The inaugural Springfield Open Platform Tennis Tournament was held at Washington Park November 8 & 9, 2003.

     While we have held local tournaments in the past, this was the first year our tournament was sanctioned by the American Platform Tennis Association, which sanctions similar tournaments all over the country, as a Region 5 event.

     12-1/2 local teams and 4-1/2 out-of-town teams (representing St. Louis, Kansas City, Madison (WI), and Chicago area) competed.

     The teams included a husband-wife duo, Tim & Eileen Goode of Madison. Tim approached me in Milwaukee with the idea of playing with his wife, and after I got the go ahead from the APTA, they made local paddle history by being the first mixed team in one of our tournaments (not meaning to detract from the ground-breaking efforts of Cap O'Keefe & Stu Shiffman).

     The Goodes knocked off McNichols & Morton 1 & 4 in their first match, before succumbing to the Chicago duo of Garden & McGuire 2 & 0. They went on to beat Connor & McLiney of Kansas City in a close three-setter in the championship reprieve semis, and outlasted Denny & Martin in the C.R. finals in another three-setter.

     Leistner & Mueller won the championship with a 4 & 3 defeat of Garden & McGuire.

     Out-of-towners were treated to Springfield's finest cuisine Friday night, partaking of the ever light and healthy horseshoes at Norb Andy's. Saturday we lunched on a sumptuous fare at Illini Country Club (nice enough place, but I always have the same pangs of guilt when I walk in there, just as I do when I walk into my old grade school), and finished the day with a simply lovely cocktail party at Honest Don & Wanda Tracy's estate, catered superbly by D'Arcys Pint (cudos as always to Hallie for the marvelous spread of food).

     Did I forget to mention what everyone was wearing to the cocktail party? Oh, for heaven's sake -- I'll have to include that with my next update. But I cannot pass up the opportunity to praise Mark Sembell's designer for the under-stated lavender chiffon gown he wore - such a contrast to the plaid, pleated tennis skirt he sported during the day.

     Round by round results and scores are below. - don't know how to do a draw sheet on a computer yet.

Springfield Open Platform Tennis Tournament

Results:

1^st rd:

 K. McDermott/S-Haskins d. Elzea/Jachino 6-3,6-1

2^nd rd.

Garden/McGuire(Chicago) d. K.McDermott/S-Haskins 6-0-,6-0

Goode/Goode(Madison,WI) d. McNichols/Morton 6-1,6-4

Martin(Chicago)/Denny d. Clarke/Pozo 6-2,6-7,6-0

Welch/Kepner d. Beyer/Wagner 6-1,6-2

Connor/McLiney(Kansas City) d. Mills/Thieben 7-5,6-3

Deal(Jville)/Tracy d. R. McDermott/Corr 6-0-,6-0

Drew/Drew(St.Louis) d. Williams(Jville)/King 6-2,6-0

Leistner/Mueller d. Davlin/Sembell  6-0,6-0

3^rd rd:

Garden/McGuire d. Goode/Goode 6-2,6-0

Welch/Kepner d. Martin/Denny 2-6,6-3,6-2

Deal/Tracy d. Connor/McLiney 7-6,7-6

Leistner/Mueller d. Drew/Drew 6-1,6-4

Semis:

Garden/McGuire d. Kepner/Welch 6-3,6-0

Leistner/Mueller d. Deal/Tracy 6-4,6-2

Finals:

Mueller/Leistner d. Garden/McGuire 6-4,6-3

Consolation Finals:

McNichols/Morton d. Thieben/Mills 6-1,6-1

Championship Reprieve:

Goode/Goode d. Denny/Martin

Consolation Reprieve:

R. McDermott/Corr d. Beyer/Wagner 6-0, 6-0