Such wonderful memories over the years with so many great friends. Lenny, Roz, Harold and Jan Solomon from Ft. Lauderdale, Gerry Goldberg from Montreal, Bob, Helen and Darron Moore from Studio City California, Richard Ramer from Santa Monica.  The Jeffer, Miller, and Zimmerman Families of Great Neck, New York.  My sister Terry and her two boys from Ocean Port, New Jersey, Gilad Bloom, the Israeli pro player now living and teaching tennis in New York City.  The rock of the US Open Dick Savitt and his lovely wife Anne. (I hope her back is feeling better.)  Eric Fromm and his highly successful charity event. David Schoen from Atlanta. Chris Lombardi from down my way in Timonium, Maryland and Steve Turner and Lance Shanet from the Big Apple.  The list could go on, great fun!

Okay Steve we can see where this is going.  We can take a hint… so Steve who were you hanging out with at the Open this year?  Thanks for asking! This years Open was FANTASTIC! There were so many great matches.  Nothing compares to attending a night match at the Open.  And the day matches weren’t bad either, as 720,000 witnessed the two weeks of tennis matches.  That is a Big Event!  I was fortunate to be part of the crowd Monday, Labor Day evening sitting in the Ashe Stadium, under the lights on the “50-yard line” watching Andy Murray from Scotland against the Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka.  The number six and number ten players on the planet battling it out, not bad.

None of this excitement could have been possible without the generosity of two great friends who set the evening up to include me.  Mark “Buzzy” Mason from Mason’s Tennis Store in Manhattan and my host in NYC (where two days can feel like two weeks) Michael Goitein, aka Mike Hammer.  For the past twenty-five years Mark’s tennis shop on 53rd and Madison has been voted the #1 specialty tennis shop in the USA by Tennis Industry Magazine.  I picked up a nice US Open t-shirt for my daughter and some US Open programs.

Michael Goitein is the senior project Manager for Strategic Domain.  Strategic Domain is a full service e-marketing company serving the healthcare industry with a broad range of services including digital and web development, search engine optimization, strategic planning, advertising and promotions.  Mike “Hammer” was kind enough to introduce some terrific ideas for my website.

I’ll tell you one thing since I first participated in the 1970 US Open qualifying rounds at the Westside Tennis Club (I am dating myself with this statement)  the Open has changed,  a lot …I mean a lot!  Of course the tennis has always been great, it is a Grand Slam tournament, our National Tournament.  But now I would almost call the Open a “happening”.  The grounds have been fixed up beautifully and one can really just hangout, eat, people watch and tennis. Good combinations.  “Buzzy”, Mike “Hammer” and I “chowed” down at the Fulton Seafood stall on the food court.  We ate lobster rolls and salmon sandwiches.  We watched the tennis on the big screens before going into the night session on Ashe Stadium, $18.95 for the Lobster Roll and $12.95 for the Salmon.  Not too bad and you know what the food was pretty darn good.  Mike Hammer made the class move of the night, supplying dessert in the box with three Haagen Dazs chocolate ice cream bars, very large!  We gobbled them up while watching the Entourage guys (my favorite HBO Show, also Andy) being introduced on the Big Screen.  Life was good.

Night matches never end early at the Open.  You have to prepare yourself for this.  And of course there’s the subway ride back into the city, always fun at 1 o’clock in the morning, sure!  At least now they have the express trains straight into Manhattan.  How do the people do it?  Don’t they ever sleep in New York?  Our subway train pulled in to Washington Heights Station at 1:40 am eastern standard time.  Mike lives with his finance JJ and cat Yoda near the George Washington Bridge and right across from the apartment is the Hudson River, very nice.  Henry Kissinger and Dr. Ruth have lived on his street, that’s a fact.

