By Ryan Wolfington

It is UNLV and Las Vegas, Nevada where the USTA's National  5.5 and Open tournament decided to run their event this year. Tournament Director Sue Johnson Maurer explained why she and assistant Director Liz Kamish decided on Vegas as the years final destination for all the sectional champions from Florida to Northern California.

 She explained they tried another town one year and it was nice but found that players were more interested in making a vacation of Las Vegas. Living here for nine plus years, the Vegas others see from out of state is no longer the image I have in mind when I see my home. But comments like this remind me of   how popular Las Vegas is, and well known internationally. It only makes sense that a National tournament would want to host it's event here. The hotel accommodations alone rival that of the largest and best tourist towns in the world, not to mention the perfect weather. 

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Which brings me to the first team competing here for the national title, the Minnesota team, of which the assistant tournament Director, Liz Kamish, was routing for, as she is also the Assistant Adult Tennis Director for the Minnesota area. And she was not let down as this team came through big in the clutch. It was down to two matches on court, their singles and doubles, both of which were decided in the "Quasi third set" "Super Tie breaker." The Third set in League is no longer a full set but a super tie breaker , the first to 10 points by two. And both Minnesota matches danced their way through the tie breaker, securing them a position in tomorrows semifinals. This is the third year their team has made it this far and they have no intention of doing anything but their best. The last two years they have won the event and they are looking to do the same this year. This team is proof that great tennis players can come from any climate, hot or cold. When nature makes it's call every late fall and winter, the players simply play in one of the many indoor facilities. Las Vegas in the "Winter" is warmer then Minnesota's fall and early spring, yet some players in Vegas still adhere to a tennis season, when in fact Las Vegas is a year round tennis season. 

It seems to me the players who can stay healthy during their trip and not fall into the clutches of wrong doing on the strip, will have the edge. But competitive tennis and doing what it takes to win is not foreign to the players in this tournament. Many of them at one time or another were very high ranked juniors and college players with a number of them having played on the professional tennis tour. One such players was Beverly Hackney (Maiden name Beverly Bowes) She at one time played number one singles at the University of Texas and spent 10 years on the WTA tour. She faced off against Las Vegas's own former professional player Dina Basil. Dina had quite a cheering section, as players she plays with at Baskin park, like Don and myself were there, along with her student she coaches and some friends. Also present was Eric Davis, also a local teaching professional, who was on the sidelines offering cheers, claps and courtside commentary. 

The match had some excellent points, and although each game was as close as it could get, every time Beverly would take the game. It went back and forth in deuce and add, many times, yet Beverly would pull off each game winning the set score convincingly, even though the games were extremely close. Not because Dina did not have an equal tennis game, the two were fairly even when it came to physical skills. Beverly had her strengths, one of which was the ability to get almost every ball back, she chased down everything, and had a patience waiting for her time to put balls away. While Dina's solid low riding backhand and forehand often fell into the corners and early edges. But mentally Dina was not in the game today and when you meet face to face with a player who has weapons, that is almost a guaranteed loss. And Beverly had weapons. She, time and time again had an excellent chip shot, beating down the "Tired" Dina. Her game was consistent and she waited till the right moment to hit the hard put away. Dina was hitting hard and well on the ground strokes all day, she did not wait, she unloaded on almost every shot, but Beverly would chase it down and send it back. And she would chase it down and send it back, ... and she would chase it down and send it back...soon turning her defensive position into an offensive winner. She won the match today, as she came to play. During the break she was on the next court sitting in the chair, still in the game, focused. It should be noted.. days later Dian Basil beat me at a local pick-up tennis park in Las Vegas. Initially she focused on the score and match results but she also recognizes the much larger game of life. As a player and coach she is working on this game to live in such a way as to bring inner strength to her self and the students she teaches. It was Bill Godfrey on TEAM Michigan that explained the importance of the mental game in tennis and how as a youth going into professional tennis without a coach it was challenging. It is imperative that a coach see this higher game of mental toughness and address it as equally important if not more important then the physical aspects or the mathematical facts of scoring. The game of life is what we are all in long after the ball stops moving, and mastering this game is what makes true Champions. Tennis and the various events you can participate in, bring to the forefront this challenge, giving you the opportunity to thrive....Let it Ride!  

