luck!

Tennis Community Gives Back

The Fort Myers tennis community continues to step up to the plate when it comes to supporting worthy causes. In addition to the Annual Hope Hospice tournament at the Sanctuary tomorrow (see recent blog), there are other imminent efforts to support those in need on the horizon. Those efforts include the support of the men and women who have put themselves in harm’s way through their military service, and children who are less fortunate than we may be.

Round Robin for Troops at Three Oaks Park

This coming Sunday, November 11, from 2 – 4pm, Rib City will sponsor a round robin tennis event at the Barbara Manzo Tennis Center at Three Oaks Park. Hosted by the Lee County Community Tennis Association (LCCTA), proceeds from the event will benefit the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). According to the organization’s website, the WWP seeks to:

• Raise awareness and enlist the public's aid for the needs of injured service members
• To help injured service members aid and assist each other 
• To provide unique, direct programs and services to meet the needs of injured service members

There will be round robin events for children 14-years-old and under, and for adults, with prizes and dinner included. The cost is $15 for adults (free for veterans) and $10 for children. To get in the game, please call 239-370-0240 or email sendclaudiamail@gmail.com.

Cypress Lake Tourney for Service Members

The effort to support service men and women continues on Sunday, November 18, at Cypress Lake Country Club, when the Men’s Rights Law Firm and Cypress Lake host the Hope for the Warriors Charity event.  The event includes Ladies and Men’s Doubles (3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5 – Open), appetizers, refreshments, and a silent auction.

Entry deadline for the event is Wednesday November 14, at 2pm. Entry fee for the tournament is $35 per player, and if you only want to support the event and share in the appetizer, refreshment and silent auction portion of the activities the cost is $20. To enter the event, stop by Cypress Lake Country Club or call Terry See at 239-851-6663.

Sponsorship Opportunities still remain. Silver Sponsors ($150) receive banner recognition, and Gold Sponsors will be listed as Court Sponsor’s and receive banner recognition as well. For sponsorship information, please call Anna Jordan at 239-287-0743.

Hope For The Warriors is an organization which seeks “to enhance the quality of life for post 9/11 service members, their families, and families of the fallen who have sustained physical and psychological wounds in the line of duty. Hope For The Warriors, a tax exempt 501(c3)(3) organization, is dedicated to restoring a sense of self, restoring the family unit, and restoring hope for our service members and our military families.”

Toys for Tots 

Toys for Tots donation station

Turning an eye towards the little ones, the USPTA’s 4^th annual Toys for Tots initiative (spearheaded by Shawn Hedrick), in support of the Toys for Tots Foundation, is underway. Our tennis community has been (pardon me here) "HUGE" in support of this effort in the past, and we hope that type of support will continue this time around.

To be a part of this effort, please bring a toy to one or all of the following Pro League events:

·        Pelican Landing- Friday November 16

·        Fiddlesticks- Friday November 30

·        The Landings- Friday December 14

If you cannot attend on one of those dates, please deliver any toys you might want to donate to your club professional. All of your USPTA pros appreciate your helping us contribute to this cause.

FGCU Fan Club Forming

Tianyu Bao gives serving clinic
to St. Matthews participatns

One final opportunity for giving, and this time the request is for a bit of your time and expertise. FGCU Men’s Tennis is making a major effort to become a more integral part of our tennis community, and they certainly have been doing their part to make that happen.

Fans at Grandezza event

In addition to bringing St. Matthews’ clients to campus, the Men’s Tennis Eagles have appeared at Grandezza, Pelican Landing, Shadow Wood (today), and will participate in the Naples-Fort Myers Challenge tomorrow. Having a premier college tennis program in our community can only be a boon, both socially and economically, to our area, and you can be a part of making that happen.

Wow! Did you see that!
Fans at Pelican Landing event

A group of dedicated tennis fans is coming together to form a fan club in support of the growth of FGCU’s Men’s Tennis program, and if you enjoy good tennis, want to get involved in building something special, becoming an FGCU Fuzz Fan might just be for you. This Wednesday, the 14^th at 5pm is the initial gathering of the group, and Coach Weber and his players would love to have you on board. Please call or email me (407-466-4652, taniles13@yahoo.com) if you would like to attend on the 14^th.

