Diary of a Region Chair – 2024

December 28, 2024

Milla Matsko and her Prime League team organized several tournaments for young players during the final week of their school holidays from December 27 to January 5.   Host club was Rosedale TC in Hamilton, with many families visiting it for the first time and remarking on the excellence of the facilities.  Dominika Zuzanska is one of the tournament directors making this possible.

December 8, 2024

Congratulations to Tan Qureshi and Munzil Qureshi on the completion of another round of NRTN Team Tennis. The Fall Series wrapped up today, with the Red Bears defeating the Yellow Tigers. The league features 8 teams, each with 8 players (plus alternates). Matches are played Sunday afternoons on four courts at Youngs Sportsplex in Welland, from 12:00 through to 6:00.

The winners are : Mike O’Neill/Harry Gupta, Blair Keenan/Mike Robinson, Hank Andrulis/Gerry McIlhone, Brianne Robinson/Michelle Marsh.

Finalists : Pedro Lozano/Ali Sheraz, Rey Rimando/Mohsin Kamran, Chris Janzen/Cam McQuade, Chris Richard/Els Swart.

The Winter Series begins on January 12th.

November 16, 2024

Congratulations to Anna Tabunshchyk (Burlington) on winning a place on Team Canada for the Bille Jean King Cup Junior Championships, held in Antalya Turkey during the week of November 11th.

Anna’s teammates are Nadia Lagaev and Charlize Celebrini, and they’re led by team captain Sharon Fichman.

Canada earned a place as one of 16 teams in the finals by winning against Mexico and Puerto Rico in April.  For the championships, we were drawn in a group with Australia, Czechia and Peru.  All the matches were close, but wins were hard to come by.

The players are scheduled to stay on in Antalya to compete in WTA W15 tournaments for the next two weeks.  All in all, a great experience!

[Photos: ITF/Gorkhan Tanner via Tennis Canada]

November 10, 2024

Congratulations to the Tennis Lions, silver medalists in the Eastern Canadian U10 Team Championships, held throughout this week at Sobeys Tennis Centre.  The team was coached by Joel Cruz, seen here with Filip Katic, Landon Cruz, Rafael Ramirez and Nikita Sirohi.  Landon plays at Grimsby TC, and Rafael at Rosedale TC and Stoney Creek TC.

Team play is a great experience for the kids, though an extra challenge for the families.  Matches were on Wednesday (1:00pm), Thursday (8:00am), Saturday (8:00am) and Sunday (9:00am). 

SouthWest Region also had strong representation from Joshua Creek Tennis Academy, with three teams in each of the girls and boys events.

November 9, 2024

Wow!  What a way to start a Saturday morning.  Congratulations to Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe, WTA champions after defeating Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend 7-5 6-3 in the WTA Finals in Riyadh.  This is a reversal of the incredibly close Wimbledon final earlier this year, and earns them a prize of $1,125,000.

The title adds to the pair’s US Open championship from 2023, along with Gabi’s BJK Cup win with Team Canada and her bronze medal from the Paris Olympics with Felix Auger-Aliassime.  She’s a longstanding member of the WTA Player Council and is an amazing role model for Canadian tennis players of all ages.  

November 9, 2024 (later the same day)

Wow, once again!  Only a couple of hours later we’re able to celebrate the first ATP win by Denis Shapovolov since 2019. Congratulations to Denis on his victory at the Belgrade Open in Serbia. Denis entered the tournament through the qualifying draw, so had to win 7 matches to claim the title.  Fantastic performance!

Let’s hope these two great wins will boost Team Canada’s confidence going into the Billie Jean Cup finals (November 13-20) and the Davis Cup finals (November 19-24).

November 1, 2024

You don’t have to be a high performance player, or even a tennis player at all, to enjoy watching the game.  This time of year is especially good with the international and varied nature of tennis venues being on full display.  Shanghai is  different from Basel and Vienna, and Paris Masters is different from anything else.  The players are eager for enough points to get them into the coveted top 32 (seeded for Australia) or top 100 (direct entry to Australia).

Watching on TV is made even more interesting with the addition of insightful commentary.  One of my favourite writers in this regard is Hugh Clarke.  His column is called A Thread of Order and appears on substack.  This piece called Humbert sinks Alcaraz in Paris is a good introduction to his work.  How do you feel about those camera angles?

October 15, 2024

Congratulations to Giovanni Rodriguez and the team at The Club at White Oaks : The ITF (International Tennis Federation) has just announced the awarding of a Recognition Star to the J30 Niagara-on-the-Lake! We know the event as the Bruno Agostinelli Memorial tournament, held each year in June.

The award recognizes the dedication to high standards in the presentation of the event, and is influenced by anonymous evaluations from players in the surveys sent to them after each ITF tournament. It’s a fitting tribute to Bruno’s memory!

A badge of recognition is placed next to successful tournaments on the official tournament page and the tournament calendar on the ITF website prior to the next edition of the tournament. Of 800 junior events worldwide, only 54 have been selected for this award.

From Giovanni : We’re thrilled to share some incredible news for tennis at White Oaks!

