Southern players and organizations are constantly making their mark in the world of tennis. Here's a list of recent awards, achievements and news in September 2016.

McNulty nominated for second term on USTA board

Michael J. McNulty III, of USTA Southern and Lake Charles, La., is nominated to serve his second consecutive term as a Director at Large on the USTA Board of Directors.

He has a long history of serving as a USTA volunteer and is currently the Board Liaison to the Adult Council, a member of the Budget Committee, the International Committee, and the Strategic and Creative Planning Committee. He has been the Council Chair for the Rules Committee, a member of the Advisory Group on Committees and the Evaluations Committee, the USTA representative on the ITF Constitutional Committees, and a member of both the Constitution and Rules Committee and the Nominating Committee.

The founder and an officer of the Lake Area Community Tennis Association, McNulty is the former President of USTA Louisiana and USTA Southern and has served as a USTA Southern Section Delegate. He is currently Chairman of the USTA Southern Patrons Foundation, of which he has been a trustee for multiple terms. He has been inducted into the USTA Southern Tennis Hall of Fame and is a recipient of the USTA Southern Jacobs Bowl, the highest volunteer service award given by the section.

He is the former Tournament Chairman of the BB&T Atlanta Open—the tournament that annually kicks off the Emirates Airline US Open Series—and is a former member of its Tournament Steering Committee. McNulty was a partner with the law firm of Plauche, Smith & Niest, LLC and is considered one of America’s top attorneys in insurance defense, specializing in the areas of construction, products and premise liability.

Oudin reaches final at "home" court

Melanie Oudin competes at Lifetime Athletic & Tennis at Peachtree Corners. Photo: Bill Kallenberg

Melanie Oudin didn't need directions to the One Love Tennis Open. The USTA Pro Circuit women's $50,000 tournament was moved from Washington state to the courts she has played and trained on for most of her pro career: Lifetime Athletic & Tennis at Peachtree Corners (Ga.)

That familarity helped her reach the singles final. But, unfortnately, she fell to Belgian Elise Mertens 6-4, 6-2.

Oudin, who grew up in Marietta, Ga., now stands at No. 257 in the WTA world rankings as she comes back from heart problems and another injury.

Trott, Enochs to Join NC Hall of Fame

The North Carolina Tennis Foundation announced today it has selected current USTA North Carolina President William “Billy” Trott and Greensboro Junior standout and University of Georgia star Stephen Enochs into the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame. Trott currently servies as the USTA Southern Public Relations Committee Chairman.

The NC Hall of Fame induction for the class of 2017 will take place at USTA North Carolina’s Tennis Weekend, an annual state meeting of tennis volunteers and professionals held in Pinehurst, NC, on January 28, 2017. Click here for full information.

Mississippi to induct Barbara Ann Varner, Paul Johnson

The Tennis Foundation of Mississippi is pleased to announce that Barbara Ann Varner of Cleveland and Paul Johnson of Fulton are the 2016 inductees into the Mississippi Tennis Hall of Fame.  Both inductees have long been associated with tennis in the state and, through their play, support, and instruction, have left an unmistakable imprint on Mississippi tennis. Click here for full information.

Georgia Tennis Hall of Fame Welcomes Two Inductees

Branch Curington spent nearly 30 years at Washington Park Tennis Center in Atlanta as a teaching professional and tennis director and was one of the first African-American figures in Georgia tennis. He taught tennis to many prominent black Atlantans during this time, such as Atlanta mayors Andrew Young, Maynard Jackson and Shirley Franklin as well as Coretta Scott King.  Around 50 of Curington’s pupils played collegiately, including UCLA’s Horace Reid, who is also a member of the Georgia Tennis Hall of Fame.

Hugh Thomson left his native Australia in 1965 to play collegiately at Mississippi State. After winning 54 varsity matches in the SEC and capturing seven conference titles, he became the school’s tennis coach and took home SEC Coach of the Year in 1969. He later coached at UAB and then Auburn, where he won consecutive SEC titles in 1982 and 1983 and became the school’s winningest coach.  Thomson has also been a teaching professional and stayed active as a senior player, winning 13 ITF senior world championships. He moved to Atlanta in 1995 and worked at Midtown Atlanta’s Ansley Golf Club from 1995 to 2007. Thomson was inducted into the Southern Tennis Hall of Fame in 1999.

Read article on Atlanta Journal-Constitution's website.

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