OTR Junior League Team.

From February, OTR will enter 2 league teams in an organized junior competition held Friday evening from 6-9pm at HK Parkview. Competing teams,HKCC,HK Parkview,HK Jockey Club,OTR.

There are 2 age groups,

9 -12yrs

13-16yrs

A great opportunity to gain valuable match play. For more info contact otrtennis@hotmail.com.

OTR Winter Series- Singles Knockout Tournaments

Singles 11th, 18th February

Doubles Tournament 25th February 

HKTC 4-9pm.

OTR will have 2 singles tournaments and a Doubles Tournament in February. We have split the tournaments into groups according to similar levels. See below to find out which date is suitable for your child.

11th February HKTC

Players from the following groups.Wed Aberdeen,Thurs HKTC 5.30-7pm,Fri HKTC 6-8pm,Sat HKTC 12-3pm.

18th February HKTC

Mon HKTC 5.30-7pm,Tues HKTC 4-5.30pm, Wed HKTC 5-7pm,Thur HKTC 4-5.30pm,

25th February HKTC Doubles Tournament

Mon HKTC 5.30-7pm, Aberdeen 4-7pm

Tues HKTC 4-5.30pm,5.30-7pm

Wed Aberdeen 4-7pm, HKTC 5-7pm

Thurs HKTC 4-5.30pm, 5.30-7pm

Fri HKTC 6-8pm

Sat HKTC 12-3pm VP 12-2pm

Entries are limited to 32 singles and doubles.Great Prizes! For more information please contact otrtennis@hotmail.com

OTR will have a CNY Clinic from Wednesday 25th Jan to Saturday 28th inclusive.

Fast feed drills, technique correction and match play. Students will be put into groups according to ability. 

OTRI, Black Groups- Coach in charge-Jason.

Blue, Red Groups- Coach in charge-Graeme.

Green, Yellow Groups- Coach in charge- Adrian.

If you don’t know which group you should be in you will receive an assessment on your first day.

The clinics are limited to 5 players per coach and will be first come first serve basis.

In case of bad weather please text Adrian 97569843 or Graeme 62741551 at 8am on the day of the clinic to see if play will go ahead for that day. 

Venue: HKTC Hong Kong Tennis Centre, Wong Nai Chung Gap Road.

Time: 9am – 12.00 daily.

Cost: 4 day clinic $2000.  10% discount if you enroll and pay before January 13, 2012.

For enquires please call Jason on 94181074 or Adrian 97569843.

Return email to Adora at otrtennis@hotmail.com for registration and send payment to,

OTR Tennis Asia Limited

P.O Box 28602

Gloucester Road Post Office

Wanchai

Hong Kong

Chinese New Year Clinic, HKTC-January 25th - 27th inclusive, 9am -12.00.

HKTC Clinic, HKIS Interim week- March 5th-9th inclusive,11am -2pm.

Easter Clinic, HKTC- April 2nd - 6th, 9am -12.00. 

Kids Summer Clinics,HKTC-July 2nd-August 10th.9am-12.00

Easter Camp- Open to all levels, kids and adults.March 31st - 5th or 7th April, 2 return dates. 

Ladies Trip- April 27th- May 1st.Ladies split into groups of similar levels. 

Men's Trip- June 29th - July 2nd 

Kids Summer Tour August 1st- 7th. 

OTR V CITCI Challenge September 28th-October 2nd. 

We can tailor individual trips or groups of any number to train up to 6 hours per day inclusive of matchplay at CITCI.

Accommodation, Lunch, Transport can also be arranged. For more information on packages please contact otrtennis@hotmail.com  

Last sunday the OTR Invitational 2011 tournament was played at Parkview with 22 players from OTR groups competing. The tournament was played from 3pm and the Final was completed by 9pm. We had plenty of close and exciting matches with the eventual winner Ben Bertino taking the Final against Nathan Wong 6/1 6/1.  

The Plate event was won by Bryan who beat Vishal and the round robin Bowl event was won by Marshall. All players competed with great enthusiasm and gave 100% throught the tournament. I would like to thank all the players and parents for playing and watching the OTR 2011 Invitational tournament.

We have recently posted an article - Between The lines - encouraging juniors to play more matches.  Matchplay is essential for improvement and we have now made it a priority at OTR.

