Some of the area’s best high school players have gone on to the next level and are competing well for their college teams this spring.

The most well-known are All-Metro players of the year from 2017: Nina Sorkin (Deep Run) and Chase Bernstine (Goochland), both of whom are at Virginia Tech and have been contributing as freshmen.

Sorkin helped the Hokies (10-4) win their first eight matches before they started ACC play, where they are 1-4 heading into a conference match against Pittsburgh in Blacksburg on March 23. Tech is 7-1 on its home courts.

On the men’s side, Tech captured nine of its first 10 matches, with Bernstine contributing in the lower half of the lineup. The Hokies (9-5) have dropped their first four ACC matches – all of them to teams ranked in the top 16 – going into a March 23 match at Boston College.

Another freshman, Alyssa Hahn (Douglas Freeman), has been playing mostly doubles for Davidson, which has gotten off to a 12-2 start and has won nine consecutive matches. In Hahn’s only singles match, she lost just two games. The Wildcats are 3-0 in Atlantic 10 play.

Former St. Christopher’s standout Matt Fernandez has been playing as high as No. 2 singles for the University of Richmond. The Spiders were 6-8 under new coach Houston Barrick heading into a March 23 match against A-10 for Saint Joseph’s on the newly renovated Westhampton courts.

At James Madison University, Paul Mendoza (Cosby) and Tate Steinour (former Midlothian High standout who now lives in Hilton Head, S.C.) have helped the Dukes get off to a 13-3 start (2-1 in the Colonial Athletic Association).

Mendoza plays No. 1 singles and doubles for JMU, while Steinour has contributed some at No. 6 singles and No. 3 doubles. Mendoza is 11-4 in singles for the Dukes, who have a March 24 match scheduled at Longwood.

Justin Cerny, who was a standout for Trinity Episcopal, is winding up his career at Christopher Newport in fine form. The senior was recognized as the Capital Athletic Conference player of the week for March 12-18.

Cerny led the Captains (6-6) to a pair of victories over Centre College and Virginia Wesleyan. Cerny plays No. 2 singles for CNU and No. 1 doubles. With two singles wins, Cerny eclipsed 50 for his career and moved into the top 10 all-time with 51.

This marked the fifth time Cerny had been honored by the CAC in his career but the first this year. The Captains open conference play on March 24 with a doubleheader against Southern Virginia University and Frostburg State in Newport News.

Freshman Mitch Brody (James River) also contributes on occasion for CNU.

Former Douglas Freeman standout Joseph Brown has contributed at No. 3 singles and No. 3 doubles for the University of Mary Washington, which is 8-2 heading into a March 24 doubleheader vs. Bates and York (Pa.) at home.

The Eagles are the 16th-ranked team in Division III going into the weekend,

On the women’s side at UMW, sophomore Rachel Summers (James River) and senior Caroline Mosberg (Deep Run) propelled the Eagles to a 6-0 start and No. 16 national ranking in Division III before they lost three close matches to highly regarded foes.

Summers has played Nos. 1 and 2 singles while Mosberg fills the Nos. 2 and 3 slots. They have played No. 2 doubles together.

The women’s team at Washington and Lee is 10-3 and ranked No. 14 in Division III, thanks in part to the contributions of sophomore Lily Horsley (St. Catherine’s), who has been a solid middle-of-the-lineup performer for the Generals (6-0 in conference play).

W&L’s next match is a conference meeting in Lynchburg on March 24.

Randolph-Macon has three area players on the men’s team, which has gotten off to a 5-1 start. Sophomore Grant Sarver (Mills Godwin) leads the way at No. 2 singles, while Baxter Carter (St. Christopher’s) at No. 4 and Ryan Berry (James River) at No. 6 are big contributors.

The trio also contributes in all three of the doubles spots for R-MC, which was scheduled to play Bridgewater on March 24 in Ashland.

At Virginia Union, local product Amirah Eckles has helped the Panthers to a 3-2 record. The ex-Varina standout plays No. 5 singles for VUU, which goes to Charlotte, N.C., for a CIAA match with Johnson C. Smith on March 24.

Former Richmonder Williams Howell, who now makes his home in Boca Raton, Fla., has gotten on the court for Notre Dame mainly in doubles and No. 6 singles. The freshman spent his early years in Richmond before moving away with his family.

The Irish were 10-8 going into a home match against North Carolina on March 23.

At Shenandoah, Morgan Fuqua (Mills Godwin) opened the season in the top spot in singles and doubles for the Hornets, who were 2-2 going into a March 24 match against Roanoke in Winchester. The sophomore was also a big contributor as a freshman.

Don’t miss out on a chance to become a 2018 Richmond City Tennis Tennis Champion. This tournament has something for everyone!

• Four divisions: 7.0, 8.0, 9.0, and Open
• Prize money for the winners
• A chance to win tickets to the US Open
• Player dinner and drinks
• Great competition

Register online today

There was a period of time when Battery Park and the North Side of Richmond produced a steady stream of African-American tennis players.

Junie Chatman, Rodney and Marell Harmon, Rozzell Lightfoot and Leonard Booker to name a few. There were hardly any female players emerging from that part of town, although Koren Fleming made the city women’s final one year.

While those days are long gone, the Richmond Tennis Association is aiming to change that scenario by bringing clinics and the Quick Start game for kids to Battery Park and other locations, and giving the more talented and interested children a chance to continue to play and learn.

“We can’t create an Arthur Ashe,” said Fred Bruner, former president of the RTA and an advocate for the inner-city youth. “Arthur Ashe has to be born. But we can certainly give kids an opportunity to change their lives by becoming good high school and maybe college players.”

