Virginia Hard Court Championships 2007

The Virginia State Hardcourt Championships End with a Bang, but Quietly

8/13/07

The Final was originally set for Sunday, then Monday, so the Top Seed left for Greece when he thought he couldn't make the final. Then the Final was moved back to Sunday. Perhaps it was all just too confusing.

It was bad enough when the Times Dispatch ran the opening story on the tournament under the headline: "Top Seed Skips Tournament". With Ted Angelinos, a UVA player, heading off to Greece, the door was wide open for someone new and fascinatingly different (maybe local!) to step in.

When it was determined that Kyle Parker would not be taking advantage (Times Dispatch writer John Packett suggested he might), the new bets were on Milo Johnson or Brandon Corace of Naples, FL.

To get to the final, Milo (who played only one match to get to the semis after receiving a default in his first round) had to get past Andy Kim, a rising sophomore at Dartmouth.

Brandon Corace (left) and Andy Kim

Kim, who played for Maggie Walker Governors School, is the little brother of Austin Kim. Austin played tennis at Washington & Lee. He's now in med school at Dartmouth. One very brainy family. Andy said he chose Dartmouth because he wanted to check out the "liberal atmosphere." And he loves the campus.

What he didn't love so much on Sunday was getting prepared for his semi-final match set for 9:30 am, and showing up to find out that his opponent was not showing up.

"Milo called and said he didn't have a ride," said Stacey Parker, appearing to be not completely convinced about that.

"Players kind of feel gypped when that happens," said Phil Thacker, a pro at Raintree. "We want to play matches, that's why we enter tournaments."

"I really wanted to play him, because he's a good player," said Andy. Instead, he went home to prepare for the Final against either Kevin McMillen or Brandon Corace.

Corace grew up in Naples, Florida. Former Virginia champ Mark Vines was an assistant coach of his High School team. He plays #5 or so on the strong Virginia Tech squad. "I knew I was either going to go to VA Tech or Miami," he said. Both schools recruited him heavily. He plays #1 doubles at school.

He defeated McMillen easily on Sunday morning, which ended up being a factor later in the day. Corace played three matches on Sunday, and was on court nearly straight through from 9:30 until 5:30. Having had to withdraw from a tournament earlier in the summer due to heatstroke, he said he had that on his mind as the day grew hotter.

In the Men's Singles final, both men were playing for reasons other than the check at the end (as college students, neither could accept it). Corace got off to a good start with a 3-0 lead, but he let his mental game fall apart a bit after a couple of wayward shots.

Tommy Magner kept the commentary rolling on Sunday....most interesting was his ping-pong story

"You can't be serious!" he yelled to no one in particular as Kim moved closer to closing the gap at 3-all.

"Sounds like McEnroe," said Gary Wilkins, who was watching from the tent on the hill.

"It's an example of the agony of tennis," opined former city champion Tommy Magner (who arrived on his Harley).

"You can be winning and still be ticked off."

Corace was able to get it together enough to dispatch of Kim, 6-4, 6-3.

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In Women's Singles, I wish I could tell you that the match was amazing and full of long rallies and fantastic points but you would know I was lying because Nataly Fleishman was involved in it. Frankly, she has a reputation of just depressing her opponents.

"We need to have her play in the men's division next year," said one spectator, who was watching Chrissie Seredni struggle with the perennial champion.

"We just ought to write her the check every year, and be done with it," I overheard someone say.

"She's just too good, too good," was Stacey Parker's take.

After Fleishman's victory in the Women's Final -- 6-1, 6-1-- she was asked what it was like to beat a player on the pro tour so handily.

"I was on the tour from age 15-20, so I've done that.....I think Chrissie is a very good player. But she ought to go to college. It would be a great experience for her."

On whether she has any plans to return to her native country of Israel in the future, she appeared wistful and the tough exterior seemed to melt a bit.

"It's not that bad [there]," she said. "From here it looks worse than it is."

Then she turned to walk down a back path which required hiking up a steep hill as opposed to taking the sidewalk to the parking lot.

"We Israelis like to make everything hard," she said, over her shoulder.

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Seredni walks ---somewhere ---after her disappointing match with Nataly Fleishman

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by Sara James