As Thanksgiving approaches, participating and contributing to the above efforts would be a terrific way for us to express our gratitude for the good fortune bestowed upon us. Thanks for your contributions! Game, set, match...T. A.

Seniors Take Center Court in Florida Senior Games

Thanks to Ron Treaseh for the tip on the nonagenarians and to Lyn Bruner for her contributions. Additional photos available here.

Anthony Coker & Earl Bannister
Men's 95 - 99 Singles Medalists

If you reach 95 years old, you are in among the 0.1 percent of the population of the United States. I couldn’t find a number for the men who reach that age, but given that women live significantly longer than men on average, you can bet that men make up an even smaller percentage of people who live to 95.

Ron Treaseh gets the youngsters going

With that in mind, it is no mean feat to have two players in the 95 – 99 Men’s Singles Draw at the Florida Senior Games! That’s what happened at the Landings this past Saturday, when Earl Bannister of North Fort Myers and Anthony Coker of Fort Myers (who’s really only 94) met to see who would go to the 2012 Florida Senior Games State Championships, to be held in Polk County (Lakeland), December 1-9, 2012, as the gold medalist.

95 - 99 Men's Singles
Gold Medalist, Tony Coker

It took a while for Earl to get going, and Tony took the first set with relative ease, 6-1. But Earl, the most senior of the seniors in the event, got going in the second set and gave Tony a run for his money. In the end, youth was served and Tony grabbed gold, 7-5 in the second.

All participants this past weekend qualified for Lakeland, and the other medalists are as follows:

Men's 60-69 Singles 

60 - 69 Men's Singles Gold
MedalistTim Conte

Tim Conte of Punta Gorda took the round robin competition by beating George Wright and Robert Patton, both of Fort Myers, in straight sets, losing just three games in the process. Wright prevailed over Patton to win silver, and Patton took home bronze.

Women's 65-69 Singles 

Linda Torestsky of Cape Coral downed Chris Dixon of Bokeelia 6-4, 6-1 in the gold medal match.

Men's 70-79 Singles

Fred Puhlfuerst of North Fort Myers defeated Edward Humbert of Fort Myers 6-0, 6-0 to claim gold.

Men's 80-84 Singles 

Norm Taylor of Naples downed Dick Greiwe, also of Naples, 6-0, 6-0 en route to the gold medal.

Men's 95-99 Singles 

Earl Bannister

As mentioned above, Anthony Coker outlasted Earl Bannister 6-1, 7-5 in the most intriguing match of the event. Bannister will have to go to Lakeland to get gold, but silver, or any medal for that matter, isn't bad at 95.

Men's 65 Doubles

Richard Fell of Cape Coral and Bruce Traugott of Lehigh acres took out Paul Straub and Thomas Vanbibber of Fort Myers, 6-1, 6-0 in the gold medal match.

Women’s 55-74 Doubles

55 - 74 Women's Doubles Gold Medalists
Barbara Dovin & Sandra Hunziker

Barbara Dovin of Bonita Springs and Sandra Hunziker of Marietta, Georgia defeated Judy Davis and Marcha Moore of Naples 6-2, 6-2 to earn gold. Davis and Moore defeated Cathy Crawford and Karen Miller, both of Fort Myers, to earn Silver.

Mixed Doubles 60-69

Silver Medalists
Gary Fair & Judy Crago

Dave and Barbara Peirson of Fort Myers took down two other teams, defeating Judy Crago and Gary Fair, 6-4, 6-1, in their final match to win the gold medal. Crago and Fair took home silver, downing Tim Conte and Chris Dixon of Bokeelia who earned bronze.

For more information about the Florida State Senior Games, go to www.flasports.com.

November Tennis in Fort Myers

Florida State Senior Games 

(Courtesy of Lyn Bruner of LCCTA...mostly)

Pic courtesy of pxleyes.com

A qualifying event for the Florida State Senior Games will be held at Rutenberg Park this Saturday, November 3, starting at 8:30am. Events are offered in Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles, for players aged 50 through 100 years old! And yes, I met a Senior Games player a couple of years ago who was 100 years old.

