During the time of the qualifying tournament for the main draw of the United States Tennis Association tournament, Sportime of Randall’s Island conducted an exhibition of singles and doubles matches featuring youngsters belonging to the tennis club and a “pro” exhibition featuring past and current players.
These youngsters, starting at an early age from New York City, demonstrated their skills in abbreviated matches on the court during festivities that helped provide scholarships, coaching, and pointers at no cost to the kids to benefit the Johnny Mac Tennis Projects.
Two of the kids who demonstrated their tennis on the court were youngsters Summer Chandler of Rochedale Village and her best friend Chantajah Mills of Manhattan, both of whom belong to the academy. They played a one-match pro set.
Summer started tennis at age three while Chantajah began tennis at four and have progressed. Bill Briggs, from the Youth and Tennis program in Queens, worked with Summer and has been very high on her. Now she is competing more at the Tennis Academy. Since joining the latter they became very good friends. However, the year of 2015 didn’t meet up with Nadal’s play while other youngsters emerged ahead of him.
If the young girls keep up their good work, who knows what can happen after their school and college days are over?
After the kids got off the court, Nick Kyrgios got onto the playing surface and demonstrated his tennis skills. He could be a future U.S. Open champion.
“Tonight we had a lot of fun,” Kyrgios said before the actual competition started at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. “I can learn from playing (in this tournament) here every day. I feel that I am playing my best tennis. The crowd gets involved a lot.”
Also on hand included John McEnroe’s younger brother Patrick, who is still very much active in the sport but not as a player, and former No. 1 player Leyton Hewitt.
Sportime Randall’s Island has been the flagship location of the Johnny Mac Tennis Projects which is a good start for any youngster.
On the men’s side of the U.S. Open Tennis Tournament it is almost any one of the top three players-Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic or Andy Murray, who can take the title. But not so on the female side, where it’s almost certain that Serena Williams will defend her title, and win the Grand Slam this calendar year.
“I want to perform the best that I can,” said Serena Williams, before the tournament started at the National Tennis Center. “I don’t feel any pressure (on myself) If I make it.”
When Serena Williams was a kid, she dreamed of winning one U.S. Open singles title. Now she’s looking to defend her title and has won many singles championships. And she has a sister Venus to cheer her on. She also competed in this tournament.
There is daily action through a week from a week from Saturday when the female singles title takes place and on Sunday when all eyes will be staged on center court to see who wins the men’s title. That’s anyones!
