Marina City Club’s Annual Palm Desert Trip 2011

Dinner at The Nest

November 11-13, 2011 marked another trip to the beautiful Shadow Mountain Resort in Palm Desert for the Marina City Club faithful. Friday was beautiful, with casual doubles played by members and the pro, Gene, in the late afternoon in balmy desert weather under clear skies. Saturday morning, the skies opened and kept the courts wet all day, preventing us from playing a much-anticipated match with Ironwood Country Club. Members went to movies, casinos, The Living Desert, and relaxed by shopping. Saturday night was a wonderful four-course dinner at The Nest, a desert hot-spot, with live music and dancing. Eighteen members attended the dinner and a wonderful time was had by all.
On Sunday morning, we played mixed doubles against Shadow Mountain and our team won all but on match. It was a beautiful day and everyone was thrilled to get some tennis in, before returning to Marina Del Rey that afternoon. Although the weather did not cooperate completely, we had another memorable trip to the desert with friends.

Dinner at The Nest

Andy Murray Wows in Japan Open Final

Andy Murray looked like he was on his way to a 14th loss to world no. 2, Rafael Nadal as he dropped the first set of the 2011 Japan Open final, 6-3.  However, Murray decided to hang in there and force the future hall of famer, Nadal to close out the match, rather than giving up.  His tenacity and emotional stability allowed Murray to play two outstanding sets and defeat Nadal, 6-2, 6-0 in the final two sets, including a three break third set in which Murray only lost 4 points.  That’s right, 4 points against Rafa.  Murray has set a goal of finishing this year ahead of all-time great, Roger Federer at no. 3 in the rankings and with play like this, that goal seems reachable.

Women’s League Doubles Tennis Tactics

The middle of the court needs to be shown its due respect, especially in women’s league doubles at the B2-A2 levels.  Great success can be had for players who exploit the middle of the court.  As the defenders of the middle, you want to force your opponents to hit to the outside (the “alleys”).

There are three ways to miss a shot in tennis:  long, wide, or in the net.  If you go down the middle, you eliminate one of those possibilities, thus reducing your chances of missing by 33%.  You read right, 33%, which is the very definition of percentage tennis.

In your next match, go to the middle until your opponents cover it, then you’ll have more room to hit the outside.  If your opponents are covering the middle effectively, then aim for the middle, but to the backhand side of the middle.  On easier shots, go to the outside repeatedly until they start leaning that way, then the middle will open up.  If given a choice, choose to go to the backhand player’s outside unless they are one of the small percentage who prefer the backhand.

Remember, attack the middle until your adversaries cover, then pull them apart by going outside on easier ones until the middle opens again as they try to cover the alleys.

Women's doubles

Isner and Mahut Together Again: 1st Round Wimbledon 2011

Wow.  Geez.  I’ve never anticipated a first round matchup between unseeded players who have never even been in a major final this much.  Tennis will be treated to a rematch of the longest match ever on Tuesday.  They should be on Centre Court and there will be standing room only.  My question is, do they do the draw in a room full of people and pull the unseeds out of a hat (hence the word “draw”) because it seems rigged.  I don’t believe that because this event is so crazy, a rigged draw would never try it.  Anyway, see you Tuesday for Wimbledon’s epic first round…again.

Marina City Club “Ringer” Tennis Tournament 2011

On June 11-12, 2011, we played the annual MCC “Ringer” Tennis Tournament on our newly resurfaced courts at the Marina City Club in Marina del Rey, California.  This year featured a wonderful Saturday barbeque, breakfast bagels, juice, coffee, beer, wine, and soft drinks, as well as the traditional Sunday noon final followed by sandwiches, cookies, and slaw, courtesy of the MCC Restaurant staff.

The finals of the Championship Division featured the 2010 defending champions, Nancy Closson and Jacek Twarowski versus Joan Hall and Kent Seton.  The match started slightly late because Nancy and Jacek had their semifinal against Linda Lockard and Bendan Duda, “go the distance,” playing two tie-breakers for the first two sets and then winning 10-3 in the third set match tiebreak.  Once we got going, Kent and Joan sought to impose themselves on Jacek and Nancy who were a little winded from their prior match which ended less than an hour before the final.  Kent and Joan went up a break at 4-2 and held it to finish the set 6-3.  The second set started with some long points and exciting shots for the thirty spectators, but Kent’s overhead and Joan’s serve were too much in the end, as they broke twice to win the second set and the match 6-2.  The match was very exciting and all the players enjoyed the tennis.

In the Gold Division, this year’s men’s doubles champion, Stephen Hall, teamed with Kristen Jordan, fought through a tough field and win the final over Donna Leventhal and Loic Bailly 6-4, 6-2.  Some amazing points were played and both teams acquitted themselves well.

I hope that all the players and ringers enjoyed the tennis by the beach and will start thinking about who they can befriend now for next year’s ringer!

Federer and Nadal Together Again!

The French Open has what every tennis tournament on earth dreams of:  another final between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.  Another chapter in a storied rivalry that balances squarely in Rafa’s favor 16-8 according to the ATP website.  However, there are a few factors that make that record more interesting that it first appears.