Ashe, of course, is the Richmond native who won Wimbledon and the U.S. Open during an illustrious career.

“The best thing, to me, is even the kids who aren’t going to carry on with the tennis, the more kids who get exposed to tennis [the better],” said Bruner. “Tennis is a sport that requires self-discipline and will power in order to just be able to play the game.

“Those are the attributes that have been proven to be some of the most significant things in life … the kind of things that make a difference in life. So this is a sport that lets you hone those life skills on the tennis court.”

There are two excellent examples right now of what that support by the RTA can deliver in Nayla Turpin and Makkijha Brown.

Turpin, 13, first became interested in tennis when she attended a clinic at Byrd Park.

“When she was right around seven, Richmond Parks and Recreation had a free program at Byrd Park,” said Jimmy Turpin, a former basketball player at John Marshall High School and Virginia State University.

“Guy named Victor Rizzi was in charge. They started off the summer with about 30 kids. She went every day and by the end of the summer there was one or two kids left, and she was one of them. The game came very natural to her.”

There were several aspects of the game that were very appealing to Nayla.

“I think it was the competitiveness and meeting people,” said Nayla, an eighth-grader at Lucille Brown Middle School. “And just being out there in general was a lot of fun.”

Nayla has been taking lessons for the past year from Janet Fleishman, a teaching pro at Raintree Swim and Racquet Club and winner of the past three city women’s singles championships.

“We have connected very well and she’s very supportive of my tennis and even myself in general,” Nayla said. “She’s always been there for me.”

With her game improving, Nayla will attend Steward School in the fall and is expected to play somewhere in the starting lineup. She has been ranked in the top 100 of three age groups, the 12s, 14s and 16s.

“I just want to make the team next year,” she said. “Travel with them and maybe win the state.”

As far as college goes down the road, “I would like to go to William and Mary or Yale,” Turpin said. Those are lofty goals to be sure, but certainly attainable if she keeps working hard and getting better.

Brown, 14, got interested when he tagged along when his older sister, Zoey, was attending camps under the auspices of the Metro Richmond Tennis Club with George Banks and Guy Walton.

“You know little kids, they are not going to sit still and watch someone else have fun,” said Frank Brown, Makkijha’s father. “So Makkijha picked up a racket and was like ‘Hey, can I join in?” When he joined in, they saw that he kind of had some potential.”

Makkijha Brown showed off that potential again during some National Tennis Day activities at Battery Park, where he caught the eyes of Bruner, Shima Grover and Katrina Adams, a past president of the U.S. Tennis Association.

Makkijha was only eight or nine years old at the time but it was obvious that tennis, not basketball (his previous love) was his sport.

“I used to watch my sister play a lot and it really looked interesting to me,” said Makkijha, who is home schooled. “I liked the scoring aspect. And the game itself, it was really fun. There were so many things about it that I liked.

“It’s kind of fun being by yourself. In singles, you’re able to control the point, control what you’re doing and make adjustments on how you are playing and how your opponent is playing. You’re able to focus a lot better [by yourself].”

As for choosing tennis over basketball – the game of most African-Americans – Makkijha said, “I felt that tennis would be a more challenging and more inspiring sport than basketball.”

Makkijha was the boys recipient of the Greg Semon enthusiasum for the game award for 2017, presented by the RTA in February.

“His love for the game and work ethic is inspiring for those players, as well as for the coaches, who have had the pleasure of working with him,” said Jamie Morgan, who has worked with Makkijha for the past several years.

Morgan, formerly an assistant coach at the University of Richmond, lives in Winchester now, so Makkijha makes the three-hour ride from Richmond with his father to continue the lessons. He will sometimes spend a week with Morgan.

“Some nights I get back home at 2 a.m. from that drive,” said Frank Brown, an IT specialist for Bon Secours Health System. “I have to be at work at 8 so ….” In other words, some sacrifices have to be made for Makkijha to keep up with his peers.

Brown said he is trying to get Makkijha into one of the local schools for high school in the fall. The final two possibilities are St. Christopher’s and Steward, and he expects to find out in the next month or so if he will be accepted.

Turpin and Brown are examples of what the RTA hopes will be another generation of African-Americans similar to the Harmons and Chatmans of another generation.

“If you’re going to attract kids to a game, they have to see success,” said Bruner. “If you have a kid like Makkijha or a kid like Nayla doing very well, the kids at Battery Park, Byrd Park or Westover see them playing and competing.

“They find out, number one, how hard they’re working because they are working hard. They’re going to clinics, they’re taking private lessons and doing tournaments, and they’re seeing that’s what it takes to get to the next level.”

Bruner and the RTA are ready to lend a helping hand to those seriously interested in learning about the game and what it takes to climb the ladder toward high school and college success.

This year will mark the 9th Annual Keith Mumford Memorial Doubles Shootout Tournament and it continues to be one of the best tennis events in Richmond. Players compete in Men’s and Ladies Open division and NTRP 3.0, 4.0, and 4.5 divisions.

Register for the tournament here

Don’t miss the BBQ Fundraiser following the tournament:

Saturday, May 19 at 7:00pm

7703 Dartmoor Road
Richmond, VA 23229

Donate to the BBQ Fundraiser 

In an effort to slow down the powerful duo of Mason Davis Wright and Hunter Koontz, the Mercedes-Benz Greater Richmond Mixed Doubles tournament brought in a pair of “ringers” for the April 19-20 event at acac-Midlothian.

John Karlawish of Raleigh, N.C., who played as high as No. 2 singles for the University of Richmond this season before leaving the team, was Laura LaFors’ partner, while Brandon Wozniczka was a highly regarded junior out of Chicago who is now an assistant pro at acac.

It didn’t make any difference.

