For the week of July 10 - 16, 2002

Fourth of July tennis packs Warm Springs

Drew, Shephard capture singles in holiday meet

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Some great tennis, a growing turnout and incredible weather gave Ketchum’s Warm Springs Tennis Club something to shout about over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

Tournament director Mark Scribner was delighted with the big turnout of 243 entries for last weekend’s 15th annual Warm Springs Open holiday tennis tournament.

Lauren Drew of Hailey fires a winner during her 6-3, 6-3 victory over Andrea House in the finals of the women’s 5.0 singles round-robin Sunday at Warm Springs Tennis Club. Express photo by Willy Cook

Of last weekend’s 243 entries, there were 91 in singles (31 women, 60 men) plus 76 doubles teams in the 20 classes. Last year there were 206 entries in 16 classes. Two years ago there were only 133 entries.

Staged in hot summer weather and under sunny skies, the four-day tournament was sponsored by Warm Springs Tennis Club and Sturtevants.

Boise’s Morgan Shephard won the men’s Open singles class in a pair of tiebreakers over Pete Peterson, then Shephard teamed up with another young Boise player, Jared Burnham, to take men’s Open doubles 7-5, 6-4 over Mark Fuller and Robert Sterk.

Recent Community School graduate and four-time Idaho state high school singles queen Lauren Drew of Hailey enjoyed a productive weekend as well.

Drew captured the women’s 5.0 singles round-robin with two straight-set victories and teamed up with Mark Scribner to nail down the mixed 5.0 doubles championship with a pair of straight-set triumphs.

Next up at Warm Springs Tennis Club, with a similar non-sanctioned format, is the 2002 Labor Day tournament Aug. 30 through Sept. 2. All entries must be received by Wednesday, Aug. 28.

Here are top results from last weekend’s holiday tournament:

 

Singles

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·  Men’s Open final—Morgan Shephard 7-6 (3), 7-6 (1) over Pete Peterson.

To reach the final Shephard took care of Will Lyon 6-3, 6-4 and 1999/2001 Warm Springs Fourth of July king David Perry 6-1, 2-6, 6-1. Peterson got past Matt Palmer 6-0, 6-4, Mark Scribner 6-3, 6-4 and Jared Burnham 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 (11 players).

·  Men’s 5.0 final: David Carter 6-1, 6-4 over Jeff Roth.

Carter won four matches for his title including three hard-fought preliminary wins: 6-4, 7-5 over two-time state singles champion Ryan Drew; 6-4, 7-6 (8-6) over Alec Erquiaga; and 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 over Robert Sterk (10 players).

·  Men’s 4.5 final: Doug Blevins came away with three straight-set wins including his 7-5, 6-2 championship match victory over Eric Thornfeldt (10 players).

·  Men’s 4.0 final—Retaining his title was Robert Perry 6-4, 7-5 over Phil Ellis. Perry also knocked off Jim Britt, Jack Alkire and Radim Paulus in straight sets to make the final.

Ellis recorded an exciting 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (6) semi-final triumph over Sean Timoney (16 players).

·  Men’s 3.5 final—Jan-Michael Jordan lost only 10 games in four straight-set wins including his 6-3, 6-1 championship match triumph over Cory Rutkowski.

Rutkowski also had a good tournament, beating three opponents: 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 over Chadd Montgomery; 6-1, 6-1 over Zach Broyles; and 6-2, 6-4 over Jerry Waitman (13 players).

·  Women’s 5.0 round-robin—Hailey’s four-time state singles champion Lauren Drew earned first place. She beat last year’s 4.0/4.5 holiday queen Margarita Alvarado of Colombia 6-2, 7-5 and runner-up Andrea House 6-3, 6-3 (3 players).

·  Women’s 4.5 round-robin—Anna Erdheim captured the first prize, sweeping Carrie Howell 6-2, 6-0 and rallying past runner-up Jennifer Wright 2-6, 7-5, 6-2 (3 players).

·  Women’s 4.0 final—Jodie Peterson dropped only seven games in three straight-set wins, including her 6-2, 6-1 championship match victory over Kim McAtee.

In the semis Peterson prevailed 6-2, 6-2 over Anna Erdheim and McAtee was a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 winner over Michelle Sabina (8 players).

·  Women’s 3.5 final—Cassandra Johnson 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 over Amy Alexander.

Prior to the final, Alexander had lost only three games in two straight-set triumphs including her 6-1, 6-1 semi-final success over Parker Worth. Johnson downed Kathy Wright 6-3, 6-2 in the other semi-final (8 players).

·  Women’s 3.0 final—Amanda Parks 6-2, 6-3 over Irene Asher.

Parks won three matches in straight sets including preliminary victories over Alexa Turzian and Ashley Prior (9 players).

 

Doubles

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·  Men’s Open final: Morgan Shephard and Jared Burnham 7-5, 6-4 over Mark Fuller and Robert Sterk.

The local team of Mark Scribner and Ryan Drew dropped a tough quarterfinal match by scores of 4-6, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (5) (6 teams).

·  Men’s 4.5/5.0 final: Kevin McDonald and Mike O’Toole 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 over Jeff Roth and David Carter (10 teams).

·  Men’s 4.0 final: Phil Ellis and Doug Blevins 6-2, 6-7 (6), 7-5 over Marc Weiss and John Jablonski (8 teams).

·  Men’s 3.5 final: Lloyd Gurney and Herb Alexander 6-3, 6-1 over Jan-Michael Jordan and Norm Jordan (8 teams).

·  Women’s 4.5/5.0 round-robin: Lauren Drew and Andrea House teamed up for first place, winning 6-2, 6-0 over Marianne Nelson and Kelle Weston and 6-3, 6-1 over second-place Monique Lemon and Karen Mahoney (3 teams).

·  Women’s 4.0 final: Kim McAtee and Penny Eagan 6-4, 7-5 over Jodi Hunt and Susan Flynt (6 teams).

·  Women’s 3.5 final: Margaret Haase and Candy Ryan in split sets over Helen Weaver and Carolyn Kennedy (7 teams).

·  Women’s 3.0 final: Mandy Alexander and Hadley DeBree 6-0, 6-1 over Ronna Medcoff and Katy Perkins.

In the semi-finals Alexander and DeBree survived a long second-set tiebreaker to win 6-4, 7-6 (9) over Shannon Webb and Sharma Thornton (6 teams).

·  Mixed 5.0 round-robin: Mark Scribner and Lauren Drew won both of their matches for first place, beating Justin Tarter and Andrea House 6-1, 6-3 and rallying from a 4-2 deficit in the second set to defeat second-place Dar Walters and Vicki Nishikawa 6-4, 6-4 (3 teams).

·  Mixed 4.5 final: Katy Perkins and Alec Erquiaga 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-3 over Conrad Casser and Kim McAtee (4 teams).

·  Mixed 4.0 final: Jack Alkire and Karen Heerensperger 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 over Ashley Blevins and Doug Blevins (6 teams).

·  Mixed 3.5 final: Ned Flanagan and Langely McNeal won four matches in straight sets, including their 6-4, 6-3 championship match success over Jerry Wright and Kathy Wright.

 

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