Colorado Tennis Hall of Fame

Each year, members of the Colorado tennis community gather to commemorate the induction of a new class to the Colorado Tennis Hall of Fame, as well as to celebrate the achievements of players, organizations, volunteers and others who have distinguished themselves through their dedication and commitment to the sport of tennis.  The 16th annual Colorado Tennis Hall of Fame Gala was held on Friday, January 22, 2016.

Four inductions were made into the Colorado Tennis Hall of Fame and USTA Colorado presented its 2015 annual awards to to those who have distinguished themselves through their dedication and contributions to the sport.  The 2015 Colorado Tennis Hall of Fame Indutees included Rich Berman, Bob Curtis, Andy Potter and Susan Mehmedbasic Wright.

A special moment happened before the event when Rich Berman was surprised by David Hall, International Tennis Hall of Famer.  Hall traveled from Australia to Denver to be here for Berman.  In 1993, Berman began teaching and coaching wheelchair tennis.  He served as a coach to Hall, and while working together, Hall dominated wheelchair tennis across the globe, finishing No.1 in world singles rankings for six years.  With Berman’s coaching, Hall amassed an unmatched nine Australian Opens, eight US Opens, seven British Opens, and won gold in Sydney at the 2000 Paralympics. You can see the surprise reunion in the video.

USTA Colorado Annual Award Winners: High School Players – Casey Ross & Amber Shen; College Players – Hayden Sabatka & Kelli Woodman; Players – Chris Cooprider & Simona Breutting; Senior Players – Mike Lammens & Martha Gulbenkian; Wheelchair Players – Colby Kortum; High School Teams – Kent Denver (boys) & Cheyenne Mountain (girls); Organization – Tennis Center at Steamboat Springs; Family – Dr. Tarek Arja; Volunteer – Jim Scott; Media Excellence – Telemuno Denver; Sportsmanship – Mavis Edwards, Kosta Garger, Samantha Matinelli, Ignatius Castelino, Atsadang Deebunmee Na Chumphae; Contributions – Bill Trubey, Gonzo Garcia, Randy Ross; Umpire of the Year: Deborah Weinstein.

Dollars raised on event night benefit the Colorado Youth Tennis Foundation.  Through the lifetime sport of tennis, the CYTF promotes the physical, emotional and social development of all youth to aspire to become active, productive and responsible citizens. The Colorado Youth Tennis Foundation is a fundraising arm of USTA Colorado.