2009 Final Arkansas Junior Tennis Rankings

The 2009 Arkansas Junior Tennis Final Rankings are in and the following junior tennis players hold the #1 ranking in their divisions:

Boy's 18s- Parker Allen of Hot Springs
Girl's 18s- Kara Williams of Jonesboro

Boy's 16s- Austin Crawford of Maumelle
Girls 16s- Lindsey Liles of LR

Boy's 14s- Jake Jacoby of LR
Girl's 14s- Tiffany Tang of Rogers

Boy's 12s- Marshall Ney of Rogers
Girl's 12s- Alye Darter of Rogers

Boy's 10s- Parker Stearns of LR
Girl's 10s- Morgan McAlexander of Jonesboro

Congratulations to these Arkansas Junior Tennis Players for achieving their fine accomplishments!

*** See comments for complete ranking results

NTRP RATINGS BLOWN UP!!!!!!!!

The USTA player ratings for 2010 have caused quite a stir in Central Arkansas. Teams have been blown up! New NTRP rules are in place and teams are forming quickly as players are moving in all directions.
Feel free to post any news, opinions, or related info. We all need to keep up.

Central Arkansas Tennis Association (CATA) Announces 2009 Annual Award Winners- "click here for other cata news"

The new Central Arkansas Tennis Association (CATA ) announced its annual tennis community award winners.

Denise Bradley received the Meritorious Education Award.

Bill Sanders was awarded the Outstanding Service Award.

Brian Knopp, City Parks Director, received the Community Service Award.

Chris Dussourd was awarded the Top Junior Player of the Year.

Betty Courtway received the Lifetime Achievement Award.


Congratulations to these individuals for their generosity and unselfish commitment to our tennis community!

*** For more information log on to: www.centralarkansastennisassociation.blogspot.com

Rebecca Bailey and Julio Olaya Capture Arkansas High School Overall Championships

Rebecca Bailey (pictured below) of Mount St. Mary defeated Helon Ricks of Hot Springs Lakeside 6-1, 6-3 in the Girl's Finals of the Arkansas High School Overall Championships. Julio Olaya (pictured right) of Pulaski Academy won the Boy's Division with a 6-1, 7-5 victory over defending champion Mario Martinez of LR Central.




Below are the Classification Winners:
Boys 7A- Mario Martinez of LR Central
Girls 7A- Rebecca Bailey of Mount St. Mary

Boys 6A- Jason Morgan of Jonesboro
Girls 6A- Irene Jadic of El Dorado

Boys 5A- Parker Allen of HS Lakeside
Girls 5A- Mary Wright of HS Lekeside

Boys 4A- Andrew Evans of Shiloh Christian
Girls 4A- Elizabeth Teed of Arkadelphia

Boys 3A- Tim Dinehart of Episcopal
Girls 3A- Maggie Beetstra of Episcopal

Boys 2A- Seth Laster of Union Christian
Girls 2A- Brandi Mikula of Union Christian

*** See comments for full results

Arkansas Senior Women's 3.5 Team Loses to Texas Team in Semi-Finals of USTA National League Championships

The Hunter/Holmes Women's 3.5 Senior Team from the Little Rock area representing the Southern Section lost a heartbreaking match to the Texas Section Team 2-1 in the semi-finals of the USTA National League Championships in Indian Wells, CA. At #1 Doubles Pricilla Backus/Deborah Bennett defeated Mirtha Herrrera/Lourdes Bolado 6-1, 6-1 for the Arkansas Team's only point. The Texas Team won at #2 and #3 Doubles in 10-point match tiebreakers.
The Hunter/Holmes 3.5 Team went on to beat the New England Section Team 2-1 to win 3rd place in the event.
The Arkansas Senior 3.5 Team members include Pricilla Backus, Terri Holmes, Betty Harrison, Kathy Campbell, Melanie Riley, Deborah Bennett, Tricia Buchman, Shirley Hunter, Maureen Dickson.
Congratulations to another great Arkansas Team!

*** See comments for full results

Tatum Rice, Kaitlin Ray, and Jacqueline Carr Lead Arkansas Junior Tennis Players in Southern Rankings

Tatum Rice of Hot Springs has the highest ranking in the South among Arkansas junior tennis players reaching the #2 spot in the Girl's age 10 & under division. Other Arkansas junior players ranked in the top 10 of their division are Kaitlin Ray of Little Rock (#5 in the Girl's 16s) and Jacqueline Carr of Bentonville ( #8 in the Girl's 12s).

