Above photo: Dong Won Kang at the 2017 Deer Lodge Classic. Photo courtesy of Karl Mendoza at www.kamera8studios.ca
Below are highlights of the 2017 tournament year in Manitoba.
- Manitoba placed eighth in the tennis team competition at the Canada Summer Games at Winnipeg Lawn Tennis Club (August 7-11). Playing for Team Manitoba was Maya Arksey, Monika Popovic, Reece Carter, Sahand Marzban, Stefan Barre, Shawn Sophasath and Marcello Audino. The team was coached by Jared Connell, with Nelly Dvornicka serving as manager.
- Reece Carter was a finalist in girls’ doubles with partner Mia Kupres of Alberta at the U14 Outdoor Rogers Junior Nationals (August 28-September 3) in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec. In December, Carter qualified for the girls’ U14 main draw at the Junior Orange Bowl International in Florida.
- The Winnipeg National Bank Challenger was held July 8-16 at Winnipeg Lawn Tennis Club. Three Manitoba players took part in the qualifying draws: Monika Popovic, Kevin Kylar and Shane Nicholls.
- The second annual Tennis U Manitoba Finals took place in September, with Deer Lodge Tennis Club, Tuxedo Tennis Club and Winnipeg Lawn Tennis Club hosting the event.
- A total of 97 players competed in the Tech-Air Manitoba Open, August 12-20 at Kildonan Tennis Club. Samantha Lee and Kevin Kylar won the Open singles titles.
- The Prairies Cup wheelchair event was held during the Manitoba Open, with four Alberta players and four players from Manitoba taking part.
- James Bernus and Jason Betker represented Manitoba at the Birmingham National Wheelchair Tennis Championships in Calgary, October 26-29. Bernus beat Betker 6-2, 6-4 to win the men’s singles Flight #3 title.
- Manitoba was represented by 19 players at the Steve Stevens Senior National Tennis Championships, August 20-26 in Vancouver: Mary Kellner-Somers, Peter Somers, Joan Schumacher, Susan Blumenschein, Dong Won Kang, Chris Shay, Trevor Borland, Marilyn Redekop, Ted Redekop, Pat Chawla, Archie Chawla, Margaret Boumford, Vinh Nguyen, Glen Ziprick, Chris Wiebe, Shirley Blanca, Tom Brown, Marc Lloyd and Danielle Parent.
- Tony Weekes of Winnipeg represented Canada at the World Masters Games in Auckland, New Zealand. The tennis event was held April 22-30 at Albany Tennis Park. Weekes competed in A Grade Open 55+ men’s singles, A Grade Open 50+ men’s doubles with Nooangaroa Ngauora of Australia, and A Grade Open 50+ mixed doubles with Australia’s Darlene Dorman.