 Also focused was me, as even spectators are often offered a variety of distractions, and I made a point to stay focused on the match and really watch was happening. But every now and then my attention was taken to the court next door and two courts over where the rest of TEAM NEVADA was playing TEAM TEXAS. Team Texas had extremely talented volleys in Rosie Garza, a teaching professional in Austin Texas, and Fredericka Meddleton, a former teaching professional. They were making some incredible drop volley's and handling the net like surgeons. It paid off against Nevada's local teaching professional Heather Wrzesinski of Spanish Oaks Tennis Club and her partner, former Bishop Gorman and University of Oregon player Jamie Martin. Heather at one time was ranked as high as 3 in the nation in Juniors and was on the verge of entertaining a professional tennis career until her knee had some serious problems. Now she and her husband play tennis, teach and run the Spanish Oaks tennis club, which in my opinion, is one of the best situated tennis clubs in the Valley. It has a number of courts but what is best is the landscape , tennis porch on the natural grandstand of a hill, where the architect obviously knew what he was doing in situating the courts at the bottom of a grassy hill. And above this grass grandstand is an incredible tree that has to be 40 years old, big and awesome.

But today none of that was able to help Heather and Jamie defeat the net experts from Texas's number one doubles team. They lost in two sets 6-2, 6-0. Heather made some very nice lobs but today they were consistently just inches from the back line. One of her volleys was extremely nice, but even when Jamie and Heather were on.... the Texans were on more.

But Nevada did take a set from Team Texas in the number two doubles match. Team Captain Pamela Loyd and her partner Charmaine Dadian won the second set 6-4 after losing the first 6-1. They were up against Joan and Minka who were not about to fall down. Texas fought it out in the tie breaker winning the match 6-1, 4-6, 10-4. It looked like some excellent tennis from afar. I had seen Pam and Charmaine play in the Club Sport Volvo Indoor tournament just a months ago and they are extremely consistent and well placed players. 

Today Nevada lob's were excellently executed and the ladies had some excellent volley's on both sides. With Texas winning that match they secured themselves a second place position. This technically means they have the second best Ladies team in all the Nation for USA League tennis.

The captain of the team , Cindy Ryan,  once was a player on U.S.C's division one team and was nationally ranked in the 1960's. Now she takes a keen interest in each player, their game and how they fit into the whole. The Texas group was well put together as they had many spectators fly in as well and the men from Texas also won their sectional and came to Las Vegas to win one for the Alamo. Whether or not they will be able to do that is not the point. It just seems that the best of the best come to Vegas each year to play one another and get back into the flow of serious competition. And I did not see one person not enjoying the experience.

And no one was enjoying it more then the ladies who organize this event each year, sitting at the table and tending to all the details ........months before, months after and all day during the tournament. But they were interested in who was who, what the teams were doing and even knew the men and ladies as many teams return each year, making it an annual event earned. A team can not just come. They have to be invited by winning their section or being authorized to represent their section. There are at times wild card teams to fill the draw and this year one such team took advantage of the opportunity. 

A team that has made this trip the last three years is the team from Michigan. Their star player is Dan Goldberg, the NCAA finalist, All American at Michigan, ranked as high as #260 in ATP rankings. He is now the assistant coach at Michigan.  Bill Godfery, formerly of  University of Michigan, at 43 years old with 3 kids, is still playing the game after retiring years ago from competitive tennis where he spent some time on the satellite tour. At one point Bill was ranked 8th nationally for the 21 and under. In fact, he beat John McEnroe at the hard court nationals in the third round in the 70's. Peter Pusztai also played at University of Michigan and was the number one big ten player of the year in 1995. Mpaleng Khothule was a former college standout at Texas Southern University. Paul Ripley played at Ball State, and Eric Johnson is presently a teaching professional in Michigan.

