Thursday 29 August 2013

Manitobans Participate at Senior Nationals in Vancouver

Manitoba was represented at the Steve Stevens Senior National Championships recently held in Vancouver, BC. A total of 444 players from across the nation participated at the event held at the Vancouver Lawn Tennis and Badminton Club, Arbutus Club, and Jericho Tennis Club.

Making the trip from Winnipeg was Mark Lloyd (35+ age group), Tom Brown (50+), Chris Shay (50+), and Glen Ziprick (55+).

Tennis players who are 35 years and older, that are interested in participating in future senior nationals can contact Tennis Manitoba for entrance requirements.

A complete listing of national senior events can be found on the Tennis Canada website at www.tenniscanada.com.

See also: Champions Crowned at Senior Nationals in Vancouver

Wednesday 28 August 2013

Tweet recap: 2013 Manshield Tennis Futures

Tennis fans in Winnipeg welcomed the return of the Manshield Tennis Futures, a $15,000 International Tennis Federation Pro Circuit event held at Sargent Park Tennis Garden.

Here's a look at the array of tweets that helped highlight the event:

Local’s love of tennis rejuvenates sport at Norwood

Tennis instructor Brian Pound with some of the many kids who
attended a recent tennis camp through the Norwood Tennis Program.

By Adriano Magnifico, The Lance / Canstar Community News

The Norwood Tennis Program is in the midst of a huge resurgence. By the end of August, over 180 kids will have participated in its Norwood Community Centre Tennis Camps.

The popular camps focus on tennis, but include all kinds of sports and games, followed by a daily afternoon swim at the Norwood Flood Bowl pool. Wheelchair tennis players also participate.

Not long ago, the Norwood shale courts were a drab, deteriorating, weedy mess due to years of poor maintenance and lack of interest from the neighbourhood.

The once successful and busy courts needed a new champion.

Then along came Norwood Flats resident Brian Pound, whose commitment and tennis savvy turned the rapidly declining courts into one of Winnipeg’s tennis hubs.

Brian, an avid tennis player from Australia, immigrated to Winnipeg in 1992 and settled in the Flats with his family in 1997. He was disappointed that his neighbourhood courts had been left to ruin. He was determined to do something about it.

In 2007, he approached the Norwood Community Centre Board with a plan to restore the courts and create a viable tennis program for the community. With enthusiastic support from the board of directors, Brian secured over $100,000 in grants from the city, province and the General Council of Winnipeg Community Centres.

The Board requested a maintenance-free space, so asphalt was the way to go. Brian added colourful eye-catching Plexipave coatings that ensured durability and a better ball bounce.

Abandoning those shale courts was tough, even though they required much maintenance — weeding, dragging and watering the shale were daily labours. Folks from the early days talk fondly about that unique clay court tennis experience.

In our era of video games and smartphones, he believes that tennis is a great way to hook youth into being more active. "I want to expose kids to tennis in the hope that they become lifelong players. It’s fun, affordable and great exercise. "

Brian also offers progressive tennis programming for children of all ages. The tennis camps offer smaller courts along with different-sized balls and racquets for developing bodies and skill levels to ensure that players have success and enjoy the game immediately.

Mark Arndt, executive director of Tennis Manitoba, says while the sorry state of some city courts may be "driving people from the sport," Brian’s Norwood model offers a powerful exemplar for building tennis interest and participation in a local community.

He also knows that Brian is the driving force behind Norwood’s success. "Brian is an energetic, enthusiastic visionary for the sport. He is a champion in the tennis community," he said.

Check out http://www.norwoodcc.ca/sports/tennis for drop-in dates and times and more information about this emerging Norwood sport.

Tuesday 27 August 2013

Tennis Fitness and You

Eugenie Bouchard and Filip Peliwo training at the National
Tennis Centre in Montreal.

By Melissa Boyd, Tennis Canada

The beauty of tennis is that it is a sport for a lifetime for everyone, not just the high performance athlete. We sat down with Kieran Foy, fitness coach at the National Tennis Centre in Montreal, to find out how fitness and nutrition can improve your game regardless of whether you play competitively, or just for fun.

Tennis Canada. Compared to athletes in other sports, in your opinion, how fit are the best tennis players in the world?

Kieran Foy. The tennis player really is the complete athlete. They have great cardio, they have great speed and agility, they’re extremely strong and big. They are physically imposing and now they’re adding strength and flexibility, two elements that weren’t there before. There’s not a lot of sports where you see those two unique aspects, especially when movements are being performed at a very high acceleration. A tennis player is right up there with the best conditioned athletes in sports.

TC. Can you give some fitness tips for the average tennis player and how they can optimize their performance on the court?

KF. Being fitter allows you to enjoy your tennis more. You can hit the ball bit harder, move quicker, and your racquet will feel lighter. The best thing you can do is a little bit of something every day. So, a little bit of jogging, a little bit of strength, a little bit of flexibility. You don’t need to go crazy. You don’t need to be sprinting around and risk pulling or tearing something.

TC. How does fitness for a kid getting started in tennis differ from a high performance player like Eugenie Bouchard or Filip Peliwo?

KF. I think you can start to introduce notions of what it is to train and what is fitness as a concept. At that age, they don’t need to be in a very structured program per se. They’re not at the age where they need to understand what a full warm up is, or the full physical and psychological development of an athlete, or what a cool down is. The key is to play a lot of games, outdoors especially. I think they should use running as a model, but within the context of playing other sports. In particular, sports where there is a ball that’s parabolic like basketball, tennis, and soccer where the ball bounces around at different angles and trajectories.

TC. How crucial are warm up and cool down exercises before and after matches? What are some examples of effective ones?

KF. For the average player, the best thing they can do is warm up and have a little stretch before they play because they are more likely to tweak something. So, 5-10 minutes of jogging continuously in different directions – backwards, side skipping, arms rolling forward, arms rolling backwards. Just get the joints moving a little bit. Once you finish that, you should stretch. 10 minutes to get everything loose and not have it cold when you go on court.

TC. Can you give some nutrition and hydration tips for the average tennis player? What should they be consuming before, during, and after playing?

