Sport

Original Article Published On The Jerusalem Post

Ofra Friedman, media relations manager, and her team at the Israel Tennis Association haven’t been sleeping much these days.

They have been working day and night to bring the Fed Cup tennis event to Eilat.

In 2016, 101 nations entered Fed Cup by BNP Paribas, making it the world’s largest annual international team competition in women’s sport.

Next week, from February 3-6, Israel will serve as host to Europe/Africa Zone Group I matches. Top players from 14 countries will compete at Eilat’s Municipal Tennis Club. Each Group is initially split into round-robin pools of either three or four countries.

Israel is in a pool with Croatia, Estonia and Turkey. Other nations participating in the fourday event in Eilat include Great Britain, South Africa, Hungry and Belgium. Two nations will advance to the World Group II play-offs.

Israel last played in the World Group II playoffs in 2009. Two nations will be relegated to Europe/ Africa Zone Group II in 2017.

Eilat has hosted the tournament four times – 1995, 2011, 2012 and 2013.

The Fed Cup returns to Israel after two years in Hungary.

Friedman, who played college tennis at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, is proud of the International Tennis Federation’s support.

“This means the ITF really thinks we can handle it well. After a two year break, the Fed Cup returns to Israel. We are hosting it again and we are happy about it.”

“It is a good chance for the Israeli fans to come out and watch a lot of top 100 players in four days of great tennis.”

Bringing a major international tennis event to sunny Eilat is a major undertaking.

The ITA team is responsible for such logistics as supervising player registration, hotel accommodations, credentialing for players, guests and media, VIPs, special requests, organizing press conferences, dealing with ticketing and marketing, liaison work with the Eilat municipality and such logistics as overseeing the giant screen – and the painting of the courts.

High-profile guests likely to be in attendance include Mary Pierce, former No. 3 player in the world who was recently appointed to the ITF’s Board of Directors and Iva Majoli, former No. 4 in the world and captain of the team from Croatia.

The already busy ITA team sometimes need to deal with unexpected issues which arise elsewhere in the tennis world.

Last Thursday morning, Friedman had to turn her attention to an event taking place that day in Australia. Israeli Dudi Sela, 87th ranked, was in the middle of an unexpected comeback against Fernando Verdasco of Spain, ranked 45th, in the second round of the Australian Open.

Verdasco had defeated Rafael Nadal in singles two days earlier, and had defeated Israeli Yoni Erlich and doubles partner Colin Fleming of Great Britain on Wednesday.

Sela went on to defeat Verdasco 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-6.

“The media was killing me,” Friedman reports with a combination of pride and excitement for Israel tennis, “Everybody was talking about it. Everyone went crazy over the match.”

Sela was ultimately knocked out by 74th-ranked Andrey Kuznetsov of Russia in the third round, but Israeli tennis has plenty to look forward to just around the corner.

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Original Article in The Jerusalem Post:

How well do admiring Israel tennis fans know Julie Glushko on and off the court?

The night before beating Romanian Monica Niculescu in the US Open first round, the 29-year-old Israeli sat in the player garden and spoke with The Jerusalem Post about tennis and non-tennis matters as she ate her sushi dinner. Glushko next takes on No. 20 Naomi Osaka of Japan in the second round on Thursday.

JP:  What did you do on your days off after winning the qualifiers?

JG: I didn’t do too much for fun this time. I have been resting a lot. Eating – that’s fun actually – and sleeping.  Practicing as well!

JP:  Any superstitions, rituals, prayers or special food as you prepare for a match?

JG: I do not (laughing). No superstitions. I listen to music. I do stuff to relax but I try not to have superstitions because if it doesn’t happen or go the way I want to, I don’t want to be freaking out.

JP:  Favorite Israeli food?

JG: Is malawah Israeli? Jachnun and malawah!

JP:  Favorite beach in Israel?

JG: I just always go to the Hilton. Also Beit Yanai – it is a little bit north, next to Caesarea – is very nice.