Our Bruno Agostinelli International Tennis Tournament, held in June, has been recognized by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) as one of the top tournaments WORLDWIDE—an honour awarded to only 54 of over 800 events globally. White Oaks was the only Canadian event to be selected, standing out for its exceptional standards and delivery.

Thank you to our players, parents, officials, and everyone involved in making this event a global success. We can’t wait to welcome everyone back for the 2025 edition, now a part of the ITF’s prestigious Roll of Honour!

October 7, 2024

This was an especially interesting day, as four players from SWR were part of a professional photography event. The shoot took place at Sobeys Centre, gathering images for the background of Tennis Canada’s yearend video in support of the Rally For Equity.

It was a very nice experience for yours truly and Zeny Umoquit, representing the upper end of tennis-for-life, while Toni Ormond and Peyton Dith were among those carrying the banner for the younger demographic and the future of our game.

Bianca Andreescu is an advocate for donating to Tennis Canada in support of Equity initiatives, and we encourage all SWR players to join her.

October 5, 2024

One of the most important functions of a tennis club is to connect players with similar experience and preferences, who then play together in groups at regular times.  And one of the next-most-important things is to create ways for those groups to occasionally inter-mingle.  Special events offer players new and varied games, providing opportunities for members to expand their circle of tennis acquaintances..

Such events are often produced by club members who take them on as a project, with personal touches that make for a memorable day.  It might be a one-and-only event, or in some cases there might be cries from the players for “more! more!”.  An example of the latter is the Grape & Wine Tournament at the Niagara-on-the-Lake TC, which enjoyed perfect weather for its 7th annual event today.

The Grape & Wine is a women’s doubles tournament, played on 6 courts from 10:00 through to 1:00, with lunch to follow.  There are 24 players, all of whom are paired on the day with someone beyond their usual circle.  The atmosphere is competitive, but with a distinctly stress-free vibe.  It works so successfully that there’s now a registration overflow and a waitlist – a well-deserved tribute to Trish Spagnol,  the event’s producer and continuing inspiration.  

We’d like to hear about other such events at the clubs around SouthWest Region.  Good ideas deserve to be spread around!

October 3, 2024

This morning’s edition of The Brock News includes a feature regarding a new report by Brock University researchers which highlights the importance of community sport groups and what can be done at the provincial level to support them. It includes a link to a new report called Provincial Sport Policy in Ontario: Trends, Issues, and Ways Forward. Read the story.

October 1, 2024

The Rosedale TC welcomes David Orde as the club’s new general manager today. The club’s announcement included :

David brings a wealth of knowledge from his extensive background in leadership roles for both large and small enterprises. He has served on the boards of several local clubs and has been a member at Rosedale for many years. He has a deep love of tennis and a strong desire to help everyone get the most out of the club experience and provide more services to the community.

Retiring GM, Vince Ormond, has been in the position since July 2013. He came to the club after a successful career with the City of Hamilton where he developed expertise in the areas of communication, interpersonal relations, leadership and problem-solving.

Such high quality and consistent management support for the volunteer board has allowed Rosedale TC to become an extraordinary asset for the City of Hamilton and for the sport of tennis. Now with 12 courts – including 4 red clay, 4 hartru and 4 new hard courts – 8 of them available year-round, the club is well-positioned for continued success.

September 30, 2024

It was announced today that the 2024 Annual Meeting of OTA’s SouthWest Region will be held on Sunday November 24. The venue is at the Tyandaga Golf Course in Burlington, adjacent to the Tyandaga Tennis Club.

All our area clubs are invited to send representatives to share in discussions regarding plans for 2025, and to participate in networking activities. We don’t often have opportunities to get together with like-minded volunteers and advocates for tennis, so the annual gathering is very important.

September 28, 2024

The latest edition of the Tennis Nation Newsletter came out today. It’s easy to subscribe and a great way to keep up on the national tennis highlights.

Click here to receive a copy in your own Inbox.

September 25, 2024

It’s not often that a community tennis club (or any non-profit volunteer organization, for that matter) is able to fill a large room for its annual general meeting, but that’s exactly what happened tonight for the Niagara- on-the-Lake Tennis Club’s 2024 event. A total of 110 ballots were cast in person for the election of directors : six volunteers having stepped forward for the four available positions.

A summary of the year’s activities was presented by president Marilyn Francis and vice-president Hugh Dow. Marilyn and Hugh have served on the board together for 9 of the past 13 years, and have guided the club through continued growth. That includes a complete rebuilding of the original four courts as well as the later addition of two more courts; many more facility, programming and governance improvements; and hosting of the Canada Games.

The club’s membership numbers rise every year, with two points of special pride : (1) the membership is highly engaged, with a majority of players involved in multiple activities on a weekly basis, and (2) most activity is managed by volunteers, with 44 club members running programs on a regular basis.

Our community tennis clubs provide incredible service and value to their municipalities, so it was very nice that Marilyn was able to report the club has an excellent rapport with the Town. It might seem obvious, but it nevertheless wasn’t easy to achieve. Kudos to Marilyn and Hugh, as well as to all our outstanding community club leaders.

