Tennis: Usual suspects are up for Adoption

Richard Dunn

With the 39th annual Adoption Guild Tennis Classic named this year

after Roy Emerson, no wonder the play has been of Grand Slam caliber

heading into today’s semifinals in all divisions.

With the usual glitz and glamour, the Newport Beach Tennis Club will host

the Adoption Guild’s open finals Sunday in men’s, women’s and mixed

doubles, men’s singles (11 a.m.) and men’s senior doubles (35 and over)

-- one of the most popular divisions since it started in 1993.

Sanctioned for the first time by the United States Tennis Association,

the Adoption Guild features many of the usual suspects in the open

semifinals, along with some interesting partners in other divisions.

Scott Davis of Corona del Mar, formerly ranked No. 2 in the world in

men’s doubles, and former Newport Harbor High standout and CIF Southern

Section singles champion Brett Hansen-Dent will meet in the men’s open

singles final if they get past their respective semifinal opponents today

-- the top-seeded Davis facing unattached Michael Jessup and Hansen-Dent,

a teaching pro in La Jolla, squaring off against USC’s Marcin Rozpedski.

Davis, the head professional at Newport Beach Tennis Club who will also

play in the open doubles semifinals today with Donnie Visser, has

frequently been a doubles partner with Hansen-Dent, who played

collegiately at USC and UCI before joining the pro satellite circuit.

The men’s open singles division started in 1998 under the direction of

Linda Winston, who is serving again this year as tournament chairperson.

In the men’s senior doubles, top-seeded Visser and Peter Aldrich will

face John Davis and Barry Buss today at 1 p.m. in the semifinals, while

second-seeded Jim Pugh and Bruce Man Song Hing, who together and with

other players have won several Adoption Guild championships, will meet

Bill Howie and Peter Davidson (also 1 p.m.).

In the men’s open doubles last weekend, former Estancia High standout

Mike Leonard, who recovered this spring from brain surgery, played with

his brother, Tim, and reached the quarterfinals, losing to second-seeded

Davis and Visser, 6-4, 6-2.

Mike Leonard returned this season to play for the Texas Christian

University men’s tennis team as a redshirt sophomore.

Pugh and Man Song Hing are top-seeded in the open doubles division and

will face Hansen-Dent and Carlos Bustos in the semifinals. Davis and

Visser will play Peter Smith and Kelly Gullett. Both matches are today at

2:30 p.m. at Newport Beach Tennis Club.

Condolences and prayers go out to Mary Philpot and her family following

the death of her husband, Earl, on the tennis courts Sunday at the

Adoption Guild.

Earl Philpot, a longtime club tennis player in Newport Beach, reportedly

died of a heart attack before his 4.0 mixed doubles quarterfinals match

against Halina Groothuis and John Bennaton.

According to tournament scorer Chris Walker, he collapsed while bending

over to pick up a ball during warmups.

For the first time in Adoption Guild history, there’s neither a women’s

open doubles nor a 6.0 division.

Two familiar Newport Beach senior players, Bob Duesler and Jim Nelson,

are at it again.

Duesler and Nelson, who together possess some 100 USTA gold championship

balls, are widely considered two of the top 60s players in the nation.

Last weekend in the Adoption Guild men’s 5.0 division, Duesler and

Nelson, seeded second, advanced to the semifinals.

One of the oldest continuous sporting events in Orange County and billed

as the largest charity doubles tournament in the nation, the Adoption

Guild started on a single court at the Balboa Bay Club in 1962, with the

direction of local tennis legend Charlie Eaton.

The event has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Holy Family

Services, a nonprofit organization providing counseling, adoption and

foster care services.

Early rounds were also hosted by the Palisades Tennis Club, Balboa Bay

Club Racquet Club and Racquet Club of Irvine. Paramount Sports in Costa

Mesa will donate $200 gift certificates to each winning team from 5.0 to

3.5.

Last year, the Adoption Guild raised over $75,000 for Holy Family

Services with the tournament and patroness tea. The goal this year is

$100,000. Details: (949) 760-8394.