OPTA Blog

Food For Thought We, as players, decide to assign importance to certain points more than others and by doing so we also decide when to get frustrated and upset with ourselves on the court. In reality, the match is a compilation of points and just because you missed an easy ball in a tiebreaker at 6-6 does not mean you should give into emotions, because the match is not over yet.

Wishing You The Best In 2023 As we look forward to what 2023 will bring, I would like to take a moment to say thank you!

How To Build Confidence No one can have confidence without constant training. Also, confidence in one aspect never translates into confidence in something else, but it can be trained.

 What does "go back to basics" mean? This is probably the best thing that a tennis player can tell himself or herself during the match. Basics in tennis are quite simple actually, and are always referring to footwork, focusing on your shots using high margins, or you can simply say "just put the ball in play!"

 Different Types of Effort I hear, so many times, when a player comes back from a tournament and says that they tried really hard and they ran for every ball but were still unsuccessful. In my opinion, this is a great start, but it is only a physical effort. - Evgeny Slesarev

 Are you and Anchor or an Engine for your player? Do you encourage process or results? Do you compare your player to someone else or support their competitors and complement them? Do you encourage difficulties or say that it is too hard? Do you show by example or demand? - Evgeny Slesarev

 "Are you stretching? Parents, to prevent injuries and stay healthy, we recommend for all players to spend 20-30 minutes, 3 times a week, on stretching. It has caught our attention that many players of the academy are very stif at a very young age. Adding stretching to their routine could be a great habit for players to not only improve their tennis game but create and maintain healthy joints even after their tennis career is over." - Evgeny Slesarev

 "Happy New Year and welcome to the first edition of the Olde Providence Tennis Academy Newsletter. In the months to come, you will find valuable resources and the latest from OPTA here." - Evgeny Slesarev

by Mike Holder: Jenny is originally from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. She moved to New York City when she was 7 years old and lived there for over 20 years. She earned a business degree, but she has a passion for science, as well. In her free time, Jenny translates and interprets from Spanish to English and substitutes at different schools. She loves to travel, dance, and try new things. She has been married for 9 years and has an 8-year-old son and a 6-year-old daughter. She likes living in Charlotte but enjoys skiing out west and sunbathing in the Caribbean.  What is your tennis background and what made you interested in the sport? I started playing tennis five years ago after my daughter was born. My husband was worried that I would get bored in Charlotte and want to move back to NYC if I didn’t have a hobby, so he encouraged me to take lessons. Now he complains that I play too much!   What is the biggest lesson you have learned with tennis?  To keep my...

By Mike Holder: In a physical match that took nearly two hours to settle, Greg Artzt defeated Claes Persson 7-6, 6-3 to win the OPRC Summer Tournament Men’s Open Championship. It was an entertaining match that featured high-quality shot-making as both players battled and left it all on the clay. Persson was fast off the blocks in the first set behind his solid groundstrokes and steady play. He jumped out to a 3-0 lead and looked to be heading to a quick result in the set. However, Artzt began to battle back with the turning point of the set coming in the fourth game. On the verge of falling to 0-4, the former Cornell University standout found himself engaged in a much needed, extended, physically challenging game that tilted back and forth from game point to break point. Finally, he was able to break through to get on the board.  The game appeared to shift the tide as Artzt used his quickness, aggressive hitting, and timely net play to work himself back into the set. However, Pe...

UPDATE: OPRC Summer Tournament Crowns Its Champions ** In a previous recap of the tournament, an unfortunate error was made in the Men’s Doubles 9.0 Final. My apologies to all involved. Here is a corrected version: By Mike Holder: After a summer full of matches, the Olde Providence Racquet Club Summer Tournament came to its conclusion last month with Championship Saturday.  The tournament began in June with nine different competitions playing a group stage round. The top players from the group stage advanced into the playoffs which began in late August. Secondary draws were also created for those who wished to continue in the competition. The Men’s Singles and Doubles Finals have been rescheduled and a recap will be coming upon its conclusion. Here is a recap of each division: Men’s 4.0 Singles David Griffin was impressive during the group stage round winning five of his six matches. Buddy Forward won four matches including a 6-3 7-5 win over Griffin. The two would face off ...

