8th annual
"Little Mo" /Smrikva Bowl scheduled for June 28, 2009 in Pula,
Croatia
Just 9, Alex Gee is one of two who will
represent the U.S. against Europe in the 8th annual
“Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl on June 28 in Pula, Croatia.
Fifth-graders aren’t supposed to be dominant in tennis.
Alex Gee of Houston must have missed the memo.
Although he has been bouncing a ball since he could walk, Gee
first picked up a racket at age 7 — and promptly won his first
tournament.
Gee made another splash recently when he defeated seven other
quarterfinalists to win the 32nd annual “Little Mo” Texas
Sectional for 10-year-old boys.
Just 9, he is one of two players who will represent the United
States against Europe in the eighth annual “Little Mo”/Smrikva
Bowl on June 28 at Pula, Croatia.
Noah Schachter of Steilacoom, Wash., is the other
representative.
“I’m very excited because I get to play for the USA, and it’s a
good experience for me,” Gee said.
This year’s tournament is expected to draw more than 100 players
from 27 countries. About 20 of those players are ranked No. 1 in
their respective countries, and many others are ranked in the
top five. Gee and Schachter will be looking to score the first
U.S. win in the event’s seven-year history.
“I hope to make a difference in being part of the first winning
USA team,” said Gee, whose favorite pro player is Rafael Nadal
of Spain.
The Condit Elementary honor student comes by his tennis prowess
naturally. His mother Sabrina played collegiately at North
Texas, and the two hit balls together almost every day.
“I’m pretty hard on him,” Sabrina said. “I’m constantly on him
in terms of drills and hitting. … I think mostly I try to teach
him mental toughness, to hang in and not give up.”
Gee, who this week is participating in the Texas Summer Grand
Slam boys 12 tourney at College Station, aims to one day be the
top-ranked player in the country.
larry.young@chron.com
P
R E S S R E L E A S E
******************************
13th SMRIKVA BOWL
Tennis Club Smrikve - Pula, Croatia - June
25-29, 2008
The United States team (to right of table). Left to right:
Paulina Ferrari, William Blumberg, Ingrid Neel and Justin Lee
pictured with Mio Bozovic (T.D.) and the European team.
Following the Smrikra Bowl, the 7th
"Little Mo"/Smrikva Bowl competition took place. The
event, created by the Smrikve Tennis Club and the Maureen
Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation, is the first-ever
international competition between the United States and Europe
for boys and girls 10 and under. For the first time in the
history of the event, the two teams tied at 4-4 and the match
had to be decided in favor of the Smrikva team, with nine sets
one over "Little Mo's" eight.
13th SMRIKVA BOWL RESULTS
Boys
Finals
Luka Panic/Switzerland defeated Mihnea Turcu/Romania,
6-3,1-6,6-2
Girls
Finals
Katarina Jokic/Bosnia and Herzegovina defeated Maia Lumsden/Scotland,
6-2,6-0
7th “Little Mo”/SMRIKVA BOWL RESULTS
Ingrid Neel/USA defeated Katarina Jokic/Bosnia and
Herzegovina, 6-3,6-4
Maia Lumsden/Scotland defeated Paulina Ferrari/USA, 6-1,6-0
Justin Lee/USA defeated Luka Panic/Switzerland, 6-4,6-0
William Blumberg/USA defeated Mihnea Turcu/Romania,
3-6,6-3,12-10
Maia Lumsden/Scotland defeated Ingrid Neel/USA, 6-3,7-5
Katarina Jokic/Bosnia and Herzegovina defeated Paulina
Ferrari/USA, 6-2,6-0
Justin Lee/USA defeated Mihnea Turcu/Romania, 6-1,6-0
Luka Panic/Switzerland defeated William Blumberg/USA, 6-1,6-3
FINAL RESULT - MATCHES TIED AT 4-4, won by Smrikva Team
with a set lead of 9-8
Please visit
the Smrikva
Bowl for information about the 2008 event
and Maureen Connolly
Brinker for more details on their other competitions.
|
June 30, 2008
USA and Europe tied
in the 7th annual
"Little Mo"/Smrikva
Bowl
4 - 4
The United States
team tied the Europeans 4 matches to 4 in the 7th annual "Little
Mo"/Smrikva Bowl in Pula, Croatia. The event was held at the
Smrikve Tennis Club on Sunday, June 29.
It was a well played
competition with the Americans having the best result since the
inception of the event seven years ago. Since the number of
matches were tied, the organizers counted the number of sets to
break the tie and the Europeans won by one set: 9-8.
The competition
features the top two players (boys and girls) in 10 & under from
the USA and Europe.
The results of the
competition:
Ingrid Neel (USA)
def. Katarina Jokie (BiH) 6-3, 6-4
Maia Lumsden (Sco)
def. Paulina Ferrari (USA) 6-1, 6-0
Justin Lee (USA) def.
Luke Panic (Sui) 6-4, 6-0
William Blumberg
(USA) def. Mihnea Turcu (Rom) 3-6, 6-3, 12:10
Maia Lumsden (Sco)
def Ingrid Neel (USA) 6-3, 7-5
Katarina Jokic (BiH)
def. Paulina Ferrari (USA) 6-2, 6-0
Justin Lee (USA) def.
Mihnea Turcu (Rom) 6-1, 6-0
Luke Panic (Sui) def.
William Blumberg 6-1, 6-3
This event was created by the Maureen
Connolly Brinker Tennis
Foundation based in Dallas, Texas and the Tennis Club Smrikva in
Pula, Croatia in 2002. It is the only international tennis
competition between the United States and Europe for Boys & Girls
10 & under. Miodrag Bozovic was the Tournament Director.
The “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl is named after
two prestigious tournaments: the “Little Mo” Nationals which
features the best young players in the United States from 7-11
years of age and the Smrikva Bowl which is one of the top European
tournaments for boys and girls. The Smrikva Bowl is hosted by the
Tennis Club Smrikva in Pula, Croatia and this year, over 100 youngsters
from many European countries competed in the 13th
annual Smrikva Bowl.
This is one of the many events presented by
the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation to further junior
tennis development worldwide.
