If a Grand Slam tournament happens and there are not 50,000 daily spectators there to watch it, is it really a scene? The players are making it one.
The four biggest tournaments in tennis, known as the Grand Slams, so clearly reflect the cities in which they take place.
January offers the Australian Open, a free and easy party in Melbourne. The French Open, in springtime in Paris, leads with the beauty and elegance of Roland Garros and its red clay. Wimbledon, in July in London, with its hallowed grass, is tradition and history, with a box reserved for the royal family. And the late summer finale is the United States Open in New York, a tournament every bit as noisy and chaotic and nonstop as the city itself, with matches that sometimes start near midnight and stretch well past it, with fans carousing into the night.
Except of course, when the U.S. Open takes place amid a pandemic.
Through this spring, New York became more quiet and empty, with atypically bare pavement in Times Square and silence on the streets broken only by the citywide cheers each night at 7 o’clock from the windows to herald doctors, nurses and other essential workers.
Gone, seemingly, was everything that made the city the city.
That contrarian version of life arrived Monday at the U.S.T.A. Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, a bow to the safety precautions required to limit the spread of the coronavirus. To be here during the opening day of the U.S. Open was to experience something nearly impossible to envision.
A usually crammed boardwalk connecting the subway to the west gate was devoid of nearly all signs of life. No one begging for or trying to sell an overpriced, last-minute ticket. No endless lines trying to get through the six metal detectors that were still operating but had little metal to detect.
The Adidas and U.S. Open stores were filled only with people stringing rackets, six feet apart, instead of fans swiping plastic for souvenirs. Metal shutters were pulled down on every stand in the food court. No Franks and Fries or Neapolitan Pizza or Ben & Jerry’s.
As Angelique Kerber of Germany and Ajla Tomljanovic of Australia got underway at Louis Armstrong Stadium with the first match in a big, nearly empty venue — Armstrong can hold some 14,000 people — the loudest sounds were the screeching trains from the Long Island Rail Road yard just beyond the tennis center’s walls, and of course the planes flying low out of nearby La Guardia Airport.
Tomljanovic, who lost 6-4, 6-4, described the bizarre sensation of slugging through the most intense points only to have all that effort met with the sound of one coach clapping.
“That’s usually when the crowd would erupt,” said Tomljanovic, who likes to people-watch during her changeovers but had nothing to look at but empty seats covered by tarps. “Nothing really happens. It has to come from you.”
Players marched onto their courts after an announcer introduced them over the public address system with brief highlights of their careers, even though no one was really there who didn’t know the information already. Then came some brief piped-in crowd noise.
Big screens that surround the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium showed a grid view of fans cheering remotely in small boxes, looking a bit like they were being held hostage and told to cheer on command.
Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic, the No. 1 seed in the women’s draw with Ashleigh Barty and Simona Halep not playing, opened play in the 22,000-seat Ashe Stadium and imagined that she was, in fact, being watched. The top 32 seeds each get a luxury suite in Ashe to use as a lounge. Surely a few of them saw her dismantle Anhelina Kalinina of Ukraine, 6-4, 6-0.
“It’s super huge and it still feels super empty,” Pliskova said of Ashe, “but I feel like there is at least the player boxes where they stay, so I felt like there is at least a couple people watching.”
The artists call it “negative space” — the area around and between the subjects. At the U.S. Open, it is usually a sea of people, with the occasional player navigating through on the way to a match or a practice court like a commuter racing for a train at Grand Central at rush hour. There are no tunnels or hidden walkways here. You march with the people.
On Monday, the negative space was mostly empty, allowing all those players, racket bags slung over their shoulders because they can’t leave them in the locker rooms that have rules limiting their capacity, to dominate the scene as never before. The tennis center was like their college campus, complete with the warnings about and limits on indoor dining.
Source: NewYorkTimes
MLTC Badge Best & Fairest
/in Badge, Club News /by RobCongrats are in order for:
Well done on your success and a great 2020 Badge season.
Annual Club Championships Entries Close Oct 11
/in Club Championships /by RobEntries for the club championships are now open. Events are:
Open grades are for everyone.
A-Grade is Badge Division 7 or lower for Men; Division 3 and Thursday Badge for Ladies.
Scheduled dates are October 17, 18, 24 and 25 with Finals day on October 31 — COVID permitting.
All finals will be held on Saturday October 31 with a barbecue and presentation ceremony.
All events will be a knockout tournament.
October 11 is the closing date for entries.
Maximum 3 entries per person.
