A Lucky Finish

TENNIS E-News

Mar. 09, 2008 Vol. VII, No. 25
South Carolina Tennis 2006 Media Award Winner
Hilton Head Island SC

What a GREAT day for saving DAYLIGHT time!

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Doubled-Up Doubles

Luck of the Irish Gets Lucky, Finishes in Fine Fashion … and Weather at PDunes

HILTON HEAD ISLAND SC (TENNIS E-NEWS) -- The rain went away. The wind settled down. Now so can everyone else and then enjoy the St. Patrick's Day parades in Savannah and here. A kit full of three-setters highlighted today's semifinals and finals of the 25^th annual Luck of the Irish Doubles at Palmetto Dunes Tennis Center.

The finalists earned their "luck" with hard playing on court. Moss Creek Head Pro and tournament competitor Scott Christensen took his luck on the sideline, winning the top door prize donated by one of the sponsors – Adventure Radio Group -- a trip to either Gatlinburg TN or Panama City FL. Have a ball, Scott and Nancy.

Here are today's semifinal and final results. (Players are from Hilton Head Island or Hilton Head unless otherwise noted.):

Men's 3.0 Doubles -- Semifinals -- Tom Larkin - Richard Santa Maria d. Brad Brinker - David Wright 6-2; 6-2; Willis Gobeyn - Leonard Rosselli d. Bob Apfel - Daniel Lambert 6-4; 4-6; 6-1; Final -- Larkin - Santa Maria d. Gobeyn - Rosselli 6-4; 7-5

Men's 3.5 Doubles -- Semifinals -- Gary Christensen - Kevin Haeberle (Lenexa KS) d. Dave Dockum - Rick Rickenbach 6-4; 6-4; Alan Howell (Lexington) - John Tucker (Columbus OH) d. Fred Giardinello - Jerry Smith (Bethlehem PA) 6-1; 5-7; 7-5; Final -- Howell - Tucker d. Christensen - Haeberle Ret (quit)

Men's 4.0 Doubles -- Semifinals -- Tim Arr - Jim Purcell d. Mike Caboy - Tony Schinto 6-1; 6-3; David Camma - Robert Seferian d. Ralph Huff - John Joseph 6-3; 3-6; 7-6(1); Final -- Arr - Purcell d. Camma - Seferian 6-4; 6-4

Men's 4.5 Doubles -- Semifinals -- Guenther Bergmann - Bob Cooke d. Ward Krull (Tega Cay) - Jens Lamba (Tega Cay) 6-3; 6-1; Wes Breinich - Bobby Tillison d. Ken Riehm (Midlothian VA) - P.J. Scearce 7-6; 6-4; Final -- Bergmann - Cooke d. Breinich - Tillison (no score reported)

Men's 5.0 Doubles -- Semifinals -- Pat Child - Chris Mireles d.. Scott Clements - Patrick Mason 6-2; 7-6(5); Mike O'Regan - Mike Sutcliff d. Steve Brady (Bluffton) - Tom Jilly 6-4; 6-3; Final -- O'Regan - Sutcliff d. Child - Mireles 6-4; 6-3

Mixed 3.0 Doubles -- Round Robin 3 -- Julie Bigger (Sherburme NY) - Brad Brinker d. Doug Sturgess - Tina Sturgess 6-4; 6-1; Margaret Little (Cantley, Que) - Vaughn Munro d. Gordon Grant (Oakville, Ont) - Kathy Grant (Oakville, Ont) 6-4; 2-6; 12-10; Bigger - Brinker winner of round robin

Mixed 3.5 Doubles -- Semifinals -- Kevin Haeberle (Lenexa KS) - Ronda Harness (Lenexa KS) d. Wolfgang Ey - Carolyn Kraus (Bluffton) 6-2; 6-4; Christine Clark - Harold Stephens d. Julie Jilly - Timothy Ryan 4-6; 6-0; 6-2; Final -- TBA

Mixed 4.0 Doubles -- Semifinals -- Lisa Kiggans - Mike Tvrdik d. Alan Howell (Lexington) - Carolyn Sonberg 6-1; 6-4;

Allison Meade - Frank Meade d. Kathy Glynn (Glenview IL) - Terry Glynn (Peoria IL) 6-0; 6-3; Final -- Kiggans - Tvrdik d. Meade - Meade 5-7; 6-2; 6-3