This Sunday, we will run an Invitational tournament with 22 of our best players fighting for their OTR year-end ranking.  First place winner will receive a racquet of their choice. We will have several other prizes up for grabs.

Parents, please feel free to come and support your kids. 

Seeded players:

1- Ben Bertino

2 - Sampson

3 - Nathan Wong

4 - Rob Dog

5-8 (No particular order)

Bryan chu

Kyle Wong

Vishal

Nic H

The full draw will be released soon.

Good luck!

Sarah, having just turned 7, played her first tournament at The American Club last weekend.  Sarah was the youngest child there and played several matches against older kids.  She didn't receive a medal this time but she did manage a few wins.  Great effort!

 The four CITCI Championship size hardcourts are almost finished.Stay tuned for our Opening Ceremony program on November 26th.. 

 My father used to tell me that each time I played a match it was like I was reading a book. The more matches I played, the smarter I would get - the quicker I would be able to understand what was happening between the lines. 

Matches are stories, - stories that have diverse plot lines and various characters.  As you read more, your vocabulary improves and so does your knowledge.  Knowledge breeds confidence. Your observations become more astute.  You begin to predict what will happen next. You start to identify idiosyncrasies in characters and recognize why they behave the way they do at key moments. 

The great thing about playing matches is that they will always be different. There will always be players who are better than you, and of course there will also be players who are worse than you. This allows you to be challenged in different ways.

Stronger players expose your weaknesses and in turn help you to see where improvements need to be made – they basically give you a private lesson every time they beat you.  Weaker players allow you to use your strengths to exploit their weaknesses. They help boost your confidence and allow you to play shots you may be scared to use against stronger opponents. Each opponent you play will help with your improvement.  The key is to vary these opponents as much as possible to widen your experiences and to increase your learning.  Too many parents want their children only to play opponents who are better. This is a mistake. 

I played a match last week against a player who had won the US Open Juniors twice and had reached an ATP career high of 286. It wasn’t his excellent footwork or speed around the court that amazed me, or even his impeccable timing on his backhand, or the weight behind his serve for a relatively small guy. What amazed me was that there wasn’t one single aspiring junior tennis player there to watch an expert put on a lesson of how to construct points and execute shots with confidence and near perfection. Not one! 

If this is the best guy currently here in Hong Kong, why not watch and learn something? 

He taught me several things and showed me how he would break my game down throughout the course of a match.  On every big point, he would attack my weaknesses without mercy.  Instead of making excuses – “I didn’t play well”, or feeling down about my loss, I can now take this information and work on my weaknesses so that if I get another chance to play him or another player of his caliber, I will at least be more prepared. “One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation.”[1] 

What I have witnessed over the past few years is that people want results without putting in the work. Parents want to pay for private lessons so that a coach can teach their child how to hit the perfect forehand, which in turn will help them win matches and tournaments.

Tennis is not math and you cannot calculate a formula to win matches though. It is art, and it demands respect and dedication. Tennis is a game with too many variables. If it were that simple, then every rich person who wanted to be a world-class tennis player, would be. 

“I have always considered tennis as a combat in an arena between two gladiators who have their racquets and their courage as their weapons”.[2] 

Tennis matches and tournaments are won through heart, smarts and legs. They are not won by taking extra private lessons. 

You must be thinking why would a coach shoot himself in the foot and basically tell you to stop taking private lessons? I’m not. I’m just asking you to make our job easier by doing everything you can to be as prepared as possible to reach your potential. 

So what do you do next?  

Legs (fitness) - build your body up. 

If you haven’t read Pete Fisher’s article on tennis fitness and you’re interested, please e-mail me at Jason@otr-tennis.com and I will send it your way. It contains crucial information on how to prepare and build your body up to perform at its best capacity.  If you move like an athlete, you will perform like one. Your recovery rate will be better. You will reduce the risk of injury, and maximize the efficiency of power you get from your body. 

Heart and smarts – read more books!  (Play more matches). 

Challenge anybody and everybody. Accept challenges from anybody and everybody. Remember, it’s not the results of each match that counts, but the process of learning and growing. Keep a diary and make notes on the matches you play until you have played so many opponents that you have built your own library of experiences. 

