The following headlines
appeared between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2008
click
here for current news
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Scarsdale, NY
In the world of platform tennis, 1928 was a very significant year. That winter, Fessenden Blanchard and James Cogswell were looking for some outdoor activity and the sport of platform tennis was conceived. That spring, Bob Brown was born. This second event was celebrated at Fox Meadow Tennis Club on April 5th with a surprise 80th birthday party for Bob, hosted by his wife and attended by family and friends from near and far. All 4 of Bob and Ann's children were there, as well as their grandchildren. Please read more about this fun event and enjoy some photos |
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| Platform Tennis News.com |
4-20-2008 |
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The April 2008 issue (Volume 5 Issue 8 ) is online. platformtennisnews.com is an editorial by former APTA president Chuck Vasoll. Unfortunately this may be the last issue, Mr. Vasoll has stated he will not continue his website next season. |
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| John Embree Joins Prince |
04-14-2008 |
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Bordentown, NJ
John Embree, father of platform tennis at Wilson Sporting Goods in the mid 1990’s, has joined Prince Sports as the President of Prince Americas. Embree is an accomplished platform player, having been ranked in the top ten in the country and earning a senior national championship title. This move, in conjunction with the recent purchase of Viking by Prince, further establishes Prince’s commitment to paddle going forward. The rest of the Prince release…
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| Andy Cohn profiled by Crain's New York |
04-10-2008 |
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New York, NY
With over 50,000 people playing platform tennis in the United States it is not uncommon to find players in the news. Our latest find was in Crane's New York business magazine. Those in Port Washington already know Andy Cohn's passion for platform tennis. While the article was related to his work we were very pleased of his hobbies. View article at Crain's New York |
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Toronto, ON, Canada
Teams from around Toronto as well as long distance paddlers from New York City, Rochester, Chicago, Buffalo and the Niagara region participated in an awesome Canadian Open tournament. The Men's title was well-earned, as Fritz Odenbach and Rusty Wright (pictured) had to defeat two past championship teams in Paul Stulac/Scott McFaden (Semi Final, 1-6, 6-1, 6-4) and Mike Stulac/Tim Main (Finals, 6-4, 7-5) to capture the Joe Stulac Memorial Trophy. On the Women's side, Anna Lis & Stephanie Booth repeated as champs, defeating Daniela Pino-Wright & Joan Stulac in the finals. View both draws. |
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| Prince and Viking Start Strong |
04-06-2008 |
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Bordentown, NJ
It has only been a few weeks since the platform tennis leader Viking Athletics became the latest member of the Prince Sports, family. Already, the partnership that brought together two like-minded companies committed to providing players of all court sports the best quality products and customer service has offered many reasons to celebrate. Read the entire release from Prince Sports. |
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Last Chance Invitational |
4-05-2008 |
| Morristown, NJ
On the first weekend in April, with nationally ranked players, senior national champions, New Jersey State champs and many Ferguson league players participating, the Last Chance Invitational rattled the cages in the first annual event held at the Spring Brook Country Club in Morristown, NJ.
Photos and more |
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2008 Men's Year End Rankings |
4-03-2008 |
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USA
David Keevins and Brian Uihlein finished the year as the #1 Ranked team to go along with their National Championship. 2007 Champs Cochrane / Estes finished 2nd, Caldwell / Cordish third, and 2008 National finalists Goodspeed / Mansager finished fourth in the rankings. See full rankings here provided by Men’s Ranking Chair Ray Crosta |
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Rage raises $70,000 for Charlie's Champions Foundation |
3-30-2008 |
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Garden City, NY
The 10th Annual "Rage in the Cage" tournament has taken on new meaning the past couple of years as the focus has turned from paddle for fun to paddle with a purpose. When Charlie's Champions became the beneficiary of this event, Garden City residents and platform tennis enthusiasts took it to heart. This year a record number of participants in "Underage in the Cage" on Friday foreshadowed the success of Saturday's event. please read more about this great event |
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| Senior Mixed Nationals |
3-29-2008 |
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Glen Cove, NY
The final National Championships of the season saw seniors competing in Mixed Doubles in two age groups. The results for these tournaments were nothing new, as Louise Cash - Scott Estes captured the 60+ gold and Connie Jones - Ken Persson again won the 50+ crown. Doug Barrow was a silver medalist in each event, pairing with Mary Fenton in the 60s and Courtia Worth in the 50s. View the 50+ Draw View the 60+ Draw |
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| Junior Rankings |
3-28-2008 |
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Summit, NJ
End of year rankings based on participation and results from Viking Junior Tour events have been released. Gold and silver medalists from Junior Nationals are automatically ranked #1 and #2. Participants in Nationals as well as in all local events have been ranked according to results reported to the Viking Junior Tour. View the rankings.