Mixed 4.5 Doubles -- Semifinals -- Ward Krull (Tega Cay) - Terry Sandy (Tega Cay) d. Emily Johnson - Bobby Tillison 6-0; 6-2; Ann Lamba (Tega Cay) - Jens Lamba (Tega Cay) d. Stewart Atkins (Asheville NC) - Mimi Stevenson 6-4; 6-2; Final -- Krull - Sandy d. Lamba - Lamba 6-4; 6-1

Women's 3.0 Doubles -- Semifinals -- Carol Clark (Asheville NC) - Betsy Klein (Asheville NC) d. D'Jean Carter (Bluffton) - Sandy Tucker (Beaufort) 5-7; 6-1; 6-4; Mary Clark - Kay Kern d. Beth Fishburne - Angie Taylor 6-3; 3-6; 7-6(1); Final -- Clark - Kern d. Clark - Klein 3-6; 6-4; 6-3

Women's 3.5 Doubles -- Semifinals -- Diana Pavlick (Leicester NC) - Mimi Stevenson d. Jennifer Brown-Lozan - Sabbatino 5-7; 6-4; 6-3; Rose Andreas - Marian Trenis d. Elaine O'Brien - Kathy Ruggeri 6-3; 6-4; Final -- Andreas - Trenis d. Pavlick - Stevenson 7-6(5); 6-2

Women's 4.0 Doubles -- Semifinals -- Carolyn Sonberg - Jill Swanker d. Shannon Lurkin - Lois Miller (Bluffton) 6-3; 6-4;

Donna Bierschenk (Bluffton) - Nancy Thomas (Bluffton) d. Allison Meade - Jackie Reynecke 6-4; 6-4; Final -- Sonberg - Swanker d. Bierschenk - Thomas 6-4; 6-0

Women's 4.5 Doubles -- Semifinals -- Trish Begley - Lori Bergmann d. Maureen Bush - Janet Watanabe 6-2; 6-3; Bobbi Colket - Merrill Light d. Donna Binder - Susan Taylor 6-1; 6-0; Final - Colket - Light d. Begley - Bergmann 4-6; 6-1; 6-2

Women's 5.0 Doubles -- Round Robin 3 -- Janet Watanabe - Jolene Watanabe d. Emily Johnson - Holly Mills (Beaufort) Wd (inj); Julie Child - Ann Hunt d. Trish Begley - Bobbi Colket 6-2; 2-6; 6-4; Watanabe - Watanabe winner of round robin

In the early rounds, the tournament went to third-set super tiebreaks instead of playing out the third set.

Here are the results of Friday and Saturday matches. Sorry for the small type. Results received late morning today and too long to otherwise fit into Homeland Security guidelines:

(NOTE: Players are from Hilton Head Island or Hilton Head unless otherwise noted)

Men's 3.0 Doubles -- Quarterfinals -- Brad Brinker - David Wright d. Greg Stickles - David Weser 5-7; 6-7; 7-6(11-9)

Men's 3.5 Doubles -- Round of 16 -- Gary Christensen - Kevin Haeberle (Lenexa KS) d. Philip Manigo (Walterboro) - Mike Upchurch (Walterboro) 6-4; 6-4; Sean O'Sullivan (Bluffton) - James Stiteler (Bluffton) d. Tom Larkin - Lloyd Smith 6-2; 4-6; 7-6 (11-9); Lee Bracken - Bill Cale d. Curtis Battistelli - Timothy Ryan 3-6; 7-5; 7-6 (10-3); Dave Dockum - Rick Rickenbach d. Fred Meli - Greg Smorol 6-1; 6-3; Alan Howell (Lexington) - John Tucker (Columbus OH) d. Jack Abernathy - Robert Stockfisch 7-5; 6-2; Willis Gobeyn - Leonard Rosselli d. Justin Francis - Bob Heise 3-6; 6-4; 6-4; Fred Giardinello - Jerry Smith (Bethlehem PA) d. Wolfgang Ey - Ron Garrow 6-4; 7-6(1); Larry Solomone (Bluffton) - John Thorn (Bluffon) d. Gordon Grant (Oakville, Ont) - Jim Norton 7-6(4); 6-2; Quarterfinals -- Christensen - Haeberle d. O'Sullivan - Stiteler 6-3; 4-6; 7-6(12-10); Dockum - Rickenbach d. Bracken - Cale 6-2; 6-3; Howell - Tucker d. Gobeyn - Rosselli 6-1;6-0; Giardinello - Smith d. Solomone - Thorn 6-3; 6-3

