So much has been written about Tracy Austin, the pigtailed tennis star of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, who was so good when she was so young that she was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame when she was 29. But little has been written about the way it all started, about how a career-launching was born of innocence, boredom and, most unexpectedly, lousy weather in Los Angeles.

It was the winter of 1976. Austin was a high school kid at Rolling Hills High, who had just turned 14 on Dec. 12. Her mom, Jeanne, ran the shop at the nearby Jack Kramer Tennis Club. “She had five kids and worked six days a week,” Austin says now. “I never saw her sit down.” Her mother also became an area ranked player, and from that came days of hitting balls to, and with, her children. The seed was panted.

Her dad, George, was a military veteran and became a nuclear physicist. “He left for work every day at 7 a.m. and came home at 7 p.m.” Austin says. “He liked helping me with math problems more than talking about tennis.”

Austin lived and breathed tennis. “I just never stopped wanting to bounce the ball with my racket, everywhere I was.”

The Kramer Club was a breeding ground for tennis greatness in those days. As Austin excelled through the ranks of women’s tennis, a youngster named Sampras, nine years her junior, started to show up at the Kramer courts. Austin will always remember him as “Petey.”

It began to rain in Los Angeles in that winter of ’76. It just wouldn’t stop. Tracy Austin wanted to get out on the courts, to bounce that ball, to run after it and hit it. Mother Nature refused to budge. Day after day, the rains came.

“One of my older brothers, John, was going up to play a Futures tournament in Portland,” Austin says, “and I asked my mom if I could go along and play in the tournament. They had a women’s Futures pro event, too.”

Austin had started to play in women’s pro events here and there, but she was so young that her presence was seen more of a novelty than a certainty she would do well.

“My mom went along, figuring that she would only have to stay a few days, or as long as John kept winning,” Austin says. “Pretty soon, she had to go back to work, but she had to leave me with John because I was winning, too.”

Pretty soon, Jeanne Austin had to return to Portland. John had lost and needed to move onto the next event. Her daughter was 14 and still winning; all the way to the finals, where she beat Stacey Margolin. Tracy had even come home for a day to go to school before returning to the tennis tournament with her mother.

The strange twist to this unplanned beginning of a Hall-of-Fame career is inescapable. Tracy Austin had left L.A. to escape the rain and trampolined her future with a start in sunny Portland, Ore., which ranks third in the nation in annual rainfall. That may not quite reach the definition of irony, but it is close.

The story of the Tracy Austin career beginning doesn’t end in Portland, but Portland was the starter’s pistol. Because she had won this Portland pro event, it qualified her for direct entry into the main draws of the next two women’s pro tournaments—in Houston and Minneapolis.

“My mom was used to me playing in tournaments, but in the juniors,” Austin says. “In those, the tournaments provide housing, usually with local tennis people. Not in the pros. There, you stay in hotels. Mom couldn’t leave work again, so the only way we could work things out for me to go to Minneapolis was to have me room with the tour’s PR (public relations) person. Her name was Jeanie Brinkman.

“So, I did, and I’m sure I stayed up too late and ate badly. I was 14. I slept in the day of my first match and there was a knock on the door and it was Rosie Casals. She was a friend of Jeanie, who had left. Rosie says, ‘Let’s get room service.’ I was going to play in a couple of hours, but I said sure. I ate too much, then went out and lost in the first round.”

Austin fared better the next week in Minneapolis, where she won her first-round match and then had to play Casals, by then a top pro.

“She came out in this black velvet tennis dress with sequins,” Austin says, “and I thought that was really neat.” Casals’ serve-and-volley game was neat, too, and Austin headed home. But not before she experienced another career moment.

“They took players from the hotel to the event on shuttle buses,” Austin says. “One day, it was so crowded, I had to sit on Margaret Court’s lap.”

The die had been cast. A year before, Austin had made the cover of Sports Illustrated as a likely phenom. The headline said that a star was born, even though Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga would later settle on a different plot. But that magazine cover was speculation for the future. At Portland, it became real.

In quick order, 5-foot-5-inch, 110-pound Tracy Austin would:

–Make the world’s Top Ten at age 15;

–Win the first of her two major titles (the 1979 U.S. Open) at 16, to this day still the youngest to have done that;

–Become No. 1 in the world at 17;

–Win her second Grand Slam (the 1981 U.S. Open) at 18.

In a tennis career that ended all too soon, with injuries and a near-fatal auto accident in 1989, Austin posted a 335-90 record, won 30 titles, got to the Wimbledon semifinals twice and added a mixed doubles Grand Slam title when she won with her brother, John, at Wimbledon, the first brother-sister team to do that. That was 1980 and she was 18. She held the No. 1 spot in women’s tennis twice, over a total of 21 weeks.

