Black Tennis Pros

On Wednesday, May 14, Black Tennis Pro's will premiere a new weekly segment, the "Wednesday Coaches Corner."

The primary goal of this segment will be to introduce professional Black tennis coaches and explore their roles in and out of tennis, obtain their perspectives on the state of the game as it relates to professional Black tennis players and discuss what needs to be done to bring more Black players into the game.

The first coach to stand in the corner will be Morris King Jr. King is the professional tennis coach that Richard Williams hand-picked in 1997 to assist him with the rise of his now champion daughters, Venus and Serena, to the top 10 in the pro rankings.

In a two part interview, King will share who he is personally and professionally, and give us a glimpse inside the world of a professional Black tennis coach.

An unseeded qualifier slipped by me at the Boyd Tinsley Tennis Championship last week. Alexis Gordon, a former Florida Gator, not only qualified and entered the main singles draw, but took out world no. #116 Russian Olga Puchkova and won the tournament!

After the tournament, Fox affiliate WCAV.TV spoke with both Alexis Gordon and the tournament's sponsor, Boyd Tinsley.

"I would definitely say this is the greatest moment. I mean, just to be out here and to be in the finals, I mean just making it today."

"I woke up this morning, I was just like wow, I am in the finals, I get another opportunity to go out there and play in front of everybody. It felt good."

Boyd Tinsley said "she came in here as a qualifier, and she got into the draw and today she is a champion, you know what I mean? I think that is one of the stories that you are so proud to have in a tournament like this, you know. Somebody who makes it and just rises to a champion."

"You never know who is going to be on top at the end of the tournament."

I have not seen the announcement thus far of which doubles team won. Raquel Kop-Jones is on one of those teams.




Vero Beach, Florida

Marcus Fugate of Rochester, N.Y., and Lance Vodicka of St. Louis teamed to win the doubles competition, 6-3, 6-4. It was Fugate's second-straight Grand Harbor doubles final and each of their first doubles titles on the USTA Pro Circuit.

The doubles winners split $800 and the doubles runners-up split $500.

Once again SjP over at Sojourner's Place has seen fit to share her spotlight with Black Tennis Pro's, and I am very honored to have her do so. This award makes the time that I invest daily worthwhile.

Black Tennis Pro's is proud to receive the 'E' Excellent Award along with:

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Quarterfinal Round - Singles

Younes El Aynaoui, MAR defeated by Fernando Gonzalez, CHI
6-3, 4-6, 3-6



Semifinal Round - Doubles

Angela Haynes, USA and Mashona Washington, USA
defeated by
Raquel Kops-Jones, USA and Abigail Spears, USA
7-6(3), 6-4