For the second year in a row, Wright and Koontz swept through the draw, completing their dominance with an 8-3 victory over LaFors and Karlawish in a match that took almost 45 minutes and featured some electric exchanges.

In the semifinals, Wright and Koontz had disposed of Wozniczka and Karolina Fleming 8-4.

“I think these were all new teams this year, which is pretty cool,” saidWright, head of junior tennis at the Country Club of Virginia. “It’s good to get new people out here. But Hunter is not allowed to play with anybody else but me.”

It doesn’t seem to matter who the opposition is,Wright and Koontz are always equal to the task. They can track down most returns and are lethal at the net. Like all good doubles teams, they cover nicely for each other when one is caught out of position.

“Hunter is a rare specimen on the tennis court,” saidWright. “Have you seen how long his arms are?”

Koontz, a teaching pro at CCV when he’s not off overseas serving as a hitting partner for some of the up-and-coming American female pros, can cover the court with his speed and reach, and would occasionally take over the point himself for a winner.

“I can cover up the middle,” said Koontz, three-time city singles champion. “Those are my instructions. I just try to do what I’m told.”

“Hunter brings a good focus for everybody when they’re out here, because he plays at such a high level,” saidWright. “You have to make every single ball when you’re playing against him. You get down love-30, you’re in trouble. He’ll just take over.”

Koontz and Wright found themselves down love-30 and 15-40 on several occasions but usually managed to recover.

In the opening game, for example, Koontz fell behind 15-40 on his serve before winning the next four points.

“He has a few different gears,” said LaFors. “Being up 40-15 is not as exciting as it is against other people. Especially when he’s serving.”

“Hunter always pulls through,”Wright said.

“I feel like my first thought goes to [Roger] Federer, who [when he] goes break point down, he always hits an ace or an unreturnable serve,” said Koontz, the former Virginia Tech and Deep Run High School star. “I try to channel that a little bit.

“When you have Mason up at the net, she just cleans up so it’s good. It’s a good combo.”

LaFors and Karlawish made the winners work hard for the title, however, erasing five match points in the final game on Davis’ serve before a forehand winner by Wright into the corner brought an end to the contest.

“That guy [Karlawish]got to so many balls, it was unreal,” said Wright. Added Koontz, “I got tired of watching him run, he was so fast.”

But not fast enough to prevent the Wright-Koontz duo from prevailing and splitting the winner’s check of $500.

In the semifinals, LaFors and Karlawish pulled out an 8-7 (10-8) decision over Bridget Reichert and Jason Kinder.

Koontz is planning to go after his fourth straight city men’s singles crown in August at acac, while Wright is counting on him remaining her doubles partner in the mixed next year. As long as he doesn’t accept a permanent job with the U.S. Tennis Association.

“If Madison [Saunders, Koontz’ girlfriend] has anything to say about it, he won’t be going anywhere,” said Wright. “She’s a big piece to the puzzle.”

Koontz said he would be interested in serving as a hitting partner again if the USTA called.

“I would love to,” he said. “It really depends if they ask me. I told her [CiCi Bellis, who Koontz worked with most recently] when I left that I needed to put some time in at CCV so I could keep my job. They’ve been super nice at CCV to let me go and have an opportunity like this.”

In other developments during the tournament, which is under the auspices of the Richmond Tennis Association, a check for $5,000 was presented to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which is a charitable organization dedicated to funding type 1 diabetes research.

All proceeds from the entry fees to the tournament were donated to JDRF.

The winner of the drawing for two tickets to one day at the U.S. Open later this year was Stacey Cabral.

Winners
7.0 Division- Josh Cohen and Kathie Naylor

8.0 Division- Suzanne Spiller and Al Thomas

9.0 Division- Lauren Palmer and Brandon Wozniczka

Open Division- Mason Davis Wright and Hunter Koontz

The McDonald’s Richmond Junior Tennis Circuit (RJTC) is designed to make competitive play more accessible for our juniors. These tournaments are sanctioned L8 events and are for non-ranked juniors. These one-day tournaments will be held on Saturdays at clubs throughout the Richmond area. More information can be found here.

2018 McDonalds RJTC Entry Form

For most of the years that he was alive, Hugh Waters III either played or promoted the game of tennis.

As his daughter, Margie Ray, put it, “His goal was to teach everybody in Richmond how to play tennis.”

Back in the 1970s, Waters and Ward Hamilton tried to do just that when they converted an old warehouse in the West End into the Richmond Tennis Academy and gave lessons to anyone interested in the sport.

A decade or so later, Waters put together what he called “The World’s Largest Tennis Tournament,” which consisted of some 2,000 people who played on courts all over the city and wound up with the championship match at the old Arena.

During the latter years of his life, Waters really enjoyed putting together the Family Division of the city tournament, which brings together father-son, mother-daughter, husband-wife, etc., duos in a one-day event.

Whether it was Byrd Park or St. Christopher’s or wherever the tournament set up shop, Waters was there, joking with the parents (most of whom he had taught), encouraging the kids and handing out trophies at the end.

Waters passed away last April 24, so perhaps it is only fitting that the 2018 version of the event, scheduled for May 12 at Byrd Park, has been renamed the Hugh Waters Memorial Family Tennis Championships.

“I think he would be so honored,” said his widow, Paddi Waters. “More than anything, that [family] tennis was important to him.”

Waters pointed out, correctly, that her husband got everybody in his own family involved in the game.

“You look at his family,” she said. “He had Barbara [his first wife, who died of cancer] playing. He had [daughter] Druanne playing for a high school team. He got them all out there to play. Taught them all how to play. He just thought it was a family sport.”