Questions to Denis Crowley
MLTC Club Captain
Losing Muscle With Age? Vitamin C Could Be Part of the Solution
/in Tennis4Life /by RobWe’ve talked about it before, but it deserves repeating because so many people fail to heed the warnings: You lose muscle as you age – even if you work out religiously. As we get older, it becomes increasingly challenging to maintain, much less build, muscle mass like you could when you were younger.If you don’t do anything to prevent that age-related decline, it can lead to major health issues, because it’s not just the size of your muscles that wanes with age – it’s also muscle function and strength.
Fortunately, research suggests exercise and diet can help preserve muscle mass with age to the highest degree possible. A new study explores another option, nutritional supplementation – specifically vitamin C – that can also play a key role in muscle preservation. The study, published in the Journal of Nutrition, found that among more than 13,000 middle-aged to older adults (ages 42-82), those with the highest levels of vitamin C in their diet or blood also had the greatest estimated muscle mass compared to those with the lowest levels.
Remember, you’re going to lose muscle mass every year after age 30 or so. You don’t want that to happen, but it’s going to happen. When you talk to your doctor about ways to help counteract this natural aging process, don’t forget to mention vitamin C, because it appears to be an important part of a healthy lifestyle that will keep your muscles – not to mention the rest of your body – healthy into your Golden Years.
Source
MTC Term 4 Ladies Competitions
/in Competitions, Tennis Centre /by RobEntries for Term 4 Ladies Competitions are now open.
Tuesday Ladies Competition is a 10-week competition starting October 13 and ending December 15. Entries close October 6.
Friday Ladies Competition is a 9-week competition starting October 16 and ending December 11. Entries close October 9.
Entry Link
Badge Semi Finals
/in Badge, Club News /by RobAfter Saturday’s semi finals, Manly Men’s 3 are the only remaining team. They will play a home final this Saturday against Neutral Bay at 2pm.
Badge Results September 12
Manly 1 Lost 4-4 on games. Cameron Green/Andrew Riminton played great tennis to win 4 sets against very strong opposition. Sean/Bosko lost 4 sets. The team should be proud of such a great year in a very strong competition.
Manly 3 Won 5-2. This team has been top all year and had another good win despite losing Steve Wilkins on Friday with a back injury. The Tennis Whisperer (aka Rob Muir) stepped in and won 2 sets with Steve Middleton to ensure victory. Milton/Howard Smith played well to win 3 sets. The final next week against Neutral Bay will be a very tight match. Neutral Bay have been undefeated since they recruited a new player late in the season.
Manly 4 Lost 1-7 to Neutral Bay. On their home courts Neutral Bay were too strong. Sean/Vincent took one set and Geoff/Jarryd lost their sets. A good year for this team to make the semis once again as per last year.
Manly 6 Lost 1-7 away to Kooroora. Kooroora have not lost all year and won easily. Graham/Chris took a set and Denis/Hugo played also.
Manly 7 Lost 3-4 at home. Western Suburbs proved too strong on the day to win a close match. Stu/Peter won 1 set and David/Roger 1set plus a forfeit set. A good year for this team also.
Ladies 2 Lost 4 sets all on games at Kooroora. Unfortunately this loss means the Ladies miss a place in the final. They now play at home this Saturday in a 3rd v 4th playoff. Krista/Kristina won 3 sets again and Olivia/Elaine won 1 set.
Thursday Ladies Lost 2-6 away. A loss to the top team with some close sets. Lindy/Michelle and Narelle/Jane each won a set. The Ladies have one more away match this week and then should play a 3rd v 4th playoff at home on Thursday week.
Please come along on Saturday and support our two remaining teams.
Good luck to both. Manly to win!
Next Saturday Matches:
2:00pm Final
Mens 3 v Neutral Bay 4
2:50 pm Final’s Playoff 3 v 4
Manly Ladies2 v Kooroora 3
Social Tennis will be available from 11.30am to 5.30pm.
Club Championships
Scheduled dates are October 17, 18, 24 and 25 with Finals day on October 31 — COVID permitting.
Denis Crowley
Club Captain
FIVE NOTABLE DEFAULTS: DJOKOVIC IN COMPANY WITH NALBANDIAN AND HENMAN
/in Goss, News /by RobEmotions can run high and get the best of any of us in intense situations. Keeping them in check is part of the battle.
On a tennis court, when players lose their cool, heat-of-the-moment reactions have been known to lead to the most unfortunate of outcomes: a match default. On Sunday, world No. 1 Novak Djokovic became the center of a US Open disqualification sure to be talked about in the years to come.
Here are five defaults that are remembered for being on the wrong side of history.
