FOLLOW US! WINTER 2013 IN THIS ISSUE. From the Director s Desk 1

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1 From The Director s Desk IN THIS ISSUE From the Director s Desk 1 Tennis at Grove Isle has never been this busy, the club has been active day and night! The new infusion of members from the former Brickell Tennis Club has most definitely added a positive element to our facility. It s nice to see how the residents and previous members have been so welcoming and inviting to all the newbies! I see plenty of members mixing up their games with new players and some of our long time members participating in more of our programing as a result. From my perspective we have something for all tennis players, whether you are looking for a beginner clinic, a social mixer, men s singles competition, or intensive clinics, we have you covered on a weekly basis. A member recently told me that he no longer needs to spend time finding a partner to play because he can show up any day of the week and play tennis. That means everything to us, because the goal has always been to create an active club where members get to develop friendships on the tennis courts that last a lifetime. I really hope you all get the chance to enjoy our clinics, mixers and fun tennis events. It s never too late to sign up or even show up unannounced. We will take care of your needs! While I am on the topic of events, I would like to mention our recent Karaoke Jam at the club. This is the first time we have held such an event and I have to say that I really enjoyed myself. We had some funny and classic performances and by the end of the night the ladies started to dance to Shakira like there was no tomorrow! A big thank you to Hetty Van Der Kreeke, Susy Conroy and Sheila Goodman, the brave members who took the microphone first and got the party started. The top three contestants of the night, based on reviews from the staff at Grove Isle and not just myself, are the following: Saul Skoler, Julio Martinez, and Cyril Darmouni. Saul s very deep vocals were very surprising and also soothing to the crowd. Julio had a stellar performance singing a romantic song, without the help of the karaoke machine, to his wife Lorena. That must have earned him some brownie points all week. The winner of the competition based on the votes of the staff, went to Cyril Darmouni who showed up late, like most big acts do, immediately grabbed the microphone and in typical French flair and stole the show with a very good Lionel Richie song. Congrats to Cyril for winning a dinner for two at Café Abbracci! Check out his performance on our Facebook page at facebook.com/coconut.grove.tennis Membership News 2 Family Mixer Recap 2 Staff Spotlight 3 Tip of the Quarter 4 Fun Facts 4 Club Champs 5 Bag Check! 6 FOLLOW US! Grove Isle Tennis Center on Facebook: Facebook.com/coconut.grove.tennis Cliff Drysdale Tennis on Twitter: Twitter.com/CdrysdaleTennis See you on the court in 2013! Max Mangones Director of Tennis 1

2 Membership News A couple of days ago, I came across a player who was participating in the Grove Isle Tennis Tournament. After he played his match he decided to walk around the island and have lunch by the pool. He was really impressed with the club and the beautiful amenities that Grove Isle has to offer. I realized then that maybe some of our new members do not know what an amazing club we have! I am taking this opportunity to invite you to enjoy more of the amenities the club has to offer. Grove Isle is a playful paradise to escape to everyday, whether it s for a quick lunch at the acclaimed Gibraltar restaurant, a great workout at the Grove Isle Tennis Center, a rejuvenating healing ritual at the Spa, a day of reconnecting around the bayside pool with the family, an overnight retreat in one of the hotel s luxuriously comfortable waterview guestrooms, or just a simple walk around the island which offers some spectacular views. So, next time you come and enjoy the great action of the tennis center, take some time to go around the island and have fun! PS: Members referring a new member will get a $ credit! Ximena Trujillo Director of Membership Family Tournament We had our first Adult-Child tournament on December 1st with huge success. It was a great family event which gave the adults the chance to play with a child. The matches were closely contested and some of the kids showed the adults how the game is really played! Our winners were the father and son combination of Alex Visan and his son Patrick with his world famous drop shot...beware everyone! Happy New Year! Snoopy Poolside bar with an ocean view... Acclaimed restaurant Gibraltar with more ocean views... The Spa at Grove Isle offering a full menu of luxurious treatments 2

3 STaff spotlight: ANUP Snoopy kapur Q: Where are you from? A: Fiji just kidding, Northern Ireland Q: What brought you to Miami from Ireland? A: I wanted to live the rock star life by playing tennis in sunny Miami Q: How long have you been in Miami? And with Cliff Drysdale Tennis? A: 7 years in Miami and CDT. I am loving every moment of it and so happy for the opportunity! Q: Who gave you the nickname Snoopy? A: While on the Cliff Drysdale touring team years ago the housewives of Texas came up with it and it has stuck ever since. Q: What is the touring team? Were you in a rock band? A: The touring team was a group of Cliff Drysdale pros who traveled across America doing clinics at some of the best country clubs. We traveled like rock stars with our Wilson bags, passports in hand and our laptops from state to state to provide the best clinic money has to offer. The touring team was the best experience ever! Q: You recently got married, has that made you slower on the court? A: On the contrary, I am faster now. My paycheck is divided in two! Q: You cycle every day from Brickell, are you in shape for the Tour de France? A: Yes, I am ready to win that yellow jersey! Q: Favorite thing to do off the court? A: Watching football-- Soccer to everyone! And trying out some of the new restaurants Miami has to offer. 3

