Junior Kitchens SMASH

Luck of the Irish Doubles Deadline Coming Sunday -- Story below

TENNIS E-News

Feb. 26, 2008 Vol. VII, No. 19
South Carolina Tennis 2006 Media Award Winner
Hilton Head Island SC

Front cover TENNIS -- Check out Chris Wuensch's PTR Week coverage in Hilton Head ISLAND TODAY.

Tennis on the front cover … it's about time … or IT's story is about a tennis good time on HHI.

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Gilchrist Just Misses FCC Wildcard

Kitchen Girls Are a SMASH in Family Circle Junior Championships; 2 Other HHI Jrs. Win

DANIEL ISLAND SC (TENNIS E-News via TennisLink) -- Four Hilton Head Island juniors won singles championships at the SMASH State Open Clay Court Junior Cup that ended Monday at Family Circle Tennis Center. A fifth came within two games of becoming a wildcard in the women's pro tour Family Circle Cup qualifying in April.

The Kitchen girls -- Ashley in 14s and Natalie in 10s -- held to their respective #1 seedings, winning straight-set matches in the finals. Ashley rolled through four earlier rounds and then took #5 McKayla Zupan of Wilmington NC 6-2, 6-3. Natalie lost only three games in three rounds, then defeated Samantha Schuster of Charleston 6-1, 6-0 for the title.

With 308 players in the combined draws, two other HHI juniors won championships: Unseeded Yu Wen Lin in Boys' 18s over #4 John Karle of Daniel Island 6-3, 7-5 and unseeded Zeynep Mafa over #5 Corin Hallman of Mount Pleasant 7-5, 6-1. The Boys' 18 champion's key win was a 5-7, 6-4, 1-0(8) quarterfinal over #1 Zach Sprouse of Hilton Head Island.

A highlight match of the finals was Girls' 18s top seed Mallory Cecil of Spartanburg vs. #2 Nadja Gilchrist of HHIsland, the winner of which goes into the FCC Qualifying draw. In three hours, Cecil won 6-4, 6-7(2), 7-5. All of the champions will be recognized publicly at the Family Circle main draw events.

Two HHI juniors were semifinalists in the USTA-sanctioned event: #5 seed Kendal Drake in Girls' 16s and Merritt Wilburn in Boys' 12s. Five were quarterfinalists: Ryan Drake in Boys' 18s, #5 Michelle Green and Katie Haught in Girls' 18s, Matt Kirk in Boys' 14s and Jared Woodson in Boys' 12s.

After first-round loses, two HHI area juniors were consolation finalists and one a semifinalist: Alrissa Tobe of Bluffton won two Girls' 18s consolation rounds then lost in the finals; Miranda Martin won four Girls' 16s consolation matches but lost in the final; Trey Hale won three Boys' 16s consolation rounds, then lost in the semifinals.

Adult League Standings

3½ Hours of Singles Is a Lot of Time on a Tennis Court … Even on a Beautiful Day

HILTON HEAD ISLAND SC (TENNIS E-News) -- Rob Ellison and Bob Cooke got to see a lot of each other Saturday. In fact, a 3½ hours lot of each other. It was the #2 singles court in a USTA League 4.5 Adult men's match -- Hogg Doggs vs. Beaufort Tidal Wave.

It was the kind of thing you might expect on a 98-degree day when the sun is sapping energy so badly no one can manage to put the ball away. It wasn't that kind of a weather day. Hogg Dogg Ellison and Tidal Waver Cooke went out on court at 2:30 and finished up about 6 p.m. Game, set, match 6-7, 6-3, 6-4 to Ellison. No matter that the Wave already had won the team match with three courts.

Ellison actually may have picked up some pointers on how to play critical points last week when he and partner Patrick Mason dropped a third-set super tiebreak in the PTR Championships 21-19. Ya lives; ya learns.

