LATA

Hello LATA Members!

As you may know, the LA Open is fast approaching — it kicks off next Friday, March 29 and will go through the weekend to the 31st. If anyone who’s playing or just attending would be willing to take some photographs of the actions — using an actual camera rather than a cell phone is preferred but not required — it’d be a great help. The tournament is going to be spread over four locations in the early rounds, which means the more people we can get to take photos, the better. If you think you’d be able to help us out in any capacity, big or small, please email me at newsletter@lataweb.com. Thanks, and see you out on the courts!

John Ramos

Editor, The Score

Wrapping the PS interviews up, but look for more content soon!

Where are you from originally?

I was born and raised in Fullerton, Orange County.

How long have you been in LA? What brought you here?

I have lived in LA since 1987, as I came to work for an IT firm as a project manager. I wanted to live in LA, as I wanted a rich cultural experience. Orange County was too white. LOL…

How long have you been playing tennis? How did you get started?

I have been playing tennis consistently for the past 3 years. A friend invited me to play in a more social tournament 6 years ago, and I was very nervous. I didn’t play well, but have always been a tough competitor in other sports. I was a pitcher in little league baseball for 2 years and played 7 years of water polo in high school and college. As a pitcher in baseball and shooter in water polo, my hard serve was my first strength in tennis that came with no effort.

How long have you been in LATA? How did you find it? What were you rated when you first joined?

I joined LATA for sporadic play 6 years ago, but really got focused 3 years ago. I was ranked an F, and moved up the ranks to B over time.

How often do you play? Do you play leagues? Do you practice with any other LATAers? Have you played a lot of tournaments?

I currently play 2-3 times per week, and credit LATA for my being more consistent in tournaments. I played Cheviot Hills over the summer, and Burbank many seasons. I play doubles with a group of guys on Monday nights. This year I have played in Palm Springs Doubles, Long Beach Doubles (as an A and won 2 and lost 2 matches), LA Open (B Doubles semifinalist with Wil Contreras from San Diego), SD Open (won the B doubles title with Michael Vasquez), PAC Cup (won both my singles and doubles matches), Centre Court and just recently the Palm Springs Open (I made it to semis in B singles and then twisted my ankle and had to forfeit both singles and doubles matches).

I had great energy and felt alive at this tournament. It is one of my favorite tournaments, as I get to see old friends and make new ones. The tournament is run very well. My toughest match was the doubles match against Harold Boger and Richard Podolsky, as they were constantly jumping out to a huge lead over Russell Doe (my partner) and me. I really feel the thing that made a difference was to focus on each point of every match and not get ahead of myself. If I made a bad or good shot or got behind in points, I didn’t care. I always believe I can win (and want to win).  I probably played my best match against the #2 seed (Martin Abbott from Brisbane, Australia), where I won 4-6, 6-2, 6-0. I mixed the shots up like never before, and I felt like I was in a zone.

I was obviously disappointed when I rolled my ankle walking off the court after qualifying for the semi’s. But, I have to say, everyone was so helpful and supportive. That is the reason I play tennis. It is a great bonding experience.

Tennis is spiritual for me. You have to be in the moment, or you will lose the point.

Happy New Year! I took a break while everyone was on vacation, but I’m finishing publishing the Palm Springs interviews this week.

Where are you from originally?

I was originally from Vietnam, born in Pleiku. My mom was on a business trip.

How long have you been in LA? What brought you here?

I came to the USA since I was 4 years old and have been living in Southern California ever since. Now I am 38 years old. My mom took her kids and left Vietnam for a better life for her children which include freedom and education.

How long have you been playing tennis? How did you get started?

I’ve been playing for about a little over 13 years. Gosh, time sure does fly by. I got started with being bored of going out, and my ex and I had 2 tennis rackets. His was given by a friend that was never touched and I had an old metal racket that was given to me by my older sister. One day, we headed to the tennis court in West Hollywood and started playing. Since then, I fell IN LOVE with the game and never looked back. I have been playing ever since when I can with my friends (Dean Buth, Tatsuya Ogawa, Vy Hoang, Nick Truong, Lam Ly, Bryan Nguyen, Mark Love, Richard Podolski, Kevin Kim, Ray Cherry, Michael Sengmanigong, etc.). Each and every one of them has helped me tremendously, more than they ever know, and have inspired me to play even better and love the game even more.

