Jamie Loeb

Split Decision In NCAA Finals For John McEnroe Tennis Academy Students Jamie Loeb, Noah Rubin

May 25, 2015 by Admin

by Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

It was a split decision day for two players from the John McEnroe Tennis Academy in the NCAA singles finals Monday at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.

Jamie Loeb, a sophomore from the University of North Carolina and a long-time student at the Randall’s Island, N.Y. facility, won the NCAA women’s singles title, while just yards away her fellow McEnroe Academy student Noah Rubin, a freshman at Wake Forest, fell in the men’s singles final.

Loeb, from Ossining, N.Y., became the first tennis player to win an NCAA tennis title for her university with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 win over No. 2 seed Carol Zhao of Stanford. Rubin was attempting to join his mentor and coach McEnroe as a freshman champ at the NCAAs – and nearly did so serving for the match – but lost 3-6, 7-6, 6-1 to No. 8 seed Ryan Shane of Virginia.

Rubin jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead over Shane as the match started outdoors. He closed out the first set as the match moved indoors and he served for the match at 5-4 in the second set, but was not able to close out the victory. After Shane won the tie-breaker, the Virginia standout’s booming serves and forehands in the faster indoor conditions overwhelmed Rubin as he easily ran away with the third set.

The win for Loeb is a vindication from the previous year when she led her team to the team final, only to lose to UCLA, and as the No. 1 seed in the singles tournament, she lost in the quarterfinals, but still finished as the No. 1 ranked female collegiate player.

Rubin, from Long Island, N.Y. in Rockville Centre, was attempting to become the first freshman to win the NCAA men’s singles title since Devin Britton of Ole Miss won the title in 2009. Before that, other freshmen to win the title were Cecil Mamiit of USC in 1996, who went on to be a top 100 player on the ATP World Tour, and McEnroe of Stanford in 1978 as well as Jimmy Connors at UCLA in 1971. Last year, Rubin won the title at the Wimbledon junior championships – the first American to do so in seven years. And also won the USTA National Boys’ 18s Championships in Kalamazoo, Michigan. With a win at the NCAAs, he would have joined Billy Martin, now the coach at UCLA, as the only players to win Wimbledon juniors, the USTA National Boy’s 18s and the NCAAs in a career.

Speaking on the NBC Sports broadcast of the French Open from Paris, McEnroe expressed pride in two of his pupils excelling in the college stage.

“They were both good kids, hard workers, they chose to go the college route which I believe in,” said McEnroe on NBC, also stating that he believed that players should play some college tennis before jumping to the pros.

“For me, college was good for my pro career….even in the prehistoric era,” he quipped of his one-year college career from 1978, which came after he reached the semifinals of Wimbledon in 1977.

Shane is the second player from Virginia to win an NCAA singles title, joining Somdev Devvarman of India who won two NCAA singles titles in 2007 and 2008. Shane, from Falls Church, Va., also led Virginia to the NCAA team championship last week, playing No. 1 single and doubles in their 4-1 win over Oklahoma in the final.

Both Loeb and Shane – both American citizens – are expected to receive wild card entries into the U.S. Open this summer, which are traditionally awarded to Americans when they win the title. McEnroe hinted during the NBC Sports telecast of the French Open from Paris that both Loeb and Rubin may be turning professional following their hallmark seasons this year in college tennis.

For more information on the John McEnroe Tennis Academy, click here: www.johnmcenroetennisacademy.com

Novak Djokovic Joins John McEnroe To Help Johnny Mac Tennis Project

August 21, 2014 by Admin

By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

Novak Djokovic is not just regarded as one of the best tennis players in history but also as one of the most generous.

The Wimbledon champion and world No. 1 took time out of his preparations for the U.S. Open to join John McEnroe and a slew of celebrities at the tennis fundraiser for the non-profit Johnny Mac Tennis Project Thursday night at the John McEnroe Tennis Academy at Sportime at Randall’s Island.

The event was organized to raise funds and awareness for the Johnny Mac Tennis Project, a non-profit organization, which is making the sport of tennis accessible to New York City children who normally would not think to play the sport of cannot afford it.

“This is a noble cause” said Djokovic of the Johnny Mac Tennis Project Thursday. “I am happy to be here to help raise funds and raise more awareness for tennis in New York, the community and of course this tennis center.”

