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Tennis

Four local leagues nab state crowns

By NANCY MORGAN
Published January 24, 2007

The 2006 USTA league year completed this month with its largest-ever event in Daytona Beach.

More than 870 players participated in the senior and adult Combo Doubles League State Championships.

Ten local league winners qualified for the statewide competition and four returned champions. Two came in second.

Winning were Treasure Island Tennis and Yacht Club senior women's 6.5, St. Petersburg Tennis Center senior men's 7.5, Feather Sound Country Club senior men's 6.5 and Countryside Country Club adult women's 6.5 team. Finishing second were McMullen senior women's 7.5 and Feather Sound's adult 7.5.

Countryside and SPTC were first-time participants in the three-year-old league while Treasure Island and Feather Sound were defending champions.

"I had confidence in our team defending last year's title, but at the same time, there wasn't a time I felt like we had it won," said Victoria Hess, Treasure Island's captain. "What I did know was that I didn't want the outcome to be determined by the tiebreak of counting sets and games."

A turning point for Treasure Island came when the squad beat Gainesville 2-1 in its second match. Denise Reaves and Christine Jones scored a victory in No. 1, but a 15-13 third-set tiebreak win by Susan Barnes and Kathleen Dabney clinched the win.

Rounding out the team were Jan Hanson, Genean Cole, Elaine Keen, Patsy Voightmann and Carol Dunne.

George Pequignot, captain of the SPTC senior 7.5 team, thought he had a strong team, and three consecutive wins to collect the state title confirmed his confidence.

"We certainly hoped to win, and I felt we had a team capable of winning," Pequignot said. "It wasn't easy and it came down to the last match. The competition was more intense than I thought it would be and it was a total team effort."

Wendall Walker and Roger Pryor paired to win in all three matches. Rounding out the squad were Pequignot, John Green, John Beda, B.J. Cendreva and Pat Bitonti. Other team members include Bill Pullen, Andris Cakarnis and Jim Kennerly.

Feather Sound senior 6.5 men beat Gainesville and Lee/Charlotte 2-1, followed by a 3-0 win over Gainesville. That match, said captain Pat Augustine, clinched the state title, even with one match remaining.

"That win gave Gainesville its second loss and Lee/Charlotte already had two losses," said Augustine. Joining Augustine were George Frey, Bob Hicks, Blane Sherk, Bill Baxter, Terry Sandman, Tom Schultz, Phillip Sealund, Tom Riley, Rogers Rogers, George Ditzel and Robert Bream.

Other results included second-place finishes by Feather Sound 6.5 adult men and McMullen 7.5 senior women. Safety Harbor Spa adult women 7.5 placed fourth in its flight, St. Petersburg Country Club adult women 8.5 fifth in flight play, McMullen adult men 7.5 second in its flight and McMullen adult men 8.5 third in flight action.

JUNIORS: In this month's sectional tournaments, top seed Anastasia Nefedova won the girls 10 title, as did Dan Stefan the boys 10. Becky Bodine was second in the 14 and Alexandra Cercone placed third in the 18.

- Sean Westacott won the Train Smart Tennis Junior Rookie boys 16 title last month.

- Among the winners in this month's Junior Championships at the St. Petersburg Tennis Center were top seeds Julia Sikorski in the girls 14, Mason Beiler boys 10 and Ricky Szymanski 14 and unseeded Bruno Ambrosini 18. Barbara Bonec advanced to the girls 18 final, as did No. 3 Michael Beiler in the boys 14.

- Collecting wins in this month's Countryside Winter Junior Rookie contest were Rebecca Wehling in the girls 14, top seeds Parker Hayslett in boys 10 and Logan Weyand 12, Steven Bruzek 14, Sean Westacott 16 and Jonathan Jimenez 18.

COMING UP: Ultimate Tennis signups continue through Jan. 31. Visit www.ultimatetennis.com or call 347-2522.

News for this column may be faxed to Nancy Morgan, 445-4119; e-mailed to namorgan@tampabay.rr.com or sent to 710 Court St., Clearwater, FL 33756. Please include phone number.

[Last modified January 24, 2007, 07:10:37]