How long have you been in LATA? How did you find it? What were you rated when you first joined?

I think I have been with LATA since 2001. We met some friends, and I think it was Marco Tarantino who mentioned that there was a gay tennis club and we should check it out. We did and signed up, then went to ranking day and met Eric Dodson and other great LATA members. During ranking day, I was rated as a C player. I was really nervous during the ranking process; my serve was terrible, my forehand was horrendous, but I was glad that my backhand was working that day. 😉

How often do you play? Do you play leagues? Do you practice with any other LATAers? Have you played a lot of tournaments?

I haven’t played league for about 9 years now. This is partly due to my work schedule—it’s hard to commit to a weekly schedule. Also, when I play tennis, I like to play for hours nonstop. That’s why recently, within the past 2+ years, I’ve just been hitting at Plummer Park with some of my very good friends (names above). As a matter of fact, some of them got started because they know how much I love tennis and kept raving how much fun it was and got them started too. I play tennis at least 2-3 times a week. For me, it’s a GREAT form of exercise and also therapeutic, almost yoga-like. Since my friends (Ian, Lam, Nick, and Bryan) are new to LATA and just started to play tournaments, they got me playing again too.

Tell me about the tournament. What was your toughest match? What was the difference?

Palm Springs Open 19 was SO MUCH FUN!… Not because I won, but because all of my AWESOME friends were there to support me and cheer me on. All of us play at Plummer Park for fun at nighttime, and I hit with Tatsuya sometimes on the weekend when I can, but it turns out that by playing with so many types of games and different levels, it has really helped me and has elevated my game. I think that’s probably why I did so well because I was able to adapt to my opponent’s game but still stay true to my game. Although every match was tough in its own way, overall, I think my toughest was the semifinal against Vince from San Diego. I got there at 7:40 AM and saw that Vince was already warming up on the court. I didn’t think anything of it because I will have my 5 minutes of warmup too, but when we started our match he was serving really well and mixing his game up with drop shots, slices, and heavy forehands. Next thing you know it, I lost the first set 6-3 within 20-25 minutes. I really think by playing with so many different types of games, although I lost the first set, I was determined and still believed that I can win this match. Truly, at one point of the match, I said to myself that if I can handle Tatsuya Ogawa backhand slices, his should not be a problem. Just stay really aggressive on the return, keep the ball deep, and keep attacking. That’s exactly what I did and luckily I was able to turn the match around with a 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 win. Even if I had lost that match, honestly, I would have been disappointed but OK with the results too, only because I knew that I really fought out there and gave it my all.

How was the tournament otherwise?

The last time I played Palm Springs Open, it was about 6 years ago. I am so glad that my friends (Ian, Lam, Bryan, Richard, etc.) wanted to play and made me registered too. I really wanted to thank Jim Kloes, Nabil Najjar, and all the great volunteers on putting such a phenomenal tournament together. It’s a lot of hard work, dedication, preparation, and time to have this caliber of a tournament to run so smoothly. It’s one of the best that I’ve been to and I have played quite a few in my tennis career. Personally, I am so grateful for Ian Huynh, my acoustic guitar player and my very best friend, all my awesome friends, and everyone at the banquet for making one of my wishes come true and accomplishing one of the items from my “bucket list.” It really means a lot to me to have everyone there to share the moment with me. This was really an AMAZING weekend for me. There were so many things to be grateful for and for all the wonderful memories with my BFFs. I got a text from a friend from San Francisco just before the tournament and it said to “Just try your very best, LIVE the MOMENT, and take it all in!” I sure did whether it was performing to Adele “Someone Like You” or playing my matches. The payoff has way exceeded ALL EXPECTATIONS and SO MUCH MORE!!!

I’m originally from Warren, Michigan . . . a suburb of Detroit.  Warren is where Eminem grew up . . . really the only big claim to fame for my hometown.

