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Local seniors win big at Daytona Beach

By NANCY MORGAN
Published May 25, 2006

Three local senior tennis teams claimed state titles last weekend in Daytona Beach in the USTA Florida Senior Section Championships.

Winning state and qualifying for USTA National Championships were the McMullen 4.0 women, Renaissance Vinoy 4.0 men and Feather Sound Country 3.0 men.

A fourth team, McMullen 3.0 women, finished 2-2.

Ria Graham, captain of the McMullen 4.0 senior women who survived a competitive local league to advance to the section event, said she felt lucky with the way the lineups matched up at states.

"I took one match at a time and didn't dare go any farther than the next match," Graham said. "I felt we were lucky to get to state and I hoped for the best.

"At state, I hoped the right team would meet up with the right opponents, and it was somewhat of a guessing game in setting the lineup."

McMullen jumped off to a 3-0 win over Ocala in its first match on the play of Pat Kelly and Lynn Klein in No. 1, Marion Murch and Hank Skoczen in No. 2 and Graham and Nancy Morgan in No. 3. McMullen won its next two matches 2-1 over Winter Haven and Lee/Charlotte to claim its flight and advance to the semifinal.

Against Sarasota, Graham and Morgan won in No. 2 in a third-set tiebreaker and Murch and Skoczen won in No. 3, 6-1, 7-5.

Graham and Morgan won the No. 3 final 6-3, 6-2 against Pensacola and Murch and Skoczen rebounded to collect a third-set tiebreaker in No. 2 for the team win.

"Our last match was a thriller," Graham said. In the third set, Hank and Marion were down 7-2 in the 10-point tiebreaker and came back to win 11-9.

"Most everyone on our team has gone to nationals at some point, and that will help us when we go this year to nationals this year."

The Vinoy opened its five-team flight competition with a 2-1 win over North Palm Beach. After a 2-1 loss to Fort Walton, the Vinoy beat Treasure Coast 3-0 and Gainesville 2-1 to win its flight and advance to the semifinal with South Miami.

In the final against Jacksonville, the Vinoy won 2-1.

Pat Augustine, captain of Feather Sound's 3.0 senior squad, said she felt the team had a good chance at sectionals. The majority of the team won the 6.5 Senior Combo state title in January and the Super Senior 6.0 championship in April.

Last weekend, Feather Sound kept up its winning ways by collecting four-of-four wins in its five-team division. In its first match against Lee/Charlotte, George Frey and George Ditzel won their first of three matches with a 6-1, 6-1 score in No. 2. Combined with Augustine and Blane Sherk's 6-1, 6-1 win in No. 3, Feather Sound scored a 2-1 team win in its opening match.

Frey paired with Tom Riley in No. 1 and Augustine with Tom Schultz in No. 2 to claim Feather Sound's next 2-1 win over Tallahassee.

A 3-0 victory over Naples on the play of Schultz and Terry Sandman in No. 1, Frey and Ditzel No. 2 and Augustine and Sherk No. 3 placed Feather Sound in the driver's seat for its final match.

Feather Sound took two positions, with Sherk and Augustine in No. 2 and Frey and Ditzel in No. 3.

Robert Shuck and Roger Rogers round out the squad.

The 4.0 senior sectionals are Oct. 13-15 in Palm Springs, Calif., and the senior 3.0 championships are Oct. 27-29 in Tucson, Ariz.

Earlier this month, the McMullen senior 4.5 men and St. Petersburg Tennis Center senior 4.5 women claimed state titles and will compete in nationals Oct. 20-22 in Tucson.

In all, Pinellas teams collected five of the eight senior Florida titles.

McMullen Tennis Complex hosted more than 100 junior competitors in last weekend's Memories in Clearwater state-sanctioned contest. No. 3 seed Shaunte Southern upset the No. 1 seed to win the girls 14-and-under. Second-seed Alexandra Kitchen was a girls 12 finalist, and Jorge Guerra was a finalist in the boys 18.

Collecting consolation wins were Ariana Zayac in girls 16, Julia Teytelbaum 14, Kimberly Herrock 12, Keegan Smith boys 18, Ricky Szymanski 14, Dan Stefan 12 and Ishan Mandani 10.

Bill Christensen upset No. 1 seed Evert Jonsson 6-1, 6-1 to collect the men's 60-and-over Florida State Closed Singles title.

Second-seed Dan Stefan of Largo upset the top seed to win the boys 10 final in this month's Saddlebrook Juniors Championships. Seminole's Julia Sikorski reached the girls 14 final.

A Ladies Doubles Blend League is forming for Wednesday mornings. Each team consists of three teams with a combined NTRP rating of 6.5. Cost is $30 for each team of three squads. Sign up with Linda Kettell, 403-8588 or lhktennis@aol.com by May 31.

The 16th annual Memorial Day Charity Tennis Tournament is this weekend at East Lake Woodlands. The men's, women's and mixed doubles NTRP contest will benefit the Arthritis Foundation. For information, call 785-2212 or e-mail TennisCharity@aol.com ... The Phil Green Tennis Academy Summer Classic is June 2-4 for boys and girls. Call 724-7729.

News for this column may be faxed to 796-5559; e-mailed to namorgan46@msn.com or sent to 710 Court St., Clearwater, FL 33756. Please include a phone number.

[Last modified May 25, 2006, 00:55:15]