*********************************
Letter of Thanks to Mio Bozovic -
Tournament Director
of the "Little Mo"/Smrikva Bowl
Dear Mio,
Our family has had many discussions since we came
home, and I have told all of our curious local tennis pros and
families about your gorgeous red clay courts, your beautiful house
and compound built by craftsmen in your extended family, and about
the legion of quiet, selfless volunteers who help make it all
possible. I will be sharing many
encouragements as an informal U.S ambassador along with Ingrid
Neel, and will carry the message to future players of this little
eden on the northwest coast of Croatia. I will encourage families
to take their time in Pula, as I wish we had - but there will be
other chances, I hope.
In short Mio, I am so happy to have met you and shared a little
bit of time in this incredible event you put together for tennis,
for children, for parents,
for peace, happiness and worldwide super-generational
understanding and
appreciation of the blessings of the earth we share. I can see
that we both
view tennis as a beautiful and artistic metaphor for life itself:
for the
opportunity for earned glory, for meeting challenges bravely and
handling
defeat with grace, for never stopping to try again, and to improve
by measures with effort, cunning, artistic talent, and fortitude;
placing our hopes and dreams into a prodigal child to be the very
best she dares to be, and to celebrate the journey regardless of
outcome.
I only wish that after the cleanup, we had one more evening to
have a fresh pasta a la oglio-Smrikve, a glass of Pulanese white,
another of Pulanese red, and discuss the past and future over a
final espresso!
Please consider coming to Minnesota, and we
have plenty of room
for you and your wife any time at all. All the best Mio, and thank
you again for a capital event! Viva Croatia and
Tennis Club Smrikve!
Bryan Neel
USA Team Captain
For Immediate Release
USA Team announced
for 7th annual
"Little Mo"/Smrivka Bowl!
Ingrid Neel - Rochester, Minnesota, Karina Vyrlan -
Antelope, California, Michal Kusznerko - Chicago, Illinois and
Justin Lee - Cos Cob, Connecticut are the members of the USA
team which will travel to Pula, Croatia to play in the 7th
annual "Little Mo"/Smrivka Bowl on Sunday, June 29, 2008.
USA Team Captain: Brian Cristensen
*********************************************
In 2002, the Smrikve Tennis Club and the Maureen Connolly
Brinker Tennis Foundation have created “Little Mo”/ Smrikva
Bowl, the first-ever international competition between the
United States and Europe for boys and girls 10 & under. In the
last few years Smrikva Bowl started to gather top players from
all around the World but “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl continues to
be a special event and has arrived to its 7th annual.
7th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl will be played the day after
the finals of the 13th Smrikva Bowl 2008 and will be played on
June 29th, 2008 in the Smrikve Tennis Club in Pula, Croatia.
Last week end the 10th “Little Mo” Nationals was played.
The “Little Mo” Nationals was held at the Austin Tennis
Academy in Austin, Texas from October 20-22, 2007.
The players that participate in this unique competition are
increasing year by year and many of them are among the best
players in their age groups in their countries and in the
World. “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl players are:
1st “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl
Jordaan Sanford (USA), Morgan Basil (USA), Ajla Tomljanovic (Cro),
Ema Burgic (BiH).
2nd “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl
Emmett Egger (USA), Robert Stineman (USA), Karen Forman (USA),
Katie Klyczek (USA), Jennifer Ren (UK), Silvia Njiric (Cro),
Dominic Thiem (A), George Morgan (UK)
3rd “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl
Mitchel Polnet (USA), Rayan Andrada (USA), Blair Shankle
(USA), Anna Mamalat (USA), Ivan Levar (Cro), Miki Jankovic (Srb),
Saska Gavrilovska (Srb), Ecaterina Opriou (Rum)
4th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl
Jeffrey Schorsch (USA), Jose Gracia (USA), Yale Goldberg
(USA), Dorothy Tang (USA), Saska Gavrilovska (Srb), Olga
Yanchuk (Ukr), Matteo Donati (I), Gyore Laszlo (Srb),
Gianluigi Quinzi (I), Harry Busby (UK)
5th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl
Daniel Maese (USA), Aries Wong (USA), Christina Makarova
(USA), Gabriella Umoquit (USA), Gianluigi Quinzi (I), Filip
Kraljevic (Cro), Eleonor Dean (UK), Dina Paocic (BiH),
6th “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl
Eduardo Nava (USA), Tommy Paul (USA), Ndindi Ndunda (USA),
Domonique Garley (USA), Sacha Merzetti (I), Bogdan Borza
(Rom), Virginia Pena (Esp), Ana Konjuh (Cro).
Congratulations once again to Ingrid, Karina, Michal and
Justin and see you in Pula at the end of June 2008!
Please visit www.smrikve.com to learn more about Smrikva
Bowl, one of the most important under 10 tennis tournaments in
the World, and Villa Smrikve, for your accommodation in
Stinjan (Pula) if you decide to spent your holiday in Istria,
Croatia. In Villa Smrikve you can enjoy tennis, sea, good
istrian food, Smrikve wine and olive oil, and events in Pula
and Istria.
***********************************************************
For
Immediate Release Information: (214) 352-7978
June 25,
2007 Contact: Carol Weyman
www.mcbtennis.org Email:
Cartennis@aol.com
EUROPE WINS
6th “Little Mo”/ Smrikva Bowl
(U.S. vs. Europe)
For
Boys & Girls 10 & under
Dallas…The Europeans won the 6th annual
“Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl by defeating the United States 7-1 at the
Tennis Club Smrikve in Pula, Croatia on Sunday, June 24, 2007.
This event was created by the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis
Foundation based in Dallas, Texas and the Tennis Club Smrikva in
Pula, Croatia in 2002. It is the only international tennis
competition between the United States and Europe for Boys & Girls
10 & under. Miodrag Bozovic was the Tournament Director. Europe
leads the competition 6-0.
The “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl is named after
two prestigious tournaments: the “Little Mo” Nationals which
features the best young players in the United States from 7-11
years of age and the Smrikva Bowl which is one of the top European
tournaments for boys and girls. The Smrikva Bowl is hosted by the
Tennis Club Smrikva in Pula, Croatia and this year, 90 youngsters
from 16 European countries and 4 continents competed in the 12th
annual Smrikva Bowl. (Smrikva is a juniper plant.)
