The HTA Houston Open adult tournament sported an international flavor this year, with both the men’s and the women’s open singles champions European products.
Mikhail Vaks, who defeated Ryan Anthony Ybarra of Palestine, Texas, 6-4, 6-2, in the men’s final, arrived here recently from Russia, and Karolina Wall, who won the women’s singles 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 over Houstonian Maya Smith, is a native of Poland.
Both Vaks and Ybarra, who train together at the AJ Elite Academy, considered their Houston Open competition a warm-up for the $25,000 Memphis Futures April 4.
Wall played varsity for Baylor University and is now a physical education teacher and coach at Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart in Houston. Her opponent Smith, a home-schooled 16-year-old, trains with basketball great John Lucas.
In the men’s open doubles final the Collins brothers Eoin and Robert of Houston defeated Harry Fowler of Houston and Ybarra 6-3, 6-4. Lynn Guillo of Pearland and Audrey Wooland of Sugar Land upset top seeds Rachel Janssen of Farmers Branch and Meaghan Ocanas of Rowlett 6-2, 6-2 for the women’s open doubles title.
In an all-Houston mixed open doubles match, Theodore DiBlasi and Megan Wnuk snared the title with an upset over the No. 3 seeds Robert Collins and Alina Mihailescu7-6 (3), 6-2.
Complete results of the tournament, which attracted 578 players, are available at TennisLink, TID#800034516. The event, which also offered divisions for seniors and super seniors, was a Major Zone for adults.
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