It seems like it's always the same guys - over and over again - stepping out onto the court in the final weekend of the Bertram Stroock Memorial Tennis Tournament.
It seems like itâs always the same guys â over and over again â stepping out onto the court in the final weekend of the Bertram Stroock Memorial Tennis Tournament.
Heck, it not only seems like it â it is the same guys over and over again. For the past few years itâs been Bob Elliott and Tim Hanley and John Reisert and usually a wild card â this year it was Matt Kaplan â thrown into the mix.
But when all is said and done itâs been Elliott standing alone with another Menâs Open Singles title.
With a 6-2, 6-0 win over Hanley on Sunday afternoon Elliott captured his unprecedented eighth Stroock championship in a row and 10th overall. He first won in 1995 then won again in 1997 before grasping the cup with an iron grip starting way back in 1999.
The No. 1-seeded Elliott defeated Kaplan in the semi-finals last Saturday to earn the right to meet Hanley, who defeated Reisert in the other semi-final. Elliott last met Hanley in the Stroock finals in 2003 before having to best Reisert in 2004 and 2005 for the championship.
The tournament â sponsored by the Newtown Tennis Association â suffered with a small draw this year. There were only five entrants in the Menâs Open Singles division and none in the Womenâs Open Singles and only a handful of entrants in the other divisions.
But there was still some spirited competition.
In Menâs Open Doubles, the tandem of Alex Aitchison and Dom Nocturne topped Reisert and Kaplan 6-2, 3-6, 6-4. In Mixed Doubles, Gene Bernard and Wendy Fong topped Larry and Sonya Haskel 1-6, 7-5, 6-3. And in Womenâs Open Doubles, Martha Decker and Hanna Roehrs defeated Haskel and Julie Stern in straight sets 6-0, 6-0.
Bernard topped Aitchison 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) for the Menâs 55 Singles title.
The NTA also sponsored the annual Coopersmith Cup junior tournament, with the finals last Sunday at Dickinson.
In the Boys 10 and under division, Richard Ciamarra defeated Mitchell Stewart. In the Boys 14 and under division Adam Wenick defeated Evan Batzer and in the Boys 18 and under division Mario Roehrs defeated his brother, Timo.
In the Girls 14 and under division, Jenna Himmelfarb overcame Ashley Cech and in the Girls 18 and under division, Patricia Culligan topped Himmelfarb.
-----
For further information on upcoming tournaments and other activities sponsored by the Newtown Tennis Association, visit www.ntaweb.com.