KF. Before a match it’s important to hydrate to make sure that you take in adequate fluid. This can help you stay cooler in your match. Somewhere along the lines of ¾ of a litre to one litre of water before you play. While you’re playing, a good guideline is to have 200 ml of liquid every 15-20 minutes. In terms of eating before a match, you want to have a light snack maybe two hours before because you don’t want to carry anything in your stomach as you’re playing. Between games, you can take fruits that are easily digestible or sports drinks if you’re playing for more than an hour. But still, water is your best friend. I like to eat within 30 minutes of playing just to replace my energy. That can be fruit, pasta, or some white protein like chicken or fish.

Sunday 25 August 2013

From Winnipeg to Flushing Meadows

John-Patrick Smith had little time to celebrate his first title
of the year, as he travels to New York where he will compete
in the U.S. Open. (Photo: Brian McCann)

By Geoff Kirbyson

J.P. Smith is on a roll heading into the U.S. Open.

The 24-year-old Australia native won the second-annual Manshield Tennis Futures tournament with a hard-fought 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory in sweltering conditions over Ante Pavic of Croatia at the Sargent Park Tennis Gardens Sunday afternoon.

It’s the first title of 2013 for Smith, who is ranked 304 in the world, and the fourth in his career. Pavic is ranked 555 in the world.

Immediately following the match, Smith Tweeted that he’s off to New York City for the U.S. Open, where he’s going to compete in men’s doubles. He is currently ranked No. 72 in the world in doubles.

Smith defeated Cameron Norrie of Great Britain in the semi-finals, 6-1, 6-2 on Saturday, while Pavic beat American Evan King 6-3, 6-2.

The loss ended a great week for Pavic, who had told organizers earlier this month while in Calgary that he was playing so poorly he wasn’t even going to enter Manshield. Instead, he came to Winnipeg, won the doubles and knocked off No. 1 seed Filip Peliwo in the quarter-finals.

See also...
> Aussie Smith Crowned Champion at Winnipeg Futures
> Pavic and Smith Reach Winnipeg Futures Final
> Pavic Haunts Peliwo
> Winnipeg Futures down to Semifinals; Pokrajac Wins Doubles Title
> Peliwo Continues March in both Singles and Doubles
> Two Canadians in Quater-Finals at Winnipeg Futures
> Kylar Nearly Makes History
> First Round Complete at Winnipeg Futures
> Road to U.S. Open runs through Winnipeg
> First Round Underway at Winnipeg Futures

Aussie Smith Crowned Champion at Winnipeg Futures

John-Patrick Smith notched his first title of the year at the 2013
Manshield Tennis Futures, held at the Sargent Park Tennis
Garden, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

By Tennis Canada

Australian John-Patrick Smith has been crowned champion of the Manshield Futures, as he ousted Ante Pavic of Croatia 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the final of the $15K ITF Pro Circuit event at Sargent Park Tennis Garden in Winnipeg on Sunday.

Seeded No. 2, Smith started slowly against his No. 7-seeded opponent, as he was broken in his first service game. But after dropping the opening set, Smith was able to come back strongly to nab the win. During the match, he also reeled off an impressive 13 straight points.

“I started the week off slowly but seemed to get into the groove, similar to the final where I lost the first set but went on to win,” Smith said following the match to Radio-Canada.

For the 24-year-old, the Manshield Futures is his first 2013 title and fourth overall. Smith is currently ranked world No. 304 and he will hope his performance in Winnipeg can provide him momentum through the rest of the season as he aims to better his career-high of No. 210.

Smith will next head to the US Open, where he will participate in the doubles draw alongside fellow Aussie Paul Hanley.

“I’ll have 10 minutes [to enjoy the victory] – that's the length of the ride to the airport and then I have to focus on New York,” he said. For more information about the Manshield Futures, please visit www.winnipegfutures.com.

See also...
> From Winnipeg to Flushing Meadows
> Pavic and Smith Reach Winnipeg Futures Final
> Pavic Haunts Peliwo
> Winnipeg Futures down to Semifinals; Pokrajac Wins Doubles Title
> Peliwo Continues March in both Singles and Doubles
> Two Canadians in Quater-Finals at Winnipeg Futures
> Kylar Nearly Makes History
> First Round Complete at Winnipeg Futures
> Road to U.S. Open runs through Winnipeg
> First Round Underway at Winnipeg Futures

Saturday 24 August 2013

Pavic and Smith Reach Winnipeg Futures Final

John-Patrick Smith provided the Manshield Tennis Futures
fans with a dominant performance in his semifinal
victory over the younger Cameron Norrie.

By Tennis Canada

No. 7 seed Ante Pavic of Croatia and No. 2-seeded Aussie John-Patrick Smith will face off for the Manshield Futures title after they captured semifinal victories over their qualifier opponents at the $15K ITF Pro Circuit event in Winnipeg on Saturday.

Pavic ended the impressive run of American qualifier Evan King with a 6-3, 6-2 triumph. Pavic didn’t face a single break point in the match en route to earning his position in the final.

Eighteen-year-old Cameron Norrie of Great Britain could not challenge Smith, who won 6-1, 6-2. Smith reeled off nine consecutive games during the duel, and won 53 total points to Norrie’s 29.

Both finalists will be looking for their first 2013 singles title in Sunday’s championship match. The two competitors have played each other twice before, with both Smith and Pavic picking up one triumph. Smith is ranked world No. 304 and is looking for his fourth career professional title, while Pavic is No. 555, with two career trophies. Pavic is hoping to net the title sweep in Winnipeg, as he and Canadian partner Milan Pokrajac clinched the doubles crown on Friday.

Sunday’s final will take place at 12 p.m. local time. Admission to the Sargent Park Tennis Garden for the match is free. Fans can follow live scoring from www.tenniscanada.com and find out more information about the Manshield Futures at www.winnipegfutures.com.

See also...
> Pavic Haunts Peliwo
> Winnipeg Futures down to Semifinals; Pokrajac Wins Doubles Title
> Peliwo Continues March in both Singles and Doubles
> Two Canadians in Quater-Finals at Winnipeg Futures
> Kylar Nearly Makes History
> First Round Complete at Winnipeg Futures
> Road to U.S. Open runs through Winnipeg
> First Round Underway at Winnipeg Futures

Pavic Haunts Peliwo

Ante Pavic (left) discusses critical point strategy with partner
Milan Pokrajac during the third set in the Manshield Tennis
Futures doubles championship match.

By Geoff Kirbyson

Filip Peliwo will be having nightmares about Ante Pavic after getting knocked out in both the singles and doubles at the Manshield Tennis Futures Friday.

