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James Van Deinse Wins 2023 “King of the Hill” Open Division, Earns Mardy Fish Doubles Wild Card With Tyler Rios

Randy Walker · March 3, 2023 · Leave a Comment

James Van Deinse of the Vero Beach Tennis & Fitness Club, and Tyler Rios of the Magnolia Lakes Club in Port St. Lucie, the winner and runner-up respectively at the annual “King of the Hill” tennis competition that concluded Thursday night at The Boulevard, have been awarded a main draw doubles wild card into the 2023 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships, to be held April 24-30 in Vero Beach.

Van Deinse and Rios were awarded the wild card by the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation, the operators of the Vero Beach $15,000 U.S. Tennis Association Pro Circuit and ITF World Tennis Tour event as part of an agreement with the “King of the Hill” (KOTH) competition and organizer Gigi Casapu to give a wild card entry into the professional event to the KOTH winner and runner-up. Held since 1996, the “King of the Hill” competition features tennis teaching professionals competing in doubles play to determine the top player in the area and to benefit Youth Guidance in Vero Beach as its charity.

With a crowd of over 400 fans watching, Van Deinse won a 7-6 tiebreaker by seven points to five alongside brother Joseph Van Deinse, also the owner and professional of the Vero Beach Tennis & Fitness Club, over Rios and Sea Oaks tennis pro Christian Docter to edge Rios for the title in the last of three sets played between the four finalists. Van Deinse, who also won the KOTH title in 2017, won all three sets he played Thursday night with all three of the other finalists.

“It feels amazing. It was some of my best tennis that I played today,” said Van Deinse. “I played some of my best tennis when I needed it the most.”

Van Deinse is fresh off playing the biggest tennis tournament of his career at the ATP Tour’s Challenger level event in Monterrey, Mexico, where he competed alongside several former top 25 world-ranked players. Van Deinse was able to play against world No. 130 ranked Yosuke Watanuki of Japan, fresh off advancing to the second round at the Australian Open. Van Deinse was defeated 6-0, 6-1 but said that the experience helped him in his King of the Hill final.

“It mostly prepared me to be sharp,” he said. “I felt like when a ball came at me quick tonight for a volley, or a return of serve, or whatever, I was ready for it, because I had practiced against a level that I wasn’t used to before.”

Van Deinse will get another opportunity on the professional tour stage when he competes in the main draw in doubles with Rios at the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships, which is a level below the ATP Challenger level in the hierarchy of pro tennis. To boot, Van Deinse will be playing the tournament on the courts he owns and teaches on as the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation will be hosting the event at the Vero Beach Tennis & Fitness Club.

“I can’t wait,” said Van Deinse of playing the Mardy Fish at his home club. “It would’ve been cool to play with (brother) Joseph, but I’m so excited to play with Tyler. He’s a nice guy, great player, and, hopefully, we can get a win.”

Van Deinse and Rios will play their first-round doubles match against world-ranked ATP touring professionals on Tuesday, April 24 at 6:00 pm. Rios, a first-time KOTH finalist, will be competing in a pro tennis tournament for the first time in his career.

WATCH the James Van Deinse post-match interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BxgwUYDLiI

USTA Florida To Take Over Management Of Riverside Park Tennis Facility

manfr3dw · February 27, 2023 · Leave a Comment

USTA Florida has expanded its facility management division, as the Vero Beach City Council voted unanimously to enter into a licensing agreement with the non-profit tennis association to manage Riverside Racquet Complex. This will be the fourth USTA Florida-managed facility, joining Racquet Club of Cocoa Beach, Fort Walton Beach Tennis Center, and four tennis parks in Gainesville, that currently operate under the non-profit’s banner.

“We got into this business five years ago to help save public tennis centers that were at risk of closing or struggling to keep players. Today, tennis is booming, and we are expanding our business to help municipalities deliver the best possible tennis experience and programs to their communities,” said Phil Girardi, USTA Florida President.

According to Girardi, Riverside is a perfect fit for USTA Florida to manage. The city itself is home to a number of very active tennis volunteers, including USTA Florida Past President Nancy Morgan and current USTA Florida Board member Kainoa Rosa. Riverside also has a vibrant community tennis association, led by Tim Palmer, who works tirelessly to advocate and deliver tennis programs at the park.

“The partnerships that are already present in this community are truly special. They provide a strong foundation for growth,” said Girardi.

City officials shared a similar desire to expand programs and play at the facility, while keeping existing programs that residents have come to expect.

“We have been working with the USTA-FL for over a year to get this agreement in place. They have a proven track record of working with other municipalities around the state, and we are thrilled to have them as our partner. USTA-FL will have the ability to bring new and improved programming to Riverside, particularly to our city’s youth, while maintaining the offerings our members and patrons currently enjoy. We feel that this partnership will be a win for our residents, and a major boost to tennis in Vero Beach,” shared Jim O’Connell, Director of the Vero Beach Recreation Department.