Read More –>
Badge Score Board: Semi Finals
/in Badge, Club News /by RobMen’s Manly 3 plays home final next Saturday 19th September.
Thanks to Ron for compiling the results during the season!
Tennis Holiday Camps
/in Tennis Centre /by RobDuring the holidays, Manly Tennis Centre will be running a tennis-focused multi-sport camp. In order to guarantee that the children get the most out of the camps we keep our coach to student ratio low and make sure that everyone gets as much attention as possible. The mornings of the camps will focus mostly on tennis skills and drills with a few games mixed in. The afternoon will include match play along with other sports for variety. So please join us for a great time over the holiday break!
CONTACT DETAILS
Richard Gauntlett 0451-223-112 [email protected]
Book —>
Badge Round 14
/in Badge, Club News /by RobThe last round of Badge was completed on Saturday for most of our teams. The Ladies 2 Team has one match to play, Thursday Ladies 2 matches.
We have 5 Mens Teams in the semi finals. Manly 3 amd Manly 7 Mens Teams will play home semis this Saturday whilst Manly 1 Manly 4 and Manly 6 Mens Teams will play away semis.
Congratulations to those teams and hopefully all 5 can win on Saturday.
Badge Results Round 14
Mens 1 Won 8-0 at home. A great win to finish in 4th position in a very strong competition this season. Cameron/Andrew continued their good form to win 4 sets again as did Bosko/Sean. They have a tough semi final match away at Grand Slam Wheatleigh Street which includes the Smith brothers who always get to the finals of The Manly Seaside championships. Good luck guys.
Mens 2 Lost 3-5 away. Oliver/Dan won 2 sets Fernando/Murillo won 1 set. They finished in 5th position a few points out of the semis.
Mens 3 Bye. This team has been first all year and will play at 2pm this Saturday at home v Marrickville.
Mens 4 Won 5-3 at home v Marrickville. Sean/Vincent won their 4 sets again Geoff/Craig won 1 set. They play away at Neutral Bay on Saturday.
Mens 5 Lost 2-6 at home to Cammeray. Carl/Tom won 2 sets, Gavin/Scott lost 3 tiebreakers. This team finished 8th. All their matches were close on games but they were unlucky to lose the tight sets.
Mens 6 Washout . Finished in 4th position and have a tough semi against the unbeaten Kooroora at their courts.
Mens 7 Lost 2-6 at Western Suburbs. Mark/Roger won 2 sets then Mark was injured and had to forfeit the last 2 sets. Peter/Hamish lost 4 close sets. This team has a home semi against Western Suburbs on Saturday. Mark will probably be unavailable an, since Stu is injured as well, the other guys have to step in and play well. Good luck you can do it!
Mens 8 Lost 2-6 at home. Ray Dalgairns/Rob Hill won 1 set as did Des/ Ray Dummett. This team finished 7th. Most of the Division 11 Teams have younger players now so it is a lot stronger than a few years ago.
Ladies1 Lost 3-5 away. Julia/Emily won 2 sets, Kirsten/Carolina 1 set. The ladies finished 8th in a very strong competition.
Ladies 2 Won 5-3 at home v Chatswood. A great win against the top team to remain in 2nd position. If the ladies can win their last match they will finish 2nd and play Chatswood away in the final. Kristina/Krista won 3 sets and Julie/Olivia 2 sets. Good luck on Saturday ladies.
Thursday Ladies Badge. Won 5-3 at home. Lindy/Michelle won 3 sets, Jane/Narelle won 2 sets. With two matches remaining it will be tough to take 2nd position and play in the final. Third plays fourth also to decide 3rd position so a home playoff in 2 weeks looks likely.
All team results are shown in the score board.
Next Saturday Matches:
Noon
Mens 7 v Western Suburbs
2:50 pm
Mens 3 v Marrickville 2
Social Tennis will be on four (4) courts from 11.30am to 5.30pm. Please allow the semi final players to warm up before their matches begins.
Get Well greetings to Paul Wigney who had a minor operation this week and is now back at Collaroy recovering. Also to Owen Kennedy who is resting at home.
Club Championships
Scheduled dates are October 17, 18, 24 and 25 with Finals day on October 31 — COVID permitting.
Good luck to all teams this weekend.
Denis Crowley
Club Captain
Badge Score Board: Round 14
/in Badge /by RobThanks to Ron for compiling the results!
At the US Open, the coronavirus has disrupted a crucial relationship: Player and towel
/in Club News, Goss /by Enfold DemoA number of things have changed at the U.S. Open because of the novel coronavirus.
