Wendy Bermingham and Anne Koo Earn A+ at Arapahoe

Cary Hodges
February 25, 2015
Denver, CO

This year's Arapahoe Invitational, hosted by Arapahoe Tennis Club and assisted by Denver Country Club and the Village Club, was a fantastic weekend of paddle in spite of Mother Nature's challenges. The women played on Friday, followed by the men’s over the weekend. With teams travelling from various parts of the country, the only real worry was whether they would get a flight home after two feet of snow fell Saturday and Sunday. Colorado teams triumphed in both women’s brackets (as well as the men’s.)

Below: Finalists & Champions 2015

The Women's B final was an up and down affair (even though both teams could lob more) with Tracy Kerr and Lucy Dinneen jumping out to win the first set, 6-0. Kate Trujillo and her partner, Silvina Sansot, were not going anywhere but forward and were able to turn the momentum in their favor taking the second set, 6-2, followed by a third set win at 6-3 and their first Arapahoe Invitational title. Well done ladies!

In the Women's A bracket, the story was one of realignment. Long-time teammates were paired with new partners this year, making seeding challenging for the tournament director. All four finalists had played the Colorado State Open with a partner who was now across the net from them. Wendy Bermingham and Anne Koo jumped out to an early lead taking the first set, 6-2, but Anne Lehigh and Kathleen Parker bounced back quickly, grabbing the second set, 6-1. Koo and Bermingham regrouped and were able to gain a 5-3 lead in the final set. After facing a handful of match points, Parker and Lehigh found themselves leading 6-5. Bermingham and Koo got the next game to force a third-set tiebreaker for the final. With many onlookers present, the tiebreaker showed how much each team wanted to win, making for some great points, great saves, and clutch plays. At the finish line, Bermingham and Koo embraced in a big hug, finding their first tournament victory by taking the tiebreaker 7-4. It was a fantastic finish to the women's tournament. Super paddle ladies!

Special thanks go to many people. First are our tournament's sponsors. We are so grateful of the support from Gregg Marston and VBT Walking and Bicycling Vacations, Aaron Berman and Infinite Monkey Theorem Urban Winery, Dan Washburne and Mile High Catering, and John Stegner and New Era Realty.

Thank you to all of the tournament committee members who played a huge role in the player party and all of the meals provided over the weekend.

And last, we must thank all of you who played in our event. It is all of you who make this the biggest weekend of the year at Arapahoe Tennis Club.

A Draw

B Draw