The players representing the United States
were: Boys #1 Eduardo Nava (Woodland Hills,CA)
#2 Tommy Paul (Greenville, NC); Girls #1
Ndindi Ndunda (Burke, VA)
Girls #2 Domonique Garley (N.Richland
Hills, TX) The U.S. players were selected from the
2006 “Little Mo” Nationals. Vinh Do was
the USA Team Captain.
The European players were: Boys #1 Sacha
Merzetti (Italy) Boys #2 Bogdan Borza (Romania)
Girls #1Virginia Pena (Spain), Girls #2 Ana
Konjuh (Croatia). The European players were selected from the top
players of the Smrikva Bowl.
Results:
Europe
USA
Virginia Pena def. Ndindi Ndunda 6-0, 6-1
Ana Konjuh def. Domonique Garley 6-2, 6-0
Sacha
Merzetti def. Eduardo Nava 6-3, 3-6, 10-8
Bogdan Borza def. Tommy Paul 6-4, 7-5
Ana
Konjuh def. Ndindi Ndunda 6-1,6-1
Virginia Pena def. Domonique Garley 6-3,6-0
Eduardo Nava def. Bogdan Borza 6-7, 6-1,10-5
USA win
Sacha
Merzetti def. Tommy Paul 7-5, 6-0
Final
Score:
Europe 7 USA 1
This
is one of the many events sponsored by the Maureen Connolly
Brinker Tennis Foundation to further junior tennis development.
Maureen Connolly, who was known as “Little Mo”, was the first
woman to win the Grand Slam at age 18 in 1953.
********************************************************
June 25, 2007
Europe
Wins 6th annual "Little Mo"/Smrikva Bowl 7-1
Results:
#1 Ndindi
Ndunda (USA) lost to #1 Virginia Pena (Spain) 6-0, 6-1
#2 Domonique
Garley (USA) lost to #2 Ana Konjuh (Croatia) 6-2, 6-0
#1 Eduardo
Nava (USA) lost to #1 Sacha Merzetti (Italy) 6-3, 3-6, 10-8
#2 Tommy Paul
(USA) lost to #1 Bogdan Borza (Romania) 6-4, 7-5
#1 Ndindi
Ndunda (USA) lost to #2 Ana Konjuh (Croatia) 6-1, 6-1
#2 Domonique
Garley (USA) lost to #1 Virginia Pena 6-3, 6-0
#1 Eduardo
Nava (USA) defeated Bogdan Borza 6-7, 6-1, 10-5
#2 Tommy Paul
(USA) lost to Sacha Merzetti (Italy) 6-4, 6-0
******************************************
June 22, 2007 Cartennis@aol.com
For Immediate Release
www.mcbtennis.org
(214) 352-7978
Balle de Match
to be the
“Official Apparel
Sponsor” of the USA Team
for
the
“Little
Mo”/ Smrikva Bowl
(U.S.
vs. Europe)
June 24, 2007 * Pula, Croatia
Dallas...The Maureen Connolly Brinker
Tennis Foundation is proud to announce Balle de Match as the
“Official Apparel Sponsor” of the USA Team for the 6th annual
“Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl (USA vs. Europe) for young players on
Sunday, June 24, 2007. This is the only international team
competition which features the top boys and girls from the United
States and Europe who are 10 & under.
John
Embree, CEO of Balle de Match, said, " Balle de Match is thrilled
to begin a partnership with “Little Mo”. While we offer a
complete range of tennis apparel for men, women and kid’s, our
junior apparel has truly been our sweet spot since the company's
inception. For that reason, our new association with “Little Mo”
fits into our corporate strategy of driving our brand at the very
core of the game: children.”
Bälle
de Mätch, founded in 1992, is a company of young, sports-minded
individuals distinguished by their passion for extraordinary
tennis wear." Bälle de Mätch has come a long way, but never
strayed from the original mission of making comfortable,
great-looking tennis apparel geared towards the avid and
professional player.
The “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl is named after
two prestigious tournaments: the “Little Mo” Nationals which
features the best young players in the United States from 7-11
years of age and the Smrikva Bowl which is one of the top European
tournaments for boys and girls. The Smrikva Bowl is held at the
Tennis Club Smrikve in Pula, Croatia.
The “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl will be held
for the fourth time at the Tennis Club Smrikve and will feature
the top two boys and top two girls in the United States and Europe
playing a total of eight matches. The competition was held the
first two years in Austin, Texas at the Austin Tennis Academy and
the past two years in Pula, Croatia. Europe has won the
competition each year and leads the USA in wins 5-0. The
players representing the United States are:
Boys: #1: Eduardo Nava
(Woodland Hills, California)
#2: Tommy Paul
(Greenville, North Carolina)
Girls: #1: Ndindi Ndunda
(Burke, Virginia)
#2: Domonique Garley
(North Richland Hills, Texas)
The U.S. players were selected due
to their outstanding results in Boys and Girls 9 & under division
at the 2006 “Little Mo” Nationals. Nava was the Boys’ 9 National
Champion and Paul was the Runner-Up in Boys’ 9. Ndunda was the
Runner-up in Girls’ 9 and Garley came in 3rd Place in
Girls’ 9.
The USA team
captain is Vinh Do from Fairfax, Virginia. Do is currently the
Director of Junior Tennis at the Fairfax Racquet Club in Fairfax,
Virginia and has trained a number of regionally and nationally
ranked players - including being the personal coach of Ndindi
Ndunda. He is a member of the USPTA & USPTR.
This is one of the many events sponsored by
the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation to further junior
tennis development. Maureen Connolly, who was known as “Little
Mo” was the first woman to win the Grand Slam at age 18 in 1953.
She is still the youngest Grand Slam winner and the only American
woman. For more
information, visit
www.mcbtennis.org.
********************
PRESS RELEASE
May 11, 2007 Cartennis@aol.com
For Immediate Release
www.mcbtennis.org
(214) 352-7978
6th
“Little Mo”/ Smrikva Bowl
June 24, 2007 * Pula, Croatia
United
States Team Announced
(U.S. vs.
