Save the date for our 2025 Winter Doubles Scramble!
No partner required!
When: Saturday afternoon, January 4 (times TBA; the event will be two hours long)
Where: TBA (indoors, of course)
Match Rules: Entrants will be scrambled each round. You’ll play 20-minute, no-ad matches, with a different partner for each rotation.
3.0/3.5 rating or higher, please.Cost: $25 per player, plus yearly (rolling) ECTA dues
Must be age 16 or older to enter
Thank you to everyone who participated in our fall tournament and shout out to our winners!
Men’s 3.5 Singles
1st place: Joe Madura
2nd place: Miodrag Vidanovic
Men’s Open Singles:
1st place: Daniel Lee
2nd place: Tie between Constantine Hastalis and Abhisek Gupta
Men’s 3.5 Doubles:
1st place: Madura-Roach
2nd place: Rubanovich and Wllisch
Mixes Doubles:
1st place: Mulhern and Shaw
2nd place: Crewman and Rosen
Women’s 3.5 Doubles
1st place: Michałowicz and Wenick
2nd place: Kimball and La Follette
Women’s 3.5 Singles:
1st place: Rebecca Carson
2nd place: Anne Flosi
If you live in Evanston and identify first and foremost as a tennis player, please register to attend the Evanston Parks & Rec meeting that is designated for tennis players only next Wednesday, September 18, 2024, at 6 p.m. at the Civic Center (Parasol Room) to make your voice heard regarding which courts will be converted to pickleball only!
The four locations under consideration are Ackerman Park (site of the ECTA’s annual Fourth of July Tournament for the past several decades), Burnham Shores, Cartwright Park, and Mason Park.
If you did not receive Parks & Rec Director Audrey Thompson’s email about the upcoming meeting, you can find it below.
PLEASE REGISTER TO ATTEND THE TENNIS PLAYERS-ONLY MEETING VIA THIS SURVEY LINK if you want to have a say in which courts will be converted.
Note that there will be an additional meeting on Monday, September 23, (same time and location) for both tennis players and pickleball players, together. A third meeting is being held for pickleball players only.
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!
In person makes a greater impact than email!
Note from Audrey Thompson:
The Parks and Recreation Department has worked for quite some time to ensure dedicated pickleball courts in Evanston are not only a priority, but a reality. Though we have been met with some challenges, we are devoted to the pickleball cause and want you to be assured that those who love the game of pickleball have not been forgotten. Currently, the Department has completed a series of four neighborhood meetings in four locations that are being considered for dedicated pickleball play. In light of these discussions, we now invite you to attend one of the following focus groups that will take place next week. There are also two other options that we are exploring and these options will be discussed in the focus groups next week.
We ask that you choose which sport you will represent and only attend one of the following meetings. In addition, please complete this survey so we can obtain some data prior to the focus groups. Please send this email and the link to the survey to anyone who would like to weigh in on dedicated pickleball courts in Evanston. Please attend one of the following focus groups:
In addition, on Monday, September 23rd at 6pm at the Civic Center in the Parasol Room, we will conduct a joint meeting with both groups. At the above meetings, I will have each group provide the names of five to eight individuals who will represent each sport. This group will work together with our Department to provide information to be presented to the Parks and Recreation Board on Thursday, October 17th, with a final recommendation to be made at the City Council meeting on Monday, October 28th. I look forward to hearing from you in person or through the survey above. Even if you are planning to attend one of the focus groups next week, I ask that you still complete the survey above. I am looking forward to a lively discussion but even more excited about providing this long overdue amenity to our community. Thanks to all of you who have contacted me personally to provide recommendations. Your input has been invaluable.
***IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR EVANSTON-BASED TENNIS PLAYERS***
Congratulations to the winners of the 2024 Evanston Fourth of July Tournament and shout out to all the finalists! The results of this year’s championships are below. Stay tuned for information about our fall tournament, coming soon!
Men’s 40 Singles
Mast def Kerr: 6-7, 6-3, 10-5
Mixed Doubles
Galinska & Postel def Wadsworth & Wadsworth: 3-6, 7-6 (7), 10-8
Men’s 60 Singles
James def Zitnik: 7-5, 4-6, 10-6
Men’s 3.5 Singles
Espinosa def Ross: 6-1, 7-6 (2)
Men’s Open Singles
Gordon def Mast: 6-0, 6-3
Men’s 40 Doubles
Ginsberg & Kerr def Graft and Postel: 6-3, 4-6, 10-8
Century Doubles
Leff & McCabe def Woods & Zitnik: 6-3, 4-6, 10-6
Men’s Open Doubles
Ginsberg & Gordon def Espinosa & Vidanovic: 6-1, 6-1
View the schedule for this Thursday’s final matches below. Good luck to our competitors!
Due to poor court conditions at Ackerman Park, we have made the difficult decision to relocate this year’s event to nearby Bent Park (2524 Cowper Avenue), further west on Central Street. The Bent Park courts were resurfaced last year and are in excellent condition; overhead trees also provide some shade and relief from the heat, unlike Ackerman.
The Bent Park tennis courts can be found at the corner of Central and Hastings, which is where the Evanston Fourth of July Parade begins, so there will be a lot of activity going on there (not unlike what you are already used to on this holiday)–this also means plenty of opportunity for new spectators!
