One look at nine-year-old Eric Voges’ collection of tennis
trophies and Bayly Taff decided tennis was for him.
“I was receiving one trophy a summer for playing Dixie Youth
Baseball on Lookout Mountain and my friend Eric had maybe half dozen trophies
from TVI junior and city junior tennis tournaments,” said Taff, now 52, and
playing Friday morning in an 11 a.m. 45s singles quarterfinals match in the TVOC
tennis tournament at Manker Patten. “So I told myself that tennis was for me.”
Throughout the 1970s, Voges, Taff and Chattanooga resident
Bobby Crates played with and against each other collecting not only trophies, but
gaining friendships for life, learning important life skills such as
sportsmanship, team work and how to handle pressure and stress.
“We wanted to kill each other on the court, but were friends
after the match,” said Voges, the McCallie head tennis coach. “Bayly and I were in each other’s weddings and
I am the godfather of his youngest daughter.”
Through the 12s and 14s, the pecking order was
Voges-Crates-Taff, but Taff moved to the top of the list in the 16s and 18s
with Taff playing for Baylor and Voges and Crates at McCallie.
Voges later played for Tennessee and Taff for the Naval
Academy before flying jets for the Navy.
Currently working in the investment management business in
Atlanta and having runner-up and semifinals trophies in recent ASI Category II
national tournaments, Taff was top 5 in the South in the two oldest teen age
groups and top 50 nationally.
Although Voges and his other budding tennis stars learned
early on to put aside the other sports, he sees baseball and tennis as
complementary sports.
“Baseball and tennis go good together maybe more than any
other two sports,” Voges stated. “Hand-eye coordination, the similar concept of
tracking a ball and the throwing-service motion are similar to both sports.
“I loved playing Dixie Youth Baseball on Lookout, but with
tournaments all summer and both sports requiring you be at practices as well as
games I decided to focus on tennis.”
TVOC Matches: Taff won
his opening round 45s singles match early Thursday afternoon in straight sets and
now has the aforementioned Friday quarterfinals match.
Seeded No.3, Taff needs a win for a possible Saturday
morning semifinals match with top-seeded Ken Koelling.
Kudos to Tennis Moms: Taff gives credit for his tennis
development to tennis pros Bill and Alice Tym and to Alex Guerry and Frank
Willett who headed the junior development program, but also has a great deal of
appreciation for moms (Mrs. Taff, O’Dell and Voges among others) who spent many
summers organizing and directing area junior tournaments.
Thursday's Results
Men’s 45s Singles -
Round of 16 … Al Victoria def. Michael March, 6-1, 6-0; John
Bouchard def. Chris Peoples, 6-2 6-1
Quarterfinals: (1) Ken Koelling def. Andy Sallee, 6-2, 6-4;
Gino Bulso def. Robert Mecoli, 6-0, 6-0; Bayly Taff def. Paul Puckett, 6-2,
6-1; Al Victoria def. Steven Riley, 6-2, 7-6 (3); Jonathan Looney def. Bobby
Price, 6-2, 6-1; (4) Stephen Crofford def. Robert Moss, 6-2, 6-2; Bryan
Humphries def. John Bouchard, 6-2, 6-2; (2) Philip Johnson def. Michael
Stephens, 6-3, 6-1
Men’s 55s Singles – Round of 16
(1) Geoff McDonald bye; Tinsley Dozier def. Steven Stewart, 6-3,
6-3; (4) Glen Fanelli def. Larry Kaye, 6-3, 6-3; Keith Belcher def. Richard
Johnson, 7-5, 7-5; (3) Hank Ream def. Jim Roberts, 6-1, 6-0; (2) Jonathan Hart
def. Grant Rolley, 6-0, 6-0.
Men’s Open Singles
Round of 32
(1) Gonzales
Austin def. Evan Watkins, 6-0, 6-1; (9) Robert Cameron def. Christian Matthews,
6-0, 6-3(5) Pavels Grigorjevs def. Michael King, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3; Bobby Brouner
def. Will Reynolds, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (4); (3) Eduardo Rincon def. Kano Solomon,
6-2, 6-2; Carl Abalos def. Davis Thrailkill, 6-2, 6-0.
(5) Eric Diaz def. John-Michael Busch, 6-2, 6-0; (9)
Ian Chadwell def. Daniel Hangstefer, 6-2, 6-2; Dejon Bivens def. (9) Lucas
Plesky, 6-0, 6-4; Sergey Belov def. Chad Woodham, 6-1, 6-0; (9) Aaron Jumonville def. Amyn
Soldier-Mukadam, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4
(4) Forrest Edwards def. Grant Maddox, 6-2, 6-0; (9)
Ankit Chopra def. Kevin Do, 6-1, 6-4; Salif Kante def. Joe Daniels, 6-2, 6-0-4,
6-3; (9) Steven Patrick def. Naveen Chadalavada, 7-6, 6-4; (2) Wayne Montgomery
def. Mario Martinez, 6-1, 6-3
Round of 16
(1) Gonzales
Austin def. (9) Robert Cameron, 6-0, 6-0; (5) Pavels Grigorjevs def. Bobby
Brouner, 6-1, 6-1; Carl Abalos def. (3) Eduardo Rincon, 6-1, retired.
