Just as the snowbirds are starting to slowly trickle back into town, team tennis outfits have reappeared on woman around the city. Match play for the ladies USTA league commenced last week and the tennis season is in full swing.

The USTA league is composed of eight levels with eight to fourteen teams in each level. Each team must have a minimum of twelve players and the teams can come from the city, country clubs or residential developments.

Matches take place once a week and most teams also have required tennis clinics once a week. League play offers a great way to get exercise and meet new people. There are still openings at several clubs and you can find them at www.spbcwta.org.

A special shout to Swim and Raquet Club Team 3B. Serve it up ladies and have a great year!

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World class tennis takes place in Delray Beach this weekend at the International Tennis Championship finals. The semi-finals start Friday, February 15 and culminate in the finals on Sunday the 17th at the Delray Beach city tennis courts on Atlantic Avenue and Swinton.

Players in the singles semi-finals include number 5 ranked James Blake, Vince Spadea, Sam Querrey, Robby Ginepri and local Mardy Fish. In addition, to the singles there are doubles matches with such players as the crowd pleasing Bryan brothers.

I attended the Thursday, February 14th day matches and caught some great tennis, watching American's Fish and Ginipri prevail. The tennis level is amazing, the event is well organized and it is enjoyable to try and second guess the line judges.

There are bands performing, food stands and even a temporary restaurant run by Bova's, making this a fun place to spend some time over the weekend. With the predicted good weather this is an ideal place to be.

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I just returned from the Dolphin game and I am euphoric! Players and fans can now breathe a sigh of relief that the team will not be recorded in infamy as the record holder of the reverse perfect season. The Miami Dolphins scored their first victory of the season and it was exciting to be in attendance for this long awaited win.

The entire second half of the game was an emotional rollercoaster. The joy of Miami finally pulling ahead by a field goal with a little more than two minutes to go was quickly tempered by the Ravens field goal, which tied the score and forced overtime. The Ravens won the coin toss and thanks to a botched kick off were able to easily get within field goal range. The stadium was ecstatic when the Ravens missed the field goal and when the Dolphins countered with a pass that turned into a 64 yard touchdown, the celebrating truly began.

The occasion was even sweeter in light of the half time show which celebrated the 35th anniversary of the1972 undefeated Dolphin team. Having the players and coaches of the 1972 team present was inspirational and it felt good to know that they too did not have to sit through another week of watching their team lose.

Fans held signs around the stadium that read "All I want for Christmas is a win." The Dolphins have been so close at other times but has always managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. This holiday victory was a special present to all of South Florida and a reminder to Cam Cameron that there really is a Santa Claus. While a 1-13 record is nothing to boast of, for this one afternoon, the fans united around our beloved team and the team really gave us something to cheer about.

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You know that the South Palm Beach County Women’s Tennis Association season is in full force when you start seeing more women in tennis outfits at Publix. Tennis matches for all levels started Monday, September 17, 2007 and continue through May, 2008. Over twelve hundred women from their twenties upwards participate in the league’s weekly matches.

Teams are composed of up to sixteen players from various country clubs, neighborhoods, community centers and public courts. There are nine divisions and anywhere from seven to fourteen teams in a division, with division one being the strongest players. Matches start at 10 a.m. and conclude with lunch hosted by the home team. Depending on how you play and/or the venue, lunch can be the highlight of the day.

Changes to the league this year include a new rule about footfaults and the addition of flexible scheduling for matches on weeks taking place near religious holidays. Rule books have been distributed to all team captains and rosters and team scores will continue to be available and updated throughout the year at www.spbcwta.org. There are still openings on several teams and if you are interested in joining the league refer to the website.

Good luck to all players and especially Swim and Racquet Club Team 4. Let the games begin!

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