The Croation Pavic, who was seeded seventh, defeated the Vancouver native and No. 1 seed in the singles 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 at the Sargent Park Tennis Garden.

Then a couple of hours later he partnered with Milan Pokrajac, another Canadian, to defend their top seed and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat with a 6-0, 4-6, 13-11 win over Peliwo and David Sofaer from Australia in the men’s doubles final.

The top seeds were down two mini-breaks at 8-4 in the deciding super tie-break and saved off one match point before prevailing.

The men’s semi-finals start Saturday morning with Pavic playing Evan King from the U.S. (Pavic had won the first set at press time) and Cameron Norrie from Great Britain will take on J.P. Smith from Australia at 1:00 p.m.

Smith is the highest-ranked player left in the draw (No. 299 in the world.)

For more information about the Manshield Futures, please visit www.winnipegfutures.com.

See also...
> Winnipeg Futures down to Semifinals; Pokrajac Wins Doubles Title
> Peliwo Continues March in both Singles and Doubles
> Two Canadians in Quater-Finals at Winnipeg Futures
> Kylar Nearly Makes History
> First Round Complete at Winnipeg Futures
> Road to U.S. Open runs through Winnipeg
> First Round Underway at Winnipeg Futures

Friday 23 August 2013

Winnipeg Futures down to Semifinals; Pokrajac Wins Doubles Title

Croatian Ante Pavic ousted Canadian Filip Peliwo in today's
 singles quarterfinals by a score of 4-6 6-1 6-4.

By Tennis Canada

The Manshield Futures is down to the semifinals following action at the Sargent Park Tennis Garden in Winnipeg on Friday, with the two remaining Canadians in contention for the title – Erik Chvojka (Montreal) and Filip Peliwo (Vancouver) – both ousted in the quarters.

No. 1-seeded Peliwo was bested by No. 7 seed Ante Pavic of Croatia 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. After dropping the first set, Pavic came back strong to earn the win and a semifinal match-up versus qualifier Evan King of the United States. King, currently ranked world No. 941, overcame compatriot Alexander Sarkissian 7-6(7), 5-7, 6-2.

Chvojka, who was seeded No. 5 in Winnipeg, was forced to retire from his match versus British qualifier Cameron Norrie at the 4-0 mark of the first set. Ranked No. 1346, 18-year-old Norrie will be well rested for his semifinal battle opposite No. 2 seed John-Patrick Smith of Australia. Smith eliminated Tunisian Haythem Abid 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.

A thrilling final on Friday also brought the doubles draw to a close, as Canadian Milan Pokrajac (Toronto) and Pavic pulled off the victory. The winning pair dished out a bagel in the first set before their opponents, Peliwo and Aussie David Soafer, climbed back into the match and really began to challenge them. It ended with a tight match tiebreaker but Pokrajac and Pavic – the No. 1-seeded duo – were able to clinch a 6-0, 4-6, 13-11 triumph for the title.

Live scoring of Saturday’s semifinals can be found at www.tenniscanada.com. For more information about the Manshield Futures, please visit www.winnipegfutures.com.

See also...
> Peliwo Continues March in both Singles and Doubles
> Two Canadians in Quater-Finals at Winnipeg Futures
> Kylar Nearly Makes History
> First Round Complete at Winnipeg Futures
> Road to U.S. Open runs through Winnipeg
> First Round Underway at Winnipeg Futures

Peliwo Continues March in both Singles and Doubles

It was Filip Peliwo (CAN) / David Sofaer (AUS) getting it done,
6-3 6-4 over Swedes Isak Arvidsson / Markus Eriksson (SWE)
 to get into the doubles finals.

By Geoff Kirbyson

Filip Peliwo is no stranger to pressure.

Even though the 19-year-old is one of the younger players at the Manshield Tennis Futures tournament in Winnipeg, having been the No. 1 ranked junior in the world last year has helped him prepare for moments like this.

On Thursday, he dispatched Sweden’s Patrik Rosenholm, 6-4, 7-5 at the Sargent Park Tennis Garden, setting up a quarter-final match with Croatia’s Ante Pavic, the No. 7 seed, Friday morning at 10 a.m.

The other quarter-finals feature one more Canadian, No. 5 seed Erik Chvojka and Cameron Norrie of Great Britain, an all-American duel between Alexander Sarkissian and Evan King, and No. 2 seed J Smith from Australia and Haythem Abid from Tunisia.

Later on today, Peliwo and his partner, David Sofaer from Australia, will play the top-seeded pairing of Pavic and Canadian Milan Pokrajac in the doubles final.

For more information about the Manshield Futures, please visit www.winnipegfutures.com.

See also...
> Two Canadians in Quater-Finals at Winnipeg Futures
> Kylar Nearly Makes History
> First Round Complete at Winnipeg Futures
> Road to U.S. Open runs through Winnipeg
> First Round Underway at Winnipeg Futures

Thursday 22 August 2013

Two Canadians in Quater-Finals at Winnipeg Futures

Top seed Canadian Filip Peliwo battled hard to get past Patrik
 Rosenholm of Sweden, 6-4 7-5.

By Tennis Canada

The quarter-finals are set at the Manshield Futures, a $15,000 International Tennis Federation Pro Circuit event in Winnipeg, where tennis fans at the Sargent Park Tennis Garden saw two Canadians capture second-round victories to advance on Thursday.

No. 1-seeded Canadian Filip Peliwo, a former junior Grand Slam champion, ousted Patrik Rosenholm of Sweden 6-4, 7-5 to secure his quarter-final position. Peliwo will next be pitted against No. 7 seed Ante Pavic of Croatia, who defeated Canadian Isade Juneau 6-4, 6-3 to advance.

The second Canadian in the quarter-finals is Erik Chvojka, who advanced after prevailing over Great Britain’s Luke Bambridge 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 in the second round. In order to compete in the semifinals, No. 5 seed Chvojka will next need to defeat another Brit, qualifier Cameron Norrie, who upset No. 4 seed Vijayant Malik of India 6-1, 6-4 on Thursday.

Tunisian Mohamed Abid ousted qualifier David Sofaer of Australia 6-0, 6-2, and will now have to overcome the tournament’s No. 2 player, Aussie John-Patrick Smith, to move into the semis. Smith earned his quarter-final position after defeating Isak Arvidsson of Sweden 6-4, 7-6(6) in the second round.

