Joe Delinks, a recent graduate of University of Central Florida, from North Falmouth, is competing to break into the ATP tour. The former UCF Captain and Massachusetts State Division One Champion that played number one for Falmouth High School will be taking a short training interlude that will either send him to undetermined sites in Europe, Canada, and the United States. His major field of study was environmental science and biology. After graduating he continued to coach for the Kevin Pease School of Tennis at the Falmouth Sports Center and then tried breaking into the ATP by competing in the southern Future’s Circuit in Florida.

 The goal is to get into qualifying of a Future’s Event. There is prize money at the end of a Future’s Tournament but it only contributes to the expense of traveling to the event and possibly a room. Qualifying rounds are bitterly competitive with as many as 128 players competing to earn eight spots in the main draw. Basically you are playing a huge tournament with the hope of getting into the future’s main draw. Even with several wins in qualifying you would not receive any ATP points. Those can only be earned by winning matches in the Future’s main draw event. Many players, such as Joe will apply to as many Future’s events around the world with the hope of getting accepted into qualifying. If one already possesses enough points then they would probably not have to go through qualifying (depending on the event and prize money). Major tournaments have qualifying where most of the players hoping to get in the main draw have points on the ATP.

In Joe’s first tournament qualifier he won his first round 5-6,6-1,6-3 back in October only to be devastated 6-0, 6-0 by an All American form Auburn and couldn’t regroup. The following week he played a wild card tournament (an additional chance to get in a future) to get into Pensacola. He won his first round 6-3, 6-2, second round 6-4, 6-3 against a player from Argentina with ATP points, and won a semi- final match verses Marc Oljaca (a former UCF team-mate 3-6,6-3,10-6) who has been on the tour for four years. Joe then lost to a player form Latfia 7-6, 4-6, 5-10. That was just a few points shy of “making it.” After playing such vicious rounds of tennis, Joe had nothing left to give the qualifying of that same tournament and lost 1-6, 7-5, 4-6. He was beat up and sore.

Off to Niceville, the next stop in the southern tour. Joe lost to a Swede with ATP points in qualifying, 3-6,6-3,3-6. In the finals of the wildcard draw, Joe missed a forehand volley by one half an inch after being up 7-6,3-2 40-30. He was going close to the line because the clay makes you pay if you don’t finish a volley. The players are too fast and they run them down.

The players of the futures are consistent elite college players, a big step up from Division One.  Joe has been training with Blaze Schwartz, a top ten doubles NCAA doubles player, and all time most wins player—Brock Sakey also a former UCF Knight. All the play down in Florida is played on Har-Tru, a crushed stone metallic Basalt mixture that plays slower than hard courts but faster than European Red Clay which plays extremely slow (Brick and Red Clay). I would compare that to the moon.

 The slower the play leads to longer points. Joe has an attacking style of play that was honed on the fast indoor courts of the Falmouth Sports Center. That favors getting to the net and playing aggressively. Joe has been using that style of play quite a bit, but has to be very selective on when to approach as the quality of passing shots in today’s game are the best they ever been.

Getting into doubles draws of the futures requires breaking into the singles and securing points.

If Joe were to do this he would have an excellent chance in doubles due to the attacking nature of the doubles game which is dominated by strong volleys.

During the summer Joe enjoys fishing on the Cape for all local fish including Yellow Fin Tuna. He has caught a 5 foot Alligator and a 6 foot shark in Florida (both released of course). His favorite is duck hunting. He will be in Falmouth shortly, training at the Sports Center with Coach Kevin Pease for his next bid determined by acceptances from around the world. His training will include weight training, on court hitting and drills, hitting partners and movement training (Etcheberry Court Conditioning Drills targeted for attacking players).

Davis Cup Play by Annie Keegan

I would like to introduce a new writer for us--Annie Keegan, from Long Island, who is an avid tennis player at the Falmouth Sports Center and a big fan of professional tennis. She is sharing this recent report of the American Davis Cup, which at one time was more popular than the major tennis events, particularly before the open era, which occurred in 1968. Thank you Annie Keegan......

Hi Folks! Kevin asked me to do a little blog of today’s Davis Cup action from Petco Park in San Diego.  It’s USA vs. Great Britain in the first round of the World Group.   We haven’t lost to the

Brits in Davis Cup since 1935 (our overall record against them in Davis Cup competition is 11-7).

This year we’re really going to feel the absence of Andy Roddick and James Blake. Both players were Davis Cup stalwarts and they’ve both retired.  John Isner, the highest ranked American player is injured.  So let’s just say we’re playing with our “B” team while Britain has Andy Murray playing all three days for them.  That being said, Davis Cup frequently brings out the best in players so let’s

hope for some great matches.

 

Team USA is represented by Sam Querrey (49), Donald Young (79) and Mike and Bob Bryan (1).

Obviously Captain Jim Courier is relying heavily on the Bryans to win the doubles on Saturday.

The host team chooses the venue and playing surface and I’m a bit baffled by the choice of outdoor

clay.  Clay may be Murray’s weakest surface but it isn’t a favorite of any of our guys either so that’s a bit of a head scratcher.

 

The first match (or “rubber” in Davis Cup-speak) is Donald Young facing Andy Murray. Young has been touted as having potential for greatness but he hasn’t delivered. He’s had some attitude problems and even a public squabble with the head of USTA player development, Patrick McEnroe.  He was passed over for a spot on last year’s Davis Cup squad and took to Twitter to express his unhappiness.  As I write this Murray has defeated Young in straight sets.

 

The second match of the day has Querrey facing James Ward (179). If that match follows rank, Querrey should win and we would go into tomorrow’s doubles even at 1-1.

 

As it turns out Ward upset Querrey which leaves the US in a must-win position going into Saturday’s

doubles round.

 

The beauty of Davis Cup is that it allows us to see the best players in the world play for their country

rather than themselves. Very few players pass up the opportunity.  Stan Wawrinka is playing for

Switzerland just days after winning the Australian Open. He and Roger Federer have put the Swiss

Team up 2-0 in their match against the Serbian powerhouse team (who are missing both Djokovic and Tipsaravic this round).  And the German team is leading Spain 2-0. The Spanish are playing without several of their best as well. Rafael Nadal, Fernando Verdasco and Tommy Robredo are all

injured.

 

On Saturday the Bryan brothers came through in their match against Dominic Inglot and Colin Fleming. They won in four sets.  For doubles fans, Davis Cup is the only competition other than the majors where the matches remain 3 out of 5 sets with standard scoring.  And the doubles round is often a make or break match for a team trying to stay alive in the tie. Today proved to be just such a

scenario for the US. 

 

The matches on Sunday will be the reverse of Friday’s match-ups.  First up will be Sam Querrey vs. Andy Murray.  If Querrey can pull off the win it would be one of the most important victories of his career.  I’d love to see him do it.