Europe)
For Boys & Girls 10 & under
Dallas...The Maureen Connolly Brinker
Tennis Foundation and Tennis Club Smrikve are proud to present the
6th annual international team competition between the
United States and Europe for young players on Sunday, June 24,
2007. This is the only international team competition which
features the top boys and girls from the United States and Europe
who are 10 & under.
The “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl is named after
two prestigious tournaments: the “Little Mo” Nationals which
features the best young players in the United States from 7-11
years of age and the Smrikva Bowl which is one of the top European
tournaments for boys and girls. The Smrikva Bowl is held at the
Tennis Club Smrikve in Pula, Croatia.
The
“Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl will be held for the third time at the
Tennis Club Smrikve and will feature the top two boys and top two
girls in the United States and Europe playing a total of eight
matches. The competition was held the first two years in Austin,
Texas at the Austin Tennis Academy and the past two years in Pula,
Croatia. Europe has won the competition each year and leads the
USA in wins 5-0. The players representing the United States
are:
Boys: #1: Eduardo Nava
(Woodland Hills, California)
#2: Tommy Paul
(Greenville, North Carolina)
Girls: #1: Ndindi Ndunda
(Burke, Virginia)
#2:
Domonique Garley
(North Richland Hills, Texas)
The U.S.
players were selected due to their outstanding results in Boys and
Girls 9 & under division at the 2006 “Little Mo” Nationals. Nava
was the Boys’ 9 National Champion and Paul was the Runner-Up in
Boys’ 9. Ndunda was the Runner-up in Girls’ 9 and Garley came in 3rd
Place in Girls’ 9.
The USA team
captain is Vinh Do from Fairfax, Virginia. Do is currently the
Director of Junior Tennisat the Fairfax Racquet Club in Fairfax,
Virginia and has trained a number of regionally and nationally
ranked players - including being the personal coach of Ndindi
Ndunda. He is a member of the USPTA & USPTR.
This is one of the many events sponsored by the Maureen Connolly
Brinker Tennis Foundation to further junior tennis development.
Maureen Connolly, who was known as “Little Mo” was the first woman
to win the Grand Slam at age 18 in 1953. She is still the
youngest Grand Slam winner and the only American woman.
For more
information, visit
www.mcbtennis.org.
*************************************************
The top players from the the
Smrikva Bowl in boys and girls 10 & under will play the top USA
players in the "Little Mo"/Smrikva Bowl on Sunday, June 24,
2007. If you are a foreign player and would like the
opportunity to play in the Smrikva Bowl European Tournament,
please email Mio Bozovic (T.D.)
miodrag_bozovic@yahoo.it
******************************************
P
R E S S R E L E A S E
For Immediate
Release
Information: (214) 352-978
July 10, 2006
Contact: Carol Weyman
www.mcbtennis.org
Email:
Cartennis@aol.com
EUROPE WINS 5th
“Little Mo”/ Smrikva Bowl
(U.S. vs. Europe)
For
Boys & Girls 10 & under
Dallas…The Europeans won the 5th annual
“Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl by defeating the United States 7-1 at the
Tennis Club Smrikve in Pula, Croatia on Sunday, July 9, 2006.
This event was created by the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis
Foundation based in Dallas, Texas and the Tennis Club Smrikva in
Pula, Croatia in 2002. It is the only international tennis
competition between the United States and Europe for Boys & Girls
10 & under.
The “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl is named after
two prestigious tournaments: the “Little Mo” Nationals which
features the best young players in the United States from 7-11
years of age and the Smrikva Bowl which is one of the top European
tournaments for boys and girls. The Smrikva Bowl is hosted by the
Tennis Club Smrikva in Pula, Croatia and this year, 70 youngsters
from 20 European countries competed in the 11th annual
Smrikva Bowl. (Smrikva is a juniper plant.)
The players representing the United States
were:
Boys #1 Daniel Maese (Dallas, TX),
#2 Aries Wong (Bethesda, MD),
Girls #1 Christina Makarova (San Diego, CA),
Girls #2 Gabriella Umoquit (Mission, TX)
The U.S. players were selected from the
2005 “Little Mo” National Champions. Francisco Barrientos was
the USA Team Captain.
The European players were: Boys #1
Gianluigi Quinzi (Italy), Boys #2 Filip Kraljevic (Croatia), Girls
#1 Eleonor Dean (Spain), Girls #2 Dina Paocic (Bosnia/Herzegovina)
.
The European players were selected from the
top players of the Smrikva Bowl.
Results
Europe
USA
Eleonor
Dean def. Christina Makarova 6-3, 6-2
Gianluigi Quinzi def. .Daniel Maese 6-0, 6-1
Dina Paocic def. Christina Makarova 6-4, 6-1
Filip Kraljevic def. Daniel Maese 6-4,
7-6
Dina Paocic def. Gabriella Umoquit
6-2, 6-3
Filip
Kraljevic lost to Aries Wong 4-6, 4-6 (USA won)
Eleonor Dean def. Gabriella Umoquit 6-1, 6-2
Gianluigi
Quinzi def. Aries Wong 6-1, 6-0
Final
Score:
Europe 7 USA 1
This is one of the many events sponsored by the Maureen Connolly
Brinker Tennis Foundation to further junior tennis development.
Maureen Connolly, who was known as “Little Mo”, was the first
woman to win the Grand Slam at age 18 in 1953.
********************************************************
Notes from Marcia
Frost on the
"Little Mo"/Smrikva Bowl
Tennis Club Smrikve - Pula,
Croatia - July 5-9, 2006
"Little Mo"/Smrikve Bowl info (Click here)
RESULTS
Eleonor Dean (Uk) – Christina Makarova (USA) (6:3 6:2)
Gianluigi Quinzi (I) – Daniel Maese (USA) (6:0 6:3)
Dina Paocic (BiH) – Christina Makarova (USA) (6:4 6:1)
Filip Kraljevic (Cro) – Daniel Maese (USA) (6:4 7:6)
Dina Paocic (BiH) – Gabriella Umoquit (USA) (6:2 6:3)
Filip Kraljevic (Cro) – Aries Wong (USA)
(4:6, 4:6) USA Won
Eleonor Dean (Uk) – Gabriella Umoquit (USA) (6:1 6:2)
Gianluigi Quinzi (I) – Aries Wong (USA) (6:1 6:0)
FINAL RESULTS: Europe
7 – USA 1
July 10, 2006 AM
Today was the day I had waited five years for -- my chance to
attend the "Little Mo"/Smrikva Bowl. Despite the heat and
humidity, all of the players and parents were very excited
about the event.