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| Prince places Platform Tennis on website |
03-26-2008 |
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Bordentown, NJ
One week after completing the purchase of Viking Athletics Prince has placed Platform Tennis prominently on the company's website www.princesports.com. |
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| Women's Rankings |
3-25-2008 |
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USA
According to Women's Ranking Chair Aila Main, Bobo Delaney and Tonia Mangan finished the year ranked #1 following a strong season of competition. Kerri Delmonico and Aila Main finished the season ranked #2. National Champions Cindy Prendergast and Lauren Zink were not eligible for a final ranking because they did not play the minimum requirement of 3 tournaments together. National finalists Laura Berendt Parsons and Annica Cooper van Starrenburg made their debut on the final ranking list at #3. View the complete list here. |
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PPTA Growing the Game |
3-24-2008 |
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Las Vegas, NV
The recent much-talked-about platform tennis event in Las Vegas saw the “paddle” community come together as never before to promote the sport in a new and dynamic way. Commercial sponsors Viking Athletics and Paddlepro.com came through with prize donations as part of a raffle run by P.P.T.A. pros. Proceeds from the raffle were used to finance air, hotel, prizes, and other travel expenses for the pros as well as cover the cost of give-aways and awards used during the event. David Dodge of Premier Platform assembled the court in Las Vegas and covered all his own expenses in the process. The A.P.T.A. paid the site fee and staffed the booth from Thursday-Sunday and acted as great ambassadors of the game.view full report |
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Photography from 2008 Nationals |
3-21-2008 |
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Rochester, NY
With a combination of championship level paddle, great parties, and changing weather, Rochester provided a unique opportunity to capture Platform Tennis in pictures. Two photographers covered the event each day view photos of what they captured. |
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2008 Platform Tennis Hall Of Fame Inductees |
3-19-2008 |
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Rochester, NY
According to Chairman Bob Brown, "Induction into the Platform Tennis Hall of Fame is the highest award that can be earned in platform tennis. It is presented to individuals who have earned distinction in the play of platform tennis and/or who have otherwise contributed to the growth, development and administration of the game." On Saturday night in Rochester, NY, David Kjeldsen, Fritz Odenbach, Flip Goodspeed and Scott Mansager were scheduled to received this honor. details |
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| Prince completes acquisition of Viking Athletics |
03-18-2008 |
| WPTL End of Year Tournament |
3-17-2008 |
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Scarsdale, NY
Sixteen intrepid teams ignored the weatherman's dire predictions and showed up for the Westchester Platform Tennis League Year End Tournament on Saturday, March 8. After 3 rounds of play and several rain delays, common sense won out and the finals were delayed for a week. The wait didn't slow the eventual champions, Mark Warnken and David Berdon of Manursing, who defeated Chip Niedt and Ara Proudian of Pelham Country Club by the score of 6-1, 6-3. View full results and photos. |
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| IL Married Mixed |
3-17-2008 |
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Highland Park, IL
Not all of the platform tennis players from the Chicago area went to Rochester this past weekend. Some stayed home and played the Illinois Married Mixed. Congratulations to Gayle and Mike Sullivan, who defeated Holly and Jeff Tritt to claim the Open crown and Jacqueline and Monte Dillon who topped Marita Janzen and Bill Grady for the "B" title. Director Bob Frauenheim reports that a great time was had by all! View full draws and photos. |
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| New Men's Champions |
3-16-2008 |
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| Rochester NY |
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SEMI
FINALS |
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FINALS |
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WINNER |
| 1 |
Rothschild - Schmitt |
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Goodspeed - Mansager
2-6, 6-3, 6-3 |
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2008 National Champions |
| 2 |
Goodspeed - Mansager |
Keevins - Uihlein
6-4, 6-4
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| 3 |
Keevins - Uihlein |
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Keevins - Uihlein
6-3, 6-4 |
| 4 |
Estes - Cochrane |
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| New Women's Champions |
3-15-2008 |
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Rochester NY
In a battle of hard hitters, Cindy Prendergast and Lauren Zink bested Laura (Berendt) Parsons and Annica (Cooper) van Starrenburg to claim their first gold medal as a team by a score of 6-4, 6-3. The strong field had the teams seeded 7th and 8th for the tournament. View the full draw. |