After she won her first U.S. Open in New York, on the old Louie Armstrong center court, she was hungry, so she went through a McDonald’s driver-thru. She could afford it. Her prize was $39,000. When she won a tournament in Germany, one of her prizes was a Porsche. She wasn’t old enough to have a driver’s license. By the time she turned 18, she had won five Porches and a BMW.

On Aug. 3, 1989, she was with her World Team Tennis team in Milburn, N.J., and, alone in a car, was making a left turn on a green light. Another car hit her at 60 miles an hour and left her with broken bones and a broken career. Despite having her seat belt on, she was partially ejected from the car and ended up on the road on her back, with her legs and feet still resting in the car. Her first thought was that she was paralyzed and she screamed her fear. A man quickly came onto the scene, calmed her and assured her she wasn’t paralyzed. He told her she couldn’t be, because she was kicking her legs and feet.

“That’s all I needed to hear,” she says. “I was so grateful. I wish I knew who he was. He has never come forth, to this day.”

Austin is 56 now. She lives in Rolling Hills, plays tennis three days a week, has been married to Scott Holt for 26 years, probably weighs five pounds more than she did when she was playing, and has become a very good television tennis commentator for the Tennis Channel, the BBC and Canadian TV for the prestigious Rogers Cup in late summer.

But her No. 1 identity, by her own definition, is as a mom.

She has three sons, Dylan, Brandon and Sean. Dylan, the oldest, is a USC graduate and a young businessman in real estate. Brandon is finishing his senior year at USC, where he has been the team’s No. 1 singles and doubles player since his freshman year, has already won tour Challenger events, is ranked No. 535 in the ATP world listings and will turn pro at the end of school in May. Sean, the youngest, is a senior at Palos Verdes High, where he has already won tennis titles in doubles at Ojai and in the CIF tournament.

“We never pushed them into one sport or another,” Austin says. “We just gave them the opportunity to do any sport they wanted, except football.”

She says she and Scott are just proud parents, that the thrill and glamour of her tennis years have been perfectly replaced by the thrill of seeing her sons grow, excel and be happy. She says she is proud of Dylan because of the way he pursued the profession he wanted. “He must have gone through 30 interviews, with lots of rejections,” she says.

She says she is proud of Brandon because she sees how badly he wants tennis success, she sees so much of the drive for tennis that she had, and she knows what stance she will take on that.

“I will navigate the journey with him,” she says, “but he will be driving the bus.”

Sean is still weighing different schools and she said she will be there to listen and maybe nudge, but never push.

She meticulously avoids letting her past celebrity influence her boys’ lives or futures. The family doesn’t watch old films of her matches. “I don’t need to. I know what happened,” she says. They don’t talk tennis. Mom’s strategy when she faced match points or served for a Grand Slam title does not get imparted to her sons, who don’t ask. That’s their learning process, she says. When she goes to watch Brandon’s college matches at USC, she sits two courts away.

Austin’s Tennis Channel broadcasting duties took her, as usual, to the U.S. Open this September. Somebody had the sense to recognize that this was the 40^th anniversary of her first Grand Slam victory, that 1979 U.S. Open at age 16. So, she was asked to take part in the women’s final awards ceremony, and to hand the trophy to the champion, Bianca Andreescu, who had upset Serena Williams.

But the millions of tennis fans watching were deprived of the significance of that moment, unless they were great students of tennis history, when the master of ceremonies and ESPN announcer Tom Rinaldi, merely announced that Tracy Austin would be presenting the trophy. No mention of the 40-year anniversary.

Austin just laughs it off now. It was just a mistake. Tom just forgot, she says. No big deal.

Which is just the opposite of what Tracy Austin’s tennis career really was.

– Bill Dwyre’s series continues next Tuesday at southerncaliforniatennis.org. 

Kick off the new year with our brand new Friday schedule at the Section Championships!

Get on court at Omni Rancho Las Palmas for a player practice and activity day, including:

Age based drill courts
Red & Orange Ball courts for siblings
Learn about the New Junior Play Pathway & Net Generation Circuit
Adult Drill court
Hit for Prizes
Refreshments
(Team Coaches are not required to attend)

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Parents and Teenagers! Are you ready for the college experience?

Hear from college coaches on how to prepare for the college experience, including recruitment, joining a team, USTA Tennis on Campus, and much more! A great session for parents of college-bound tennis players and for players who want to maximize their college tennis experience – at any level!

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After a long Saturday of tennis in the desert, let’s turn it up for the Player Party!

The Saturday Night Player Party begins at 6:30pm.

Lots of new experiences to enjoy for JTT players of all ages!

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“I just wanted the score to be close because she’s like really good,” said Chavatipon, after falling to Glatch 7-6 (9), 6-4, in the first round of the Henderson Tennis Open just outside of Las Vegas. “My goal at this tournament was just to qualify.”

The 17-year-old Chavatipon was just a toddler when the 30-year-old Glatch of Irvine turned pro at the age of 15. “I remember my friends talking about her saying, ‘Man, this girl was the next Cori Gauff’ when she was younger. I texted my friend that I was playing her idol Alexa Glatch and she texted me back that if I beat her I would be her idol.”