Pic courtesy of neseniortennis.com

Essentially, all participants will qualify to play in The 2012 Florida Senior Games State Championships to be held in Polk County (Lakeland), December 1-9, 2012. Tennis is one of 14 qualifying sports that will be contested at the Games. Top finishers in Lakeland can then move on the National Senior Olympics to be held in Cleveland in August, 2013.

The Florida State Senior Games will return to Lee County in 2014. Cape Coral hosted the Games from 2006 – 2010. You can read more about the Florida Sports Foundation and the FL Senior Games at www.flasports.com. It is too late to enter, but it isn’t too late to go see if you might want to participate the next time around. I think I’ll take a look myself. See you out there.

Naples-Fort Myers Challenge 

(Courtesy of Paula Scheb and the Staff at Bonita Bay)

The venue is set.  The Volunteers are prepared.  The Corporate Sponsors are in place.  The best tennis professionals and amateurs are gearing up and getting ready.  And, the team captains are setting their game plans for the 32nd Annual Naples - Ft. Myers Tennis Challenge.  Here are some insights into a few of the 22 matches that will be played between 2:00pm and 5:30pm on November 10, 2012,  

Tye Myers

Some of those scheduled to play for their respective teams include Wimbledon Champion Joanne Russell and ATP Tour Player and world ranked, Jesse Witten. Tye Myers and Tyler Owens one of the top tier doubles teams in the area are splitting up for the Challenge and playing for their teams of Naples and Ft. Myers.

Steve Shreiner

Former Clemson Tiger and Barron Collier tennis coach Tyler Manring and former FGCU top player, Jose Pastrello team up against two of FGCU's best.  Terry See, singles and doubles winner of the USPTA Grand Master Tournament and partner Steve Shreiner, USPTA National Champion, take on professional Tad Connerton and Doug Welsh, Quail Creek's Tennis Director and USPTA professional.

Phil Landauer University of Arkansas star and winner of over 30 USTA singles and doubles championships will take on T. A. Niles, University of Hartford Hall of Fame and No. 1 singles player.  University of Florida and member of the NCAA Champions team All-American Paula Scheb and doubles partner and former tennis coach at the University of Delaware Holly Chomyn, team up again this year trying to match their success of a year ago. 

Denny Rager

Also on the rosters are George Wachtel, Franco Mato, Eddie Neese, Ido Abougzir, Alejandra Aguilar, Scott Harrington, Carlos Huerta, Jonathon David, Eddie Neese and Denny Rager.  In all, there will be 36 players on each team.

Come on out and watch Southwest Florida's longest running annual tennis event.
WHEN:           November 10, 2012
WHERE:        Bonita Bay Club, Bonita Springs
TIME:              Matches Begin at 2:00pm 

The Sanctuary Hosts Annual Hope Hospice Event

The Hope Hospice Tennis Challenge, the Annual NTRP tournament hosted by The Sanctuary Golf Club on Sanibel Island and its Director of Tennis & Fitness, Christie Bradley, will be here in less than two weeks! On Saturday and Sunday, November 10 & 11, The Sanctuary’s 10^th annual tennis for charity event, will feature 3.5 – 4.5 Men’s and Women’s doubles tourneys.

Breakfast and Lunch will be provided both days, and I know from experience that the Sanctuary puts on quite the spread for this event, so it’s worth it just for the food! But there is no better cause, and Christie runs a class event. Last year, 62 players participated and raised approximately $10,000 for the charity.   

The deadline is Wednesday the 7^th at 5pm, and the entry fee is $75 per person. To enter the event, you can call Christie at 239-472-5276 or email cbradley@sanctuarygc.net

Florida Gulf Coast University Tennis

Coach C.J Weber welcomes
crowd @ Grandezza

FGCU Men’s Tennis “Fuzz Fans” want you! So you love tennis, right? And you especially love good tennis, right? Well we have some of the best tennis in town at Florida Gulf Coast University, and you can be a part of it.

