Vero Beach

Five Months After Mardy Fish Win In Vero Beach, Jerry Shang Competes With World’s Best At The Miami Open

Randy Walker · March 24, 2022 · Leave a Comment

From the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships at The Boulevard to the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium.

That’s the journey that 17-year-old Jerry Shang has taken in matter of just five months.

The 2021 singles champion at Vero Beach’s annual $15,000 U.S. Tennis Association Pro Circuit ITF World Tennis Tour tournament in October, Shang received a “wild card” entry into one of the biggest tennis tournaments in the world, where his name was placed in the same singles draw as current greats Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andy Murray among many others.

Shang drew former U.S. Olympian Denis Kudla, the world No. 81, in the first round and in a topsy-turvy battle that last two minutes shy of three hours, Shang was defeated 6-7 (3), 7-5, 6-4 on Wednesday, night March 23.

Shang dazzled many times through the match, edging out a first-set tiebreaker, and actually served for the match at 5-4 in the second set. Nerves, naturally, set in for the young player on the cusp of the biggest win in his fledging pro career, as missed first serves and errors littered his efforts. Kudla won five games in a row to not only take the second set, but lead by a break 2-0 in the third set. Kudla, a veteran 29-year-old player who reached the fourth round at Wimbledon in 2015, appeared to hold the momentum in the match and seemed poised to win an easy win in the third set. However, Shang remained determined and won four games in a row to serve at 4-3 in the final set, again at the doorstep at a big first-round win. Nerves, and a resilient Kudla, took hold again as Kudla was able to reel off the last three games of the match.

Since he beat Ricardo Rodriguez in the final of the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championship in the event’s special “October edition” at The Boulevard as a player ranked No. 1041, Shang has improved his ATP singles ranking to No. 441 while playing events on the $15,000 and $25,000 level on the ITF World Tennis Tour event, as well as Challengers and ATP Tour events. He played his first ATP Tour level evet in Rio de Janiero in February, losing to world No. 62 Pedro Martinez 6-3, 6-4. After winning the $15,000 event in Naples, Florida, He won two qualifying matches against two top 150-ranked players (No. 100 Francisco Cerundolo and No. 128 Mats Moraing) to reach the main draw of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells before losing to No. 99 Jaume Munar of Spain.

Shang’s recent results would indicate that he has now moved beyond playing in $15,000 events like Vero Beach, the lowest level of professional tennis. However, if Shang is unable to gain entries in Challenger-level events this April, a return trip to Vero Beach could be in the cards. The 2022 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships will be held April 25-May 1 at The Boulevard. For ticket, box seat and sponsorship information, go to www.MardyFishChildrensFoundation.org.

Jerry Shang (far side) and Denis Kudla at the Miami Open

USTA Florida Head Laura Bowen Discusses Potential Riverside Park Tennis Partnership For Vero Beach

Randy Walker · March 19, 2022 · 1 Comment

Laura Bowen, the executive director of the USTA Florida section, participates in a question and answer session to discuss the situation with regard to USTA Florida potentially taking over the management of the tennis facility at Riverside Park in Vero Beach.

Tell us a bit about the USTA Florida Facility Management Program?

LAURA BOWEN: Our Board of Directors started looking at tennis management services in early 2017. Several of our Board members have spent decades managing public tennis centers in Florida. Unfortunately, budget pressures on cities had led some municipalities in the state to consider eliminating tennis courts when they are not being used. Several public parks had reached out to us over the years and asked if USTA Florida would help manage their public tennis facilities. We decided to get into the management business to help prevent facilities from closing AND to learn more about why public tennis centers were struggling to bring in new players.

It’s important to share that, although direct management is something we can offer, it’s not all that we do, and not all facilities are a fit for us. More often than not, we provide different levels of advice and guidance to cities who request it. This can be as simple as answering questions about clay court maintenance or getting bids on projects and as complicated as a full facility evaluation and transformation. We will provide guidance and professional assessments to any city that requests it – for free.

What communities are currently part of this program and how has it been received?