September 20, 2024

Each year, two weeks after the US Open, it’s Laver Cup time. The event is special in many ways, but two things stand out for me : (1) the emphasis on connecting the present to the past, and (2) taking every opportunity to innovate.

Tennis has a grand and glorious history. There’s much for us to celebrate and learn from – whether it’s Rod Laver’s grand slams, or all the dusty plaques and trophies on the walls of our clubhouses – with fascinating stories hidden within them.

And tennis is endlessly flexible and adaptable. The sport has undergone countless modifications over its 150+ years, and will continue to do so. Roger Federer was a master of creating new possibilities on the tennis court throughout his playing career, and it’s exciting to see him exploring fresh possibilities for the future of his sport by means of the Laver Cup.

Here’s a story written in September 2022 for the NY Times by the wonderful writer Charles Eccleshare.

Another place we’re seeing innovation is in the world of teaching professionals. “Tennis” on its own is being replaced with “Racquets”. Apparently we’ll soon be saying “I play racquet sports” just as easily as we now say “I play tennis”.

The USPTA (United States Professional Tennis Association) has transformed into the RSPA (Racquet Sports Professionals Association) with five separate badges for tennis, padel, platform tennis, pickleball and squash. If you can free up half an hour, it’s illuminating to listen to this presentation by Brian Dillman. He’s an excellent speaker and an easy listen.

September 15, 2024

Congratulations to Team Canada for the terrific Davis Cup matches this week in Manchester England. Their wins over Finland, Argentina and Great Britain assured the team of a seeded position for the final-8 in Malaga Spain on November 19-24.

That’s Niagara Falls native Captain Frank Dancevic, second from the left in front. And Dr Taran Ohson of Kinetic Cleanse in Hamilton, far right in front.

September 15, 2024

Stoney Creek TC is a beautiful location for a tennis event. With 6 courts and a clubhouse surrounded by a spacious deck, it was ideal for the McMaster University versus Brock University match. A picture-perfect day made for comfortable spectating and plenty of conversation among friends old and new.

The club is celebrating its 60th anniversary this season, and has done a great job of documenting and maintaining its history. There have been many leaders and supporters over the years, but a longtime constant has been tennis director Rasim Sehovic. Rasim was the McMaster men’s team coach for many years, and the club has hosted the home matches for both men’s and women’s teams for as long as anyone can remember.

University tennis is deserving of a story on this website, so watch for that in the next few weeks.

September 15, 2024

It’s the middle Sunday of September, which means Terry Fox Day in Canada!

Terry Fox was just starting college when he was diagnosed with cancer and had his right leg amputated above the knee. He resolved to draw attention to the devastation of the disease by running across Canada, albeit on one leg and a prosthetic. From April 12 to September 1 1980, he walked and ran a total of 5373 km from St John’s Newfoundland to Thunder Bay Ontario, where he was forced to stop his endeavour by the progress of the disease which claimed his life a few months later.

Founded in 1981 by Isadore Sharp, the Terry Fox Run raises awareness about cancer – especially in young people – and raises funds for research. It’s also a time of reflection for all who have lost loved ones to the disease and for others who honor the heroism and resolve of a very young Terry Fox.

As the years roll by, it’s important for those of us with vivid memories of Terry Fox running on TV every suppertime to share with the younger generation. Some of the young players in the Niagara Junior Smash tournament at Ridley College showed their awareness and pride with Terry Fox Run shirts. All the players ran many kilometers on the courts and are more aware than ever of how fortunate they are to be doing so.

September 14, 2024

There was a big turnout for the formal ribbon-cutting of the beautiful new bubble at Rosedale TC. The club now has the benefit of 8 courts for the winter, and will be back up to their full complement of 12 courts next spring. This has been a huge undertaking over a period of years, with full credit to the volunteers and staff who worked relentlessly to bring it to fruition. The bills continue to come in, as they always do, so fund- raising is a never-ending part of the process. Thanks to Tennis Canada for donation of an autographed racquet for the silent auction, as well as to the bake sale volunteers. The beat goes on!

September 12, 2024

It’s a very big job to resurface tennis courts, requiring hundreds of hours of hard labour to demanding standards. Ancaster TC contracted with Premier Court for the week of September 9-14 and had the best possible weather for it. It was very impressive to see the transformation, and the players will be enjoying the new surface for many years to come.

September 8, 2024

Ancaster TC had a barbecue and playday that included special events for the juniors and round robin play for the adults. Burgers and a buffet were for everyone. Genhee So (say as “Jeannie”) is the Juniors rep on the board, and was happy to accept an offer from club pro Mustapha Jamal to warm up with his club hoodie.

Genhee and her husband, Jerome Marrin, met at Dundas TC in a junior program run by Mischa Mackesy (now the club pro at Hamilton TC). They’re happy to “pay it forward” by volunteering their time to help create programs for their daughter, Isla, and the other Ancaster kids.

Alexandra Blair is the club’s Social Director. She had, of course, taken on the responsibility to organize everything for the day, and had been working at it for hours … albeit with other helping hands.

Somehow we do tend to leave those icky jobs like scrubbing barbecue racks to the ones who work so hard on our behalf. Be it hereby resolved : there is a special place in tennis-heaven for every club social director!

