Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oui, Oui, Oui!

For those in the tennis world, the first Grand Slam event of 2010 starts Monday. The Australian Open in Melbourne should be an exciting showcase of the top men and women, singles, doubles, and mixed doubles in the world. The tournament is a little tricky to follow with the 17 hour time difference, but ESPN and the Tennis Channel have great coverage for the next two weeks.

In the Men's Singles, Roger Federer of Switzerland is the #1 seed and favorite to win the tournament, but the gap has been closed between him and several other players: Rafael Nadal of Spain, Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Nickolay Davydenko of Russia are real threats. US #1 Andy Roddick still has the game to go all the way if he can get hot!

In the Women's Singles, the Williams sisters, Venus and Serena of the US, can never be overlooked, but I like one of the two Belgians - Kim Cljisters or Justine Henin to win this year.

Men's Doubles is my favorite event because my son, Eric Butorac, will be competing in his 4th Australian Open. The Bryan Brothers, Bob and Mike from the US, and Daniel Nestor of Canada with Nenad Zimonic of Serbia are the favorites. But the US and Australian players historically are very successful in doubles. Root for Butorac and Ram!

In Women's Doubles, I always cheer for Bethanie Mattek-Sands, a Rochester native and great kid. She usually goes deep into the draw. Liezel Huber (US) and Cara Black (Zimbabwe) are the favorites.

If you can catch any mixed doubles I think you'd find it fun. The chemistry, styles, and tactics can be exciting. Eric hopes to qualify for the mixed also, but as of now doesn't have a partner.

I read the other day where tennis is officially the most popular sport in Australia. The Aussie crowds will be out in force, and it will be exciting. If an Aussie is competing you'll hear the crowd chant 'Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oui, Oui, Oui' trying fire up their 'mates' for a victory! Tennis has become very global as you can see by the different countries represented. It is my hope that events like this will generate more interest and enthusiasm for this great game in the US!

To follow matches, watch live scoring and get results on the computer, go to www.australianopen.org!

Sign up for an ADP Player Package!

Dear Junior and Parents,

This fall we will be offering two new options to our Advanced Player Development (APD) juniors (includes Tournament, Excellence and Big Dogs) that will allow you to raise the level of your game.

1. APD Player Package. In order to significantly raise your level, it is necessary to develop a relationship with one of our pros and commit to playing more tennis. With this package you will be asked to commit to twice/week group lessons and a regularly scheduled private lesson with your pro. In turn we will give you a 10% discount on the private lesson. You will work with one pro that has been through college tennis and still competes, who will help develop your game, choose tournaments and follow your progress. Parents will be involved as well since they are a key component for success. You might have heard Roger Federer in his French Open acceptance speech thanking his parents and stressing that none of this would have happened without their support!
2. Traveling Team Tennis. This will involve groups of players from all APD groups that will travel to Minneapolis (or teams will come here) for match play experience. Matches will be scheduled to work around tournaments and lessons at the club. This will be more on a monthly basis or 4-5 times during the indoor season.

Please feel free to contact a pro if you are interested in participating in one or both of these programs (or have questions). We will contact parents for group meetings on the team tennis closer to fall and pros will meet individually with the player and parents about the APD Player Package. These two new programs are additional options we feel would benefit juniors that are looking for extra guidance from experienced pros. We look forward to seeing you this fall in whatever capacity your schedule permits.

Sincerely,

Tim Butorac
Director of Tennis

Nick Crossley, Kyle Anderson, Mark Tiu
Tennis Professionals

Americans Butorac-Ram Capture Second Title In Bangkok

Americans Eric Butorac and Rajeev Ram captured their second ATP World Tour title after defeating rookie duo Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain and German Mischa Zverev 7-6(4), 6-3 Sunday in the final of the PTT Thailand Open, an ATP World Tour 250 tennis tournament in Bangkok. Read entire article.

We are the Rochester Tennis Connection

It's a new name for familar faces! The "Rochester Tennis Connection" or "RTC" refers to the trusted staff and programs of the Indoor Site and the Outdoor Site.

Both facilities offer memberships and are open to the public. We are a USTA (United States Tennis Association) Welcome Center and beginners or those returning to tennis are most welcome!!!