Tennis Verobeach

Mardy Fish Children's Foundation

Mardy Fish Children's Foundation

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

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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

Treasure Coast Tennis Association Year In Review For 2022

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by Tim Palmer

Treasure Coast Tennis Association

Lots of kids, loads of balls hit, many matches. That pretty much describes 2022 for the programs of the Treasure Coast Tennis Association, funded by the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation and the U.S. Tennis Association. Youngsters age four and up took lessons, played games, smiled for photos and, in general, had tons of fun on courts across Indian River County.

Tennis season got under way on March 1 with Love Serving Autism at Wabasso School. The school serves special-needs children, many of whom are on the autism spectrum. Weekly classes began March 1 and continued through April 12 for 30 students.

Vero Beach youth tennis season kicked off with a March 26 event called Come Try Tennis! at Riverside Park in Vero Beach. Twenty-four children took part on a Saturday afternoon.

CTT! was inspired by a report in Tennis magazine that America has been undergoing a tennis boom reminiscent of the 1970s. The Covid pandemic actually spurred growth in the sport as people realized that tennis is a safe outdoor activity with physical, mental and social benefits.

April marked the start of MFCF Spring Middle School Tennis League. A total of 92 middle schoolers took part in the six-team league. Schools represented were Saint Edward’s School (two teams); Oslo Middle School; Master’s Academy/Home Schooled; Storm Grove Middle School; and Sebastian River Middle School.

The league’s daylong season-ending tournament on May 14 at Riverside Park in Vero Beach drew more than 70 entries for singles and doubles competition.

TCTA summer junior tennis camps began in June at Riverside Park and Gifford Youth Achievement Center. Sessions in June and July hosted 35 players at Riverside Park, 42 players at GYAC. Summer tennis ended with a Riverside Park Play Day for 70-plus players from both sites.

After a break to get a good start in school, the fourth annual MFCF Fall Fourth- and Fifth- Grade League launched in early October. The league had five teams with approximately 40 players representing Dodgertown Elementary School; Osceola Magnet School; Master’s Academy/Home Schooled; Gifford Youth Achievement Center; and Glendale Christian School.

Fall tennis wrapped up with the league tournament on November 12 at Riverside Park. Two-dozen players took part.

Treasure Coast Tennis Association is very grateful to Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation for its support of junior tennis in Indian River County, and to our teaching pros, assistants and volunteers. 2023 is shaping up to be another banner year. We appreciate the help of the USTA as well! See you on the courts! For more information on our programs, contact me at tpalmer@socket.net.

Treasure Coast Tennis Association activities were aplenty in 2022

Timber Ridge To Host 2023 Mardy Fish Tennis Championships

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The Vero Beach Fitness & Tennis Club at the Timber Ridge residential community will be the new home of the $15,000 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships USTA Pro Circuit ITF World Tennis Tour event for 2023.

Vero Beach’s storied professional sports event will be held April 24-30 and will once again feature up-and-coming future tennis stars vying for ATP ranking points in this entry-level pro tennis tournament. The event benefits the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation, the non-profit foundation benefiting children named for Vero Beach native son Mardy Fish, a former top 10 tennis star, U.S. Davis Cup hero and silver medalist at the 2004 Olympic Games.

Affectionately known as “Timber Ridge” to locals, the Vero Beach Tennis & Fitness Club has been a staple in the community for over 30 years and has been owned and run since 2016 by James and Joseph Van Deinse. The club boasts 14 Har-Tru tennis courts, a pickleball court, pool and clubhouse with fitness center and bar. The facility previously hosted a $25,000 women’s USTA Pro circuit event in 2014 that featured future major tournament champions Naomi Osaka and Sofia Kenin, future top 10 star Jennifer Brady and future major doubles champions Nicole Melichar, Laura Siegemund and Gaby Dabrowski. The club is also the original home of the “King of the Hill” tennis competition, hosting the first seven editions of Vero Beach’s popular doubles competition from 1996 to 2002.

Watch a brief tour of the club with Randy Walker here: https://youtu.be/Ia3SGgqBCsw and here: https://youtu.be/qr6LdcohAms

“We are excited for a new chapter of our Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships at Timber Ridge,” said Tom Fish, President Emeritus of the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation. “James and Joseph Van Deinse have been leading tennis citizens in Vero Beach over the last seven years, teaching tennis to people of all ages, including many children who have been part of Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation funded programs. We are looking forward to this new partnership and new chapter for our tournament, which has been held in Vero Beach for nearly 30 years and has helped us raise so much money that benefits at-risk children in Indian River County.”

The Vero Beach Fitness & Tennis Club will be the third different venue to host the tournament after being held at Grand Harbor Club for 17 years from 1995 to 2009 and in 2017 and 2018 and at The Boulevard where it was held for 11 years from 2010 to 2016 and from 2019 to 2022.

“We are very excited to host so many great up-and-coming world class players to our club and be a part of the history of this great tournament, which has been an institution in Vero Beach for nearly 30 years,” said Joseph Van Deinse. Younger brother James Van Deinse added, “This will be a great opportunity to showcase our club and our offerings to the Vero Beach community and beyond.”

