The Inside Tennis Team opened its promising 2015 season with outside sponsor Leslie Lava, Kent and Patti Anderson and some new competition. ITT won three out the five matches.
“We have an outstanding season coming up with top players in the community coming in,” said Lava. “They will have USTA 4.0 ratings and better. The University of San Francisco will be back in May.”
Patti Anderson added, “It’s great to be back. I’m so thrilled to be here on opening day, and we brought some new guests.”
She sees tennis as good for rehabilitation. “Tennis is fun, and fun is happy,” she said. “Happy thoughts are very healing to your mind, body and soul.”
The new guests included Jonathan Kau, who attends the University of Maryland and is on the Maryland Tennis Club team. Also included was Tom Rosencrantz, who started playing tennis in college and does more triathlons now.
Ricardo and Lisa Capretta visited San Quentin’s Lower Yard with their 19-year-old daughter, Bianca, who is on the All-Marin Tennis Team and was on the number one doubles team for Branson High School.
The Caprettas felt comfortable among the ITT players.
“You guys are all nice,” said Lisa. “It’s a great experience. We love to give back to the community.”
Ricardo added, “We wanted to come out and spend time with you guys.”
Bianca and her dad were swept, 4-0, by ITT players Rick Hunt and Paul Oliver.
“She’s not playing consistently; she’s a little rusty,” said Lisa, who couldn’t play due to a rotator cuff shoulder injury.
Bianca, teamed up with Kau, also lost her second match, 4-1, versus Ke Lam Nghiep and Darryl “Green Eyes” Perkins.
“I’m going to practice a lot and come back to redeem myself,” said Bianca.
The matches started with N. Young and Raphael Calix facing Rosencrantz and Kau.
The Inside Tennis Team started strong. Young met a slow lob at the net and sent it over Kau’s head for the point.
“He’s got his A game going today,” said Kent about Young. “When he plays under control and keeps that spin on the ball, he’s an A player.”
However, the guests recovered and won the match, 4-2.
“I had to get used to their lobs,” said Kau. “I had to pick it off the rise.”
“I’m looking forward to displaying my new skills,” said ITT’s Clay Long before his match. “I want to test my skills against people from the outside who have been playing for years.”
“He has Michael Jordan shorts on; he’s ready,” joked Lava about Long.
Chris Schuhmacher and Long teamed up against guests Patti and Kent and lost, 0-4.
“They won just barely,” said Schuhmacher. “It was a really close 0-4.”
“Clay hit some really tough shots, and he had a good volley too,” Patti noted.
“My partner had to warm up; it takes two,” remarked Long, smiling.
Patti also worked on her game during the off-season.
“I worked on two things, and they worked. I learned to watch ball contact and connect with the strings,” said Patti. “I’m also dropping my back knee. It allows you to follow through and stay down on the stroke, which gives you top spin and helps you give a full stroke.”
The last match was Kent and Rosencrantz pitted against ITT members Oliver and Calix. ITT won 4-1.
“Blocking out Raphael was the key to my success,” joked Oliver about his partner.
The day ended in good cheer, with the guests and ITT circled in a huddle. Tim Thompson thanked the guests for “blessing us with your presence.”
Then everyone put a hand in the middle and yelled, “Inside Tennis Team!”