Mario Martinez (pictured left) of Maumelle holds the highest ranking among the Arkansas junior boy players in the South reaching #12 in the Boy's 18s. Taylor Cramer of Texarkana holds the #17 position in the South in the Boy's 14s.


*** See comments for all Arkansas Juniors with Southern Rankings

Arkansas Women's 2.5 Team Has A Great Run At Nationals

Lacey Owenby's Women 2.5 Team from the Fayetteville area had a nice showing at the USTA National League Championships in Indian Wells, CA. Owenby's Team representing the Southern Section finished second in the Flight #3 bracket losing 2-1 to the eventual runnerup team from the Caribbean Section in a 10-point match tiebreaker at #1 Doubles.
Team members on the Arkansas Women's 2.5 are Lacey Hayes, Allison Ann Ellison, Jacqueline Sylvia Shearman, Beth McEver,Christine J. Daugherty, Mariko Paschall, Tiffani Yates, Beth Stockland Armstrong.
Congratulations to another great Arkansas Team!


*** See comments for detailed match results

Arkansas 4.0 Men's Team Places 2nd in USTA National League Championship

Marty Archer's 4.0 Men's Team finished second in the USTA National League Championship in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Darling Tennis Center. Archer's Team representing the Southern Section lost to the Eastern Section Team 4-1. The Arkansas Team won at #2 Doubles with the Eastern Section sweeping #1 & #2 Singles and winning the #1 & #3 Doubles in third set 10-point tiebreaker.

Team members include Jeff Darling, Marty Archer, Paul Chamoun, Chris Dussourd, Phil Langley, Wilson Smith, Matt Foster, Alan Terry, Micah Fannin, Kevin Luneau, Jimmy Sawyer, Brent Herring, Kurt Lehigh, Mitchell Perry, and Fred Cooper.

Congratulations to another great Arkansas team!

*** See comments for detailed team results.

The City of Conway, Arkansas Has a New Tennis Association

A new tennis association has formed in Conway, Arkansas called The Central Arkansas Tennis Association ( CATA ). The CATA was formed to promote the growth of tennis. Recently, Central Arkansas Tennis Association of Conway held its first meeting with several players and parents of players in attendance.

Anyone interested in getting involved may email: tennis@pinnacletennisacademy.com or call the office at 501-570-6755. CATA will hold its next meeting on September 25, 2009. This meeting is scheduled to put together a calendar of events, elect officers of the CATA, and cover a broad range of topics including the state of condition in the tennis community.

At its first meeting, a new Conway Tennis League was implemented for players who want to compete year-round. The league is FREE and is an excellent opportunity to meet other tennis players in the community. For registration go to- http://www.pinnacletennisacademy.com/id17.html

Kaitlin Ray and Jacqueline Carr Lead Arkansas Juniors in National Rankings

Kaitlin Ray of Little Rock and Jacqueline Carr of Bentonville lead Arkansas Junior tennis players in National Rankings. K. Ray currently ranks #12 in the National Girls 16s. J. Carr reached #30 recently in the National Girls 12s. Central Arkansas Tennis Talk wants to congratulate these juniors for their fine effort in achieving these very difficult accomplishments.

*** See Comments for All Arkansas Juniors with National Rankings

USTA Promotes Quick-Start Tennis Programs Across America

USTA has rolled out a mass advertising campaign across America to promote Adult and Junior Tennis Programs in its Quick Start Tennis Format to reach out to the beginning adults and children who are trying out various sports. These programs offer some positive aspects for the game, but also have different drawbacks. USTA is using the promotion of these programs to reach out to youths at an earlier age. The use of smaller racquets and foam balls make the game easier for these youths. As these youths develop their tennis game, are these programs slowing the growth of a young tennis player by preventing him/her from using valuable time to graduate to a full court? Please offer your input as to the pros and cons of these Quick Start Tennis Programs!

Parker Allen and Kara Williams Hold Points Lead in Race for Top Arkansas Junior Tennis Honor

Parker Allen of Hot Springs(pictured right) and Kara Williams of Jonesboro(pictured below) lead the current field of juniors vying for the top ranking in the Arkansas junior tennis rankings for 2009. Parker Allen holds the top position in the Boys' 18 singles with a slight point lead over Mario Martinez of Maumelle. Kara Williams leads Oksana Hillyer by a few points in the Girls' 18 singles. Lindsey Liles of Little Rock has a huge lead in the point standings of the Girls' 16 singles. Austin Crawford tops the field of candidates in the Boys' 16 singles.



