Carmines Deadline Monday

Stories below:

-- Carmines Tournament Deadline Monday -- not today

-- Sharapova Added to draw at Bausch & Lomb

-- Brady Buries 2 Seeds; No women show for State Championships

TENNIS E-News

Apr. 06, 2008 Vol. VII, No. 34
South Carolina Tennis 2006 Media Award Winner
Hilton Head Island SC

Adult & Junior Event for Cancer Benefit

Deadline Monday Midnight for Carmines Championships That Will Begin Friday

HILTON HEAD ISLAND SC (TENNIS E-News) -- You have another day or so to enter the 4^th annual David M. Carmines Memorial Tennis Championships that will be played next weekend to benefit the American Cancer Society, M.D. Anderson Cancer Research Center and the Island Recreation Scholarship Fund.

Deadline is 'Monday at 11:59 p.m." as is noted in online entry information. Not to worry. You won't be punished if you got your registration in by today -- the inaccurate deadline noted in the printed tournament brochure.

The USTA-sanctioned tournament includes men's and women's singles and doubles, as well as mixed doubles, and junior boys' and girls' singles and doubles. Open and rated adult divisions include 3.0 and 3.5 on clay courts and 4.0, 4.5 and Open on hard. All junior age divisions – 10s through 18s – will be played on hard courts.

Hudson’s Seafood will host a pre-tournament party Friday the 11^th at 6 p.m. Door prizes will be awarded. In its first three years, the tournament has raised more than $5,000 for cancer research and Island Rec programs.

Entry fee is $40 for singles and $25 per player for doubles, with a limit of two events. Entry forms are available at HHI clubs. Entry can be done online at http://www.sctennis.com, then TennisLink, then Tournaments and use ID# 704107008 for adults and #704122808 for juniors. For additional information, call Jilly at 843-816-1726.

Play 2 Singles, 2 Doubles Today in Lexington

Brady Plants a Couple Seeds To Win SC Hard Court Singles Championship; Child Finalist

LEXINGTON SC (TENNIS E-News via TennisLink) -- Steve Brady of Bluffton had a couple seeded players standing in his way. Not a problem. He knocked off the #2 seed in the semifinals this morning, then the #1 in the afternoon finals of the SC Sr. Hard Court Closed Championships in Lexington.

The championships established what we think is a record -- and an ominous one. It had 59 men entered and 0 women … as in zero … as in NO WOMEN. A state championships with no women. Someone is saying something. Is anyone listening?

After rain washed out all Saturday play, Brady defeated (2) Raymond Frazier of Greenville 6-3, 6-2 in the Men's 50s semifinal. He then took care of top-seeded Jim Hinson of Columbia 3-6, 6-4, 11-9 for the championships. (Isn't it great to know the actual tiebreak score rather than "1-0" in USTA League results?!?)

The bad-seed day didn't work so well for Hilton Head Islander and #1 seed Pat Child in the 55s. He defeated #4 Cliff Netzler of Rock Hill 6-4, 6-4 in the semis, but dropped the final to #2 Andrew Steingold of Mount Pleasant 7-6(5), 1-6, 10-3 (Isn't it great to know the actual tiebreak score rather than "1-0" in USTA League results?!?)

Not that that was all the action. Between singles semifinals and finals, top-seeded Brady and Child teamed to win a 50s doubles semifinal 6-4, 4-6, 13-11* over Clifton Parker (Lexington)/Will Warlick (Irmo) and finished the day with a 6-3, 6-0 championship win over #2 seed Doug Deaderick (Lexington)/Paul Owens (Irmo).

The Men's 75 singles had only two entrants and both from Sun City. Bob Koenig defeated Ernie Clark 6-2, 6-4 for that championship prize money.

*Just in case you missed it: Isn't it great to know the actual tiebreak score rather than "1-0" in USTA League results?!?

USTA LEAGUE STANDINGS

Senior -- # teams -- End of regular schedule -- Standings as of Sunday (4/06)

2.5M -- 6 teams -- 4/24 -- Country Club of HH Court Jesters lead at 6-2

2.5W -- 3 teams -- 4/24 -- Sun City Rally Girls lead at 5-1

3.0M -- 22 teams -- 4/7 -- Sea Pines CC Cardinals lead at 8-1 in Flight I; Shipyard Rockets lead at 8-1 in Flight II

3.0W -- 19 teams -- 4/12 -- Dataw Darlins lead at 8-0 in Flight I; Beaufort Low Country Lobsters lead at 6-1 in Flight II

3.5M -- 19 teams -- 4/2 -- Indigo Run Gold Bear Claws at 8-0 clinched Flight I; Palmetto Dunes Wannabees at 8-0 clinched in Flight II

3.5W -- 24 teams -- 4/9 -- Port Royal Glory Girls, SCYC Nauti-Gals tied at 9-1 in Flight I; Spring Lake Roaring Rackets lead at 9-1 in Flight II

4.0M -- 6 teams -- 4/8 -- Port Royal leads at 9-0

4.0W -- 6 teams -- 4/21 -- Sun City Sunsationals lead at 7-1

4.5W -- 2 teams -- TBA

4.5M -- 2 teams -- TBA

Sharapova Added to draw at Bausch & Lomb

AMELIA ISLAND FL (TENNIS E-News) -- That screeching noise you heard today may have been Maria Sharapova on her way to the Bausch & Lomb Championships -- a late entry for the women's pro tour event that opens Monday with 17 main-draw singles matches. That puts Sharapova into consecutive weeks of play just off I-95, sort of. She earlier entered the 35^th annual Family Circle Cup set for next week on Daniel Island, Charleston.

Also in the draw with Sharapova as #1 seed are Anna Chakvetadze, Venus Williams, Lindsay Davenport, Marion Bartoli, Patty Schnyder, Amelie Mauresmo and Daniela Hantuchova, among others.

Qualifying rounds ended today with a bevy of gals with incredibly long names winning their way into the main draw. For tournament draws, go to http://www.blchmps.com and select "Competition" and then "Draws".

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Do You Want To Go to the Bausch & Lomb Finals? Read this from our Inbox:

Hello Dennis:

I have 3 box seats for Sunday's Bausch & Lomb final. I am now in Denver, CO 303-469-4826. Cost $50 each or all 3 $120. Email tawilder@yahoo.com.

Thank you. Teryle Wilder.

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TENNIS E-News FootNote

ooooO Darwin Awards are bestowed on those most creatively removing their DNA from the global gene pool. To wit:

( ) The chef at a hotel in Switzerland lost a finger in a meat-cutting machine and submitted an insurance claim.

( ) His company, suspecting employee negligence, sent one of its men to have a look for himself.

(___) He tried the machine and he also lost a finger. The chef's claim was approved.

-- Dennis Malick