American Evan King will move into the quarters after defeating compatriot Jean-Yves Aubone 7-5, 7-5 in the second round. He will take on the winner of Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis and American Alexander Sarkissian’s second-round match, which will be played tonight at 6:30 p.m. local time. Fans can follow live scoring of this match at www.tenniscanada.com.

For more information about the Manshield Futures, please visit www.winnipegfutures.com.

See also...
> Kylar Nearly Makes History
> First Round Complete at Winnipeg Futures
> Road to U.S. Open runs through Winnipeg
> First Round Underway at Winnipeg Futures

Wednesday 21 August 2013

Kylar Nearly Makes History

Winnipeg's Kevin Kylar came close to a big upset over
no. 4-seeded Vijayant Malik of India.

By Geoff Kirbyson

Missed it by that much.

Kevin Kylar came oh-so-close to becoming the first Manitoban ever to earn an International Tennis Federation ranking point during the Manshield Tennis Futures tournament at the Sargent Park Tennis Garden on Wednesday.

After losing the first set of his first round match to India’s Vijayant Malik 6-3, the 19-year-old Winnipegger won a battle of the breaks (of serve) to take the second set 6-3.

Kylar, who had several outbursts over what he perceived were bad line calls during the match, held a 3-2 lead but was unable to convert a break point for 4-2 and eventually fell 6-4. Malik is ranked 447th in the world.

Two weeks ago, Kylar was one match away from getting that elusive point but he lost a straight sets match at a tournament in Calgary.

Matthew Akman, who grew up playing tennis in Winnipeg, earned an ITF point a couple of decades ago, but by that time he had moved away from Manitoba.

Top seed Filip Peliwo from Vancouver plays his second round match against Sweden’s Patrik Rosenholm at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday.

Manshield Tennis Futures updates are available at www.winnipegfutures.com

See also...
> First Round Complete at Winnipeg Futures
> Road to U.S. Open runs through Winnipeg
> First Round Underway at Winnipeg Futures

First Round Complete at Winnipeg Futures

A great performance by Winnipeg's Kevin Kylar came up a little
 short against no. 4-seeded Vijayant Malik of India, 6-3 3-6 6-4.

By Tennis Canada

The first round has come to an end at Manshield Futures, a $15,000 International Tennis Federation Pro Circuit event in Winnipeg, where tennis fans at Sargent Park Tennis Garden saw three Canadian players advance into the second round.

Canadian qualifier Isade Juneau defeated compatriot Hugo Di Feo 7-5, 6-4 on Wednesday, and will be advancing to take on No. 7 seed Ante Pavic of Croatia in the second round. The second all-Canadian match of the day between No. 5-seeded Erik Chvojka and Milan Pokrajac saw Chovjka win 6-4, 6-3. He will now face Luke Brambridge, who ousted Canada's Brayden Schnur 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-5.

Daniel Chu, another Canadian qualifier, was eliminated after losing to Jean-Yves Aubone of the United States 6-1, 6-2. Aubone will now face Evan King in the second round after the American defeated Fritz Wolmarans 6-3, 6-3 to advance. Another American, Alexander Sarkissian, defeated Elias Ymer 6-3, 6-4 to move into the next round where he will face Thanasi Kokkinakis, who secured his second-round berth during Tuesday’s schedule of play.

Winnipeg’s own Kevin Kylar put up a strong fight against India's Vijayant Malik before he was eliminated 6-3, 3-6, 6-4. Malik will advance to take on Great Britain's Cameron Norrie, who defeated Alexander Zverev 7-6(2), 6-3.

Wednesday's successful players join Canadian Filip Peliwo, as well as Patrik Rosenholm, Mohamed Abid, David Soafer, John-Patrick Smith, and Isak Arvidsson in the second round, which will take place on Thursday. Stay tuned to www.tenniscanada.com for match updates and live scoring throughout the rest of the tournament. For more information about the Manshield Futures, please visit www.winnipegfutures.com.

See also...
> Road to U.S. Open runs through Winnipeg
> First Round Underway at Winnipeg Futures

Tuesday 20 August 2013

Road to U.S. Open runs through Winnipeg

Filip Peliwo returned to Winnipeg with a first round victory,
as he edged out Andrew Ochotta, 6-4, 7-6(4).

By Geoff Kirbyson

Last year, Filip Peliwo used the Manshield Tennis Futures as a springboard to winning one of the biggest junior tournaments on the planet.

This year, he’s hoping to ride his success here, where he’s the No. 1 seed, into the main draw of the U.S. Open.

The 19-year-old Vancouver native got off on the right foot Tuesday with a straight set victory over Andrew Ochotta at the Sargent Park Tennis Garden.

Peliwo had a season to remember in 2012, reaching the final of all four Grand Slam junior events, and winning both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

Peliwo has an off day on Wednesday when all eyes will be on Kevin Kylar, fresh off his victory in the Manitoba Open, who will play No. 4 seed and world No. 447, Vijayant Malik from India, in the late morning draw.

Manshield Tennis Futures updates are available at www.winnipegfutures.com


See also...
> First Round Underway at Winnipeg Futures

First Round Underway at Winnipeg Futures

Filip Peliwo was off to a good start at the 2013 Manshield
Tennis Futures, as he defeated Andrew Ochotta in a close
contest. (Photo: Brian McCann)

By Tennis Canada

Tennis fans in Winnipeg are welcoming the return of the Manshield Futures, a $15,000 International Tennis Federation Pro Circuit event, where the first round of main draw play began at Sargent Park Tennis Garden on Tuesday.

Headlining the tournament is Canada’s own Filip Peliwo, the No. 1 seed who ousted his compatriot Andrew Ochotta, 6-4, 7-6(4) in the first round. Peliwo will now face Patrik Rosenholm of Sweden, who eliminated Canadian George Jecminek 6-4, 6-4 during Tuesday’s play.

Canadians Nikolai Haessig and Philip Bester were unable to find success on the opening day of action, after Haessig was ousted by Sweden’s Isak Arvidsson 6-3, 6-3, and Bester fell to Tunisian Mohamed Abid 6-2, 7-6(4). Abid will take on qualifier David Soafer in the second round, who advanced after his first-round opponent, Sahak Bazrganian, retired at 6-3, 4-2.

