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Entry Deadline for AMD's Director's Cup is September 8
Entries are being accepted through Saturday, Sept. 8 for the AMD Directors' Cup, the District Championship adult tournament that will be held at North Allegheny High School in Wexford on the weekend of Sept. 15-16 and Sept. 22-23.
There will be singles and doubles competition for both men and women in the Open division, as well as 35, 45, 55 and 65 age divisions. Mixed doubles competition also will be held in the Open, 35, 45, 55, 65 age divisions. Any event with two entrants will run. There will be round robin play if there are not enough entrants for a full draw.
Entry fee is $10 for each singles participant and $10 for each doubles team.
Checks should be made out to USTA/MS/AMD and sent to Jim Block, 201 Pine Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15237. You may e-mail the tournament director at block41@verizon.net
Riske Turns Heads at U.S. National; Earns Trip to U.S. Open
Alison Riske of Peters Township skyrocketed into national prominence at the Aug. 2-9 Girls' 18 U.S. National Hardcourt Championships at Berkeley, Calif. Riske won her first six matches, including a straight-set upset of the No. 1 seed, and found herself in the finals before a crowd of new admirers that included tennis legend Billie Jean King.
Riske lost in the final to No. 2 seed Ashley Weinhold of Spicewood, Texas but her tournament performance earned her a wild card into the U.S. Open Qualifier and into the U.S. Open Girls' championship as well. She also won the Sportsmanship Trophy in the tournament that had 256 entrants.
Two weeks ago in the U.S. Open Qualifier, Riske won her first match 6-2, 7-6(4) over Sorana Cirstea, 17, of Romania, ranked No. 140 in the world. She lost in the second round, 6-2, 6-1, to Julie Ditty of the U.S.
This week Riske won her first round match in the U.S. Open Girls' Championships with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 victory over Aleksandra Kolesnicmenko of Uzbekistan. Next up is Katarzyna Piter of Poland and then a possible match with the No. 1 junior in the world, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia.
Riske's run was so impressive at the U.S. Nationals in Berkeley that the official tournament website called Riske the “darling” of the event who was pursuing a “storybook” quest for the title. Tennis legend Billie Jean King was so impressed that she left her suite in the nearby Claremont Hotel overlooking the tennis center to come courtside for a closer look.
“Riske is the one who impressed me,” King said. “She is in every ball. Every ball had purpose. ”
For Riske, who entered the hardcourts hoping to just earn a wildcard into the U.S. Open Girls' Championships, the meeting with King and the invitation to the big dance in New York was beyond description.
“I can't believe I just talked to Billie Jean King,” said Riske. “That is something that I will remember for the rest of my life!”
AMD Players Excel at National Senior Games
The National Senior Games (sometimes called the Senior Olympics)
concluded July 7 in Louisville, Kentucky. The competition, which started on
June 30, featured a strong contingent from the Pittsburgh area in the tennis events. These players, all Allegheny Mountain District members, qualified for the games by entering the Pennsylvania Senior games in Shippensburg, PA in 2006.
Representing Pennsylvania were Norm Bloom, Men's 70 singles; Len Fechter, Bob Malnati and Sal Greco, Men's 65 singles; Malnati and Jim Watson, Men's 60 doubles; Chuck Taylor, Men's 55 singles; Taylor and Fechter, Men's 55 doubles, Jim Block, Men's 50 singles; Colleen Geyer; Women's 50 Singles; and Block and Geyer, 50 mixed doubles.
This group of players did very well, led by Chuck Taylor, who defended the gold medal he won at the 2005 games by again bringing home a gold in 55 singles, dropping no more than four games a match. He also added a silver medal in 55 doubles with Len Fechter.
Jim Block also brought home a gold medal in 50 singles by winning match tiebreakers in both the semis and finals, and added silver in mixed with Geyer. Geyer and Fechter both won a silver medal in singles in their age groups. Due to a larger draw size in the men's 65 singles, Len had to play two matches daily for three days in the brutal heat and humidity of Louisville to reach the finals. (Geyer also won three silvers, a bronze and a sixth place ribbon in swimming events).
