Van Sias

51, Male

Profile Information:

I am a:
Tennis Fan, Tournament/ League Player
Neighborhood or other helpful location info:
Brooklyn, NY
Random things about me (hobbies, occupation, tennis history, favorite band, etc.):
Hello. My name is Van and I've been a fan, player, what have you of tennis for a little over 20 years. I also publish a blog, Tennis Talk, Anyone?, where I talk about the pro game, my game, anything and everything tennis-related. I'm a magazine editor working in New York City and I live in Brooklyn.
Favorite pro tennis player(s):
My all-time favorite players are Mats Wilander, Andre Agassi and Jim Courier. I'm a fan of Andy Roddick, Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova, Novak Djokovic, James Blake, David Nalbandian, Ana Ivanovic--I could go on forever, but I'll stop there!
My tennis skill (please check your NTRP if you know it):
Not bad., NTRP 4.0
On the court, I am a:
whaler, singles player, returner, two-hander, top-spinner, baseliner, gracious winner, gracious loser, tournament goer
Relationship status:
Engaged
Favorite website:
http://www.tennistalkanyone.com

Comment Wall:

  • Mark / The Mayor

    Hi Van! It's great to have you here! I just checked out your great blog. Did you know that you can drive traffic to your blog from Tennisopolis? Take a look at the Main Page here and there is a blog section there. Featured blog posts go on the main page. Anther blogger, tennisballer, posts his blogs here and embeds links to his site. It seems to be working very well for him. Give it a shot. If you need any help, let me know.
    M
    -

    Welcome to the fun and infectious "community-based" tennis website which connects players, fans, coaches and pros.

    To get started, please upload a photo or avatar for yourself (if you haven’t already.) Whether it's of you, your dog, your racquet it doesn't matter, but it helps people remember you. You can also personalize Your Page with pictures, links, RSS feeds, colors and more here.

    If you are looking to meet people for tennis matches, Join the group in your area and introduce yourself in there. Some groups have regular meeting times and some are more one-on-one and flexible. If there’s no group in your area yet, start a group page for your town and invite your tennis contacts. It's a good place to keep in touch with everyone in your circle.

    Tennisopolis is also a great place to network with people all across the country and talk about this game we love.

    Other places to explore: come talk tennis in the forum, add your own photos, post your own blog entries.

    …and just hang out and meet great people.

    Welcome aboard,
    Mark

    Mar 24, 2008

  • Mark / The Mayor

    I see you are a Nalbandian fan. I took this photo at the Pacific Life Open. Here's a little decoration for you:

    My other PLO pics are on my page. I got some pretty good ones.
    M

    Mar 27, 2008

  • Mark / The Mayor

    Van, feel free to use any of my pics on your blog. I got a great one of Jelena saying "hi' to Ancic.
    M

    Mar 27, 2008

  • Mark / The Mayor

    Sure, what TennisBaller is doing works real well. His blog is downthelinetennis. He posts a copy of each blog here and embeds links in the text that connect to his page. The two most recent blog posts on Tennisopolis get shown on the Main page.

    For instance, you could cut and paste the It's Tricky, Tricky, Tricky text into a blog post here (nice Run DMC reference). Another trick is to move your photos to the beginning of the post and it shows up on the Main page, because only the first few lines get posted on the Main.

    Play around with the blog interface and it should clear up. Let me know if I didn't cover anything well enough.
    M

    Mar 28, 2008

  • tennis baller

    hey van!

    would you like to exchange blog links? i can add your link to my main page and vice versa.

    let me know.

    Apr 2, 2008

  • tennis baller

    will do too!

    Apr 3, 2008

  • tennis baller

    done.

    Apr 3, 2008

  • Mark / The Mayor

    Hey Van!
    Just a heads up, we're doing the French Open Pick-em on the site. Get your brain working. You'll see the graphics on the main page soon-ish. Good luck.
    Mark

    May 19, 2008

  • Mark / The Mayor

    Hi Van, I just featured you on the Main page with some of the other good bloggers. Keep 'em coming.
    M

    Jun 2, 2008

  • OneLuv (JC for short)

    Hey Van, I sent a friend request in. This way I can keep up with your blogs. -cheers!