Since USTA Florida took on its first facility in 2018, tennis participation in the state of Florida has grown by nearly half a million players. The latest tennis participation study shows that more than 100,000 additional Floridians want to start playing tennis, if given the chance. USTA Florida Past President, Dana Andrews, says Vero Beach is positioned well to serve both the existing members and reach new players.

“I have truly enjoyed working with the volunteers and the city representative throughout this process. When I first stepped foot in this park, I knew exactly why the residents love it. If there was a postcard for Florida tennis, this place would be on the front,” Andrews said. “We want everyone in the community to play here – tennis is the sport of a lifetime.”

Riverside Racquet Complex holds a special place in Florida tennis history. American champion Mardy Fish grew up playing tennis with his dad, Tom, on the Riverside courts, just across the street from his home.

“As a tennis-playing Vero Beach resident for over 40 years, I am thrilled that USTA Florida will be taking over the management of the Riverside Park public tennis courts, because no organization knows tennis better than the USTA. Tennis is the ultimate family sport that can be enjoyed together, and Riverside Park is the place where I enjoyed playing the most with my family. It’s where my two children, Mardy and Meredith, first learned to love the game. I know USTA Florida will bring excitement back to the Riverside Park courts to the benefit of all in our community who play tennis or wish to learn,” said Tom Fish.

“My early dreams in tennis began at Riverside Park in Vero Beach and it led me down the road to be able to compete on Arthur Ashe Stadium, Centre Court at Wimbledon and many other wonderful places around the world and I hope that more players can start to realize their own dreams on those very same courts,” said Mardy Fish. “Me and my pals Robert Kowalcyck and Jake Owen and his brother Jarrod and all of our families spent so much time playing tennis at Riverside Park years ago and I know that the USTA Florida will do an amazing job to bring that excitement, joy and energy back and to even greater heights.”

The Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation is eager to expand youth play at the Riverside courts to bring back the high level of programming that the Fish family enjoyed decades ago.

“So many more people in our community – kids and adults – will have the opportunity to be introduced to the game of tennis under the management of the USTA Florida, a world-class organization.  The tennis facility will finally be brought up to standards that match the beauty of the rest of the Riverside Park area.  This will all be done at a savings to our tax paying citizens.   We could not have asked for a better win-win situation,” said Lynn Southerly, executive director of the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation.    

As part of the agreement with the city, USTA Florida will resurface the four remaining tennis courts at Riverside this Spring. The association plans to recruit a full-time head tennis professional and other staff in the coming weeks. The goal is for the facility to be fully managed by USTA Florida in June.

For more information on USTA Florida’s mission and to learn more about its facility management services, visit USTAFlorida.com.

Matthew Segura Wins Fourth Title at Mardy Fish Sea Oaks “Wild Card” Event

Randy Walker · February 25, 2023 · Leave a Comment

Matthew Segura, the great nephew of Hall of Famer Pancho Segura, is now four-for-four at Sea Oaks.

The 22-year-old from Apopka, Florida continued his winning ways at the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships “Wild Card” tournament at the Sea Oaks Beach & Tennis Club winning the title for the fourth time in four tries with a narrow 6-7(5), 7-5 (10-8) final-round win over Ryan Haviland of Greenville, S.C. Friday night in front of over 300 fans.

The win earns Segura a main draw “wild card” entry into the $15,000 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships ITF World Tennis Tour U.S. Tennis Association Pro Circuit event April 24-30 at the Vero Beach Tennis & Fitness Club at Timber Ridge.

Entering the final against Haviland, a 42-year-old former Stanford standout who also runs a tennis academy in Greenville, Segura had not even lost at Sea Oaks. However, Haviland ended that streak by winning the first set in a 7-5 tiebreaker. Haviland, who once had ATP rankings as high as No. 516 in singles and No. 307 in doubles before 11 surgeries sidetracked his career, quickly jumped to a 4-1 lead in the second set. Segura was able to fight back and win the second set 7-5. In the deciding 10-point match tiebreaker, Segura was able to take a 9-6 lead and held on to win 10-8.

Segura also won the event in 2018, 2019 and 2020. He did not play in the event in 2022 and the event was not held in 2021 due to the global pandemic.

Although Segura has an ATP ranking of No. 1,281, that can get him into the qualifying rounds at ITF World Tennis Tour events and some main draws, Segura entered the event at Sea Oaks as insurance and to look to guarantee that he will get a main draw start in Vero Beach.

To watch the post-match ceremony, including the presentation of the Paul Delaney Cup, click here https://youtu.be/8s4FePLNz3s

To watch Segura’s post-match comments, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z86U62UFi0&t=11s

To see the full draw from the event, go to the Universal Tennis website here: https://app.universaltennis.com/events/136050?d=2d99070e-5779-4e94-af9c-39e365c1ce65&t=3

James Van Deinse Loses To Australian Open Second-Round Finisher In ATP Monterrey, Mexico Challenger

Randy Walker · February 22, 2023 · Leave a Comment

by Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

James Van Deinse of the Vero Beach Tennis & Fitness Club had his name placed alongside such bold-faced tennis names as former U.S. Olympians and Davis Cuppers Steve Johnson and Denis Kudla and former top 25 players Adrian Mannarino, Bernie Tomic and Benoit Paire in the singles main draw at the ATP Challenger Tour’s Monterrey, Mexico Challenger.

