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 2017.
2017 40 Open Men’s National Champions are,
L to R, Matt Rowe, Johan Gedlitschka, Morgan Shepherd, Mike Weidl, Marius Andersen, captain Derek Gamble, Toby Curtis, Thomas Mozur and John Hall.
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Greensboro, NC team wins national title
The Greensboro, NC's men's 40 Open team won the National Open Team Championship benefiting American Cancer Society. The USTA Southern team, captained by Derek Gamble, downed the USTA North California team in the final.
Twelve team competed at Darling Tennis Center, Las Vegas, Sept 15-17 in the National 40 Open Men''s division. The teams played in three flights of four going into a semis. USTA Southern defeated USTA Northern while the USTA Northern California team defeated USTA Florida in the other semifinal.
Kevin King won on familiar courts. Photo: Cindy Dreikosen |
Georgia's King wins in North Carolina
Kevin King defeated Cameron Norrie in a decisive 6-4, 6-1 final to claim his first USTA Pro Circuit and his third ATP World Tour Challenger title. This was King’s second appearance at the $50,000 Atlantic Tire Championships in Cary, NC, having reached the quarterfinals in 2015.
King, who trained at Cary Tennis Park for four years, thanked the crowd for their support in helping him through the week’s tough matches. On his way to the championship match, King defeated two seeded Americans No.1 Ernesto Escobedo and No.6 Noah Rubin.
King, of Peachtree City, GA, is called the greatest doubles player in Georgia Tech history, according to the school's athletic website. He was an ITA All-American in 2011, a three-time All-ACC performer and was named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll all four years. He also won a $25,000 tournament in Toronto earlier this month and $15,000 tournament in Villahermosa in May.
Emma Navarro, left, and Chloe Beck with their trophies. |
Southern Teenagers Take USTA Pro Circuit Title
Emma Navarro and Chloe Beck continued their successful season by winning the $15,000 USTA Pro Circuit doubles title in Charleston, SC.
Ranked No. 2216, Navarro, from Charleston, and Beck, from Watkinsville, GA, defeated Ksenia Kuzentsova/Maria Martinez Martinez 6-1, 6-4 in the final. In the semifinal, they took down the No. seeded Ingrid Gamarra Martins/Kennedy Shaffer 2-6, 6-2 [10-5]. Gamarra Martins and Shaffer play for the University of Central Florida.
Navarro also advanced to the quarterfinals in singles. The tournament was played at LTP Tennis, where she trains.
The 16-year-olds also won the 2016 USTA Girls’ 16s National Clay Court Championship and ITF International Grass Courts earlier this year.
Pine Bluff, AR, Awarded $10,000 USTA Grant
The City of Pine Bluff, AR, has been selected to receive $10,000 in USTA Facility Funding for the resurfacing eight (8) 78 foot tennis courts, complete with blended 36- and 60-foot tennis playing lines, at Bloom Tennis Center at Central Park.
Hale, Quick, Simkins named to North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame
Paula Hale came to tennis as an adult and with that, she has spent more than 30 years volunteering at the Community Tennis Association level, the state level, sectional level and now the national level. At every stop, she has brought people together to grow and develop tennis. Starting out with the Wilson Tennis Foundation, Hale quickly jumped on board at the state level, volunteering as the Sanction and Schedule Chair for many years. From there Hale began to serve on the USTA North Carolina Board, serving as Board President from 2002 through 2003, then serving as president of the NC Tennis Foundation from 2004 through 2005. She and fellow USTA North Carolina President, Henry Hostetler, guided the NC Tennis Foundation and USTA North Carolina to a new home, 2709 Henry Street in Greensboro. Hale and Hostetler also launched a capital campaign, raising over $1.8 million dollars to pay for the building, the relocation of the Hall of Fame and an endowment for tennis.
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Simultaneously, Hale began volunteering at both USTA Southern and USTA National levels. She rose to become the USTA Southern Section President from 2015 through 2016, and she continues to serve USTA Southern as the USTA Delegate. Paula Hale is a force for tennis, generously giving her time and talents to bring this sport to people throughout our country.
John W. (J.W.) Quick is best described as “graceful and gracious with a huge chunk of humility.” Self-taught and highly accomplished, Quick was ranked the #1 tennis player in North Carolina 11 times. Quick captured several Greensboro local titles and eight NC State Singles titles, while also finishing runner-up 12 times in both singles and doubles! Quick competed and won at the National Championships for the American Tennis Association, winning two titles in the 35’s age division and finishing in the top four twice.
Quick also developed into an excellent teacher of the sport, coaching many of our state’s finest players to state and sectional excellence.
Dr. George C. Simkins, Jr. (Doc) competed in local, state and national championships from 1938 until he passed away in 2001. Due to insufficient data, it is hard to accurately identify the number of titles he won during his playing career. Here is what can be verified: 14 singles and doubles titles, the first beginning in 1956, the others spanning from 1981 to 1989. Simkins also won 11 State Championships from 1972 to 2001 and was a finalist six times during that same timeframe. Nationally, Simkins won three American Tennis Association (ATA) Championships.
In 1998, the Greensboro Parks & Recreation Department named the Indoor Tennis facility (later the Indoor Sports Pavillion) at Barber Park, the Dr. George C. Simkins, Jr. Indoor Sports Pavilion.
Raleigh Junior Team Tennis Squad Finishes Second at Nationals
The BC Legends were finalists at the 2017 USTA Junior Team Tennis 14U National Championships in the Intermediate division. The Southern team fell to the USTA Northern California team in the final played USTA National Campus at Lake Nona in Orlando, FL.
The team from Raleigh, NC, was captained by Joshua Collins.
Here is the team pictured to the right: L to R: Coach Brent Bennett, Brandon Keisner, Jake Nager, Nousha Tehrani, Sabrina Grewal, Julianna Izod, Nikki Tehrani, Brayden Hakerem.
South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame Welcomes Zalinski, Bulware
USTA South Carolina and the South Carolina Tennis Patrons Foundation are proud to announce that Domino Boulware of Columbia and Steve Zalinski of Greenville and Daniel Island will be the 2017 inductees into the South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame.
Boulware has spent over 30 years working to grow the game of tennis and pave a path of opportunity for young people in the community by coaching tennis to people of all ages and economic circumstances.
Zalinski, a dedicated advocate of the 10 and Under tennis program, has volunteered countless hours at tournaments, schools and park functions to grow tennis through education and marketing.
“It is appropriate that Domino and Steve will be inducted in the same year,” said Graham Cox, Executive Director of USTA South Carolina. “Each has made a noble and noteworthy contribution to tennis in South Carolina. While their achievements have grown over the years, their success has always been rooted in their humble demeanor, desire to share the sport and heartfelt care for their players.”
Their achievements will be formally celebrated at the South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame banquet on December 9 at the Omni Hilton Head Resort on Hilton Head Island. The induction ceremony, held in conjunction with the USTA South Carolina Annual Meeting, is sponsored by the South Carolina Tennis Patrons Foundation, the charitable arm of USTA South Carolina which operates the S.C. Tennis Hall of Fame in Belton.