JP:  Favorite city in Israel?

JG: Tel Aviv

JP:  Favorite world city?

JG: New York and Melbourne. They are very different, actually. New York is just so alive, it’s crazy, it has so much character. There are so many things going on. And you can find anything you want – except a beach!

And Melbourne – I just love Australia. I love the vibe too. It is the opposite of New York. It is more relaxing and people are more chilled out.

JP: Do you have a favorite Israeli singer or group?

JG: I like Omer Adam. I like Static and Ben El Tavori

JP:  What is your routine after a match, after everyone leaves you alone and stops taking selfies and asking for autographs?

JG: Shower, ice bath, shower again because I am cold.  I’ll take my protein shake then I’ll go eat after I shower, to give body the nutrition it needs, then go see a physiotherapist. It probably takes me between two-and-a-half to three-and-a-half hours to get out of the facility.

JP:  Are there other players you have become good friends with?

JG: Yeah, some girls I am friends with.  I think I am friendly with most of the girls, actually.  Definitely saying hello to most of the girls on the tour.     

 JP:  Do they ever ask you about Israel?   Are they curious?

JG: Some people think that what they see on TV is Israel, which it is not.  They ask me if it is safe to go over there, if it is nice.  I just wish we had some tournaments so people could see that it is actually super safe and nice to be there.

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Original Article in Jerusalem Post:

Team Israel’s Cody Decker continues his playful ways – even in American professional baseball.

Cody Decker was arguably the heart, soul and class clown of Israel’s baseball team, which took the world by surprise in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. Decker and his teammates won the qualifiers in Brooklyn and they beat three opposing teams (South Korea, Chinese Taipei and the Netherlands) in the first round in Korea. Team Israel then lost two of three games in Round 2, played in Japan.

“Cody Decker played for all three teams that Israel has fielded in the WBC and there is no doubt that he has been a vital cog in all of them. Aside from his playing skills and ability to play a multitude of positions, it’s his personality, his way to keep the guys loose, his perspective on life and the game, that have made him most valuable. He ‘gets it’ and he’s able to get others on board.”

Decker and nine teammates visited Israel last year before the tournament.

“I think that having Cody and Jenn [his wife] on the trip to Israel made ‘the cause’ that much more real for him. For the first time, he really understood what he was playing for and the speech he gave at the Beit Shemesh field dedication exemplified that commitment,” adds Kurz.

Decker currently plays infield for the Reno Aces (the AAA affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks) in the Pacific Coast League, where he is batting a solid.261 with eight home runs and 24 RBIs.

The love and admiration felt for Decker during the World Baseball Classic continues in Reno.

Aces catcher Anthony Recker observes, “Cody is a blast to be around. He’s always one of the first guys in the building and last one out. He’s the kind of guy who knows when to have fun and when to get down to business. I’m glad to have him as a teammate.”
Aces manager Greg Gross adds, “Decker has provided us some offense off the bench this year and is always a threat to go deep. His personality is obviously there and is fun for the guys in the locker room. He’s a talented ballplayer and has been for a long time in this league.”

The Magazine caught up with Decker in the dugout after the Reno Aces defeated the Sacramento River Cats (the AAA affiliate of the San Francisco Giants) 8 to 2. Decker struck out in the bottom of the sixth, his only plate appearance, when he appeared as a pinch hitter.

Have you seen the 2018 documentary film Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel yet?

Yes, about four times now. Jenn did a Q and A for a group; I’ve done some Q and As and will be doing another in Orange County (California) in the off season, so that will be fun.

My impression is that the film is good. I am very glad they made it; they need to work on marketing. It is far less a Jewish story than a baseball story. It is about putting together a ragtag bunch of players who had been overlooked their entire careers. We had a chance to go out in front of the world and show that we were better than they thought. That was the story, but it was more that – we happened to all be Jewish. I kind of love that this is how it was all put together. I think that is the right story to tell; there are plenty of Jewish elements. It is as much that as it is the other story.

