Adoption Guild opens its 42nd annual tournament

Melanie Neff

The prize money is bigger and so is the talent at this year’s 42nd

annual Roy Emerson Adoption Guild Classic Tennis Tournament, which

begins this weekend at the Newport Beach Tennis Club and other clubs

around the area.

One of the oldest and largest charity doubles tournaments in the

nation, it provides financial support to the Holy Family Services,

Counseling, Adoption and Foster Care of South Orange County.

The Adoption Guild of Southern Orange County is a group of 50

volunteer women who have two fund-raising activities each year. For

the past two years, the Adoption Guild has given $100,000 each year

to Holy Family Services.

“Given the economy and other world events, we will be happy to

maintain the level of our past gift,” said tournament co-chairman

Harriet Selna.

The Adoption Guild also held a fall fund-raiser, which netted

approximately $9,000, and a Patroness Tea, which also brought in the

same amount.

This year’s tennis tournament is expected to draw approximately

1,200 entries with $24,000 in cash prizes to be awarded, up from

$18,000 last year. The tournament is sanctioned by the United States

Tennis Association and awards prizes in all the open events, as well

as the men’s 35-and-older doubles division. The tournament has

divisions in men’s, women’s and mixed doubles from open to 3.0, along

with men’s 35-and-over doubles.

“We made an effort to fund raise the prize money because of the

quality and level of players we want to draw,” Selna said. “It’s the

first time we’ve done that. We hope it will be beneficial to

players.”

In previous tournaments, the prize money has come strictly from

entry fees. This year, winners will receive $3,000, with runners-up

receiving $1,500.

The Adoption Guild will be played May 24-26, May 31 and June 1,

with the semifinals and finals scheduled for the Newport Beach Tennis

Club during the final weekend.

Players from around Orange County and as far away as Oregon and

Arizona will make the trek, including the current No. 1 player in

Southern California, Bryan Juinio, who is the top seed in the men’s

open division. Juinio, who is a pro at the Copper River Country Club

in Fresno, is coming off an appearance in the men’s open finals of

the Ojai Tournament, as well as a title at the Rio Del Oro Open.

At Ojai, Juinio, who played at Fresno State, was edged out by

second-seeded Adriano Biasella, 5-7, 7-5, 6-4. At the Rio Del Oro

Open, Juinio won the crown with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Joshua

Prager.

Juinio holds the all-time record at Fresno State for wins in

singles with 105. He will open play against Howard Dell of San

Clemente at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the Newport Beach Tennis Club.

Joining Juinio in the men’s open is No. 2 seed Brett Hansen-Dent

of Newport Beach. Hansen-Dent is currently in his second season as an

assistant coach for the USC men’s tennis program. A former Trojan

himself, Hansen-Dent helped the team capture the 1994 national

championship. In his first season as a coach, he helped guide the

team to the 2002 national championship.

Hansen-Dent, a graduate of Newport Harbor High, played World Team

Tennis for the Idaho Sneakers for two seasons, and then played on the

pro tour from 1996-98, before retiring after a knee injury.

Hansen-Dent will also play doubles, partnering with Fullerton’s

Ryan Moore, another USC grad. The duo is seeded third in the men’s

open doubles. Moore is seeded fifth in singles.

Returning to try and defend his men’s open doubles title is Corona

del Mar’s Scott Davis, who also wo the mixed open doubles title last

year.

Davis will again partner with David Pate in the open division. The

top-seeded duo received a first-round bye and will open play on

Memorial Day.

Davis opted out of mixed doubles this season and will instead team

up with Robert Van’t Hof in the men’s 35 and over doubles where they

are seeded third. Piet Aldrich of La Jolla and Jim Pugh of Manhattan

Beach are the No. 1 seed.

In the women’s open singles division, Kim Nguyen of the Fountain

Valley Tennis Club is the top seed and Elizabeth Exon of Irvine is

seeded second.

Rounds through the quarterfinals will be held this weekend at the

Newport Beach Tennis Club, the Balboa Bay Club Racquet Club,

Palisades Tennis Club and the Racquet Club of Irvine.