Signature Series: Vitas Gerulaitis showcases the tennis achievements, celebrated nightlife and shocking death of one of the most colorful characters in tennis history.  During a career that spanned from 1971 to 1986, an era brimming with compelling personalities, few shined brighter than Gerulaitis.  Dubbed the Joe Namath of tennis by many, “Broadway Vitas” occupied the red-hot center of tennis’ (and his native New York City’s) boom years of the 1970s, standing alongside such iconic superstars as Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg and Ilie Nastase – each of whom was proud to call him a close friend.

Ranked as high as third in the world in singles, off the court Gerulaitis was second to none, burning the candle at both ends, marching in lockstep with Andy Warhol and the glittering nights of Manhattan’s world-famous Studio 54 disco club.  Yet by day the New Yorker gave his heart to his sport and pioneered the notion of using tennis as a way to make a difference in the world.  Gerulaitis’ life is an incredible story, a tale of rise and fall, redemption and tragedy.

“On court or off, Vitas Gerulaitis’ seemed to live his whole, outsized life in the headlines,” said Laura Hockridge, vice president, original programming, Tennis Channel.  “Through the warm recollections of his opponents – all of whom treasured him as a friend – Signature Series is able to take Tennis Channel viewers back to a time when Gerulaitis’ enjoyment of both tennis and life defined a unique period in the history of this sport.”

The film was shot and produced in high definition with hundreds of archival photos and rare video highlights.  The real insight, however, comes from interviews with Gerulaitis’ friends and rivals, including Connors, McEnroe (and his younger brother Patrick), Borg, John Lloyd, Mary Carillo and others.

Signature Series: Vitas Gerulaitis is the fifth edition in Tennis Channel’s ongoing Signature Series line, which debuted in 2009.  Other tennis personalities and subjects have included Martina Navratilova, Pete Sampras, Rene Lacoste and the sport’s centuries-old origins.

Gerulaitis’ tennis resume is highlighted by the 1977 Australian Open singles championship and finals losses in the 1977 US Open and 1980 French Open, to childhood-friend McEnroe (John) and Borg, respectively.  In all, he posted a 510-221 career record, captured 25 singles titles and eight doubles crowns.  In 1990 a heating-system malfunction led to a carbon monoxide leak in the room where Gerulaitis was sleeping, causing his death at the age of 40.

Beltrame demonstrates scenarios of hitting backhands and forehands while moving backward. He then shows viewers how to move forward and take the ball off the bounce and also the more aggressive move of taking the ball out of the air.

Beltrame has been involved in tennis all his life, first as a top junior, then as a professional player and ultimately as a coach. Throughout his coaching career, he has worked with dozens of ATP and WTA touring professionals, including Jim Courier and Pete Sampras. He has traveled extensively coaching players in major professional events including the four Grand Slams, Davis Cup, and Hopman Cup. Beltrame has served as director of tennis and director of athletic mental training at the Human Performance Institute Inc., in Orlando, Fla., since 1996. Prior to joining the Human Performance Institute he was responsible for developing programs at the Tennis Club Ambrosiano, one of the largest tennis clubs in Milan, Italy, and at two of the leading tennis academies in the United States.

“On Court” is a half-hour instructional show featuring USPTA-certified professionals as guest instructors. The USPTA became the first tennis-teaching organization ever to produce and air an educational television series on playing and teaching tennis on the Tennis Channel in 2003. Since then, more than 65 shows have been produced that provide instruction about technique, strategy and other facets of the game. All production is done in-house, which includes everything from planning and scripting, to shooting and editing, to graphics and DVD duplication. All episodes of “On Court” are now in high-definition.

Don’t miss out on this episode. Tune in to the Tennis Channel on Tuesday, February 1, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time to see the show. Also, all episodes of “On Court with USPTA” and more than 100 other USPTA-produced DVD titles are also available for purchase online at www.usprotennisshop.com.  For additional show times and other information visit www.oncourtwithuspta.com.

