USCTA | 2023 Silver Racquet Weekend

By the R&TC Professional Staff

Silver Racquet Invitational

The Invitational Tennis Singles produces a draw nearly commensurate with the U.S. Amateur, and this year did not disappoint. Players from five clubs fought it out in the Main Draw. Seeds progressed accordingly despite an exceptional performance from Matt Mackin against his clubmate, Ben Stein.

Both Bristowe and Stein were nearly flawless in their Semi-Final performances, with Freddie overcoming James Medlow and Stein likewise overcoming Henry Smith. This is perhaps the youngest Semi-Final in memory and a terrific sign of the times to come.

In the Final, Ben played one of the finest matches of his blossoming career thus far. His top play awarded him a handful of set points in the first set, but like all Champions, Freddie produced some of his best play with his back against the wall, enduring the onslaught and prevailing in set one. Ben again surged, showcasing the extraordinary. As one 30-year attendee and player of the Silver Racquet remarked, “Ben leaping in front of the tambour and hitting an overhead smash into the corner of the dedan is bewildering… he did it twice.” Such displays narrowly earned Ben the second set and the crowd was delighted to get more. Freddie’s third set was a model of consistency for the youngster. He claimed his third straight Invitational Tennis Singles Championship.

New York Open Handicap ‘A’

The New York Open Handicap ‘A’ division is always set to produce the hardest-fought matches. Everyone, from the R&TC members to the worldwide players, has their hearts set on seeing their names in gold paint at the entrance to the East Court.

The first round showcased commanding victories and down-to-the-wire barn burners! Guy Devereux and Hunter Abrams took their first match all the way to game ball 7/7, while other impressive performances were a bit more swift. Alan Huo and Will Pepi impressed in their runs to the Semi-Finals, dropping only six and eight games, respectively. Will Winmill joined the final four after running the gauntlet of Matt Mackin and club professional Josh Dodgson.

Pepi charged early Sunday morning with a victory over John Eder to meet up against Alan Huo in the Final.

The fresh legs from his previous match proved to be an advantage for Pepi, as he hunted down all of Huo’s assaults and secured the paint outside of East Court. These two players are unquestionably worth watching in the coming years!

New York Open Handicap ‘B’

The New York Open Handicap ‘B’ division is arguably the hardest division to win as we see an abundance of fast-moving handicaps, with players often improving faster than the system can track. This–combined with the presence of seasoned veterans with tricks up their sleeves, looking to put a stop to the recent lawn tennis and squash converts–makes for a fun spectacle.

This year, however, the adaptive younger participants stole the show. The Semi-Finals saw four newer players to the game, each of whom would have probably won the competition in former years. Two tightly contested matches resulted in Fraizer Bostwick and Val Quan facing off in the Final. Two contrasting styles made for a great match, which was very well-supported. Frazier proved too strong at pivotal moments and won the final 8/5. Congratulations to Frazier, and we look forward to seeing many of the participants participate in the ‘A’ draw next year.

New York Open Handicap ‘C’

The New York Open Handicap ‘C’ division has, without question, some of the most interesting matches and unpredictable results of the Silver Racquet weekend. Over the past few years, it has become a notable stepping stone for some of the most rapidly progressing players in the game.

Almost half of those competing were new to the event and to the game, a wonderful health metric for the community. Local R&TC members were joined by players from Boston, Philadelphia, Tuxedo, and Paris and several players who had recently taken part in the R&TC Summer Program.

Ernie Sink had been working hard on his game recently and played some fantastic Tennis on his run to the Semi-Finals. Three young R&TC members completed the Semi-Final line-up, with Sink facing Thomas Dale, while Will Berkowitz took on Keech Turner in the second Semi. Berkowitz looked somewhat fresher than Turner for their Sunday morning match, and he was always in control as he eased to a comfortable win. The other Semi-Final between Sink and Dale was much more tightly fought, with both players causing chaos with their railroad serves. Dale had scraped through his previous match 8/7 and was able to repeat the trick, ending Sink’s spirited run by the same scoreline.

In the Final, Dale and Berkowitz battled tightly and both displayed shot-making skills that wouldn’t have looked out of place in the ‘A’ division. Berkowitz displayed a ferocious intent on the return of serve, while Dale countered with strong volleying. A vocal crowd enjoyed the high-octane action and were wowed by both players’ fantastic moments of invention. Berkowitz was giving away a small handicap but managed to overpower his opponent at the crucial moments, winning 8/4.