LAURA BOWEN: Our first location was Racquet Club of Cocoa Beach, which we started managing in December of 2017. We added Fort Walton Beach Tennis Center and the city-owned courts in Gainesville in 2019. In all three instances, we met with the community before we took on the location to listen to what the residents and players wanted. We then tailored our programs and services around their needs. In all three cases, programs have expanded, revenues have increased, and we now have strong relationships with the communities.

It’s common for residents to view USTA Florida as an outsider who is coming in to change everything. It’s also common for people to view USTA Florida as just leagues and tournaments. In reality, we are an organization of volunteers, staff and players who play and deliver tennis all over the state. We see ourselves as a community partner that is willing to take our resources and expertise and apply them to bring more tennis play opportunities to the community. We understand that it takes a little bit of a leap of faith on both sides to go into a partnership, but the outcome has universally been positive.

What is USTA Florida paid by communities to run this management program? How do the financials work?

LAURA BOWEN: We are a 501c4 not-for-profit organization. When we take on a facility, we are not interested in making money. Same goes for our programs. We exist to grow the game of tennis. We are willing to absorb extra costs of programs in order to get more people playing tennis locally.

Our goals with tennis management are first and foremost to keep tennis courts from being eliminated due to lack of use, and second, to provide as many tennis programs and play opportunities to the community as possible. We are not paid anything from the cities for our services. Quite the opposite. To date, we have invested more than $2 million in the three facilities we manage. Every dime we have collected in revenue has gone into programs, play and facility improvements. When/if the facility is profitable, we put that money back into the facility. We also provide clear and transparent financial reports to our city partners. The city sees exactly what we spend and what we bring in.

People in Vero Beach are worried that if the USTA Florida comes in to manage its Riverside Park public courts that fees will be increased. Will they?

LAURA BOWEN: Let me start by stating clearly that USTA Florida has not presented any contract for management services to the city. We have provided an assessment of the current services and our recommendations for growth, which I personally promised to the Recreation Commission at its February meeting.

We have been asked questions and have provided information on the types of contracts we normally do. That doesn’t mean we would do the same thing in a contract with the City of Vero Beach. Every situation is different. We made a decision not to enter contract negotiations with the City of Vero Beach without the council and community supporting those efforts.

Reports that we approached the city initially to “take over” the facility are also inaccurate. I personally received a request from tennis advocates in the summer of 2021 to come to Vero and discuss the possibility of managing the location. This request came immediately after a separate group offered to convert four of the courts to pickleball and manage those courts under a proposed agreement with the city.

We have recommended in our assessment that the daily court fees be reduced. The current drop-in rates are high compared to other public tennis facilities in the State of Florida. The membership rates are also out of line with best practices in the state of Florida. Some are low and some are reasonable, but they do not align. Again, we explain this in our assessment. Ultimately, the city council determines the fees at the tennis center, not USTA Florida.

Another concern is that people who have their normal everyday morning games will now have their court time taken away. Could this happen?

LAURA BOWEN: No. We want to expand programs, not replace them. Morning round-robin play seems to be vibrant and should continue.

Will there still be free court time offered at Riverside Park if the USTA Florida takes over its management?

LAURA BOWEN: We offer free court time at all of our facilities for various reasons. This is a common practice.

What will happen to the current staff at Riverside Park Tennis if the USTA Florida comes in?

LAURA BOWEN: The current staff are employees of the City of Vero Beach. That is a question for the city. We do not comment on what another entity should do with its employees.

USTA Florida is an equal opportunity employer. We create jobs based on needs at each location and grade them appropriately. All of our job openings are posted publicly on Indeed and they include pay rates. We also have an independent compensation consultant that audits all positions and pay to ensure equity and fairness.

We have not created any job descriptions for Riverside. That would only occur if we entered into a contract negotiation. As mentioned previously, we are not at that point.

What happens to the freelance tennis pros who currently teach at Riverside Park?

LAURA BOWEN: Tennis professionals who have a contract with the city would need to discuss their contract terms with the city. We have provided recommendations in our assessment regarding best practices that many cities apply in their contracts with tennis professionals who teach on city-owned courts. The City of Vero Beach is welcome to follow those recommendations or not.

