On a weekend when a bad leg sidelined 3-year-old I’ll Have Another as he sought horse racing’s triple crown, 17-year-old Sydney Campbell has two good legs and plenty of solid ground strokes as she seeks a tennis triple crown in Chattanooga.

A rising high school senior at Christ Presbyterian in Nashville, Campbell has been the talk around Manker Patten Tennis Club this weekend during the Tennessee Valley Open Tennessee Championships as she plays in a trio of Sunday finals; women’s open singles, open doubles and open mixed.

Seeded third in the women’s singles, Campbell stopped No. 1 seed and 2011 TVOC runner-up Caroline Price (U. of North Carolina), 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, in the Saturday morning semifinals, while No.4 Emily Zabor (Alabama) defeated No.2 and former All-SEC performer Connor Vogel (Ole Miss grad), 6-2, 6-2 in the other semifinal. Sunday’s final is set for 9 a.m.

On the men’s side, it’s a Vanderbilt final as No.1 Ryan Lipman faces teammate and No.5 Austin Gonzales in an 11 a.m. final.

Gonzales beat No.2 seed Mark Oljaca in the quarters and unseeded David Hopkins (Wake Forest) in the semis.

Lipman defeated No.9 John Collins (Tennessee) in the semis, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4. Collins had beaten Lipman’s younger brother, Maxx Lipman (a rising senior at Brentwood HS) in the quarters.

“I am pleasantly surprised to be in three finals, but this shows all my hard work is paying off,” said Campbell, who has committed to attend Vanderbilt in the fall of 2013 and who won a pair of TSSAA A-AA state singles crowns (2010, 2011), but passed up a try at a third title to play in pro tournaments this spring.

“I plan to play in the National Open in Chicago July 4th weekend and might also play either the Girls 18s national clay courts or hard courts later this summer but have not made a final decision.”

More Vandy Tennis:

Former ‘Dores captain Jeff Clark (current UTC women’s tennis coach) is in the Men’s 35s singles and doubles finals, while Ken Campbell, who played basketball and tennis for Vandy in the mid-60s is in the Men’s 65s singles and doubles finals.

Sunday Schedule

Championship Finals

9 a.m. – Women’s Open Singles; Men’s 45s, 55s, 65s, 75s singles

10 a.m. – Men’s 35s Singles, Women’s 35s Doubles

11 a.m. – Men’s Open Singles

Noon – Women’s Open Doubles, Men’s 35s, 45s, 55s, 65s Doubles

1 p.m. – Men’s Open Doubles

2 p.m. – Mixed Open Doubles

Women’s Open Singles

(3) Sydney Campbell (Christ Presbyterian) vs. (4) Emily Zabor  (Alabama)

Men’s Open Singles

(1) Ryan Lipman (Vanderbilt) vs. (5) Austin Gonzales (Vanderbilt)

Women’s Open Doubles

(1) Mary Jeremiah-Caroline Price vs. Sydney Campbell (Christ Presbyterian School)-Clare Mendell

Men’s Open Doubles

(1) Brandon Fickey-Hunter Reese (Tenn.) vs. (3) Eric Diaz-Casey Kay (Georgia)

Mixed Open Doubles

(1) Caroline Price-Hunter Reese vs. (3) Sydney Campbell-Casey Kay vs.

 

Saturday's Results

Men’s Open Singles

Semifinals

(1) Ryan Lipman def. (9) John Collins, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4; (5) Gonzales Austin def. David Hopkins, 6-2, 6-1.

Men’s Open Doubles

Semifinals

(1) Brandon Fickey/Hunter Reese (Tenn.) def. (4) John Collins-Jordan Smith, 7-6 (5), 6-3; (3) Eric Diaz-Casey Kay def. Taylor Patrick-Steven Patrick, 7-6 (1), 6-2

Women’s Open Singles

Semifinals

(3) Sydney Campbell (Christ Presbyterian) def. (1) Caroline Price (North Carolina), 6-2, 3-6, 6-3; (4) Emily Zabor def. (2) Connor Vogel (Ole Miss grad), 6-2, 6-2

Women’s Open Doubles

Semifinals

(1) Mary Jeremiah-Caroline Price def. Samantha Caswell/McCall Morgan, 6-2, 6-1; Sydney Campbell-Clare Mendell def. (2) Kaylene Chadwell-Emily Hangstefer, 7-5,7-5

Mixed Open Doubles

Semifinals

(1) Caroline Price-Hunter Reese def. (4) Eric Diaz-Emily Zabor, 6-2, 6-1; (3) Sydney Campbell-Casey Kay def. (2) Jordan Smith-Connor Vogel, 6-4, 6-1

Men’s 35s Singles

Semifinals

(1) Francisco Rodriquez def. (4) Scott Micus, 6-2, 6-1;  (2) Jeff Clark def. Bill McGugin, 6-1, 6-1

Men’s 45s Singles

Semifinals

(1) Philip Johnson def. (3) Kevin Potts, 6-3, 6-1; (2) Ken Koelling def. Stephen Crofford, 6-1, 7-5

Men’s 55s Singles

Semifinals

Dean Dunlavy def. Richard Johnson, 7-6, 7-5; Jonathan Hart def. (2) Mark Padilla, 6-4, 7-5

Men’s 65s Singles

Semifinals

Ken Campbell def. (1) Frank Ringle, 6-1, 6-3; (2) Tom Oliphint def. Bill Ware, 6-1, 6-1;

Men’s 75s Singles

Semifinals

Jack Myers def. Allen Schuelke, 6-0, 6-0; Don Smith def. Jack Heisel, 6-2, 6-3

Men’s 35s Doubles

Semifinals

(1) Jeff Clark/Scott Micus def. Ben Fisher/William Harris, 6-3, 6-3; (2) Ned Caswell/Philip Johnson def. Milton Myers-Lonnie White, 6-4, 6-2

Men’s 45s Doubles

Semifinals

(1) Ken Koelling/Scott Shepherd def. Stephen Crofford/Bill Davis, 4-6, 6-2, 10-4;

(2) Milton Myers/Lonnie White def. Blain Smith/Steve Riley, 6-4, 6-1

Men’s 55s Doubles

Semifinals

(1) Wes Cash/Scott Shepherd def. Ken Campbell/Steve Uebelhor, 6-2, 7-5; (2) DeWayne McCamish/Mike Parker def. Richard Johnson/Clive Kileff, 7-6 (4), 7-5

Men’s 65s Doubles

Semifinals

(4) Bill Brown/James Owens def. David Edmundson/Don Smith, 6-0, 7-5; Ken Campbell/DeWayne McCamish def. (2) Chris Brown/Clive Kileff, 5-7, 6-4, 10-8

Women’s 75s Singles

Final

Caroline Haynes def. Louise Cash, 6-2, 6-1

 

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