NHA Tennis Tournament 2011
Dunham / Farnham / Tyng courts - 4 Standish / 31 Nauset / 13 Standish
The first annual Nauset Heights Tennis Tournament was played on three Nauset Heights courts on the weekend of July 23 and 24, 2011. Originally founded in the 1920’s, the first community tournament, the Rollins Cup for teenager participants, was played on a grass court located between the present-day Brezina and Hurlburt houses. A later series of Mixed Doubles tournaments was played over a five year period in the 1950’s on an old clay court at the Tyngs’ home. This weekend’s matches were played on the Dunham / Miller / Spencer, Farnham, and Tyng courts.
Eight Mixed Doubles teams and eight Men’s Singles players participated in this year’s event. One of the most memorable matches in the early rounds was a marathon match between teenagers Colby Farnham and David Gardner in Men’s Singles, with Colby Farnham prevailing. Colby’s great-grandfather also prevailed as the winner of the Rollins Cup for several years in the 1920’s.
In the Mixed Doubles semi-finals, two tight matches resulted in Lydia Horne / Douglas Horne defeating Carolyn Spengler / Tom Spengler, and Ann Deming / Chad Kessler just getting by Heidi Piche / Jim Tyng in a ten-point tie-breaker. In the Finals, played at the Tyng Court before a large crowd of spectators, the mother-son team of Ann and Chad won out over the father-daughter team of Douglas and Lydia.
In the Men’s Singles semi-finals, Jeff Larsen won a long, close match with Douglas Horne in a ten-point tie-breaker. Jim Tyng prevailed against Colby Farnham, and he then went on to win the Men’s Singles event against Jeff Larsen in another hard-fought match, also ending in a ten-point tie-breaker. After several thunderstorms and rain-delays on Saturday and Sunday morning, the clearing East wind off the Ocean was a welcome relief to the participants and spectators alike.
There is a new permanent trophy, the Nauset Cup, to record the winners of this year’s events, with plenty of room for the winners of the future. We hope the current revival of a Nauset Heights Tennis Tournament will become an annual tradition attracting a new generation of players.
Mixed Doubles Winners Ann Deming & Chad Kessler (left) and Runners Up Lydia & Douglas Horne (right)
Men's Singles Winner Jim Tyng (right) and Runner Up Jeff Larsen (left)