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| Region 2 Captures the Cup |
3-14-2008 |
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Rochester NY
In another close finish, the Region 2 Men edged Regions 1 and 5 to take the Presidents Cup back to New England. Members of the repeat championship team are: Bill Power, Leo Power, Jerry Albrikes, Greg Bennett, Rob Pierce, Johan du Randt, Matt Dana, Jeff Mitchell, Marc Porter and Peter Harvey. |
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| Region IV Women Repeat |
3-13-2008 |
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Rochester NY
It came down to the final match-ups of the day, with Region V holding a one point edge over their rivals from Region IV. Region IV swept all 5 courts to
retain the Presidents Cup for another year. Region IV was represented by Nancy Budde, Nathalie Lemieux, Karen Henke, Holly Peck, Chrissy Johnston, Lynn Thompson, Kathy Allen, Ann Turner, Vicki Nagy and Sandra Odenbach. |
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| 2008 Nationals Set to Begin |
3-13-2008 |
Miami Valley Platform Tennis Championships |
3-12-2008 |
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Dayton, OH
Tournament Director Nancy Budde reported an enthusiastic turnout for the Miami Valley Platform Tennis Championships in Dayton, OH held February 29 - March 1. She and partner Heather Prop prevailed in the Women's tournament. Underwood - Schaeffer came out on top in the Men's event. Proceeds from the tournament are donated to the Komen Foundation for Breast Cancer Research. View complete draws: Women Men
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Englewood Field Club Wins Bulletworks’ $3000 PR Contest |
3-12-2008 |
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Englewood, NJ
Caryl Swain, Director of Platform Tennis at the Englewood Field Club in Northern New Jersey, submitted the winning article in the annual publicity contest sponsored by BulletWorks Platform Tennis.The article appeared on the front page of The Record on November 24, 2007. “The Englewood Field Club has a terrific paddle facility with a very active paddle membership,” said Swain. “We field 13 teams in the leagues and have junior clinics with 75 children participating. That translates into lots of wear and tear on our 6 courts, so we are grateful for the extra $3,000 for court maintenance which this award affords us.”
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Big Paddle 2008 |
3-11-2008 |
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Hartford, CT
The annual Big Paddle tournament was held on Sunday, March 9, at the Hartford Golf Club in West Hartford, CT. The Big Paddle event goes back over 30 years, and has always featured both great competition and sportsmanship. The four competing clubs were Essex, CT; Longmeadow, MA; Shelter Harbor Inn in Westerly, RI; and the host Hartford. details |
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MEN'S 45+ National Champions |
3-10-2008 |
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Skokie, IL
Flip Goodspeed and Scott Mansager have added another gold medal to their impressive collection - their first as a "senior" pair - winning the Men's 45+ National title over Bill Fiedler - Scott Bondurant. Goodspeed - Mansager did not drop a set throughout the weekend. View complete draws. |
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MEN'S 65+ National Champions |
3-09-2008 |
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Skokie, IL
Jim Bishop and Mike Hanna bested a strong field of former champions to earn the gold in this weekend's Men's 65+ National Championships, defeating locals Alan Graham - Stuart Opdyke in the finals. Jim Dey and John Spears finished third. View complete draw |
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Indianapolis Open Results |
3-08-2008 |
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Carmel, IN
Denny English and Brian Heil defeated Peter Berka and Ed Granger to win the 2008 Indianapolis Open held Feburary 22-24 2008 view full draw. This year also started a 95+ division won by Mike Sullivan and Sam Sutphin view 95+ round robin. paddlepro.com apologizes for the late report. |
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MEN'S 55+ National Champions |
3-07-2008 |
Tennis Channel airs paddle event |
3-06-2008 |
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Las Vegas, NV
As part of the Tennis Channel Open, paddlepalooza will air on the tennis channel March 6th from 4:30-5pm (EST) and 9:30pm (EST) on Friday March 7th. Top players from paddle sports compete and exibit tennis alternatives. Check your local cable for channel or visit www.thetennischannel.com |
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USA,
According to Men’s Ranking Chair Ray Crosta, last year’s champs will enter the 2008 Nationals as the top ranked team. See full rankings here. |
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| 2008 Nationals Registration Deadline |
3-03-2008 |
2008 MEN'S Sr. 45+ 55+ 65+ Nationals |
3-03-2008 |
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Skokie, IL
ENTRY DEADLINE TODAY 3-2 Chicago Platform Tennis Tournament Charities
and the Revere Group are proud to host the
2008 Senior Men's National Championships March 7-9 for the 45+ 55+ and 65+ age categories. Legends
of the game will be competing in three divisions for this year’s National titles. paddlepro.com is pleased to be the official website for the events.
