Wong three-peats as singles champion at News Journal Tennis Tournament
LEXINGTON — The adult finals of the 88th News Journal Tennis Tournament on Saturday evening at the Lakewood Racquet Club was a Lexington tennis family reunion of sorts.
In both matches that took place, ties to Lexington High School tennis and the Lakewood Racquet Club were strong. In the doubles final, three of the participants were former Lexington players, and the other, Jeremy Fleming, is the son-in-law of Lexington coach and NJ Tennis Tournament director Ron Schaub. In the singles final, both players were also former Lex players.
However, Nicky Wong was the only player on Saturday to play in both finals and walk away with two medals.
After Wong and his partner Steven Webster fell to Fleming and Alex McCann in the finals of the doubles bracket, Wong had just about 15 minutes to take a breath before facing Benton Drake in the singles final.
Despite Drake having fresh legs, Wong ultimately pulled out a 6-4, 6-2 win in the adult singles bracket for the third straight year.
“I was getting tired there, man,” Wong said with a laugh. “At the beginning I felt good and loose. But as the match progressed, I started feeling it for sure.
“It’s a super fun thing and I’m super blessed that I’m healthy enough to play in it every year,” Wong added. “I’m happy to come over and see Ron and the town, and but yeah it’s more of a fun thing for me to play in, for sure.”
According to Schaub, the title marked Wong’s sixth singles title overall.
“I lived with my grandfather a lot, who put me into the sport when I was a kid and I just grew up down here from the time I was 4 or 5 until I graduated,” Wong said. “We’re just so used to it, running around these courts and stuff.”
Wong was a three-time Ohio Cardinal Conference Player of the Year in his time at Lexington before he played collegiately at Toledo from 2011-15. Against Drake — who is in his second year playing at Southern Virginia — Wong said he took advantage of the few mistakes Drake made.
“I think I got lucky,” Wong said. “He started missing some serves and I think that took him out of his rhythm. I don’t think I did anything special; I just think he started getting out of his groove in his serve.”
Prior to the singles match, Fleming and McCann won an entertaining match in straight sets over Wong and Webster, 6-4, 6-3. Webster, who played collegiately at Walsh University, is Wong’s brother-in-law.
“Obviously, Stevie is a big guy,” McCann said of Webster, who — like McCann — helped Lexington win the team state title in 2004. “He has a lot of range with his serve and his volleys, and I think he’s one of the best players to come out of Lakewood, obviously. His serves and drop serves are definitely a big threat to us.”
For McCann, who played at Middle Tennessee from 2006-10, the victory was the first time he won the doubles bracket in his almost 20 years of playing in the NJ Tourney.
“It’s really great to come back and see everybody and support Ron,” McCann said. “I really don’t get to play tennis too much, but it’s a tournament I’ve played in for almost 20 years probably. I’ve only won singles once and I don’t think I’ve ever won doubles. I’m thankful for Jeremy for bringing me through to get the doubles win.
“I told Jeremy last week that there’s so many good players that come back. Last weekend, there were high school kids that are really good and Ron always brings out the best in everybody and definitely produces some great players. To come back and win is really cool.”
Despite hearing about the NJ Tournament for quite some time, it marked the first time Fleming played in the tournament. His doubles win definitely makes it one to remember.
“It was my first News Journal this one,” said Fleming, who played collegiately at Cumberland in Tennessee in the early 2010s after playing at St. Georges College in Weybridge, England. “I heard about it a lot. Ron is my father-in-law, so it’s been pretty fun playing in it and everyone has been so welcoming and nice. It’s been good to meet some new people and then being set up with a good partner was nice.”
Earlier in the week, current Lexington players Gracie Pfieffer and Tommy Secrist won the mixed doubles bracket over Drake and former Lexington standout Sylvia Goldsmith.
In the second annual News Journal Pickle Ball Tournament earlier in the week, the team of Dylan Catanese and Ethan Remy defeated Drake and Ross Drlik in the final.
After 88 years, the NJ Tennis Tournament is still going strong. It’s safe to say we can expect another strong showing for the 89th edition of the event next summer.
“Ron is the best and honestly he doesn’t get enough recognition,” Wong said. “He’s one of the best coaches ever from the state of Ohio and we have him right here in little Podunk Lexington. He puts this on every year for everyone to come over and it gives tennis some publicity. We’re from a football, basketball and wrestling town, but tennis is rock solid here from what he did. It’s a really cool thing that he does and I’m always happy to come over and play for him, and I know so is Alex, Steven, Jeremy and everyone else.”
Reach William at [email protected]. On Twitter: @BillKosileski.
Winners at 88th News Journal Tennis Tournament
8-and-under: Miles Galbraith, Cainan Palmer, Blake Crider
Girls 10-and-under: Emma Secrist
Boys 10-and-under: Cainan Palmer
Girls 12-and-under: Emma Secrist
Boys 12-and-under: Philip Etzel
Girls 14-and-under: Noel Cline
Boys 14-and-under: Dylan Catanese
Girls 16-and-under: Jade Adkins
Boys 16-and-under: Ethan Remy
Girls 18-and-under: Grace Mahek
Boys/Juniors 18-and-under: Gracie Pfieffer
10-and-under doubles: Dean Galbraith and Cainan Palmer
Girls 14-and-under doubles: Emma Secrist and Roxy Purvis
Boys 14-and-under doubles: Dylan Catanese and Owan Gongwer
Girls 18-and-under doubles: Grace Mahek and Anna Vogt
Boys 18-and-under doubles: Karl Etzel and Ryan Mecurio
Adult singles: Nicky Wong
Adult doubles: Alex McCann and Jeremy Fleming
Mixed doubles: Gracie Pfieffer and Tommy Secrist
Pickle Ball: Dylan Catanese and Ethan Remy
