0

FAIRBORN — The Fairborn Parks and Recreation Summer Tennis League is at the halfway point of its season.

Once again, the league is huge with 75 participants in both singles and doubles leagues. Some players play both singles and doubles.

There are three singles leagues: Division A, a more advanced group; Division B, consisting of lower advanced and intermediate players; and a Novice league, of those just beginning or with lesser playing experience. The A and B groups play at 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Monday evenings. The Novice League and the Doubles Leagues, an A and B league similar in ability to the singles leagues, play at 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesday evenings.

Play is at Community Park next to Fairborn High School and at Wedgewood Park, in Fairborn. Most players are from Fairborn, Beavercreek and Xenia. So far, the winner this summer has been the rain. Five of the first eight sessions have been rained out, so there has been a large effort to get matches rescheduled.

In the A Division, there are two groups of seven players. The top players will have a playoff tournament at the end of the season. Jason Holloway, a former Wright State University walk-on, is undefeated in one group. Holloway just got married, so he will be missing a couple of weeks and will have some matches to make up when he gets back. He beat David Klump, a Greenon High player, 6-0, 6-3 before he left. In the other A group, Varun Luthra of Beavercreek is undefeated, recently beating a former Wright State player, Aaron Madaris, in a tight match 6-4, 6-2.

In B-Division singles, there are two groups of eight players. In one group, the freshman sensation of Fairborn HS last season, Sam Steck, is off to a great start with an undefeated season thus far. He defeated a young player from Beavercreek, John Wright, in a tough match, 7-6 (9-7), 6-1.

Players play two sets and get a point for each set won. Sam’s father is also undefeated in group 2, beating another FHS player, Silas Smith, in a recent match 6-2, 6-1. In one of the tougher matches, Jon Webb who played in Division A last summer, split with former Huber Heights Wayne High School player, Daniel McIntire. Webb won a hard-fought first set 6-2, but McIntire gained the split winning the second set, 7-5. Both have only the one loss for the season’s first half.

In the Novice league, play is very well rounded with much parity among seven players. In a recent match, Laina Livingston defeated Mark Long, 6-3, 6-3. Both Fairborn players are battling for the top spots. In another good Novice match, Pramae Glinton split with Regina Long. Glinton won a close first set 6-4, but then Long took the second set 6-3 to gain the split. All are from Fairborn and in the top mix of players.

In A Doubles, the team of Meghan Letiza, who recently moved here from Columbus and played small college tennis, and partner Dave Keaton, a former FHS player, came from behind to surprise Doug Iden and Randy Carpenter to win a close one, 6-4, 7-5.

In B Doubles, last year’s champions of James White and Wes Biles beat former champs Jennifer Beard and Jenny Klump 7-5, 6-2. The team of White/Biles remains at the top at the halfway point and is undefeated.

The season continues for until the end of July after taking the holiday week off, and will close with a playoff tournament with the leaders of each league meeting. Come out and enjoy some exciting tennis at the Fairborn Parks.

https://www.xeniagazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2019/07/web1_TennisLogo_PS.jpg