Men’s B Doubles, from left: John Weiss, tournament director; Mike Perkins and Paul Merkel, champions; Jake and John Antolick, finalists.
Submitted Photo
Unseeded Scott Zanon from Mountain Top survived a tough challenge from Ray Zhang to win the Men’s A Singles championship in the Lackawanna County Open tennis tournament by the score of 6-2, 7-6 (4).
Zhang was a PIAA District 2 all-star who played last season for Holy Cross.
Susan Arp surprised returning champion Tea Amerise 4-6, 6-4, (10-7) to take the Women’s A Singles title. Arp was a 3-time PIAA District 2 singles champion while at Abington Heights HS and now plays for Messiah University. Amerise played 4 years of college tennis at Wilkes University.
Kevin Vinson, the runner-up in Men’s B Singles the past two years, took the title with a decisive 6-0, 6-1 win over Scott Gower. Gower was a former champion in the event, having won the title in 2022.
The Bleiler brothers from Mountaintop (Max and Xavier) completed a sweep for their town by capturing the Men’s A Doubles title with a 6-3, 6-0 win over Robby Azzarelli and Ryan Harrison. Max Bleiler currently plays for MMI Prep, while his brother, a former MMI Prep standout, now plays for Wilkes University. Harrison played #1 singles for Holy Cross last year and was a finalist in the PIAA District 2 singles championship.
In semifinal action the Bleilers eliminated the 2nd seeded team of William Arp and Roman Donnelly 6-4, 3-6, (10-7), while Azzarelli and Harrison squeaked by Steve Lehan and Phil Mercurio 4-6, 6-3, (10-8).
Tea Amerise and Kathy Zanon repeated as the Women’s A Doubles champions with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Susan Arp and Hannah LaCoe. The Men’s B Doubles title went to Paul Merkel and Mike Perkins, who defeated John and Jake Antolick 6-4, 6-1.
John Weiss was the tournament director assisted by Joe McNulty, Johnny Sinclair, Kathleen McKenna, Jody Jackman, and a number of other club members.
For information on membership, play opportunities, junior programs and events, visit www.ScrantonTennisClub.com.
