Latest Crenshaw Podcast Episodes
Bill Oakes on ATP pro tournaments
Talking Tennis Southern Style - May 15, 2024 03:12 - 17 minutesIn this episode, we sit down with Bill Oakes, the former tournament director of the acclaimed ATP 250 Winston-Salem Open and Senior Associate Athletic Director of Wake Forest University. Bill shares his thoughts on innovative tournament formats, the significance of college tennis, and reflect...
Advocating for tennis courts
Talking Tennis Southern Style - May 07, 2024 20:10 - 13 minutesWe applaud anyone playing tennis in a driveway. But, realistically, 99% of tennis is played on courts. Paul Pittman, the long-time dominant force of tennis in Florence, S.C., is now chairing USTA Southern’s push to protect and increase the number of our tennis courts. Pittman speaks to grassro...
Auburn’s Bobby Reynolds: from ATP to college
Talking Tennis Southern Style - April 30, 2024 18:01 - 14 minutesIn this episode, we chat with Bobby Reynolds, Auburn Men’s tennis head coach, a former No. 1 collegiate player at Vanderbilt and a former ATP player. He shares insights from coaching in the SEC and offers advice for aspiring players aiming for college and pro success, along with tips for compe...
National Tennis Month: Bob Willis
Talking Tennis Southern Style - April 24, 2024 16:59 - 17 minutesJoin us for an insightful episode featuring Bob Willis, President of the Louisville (Ky.) Area 10 & Under Tennis Association. Willis will host a National Tennis Month “Bring A Friend” lesson on May 25 at Charlie Vettiner Park. He recounts last year’s experience with a successful NTM event. Don...
National Tennis Month: Kristie Flowers
Talking Tennis Southern Style - April 16, 2024 18:51 - 13 minutesKristie Flowers hosted a Cardio Tennis session during 2023 and plans more sessions next month during National Tennis Month (NTM). She gets people active at the Dr. Eddie Floyd Florence Tennis Center in Florence, S.C. Flowers has had as many 50 participants get their heart rates up. She cites...
Tennessee tennis recruiter: Tyler Strong
Talking Tennis Southern Style - April 09, 2024 18:12 - 13 minutesHow do you expand tennis in your state? A strategic focus of USTA is increasing the number of providers like parks and recreation departments, coaches, teachers, tournament directors and grassroots tennis associations. Tyler Strong is using his knowledge of Junior Team Tennis to make connection...
Tennis Channel on-court host Andrew Krasny
Talking Tennis Southern Style - April 03, 2024 15:14 - 18 minutesAndrew Krasny is best known for his post-match interviews on court for Tennis Channel. This week he is the host and emcee of Credit One Charleston Open, a tournament he considers among the best in the world for featuring the brightest women’s stars in the game. Over his storied career, Krasny ...
WHM: WTA player Arianne Hartono & Coach Jason Ontog
Talking Tennis Southern Style - March 27, 2024 15:31 - 16 minutesArianne Hartono, a Dutch professional tennis player ranked No. 140 in WTA singles, made history at the University of Mississippi by winning the 2018 NCAA Women's Singles Tennis Championship, the first Dutch player to do so. She also received the 2018 Honda Sports Award for top female collegia...
Teaching: true passion for former UT coach Elizabeth Henderson
Talking Tennis Southern Style - March 19, 2024 18:40 - 14 minutesElizabeth Henderson’s life in tennis started by being No. 1 in numerous junior age levels in USTA Southern before being recognized as an All-American at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. She started her collegiate coaching odyssey at the University of North Carolina, followed by her fi...
No-Cut Coach Starfish Award winner John Cox
Talking Tennis Southern Style - March 12, 2024 20:53 - 14 minutesWe chatted with John Cox, whose volunteer work covers many areas of tennis, including numerous posts in USTA Southern. Still, he has a soft spot for the students of Bayou Academy in Cleveland, Miss., where he began coaching the tennis team in 2017. His goal is to make tennis “cool” and get pl...
WHM: Local League Coordinator honoree Anna Martin
Talking Tennis Southern Style - March 06, 2024 16:31 - 11 minutesWe talk with the 2023 USTA Southern Local League Coordinator of the Year Anna Martin. She is a veteran of more than 23 years of promoting and organizing USTA League, providing a rich history of tennis in Wilmington, N.C. She now supports nearly 200 adult recreational teams. Martin highlights t...