With easy qualifying wins over Jacqueline Cako (6-4, 6-4) and Mirabelle Brettkelly (6-2, 6-1), a top high school junior from Northern California, Chavatipon suddenly found herself in the same draw as name WTA players like Genie Bouchard, Kirsten Flipkens, Sachia Vickery and Caroline Dolehide.

“My coach gets mad when I drag my feet so I was just working on momentum,” said Chavatipon, who is home schooled and headed to the University of Texas in Austin next fall. “I didn’t really care if I won or lost, as long as I did that. When I do that it’s when I play well and I thought I played pretty well.”

Charlotte’s father Art Chavatipon said his daughter’s game has really improved since she began working with the USTA national coaches in Carson last year. Erik Kortland, his wife Maureen Diaz and James Ireland are Charlotte’s main coaches in Carson.

It was Art who first turned his daughter onto the game when Charlotte was just three years old and was bored just swinging and playing at the park. “He took me to Cal-State Fullerton and said, ‘Let’s try to play tennis,’ Charlotte recalled. “I had this huge 115-inch racket. I wanted to get a coach but he wouldn’t let me till I was 6 and I could hit every ball over the net.”

It wasn’t always easy on the father-daughter relationship. “We fought a lot when I was younger,” said Charlotte, whose mother Marilyn Carlos was raised in Guam and met Art while the two were undergraduates at UC-Riverside. “I remember one time I was crying and I went to another court and a policeman came over and ask me what was wrong.”

Chavatipon said she met Texas women’s coach and former Pepperdine All-American Howard Joffe at the French Open in April, and he sold her on the fact that she could still play events like the $60K Henderson Pro Open while still in school.

“He was the first coach that proved to me that they play pro events while in college,” Chavatipon said. “When I was 12 or 13 I was trying to go pro but then I realized my body and my shape needed to get stronger and I wasn’t ready for the pros yet.

Chavatipon said she plans to play all the Grand Slam junior events in 2020, and the Easter Bowl and Carson Grade B1 ITFs “because they are just down the street.”

Chavatipon said she recalled asking Joffe if he would rather her play the ITA All-American or an ITF $25K pro event while she’s at Texas. “He said if you are in the main draw, play the ITFs,” Chavatipon said. “It’s not really about the points but the level of play.”

The 2019 USTA Intersectional Team Event moved back to a former site at the Naples Swim and Tennis Club, now the home of the ASC Sanchez-Casal Tennis Academy. Played on Har-Tru clay, the contests ended with Southern Cal earning a “Shared Gold” as Co-Champions in the 75 division with Florida, earning Silver Medals in the 65’s and 55 ‘s and a Bronze Medal in the 35’s. Fierce competition ensued on the court and sincere friendship with teammates and opponents were made off the court. Next year the event moves back to Phoenix on hard courts and will be played November 9-15, 2020. Here is a recap of the Southern Cal teams that participated.

35’s SCTA Team placed 3rd – Bronze
The 35 team consisted of Co Captains Stepanka Gamboa and Quynh Lee, along with teammates Stephanie Newell, Lauren Lancaster, Aurelie Udall and Sara Morse. They had a tough match against the Southern Team who won the division and fielded players from D1 colleges and former WTA Tour players. The SCTA 35 team had a great win against Texas and in the finals, played a good Pacific Northwest team to win 3-2 Overall, the tournament was a great experience in playing on har-tru green clay, learning to slide, learning to be patient, and making very smart strategic shots to bring home the 3rd place Bronze Medal.

45’s SCTA Team
The 45 team was captained by Cynthia Delgado. She introduced several players to Intersectionals for the first time. Lupita Curiel, Natalie Hill, Diane Gihiron, Lisa Crisafulli and Brianna Sullivan participated as rookies, along with veteran Nancy Sanchez. The team played four days and won their first match the last day against Pacific Northwest. They all enjoyed the experience on the clay surface and had a good time overall.

55 SCTA Team placed 2nd – Silver
The #2 seeded SoCal 55’s Intersectional team was pleased to take the silver medal this year. The team was comprised of Captain Karen Haas, Colleen Clery Ferrell, Jennifer Lyons, Judy Newman, Maria Nunez, Tracey Thompson, and Rainy Miller. They beat Mid-Atlantic in the quarters and 4th seeded Florida in the semis. In the finals against perennial powerhouse Southern, the singles players Tracey and Jennifer, at #2 and #3 respectively, were both up a set. Meanwhile, Judy was battling #1 in the world, Diane Barker. As Jennifer finished winning her singles match handily, Judy had just split, after having lost the first set. Soon after, Tracey had also split sets. It was neck and neck, until Southern squeaked out both the remaining singles, thus going up 2-1 after singles. The tough team of Michelle Williams/Sue Webb ended up sealing the match for Southern, just as Judy/Jennifer had just won the first set over Barker/Susan Love. Southern won 3-2. So close, but great tennis all around! The players were determined, worked hard, gave extra effort, stayed positive, and played as a team, bonding together more and more as the week progressed. But it was the fun off the court that turned into success on the court! It was an exciting week for all team members.