September 7, 2024

The Aldershot TC held a barbecue and cake-cutting for the purpose of expressing appreciation to the Trillium Foundation and to celebrate the improvements at the club. Primary focus was the new awning that connects the clubhouse to the tennis courts – specifically to the gateway for the winter bubble. Once the bubble goes up, side panels will be affixed to the awning, creating a sheltered and dry entranceway to the courts.

Club vice president Alfredo Duque led the proceedings and introduced important guests from the community.

August 31, 2024

Payton Charley Dith has been travelling from St Catharines to Sobeys Stadium in Toronto regularly for the past year, in her role as a member of Tennis Canada’s Under 15 Prospect Team.

From August 24-31, she played in the Fischer Under 14 Outdoor Junior Nationals (at Carrefour Multiports in Laval, Quebec) and is the Girls Doubles Champion along with Alyssa Beltei (from Quebec).  Payton also advanced to the quarter-finals in Girls Singles.

The club did a beautiful job of the awards ceremony, including having Alexis Galarneau on hand for the presentations.  

August 29, 2024

There were 1,048,669 fans at the US Open this year, and one of them was Doreen Mao of Oakville. Doreen is 8 years of age and this was her first US Open. She started playing tennis in the Oakville parks with her father, and had her first formal instruction with tennis pro Vahid Tahamtan at Batts Athletics (formerly Burlington Racquets). She often practices in the Niagara-on-the-Lake parks during the summer while visiting her grandparents, and had her first tournament experience in a Rookie event at White Oaks. She was among the youngest players in the BJK Cup Champions Tour at Rosedale TC in July, and now is part of the junior program at Joshua Creek Tennis Academy in Oakville.

How many other players from SWR made the trip to New York for the US Open, I wonder. And is there a way for an app to tell us that and possibly create connections next year?

August 24, 2024

The community tennis clubs in SWR are public amenities, open to all residents who choose to support them.   

The municipalities provide the land on which they sit and usually the beginnings of the courts and the courtside support buildings.  But after that, most of the work and much of the cost of maintaining, programming and improving the facilities is done by the club volunteers.  It’s a win-win when there’s a collaboration built on trust and respect.

Appleby TC in the southeast portion of Burlington is a great example.  The clubhouse is solid, but has required slow-but-steady improvements over the years.  Earlier this summer, a retractable awning was added to the patio overlooking the club’s show courts and it’s been a game-changer.  The club’s feature social is the July 1st Canada Day celebration, and this year’s event was the best-ever.  The exhibition matches enjoyed a great atmosphere, with enthusiastic club members cheering them on from the courtside party … a big improvement over the previous sun-baked hotspot which made such gatherings impossible..  

Club president, Diane Bayes, and tournament director, Anthony Santini (pictured on the court) are delighted to see 18 months of work come to fruition at last.

The work at the club is never-ending.  Lynne and Wolfgang Wiegland happened to spend this day working on the gardens.  It’s truly impressive to see what can be accomplished when everyone pitches in and a strong team culture prevails.

August 23, 2024

Congratulations to Alessia Lungu of Halton Hills for outstanding results at the Under 12 Fischer Outdoor Nationals.  Alessia is the new national champion in doubles, partnered with Brielle Amey of Quebec, and was runner-up in the singles as well.  The tournament was played in Laval Quebec.

August 23, 2024

If you’d like to get an up-close look at the new facilities at Rosedale, check out this special event on September 7th.  The 7th annual Friends & Family tournament raises funds for the Eva Rothwell Centre.  

View registration details to play, or just drop in to say hello and bring your donation.

August 22, 2024

It’s been a big week at Rosedale TC in Hamilton.  The long-awaited upgrade for the park’s electrical systems has been completed.  The Farley Group is on site and the beautiful new bubble has been inflated.  There’s still considerable work to be done to complete the wiring and all the final details, but optimism is high that play and programming will be able to start in early September.

Registration is underway for fall programs at this link : Rosedale Tennis Club – Online Services (tennisclubsoft.com)

Families who aren’t club members are able to create an account and register for beginner and intermediate group lessons.

Congratulations to all the amazing volunteers who have brought this about, as well as to staff at the club, the city of Hamilton and the Farley Group.

August 18, 2024

It’s difficult to imagine a more knowledgeable, passionate and devoted advocate for junior tennis than Joel Cruz.  He makes a living in a field unrelated to tennis, is a hands-on family man both here and in Mexico, and still finds time to share his tennis expertise.  That includes coaching some of Ontario’s best wheelchair athletes and managing the junior program of the Grimsby TC.

Seeing the need for more junior tournaments in SWR, the Grimsby TC accepted Joel’s recommendation for the club to host five OTA events over the course of the summer.  It’s a significant commitment on the part of club members who give up the weekend court time, but none have complained.  It’s inspiring to see the young players on the courts, and it’s provided added motivation for local kids.

Joel serves as tournament director and has trained local teens to manage many of the on-court details – great experience for them as well.  The atmosphere is always professional, yet relaxed and friendly. 

