Lake Norman Tennis Association

2009 Southern Cities Qualifier Is A Huge Success
by David Bumpers

Sunday, June 7 — After two days of outstanding tennis, the Lake Norman area representatives for the Southern Cities Championships have been determined.

Click on the image above to see more pictures of the event.

The Lake Norman Tennis Association hosted the Third Annual Southern Cities Qualifier tournament on June 6th & 7th at Hornets Nest Park in north Charlotte with 90 players registering for this year’s tournament - up from 58 last year. Forty-five women’s doubles teams were formed and competed in a round-robin event at 5 levels from 2.5 to 4.5 for the right to represent the area in the Southern Cities Championships to be held in Atlanta on August 21 -23. The winning doubles teams at the 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, and 4.5 levels will form the City Championship Team, while the winning 2.5 team and the runners-up at the 3.0 and 3.5 levels will form the Tri-Level Championship Team.

Judy Kopstein and Hattye Board

The weather was great, and the tennis was even better. Many players participated in this year’s tournament as part of long-standing doubles teams while others played together for the first time and may not have known each other at all prior to the tournament. Judy Kopstein and Hattye Board fit the latter category. Hattye’s partner got ill before the tournament and a mutual friend asked Judy if she would fill in and she happily obliged. Both admitted that their league play is generally not with a standing partner and that made it easier to compete in this event having not met each other before. Like most tennis players, they figured out each others styles, strengths, and weaknesses and moved ahead with their play. While their team will not be competing in Atlanta in August, they felt that they formed a good team and had a wonderful time playing together.

The Lake Norman area will be represented by the following team members at the Southern Cities Championships as the City Championship Team by virtue of having won their respective levels at the Qualifier:

3.0 – Trish Behnke & Samantha Warren	3.5 – Saundra Holloman & Mala Lee
4.0 – Felicia Dean & Bonnie Depaolis	4.5 – Greta Anderson & Jennie Gaisbauer

The team members representing the area as the Tri-Level Championship Team in Atlanta are:

2.5 – Paige McGuirk & Susan Wind

3.0 – Tessa Loubier & Christine Senn

3.5 – Josee Cherrier & Cathleen Phelps

Many thanks to 131 Main for providing lunch to all the players on Saturday!! Fantastic!!

Another important part of this tournament is the money that is raised to support the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation. A portion of each entry fee and the proceeds from a raffle netted $1280 which will go directly to the Charlotte affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure!

Thanks to all of the players and fans that turned out for making this event a tremendous success!

If you run into any of those representing our area at the Southern Cities Championships, be sure to congratulate them and wish them well in Atlanta at the end of August.