2006 Jones Beach Open > Long trip is worth the ride as team from Buffalo, NY
Travels to Long Island and Wins the Jones Beach Open
On Fourth of July weekend, beach tennis fanatic Stephen Sayoc drove 7 hours from upstate New York to compete in Beach Tennis USA’s tournament in Ocean City, Maryland. Not surprisingly, Sayoc journeyed to Long Island this past weekend and was rewarded for his efforts as he was on the team that won the Jones Beach Open on July 15-16 in Jones Beach, NY.
In Ocean City, Sayoc and Matt Watson, both of Buffalo, NY, made it as far as the semifinals of the Men’s Pro division before being ousted from the tournament. This time, Sayoc and his new partner, Mike Manzella, went all the way and defeated the duo of Nicholas Victoir and Alexis Hombrecher of New York City by a score of 8-5. In addition to claiming the $1,000 first-place prize, the victory was especially rewarding for Sayoc and Manzella because Victoir currently is the #2 seed in the National Beach Tennis Association player rankings. A major upset indeed!
The match stayed close through 5-4 when Sayoc and Manzella started to pull away, largely because they were able to handle the extreme heat better than the other teams. Temperatures were well into the 90s and the heat was a major factor as many players fatigued quickly and several dropped out of the tournament.
In the Women’s Pro division, Adrian Corwin and Lisa Goldberg (Long Beach, NY) recorded a stirring 8-5 comeback win over Bernadette Wiesendst and Rachel Kimelman. The winners rallied from a 6-1 deficit to capture the match and the $1,000 top prize.
The father-and-son team of Michael and John Ahearn won the Men’s Amateur division crown.