Jeff Salzenstein
Encyclopedia
Jeff "Salzy" Salzenstein (born October 14, 1973, in Peoria, Illinois
) is an American
former tour professional left-handed
tennis player.
Salzenstein's highest ranking was World No. 91 in June 2004. His career high in doubles was #58 in November 1997.
event. At his peak, at the end of 1992, he was ranked 2nd in the boys' 18s. He attended tennis powerhouse Cherry Creek High School
in Greenwood Village, Colorado
.
. As a junior, Salzenstein reached the NCAA singles championships semifinals in 1995. The following year, again playing No. 1 singles for Stanford, he was named an All-American for the second straight year.http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:njNb-P1Ln1wJ:gostanford.cstv.com/sports/m-tennis/archive/stan-m-tennis-allams.html+%22Jeff+Salzenstein%22+tennis&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=18&gl=us
.
At the 1997 US Open, he beat Mikael Tillström 6–4, 1–6, 7–6 (5), 7–5 in the first round. His best grand slam performance of the year was in the Roland Garros
doubles event where Salzenstein and partner Petr Korda
made the round of 16.
He was forced to sit out most of 1998 and all of 1999 with back and shoulder injuries. He had ankle surgery in 1998, and knee surgery in 1999. He concentrated on finishing his studies and earned a degree in Economics
from Stanford.
In 2000, Jeff won his first two challenger singles titles. In May, Salzenstein won the Tallahassee Challenger, beating Kevin Kim
6–3, 6–2 in the final. In November, he beat Frenchman Antony Dupuis 7–6 (4), 6–4 to capture the Urbana, Illinois
Challenger.
In 2001, he won another challenger title, the $50,000 Seascape Challenger, at Aptos, California
, dropping only one set in the entire tournament.
He again won at Aptos in 2003.
During April 2004, he won his fifth challenger title in León, Mexico. He qualified for the Australian Open
, Roland Garros, and Wimbledon
, but was eliminated in the first round of each.
His best ATP Circuit showing was in the International Series Tournament at Delray Beach in September. Salzenstein upset Canadian-born Briton Greg Rusedski
(# 67 in the world) 6–4, 7–6 (7) in the quarterfinals. In November 2004, he upset world # 24 Jiří Novák
) 6–3, 7–6 (3), in Luxembourg
.
Jeff is currently the founder of JS Performance Tennis School in Denver, Colorado and is a certified nutritional therapist.
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
former tour professional left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
tennis player.
Salzenstein's highest ranking was World No. 91 in June 2004. His career high in doubles was #58 in November 1997.
High School Career
In 1990, Salzenstein was a quarterfinalist in the USTA's Under-16 Championships and placed 3rd in the clay courtClay court
A clay court is one of the four different types of tennis court. Clay courts are made of crushed shale, stone or brick. The red clay is slower than the green, or Har-Tru "American" clay. The French Open uses clay courts, making it unique among the Grand Slam tournaments.Clay courts are more common...
event. At his peak, at the end of 1992, he was ranked 2nd in the boys' 18s. He attended tennis powerhouse Cherry Creek High School
Cherry Creek High School
Cherry Creek High School is the oldest of six high schools in the Cherry Creek School District in suburban Denver, Colorado. It is one of the largest high schools in the Denver metro area, with an campus and more than 3,700 students. Cherry Creek High School has been designated a Blue Ribbon...
in Greenwood Village, Colorado
Greenwood Village, Colorado
The city of Greenwood Village is a prominent suburb of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area and a Home Rule Municipality located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States...
.
College career
After a spectacular prep career, Salzenstein earned an athletic scholarship to Stanford UniversityStanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. As a junior, Salzenstein reached the NCAA singles championships semifinals in 1995. The following year, again playing No. 1 singles for Stanford, he was named an All-American for the second straight year.http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:njNb-P1Ln1wJ:gostanford.cstv.com/sports/m-tennis/archive/stan-m-tennis-allams.html+%22Jeff+Salzenstein%22+tennis&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=18&gl=us
Professional career
In 1996, Salzenstein won his first USTA event, capturing the Daytona Beach doubles event, and his second doubles title at Binghamton with partner Justin GimelstobJustin Gimelstob
Justin Jeremy Gimelstob is a retired American tennis player. Gimelstob has been a resident of Morristown, New Jersey and as of 2009 resided in Santa Monica, California....
.
At the 1997 US Open, he beat Mikael Tillström 6–4, 1–6, 7–6 (5), 7–5 in the first round. His best grand slam performance of the year was in the Roland Garros
French Open (tennis)
The French Open |Roland Garros]]) is a major tennis tournament held over two weeks between late May and early June in Paris, France, at the Stade Roland Garros. It is the premier clay court tennis tournament in the world and the second of the four annual Grand Slam tournaments – the other three are...
doubles event where Salzenstein and partner Petr Korda
Petr Korda
Petr Korda is a former professional tennis player from the Czech Republic. He is best known for winning the Australian Open in 1998 and for testing positive for the banned substance, nandrolone, following a match at Wimbledon that same year.-Career:Korda was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia.He first...
made the round of 16.
He was forced to sit out most of 1998 and all of 1999 with back and shoulder injuries. He had ankle surgery in 1998, and knee surgery in 1999. He concentrated on finishing his studies and earned a degree in Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
from Stanford.
In 2000, Jeff won his first two challenger singles titles. In May, Salzenstein won the Tallahassee Challenger, beating Kevin Kim
Kevin Kim
- External links :* *...
6–3, 6–2 in the final. In November, he beat Frenchman Antony Dupuis 7–6 (4), 6–4 to capture the Urbana, Illinois
Urbana, Illinois
Urbana is the county seat of Champaign County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 41,250. Urbana is the tenth-most populous city in Illinois outside of the Chicago metropolitan area....
Challenger.
In 2001, he won another challenger title, the $50,000 Seascape Challenger, at Aptos, California
Aptos, California
Aptos is a census-designated place in Santa Cruz County, California, United States. The population was 6,220 at the 2010 census.Aptos is an unincorporated area of Santa Cruz county, consisting of several small communities...
, dropping only one set in the entire tournament.
He again won at Aptos in 2003.
During April 2004, he won his fifth challenger title in León, Mexico. He qualified for the Australian Open
Australian Open
The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court...
, Roland Garros, and Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
, but was eliminated in the first round of each.
His best ATP Circuit showing was in the International Series Tournament at Delray Beach in September. Salzenstein upset Canadian-born Briton Greg Rusedski
Greg Rusedski
Gregory "Greg" Rusedski is a British Canadian former tennis player who turned professional in 1991 and played until his retirement on 7 April 2007, at the age of 33...
(# 67 in the world) 6–4, 7–6 (7) in the quarterfinals. In November 2004, he upset world # 24 Jiří Novák
Jirí Novák
Jiří Novák is a former Czech tennis player, who was born in Zlín, Czechoslovakia but resides nowadays in Monte Carlo, Monaco.-Career:Novák turned professional in 1993 and won 7 singles and 18 doubles titles during his career, winning $7,614,063 in prize money. For six years, he was the...
) 6–3, 7–6 (3), in Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
.
Jeff is currently the founder of JS Performance Tennis School in Denver, Colorado and is a certified nutritional therapist.