The United States Tennis Association Georgia 40 & Over State Championship Tournament is being held this weekend from May 29-31 in Athens. The Athens Tennis Center, The Athens Country Club, Jennings Mill Country Club, Oconee County High School and Oconee Veterans Park will all serve as competition sites for the championship. Photo by Tiernan O’Neill.
By TIERNAN O’NEILL – Editor-in-Chief
Clarke-Oconee Tennis Association is hosting the 40 & Over Championship this weekend in Athens.
The Clarke-Oconee Tennis Association (COTA) is hosting the United States Tennis Association Georgia 40 & Over State Championship Tournament for the second consecutive year. The tournament began on May 29 and culminates with the finals on May 31.
“It really is a great honor in terms of the state (giving) us permission to do this,” tournament director Robin Stevens said. “It means that they trust (COTA) as an organization because of our capacity to put all of the pieces of the puzzle in place.”
Stevens and her team have been preparing for the tournament for four months by setting hotel accommodations, recruiting volunteers and gifts for players and team captains.
“(There are) 536 people entered in the tournament this weekend and 46 teams. They have all advanced from their local play,” Stevens said. “The (United States Tennis Association) segments the play by both age as well as the skill ability so it gives everybody an opportunity to compete with their peers.”
The state championships are split between two locations, the 3-0s and 4-0s play in Athens while the 3-5s and 4-5s play concurrently in Columbus, Ga. The winning teams of each difficulty levels will advance to the sectional round of competition with the winners of that advancing to the national level.
“We’re from Macon, Ga. (and) this is our first time coming to the championships in Athens,” Healy Point Country Club women’s team captain Kay Sanders said. “This is our first match of the tournament but these are beautiful facilities. (Our team’s chances in the tournament) are as good as anybody else’s, you never know from one day to the next who’s going to win.”
The tournament will be played at five different sites, The Athens Tennis Center, The Athens Country Club, Jennings Mill Country Club, Oconee County High School and Oconee Veterans Park, with the final rounds held at The Athens Tennis Center.
“The facility is fabulous, it’s really nice and the hotel is nice. So far everything is very positive,” Healy Point Country Club women’s team Katherine Crownover said.