(5) Eric Diaz def. Ian Chadwell, 6-3, 6-4; Dejon
Bivens def. Sergey Belov, 6-3, 6-2; (4)
Forrest Edwards def. (9) Aaron
Jumonville, 6-1, 6-2;
Salif Kante def. (9) Ankit Chopra, 6-4, 6-2; (2)
Wayne Montgomery def. (9) Steven Patrick, 6-1, 6-2
Friday Quarterfinals – 9 a.m. … Saturday Semifinals –
10:30 a.m.
Women’s Open Singles
Round of 16 … (1)
Marie Casares def. Krista Good, 6-0, 6-0; Emily Hangstefer def. Epiphany
Turner, 5-7, 6-4, 6-3; (3) Kayla Jones def. Olivia Boesing, 6-3 6-0; Carmen
Blanco def. Maria Muller, 6-3, 6-3; Jordana Klein def. Ambika Pande, withdrew; (4)
Natalia Maynetto def. Kelsey Coots, 6-0, 6-1; Kaylene Chadwell def. Aubrey
Yowarsky, 6-0, 6-0; (2) Courtney Colton def. Zorana George, 7-5, 6-1.
Men’s Open Doubles
Round of 32
Kaylan Chadalavada-Naveen Chadalavada def. Erik Graves-Kano
Solomon, withdrew; (5) Ankit Chopra-Andrew Rogers def. Robert Cameron-Chip
Webb, 6-4, 6-4; (3) Grant Maddox-Mario Martinez def. Cooper Long-Rick
VandeBovenkamp, 6-2, 7-5; Vikram Hundal-Evgeny Silitski def. Sergey Belov-Dejon
Bivens, 4-6, 6-3, 10-4; (5) John Hangstefer-Roberto Vieira def. Kevin Do-Steven
Patrick, 6-3, 6-4; Reid Dillon-Will Turner def. Johnny Thornton-Jordan
Widelock, 6-1, 7-6 (4); Carl Abalos-Salif Kante def. Daniel Hangstefer-Michael
Hangstefer, 6-2, 6-2; (5) Pavels Grigorievs-Lucas Piesky def. Christian
Matthews-Grant Rolley, 6-2, 6-2; Stephen Crofford-Stephen Crofford Jr. def. Joe
Daniels-Darryl Hale, 6-4, 6-3; (4) David Henry-Will Reynolds def. William
Disterdick-Chris Schlabach, 5-7, 6-2, 10-8; Bobby Brouner-Evan Watkins def.
Jameson Wench-Chad Winters, 6-1,6-1; (5) Aaron Jumonville-Evan Borowski,
6-2,6-2; Michael King-Davis Thrailkill def. Joshua Jeremiah-Tanner Stancil,
6-4,7-5;
Women’s Open Doubles
Round of 16
Alison Storie-Jovana Pecovski def. Krista Good, 6-0, 6-2
Mixed Open Doubles
Round of 32
Alex Nation-Bliss Causby def. Michael Stephens-Kavita
Thakkar, 6-1, 6-3
Round of 16
1 Gonzales Austin-Courtney Colton def. Alex Nation-Bliss
Causby, 6-0, 6-0; Daniel Hangstefer-Emily Hangstefer def. Jordana Klein-David
Henry, 6-1, 6-2; (3) John Hangstefer-Kayla Jones def. Kevin Tan-Krista Good,
6-0, 6-1; Andrew Rogers-Brooke Cordell def. Gabby Crofford-Stephen Crofford,
6-7 (5) 7-6 (5), 10-8; Pavels Grigorjevs-Samantha Caswell def. Duncan
Howell-Zorana George, 6-2, 3-6, 10-6; (4) Ian Chadwell-Kayleen Chadwell def.
Daniel Hadesty-Aubrey Yowarsky, 6-3 6-0; Harper Caswell-Lucas Plesky def. Aliza
Williams-Chad Winters, 6-1, 6-0
(2) Marie Casares-Will Reynolds default win.
Men’s 55s Doubles
Round of 16
Larry Kaye-Karl Gifford def. Gary Legg-Bill Bennett, 6-4,
6-1; Tinsley Dozier-Jim Robert def. Benny Jones-Steven Stewart, 6-1, 6-3
Men’s 65s Doubles
Round of 16
Joe Pate-Mike Westerman def. Jack Scruggs-Robert McDonald,
6-0, 6-2
contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net