The tournament’s No. 3-seeded player, Markus Eriksson, was upset by Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis 3-6, 7-6(0), 6-3, while No. 7 seed Ante Pavic of Croatia recovered after dropping the first set to defeat Dimitar Kutovsky 5-7, 6-1, 6-3.

With the remaining first-round matches set to take place Wednesday, there are plenty of opportunities for fans to catch more Canadians competing for spots in the second round.

Two all-Canadian matches will guarantee that at least two more Canucks make the second round. Qualifier Isade Juneau will take on wild card Hugo Di Feo, with the winner advancing to take on Pavic. No. 5 seed Erik Chvojka will be facing Milan Pokrajac for a second-round berth, with the victor next taking on either recent Calgary Futures champion Brayden Schnur or Great Britain’s Luke Bambridge.

Canadian qualifier Daniel Chu will also be playing American Jean-Yves Aubone in hopes of advancing to the second round.

Stay tuned to www.tenniscanada.com for match updates and live scoring throughout the rest of the tournament. For more information about the Manshield Futures, please visit www.winnipegfutures.com.

Sunday 18 August 2013

Two out of Three Ain't Bad

Sean Lacap (yellow shirt) with brother Chad, discussing their
come from behind strategy against Stephen Dubienski and Mike
Lodewyks for the Manitoba Open men's doubles championship.

By Geoff Kirbyson

Sean Lacap didn’t get the result he wanted in the men’s open singles at the Manitoba Open, but he did in men’s and mixed doubles.

After falling in straight sets to Kevin Kylar, Lacap and his brother, Chad, defeated Stephen Dubienski and Mike Lodewyks, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, in an entertaining men’s doubles final at the Kildonan Tennis Club Saturday.

He topped it off by partnering Anita Paskvalin to a 6-2, 6-2 win over Lori Mann and Mark Vandal, to finish the round robin with a perfect 4-0 record.

It’s the fourth men’s doubles title at the Manitoba for the elder Lacap and the first for the younger.

See also...
> Kylar Claims Championship, Household Bragging Rights
> Doubles Troubles? Not for Unseeded Pair
> Youth is Served in Sister Showdown
> The Philippine Comeback Machine
> Lacap's make Manitoba Open a family affair
> Marathon match puts Ismath into Manitoba Open Quarterfinals

> Video: 2013 Manitoba Open men's doubles final, end of 1st set

Get Manitoba Open draw updates at tennismanitoba.com

Saturday 17 August 2013

Kylar Claims Championship, Household Bragging Rights


Kevin Kylar reclaims the Manitoba Open Men's Singles
championship title.

By Geoff Kirbyson

Nothing will ever top the drama of Kevin Kylar’s first Manitoba Open singles title but it will be difficult to find a more significant win than his second.

Two years ago, the then-16-year-old did something no Manitoban had done in nearly a decade-and-a-half, defeating longtime No. 1, Doug Devriendt, in an epic three-set battle.

But Saturday at the Kildonan Tennis Club, the top seed’s 6-1, 6-3 win over No. 4 Sean LaCap gave him bragging rights in his house.

“My dad only won one,” he said, referring to George Kylar’s sole Manitoba Open singles victory in 1982.

(George Kylar, who is also Kevin’s coach, has several Manitoba Open doubles titles, too.)

The younger Kylar knew he had to play a little bit bigger than he had to this point in the tournament because he didn’t want to grind with LaCap, who had won three tough matches to get to the final, including coming back from 5-1 down and two match points in the third set against Saul Shrom in the quarter-finals.

“He hits so much topspin and slice, it’s kind of uncomfortable. He hits a lot of loopy balls and it’s easy to make mistakes off them. I figured if I could hit a good serve, get a short ball, hit a good approach and put it away, that was better than hanging around the baseline,” he said.

There’s little time to bask in the glory for Kylar, however, as he has a wildcard spot in the Manshield Tennis Futures, a $15,000 International Tennis Federation pro circuit men’s tournament next week at the Sargent Park Tennis Garden.

“It’s going to be a little tougher but I played a tournament in Calgary last week and qualified for the main draw and had a couple of tough matches. That will help get me ready for (Manshield),” he said.

See also...
> Doubles Troubles? Not for Unseeded Pair
> Youth is Served in Sister Showdown
> The Philippine Comeback Machine
> LaCap's make Manitoba Open a family affair
> Marathon match puts Ismath into Manitoba Open Quarterfinals

Get Manitoba Open draw updates at tennismanitoba.com

Friday 16 August 2013

Doubles Troubles? Not for Unseeded Pair

Manitoba Open men's doubles semi finals were played under
the lights Friday night at Kildonan Tennis Club.

By Geoff Kirbyson

Do Mike Lodewyks and Stephen Dubienski have two more arrows in their quivers?

The unseeded duo defeated their second seeded pair in as many days Friday night when they ousted the top ranked team of Alex Lesiuk and Saul Shrom 6-4, 6-4 in Manitoba Open action at the Kildonan Tennis Club.

After clinching match point, they celebrated with a Bryan brothers-esque chest bump.

They dumped the No. 4 seeds, Trev Borland and Sean Grassie, in three sets on Thursday.

Lodewyks and Dubienski will face two of the LaCap brothers – Sean and Chad – in Saturday’s final, after they beat their younger brother, Cole, and his partner, Kento Tanaka-Tamaki, 7-5, 6-3.

The final is scheduled for 11:30 a.m.

In the men’s singles, top seeded Kevin Kylar continued his uneventful run to the final with an efficient 6-1, 6-2 effort over No. 3 seed Evan Mancer.

Kylar will face No. 4 seed Sean LaCap, who ousted the second seed, Lesiuk, 7-6 (3), 6-2. The final is set for Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m.

See also...
> Youth is Served in Sister Showdown
> The Philippine Comeback Machine
> LaCap's make Manitoba Open a family affair
> Marathon match puts Ismath into Manitoba Open Quarterfinals

Get Manitoba Open draw updates at tennismanitoba.com

Youth is Served in Sister Showdown

Kylie Waschuk captured the 2013 Manitoba Open Tennis
Championships women's singles title.

By Geoff Kirbyson

Kylie Waschuk had about 20 minutes to revel in avenging her three defeats at the hands of her sister at last year’s Manitoba Open.

The No. 2 seed in the women’s open singles defeated her older sibling in the final for her first Manitoba Open title when Evann retired with an injured back while trailing 6-4, 3-1.

