Stretching before play begins is critical for everyone!
In September of 2004 a beautiful baby girl, named Madisen, was born to Faye and Mike Abramson of Mechanicsville, MD. Almost immediately her life was a battle for survival. She was diagnosed with Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and treated with steroids which caused more problems. In 2008 Madisen underwent a CT scan and an MRI to try and find the cause of her respiratory issues. It was then that the doctors discovered she had an inoperable brain tumor. Surgery was not an option, so she began chemotherapy treatments. Each treatment caused four-year-old Madisen to become ill, until finally she developed an allergy to the treatment, which meant chemotherapy had to stop. Every year since then, Madisen has an MRI to monitor the tumor and, so far, it miraculously appears stable with no signs of growth.
Duane Chaney, Madisen’s uncle, wanted to do something to help so he combined his passion for tennis, including playing in college, and his love for Madisen to create Madisen’s Match. In 2009 he started bringing together professional tennis players and amateur enthusiasts to raise money for pediatric cancer treatment in southwest Florida, specifically through “Barbara’s Friends, the Golisano Children’s Hospital cancer fund.” From 2011 to 2017 Madisen’s Match was held at The Landings. After moving to a different venue, it was brought back in 2024.
On Sunday March 15, 40 very excited club tennis players gathered on the Tennis Porch of the Helm Club with professional tennis stars Tom Gullikson, Ryan Harrison, Luke Jensen, Denis Kudla, Jesse Levine, Mikael Pernfors, and 2025 International Tennis Hall of Fame inductees and 16-time grand slam champions, Bob and Mike Bryan. Duane Chaney commented, “[the pros’] participation created a truly special atmosphere for members and guests throughout the weekend.”
From Stadium court we headed off to the courts in groups of four to six to attend a Tennis Boot Camp led by the pros. From 9:30 to 11:45 a.m. we were put through our paces, improving our levels of skill on drives, volleys, footwork, teamwork and serving. At first, it was a little intimidating to work with tennis players who had reached the upper echelons of the tennis world, but they were all encouraging and approachable. They seemed to have as much fun as we did scrambling around the courts. Man, could they feed balls quickly with unerring precision! The stories they shared along the way only added to this unforgettable experience.
After two hours of non-stop tennis, we were all ready for lunch and a rest before the afternoon’s activities began. Lunch was served in the Helm Club, and we all had a chance to discuss what we had learned from the amazing pros. I was lucky to sit with Madisen herself. She is 21 years old now, still lives in Maryland, and is working towards a career as a phlebotomist. An incredibly lively and charming young woman, she loves to make the trip down to southwest Florida to attend the event named in her honor. I can also report that she is a huge Taylor Swift fan! She said that Taylor’s music helped her get through all her tests and treatments.
it is to the coached by
Tennis Hall of Famer Bob Bryan.
Next up was the Pro-Am where pros were teamed with amateurs to play sets of tennis from 1:15 to 3:30 p.m. I didn’t participate in this part of Madisen’s Match, but I did watch the matches, and everyone looked like they had a lot of fun. Once again, the pros were generous and encouraging, sometimes stopping to offer tips to their amateur teammates.
A sold-out Pro Tennis Classic Exhibition was scheduled to begin at 5:00 p.m. but, unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate. Just as the Pro-Am ended, the skies opened up and the rain poured down. There was some hope that it was just a delay, and that the exhibition could begin an hour later than planned but it wasn’t to be.
However, the organizers made the most of it and gathered everyone into the Main Deck where the pros shared some amazing stories about their careers and answered questions from the audience. As Chaney said, “What could have been a disappointing evening instead became one of the most memorable and personal moments of the entire weekend.”
But even with the rainy ending, everyone agreed that this was the best Madisen’s Match yet. More importantly, over $140,000 was raised to benefit Barbara’s Friends, the Golisano Children’s Hospital cancer fund. Chaney and his crew thanked the pros, event participants, sponsor and volunteers for all their generosity and hard work. Until next year!