Men's 4.0 Doubles -- Round of 16 -- Bob Holland - Fred Meli d. Sean O'Sullivan (Bluffton) - James Stiteler (Bluffton) 6-2; 4-6; (12-10); Mike Caboy - Tony Schinto d. Scott Bernsten - Chuck Zapiec 6-3; 7-5; Quarterfinals -- Caboy - Schinto d. Philip Manigo (Walterboro) - Mike Upchurch (Walterboro) 6-0; 6-7(4); 7-6 (10-6); Tim Arr - Jim Purcell d. Anthony Link - Brandon Link 6-2; 6-3; Ralph Huff - John Joseph d. Holland - Meli 6-3; 6-3; David Camma - Robert Seferian d. Kent James - Joe Panaro (Cosbob CT) 3-6; 7-5 (10-5)

Men's 4.5 Doubles -- Quarterfinals -- Ward Krull (Tega Cay) - Jens Lamba (Tega Cay) d. Scott Christensen (Bluffton) - Joe Keenan 6-2; 6-3; Ken Riehm (Midlothian VA) - P.J. Scearce d. Anthony Link - Brandon Link 6-1; 6-2; Wes Breinich - Bobby Tillison d. Bill Sanni (Doylestown PA) - Chris Sanni Wd (em)

Men's 5.0 Doubles -- Quarterfinals -- Steve Brady (Bluffton) - Tom Jilly d. Shawn Oliver - Clarke Taft 6-3; 7-5

Mixed 3.0 Doubles -- Round Robin 1 -- Doug Sturgess - Tina Sturgess d. Margaret Little (Cantley, Que) - Vaughn Munro 2-6; 6-4; 7-6 (12-10); Julie Bigger (Sherburme NY) - Brad Brinker d. Gordon Grant (Oakville, Ont) - Kathy Grant (Oakville, Ont) 6-2; 7-6(2); 7-6 (10-2); Round Robin 2 -- Grant - Grant. d. Sturgess - Sturgess 6-4; 7-6(5); Bigger - Brinker d. Little - Munro 6-4; 6-2

Mixed 3.5 Doubles -- Round of 32 -- John Tucker (Columbus OH) - Kathy Tucker (Columbus OH) d. Bob Heise - Patricia Priestley 6-4; 6-3; Fred Giardinello - Kathy Ruggeri d. Carmen Stockfisch - Robert Stockfisch 6-4; 6-4; Round of 16 -- Julie Jilly - Timothy Ryan d. Josef Fodor - Tanner Larson 5-7; 6-4; 7-6 (10-8); Wolfgang Ey - Carolyn Kraus (Bluffton) d. Bernard Chandler - Diana Pavlick (Leicester NC) 7-5; 6-3; Gary Sabbatino - Joe Sabbatino d. Tucker - Tucker 6-4; 3-6; 7-6 (10-5); Kevin Haeberle (Lenexa KS) - Ronda Harness (Lenexa KS) d. Kerri Cooke - Bruce Taylor 6-1; 6-0; Bob Apfel - Stephanie Rathan d. Emmett Diggs - Patty Diggs 6-2; 7-5; Roberta Hayes (Bluffton) - Rich Townsend d. Giardinello - Ruggeri 7-6(2); 6-1; Christine Clark - Harold Stephens d. Amy Abernathy - Jack Abernathy 6-3; 6-0; Justin Francis - Betsy McClellan d. Billie Lindsay (Beaufort) - Terry Logan (Beaufort) 6-0; 6-1; Quarterfinals -- Ey - Kraus d. Sabbatino - Sabbatino 6-3; 6-3; Haeberle - Harness d. Apfel - Rathan 2-6; 7-5; 7-6 (10-8); Jilly - Ryan d. Hayes - Townsend 6-4; 2-6; 7-6 (10-7); Clark - Stephens d. Francis - McClellan 6-3; 6-2

Mixed 4.0 Doubles -- Round of 16 -- Donna Bierschenk (Bluffton) - Art Meeder (Bluffton) d. Chuck Zapiec - Emily Zapiec 6-1; 6-1; Jim Purcell - Liz Purcell d. John Brummitt - Ann O'Brien 6-3; 2-6; 7-6 (10-6);

Kathy Glynn (Glenview IL) - Terry Glynn (Peoria IL) d. Jeannie Hall (Bluffton) - Kurt Hall (Bluffton) 6-4; 6-3; Quarterfinals -- Lisa Kiggans - Mike Tvrdik d. Bierschenk - Meeder 6-4; 6-2; Alan Howell (Lexington) - Carolyn Sonberg d. George Walter (Kennesaw GA) - Jill Walter (Kennesaw GA) 6-3; 3-6; 7-6 (10-3); Allison Meade - Frank Meade d. Purcell - Purcell 6-3; 6-3; Glynn - Glynn d. Carrie Mason - Robert Seferian 7-5; 6-7(5); 7-6 (10-6)