Evann had defeated Kylie in singles, doubles and mixed doubles at the 2012 Open.

“It was good to get a little payback. I've lost to Evann many times growing up, so getting the win was great,” she said.

After a quick break for food and treatment on Evann’s back, the two paired up to defeat Lori Mann and Alix Younger, 6-3, 6-2, to clinch the women’s doubles title with a 3-0 record in the round robin.

After a summer of traveling to junior ITF tournaments, the Stanley Park Open, junior nationals and the just-completed Canada Games, the younger Waschuk was primed from playing some of the best juniors Canada has to offer.

“I thought I’d be well prepared for this year’s Manitoba Open. My plan was to run Evann hard,” she says.

See also...
> The Philippine Comeback Machine
> LaCap's make Manitoba Open a family affair
> Marathon match puts Ismath into Manitoba Open Quarterfinals

Get Manitoba Open draw updates at tennismanitoba.com

Thursday 15 August 2013

The Philippine Comeback Machine

Saul Shrom prepares to serve to Sean Lacap in Manitoba
Open men's quarter finals action at Kildonan Tennis Club.

Lacap erases huge third set deficit to post win

By Geoff Kirbyson

When Yogi Berra said, “it ain’t over til it’s over,” he probably wasn’t talking about tennis.

But the New York Yankees legend’s famous line about not giving up until the absolute end was fitting for Sean LaCap’s win over Saul Shrom at the Manitoba Open at the Kildonan Tennis Club Thursday night.

The fourth seeded Lacap found himself down 5-1 in the third set to the sixth seed before battling back to take it to a tie-break, only to go down 4-0 and then down two match points at 6-4.

He saved both and eventually took the tie-break 9-7 in a match that lasted nearly three hours and 15 minutes.

Lacap will now play No. 2 seed Alex Lesiuk, who took out LaCap’s younger brother, Chad, 6-4, 7-6, (7-2) in one men’s singles semi-final on Friday while top seed Kevin Kylar will play No. 3 Evan Mancer.

Kylar beat Kento Tanaka-Tamaki, the No. 7 seed, who plays at Pepperdine University, 6-3, 6-3, while Mancer ousted Muzeen Ismath, 7-6, (7-3), 6-4.

Shrom was involved in another barn burner on the doubles court when he and Lesiuk, the event’s top seeds, beat Daniel Fraser and Shane Nicholls, 6-4, 6-7, 6-4 in one quarter-final.

Sean and Chad Lacap, the No. 2 seeds, defeated Ian Filoteo and Joey Glavine, 6-1, 6-3 in another.

Tanaka-Tamaki and Cole Lacap registered one of two upsets on the day, beating Ismath and Geoff Kirbyson, the third seeds and the 2011 champions, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4.

Stephen Dubienski and Mike Lodywyks pulled off the second, beating the fourth-ranked pair of Trev Borland and Sean Grassie, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4.

On the women’s side, it’s going to be an all-Waschuk singles final as both Evann and Kylie won their semi-finals Thursday night.

Top-seeded Evann defeated Samantha Lee, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, while No. 2 Kylie took down Jennifer Wang, 6-3, 6-2.

They will play Friday at 5:45 p.m.

See also...
> Lacap's make Manitoba Open a family affair
> Marathon match puts Ismath into Manitoba Open Quarterfinals

Get Manitoba Open draw updates at tennismanitoba.com

Wednesday 14 August 2013

Lacap's make Manitoba Open a family affair

Sean Lacap in action at the Manitoba Open Tennis
Championships. (Photo: VERSUS Photography)
By Geoff Kirbyson

The Lacap family might want to start taking separate cars to tennis tournaments.

With three sons – Sean, 24, Chad, 19, and now 15-year-old Cole – playing in the open category at this year’s Manitoba Open, the likelihood that one will be going home unhappy at the hands of one of his brothers is high.

That was likely the case on Wednesday night at the Kildonan Tennis Club as Sean and his partner, Anita Paskvalin, posted a hard-fought 6-4, 6-4 win over Cole and Kylie Waschuk in the mixed open doubles round robin.

Sibling rivalry? You bet.

Sean, who won his first men’s open singles tournament a decade ago, said he’s “not exactly thrilled” about his odds of staying atop the family tennis ladder cut in half with Cole’s arrival in the open events.

“We take these match-ups very seriously at home. Chad and I wouldn't talk to each other for the two days leading up to our first round singles match at the Taylor Clay Courts tournament this summer. And I may have possibly uttered threats to Cole about errant overheads and put-aways coming his way tonight,” he says.

But ever the big brother, Sean says he’ll be the first to “sincerely and proudly” congratulate his siblings when they eventually take him down. There’s just one small catch, though.

“I’ll make it very uncomfortable for them to try it, both on and off the court,” he says.

Cole says Sean knows he’s probably going to play one of his brothers sooner or later in the draw.

“He has played Chad many times but for Sean to play me was very different because he can have two brothers that are at his own level,” the youngest Lacap says.

Cole admitted that he got a few pointers from Chad before going out on the court.

“He said I had nothing to lose by playing Sean. I am the youngest brother, after all,” he says.

The Lacaps aren’t always on opposite sides of the net. Sean and Chad are the No. 2 seeds in the men’s doubles and will play Thursday evening.

The men’s singles quarterfinals are now set as three more seeds moved on Wednesday night. Top seeded Kevin Kylar defeated Shane Nicholls 6-2, 6-3, No. 3 Evan Mancer needed three sets to get by Sean Grassie, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 and No. 7 Kento Tanaka-Tamaki defeated Don Wong Kang, 6-1, 6-0.

All of the quarter-finals in both men’s singles and men’s doubles will take place Thursday evening. The women’s singles’ semi-finals are also on tap, with another potential family feud in the offing.

Top seed Evann Waschuk will play Samantha Lee while No. 2 Kylie Waschuk will take on fourth seeded Jennifer Wang.

See also: Marathon match puts Ismath into Manitoba Open Quarterfinals

Get Manitoba Open draw updates at tennismanitoba.com

Local man hopes for fundraising ace

Harbour View South resident Markus Deutsch (left) is planning an eight-hour tennis marathon in support of Siloam Mission on Sept. 7. Also pictured are Siloam director of resource development Judy Richichi and Deutsch's eight-year-old son Josiah. (Photo: Dan Falloon)

By The Herald, Canstar Community News

Prayer led Markus Deutsch to create a fundraiser for Siloam Mission.