In short, today was some excellent tennis, with Stephane Matheu Cambas there representing UNLV to make sure the facility was in order, with the Ladies from the USTA to run and administer the tournament, and the participants, whether it be players or fans..........excellent tennis. One of the last open matches of the day between Northern California and Michigan was one of the best doubles matches I have ever seen. The volley's were incredible. The movement so clean, smooth, hard and well fought. Play after play was well done. Pam Loyd, the Nevada Team captain, stayed long after the others left as she enjoyed watching the matches go on. She is one of the players in Las Vegas who is in the midst of taking some initiative in making things happen. Some talk, some complain while others do. Pam did, by putting this team together and showing the sectional administrators why Nevada should be able to represent the Intermountain this year at this national event. She is in the midst of trying to create events that are more conducive to open players in the valley and has been taking her ideas to tournament directors. This while being a mother of three and active tennis player. She even volunteered to try and put together a men's team for the 5.5 category for next year.

Pam and Charmaine just recently won the open doubles tournament at Club Sport Green Valley and Pam is often a finalist in the local tournaments. Charmaine was at one time a very high ranked junior player in the tennis hot bed  Southern California.

Gretchen Rush Majors was also a force to be reckon with. She beat the before mentioned Beverly Hackney in two sets. Beverly said she was an excellent player. At one point she played for Trinity College, and now plays on the Southern California team. 

One of the closest showdowns on Saturday was in the men's open Division. Florida won their flight convincingly. Southern California, Michigan representing the Mid West Section, and Georgia representing the Southern Section were in a  three way tie for second place.

To remedy this they had to add up matches won, yet Michigan and Southern California were still tied. So it went down to fewest sets lost and Southern California had lost fewer sets, giving them a spot in the semi finals Sunday Morning, and they took advantage of this tight win. In the semifinals, being the number two team in their flight played the number one team in the other flight, and won, making it to the finals. On that team is USTA veteran Hyman Wong, who has captained more than 20 National teams. He has brought the men's Open team to the Nationals 5 times, winning 3. Four times, Hyman’s teams were Western Regional Mixed Doubles Champions. Two were in the Open and the other two were in the 5.0’s. As a team captain and a player he has led his 5.0 teams to the Nationals 7 times, and last year his team reached the finals in Palm Springs. This year with the help of Jim Wong, they put together another open squad, covered all the details and emerged from the Nationals as the 2002 Open Champions. 

Open Finals

It takes captains and tournament directors to organize these events, and each team had one or two key players who did what it took and then some to make the whole experience possible.  Without them and the tournament Directors it would not happen. On this Southern California Open team there are two captains, the before mentioned Hyman and James Wong. James is the San Gabriel Valley League Coordinator, SCTA Tournament Director, team captain of Open and 5.0. 

It seems this team had a sponsor in SetUpTennis.com, as they all were furnished with T-Shirts donning their logo. Apparently it is like the Tennis Ladder and the VegasTennis.com "Find a Match" section in that it lists players who want to play matches on every level and ways to contact them. And like the tennis ladder it is nationally. The founder of this web site is Ken Thomas, who also has been very much involved in USTA tennis, winning twice the gold ball award. Click here to see that site. 

This Southern California team played against the Men's Eastern Open Sectional champions from New York. This coast to coast battle was hard fought from the start, as both teams were stocked with talent. From New York came a who's who in the Ivy League College tennis. Most of the members on the team are also members or tennis professionals at The Creek Country Club in Locust Valley, New York, just 30 minutes outside of the city. 

This team was rich in talent, but when it came down to match play the west coast team pulled it off with excellent precision. It was just last year that Southern California reached the semifinals, before losing in a close match against a tough Intermountain team, but this year it was their turn. And it seemed that the whole team, especially the captains and their assistants, had their whole heart into the event.  The group from New York, taking second place, were true gentleman in their loss and walked away with the right attitude, having enjoyed great competition. 

