BRONX W www.BXTimes.com EEKLY July 28 2019 10
Tennis Legends hit
the court during
NY Empire games
BY ALEX MITCHELL
The scorching hot New
York Empire have been tearing
up the court at the Cary
Leeds Center for Tennis and
Learning in the World Team
Tennis squad’s inaugural
Bronx season.
This Crotona Park-based
squad was given a personal
christening by tennis legend
Billie Jean King on the team’s
media day on Thursday, June
25.
“To have this facility in
the Bronx is absolutely major,”
King said in regards to
the state of the art Cary Leeds
Center.
Once things got underway
for the Empire against
the San Diego Aviators on a
packed Sunday, July 14 opening
night, the number one
American tennis player, John
Isner took to the Bronx court
for the fi rst time in his career.
Although the Empire fell in
the season opener, Isner along
with teammates all marveled
over their new home in the borough.
“I’ve actually never seen it
before but this is so, so nice,”
Isner said about not only the
venue but the crowd’s energy
after his match.
That sentiment was reiterated
on Friday, July 19 when
the Venus Williams and the
Washington Kastles visited the
borough for a match as well.
“It was awesome,” Williams
said following her fi rst Bronx
match, despite her team’s ultimate
falter to New York.
The future hall of famer
said that the WTT matches she
plays help her transition from
Wimbledon grass to a hard
court surface.
Williams and Isner aren’t
the only two tennis prodigies
that are playing in the Bronx
this summer, though.
In addition to 2017 US Open
Champion Sloane Stephens,
Ulises Blanch, a 21-year old
Puerto Rican born rookie has
been serving at 140 miles per
hour for the Empire this season
in the process of dismantling
opponents left and right.
“There’s a lot of talk about
who could be the next great
American tennis player and
Ulises Blanch is defi nitely in
the conversation,” Empire
head coach Luke Walton said
about his Nike sponsored ace.
While the Empire looks to
strike back from its 4-4 season,
the team will be on the west
coast until Monday, July 29
when they face the Springfi
eld Lasers.
Venus Williams playing agaisnt the New York Empire in the Bronx. Bruce Adler
(Above) Sloane Stephens and Ulises Blanch strategizing during a doubles
match. Bruce Adler
(Left) Number one ranked American John Isner playing with the New
York Empire. The Bronxer
There is a lot of
talk about who
could be the next
great American
tennis player and
Ulises Blanch is
defi nitely in the
conversation.
Luke Walton
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