Panhandle Tennis Blog: H.S., Adult Tournament Results, More

Pensacola Adult Clay Court Championships (Designated) Results

Ephron and Nowak in mixed doubles

The Pensacola Adult Clay Court Championships were held Feb. 25-28, 2016 at Roger Scott Tennis Center in Pensacola. Organizers were blessed with perfect weather and a really nice 25-player Men’s Open draw for this USTA National 500 tournament.

Players numbering 117 from 15 states participated in the event, the third straight year seeing a player increase in participation..

Unseeded Elliot Minvielle of Youngsville, La., defeated Pensacola’s No. 3-seeded Chris Ephron 6-4, 6-3 to win the Men’s Open Division. Minvielle then teamed with No. 2 Neil Mason of Lafayette, La., to down top seeded Erik Everett of Charlotte, N.C., and Jonathon Price of Columbia, S.C., 6-7(5), 6-4, 1-0(6) in the Men’s Open doubles final.

The Women’s Open singles was won by Allison Stanford of Pawley’s Island, S.C. with a 6-3, 6-2 defeat of Midland City, Alabama’s Tiffani Thompson. Junior players Jillian Hobbs of Clayton, N.C. and Elizabeth Nowak of Pensacola downed Pensacola’s Shaner Garner-Crooke and Thompson 6-1, 6-0 to win the Women’s Open doubles.

In the all-junior-player Mixed Open final, Ephron and Nowak teamed to defeat Hobbs and her brother, Jefferson, 6-4, 6-3.

Overall, Tournament Director Bruce Caton was very pleased with the event.

For complete results click here: http://tennislink.usta.com/Tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=182655.

4th Annual Blue Angel Southern Invitational High School Team Tennis Results

The 4^th Annual Blue Angel Southern Invitational High School Team Tennis Tournament was held March 4-5, 2016 in Pensacola at the Roger Scott Tennis Center, the Bayview Park Tennis Courts, and the newly-resurfaced Washington High School courts.

This stellar event, dreamed up by Catholic Coach Geoff Watts and former Washington High School coach Michael Edge, has drawn top-level teams in each of the four years.

The boy’s event was won by Starr’s Mill High School over Brookwood High, while the girl’s event was won by Vestavia over Blessed Trinity.

Team Sportsmanship awards, which were decided by a vote of the coaches, were presented to Winter Park for the girls and Blessed Trinity for the boys.

Players and coaches received commemorative long sleeve t-shirts and pizza both days for their teams at lunch. Again for the second consecutive week, the weather was absolutely beautiful.

This year’s teams included hosts Pensacola Catholic and Pensacola Washington and eleven others:

• Baton Rouge Catholic (LA)
• Blessed Trinity High School (Roswell, GA)
• The Bolles School (Jacksonville, FL)
• Brookwood High School (Snellville, GA)
• Chiles High School (Tallahassee, FL)
• Leon High School (Tallahassee, FL)
• Oxford High School (MS)
• St. Mary’s Dominican School (New Orleans, LA)
• Starr’s Mill High School (Fayettevile, GA)
• Vestavia Hills High School (Vestavia, AL)
• Winter Park High School (FL)

13th Annual ITF Pensacola Wheelchair Open Results

The 13^th Annual ITF Pensacola Wheelchair Tournament was held March 9-13, 2016 at Roger Scott Tennis Center. And, for the third straight week the weather was very cooperative. There was a little rain on Friday but the tournament prevailed.

In each of the ITF divisions, Men’s, Women’s and Quad’s, six of the world’s Top 10 players entered the competition which indicates that the Pensacola tournament has earned its Series 1 status. Players from 16 countries enjoyed the tournament and the greater Pensacola area.

“The players have always enjoyed coming here”, said Tournament Director and founder, David Mayo, “because they are the main event and treated like royalty.”

The Men’s Open singles was won by #3 seed Gusavo Fernandez (ARG) 6-3, 6-4 over #2 seed Gordon Reid (GBR). Reid teamed with Stefan Olsson (SWE) to win the doubles 6-3, 6-1 over the French pair of Federic Cattaneo and Stephane Houdet.

Fourth-seeded Lucy Shuker (GBR) defeated third-seeded Marolein Buis (NED) 6-2, 7-5 to win the Women’s Open singles. The unseeded Chinese pair of Hui Min Huang and Zhenzhen Zhu downed third-seeded Buis and Diede DeGroot (NED) 6-3, 6-3 to win the Women’s Open doubles.

The Quad Open Singles Division  was won by #1 seed David Wagner (USA) 6-1, 6-3 over #2 seed Andy Lapthorne (GBR). Lapthore then teamed up with countryman Jamie Burdekin to beat the top-seeded Wagner and fellow American Nicholas Taylor 6-3, 0-6, 6-1 to win the Quad Open Doubles Division.

For full results go to: http://tennislink.usta.com/Tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=184399#&&s=8Results0.

Escambia County Elementary School Tennis Assemblies

Dotson (far right) and volunteers at Cordova Park Elementary

Pensacola tennis professional Rita Dotson and several other volunteers have teamed up to give 10 and Under Tennis Demonstrations in the form of assemblies or all-day P.E. classes at various elementary schools in Escambia County.

The demonstrations feature hands-on experience with the age-appropriate rackets, balls and nets for the 10-and-under and 8-and-under crowd.

