Park Meadow Hosts Junior Tourney
S.W. Florida Junior Tennis Players Meet in USTA-Sanctioned Event
Fort Myers Juniors hold their own against Naples players in upset-filled USTA/FL- sanctioned junior tournament at Park Meadow Tennis Center in South Fort Myers.
Unlike the LCCTA Rookie Roundup for new tournament players (scheduled for February 16 & 17 at Rutenberg Park in Fort Myers, FL), Park Meadow Tennis Center staged a USTA-sanctioned junior tournament for seasoned junior players on January 25 – 27. As is often the case, upsets proved to be the true story of the event.
Boys ' 14s Upsets
Upsets in the Boys’ 14s led the way, as unseeded Michael Lebhar of Naples, FL upset No.1 seed Zachary Mearsheimer, also of Naples, in the semifinals. In the final, Lebhar met unseeded Naples player David M. Belsinger, who had upset No.2 seed Richard Rheker of (you guessed it) Naples, in the semis. Lebhar won a tough 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 battle with Belsinger in the final after going 1-6, 7-6, 6-3 in the win over Mearsheimer.
John Carlin Continues to Perform in Boys' 12s
Although not the biggest of upsets, one of Fort Myers’ more consistent performers, No.2 seed John Carlin, upset No.1 seed Juan Serna of Naples to claim the Boys’ 12s. Carlin had lost just one game in two matches before being stretched in the first set of his 7-6, 6-3 victory over Serna.
Unseeded Ivanovic is Girls' 14s Winner
Continuing the upset trend, unseeded A. Ivanovic of Fort Myers won the girls 14s by crushing No.1 seed Hailey Grillo, also of Fort Myers, 6-2, 6-1. Although the “A” is for Andrea, not Ana, one can't help but wonder if the game of the WTA’s Ana Ivanovic is rubbing off on Fort Myers' Andrea Ivanovic, and whether Andrea's stellar play is a sign of things to come?
Brillembourg Takes Girls' 16s
Unseeded Fort Myers player Nicole Brillembourg extended the upset theme, beating Stephanie Fall 7-6, 6-4 to win the Girls’ 16s. Fall had beaten the No.1 seed, Astrid Holbrechts of Naples, in a three-set, semifinal battle, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Martineau Claims Boys' 18s
Not to be outdone, unseeded Jimmy Martineau of Fort Myers took the Boys 18s when Shane Vaughan, also of Fort Myers, retired at 1-2 in the second set after having lost the first 4-6. The Girls’ 18s title went to second-seeded Lillian Rasmussen of Sarasota, FL, who took it with a 6-1, 2-6, 6-1 victory over No.1 seed Renee Deane of Cape Coral.
Top Seeds Win
The top seed won the event in only four of 10 singles divisions: Ryan Zanette of Naples in Boys’ 16s; Kaitlyn Holzer of Naples in Girls’ 12s; Zachary Blythe of Cape Coral in Boys’ 10s; and Victoria Emma of Naples in Girls’ 10s. Zanettee took out Kristen Combs of Punta Gorda, FL (7-6, 6-3), and Holzer beat No.2 seed Nicole Lebhar, also of Naples, 6-3, 7-6.
In the Boys’ 10s, Blythe lost only five games, including a 6-2, 6-0 romp over Manfred Brauer of Naples, FL in the final, en route to claiming the championship. Emma won the Girls’ 10s without dropping a set, including her 6-1, 6-3 victory over No.2 seed Stephanie Chavez of Fort Myers in the championship match.
