FAIRBORN — The Fairborn Parks and Recreation Summer Tennis League is in full swing.
Once again, it is one of the biggest Parks tennis leagues in the Dayton area. There are 79 participants in both singles and doubles. For the second year, there has been a Novice League added in singles competition. There is an A Division with more advanced players, and a B Division with lower advanced and intermediate players. Singles play is on Monday nights at 5:30 and 7 p.m., with the Novices getting an early start at 4.
A Doubles League is played on Wednesday evening, with an A Division and a B Division, with play at 5:30 and 7. All play consists of two sets with a player getting one point for a set won. At the end of the summer, there will be a playoff among the leagues’ top players to determine the League Championships. The players are mostly from Greene County with the majority from Fairborn, Beavercreek and Xenia.
Matches are played at Community Park next to Fairborn High School and Wedgewood Park, and the public is always invited to come out and enjoy the matches. The Summer Tennis League has been going on for more than 20 years and has continued to grow in popularity. The league is halfway to completion after a break for the July 4 Holiday.
At the halfway mark, there are nine players competing in the Novice League. Fairborn HS players Harry Hunyh lead the league with an undefeated mark of eight sets won, and Nghi Nguyen is also undefeated with six match wins.
In a close first set Harry beat another FHS player,Janiel Buita, 7-6 winning in a tie-break and then dominating the second set 6-2. Nghi beat Laina Livingston, last year’s runner-up, with some very consistent play 6-1,6-2. Other scores in this League were: Janiel Buita over Regina Long of Fairborn 6-1,6-3; Harry over another teammate, Silas Smith, 6-4,6-2; Nghi over FHS girls’ team member, Rita Chien, 6-2,6-3; and Janiel split with his HS doubles partner, Smith, losing the first set 3-6 but coming back to win in a tie-break 7-6(7-5) for a point each.
Leading the 10-player A League so far with a 9-1 record is Eric Lipowicz of Beavercreek. Varun Luthra of Beavercreek is undefeated with just four wins. The rest of the league is very evenly matched.
The B League has expanded to 18 players, in two groups of nine. In Group One, there are two players undefeated at the break. Former Xenia Christian coach Van Holloway, and Beavercreek HS varsity player Zach Savino, are both undefeated.
In Group Two, Thusitha Gunasekera, last year’s runner up, is undefeated with six wins. The Beavercreek player has not had a close match yet and has played some solid tennis.
He beat Primae Glinton 6-1,6-0; and Sung Kim of Beavercreek 6-1,6-0. Keith Taylor of Fairborn gave Bobby Thompson his only loss with some well placed shots moving him all around the court winning 6-1,6-0. Bobby Thompson beat FHS singles player, Caleb Smith 6-4,6-2. Other scores from Group 2: Parker over Glinton 6-2,6-1; Taylor over Titus Smith by Default; and Keaton split with Titus Smith in a marathon match 6-4 and Smith taking the 2nd set in a long comback from way down to win a tiebreak 7-6(7-5).
There are six doubles teams in Division A this summer. The former Wright State players team of Jason Holloway and Fernando Nardelli have the best record at the halfway point.
The B Doubles League is the largest it has ever been with 15 teams divided into two groups. The husband-wife team of Harry and Patti Bromer are the only undefeated team.
There is plenty of good tennis yet to be played as the second half of the tennis league continues.
