Written by: Christopher Simnett
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***Chris grew up playing tennis in B.C. and was ranked as high as No. 2 provincially in the U12 and U16 divisions. He played in two junior national championships in the 80s. Now 39 years old, he is the “community champion” for the Tennis Canada Building Tennis Communities strategy in Airdrie, AB, where he lives with his wife and eight-year-old son. Chris spent 15 years as a journalist writing about sports for newspapers in B.C. and Alberta. He now works in public relations in Calgary. To learn more about Chris and his blog, please visit www.alltennis.ca***
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Top-seed Damien David won the Quebec boys’ Under-18 title with a 6-2, 7-6(5) victory over second-seed Jean-Michel Blouin in Laval on March 6.
David cruised through the first two rounds, defeating Osama Zoghlami 6-4, 6-1 in the first round, dumping David Raymond 6-0, 6-1 in the quarter-finals before squeaking past third-seed Frederic Cadieux 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-4 in the semifinals.
Blouin dumped MacKenzie Stearns 6-2, 6-0 in the first round, defeated Graham Ball 6-2, 4-6, 6-0 in the quarters and dumped fourth-seed Francis Bertrand 6-2, 6-2 in the semis.