Founded in 1927, USPTA strives to raise the standards of the tennis profession while promoting greater awareness of the sport. USPTA offers 70 professional benefits to its more than 15,000 members worldwide, including certification and professional development. With more than 300 days of educational opportunities throughout the year, USPTA offers the most comprehensive continuing education program in the tennis industry. For more information, call 800-877-8248 or visit www.uspta.com.

Sunday’s inaugural edition will highlight American John Isner, who gained international acclaim as one half – and the ultimate winner – of the longest match ever played, during the first round of Wimbledon this summer.  Beyond the three-day, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (3), 70-68 match, Isner discusses his teenage choice between tennis and basketball, the beloved other sport in which the six-foot-nine-inch player excelled.  He also reveals why he elected to develop his tennis skills from home rather than attend a tennis academy and talks about reaching a Washington, D.C., final against top-10 American star Andy Roddick this summer after winning his way into the tournament.  At the same time, Isner’s family recounts his experiences growing up while his childhood coach goes over what made the young player great.

Future editions of Tennisography will feature Americans Melanie Oudin, who stole the show while reaching the US Open quarterfinals as a 17-year-old in 2009, and Sam Querrey, who has steadily made his mark in both singles and doubles (occasionally partnering with Isner) during the past few seasons.  Another episode will showcase Russian Vera Zvonareva, who reached the singles final at both Wimbledon and the US Open this summer, is currently ranked No. 4 in the world and is studying for a second academic degree in her spare time.

Tennis Channel (www.tennischannel.com) is the only 24-hour, television-based multimedia destination dedicated to both the professional sport and tennis lifestyle.  A hybrid of comprehensive sports, health, fitness, pop culture, entertainment, lifestyle and travel programming, the network is home to every aspect of the wide-ranging, worldwide tennis community.  It also has the most concentrated single-sport coverage in television, with telecast rights to the US Open, Wimbledon, Roland Garros (French Open), Australian Open, Olympus US Open Series, ATP Masters Series, top-tier Sony Ericsson WTA Tour championship competitions, Davis Cup and Fed Cup by BNP Paribas, and Hyundai Hopman Cup.  Tennis Channel is carried by eight of the top 10 MSOs and has a national footprint via DIRECTV and DISH Network.

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By clicking the audio player in the sidebar, you will be able to hear today’s broadcast from Koz. He will be updating it daily.

Dave “Koz” Kozlowski is the host of “Inside Tennis With The Koz” one of Tennis Channel’s original show series now airing on www.indietennis.com. Koz is one of the initial 17 Master USPTA Professionals in the world. He was named the 2000 USTA Tennis Broadcaster of the Year. The 2001 National Pro of the Year has the distinction of being the first American tennis broadcaster to interview Andy Roddick and Maria Sharapova.

Play-in competition between the United States and Colombia will consist of two singles matches on Friday, Sept. 17, at 11 a.m. ET, followed by the doubles match Saturday, Sept. 18, at 12 p.m. ET.  Tennis Channel’s coverage concludes with the remaining singles play Sunday, Sept. 19, at 11 a.m. ET.  Each evening at 8 p.m. ET Tennis Channel will offer an encore presentation of the day’s Davis Cup action.

Coverage from Plaza de Toros La Santamaria, Bogota, Columbia (all times ET):
Friday, Sept. 17:
11 a.m. – Live Singles #1
2 p.m. – Live Singles #2
{8 p.m. – Instant Encore Singles #1}
{11 p.m. – Instant Encore Singles #2

Saturday, Sept. 18:
12 p.m. – Live Doubles
{8 p.m. – Instant Encore Doubles}

Sunday, Sept. 19:
{8 a.m. – Instant Encore Doubles}
11 a.m. – Live Singles #1
2 p.m. – Live Singles #2
{11 p.m. – Instant Encore Singles #2

In addition to televising the United States and Colombia’s Davis Cup play-in this weekend, Tennis Channel will cover the 2010 Davis Cup semifinal match between Argentina and France in Lyon, France.  France hopes to uphold its unbeaten record of 4-0 against Argentina.  The most recent competition between the two nations was in the 1982 Davis Cup first round when France beat Argentina 3-2 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  Competition between the two nations will consist of two singles matches on Friday, Sept. 17, at 7:30 a.m. ET and 5 p.m. ET, followed by the doubles match Saturday, Sept. 18, at 9 a.m. ET and singles play Sunday, Sept. 19, at 5 p.m. ET.

