There are two basic ways to improve your tennis stats: practice like crazy or find a way to get deeply motivated about the sport. There is only one place on the planet to get a mega-dose of tennis history, tennis wisdom and tennis excitement— the one and only International Tennis Hall of Fame. Walk straight up the hill from Newport Harbor to Bellevue Avenue, reserve some court time, take a lesson with a club pro and stroll through the museum. Just being near the gleaming, silver championship trophies on display there will change your game, guaranteed. Before you grab the phone to reserve court time, whether it is to play with your family or friends or to join a weekly round robin match, you need to ask yourself one very important question: what do I really know about grass? A grass tennis court, once the norm, is now the rare exception, and the opportunity to play a lawn game is not one to be missed for players of any skill level. (At $130 for two players for 1½ hours of court time, it's also a rare bargain.) There are a scant few exclusive member-only clubs with grass courts across the U.S., but at Newport's Hall of Fame, anyone can play. You just have to know it is not the same as a hard court. Playing on grass you'll have to pay more attention to the bounce, or else learn to volley better and not bounce the ball at all. Groomers can condition a court a bit to make a ball go slightly higher or slightly flatter, but no matter what seed is used or how densely the base soils are layered, you'll be swooping low a lot more to reach a ball on a bounce and swinging your racquet at about knee-height. There will be any number of unexplained bad bounces because the fuzzy ball always goes where the leafy lawn wants it to. Here's the big hint – a player who can hold a serve, and serve hard, can usually control the game and win. Stay at the net, or if you drop back, bend deeper, and work on your slice, too.
Anyone who is worried about their best shots falling apart on a grass court might want to book a private lesson with one of the Hall of Fame's club professionals. The pros offer all levels of instruction for individuals, small groups, adults and youngsters, and there are many clinics and camps scheduled, as well. If you get a foursome of adults together for doubles, one of the associate pros will set up a one-hour private lesson for the group for just $30 for each player, plus court time. One more tip: on a clay court you might slide, but on grass you can slip. Beginner or pro, it is a Wimbledon-like experience for everyone who plays a few games on those famous 13 courts, the very same ones that hosted the first U.S. National Lawn Tennis Championship back in 1881. (That tournament grew to become today's U.S. Open.) As with many sports, not all tennis fans are players, and thousands of enthusiasts come to Newport just to be part of the scene during "tennis week." The annual Campbell's Hall of Fame Tennis Championship, scheduled this year from July 4 through 10, is the only men's pro tournament in the nation that is played on grass. Since its founding in 1955, 220 tennis greats from 19 countries have been enshrined in the Hall of Fame. The interactive exhibits highlighting the careers and achievements of these players give every fan profound inspiration and serious goosebumps. So naturally, one of the most thrilling moments of tennis week is the induction ceremony, July 9. The 2011 Hall of Famers are Andre Agassi, former world #1 and eight-time Grand Slam champion and Fern Lee "Peachy" Kellmeyer, who, following her years as a pro, blazed a trail for women's equality in sports. "For people who go to tennis week every year, it's like a fix," says Newport resident John Laramee, once a solid player and now a devoted fan. "We become immersed in it." Laramee, who is the owner of the 93' gaff-rigged schooner Tree of Life, takes his usual 6-seat box on the west side of the courts near the service line, and is joined by family and friends throughout the entire week. |
"One of the most unforgettable events I recall recently," he says, "was during the ceremonies a few years ago to induct Pete Sampras. He spoke with such feeling, thanking his family members and becoming so choked up, that it took him 20 minutes to read a ten-minute acceptance speech. Finally, the crowd was just saying, 'It's okay, Pete, just go on.' It was one of those great moments to have been there and shared his emotion."
Tennis week in Newport is so Newport¸ as it has been for more than 100 years. It is an excess of everything tennis – fun parties and music, serious competition, hot superstars, grand sports promotions, and dazzling vendor and sponsor showcases – and yet, it is all open to everyone with tickets in their hands. One little note to all true fashionistas, gals and guys. Angela Moore's annual fashion show and champagne breakfast on July 7 is everyone's answer to that critical question: What are people wearing this year? The stars of the show are the parade of local men and women who model the fashions, plus Hall of Famer Peachy Kellmeyer and NBC Sports announcer Bud Collins, who, last time we saw him, was wearing hot pink trousers with giant red and yellow sunflowers on them. He is "Mr. Tennis" all the way. For Laramee, everything about the Hall of Fame is magical. "Walking through the long archway entrance off Bellevue takes you back to the time and place where pro tennis began," he says. "The feeling you get just being there is equal to the excitement of the tournament itself." It is not possible to visit the International Tennis Hall of Fame without becoming completely passionate about the place because it is such an unusual and unique combination of a private club, a public arena, a shrine of sports legends and a magnificent museum of tennis artifacts, all contained within a 19th century architectural masterpiece that is itself a National Historic Landmark.
Now, open up your planner; here is our ideal tennis day. Morning: pack a small cooler of light snacks and walk up to the "Casino" – that's what the site was originally called when it was a private social club and the name still sticks. Cruise through the pro shop in the members' area, perhaps ask to demo a new racquet, and go for a one-hour lesson with a pro, first thing. Then, play a few games until you think you have finally gotten the feel of grass courts. On a rainy day, you may be able to book an indoor court. Mid-day: shower off and change in the locker rooms, and walk across the complex and linger over lunch and tall cocktails on the glass porch or patio at the La Forge Restaurant. (Love their lobster Caesar salad, by the way.) Pick a table that overlooks the lawns; they might also be playing competition croquet right there in front of you while you eat. Afternoon: take about 90 minutes to tour the museum, using your admission discount if you have a receipt for your court time. There are lots of places in the exhibit halls to sit and watch vintage videos or to listen to the hand-held audio tour. Last: browse the gift shops – they have two boutiques and you must stop in both of them. Fill a shopping bag with tennis souvenirs, books, jewelry and attire before you head back down to the harbor. When you think about it, to be one of the lucky people in the world who can play tennis at the Hall of Fame is like being invited to ride your pony around the racetrack at Churchill Downs. It may not be Derby Day when you are there, but you cannot help but feel the spirit of champions seeping into you from head to toe. When you're back on the court next time, you'll swing your racquet a little faster and smack that ball a lot harder. |
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