The day started with a presentation (which I was honored to be
a part of) of the players and the event. There was a beautiful
dance from some local Croatian dancers and than the
competition began. It was set up so that the eight players --
Gianluigi Quinzi, Filip Kraljevic, Dina Paocic & Eleanor
Dean from Europe and Daniel Maese, Aries Wong,
Gabriella Umoquit & Christina Makarova -- would each play
two singles matches. Although the Europeans won (7-1) for the
fifth time in a row, the Americans put up quite a fight. The
points and games were all long, especially the final match
between Filip Kraljevic and Daniel Maese. That
one was a real nail-biter that looked like it would never end.
Everyone was sure that we were going to see a third set of
great ralleys (and some of the best drop-shotting I have seen
in junior tennis), but Filip pulled out the tiebreaker
in the second 8/6 and it was over.
After the match the teams shared in cutting the "Little Mo"/Smrikva
Bowl cake and shared in champagne for all before I took off
with the American team for a boat ride to the Brijuni Islands.
The kids -- who had each played two matches in the hot sun --
went swimming in the Adriatic sea and then led us on I hike to
the top of the island, followed by rock climbing down! It was
quite an adventure.
It was quite an end to my trip as we celebrated the "Little
Mo"/Smrikva Bowl, te Wimbledon Finale, the World Cup finals
and the double-digit birthday of Gabriela Umoquit
(left). I am now off to finish my vacation with a day in
Trieste, Italy, followed by a short trip to Paris.
Au Revouir!
Marcia
July 9, 2006 AM
The Smrikva Bowl was started as a promoter of
peace, bringing together kids of many nations to enjoy the
sport of tennis. This tradition has continued for 11 years and
was reinforced with the yearly planting of the olive tree
seeds last year. The children today -- whether they won or
lost -- all showed the spirit that brought them together.
There was lots of good tennis today even though there really
weren't any close matches. The children displayed great
sportsmanship and claycourt skill that I am still amazed comes
from 8,9 & 10 year olds. While Eleanor Dean of Spain
(who still has a clear British accent) won her final match
against Bosnia's Dina Paocic (right) without the loss
of a game, it was Gianluigi Quinzi who was the star of
today's show.
I do not have the opportunity to cover a lot of ITF junior
tennis so I was unaware until today that there is actually an
ITF 10 and under Grand Slam. The "Slam" is made up of the
Lemon Bowl, "Little Mo," Ouatt Kids Cup and
Smrikva Bowl. Today, Gianluigi, last year's third
place winner, completed that Slam. The 10 year old Italian ran
through the first 11 games of his match against local boy
Filip Kraljevic (left). Though he did lose two before his
win, there was never a doubt that he would come through.
The winners of the Smrikva Bowl are given
mountain bikes and the finalists are given new Bobalot tennis
racquets. All winners, finalists and third & fourth place
players in main draw and consolation are given trophies. The
ceremony gave each kid a chance to speak in their native
language. It was almost as exciting as the tennis itself.
As the Smrikve Club already begins talking about the players
they would like to bring in next year (from Asia and Africa),
the winners and finalists prepared to play the Americans in
the "Little Mo"/Smrikva Bowl. It is to start in just a little
while and I am happy to be here and to bring it around the
world.
P.S. I'm currently uploading through dialup on the only phone
line in the complex, so I can only publish once a day and
daily pictures will be limited, but I am taking many so look
for more to be posted in the days to come.
July 8, 2006 AM
Friday was an exciting day of tennis here at the Smrikva Bowl
as the quarter and semifinals were played. The weather was not
at all as I expected with temperatures only in the 70s (farenheit)
and a bit of rain. The showers suspended play briefly four
times, but it didn't dampen the players' spirits and at times
it was difficult to get them to stop playing through it!
The matches (until the two out of three set finals) follow a
format often used in Europe for this 10 and under age group
where the main draw plays to one set of nine games and the
consolation plays to one set of six games. There are only
three courts here so the reduced format helps, however, it
still took the entire day and into the evening to finish the
day's matches.
Though there are many languages spoken here, there is quite a
bit of English spoken on the court. It seems that "out" and
"give me the ball" are universal. Even the scores are often
spoken in English by players who know no other words in the
language. I was a bit taken by the custom of serving beer
(which many parents enjoyed) at 10:00 am, but other than that
it felt like another junior tournament.
The level of play here is just unbelieveable considering the
age of these players. I was totally amazed at my very first
match where I witnessed barely nine year old Spaniard
Virginia Pena (right) come back from being down 5-2 to
overcome top-seeded Iva Primorcac of Croatia 9-7.
Virginia, for whom there is must be a Spanish translation
of "spitfire," is just an amazing little player with an
enormous amount of energy and some excellent coaching --
Jotre Porta also works with Rafael Nadal and
Tommy Haas. She did run out of her comeback steam later in
the day when she ran into the No. 5 seed, the more experienced
ten year old Dina Paocic. I didn't get to see much of
the girls on the bottom half of the draw because they were
playing on the back courts and look forward to catching
Eleanor Dean in the finals and Ilka Csoregi of
Romania in the third place playoff.
It was fascinating to watch Gianluigi Quinzi and
Maks Tekavec of Slovenia play through the wet, red clay as
they slid -- but never slipped -- through the court.
Gianluigi held the match and quickly got through his semi
against Hungary's Andre Biro. The other semifinal was
quite different as there was much drama between local player
Filip Kraljevic and Bosnia's Aziz Kljametovic.
In fact, there was a brief turn when, after losing four games
in a row and facing a match point, Aziz came back and
won two, but Filip prevailed 9-5 in the end.