***See 1st thru 10th comments for all current Arkansas Junior Rankings***

Arkansas Teams Capture Southern Sectional Championships

The 2.5 Women's Team- Owenby/Fayetteville, the 4.0 Men's Team- Archer/ Little Rock, and the 3.5 Senior Women's Team- Hunter & Holmes/ Little Rock captured the 2009 USTA Southern League Championships and advanced to the USTA National League Championships which is considered by some to be the largest Adult Recreational Tennis Leagues in the world.

The Arkansas 2.5 Women's Team captained by Lacey Owenby - Fayetteville defeated the Alabama/Birmingham-Taylor Team 2-1. AR/Fayetteville-Owenby won at #1 Singles with Mariko Paschall defeating Jana Crim 6-0 6-0 . At #1 Doubles AR/Fayetteville-Owenby also won with Allison Ellison/Lacey Owenby defeating Susan C McDowell /Rosemary Weed 7-6 6-1. AL/BHAM-Taylor scored their only point by winning at #2 Doubles with Bethanne Taylor /Heidi Johnston defeating Beth Armstrong /Beth McEver 4-6 6-1 1-0.
Team members include Lacey Owenby, Tiffani Yates, Allison Ellison, Christine Daugherty, Beth Armstrong, Jacqueline Shearman, Mariko Paschall, and Beth McEver.

The Arkansas 4.0 Adult Men's Team captained by Marty Archer of Benton defeated the Kentucky Team captained by Jason Goff 3-2. At #1 Singles AR/Little Rock-Archer won with Kevin C. Luneau defeating Thomas C. Smithson 1-6 6-3 1-0. At #2 Singles KY/ASH-Goff won with Paul Stacy defeating Jimmy Sawyer 7-5 1-4 . At #1 Doubles AR/Little Rock-Archer was the winner with Brent Herring /Chris R. Dussourd defeating Ryan Walker /John May 6-2 6-3. KY/ASH-Goff won at #2 Doubles with Wilson C. Smith /Fred L. Cooper falling to Jason Goff/ Eddie Harris 7-5 6-1. At #3 Doubles AR/Little Rock-Archer won with Jeff R. Darling /Paul Chamoun defeating Del M. Beard /Bryan K. Mabe 6-3 3-6 1-0 .
Team members include Jeff Darling, Marty Archer, Paul Chamoun, Chris Dussourd, Phil Langley, Wilson Smith, Matt Foster, Alan Terry, Micah Fannin, Kevin Luneau, Jimmy Sawyer, Brent Herring, Kurt Lehigh, Mitchell Perry, and Fred Cooper.

The Arkansas 3.5 Senior Women's Team captained by Shirley Hunter/Teri Holmes of Little Rock defeated the Louisana Team 2-1. At #1 Doubles AR/LittleRock-Hunter/Holmes was the winner with Terri S. Holmes/ Pricilla P. Backus defeating Marie Duncan/Laura Koch 6-4 6-7 1-0 . At #2 Doubles AR/LittleRock-Hunter/Holmes won with Maureen Dickson /Tricia L. Buchman defeating Cindy Hines/Jan Ahlemeyer 2-6 6-1 1-0 . LA/New Orleans-Harper scored their only point at #3 Doubles with Sheri H. Levine /Gisela O'Brien defeating Shirley K. Hunter /Melanie M. Riley 6-2 4-6 1-0.
Team members includeTeri Holmes, Priscilla Backus, Tricia Buchman, Maureen Dickson, Melanie Riley, Shirley Hunter, Debbie Bennett, Kathy Campbell and Betty Brinkley Harrison.

These teams travel to Indian Wells, CA and Las Vegas, NV for the USTA National League Championships.

Great Vacations Across the South By Playing Tennis

Southern Age Group Tournaments are an excellent way to vacation along with the fun of playing competitive tennis. Each year the Southern Sectional Office publishes the Southern Adult & Senior Tournament Calendar that includes all tournaments sanctioned by the USTA Southern Section which qualify under the point system for receiving a Southern Adult Ranking.
Desire a Summer getaway to the mountains and play tennis along the banks of the Tennessee River, the TVOC( Tennessee Valley Open Championships) in Chattanooga, TN makes an excellent option in vacation plans. The Manker Patten Tennis Club provides a beautiful setting for this tennis tourney. The Guerry family and Chattem Labs sponsor this exciting tournament each year with appearances in the open division by All-SEC athletes and some of the top-ranked junior players in the nation. Great food and entertainment for all!
Another option might be The Bocage Senior Invitational in the Spring. Louisiana crawfish and Southern hospitality abound in the Old South environment at the Bocage Racquet Club in Baton Rouge, LA. Plenty of entertainment possibilities and be sure to bring lots of white tennis attire . The racquet club has a Wimbledon dress code.
Go to http://www.southerntennis.com/ & find the 2009 Southern Adult & Senior Tournament Calendar to plan your tennis vacation for the year.