"We have a walk-in closet, and I go into the walk-in closet and I pray there," said the Harbour View South resident. "I was just sitting there, sometimes I just listen there, and basically, what I got was ‘Why don’t you do a fundraiser for Siloam?’"

Newly inspired, Deutsch decided to create Tennis for Siloam, which is planned for Sept. 7 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The fundraiser, which will take place at the Kildonan Tennis Club at 17 Valhalla Dr., will consist of Deutsch and three friends playing tennis for eight hours.

"Why don’t I combine those two things — having fun and also challenging myself?" said Deutsch, who plays tennis three to five times per week. "Usually, after three hours, I get tired, so I thought about doing an eight-hour match.

"My goal is to have four (players) so we can rotate and get a massage or an adjustment in between. Usually, after three hours, I feel (it in) my lower back."

Deutsch, who has never organized a fundraiser before, will be glad for any donation that is made, but hopes to see people pledge in increments of $3.11 — the cost for one meal at Siloam Mission — for each hour played. He hopes to raise $10,000 from the event.

He said Siloam’s work with Winnipeg’s homeless population, which he said goes above and beyond a meal and a bed, is a godsend for those trying to travel the right path.

"Sometimes they went the wrong way, but it shows that they’re trying to get back on their feet," he said. "Siloam helps them in not just providing food, not just providing shelter, but also helps to get them back on their feet."

Deutsch said he played tennis growing up, but really embraced the sport about five years ago after an injury all but ended his soccer career. He said his competitiveness carried over into the new sport.

"I can’t play without points. It’s too boring," Deutsch said. "It’s always very competitive."

Siloam director of resource development Judy Richichi said the number of community initiatives to support the shelter has increased in recent years.

"It’s a good thing, because we need everybody. We need everybody’s little bit," she said.

The rain date for the event is Sept. 14.

For more information on Siloam Mission, located at 300 Princess St., go online at
www.siloam.ca

Looking for gold at Mont-Tremblant

Sabrina Alano hits the court at the Taylor Tennis Club
Thursday morning to practice before competing in the
U12 Outdoor Rogers Junior Nationals in Mont Tremblant,
QC Aug. 19-25. (PHOTO BY JORDAN THOMPSON)

Courtesy of The Times / Canstar Community News (Matt Preprost)

Maples resident Sabrina Alano has big expectations for her upcoming 11th birthday — coming home from La belle province with a nice, big piece of gold.

Alano, who makes the jump from 10 on Aug. 28, will be one of three young tennis stars who will represent the Prairies at the U12 Outdoor Rogers Junior Nationals in Mont-Tremblant, Que. from Aug. 20 to 25.

"I’m so excited," said Alano, the only Manitoban named to the team alongside two players from Saskatchewan.

Alano’s excitement and expectations aren’t overblown — she’s currently the No. 1 seed in her Girls U12 division in the province, and No. 3 in Girls U14. Nationally, she’s ranked No. 13 heading into the tournament.

That’s not surprising, her mother, Coleen, says.

Finding a passion for the sport from her parents own love of the game, Alano has been swinging a racket since she was four years old, along with her twin sister. Her interest in the sport wavered, however, and Sabrina didn’t become serious with training until she was eight, Coleen said. She began practising with her father, who played varsity when he was in college.

"We noticed Sabrina’s eagerness to become a better player and so we supported her by getting pro coaches to train her further until we saw her potential," said Coleen.

Sabrina began playing tournaments in March 2011, shortly before her family immigrated to Canada from the Philippines. Arriving in Winnipeg that September, Alano quickly found homes at both the Taylor Tennis Club and Winter Club. She’s played in 16 local tournaments since — including four appearances at the Tuxedo Junior Open and three at the Manitoba Junior Open — winning nine of them.

The national championship will be Alano’s first tournament outside of Manitoba. Alano is focused on the challenge and hopes to come back from the experience a better tennis player.

"I’ll get to play many people that I don’t know," she said.

"In Winnipeg, you play many of the same people."

Tennis has been great in Sabrina’s development, Coleen said.

"It develops not only her physical health, but her emotional aspects, shows her sportsmanship," she said.

"Having that goal in her life, which is very important for kids to have. She dreams like becoming one of the stars like (Maria) Sharapova. We’re supporting her as much as possible."

Facebook.com/TheTimesWPG
Twitter: @timesWPG

Tuesday 13 August 2013

Marathon match puts Ismath into Manitoba Open Quarterfinals

Gonzaga Bulldog's Muzeen Ismath was put to the test
during second round Manitoba Open action.
(Photo courtesy of Gonzaga Athletics)

By Geoff Kirbyson

If Muzeen Ismath had any doubts about the strength of his surgically-repaired right elbow, he put them to rest in the second round of the Manitoba Open Tuesday night.

The 21-year-old Winnipegger, who plays varsity tennis at Gonzaga University during the school year, was pushed to the limit by Daniel Fraser from Australia, pulling out a more than three-hour duel at the Kildonan Tennis Club, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5).

Serving for the match on his third match point, the fifth seed cracked a service winner down the “T” to take the longest match of the evening.

He had raced to a 4-0 lead in the tie-break before Fraser started his comeback.

Ismath hasn’t spent nearly as much time on a tennis court as he normally does by this point in the summer as he injured his elbow during the past school year and went under the knife several months ago.

He wasn’t the only seed to have need three sets to advance to the third round. Sean LaCap, seeded fourth, was leading Stephen Dubienski, 4-6, 6-3, 4-3 at the two-and-a-half hour point when Dubienski had to retire with a leg injury. Second seed Alex Lesiuk had a relatively easy time, defeating Dave Giffin 6-0, 6-1, while Saul Shrom, seeded sixth, defeated Ray Daumler, 6-4, 6-2.

In the only other men’s open match, Chad LaCap defeated Trev Borland, 6-4, 6-4.

On the women’s side, top seed and former Manitoba Open champion Evann Waschuk survived a scare from Olga Berdynskykh before prevailing 2-6, 6-4, 6-3. Third seed Lori Mann wasn’t as fortunate, losing 6-3, 6-4 to Samantha Lee. Fourth seed Jennifer Wang defeated Ileana Ursatanu, 6-3, 6-1.

