Day 1 State Mixed Championships

Great day of tennis in Augusta at the USTA Georgia State Mixed League Championships!

Our first match was yesterday at 8:00 against the Savannah B team. Savannah always brings good mixed teams to this tournament and as the scheduled worked out we played both Savannah teams on Friday. The second Savannah team we played won it last year, so we knew going in today that we needed to be at our best!

The first match at 8:00 was at a small Racquet Club here in August called "The Club at Raes Creek". The have 2 red clay courts, 2 Rubico Courts and 6 Hard Courts. Our match of course was on Hard Courts. The team pulled it 2-1 to get the team point. I played with Jeannette Ranero and we lost a heart breaker, 5-7, 6-3, 1-0 (11-9) for the record we were up 9-6 in the tiebreaker... OUCH! I was very happy with my play.. could have gone either way. Erica and Brent won easily at 2 to clinch it.

Not being scheduled to play again until 5:00, we headed to Sports Authority to get some socks and wrist bands and Target to get water and then back to the hotel where we hung out watching what else, but tennis on the Tube.

A little Drama before our 5:00 match at Newman Tennis Center, my partner Stacey Boulware got in to town mid afternoon for the 5:00 match, we carpooled to the match. When we got there (30 mins early) Stacey realized her shoes were in her car..... so we had a problem. I can't thank Ann Newman enough for letting Stacey borrow an extra pair of shoes! Saved the day!

There were about 4 WGTA teams at Newman for the 5:00 matches.... Emily Roberts 8.0 team beat Atlanta 2-1.... then my 9.0 team and Edward Howard's WGTA 9.0 team both went on at 5:00.... Ruth Milian's Sr 6.0, Di Martin's Sr 7.0 team and Sean Osowskis 5.0 team all stopped by to watch the matches... it was really neat to see all the West Georgia players there!

The team went on the beat Savannah A 2-1! So we are in First Place! Stacey and I played a woman, Julie Childs from Hilton Head (My home town)... we won 6-4, 6-4. Unlike this morning's match, the pace was a lot slower than the first match and and that took me a while to adjust... Stacey played flawless tennis and really carried us in this match. Brent Barfield and Erica Echko won 6-3, 6-3 at 2 and Josh Brisbane and Denise Newton lost at 1, 6-1, 7-5

The win kept us in 1st place.... just behind undefeated Augusta who we play on Sunday at 12:30. It is going to be a tough tough match and one that probably determines who wins.... so be thinking of us at 12:30.

Seems WGTA had a pretty good day!

6.0 Tim Dillard team split their 2 matches on Friday... beating Columbus 2-1 and then losing to Rome 2-1

6.0 Jenny Ingram team lost both of their matches Friday... losing 3-0 to Columbus and 3-0 to Atlanta

7.0 Teri Arias team lost their 1 matches Friday 2-1 to Columbus

8.0 Emily Roberts team split their 2 matches Friday..... losing to Conyers 3-1 and beating Cherokee County 2-1

9.0 John Crenshaw team won both matches Friday... beating Savannah B 2-1 and Savannah A 2-1

Sr 7.0 Di Martin team lost there 1 match on Friday 2-1 to Augusta

More to report later.....

John