CAL LUTHERAN TENNIS STAR SEEKS SPOT IN U.S. OPEN.Byline: Lee Barnathan Daily News Staff Writer A happy but harried Mark Ellis Mark Ellis is the name of:
Ellis, a 23-year-old tennis standout at California Lutheran University Mission statement The University's mission statement is as follows: "California Lutheran University is a diverse, scholarly community dedicated to excellence in the liberal arts and professional studies. , got his invitation Sunday and was rushing Monday night to prepare for his morning flight to New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of . ``I am so stressed out, it's not funny,'' Ellis said. ``I've still got to pack. There's clothes still in the dryer. I need my rackets rackets Game for two or four players with ball and racket on a four-walled court. Rackets is played with a hard ball in a relatively large court (approximately 9 × 18 m), unlike the related games of squash and racquetball. restrung. My flight's at 6 a.m., so I've got to leave by 4. I'm not gonna get much sleep tonight.'' Thirty players from all over the world are expected to compete this week at the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. Tennis Center in Flushing Meadow, N.Y., for six wild-card spots into the Open draw. The Open begins Monday. Ellis has spent the past year improving his net game and first-serve percentage. He won the NCAA NCAA abbr. National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III national singles championship and the Independent College singles title at the annual Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament, both firsts in school history. He also was named the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's Player of the Year and the school's male athlete of the year Athlete of the Year
Ellis was seeded No. 1 in the singles tournament and won five matches to claim the national title. ``He's taken a scientific approach,'' Cal Lutheran coach Mike Gennette said. ``If you're gonna play smart, a slightly higher percentage of first serves could make a difference,'' Gennette said. ``He was mainly a base-liner, and being a left-hander, how many 6-foot-6 left-handers are there? Not many. So we thought it might be a good idea to get him to the net.'' Finally, Ellis was selected to the Tennis Magazine and Rolex national all-star teams. He's spending the weekend at the Crown Plaza Hotel in New York, where he and the other honorees will be treated to a banquet and playing time on the grass courts at the Westside Tennis Club Not to be confused with West Side Tennis Club. The Westside Tennis Club is a private tennis club located in Houston, Texas. It is the current home to the ATP Tour U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships. . But since he was going to be in New York anyway, Gennette came up with the idea of trying to qualify for the Open. A national collegiate champion doesn't need to play several lower-stage tournaments like others do, so it was easier to apply. Since the all-star team isn't expected until Thursday, Ellis will be paying his own way for two days. He was told by a sister who recently returned from New York that it's an expensive town. ``I'm bringing a couple of hundred dollars,'' he said, ``and my parents are helping out.'' What about the hotel? ``It's going on my credit card,'' he said of the $160 a night charge at the Crown Plaza. ``I was ready and willing. If it works out, I'll do what it takes. If this is gonna be my break, I'm not gonna pass this up.'' CAPTION(S): Photo: (ran in CONEJO only) Cal Lutheran's Mark Ellis has a hectic w eek ahead, including trying to qualify for the U.S. Open in New York. Daily News |
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