{"id":175559,"date":"2026-03-02T22:18:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T22:18:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/175559\/"},"modified":"2026-03-02T22:18:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T22:18:11","slug":"local-pros-show-skills-at-tennis-exhibition-at-the-courts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/175559\/","title":{"rendered":"Local pros show skills at tennis exhibition at The Courts"},"content":{"rendered":"


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The players who took part in tennis exhibition were, from left, Kevin Tran, Bridget Tran, Meredith Campbell and Mikhail Kornienko.<\/p>\n

ED ZUMAR<\/p>\n

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Meredith Campbell, the teaching pro at The Courts, Cape Coal, has turned her love of tennis into a career of teaching others.<\/p>\n

ED ZUMAR<\/p>\n

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Local tennis pros showed off their skills at The Courts, Cape Coral Friday night, the most recent event hosted by The Courts, which is quickly becoming the go-to destination for racket sports in Southwest\u00a0Florida.<\/p>\n

Meredith Campbell, teaching pro at The Courts; Mikhail Kornienko, former ATP tour player and current head tennis coach at Evangelical Christian School; and husband\u00a0and wife duo, Kevin Tran, who played collegiately at Millersville University in Pennsylvania, and Bridget Tran, wowed tennis enthusiasts with their shot making skills and passion for the game.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Campbell, who spent her youth on soccer fields, took up tennis with her father, who taught her the nuances of the game. She quickly developed her love of tennis which led her to teaching local players how to develop their skills. Her method is focused on working to enhance\u00a0the ability of her students. <\/p>\n

The journey to coaching started on a different playing field than a tennis court.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a kid I grew up playing soccer, travel soccer, competitive soccer through high school,\u201d she said. \u201cI would do tennis clinics just for fun. When I was in college at Arizona State University, my dad hurt his knee and was told to keep it strong \u2018go play tennis,\u2019 So I would go with him, it became our thing, we would play once or twice a week together and we both just fell in love with tennis.\u201d<\/p>\n

As she developed\u00a0her skills, she decided to play in a tournament to see the progress she had made.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt 30 years old I did my first tournament, I learned how to serve so I could play in the tournament! My dad and I played against a bunch of high schoolers, I was not in high school at the time! But I had a great time, it was super fun,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Her ability was noticed by a coach in Minnesota who convinced her to help with coaching high school players. She began\u00a0with 20 players her first year, a number that grew to 200 the next year.<\/p>\n

She then relocated to Southwest Florida where she landed the teaching pro position at The Courts, Cape Coral.<\/p>\n

Her positive personality, patience and love of the game is what she tries to ingrain in the players she teaches.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, I think it\u2019s just meeting people where they\u2019re at,\u201d she said. \u201cI try to figure out what they want out of their tennis experience. If they want to just have fun, then we\u2019ll just have fun. If they want to get better, we\u2019ll work on their skills.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bridget Tran, a former nationally ranked junior doubles player who teamed with former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, displayed an ability that had those in attendance dazzled. Like Campbell, she also lends her considerable skills to teaching others how to enhance their game. Also like Campbell, she stressed the importance of \u201cmeeting a player where they\u2019re at.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI set high standards, I really do,\u201d she said. \u201cSo what\u2019s the best that I can get the player then kind of shoot for the stars. I try to help them improve in every little aspect of the game and kind of get the player as good as I can get them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kornienko took part in the exhibition for the second time, He has played tennis for about 27 of his 35 years. His skill level allowed him to compete on the ATP tour in his late teens until injuries derailed a promising career. He said that led to a change in mindset \u2026 play to have fun.<\/p>\n

That change in mindset took him on a different path, to teaching players the game he loves by coaching high school tennis in Fort Myers. It was during a tournament he was playing along with his wife Sara, an outstanding player in her own right, when he was approached about coaching at ECS. Nine years later, he\u2019s still there.<\/p>\n

As much as teaching young players the skills needed to succeed is a priority, he said it\u2019s also as important to convince them of the sacrifice it takes to achieve a high standard of tennis.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe challenge is consistency,\u201d he said. \u201cI think a lot of times when you think of high school tennis you think of people who just pick up the racket for the high school season and think you don\u2019t really need to practice year round. So it\u2019s turning people who play tennis three months out of the entire year into match ready players and manage expectations with that. I want them to learn the lesson that they need to put time and effort into something if they want to succeed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lisa Zuk, general manager at The Courts, Cape Coral, is instrumental in bringing events like the tennis exhibition to Cape Coral. Following the recent PPA Biomet Cape Coral Open pickleball tournament that featured 1,300 players, Zuk said it shows the enthusiasm Cape Coral tennis and pickleball players have for their respective sports.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese events feature top players from not only our region but players from across Florida and other states as well. Next weekend we have the collegiate pickleball championships that bring players from universities across the nation,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Additional events focus on a United States Tennis Association junior event and a USTA Golden Ticket Mixed Doubles Tournament where winners can earn their way toward a USTA National Championship for their age division. A club championship, as well as other events for both tennis and pickleball, are also scheduled for spring.<\/p>\n

For additional information on these and other upcoming\u00a0events you can visit the Courts Cape Coral website\u00a0at https:\/\/playthecourtscapecoral.com\/ or call (239) 574-0808<\/p>\n

Upcoming events at The Courts, Cape Coral<\/p>\n

\u2022 March 6-8 \u2013 APP Selkirk U.S. Collegiate Championships<\/p>\n

\u2022 March 7-8 \u2013 United States Tennis Association Level 6 Junior Tournament<\/p>\n

Boys and girls 12s, 14s, 16s, and 18s Singles<\/p>\n

Entry fee $75<\/p>\n

Registration Deadline: March 5, 5:59pm<\/p>\n

Register at:\u00a0https:\/\/playtennis.usta.com<\/p>\n

\u2022 March 21 \u2013 USTA Golden Mixed Doubles Ticket Tournament (18+)<\/p>\n

Entry fee $55<\/p>\n

Registration deadline: March 18, 5:59pm<\/p>\n

Register at:\u00a0https:\/\/playtennis.usta,com\/Competitions\/courtsatcapecoral\/Tournaments\/<\/p>\n


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