65 SCTA Team placed 2nd – Silver
The 65 Team, captained by Tina Karwasky, consisted of Kandy Chain, Carol Gay, Sue Sprague, Una Davis and Kathy Bennett. They faced a tough Midwest Team in their first match. Number 1 Karwasky won her singles in 3 sets, #2 Kandy Chain won in 3 sets and #3 Carol Gay won in straight sets. So Cal’s Una Davis and Kathy Bennett won #1 doubles in straight sets as well as #2 doubles Sue Sprague and Chain. This gave Southern Cal a 5-0 sweep. In the semis So Cal played a tough Florida team (with 2 ex tour players on their roster). Tina Karwasky #1 singles and Kandy Chain #2 singles both won gritty down to the wire 3 hour matches. Carol Gay lost in straight sets. The deciding point was won by the #2 doubles team of Bennett and Chain. The #1 team of Davis and Karwasky lost a 3 hour doubles match cliff hanger. The finals pitted So Cal against Southern. Karwasky and Gay lost at 1 and 3 singles in straight sets. Chain won in 3 sets in her singles at #2 singles. Southern Cal went into the doubles down 2-1, needing to sweep the doubles. Karwasky and Davis lost at #1 doubles to give Southern the winning point. Southern California came in second in the event but had to fight and claw their way to get to the finals. They showed a lot of fight, tenacity and team spirit.

75 SCTA Team placed 1st – Gold – Co Champions with Florida
The 75 team captained by Suella Steel, lost teammate Andi Polisky the week before the event due to injury. So they went with four players – Steel, Cathie Anderson, Anne Russ and Teri Eggers. The team cruised through the first two rounds by defeating Eastern 4-0 and 3-1 over Southern. Then the finals against Florida had them tied at 1-1 after the singles. Unfortunately rain arrived and stayed all day. Tournament Director Matt Gleason decided in the end to crown two Gold winners since they were even after the singles and unable to play the doubles. Captain Steel was elated as Southern Cal has won gold in this division for at least 7 years in a row and she was determined to keep the streak alive!!!

80s Team
Roz King captained the 80’s team this year. Unfortunately, #2 singles player Dori Devries pulled out due to injury prior to the event. So King went with Sheila Palmer, Barbara Oldfield and new players to the event Dale Francis and Phyllis Cornish. Though the team could not defend their #1 position and 2018 title due #1 and #2 players’ injuries, they did introduce two new players to the event, who played every day and enjoyed the experience.

Competing in the Under 18 Advanced division at the recent JTT Nationals played in San Antonio, Lee’s Alta Vista Spinners lost to a more experienced team from Austin, Texas, falling in the final match, 59-24.

Lee’s Spinners, who play out of Redondo Beach’s Alta Vista Park, went undefeated at 3-0 in Pool Play against the best the Eastern, New England and Northern Sections put out there. In the semifinals, the Spinners beat rival Northern California for the coveted spot in the final.

“It all turned out very good for the kids and we knew we were ready to make a run to the final match,” said Lee, a Torrance resident. “We are a first-year team and they were so experienced and were the defending champions and had been there before.”

The Spinners were met with adversity early on, and overcame it triumphantly from the first match scheduled on Thursday night. Because of the threat of rain, matches were played that evening and a rain delay pushed the match past 11:30 p.m. at night. The Spinners beat a tough New York team and headed back to the hotel and returned the next day on little sleep to compete again.

The Spinners consisted of team members: Breana Cook, Hana Moss, Marley Lambert, Matthew Rowe, Phil Hodges, Salight Choi, Samantha Guillory and Tory Bailey.

“Jeanette is really the face of Junior Team Tennis in the South Bay,” said Nancy Abrams, USTA Southern California Assistant Director — Net Generation Circuit. “Her dedication to Junior Team Tennis in the South Bay has created a successful pathway for many junior players. Strong coaching and team management facilitate exemplary teams on and off the court.”

Lee said one of the things she was proudest of during Nationals was that her No. 1 player Matthew Rowe, a high school senior, was one of just four players selected as a Sportsmanship winner. “Matthew exceeds good behavior and good sportsmanship and really deserved the honor,” Lee said, adding that Rowe is still deciding on what college he will attend and play for next season.

Coach Antony Lin’s Sunshine B.A.G.E.L.S. Under 14 Intermediate team from San Gabriel Valley finished fifth overall at JTT Nationals.

The inaugural Final 8 Junior Masters Championships concluded on Sunday at Malibu Racquet Club, as eight of the premier juniors in Southern California emerged from round robin play to capture trophies in the event’s final rounds.

