Tennis in Pittsburgh, Western Pennsylvania & Wheeling, WV USTA/Middle States Section ALLEGHENY MOUNTAIN DISTRICT
Promoting the great game of tennis with sanctioned tournaments, leagues and events for all ages and abilities.
Varvara Lepchenko, right, a Uzbekistan native granted political asylum and now a U.S. citizen living in Allentown, Pa., reached the singles final of the Dick's Sporting Goods, Inc. $50,000 Women's Challenger at Oxford Athletic Club in Wexford. Melinda Czink of Hungary won both the singles and doubles titles. Click the PHOTOS menu at left to access downloadable digital photos of this and other AMD events and tournaments.
The North Allegheny girls' tennis team won its first PIAA Class AAA state championship Oct. 24 by beating Shady Side Academy, 3-2. Shady Side, the defending PIAA champion, had defeated NA in the WPIAL team championship the previous weekend by the identical score. In the PIAA individual championships Nov. 1, NA's Jen Larimore and Kelly Whelan won the Class AAA doubles state championship by defeating Peters Township's Julie Stroyne and Caroline Nixon, 6-2, 6-2. Freshman Ronit Yurovsky of Plum High School reached the Class AAA singles finals before bowing to Strath Haven junior Tessa Lyons 7-6 (8-6), 6-2. WPIAL champion Joelle Kissell lost to Lyons in the semifinals.
Melinda Czink of Hungary completed a rare sweep on the USTA Pro Circuit Sunday, taking home championships in both the singles and doubles finals at the Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc. $50,000 Women’s Challenger, held at the Oxford Athletic Club in Wexford. The feat marked just the third time this season on the Pro Circuit a women’s player has captured both titles in the same tournament. Czink, a 25-year-old left-hander, entered the competition seeded No. 4 in the singles bracket. She started her day with a demanding three-set victory against No. 6 seed Varvara Lepchenko of Allentown, Pa., winning 6-2, 3-6, 6-1. Following a 30-minute rest she teamed with Lindsay Lee-Waters of Atlanta, Ga. to defeat No. 1 seeds Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears, 6-2, 7-5.
Melina Czink of Hungary advanced to the championship matches in both singles and doubles competition at the Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc. $50,000 Women’s Challenger, held at the Oxford Athletic Club in Wexford. She faces Varvara Lepchenko of Allentown, Pa., in singles in a noon match. Later in doubles Czink and American Lindsay Lee-Waters will face will face No. 1 seeds Raquel Kops-Jones, 26, of Berkeley, Calif., and Abigail Spears, 26, of Escondido, Calif. Julie Ditty had sought to add to her total as the all-time wins leader in USTA Pro Circuit competition but lost her doubles match Saturday.
The tennis is world class but there's much more than just professional women's tennis at the Dick's Sporting Goods, Inc. Presents the Tennis Patrons Foundation of Greater Pittsburgh $50,000 Women's Challenger. The Pro-Am, Player's Party, Silent Auction, visits and activities for school children, and numerous volunteer activities at Oxford Athletic Club in Wexford are a major part of the tournament as well. Tournament Director Sally Gibson and Tournament Promoter Bob Ruzanic, at left, are coordinating all events. Downloadable digital photos of many of the activities, including action photos of the pro tennis, are posted under "Photos" on the left menu on this homepage.
AMD junior and adult players who have distinguished themselves in national or international tennis events sanctioned by the USTA may receive up to $1,000 under a new AMD grant program designed to partially offset the cost of travel and participation. Only a few select players in the district will be considered for the grant each year. The AMD Grants and Scholarships Committee will base its decisions primarily on the caliber and number of high-level events a player entered and the success achieved. Other factors, such as success in previous years, may be considered. For a downloadable application, check here.
AMD sent seven Adult League teams to the Middle States Sectional Championships Aug. 22-24 in Princeton, N.J. and just missed winning two division championships by virtue of a tie-breaker system.
Jen Dubow, left, played for the Oxford 4.5 Women's team. AMD's Men's 4.5 district champion team from Highland Park compiled a 4-1 record while the Men's 3.0 team from Johnstown was 3-1. Dom Costa captained the Highland Park team while Jon Zonin captained Johnstown. Also representing AMD were: Men's 4.0 -- Greensburg, Dan Rusbosin, captain; Men's 3.5 -- Greensburg, Fred Kaminsky, captain; Women's 4.5 -- Oxford, Kim Ford, captain; Women's 4.0 -- Oxford, Lori Ruffolo, captain; Women's 3.5 -- Peters Township, Lynlee Caliguiri, captain.
Jeremy McClelland of Wheeling repeated as Men’s Open Singles champion at the West Virginia Open with a 7-6 (5), 6-0 victory over Scott Kahler, a Pittsburgh native and Furman grad, now working as an assistant pro at the Mt. Lebanon Tennis Center. McClelland, a sophomore at Duquesne University, also won the Men’s Open Doubles title, teaming with Justin Thomas of Chester, W.Va. to defeat Chris Compton and Allan Quackenbush, both of Pittsburgh, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the final. In the Women’s Open Singles final, three-time champion Jackie Hughes of Pittsburgh and a Duquesne University grad finally met her match, losing to Sierra Poske, a Florida native and Wake Forest grad, 6-0, 6-0. Poske then teamed with her brother, Carl Poske of Ponte Vedra, Fla., to win the mixed doubles, defeating Hughes and Kahler in the final, 7-5, 7-5.
Somdev Dev Varman, a native of India who won two NCAA singles championships at the University of Virginia, won both the singles and doubles titles Sunday at the Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc.’s $10K Men’s Futures of Pittsburgh at the Mt. Lebanon Tennis Center.In singles he defeated last year’s finalist, Travis Helgeson, 22, a University of Georgia grad, 6-3, 6-1. In doubles he teamed with Treat Huey of the U.S., to defeat 2007 Men’s Futures singles champion, Rhyne Williams,17, of Knoxville, Tenn. and partner Adam El Mihdawy of the U.S., 6-3, 6-2. Last week Dev Varman won the first pro tournament he entered in Rochester, N.Y.For complete results, check here.
Michaela Kissell and Kellie Schmitt have been linked as two of the most promising young tennis players in the district ever since they first picked up a racket as children. Both have blossomed into top-notch college players, so it came as no surprise they met in the finals of the National Collegiate Clay Court Championships at the Mt. Lebanon Tennis Center yesterday. Kissell, a standout at Greater Latrobe High School who will be a sophomore this fall at the University of Miami, was seeded No. 1. Schmitt, a rising senior at Marshall who is a native of Bethel Park and lives in Cecil, was No. 2.
"I didn't look at myself as the favorite," Kissell told the Post-Gazette's Phil Axelrod after she weathered a rocky start to defeat Schmitt, 4-6, 6-1, 10-8 in the championship match.
Michaela Kissell of Latrobe, Pa. and the University of Miami needed a supertiebreaker to defeat Kellie Schmitt of Bethel Park, Pa and Marshall University for the women's singles title of the National Collegiate Clay Court Championships / West Penn Amateur in Mt. Lebanon July 5. In men's singles, Jeremy Mc Clelland of Wheeling, WV and Duquesne University reached the finals before bowing to Patrick Daciek, the third seed, from Severna Park, Md. Andrew Nixon and Douglas Subosits won the men's doubles while Lauren Greco and Stacey Lee won the women's. The mixed doubles was won by Brandon Anandan and Elise Held. Click here for complete results of this top collegiate summer tournament.