You and Jenn both got to go to Israel? You recently got married?

We went to Israel – Tel Aviv, then Jerusalem and stopped in Beit Shemesh. At no point did I think that I would enjoy Jerusalem more than I enjoyed Tel Aviv – this big, beautiful thriving city. I was expecting Jerusalem to be old and very historic but not as grand as it was. WOW – was I way wrong! I loved every second in Jerusalem. It was beautiful, amazing watching all faiths throughout. That was really cool when the Muslims were praying. My wife (we got married six months ago) is Christian, so seeing a lot of the old churches and going with the tour guide and learning. This right here is where Jesus was. The whole trip was very fascinating. It was fantastic and we loved every second of it.

When you think about what it has done for your relationship with Judaism, and Israel – what is it like looking back?

I can’t wait to go back! I wouldn’t say it necessarily made me more religious or spiritual or anything but it makes you appreciate… I have always appreciated my heritage. Going over there and seeing the Western Wall – it was probably the most striking thing to me. We went on a Friday night. There were so many people praying and dancing. It was crazy – it was great – I loved every second!

Do you think Team Israel will be part of your future down the road?

Peter [Kurz], the team president, is hoping that I am coming back to Team Israel!

Do your teammates on the Aces know about this Team Israel and Jewish part of you?

Not really – it is not something that regularly comes up in conversation. The fact that I am Jewish almost never comes up. Unless I make a joke about it – every time we have Sunday chapel, I say like, “When is the rabbi getting here so I can pray too? Can I join?” They say, “It’s nondenominational.” “You mean that Sunday Christian chapel you guys are doing? Nondenominational, huh? Cool. Yeah, I’m busy…

Sounds like there are not that many Jewish ballplayers…

There just happens to not be a lot of Jewish baseball players. I don’t think there is any particular reason for it, other than that there just aren’t that many of us. I grew up in Santa Monica [California], a huge Jewish community, and I played with a lot of Jewish kids. I’m not going to lie to you. Most of them were terrible! It is not because they were Jewish. They just weren’t very good at baseball.
Then when I got older and started traveling the country, and occasionally the world, you find out there just aren’t a whole lot of Jews playing baseball.

You go around the country, in Texas and certain spots in Florida, there just aren’t that many Jews around. It’s not like Santa Monica, where it is just normal. A large Mexican community, a large Jewish community, a large African American community, and for whatever reason, I was just unique, I was just brought up with that.

Has your role as team prankster continued with the Aces?

No, I’m leaving guys alone. People are watching me too closely. They know I’ll do it! I’d love to but… I’ll even say something and they’ll give me the side eye. They’ll think I’m lying or trying to set them up. I’m not. I’m actually enjoying that more than anything, that people are very suspicious of me at all times. It keeps them alert, I think.

Do they know about the Mensch on the Bench? Are they aware of that?

They are. The Mensch on the Bench was over in Jackson. He is back home in Santa Monica. We shipped him in a huge box. He is in my parents’ office and it’s just a gigantic box that happens to have a Mensch in it. I was thinking of selling it. I think it is time to sell it. Or auction it off for a charity. I don’t know how to do it.

But your teammates here don’t know about the Mensch on the Bench?

Yeah, they do. It was in my locker in spring training. It had its own locker in spring training. I had my locker, which said “Cober Commander” on it, and the next locker next to me was the Mensch. The Mensch was there.

How has the experience been with the Aces? I heard you had some injuries, pitched a little bit…

I pitched because we were out of pitchers. I don’t think I am too worried about my arm going to pieces, pitching 52 miles per hour! I am just going up there to throw strikes and let them get themselves out. Injuries? I’m good.