McEnroe spoke about Djokovic and tennis in the United States and in New York City in his short clip from his pre-match meeting with the press here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1I8ZE0ZLqE&list=UU2aqyL0GhjV7dtaKW2SW-2A

Djokovic and McEnroe were joined by New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist and Academy Award-nominated actor Ed Norton, along with Wimbledon semifinalist Lucie Safarova and John McEnroe Tennis Academy students Noah Rubin, the reigning Wimbledon junior champion, and Jamie Loeb, the top-ranked women’s college player last year at the University of North Carolina. Other bold faced names in the sell-out crowd of 1,500 included actor Danny DeVito, TV commentator Sean Hannity, former NYC Mayor David Dinkins and Boris Becker, the three-time Wimbledon champion and also Djokovic’s coach.

The evening began as Safarova beat Loeb 6-3, following by Djokovic beating Rubin 8-5. McEnroe and Lundqvist then teamed to beat Norton and Djokovic 4-3, decided by a sudden-death point tiebreaker at 9-points all by chair umpire and media personality Mike Lupica.

The Johnny Mac Tennis Project, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) public charity whose purpose is to expose young athletes in the greater New York metropolitan area to the life-changing sport of tennis without regard to their economic circumstance. To this end, JMTP raises public and private funds in order to provide tennis academy scholarships and financial assistance to New York City Metropolitan area children. JMTP promotes the lifelong sport of tennis to and for players of all levels, from introductory programs that reach out to schools and neighborhoods in surrounding communities, to world-class tournament training for aspiring professionals. For NYC juniors striving to achieve at the highest levels of the game, JMTP funds the costs associated with travel to regional, national and international tournaments and provides on-site coaching.

To read more about McEnroe’s commitment to tennis in the United States and New York, click here: http://www.tennishotspots.com/john-mcenroe-walks-the-walk-with-tennis-academy-johnny-mac-tennis-project/

John McEnroe and Novak Djokovic speak to the press

John McEnroe Doing His Part To Improve American Tennis

August 4, 2014 by Admin

By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

Throughout the 2014 PowerShares Series tennis circuit this winter, John McEnroe commented, when asked by local media, on the state of tennis in the United States, not being shy expressing his concerns.

“It’s too expensive and it’s not accessible enough,” said McEnroe of tennis in a familiar refrain at the PowerShares Series stop in Birmingham, Alabama, as seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yp1M8KodEXk

But McEnroe is not just talking the talk of what should be done to improve American tennis. He is also walking the walk.

On Randall’s Island, just a short lob from Harlem and Manhattan’s Upper East Side, lies the John McEnroe Tennis Academy. The academy is also the home of the Johnny Mac Tennis Project (JMTP), a non-profit organization, which is making the sport of tennis accessible to children who normally would not think to play tennis or could not afford it.

“We want to provide as many opportunities as possible and make the game as accessible as possible – which continues to be a problem throughout America,” McEnroe said earlier this year at his academy. “My goal is to raise as much money as possible from corporations or individuals so we can help give scholarships to as many kids as we can possibly get, and in the mean time we run a great Academy and provide an opportunity for kids who live in this area.”

On Thursday, August 21, as a lead-up to the U.S. Open, McEnroe will host a gala evening of tennis to benefit the Johnny Mac Tennis Project at the Sportime Stadium on Randall’s Island featuring world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, Wimbledon semifinalist Lucie Safarova as well as McEnroe Academy students Noah Rubin, who just won the 2014 Wimbledon junior championships, and Jamie Loeb, the No. 1 ranked player in college tennis from 2014. All net proceeds will support the efforts of the Johnny Mac Tennis Project. (Tickets available here: https://johnnymac.fanfurnace.com/en/)

Funds raised by the JMTP provide scholarships, coaching, transportation and other financial assistance to qualified young tennis players in the greater New York area, as well as introducing the sport to hundreds of new junior players each year in the neighborhoods surrounding Academy locations. JMTP and the Sportime Clubs have already provided over $1.5 million in scholarships and no cost programming to young players in NYC and its communities.

“The purpose is to raise funds to support bringing the game of tennis to kids in New York City,” said Mark McEnroe, President of the Johnny Mac Tennis Project and the middle McEnroe brother. “The Foundation wants to support the McEnroe Academy find and train the next John McEnroe and at the same time providing opportunities for inner city kids, particularly in the neighborhoods surrounding Randall’s Island, East Harlem and the South Bronx, in their introductory exposure to tennis.”

While the foundation’s goal is to introduce the sport to children who normally would not have the chance to play tennis, there also the strategy that by widening the pool of potential young players, perhaps a handful of these new players will transition into becoming world-class players.

