Tryzub holds fall tennis tourney; Durbak retains champion's title

by George Sawchak

HORSHAM, Pa. - During the weekend of September 24-25, Tryzubivka, USO Tryzub's sports facility, was buzzing with young soccer players, picnickers and on-lookers. Also taking place at Tryzubivka on this beautiful fall weekend was Tryzub's 19th annual fall tennis tournament.

This elimination tournament with full feed-in, played in the men's group only, attracted Ukrainian American players from many parts of the eastern United States.

Ivan Durbak retained his title as champion of Tryzub's tournaments when in the final round of the tournament with the score 4-3 in the first set, Steve Sosiak had to withdraw due to leg injury. In the main draw, both semi-final scores were one-sided, with Durbak defeating George Petrykevych 6-0, 6-0, and Sosiak beating Boris Tatunchak 6-0, 6-1.

In the early rounds and in the feed-in group, however, the matches were more closely contested. In the second round Durbak had to play three sets to defeat George Walchuk 6-1, 6-7 (6), 6-0. Jerry Tymkiw took Sosiak to a second set tie breaker before losing 6-0, 7-6. In the longest match of the tournament, Petrykevych eked out a victory over Ihor Buhaj 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. In the final round of the feed-in rematch, Petrykevych again defeated Buhaj 6-4, 2-6, 6-0, thus taking third place in the tournament.

Other interesting matches in the tournament were Walchuk's win over Andrij Wapowskyj and Tymkiw's win over George Popel in the main draw. Buhaj's wins in the feed-in over Tymkiw and Tatunchak by pro-set scores of 8-6 and 8-4, respectively, and Petrykevych's close victory over Walchuk 6-4, 6-4 were also very competitive. Over all, there were 16 individual matches contested in the tournament.

Presenting trophies to the winners and finalists were Ihor Chyzowych, president of USO Tryzub, and George Sawchak, tournament director. In his closing remarks, Mr. Sawchak reminded the participants that this tournament was one of the events dedicated to the golden jubilee of the Ukrainian Sports Federation of the U.S.A. and Canada (known by its Ukrainian acronym as USCAK) and Ukrainian tennis in North America.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, October 23, 2005, No. 43, Vol. LXXIII

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