This is my seventh season in the PCL [Pacific Coast League], my fifth or sixth PCL team…Tucson, El Paso, Albuquerque, Omaha, Vegas… seventh! I’ve always had a lot of success playing here as an opposing player. Coming here I got off to a really hot start. Important guys in the Diamondbacks organization got activated so my playing time took a pretty hefty dip. I had to work on being off the bench, which is not the easiest of jobs. I had a DL [disabled list] stint during that time. I’m having a pretty good year all things considered. I know what I can do on the field. I’ve always felt I belonged in the big leagues; that’s why I’m doing this.

But I will say the Aces have been fantastic. The front office has been good. The stadium is always beautiful. Our locker room is great. Our jerseys have gotten better. We had a jersey issue… we had two jerseys that weighed roughly 35 pounds [15.8 kg.}. Luckily, we fixed one of them. The other one still weighs a solid ton and a half.

The Diamondbacks organization has been nothing but the most classy, honest and well-put-together organization. I really appreciate being a part of this organization. Hopefully I will get out there more consistently eventually and get a shot at the big leagues.

Any plans for All-Star break [which started the day after the interview]?

I’m actually flying to Las Vegas to meet up with my wife, which I am very excited about. Four nights with my wife will be very nice. Take her out to dinner, maybe go to a show or something. I look forward to seeing her.

Is that where you are living?

No, we are based in Los Angeles, but she is going there for work stuff. I’m flying there. She is driving there as we speak. I’m going to meet her there.

Has the Jewish community in Reno reached out to you?

Is there one here? I’m not gonna lie to you, I don’t know of one. So I have been reached out to by no one. Normally when I go play in a place, I’ll be stretching before a game, and I’ll have like five people yelling “Cody, Cody, I’m Jewish.” I don’t know, I don’t know of a Jewish community here. But in fairness, I haven’t been out trying to find it.

Do you think that Team Israel is something that can be in your future?

That’s a couple of years down the road. I guess we’ll address it when it comes up. The qualifier was a really great experience. Loved every second of the qualifiers. It was a special group of guys.

Are you still in touch with those guys?

I was already in touch with them to begin with. Nate Freiman and I had played together for years. Nate is one of my dearest friends. He was at my wedding. And I have known Zach Bornstein for a long time. Ryan Lavarnway is a good friend. There are not many of us. We kind of all have friendships. Blake Gailen, we would hit together every off season. He is still one of my good friends. He was almost in my wedding. He was on standby in case somebody went down. It is a good group of guys, every one of them. I miss them and look forward to seeing them all again. I’m sure I’ll some them again, somewhere down the road. All in all, it is a good deal.

Will I be back in a couple of years? We will see…

Filed under: Jerusalem Post (Source: https://www.jpost.com)
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Original Article in The Times Of Israel:

Despite a decade age gap, Julia and Lina Glushko are inseparable — on and off the court

When Julia Glushko began playing on the pro tennis tour in 2004, her sister Lina was a little girl of four. Fourteen years later, Lina is following in Julia’s footsteps — no mean feat, considering the trail her older sister is blazing.

On July 29, the elder Glushko won the $60,000 women’s singles title at the prestigious International Tennis Federation tournament in Granby, Canada. She upset top-seeded Arina Rodionova of Australia for the win.

Julia is currently ranked 196 in the world; Lina is 838.

The sisters recently added “doubles partners” to their impressive resumes, joining an elite club of professional tennis-playing siblings which includes the Bryan brothers, the Williams sisters, the McEnroe brothers and more.

At the April 2018 Fed Cup women’s tennis tournament in Athens, Greece, Israel’s team captain Tzipi Obziler and coach Sandra Wasserman decided to pair up the Glushko sisters in a doubles match.

“It was more than natural to let them play together,” said Obziler. “The combination of Julia, the experienced sister, together with Lina, who got her first chance to play matches in the Fed Cup, brought a very good high level doubles team,” said Obziler.

Wasserman agrees. “During practice sessions in the days before the competition, we saw that they were very motivated to play together. They played well and had good communication, so we gave it a chance,” she said.

The Glushko sisters became accustomed to each other on court during an intense four days of matches versus Norway, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Luxembourg and Denmark. After winning the first three deciding tie matches, they lost the semifinal 6-3, 6-4 to Emile Francati and Maria Jespersen of Denmark.