USTA Florida directly employs all of our teaching professionals. We do this for a variety of reasons, mainly to ensure all teaching professionals are certified, trained, Safe Play approved, and background checked. We provide all training and professional development and support for those employees at our cost.

Will the USTA have a tennis pro shop at Riverside Park that could potentially compete with other tennis stores in Vero Beach?

LAURA BOWEN: We have not assessed this portion of the existing operation, but the building appears too small for an operation that would compete with a local tennis shop. The typical things we offer at our other locations are balls and stringing services. We do not typically offer merchandise in the way that a private club or local tennis shop does.

Will the USTA still allow St. Edwards to have its varsity, junior varsity and middle school tennis matches and programming at Riverside Park?

LAURA BOWEN: Yes. We do this at our other locations. It’s usually written into our contracts with the cities.

What kind of programs would you be implementing that locals can perhaps participate in and look forward to?

LAURA BOWEN: As noted in our assessment, youth programs seem to be a missing piece. We first visited Riverside in August of 2021 and asked if there were weekly summer camps being provided. We were told there were not. That is a big entry point for kids of all ages. It’s also important for any tennis center to have regular after-school programs for youth of all ages. Those generally happen from 3-6pm. Adaptive (Special Olympics), wheelchair tennis, and adult beginner programs are also areas of opportunity that we are seeing thrive at other public tennis centers.

Would local residents have to join the USTA to play at the courts? To play in clinics or play in tournaments or round-robins or leagues?

LAURA BOWEN: No. You are only required to be a USTA member to play in USTA Adult Leagues and Sanctioned Tournaments. USTA Membership requirements and pricing is set by the USTA (national) board.

What kind of facility upgrades would the USTA Florida implement and who would pay for it? New nets? Windscreens? Court resurfacing?

LAURA BOWEN: Our understanding is the city has already purchased new windscreens. We have offered to resurface the four remaining courts and provide nets, at our expense.

It’s important for the city and the residents to understand that USTA Florida and USTA offer grants for things like court improvements, equipment and programs. These funds are available to public tennis centers across the state. We have advised the city to use these grants to help cover some of these costs in the future.

What else would you like to share?

LAURA BOWEN: Tennis is booming in Florida. According to the Tennis Industry Association’s annual participation report, Florida saw a 26% increase in play in 2020, and another 8% increase in 2021. The majority of that play is happening on public tennis courts. Public tennis centers across the state are seeing tremendous growth. To reinvigorate the courts at Riverside to be a place for new players to come and participate with the existing residents would be fantastic for tennis and for the city.

Whatever the residents and city decide in terms of management of the facility, USTA Florida will continue to provide our support to all tennis facilities in Vero Beach.

We are looking forward to having a more direct dialog with residents, and are hopeful that we can schedule a public town hall in the coming weeks.

Comeback “Kid” Christophe Delavaut Unexpectedly Stars at “King of the Hill” 50s Division

Randy Walker · February 6, 2022 · 3 Comments

By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

Comeback stories in pro tennis get a lot of attention.

Most recently, of course, you had Rafael Nadal, having not played competitive tournament tennis in almost six months due to a knee injury, winning his record-breaking 21^st major singles title at the Australian Open.

Back in 2017, Roger Federer won the Australian Open in similar circumstances. Billie Jean King had many comebacks in her career from knee surgeries and Monica Seles came back after an on-court stabbing.

In the cozy beachside community of Vero Beach, Florida, there was another tennis comeback that virtually no one is talking about, but is just as inspiring to an extent.

Christophe Delavaut, the popular and charismatic director of tennis at Vero Beach’s The Boulevard Tennis Club, had not played any type of competitive tennis in nine months and, more incredibly, was six months removed from major heart surgery. He only recently returned to the court to teach lessons.

But after a last minute scratch at the club at the town’s competitive “King of the Hill” tournament, that benefits at-risk children in Vero Beach, Delavaut was thrust back into competitive tennis.

During the staging of the opening round of the 50-and-over edition of the event on Thursday, February 3, Gabriel Barnabei of The Legacy club was a late scratch for the event minutes before the start of play, and Delavaut, three decades plus removed from his Division II All-American college career at Franklin Pierce College, was the only qualified and available last-minute substitute. The show must go on and there were over 150 paying fans – as well as sponsors – who paid money to watch tennis and raise money for the local charity, Youth Guidance.

