Like the sun rising in the morning and property taxes going higher and higher, it has become almost a given that Bob Elliott is going to win the Men’s Open Singles championship at the annual Bertram Stroock Tennis Tournament.

He first did it in 1995.

Then again in 1997.

And once again in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002.

So, yeah, it was a safe bet that Elliott would win his seventh Stroock title (and fifth in a row), but – goodness – he had to tough out a thrilling 6-4, 7-5 decision over Tim Hanley in the semifinals last Saturday at Dickinson Park.

That set the stage for an almost anticlimactic 6-0, 6-2 win over Tim Snyder in the championship on Sunday.

And that could end up being just the first of three titles Elliott wins this year – having already captured the Men’s Open Doubles championship with partner Dave Beauchemin (a 6-1, 6-0 win over Dom Nocturne and Tim Snyder) and having a shot at the Mixed Doubles championship with his wife Lauren (still to be played).

Now that would be a feat.

Like Elliott, Snyder had to work mighty hard to get into the Men’s Open Singles finals, battling through a 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 decision over Scott Gattey. Snyder and his wife, Barbara, will be squaring off sometime soon against the Elliotts for the Mixed Doubles title.

On the other side of the court, Diane Alicea claimed the Women’s Open Singles championship with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 win over Julie Stern. Alicea reached the finals with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Diane Wenick while Stern reach the finals with a 7-5, 6-1 win over Barbara Snyder.

In Men’s 55 Singles, Larry Haskel eased past Leon Barkman 6-2, 6-0 for the title. Haskel had to defeat Don Ando 6-2, 6-1 in the semis while Barkman had to best Hugh Lavery 6-4, 6-2.

In Women’s Open Doubles, Eileenm Frattaroli and June Frost defeated Maura Fletcher and Maureen Maher 6-4, 6-4. This was a division with a lot of close matches, as Frattaroli and Frosty had to squeak by Marilia Rodriguez and Helen Yee 7-5, 6-2 in the semis while Fletcher and Maher had to slip by Sonya Haskel and Jan Lavery 6-4, 7-5 in the semis.

In the Coopersmith Cup Tournament for junior players, Tim Culligan defeated Scott Boisvert for the Boys 10-and-under title while Will Culligan defeated Drew Adamek for the Boys 18-and-under title. Shannon Paproski claimed the Girls 10-and-under title by slipping past Rebecca Castegner and Joe Capiello defeated Wesley Boisvert for the Boys 14-and-under title.

Veronica Parsloe will be played Katie Serock for the Girls 14-and-under championship and then playing Jillian Tanner for the Girls 18-and-under championship.