“The Danish girls were better the last day,” said Wasserman, their coach.

One love

Lina, who spoke with The Times of Israel by phone following her first week of basic training in the Israel Defense Forces, remembers the many years Julia — her “best friend” — was constantly on the road.

“I was a little girl, and she was in her 20s,” she said. “I don’t feel like she is 10 years older — we are more like twins. In the last two years or so, we talk 24/7 and we are very connected.”

When they’re in Israel, they practice together. “Now, I am no longer a little girl who doesn’t understand what is going on on the court,” Lina said.

Lina recently graduated from Ironi Gimel high school in Modiin, where she excelled in English (“It was really easy for me!”), her third language.

The Glushkos moved to Israel from the Ukraine in 1999, one year before Lina was born, and speak Russian at home. They are a true tennis family with both parents and 25-year-old brother, Alex, working as tennis coaches.

Alex has served as Lina’s coach for the past two years, taking over for their father, who had previously served the role.

“One match, my father wasn’t able to come, so Alex came instead. He made me feel so relaxed and good on court. I made it through to the finals, and we have been working together since then,” said Lina. “My dad was happy that I found my place with my brother.”

On the court

According to Lina, the Fed Cup pairing was not their actual debut as a doubles team.

“We played doubles for the first time in 2015 in Israel’s nationals,” she said, admitting that she “didn’t like to play doubles before.”

After that tournament, the Glushko sisters continued testing the waters as a doubles team.

“We played for fun in a tournament to see how it would go — we won first place. Then, we played in a [higher level] 15K tournament,” Lina said.

Representing Israel at the Fed Cup was memorable, though Lina didn’t learn she would be playing until 30 minutes before the Norway match.

“I was so nervous. My hand and racket were shaking. There was so much pressure. But I got used to it. I was so excited — to play with Israel on the back of my t-shirt and with my sister on court. The energy was so good. We played so good together,” she said.

Sibling doubles teams with Jewish roots include Brian and Larry Gottfried — and there are probably others, according to Sandra Harwitt, sportswriter and author of “The Greatest Jewish Tennis Players of All Time.”

“At just 18, Lina Glushko has the benefit of following in her big sister Julia’s sneakers onto the professional tennis scene. Being 10 years older, Julia has a great deal of tour insider information that can help Lina as she’s really just starting her journey in the game. Undoubtedly, this shared sister experience will make the Glushkos feel like a part of a special club in the game,” notes Harwitt.

Looking forward

Fed Cup captain Obziler believes “Lina has great potential,” noting Julia’s recent success on tour.

“Julia is in a great run in the last few months, and the sky is the limit for her,” Obziler said.

Julia recently began working with a new coach, former Israeli tennis player Amir Haddad. She has consistently advanced to the late rounds of recent tournaments in Asia and North America and has won tournaments in Singapore and Thailand.

In a phone interview from a tournament in Gatineau, Canada, Julia told The Times of Israel that the last year was “tough,” with “a lot going on.”

She took three months off, spent some time in Israel “to reflect on things” and changed her coaching staff. She is now “back on track” with her new coach and fitness trainer and feels more self-confident.

“There is lots of positive energy around me, and people who believe in me,” Julia said. “Of course, I train very hard, day in and day out. And I am enjoying my time on court.”

Based on Haddad’s advice, Julia is focusing on smaller tournaments and playing many matches. “I have a nice North American summer ahead of me. I am really excited,” she said.

As a sports mitztayenet (elite athlete) in the IDF, Lina will serve for the next two years with adequate time for tennis training. Her near-term goal is ambitious – finishing the year in the top 500.

And in the not-so-distant future?

“Of course, like everyone, my goal is to win a [Grand] Slam,” Lina said. “And to be #1 in world, kind of obviously.”

Filed under: Times of Israel (Source: https://www.timesofisrael.com)
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