Tryzub sponsors 19th annual Spring Tennis Tournament (05/28/06)

Tryzub sponsors 19th annual Spring Tennis Tournament

by George Sawchak

HORSHAM, Pa. - Tryzubivka, the estate of USO Tryzub, was buzzing with all kinds of activities during the beautiful weekend of May 6-7.

Both young boys and girls soccer teams were playing on all of Tryzub's fields. Arriving on buses were youngsters from Philadelphia Plast units who were celebrating Sviato Vesny.

The clubhouse hall was filled with guests for various receptions; and, on the tennis courts, Ukrainian players were participating in Tryzub's 19th annual Spring Tournament.

Played in the men's open group only, the tournament attracted both young and senior players from many parts of the East Coast. The tournament format was a single-elimination main draw with a complete feed-in for the main draw losers.

In a very well played main draw final, Steve Sosiak of Colonia, N.J., defeated Jerry Tymkiw of Philadelphia by the score of 6-4, 7-5, thus winning his fifth tournament at Tryzubivka.

In the semifinals Sosiak won against George Hrabec of Denver, Mass., 6-0, 7-5, and Tymkiw got a win from George Sawchak of Rydal, Pa., when at the score of 6-2, 0-1 Sawchak decided not to continue to play.

In the feed-in tournament final, Hrabec defeated Ihor Buhaj of Bethlehem, Pa., in a close three setter 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, thus gaining third place in the tournament.

There were a number of close and interesting matches in this tournament, such as the first-round match between George Walchuk and Gene Serba, both from New Jersey, which had to go to the third set tie-breaker with Walchuk finally prevailing 2-6, 6-0, 7-6. Walchuk's match with Hrabec also went three sets. But this time Walchuk lost 1-6, 6-0, 2-0 and retired due to cramping.

Tymkiw overcame Buhaj in the first round 2-6, 6-2, 6-0; Andrew Walowsky of Cherry Hill, N.J., beat Gene Serba's son Greg; Walter Dziwak, also from New Jersey, defeated George Popel of Delaware, and Orest Wasyluk of Maryland, won over Boris Tatunchak of Pennsylvania.

In the second round of the feed-in tournament, father and son Gene and Greg Serba played against each other with the son prevailing in a close score of 9-7 in the pro set.

Overall there were 22 individual matches played in this spring tournament at Tryzubivka.

Presenting trophies to the winners and finalists were George Sawchak, tournament director, and Ihor Chyzowych, president of USO Tryzub.

"It is also good to see Tryzubivka's tennis courts filled with Ukrainian players from all over the East Coast," said Chyzowych while commenting on the growth of sports, especially youth soccer, at Tryzubivka.

The next Ukrainian tennis tournament will be Eastern Championships of the Ukrainian Sports Federation of the U.S.A. and Canada (known by its Ukrainian-based acronym as USCAK), which is scheduled for July 1-2, at Soyuzivka, the Ukrainian National Association estate in Kerhonkson, N.Y.

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