Raise your hand if you have won a national tennis championship at Kalamazoo (Mich).

For junior boys tennis since 1943 , it's the ultimate; the Daytona 500 of junior tennis.

Win a gold ball (symbolic of a USTA national championship) from that Michigan town and one gains instant credibility and a lifetime of notoriety.

At least four people in McKenzie Arena tonight for the Icy Hot Chattanooga Tennis Challenge - first match at 6 p.m. - can raise that hand high.

The world's best pro doubles team, Bob and Mike Bryan, won back-to-back 18s doubles crowns in 1995 and 1996, while Sam Querrey produced a rare sweep of the boys 16s singles and doubles in 2004.

“For me it's the ultimate championship to win in junior tennis,'' said Querrey, who teamed with Spencer Vegosen for the doubles crown.

A few household names who have swept both titles in the same year include Brian Gottfried, Dick Stockton and Rod Laver as well as Tim Wilkison who attended McCallie for one year.

Querrey is on tap to face former University of Georgia All-American John Isner in singles tonight, before the two team to face the Bryans in the final match of the evening.

Teen sensation Melanie Oudin (No. 49 in the world) opens the evening against American junior Sloane Stephens who is the highest ranked female American at No. 6

Look to Icy Hot … i.e., Chattem, Inc. … i.e., company chairman and CEO Zan Guerry for the fourth member of the elite quartet.

Guerry, a Lookout Mountain native, won a 16s singles at Kalamazoo in 1965 and joined with Tony Ortiz to claim the 18s doubles crown in 1967.

Guerry claimed his most recent national gold ball (the count is close to 30) late last month as he and son, Jeff, won the father-son national senior doubles crown. The elder Guerry, who turned 61 on Wednesday, also won a pair of father-son national crowns with his late father, Alex Guerry.

Isner doesn't have a gold ball from Kalamazoo, but does have an NCAA doubles crown title while at Georgia. He also led the Dawgs to the 2007 team national championshp.

“Exhibitions are fun to be part of and John and I look forward to playing the Bryans,''said Querrey, who at 6-6 makes the Isner-Querrey an intimidating force.

“Yes, it can be pretty tough to get the ball by us or over us when we are at the net,''said Querrey with a laugh. “We are set to play lots of tournaments together in 2010.''

While Isner went the college tennis route, Querrey,22, opted for the pro tour after playing No.1 at Thousand Oaks (Calif.) high school.

“My dad had a chance to sign with the Detroit Tigers out of high school and turned it down, so he encouraged me to try the pro life and it's been a good decision,'' stated Querrey who has won pro tournaments in Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Local junior players Nathan Schley (Grace Academy) and Zachary McCormick (East Hamilton) will also face the Bryans.

The Chattanooga players earned the right to face the world's best doubles team as they won the Bryan Brothers Junior Tiebreak Challenge in August at Manker Patten.

contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net