OPTA Blog

 "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...