The events were held on Wednesdays and eventually will touch all the elementary schools in the Greater Pensacola area.

Dotson says that the demonstrations have been well received and have resulted in many new Junior Team Tennis sign-ups for the coming season.

FHSAA High School District Tournament Results

Florida High School Athletic Association district tennis tournaments were held March 28-April 2, 2016.

Both Boys and Girls winners from the Districts 1 and 2 meet the runners-up from those districts at the Class 1A, 2A and 3A levels. Those matches constitute the regional semifinal matches, with the finals winners advancing to the FHSAA State Tournament.

The pairings are as follows for Districts 1 and 2:

Boys Divisions:

• District 1 3A winner, Gulf Breeze vs District 2 3A runner-up, Niceville
• District 2 3A winner, Tallahassee Leon vs Pace
• District 1 2A winner, Penscola HS vs District 2 2A runner-up, Tallahassee Rickards
• District 2 2A winner, Suwannee Live Oak vs Panama City Mosley
• District 1 1A winner, Pensacola Catholic vs District 2 1A runner-up, Monticello Acuilla Christian
• District 2 1A winner, Tallahassee McClay vs Panama City North Bay Haven

Girls Divisions:

• District 1 3A winner, Gulf Breeze vs District 2 3A runner-up, Niceville
• District 2 3A winner, Tallahassee Chiles vs Pensacola Washington
• District 1 2A winner, Penscola HS vs District 2 2A runner-up, Tallahassee Rickards
• District 2 2A winner, Suwannee Live Oak vs Pensacola West Florida
• District 1 1A winner, Pensacola Catholic vs District 2 1A runner-up, Tallahassee John Paul II
• District 2 1A winner, Tallahassee McClay vs Panama City North Bay Haven

Good luck to all the teams in their quest to reach the state tournament.

14^th Pensacola Pink Ribbon Tournament in April

A sea of pink at a previous Pink Ribbon

The 14^th Pensacola Pink Ribbon Tennis Tournament will be held April 21-23, 2016 at the Roger Scott Tennis Center.

This wholly local event raises nearly $100,000 each year for mammograms and other breast cancer procedures for local women who otherwise could not afford them.

Two compass draws of 64 and 32 teams filled up in 22 minutes at the sign-up in February. The event begins with a pro-am Calcutta and dinner on Thursday evening.

Tournament play begins on Friday. To follow all the activities please check out the Pink Ribbon website at: http://www.pinkribbontennis.com.

33^rd Annual Helen Drake Adult Designated Tournament in April

Center Court at Tops’l Beach & Racquet Resort

The four-times USTA Florida Section Tournament of the Year, the 33rd Helen Drake Invitational Tennis Tournament, will be held at TOPS’L Beach & Racquet Resort on April 13-17, 2016.

The entry deadline is Friday, April 8.

All main draw matches will be two-of-three tiebreaker sets with regular scoring. All consolation matches will be two-of-three tiebreaker sets with no-ad scoring. The player party with live music, food and beverages will be held Friday evening at poolside.

To enter, please click on the following website: http://tennislink.usta.com/Tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=174989.

$10K USPTA TOPS’L Clay Court Championships in May

TOPS’L Beach & Racquet Resort will host the $10,000 USPTA Tops’l Clay Court Championships on May 14-16, 2016. Events include men’s singles and doubles: Open, 35, 45, 55, & 65 (FMLC); women’s singles and doubles: Open, 35, & 45 (FMLC); and mixed doubles: Open (FMLC)

ONLY USPTA Members in good standing will be eligible to play in the tournament. All membership requirements, including completion of the certification exam, must be submitted at least 60 days prior to the entry date of the USPTA tournament.

Tournament entry fee includes a Professional Development seminar with guest speaker Bill Tym, USPTA Master Professional, on Saturday May 14, 8-9 a.m. A vendor showcase and player luncheon will also be held on Saturday from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. with the player welcome party on Saturday night.

Online entries must be in by Friday May 6, 2016, 11:59 p.m. Central Time.

A minimum of $10,000 in prize money will be allocated based on the number of entries in each event. We will offer first-match loser consolation in all events and prize money to consolation winners.

For reservations at TOPS’L Beach & Racquet Resort call 1-800-380-4808 and identify yourself as part of the TOPS’L USPTA Clay Court Championships, customer code A8007. For assistance contact Lauren Granger, Group Sales Manager at 850-267-9240 or Lauren.Granger@wynvr.com.

To enter click on the following link: http://tennislink.usta.com/Tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=185552.

Rosemary Beach Adult Open (Designated) in May

Rosemary Beach Racquet Club

The 2015 USTA Florida Adult Tournament of the Year, the Rosemary Beach Adult Open (Designated), will be held on May 12-15, 2016 at the Rosemary Beach Racquet Club in the beautiful Panhandle village of Rosemary Beach.

The events include:

• Men’s Singles Open,35,45,55,65,75 (FMLC)
• Men’s Doubles Open,35,45,55,65 (FMLC)
• Women’s Singles Open,35,45,55 (FMLC)
• Women’s Doubles Open,35,45,55 (FMLC)
• Mixed Doubles Open,35,45,55 (FMLC)

To enter, please click on the following link: http://tennislink.usta.com/Tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=175610.