 “Success is a journey, not a destination.  The doing is often more important than the outcome.” [3]  

The term will end for Christmas on the 16th of December and recommence on Tuesday 3rd of January 2011.

We will have 2 clinics over the Christmas break. Fast feed drills, technique correction and match play. Students will be put into groups according to ability. 

OTRI, Black Groups- Coach in charge-Sean,Jason.

Blue, Red Groups- Coach in charge-Brad.

Green, Yellow Groups- Coach in charge- Nathan.

If you don’t know which group you should be in you will receive an assessment on your first day.

The clinics are limited to 5 players per coach and will be first come first serve basis.

In case of bad weather please text Sean on 96892058 at 8am on the day of the clinic to see if play will go ahead for that day. 

Venue: HKTC Hong Kong Tennis Centre, Wong Nai Chung Gap Road.

Dates: Clinic 1- 19th -24th December inclusive.

           Clinic 2- 27th – 30th December inclusive.

Time: 9am – 12.00 daily.

Cost: 3 day clinic $1500, 4 day clinic $2000.  10% discount if you enroll and pay before December 1st 2011.

For enquires please call Jason on 94181074 or Adrian 97569843.

Return email to Adora at otrtennis@hotmail.com for registration and send payment to,

OTR Tennis Asia Limited

P.O Box 28602

Gloucester Road Post Office

Wanchai

Hong Kong

 The aim of this article is to enable tennis players of all levels to see through the myths and fallacies that surround conditioning for tennis and to present strategies that they can incorporate into their own training programs. After each point there is a So What? Section. If you only have a few moments skip to these take home points.

 At first glance it is difficult to pinpoint the physical attributes that make a great tennis player. Serena Williams is a brutish force of nature, muscled and dense whilst Maria Sharapova is more elfin and lithe. Different styles and builds both enjoy success at the highest levels. Who to emulate? Making things harder still is the fact that Tennis is an untimed game; a match may be finished in a decisive half hour or might be drawn out over the best part of 5 hours.[i]

 So how do you train for such a potential variety of duration? Analysis has shown that the typical point in tennis involves between 3 and 7 changes of direction and obviously, due to the size of the court, the longest distance covered in a single direction is 30yards.[ii]

 There is no point in training over longer distances than those involved in the game: running over 30yards is utterly redundant for tennis players. Any tennis player looking for an edge would be best served making these 3-7 changes of direction as efficient as possible. The average point lasts for 6 seconds with most points lasting no more than 10 seconds and the work to rest ratio is between 1:2 to 1:5[iii][iv][v]Tennis is an intermittent stop start sport: prepare accordingly or prepare to be dominated by those who do.

 Given the dimensions of the court, the frequent changes of direction and the work to rest intervals it would be wise to conclude that traditional methods of conditioning for tennis, which seem to centre on long duration steady state cardio and mimicry of tennis shots using resistance do not address the demands of the sport in a specific manner.

 Deceleration is king. When training for tennis we are looking to build an athlete capable not only of reaching top speed quickly but decelerating and changing direction.

 A popular analogy for the importance of deceleration involves Cars. How fast would you drive a car that had no brakes? How fast would you drive that car on a tennis court?

 So What?

The quickest way to improve tennis performance is to train the brakes.

 7 performance enhancing tips to improve your game

 1.Achieve structural balance

 Ensuring that the muscles on both sides of a joint are in balance with one another will make you far less injury prone and will improve your performance. If your strength training program is unbalanced and consists of mostly training the muscles you can see in the mirror then you are placing yourself at a far greater risk of injury.

 So what?

 Have a structural balance assessment from a qualified PICP coach.

 2. Use Tempo in your Strength Training

 Tempo means the speed at which you lift the weight during a repetition. Different tempos can elicit different responses altering the nature of the adaptation. Adherence to tempo guidelines means that the eccentric (lowering phase) will receive due attention. The eccentric portion is often neglected by trainees who lower the weight as quickly as possible in order to eke out more repetitions from a particular set. During the eccentric portion the muscle “lengthens whilst producing tension, thus braking, slowing or controlling the movement.”[vi] This methodical approach ensures that muscles are trained in a manner that prepares the athlete for the specific muscular contractions they will encounter in their sport.[vii] Hamstrings that have been trained eccentrically will be less prone to tears.[viii] If you over emphasise the concentric portion of training- acceleration- and fail to properly train the eccentric- deceleration- then you are building an athlete with no brakes.[ix][x] Be aware that pure eccentric work utilizing supra-maximal loads should not be undertaken until 2 years of regular training have been completed.[xi]

 So what?

