The American women’s doubles team of Emily Hangstefer
(Signal Mountain) and Laura Chapman (Columbus, Ga.) have a Deaflympics gold
medal and today they have their sights set on a world gold as well.
This morning at 9 at McCallie School (most likely on the
indoor courts with rain in the forecast) Hangstefer and Chapman will face the
Chinese Taipei team in the finals of the 2014 World Deaf Team Tennis Championships.
McCallie is the site for all finals – championship and
consolations played simultaneously – as
Germany and France battle for the men’s gold medal.
In their brief career together, the Hangstefer-Chapman duo
have never lost a set much less a match in five matches last summer in the
Deaflympics and a straight set win against Great Britain on Tuesday.
The Americans will need to be at their best in singles and
possibly doubles as Chinese Taipei is led by former national team member Ho
Chiu-Mei who earned a silver in singles in the 2013 Deaflympics.
Ho Chiu-Mei will face
Hangstefer in a No.1 singles match at 9 and Chapman takes on Lin Chia-Wen in
the No.2 spot with the “if necessary” doubles match to follow singles.
More Hangstefers: Daniel Hangstefer plays No.1 singles for
the U.S. squad who will face Great Britain in a fifth place match, while
sister, Katie Hangstefer, is the USA women’s coach.
Saturday’s Matches – McCallie School – 9 a.m.
(format - all No.1 singles matches will be played at the same time, followed by No.2 singles and doubles if necessary)
Women’s Final: USA vs. Chinese Taipei
Third Place: Spain vs. Germany
Men’s Final: Germany vs. France
Third Place: Austria vs. Russia
Fifth Place: USA vs. Great Britain
Seventh Place: Japan vs. Chinese Taipei
contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net