Zaino Revives Claremont-McKenna Courts
Richard Zaino of Zaino Tennis Courts Inc. has been building and resurfacing tennis courts for more than 30 years in California and Nevada. Based in Orange, Zaino recently finished the design and construction of 12 courts at Claremont-McKenna University in Claremont. The school will host the NCAA Division II Championships this year.
“I wish everyone would go over and see what we’ve done at Claremont-McKenna,” Zaino said. “It’s not just the courts we built, but it’s very unique because it’s an entire facility, including men’s and women’s locker rooms specifically for use by the tennis program.”
Zaino resurfaces the courts each year for the Countrywide Classic at UCLA and has also done numerous Davis Cup ties, including one at the Home Depot Center when the U.S. faced Croatia in Carson in 2005. Zaino does it all from Har-Tru clay to Plexipave surface color coatings to Plexicushion surfaces to all-natural grass.
The company is the largest employee-run tennis court company in Southern California with 19 experienced sports surface and construction employees. For info, call (714) 744 1885.
Odesnik Wins Usta Challenger In Carson
There were times when it looked like Wayne Odesnik and Scoville Jenkins were headed for early exits from the USTA Pro Circuit’s first Challenger on the 2009 calendar. Yet, there they were Sunday morning on Court 4 at Home Depot Center, the lone survivors of the 32-player draw.
In the end, though, there could be only one and Odesnik stayed in the moment better, posting a decisive 6-4, 6-4 victory, pocketing $7,200 and, perhaps more importantly, picking up 75 ATP Tour ranking points. Seeded fourth, Odesnik dropped only one set in five tournament matches—to fifth-seeded Jesse Levine in the quarters.
“This whole week has been about me working on my game, trying to improve every match, Odesnik said after being presented the winner’s trophy. “I pretty much know all these guys, we’re all familiar with each other. Everyone is capable of winning.”
Odesnik, a 23-year-old left-hander from Weston, Florida, upset top-seeded Vincent Spadea in the semis and in the final, he picked up right where he left off, playing aggressive tennis to keep the unseeded Jenkins in defense mode. “It’s disappointing to get this far and not win but there are positives I can take from this week,” said Jenkins, a 22-year-old from Atlanta, who picked up 45 ranking points and the runner’s up check of $4,240.
Malibu RC, Zaino, Team Up to Give Club 3 Slam Surfaces
Trey Waltke’s dream of having a court representing each Grand Slam surface is closer to reality with the installation of a red clay court (French Open) and a Plexicushion court (Australian Open) put in recently by Zaino Tennis Courts Inc.
Waltke wants ATP pros to be able to come to the Malibu Racquet Club and practice on each surface to prepare for their big Grand Slams, but he also sees the everyday player able to enjoy the tennis on each surface. “I think players who come out every day should learn to play on all the surfaces,” he said. “There is different thinking that is required when you play on different surfaces.”
Waltke, a former top ATP tour player who once beat Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe in the same year, hopes to have an all-natural grass surface in place by the end of the year.
Described as a club with an idyllic setting, the Malibu Racquet Club is situated on
raised ground overlooking the Pacific Coast Highway and The Colony, the gated Malibu enclave where the movie stars live. Longtime teaching pro John McCampbell has been giving lessons at the club since ‘89. He is assisted by David Thayne, one of the state of Utah’s all-time winningest players, Doug Olen and former Pepperdine All-American and assistant women’s coach Nina Eriksson. For info, call (310) 456-3313.
3rd Annual Crestmont Doubles Classic
The third online casino annual Salvation Army Crestmont Classic Doubles Tennis tournament will take place March 6-8 at the picturesque Peninsula Racquet Club in Rancho Palos Verdes.
Last year, the Battistone brothers took home the first-place men’s open $2,000 prize money. On the women’s side, Judy DeVera and Dianne Matias grabbed $600 in the first women’s event.
This year’s tournament will offer men’s and women’s Open to 3.0 divisions and entry fee for the fundraiser includes a complimentary BBQ lunch, tournament t-shirt, complimentary sports stretching and massage therapy, and player goodie bag.
The open division prize money is expected to be $5,000 in total prize money.
The proceeds will be used to benefit the Salvation Army for Officer Training at Crestmont College “Fund for Excellence” program.
For further info, visit the tournament web site at: www.crestmont.edu and click on the Tennis Tournament banner on the homepage, or contact Rob Fronauer or Keith Oshiro at Peninsula RC at (310) 541-2523.
Loyola Marymount Combines Youth, Experience
Once again the male Lions will sport a young lineup but will lean on the veteran leadership of juniors Renzo Maggi, Dmitry Popov and Nick Von Der Ahe. Georgia Southern transfer Junior Borja Malet will also provide experience to LMU’s lineup. Newcomer Malet earned second-team All-Southern conference last season for the Eagles playing the No. 1 doubles position as well as splitting time between the No. 2 and No. 3 singles position.
Also making an impact for the Lions will be key returner Ivan Lopez. After transferring from Freed-Hardeman University, Lopez, an Almeria, Spain native finished last season at LMU with an overall singles record of 21-13. Underclassmen Johan Berhof, Aram Abgaryan, Aris Andreasian and Geza Bazula will all battle for playing time.
The LMU women’s team has dedicated this season to the memory of senior associate athletics director Betty Werner, who lost her five-month battle with cancer in August after serving as head of internal operations for LMU athletics since 2000.
A lone senior, Tina Razloznik, takes on the leadership role for the Lions who will play with four juniors, two sophomores and two freshmen from places like Spain, Germany, Australia, South Africa, Bulgaria, and Slovenia. Razloznik inherits the top spot after playing No. 3 last year. She will be battled by Audrey Bulkley, a junior from Springfield, Ill. Jamie Sanchez is in his 34th season as head coach at LMU and has a career record of 418-378.
