The Singles Championship:
The 2014 Ladies US Open kicked off with four round of 16 singles matches on Friday November 7th. Helen Grassi and Alex Klara were the first match of the championship at high noon with Grassi prevailing in straight sets. Rackets aficionado Shi-Nan Zhang and Petra Napolitano were next on the docket. Napolitano was determined to keep her foot on the pedal before Zhang got the hang of the bounces and chases, as her comfort level increased game by game. Napolitano emerged victorious in straight sets with some fantastic rests enjoyed by the spectators. Dara Walsh and Sara Hamilton were next up to grace the Tuxedo Club court; with Walsh’s experience and controlled play being too much for Hamilton to overcome. The last round of 16 match paired up two New Englanders; Beth Winthrop from the National Tennis Club and Suzy Schwartz from the Boston Tennis & Racquet Club. Winthrop got off to a fast start, but Schwartz righted the ship and moved on to the quarter-finals.
Quarter – Finals
Saturday morning the 8th of November was quarter-final morning in the Ladies singles draw. 2013 Ladies Singles Champion Tara Lumley made her tournament debut against hard-hitting Petra Napolitano. Napolitano stuck to her aggressive game plan and played some fantastic tennis, but Lumley covered the court like extremely well and was mostly error free in a straight sets victory. Dara Walsh and Amanda Avedissian were next to take the court and played three amazingly long games to start out the match…with Avedissian taking all three, and gaining momentum on her way to a straight set victory. Former World Champion Penny Lumley and Suzy Schwartz were the third quarter-final of the morning, and while Schwartz showed flashes of brilliance, Lumley’s lack of errors and great length on her shots earned her a place in the semi-finals. The last quarter-final of the day were Tuxedo’s Xanthe Ranger and Boston’s Helen Grassi, and the pair provided the partisan crowd with some fantastic rests, with Ranger earning the final spot in the semi-finals.
Semi-Finals
Will the Lumley’s make history and become the first?? Parent – Child pair to compete for an Open Singles title? They must first get by the hurdles presented by Amanda Avedissian and Xanthe Ranger. In the 1st semi-final, Tara Lumley sprinted to a 5/1 lead in the first set before Avedissian found her range and rhythm. Avedissian ran off ten straight games to take a 6/5 5/0 lead and the spectators starting talking about the upcoming P. Lumley / Ranger semi-final. Lumley had other plans as she took it one point at a time, chipping away at the ‘insurmountable’ lead…and before anyone knew it the match was level at one set all, with Lumley having evened things winning the second set 6/5….GAME ON! Avedissian regrouped and surged to a 4/2 lead in the third set; before déjà vu set in again as Lumley methodically worked her way back into the match earning a hard fought 6/4 victory in the third set…one Lumley into the Final.
The dedans were full as Tuxedo’s Xanthe Ranger took the court against former World Champion Penny Lumley; the pre-tournament ‘favorite’. Ranger stuck to her game plan and played some fantastic offensive tennis, producing many ‘oohs & aah’s’ from the spectators. Lumley weathered the storm like the former World Champion she is, producing some spectacular retrieving and counter punching to earn her spot in the Final….against her daughter!!
Final
Lumley vs. Lumley….a historic ‘1st??’ in Court Tennis…A Parent vs. A Child for an Open Title!! Very exciting not only for the players, but also the court tennis aficionados lining the dedans. Penny started off playing solid, error free tennis allowing the youngster’s nerves to show a bit allowing for a straight forward first set to the former world champion. Tara settled down in the second set much to the delight of the crowd, which was treated to a back and forth battle with Penny winning a tight second set 6/4 and the 2014 US Open Ladies Singles Title!
The Doubles Championship:
Six teams competed for the 2014 Ladies US Court Tennis Open Doubles Title!
Quarter-Finals
On Friday November 7th two quarter-final matches were played.
- · P. Napolitano and D. Walsh defeated B. Winthrop and S. Zhang
- · S. Schwartz and H. Grassi defeated A. Klara and S. Hamilton
Following the Napolitano/Walsh & Winthrop/Zhang tilt….players and spectators enjoyed a Pasta Bar dinner at the Tennis House.
Semi – Finals
The top two teams in the draw – Penny & Tara Lumley along with Amanda Avedissian and Xanthe Ranger proved to be too strong for their opponents and set up a highly anticipated Doubles Final.
· Lumley/Lumley defeated Napolitano/Walsh
· Avedissian/Ranger defeated Schwartz/Grassi
Final
Ninety minutes after the singles final…..Penny and Tara Lumley took to the court for the doubles final against Amanda Avedissian and Xanthe Ranger. The Tuxedo community lined the dedans excited for a good match, but to also support Tuxedo Xanthe Ranger. Power Tennis vs. Control and Length was the pre-match talk with opinions flowing both ways as to the outcome. The Lumley’s standard of play had a definitive impact on the outcome, propelling them to a well-played, well-earned 6/1 6/3 victory
Submitted by: Dawson Lane