By Mike Holder: Pender Murphy is a native of Charlotte, attended Charlotte Latin, and would go on to work in commercial real estate for 25 years. He played tennis at Latin, Clemson University, and professionally for three years. Now, he provides tennis instruction to various schools and organizations in Charlotte through TLA Tennis, named in honor of Andy Avram’s late son, Tucker Leighton Avram. Pender has fond memories of playing matches as a kid at Olde Providence on Tuesday nights against players such as Bane Shaw (Ashley’s father), and William Poore.  Murphy was a ball boy at Olde Providence in 1970 when a 15-year-old Chris Evert beat Margaret Court, just two weeks after Court achieved the Grand Slam. Later, he would serve as a ball boy at the Davis Cup final at OP in 1971 when the Stan Smith-led USA team defeated Ilie Nastase, Ion Tiriac, and the Romanian team.  He recalls, “Back then, the ball boys at the baseline would throw the ball to the opposite baseline versus roll...

By Mike Holder: Since 1937, the USTA Southern has issued their annual yearbook, which is chock full of information on players, tournaments, coaches, and much more. Browsing through one is a walk through the history of tennis in the south. You will find players who went on to play Grand Slams, information on legendary clubs, coaches, and tournaments.  Reading through the publication year-to-year truly gives you a sense of how tennis has evolved in the United States. In the inaugural issue, the reader is given a wonderful history lesson on the origins of tennis in the south and the oldest tennis club in the United States. We learn that the first Southern Champion was C.B. Davis in 1886, and the number one ranked tennis player in the south in 1937 was Bryan "Bitsy" Grant, who went on to twice reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals, and the US Open semifinals. However, it was the 1978 issue that caught my eye. As I scrolled through the pages, I came across the 1977 rankings and five n...

By Mike Holder: Imagine hosting a tournament in which players who accounted for 18 career singles grand slam titles competed for the championship. In the modern era, that type of draw would typically only be seen at a major or perhaps a Masters 1000 tournament.  However, from April 17–22, 1973, that is exactly what occurred at Olde Providence Racquet Club. It was the third edition of the North Carolina National Bank Tennis Classic (also known as the Charlotte or Carolinas Tennis Classic), and greats such as Arthur Ashe, Ken Rosewall, Tony Roche, Fred Stolle, Roscoe Tanner, Tom Okker, and Jan Kodes competed in the 32-man draw. The tournament was part of the World Championship Tennis circuit which was divided into two groups of players who competed in eleven tournaments each, from January through May. The top four players would go on to compete in the season-ending Finals. The remainder of the year, players would migrate to the Grand Prix Circuit, which was managed by the Internation...

By Mike Holder: Tim Wilkison had a long and successful career on the tour which included 6 career singles titles and 10 doubles. He had wins against all-time greats such as Arthur Ashe, Boris Becker, Jim Courier, John McEnroe, Andre Agassi, and Pete Sampras to name a few.   The Shelby, NC native competed in tournaments around the world including all four grand slams. He was once the number one ranked junior in the United States and would reach a career-high singles ranking of 23 in 1986 as a pro. Wilkison earned the nickname “Dr. Dirt” due to his aggressive, never give up on a point mentality. He is often remembered for his diving volleys on the iconic grass courts of Wimbledon. Since retiring from the tour, Wilkison has coached players of all skill levels for more than 25 years. What was the most memorable match or event of your playing career?    I would say that the matches held at Grand Slam events are the most memorable.  Regular tour events are fairly generic,...