Players wear masks walking to and from courts; gone are the post-match handshakes and hugs at the net; players have only minimal time in the locker rooms, training facilities and on-site gym; and, of course, there are no fans at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. But one of the biggest changes for players has to do with sweat — as in, how to mop it up.
At this year’s U.S. Open, players, rather than ball boys and girls, must tend to their own towels between points.
There are new, temporary rules governing how towels are used on court, and they have disrupted a routine that is sacred for many players. “For me, it has huge importance, the towel,” fourth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas said. “I use it very often. It gives me time to think, gives me time to refresh myself and think about my tactics.”
Source: Washington Post
The Bizarro 2020 U.S. Open Begins
/in Club News, Goss /by RobIf a Grand Slam tournament happens and there are not 50,000 daily spectators there to watch it, is it really a scene? The players are making it one.
The four biggest tournaments in tennis, known as the Grand Slams, so clearly reflect the cities in which they take place.
January offers the Australian Open, a free and easy party in Melbourne. The French Open, in springtime in Paris, leads with the beauty and elegance of Roland Garros and its red clay. Wimbledon, in July in London, with its hallowed grass, is tradition and history, with a box reserved for the royal family. And the late summer finale is the United States Open in New York, a tournament every bit as noisy and chaotic and nonstop as the city itself, with matches that sometimes start near midnight and stretch well past it, with fans carousing into the night.
Except of course, when the U.S. Open takes place amid a pandemic.
Through this spring, New York became more quiet and empty, with atypically bare pavement in Times Square and silence on the streets broken only by the citywide cheers each night at 7 o’clock from the windows to herald doctors, nurses and other essential workers.
Gone, seemingly, was everything that made the city the city.
That contrarian version of life arrived Monday at the U.S.T.A. Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, a bow to the safety precautions required to limit the spread of the coronavirus. To be here during the opening day of the U.S. Open was to experience something nearly impossible to envision.
A usually crammed boardwalk connecting the subway to the west gate was devoid of nearly all signs of life. No one begging for or trying to sell an overpriced, last-minute ticket. No endless lines trying to get through the six metal detectors that were still operating but had little metal to detect.
The Adidas and U.S. Open stores were filled only with people stringing rackets, six feet apart, instead of fans swiping plastic for souvenirs. Metal shutters were pulled down on every stand in the food court. No Franks and Fries or Neapolitan Pizza or Ben & Jerry’s.
As Angelique Kerber of Germany and Ajla Tomljanovic of Australia got underway at Louis Armstrong Stadium with the first match in a big, nearly empty venue — Armstrong can hold some 14,000 people — the loudest sounds were the screeching trains from the Long Island Rail Road yard just beyond the tennis center’s walls, and of course the planes flying low out of nearby La Guardia Airport.
Tomljanovic, who lost 6-4, 6-4, described the bizarre sensation of slugging through the most intense points only to have all that effort met with the sound of one coach clapping.
“That’s usually when the crowd would erupt,” said Tomljanovic, who likes to people-watch during her changeovers but had nothing to look at but empty seats covered by tarps. “Nothing really happens. It has to come from you.”
Players marched onto their courts after an announcer introduced them over the public address system with brief highlights of their careers, even though no one was really there who didn’t know the information already. Then came some brief piped-in crowd noise.
Big screens that surround the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium showed a grid view of fans cheering remotely in small boxes, looking a bit like they were being held hostage and told to cheer on command.
Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic, the No. 1 seed in the women’s draw with Ashleigh Barty and Simona Halep not playing, opened play in the 22,000-seat Ashe Stadium and imagined that she was, in fact, being watched. The top 32 seeds each get a luxury suite in Ashe to use as a lounge. Surely a few of them saw her dismantle Anhelina Kalinina of Ukraine, 6-4, 6-0.
“It’s super huge and it still feels super empty,” Pliskova said of Ashe, “but I feel like there is at least the player boxes where they stay, so I felt like there is at least a couple people watching.”
The artists call it “negative space” — the area around and between the subjects. At the U.S. Open, it is usually a sea of people, with the occasional player navigating through on the way to a match or a practice court like a commuter racing for a train at Grand Central at rush hour. There are no tunnels or hidden walkways here. You march with the people.
On Monday, the negative space was mostly empty, allowing all those players, racket bags slung over their shoulders because they can’t leave them in the locker rooms that have rules limiting their capacity, to dominate the scene as never before. The tennis center was like their college campus, complete with the warnings about and limits on indoor dining.
Source: NewYorkTimes