Waters’ son, Hugh Waters IV, captured the state singles title in 1982 and the city singles championship in 1983.

“I always considered the city tournament to be a premier tournament because it was so tough and all the players were in it,” said Waters IV, who lives outside Asheville, N.C. now. “You win the city tournament, you’re a good player.”

Ray played several times in the affair with her father, and is planning to play with her husband, Chip, this year. Ray and her dad also played in two USTA national tournaments, winning a bronze medal (third place) on one occasion.

“He ran the same event for so long,” said Ray. “I think that showed how much it meant to him to have families playing together.”

In that regard, Waters III and his family received four separate family of the year awards.

In 1984, when Waters III was running Raintree Swim and Racquet Club, he was named the Mid-Atlantic section family of the year. In 1999, when he had remarried and was living in Florida, he received the Florida section and national USTA family of the year award.

Topping it off was the Florida section and the U.S. Professional Teachers Association achievement award in 2001.

Having the tournament named after him is something that Waters would probably enjoy but wouldn’t make a big deal out of it.

“I think he would be embarrassed but incredibly proud,” said Ray. “He wasn’t looking for recognition in these things but it would reinforce that he worked hard all his life to promote tennis and certainly promote the family events.”

This year, in addition to the usual father-son, father-daughter, mother-son, mother-daughter, and husband-wife categories, tournament officials have added a new one – open combo – where you can play with siblings, grandkids or nieces-nephews.

Entry fees are $13 per player and the deadline is May 10. To register go to richmondtennis.org and click on the link to the Mercedes-Benz Greater Richmond Tennis Championships, then find the Hugh Waters Family Championships.

Mercedes-Benz is the overall sponsor of the city tournament, which is presented by the Richmond Tennis Association.

Former city champion Ed Butterworth tries to play in the family division with his son, Hatcher, every year, while his wife, Leslie, has played with their daughter, Audrey. Butterworth also used to play in the tournament with his dad.

“I think it’s really great they’re doing that for Hugh,” said Butterworth. “He was always down there. It meant a lot to me and it meant a lot to other families that he helped for many years. My dad still comes and watches me and Hatcher. Different generations.

“That’s what pretty neat about the event, there’s no age limit. You have dads and sons of all ages out there.”

In addition to playing, Ray will be helping to run the family event, keeping the Waters family in the mix.

“He felt it was a great sport for everybody, one that you could play all your life,” said Ray. “And it brings families together.”

Ray said she, Druanne and Paddi were planning to represent the Waters family at the event.

In his honor, it would be a wonderful tribute if as many as possible would enter this year’s tournament.

“I think it’s great,” Waters IV said of the accolade for his father. “I know my father did an awful lot. Looking back, there were a lot of other things he did, too, that helped out tennis in general. Any sort of recognition is going to be appreciated.”

Westwood Racquet Club named its mixed, member-guest tournament in Waters’ honor four years ago.

“But I like the family division being named after him better at the city tournament,” said Waters IV.

The “Midlothian Athletic Club Wheelchair Tennis Open” is only one part of the RTA wheelchair tennis program.  RTA, in partnership with Sportable, offers an introductory wheelchair tennis program, and RTA has a weekly wheelchair tennis program, Rolling Aces, designed to develop playing skills.

Of the seventeen players registered for the tournament so far, five of them are Rolling Aces.  In addition, players from as far away as Missouri are coming to play.  A player who played on the world champion US Junior Team will also be participating.  Come and cheer for run/roll teams on Friday May 18^th 6-9 pm at Mercedes-Benz Run/Roll Team Challenge.

Come and watch the tournament on Saturday and Sunday May 19^th and 20^th.   All actions will be at the Midlothian Athletic Club 10800 Center View Drive, Midlothian, VA 23235.  Admission is free.

*Still in need of ball kids for this tournament! Sign up here to volunteer

In his younger days, Bruce Patton was a dominant force on the U.S. Tennis Association’s A Division wheelchair circuit. But after a decade or so of traveling the country and winning most of his matches, he choose to take a break.

“Family things. Two kids growing up,” said Patton. “I just decided I needed to step back. It never left my mind. It was something I always wanted to do, so I finally came back and started again in around 2010. But I was gone [from the circuit] about 15 years.”

Although Patton, 68, has dropped back to the B Division, in deference to younger players, the Vietnam veteran has picked up where he left off, finishing in the winner’s circle with his strong, all- around game.

Patton added to his collection of titles on May 20 when he captured both the singles and doubles in the B Division of the Midlothian Athletic Club Wheelchair Open tournament presented by the Richmond Tennis Association.

In singles, the resident of Manakin-Sabot pulled out a second-set tiebreaker to defeat second-seeded Felix Suero of Kendall Park, N.J., 6-1, 7-6 (7-2). The top seeded Patton didn’t lose a set in three matches, but had trouble putting Suero away.

“I was clicking on all cylinders in the first set,” said Patton, who lost both of his legs in Vietnam. “Then my serve came down to earth a little bit and he was playing good. I’ve played Felix on several occasions and we go back and forth on [winning] matches.”

Patton tried to play in the A Division when he returned to tennis but discovered his game was more suited to the B level.

“When I came back, I thought I was still an A level player,” he said. “I did that for a year or so and realized, ‘Hey, there’s all these young bucks coming up and I’m getting killed.’ All I want is competitive. I don’t care if I win all the matches, I just want to be competitive.”

The retired medical technician continues to prove that his game remains more than competitive.

Meanwhile, in the A Division, Paddy Donaghey coasted to a 3-0 round-robin record in his return to tournament tennis since undergoing three surgeries, including one on his back, since January. He lost the use of both his legs when he was shot during a robbery years ago.

