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 Adam Barankowski breezed to the men’s Over-35 title at the Eastern Canadian Senior Indoor National Championships at Toronto’s Mayfair West Fitness and Racquet Club on Sunday. Ontario’s Barankowski defeated second-seed Charles Gembes, also from Ontario 6-2, 6-4 in Sunday’s final. Barankowski lost a total of 10 games in three matches en route to the title.
Ontario’s Ben Woo, the top seed, defeated Sylvan Lake Alberta’s Rene Simon, seeded second, 6-3, 6-2 in the men’s O40 final. Jean-Guy Sauve, the top seed in the men’s O45 division, defeated second seed Gary Meanchos 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-4 in that division’s championship match.
Quebec’s Jean-Pierre Cote, the top-seed in the men’s O50 division, dumped second-seed and fellow Quebecker Denis Dumas 7-6(4), 6-4 in the O50 final while top-seed James Cameron defeated second-seed Sergey Borodulin 6-1, 7-6(2) to win the men’s O55 title.
In women’s action, Jennifer Black won the Over-30 title with a 2-0 round-robin record. Paula Sousa was second, winning once and losing once while Louise Greig pulled up the rear. Andreanne Martin won the women’s O40 title with a 4-0 record in the round-robin. Jennifer Bishop was second, going 3-1, Janet Hofstra finished third with a 2-2 record and Nancy Behm was third.
Second-seed Diane Blondeaux of Ontario won the women’s O45 crown, defeating top-seed and fellow Ontarian Alison Taylor 6-3 6-2 in Sunday’s final at Toronto’s Granite Club. Blondeaux defeated B.C.’s Karen Clarke 6-3, 6-2 in the semifinals while Taylor beat Red Deer, Alberta’s Marianne Badenhorst 6-3, 6-1 in the other semi.
Second-seed Erin Boynton of Ontario defeated unseeded Susanna Sekely of Ontario 6-0, 6-3 in the final of the women’s O50 division also at the Granite Club. Sekely upset top-seed Michelle Karis of Nova Scotia 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in Saturday’s semifinals.
Unseeded Patricia Babcock of Ontario won the O55 title with a 6-4, 7-6 victory over second-seed Christa Cameron of Ontario in the final at the Granite Club. In Saturday’s semifinals, Babcock upset top-seeded Frances Critchley of Ontario 6-3, 6-3.
Top-seed Louise Moulin of Quebec won the O60 title, defeating Ontario’s Anke Magnus, the second-seed 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 in Sunday’s final. Top-seeded Ontarian Mary Ann Gaskin claimed the O65 crown, with a 6-0, 6-2 win over unseeded Louise Langston of Quebec in Sunday’s final. Langston defeated second-seed Susan Gilbertson of Alberta 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 in the semifinals.