Club president Ron Mauro expresses satisfaction with this experimental year.  He has a couple of suggestions for more OTA branding, and wonders if three events might be more realistic than five in another year.  He’d like to encourage more community clubs to get involved in hosting.  If we spread the load around, everyone will benefit.

August 16, 2024

One of the top priorities identified at the SWR annual gathering in January was the formation of events or activities to bring together young players from multiple club programs.  In other sports, players and families enjoy the opportunity to visit other communities and engage in friendly competitions with a social component.  The challenge is to create this for tennis : something that’s not a tournament or an inter-club league, but rather a mixing and matching to blend together our community club programs and expand the horizons of the kids involved in them.  Something that lets the kids test their skills, but with an emphasis on fun and meeting new friends.

Dave Boland (Welland TC) and Joel Cruz (Grimsby TC) took a big step in that direction today, with Dave and the Welland TC taking the lead and playing host.  Once the idea was floated, a total of 22 players responded with a resounding “yes – great idea!”  The coaches organized games and activities that kept the kids engaged and happy, with refreshments to cap things off at the end.

Organizational logistics and the demands of regular club activities tend to keep us within individual silos, but it’s worth the effort to break free.  It’s really fun for the kids to experience a different environment, and also stimulating and enlightening for coaches and parents.

Another opportunity is coming up on August 22, when the Grimsby TC will host.  

August 13, 2024

Delta Bingo & Gaming has 18 locations in Ontario, including six in SouthWest Region : Fort Erie (2), Welland, Niagara Falls, St Catharines and Oakville.  They partner with local organizations, who receive funding in exchange for volunteer presence at the venue.  Through 55 years of development, more than $500 million has been shared in this way.

A long time ago, a Fort Erie TC board member had the foresight to involve the club in the Delta program, and the club volunteers have maintained the commitment ever since. The proceeds are allocated for the club’s junior program, providing a solid foundation for operations.  With resources that go beyond participant fees, the program is able to be inclusive for families throughout the community, can offer more-than-usual court time for the young players, and can support ongoing leadership development for the players as they advance through their teen years.

But the cost of that is significant volunteer commitment.  As many as 10 spots per month must be filled, each requiring two volunteers to be present for two hours.   How fortunate are the young players to have this dedicated support!

August 6, 2024

Opening Day at the National Bank Open was a day later than usual this year, making the travel to Sobeys Stadium from SWR more challenging.  It helps us appreciate the value of the holiday Monday!  But nevertheless, there were 15 SWR clubs registered for Presidents Day – a really impressive response.  We were able to gather about half of them for a photo with OTA Chair Dianne Weatherby and CEO Richard Mainella. 

The annual breakfast festivities included a session with Erin Routliffe, US Open women’s doubles champion (with partner Gabriela Dabrowski).  Erin recalled the mixed emotions of her early days of OTA junior competition, when each win or loss seemed to have over-the-top importance.  She says “it’s all part of the process.  Learning and growing are the essential elements that never change”.   She advises young players to appreciate “the good people around you” and learn to “be genuinely happy for the success of others”.

Despite a slow start after some rainy drizzle (hooray for shopping time!), the day’s play was terrific.  A packed house on Court One saw two big wins by Canadian wild-card doubles teams :  Ariana Arseneault & Mia Kupres staged a big comeback to upset the #6 seeds, after which Leylah & Bianca Fernandez ousted the #5 seeds.  The evening session was highlighted by a ceremony for the 2023 Billie Jean King Cup Champions.

August 3, 2024

It’s a red-letter day for Canadian tennis as Gabriela Dabrowski and Félix Auger-Aliassime won the bronze medal at Paris 2024.  Tennis is among the most difficult disciplines in the Olympics and the medal is a fabulous accomplishment.  

Aidan and I weren’t at Roland Garros to see the medal match, but we had cheered on Bianca Andreescu and Leylah Annie Fernandez during their second round play.  And we were able to feature the new issue of ONTennis for a souvenir “I was there” shot.  The new issue is loaded with good reading, so please make sure your club’s copies are shared around.

July 24, 2024

It’s been an extraordinarily action-packed summer here in SWR, so much so that your reporter’s desk is strewn with work-in-progress.  The best of intentions haven’t been sufficient to stay up-to-date on postings for the website.

And that’s not about to change for a while, as the Paris Olympics and the Toronto NBO are filling the calendar through to August 12th.

After that, the stories will gradually emerge : Rose City Classic … Bruno Agostinelli Memorial ITF …  BJK Cup Champions Tour and Girls.Set.Match  … Niagara Slam … and Tennis Rocks.  SouthWest Region has indeed been rocking!

It’s central to our purpose that all this activity be captured on the website.  Each event represents countless hours of dedication by our volunteers, and boundless memories for participants.  Taken together, they connect us and create a shared culture and legacy.

July 16, 2024

Shade is needed around tennis facilities – both on the courts and in the spectator areas.

It’s common to have tennis courts too close together to allow for shade between them, but that can be remedied by the addition of an extra metre of paving at one end.  Ancaster TC is a fine example.  With the extra length provided by the grade beam, the club was able to add awnings and benches that allow for a minute or two of shade on change-of-ends.  It’s all that was needed in order to provide many more usable hours on hot summer days.  

