Players flocked to the Hamptons to close out the summer in style, as Long Island Tennis Magazine’s September Tennis Challenge hit the outdoor courts of SPORTIME Quogue. The event which was packed with over 125 players, combined top competition and a social, fun and festive atmosphere for all to enjoy. 

The Presenting Sponsor of the entire Long Island Tennis Magazine Event Series is the highly respected Orlin & Cohen Orthopedic Group, and at their table players started the day by receiving many giveaways at check-in including tote bags, sun tan lotion, hats and more. As players gathered on the pool deck for pre-tournament instructions you could feel the excitement for another big LI Tennis Magazine Challenge.

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THE LITM SEPTEMBER TENNIS CHALLENGE 

The event was completely sold-out and the large gathering of players, plus their friends and family, provided for a great atmosphere both on and off the courts. The event features fierce competition across 20 Har-Tru courts. Doubles pairings battled it out in round-robin competition that fed into the playoff rounds. 

The LITM Challenge tournaments, which have been operating for over a decade, are well known for its professionalism and organization as well for having great tennis at all levels! Additionally the amenities off the court are a LITM Challenge staple. 

“The LITM Challenges have become almost like family reunions of sorts, as many of the players have become friends of mine and it’s a very welcoming atmosphere on and off the courts for everyone,” said Stefanie Hochhauser, who competed in the Women’s Doubles 7.0 – 7.5 division. “Everyone gets to play a lot of tennis, the tournament runs on time, and we all get to enjoy food and drinks while we spend time together on and off the court.”

The tournament was run in a way where everything ran on time, and that we had food and drinks available for players throughout the tournament,” said co-tournament director Michelle Stoerback. ”

On this day, players were treated to an expansive catered lunch spread which included a variety of heroes, side salads, pizza, pasta,  brownies/cookies, bananas, and drinks as well at the very popular Happy Hour Party during the tournament! 

In a thrilling championship match in the Mixed Doubles 8. 0 – 8.5 division, Roman Del Castillo & Lily Tang defeated Andrew Villalta & Onalee Batcheller 7-6(3) to capture the title.

“Our strategy really depended on who we were playing against, and what our opponents were doing,” said Del Castillo. “We tried to do the best we could each match, that was really our strategy.”

Del Castillo is Tang’s coach, and the two put what they worked on during practice to the test in the tournament, which worked. 

“This was such a fun tournament,” said Tang. “It was really well-run, and we had a great time.”

Linda Miller was all set to play with one partner, but when her friend couldn’t make it, she turned to another friend Kathy Fracasso to partner with her.

The partnership turned out to be a successful one, as Miller and Fracasso won 6-3 over Alissa Geer & Janeen McFarlane in the championship of the Women’s Doubles 6.0 – 6.5 division. 

“Thankfully Kathy jumped in to play with me in the final hour, and we played great,” said Muller. 

Fracasso added:

“Playing with Linda was the best part of the day. Everyone here was so nice, both on and off the court, there weren’t any bad calls. It was just a fun environment.”

Donald Jackson & Patrick Lombardi used their chemistry together from being colleagues at SPORTIME Kings Park, and came away victorious in the Men’s Doubles 7.0 – 7.5 division, defeating Sung Kwon & Ronald Martinez 6-0 in the finals. 

“Our strategy was to keep the ball deep, and then come up to the net to finish off points, and it worked out,” Jackson said. 

The Women’s 7.0 – 7.5 doubles division featured the largest division of competitors, and the pairing of Annie Yueh & Lindsay Klausner-McMahon were able to overcome all of them to win the title. 

After winning their flight, the duo advanced to the knockout rounds and won their quarterfinal and semifinal matches, before toppling Ingrid Eberly & Grace Appel 6-3 in the championship match. 

“We play at the same club, but this was our first tournament together,” said Klausner-McMahon. “We’ve done drills before, but never as a doubles team. When we decided to sign up together, we practiced a couple of times, and it worked.”

Despite not playing together prior, their familiarity with each other proved to be a valuable asset on their road to victory.

“We communicated a lot, and we both know each other’s strengths so we just tried to play to those,” Yueh added.

Chris Kolesnik & Neil Hyman repeated as champions in the Men’s Doubles 8.0 – 8.5 division, successfully defending their June title with another win, this time overcoming the windy conditions. 

“Once we were able to get back to basics, our game worked,” said Kolesnik. 

Hyman added:

“It was a tough day, but we were able to lock in for the championship. We’ve been playing together for a few years now, and always enjoy coming to these tournaments. Everything about them is great.”

Diedre Ettus & Lauren Brenner were the final team accepted into the draw, and they made it count, as they won three playoff rounds in order to win the title in the Women’s 8.0 – 8.5 division. 

“My favorite part was getting to play with Lauren,” Ettus said. “I used to play here [at Quogue] years ago, but I haven’t played as much because of some surgeries I have had, so it was nice to be able to be back, and add to my memories here.”

On their strategy, Brenner said:

“I tried to be aggressive at the net, and I knew Diedre had my back at the baseline.”

A year ago, Junji Nakamura and his son, Koichi, came up just short in the championship match of the Men’s Doubles 9.0 – 9.5 division, but this time around, the two came away victorious. 

“We work pretty well as a team, and have good chemistry on the court,” said Koichi.

“He’s a year older, and that makes a big difference,” Junji said of his son. “Overall, it was a great tournament. Great people, it’s a fun and friendly atmosphere, so we’re always happy to come back, and we’ll be back to defend our title.”

The September Tennis Challenge was the ideal way to close out the summer, and players were able to enjoy themselves on the court, and then embrace the food, drinks and U.S. Open women’s singles final that was being shown on the pool deck. All of it combined to create another version of Long Island’s premier adult tennis tournament. 

“I would like to thank our title sponsor Orlin & Cohen Orthopedic Group for their amazing support in helping us put on a professionally-run and successful event. We pay a lot of attention to the small details and we continue to learn from each event, but I want to thank my Co-Tournament Director Michelle Stoerback, all of our sponsors and all of our supporting players for their part,” said Tournament Director David Sickmen. “Each tournament, we continue to see returning faces, but are also pleased to keep seeing new players join us from all across the Metropolitan area, which is a great indication of the event’s continued growth, and we are excited to host our next tournament later this fall.”

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THE LITM SEPTEMBER TENNIS CHALLENGE

The next Long Island Tennis Magazine Challenge event is set for Saturday, November 29 at SPORTIME Syosset. Click Here to learn more and register.

Scenes from the LITM September Tennis Challenge