“Hope you are going to pull out the compression socks,” said a club member to Delavaut, known for wearing colorful versions of the wraps around his calves, as he walked to his office to prepare for play.

The color choice for this evening was blinding bright pink.

After the first of three set rotations on the court (each player playing a set with each player), Karim Balagh, who works for Delavaut as a pro at The Boulevard, pulled his hamstring and could barely walk, let alone play.

Christian Docter, the 20-something pro at Sea Oaks who was watching his boss Joe Biedenharn play on the court, was then recruited to sub for Balagh so, once again, the show could go on. Of course, he could not advance into the final based on his age. So of the three remaining 50-something competitors on the court, two would advance to the final, along with the top two finishers from the other court of competitors.

Delavaut, Biedenharn, Docter and the fourth, Emile de Cuba of the Ocean Village club, then produced some of the most entertaining “King of the Hill” shot-making many could remember. Angled shots and precision volleys were the fired back and forth. Delavaut threw in an underhand ace of Docter and Biedenharn hit an around-the-post forehand winner off a sharply angled volley that certainly would have made the ESPN “Top 10” if someone had been filming with their Iphone.

Delavaut, and his pink compression socks, went from last minute replacement to then qualifying for the men’s 50 finals on February 17 along with Biedenharn and, from the other court, Henner Lenhardt from Sea Oaks and Tom Brueggeman, the winner of the event’s open division in 2001 and 2002.

The winner and runner-up of the King of the Hill “Open Division” (to be played Thursday March 3) receive a main draw wild card doubles entry in to the $15,000 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships ITF World Tennis Tour and USTA Pro Circuit event to be played April 25-May 1.

Comeback "Kid" Christophe Delavaut Unexpectedly Stars at "King of the Hills" 50s Division — Comeback “Kid” Christophe Delavaut Unexpectedly Stars at “King of the Hills” 50s Division

Mardy Fish, With Borrowed Racket, Still Can’t Beat Bryan Brothers in Windsor Exhibition

Randy Walker · January 20, 2022 · Leave a Comment

Not that you need to find an excuse when you lose a doubles match to Bob and Mike Bryan, the greatest doubles team of all time, but Mardy Fish had one.

Traveling from his home in Los Angeles to Florida to not only play a tennis exhibition, but to play in his charity golf fundraise and the Hilton Vacations Tournament of Champions Celebrity Golf Event, Fish brought his tennis racket, but just forgot to bring it to the court, leaving it at his parents’ house.

“My racket made it all the way from Los Angeles and then it didn’t make it from my parents’ house to here,” said Fish. “I brought my shoes and everything and I forgot my racket.”

Fish borrowed one of the Solinco rackets that belonged to the Bryans, but it wasn’t able to propel he and his good friend, sometime caddy and former Harvard All-American Thomas Blake to victory over Bob and Mike Bryan, who won 16 major doubles titles together and 119 ATP doubles titles as a pair.

The sold-out intimate exhibition was played on one of the feature courts at Windsor’s eight Har-Tru courts, surrounded by lush hedges, that was designed by former Wimbledon and U.S. Open champion Stan Smith and where Fish’s father Tom has been the Director of Tennis since 1991. Half of the proceeds for the event were also donated to the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation. Also in attendance was Windsor co-founder, the Hon. Hilary M. Weston, her son Galen G. Weston and his wife Alexandra and their two sons Graydon and Griffin.

“It’s great to come here,” said Bob Bryan. “Windsor is such a beautiful place and is so special.”

“I’ve put a lot of hours on these courts over the years and all up and down A1A and Riverside Park,” said Fish, a honorary Windsor member. “It’s nostalgic coming back. I played golf down in Jupiter yesterday and drove back and took the long way back down A1A, and called my wife had said, ‘I’m taking a long way home’ and going past Riomar, and our old house on Honeysuckle Lane and Beachland Elementary School and all that. It’s really fun to get back, and certainly, to get back here to Windsor.”

