Saturday, November 05, 2011

Taking Pride in Something




When eight year old Olivia Wen was asked who her favorite tennis player is on stadium court immediately prior to the ladies semifinal match she was speechless. She wasn’t the only one speechless, as many of the hundreds who were watching the display of talent and ability of the 8 & under tennis players could only marvel at what they were seeing. Olivia Wen has a love for tennis. She trains at Weston Racquet Club at least three times per week with her fraternal twin sister Vivian and hits with her family on their home tennis court when she is not at the club.
But tennis isn’t her only passion. She plays the piano and ice skates. She is a well rounded individual who excels at everything she does. Just when the Wens thought it couldn’t get any better (they helped their club win the 8 & under state championship earlier this summer), it did. Not only was Olivia invited to participate in the first annual 8 & under invitational at the New Haven Open but also was invited to a 10 & under tennis demonstration at the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows, New York as part of the USTA National Teacher’s Conference.

It doesn’t come without hard work, dedication and discipline. “Olivia rarely misses a lesson, is always on time, but more importantly has a genuine love for the game and is a true example of sportsmanship,” stated Angelo A. Rossetti, her tennis coach and director of tennis at Ivan Lendl’s Weston Racquet Club. He likes to think that Weston is the capital of 8 & under tennis. A future goal for Olivia would be to make her high school tennis team, a team that has posted five straight class S titles and has a nationally ranked player playing in the number one spot. Some have said that high school tennis passes through Weston. Rossetti likes to think that 8 & under tennis goes through Weston as well. The new format of teaching and competing for children 10 years old and younger involves lower compression balls, smaller racquets and a smaller court. 10 and Under Tennis is a revolutionary change in the way kids learn and play tennis, as well as compete. Tennis is following the formula that the majority of youth sports have used for years - tailoring equipment and courts to a child’s size and age so that they develop skills and have fun right from the start. 10 and Under Tennis is structured for kids to learn tennis and rally and play quickly in a way that is both enjoyable and rewarding.

Tailoring equipment and courts so they are sized appropriately for kids makes the game more accessible—and more fun—by allowing kids to get involved right from the start. 10 and Under Tennis eliminates waiting in long lines to hit the ball and the frustration kids feel at not being able to rally. Kids will enjoy playing the game right away and will keep coming back for more, developing a lifelong passion and appreciation for tennis – also helping to grow tennis programs.

The invitational event included a flight of matches held indoors at the Yale Cullman-Heyman Tennis Center. The top six total game winners advanced to play a singles and doubles match on stadium court side by side. These matches were announced by Wayne Bryan, the father of the #1 doubles team on the ATP Tour, Bob and Mike Bryan. He adds color commentary during matches each year at the New Haven Open. Olivia Wen won the finals 7-3, 7-6 against Audrey Magnusen, who played for Norwalk Stars during the winter for USTA Junior Team Tennis. Wen had two service aces enabling her to clinch the first set. She ended up winning the sudden death point at 6-6 to clinch a straight set victory.

“She was actually physically shivering with all the excitement, and perhaps nervousness,” stated Warren Wen, Olivia’s father. She didn’t go to bed until past midnight that evening as she still was so amazed at her experience.

Wen wasn’t the only player from the Weston area to have success at the New Haven Open. Prem Dave, a seven year old from Norwalk, was also undefeated en route to playing a doubles final on stadium court as well. They have built a good friendship and enjoy training together at Weston Racquet Club. The Club fully adopted tennis with the Quickstart format about three years ago when it was first being launched across the country.

Probably the most special moment came after Wen won the competition and completed her undefeated experience at the New Haven Open. She was with her family and coach when a young girl asked for her autograph. She was stunned as she signed a large fuzzy yellow tennis ball. When asked how she felt signing her first autograph Wen said, "I was there getting autographs from Caroline Wozniacki. Never thought I would be signing one. It was so cool!"

“The quality of play this year was excellent and many from Yale attended to cheer on Caroline Wozniacki, Li Na and other top players. The tournament showcases New Haven at its best and we look forward to its growth in 2012 and beyond,” said Yale University President Rick Levin. You can now add Olivia Wen as one of those top players.

John Pirtel, the director of New Haven Youth Tennis and Education, who served as the tournament director for the 8 & Under Invitational commented on the Quickstart format. “It’s really important. Kids are able to get strokes down quicker and to pick it up easier. On bigger courts that was impossible.” Matt Fraenza, Tennis Industry Marketing Manager for the New Haven Open at Yale, played a key role in not only selecting the players for the invitational but also helping run smoothly in synch with the New Haven Open professional tournament itself – and the timing had to be perfect. Since the semifinal match between Caroline Wozniacki and Francesca Schiavone was nationally televised, the window to have the 8 and under finals played on stadium court was extremely small. All in all it was a huge success, leaving a few minutes to spare, just enough time to clean up the stadium court for the televised match.

“This is all with an eye toward helping kids feel more successful quicker on the tennis court: Immediate gratification,” New Haven Open tournament director Anne Worcester. “More kids are enrolling in lessons and staying in lessons and moving on to competitive opportunities.”

“In the history of USTA, this is the largest investment we’ve made in youth tennis,” said Sue Hunt, managing director of marketing for USTA National. “With the changes, we think kids are going to fall in love with sport and develop the skills to play.” And fall in love with the sport is what the Wens have done.
For now Olivia will continue her pursuit of tennis, with her eyes set on her second state championship in the 10 & under division for Weston Racquet Club. More information about 10 & under tennis can be found online at www.10andundertennis.com while specific tennis programs local to the Weston area can be found online at www.WestonRacquet.com.

Photo Captions:
Photo 1: Weston Racquet Club’s Olivia Wen, 8 years old, hitting a forehand during her victory on stadium court at the New Haven Open.
Photo 2: Olivia Wen signs her first autograph ever for a young fan in the stands while her mother, Jing Ping, proudly looks on.
Photo 3: Olivia Wen, 8 years old, on the left, Angelo A. Rossetti, Director of Tennis at Weston Racquet Club, and Prem Dave, 7 years old, at the 1st Annual 8 & Under Invitational at the New Haven Open.