 Focus on training both the concentric and eccentric portion of traditional strength exercises.

 3. Train the posterior chain

 Tennis players should spend a large amount of time training the muscles of the posterior chain with a focus on the eccentric portion of the exercise: the glutes and hamstrings in particular. Leg extensions will no longer cut it; hamstring curls, glute-ham raises, back extensions, Romanian deadlifts and Good Mornings are the order of the day.[xii]

 So what?

 Train your glutes, lower back and hamstrings.

 4. Train the shoulders- properly.

 Stop using a cable machine to practice your serve and backhand. This will have zero transfer to your tennis game and will screw up your mechanics. Instead use the cable machine for training your external rotators. The typical training session that I witness in commercial gyms involves Bench Press for 45 minutes followed by Lat Pulldowns for a few sets. Both of these movements internally rotate the shoulder joint, creating a rounded Neanderthal posture. Training the posterior shoulder muscles will create a balanced shoulder joint that effectively decelerates the racket arm. Training the shoulder using a variety of external rotation movements, scapular retractions and rows has been shown to reduce injuries in tennis players.[xiii]

 So what?

 Incorporate remedial shoulder exercises such as External Rotations, Powell raises, and Trap 3 variations into your strength training program.

 5. Train Unilaterally

 Tennis players are particularly likely to suffer structural imbalances due the one sided nature of the sport.[xiv] Therefore it is vital that unilateral training is incorporated into the training programs of elite and recreational players alike. Unilateral training means single limb- so dumbbells would be used preferentially over barbells in upper body pressing movements (this would also engage the shoulder stabilizers to a greater degree). For the lower body this would mean performing Single Leg work such as Split Squats and Step Ups in addition to or instead of exercises such as Front Squats depending on the level of the athlete.[xv]

 So what?

 Use single limb training to even out discrepancies between the dominant and weaker sides of the body.

 6. Train for Functional Hypertrophy

 Don’t be scared of lifting weights. Don’t worry that you will become muscle bound and inflexible. You need to lift progressively heavier weights in order to get stronger. Functional Hypertrophy does not mean using TRX and Bosu balls, but rather “muscle mass that contributes directly to sports performance or the activity you are training for.”[xvi]So, as we have discussed the areas needing most hypertrophy for tennis are the decelerators- the hamstrings, glutes and the muscles of the rotator cuff. If you hypertrophy and strengthen the muscles most involved in your sport you will find yourself changing direction on court with less exertion. Increasing your strength levels will have a trickle down effect simultaneously increasing muscular endurance.

 So what?

 Hypertrophy the muscles most involved in your sport and their antagonists.

 7. Improve your Body Composition

 Remember the car analogy? Carrying excess body fat is the equivalent of filling the boot of the car with bricks. Improved Body Composition is of paramount importance for tennis players. This means increasing the lean mass of the body- by using functional hypertrophy methods- and decreasing body fat levels. A tennis player with high body fat levels will have a more difficult time accelerating than their leaner opponent. They will also generate more momentum owing to their greater mass, which in turn will make deceleration more difficult.[xvii] Effective and targeted training is one aspect of improved Body Composition, the other involves repetitions with a knife and fork.  Proper nutrition is vital for losing body fat.

 So what?

 Support your training with an intelligently designed nutrition plan. Don’t be a hero on the court and a wimp in the kitchen.

 [i]Kovacs MS. Tennis physiology: training the competitive athlete. Sports Med 37: 1-11, 2007.

A great weekend with plenty of tennis,food and dancing. Coaches Adrian, Graeme and  9 ladies visited Cebu staying at Plantation Bay Resort.

Training was daily at CITCI with the last day on Centre court at the Plantation Bay Resort.

Apart from some rain on one of the afternoons the ladies slid,drilled and played 7 hours per day on the shale courts. 

