Club Championships Singles Wrap-Up

Geoff Negin & Chip Graddy
Singles Finalist & Champion

The first leg of the Club Championships Triple Crown (Singles, Doubles, Mixed Doubles) is complete, and only one horse has a chance of completing a repeat as Triple Crown Champion. That thoroughbred would be Mr. Chip Graddy.

Bryan Schwartz Edges Rich Edelman
in Quarters

Rich Edelman: A Gentleman
and a Warrior

But before I get into the wrap up of Championship Weekend, I must send out an apology to Bryan Schwartz and Rich Edelman for failing to mention their hard-fought three-setter in the quarterfinals of the Men’s Ball Basher Division. That match is certainly among the top candidates for “Match of the Tournament,” with Bryan claiming the 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 victory after more than two hours of strategic struggle.

Beth Haidet Takes on Jayme Lewis

Holly Thompson Returns Forehand to Meg Jacobs

Their match, however, was only one among a number of barn-burner, three-setters we witnessed leading up to the semis; yet only one semifinal match (Jayme Lewis’ win over Beth Haidet in the Court Crashers Division, 6-1, 4-6, 6-0) went three sets. Two others semis provided significant drama, as Meg Jacobs just edged Holly Thompson 7-6, 7-5 in the same division, and Don Pitts threatened to take heavy favorite Charlie Beagan to three sets, losing 2-6, 6-7, also in the Court Crashers.

All Aces Final

All Aces Singles Champion Chip Graddy 

Back to our Triple Crown repeat threat. Are you familiar with the movie, Walking Tall? Well, Chip Graddy walks softly and definitely carries a big stick! Chip faced Geoff Negin in the All Aces final, the first match of Championship Sunday, and everyone present was primed for a match that was at least as well contested as last year’s final when the two first met. Early in the match it appeared as though that is exactly what we could expect, as the two traded early holds and breaks.

All Aces Finalist Geoff Negin

Geoff went up 3-1 after breaking Chip’s serve in the fourth game, no mean feat in and of itself, but Chip broke right back to get back on serve. Geoff appeared to be on his way to another break and I walked away. When I returned not too much later, Chip had won the first set 6-3, and was up 4-0 in the second. He went on to win 11 consecutive games to earn the 6-3, 6-0 victory and top honors in the Men’s Singles Championships. There was no Women’s All Aces event, because Reigning Champion, Jemin Matinsen, had no one to play.

Ball Bashers Finals

Ball Bashers Champion & Finalist
Angela Mitrisin & Monde Breton

Ball Bashers Champion & Finalist
Frank Kaplan & John Hess, with Joel Hampton in Chair

The mid-morning session of Championship Sunday featured Frank Kaplan versus John Hess and Angela Mitrisin versus Mondé Breton in the Women’s and Men’s Ball Bashers Divisions. While the final score of the women’s final might appear as though it was an easy victory for Angela (6-1, 6-4), a closer look tells another story.

Women’s Ball Bashers Final

Angela Shows Great Backhand Form

Despite the score of the first set, with Angela going up 5-0 before taking it 6-1, all but one game of the set went to deuce. The second set score (6-4) was a more accurate indicator of the level of competition, and at one point there were five consecutive breaks of serve. When Angela lost only two points in two games to go up 4-2, one might have thought it was over. Not so. Mondé recovered to tie the set at 4-4 with a break of Angela’s serve in the eighth game.

Monde's Backhand:
Unconventional but Effective

The critical ninth game with Mondé serving was another filled with multiple deuces. Angela seized it with superior speed and shot-making, as she had done in all but two of the several deuce games played. In all, 10 of the 17 games played reached deuce, with Angela winning seven of them. Angela’s toughness in those crucial games and her ability to hold serve more consistently than Mondé resulted in her first Gulf Harbour Singles Championship. It should be a nice addition to the Mixed Doubles Trophy she collected last year in her first Gulf Harbour Championships appearance.

Men’s Ball Bashers Final 

Frank Takes Racquet All the Way Back

In contrast to the women’s match, it was quite obvious from the score (6-4, 7-6) that Frank and John were evenly matched in this hotly contested skirmish for the Men’s Ball Basher crown. Also in contrast, there was only one deuce game in the 10 played in first set of their match, compared to six of seven for the women.

John Hess Lines up Backhand

One similarity, however, was the fact that both players had difficulty holding serve during portions of the match. In fact, before Frank held serve in the eighth game to go up 5-3, no one had held serve! The second set also began with two services breaks, but then the two held serve until Frank broke John in the ninth game to serve for the match at 5-4. But then the service-breaks resurfaced, and neither could hold serve the rest of the way.

It was only fitting that the second set went to a tiebreak, given the neck-and-neck nature of the set that featured six of the seven deuce games in the match. In the end, Frank jumped out to a big 6-1 lead and closed it out on his third match point to claim his second singles title in two years (he won the Court Crashers event last year). As for John, this was his second consecutive finish as the Men’s Ball Bashers Finalist, and the third consecutive year that he has lost to the eventual Champion.

Court Crashers Finals

Court Crashers Champion & Finalist
Jayme Lewis & Meg Jacobs

Court Crashers Finalist & Champion
Chuck Beagan & Tony Cupaiuolo

Teammates faced each other in, both, the Women’s and the Men’s Court Crashers Finals. Jayme Lewis and Meg Jacobs, friends and teammates on our 3.0 Double Trouble team, gave the 50-60 engaged and vocal spectators all they could ask for.