By Mike Holder: Keith Richardson was born, raised, and still resides in Rock Hill, S.C. He played number one at Appalachian State University (1971-1975) and won the Southern Conference Tournament 3 times (‘73, ‘74, ‘75) at that position. He met his wife, Marilyn, at ASU and the couple recently celebrated their 46th anniversary. They have two children and two grandchildren. After college, Keith played four years on the ATP and USTA Pro Tour (1976-1979). He would become Head Pro at Benvenue Country Club in Rocky Mount and in 1983  joined Wilkinson Bulluck & Co. in the same city. In 1993, he became part of BB&T Insurance Services, retiring in 2009 before returning to Rock Hill where he joined Peoples First Insurance, specializing in Commercial Insurance and Risk Management. After 32 years in the insurance industry, he retired for good. As a retirement gift to himself, Richardson joined Olde Providence so he could play every day against the best players in the country and becam...

  By Mike Holder: Andy grew up in Winston-Salem and was introduced to tennis by legendary Wake Forest coach Jim Leighton. He would end up playing for Coach Leighton at WFU. Then, after college, he played professionally, taught tennis in the US and Germany, became an assistant coach at Clemson, head Coach at McCallie school, and assistant coach at Wake Forest.  While an assistant coach at Wake Forest, Andy went to law school and has been practicing law for 30 years.  He joined Olde Providence in 1997 and loves all racket sports including tennis, ping pong, paddle, and pickleball. He, also, enjoys biking and hiking and is looking forward to getting back to all of these activities following recent ankle replacement surgery.  Andy and his wife Tammy have two children, Ally and Gabe. His oldest son Tucker passed away in 2011 and they hold the Tucker Leighton Avram tennis clinics in his honor spearheaded and founded by Pender Murphy. Please visit tlatennis.com for more in...

By Mike Holder: Billy Wilkinson began his career in professional tennis traveling the world as a touring player. Later, after becoming a coach, he quickly made an impact on the WTA Tour, finding success prior to the age of 30. Working with the International Tennis Association, he became a National Women’s coach for both the LTA (Great Britain) and Tennis Australia. He was a coach/hitting partner with notable players such as Peng Shuai, Jenny Hopkins, Venus Williams, and Serena Williams early in his coaching career. Wilkinson would go on to coach many top players such as US Open semi-finalist Yanina Wickmayer, top-10 Johanna Konta, top-25 Jarmila Gajdosova, and top-50 Heather Watson, to name a few. He returned to Olde Providence Racquet Club where he received his very first tennis lesson as a kid. Billy discussed playing and coaching tennis, the impact that the sport can have on an individual, and more: What made you decide to become a coach? Was there a particular moment where you knew...

By Mike Holder: Reese Sager began training at Olde Providence Tennis Academy in 2016. She has seen her game progressively improve over the last five years. Tennisrecruiting.com lists her as a five-star recruit and the 3rd ranked player in North Carolina, 18th in the southeast, at her age. The 15-year-old recently found success winning the Girls’ 18 Singles Red Draw at Charleston (S.C.) Junior Championships. However, her success has not come without its share of adversity. Evgeny Slesarev (Director of Tennis Operations at Olde Providence Tennis Academy) reflected on obstacles Sager has overcome. “Reese was always a top-ranked player but has had to overcome challenges with quite a few serious injuries and setbacks. Two years ago she almost quit tennis due to a rotator cuff injury but she did not. Instead, she switched to two hands on both sides to keep the impact of her injury to a minimum. Not surprisingly, due to her competitive nature, she was able to return to National Levels a year ...

By Mike Holder: The year was 1971. The venue was Julian J. Clark Stadium at Olde Providence Racquet Club. Less than a decade after breaking ground, Cliff Turner, and the founding members’ goal of bringing world-class tennis to the club were realized as it played host to the Davis Cup Final between the United States and Romania. And while the club had seen elite-level players such as Arthur Ashe, Chrissie Evert, and Tony Roche (to name a few) come through prior to the tie, nothing could match the prestigious competition that took place from October 8-10, 1971. Davis Cup was founded in 1900 and carries with it a sense of national pride, much like the Olympics, where it is an honor for participants to compete for their respective countries. Interestingly, from 1937- 1973, the title went to either the United States or Australia which speaks to the rich talent pool from those countries during that time period. Legendary Australians such as Roche, John Newcombe, Roy Emerson, Fred Stolle, and...