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Tennis

Long layoffs no hindrance to K-Swiss champs

By NANCY MORGAN
Published January 25, 2006

Champions recently were crowned in the Tampa Bay K-Swiss Fall Championships.

Among the winners were Largo's Mike Shapiro in the 5.0 and Vern Wilson in the 4.0-minus, St. Petersburg's Don Cobin in the 4.5 and Gaby Montero the 4.0.

Also winning were Clearwater's Melody Raetz (4.0-minus), Michael Halisky (6.0), Dr. Jimmy Gatza (6.0-minus) and David Connell (3.5-minus), Palm Harbor's Suzanne Jones (3.5) and Tarpon Springs' Tunisia Abraham (2.5).

Shapiro, 50, resumed playing tennis about a year ago, primarily to get back in shape.

"I played on the high school team in Connecticut and in college at Jacksonville," Shapiro said. "Then when I was about 24, I stopped playing for nearly 26 years. The main reason I started playing tennis again was to get in shape, but what I've found are some great people and have found great camaraderie."

Shapiro credits his forehand, consistency and mobility with his success, plus his ability to mix up his shots. In his first K-Swiss season, Shapiro advanced to the final and won in straight sets over Clearwater's Jeffrey Mahnke.

It had been almost four years since Wilson had played in the K-Swiss league when he entered the 4.0-minus fall season. Wilson said he hadn't even been on a tennis court a half-dozen times in those four years.

"I think I got a little lucky in K-Swiss, especially in the playoffs," Wilson said. "In the quarterfinal, my opponent was ahead 5-2 and had to default. In my semifinal match, I hyperextended a knee, so when we got delayed for the final because of the weather, it helped me."

Wilson, who plays most of his tennis at the Largo Tennis Center at the Southwest Complex, won his title match in straight sets.

Cobin, a former high school and college baseball player from New York, started playing tennis in high school but didn't become a regular player until about four years ago when his family moved to Florida.

"I have a bit of an unorthodox style that I think throws off some players," Cobin said. "I don't have a great baseline game, so I attack the net on almost everything. Plus, I'm a lefty and, until players adjust to that, I get some easy points."

Pinellas players reaching the Tampa Bay final round were Kay Willis (3.0), Christy Whitehurst (4.0), Joanna Valone (4.5), Jeff Lahm (3.0), Mike Pease (3.5-minus), Jiri Faja (3.5), Trey Reiber (4.5-minus), Mahnke (5.0), Tim Jennings (5.5) and John Kenny (6.0-minus).

Tampa Bay champions in the women's 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 and 4.5 divisions and men's 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5 and 5.0 were to challenge Southwest winners for the K-Swiss Regional Championships.

Signups for the K-Swiss spring season conclude today. Register online at www.ultimatetennis.com or call 347-2522.

NET SHOTS: Vince Chiarelli, owner of String Along With Vince in Largo, is one of 12 stringers at the Australian Open. Chiarelli, a master racquet technician certified by the U.S. Racquet Stringers Association, has also strung for professionals at the French Open, China Open and Nasdaq-100 events.

JUNIORS: Lindsay Dvorak defended her top seeding to win the girls 16-and-under singles championship in the Lakeland Winter Sectional. Dvorak fought off the second seed in a three-set final.

Danielle Collins and Rebecca Bodine outlasted Emily Dvorak and Bradenton's Mary Chupa to win the girls 14 doubles title at the Bardmoor Golf and Tennis Club. Anthony Barrancotto placed third in 12 singles with wins over the No. 12, No. 4 and No. 7 seeds. Julia Sikorski reached the semis.

In the 18 competition in Tampa, George Navas was second, Nicholas Berning reached the consolation semifinals and 13-year old Alexandra Cercone played to the round of 16. Alexandra Kitchen reached the round of 16 in singles and won the consolation draw.

Among the winners in the New Year's Kickoff at Tampa Palms Country Club were Morgan Basil in the girls 18, Krafen Mihajlov boys 14 and Damian Rossi the 16.

Yurina Kunishima won the girls 18 singles in the Countryside Winter Junior Rookie and Alexandra Biver collected the girls 12 consolation.

TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS: Almost 120 players competed in the Tournament of Champions, the Suncoast Tennis Foundation's annual fundraising doubles event.

Among the winners in the men's competition were Chris Skinner and Mark Wagner (5.0), Mark Curran and Chris Rivera (4.5), Todd Goldman and Jerry Silva (4.0), Sanford Felder and Kevin Schuyler (3.5) and Brian Graham and Steve Sherlip (3.0). Recording wins for the women were Judy Morris and Linda Thomson in the 4.5, Lisa Durkin and Mari Workman 4.0 and Jill Faw and Charlotte Tao the 3.5.

Straight-set winners in mixed were Morris and Graham Bell (4.5), Michele Pennie and Eric Watson (4.0), Janet Matthews and John Green (3.5) and Elisabeth Leitner and Allen Sanchez (3.0).

COMING UP: The seventh annual Rotary Tennis and Golf Challenge is Saturday at Treasure Bay. The men's and women's doubles round robin is 9 a.m.-noon. Call 360-6062.

[Last modified January 25, 2006, 00:55:16]