≡ 2008 July & August News ≡

≡ 08/03/08 ≡ ...And the winner is...

William Lam's stellar entry, the song "Best in Town" he composed! Congratulations, Will - Enjoy the two free evening tickets to the Countrywide Classic you've won!

To download a version of the song, please click the following link:
Download .aif file
facebook video

"Best In Town"

She's got control, he's got the Hands
Both not afraid to say "We can
dig ourselves up out of this hole,
7 games straight we won't let them hold"

With Pistol Pete's trusty manager rooting them on
Rambunctious college kids screaming along
Every ace, every winner, and every miss
USC can't be compared to this

Just like Journey in the 80's
They just don't stop believing
Now Chika's tears are flowing
And some crazy kid's streaking

We are the best, the best in town tonight
We show the world, show the world how we Bruins fight
You can try can try, take a game or two
But you know, but you know we don't know how to lose
We are the best, the best in town tonight
We show the world
We show the world club tennis-oh what a team
Got friends, got pride, yeah you know what I mean

Yeah you know what I mean
Yeah you know what I mean

She's lost control, down 1 to 5
Mark's cheering "You've got to stay alive
dig yourself up out of this hole
Win six games straight, send those Cornhuskers home"

Like Journey in the 80's
She doesn't stop believing
In her Blue and Gold spirit
We don't stop believing
Anthony will fit into
Will's pink shirt

We are the best, the best in town tonight
We show the world, show the world how we Bruins fight
You can try can try, take a game or two
But you know, but you know we don't know how to lose
We are the best, the best in town tonight
We show the world
We show the world club tennis-oh what a team
Got friends, got pride, yeah you know what I mean
We are the best, the best in town tonight
We show the world, show the world how we Bruins fight
You can try can try, take a game or two
But you know, but you know we don't know how to lose

But you know, but you know, but you know
We don't know how to lose

≡ 08/01/08 ≡ Mixer Picture & Contest Deadeline

Remember, the deadline for the Countrywide Classic Tickets contest is tonight at 11:59 PM!

Also pictures from Summer Session A's mixer tournament may be viewed here (facebook).

≡ 07/29/08 ≡ Party with the Pros****

No, those aren't words of angered profanity... they are awestruck stars! That's right, UCLA Club Tennis is providing an exclusive invite to party with the stellar competitors of this year's Countrywide Classic Tournament! Possible guest-list appearances may be made by such supernovas as Andy Roddick, Haas, Fish, and more!

The major details are as follows:

Date:	FRI, Aug 1st
Time:	6-9 PM
Place:	Q's Billiard Club
Address:	1185 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica
Map	Google Maps
Age:	21+ yrs
Facebook:	RSVP

What's all the fuss about Shotgun 21?

Shotgun 21 is an extremely dynamic derivative of tennis played on the traditional tennis court... but ping-pong style. Its unique structure makes it possible for even amateurs to make it into the main draw of "Shotgun 21" tournaments... against top players!

For more information about this fascinating new sport, visit their site here.

Ready to start playing it? Great! Try it out this Sunday, August 3rd, @ the Palisades.

Tennis Week Excerpt:

Tennis Week
Palisades Tennis Center Hosts Shotgun Tournament
By Tennis Week
7/23/2008 1:50:00 PM

Tennis Channel founder Steve Bellamny will transform tennis into a shotgun shoot-out next month.
The inaugural Shotgun 21 World Championships will take place at the Palisades Tennis Center in Pacific Palisades on August 3rd. The qualifying draw, which is open to the public for participation, will be at noon and the main draw will at 3 p.m. Pacific time. The entire event is free to the public for viewing. For more information, please visit www.shotgun21.com.
The Shotgun 21, sponsored by Wilson, will be the world’s first standalone professional sporting event where men and women compete directly against each other with no bias of gender.
"The opportunity to increase heads up play between men and women and the opportunity for basically anyone to go up against tour professionals with a play-schedule that is great for fans to enjoy from the start to end is going to be exciting to see with this type of marquee event," said Jon Muir, General Manager of Wilson Racquet Sports.
There will also be admittance of all age, gender or ability to the qualifying draw, meaning anyone off the street could qualify to play with against the pros. A committee will decide main draw spots and seedings.
A number of top ranked professional players have indicated their participation including:

* Vince Spadea
* Justin Gimelstob
* Alexandra Stevenson
* Derrick Rostagno

"I have done well in mixed doubles against the guys and when you take the serve out of the equation, it is a much more even playing field," said Stevenson, a 1999 Wimbledon semifinalist.
The Shotgun 21 format has been used for many years at the Palisades Tennis Center and was used in the qualifying tournament for three years at Tennis Channel Open. It features many unique changes to the way tennis is played and scored.