 Apply Online |
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| 2008 Mixed Nationals Winners |
3-02-2008 |
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New Canaan, CT
Mixed
Nationals Kerri Delmonico & Mike Stulac take home their second gold medals in as many days. Today with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Cindy Prendergast and Rusty Wright they are crowned the 2008 Mixed National Champions complete draws of the Mixed Nationals as well as Husband Wife and 50+ Husband Wife Nationals are available with photos visit Mixed
Nationals website for links. |
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WInnetka, IL
The Viking Junior Tour wrapped up in Chicago, making its second stop in the Windy City this season. Tournament Director Matt Garavaglia reported a high level of enthusiasm and sportsmanship at this kid friendly event.
The support of Viking Athletics has helped the tour grow from a few events, mostly in region 1, to 13 events in 4 regions this season. Read all about this season-ender and view some photos here.
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| 2008 Mixed Nationals Results |
3-01-2008 |
| 2008 Nationals additional Info |
3-01-2008 |
| 2008 Husband & Wife National Champions |
2-29-2008 |
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New Canaan, CT
Kerri Delmonico and Mike Stulac add another National Championship
to their trophy cabinet with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over the Mangans
full
husband & wife draw. In the 50+ Husband & Wife Karen
and Peter Lyons won over Dori and Ken Persson6-3, 6-7, 6-3 - full
50+ Draw. View additional photos
from the husband/wife events and check for live updates from Marjorie
Hodson tomorrow 3-1 for the main
event of Mixed Nationals.
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Women's 40+ and 60+
| 2008 Nationals Registration Deadline |
2-29-2008 |
| 2008 Mixed Nationals |
2-28-2008 |
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New Canaan, CT
Mixed
Nationals draws are posted. Participants and Spectators
can find starting times and locations by following the links below
or visiting the official Mixed
Nationals website for latest updates.
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| Prince confirms purchase of Viking Athletics |
02-27-2008 |
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Bordentown, NJ
Prince Sports, Inc., the racquet sports
company leader is set to acquire the elite platform tennis brand, Viking Athletics. The
partnership would bring together two like-minded companies committed to providing
players of all court sports the best quality products and customer service. In addition,
by adding Viking under the Prince Sports, Inc. umbrella, Prince would continue to
define itself as the world’s clear court sports leader through an extensive portfolio of
leading brands in tennis, squash, racquetball and now, paddle sports. While the
details of the deal are not yet finalized, both companies are extremely excited and
optimistic about what it means for die-hard, passionate paddle sports players around
the world. full press release |
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| Philadelphia Open Results |
02-26-2008 |
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Philadelphia, PA
9 of the top 10 men's teams and 14 of the top 15 women's teams wowed the crowds at this weekends event held at Waynesborough CC. The lure of $22,000 in prize money offered by lead sponsor - MARVIN & PALMER ASSOC brought them in from all parts of the country. full coverage and photos |
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| Mens 50+ 60+ 70+ Sr Nationals |
2-25-2008 |
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Scarsdale, NY
Neither snow nor rain nor bright sunny skies deterred the veteran players who competed in the Men's 50+, 60+ and 70+ National Championships at the Fox Meadow Tennis Club, although the snow did cause some re-scheduling. Jim Kaufman - Bob Kleinert, Scott Estes - Danny Galves and Bill Childs - Rich Lombard took home the gold medals. Click here for the full story, draws, and photos. |
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| Women's Rankings |
2-25-2008 |
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USA
Following their victory in the Philadelphia Open, Bobo Delaney and Tonia Mangan moved to the top of the Women's Rankings list entering Nationals. The pair has been ranked in the Top 10 for many years, and finished the 2006-07 season ranked #6. View the complete list here. |
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| Big Daddy Results |
2-24-2008 |
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Scarsdale, NY
Big Daddy II was a big success. On a beautiful clear day at Fox Meadow, a bitter rivalry akin to the Yankees- Red Sox, continued between Region 1 and Region 2, each region fielding six 95+ teams. Although virtually every match was hotly contested, Region 2 won the afternoon matches 4-2 and retained the Cup for another year under the capable but quirky leadership of Dan McCormick. The answer to “Whose your Big Daddy” was clear again. Region 2 avenged the Patriots defeat and took the Big Daddy Cup back to New England. More details |