The weekly: ‘Talking Tennis Southern Style’ goes to weekly podcast
Talking Tennis Southern Style - February 27, 2024 20:49 - 15 minutesInterviewed are two podcasters: Chris Godby & Chad Young of the awarding-winning “Game Set Match Kentucky!” After more than four years of uploading a two-interview podcast every other Thursday, the new “Talking Tennis Southern Style” plans on showcasing a single interview every Tuesday or ...
Adult and Junior winners: George “Ged” Schwing, Male Player & Ryan Cozad, Junior Sportsmanship
Talking Tennis Southern Style - February 15, 2024 22:00 - 19 minutesGeorge “Ged” Schwing was honored with the Slew Hester Male Player of the Year for top adult player. Schwing has been a member of Team Louisiana for the Callen Cup and served as a captain the last few years, along with competing on the winning Southern team at the 2022 Keith Donoff Cup. Ozaki-...
BHM: Calvin Kemp plus advocating for tennis courts
Talking Tennis Southern Style - February 01, 2024 21:25 - 25 minutesWith the number of tennis players growing in the last five years, more tennis courts are needed. While some courts are being converted to pickleball courts, the USTA Southern Advocacy Task Force is enabling grassroots advocates to make the case for adding, and not reducing, the number of tennis...
Australian Open preview, a Mexican star on her French Open, women’s tour success
Talking Tennis Southern Style - January 11, 2024 21:52 - 33 minutesIt’s a new year and time for our Grand Slam correspondent to preview American and Southern players. USTA General Manager, Player Development Martin Blackman calls in from Down Under with high hopes for players with Georgia roots: Coco Gauff, Taylor Townsend, Ben Shelton & Christopher Eubanks. Yo...
It’s a wrap: Outstanding interviews in 2023!
Talking Tennis Southern Style - December 14, 2023 19:52 - 22 minutesFinishing our fourth season, “Talking Tennis Southern Style” wraps up 2023 with compelling excerpts of eight of our favorite interviews. We are proud to highlight insightful conversations with these guests: Michelle Curry of the Althea Gibson CTA Tennis memorabilia collector and USTA K...
From WTA & ATP tours to Southern Tennis Hall of Fame: Jane Preyer and Keith Richardson
Talking Tennis Southern Style - November 30, 2023 17:56 - 44 minutesJane Preyer made her mark as an All-American at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill before succeeding in the WTA Tour. She reached No. 43 and defeated some top players including Evonne Goolagong. Later she took to coaching and led the Duke University women to four ACC championsh...
Marshall Happer’s book, “Pioneers of the Game,” documents the rise of the men’s professional tours
Talking Tennis Southern Style - November 21, 2023 16:10 - 40 minutesMarshall Happer headed the Men’s Tennis Council from 1981-89, making him the only unofficial commissioner of men’s professional tennis. He draws upon his extensive tennis background – including USTA Executive Director, USTA Southern President & CEO and Southern Tennis Hall of Fame inducte...
Inclusive and accessible: Wheelchair tennis No. 1 junior and adaptive tennis supports blind, visually impaired
Talking Tennis Southern Style - November 16, 2023 19:39 - 30 minutesWheelchair tennis is booming and Zane Goodwin is riding the crest to the top of the game. The 16-year-old Birmingham, Ala., resident is the top junior wheelchair tennis player in the country and winner of the Cincinnati Wheelchair Open. Zane talks about his dedication to the sport while his m...
UGA's SEC winningest coach Manny Diaz & holiday buying guide
Talking Tennis Southern Style - November 10, 2023 03:28 - 33 minutesIn a remarkable achievement, Manny Diaz, the veteran men's tennis coach at the University of Georgia, will be inducted into the prestigious Southern Tennis Hall of Fame, this January. Diaz reflects on his illustrious career, during which he achieved a remarkable SEC-record of 767 wins for the U...
Playing Tennis as an Adult: Former Atlanta Falcon player Brian Finneran, plus US Open Chief Umpire Andrew Walker
Talking Tennis Southern Style - October 26, 2023 18:04 - 37 minutesTennis is the sport of a lifetime and a former Atlanta Falcon wide receiver Brian Finneran is now excited about playing and watching tennis. He was wowed by the speed and athleticism of pro tennis players at the Atlanta Open. Brian can be heard on air on 680 The Fan, an Atlanta sports radio st...