Van Deinse was making his debut on this high-level of professional, just below the ATP Tour level and it marked his highest mark in professional tennis. Despite not having an ATP singles or doubles ranking, Van Deinse was able to get a main draw singles (and doubles) wild card entry into the event, on the recommendation of former Mexican Davis Cupper and fellow Vero Beach teach pro Daniel Garza.

In the first round, Van Deinse drew word No. 130 ranked Yosuke Watanuki of Japan, fresh off advancing into the main draw of the Australian Open, where he lost to up-and-coming American star Sebi Korda in the second round. Van Deinse hung in as hard as you could, but was defeated 6-0, 6-1.

“Getting to play in an ATP challenger level tennis event is an awesome experience that very few players in the world can say they have done, so just compete was a thrill for me,” Van Deinse said via text from Mexico. “From getting to spend time on the ‘players only’ lounge, to signing autographs, to having ball kids, linesmen, and a chair umpire. It truly feels like the big times.”

Despite holding some recent wins in Vero Beach over former top 100 doubles player Brian Battistone and former top 400 player Michel Schmid (read more here: https://tennisverobeach.com/index.php/2022/12/19/james-van-deinse-beats-former-top-400-pro-to-win-utr-tournament-at-vero-beach-tennis-fitness-club/?fbclid=IwAR3oIE0-Jh__oe-RnMAgLROFip1wcNsjcnNo6qKHsfV3jLvvCiiXZuvSZr0) and some respectable results in the qualifying rounds at the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships $15,000 ITF World Tennis Tour USTA Pro Circuit event in Vero Beach, Van Deinse said the level of talent was significantly higher on the Challenger circuit.

“My opponent was top 150 in the world, and it showed,” Van Deinse said. “It was difficult for me to keep up with his pace. The level of intensity it takes to get even one point against a player of his caliber is almost overwhelming. Even though it wasn’t the result I wanted, I gave it my everything I had… as I always do. After this event, I am inspired to continue training to become the best tennis player I can be.”

Next up for Van Deinse will be competing the “King of Hill” final at The Boulevard on Thursday, March 2, where if he wins or finishes second, he will be awarded a main draw wild card in the doubles event at the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships that is held at his club, the Vero Beach Tennis & Fitness Club at Timber Ridge April 24-30.

James Van Deinse competing on the ATP Challenger Tour as seen on the live streaming of the event in Monterrey, Mexico

Three-Time Champ Matthew Segura Returns To Mardy Fish Sea Oaks Wild Card Event

Randy Walker · February 20, 2023 · Leave a Comment

Matthew Segura, the great nephew of Hall of Famer Pancho Segura, leads the field of entries for the 2023 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Sea Oaks “Wild Card” Championships at the Sea Oaks Beach & Tennis Club Feb. 22-24.

Segura has competed and won this special event at Sea Oaks three previous times – in 2018, 2019 and 2020 – each time winning the event and earning a wild card entry into the $15,000 ITF World Tennis Tour USTA Pro Circuit event, the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships.

Segura is ranked No. 1,281 on the ATP Tour rankings this week, but still has trouble getting direct entries into the main draw of $15,000 events with that ranking. At the 2021 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships at The Boulevard, Segura upset former U.S. Davis Cupper and Olympic team member Donald Young en route to the quarterfinals of the event. In 2020, when the Mardy Fish tournament was a non-ATP or ITF sanctioned Universal Tennis (UTR) event, he reached the singles final falling to Diego Hidalgo of Ecuador.

The 2023 wild card event at Sea Oaks featured a record 29 entries. Azariah Rusher of Delray Beach, Florida and a commit to Florida State University’s tennis team, is the No. 2 seed. The No. 3 seed is former Stanford University standout Ryan Haviland, who won the modern-day Mardy Fish doubles event in 2003. At 42 years old, Haviland runs a tennis academy in Greenville, South Carolina but still dabbles in playing competitive tennis. Vero Beach high school standout Mason Cisco as well as Sea Oaks teaching pros Ching Wang and Christian Docter are also in the field.

Play starts Tuesday at 4 pm at Sea Oaks with play also starting on Wednesday at 11:30 and including the traditional Sea Oaks Wednesday feature match at 4:30. The quarterfinals will be held on Thursday at 1 pm. The semifinals will be held at 10 am on Friday and the final at 4 pm on Friday.

The winner will receive a main draw wild card into the Mardy Fish Futures and the runner-up will receive a qualifying round wild card. The main event will be held April 24-30 at the Vero Beach Tennis & Fitness Club at Timber Ridge.

The full draws and schedule can be round here:

https://app.universaltennis.com/events/136050?d=2d99070e-5779-4e94-af9c-39e365c1ce65&t=3