5.5 Finals

In the 5.5 Division semifinals it was Florida, Texas, Southern California and Minnesota. Minnesota has won the event the last two years. Yesterday's super stars in Kevin  Werwie, the team's captain, and Mickey Maule, could not pull it off today. They had their glory last year, the year before, and this year, yesterday making the semifinals with some excellent play, both winning their respective matches in the quasi third set super tie breaker. But today was a different day and Texas was on fire.

The seat at this years finals came down to one match, the singles and Texas's Matt Jackson was up one set against Minnesota's Mickey Maule. He even seem to have the momentum on his side almost winning the match in the second set, but Mickey came back after being down  3 match points 0-40 against Matt Jackson's bullet serve. But there was no quitting on this court as Mickey won the next three points to tie it at deuce. He then won the game and did what it took to force a second set tie breaker. Then all of a sudden Mickey went on fire, hitting with no holding back right out of the gate. But Matt came back with some big serves to tie it back up 3-3. Then Mickey won the next 4 points in a row to win the second set and force a super tie breaker. Because of this play he can have no regrets.

It was just yesterday that Mickey answered his team's call in the exact same situation.  But today Texas had an iron man who did not fall to the pressure in Matt Jackson. He served himself a win and a finals seat in the super break 10-7. It was close, it was an excellent match. It was Texas's turn.

Mickey's demeanor in these tight situations was flawless, as he did not crack to the pressure, but seemed to turn it on and rise to the occasion. In the mathematical victory to reach the semifinals and the mathematical loss in the semifinals he was cool , calm and collective. What separates a junior from an adult? A professional from an amateur? A boy from a man?... Not age or rank, but the ability to overcome the various pushes and pulls of life, staying true to course, focused and un swayed by the various pressures that come from all angles of the court, and Mickey did just that today.

 The Texas team now went to the finals,  meeting a formidable Southern California 5.5 team. Southern California's 5.5  captain is Brian Matek, and this is not his first time in Vegas. He won here 3 years ago when it was first brought back to Las Vegas.  The players on the team come from the Los Angeles area, mainly the UPLAND Tennis Club. 

The number one 5.5 team in the country was settled this afternoon, but  not without an incredible down to the wire circumstance. Texas was up one match point to zero after winning a doubles match. Then the second doubles match Texas was up and 2 points away from the title as the Super Tie breaker score was 8-4. On the sidelines they were expecting this "certain" win to seal their fate. I even heard the spectator say they have it won, as one Texas fan broke out the flag ready to wave the lone star banner. Yet the Southern California doubles duo had no intention of quitting and came back in short order to tie it at 8-8, then took the super tie breaker to put that flag away for now, showing in fact they were not ready to lose. This is winning.

So it all came down to the singles match where the toe nail less Matt Jackson from Texas was playing  Joakim Ulfrebrand of Costa Mesa and formerly of Stockholm Sweden. Matt was flustered the whole match by the unique play of his opponent.

Joakim had an interesting game, as his serve was 20-30 miles per hour slower then many of the high speed aces out there, but his ability to fight for every point and simply get the ball back put him in play, forcing Texas to win the last set in a very close 6-4.  Initially Joakim was able to thrown Matt off with a different pace game, and it was working. But in the second set up 5-4, he adjusted well enough to Joakim's game to break his serve in the key final moments, ending it 6-4, and allowing the fans courtside to bring out the flag confidently. And they did. 

Texas was a huge entourage of fans, players and more. They seem to put 100% into this trip, making it a complete affair. And it paid off as they go home the number one 5.5 team in USA League tennis Nationally. The team is from San Angelo, Texas, a town of 100,000  in West Texas. In just this small of a space, they amassed the best 5.5 USTA League team in the country.  They have been together as a team for three years and played  in this national tournament twice. This time winning it! One player said "We enjoy playing in Vegas...the weather is great and the options for entertainment are endless. We had a great group come in from San Angelo to watch and cheer us on..." And cheer they did , as you could often hear the "Go Texas" and loud cheers at some excellent playing. They were involved and apart of the whole experience. This type of involvement can not be dismissed.