The top seed in the men’s draw, 2011 champion Kevin Kylar, takes on Shane Nicholls Wednesday evening at 7:15. Third seed Evan Mancer plays Sean Grassie at 5:15.

Get Manitoba Open draw updates at tennismanitoba.com

Monday 12 August 2013

Reece and Ryan take on giants at Paul Bunyan Open

Reece (left) and Ryan Carter capture titles at the
Paul Bunyan Open in Brainerd, MN.
This past weekend little 6 year-old Ryan Carter won the Girls' 10 Singles at the Paul Bunyan Open held in Brainerd, Minnesota, winning all 4 matches without dropping a game. Not to be outdone, 8 year-old sister Reece won her first Girls' 14 Singles title.

Other juniors from Winnipeg to make the trip were Sahand Marzban in the Boys' 14 category, and Maya Arksey who competed in the Girls' 12 Singles.

Complete Paul Bunyan Open results are available at tennislink.usta.com

Thursday 8 August 2013

Tie-Break Tourney in Memory of Susan Griffiths


Submitted by Winnipeg Lawn Tennis Club

Our fourth Annual Doubles Tie Break Tourney will be dedicated in "Memory of Susan Griffiths" and in support of the Parkinson Society of Manitoba and takes place Sunday, August 18th.

Players will receive a charitable tax receipt for their registration donation of $25. Ladies, men's and mixed doubles will be the 3 events offered. Our head pro Rob Langan will arrange the matches according to each teams skill level to ensure an enjoyable and fun afternoon of tennis which is what Susan would want for everybody.

If you are unable to participate in the tournament, please consider making a donation at the club in memory of Susan and you will receive a charitable tax receipt for your contribution.

Please join us courtside to enjoy the matches. Finger food compliments of Ground Roots Cafe will be served along with a cash bar after play is concluded.

For more information, or to register for this event, visit www.wltc.ca

Wednesday 7 August 2013

Tennis anyone? City courts too decrepit: group

Tennis courts in need of repair behind Margaret Grant Pool.
The head of the provincial tennis group says maintenance is crucial.
(BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)
Article courtesy of Oliver Sachgau, Winnipeg Free Press

THE city's public tennis courts are in dire need of repair, says Tennis Manitoba.

Mark Arndt, executive director of Tennis Manitoba, said out of the 130 city-owned tennis courts, only about 24 are usable. The rest are in various states of disrepair, which is keeping people from playing.

"We're trying to keep people in the game, and basically you go into these dilapidated courts, and it's tough to keep people interested," Arndt said.

Arndt said he noticed the extent of the damage while playing with his son at one of the facilities. He said after 20 minutes of playing, his son fell and scraped his arm on some rocks on the court. Though this was a minor incident, Arndt said he is still concerned about how safe playing on the courts is.

"I wouldn't be playing on these courts. It's too unsettling. The ground's too unsettling and I wouldn't want to risk injury by playing," he said.

As the courts are city facilities, it's up to the city to maintain them.

Arndt said Tennis Manitoba hasn't yet reached out the city, but plans to do so.

The work that would keep the courts in good condition involves things such as sweeping sand and gravel off the courts and pressure-washing them at least once a year, as the dirt wears away at the top surface, Arndt said.

"It's like maintaining a car, it's like maintaining anything else. If you want to keep it up to standard you have to spend some time after they're constructed," he said.

Tim Green, president of the board of the Linden Woods Community Centre, said the courts there are usable, if not pristine. "They need some work. We're going to be doing line-painting on them this year. The nets are getting old," he said. Green said the centre just received a grant that will let them do some of the repairs.

He said the centre could always use more money, but they make do with what they're getting.

"We can make them better. Our job is to try to maintain them best we can with the budget we have," Green said.

Michelle Bailey, a communications officer at the City of Winnipeg, said via email the city has limited resources and money that go into maintaining courts.

"We do what we can with what we've got, keeping in mind we have numerous facilities of all kinds that need attention," Bailey said in the email.

Some courts in the city are in better condition, including Cindy Klassen, Joe Malone and Maples Community Centre, she said. But the money for repairs can't always come from the city, Bailey said.

Courts with cracks usually can't be repaired and need government funding or partnerships to be replaced. In some cases, other institutions have shared the cost of developing courts. For example, four tennis courts were developed by the Seven Oaks School Division and the city shares in their maintenance costs.

Arndt said if the city can't maintain the number of courts it currently has, it should focus on maintaining fewer of them better. "I'd love to have less courts, but properly maintained courts. In this case less is more," he said.

oliver.sachgau@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 7, 2013 B1

See also:
> CBC News: No love for Winnipeg's dilapidated tennis courts
> CTV reports on conditions of City of Winnipeg tennis courts (video)
> Tennis Manitoba Court Locator

Tuesday 6 August 2013

No love for Winnipeg's dilapidated tennis courts

Most municipal tennis courts in Winnipeg are in similiar
condition to this one at Margaret Grant Pool on Dalhousie
 Drive in the Fort Richmond neighbourhood.
(Trevor Dineen/CBC)

Just 5 per cent of municipal tennis courts are in usable condition

Article courtesy of CBC News

The state of public tennis courts in Winnipeg is preventing people from going into the sport, says Tennis Manitoba.

There are 140 public tennis courts in the city but only 24 are usable, said executive director Mark Arndt.

He said the playing surfaces are cracking and crumbling because the city isn't maintaining them, and that makes it especially hard on kids getting into the sport.

Earlier this summer, Arndt took a seven-year-old boy to play but the game didn't last long.

"We were into playing for about 15 minutes 20 minutes and … before you know it, he wiped out on some gravel and scraped up his arm and first thing was, 'K, I don't want to play anymore,'" he said.

Arndt said many of the courts were built in the 1980s, but few are maintained.

"It's a pity because really, you know, you see so many, so much potential with that many courts. But I'd rather see less courts but have them maintained properly," he said.

Some people in certain parts of the city have petitioned their city councillors to repair and maintain the courts, Arndt said.

A spokesperson for the city said there is a very limited budget for repairing and maintaing tennis courts.

Should the City of Winnipeg spend more money to fix up crumbling tennis courts? You can vote at www.cbc.ca

See also:
> CTV reports on conditions of City of Winnipeg tennis courts (video)
> Tennis Manitoba Court Locator