Lewis takes top tennis role

The Ivan Lendl International Junior Tennis Academy - led by the former No.1 player in the world - has named Aucklander David Lewis as director of instruction.
Lewis has recently been coaching New Zealand's top female player Marina Erakovic.
In his playing days, he was one of Asia and Oceania's top junior tennis players, winning the Australian Open Junior Doubles Title at 17 and soon after turning pro in 1983. He reached a career high of No.152 (singles) and No.133 (doubles) in the ATP world rankings. Lewis has competed against the world's greatest players, including Jimmy Connors and Stefan Edberg.
"It is truly a privilege to have David as our director of instruction," says Lendl. "He brings a tremendous level of knowledge and passion for the game and will play a crucial role in developing the training regimen and curriculum for students."
Lewis says: "It is an honor to be selected for this position and I look forward to using my global experiences as a player and coach to help juniors from around the world. Ivan is one of the most recognized names in tennis and his energy for the game will ultimately lead players to succeed at Ivan Lendl IJTA."
As director of instruction, Lewis is responsible for daily training and developing plans for each individual student to reach their potential, collegiate or professional.
For the past 20 years, he has coached top juniors and professionals in Germany and Switzerland. In recent years, he has trained New Zealand's top-ranked female player, Marina Erakovic, ranked as high as No.49 on the WTA world rankings and reached the doubles semi-finals at Wimbledon this year.
In 2007 and 2008, Lewis was Federation Cup captain for New Zealand. Currently, he is executive director of the SEED Foundation, a non-profit organisation supporting New Zealand's elite tennis players. He is fluent in Italian and German.
His brothers, Chris and Mark, also competed for their native country in the Davis Cup. Chris was a finalist at Wimbledon in 1983, losing to John McEnroe. Mark coached Michael Stich to a Wimbledon Championship in 1991.
"Students at the Ivan Lendl IJTA have an incredible opportunity to receive tennis instruction from two icons of the game, Ivan Lendl and David Lewis," says Peter Orrell, president and chief executive of Junior Golf Corporation, owner and operator of the Ivan Lendl IJTA.
"David comes from a family with one of the highest pedigrees in the sport and will have an immediate impact on creating a challenging but enjoyable training environment for juniors."
Tennis school
Formed in May 2011, the Ivan Lendl IJTA is based on the philosophies that allowed Lendl to become one of greatest players in tennis history. Lendl's resume includes holding the world's No. 1 ranking for 270 consecutive weeks, eight Grand Slam singles titles, a Davis Cup championship for Czechoslovakia and appearing in a modern day record eight straight US Open finals. For those achievements, he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2001.
The academy focuses on classic fundamentals, leading-edge biomechanics, strength training / fitness and mental preparation. Lendl and Lewis subscribe to a hands-on approach with students instilling dedication, focus, hard work, motivation and overall preparation.
Students of Ivan Lendl IJTA, grades five through 12, attend Heritage Academy that is dedicated to progressive and diverse academic instruction for juniors pursuing extra-curricular passions. Classes average eight students with a maximum of 15 to promote individual attention with optional English as a Second Language, College Preparatory and Honors courses.
Ivan Lendl IJTA is accepting applications for fall 2011. For more information: www.lendltennis.com