Jordi Vives- Fall Invitational Singles Champ

After a terrific Fall campaign in which the Eagles won the FGCU Fall Invitational against competition such as University of Miami, University of Central Florida, Florida Atlantic University, Barry University, the Eagles are gearing up for the most intensive Spring Season ever faced by an FGCU Men’s Tennis squad.

Lance Lvovsky-
Fall Invitational Doubles Champ

Oklahoma State, which beat three nationally ranked teams last season; Florida State, which had a winning record against nationally ranked teams; and other programs from across the country will be among the competition this coming Spring. In all, the Eagles will play at least 19 dual matches, with nine of those matches held at FGCU.

FGCU crowd at Grandezza

A group of FGCU Eagles tennis fans who believe in Coach C.J. Weber and his troops are gathering on Wednesday, November 14 at 5pm, at Alico Arena on campus to explore the formation of a “support group” (due to admin reasons we can’t call it a “booster club”). Until someone comes up with a better name, which may happen on the 14^th, we’re calling the group “Fuzz Fans” because we love seeing the fuzz fly at FGCU matches, and fly it does!

FGCU crowd at dual match

If want to be a part of the fastest rising tennis program in the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASC), want contribute to the college experience of a number of young men, and/or want to expand the Greater Fort Myers tennis community experience, we would love to have you on board.

Please call or email me (407-466-4652, taniles13@yahoo.com) if you would like to attend on the 14^th or are interested in being a Fuzz Fan yourself. Yes, if all you can do is clap, the Fuzz Fans would love to have you!

Tennis Leagues

USPTA Pro League

The Fort Myers Ritzman Tennis USPTA Pro League got off with a bang this past Friday, October 26 at Palmira, and continues today, November 2, at Gulf Harbour. The action promises to be as scintillating as ever, with two more play dates in November (16th at Pelican Landing and 30th at Fiddlesticks). Check out the new format and all other Pro League details here.

Women’s Leagues

As you probably know by now, the Lee County Women’s Tennis League (LCWTL) is in full swing (wish more of my Hideaway players took a full swing!). There are a number of other Women’s leagues underway.  Sun Coast “A” Tennis, popularly known as “SCAT” since 1984, and which features seven teams of the top women players in town, started a week ago and will play through early April. Defending Champ, Park Meadow Diane (now Park Meadow “D,” will have some tough competition as they try to repeat.

BonEro, a 50-Plus women’s league for women in Bonita Springs and Estero and thereabouts that lists eight teams for its Fall Schedule. BonEro teams are currently being formed for the 2013 Spring Season, and the deadline is Tuesday, November 13. You can check out the BonEro website for more information.

Men’s Leagues

The Men's 50 Plus Tennis League of Lee County gets underway on November 12, and will continue through March 18, 2013. Eighty-seven men’s teams in 12 divisions will compete for bragging rights in the League.

The newest men’s league in town, Southwest Florida Team Tennis (SWFTT), begins play on November 9, and runs through mid-April. According to the league website, “SWFTT is composed of age 50+ high level 4.0 plus players along with 4.5 level players in Lee County, Florida.” Seven teams are on board for this inaugural season, and a number of local USPTA professionals have agreed to play, including yours truly. The Landings, Cape Coral Racquet Club, and Plantation are among the local clubs fielding teams. Log on to the league website for more info.

USTA Florida Leagues

Not yet on par with LCWTL or Lee County Men’s, USTA Florida leagues are still among the most substantial around. According to League Coordinator, Susie Bessire, 77 teams are participating in fall leagues, and that number is likely to grow when winter leagues come around.

Ultimate Tennis League

Ultimate means final doesn’t it? Well, last on my list, but first among flex leagues is Ultimate Tennis, and we are smack in the middle of the Fall 2012 Season. I took a tough tumble in my last outing, and wouldn’t be surprised to go down in my next match against league leader Alex Blagojevic.  You better get me this time while the getting is good Alex :). 

Well that's about all I have for now. If you have more, please send it on over and I'll get try to get the word out. Game, set, match...T A