BOYS’ 18s FINAL 8 MASTERS CHAMPION MAX McKENNON: Arizona State-bound McKennon, at left, of Newport Beach got past future UC-Santa Barbara Gaucho Kai Brady of Redondo Beach, 6-3, 7-5.

“I just played with nothing to lose,” McKennon said. “I wish there were more of these when I was younger so I could have played them all. This is the best tournament I’ve ever played.”

GIRLS’ 18s FINAL 8 MASTERS CHAMPION ANNE LUTKEMEYER: In the final match of the day under the lights, Lutkemeyer of Irvine beat Camille Kiss of Redlands, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.

“I was just working on staying solid and keeping the pace of my ball the same,” Lutkemeyer said. “This tournament was so different than any I’ve ever played. The round-robin format was really fun.”

BOYS’ 16s FINAL 8 MASTERS CHAMPION LAWEE SHERIF: Huntington’s Beach’s Sherif, at right, used his consistent serve and powerful forehand to get past Rohan Murali of San Diego, 7-5, 6-1. Sherif is a high school junior who attends California Connections Academy, an online school. He is coached by his father at The Tennis Club in Newport Beach.

Sherif said his father was unable to attend the Final 8 as he’s traveling with his sister Shriya Sherif at an ITF event in Cancun, Mexico. “This is a great event and I’m really happy to win it,” said Sherif, a self-described tennis nut who plays every tournament he can. “I think I’ll take a little break from tennis and come back strong in 2020.”

GIRLS’ 16s FINAL 8 MASTERS CHAMPION MIKA IKEMORI: The girls’ 16s winner also came from Huntington Beach as Ikemori, at right, outlasted Kaia Wolfe of Rancho Mission Viejo, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.

“In the first set I was rushing things and I couldn’t settle down,” said Ikemori, who plays up at just 14-years-old and is a Marina High freshman. “I just had to keep reminding myself to take it one set at a time. I started to move her around a bit and relied on my mental game.”

Next up for Ikemori is the USTA National Indoors in two weeks in Ohio. “I’m so not used to playing indoors, but you don’t have to worry about the wind or anything,” Ikemori said. “But I’d rather play outdoors.”

BOYS’ 14 FINAL 8 MASTERS CHAMPION KANE KELLEY: Kelley, at right, of Tarzana was an unlikely champion as he was originally an alternate in the Final 8 in the 14s. He was leading Anaheim’s Steve Nguyen 3-1 in the final when Nguyen was forced to retire from his match because of a stomach ailment.

“My dad got an email on Wednesday night after practice and I just started celebrating in the car when I found out I got in,” said Kelley, whose brother Gray competed in the 12s event at the Final 8.  “I was so excited when I heard the news. It wasn’t the way I wanted to win it, but a win is a win and I’ll take it. It’s awesome to win an event like this.”

Kelley began playing tennis at age 4 at Braemar Country Club in longtime tennis director Sue Pendo’s red, orange and green dot program. Pendo joined Kelley’s family in cheering him on in the final.

GIRLS’ 14s FINAL 8 MASTERS CHAMPION DANIELA BORRUEL: Buena Park’s Borruel, at left, got past Stacey Samonte of Whitter in three sets, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, and she said staying focused in the final set was the difference in the match.

“This win will have a huge impact on me and my future,” said Borruel, also playing up at 12-years-old. “I’m trying to go pro someday so this just helps me with my confidence to continue reaching that goal.”

Borruel will next take a few weeks off before she travels to WinterNationals in Arizona next month.

BOYS’ 12s FINAL 8 MASTERS CHAMPION JAGGER LEACH: Laguna Beach’s Leach (left) met a familiar, longtime rival Ford McCollum of Los Angeles, 6-2, 7-6 (3) in the final on Sunday.

“I remember losing to him 11-9 in the third once in the 10s,” said Leach, age 12, who attends Fusion Academy. “Then I beat him a year later 2 and 1. And he beat me in May, 10-5 in a tiebreaker. We are familiar with each other have practiced before.”

He added: “This feels good, for sure. It’s always fun to win a title.”

GIRLS’ 12s FINAL 8 MASTERS CHAMPION ELENA ZHAO: San Diego’s Zhao, at right, avenged two previous defeats against Tianmei Wang of San Marino taking home the final trophy, 6-4, 6-1.

“I just tried to stay aggressive and give her no free points,” said Zhao, an 11-year-old Mesa Verde Middle School sixth-grader who will play USTA Winter National 12s next month. “I was trying to force her to miss and not make any unforced errors.”

SPORTSMANSHIP WINNERS: Noah Zamora of San Diego (18s) won the boys’ award and Iva Jovic took home the honors on the girls’ side (12s).

— Steve Pratt

Win or lose, it will be a victorious homecoming this weekend for Sebastian Gorzny in a unique inaugural event hosted by USTA Southern California.