The days festivities were concluded with a presentation of the
players who will be competing in Sunday's "Little Mo"/Smrikva
Bowl. I was very excited to be here for this year's
introduction (in Croatian, Italian, Spanish & English). The
European team will be made up of the Smrikva Bowl finalists --
Filip Kraljevic of Croatia, Gianluigi Quinzi of
Italy, Dina Paocic of Bosnia and Eleanor Dean,
who is from the United Kingdom and now trains in Spain. They
will compete against the
"Little Mo" team of Daniel Maes, Aries Wong, Christina
Makarova and Gabriela Umoquit, who came together for the
first time today at the Presentation, followed by their first
practice (more about them tomorrow, today is for the Smrikra
Bowl finale).
It is just before the finals 11th Annual Smrikva Bowl. I will
be going with the American families on a tour of Pula just
following that and then they will be training for tomorrow's
"Little Mo"/Smrikva Bowl exhibition. For Gianluigi Quinzi
(left), who trains in Florida but is playing here for Italy,
it will be a repeat performance while the rest of the players
will be able to experience this unique event for the first
time.
Until tomorrow,
Marcia
July 7, 2006 AM
I arrived in Pula late last night after my trip through Italy.
My vacation in Rome was just incredible.
I am just amazed at how modern this area of Europe is. If only
the roads back home were this nice! My journey took me from
Trieste (Italy) airport through Slovenia and into Croatia. All
of the Americans are here for the "Little Mo"/Smrikva Bowl
accept for Daniel Maese, but he has a good excuse. Daniel's
trip to France was extended because he made it all the way and
won the doubles at the Ouatt Cup!
The quarterfinals of the Smrikva Bowl are about to start this
morning and I am anxious to watch my first red clay event.
Until Later,
Marcia
June 30, 2006
I'm getting ready to head to Europe, but I thought I would
tell you a little more about the Americans who will be joining
me there for the "Little Mo"/Smrikva Bowl. They may be young,
but they are already accumulating the accolades. In fact,
Daniel Maese and Christina Makarova have already
left for Europe to play the Ouatt Cup in France
before they arrive in Pula.
All of the players competed in the 2005
"Little Mo" Nationals
Christina Makarova-Girls champion from San Diego,
California. Ten year old Christina was a "Little Mo"
winner as early as six when she won the Southern California
sectionals in 2002.
Daniel Maese-Ten year old Boys runner-up from Dallas,
Texas, was chosen to participate in December at Andy Roddick's
(a former "Little Mo" participant himself) FedEx Texas
Shootout.
Gabriella Umoquit-The 4th Place finisher from Mission,
Texas, is actually going to celebrate her tenth birthday at
the "Little Mo/Smrikva Cup!
Aries Wong-4th Place finisher from Bethesda, Maryland.
It's been a busy year of sectional and national tournaments
for the 10 year old who is ready to take his game
internationally.
Coach Francisco Barriento-Former coach on the ATP and
WTA Tours, he has also coached ITF Junior Tennis for 19 years
and is a claycourt specialist.
The United States players will be competing against the
winners of the Smrikva Bowl, to be determined on
July 8th.
Well, it's time for me to get caught up here before I pack for
my vacation in Rome. The next time I'll be reporting here will
be from Pula, Croatia. I hope you are as excited as I am about
College And Junior Tennis taking off on its first
European adventure!
Arrivederci,
Marcia
June 27, 2006
It seems like just yesterday when I received a letter from
Miodrag Bozovic telling me about the Smrikva Bowl. He
explained this wonderful tournament to me that brought
together 10 and under players from all over Europe. All I
could think about was how much it sounded like the "Little Mo"
events, presented by the Maureen Connolly Foundation for 11
and under players in the United States. I suggested that
Mio contact MCB's Carol Weyman and the rest, as
they say, "is history."
The "Little Mo"/Smrikva Bowl is now in its
fifth year and I've finally accepted the yearly invitation to
attend the Tennis Club Smrikve. I'll be heading to Pula,
Croatia, after a brief vacation in Rome to begin coverage on
July 7th. From the Smrikve Club in Pula I will bring photos
and stories of the prestigious tournament and the finale --
the Little Mo/Smrikva Bowl exhibition on July
9th. I am very excited to be there along with the United
States team of Daniel Maese, Aries Wong, Christina Makarova
and Gabriella Umoquit. The team will be coached by
Francisco Barriento. In the coming days I will tell you a
little more about those players, as well as the field for this
year's Smrikva Bowl.
Until Then...
Dovidjenja (or Goodbye, in Croatian),
Marcia Frost |
PRESS
RELEASE
5th
“Little Mo”/ Smrikva Bowl
July 9, 2006 * Pula, Croatia
United
States Team Announced
(U.S. vs.
Europe)
For Boys & Girls 10 & under
Dallas...The Maureen Connolly Brinker
Tennis Foundation and Tennis Club Smrikve are proud to present the
5th annual international team competition between the
United States and Europe for young players on Sunday, July 9,
2006. This is the only international team competition which
features the top boys and girls from the United States and Europe
who are 10 & under.
The “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl is named after
two prestigious tournaments: the “Little Mo” Nationals which
features the best young players in the United States from 7-11
years of age and the Smrikva Bowl which is one of the top European
tournaments for boys and girls. The Smrikva Bowl is held at the
Tennis Club Smrikve in Pula, Croatia.
The “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl will be held
for the third time at the Tennis Club Smrikve and will feature the
top two boys and top two girls in the United States and Europe
playing a total of eight matches. The competition was held the
first two years in Austin, Texas at the Austin Tennis Academy and
the past two years in Pula, Croatia. Europe has won the
competition each year and leads the USA in wins 4-0. The
players representing the United States are:
Boys:
#1: Daniel Maese (Dallas, TX)
#2: Aries Wong (Bethesda, MD)
Girls: #1: Christina Makarova (San Diego, CA)
#2: Gabriella Umoquit (Mission, TX)
The U.S.
players were selected due to their outstanding results in Boys and
Girls 9 & under division at the 2005 “Little Mo” Nationals. Maese
was the Boys’ 9 Runner-Up and Wong was 4th Place.