Retractable awnings have also made the clubhouse patio much more user-friendly.  Community tennis clubs make enormous contributions to their municipalities by providing programs and activities.  Equally important are all the upgrades and thoughtful improvements they make to these public assets year in and year out.

July 14, 2024

This is the week we’ve been waiting for since April :  Wimbledon is over.  The strawberries and cream are consumed.  Carlos Alcaraz amazed and delighted us yet again.  The next BIG thing on the calendar now is the Billie Jean King Cup Champions Tour, which will happen on Saturday July 20th at Rosedale TC.

Last summer we were honoured to have the Davis Cup make two appearances in SouthWest Region, and now it’s happening for the Billie Jean King Cup as well.  In the history of tennis, this is “crazy”.  

That our remarkable Team Canada players achieved world championship status in two consecutive years is special indeed, and we’re very fortunate to be invited to pay tribute to their achievement.

The Rosedale TC is proud and happy to be opening its doors to all in SWR and beyond, for a day of celebrating the joy of tennis and mingling with those who share our love of the game.

It will be a day to remember, thanks to those of you who come to the party.  Doors open at 12:30.  Come early.

July 13, 2024

What a great day for women’s tennis!  Barbora Krejcikova is the new Wimbledon champion and has made the slice forehand a must-have shot.    Jasmine Paolini proved that being closer to 5-feet than to 6-feet has advantages equal to the apparent disadvantages.  Both are 28 years of age, and have persevered for many years with slow-but-steady improvements in their capacity to win tennis games.  There’s inspiration here for everyone!

To complete the day, Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe played in the Ladies Doubles championship match, finishing on the short end of a 7-6 7-6 result.  Terrific performance!

July 5, 2024

Jason Harvey is a familiar figure at many tennis clubs in SouthWest Region, with Ancaster Court Services having resurfaced countless courts in the past 50 years.   Jason is third generation for the family business and works closely with Burlington Paving, another local multi-generational operation.

The rebuild of the four hard courts at Rosedale Tennis Club has been underway since December, with a grade beam added in order to have the courts covered.  The color is looking good, and we know it’s getting close to the end of the process when the lines are being painted.

June 24, 2024

By now, most of you will have seen the commencement address by Roger Federer on the occasion of his receiving a Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Dartmouth University on June 9th.  His three lessons for life, taken from his tennis career, will resonate for years to come.

Effortless is a myth.  It’s only a point.  Life is bigger than the court.  And of course, at the end he teaches us how to play tennis.

It’s a half-hour commitment, but well worth the time.  

“When you’re playing a point, it has to be the most important thing in the world, and it is. But when it’s behind you, it’s behind you. This mindset is really crucial because it frees you to fully commit to the next point and the next point after that – with intensity, clarity, and focus.

You want to become a master at overcoming hard moments. That is, to me, the sign of a champion. The best in the world are not the best because they win every point. It’s because they lose again and again and have learned how to deal with it.  You accept it.  Cry it out if you need to, and then force a smile.”

June 18, 2024

Ancaster TC has a unique position on the board, with Nancy Lennard having a portfolio titled “OTA Rep”.  In this liaison role, she reaches out to the OTA office or to the SWR Chair, to ask questions and make arrangements, and also to provide updates and news from the club.  It gives her a slightly different perspective from her other board colleagues, and is very helpful from both sides of the relationship.

She reports that the club had a successful event on Saturday, part of the town’s annual Heritage Day Festival.  “Coach Simon and the OTA Smash Cage were a big hit!”

With the first of the summer’s over-the-top weather arriving this week, Nancy also shared the Adverse Weather Policy developed by Ancaster TC to make sure everyone is safe on the courts.  Other clubs may wish to share your ideas as well.

June 16, 2024

Tennis is a difficult sport.  It’s difficult to learn, and to play.  It seems to me this is one of the secrets to its enduring appeal.  When we meet others for tennis on the courts, there’s an instant respect and a bond from recognizing we’re on this challenging road together.

Making connections and sharing experiences is the key to tennis becoming a sport-for-life.  That part of the game isn’t easy either.  A big goal of this website is to cultivate sharing and finding more and better ways to connect.  The ideal connections are face-to-face across the net, but sometimes it’s fun to read what others have to say on the subject.

My friend Jenny Brown discovered Sam Morrison’s Baseline Conversation on Instagram.
It’s definitely worth a look and a listen.  Sam has been sharing his tennis journey since first picking up a racquet and has amassed an impressive collection of videos and ponderings, along with a considerable number of feedback comments.

He was interviewed by another ongoing web presence in January.  Nick Andrews is one of the founders of FortyForty, where tennis conversations are shared on their podcasts.  He described Sam as “championing a message of persistence and inclusion”.  You can find the interview HERE.

As long as we’re on the subject of sharing, you might also enjoy The Road to 4.5 Tennis.  P.J. Simmons describes himself as a Tennisaholic.  Perhaps not as much now as when he first created the website years ago, but his notes under the heading ’Reminders to Self’ will ring true for most tennis players.  I met P.J. ten years ago at The Tennis Congress of 2014.

