Tory Fretz and Jackie Cooper Two Great Tennis Friends In The Coachella Community

Written by: Staff on 12th April 2014

Tory Fretz and Jackie Cooper Two Great Tennis Friends In The Coachella Community |

Photos by David Kenas / ASICS Easter Bowl

So far this week, five players have been named the winner’s of the Jackie Cooper-Tory Fretz ASICS Sportsmanship Award during the 47th annual Easter Bowl finishing this weekend at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

Katie Swan was named the winner on Friday. Also honored during the week were: Aron Hiltzik, Jean Thirouin, Nicole Kalhorn and Reilly Olpeka. Each winner was presented by Fretz a medal and free pair of ASICS shoes.

“We are honored to have Tory Fretz on site with us all week,” said ASICS Easter Bowl Chairman Lornie Kuhle. “Both Jackie Cooper, when he was with us, and Tory Fretz are absolutely 100 percent friends of tennis and we honor them this week.”

Cooper helped Charlie Pasarell when he took over what is now the BNP Paribas Open in 1981. Cooper, best friends and business partners with Kuhle, died last year after battling cancer. Cooper for years ran the Jackie Cooper Tennis program at the Palm Desert Resort Country Club. Jackie passed away last year. But he loved the big party @ La Quinta that was a celebration of his life. He lived that the “kids” put on a show. Taylor Fritz and Coco Vandeweghe were there putting on an exo.

Tory Fretz grew up in Harrisburg, Pa., and played collegiate tennis at Occidental College in Los Angeles. In 1961 she won both the singles and doubles titles at the NCAA Intercollegiate Championship. Tory was a beautiful player. She had it all . Tory was beautiful , tall , friendly , smart and a darned great tennis player. She was also blessed to have been coached by the late great Alice Marble.

At the U.S. Nationals, she was doubles semifinalist in 1965, and reached the doubles finals at the U.S. Open in 1968. In 1974, she played with Billie Jean King on the World Team Tennis team in Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Freedoms. She has been inducted into the Intercollegiate Tennis Hall of Fame.

Editor’s Note:

Both Tory and Jackie spent hundreds of hours baking in the sun from head to Toe. (Or actually the bottoms of their feet) to spread their love and passion for tennis with all they graced tennis courts with. As a society we appreciate ” teachers”. But what about the tennis teachers ? The pied pipers ? They are the true heroes of the sport. We applaud Lornie. We applaud dear Tory. And we smile when we think of Jackie Cooper who was a mix between Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer with a tennis racket and hopper of balls.

Topics: Asics, Coachella, Easter Bowl, Indian Wells Tennis Garden, Jackie Cooper, Tennis, Tory Fretz

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10sBalls_com says:

April 12, 2014 at 10:51 pm

Tory Fretz and Jackie Cooper Two Great Tennis Friends In The Coachella Community – http://t.co/JfR1RcPAVL #ASICS #Coachella #tennisnews