Here is the rundown of Adult League teams in TennisLink as of Sunday (24^th):

Adult # teams

2.5M -- 1 team --

2.5W -- 5 teams -- Bluffton HS Alley Cats lead at 4-0

3.0M -- 6 teams -- Sun City Sun Devils lead at 4-1

3.0W -- 9 teams -- Beaufort Breeze leads at 4-0

3.5M -- 8 teams -- Bluffton Breeze leads at 3-0

3.5W -- 18 teams -- Palmetto Dunes Dixie Chix lead at 3-0 in Flight I; Long Cove Longcovettes, Indigo Run Volley Girls tied at 3-0 in Flight II

4.0M -- 4 teams -- Port Royal Sundevils lead at 3-1

4.0W -- 6 teams -- Sea Pines Smashers lead at 5-0

4.5M -- 2 teams -- Beaufort Tidal Wave leads at 1-0

4.5W -- 3 teams -- play TBA

5.0M -- 2 teams -- play TBA

Apr. 12-20 WTA Event

Family Circle Cup Builds Its Draws with Lineup of Top 10 Players Already Committed

DANIEL ISLAND SC (TENNIS E-News) – Family Circle Cup is a month and a half off, but the Tier 1 event already has a Top 10 lineup, beginning with returning champion Jelena Jankovic. Add to that: Justine Henin, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, former champion Nadia Petrova, Wimbledon finalist Marion Bartoli, Anna Chakvetadze, Patty Schnyder …

This year’s FCC Apr. 12-20, like last, will include four night sessions – Tuesday through Friday. Qualifying rounds ($10 admission price) are Saturday and Sunday. Main draw begins Monday the 14^th at 10 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday will have 10 a.m. starts with night sessions beginning at 7:30. Quarterfinal Friday, semis Saturday and Sunday final all begin at 11 a.m.

The week is full of special days and off-court events, including a Lacoste Fashion Show on the 14^th and USTA Member Appreciation Day Wednesday the 16th.

For tickets and more information, including a stadium seating chart, go to http://www.familycirclecup.com.

Play Mar. 7-9

Deadline Sunday P.M. for Luck of the Irish Doubles at Palmetto Dunes

HILTON HEAD ISLAND SC (TENNIS E-News) – It’s entry deadline time for the 25th annual Luck of the Irish Doubles Tournament that will be played Mar. 7-9 at Palmetto Dunes Tennis Center. Deadline is Sunday (2nd) at 5:30 p.m. and you can get an entry form at area tennis clubs or by going to http://www.tahhi.org.

Playing categories are men’s, women’s and mixed doubles in rated levels 2.5 through Open. Fee is $40 if playing one event and $50 if playing two. Watch out for the $10 fee if you are entering late.

Giuseppi’s and HH Mortgage are sponsors. A luncheon plus continental breakfasts are part of the fare. For information, call 785-1152. Don’t try to enter by phone, though. Start times will be available Wednesday the 5th. St. Patrick’s Day parade is after the Sunday finals.

Special Olympics Southeast Championships Set March 10-12 at Van der Meer Shipyard

HILTON HEAD ISLAND SC (TENNIS E-News) -- The 9th annual Special Olympics Southeast Region Tennis Championships will be held Mar. 10-12 at the Van der Meer Shipyard Racquet Club. Twenty athletes from the HHI area student and adult programs will be among the 125 from throughout the country competing this year in the Individual Skills Competition and Match Play contests.

Once again the event will be hosted by the Professional Tennis Registry. The championships rely heavily on local volunteers for a variety of services during the event -- everything from being ball"kids" to helping serve lunch. To volunteer, get in touch with Julie Jilly at the PTR 785-7244 or email Julie@ptrtennis.com. For other information, contact Myron Meister 342- 6236.

TENNIS E-News FootNote

ooooO The Darwin Awards -- bestowed, sometimes posthumously, to the person who most creatively removes (or

( ) comes close) his/her DNA from the global gene pool. Top 2007 nominee:

( ) The man who attempted to siphon gasoline from a motor home parked on a Seattle street, but did not realize

(___) he plugged his siphon hose into the motor home's sewage tank. Police found the man very ill and very stinky.

The owner of the vehicle declined to press charges, saying that it was the best laugh he'd ever had.

-- Dennis Malick