The best junior tennis players in the area will converge on Malibu for the playing of the Final 8 Junior Masters Championship set for Saturday and Sunday at Malibu Racquet Club and Pepperdine University.

The Irvine native and former Fountain Valley resident Gornzy, 15, will be one of eight top 16-year-olds that will play in the round-robin format, which includes boys’ and girls’ 12s through 18s divisions. It will be a special reunion for Gornzy and many of his longtime friends and rivals.

From a medical standpoint, it could be called a mini-miracle that Gornzy is back on court this weekend and competing at such a high level as one of the top players in the area after all he’s been through.

During the Kalamazoo Boys’ 16s National Hardcourts in early August, Gornzy was struck with a devastating and debilitating brain infection that caused him to have seizures then lose consciousness. It was a virus that doctors speculate may have been caused by a mosquito bite. He was left in a coma for four days and in intensive care at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Michigan while the Zoo Nationals continued on without him, finally being released after eight days.

“[In Kalamazoo] I played my first-round match and I wasn’t feeling bad but I wasn’t playing well,” he said. “Then in my second round I couldn’t move or play and had to retire in the first set. I just went to bed and didn’t wake up till four days later.”

After his hospital release, Gornzy went straight to Austin Texas, where his mother lives and where there is a physical therapy center that has helped him regain his strength and balance.

“I’m excited to play well and get back to SoCal,” said Gornzy, who won the SoCal Junior Sectionals singles title in June and is still ranked No. 1 in the 16s in the SCTA rankings even though he’s been inactive.

After a month and half of rehab, Gornzy said he was ready to get back on the court and began hitting with his father, Ted. Gornzy is currently a sophomore at St. Stephens School, which has a tennis academy built into the school. “I came to Texas to get better and my mom’s there so I think that’s where I’ll be,” Gornzy said.

Gornzy said the week six to eight weeks of rehab were tough. “I was dying to get back out there,” he said. “The first time I stepped onto a court I kind of just walked around it, and didn’t even play the first time. Then my dad came and I started hitting and trying to get back. It was awesome to be back out there and I just tried to take it day by day and improve each time out.”

A former national USTA Bronze Ball winner for third place at 14s Clay Court Nationals, Gornzy has played just one tournament since his medical incident losing in the first round in a Texas Open event. “I enjoyed it but I didn’t do well and I played bad,” Gornzy said. “It’s just not having any matches for a couple months and not having that match preparation. I’m feeling rusty.”

There will be no let-up in the competition this weekend as the 16s field is loaded. The seven boys’ that will compete against Gornzy in the elite 16s field include: Lawee Sherif (Huntington Beach); Marcus Sebastian (Woodland Hills); Rohan Murali (San Diego); Alexander Stafford (Rancho Santa Fe); Martin Mazev (Yorba Linda); Masato Perera (Santa Barbara) and Luca Lovrich (Woodland Hills).

“All the kids are really good and I’ve known them all for a long time,” Gornzy said. “I looking forward to my time back in SoCal.”

Gornzy said he chooses not to look back or feel sorry for himself. “It was unfortunate what happened to me, but injuries and stuff like this happen to a lot of people. You can’t really blame it on anything and just have to look forward because it’s not going to do anything to look back.

So now I’m back and I’m not really trying to think about what happened. I’m just trying to win every match I play and improve.”

Because of mounting medical bills, a GoFundMe page titled “Seb’s Comeback” was started and has raised more than $31,000 from 257 generous donors. Some of the donations came from former competitors and old rivals who Gornzy has known from his junior tennis days in Southern California. The total is more than the original $25,000 that friends and family had originally attempted to raise. (https://www.gofundme.com/f/sebs-comeback)

“It was amazing and I had no idea it was going on because I was in the hospital,” Gornzy said. “My mom told me and I was shocked how many people were supporting me and even knew about it. It really shows just how strong the SoCal tennis community is.”

The Sunshine B.A.G.E.L.S. are directed by Dr. Antony Lin and will face other top co-ed 18-and-Under Intermediate teams starting Thursday night.

In pool play the squad will open against teams from USTA Sections Missouri Valley, Florida and the Midwest. Matches will take place at the McFarlin Tennis Center in San Antonio, Texas, with the finals set to take place Sunday morning.

Lin will accompany nine boys’ and girls’ players who reside in San Gabriel Valley cities San Gabriel, Pasadena and Temple City.

Lin is celebrating his 10^th year guiding the Sunshine team and has been able to build a mini dynasty with trips to JTT Nationals also taking place in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018.

The league plays at two sites: Live Oak Park in Temple City and Jefferson Middle School in San Gabriel.

What makes Lin’s involvement in running the San Gabriel Valley League and coaching multiple teams throughout the season unique is that he is practices Rheumatology, which is a specialty of internal medicine, for Kaiser Permanente. In simple terms, Lin says he treats people with arthritis.