I moved from Michigan to San Francisco in 2001, then to Palm Springs in 2004, and in 2011 to Long Beach.  I moved from Michigan for a variety of reasons . . . escaping the brutal winters probably tops the list.  I moved to Long Beach for work . . . I was appointed the Chief Business and Financial Officer for Long Beach Unified School District in July 2011.

I started playing tennis for my high school tennis team.  That was such a great time for me . . . I really enjoyed playing individually, but also for a team.  I have only played here and there since high school, and really wanted to start playing more regularly again.  This past April, I got back into the swing of things by working with Andrew Toprak, one of the pros at El Dorado Park in Long Beach.

After taking lessons for a month or so, I realized that I wanted to get back into more competitive matches.  I went to Google to see if I could find a group that played on a regular basis, and found LATA.  My timing was perfect, as Team Tennis was just getting organized for the summer session.  I went to the Ranking Day, and was rated as a “C” player.

I have lessons once per week, for the most part.  In addition, I play doubles with a great group of guys at El Dorado Park.  We have 6 doubles teams, and rotate partners and opponents each week.  All the guys are great, which makes it really fun, but the matches are competitive and a great way to practice.  I played in the Wednesday Night Team Tennis this past summer, and will probably do so next summer.  It would be great if there was enough interest for LATA to add a Team Tennis in Long Beach . . . I would join that group in a heartbeat!

I played in the San Diego tournament and Center Court tournament this year.  I have had fun, so I am now on the lookout for additional tournaments to enter throughout the year.

I was really happy with how things worked out at the Palm Springs Open.  Unfortunately, I lost my first round matches at the two other tournaments I entered this year, so I was thrilled that I won a few matches and made the semifinals in [Men’s B Over 40 — Ed.] singles and the quarterfinals in doubles.  Each of the matches were so competitive, and to be honest, could have gone either way.  In singles, I lost to the #1 seed [Roger Lowe — Ed.] in the semis.  My opponent was really good . . . but what made him so tough was how smart he played.  He always seem to take the perfect angle, or anticipate my every shot.  I enjoyed playing him, even though I lost, as I think I learned a lot playing someone with his skills.

Hello LATA Members!

This is the first in a series of interviews with LATA members who turned in great performances in the recent Palm Springs tournament. We start with Lee Winterstein, who won the C Singles Tournament.

Hello LATA Members!

As many of you know, the GLTA Palm Springs Open 19 was played over Thanksgiving weekend at several venues in Palm Springs. Almost 300 players in all participated, and LATA was well represented both in attendance and results. The following is a list of LATA members who reached the semifinals or better in their respective divisions:

Open Singles

Semifinalist – Nabil Najjar

Open Doubles

Winner — Steve Sax

Semi finalist — Matt O’Clarit

A Singles

Winner — Loc Nguyen

Runner-up — Jeff Sheng

A Doubles

Runners-up — Eric Geiger/Chris Tomlin

Semifinalists — John Ramos/Jeff Sheng

B Singles

Winner — Todd Amoroso

Semifinalist — Tim Hughes

B Doubles

Semifinalist — Jesus Salcedo

B Over 40 Singles

Runner-up — Harold Boger

Semifinalist — Jim Novak

C Singles

Winner — Lee Winterstein

C Doubles

Semifinalists — Lee Winterstein/James Patacsil

D Singles

Runner-up — Jon Marinas

D Doubles

Runners-up — Daniel Walkup/Jongo Yuk

Semifinalist — Rob Schwartz

Congrats to everyone who played, and stay tuned for interviews with some of the people listed!

John Ramos

Editor, The Score

Hello LATA Members!

The GLTA Center Court tournament was played over Labor Day weekend. It was a hot one, but our tournament organizers, Steve Sax and Travis Siems, as well as several other volunteers, worked overtime to get all the matches on, and the players battled the high temperature and produced some great tennis. Unfortunately, I was on court for most of Monday, and as such wasn’t able to grab any interviews with the winners. But LATA represented well, as usual, and here are the results:

