Despite delay, Open runs okay
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| Karolyn Elliott of Princeton focuses on returning a shot while teammate Shannon Cline, also from Princeton, looks on during play in the Women’s 18 and under division at the Princeton Open Doubles tournament Saturday. (BCR photo/Chris Yucus) |
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PRINCETON — Mother Nature did her best to disrupt Saturday’s Princeton Open Doubles tennis tournament with Friday night’s wild winds and weather, but despite a two-hour opening delay necessary to clean the leaves and water off of the courts, the tournament went on without a hitch.
One of the highlights of the tournament for players and spectators alike was the play of 83-year-old Princeton resident Hal Autrey, who teamed up with Don Evans in the Men’s 40 and over bracket.
“He’s in really good shape,” said Rick Peacock of Princeton, who teamed up with Mike Murfin to win the 40 and up men’s bracket. “I hope I’m doing that well when I’m his age.”
“He moves around the court really well and he still has all the strokes. I’m sure his reaction time isn’t as good, but you couldn’t tell it the way he was playing. I was impressed by him,” Peacock said.
Autrey, who has been playing tennis since attending high school in the early 1940s, has a few tips for anyone looking to extend their tennis game into their 80s.
“Just stay with it, get exercise. Walking is great exercise for keeping your body in shape,” Autrey said. “Just don’t give up. Obviously my game’s not what it used to be, but it’s still great fun to be out there on the tennis court.”
What has kept Autrey, who played in the first Princeton Open Tournament in 1976, sticking with tennis for all these years?
“It’s just great fun,” Autrey said. “It requires your attention and skill, and usually the people you’re playing with are interesting and nice people.”
Murfin was a double winner at the doubles tournament, also taking home top honors in the mixed doubles division along with his wife Sue, defeating Evinne Dimmig and Kevin Faber three sets to two.
Murfin and Peacock topped Lee Miler and Jeff Trobaugh two sets to none to earn the Men’s 40 and up title. Miller and Trobaugh topped Evans and Autrey three sets to two to earn the second place trophy.
Kevin and Doug Faber beat Justin Guenther and Matt Ingraffia three sets to two to earn the Men’s Open title.
In the Men’s 18 and under division, Princeton High School juniors-to-be Eric Bickett of Tiskilwa and Jake Biddix of Dover topped their Tigers tennis teammates, sophomores-to-be Tanner Lewis and Chad Hermyer, three sets to two to win the division title. Lewis and Hermyer topped brothers Alec and Tyler Lindemann of Ottawa 10-0 to take home second place in the division.
In the Women’s 18 and under division, Emily Brand and Michaela Nelson earned the title. Bailey Beaber and Tristian Hicks won the second-place game, topping Nichole Kerr and Mandy Morrow.
• Tournament director Ryan Luecke said that the tournament had to be postponed for two hours in order to allow for time to use leaf blowers to blow the leaves and water off of the Alexander Park courts. Luecke said that the damage at Alexander from Friday’s high winds was less than at other Princeton psarks. “We were lucky, we had around 50 trees down at all our parks, but Alexander didn’t have any trees down,” Luecke said.
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