Matt Malinsky lunges for the ball in the finals of the men’s division of the city tennis tournament at Columbus North, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021.
The Republic file photo
For the past several years, the Junior divisions of the City Tennis Tournament have been played on the same weekend as the adults.
This year, however, the Juniors and adults are being split into two periods. The Junior tournament will take place on Friday, and the adults will be July 29 through Aug. 1, with most of the matches at Columbus North High School.
“When I would run Juniors and adults continuously, it was almost a whole week of events,” tournament director Mike Burt said. “I wanted to break it up that way. Also, if any Juniors want to play in both, they can, and they will have some rest time. I’ve had people ask me, and they seem to think that it would be beneficial.”
Today is the deadline to register for the Junior tournament, which is a Level 7 Intermeidiate event. There will be singles divisions for boys and girls 12-and-under, 14-and-under and 16-and-under. The entry fee is $30.
Burt is hoping to have around 40-plus players for the Junior tournament.
July 22 is the deadline to enter the July 29-Aug. 1 portion of the city tournament. Registration is $24 for singles and $15 per person for doubles and includes a t-shirt and tennis balls.
Divisions for that tournament are NTRP Open, NTRP 4.0 and NTRP 2.5 for men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles and mixed doubles and 40-and-over men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles and mixed doubles.
Columbus East boys and girls tennis coach and Tipton Lakes Athletic Club teaching pro Matt Malinsky, who had been runner-up eight times, broke through with his first men’s singles championship last year. Former North and Franklin College standout Melissa Sanders won the women’s singles division after her finals opponent from Cincinnati decided not to make the drive to Columbus for the final.
Priyanka Nair hits a return shot in a 14-and-under girls match in the city tennis tournament at Columbus North High School in Columbus, Ind., Friday, July 30, 2021.
The Republic file photo
“We just don’t tend to have a big women’s draw,” Burt said. “The ladies play on USTA teams, and I just haven’t been able to get them to come out, especially in singles, for the tournament.”
For registration information, contact Burt at [email protected].
