“The Bruno” @WhiteOaks

On June 17-21, the Bruno Agostinelli J30 ITF tournament was played at The Club at White Oaks in Niagara-on-the-Lake. It featured 52 girls and 57 boys under the age of 18. In each category, 28 players earned their place in the singles draw by virtue of their accumulated ranking, while the remaining players competed in qualifying draws for a chance at one of the remaining four spots.

Along with Canada, there were flags of 12 other countries : Australia, China, France, Great Britain, India, Mexico, Sweden, Switzerland, Togo, Turkey, Ukraine and USA.

Tennis Director Giovanni Rodriguez has three goals in hosting this annual event. The first is to provide the best ITF Junior (see footnote) experience in Canada. The second is to provide an inspirational viewing opportunity for young players in Niagara and for the club members. And by accomplishing these two goals, to honour the memory of Bruno Agostinelli Junior.

While indoor play in June may be unconventional, players report appreciation for the certainty of the playing conditions and of the daily schedule. They also value the availability of an extra court for practice and warmup, as well as access to the extensive gym facilities of the club (including sauna and steam rooms, swimming pool and hot tub). A physiotherapist is provided throughout the event, with costs paid for by a sponsor. The spectator area and dining options make things easy and comfortable for players and their families. In short, the players enjoy it very much, with some inquiring about a return to the area for the annual December tournament.

Tennis Canada provides a team of three officials plus supervisor Jennifer Zhang, and Giovanni goes out of his way to make things comfortable for them as well. Emma Shea provides racquet stringing services as well as supporting tournament operations.

The spectator area is open to everyone at no charge throughout the week. For finals day, seating is provided courtside, along with an array of snacks and beverages.

Bruno Agostinelli Junior died tragically in 2016 at the age of 28. A native of Niagara Falls, he was an Ontario and Canadian junior champion, and went on to a standout NCAA career at the University of Kentucky. He played professional tennis and represented Canada in Davis Cup play, but his true calling was as a coach. He became Tennis Canada’s national coach for development of players under 14, having a profound influence on several who went on to international acclaim. He’s greatly missed throughout the Canadian tennis community.

In the Girls Singles competition, local star Anna Tabunshchyk (Burlington TC) was the top seed and successfully played her way to the finals before an unfortunate muscle injury resulted in her having to default the ultimate match to Thara Gowda (USA).

In the Boys Singles, top seed Jerrid Gaines Jr (USA) defeated Bryan Assi who had travelled to the event from Hawaii with his father. Bryan won three qualifying rounds to gain entry to the main draw, then had four more stellar wins before running out of steam in the final.

Bruno’s son, Alessio, was born just before his father died in 2016. He now plays tennis in the OTA competitive system and was a proud participant in the presentation ceremony for this year’s event.

For Giovanni’s three goals? Mission accomplished! And the dates for next year have been confirmed : mark your calendar for June 14-20, 2025.

[Footnote : The ITF (International Tennis Federation ) World Tennis Juniors Tour gives players aged 18 and under the opportunity to travel the world and develop their talent.
Featuring over 800 tournaments in 140 countries, the Tour sees players compete across six levels of tournament – from J500 through to J300, J200, J100, J60 and J30. The Tour provides a launch pad for the best players to go on and achieve success in the professional game.]

Read the article about the Riverview Park tennis court that was dedicated in Bruno’s memory in September 2018.