Women’s Open Singles …
** Saturday – Championship Semis – 11 a.m.
No.1 Emma Kurtz vs. Danielle Vines
Caitlyn Merzbacher vs. McCartney Kessler
* Quarterfinals Results
No.1 Emma Kurtz (HS senior) vs. Suzanne Zenoni, 6-3, 6-2
Caitlin Merzbacher def. No.2 Kenya Jones, 6-4, 2-6, 6-3
McCartney Kessler def. No.3 Ansley Speaks, 6-1, 7-6
Danielle Vines def. No.4 Brittany Huxley, 6-3, 6-2
Men’s Open Singles –
** Saturday – Championship Semis – 9 a.m.
No.1 Nathan Pasha vs. No.3 McClain Kessler
No. 2 Harrison O’Keefe vs. Julian Bradley
Quarterfinals Results
No.1 Nathan Pasha def. No.8 Vikram Hundal, 6-1, 6-0
No.3 McClain Kessler vs. No.6 Steven Karl, 6-2, 6-3
Julian Bradley def. No.5 Andrew Carter, 3-6, 7-6, 6-3
No.2 Harrison O’Keefe vs. Lucas Plesky, 6-1, 6-4
Kessler Siblings Bring Big Time Tennis To Calhoun
Calhoun (Ga.) High School has trophy cases full of state championship trophies for football, softball, baseball and cheerleading. But none in tennis.
But a teenage brother and sister duo is changing that mindset and making their mark on tennis courts across the land to let people know they are from Calhoun playing the sport at a high level.
McClain Kessler, 19, and his sister McCartney, 16, and their top tennis play is well chronicled throughout the state, South and the nation.
McClain, a rising sophomore at the U. of Florida, helped guide the Gators to the SEC title (played No.6 singles) earlier this spring and while in the 16s he advanced to the round of 16 at the prestigious national hardcourts well known as just “Kalamazoo”.
Younger sister, McCartney – who holds a top 15 national ranking - has had the advantage of learning the ropes of big time tournament tennis by following big brother from city to city at an early age, won the Southern 10s and teamed with Vanderbilt-bound Emma Kurtz to win the nationally-recognized Orange Bowl Girls 18s Doubles this past December and the Southern Winter 18s in January. Kessler and Kurtz are playing doubles together this weekend.
TVOC Tennis at Manker Patten: The dynamic duo and several other talented young (and older) tennis players in various age divisions have their talented games on display this weekend as they are competing in the longstanding TVOC Tennis tourney held at the Manker Patten Tennis Club.’
Saturday Semis: The Kesslers are having good success as both are in singles semis Saturday morning – No.3 seeded McClain, plays No.1 seed and defending TVOC champ Nathan Pasha (U. of Georgia grad) at 9 a.m., while unseeded McCartney takes on unseeded Caitlyn Merzbacher (U. of Minnesota) at 11 a.m. in the ladies Open.
They have also advanced to the Saturday semis in men’s (1 p.m.) and women’s (2 p.m.) doubles as well as mixed doubles (3:30 p.m.) Finals are Sunday in open and age divisions.
“No doubt McCartney is farther along at 16 than I was at that age and has more room to better her game than when I was 16,” said McClain. “In two years she can be the best player in the nation in the 18s.”
The Kesslers have been students at Calhoun High School online for the flexibility of playing USTA events throughout the calendar year – they also have played for the Calhoun high school team - which includes taking lessons at the Stephen Diaz Tennis Academy in Atlanta.
“McClain was the guiny pig when we first started participating in the tennis tournament scene 12 years ago when he was seven and McCartney was able to start at the Diaz Academy early on and went on to win the Southern 10s,” said their mother, Julie, who along with her husband Carl, both played college tennis at Central Florida.
Long Time Gator Fan: McClain ihas been a Florida Gator fan for years as his grandfather (Julie’s dad) Andrew “Pat” Driggers played football for the Gators in the 1940s.
“My grandfather and I were close (he died at 89 last July) and I been a huge Florida fan since I was 3-years-old,” said McClain.
Father-Son Sports Battles: Much of McClain’s success on the court comes from his very competitive nature.
“My dad and I will play each other in anything and everything from basketball to pool volleyball to darts …you name it and I play to win,” stated McClain with a smile.
“I beat my dad in tennis when I was 14, then he beat me soon thereafter, but I have not lost to him on the court since I turned 15.
“While I enjoy the competitiveness with my dad, I also give him the credit for helping me with my tennis game when I was a kid,” stated McClain. “Instead of working me to death and causing possible burnout, he made the game and all the practices fun and that has been a great help over the years.”
Carl said, “McCartney is very competitive too, but McClain is the one who takes the initiative to challenge someone to play anything.”
More Trophies This Weekend?? With the possibility of trophies won and big checks from this weekend’s success and high finish in championship and/or consolation finals, McClain and McCartney will be competing with the foe across the net as well as starting the Sunday night dinner table conversation with their sibling for who brought home the most and the best.
And hopefully their continued net success with inspire a growing interest in the sport in a Friday night football-crazed town.
Men’s Open Doubles
No.1 Vikram Hundal-Nathan Pasha def. John Peacey-William Schneider, 6-5, 6-4
No.2 Lance Cohen-Samir Iftikhar def. John Hangstefer-Lucas Pesky, 6-3, 7-6
No.3 Julian Bradley-Harrison O’Keefe def. Reece Acree-Austin Raine, 7-6, 6-1
No.4 Steven Karl-McClain Kessler def. Jack Gray-Turner Voges, 7-6 (5), 6-1
Women’s Open Doubles
McCartney Kessler-Emma Kurtz def. Brittany Huxley-Sydney Patton, 6-3, 6-0
Stephanie Kent-Caitlyn Merzbacher def. Hannah Dattilo-Presley Thomas, 6-3, 6-0
Danielle Vines-Ansley Speaks def. Tarah Garner-Sarah Evans, 6-2, 6-2
Kayla Jones-Kenya Jones def. Sofia Blanno-Kaylan Griffith, 6-0, 6-0
Men’s 35s Singles
Kevin Donovin def. Chris Cunningham, 6-0, 6-0, Jon Thorstenson def. Steven Josey, 6-0, 6-0 Derrick Racine def. Mark Hickman, 5-7, 6-3, 10-8
Men’s 45s Singles
Kevin Potts def. Robert Moss, 6-1, 6-0; Gordon Williams def. Robert Mecoli, 6-0; 6-0; John Sorrows def. John Buchard, 3-6,6-1, 10-2; Philip Johnson won by forfeit
Men’s 55s Singles - Quarterfinals
No.1 Dennis Covington def. Steven Stewart, 7-5, 6-2;No.2 John Mahorner def. Stephen Crofford, 6-2, 6-2; Gino Bulso def. No.4 Robert Fisher, 6-3, 7-6 (1); No.3 Eduardo Garibaldi def. Jim Flanagan, 6-0, 6-1
Men’s 65 Singles
Louis Buquo def. Charles Schneider, 6-0, 6-0; James Robert def. Ronald Hudson, 6-1, 6-0
Women’s 45s Singles (round robin)
Daryl Kimche def. Mary Emanuel, 6-3, 6-1
contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net