The Bryans announced in late 2019 that their 2020 season would be their last on tour, but due to the global pandemic, they were not able to have their career send-off in front of appreciative fans at the 2020 U.S. Open, which was one of the first events to resume but was played in front of no fans. Instead, the final official match for the brothers came in the USA vs. Uzbekistan Davis Cup match in Hawaii in early March 2020 where they played for Fish, who was into his second year as the U.S. Davis Cup captain.

“We’ve been on the road for so many years, 23 years on tour and before that it was crazy in the juniors,” said Bob Bryan. “We are now spending more time at home with the family. Just them pick up, taking them to tennis, they’re playing lots of music. We still have our band. We’re jamming a little bit. Playing chess. But we’re traveling a little. We’re doing some appearances like this, and do a couple of weeks (commentating) with the Tennis Channel. But it was a great time on tour, but this is a special time in life as well.”

Said Mike Bryan of his retirement, “I had a baby so, I’m changing diapers. We’ve been enjoying retirement for a few years and just see where the next part of our lives takes us but we’re still going to be in tennis. We love doing these type of things and giving back to the kids. We have a foundation too, so, we are working hard at that too.”

Following their 6-2, 6-4 win, the Bryans announced they would donate $10,000 to the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation. To watch the post-match interviews, click this link to watch on YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tA8hAcIwqmI&t=352s

Thomas Blake, Mardy Fish and the Bryan Brothers at Windsor

Mardy Fish (And Mike Bryan) Highlight MFCF Golf Fundraiser at Windsor Monday, January 17

Randy Walker · December 28, 2021 · Leave a Comment

U.S. Davis Cup captain and Vero Beach native son Mardy Fish, along with several former star pro athletes, highlight the field of celebrities who will play in the 2022 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Charity Golf Fundraiser to be played Monday, January 17 at The Windsor Club in Vero Beach, Florida

The event is headlined by Fish, the current U.S. Davis Cup captain former Top 10 tennis star and 2004 Olympic silver medalist. Also participating in the event will be Fish’s former Davis Cup teammate Mike Bryan, half of the “Bryan Brothers,” the greatest doubles team of all time, former standout Major League Baseball pitcher Tim Wakefield of the Boston Red Sox, former top tennis professionals Mikael Pernfors, the 1986 French Open finalist and Vero Beach resident, former European Ryder Cup player and captain Paul McGinley and former ATP player and Harvard University tennis star Thomas Blake.

Fish has been described by six-time Masters champion Jack Nicklaus as “the best non-professional golfer that I have ever seen play” and has translated his talents on the celebrity golf tour. Fish will be gearing up to attempt to win the celebrity title at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club for a fourth time just days after appearing at this event. Fish also won the prestigious American Century Celebrity Golf Championships at Lake Tahoe in 2020.

Golfers interested in participating in the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Golf Fundraiser should email Mardy Fish’s father, Tom, the President of the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation, at Tfish@aol.com or Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Executive Director Lynn Southerly at Lsouth1072@gmail.com. Paid positions for a tax deductible contribution of $500 are available. Non-golfers are also encouraged to attend for the same price and receive a VIP experience on the 17^th hole at Windsor, where Fish will be playing the hole with each participating foursomes, along with breakfast and for the awards lunch. Registration and breakfast begin at 8:00 am with an 9:00 am shot-gun start, followed by a 1 pm luncheon and awards presentation. PNC Bank, a long-time supporter of the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation, is the presenting sponsor of the event.

Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., the 18-hole links style course at Windsor is a masterpiece in traditional golf course architecture. The par 72 course features an undulating panorama of native trees that border gentle rolling fairways, unobstructed by houses.

The Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation (www.MardyFishChildrensFoundation.org) was founded in 2007 and currently supports over 2,200 children in 15 elementary schools, six middle schools and two after school centers 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.

The Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation also hosts an entry-level U.S. Tennis Association Pro Circuit event April 25 – May 1, The Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships, that will be held at The Boulevard club in Vero Beach. Sponsorships, box-seats, tickets and pro-am spots are available for the event by emailing Fish or Southerly.