2006 Regional Qualifier > Manhattanites prevail in the Northeast Regional Qualifier, Earn a berth in BTUSA's season-ending championship.
In the final Beach Tennis USA tournament prior to the 2006 season-ending championship, Nicolas Victoir and Michael Gooding of Manhattan defeated Victor Dias and Artur Muller of Long Island in pool play by a score of 8-5 to win the Men’s Pro Division at the Northeast Regional Qualifier. The event was held in Long Beach, NY, the East Coast home of American beach tennis.
Perfect weather was the order of the day, unlike at our previous event, the Jones Beach Open, when players were affected by the oppressive heat. This time, temperatures were warm yet comfortable and the sun-splashed beach was packed with beach tennis players and spectators. Our friends from Poland Spring Water and Izze Sparkling Fruit Juice kept our players and fans hydrated and cool while New York Sports Club had fun prizes and games for everyone who stopped by their tent.
In the finals of the Men’s Pro Division, the match went back and forth until the winners pulled away after the score hit 5-all. Victoir & Gooding had the height and reach advantage, but the younger Dias & Muller hung tough thanks to several amazing rallies and incredibly acrobatic moves. In the end, however, consistent play by the more experienced Victoir & Gooding earned them the victory.
In the Women’s Pro Division, Nadia Johnston and Fabiana Rezak of Long Island rolled to an 8-1 victory over Priscilla Dias and Mari Homma, also of Long Island. Johnston and Rezak are the defending women’s national champions, having won the title at last year’s U.S. Beach Tennis Open.
The Men’s Amateur Division was won by Gabe Raneses and Dave Pramar, who went undefeated in the round-robin tournament and won their matches by scores of 8-2, 8-1, 8-5.
The winners automatically qualify for the U.S. Beach Tennis Open Championship, to be held on Labor Day weekend (September 2-3) in Long Beach, NY. Players will compete for a total purse of $15,000 and bragging rights to be called the best beach tennis players in America.