New tennis magazine highlights Western New York
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

The premiere issue of "WNY Tennis Magazine", developed by Williamsville native Mark Ahrens, came out in April.

Mark Ahrens was tired of Western New York not getting any recognition for being a hotbed for tennis. So the Williamsville resident took matters into his own hands and created "WNY Tennis Magazine."

"In New York State, we've never gotten the credit for tennis," said Ahrens. "If anything tennis-related in the area was represented in a magazine, it was very small and you couldn't even make out the faces in a picture because the photo was so tiny. There's so much talent here that I said, let's do it."

The inaugural edition was published by his family's printing company, Ahrens Graphics, in April. Ahrens said it was "written for players by players." The 32-page magazine includes an article by Professional Tennis Registry Professional Steve Ginsburg on how to properly serve and a cover story from University at Buffalo women's tennis player Maggie Nenova on the future of Western New York tennis. Williamsville East High School's Olga Khmylev, who is in an action photo on the magazine's cover, is highlighted.

Mark Ahrens

"If people can take advantage of what professionals in our area have to say, they can become better players and learn the game the right way," said Ahrens.

Throughout the magazine, there are also short biographies of numerous tennis players, ranging from 7-year-old Winston Lin to George W. Laub, who started playing tennis in 1949. Ahrens said he wants more head shots in future issues as well as more candid tennis photos and advertisements.

"I like the bios because people can see different players at different levels, what equipment they use and where they went to high school," said Ahrens.

Ahrens is pleased with the magazine's layout.

"I wanted it to be eye-appealing and I think we achieved it," said Ahrens.

The magazine will be published in January, April, June, August, and October. Issues are free and can be picked up at Amherst Hills Tennis Club, Village Glen Tennis Club, South Towns Tennis Club, Sportsplex in Tonawanda and Buffalo Racquet Club in Kenmore.

Ahrens also wants to branch out the magazine to Rochester, Syracuse and southern Ontario. He's also sent a box of programs to the United States Tennis Association headquarters in White Plains, N. Y.

Ahrens hopes new tennis players who read the magazine will learn more about the sport and join a league where they can have fun and meet a number of people.

"For an experienced player, it is a way to increase the quality of their game," he added.

Ahrens, who played the last two years with a local 4.0 adult senior men's team at nationals in Palm Springs, Calif., couldn't have loved the sport as much had it not been for the influence of his father, Ed, who introduced him to tennis at age 6.

"I would run around (I was 6 or 7 years old at the time) and watch the old guys play shoes if we were at the tower courts," Ahrens said in the magazine. "At the end we would hit and he would help me mold my strokes."

He also thanks his dad for letting him play baseball instead of tennis when he attended Amherst High School.

e-mail: pnagy@beenews.com