“One of reasons we believe that U.S. tennis has fallen behind is we are not necessary attracting the best athletes in this country to the sport,” said Mark McEnroe. “Contrast that with Europe and South America, where the best athletes play tennis and soccer. If we can bring a little buzz back to tennis and attract great athletes before they get sucked into playing basketball or football, we think we will be able to bring U.S. tennis back to the top.”

Pete Sampras’ Sister Wins, Andy Roddick’s Brother Loses at NCAA Team Finals In Athens

May 20, 2014 by Admin

by Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

ATHENS, Ga. — Siblings of two all-time tennis greats founds themselves on opposite sides of the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat Tuesday at the NCAA Team Championships at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.

The women’s team from UCLA, coached by Stella Sampras-Webster, the older sister of seven-time Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras, defeated North Carolina 4-3 to win the women’s title, while the men’s team from Oklahoma, coached by John Roddick, the older brother of 2003 US Open champion Andy Roddick, were defeated by USC in the men’s title match.

The afternoon women’s final went down to the decisive match at No. 3 singles where UCLA’s Kyle McPhillips beat Caroline Price 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in the last singles match to clinch the second NCAA women’s national title for the Bruins.

“This is the single best accomplishment I’ve ever had in my life,” said McPhillips. “I’ve played (junior) Wimbledon, Australian Open, French Open, US Open and nothing compares to this day right here. Winning individually is so different from winning for your team, your coaches and school.”

UCLA also got singles victories at No. 1 when the country’s No. 2 ranked player Robin Anderson, beat the only player ranked higher than her, top-ranked Jamie Loeb 6-2, 6-2. The other UCLA point in singles came at Chanelle Van Nguyen in No. 4 singles. UCLA won the opening doubles point, which is determined by which team wins two of three eight-game pro-set doubles matches.

In the evening men’s final, Oklahoma, playing in its first NCAA team tournament final, surprised the Trojans by taking the doubles point, but after Dane Webb won at No. 3 singles for the Sooners, the Trojans swept the remaining completed singles matches at No. 1 (Yannick Hanfmann), No. 2 (Ray Sarmiento), No. 4 (Max de Vroome) and No. 5 (Eric Johnson). Vroome won the match-clinching win for the Trojans.

“That was probably the best singles I’ve seen played this year,” said Roddick of the top-ranked Trojans. “Having said that, I think it’s probably the best doubles we’ve played all year.”

The win was the fifth in six years for USC and the ninth overall in the NCAA Team Tournament era (since 1977).

The electric atmosphere of the men’s final, played through dusk, was compounded by the appearance of members of the famous USC marching band “The Spirit of Troy.” While college tennis provides for a slightly more rowdy atmosphere for tennis, full-on organized bands are rarely seen, outside of an occasional Davis Cup match.

“Any team that gets to the semis of the NCAAs, the band comes out,” said USC coach Peter Smith of the arrangement that USC sports teams have with its athletic department and the band. “That’s what they told me. I don’t necessarily arrange it, but they weren’t here yesterday, I was downplaying it with the team, but I was pissed. When you win a national championship or any great victory and the band plays the fight song, it’s a pretty special feeling.”

While USC had its band in its corner, the Sooners had the younger brother of its coach, Andy Roddick, and his model/actress wife Brooklyn Decker cheering them on from the stands.

After Oklahoma’s win over UCLA in the semifinals on Monday, John Roddick discussed his former world No. 1 ranked brother coming to support the team in person.

“He called me last night and said, ‘Am I going to be a distraction if I come?’ And I said, ‘No,’ the guys are used to you for the most part,” said Roddick, a former All-American at the Univ. of Georgia. “The guys have loved having him to cheer them on. He’s a guy who would have loved playing college tennis and he knows that and he says that all the time. It just wasn’t in his cards. I don’t think he would change that since he won the US Open when it would have maybe his senior year. I think that is pretty good. He’s a huge supporter of what we do.”

Loeb, ranked No. 1 in women’s college tennis as a freshman, was looking to do something that her mentor Hall of Famer John McEnroe also did as a freshman on the very same court – lead a team at No. 1 singles as a freshman to an NCAA Championship in Athens.

Loeb, who trained at the John McEnroe Tennis Center at New York City’s Randall’s Island, lost at No. 1 doubles 8-7 (3) with partner Hayley Carter to UCLA’s Anderson and Jennifer Brady in the match that clinched the doubles point for the Bruins. Loeb then played Anderson at No. 1 singles and struggled with her serve and could not overcome her bouts of bad tennis.

It marked North Carolina’s first appearance in the NCAA Team Tournament final.