JAMES BECK: Four teams in CPTL for its ninth season

  • Special to The Post and Courier
  • Posted: Sunday, August 21, 2011 12:01 a.m.
    UPDATED: Sunday, March 18, 2012 3:28 p.m.
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Tennis in general appears to be recession-proof. More people than ever are participating in league tennis. Junior tennis is blossoming.

High school programs such as Ashley Hall, Porter-Gaud and others have strong participation and have never been better. And the pros appear to be doing just fine, as demonstrated locally by the Family Circle Cup and the recent World TeamTennis Finals.

But finding a sponsor these days isn't as easy as in the past. The slimmed-down version of the Charleston Pro Tennis League is an example.

The popular nine-year-old league is cutting back to four teams this fall from six teams in the past. "The same amount of players (50), just less teams," league founder Chris Henderson said.

Of course, the CPTL has been to Henderson what the WTT has been to Billie Jean King. Henderson, not only is the founder along with a couple of others who have since dropped off of the CPTL scene, he is the primary reason the league has flourished and become a key part of the local tennis scene in the fall.

Fans have grown accustomed to the exciting Friday night tennis programs at local clubs. A CPTL program is similar to an outdoor party.

With two young children, Henderson tried to limit his involvement in the running of the league last year to mostly playing on Friday nights. But with fellow founders Stuart Small and Dave Maness already out of the picture, the league needed Henderson's guidance. The CPTL was his creation and he didn't want to risk the possibility of the league falling by the wayside.

The former Furman standout, who brought the unique pro league concept to Charleston with him from Atlanta, is running this year's league with Ellerbe Dargan. The player draft party is Monday night at O'Briens Pub in I'On. Jimmy Hunter's H.S.I. Electrical of Summerville, and Atlantic Shield Insurance joined O'Briens and the Lowcountry Tennis Association as sponsors.

To accommodate the large player field with two less teams this year, the CPTL's format will change from two doubles and one singles to three doubles and one singles. "We are changing the format to the WTT format, counting total games won," Henderson said.

The season opens Sept. 9 at Family Circle Tennis Center with a 6:30 p.m. program, with the featured match at 7 p.m. This fall's programs will be shorter since there will be only two team matches each Friday, both matches going on at the same time. Teams will play each other twice for a total of six regular season Friday programs, leading up to the Oct. 21 championship match at Dunes West. The schedule has programs at Pine Forest Country Club, Wild Dunes, LTP Tennis, I'On and Dunes West, with two at Family Circle.

WTT impact

World TeamTennis' impact on local tennis is spreading. Charleston Tennis Center has just announced that it will organize a USTA Junior Team Tennis league this fall, using the WTT's exciting and fast-paced format.

The league will have 10-and-under beginner (Quick Start), 12-and-under intermediate, 14-and-under advanced and 18-and-under advanced divisions. Coaches will register teams on the USTA Tennis Link site, similarly to league tennis captains. Players will be given the team numbers in order to register online.

Each team will have a minimum of three girls and three boys. Registration has started at tennislink.usta.com. For more information, call city tennis manager Peggy Bohne (766-7401) at Charleston Tennis Center. League winners advance to next year's state Junior Team Tennis championships.

Bohne expects the league to start slowly and grow steadily over the years, much like the 30-year-old Tri-County Elementary and Middle School League. "We started out with seven teams and we had 117 teams this year," Bohne said about the school league.

Match play starts Sept. 30 and last for six weeks at the area's public and private tennis centers.

Local notes

The LCTA's league tennis fall registration period will begin on Monday. Teams will need to have the minimum number of players for all positions in a match (eight for most adult leagues and six for seniors) registered by Sept. 16 to join the league.

The Charleston Rated Adult Open entry deadline is Monday. The Open will be held next Friday through Sundays at Charleston Tennis Center (766-7401). Players can register at sctennis.com (tournament number 704134711).

The Lowcountry Junior Team Association is looking for board members. Contact LJTA vice-president Brian Burke (345-3714).

Timo Siebert, a former College of Charleston standout and local pro, has taken his teaching pro talents to the Boston area.

Eighteen-year-old Daniel Island touring pro Shelby Rogers, struggling with injuries and opponents since the Family Circle Cup, recently lost in the first round of qualifying at a $50,000 ITF event in the Bronx, N.Y., and has fallen to No. 542 in the world.

Local juniors Thomas Spratt and Matthew Mendez competed in the recent boys 16 nationals in Kalamazoo, Mich., Spratt falling in the main draw's third round and Mendez the first round.

Austin Heinz advanced to the boys 16 singles quarterfinals and doubles final in the recent N.C. Open Clay Court Championships in Charlotte.

Flex League registrations are available until Saturday at www.ustaflex.com, according to Charleston Flex League coordinator Vickie Nash (nashvm@yahoo.com).

A 4.5 women's team captained by Amy Templeton and a 5.0 women's team captained by Amy White were runners-up in the recent Southern Sectional Championships in Mobile, Ala.

Reach James Beck at jamesbecktennis@gmail.com. See his columns on pro tennis at ubitennis.com/english.