The local club players were ready for some matchplay as well as some of the CITCI Juniors.

With the introduction of video analysis on this trip we all felt it was an added benefit for technique correction as well as court movement.

Thanks to all the ladies for their support and we look forward to more trips

 The ability and willingness to vary your game style can be a highly effective tactic, if correctly implemented. Changing your game style throughout a match, at pivotal points, can stop your opponent from finding a comfortable rhythm, as well as limiting their anticipation skills. Surprising your opponents with unexpected shots can win you some quick, easy free points. Below are some examples of tactics and ideas for varying your game style to keep your opponent guessing:  

Our first ladies trip to Cebu earlier this year turned out to be a great success. Following this successful trip, several ladies have enquired about the prospects of us running another one this year.

OTR is planning on taking a group of ladies from Thur Oct 6th - Mon Oct 10th.

We will update you with specific details soon, but please keep these dates free if you’re interested in enjoying us on a fun, but challenging weekend of clay-court tennis.

The OTR Team

 On June 6th 36 players were ready to compete for the first OTR Junior team challenge at the HKTC.Teams were named after the top 6 ATP mens players.

Competition was fierce with competitors playing both singles and doubles with every point counting towards a team score, the kids concentration was superb.

After 4 hours of play it was appropriate that Team Nadal beat Team Federer to win the tournament.

We finished off the day with pizza and presentation.

Congratulations to,

L TO R, Ken Beattie, Nikita Jaitly,Adit Gorowara,Vishal Chugani,Joseph Kim,Bryan Chu

 July 1st Friday (Public Holiday)  Junior Tournament for all levels. 

A round robin event. Great prizes to be won. Limited spaces so sign up now!

Venue : HKTC
Time : 9 am - 1 pm
Cost : $300

In case of inclement weather please call or send Jason or Adrian an sms at 8 am on the day of the clinic for a decision on play.

For more information please call/sms Jason on 9418-1074 or Adrian on 9756-9843.

To register please email us through the "Contact Us" Form and we shall get back to you asap for confirmation. Please be reminded that our deadline and payment for this tournament is on the 27th of June to secure your spot.

July 4 Monday to 8 Friday inclusive

"Train Like the Pros" -  For the committed player

Join Coach Jason for an intense, demanding week of training.

Intense footwork training as well as on and off court fitness sessions.  Point construction drills and afternoon match play.

Lunch will be included from Il Bel Paese Deli .

Venue : HKTC
Ages : 9 to 18 yo
Time : 8 am - 4 pm daily
Cost : $5000 for the week

In case of inclement weather please call or send Jason an sms at 8 am on the day of the clinic for a decision on play.

Please bring change of clothes, running shoes and jump rope.

For more information please call Jason on 9418-1074.

To register please email us through the "Contact Us" Form and we shall get back to you asap for confirmation. Please be reminded that our deadline and payment for this programme is on the 27th of June to secure your spot.

July 4 Monday to 8 Friday - Junior Camp

Join our 3 hour junior camp which will include  fast feed drills, stroke correction, matchplay and court etiquette.

Venue : HKTC 
Time : 10 am to 1 pm
Ages : 7 to 14 yo
Cost : $2300 for the week or $500 per day

Maximum of 6 kids per coach.

In case of inclement weather please call or send Adrian an sms at 8 am on the day of the camp for a decision on play.

For more information please call Adrian on 9756-9843.

To register please email us through the "Contact Us" Form and we shall get back to you asap for confirmation. Please be reminded that our deadline and payment for this camp is on the 27th of June to secure your spot.

Ongoing Junior Clinic for Summer

Below are the weeks OTR will have junior clinics which will run daily and will include  

fast feed drills, stroke correction, matchplay and court etiquette.

Venue : HKTC
Ages : 7 to 14 yo
Time : 9 am - 12 noon
Cost : $500 per day 

Please choose from the following dates : 

1. July 11 Monday - 15 Friday
2. July 18 Monday - 22 Friday
3. Aug 1 Monday - 5 Friday
4. Aug 8 Monday - 12 Friday

Book one day or the week!

In case of inclement weather please call or send Adrian or Jason an sms at 8 am on the day of the clinic for a decision on play.

For more information please call Adrian on 9756-9843 or Jason on 9418-1074.

