Professional Exhibition

The Rx Optical/Greenleaf Trust & Greenleaf Hospitality Exhibition opens the USTA Boys' 18s & 16s National Championships Friday, August 6, 2010.

Scoville Jenkins will return to the stadium where he made history when he faces Jan-Michael Gambill in the Rx Optical/Greenleaf Trust & Greenleaf Hospitality Exhibition at Kalamazoo College’s Stowe Stadium. The two pros are part of the USTA Boys’ 18 & 16 National Championships opening night activities beginning at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 6. The championships, a 10-day tournament featuring more than 400 of the best young male tennis players in the nation, end with the singles finals for both divisions on Sunday, Aug. 15. “We always like to honor former champions, and Scoville was a great champion,” tournament director Mark Riley said. “He’s part of the history of this tournament. “Jan-Michael has had a nice pro career and, although he seems to be at the end of his career, he was a top 15 player in his prime. He was a two-time boys’ 18s runner-up, and I like the idea that they’re coming back. They’ll also be part of a panel that talks to the players during their player meeting.”

Jenkins became the first African-American male player to win the 18s title after he defeated Portage native Scott Oudsema 7-5, 6-1, 6-3, before a crowd of nearly 4,000 people in 2004.

That was the first year teens who had already turned pro were permitted to compete, and Jenkins was one of four who did. Gambill’s most memorable loss was the boys’ 18s final against Justin Gimelstob in 1995. With the court temperature more than 100 degrees, Gimelstob was leading 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, 4-4 when Gambill dropped to the ground with severe cramps and ended up defaulting the match. Both players competed on the pro circuit with Gambill ranked as high as 14 (2001) and Jenkins as high as 187. Both are currently playing World Team Tennis, Gambill, 33, for the Boston Lobsters and Jenkins, 23, for the New York Buzz in Albany.

During the exhibition, Gambill and Jenkins will team up to take on the boys’ 18s top-seeded doubles team, then face each other in an eight-game pro set.

Honorary referees for the tournament are David Markin, the tournament’s official referee until he retired in 2007; former Olympian Nikki Stone and award-winning composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz. Markin became involved with the tournament in 1964, volunteering on the transportation committee. He was the tournament’s assistant referee from 1971-75, then was named official referee in 1976, a position he held until his retirement. Markin was also president of the USTA in 1989-90 and chairman of the U.S. Davis Cup committee, Junior Tennis Council and U.S. Open site committee. Stone was the first American to win the gold medal in inverted aerial skiing in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, overcoming a spinal injury she suffered 18 months before. She’s won 35 World Cup titles and was inducted into the National Ski Hall of Fame in 2003. She authored the inspirational book “When Turtles Fly” and works as a motivational speaker. Stone will be the featured speaker at the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Salute to Healthy Living breakfast on Thursday, Aug. 5. Schwartz, whose work includes the musicals “Godspell” and “Wicked,” has won three Academy Awards and three Grammys. While in Kalamazoo, he will also work with performers at the Civic Theater.

Tickets for the Rx Optical/Greenleaf Trust & Greenleaf Hospitality Exhibition are $15.00 for adults, $10.00 for kids.

The Nationals begin with match play at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, August 6 and culminate with the singles championships on Sunday, August 15. Nearly 400 of the best young male tennis players in the nation vie for titles in both singles and doubles in the 18s and 16s divisions.

For Rx Optical/Greenleaf Trust & Greenleaf Hospitality Exhibition and tournament ticket information, visit the Tickets section of this website or call 269.337.7343.

To check out the top tennis names that have entertained Kalamazoo fans as participants in the exhibition, click on the Past Exhibition Player List tab above.

Past Exhibition Player List

2010 - Scoville Jenkins & Jan-Michael Gambill

2009 - Michael Chang & Paul Goldstein

2008 - Scott Oudsema & John Isner

2007 - Todd Martin & Jim Courier

2006 - Aaron Krickstein & Todd Martin

2005 - Taylor Dent & Mark Philippoussis

2004 - Mardy Fish & Robby Ginepri

2003 - Justin Gimelstob & Paul Goldstein

2002 - Matias Boeker & Jeff Morrison

2001 - Taylor Dent & Mike Russell

2000 - Mariano Zabaleta & Jeff Tarango

1999 - Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan

1998 - Patrick McEnroe & Steve Campbell

1997 - Justin Gimelstob & David Wheaton

1996 - Richey Reneberg & Jonathan Stark

1995 - Brian Gottfried & Marty Riessen

1994 - Luke Jensen & Murphy Jensen

1993 - Rod Laver & Ken Rosewall

1992 - Kalamazoo (USTA) Past Champions

1991 - Stan Smith & Dick Stockton

1990 - Andrei Chesnokov & Patrick McEnroe

1989 - Rick Leach & Jim Pugh

1988 - Andre Agassi & Mats Wilander

1987 - Tim Gullikson & Sherwood Stewart

1986 - Aaron Krickstein & Henrik Sundstrom

1985 - Vitas Gerulaitis & Butch Walts

1984 - Tom Gullikson & Gene Mayer

1983 - Dick Stockton & Henrik Sundstrom

1982 - Leslie Allen, Rosie Casals, Billie Jean King & Pam Shriver

1981 - Peter Fleming & Tom Gullikson

1980 - John Austin & Butch Walts

1979 - Vic Amaya & Raul Ramirez

1978 - Stan Smith & Tim Wilkison

1977 - Sue Barker & Mariana Simionescu

1976 - Dennis Ralston & Dick Stockton

1975 - Vitas Gerulaitis & Sandy Mayer

1974 - Vitas Gerulaitis & Nikki Pilic

1973 - Ismael El Shafei & Stan Smith

1972 - Jimmy Connors & Dick Stockton

1971 - Tom Gorman & Stan Smith

1970 - Jeff Borowiak & Erik van Dillen

1969 - Charles Pasarell & Cliff Richey

1968 - Arthur Ashe & Stan Smith

1967 - Chuck McKinley & Ron Holmberg

1966 - Dennis Ralston & Clark Graebner