Stanford Men’s Ace Scores Off Court
At the same time Stanford’s top player tries to lead the 11th ranked Cardinals to victory and win the NCAA singles title, sophomore Alex Clayton is busy playing businessman and launching an innovative web site application with his older brother, who plays No. 1 on Harvard’s team.
The “brainstorm” they dreamed up two years ago and now called Groupspeak, won a $15,000 grant at Harvard last year. This fall, the chat room enhancement got another boost when a financial angel got on board.
In the summer of ‘07, Clayton, his brother Chris and another Harvard student designed and programmed the application at the Clayton family’s Ft. Lauderdale home. That fall they entered the prototype of their chat room idea in the Harvard Innovation Challenge, a business plan competition for undergrads.
In April, when the Harvard contest results were in, Groupspeak had won a top award, a $15,000 grant for commercial entrepreneurship, which they put into more development, using the latest technical advances.
In May, Clayton reached the semis of the NCAA singles championships. He gave the eventual winner, senior Somdev Devvarman, a run for his money, supporting coach John Whitlinger’s early observations that as a freshman Clayton was a threat to win it all. The ITA awarded him Rookie of the Year honors.
Pre-season rankings have Clayton at No.4, a threat again. Over the summer he says he improved his “transition game” — getting to the net for putaways.
Clayton says Groupspeak will soon be available as a pilot to students on Stanford and Harvard campuses. If it flies, it goes to the general public. Groupspeak customizes “searches by targeting keywords and locations to avoid the unrelated content found in typical chat rooms,” Clayton’s press kit says.
In other words, it cuts to the chase.
Meanwhile, Clayton lives the life of a busy student with a lot of court time on his plate. Tennis, though, is second nature to the Claytons. His sister Courtney plays on the Stanford women’s varsity. Their father played on Northwestern’s team.
“He was chosen co-captain of the team, as a sophomore,” says Whitlinger of the post usually held by a senior. “It’s because he’s got quite a head on his shoulders and a great attitude.”
NorCal Senior Tennis Association Gathers
Former Inside Tennis managing editor and retired New York Times sportswriter Parton Keese amused a senior players’ banquet on Feb. 7 with tales of his 20 years covering boating, baseball, hockey and tennis for the Times.
Keese had applied for the staff opening left by the Times’ legendary tennis writer Allison Danzig in the early ‘60s. When Keese called recent acquaintance Bud Collins of the Boston Globe to ask advice, Collins said the Times had offered him the job, causing an awkward moment. But Collins said he wasn’t interested in it because he liked Boston too much, and Keese got hired.
Keese was the main speaker at the NorCal Senior Tennis Association’s annual awards banquet held at the Elks Club in San Mateo. Earlier, NCSTA president Michael Schneider reminded the crowd that the association, basically for tournament players, has a different role this year. The NCSTA was previously supported online casinos by membership dues and $20,000 from USTA
NorCal. With that, it funded the Senior Grand Prix playoffs that the association ran, a newsletter, and the banquet.
In ‘09, the NCSTA loses its USTA NorCal funding and all its responsibilities, except advising on senior tennis. The NCSTA online casino board becomes an advisory subcommittee of the Adult Tournaments Committee. The committee’s staff liaison, Jason Scalese, said he hoped the banquet would be continued as a USTA NorCal priority. Also attending was NorCal Executive Director Steve Leube.
But fewer than 100 players and others attended, down from crowds of 120-130 in recent years. It reflected the shrinking senior player base for tournaments.
Alpine Hills Gets New Director
Alpine Hills Swimming and TC has hired a new tennis director, Aussie Nigel Pugh, who was formerly director at Diablo CC and the Livermore Valley TC. Pugh returns to the Bay Area after working last year at the Windward Lake Club outside of Atlanta. Pugh is originally from Newcastle, Australia, and played the national junior circuit.
Former director Chris Bradley is now director of tennis emeritus. He’ll be teaching and helping the new director, a club spokesperson said. The 50-year-old Portola Valley club originally hired Bradley in February ‘74.
In Brief
Alex Swetka seeks his third straight Grand Slam in the 90s this year. Last year, the Mt. View phenom won all four national championships in both singles and doubles, following his singles sweep in ‘07. Asked at the February’s senior awards banquet if one more year could slow down a man in his 90s, Swetka replied, “Well, I really don’t notice it because I practice against guys in their 50s and 60s.”
The Pacific Athletic Club in Redwood City got saluted twice by teaching pros in February. The USPTA’s NorCal chapter gave it the ‘08 “Facility of the Year” award at a Stanford conference. A few days later in Hilton Head, S.C., the PTR declared it the Private Facility of the Year. Club tennis director Paul Allam accepted the award.
If you’re looking for the new adidas rackets, you’ll have to go to Swetka’s Tennis Shop in Mountain View — the only store in NorCal to carry them.
