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TENNIS E-News

Friday, July 10, 2009 Vol. VIII, No. 77
Winner of the South Carolina Media of the Year Award
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Jrs. in Advanced Tournaments

HHI’s Hayley Carter Wins Southern 14s Singles and Doubles Chmps.; Woodson Takes Doubles

HILTON HEAD ISLAND SC (TENNIS E-NEWS via TennisLink) – Ninth-seeded Hayley Carter of Hilton Head Island won the Girls’ 14s singles championship, then teamed with the #1 singles seed Mia King to win doubles in the Southern Boys’ & Girls’ 14s Closed in Macon GA last weekend. Carter fared best of HHI area juniors competing in Southern Section tournaments across the South. Jared Woodson was a doubles champion.

About 250 players competed in each of the boys’ and girls’ age divisions, with most playing singles and doubles. That meant about 1,300 of the South’s best juniors in action over the weekend in five cities. Playing main draw until losing, juniors then dropped into consolation or backdraw rounds.

Carter’s toughest challenge came in the Round of 16 when she upset #2 seed Sydney Campbell of Franklin TN 6-4, 5-7, 6-4. She then rolled through three more seeds -- co-#5 Ellen Jang Milsten of Alpharetta GA 6-0, 6-2 in the quarterfinals, #3 Lindsey Hodge of Roswell GA 6-1, 6-1 in the semis and co-#5 Laura Patterson of Roswell GA 6-1, 6-0 in the championship match. Seeded #3 in doubles, Carter and King, of Hendersonville NC, defeated top-seeded Campbell/Jang Milsten 8-3.

In Boys’ 14s, HHI’s Jared Woodson, seeded #5, won his first two rounds of singles – 6-3, 6-0 over Bill Horst of Columbia SC and 6-3, 7-5 over Andy Martinez of Atlanta. He lost in the Round of 16 to Jordan Harrell of Lithonia GA 6-4, 6-1. Woodson and Harrell teamed in doubles and rolled through five matches for the championship, finishing off with an 8-1 pro set win over the #1 seeds Benjamin Kelley of Weaverville NC and Kevin Le of Raleigh NC.

Also in the Boys’ 14s, HHI’s Jack O’Koniewski lost in the first round to Randy Strause of Prospect KY 6-3; 6-4, then dropped into the consolation rounds and defeated Owen Smith of Atlanta 7-6, 7-6 and Cole Guy of Pine Bluff AR 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 before losing to Alexander Santiago of Isle of Palms SC 6-4, 6-3.

Southern Boys’ and Girls’ 10 Closed in Lexington, Cameron Kriscunas was one of only seven South Carolina juniors chosen for her age division. She lost in the Round of 64 to Kailey King of Louisville KY 7-5; 6-3, but then found success in the back draw, defeating two opponents before losing to Megan Humphreys of Madison MS 6-4; 2-6; 1-0(7). In doubles, she and Katie Stuart of Baton Rouge LA teamed for one win and one loss.

Southern Boys’ and Girls' 12 Closed in Cary NC, HHIslander Natalie Kitchen lost her opening round to Supriya Narisetti of Cary 6-2; 6-1, but then won twice in the back draw before losing to Sarah Zschunke of Smyrna GA 6-0; 6-1.

Southern Boys’ and Girls’ 16 Closed in Rome GA, HHI’s Leyla Erkan, Lindsey Burke, Kelly Cameron each won two main draw rounds before losing – Erkan in the Round of 16, Burke and Cameron in the Round of 64.

Erkan’s main draw loss was to eventual champion #1 seed Caitlyn Williams of Knoxville 6-3, 6-4. Erkan won four matches in the back draw, losing in that final to Frances Altick of Monroe LA 6-2, 6-4. Burke lost to #4 seed Megan Kurey of Alpharetta GA 6-3, 6-0 and won four rounds in consolation before dropping a 6-1, 6-0 match to #9 seed Meghan Blevins of North Charleston SC. Cameron lost to #9 Frances Altick of Monroe LA 6-3, 6-1, then took two consolation rounds before losing to Shannon Murdy of Atlanta 6-1, 6-2. Burke and Cameron teamed in doubles, winning twice but losing in the Round of 16.

Islander Ashley Kitchen won two 16s rounds before losing to #9 seed Nicole Laduca of Woodstock GA 7-6(4), 7-6(4). She won a consolation round, but then lost to Bailey Dodge of Lawrenceville GA 6-2, 6-3.

Southern Boys’ and Girls’ 18 Closed in Little Rock AR, Molly O’Koniewski of HHI and Alrissa Tobe of Bluffton each won main draw first rounds before losing, then won twice in consolation before losing there. O’Koniewski’s main draw loss was to #1 seed and eventual champion Alexandra Anghelescu of Johns Creek GA 6-1, 6-2. After two backdraw wins, she lost to Maria Mira of Baton Rouge LA 6-2, 6-0. Tobe won one then lost to #9 seed Brooke Hawthorne of Atlanta 6-3, 6-2. After two consolation wins, she lost to Neena Wanko of Southern Pines NC.

HHI’s Mo Hookaylo competed in the 18s, but lost first round matches in the main draw and consolation.

Are any of these Southern champions from your former hometown?

Boys’ 18s – Garrett Brasseaux, Covington LA Girls’ 18s – Alexandra Anghelescu, Johns Creek GA

Boys’ 16s – Robbie Mudge, Winston-Salem NC Girls’ 16s – Caitlyn Williams, Knoxville TN

Boys’ 14s – Christian Garay, Columbus GA Girls’ 14s – Hayley Carter, Hilton Head Island SC

Boys’ 12s – Tommy Paul, Greenville NC Girls’ 12s – Vooha Vellanki, Norcross GA

Boys’ 10s – Spencer Brown, Spartanburg SC Girls’ 10s – Mallory Gilmer, Woodstock GA

Combo Players Wanted

5.5 women's – A women’s combo team is being formed at Chaplin Public Tennis Center. A volunteer captain also is being sought. Players in 5.5 Combo can be playing partners whose combined ratings total no higher than 5.5. Interested players (and captain) should contact Tim Ryan at chaplinroundrobin@hotmail.com.

Training at Chaplin Park

Instructing Wheelchair Tennis Workshop Set During PTR/ROHO Championships

HILTON HEAD ISLAND SC (TENNIS E-NEWS) -- Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) will hold an Instructing Wheelchair Tennis Workshop at the Chaplin Park Tennis Center Sept. 13, in conjunction with the USTA Fall Southern PTR/ROHO Wheelchair Championships.

The workshop is open to all tennis teachers and recreation instructors who want to learn the nuances of teaching tennis to people in wheelchairs. Participants will actually use wheelchairs that will be provided at the workshop, in order to understand the special skills required to maneuver the chair and to hit from a modified elevation. Mobility, stroke production and general wheelchair tennis basics are covered in the curriculum. Workshop attendees will be taught the components of chair construction and learn the degree of disability that will vary with each wheelchair athlete.

The cost of the workshop is $65. To register, call PTR Headquarters Monday-Friday at 785-7244 or visit www.ptrtennis.org. Contact: Peggy Edwards at peggy@ptrtennis.org.

TENNIS E-News FootNote

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( ) From The Island Packet, Thursday, Sept. 24, 1998, Page A4:

( ) State Rep. John Graham Altman, R-Charleston, in support of GOP Gov. David Beasley over the Confederate Flag controversy:

(___) “He may be a dufus sometimes, but he’s our dufus.”

-- Dennis Malick