MANHATTAN PLAZA RACQUET CLUB

Tennis Professionals

Roger Dowdeswell
Roger Dowdeswell
Tennis Director
Roger Dowdeswell was ranked in the world’s top-60, and competed in Wimbledon, US Open, French Open and the Australian Open many times.  He also played Davis Cup for Rhodesia, coached both the US and New Zealand Junior Davis Cup teams, and as Zimbabwe’s National Coach he established a tennis development program involving 20,000 juniors.  Roger has taught both John and Patrick McEnroe, as well as many other world class players. Recently, Roger represented Zimbabwe at the World Senior Team Championships in Turkey.  Zimbabwe won their section and finished 6th out of a field of twenty teams.  In the Individual Senior World Championships, Roger reached the last 16 of the singles, and he and his partner reached the finals of the doubles. Roger is the Tennis Director of Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club (MPRC) for many years.  With 30 years of tennis teaching experience, Roger can help optimize the learning curve at any level.


Bruce Barney
Bruce Barney
Assistant Tennis Director
Bruce is a USPTR certified pro since 1981, and a student of world renowned teacher Dennis Van Der Meer.  Brucehas more than 30 years of teaching experience in which to craft a program specifically designed for you whether you are a beginner, intermediate, or advanced tennis player.  He is an Etcheberry certified trainer in strength, conditioning, and movement, and a training pro for Couples Resorts in Jamaica, and Tennis Ventures in Australia. Bruce is a certified tennis racquet stringer with the USRSA (having worked with Connors, Wilander, McEnroe, Becker and Navratilova).  He holds a B.A in Archeology and a M.A in Theatre. As the Assistant Director of Tennis for Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club for many years, Bruce teaches several clinics–including the popular Monday and Thursday morning doubles clinics, runs the group lessons program, and maintains a full schedule of private and semi-private lessons. Raise your level of play and NTRP rating with a lesson of fast paced drills, stroke analysis, workout, and fun.


Olivier Morel
Olivier Morel
International Touring Coach, Tennis Pro
Olivier Morel was born in France and started playing the ATP Tour in 1991 after finishing high school.  Prior to turning pro, he won many junior tournaments in France such as La Coupe Galea, Normandy Championship, Open of Paris and more.   Olivier has played some of the biggest international tournaments, including Grand Slams, Grand Prix, Challengers and Futures and was ranked #16 in France.
In 1997, Oliver achieved his ranking on the ATP Tour # 360 in Singles and #163 in Doubles.  As a junior, Olivierdefeated some of the world’s top junior players (their rankings then):  Sebastien Grosjean (#10), Roger Federer (#13), Xavier Malisse (#19), Arnaud Clement (#43), Dominick Herbaty (#52), Julien Boutter (#54) and others. Olivier sometimes travels as a coach on the world major tours, coaching talented tennis professionals such as Ernests Gulbis (US Open 2009), Victoria Azarenka (Australian Open 2010), and also is a tennis practice partner for top professional tennis players, such as for Jelena Jankovic a few years ago.  Olivier coaches to all levels and ages.  He is a tennis pro at Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club (MPRC) for many years.


Marlie Buehler
Marlie Buehler
Tennis Pro
Marlie Buehler was ranked among the top 150 players in the world. She competed in
the major competitions—Australian Open, French Open and US Open. Later in 1998,
she was chosen to represent the USA on the Margaret Court Cup team in England and
became #1 in her age category (45-and-over) after winning. She also runs in the NYC
marathon. Marlie is a USPTR certified pro, and is a tennis teacher at the Manhattan Plaza Racquet
Club (MPRC) for more than two decades. She is a graduate of Wilson College in
Pennsylvania with a degree in economics, and was an all around athlete there too. She
teaches players of all ages and levels.
Gabrielle Baker
Gabrielle Baker
Tennis Pro
Gabby Baker is the first Aussie was to teach at Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club (MPRC).  She grew up on Australia’s “Gold Coast” near Brisbane and was ranked in the Top-20 in Australia as recently as 2004.  Gabby played on the international WTA tour, and in 2004 reached a ranking of # 450 in the world.  She then was offered a scholarship at the University of Oklahoma where she spent the years 2004-2007, and graduated with honors.  Gabby was captain of the women’s tennis team (2006-2007), was on the All Big 12 Singles Team (2006) and a Big 12 Singles and Doubles Champion (2004), and made the All American Team (2006).  She was on the Sooner Scholar List (2004-2006).  Gabby received her B.A. degree in Journalism (incl. Broadcast and Electronic Media) with a minor in Business Administration.  Gabby has several years of teaching and coaching experience both in Australia and here in the United States for Nike Tennis Camps, Cliff Drysdale Tennis, and other tennis centers.  (Gabby was a popular tennis pro here at MPRC a few years ago, and she is back from Australia to teach here again). Gabby has a delightful personality and loves working with tennis players of all levels and ages.
Nick Sousanis
Nick Sousanis
Tennis Pro
Nick Sousanis grew up outside of a farm town in Southeastern Michigan, where he was educated in nature and on the tennis courts. He learned the game from his father, Dean Sousanis, a Michigan Hall of Fame Coach, whom he played for in high school. From there, Nick continued his tennis career at Western Michigan University and majored in mathematics. After college, he spent several years on the satellite tour competing around the US, Canada, as well as in Spain and Croatia.  As a teacher, Nick brings his experience as a player and what he gained from the insight of his coaches including his dad, Les Dodson, and Gilbert Rincon.  Over the last eleven years, his students have ranged from high school standouts and highly ranked junior players to beginning adults and tots.  Nick is a tennis pro at Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club (MPRC) for several years.  Off the courts, Nick also served as an educator through his writing, community projects, and classroom teaching in Detroit.  He’s the co-founder of the arts and cultural web-magazine www.thedetroiter.com, and was its chief contributor for the last six years. In addition to this role, he served as a leader in the Detroit arts community, including running a gallery and organizing exhibitions. He also taught writing and public speaking at the university.  Since his arrival in New York City in 2008, Nick has been working on his doctorate in education at Columbia University, and is currently working on his dissertation, on the importance of curiosity told in comic book narrative form.  His educational comics can be found at: www.spinweaveandcut.com.  Nick’s teaching philosophy is grounded in the belief that everyone is capable of grasping the fundamentals of the game to make it a rewarding and healthy experience.  He appreciates the importance of connecting to his students as individuals and empowering them to explore the possibilities inherent in themselves.  To read Nick’s philosophical essays on tennis, please visit www.spinofthings.blogspot.com.