An outstanding wheelchair basketball player from the Bronx, N.Y., Donaghey transitioned to tennis in the 1990s and did very well. His exploits on the two courts helped him land a job as director of the Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association.

Even with the surgeries, Donaghey, 56, has continued to have success on the tennis court.

“I think if I was a little more back to myself, it would have been an easier road,” said Donaghey. “See, I’m hard on myself. That’s the stubborn Irish in me, I guess. My coach even says, ‘Cut yourself some slack.’ But I guess that’s what keeps me going.”

Now a resident of Elkview, W.Va., Donaghey works at a Family YMCA, teaching youth tennis and adaptive sports like basketball. He’s ranked seventh in the country in the A Division and doesn’t have any plans of slowing down with the surgeries behind him.

In the Men’s C Division, Zach Zomermaand of Short Pump won both of his round-robin matches to claim the title. That was quite a turnaround from a year ago, when he played this tournament for the first time and went 0 for 3.

“It was a little rough last year,” said the 31-year-old. “I’ve learned a lot over the last year.”

Zomermaand, who grew up in Orange City, Iowa, has participated in other sports (basketball, lacrosse) but is really enjoying tennis.

“Tennis is so much of a mental game,” he said. “So much strategy involved. Even on a day like today, not only are you dealing with your opponent, you’re dealing with the heat and other conditions that you don’t have to necessarily deal with in other sports.

“You definitely have to be able to move around the court. You have to figure out where to be and when to be there, because you do have such a short amount of time to get to the ball. A lot of it is anticipation of knowing there’s a high likelihood of a ball being hit back to you in a certain spot so you better get there.”

Zomermaand works as a customer service representative for Capital One when he isn’t on the court.

In the women’s C Division, Maureen (Mo) McCamey of Chesterfield emerged as the champion, going 2-0, although she had to go the distance in one match (third-set, 10-point tiebreaker) before prevailing.

McCamey, 52, played tennis before losing most of her left leg in a motorcycle accident 18 months ago.

“Years ago, I played for Woodlake,” she said. “After my accident, I needed something to get me out of the house and make me feel like I could do stuff again. That chair is very difficult for me to move around. The strokes are the easy part for me.”

This is the only tournament McCamey has played (twice) but she plans on going out of town in the future.

“I’d like to get to where I could travel and have fun,” said the librarian. “Meet other people who play. I’ve learned a lot.”

This was the ninth annual MAC Wheelchair tournament, all under the direction of Shima and Joe Grover at the same site. The event also includes a Friday night of wheelchair players working and playing with folks from Sportable, the local organization that operates to transform the lives of people with physical and visual disabilities through sports.

“We had three new players who had never played with us before,” said Shima Grover. “Most of them are glad to be here and planning to come back next year. We had 21 players registered and that is the most we’ve ever had.

“We had two new women players, and I am thrilled because there are a very small number of women who play wheelchair tennis. The club has been very hospitable to us. Use their resources to support the tournament, and the nicest thing is they are accessible to wheelchairs.”

The players are very appreciative of the opportunity presented them by the Grovers, MAC and RTA.

“I want to give Shima and Joe and all the [junior] volunteers a lot of kudos,” said Donaghey. “They go way out of their way to satisfy everybody. This year, they had a lot more kids, so the tournament is getting better and better.

“Look at the hospitality. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. That really helps everybody. They’re just really, really good people. They should be recognized for what they do, and they never want to have any pats on the back.”

A special thank you to our Sponsors and Donors listed below:

Sponsors
Mercedes-Benz Richmond and Midlothian
RTA
Sportable
Midlothian Athletic Club
Grove Avenue Family Dentistry

Donors

By Lily Horsley

RICHMOND– The ninth annual Keith Mumford Memorial Doubles Tournament took place last Saturday at the Country Club of Virginia.

The tournament honors Keith Mumford, a Richmond native who died in 2009 from an infection after hospitalization for a heart attack. Mumford played for St. Christopher’s School before walking on to the varsity team at Vanderbilt University.

This year’s event attracted 128 participants, making it the second-largest draw since the first tournament in 2010. CCV Pro Mason Davis-Wright said it was special that Keith’s children, Sally and Mizzy, could play this year.

“We are all here to celebrate Keith, and I’m sure he was looking down smiling, watching his girls carry on his love for tennis,” Davis-Wright said.

For the first time in tournament history, match play was moved indoors due to rain. The format was shortened to one six-game set with no-ad scoring.

Davis-Wright said she was happy they didn’t have to cancel the tournament because of the weather. She said the indoor location attracted more spectators and allowed players to interact off the court.

“The atmosphere was better in some ways due to a large number of participants in such a small space,” Davis-Wright said.

CCV Pro Hunter Koontz said he was impressed with the indoor turnout.

“I think moving it indoors actually created an environment more conducive to cheering and match-watching,” Koontz said. “There were people who stayed from the morning all the way through the end.”

Koontz said it was special to see people gather and play in honor of Mumford.

“Richmond tennis is such an amazing community, and that really shows at an event like this. Even with the rain, players came with a positive attitude.”

Koontz said he is hopeful that the event will continue to grow every year.

Men’s 50s Champion: Walton Makepeace/Bryan Bostic. Finalists: Chris Blair/Greg Williams.

Men’s 3.5s Champion: Dennis Dodson/Keith Harvey

Men’s 3.5s Finalist: Roy Anise/Scott Elles

Women’s 3.5s Champion: Donna Moody/Debra Carter. Finalist: Kristin Mullins/Didi Bowers.

Men’s 4.0 Champion: Holland Gravely/Brett Sinsabaugh.

Men’s 4.0 Finalist: Art Dornik/Paul Dillard

Women’s 4.0 Champion: Courtney Harper/Alison Avery.

