News Blast #95 from The Tennis Network of Greater Volusia County
Hello tennis friends in Volusia & Flagler Counties.
First, an apology. This “Blast” is a day late. Reason for this is we needed to wait for the draw of the USTA Pro Circuit Men’s Futures professional tournament in Palm Coast to be published. The tournament is in full swing at Palm Coast Tennis Center. The draw came out Monday during the day. Here it is: http://www2.cybergolf.com/kemper/images/237/MDS.pdf .
Greg Ouellette, #309 in the world and a local player residing in Ormond Beach, is the #1 seed in the event. Greg was so friendly as to take some time to answer our questions.
Network News Blast: Greg, what are your goals for 2011?
Greg Ouellette: I’d like to get into the Top 150 of the ATP rankings. I would also like to play qualifying in all three of the remaining Grand Slam tournaments (French Open, Wimbledon, US Open). I just came back from Australia where I had hoped to play qualies, too. But the cut was higher than in previous years, and I just missed it, unfortunately.
NNB: You are the #1 seed in Palm Coast. How does your draw look?
GO: It is a very tough draw. I play a qualifier first. If I win that, I’ll play the winner of Wayne Odesnik vs. Olivier Sajous. Both are very strong players. But it is nice to play a tournament so close to home, no matter how far I make it in the draw. (Note: Odesnik just came back from a one year suspension and is rebuilding his ranking from scratch. He was a Top 100 player as recently as 2009.)
NNB: What are your biggest strengths as a player?
GO: I have a good backhand and a good serve. I am also fast and cover a lot of court. I am not the biggest guy on the tour, so I have to be fast.
NNB: What are your most memorable experiences as a tennis player?
GO: There are a couple. Winning a Futures tournament last year was great. Playing the qualifying for the US Open was also an amazing experience. And playing four years for the University of Florida was very special, too. The worst experience was clearly being robbed at gunpoint in Venezuela last fall. A buddy and myself took an official taxicab to ride to the city, and still got robbed by the driver. Fortunately, we had only some 50 bucks on us, and were left otherwise unharmed in the street.
NNB: If kids want to follow in your footsteps, what is the most important thing for them?
GO: Once you have made that decision to become a serious tennis player, stick with your plan. Stay positive. Don’t let negative experiences get to you. Believe in yourself.
NNB: Thanks for your time, Greg. And good luck in the tournament.
GO: Thank you. My pleasure.
Greg’s first match is on Wednesday, February 2. If he wins it, he plays the winner of Odesnik/Sajous on Thursday, February 3 - incidentally the last day of free admission at PCTC. For the complete schedule, look at http://www.palmcoasttenniscenter.com/kemper/courses/layout9.asp?id=237&page=8826. Or call the Palm Coast Tennis Center at (386) 986-2550.
Dear tennis friends in Volusia/Flagler counties, how about making a day trip to Palm Coast to see with your own eyes how astonishingly hard yet accurate these guys can hit a tennis ball? It is worth a trip, promised. Happy Trails to y’all. See you in Palm Coast.
This message is brought to you by The Tennis Network of Greater Volusia County. www.daytonatennis.com
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