Makarova was the Girls’ 9 National Champion and Umoquit was 4th
Place.
The USA team
captain will be Francisco Barrientos, a native of Chile. He has a
BS in Physical Education and MS in Physical Periodization. He has
been a coach on the ATP and WTA Tours and also for the ITF Junior
Tour for 19 years. Most recently, Barrientos was International
Division Director at the T-Bar-M International Tennis Academy in
Dallas, Texas. He is a specialist in clay court tennis and clay
court strategy.
This is one of the many events sponsored by the Maureen Connolly
Brinker Tennis Foundation to further junior tennis development.
Maureen Connolly, who was known as “Little Mo” was the first woman
to win the Grand Slam at age 18 in 1953. She is still the
youngest Grand Slam winner and the only American woman. For
more
information, visit
www.mcbtennis.org.
*****************************************************
PRESS
RELEASE
July 6, 2005
Europe Wins
4th annual
"Little Mo"/Smrikva Bowl
5-3
Donati (Europe) defeated Schorsch
(USA) 6-2, 6-4
Gracia (USA) defeated Gyore
(Europe) 0-6, 7-6, 10-7
Gavrilovska (Europe) defeated Tang
(USA) 6-2, 6-1
Goldberg (USA) defeated Quinzi
(Europe) 4-6, 6-3, 10-8
Donati (Europe) defeated Gracia
(USA) 6-2, 6-2
Gyore (Europe) defeated Schorsch
(USA) 6-2, 6-3
Goldberg (USA) defeated Busby
(Europe) 6-1, 6-2
Yanchuk (Europe) defeated Tang
(USA) 6-3, 6-3
Europe leads the USA in total wins 4-0.
Click here to see photos
|
|
|
USA TEAM!
|
| |
 |
****************************************************************
June 15, 2005
4th
“Little Mo”/ Smrikva Bowl
July 3, 2005 * Pula, Croatia
United
States Team Announced
(U.S.
vs. Europe)
For Boys & Girls 10 & under
Dallas...The Maureen Connolly Brinker
Tennis Foundation and Tennis Club Smrikve are proud to present the
4th annual international team competition between the
United States and Europe for young players on Sunday, July 3,
2005. This is the only international team competition which
features the top boys and girls from the United States and Europe
who are 10 & under in the world.
The “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl is named after
two prestigious tournaments: the “Little Mo” Nationals which
features the best young players in the United States from 7-11
years of age and the Smrikva Bowl which is one of the top European
tournaments for boys and girls. The Smrikva Bowl is held at the
Tennis Club Smrikve in Pula, Croatia.
The “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl will be held
for the second time at the Tennis Club Smrikve and will feature
three of the top boys and the top girl from the United States and
Europe playing a total of eight matches. The competition was
held the first two years in Austin, Texas at the Austin Tennis
Academy and last year in Pula, Croatia. Europe has won the
competition each year and leads the USA in wins 3-0.
The players representing the United States
are:
Boys:
#1: Jeffrey Schorsh (Perrysburg, Ohio)
#2: Jose Gracia (Delray Beach, Florida)
#3: Yale Goldberg (Beachwood, Ohio)
Girl: #1: Dorothy Tang (Arcadia, California)
The U.S.
players were selected due to their outstanding results Boys and
Girls 9 & under division at the 2004 “Little Mo” Nationals.
Jeffrey Schorsh was the 2004 “Little Mo” National Champion in
Boys’ 9, Jose Gracia was Runner-up and Yale Goldberg placed
Third. Dorothy Tang was Runner-Up in the Girls’ 9 at the “Little
Mo” Nationals.
The USA team
captain is Todd Dominiak from Toledo, Ohio. Todd played
collegiate tennis at the University of Toledo (1985-1988) and was
first team All Mid-American Conference in 1988.He is currently
Head Professional at Laurel Hill Swim and Tennis and has been the
pro for the past 17 years.
This is one of the many events sponsored by the Maureen Connolly
Brinker Tennis Foundation to further junior tennis development.
Maureen Connolly, who was known as “Little Mo” was the first woman
to win the Grand Slam at age 18 in 1953. She is still the
youngest Grand Slam winner and the only American woman.
For
more
information, visit
www.mcbtennis.org.
***********************************************************
PRESS RELEASE
January 1, 2005
USA Team Announced for 4th annual
"Little Mo"/Smrikva Bowl
#1 Boy: Jeffrey Schorsch from Perrysburg, Ohio
#2 Boy: Jose Gracia from Delray
Beach, Florida
#3 Boy: Yale Goldberg from Beachwood,
Ohio
#1 Girl: Dorothy Tang from
Arcadia, California
The tournament will be
held on Sunday, July 3, 2005 in Pula, Croatia. This is the
only international team competition for boys and girls who are 10
& under who are from the USA and Europe.
********************************************************
July 5,
2004
EUROPE WINS "LITTLE MO" / SMRIKVA BOWL
Europe:
6 USA: 2
Girls:
Blair Shankle (USA) def. Saska Gavrilovska
(Serbia/Montenegro) 6-2, 6-3
Blair Shankle (USA) def. Ecaterina Opriou (Romania)
6-0. 6-1
Saska Gavrilovka (Serbia/Montenegro) def. Anna
Mamalat (USA) 6-3, 6-1
Ecaterina Opriou (Romania) def. Anna Mamalat (USA)
6-1, 6-4
Boys:
Ivan Levar (Croatia) def. Mitchell Polnet (USA)
6-3, 6-3
Miki Jankovic (Serbia/Montenegro) def. Mitchell
Polnet (USA) 7-5, 6-1
Ivan Levar (Croatia) def. Ryan Andrada (USA) 6-1,
6-1
Mike Jankovic (Serbia/Montenegro) def. Ryan Andrada
(USA)6-2, 6-3
Photos & Smrikva Bowl Results
******************************************
July 2,
2004
Cartennis@aol.com
For Immediate Release
www.mcbtennis.org
3rd
“Little Mo”/ Smrikva Bowl
July 4, 2004 * Pula, Croatia
United States Team Announced
(U.S. vs. Europe)
For
Boys & Girls 10 & under
Dallas...The Maureen Connolly
Brinker Tennis Foundation and Tennis Club Smrikve are proud to
present the 3rd annual international team competition between the
United States and Europe for young players on Sunday, July 4,
2004. This is the only international team competition which
features the top boys and girls from the United States and Europe
who are 10 & under in the world.