Number one, most of the wins Rafa has against Fed were on a clay court, certainly a surface that favors Nadal heavily.

Number two, the wins on other surfaces have come since the balls and the courts were slowed down on grass and hard courts as well (see Wimbledon next month when baseliners will rule the roost, then take a look at the last century’s dominance by serve-volleyers).  This slower trend has created a cloning effect with professional players on both the men’s and women’s tours.  Most players now have two-handed backhands and venture to the net less often than rabbits visit lion dens.  Even excellent serve-volleyers like Federer had to give up the practice because of the slower surfaces.  Lendl would have won Wimbledon several times had it been the pace it is today, but he lost to Boris Becker and Pat Cash because it was truly a fast court that favored volleying over groundies.

Number three, tennis and boxing both exhibit the classic issue of match-up problems for certain athletes.  Federer matches up pretty well with Novak Djokovic and has a 14-9 record against the Serb, despite Djokovic playing lights out tennis lately.  Nadal, could not muster a set off Djokovic during this clay court season in two matches.  Does that mean that since Federer beat Djokovic on clay that he’s a better clay court player than Rafa?  Certainly not, but it does mean that his game matches up better with Djokovic’s game than Nadal’s.  Nadal’s lefty style and high kicking forehand, that hooks into Federer’s one-handed backhand is the fly in the ointment for Federer.  One-handers have difficulty with high balls, but a two-hander like Djokovic or Murray are not nearly as bothered by Nadal’s high balls as Federer.  Match-ups.

Tomorrow, we shall see if Federer can put another stroke of genius onto the greatest career in tennis history, or if Nadal can add to his legacy of dominance at Roland Garros.  Whatever happens, remember that head-to-head records don’t always tell the whole story, and Rafa has a long way to go to prove that against the rest of the field he’s as great as Roger.

By the way, don’t miss the match tomorrow (Sunday, June 5th) on NBC at 6am pacific time!

Djok Awaits Fed in French Open Semis

Djokovic got a walk-over when Fognini pulled out of the French Open quarterfinals. Federer needs to get past Monfils, a French tennis favorites to set up the clash of titans in the semi-finals. Should Novak Djokovic make it to the French final, then win or lose, he will become number one in the South African Airways ATP rankings.

“Ringer” Tournament at Marina City Club June 11-12, 2011

The 2011 annual Marina City Club “Ringer” Tennis Tournament will be played over two days on Saturday and Sunday June 11-12.  If you are a member of Marina City, find the best player (member or non-member) to team with as your ringer.  You can use Maria Sharapova or Roger Federer, or your local pro, but come and play the ringer.  It’s like no other tennis tournament in the world!

Note:  If you are a local 4.5 and up player, and you’d like Gene, the tennis director, to pair you with one of our members in the event, please call or email 310-578-4949 or gdesrochers@seabreezemgmt.com today!  The Marina City Club is located on Admiralty Way in Marina del Rey, California and features 6 newly-resurfaced, lighted, hard tennis courts, exactly like the one’s at the US Open.

Del Potro Needs to Grow Up

I watched some of Juan Martin del Potro’s 2nd round match at the 2011 French Open with interest, as a win over Kavcic, a Slovenian player, would set up a meeting with Novak Djokovic.  With two sets in hand, and serving down 0-1 on the third, Del Potro ran up for a Kavcic drop shot, hit a drop shot back, which Kavcic read.  Kavcic hit the ball right at Del Potro at about 20 km per hour and it hit him, but with little effect as there was no pace and Kavcic immediately apologized in a genuine manner.  However, Del Po was having none of it and proceeded to stare down Kavcic for a solid twenty seconds and then went over to complain to the chair umpire (about what I have no idea).

Juan Martin, you are a professional tennis player, right?  It is certainly within the rules and ethics of tennis to hit the ball at the other player, especially when that player gives little choice by standing right in front of you and he has the reach of a 6’6″ guy.  On top of that, Kavcic apologized, something he didn’t have to do.  Del Potro needs to buck up and accept that other players, even lower ranked ones, do not have to treat him like a diva.  You are a gladiator on a field of battle.  If you cannot handle the vicissitudes of such battle, then bow out.  Millions of dollars are at stake and so long as you are within the rules of engagement, put your attitude away and play tennis.  Such baby-ish behavior is what gives tennis the reputation of being a sissy-sport of weaker men and women than contact sports where you have to shrug off direct blows to your body constantly.  Spare us the ridicule of our athletic peers Mr. Del Potro, and put your diva attitude away and play tennis.

Djokovic wins, Berdych out at French Open Tennis Championships

Tomas Berdych was ousted on day 2 of Roland Garros after making the semi-finals in 2010. A 31 year-old French qualifier named, Stephane Robert, performed the come from two-sets-to-love-down upset in front of the partisan crowd with a 3-6, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 9-7 victory.
Meanwhile, the Sports Illustrated proclaimed “most dominant athlete on the planet,” Novak Djokovic, continued his 40-match winning streak with an easy victory over Thiemo de Bakker, 6-2, 6-1, 6-3. We eagerly anticipate a clash of titans in round 3 should the unbeaten one and the 25 seed Juan Martin del Potro win their next matches.