Mixed 4.5 Doubles -- Round of 16 -- Carolyn Oliver - Clarke Taft d. Hank Iannuzzi - Jessica Iannuzzi (New York NY) 5-7; 6-1; 7-6 (10-5); Emily Johnson - Bobby Tillison d. Joe MacDermant - Yza Shady 6-2;6-2; Quarterfinals -- Ward Krull (Tega Cay) - Terry Sandy (Tega Cay) d. Oliver - Taft 6-4; 7-6(5); Johnson - Tillison d. Kathy Glynn (Glenview IL) - Terry Glynn (Peoria IL) W/O; Stewart Atkins (Asheville NC) - Mimi Stevenson d. Nancy Christensen (Bluffton) - Scott Christensen (Bluffton) 6-4; 6-2; Ann Lamba (Tega Cay) - Jens Lamba, (Tega Cay) d. Patsy Reinsch - P.J. Scearce 6-4; 6-4

Women's 3.0 Doubles -- Quarterfinals -- D'Jean Carter (Bluffton) - Sandy Tucker (Beaufort) d. Lili Drewitz (Metter GA) - Meg Heller (GA) 6-1; 6-2; Beth Fishburne - Angie Taylor d. Paula Brasch (Marrietta GA) - Michelle Volgenau (Smyrna GA) 6-1; 6-3

Women's 3.5 Doubles -- Round of 16 -- Annabel Hammet - Carolyn Kraus (Bluffton) d. Megan Hyatt (Beaufort) - Billie Lindsay (Beaufort) 6-2; 7-5; Jennifer Brown-Lozan - Gary Sabbatino d. Alene DeLoach - Anneliza Itkor 6-3; 6-2; Ronda Harness (Lenexa KS) - Jenny Jokinen (Fairport NY) d. Mary Bowers (Bluffton) - Dianne Franks (Bluffton 6-2; 3-6; 7-6 (11-9); Diana Pavlick (Leicester NC) - Mimi Stevenson d. Christine Clark - Mary Clark 6-4; 1-6; 7-6 (10-4); Kerri Cooke - Carolyn Oliver d. Carol Clark (Asheville NC) - Betsy Klein (Asheville NC) 6-4; 6-1; Rose Andreas - Marian Trenis d. Amy Abernathy - Carmen Stockfisch 6-3; 6-0; Joyce Braude - Jan Bucheit d. Barbara Fluharty (Bluffton) - Sus Kirk (Bluffton) 6-1; 4-6; 7-6(10-6);

Elaine O'Brien - Kathy Ruggeri d. Julie Jilly - Yza Shady 6-0; 6-1; Quarterfinals -- Brown-Lozan - Sabbatino d. Hammet - Kraus 6-2; 3-6; 7-6(10-3); Pavlick - Stevenson d. Harness - Jokinen 7-6; 2-6; 7-6(10-6); O'Brien - Ruggeri d. Cooke - Oliver 6-3; 7-5; Andreas - Trenis d. Braude - Bucheit 6-4; 6-2

Women's 4.0 Doubles -- Quarterfinals -- Shannon Lurkin - Lois Miller (Bluffton) d. Carrie Mason - Sue Sturm 6-3; 5-7; 7-6 (14-12); Carolyn Sonberg - Jill Swanker d. Anne McClintock - Keiko Queen 6-4; 6-3; Donna Bierschenk (Bluffton) - Nancy Thomas (Bluffton) d. Tanner Larson - Harriet Pollitzer 6-2; 6-2; Allison Meade - Jackie Reynecke d. Sandy Harris - Lois McKinley 3-6; 6-3; 7-6(10-5)

Women's 4.5 Doubles -- Quarterfinals -- Maureen Bush - Janet Watanabe d. Nanci Fitzpatrick - Alice Hume 2-6; 6-4; 7-6(10-5); Donna Binder - Susan Taylor d. Ann Lamba (Tega Cay) - Terry Sandy (Tega Cay) 6-4; 2-6; 7-6 (10-8)

Women's 5.0 Doubles -- Round Robin 1 -- Janet Watanabe - Jolene Watanabe d. Julie Child - Ann Hunt 3-6; 6-3 (10-5); Trish Begley - Bobbi Colket d. Emily Johnson - Holly Mills (Beaufort) 6-2; 2-6; 7-6(10-8); Round Robin 2 -- Watanabe - Watanabe d. Begley - Colket 6-0; 6-3; Child - Hunt d. Johnson - Mills 7-5; 6-4

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