Women’s 4.0 Finalist: Suzanne Morris/Kathy Bor.

Men’s 4.5 Champions: Lugan Gruhl/Brandon Wozniczka. Finalists: Cary Brooks/Randy Biltz.

Women’s 4.5 Champions: Christina Shifflett/Courtney Greiner. Finalists: Cary Moore/Shawnte Woodson.

Women’s Open Champions: Sheela Damle/Leah Doise. Finalists: Lucy Davis/Mason Davis Wright.

Men’s Open Champions: Matt Hane/Rob Oakes. Finalists: Daniel Emirzian/Hunter Koontz

By John Packett

RICHMOND– For the past five years, the fortune of the boys’ tennis team at Collegiate School has fallen on hard times.

All of that changed in a two-week span in May, when Collegiate completed a rare double. The team won the Prep League tournament and the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Division I championship.

Senior Dorsey Ducharme said it was special to win both titles this year.

“That was absolutely ridiculous,” Ducharme said. “It was the perfect way to end the season, with the Prep and State wins.”

The last time the Cougars won both titles was in 2010. Since then, the team had not won the VISAA crown.

The Cougars had not captured the Prep League tournament since 2013.

Collegiate had high expectations at the beginning of the season. Three of their top six players were returning.

The Cougars were picked to be preseason No. 1 in the Richmond Times-Dispatch area Top Ten poll.

Senior Scott Phillips said the team was confident coming into the season.

“I think we also had six or seven guys that were playing and practicing year-round,” Phillips said. “We don’t always have that.”

Phillips played No. 1 singles and doubles this year. His grandfather, Eddie, won the city singles championship in 1966

With Phillips and Ducharme forming a solid one-two punch, the Cougars got off to a 7-0 start in dual matches but struggled at the Woodberry Forest Invitational.

They finished nine points behind local rival St. Christopher’s.

Phillips said the loss was a pivotal part of their season.

“That was kind of a wakeup call for us,” Phillips said.

Midway through the season, the Cougars ran into more roadblocks. In a span of five matches, Collegiate lost to Norfolk Academy (5-4), Potomac School (4-3) and St. Chris (5-4) after beating the Saints 6-3 in an earlier meeting.

But the Cougars bounced back in the Prep League tournament, edging St. Chris (40-39).

Collegiate beat St. Chris in the Prep League final by a score of 40 to 39.

After finishing the regular season with a three-match winning streak, including a 5-4 decision over Norfolk Academy, Collegiate entered the VISAA tournament on its home courts as the No. 2 seed behind top-seeded Potomac.

In the quarterfinals, the Cougars dismissed St. Stephens-St. Agnes 5-2, then faced old foe St. Chris again in the semifinals.

Because of rain, the match was moved indoors at Mary Washington in Fredericksburg on May 19. Collegiate won 5-4.

Phillips fell behind 7-5 before rallying for a 10-7 verdict. The No. 3 doubles team of sophomores Daven Pandya and Mac Hester pulled out a 10-8 decision against a team that had beaten them in the two previous meetings.

The clinching point was supplied by junior Shaan Kapadia at No. 5 singles with a score of 10-4.

In the final awaited Potomac on May 20, the third team that had beaten Collegiate during the regular season. The match was played outdoors at Mary Washington.

Phillips said it was helpful to play the same teams twice.

“It definitely mattered that all the teams we lost to, we got a chance to play again,” Phillips said. “It was definitely motivating, even though we play St. Chris so many times.”

Phillips, Ducharme, Kapadia and No. 6 Charlie Willard gave the Cougars four points in singles. Willard had to come back from 2-7 down to win 11-9.

Phillips and Ducharme wrapped it up with a victory at No. 1 doubles with a score of 10-1 to make the final decision 5-2.

Phillips said he was impressed with his team’s performance.

“Everyone played so well,” Phillips said. “We thought it would be a close match either way. We were not expecting 5-2.”

The Cougars finished with a 15-3 dual-match record and a very satisfying conclusion to the season.

Head Coach Karin Whitt said her players never doubted each other.

“They kept working hard and believing in each other,” Whitt said. She led the Collegiate girls’ team to a similar double in 2009.

Whitt said it was special to see her team adjust and win both titles.

“[It] is pretty neat for a bunch of young kids,” Whitt said.

The RTA is excited to announce our 2018 US Open Raffle Package:

• Two tickets on Saturday, September 1st and Sunday, September 2nd
  – Arthur Ashe stadium seats
  – First-come, first-served access to Louis Armstrong Stadium, the Grandstand and all field courts
  
• $2,500 cash supplement for expenses

Buy Tickets

Details:
Must be 18 years old to enter.
Drawing will be held on August 2nd at acac.
Do NOT have to be present to win.
All proceeds from this raffle will be used for the RTA Junior Programs.

RICHMOND- The Richmond Tennis Association will partner with the City of Richmond in a new program for underserved youth.

City Tennis Director Victor Rizzi and Chris Suttmiller, director of the RTA Rising Stars Tennis Academy, will invite kids in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities summer camp to participate.

The RTA Rising Stars Tennis Academy will be supported by the remaining prize money awarded to the City DPRCF when Richmond was named one of the top three best tennis towns in a 2010 national contest sponsored by the USTA.

RTA Advisory Board Member Shima Grover said she is excited about the new academy at Byrd Park.

“I hope the RTA Rising Stars Tennis Academy will nurture a life-long love of tennis in more City of Richmond youth and help them to become more self-reliant and fitness conscious,” Grover said.

The academy will provide free tennis lessons every weekday morning from 9 a.m. to noon beginning July 2 through August 23.