Do you have a favourite tennis podcast or blog or website?  Please pass it along.

June 12, 2024

Yesterday I met Alek Chutko at Rosedale TC.  He shared this photograph, which he took on June 28 1987 when another club member – Bruce Campbell – flew them over the club.  Alek also shared a document produced in 1984 to commemorate the club’s first 60 years.  It’s a truly remarkable story, which we’ll work to capture for a Library entry.

The tennis players who came before us accomplished incredible things in laying the foundation for the facilities and the activities we enjoy today.  Are we up to the challenge of maintaining that level of commitment, courage and creative problem-solving?

June 11, 2024

Today I had the pleasure of discovering a 55+ Mixed Doubles League that operates cross-border between SouthWest and West Regions. The league is the brainchild of Pat Moran, who created it seven years ago.  He had played at Ancaster, Guelph and Cambridge before settling in Port Dover and looked for a way to connect the tennis friends he’d made along the way.

This season, there are six teams : Port Dover, Rosedale and Ancaster from SouthWest Region, and Westmount, Victoria Park and Waterloo from West Region.  The format is three rounds of 40 minutes each.  The first two are men’s and women’s doubles, the third is mixed doubles.  With a 2-1-0 scoring system, there are 24 points up for grabs each week and the scores tend to stay fairly close.  Great atmosphere and camaraderie!

The photo is from the match at Rosedale today, with Port Dover the visiting team.  The Port Dover team is on the left, with captain Pat Moran standing fourth from left.  The Rosedale team is on the right, with captain Paul Nardi in front wearing an orange shirt.  Paul has a reputation as a serious home-baker, and treated everyone to delicious butter tarts after the match.

June 10, 2024

Congratulations to Andrea Cabio and Anna Tabunshchyk, who continue to earn strong results in ITF Junior events.  Both reached career-high rankings this week.

Andrea jumped 106 spots to #354 after finishing as a singles finalist in the J100 in Calgary, then winning both the singles and doubles at the J60 in Veracruz Mexico.

Anna jumped 121 spots to #385 by finishing as a singles finalist and the doubles champion at the J60 in Edmonton.

Those results put them at #8 and #10 among Canadians on the ITF Rankings.

June 8, 2024

At the start of this diary, I introduced you to the 2024 OTA Board of Directors.  The board meets each month, except for July and August, so today’s get-together was the last one before September.  There are 15 board members : 9 region chairs and 6 executive committee.  Our CEO, Richard Mainella, joins the meetings as well.

I took this photo as the group was assembling before 10:00 on Saturday morning.  There were eventually 10 of us in the room and the others were on the big screen, connecting in remotely.

The offices for both OTA and Tennis Canada are in Sobeys Stadium, home to the National Bank Open.  We’re fortunate to have the use of the Tennis Canada boardroom for our meetings.  Agenda items generally take us to about 1:00, after which we have a box lunch and informal conversation.  That helps a lot for team building because most of us don’t see each other between meetings.

It’s challenging but stimulating work.  If the idea of working as a board member or committee member appeals to you, please let me know.  Expertise and enthusiasm are always welcome.

June 1, 2024

I confess a bias toward opportunities for women and girls.   If you ever want to brighten a weekend, find an U9 Rookie event and watch the girls play.  They’re focused and joyful.  I hope they spend a moment together at the end of the match, recognizing how important it is to have each other.  I hope they find ways to know each other off the court, as tennis has its greatest value when forging connections.

Our numbers regarding women and girls are dismal in many categories, calling us to action in this magical year.  Team Canada is champion of the world, having brought home the Billie Jean King Cup in November. Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe are reigning US Open doubles champions.   The WTA Tour is coming to Ontario in August.  The search is on for ways to extend this spotlight to the girls and women who are so outnumbered everywhere in our programs.  It’s time to tip the scales. 

The focus of the rallying cry here in SWR is July 20th, when the Billie Jean King Cup trophy will be in residence at Rosedale TC in Hamilton.  It’s a day for celebration and connecting.  Please plan to be there!

And three-cheers for the new promotion of the National Bank Open : 

May 29, 2024

Beginning in 1975, a humanitarian crisis called “Vietnamese Boat People” was created by the ending of the Vietnam War. My friend Cu Van Ha was two years of age when he fled in a small boat with his father and older sister.

They eventually ended up in Niagara Falls in 1988, where Cu completed regular schooling before going on to Carleton University in Ottawa for a degree in architecture. In early 2023, Cu traveled to Vietnam to connect with family. As serendipity would have it, he found the love of his life during that brief visit, turning life on its head.

When we recognized that building the SWR website was beyond the reach of volunteer capacity alone, Cu was the answer. He had the needed design expertise, but also the willingness to cope with my adventurous project management style. He’s accommodated all our unconventional requests and logged at least 275 hours in the process. I’m forever grateful. It’s been a great adventure to arrive at launch date.

We eagerly await your response to what we have so far, and look forward to steadily building on this foundation.

May 18, 2024

It was a perfect day for tennis, and for Opening Day at the Fort Erie TC.  About 30 club members registered for round robin play during the morning, then enjoyed a hearty lunch while the women’s singles final of the Italian Open played on the big screen.