    Jun 4, 2008

  • Svetlana

    hello, would you like to exchange blog links? I like your blog posts and I will add you to my blog.

    :) Lana

    Jun 12, 2008

  • TennisPlaza.com

    You've got a great writing style on your blog, it pulls you in. TennisPlaza would love to be listed as one of your "Cool Tennis Links". What makes us unique is our easy to use review system, bi-lingual staff, and multiple product photos that no one else has (all done professionally from friends at a local photo studio).

    Out of respect, we would love to pay you $30 (Paypal) to write a short blog post on your website about your honest perception of our retail website both good and bad. Your opinion matters to us and we will take into account what you say.

    Look forward to hearing back from you. Here's a great video for your Friday!


    Sincerely,
    David Patterson
    TennisPlaza.com

    Jun 13, 2008

  • Mark / The Mayor

    The US Open is already here, so NOW is the time to come make your picks in the US Open Bracket Challenge sponsored by Avery Tennis.

    Little known facts:
    1. It's free.
    2. It's fun.
    3. The Grand Prize is a new Avery M3 Control racquet.
    4. Do I need any more reasons?
    5. It's more fun to follow the tourney when you have points at stake.
    6. Bragging rights.
    7. OK, I'm all out...

    Come fill in your bracket, more info here.

    Aug 24, 2008

  • Mark / The Mayor

    Our resident blogger Van Sias has put together his list of the top male players based on talent alone. Tell us how your top 10 looks.

    Aug 30, 2008

  • Edagowa

    Hi Van! Thanks for the add.

    And I wholeheartedly agree with the USA pick. The faith to push them through has got to start somewhere. I always take the USA. We have to be pretty bad for me to even considering going against us.

    Sep 23, 2008

  • Tough Love Tennis

    Great work!

    Van,

    The US had a small chance, and you had to go with that.

    I'm with you there... it was a ballsy pick, but one you had to make.

    -Ben of Tennis Zone

    Sep 28, 2008

  • Edagowa

    Hi Van! Please do create a link to the Donald Young interview. I want whomever wants to read it to be able to do so.

    And for future reference, feel free to link to posts of your choice if you so desire.

    Sep 29, 2008

  • Mark / The Mayor

    v, i got your note. are you still here - meet me in chat.
    M

    Nov 19, 2008

  • David Patterson

    Van,
    I just wrote a post about the future of tennis on my blog. Tell me what you think about it.

    http://tennisnoise.wordpress.com/2008/11/22/what-is-the-future-of-tennis/

    Have a great Friday night!!

    Best,
    David

    Nov 21, 2008

  • TennisPlaza.com

    We're looking forward to your next blog post Van, hope all is well and happy holidays!!

    David
    Tennis Plaza

    Dec 10, 2008

  • Mark / The Mayor

    Hi Van,
    We're running a fun Aussie 09 Bracket Challenge for tennis fans. Make your predictions and follow along. This is the link. Please share this link with any of your friends on Tennisopolis and beyond.

    Thanks,
    M

    Jan 13, 2009

  • Dean Wright

    Read my blog on the Rafeal Nadal fans page on tennisopolis called Watch out Rog. let me know what you think. I'm new to blogging, but not new to tennis.

    Mar 13, 2009

  • Dave

    Hi Van,

    I live in Park Slope, Brooklyn and am a 10 minute walk to Fort Greene Park. I'm a teacher so this week, and all summer, I have lots of time. I used to be decent but am a little rusty. Let me know if you're interested.

    -Dave

    Apr 13, 2009

  • Reibin Amin

    Hi!

    I am just looking to find friends who like tennis!
    Very nice blog man!
    Check mine out too if u want.

    http://www.valiantgame.com

    Sep 28, 2009

  • Mark / The Mayor

    Hey Van, Check out this helpful info about copyright - crazy story, but it is all true. Let me know if you need any help working the Flickr pics with Creative Commons. Apparently, it can be a sticky situation so be careful out there my man! Please take down any photos that you are uncertain about (and definitely leave the blogs up though - I love them.)
    M

    Oct 15, 2009

  • Blake GiantTennis.com

    Hey buddy... I look forward to following you on Tennisopolis.

    Feb 8, 2010