2009 Southern Boys and Girls 18s is at Burns Park This Week

The Southern Boys & Girls 18s is under way at Burns Park. If your looking for some great tennis to watch with a lot of college scouting going on, Burns Park is the place to be this week. The top seeds in the Boys division are #1 Anderson Reed and #2 Garrett Brasseaux. The top seeds in the Girls division are #1 Alexandra Anghelescu and #2 Whitney Kay . The only seeded Arkansan is Mario Martinez (pictured right) of Maumelle at #9. Caroline Price, the Easter Bowl champ and daughter of NBA great Mark Price, is another seeded player to check out. Fun tournament to watch with a lot of stressed out parents of participants!

2009 Arkansas League Tennis Regular Season Results

The 2009 Arkansas State Tennis League Championship results are in and the Winners are.........

Senior Results-

Men 3.5 Winner: Fowlkes, Gayle -Conway
Men 4.0 Winner: Coleman, Dalton -NLR
Men 4.5 Winner: Collazo, Mel-LR
Women 3.0 Winner: Kaczenski, Rebecca- LR
Women 3.5 Winner: Hunter/Holmes-LR
Women 4.0 Winner: Jones, Carol-Jonesboro
Women 4.5 Winner : Sneed/Marion-LR

Adult Results-

Men 2.5 Winner: Caldwell, Terry-LR
Men 3.0 Winner: Weissinger, Norbert-Bentonville
Men 3.5 Winner: Waters, Rob-Ft. Smith
Men 4.0 Winner: Archer, Marty-Benton
Men 4.5 Winner: Ensminger/Rivas-LR
Men 5.0 Winner: Shoemake, Jake- Bentonville

Women 2.0 Winner: McDaniel, Rebekah-Jonesboro
Women 2.5 Winner: Owenby, Lacey-Fayetteville
Women 2.75 Winner: Taylor/James-LR
Women 3.0 Winner: Williams, Teresa-LR
Women 3.25 Winner: Williams, Teresa-LR
Women 3.5 Winner: Harmon/Coots- Jonesboro
Women 4.0 Winner: Sharpe/Lane- Rogers
Women 4.5 Winner: Adair, Trina- LR

****See 1st thru 6th comments for the men's and women's individual match summary results of all NTRP levels -2.0 up to 5.0.

Kid's Summer Tennis Lessons, Camps, & Classes

Parents in Arkansas have a lot of options for this summer in selecting junior tennis camps /classes for their children. Below is a short list of quality instruction for junior and adult tennis lessons and programs across the state of Arkansas in alphabetical order of the cities in which they are located.
City/ Contact Name /Phone Number
Cabot / Chuck Cavin /501-570-6755

Conway / Chuck Cavin /501-570-6755

El Dorado /Eric Sixby /870-814-5122

Fayetteville/ Jake Shoemake/ 479-204-1009

Greenbrier / Chuck Cavin / 501-570-6755

Heber Springs / Chuck Cavin/ 501-570-6755

Hot Springs/ Ronnie Bran /501-624-2153

Jonesboro /Gary Jones /870-932-6556

Little Rock/ Chuck Cavin / 501-570-6755

Maumelle / Chuck Cavin / 501-570-6755

Morrilton / Chuck Cavin / 501-570-6755

Texarkana/ Billy Power/ 903-244-4061

Vilonia / Chuck Cavin / 501-570-6755

League Tennis Fair Play and the NTRP Rating System

The popularity of team tennis under the USTA League System is reaching record levels of attendance. As a competitive form of recreation, there is greater need to enforce the rules that are presently set in place. The need for quality state league coordinators and sectional league coordinators are imperative to ensure a fair playing field for all parties involved. The local league coordinators have a closer view to the actual participants and should play a more active role in assessing and verifying the skill levels before forwarding grievances to the sectional committees. Self-rating applicants should be held accountable for falsifying skill levels. Too many times the local district and sectional officials do not follow the present NTRP guidelines in rating skill levels. This negligence creates an unbalanced playing field for all participants.
Can the present system be fixed? Give us your opinion! League Tennis is fun and every tennis player knows-it is more fun to win!

Little Rock Team Captures USTA National 9.0 Super Senior League Championship

The Little Rock Team of the Southern Section captained by Steve Duffel captured the USTA National 9.0 Super Senior League Championship on April 26th in Surprise, Arizona. Little Rock/Duffel defeated the West End Team of the So. California Section captained by Craig Edgecumbe 2-1.