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| Mens 145+ Sr Nationals |
2-23-2008 |
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Tarrytown, NY
The 2008 Men's 145+ National Championship featured the largest number of entrants in its history. Hosted at Sleepy Hollow Country Club, the event featured a great day of paddle and camaraderie for all levels and still allowed all players to get home before Friday's snow storm hit the area. After winning the 70+ National title for three straight years, Bill Childs and Rich Lombard moved up to capture the 145+ crown this year. View the draw here. |
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| Mens 50+ 60+ 70+ Sr Nationals |
2-22-2008 |
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Scarsdale, NY
50+ 60+ 70+ Sr Nationals hit by Snow Storm - The Mens 60+ Nationals is delayed until Sunday Feb 24. The Mens 50+ and 70+ will go off as scheduled on Saturday Feb 23. Marjorie Hodson will be reporting results live from Fox Meadow Tennis Club check the draws for results Men's 50+, Men's 70+, Men's 60+ (Sunday)
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| Platform Tennis News.com |
2-21-2008 |
| 2008 Mixed Nationals |
2-20-2008 |
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New Canaan, CT
Only 5 days left to sign up for Mixed Nationals . With 3 events, Open, Husband-Wife, and Husband-Wife 50+, there are events for everyone. Come to New Canaan where our Host Committee is pleased to extend gracious New England hospitality and arrange housing for out-of-town players. view official Mixed Nationals website
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Women's 40+ and 60+
| 2008 Nationals Courts Available |
2-18-2008 |
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Rochester NY
Chris Casiraghi, President of Reilly Green Mountain, reports that all is going well with the installation of three temporary courts for the National’s. The second court is well under construction and despite typical Rochester weather the crew is on schedule. These courts are available for purchase at a discount and if you are interested view 2008 Nationals Official website.
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| Prince to buy Viking Athletics |
02-16-2008 |
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Bordentown, NJ
PaddlePro has learned through various sources across the country that Prince Tennis is negotiating to purchase Viking Athletics with a targeted closing date set for the end of the season. Viking has long been the leader in the platform tennis market in both paddle and ball sales. Combining Prince's research and development, and manufacturing expertise with Viking's dealer network should enable the combined entity to remain number one for many years to come. more on this report |
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| Denny Schackter Retiring |
02-15-2008 |
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Chicago, IL
Wilson Sporting Goods' long time mid-west sales rep and beloved friend to Chicago area platform tennis teaching professionals, Denny Schackter is retiring from Wilson at the end of the month after nearly two decades of service. |
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| Charlottesville Open Results |
02-13-2008 |
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Charlottesville, VA
The Charlottesville Men's national ranking and joint regions III and VII PCQ was held at Farmington Country Club by tournament director Patrick Kearns. In the semi-finals Andy Todd/Scott Freund defeated Scott Falatek/Andy Sorrentino and Rich Green/Mike Stern upset top seeds Blake Cordish/Simon Peppiatt. Champions Todd/Freund captured the title in a very brief final over Green/Stern. Mark Tulenko/Forrest Butler took the reprieve and Hampton Bargatze/Brad Burch the consolation.
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| Platform Tennis on NBC |
02-12-2008 |
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Madison WI
NBC15 Sports airs 2.40 minute clip on Platform Tennis featuring Eileen Goode called "Sports 101: Platform Tennis". This clip can be viewed on the web NBC15 Sports on the front page of sports on 2-11-08 - or directly to the video here 101: Platform Tennis 2-11-08
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| Columbus Open Results |
02-11-2008 |
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Columbus OH
Jagodenski / Vens win the Mens 2008 Columbus Open in 3 sets over English / Heil view full results for Men's Draw. In the Women's Open Allen / Welsher defeated Simone / Wagner in straight sets view full results for the Women's Draw.
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| Paddlepro.com now accepts American Express |
2-10-2008 |
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USA
Due to requests paddlepro.com now accepts all 4 major credit / debit cards in the proshop
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Women's 40+ and 60+
| 2008 Nationals - Rochester Prepares |
2-09-2008 |
Women's 40+ and 60+
| Women's 40+ and 60+ Nationals |
2-07-2008 |
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