To register please email us through the "Contact Us" Form and we shall get back to you asap for confirmation. Please be reminded that our deadline and payment for these clinics is on the 1st of July to secure your spot.

Summer Multi Sport Camp

July 25 Monday - 29 Friday 
1 pm to 5 pm

OTR will combine with EPT Fitness in hosting a multi-sport camp.

The camp will include tennis, fitness, ball sports (football,touch rugby,Frisbee etc.)

Tennis will run from 1 to 2:45 pm at Aberdeen Tennis Centre
Fitness will run from 3 to 4pm at EPT Studio in Aberdeen
Ball Sports will run from 4-5pm at Aberdeen Sports Ground

Age group : 7 to 14 yo

Cost : $700 per day or $3200 for the week

Please note enrollment closes on July 20th.

For more information please call or sms Adrian on 9756-9843 or Jason on 9418-1074.

To register please email us through the "Contact Us" Form and we shall get back to you asap for confirmation. Please be reminded that our deadline and payment for this camp is on the 20th of July to secure your spot.

In case of inclement weather please call or send Adrian or Jason an sms at 12 noon on the day of the clinic for a decision on play.

Graeme and I took 8 kids to Cebu over the long Easter weekend for an intensive clay-court training session.

Our flight left Hong Kong at 1:30am, and after a slight delay at the airport, we finally arrived in our five star resort and hit the pillows by 5am. The kids got in a few hours of needed sleep before they headed to CITCI for their first session on the red dirt.

 For many of the juniors, it was their first time playing on clay. We started the session with some movement work – 100 slides from side to side, hitting air forehands and backhands. This exercise became our daily warm-up routine.

We did a three-hour session working on consistency, depth, height, and cross-court high percentage clay court tennis. It took a while for the importance of consistency to become engrained in the kids, but eventually they realized that the courts were too slow to try and hit winners and they settled into playing longer, more well thought out points.

It was a great first session and it took a lot out of them. After a round of Shirley temples back at the hotel and a quick swim, they were out cold by 9pm.

Day 2 started with a fifteen minute run around Plantation Bay Resort. There was a lot of complaining but we got through it and had breakfast then headed to CITCI again for another tough day of training in the heat. We did another three-hour session, working on similar things and including some point construction (DNO Theory). In the afternoon, we did a serving clinic. They focused on landing inside the court, the technique on their ball toss and developing a routine before each serve.

The bus ride back became an event in itself, with John McDermott stealing the show as head MC and DJ. He managed to perfect Graeme’s accent and had the whole bus in stitches. It was a long day and the kids were again, out cold by about 9:30.

Day 3 was match day. Our kids got a good morning warm-up session in, followed by a motivating team talk before the matches began against Team Cebu. We ran a timed singles and doubles tournament and managed to play a total of 36 matches in one day.

To me, this was the highlight of the trip. Our kids really came alive during these matches. Graeme and I were impressed with the fighting spirit they displayed. They showed a desire to win, but more importantly, a willingness to stay out on the court and earn wins rather than throw the towel in when things were not going their way. I felt they dealt with the pressure of people watching extremely well and were able to adapt their games when needed. For some of our kids, it was their first tournament at this level. Sammy, for example, had not played a tournament before and he rose to the occasion and managed to find ways to compete and even win.

The matches were all played in a competitive but also sporting fashion, and after the final results came in and Hong Kong had lost to Cebu, we all went to lunch together and became friends again.

In the evening, we went out to an Italian restaurant and had a pizza and pasta night. It was a great way to end a perfect day.

Day 4 was the last day for some of our juniors. Our CIS crew were flying out Sunday afternoon. We trained again in the morning, working on some of the key areas that had let them down during their matches, and areas they felt they needed more improvement on: consistency being the main focus.

Graeme took Joseph, Mark and Vishal to the airport, whilst the remaining kids got some down time in the pool, riding the in house water slides and playing table tennis in the games room. We had a group meeting and decided that we all needed a break from the courts and decided to go into town and watch a movie in the evening.

There wasn’t much choice and we opted for the comedy: Arthur. It turned out to be a bit of a laugh and a good break away from the courts.

