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 Event Spotlight:South Jersey's Finest at the Riverside Winter Open '03 Saturday, March 1, 2003 By Sanipa Koetsawasdi The sky was gray, the air was cold, and it kept raining all weekend long, but that didn’t hinder tennis players from around the area, which included Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Delaware as they played indoors at the Aquahab Riverside Racquet Club competing in the Riverside Winter Open this year. Coordinator and referee, Russell Gregory, did everything possible to make things run as smoothly as they can in this year’s three-day event running from February 28th – March 2nd. Among the finest players this year included South Jersey’s Boris Fetbroyt, Marius C. Stan, Tim Terista, Seth A. Miller, and Christopher I. Carosella. Currently ranked 9th in the Nationals, Cherry Hill’s own Boris Fetbroyt started playing tennis at around 7 years old. As a child, Fetbroyt was home schooled, giving him time to go to the gym and practice playing tennis twice a day. Playing in the Men’s Singles and currently being the 8th seed here at the Riverside Winter Open, Fetbroyt feels very confident and good about the matches that are still to come for him. Born in Romania where tennis and gymnastics are very well known as up and coming sports, Marius Stan was influenced by his mother to take up tennis at around the age of 12 where they ended up moving to Brooklyn, NY. Stan kept playing through high school and college and became very competitive. Now, residing in Island Heights, NJ, and playing in the Men’s Singles and Doubles (with Chris Carosella), he is ranked among the top 10 players in the Middle States Association, is currently the 3rd seed in the Men’s Singles, and the 2nd seed in the Men’s Doubles here at the Riverside Winter Open with more matches for him to come. Tim Terista started playing tennis when he moved to New Jersey at around 10 years old. He enjoyed the sport, saying that after going through baseball, basketball, and soccer as team sports, “the ‘physical-ness’ of it [tennis] kept me in shape …it’s a life long sport.” With a Masters in Electrical Engineering and working full time at WorldCom Telecommunications, Terista doesn’t have too much time to play, but competitively plays when he can. Currently residing in Vineland, NJ, Terista made it to the Men’s 16th Round Singles here, but lost to Ben Zink who will be going into the Men’s Quarterfinal Singles. Playing tennis since he was 13 years old, Seth Miller moved up to the Philadelphia Area in 1990 when he started to play doubles with his current partner, Bill Birnie. Miller/Birnie were ranked #1 in Philadelphia for about 9 years, and was ranked #1 in the Middles States Doubles in 1994 and 1995. Currently residing in Palmyra, NJ, and playing both Men’s (with Bill Birnie) and Mixed Doubles (with Hillary Mintz), Miller has managed to find very impressive partners as well. Birnie has been trained at the world-renowned Bollettieri Tennis Academy since he was 10, playing for quite a while as well as being on tours. Mintz has been a two time PA State Championship. Miller/Birnie and Miller/Mintz have all been the #1 seeded players here at the Riverside Winter Open with many more matches to come for them. At the age of 4 by his parents, Chris Carosella was introduced to the world of tennis. He started taking tennis seriously in high school. Initially a soccer player, Carosella received a soccer scholarship from Ryder University. Although he was known to be a soccer player, Carosella never stopped playing tennis and eventually walked onto the tennis team as well as the basketball team there. Carosella’s love for tennis led him to play throughout Europe and the US. Currently residing in Laurel Springs, NJ, Carosella is playing in the Men’s Doubles (with Marius Stan), and they are currently ranked 2nd in the Riverside Winter Open, with many more matches to come. Photo by Art Redd
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