Their team was one of the deepest rosters and one player felt they had the luxury of winning their first two rounds assuring themselves a spot in the semis early on. He said he rested the singles and doubles players "To try to be as fresh and strong as possible." And it is moves like this that make a huge difference in the down to the wire play in Las Vegas sun. A player trying to process last nights hangover or over bloated buffet is not giving oneself an edge, especially after days of competition.

The men and Ladies here, while experienced, can not brush off a buffet or late night like some players do at 18. It sticks in you. And the team that is focused and as Texas put it, "Rested and FRESH" can only benefit from that approach.

Las Vegas is not the party town that one player deemed it to be, claiming "It is good for a few days." Many of us play tennis, work, and live normal Texas, California, Georgia, Michigan, Minnisota , New York lives. In fact Las Vegas is one of the fastest growing cities in America with a thriving tennis community that has housed such names as Pancho Gonzalez, David Pate, Mike Agassi, Andre Agassi, and of course VegasTennis.com, the only web site nationwide with Video highlights of local tournaments, pictures, play by play tournament reviews, and a bunch of other features that pull the tennis community together into one place.

In fact, since I moved to Las Vegas 9 years ago I have never been healthier. I stopped drinking, smoking and all the bad habits I harbored in the beautiful suburban town of Villanova, Pennsylvania. Go figure. It is not where you are but who you are. One can enjoy the entertainment and incredible natural beauty in the Lake Mead National Park, Red Rocks National Park,  Casino shows and events, without checking one's health and game at the airport. And that is what a lot of these teams have to compete with along with the playing of competitive tennis. Vacationing in such a way as to not interfere with the match.

So Texas, "Rested and Fresh" flew that flag and eventually took their photograph with the Texas flag. The spirit of the Alamo is still alive. 

A Texas player added, "We really enjoy 5.5 tennis as it gives older players a spot to compete. The tournament in Vegas is run Very Well.!"

So Texas brought home two finalists, the men's 5.5 winners and the Ladies Open runner up. Also from Texas was the men's Open team from Houston. They did not make it to the finals but some were on hand the last day to watch the final matches. One such player Scott Flippin Read, who use to be a tennis professional at the Green Valley Tennis Club in Utah. His former boss, David Smith, who also was a well known high school tennis coach with the most wins record in California history, drove in from St. George to see him. David told me that it was in large part due to Scott's involvement in St. George tennis that allowed David to get his new St. George tennis Academy off the ground. Now Scott has taken these skills back to his home state Texas and is doing the same type of development as the Director of Tennis at the Elite Tennis Academy at the Pine Forest Country Club. Scott is the captain of his Houston Open team which includes a number of former touring professionals.

If Southern California has not already made it's mark with the presence of it's 5.5 team in the finals, it's Open team victory, they have the ladies open division, which also took home the number one position. Their team was loaded with talent from the singles player who did extremely well this tournament...to their doubles squad which swept Las Vegas 3-0 today to secure their win. But not without a fight as the team captain Pam Loyd and Charmaine Dadian again put up a good fight. But in the end it was Southern California that won the key points.

Playing singles once again was Dina Basil and new in the line up today was former UNLV player Lily Kordic and Nina Pililaau. She played at BYU and has played on Pam Loyd's 5.0 ladies team in the past. In fact, she has been just added to the "Find a Match" list on this site, if you want to play her or contact her Click here.

In charge of the chair this year and the past three years was Gordon Brynildsen. As tournament referee he acted as the tournament ambassador to the players and staff, tending to any disputes and making the calls when need be. Only one player lost his composure on the court and he had to penalize the player. And only one player gave the tournament desk his venom, but of course this had nothing to do with the tournament. He played very competitive tennis when he was younger as well, with a win against Boris Becker under his belt in a by chance meeting of "Friendly tennis" in Germany many years ago.