The “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl
is named after two prestigious tournaments: the “Little Mo”
Nationals which features the best young players in the United
States from 7-11 years of age and the Smrikva Bowl which is one of
the top European tournaments for boys and girls. The Smrikva Bowl
is held at the Tennis Club Smrikve in Pula, Croatia.
The “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl will be held for the first time at
the Tennis Club Smrikve and will feature two of the top girls and
boys from the United States and Europe playing a total of eight
matches. The competition has been held the past two years in
Austin, Texas at the Austin Tennis Academy where Europe has won
each year. Europe leads the U.S. 2-0.
The players representing the United States are:
Boys #1: Mitchell Polnet
(Churchville,Pennsylvania)
Boys #2: Ryan Andrada (Visalia, California)
Girls #1: Blair Shankle (Boerne, Texas)
Girls #2: Anna Mamalat
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
The U.S. players were selected due to their outstanding results as
Winner and Runner-up in the Boys and Girls 9 & under division at
the 2003
“Little Mo” Nationals.
This is one of the many events
sponsored by the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation to
further junior tennis development. Maureen Connolly, who was
known as “Little Mo” was the first woman to win the Grand Slam at
age 18 in 1953. She is still the youngest Grand Slam winner and
the only American woman.
For more
information, visit
www.mcbtennis.org.
****************************************************
Europe Wins 2nd Annual
"Little Mo"/Smrikva Bowl
Europe 6 USA 2
Boys
Results:
Emmett Egger (Issaquah, WA) defeated George
Morgan (England)
6-1, 6-2
Dominic Thiem (Austria) defeated Robert Stineman (Winnetka, IL)
6-3, 6-2
Egger defeated Thiem 6-4, 6-2
Morgan defeated Stineman 6-4, 5-7, 6-2
Girls Results:
Silvia Njiric (Croatia) defeated Karen Forman (Del Mar, CA)
7-5, 6-1
Jennifer Ren (England) defeated Katie Klyczek (Munster, IN)
6-2, 6-1
Ren defeated Forman 6-1, 6-1
Njiric defeated
Klyczek 6-3, 6-1
For more
information:
cartennis@aol.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2nd “Little Mo”/ Smrikva Bowl
United States Team Announced
(U.S.
vs. Europe)
For Boys & Girls 10 & under
Dallas...The Maureen
Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation and Tennis Club Smrikve are
proud to present the 2nd annual international team
competition between the United States and Europe for young
players. This is the only international team competition which
features the top boys and girls from the United States and Europe
who are 10 & under in the world.
The “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl
is named after two prestigious tournaments: the “Little Mo”
Nationals which features the best young players in the United
States from 7-11 years of age and the Smrikva Bowl which is one of
the top European tournaments for boys and girls. The Smrikva Bowl
is held at the Tennis Club Smrikve in Pula. Croatia and this year,
over 80 youngsters from 13 different countries competed in the
VIII Smrikva Bowl.
The “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl
will be held at the new Austin Tennis Academy in Austin, Texas and
will feature two of the top girls and boys from the United States
and Europe playing a total of eight matches. The Opening
Ceremony will be held at 9:00 am on Friday, October 24 and the
matches will continue all day. Come cheer on the USA in this
one-day only event.
The players representing the
United States are:
Boys: #1: Emmett Egger (Issaquah, Washington)
#2: Robert Stineman
(Winnetka, Illinois)
Girls: #1: Karen Forman (Del Mar, California)
#2: Katie Klyczek
(Munster, Indiana)
The U.S. players were selected
from the “Little Mo” Regional Champions. Karen and Emmett were
“Little Mo” National Champions in 2002 in 9 & under and they both
recently won the “Little Mo” West Regionals in San Diego,
California. Robert and Katie placed in the top four at the
“Little Mo” Nationals in 9 & under in 2002 and they recently won
the “Little Mo” North Regionals in Homewood, Illinois.
The players representing
Europe are:
Boys: #1: Dominic Thiem (Austria)
#2: George Morgan (England)
Girls: #1: Jennifer Ren (England)
#2: Silvia Njiric
(Croatia)
The “Little Mo”/Smrikva Bowl
will be held prior to the “Little Mo” Nationals tournament which
features the top 16 players in the United States in age division:
Boys 11, Boys 10, Boys 9, and Boys 8 & under and Girls 11, Girls
10, Girls 9, and Girls 8 & under. The Nationals will be held at
the Austin Tennis Academy in Austin, Texas from Saturday, October
25 through Monday, October 27.
This is one of the many events
sponsored by the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation to
further junior tennis development. Maureen Connolly, who was
known as “Little Mo” was the first woman to win the Grand Slam at
age 18 in 1953. She is still the youngest Grand Slam winner and
the only American woman.
SCHEDULE OF PLAY
Friday, October 24, 2003
The event shall consist of the best of eight
matches (all singles). If the matches are tied at 4-4, the winner
will be determined by the number of games won.
9:00
am
– Opening Ceremony - followed by:
Court 1
Court 2
U.S.
Europe U.S.
Europe
Egger vs
Morgan Forman vs Njiric
Stineman vs Thiem
Klyczek vs Ren
1:30 pm
Egger vs Thiem
Forman vs Ren
Stineman vs
Morgan Klyczek vs
Njiric
2003 Smrivka Bowl in Pula,
Croatia- This prestigious event features the top European
players. The top two girls and boys from the Smrikva Bowl
will come to play the top two boys and girls in the nation in 10
& under from the "Little Mo" Nationals. The
2nd annual "Little Mo"/Smrikva Bowl will be held in
Austin, Texas on Friday, October 24, 2003. Follow their
progress at: www.smrikve.com
Click for 2003 Tournament Results
For
Immediate Release
Information: (214) 352-7978
Contact: Carol Weyman
www.mcbtennis.org
Email:
Cartennis@aol.com
October
29, 2002
