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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Fresh off his victory at the Western Canadian Senior Championships in Edmonton on April 17, Kelowna’s Joachim Nierfeld won the Over-40 title at the 34th Vancouver Lawn Tennis and Badminton Club Masters Indoor Tennis Championships on Easter Sunday.
Nierfeld, the tournament’s top seed, defeated second-seed Julien Heine of Richmond 1-6, 7-6, 7-5 in the final. Prior to the final, Nierfeld had no problems. He defeated Ray Leviste of Vancouver 6-0, 6-0 in his first match, took out eighth-seeded Rory MacKay of North Vancouver 6-2, 6-4 in the quarter-finals and dispatched third-seed Collin Koo of Vancouver 6-2, 6-0 in the semis.
Second-seed Gabe Davis of Vancouver won the men’s Over-30 title at the event, defeating top-seeded Rick Nguyen of Vancouver 7-5, 7-5 in the final.
Another second-seed, Manuel Calvo of Coquitlam, won the men’s Over-35 title. Calvo blasted top-seed Andy Freeman of Vancouver 6-2, 6-2 in the championship match.
Top-seed Glenn Richards of North Vancouver defeated his brother, fourth-seed Trevor (T-Biscuit) Richards 6-1, 6-4 in the final of the men’s Over-45 draw.
Russ Hartley, the head pro at Vancouver Lawn and top-seed, won the Over-50 crown. Hartley used his home-court advantage to defeat third-seed Art Hobbs of Victoria 6-3, 6-4 in the final.
Steve Yesowick, who lost to Calgary’s Keith Porter in the Over-55 final at the Western Canadians in Edmonton the previous weekend, took the title at Vancouver Lawn. Yesowick, the top seed from North Vancouver, defeated second-seed Doug Holman of North Vancouver 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 in the championship match on Sunday.
Top-seed Ken Dahl of Vancouver won the men’s Over-60 title with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Vancouver’s John Wade on Sunday. Dahl also took the Over-65 crown, defeating Vancouver’s Bob Bardsley 6-2, 7-5 in the final.
Walter Toffoli of Vancouver won the men’s Over-70 crown with a hard-fought 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 victory over Horst Dammholz of Vancouver in the final. Finally, top-seed Gordon Verge of Parksville, took out second-seed Bob Seeley of Vancouver 7-5, 7-5 to claim the men’s Over-75 title.
