January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
Showcase for young stars
Part of a circuit of international tournaments for rising young stars, the event has showcased some exciting talent.
It has also created opportunities for the young players to come up against stronger opposition, to test their abilities in high-pressure situations and to see different parts of the world.
The tournament is also a glimpse of what Bermuda's youngsters are up against when they aspire to be international stars.
Talented youngsters like David Thomas had reached a very high level without the benefit of a tennis academy or top quality opposition.
But most of their opponents this week have coaching and facilities far in excess of what the island can offer.
We talked to a couple of young players from the U.S. about their trip to Bermuda, life in a tennis academy, what the ITF summer circuit has done for them and the kind of dedication it takes to be playing at this level. Here's a look at how they do it in the States…
By Terri Mello
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After more than 20 years Dr. Richard Shulman's lifelong dream of winning the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse trophy finally became a reality.
Shulman's IMX 45 Temptress heads her class and the entire professional ORR section of the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse Division in this year's Newport Bermuda race.
"We knew we had a good shot at winning this race as soon as we saw the kind of weather we would have," Shulman, from Barrington, Rhode Island, stated in a press release. "I have one of the greatest crews who have been sailing with me for many years, and we have a boat that is extremely fast in light airs."
The Newport Bermuda race is considered a rite of passage for many sailors including the Governor of Bermuda to British heroine Dee Carraffa.
The Temptress team have competed regularly in the Newport Bermuda race since the 1980s in three different boats called Temptress. They've had a number of close calls, like missing out on the overall win by just three minutes 40 seconds in 1994.
"This is big, both individually and collectively," Temptress' navigator Nick Nicholson stated. "We all wanted this."
Shulman said the victory ultimately came from a last-minute change of plans: "We had intended to head out east of the rhumb line but in the end we went west. We listened to the experts telling us that it would be best to go east, but the data they presented suggested that the westerly option through the Gulf Stream was best."
The Temptress stayed within hailing distance of Clayton Deutsch's larger 68 foot Swan Chippewa for more than 300 miles and close to the finish. Shulman joked that it was great waking up each morning to see a larger mast nearby.
Timothy McAdams' 44 foot Four Stars also earned the trophy in the IRC rating rule section of the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse Division. Hap Fauth's Judel Vroljk Bella Mente was this year's first over-the-line finisher.
A chance to earn scholarships
Anthony Lipe-Ladenheim got a helping hand from an unlikely source as he won his first match on the ITF summer circuit this week - Johnny Barnes.
"The guy who waves at you on the street," is cool, said the teenager, who is here for the world ranking tournament at national stadium.
"I heard if he looks you in the eye it is good luck. He looked right at me and then I went and beat the number eight seed."
A slightly more plausible explanation for the 16-year-olds victory is that he is dedicated to tennis.
The young American has been playing in a tennis academy in Florida where he trains a minimum three hours a day and has been on the ITF circuit for over a year.
He has a world ranking and a career in the sport or a college scholarship, looks a distinct possibility.
His favourite player is James Blake, but he also liked Guillermo Coria, the Argentinian clay-courter, whose style is closer to his own.
He's not counting on tennis, though. He's studying forensic science, among other things, at school and is working towards getting a college scholarship.
But for now he's concentrating on tennis.
A typical day for Anthony involves starting school at 7:20am, finishing at 2pm before hitting for three hours at the Next Generation Tennis Academy from 3:30pm and then in the gym from 6pm until 7pm.
Weekends and holidays are for tournaments.
"I do other stuff like acting and modelling but tennis is really fun. It takes up most of my time. It keeps me busy."
But he says his dedication to the sport doesn't stop him from having a normal social life, going to parties, to the cinema and that kind of thing.
"My friends are always going places after school and I can't always go. But sometimes I take a break.
"Probably everybody in the world wants to be a professional tennis player. I've been playing for three-and-a-half years and I've got really far in that time. I've got two years and you never know it could click for me and I could become really good. What I'm shooting for right now is college tennis."
For now, though, he's enjoying the side benefits of being on the ITF summer circuit.
"Bermuda is my absolute favourite place. The water is so clear you can see your feet, there are no shells and your feet sink into the sand. We went cliff-diving at Warwick Camp the other day as well. It's a great place to visit."
Michael Gilliland, from Kansas City, is equally dedicated.
His family moved to South Carolina so he could join a tennis academy there, and he is now travelling the Americas region playing in tournaments like this one.
"For me, playing in international tournaments I feel more free. I don't know the opponent and I can go for my shots more.
"I play different opponents, higher calibre opponents who are better and more experienced than I am.
"If I keep improving I don't know where I will end up, but it will be really exciting."
* Next week we talk to the Bermudian kids who are joining the summer circuit about their tennis aspirations.[[In-content Ad]]
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