2006 Bradenton Open > Experience Triumphs Over Youth at Bradenton Beach Tennis Open
The old pros showed the youngsters how it’s done at the Bradenton Beach Tennis Open, the second of two weekend-long events in Florida held by Beach Tennis USA. The event took place in picturesque Holmes Beach, Manatee County.
Winston Owen and Kevin Lechlitner, both seasoned tennis pros from Sarasota’s Serendipity Racquet Club, defeated Jason Zafiros, age 16, from the Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, and Cookie Bernard, age 20, of the Dominican Republic, by a score of 9-7 to win the Men’s Pro division. Zafiros and Bernard took an early lead, but they eventually were worn down as Owen and Lechlitner used a combination of power and finesse to dominate the match. The winners took home $1,000 in cash and automatically qualify to compete in the 2006 U.S. Beach Tennis championship tournament to be held in Long Beach, New York, September 2-3.
In the Women’s Pro division, Laurie Tinnell of Bradenton and Cindy Bruckmann of Longboat Key defeated Janis Longhurst and Nina Schmidt, both of Bradenton, by a score of 8-5. Tinnell and Bruckmann split $1,000 for their efforts.
Bollettieri disciples ruled the Amateur competition as Reese Milner and Carling Seguso, both of Bradenton, easily captured the first place trophy in that division.