Founded in 2007, the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation (www.MardyFishChildrensFoundation.org and @MardyFishFound on Twitter) currently supports over 2,400 children in 15 elementary schools, six middle schools, and several other community organizations in Indian River County, Florida by funding after-school exercise, nutritional and enrichment programs in a safe environment to prepare them for healthy, productive and successful lives. The Foundation introduced the “Six Healthy Habits” in 2012 which are Get Sleep; Drink Water; Exercise Daily, Eat Healthy; Brush and Floss; Make Friends.

Some of the past competitors at the USTA Vero Beach Futures have gone on to succeed at the highest levels of professional tennis, winning major singles and doubles titles, Olympic medals and Davis Cup championships and earning No. 1 world rankings. Andy Roddick, the 2003 U.S. Open champion who attained the world No. 1 ranking and helped the United States win the Davis Cup in 2007, competed in Vero Beach in 1999. Thomas Johansson of Sweden, who reached the second round of the Vero Beach Futures in 1995, won the Australian Open seven years later in 2002. Nicolas Massu, the 1998 singles runner-up in Vero Beach, won the singles and doubles gold medals at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, beating Fish in the gold medal singles match. Kyle Edmund, the 2013 champion in Vero Beach, helped Great Britain to the Davis Cup title in 2015. Other notable former competitors in Vero Beach include former world No. 2 Magnus Norman, former world No. 4 Tim Henman, 2016 Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic and most recently new top 10 star Denis Shapovalov, who played in Vero Beach in 2016. Former Vero Beach competitors have combined to win 19 titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles at Grand Slam tournaments. Eight former Vero Beach players have gone on to play Davis Cup for the United States – Roddick, Fish, Taylor Dent, Jared Palmer, Donald Young, Ryan Harrison, Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul.

Leading tournament sponsors for 2022 include Presenting Sponsor PNC Bank, Grand Slam Sponsors: George E. Warren Corporation, The Jake Owen Foundation, John’s Island Real Estate, Tom Collins Insurance Agency, Cabana/Box Seat Sponsors: Michael and Kathleen Pierce, Gene Simonsen, John and Charlotte Klein, Peter and Maureen Lee, Bob and Lace Milligan, Micky and Rob Stein, Bob and Emilie Burr, Lynn Southerly, John and Sara Marshall, John and Marie McConnell, Shirley Becker, Hadleigh Investments LLC, Peter and Ellen Kendall, Cliff Norris Real Estate LLC, Indian River Primary Care and Supporting Sponsors: Syde Hurdus Foundation, Mike and Meg Hickey/M&M Realty, Nalzarro Music, Hoskins, Turco, Lloyd & Lloyd, Center Court Outfitters, Foglia Contracting, Offfutt, Barton, Schlitt, Inc, Orchid Island Real Estate, Joe and Gloria Papalardo, Linda Delaney, Dave and Nina Piacquad, Jaime Yordan, Katharine “Kissy” Russel, Wilmington Trust, Rebecca Emmons, Linda Johnson, Anne Faunce, Kaye Manly, Mark Thurn, Estee Brashears, Roby Pierce and Ron Hartwig, Matt Wynne, Willem and Marion DeVogel, Ron Chesley, Dorothy Sprague and Bill Benedict, Dr. Collin Kitchell, Tim Palmer of Treasure Coast Tennis Association, Minuteman Press and The Boulevard Tennis Club.

Timber Ridge

Sea Oaks Hosts Mardy Fish “Wild Card” Event; Detroit’s Jibril Nettles Wins Title

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Jibril Nettles, a six-foot-six 22-year-old from Detroit, Michigan was the winner of the 2022 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships “Wild Card” championships held at the Sea Oaks Beach & Tennis Club.

Nettles defeated Callum Markowitz, an impressive 15-year-old from White Plains, N.Y., 6-4, 7-6(5) in the final. The win earned Nettles a wild card position into the main draw of the $15,000 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships ITF World Tennis Tour USTA Pro Circuit event held April 25-May 1 at The Boulevard tennis club in Vero Beach. With his runner-up showing, Markowitz earned a wild card into the qualifying rounds of the event.

Nettles spoke of his victory in his post-match speech as seen on YOUTUBE here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjzZMNXkRQ0

The event returned to Sea Oaks after a one year hiatus due to COVID and was attended by daily crowds of about 400 to 500 fans.

The Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation dedicated “The Paul Delaney Cup” at the event, in memory of Paul Delaney, the long-time Sea Oaks member and Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Board Member who passed away last summer. The Paul Delaney Cup will sit in perpetuity in the pro shop at Sea Oaks will feature the names of the winners of this annual “Wild Card” tournament. Delaney’s wife, Linda, was in attendance for the final and presented Nettles with the trophy following his victory, as you can see on YOUTUBE here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KI4_1SCUW-4

Delaney once participated in a Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships “Wild Card” event in doubles in 2017 at age 82, pairing with 67-year-old John Drnec, falling to ATP-ranked players Isaiah Strode and Miles Seeman. Drnec, in memory of his doubles partner, donated $500 to the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation and challenged everyone to match his donation in Paul’s honor.

Delaney, ironically, graduated from White Plains High School, the same high school where Markowitz is a sophomore.

For ticket information on the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships, go to www.MardyFishChildrensFoundation.org or email Lynn Southerly at LSouth1072@gmail.com
Daily tickets will be available for $40 ($30 paid in advance online). Season tickets will be $200 and reserved and sponsorship seating and packages are also available.

Jibril Nettles (photo by Jose Azul)