CLARKS SUMMIT — Dan Fowler, Cierra Beck, Savannah Blaum, and Ravi Vinayak were crowned singles champions July 16 in the Lackawanna County Open tennis tournament at Scranton Tennis Club.
In the Men’s A Singles final, Fowler outlasted Zac Lehman, 6-4, 6-4, while Beck recovered from a set down to defeat Sondra Lionetti, 3-6, 6-0, (10-7), in the Women’s A Singles final. Blaum won the Women’s B Singles title with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Maggie Hall. Vinayak was the Men’s B Singles champion by virtue of a 6-3, 6-1 over Dinesh Kumar.
In his semifinal match, Fowler eliminating his frequent hitting partner, Jamie Mamera, 6-1, 6-2 , while Lehman used his powerful serve and forehand to defeating Doug Klamp, 6-0, 6-1. Lehman lost a total of only four games in his four victories leading up to the final.
In one semifinal, Beck’s forehand and experience proved to be the difference in a 6-1, 7-5 win over Connie Weiss. In the other semifinal, Lionetti was too powerful for Nicole Sinclair, notching a 6-2, 6-1 win.
In Men’s B Singles play Vinayak had another impressive win with a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Joe Kotcho. Kumar faced a tougher challenge in edging Bobby Craig, 6-4, 7-5, in the other semifinal.
Two doubles teams successfully defended their crowns from last year. Connie Weiss and Denise Marcos won the Women’s A Doubles title, once again in a third set tiebreaker, upsetting the top-seeded duo of Cierra Beck and Angie Kluss, 6-3, 4-6, (10-8). Meade and Josh Palmer faced familiar opponents in the Men’s A Doubles final, knocking off John Weiss and Curtis Althouse again for the title.
In semifinal action, both men’s finalists had tight matches, with the Palmers edging James Cawley and Jamie Mamera, 7-5, 6-4, while Weiss and Althouse outsteadied the second-seeded team of Keller and Tarquin McGurrin, 6-4, 6-4.
Marcos and Weiss had another close match in the Women’s A Doubles semifinal, barely getting by Nicole Sinclair and Maria Salerno 4-6, 7-5, (11-9). In the other half of the draw, Beck and Kluss had an easier time in defeating Ann Lehman and Holly Packer, 6-1, 6-2.
Bobby Craig and Austin Mackey took the Men’s B Doubles crown with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Ravi Vinayak and Karthees.
John Weiss and Burt Reese were co-directors of the tournament assisted by Joe McNulty, court preparation; and Marion Reese and Kathleen McKenna, hospitality. A total of 43 players participated in singles play and there were 25 doubles teams.