Final Day. We decided to book the centre court at Plantation Bay Resort, which is where the Davis Cup tie was held between Japan and the Philippines earlier on in the year. The court was built specifically for the Davis Cup match, and we thought it would be a treat for our kids to play on the same court that top 100 ATP players had played on. We ran a two-hour session on what was probably the hottest day of the whole trip. Sabrina then played Chris a set, which went down to the wire – Sabrina winning 7-6 in the end.

At the end of the session, looking at the kids, we realized that we had got as much as we could out of them. They had given us one hundred percent and they were shattered. It was time to go home.

Graeme and I believe the trip was a great success. It was very challenging but also a lot of fun. Tennis is a solitary sport and sometimes being with a team of players can help make it more fun. Playing on clay is essential for any aspiring tennis player. The conditioning, both physically and mentally, that comes with playing longer, more thought out points, just doesn’t exist on hard courts. We also felt that taking the kids away from the comforts of being in Hong Kong, opened their eyes to new things and gave them a chance to motivate themselves rather than always being told what to do. We saw huge improvements in only a few days.

We will be running another trip to Cebu during the summer. Dates will be confirmed shortly, and we strongly recommend any players who are committed to improving to come join us on the clay courts for some great training and match practice.

 Wimbledon Whites Tennis for the Kids of Cebu was held May 12 at Grappa's.  With over 120 people and the help and generosity of many, we managed to raise close to $93,000 HKD for CITCI.  With that money, the kids of Cebu will have beautiful new courts to play on.  As a result, they will improve their tennis and have an increase participation!

Many thanks to the following sponsors for their kind donations:

Cathay Pacific, Plantation Bay, Langham Hotel, Wing On, Airland, Serta, aKiss Event, EPT, Fantasy Fitness and Muay Thai, Tiga, John Hardy, Mischief and Miracles, Lululemon, Cuisine Catering, Garage Wines, Appalation, Domo, Vero Chocolates, FINDS, Crown Spa Macau, a Beauty, Prince, Classic Pro

Thanks to all those for their donations in order to build a bigger and better tennis center for the Kids of Cebu!

Hope to see you at our next event!

OTR Team 

OTR

  Proudly presents: 

 WIMBLEDON WHITES

                   Tennis for the Kids of Cebu           

OTR Tennis Asia Ltd. would like to invite you to a fundraiser for the kids of Cebu.

 Venue:  Grappa’s Restaurant & Bar, G/F Jardine House, Central, HK

 Date:  May 12th, 2011

 Time: 7pm – Late

 Dress: Wimbledon Whites

Price: $HK850/person. This includes a 4 course dinner and unlimited beers, wines, house drinks and juices all night.

 Entertainment:  Silent Auction

                          Live Auction

                          Music (DJ Anil)

                          Male Dancers

                          Tennis Videos and Slideshows

 Payment: Please make cheques out to OTR Tennis Asia Ltd. and fill out and return the bottom section of this form to the following address: OTR Tennis Asia Ltd. at P.O. BOX 28602, Gloucester Road Post Office, Wan Chai, HK

 If you cannot attend the fundraiser but would like to make a donation or would like any more information on how you can help, please feel free to contact Graeme (62741551), Adrian (97569843) or Jason (94181074).

 We look forward to seeing you on May 12th!

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OTR Fundraiser at Grappa’s on May 12, 2011 at 7pm

Name: _______________________________________________________

Contact details: ________________________________________________

Number of persons attending: _____________________________________

Cheque number & Amount: _______________________________________

 We are pleased to announce that all is in full swing in CITCI-Cebu. Three of the four shale courts are almost completed and with the support of sponsors we hope to soon put the top coat of paint on the four hardcourts.

The centre currently has over 100 kids training every weekend with 8 coaches putting the kids through their paces. One of the current crop of champs, Anday Alferez will join OTR for 2 weeks of intensive training from mid April. Coaches Lito and Warren will also join us to help with their training to implement to the juniors at CITCI.We look forward to continuing to help the kids of Cebu and to make the CITCI the premier training centre in Cebu and the Philippines.