Hispanic Heritage Month: JTT captain extraordinaire Omar Alcaino, plus ITF captain Brenda Carter
Talking Tennis Southern Style - October 12, 2023 18:30 - 27 minutesOmar Alcaino has been at the helm of seven straight USTA Mississippi Junior Team Tennis champion teams including winning a Southern 10 & Under Intermediate title this year. Embracing his Chilean heritage, he reflects on his journey, which led him to excel as a Sun Belt singles champion at th...
Hispanic Heritage Month: NJTL organizer Belén Gómez-Jordana, former NC State player Ponch Ochoa
Talking Tennis Southern Style - September 28, 2023 17:17 - 32 minutesTalking Tennis Soutern Style promotes Hispanic Heritage Month. With almost twenty years of experience as a tennis teacher, Belén Gómez-Jordana founded the non-profit and NJTL United Tennis. In order to counter stereotypes, Gómez-Jordana created the Tennis for All program. She delivers group an...
Teaching tennis: NFL football star Leigh Torrence and coach Dr. Mark Kovacs
Talking Tennis Southern Style - September 14, 2023 18:17 - 44 minutesLeigh Torrence says tennis was his first love and dreamed of being another Arthur Ashe. He was a top-level junior out of Atlanta. Still, he’s most famous for his NFL career, playing for six teams including the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons, and coaching for the Saints and New York Jets...
Wheelchair tennis: Jennifer Edmonson & Chuck McCuen
Talking Tennis Southern Style - August 31, 2023 19:16 - 34 minutesMore than 25 years ago, Jennifer Edmonson volunteered at the Cajun Classic, a wheelchair tennis tournament in Baton Rouge. Her role expanded to the USTA Southern Wheelchair Tennis Chair and then the USTA chair. Now, she takes on the role of US Open Wheelchair Tennis Tournament Director. Talking...
US Open preview: Martin Blackman on Gauff, Pegula, Fritz and Tiafoe
Talking Tennis Southern Style - August 17, 2023 20:29 - 29 minutesUS Open preview: Martin Blackman on Gauff, Pegula, Fritz and Tiafoe UNC champion Carson Tanguilig heads to US Open doubles main draw It’s US Open time! USTA’s Martin Blackman previews the year’s last Grand Slam and breaks down the chances of Americans Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff, Tay...
“Second Serve” reaches out to USTA League players; Dr. Brian Hainline on the summer heat
Talking Tennis Southern Style - August 03, 2023 19:26 - 36 minutesWhat is your pursuit in the middle years of life? Two USTA Southern volunteers decided they wanted to talk about USTA League tennis. North Carolina residents Carolyn Roach and Erin Conigliaro named their podcast "Second Serve" and connect with thousands of listeners to their weekly conversa...
Atlanta Open draws native Christopher Eubanks and Georgia Tech player Andres Martin
Talking Tennis Southern Style - July 20, 2023 21:21 - 24 minutesThe annual ATP Tour 250 tournament – the Atlanta Open – has the game’s breakout star Christopher Eubanks in the main draw. “Of course, he’s playing” says Tournament Director Peter Lebedevs about the Atlanta native and former Georgia Tech star who played only a few miles away from the Atlantic...
USTA coaches Martin Blackman and Atlanta’s Jermaine Jenkins on Americans at Wimbledon
Talking Tennis Southern Style - July 06, 2023 19:07 - 32 minutesWith American players competing at the Big W in London, USTA Director, Player Development Martin Blackman tracks the preparation of up-and-coming pros in Florida and European warmup events. He proudly mentions four US players who now reside in the top 10: Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff, Taylor Fr...
From ’Bama to UGA, two collegiate tennis coaches reminisce about their outstanding careers
Talking Tennis Southern Style - June 29, 2023 17:38 - 37 minutesSone of the most exciting – and often overlooked – tennis matches are played on college campuses. These two coaches made their women’s teams among the best in the country. As Alabama’s women’s tennis coach, Jenny Mainz was named the 2013 ITA National Coach of the Year and won two NCAA Doubl...
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