USTA 18-and-Under Co-ed Junior Team Tennis Completes Season.

This article was submitted by Elisabeth Foukal.

With a home base of Seaside Park in Marblehead, 11 players from Marblehead, Swampscott, Nahant and Lynn competed in 5 co-ed tennis matches between July 6 and Aug. 3.  The format of this U.S. Tennis Association league is one boys singles, one girls singles, one boys doubles, one girls doubles and one mixed doubles match.

One 8-game, no-ad set is played. Since the boys and girls rarely have an opportunity to play with or against each other in a regular high school season or even in USTA events, this format is quick, fun and social.

The team-elected captains, Brian Hough from Marblehead and Kat Troisi from Lynn, ran several captains’ practices. The team played against Newburyport, Northeast (Middleton), Westford Academy and Winchester.

Most recently on Aug. 3, the Seaside team hosted the Merrimack Valley Warriors from Methuen. Michael Forte, who played singles for the team for much of the season, lost his match 8-2 to Luis Martinez. Vivien Gere, a late addition to the team from Nahant, won her girls singles match against Lina Nguyen 8-0. Brian Hough and Michael Forte lost their doubles match to John Moner and Luis Martinez. Ashley Petras from Swampscott and Victoria Bauder from Nahant won their match against Petty Kim and Christine Chan 8-7. Brian Hough and Molly Depew lost their mixed doubles match to John Moner and Olivia Ferris, 8-3. Other players who competed on the Seaside Blue Junior Team were: Jake Carey, David Leahy, Veronica Pyatigorskaya and Jon Suydam.

This program was made possible by a grant from the United States Tennis Association to the Nahant Country Club.

Thanks are due to Sharen Solomon, Marblehead High School Boys JV Coach, for helping with the team and Brendan Egan, Marblehead Parks and Recreation Superintendent, for making the Seaside Park courts available to the team for the home matches.