When Suttmiller is not teaching summer campers, he will be available for free tennis lessons for area juniors. Contact him to sign up for lessons.

Suttmiller, former tennis director at the Dominion Club and Stonehenge Golf and Country Club, is a professional tennis instructor certified by the Professional Tennis Registry. Other instructors from the Department of Parks and Recreation will also coach.

Volunteer assistants are being sought for the program. Volunteers may register here.

Contact Shima Grover at shimagro@gmail.com with questions.

There’s a new king and queen in the girls’ and boys’ Division 5 state singles tournament.

Emme Levenson of Douglas Freeman High School succeeded Deep Run’s Nina Sorkin, who won four consecutive 5A titles before moving on to Virginia Tech.

The junior shares the season-ending local spotlight with Deep Run’s Shashwat Pande, as well as the Deep Run girls (5A), Hanover High girls (4A) and Maggie Walker Governors’ School girls (2A), all of whom swept to the state team championships in their respective divisions.

It was the second straight state title for Hanover and MWGS, while Deep Run won for the second time in three years.

Levenson lost only two games in her two matches, finishing with a 6-2, 6-0 victory over Liza Ulanova of John Champe (Aldie) on June 7 at Glen Allen High School.

Freeman Assistant Coach Bridget Reichert said she noticed Levenson’s talent.

“I knew she was a great player and a really good fighter on the court,” Reichert said in an interview with the Richmond Times-Dispatch. “She had lots of passion and she’s willing to work hard.”

Reichert, an alumna of Freeman, won the state singles title in 1995 and went on to win five city women’s singles championships.

Pande dropped just three games in his run to the boys’ 5A crown. The senior at Deep Run avenged his semifinal loss to Erick Rivas of Stone Bridge (Ashburn) last year with a 6-1, 6-1 victory in the final at Glen Allen.

In other divisions, MWGS’s Anna Soffin captured her fourth consecutive Class 2 girls singles crown, beating Logan Graham of Radford 6-2, 6-1 in the final, while Ryan Bernstine of Goochland claimed the boys Class 2 title with a 6-3, 6-1 decision over Reed Crabtree of John Battle (Bristol).

Bernstine was the runner-up to his brother, Chase, in a close match last year.

In another final, Turner Cole of Hanover lost in the boys’ Class 4 division to Frank Thompson of Blacksburg 6-1, 6-2.

Four doubles teams captured a title during the tournaments. Olivia Wright and Audrey Butterworth of Deep Run won the 5A girls’ division, the Hanover duo of Madison Moore and Raine Weis took the 4A category, and Soffin and Narmeen Rashid grabbed the 2A division. Bernstine and Max Presley claimed the boys’ 2A crown.

In the team battles, Deep Run’s girls defeated Thomas Jefferson S&T 5-1 at Glen Allen, Hanover knocked off John Handley 5-2 in Salem, and MWGS beat Radford 5-1.

Both Deep Run and Hanover had to go to one doubles match before clinching.

Deep Run has all of its top six scheduled to return next spring.

Congratulations to all the winners and runners-up from the Richmond Tennis Association and have a great summer sharpening those games for another run in 2019.

RICHMOND– Matt Hane and Hunter Koontz won three competitive matches at the McDonald’s Open Clay Court Championships last week before falling in the final.

Hane and Koontz, both teaching pros at the Country Club of Virginia, partnered for the second year in a row at the tournament hosted by Salisbury Country Club. The duo fell in the semifinals last year.

Koontz, a three-time city singles champion and former Deep Run High School standout, said they keep improving every year.

“Next year we are going to bring it home,” said Koontz, who played collegiately at Virginia Tech.

Hane, a native of Charleston, S.C., added they were happy with their performance.

“We lost a close match in the semifinals last year, so it was nice to get further in the tourney this year,” said Hane, a former standout at George Washington University.

Hane and Koontz agreed their semifinal win was their best match of the tournament.

“It was a tight match, but every critical point seemed to go our way,” said Koontz.

Hane and Koontz took down the team of Bennet Crane and Vikash Singh 7-5, 6-2 in the semis. Crane is a rising junior at Indiana University and Singh has committed to play for the Hoosiers in the fall.

“We had to play well throughout to get the win,” said Hane.

Hane and Koontz fell in the final round to the number one seed 6-2, 6-1.

“We had returned pretty well all tournament, but we just weren’t very consistent in the finals and with our opponents playing so well, that didn’t give us much of a chance,” said Hane.

Hane and Koontz took home $500 each as doubles finalists. The tournament posts a $30,000 purse in all.

Other local players competed at Salisbury. Chase and Ryan Bernstine fell to the number one doubles seed in the semifinals 6-2, 6-3.

Chase, a former Goochland standout, is a rising sophomore who plays for Virginia Tech. Ryan, a rising senior at Goochland, has verbally committed to play for the Hokies in 2019.

In singles, Koontz won two matches before falling in the quarterfinals to fifth-seeded Collin Johns 6-3, 6-3. Paul Mendoza, a former Cosby standout who plays for James Madison University, won his first-round match 7-5, 7-5.

On the women’s side, Nina Sorkin dropped just one game in her first-round, winning 6-1, 6-0. Sorkin, a former Deep Run standout and 2014 city champion, plays for Virginia Tech.

Allison Wandling also won her first round in a third-set tiebreaker 3-6, 6-0, 10-8. Wandling is a rising senior at Atlee High School.

RICHMOND– The RTA Rising Stars Tennis Academy will host an exhibition match between local college player Matthew Fernandez and touring professional Jacob Dunbar.

Fernandez, 20, is a former St. Christopher’s standout and rising junior at the University of Richmond. Dunbar, 22, graduated from UR in 2017 and began play on the pro tour.

