Goodbye Shyam

Young player to homegrown coach Shyam Vithlani has been involved with Totally Tennis for a very longtime. In the early days, six year old Vithlani and his sister attended Saturday morning munchkin club and squads, he represented his school and then Queen Mary’s College (QMC). After completing his Sports Development with Coaching BSC (hons) Degree at Sheffield Hallam University he returned to the club to pursue a full-time career in coaching.

The QMC team reached the mixed doubles National finals and he also played in the Sheffield Hallam that won the university league. He started coaching at Totally Tennis when he was sixteen as a tennis assistant and continued to coach in Sheffield at the Rustlings Club, setting and running his own tennis sessions. He then coached at Hallamshire Tennis Academy as well as in America for two summers while still at University.  During his time at Totally Tennis he has progressed through the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) coaching qualifications and has attained the Level 4 Senior Coach Award.

Vithlani bid farewell to Totally Tennis earlier this month after five years as Head Coach at Hampshire Court to continue his coaching career as Head of Tennis for Multi Sports for the International Schools in Shanghai, China.

 

Tennis Director Nigel Long said “Shyam has been involved with Totally Tennis for a long time and has achieved so much to become a very good tennis coach.” he added ” We wish him the very best with his exciting new role and life in Shanghai!”

Player Profile: Samantha Smith

SAMANTHA SMITH

Squad: Holiday Camp

How old were you when you first started tennis?

I was 10 years old

How were you introduced to the sport?

A school club

What made you come to Totally Tennis?

I came with my friend

Who is your favourite professional tennis player?

Andy Murray

What do you like most about the sport?

Being on my feet

What do you consider to be your best shot?  

Forehand

How often do you play?   

Most weekends

Do you play any other sport?  

Basketball, football and netball

What’s your greatest achievement in tennis so far?  

Playing matches

Another Busy Week For Hignett

Totally Tennis performance player Liam Hignett had a busy week competing in the Grade 3 Frost & Co. Dorset Open 2017 as well as volunteering at the IAFF World Athletic Championships in London.

In the tournament held at the East Dorset Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club Hignett competed in both the Open Men’s singles and the doubles with Dorset based partner Louis Allen. In the singles, second seed Hignett had a bye in the first round then he beat Joshua Kean 6-2, 6-1 in round two followed by fifth seed Jack Oswald 6-2, 6-3 in the quarters. In the semis he defeated seventh seed Thomas Watkinson 6-4, 6-1 but then lost to top seed Alex White 7-5, 6-1 in the final to finish in the runner-up spot.

In the doubles, second seeds Hignett and Allen had a bye in the first round then beat Adam Watkinson/Thomas Watkinson in the quarters 4-0, 4-2 and then beat third seeds  Benjamin Battey/David Hill in three sets 7-6(3), 6-7(8), 10-6 in the semis. In the final they were due to face top seeds Adam Glynn/Toby Samuel but due to the match scheduling and Hignett’s IAFF commitments the pair had to concede leaving them as runners-up. 

At the televised World Athletics sessions Hignett had the honour of carrying Usain Bolt’s bag before the 4 x 100 metre relay final.

 

Snacking During a Tennis Match – What, When and Why?

If you’re playing a match lasting less than an hour, you don’t need to snack on court. Your nutrition in and around the match should be adequate to fuel your body for that short period of time.

If playing a match for anything over an hour on the other hand, snacks are beneficial to sustain a higher intensity for longer, maintain good reaction times and reduce cognitive/ mental decline, to name a few.

Your snacks need to be carbohydrate based, and relatively fast digesting carbohydrates.

Here are 5 great options to take on court with you:

1. Fruit (e.g. bananas)
2. Cereal bar
3. Flapjack
4. Rice cakes
5. Sports drink (such as Gatorade or Lucozade)

Keep it simple and keep it effective. Mix the snacks up to keep it interesting.

Read more about match nutrition in previous post Competition Nutrition – What, When and How Much?

Yours in Health,

Steph

Former Totally Tennis performance player Steph Catlin has founded Food Is Life, a sports nutrition consultancy business based in Basingstoke. If you would like to learn more about how to achieve your personal nutrition goals and for specific personal advice please contact Steph directly via foodislifeuk@gmail.com via her website www.foodislifeuk.com or visit her social media channels Facebook, Twitter and InstagramRead more nutrition advice in previous posts  Is Nutrition The Missing Puzzle Piece to Your Ultimate Tennis Performance?, Do You Suffer With Performance Dips During a Tennis Match and Protein Isn’t Just For Body Builders

 

Player Profile: Oliver Brennan

OLIVER BRENNAN

Squad: Holiday Camp

How old were you when you first started tennis?

I started playing tennis when I was 5yrs old

How were you introduced to the sport?

I saw a Wimbledon match on the TV and thought I should try it out

What made you come to Totally Tennis?

My friend recommended it to me

Who is your favourite professional tennis player?

Andy Murray

What do you like most about the sport?

Being able to challenge your opponent again and again

What do you consider to be your best shot?  

When I score a shot from the baseline

How often do you play?   

Every other week

Do you play any other sport?  

Table Tennis and Badminton

What’s your greatest achievement in tennis so far?  

Helping my friends to become good tennis players

Chendhilkumar Twins Compete in Oxford

Totally Tennis mini tennis players Guhan and Gevin Chendhilkumar participated in their first external tennis tournament outside the club last weekend. The twin brothers competed in the 9 and under Boys Singles event which was part of the Leys Mini Tennis Tournament in Oxford.

The tournament was played in a round robin format with the brothers competing is different boxes. In Group A, Guhan unfortunately lost his three matches 10-6, 10-7 and 10-4 respectively and finished in fourth place. Gevin fairer better in Group B where he finished third beating William White 10-4 but losing his other two matches 10-2 including his match against eventual event winner Shay Corcoran.

The brothers then played each other in an epic match that Gevin just edged 10-9. Gevin then defeated Benjamin Seville 10-5 to finish in fifth place overall.

Good luck for future events boys 😉

 

Two Runner-Up Finishes for Bromilow in Liverpool

Totally Tennis performance player and Sherfield Tennis Scholar Miles Bromilow finished as runner-up in two events at this week’s Grade 3 HEAD Merseyside Tennis Open held at the Liverpool Tennis Centre.

In the 18 and under Boys singles event, Bromilow who was seeded third, beat James Griffin in the first round 6-3, 6-1 followed by  Zak Buchli-Sagoo in the quarters 6-1, 6-2. In the semis he defeated second seed  William Morley-Cotterell in three sets  6-7(3), 6-2, 12-10 before losing in the final to top seed  Harrison Birch 6-2, 6-2.

Bromilow (pictured left) with winner Harrison Birch

It was a similar story in the Open Men’s Singles competition with top seed Birch beating third seed Bromilow in the final but this time in a much closer three set match 1-6, 6-2, 10-2. Bromilow also competed in the 18 and under Boys Doubles with partner Reuben Warwick finishing in joint third/fourth place. After a bye in the first round the boys lost in the semis to second seeds  Raza Ghaus/Samuel Reeve 4-0, 4-2.