* Serve — there is no overhand serve, second serves or lets. All serving is drop hit and fed from below the waste like ping pong, squash, racquetball and paddle tennis.
* Format — each player serves 5 points crosscourt from the deuce side and then each player serves 5 points from the ad side. Balls are considered in play when they bounce anywhere on the appropriate side of the court.
* Scoring — each game is played to 21, and at 20 all the next point wins
* Music — there will be lots of it!

The 32-player main draw event will take no more than 3 hours and will be played on just 4 total tennis courts. About 40 percent of the points in tennis end in aces, service winners, missed serves and returns meaning nearly half the points are over before they start.
"We have always done these types of tournaments at the Palisades Tennis Center because it is far more appealing to our world today," said Bellamy. "Traditional tennis is still basically scored the same way it has for centuries. One-day events fit in people’s lives much better. Also, the fact that any hacker can play the qualifying and then minutes later have a chance to play against someone who won a Wimbledon Title is pretty cool."
Players will be competing for over $20,000 in prize money and sponsors include: Wilson Racquet Sports, Palisadian Post, Pepsi, The Ski Channel, Palisades Tennis Center, Westwood Tennis Center and Fender Guitars.

ESPN Tournament Details

ESPN.com: Tennis
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
First unisex event featuring world-ranked men, women set for Aug. 3
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES -- Imagine Roger Federer playing one of the Williams sisters. Or Rafael Nadal facing Maria Sharapova.
Tennis promoter Steve Bellamy envisions such matchups one day, although he'll go with less dynamic pairings for now. On Aug. 3, he'll stage what's believed to be the first tournament involving world-ranked men and women going head to head.

The one-day competition in suburban Pacific Palisades comes with several big rules changes: No overhand serve, second serves or lets. All serving is drop-hit and struck from below the waist.
"About 40 percent of the points in tennis are won on the serve or the return," said Bellamy, founder of The Tennis Channel. "Basically, half the points are over before they even start. Men dominate women in tennis mainly because of the serve, so this concept neutralizes that advantage."
Bellamy said Vince Spadea, Justin Gimelstob, Derrick Rostagno and Alexandra Stevenson are among those expected to play. Spadea is ranked No. 70 and Stevenson No. 204; Rostagno and Gimelstob are no longer on the tour.
The Battle of the Sexes approach recalls the 1973 showdown between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. King, at the top of her game, won easily against her long-retired opponent.

Stevenson reached the semifinals at Wimbledon as an 18-year-old unknown in 1999 before losing to Lindsay Davenport.
"The only reason I would do this is to win," she said. "I think it will be fun. I've done this kind of thing before, but it hasn't been in a tournament format. Women can compete and beat men serving underhand off the ground. I think fans like watching men and women play. Hopefully this will be something new and fun and interesting."
Stevenson, once ranked among the top 20, is coming back from a shoulder injury. Rostagno, ranked as high as 13th in the early 1990s, is now a 42-year-old lawyer. He said removing the serve as a weapon is a great equalizer.

"I think this is a great way to have a tournament," he said. "It's something tennis can use, a way to focus on an aspect of tennis that many people consider to be more entertaining -- longer rallies."
Rostagno said losing to a woman wouldn't be a big deal.
"Depending upon the draw, I have a good chance to lose to whoever I confront," he said. "The women nowadays, the way they hit the groundies is exceptional. This could make for some very interesting matchups."
Gimelstob comes to this mixed-gender event carrying some baggage. He made sexist remarks about Anna Kournikova and other female players on a radio program last month. The U.S. Tennis Association responded by scrapping his part in TV commercials touting the U.S. Open Series.
Gimelstob, who is on the ATP board, has since apologized and was suspended one match without pay by World TeamTennis. He was unavailable for comment Tuesday.

Bellamy said the event will have a 32-player draw and should be completed in about three hours. He said a committee will examine the qualifications of every entrant and choose the top 28. The other four will come from a qualifier earlier in the day that's open to the public.
The format will be similar to table tennis, with the winner being the first to reach 21 points and each player serving five points before service alternates.
The entry fee is $100 for the main draw and $50 for the qualifier. Bellamy said the winner will earn about $10,000. Sponsors include Wilson Racquet Sports, Pepsi, Fender Guitars and The Ski Channel.

Bellamy, a 44-year-old chief executive of The Ski Channel, is married to Beth Herr, a former NCAA tennis champion at Southern California and top 20 professional.
"My passion in life is promoting tennis," he said. "It's not like baseball, football and basketball, where 99 percent of the participants quit when they're 14. It's a sport you can play your whole life. I'm always looking for ways to make tennis and lifetime sports better."