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Sunday, June 16, 2002

A couple of days after Serena's victory against Venus in a battle of the Williams sisters in the final of the French Open, six or seven new kids showed up at the free clinic sponsored by the Inter-city Tennis Junior Development program.

The impact of not one, but two African-American women in the championship match of a Grand Slam event was felt immediately in this corner of the world.

"They are a picture to the world that anybody can do it if you put forth the effort," said Willa Bentley, founder and director of the district program that began in 1974. "It used to be that young black kids could just look at tennis. Now they're thinking maybe they can do it.

"I think they see it's possible they can do the same thing."

Bentley's program provides three hours of instruction Saturday afternoons to boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 18. The clinic has used the courts at East Liberty's National Indoor Tennis Center during the winter months and the outdoor Stanton Courts in Highland Park during the summer.

"I'm in this to help them get a scholarship to college," Bentley said. "If you have a good academic record and excel in a sport, you've got a better chance. We've had a lot of success over the years."

Bentley is one of the non-paid volunteer instructors, along with Jim McClain, Ralph King, Phil Harris and Dawn Dukes. The clinic provides rackets, balls and teaching. All they ask of the kids is to bring enthusiasm to the courts.

"We want them to have fun," Bentley said, "and to learn how to play tennis."

The program once was supported by solid local funding from large companies, but the donations have all but dried up of late.

"I'm hoping what the Williamses are doing opens the eyes of sponsors," Bentley said. "I'm hoping there will be more sponsors for black kids coming up in tennis.

"Nobody ever thought a black girl would be winning a major championships. I'm rooting a lot, a whole lot, for them."

But not everyone is.

"A lot of people's eyes are darkened because all they see is their black skin," Bentley said. "All the odds you could name were against them. Why? Because they're black. They're dealing with the pressure . Their father taught them to focus on one thing -- the tennis ball.

"Nothing else matters."

For Bentley, the success of the Williams sisters does matter. A lot.

"I'm so proud of them," she said. "We all knew how good they were ... now the world knows it. I'm hoping it helps introduce tennis to a lot of kids who otherwise wouldn't get into it."

Campus courts

IUP sophomore Yvonne Niederbracht was selected by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association as the NCAA Division II East Region Player to Watch.

Niederbracht, a native of Petershagen, Germany, was 14-1 at No. 1 singles this year and 26-6 overall. She and Jackie Kulp teamed up for a 15-3 record in doubles this year and 33-6 over the past two years.

IUP had a 12-6 record in dual matches this year and earned the school's first trip to the NCAA Tournament, where the Indians lost to Millersville in the finals of the East Regional tournament.

A doubleheader

The National Collegiate Clay Court/West Penn Championships and the $10,000 Pittsburgh Futures Tournament will run concurrently from June 29 through July 7 at the Mt. Lebanon tennis Center.

What's happening

NIKE is sponsoring a camp for boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 18 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 24-28 at California University. The $215 fee includes all tennis activities, lunch, a camp T-shirt and instruction from a skilled staff.

To register, call (800) 645-2267 or Director Pablo Montana at 724-938-4237.