Great Turnout at the Dec. 13 Viking Junior Tournament in Chicago
ISABEL CABANNE
DECEMBER 13, 2008
WINNETKA, IL
Although the day was gray and there was even a little rain, today's Viking Junior Tour tournament, held at the Winnetka Park District, was a shining success. There was excitement, comotion, pizza and an awful lot of impressive paddle played on Winnetka's 6 courts. The high turnout and the level of play spoke volumes for the time and energy that pros, parents, Viking, the APTA and others have invested in junior paddle. You couldn't help but wonder if we will see some of these kids playing in the Charities or the Midwesterns in the future.
Tournament Director Matt Garavaglia, the PPTA pro at Winnetka and an active promoter of junior platform tennis, organized the participants into four age categories: 10 and under, 12 and under, 14 and under and 18 and under. The 12 and unders played a regular elimination draw with a consolation round. The other draws played round robins, with a finals match between the top 2 teams.
Results:
- In the 10 and under division, brothers Peter and Henry Horne defeated Davis Johnson and Wyatt Marshall 6-3, 6-3.
- The 12 and unders saw last year's 10 and under winners Luke Massar and Jackson Smythe defeat defending champs Clarke Hough and Keegan Filkin 6-4, 7-6.
- In the 14 and unders last year's finalist John Harmon teamed with William Martin against Alex Applebaum and Taylor Click, with Applebaum and Click prevailing 6-4, 6-4.
- In the 18 and unders, Fitz Bowen and Ryan Richter, last year's 14 and under champs, defeated Peter McNitt and Neil Sutton 6-3, 6-2.