The LR/Duffel Team won #2 & #3 Doubles with West End/Edgecumbe winning at #1 Doubles. The members of the team are Stephen G. Duffel, Al Yearwood, Bailey Brown, Hugh Thomson, Jerry W. McEwen, Brian Marcus, Jerry L. Kirk, Thay H. Butchee, and Larry Back.

Thay Butchhee /Jerry W. McEwen (LR/Duffel)lost at #1 Doubles to Jim Quilty/ Jack Metalsky(West End/Edgecumbe) 6-4 6-1
At #2 Doubles Hugh Thomson /Brian Marcus(LR/Duffel) defeated Brian Anstey /Lawrence H. Nagler (WestEnd/Edgecumbe) 5-7 6-3 1-0
At #3 Doubles Bailey Brown/ Jerry L. Kirk (LR/Duffel)defeated Craig H. Edgecumbe /Mike Woiemberghe (WestEnd/Edgecumbe) 6-4 4-6 1-0

2009 Top ranked Arkansas Juniors in the South

Max Mendelsohn of Little Rock(#15 in the Boys 10s) and Mario Martinez of Maumelle(#26 in the Boys 16s & 18s) top the list of the highest ranked Arkansas Jr. Boys in the Southern Section of the USTA.
Tiffany Tang of Rogers(#3 in the Girls 12s), Katelyn Jackson of Roland(#7 in the Girls 12s), and Kaitlin Ray of Little Rock(#9 in the Girls 16s) lead the way of the highest ranked Arkansas Jr. Girls in the Southern Section. Other girls breaking into the top 20 of their age group are Tatum Rice of Hot Springs(#10 in the Girls 10s), Jordan Ashford of Lake Village(#17 in the Girls 10s), and Morgan McAlexander of Jonesboro(#19 in the Girls 10s).

See 1st comment for all Southern ranked Arkansas Juniors of 2009
See 2nd comment for all National ranked Arkansas juniors of 2009

2009 St. Vincent Auxiliary Men's Pro Tennis Tournament Update

The St. Vincent Auxiliary Pro Tennis Tournament is ending this Saturday at Pleasant Valley Country Club. The USA has two seeded players remaining in the quarterfinals of the main draw- Todd Paul #7 and Michael McClune #4. The other two seeds left are Tigran Martirosyan of Armenia #3 and Andrey Kumantsov of Russia #5. The singles begin each morning at 10:00am with the doubles following. The Finals will be played on Saturday. Great tennis at an affordable price-FREE!!!!

Tennis Talk Remembers Pillars in ATA

The Arkansas Tennis Community has lost several pillars in the ATA over the past years. The passing of Bob Munger, Virginia Bailey, Ann Loomis and George & Lib Dunklin have left a void in our lives. Their memories are carried on through their children.
Bob Munger of Little Rock was a fixture at the Pleasant Valley Country Club. His children continue to play team tennis including a grandson Chris Jones who was a Southern 14s champion in his youth.
Virginia Bailey of Little Rock enjoyed watching her children so much that she had a hardcourt in her backyard. Her granddaughter Rebecca is a top ranked juniorin the South in the Girls 18s. Her son John is active in team tennis today.
Ann Loomis of Little Rock was active in the tennis community and the ATA. Her daughter Myke Loomis was All SEC at the Univ. of Alabama and currently is the Head Pro at a Florida resort.
George & Lib Dunklin also enjoyed the sport so much that they built a claycourt behind their house. Their son George continues to play tennis and duck hunt. He is the present Game and Fish Commissioner.

Tell us of any people past or present that have influenced your life through the game of Tennis.

MID-SEASON TEAM COMPETITION BEGINS THIS WEEK

Mid-Season Team Tennis starts this Friday at Burns Park. Phone batteries are hot and emails are zipping back and forth as the captains plan their strategies and form their lineups. The local police have ticketed many tennis players during this time of the year. Let us know of any interesting tennis-related stories or team predictions circulating!!!!!

2009 Teams Are Forming NOW!!!!!!!!!

2009 Teams are forming for the regular season in League Tennis. Keep us informed of any tennis stories in central Arkansas.

1) Who are the pre-season favorites? 2.5, 3.0-3.5, 4.0-4.5+ Men or Women teams

2) Any interesting new teams, captains, etc.?

3) Nominees for the Best Dressed Woman Player?

4) Nominees for the Hunkiest Male Player?

5) Any topics that are of interest to you?