Mike is the ultimate host.  One can never leave in the morning without a “Hammer” breakfast and cappuccino, now that is hospitality.  Another good Labor Day weekend in the Big Apple, at the US Open.  I am already looking forward to coming back for the thirty-seventh year.
See you next time,
Steve Krulevitz

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Our dear friend Tricia Brooke Bowley lost her courageous fight against Cystic Fibrosis on Friday, July 4th, 2008 at the Gilchrist Hospice Center in Towson, Maryland. She was 37 years old. All prayers go out to her, her family, and her husband Jeff Carlson.

May peace be with you all.

The Perfect Storm

I just recently spoke to an old colleague of mine in London. It seems that the buzz has not died down yet over the Wimbledon final between Federer and Nadal. Now the consensus around London is that the final is the greatest match ever played. Artistry, power, speed, and drama allow nothing to really compare. Borg and McEnroe’s tiebreaker final that ended up 8-6 in the fifth set for Borg in 1980 is now taking second stage on the sports classic channels - and rightfully so.

For me, the match was the perfect storm. Nadal had lost the last two finals at the Big W to Federer and Federer was going to surpass Hall of Fame legend Bjorn Borg’s five straight Wimbledon titles with his 6th straight; plus, Federer needed to redeem himself from his poor play in the French Open final a month before. The stage was set and it did not disappoint. Nadal had to have this title or he was on the verge of becoming another Grand Slam clay court specialist like Gustavo Kuerten, the three time winner on the slow, red clay at Roland Garros.

The gladiators met on the most famous tennis court in the entire world – Center Court, Wimbledon. The weather, as it had been doing all tournament long, played havoc on the match.

Federer, now 6-13 lifetime against Nadal, seemed to be thinking too much about his losing record. So many chances lost; just letting a few of them slip away. His belief in defeating Nadal quivered.

I personally believe Federer would have won the fifth set if it had not rained. Nadal missed out in two Championship Points in the 4th set tiebreaker, which was eventually won by Federer, and had begun to let the strain of winning Wimbledon show. Mentally, Nadal was beginning to lose it. Who could blame him after that very good forehand approach shot was ripped up the line by a Federer backhand?

But Mother Nature intervened, which gave Nadal a chance to collect himself and earn the fifth set in what captivated a surreal drama at 9:16 pm London time for his 1st title at the All England Club.

This week, accusations, which are unsubstantiated, have been swirling around that Nadal is taking some kind of performance enhancing drugs. These remarks are ridiculous. The only drug Nadal is taking is the drug of winning and success. Let’s get ready for the U.S. Open at the end of August. This will be a tough Grand Slam to follow.

Until Next Time,
Steve “Lightning” Krulevitz

· clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections; and

· obstructs that pancreas and stops natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food.

In the 1950s, few children with Cystic Fibrosis lived to attend elementary school. Today, advances in research and medical treatments have further enhanced and extended life for children and adults with CF. Many people with the disease can now expect to live into their 30s, 40s, and beyond.

Symptoms of Cystic Fibrosis

People with CF can have a variety of symptoms, including:

· very salty-tasting skin;

· persistent coughing, at time with phlegm;

· frequent lung infections;

· wheezing or shortness of breath;

· poor growth/weight gain in spite of good appetite; and

· frequent greasy, bulky stools or difficulty in bowel movements.

Statistics

· About 1,000 new cases of CF are diagnosed each year.

· More than 70% of patients are diagnosed by age two.

· More than 40% of the CF patient population is age 18 or older.

· In 2008, the predicted median age of survival is 37 years.

There was some good news to report in the fight against the dreaded genetic disease Cystic Fibrosis this past week. Some new drugs have been tested and are getting ready to be released. These new drugs represent one of the biggest breakthroughs in Cystic Fibrosis research in years.

The Maryland Chapter has been extremely busy the past few weeks with 14 Great Strides Walks through out the state. The Steve Krulevitz Tennis Camp Counselors and friends sponsored a team for the first ever CF walk in Towson, Maryland at the Towson Courthouse Plaza. This team didn’t just consist of Baltimore tennis pros, but a few ex-professional ATP stars and a Grand Slam winner helped support the cause. California’s Brian Teacher, Andy Kohlberg and Bob Moore, General Manager of KCBS-FM Radio, were instrumental in making the day a huge success. The first ever CF Great Strides Walk in Towson raised a whopping $50,000. Ninety percent of every dollar donated goes toward research. We are getting closer to the cure every day. The mission of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is to assure the development of the means to cure and control Cystic Fibrosis and to improve the quality of life for those with the disease.

