TENNIS / JEFF RILEY : Switch Brightens Stewart’s Career

When left-handed Joane Stewart lost partial mobility of her left arm 10 years ago because of cancer, she was determined to continue her tennis career.

Stewart, who today is a certified teaching professional with the Hidden Hills Tennis Assn., taught herself to play right-handed.

“I decided to do that, rather than not be able to do anything,” said Stewart, 60.

Stewart, who has taught tennis for 40 years, became her own instructor after it was discovered she had breast cancer in 1981. An operation led to partial immobility in her left arm.

“I have no pulling power in (the arm),” she said. “But I learned that if you do all the things that you teach, they work.”

Soon, she was playing right-handed as if she had done so her entire life.

“It came pretty naturally,” Stewart said. “I stress the use of the entire body, the rotation of the shoulders and hips. I learned if you do that, it works.”

Today, Stewart says she teaches tennis 48-52 hours a week in Hidden Hills and Granada Hills’ Petit Park. Stewart, a former instructor at Beverly Hills High, said she has given lessons to such celebrities as actor Lloyd Bridges and singer Glen Campbell.

“The injury has taught me an awful lot of good things, that a lot of people are good people,” she said.

Best-kept secret?: Northridge Tennis Club, Inc. might be the San Fernando Valley’s best-kept tennis secret, simply because it’s difficult to find.

The club is tucked behind the Northridge Fashion Center.

“People just don’t have a clue where to find us,” said Hal Kaplan, a professional instructor with the club.

The club has attempted to increase its membership from 240 by dropping its $275 initiation fee and offering tournaments later this summer that will be open to friends of current members.

Through July, prospective members can join the club for a $75 monthly playing fee.

“We think we have a pretty good facility and quality instructors,” Kaplan said. “It’s just a matter of increasing awareness.”

Junior tennis: On Aug. 19, the Northridge Tennis Club will begin its fall Junior Excellence Tennis School, a year-long development program for beginners and advanced players.

The program involves an instructional clinic Monday through Thursday that is conducted by certified professionals.

Information: (818) 993-8952.

Junior Open: Eight local players are seeded No. 1 in the 21st Junior Open that begins Monday at the Thousand Oaks Racquet Club.

Players seeded first include Camarillo’s Mark Ellis (boys 18s), Northridge’s Chris Minor (boys 16s), Westlake Village’s Roman Braslavsky (boys 14s), Westlake Village’s Keith Lipp (boys 12s), Camarillo’s Molly White (girls 18s), Westlake Village’s Kim Stuart (girls 16s), and Thousand Oaks’ Kristen Hamilton (girls 14s).

The tournament, which concludes July 27, is sanctioned by the United States Tennis Assn.

Team tennis: Only one USTA adult-league team from the San Fernando Valley qualified for the sectional playoffs last week.

Porter Valley Country Club defeated a South Bay team, 3-2, Sunday in a 4.5 division match at El Dorado Park in Long Beach.

With the match tied, 2-2, the doubles team of Don Marshall and Mitch Whitehead came up with a three-set victory that pushed Porter Valley into the sectional playoffs Aug. 23-25 at Los Caballeros Sports Village in Fountain Valley.

Pospich update: Last week, Natasha Pospich of Calabasas lost in the semifinals of a pre-qualifying tournament for the Virginia Slims of San Diego.

Today, Pospich, 18, who is headed to Pepperdine on scholarship, will compete in a $10,000 women’s professional tournament in Roanoake, Va. Pospich will play both singles and doubles, the latter with 29-year-old San Diego resident Jackie Geller.

Pospich likely will be greeted with a professional ranking when she arrives at the tournament.

“It will probably be about 790, but at least I have one,” she said with a laugh. “You have to start somewhere.”

12 zonals: Encino’s Brandis Braverman and Agoura’s Erin Boisclaire will compete in the Zonal Championships for 12-year-olds in Phoenix, Ariz., beginning Monday.

Desi McBride of Warner Center Club will coach the 24-person team, which includes boys and girls players from throughout Southern California.

Upcoming: Warner Center Club will play host to the 11th USTA Junior Open Aug. 6-10. The tournament is open to age groups 10 through 18 years.

Entries for the tournament, which is expected to exceed 150 players, are due by July 29.