Open Singles

#1 James Dao (l.) d. #3 Gordon Paitimusa 6-3 6-4

Open Singles Consolation: Chris Tomlin d. Eric Geiger 6-3 3-6 6-0

Open Doubles

#3 Jose Sambas/Joseph Vidaurretta (r.) d. #2 Brad Spencer/Roy Rillra 6-1 6-1

A Singles

#7-9 Jonathan Luu (above) d. Loc Van Nguyen 6-3 6-3

A Singles Consolation: #7-9 Jeff Sheng d. Sayon Syprasoeuth 6-7 6-4 6-3

A Over 40 Singles

Graham Richard Kaye (l.) d. #1 George Byrd 6-0 6-1

A Over 40 Singles Consolation: Mark Riddle d. Sam Chua 7-6 retired

A Doubles

#2 Tony Hughes/David Michael Drury (l.) d. #5 Jeff Sheng/John Ramos 6-3 6-4

B Singles

#2 Tim Chulanand Thianthal (l.) d. #6 Michael Vasquez 6-2 6-1

B Singles Consolation

Juan Tafolia (r.) d. Jonathan Afalia 6-1 6-1

B Doubles

#4 Will Pitharn/Dennis Nakata (l.) d. Scott Williams/Dennis Holmes 6-4 6-0

C Singles

#7-8 Michael Sengmanivong (l.) d. Kevin Kim 6-4 7-6

C Singles Consolation

Matt Whitfield d. Steven Dunbar (not pictured) 6-2 6-4

C Over 40 Singles

#1 Ray Duenez (l.) d. #2 Casey Weitzman 7-5 6-3

C Doubles

Jury Candelario/Nick Truong (r.) d. James Patacsil/Lee Winterstein 6-3 3-6 7-6

D Singles

#1-2 John Vida (l.) d. #1-2 Shane Que Hee 6-0 4-6 6-0

D Singles Consolation

Winner Lynda Lefever

D Doubles

Round Robin Winners: #1 Mike Kalvoda/Jon Marinas

Thanks to everyone who participated, and we look forward to seeing you at the LA Open in 2013! Full results for Center Court 2012 can be found here.

Hi LATA members:
The deadline for signing up for the Center Court Labor Day tournament is this Sunday, August 19th. It’s going to be a great tournament with a really fun banquet, so get those entries in now! Link to entries is below.

http://glta.tournamentsoftware.com/sport/tournament.aspx?id=E3BE89ED-9863-4964-B779-2C6895F27C57

Hello LATA Members!

Today, Sunday July 15th, is the last day to get the discounted early registration price for our Center Court tournament. Center Court is a really fun tournament with great competition at all levels, and we have new Over-40 divisions for all skill levels. You won’t want to miss it! Here’s a link to sign up:

http://glta.tournamentsoftware.com/sport/tournament.aspx?id=E3BE89ED-9863-4964-B779-2C6895F27C57

Below is the email from our Tournament Director Steve Sax about the tournament. Also, if you’re playing, let us know by joining the Center Court Facebook Page. Looking forward to seeing you all out there!

Wimbledon wasn’t the only tennis action going on this weekend — the GLTA San Diego Open was played, and lots of LATAers made the trip down and performed admirably. Below is a list of winners and runners-up, with current LATA members in bold. Congrats!

Open Singles

(1) James Dao d. (2) Vince Riveroll 7-5 6-1

Open Doubles

(1) James Dao/Jose Sambas d. (2) Gordon Paitimusa/Brad Spencer 6-2 7-6 (5)

A Singles

(2) Deron Collins d. (3) George Byrd 1-6 6-3 6-1

A Doubles

(1) Nils Gura/Phil Brooks d. Francis Lau/Anthony Vo 6-3 6-3

B Singles

Tim Chulanand Thianthai d. Chad Kengo Hayashi 6-4 6-7 (7) 6-2

B Doubles

(6) Tim Hughes/Michael Vasquez d. (7) Jeff Alabaso/Dennis Nakata 7-6 5-7 7-5

C Singles

(1) Keith Millard d. (13) Steve Cole 6-2 6-0

C Doubles

Kevin Mallery/Moises Orozco d. (1) Sergio Cardenas/Justin Tran 6-2 6-1

D Singles

Earl Jordan d. (3) Rob Schwartz 6-0 7-6 (4)

D Doubles

Earl Jordan/Frank Terraglio d. (1) Jere Diersing/Donna Pearcy 6-2 6-4