Ft Erie TC has a history dating back to the early 70s, when trailblazers such as Anne Marie & Pat Hudak secured a position for the club with the Bingo charity operations.  That foresight, and the club’s diligence in maintaining it, has yielded a steady stream of cash support into the club’s junior program every summer.  At least 125 kids enjoy frequent play all summer, with many earning Instructor status and working in the program during their teen years.  This summer, Lucas Tremblay is welcomed as the new Head Pro – a proud graduate of the program as well.

Mimi Leung is one of the longest-serving members of the club executive.  “This is a great group to work with,” she says.  “We all pull together and it makes it fun and satisfying to see how far we’ve come in the last three years.” 

Bill Pinto has been the patient-but-persistent president during that time, and he’s greatly relieved to know the City Council has approved a substantial amount for the rebuilding of the five hard courts.  Their process is very deliberate, however, and it will likely be 2025 before the work is begun.

May 15, 2024

The BHDL (Burlington & Hamilton District Ladies League) has been operating for at least 30 years, with weekly matches through May and June.  This year it includes six clubs, all coordinated by Helen Donohoe..  One of the matches in week-2  was between Dundas TC and Cedar Springs.  The weather was perfect and the beautiful Dundas Driving Park was an ideal location.

May 13, 2024

If you enjoy reading, there are excellent books about all aspects of tennis, and there are also some very enjoyable blogs. In the latter category, two of my favourites are Christopher Clarey and Andrea Petkovic – both on SubStack. Chris Clarey’s blog is called Tennis and Beyond and he’s been writing a lot about the events in Madrid and Rome. Andrea’s is called Finite Jest!. She recently wrote a lengthy commentary about the new movie Challengers. 

May 11, 2024

This past week provided an opportunity to explore some of our Escarpment towns in northeast Hamilton and northwest Halton. It’s beautiful country! If you’re ever in that area, or looking for a spot for a leisurely drive, set your GPS for places like Greensville, Carlisle, Kilbride and Campbellville. There are lovely winding roads, beautiful farms and markets, views to Lake Ontario, and many villages. And in each of those four places listed, you’ll find an active and well- managed tennis club. Among the never-ending joys of SouthWest Region! 

May 8, 2024

The creation of this website was the major task arising from the January 20th forum. It has many ambitions, among them : to inspire confidence, to build trust, to promote inclusion and thus encourage integration over isolation. To share, to celebrate and to learn. 

I once read that smart people are a dime a dozen. What matters is the ability to think differently, to think outside the box. My wish is that this website will help us build on each other’s ideas. All of us are smarter than any of us. 

I expect to be open, honest and transparent. And I hope you’ll join in. It’s the “we” that creates a school of thought, a movement, a network, a culture. 

P.S. If I’d had any idea how difficult it is to build a website like this, I might never have started. It wouldn’t have happened without Robin Smith, Cu Van Ha and Glenn Ryan. A boatload of thanks to all.

May 2, 2024

It was a pleasure to spend a few minutes at Aldershot TC, where the members who organize daytime women’s doubles games were gathering for a celebratory round-robin and snacks before the bubble comes down at the end of the week. 

Each of the three regular games utilizes four courts, such that 16 players are scheduled each week. This requires a list of at least 30 players for each time slot, and the convenors juggle absences and last-minute issues while making sure everyone is included as often as possible. Short story : it’s a big job! Convenors are like the proverbial ducks : calm and serene on the surface, but paddling furiously beneath. And they do it week after week after week. 

At Aldershot TC, the Tuesday 10:30 game was managed by Dot Knight … the Tuesday 12:00 game by Tina DeClemente … and the Thursday 11:30 game by June Clark. These volunteers are the bedrock of community tennis and have our deep admiration and appreciation. Thank you! 

April 21, 2024

The training of new tennis instructors is a most important part of our tennis promotion process, and we’re very happy to host an Instructor Certification course in SouthWest Region each spring.  This year’s program was at Niagara Academy in Vineland, with Scott Hurtubise as the facilitator.  A total of 14 candidates worked diligently over two weekends (April 13-14 and 20-21) plus hours of online assignments.  We hope you’ll recognize some of these faces at summer programs near you.

April 20, 2024

Today at the AGM in Toronto, I was affirmed as a member of the OTA Board of Directors, a position which flows from election as Chair of SouthWest Region at our Region AGM on January 20. Tomorrow I embark on my third year in this dual role. 

It’s a responsibility I take very seriously, and an honour I’m proud to carry. One side of the job is to represent the players and clubs and other tennis providers throughout SWR, and to reflect region priorities at the OTA board table. The other side is to translate the goals and strategies of the provincial body, helping to make them practical and accessible at the region and local levels. 

Over the past two years I’ve come to truly love SouthWest Region. We have amazing clubs, incredible volunteers and coaches, and fascinating people at all levels of the game. And we have it in this fabulous piece of geography wrapped around the western end of Lake Ontario and extending south to the shore of Lake Erie. Set your GPS to a tennis club you’ve not yet visited and head out for a Sunday drive. Each and every one is worth a visit. 

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