Across Long Island …
News and notes from across the L.I. tennis community
Point Set’s Claudio Eulau hosts successful Future League
Congratulations to Team Navy who won the championship of the Future Leagues at Point Set Indoor Racquet Club in Oceanside, N.Y. Organized by Point Set Coach Claudio Eulau, the League is put together three times per season for fourth, fifth and sixth graders. The kids are organized into teams and compete over the course of a five-week season. It introduces the kids to competitive play, but the team concept makes the season less intimidating. The winners get their names put on a giant trophy that stays at the club while all the participants get a smaller sized commemorative at a pizza party.
Inaugural Susan Alvy Memorial Tournament held at Carefree
Carefree Racquet Club in North Merrick, N.Y. recently hosted the First Annual Susan Alvy Memorial Tournament in honor of longtime Rockville Racquet Club Manager Susan Alvy.
"The First Annual Susan Alvy Memorial Tournament was a great success," said Kathy Miller, manager of Carefree Racquet Club and close friend of Alvy. "It was a great tournament and we hope we did Susan proud!"
“Susan ran a holiday tournament every winter break,” explained Miller. “My son-in-law, Keith Mattes, played in it for many years, and also developed a friendship with Susan. A day or two after she passed, Keith and I were talking, and he pointed out how much Susan loved that tournament. He said she truly loved tennis, loved watching the guys play and also loved talking with all of the competitors afterwards. I spoke to Susan’s sister Judy and we decided we would continue the tournament, re-naming it the ‘Susan Alvy Memorial Men’s Tournament.’”
The winners in Division “A” of the first annual event was the team of Adam Kolenberg & Dean Jacoby, with Eric Chaffer & Keith Lopez as runners-up. Congrats also to Division “B” winners Paul Schnabel & Brian Connor, with Ed Harrigan & Brian Kessler runners-up. Pictured here to the right, “A” Division winners Adam Kolenberg (left) and Dean Jacoby (right) with Susan Alvy’s sister Judy Weiss (second from right) and her husband, Barry Weiss (second from left).
Sportime Massapequa celebrates tourney winners
Congratulations to Gigi Hunt (pictured left), winner of the Massapequa L3 Girls 12s tournament, held Jan. 10 at Sportime Massapequa. Congrats are also in order to David Ammendola (pictured right), winner of the Massapequa L2 Boys 14s event, held Jan. 19.
Syosset’s Levine recognized as ACC Player of the Week
Two match-clinching points against top-30 opponents propelled Duke junior and Long Island native Josh Levine to receive ACC Player of the Week accolades. It is the initial league weekly honor of Levine’s career and another great accomplishment for the former Cold Spring Harbor standout and New York State Champion.
Levine won both of his singles matches to help Duke to a 2-0 week, with both victories coming on the road against top-30 teams. He tallied the deciding point for the Blue Devils with his two comeback three-set wins at number six. Duke downed number eight Illinois 4-3 before coming back to defeat number 30 Northwestern 5-2.
Levine came all the way back for a 0-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4 victory against Ross Guignon. Levine trailed 5-1 in the second set before forcing a 5-5 tie and winning in the tie-breaker. The victory snapped Illinois’ 17-match home winning streak and marked the fifth consecutive year Duke has defeated a top-10 opponent on the road or at a neutral site.
At number 30 Northwestern, Levine worked his three-set magic again to clinch the victory, downing Alp Horoz 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. Horoz cruised in the first set and held a 2-1 lead in the second set before Levine stormed back, winning of 11 of the next 14 games to take the match and clinch the contest for Duke. The win was the ninth straight in singles for Levine.
Levine has played a key role in Duke’s 6-0 start, going 5-0 in dual match play and posting a 3-1 mark with partner John Tahir from Rochester, N.Y. in doubles.
National Tennis Center hosts screening of Althea Gibson documentary
In early February, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center hosted a special fundraiser screening of the film “Althea.” Filmmaker Rex Miller was on hand to discuss and answer questions about the film, a documentary based on the life of Althea Gibson, the first African-American to compete and win Wimbledon and Forest Hills. All event donations went to the Wheelchair Sports Federation, host of the annual Jana Hunsaker Memorial ITF Wheelchair Tennis Tournament held at the National Tennis Center.
JMTA’s Danielle Mirabella commits to University of Mary Washington
John McEnroe Tennis Academy (JMTA) is pleased to announce that one of its top junior players, Danielle Mirabella, has committed to play at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Va. Danielle has been training at JMTA for the past three years and has been one of the Academy’s most improved players during that time.
Danielle is a National Honor Society student, a recipient of the USTA Eastern Sportsmanship Award, and was the USTA Long Island Section’s top- ranked 16 & Under female player in 2012 and 2013. She was aided through the search process by her private coach, former Brown University head coach and JMTA Assistant Academy Director Jay Harris.