Academy Director Chris Suttmiller said it’s important for students to witness a high level of play.

“I’m hopeful that being this close to a match between two great players will ignite a desire for our academy players to put in the time and training to become the best that they can be,” said Suttmiller.

Dunbar, a native of Medina, Ohio, is currently ranked 905 in the world in singles. He was the first player at UR to win more than 100 matches in his collegiate athletic career.

Fernandez, who grew up in Richmond, played the second line of singles and third line of doubles for the Spiders during his sophomore campaign.

Fernandez said he’s excited to play in front of the academy in his hometown.

“I feel very honored to have this opportunity to play in front of the academy and hope to give them some really good tennis,” said Fernandez.

The academy began this summer and is supported by the RTA and the City of Richmond. The academy offers free tennis lessons every weekday morning from 9 a.m. to noon at Byrd Park.

The exhibition match will be held on August 21 at Byrd Park. The match will begin at 10 a.m. and is free and open to the public.

Contact Chris Suttmiller at Suttmiller@comcast.netor (804) 678-9967 for more information.

RICHMOND– Kyle Parker claimed his first Mercedes Benz Greater Richmond City Championship this past weekend at acac-Midlothian.

Parker was the runner-up to Hunter Koontz in 2017 and 2016. Koontz skipped this year’s event because of an out-of-town commitment.

On a hot and humid afternoon on Aug. 5, the top-seeded Parker pulled out a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 victory over unseeded Patrick Whaling in a match that lasted over two hours.

“Growing up in Richmond my whole life, and finally being able to get one, feels really good,” said Parker, 27, a teaching pro at Raintree Swim and Racquet Club. Parker was one of the area’s top young stars when he played for Mills Godwin High School.

“I’m just glad Hunter wasn’t in the draw this year,” said Parker, who received the Lou Einwick Trophy and a check for $500.

Whaling, who upset two-time champion and No. 2 seed Eric Shulman in the quarterfinals and No. 3 seed Chase Bernstine in the semifinals, received $250 for expenses.

Whaling, a rising senior at Division III Gustavus Adolphus College (St Peter, Minn.), picked up his game after trailing 1-3 in the second set.

“I knew at that point if I didn’t start trusting my shots, he was going to roll the set on me,” said Whaling, who played basketball and tennis at Victory Christian School before going to Gustavus Adolphus, where he played No. 3 last season.

Following a 10-minute break, Parker came out and broke Whaling’s serve to open the third set.

“I didn’t want to go three sets but I think that 10-minute break actually helped me out a little bit because I was starting to get a little exhausted,” said Parker. “I got to sit in the AC for a bit, put some ice on my neck, just kind of regrouped.”

“I didn’t want to switch my game up,” said Parker, who played at College of Charleston for two years. “It was more my movement.”

In the women’s draw, top-seeded Nina Sorkin swept to her second city title in five years with a 6-0, 6-0 decision over Anna Collins that took 70 minutes.

Sorkin, 19, claimed her first championship since 2014. She was runner-up in 2015 and last year.

Sorkin, a rising sophomore at Virginia Tech, didn’t lose a game in her two matches. Collins, who upset second-seeded Brooke Connatser in the semifinals, was able to keep Sorkin on the defensive with a strong serve.

“She had a huge serve,” said Sorkin, a former star for Deep Run High School. “I had a hard time returning it. She aced me a lot.”

Collins, a rising junior at the University of Louisville where she is a walk-on for the Cardinals, had several game points but couldn’t convert any of them.

“I had a lot of chances that I didn’t take advantage of,” said Collins, whose parents moved to Richmond two years ago. “A lot of ads, a lot of 40-loves, 40-15s that I didn‘t capitalize on. She’s just a very consistent player.”

Sorkin took home the Lindsay Wortham Cup, along with expenses for $500. Collins received $250.

Janet Fleishman, the winner of the past three women’s titles, was unable to play because of a wrist injury.

The tournament moved from Raintree’s hard courts to the slower clay surface at acac this year.

In the men’s doubles final, Parker and Bernstine teamed to beat Whaling and Grant Sarver 6-2, 6-2.

In the women’s doubles final, Sorkin and Connatser edged the duo of Susan Hanson and Laura Lafors 1-6, 6-1, (10-8).

“We were up against some doubles specialists and struggled the first set, but came back and figured out what we needed to do,” said Sorkin.

Connatser added that they had to work hard in the tiebreaker.

“We really had to focus on each and every point and we did everything we could do in order to pull it out,” said Connatser.

The U.S. Open raffle was claimed by Pontus Hiort, who is the tennis coach at St. Catherine’s and St. Christopher’s Schools. The winner received two tickets for two days at the Open early next month in New York, guest credentials to the U.S. Open Club and $2,500 cash allowance.

The Richmond Junior Tennis Circuit held it’s Masters Tournament on Aug. 18 at CCV.  The Masters is a tournament where the top 8 players in each age group are invited to a single elimination tournament to determine the winner of the Richmond Junior Circuit.  There were almost 300 different juniors playing in the 13 tournaments throughout the summer trying to earn enough points to qualify for the season-ending Masters Tournament.  Congratulations to all the players who competed this summer and especially to those who qualified and won.

The Champions and Finalists are listed below.

Congratulations to acac for winning the 2018 Anthem Club Challenge! Thank you to all the teams who competed, it was a wonderful weekend of tennis and community.

Click here for the complete scorecard

Come out to the Collegiate School Robins Campus Williams- Bollettieri Tennis Center this Friday through Sunday, October 5-7 to watch the Spider Tennis Invitational. Teams from throughout the Mid-Atlantic will be competing all weekend.