The United States and Colombia have faced each other twice before, with the nations tied at one win a piece.  This is the first time since 1979 that the two will meet, with the American squad beating Colombia 5-0 then.  However, Colombia previously defeated the United States 4-1 in 1974.  The Americans enter this weekend’s match after suffering their first first-round loss in five years when they were defeated by Serbia 3-2 in March.

Patrick McEnroe will lead the U.S. squad, his last match as captain.  McEnroe has been the United States Davis Cup coach since 2000 and led the team to a Davis Cup title in 2007.  The United States team features John Isner, Mardy Fish, Sam Querrey and Ryan Harrison.

If Colombia wins this weekend it will compete for the 2011 Davis Cup.  The team is captained by Felipe Beron and features Santiago Giraldo, Alejandro Falla, Carlos Salamanca and Juan Sebastian Cabal.

Tennis Channel (www.tennischannel.com)is the only 24-hour, television-based multimedia destination dedicated to both the professional sport and tennis lifestyle.  A hybrid of comprehensive sports, health, fitness, pop culture, entertainment, lifestyle and travel programming, the network is home to every aspect of the wide-ranging, worldwide tennis community.  It also has the most concentrated single-sport coverage in television, with telecast rights to the US Open, Wimbledon, Roland Garros (French Open), Australian Open, Olympus US Open Series, ATP Masters Series, top-tier Sony Ericsson WTA Tour championship competitions, Davis Cup and Fed Cup by BNP Paribas, and Hyundai Hopman Cup.  Tennis Channel is carried by nine of the top 10 MSOs, Verizon FiOS TV, and has a national footprint via DIRECTV and DISH Network.

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Dave “Koz” Kozlowski is the host of “Inside Tennis With The Koz” one of Tennis Channel’s original show series now airing on www.indietennis.com. Koz is one of the initial 17 Master USPTA Professionals in the world. He was named the 2000 USTA Tennis Broadcaster of the Year. The 2001 National Pro of the Year has the distinction of being the first American tennis broadcaster to interview Andy Roddick and Maria Sharapova.

Dave “Koz” Kozlowski is the host of “Inside Tennis With The Koz” one of Tennis Channel’s original show series now airing on www.indietennis.com. Koz is one of the initial 17 Master USPTA Professionals in the world. He was named the 2000 USTA Tennis Broadcaster of the Year. The 2001 National Pro of the Year has the distinction of being the first American tennis broadcaster to interview Andy Roddick and Maria Sharapova.

Dave “Koz” Kozlowski is the host of “Inside Tennis With The Koz” one of Tennis Channel’s original show series now airing on www.indietennis.com. Koz is one of the initial 17 Master USPTA Professionals in the world. He was named the 2000 USTA Tennis Broadcaster of the Year. The 2001 National Pro of the Year has the distinction of being the first American tennis broadcaster to interview Andy Roddick and Maria Sharapova.

Dave “Koz” Kozlowski is the host of “Inside Tennis With The Koz” one of Tennis Channel’s original show series now airing on www.indietennis.com. Koz is one of the initial 17 Master USPTA Professionals in the world. He was named the 2000 USTA Tennis Broadcaster of the Year. The 2001 National Pro of the Year has the distinction of being the first American tennis broadcaster to interview Andy Roddick and Maria Sharapova.

Dave “Koz” Kozlowski is the host of “Inside Tennis With The Koz” one of Tennis Channel’s original show series now airing on www.indietennis.com. Koz is one of the initial 17 Master USPTA Professionals in the world. He was named the 2000 USTA Tennis Broadcaster of the Year. The 2001 National Pro of the Year has the distinction of being the first American tennis broadcaster to interview Andy Roddick and Maria Sharapova.