Unfortunately, with the great things happening in the world of CF research there will always be loved ones and heroes who are not winning the battle against CF. One of those people is our dear friend Tricia Bowley. When you talk about toughness, courage, and a true hero, one has to place Tricia (a.k.a. Little Taz) at the top of any list. At the age of 33, Tricia went to Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina and received a double lung transplant. She got married soon after to the vivacious and terrific Jeff Carlson and returned to working with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation -Maryland Chapter. Now at 38, Tricia’s health has been deteriorating rapidly for the past eight months. She is on oxygen every minute of everyday and recently has been taken under care by Hospice. The medical team at Duke has made an extremely agonizing decision not to attempt a second double lung transplant.

While waiting for news of a possible second transplant, Tricia and Jeff have been living near Duke Hospital in North Carolina. Everyday Tricia dedicates herself to four hours of physical therapy at the Duke Outpatient Rehab Center. She has put in so much work and is determined to stay physically and mentally strong. Tricia and Jeff are moving back to Baltimore to resume their lives among their family and friends.

Everyone who is involved in the battle against Cystic Fibrosis and the many, many friends and acquaintances are praying for you Tricia and wishing you well.

Strength and Honor!

What teenager came crashing into men’s professional tennis with a semi-final showing at the 1988 French Open exhibiting racket head speed and power seldom ever seen in the world of professional tennis? A career characterized by demin and flash. Over the years, fans saw him grow into his talent; sometimes they were disappointed. They felt that he had been cheating himself and them with so much wasted talent. But not the day he was lying on the green grass of the All England Club’s Centre Court savoring a five set first Grand Slam Title at the big “W,” Wimbledon.

Hollywood lurked around the corner. Who had possible career ending wrist surgery, only to emerge once again, but this time with a new coach, a new attitude and a renewed dedication to one of the most demanding professional sports. Grand Slam victories followed and fans flocked to his corner, big time. A new wife and kids added meaning to his life. One shall never forget those United States Davis Cup victories and the unforgettable farewell speech at the United States Open in New York. Fantastic!

So there he was across the net from me, the tennis icon, Hall of Famer, back in Washington, DC, at the Fitzgerald Tennis Center, on the dirt, on a Friday afternoon in April, doing what he does best, smacking tennis balls, using that racket head speed for yet another important charity cause, raising money for less advantaged youth. Amazing! I couldn’t help but think as I waited to shake his hand and say hey, here’s a guy who’s been thru a lifetime of experiences, good and bad and once again has come out on top. But far more important he has really grown up to be one heck-of-a human being.

Touché, Andre Agassi. It was an honor to shake your hand.

Every few weeks I will be writing about a variety of subjects, professional tennis players, the pro tour, charity, family, my past experiences as a pro player and future of the game of tennis.

This past week I took a quick train ride to the Russell Room in the Rotunda at the United States Senate in Washington, D.C. My friend and Director of the Earth Elders Foundation, Jerry Friedman, was having an exhibit on aging. Jerry is a fascinating human being. He has won an Emmy for his book, Earth’s Elders: The Wisdom of the World’s Oldest People. Over the past six years, he has traveled the globe photographing and interviewing the world’s oldest living humans, super-centenarians. Participants don’t qualify unless they are 115 years old or older. There were 50 photographs and biographies on display at the Senate Building. Jerry has put together a curriculum for schools. The curriculum consists of information on aging and how our society can better take care of the elderly. It’s being taught in 140 schools across the country. Anyone interested in learning more about this fascinating subject can log on to www.earthelders.org. Click here to go to the site and view the curriculum.

I hope everyone enjoys a good week I’ll be writing again soon.

Steve “Lightning” Krulevitz