 4 beautiful days at the Plantation Bay Resort, a thrilling Davis Cup tie between Philippines and Japan-witnessing Cecil Mammits' 6 hour singles match narrowly losing 7/9 in the fifth set,5 hours a day of tennis and playing with the kids at CITC were all the right ingredients for our first successful ladies trip to Cebu.And lets not forget making time to hit the dance floor at Club Loft, Cebu's hottest nightclub. Check out our facebook page for all the pics. 

From the 3rd to the 7th of March 16 ladies and 4 coaches will make the trip to Cebu Philippines and stay at the luxurious Plantation Bay Resort and Spa. The 4 day trip will include 5 hrs a day clinics and matchplay, watch at the resort- Philippines take on Japan in the Davis Cup, visit and play against Cebu juniors at CITCI and some of the ladies will get the experience of "commercial" tennis Cebu style!.and of course plenty of spa treatments.

Train hard and prepare for 4 exciting and tiring days of tennis. 

 We received a positive response regarding our proposed trip over Chinese New Year. With time short and CNY trips already organized we have decided to make the trip over the Easter Break. We would like to take players 9 to 18yrs of age. Limited numbers. 

 There are several reasons why we believe our Hong Kong kids would gain from such an experience

 Matchplay against top junior players. CITC boasts the No 1 Philippine 10/U boy and No 4 14/U girl as well as many competitive players.  –CITC has tremendous depth of players unlike Hong Kong.

Opportunity to play on shale (clay equivalent) – Helps with point construction/mental toughness as well as stamina and fitness. Just look at the top players on tour, most come from clay court backgrounds.

• 5 days, 5 hours a day coaching and drilling. Sometimes the intensity is increased when there are less home distractions/comforts, and kids are forced to focus on their tennis.

• OTR V CITC Challenge Match (the first of many to come). There are not enough team style matches and this is great team building in an otherwise individual sport. 

• Coaching by Graeme, Jason, Adrian, Matthew, Sean, Nathan depending on numbers. 

• Ratio 5 players : 1 coach 

• Play against CITC Coaches. A chance to play against more senior/experienced players who will be able to expose weaknesses and give ideas for areas to target in future. 

• Independence and cultural experience. Players will work on self motivation and will see that these kids in Cebu. Although limited in many ways, have the desire to succeed. They will hopefully be inspired by the experience. 

• 5 Star Resort Accommodation Safety as well as fun!  

DATES: 21/04/2011 to 25/04/2011 

AIRLINE: Cathay Pacific 

ITINERAY: April 21st Depart HKG  CX 921 at 08.50 Arrive Cebu 11.25.

                  April 25th Depart Cebu CX 920 at 20.05 Arrive HKG 22.50

ACCOMMODATION:  Plantation Bay Resort and Spa, Mactan Island

Voted one of Asia’s top 10 hotels 3 years running. 11.5 hectares of enclosed  pools and lagoons. 

www.plantationbay.com

 Trip includes: 

MAXIMUM OF 18 PLAYERS (10-16)

 Airfare

5 Star Accommodation, max 3 players per room

Use of games room, kayaking within the enclosed lagoon, cycling,

5 Days 5 hrs per day coaching

2 Days match play vs CITC

All meals

Welcome dinner with CITC Players

Transfers to and from Resort,

Private Transport to and from all coaching and match play.

HSBC Travel and medical insurance

Match play with CITC coaches

Airport departure tax from Cebu 

Total Cost $13900. 

If you have any questions please contact Jason 94181074 or Graeme 62741551. We must confirm numbers and secure booking by March 20th. A deposit of $5000 must be paid to secure flights by March 20th.

 On Friday the 14th January The HK Jockey Club will host OTR for a junior challenge match at the Happy Valley Clubhouse. The matches will be a doubles round robin format. I f you wish to play please contact Coach Sean or Jason.

Date: 14th January

Venue HK Jockey Club

Time: 6pm to 9pm 

Cost: $250

Dinner will be included.

Great match team, lots of experience from this matchplay was gained. Thanks Coach Shane and the HK Jockey Club for hosting the match!

 Congratulations to Suanne and Gail who recently won the Ladies 35 Doubles and were Runners Up in the 45 doubles.

The tournament was held at CRC with matches each night until the finals on the Saturday.  Some great tennis with some very close results with the girls losing the final of the 45s 11/9 in the 3rd set super tie-breaker.

Well done champs!