Riske/Cako Win Doubles

TENNIS E-NEWS

Saturday, June 06, 2009 Vol. VIII, No. 65
2006 Winner of South Carolina Media Award
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Singles Final Sunday at 10 a.m.

Riske/Cako Win Doubles Championship at Head/Tail $10K

HILTON HEAD ISLAND SC (TENNIS E-News) – Alison Riske graduated last month from a Pittsburgh area high school. Jacque Cako is heading back to Washington State for high school graduation Monday. Riske and Cako enrolled in some post-grad work today and pulled off the doubles championship of the Head/Tail USTA Women’s $10K at Van Der Meer Tennis Center, beating NCAA semifinalists Natalie Pluskota and Caitlin Whoriskey of Univ. of Tennessee.

Earlier in the day, #4 seed Riske outlasted #5 Maria-Fernanda Alves of Brazil 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 to advance to Sunday’s final against top seed Alexandra Mueller of the USA, who won 6-3, 7-5 over Petra Rampre of Slovakia. Final matchtime is 10 a.m. Admission is free to spectators.

Riske and Cako jumped out to a quick lead in the doubles final first set and took the set 6-3. Pluskota and Whoriskey broke back early in the second then rolled on to even the match 6-3. The 10-point super tiebreak for the third set started with the teams exchanging points until mid-set when Riske/Cako won two points off their opponent’s serve. That led to 9-6, when Riske served deep to the corner and, after a pair of reflex volleys at net, smacked an overhead down the middle for the championship.

The doubles final was Whoriskey’s 20^th match of the tournament, having competed in wildcard, qualifying and main draw singles and doubles. She was a quarterfinalist in the main draw singles.

“We had a good crowd for the early semifinals,” Tournament Director Justyn Schelver said, hoping for full grandstands for Sunday’s final. ITF Supervisor Bunny Williams said the tournament has the top draw of the tour’s $10,000 events. Last year’s champion Mallory Cecil of Spartanburg SC went on to win NCAA national singles championship as a Duke freshman.

Today’s results

Singles semifinals

Alison Riske (USA) [4] def. Maria-Fernanda Alves (BRA) [5] 6-1, 4-6, 6-4

Alexandra Mueller (USA) def. Petra Rampre (SLO) [3] 6-3, 7-5

Doubles Final:

Jacqueline Cako (USA) / Alison Riske (USA) [2] def. Natalie Pluskota (USA) / Caitlin Whoriskey (USA) 6-3, 3-6, 10-6

Sunday schedule

Singles Final

10 a.m. –

Alison Riske (USA) [4] vs. Alexandra Mueller (USA) [1]

Southern Qualifier Runs All Week

HHI Juniors Carter, Erkan Top Seeds in The Palmetto Championships in Belton

BELTON SC (TENNIS E-News) – HHI juniors Haley Carter and Leyla Erkan are #1 seeds and Jared Woodson and Molly O’Koniewski are #2 as play gets under way and runs through the end of next week in The Palmetto Championships in Belton. The tournament is a national qualifying tournament for South Carolina juniors.

The 53^rd annual championship again will attract the state’s top players in all divisions, but will be missing some this year because, like on Hilton Head Island, school is still in session. With headquarters site within view of the South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame, the tournament annually uses courts throughout Belton and nearby Anderson.

Carter is top seed in Girls’ 14s and Erkan in Girls’ 16s, while Woodson holds #2 seed in Boys’ 14s and O’Koniewski #2 in Girls’ 18s. Other HHI juniors are seeded: Cameron Kriscunas, Girls’ 10s #4; Valerie Droop and Natalie Kitchen co-#5; Michelle Green Girl’s 18s #4

On Wednesday the 10^th, the annual Palmetto Fling will be held, a party that includes presentation of portraits of the 2008 inductees into the South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame, Will Bull of Myrtle Beach and the late Max Grubbs of Belton and Anderson. The portraits will be added to those of earlier inductees in the Hall of Fame.

7 States Competing

HHI, Area Players Winning in Southern Senior Cup Team Play in Alabama

HUNTSVILLE AL (TENNIS E-NEWS VIA Internet) – Hilton Head Island and Bluffton players are leading South Carolina’s team with early wins in the Southern Senior Cup, the nine-state competition in men’s and women’s age divisions 35, 45, 55, 65 and 75. South Carolina is the defending champion. The team event will play through Sunday.

Here are results from Friday matches. Teams play two singles and one doubles in each age division, with points awarded for every court won. The points accumulate for the overall championship.

In Women’s 45s, Nancy Szen got SC’s only win, taking the #2 singles over Janet Moseley of North Carolina 6-2, 7-5.

In a 3-0 win over Georgia, Donna McKenna of Bluffton won at #2 singles, beating Janel McGinley 6-2, 6-2.

In Women’s 65s, SC defeated Georgia 3-0 with HHI’s Judy Levering and Ann Hunt both winning singles. Levering beat Merrie Ann Park 6-4, 6-0 and Hunt won 6-1, 6-0 over Bobbie Campanaro.

In SC’s 2-1 loss to Tennessee in Men’s 45s, HHI’s Scott Nichols defeated Dirick Welsh 6-3, 6-3.

Pat Child of HHI won singles and doubles in SC’s 3-0 win over North Carolina in Men’s 55s. He beat Bob Lake 6-4, 1-6, 7-5, then teamed with Andy Steingold for a 6-1, 7-6 win over Lake and J. McCoy.

Back on Court Early for Busy Sunday

Sun Comes Out, Stays Out; So Do Players in The Banana Open

HILTON HEAD ISLAND SC (TENNIS E-NEWS) – The 30^th annual Banana Open got a late start today because of the early morning rain, but filled the courts at Palmetto Dunes Tennis Center throughout the day and into the night.

Matches will resume early Sunday.

No further scores posted.

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Upcoming Tournaments/Activity:

May 30-June 7: USTA Women’s $10,000 Satellite Tournament / Van der Meer Tennis Center / Sponsored by Head/Tail / Qualifying May 31-June 1 / Main Draw June 2-7 / Free to spectators; player exhibitions included. / For information, call Justyn Schelver 785-8388 ext 119.

June 5-7: The Banana Open / Palmetto Dunes Tennis Center / Men’s & Women’s singles and doubles, plus mixed doubles / Rating levels 2.5 through Open / Winners advance to Banana Open Challenge in October / Call PD at 785-1152.

June 18-21: Sun City Senior Doubles Tournament / Sun City Tennis Club / USTA-sanctioned age and rating divisions in men’s, women’s & mixed doubles / TennisLink ID #704100909 / for additional info contact Ernie Clark at tennisracquets@yahoo.com.

June 26-28: Beaufort Summer Splash!! / Beaufort Tennis Center/Beaufort High School / USTA-sanctioned / Men's, women's and mixed NTRP divisions (ID #704110609) / For information, contact Cathy McGill at catmcgill@embarqmail.com.

TENNIS E-News FootNote

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( ) Economical Eddie inquired about a hearing aid and asked the price range.

( ) “From $2 to $2,000,” replied the salesperson.

(___) “I’ll take the $2 one,” Eddie said, quickly. “How does it work?”

“Stick this button in your ear and run this little string down to your pocket,” said the clerk. “It doesn’t help your hearing, but when people see it on you, they’ll talk louder.”

-- Dennis Malick