Women’s Court Crashers Final

Jayme Prepares to Deliver Her Big Serve

Jayme jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the first set, but what Meg may lack in tournament experience, she makes up for in championship spirit. With the crowd urging her on, she roared back to even the match at 4-4. Jayme is no slouch in the champion spirit department either, and she did not panic when Meg came back, breaking Meg in the ninth game and holding serve to take the first set 6-4.

In the second set, Jayme, again, claimed the early set lead, going up 2-0 with a break and hold. But Meg just wouldn’t go away. She tied it at 2-2 and the pair struggled mightily to the end. In fact, six of the last nine games went to deuce, with the fifth game going to eight deuces!

Meg's Ready to Step into This One

Jayme broke Meg in that fifth game and you would that if there ever was a back-breaker that was it. But Meg came right back to break Jayme. Unbelievable! The good friends and doubles partners traded blows evenly for the rest of the set, and Jayme served for the match at 6-5 and had two match points. Over, right? Wrong! Meg fought her way into the tiebreak, getting the break after three deuces.

A lesser person may have been rattled by the inability to put Meg away, but not Mrs. Lewis. Jayme bounced right back to take the early tiebreak lead, and this time Meg couldn’t quite catch her. Jayme had taken home a hard-earned first Singles Club Championship. When asked how it felt to be Champion, she responded, “D$#% Good!” You go Jayme!

Men’s Court Crashers Final

Looks Good in Pictures Tony

Given the tremendous competition we had seen throughout the event, it was only fitting that the final match of the day culminated in a third-set tiebreak. Teammates on one of our Blue A teams, Captain Tony Cupaiuolo and Chuck (AKA Charlie) Beagan finished Gulf Harbour’s opening Club Championship event in style!

While this was Tony’s third consecutive year in the Court Crashers Final, it was Chuck’s first venture into the singles event. The experience appeared to get to Chuck in the early going, as Tony won the first seven points of the match, and went up 5-1 with only two deuce games among the eight played. Tony’s strategy of just keeping the ball in play, while Chuck tried to dictate the action seemed brilliant.

But Chuck did not make it to the final just to go down with minimal resistance. The first sign of his resolve came in the first game of the second set, when he won his first multiple-deuce game. However, Tony held firm, staying even until Chuck broke serve in the sixth game of the set. Chuck won his second multiple-deuce game of the set to go up 5-2 and broke Tony to claim the second set. The two had played 16 games and were deadlocked at eight games apiece.

Chuck's Karate Chop Forehand

Both players held serve to open the third set, but Chuck broke to go up 3-1. They traded breaks again, and Chuck sat two games away from the title at 4-2. Back came Tony to tie at 4-4, and Chuck held at love to reach 5-4. Tony returned the favor, holding at love. He then broke Chuck and would serve for the match and Championship. Tony was in control and needing four measly points to claim the prize he had sought for years.

Once again, Chuck refused to say, “die,” and to the tiebreak they went. They played even through the breaker with neither going more than two points ahead. Chuck served at 6-6 and they played an incredible point with Tony coming up with an unbelievable play to get to 7-6. Another terrific point and Tony had finally earned the win in just over two hours. It was a fitting way for the match and the Championship to come to a close. Two of the best points of the match, and the event, had been played to decide the Champion.

Final Thoughts

Ann Wright Played the Match of the Event

Carol Carr: Winner of Match of the Event

Overall, the level of play throughout the event was pretty phenomenal. The quarterfinal match between Carol Carr and Ann Wright wins my vote not only for “Match of the Tournament,” but for best match I have seen at Gulf Harbour period (ask me and I’ll tell you why)! The Men’s Court Crashers Final was clearly the winner in the “Most Dramatic Finish” category.

Laurie Watson is All Heart and Class

Laurie Watson and Mondé Breton on the women’s side and Richard Edelman and Bryan Schwartz on the men’s side get my votes for the “Sportsmanship Award,” my favorite award of all. I didn’t see all the matches (and I’m sure many others are worthy), but I can’t imagine anyone displaying any more all out effort, fair play, and graciousness regardless of circumstance and outcome than these four showed.

Don Pitts: Surprise Performer of the Event

The “Surprise Performance Award” has to go to Don Pitts, who upended the heavily favored Erik Vettergren in the quarters, and almost pushed Finalist Chuck Beagan into a third set before losing in a tiebreak. Finally, the “Perseverance Award” goes to Dr. Tony for hanging in there until he claimed his title in his third try. Hey, I get to choose, cuz I’m writing this thing; ok :-)?



Congratulations are due, not only to the winners of the five events, but to all of the members who stepped up to participate and make yet another Gulf Harbour event a success. Thanks to George

 Kane and Connie Hess who volunteered their time and braved the wrath of the participants by serving on the Tournament Seeding Committee. T’was a fine job they did! Thanks to Fernando for getting the courts ready for championship play. Oh yes, and thanks to Maxwell Thompson for being the "Official Warmer-Upper" of the event :-).

Jayme & Meg Drew the Largest Crowd

Carole Shapiro & Amy Ciarrocchi among the Crowd



How Cool is Fernando Jimenez?

Finally, we thank all of the spectators who came out, often in challenging weather conditions to cheer on our participants! Together, we made it happen. Isn’t that the way it ought to be?



The Champions will be crowned and will receive their hardware at the Annual Tennis Celebration Banquet on April 9th. We expect that event to be at least as special as it was last year, and look forward to seeing you there. Game, set, match: Gulf Harbour….