“My kids are grown up and moved on to grad school, so that has allowed me the time to come out and keep working with the kids,” Lin said. “I love tennis so it’s something I want to keep doing.”

The nine players competing in San Antonio include: Ben Pestana, Christina Yao, Grace Hong, Grace Ortiz, Jessica Lee, Joshua Huang, Joshua Li, Ryan Lee, and Samantha Wang.

“All of them feel this is a very special event and it’s a big encouragement and reward for the kids who work hard and reach their goals to compete at Nationals,” Lin said.

With his numerous trips to Nationals, Lin is still looking for that elusive national title. Three times his teams have come back with third-place bronze medals (2011, 2012 and 2017).

Back in 2016, I had the chance to meet Lin in person while covering the JTT Nationals in Columbia, S.C., for the USTA. You could tell that Lin had a special connection with his players and coaches. It was a season-long dream for those young players to make that trip to Nationals, but Lin had bigger dreams that day, telling me he wasn’t satisfied with playing matches at a public park and middle school.

“We would love to have our own home,” he said. “That’s my dream. I’d pour my entire retirement into it if I could.”

To learn more about Lin’s tennis program Sunshine Tennis, go to: https://sunshinetennis.org/

The best of the best junior tennis players in Southern California will converge in Malibu next week for the inaugural Final 8 Junior Masters Championships, scheduled for November 16-17 at Malibu Racquet Club and Pepperdine University.

This inaugural event will spotlight many of the region’s most accomplished players in Boys’ and Girls’ divisions, ages 12-18. Players will compete in round robin pools on Saturday in hopes of advancing to Sunday’s championship matches at Malibu Racquet Club.

“The Final 8 is a showcase of our finest talent in the Section,” says Trevor Kronemann, Director of Junior Tennis at USTA Southern California. “Every match will  feel like a tournament final. These boys and girls are on a course to compete in college ranks and on professional tours. They are the future of American tennis, starting to make a name for themselves right here in Southern California.”

Play begins at 9am on Saturday, with round robin action at Pepperdine University and Malibu Racquet Club. On Sunday morning, a final round of preliminaries will conclude before each age division plays its championship match. Players and guests can expect a highly elevated experience, including a complimentary Sunday “Brunch BBQ.”

Reigning Sectionals champion Alexander Petrov (Irvine, Calif.) leads the field in Boys’ 18s. Petrov swept all twelve sets en route to the title at Southern California Sectionals in June. Jean-Baptiste Badon and Max McKennon are among those competing in the 18s field.

Jordyn McBride (Valencia, Calif.) leads the Girls’ 18s division. McBride, who has committed to the University of San Diego, won the “War by the Shore” tournament at Laguna Niguel Racquet Club in July. Cassie Wooten, Camille Kiss, and Sectionals champion Maya Pitts are among the names slated for the highly competitive Girls 18s division.

Lawee Sherif (Huntington Beach, Calif.) headlines Boys’ 16s at the Final 8, after a summer of strong finishes at the Mary Brymer Memorial, J.P. Yamasaki Tournament, and USTA Junior Sectionals. Sebastian Gorzny, the Junior Sectional 16s champion, makes a much anticipated return to action after a lengthy illness and will join Masato Perera among other entrants.

Lucinda Gatsiounis (Los Angeles, Calif.) is atop the Girls’ 16s field, following wins at the Brymer Memorial and USTA Level 3 Nationals, where she won all ten sets at the tournament title. Kaia Wolfe and Mika Ikemori are among those competing for the Girls 16s win.

Steve Nguyen (Anaheim, Calif.) will highlight the Boys’ 14s. Coming off a USTA Level 3 Nationals win at Lakewood in September, Nguyen also posted an unblemished record in USTA Zonals play in July. Franklin Liu, Zhengqing Ji, and William Hsieh are also slated to compete.

Quin Brady (Hermosa Beach, Calif.) leads a very competitive Girls’ 14s draw. Brady won two Level 3 events in 2019 and reached the final of a third. She will face tough competition from a field that includes Emily Ing, Daniela Burruel, and Stacey Samonte.

Rishvanth Krishna (Irvine, Calif.), a USTA National Level 3 winner at Ventura, will lead the pack in Boys’ 12s among a talented field that includes Jagger Leach, Gray Kelley, Nahaniel Suh, and Ford McCollum.

Elena Zhao (San Diego, Calif.) headlines Girls’ 12s following three straight tournament titles in July, during which she dropped only one set and garnered a Level 3 National title. Alyssa Ahn and Sectionals top seed Tianmei Wang are among the challengers in Girls’ 12s.

Players were eligible based on their finish in qualifying events in Southern California, including the Woody Hunt Tournament, USTA SoCal Sectionals, Mary Brymer Memorial, War by the Shore, Santa Barbara Level 3, Los Caballeros Level 3, Northridge Level 3, and J.P. Yamasaki Tournament.

