The Dan Sullivan Homecoming Invitational started 35 years ago as an opportunity for former students of the respected teaching professional to get together for a day of tennis and reminiscing.
Since 1968, the event had grown into a labor of love for Sullivan, who died in April at 83.
The competition last weekend at the St. Petersburg Tennis Center was no different for the 32 players and numerous spectators.
"Dan always had a way of calling something he especially liked a beauty," Jeff Davis said, "and he would have called a day like Saturday just that - a beauty."
Davis, along with Sam Vuille, organized the invitational this year in Sullivan's memory.
"This being the first year without Dan, we all wanted to continue the event that he had started some time ago," Davis said.
Proceeds, he said, will go to the Dan Sullivan Memorial Fund, established to provide assistance to the First Serve grassroots program at the tennis center.
Players were divided into two divisions of 16 each and played five rounds of doubles, switching partners after 16 points. The top two point-winners in each division entered a playoff.
Larry Turville and Dave Anderson advanced to the playoff from the North division, along with Davis and Eli Samaha from the South.
Samaha, 19, qualified after beating Mike Newberry in a singles playoff for second in the division. Newberry won the invitational in 1977 and 1987.
In the championship playoff, Anderson teamed with Samaha to win 9-7 over Davis and Turville. Anderson then played with Turville and won 11-5 over Samaha and Davis. In the final round, Anderson and Davis tied Turville and Samaha 8-8.
When the scoreswere tallied, Anderson edged Turville by a point.
"I grew up playing here and have a lot of great memories here," Anderson, 31, said. "Certainly with the passing of Dan, this year's event is even more significant for all of us."
It is the third title for Anderson, a 1990 graduate of Lakewood High and a South Florida alum. Turville has won five and was the defending champion. Davis holds the lead in wins with six.
"Playing this is just a great tradition and we want to keep it going," said Turville, a nationally ranked player living in Ohio.
Also playing were brothers Mike, Paul, T.J. and Steve Reilly; Paul and Peter Haggar; Mike Carroll, John Block, Tim and Pat Brady; Jack Carey; Mike Newberry; John Kunnen; Ed Reese; Jeff Winkler; Mike Zinn; Tom Robison; Ralph Howe; Scott Dei; Bill Funk; Jerry Meaders; Terry O'Grady; Brad Welch.
Other out-of-town players included John Mitchell from North Carolina, Bill Davis from Tennessee; Armisted Neely from Georgia and Thinh Duong from Virginia. Haley Dodson, 19, was on leave from his first semester at the Naval Academy.
SOUTH PINELLAS LEAGUE: Fourteen women's teams in two divisions and nine men's in two completed the fall session of the South Pinellas Doubles League.
Winning the six-team women's 3.0-3.5 competition was the St. Petersburg Tennis Center. The St. Petersburg Country Club Smashers won the eight-team 3.5-4.0 division.
Joining captain Joan Malone on the SPTC team were Caroline Repetta, Joanne Autieri, Kathy Myers, Greta Eadie, Millie Steckman, Marguerite Elkins and Barbara Donahue. Mary Pat Howley, captain of the Smashers, scheduled players Sue Carter, Vicki Smith, Mary Wolfe, Betsy Wells and Suzanne Alvarez.
Treasure Island Tennis and Yacht Club's Blue team won the men's 3.0-3.5 division and Seminole Lake Tennis Center the 3.5-4.0. TI captain Ralph Capasso was joined by Ken Jones, Steve Newman, Tom LaJeunesse and Bill Hedley.
Red McGarry, captain of Seminole, was joined by Jim Johnson, Jim McCook, Jason Lewis, Mike Parker, Larry Daum, Rob Rafalow and Jeff Opponheim.
NET SHOTS: A captains' meeting for the adult USA League Tennis squads is scheduled at 7 p.m. Jan. 8 at Feather Sound Country Club. For information, contact coordinators Carol Levin (797-8416), Ruth Ann Ott (526-7966) or Clark Higgs (724-0509).
COMING UP: The SPTC Junior Championships are Jan. 10-12 at the St. Petersburg Tennis Center. Call the center, (727) 823-2225.