Please let your fellow players, family, and friends know about this change of venue. We encourage everyone to bring lawn chairs, as there are no bleachers at Bent and limited permanent seating in the form of benches on the west side of the courts. Chairs will be provided for players on the courts as well as for umpires.
Please note that there is no parking next to the courts (on Central, Cowper, or Hastings) leading up to and during the parade–not unlike the situation at Ackerman. Please park south of Central (for example, on Harrison, one block away) and pay attention to no-parking signs, as the city will tow.
We regret this change, but the courts at Ackerman are not safe to play on. We have inquired with the city about getting Ackerman resurfaced before the 2025 Fourth of July Tournament and will follow up with you all on that conversation as well as let you know if additional action is needed from our members to urge the city to budget for said resurfacing.
You can view this year’s tournament draws here. Good luck to our finalists! We hope the rest of you will come out to cheer them on July 4!
Thank you for your understanding.
–ECTA Board of Directors
Men’s Open Singles
Round 1
A. Brush def Loewy: 6-1, 6-3
Round 2
B. Espinosa def Chen: 6-1, 6-3
C. Mast def Ford: 6-2, 6-2
D. Robinson def Graft: 7-6(4), 3-6, 1(8)
E. Gordon over Brush: wo
Round 3
F. Mast over Espinosa: wo
G. Gordon def Robinson: 6-0, 6-1
Championship
Gordon vs Mast
Men’s 40 Singles
Round 1
A. James def Chen: 3-6, 6-3, 1(5)
B. Ross def Graft: 1-6, 6-3, 1(7)
C. Boarini vs Connell (Connell wd ifo Boarini)
Round 2
D. Burks def James: 2-6, 6-2, 6-1
E. Mast def Ross: 4-6, 6-3, 1(7)
F. Kerr def Boarini: 6-1, 6-1
G. Postel def Brush: 6-4, 6-0
Round 3
H. Kerr def Burks: 6-3, 7-5
I. Mast def Postel: 6-2, 6-2
Championship
Kerr vs Mast
Men’s 60 Singles
Round 1
A. James def Allen: 6-2, 7-6(4)
Round 2
B. James def Kuntz: 7-5; 6-4
C. Zitnick def Smart: 6-1, 6-0
Championship
James vs Zitnick
Men’s 3.5 Singles
Round 1
A. Ross def Ford: 6-2, 6-0
B. Loewy def Smart: 6-2, 6-1
Round 2
C. Vidanovic def James: 4-6, 6-1, 6-2
D. Boarini def Allen: 6-0, 6-1
E. Espinosa def Loewy: 6-1, 6-4
F. Ross def Farmer: 6-2, 6-2
Round 3
G. Ross over Boarini: 4-3 ret inj
H. Espinosa def Vidanovic: 6-2, 7-6
Championship
Ross vs Espinosa
Men’s Open Doubles
Round 1
A. Ginsberg & Gordon def Brush & Brush: 6-3, 6-2
B. Espinosa & Vidanovic def Caughran & Dush-Hart: 6-3, 7-6
Championship
Ginsberg & Gordon vs Espinosa & Vidanovic
Men’s 40 Doubles
Round 1
A. Ginsberg & Kerr def James & Loewy: 6-3, 6-1
B. Graft & Postel def Leff & McCabe: 6-2, 7-5
Championship
Ginsberg & Kerr vs Graft & Postel
Registration is opening soon for the 2024 Fourth of July Tournament!
ENTRY DEADLINE: End of day Saturday, May 25
DRAW POSTING: May 31
EARLY ROUNDS OF SELF-ARRANGED PLAY: June 1-July 2
FINALS: July 4 in Evanston
ENTER UP TO THREE EVENTS FOR ONE PRICE! (No more than two doubles or two singles categories per person.)
CATEGORIES OF PLAY: Century Doubles (partners’ ages must add up to 100 or higher), Men’s Open Singles, Men’s 3.5 (and Under) Singles, Men’s 40 (and Over) Singles, Men’s 60 (and Over) Singles, Men’s Open Doubles, Men’s 40 (and Over) Doubles, Women’s Open Singles, Women’s 3.5 (and Under) Singles, Women’s Open Doubles, Mixed Doubles
NOTES: Please include tournament experience/seeding information no matter what your level!For doubles, you and your partner must register and pay separately in order to appear be entered in the tournament!
COST TO ENTER: $30 per player, plus annual/rolling ECTA membership fee of $25. (Not sure of your membership status? Email ECTA Treasurer Chuck Friedl at charlesfriedl@aol.com.)
NOTE: Must be age 16 or older by June 1, 2024, to enter.
Tournament giveaways for all entrants! Trophies for all finalists!
Thanks to everyone who participated in the ECTA’s 2024 Spring Doubles Round Robin, and congratulations to the winners!
Mixed Doubles:
First place: Dan and Anya Gill
2nd place: Talein Hairekian and Viraj Padhiar
Men’s Doubles:
First place: Emil Loewy and Meeraj Thaker
2nd place: Raymond Boyer and David Fenn
Women’s Singles (in place of Doubles):
First place: Jenna Kimball
2nd place: Maria Baker