Long Island Tennis Magazine’s July Tennis Challenge Brings Fun On and Off The Court

The second Long Island Tennis Magazine Tennis Challenge of 2024 welcomed players to the clay courts at SPORTIME Hempstead Lake on Saturday. The event featured three divisions of play, plus the amenities and atmosphere associated with the LITM Challenge tournaments.

“There are many options for local players when it comes to racquet sports, and we are appreciative that so many players came out and chose our event. To get this many players into this tournament was a real success. I believe this is an indication that players see the professionalism and quality we bring to the events we host, and that they have a great time on and off the court,” said David Sickmen, co-tournament director of the Long Island Tennis Magazine Challenge. “I certainly want to thank our beautiful host facility, SPORTIME Hempstead Lake, as well as my co-director Michelle Stoerback, whose passion and energy for adult tennis is second to none, and our LITM Event staff, who did a fantastic job. We look forward to more community involvement, and are excited to see everyone at our next Challenge.”

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE TOURNAMENT RESULTS courtesy of iPlayMe2

Players were treated to a catered breakfast featuring muffins, croissants and more. In the afternoon, pizza was provided for all the players, and the happy hour bar opened as the pool play finished up and the knockout rounds began.

In the Men’s Doubles 7.0-7.5 division, the pairing of Cenzig Karakaya & Ray Omid took home the title after a hard-fought 7-5 victory over Donald Jackson & Declan Leonard in the championship.

“We were able to stay consistent and just stayed calm in the important moments, and waited for the right time to close out points,” said Omid. “It was all about staying centered.”

Karakaya added:

“These events are always so well-organized. [Tournament organizers] David [Sickmen] and Michelle [Stoerback] do a great job of running these tournaments, and it’s always fun to come back. Great people and a fun atmosphere.”

In the Mixed Doubles 8.5 – 9.0 division, the aforementioned Stoerback teamed with David Siegel to capture the title. The duo played their best tennis of the afternoon to defeat Rachel Neuman & Ryan Krimper 6-1 in the finals.

The pairing had never played doubles together before, and so it took a little time to develop a rapport on court. But once they did, they played great tennis.

“I think we were able to figure out each other’s game and the strengths we each have, and then utilized that.”

“We were having fun,” Stoerback added. “We made sure to stay loose, had a couple of margaritas and just tried to have fun. We wanted to have a good time, that’s what tennis is all about.”

The tournament wrapped up with the Women’s 7.0 – 7.5 division, where the pairing of Hayley Mink & Marija Vareikaite took on Lauren Siegel & Melissa Scheinman in the championship match.

Mink & Vareikaite got off to a fast start in the final and were able to establish a lead that they would not relinquish, eventually closing out their title with a 6-3 victory.

“We normally don’t play together, but have been on a USTA team together since 2018,” said Mink. “I was able to set her up today and she was able to finish the points for us.”

Vareikaite added:

“In the round-robin stage, we had a dip in play towards the end, but were table to regroup before getting ready for the semifinals,” said Vareikaite. “I think one of the big things between Haley and I is that we aren’t too hard on each other, we just try to play freely and we complement each other. This event was great. We loved the location, the people and these great prizes. It was a fun tournament and we’ll be back for sure.”

The July Tennis Challenge was the second of four Tennis Challenges scheduled for 2024, with the next one set for Saturday, September 7 at SPORTIME Quogue. You can find out more information and register at LongIslandTennisMagazine.com/Events/LITMSeptemberChallenge

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