2011 Chicago Charities coverage

The Chicago Charities tournament has become second only to the Nationals for paddle treasure.

Good work and good play go hand in hand every year at the Chicago Charities tournament, where the proceeds benefit a charity chosen by the CC committee. Glen View Club of Golf, Illinois, hosted the highly-touted tournament, known for its quality of play.

Teams came from all over—including California, Canada, and Connecticut—to vie for the Charities cup and to support a great cause, The House of Peace Shelter. And no good deed goes undone—everyone received favors of warm picnic blankets and paddle DVDs for their participation.

Hall of Famers and former national champions dotted the draw sheet for both the men’s and women’s events. The women played on Friday and Saturday morning of a golden weekend. The worst element the women had to deal with was bright sunshine. With a field embarrassing in riches, the fact that two unseeded teams (Hallie Bodman/Sally Jones and Lauren Cash/Maria Manley) snuck into the quarterfinals was impressive. Some well-known players partnered anew making it a challenge to forecast the winners.

Two East Coast teams came out on top and headed to the finals. Gerri Viant and Lauren Mandell of New York could not hold off the exacting duo of Cynthia Dardis and Amy Shay of Connecticut, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3. Dardis/Shay only lost one set in the entire tournament.

For the men’s tournament, the action started on Saturday, with over 50 teams signed on. The deep draw saw only one non-seeded team steal into the round of 16 (Ryan Baxter/ Rick Heath).

The quarterfinals took place as dusk hovered over the Glen View Club. APTA Executive Director Ann Sheedy said, smiling, “The hut and environs were packed with spectators. The evening party was beginning. It was amazing that the players could concentrate with the smell of the grill gently wafting over the court.”

On Sunday, the men were graced with overcast skies but had to contend with that famous Chicago wind during the semi-finals and finals. The strength of the field was never more apparent than in the finals, where both sides of the net could claim multiple national championships. In an amazing display of control and power, Chris Gambino and Drew Broderick won over Mark Parsons and Mike Stulac. The second seed withstood a wearing first set that lasted over an hour to beat out the #1 seeded team, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.

In other Charities action, the well-attended Men’s 90+ took place on Sunday at neighboring Exmoor Club in Highland Park, Illinois. Tournament director John Noble and Rod Workman beat out James Goldman and Charlie Usher for the cup.

The Chicago Charities tournament once again ran seamlessly. Chairs John Noble, Robin Cohn and Howard Sipe organized an energetic event for players and fans. Umpire Bill O’Brien roamed the courts, keeping an ear to the ground and an eye to the lines. All of the good work and good play on the courts paid off—for a deserving charity and a deserving group of good sports.

Source: Nindy Pike, Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 13, Issue 1, 2012