4 tip of the quarter FOCUS: Be aggressive at the net by Anna Larinova, former WTA tour player When you go to the net, if you don t hit a winner on your first volley shot you need to step forward to hit the second volley and perhaps a third one if needed. Moving forward is the only way you will win points at the net. When volleying, do not stand still or be flat footed, make sure you stay low, knees bent, and never wait for the ball to come to you. Try to always be on the tip of your toes, go to the ball with confidence and try to hit the ball while it s still above the net. Many players avoid moving forward because they either fear getting hit by the ball or think they will get lobbed. As far as the lob is concerned, if you hit a good approach shot you will put your opponent in a much more difficult position to lob the ball over your head so your best option and higher percentage to win the point is to keep moving in. Remember it is a lot more difficult to hit a volley by your ankles than chest-high. Now, getting hit by the ball is another story. I will leave you with a joke: do not be afraid to get hit by the ball, a few bruises will not affect your beauty. You can always tell your friends that you stopped an attempted robbery by fighting the robber! AUSTRALIAN OPEN FUN FACTS Margaret Court is the leading winner of most Australian Open female titles Andre Agassi is the leading winner of most Australian Open men titles (tie with Federer) The Australian Open is also known as the Grand Slam of Asia/Pacific. Martina Hingis ended the unbeaten 33 match career run of Monica Seles in 1999 at the Australian Open. Correct volley approach Incorrect volley approach! Steffi Graf defeated Chris Evert in the 1988 Australian Open to win the Golden Slam. Many tennis lovers believe that the Australian Open event is held in Sydney. Don t let that confuse you, as Melbourne is the host site of the Australian Open. Anna Icing down as a result of her aggressiveness! 4

5 Club Championships Recap by Max Mangones With over 50 entries for this year-ending tournament, the Grove team could not have been happier. We had some very competitive and fun tennis matches to watch from Wednesday through Saturday. Everyone behaved and we didn t have to get the referee once! Hosting a tournament like this is worthwhile when you see the connection being made from members that play all the time but have never met each other. On several occasions, Ximena and I witnessed members exchanging numbers after the match. This is the goal we had in mind when we first decided to put this together. We finished the tournament with a fun tennis party with our very own Cliff Drysdale in attendance. The scenario could not have been better. All the matches were close and well contested but the Men s 4.0 division final between Ross Krachey and Mark Elman went down to the wire. After they split sets, Cliff went out on court to call the super tie breaker, which I m sure must have been nerve racking for both players. A few Advils and a couple of beers later, Ross prevailed with his first ever Men s 4.0 trophy. Thanks to all the participants, and judging from the feedback we got we will definitely add more tournaments to the schedule in Below are some pictures of the winners and runners-up as well as some of the participants. Ross Kratchey Men s 4.0 Champion looking really happy! Luis Gonell Men s Open Champion with Mr Drysdale and Max Luis Kellemen accepting his award Marco Nahuz Men s 4.5 champion accepting his trophy The Tourney Crowd! Rebecca (Ladies 3.5 Champ) and Dani (Finalist) Mark Elman men s 4.0 finalist Mark and Ross were friendly before the match... 5

6 Bag CHECK! With Chris Mayer 1. Black Adidas wristband 2. Tempo Swiss Kleenex- for the sniffles 3. Smelly socks 4. 3 Wilson Pro Staff Six One 90 rackets 5. iphone 5- because he always has the latest gadgets 6. Keys- home, mailbox, Vespa, and office 7. Change of shirt 8. David Sporn tennis balls With Camilo Lopez 1. 4 Babolat Pure Storm rackets 2. 2 pairs of Asics shoes- one for tennis, one for running 3. Jump rope 4. Badges from different tournaments- Sony Ericsson, etc. 5. Towel 6. Assorted change of clothes 7. Tennis balls 8. Protein bar With Fernando Mateu 1. American Airlines 1980 zipper bag- with bag tags from different tournaments, different years 2. Smiley face vibration dampener 3. Key chain with the Spanish flag that says I <3 You- gift from daughter 4. 3 Wilson K- Factor rackets- strung at Multiple tennis balls and wristbands of every color 6. First aid kit- with band aids, etc. 7. Nike hat- which he never uses 8. Stretching bands 9. 2 cell phones 10. Bandana 6