The event players and administrators all interacted with great interest. Players recognize other players from college, professional and USTA play in prior years. A Las Vegas player, Charmaine Didian, who grew up in L.A.,  played against the Southern California ladies and  later found out that they are good friends with her sister in Los Angeles. Other players have been competing nationally for their whole life and run into faces and people they grew up playing tennis with. And can you imagine that this event and the 5.5 open division tournament 3 years ago almost fell  by the way-side? There is a time in every company, event, tournament or situation when the person who made it alive moves on, and unless another person or persons with the same get it done disposition steps up to the plate, the event falls as the spirit that carried it is no longer. Such was the case years ago before two new ladies saw what needed to be done..."Bring it back to Las Vegas"...said Sue Johnson Maurer and Liz Kamish...months later they set out to make it happen. Ever since the tournament has been growing year after year under their stewardship. And this year they see more ways in which it can be done; The always moving, adjusting and tweaking intuition has been guiding these ladies, the captains and players  to do their part in making the whole experience a success.

The tournament Directors are very much involved in the event, keeping up to date on each match, enjoying every minute of it and carrying that disposition into how they deal with each player, at the desk, on the court , before and after the tournament. It is their pleasure. The USTA offers them $1,500.00 to put on the event and they rely on donations and the entry fee to make the tournament work. And it worked. Not because of the accommodations, which were average, but because of the way in which these ladies, the Tournament Referee and Fred Maurer put their heart in it. Fred Maurer, Volunteer Staff and  Sue's husband, chose to pay his own way and fly out to assist his wife in this years event doing many of the things that needed to be done, while she and Liz tended to the tournament desk. They asked me to have a stringer and a food vendor here next year at the event, along with a great idea of having a traveling trophy and banner with all the tournament winners names on it year after year. To get the banner they need a sponsor, and any player or person who sees the benefit of this event and sees it is right to assist the ladies with your donation for the banner via sponsorship or any creative way you come up with click here to contact me and I can put you in touch with them. 

How many tournament Director's stay alive and interested all the way through the three day marathon? Remember, they are there from morning till night, and have to handle every situation that comes up. Yet I did not see these ladies gripe or act tired once. They were invigorated by the dialogue with players; one player's wife was blown away that Sue remembered her name from last year. Not because she took a memory course, but because when you are alive and interested person you see what is happening and it registers. And this attitude also registers with players as the "Small things" add up to a great experience. Who knows, had these ladies run the tournament in a haggard way, I may have never decided to stay longer and write an in depth article covering the whole event, as there would be nothing to say. The whole insight I got, the whole spirit of the event was the interest of these woman and men and how it all came together to make the difference. So I was then led to stay a little longer, get more photos, then it occurred to me to write an article not just on the Las Vegas team but on the tournament as a whole, do some photos. I have compiled a lot of video highlights if a team wants to buy a highlight tape. 

Sue Johnson Maurer, Tournament Director, said she likes to see how these player thrive not only in their matches but often off the court as well, applying the principles and inner strength they have found on the court to deal with life in the right way. This was evident in Bill Godfrey of TEAM Michigan. He was not lost in the trappings of "Sin city" and exploit's of dancing clubs and late nights, instead his dialogue was turned towards his family , three children and the importance of being patient. Does not a tennis player need patience...waiting...waiting...waiting...then making the move when it is right, not a moment before? Does he or she not need patience, to over come to push to be upset with what takes place on the court.......and off the court? Can one really say an impatient parent with a good forehand is a true success. I would say that if Bill Godfrey leaves this tournament in second or third place, but all throughout handled himself like a gentlemen, like a winner, patient on and off the court, and in turn with his family, his wife and children, then we have a national champion in him. Sometimes it takes the events of something tragic to take place before we remember what is true success, and it seems as if Bill's head is in the right game.... the game of life.

The Game of life, are you winning? It is time to win.

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