Third Annual Manufacturers Hanover Invitational

The team of Hilary Hilton, of Glen Ellyn, IL, and Yvonne Hackenberg, of Kalamazoo, MI, defeated Kit Knight, of Oyster Bay, NY, and Mimi Raney, of New York City, by scores of 6-2, 7-5, to win the Third Annual Manufacturers Hanover Platform Tennis Invitational.

The event, organized by Iris Langdon of Promotion Plus Sports and held February 9-10, took place at the Apple Platform Tennis Club in New York City. It offered a $6,000 purse, with Hilton and Hackenberg splitting the $2,000 first-place share.

Source: Platform Tennis, March 1980

Singles grows up – APTA approves Men’s and Women’s National Singles

Men’s and Women’s singles championships had been held from 1935-1937 but were discontinued in 1938 due to lack of interest.

In the mid 1970s when paddle was expanding rapidly singles made a comeback.Doug Russell, then the head paddle professional at the Manhattan Platform Tennis Club was looking for ways to increase participation by players and fans and began experimenting with experimenting with singles play, including varying certain rules to see how they might impact the game. It was concluded that allowing just one serve was too much of an advantage to the receiver, so two serves were allowed. In addition, no-add scoring was adopted.

Manhattan Platform Tennis Club began hosting singles tournaments in 1977 and Apple Platform Tennis Club, also in Manhattan followed suit.

Doug Russell finally persuaded the APTA Board to reactivate singles and they authorized a National Men’s and Women’s Singles Championship for the 1979-80 season to be held at the Apple Club with Doug Russell as chair.

Russell went on to win the event four years in a row (1980-1983) and again in 1987.

The APTA approved format called for the use of just the singles court. Players had one serve, and the “no ad” formula, in which the first point after deuce decides the game, was followed in scoring.

At Doug Russell’s urging the hi-bounce ball was used. His confidence in it was justified: players showed they could control it, and they benefitted from its liveliness in chasing after passing shots that reached their own back wires.

In the March 29, 1984 New York Times article The Subtle Charms of Platform Tennis by Ira Berkow, Russell was quoted “… singles is considerably more exciting [than doubles] to play and to watch. It’s-head to-head in a relatively small area, and it’s very quick. There’s a lot of net play and to be good you have to have excellent reflexes and a lot of nerve”

Source: Platform Tennis News, October 1980 and Christina Kelly, Passing Shots: A pictorial History of Platform Tennis, 2010, APTA Executive Committee Minutes August 22 and 23, 1979

March is Platform Tennis Month in New Jersey

Governor Brendan T. Byrne, a stalwart supporter and player of platform tennis, signed a proclamation on February 28 designating March as “Platform Tennis Month in New Jersey.” Present at the ceremony, which took place at the State House in Trenton, were APTA president Robert Kingsbury and executive director Gloria Dillenbeck. Below is the text of the proclamation.

PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS, the sport of platform tennis is gaining marked popularity as a source
of intense competition, fast action and excitement; and . .

WHEREAS, several thousand New Jerseyans are among the thousands across the
country being drawn to this new exciting game; and

WHEREAS, New Jersey has been selected for the first time as the site of the American Platform Tennis National Men’s and Women’s Platform Tennis Championships, the 1980 Passport event, to be held at the Montclair Golf Club in West Orange on March 28-30, 1980; and

WHEREAS, the Garden State has also been selected as the site of the National
Junior Platform Tennis Championships to be held at the Orange Lawn Tennis Club,
on March 8 & 9, 1980; and

WHEREAS, active participation in sports of all types substantially heIps in building
and maintaining a healthy body and clear mental outlook; .

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BRENDAN BYRNE, Governor of the State of New
Jersey, do hereby proclaim March, 1980 as PLATFORM TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP
MONTH in New Jersey.

Source: Platform Tennis, March 1980

Honor Awards suspended

From 1980 to 1991, the APTA Board stopped appointing the Honor Award Committee. In 1992, under the leadership of then APTA President Charles Vasoll, and with the urging of Bob Brown, the Board re-activated the program.

Historical Factoid: It is a matter of conjecture as to why the APTA suspended the Honor Award which had been a successful program.

John E. Packard elected APTA President (1980-1982)

At the time of his election, Princeton graduate John E. Packard, III, of Rockville, Maryland, had been an APTA Director for five years and was serving as commissioner of the men’s championship tour. As such, he was the face of the APTA, on the scene for all the major men’s events, coordinating, expediting, and resolving issues when necessary. In 1978, he teamed with Gordon Gray to win the National 45s, and he won it again in 1980 with John Brownlow. At the time of his term as President, Packard was Vice-President and sales manager of Adams-Burch, Inc., a restaurant supply business.

Source: Platform Tennis, September 1980