Stephen Thirolle
Stephen Thirolle
Tennis Pro

Stephen Thirolle was 12 years old when he met tennis legend Jack Kramer at his eponymous junior invitation in Providence, Rhode Island.  After receiving the winner’s trophy and some warm words of encouragement from the great Kramer, Stephen was officially tennis hooked.  Stephen is the son of a French track and field Olympian, and it was natural for him to excel in sports during his junior years.  Attention to form and technique is a hallmark of track and field training, and this ethic of technical precision and deconstruction was at the heart of what his father and coach brought to Stephen’s game.

Stephen finished high school as MVP and captain of both his tennis and soccer squads, taking the tennis team to the sectional finals two years running.  Stephen reached a top-50 Eastern Tennis Association ranking in the Boys 14  and 16 and Under divisions.  Stephen played # 2 singles for Middlebury College, VT and after graduating moved to New York City where he instructed at the Village Tennis Courts, the Wall Street Health and Racquet Club, the Fila Sports Club, Sutton East Tennis and Town Tennis Club.

In addition to offering private lessons here at MPRC, Stephen is also the coach for MPRC’s Friday Nights Tennis Clinics 2 program for intermediate to advanced players—(Tennis Clinics 2 on Fridays 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm).

Stephen teaches to tennis players of all levels and ages, and is excited to bring his energy, enthusiasm, and positivity to all who walk onto the court.   Stephen is a USPTA and a USPTR certified tennis pro.     Email:  S.Thirolle@mprcnyc.com

Milos Vojvodic
Milos Vojvodic
Tennis Pro

Milos Vojvodic is the first Serbian to teach at Manhattan
Plaza Racquet Club (MPRC).  Milos has more than 15 years
of experience successfully coaching adults, ITF ranked juniors,
and all levels and ages of tennis players, as well as creating and
running tennis programs for juniors and adults–such as power
drills, and running tournaments in clubs in the USA’s New York
area and in Serbia.

Milos grew up in Belgrade, Serbia and was ranked in the top-20
in juniors nationally.  He moved to the USA at the age of 16,
and received a full tennis and academic scholarship to NCAA
Division II Francis Marion University (FMU), in Florence,
South Carolina.  Throughout 1994-1997 at FMU, Milos lead
the tennis team to a constant top-10 national ranking.  Milos
received a bachelors degree, graduating with honors, with a ma-
jor in Chemistry (minor in Economics).

Before arriving here at MPRC, Milos’ work experience has
been at renowned racquet and country clubs.  Milos was the
tennis director for several years (2009-2012) and the head tennis
pro (2005-2009) of Serbia’s Belgrade Racquet Club where he
also owned and managed two pro shops.  Prior to that (2002-
2004), Milos was a top tennis professional at Sportime in
Mamaroneck, NY where he was also in charge of racquet
stringing and was an assistant tennis director at the New York
Athletic Club in Pelham, NY; and e Racquet Club, NY; and a
tennis pro (1998-2001) at Pelham Country Club in Pelham, NY;
and an assistant head tennis pro (1994-1997) at Chattooga
Country Club in Cashiers, North Carolina. he was the assistant tennis
director (1999-2002) at New Rochelle Racquet Club, NY; and a
tennis pro (1998-2001) at Pelham Country Club in Pelham, NY;
and an assistant head tennis pro (1994-1997) at Chattooga
Country Club in Cashiers, North Carolina.

Milos teaches to tennis players of all levels and ages.  Milos is
fluent in English, Serbian, Croatian, and French, and is knowl-
edgeable of Italian and Russian.  He teaches to tennis players of
all levels and ages.

Julien Morel Tennis Pro
Julien Morel Tennis Pro

Julien Morel has many years of professional competitive and coaching experience.  Julien began coaching ATP/WTA players part-time in 2000 including such players as Mary Pierce at the French Open 2000 (winner), Alexandra Stevenson at the French Open 2001 (3rd round), and the Williams sisters at the US Open 2001 (both in Finals).

Born in Rouen, Normandy France, Julien started playing tennis at the age of 4 and competed in national and international junior tournaments until 1991.  Julien turned Pro in 1992 and played on the ATP tour until 2001.  Julien’s best ATP rankings include # 680 in Singles and # 540 in Doubles.

Following his move to New York City in 2001, Julien has taught at various tennis clubs in New York City including Columbus Racquet Club (2001), Tennisport, Inc. (2001– 2008), CityView Racquet Club (2008–2012), and finally joining us here at the Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club (MPRC).

Julien teaches tennis to all levels and ages, and enjoys giving technical instruction as well as teaching endurance training to the young and adults.  During the summer, Julien is also the co-director of the Advantage Tennis, Sea and Sports Day Camp for juniors run at Advantage Tennis’ New York Tennis Club and the Maritime Academy in Throgs Neck, New York.