A few months ago Wayne Harrell, a USTA New England Player Development Committee member, suggested that the section pilot a mixed doubles event and volunteered to run it. Everyone is so glad that he did.
On Feb. 28, 34 boys and girls in the 18- and 16-and-under age divisions competed for trophies and bragging rights as the best mixed doubles team in the New England Section.
In the 18s finals, the unseeded team of Jillian Rooney (Canton, Mass.) and Mesa Mei (Cambridge, Mass.) upset the No.1-seeded team of Ashley Noyes (Marblehead, Mass.) and Cameron Ghorbani (Lexington, Mass). The 16s round robin was won by Kimmy Guerin (Weston, Conn.) and Cam Chapman (Acton, Mass.). After the event tournament, Wayne said, "The players had so much fun, the matches were extremely competitive and the sportsmanship was of the highest degree. That’s the way tennis should be!"
While everyone in the event displayed commendable sportsmanship, Wayne awarded trophies for stellar sportsmanship to Kate Mannelly (New Canaan, Conn.) and Danny Hirschberg (Weston, Conn.). Local USPTA teaching pro Conrad McIntire who was at Grande Meadows during the event added, "Never in all the years that I have seen, been involved in running, or been teaching next to tournament matches have I ever seen kids of this level having so much fun!"
USTA New England Player Development Manager, David Zeutas-Broer commented, "We are so excited at the success of this event and, rest assured, we will add mixed doubles events to the New England junior circuit calendar going forward."
To view the draws from this tournament please click on this link: http://tennislink.usta.com/Tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=93061
