Davis, Pate double trouble

Melanie Neff

Before a packed house, defending champions Scott Davis and David Pate

made quick work of a couple of youngsters to win their first of two

titles on the day at the Roy Emerson Adoption Guild Tennis Classic on

Sunday at the Newport Beach Tennis Club.

Top-seeded Davis and Pate, who also won the men’s over-35 doubles

competition, took home the open doubles title with a 6-4, 6-3 victory

over Brian and Dann Battistone of Las Vegas, 6-4, 6-3.

It was a standing-room only crowd at center court to cheer on the

old-timers, who won the men’s 35-and-over title at Wimbledon last

year.

Davis, a pro at the Newport Beach Tennis Club and Pate from

Henderson, defeated top-seeded Piet Aldrich of La Jolla and Jim Pugh

of Manhattan Beach, 6-1, 6-0 to make it a clean sweep in the

tournament.

The Battistone duo advanced to the championship by upsetting

second-seeded Carsten Hoffman of Newport Beach and his partner Art

Hernandez of Huntington Beach in a long 7-6 (6), 6-7(4), 6-4 battle.

The tournament, which benefits Holy Family Services, took a break

after the men’s open singles final to donate a check for $78,000 to

the adoption and foster care facility.

“We gave them $10,000 earlier this year,” tournament co-chairman

Harriet Selna said. “After we get all the bills paid we’ll have

another check for them also.”

It is the 42nd year of the tournament, which began over Memorial

weekend.

Top-seeded Kathy May Fritz and Roz Nidefer of Rancho Santa Fe took

home the women’s open doubles title over second-seeded Tiffany Brymer

and Carine Vermuelen of Apple Valley.

Fritz and Nidefer made it look easy in the first set, cruising to

a 6-1 victory, but Brymer and Vermuelen battled in the second set

before falling, 7-5.

In the women’s open singles division, both of the top seeds

defaulted in the semifinals leading to a matchup between third-seeded

Stephanie Landsdorp of Rolling Hills Estates and Cristina Viscio of

Long Beach.

Landsdorp came out on top with a 7-6 (5), 6-3 victory, earning her

a $3,000 check. The prize money this year was the most given in the

tournament’s history, with all the open winners receiving the same

amount.

Landsdorp also competed in the open doubles with partner Ditta

Huber of Los Angeles, but the duo lost, 6-1, 7-5, to Fritz and

Nidefer in the semifinals.

Several local players claimed titles over the weekend.

Third-seeded Tim White of Newport Beach and Bob Wein of Fountain

Valley defeated Santa Ana’s Luis Alva and Orange’s Tom Hoffman, 7-6

(5), 3-6, 6-4 in men’s 3.5 doubles finals.

Third-seeded Jimmy Latham and Luis Curet of Costa Mesa took the

men’s 4.0 doubles crown with a quick, 6-4, 6-1 victory over

fifth-seeded Michael Glazer and Tom Hoffman of Orange.

In men’s 4.5 doubles, Robert Duesler of Newport Beach and teammate

Jim Nelson of Irvine held of Tom Duddy and Jim Gray of Newport Beach,

to win 6-4, 7-6 (6).

In women’s 5.5/6.0 doubles Gail Glasgow of Corona del Mar teamed

with Beth Thomson of Scottsdale, Ariz. and quickly put away Tracy

Worley and Lisa Seeman, 6-2, 6-2.