Norm Bloom came in fifth in 70 singles, while Bob Malnati and Jim Watson were finalists in the 60 consolation doubles.
Western Pennsylvania proved to be a strong tennis community at the 2007 National Senior Games!
Congratulations to the League Champions
Congratulations to all the winning teams from all the USTA/MS/AMD leagues! This year 1363 players from 114 teams participated in the three summer leagues; the Adult, Senior, and Super Senior leagues. Thanks to all those who participated! If you have any comments about the NTRP rating system as it relates to your division and you would be willing to share them, please contact Jim Block at 412-364-2062 or block41@verizon.net.
These are the winning teams from each division:
Adult
2.5 Women-Mt. Lebanon, captain Katherine Kovalan
3.0 Men-Greensburg, captain David Walch
3.0 Women-Windwood Power, captain Janet Elizabeth Klesic
3.5 Men-Greensburg Racquet Club, captain Fred G. Kaminsky
3.5 Women-Lakevue Divas, captain Cynthia S. Chapman
4.0 Men-Greensburg Gold, captain Daniel Rusbosin
4.0 Women-Greensburg – Miller, captain Marilyn M. Miller
4.5 Men- Wheeling, captain, Mark Panepinto
4.5 Women-Upper St. Clair, captain Tamara Myers
Super Seniors
7.0 Men-Westmoreland, captain George Stewart
7.0 Women-Greensburg, captain Gerre E. Vecchiola
8.0 Women
Youth Is Served at AMD Summer Adult Tourneys
Adult tournament tennis in the Allegheny Mountain District this summer proved to be a young person's domain, at least in the Open Division for amateurs.
At the National Collegiate Clay Court Championships/West Penn Amateur in early July in Mt. Lebanon, it was 17-year-old Alison Riske of Peters Township winning her first USTA sanctioned adult women's title with a convincing 6-1, 6-0 victory over Carissa Aboubakare, a 17-year-old high school senior from Orange, Calif. At the West Virginia Open three weeks later it was Duquesne University sophomore Jeremy McClelland and recent Duquesne grad Jackie Hughes winning the men's and women's singles titles, respectively, and teaming up to win the mixed doubles championship. For Hughes, it was her third consecutive West Virginia Open singles title, which had only been done once before in the 45-year history of the event.
The youngsters even dominated at the professional level. The July 7 finals of the Dick's Sporting Goods, Inc. Men's Futures of Pittsburgh saw 16-year-old high school junior Rhyne Williams of Knoxville, Tenn. defeat fellow wildcard amateur Travis Helgeson, a 21-year-old junior at the University of Georgia, 6-3, 5-7, 6-2. The internationally ranked professionals had all been dismissed earlier in the tournament. Defending champion Victor Estrella, 27, of the Dominican Republic lost to Helgeson in the semi-finals, 6-4, 7-6 while Williams defeated promising young American Marcus Fugate, 7-5, 7-5 in his semi-final.
The youth movement was pushed aside in August in a prize money event in Erie. Shawn Harrop-Keenan, a 33-year-old teaching pro from Fairlawn, Ohio won the men's singles and the $1,000 first prize in the Champion Ford/Hallman Chevrolet Tennis Challenge at the Pennbriar Athletic Club in Erie August 12. He beat unseeded teaching pro Mark Roberts, 26, of Bridgeville, Pa, who won $400.
Leet Sommerfeld and Jose Raymundo, both adult club players from Pittsburgh, teamed up to win the open doubles title and each earned $250. The tournament had been known as the Pepsi Challenge for a number of years.
In the district's adult amateur tournaments this summer, however, Chris Compton, a Pittsburgh stock broker, was one of the few adult “veterans” to prevail in the open division. The 2002 Denison University grad won the men's singles title at the 34th Straub Brewery Clay Courts Championships in St. Mary's, Pa. on Memorial Day weekend and then teamed up with his younger brother Brian Compton of Cincinnati and Rollins College to win the men's doubles at the NCCC/West Penn over a very strong collegiate field.
Defending champion Jordan DeLass of Samford University won the 2007 men's singles title of the NCCC/West Penn with 6-1, 6-3 victory over Andrew Crone, Hickory, N.C.
