The Racquet and Tennis Club had the pleasure of once again hosting the Below Zero in mid-June. This year’s event featured one of the strongest fields in its 10-year history, bringing together many of the country’s best young players. America’s newest professional, Ben Dickinson, joined a talented field that included several seasoned favorites.
New faces Chase Motz, Jack Turchetta, Josh Smith, and Erik Barker brought fresh energy to the event. The Pro-Am kicked off Monday morning, with Bob Diamond emerging victorious after a close win over C. Winston Simone and Barney Tanfield.
The standout early-round match featured New York’s Pete Dickinson against Newport’s Josh Smith. Pete came out firing, hitting numerous targets to take the opening set 6/4. Smith responded by dominating the serve and limiting Pete’s opportunities to claim the second set 6/2. Despite battling an injury, Smith held off Dickinson’s athleticism and target-hitting in the deciding set to earn a hard-fought 6/4 victory.
As the tournament progressed, fifth seed Tim Chisholm drew on his experience and talent to defeat both Barney Tanfield and Max Trueman on his way to the final. First seed Josh Dodgson secured his place in the championship match with straight-set victories over Erik Barker and Josh Smith, using his court knowledge and outstanding volley to great effect.
Wednesday evening’s final produced an electric battle between the Tuxedo Head Professional and his former assistant. The Pell Room was buzzing as the hard-hitting duo thrilled the crowd with outstanding retrieving and powerful target striking. Commentary from Barney Tanfield and Pete Dickinson added to the atmosphere as the players battled throughout the match.
Chisholm came out aggressively, attacking the dedans and galleries from the receiver’s end. Dodgson responded with tight railroads and bobbles to neutralize Chisholm’s dangerous volley return of serve. After edging a closely contested first set 6/4, Dodgson continued his dominance in the second through relentless retrieving and controlled aggression. Although Chisholm generated momentum behind his powerful forcing game and high serve, Dodgson consistently had the answer, closing out the match 6/2 to capture his second consecutive Below Zero title.
The event would not be possible without the generous support of the Racquet and Tennis Club membership, the Pro-Am participants, the United States Court Tennis Association, and the United States Court Tennis Preservation Foundation. Special thanks also go to Below Zero Committee Chairman Dan Laukitis and the R&TC staff for once again organizing an outstanding tournament.
