The Tennis and Racquet Club had the honor of hosting the 2015 U.S. Ladies open. There were a total of seventeen players in the Singles and Doubles draw. Play began on Friday with no major upsets in the preliminary round. The crowd witnessed five Singles matches and four Back Draw matches. Fredericka Adams singlehandedly and masterfully streamed the entire tournament. At the close of play everyone was invited to a gala cocktail party to honor the participants of the tournament. Matt Mitchell and Magda Malak hosted this event. More than one hundred members and guests crowded into the Hamlen Room to celebrate the return of this event to Boston. Live music, over-flowing beverages and general revelry contributed to a fun evening, and set the tone for the rest of the weekend. Saturday brought a full day and evening of tennis.
There were no upsets in the Singles or Doubles. In the Singles Irina Dulbish defeated Magda Malak. Helen Grassi prevailed Over Petra Napolitano in a match that had plentiful exciting rests. Fredericka Adam defeated Lizzie Pingpank and Amanda Avedissian won over Mary Livingston. The Doubles had Adam and Dulbish over Suzy Schwartz and Kim Kilgore. Helen Grassi and Allison Cayzer won over Magda Malak and Lizzie Pingpank. Petra Napolitano and Amy MacMillan bested Arianae Tsavaris and Chistina Shengeliya. Amanda Avedissian and Brenda Sabbag won over Mary Livingston and Nancy Multer. Saturday night’s dinner was held at the home of Gary and Nancy Multer. Players and friends were able to catch up with each other, talk about the matches and enjoy a bounty of food and drinks.
Sunday came and with it some great tennis. With the great tennis also came a great Brunch which was sponsored by the USCTA. To begin the day Suzy Schwartz won over Allison Cayzer to win the Back Draw. The Singles Final between Irina Dulbish and Amanda Avedissian was an incredible display of tennis. Multiple long rests and fantastic shot making prevailed throughout the entire match. Amanda won the first set 6-5. Irina then took control of the match and won the next two sets to become the Champion! The Doubles also went to three sets. Amanda and Brenda won the first set 6-0. Fredericka and Irina came back to win the next two sets, 6-5 and 6-1. This duel also was filled with long rests and great shot making. Those watching were rewarded by top-level tennis.
In addition to the tennis, the USCTA/USCTPF Player Development Committee sponsored two clinics during the weekend for the players. Most of the players participated in the clinics which were run by Tony Hollins and Leon Smart.
All in all the weekend was a resounding success! Special thanks to Tony Hollins and Leon Smart for running a great tournament. Thanks also to the Tennis Committee and President Dick Brickley for carefully planning this event. Tom Dobbins, Janice Pearson and Tom Pickin all worked tirelessly to ensure a successful weekend. Many thanks also to Mario who helped the event run smoothly. It was a pleasure to host this tournament. Since gratitude is not a one-time gesture I would like to thank Suzy Schwartz. Suzy successfully led the campaign to have our roof restored. Had that not taken place we would not have been able to host a great event like we did this weekend. The Tennis and Racquet Club of Boston looks forward to hosting future events!