Carissa Aboubakare teamed with her sister Bianca, 18, a freshman this fall at Brown, to win the Women's doubles title of the NCCC/West Penn, beating the team of Marisa Schonfeld of Washington, D.C. and Theresa Stangl of Lincoln University, Pa. in the final.
Riske teamed with recent Upper St. Clair High School grad Chris Foster to win the mixed doubles championship of the NCCC/West Penn. In the final they defeated the team of Kristy Borza of Beaver and the University of Pittsburgh and Marcus Rebersak, 16 of Churchill, 8-4.
Three weeks later at the West Virginia Open, Foster, who will be a freshman this fall at Allegheny College, reached the Men's finals, losing to McClelland in three sets. He trailed 5-3 in the third set before being forced to retire due to cramping.
McClelland and Hughes prevailed in the Mixed Open final, 7-6 (5), 6-4 over Shannon Benic, a sophomore at the University of Pittsburgh, and Alan Quackenbush, the director of tennis at Longue Vue Club in Penn Hills and a 1993 Pitt grad. Hughes also beat Benic in the women's singles final, 6-2, 6-1.
The West Virginia Open also crowned champions in a number of different age/gender divisions. Mark Panepinto of Wheeling, George Learmonth, York, Pa. . and William Moldoch of Severna Park, Md. won the men's 35, 45 and 55 singles titles, respectively. More information, photographs and results of both tournaments are featured on the USTA's Allegheny Mountain District website at www.amd.usta.com.
Finals Results, July 29, 2007
USTA MS Sectional Championships - West Virginia Open
Men's Open Singles -- Jeremy McClelland (1), Wheeling, W.Va. def. Chris Foster Pittsburgh, 6-0; 3-6; 5-3 Ret (inj).
Women's Open Singles -- Jacqueline Hughes (1) McKeesport, Pa. def. Shannon Benic Pittsburgh, 6-2; 6-1.
Men's Open Doubles -- Casey Moser / Justin Thomas (1) def. John Davis / Billy Heird (2) 6-1; 6-2.
Men's 35 Singles -- Mark Panepinto (2), Wheeling, W.Va. def. Robert Wise, West Liberty, W.Va. , 6-4; 6-1.
Men's 45 Singles -- George Learmonth, York, Pa. def. Gerald Cannon (4) E. Liverpool, Oh. , 6-2; 6-0.
Men's 55 Singles -- William Moldoch (1), Severna Park, MD def. John Davis (2) York, Pa. , 6-2; 3-6; 7-6(5).
Men's 45 Doubles -- Rob Adsit / Mendez Manuel (1) def. Gerald Cannon / Glenn Rader 6-2; 6-3.
Mixed Open Doubles -- Jacqueline Hughes / Jeremy McClelland (1) def. Shannon Benic / Alan Quackenbush 7-6(5); 6-4.
Men's 55 Doubles -- Frank Bova / John Tingley def. Leonard Fechter / Charles Taylor (2) 3-6; 7-5; 6-3.
Mixed 45 Doubles -- William Carpenter / Carol MacLean def. Sue Blevins / John Dorsey 6-1; 6-2
Finals Results – July 6, 2007
National Collegiate Clay Court Championships/West Penn Amateur
At Mt. Lebanon
Men's Singles -- James Delass (1), Marietta, Ga. def. Andrew Crone, Hickory, N.C. , 6-1, 6-3.
Women's Singles -- Alison Riske, Peters Twp. , def. Carissa Aboubakare, Orange, Calif. 6-1, 6-0.
Men's Doubles -- Brian Compton, Cincinnati and Chris Compton, Pittsburgh, def. David Tillem, Atlanta, and Timmy Walsh, Bernardsville, N.J. , 8-4
Women's Doubles -- Bianca Aboubakare and Carissa Aboubakare, Orange, Calif. def. Marisa Schonfeld, Washington, D.C. and Theresa Stangl, Lincoln University, Pa. , 8-4
Mixed Open Doubles -- Alison, Riske, Peters Twp. and Chris Foster, Upper St. Clair (3) def. Kristy Borza, Beaver and Marcus Rebersak, Churchill (4), 8-4.