TCC Serves Up USTA Tennis Tournament
This summer, the Claremont Club hosted the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Claremont Club Classic. Players registered by contacting the tournament director and paying a registration fee. The tournament was held from Sept. 11 to Sept. 20, and 32 individuals out of 128 passed through the qualifying rounds. The tournament was full of surprises with half of the top eight ranked players eliminated from the first round of the Classic on the first day while four of eight qualifiers passed on to other rounds. In the end, 19-year-old Deiton Baughman won the singles bracket against 20-year-old Mackenzie McDonald with the score of 2-6, 6-3, 6-3. In the doubles matches, 27-year-old Jean-Yves Aubone and 18-year-old Austin Gonzales reigned with 7-5, 3-6, 10-6 over 20-year-old Junior Ore and 24-year-old Hunter Nicholas.
The winners of any sport are made by practice and are forged in the heat of the game. After dropping the first set 6-2, Baughman played more aggressively and focused on getting an early break for a 3-0 lead. Down 1-4, McDonald was able to hold and break to get back to 3-4 on a serve by Baughman, who promptly struck right back for 5-3 and then served out the second set. Baughman began the third set with a huge break of serve and continued to serve well hitting a fast ace to win the eighth game and go up 5-3 after being down love-30.
In order to defeat their difficult opponents, Aubone and Gonzales struck with pressure, forcing their opponents to the defensive. The veteran and doubles specialist of the team, Aubone, has won numerous USTA Pro Circuit doubles titles over the past three years and represented the U.S. in the Junior Davis Cup competition. Austin, a recent Vanderbilt graduate, is a four-time All-American in both singles and doubles.
With approximately 90 tournaments hosted annually throughout the country and prize money ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, the USTA Pro Circuit is the pathway to the US Open and tour level competition for aspiring tennis players and a frequent battleground for established professionals.
No one could have anticipated the excitement and outcomes of the tournament matches. Overall, the level of playing astonished viewers. Tennis enthusiasts are hoping for more future excitement in tournaments to come.
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James Jung is a Senior and Editor serving his fourth year on The Wolfpacket. James is a devoted brother to fellow staff members of the Wolfpacket team....