Final 8 Junior Masters Championships – Complete Roster

November 16-17, 2019

Malibu, California

Final 8: Boys 18s Division

Alexander Petrov (Irvine)

Jean-Baptiste Badon (Sunland)

Maxwell McKennon (Newport Beach)

Rithvik Krishna (Irvine)

Kai Brady (Redondo Beach)

Ali Amiri (Irvine)

David Arkow (Los Angeles)

Cody Ray Emery (Ventura)

Final 8: Girls 18s Division

Jordyn McBride (Valencia)

Casie Wooten (Torrance)

Camille Kiss (Redlands)

Jenna Sabile (Fullerton)

Maya Pitts (Inglewood)

Anne Lutkemeyer (Irvine)

Peyton Dunkle (Arroyo Grande)

Tsehay Driscoll (La Canada Flintridge)

Final 8: Boys 16s Division

Lawee Sherif (Huntington Beach)

Sebastian Gorzny (Fountain Valley)

Marcus Sebastian (Woodland Hills)

Rohan Murali (San Diego)

Alexander Stafford (Rancho Santa Fe)

Martin Mazev (Yorba Linda)

Masato Perera (Santa Barbara)

Luca Lovrich (Woodland Hills)

Final 8: Girls 16s Division

Lucinda Gatsiounis (Studio City)

Mika Ikemori (Huntington Beach)

Kaia Wolfe (Rancho Mission Viejo)

Amani Shah (San Diego)

Ginger Foster (Los Angeles)

Marissa Markey (Torrance)

Jasmine Tolmoyan (Glendale)

Polina Jorniak (Arcadia)

Final 8: Boys 14s Division

Steve Nguyen (Anaheim)

Franklin Liu (San Diego)

William Hsieh (Midway City)

Perry Di Giulio (Newport Beach)

Justin Chung (Yorba Linda)

Mason Bui (Yorba Linda)

Tyler Li (La Jolla)

Zhengqing Ji (La Jolla)

Final 8: Girls 14s Division

Quin Brady (Hermosa Beach)

Emily Ing (Hacienda Heights)

Daniela Borruel (Buena Park)

Anne Yang (Irvine)

Stacey Samonte (Whittier)

Krisha Mahendran (Oak Park)

Ariana Liu (Thousand Oaks)

Audrey Park (Valencia)

Final 8: Boys 12s Division

Rishvanth Krishna (Irvine)

Gray Kelley (Tarzana)

Nathaniel Suh (Redondo Beach)

Ford McCollum (Los Angeles)

Jake Presser (Rancho Mirage)

Kristian Sharma (Porter Ranch)

Vartan Tolmoyan (Glendale)

Jagger Leach (Laguna Beach)

Final 8: Girls 12s Division

Elena Zhao (San Diego)

Alyssa Ahn (San Diego)

Haley Tran (Garden Grove)

Amy Lee (Beverly Hills)

Maria Aytoyan (Valley Village)

Iva Jovic (Torrance)

Layla Reyes (Santa Ana)

Tianmei Wang (San Marino)

Former French Open mixed doubles champion and Stanford All-American Scott Lipsky has been named Director of Player Development and College Readiness with USTA Southern California, the organization has announced.

A well-known tennis coach in Orange County, Lipsky will now fill an essential role that focuses on aspiring collegiate student-athletes and identifies uniquely talented players and programs and connects them with the Player Development Department at the USTA training facility in Carson, Calif. Additionally, Lipsky will foster high performance initiatives including Team USA camps and other opportunities among section players.

“It is an exciting opportunity to be able to help the junior tennis players in Southern California,” Lispky says. “Coming up through the junior tennis ranks to have a successful professional career, I know how important these early years are in a player’s development. I am now focusing my energy on sharing my knowledge with these players and their families to help them navigate through the waters of junior tennis to continue to make USTA-Southern California one of the strongest sections in the nation.”

No stranger to the competitive pathway from the junior level to pro ranks, Lipsky was the nation’s highest ranked 16 and under player in 1997, and peaked at #2 in the World ITF doubles rankings as a high school junior. He appeared in four Junior U.S. Open tournaments from 1996-1999 before helping Stanford to a NCAA championship in 2000. As a doubles specialist with the Cardinal, Lipsky was a three-time All American and teamed with David Martin to earn PAC-10 Doubles Team of the Year honors, and two consecutive All PAC-10 honors.

Lipsky began his professional tennis career in 2003, and went on to win the French Open Mixed Doubles title in 2011. He achieved a career-high ATP Doubles ranking (#21) in 2013 before reaching the semifinals of the U.S. Open doubles in 2014. In total, Lipsky won sixteen ATP Mens’ doubles titles throughout his illustrious career.

“We are thrilled to have Scott join our efforts here in Southern California,” said Marla Messing, Chief Executive Officer at USTA Southern California. “He brings tremendous knowledge of the college, student-athlete process, and of the demands and training associated with top performing athletes. Through Scott, we are adding an additional resource to these categories of young players.”